Not your grandmother’s pearls

Dear Glam Girls,

I’ll admit that I shy away from wearing pearls because in my mind they are stodgy and old-fashioned jewelry, but after doing a little research, I’m learning about different ways to make them look more modern and chic.

I recently started checking out Rachel Zoe’s show on Bravo. She helps dress Hollywood actresses, and yes, she can be over the top like anyone in that universe, but she does offer some DIY ideas worth trying. For example, check out her shipwrecked princess look. It’s anchored with a string of white pearls but then dressed up with other pieces that you can get right from your jewelry box.

I especially like this creation because it allows you to decide how wild or tame you want to be. Maybe two or three necklaces for a day look, but pile ‘em on in the evening for the full effect!

Another cool thing to try is adding ribbon. I’m taking inspiration from an Ann Taylor necklace shown below. If you have a strand of pearls, grab a couple pieces of ribbon — or tulle for a softer look — and tie them between two beads on both sides of the necklace. And don’t just stick to black — you can add any color to match your top, bag or shoes.

Have fun with these ideas, and let me know if they work for you!

Forever glam,

Cindy

Stylist Rachel Zoe calls this the shipwrecked princess look. (rachelzoe.com)

Ribbon is an eye-catching addition to a plain pearl necklace. (anntaylor.com)

I feel pretty!

A bright-colored T plus a chunky necklace and I'm ready to greet the world!

To my Glam Girls,

There’s nothing better than when someone notices your style changes. I was running a party yesterday, and telling all my girlfriends about how much I love fashion and what fun I’ve been having dressing up. They all said I’ve been looking more fab and polished these days! Now what Glam Girl would not relish hearing something like that!

And the truth is that I really haven’t gone out of my way too much — in neither time nor money. Accessories was the key for me — a statement necklace, simple hoops and a matching bracelet. You don’t need a lot to make a transformation!

And tell me if this happens to you: You want to show off what you bought so you take a few minutes to find that unwrinkled shirt, those jeans that hit your heel just right, and of course, the shoes — flats, wedges, mules, kitten heels, boots, etc. (Girls, I know we love our sweats and sneakers, but save them for the gym!)

The look is pretty, but not overdone. You want to be comfortable, but now you’re walking a little taller at the office. And when you’re out on errands, you’re not going to feel like hiding when you bump into someone you know!

And when the compliments start rolling in, you’re going to want to keep up the new you!

Forever Glam,

Cindy

A few golden nuggets

For that beautiful glow, load up on gold jewelry!

To my Glam Girls,

OK, I admit it — I am a fashion magazine junkie. I fawn over the glossy ads and eat up the details about what celebs are wearing.

Most of the designs are way over-the-top (and who can afford them anyway?!), but I like to zero in on the general trends, consider the advice fashion experts are offering and apply them to regular gals like you and me.

So here are a few nuggets of information I want to pass along:

• “This season, I’d invest in tons of costume jewelry. You can make the simplest jeans-and-T-shirt combo look amazing with the right accessories,” says Keegan Singh in the August issue of InStyle magazine. He styling work is seen in the very cool ads for Rock & Republic and Nike.  And I’m so glad Singh is backing me up here because anyone who’s been following my blog knows I’m a big proponent of jazzing up plain shirts with jewelry!
• Makeup maven Bobbie Brown tells InStyle (same issue) that a stack of yellow gold bangles, layered necklaces or hoops will “bring out the golden tones in your complexion and make skin glow.” Personally, I’m a bigger fan of silver jewelry, but I’m going to invest in some gold pieces because my winter skin can use all the glow it could get!
• Today’s magazines are filled with articles about how to economize. They picture things you can buy that won’t cost you an arm or a leg, and jewelry is always featured.  So consider going to that jewelry party your friend invited you to — because that’s one-stop shopping for beautiful and AFFORDABLE accessories.

Now excuse me while I go back to my fashion magazines and gather some more ideas to help you look your best!

