It's Wednesday afternoon, the middle of December, and the snow is falling.  I'm out in the cold, at the cemetery, waiting for my friend's casket to be brought to her grave.   My sweet friend is being laid to rest after her courageous battle with cancer.  The mood is quiet, somber, peaceful.  Out of respect for her and her family, most people are dressed formally and wear darker colors.  After all, this is an occasion to show love and support, not to stand out and get noticed.  I'm surprised by the low number of well wishers who actually have dressy coats to match their more formal clothing.  Almost no one is wearing a classy looking hat.  And it's COLD!  Did I mention the snow falling?  Some people are even wrapping the mortuary blankets around themselves.  The lady next to me was wearing only a thin silk blazer.  She was visibly shivering  and subconsciously moving closer, I'm guessing for group heat. I put my arm around her and move to block the wind. In my long fur coat, I feel like the fluffy warm snowman trying to hug the icy cold one in the image above.  I'm feeling bad for my new friend, but not about to give up my coat.  

A warm coat and hat to keep the body temperature locked inside the body makes all the difference between frigid, shivering cold and cozy warm.  Even if you don't frequent snowy, cold weather funerals, you won't regret having one dressy coat and hat just in case.  You may even find yourself branching out and looking for other occasions to wear them. How about a nice holiday dinner or theater with an evening stroll after?  Maybe to see the lights downtown?  My goal for you, whether you know it or not, is for you to look like a million bucks no matter what you're doing.  With this mission in mind, it's always a good idea to have two coats, two hats and two pairs of gloves.  One for formal events where you need to look classy and show respect for your host.  And one for casual, fun events, where snowball fights will probably be involved.  Here are ideas for coat/hat combos for those more dressy scenarios and where to find them.  Because Christmas is fast approaching and Santa is still making his list.  Speaking of which....have you put a couple of hours of personal styling on your list?  How about a wardrobe assessment with a customized guide for what to wear where for your figure, coloring and personal style?  Click HERE to add Style By Dani to Santa's list.  Click HERE to get the elve's employee discount.  

Give the gift they will use every day for the rest of their lives.  The gift of timeless style.  
Contact me HERE to learn more.  For ready made packages with great discounts, click HERE.  

Not sure which package is right for you?  Let's create one together.  Click HERE or contact Dani at Dani@StyleByDani.com, call/text 385.229.6297.

You're running around on Halloween and want to show that yes, you are aware it's that hallowed day, without looking or feeling uncomfortably over the top.  Here are three easy ways to put out the Halloween vibe with minimal effort.  You're welcome. 

1.     The ugly Halloween sweater.  Yes, it's a thing.  A discreet, cool but no overly cool, Halloween statement piece. 

2.     Kritter Klips that match your actual hair color.

3.     Maskimals - they also come in the Nightmare Before Christmas variety.

This is A WAY to choose the best jeans for your shape, not the only way.  Remember, it's not just what you wear, but how you wear it.  For other options that are a fabulous fit for you, including how to make the clothes you currently own work for your figure, click HERE.  

Is the thought of back to school shopping stressing you out?   With multiple kids running in multiple directions all yelling “come with me Mom” and “I really need this!” with with 50 other moms and their kids all doing the same thing is absolute mayhem!  It feels like utter chaos, cock-eyed, google-eyed chaos and yes there is a better way.  Stress-free back to school shopping is possible when you and your kids are on the same page and have a rock solid plan. In addition to zen meditation yoga to prep you for the big back to school shopping event, try this equally satisfying process for guaranteed stress-free and effective school preparation.    

1.    Evaluate their wardrobe – A wardrobe evaluation is a great way for you to spend some one-on-one time with your child before their day is taken up with school and other activities. This should be on a stress-free day.  Try turning on music.  Make it fun.  It’s not about the stinky socks and the unidentifiable something or other that has been under their bed for a year.  Stay focused on the clothes in their closet and a great new school year that starts with how they feel about themselves. Clothes have a huge impact on our psyche…especially for kids in a new environment.  
    The Process:

• Bring in a clothes rack.  If you don’t have one, your can make one by setting up two chairs, putting a broom on top and hanging the clothes from the broom handle.  
• Bring in 2 boxes or plastic bags. One is for cleaning/repairs and one for repurposing/donations.
• Does it fit? Do they love it? Like it? Hate it? Look through each item of clothing. Move off-season clothing in the back of the closet.  Designate one place on the rack for items you love and hang them there.  Designate one place for items you like and hang them there.  Throw the hates in the donation box.  Put the hoodies, snow boots, or clothes that are still a little big in the end of the closet.  
• Evaluate what their “love it" section has in common.  Is it the color, the fit, the pattern (or lack of pattern), the texture?  Make a note of this.  Now consider the "hate it” items, what do they have in common?  Make a note of the things that make their favorites love-able and search for similar design elements in their clothes.  For example, maybe their “loves" are all solid colors and “hates" patterns…search for solid colors in the future.  
• Put the things they love back in the closet.  Begin creating outfits and expand those outfits to clusters. Each item should go with at least 2-3 other things in their closet. Ideally your child will have 3 tops and 2 bottoms that all work together.  This would create a cluster. (See July segment for guidelines.) 
• Make a list of needs. So if there are incomplete groups or clusters of clothes, add the missing piece to shopping list.  For example, they have 3 tops and only one bottom piece that goes with that color grouping, add another bottom piece to the shopping list.   List the shoes and other accessories that are needed to coordinate with what they have and what they plan to purchase.  
• Discuss your budget and plan your shopping day.  

