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Winter, I can’t miss you if you won’t go away. I think it would be best if we saw other seasons.

Does anyone else have the never-ending, wet sock winter gloomies? Feel like you’re trapped in a cold, dark vacuum where flip flops don’t exist? I’m done with gray. I’m done with turtlenecks. I’m done with white-knuckling the steering wheel as I spin around icy roads. It’s time for spring.

Since the snow is snowin’ and the wind is still f$#&ing blowin’, spring will have to be metaphorical. We unfortunately can’t control the weather. Unless you are a witch, sorcerer, or Storm from X-Men. Wait…are you? If you are any of these things, please call me. If not, let’s be our own springtimes! For me, that means dressing in bright colors, putting sparkles on things (eyelids, shoes, napping friends, etc.), and making a big stinking deal about my birthday, which happens to be today. I have been so childishly tickled about my birthday that I couldn’t care less what the weather is doing. You won’t steal my thunder, winter! Happy attention-hoarding, cake-eating, gift-wrapped spring, everyone!

Even if you’re not the egomaniac that I am, it’s still important to make time to celebrate yourself. It’s easy to get lost in the drudgery of our daily routines, especially when the weather insists on remaining so unsavory. Add a little party to your day! Wear those pants that make your butt look extra good. Take yourself out to lunch because you deserve it. Tell the Starbucks barista that your name is Princess Glitterface so that you can proudly and with great flourish claim your latte when that name is called out. Swish over to the sugar station, knowing that everyone around you is jealous of your awesomeness.

Spring doesn’t always come when we need it to. Sometimes we need to plant some flowers, do a barefoot twirl in the garden, and pretend the desk lamp is really the sun on our face. I’ll give you until the end of March to switch from lion to lamb, weather, and then I’m putting my flip flops on. Literal flip flops, not metaphorical.

We all deserve to be warm. Happy first day of spring!

I have something to tell you. This is pretty heavy stuff for a Monday, so you’d better sit down. Here it is. I am not good at everything. I’m so sorry to shock you like that. Are you ready to move on or do you need a minute to let that sink in?

Ready yet?

Okay, here we go.

Don’t be too upset, I am good at lots of things. For example, I can help you pick out an outfit that flatters your shape. My ability to remember names is top notch. I can beat pretty much any child at arm wrestling. All very impressive and useful skills, and trust me, I appreciate them. However, I also just straight up suck at lots of things. Some I have tried to improve upon, but some just have “Ronni Sucks At This!” written on them in Sharpie. That’s fine though. We can’t all be good at everything, or no one would have anything to learn.

The tricky part comes in accepting the truth. I want to be good at navigating through areas outside my neighborhood! If I keep telling myself it’s just a simple four-sided square, will I stop immediately losing my bearings the minute I am in the vicinity of downtown Madison? If I really think I should be able to, will I be able to easily walk six blocks back to my hotel in an unfamiliar city once I’ve walked six blocks away from it? Nope! Is that frustrating and sometimes embarrassing? Of course. Can I flip a switch in my brain that makes me a human GPS? Of course not.

Some challenges are not worth conquering. This is not to say don’t try new things or stop searching for new challenges, just that one lost battle should not overshadow all of your wins. Use your energy to focus on your strengths. Deneen’s strengths do not include activities involving fine motor skills, but she is excellent at navigating cities. So, I untangle her necklaces for her, and she always drives when we go to a new city for market! In moments like that, I’m not thinking how terrible I am at navigation, I’m thinking how awesome I am at untangling necklaces!

Own your suck, but don’t be defined by it. Our strengths and weaknesses make us interesting and unique. I have a whole pile of things I’m great at, that I’m going to choose to focus my time and energy on. And to make you feel even better about your unslayable dragons, here are some more of mine:

1. I can’t wear that beautiful and very comfy-looking style of wide, flowy tops we sell at Neena because I look like a circus tent.
2. Running up and down lots of stairs (a favorite activity of the Woodall Training instructors). My short little legs will take twice as long as your normal human legs to get up the stairs and will then be so fatigued by the time I reach the top that I will contemplate tucking and rolling back down.
3. I am a terrible multi-tasker. I can hardly type with music on. If you try to talk to me while I’m on the phone with someone else my brain will explode.
4. I just learned that I suck at coming up with an elegant or wise way to end this blog entry, so it’s done now.

* this blog post is an excerpt from the talk that Deneen gave at the DreamBank Madison on February 7, 2013.

