About 2 years ago, I discovered the Karen Millen store in Lenox Mall here in Atlanta.  It was love at first sight.  Karen Millen is a women’s designer clothing brand, specializing in tailoring, coats and eveningwear.  The companies twelve designers produce two main collections and two transitional collections each season.  You won’t find a better fit than this when buying off the rack.

In the United States, Karen Millen has boutiques in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Short Hills, Tysons Corner, Natick, San Diego, Washington, D.C. and New York.

Here’s just a couple of examples of the detailed tailoring found in Karen Millen designs:

Today I am really excited to present to you the first non-planner Style Profile!  Scoobie West and I have worked together for many years and he is a savvy businessman and a wonderful human being.  It is a great thing when your vendor partners become your friends and that is so true for Scoobie and I.  I knew when I started The Stylish Planner that I wanted to include him as a guest blogger. 

Scoobie was recently named one of “Atlanta’s People on the Move” by Urban Lux Magazine for his success as a make up artisan.  Check out his spread on page 12 and his fashion feature on page 42 – those Versace shoes are killer!  Many of you are familiar with Scoobie’s work without even realizing it.  He was the hair & make-up artist for model, Adair, who graced the cover of the current issue of Southern Weddings…

You’ll be seeing much more of Scoobie on The Stylish Planner.  He has already submitted several installments for a monthly Male P.O.V. (point of view) post on women’s beauty trends that will start next Tuesday.  In addition, we are working on another special feature called, “Scoobie Do’s and Don’ts”.  (I couldn’t resist!)  In those posts, Scoobie will talk about hair & make-up tips for the everyday woman – what to do and what not to do. 

So, without further delay, allow me to introduce my amazing friend, Scoobie West…

 Photo courtesy of Urban Lux Magazine

Today The Stylish Planner is bringing you another great post from our Health & Fitness Expert, Kiana Lewis.  Kiana is a contributor on The Stylish Planner twice monthly, reporting on easy ways to stay healthy and fit on a busy schedule.

Kiana, a skilled fitness professional, has been working in the health and fitness industry for over 9 years. She holds various certifications, including W.I.T.S (World Instructors Training School) and ACE (American Council on Exercise). Kiana’s expertise lies in fitness training, as well as weight management. She has experience with various populations including, pre/post-natal and athletes, among many others. She loves plyometric training, sports, photography, and traveling.

Kiana’s philosophy about fitness is, “Exercise, your body will appreciate it."

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I know you have heard the words, “drink water” plenty of times in your life.  Who doesn’t know that good ol’ H₂0 is good for us? On average, it’s about 60% of our bodyweight, and every system in our bodies depends on it.  For instance, water carries nutrients to our cells, provides a moist environment for our ears, nose, and throat tissues, and it flushes toxins out of our vital organs.  Knowing just those few tidbits, it is pertinent that you replenish your body’s water supply, as it is lost through perspiring, breathing, bowel movements, and urinating.

Image courtesy of www.mayo.edu

Yea, yea, I’m a personal fitness trainer, but I can attest to how boring plain old water can be.  Don’t get me wrong, I drink water all day, everyday, but I have clients tell me all the time, “I don’t like water” or “I need something with some kind of taste.”  For those of you who feel the same way, I’m going to give you a few tips to jazz up your H₂0.

Creative ideas: (use a pitcher of fresh filtered water or bottled water)

-Squeeze the juice from half a grapefruit into your water

-Add fresh lemon or lime or both for a refreshing citrus beverage

-Try adding fresh herbs, such as rosemary, ginger, lemongrass, or mint; to produce a more intense taste, us a muddle to crush the herbs

-Use a little unsweetened cranberry, peach, grape, orange, mango concentrate, if you prefer sweeter tasting water

-Insert your choice of flavor extracts (vanilla, lemon, banana…)

-Crush or cut fresh berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries…)

The possibilities are endless. Mix and match ingredients and add your own “zing-zang” to your water.

