Posts Tagged ‘Beauty Pageant’

My early years were spent growing up in a small, sleepy college town.  Children traveled in neighborhood packs and every Tuesday and Sunday my particular pack walked to and from the local church.  It wasn’t more than four or five blocks from my house but we thought the trip was immensely exciting because we got to venture off the tiny block where we all lived.

So all together in our pack, we would cross the road, walk down the sidewalk and turn left at the big mailbox.  Down the tree-lined street we would go, walking by the familiar houses with children’s toys strewn in the front lawn and well-known “grandmas” rocking on their front porches.  Everyone knew everyone and it was safe to travel the three blocks before we crossed the road again and arrived at the church.  After church we would, of course, retrace our steps with one small exception: we always stopped to wish at “the wishing foot”.

The wishing foot was actually a small foot-shaped stone that had become imbedded in the concrete when the sidewalk had been laid.  No one knew how long it had been there and no one knew how the legend of the wishing foot began, but none of us would ever miss a chance to stop and take our turn.  The stone was small so you had to place your foot over the wishing stone, pick up your other foot while balancing on one leg, and make your wish.  Naturally you closed your eyes and whispered your wish only to yourself – otherwise it wouldn’t come true.  Being very young, I wished to grow up to be Cinderella or at least to have a Fairy Godmother.  When I was older and more sophisticated, I wished for a dump truck or an electric train.  To this day I remember the excitement of taking my turn on the wishing foot and hoping with all my might that my wish would indeed come true.

Of course the wishing foot wasn’t just a silly children’s game or something to do on a lazy stroll home.  It’s really about the feeling of hope that all of us need in our lives in order to generate the energy that actually creates our dreams.  Even little children intuitively know the value of connecting with the feeling of hope deep within all of us.  It is hope that drives us to rise above the everyday mundane in our lives, to overcome the overwhelming, and to create more for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

It’s been a long time since my family and I moved away from that cozy neighborhood and the small stone we called “the wishing foot”.  But I’ve never forgotten the value of having dreams and have never lost the ability to connect with “hope”.  Whenever I’m feeling tired, overwhelmed, and at the end of my rope I just close my eyes and imagine myself, complete with pig-tails, taking my turn on the wishing foot.  I feel the excitement of a young girl’s dreams and belief that anything is possible if you only work hard enough and never let go of hope.  So when you’re feeling a little worn down, just find a spot to stand on one foot and image that you are standing on that wishing foot.  And then get ready to connect to the overwhelming power that only hope can bring!

After a busy week there’s nothing I like better than to spend Sunday afternoon munching popcorn and catching a movie with the fam.  We love watching all types of movies and aren’t embarrassed to attend “cartoon” movies even though none of us are in pre-school!

One of our favorites is “The Incredibles” which is a movie about a family of undercover superheroes who are trying to blend in to their quiet suburban life.  Ultimately, they become bored with their less than super life and just can’t resist getting involved when a new super villain, Syndrome, tries to take over the world.  But wait… what’s a good movie without a wardrobe malfunction?  Mr. Incredible’s superhero suit has a hole in it and so he makes a visit to super designer Edna Mode for a quick fix. (Side note: Edna is clearly my favorite character in the movie because she’s so obviously based on legendary film costume designer Edith Head – complete with black round-rim glasses and china doll bangs).

Edna tosses the old super suit aside with disdain and explains that Mr. Incredible needs a new and improved suit.  She shares her vision for the suit, but Mr. Incredible insists that in order for his new suit to be perfect, it needs a cape.  Edna sharply exclaims, “No cape!” and goes on to list the number of superheroes who had capes only to find that the cape ultimately got in the way of doing their job.

So often when we’re trying to achieve a goal we have our own vision of what “perfect” is and find it hard to take advice from experts – even those experts who we know are the best in their field.  We try to rationalize why we shouldn’t do it “their way” and adopt the recommendations half-heartedly or ignore the advice completely and push forward “our way”.  If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s that there’s no way I can be an expert in everything.  I’ve learned to work within my “gifts” and to look to others working within their “gifts” for helpful advice and coaching.  As EBQs we often find ourselves trying to do everything perfectly and it’s that phrase, “everything perfectly”, that is actually getting in our way.  In order to fully develop your own personal gifts you’ve got to be willing to let go and let others share their gifts with you.

