In Defense Of Simpson, Jessica, That Is!

Friday morning, while driving my husband to the airport, I heard something that had me tilting my head and saying...Huh? The morning DJ's topic of conversation was Jessica Simpson and her baby. Innocuous enough, except that she was catching heat for what the baby was wearing on Katie Couric's new show.

So here's the deal. I'm not a big fan of Jessica Simpson. Her dumb blond act (and I do mean act) got a little wearing with me. She was smart enough to parlay it into a lot of money...but still, it irks me when women deliberately hide their intelligence behind the airhead facade. And then there's the fact that I'm a Cowboy fan. No, I don't think she was responsible for distracting Romo or causing the team to lose. But I do know that she wasn't right for our quarterback.

Back to my point... This DJ was calling Jessica Simpson out because her 4 month old baby was dressed too provocatively in the pictures that were shared. The baby was wearing a cute yellow macrame bikini. The DJ went on to say that her little darling (and she is a cutie) was posed provocatively. I was scratching my head. Why would someone be looking at a baby picture and thinking in those terms? How many of us have parents who took naked baby pictures of us? How creepy would it have been if someone saw them and thought, "ooh, sexy!" I saw the baby picture. I even linked it in. Personally, I saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. She was clothed. She wasn't posing provocatively...she was kicking her legs as babies are prone to do.

Then something wierder was said. The person kicking up the most dust about this was a male child protection advocate. Now call me a cynic, but all I could think of was that for a guy who is allowed around children to look at one little picture and call down wrath like that...well, something may be off about his moral compass. It wouldn't exactly be the first time a perv managed to get his/her self placed around children to feed their sick perversions. You hear about it more and more often, unfortunately.

A caller phoned in. She said she had issues with it and that kids shouldn't start dressing this way until they were in their 10-13 age range. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I know this. A baby in a bikini, no big deal. But a tween and early teenager...that's gonna draw a heck of a lot more attention. A baby or toddler in a bikini doesn't phase me. But watching these little girls dressing up like adult women...just as they're starting to develop...no thanks. Better to stay a child for as long as you can. And unfortunately, at that age, kids are getting to know themselves and their bodies. That's when they become sexualized and objectified.

I do have issues with toddlers in tiaras...make up at that age. That kind of emphasis being put on appearances so early. They're going to run into those things as they get older anyway. Why make a child think that they're not much better than the face they show the world. No need to cake on the make up. And parents... be parents. Be grown ups. Teach your kids the value of intelligence and kindness. The nasty cattiness is all over the place...and people wonder how bullies happen. Bah!
You know, the funny thing is...I was so irritated by this radio show that I felt the need to write about it. What's worse? I hate people who create controversy for controversy's sake...and yet what did I do? I let them have the forum in my brain. And I shared it with you. Maybe now that I've gotten on my soapbox and shared I'll be able to let it go.

Kids are our biggest gift to the world. Our greatest legacy. It drives me crazy when I see people try to tarnish that.

Rediscovery

I'm so lucky to have the kind of sister I have.  She's one of my best friends.  It wasn't alway that way in our lives, but the older we get, the closer we get.  Thank GOD!  She is often what saves my sanity when things get a little wild around me.

Above is just one of the many examples of the ways she shows her love.  I used to love to write.  I wrote all the time and everywhere.  Rarely would you find me without my journal book.  One year, while I was still in high school, I learned that my cousin was getting married.  I wanted to do something personal and unique for them.  So I wrote a poem.  After that, I hired a caligrapher to put the poem on parchment paper, I bought a lovely frame, and gave it to them as a gift.  The whole family loved the poem so much it became a tradition.  A cousin got married, I put that same poem in a frame and gave it as a gift. 

It had been years since I'd given it away, or even really thought about it.  But my sister, wily maid-of-honor that she was, remembered that poem.  And when Kirk and I got married, she took that poem and did me one better.  She found a place that would create a beautiful unity candle in our wedding colors...and got them to personalize the candle by taking my poem and putting it in the center of the candle. 

The above is a picture of the candle.  And if you can't read the poem, I'll write it below.

Marriage Wish

The beauty of the ocean waves

Crashing to the shore

The beauty of an eagle

As it spreads it's wings to soar

The beauty of a mountain

Reaching for the sky

Will never have the beauty

Of a love that never dies.

The beauty of a friendship

That lasts throughout the years,

The beauty in warm hugs

To dry away tears,

The beauty of a love

That will always be true

Is the beautiful marriage

I wish for both of you.

More recently I lost my job and was feeling at a loss.  My sister calmly told me, I've always thought you should be a writer.  Maybe the next Amanda Bradley.  If you're a Hallmark card fan, you know that Amanda Bradley poetry used to be in some of their best, most heartfelt cards.  I was floored that she felt this way.  She told me that she didn't care what I wrote, but that she'd always known, the same way music was in her soul, writing was in mine. 

She laughed and said that she knew I had a passion for music...couldn't live without it, just like her.  But where she had the drive and dedication to practice songs over and over till they were perfection, she knew that would take some of the joy of music away from me.  I loved it, but wasn't dedicated to it.  Not the way I was to my writing. 

