Color = POW!

When I think of color, I think of the words “BAM” and “POW”! Can you tell that I have a 7YO boy under my roof? It’s all about super heroes, Transformers, and every other character that has magic and power.

But, in all seriousness, color IS powerful. It creates a confidence, it’s eye-catching, and can ‘stop traffic’! Wouldn’t you want to stop traffic? Well, in a good way!

Color is a great way to break out of ‘the norm’. We, especially women, have a tendency to fall into the world of neutrals, because it’s safe. It’s slimming and safe! (Yes, I wouldn’t have even had to say the word ‘safe’, because, as women, we only hear the word ‘slimming’.) There is nothing wrong with the neutral world – it’s a basic canvas of where we can infuse color.

If you are ‘new’ to color, this is a perfect time of year to try it, because color is EVERYWHERE. This spring season has exploded with varying shades of color from pretty pastels to the neon shades of the 80’s. So, pick your favorite shades and give it a try!

Just keep these few things in mind:

1. Don’t go head to toe in color, or more, specific ONE color and/or varying shades of that color.
2. You can go ‘all color’ by color blocking your outfit. Just make sure not to use more than 3 colors in your color blocking combination.
3. Infuse color into your outfit/wardrobe where you are comfortable. Maybe, a dress in a bright color is too much. You could try a blouse, scarf, or a fabulous pair of shoes as a way to ease into the color world.
4. Make a statement with color. Don’t be afraid to pick your brightest and boldest shade of your favorite color. Be confident and proud.
5. Avoid being too ‘matchy-matchy’ with your accessories and your outfit. It’s okay to pull in the neutrals or balance one color with a complimentary color.
6. Have fun! Color is a confidence builder. It is guaranteed to put a little extra spring in your step when you look in the mirror and even make that smile a little bit bigger.

I bought my first pair of colored denim – TURQUOISE! Can’t wait to wear them!

Tis’ the season for color! Enjoy!

Mrs. Stylish Stepmom

 

Love Your Heart

In addition to Valentine’s Day, which is filled with heart shaped balloons, cards, and candy, February is heart awareness month.

In the simplest of terms, what I can say is this, “LOVE YOUR HEART!” God gave you one heart to live and love…so, take care of it!

Did you know that 1 in 3 women die of heart disease? 1 in 3! I bet you can think of 3 important women in your life pretty easily – and than imagine life without one of them! Not a thought you want to have, is it?

And, here is a kicker…heart disease is the number one killer in women above ALL cancers combined…yet, approximately 80% of heart disease can be prevented. A life-threatening disease CAN BE PREVENTED! Besides, hereditary genes and/or other disease that can lead to cardiovascular disease, most issues related to heart disease can be prevented by taking care of yourself and your heart!

The three simplest ways to take care of your heart:
1. Eat healthy and/or healthier. We all know we are not perfect and have our “favorite foods” that are not so healthy. Just be smart about it – and pay attention to your diet.
2. Exercise regularly. It’s as simple as parking further away in a parking lot. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Start small and incorporate exercise into your regular routine.
3. Go see your doctor. Don’t wait until something is wrong to see your doctor. Schedule regular doctor check-ups to prevent and/or for early detection.

The other thing I ask of you this month – GET INVOLVED! Heart disease is not bias – it affects men, women, and children! So, the American Heart Association needs your help to continue creating awareness and raising funds for research and development. The heart walk is coming up in April (for Tulsa) – form a team – make it a group effort to start living healthier together. And/or attend the Go Red for Women Luncheon in May (for Tulsa) – get a group of friends together and enjoy a fun event that supports the cause!

The best “stylish advice” I can give for the month of February is what I said earlier: LOVE YOUR HEART!

Being heart healthy should be a lifestyle and not a doctor’s order!

To learn more go to:
www.goredforwomen.org
www.heart.org


Mrs. Stylish Stepmom
www.stylishstepmom.com

Closet Intervention-A Must!

Mrs. Hart – It’s me, Heidi Ducato, Stylish Stepmom! Coming to your closet and holiday rescue! I read your latest posting and decided I better do more than just vote – but, make a few comments too!

