Life Lens Career Coaching gives insights on navigating your career development, creative sparks and entrepreneurial spirit so your career and life stay in focus.
Thanks to Darnell, the GPH crew, the Neiman Marcus team and the 10 amazing women who graced the pink carpet with their confidence and sparkle as they showcased their remarkable makeovers at the fabulous February event! The “Love You – Boost Your Wardrobe, Boost Your Biz” event inspired this month’s post – Knowing What You Love: Part 1 – That Inner Spark.
Each of the 10 women chosen for the makeover and fashion show was selected for their passion, courage and dedication to making a positive impact in the world. As each nominee took their walk down the pink carpet, we heard their brief bio and got a sense of what inspired their work and nomination. As they passed me, I admired the artistry of their new look…but what struck me most was each woman’s unique radiance. Every woman had an inner spark that was blazing brilliantly that night – it was glorious to experience it! Thank you ladies for owning your beauty and being such an inspiration in the work you do!
Like these 10 ladies, we all have the opportunity with each day to harness our passion and courage and then dedicate ourselves to something worthwhile in our work and our lives. However, to do this and do it well, a woman must know what she loves and let that love shine through. This starts with loving ourselves. Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish writer, playwright, and poet shares, “To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.” Loving ourselves wholly – quirks, mistakes and all – ignites our inner spark and allows us to live a life we love thus paving the way for our unique contribution to the world to count for something! Like the title of the event suggests, making time to take good care of ourselves by investing in things like stunning wardrobes that highlight our best features and actions like giving back that boost our spirits, can in fact boost our business and work in the world. Why? Because they make us feel good about ourselves which lifts our confidence. Clothed in our own confidence – that Inner Spark – we have the courage to step up, reach out and share what makes us unique, give voice to our ideas, offer our services and make a difference.
What inspires your Inner Spark? How do you reach out to show your spark to the world?
Feel free to share your thoughts in my comment box.
Tune in next month for “Knowing What You Love: Part 2 – Creative Excursions to Keep You Connected to Your Inner Spark” Read more
Hotel 1000 is hosting the Third Annual “Evening with the Stars” in celebration of the 84th Annual Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, February 26th, 2012. Beginning at 4 p.m., guests will arrive on the red carpet featuring photo opportunities just like Hollywood’s best celebrities.
Guests will be welcomed with a CIROC Signature Cocktail and then escorted into Hotel 1000′s expansive event. At 5 p.m., a live telecast of the Academy Awards will begin.
Throughout the evening, BOKA KITCHEN + BAR will provide heavy appetizers that include an elaborate seafood display “Oceans 1000″ featuring King Crab Legs, jumbo prawns and oysters; passed hors d’oeuvres; and dessert.
An evening with the Stars at the Hotel 1000 is the BEST way to spend your Oscar night. If you don’t have tickets, don’t hesitate, it’s one of the best events in Seattle…of the year; hands down. See you there!
When: Sunday, February 26th
Where: Hotel 1000
Tickets: Here
Time: 4pm
Attire: Cocktail Dress to Impress
Amber Restaurant & Girl Power Hour Cordially Invite you to the ultimate wedding mixer to introduce Pearl’s new flavor…..Wedding Cake Vodka! Join the Girl Power Hour team and our Wedding Wisdom & Event Savvy bloggers, Wendi Hroncich and Holly Patton for an exciting event this Thursday!
Where: Amber Restaurant & Lounge
Time: 9pm-2am
Hashtag: #weddingcakevodka
Tweet Us: @amberbelltown @GirlPowerHour @etherealevents @misshollypatton @posh_weddings @diannesdelights @PearlWedCake @TheFinerie @swinkstylebar
RSVP: Here
Maile and Kassie Go To Hollywood: Two Small Town Seattle Girls in the Heart of a Hollywood Grammy After Party
Official Event Flyer
A few weeks ago, my business partner Kassie and I were lucky enough to attend a Grammy after party at the historic House of Blues, in West Hollywood. The party was a charity concert by Three Six Zero and Roc Nation. Featured artists included Calvin Harris, Rihanna and DeadMous5. Tickets to the event started at $1,000 and even went as high as $50,000 and up! Proceeds from the benefit went to the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer artists’ program at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Children’s Orthopedic Center. Kassie and I could not have been more honored to attend such an amazing event. And honestly, this was almost like a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.
Our trip began with the busiest day of our lives. Sunday morning 7 AM flight, interview preparation for an article we were writing on the Grammy’s, dress pick-ups, and the inevitable stops at about 15 different places in Hollywood. All while carrying our vintage Chanel Bags and jewelry that Bag Borrow or Steal graciously let us borrow. And let me assure you, we did not carry these items lightly. We guarded them and carried them with the respect they deserve, being cautious not to get even a single a scratch on them. A little shout out and thank you to the Glam Squad over at BBOS for styling us in some hot accessories.
Nutrition & the City is a monthly feature focused on non-diet tips to help you eat well and feel great
Happy Monday (and President’s Day)! Do you feel prepared to eat healthfully this week? If “preparing for the week” brings to mind cooking for hours on Sunday only to have a freezer full of leftovers you don’t want, keep reading. Here are five practical tips to help you eat well, save time and money, and enjoy it.
Prepared to eat well this week?
1. Set aside time to prepare. My fiance is now used to me asking every week, “Honey, are you ready to do some meal planning?” (Oh, the joys of dating a nutritionist!) We sit down with this handy form from theprojectgirl.com, look at our week, mark out the nights we plan on going out, and decide our dinner plans (including who is responsible for cooking) for the nights we aspire to eat in. Budget a little time each week for this process, which also includes assessing what perishables you might want to use up (Leftover fresh rosemary? Rosemary new potatoes, it is!), looking up any recipes, making a grocery list and of course, grocery shopping. If you’re not used to cooking, I promise this sounds more complicated than it really is. And you’ll get better at meal planning the more you practice. Sitting down to meal plan shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, and will save you time the rest of the week.