And just in case you’re wondering, Edna does design new super suits, without capes, for all The Incredibles.  The movie ends (spoiler warning!) as super villain Syndrome gets sucked into a jet engine by his cape.  So next time you’re overly focused on being perfect and you’re insisting on doing everything yourself, remember that that way of thinking is just like a super cape – it may sound like a good idea at the time, but it’s going to get in the way your success!

When I was a very young girl I grew up in a small college town where everyone knew everyone.  We always hung out with the same pack of friends and everyone ended up at our house to plan our next adventure.

One summer day my friends and I were sitting on the front lawn loudly proclaiming that there was nothing to do.  We’d already played a vigorous game of tag and none of us were interested in going for yet another bike ride around the block.  So my Mom scraped together the loose change she had saved in her “mad money” jar and with a twinkle in her eye she suggested that we all walk down to the local diner for a donut.   Well, that was a pretty big, exciting trip for us!  We immediately set out on our mission to buy a gooey, yummy donut.

As we were walking along, each one envisioning which type of donut we’d pick out from the glass case, my sister wondered aloud how long my Mom had been saving nickels and pennies in her money jar.  I scrunched up my forehead and tried to think real hard, but I couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been saving coins in that glass jar.  And neither of us could remember a time that she had taken money out to spend.  We all had a good long “grown-up” talk (since we were old enough to walk to the diner we just knew we were grown-up) and decided that it really wasn’t right for us to use the money that my Mom had so carefully saved.

When we arrived at the diner we confidently strode up to the diner, each took a seat, and promptly ordered a round of ice waters.  The waitress didn’t act a bit surprised and served us just like we were the most important customers in the room.  We drank our ice waters, left a dime for a tip, and started back home knowing that my Mom would be so pleased that we hadn’t spent any of her money.

We arrived back home and proudly returned all of my Mom’s loose change, minus that big ten cent tip.  We were puzzled by her expression and she gently explained that when someone gives you a gift, even if that gift requires a sacrifice, that you show your love for them by accepting.  Often times as EBQs we’re so busy taking care of others and doing everything ourselves that we don’t allow them the opportunity to give to us.  Learning to accept is the flip side of giving; one really can’t exist without the other.  So take some time to slow down and let someone have the opportunity to give back to you.  Smile, cherish the moment and learn to accept just as graciously as you give!

Now let’s get something straight right up front:  I am not the scientific expert in the family.  I’m pretty sure that honor goes to my younger brother who is obviously a genius (when he was 11 years-old, I clearly remember him explaining to me in detail how the eyeball converts light to “vision”).  So what can I possibly know about physics and how can the laws of physics relate in any way to The Pageant Wave?

No doubt you’ve seen a demonstration of The Pageant Wave during a local parade or during one of those annoyingly stereotypical, yet adorable, pageant movies like Miss Congeniality.  The arm is bent in a 90 degree angle at the elbow and you gently rotate you hand back and forth at the wrist.  It’s a very small, very subtle movement that’s become the hallmark of beauty queens everywhere. So what does executing the perfect Pageant Wave have to do with achieving EBQ success?

Well, if you’ve ever ridden in a convertible during a parade, you know that parades typically go on for hours and hours!  You’re out there in the blazing hot sun, or pouring rain (it’s never perfect weather), smiling and looking pleasant even though you’re wondering how many more times you can listen to the high school band’s rendition of Eye of the Tiger without losing your mind.  You start out with lots of energy, but quickly realize that this is going to go on for miles and miles at a snails pace.  Strategically you adjust the energy with which you’re acknowledging the cheering crowd and dial back your enthusiastic wave.  What starts out as a broad wave that takes massive amounts of energy transforms into The Pageant Wave which uses one of physics most commonly understood laws: a wise EBQ strategically uses the least amount of energy necessary to produce the desired outcome.  For those of you who haven’t learned to speak “EBQ physics” just yet, that means “work smarter, not harder”!

We’ve all heard the phrase “work smarter, not harder”, but are you really putting it in to practice everyday?  (Sigh) We’re usually so busy running around trying to get everything done that we just don’t take 15 minutes to review what’s on the list to make sure we’re working efficiently.  So make a point this week of viewing your “to do” list with the skeptical eye of an energy-conservationist and really ask yourself “What’s the most effective way to achieve what I want while expending the least amount of energy?”  Being energy efficient will actually make achieving your goals more fun plus you’ll have energy left over for your next fabulous EBQ project! 

So next time you’re looking at that “to do” list and feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed, just smile, close your eyes, imagine yourself at that parade, and go ahead and show the cheering crowd YOUR best Pageant Wave – in no time you’ll be on your way to EBQ success!