Forever glam,

Cindy

P.S. I’ll be back soon with more tips — especially as we head into the fun fall fashion season!

Put on some sparkle — just because!

A long necklace adds color and contrast to an otherwise plain top. A matching chunky bracelet completes the look.

A friend was going through her jewelry collection and I pointed to  a shiny, long necklace that made me go “oooh.” She said she loved that piece too but only wore it for dressier occasions. My response: Dressed up? What’s that?!

As busy mothers and wives, it’s tough to find the time to go out on a date with your husband, or on a whim, have dinner with your girlfriends. These outings are too far and few in between to let all that bling in our jewelry lie restless in the box.

Jewelry is an easy enhancer, so if your uniform is a solid-colored T-shirt and jeans, throw on that long necklace and put on pair of hoop earrings. Or grab one of your chunkier bracelets — it will make a great statement paired with a short-sleeve shirt. Voila! In two seconds, you’ve just added a little sparkle to your wardrobe and a lot of lift to your attitude!

Plus, don’t we feel good when we wear our favorite things? There’s nothing more attractice than when you step out with confidence. So unleash those pieces you love from your jewelry box and GET GLAM!

Presto change-o, Take 2

I got great feedback from my post about how versatile jewelry can be. Well, I wanted to SHOW as well as tell!

I get a lot of bang for my buck with this silver necklace.

My simple blue shirt gets a little dressier when the necklace is worn as a single strand.

Want more attention closer to your neck? Wrap the necklace around twice.

My favorite way, though, is the lariat style. Take the necklace fully clasped, stretch the necklace lengthwise, wrap it around your neck and loop one end through so there is a piece dangling down. Now, how ooh la la is that!

Wear it long

When I have another necklace I want to wear, I will dress up my wrist with the same piece. And my daughter wanted to show it off as an ankle bracelet. Cute, huh?!

Double the fun

Oooh la lariat

It's all in the wrist

Fancy feet

Presto change-o

We all know it’s best to be smart about mixing and matching our clothes. We love the top that can be worn with jeans or a pretty skirt. What about shoes that can take you from the office to a dinner date? Or we’re always reaching for that cardigan that seems to go with all our tanks.

I also believe it’s smart to do the same thing with jewelry. A necklace doesn’t just have to be a necklace. Check this out: I have a long necklace that I can wear as a single strand around my neck or I can double up for a shorter look. How about twirling it around your wrist to wear as a bracelet or turn it into an ankle bracelet? That same necklace can be worn around your waist — very eye-catching on a dress or bathing suit.

I have fun switching up the chains for my pendants. A casual cord is perfect for day wear, but slide that pendant onto a shiny silver or gold chain and you’ve got an evening look.

Yes, rings still must go on fingers or toes, but try putting one on your thumb or first finger. I feel funky, hip and fun when I do that!

So I encourage you to take a look through your bling box and experiment with how else you can wear your favorite pieces.

Let me know if you’ve done a presto change-o on any of your jewelry!

Let’s face it, I’m not a gardener

I really wanted to be a gardener. I imagined how fulfilling it would be to grow my own food and create pretty flower beds. So in the spring, I bought vegetable seeds — lettuce, spinach, snow peas and tomatoes. I started the tomatoes in little indoor pots. I sowed the lettuce, spinach and snow peas in a backyard garden patch. I watered and waited.

Well,  I didn’t see one lettuce leaf, the weeds overtook the garden and I turned around today to find my tomato plants wilted because “somebody” forgot to water them. I swear, I had all intentions of getting them in the ground.

Try as I might, I just didn’t have a green thumb. I loved the idea of it and my intentions were honorable, but my heart wasn’t in it.

My gardening disaster reminds me that a big part of success, whether in business or your personal life, is making sure your heart is in it. I know that I’m making positive connections in my business because I’m emotionally invested. It shows when I talk with people about what I do and it definitely comes through when I’m conducting a party.

And because my heart is in it, I don’t dread tending to all the behind-the-scenes details of my business. Like a garden, ideas are like seeds — they need care and nurturing to thrive.

