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thejourneytofindingmyself · 4 years

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The story so far

After 10 years of struggling with my mental health and having multiple diagnosis' along the way including OCD, social anxiety, anorexia nervosa and depression, I now recognise that the underlying factor causing my struggles may be undiagnosed autism.

Throughout my life I have felt like everyone has been given a guide book to tell them how to be human, how to behave and how to interact. All of these things are confusing to me. A year or so ago I remember asking my partner and family why people feel the need to say morning and bye when they leave the office. Before this, people would say morning to me and bye and I wouldn't say anything because I did not understand the need to? If I'm there or going, why say it? Isn't it obvious? I have learnt now that this is "normal" so I do it. I struggle with conversations. When is it my turn to speak? What should I reply? Am I giving the right amount of eye contact? Do i need to reply to that? When I talk to people, I don't feel the need to look at them but I know this is something that should be done? When I look at people it makes me very uncomfortable and I feel like eyes give out a lot of emotion which can be difficult to take in. I go through stages where I use certain sentences such as "I'll let you off" or "oh dear" or "right" in conversations, they seem to be my go to words when I am unsure what to say. A lot of my conversations are scripted and I say the things that feel right for that conversation.

Sometimes people talk to me and I have no idea what they are saying or what they mean. I often have to get people to repeat themselves and really force myself to concentrate in order to understand. I recently went out on a saturday for the first time ever with work colleagues and was asking someone I work with what I should talk about in the car on the way. She explained that you cant really plan it, it just depends on the conversation. It seems these things come natural to other people but for me they need to be planned and I worry about them a lot. I much prefer texting or emailing someone rather than actually going to them and saying something face to face. Even if I'm in the same room I prefer to do it just to avoid the interaction.

I know that I often come across as uninterested. And a lot of my replies are mainly yeah, yeah, yeah. I also find that I regularly reply in sentences with that's nice or I don't care. If something doesn't interest me or doesn't affect me, I dont tend to be bothered about it.

I sometimes repeat what people say. Especially when with my partner Meg or people I am more comfortable around. This is because it sometimes helps me to process it and I just get the urge to repeat it. I often say phrases or songs relating to an object or what we are talking about for an example when moving the doorbell, "ding dong the Avon lady" 😂😂

A lot of the time people at work will say "I'm only joking!!!" And I don't realise. Sometimes the tone I use must be wrong or come across in a different way to what I mean. For example someone I work with saying I'm snapping and saying something like "give me my head back!!" But I do not mean for it to come across like that.

I hate training or team meetings etc. It is very overwhelming being with a lot of people. I could not participate in the activities in my recent training day. I just stayed sitting down when asked to get up and move around and talk to people. My manager has asked me regularly how these sitations make me feel as she can sense that I am uncomfortable however I haven't been able to find the words that's why I ended up writing all of my difficulties down to show her. Then during the day at training, I ended up leaving the room because things got too much. I often have to do this. Especially in busy places like restaurants. I also have to specifically pick the seat. "Dr Campbell says social masking requires considerable effort and this usually results in extreme exhaustion, necessitating periods of social isolation. "Some of my clients use the term 'peopling', so when they've been 'peopling' for a long time, that they would then like to have a period of not 'peopling'," she says."

At another training day a few months ago, I also really struggled with an introduction activity and found that I kept going to speak when the person delivering the training was still taking and I did not know at what point was my turn. I feel like maybe this was the trigger point of my recent low episode. I was really embarrassed and thought why cant I just be normal and know what to say and do. I never know whether people have just paused or finished talking? I also find it difficult when people don't say what they mean. I need people to be very direct with me. An example of this is a manager at work saying that she walks further to smoke, I asked if it's in case she gets wrong off the big boss and she said yes however I still stood in the same place to smoke and didn't realise till that night when discussing it with my partner that this might have been a hint. I feel I spend a lot of time going over conversations I have had with people and what was said. I also have found that people say to me a lot including my managers, what are you trying to say??? When I am trying to explain a situation.

