Black Tie and White Tie for Men!

Salve pulchra populus!

If you have been following my blog then you will probably have ready my post on ties and you will know that I said I would talk about Black Tie and White Tie differences.  I will be dividing this post up into two parts.  Part one is the difference between men’s Black Tie and White Tie and part two will be about women’s dress.  That is what today’s post in going to be about.  So, put on your ties and tuxedos and let us get down to business!

First things first; what is Black Tie and White Tie and when are they worn?  White Tie is the most formal of evening dress in the States, the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Countries, and other European countries.  Other names for this are “Full Dress”, “Tails”,  and “Full Evening Dress”.  Black Tie is slightly less formal, but still considered formal wear.  However, it is occasionally called semi-formal wear.  It is also called the “suit and tie” that people talk about.  As for when they are to be worn, both are only worn after 6 in the evening.  They are evening wear after all.  It would not make sense to wear it in the middle of the day.  White Tie is usually worn at events such as  formal weddings, balls, state dinners, some graduation ceremonies, and when requested by the host or hostess of the event.  On the other hand, Black Tie is worn at some weddings, operas, some dinner parties, and some dances for school age children.  Now that you know the differences in when to wear them we can move on to more important things.

Both are similar in that they both consist of a Black or Midnight Blue suit made from wool with silk lapels.  The collar on the shirts both wing style and the shirts themselves are made from cotton. The waistcoats are not to be seen below the cutaway on the coat. When it comes to the trousers, both have the braids made from silk.  Footwear is also the same; either a black court shoe or plain black oxfords.  However, this is basically where the similarities end.

Since Black Tie events are more common, we will start with it and go from the top to the bottom.  Obviously, as the name suggests one wears a black bow tie.  You never, ever wear a necktie to a Black Tie event.  It just looks bad and very out of place.  You will look like you have no idea what is going.  That may in fact be the case, but at least try to look like you at least know how to dress yourself.  The dress shirt that is worn with this particular dress is usually called a "dress shirt", "formal shirt", or a "tuxedo shirt".  These come in several styles, but almost always have some form of pleating.  The waistcoat that is worn with Black Tie is called an evening waistcoat and it can be switched out for a cummerbund.  Yes, it is cummerbund NOT cumberbun.  You would not believe how many people I have come across asking if I know anything about "cumberbuns".  It is ridiculous.  Anyway, back to Black Tie.  The trouser will only have one silk braid on the side, NOT two.  I see a lot of people with two, Black Tie only has one silk braid.  Here is an example of Black Tie attire.

When it comes to the accessories worn for Black Tie, if you must have colour, then it is only a single colour and is muted.  No bright colours when you are wearing Black Tie!  Absolutely not!  DO NOT WEAR A TOP HAT WITH BLACK TIE ATTIRE!!!  Just don't.  If you are going to wear at hat then follow the guide.  For warm seasons you wear a boater hat made of star and during cold seasons you wear a Homburg that is the same colour as your suit.  A handkerchief is usually worn in the pocket on the breast.  This handkerchief is either made of silk or cotton today, but the traditional one is made of linen.  As the wearing of a handkerchief is slightly out of fashion, or if you are attending a less formal form of Black Tie, a Boutonnière is worn and will usually be a rose.  You do not wear it if you are wearing a handkerchief.  That is another big fashion no-no.  Pocket watches are the desired timepiece if you must have one.  However, time pieces that are out and visible are not desired.  This is because if you are going to a formal event it is considered rude to be constantly checking the time.  If you live in ridiculously cold places you may wear a matching overcoat, scarf, and white gloves.  If you do not live in a cold climate I am not sure why you would even need these, but if you insist on having it just in case, make sure it matches! 

Now on White Tie!  White Tie events require a white bow tie in case it was not obvious enough and is made from cotton.  Once again, no neckties.  That is just trashy looking and you will probably not be allowed into the event at all if you wear one.  The coat itself is made differently.  It is called a "bodycoat" by the people that make them and will have more detail.  Also, this is where you get the tails on the coat.  The coat does not button!  Do not even try to button it.  Those six buttons are there for decorations and nothing else.  The shirt that is to be worn will have no pleats on the front at all.  It is plain and made of cotton.  Also, the collar is detachable.  No cummerbunds are to be worn at White Tie events.  Instead there are special cotton waistcoats called a low-cut waistcoat that are made for White Tie dress.  Make sure that your waistcoat covers your belt!  That is very important. The trousers that are to be worn for White Tie have two silk braids going down the side.  You can get away with only having one, but if people notice they might look at you strangely.  So, to be on the safe side, make sure that your trousers have two braids.  This is what White Tie looks like.

