Volunteer Hero

If you ever want to feel like a rock star, then all you have to do it volunteer. It's astonishing the response you get out of elementary kids when you walk into the building. They are all clamouring for you attention and trying to rush up and and give you a hug or get some kind of individualized attention. It's an amazing feeling to realize that you make a difference in some one's life with such a small act of volunteerism. I may have been out of the PTO and elementary scene for awhile but I still try to find ways to give back when I can.

I realize that the reason I volunteer is not only for the benefit of my children but a driven need to make that distinction. I was lucky enough to have a single mother that realized that she wasn't able to focus all her attention on me and knew that I would benefit from a program that the community provided. I was enrolled in the Big Brothers & Big Sisters of America during my childhood in L.A. The Big Sis that I was matched up with helped define the woman I am today.

I will never forget the years of weekend events that we attended together. She made me feel heard....just like in Avatar, she saw me.

So this week I was given another chance to possibly influence another set of youth. The college that I am currently enrolled, set up a service week for the students to participate with the Simon Youth Foundation (sadly I am disappointed in the small percentage of students who give up their free time). So here I am all excited for the bus of elementary students to arrive and I picked my outfit accordingly. I am a fashion student after all, I go for a "teacheresque" look of primary colors and a homemade finger knit necklace. I am okay with the idea of getting messy with the paints and am ready to go......Except for the fact that the bus unloads and it's all high schoolers. Yikes! This is no problem though, I can downshift easily and adjust to this slight change of demographics. They were definitely a harder crowd to please but with a tour of the school, some Q & A, and a heated debate over the Superbowl ( We had a loyal Saints fan in the mix, among many Colts supporters) we were looking good.

So what is the point to all this? You never know in what way you influence another being but if shield yourself from volunteer events you may never get the opportunity. You impact people everyday of your life, good or bad. I have a specific McDonald's I go to just for a drink...My reasoning? Miss Joann in the drive-thru, who calls me sweetie or sugar and tells me to "Have a Beautiful Day". Because of her, I do!

Baseball Time Warp

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Take Me Out to the Crowd...." I don't know about you but when I hear certain songs it triggers a mind time warp and I'm right back there in the moment. I remember the sounds, places, people and even in some cases smells. So I thought it would be fun to write down some songs and share some of my memories or thoughts that are evoked by the power of music.

That little baseball ditty takes me back to Dodger stadium and I'm seven years old with my Big Sister(Part of the organization Big Bro/Sis of America). I went quite frequently and had a crush on Steve Sax. He was the cutest to me and even at that age I liked his tush. I still have my autographed baseball and Steve Sax's name is still there even though it has faded over time.

Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses was my introduction into heavy metal by my best friend Jessica. At the time it was pure torture, it was the music she put on to clean up the apartment and I helped. Eventually it grew on me and now I love a old GNR and crank it up.

Anytime I hear classical music I think of my grandpa(my L.A. cowboy), he used to let me sit on his lap while he drove his Rolls Royce on the freeway. This was pre seat belt laws. I thought it was awesome, now I know this was just plain crazy. He was such an important part of my life and the events of his death became a defining moment that I will further blog about titled Sliding Doors.

The Pretty In Pink soundtrack was the tape that I played in my bright yellow Sony Walkman. I remember walking home from grade school and this boy Raymond following me on his bike. He just wanted to know where I lived. We ended up boyfriend and girlfriend until this new girl Lark appeared on the scene and kissed using her tongue. I still have good memories though because that was the apartment directly across from the park. I used to use the gym stage to dance and watch while Tony Danza would play basketball with the neighborhood boys. I had my favorite banana seat bike and would chase the ice cream man for blocks with money I had shaken from my piggy bank.

Born In the USA by Bruce Springsteen brings back memories of my very first concert and I loved wearing my t-shirt of "The Boss". It was just a picture of his jeans clad rear with a faded red ball cap peeking out.