I adore Niecy Nash.  She has such a positive and contagious personality, I think she is a great example of someone living authentically.  She also has a great sense of style and knows that bold colors really work for her.  I especially like that she has a beautiful, “real woman” curvy figure and doesn’t hide it under baggy clothing.  She knows what fabrics work for her, and that fitted clothing worn correctly can be tremendously flattering on fuller figures.   

There are two things people instantly note about Niecy Nash:

1. She wears a flower in her hair
2. She wears bright colors

These two things have become her beauty “trademark”.  She is known for them.  She probably just likes to accent her hair with flowers.  I say she is a branding genius.  If someone did not know her name, she could still be easily described.  Do you agree?

From left to right, photos courtesy of:  www.marieclaire.com; www.exposay.com and www.eonline.com

Do you have a beauty or style “trademark”?  You may have one without even realizing it.  Could you use a signature element of your style in your branding?  For instance, out of all the wedding planners/florists/photographers in your city, what distinguishes you from the others?  Are you the wedding planner with long red hair?  Are you the florist who is always dressed in varying shades of pink?  The photographer that always has a zebra print accent such as a scarf, handbag, broach, etc.  Think about it – I’m sure you can name at least one professional in your area who has done this and it works well for them.

Oh, and by the way, VOTE FOR NIECY on DWTS!

I’ve been reflecting all week on the philosophy of “branching out”.  I met some seriously talented people at Eventology this year.  The speakers were nothing short of amazing.  Interestingly enough, nearly all the speakers were wedding planners and they all have a “side gig” of some kind or another, fueled by pure passion for the subject that has taken them to new heights in their careers.

There’s a buzz in our industry right now that if someone is teaching workshops or on the speaking circuit, they must not be doing well in their wedding/event business.  I often hear frustration from other planners when a fellow vendor branches out and offers services outside of the scope of their original business.  We often hear, “Do one thing and do it well.”  While this is true in many situations – the wedding world would be lacking if any of the ladies who presented at Eventology this year had not pursued an interest outside of (or in addition to) planning.  For instance:

• If Linnyette Richardson-Hall were not a foodie, we would not enjoy her “Diva Cooking Show” chronicles on Twitter.  I strongly believe we will see a cookbook or something even bigger from her in the near future.  We will see a project develop that incorporates her love of entertaining with her passion and knowledge for food and cooking.
• If Saundra Hadley were not the amazing sales person that she is, would we even have a resource on sales that is specific to our industry?
• What if Sasha Souza had limited herself to wedding planning only?  We’d never have this:

www.amazon.com

• What if Lara Casey never started a wedding magazine or never put herself “out there” and offered to share her knowledge through mentoring sessions and workshops?

• What is Terrica Skaggs didn’t have “geek-gasms” when she discovers new technologies? There would be no Chic Wedding Geek and we’d all have a fewer items on our to-do lists after returning from Eventology.  And we’d be working harder, not smarter.
• What if Katasha Butler decided that working in the pharmaceutical industry and planning weddings was enough for her?  We wouldn’t have been gushing about much of anything this past week, I suppose. 

I’m just sayin’.

What is the wedding and event planning world missing out on because you are holding back your talents?

Hmmm…well I suppose for something to make a comeback, it really would need to have been in style in the first place, right?  I’m not sure that overalls were every really were considered stylish, although I do confess to having owned a couple of pairs in my lifetime.  (There was a pair I was particularly fond of at age 10 with pink embroidered flowers.) 

More recently, I specifically recall an episode of Oprah in which the topic centered around stay at home mom’s receiving makeovers.  The title of the segment was something like, “Frumpy to Fabulous” and the word “slumpadinka” was used by Oprah more than once.  One mom in particular claimed overalls as her “mom uniform.”  Among her many reasons were the extra pockets, ease of dressing – you need only pair them with a shirt, and the fact that she didn’t mind getting them dirty.  Her other mom friends were astonished at her lack of style and begged her to get rid of the overalls.  It turned out that she had a pretty cute figure underneath all that denim – who knew?!

