Love and be loved.

Love and be loved. That's all we could ever ask for, right? And with that love, we find happiness . . . or at least that's our heart's intention. One of the best books I've ever read is The Five Love Languages by Gary D Chapman. I challenge all of you to purchase this book. (I promise it's a very easy read and makes the perfect coffee table book.) This book will help you understand every SINGLE person in your life, from family members to ex boyfriends or girlfriends, current love interests and even your closest friends. 

Let me elaborate a little further . . . and I'm going to add a special twist. Let's incorporate the five love languages with Father's Day. After all, this is the perfect opportunity to truly show your dad, father figure, grandfather, etc how much you love and adore them-- all by speaking their love language. (And, just a little side note for anyone reading this whose father has passed away, or maybe you do not have a relationship with your father whatsoever. My heart hurts for you that you do not get to spend this Father's Day with your dad. --I send you love, peace and compassion, and I truly mean that. My hope is that this post will still prove meaningful to you. And even if you cannot share these special ideas with your father, that's OK. Surely you can share the love with your father-in-law, your current father figure or whoever your heart desires.)

So as the book will tell you, most people are a combination of at least two of the five love languages. I am a combination of two, but I do show some aspects of all five. The five love languages are: 

1) Physical Touch 

2) Quality Time

3) Words of Affirmation

4) Gifts

5) Acts of Kindness

Men will immediately assume that their primary love language is physical touch. After all, men often admit to being a very "physical" species. But, that isn't always the case, so please hear me out on this. 

Before I go into more specifics, it's extremely important that you understand one key point. It is only natural to love someone the way we feel loved. Did you get that? We love someone the way we feel loved. But that doesn't always translate to the other person. Have you ever been in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship and are literally throwing your hands up in the air and saying, "I don't know what more you want me to do. I am doing everything that I can to show you how much I care. Nothing I am doing ever seems to be enough." While there may be many factors that play into this mismatch, one very important aspect is that both people in the relationship do not share the same love languages and are not loving the other person the way they need to be loved.

So how can this translate from a dating relationship and/or marriage to Father's Day? Here's how:

**If you father's love language is physical touch, you probably have fond memories of him tucking you in your bed at night, giving you lots of hugs as a child and overall being very nurturing. I remember when I was little . . . every night when my dad came home from work, no matter what time it was, he would always come up to my room and give me a kiss goodnight on my forehead. Being the little spunky girl I am, I would often play a game with him and cover my head with piles of pillows so that he would have to dig through all of them just to find my face. Yes, I was quite the ham, or so I've been told. 

So, if one of your father's love languages is physical touch, Father's Day should be and can be very simple for you. Your dad would probably be content with a sentimental card, a nice brunch and family bonding time. If you are married and have children, bring over the grandkids and let them be the light of your father's day. Loving you and loving his family, grandchildren, etc is what makes him happy - nothing means more to him than that.

** Up next is quality time. If your father's love language is quality time, then Father's Day is the perfect opportunity to do just that - spend quality time with him. OK, this might sound like a no brainer, but it's really not. More often that not, we all get so consumed with our daily lives that everything turns into one big rush. So this Father's Day, slooooowwwwww down and spend time with your dad. Make this day all about him! If your dad likes tennis, maybe you go play a friendly match of tennis after church. If your dad likes watching sports, then Father's Day Sunday is the perfect time to all get together in the living room with your dad and watch the sporting event of his choice, like the U.S. Open. Even if you don't like sports, that does not matter. It will mean the world to your dad that YOU are taking time out of YOUR day to be spend quality time with him. And your dad may even surprise you and ask you what you would like to do since you two are spending the day together. Now my dad knows better than to ask me that, because then we would spend the entire day shopping. Yes indeed. And that is NOT his idea of fun. Hahaha!

** Words of Affirmation. Awwww yes, this is a good one, and also one of my love languages. Sorry, but if this is not your love language, this can be one of the more difficult ones to learn. So that girl who melts whenever you tell her she is beautiful. No, she is not shallow or vain - she feels loved by your words. And the same thing rings true with your dad if this is his love language. So, in this case, don't buy a mushy Hallmark or Papyrus card with a ton of words that fill the inside of the card. How about you buy a card that is blank on the inside and YOU get to write a special message? It can be something as short and sweet as, "Dad, you have always been there for me, and I know I don't tell you this enough, but I love you! You are my rock, the foundation of this family, and if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for always being there for me. May today, Father's Day, and every day, be as special as you are. XOXO!" Need I say more? And if you have a sibling who has passed, as I have (my brother), I think it's really moving to get a card that says "from both of us" or even a separate card from your brother or sister who is now in Heaven. After all, no parent should ever outlive their child. On a day like Father's Day, you have to know that the thought of losing one of their children is fresh on their mind. 

