Vote for Mary Kay! ~ Allure Magazine

Through Feb. 28, 2010, you can vote for your favorite products in Allure magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards in categories such as skin care, makeup, hair care and body care.

Consider casting your votes for these Mary Kay® products to help make them “top picks” in the following categories:

Lip Gloss: Mary Kay® NouriShine® Lip Gloss in Beach Bronze
Facial Cleanser: Mary Kay® TimeWise® 3-in-1 Cleanser
Facial Scrub: Mary Kay® TimeWise® Microdermabrasion Set
Facial Moisturizer: Mary Kay® TimeWise® Age-Fighting Moisturizer
Anti-Aging Product: Mary Kay® TimeWise® Replenishing Serum+C

Visit Allure magazine to cast your votes now:
http://www.tsgresearch.com/studies/allure/readerschoice/poll.htm?id=&t=33898454653084

And why not share the news with your Mary Kay® brand-loving customers, family members and friends, so they can cast their votes for their favorite products, too!

Sunny Day!

Isn't that picture gorgeous? I'm not at the beach, but oday is the second day in a row, since I can't remember when, that we have had SUN! It is amazing what a little Vitamin D can do for your energy, spirit, and motivation. It's Friday and I definitely needed a gorgeous day like this to finish out the week. It's going to be a busy weekend with a Mary Kay party tomorrow morning, business meetings, & follow-up but it is still the weekend. So, I have put on my Sunny Dad mix on itunes in my office and I am doing my affirmations, making phone calls, and making the most of this gorgeous day.

The Many Lessons of Ash Wednesday

This is a very interesting article on Ash Wednesday & Lent. Personally, I did not grow up participating in Lent. In fact, I had not even heard of this process of giving up something in your life for the 40 days between Ash Wednesday & Easter to represent what Christ gave up for us when he died on the cross until I was in college. I grew up going to church, but in the Methodist and Baptist church we did not exercise this challenge. I love the idea of giving up something for 40 days, but this year I have had a really hard time figuring out what to give up! I'm only a day behind...
RELEVANT Magazine - The Many Lessons of Ash Wednesday

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My One-Year Goals

How often do you look over your goals? Do you do it once a year when the New Year rolls around? Seasonally? Monthly? I have found that it is extremely easy to lose sight of your goals in the day to day hustle and bustle. I sometimes get to the end of a work day and have no idea if I accomplished anything of significance. Working in sales, I have found that my results don't always show up immediately. It can take days, weeks, months, even years for the rewards to show up. I believe that is a big reason people in my particular business get frustrated. In our microwave mentality if it doesn't happen NOW it never will!
The way I have come to terms with the waiting period, and suppressed my impatience, is by working with consistent goals. I easily get distracted and so I am committed to making a habit of looking over and imagining my goals completed every day! It is time that I could easily skip, but I have found that the visualization makes a huge difference in whether I accomplish it or not. For me personally I am making it a habit of writing out my "dream" commission check each morning of what I want to earn that month, saying my affirmations throughout the day of what I am going to accomplish, and reading my list of 25 things I could do, be or have regardless of time, talent or money. It takes 21 days to make a habit and so I will check back in in 20 days! The exercise below is what encouraged me to get RE-FOCUSED!

YOUR DREAM BUSINESS ONE YEAR FROM TDOAY

"Take a moment and fill in a description of your goals. Imagine it is one year from today, and that you are describing your dream business and your own position within it, including your financial state, from that vantage point.
Don't worry about making this perfect; just let it rip. Creating goals is always a work in progress. In fact, we strongly recommend returning to this exercise regularly ---not just once a year, but once a season, once a month, even once a week. As you grow, so will your goals.

Today is (one year from today) _____________________, and I need to take a moment out of my busy day to reflect on all the amazing things that have happened over the past year, and to note the amazing place at which I have arrived:

1. PURPOSE
My dream business or career is making a huge difference in the world around me, because through it:

2. NUMERIC TARGETS
I now have a net worth of $_________________
an annual gross income of $_________________
and I am giving $________________ to (church, charity or other recipient).

3. MEANING
As a result of this extraordinary financial abundance, I now have and feel:"


*Exceprt from The Answer by John Assaraf & Murray Smith

Why Are You In Business?