Accessories for White Tie are few, but the details in them are very important to get correct!  Your buttons need to match.  It does not matter if they are gold, silver, or have semi-precious or precious stones set in them.  They need to match.  That means shirt studs, cufflinks (if worn), and the buttons on the waistcoat.  All of it.  No exceptions!  Another thing with no exceptions is that you must not wear a watch on your wrist.  It does not matter what brand or how expensive it is.  The standard time piece is a pocket watch.  Yes, it is proper to wear a pocket watch to White Tie.  Boutonnières are almost never worn and the standard is to wear a white handkerchief.  If you have state decorations, those go on your pocket instead.  Top hats are the standard hat for White Tie and white gloves are to be worn when dancing and at other times except for dining.  You do not want to get your gloves dirty.  Not only are they a pain to clean because they are so delicate, but it just looks bad.  If you must wear a coat it should be a Chesterfield coat.  If you want to go for a cloak instead, you wear a opera cloak or an Inverness cloak.  Yes, an Inverness cloak.  That's right.  In the old movies and drawings Sherlock Holmes is wearing a cloak that is worn with White Tie attire.  How classy!   Scarves that are worn sometimes are made of silk and if you want to have cane, you may.

That is it.  In terms of men's Black Tie and White Tie these are the basics.  Just remember to always wear what the dress code calls for!  If it says White Tie do not wear Black Tie and vice versa. Some hosts or hostesses might want certain accent colours and some will not want accent colours to be worn by guests at all.  If you have any doubts, check with the host or hostess.  They will always be able to clear things up for you.  They know what they want and since it is their event, they make the rules.  You may go your entire life and not go to either a Black Tie or White Tie affair.  You may go to several in a year.  It just depends.  However, many of my friends that are guys have at least the attire for a Black Tie event.  They have told me that it is always good to have it on hand and to make sure that it fits because you never know when you might need it.

I hope this has helped you guys out!  Until next time!

Fashion Trend!: Ties and How to Tie Them

Hej alle! 

This weekend has been super crazy for me which ended up with me being sick for about 3 days and me somehow or another being asked to help with a Sunday School class at my church.  After having my coffee I gladly said yes to helping out with Sunday School.  I hope to do well in that!  Wish me luck!

Well, today I will be talking about a fashion trend that comes and goes so lately that it seems to be caught up in a whirlwind.  Yes!  It is time for another fashion trend post!  I have not done one of these in a while and I apologize for that.  I have been busy with so many things it is hard to keep track of my post topics that I do.  Anyways, today I will be talking about ties.  Yes, ties.  Men wear them most of the time, but lately women have as well.  Cats and dogs have as well, but we will not go into that.  Not just as part of a work uniform mind you.  I mean they wear them out and about as part of their regular everyday attire.  I love ties.  I have a vast selection of ties.  I am not entirely sure where all of my ties came from and I am pretty sure that some of them were my grandfathers.  Why have I selected this topic?  It dawned on me while I was walking through the shopping center on my way to Teavana that a lot of women are wearing ties now.  There were so many of them wearing ties!  So many of them had them tied wrong.  Now when I say wrong I mean it looked as if they had just tied a knot in the tie and went about their merry way.  It looked awful.  Today I will be talking about the different types of ties there are and different ways to tie them.  As such, this is one of the few fashion posts that I have done that could be useful to both men and women.  So enjoy it!  Ladies, share it with your man if he need to learn how to tie a tie!  This is defiantly a skill that both men and women could use.

First things first.  Have I ever worn a tie?  Yep, I sure have.  I have been wearing ties since I was a little girl.  Why?  Because that is how my parents dressed me.  My mother has always dabbled in fashion and most of the women in her ancestry have at some point in time either been the owners of a dress and clothing boutique or they have been the ones setting the fashion.  In short, my love of fashion comes from my mother’s side of the family and they, for some reason or other, have always been a couple years ahead of anything that has become fashionable in the States.  As I stated above, I have a vast collection of ties.  Most of my ties are Neckties.  I do have a couple of Bow Ties though.  My father has several ties, but not many.  He works in construction and masonry.  He does not have a job that requires a tie or even recommends the wearing of a tie.  My job, however, I could if I wanted to.   