** Gifts. And this is the easiest love language of all. We all know those people who always make a big deal about Christmas, birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc. Guess what? They are not shallow or materialistic. They truly feel loved when they receive gifts, any kind of gift really. I remember picking flowers for my mom when I walked home from elementary school. Well they were actually weeds, but I was in elementary school, so they looked like pretty white flowers to me. My mom would get so excited (or at least she did a good job pretending), and would put the "weeds" in a cute little glass pyrex dish or a small crystal vase on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. 

Ok, just so I don't get too off track, here's how this translates to Father's Day. What is your dad's hobby? Golf, hunting, sports, cooking, exercising, reading? Every dad has a hobby, even if they work too much - like my dad. If you aren't comfortable buying your dad something "hobby related", dads always love new pajamas, exercise clothes, slippers, socks, wallets and money clips, watches, pocket squares, the latest technology gadgets, and yes, even cologne. Speaking of colognes, one of my favorite colognes right now is an exclusive fragrance from Argos, called Argos Nyx. (Argos is not available yet in any retailers like Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom, so that is precisely why I'm sharing this secret with you.) If you like the highly sought after CREED fragrance line, you will absolutely LOVE Argos, especially their brand new Argo Nyx cologne. It's a multi-dimensional fragrance with a hint of sweetness and a touch of spice. And, just in time for Father's Day, Argos is running a Father's Day special with 30% off Argos Nyx bottles! You have to check out their web site at www.buyargos.com to see for yourself. My suggestion would be to purchase one bottle of the Argos Nyx cologne and add on one of their re-fillable atomizers. The atomizers range in price points, and I can promise you that you have never seen anything like this (and neither has your dad)! From atomizers that look like old-fashioned cigarette lighters, to chrome atomizers in the shape of a pen, both with swarovski crystal accents . . . no detail goes overlooked. 

** Last, and certainly not least, is acts of kindness. On this Father's Day, if your dad's love language is acts of kindness, it's time to get creative. Maybe you surprise your father with breakfast in bed, or you do all the dishes in the kitchen and take out the trash. Maybe your dad gets all "yucked up" this time or year outside cleaning pine needles out of the gutters. Do you know what that means? Today is your lucky day! You have the opportunity to show him how much you LOVE him, and you can get all sweaty with him helping with outdoor chores. And, at the end of the day, your dad will never forget what you did. You did it because you care. Because you love him. Because Father's Day is not about you, unless of course you are a father too; but it is about showing our father's we love them, unconditionally.

And I'd like to close this blog post with an amazing quote by Oscar Wilde:

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." May we remember that today and every day, and especially on this upcoming Father's Day, Sunday, June 21, 2015.

Want help with creative gift ideas? Or maybe you want to make sure that this Father's Day is the most memorable one yet? Simply shoot Laura an e-mail at: Laura@life-stylebylaura

All other media and styling inquiries can also be directed to: Laura@life-stylebylaura.com 

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All skinnyinheels.com blog posts are © of Laura Fedock with Life-STYLE by Laura. All rights reserved.  The content, verbiage and descriptions used in this post and any blog post cannot be copied or republished without written consent from Laura Fedock. All photo credit is given to photographers when the photo is taken by a professional photographer. Any quotes that are included in the blog posts are always credited to respective authors. Further, any quotes from books or even the mention of books by professional authors are given credit where credit is due.

Outfit of the Day

Dallas vibes from today were my inspiration for this outfit. After all, the sun finally came out! Now that deserves one giant, fashionable curtsy. 

To add extra style to your outfit, be sure to mix warm and cool tones. This nude tank, tied in a side knot, combined with fresh blue, distressed denim really makes this outfit pop. I also love layering my favorite necklaces. At the moment, I'm all about delicate quartz stones, mixing gold with antique metal, and lariat shaped necklaces (as a lariat-style necklace is very flattering on the body).

My other current obsession: boho-chic bags! Especially in a fun print like this Aztec-inspired one. This handbag is hand-made, versatile, playful, functional and DEFINITELY capable of adding an extra dimension of  style to any outfit.

And then there's shoes. Shoes, shoes and more shoes. No guy should ever get in the way of the woman's love for shoes or handbags. These beauties are made for the girl on the move. Can you tell? Even the rubber soles say "I'm a girl on a mission!" Yes, it's all in the details.