Another example of difficulties with social situations is getting a takeaway. I forgot once that we needed to pay with cash and I just shut the door in his face whilst i went and got the money and didn't realise how inappropriate this was to not say two seconds. Another example, someone talking to me in the lift on holiday and I got out and didn't say bye? Only realised this wasn't normal when I told my partner. Another example when people want to small talk. There is just no need for this. I would prefer to sit in silence. When people say comments such as "watch the floor", I actually stood still at work recently when a cleaner said this and was going to watch the floor until I realised that they meant not to actually watch the floor. I find that I take things very literally. I remember as a child when an advert was on the telly and I literally thought nannas knit shreddies. Like why is banana bread called banana bread???? It isn't bread. As a child my mam took me to the doctors and I was diagnosed with OCD. I used to line up all my stuff on my dresser table and was very particular about things like needing my curtain tucked behind my radiator, needing all my teddies lined up in a certain way and needing my duvet tucked in a certain way. I needed to check windows were locked etc. Looking back, I also remember not playing with toys in a normal way. I used to like lining up my friends army men. I had bratz and polly pockets but didn't necessarily play with them. I would line them up and dress and undress them. I would love going round friends houses and cleaning their rooms/organising their stuff. Growing up I have really struggled with mental health and developed anorexia in school. In school, I struggled with relationships. I felt I had to fit in. I completely left my primary school friends and dressed and tried to be like the "popular" people. In primary school I regularly fell out with friends and moved from one "best friend" to another. I also struggled knowing how to maintain friendships and found I was very intense and all or nothing. Friendships are also always still only on my terms. I was invited out for dinner with the "popular" group in secondary but I never talked or joined in because I didn't know how. I went to Alton towers with one of the girls and she fell out with me after because we did not talk whilst we were there. I get very attached to people very quickly. Will say love you etc.. My reports started to decline in secondary school and I regularly got detentions and sent out of classrooms for attempting to be the class clown and fit in. Looking back I think this was copied behaviour. In school and college I also developed intense relationships with some teachers I felt I connected with. I would often leave class to seek out these teachers and spent a lot of time out of lessons in student support. In college and university, I refused to work with other people. I preferred it on my own. I would sit outside the classroom in college to do my work because I preferred it and found the class to loud. In university, I only really had one friend and again hated working with other people and group work. I much prefer to be able to do things my way and don't like sharing ideas or communicating. I have found that I got bullied in college a lot because of leaving lessons and people thinking I was a "snob" because I did not talk. I still find it difficult to be friends with people and find that I don't know the right way to be ? How often should I talk to them, should I send another message, do they not like me they haven't replied? It's all very confusing. I also find it difficult knowing what the boundaries are with my managers and how "cheeky" I can be??? I will also go through stages where I eat certain things repeatedly for a few weeks and then wont eat them again for a while. This was even more so the case when I was a teenager with anorexia.

A couple of years ago my 4 year old niece was diagnosed with autism. Last year I dealt with a case, a 16 year old girl who had autism but was not diagnosed until she was 17. I found a lot of similarities between myself and this girl and found I could really relate to her difficulties including self harm, depression and school issues. I also went to a training event around autism in girls and masking and found a lot of similarities. I am also now working with an 11 year old child who has not yet been diagnosed and find I can also relate and see a lot of similarities with what he says. For example issues with waiting. I hate waiting and get really really anxious. And issues with routine. I love routine and find it really difficult if my partner just says should we go out somewhere. I like things to be planned. He also paces around the room. I tend to do this if I am anxious or waiting.

I constantly bounce my leg and find that it is soothing. It helps to lower my anxiety. At home I also find that I will start doing things such as rocking without even noticing and moving my feet or toes. I also spend most of the time chewing my gums or lips and think this is an anxiety related thing.

I struggle with other day to day stuff. Like knowing left and right. Reading a 24 hour clock. Constantly losing things, even if I have just had them. Losing my phone, my keys. All the time. This really stresses me out. I will have it a minute ago and then just cant find it. A lot of the time when I am walking into a room with people in or feeling overwhelmed I will dig my nails in to my fingers or hand. Or in the shops.

Prior to taking antidepressants, I would really get angry and would do things such as hit myself and punch things if things were not right. For example my hair on a morning needs to feel perfect, or if I couldn't find a place to park my car. I still get really annoyed at the smallest things.

I also get really overwhelmed about things for example on a night knowing we have to have tea, clean the house, do the dishes, have a shower ect. This overwhelms me and I get angry about this at times. This leads to me snapping at people. I like a routine of having a bath by 6pm and having tea around 7.30pm.

