Finding Your Best Colors

This is the third and final part on finding your fashion. Last week I closed with the importance of determining your best colors to wear.

God made the colors of the rainbow for us to appreciate and emulate. You should try your best to find the colors that emphasize your beauty and wear them wisely.

Some colors will flatter your skin, your hair, and your eyes the better than others, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid some colors completely.

The best way to find “your colors” is to experiment. “Drape” different colors of cloth samples around your neck at your chin-line to see which colors look best on you.

Scarves are popular now and are a great way to check out your colors. Take your mom and/or a few friends shopping and try on shirts in different colors, or try out some scarves.

If you look better in blue while yellow washes you out, but yellow is your favorite color, you still have options. You can buy a yellow purse, yellow pants, or even yellow earrings, but avoid buying yellow shirts.

You’ll be surprised at the variety of colors that look great on you. Wear them all and enjoy them!

As a foundation, buy basic items in solid and neutral colors. You’ll be wearing your basics in neutral tones (black, navy, gray, brown) a long, long time. You might buy red pants to pair with a gray shirt, or a purple skirt to pair with a black top. A brown tee with jean capris would be great with an aqua summer scarf and brown sandals.

Summer is a good time to play with colors and fashion. Always remember, you can dress the part, but it is more important to have the heart.

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Personal note from Jody: In my classes with girls, I brought in scarves of different colors. I gave each girl a color-coded chart. We would drape each color scarf over every girl and evaluate whether it was ‘their color’—low, medium, or high. As stated above, if it wasn’t a girl’s ‘best’ color, but it was one of her favorite colors, we found other ways for her to weave it into her fashion statement with accessories. Places like Charming Charlie provide accessories of all kinds very inexpensively. When you go into the store, you quickly see they are sorted by colors. It makes shopping quick, easy, and affordable.

Enjoy the coming summer as you remember to walk in your beauty!
Jody

Some Secrets of Style

The secret to style is not an endless supply of cash to shop with or a closet overflowing with clothes. Some girls have both, but still say, “I can’t find anything to wear!”

The secret is wanting to look your best! If you care enough, you will take time to develop a sense of style; you will take time to plan your outfits; you will learn how to shop wisely. Here are some principles to guide you.

1. Choose classic styles.
2. You may want to consider learning to sew.
3. Avoid extremes.
4. Your must dress to reflect your own taste and personality:

• You are a special person!
• You believe in your identity!
• You dare to be yourself!

Less is More

To dress with simplicity does not mean that you must look plain. Simplicity can be fresh and strikingly beautiful.

The trick is to add an eye-arresting feature so it won’t be plain. But remember, it is best to concentrate on one point of interest at a time.

For example, if you wear a bright yellow plastic necklace with a black dress, you should skip the hot pink earrings and arm full of neon bracelets. If you wear a dress that has a large bow, skip the big bows on your shoes and in your hair.

If you overdo your look, you will be causing the viewer to experience fashion overload. Plus, too many attention-getters creates conflict, because each unique and flashy piece is fighting for the attention of those around.

To eliminate this disturbing civil war on your body, start peeling and continue until your outfit looks peaceful and restful to the eye.

Mix and Match with Care

Separates add spice to your wardrobe. But do you know the rules for mixing and matching?

A busy piece of clothing is one that has too many details that catch someone’s eye. For example, lace, monograms, embroidery, ruffles, big buttons, and the like would all be considered “busy.”
Ok, let’s check out the rules. If your top is a busy print, combine it with a bottom that is quiet and simple (example: a patterned top with a jean bottom). If your top is patterned, combine it with a lower of solid color (example: a plaid shirt with a black skirt). If your lower is “busy,” combine it with a top that is quiet and simple.

Also, blend your colors wisely. Sometimes two bright colors can look good together, but choose them wisely so they don’t ‘blind’ those around you.

Often picking several shades of the same color can be soothing to the eye and look classy. However, if you pick the wrong shades, it can be a fashion disaster.

Next week I will give some tips for finding your color!

Share your 'secrets of style' on the C-7 Girls Facebook page! And remember to walk in your beauty this week.