Now, when it comes to ties there are several different types.  For today’s post I will be covering the two that are most commonly worn today.  These are the Neckties and Bow Ties.  In the past Bolo Ties, Ascot Ties, Cravats, Stock Ties, and Neckerchiefs were also worn.  However, for the sake of not having a post a mile long on all the different types we will be sticking with Neckties and Bow Ties.  So, on with learning about ties!

 

We will start off with Bow Ties because they are the easiest to talk about.  Bow Ties have been around for quite a while and are commonly worn with tuxedos at Black Tie and White Tie events.  I will talk about the difference between the two at a later time.  Bow Ties are most commonly made from silk, cotton, or polyester.  The good thing about Bow Ties is that there is really only one way to tie them.  You really cannot get this wrong.  Well, I guess you could, but it would be really hard to get it wrong.  The shape of the Bow Tie when it is not tied may look a little intimidating, but once you know how to tie it you cannot really screw it up.  Most Bow Ties are sold in what is called the Thistle Style.  There really is not any need to know why it is called this, but there you go.  Random trivia for you.  Here is a fun little graphic that I found on Pinterest about how to tie a Bow Tie.

 

See, not that hard.  In fact, they are actually easier to tie than a Necktie.  You are about to find out why.

Ah the Necktie.  Style’s way of telling men that fashion and looking good is not easy.  When you look at all the different ways to tie a Necktie and all the different ways that it can go horribly, horribly wrong looking at a the different necklines a woman’s dress can have and picking one out looks like child’s play.  Here is an example of just some of the different types of ways that one can tie this lovely staple of the men’s fashion world.

 

 

Of these, the Half-Windsor, the Four-in-Hand, and the Full Windsor are the most common to see.  That is because these are the easiest to tie when it comes to getting these suckers on.  However, the Prince Albert is pretty easy to tie as well.  How exactly do you tie these monsters?  Well, here is an easy to follow diagram that I found on Pinterest to help you along the way with ten of the simpler knots for your Neckties.
 

 

Got a handle on that?  Good.  If not keep practicing!  No worries!  You will get it eventually.  I had to practice to get them right and some of them I still have to do several times before I get them right.  If you are good with those knots I have two diagrams here for two of the most complicated tie knots that you have probably ever seen.  Yep, those two on the bottom left of the comparison picture up there.  The Eldredge and the Trinity Knots.  These two are monsters.  I still to this day have more problems with these things and I have been tying Neckties since I was five.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Complicated right?  They do look really cool though.  I admire any person, man or woman, that can tie these things right on the first try.  It is hard.  The end result is really amazing and look really classy when guys wear them.  I wish more guys would learn to do these two knots so that they were seen more often.

Well, enough with how to tie the darn things.  What is so great about ties anyways?  Well, for one thing.  Ties add a bit more class to your button down shirts.  No, polo shirts do not count.  I am talking about cotton, silk, or satin button down dress shirts.  They also look amazing with weskits.  There are pros and cons to each type of tie.  They can be worn with most everything.  However, there are a few exceptions to this.  The most important thing to remember is that Neckties are not to be worn for Black Tie or White Tie events!  Ever!  Bow Ties are to be worn during those kind of events.  Some civic clubs or churches require a jacket and tie to be worn by men who are ushers or during meetings.  In these cases the usual tie worn is a Necktie.  That is not to say that Bow Ties cannot be worn.  You just might be the only one wearing one.  Other than that, wear whatever you want.  Some jobs you might want to wear a Bow Tie over a Necktie though.  For example, if you are working in a lab you may want to wear a Bow Tie so that your tie does not catch fire or get into any of your lab work.  Neckties may also get caught in paper shredders at work.  As much as it sounds like Bow Ties would be the better choice for being worn at work there is something to remember.  When one is not wearing Black Tie or White Tie apparel Bow Ties have the tendency to look like just a cute fashion accessory.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  However, it is something to note. 

