As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I spend a great deal of time helping women to ensure that they feel like their authentic selves. I also chime in with tips and tricks pretty much constantly. Every once in a while, that means that it’s time for a, “my favorite things,” blog post. Honestly, I have so much I want to share, that putting everything in one post is the most efficient way to give you maximum impact. The goal here is to improve your style AND your life. Enjoy!

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My Favorite Things Right Now

The Sinead O’Connor and Jennifer Lopez Documentaries

I feel like I waited a lifetime for the Sinead O’Connor documentary Nothing Compares to be available and now that it is, it was SO worth the wait. I’ve been a super fan for years. I love her music and her style but I’ve also always really admired her willingness to stand up for her principles, despite the enormous costs to her personally. Even if you have minimal knowledge or interest in her music or career, you’ll get extraordinary insight into so many issues that resonate today. Personally, I had no idea that women in Ireland did not have legal access to contraception, let alone abortion. And while I knew about the Magdeline Laundries, I didn’t realize that pregnant teens were sent there for the rest of their lives. There’s much to learn.

On a much less tragic note, the Jennifer Lopez Netflix documentary Halftime, is also worth a watch. I’ve never been super into most of J Lo’s music, but I do adore her. As I watched, I could only think how much I want my community to see this powerful, sexy, driven women navigate 50 while wearing crop tops and making even bigger plans for the future. “Criminally overlooked” for her acting and accomplishments, this is sure to both frustrate and inspire. Grab a glass of wine and get ready.

High Impact Giving for the Midterms

Okay, My Dear. It’s no secret that I believe in making your voice heard in a constructive way that helps move us all forward. Voting is the best way to do this. Volunteering and donating to causes and people you believe in are close seconds. I can’t wait until the midterms are over and my inbox is no longer flooded with emails. Until that happens, there’s still time for each of us to get involved. Locally, Senator Patty Murray, champion of women’s rights, affordable childcare and so much more is in danger as is Representative Kim Schrier, the Democrat who helped keep the House Blue in the last cycle. Whomever you support, it’s time to make your move. And, if you want to maximize your gift but aren’t sure how, I really like Swing Left’s option to donate where it’s needed most. Take a look.

Staud

On the style front, I’ve been loving Staud for the past several months. And, I was excited to see a story about the founder in the NY Times earlier this week. The colorblocking is awesome and the joyful palette is sure to cure what ails you as the days get darker. While you are on the site, make sure to take time for the boots! There’s much to see here.

Closed captioning on Zoom

I don’t know about you, but I spend a great deal of time on Zoom. I work with clients in person and also virtually, so that means time on Zoom. Recently, I was on a call with someone who’s first language is Spanish and during the conversation we struggled to understand one another with more complex topics. Then, I discovered the Closed Caption option. Yes! It’s great for the hearing impaired. But, I just discovered that it can also be an amazing tool when both participants don’t have the same native language. When we set the captions to English, it helped her follow along and brush up on her English. When we set it to Spanish, it helped me improve my Spanish and improve the quality of our meeting. If you have access to an interpreter, you can also add an interpreter to the meeting. Genius!

Two amazing episodes of Unlocking Us

What is better than listening to vulnerability and shame researcher Brene Brown? Maybe nothing. Whether she’s new to you or you are a long time fan there are two episodes you MUST listen to. First, a two part episode with the author of The Persuaders . It’s all about how to persuade others and an openness to be persuaded as essential components of Democracy. If you are feeling less than hopeful about the future of our country, this will put you back in the hopeful, inspired place.

The second hopeful, inspiring and instructional episode worth a listen is Brene’s interview with Seattle’s own Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, founders of the Gottman Institute. If you aren’t already familiar with the pair, they are world famous for many things including their ability to predict the success of a marriage within 5 minutes. Their new slim book is called The Love Prescription and the podcast episode gives you lots of easy, actionable steps to improve your relationship. We use several of these practices in our house and I truly believe that they are components of happier relationships.

Loot

On lighter note, if you’ve already binged Ted Lasso, likely more than once, and are looking for something delightful, try Loot. It’s not Ted Lasso. But, it’s pretty awesome. We watched it with our 12 year old, despite the language. Maya Rudolph plays a woman who is going through a divorce from her billionaire husband and discovers philanthropy. It makes you feel good and there’s never enough of that.

Looking forward, I can’t wait for Fleishman is in Trouble, based on the book that I devoured while stuck at the Canadian border a few years ago. The actors are glorious and it’s made by the author, Taffy Brodesser- Akner, which is another selling point.

I’m also really excited to see Hair Tales, a new series from Oprah about the relationship black women have to their hair. Chris Rock made a great documentary 13 years ago called Good Hair. It focused more on the industry related to black women’s hair as well as the culture and history surrounding it. But, this perspective looks to be more intimate and empowering. I especially appreciate the willingness of these filmmakers because I believe that it is not the responsibility of people of color to teach those of us who are white, it is our responsibility to make the effort to learn about others. Documentaries and other artwork is a great way to learn without asking someone else to carry the burden of teaching us.

My vegan leather trench + rain hat

The rain is finally back! Thank goodness. Immediately, I’m reminded how much easier it is for me to adjust to the changing weather with my vegan leather trench coat. It is and has been my main rain jacket for the past few years. I keep a super useful rain hat in my bag and I’m good to go. If you’re considering getting your own, you might enjoy this recent post with my favs.

Jewelry at Venue

Yes! Friends love it when you bring a bottle of wine or whiskey when heading into a dinner party. But, women often also really love a more personal gift. One of my go-to’s is a pair of earrings from Venue. Ballard’s own Venue is filled with art, jewelry and more from local makers. The earrings, in particular, are unique, reasonably priced and have a story, which is always appreciated.

Monochromatic bold looks

Last but certainly not least, I’m obsessed with monochromatic looks. The universe smiled upon me when I started working with a client who also loves those looks AND is into bold colors to channel her Afro-Brazilian culture. If you’ve been considering a bold suit or a fearless monochromatic outfit, now is the time. Nervous? Just remember, if you are wearing a red dress or jumpsuit, you are wearing all red… just like when you are wearing a red suit. Yes, you can.

And there you have it! My favorite things right now. As always, let me know what you think and what resonates with you. There’s all sorts of good stuff out there. Let’s hope this is a helpful list to get you in the zone. Look good. Feel good. Do good. Off you go!

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