My Two Cents

Start the week with something inspirational and end it in a rant and the week is a downer. But, start the week on a rant and end it with something inspirational and the week builds to a crescendo.

Today a rant, with the promise of something inspirational before the week is out.

Friday afternoon I visited Borders to buy a book. The man beside me was buying a stuffed animal and was being checked out by a woman in her late-thirties.

His stuffed animal came to $9.73. He must have given the clerk a $20.00 bill, but not before she made the fatal error of opening her register before calculating change. Note the sarcasm in my voice. Flustered, the clerk scurried down two registers and pleaded with my salesperson to help her calculate change. "I was an English major," she joked. "I don't do math."

Here's the rant...

I've worked in higher education for a number of years... and so have many of you. Even if you haven't worked in higher education... don't you think the average American should be smart enough to make change? Shouldn't there be a limit to how little we can know when we graduate from high school - never mind college.

Say yes or our standing as an educated nation is in jeopardy.

If the stuffed animal is $9.73

plus $0.02 = $9.75

$0.75 plus $.0.25 = $10.00

$10.00 + $10.00 = $20.00

$10.27. That's how much change he should have gotten.

This former History and Political Science major implores you to find just one child and to teach her how to make change.

For that matter, tell us - what else is it imperative we teach our children? The difference between laid and lain? When to use "me" versus "I"? How to read an analog clock, versus a digital clock? The seven continents (yes, I know there is discrepancy as to whether there are actually 5, 6, 0r 7 continents)?

Tell us. Our nation's standing depends on it.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Yellow Envelope Project: North Carolina...Again!

If you are like the rest of America, you are spending more time than normal shopping in malls these days. That's what makes this week's Yellow Envelope Project recipient so timely.

Because this man shines, he took an otherwise mundane job (working in one of a million American malls) and used it to brighten the day of a single customer. Read below...

"I would like to nominate the nice man at the Tropical Juice Bar. I went there on Friday to redeem a free smoothie since my frequent card was full. He saw I was having a rough night and upgraded my small to a large without charging me. Yesterday, the boys and I had a few errands to run at the mall, so we stopped by to get a smoothie to share. (It's one of the sweet treats I can share with them due to food allergies!!!) The same guy was working. I ordered my small strawberry, pineapple, kiwi smoothie and asked for three straws. Instead, he gave me my smoothie and 2 more filled up half way for the boys...at no extra charge. It's nice to have someone recognize that the little things are what make people smile!"

A single gesture brightens the day of a single customer. That customer, in turn, nominates the Juice Bar employee to be selected for the Yellow Envelope Project. We send the employee a complimentary note and, in turn, our day is brightened.

That's how the Yellow Envelope Project works. It's worth every bit of the $0.43 and ten minutes it will take you.

The rules of play? Send a short note to the address below, letting him know that, small gestures like his make a big difference. Slip it in a yellow envelope or decorate a white envelope with yellow markers. Put "Yellow Envelope Project" in the return address. Mail early in the week (before the post office closes today is ideal, but I can settle for Monday or Tuesday).

Kate submitted our Juice Bar friend, but didn't know his name. You can either send as is... or maybe - just maybe - Kate will post today telling us if there is a better way to address our envelopes. If we don't hear from her, use what we have! Void of a name, I am guessing they will post them on a bulletin board in the back office. Then ALL the employees will read our gestures of kindness.

TROPICAL JUICE BAR

419 CROSS CREEK MALL,

FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28303

Signing off until Monday...

Free For All Friday: Friends, Fashion, and Fun

It's that time of the week when you get to settle in and watch our weekly Free For All Friday Video.

Don't miss:

• Meeting our visitors
• Winning the unclaimed Shine Ball
• Casting your votes for the Super Bowl Snack Throw Down AND...
• The Target Challenge, and
• Finding out if you won this week's Altoid prize.

And don't miss the conclusion of Highlowaha's Fashion Week, by checking out the clip below.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Signing off until tomorrow...