And then she pushed me.  Without my knowledge she signed me up for a membership to the Florida Writer's Association.  I almost deleted the email that let me know I'd joined as I didn't recognize the sender.  Something made me stop and look.  For the first time in a long time I felt that stirring of desire.  I was excited and filled with ideas. 

She was right.  It's time to write.  I grabbed one of my old journal books that was sitting in the closet collecting dust and began.  I thought it was extremely fitting that I wrote my first poem in years while sitting on her patio, enjoying the view of the Chicago skyline, while on a mini-vacation to visit her.

I've also found myself singing again.  It's nothing fancy, just singing with the choir at church, but it's a step to reclaiming my lost passions.  I'm going to be singing a solo within the next few weeks!  I can't believe it.  How did I let my life get so far away from me that I lost the core of who I am?  Never again.  Life is too short to give up what makes you happy for people and companies that probably don't recognize it or appreciate your sacrifices anyway. 

If I have a momentary twinge of regret for all the things I missed...it's natural.  But I have a choice.  I can wallow and feel sorry for myself or I can learn something and move forward.  I choose the latter.  I choose to be happy and live my life to the fullest.  

Actions Speak Loudest

Life's challenges hit me pretty hard when I was fired from a job I loved and sacrificed for after nine years of service. There were a lot of contributing factors to losing my job. The one that sticks the hardest was the part of my "performance" that included store morale. There was a young lady who worked for me. She was not only someone I hired and promoted, but someone who I worked diligently with to help save her job when she found herself on the verge of losing it based on her sales results. A few years back her father died. I tried to be supportive and understanding, but when she came back something had changed at her core. She became this nasty, negative person. She blamed everyone else for all of her failures and shortcomings. She called Human Resources for any slights against her...real or imagined...and she did it regularly without a courtesy conversation with myself or my assistants. This was the biggest contributor to "store morale". So yesterday, after making me breakfast, then taking me to an early afternoon showing of Brave 3D we stopped by my former place of employment to drop off my company phones and tablet. Ironically enough, she was working. The moment she caught sight of me she ran and hid in the back office. We were there for nearly 30 minutes and she didn't make an appearance once. I was gratified by everyone else who came out to say hello and give me hugs...and I'd be lying if I didn't say that her running and hiding didn't somewhat amuse me. Her behavior told me everything I needed to know about her guilt at her behavior. I acted with integrity and had nothing to hide. Even though the whole situation did not end well, I could hold my head up high and look the world in the eye. She could not say the same.

New Beginnings

I was fired for the first time in my life this week. It happened on the 4th of July. I know I should be upset, but oddly, I find myself reflective instead. The hardest part for me was saying goodbye to the people who have been such a big part of my life for years. As I walked out the door, I took the time to say a personal goodbye to all the people who have worked so hard for me. It was gratifying to know that I had made a difference to many of them. I left surrounded by their hugs, tears and best wishes. Now it's time to look toward the future. I will take a little time to figure out what I want for myself, and this time I am determined to make sure that I have a work/life balance. Last time my life was sacrificed on the altar of my career... This time I will be looking for something that will allow me to spend time with the people I love, not running from crisis to crisis sacrificing my family time and personal health along the way. I guess what I am trying to say is that God works in mysterious ways, and I think this was his way of telling me he has better things in mind for me and that it is time to let go.

Just Another April Fool

To say this week has been trying is a huge understatement. I thank God daily for being there for me; giving me balance, helping me find my footing. It's not been easy. First, earlier this week, the person who sexually abused me as a child friend requested me on Facebook. Seriously? What is wrong with people? What could he have possibly been thinking? Because I didn't file charges almost 30 years ago that everything is just bygones? Not even in the realm of possibility. So I ignored his friend request and then logged into my Facebook to block any and all people with that name from being able to see my page. Then there was April Fools Day. Ever have something happen and wish it were a joke, but know it isn't? Something that brings up all the most sensitive of your emotions that you work so hard to move past...maybe even think you already have? Well, that came crashing down on me. My dad RSVP'd yes for my sister's wedding. In and of itself, that's not a very big deal. But when you consider that several years ago he told me that she was always his favorite because she always seemed happy to see him and that she seemed to need him and add that he didn't come to mine? It's a bit of a slap in the face. I'd let go of most of my anger years ago, not for his sake, but for mine. Life is too short to be angry and bitter. And I'd moved on with my life. And then something like this brings everything up to the surface again. I wasn't angry when he didn't make my wedding. In fact, I expected it. He's missed pretty much every important event in my life. He missed his own son's funeral. Why should I expect to be any different? So when he made his excuse as to why he couldn't come, I was ok. In fact, I was a bit relieved. Less stress and drama for my mother. But then he RSVP's for Chris's. And Chris doesn't really want him there either...didn't expect him to say yes. Does he not understand that for him to not show up at my wedding and then to come to hers is just not right? Not only is it not right, but it's hurtful! And now my sister is left to worry about my mom and how she's going to take the whole thing. And me, I get to continue to remember that my dad just doesn't love me enough. Never have, never will. And you know? I know it's his loss. But the part that never ceases to amaze me is how he doesn't see how anything is his fault. He makes excuses. He missed my wedding because he was waiting to hear back about a job he didn't get. When he found out, he was upset and blamed the company he'd applied for the job from for making him miss the wedding. He has absolutely no concept of the fact that he made a choice and that the consequences were based on his choice. Some things never change. I don't know why it hurt so much this time. Thanks to this song by Jimmy Wayne for reminding me that there are more important things in life...and that even if my bio dad isn't there for me, my Father will be.

