The Seasons of Color were developed in 1926 by colorist, Johannes Litten, who believed instinctively humans prefer color as it reflected their true inner selves. Decades later, his ideals were introduced into the fashion industry.The psychological affects of color on humans has been the topic of many conversations and subject of much study for centuries.

However, it has only been during the last couple of decades research has been done on the actual physical effect color has on all of us. It has been scientifically proven when color is added to fabric, an additional dimension is created, causing an intensity change in the skin. Hair color, eye color, skin color and undertone are all genetically controlled. Because each of these specific areas are determined by separate distinct genes, they do not have influence on the others.

 Skin has no color when we’re first born. It develops gradually through the years as we age and become more exposed to the elements around us. It can change from uneven pigmentation which generally happens during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Freckles, moles, age spots and broken capillary vessels are changes which can make the skin appear rough and ruddy.

 Correct coloring will downplay these flaws and not draw attention to them. Listed below are the colors which will help you determine those that are perfectly right for you.

AUTUMN

Red heads, auburn or brunettes with heavy red highlights and yellow undertone to their skin.

 Oyster white, beige, coffee brown, dark chocolate brown, mahogany, camel, gold, yellow gold, mustard, pumpkin, terra cotta, rust, warm peach, periwinkle blue, salmon, orange, warm red, tomato red, olive, khaki green, jade, forest green, teal and also gold jewelry

WINTER

Usually brunettes with clear intensity and blue undertone to their skin.

Pure white, black, taupe, gray, charcoal gray, navy blue, aqua, violet, lemon yellow, turquoise, emerald green, grass green, fuchsia, hot pink, purple, apple red, burgundy and also silver jewelry.

SUMMER

Blondes with blue undertones to their skin.

Soft white, cocoa, black, powder blue, sky blue, gray blue, lilac, aqua, blue/green, lemon yellow, peach, powder pink, deep rose, orchid, mauve, fuchsia, plum and also silver jewelry.

SPRING

Blondes with yellow undertones to their skin.

Ivory, camel, golden tan, navy, gold, daisy yellow, lime green, apricot, salmon, coral, bright red, gray blue, aqua, turquoise, violet and also gold jewelry.

When Audrey Hepburn accepted the lead role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961, you can bet she did not know then she would be setting a fashion trend that would play a major influence forty years later. She may have rejuvenated its fame but let us not forget who the true credit goes to.

Fashion Designer, Coco Chanel, created the alluring, chic style in 1926. It was originally named the “Ford” dress by American Vogue because it mimicked Henry Ford’s Model T … it was an instant craze, widely available and, only available in black. During the twenties, black was synonymous with mourning. As the new Jazz age took center stage, Chanel’s black dress with its seductive sleekness took on a different role for women … that of liberation and independence.

To this very day women have an unexplainable adoration for the simple design which magically flatters body types of every variation. It does not matter if you pay thirty dollars or, three hundred for it because the little black dress has a way of making you look and feel like a million dollar baby. All you have to do is add a simple pair of faux or, real pearls, custom jewelry and let us not forget, the perfect black pump or, stiletto heels … whichever you prefer.

The little black dress is simplicity and elegance all rolled into one. It survived the restrictions of war in the 40′s and 50′s, the madness of the disco era, punk movement of the early 90′s and resurged with tremendous popularity when four “simply fab” ladies strutted their stuff in the top hit show Sex and the City.Body shape does not matter. How much you can afford does not matter. Fashion sense does not matter.

And why, you ask? Because the little black dress is magical enough to suit any need.

My dad was seldom a happy man.  It didn’t matter that Friday brought with it the end of a hard work week, or holidays were a time of joy and birthdays were suppose to be a really special day.   His handsome features were rarely softened by the simple act of a smile.

When the pain inside his head was so explosive or, his nightmares scared him to the brink of terror, he would strike out not because he wanted to but, because he was fighting an enemy none of us would ever see.  A thunderstorm was his present day enemy and distant rumbling sounds rolling across the countryside struck a fear throughout our household like no other.   It did not matter whether it was day or, night time because the sky was always ominous and the air impossibly heavy to breathe.   Dad’s demeanor flicked quickly like the light switches that controlled the current running through the walls of our home.