The album Tuesday Night Club by Sheryl Crow reminds me of John Grisham books. I used to have the CD on repeat while reading, I was introduced to these books by a good friend in high school who took me to see the movie Pelican Brief or maybe it was The Firm. Anyway he had to explain what was going on and I decided to read them because he was so enthused by them. I ended up on a nonstop reading addiction until one day I decided I was done with"law". Next author and now next song.

Madonna brings up many memories in each of her songs but Bedtime Stories was the CD that my bff of high school played in her car. We did everything together and she basically provided all of my high school transportation. The stories that we share could be content for a series of blogs, we were the party planners and always had these outlandish ideas and then a Top Ten list of reasons why they didn't come to fruition. Why we ever thought we could build a sand volleyball court in a couple days, I'll never know.

So in the 90's the movie Reality Bites come out and there is this song by Squeeze called Tempted 1994. My first official serious boyfriend sang this song in his red VW Bug. I had to pry it out of him, he really had self-esteem issues and I was glad when it finally ended. I thought he was so cool, he was 21 and the manager of the movie theater. I remember when I first met him he was wearing these bowling shoes and had a dragon tattoo. In my 16 year old mind I thought he was so daring. Turns out, not so much. I used to tell him J'taime which was french for I love you. He thought it was cute but really it didn't have the meaning that the English form had for me, really I could tell anyone J'taime and it would be no big deal. He took the break up hard, I feel bad about that. I definitely used the 'rip the band-aid' approach on that relationship. On to the next!

Keep Your Hands to Yourself by Georgia Satellites and it's high school heartbreak all over again, but in a good way. I find myself not dwelling on the bad but on the fun memories. This boyfriend proves Karma exists and definitely set me straight for the relationship that was to follow. I had this unbelievable chemistry with my high school heartbreak and I always imagined that if we had gotten any closer that everything around us would have gone up in flames. Put the fire extinguishers away, if was not meant to be. Lesson learned!

Strawberry Wine by Deanna Carter was the song that played constantly on the radio traveling from Bloomington to rush home every weekend into the arms of my first lover. Since then there have been numerous songs that remind me of the relationship that I have with my husband. But that one song takes me back to when it was all new and the pain of being away from him was only extinguished once I was in his arms.

While I was in labor for my third child which entailed a speeded entrance into the emergency room and some music awards on the television. While I was panting and feeling the heat rise from labor, Nelly comes on stage and starts singing Hot in Herre. I found this incident so funny and started laughing because it was getting hot in there and in the song it makes these panting noises. I have no idea why I was watching the awards, the only thing I can say is that I was really great at labor and delivery. If I could bottle it up and sell it, I would make a FORTUNE!

I have a million more stories just like these ones, I could have made an ongoing series. I think it's fun to recall those memories and put them down on paper or in a blog. For me music could tell the story of my life. So I will leave you with my favorite jogging play list and maybe one of these songs will become your memory to recall.

Tree Shuffle

Chemical Calisthenics-Blackalicious

Kiss Off- Violent Femmes

Justify-Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Nike Boots- Wale

A Rush Of Blood To The Head-Coldplay

Tape Song- The Kills

Meds- Placebo

Spaz-N*E*R*D

Beautiful- Eminem

Church- T-Pain

Chop Suey!- System of a Down

When Did This Storm Begin-Shiny Toy Guns

Are You The One?- The Presets

Pushing Me Away-Linkin Park

Tore My Heart-Oona

Streets On Fire-Lupe Fiasco

Michael Jordan- Five For Fighting

I Can't Do It Alone- 3OH!3

Swing Ya Rag-T.I. Feat. Swizz Beatz.

Direction-Interpool

ENJOY!

Got Style?

I just attended this great event this weekend, Simon Fashion NOW. It covered a range of events, runway shows, tips from style expert Bobbie Thomas and vendors in all specialties of fashion. It got me thinking, do people really not know if they have style? The answer is No.I talked to many women who said they just don't know what to wear and they didn't want to spend the money on themselves.

Okay so first things first, you must figure out what looks best on you. This means color and shape. All of these things can be accomplished on a budget. I crown myself the Queen of budget shopping. Everyone should have a style, this can range from fashionista to casual comfort. The key is to know what looks good on you. What kind of body type are you? It's simple and free to figure out.