An Weak Excuse For Womanhood

Between my sister getting engaged, prepping for my grandfather's memorial service, craziness at work and life in general....this incident was brought to my attention and I was livid! I couldn't keep quiet. If people follow my blog they know that I'm a big Dancing With The Stars and sports fan. This season I've come to truly appreciate the strength and talent of Erin Andrews. She's been vivacious, talented and fun to watch. Then someone like Elizabeth Hasselbeck has to open her mouth...and this kind of garbage spews forth: http://http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/05/05/2010-05-05_elisabeth_hasselbeck_slams_erin_andrews_for_dressing_inappropriately_on_dancing_.html

What really bothers me about this whole thing? She's a woman and a mother. How can she even make a comment that condones the victimization of another woman? For someone who's "so intelligent" regardless of how conservative she is, I'd expect her to have a sense of awareness. Erin was using Dancing With The Stars to gain a sense of empowerment and regain the control that her stalker stole from her. And another woman, of all people, is going to make snide comments that take that away?

The only reason I can think of that she would say this besides jealousy is because she's led a charmed life. She's never been made to feel unsafe. She's never had her sense of choice taken away from her. She's lucky. She's blessed. There's nothing worse than second guessing everything you do, wondering what you've done wrong or what you've done to deserve the bad things that are happening to you.

This breaks girl code everywhere. Kudos to Erin for fighting her way back to controlling her life. I'm glad she didn't let this guy break her or make her be afraid or ashamed of her body. It's a pity that someone like Elizabeth Hasselbeck couldn't understand or appreciate that.

Remembering Grandpa

If ever I doubted that family is more defined by love than by blood, all I would have to do is think back and remember Grandma & Grandpa Plass. It's taken me a while to write this because I really wasn't sure what to say. It didn't seem so very long ago when I donned my leopard print dress, a tribute to grandma, and said my last goodbyes to her...singing for her one last time. And somehow that day Chris and I had a feeling that Grandpa was listening, appreciating, and feeling that he was getting a preview of what his memorial was going to be like.

Grandma was his "older woman" being that she was 2 years older than he was. She passed away a couple months after they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. I got to be there to help them....and watched them renew their vows alongside Deb & Steve (Aunt & Uncle) and Mom & Kurt. It meant so much to be included in everything.

Even though we came into the Plasses lives as teenagers, they all welcomed us with open arms. Grandpa was always the calm, gentle soul...caring and always willing to talk or listen and support. Grandma was the fiery one...full of laughter and mischief.

Grandpa had been struggling with heart and respiratory issues for years, but somehow always seemed to come out on top. A few years ago he was even taking physical therapy to improve his strength. On Christmas '08 Mom & Kurt came down for Christmas and found out that Grandpa was on hospice. But still he was cheerful and upbeat. He stuck around to hold his great granddaughter, Camille, in his arms.... and to be able to see the photos of my wedding.

Although Grandpa was 94 when he finally answered his call to come home to Jesus, having been on hospice for a year, we should have been expecting it. But still, getting the call from my mom in January telling me that he was finally gone...it still shocked and saddened and hurt. I loved Grandpa. And I will always miss him. It was MY honor to be a part of his family.

The memorial is set for May. Chris, Mom and I will sing...and honor a man who knew what it meant to love his family...

Our Wedding Picture Montage

So Bella Photography was who we went through for our wedding pictures. Included in our package was a picture montage along with 1 beautiful, leatherbound album, 2 smaller parents albums and 4 mini albums. We also got $160 to spend on photos. They did a pretty good job. Looking back there were a few pictures I wish I'd thought to ask the photographer to get, but fortunately for me I have amazing people in my life like Suzie Lane who owns Susan Lane Photography and my sister. Between them, Judy, Natalie, Amber, Shelley...well, we got a bit of everything.

The below link is to our picture montage from the wedding. Enjoy!


Kat and Kirk

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So Much Has Happened

Ok, so it's been a while since I've blogged and the year has been incredibly busy! Since the last time I've had my bridal shower, bachelorette party & wedding in Chicago. We've had our mini-honeymoon in Texas. My cousins, Heather and Yann, had their beautiful baby girl...Camille Rose. Amber and Ben and Suzan and Mike got engaged. Gary & Sandi and Mike and Angie are expecting new additions to their families. And Grandpa Plass passed away. To say that our universe has been hectic would be a mild understatement. Anyway, here are a few pictures to share! I'll go into more detail when I have some time...

