These Kinds of Changes I Could do Without

A friend sent me this chart today and I hope everyone looks and think about this President, regardless of your party participation....(I put this on my Drastic Measures Page, because the findings are drastic, indeed!)

After two years of Obama...Here's your change
 January 2009
 TODAY
 % chg
 Source

Avg.. Retail price/gallon gas in U.S.
 $1.83
 $3.104
 69.6%
 1

Crude oil, European Brent (barrel)
 $43..48
 $99..02
 127.7%
 2

Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel)
 $38..74
 $91..38
 135.9%
 2

Gold: London (per troy oz.)
 $853.25
 $1,369.50
 60.5%
 2

Corn, No.2 yellow, Central IL
 $3.56
 $6.33
 78.1%
 2

Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL
 $9.66
 $13..75
 42.3%
 2

Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb. Fob
 $13..37
 $35..39
 164.7%
 2

Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall
 7.6%
 9.4%
 23.7%
 3

Unemployment rate, blacks
 12.6%
 15.8%
 25.4%
 3

Number of unemployed
 11,616,000
 14,485,000
 24.7%
 3

Number of fed. Employees, ex. Military (curr = 12/10 prelim)
 2,779,000
 2,840,000
 2.2%
 3

Real median household income (2008 v 2009)
 $50,112
 $49,777
 -0.7%
 4

Number of food stamp recipients (curr = 10/10)
 31,983,716
 43,200,878
 35.1%
 5

Number of unemployment benefit recipients (curr = 12/10)
 7,526,598
 9,193,838
 22.2%
 6

Number of long-term unemployed
 2,600,000
 6,400,000
 146.2%
 3

Poverty rate, individuals (2008 v 2009)
 13.2%
 14.3%
 8.3%
 4

People in poverty in U.S. (2008 v 2009)
 39,800,000
 43,600,000
 9.5%
 4

U.S.. Rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings
 5
 9
 n/a
 10

Present Situation Index (curr = 12/10)
 29.9
 23.5
 -21.4%
 11

Failed banks (curr = 2010 + 2011 to date)
 140
 164
 17.1%
 12

U.S.. Dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate
 89.76
 82.03
 -8.6%
 2

U.S.. Money supply, M1, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim)
 1,575.1
 1,865.7
 18.4%
 13

U.S.. Money supply, M2, in billions (curr = 12/10 prelim)
 8,310.9
 8,852.3
 6.5%
 13

National debt, in trillions
 $10..627
 $14..052
 32.2%
 14

Just take this last item:  In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history..  Over 27 times as fast. 
Sources:
(1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. Of Labor; (7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC; (13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury

Fall Collection and Show Was "WORTHwhile"

My sister and me just finished our Fall Trunk - Worth Collection show.   We had a nice show....several new clients came, our regular clients found some great pieces to add to their own fall wardrobes and we, of course, found many wonderful selections to add to our wardrobes!  Our business continues to grow and the word is getting out in the Annapolis area that June is the new WORTH sales associate. 



On a personal note, we are always so tired when the show is over and we cannot really understand why!  All of our clients happen to be delightful and easy to work with.  We wear comfortable clothes and shoes so that shouldn't make us tired.  And we don't have a HUGE (June's favorite word, FYI) client base yet, so our days are not crammed with appointments which could make a salesperson exhausted.   It's a mystery.

The favorite Fall pieces were the reversible cape, the wool blanket skirt and a soft turtleneck that came in a variety of colors.  But, I know several of our clients have added the beautiful suede and leather jackets to their wishlists!  Sometimes it's just hard to shop for warmer weather items when it's still hot and humid outside.  I have a feeling that these orders will come through after the first hint of fall-like weather.....

Thanks to all of you who attended the show and purchased clothes from our agency.  It means the world to us.  We love to dress our clients!  Remember, that we can order items together through the select shopper site that WORTH provides....anytime....a nice and convenient way to shop!   