So, I was a dramatic child (those of you who know me, I know, shocker!). So that means that I probably should have been an actress. Maybe I will become an actress. Vocational ADD strikes again. One of my favorite Broadway tunes was from the production “Annie Get Your Gun.” You know the one: “Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.”

For a long time, I kinda owned that philosophy as a running soundtrack in my head. Not that I was overtly competitive or trying to one-up anyone. It was internal; a challenge to myself. I grew up with a certain innate defiance that comes from … who knows where? Maybe from being the only girl among six kids. Maybe from growing up in a very, very modest (and that’s putting it politely) household. Maybe from being raised in a conservative, upper middle class community by a single mom who worked in the graveyard shift in a factory. Not a typical lifestyle where I grew up. I think it’s safe to say I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder that only I really knew was there. “You’re not better than me,” I seemed to say. “Just watch what I can do. Anything you can do, I can do better …” and the subtext, for me, was, “ and I can do it all on my own.”

Except I can’t do it alone. And, more importantly, why would I want to? The biggest life lesson I have learned in the past three years from opening Neena to joining the fire service is that nothing I do is possible or really matters unless I have people to share it with. That I can tell myself all day that I am completely self-sufficient and I can accomplish anything I want under my own power, but it’s just not true. Connection is really all that matters.

I know it wouldn’t make sense in the Annie Get Your Gun, but the song should be:
“Anything you can do, we can do better.” Because that’s really how it plays out.

Neena is the perfect example of this. My dance studio was a partnership and when I sold it, I vowed that I would never go into a business partnership again. And I probably won’t. Coming off that difficult time, I was all about fierce independence in every way. I was going to build walls so high and so thick that nobody could mess with me. Because that’s super healthy. And effective. Right.

But then I hired my first employee and that kinda changed everything. Actually I got to steal her from the dance studio where she had worked with me since soon after we had opened. So although I’m the sole owner of Neena, from its beginning it has been a team effort. It enjoyed early success right out of the gate for one reason: because it is a shared effort. I simply could not have done it on my own. I mean, I could have. On paper. I could have opened the store on my own. Hired out all of the work it took to open and I couldn’t do on my own. Hired a manager with a perfect retail resume and experienced sales staff. And we’d probably be out of business by now. But we run Neena like a smart, loving and supportive household. We’re a family of sorts and we get through it all because we value the connection and the shared effort. And it’s been that way from the beginning. From Ronni, my store manager, who has been part of Neena since we registered as an LLC to friends like Dan & Anna and others who gave their time and energy to help us build the space out in 45 days. Shared with our neighbors who watched us painting late into the night and brought us food and words of encouragement. How boring and flat would it have been had I kept the defiant chip on my shoulder and had tried to do it all on my own? How rich and meaningful are the memories that I have of the first days of the Neena dream? Beyond measure.

The importance of connection is even more direct with firefighting. There is an actual, physical connection. The buddy system; you call for help unless you can either see, feel or hear someone on your team. The whole brotherhood that people talk about or you see in movies that is part of the fire service – it’s a real thing. From being on the fire ground to playing recreational sports to training to funerals. It’s a family. Being at the station, among the community, the family, of firefighters, is probably the only place in my life where I can be 100% unapologetically myself. It’s a safe zone. The only expectation that anyone has of me when I am there is that when a call comes in, I am focused, I’m efficient, I can be counted on to do my job as a member of a team with 100% effort and that safety is my primary concern. That my team can trust me and that I can trust them. With our lives if we must. That is powerful and rewarding and uncommon connection.

The takeaway? Connect. Relationships mean everything. In business. In family. In friendships. In love. You can be independent and strong and accomplished and still be connected. Actually, you can probably only be these things if you have people in your life who help you become them. Connect. Every opportunity.  Even the tiniest, most fleeting ones. With neighbors, with strangers at the airport or the coffee shop or the bank. Through the noise and the fray and day-to-day, it can be distilled down to thus: Our relationships, our connections, are what bring the greatest meaning and joy into our lives. Put them above all else.

