The Beauty of Kindness

Plato once said, “Be kind for everyone you meet, is fighting a hard battle.”  I love quotes, but by far, this has always been my favorite.  From the outside I am to assume that I look relatively happy.  I smile quite often, I laugh regularly, I take the time to do my hair and makeup, and on that rare occasion, you may even find that I’ve thrown together an acceptable outfit to wear for the day.  Realistically, I know that most people who meet me have no idea what things are really like for me in my daily life.  Nobody knows how often I still cry because I miss my father, no one knows that I still wonder if my husband left me because I wasn’t pretty enough,  and those that don’t know me, would never know that I battle with an eating disorder in my head every single day.  It doesn’t mean that I’m crazy – well, maybe just a little, it just means that we’re all fighting our own battles and nothing on the inside is really what it appears on the outside.
This week my heart broke in so many ways for those around me.  It began with Donald, the shoe shine guy at my office, who had to have his leg amputated.  Donald is a kind and loving man.  I could see that just by looking at him.  I would always joke with him that he should start a pedicure service and ditch the shoe shining business.  I guaranteed the pedicure business to be a much more lucrative endeavor.  He actually thought about it, but the problem you could see with Donald was that Donald had given up on life and on himself a long time ago.  I knew before anyone told me, the reason Donald lost his leg was because of Diabetes.  This was not a man who was taking good care of himself. 
Then there’s my best-friend who is raising two little girls – a three year old (Natty) and a one year old (Livi) .  At the same time as raising two daughters, she is also struggling to grieve the loss of her mother who is deteriorating from Alzheimer’s.  The other day my friend cried so hard, she had to stick a towel in her mouth to keep her husband and daughters from hearing her cry “yet again".  She takes a shower, wipes up her tears, puts a smile on her face, and goes on about her day.
My other dear friend has spent 11 days away from her husband while he’s been at the USC Medical Center recovering from surgery last week.  This is one of several emergency surgeries that he’s had in the last year and a half after battling with colon cancer the year prior.  In the meantime, she lost her own mother a year ago to lung cancer, and she is raising a three year old daughter.  As if being a mommy wasn’t already the toughest job in the world.  Purple Heart of Honor goes to this gal! 
My point in all of this isn’t to bring everyone down.  That’s not my point at all.  Life is full of both, tragedies and triumphs.  Truth be told, it is both the tragedies and the triumphs that shape who we truly are.  But on our road to discovery or on our journey as many may call it, it is imperative that we have one another to cheer us on.  A perfect analogy was last night at the gym when I was faced with a new challenge and just as I wanted to quit, one of the trainers chimed in and said, “Come on Farrah, you can do it!”  I know it sounds so cliché, but just that little ounce of encouragement took me further than I was capable of taking myself in that particular moment.  This is how life works my friends; we all need one another.   You never know when your smile, your kind words, or your lending ear can change someone’s day or maybe even their life. 
We get so afraid to take chances. We have become so afraid to become vulnerable with people we don’t know or even with people we do know.  The one reason I was a great teacher was because I was vulnerable with my students.  I was honest and I was genuine.  We’ve become a society that is so guarded with our feelings.  Why is that?  When I reach out to others, I always get back way more than I’ve ever given to that person.  Life is a gift; it’s a gift to be shared. 
Life will always be full of hard times.  There’s no getting through life without tragedy, but out of tragedy comes a love and a bond from those who have struggled right along with us.  Look at those who suffered on 9-11, as tragic as that day was; the country was truly united.  I’ve seen more kindness and laughter surrounding Donald (aka – the shoe shine guy) in the past week than I’ve seen around him in two years.  But, why does it have to take a tragedy to get there?  Can’t we be kind, be generous, laugh with strangers, and be compassionate knowing that underneath that smile, we’re all facing our own daily battles? 
If you took the time to read through my entire blah, blah, blog, thanks!  Thanks for caring and I hope you’ll pass along your generosity to someone who needs it because, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo Buscaglia

Stay Beautiful!  

xoxo...