Taking a Trend and Giving it a Leg Up

For the past two seasons we have seen a lot of animal prints....ranging from the gaudy to the sophisticated.  While it's never really been a favorite on mine, I like the subtle suggestion of this trend in this fall's Worth Collection.  There is one dress in particular that I think brings the animal print look to a higher level and truly has a leg up on the competition:

   The dress is high fashion yet comfortable.   The Neutral Animal Jacquard Knit material has a dark brown cable-knit turtleneck and a cuff at the sleeves and at the bottom edge of the dress.  The dress is worn just above the knees and looks great on most people as it is designed to be worn not too tight to the body. It looks Perfect with this year's cute bootie-style shoes.      



I love this dress because it's a one-piece WOW dress without the fuss of belts or jewelry.  It would be fantastic when you have to travel and be ready for dinner soon after you arrive.  I am adding this to my Worth wish list.  What's on your WORTH wish list?  Need help?  I would love to help you place wonderful additions for your Fall wardrobe; email me at beth@emtnester.com to work with me or my sister.  Her show is in Edgewater, MD, just outside of Annapolis and runs from August 20th-August 26th.  We would love to fit you into the schedule if you live in this area!

Finally, a Handbag That Does Not Carry Me Away!

Designers like to name their bags for some reason and the Worth Collection handbags are no different.  This baby is called the 'Janice' and I must say that its the perfect fall bag.  The size is perfect (big enough to get all my junk and my notebook but not so large that I look ridiculous carrying it).  It comes in three colors but I love this color they call 'Mulch'.  I also love the price, $696.00, almost one-third less than all the great handbags I spotted at Nordstrom's the other day.  It's 100% leather and I love the braided/chained combo on the strap.  To me, it's the adult version of your back-to-school bag. 

How many of you would like one of these bags?  Go to their website to see all the colors and other handbags of the season, or just make a comment here or email me at beth@emtnester.com and ask me.  I would love to sell 10 of these today!  That would really surprise my sister!

WORTHy Wishes for My Friend

Maybe you're like me and have a much easier time picking out clothes for your friends than for yourself.  There are a couple of friends that I would love to dress right now.  My first friend I want to dress looks fabulous because she has recently lost a lot of weight.  Plus, she has a great head of blond hair on her head so some styles really look great on her that others cannot pull off as well. So, here goes.....this is what I would select for this person from this fall's Worth Collection clothing line:

    I start with a simple piece in this ensemble.  She already has a top, similar slacks and the belt that are represented in this look, but to bring the pieces together, she could definitely rock this 'Mulch Colorblock Shawl Cardigan'!  It's 100% Wool but has a wonderful lightweight feeling and it's soft to the touch. It's an Easy Fit, in sizes XP-XL and costs $498.00.  With so many great colors in this sweater, there isn't much in her wardrobe that doesn't match this versatile piece.

Next, I like to dress this friend in this easy 3-piece casual outfit consisting of a U-tank, a cotton cardigan and this terrific 'Permable Denim Biker Jean Skirt'.  The U-Tank is in berry brown, runs XP-XL and has 83% Nylon and 17% Lycra and costs $98.  (I have these tanks in about 8 colors and I love the way they feel...very smooth, don't show undergarments and I wash them and hang to dry!  They are a necessity in Arizona). The 'Berry Brown Swank City Cable Cardigan' is also perfect for Fall in AZ: looks like fall but is short sleeved and 100% Cotton.  This looks great with a long sleeve shirt, too, by the way.  Runs XP-XL, is an Easy Fit and costs $448.00.  To finish off this outfit, we have a button down skirt made of 78% cotton with some give, but not too much. Everyone who buys this classic Worth style skirt say that they love how it doesn't gap between the buttons, even when you are sitting down.  It's perfect for casual Friday work days or an easy dinner date at the Club. Sizes 0-16 and it costs $328.00.

