I had spent the afternoon a while back working on my website (a huge feat) with Liz, AKA my ‘lil sis, and was reminded how different strengths are from one person to the next. I had a boyfriend once say to me “How is it possible for you to make a dress from scratch but not figure out the computer?” Let me tell ya…

I love the idea of the computer but my brain don’t work in that way! What cracks me up is that my entire business is based on knowing the computer and the internet and all the stuff that goes along with it. So when Liz was helping me, since she was feeling uber smart, cuz the shoe was on the other foot (I’m usually teaching her), I thought it a good time to point out that we all have our gifts. She ‘gets’ the computer and was having fun….I was completely STRESSING out!

I love finding strengths in others. I love knowing my own strengths and knowing when I need help with something. If you are stuck doing something you hate or feel it is super hard for you maybe you need to re-evaluate you. What do you love? What comes easy? What fulfills you? When you ask yourself those questions, or others, it brings you in the moment and in those moments life will guide you on your BEST path.

Be grateful and humble when you know your strengths. Encourage others to find theirs’. Don’t be afraid to let someone know when you need some help. Everyone needs someone; everyone is needed…It’s a balance thing.

Oh and in case you are wondering…there are some grammatical errors and such, for those of you (Liz) who want to change them, they are intended. Haha!

Check out The Element by Sir Ken Robinson, a book on personal strengths…nicely done!

As a kid, we called this lovely vegetable “Frankenstein heads”! I’m not sure which sibling came up with that name, but we all hated Brussels sprouts. My brother hid them in the bookcase at first and when my mother found them, a new plan was in the works. We were made to stay at the table until we finished our meal, but when the rest of the family got tired of waiting; my brother and I were left to finish on our own. Miraculously, once they all left, we finished! What they didn’t know was I would run to the door to ‘keep watch’ and then my brother would throw them out the window.

I hum a very different tune these days. I am completely addicted to Brussels sprouts…at least the way I prepare them — sautéed with roasted garlic, salt and red pepper, butter/olive oil and a LOT of lemon. I love, love, love them now!! Not only are these little buggars yummy, but they have INCREDIBLE health benefits (that is if you don’t cook them to death). The sulfur (aka MSM) alone in the Brussels sprout is amazing — I call it my “cancer prevention food”. With so much cancer in both adults and children, our diets need to be purifying our blood and raising our immunity. In addition to cleaning the blood, Brussels sprouts help increase circulation, reduce inflammation~which is some of the reason for eczema/psoriasis, and it helps in preventing urinary tract infections and constipation — the list of benefits goes on and on, and there are great sites that have info on it.  Check out Natural Health Techniques or The Worlds Healthiest Foods.   For my recipe…keep reading!

MY RECIPE:

A bunch of Brussels sprouts. (five large ones, chopped, will cover a large pan surface). I chop them in half, then half or in thirds again, so I have plenty of surface area to sauté.

Olive oil and butter. Enough to coat the bottom of the pan and a little more. You can use only one or the other if you prefer.

½ a bulb of garlic, roasted or raw and chopped.

1 large lemon. This is to your taste; it seems 1 large lemon is the minimum so far.

Salt and pepper to taste. I use red pepper for its anti-inflammatory properties and circulation. Use anything you like.

In a large skillet on medium/high heat, add olive oil and butter — let melt. Add the chopped Brussels sprouts (make sure they all are touching the pan surface — if not, do 2 separate batches). Let them cook a couple of minutes and then flip them to cover another surface. Add roasted or chopped raw garlic, then, salt and pepper and finally lemon. Mix it all together and let cook a few minutes longer. Make sure you watch them carefully they can cook quite quickly. You want their color to be a bright green with some browning from butter on surface areas. If they turn brownish-green they are over-cooked and nutrients are cooked out.

Huge Christmas Sale

We know times are tough for many, so, Zookini Kids is selling their dresses for 50% off retail pricing (amazing quality dresses at wholesale prices) until the end of the year!!

I recently had a customer tell me she tried ordering during the Black Friday sale, but because of a glitch I had in my checkout, was unable to finalize the purchase. By the time it was fixed she wasn’t around to try again. She did let me know that she thought the dresses are beautiful but she couldn’t afford them at full price.

When I read her email I felt really sad. One of the things I love about designing dresses is the reaction that the children wearing them give; they feel good and have fun in Zookini Kids.  These clothes are made to be out in the world, worn and enjoyed by children; they serve no purpose as inventory at full price. I sent her a 50% off coupon and she was able to buy the dress!

I know first hand that times are tough and whether or not you have the extra cash to buy nice clothing for your kids…it may be difficult to justify spending the money on something special rather than a necessity.

I am thrilled this customer was able to buy the dress so I decided to extend this coupon to everyone.

Shop Now:

Visit www.ZookiniKids.com now and enter the code  “Christmas Special”, when you check out, to get this amazing discount until December 31, 2010.

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

Renée

Get your daughter, granddaughter or niece ready for the Holidays in her new Zookini Kids dress and receive 30% off your purchase November 26th only. Just enter coupon code “Black Friday” when you checkout. Happy Shopping!!

Zookini Kids is doing it again! We had a great time last year meeting new people and selling our dresses for a cause. Mops is holding its annual Holiday Boutique  December 6,   2010 (Monday) from 9 am – 12: 30 pm in Reeves Hall at St. Peter’s by the Sea in Palos Verdes.

20% of your purchase will be donated to support MOPS. We look forward to seeing you there!

