Thanks but No Spanx!

Ya'll it's hot!  I don't remember a Summer when it was this hot and humid.  My mother made a very good point by saying "Well, you have never been this old during a Hot Summer and Your Body is not as resilient as when you were younger"..... Momma doesn't say these words just to hear herself talk.  My Momma is a very wise woman.  Momma is right!  The older I get the harder it is to keep myself pulled together on a daily basis much less when it is a 108 degrees outside with a heat index of 120 degrees.

When it is this hot outside it is really hard to stay Cool and keep my lady like manners in check.  Some days certain people just chap my cheeks and it seems it has happened most recently due to the Hot Weather.

On any given day I get up around 6 to 6:30 and my day begins.  I start out with my loving husband bringing me a cup of coffee to my bedside.  While drinking my daily morning cup of coffee I watch Robin Meade.  She is a doll.  Pretty, Smart and funny.  I just adore her and think she and I could be the best of friends.  She is my kind of people.

Morning Express with Robin Meade

After my first cup of coffee, I shower and start my day off by getting made up.  You know Primping!  When you're this old....it's more like Priming!  It's a hard job to get made up!  But because of my love of style I do it religiously every single morning!

Thanks to Modern Science; there are so many things a woman can do to enhance her overall appearance.  From make up to clothing, we can transform ourselves into anything we desire.  Trust me...I know almost all the tricks of the trade when it comes to transforming myself into the best I can be.

Okay, so let me tell you that I am no different than any other American Woman when it comes to wanting to look her very best.  Plus, this has been occurring for many decades.  For instance my beloved mother!  She told me that when she was much younger and courting my Father (courting I love the fact she refers to their dating as a courtship)  she would go to great measures to look her very best.  From false eyelashes, to hairpieces (the beehive was in style and although she had long hair she would also use a hair piece for added height to her coif to achieve the best beehive in the city of Little Rock) and the use of padded bras and girdles to enhance her womanly figure.

My Mother's Era of Proper Foundations

See, not much has changed.  Women now have the option of having eyelash extensions for the perfect batting of the eye to catch his attention, we now can choose to have hair extensions to make our hair appear as naturally as long or as full of volume as we need, wonderbras are available to give our girls an extra lift and added cleavage if one desires and now instead of girdles we can say Thanks to Spanx!

Spanx...oh how I love thee and wear them every single day.  The difference is unbelievable in the shape it achieves in your rear my dear.  All the jiggle and wiggle is tightened and toned as if you have been in the gym sweating up a storm.  Oprah is the one that introduced the power of Spanx to me a few years ago.  And you know if it's good enough for Oprah then it's good enough for me!

Spanx

At the TV station in my office I have a Magic Drawer!  In my Magic Drawer you will find the following in no particular order:

1. Toothbrush and toothpaste
2. Deodorant
3. Chanel Perfume
4. Earring backs
5. Fingernail File
6. Cuticle Oil
7. Hand Lotion
8. Safety Pins
9. Hair Clip
10. Hair Spray
11. Brush
12. Mirror
13. Make up
14. PMS Medicine
15. Feminine Products
16. Dictionary
17. Last but not least AN EXTRA PAIR OF SPANX

So about two weeks ago on a Friday I decided to forego the wearing of my Spanx due to the extreme heat!  I had on a pair of Denim Linen Trousers, Cute Silk Top and Cardi but NO SPANX.  I decided just to let it all hang out...let my jiggle wiggle!

Ummmm....Excuse me!  The one day I decided NOT to wear my SPANX I got called on by the Fashion Police.  NEVER FEAR MY DEAR...I just opened up my Magic Drawer and Viola...SPANX Appeared.  Went into the ladies room and within minutes reappeared all locked and loaded.  Ready to take on the day. 

Truth be known I felt like a pig in a Sausage Casing Hot off the Grill.  It was freaking 104 degrees outside and my Junk was Locked and Loaded with the key missing.

The things that Women (Tonya) will do for the love of looking good....

Keep a Smile on Your Face and A Strut in Your Walk,
Tonya Denise

Smoldering Hot

Wow....it is Smoldering Hot here in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  The kind of hot that takes your breath away while still attempting to look as cool as a cucumber.  This week the high is going to hit 108 degrees with a heat index of 120.  Yikes!  I don't even think taking a dip in the pool sounds refreshing when it's this hot outside. 

A GAW trying to Keep Cool

My goal this week is to stay hydrated with lots of fluid, wear loose fitting clothing, have sunglasses readily available, keep my hair pulled off my neck and try to stay indoors when possible while browsing through Fall Catalogs. 

Stop!  Wait....Fall?  In this heat?  Yes Ma'am....a proper woman knows when it is time to start her prelude into the new season of shopping. 

Yes, it is time to start mentally planning my Fall Wardrobe needs for the upcoming change of seasons.  Fall is one of my favorite seasons with Football games, tailgate parties, my husband's birthday on Halloween, the Fall Foliage of the ever turning leaves of bright golden yellow, orange, rust and red.  Time to transition and change wardrobes. 

This year I am sticking to a budget and not going over my budget by one penny.  Well maybe we will have a little wiggle room for extra measure.  When I embark on a mission my plan is to carry the mission out to the fullest degree.  Not leaving one dollar untouched.  It is my duty to take on such Style accomplishment and fulfill the duty of finding the most sought after items on my Wish List.

My desires to add just a few pieces to my current wardrobe is all a GAW dreams of when the seasons change.  As of today I am only looking at a few items to incorporate to my existing Fall capsule. 