One week ago, we were busy, nervous, and pre-tired. We were preparing for the sale, and finalizing our plans for the market trip that would occur immediately afterward. You know how life can be sometimes, when activities clump together on your calendar rather than politely spacing themselves apart. I can’t speak for everyone, but when I don’t have a rest, pause, or day off planned for the foreseeable future, I tend to get all dramatic about it. Examples of some of my thoughts from last week:

“How is it even POSSIBLE for anyone to work twelve days in a row with no day off?!?”
“I’m not even going to have time for meals!! I’ll have to survive on handfuls of almonds and brief sips of room temperature coffee!!”
“I’m going to be so tired I won’t even be able to FUNCTION!!”
“I WILL GET DEHYDRATED AND MY BODY WILL BREAK DOWN LIKE THE GUY FROM THAT VIDEO I SAW ONLINE!!”

Obviously, the sailing was a little smoother than that. I ate, slept, hydrated, and lived like a normal human. It was not very dramatic. In fact, I even attempted to thrive instead of just survive! What?? Shocking. I know. To continue with 2013‘s pattern of treating myself right, I managed to avoid going into Oreos-taking-the-place-of-meals mode. Right now you’re probably saying “Ronni! You beautiful healthy genius! Can you please share how you managed to stay on track with healthy habits during a week of being busy at work and traveling??” Yes, friends. I will sprinkle you with some pearls of wisdom.

During some of our past sales, I wrote off exercise as a non-possibility that I just didn’t have time for during a busy week. This time, I made myself go to multiple TRX classes during the week. And shockingly, it improved my energy level for the rest of the day instead of draining it as I used to fear! What??!! Exercising improves the quality of your health and well being?? Brand new information!

I was correct to anticipate a heavy dependence on almonds and coffee this week, but managed to put decent meals and moments of sitting down in between the handfuls and sips. Sometimes it took some major will power to seek out a healthy meal instead of comfort food, but I always felt better about the healthier decision after the fact. Even at market, instead of getting soft pretzels and mini chocolate bundt cakes from the snack vendors, Deneen and I both bought the little pre-made containers of quinoa salad! Unheard of. We were proud.

I won’t try to excuse or qualify the amount of coffee I drank this week. It was a lot. At every opportunity. I REGRET NOTHING.

One of the most rewarding things to come out of this busy week was a renewed appreciation for the nature of this store. I wore all Neena, all week and weekend, and was comfy as can be. Sunday was a fourteen hour day, and in my Red 23 tunic and Sense leggings, I hardly needed to change into pajamas when I eventually crashed face down into my hotel pillow that night.

This week certainly reinforced some important lessons for me. Similar to the way quality gasoline and tune ups make your car run better, good food and movement help your body function better. I hope I remember during the summer sale this July how much better I felt this week than I anticipated I would. More than good rest and squeezed-in workouts, I think the most important lesson to be reinforced this week was that it is always a good idea to wrap up a long weekend of hard work in downtown Chicago with deep dish pizza. Quinoa salad will still be there tomorrow.

It’s going be one of those weeks where I wonder how it’s all gonna happen. There’s a mental to-do list that keeps changing by the minute, an actual to-do list for the week, a grocery list, a packing checklist, and a big picture to-do list hanging out like a hovercraft above my head.

It seems whenever travel is thrown into the mix, it takes the time management game to a new level. Preparing to go away – mentally and physically – can be stressful even when you have the softest clothes on the planet to keep you comfy while you journey.

So what gets put to the back burner or taken off the stovetop entirely? For me, it’s usually eating and exercising. I pretty much can’t function without six hours of sleep, so I’m committed to avoiding being a sleep-deprived grump during high-pressure weeks. But making good eating choices and getting my workouts in tend to get a little lost in the shuffle. Which is ironic, because both of those things would be helpful in powering through a busy week.

So here’s how it’s gonna go down. It’s day one of nine of crazy town and I’m going to suck it up and keep it together. I can do this, right?

It seems fitting and timely (no pun intended) that a friend randomly sent me an email this morning reminding me that we have 86,400 seconds in each day. We have 86,400 fleeting opportunities. We have just as many on days that are packed full of responsibility as we do on days that are open for leisure. As another friend once reminded me, “Michelangelo had just as many hours in the day as we do.” Well, great, I guess. That can either make me feel inspired or seriously pressured depending on my state of mind. Also I can’t paint or draw, so somehow using Michelangelo adds an undercurrent of failure right off the bat. So I generally substitute Marie Curie or Coco Chanel or even my own mom when I think of that quote. Not that I’m in the running for the Nobel Prize or creating a global couture fashion empire, but I can more readily relate to them.

It’s true, though. We have the same amount of time each day to kick it in as anybody else on the planet. That playing field is undeinably level for us all.

