EDITOR'S LETTER: September 2012

Sitting outside during a bad thunder storm during my 15 minute break at my jobs downtown office, it was quite the relaxing break as I witnessed the beginning stages of a thunder storm, mesmerized by the back and forth of the repeated gusts of whip-lashing wind that swayed the trees of the city side to side. As I sat  underneath the outside break area overpass it was relaxing to be outside right before the storm to watch it, unaffected by the pending precipitation, feeling the churning air that created that tense aura of a restless mother nature. I started thinking about how the environment around us really has an effect on how we feel, and in turn, how we look. It made me think about the manic personality our mother nature has, and how her moods as of late have been quite the buzz worthy news that has taken hold of television sets world wide. Earthquakes in Virginia, the devastation of tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, and other vicious natural disasters; I then could not help to think about the phrase, "Hell hath no fury like a women scorned."

Think about it: why do we love our women so much, mothers in particular? The reason I love my mother is because she did an excellent job of creating an comfortable home environment with which to come home to. Mothers have a tendency to create that feeling for us. Of course, while my parents, together, worked to get what they have now, it was obvious how my mother's attention to the overall comfort of her family, mixed with an innate design aesthetic for the representation of our family unit, was strongly felt whenever I returned home. Half the joy of loving these women is for this reason, right? She provided a fabulous home environment and she taught me how to sustain a comfortable interior. After all, in my fashion, the comfort of one's home has a lot to do with how comfortable we are when we leave the home too.

On a global scale, Mother Nature has created a fantastic home, for all of us. All of us living on this planet must respect the land she hath provided for us, for all that she has provided for us to in order to sustain our lives are provided for us without any work from us as her children. Is that not why we respect the women who birthed us? From what I have observed, mothers feel their worst when they are not appreciated for their work. That is why I feel we should respect our Mother Nature as best we can, even down to that menial straw wrapper we rip off and throw out our window at the fast food drive-through.  

Candace Banks is an all beautifully strong all natural beauty. A perfect example of the balance of "feminine power"

As most people know about me I am a strong proponent of being environmentally conscious, and is why I seek to ask, "How Would Your Mother Feel?". Mother Nature is our home planet, the reason we have somewhere to live and enjoy this hing we call life. Green house gases are created by emissions from the various machine technology we have developed through time, and in turn, we have damaged our mother nature quite substantially. Is it safe to fathom that Mother Nature feels quite unappreciated, and in a effort to straighten herself out has to release some steam to let us know how she feels (i.e. tsunamis, hurricanes, tornados, and other vicious natural disasters)? Think about she feels, for "Hell hath no fury like a women scorned."

This month, as we all know is the beginning of a new fashion season, and the Spring/Summer 2013 collections will be underway in days time from now. As last month was about being smart enough to know how to use one's intuition, I say we practice using our natural instincts to choose what our favorite looks we be to sport next spring season. As was said in my post, "Don't Think. Just 'Blink.'" our first gut instinct is usually the best route to go for ourselves. Let's test that notion this month as we prepare to plan our Spring 2013 wardrobe combos. Not only do I want to practice using our natural instincts, but I want to explore interior design and how not only is it important that we choose the right sartorial choices to make us feel good, but it occurs to me that the state of one's home has a lot to do with one's attitude when interacting with others outside the home. If you don't have a firm and sound home base, it shows. We seem stressed, disheveled, and confused, and keeps us from gaining that clarity we should be striving to attain for ourselves. So while I post my choices of the best runway looks from the collections, I will be posting great interior design aesthetics as well, ideas that will hopefully inspire you to create the most comfortable space to call a home. 

An interesting interpretation of the beauty of nature, and how to wear it. A great find of a tie, right?

I have always admired the fire in women to be strong, as well as beautiful, and all things considered, I feel certain methods women use to build themselves up can be quite universal. Yoga, for example, is classically seen as quite feminine, but its end-results yield far greater advantages to those who practice it, man or women. A great thing I was reminded of about feminine power is that feminine power has a lot to do with balance-balance between strength and softness. In my fashion, when one has balance in their life they have that clarity of mind to think beyond just physical strength but transcend into a higher strength-the strength from within, which is a true test of power. On top of interior design, I will be looking at more ways to take care of ourselves naturally. I have some ideas to consider when working to eliminate stress, and find alternative ways of gaining a clarity that I wish to share that will aid in reaching our  potential. Going back to my Preserving Style post on Olive Oil, all natural is usually the best way to go-always. 

Fashion is about "selling" dreams, style is about making them come true.
Encouraging women to make their dreams a reality brings me my greatest joy.
Women are phenomenal beings. 

As I see it, Mother Nature is a women too. Mother Nature, like many other women, serve their children without any material reward expected. The only thing they really ask from us in return is our love and respect. In my fashion, respecting our planet and caring for it as if it were an actual women will yield great returns for us, because as the old saying goes, "you reap what you sow." When we take care of our planet, we reap plentiful crops, good quality air, and most importantly-we grow, for growth is the greatest gift Mother Nature can offer us. When we are irresponsible and contribute to messiness, it simply makes for a distasteful environment for us to live in. Take time this month to think of the aforementioned truth for I feel it will bring a certain feeling of gratitude that is so effervescent in attractive people. The most attractive people are always able to show their gratitude and work to exude excellence. Excellence is the result of caring about what you do, and putting your best effort into what you care about, and as I observe, some of the most attractive people, inside and out, are those who work to bring others up, and make sure that other things are attractive as well. Remember to care about the beauty of our planet, for in my fashion, it is highly unattractive to be a litterer, or partake in contributing to cluttering the home Mother Nature has created for us.