Well ladies, this is a good break for us busy moms. Someone to give you advise on your wardrobe, do your shopping ?? It is my dream.

Here is what I received as a comment from one of my reader but thought it’s a good idea to share it with you here.

“Vancouver Style Institution Gears up for Expansion.

The latest from Jessie Carlson Wardrobe

Vancouver, British Columbia MEDIA ADVISORY, August/23/2010

Jessie Carlson Wardrobe has been busy. In addition to keeping Vancouver’s best dressed women looking pulled together and effortlessly chic, the stylist has been quietly growing her business. The word is out, and time crunched women who value a chic image, but struggle to find the time to decipher trends and hunt down flattering styles, have been enlisting Carlson to help them out. From major closet overhauls, to transforming images with a few clever styling tricks, Jessie has been keeping her clients looking fabulous for almost 10 years.

Business is hopping in spite of the economic slowdown, and Jessie has partnered with another Vancouver fashion expert, Michelle Addison to help her meet her company’s growth. Addison is everywoman’s style guru. With over a decade of work in the fashion and film business, she has worked as a stylist and accessories buyer at some of the city’s chicest boutiques before venturing into personal styling. She knows the business of looking fabulous and what doors will fling open when you look the part. Her ability to decipher trends, convey style, and trim closets down to the essential key pieces has made her an important asset for Carlson’s business.

Carlson is planning expansions in other aspects of her life, she is expecting a new arrival of her own, a new baby in November of this year. Carlson and Addison have tapped into this as a new a new niche for their business, with their own and Vancouver’s baby boom. No one has more wardrobe questions and torments then pregnant moms to be and new moms. Addison has first hand experience in dressing fabulous for pregnancy and new mamahood being a new mom herself. “Dressing for pre and post pregnancy can be challenging, but with the investment of a few key pieces, looking and feeling great can be made possible, even easy” says Addison. She has her list of do’s and don’ts. “I had to give up silk for a while but not cashmere. A girl has her limits. I love having the opportunity of making over exhausted new moms into Stylish Mamas” says Addison. Her best advice to new moms? “Don’t wait to lose that last ten pounds, dress to make yourself feel great now.”

They have put together some styling packages for these women, the Stylish Mama in Waiting and the Stylish Mama. These packages include a consult, three hours of personal shopping, and a personalized shopping list. They would make the ultimate gift for a friend who is expecting, the perfect baby shower gift, or a present from an appreciative husband.http://www.jessiecarlson.com

Who needs styling? Not just for celebrities, hiring a stylist is done by real women. Busy moms, overworked entrepreneurs, and professionals with recent promotions who need their image to reflect their new position, have been hiring Jessie Carlson Wardrobe. The benefits of working with a stylist are plentiful and it can actually save you money. Making smart purchases that you will wear for years to come is not only economical but also in line with a greener life philosophy. No more disposable purchases. Love what you buy now and wear it and care for it for seasons to come.

Carlson’s clients rave about the change in their look and wardrobe after working with Jessie. Says Leslie Meingast CEO of the Personnel Group,”working with Jessie has been amazing, I have had more compliments in the last few months then I can count.” Oakridge Mall has also hired Carlson as their style coach, and Oakridge shoppers can enlist Carlson to master their fall style.

Carlson’s list of fantasy items, that signify fall’s new minimalist looks include a silk blouse by Chloe, worn tucked in with high waisted jeans by Notify or classic black pants. “High waists are making a comeback” says Carlson, “gone are the days of the extreme low rise”. Camel is also huge for fall, but she is especially loving a camel blazer by Stella McCartney, paired with Mulberry’s Alexa bag.

Clients are lining up to join Carlson’s fashion elite, and with the company’s expansion Jessie Carlson Wardrobe is ready to take on fall fashion and make Vancouver’s women look and feel fabulous.

For more information on Jessie Carlson Wardrobe’s modern take on styling please contact Noelene Searle at noelenes@shaw.ca

http://www.jessiecarlson.com

Until later,

I’ve been busy enjoying my new balcony deck for the past two weeks. I’m so happy with it that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you all. Here is the story:

When we bought our house, the balcony deck was in a terrible shape. You can see it in the “before picture”.  BTW, that’s my son when he was a year old, I  couldn’t find a picture with out him in it

The vinyl floor was stained with a rusty color and most of the original color had faded. The wood railings were mostly rotten too.  For the safety of my son, we changed the railing  couple of months after moving in.  Here is the picture with the new railing, my then 2.5 year old son and 11 months old daughter included

We painted the balcony deck year after year. The picture above is the painted floor.

This spring my husband found a great do-it-yourself flooring product from IKEA store called Platta. I’ve asked my husband Kash to write an FAQ type instruction on it.

first an “after picture” of my beautiful deck and then the article

Article by my husband Kash

What is a Platta decking tile?

It is a modular wood decking tile that is designed to be used outdoor on a balcony, a patio deck or any outside floor that needs to be beautified.