First – all the crazy Christmas sweaters were great in the 80’s! And, yes, you will still find people wearing them in the malls, stores, and streets during the holidays. But, that doesn’t mean they should be wearing them! Now, don’t get me wrong, I say that – but, then, I’m the first one to buy a cute holiday t-shirt! What am I saying – multiple holiday t-shirts and wear them all season long! So, it’s a bit of a double edged sword. There is a fine line of being/looking festive and looking dated (out-dated). So, keep that in mind when you are pulling out your holiday wardrobe (no matter what holiday it is). Kudos for not being afraid to show your holiday spirit – just make sure it fits you, your personality and the current era! J

Second – as the New Year is upon us, people have a tendency to run with the phrase “out with the old and in with the new”. They do this in a variety of ways – dieting, exercising, organizing, etc. This is a great time to take an inventory of your wardrobe and decide what stays and what goes (and, I’d be happy to help with that, if you need/want it!)! If you have been holding on to an item(s) for more than 6 months to a year and haven’t worn it – it’s time for it to go!

So, Mrs. Hart, although your holiday sweaters definitely show your holiday spirit, the best place for them is at your next holiday tacky sweater party! Strictly – my opinion – they are festive, but, they cross the line to being dated (out-dated)! And, speaking of holiday tacky sweater party, I have one coming up – can I use one of your sweaters? J

(I mean all of this in fun – with a splash of reality!)

Helping you stay stylish – one step at a time!


Heidi



Correction from Stylish Stepmom:
Since this posting was written,Thursday, there has been a resurgence in the holiday sweater. Such a popularity, that Good Morning America picked it up and did a story Friday morning 12/9/11 on the tacky holiday sweater! Tacky or not - wear it proudly!! Happy Holidays!

You can follow Heidi at the following sites:
StylishStepmom.com
Facebook
Twitter- @StylishStepmom

Christmas Wardrobe Dilemna

I think admit I may have a problem. I seriously may need a local fashion intervention either by close friends, my fellow RHOKers or by local professional stylish consultant, Stylish Stepmom Heidi Ducato. This is serious. I keep hearing and reading about these parties called "ugly" Christmas sweater parties, and then my friend Mrs. Melissa wrote in her guest post yesterday about a "lovely" wearing Christmas vest lady who gave her and her cute little daughter LuLu a hard time for doing a jingle in the Wal-Mart baking aisle.

I own a total of seven, yes SEVEN Christmas/Winter type sweaters. Now bear in mind, I HAVE NOT wore these sweaters in several years, I just haven't parted with them.

What? I was in bank management for 10 years and was required to dress up. I know, I haven't had to dress the part in almost five years, but those sweaters cost a lot of moolah and they will come back into style, right?

Okay, I can argue until I am blue in the face, so I am just going to let YOU decide for me. I have taken a picture of three of the sweaters and you get to tell me what to do.

 Keep, Donate, or Save for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

Christmas Sweater #1 What should I do about Christmas Sweater #1? Keep Donate Save for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party View Result blog poll

Christmas Sweater #2 What should I do about Christmas Sweater #2? Keep Donate Save for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party View Result blog poll

Christmas Sweater #3 What should I do about Christmas Sweater #3? Keep Donate Save for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party View Result blog poll

Okay, I am at your fashion mercy. Praying that I do not have to resort to a larger intervention here. Although, if you do want to call TLC's Stacy & Clinton go right ahead. My entire closet really does need the help. (I really do still have the entire bank wardrobe)

♥Mrs. Hart♥

*NOTE: At press time the poll widgets were telling us unavailable. Please try them and if they are still saying unavailable leave your vote in the comments. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Tell 5 to Save Lives! Heart Your Heart!

Today's post is brought to us by Mrs. Oklahoma International 2010, Heidi Ducato. Heidi is a proud wife and stepmother to a beautiful son. She is also know as Stylish Stepmom in the blog world and @stylishstepmom on Twitter. She also has her own website for the Go Red Campaign. The 2011 Mrs. Oklahoma International Pageant will be held March 5-6, 2011 at the Cascia Hall Performing Arts Center. For more information and tickets, please visit the Mrs. Oklahoma International Pageant website.