Dedicated to my Loving Father – How High Can You Fly?

As many of you know, I lost my father several years ago. I was working on an event in Las Vegas and I received a message at 2:00 am from an emergency room doctor at Northridge Hospital. I called the doctor back and he advised me that my father had suffered from an aortic aneurism and that he would be in emergency surgery for several hours; he told me to remain calm, but that I needed to get on the first flight back to Los Angeles. With glitter make-up smeared across my face from the tears, I sat on the floor of the Las Vegas International Airport and I cried at the thought that my father was experiencing something so far within my grasp of reality. I questioned how I would take care of him on my own and what he would do now that he couldn’t work. I went to the gift shop and I picked out a get well soon card and I signed it at the airport. I have no idea what I wrote, but I remember buying it and never having the chance to give it to him. My father never woke up from surgery and he died the next day at 12:30 in the afternoon.
I gently held my father’s hand as he was hooked up to machines, I kissed him on the forehead and I told him that I would be okay if he left. It was the first time that I ever saw my father through God’s eyes. In that moment, my father was perfect - despite all of his imperfections.
The thing about fathers is that they’re always there to listen. My dad knew everything about me, but in actuality I found out that I knew very little about him. Of course, I knew that he was a pilot, I knew who he flew for, I knew that he liked fish and chips and that his favorite place to travel was the Cayman Islands. But, what I didn’t know was that my father touched so many lives. He had at least 200 people at his funeral and had a number of people to speak on his behalf about how he had influenced their lives. He was such a selfless man; he was funny, he was kind, and he was extraordinarily accomplished in his career. The two greatest loves of my father’s life was me and his love for flying. Together, my father and I traveled many places across the world. The last trip that we took was to Paris, France and he brought me up to the cockpit, so that I could see the sunrise as we approached the U.S. I’ve never seen anything so tranquil or beautiful as were the morning clouds, illuminated from the rising sun at 35,000 feet in the air. As I experienced that early morning sky through my father’s eyes, I realized why my father loved to fly so much; flying was so peaceful when you got above the clouds and you put the plane on auto pilot. He didn’t have to worry about a thing. Wouldn’t life be so serene for all of us if we could just put our lives on auto pilot, trust the direction that we were heading towards and not have to worry about a thing?
It’s been nearly seven years since my father’s death and in the past few months I have missed him more than ever. My father had this way of making everything okay. If the computer was broken – he would fix it. If my car was broken he would take it to get repaired and if my heart was broken – he would tell me that I just hadn’t met anyone worthy of my love yet.
This year has been the most difficult and most painful year of my life since my father’s death. I have overcome obstacles that I never could have imagined facing, but clearly God knew I was strong enough to take them on. I’ve cried to my father at night and I’ve asked him to fix my broken heart. Today, my father isn’t here to tell me that it will be okay or that I haven’t found a man worthy of my love. Today my father lives in my heart and he has instilled in me that I can put my life on auto pilot, watch the sun illuminate my life, and trust that everything will be alright!
May you enjoy your father this weekend as much as I enjoyed my father for 28 amazing years of my life! Happy Father’s Day!

From Street to Runway: Learn To Be a Make-up Pro

MAC Cosmetics presents, "MAC Style Session - From Street to Runway" - a terrific off the floor makeup workshop where you can learn about the latest make-up trends from Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo.

This workshop will be conducted by one of MAC's top make-up pros. This class is designed for those who are interested in learning more about cutting edge make-up techniques. This class is not for someone just learning how to wear make-up. Each student will receive a blank book with five blank face charts to follow along with and learn hands on techniques being taught during the class. In this one and a half hour course you will learn about three different make-up trends from across the globe. The event is being held at Nordstrom Topanga Plaza in Woodland Hills on June 25th, 2011. There are only a few spaces open for the 11:00 am session, but you may put your name on the waiting list for the 3:00pm session. The cost is $50.00, but you get that $50.00 in the form of a gift card to be used on any products you want after the class.