So, imagine my surprise when I saw this photo from the Ralph Lauren runway show during fashion week this past Spring.  Despite their frumpy reputation, I really like this deconstructed menswear look:

www.ralphlauren.com

Now, let’s be clear.  This probably isn’t a look for work related appearances.  However, I could possible see a stylist/designer or florist wearing these for an installation – the pockets would really come in handy, and your other clothing would be protected.  To keep it feminine, wear it with a scarf as shown, a basic tee, roll up the pant cuffs and pair with a simple ballet flat.

What’s the verdict on overalls?  Love them or hate them?

Jen Wooster-McBride is owner and CEO of J. Lauren Events in Columbus, Ohio.  If you haven’t already, check out her featured planner style profile and get to know her a little better.  Jen is a regular contributor to The Stylish Planner on the topic of Petite fashion, you will definitely enjoy her posts!  Jen attended Eventology 2010 and took these great photos for today’s post. Enjoy!

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Wow what a great start to the week. Eventology surpassed all my expectations. I came away with marvelous new ideas for my business and my wardrobe! This group of wedding professionals was diverse in background and style but there were definitely some trends that stood out in my mind. Here are our top 3 Eventology 2010 trends:

(Pictured above from left to right: Deniesha of Wedded Luxe, Jenny Cook of Jenny J Cook Events, Debbie Orwat of Save the Date Events & StudioWed Denver, Jen of J. Lauren Events, & Alicia Caldecott of A Day in May Events

1. Big Bold Color- Bright colors were definitely in high demand. Lots of bright green, purples, pinks and most definitely yellow.  Ranging from chartreuse to neon to soft pastel, it was the hot color at Eventology 10.

From left to right:  Terrica Skaggs of Cocktails & Details & Erika Stawick of Green Shoes Weddings & Events

2. Hidden Platform Shoe- Perhaps because we weren’t on our feet all day everyone decided to break out their highest heels. The hidden platform is a comfortable way to reach new heights, whether in a neutral or a hot attention getting color.

Pictured above from left to right: Ashley Baber, Lauren Chitwood, Katie Saeger and Janice Carnevale and

?? – can anyone please help us identify this lovely lady?!

3.  Ruffle Details- Black in white, soft colors, bold colors, big collars or little details on the side. Ruffles were everywhere. Flirty and fun I think this trend is going to stick around for awhile.

Note from Jeannine:  Today’s post is from our wonderful guest contributor, NaShara Mitchell.  NaShara is the Owner & Creative Director of Ready to Blush, Your Wellness & Beauty Concierge.  Based out of Indianapolis, Indiana, NaShara is our Beauty & Wellness expert, contributing twice monthly on topics written with wedding and event planners in mind.  NaShara founded Ready to Blush in 2002 as a personal aesthetics company.  Services offered by Blush are a starting point to enhance, empower, and educate women, focusing on both inner and outer health, wellness, and beauty.  NaShara is a wonderful asset to The Stylish Planner and is such a pleasure to work with.  If you are attending Eventology, you undoubtedly enjoyed NaShara’s session on legal issues yesterday.  Please enjoy this installment from NaShara – live from Eventology 2010!

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Your personal and business brands should tell the same story.  When you are meeting with a client, they are looking at YOU.  Yes, they will glance at the inspiration board and other documents you are showing them but they are going to look at you, your eyes, your smile.  Are you sharing the same message that you presented on your website and marketing materials?  If your business speaks to the fun and quirky bride, is your personal style fun and quirky or are you presenting a prim and proper librarian?  Is your ideal client one that loves a clean and minimalistic look but your personal style is one that is would put a theatre makeup loving diva to shame?

A full face of makeup or a few touches of lip-gloss, mascara or blush along with your signature glasses may not only help you to look and feel better, but may also translate into increased trust with your client.  It’s a subtle investment in yourself that gives a nod to your consistency and attention to detail as a wedding professional.

