Valentine's Day is kinda a scam.

Valentine's Day is kinda a scam.

But still, a girl likes a little chocolate and some attention anyway.

Quick story:

You know Mike & I have been together a long time- on and off since high school in fact. So that's quite a few V-Days.

Once, a few years into dating, we decided that we wouln't do anything for Valentine's Day. We expressed our love to each other every day and we didn't need a holiday to make us do it.

The day arrived and Mike didn't get me anything. He didn't do anything. Not even a little note or a single Hershey Kiss.

WTF.

He was shocked. I mean, we agreed, right?

Wrong. A girl wants something, anything, on Valentine's Day. My rational mind said it's a silly day, but my heart- my twenty year old emotion driven heart-said you fucked up buddy!

Let's just say that it is a lesson Mike has never forgotten, because I won't let him.

So if your girl says she doesn't want you to make a fuss, get your ass out to the store and get her some candy and hand write her a love note. Because everyone wants to be remembered on V-Day.

And if you don't have a guy or a girl this year, fuck it and celebrate with your friends. Galentine's Day is real, probably more real than Valentine's Day. I love my girls!

Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll.

Photos: @alicegpatterson Makeup: @alistartistry

45- I'm ready for you!

Today is the last day I am 44 years old.

This is the first year that I really felt ok openly admitting my age out on social media.

I teach my clients to embrace who they are right now. But it isn't always easy for me to do the same.

I've always had a round and full face, so I looked younger than my age. In my 20s I wanted people to take me seriously so badly. In my 30s, even though I had built up experience and expertise in my field, I still never felt that way because my colleages always assumed I was at least 5 years younger than I was.

Looking back now I feel so much of my time was wasted and so many people could have been served if I had gotten over my B.S. ageism and just did my thing.

So now I'm in my 40s and I'm going to own it, damnit.

Yes, I still get surprised looks when I say my age. Yes, I still shrink a little inside. But that's ok.

I can take it as the compliment that it is and also be assured that I can serve my clients well with experience and confidence.

Mid forties, I'm ready for you!

Photo: Alice G. Patterson, Makeup: AListArtistry

Stylist Secret: Creating Your Own Look Book

I’m so glad you keep coming back for my Style I.R.L. Guide! You are going to be so happy you did! In January we are defining your personal brand. By now you know how your life will improved when you know more about your personal style. First step was to create your inspiration board. Using your board, we used what we learned to define your style. Now let’s implement that. 

One of the services I provide my clients is creating a Virtual Personal Look Book. I’m telling you, it changes their lives. A client told me she can’t get dressed without it anymore! A Virtual Personal Look Book is a curated catalog of photos of your outfits- from top to bottom- that you can access from your phone and use as a reference when you get dressed every day. Imagine the time and stress you will save each day! No more standing in front of your closet wondering what you will wear? And as part of my Style. I.R.L. Guide, I’m going to give you the steps to create your own. Right here. Right now. Let’s go. 

“Step 1”

Step 1: Put an outfit together. Make sure you choose every element of the outfit from earrings to shoes. Try it on too. See how it fits, is it proportional and does it all work together. Also keep in mind your Personal Style- now that you know what it is you can use it to build a look you love.

“Step 2”

Step 2: Lay it out on the floor in a visually appealing way. Make it Instagram-worthy, with everything in the outfit included. 

“Step 3”

Step 3: Take a photo of it from above. Create a folder in your Photos called “Look Book” and file the photo in there.

DONE! If you take the time to do this, soon you will have a fabulous catalog of outfits to choose from. No more stress about what to wear to work or that luncheon.  Just take out your phone, scroll through your Look Book , and choose an outfit. 

---

This week I challenge you to plan your outfits for the week ahead of time. Take 15 minutes to look ahead to your week. Choose two days and pre-plan your outfits for those days. Then follow the steps above make these two outfits the first in your Look Book. Then see how you feel on those days when you use the Look Book to get dressed. Share with me on Facebook- I want to know how you benefited from this challenge.

---

Still not sure this is worth the time? Check out my latest Facebook video where I explain more about the benefits of creating Virtual Personal Look Book. If you aren’t already, be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter and become a part of my style community. I share my tips, events and more from my Style I.R.L. Guide.

The building blocks of your personal brand.

It’s time for more of my Style I.R.L. Guide! January’s focus is creating your personal brand. Last week we talked about how much better your life can be when you know your personal style. Together we created your inspiration board. It’s step one in determining your personal brand and it’s a step I do with all my clients. This week we are going even deeper and figuring out how to implement your personal preferences into your wardrobe. So if you missed last week’s blog post or you haven’t had a chance to create your inspiration board yet, GO BACK NOW and build your board. It’s easy, fun and really gives you insight into what you like, who you admire and what your taste is.

Once you’ve got your inspiration board, whether it’s a collage you can hang in your closet or a virtual board on Pinterest, it’s time to go deeper. We want to use this visual expression of your taste to determine your personal style. 

Is there a lot of one color expressed on your board? THEN CONSIDER ADDING MORE OF THIS COLOR TO YOUR WARDROBE.

Do most of your pictures reflect a more casual style or many most are of classic, preppy looks? IF IT WORKS WITH YOUR LIFESTYLE, PUT MORE OUTFITS TOGETHER IN THIS STYLE.

Maybe you wear mostly skirts to work but have a lot of pictures of outfits with pants and trousers? THINK ABOUT WHY YOU DON’T HAVE MORE PANTS IN YOUR CLOSET. THEN TRY TO CREATE A PANT LOOK THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN.

Don’t forget hair and makeup. WAIT, DID YOU FORGET HAIR AND MAKEUP? That’s an important part of your personal brand, even if you prefer a natural looking face. Don’t really wear makeup or not sure where to start? I got you. For more on my every day easy makeup look, check out this week’s facebook video. I’m sharing my favorite products to do a polished but natural makeup look. WATCH HERE

This week I want you to look at your inspiration board and make a list of words that describes the styles you see there. For me, words that describe my board are classic, pulled together, crisp, tailored, neutral, stylish, balanced, natural, and polished. What are yours? These are the building blocks of your personal brand.

Don't miss any of my Style I.R.L. Guide by signing up for my weekly newsletter and becoming a part of my style community.