Showing posts with label color. Show all posts
Showing posts with label color. Show all posts

Friday, March 13, 2009

I AM SO READY FOR SPRING

What a treat it was to get the new Macy’s catalogue for spring titled Welcome Back Color! A wonderfully eye catching bright pink with a color spectrum slashed across the final page. What a breath of fresh spring air. I am so looking forward to spring now. Everyone needs the color that Macy’s is putting forth on its front cover. Looking at some of the other magazines of fashion they seem to be stuck in the same color doldrums.

With these colors I can see business coming back to that store. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by spring? The colors just pop off the clothes, handbags and shoes…ah yes the shoes. The styles are taking even us boomers into consideration.

Let’s be serious for a moment. The pricing is what it is all about right now. I was reading some information the other day on a book about women and sales in the U.S. We move that market and it is in much better shape than the one the men are in charge of.

Vogue tells us to splurge on a great pair of green shoes for only $1795.00. Whereas this catalogue has similar looking, in many more colors, averaging under $200 shoes. To me that would mean that if I wanted I could actually get 9 or10 pairs (Yahoo) for about the same price as that one green pair. Besides…they are on my feet and I don’t care whose name I walk on!! Shoes should be fun to look at, fun to wear and priced so you can have more than one or two pairs!

Color is something that I believe humans need to live. Recently when I redid my office, I wanted COLOR! Yellow on the walls makes every morning, when I come into the office, a happy morning. We should be putting color into our lives as often as possible. After such a long time of brown, gray and muted colors on everything I say bring the color in and make it BRIGHT!! If you can’t wear a certain color around your face…put it on your feet, carry it as a handbag, wear it as a bangle. If it makes you happy find a way. I really enjoy hot pink. However with my red hair hot pink next to my face makes your eyes hurt. Last summer I found a handbag in hot pink that I loved and got it. I got so many complements and enjoyed carrying it because the color makes me happy.

Surround yourself with colors that make you happy and feel good. Pass on your happiness to others…it will spread like the flu…makes you feel much better and lasts much longer.

Ah Yes I am ready for SPRING!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Colors for Fall & Image Stylists

I am observing the new colors for fall and it seems many of the designers are getting stuck in a rut. Many of the colors have that gray undertone again. For many gray is not one of the best colors to bring out skin tones. Like black, gray seems to be a ‘safe’ color and many designers think that like black everyone can wear it. That simple is not true. Gray is one of those colors that needs just the right person and attitude to wear.

For many years it seems that workout clothes only came in black and heather gray. Because of that many women think that gray is a great color. Just remember that heather gray has lots of white mixed in.

Try this when you are shopping and pick up one of the new colors for fall. Wear or throw something into your purse that makes you skin look wonderful. Then, you have a reference point for the new colors. Then while you are looking stop in front of that all important mirror and take those new colors and hold them up to your face covering all of what you are wearing. Wait about 5 seconds and see what happens. Pick several places on your face that are problem areas. Circles under eyes, veins, we all those areas now see what happens. If they suddenly “pop” into view…be careful. Now take the new color down and see what happens…if you see a change…put it back…yes I know that it is hard to do but…you may not wear it more than once and that would be a waste of money. However, if there isn’t any change you may have a great new piece to add to your wardrobe.

Not to many months ago I was talking with a stylist to be on my show. We had set the date and were having a conversation on the color and industry and what was popular. I told her about my book Marketing’s Silent Language. How I looked at color from a scientific standpoint. That color likes and dislikes were buried in our DNA and visually actually depended upon a person’s skin undertones and the colors in a person’s eyes. I ended the conversation with: the show was going to be great as we have different views on color… two days later she cancelled being on the show.

That made me wonder…are some stylists there to make you look great or to push what is the latest fashion trend? When I see many of the celebrities in clothing that makes them look awful, and most of the celebs use stylists I wonder what is going on. Are the stylists and the celebs getting compensation for looking awful? Don’t you wonder? Who is doing who a favor?

My philosophy on clothing…regardless of what is in fashion…if it doesn’t look right on my body…it doesn’t get purchased. The times that I have not stuck to that philosophy…that piece didn’t get used and/or is given away. I have turtle neck cashmere sweaters that are very old and are still warn year after year. Know your style, and know your best colors and stick with them.

I was watching a show on haute couture clothing. Incredible clothing with truly incredible prices! I remember one women’s statement. She had been buying couture clothing for many years. Because of her style, taste and color choices, items that were 20 years old could still be worn today. Think about that. How many of us can wear anything from 20 years ago. (Yes I know we have to fit into it first!) But short of jeans, do any of us have clothing that could still be worn in 20 years?

Maybe there is something to be said about timeless style and correct color choices after all.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

If you want to get your shape into better shape get my book:
The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com
How to change your thinking to keep, or get that shape you have always wanted and deserve. To learn more about color and how it affects you everyday life get one of the last copies of my book:
Marketing’s Silent Language at www.silentlanguage.com .

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Economy…Fashions…Fault?

Many pundits have tried to put the blame for our slowing economy on many things. Well I think that I know why this is happening and I am here to say that I think it is the fashion designers fault. YES… fashion designers and the MOD fashion fabrics.