I never understood when I was real little why my mom religiously listened to the radio wherever we went, wherever we were.   She always kept an ear open for that warning of an approaching storm and then would quickly scoot us away to a neighbor, to the local theatre or to Grandma’s, who lived upstairs in our two-family home.   When bed time came around … there was no escape for any of us though. We were held prisoner by the same demons just like dad while he relived the horror of a war he served at sixteen and was missing in action for more than a year.

The older I became, I realized my dad really did love me.   Dragging me kicking and screaming in the middle of the night down into a dark, dank cellar that shared space with canal rats as big as my mom’s toy poodle was in his own tortured mind his way of protecting us from the phantom bombshells that stole and destroyed his youth.  During those tender young years when my pleas of,   “Daddy, I promise I’ll be good,” fell upon deaf ears, I did not understand and prayed for the angels to please come and save me.

For so long I thought I was being punished for something I did not do, something I had no power … no control over.  Turning thirteen was a pivotal time in my life because it was then I first read about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at my middle school library.  Every storm that approached thereafter, I then became a soldier and stood fearless and proud at my dad’s side offering a calming voice and soft words of support to help him through his nightmare.   Never again did I hide in the shadow of the very fear that took the joy from his heart, the laughter from his voice and the spark from beautiful blue eyes I will never have the joy to gaze upon again. 

This story is for all of you who may know someone serving in our armed forces. Please take a moment to read and research PTSD. We can not help our loved ones, if we are ignorant of the source which is sucking the life from their very souls. To know is to understand. 

For more information on PTSD you can visit the following informative links: 

http://www.helpguide.org/…er_symptoms_treatment.htm

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/ptsd

 According to the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder nearly 1/3 of all veterans suffer from this disease, dramatically affecting not only their mental health but also, their employment, relationship with friends, and most importantly, their interaction with their wives and children.

Ree (as the grand/great grand kids call her) came to live with me four years ago after my father passed away. We had been estranged nearly 30 years because I left home shortly after high school to escape an abusive environment. I just could not stand by watching the way my dad controlled her, and yes, she allowed it. That generation did so and endured the bad no matter how dreadful it became. Despite my many persuasions and attempts to get her to leave, she stayed because she loved him.

When we reconnected, it did not take long to pick up where we had left off. And believe me, it was a challenge having someone else occupying my space … especially when she resumed the role of my mother like I was still 10 years old. There were days I would turn crimson from embarrassment because she vocalized her opinion loudly when she saw a young lad with his jeans dropping below his butt exposing his underwear or, a sixteen year old with lip and eyebrow piercings.

“That wasn’t allowed in my day!” She would bellow at the top of her lungs. “God never intended a woman’s face to look like a pin cushion!” She shared with every one whether they agreed or, not. Yep, that’s my mom.

After an evening out with friends once, I had tip-toed quietly into the house so as not to wake her. If I did, there was always a thousand questions or, she shared her opinion as to whether she felt I was out to late. Lord forbid, if I came in slightly tipsy! That evening you would have thought I did have a little too much veno when I went sailing across the room because she decided to rearrange my furniture and placed a stool where I never expected to find it in the dark. Yep, that’s my mom. Her way was always better. Gotta love her, though …

I’m sure many of you feel my pain and have similar stories to share. However, one thing is certain … I would not want to change anything about our arrangement. Just recently, I lost my mother-in-law whose body & mind was debilitated by Alzheimer’s. It was a devastating blow to watch this vibrant, gorgeous, precious part of our lives waste away to a fraction of the person who loved us unconditionally and passed away not knowing who we were.

Every day I thank the Lord for giving me the courage to show up at my dad’s wake and reconnect with my mom again. I may not have her for long … but then, she has enough gumption to even outlive me. Every day will be an adventure … some will make me cringe, some will be peppered with surprises, many will be creating memories of moments shared. One thing is certain … I will cherish and take each and every one happily as they come along.

