Reasons to Smile

So often we get caught up in our problems that we fail to realize that even problems can be a blessing in disguise. Stress brought on by life, school, or jobs and even people can be so overwhelming that we get lost in the motions of just trying to survive and get the day over with and done. But really, if we take a moment to look outside of ourselves we’ll see that in life, as many problems and tribulations that we have, we have just as many (if not more) reasons to smile…

    Life can take you on a roller coaster ride and maybe you feel like crawling under a rock (or hide behind a hair mustache) or maybe it’s just driving you crazy! But even in a roller coaster ride, there’s an end and you have opportunity of the experience and at the end you have a choice whether to get on again, or try a new one!

    When Life gets crazy, it’s OK to vent. Maybe you want to pull out your hair, maybe you want to scream at the top of your lungs, or cry all day in bed. Do it. Let it all out! Make room for positive energy!

     At the same time that we have reasons to cry and scream and kick, there’s plenty reasons to smile! Like…

~ The wind in your hair!

~ Your favorite T-shirt

~blowing someone a kiss

~ Dancing to that song that’s your guilty pleasure, even when you’re sad. (Mine is You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift)

~Making your friends laugh. That just feels so good!

   Life always gives you opportunities for new adventures!

~ There’s plenty on this earth to explore!!!

~a new coffee shop

~ a new book

~ learning a new style of dance that you thought you could never do

~ a weekend get away with your best friend

~ traveling to another country

   So someone broke your heart.

We’ve ALL been there, done that. Youll go through that stage where you listen to nothing but sad songs, resent Valentine’s day, cry everytime you see an old photo of the “good times”, and watch The Notebook too many times for your own good. This too is an OPPORTUNITY! It’s an opportunity for self reflection, for growth and to refocus on important things like carreer and education, family, and friends. It’s also a great excuse to request extra hugs and ice cream from friends.

When you have fun, its because you’ve worked so hard that you deserve it!

~No one likes to be stuck at home studying on the weekend while everyone is out having fun but the sacrifice is worth it!

~ Walking across the stage after years of hard work is a great feeling!

~The feeling you get when you know your family and friends are so proud of your accomplishments is worth every late night studying.

   Every morning we have the opportunity to rebuild our lives.

~ Be brave! Act tough! But face the world with a smile!

Just remember Beauty*Strength*Destiny

    My reasons to smile….

~ My family

~ gossip with mathematical terms

~ “Good Morning” texts every morning

~  Coffee

~ Listening to boleros while stuck in traffic

~Winnie the Pooh on a Sunday night

~Having a reason to wake up at 4 am and catch the sunrise

~Coffee dates with my girlfriends that somehow turn into wine dates

~salsa dancing

~ butterflies, puppies, glitter, and the color pink

~compliments on my blog ;)

~Hello Kitty (you already knew this)

~having another trip to look forward to

~sleeping in late on a Saturday morning

~Lazy Sundays

~Seeing hard work pay off

~Having a reason to celebrate life

~Loving my job

~high heels

~Knowing it will all make sense one day

Send me your reasons to smile at misslerich@lerichcouture.com

A very special thank you to Michael Montoya at Crazy Images Photography for the insanely fun shoot and inspiration for this weeks blog!

Thank you for visitng my blog! I hope everyone is looking forward to new beginnings and new opportunities! Most importantly, I want you all to realize that you are your own very good reason to smile.

LIKE us on Facebook, recommend us to a friend, and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/LeRichCouture !

Love,

Miss Le Rich

Beauty*Strength*Destiny

www.misslerich2011.blogspot.com

www.lerichcouture.com

Take Your Own Advice!

The inspiration for this week’s blog comes from this book "What I know now: Letters to my younger self" by Ellyn Spragins that asks successful women (athletes, politicians, authors, businesswomen, and artists) what advice they would give to their younger selves.

I asked friends and colleagues

“What is something you (your present self) would tell yourself at age 18?”

I chose age 18 because it’s a very confusing crossroads in most our

lives between childhood and adulthood.

This question forced me to reflect on my journey thus far and also

value my younger self as someone who knew nothing and had

achieved nothing in life (besides a high school diploma) and would

eventually become who I am today.

