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Comfortable Clothes that Breathe from Baltimore’s New Store, “The Joshua Tree”

November 19, 2013 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

Did you know most of the clothing you wear is made of fabric grown with lots of pesticides?

How much of these pesticides are being absorbed into your skin?

One of the few plants that does not need protection from pesticides is hemp.

It’s possible to purchase 100 % hemp clothing.

Because hemp clothing breathes, it’s extremely comfortable.

In Baltimore, Maryland, you can find hemp clothing and other clothing made with comfortable sustainable fabric at “The Joshua Tree.”

“The Joshua Tree has been in business 16 months. It’s located in Baltimore’s Mt. Washington neighborhood near Whole Foods.

I discovered “The Joshua Tree,” one day after I finished shopping at Whole Foods on Smith Avenue. I had previously seen a big sign that said, ” Eco Friendly Clothing””.

One day when I was not in a hurry, I decided to follow the sign. I discovered a store full of clothes and accessories grown sustainably.

This store carries hemp, soy and organic men’s and women’s casual clothes. The styles are forward-thinking, inexpensive to up-scale and also sewn “sweatshop-free.” You will also find locally made scrubs, soaps and aromatherapy oils.

I bought a pair of ecoSkin leggings that are so soft and comfortable, I can barely tell I am wearing pants

Joshua Tree turquoise dress — Dress at the Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree Wallet — Wallet from the Joshua Tree

The Joshua Tree also carries, jewelry, hats, wallets, and socks, all made with sustainable products. It’s a great place to find gifts for that special person as well as shop for yourself

The address is 1340 Smith Ave, Baltimore, Md. 21209, behind Whole Foods. Phone : 971-570- 0732. for hours.

Are you a woman whose size and shape has changed. Do you have too many clothes but not much you can wear?

Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard can help you decide what clothes to keep and what to give away. She is available to work with you in person if you live near Baltimore, Maryland or on-line if you are not local.

Nancy is a Color 1 Associate and for over 20 years has helped women whose size and shape has changed to choose their best styles and colors.</strong> <strong>Contact her at: Nancy@wardrobewiz.com, or 410-235-5325

Why Can’t You Let Go of Your Old Clothes?

June 2, 2013 by Nancy Goldblatt 2 Comments

I have a confession. I have great difficulty getting rid of my old clothes even when they no longer fit me.

Do you have old or not so old, clothes you never wear, taking up precious space in your closets?

If you knew which items were really treasures that could be altered or matched with other pieces and which clothes were not flattering would it be easier to let go?

Do your old clothes represent all the unfulfilled hopes and dreams you had when you wore or hoped to wear those clothes?

It’s especially hard for me to let go of my clothes because everything I have purchased in the last 20 years, since I got trained by Joanna Nicholson, as a Color 1 Associate, is the right color and the right style for my body shape.

A few years ago I went to a quilt show at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, Maryland. The quilters were from Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The quilts were very beautiful.

There was a quote from one of the quilters, I will never forget. The quilter wrote,” I used to be poor and I had to use old clothes for my quilts. Now I have more money and I can buy new fabric, but I still use fabrics from old clothes because the energy of the people who wore the clothes is still in the fabric.”

Maybe by letting go of our old clothes, we fear the energy that represents all of our old hopes and dreams will disappear.

Do you have trouble “letting go,” of your old clothes? Do you know why it’s hard to let go of them?

When you know what colors and styles are flattering,you can Store those items that no longer work for you and make room for clothes that really suit you.

Comments welcome.

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Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard can help you decide what clothes to keep and what to give away. She is available to work with you on-line if you don’t live in Baltimore and surrounding areas or in-person if you are local.

Super Sunglass Sale at Walmart

February 19, 2013 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

**Sunglasses on sale for $1 at Wal Mart**

I don’t like to spend much money on sunglasses because I seem to lose or break them so frequently.

This last weekend when I stopped at Wal Mart to pick up a few toiletries, I was delighted to discovered lots of sunglasses on sale.

There was no sunglass sale sign, but I noticed $1 stickers on many of the sunglasses.

The sunglasses I purchased on sale cost me $1 for sunglasses that were originally $5 and, $3 for Foster Grant, Iron-Man, shatter resistant, high performance, polycarbonate glasses that were originally $15.

Foster Grant, IronMan, High Performance Sunglasses, orig price $15, on sale at Wal Mart $3 — **Foster Grant,, High Performance Sunglasses, orig price $15, on sale $3**

I bought 4 pair of sunglasses and 1 super large sun-glass case for $3.97. Total cost, $9.97 not including tax.

