NOT SOOO SLY SALES

So ladies, I never thought I would say this, but right now you need to BE EXTREMLY cautious of the word “SALE”. Unfortunately several companies are going out of business in this economy... and while logic might tell you, “Hey, they are going out of business so they must be liquidating everything!” The reality is most of these stores are hiring companies to come in and HIKE UP the prices for the grand sale. Yes, it is a painful truth but absolutely correct. Studies have shown that if you throw the word SALE into a commercial or advertisment, ESPECIALLY if it is a “Going Out of Business Sale”, consumers will come running.

Girls, they are banking on the fact that we will all assume it must be deeply discounted merchandise and sadly it is not. So if you want to go scrimmage the sales this month, I highly suggest you do your Internet research before you head out. What are the products you are looking to buy? What is their market value currently? And is it TRULY a deal? PS: I also recommend calling out stores who are trying to dupe us! You have a voice and a right to express it, so if your research shows the cashmere sweater you are trying to buy IS NOT 40% off, let the sales people know you are not ignorant! And if you have the time, definitely write the parent company. They need to know we will not have the wool pulled over our shopping eyes!!!

CHEERS TO BECOMING SALE SLUTHS!!! Check out these websites to report any bad business practices! Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org www.businessreporter.org/ www.customerservicearmy.com You can also contact your local chamber of commerce: www.uschamber.com

ALI AND HER AILING CLOSET

Dear KK, I hate my closet! I don’t know what else to say. I can’t find anything in it! I can’t afford to get it remodeled. It’s beyond sick... it is terminally ill! Do you have any tips on how to make a closet come back from it’s death bed?!              --ALI AND HER AILING CLOSET   Dear Ali, Deep breath... sigh... and now lets OM together... Ok, you are ready now to look at your closet. First of all I want you to take EVERYTHING out of it. YES! EVERYTHING! Now girl burn some incense and DISMISS the DEMONS of your closets past and lets start a new!!! Sort your clothes into piles of seasons. As you are doing so I want you to put anything you have not worn in the last three years into a separate pile off to the side. When you are finished go to that “have not been worn in three years pile”. You can only keep 1/3 of what is lalying there. YES 1/3! If you have not worn it in 3 years, odds are you are not going to wear it. You are going to take those clothes and you are going to either sell them on ebay or take them to a thrift store like Buffalo Exchange and see how much money you can get from them. Then you are going to go through your house and look in every nook and cranny for lose change. It sounds like your closet is a mess which indicates to me I bet there is plenty of lose change in pockets, in your car and in your drawers. After you have done all this you should have a little bit of cash to redo your closet. Even if it is only 50 bucks. I promise you it can go a LONG WAY! Here are some FAB affordable things you can do to make your closet healthy again! 1.) PAINT THE INSIDE OF YOUR CLOSET A BRIGHT COLOR! Bright colors are not only cheerful but they help you see your clothes better. Whether it is a bright blue or a hot pink, your wardrobe will POP away from the wall and you will be glowing from the inside out! 2.) THE HUGGABLE HANGER: Listen, I have said before and I will say it again, this hanger definitely creates more space! You can buy a large set online at HSN from 55-124 dollars. And if you can’t afford to replace ALL your hangers it is ok. Even just a few sets of these guys can really help. And Target sells them in 5 packs. 3.) ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET: First decide what type of person you are. Should your clothes be organized by seasons? By color? By size? Or by style? I am a STYLE person. I like ot mix and match a lot so I want to know where what styles are in my closet. My wraps are all together, my dresses, my pants, etc.. I have friends who suggest color coding their closet. Because to them the visual appeal was important and that is what makes them feel most ZEN. Other friends I have suggest organizing their closet according to season because they only had one closet space and they lived in a climate where seasonal wear never crossed over. You have to decide as you put your pieces back in the closet how you are going to reorganize moving forward. And pick a system you know will be easy for you to follow. 4.) NOTHING ON THE FLOOR: You really should not have anything on the floor of the closet unless it is a shoe rack or a laundry basket. Having tons of things on your closet floor just promotes bad energy. And it will make you frustrated in the long run.