It’s time for another Fab Friday Giveaway and this weekend I’m featuring some “must have” items from one of my sponsors, Hollywood Fashion Tape.  In the past I confess I’ve purchased those cheap knock-off products thinking that the quality would be the same (don’t tell Marni, the CEO of Hollywood Fashion Tape).  But once I tried the real stuff I realized that the knock-offs really can’t compare to the original!  Since no self-respecting EBQ wants to be caught with a wardrobe malfunction, here’s what the winner of the Fab Friday Giveaway will receive:

 1 Hollywood Fashion Tape® Red Carpet Assortment (5 Unique Shapes)

1 Hollywood Fashion Tape ®

 

1 Hollywood Touch Ups™ (Lint Removing Sheets)

 

1 Hollywood Squares™ (Reusable Foam Sheet to remove deodorant marks from clothes)

 

1 Hollywood CoverUps™ (Reusable Silicone Concealers)

 

Here’s how you can enter once to win:

After reading today’s post just leave a comment below about your funniest ever wardrobe malfunction and how you solved it.

Here’s how you can enter a second time to win:

Visit the Hollywood Fashion Tape website and take a look at all the fabulous products.  Then come back here and leave another comment about which product you think is a “must have” for Everyday Beauty Queens.

And this weekend I’m even offering a third way to win:

If you’re already a subscriber, leave a separate comment telling us that you’re a subscriber to the blog.  If you’re not already a subscriber, just sign-up in the box on the left and leave a comment that you’re a new subscriber!

Don’t worry if your comment doesn’t show up right away – it has to be officially “approved” first.  (You know how it is – we don’t want those annoying spam comments sneaking in!)

Pretty simple, huh?

The giveaway will go through Monday, February 8^th at Noon Central Time and Monday night we’ll use a computer randomizer to select one winner from the comments that are posted.

So go ahead and post your comments and then check back Tuesday morning to see if the lucky winner is you!

When I was young, proper little girls took music and dance lessons to become proper young ladies.  So naturally my Mom enrolled me in dance class in the hopes that I would grow up to be a proper young lady some day.  I was 6 years-old and really hadn’t ventured much beyond my neighborhood so I was awed by the dance studio with its spacious room and wall to wall sparkling oversized mirrors.  The dance teacher, Miss Mombray, was encouraging and was assisted by two teenage girls who seemed so perfect in every way that I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to be most like when I grew up.

So there I was in dance class with my fat, pudgy cheeks and eyes that looked as big as saucers underneath my “of the moment” page-boy bangs.  I quickly picked up the steps and while I enjoyed the elegance of ballet, it was the energy and snappy movements of tap that I loved the most.  I clickety-clacked my way around the floor and couldn’t remember when I’d had more fun!

At the end of the year we prepared for the annual recital where all the little students would show off their newly acquired skills to a room full of proud parents.  My tap class was performing to “Lollipop” by the Chordettes and I couldn’t have been more excited.  The costume was a white leotard with tights and the Moms made tutu’s out of cotton-candy pink netting and cut a lollipop out of colored felt which was glued down the center of the leotard.

I practiced the steps of the dance every chance I got, but really struggled with the last move which was a cartwheel.  It was the pièce de résistance of the dance and it just wasn’t working for me.  I would spend what seemed like hours in my front yard practicing my cartwheel with my sister and friends.  I would tip over to the left, tip over to the right, or just not get my little legs up high enough to make it all the way around.  We would collapse on the grass from exhaustion, laughing hysterically at my attempts to master that cartwheel.

The big day finally came and I put on my costume complete with felt lollipop.  We went out to the front yard to snap some pictures, so I demonstrated my best shuffle-ball-change step and decided on a whim to attempt the cartwheel.  I smiled, pointed my little foot, raised my arms overhead, started to rotate around, and much to my surprise, executed the perfect lollipop cartwheel!  I couldn’t have been more excited and my Dad snapped the picture just as I landed on my feet with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen!

It’s been a long time since that day in my front yard and I can honestly say that I doubt that I could execute a cartwheel today.  But that day I learned the value of persistence, hard work, and a support network of good friends.  So next time you’re feeling a little overwhelmed or “stuck”, just smile, point yourself in the right direction, and start rotating towards your goal.  And you too will have executed the perfect lollipop cartwheel!