Although I do struggle with things at work such as talking to people and knowing how to interact with colleagues etc, it doesn't affect my role. I feel as if my role is very structured and routined. I feel I do relate to "masking" at work and this is why I am often so exhausted when I get home.

I feel like it often takes me quite a while to respond to people because I need time for me to know what to reply. I only realise I don't reply straight away when people are waiting for an answer. I also don't often understand emotions. How I am feeling and how other people are feeling. I often have the view, shit happens. The child I spoke about earlier recently said to me "I didn't learn how to feel in primary". I got that. I struggle with these things to. I struggle to be empathetic and understand other people's views and emotions. My grandad died recently, while he was poorly I would say to people when they asked how he was "dying" people thought this was blunt and brutal but it was the truth. And after he died i would regularly come out with my grandads dead. I think this was my way of trying to process it.

I am also really blunt and straight to the point with people. For example "you can leave now". "Your pissing me off" I don't really think about how my comments might impact someone. I remember when I was around my childminders at about the age of 8 or 9 and i said to someone "are you not going home yet I'm sick of the sight of your face". I remember my childminder being absolutely gob smacked at this.

I really struggle with "fashion" and what goes together. I much prefer just feeling comfortable.

Sometimes when I get home from work I literally could just lie in darkness in bed and not talk for the rest of the night.

I often have to be told instructions multiple times and prefer things wrote down as this is easier for me to process and understand.

I regularly set alarms and write lists to plan the day.

I feel like through the years I have used things to cope with life such as anorexia and in turn has resulted in different diagnoses including OCD, anorexia, social anxiety and depression but I feel like there is still something underlying and something that makes me different. It is getting exhausting pretending to be "normal" all the time and not knowing why I am the way I am.

"It seems that other people's normality was the road to my insanity"

"Many of us do not realise how much of our true selves we have been masking until we feel utterly lost"

#autism #actuallyautistic #asd

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leejackdesign · 5 years

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We had a bizarre (rubbish) Christmas Day tradition. My mum decided to give us ‘something to look forward to’ and we would open our gifts in the evening, after the meal. You know that bit of the day when you are in a massive slump & just want everyone to shut up so you can enjoy a bit of bareknuckle fighting on Eastenders? Well, that is the window when the gifts are opened in our gaff. To compensate this frustrating insanity we would have ‘stockings’ in the morning: ‘small things’ to open. My ‘stocking’ was actually a Paddington Bear pillowcase & would commonly contain a ‘Selection box’ (Milky Way & a Curlywurly for breakfast), a Terry’s Chocolate Orange which, despite the advert suggestion, you could not just ‘tap & unwrap’ I remember dad smacking the crap out of the wrapped choc, muttering ‘this is ridiculous’. There would be something suspiciously practical, like an item you would probably have got anyway (‘school socks, oh great!’) and finally, something from the kids bit of the Avon catalog as my mum was an Avon lady (‘ding dong! Avon calling!’) The reason I mention all this is Avon used to send their reps ‘flexidiscs’ which were flexi 7inch singles you had to place 2p on to stop slipping when played. These would sometimes include mini plays /dramas of 2 women talking ‘over coffee’ where they would discus the latest colours or skincare trends. They were hilariously bad and used to have me crying laughing. One season the rep flexidisc contained a song called ‘Smile!’ The chorus being ‘we’re going to put Avon on everybody’s lips, with shades of happiness and lots of lovely gifts!’ It was probably the gayest song ever created (I loved it and still know all the words) but just to make it go off the gayometer it came with a silk scarf with printed swatches of the ‘Smile’ lipstick palette. It took me many years to find that flexidisc on eBay but I managed it! 💄❤️🎅🏽 #christmas #xmas #christmastree #christmasdecor #handmade #love #merrychristmas #santa #winter #christmastime #gift #christmasgifts #holidays #holiday #gifts #smallpleasures #christmasdecorations #santaclaus #snow #leejackdesign #christmasgift #like #noel #art #instagood #christmaslights #family https://www.instagram.com/p/B6P5sEOIgRl/?igshid=yg7x91m6fyzr

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albertine2012-blog · 4 years

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"Ding Dong Avon Lady Calling!" 😊✨

“Ding Dong Avon Lady Calling!” 😊✨

https://catalog.avon.com/content/avon/us/en/brochure/share.html?shareId=brochure-202016&rep=rmorisch&utm_param=cp|rmorisch

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#avonlady

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beautyblizzard-blog · 5 years

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New Avon Goes from Ding Dong to Click Click!

