Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. 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!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Scrambled Eggs of the Brain

Who would have ever thought that ‘The Devine Miss M’ (Bette Midler), Mallard Fillmore (cartoon strip), and Moi would have something in common. But we do. The dislike for the latest style sensations…plaids!

Mallard says that the ugly clothes from the 70’s are back and that is giving him a headache.

On a recent show, Bette showed a picture of her from the 70’s wearing a plaid jacket, with less than stunning commentary. Her husband was also wearing a plaid jacket, but with less color intensity. She thought he was showing harmony in the marriage.

And me…well you know how I feel about plaid. Plaids are scrambled eggs for the brain. And I don’t mean nourishment!

The plaids of the 70’s were missed matched color spectrums, that were large ugly combinations of depressing colors that only young inexperienced buyers would think were “wonderful and cool”. No different today.

Young buyers are the majority of the people that I see wearing these problems to match. Oh yes…what do you put with a plaid? The main color? The minor color? The background color? Or do you just do what most of the young designers do today when showing these scrambled eggs. Pick a color that isn’t in the plaid and wear that? If you want to get noticed…that is the way to wear plaid! But why would anyone wear plaid.

Of all the colors and designs plaid (as well as the mod patterns) MAKES THE WEARER LOOK FATTER! If you don’t think that is true try on a plaid skirt. Okay, now how much weight did you instantly gain? I don’t care if you are a size Zero; you look like you have gained weight.

This is due to what happens to the eye and relationship with storing the information in the brain. To make this simple…when too much is going on, the brain keeps looking and looking and looking at the colors and patterns to store all that information; so it (the brain) can get to the shape of the object. Because the patterns and colors are so big; the shape also looks bigger to the brain.

When I weighted so much, I steered clear of plaids. My brain knew that I looked fatter. It just didn’t know why till I did the studies later in life. Those studies also revealed the colors used in the plaids in the 70’s and today are mentally depressing colors.

If you don’t think this is true…just take a look at some of the plaids that men wear.

Talk about scrambled eggs in the brain…

I rest my case!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for one hour of high energy and intrigueing guests on Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style the #1 show on Voice America Women’s Radio network. http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ . If you want to get your shape into better shape buy my book The Thinking Side to Thin http://www.thinkingsidetothin.com/ How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Men’s Styles are Changing…

Along with different women’s style for spring and summer, the designers are changing what is in store for the man in your life. Most of the styling is for the younger man. I would guess the ages up to the early thirties or entering the corporate world.

Many younger and older women have decided the skinny jean and in some cases the skinny pant are great. Yes they are…if you have good looking legs and you don’t let the pants bag around the ankles. (I know that you have seen that with younger girls and skinny pants.) However if you have legs that are less than average these pants should not be your thing. I know I have two of those legs! After major weight loss my legs are just not a shining example of legs that look good in skinny pants. Bless the designers that brought out wider leg pants.

The skinny pant and jean is coming to men’s clothing. But what looks sexy and cute on a woman’s curves looks slightly different on men. Not that I am saying I don’t like looking at men, but…personally I don’t think that style has the same affect for men that it does for women. What was even more interesting was the body language of the models. Runway models are taught to only look a certain way. However, I noticed the men in these pants didn’t look like they were enjoying themselves. You can take it from there as to what I mean.

They other changed that I noticed was the new men’s carrying bags. Ladies if you don’t have enough room in your handbag you can borrow room in your guy’s new men’s carrying bag. They look like a cross between our totes and a store bag. It is different from the bags men were carrying a few years ago. These will rival our bags in size. In fact when these bags come out and women need a more tailored bag shopping for one in the men’s department might get you what you want.

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.

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 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, 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 3, 2007

Remembering Those Who Serve Us

We are all rushed and stressed this time of year. Most of that is self-imposed. All of it is not others reasonability. This is a wonderful time of the year and it is also the time to remember all of those who help us get all our goodies; the salespeople behind ever counter regardless of the store or restaurant.

It is a wonderful time of year to remember the salespeople are stressed also. In fact probably more so then us as they must deal with ‘us’. Wouldn’t it be a great time to Thank them for doing a great job and putting a smile on their face? Let me tell you how this started.

Many, years ago I was in line during the holidays and behind one of the rudest shoppers I had seen ever. By the time she got finished with the salesclerk the poor person looked like they lost their best friend. (You know the look) So I stepped up, with a smile on my face and chatted with them how great a job they were doing. How I could not do what they are doing, it takes a special person to handle their kind of job and all ‘Us’ shoppers really appreciate them; as I left the counter with my goodies, the person was smiling and happy! Not only did they feel great, so did I!

No matter how many problems I have during the holidays, I complement the salespeople. They feel good and because it makes me happy my holiday shopping goes easier. Happy is a wonderful feeling!

Years later, I tried something new. Each year I buy more cards then I need. (They are all so great!) And I always have left-over’s. So I have taken to carry several with me to hand out to the salespeople with the simple phrase written in them “a grateful shopper”. I handed the salesperson a card as I left the counter. Wow…what a high!!!