For information on Laura (me) and my fashion styling business, Life-STYLE by Laura, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail at: Laura@life-stylebylaura.com. I have been working in fashion for seven years as a full-time fashion stylist, personal shopper, wardrobe consultant and image expert - and I'd love to help you too! I help style men, women, kids, and yes, even dogs! LOL.

Sppppptttt - So I have amazing news on several of the items pictured above. Here's the outfit details:

Handbag: Carito Caró I'm absolutely obsessed with this bag, and her entire accessory and ready-to-wear collection! (And no, I am not getting paid to say this!) This hand bag is even more beautiful in person. Carito Caró is a Dallas-based designer who is originally from Colombia. When you shop her amazing collection, enter promo code: laurastyle at checkout and you will receive 10% OFF your entire purchase! 

Tank Top: Abi Ferrin 

Short Necklace (close-up picture below): O p a l M i l k by Rye from the Abi Ferrin boutique.

Stacked Beaded Bracelets (close-up picture below): Kori Green from the Abi Ferrin boutique.

Abi Ferrin, also a Dallas-based designer, is one of my mentors. I frequent her boutique for myself and my clients on a weekly basis (several times a week to be perfectly honest). Abi Ferrin is also offering a generous discount - 5% OFF your total purchase (before applicable sales tax) on her clothing line, the O p a l M i l k by Rye collection and Kori Green jewelry. ***All you have to do is mention that you saw her collection and heard about these brands on Laura's blog post. Her entire team is an absolute pleasure to work with. You can contact the Abi Ferrin boutique at: 214.565.0055 

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Lariat Necklace: Lana Jewlery 'Blake' Lariat Necklace

Watch: Chanel 

Belt: Hermès

Denim: Joe's Slim Boyfriend Crop Jeans (Gessa) 

Shoes: Pedro Garcia (ON SALE now! I suggest ordering up 1/2 a size.)

In addition to all styling inquiries, all media inquiries can also be directed to: Laura@life-stylebylaura.com

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All skinnyinheels.com blog posts are © of Laura Fedock with Life-STYLE by Laura. All rights reserved.  The content, verbiage and descriptions used in this post and any blog post cannot be copied or republished without written consent from Laura Fedock. All photo credit is given to photographers when the photo is taken by a professional photographer. Any quotes that are included in the blog posts are always credited to respective authors. Further, any quotes from books or even the mention of books by professional authors are given credit where credit is due.

Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.

This is by far one of my favorite quotes to date. If you think about it, fashion is also how the world sees you. How do you want the world to see you? And I challenge you to look past the idea of materialism, because that is not what fashion and style is all about. 

For instance, if you are interviewing for a new job, you have 10 seconds (yes only 10 seconds) to make a good first impression. I always tell my clients when it comes to a job interview or an important business meeting, "go with your power suit". This is a suit (pant suit, skirt suit, etc) that exudes confidence. You feel comfortable with yourself in this suit. Maybe it's pearl grey, solid black or a midnight blue pinstripe suit. 

You might be saying, "Well the job I'm interviewing for does not require a suit or business attire." That is OK. It is always better to over dress than under dress, because if you under dress you may miss the mark entirely; and in turn, you look out of place. Altogether, the idea is that you can focus solely on the interview. Because you are not worried at all about your outfit, you can truly showcase your experience and qualifications for the job at hand. This "go to" suit commands attention and respect, and you shall receive just that.

Pretty powerful, huh? I LOVE this quote too. It's simply incredible, because we are all living each day, going through the motions and not actually experiencing life. We wake up, take the dog outside, eat breakfast, get in the carpool line (if we're lucky enough to have kiddos), go to work, take a quick lunch break, do more work at the office, maybe find time to go to the gym, come home, rush to cook dinner, participate in family activities, possibly watch a little television or read a book, brush our teeth, go to bed and do it all over again. Sheesh! --> That's a lot of "stuff" and arguably, none of it is out-of-this-world exciting.

And this is precisely why we can lose ourselves in the daily grind; we lose our identity. We are not our daily routine. We are not our profession. We are not our title (i.e. mother, wife). We are unique, beautiful individuals. There is NO ONE else like us in the entire world. We have talents that have yet to be discovered and dreams to live. There is no better time than now to start believing that we can do anything we set our minds to. It all begins with our intentions.