Sunglasses in super sized case, case cost $3.97 — super sized case, case cost $3.97.

3 Tips for Choosing Comfortable & Flattering Sunglasses

When you try on the sunglasses, close your eyes and see how they feel on your face. If they pinch, feel too tight, are too loose or are uncomfortable in anyway, do not purchase them.
Sunglasses should feel so comfortable that you barely notice you are wearing them.
Sunglasses as well as eyeglasses should follow the line of your eyebrow.

Want to know more about choosing flattering sunglasses or eyeglasses for your face shape?

Click on the following links to read 2 of my previous blog post.

How to Pick the Perfect Eyeglass Frame Using Your Smartphone or Camera

How to Choose Flattering Sunglasses

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“The Wardrobe Wizard,” is available to work with you, no matter where you live.

If you live in Baltimore, Maryland, or surrounding areas she can work with you in person. If you live other places, she can work with you on-line using digital pictures.

Nancy Goldblatt,“The Wardrobe Wizard,” is a Color1 Personal Image Consultant. She specializes in working with mid-life women whose size or shape has changed and who have too many clothes and “not much to wear.”

After a woman works with“The Wardrobe Wizard,” she will have a wallet of her best colors and styles, and a pared down closet. She will learn how to mix and match her best looks so she can get dressed quickly and look great everyday.

“The Wardrobe Wizard,” also works with younger women and is available to work with men. She was trained by Joanna Nicholson, founder of Color 1 Associates, an International Image & Style Company.

e-mail or call Nancy if you would like to set up a 20 minute FREE consult to find out if her services are right for you. Nancy@WardrobeWiz.com, 410-513-9496

Naturally Curly, Secrets You Need to Know

May 11, 2012 by Nancy Goldblatt 1 Comment

Do you have naturally curly hair? Has it felt like a curse or a blessing?

Nancy age 5 with curly hair — Nancy age 5 with mass of curly wavy hair

If your curly hair has felt like a curse, keep reading to find out what you can do to turn it into a blessing.

In the picture above you can see my mass of wavy, curly hair at age five.

I envied my friend Penny because she had very straight hair and long braids that went way past her shoulders.

I had a tangled head of hair that grew wide instead of long. I longed for straight hair so I could have long braids.

Have you ever wished you had straight, smooth hair?

I can remember when I was 4 or 5 years old, going for rides with my family on Sunday afternoon by Lake Michigan and tugging on my pig tails, hoping they would grow long like my friend Penny’s. My pig tails never got longer than 2 or 3 inches.

What kinds of things have you tried to straighten your hair?

Have you tried smelly perms that burned your scalp? Have you ever tried ironing your hair?

In my twenties, I ironed my hair to straighten it and ended up burning the ends of my hair.

If you are over a certain age you may remember Dippity Doo, a gloppy lotion used to set hair. I used Dippity Doo and set my hair every night, using larger and larger rollers.

I even used empty orange juice cans as rollers, in my effort to calm down my curly hair. At night I would sleep on my nose, so I did not disturb the rollers in my hair.

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

Has all of your hard work to get smooth, sophisticated hair disappeared when the weather is wet or humid?

I didn’t realize I was blessed to have naturally wavy, curly hair until my mid 20’s.

That’s when I got my “million dollar haircut.” It didn’t cost a million, but it was the perfect hair cut for me. It was very short and I could wash it, run my fingers through it and let it air dry and it looked fabulous.

I still have this same basic haircut. As I have gotten older, my hair is more wavy than curly and because I keep it short, it looks straighter than it did when I was young.

Here is a recent picture, right after I washed my hair. It’s still wet. All I did was wash it with conditioner and run a wide toothed comb through it.

I use my fingers to comb it when I want a more relaxed, wavy look. With the right haircut, your curly or wavy hair will actually look even better when its humid or wet outside.

hair still wet after washing, ran a wide toothed comb through it — hair right after washing with conditioner, still wet, only ran a wide toothed comb through it

There is a “million dollar haircut,” waiting for you.

You need to find a hairdresser who knows how to cut curly hair. Your hair dresser should also have some understanding of face shape or be open to learning about it.

Face shape is not just the outline of your face, it includes the shape of your eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth. Face shape is the overall impression of your face.

Your face shape will be either more curved or more straight.