Time Starts To Fly

I'm very lucky to have my sister. The wedding is in 45 days...and time is really starting to fly. I'm getting RSVP's in the mail or through my website http://nelsonandlevato.weddings.com, which is really awesome and a great way for me to track the guest list. Some friends are also signing the guest book there and sending their best wishes, which is awesome! Technology is a beautiful thing. We've been able to post pictures from the events like the engagement party & bridal shower and details for places to stay, etc for the out of towners! Chris has also been able to tend to a lot of the details that require local attention, along with planning the bachelorette party.

In the next week or so I'll need to send the dj a finalized music list, make sure mom has paid the florist the remaining balance, ensure that Kirk has the men's gifts under control and gotten his tux measurements. I'll also need to send the signed updated contract for the reception hall.

It's funny because as I look back into our childhood I'm reminded of how Chris and I used to torment each other. I used to be the older sister who wanted to experiment on things that she was curious about...like if you punch someone in the stomach--does it really hurt? So I'd use her as a guinea pig...and she'd be cool with it until it actually hurt. Then she'd cry and tell on me. Or as we got older, if I'd be talking on the phone to a boy, she'd be driving me crazy either trying to distract me or listening in until I'd have to chase her down and threaten her with bodily harm. I was always the more physical one...LOL!

Now that we're older I crack up...she's always got a friend she is dying for me to meet when I come to town. Someone who feels they know me already. And it never fails...she's always telling me how they remind her so much of ME! Some of her best friends now that she's an adult are people that remind her of me. Of course my best friend is a nurse like her! So what does that tell you? LOL!

Pictures from the Bridal Shower

Mom with Judy's daughter!

Sis (Maid-of-honor), Kurt (Step-dad), Tux the cat, Mom, Me, Aunt Norma & Phyllis (cousin)

Musicbox gift from Mother-in-law to be...plays Unchained Melody!

The ring

Me with my future in-laws. The blond lady across from me is Kirk's mom, the blond next to me is Sandi (Kirk's brother's wife) & the one waving is Laura, Kirk's sister & one of my bridesmaids, the rest are relatives on the Orlando side of Kirk's family!

The day was wonderful, both our families were great. It meant a lot to have them all there!

In 54 Days...

....my life as Kat Nelson will end and I will officially become a member of the Levato family. What does that mean for me? Probably not a lot in the day to day of my life. But as a whole? Everything will change.

No longer will I be a single unit, but I will be a partner, a help mate. Decisions will no longer be made solely with me in mind, but will now be looked at from the aspect of what's best for US. It's not that I wasn't already doing this subconsciously. Let's face it, we've been living together for 15 years. You don't survive that kind of relationship without learning a thing or two. But now it will be based on a vow we'll be making in the eyes of God, our families and friends, each other and the law.

Several people who've known me for a while have asked if I'm getting nervous yet. If I'm getting cold feet. If I'm starting to freak out. I mean let's face it, I've had committment issues. Whether it's due to the relationship I witnessed from the parental units or not, it's the truth.

But the funny thing is, I'm steady as could be right now. I'm feeling rock solid. Calm, even. Because I feel like this is where I'm meant to be and this is the right time. The truth is that I love Kirk. I couldn't picture spending my life with anyone else! And I trust him.

The real reason behind my committment issues before was always misunderstood. It wasn't because I was afraid to make a committment. It was because I believe in marriage vows and that they should last forever. I don't take that lightly. I don't rush into things thinking about the "outs". When I make that committment and give myself 100%, that's IT for me. I throw myself wholeheartedly into everything I do. I don't know how to hold myself back. So I took a while to get to here. And there's no doubt in my mind that the party's just beginning.

Next come children... My family's taking bets on how quickly we can make that happen. LOL! I think my sister's hoping for a honeymoon niece or nephew.

Only God knows...because we're leaving that in his hands.

The Final Countdown Begins

Today I came home to a delivery sitting at our front door. Kirk's cousins sent some gifts from our registry. I can't believe how quickly time has been flying! Our wedding is in 87 days. It seems like only yesterday we got engaged, yet it was actually more than a year ago!

I'm excited right now because I'm headed out to Chicago in 7 days. I'll be arriving in town on my sister's birthday. I'm sure that will mean going out to dinner with the P's and Rich. It'll be a lot of fun being around for her birthday again! Then on Friday we have an appointment with the cake lady, lunch with an old friend and an evening tasting for the reception's menu. Saturday we pick my cousin up from the airport and then head to my sister's concert. Sunday is my bridal shower. Monday is my birthday. I also have a meeting with the minister about the wedding that morning. Tuesday I head back home.

Oddly enough, as busy as the weekend sounds, I think it will be a fun and refreshing change. Work has been one challenge after another lately and it'll be nice to be able to shut off my phones for a while. :-)

Ladies Night

Here's one of the reasons I LOVE my Mary Kay career. Last night Cheryl (pictured at the top) hosted a skin care class for me. We did the "Dash Out The Door" look which takes a very small amount of time when doing on your own. We laughed, had fun, and the results of the skin care and just a touch of cosmetics was amazing!

