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My nephew recently turned two, and as he now lives halfway across the country, I relished my time with him while he and his mom were in town for a quick visit recently.  Over lunch, my sister reminded me of a certain disaster surrounding the baby shower I helped host for her and who am I to withhold a self-deprecating story from you ladies?

For those of you who know me, you know I like to farm out my brilliant ideas to people who can make them happen and then all is well with the world.  In prepping for my sister’s baby shower, however, I was going to need to do some of the projects myself.  Isn’t that the way it always seems to go?

First up, these ultra-cute tissue pom poms featured on Martha Stewart. She claims they are joyous bursts of color dancing above the table. And really, everyone needs some joyous bursts in their life . . . how could I resist? So I set to work to see just how easy these color-bursts were for us non-crafty people.

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I am not much of a chef (at all - I once set my kitchen on fire, which is a story that will have to wait for another time) and so I am always in need of simple, literally throw-it-together recipes for entertaining. Some of my favorites were the ones I created for my sister’s baby shower (we may as well keep strolling down memory lane a little longer). We were doing a mid-afternoon event and the menu would consist of light hors d’oeuvres. Did I mention it needed to be easy?

I saw these adorable Caprese Salad skewers in Jo Garten’s ever-so-stylish book, and figured I could handle that level of culinary genius and skill. I renamed them “Italian Refresca” and they consisted of cherry tomatoes, basil and mozzarella and were delish:

Then it hit me: everything would be on skewers! Sometimes I overwhelm myself with my own brilliance. Or maybe it’s just a matter of necessity being the mother of invention. Whichever. Among others, my favorites were a shrimp, honeydew and brie medley, a pound cake and strawberry combo, and this divine pairing of chocolate and fresh raspberries. The recipe for the latter is super hard, so see if you can’t keep up…

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When the dinner party question ‘who would you hire: a maid, a personal chef, a chauffeur?’ comes up, my answer is always none of the above.  Sure, a maid would be nice, and so would a personal chef since I have repeatedly proven myself to be neither Julie nor Julia in the kitchen.  Nonetheless, my stock answer is always: someone to come to my house and blow out my hair a few times a week and a personal stylist.

While my fate leaves me to wield my own hair dryer and flat iron, as luck would have it, a friend of mine started an image consulting business earlier this year.  Having worked in politics for most of her adult life, she knew that busy career professionals needed her help and I was no exception.  I am one of those that had a closet full of clothes, but never anything to wear.  My wardrobe consisted of pieces accrued from my days just out of high school and on.  In my early twenties I had a bout with some health issues and as a result my weight fluctuated quite a bit, leaving a range of clothes in varying sizes.  While I still managed to look pulled together, I always felt frumpy because things never fit quite right.

Enter Faith.

Faith told me that she would go through my wardrobe and create 100 different outfits utilizing the different accessories and pieces I already owned.  From there we would add a few classics I needed or seasonal pieces to spruce things up.  I was skeptical, because while I had a closet full of clothes, the truth is that I am not a clotheshorse by any stretch of the imagination.  We went through my entire closet, with Faith passing split-second verdicts on pieces I had unknowingly become attached to.  I watched as the pile that was being donated to the women’s shelter grew larger.  At the end, I had a small pile to keep (including shoes).

“I told you I didn’t have that many clothes to begin with,” I remarked to Faith.

“I know, but I didn’t believe you because every woman says that!” Faith replied.

With that we set out to the mall to restock my wardrobe.  I was lovingly informed that bright colors didn’t go well with my skin and that I should opt for muted tones.  I also learned that I was much smaller than I thought and had been purchasing clothes that were too large (in some cases six to eight times as large).  While this news brought with it a sense of delight, it was also surprisingly difficult to wrap my mind around, as though my brain and emotions weren’t ready to stop believing the lie that I was still the larger size.  It’s funny the personal demons we face that come up in unexpected places and seemingly out of nowhere.

While I don’t have Faith on retainer, hiring her for a one-time consulting gig was one of the best things I’ve done this year as she taught me what to look for in clothing so that it fits and flatters appropriately.  I also really liked that she didn’t try to push her more bohemian-chic personal preferences on me - she truly looked for what fit my own personality as well.  She now lives in Washington DC, so if you’re in that area and want some wardrobe help, definitely give her a call.  One of the downsides, but one that I was prepared for, is that purchasing the clothes can add up quickly, especially if you need an entire overhaul like I did.  Most people don’t and can get away with the already-in-their-closet 100 outfits goal, but I proved to be the exception to the rule.

Have you ever hired a personal stylist? Would you?

I like to think that I don’t have a laundry list of pet peeves, but I do have a few: the sound of knuckles popping, false teachers, shredded iceberg lettuce, and pajamas in airports.  Let’s chat about that last one.

As a frequent business traveler, I am generally in 2-3 airports per week, sometimes more.  I am always surprised when I see people checking in or walking through security in their pajamas.  I can understand packing up your toddler-aged kids into cute jammies so they make the mental connection that planes are for nap time and not screaming their demands to the rest of the passengers.  I can even see why a teenager would wear pajamas and how their mother could have simply decided that particular battle was not one she was going to fight.  But grown adults?  Do people who wear their pjs to airports not understand that the rest of us can, oh I don’t know, SEE THEM?