So let’s start with the basics. Just so you know that I don’t want to come across as a condescending time management know-it-all (quite the opposite, actually) I’m writing this more for me than anyone else. If I put it in writing I have no excuses and am instituting the blog accountability tool.

My Crazy Town Kick it In Minimum Operating Standards:

1. Get my required minimum of sleep. Make this non-negotiable.

2. Take 10 minutes – just ten, that’s it – to quiet my brain. Preferably in the morning. Sit comfortably, quietly and breathe. I’m not going to think about all that has to get done. Breathe. After these ten minutes, I’ll flit about like the hummingbird I need to be, but for these 600 seconds, shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It helps. I promise.

3. Decide what I’m going to wear the night before so I’m not standing in my closet staring blankly and getting annoyed and wasting time. Because when that happens, I grab a pair of Tina leggings and some sort of tunic. Not a bad option, but I don’t walk out the door feeling like I’m gonna kick it in. I need to feel confident during crazy town weeks and what I’m wearing helps. Besides, I love my clothes. Taking time to think about what I’m going to wear is a creative outlet and it’s also necessary because it’s 9 degrees out and naked is not an option. Lipstick and mascara also help, so I have them within reach at all times.

4. Think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Besides giving me energy and keeping my mind focused on the task at hand rather than hunger pangs, it makes me feel like I have some control of my day. I may have a million things on my plate, but what is literally on my plate is something I can determine. If I wait until the last minute, I’m going to grab whatever is edible and closest to my mouth, which is usually almonds, a hunk of chocolate and some sort of semi-stale cracker hanging about past its prime in the Neena kitchen. If I’m traveling it means fast food French fries.

5. Look at my schedule and realistically plan my exercise time. I tend to be overly optimistic, but then cut myself some slack if I can’t make them all happen. This time, however, I’m also going to have a backup plan. That’s right. You’re not gonna outsmart me, crazy town. If I can’t make the 8:40 TRX class on Wednesday morning like I plan, I’m going to do a variety of squats, pushups and planks in my office. I’m going to have some options if crazy town threatens my plans.

6. Drink lots of water. This sounds so stupidly cliche that I almost don’t want to write it. But this list is really for me and my crazy town week and the bottom line is that when I am guzzling water like a desert camel, I feel good. I don’t really care if it’s psychological or real. Hydration works for me.

7. Smile. Smile when nobody is watching. In the midst of the chaos, I’m going to think a super happy thought and just smile. (Side note: I just did that and it was really nice.) Also, a cool song just came on so I’m going to add listen to music that makes me bounce my feet or think better or type faster.

8. Do my best, but at the end of the crazy town day or week or month or, hell, year, remember that I can’t make more time. I just can’t. Time is finite each day and even if I have more to get done than the those 86,400 seconds can accommodate, they are what we get. As my six year-old would remind me, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” Let it go. It’s cool. Big picture it. You’ve done your best. Can you really ask for or expect more than that?

It’s day one of nine. I took my ten minutes this morning. I ate a healthy breakfast. I had to miss my first workout of the week, but I’m in head-to-toe Beyond Yoga so something akin to exercise will be happening in my office this afternoon. Ronni is headed to Willy Street Co-Op as I type to get us a kale salad (yep, we’re still on that kick) for lunch. I’ve already had 32 ounces of water today. I’ve smiled ALOT. I’ve also laughed and done a ridiculous robotic dance when a weird instrumental version of a Top 40 song came on Pandora. I just reapplied my lipstick so I feel fancy.

I’m not going to get it all done today. Not even close. I can already see that. But I’m going to kick it in anyway. And be in bed by midnight so I can get those six hours of sleep I need.

According to China, 2013 is the Year of the Snake. According to me, 2013 is the Year of Kicking Ass.

Kicking ass, in this instance, is referring to making healthy food and exercise choices. I want to be good to my body and my brain. By “good” I don’t mean always treating myself to the fine and delicious things in life. Well, sometimes that’s what good will mean. Have you had those chewy dark chocolate covered bits of pomegranate? If you have functioning taste buds, it’s hard not to be elbow deep in a giant Costco bag of those. But once the bag is gone (in two days or less) then it’s back to “good” primarily meaning healthy. Fortunately, I’m not new to being in good health, but I am pretty new to spending a lot time thinking about things that will keep me healthy. That, and taking the time to do the healthy things rather than being a lazy sack and always choosing the easy options. Before you stop reading, fearing that this is about to turn obnoxious and preachy, trust that I am fully aware that “newly trying to make healthy choices” doesn’t make me a fitness or nutrition expert. I promise not to be a jerk about this.