Speaking of the “bandwagon” and the environment, after searching for my cousin with whom I had lost touch with for over 20 years, I discover that he and his wife are musicians and have the first solar powered recording studio, Martini Hill Recording Studio! How cool is that? Check out the website for a great example of a green business (and if you contact them, say “Hi” to my long lost cousin). Even more exciting is not only do they have a green business but they also grow their own food. They are healthy, happy…and amazing.

Ok I should have posted this a long long time ago but, well….I didn’t. So here it is. Ali Landry with her daughter Estele in our Heritage collection; Vintage Rose, pink with blue. The article was in Life & Style Magazine back in December….oops.

• Don’t buy and decide later…before you leave the store be sure you absolutely love it and you have something in your closet the new piece will go with. If you don’t LOVE it, don’t get it; make sure you are going to wear it, and often, before spending your money. Buy what feels right not because you need to have different clothing each season. Clothing does not necessarily go ‘out of style’. What I design for Zookini Kids is very classic; if it’s new to you it’s a new style. I design with long term in mind. Children love to wear the same thing over and over…they choose their favorite thing and will wear it 5 days in a row if you let them. Kids don’t need tons of clothing. Buy something better a little bigger and let them wear it until they just can’t anymore.  It is very wasteful for your pocket book to buy a lot of cheap pieces, the business making too much clothing and the environment to be so unconscious about your purchases. Be mindful of your choices and the bigger picture when you buy.

• Find your style and the right colors for your skin tone (believe me this makes a huge difference). So many of us shop and shop because we don’t know what we want. We buy based on what we are told we SHOULD have to be cool or ‘IN FASHION’. Learn who you are before you spend a lot. I haven’t shopped in a very long time; since I have been changing I can’t seem to figure out what my style is. I’ll find a couple of little pieces to freshen the wardrobe but the big money won’t be spent until I am sure of where I am going with my wardrobe. If you can afford it, get a stylist…but not just any stylist. Make sure you are getting one that really helps you find you. I have a good friend who has an AMAZING business doing Closet Auditing. She is absolutely affordable and will change your life not just your clothing. Check out Urban Darlings site; they are all over the country and will travel to help. I cannot speak more highly of her!!!

• What you put on your body will make you feel a certain way. If you are putting on frumpy clothing day after day…you will feel frumpy. Even if it is to work out make sure your work out clothing makes you feel good when you are wearing it; you will get a better work out when you do. If you are feeling depressed change your clothes. How often do you sit around watching TV in junky clothes while eating junky food? Change your clothes change your mind. The clothing I design for kids is really designed with kids in mind. The quality is high and it is made of natural fibers. When kids put my clothing on they don’t want to take it off. They feel good in it. Clothing works the same way for children…if you don’t like a behaviour change the clothing. At school if a child is in slacks and a button down shirt or a dress the behaviour will be drastically different than in casual clothing. Try it sometime; pay attention to the energy your clothing has and how it affects you and/or your children.

Ok…that’s all for now on the fashion front. I’ll be back soon.

Avoiding being overwhelmed…

There are many many things I like about the ‘Fashion Biz’. I love style, I love clothing and I love helping people feel good in their clothing. What doesn’t sit right is how we have a throw away mentality when it comes to clothing and we actually buy into the idea that unless you have a certain style, in a certain color RIGHT NOW you are not cool, even if that color and style DO NOT suit your body. I’ll tell you what ain’t cool…a person wearing clothing that doesn’t fit well, cut wrong or is not his/her personality.

There is so much clothing to choose from out there it can be overwhelming. Shop wisely and learn about you and your body. What you put on your body dictates how you feel. If something doesn’t feel right don’t buy it and just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean you are being a smart shopper.

A few tips:

• When you buy less but higher quality you not only end up spending less money in the long run but you keep clothing out of the landfills. If you want some trend in your life buy a few pieces each season….your entire wardrobe does not need to consist of trend.

• Simplify your wardrobe; slim down your closet. How much of your clothing in your closet (your child’s closet too) do you wear? We have SO much clothing we often feel overwhelmed with choice. Either there is too much clothing all together or too many pieces that don’t go together. Try things on, keep pieces that feel good and fit well and donate the rest of them.( I tend to donate to womens shelters rather than places that resell the goods) If you’ve had things in your closet for a long time they may not suit you anymore. When time passes we change physically and emotionally so our clothing may not be right for us anymore. Even if it is good condition, let it go.

A few more tips to come in the next posting…

So I had a conversation with a friend a few nights ago, and, we were talking about my blogging…or lack thereof. I mentioned it overwhelms me; all the stuff floating around in my head I can’t seem to focus or put anything down on the page. His comment was I think too much I need to simplify. Apparently I am complicating the writing, which is actually funny since I spend my life trying to simplify and clear the clutter. Ok, he’s totally right and, well, it bugs me when he’s right! I guess I need to write like I talk….and if you know me…I can talk!!

My motto for doing things is~ how do I get from point A to point B the quickest? It was great in getting things done but it bit me in the behind when it came to jobs. I, either, finished all my work and sat there like a slacker because I didn’t know what to do next or I was given much more work since I was so efficient for the same pay, totally lame!

What does this have to do with fashion you might say? Really it’s about simplifying and clearing the clutter in your closet. I’ve had my feet in fashion one way or another for most of my life. I was sewing at 8, did a touch of modeling in my teens and early 20’s, then, retail, wholesale, production and design and some other things along the way to my own business. But the fashion business, as it is, never really sat well. In order for me to be in it I needed to create in a way that makes sense for me; bringing it a little more down to earth.

(more to follow…soon…no really)