Thats right! New Avon has transformed its business model to have the capability of operating on a completely digital platform! Avon ladies have gone from ringing door bells with their popular catch phrase “Ding Dong, Avon Calling” to customers being able to shop 24/7 directly online with their representatives. Customers are finding this the “best of both worlds”-they get to conveniently order…

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youravongirl · 6 years

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antionetterparker · 6 years

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Avon: Is this iconic beauty brand doomed to fail? [Review]

“Ding dong, Avon calling!”

The old tagline from the 1950s and 60s made Avon a household name among the Babyboomer crowd…

And now, the quintessential old-lady cosmetics brand.

Even so, their status as one of the first major network marketing companies has made them the biggest name in the MLM space, rivaled only by Amway.

Add to that their squeaky-clean reputation, and they’re unlike other MLMs that reek of manipulation and hype.

But like other iconic brands that are losing their foothold or outright dying out (think Sears and Macy’s), Avon has been in a steady decline for the last decade. Clearly, they’re struggling to transition from door-to-door sales to e-commerce.

Is it smart to join them? We’ll let you decide.

FAQ

1. What does Avon sell? Best known for door-to-door sales of makeup, Avon carries a full line of products for women: skin care, wellness, bath and body, fragrance, jewelry, fashion, home, and even products for men.

2. What are Avon’s most popular products? One of Avon’s most popular products is the Skin So Soft Original Bath Oil, their iconic bath oil for truly pampering yourself. Newer favorites are the Anew Ultimate Multi-Performance Day Cream, an anti-aging moisturizer that recreates the look of youthful skin; Anew Clinical Eye List Pro Dual Eye System, a 2-in-1 eye cream/gel duo that lifts and depuffs your eyes; and Avon’s True Color Lipsticks, which include 40 shades in two finishes, satin and shimmer.

3. How much does it cost to join Avon? It costs just $25 to join Avon, plus the costs of your starter kit. You have three options for your starter kit: $25 quick Starter Kit, $50 Advanced Starter Kit, and $100 Premium Starter Kit. As you might expect, the premium kit gives you more products and samples, and more sales tools and training. Regardless of which kit you choose, you’ll get free online training and a free personal website.

4. Is Avon a scam? No, Avon is a publicly traded company that’s well respected in the direct sales industry. They’re probably the oldest MLM and rank just below Amway in the Direct Selling News 100. And they seem to take care of their reps—some having been with the company for ten years or more, earning six-figure incomes.

5. What is Avon’s BBB rating? A+

6. How long has Avon been in business? Since 1886

7. What is Avon’s revenue? $5.7 billion

8. How many Avon distributors are there? 6 million

9. What lawsuits have been filed? In 2018, a lawsuit was filed against Avon by Caroline Ruiz for firing her from an executive job in Avon’s Manhattan headquarters after disclosing her pregnancy and asking to work remotely for a week. [1] A class-action lawsuit was filed in May 2018 for alleged failure to warn employees of a mass layoff at their Orlando location and other sites. [2] In 2016, they paid $6.25 million to settle a pension management class-action suit. Avon had been accused of mismanaging funds in pension accounts during a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation. [3]

10. Comparable companies: Mary Kay, Nu Skin, Arbonne

Product-wise, these guys are solid. They’ve developed a name brand over the years that women love.

Business opportunity-wise, however, the company is a little played out. Not saying it would be impossible to still make money with Avon, but there are certainly more sustainable options out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Either way, here’s the full review on Avon.

Overview

Avon was founded wayyy back in 1886, before your Grandma, by a New Yorker and door-to-door salesman David McConnell.

Now they’re ranked #2 on the DSN Global 100, behind only Amway.

They hit $5.7 billion in revenue in 2017, down from $6.16 billion in revenue in 2015 and $9.23 billion in 2011. That’s no temporary slump. [4]

In fact, shares have been declining for some time. At the end of 2017, shares traded for $4.65, which is just a tenth of what they were worth in May 2004, when shares traded for $44. [5]

If it wasn’t already clear that they’re struggling to keep their head above water, in 2015, Avon sold the remainder of their North American business and moved their headquarters over to the UK, cutting some 2,500 jobs worldwide in the process. And that’s just full-time employees – it doesn’t even begin the cover the impact on their representatives. [6]

Supposedly this is all part of a plan to turn themselves around, but it reminds me of the violinists who played music to ease the pain of people on the Titanic as it sunk. And we know it’s not helping, because a class-action suit was filed in May 2018 for laying off a third of their workforce (950 employees) without the 60-day notice required by the WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act. [7]

How much does Avon cost?