(Yes, this is very deep, and I will touch more on this in a future blog post. However, I do want to share one more point on this topic.) I am writing this not because I want or need attention, but because I want to HELP anyone who may be reading this who is going through a hard time. Life is not always perfect. Nothing lasts forever. We all have our struggles, our ups and downs. Here's a little  more information about one of my defining life moments: 

I personally did not truly understand or embrace who I was until two years ago. I finally slowed down and forced myself to grieve the loss of my brother. My brother, Brian, was my best friend and my only sibling. From the day I was born, my brother was dying. Yes that sounds harsh, but it is true. He had a rare, extremely debilitating nerve-based tumor disorder called Neurofibromatosis and slowly through out his life his health deteriorated. Anyone who ever met my brother said he was their hero, their inspiration. He was mine too.

A month shy of turning 24, Brian passed away while I was attending college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. I thought I should take a semester off from school to go be with my family in Houston, but we all knew that my brother would not have wanted that. He wanted me to live life, love life and not let his loss burden my heart.  

And still, when my brother died, I felt like he was stripped from me, torn from my heart. I purposely kept myself overly busy in college and in my social life so I would not have to face the fact that he was gone. Forever.  My "self talk" was always defeating. I often had to remind myself to be more gentle: "Remember Laura, we are all fighting a battle that no one knows anything about. You lost your brother for crying out loud. You are doing your best and your parents are so proud of you. Brian is not gone; he is with you in spirit." There is one quote from the book, "Letter to a Grieving Heart", that truly resonated with me in my time of loss, and I feel compelled to share that here:

One day, I hit my rock bottom. I will never forget that day or the people who were there for me (you know who you are). I knew that there was only way out - UP. At that very moment, I was able to embrace myself and truly be "me". I found great freedom and undeniable faith. Great freedom in not caring what other people thought about me. I was truly ready to live my life. Now that does not mean that I was rude, snide or careless, that means that I stayed true to myself and was not (and am not) constantly seeking approval from others. And that leads me to my last photo:

I was challenged by a fan to post a no makeup, no filter selfie picture of myself on all social media platforms. Besides false lashes (yes, I accidentally left them on from the night before), this is my face, my skin  . . . this is me. The response we both received was incredible. She and I posted our no-makeup selfies in unison. 

When I look at this photo, I see strength, compassion, love and a sparkle in my eyes. Two years ago, my eyes were sad. I was sad. That is not my truth anymore.

And even greater, when we can look past all the stigmas and pressure that society places on us to be perfect (thicker hair, no wrinkles, bigger lips, skinnier waists, a larger chest size, even bigger butts - if I must go there) and just accept ourselves, we can then discover our true beauty! We are ALL beautiful, unique and perfectly imperfect. Please don't ever forget that.

(One of my inspirations for this week's blog posts is a dear friend of mine, Jeff Roose. It's hard to put into words how loving and awe inspiring Jeff is. His humor, passion for life and ability to make you feel so loved is absolutely undeniable. Thank you Jeff for being YOU! (See you this week at Armani Cosmetics at Neiman Marcus NorthPark.)

Hope you and yours have a beautiful week. Cheers fashion lovers. :)

XOXO,

Laura 

All styling and media inquiries can be directed to: Laura@life-stylebylaura.com 

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All skinnyinheels.com blog posts are © of Laura Fedock with Life-STYLE by Laura. All rights reserved.  The content, verbiage and descriptions used in this post and any blog post cannot be copied or republished without written consent from Laura Fedock. All photo credit is given to photographers when the photo is taken by a professional photographer. Any quotes that are included in the blog posts are always credited to respective authors. Further, any quotes from books or even the mention of books by professional authors are given credit where credit is due.

Operation Rock the Troops: Runway Rock Show!!!

Hi Fashion and Rock Lovers:

I'm a firm believer that if you surround yourself with positive, uplifting people, then and only then, you are destined to do great things in this world. One of my gifts (thanks to the Man upstairs) is fashion - and in return, I embrace fashion as my passion! When I met Matthew JC, and he asked me to join the JC Allstar team as the new lead stylist for his Runway Rock Show, I didn't even hesitate. My answer, to be precise was, "Yes, without a doubt, yes! Let's get started right now. How can I help you? What do you need from me?" Just like Matthew JC, I am a firm believer that "you have to give before you receive". So this is a little blog post and tribute to the latest and greatest Operation Rock the Troops (ORT) Runway Rock Show.

Rewind to last Wednesday, April 29th at Gas Monkey Grill in Dallas, TX. I have the pleasure of being the lead stylist for the epic Operation Rock the Troops concert. The event features seven amazing bands - all coming together for one cause - Operation Rock the Troops. The JC Allstars are set to take the stage by 10 PM. It's showtime people! 