Many of you that are out there don’t remember what happen the last time the MOD fashion fabrics were ‘in fashion’…well I do. Only back in those days it was called the Psychedelic era or psychedelic fashion. Meaning: weirdly distorted, wildly colorful, or otherwise resembling images or sounds experienced by somebody under the influence of a psychedelic drug… the drug of choice back then.

This psychedelic period lasted several years including a down turn in the economy, astronomically high home interest rates of 12-15% and higher. We had huge riots on campuses, riots in prisons; we had the flower children in San Francisco trying to stop traffic, “tuning in turning on and dying on the sidewalks; higher and higher food prices and the topping of this societal stew were the gas lines of the 70’s. That was when gas stations were only allowed to pump so much gas each day and you could only buy gas according to the last number on your license plate odd/even on odd/even days. Oh yes it was a mess. I do believe that it all started because some stoner thought it was be great to ‘draw’ while they were on their latest trip through their psychedelic land.

Who knows, maybe that person who drew was in the fashion industry but the next thing was the craziest designed fabric was everywhere. So I am telling you younger people right now…this is nothing new. But I digress.

Now I know you think that I am stretching on this crazy thought. But let me explain. During the research of my first book Marketing’s Silent Language www.silentlanguage.com I discovered interesting studies on many different types of fabric and the effects the fabrics have on the brain. One of those studies was the MOD fabric pattern. I only used a small portion for the book, but the research said that most of the patterns from the MOD fabric were disconcerting and disturbing to the brain. The brain is trying to work the pattern out but can’t. That would be like a Rubik’s cube without any way to win. The outcome of this usually showed up as putting people in a bad mood or mild depression and sometime just mean. It was interesting.

What was more interesting, as the MOD look ran its course and the newer look came out things started changing. The country started coming out of its slump, the economy picked up and people’s moods changed. Then something else happened. Many of the styles with the MOD fabric started showing up on “Sale Tables” and at the local Goodwill. What was more interesting was the MOD fabric clothes didn’t sell in either of those places.

After that the country started riding the longest growth period in our history. Till the end of last year when the MOD fabric pattern came back into style and the country started down the path of problems again. Now I don’t know what you think…but is this just a coincidence??
So I blame the fashion designers who have pushed this MOD fabric look for this bad economy and the bad mood of many people.

Speaking of clothes…my guest on the show next week Alexis Neely’s new book called… Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents www.wearcleanunderwearbook.com is a must for parents. Turn in to hear Alexis, who is a mother and lawyer, keep us informed. (Or download it later) If you are a parent you need this book!

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashionista or fashion icon.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Coming to Terms with Pink

Over the years I have avoided the color pink. I guess it all started with a great silk pink blouse in my first corporate job. I thought the blouse was soft and feminine looking. But, whenever I wore it people always asked me if I was feeling alright? Not wearing the blouse was out of the question because in those days my closet wasn’t bulging with clothes.
I became very creative and decided to dye the blouse, after all it was silk, and the box of dye did say it worked on all natural fabrics. So into the orange dye it went. Yes…orange. I know that color everyone loved on me. When the blouse was dry, I was stunned at the gorgeous color the blouse had become. The orange dye on the pink material came out as tangerine. Go figure? Even the buttons took on some color.

Wearing the same blouse to work, I kept getting complements on how great I looked. Not one person knew it was the same blouse. But in my head pink was a color to avoid. Until later when I was doing research for my first book Marketing’s Silent Language www.silentlanguage.com. The scientific system that I was talking about in the book made it easier to pick colors that were correct for your coloring and personality. I just thought my personality didn’t like pink!
Over the years you wouldn’t find anything in my closet that was pink till about a year ago, when the manufacturers finally got the differences in pinks. On the market were pink from the softest of “powder puff” (as they called them) colors to the deepest of magenta. Because of the spectrum and how pink is pulled together, I just had to find the right mixture of red and blue in the color to work on me.

Oh…one problem. I just loved the brighter neon like hot pinks, knowing I look like “walking death” in that color. Figuring out how to get that color into my life has been creative and fun.
It all started with a flower arrangement in the dining room. I got brave and put together an arrangement of three colors of pink and purple flowers, voila’ it was great and caught my eye every time I went by the room. Well that started something and I changed several arrangements on that side of the house to include my new love and use of the pink and hot pink colors.

I finally figured out how I could wear the hot pink color and not look like walking death. SHOES!! Accessories! I looked for the hot pink color pared with orange (Remember how good the feedback on that color was?) and kept the hot pink color away from my face and it worked. I even found shoes with pink pared with black, these are a wow!
I even became very brave in nail polish. Put on my favorite orange/red color then topped it with a color called Strawberry Electric. I look like spring walking.

Coming to terms with pink took me years. In the world of color today, our choices are huge and finding the right color or color mix is much easier.
So what is your Strawberry Electric??

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Add Color to Change Status

One of the easiest ways to get notice is to wear color or to add color to your environment. If you what that new position at work, and know that you are qualified, wear color to get noticed. But not just any color such as a soft blue or green. What I am talking about is powerful color. Let me give you some examples where color is a status symbol.