Now, it's time to dress for that special or Holiday occasion.........and there are several outfits from this collection I know would be stunning on this friend, but I have selected one jacket that I think would look great with some dress black pants she has in her current wardrobe:

The material in this jacket is heavenly....just saying!  She loves black and wears it well.  But the golds in this jacket will compliment her blond locks well.  It's made for her!  The process of making this material is interesting in itself: starts with black velvet that is then chemically burned-out then over printed with a metallic gold creating this beautiful floral pattern.  This is sexy without being overtly sexy....if you know what I mean! 82% Viscose, 18% Silk, unlined, 0-16 and costs $ 798.  (They use this material for an evening shawl if you have an all-black outfit that needs that extra spark, too.  Costs $298.00)


Well, I have probably spent too much of my friend's money for one day, so I'll stop the post here.  But I do have one more INCREDIBLE piece lined-up for her.  I'll show you this next week....


Perhaps these outfits would also look great on you, too!  Email me at beth@emtnester.com to discuss or to place your order.  I'd love to dress you, too.

HCG Diet Has Come to an End...of Sorts

Drastic Measures

Final Report and Final Measurements

It's Day 40, the end of the diet period!  In fact, today was the first day of the stabilization period.    The next phase is harder because I will have many more choices of food, more tiny meals and more temptation to make food mistakes, and that is scary to me. And I wasn't good about making quality small meals today.

It's time to strip and do the final measurements, and I'm scared that they aren't going to be any different than the ones on day 29....... Look back to the post where I wrote in my measurements at the start of this diet.

Original Measurements                 Day 27 Measurements      
Bust 36"                                           Bust 35" (bummer)
Stomach (1.5" above)  32"            Stomach (1.5" above) 28"
Stomach (1.5" below)  35"             Stomach (1.5" below) 33"
Hip  38"                                            Hip 36"
Thigh 22"                                         Thigh left=21.5", right=22"
Arm   11"                                          Arm 11"
Ankle 8"                                            Ankle 8"

Day 40 Measurements
Bust 35"
Stomach (1.5" above) 27"
Stomach (1.5' below) 32"
Hip 34"
Thigh 20" (both!)
Arm 10'
Ankle 8"

That's pretty amazing stuff for an old, empty nest Mom, don't you think?!

The link to order, as I promised several readers is:

http://www.hcgprotocol.com/

http://www.drugdelivery.ca

Now. I have 3 weeks without any sugars or starches, but I can eat about 1500-1700 calories a day. I can tell this is going to be a harder time for me, because of the freedoms, but I'll try to do my best best.  Bathing suit season is just around the corner....   No pictures....I don't want to spoil your appetite!

Progress Report and Dreaded Measurements

It's Day 29, but who's counting?  I am, silly!  Seriously though, I really thinking I have only 11 days with the HCG injections to drop weight.  The next phase is harder because I will have many more choices of food, more tiny meals and more temptation to make food mistakes, and that is scary to me.

Two days ago I found my pink measuring tape and decided it was time to do a measurement update.  Look back to the post where I wrote in my measurements at the start of this diet. The results at this 'more than half way' position:

Original Measurements                 Day 27 Measurements       
Bust 36"                                           Bust 35" (bummer)
Stomach (1.5" above)  32"            Stomach (1.5" above) 28"
Stomach (1.5" below)  35"             Stomach (1.5" below) 33"
Hip  38"                                            Hip 36"
Thigh 22"                                         Thigh left=21.5", right=22"
Arm   11"                                          Arm 11"
Ankle 8"                                            Ankle 8"

So, here are my comments......
1) It seems if the weight and inches are coming off in a top-to-bottom fashion.  The hardest and worst areas come last, of course.

2) Feeling the weight off the stomach is very rewarding and helps you to stay focused on the end results.

3) I plan to start doing more stomach and arm strength training in these last 11 days as I am not getting stuck with these flabby arms. I refuse to accept my Buddha-like arms.

4) it's really all about portion control, and will be for the rest of my life and I teaching myself some very good habits in portion control by spending 40 days on this diet.

Time to fill up my 2 liter bottle of water for today.  This empty nest Mom is going to be successful!  Talk to you soon.....