Jody

What Are You Saying About Yourself?

People form their ideas about the “real you” hidden inside by the clues you furnish on the outside. And in their estimation, the way you dress provides a first-rate clue!

Clothes do not necessarily make the girl, but whether we like it or not, they do serve as part of our ‘statement’. You cannot afford to throw on “just any old thing,” saying, “It doesn’t really matter.” There’s no sense kidding yourself… it does matter!

Experience has shown that girls who posses enough initiative and skill to choose attractive clothing are usually more interesting to be around. Don’t let boring outfits send out false signals. See that you look as delightful on the “outside” as you really are "inside."

It is not about the cost, or the label, it is about the way you put your clothes together. A smart girl shops wisely and dresses to make a statement. What are you saying with your clothing?

Is it, “I don’t feel good about who I am on the inside and so I want others to look at my outside. I am showing off what should be covered so you won’t take time to look at the real me.”

Or, are you saying...

"I feel good about who I am and I want you to get to know the real me. My clothes highlight my eyes, my personality, and make a statement that I care enough about myself to not cheapen who I am. And, I am smart enough to know how to put together a cute outfit on a limited budget.”

Next week we will discuss how to find that outfit that reflects your inner beauty on the outside through a few very simple rules.

God bless you as you walk in your beauty!

Jody

Teenagers and Cell Phones: Pro or Con?

It occurred to me that cell phones have not been in use for very many years.

This generation is really the first one to be brought up completely with everyone owning their own cell phone.

So, I asked the girls in my Bible class to come up with some pros and cons of having a cell phone as a teenager and this is what they came up with:

Pros
1. If an accident happens, you can immediately get help.
2. It gives you protection because you can call 911 without having to look for a phone.
3. You have more opportunities to communicate with people anywhere you are.
4. You can talk to people who live far away.
5. You can be reached at anytime. (Can also be a con)
6. Texting enables you to send a quick message of encouragement when you don’t have time to talk.
7. GPS on your phone can help you when you are lost.

Cons
1. Texting can cause fights.  You may be more willing to say mean things because you do not have to face the person.
2. Someone can easily misinterpret what you are saying in a text because they can’t decipher your tone of voice.
3. A cell phone can enable you to lie about where you are because you can use it anywhere.
4. You can be reached at anytime. (Can also be a pro)
5. You have more access to prank call.
6. Can cause you to lose social skills because we do not talk face-to-face as often.

After we thought about the pros and cons of cell phones, we came up with some etiquette and manners of cell phone usage.
1. Don’t text at the table.
2. Don’t talk on the phone when you are with a friend.
3. Don’t text and drive. (More than manners, this should be a strict rule.)
4.  Turn your phone off in a meeting or at church.
5. If you can’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it in a text.
6. Don’t prank call.
7. Never text or call people during sleeping hours.
8. Don’t ignore others in order to text.
9. Don’t allow yourself to become antisocial because you are always on the cell phone.

What would you add to our lists? Leave us a comment with your ideas for other pros, cons, and etiquette tips you use!

Remember to walk in your beauty this week - and that includes your cell phone use :)
Kristi

Blessings

This post originally appeared on Jody's blog at jodycapehart.com.

It’s true what they say: blessings often come when we least expect it.

Today I received a blessing – one I will never forget – from Kristi Morales’ girls’ Bible class at the Master’s Academy in Duncanville.

The girls had invited me to their class because they are using the Christian Charm Course for Girls that I wrote with my daughter, Angela. Ms. Morales and the girls have been sharing their thoughts and experiences on the C-7 blog connected to the Charm Course.

I arrived at the school expecting to spend some time with the girls getting to know them and talking about ‘girl stuff.’ Oh, was I surprised and blessed!

When I entered, the girls had set up a beautiful breakfast, with decorated tables, a Christmas tree, and my favorite – Christmas music! They presented me with a beautiful hand-made card, a diamond (not a real one but one symbolic of the beauty of a woman that overcomes trials), a poem, candles, and photo ornament. How could they know about my favorite things when we had never met? I was deeply touched and completely overwhelmed.