This person is now the current me and I happen to very proud of

who I am. So I would tell myself…

Esme,

Don’t desire what others have. You will pave your own way and it will be more incredible than you ever imagined. You have to go through this molding period and you will sacrifice fun, sleep, time with your family, and relationships. The people that really love you will stick around and understand. The people that give you a hard time, let them go. You will cry your heart out while you’re studying but you’ll keep fighting and most importantly you’ll prove to yourself what you are capable of. At age 25, life is not going to make much sense and you will look back at when you were 18 for inspiration and you will desire that same strength and purity of heart. The best years of your life come after all this has happened and you won’t be an ugly duckling for much longer. You’re mommy is always right. Pray more. Be more confident and trusting towards your gut feeling. Keep reading poetry, and keep dancing around the kitchen counter. Send your grandmother a card. Oh yeah, and wait for him, he’s worth it.

Lady Le also shared her advice to herself!

"Love and embrace your authentic self because you were made by design. Your life has purpose but you can't rush the process. Be patient. As you live each day of your life you will be molded like potter's clay into a beautiful finished product." ~Lady Le Rich

Here is what my friends said!

Some of the advice is hilarious while some is repentant but
what really stood out to me was that most of it wasencouraging. I am so overwhelmed at the great responses from everyone! I kept them anonymous for privacy and I promise they are verbatim and I did NOT tweak any of the answers ;)

“Go join the army”

“When I was 18, I knew I wanted to be a doctor but I wanted it for all the wrong reasons. I wanted the prestige; I wanted the power of saving someone else's life. I was drawn to the respect, status, and wealth that was associated with the profession. I bought into the television and movie portrayals of being a doctor, the drama, the excitement, and the romance. If I could go back I would tell myself what medicine is really about. Medicine is privilege and a duty to someone else. There is nothing glamorous about the sickness, pain, suffering or the emotional toil of treating someone who is ill. But what is amazing is the trust shared between patient and doctor, the instant connection between two people who together must work to fight disease. Being a doctor is understanding the needs of someone else and having an unquestionable responsibility to do everything you can to help that person.”

"Don't ever let yourself or others tell you that you're getting 'off-track' in life... if anything, embrace everything you do as if you will never be able to enjoy it again. And when you first meet her, don't forget to ask for her phone number ! "

"Just grow a pair and talk to her!"

I would convince my younger self of the power of positivity, and it's impact. How a positive perspective, and attitude really has the power to bring about your intentions and dreams...I would emphasize not sweating the small stuff... there is a great big life ahead...and these little problems will not matter. At the vital age of 18, when we are in transition to adult hood.. discovering our paths... believing in ourselves and dreams is the most important thing I would tell myself. The ability to do this has the power to change the course of your life significantly in the direction of your intentions.

“At 18, I should have told myself to get into the photography business sooner and meet Esmeralda sooner”

"Do what you love and do it to the fullest. Stay prayerful, ambitious and humble and you'll make it!"

“Meet people doing all different kinds of things to identify something l’d truly love to do. Also, try to figure out a profession that could support the lifestyle I like (very expensive tastes) and in locations I love (big cities). And don't forget to smell the roses. :-)”

"leave him already."

“Dear 18yo Me,

Wow, you nailed that last dance performance! Don't underestimate yourself with your pirouettes, you will then realize how amazing they do look to the audience. Could you please stop complaining about late night practices and early practice weekends? You may later realize how bad you would like to put your ballet slippers again but have left that part of your life aside.

Moving on to what really keeps you from catching some Zzzzs at night. A boy. Michael. Well, THE boy actually, who makes your heart skip a beat every time you see him. The one who makes you put on lip gloss every time you ASSUME you may run into him will later be the one whose heart YOU will make skip a beat. Ever heard of the saying 'Oh have the tables turned..'? I know, I know, he looks so cute with his soccer jersey on, and you will do anything to wear it to the games, and feel in heaven when he invites you to them. And you think to yourself, of course you guys can go through college together! You in Austin, him in Houston, 'we can make it happen'. Oh baby, not so much. Michael was just the beginning of your boy crazy years, which to be honest, have yet still to end. So go ahead, enjoy your dates with him but wipe the tears as soon as they roll down, because, there are many more to come!