The sign-on fee to become an Avon Sales Rep is $25, one of the lowest in MLM (see the full rankings).

However, the start-up cost doesn’t include much. You still have to purchase a starter kit with samples, products, Avon brochures, and other marketing materials. That will set you back another $25, $50, or $100, depending on the kit you choose.

Products

Avon sells make-up, skin care products, perfume, home goods, and even accessories and lingerie. Of course, they’re known for their make-up, so that’s what I’ll focus on.

Almost every single MLM out there overprices their products, but Avon actually has incredibly reasonable prices…and not just for an MLM, but even compared to drugstore brands.

Many of their products, from foundation to lipstick to eyeliner, can be purchased for $6-$20, with some products on sale for as low as $2.

While Avon certainly isn’t going to win any contest for best cosmetics line in the world, especially up against uber-popular and forever trendy brands like Urban Decay, NARS, Benefit, and MAC, they are generally well-liked (especially at the price point) and very well-established.

Their skincare products are a little pricier, mostly ranging from $7-$38, but they have fantastic reviews. Marie Claire even called their skincare products “the perfect solution for every skin problem you’ve ever had.”

The Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray has long been one of their most famous products, partially because it does what it says (makes your skin so soft), but also because people have discovered that it’s one of the most effective insect repellents. Some claim it works even better than DEET. [8]

Their Sun+ Clear Spray SPF 30 won a “Best Buy” award from independent reviews.

A-F33 Treatment, a “miracle” anti-aging cream, stirred up such a buzz that it gained a 60,000 person waiting list and eventually became Avon’s fastest selling product ever. It’s been hailed by dermatologists as the biggest breakthrough in skincare for two decades. [9]

Benefits:

Their skincare products have been praised for their anti-aging and moisturizing benefits. Their insect repellent and sunblock are very highly rated.

Side Effects:

There are no reported side effects associated with Avon products.

Compensation Plan

Avon is one of those rare MLMs that allows you to make an OK supplemental income on selling alone, without ever recruiting a single team member. In fact, many Avon Sales Reps do just that. It’s refreshing to see this model is still around when most new MLMs all but require you to recruit, recruit, recruit.

Commission on personal sales ranges from 20%-50% depending on the product and your rank, which is pretty good.

Once you start recruiting a team, you open up a wider range of earning opportunities, from team commissions to rank bonuses to cars and vacations.

However, the vast majority of Avon reps make only a few hundred dollars a month, if that. It’s certainly not a full-time wage, but it could be a fun side job for some.

Recap

Overall, Avon is clearly one of the most well-established, ethical MLMs out there.

And that might be why they’re failing.

Avon has made a respectable name for themselves for over a century now, but if they don’t make some big changes quickly, it looks like they might be going under for good. Even if they manage to stay afloat, the sale of their entire North American operations proves that the company will never be the same again.

After a while, being the oldest player in the game stops being an advantage and starts being a disadvantage. It’s clear that Avon has had trouble adapting to new times and new trends, and their products are just NOT achieving the popularity they used to, even just a couple of decades ago.

On top of that, the fact that they follow all the rules better than that kiss-ass you always hated in Kindergarten might win them brownie points with the SEC and FTC, but it might also be making it difficult for them to compete in a world filled with MLMs that bend and break the rules to such an extent that they find themselves under investigation in less than a decade.

Even the brightest stars die out eventually, and Avon is flickering.

I’ve been involved with network marketing for over ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

via https://mlmcompanies.org/avon/

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recipereruns · 6 years

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#TBT Recipe - ‘Hostess Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes - Just Like My Mom Refused to Buy’

Hostess snack cakes. My mother called them “junk’ and “expensive”. Big talk from a woman who makes meth to support her Avon habit. My brother and I longed for the processed, packaged treats that we saw in other kids’ lunches. Rich kids, I guess. Day after day of the “homemade” bulls*&t, we were JONESING for Twinkies, Ho-Ho’s, Ding Dong’s, (F*&K Snowballs) and the piece d’ resistance, the cream filled chocolate cupcake!