The Oscars are a great place to see where color makes a difference. As I have said before black is so overrated for evening. The Oscars is a place where if you don’t wear the right color… you don’t exist. First let me give you a little background on the Oscars. Working in the background of the Oscars are the handlers of the stars and the people who keep the lines moving to the media and into the theatre. (Did you see any of them?) All people on the red carpet are dressed in evening wear. The handlers are usually wearing black, dark gray with very little color allowed in their outfits. They are the backdrop to the splashes of color that appears all over the newspapers the next day.

What did you see this year? That red Grecian style with roses across the shoulder made most of the newspapers. The color wasn’t just red….IT WAS R-E-D! It simply popped off the star. And I don’t have to tell you who wore that dress you remember. Last year, it was that GOLD dress worn by a star’s wife who is also an actress. A couple of years before was the best actress winner wore a purple and green dress. I saw knock off’s of that dress within 1 month of the show. I even tried one on. (A lot of dress to handle) Hence we have the handlers. But how often do you remember seeing any handler?

If you go to seminars see which speaker captures your attention. I remember one gentleman who wears a bright blue coat on stage. He captures your attention and you always know where he is standing. Even in the arena of politics, the ladies always have the advantage of capturing your attention and holding on with that remembrance factor. Now let us go back to wanting a new position at work or going for a new job.

Color is the way to be remembered. Not those weak washed out colors; as a friend and colorist use to call them “Lower Social-economic colors” K-Mart colors. She said upper social-economic colors are like Prada color. Now that doesn’t mean you have to buy Prada to get noticed. But walk into a store and just stop and scan the racks and see what stands out. Where your eye stops is where you should be looking at color to add to any black, gray or brown corporate uniform. If you want to get noticed and you can do the job, show the management that you know how to dress.

This same idea works in your home. Go to a bookstore and look at the magazines for “starter” homes. Then pick up a magazine for your higher end homes. Color is what will catch your eye. Now I know that, that doesn’t always hold true, some people like the cottage all white look; or the soft blue ocean cottage look. But even in the blue ocean cottage look, I have seen bright blue walls. Change things; add color in your life.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, or get that shape you have always wanted. To learn more about color get Marketing’s Silent Language at www.silentlanguage.com .

Friday, February 29, 2008

Fresh Air in a Sea of Black

I waited till today for this entry so I could post of the 29th of February. For all of you born on this day Happy Birthday and remember as the rest of us age you are still young.

I enjoy attending most events as I can always find something wonderful that makes it memorable. Many times it is something wonderful as an unexpected conversation or as simple as a great desert. This time it was fashion; and in the sea of black it was stunning and enjoyable.

The fresh air was taken right off the runways and into this event. Two smart amazing women took the bubble evening dress complete look and made it their own; one in black and the other in white. What made this even more fun was one had dark hair and other was…what else blond. The best was, unlike many women, who just wear the dress, they were able to take the entire runway look and make it their own. They looked stunning!

Heads turned when they walked by. Of course many loved the short skirts, but it wasn’t just the skirts that made head turners. It was the sassy approach these lovely ladies pulled off that made the look theirs. I had one glimpse when one of the women looked like she was posed for the latest fashion magazine. Well done ladies.

Each year I notice more and more color. It is wonderful. Who ever the people were that pushed for black to be the color for evening wear must have been color blind. This year one lovely lady in a flowing celery green evening pants outfit was wonderful, tall and blond; she was a breath of spring on a warm evening with a spectacular sunset.

Another white evening dress caught my eye. Although I only got a glimpse, the dress was wrapped like the look of a Greek goddess. The shoulder throw I didn’t understand and I think it took away from the great goddess look. White and flowing she walked through the room like mist.

Not to be outdone by the women, the men were bringing out the color for their evening look. I spotted many ties in a wide range of colors and patterns. I am beginning the think the usual black and white look for evening dress for men is a thing of the past. My comment is…it’s about time.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape you have always wanted and to, ahyes, become a fashion icon.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Ah…spring is in the Air…first a word about Jay

Before I get started on the word about spring, let me say a word about Jay Leno. Yes Jay Leno! Jay has been a staple in our home as a funny before bed. The news is always so depressing that we didn’t want that in our heads while we slept. So we enjoyed the craziness Jay would give us. I was very happy when the writers’ strike hit and Jay decided to keep doing his show. Then I discovered something. While the writers were out…Jay was much funnier! The comments about the audience didn’t happen and the jokes were GREAT! The audience thought the jokes were funny and the entire show had a lift to it. Oh my; now the writers are back the jokes are back to being flat! Jay has to keep wondering about the audience and the show is back to really dumb jokes. Jay it’s not the audience…it is the stupid jokes the writers are giving you. You were funnier on your own. After all didn’t you keep audiences’ laughing for years before the show? It is only my opinion, but could it be the audience thinks so also?

Now for spring…I know that I am ready for spring, including clothes. I received one of my favorite catalogues the other day and flipped it open to a mouth dropping visual. I know I had a problem with the PJ’s but I think those designers are now into regular women’s wear with the same laze-a-fare attitude. Again I must say they are forgetting that grown women are not 9 years old.