There are about eight body types.

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  Ideal....this is usually not the case for most, this is where everything is perfectly proportioned.


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  Triangular......traditionally called Pear, this is when you are bottom heavy


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  Inverted Triangular......this is when you are top heavy, broader shoulders and bust


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  Rectangular....just like it implies, the shoulders, waist, and hips are the same width


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  Hourglass...this is when the waist comes in more dramatically, hips are usually 10 inches or more wider than waist.


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  Diamond...this is when the waist in larger than the shoulders and hips,


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  Tubular..this is a lot like rectangular except the waist comes in a bit, many models are this shape


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  Rounded...traditionally called Apple, the shoulders are broad as well as waist and hips, may have smaller legs

After you figure out your body type, you need to wear clothes that compliment the shape instead of trying to hide in the clothes you wear. Clothes can wonderfully accent the body even if it isn't your ideal shape. Another problem women have is wearing the wrong undergarments. It's important to get fitted properly for bras. Undergarments are the support and will make the clothes look even better on your body. Find panties that have no show lines, forget about finding cute designs on undergarments. This is one time where functional is better than aesthetics. If you are thinking about later when you are with your partner and want to impress, remember this one little detail...men prefer women naked!

Another problem is color, everyone just wants to wear what they like. I'm not saying this doesn't always work but try to find colors that will enhance your appearance. A great style tip from Bobbie Thomas....look at the inside of your wrist. Go ahead and do it now, what do you see? Are your veins more blue or green? If they are blue you are a COOL, if they are green then you are a WARM. There are then two phases of the Cool & Warm...whether you need the saturated or more muted tones. You can also find your color season to find your best color fit....all can be done for free on the Internet. Then wear the colors that look best on you and listen to the compliments. People usually will say something when you look good. Take note!

So you dress according to your body type and your skin tone, now you need to accessorize. Adding little touches to an outfit can make it go from blah to WOW. Figure out what works best for you. Do you like jewelry such as pins, necklaces, bracelets or earrings? Or maybe you prefer handbags(this is the time to go for the color you like) or scarves(find best color for skin tone). Shoe lovers know that a shoe can change the whole look of an outfit. Splurge once in awhile or take a peek at clearance sections. One tip I can't stress enough is the wearing of tennis shoes with jeans, unless this is for a function like working out, it is a fashion NO. Jeans are already a casual neutral, wear shoes that will dress it up a bit or get a beach casual look with sandals. Tennis shoes just make you look frumpy and adds weight to your body, don't do it.

Don't forget about resale shops and the Goodwill, these are great places to hunt for fashion bargains. Great style does not have to be expensive. There are also great retailers like TJ Maxx with bargains on designer labels and Target with its continuous cycle of clearance racks. If you are still not sure, take a brutally honest girlfriend with you to the store. Always try on clothes, the sizes are different in every store and every clothing line. If you still need help there are professional stylists located in a city nearby, you deserve to put your best self forward.

I love when someone tells me that that outfit or piece is So ME, or a style reminds them of ME. I have branded myself with a look and that is important to getting noticed or(in some cases) getting the job. Now go out there and brand yourself. I'm always looking forward to comments, so if you have questions....ask away.

Another rule.... every rule can be broken....you must find what style is best for you then answer the question....Got Style? I hope you answer YES!

When I Grow Up.....

Okay so I'm in this mad frenzy to figure out my life and where my career will lead me or how I will lead my career. SO it got me thinking about when I was little and what I said I would be when I grew up......I think my first career aspiration was to be a ballerina, I used to go to the Joffrey ballet and was completely be spelled. Classical training I do not have and frankly my body type does not scream prima ballerina.

SO career number 2, I wanted to be an advertising executive(no joke), it was around the time of Who's The Boss and Angela the ad exec. I used to come up with slogans and write them in a notebook.