It’s not like we NEVER had a Hostess. There were times at one of our rich friend’s houses, or out running errands with dad. (Dads who travel all week will buy you ANYTHING on the weekend.) And there was the ONE time when mom bought a box of Hostess Cupcakes. I asked, “Are we rich, now? How much meth have you been selling?” She said they were on sale. I suggested maybe she cut back on the daily Avon lady visits and we’d have money for packaged snack treats.

Such a rare treat was not going to last long, so I savored every bite. I was methodical with my approach. First time, I bit straight into it; through the icing, the cake and the cream filling. Other times, I carefully sampled each component - chocolate frosting was my favorite. I would nibble away the crunchy, sweet icing curlicues with my little buck teeth. Then I would carefully peel away the frosting of in one layer, roll it up like a fudgy joint and save it for last. Then I tackled the cream filling. With my finger (have I mentioned that I’m disgusting) I would tunnel down into the center, scooping out filling and licking it. I would then use my tongue to get it all out. The cake was not the highlight for me, so I just scarfed it down. Finally, with my fudgy joint in hand, I would sit back in my bean bag chair, turn on the TV and see what shenanigans the Brady Kids were up to.

As I grew up I learned to agree with my mom that though delicious, Hostess was indeed expensive, processed junk. The recipe below slays. Though lacks the curlicue signature, the ganache frosting adds a level of sophistication and richness that makes the Hostess look broke. Plus with the money you save making homemade, think of all that Avon you can buy! Or at least not have to sell as much meth. Seriously, what Avon lady comes everyday? Wait a second...

INGREDIENTS - GANACHE

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

1-3 Tbsp

1-2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Place chips and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Heat cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to boil - just bubbly edges, not a full rolling boil (which is what I call my road rage).

Slowly pour cream over chocolate, stirring constantly. Do not whip - stir until chocolate is melted and you have a cream emulsion.

Cool in the fridge and let thicken to 'frosting' consistency if you want to spread it or squirt it on with a pastry bag. OR, let it set to hot fudge consistency and spoon over the cupcake. When it sets it will be shiny, smooth and flat, like my hair shall never be.

INGREDIENTS - CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp instant coffee granuals

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake pans with papers, or use silicone - usually makes 18-24.

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each edition.

Beat in vanilla and coffee granules.

Sift together dry ingredients.

Add flour mixture into the creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk in three additions, scraping down side of bowl each time.

Scoop batter using a 1/3 measuring cup, filling the cake holes 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cupcakes test done.

Cool, fill* and frost!

*Put a metal bowl into the freezer for about 20 minutes. Pour 1 cup of cold, heavy cream, 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla and mix with an electric mixer about 1 minute until stiff peaks form. Or, if you skipped your workout today, whisk by hand.

To fill, you can use a pastry bag with a metal tip and insert it into the top or bottom of the cupcake and gently squeeze until you can feel some expansion.

OR, if you are like me and don't have a metal tip to insert and your squirting game is anything but gentle, you can cut a cone out of the top, squirt or spoon the whipped cream and replace the cone. The ganache frosting totally covers it up.

Enjoy! I'm off to my new job, writing Erotica for Hostess.

#recipereruns tbt hostess cupcakes creamfilling chocolate Avon thebradybunch

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the-closet-diaries-blog · 7 years

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Hello, Sunshine!

I am living vicariously through all of your Summer snapshots on Facebook and Instagram. You are all having an extraordinary Summer. Well deserved.

Buddha, my 18 and 8-month-old pug, keeps me in the country right now.

I’m completely obsessed with styling in all 50 states. I am currently on my 10th state and just returned from one of my biggest bucket lists–Palm Beach. I am mesmerized by markets that can be identified strictly by their style aesthetic. West Palm wins the Lily Pulitzer prize for how many saturated pastels can legitimately be worn in one outfit. Take Palm Beach to Coachella or vice versa. #stylefail.

I have been dressing clients in New York for over ten years now, for weekend jaunts or their second homes. I’ve been dying to see Palm Beach first hand. Both a new client in Palm Beach Gardens and an India Hicks’ collection at a party in the Palisades, finally brought me there.

As an intuitive stylist, I grew up with the Horowitz family parlor tricks–our superpower of covering the not-so-happy reality of my parent’s marriage. I always say that styling was the lemonade to my lemon of a childhood.