Even more beautiful were the girls themselves. They were allowed to drop the school uniform for the day in exchange for their outfits of choice. Each and every girl looked exquisite. And they radiated joy and happiness. I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time I was there.

I credit Ms. Morales, Principal Lynn Watson, and the other teachers at Master’s Academy for the love and wisdom they have cultivated in the lives of these girls. The culture of the school could be felt the minute my feet touched the threshold. The love of the Lord permeates every corner of this school!

The girls showed me around and are so proud of their school. They are completely vested in it. They read me the mission of the school, showed me the mascot, and the messages of each bulletin board that reflect the character of Christ. They’ve even won prizes for their floats in the parade! It truly warmed my heart to see students who truly love their school!

If you haven’t read the C-7 blog yet, may I encourage you to do so – because many fantastic contributions have come from Ms. Morales and her girls. This exceptional group of young ladies has gone far beyond the scope of the Christian Charm Course in truly examining what it means to be a C-7 girl: Christ-like, changed hearts, committed, confident, charming, classy, and caring.

Ms. Morales even coined a phrase I wish I had thought of for the book: Walk in Your Beauty.

Believe me, these girls do exactly that.

As always, I took pictures! They are on my Facebook page here. But the pictures do not tell the whole story. They do not capture the depth and inner beauty of this group of 6th through 12th grade girls learning and maturing in a way that truly surprised me in such a meaningful way.

From reading what they had been writing on the blog, I knew I would be blessed by going to visit them; I just had no idea to what extent.

Thank you, girls! You are so beautiful in every way!

Red Flags and Deal Breakers...Some Personal Thoughts

These past few weeks we have been talking about dating.

It made me think about all those couples that took things too far and ignored the “red flag” in their relationship. They thought that they could change the other person, but in reality they can’t. They go ahead and get married and have a baby and then realize that they don’t love each other, and someone walks out of the marriage. The precious baby will always wonder why they can’t have a normal family like everyone else.

I know that feeling because I come from a broken family. I always wonder what my life would have been like if I got to see my dad regularly instead of once every four years. I fear the day my dad dies because I’ll be at his funeral and I’ll have nothing to say because I don’t know him.

So what I am trying to say is to take it slow and enjoy dating. There is no rush to have a baby. There will be time when you have found Mr. Right, your home is stable, and you are ready. Give your baby the best life you can give. Beware of the “red flags” and get out if you see them.

-Dominique, a student in Ms. Morales's class.

Red Flags and Deal Breakers

In our classes on dating and relationships we talked about red flags and deal breakers.

I remember a trip I took with my parents when I was a teenager. We got a flat as we were going around a curve in the mountains. I had to get out and take a red towel (flag), go back around the curve, and flag the cars that were about to go around the curve to where our car was.

What was the red flag saying? Slow down. Caution. There could be trouble ahead. Pay attention.

Sometimes in our relationships we see red flags. There are behaviors or decisions being made that should be looked at and thought about more closely.

Maybe someone is disrespecting you or mistreating you. Maybe you are seeing anger or violence you haven’t seen before. There are many things people do that could be a red flag. Slow down, watch their behavior. Is this a onetime thing because of a bad day or is this a pattern of behavior?

Red flags are there to protect us if we will respond to them.

Once you see a red flag you must decide if it is a deal breaker. A deal breaker is something that causes you to know that you cannot continue in the relationship with this person.

When you see a red flag you, must ask yourself if this behavior or situation is something that you can live with or should live with.  If a guy has blonde hair and you usually prefer black but he has good character and treats you right, it probably will not be a deal breaker. If you love pizza and he hates it, it will probably be something you can deal with and will not be a deal breaker.

If he is not a firm Christian and you are sold out to God, it should be a deal breaker. If he is disrespectful to you or your family, that should be a deal breaker. If he does not treat you the way you deserve to be treated or is ever violent toward you, that should be a deal breaker.

Look at the red flags and deal breakers in your relationships.

As always, Walk In Your Beauty.

Kristi Morales