Black Dress: Take Four

If you've been with us all week, you are tired of my intro (or as my five year old would say... the Prologue). So, skip the next paragraph. If you're tuning in for the first time this week then... where have you been? And, read on.

Cheryl, Heather, Katie, and I decided to see what our creative muscles are really made of. We put ourselves to the ultimate fashion test. Four women, four black dresses, each seeking two outfits. Each of us visited Charming Charlie's in Grapevine, Texas committed to finding a Day Look and a Night Look suitable for all the December festivities to which we were sure we would be invited. My outfits debuted on Monday, Cheryl's on Tuesday, Heather's on Wednesday, and today - last, but definitely not least, comes Katie's.

Katie entered Charming Charlie's with two criterion: First, her outfits must be practical for the busy (and poor) life of a graduate student. Second, no belts.

We obliged one, but not the other. Take a look.

A belt! The sales woman paired a black jacket with Katie's dress and then immediately belted it. Maybe, at first, Katie was stressed at the idea of it, but then... pure success! Look at how fabulous Katie looks with her belted dress, her casual fun shoes, and the bag big enough to hold a notebook for class. I can't imagine her day shoes won't be a huge hit among our shoe lovers.
As a graduate student, if Katie is going attend a holiday celebration, after a full day of classes, assistantship, internship, studying, and working on class projects, then she's probably got no more than seven minutes to transform herself from Day Look into Night Look.

Lucky for her, Katie is young and beautiful and in a way better position to pull it off than someone like me who would prefer to spend the day primping in a spa. All Katie's sales clerk did to transform Katie from Day to Night was make a quick switch of necklace, bracelet, earrings, and shoes (all things that could be whipped right out of her glove compartment).

So there it is. Four dresses, four days, and eight looks. It was fun and, though I can't speak for the other three women, I'd have to say the real beauty of this experience was getting to dabble in new looks and to experiment with the possibilities of what could be. I've spent a life time creating all kinds of rules about what I can and can't wear based on my "body type" and the image I have of myself. Hats aren't me; no leggings; no skinny jeans; big scarves make me look clumsy; I can pull off classic, but sexy would be laughable; chic is for tall and skinny women, not me; pointy shoes will make my legs look longer...

Where the heck did I get this stuff? And you too for that matter.

Tell me. What won't you wear because of a fashion hang up you have? And, don't leave me hanging by not making any comments. Otherwise I'll really think I'm a whacko.

If you think the fashion fun is over. It's not. Tune in tomorrow when we pull one more thing out of our high fashion sleeve.

Signing off until then.

Black Dress: Take Three

If you've tuned in for the past two days you know that Cheryl, Heather, Katie, and I are doing an experiment. We are testing how creative we can be with a simple black dress. Our partners in crime for this week's fun were the patient and diligent women from Charming Charlie's - a color coded accessory store, the likes of which you have never seen.

Each of us arrived at the store sporting our own black dress and excited to create our own Day and Night looks. We featured my dress on Monday and Cheryl's dress on Tuesday.

Today we feature Heather and her little black dress. It's a beautiful and flattering dress that, of course - in Heather fashion - she found for a steal!

Heather was decisive in a totally different way than Cheryl. Cheryl zipped around the displays, aptly picking and choosing items she knew would achieve the look for which she was striving. Heather, on the other hand, zipped around store decisively evaluating the clerk's selection of accessories for her. "Ok." "Um, maybe." "Hmm... I'm not sure." And, "Aahh.. no thank you."

When all was said and done, Heather and our clerk negotiated just fine and Heather was able to walk away with two fun outfits. Take a look...

My personal favorite.. the leggings under the dress with fun ballerina slippers. How about you? What's your favorite part of Heather's Day outfit?

Heather's Night look also suits her well. It's not overdone and, while the pieces aren't matchy-matchy, they certainly compliment one another. I'm a big fan of the blue scarf and the black drop earrings.

Of the four of us, Heather is the most simple and typically sports the fewest amount of frills. It made her transformation the most fun to watch.

P.S. I ran into Heather at daycare one day last week and she was wearing fun black leggings with a pretty dress.