(My face shape is more curved. Notice the natural shape of my lips, my eyebrows, even my nostrils are more curved than angular.)

There are various levels of curly hair from kinky curly to wavy curly. Curly and wavy hair is dryer than straight hair and needs different care than straight hair.

A few years ago, Wendy Cooper, one of my image clients with beautiful, corkscrew, curly hair, told me about the book “Curly Girl,” by Lorraine Massey. Lorraine wrote this book in 2001 and since then she has written an updated version called The Curly Girl Handbook.

Lorraine has revolutionized the care and treatment of curly hair.

Ever since I read the book, I have been washing my hair with conditioner instead of shampoo and I have followed some of the other suggestions in her book and my hair has never looked better.

Another suggestion for you naturally curly girls is only using a wide toothed comb and never comb when your hair is dry, only when hair is wet and well conditioned. There are lots more suggestions in the book. There are even web- based support groups for curly girls.

An industry has grown up around the Curly Girl book. Here is a link to a great article from WikiHow, How to Follow The Curly Girl Method for Curly Hair, 15 steps.

So please don’t despair if you have naturally curly hair. You are truly blessed.

The “Curly Girl method” will enable you to love the way your curly locks look.

When you learn the “Curly Girl method,” you won’t have to torture your locks into submission.

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How can you decide what your best hair styles are?

The first step is understanding your face shape. Are you more angular or more curved? When you get a face and body shape analysis from “The Wardrobe Wizard,” you will get the best styles of clothing for your body as well as suggestions for flattering hair styles.

Call or e-mail today for more information about an on-line virtual consultation.

“The Wardrobe Wizard,” is available to work with you, no matter where you live.

If you live in Baltimore, Maryland, or surrounding areas she can work with you in person. If you live other places, she can work with you on-line using digital pictures.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard,” is a Color1,Personal Image Consultant who specializes in working with mid-life women whose size or shape has changed and who have too many clothes and “nothing to wear.”

After a woman works with “The Wardrobe Wizard,” she will have a wallet of her best colors and styles, and a pared down closet. She will learn how to mix and match her best looks so she can get dressed “lickety split,” and look great everyday.

“The Wardrobe Wizard,” also works with younger women and is available to work with men. She was trained by Joanna Nicholson, founder of Color 1 Associates, an International Image & Style Company.

e-mail Nancy for more information on how to get started with an on-line consult. Nancy@WardrobeWiz.com, 410-513-9496

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Wardrobe Clutter: Why Do You Have So Many Unworn Clothes?

May 8, 2011 by Nancy Goldblatt 1 Comment

Nancy2-Original 4 — Nancy Goldblatt, "The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,"

Why do you have so many unworn pieces of clothing? ( Part 1 of 2 parts)

When I was a little girl, I secretly believed I was a princess. I was very “sensitive,” and when the school librarian read, ‘The Princess and the Pea,’ to us, I knew I must be a princess in disguise.

When I was twenty years old, many years before I became an Image Consultant, that little girl part of me that still believed I was a princess in disguise finally found “the dress.” I was living in Chicago and I spotted the dress in Marshall Fields. I bought it thinking I would lose a few pounds and be transformed by the dress. I put it on many times, but when I looked in the mirror, I had to take it off. I was never able to wear it out of the house.

Maybe some of you can relate to this. I called it my princess dress because it reminded me of the dress Disney’s princess in the Sleeping Beauty movie wore. It was a dark blue velvet dress, with princess darts and a deep v neckline. “Princess Fiona,” from the movie Shrek wore a similar dress.

I loved that dress but it did not love me. In my “princess dress,” I looked more like the version of Princess Fiona after she kissed Shrek and turned into an Ogre.

The dress was my size, but even after I toned up with exercise, I never looked good in it. It hung in my closet for several years unworn. Finally, I gave it to a friend who was the same height and weight as me. The minute she pulled it over her head she looked fabulous in it. She looked like a ” true princess,” in the dress.

Why did it look so wonderful on her and so terrible on me?

Let me help you answer this. The answer is shape. The dress was shaped like my friend who had a small waist and wide hips. I have narrow hips and a wide rib cage. Even at my thinnest, because of the structure of my bones, my waist was never small. The dress hid my narrow parts and emphasized my wide parts. The dress complimented my friends shape because it was shaped like her.

Here is a simple but important rule to remember. Buy clothing that widens where you widen and narrows where you narrow. (This rule can also be applied to buying shoes.)

