A blog about elevating your personal style
We are still rebuilding things here at Possess Your Style after an unfortunate hack. My media guru used her awesome web 2.0 skills to eliminate the hack and clean the site up. But unfortunately, we ran into a few more hiccups. Hence our interim appearance. Thanks again for your patience!
Stylishly yours,
Kalyn
This is the greeting on the home page of Physique 57. When I started my on-again, off-again dalliance with Physique 57 three years ago these were just words on a screen. Three years later and they’re finally having an impact. It’s not the lovely ladies at Physique or my fantastic coach, Marie, at Equinox. It’s me.
I’m lucky. Most of my life I’ve never had to worry about weight. But, these past few years have been an awakening for me … a knee injury or two can really throw things off track. And getting back into the swing of things is not as easy as I’d like it to be. But, when I put my mind to something, I just work to make it happen (calorie counting, working out 4-5 times a week, drinking a ton of water, whatever it takes).
I’ve always been athletic in some way, shape or form. As a kid I did all the typical things – tap, ballet, gymnastics, soccer, cheerleading (yes, this is a sport! Didn’t you see Bring It On?) and then I fell in love with competitive figure skating. From there I graduated to track and field (in the Fall I ran cross country and carb-loaded and then sprinted with the wind during the Spring) and then in college I became a part of Jane Fonda’s aerobic craze (I know, I’m dating myself here). All the time running, on the road or on the treadmill plus weight-lifting was always a part of the workout routine.
It clicked for me a week ago Friday during the stretch segment of a Physique class when the teacher (I wish I could remember her name!) said that if you stretch for 5 minutes every day you burn 25 calories and at the end of the week that 25 minutes equals a glass of wine. Hello Gorgeous! I live to EAT. I love good food and beverages, adult and otherwise. The light bulb went off for me. It was my Hello Gorgeous! moment. Call me crazy, which I may very well be, but whatever gets you to the gym isn’t a bad thing (and getting there is half the battle) …. For me it’s food. Some people say they really love to work out, they love the way they feel sweating and huffing and puffing and whatnot. Happy for them. Not me. I’m conditioned to do it because I’ve done it my whole life (thank you mom for making sure we were physically active, truly – much appreciated). I don’t know why I did it then –sports were fun, quality time with my friends, sports honed my competitive edge and taught me about being a gracious winner and an even more gracious loser, all things that have served me well in life (yes, I am emblematic of Nike’s if you let her play campaign) ……. But now, for me, I work out so I can eat what I want. There. I said it. Hello Gorgeous!
It’s no secret that I’m a little addicted to Hermès scarves …… But to be perfectly honest with you, I haven’t purchased one in ages (last purchase was Brazil No. 2 in Paris at Clingancourt and that was an absolute necessity, n’est pas?). But, I took a peek at some of the new scarves the other day and I’m absolutely smitten with this one, Mystiques Phoenix. What do you think? Pretty or Ugly?
This quote and picture made me smile when I saw them on gloomy Winter’s day. Fitting words to live by, no? And if you want to have them near and dear to you you can do so in just two shakes of a lamb’s tale (one of my mom’s favorite sayings from when we were kids) by going to the Society6 website where you can purchase it as a typographic print, a t-shirt or an iPhone cover. Thanks to the designer, Matthew Kavan Brooks, for such a lovely sentiment to carry me through the next couple of months!
So I got to thinking … Why not create a special collection for Valentine’s Day? Kind of an adult version of what we had when we were kids? Et volia! The Kiss Collection was born. Make someone’s day this year by sending out our grown-up version of your childhood Valentine’s! If you’re in the mood, head on over to effie’s paper to order your Valentine’s Day cards by February 3rd for arrival before Valentine’s Day.
31 Bits is a business using fashion and design to empower Ugandan women to rise above poverty. The genesis for 31 Bits began when Kallie Dovel traveled to Uganda in the summer of 2007 and got a first- hand look at life in Northern Uganda. While she was there, she met women making paper beads but who lacked a plan to market and sell them. After spending time in their homes and hearing their stories, Kallie wanted to do something. She brought a box of jewelry back to the U.S., and spent the next year finishing her degree and dreaming up the concept of a development organization. She brought a few friends on board and her ideas quickly evolved into 31 Bits.
Currently, 31 Bits is working with 108 women in Gulu, Uganda. They’ve been successful in combining development approaches with current design and fashion to create an innovative program. Every month 31 Bits purchases jewelry from each woman, providing them with an immediate, consistent, and fair income. Each piece of jewelry is handmade using 100% recycled paper and other local materials. The products are sold in the international marketplace and generate a profit that is used to continue purchasing jewelry for their beneficiaries, as well provide them with numerous development programs (English Lessons, Finance Training, AIDS and Health Education and Vocational Training), equipping them to develop a career and attain social equity on a local level. We are committed to working with each woman until she has graduated from our program and attained a sustainable means of income within her own community.
What better way to help a woman improve her lot in life while you improve your accessories war chest? Prices range from $10-$55. Click here to shop.
Working from home and having an online business means that I have very little time to get out into the streets to shop – window or otherwise. Aside from Pinterest, one of my favorite online past-times is to window shop on 1stdibs. 1stdibs says they’re the world’s number one marketplace for the most beautiful things on earth from antiques, vintage watches, mid-century modern furniture, estate jewelry, fine art, fashion and fine homes around the world. I can’t speak for whether or not they’re the world’s number one market place for the most beautiful things on earth, but they do have some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. So, if you’re in the mood for a little retail therapy and don’t have time to get to the mall or 5th Avenue, let your fingers do the walking and head on over to 1stdibs.