Which brings me to today's question... what's the most recent fashion trend you've adopted?

Signing off until tomorrow when Katie makes her big debut.

Black Dress: Take Two

Those who tuned in yesterday know this week we are putting some creative energy into the little black dress. Four dresses, four women (Claudia, Cheryl, Heather, and Katie), and two looks for each of us - one day and one night.

I went first sporting a simple black dress from Ann Taylor. The able (and patient) attendant traveled the store selecting items we agreed would add pizazz to my simple dress. Check out yesterday's post if you want proof of my transformation.

Today, Cheryl.

Here's what's great about Cheryl.

While Heather, Katie, and I - all convinced the attendant packed more fashion savvy into her pinkie finger than the three of us have combined - helplessly followed the attendant around the store, Cheryl had the clerk following after her! It was a sight to behold. Visions of that scene from Pretty Woman wouldn't be too far off.

Cheryl quickly latched on to two items she loved (one day and one night) and used them to architect two fun and fabulous outfits.

The cornerstone of her Day Look... the colorful purse pictured above. Somehow, Cheryl intuitively knew she could add a colorful necklace, simple earrings, a complementary bracelet, and (my favorite item) the quilted Channel looking belt, and be ready for work or a fun outing with friends.

The inspiration for her Night Look... the beautiful magenta shirt that turned her dress into a skirt! Now, that's creative! Notice, not too much going on. Earrings that make a statement, an understated bracelet, and a purse that adds just the right touch of color. What Cheryl isn't sporting in over-the-top accessories, she makes up self assuredness that she knows what she is doing. A luxury Heather, Katie, and I can't afford.

And the shoes... well, the shoes are a show stopper, aren't they? What's the equivalent of an hour glass shape for feet? I'm not sure, but Cheryl's feet come close.

So there is Cheryl - a vision of beauty. All revved up and ready to be the hit of her office's holiday party.

Tell us, which of her items is a must in your book? And, are you attending any office parties this year? If so, tell us what you'll be wearing. Inquiring minds want to know.

Signing off until tomorrow when Heather goes from denim to diva!

Age Before Beauty

Cheryl, Katie, Heather, and I (the Highlowaha foursome) had an idea. Flex our creative muscles to see if we could have some fun with fashion. It's an area we've never really delved into - unless of course you count the day I wrapped myself in 100 scarves and neckerchiefs. Hardly a fashion statement.

Truth is, Cheryl is the only one of the four of us qualified to make commentary on fashion. Heather swears by her broken in blue jeans, I own more fleece than is right for a woman in her forties (including pajamas), and Katie flips for her flip flops - regardless of season or temperature.

The one thing on which we all agreed is that, everyone needs a simple black dress in her wardrobe.

That's where we started. Each of us with black dress in hand, meeting up at Charming Charlie's, where capable attendants created looks suitable for our days and festive enough for December nights.

Monday through Thursday of this week, we will share the transformation of each of us in our black dresses. First, a day look and then a look for night. Worth mentioning is that none of our accessorizing exceeded $70.00.

I'm going first, because we agreed that age should always precede beauty.

My day look was fun, because I would normally never consider myself a leopard-print-kind-of-gal. The light jacket pictured above is classic in cut and style, but with a touch flair. From there, I was able to venture out into dangly earrings, a gold purse, ballerina shoes, a chunky ring, and a gold chain link belt - all things I would NEVER have selected on my own. Perfect for work or a holiday luncheon.

Check out my shoes! Me in silver glittered pumps! What?! But, here's what I love. The rest of the outfit is square in the center of my comfort zone - black dress, pearl necklaces, pearl earrings, and a pearl bracelet. The satin bolero jacket isn't something I would have picked out, but I liked it immediately. Same with the clutch. It's not something I would normally spend money on, but it finishes off the outfit nicely.

Tell us a few things. First, do you have a black dress and, if so, could it use an accessory lift? Second, of all things pictured, what's the one thing you think I just must have - or for that matter... would you like to have?

Signing off until tomorrow when you get to lay eyes on Chic Cheryl!