	5.) GET CREATIVE: I have told this story before but when I was younger I did not have two nickels to rub together and I had all these handbags that would just sit on the bottom of my floor. It was ugly and it just reminded me of how I was poor and how chaotic my life was, so one day I decided my handbags needed to be hung. So I reorganized my room and I hung them on my wall like pieces of art. It looked cool and it solved my problem. If you are not crafty reach out to a friend who is... maybe you could trade a pair of those 7 jeans you haven’t worn in 4 years for her help in your closet? Think outside the box or “closet” to come up with solutions!
HAPPY CLEANSING! AND HERE ARE A FEW MORE HELPFUL WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT! www.bbwmagazine.com www.sideroad.com www.lowes.com www.target.com www.containerstore.com KK

Dating the Dude with Undesirable Duds

Dear KK, I love to get gussied up! And my man?.... Well, no matter where we are he is fine to stroll around in a baseball cap and flip flops. While I don’t want to change who he is, I am a little embarrassed at times that his wardrobe is “sub par” for the fashion conditions. Any suggestions on how I can remedy my fashion faux pas loving man?                           --Dating the Dude with Undesirable Duds Dear D (I thought I would shorten that mouthful!) Do not fret! This is an issue that has plagued relationships from the dawn of man. I am sure even our fore sisters “the cave ladies” were not exactly thrilled about their man’s choice of wardrobe back in the day.

But the important thing to remember here is you must not insult or attack someone for their style choice. I am a firm believer that the majority of people out there today are unaware of their options. They open a magazine or see their spouse for the that matter reading a magazine and think, “That’s not me!” So since they can’t relate they close the door on fashion all together.

You have to find a way to meld your man’s style into a fashionable choice. OPEN HIS EYES... to all fashion. I am guessing he is the type of guy who sees jeans as a uniform. And you know what, unless you are going to a black tie affair that is A OK!!! Because now-a-days, even jeans have dress up options. What about finding a retro looking sports jacket at a thrift store? Pairing that with a cool tee and jeans can dress your man up without making him feel you’re trying to “make him over”. As far as shoes go I say take your man to “Nordstrom Rack”. I had a similar issue with my husband... it got to the point where me or the smelly birkenstocks from his college years had to go.... so one day I stopped arguing and said, “Hey, today is Brian day... I am taking you shopping.” I cut him loose in Nordstom Rack and together we tried on 50 pairs of very affordable shoes. We laughed, we joked, and in the end he fell in love with a pair of dress shoes believe it or not that turned out to be totally his style. but never once in the process did I FORCE him to try something.

I made the process fun for him and I kept complimenting his “laid back” approach to fashion and in the end we were both satisfied. A couple who can shop together is a happy couple, trust me. So to make it simple here is my advice to you.

1.) Comprimise. You like to dress up, he likes to dress down. Find a middle ground with him that allows him to be himself and still makes you feel comfortable. For example: Let him keep his jeans and T-shirt but he has to lose the flip-flops and wear a sports coat over his ensemble. My fun ways to “gussy” up his looks.

2.) Open His Eyes to Options. Clearly your man’s top priority is not fashion so maybe he is not aware of what’s out there. A Taxi Cab hat or a Fedora for example can be super fun dress up options for a man who likes to beat to a different drum than GQ. Take him to a thrift store. If he doesn’t like to spend money on clothes you have to respect that especially in this economy. Show him ways he never thought of to shop.

3.) Communicate. A lot of men don’t know you’re not suppose to wear “open toed shoes” to this event, or a baseball cap inside. Explain to him kindly that it is not appropriate in some situations. He honestly probably had no clue. And if you are embarrassed maybe explain to him why you feel really good about yourself when you dress up and that sometimes when he dresses down after you spent hours getting ready it hurts your feelings. Make it about how YOU feel, not about HIM and who he is.

Everyone has the right to express themselves. Your man is a great big canvas and he has the brushes you just need to give him the paint! Together I am sure you will make a master piece! KK

Need to Know about the Neon Nancy

Dear KK, What is up with the Neon? I think I am daring, but am I daring enough to bust out hot pink and act like my *%$# don’t stink? I need to know…is there an appropriate way for a 45-year-old to wear neon? Need to Know about the Neon Nancy.. Dear Neon Nancy, Let’s be clear everyone born before 1980 has a right to be afraid of “neon”… I mean the 80’s were a very scary time! Great music! Good ideas! But hmmm... the hair??!

What could the revival of jelly braclettes, lime green and polka dots really mean?…..Aqua net plus a hairdryer? Scary! But the truth is I love color...In fact, I live for color...and some ladies CAN wear neon on top…others CAN wear neon on the bottom…If you have the right skin tones neon green can look amazing on you! Case in point, Michelle Obama’s tops and Cameron Diaz’s bottom’s. But, if you’re a little paler like I am, and not a size zero...I choose to wear neon in accents. Big Bright Bold earings,..fun hot pink shoes...or a great zippy in electric blue! It brings out my eyes but it does not over power the rest of my wardrobe. Hello!!

Even an amazing bright colored necklace can be playful and brighten up your normal black suite no matter what your style! So my answer is…..I totally understand why you are torn about committing to the Neon trend…but fear not dear Neon Nancy… I think Perez Hilton and TMZ have ensured that winged out hair and badly done bubble skirts are officially against the law!