"Let's start by asking a fundamental question: Why? Why are you in business? Why are you doing what you're doing?

People talk about motivation, but motivation - at least the way we usually interpret the word-is fairly ineffective. Getting pumped up because someone else has cheered you on or whipped up your enthusiasm is all very well, but typically it doesn't last more than few hours or days. Here's what does last, for months, years, a lifetime: your motive.

Big goals, in and of themselves, do not create great accomplishment. What creates great accomplishment is what lies behind the big goals: your own personal motive, the force that drives you. It may have to do with other people; perhaps somebody is relying on you - your children, your spouse, your business partners. It may be that you've made a commitment to yourself. Whatever it is, that motive is what we call your why. Clearly knowing why you want to achieve your goals will play a major role in your achieving them.

Remember the power of the seed, the power that enables that tiny acorn to pull in everything it needs from its environment? Your dream business is also formed around a seed, and your why is what lies at the core of the seed. On the days you don't feel like doing what it takes, the days when obstacles seem bigger than possibilities, it is that irresistible force within you that will provide everything you need."

Excerpt from The Answer:Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life"

It's Red Carpet Season!

Recently I was going back and forth on whether or not I should go brunette. I have been blonde my entire life, and I was wanting to do something different! To get an idea of how it would look I went to www.marykay.com and did a Virtual Makeover. I was able to upload my own picture, and try on different hair colors & styles. I ultimately decided that I would wait, and stay blonde. It has taken a lot of time & money to get my hair this color, and Spring is almost here. I knew I would want to be blonde in the Spring & Summer. Although trying out the different styles was a lot of fun. I recently found on www.instyle.com the Hollywood Hair Virtual Makeover, which is the same as the one on the Mary Kay site, but has celebrity hair styles you can try.
It definitely takes some practice to master this Virtual Makeover program. At first my photos definitely looked fake, and I couldn't figure out how to make it look real. I played around with the different color options, and I quickly realized that it is really important to have a good photo of yourself to use. It is a lot of fun once you get the hang of it, and I think it can be a great tool to use if you are ever contemplating a big change in the hair department.

Spring Trends~

DVF Awards ~ People's Voice

One of my favorite designers is Diane Von Furstenberg. Not only do I love her clothes, but I also love how she is such a proponent of women! The most recent example of this is her creation of the DVF Awards, which includes the "People's Voice" Award that has been created to recognize and support women who are using their vision, resources and commitment to transform lives. These are women who have had the courage to fight, the power to survive and the leadership to inspire.

The DVF Awards Board of Advisors has selected five women from the United States whose passion and courage have inspired them and who are working to make changes in their communities and beyond.

The winner of the “People’s Voice" Award will receive $50,000 in support of their associated organization (U.S. 501c3) from The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation. The Award will be presented on March 13th, 2010 at The DVF Awards ceremony on the occasion of The Daily Beast’s Women in the World Summit.

The winner will be announced on March 1st, 2010 on DVF.com and on the DVF fan page.

VOTING STARTS
February 10, 2010 @ 12:00 am (EST)
VOTING ENDS
February 10, 2010 @ 12:00 am (EST)

VOTE FOR THE WOMAN WHO INSPIRES YOU THE MOST!
To vote go to www.dvf.com or the DVF-Diane Von Furstenberg Facebook Fan Page

Anti-Aging Secret for your Skin Tone! According to InStyle

There's no doubt that sun damage is a huge factor in the battle against aging. But dermatologists say that our skin's genetic profile also plays a rold in the onslaught of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. So while the usual advice still applies to everyone - wear broad-spectrum sunscreen, drink lots of water, eat a balanced diet - here are some tips to benefit each skin tone:

Dark Skin


With lots of pigment and a relatively thick epidermis, your skin is the least susceptible to premature wrinking. "In general, the darker you are the slower you age," says New York dermatologist Francesca Fusco. The main concerns are pigmentation issues, such as dark undereye circles and hyperpigmentation. As you age, your skin may sag and develop tiny raised brown spots known as dermatosis papulosa nigra. According to dermatologist Jeanine Downie, "We dark-skinned women tend to lose elasticity as we age because we often don't wear sunblock."

