Wow, what a great week I had last week.  At A Girly Girl Boutique, we were so busy after the fashion shows for the WIOG Family Fun Fest and then I received an email to be a guest of Kevin Christiana at the first ever Fashion In Detroit.  I must say, I was hesitant at first because I was so booked and I only had a few days notice.

For those of you who don’t know, Kevin Christiana was on season four of Project Runway and makes frequent appearances on the Rachel Ray show.  He is now designing his own line called MYNT 1792, a great lifestyle clothing line.  Well, you know….I had to go.  I even arranged for my husband, David,  to attend as a photographer and I would be interviewing Kevin for an article for the Fashion Plate for the Review Magazine.

Well, I had a blast and it was soooo great to be seated front row, watching the fashion shows instead of backstage producing the fashion shows!  Afterward, I did get to interview Kevin Christiana and also Barry Zinn who is also part of the MYNT 1792 team, which explained the name of the other line they are developing called Christiana-Zinn!  What great guys!  Seriously, two very down to earth, humble people and it was a great pleasure to speak with them.  Here is a great picture that my wonderful hubby took.

Barry Zinn, Debra Defoe (aka Girly Girl) and Kevin Christiana

Keep an eye out for this up and coming designer and I will let you know when the Review Magazine-Fashion Plate article comes out!

Congratulations to America’s Next Top Model and Tyra Banks for their recent selection of the winner.  Whitney Thompson is a beautiful young lady and took absolutely stunning pictures so why not be crowned the winner.

Body image is a very common subject, especially in our household!  I myself have fallen prey to the “must be thin” mantra that is out there, which is somewhat understandable, given my situation.  I was formerly a size 3 and never had to worry about my weight my whole life.  I actually could eat anything I wanted and never gained an ounce.  I had no idea what it was like to struggle with weight issues even though everyone in my immediate family did, in a huge way.

That all began to change about 4 years ago when I approached 40.  No, I don’t feel age has anything to do with it.  I think life has something to do with it.  I was completely stressed out and it showed on me physically.  My entire body started to change in ways that I knew weren’t right and I tried to explain to the doctors what was going on, but each one of them refused to listen.  They were content to try to shove pills down my throat which is not what I wanted.  Keep in mind that I was conscious of my body in a good way.  Yes, I was previously “thin” but I also was deliberately trying to eat healthy; a habit I had developed in my early twenties when I began learning about nutrition.

My search for a return to optimal health started three years ago when my weight began to creep up for no reason.  In three years I had put on a lot of weight and was run down, exhausted and in great pain all the time.  Tired of medical professionals trying me on HRT and other drugs, I finally found the most amazing doctor to help me.  Dr Paul Meyer actually listened to me and told me that NO, I didn’t have to feel like I was just because I “WAS GETTING OLDER” as the other docs had told me.  He also negated previous statements such as “GET USED TO IT” and “THIS HAPPENS TO ALL WOMEN”.  Can you believe that a woman female gyno told me that.  I went to her thinking that SHE would understand and help me get to the bottom of it!

The Material Girl hails from Bay CIty, Michigan which is just up the river from where we are here in Saginaw.  I am sure she wishes to come back to town to accept her key to the city because she wants to stop off at A Girly Girl Boutique!  She must be told that the Kimi trench by BB Dakota is going like crazy and let me tell you, it won’t be long before they are gone!

Everyone knows that the stylish trench is back and hotter than ever for spring and summer.  But this one is super cute.  I mean it!  I put it in the window and I can’t keep the people out of the store.  Everyone loves it!  White is the color, and is for all ages which must be why I can’t keep them on my hangers!!

Some years later, after marriage, the birth of my beautiful daughter, Gabrielle and a nasty divorce I began my career at the United States Postal Service.  In 14 years with the Postal Service I was promoted three times and entrusted to perform 12 other details while serving my Postmaster position.  I absolutely loved my job until my last boss!  The stress became so great and it was taking such a physical toll that I had to leave.  My husband of one year,  David was behind me 100% and I knew this opportunity was a blessing from God.

I had the opportunity to direct and produce the Miss Victorian Scholarship Program in West Branch, MI for three years and that lead to the opportunity to begin coaching some girls for pageants.  My desire to get into a girly girl type of business flared up again and this time could not be contained.  Watching my daughter struggle through the teenage years, I decided that I wanted to teach modelling again and help young ladies to develop self esteem.

 That brings us to August 10, 2007; my last day with the United States Postal Service.  I had resigned!  Was I scared?  Out of my head!  Was I excited?  No, I was ecstatic!  I finally felt free; free to create and utilize actual business and marketing skills!!  I took a big risk and gave up a career that I had worked extremely hard for.  My last day at my office, when I was disrespected in the manner that I was, made it crystal clear that I had made the right move.

Now, at 44 and with Gabrielle about to leave the nest at 19, I was totally free to be the girly girl that I was destined to be.  God is good and I am a blessed woman!!

I loved Modelling.  I loved hair and makeup and outfits and the runway and pictures, etc.  It wasn’t about being fake, it was about accenting the good features and improving the bad features.  We all have them!  Mostly, it gave me self confidence.  Let me tell you, if you can walk the catwalk flawlessly, you can do about anything.

I learned how to be a lady and present myself to the world properly.  I learned how to stand, sit, walk, speak and carry myself in any situation.  It was, without a doubt, one of the most important experiences of my formerly insecure life!!

I used the training to model and enjoyed the time I spent in the industry (beware of the CREEPS), but I more enjoyed using my training and experiences to make a difference in other young girls.  I loved teaching modelling to girls at an age when they really need to develop self confidence.  Teenagers! 

I figured that you might want to know a little about the person behind this blog.  Truthfully, this is all new to me!  The reason that I am doing this is to inspire girls and ladies of all walks to think out of the box and reach for the stars!!

My name is Debra and I have lived in Michigan almost all of my life, growing up outside of Flint (Burton).  I was always dressed in frilly, sparkling white dresses as a baby by my Grandma June,  so you have her to blame for my girliness.  As a teenager, I disliked school, had braces and really felt that I did not fit in.  I wasn’t cool or part of the jocks, party crowd or popular girls. 

Somewhere inside I thought I was pretty.  I was also tall and very thin.  One day, when I was 17,  I convinced my mom to enroll me in a modelling school and the true girly girl in me began to blossom.  I had found my love.