I was talking to my best friend and she was saying that she wished she had girlfriends that lived close by. She's going through a lot right now and she'd love to have a girl's night out! I told her that one of the biggest perks from my Mary Kay career besides the obvious is that whenever I get the urge to have a girls night out, all I have to do is book a skin care class or a facial. Even if I don't know everyone, I do by the end...and they're so much fun! What great ways to blow off steam after your primary job has been wearing you down. It really doesn't feel like work!

Above are the before and after shots from my portfolio that I took of the ladies from last night. Such a HUGE difference! They all looked lovely, I think. And we haven't even gotten to their follow up appointments for Advanced Glamour yet! Don't they look fabulous? Proper skin care makes a world of difference in the results your face will show. You see the change so quickly...and consistency only makes the results better!

Fun, friends and beauty...what a great cure for the stresses of the world! And from a professional level? I love that cosmetics are recession proof! There are only 3 things that are: alcohol, cigarettes & cosmetics. It's great to have a back up plan!

Attaining and Measuring Success

It's the little things that help me measure my success.

This morning I began my day with a 7 am conference call. Well, ok, I guess it was yesterday morning since it's 1:30 am as I'm writing this. On our call my team decided on a name. We are now called "the Regulators". I'm not really thrilled with the title. It makes me think of Metamucil or menstrual cycles. But...they voted and decided on it themselves. It's the first step in building a foundation of a solid team. The second step will happen next Friday as the team brainstorms to come up with what a "Regulator" stands for.

I also snuck in some creative visualization with my guys today. I made today a theme day. I called it Fantasy Friday. I set the stage by sending out an email to the group telling them to imagine that the year was 2010 and that they'd just received their W-2's. On the form it said they made $100,000. The goal of today was to send a shout out to the team with every feature and device they sold that made them money. In their shout out they were to picture how they would put that $100,000 to use. At the end of the day I'd compile a list of the top 10 plans on how to spend the money and send it out the following morning. The team will vote on their favorite idea and the winner would get a free lunch on me, with me.

It probably doesn't sound like much, but in reality it's a pretty big deal. The reality is that if a person can visualize being successful and making that kind of money, they are more likely to make it happen. If you can visualize spending the money, you can visualize earning the money, which means you can make your success happen. So as they came up with ideas...and the more detailed they got, the more they bought into their own success.

Later in the day I got to spend some quality time coaching the team members in one of my newer locations. I got them bought into improving their salesmanship through the tips and pointers I gave them. I helped improve the attitude and approaches that the reps had. It felt like I made a difference, so I felt really good about the day.

This evening I had more good news. My second recruit went active, my third is on her way to becoming active. If she goes active along with 2 other women I'll go on target for my first Mary Kay car and be well on my way to going for director! After talking to my director I realized that this is immensely doable. So tomorrow I'm going to be working on doing exactly that by 5 pm tomorrow. At 6 I have a skin care class with a colleague and some of her girl friends. This is so exciting!

If you want to know more about Mary Kay or how I'm making a success of it, give me a call! If you want to help my business as a customer, feel free to go to my website at http://www.marykay.com/klevato. Either way, any help anyone wants to give towards my success, whether it be support, advice, purchases, or a request for more information...I'd love that. If you don't know how to reach me, go to my site...there's a link to my email.

I'm passionate about both my careers and my success. God has really been able to help with my clarity and vision, and as a result, I've been attaining success! I just keep doing my daily devotionals and talking to God for guidance and I can feel a difference in how centered I am. It's like the lyrics of an old Amy Grant Song called All I Ever Have To Be:

When the weight of all my dreams
Is resting heavy on my head
And the thoughtful words of help and hope
Have all been nicely said
But I'm still hurting, wondring if I'll ever be the one
I think I am...
I think I am...

Then you daily re-remind me
That you've made me from the first
And the more I try to be the best
The more I get the worst.
And I realize the good in me
Is only there because of who you are
Who you are...

Refrain:
And all I ever have to be is what you've made me
Any more or less would be a step
Out of your plan
As you daily re-create me help me always keep in mind
That I only have to do what I can find
And all I ever have to be
All I ever have to be
All I ever have to be
Is what you've made me.

Doesn't that promise just take all the pressure off? It opens me up to being able to focus simply on what he wants for my life and not to worry because my direction is in his hands. He can be trusted.

Gratitude is just Great Attitude morphed into 1 word!

This last week was difficult at best. I've been busy closing down the last of my Circuit City stores, been dealing with the instability that was created prior to my taking over my new group. With all the changes my location group changed from Fort Myers to Naples to Sarasota to Naples. Two of my new locations had one manager, the furthest north had another one. This means that there's a bit of an adjustment that needs to happen with management style changes and team visions.

I've been working long hours closing down my last Circuit, which meant I couldn't do all the visits that I wanted to do this week. I worked several 12 hour shifts closing down one location, then spent the rest of the week trying to gauge my new team member's knowledge and skill set levels.