Photos courtesy of Emilie Duncan and Opulent Couturier

Wow – I’ve just left the opening session of the Eventology Conference in Indianapolis and returned to my room in order to write today’s post.  I had planned to write today on the importance of attending professional conferences, and incredibly, the amazing Ali Phillips addressed this in her welcome message.  I don’t believe much in coincidence, rather I feel that this topic is just so timely for our industry.  I’m so glad we addressed this topic this morning, because there were some additional points addressed that I hadn’t considered.  Here are my notes from this morning’s session:

Reasons why we don’t attend conferences:

-  Expense

-  Lack of focused content – conference material is “recycled”

-  Lack of credible speakers

-  Time commitment (hard to schedule around events, hard to take time away from our businesses and families, etc.)

-  We may feel shy or socially awkward – it’s hard to put yourself “out there”

-  Geography – depending on where you live, it may be difficult to travel to conferences, and conferences may not come to your area

Reasons why we should attend conferences:

-  to motivate us

-  to be inspired

-  to feed off of each other/ to be encouraged and to encourage in return

-  to further our education about the industry, add new skills, find out about trends

-  to build lasting relationships

-  to get a competitive edge – attending conferences sets us apart from others

I think this quote from Ali sums it all up, “We attend conferences to become and remain successful.”  I feel motivated and empowered already.  There really is such wonderful energy here!

I’ll be continuing coverage of Eventology for the next couple of days.  In fact, here’s a snapshot of the editorial calendar for this week: 

Two wonderful ladies will be covering topics for me tomorrow and Wednesday.  Don’t be surprised if Jen or NaShara stop you and ask to take a picture of you for either of our upcoming features .

Also, I have a Style Profile spot open on Thursday for the first person to send in a submission.  It’s so easy.  You can access the guidelines and questionnaire here:  The Stylish Planner Featured Planner Guidelines.  You can also stop me and ask me to e-mail you the guidelines from my phone – I’d be happy to do that.

People attend conferences for different reasons.  Whatever reason brought you to Eventology, I’m so happy you are here.  Please make a point to connect with me and say “Hi”.  I’d love to meet you!

In my opinion, every girl should have a fantasy shoe.  In order to qualify as a “fantasy” shoe, there are a few criteria the shoe must meet:

-  The shoe must be completely out of your price range.  Under no circumstances should you ever be able to afford (or bring yourself to spend the money on) your fantasy shoe.

- The shoe must be completely impractical for your wardrobe – it must literally work with nothing you own.

- The shoe must be either so narrow or so high that you could not ever reasonably walk in it, but rather carry it with you to the chair in which you will sit for the duration of the event in which you are attending.

- The shoe must be made in whole or in part of some material that is completely ridiculous to put on your feet.  Our girl, Cinderella had the glass slipper, we have delicate silks and satins, glitter, jewels, lace, flowers made of fabric, etc.

- The shoe must incite intense jealously on your part should you actually see another woman wearing it in public.  The shoe must cause the urge to attack the woman on site and make her your mortal enemy for life, even though she may be a perfectly lovely person.  Unless of course you are able to ascertain that she wears the same size you as you, in which case she must instantly become your best friend.

My fantasy shoe changes from season to season as new designs are revealed.  It is almost always a Louboutin, although I have a great affection for Manolo Blahnik as well.  Here is my fantasy shoe for this season:

I love this shoe for so many reasons, not the least of which is the amazing, vivid color and the glitter.  A fantasy shoe is to me what a vacation spot is to some people.  Many may think of the beach, Paris, Hawaii, etc. when meditating, relaxing or daydreaming.  I picture myself purchasing my fantasy shoe without dipping into my kids college fund to do so.  I picture myself wearing the shoe, walking gracefully, in perfectly coordinated clothing.  I am blissfully unconcerned about the possibility of the glitter coming off.  I walk past a group of women lunching on a sunny patio and they want to be me, because of course, the shoe makes life completely perfect.  Thinking of my fantasy shoe takes me to my “happy place”.  I agree with the fabled Cinderella, “One shoe can change your life.”

Do you have a fantasy shoe?  If so, what does it do for you?