2.    Hit the stores! Know where you are going before you leave the house – This may involve searching the internet to know which stores carry what you need.  The more efficient you are in the store, the better spirits everyone with have.  Make sure the child knows what their size is.  I have shopped with multiple children at once and you can very quickly feel outnumbered.  This is your chance to teach your kids how laser focused shopping works.  The list you develop together needs to be specific, with correct sizes, colors, what to bring with you if things need to match, etc., so that you can walk with them into the store and let them find the clothing they need.  Make it a real life treasure hunt!  
3.   Choose their best look for the first of day of school.  When in doubt choose a shirt with a collar, that gives them instant smarts, and makes a fabulous first impression for their teacher and other students.  If they look sharp, they’ll feel sharp! 

I have officially graduated to having kids who love riding roller coasters.  Wahoo!  It's been a long wait but totally worth it.  To watch your child scream and belly laugh uncontrollably is what every mother lives for. Right? As I'm gearing up for a long day of coaster to coaster riding, I realize it's time to leave the big floppy hat and skirt at home.  No more being an observer of littles at kiddie land.  I get to be in the action now, with the big kids, spinning upside down, front-ways, back-ways, side-ways, getting wet, then hot, then sweaty, then wet again.  Oh the joy!    It occurs to me that spending the entire day at the amusement park with all this action, takes some serious outfit planning.  Not willing to sacrifice one minute of precious time running back and forth to a locker, I've come up with this list of things to wear to keep your money, phone, and of course dignity, in tact.  

1.     Pockets with zippers + zip lock bag for the phone
A phone is handy for fun photos and contacting AWOL group members, but the last thing you should be worrying about when you're about to take a hundred foot plunge into the water is whether or not your phone is going to get wet OR fall out of your pocket.  Shirts and shorts or pants with zippers are golden in this situation.  Put your phone in a zip lock or water-proof bag before the pocket and you're safe as a kitten.   

2.     Fanny pack
You may call it a mini belt bag, a running waist pack, money belt, hip pack, or my favorite a pocket front bumbag.  It's essentially a fanny pack and has proven to be a trusted friend in on-the-go circumstances.  I normally wear mine under my shirt right at the waist.  If it's empty, it lays close and is hardly noticeable.  When it's full, a little blousing and even distribution of the essentials inside is also a good disguise.  If you don't need that extra granola bar and have plenty of zippered pockets, feel free to leave the pack at home.  

3.     Clothes that dry quickly
Wet clothes in heavy-weight or obsorbent fabric tend to either chafe or just feel uncomfortable as they take forever to dry.  Denim is one of these.  Ditch the cut-offs friends and instead try quick drying shorts or pants that your skin will thank you for later.

4.     Comfortable shoes 
This one is fairly obvious, if you're going to be on your feet walking on concrete all day you want happy feet.  Many people wear sneakers with socks.  These can take time to dry if they get wet and may cause blistering.  I've found that supportive flip flops actually work well.  You can take them off and leave them on the ground for rides where your feet fly through the air and hanging coasters have a base that your feet stay on.  Sandals with straps are an even safer bet.  Cool, quick drying, and supportive.  

5.     Hair tie, earrings, necklaces, lipstick ​
This is where the dignity stays in tact.  You can avoid looking like a drowned mouse with a little updo, earrings with backs, a secure necklace and yes 12 hour lipstick.  Say hello to end of the evening photos because you're gonna look great!  

Is there anything you would add to the list?  Post it below or just share this post with your coaster crazy friends! 

You know you have an event coming up where you want to, not only leave with your dignity in tact, but with your companions saying "NICE LOOK"!  I'm here to help you nail it....

1.    Do the clothes work for your shape?  Check to see if the shape of your clothing repeats the shape or silhouette of your body for your quick fit strategy.  

For counterbalancing techniques see blog post 4 Balancing Techniques to Create the Ideal Figure here.  Note many people become a combination of body types during middle age when metabolism slows down and weight goes up. ​

2.     Do the clothes repeat your personal body coloring? When you repeat your hair, eye, skin and blush color in your clothes you become part of the color scheme.  Repeat blue eyes and peachy rose blush with a pattern that includes those colors (left).  Repeat rusty red hair with cinnamon colors (right).  

For more tips on coloring see previous post 4 Ways to Look More Vibrant Every Day.

Looking for an objective eye to teach you what works for your figure type, coloring and which textures and patterns are best for you?  I'm just a click away! 

For the woman who is always giving and never taking time for herself, I've got some fabulous options that will show your love and help her feel gorgeous every day!  Call me at 385.229.6297, e-mail Dani@StyleByDani.com or click below.