Cutesy little clothes that have zero sex appeal. Little bows around the waist….peter pan collars (ugh). And those wonderful mixed spectrum mod prints. What are these designers thinking? I stopped into stores where I know the managers and asked about business. Most answers were business was off. A couple of managers said it was probably the economy. Oh Pleeeeze…we all know if a woman likes the clothes they will find a way. Shoppers were sparse.

Most people can’t afford Haute Couture or even high end designers clothes. $3500 for a simple handkerchief hem summer dress isn’t quite in most of our budgets. But taking the designs from kids clothes and sizing them up for adult women doesn’t work. Yes I know many times during Easter Mommies and daughters do have similar dresses. That is because the designs went from Mom down to daughter with many changes but, like fabrics. Now it is going the other way???

However once you weed through all the less than appropriate clothes out there, you can find a few gems…more on the gems later.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Learning Tricks from Even the Semi Pros

During lunch the other day I realized just how much I learned being a manufacturer for the hair and beauty industry many years ago. One thing was little tips on how the pros make the celebs (and you) look when make-up is done by a pro. Believe me without the pros, celebs would not look as good as they do when they are out in public. There are so very few celebs that actually do their own make-up. However; learning what pros or even semi-pros do is one step closer to the right make-up look each and every time.

What better place to learn then at your local department store that has a “We will do your make-up for you” department. Now I don’t mean you sit there and get your make-up done. I mean you stand off to the side and watch what they do. For Semi-pros these people are very good. They have been taught how the make-up from their line works and what they can do with all age groups. They don’t do what a pro does, like mixing up to 8 colors for the eye shade, because a client simple won’t buy that many colors at a time. But their techniques are very close to the pros.

One simple trick that I learned from a pro that I saw a semi pro use was the use of face powder to soften and make corrections on eye shadow. I don’t know about you but there have been times when the eye shadow just goes on too dark or to high on the eye. Nothing is worst then trying to get it off. I can remember washing my face and starting over because of a blunder on the shadow.

After watching a pro fix a blunder they made, I almost had to hit my head like the V8 commercial. Duh! Now why didn’t I think of that? Now I simply keep a pressed powder the same color as my base to go over to dark shadow or to soften the shadow line or to use as a blender when I use more than one color. NO, it does not take a long time. Just get a good chisel brush and blend, blend, blend and ‘voila’ correction made.

What is nice is you can use at the side and under the eye also, as it is the same as your base color. It is like an eraser only it doesn’t eraser it simple hides! What magic it can do.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene


Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Awash in Red

Red is an exciting color and lately all advertisements have been awash in red…however I still can’t figure out what red has to do with cleaning a sink or toilet. How do you mix that with candy I am not sure. But all stores and even the grocery markets are busting out in red.
Walking through the market, even for green vegetables is a place of red these days. The marketing department of the stores have simple out done themselves. Balloons are everywhere; probably in the balloon count of 300-500. Candy everywhere and those ohsogood chocolate dipped strawberries were out in full display. They even had hearts strung over the meat department and Valentines on the hams!


Flowers were all lined up for the grab and go person. The only thing necessary was to sign the card that was attached. YES sign it!!


Ladies if your guy is always forgetting this day, send him to the market for a quart of milk, he would have to be blind to come back without something.
On my round of errands, I noticed it wasn’t only the market…the UPS store…the bank…the tailor all had the Valentine heart everywhere. If you love red this is a great time of the year.

This is the day for love…isn’t it a wonderful holiday to celebrate and enjoy? The color of excitement combined with a day of love. What a powerful combination.

For all of you who were lucky enough to be born on this day
Happy Birthday! This includes my sister. Everyone is celebrating! WOW how lucky can you be! Have a wonderful birthday and enjoy all the hearts and flowers. This day is special to all lovers and to all who love.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network.
www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a Valentine fashion icon.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Doesn’t Graphite Belong in Pencils?

Before we get to graphite…

I send BIG cu-do’s to the Spanish Fashion industry. They are stopping the use of extremely thin models.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3351177.ece women were not intended to be shaped like boys. Designers…almost anything looks good on a post! Women have shapes!

Now to Graphite…

Good grief… here we go again…those wonderful designers, in their ultimate wisdom, have decided to try and change black yet AGAIN! They did this several years ago and they called grey the “new” black. Then pink was the new black. You know I have yet to figure that one out. Black IS black and women love the color no matter what time of year it is; a staple in the winter and an accent with summer whites for an extra classy look and brights for a sexy look.

What keeps coming to my mind is the colors are out shadowing the designs of clothes and fabric, which have much to be desired. I don’t know about the rest of the boomer population but I remember the last time mod was in fashion. And it wasn’t just a fashion statement. It was completely cultural. The mod phenomenon spread through most of the modern world, and was fueled by the music of that age. The designers wanted something new and fresh. Mod fashion was just that…fresh and different. There was always something within the mod look that could be incorporated into any age group look. I can still remember my Mother putting on a mod cap one day with her look. I must admit I had to do a double take…that wasn’t something I was expecting. But it worked!

Today, the designers seem lazy. We have a mixture of the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s all mixed together. So they make a color statement that Graphite is the new black.