That being said, I’m a freakin’ wizard at making kale chips. And recently, I have found myself talking about kale like I discovered it. I am literally writing an entire blog entry about kale right now. So obnoxious.

I didn’t know that a vegetable could be trendy, but kale seems to be what all the kids are into these days. It’s everywhere! Kale recipes popping up all over Facebook, friends bringing kale salads to potlucks, and me becoming obsessed with kale chips. They’re crispy, they’re delicious, and they are so good for you. Seriously, look at kale’s Wikipedia page. Super good for you. If you follow Neena on Facebook, you may have seen that I posted an easy kale chip recipe. Try them! You’ll thank me.

As kale fever seems to be sweeping the nation, I wonder if it’s a coincidence that Pantone has recently announced Emerald Green to be the color of the year for 2013. Who wants to sign my petition to rename it Kale Green? Here’s to 2013 being a fabulous, healthy, ass-kicking, green year!

I have something that I would like to talk about. It’s My Issue. Everyone has a whole list of issues that they care about, but there is always one that is the most important. You know the one. It’s the one you wrote essays about in school, the one that always makes you stop and read anything relevant when scanning the internet in the morning, and the one that fires you up the most when you hear people talking about it. Your Issue.

Mine is body image. Specifically, the quest for and creation of positive body image.

Everyone has a body, and a perception and opinion of that body. Men, women, children, teenagers, adults; it is not just a women’s issue. However, there does seem to be a dangerous combination of an overabundance of images and ideals of what women’s bodies should look like, and a widespread vulnerability that lets these images have an influence. How did this start? Why has it continued? How have we as a society let it get to the point where women in photographs are being digitally slimmed down and smoothed out rather than being shown as they are? Technology and the internet may have made unrealistic ideals more readily available, but they certainly didn’t start the problem. It breaks my heart to witness so many of the beautiful women who shop at Neena gaze longingly at a dress or top and say:

“I’ll be back for that when I lose weight.”
“I could never wear that!”
“Do you have anything that will hide my stomach?”
“I hate the way my thighs look.”

STOP IT.

You only have one body. If you resent it, it will still look the same, but you will be miserable. Have you paused to think about why you dislike your “problem area?” Would it still be a problem if you no one told you it was a problem?

LOVE IT.

I had an encounter with a woman recently that started me thinking a lot about My Issue. I was representing Neena at an offsite trunk show, when I was approached by a woman I had never met. She said:

Hi Ronni. You don’t know me, but I have seen your pictures on the Neena Facebook page. I just want to thank you for being curvy and modeling those clothes proudly! I’m not skinny, and I don’t relate to the standard model type. When I see you wearing something, I think, hey I can wear that too!

To say this made my day is an understatement. I was beaming. This is the embodiment of everything I believe in, and to know that it was me who helped this woman have that positive feeling about herself is a cause for more joy than I can put into words. I felt good about myself, she saw that, she felt good about herself. That is what I took away from that conversation more than anything. I embraced being a curvy girl a long time ago. By some standards (not my standards) I might be considered chubby. I prefer voluptuous! Hourglass! Owww she’s a brick…house!

Guess what? I love it.

Guess what else? We need more people bragging about their bodies! It’s not conceited, it’s healthy. I’m healthy. I exercise. I’m strong. I wear clothes that I like, that flatter me both because I like them and because I like how my body looks in them. Not by hiding, by embracing. The styles only meant to flatter those with less body fat? I’m too much woman for that dress to handle! I’ll bust yo’ buttons clean off!

People of the world, and customers of Neena: you may see something you don’t like in the mirror, but we don’t see it. Everyone’s beauty is different, and it’s not all related to inches and numbers. Pause before you criticize your reflection, and offer a compliment instead. Silently, or out loud. I’ll go first!

I like the curve of my torso between ribs and hips. It’s soft.
I like that you can see the muscles in my forearms move when I wiggle my fingers or type.
I like that my hips make their presence known (watch out corner of the table! I’m coming through!)
I like, no, love, that any curvy, busty, short, pale, or hippy woman who comes into Neena will find an understanding friend in me.

Now you try it. You might get some looks. Don’t worry, they’re just admiring the view.

