A Mother's Day Gift for Mom

My friend, Beth, is enjoying a month-long visit from her mother. As an early Mother's Day gift Beth gave her some time with me. Beth decided that her mother would really enjoy having color analysis, a makeover and a shopping trip.




Margaret and I first talked about how color worn next to her face can effect your appearance and then she saw it first hand as I draped her with different shades of warm and cool colors. Next, I reapplied her makeup to give her a younger look. Margaret was wearing a foundation shade that was too dark in the attempt to cover up "flaws" on her skin. The only thing this acheived was making her look "made up" and older. Tip: When you see a line of color along your jaw line, you need a different shade. And never pull the foundation down onto the neck to avoid that line. That is so "old lady."


The eyeliner under Margaret's eye was too heavy and smudged. I taught her to use a very light touch with short strokes instead of drawing a line. Another tip: The purpose of eyeline is to make your eyelashes look thicker, not to look like you have lines drawn around your eyes.


The bottom line was that Margaret needed to use a magnifying mirror to put on her makeup. She balked at seeing her face that close up, but I told her I had been using one for several years and after the initial shock, you get used to it. When your eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, using a magnifying mirror to do your makeup is as essential as having a full-length mirror in your bedroom!

Margaret wanted to go to Coldwater Creek, http://www.coldwatercreek.com/, for her shopping trip, so off to the mall we went. First, we had a nice lunch and then the shopping began. Margaret had been told she couldn't wear skirts because she was short-waisted. I showed her that it was how she wore her tops with the skirt that mattered. The last tip: If you are short-waisted, you need to balance the bottom half of your body by wearing your tops untucked. This especially looks great when you wear a belt over the top and below your waistline.


In not much more than an hour, Margaret had chosen a skirt, two jackets and two tops. She is thrilled with her new look and "loves" me, as her daughter said.

Contact information:

Louise Kahle

Take The Time: Image Matters!

419-343-8579

www.take-the-time.com

louise@take-the-time.com

Just Blame Me

I am helping a family move their mother from her home in Toledo,OH to an assisted living home in Pittsburgh, PA. "Mary," her son "Bob" and I met a couple weeks ago to discuss the details for this project - what was to stay and be packed. We also met with a moving company to coordinate the delivery of Mary's furniture and personal belongings.

Mary's daughter, "Nancy," flew in from Colorado to work with me on getting her mom's home packed up and ready for the move. Based on conversations I had with Nancy, I was prepared for some friction with her mom.

Friction was hardly the case.
More like an explosion!

Mary had far too many clothes, pictures, home decor and furniture for her new home. Paring down what she had and what she needed was difficult. Early into the day, I told Nancy to let me take all the heat for what we were about do to. Figuring, I would be away from her mom much sooner than her.

Well, Mary was getting pretty ticked off(even swearing at me)for getting her to sort through her clothes, handbags, kick knacks and papers. The last straw of the day was blown when Nancy and I packed up some kitchen decor while Mary rested in her bedroom. Mary came into the kitchen and just lost it - yelling at both of us, demanding we unpack her items.

As Mary went to unpack the boxes, I piped up, "NO!"
(I felt like I just yelled at a puppy)
"You're not in charge," Mary yelled back.
Very calm and firmly stated, "Well, in fact, yes I am. I am here to help move you into your new home. The boxes that are packed will remain that way," as I slid a big, heavy box in front of the closet door.

I went on to explain that my concern is that Mary's new home is not overcrowded with items, furniture and clothing. Mary's wishes were to be honored as best as possible. Nancy nodded and signed a bit of relief, thanking me a bit later for taking the heat from her mom.

Moving is quite difficult under the best circumstances. Many families like Mary's face the daunting task of moving their parent to an assisted living facility. Emotions run extremely high and buttons are pushed on both sides. In the end, the parent will be in a much safer enviroment and the children will have peace of mind knowing mom/dad is cared for in their absence.

As emotionally difficult as this is becoming, it is rewarding knowing I am helping a family with their mother and getting her into a wonderful new home.

How have you taken the blame for someone?