Heidi and her Aunt Sue



 Heidi and Mrs. Hart









Happy Heart Month, everyone!! February is more than Valentine’s Day, more than acknowledging the love for your family, friends, loved ones, etc…it’s about showing love for your heart! February is dedicated to raising awareness to heart related issues and disease. It’s about educating yourself and loving your heart…this month and all year long!

I “Go Red” for myself, my family, my aunt, friends….everyone! I’m dedicated to increasing awareness, specifically, for the women in my life, that heart disease is the #1 killer in women! Approximately 1 woman will die every minute due to heart related issues/disease. That is insane and it needs to change! Education is critical in changing the viewpoint from reactive to proactive! Being heart healthy should be a lifestyle and not a doctor’s order.

Many of you know why I became involved with the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women cause, but, if you don’t, here is a snippet from a media release of my story:

"I’m passionate about spreading the message about being Heart Healthy, as a whole, but, specifically, having people understand that the warning signs for women and heart attacks/heart disease are very different than for men.

My aunt, who also happens to be best friend, has suffered from diabetes her entire life. A complication of that is cardiovascular disease. We were together, out shopping and having a great time. She started feeling under the weather, that something was “amiss”, but we kept right on going. You know women – we can talk ourselves in or out of anything and will attribute the symptoms to a multitude of things – lack of sleep, stress, etc.

As the afternoon progressed, she continued to get worse. Long story short, she was having symptoms of a heart attack RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES and I had no idea. NO IDEA! She didn’t have the tingling in the left arm and the tightness in the chest that we all grew up hearing about…she just didn’t feel good, her neck hurt, and everything felt heavy. Her purse felt heavy and I offered to carry it for her…clueless to what was happening. As the symptoms became more severe, it was evident that something was terribly wrong. We took off to the emergency room and within minutes she was heading to the cath lab, because she was having a heart attack. I sat there in disbelief. Fortunately, by the Grace of God, she is still with us today. It was a HUGE learning lesson for me in so many ways.

As I witnessed her recovery, the time it takes and the toll it takes on one’s body, physically and emotionally, I realized that I had to do something. Something had to be done so that other people didn’t have to be in the same situation. They needed to know the warning signs, so that what happened to me/us wouldn’t happen to them.


The other item that I want people to understand is that everyone is affected by a heart attack – not just the person having the heart attack. It affects everyone – family, friends, co-workers – it changes everyone’s life. Heart disease doesn’t go away, so, my aunt lives with it every day, which means we, her friends and family, also live with it every day.

My platform [in the Mrs. International pageant system] is Go Red for Women/American Heart Association. I was involved with my platform before the pageant and was volunteering at an event. I had heard about the pageant about 6 months before and had talked to Lauri [Rottmayer, pageant director] a few times since then. As I was at the event, talking with survivors, the struggles they had gone through, the information they didn’t have, the “fight” some of them had to get the medical field to listen to them that something was wrong…all of a sudden, a light bulb went off and thought I HAVE to do the pageant. Why wouldn’t I? It’s another avenue and/or resource to spread the message about Go Red for Women and the American Heart Association. I could be one voice to help these women share their story."

The International Pageant system is resource to share your story and spread your message. It’s THIS system that believes in helping you create positive change in this world. I didn’t have any previous pageant experience before this. But, my passion for my cause was worth the risk of stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something unknown. Don’t ever let fear and/or doubt keep you from trying new things that could lead you to life changing opportunities.

We have one heart…one chance…so make the right choice! Choose to be heart healthy NOW and not wait until it’s a doctor’s order. Here is something to think about: Heart disease is the #1 killer of women above ALL CANCERS COMBINED. Did you get that…all cancers combined! That is HUGE! Now, hear this…other than genetics and family history, approximately 80% of the signs/symptoms of heart disease can be prevented! Heart disease could be prevented when making the right choices in your life and choosing to be heart healthy.

Here is my request: Tell 5 to save lives! Tell 5 people/women in your life…educate them and encourage them to live heart healthy lifestyles. Then, ask them to tell 5, and ask those 5 to tell 5, and so on… It really can be that simple to save lives!

LOVE YOUR HEART!

Heidi Ducato
Mrs. Oklahoma International 2010

Saving women's lives through education like...