Most women wear only 20 % of what they own. So how many items do you own that you do not wear? Do you find yourself putting something on and taking it off ?

Why can’t you wear it? There are 7 reasons why you can’t wear it. to find out see part 2 “Why Do You Have So Many Unworn Clothes?” and discover some possible solutions.

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Nancy Goldblatt, Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore, is a Color 1 Associate. For over twenty years, she has been helping women whose size and shape has changed, to shop their closets.

She specializes in color analysis , and face and body shape analysis. After a client works with “The Wardrobe Wizard”, she will have a pared down closet with “mix and match pieces,” and the ability to put her own best looks together.

Nancy works with clients in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area as well as long distance customers. She can now do online consults. To find out more: Contact the Wardrobe Wizard at nancy@wardrobewiz.com/ or call 410-513-9496 for a complimentary, no obligation 20 minute telephone consultation to discover your fashion personality and find out what “The Wardrobe Wizard,” can do for you.

Free Beauty Products Reviews,from the Cosmetics Cop, Paula Begoun

January 4, 2011 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

“Beautiful young people are works of nature, beautiful old people are works of art.” author unknown

A friend of mine recently said, ” It takes more time and effort to put myself together before I leave the house. When I was younger I could just throw any outfit on and run a brush through my hair and I was good to go. I can’t do that anymore, unless I want to scare someone.”

Have you ever felt like my friend?

As you get older it may take longer and you may need more aids to look good. Hopefully, you also are wiser about the clothing and makeup choices you make. Here is a great resource that will increase your wisdom. It will help you save money and help you make make wiser less impulsive choices about cosmetics and skin care products

It’s called Beautypedia, from Paula Begoun, “the Cosmetics Cop”. www.Beautypedia.com/

It used to cost $24.95 for one year online but now its totally FREE online. It will keep you from impulsively buying cosmetic and skin care products that are a waste of money.

Unlimited access to a huge database of product reviews

Ongoing updates featuring new brands and new products

Ability to create your own list of products via My Faves
Access to the best products for your budget and needs

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“No matter what your age, size or shape you can create an attractive, ” visually pleasing appearance.” by wearing flattering colors and flattering styles of clothing.”

Nancy Goldblatt, Personal Image Consultant & The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore, Maryland is a Color 1 Associate with over 20 years of experience. She is available to do your colors if you live in the Baltimore, Washington corridor. Contact her at 410-235-5325 or nrgoldblatt@gmail.com (Learn to shop your closet and eliminate what doesn’t work, learn to mix and match in new ways and find out what you need to fill in your wardrobe gaps).

Shopping Tips for Fall: Using High & Low Tech Assistance

September 3, 2010 by Nancy Goldblatt Leave a Comment

I was recently talking to a client who had taken her ” Wardrobe Wizard Color Chart,” and her line drawings with her when she went shopping. She showed these to a sales person who knew the store stock well. The sales lady helped her pick out lots of separate pieces that really looked “cute together.” Unfortunately, by the time she got home she did not remember what went with what. The solution I suggested to her was to use her camera phone or digital camera next time she goes shopping. Here are some shopping tips that will make it easier for you to shop for clothes.

Tips when shopping for new items for your wardrobe:

Before you go shopping, shop your closet. Use your camera phone or a digital camera to take pictures of the clothing you wear most often. If you do not have another person to photograph you in your clothing, lay the pieces on your bed and take a picture of the different ways you mix and match your separates.

Load these picture on your computer, save them and print them out. Take these pictures with you when you go shopping. The process of shopping your closet and photographing what you wear should help you be more aware of the gaps in your wardrobe. Every time you buy something new photograph it and add it to your saved file. Eliminate photos of any clothing you eliminate from your wardrobe.

1. When you actually go shopping ask the sales person to take pictures of you ( with your camera phone or digital camera) wearing pieces you are considering purchasing.

This is especially helpful if you are unsure about purchasing the items. A picture will let you know if the clothing is really flattering.

2. Bring items from your closet that are “orphans.” ” A closet orphan,” is anything you are unable to wear because you have nothing to wear it with.

3. Bring some straight pins shopping so you can see how the clothing you like will look when it is hemmed or altered in strategic places.

4. Bring the shoes that look good with pants if you are shopping for pants or shoes that look good with skirts if you are looking for skirts or dresses.