In my experience, dressing in a well put-together manner (not necessarily wearing expensive clothes or dressing up), helps other people take you more seriously.  While they should respect you regardless, that is simply not the way it works. If it were, the entire marketing and design worlds would be obsolete.  Plus, you never know who you are going to sit next to on a plane.  It just may be someone who could be a good career connection. In fact, I met my current insurance agent while waiting for a flight at the Houston airport last year.  She was able to help me with my insurance needs and I was able to give her my business.  We were able to strike up a conversation and take each other’s professional claims seriously because we weren’t dressed like we were headed to a seventh grade slumber party.

Some insist that if they are going to be seated for a five hour flight across the country, then they want to be comfortable. To this I say: you most likely sit in a chair at an office for eight hours every day in business-appropriate outfits. What is it about sitting on the plane where normal clothing becomes absolutely unbearable?  One friend also smartly pointed out that wearing a negligee on the plane may be the only way to get extra peanuts in coach these days.

While I love free salty snacks as much as the next person, it seems to me that this issue of how to dress in public really boils down to a matter of respect (or rather a lack of it), both for others and for ourselves.  While I am not advocating everyone traipse through security dressed for the opera or even in full three piece suits, it seems that people who care about themselves tend to at least run a comb through their hair and put on a pair of jeans before heading into the outside world.  Also, if someone walked into your office to negotiate a deal wearing their pjs, wouldn’t you be a bit insulted that they hadn’t tried a little harder?  Why shouldn’t the flight attendants or desk agents be insulted as well when someone wearing flannel pants with pink hearts all over them demands that their flights or seats be switched around?

It seems to me that all social graces and any semblance of etiquette get thrown out the window when people fly.  If we want to be taken seriously as a generation, maybe it should start by being respectful in our interactions with the seemingly non-important things in life.

What are your thoughts on wearing pajamas in airports?

I travel quite a bit for work and this year alone will be on a plane more than 50 times.  Over the years, I have learned several tricks that will help you travel practically, yet with style, so that you don’t look like a bohemian backpacker.  Unless of course, bohemian backpacker is your style of choice, in which case, peace out.

One of the things I can do quite well is travel for two weeks with just the two allotted carry-ons that most airlines allow.  For an overnight trip from Phoenix to Houston recently, I took one bag and it included my laptop, all cords and chargers, files, change of clothes, makeup, flat-iron, wallet, etc.  Here’s a snapshot of it (and in case you are wondering, the bag is from Marshall’s and the shoes are from DSW):

We’ll cover how to pack clothes in another post, but for this one I want to talk toiletries and personal items, since that is where most people run into trouble with their carry-on.  With the TSA’s rule of all carry-on liquids being required to fit in a one quart-size Ziploc and be less than 3 ounces, it can be a challenge to condense everything.  Well, no more overpacking excuses, darlings, because I am about to show you how to do just that.

If you’re like me, you probably don’t roll out of bed looking naturally gorgeous all the time.  And if you do, then I think I speak for all the rest of us in the blogosphere when I say, we hate you.  At any rate, here is a shot of the liquid portion of my daily routine (please note, all photos were taken with my iphone. Don’t be jealous - with a camera phone, harsh lighting and no training whatsoever, you too can produce pictures like this):

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Hello all! My name is Liene and though it has an exotic spelling, it is boringly pronounced ‘Lynn’.  Fun fact: it is actually my grandmother’s middle name, but she still spells it wrong on every card I receive from her.  Anyway, this is me with the wind in my hair, literally:

I’m in my late twenties and am sassy, single and satisfied.  Okay, well, satisfied most days.  One of my pet peeves is when single career women act as though they can’t live a real life until they’re married - they either live like they’re still in college, eating Top Ramen and clubbing every night, or they put their dreams on hold until “after they’re married”.  I’m excited to be able to share here on Elizabeth Anne Designs Living some of my own perspective on living a real and full life while still being rock-free.

I am a professional wedding planner and an online media consultant by trade, and while I love what I do, I don’t believe that my work or being an entrepreneur defines who I am.  I am a multi-faceted walking paradox: serious yet light-hearted, smart yet with some definite blonde moments, methodical yet impulsive, a classically trained musician yet four of the radio presets in my car are hip-hop stations.  My magazine subscriptions include Martha Stewart Weddings (for work), The Economist (for fun - yes, I am a nerd and I made my peace with it long ago) and I get my US Weekly and celeb gossip fix when I go in for pedicures.  I’ve never seen a single episode of LOST or American Idol, but name a Friends episode and I can probably quote it line for line.  I’m also a loyal fan of Mad Men and The Office and have a not-so-secret crush on John Krasinski.

Phoenix, Arizona is currently my home, and over the years I have come to appreciate the beauty in the desert.  Traveling is one of my core passions and I love exploring new places and living like a local wherever I’m at, be it Southeast Asia or New York City.  I am happiest when I am near a beach and feel most alive when I get an opportunity to help others discover the untapped potential in themselves.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of my not-so-glam life adventures here and I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

(photo of me looking way better than I normally do by Sloan Photographers)