What I have seen so far is graphite is one of those colors that drains the life out of colors it is used with. I think that is why they are pairing it with bright yellow, and sometimes black(?). So I can only say this if it takes the life out of other colors used in the fabric, imagine what it does to the color of your skin?

Boomers are the biggest group of buyer’s of fashion, and as I am observing we still are the best dressed. Other age groups don’t have the numbers of the boomers. If that is the case then why are designers pushing us aside? I can only think it is because we have evolved from the mod age when we would have worn almost anything (and did) to being fashion icons. We have style and an eye on beauty. We don’t like lazy designers. We like style and beautiful colors and wonderful fabrics. Hay designers…take notice we are still here and are hungry for great clothes in great colors.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network.
www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Monday, February 4, 2008

The Peacock Lady

I have a wonderful place to shop here in Southern California. This store is set up as a typical department store, where you can see over the top of the clothes and other items; except in the handbag area. There, they have walls for the bags to hang.

I was shopping there and as usual I couldn’t resist the handbag area. As I went up one aisle and turned the corner there she was, and I was face to face with a lady who certainly had an interesting slant on fashion. I must admit I had to stop and take it all in.

She couldn’t have been more than 5 feet tall. On her feet were checkered high-top sneakers. Her pants were multi striped blue and green. The throw back style and fabric to the 1950’s and they were slightly short. Not cropped, not capris, just short of being long pants. Her blouse was lace, long sleeved. (After all we are in the middle of winter) Over the blouse was the wildest fringed wrap or shall or whatever they call them. There were multi-colored threads going in one direction and metallic silver, gold and black going in the other. Tied in a knot and draped over her shoulders with the knot hanging just below her shoulders.

This might sound completely in fashion for a teen, but as I got to her face she was somewhere in her late 50’s of early 60’s. And to top all this off, her hair was short platinum blond with the center spiked straight up multi colored red, green, purple and blue. The first thing that went through my mind was a joke that I had read that morning that is going around the net…where this woman’s father encountered a young man with a multi colored Mohawk. The older man couldn’t help staring. Finely the young man said to him…”Haven’t you ever done anything wild?” To which the older man replied…”Yes I have, I once got very drunk and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were the off spring.” I had to laugh at that joke and smile at the women as we passed in the aisle.

I couldn’t help myself; I had to turn around and look again, and noticed she had several bags on her arm, silver, purple and plaid. She was having a great time shopping and talking on the phone as the same time. (Isn’t everyone?)

What a woman! She had her own slant on style and on the time factor also. She was thinking young and acting young. She embraced the idea: you feel, as you think. Boomers remember that idea. You feel as you think. What a wonderful idea as we enter the next phase of our lives. We have been the leaders in many things, now let’s be the leaders on how to feel and think younger than our years.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Do forget to listen to my radio show this Wednesday February 6th, or listen later at http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com or www.marlenesiersema.com click on the radio button on my site. The feisty redhead Liz Goodgold http://www.duhmarketing.com will be on talking about digital marketing. See you on the radio.

Monday, January 21, 2008

OKAY Now What Do I Do to Clean Up This Stuff!!

When I have Regina Leeds http://www.reginaleeds.com/ on my Amazing Women, brains, beauty & style show http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ it is always a pleasure for me; because I am somewhat of a neat nick. That doesn’t mean that I go around after people and clean up at a party. What it does mean is that I like to have things in place so when I need to find something, I can find it quickly. As a business owner when I had many, many employees, having that kind of order in my office to me was necessary. It just seemed to overflow into my home life.

However, when you are the only person in the home who wants neat order it can be a challenge. Instead of getting order, you store everything because no one wants to part with ANYTHING. So for years, I have been a hide it and forget it person. No one wanted to make a decision of what is needed and not needed, so I stored it. Now that we are organizing just for us I have another problem. What am I going to do with all this stuff?

We are a society that is drowning in stuff…stuff that in most cases is not important. I see more and more storage locker companies being built in this area, where stuff can be stored. What good is it to just pay money to just keep it hidden? The more I think of that crazy logic, the less it seems logical. Some people say they don’t want to get rid of things because they don’t want to fill the landfills. Okay, so at least they have a reason. But is it logical? We all keep buying but many of us don’t throw away.

Today I read a story about a large company that was getting rid of all the‘ad gifts’ stuff http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080119/D8U8U5C80.html that was being delivered to all the employees by potential products manufacturers. These manufacturers wanted the company to buy these products so they give little gifts of every shape, size and color with company and product names on them. This stuff was being taken out of the office and instead of just trashing it, they were shipping to Africa where the products were not sold, but the gifts could be used effectively. What a great concept!

Now if the rest of us just could have that same concept when it comes to our personal stuff! Part with it happily and know that whoever gets it after you will be very happy with what we have parted. I am starting spring cleaning early in fact if we all started now, we would be free to have a spring to remember. Spring is an amazing time of the year to be out in nature’s wonderful tapestry of foliage and flowers.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

P.S.
You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or http://www.thinkingsidetothin.com/ . Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your business and sales advantage see more at www.silentlanguage.com

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Open Letter to Pajamas Designers

Dear PJ Designers:

The other day I was in a large national store looking for PJ’s as a gift. I was having a hard time finding anything. As I wandered the department I noticed other women with scrunch noises, a-gasp mouths, scrunch eyes and just plain rotten looks.
Finally I said to one woman; “Having Problems?” Her comment was just my thoughts. “Everything is ugly! There is nothing worth buying!” I went to the next woman; “You look like the rest of us…having problems?” Her answer was the tops: “Did they get this department mixed up with the pre-teens?” The next one wasn’t so nice: “This is garbage!”