Clothing trends are one aspect of fashion, however, social trends are just as important for me to take note of.

I would be remiss if I were not paying attention to social selling, or the word that gives everyone the heeby jeebies, Direct Selling. Everyone’s immediate reaction is “Oh… Amway… Herbalife… Pyramid scheme”. I have been directly selling and styling all on my own in your homes for over 13 years now. I love you guys.

Ding Dong, Avon calling! My mother was an Avon lady, with three young kids and a handful of a husband. I will never forget those teeny-tiny lipstick testers that looked like a complete makeup squad for Barbie. As a kid, who didn’t sell Girl Scout Cookies for charity? Shaking in my Vans in Woodland Hills with Bunny (my mom), waiting at the end of the street. How could I not promote Thin Mints when the door opened? Duh!

As a modeling agent, I visited Mary Kay in Dallas. I was blown away by the sheer size of the building. This company had taken door-to-door selling and turned it into a 4 billion dollar company, with over 3.5 million independent beauty consultants.

In fact, even more ironic, Mary Kay hired me in September of 2011 for their very first advertorial in People Magazine. This piece shared their new makeup collection for Fall with current fashion trends–all curated by moi. Even I can’t believe the full circle as I am writing this.

With more sales-people in the department stores than customers, the malls are on their way to Blockbuster status. Plus, Amazon is making sure we feed our instant wants and needs with same-day delivery.

In society, innovation is recognized as the outsider, until it iterates into what seems to be a new fresh model.

Enter Beauty Counter and India Hicks–two brands that purposefully bucked the traditional wholesale/retail model. If department stores and online retailers can put small boutiques out of business, why can’t these two women put the department stores out of business? (just sayin’, not serious)

Our lives are impacted in a flurry of fun and overwhelm. Social Selling not only makes sense but is also more time efficient.

This isn’t your momma’s Tupperware party any longer. Nicholas Keuper, the delightful CEO of India Hicks, shared that finding the proper term to replace ‘Direct Sales’ has been one of their goals this past weekend. He then followed with 'Reinventing Retail��.

100% Nicholas.

REINVENTING RETAIL

No longer do you have to worry if salespeople are not truthful because now the salesperson is your best friend, partner, or neighbor. Social selling is sharing beauty and fashion that you get excited about.

Isn’t that just what I do? 100%. I wouldn’t be the stylist I am if I wasn’t continually getting excited about new products and new trends. Beauty and fashion feel good. When you feel good about what you are using, you want to share it with everyone.

This past weekend at the Eau hotel in Palm Beach I met so many amazing women. Believe it or not, growing up with two sisters very close in age, I am not a girls-girl. I tend to be better one-on-one. Hello, lone ranger one-on-one stylist. Once I had the nerve, and a lot of liquid courage, I got the chance to talk to India–a fellow Virgo–about her unbelievable youngest son MC'ing the festivities. India joked, “You shy?” Then, on her way to the dance floor she whispered “#shyambassador”.

I was so impressed with India who, with all her accolades and aristocracy (too much to mention), was completely down to earth the entire trip. She’s beautiful, hilarious, uses that word that rhymes with 'duck’ often, is not shy about margaritas, and believes that having fun is just as important as being professional. This Fall collection is exciting for such a young brand. The Cartridge single handedly should have India Hick’s on everyone’s lips.

When women come together for a reason that ignites their passion it multiplies and multiplies.

This, my friend, is social selling.

I would like to thank all of my new clients coming to me from Thumbtack. Because of you, I knew I needed a line both luxury and price-friendly. A special shout out to Caroline Toler, for your unbridled passion for the social selling company you are excited to share. And, Heather Courtney Quinn, for always quietly pointing out what I’m not open enough to pay attention to.

I encourage you all to find what socially gets you excited, and bring it into your life. It’s where we are headed and it’s the smartest way to be a customer. Make your brands work for you!

xxBarbra

SHOP THIS EDIT:

The Carmen Clutch - Caramel Heritage Link Cartridge Bag - Black Hat Attack - Charcoal Gray The Reserve - Island Gecko Cartridge Bag - Merlot No. 1 Brightening Facial Mask Cleansing Cloths Repair&Nourish Split Ends Serum

#indiahicks #fashion #beauty #style #personalstylist

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