2. Cook once, eat twice (or thrice). Maximize your cooking time by making enough to pack leftovers for the next day’s lunch or dinner. You can also experiment with making a big batch of something that holds up well in the fridge so you can enjoy it a few more days of the week, such as soup, massaged kale salad, cooked beans or lentils, and whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice or whole wheat pasta. Or try a simple recipe you can throw in the slow cooker in the morning, and come home to the delicious aroma of a home-cooked meal.
Quick note: If you grew up in a household of non-foodies where leftovers were an even worse-tasting version of the previous day’s ho-hum meal, you may have unfairly written off leftovers. This is worth challenging because I swear, life is a little easier if you’re able to appreciate good leftovers.
3) Keep it simple. If you use fresh high quality ingredients, there’s no need for complicated recipes. (Hmm, feel free to insert “Visit farmer’s market” in Tip #1.) You might want to keep a list of easy dishes you already know how to prepare visible on the fridge. It might look something like this: stir-fry, pasta with already-cooked chicken sausage and veggies, veggie and cheese omelet with whole-grain toast, burrito, huevos rancheros, etc.
I often hear people complain they don’t like cooking for one. My advice? Get over it. I just got back from a yoga retreat in Whidbey Island today, where I met a lovely UW med school student who prioritizes cooking wholesome meals for herself because it helps her think and feel better. Again, keep it simple, and save your fancier dishes for company.
4) Keep it even more simple for breakfast and lunch. For super easy planning, it can be helpful to have as few as one or two options for breakfast and/or lunch, perhaps only changing with each season. Breakfast in the summer might be organic yogurt with berries/peaches and granola; in the winter, perhaps steel-cut oats with banana/raisins and chopped pecans. Lunch might be leftovers or some variation of a sandwich, wrap or salad (containing protein and whatever veggies you have on hand) and whatever fruit is in season. For me, I like packing leftovers to work or making a PCC run (see next tip).
5) Have a back-up plan. While I’d love to say this process works out perfectly, and my fiance and I only eat out once a week, it simply will probably never be the case. For those extra busy or less organized weeks, when we haven’t made it to the grocery store or working late, we’ve got some go-to’s to fall back on: Metropolitan Market for Cucina Fresca sauce and pasta (fresh pasta takes 2 minutes to cook), PCC deli take-out (I think PCC has the best-tasting and best-for-you prepared foods section of any grocery store in town), Whole Foods salad bar (which has much more than salads; or Asian noodle soup bar if you’re near the Westlake location), Vietnamese pho, or digging in our freezer for an Amy’s Organic meal/pizza or Evol burrito.
Like almost everything, it’s about progress, not perfection. Even if you start cooking at home or packing your lunch just once or twice this week, that’s progress. And know that there’s not a perfect method for meal planning (if you do find one, I’m all ears). Since everyone has a unique schedule and food preferences, it takes trial and error to learn what works best for you. So experiment lots–and try to have some fun while you’re at it.
What tips do you have for eating well on a busy schedule? I’d love to hear about it.
I was having a conversation with a few of my girlfriends the other day when a beautiful girl walked into the coffee shop we were at. The table went quiet.
One of my friends nervously pulled at a loose string on her hem, another stared the girl up-and-down, and the quietest of the group continued flipping through a magazine as if Brooke Burke’s doppelganger hadn’t just breezed through the door.
Finally, I said “Wow, that girl is really pretty.” Everyone responded in surround-sound; defeated and despondent, “I know, right?”
Real Estate Chic is a monthly feature with local housing news you can’t afford to miss and insight you always wanted to know!
Time to Sell, Time to Buy!
It has been a busy year for our local real estate market and we are only a couple months into 2012! Whether you are wondering if this is finally your year to be a first time home buyer or you can’t wait to put your condo on the market, the time may be right to make a move forward.
Spring is usually the busiest time of year for real estate. Just as the weather warms up and the rains slow down, sellers are able to spruce up their yard, clean their closets, paint trim or whatever else might need to be done in order to put their home on the market.
All topics are on the table with Chat Your Mouth. A blog focusing on life quirks, tasty cuisine around the Sound, social media and design.
Sharing online isn’t a new concept however it continues to grow into this monster where everyone knows what you had for lunch, where you found those hot shoes for 50% off, who is selling the best vegan donuts and how to “put a bird on it”. We were taught to share with our friends as little kids and now we are able to not only share with them but with total strangers around the world!
From a personal standpoint, I secretly love to show off. Being able to put my ideas, random thoughts, writings, photos and crafts on platforms such as Facebook, Etsy, Twitter, Pinterest, etc… has brought a new sense of pride to my world, and a bit of humility, realizing that I am not the only one who likes to bake cupcakes and stroll around Green Lake, smoothie in hand with my little girl wearing her new knit hat with a flower on top.
For those looking for a crutch to help quit smoking, be wary of the electronic cigarette, commonly called ”e-cigarette”. Florida resident, Tom Holloway quit smoking two years ago. To assist him in staying off nicotine cigarettes, Mr. Holloway depended upon e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are battery operated. They simulate a cigarette, in how it is held in the hand and orally, but there is no smoke. Some offer a modified blast of nicotine, without any smoke.
Judy speaking with Queens ready for their makeovers.
Giving Hope is dedicated to showing women how they affect their communities through philanthropy
Some women have this amazing aura around them. They always seem to glow. You know they’ve gone through some difficult times, yet they always come out with a wink and a smile. Confidence is an amazing power every woman needs to possess and some women not only have it but they give it to others.
