Here I am, indeed. Now what?

Those were my first thoughts upon landing in Austin on a sweltering hot summer day in 2009.  I considered, briefly, being a stay at home mom. It was appealing and my son is such a joy, so why not? The answer is that while I do enjoy spending time with my hilarious, adorable, two year old bundle of cuteness, frankly, I need an outlet. A creative, enterprising outlet full of goals and ideas that I can work toward. Preferably one that would combine my interest and knowledge of fashion along with helping real women and men. In case anyone’s wondering, glamazon, alien race supermodels, are not real women. Even if they share their grandmother’s secret salsa recipe with you, help you cast-on when knitting a scarf or give you dermatologists recommendations. Trust me, they’re just not. Some were as sweet as sugar, (and of course, some, not so much), but I was really ready to help people who needed me to guide them towards discovering, or rediscovering, their own definition of style. I wanted to lend my abilities to people who needed help fitting their “new bodies” into new clothes and help make them feel and look fabulous. I wanted to help people who just needed someone to nudge them along, or when needed, give them a big, hearty shove in the right direction when it came to what they should keep or let go of in their closets. Some days we all need that friendly voice that says, “Darlin’,  you haven’t worn that fuchsia floral print taffeta gown since 1988. It needs to go!” And I’m that voice. And it’s my job. And I love it. Best decision I ever made. You know why? Because I really do get a thrill out of seeing a woman’s reaction in the mirror when she see’s how beautiful she is. I love that my clients often become my friends through this process. I mean really, letting someone into your closet is personal. It’s a leap of faith and it’s not for the faint of heart.  I’m not going to fault anyone for the clothing choices they’ve made. Heck, I, myself have made some questionable fashion choices in my past. (Well, not really, but I wanted to make something up to make you all feel better.) No seriously, I’m not going to rip your closet apart and ridicule your choices. I’ll leave that to the reality tv shows. I focus on the positive and when we find a “Glamour Don’t” lurking in there, I strive for humor. Humor and a positive outlook have gotten me through some dark times and it will get us both through the dark depths of your closet and beyond. A favorite quote of mine is “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. -Dr. Maya Angelou  That goes for your clothes, your body, your work, your relationships, or just about anything you can think of. I remind myself of that one all the time.

So yes, I do sound like a candidate for Miss Universe, but it’s true. I like helping others. I enjoy being part of the process of transformation. An expediter, if you will, on a person’s road to more confidence and enhanced clarity. For me, organization gives me clarity (never could work in a messy home or office) and clothing gives me confidence. Sure, confidence comes from within, but if you love the way you look on the outside, the outer helps the inner. Especially when the outer is gobbling up tons of compliments! How lucky am I? I get to work in fashion, help people look and feel amazing, and along the way, make friends while I’m doing it. Sometimes change is good. And so far, Austin, you’ve been very good to me! Thanks, and let’s all keep up the good work!