Sometimes I feel like that “Secret Santa”. Try some of these this season. It can make your season brighter.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Give the gift for the New Year

The Thinking Side to Thin”
7 Mental Secrets to Successfully Winning the Weight Loss Game
Available on Amazon or www.thinkingsidetothin.com

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Freaky Friday

I must admit that I actually added to the rest of the people getting out early on what is usually called Black Friday. I have always wondered why the media called it Black Friday. There is really nothing black about it, except maybe the sky.

We tried Freaky Friday a few years ago and found the people that set their alarms and made it to the stores while the raccoons were still out were really nice people. But why did they do it. Was it the extra $10 gift certificate you got at one place, or the free breakfast you received at another? What made them participate?

It all starts with the ads that run on Thanksgiving. That paper in our area is bigger than the biggest Sunday paper we usually receive. So you pour over the ads, seeing who has the bargains that are on your list of gifts for Christmas. Then the decisions! Which store do I get to first? Do I have to get up at 3AM or 4AM? And, when will I have the time to get to the store that is giving away breakfast? Oh…the decisions…


So you roll out of bed at 3:30AM (the store is close) and hit the road while those raccoons are still scurrying the neighborhood. Under an almost party like atmosphere you line up outside the store. Bundled up…coffee in hand…then the doors open. BUT, unlike that you see on television when Feline’s has their sale on bride’s dresses. This group of shoppers is cautious, happy, helpful, funny, and calm for such a stressful time. Many consider this fun!!? Many do this every year! Stores reward these people with extras, bonuses, gift cards and more.

The one thing these Freaky Friday shoppers have learned is those items with the biggest discounts don’t last. In some cases…they don’t last to the end of that line outside. This is found primarily these days at the electronics stores; where a $200 laptop or a $300, 42inch plasma is waiting for the really brave who camped out all night for those bargains. Some stores are even using a way of handing out a ticket for their limited supplies. Starting at the front of the line for all the super specials they have in the store. That way they have order instead of chaos, and everyone still stays happy.

Here is the interesting observation. The people at the back of the line don’t leave just because they did not get a ticket for the super specials. They stay. They still shop, they still have the experience and fun and sometimes…people who have the tickets for some items give them away because they are already over their budget. So they get to play Santa Clause too.


What a great concept. Bargains, fun, new friends, food… that does sound like a party. So why doesn’t the media rename black Friday to something more fun; like Sparkling Friday or Freaky Friday. Yes it is freaky to get up that early to go shopping. But it is fun! And it’s only one day a year!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene


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 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.

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.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Entering the Season of Beige Food

We are now entering the season of Beige food. The Holidays of turkey (beige), gravy (beige), dressing (beige), sweet potatoes (almost beige), pumpkin pie (dark beige) get the picture?

Most people put on about 3-6lbs during the Thanksgiving four day holiday. WOW!! Just imagine how much food must be eaten to gain that much weight. Why do you continue to put on that weight and sometimes keep that weight on every year?

Tradition! Tradition started during the time of the pilgrims when adding a little weight during the fall to early winter, help the people make it through the winter months when food from the fields was scarce. We don’t have that problem today; in fact, we have the opposite problem. We have abundance!

Abundance in the form of a markets teeming with all the goodies of the season and more; because of world trade and markets open to everyone, we can get all the great foods of the world all year long. When it is winter in the northern hemisphere it is summer in the southern hemisphere and vice versa.

The other problem that we have is we no longer have to tend the field and go out and hunt for meat to put on the table. In fact we are more of a sedimentary society than ever. This computer that I am typing on is one of the big reasons.

So we stick with traditions and we gain, and we gain, and we gain weight each and every season. No wonder 67% of the population of the US is overweight, with the world catching up quickly. 38% of our kids are overweight, that number is frightening.

Now is the time to break with tradition and think before we buy this season. The turkey is wonderful; but hold back on the butter. (That bird will taste just as good and be better for you) Skip the dressing if you can, if not make as little as possible and go for no left-over’s. Skip all the potatoes and go for more than one vegetable. You will even be able to have more than one helping of those green beans. Make your own cranberry sauce (it is so easy) don’t use sugar…use something else and it still tastes great. Now that dessert! Try other pumpkin delights that are not a pie. You can get the same taste but cut the calories. You might even cut the nap time problem.

Stay in amazing shape for the New Year!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

I have a personal jeweler coming up on the show on 11/14/07 don’t miss this one she will give you hints for your holiday giving.


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.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Small World Getting Bigger

Talk about sending mixed signals. Big news this week…Disneyland is shutting down the Small World ride to make all the boats bigger to accommodate today’s larger people. At the same time there is news that schools are trying to get younger students to eat better. Studies have shown if the fat is put on at a younger age it is harder to get off later in life. (That is so right)

So here we are as a nation; making it easier to be fat and telling our younger people you should not be fat. HUH??

Talk about sending mixed signals. I still can remember when I was very fat the availability of larger size clothes was next to nothing. Today…not only do we have lots of choices, but every store, including the very high end, has teens and younger big size clothes.