Designers… how long has it been since you have walked the floor of a PJ’s department in any store that is not in New York City? How long since you were in any other state but New York? Or are you just sending the junk out to the other states? The one woman had it right…we are not pre-teens and pre-teens should not be dictating what adult women wear to bed!

Just because we are going to sleep doesn’t mean that we have lost our fashion flare. Scotty dogs, ducks, lambs, bears, moose or any other animal on our sleeping or at times, our lounging attire we left years ago! And by the way there are more colors in the rainbow than, pink, blue, extra pale purple oh yes, and GRAY. And why do most of you think we all like to get ready for bed in pastels? I prefer something just a little sexier in colors.
Oh Please, we have been setting the fashion curve for decades. Including the mod designs: which, came to some designer in London on an acid trip during the late 60’s. But the PJ’s of today are an actual shame.

We are not trying to look like our pre-teens, or our teen daughters. You might think that is ‘cute’ but most of us don’t. We want stylish, designs with great interesting fabrics. You can’t tell me that they can’t print almost anything on fabric these days? They print the moose don’t they? Designers; watch what stores are putting on sale and how soon they go on sale after the item hits the stores. This should help you in what you design.

We don’t want the cramp your style, but the last thing my husband wants to see is me coming to bed in PJ’s with ducks on them. It is demining to women that have been setting the style longer than most of the new designers are old. We might have worn and made the mod designs a hit; but that was back in the 60’s when our mothers were still wearing full skirts.

Happy Holidays
Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

I sincerely hope that you and yours have a wonderful holiday season. No matter how you celebrate it the only thing that is important is that you do celebrate and enjoy life.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Decorating like Chanel

This is my most favorite time of the year. Almost everyone is in a good mood. Stores are in their best finery, houses are lit up with sparkling lights and there is a mood in the air that can be felt and best described as wonderful.

In the local newspaper last week I read an article about what an interior decorator would do for Christmas in a particular home. One line that stuck in my mind was “Decorate for Christmas like Chanel. When you think you are done, remove something…or know when to stop.” That statement got me to thinking. Why?

When you looked at the house, you can see why the decorator said what they said. The house was huge and the decorations were the same. The fireplace alone had decorations on the mantel that most homes would only be able to put on the floor. And the floor decorations were life size. If I had a place where I could put up a life size Nutcracker like the one that is taller than me at Costco, I would have a great time decorating. The wreath above the fireplace was 4 feet across. But most of us don’t have homes of that size.

How many of us can put a 25 foot tree in one room? My neighbors could; where the ceiling in the living room is two stories. But the width of the bottom of the tree would take up most of the rest of the room. So it is not practical.

What is wrong with a little excess this time of year? Isn’t Christmas the time of the year when we over do almost everything? It is a season of excess! An extra bow here and a tad bit more garland there and more lights…more lights! So what if it takes you all year to pay off the electricity bill! Isn’t it worth it? It is fun and beautiful.

Besides it gives all of us a chance to be kids again. The wide eyes, the hopeful thoughts, the music, the tastes; this is the time of year that feeds all of our senses. Including thoughts that take us back to our childhood.

Decorate like Chanel…not…go ahead add that extra bow, garland or whatever. It’s that short time of the year when we adults can become kids again. ENJOY!!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

This would make a great New Years gift. And be a fun read that can also teach you the secrets I learned on losing over 170 lbs. pick up my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. It will be a good one to have around just after the holidays. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use what the eye sees first, to your advantage.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Decorations from What??

Yesterday I had Bonnie Dell from Design Style Taste on my radio show. What a fun show. What was even more fun was all the similarities we have. What really hit home was the story of her Father bumping into furniture when he came home because her and her Mother kept moving it around. Oh my; what memories. My Father would do the same because my Mother and I were always moving the same furniture around, and I was always changing the decorations in the house.

This is the season of memories. The ones I love the best are the stories behind all the different tree decorations that have been handmade. My Mother made decorations from almost anything and I am sure I got her love of the season and her ‘different eye’ to seeing that almost anything (within reason) could be made into a decoration.
My most fun story is a couple of lovely decorations that I have done from what could be called box throw-a-ways. The story starts with was I received for that Christmas. It seemed that I got enough perfume to last me about 8 years! Talk about like minds! That was the year that perfume manufactures were presenting the fragrances’ in interesting boxes.
As I was cleaning up and getting rid of the papers (etc.) from the openings…these boxes caught my eye. One looked like a little gold treasure chest. It seemed such a shame to just throw this away.

So with box in hand off I went to find something to decorate it with. About 2 hours later I have conjured up a lovely little gold box with several red ornaments stacked in the box with a few greens for balance. It turned out great. And what could be better than instant Christmas decorations. Take out of storage…sit on table…bingo…holiday!