 

What do I think of ties?  I think they are an amazing part of fashion for any man or woman!  They can be worn to work or just out and about.  Sure, they can be a pain to put on.  Once you get the hang of tying them it becomes easy as pie though.  If nothing else, it gives men a bit of a glimpse into what women go through with the pain that being fashion conscious can be.  Yes, I said it.  Being fashion conscious can be a pain.  I will not lie.  It takes work, but it is worth it.  Practice is really the key when it comes to this part of fashion.  Learning to tie a tie is something that you have to have practice to get it right.  I have been doing it since I was a little kid and you would not believe how many times I have had to tie a man’s tie for him.  Be it a Bow Tie or a Necktie.  It is a skill that everyone should have be they a man or a woman.

 

I hope you have found this post informative and helpful!  What do you think about ties?  Are they an awesome accessory for men and women or are they too much of a hassle to deal with? 

Until next time!  Stay lovely and trendy!

 

Links to Buy Ties

 

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson Ties from The Tie Bar (When you buy a tie from here part of the money goes to Tie the Knot which is a human civil rights foundation that you can read more about at their website by clicking on the link.)
• Tie Drake has a amazing selection of ties of all kinds.

 

Product Review: Sinful Colors Nail Colors

Oh My Goodness it is Product Review Time!

So, I have not done a product review in quite a while.  Some of you have sent me messages asking me why.  Well, here is the answer:  I like to actually use the product for a bit before I review it.  I want to give it a fair shot.  That means that unless I have a really bad allergic reaction to the product, and I avoid things that contain things I am allergic to like nobody’s business, I will use an entire bottle/tube/box/whatever-it-is-packaged-in before I review it.  Today I will be reviewing Sinful Colors nail colour.

A question that you may be asking is what is Nail Enamel?  Nail Enamel is similar to Nail Polish and Nail Lacquer in that they are painted on the nails.  The difference comes in how they dry.  Enamel dries from the outside in, Lacquer from the inside out, and Polish dries like regular paint in a fairly sporadic way.  There are pros and cons to each and depending on what you are doing, depends on what you want to use.  If you have all the time in the world, go for just the regular Nail Polish.  If you want a good product and do not have a lot of time for drying go with the Nail Enamel.  However, if you have a couple hours to spend on your nails then go for a Nail Lacquer.

So, what exactly is Sinful Colors?  Sinful Colors is a Nail Enamel that is made in the United States.  You can buy it at numerous stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Walgreens.  It comes in so many different colours it is sort of ridiculous.  I have a lot of different colours.  They are known more for their ridiculously bright colours, but they also have plenty of neutral colours as well.  They also have top coats and base coats.  They also have glittery colours, mattes, pearls, and the standard cream.  They also have a new gel type nail enamel that is available only at Walgreens.  Some places also sell the Magnetic nail polish as well.  Here are some of the colours that I own.

 

Besides the wide variety of colour there are some other great things about this Nail Enamel.  First thing is that it has a relatively quick drying time even for nail enamel.  I will paint my nails and I am pretty much good to do whatever I want to in about five minutes.  Also, because of the wide variety of colours and quick drying time it makes doing nail art an easy job.  I love doing nail art with this stuff.  The colour goes on very evenly and has a very smooth consistency.  I have not any problems with the enamel running when I do my nail art.  It is not runny and it is not so thick that you cannot brush it on easily.  It makes it very easy to work with.  I have never had any problems with the brush.  On other nail products I sometimes have problems with the brushes.  Either they are too big, too small, or they fall apart and I end up with parts of the brush in my nail polish.   It is also really easy to use toothpicks or smaller brushes to do details on nail art.  In terms of price, it is fairly inexpensive.  The store where I usually buy it has it for about $2.  Once applied, I have not had a problem with it chipping even without putting a top coat on.  I work with my hands a lot so that is pretty important to me when using a nail colour.

The negatives are few on this product.  The first thing that comes to mind is that sometimes I have problems getting the blue shades off, but most blue nail polish type products.  I also find that the reds make my fingers turn red. As I am removing the red nail colours.  While I do like the all different types of nail enamels that they have the pearl colours go on a little see through.  That is not as much of a problem since it dries quickly and you can paint several layers pretty quickly.  Also, if you really like a shade you might pick up a few bottles of it because they discontinue shades to release new ones.  However, since they are not very expensive it is really easy to pick up a few bottles. 

Overall, this is a great product and I would recommend it to anyone that asks.  I do not have any major complaints compared to other nail colours.  So, if you are looking for a wide selection of colours that is amazing quality with a low price this is the product for you.  I love it.

