What's Your Style? Q&A - Wardrobe Series

For some people figuring out their Style is no great challenge, for others like me ~ I need the process to be quick and simple to follow. Below is a quick 5 question Quiz I found at Dummies.com that really made it easy for me.  I rearranged the layout to make it even more simple to get to your Style results.

Be sure to answer each question as it applies to you at this moment in life. When I did the quiz I had to remind myself of this ... as the perfect every day shoe in my mind is a gorgeous heel! But the reality this moment in my life is that a flat really is the perfect every day shoe that I must choose wear, because of my right ankle and pelvic pain.

Now tally up your answers into groups by letters. What letter did you choose most?

Below is a definition of your Style, based on your responses above.

original quiz layout ~ edits: High Heeled Life

 Pre-life detour my Style was Fashionista and definitely during the past years of recovery it has been Suburanite for the simple ease of it. My current/shifting into Style (mostly Es) Classic, I can live with that. 

How did you do? What is your STYLE?

were you surprised?

Join me next time to as we start the closet declutter process.

Sharing this post with: My Friday's Fancies * Fashion Friday * What Inspires Me Friday

A Wardrobe for a New You... (a new series)

If you are a regular reader of High Heeled Life, you already know Coco Chanel is one of my favourite women of inspiration. Mademoiselle Chanel was not only a brilliant designer and pioneer of women's fashion, she was a graduate of the "University of Life" and lived life much like a chameleon, adapting to the detours life threw at her ~ reinventing herself and creating a new life as required.

Her creations are still relevant in fashion today and will continue to be for decades to come. Style is more than just the clothes that meet today's "fashion (trends)", it is the sum of classic, timeless pieces, quality fabrics, well made garments which create one's personal Style and will continuously  feel in "fashion (trends)" year after year regardless of what is paraded on run ways or seen in magazines as the fashion du jour.

In Mademoiselle's time consumers thrived for quality not quantity and were willing to wait weeks for their coveted wardrobe pieces.The anticipation created by the time it took for a piece to be completed, made the garment that much more special and personal for the consumer. They also knew, with proper care their prized garments would last a life time. Well worth the investment of both time and money.

image source 

In today's world of Instant Gratification, waiting for and investing in well made wardrobe pieces has almost become instinct. People are willing to pay for pieces that are constructed of lesser quality fabrics and often poor workmanship (made by computerized machines) to satisfy their "must have now" thinking.  This mentality contributes to a closet filled with pieces that are not only poor workmanship, the quality and longevity of the piece's fabric give the garment limited life span. These closets become over stuffed with a potpourri of pieces that do not relate to each other; leaving the closet owner screaming the famous phrase "I have nothing to wear" as they scurry to get to work or a social function or to little legal practice on time.

Another challenge that many face today is the their ever changing role in life; single gal, wife, mother, grandmother, career gal, stay at home mom, divorcee, widow, and the wardrobe requirements that change with each role.

Perhaps like me, once a career driven, fashionista ~ I found myself house bound and with my wardrobe consisting of mainly pieces required for a corporate career, not very practical for the physical therapy that now was my life. Maybe you have been a stay at home mom who is going back to work in an office - your husband's sweat shirts and fuzzy slippers you have been living in just won't cut it. Or you find yourself now single (single parent) after years of marriage and for the first time in a long time you are able to wear high heels ~ without worrying about towering over your ex.

No matter the change, or whether it was planned/anticipated or not ... we are all at a cross road. We know things are changing, we are changing ... but have no idea what this new life, or us is going to look like. Well let's start with our closets!

Over the next few weeks I'll be writing a post series called A Wardrobe for a New You, where I will share with you the strategies that I used to get a handle on the contents of my closet, making it easier to get dressed and letting the world think I had confidence (even when inside I am as lost as a person can be, at times).

Your life isn't pleasing you?

Let's take our cue from Mademoiselle Chanel...  

Let's create our New Self and Life one step and hanger at a time!

Join me next time for discovering your STYLE at this time in your life.

Sharing this post with: My Friday's Fancies * Fashion Friday * What Inspires Me Friday

Are you ready?

With all the snow, rain and cold temperatures many of us are more than ready for the warmth of spring and heat of summer! Just a reminder that its been a long winter and with all the layers of clothing parts of us may require some attention: 

Are your toes and heels sandal ready?  What about your nails and hands?

You may want to book a pedi and mani at your local spa.

Add a paraffin treatment for extra silky smooth feet and hands. 

 Spring is the perfect time to get a body scrub treatment. It will help exfoliate the dead skin cells that have been building up under the layers of sweaters, leaving it refreshed, polished and glowing. Making your body ready for tanning,especially if you use self tanners, starting with smooth flake free skin is a must.

Treat yourself!! 

Attention to other body parts that have been covered during the winter may also be in order. If an unexpected heat wave hit tomorrow - are your legs skirt, short ready? Are your underarms ready for a  sleeveless shirt or fabulous Lilly shift dress? Whether you wax or laser ...now is the time to make it a regular part of your weekly or monthly grooming.

 

And when the call of the beach is loud... don't miss out, make sure your bikini line is ready!! 

I would love to hear about other things you do to get your body warm weather ready.

This is Part 1 of a 3 part series on getting warm weather ready!

Curly vs Straight ~ Hair Raising Discussion

I was born with curly hair. As a young child hair brushing often ended in long streams of tears, both from me and my grandmother. Then came my move to Canada ~ where it seemed no one except " us immigrant" children had curly hair. And well children being children, came up with some not so nice words to describe our [curly] different looking hair. So, it was no wonder when I discovered the flat -iron in my twenties, that I became a convert ~ straight hair.

