Finding Inspiration in the Colors of Fall
by Chamein Canton

As summer gives way to fall, I find myself looking forward to the explosion of color autumn brings. Although I am sure quite a few school children would disagree, fall is a time of vibrant renewal, rejuvenation and my favorite time of year.

I’ve always been partial to the fall for its rich colors. Even though it’s a bit off the traditional path I invite you to take advantage of nature’s fall palette for your bridesmaids and dare I say it, the bride.

White is still the most traditional color, however adding a touch of fall mixes things up a bit. I know many of us are familiar with the Pussy Willow and while it’s technically not a fall flower, you do see quite a bit of it in some fall arrangements. If you look closely you’ll see the Pussy Willow has a bit of a silver shimmer, perfect for any sparkling bride. 

Then there array of gold and champagne hues in the many leaves we find on the trees and ground. What about the rich caramel color of your favorite apple pie? Gold and earth tones naturally enhance skin tone. To find the best one for you do the scarf test. In a well lit area (natural light or lit with a regular bulb) drape a scarf or fabric of varying shades around your neck and shoulders. Take care to note how each color makes you look. Some shades will give you a cool reading, while others will add warmth. If you’re not sure what you are, ask a friend to be there for an objective reading. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

As for bridesmaids fall offers a number of rich and vibrant colors to choose from. We’ve all seen navy blue and shades of burgundy. How about pumpkin or cranberry? What says autumn better than pumpkins and cranberries? Naturally, I don’t mean to go out and buy safety orange or fire engine red for your bridesmaids, they would never forgive you; or me for that matter. Maybe a chocolate color with a hint of copper would be nice. It’s up to you to explore colors outside the box. Just be a little daring. Just remember they might ask you to be in their wedding one day and bridesmaids never forget.

If you’re a bride to be this fall there is so much to be excited about as you make plans for a future with your special someone. Still I have good news for some of you future brides to be, besides marking the beginning of cooler weather, autumn is also the prelude before the holidays. Most people get engaged during the holidays. So if that isn’t something to be inspired about, I don’t know what is. Happy Fall!

Additional Resources

• Plus-Size Bridal Boutique
• Plus-Size Bridesmaid Dresses
• Recommended Plus Fashion and Style Books

Chamein Canton is the author of the much antipated full-figured wedding guide, You Go Down That Aisle in Style!

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Parenting…. Plus Style
Changing Leaves

Changing leaves, cooler weather, and the end of summer vacation…fall is the time of the year where we are reminded to appreciate and show thanks for the ending cycles that surround us. If spring is the time of new growth and fresh outlooks, then fall is the time to appreciate our hard work and assess how we have grown. Sometimes cycles of life roll so quickly that we do not always take time to appreciate, show thanks, and honor the changes around us. This column provides you with suggestions for taking time to appreciate and show thanks as the seasons change.

Last year at this time, my four-month-old son and I enjoyed taking stroller rides in the crisp autumn air and rolling in the crunchy colorful leaves. This year, his rolling stage has passed as he stomps through the leaves on two feet. I appreciated him when he was tiny. I appreciate him now as he is still so small yet so mobile. What little things do your kids do daily that make you smile?

Sometimes I pick up my son and just wish time could stop for awhile. Just so we could have those extra minutes to cuddle or play. Just so I could preserve the moment a little longer and ignore the passing of time. Just so we can pause. And just be. As difficult as it may seem, we have to respect that every cycle has a beginning and an end. Take a few seconds to think about something enjoyable that you did last year at this time. How has your life changed in just one-year cycle of time?

I treasure the photographs that visually illustrate our journey called life. In fact, I have become a scrapbook addicted mom who uses every spare moment to create fun pages that will be a journal for us to look back on someday. When is the last time you pulled out the camera and took some fun photos with your kids? Taking photos outside with the fall background could be a lot of fun! Also, looking through an old photo album with your children could be a great way to observe and appreciate together how we all change and grow. Do you have old photos of grandparents and great-grandparents that you could share?

The New Year’s resolutions that we made many months ago still linger somewhere in our minds. Fall is the time to reassess some of those commitments we made to ourselves over the past year. What have you completed this year that gives you a sense of pride? What are you still working on that you would like to have done by the end of this year? This could be a good discussion to have with your children or partner also. 

There is beauty in endings. The fall leaves started off as fresh green buds in the spring, but are now beautiful strong orange and red colors as they are ending their life cycle. We are able to appreciate this ending and the beauty they have provided. Just like our kids start out as soft, fresh, tiny kissable babies. As their life cycle continues, we can take time to appreciate how they grow and change. How have your kids changed this year? What wonderful new experiences have they had? How have you handled some of the challenges?

In the spring we took time to “smell the roses.” This fall, I hope you take time to frolic in the leaves!

Monica Rasso © 2006

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Monica Rasso has recently started a new home based business allowing her to both create a safe environment for her precious baby boy and spend more time at home. Find out more about the environmentally safe products she sells or learn how you can start your own home based business by visiting: Melaleuca and Safe Healthy Family .

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Kiss My Assets: Self-Esteem and Body Image
The ABCs of De-stressing and Confidence Building

by Dr. Robyn Silverman for Elegant Plus Magazine

It’s funny. But as the weather starts to cool down, we seem to get more stressed out! We question our abilities to “keep up with the Jones” and somehow exhaust ourselves with relationships, school, family, work, extra activities and everything else we could possibly heap onto our already full plates. And what about the ample time we consistently devote to primping, de-wrinkling and skimping on meals so that we can fit into our skinny jeans by Saturday night? You know what I mean. Have we had enough yet?