It is made from the beautiful plantation-grown Acacia hardwood. Its hardness and the natural oils present in the wood make Acacia Hardwood products extremely resistant to fungi, termites, rot and decay.

The base is made from PVC plastic and permit water to flow through, while it also elevates the wood for drying airflow. Of course it is used for connecting the tiles together using the connection points on the tile edges.

Where not to use Platta decking tiles?

It is not recommended  to use Platta decking tiles  on grass lawn or non-flat surfaces. Some people also use them on kitchen and bathroom floors but I wouldn’t recommend it  as you dont want to be constantly removing the tiles to clean the subfloor.

How much does it cost?

IKEA Platta decking has another thing going for it, the PRICE. Compared to other alternative decking solutions, it is relatively cheap and wont ruin your budget. We bought ours at approximately $9/sf at the IKEA store Richmond, BC Canada. But it can be bought as cheap as $4/sf as the price fluctuates depending on the stores inventory.

Can I install it myself? And if so, how long will it take me?

The Platta decking tiles are so easy to install that even my 5 year old son was able to do it. To connect two tiles together, position the connection points along the entire edges, apply downward pressure on the connection points until all of the connection points are snapped together. This is a all done without using nails, glue, or a hammer. This is definitely a do-it-yourself job designed for the average homeowner. You can build your deck within a matter of hours.

How to I install Platta decking tiles around railing posts?

If you decide to fit the decking tiles around such obstacles as railing posts, you will require tools other than your hands. First layout and connect tiles anywhere where you don’t have to do any trimming (i.e. railing posts etc.). Once you have laid out all your whole tiles, for each tile that needs to be cut and trimmed, use a measuring tape to determine the dimensions. Next use either a hand saw or a power jigsaw to do the cutting. I bought my power jigsaw from a Canadian Tire store at a low price of $28. I figured it’s a handy tool to have around the house. It will take some practice to do the trimming perfect so expect to lose a couple of tiles in the process. Always remember to measure twice and cut once.

How do I Maintain the Platta decking tiles?

It is recommended to oil the tile every 6 months. If you live in a city like Vancouver where it rains virtually everyday, it’s not a bad idea to remove and store the tiles in the storage during fall and winter months. For everyday cleaning, you can wash down the tiles using your garden hose and/or a light scrub mop.

When you buy the tiles, make sure you buy some extra tiles that can be used as spare parts just in case you lose some tile due to wear and tear.

Notes of caution:

Acacia hardwood contains a tannic acid naturally which, after a time, can leak out and discolor the sub-floor. ever lay wooden decking on a surface where it would matter if this happened.”

I’ve been stressed a lot in the past week, mostly because of the kids. They are in a new stage. Now my son doesn’t bother his sister that much, but she keeps bugging him until he is so mad that can’t think straight.

As much as I know most of it is my daughter’s fault, I have to teach him how to overcome his feelings of anger and madness and act after he is calm instead of a reaction without thinking.

Some days, I’m so stressed that I can’t even calm myself down when I’m alone and want to do that consciously.  Tonight I came upon this wonderful post about helping to destress. I loved it so much that I couldn’t bear not sharing it here.

It has sayings that make you rethink what you were stressed about. Here are a couple that I liked:

*It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.

I love this, removes the pressure, when you are kind to others and not receiving the kindness back.

*Nobody cares if you can’t dance well, just get up and dance.

This is wonderful too, who knows how many opportunities we missed just because we are shy or think not good enough to, even try.

I wouldn’t do justice to rewrite it here, check it out for yourself.

Be happy and let go of your worries occasionally.

Until later,

I’m done. There is still two more days left to Norouz and I’m finished with my organization.

Still have to clean up the house but that’s the daily chores, doesn’t count

It was a very interesting and enlightening project. To tell the truth I was very close to calling it quits. At the beginning, it was kind of difficult to see things in a different way, in a more practical order. After a few drawers, I got the hang of it and then it was not that bad.

I kept these tips in mind during the project:

1-      Sort out

2-      Keep related things in one place

3-      Use containers

4-      Keep order of things as practical as possible

5-      Find the bottle neck that makes the mess, remove it

I can say I’m a changed organized mom now, and the kids are getting the hang of it too. They are more organized than they were before, of course for a toddlers.

Off to baking cookies

Until later,

I was thinking of making a reward board for a long time, but never got in to it. Until my son fixated on having this expensive talking Buzz Lightyear, I didn’t want to buy it for him obviously. But had to do something to get his mind out of convincing me to buy that. So I made this reward board, and told him if he gets 5 happy faces each week he gets some allowance and then he can save his money and buy that toy himself, because I’m not buying it.

He has to behave and be good to his sister to receive a happy face at the end of the day. I can’t tell you how many times a day we change from happy face to sad face and back to happy face again, but we are more focused on getting the happy face instead of the Buzz Lightyear.

Here is how to make the reward board. Read the rest of this entry »