Looking to almost anything to become a decoration with a sprig of holly or a bit of ribbon gives a different perspective. Yes I caught my Mother’s eye. And that eye takes me through the season with the wonderment of a child at times. Thanks Mom.

Oh…that decoration came out of the storage box this year with a broken ornament on top. I already knew the color of those ornaments were difficult to get. So this year in place of that broken ornament, I placed a silk red rose. Voila fixed and beautiful as ever and still an instance table decoration.
Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

If you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use what the eye sees first, to your advantage. Or if you want a fun read that can also teach you the secrets I learned on losing over 170 lbs. pick up my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links. It will be a good one to have around just after the holidays.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Ode to a Cold

NOT!! I do believe that a cold is actually worse than the flu as aliments we humans go through. First it lasts longer. Second there isn’t much that you can do about it short of taking something to relieve your symptoms.

I just spent the worst cold week that I can remember in years; including losing my voice the day before last week’s radio show. Oh what fun that was. I don’t know about you but I think a cold is the biggest waste of time and energy there is.

And don’t you just love the term…we catch a cold. The visual to that is we run after the cold virus with our little nets till we catch it…like a butterfly. Oh Please! Why would anyone in their right mind want to have a cold?

Your head fills up….your nose fills up…your ears fill up…my word you feel like you are drowning! And In what!!! You know what it is! Then you take all that ‘stuff’ to make you feel better. I don’t know about you but when I take that stuff…I lose my brain power! It goes right straight down to running at 2 miles per hour instead of 65. After all you don’t want to go over the speed limit.

So off to the drug store (great term) your go to fill up your basket. You have the AM/non-drowsy ‘stuff’; the PM/help you sleep ‘stuff’(when I take it keeps me awake); and that wonderful ‘stuff’ you squirt up your nose to ward off the cold!!! So here you are at the counter with $50 of stuff for a cold that, with or without it, will last 7-10 days! What is wrong with this picture?

With all our wonderful science breakthroughs and all our great minds in medicine, you would think that after all these years those scientists could have come up with something? Maybe they just don’t want to…after all $50 times millions and millions of people each year with colds does add up to a nice tidy sum. Hummmmmmmmm?

Than about 7-10 days after all this starts…your body says okay I am done and that cold is going….going…gone! The head drains, the ears drain, oh yes…hand me the Kleenex…the nose drains! The voice returns to almost normal (I say almost because you kind of forget what it is suppose to sound like), and ‘they’ say you should be immune for at least 6-12 months. Obviously they have never had small kids in school where a cold is passed around all season.
Yes, my ode to a cold is a plea to the scientific community…please can’t you at least find something that can get rid of this waste of time illness in less than 7-10 days!

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

We have a great woman on today that is a jeweler. Catch the show at 1PM Pacific time on Voice America Women or later in the archives.


You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your advantage.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Small Color Change – Big Appeal Value

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE MY POLL ON COLOR
WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IT WEDNESDAY ON THE SHOW

We will be talking about color this week on my radio show, but it will be in regards to clothes. Today let’s take a look at a small change I did for a huge change in visual value.

I have a glass top table in my family room that had granite stone (gray) pedestals since I bought it at auction. It was originally purchased for an office that was decorated by a blue base person that I moved out of a long time ago. The room that it is in has a warm wood floor, warm honey colored chairs, and one small wall above the bar that is a warm yellow base red. We are both yellow base people and we love this room.

The table had always been jarring to my eye in the wonderfully comfortable room. Fixing the problem was like a wonderful bolt of lightning that cost us nothing. Sunday morning, while drinking my coffee, I remembered that we still had the pedestals from the old dining room table. Those pedestals were made of stone (keeping the overall look the table) but the stone was a wonderful yellow base color, pretty close to the entrance hall stone color.

So we did a switch. We went from 4 corners of gray pedestals, to two center cream pedestals. WOW what a difference. Not only did it change the look of the table, but the whole room suddenly came together. An added bonus was the look of more floor space.

Why…because the eye did not stop at the gray corner pedestals any longer. Because the new pedestals were a warm base stone, the flow of the colors in the room was complete. The eye and the brain no longer had to “get past” the wrong color; they were no longer jarred. When the eye stopped at the old color the room suddenly shrinks to the brain and the room took on a cramped feeling. By keeping the warm base color in the room, the eye and brain no longer have a problem with the flow through the room.

The same holds true with color on the body. If you put on an outfit that you think suddenly makes you look old or fat…check the base color against your skin…if it is the wrong base color get rid of it! After all no one (male or female) wants to look old or fat. Do we??

Amazing Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can read all about the systems and how they work in my book Marketing’s Silent Language, http://www.silentlanguage.com/ or…you can learn more about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available at Amazon or under links to my sites.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween and Spooky Colors

Hi Everyone! If you are here from listening to my radio show today welcome. Sorry this is going up so late. I had to help out all the little trick or treat ghosts and this year really cute costumes.

This is what the poll is all about:

I just spent the most frustrating time last weekend looking for some new clothes. (Yes I have become a major clothes-horse since the weight loss) Here is my problem as I see it.