If I were you, I would think twice of rooming with Zinnia that first year in college. Watch out! Appearances are deceiving and you may end up moving to you future college best friend's dorm in the end. Talk about a bad situation turned good huh?

Enjoy family time before you head out to Austin, specially the little bro. He may need you more than you think, even if he doesn't seem to listen. He does. And he will miss you when you are not there.

Never underestimate your health. Times will be tough when you are at the doctor's office once a month for the monthly blood test. But you know what? You are not doing anything on your part to take the supplements!!! Put an alarm or something woman, don't be lazy! It's your health we are talking about here. You are 18 but you are not immortal. As much as mom tells you everyday and remind you is YOUR health after all. Taking the medicine means no more needle poking at the doctor. Hope it doesn't take you 6 years to realize this!

Remember, there is a big difference with what you are good at and what you are passion is. Keep this in mind when you declare Biology as your major.

And how could I forget Prom?! Ha! Make sure you keep your date's phone number safe, you may run into him later.. ;)

Keep on smiling, you were always good at that, but don't ever let your confidence, or I guess, lack there of get the best of you. Go ahead, dance away!

24 old Me.”

“ Get over being shy! Doesn't help you in life when your future career involves you talking to people you don't know! Don't waste your time with people who pretend to be your friends so you will do your work for them, they are just going to use you and forget about you! And they will get ahead and take the credit for your achievements! You'll be fine, take my advice and just stick to being that doctor you want to be and you will make it! Also, meet a girl named Esmeralda Ramirez-Pena! She is the most magnificant person in the WORLD, and the best friend anyone could ever ask for!”

“Intentions are always good enough for you, but will never be good enough for someone else. Wealth is relative and the sense of accomplishment through more is false.  While markets can be influenced through investment, it's a zero sum game.  If you want to contribute generate an idea.”

o    “Goals:
A year from now, you'll be glad you started today. Evaluate what made you fail in the past, and prepare as much as you can for the road ahead. But always remember to stay determined. Never give up.

Relationships:
Always take the time to be kind to others. You never know when one small gesture or a smile can mean the whole world to someone.

Relationships do not always last forever. But regardless of how long it was, learn from it, be a stronger person, and move on. Appreciate the love of family, friends, and significant others. Whatever separates you in the future is meant to be, so embrace what you have at the moment and learn to let things go when the time calls for it.

Life:
"God wont give you something you cant handle."
We hope in a just and fair world that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. But in life, you'll learn that good things happen to bad and good people and bad things happen to good and bad people as well. It's just the cards you were dealt with and sometimes you just cant control these things. The role you play in your own life is the ability to react to situations and the people around you. You control your ATTITUDE. You can make your life worse or you can choose to turn all the bad things in your life into a blessing and learn from them. Be a stronger person. A wiser person.

Be appreciative to all things around you and be someone that others can appreciate as well.

When you're old and graying, you will have wanted to have succeeded in life. To know you made a difference in others lives, not the money you made at a 9-5. And when you're sitting there evaluating your life, remember this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.”


This is a photo of me when I was 18!!!





I want to thank every person that shared their advice and I hope that ten years from now, we are capable of writing ourselves a letter and see how much we’ve grown and be proud of our journey, whether it’s from regrets and lessons learned or accomplishments.



This is a photo of me today!
http://www.userofreality.com/



Thank you for visiting my blog! If you would like to

share your advice to yourself with me, feel free to e-

mail me at misslerich@lerichcouture.com

Visit us on the web at www.lerichcouture.com and

follow us on Twitter at

http://twitter.com/#!/LeRichCouture

Love,

Esmeralda

Miss Le Rich

Beauty*Strength*Destiny

www.misslerich2011.blogspot.com

The Beauty behind the Strength

It is sometimes difficult to for people outside of the fashion world to understand that models are capable of being intelligent, professional, and empowering young women. Unfortunately, the nature of modeling makes it difficult to get that point across especially since our image is what sells and our voices seldom heard. I want to share the biographies and opinions of a few phenomenal young women that I am proud to be friends with. These young women much like Lady Le and myself, are successful, educated, and professional young women. They are also extremely talented and driven models and as you read through you’ll get to find out the substance that great models are made of. After going through them myself, I felt inspired and immensely proud to know these beautiful ladies (inside and out!)