In exchange for all my hard work my manager called me to the carpet for the numbers of my newly formed team of 1.5 weeks. He didn't feel our key performance indicators were good enough and he wanted instant change. Never mind that we were killing it in our activations/upgrade numbers overall. His concern was that some of the other stuff wasn't fixed overnight. (My team had always been good at these categories) Because of our "lack of performance" in this area he chose to get on the phone with me and tell me that he had concerns about our performance (hinting at my ability, etc). He wanted me to go home that evening and think long and hard at myself and my team and write him an action plan on what I was going to do for the rest of the month to improve this number. He also wanted me write down what areas I needed his and his floating manager's help in. He said it all in a very negative and condescending way. It was insulting...but not nearly as insulting as him telling me that he was going to be sending his floating manager down to shadow me for the next week to see what it is I do on a daily basis and critique my every move. It was a slap in my face and the ultimate in micromanaging.

Needless to say I was furious at first. Tears of impotent rage in my eyes. But I knew I was of no use to my team in that condition so I took some deep breaths. I calmed myself. I prayed. And then I remembered that later that evening I had a facial set up with my old friend, Shannon, for Mary Kay.

I came home and started preparing, much to Kirk's surprise. He knew that I was in a snit. He figured I'd probably want to reschedule or just curl up in a ball for a while. He knows me well. Much as I wanted to just hide and lick my wounds somewhere I knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

So I got dressed up, I packed up my gear and I went to Shannon's house. In my CD player I listened to one of my training CD's from Lisa Madson's Pacesetter's call and let it fill me up with positive thoughts and reinforcements. I looked forward to seeing my old friend and hearing about how her new baby was doing! I had some cool things to show her and I was being given an opportunity to pamper her and help her look and feel good!

When I got to Shannon's I gave her a big hug. We sat down and did her facial. I showed her how to get a great "Dash Out The Door" look and showed her how proper skin care could help improve the signs of aging around her mouth and eyes! She loved it! She bought a bunch of product from me and scheduled an appointment for her "advanced glamour" look where she planned on inviting a couple of friends!

As I got back into my car I began to think about my day and how my Mary Kay appointment really turned it around. When I left for Shannon's house I had a huge knot behind my shoulder blade and felt like a punching bag for my boss, leaving me feeling a bit out of sorts and without control. But after being at Shannon's and sharing Mary Kay with her and taking time to watch her videos of baby Tony, I felt GREAT!

I realized one thing then and there. As much as I love my job, I don't really love my boss. I'd prefer to be my own boss, control my own destiny. It seems to me that the more time I spend learning about the Mary Kay opportunity, the more it seems God is pointing me in this direction. As long as I keep working my business I'll be able to supplement my income until I can match what I make at my current career. My goal is to make this work the way I've made my other careers work so that I'm successful enough to be able to leave my other job...something I never thought I'd consider doing.

In the end, it comes down to what I've always told my team...the only thing I can control is my attitude. So for now I'm going to give 100% to my job and 100% to my Mary Kay career when I'm not working. And I'm going to continue to ask for God's guidance and direction and plan my wedding!

There's something about Mary Kay's Golden Rule motto along with her "God First, Family Second and Career Third" that really speaks to me. It's helped me realize that I'm glad and grateful to have the job I have even when I'm not thrilled with my boss because it's motivation to do great things with the Mary Kay business I own so that I can leave soon...and on my own terms!

Hey, God really DOES help those who help themselves!

The Power Of Affirmations

Since joining Mary Kay I've come to really admire my recruiter and director...Robbie Brannon. She recruited me with a CD & DVD called "Your Future Is Now". This cd has helped me recruit my first team members. So far I have 3 new team members using that same CD. The speaker is an amazing woman named Lisa Madison. She's my National Sales Director. What an incredible success story she has! In my starter packet were some CD's by Lisa called "Keep It Simple".

Robbie challenged us to write affirmation statements to start off this new year. Then I heard Lisa's first affirmation statement she made in the '80's...and how she discussed the power of making an affirmation tape or cd. That's what she did back in the day...and 13 years later all her affirmations came true! I figured I'd try my hand at it.

"Kat's Affirmation"

I am a skilled, talented, dynamic leader. I create opportunities to talk about Mary Kay and build my business. I am earning the use of my first Mary Kay career car in the next 4 months. I am on my way to Dallas this July as a sales director. Lisa Madison will be at my debut to introduce me. I am utilizing the talents and creativity that God has blessed me with to generate and build business opportunties.

I make time to exercise every day because I know that my body is a temple and that balance between mind, body and spirit is key to my well being. I am eating healthier. Junk food is not a temptation for me. I have time to cook and enjoy my meals.

I lead a balanced, happy life and inspire those around me to do the same. When someone positively comments on my life or my confidence I take it as an opportunity to share my faith and my Mary Kay success story with them. I feel great about myself and find ways to help those around me feel great about themselves. I have a magnetic personality that draws people to me.

People are dying to help me in my Mary Kay business. They are thrilled to book parties with me and join my team! I am a PRO at selling "I Want It All"! Where other people see problems and crises I see challenges and opportunities waiting to be discovered.