In collaboration with two different fashion labels, Carito Caró and Scott Blair Showroom, my own accessories (and the accessories from my styling assistant for the day who also doubles as an amazing jewelry designer, Rye) we put on an incredible Runway Rock Show! In the words of Matthew JC, "[This show] has a style all its own! And this is just the beginning people!"

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And now for the pictures!

Photo credit goes to Ale Bonilla, from Esoterica Salon. Esoterica Salon has been doing the hair and makeup for Operation Rock the Troops for ten years! Feel free to check out their amazing event video that is coming soon to their web site at: www.esotericastudiosusa.com.

Photo credit also goes to Sterling T Stevens. To see more of his work, as he keeps his site updated with his latest projects, simply go to: www.sterlingsteves.com

And last, but not least, photo credit also goes to one of my favorite fashion photographers, Marcus Lopez. Marcus came to support the event and was so moved by the show that he took a bunch of pictures on his smartphone! Thank you Marcus! www.marcuslopezphoto.com

So now we can allow more pictures to speak for themselves. All styling is brought to you by yours truly, Life-STYLE by Laura, and I'm Laura :)

The day for me starts at Pin Salon. I knew Esoterica Studios would be slammed on-site doing the hair and makeup for 25 models, so my hair is styled by my go-to guy, Cam Allison. He is AMAZING! 

Before the madness, I promise all my fans, family and friends that I will stop and take a picture. Thank you so much Rye for being my styling assistant for the day and taking this pic! So that's styling assistant, jewelry designer, photographer, and all over amazingness . . . yes ma'am!

Speaking of Rye, (whose jewelry line, O p a l M i l k by Rye, is featured in the Runway Rock Show); she is above. Yes, Rye is absolutely beautiful, but even more she is so incredibly talented, it blows my mind! Check out more of her collection at: www.opalmilkbyrye.com. 

This fpicture is a post-TV interview selfie. Well I guess it's technically a "groupie" since there's two of us! I love being interviewed by such a dear friend, the super-talented, sweet and equally beautiful, Misty Romano.  

The Guest of Honor is Andrew Marr, the founder of Warrior Angels Foundation. In the picture above, Andrew is being interviewed with Matthew JC by Alyssa. This all takes place prior to the Runway Rock Show.

Speaking of ROCK show - Matthew JC and the JC Allstars definitely know how to rock out! Not to mention the lead singer for the JC Allstars, Bishop Booker II - that boy can sing! He takes us to church and a rock show at the same time! And did you notice Brad Hawkins on stage jamming with the JC Allstars? Yes, Brad Hawkins - as in the star from the Award Winning movie, "Boyhood"! We are so excited that Brad is a part of the JC Allstar family. What a natural entertainer he is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entire Runway Rock Show is truly electrifying! We showcase two different fashion labels, Carito Caró and Scott Blair Showroom in a whimsical yet Maxim-style event. This truly compliments the music and adds an extra dimension of entertainment! Every look is accessorized from head to toe, never overdone. But what makes the event even more special is that every single model, and every person involved in this Runway Rock Show has a heart of pure gold. We all volunteer our time, because we absolutely, without hesitation, believe in this charity! We owe this inspiration and motivation to Matthew JC himself! We are all proud to be a part of the JC Allstar family, and we wear our NEW dog tags proud! (The amazingly creative dog tags that include a USB drive with the second JC Allstar album!) Thank you Matthew JC!

****There is a exclusive private screening of the Operation Rock the Troops Runway Rock Show at the VENETIAN THEATER on May 23rd at 6 PM. Seating is VERY limited! So all of you who love fashion, rock, this great nation and its military, or maybe you just have a charitable heart-- be sure to purchase your tickets today for the private screening. Tickets are only $20 and can be purchased here: www.operationrockthetroops.org 

And a little side note, the concert and Runway Rock Show will air on the local Dallas CBS affiliate, TXA 21 on May 23rd. It's technically May 24th, as it airs at 1 AM, so be sure to set your DVRs. This show will reach nearly SEVEN million people! Now that is absolutely incredible!!!

For fashion styling inquiries, please contact Laura@life-stylebylaura.com

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All skinnyinheels.com blog posts are © of Laura Fedock with Life-STYLE by Laura. All rights reserved.  The content, verbiage and descriptions used in this post and any blog post cannot be copied or republished without written consent from Laura Fedock. All photo credit is given to photographers when the photo is taken by a professional photographer. Any quotes that are included in the blog posts are always credited to respective authors. Further, any quotes from books or even the mention of books by professional authors are given credit where credit is due.