Eighty degrees in March, tulips and daffodils come and (nearly) gone already, snow shovels standing idle. It’s not been a typical Wisconsin spring and we have no problem with that. We’re embracing all the fashion fun that comes along with the transition from wintry gray to sunshine-y brights. The list that follows are some of our favorite spring trends (and some Neena tips for working them into your wardrobe).

1. Bright, bold, unapologetic COLOR. This season vibrant colors are everywhere – shoes, denim, handbags, lips, nails, dresses – and you can’t go wrong if you go bright. If you typically dress in neutrals and are hesitant to splurge on a pair of tangerine designer jeans, you can still work in the brights. At Neena, you can grab a few brightly colored Tees by Tina tanks, invest in a standout Harvey’s handbag or find vibrant lightweight scarf (we’ll show you all the ways to wear it through the summer). Add a little fuschia to your toes and some colorful inexpensive accessories and you can work the trend your way (and on your budget).

2. Airy, lightweight knits. We love summer-weight sweaters! Boxy cardigans over cami dresses and chunky (but oh-so-airy) sweaters casually paired with rolled denim, shorts or skirts are easy, fun and flattering on all different body-types. Slim-fitting knits make beautifully draped dresses and tops for work or evening and can transition well into fall. Our favorite arrivals thus far in this category are by GG Collective and Fluxus.

3. Washable silks. Summer silks are stunning. So wearable, so classically summer and so very comfortable! Their rich texture gets better with each wash. We are loving them in crisp white and soft pastels paired with light-washed denim for a relaxed, beach-y style. Most of our Fluxus deliveries this spring and summer have multiple silk styles.

4. Pastels as neutrals. As much as the vibrant hues are taking center stage this season, pastels are not to be dismissed. We like them best in tees, denim and the washable silks (see #3). We’re also loving pastels as nail colors – especially mint green, robin’s egg blue and lilac. Paired with basic black, they read as a pop color, but with light earth tones like taupe and ivory, they look soft, neutral and elegant. I am so very excited to wear a lilac silk top with rolled white denim jeans and nude patent pumps (or sandals)! Swipe of sheer lip gloss and simple silver or crystal jewelry by JUST THE 2 OF US and I have my new summer uniform. With a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, please.

5. Hi-low hemlines. This one – short in the front and long in the back (but please don’t think mullet!) – is sticking around and we are loving seeing it in everything from relaxed burnout tees to elegant dresses. It adds visual interest and is universally flattering (and especially convenient when, like us, you practically live in leggings!). The tops are perfect paired with the Neena Basic Slip Dress by Fluxus or Maxi Tank by Second Base.

6. Seamless. It’s amazing how a little thing like a seam can be so irritating! We are so grateful to fitness brands like Nux and Electric Yoga who have embraced the concept of seamless designs! Once you work out or practice in seamless, it’s hard to wear anything else! We’re hoping other brands follow suit. P.S. Can you imagine Beyond Yoga’s peached supplex fabric in a seamless design?! I would never wear anything else ever again for as long as I live forever.

7. Fitness-lifestyle crossover styles. This is pretty much a no-brainer for Neena; our entire store was built on this concept. However, we’re seeing a huge increase and improvement in the crossover styles, especially the spring and summer collections from Beyond Yoga, alo, Zobha and Lucy. It’s so refreshing to see collections that feature pieces that truly perform as well as those that are suitable for everyday wear. Best of all, lines are really working these two concepts together in their collections so you can go from day to night without a major wardrobe change. Which is how we live so thank you, designers, for jumping on board.

8. Maxi dresses and skirts. This trend is still going strong and who are we to argue? We love the incredibly comfortable yet instantly elegant look of the maxi. The upscale tee gurus at Bella Luxx have gone on a maxi design spree this season and we are happy to take advantage of their enthusiasm for the trend. Contrary to what many think, the maxi length is truly for everyone (though you may need the help of our seamstress to get it just right). Really, it is a look that is flattering on all heights and body types. The key is pairing it with the right top for your body so the length of the dress/skirt balances. C’mon in; we’ll show you what we mean.

And there you have it! Take a look at our just released Spring Lookbook below to see a few of these trends come to life on our beautiful models, mother-daughter duo Kari Woodall of Woodall Training and Judi Haag.

You’re going to think I’m being a suck up. That may be unavoidable, but I swear that’s not my intention. This is merely a series of genuine observations, and a positive reaction to those observations. Seriously.