As a few of you may know, I’m taking this year to lose the gazillion (is that a real number?) pounds I’ve gained during the last several years.  You know how it goes – your schedule suddenly becomes overwhelmingly busy and your “meal planning” consists of deciding which drive through window has the least offensive fast food.  Well, I decided to get down to brass tacks (no, I’m not eating them!) and slowly lose those extra pounds this year.  I’m happy to say that I’ve experienced some success already and have dropped a size – which means NOTHING in my closet fits.  So this Sunday evening I had a few hours on my hands to pack up my “larger than I am clothes” for the charity truck.  Then, like the organized planner that I am, I got out my pencil and paper to make a list of the “must haves” in every EBQ wardrobe for my mega shopping trip this weekend!

Of course you’ve seen these “must have” lists in every single wardrobe planning book under the sun.    You know – basic trench coach (check), tailored black pants (check), 2 pair of good fitting jeans, one for flats and one for heels (check, check), classic white shirt… wait a minute.  What?  A WHITE SHIRT?  Nope… not gonna’ get that.  Scratch it off the list. 

Even though every fashion guru who’s ever worshipped in the tents at New York Fashion Week claims I need a white shirt, I’m not going to get one!  You see, I look hideous (pronounced HID-EEEE-OUS) in white.  I am naturally so pale that I look completely washed out – a little like someone making a permanent visit to the cemetery.  Through personal experience I’ve learned that I just don’t look good in white and no amount of bright lipstick and extra blush is going to change that.

Advice is helpful, but you’ve got to remember to really analyze and decide if it applies to you.  Don’t just swallow whole every bit of advice that people give you.  Learn to think for yourself.  Pick it apart in your own mind.  Ask yourself, “Based on my personal experience, what part of this advice makes sense and what part should I let go?”  There are blueprints for successful business ventures, diet programs, money management systems, career success; the list goes on and on.  It’s up to you to sift through the advice, keep what you like, tweak what would work with a little personal adjustment, and then just “pass” on the rest.  Yes, I do buy almost everything on those wardrobe “must have” checklists and its great advice; I just don’t do that white shirt thing.

So the next time someone’s giving you advice, don’t make an impulse decision based on their “expert” status.  Don’t assume that they always know you better than you know yourself.  Think it over, consider your situation – review your strengths and weaknesses – and really determine if it’s right for you or if it’s just another white shirt!

Okay, so I know you’ve heard this phrase over and over again, “She’s such an overachiever”.  You’ve probably said it about a friend or co-worker, or maybe you’ve even said it about yourself.  But what exactly IS an overachiever?

Naturally I would never do anything as predictably mundane as quote the Merriam-Webster dictionary by telling you that the definition of an overachiever is “one who achieves success over and above the standard or expected level especially at a young age”.  Okay, so this definition means someone who has pleasantly surprised us with their accomplishments – I get it.

But is that how we actually use the word “overachiever” in everyday conversion?  No it really isn’t.  We hear: “I don’t know why she studies so hard; she’s such an overachiever.”  “She gets up super early to get her workout in; she’s such an overachiever.”  “I want to make sure everything’s perfect – you know how I am – I’m such an overachiever”.  Somewhere along the way the word “overachiever” has come to have negative connotations.  Its word cousins in everyday conversation are “perfectionist” and “obsessive”.  Now is that really what you’re trying to say about yourself when you say you’re an overachiever?

Or do you really mean that you’re a True Potential Achiever?  Do you mean that you ENJOY stretching yourself and your capabilities?  Do you mean that you’re a life-long learner and love learning new skills and developing your current skills to their highest level?  Say the phrase “I’m a True Potential Achiever” to yourself right now and ask yourself, “How does that make me feel?”  I’m gonna’ bet that it feels a whole lot better than calling yourself an “overachiever”.   Just think of all the things you could accomplish if you gave yourself permission to see yourself as a True Potential Achiever and started using words and phrases that reflect your interest in expanding your possibilities as well as your realities.  (I can see the difference in you from here!)

EBQs know that to create the person they want to become, they’ve got to SEE it, HEAR it, and FEEL it.  EBQs know that personal development is a never ending game of challenging themselves to achieve the next level of mastery – and that there’s no possible way anyone can achieve their true potential if they are thinking negative thoughts about themselves.  It just can’t be done.  So stop referring to yourself as an “overachiever” – that phrase is just soooo last season.  Start using a label that more accurately tells your story: you’re a True Potential Achiever!