I then discovered not all hair stylists know how to work with curly hair, this had been part of the challenges with my hair struggles. Once I found a stylist who knew just how to cut  (yes, curly hair needs to be cut a certain way) and work with curly hair, I started to learn how to properly manage the tangled mess and embrace the versatility curly hair offers. I learned over time to do my own blow outs and to maintain my preference and confident look of straight hair. I reserved the curly hair for beach, when most of the time it was under wraps with a hat or pulled back/up in a bun.

These days, no longer being able to easily wash my hair on my own; straightening  it on my own is definitely no longer an option. Mr. G. has tried ~ and bless him for it, but it often resulted in the tears of early childhood and a tangled mess. Luckily I discovered a fabulous stylist in the small town near our home ... who is a curly hair expert. She has truly been God sent ... the challenge has been getting my lion's mane to her shop on a regular basis, thus curly hair (which Mr. G is able to help with styling) has been the "norm".

Recently during a rare outing in the city with one of my besties, the subject of my curly mane as it blew around in the wind, became the subject of our discussion. Bestie feels that my lion's mane may be part of whats holding me back and that if I get it under control it may be what I need to feel a bit more like "Me". I responded the "the old me?" ...  a stern and firm "NO" ...  was her response followed by "there is no "old" or "new" ... only modified ... straight hair was/is your preference ... so why not make it part of your lifestyle again... except now someone else has to do it for you." After more discussion, I agreed to look at this is a challenge/experiment and for the next couple of months I have committed to getting my lion's mane in for regular taming.

What do you think? Curly or Straight....

I'm interested to know do you have curly hair? Do you straighten it? And does straight hair make you  feel better, more confident?

A little trivia: Even Cleopatra herself, was born with curly hair. But the Egyptian priests; specially prepared a unique straightening hair formula which left its mark in our memory of Cleopatra, with straight hair.

New You ~ Building the foundation

If your reflection in the mirror no longer fits the life you are living or want to live then it’s time for a change. How does one go about creating a “New You”? This perhaps is the million dollar question and certainly if you were to ask 10 people you would receive 10 unique responses. Now, I am not an expert on this subject nor do I claim to have all the answers. I have however, spent the past 4 years (October 28th) after re-learning to eat, speak, walk, and think; trying to figure out who the person staring back at me in the mirror is.


By sharing with you the baby steps I have taken forward and at times the giant steps I take backwards I hope that you realize you are not alone and that with faith, belief, courage, determination, hard work and support be it from Virtual friends here in Blog Land or from friends you seeing daily… you too can start on the path to “New You”!

Spiritual,Mental, Emotional Fitness:

It does not matter what your religious background is, so long as you have your Spiritual self, belief and faith. The power of being able to stay positive is extremely important, as the energy you create around you is what will embrace you (by the people and things that come into your life). Ever stop to think - its the person who is always down, complaining that just doesn't seem to get a break; while the person who faces life's challenges with the glass is half full attitude seems to come out of even the most horific circumstances.

The one thing I strongly suggest before embarking on any life changing is that you seek the services of a psychologist. As often there are underlying issues that until dealt with no matter what you do or try it will only be a temporary band-aide. I know what you are thinking, but trust me I felt the same way in the beginning and went through various "Shrekos" (and even a quack or two) before I found someone that I felt comfortable speaking with.

Support, whether virtual or via a close friend or family member you need someone who will help keep you motivated, and will cheer your accomplishments.

Once, you have the above in place you can get on with the Re-invention:

Physical Fitness:

Post Accident ~ 96 lbs, extremely weak, non active

Post Accident (just weeks prior to) 4 year mark ~ 135 lbs, low energy, low-active,

GOAL: ~ 115 lbs., become more active by January 31st, 2011

THE PLAN

Yoga (Modified to accomodate limitations in right elbow and back etc.) 1x per week

Gym - physio program with aide of personal trainer 1x per week

Reflexology ~ to help with pain management 1x per week

Walking 1-3x daily (10-15 minutes ea.time)

To maintain Spritual, Mental and Emotional

 

Reiki 1x per week

Meditation - structured 1x per week

Meditation non-structured ~ daily

Do You have a fitness goal? What is your Plan to achieve it?

Next Tuesday Healthy Eating Habits...

NEW YOU ~ Tuesdays

Each Tuesday you can expect to find something related to re-inventing one’s self and creating a new life! So whether you are trying to move forward from a detour in life [unexpected or expected ]; looking to explore ways of becoming a better you, I hope you will find a little inspiration here.

It would be an honor to have you share positive and motivating things that have worked for you personally or for someone you know. If you are interested in Guest Posting or would like to see a post regarding something specific please contact me at: fallingoffahighheeledlife@gmail.com

Like a diamond in the rough~ 
there are many facets you can polish to help
bring out a more brilliant you....

Being at Peace within yourself ~ Spiritual

Taking care of the body~ Health &Wellness

Get it together You are a product of your Environment

 

Family, friends, co-workers, community ~ Relationships

Domestic Godess, Corporate Wife, Executive, Caregiver,etc. ~ Security & Stability

Interests, Hobbies, ~ Fun and Relaxation

Giving back to help others, Community ~ Volunteer

If you look good you feel good , more motivated ~ Outer You

The clothes no longer fit your Healthy Body & Life ... time to clean out the closet

to make room for clothes that fit the new you and Life ~ LifeStyle

 REWARD YOURSELF ~ SHOPPING

If you are feeling like this...

IMAGINE...

What Brilliant and Sparkly diamond will you be,

once you have polished all your facets?