As most of you know MAC is one of the cutting edge cosmetic brands sold internationally. MAC originally hit the scene in 1985. Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo created the company after years of frustration trying to find the right make-up to withstand the intense lighting conditions used in most photography sessions. They wanted to create a brand image that was synonymous with all ages, races, and sexes. MAC also has an AIDS fund that they have created by selling their Viva Glam products, in which 100% of the sale price is donated to help men, women, and children living with AIDS. Since the foundation's inception date they have raised over $95 million U.S. dollars. Way to go MAC!

Join me if you can on June 25th at 11:00am for this exciting event to be held at the Nordstroms at Topanga Mall - 21725 Victory Blvd., Canoga Park, CA 91303. To hold your spot, just call 818.884.7900 and let them know that you'd like to reserve a seat for the "MAC Style Session".

Hope to see you there!

Until next time...stay BEAUTIFUL!

Color Me Peony

I was so excited this morning when I went grocery shopping to find these BEAUTIFUL peonies! I’m pretty sure that peonies are to flowers what diamonds are to jewelry for most women. Hence the reason every bride wants them in their wedding bouquet. The only problem is that they are more spring time to early summer type of bloomers.
Did you know that according to mythology and folklore peony flowers are a sign of good fortune, wealth, honor and happy marriages. Even more reason to have them in your bridal bouquet. Hmmm…maybe that’s where I went wrong?
So, here’s what I love, love, love about fleurs. I love saying fleurs (French for flowers), it just rolls off the tongue ever so gently. I love how beautiful fleurs make me feel. Many people forget the importance of environmental beauty. Environmental beauty is an actual revenue based genre within the beauty industry which includes candles, home fragrance, potpourri, etc. I don’t know that flowers necessarily fall into the business classification for the industry, but they certainly fall into my classification of beauty.
If you read my blog from last week titled, “What Color Will You Paint Your Hallway”…this is what I’m adding to my hallway this week. What will you add to your hallway or home to make you feel more beautiful this week?
Thanks for checking in!
Until next time…stay BEAUTIFUL!

What's A Beauty Stylist?

Hey Ladies,

I just got word on something absolutely fabulous that Nordstrom is now offering - a Beauty Stylist! I don't know if I've been under a rock or if I was just living in a VERY small town for three years prior to coming back to my home mall, but this is fabulous!

I constantly have people asking me all sorts of beauty related questions, such as: What kind of skin care should I use? What's an exfoliator (that's my favorite)? What kind of foundation should I use for my skin and the list goes on.

A Beauty Stylist can help answer ALL of your beauty related questions from what skin care products to use to what the best shades of make-up are for your skin tone. Why was this not thought of earlier and why on earth did I NOT think of this? Basically, it's like a fashion stylist for your face. Let's face it (no pun intended), if your face looks good - the rest just falls into place.

This is an ideal service for people over the age of 40 who are going through hormonal changes that are affecting the changes in their skin from normal to dry skin - from the start of wrinkles they never thought that they would see to dry flaky skin. Not to mention, it will take you away from the rut you've been stuck in for a couple of decades regarding what type of foundation is best suited for the changes in your skin, how to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and find new make-up trends and tips to take years off of your face.

To schedule an appointment with a Beauty Stylist, simply call your nearest Nordstrom or 1.800.7beauty to get started. What do you have to lose, except of course a few wrinkles off of your already beautiful face!

Until next time - stay BEAUTIFUL!

What Color Will You Paint Your Hallway?