So for me, I’ll keep doing what I love to do and pick up tomatoes at the local farmers market.

My new mindset

As a new direct seller, I hang on to my bookings for dear life. So when I needed to relinquish a couple of them to get a new recruit started, I felt robbed (and was embarrassed that I could see it that way.)

I thought, how was I going to make up for those bookings? What if the ones I gave away end up being high-sales parties? Ok, back up. I knew that I was just having a moment of nonsensical panic. I’m supposed to be building a team here. And being selfish is definitely not going to cut it.

Instead, I sat down and mapped out a road to success that speaks to my true values:

1. No one is a lone success. Becoming successful means surrounding yourself with people who will help you move forward. They will share your vision, collaborate with you on projects and offer ideas to advance your goals and theirs. And these people do not necessarily have to be working for your company. Connect with women in other fields of business and those who have expertise that you want to develop for yourself. Learn how they’ve become successful and apply them to your business.

2. Give and share. Nowhere is this more important than in direct sales. If you learn something fantastic that will boost their shows, tell your recruits. Got extra supplies? Offer them up to your team members. Did you take a training course? Take notes and disperse them to your network. How nice will it be when they turn around and tell other potential recruits what a giving and helpful manager you are?!

3. Take time to encouarge. No matter how old we get, we want people to notice and celebrate our achievements. How much work would it be to give a team member a pat on the back? With e-mail, Twitter and Facebook, there’s no excuse not to touch base and say “great job.” We are independent contractors, but let’s create interdependent networks.

Hope you find this helpful, and I’d love to hear your ideas!

It’s fashionable to … help other women in business

Building a business and a following takes lots of baby steps. One rule is not to spend a ton of money on marketing and advertising when you’re trying to just get your project off the ground. This is where the relationships and connections you’ve made along the way will become priceless.

I’ve always been an outgoing person. I enjoy learning about what’s new in people’s lives — especially women. (Sorry fellas: You already have a leg up in the world.) And a conversation I had with my friend Toni proved why it pays to surround yourself with smart and positive women.

At the same time I was launching my new party business, she was in the throes of putting content on her Web site www.rsvptoni.com, which features invitations, favors, etc. A lightbulb! I needed invitations for my parties so I became one of her customers. In turn, she offered to do fabulous calligraphy on the envelopes, and her Web address was unobtrusively printed on the back of the envelopes.

Voila! Guests would receive classy, standout invites from me (say no to postcard invitations!), while Toni found an inexpensive way to market her business. Now, how cool is that?!

Helping out your girlfriends will never go out of style!

Party planning is a class act

As I’m getting ready to run my first Lia Sophia jewelry party, it hit me that all this prepping reminds me of something I love — back to school. Weeks before classes began, I would check over my reading list, shop for supplies (gosh, there’s nothing like freshly sharpened pencils, crisp white notebook pages and never-before-used erasers!) and coordinate my first-day outfit.

Fast forward and the feelings are similar: I’m going over the starter kit materials. I bought binders, notebooks and files to keep everything in order (at least in the beginning!) I even got a couple of new tops to show off jewelry pieces at shows.

But the best part of all my back-to-school days gone by was that knot of emotions in my stomach.  Will I make a good impression? What if we have to go around the room and say something about ourselves? I was nervous and shy yet  intrigued and optimistic.

And that’s how I’m approaching this new “September” of my life. I know I’ll be tested big time along the way. Will I make sales goals? Am I going to book enough parties? I would love to be a manager, but will anyone join me? How do I make a reputation for myself?

Like in school, teachers are essential, but in this wonderful world of social media, you don’t need a physical building. There are “teachers” at my disposal 24/7 on the Web. I’ve already learned a ton on Twitter from folks who are more than willing to offer tips and advice (especially women entrepreneurs — another one of my passions!) There’s webinars, telephone seminars, online how-tos — you name it, it’s out there.

I’ll keep you all posted on how my progress, but in the meantime you can also find me on Twitter @cindychin.