Well, I hope you found this review informative!  I had fun trying all the different colours.  Also, the different colours have pretty fun names.  I adore this product and hope that you will too!  Below is a link to their website.

Stay lovely and beautiful everyone!

Sinful Colors on the Web

The Lovely Ladies that I Adore! Part Two

Hello Again Everyone!

It is time for second part of my Lovely Ladies that I Adore post.  The first part can be found by scrolling down or by clicking here.  In my first post I talked about the wonderful Wanda Ventham.  Today’s post will be about Dame Vivienne Westwood.  Yep, she’s a Dame.  How fancy!  So, on with Part Two!

For those of you who have no idea who Vivienne Westwood is: where have you been?  Under a rock?!  How do you not know who Vivienne Westwood is?  Anyways,  enough of my short questioning rant.  Vivienne Westwood is one of the most widely known English designers.  She is mostly known for her influence on Punk fashion.  For those of you who are fans of the Sex Pistols, they wore her designs a lot of the time.  This was mainly in part because she and the band’s ex-manager, Malcolm McLaren, had a clothing boutique where they sold their designs.  Gwen Stefani has worn Westwood designs and even Princess Eugenie has worn a good deal of Westwood.  For those of you who watch Sherlock on BBC, Jim Moriarty wears Westwood suits. 

So, what about this lady makes me adore her?  Well, have you actually seen a picture of her?  Here are some that I found on Pinterest.  She is the one in the front in the middle of the first picture.

 
 

Yeah, the lady is in her 70’s and she still dresses like that.  Why?  Because she is Vivienne Westwood dang it and she does not care what you think!  Here are a couple of  fairly normal pictures of her.  I also found it on Pinterest. 

 

 

 

 

 

She really is a beautiful lady and boy has she aged well too.  She is like a fantastic wine.  Vivienne Westwood has all the courage in the world when it comes to fashion.  I mean seriously would you wear that?  I would if I was a braver soul.  She wears what she wants and wears it with such confidence that everyone just seems to go along with it.  I would love to have that sort of confidence.  As it is, I am still a fairly shy person in comparison to Dame Westwood.  I adore and respect her for what she does.  She has made a statement in the fashion world and she is not going to be going anywhere soon.  Wild as her fashion is, I love it!  It is just so out there that you cannot help but look.  It draws the eye’s attention.  You cannot help it.  There is just so much colour and varying patterns that you just want to look at all of it.  It is like a sensory feast for the eyes and my eyes want to stuff themselves until they explode.

Besides her work in the world of fashion, Vivienne Westwood is an inspiration to me because of her life story.  How so?  Did you know that Dame Westwood was a Primary School teacher before making big in the fashion world?  What?!  Yes, you heard that right.  Eccentric Vivienne Westwood taught little kids.  How much fun that must have been!  I would have loved to have been one of her students.  I can just imagine her being the best teacher in the world.  She went from being as she once called herself, “a working-class girl”, to one of the most well-known fashion designers in the world.  Personally, I think that is pretty awesome.  Sure, she had some rough spots along the way like anyone else.  Hell, I have had a few rough spots in my life.  I think everyone has.  It is part of life.  Dame Westwood rose above those and still walks down the runway with her models!

In short, Dame Vivienne Westwood is an eccentric lady that has overcome the odds and made it huge in the world of fashion.  She is not afraid to be herself.  She oozes confidence and likeability.  If you walked up to her and told her you did not like her she probably would not give a damn and tell you off.  She speaks her mind about things and does not really care what people think.  Also, she is quite the activist.  She is passionately involved in the causes she believes in. So, hurray for Dame Vivienne Westwood!  I hold a great deal of respect for this lady for many things and I always will.

Well, that is it.  I hope you learned a smidge more about me and you learned some more about Vivienne Westwood.  Below is a like to her website.  Enjoy the eye feast for both men and women.  Her designs can be a bit pricy, but they are well made and worth the money.  Also, not all of the pieces are out there.  There are some that I would absolutely love to own for wearing at work on a regular basis.  I might post more about some of the people of the world that I adore, but for now, you get these two lovely ladies.

Until next time!  Stay lovely and classy everyone!

