Secret to a flat belly

By Elle

Talking about diet isn’t entirely related to fashion, but it falls into the periphery, and since I stumbled upon an immensely helpful approach to losing weight (or maintaining a healthy weight), I thought I should share it with you.

As a 40-year vegetarian (who’s now mostly vegan), I’ve not struggled terribly with weight, but once I hit my 50s, I noticed I was sprouting a little meno pot, a pesky pot belly that mushrooms once you hit menopause and that no amount of planks will faze. Ugh.

Awestruck

By Abby and Elle
Remember how exciting it was the first time you rode in an airplane, kissed your boyfriend or stayed up all night just to watch the sun rise? That feeling of awe, like an emotional orgasm, feeds your heart and soul, and cements the memory.

Be Parisian for a Day

By Abby and Elle

Interested in a fun morning of French beauty with complimentary makeovers and mimosas? (We don’t know about you, but a mimosa rivals a hot cup of strong coffee as our favorite morning pick-me-up!)

A makeup artist will be on hand to offer makeup tips and tricks. And if that weren’t enough, you’ll leave with a swag bag of goodies.

This free event is sponsored by Votre Vu, the French skin care company.

Tickets are limited. If you’re interested in attending, register here.

Saturday, Oct. 12
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Crowne Plaza Cleveland South
5300 Rockside Road, Independence

They had us at mimosas. Hope to see you there!

How Beautiful Are You?

By Abby and Elle

Greetings, Little Pretties! You know, here at Abby & Elle we naturally focus a lot on how we look (duh, fashion blog), and occasionally we feel a little self-conscious about that.

The main message we try to send is that the better you look, the better/more confident you’ll feel. And who doesn’t need that? But we try to focus on those things you can control: Make sure you sport a great haircut, be kind to your skin, maintain good posture and dress well. Oh, and smile! To us, those are the elements of beauty.

We know, however, that many of us don’t love how we look, or we’re critical of every feature — those things we often can’t control, at least not without the help of a scalpel. Our nose is too big, thighs are too chunky, lips too thin, and so on.

Think right now for a moment about how you see yourself. How beautiful are you? And then watch this.

Love What Someone Else is Wearing?

By Abby and Elle

Why not pay them a compliment! Research shows that receiving a compliment stimulates the same part of the brain that gets excited about receiving money, which most of us can agree feels pretty dang good. Paying a compliment can make you feel just as great because it means you have healthy self esteem to notice something good about someone else. And having healthy self esteem makes you feel good and look good, which will in turn attract compliments in return!

‘Course you shouldn’t just compliment someone willy-nilly. Be sincere. The best compliments are specific — and even better if you offer a reason why. For example, you might tell someone, “I love that shirt. The neckline really complements the shape of your face.”

Paying a compliment will make you feel like a million bucks. And it will make the receiver feel like you’ve shared your million.

PS from Elle: Guess what, everyone? Soon we’ll be covering some maternity fashions because Abby is expecting her first baby!

Walkin’ Tall & Lookin’ Good

By Elle

When I was a kid, my mom was forever yanking on my shoulders from behind and scolding me: “Pull your shoulders back!” I guess I had the worst posture ever, bent forward like a tiny candy cane. I think it took years (I recall a fair amount of shoulder pulling), but I eventually straightened up.

Pilates equipment

Turns out mom was right. Good posture helps you look strong and healthy. And clothes fit best when you have good posture.

So how does one get good posture? Well, if you don’t have a mom to regularly yank your shoulders back, you can borrow mine. (Don’t whine at me later though.)

You might make an effort to keep straight and long by pretending a string is being pulled through your spine and up through the top of your head, essentially straightening you like a marionette.

Or you can consider taking up Pilates. This workout is designed to help you build a strong core, and a strong core helps you walk tall and look fabulous. It also helps prevent low back issues (theoretically, in my experience), helps you breathe properly and helps you look slimmer.

I love Pilates, and I love my mom. Thanks, Mom.