Yummy on My Tummy: Undergarments, Baby!

Written By: Danielle Marie

If you don't know by now, Katrina and myself believe in undergarments!  Who doesn't, right?  Well we aren't talking about just underwear, no, we believe a woman needs to smooth out those curves, suck-in that little bit of extra and wear what makes her feel like a woman!  How does she do this?  With the right undergarments!

The woman behind the innovative brand, Heather Thomson!

I recently decided to try a relatively new brand in women's undergarments, Yummie Tummie!  Actually, I've been meaning to try it for a long time, since the design concept is quite innovative.  Most of us wear camisoles under everything.  I probably have 30 different camisoles in my wardrobe!  If this idea is foreign to you, well, my reasoning behind camisoles is pretty simplistic.  The camisole takes the place of a full girdle, it helps smooth lines, suck a few things in and diminishes a bit of those annoying bra strap lines.

Yummie Life

Now, Yummie Tummie took the camisole and added a panel of elastic polyester right in the mid-section.  How creative!  The majority of women agree that the most unattractive body part is their mid-section.  So instead of wearing a girdle and a cami, this Yummie Tummie camisole does it all!  It smooths out those curves, sucks in that little bit of extra and redefines our beautiful womanly curves!  If I could wear this cami everyday, I would.

My final review of this product? IT'S A MUST-HAVE!  It lessens the layers (no girdles, Ladies) and it does a great job in slimming our hourglass figures!  Wear it for your next event under a fitted sheath dress!  You will feel absolutely fabulous, an no one needs to know your little secret! (Of course, please share with your Girlfriends!)

How to Gracefully Ignore: A.G.I.

Written By: Va Va Voom (Katrina)

The ability to gracefully ignore someone!

Is it possible?

Me oh my, let's recall those situations where we absolutely can't tolerate the presence of someone!  Whether that intolerance is a result of their past actions, annoying comments or their sheer selfishness, we can't just make them disappear, unless you know someone in the mob, hahaha!  But seriously, those irritating people are a way of life these days.  So the question is, how do we handle them?  Do you let get them get the best of us, do we act rude in return, do we spread gossip, or do we get even?  No to all of the above. 

You develop what we call  AGI.  What is AGI, the Art of Gracefully Ignoring, and it works wonders.  We human are always curious by nature, right?  So let us give an example of how AGI works.  Two friends had been friends for many years until one friend found out that the other has been spreading nasty untrue rumors about her.  So the friend confronts the other about the rumors, unfortunately it does not solve anything. 

That's where AGI fits in perfectly.  Those women still share mutual friends and have to be around each often.  Rather than acting like you are in high school and trying to get every other friend on your side, take the high road!  Ignore her gracefully, be civil and cordial  but you don't have to go out of your way to be warm and inviting, after all you tried to resolve her mistakes and she refused to budge.  The great thing about AGI is that you can do no wrong.  Have you ever heard an adult say, "she's ignoring me,"and goes to pout in the corner.  Are adults regressing back into childhood?

What people now need to realize is that you cannot treat people unkindly and expect no consequences.  AGI is the perfect solution to those unruly and uncharitable people!

The Art of Gracefully Ignorance is something Coco Chanel definitely had in her repertoire of talents, as does every successful women that experiences jealousy while climbing to the top.  

A few successful women who probably experienced some level of jealous.  How did they handle it? 

~ Coco Chanel ~

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself." ~Chanel 

~ Duchess of Cambridge ~

"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves" ~William Penn

~ Julia Child ~

"A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything.  Jealousy is invariably a symptom of neurotic insecurity." ~Robert A. Heinlein

Photo: www.pickledplum.net

~ Reese Witherspoon ~

"The venom clamors of a jealous woman poison more deadly than a mad dog's tooth." ~Shakespeare

Photo: www.go4celebrity.com

~ Heather Thomson of www.yummielife.com ~

"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self." ~Joan Didion

Be Vivacious and Strut with Confidence

Written By: Ooh La La (Danielle Marie) and Va Va Voom (Katrina)

We felt it was due time for another Be Vivacious blog post!  This time we are going to address a tough subject for everyone...CONFIDENCE!  We all lack it in more than one area of our lives, whether it's in our looks, our weight, our social skills, our professional skills, fashion and even with our family and close friends: jealousy and caddy tendencies pop up everywhere and let's be real it does take a toll on our self-esteem!  So how do we boost our self-esteem and ooze with confidence?  Let's start with the basics: dress to impress and strut your confidence!

First things first!  Be yourself!  We don't mean you have to stick out like a sore thumb, you just need to trust your instincts, love your life and accept your choices!  Work it like you own it!  (This references everything!)

FLAUNT your CURVES!  Every woman knows the best part of her body, so accentuate it...to the fullest!  This doesn't mean show large amounts of wrinkly cleavage or a bare mid-drift, no!  We want you to slim out your curves with the right clothing and undergarments!  (Don't tell us you never heard of Spanx http://www.spanx.com/  or Yummie Tummie http://www.yummielife.com/ )  Does a wiggle skirt accentuate your nice derriere or a fitted cocktail pencil skirt bring out your curvy hips?  For tops, show what you have, own your curves, but please leave something to the imagination!

Cobalt Blue Skirt: The Limited

Lemon, Cream and Metallic Clutch: H&M

DARE to be BOLD!  Color blocking is all the rage, so use it to your advantage.  You can go crazy wild or keep it conservative, but everyone looks great in a mix of hues!  Add a bit of metallic to mix up a conservative outfit!  With the start of September, we will be heading into cooler temps here in Wisconsin, so bring out those scarves.  This mustard scarf is a hot addition to any fall wardrobe!

Scarf from Allure Beautique: https://www.facebook.com/allurebeautique

STRUT the SHOES!  Whatever your preference, heels, wedges, flats: love what you wear and own your strut!  These leopard print ballet flats dress up a great pair of jeans or compliment a simple black skirt to add a bit of sass!  Word to the Wise...never wear socks with these shoes, let's just say....EWWW!

Shoes: Mossimo Supply Co.

FIND your LOVE!  Wear what works for you, but that doesn't mean a frumpy t-shirt and sweatpants everyday.  Let's be realistic, it has to fit with your lifestyle: mom, professional, coach, ballet teacher, etc., but make an effort to show off your personality through a bit of fashion.  You don't have to spend a lot to look amazing, just put together the wardrobe you feel comfortable with and STRUT with CONFIDENCE!