Thus far 2011 has brought me nothing but major transitions in my life. Yesterday on my FB status I posted, “When one door closes another one opens; it’s the hallway that sucks.” I read that once in a book and I loved it. I don’t know about you, but I have a habit of going into major fear mode when one door closes. I question what will be behind the other door and I always imagine the worst, probably because I usually don’t think I’m worthy of anything better. But, guess what? If that’s what I think, then that is exactly what I will get!
As I thought about that this morning, it made me really sad – for one thing, it’s sad that I don’t feel worthy of wonderful things in my life and even more sad that I think there’s a bunch of crap waiting for me behind the other door. So, this morning I began to think that I have no choice but to linger in this hallway as I anxiously await, what is behind door number two. I can’t make the door open any faster and even if I tried to unlock it on my own, that’s when I get into my own will and it just ends up being a frustrated mess. So, I decided that I need to embrace the waiting period and get cozy in my hallway. But, how do I embrace such an uncomfortable time in my life? (By the way, it’s amazing the answers that you get when you actually ask the questions out loud.) The answer is this - I will decorate my hallway. I literally will visualize painting my hallway a beautiful bright color – a turquoise color; it will be a cross between bright and vivid, along with the calmness and serenity that blue is generally associated with. I will hang pictures of loved ones that bring me joy and who encourage me to be the best that I can be in all areas of my life. While I wait in my hallway, I will be sure to take extra good care of myself; I will eat well, workout, read books, talk with friends, look at new make-up trends, you name it – the sky’s the limit. After all, I’ve got nowhere else to be right now.
Once you’ve decorated your hallway and you’ve painted it the most inspiring color you can possibly imagine, get comfortable and visualize what you want behind door number two. The sky is the limit for you my friend. Pretend like you have ALL the money in the world, imagine having your MBA or your PhD, imagine being a make-up artist for Jennifer Lopez, or the stylist to Kim Kardashian. What I’m saying is do NOT put limitations on your dreams. Once you’ve visualized this, I want you to visualize it several times each day until door number two opens. I’m not saying you’re going to live in a 16 Million dollar mansion on the beach in the Cayman Islands – let’s face it, it would be very difficult to do JLo’s make-up from the Caribbean anyway. What I am saying is that if we dream big, we will end up with something more than we ever thought we were worthy of having.
I’ve spent far too much time these past few years, living in a very small room, confined to the needs of others in my life because they were jealous, insecure, or they couldn’t imagine having their own lives be fulfilling and beautiful. I’m done with those people! I don’t want them in my hallway, in my life and I certainly don’t want them anywhere behind door number two. I say, go paint your damn hallway whatever color that makes YOU happy, decorate the walls with whatever it is that inspires you and imagine a life beyond your wildest dreams behind that door that awaits your new journey in this life!
Go make your life beautiful, not tomorrow, not Monday – start living a beautiful life today!
Until next time – Stay Beautiful!

Annenberg Space For Photography Presents - Beauty Culture

“BEAUTY CULTURE provides a seminal examination of photography’s role in capturing and defining notions of modern female beauty and how these images profoundly influence our lives in both celebratory and disturbing ways.” – Annenberg Space for Photography

Looking for something fun to do this Memorial Day weekend? Look no further! The Annenberg Space for Photography, located in the heart of Century City, is launching a photo exhibit focused on how beauty has impacted our society for decades. The “Beauty Culture" (exhibit) encourages a social discussion about the allure and mystique of the pursuit of female beauty, as well as its cult-like glorification and the multi-billion dollar industries that surround it.”

I was honored for the opportunity to teach Beauty at FIDM for nearly five years and the first class of each new quarter began with a discussion about the fascination, as well as the extreme lengths that women go to in order to obtain beauty in a society that demands perfection. As many of you know, I truly believe that our face is a canvas in which we can create a beautiful masterpiece each day. Many of us can look at beauty in a healthy way – in a way that makes us feel more beautiful and feminine. However, other women have taken beauty to the extreme and some have even died at the costs associated with fixing their perceived inadequacies.

I hope that you have the opportunity to see this revolutionary exhibit and I hope that it evokes some profound insight regarding the impact that beauty has had on shaping our culture and more specifically how beauty has shaped you.

The exhibit will run from May 21st – November 27th. The exhibit hours are Wed. – Sunday from 11:00am – 6:00pm. The event will be held at the Anneberg Space for Photography located at: 2000 Avenue of the Stars, #10 – Los Angeles, CA 90067
For additional information you can visit their website at: http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/# or call them at 213.403.3000
If you’re looking for me this weekend – you know where I’ll be!

Until next time…stay beautiful!
Xoxo…