Today’s question comes from B.R.:
Dear Kalyn –
I always enjoy your posts! So, how about some scarf wearing advice? How to wear a head scarf and not look crazy! I am an Hermes scarf junkie as well, but don’t want to ruin my affinity for Hermes during chemo! Any thoughts on less expensive alternatives, how to tie etc. Also not afraid to rock the baldy, so cute accessories suggestions would be welcome.
Yours truly,
B.R.
MY RESPONSE:
Dear B.R. –
Chemo … wow, first let me just say that the fact you have to go through chemo totally SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will certainly keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Head scarf advice? Hmm ….. you may actually like the shape of your head and find that a scarf isn’t necessary! You definitely have the perfect accouterments and now it’s just a matter of finding a fun way to wear them. For some quick scarf tying lessons, click here. But, I must tell you that I’m having a love affair with turbans at the moment – I definitely think you could rock one or fold one of your scarves into one and feel quite chic no matter the occasion. Here’s a great step-by-step tutorial from e-How.com. Now you could go out and buy a funky vintage turban like this one by Christian Dior to channel your inner Turbanista.
Or, make your own with the scarves you already have. Here’s a great pictorial on How-To-Tie-A-Turban from 100 Layer Cake:
Whatever you decide to do – au natural, fly headscarf, turban or baseball hat – you’ll be FABuLOUS!
Sending you much love and positive vibes for a speedy recovery.
Stylishly yours,
Kalyn
Although it hasn’t been a particularly harsh Winter, it’s been an extremely drying one. No matter how much water I drank to keep myself hydrated or how much lotion I applied, my hands were ridiculously dry. I mean we’re talking looking like an old lady’s hands dry. But, a few weeks ago when I was in Bloomington, Indiana for my niece Jada’s 5th birthday party (I’m telling you time flies! I was there for the birth and now 5 years later she’s a force unto her own) my sister hipped me to Vaseline’s Deep Moisture-creamy formula hand lotion. It’s made all the difference in the world! If you’re having trouble with dry hands and feet this Winter, this will make a good addition to your arsenal. It’s a little pricey, almost $10 bucks, but no one said beauty was cheap. Find this Life•Saver here.
I overate this past holiday season. And because I overate, I did not sleep well. Which means that on more than one ocassion, I found myself wide awake at 3 am surfing the ‘net. Truth be told, although sleep would have been welcome, it was nice to catch up on something of the things my hectic 4th quarter prevented me from doing … you know, reading books, magazines, perusing my favorite websites and blogs, etc. One of my early morning discoveries was ASOS. I knew ASOS existed. For those of you who don’t know, ASOS stands for As Seen On Screen. Yup, if you see someone on tv or in a movie wearing something and you must have it, ASOS is the online store for you. In essence, it’s a global online clothing store that stocks some of the hottest designers and great knockoffs for the 16 year olds they cater to, see below for more explanation.
Anyways, I’ve linked to ASOS a million times from other sites and blogs and had a pretty good sense of the type of clothes they stocked. Well, let’s just say I spent a good chunk of time on their sale page. Great clothes and good sale prices, but I was shocked at how young and how SKINNY the models were. I mean really? Anyone that young and skinny cannot afford to pay for a $500 pair of leather jeggings on sale, right? Then, I looked at the “About Us” page and was a little dismayed to discover that their target audience is fashion forward 16-34 year-olds. Really? Don’t they know that 40 is the new 30?!?!!? But, that did explain the stick thin models without an inch of curve. That said, my late night online carousing did inspire me to re-commit myself to the gym and Physique 57. I’ll never be a skinny 16 year old again, nor do I want to be, but I do want to get back to my fighting weight and there’s no time like the present to put a plan into action.
In my quest for organization, I knew that one of the first things I needed to do to get the clutter in my head in hand was to clean up my computer’s desktop. Between STYLE by Kalyn Johnson, Possess Your STYLE, effie’s paper and Kalyn Johnson Design (the custom side of effie’s paper) I have anywhere from 6-10 files open daily. Simplifying my computer craziness was a top priority. Et volia! I stumbled upon an app in the Mac App Store called Colored Folder Creator. Definitely worth the $6. When you download the app you get the screen pictured above. In order to keep projects and client files organized and easily findable on my desktop, I use the glass color files. But, you know I love an animal print and a pretty pattern – these I use for personal files. It took me almost a day to get my desktop organized, it was truly a HOT MESS! But the time spent was well worth it. I try to stay on top of my files daily, but at a minimum I cleanup my desktop weekly. What about you? What are your secrets for keeping your computer files organized?
Is it just me or is time flying? When I was little, it seemed like it took forever for December to get here and now its hard to believe that December 2010 was twelve months ago. Where did the time go? Well, hopefully your time in 2011 was spent well and with loved ones as much as possible. As we bid adieu to another year, here’s a peak at some of my recurring obsessions in 2011.
. I LOVED the first 2 books and the HBO series and spent much of 2011 reading them, watching them and talking about them. Seriously, if you haven’t read them and you’re of age, give George R.R. Martin’s masterpiece a go.
Kalyn is a true New York fashionista and she has an extraordinary ability to assess what will be most flattering on you within minutes of a meeting. Whether you are male or female, slim or full-figured, Kalyn can bring out your best assets.
