Happy B to My #1!

Today is the birthday of the most important person in my life, my favorite person, my #1 - forever and always.  Most people who know me know who that is as his actions, thoughts and advice pop up in many conversations in my life… and today this VERY important person turns 65 years young!!  He has been a complete rock of stability, compassion, honesty, and every other amazing characteristic a person and parent can have since he came into my life at age four.  This man has it all.  He gives more than he’ll ever get, and he takes from no one.  He is the rock of my family, everyone depends on him. He’s cheered me on, kept me in line, challenged and supported me in all of the ways I’ve needed the most since I was a young and somewhat bratty (oops) child. I’m forever grateful for everything he’s done and continues to do for me everyday… 

L - I can never thank you enough for all that you’ve given me…
but I can say - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Love, 

k

Dress for Success

Words to live by, especially in the world of fashion.  Although I’m not referring to this somewhat self-righteous slogan in the interest of vanity – but instead as the charitable organization promoting “suits to self-sufficiency.”  I started volunteering for the West Coast - Los Angeles chapter of Dress for Success early this year, only to find out that Robert Half International is a proud “success partner”.  RH sponsors the Career Center in the office I visit one afternoon a month, which is ironic considering that's not how I came across them.  The program I participate in suits disadvantaged woman in an effort to help them become healthy and independent.  The women we work with are either going for a job interview, in which case we put together their interview outfit, or they’ve recently got a job, so we put together a week’s worth of office appropriate outfits.  All the clothes are donated by community donors and local retailers – Tommy Hilfiger created the “Something to Share” scarf and necktie (available for $30) where 100% of the net proceeds benefit Dress for Success – and Dress Barn is a major donor of new clothes.   I work with the “clients”, finding new and gently-used clothing in the "boutique" to put together outfits they good feel good in – so they can get jobs, and ignite/reignite their careers and lives.

Kristen Bell (Gossip Girl’s XOXO) has stepped out in support of Dress for Success as shown above at their NY charity fashion show.  It’s great to see people in the spotlight raise awareness for a great cause.

Because sometimes we all need to look great to feel better!!

k

Are you living your best life?

Oprah loves this question. And it's not as condescending as you might think - she admits to not always living her best life, saying she's recently read her "Gratitude Journals" from a few years back thinking - wow, I was happy then.  But it is a great question to ask yourself from time to time... and maybe for an entire New York City weekend.

The "Live Your Best Life Weekend" offered too much to go into in any detail - "O" Magazine's May issue does a great job summarizing most of the content.  As does: "10 Best Things We Learned at O's Live Your Best Life Weekend".  Highlights were the following:

Carrie Bradshaw's SATC brownstone walk-up in the West Village (SJP herself lives only a few blocks away).  It's such a popular tourist stop that there's a "no trespassing" sign at the base of those famous stairs.

I'm still getting over the fact that I didn't meet Ms. Winfrey, but being 10 feet away from her twice was incredible...

"Eat Pray Love"'s Elizabeth Gilbert made a surprise appearance in Oprah's opening remarks, telling the crowd that while living your best life is great - doing the best you can is better.




Oprah narrating her OWN autobiography at Radio City Music Hall - and Hugh Jackman as the finale.  YUMMMM.

Thousands of die-hard O fans braved a cold windy Sunday-May morning raising money for 10 charities. Celebs in attendance were Jennifer Hudson, Bette Milder, Mary J Blige, Elizabeth Banks & Dr. Oz.

AHA.

k

Oprah in NYC

If all goes well this weekend I might meet my ultimate hero – Ms. Oprah Winfrey.  I’m heading to New York very early tomorrow morning for her “Live Your Best Life Weekend” in celebration of “O” Magazine’s 10^th anniversary.  A good friend of mine (and ultimate New Yorker), her mom and I will be joining Oprah, Gale King, Dr Oz, Suze Orman, Nate Bercus and the rest of the HARPO team (and a few thousand other people...) for a three-day ALL-THINGS-Oprah celebration.  Starting with a “Welcome Reception” tomorrow night, followed by “Lifeshop” seminars with Oprah gurus all-day Saturday, an Oprah evening event at Radio City Music Hall (where she “brings her auto-biography to life), and a charity “Live Your Best Life Walk” Sunday… it promises to be an AH-mazing weekend. 

I'll admit that I've been Oprah-obsessed from a very young age. There are worse things than living your best life.

O-tastic. 

k