Julianna Lewis

1.       What is your career/degree/job outside of modeling?

 I went to school in San Francisco to become a Certified Baking and Pastry Chef; I also went to college in St. Louis and took courses in Early Childhood development. When I moved to Houston I tried work in both fields, but found more gratification in working with children than anything else. I am currently as a House Manager for Mom's Best Friend Agency employed by a family that works for NASA.

2.       What is your proudest moment or greatest accomplishment from your career?

Oh my, what a tough question! I raise children so I have a proud moment each and every time they attempt a new skill, every time they succeed in accomplishing something all by themselves, and ultimately when they can make good decisions for themselves. Those are the moments that make my job the most rewarding of all.

3.       Would you ever choose modeling over your career or vice versa?

 if I came to a point in modeling where it would be more beneficial financially to quit my other career and focus solely on modeling I would most definitely do it and leave the raising the kids to my fiancé. At the same time if it benefited me greatly to quit modeling and focus solely on an at home baking business or childcare career I would do that too. It’s all about making the best decision to create a harmonious successful balance between doing what you love and loving what you do!

4.       What struggles do you face when trying to balance the two and how do you deal with it.

Unfortunately I do not work in the fashion or beauty industry so when I model it does not benefit my career. I cannot use modeling to propel my childcare career forward so I have to pick and choose the events and shoots that I participate in wisely and make sure that they will open doors for me further in the fashion world. Taking off time from work to model is something I strongly try to avoid. I also run into problems with some mothers who are insecure about having a model in their home taking on a mothering role, no matter how professional or highly recommended I may be.

5.What advice do you have for other young women pursuing modeling on top of another career?

Get your thick skin on and strap on your big boss shoes, always remember to talk the talk and more importantly walk the walk! You have to constantly market yourself and remain in the loop if you want to be successful. Introduce yourself to other models! It’s not ANTM, you CAN help each other. Prioritize your schedule and make time to fulfill your dreams, just because you cannot do something all the time does not mean you cannot do it at all, be bold!

6.       What is your favorite quote?

"Getting ahead is difficult and requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent"-Sophia Loren

Della Afidick

1.       What is your career/degree/job outside of modeling?

I am an early childhood college student who wants to be a kindergarten teacher.

2.       What is your proudest moment or greatest accomplishment from your career?

I would have to say Houston Fashion Week because I walked for three different designers; it made me feel wanted and great. Also, I've always wanted to be featured in a magazine, so when I was first featured in a magazine I was thrilled because it was a couture magazine and I had a two-page fashion spread!

3.       Would you ever choose modeling over your career or vice versa?

For now, I would choose to be a kindergarten teacher over modeling.

4.       What struggles do you face when trying to balance the two and how do you deal with it.

I don't think there's really a struggle between the two because I've always known how to divide the two and use my time wisely.

5.       What advice do you have for other young women pursuing modeling on top of another career?

Organize your time wisely, remember which is more important. And please, don't starve yourself, eat.

6.       What is your favorite quote?

"The world is full of people who will tell you you're not good enough, but it's also full of people who think you're amazing" –unknown

Teresa Merchant

1.       What is your career/degree/job outside of modeling?

Outside of modeling, I own my own business. I like the freedom it brings and the control I have over my work as well as my lifestyle. I am the owner of a cigar blog, "Smoking Hot Cigar Chick", where I critique cigars, create pairings, share tours of the factories and fields from Nicaragua and Honduras, and show insights of the cigar industry. I also design websites and assist with code work for clients. I suppose you could say there is a creative element in everything I do for work, which is something that is important for me. I enjoy the balance of business and art.

2.       What is your proudest moment or greatest accomplishment from your career?

That's a difficult one for me to answer as there have been so many moments I am very grateful for. I suppose I look at it as one great thing leading into the next. It's a journey filled with great successes leading up to something even grander. There is always room to grow and discover something new. Some great accomplishments have been being on the cover of a magazine, working with truly incredible photographers and designers, having my articles published in my favorite cigar magazines, meeting all of my favorite cigar manufacturers and spending time really getting to know them (it is such an honor!), and honestly just seeing a client completely thrilled with the design of their site!