Shaving eyebrows, should not be one of them because you’re taking a gamble they will not grow back.  Unless you lose your brow hair due to fire or medical reasons, no one should shave off their eyebrows  …  not for the love of a celebrity or, to be fashionable. 

Apply a wet wash cloth (warm-hot) to help open up the pores, tweeze hair one by one with an angled-tip tweezer, pluck in the direction that the hair grows holding your skin taut with the finger of your other hand.  Tweeze until the brow is clearly defined, not ragged, following along the natural brow line.  Don’t forget to remove those hairs growing between your eyes and at the top of your nose.

 After plucking, splash with cold water or use witch hazel on a cotton ball to close the pores and sooth the irritated area.  If you are red & swollen, apply a cold compress or ice.  Do not apply makeup for at least thirty minutes.  The best time to tweeze is in the evening before bedtime.  Always brush brow hair upward to check any new growth and stray hairs you may have missed.

Looking for love in all the wrong places were the words to a catchy tune some years back. Would looking in regards to online dating be considered wrong?

Not nowadays, considering it has become a multi-million dollar industry that even our grandparents are entertaining as a choice of venue. When it originally evolved in the mid-twentieth century, certain stigmas stifled its popularity. But by the 1960′s, the concept grew in popularity and has steadily risen as Americans found themselves working longer hours and juggling more responsibilities that cut into their social calendar.

Dating certainly, “ain’t what it use to be” and has taken on a whole new meaning thanks to the computer and the worldwide web. One might compare it to shopping for a new car … you get to choose the age, the style, and the color from the privacy of your very own home. It doesn’t matter what time, what day, or what you look like when you are surfing the various sites for that one particular mate you hope to connect with. There is a niche to suit every preference whether it is ethnic background, pet lovers, hobby, single parents, uniformed personnel, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, age groups, or physical fitness.

Membership fees fall within the range of affordability, starting as low as $19.95 for one month and many offer free trial periods to entice new subscribers. On line dating is certainly the wave of the future but, those same old standards still apply when it comes to being sensible and safe. Don’t give out too much personal information until you’re certain they are exactly who they propose to be. Meet in a public place and meet much sooner as opposed to chatting on line for months. Any one can write a good game when they are given the opportunity to do a rewrite and plan out on paper how they want to impress you with words. You can tell more about someone instantly from the way they respond to you, whether or not their eyes wander to the opposite sex in the general vicinity, if the conversation flows easily and the body language is right.

And more than anything … don’t leap into a steady relationship until you know everything there is to know about him/her. Better to be safe than sorry. Make sure they ARE who they profess to be. HOWEVER, it isn’t cool to play undercover agent, stalker, private p.i. … some people really do take it to the extreme.

Otherwise … get yourself out there! You’re not going to find “Mr./Ms. Right” sitting in front of the tube eating bon bons … get on line, create a profile and go shopping.

Once we give our hearts away to a man, the last thing we want to be saddled with is that deep down knowing fear that he might just be partaking in an illicit affair.

If only it was that easy … Some people fib because they’re not comfortable telling the truth they’re afraid of disapproval and how you’ll respond. Let’s face it, it certainly does not excuse the bad behavior. Are they’re tip-offs that stand out like the financial indications noted above? The body language and what comes out of their mouth isn’t dancing the same ole’ tune and there are giveaways: They cover their mouth while talking – it’s a subconscious move and can be as obvious as completely concealing their mouth or, placing a finger in front of their lips, shake their head no while their responding yes to your question about coming home late … dah!

Research has shown that lying sometimes can cause a tingling in the tissues of the neck and also the tissue in the nose to swell. If your significant other quickly strokes/rubs their nose or, starts to pull at his collar/scratch at his neck, they are feeling the uncertainty of their untruth, nervous gesture such as tugging on their ear or, rubbing the back of it, and lastly, if they have a conscience, the instinct to look away in shame is an obvious giveaway but, some may rub their eyes.