Last week I was asked to speak at the Vancouver Mom Top 30 Mom Blogger Gala.  It was the perfect night to debut my new Kiyonna dress.  I was recently asked to be part of the Kiyonna Blogger Brigade and picked this Harlow Faux Wrap Dress in red.  I have wanted a great red dress for sometime now.  But I had not found anything that didn't look "too much".  When you are going to wear red all over it needs to fit great and be a simple style.   Coincidentally Kiyonna told me after that I am the First Canadian in their Blogger Brigade - so it was perfect that I picked red.

On the Vancouver Mom.ca red carpet.

 

The lovely Gwen from Left Coast Mama was my date for the night (we were both in the Top 30 Mom Bloggers in 2010). There is a great picture of us in our dresses on the VancouverMom facebook page.   Gwen helped me select my accessories and reminded me that while I might be wearing red I am not a play-it-safe girl, so that I needed to wear the turquoise necklace.  She also took my pictures of me in my dress for Kiyonna.

The event took place at the Museum of Vancouver.  We had the opportunity to visit their lovely Art Deco Fashion exhibit. But I never got past the cocktail party room - I'll have to go back with my Mom when she visits this summer.  Interestingly the backdrop for our event was the newly unveiled Reading the Riot Boards.  These were the boards put up over many windows after the 2011 riot (after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup).  In the days after the riots the people of Vancouver covered these boards with messages of hope, love and more.

Me in front of the Riot Boards.

 

Dress: Kiyonna - Shoes: Fluevog -  Necklace: Stella & Dot - Cuff: dconstruct

I was asked to speak for 3 minutes on What I Know Now is this… along with always lovely Amber Strocel  and  Harriet Fancott.  And here is what I said (or at least what my notes said before I started talking)

I am happy that I have always embraced my unique differences and turned them into my blog’s strengths.   I didn't hide from my age, my size, or my zero expertise in fashion.  I built my story around it.  And continue to embrace those things that make me and my blog unique.

What I know now is that My imperfect body is perfect… I work every single day to accept my body, celebrate my unique self…my style, shape, size and age.

    • I am no longer my 20 year old pre-kid self. Things are lower than they used to be, things are softer, things are greyer, things are just… well …different. But I make the best of what I have.
    • I don’t set things aside for the dream of change in the future.   I make the most of what I have today (I might have added here that I don't own any jeans that are waiting for me to lose 10 lbs to wear.  But I think that is not exactly true. I have some jeans that might fit me if I lost 10 lbs, but they are only in the closet because I haven't cleaned it out in a while).
    • This was especially hard around posting pictures of myself… and I fretted about the first few posts of “what I wore”. I had not intended to put a lot of outfit photos of myself online when I started. But realized that my audience connected with them AND it demonstrated that I am comfortable with myself. Flaws and all.
    • I think being honest about myself and showing that I accept my imperfections allows other women to appreciate their own unique selves – if she can put it out there why can’t I…. Am I 100% comfortable? No. Did it stop me from posting a picture of my face without make-up? No. Or my ass in a tight skirt? No.
    • If I don’t celebrate my flaws who will! 

There is humor in my imperfections. I want women to connect with the real me and not take fashion seriously.  And sometimes there is humor in that…  But what I know now is that being funny is hard. It is a tight rope to ensure that you laugh with me at the cream puff I dribbled down my top at the Opera NEVER at me.    And while I may be poking fun at myself, I never apologize for being myself.

So I continue to celebrate my beauty today… not lament about youth lost or the dream of what could be tomorrow. I am who I am today. And I will celebrate that in all its imperfect perfection!

The most important thing I know now is that I don’t need to do it alone. Every blogging heroine has a team that helps her succeed.   While you are writing away alone in your office, many times while everyone else is asleep, it may feel very solitary.  But you aren’t alone.  Take a look around you. These women are your Scooby gang/team. We support each other. We cheer each other on.  We make inside jokes about BTVS.  We help each other strategize. We listen. We comment. We challenge. We call bullshit. We make each other crazy with our irritating habits on long road trips to blogging conferences.  We try to complement each other’s talents so that we can all be better at what we do.

What I know now is that everyone in this room is my team. 

Do you have a dress that makes you feel like a million dollars? If yes, why does it make you feel good? 

Note: I'm also participating in Visible Monday today.  While I didn't technically wear this on a Monday, it certainly makes me visible.