Vivienne Westwood Website

The Lovely Ladies that I Adore! Part One

Ehrerbietige Grüsse an Alle!

Well, today I figured I would talk to you all about something that I have been asked about quite a bit as of recent when people come in to the place where I work.  That question is, who inspires you in terms of fashion?  Well, there are two people actually.  One of which I have adored since I was a little girl and the other since I was in high school.  These two lovely ladies are Dame Vivienne Westwood and Wanda Ventham.  So, what is this post going to be about today?  Today I am going to tell you a little bit about these ladies and why I love them and look up to them as much as I do.  I will be breaking this in to two parts as both are quite long descriptions.  So, on with the first part of my post! 

First off I will tell you about the amazing lady that I have adored since I was a little girl.  Now, the first time I saw this lady was when my parents, mostly my mother, sat me down in front of the telly to watch British sitcoms, sci-fi shows, and movies.  The show that I first saw her on was a little sci-fi show that I bet 90% of you have never heard of and if you have then I am seriously impressed with you and I feel like I should bake you cookies; UFO.  This show ran from 1970- 24 July 1971.  The only reason I know the date of the last show on the original run of the series is because my birthday is 24 July.  That is also the reason why I make it a point to watch the show on my birthday.  The lady in question, if you haven’t already gone to look it up because of my rambling,  is the lovely Wanda Ventham.  I know a great number of people know here as Benedict Cumberbatch’s mother, but I honestly had no idea who in the seven hells he was until quite recently.  On the show Miss Ventham played Colonel Virginia Lake.  Now, I actually have two reasons for thinking so highly of Wanda Ventham.  First, have you seen pictures of her?  She is freaking gorgeous!  I mean seriously, she is 78 years old and she has aged amazingly well.  I hope that I age as well as she does.  Below is a pictures that I found on Pinterest, the glorious site that I am slightly addicted to, of Wanda Ventham when she was on UFO and a from "The Sun" website more recent picture of her and Timothy Carlton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is she not beautiful!  Amazing!  She is a super classy lady too.  Just to top it all off and I read somewhere that she collects owls.  I adore her even more now.  The other reason that I look up to her is because of her character on UFO.  Colonel Virginia Lake was one of the first women that I ever saw placed in a position of authority on a show.  She was a Colonel for crying out loud!  She was also the specialist when it came to working with the computers and eventually became the Moonbase Commander.  Awesome!  She is the person that got me interested in working with computers and doing science.  I actually went off and studied physics and astronomy in part because of her.   So, while the majority of the world my only see the wonderful and beautiful Miss Wanda Ventham as Benedict Cumberbatch’s mother and the wife of Timothy Carlton, to me she will always be the first actress that I ever looked up to for anything at all.  In fact, I actually had no idea she was even married to Timothy Carlton.  It was not until one of my friends made me sit down and watch Sherlock that I even knew who the heck Benedict Cumberbatch was or that he even existed.  My first reaction to finding out, and this is recorded and quite possibly floating around in cyber space somewhere, went about like the following.

 

“Did you know that Wanda Ventham has a son?”- My friend when we were watching Sherlock and there was a commercial on.

“No.  What’s his name?  I bet he is friggin’ gorgeous!”-Me

“Umm…Benedict Cumberbatch.  He plays Sherlock.”- Friend

“You mean to tell me that the guy that looks like Timothy Carlton is Wanda Ventham’s son?” –Me

“Yeah, you didn’t know that?”-Friend

“No! Who is her husband?”-Me

“Timothy Carlton! Oh my God you really didn’t know?”-Friend, now laughing hysterically

“No!  I don’t pay attention to media crap like that!  She’s seriously married to Timothy Carlton?”- Me

“Yes! Go look it up!”-  Friend hands me laptop and I look it up.

“Well, strike me dumb and colour me stupid.  I guess she is.  Huh?  Well, I learned something new today.”- Me

So, yeah, I do adore Wanda Ventham.  Not only is she a wonderful actress, but she is also a classy lady.  Her character on a show that I have loved since I was young taught me that I could work with computers and rise to be a highly respected individual in the workforce.  She has and always will be the single most influential woman, outside of my family, to me.

Well, we have come to the end of part one of this topic!  I hope you learned a little bit more about me and about the amazing Wanda Ventham.  I will be posting the next half of this topic in the next couple of days! 

Until next time!  Stay lovely everyone!