3.       Would you ever choose modeling over your career or vice versa?

I wouldn't ever change a thing! I am blessed that my passions have become my career. My passions in life are gastronomy and image. Working as a model, cigar reviewer, and writer allow me to do what I love in life for a living. Balance is key, and for me one business feeds the other. It keeps me energized, focused, and excited for the next big thing. Travel is something I enjoy as well and it is an amazing experience when an advertiser handles all the arrangements in order for you to write about their business and share the experience with your audience.

4.       What struggles do you face when trying to balance the two and how do you deal with it.

I am fortunate in that the two balance out together naturally. I am able to set my own schedule which allows me to avoid any complications. It does make me pretty booked, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I'm the kind of person who will create a new project if there is nothing to do, so a booked schedule is a beautiful thing. My fiancé and I work together at home and he provides a lot of assistance when it comes to keeping everything in order. He manages the advertising, travel schedules, client meetings, and event calendar which allows me to focus on what I need to. It is a beautiful balance!

5.       What advice do you have for other young women pursuing modeling on top of another career?

You have to be strong. The modeling industry both requires and builds a lot of character. It is important to know who you are and stay true to your beliefs. The same is true in any line of business but is especially true when it comes to modeling. There is a lot of rejection, and you cannot take any of it too personally. We play different characters in front of the camera, but at the end of the day you don't want to change who you are to satisfy someone else. At that point you've lost control of your destiny. Decide what is important to you in life and pursue it. If you are like me- it's more than one business. I didn't start all of these at once- one business lead me to another. Once one was able to stand alone, I began working on creating another. Things happen when they need to, and everything happens for a reason. Learn your lessons as they happen and use them to make yourself stronger. As long as you are doing what you truly want in life, it is worth it.

6.       What is your favorite quote?

"A man dies too young if he leaves any wine in his cellar"  -André Simon

Tiffany Jackson

1.       What is your career/degree/job outside of modeling?

I have my bachelor’s degree in Health Science from Tennessee State University and I am currently working at one of the best spas in Houston (An Albert LUIZ Salon and Spa) as a Guest Service Coordinator.

2.       What is your proudest moment or greatest accomplishment from your career?

 When I signed into Page Parkes (which is the biggest agency in Houston) as well as established myself as a professional, working, known model in Houston. I'm happy I've been getting many contacts from various photographers, designers, stylists and make-up artists around the country.

3.       Would you ever choose modeling over your career or vice versa?

Yes! I love this industry and I'm trying to make it my career and pursue it full time. I’m actually relocating to New York in August to try to make that possible.

4.       What struggles do you face when trying to balance the two and how do you deal with it.

 Well, my job knows that I am a model and they are VERY lenient with me at work. So it's never a problem if I have modeling job I need attend

5.       What advice do you have for other young women pursuing modeling on top of another career?

 I would tell her to decide what she really wants to do and if she wants to model, to put her all in it. Because it is really hard to try to be the best in the industry and have a job. But it is possible! So if she can handle both, by all means!

6.       What is your favorite quote ?

 "Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world"

- Marilyn Monroe

I want to personally thank each of them for their time and sharing great advice. Julianna, Della, Teresa, and Tiffany are great role models that lead by example. For any young lady that has dreams of being a professional AND a model, I hope that they read this and know that it’s possible. Not only is it possible but you also have the fulfillment of knowing that you can tailor your modeling career as it best fits YOU. I also want to emphasize that in this competitive world (not just fashion), it’s not enough to simply be beautiful to be successful. You have to have big dreams, and like Juliana said “Big boss shoes” to take charge, work hard, and fight for what you want most.

In short…. Fulfill the qualities of Beauty*Strength*Destiny!!!

Thank you for visiting my blog this week! Feel free to contact me with questions at misslerich@lerichcouture.com Visit us on the web at www.lerichcouture.com and follow us on TWITTER!

Love,

Esmeralda

Miss Le Rich

www.misslerich2011.blogspot.com