Ask almost anyone their thoughts about working in retail, and a common response would be to shudder, groan, or run away crying. Retail often leads one to believe that people are awful. Whether you’ve worked in retail or not, you’ve certainly been a customer at some point. You’ve seen the person in front of you trying to return the top she bought two years ago, or the pants that have clearly been worn, dirtied, and washed. You’ve likely seen a terrified employee shaking in their boots while a customer rips their head off for a reason beyond their control. I recall being sixteen years old and having to re-scoop ice cream for a customer who felt that the scoop I had just handed them did not live up to their ice cream scoop ideal. It was phrased a little harsher than that, though. Sometimes, people are just the worst.

But not here. Seriously.

I don’t know if it’s the charming atmosphere of downtown Middleton that puts everyone in a good mood, or if our light purple walls just soothe the soul, but our customers are just really nice. This being our first year, there has definitely been a learning curve for us. We have (inadvertently) presented customers with opportunities to point out mistakes. But as a whole, we deal with kind, patient, friendly women everyday. As has been mentioned in previous blog entries, we have run into some inconvenient technological hiccups. The most common response from the woman waiting at the register is “Oh, that’s okay.” Even an exasperated sigh and forced smile would be completely acceptable in the situation, but the sighs are often silent and the smiles genuine. It’s just crazy. We quickly gained a loyal following of customers who have turned into friends, and essentially into family. Customers who hug us. Customers who tell us the details of their recent vacations. Even first time shoppers, far more often than not, are friendly and warm. People hang the clothes back on hangers after trying them on, and offer to put them back out on the sales floor. You don’t have to do that! You’re our guest! Thank you, really, but we will do it for you! I can barely recall any instances of walking into the fitting room after a customer leaves and finding piles on the floor. The Neena woman is thoughtful, considerate, and respectful of our merchandise. Whatever is causing this beautiful epidemic, I hope it doesn’t end.

Now that the door to fitness has been opened in my life, I am able to start taking advantage of all the different opportunities available in this town. As Middleton grows and thrives due to the addition of new businesses, these opportunities are only expanding. Enter our new neighbor, BodyFit Solutions.

BodyFit Solutions is a personal training studio for women, by women. Owner Laura Schuch is sweet and supportive, and wanted to create a safe and comfortable place for women to come and exercise. I had never had a personal training session before, but this new business right down the street felt like a good place to start. And since I was FORCED to pick out a cute new workout outfit from Neena, I started there. It would have been disrespectful to BodyFit Solutions to show up looking like slob. Since I’m not rude, I chose the Beyond Teardrop Cami in heather gray, the Beyond Ruched Leggings in Blackberry, and a black sparkly Sticky Band. I did it for BodyFit.

I showed up for my session and Laura greeted me at the door. Unlike working out at a gym, the first thing we did was sit down for a comprehensive conversation about my goals, health, strengths, and weaknesses. Laura really listened to what I said, and we had a true conversation instead of filling out a questionnaire. She was completely nonjudgemental, and genuinely interested in creating the best experience possible for me.

We began with a cardio warmup of my choice. Don’t be fooled by my recent participation in a 10k–I will still choose “not running” if given the choice. Elliptical it was! Laura and I chatted as I increased my speed and heart rate, getting ready for my workout. As we moved through each exercise, Laura was focused on me and how I was doing. She listened to me when I said during our initial conversation that I respond best to smiles, high fives, and positive reenforcement, so I was met with many verbal pats on the back. Don’t you love being told how great you’re doing? I do. This does not mean she took it easy on me. She pushed me kindly, but she still pushed me until my quads were shaking from the lunges and my arms and core were Jell-o from doing pushups with my feet up on a balance ball. Even though there was a photographer present to capture some promotional shots for the studio, there was nothing fake about the workout. I am definitely looking a little sweaty and strained in some of those shots.

I left BodyFit Solutions with a clear understanding of Laura’s vision. The studio is warm and welcoming, the equipment is new and clean, and the atmosphere is happy and supportive. Every woman, regardless of age, fitness level, or long term goals can benefit from the attentive training at BodyFit Solutions. I had a productive workout and felt great about it.

So great, in fact, that Neena is officially partnering with BodyFit Solutions. We want our customers to look and feel great in their clothes, so all BodyFit Solutions clients will receive 10% off of their purchases at Neena! That is how strongly we believe in Laura and the rest of the BodyFit training staff. Own your health and fitness, and let BodyFit Solutions guide and support you through each lunge, crunch, and accomplishment.

www.bodyfitsolutions.com