This dream was short lived when we had two hunky FBI agents move into our apartment building at 1818 Stoner Avenue. Weird the stuff we remember as kids. So anyway they were great and the one guy helped me with my math homework and then this movie FEDS came out with Rebecca De Mornay and that just cemented my decision. I changed paths yet once again but this is the one I think would have been fun to try, but alas as I have learned of late my age hinders this career path. I'm probably too sympathetic for this field anyway so next stop..writer!

SO the first year of junior high and consequently the last year for my life in California I wrote a playwright for Drama class. Drama class was a major deal in L.A., it is not anything like the Drama clubs that I have been apart of in the Midwest. It seems everyone wanted to be an actor and the productions were big and competitive and apart of the curriculum. So our first assignment was to create a playwright and one would be chosen to perform. As you can guess mine was chosen and I vaguely remember something about pea pods, unfortunately is was never to be seen. I was whisked away to the Midwest by my own insistence, who knew mothers took 12 year daughters so serious. This is where my life is completely transformed and culture shock sets in(These are stories for another day and they will come).

SO I think this is where complacency sets in and being a teenager was about fun and hanging with friends and my look to the future was what the next weekend held.

I didn't really know what I wanted to do next so I decided I would go to school for psychology, I think I craved the neurotic because I could relate and it reminds me of characters from my L.A. life. This too was short lived and I switched my focus to journalism. I think, this is it! I would make a great TV personality unfortunately I wasn't considering the journalistic aspect. I just wanted to be me, think Kelly Ripa and Regis.

SO then a career choice was made for me...the hardest that I have ever encountered. Drum roll please.....MOM!!! So unbelievably scary but the best adventure of all times. I excelled at the position and was promoted two more times. MOM x 3!!

SO as exciting as this position was and still is, it's ever changing, I wanted something more. More you say....Yes, I say "More". I joined the work force and got a big dose of reality. The job I encountered did not pay me my worth. I was a fit consultant for Louie's Tux Shop and I did great, the customers loved me. Big male demographic, go figure. I worked seven months and was offered a promotion as manager. All I could think of was , This is it?

SO new path and I decided I was going to go back to school, graduate, and get paid my worth. This is when I got serious and I started thinking what do I like to do. My first thought was I love to workout and I could be a personal trainer. This idea was quickly squashed when I realized that I would have to teach people about exercise and health. The word teach is like a dirty word in my vocabulary, I don't want to teach squat. I have no patience and am quick tempered, I don't want to have to make people cry because I think they just don't get it and never will.

SO the next idea was like the biggest revelation of my LIFE! I could attend the Art Institute for fashion design. I never realized my love of fashion could be a job. Something I loved, something I considered a hobby had potential for my Career? Quickly I realized fashion design was again a younger persons area so I changed to Fashion Merchandising & Management. It is all encompassing in the fashion industry and deals with the business end. SO ME! I am less than a year from graduating and now have to narrow down that focus even more.

SO it looks like the hunt is still on and it's a journey I will continue to document it through this blog. I am also going to start a weekly series called Learn by Example, if you know me or have ever encountered me chances are you will get a cameo in this blog series.

SO beware I have decided to make my life an open book, my husband's take on this "Don't ever open the whole book". I told him not to worry it's like I'm a comedian and using my life as a bit. Comedian.... that could have been another career possibility, as well as wrestler and ultimate fighting champion. Can you tell I have grandiose ideas about my life?

SO When I grow up......

So There

My first official blog... Okay so I'm creating this blog because not only do I have tons to say about everything but I learned I couldn't enter a contest because of (gasp)....my age! Not only do I not like being told what to do but the reasoning is so completely silly. It's like you hit 30ish and you are over the hill. Not this chickabee.....so I may not win high profile blog but I can create one all on my own(So There)!

There is an inside joke on blog title...Dew North and it's all about my moral compass....it's set straight to North. Can you believe other blogspots already had title so I fooled around with the spelling a bit.

Okay so you may say that lying about my age may make the compass waver. Ithink not, it's the big picture, and it was the priniciple of thing anyway. I know I can't win, I just want them to see what they are missing.......and they are missing.
So from here on out I'm going to randomly discuss everthing and I hope people will read and enjoy and comment....We'll see where it goes from there.

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Dolly Parton