Denim:  I need to do some research on the perfect pair of jeans before I start my shopping.   Typically I tend to buy a new pair every Fall and they are usually a dark rinse and a long length as I like to wear heels and High Heeled Boots with my Jeans.  Finding the perfect pair of Jeans is a chore for this GAW.  I need a pair that doesn't emphasis my muffin top but appreciates my curvy posterior. 

The last few years I have had much luck with the Gap Curvy Jeans.  I am not a Gap shopper at all but I do love their jeans and they are very affordable.  Normally I go into a Gap and try on about 10 pairs before deciding on the ones that are just right.  Currently I have my eyes on these Curvy Fit jeans.

1969 curvy jeans (saturated dark wash) Regular Price $69.50

I am not a Denim connoisseur therefore brands do not impress me when it comes to buying denim.  Fit is the most important detail with my choice and the Gap Curvy Jeans just happen to fit me like a glove.  Plus I don't blow all of my budget on one item.  I would rather pay more for shoes and handbags.  Speaking of handbags.  I am in love with the Michael Kors Astro Shoulder bag in red.  Razorback Red.  Yes, come to momma.  I will love thee and carry you with pride.  Yummie!


Here is My Uptown Astro Bag but I am getting it in Red



Yummie

It has been a while since I purchased a Red Handbag so I am somewhat excited to receive my new pretty.  It will look great on the weekends with Denim and an added bonus when I am at the Razorback Games.  

Woooooo Pig Soieeee Razorbacks Go Hogs Go!

Last but not least, what would Fall be without my love of animal print?  A very sad Fall indeed.  Talbots is just now getting in their Fall clothes and this my dear friend is my Pièce de résistance to the perfect jacket for Fall....

Talbots Kate Fit Cheetah velveteen jacket

These are my most sought after items thus far for Fall.  I am so ready for a break in the weather and I am so ready for the September issue of Instyle and Vogue.   What is on your Fall Wish List?

Keep a Smile on Your Face and a Strut in Your Walk,

Tonya Denise

Less is More....When in Doubt; Take Something Off Before You Leave Your House!

Women come in all different sizes and shapes and no two women are identical but every woman has the potential to be the best she can possibly be.  I love to create stylish outfits and gain inspiration from other beautiful stylish women. 

Recently I started posting my daily outfits on my Face Book and on a Community Face Book with other Women who love Style and enjoying creating great outfits. 


Summer Dresses and the Living is Easy




Silver BCBG Peep Toe Pumps


This is a Summer Matte Jersey Dress that I purchased at Rags and Calico a local boutique in Fort Smith.  I love the ease of Summer Dresses on a Hot Summer Day.  This dress has a ruched waistline which gives an illusion of a slimmer torso.  I paired it with a pair of BCBG Silver peep toe pumps.  The dress is a lovely combination of cool summer shades of green, purple, pink and white.  I am a woman of classic style and believe Less is More.  The rule of threes always applies when I am using accessories.

My usual three accessories are as follows:  A fabulous pair of earrings, one statement piece of jewelry and an armful of bangles.  My most often go to line of jewelry is Brighton.    In this outfit I am wearing a pair of bling hoop earrings, David Yurman Ring and a Brighton Bracelet. 

I treat shoes as a showstopper as my grandmother taught me many years ago that you can take a cheap dress with an expensive pair of shoes and look like a million bucks.  Or you can take an expensive Dress with a pair of cheap shoes and look dreadful!  Boy, was she right!  It is all about the details.  A stylish woman knows to pay attention to the details. 

Another good piece of advice I received was from my mother who taught me to let the woman arrive to the party first and her dress second.  Interpretation:  Don't allow your clothes to be LOUD and outlandish in taste.  I have read many style books over the years and admired other stylish women and it seems they all have one thing in common:  Less is More!  When in doubt take something off.  Too much of a good thing can turn out to be a Hot Mess.

Here are some stylish women whom I admire.

Jennifer Aniston

Here is a perfect example of a woman who knows Less is More and is in tune with her style.  She is not one to follow fashion but to follow what works for her and has created a style that many women have tried to mimick.  From Casual Day to Dress Evening to a Great Timeless look of Denim.  Jennifer pulls each look off effortlessly.  That is the key to style.  To know what works and to stick to it.



First Lady Michelle Obama

 Our First Lady is definitely a style Icon for women all of ages.  Michelle has a sense of style that truly embodies a signature look.  Classic, traditional with a twist of chic trendy pieces incorporated when needed to keep her look current.  Not a woman of Fashion but a Woman of Great Style.  Here she is wearing her pearls and diamond studs.  Less is More.  Whether she is on her "Let's Move"  Program developed by our First Lady to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation in her tennis shoes, denim and cardigans or dressed in formal attire for the White House First State Dinner, Michelle is a woman of great style.

 

Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton

Kate, a Royal Princess with a Royal Wardrobe to suit.  Classic, Stylish and Beautiful.  I am so excited to see how Kate's Signature looks will transform other young women as she is truly a dream with her style.  Hopefully she will inspire other young women to dress as a lady should dress.  Kate is the New Royalty and I truly look forward to her showcase of Iconic Style.

In closing I leave you with some of my favorite quotes from the lady of style Coco Chanel.





• "Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
• "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”
• “I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”
• “Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.”

Keep a Smile on Your Face and a Strut in Your Walk,
Tonya Denise