Are we becoming a nation of fat people? What happen to the trying to get the weight off and get healthy trends of the last few years? I have noticed on some websites of large size clothes they are not offering size 40 or 6X for women. What size is that?? We have never heard of that size before.

I have been doing some research, and let me tell you this. If you want to shorten your life get fat! The body and the skeletal system can’t support all that weight. Why do you think fat people have a hard time walking? And those who are really fat sit most of the time. Remember the story of the 1200 pound man who had grown into his couch? He couldn’t walk!

I will get into this more on Friday. For my Amazing Women I will tell you this now. To slow it down or even bring that aging clock to a slow crawl…losing the weight and getting the body healthy and balanced is the number one thing to do. Until Friday…

Amazingly Yours

Dr. Marlene

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.

Friday, November 2, 2007

A Little of This and A Little of That

Don’t forget to take the poll on my posting from 10/31/07.
We will talk about it on the show 11/07.

My mood today is about some of the following.

Speaking of Halloween…isn’t nature wonderful. Here is Southern California, after all the fires and all that heat with the raging winds…what happens…a couple of days before Halloween right on cue nature changes and fall weather slides in with coolness and great Halloween weather.

Speaking of nature…I wish that congress would just leave day light savings time alone. In fact we are not saving anything at all. Nature does what nature does on the earth with seasons and a few hundred people in a room really have no control of what the earth does at all!!
Yesterday I drove about 70 miles to an appointment. What I noticed was before 6:30pm it was starting to get dark and within a few minutes most people had their headlights on. (Some these days are automatic, yeah!) So where is the savings? I was taught in, way back when, in electrical engineering classes that you can’t save energy. It must be used or you will lose it. Hummmmmm isn’t the sun a HUGE energy ball?

Working on a program for the New Year for the radio show, it is going to be about getting into shape, losing weight, eating right and getting the right mental attitude to make it all happen and stay with you for life! OK so this is a teaser. The show is evolving and I will be adding more features.

Speaking of the fires…EVERYONE should stop by their local fire department and thank them for all they do. They are our first responders. Here in Southern California we love all our fire people. I know that during the summer our local department is out sometimes 4 or 5 times a day. These guys do it all. Just think what it would be like without them.
Have a great weekend!!
Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene
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.

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.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Weight Loss and Kids

Two happenings came together last week with shades of the past and many memories. First the good: I was on a panel with Travis Jones, a chef and the CEO of Green Kidz. This new and exciting company is developing, distributing and manufacturing natural and organic prepared foods for children, in order to provide our younger generation a healthy future. Second the not so good. The story of the young girl who got a note sent home because her weight to height ratio landed her in the overweight range of the body mass index. How did these two events create shades of the past?

First…the mother of the girl did not want to face the facts that she was partially responsible for her child being overweight and to make matters worse she gave herself and her child an out or excuse to keep eating, by saying that her daughter was ‘big boned’. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that from my parents and teachers and doctors. On Pleeeze! Most kids do not fall into the ‘big boned’ category.

Second…currently we, as a nation, are feeding our kids the cheapest nutritional deficient and chemically laden foods in our country…why…because it is easy and quick. Today, we seem to be busier than past generations and the food industry have made it easier with “quick meals” in boxes and cans. With most of the packages loaded with sugar, fat and lots of chemicals. Most of the time our bodies don’t know what to do with all the chemicals so it turns most of it to glucose and stores it; the body does know what to do with sugar…it turns it to glucose and stores it. That storage we call FAT!

Currently Green Kidz is trying in a small way to help the busy mothers with the hardest meal of the day. Lunch! Giving the kids the boxes from the store, is easy, but…it is just giving them the sugar, fat and chemicals; and what does the body do even at that young age…stores it! Giving them a boxed lunch without the junk is just as easy and much better for the child.
The shades of the past: I can remember hearing all the excuses from everyone why I was FAT. The only thing that happened was I continued to get fatter and fatter till I weighted 308 lbs. My Mother, bless her, was a great cook. I was never at a want for good home cooking. But, even in those days sugar, fat, and white flour were used a lot in home cooked meals. Today we really do know better and are cooking lighter and better at home. In the past us kids played outside a lot. I also had dancing as a passion. Lots of exercise! Today we are a sedimentary society. One reason is because of what I am using right now…a computer.

Okay, so how does this all fit together? We should be smarter now with all the information that is out there. Excuses don’t work! Never have and never will. That mother should stop giving her daughter excuses and start taking an interest in what her child eats and how much exercise she gets. Teaching her the right way to eat and what is good for the body. Green Kidz has a great idea for mothers. Great meals without all the junk, that gets stored. We must learn the ratio of how much intake of food we can have to the amount of exercise the body gets. We are no longer plowing fields or doing the energy using every day events or the past. Smaller meals that are more balanced to today’s health and exercise standards are necessary. Why? Because we are teaching are children to be fat adults. 69% of the nation is overweight or obese; and that number is rising. Good for Green Kidz for giving us an option.

Making choices for health and weight balance is an option that can be learned, even by children.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene


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.

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/