A life of discovery

Glasses for face shapes

Face Shapes & Glasses - Beauty Class - Anverelle - Beauty Blogger

My lovely client Jennie James and I are planning to get her new glasses. Jennie is a debt elimination coach currently based in Seattle, but she coaches virtually. Her company is called A Different Answer is about trust and simplicity. She's helped people with every level of debt, so reach out to her if money is keeping you up at night or you're tired of paying too much interest for no good reason. ps. there is never a good reason. 

Anyhoo, back to glasses. 

Glasses are worth investing in. Regu…

Read more…

40 women you can meet without leaving the house!

Erin Keam's Podcast

On my vision board (yes, I'm hugely pro these, reach out if you want help creating one, they are a ton of fun) are the words "inspire and be inspired."

The podcast I created called Conversations About Closets With My Closest 1000 Friends has been blowing my mind. So far I have had conversations with 40 incredible women. Most of the time we are laughing, but there's a few like Mahtab's and Cindy's where I've cried. I started off awkwardly. I need to go back and edit out a few "Can you hear me? I…

Read more…

Thank you Shonda Rhimes

File_000 (1)

Dear Shonda Rhimes, 

I wanted to say thank you.

The world has been extremely stressful and very strange for a long time now. But thanks to you I have discovered a happy place I can go when things become overwhelming.

 That's not to say that my life isn't wonderful, I'm safe, loved, grateful and surrounded by SAD lights. I do wish I wasn't in Seattle, but it's an 18 hour plane ride and two weeks in solitary confinement in a hotel if I wanted to go to NZ to see my family and some sunshine, so t…

Read more…

Why I bought stock in Nordstrom p.s. Free Workshops!

download

I bought Nordstrom stock this week,.

Before you get all excited about my portfolio, I have three shares. Yes, that's three, as in the number 3. Current value...hold on, let me check. 

$99.84

Apparently, the stock dipped today by 1.01 percent. Despite that, I think I'll hold. I could lose it all tomorrow, but I feel quite sanguine about it. It would have gone to a good cause (I do have actual charities I support but for now, feel free to think of me as having hidden shallows). 

Why did I deci…

Read more…

What Kim Scott's "Radical Candor" has to do with Style

0_YUItJ7p2kIwar9Bi

I recently listened to Radical Candor ™by Kim Scott on audio book. It is bloody (yes, I can say that, I’m a Kiwi) amazing.

According to Kim (may I call you that?) Radical Candor™ is “Caring Personally while Challenging Directly. At its core, Radical Candor is guidance and feedback that’s both kind and clear, specific and sincere.”

It can be applied to personal style. Yes, it can.

So…read the actual book as I’m about to paraphrase what I learned, and relate it to how you present yourself in th…

Read more…

How a Christmas present helped me become a stylist - what were you given as a child?

Mysterydate

In the 70's, when I was nine, my family went to Te Puke for Christmas.

Te Puke is about three hours from Auckland, where I lived and back then, I think it was famous for kiwifruit. Yes, it is kiwifruit, they are not called Kiwis - that what you call people from NZ, FYI. 

My auntie Jeannie lived there and it was her turn to host. I got to sleep in the caravan parked by the house, which was super cool, though I probably had to share with my younger brother.

It was a really good year for Christm…

Read more…

I created a podcast, want to be on it?

juja-han-uT55XxQLQGU-unsplash

I'm lousy at group events. 

I mean the ones where there are many people in a room (this goes for parties as well) and the idea is to mingle. With business ones, the intention is to "network," you know, find out what others do so you can collaborate or refer, or hire each other. It's efficient but I get tired super fast so leave early or hide in the kitchen (if it's a party). It's just as tiring online. I like people as individuals and I don't mind speaking to a crowd, but interacting with a lot…

Read more…

What name is best for a "Zoom Ready" course? Opinions please!

Meoncamera
So....

It could be just me.

When I'm on a Zoom or any other on camera call, I'm always aware of the person's background.

I don't mean where they come from, or their life experience, I mean what's behind them.  Like pot plants and stuff. By the way, plants are great. Everyone responds well to plants. Apparently if you don't, you might need a therapist, I read that somewhere. 

I'm visual. Not saying you're not, but seeing clutter etc. bugs the heck out of me. I get distracted.

The…

Read more…

I will miss you Nanette Lepore.

Nanette

I had no idea who Nanette Lepore was. 

I was at Thrift Culture in Bellevue square, pre-Covid. It's run by LifeSpring and supports programs that feed, clothe, educate and provide emergency support for local children living in poverty. They pay $1 a year in rent, in one of the highest cost-per-square-foot locations thanks to the Kemper family who own and run the mall. Insert applause here!

I was browsing because I believe in wearable fun and part of my entertainment budget goes to thrift stores.…

Read more…

$12 or less Zoom background that's not virtual. Oh, and me in front of it.

rod-long-aL7mLl5DZk4-unsplash

I'm not a fan of virtual backgrounds on Zoom etc. though you can get really cool ones. The thing is, every time you move there's a good change you'll look really weird and we all know you're basically hiding a pile of laundry or clutter. But yes, if you have no alternative, they are much better than holding meetings where everyone can see your bed or fridge. 

A really quick and easy way to create a Zoom background without resorting to virtual is to zip down to a fabric store. Pun unintended. Ye…

Read more…