Nancy Goldblatt, “The Wardrobe Wizard of Baltimore,” is a Personal Image Consultant trained by Color 1 Associates. She specializes in working with midlife women whose shape or size has changed. She is available to work with individuals and groups in Baltimore, Md and surrounding areas. Her website is WWW.WardrobeWiz.com/

She hopes to soon be able to do “virtual image consulting.” This will mean she can work with individuals anywhere in the world. Watch this blog for more information to follow soon!

Paula Begoun, “Cosmetics Cop,” comes to Baltimore

December 13, 2009 by Nancy Goldblatt 2 Comments

When Paula Begoun aka ‘The Cosmetics Cop,” came to Baltimore Thursday, Dec 4th and spoke at Barnes & Noble in Pikesville, Md., she stated, “For centuries women have wanted to look pretty, and wasting money is not pretty.”

Paula came to promote version eight of her book “Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me.” I have been a fan of hers since she wrote “Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Made Illegal.” in 1986. I currently subscribe to her on-line “Beautypedia.” It costs $24.95 a year to subscribe and new products are reviewed every two weeks.

I find it saves me money because it prevents me from impulsively buying new products. Paula said her goal has always been to help women save money. She has saved me a lot of money over the years.

Before I buy a new product I go online to “Beautypedia,” to check “the Cosmetic Cops” review. Cosmetic & skin care reviews include both drugsstore, department store and other retail brands. I am still unsure about the product and it’s a drugstore cosmetic, I buy it at CVS or Rite Aid because even if it has been opened or used it can be returned or exchanged. Paula emphasizes in her reviews that expensive products are not necessarily better than less expensive products.

Paula now wears two hats. She is still “The Cosmetics Cop.” She and her staff evaluate thousands of brands of makeup, and skin care products. She gives a smiley face with a check mark for outstanding products and a frowning face for products that aren’t well formulated and do not do what they promise. She also has her own line of makeup and skin care products called “Paula’s Choice.”

I especially like her exfoliating AHA and her BHA products. I have very dry skin but in the summer time I get oily around the T zone. I break out with pimples under the skin and even have had a few blackheads. Nothing helped me until I used her 2% BHA product. It cleared up my pimples without overly drying my skin out. “Yeah, Paula’s Choice.”

If you like Internet research and want to get reviews of new products coming out, its worthwhile subscribing to Beautypedia’s online reviews or if you prefer buying a book, get her latest version of “Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me,” available in paperback from Amazon for $19.77.

Which Recent Trend Is Not Flattering to Anyone?

June 16, 2009 by Nancy Goldblatt 2 Comments

I am going to talk about a recent trend the magazines have been showing which will cause you to not look “visually harmonious, ” or “pulled together.” Unless you prefer people to look mainly at your feet, this trend will not work for you. Its wearing shoes that are a different color than your outfit. On the Today show this morning, Ann Curry, one of the women hosts who usually looks great did not look as good as usual.

She was wearing bright red shoes. There was nothing else in her outfit that was red and my eye went down to her feet. If you plan to wear red shoes the color should be repeated in your main outfit at least once . If she had been wearing a red sweater or jacket over her black base she would have looked more “put together,” because our eye automatically searches for colors to be repeated. In Ann’s case my eye kept going down to her red shoes when she was seated and I could seee her shoes.

I happen to like Ann Curry and find her a very good interviewer. However, I was distracted by those red shoes and she seemed less credibile to me as a result. Be careful of trends because frequently the purpose of the trend is to get you to go out and buy more stuff.

Which recent trends do you avoid and which do you like? I would love to hear from you.

——————————–What Natural Oil Is Good for Your Hair, Skin & Nails.?

June 4, 2009 by Nancy Goldblatt 7 Comments

Jojoba oil (pronounced “ho-HO-Bah”) is the liquid wax produced in the seed of the jojoba plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. It is chemically similar to human sebum. It appears as a clear golden liquid at room temperature. Its used widely in various cosmetics.
What I really love about using this oil for my hair, skin and nails is that its a non-oily oil. Rub in into your cuticles, on your face and its great for your hair.

I have dark brown short hair and I use the jojoba oil for those pesky wiry grey hairs that don’t like to lay down. I just take a few drops and rub it between my fingers and run my hands through my hair. One day I poured a fourth of a cap of jojoba oil into a whole glass of water and poured it over my hair like a hair rinse and then rinsed my hair with clear water a few times. A co-worker asked me if I had dyed my hair because all of my grey had disappeared! My grey hair only disappeared until the next time I washed my hair.. Get jojoba oil at your local health food store. It lasts a long time.