The styles themselves were great when I wore them back in the 70’s but with persistence and a few good places I can get around the style problem. My problem is the colors in the clothes. One thing that I learned while writing Marketing’s Silent Language is that clear or clean colors look best. I do not include that statement for the “heathered” look of two colors of thread like what the designers call oatmeal: that, is a specific woven effect.

What I am talking about is the gray undertone to most of the colors in the stores. I went to all the big stores…I live close to South Coast in Southern California and everything and I mean everything is either in those malls that are very close to South Coast. It made no difference if it was very high end or very low end price range. The colors to me all had a gray cast to them. This made the garments look dirty or old or an out of fashion color. Except for black or white

My problem is, all the colors seemed to be affected. I remember this happening a couple of times before, as I mentioned in the book, just before the tech bubble burst a few years ago, Gray was in the “in” designer color. It is a depressing color to be an “in” color. I am beginning to think they had a lot of gray dye left over and are using it up now. I don’t know…the colors seem old looking.

Am I the only one seeing this? Are you seeing this also? Are you having a frustrating time shopping with the colors that are in the stores?

Next week on the show we will have a personal shopper, designer and movie costume designer. I would like to discuss this problem with her and I would like your opinion also.

Go out and take a look where you usually buy clothes. Are the colors good on you? When you put on the clothes do you feel good?

After you have formed your opinion take my poll. If this is not enough of an answer email me at drmarlene@excite.com. This should be fun. Can't wait to see your results.

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene

P.S. Don’t forget to listen in next week, Nov. 7th to our personal designer and see how the poll came out. Or you can always listen later on iTunes or download from the archives.

You can learn more about color in my book: Marketing’s Silent Language including how to use it to your advantage. Or you can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Color Comes before Style

One Monday of this week I said that color has a profound effect on each of us every day. It assaults our senses, envelopes our every waking moment. It pulls pokes and prods us, and has a profound effect on our emotions. It stops us in your tracks, can make us hungry and makes us want to buy. It moves at the speed of light and helps program the brain to accept or reject the spoken or written word. For each of us it is buried somewhere in our DNA. That means that each of us knows instinctively colors that make us look good. The problem that most of us have is…we are swayed by style.

Developing a way to get to the colors that will always make us look good can be a problem as you walk into any store today. The array of clothes, styles and colors is mind boggling! Being able to cut through that array just to the color and cut of clothes for our own personality can be time consuming. Knowing a time saying method can help. This method works for men or women even teens that want to develop a true look that is there’s.

As you walk into any store, stop! You want to be far enough away from the clothes that styles will not influence your decision. Now from this vantage point, scan the entire area of clothes slowly several times side to side. As you do notice where to eye stops. If it keeps stopping on black keep trying. Black is a safe color. You are looking for the color that your eye and brain knows is right for you. (This action may surprise you at first.)

If there are only one or two areas, great note them then and only than wade deep into the clothes and see what style is right for your body in those colors. If you don’t find anything, it just might be that the buyer for that area is only buying colors they like. Thus not understanding there is another whole world of color lovers out there. If it is a small shop, you may be up against the same problem and that shop may not be right for you no matter how great of styles they have. Remember color is always the first thing people notice.

By using this method, you will discover that matching items in your own closet will become easier. Colors will work together better. And more clothes in your closet will be used. Letting go of the items that are the wrong color for you no matter how great the style will become easier. Compliments will follow. Go have some fun shopping and experiment.

Amazing Yours
Dr. Marlene

You can read all about the color systems and how they work in my book Marketing’s Silent Language, http://www.silentlanguage.com/

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Understanding Color With Science

Yesterday I gave a speech and decided to try one that I have been working on for some time. The speech had to do with the psychology of being evaluated when you first meet someone. Although there are 7 different items in the process I left the color item till the last because of past experience with other the audiences.

Because I announced this was an interactive speech, I took questions throughout the talk. I knew that the color item was going to draw the most interest. Even the men in the audience had questions and statements as to how color has helped them many times in business.
Early during interest in color one woman mentioned the…winter, spring, summer, fall aspect of color; at that point I noticed the body language of the men and the eye rolls. However, when I explained that the scientific method of color and the blue base – yellow base system, the men were intrigued; and they got it!


If you stick with the real provable science of any theory it will always win. So speaking from the scientific end of color I explained the two different classifications and how you tell the difference. I explained how they are measured. Some people (a little over 66% of the population) have more blue in their skin; while the remaining people have more yellow in their skin.


Each system (blue and yellow) have an entire color wheel except for two colors.

  • In the blue base color wheel there is no orange -- Why? Because there is too much yellow in orange.
  • In the yellow base color wheel there is not magenta – - Why? Because there is too much blue in magenta.

Simple to understand for the men and quick to check.


Over the years what I have learned is that men, when they understand and “get” this system, can be better at spotting the differences then most women. Men don’t seem to be affected by the “styles” of the hour.


When you understand this system, buying clothes and decorating your home can become easier. However, the real help in business in understand this system when present, sell or market to others. You can use the system to your advantage. And in todays market any advantage helps. More next time.


Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene


You can read all about the systems and how they work in my book Marketing’s Silent Language,
www.silentlanguage.com