Here’s an article you may want to print out and tape to your dashboard, your bulletin board, or your planning board schedule book. Perhaps it will remind you that there is only one of you and it is OK to sit down every once in a while, kick up your heels and congratulate yourself on surviving and thriving through yet another day.

A.- Appreciate your best qualities: Big brains, great laugh, long legs, fabulous hair? If we could spend as much time focusing on the things we love about ourselves as we do about the things that frustrate us, we would be a great deal happier.

B.C.- Breathe and be Calm: Sometimes a deep breath can get us focused and give us just enough time to realize that everything is going to be OK. When we take a moment and calm ourselves down, we can think more clearly, become more productive, and show ourselves that no, indeed, we are not going to go insane.

D.- Date someone fabulous: You deserve someone who can see all the beautiful things in you. If you are already married or seriously involved, take your significant other out somewhere quiet or exciting and learn something new about them. Let them get to know something new about you!

E.F.- Eat healthy Foods: It is not about staying away from “bad foods” or foods that are fattening. It is about eating the foods that give sustained energy and nourishment. We are girls and women on the go! No stink’n fast food burger joint or teeny weeny salad is going to keep up with us. You deserve more. Eat well because you deserve to eat well.

G.- Go out with a friend: Good friends always have a way of putting a smile on our faces, don’t they? Taking time out to sit, talk, and laugh with a buddy can take pounds of stress off your life and make you realize that you are important.

H.- Hold out for the Good Stuff: Sometimes we take whatever man, opportunity, or dinner that comes are way—but we are worth more than that! It is time to step back and survey your life—if you are not happy with what you got, change it. You can have whatever your heart desires.

I.J.- Identify what “Juices” you: What gets you motivated, inspired, exuberant to the point of jumping on a couch and making a fool of yourself a bit? Whatever it is, do more of it. Whatever deadens this impulse, do less of it.

K.- Kiss the mirror: You are beautiful! Really, you are. It is time to start realizing that the only person stressing about your looks, is you! Accentuate your assets and show that you are proud.

L.- Laugh: Really hard and often. Laughing lets us “let go” and it just feels so good. Why take life so seriously? If you can’t remember what was so funny, spend some time with a little kid or a playful pet and they will remind you.

M.- Move your body: Exercise clears the brain, gets your body healthy and blows off steam. We always feel better about everything when we have endorphins pumping through our bodies!

N.O.- NO! Say it when you need to! You can’t do everything for all people and you can not go everywhere in one day. Though we might attempt it, it is not possible to be in more than one place at a time. When we try to cram in too much, we feel unsuccessful when everyone’s needs are not met. What about your needs? 

P.- Purge yourself of any toxic relationships: Toxic relationships are any relationships that make you feel bad about yourself when you are involved with them. You deserve the very best! Tell them to take a hike! It might be Fall but Spring cleaning is a necessity year round.

R.- Request help: It’s OK to ask for help! The most successful people in the world do it everyday. Feeling blue? Ask someone to lend an ear. Trying to reach a goal? Let a success coach help you! Got too much on your plate? Scrape some onto someone else’s! When we ask for help, we can make sure that the most important things get done and get done well.

S.- Say I love you: Say it to yourself and to those you love. It never gets old when you really mean it.

T.- Take some time for yourself: Sometimes it seems that we have enough time to focus on everyone else but ourselves. Curl up with a good book, go out shopping, take in a movie and realize what a good time you can have with the most fabulous person in the world…you!

U.- Unbuckle those too-tight clothes: Clothes that fit your body well are the ones that make us feel the best because they look the best. Nobody can be comfortable in clothes that are 2 sizes too small! The only one who knows the size of your jeans is you—and frankly, you are the only one who cares! Let it go!

V.- Value what you have: This means your health, your happiness, your relationships, your family, and your ability to contribute to this fabulous world we live in. It is always good to want more but we will always think the grass is greener somewhere else if we do not look around and realize that we have beautiful gardens growing right under our nose.

W.- Wonder. Dream, Fantasize about what could be…and then make it happen!

X.Y.- eXperience and Yearn: Get out and experience life! Learn something new! There are so many things to see and do. There really is no reason to be bored with life. Join a new class, date a new person, go hot air ballooning! When we do new things, we feel exhilarated and build competencies in new areas.

Zzzzzz- Get some sleep! Do you really need to stay up to watch that trash on TV? Some people say that it is relaxing—you know what else is relaxing? Sleep! Sleep makes us feel more beautiful, work more productively, make better decisions, and stay healthier than watching reruns of Loveboat! I guarantee it.

Additional Resources

• Plus-Size Fitness Books and Videos
• Voluptuous Art Books
• Novels with Curvy Heroines

Dr. Robyn Silverman is looking for preteens and teens to interview for her upcoming book! Please contact her if you are interested in participating!!!! Dr. Robyn is a success coach and body image expert who can help you to achieve your goals at any age. 

For more information, go to http://www.DrRobynSilverman.com or email her at DrRobyn@PowerfulWordsOnline.com. To share your thoughts about this column or to help Dr. Robyn with her research, join her blog at: http://kiss-my-assets.blogspot.com/

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