I take ownership of all aspects of my career and my life. I do not accept excuses because I know that they are nothing but stumbling blocks to my growth and that accepting them from myself would be another way of saying that I'm not capable of more. I am the best me that I can possibly be every day.

God is the focal point in my life. I daily exemplify the values of God first, Family second and Career third. I make time for morning devotionals. I am constantly finding new ways to worship and praise God.

I am making $20,000 by the end of my 1st year with Mary Kay.

I am a National Sales Director by 2017. Robbie and Lisa are at my debut and are celebrating my success with my friends and family. My family and I are living in a large 3 story house in Texas with a fenced in back yard for the dogs to run free, an office for my business and a pool and spa in the back yard. Kirk and I are able to enjoy our Dallas Cowboys season tickets along with our children. Our oldest child is 6 years old and our second is 4. Kirk has moved forward with his career and loves his job. Mary Kay has enabled me to be a stay-at-home mom and still thrive in my career beyond my wildest dreams.

I am so successful in my career that I now have an assistant to keep me organized in my business, a team I love and am helping grow the way Robbie helped me, a house keeper to maintain my home, and landscapers to keep my yard manicured as well as people to take care of my pool. We are able to do nice things for our friends and family and enjoy vacations all over the world. We thank God daily for giving me an outlet to utilize my talents and help build the life we've always wanted without compromising our values.

And that's my affirmation statement. It enables me to visualize my success and make it happen. I figured writing it down where everyone can see will just hold me more accountable for making a success of my career.

Thinking Pink

I've made some changes in my life. With the upcoming wedding I've been thinking more and more about family and having children...and how that would work with my current career. My life is so fast paced. My work takes up so much of my time and energy.

And then I got the call that I think may have changed my life. A wonderful lady named Robbie Brannon called me and let me know that because I was a bride she wanted to offer me a free skin care class and makeover. She let me know that I was free to invite friends or bridesmaids.

I was a little skeptical of the product because 20 years ago I had been allergic to Mary Kay. But I was willing to give it a shot. I wanted my skin to be in perfect condition so that it would be a fabulous canvas for makeup on my wedding day. I figured...what could it hurt?

As she walked us through our facials and our "out the door" looks I was impressed with how well the products worked. My skin felt amazing! And then she rescheduled us for our "Advanced Glamour" class. As we were buying our merchandise after our first appointment she looked at Amber and myself and said..."Have you ever considered doing anything like this? I think you'd be GREAT at it!"

Cocky me. In my head I was thinking...I KNOW I'd be great at it. So I told her she could give me some information. She sent me home with a packet and CD & DVD by a lady named Lisa Madson. She is Robbie's National Sales director. I listened to the CD and found myself incredibly intrigued. There were so many money making opportunities...and I liked the product. And best of all...I loved their values! They believe in God First, Family Second, Career Third! Man, would I love to live my life that way. And they believed in praise. And building up and empowering women! These are all things that are nearest and dearest to my heart!

So I signed up. I kinda feel like God might be guiding me here. He knows how much family means to me. He knows that if I have children I'll want to slow down from my insanely hectic career path and be able to be there with my family. He knows that I thought my mom being a stay-at-home mom during my formative years was a great thing. And he also knows that in order to live my life this way I'd need to be able to supplement my income. Mary Kay gives me that ability. In fact, I decided that to be successful I'd need to have my own inventory...so I bought some. My goal this year till September is to pay off the credit card I used to purchase my inventory and to pay off my wedding.

I signed up in the last week or so of December. I had my first skin care class this last Saturday, my first recruit today & my first facial today. I'm off to a solid start! Here is my website: http://www,marykay.com/klevato. You can actually go on there and do virtual makeovers for yourself if you'd like. And you can also order merchandise... It really WAS easy.

And here are some of the first faces I've worked with. We only did the skincare portion on half the face & then some make up. Look at the difference, the healthiness that glows from their faces! Let me know what you think!

Words That Make You Stop And Think...

"Why do we always assume that the church is only for the people who need it the least?"

These were words spoken by a minister at a church in my area I was checking out last Sunday. It made me pause. He continued talking about the fact that it seems as though when we're most troubled...that's also when we're most likely to turn away from church and God...in shame. He cited examples like someone who'd lost their job feeling embarassed about facing his/her church family. Or someone who recently had surgery, then got addicted to pain meds not coming to church anymore because of their shame. Or a couple in marital trouble not wanting the church to know they were struggling, so they decide not to go. You get the basic idea.

And as I sat in that church pew I knew he was right! When we're struggling or hurt or have fallen down...the people you should be most able to count on to pick you up and help you through should be your family! Not just your biological family, but your spiritual one.

Why is it that instead of bringing our hurts to God, our first instincts are to run and hide, kind of like Eve in the garden? The God I know is a loving God, not a vengeful one. He knows the hurts are there. He waits for you to share them with him so that he can pick you up, kiss the wound and help you move on! Is it because of our stubborn and prideful natures that our emotional wounds take so long to heal? Because we refuse to let him see the cut, clean the wound and mend our hearts? I think maybe it is.