On my last post I talked about doing a project that requires you to use some personal creativity.  For my project I’m going to be sewing curtains for the front door of our home.  You see, Miss Bennett (my 7 pound Toy Poodle who thinks she’s a German Sheppard) loves to stand at the door on the tippy-top of her hind legs and bark at every single thing that puts a toe into what she thinks is her territory!  She’s really quite adamant about this whole “protection” thing (I don’t think she knows that she’s a TOY Poodle!) and it’s starting to drive us all nuts.  So I’m sewing beautiful sheer white curtains so she can’t see anything through the glass on the door or side window. 

I was probably around 6 years old when I first learned to sew.  My parents lived in a tiny little house in northern Utah where my Dad attended college and supported the family by working as an auto mechanic.  The “sewing room” consisted of a sewing machine squeezed between the gigantic furnace and noisy washing machine in our grey cement basement.  My mom taught me to sew by tracing straight lines on paper and then showing me how to guide the paper through the machine (there wasn’t any thread in the needle).  As I got the hang of it I moved up to doing squares and oversized circles to gain the skills necessary to guide the fabric correctly.  Then finally it was time for me to try sewing swirls on paper.  My mother carefully drew swirly lines that changed gracefully from one direction to the other and I had to feed the paper through the machine, continuing to follow the lines without breaking or stopping.  I was so excited when I could finally do swirls because I knew that meant I was ready to sew!

Since those humble beginnings I’ve graduated to a computerized sewing machine and sew in a fabulous space complete with a closet full of fancy tools.  I don’t often sew now, but in the past I’ve made created countless Halloween costumes, sewn all types of curtains and bedding, and in typical self-reliant EBQ fashion even sewed and hand-beaded my wedding gown.  But it really all started with those swirls – the basic skills necessary for every other creative skill that followed.

So when you’re working on your creative project don’t try to get all fancy right away.  It you haven’t used your creative skills for a while you may end up feeling overwhelmed and be tempted to give up.  Just relax and give yourself permission to start with the basics.  Using your personal creativity regularly will inspire you and give you the confidence to succeed in other areas of your life.  I suspect you’ll be surprised by how doing a creative project now and then will improve your confidence and ability to take on anything.  So when you’re feeling a little stuck and need some “positive YOU time”, just get out your EBQ project supplies and swirl!

So we’re half-way through the week and I totally know what you’re thinking.  You’re already looking forward to the weekend, aren’t you?  I knew you were!  And this weekend is going to be the perfect opportunity for you do a little EBQ project.  Yup, we’re going to do a project!  Did you think the blog was just about inspiration and motivation?  Silly, you!  Inspiration and motivation without action is what I like to call “puff and stuff”.  What’s the value of getting all puffed up about the possibilities in front of you and then letting that feeling dissipate before you actually DO something?  So I’m challenging you to do a little EBQ project this weekend.  It can be a tiny something, a little something, a medium sort of something, or a big weekend-long something.  But just carve out some time to do something!  Okay?  So here’s how it works:

Start thinking about your EBQ project now.  Now, let’s have an honest conversation about what an EBQ project is and what it isn’t.  An EBQ project is something that requires you to use your personal creativity.  It’s not one of those mundane, boring projects that don’t actually require any brain power to do.  You know, like cleaning out the garage, packing up all the holiday items for storage in the attic, doing your grocery shopping, or finishing that writing project for school.  We’re going to challenge ourselves here and flex that “creativity muscle”.  You might decide to create a collage or slide show of some photos that you’ve got.  You might create a painting, update your scrapbook, or rearrange the décor of a room in your house.  You might take a ballroom dance lesson, learn to snowboard, or build a snow sculpture in your front yard.  It can be something that takes 30 minutes or the whole weekend.  Just find something to do that requires you to think or act creatively!

Now just to be specific (if you know me, you know that I’m a-l-w-a-y-s specific) here’s what doesn’t count: working out (totally necessary for good health but not necessarily “creative”), preparing meals for yourself or the family (unless you’re having an Iron Chef inspirational moment), doing laundry, running errands, blah, blah, blah.  You get the idea.  It has to be something that gets your creative juices flowing and that is going to make YOU FEEL GOOD about YOURSELF once it’s done.

I’ve already got my project picked out and purchased my supplies.  But I’ll tell you more about that later.  In the meantime, start giving your project some thought and wake-up that creative streak that’s inside of you.  So put on your best “thinking” face, get in touch with your inner EBQ, and get ready to create!