Your Regimen
*Cleanser
*Eye Cream
*Daily SPF
*Fade Mark Cream
*Treatment Lotion

Reaction to the Sun
With the most melanin (aka natural sun protection), this skin type always tans, rarely burns.
How you Age
Rough patches of skin and uneven pigmentation (including dark and undereye circles) are likely to show up before crow's-feet or laugh lines make an appearance.

Olive Skin


With more melanin in your skin than most Caucasians', your skin is relatively robust. One of your biggest complaints? Melasma, large patches of hormonally driven discoloration triggered by UV exposure. Depending on how much time you spend in the sun, you may also have fine lines and other signs of sun damage. Dermatologist, Elizabeth Alvarez Connelly says, "I often remind my patients that just one day in the sun can reverse months of therapy when treating dark spots."

Your Regimen
*Cleanser
* Sunscreen
*Night Cream
*Discoloration Serum

Reaction to the Sun
This skin type often tans easily. But keep in mind: Burn-free skin can still be damaged-it's just happening below the surface.

How You Age
Blotches on cheeks and along hairline can appear as early as your mid-20's, though you might not wrinkle until many years later.


Light Skin


The yellow under-tones in your skin help bolster it against the damaging effects of the sun. If you are Asian, you have another anti-aging advantage: "Studies have shown we have thicker collagen bundles," says dermatologist Jessica Wu, noting that sagging and skin-tone problems tend to be more common than wrinkles among light-skinned women. When pigmentation patterns do develop, they tend to occur in small clusters as opposed to large patches. Jessica Wu also says, "Light skin usually develops uneven color and sagging before it starts to wrinkle."

Your Regimen
*Night Cream
*Serum
*Daily SPF
*Spot Lightener
*Cleanser

Reaction to the Sun
You tan a little, but you burn too.

How you Age
Without adequate protection, small clusters of sun spots on your cheeks may begin appearing in your 20's. Wrinkles, however, may not be a concern until your mid-to late 40's.

*February 2010 InStyle*

NalaStyle, Mary Kay, & Stephanie Marie Photographie

My Headshot!

Here is my head shot, which was taken by Stephanie Hambley of Stephanie Marie Photographie. I haven't had a photo like this taken of myself since college. Isn't it hard to look at pictures of yourself and be objective?

Heart of Gold!

Below is the first video & single for new artist Ashlyne Huff. She was a classmate of mine at Brentwood Academy, where I knew her as a very talented dancer. She wrote all of the songs on her upcoming album, and this first single Heart of Gold has been in my head since I heard it. It is so neat to see former classmates doing so well. Enjoy! And if you like her, be sure to become a fan on facebook.

Ashlyne Huff: Heart of Gold (Official Music Video - HD)
Uploaded by AshlyneHuff. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Valentine's For You & Yours!

Yesterday was our Valentine's event, which we called Valentine's For You & Yours! The idea was to invite customers to come & be treated like a star, and it worked! Each person who attended was treated to a glamour makeover by Mary Kay (of course), hair styling by professional stylist Erin Finn, were accessorized by Ginger Jones the owner of NalaStyle, and then photographed by Stephanie Hambley of Stephanie Marie Photographie. Not only did they walk away with a gorgeous 5x7 headshot, but they were also given a $10 gift card to use towards Mary Kay products. NalaStyle offered a 10% discount on all products, and booking discounts were offered by Erin Finn and Stephanie Hambley. The Aloft hotel of Franklin, TN was where the event was held and they could not have been a better host. Their modern & trendy feel was perfect for our event, and we can't wait to hold more events their in the future. It was a great day, and there will be more pictures to follow!

Yay for February!

January flew by! I did a lot of traveling, and that always makes things seem to go by faster. Today I am making my February goals, and getting things kicked off for the new month. If you don't do this in your own life & business I cannot express how much of an impact it can have. I did not do this very well in January, which is why I ended up being very frustrated. I think that just like a lot of people I was "recovering" from Christmas. So today I am establishing my goals for February in both my business & my life. It gives me a track to run on, and a VISION for what I want to accomplish.

"The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. Vision will ignite the fire of passion that fuels our commitment to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve excellence. Only VISION allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action. VISION has no boundaries and knows no limits. Our VISION is what we become in life."
(Quote from Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life)