There have been many trying, challenging times in my life. And yet at the crux of some of my weakest moments...that's when I felt he carried me. When Jonathan died, there would be times that hit where I was inconsolable. I didn't think the hurting would ever stop. And yet in those times he sent people into that exact moment of my life...sometimes just to hold me as I cried, sometimes to listen to me talk, sometimes to make me laugh. Other times he gave me someone else who was hurting worse...to remind me to get over myself and that I was needed to be that person for someone else.

And that's just one of the examples of how he's always been there for me...I could list off countless other ones.

So when lately I'd been feeling at loose ends...I started realizing I needed more balance. I hadn't included the most important part of myself in the happiness in my life. I decided that what I needed wasn't just to make time for my physical health, but also my spiritual health.

Starting last week I decided it is time to work on me. So I started exercising daily. Afterall, my body is a temple. So far I've managed to consistently exercise for the last 5 of 6 days. Even better, my decision seems to have spurned Kirk on to join me in my fight to get fit. I came home the other day and he was exercising. Yesterday, because he felt like a cold was coming on, we decided the best exercise for him would be walking. So we put Izzy on her lead and took a 30 minute walk together.

I also realized that I missed my fellowship with other believers and I needed a stronger connection with Him! So I've been doing my daily devotionals every morning. I've also been praying for guidance in my word and deed that He would put the right words into my mouth not only to help build my team, but to also be a reflection of Him. I prayed for guidance and understanding, prayed for my friends who are going through medical and emotional hardships, prayed for my loved ones. And I've been trying to find a church in the area that I like. The church I went to last week is the first one I checked out. I liked what I saw and the words of the minister spoke to my heart. I plan on going back this week.

And it's funny. I'm not really a preachy person, yet it seems lately as though since I've made this decision, I'm more focused, more centered...and have found myself having more opportunity to talk about God and faith. I'm thinking there's a message from God in there, somewhere. Isn't it great that He gives us choices? His message to me is coming across loud and clear...I think it's probably best that I listen.

A Little Wedding This And That

I wanted some cool, artistic pictures taken of my ring, so while I was out in Illinois visiting my family, my sister took a few. I really enjoyed the way she placed them, so I thought I'd share them. The flowers were given to me by the florist at http://www.westmontfloralshop.com They were sample flowers that she showed to me while going over ideas on how to design my bouquet & those of my bridesmaids. I really enjoyed meeting my consultant. She is the owner of the shop, she knows her stuff, she didn't make any assumptions about whether we'd be giving her the business or not...and she wasn't pushy.


This week we drove back to visit our families. We stayed at his brother, Gary's home. Gary and Sandi, his wife, recently purchased a new home in Tinley Park, a few minutes down the way from their parents & sister. Their house is absolutely gorgeous. Even better, we got to hang out with their little 1 year old son, Kirk's godson, Derek. He's at that stage where he's starting to take his first steps. He's just too cute...and with such a sweet disposition. I think he's really going to make a wonderful ring bearer! He and Natalie's daughter are going to make great contrasts to each other. He's blond with blue eyes, she's dark haired with blue eyes.


While I was there I spent a couple of days with my mom & my sister. We did some galavanting for the wedding. As stated above, we were able to find a florist I liked. Even better, Mom decided she wanted to pay for the florist. So we were able to book the florist immediately and I didn't have to shop around. Of course she was also recommended by a friend of my sister's who had a wedding party of 70 people (Filipino wedding) when she got married.

After the florist we had an appointment with a photography group. Because we were late leaving the florist, we left her sitting for almost an hour. We DID talk to her so that she knew we were running late, but she was beyond patient. And the work she had to show me was fabulous. The packages were great, too...and quite frankly, anyone who's willing to wait around that long at a Panera Bread deserved our business as long as the work was acceptable. And the work was great! So immediately following the florist, we were able to book the photographer. We went with http://www.bellapictures.com/. While we were in the consultation a lady walked up and said that they did her wedding and that she was so pleased with their work. The hilarious part was that my consultant, Lisa, was afraid we'd think she paid this lady to put in the good word. Along with my package I'm getting free parent albums, free mini-albums & a free engagement photo shoot!

Lastly, we went to go look for my sister's maid-of-honor dress. The initial dress I chose for her got discontinued a week after I'd selected it. So we went to http://www.thehouseofbrides.com in Schaumburg. She tried on several dresses, but we finally found one that we liked for her...and it fit her like a glove. So we ordered it. We noticed that http://www.davidsbridal.com was across the street, so we figured we'd stop there and I could show my mom the dress that I wanted. While there, we wound up buying the dress, the shoes, the undergarments, the tiara, the veils (both elbow length & cathedral length) and the jewelry. The best part is, this guarantees that Kirk won't see my gown before the wedding. It'll be at my sister's place.

Yup, in 1 day we got SO MUCH done! The best part was that my mom and sister got to be a part of it! I'd forgotten how much fun we can have when we all get together. We did a lot of laughing that day. We ended the evening by meeting Rich, Chris's sweetheart, at Maggiano's in Oakbrook.