Monday, August 4, 2014

Looking your Best.

As far as I can remember my mother repeatedly told her daughters they should never leave the house without looking their best best. For Mom, looking your best meant fashionable clothes and shoes, stylish hair-do, and of course make-up and jewelry.

After being hospitalized so many times I lost count, Mom moved to an assisted living facility. She used a wheelchair to move around, had to raise her legs most of the day, often inserted an oxygen tube in her nose to breathe better…and swallowed so many pills my stomach hurt for her.

Looking your Best. My mother practiced what she preached. Although in her late eighties with a failing health, she was always perfectly well dressed in pantsuits and twin sweaters, and would never forget to wear her earrings, bracelets, necklace or rings. Although she was a teacher, my mother’s hobby had been fashion designing and sewing her clothes and her daughter’s clothes.

Before moving to assisted living, she gave us her precious jewelry, and bought fashion jewelry to replace the real ones. My mother professed that being nicely dressed, combed and jeweled helped her forget she was a very sick person.

There was a beauty salon in her assisted living residence. So Mom had her hair set and her nails done once a week. Salesmen from a couple of stores came twice a month to expose and sell clothes in her facility. My mother was their best client. The other residents complimented her and tried to follow her example. The assisted living staff admired her positive attitude.

Mom would beam when one of the male residents in a wheelchair paid her a compliment and added with a smile, “I wish I was ten years younger to take you out.” Who cared if she was close to ninety herself?  

If I neglected to wear makeup when I went to visit her, Mom asked me if I was sick. “You’re so pale.” When I confessed I forgot because I was too busy, I regularly received a lecture. Basically, it went as followed: You don’t have the right to neglect yourself when you’re healthy. You should realize that an agreeable face and a nice smile go a long way to cheer people who are confined to their living quarters; a presentable person projects a good impression and commends respect.

Mom is gone now, but her words still resonate in my ears.
 
Needless to say, I’m always aware of what people wear around me. Including my characters. While authors describe their hero and heroine’s eyes, hair, figure, I make a point to mention their clothing as well to better characterize them and situate them in a scene.

In AN UNUSUAL CHRISTMAS, my heroine, Dr. Jillian Burton is a physician on a mission to Belarus. You will find her dressed in dark suits that match her important profession. When she’s attracted to Dr. Fyodor Vassilov, she will let Tatiana, her sassy driver, talk her into buying more stylish, colorful outfits and of course a Russian mink chapka (hat) to warm her during the freezing Belarusian winter.
 
In BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, my first medical, Holly, the pretty resident lives in scrubs but wears a tight long black dress, slit up to her thigh, when the hero invites her to the opera. The dress is a killer and the hero can’t resist.

In NEIGHBORS AND MORE, the heroine Alexa is a divorcee, living in a condo on the beach. She changes clothes four or five times a day. It’s part of her character. The only time she’s not appropriately dressed for the occasion is so out of character, people around her realize something is really wrong. When she falls in love with the sexy Italian Mafioso, she sheds her stiff classy appearance and learns to relax in comfortable jeans.



And of course in WEDDING SURPRISE, my contribution to the TEN BRIDES FOR TEN HEROES, I paid particular attention to Claire’s rehearsal outfit and splendid wedding dress.







Are you a fashionista when it comes to your characters? How do you dress them? Do they look like the picture on your cover? Or do you avoid mentioning what they wear?


From chemistry in the lab to chemistry between people. 
Mona Risk left a scientific career to share with readers the many stories brewing in her head. Her books won Best Romance Novel of the Year at Preditors & Editors; Best Contemporary Romances at Readers Favorite; Epic Award Finalists; and many stellar reviews, and are Amazon Bestsellers. She received the 2013 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVER Award at Affaire de Coeur Magazine for her "Wonderfully written books about true love." ~ Happy Ever After Reviews 

13 comments:

  1. What a nice memory of your mother. Mine was like that. She sewed beautiful clothes for herself and for us and had so many that when she passed away, I filled nine big bags full of clothing and took them to a thrift store that benefited a women and children's support center. I love to dress up, as well, and have far more clothes than I need. It runs in the family, I guess.

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    1. Hi Patricia, now every time I have to shorten a hem, I sigh and think of Mom who did it for me so often. And I never leave the house without looking my best. It became a habit.

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  2. Your mom could have worked at my first "real job". We were taught to always "live the leader look" - even if working on a Saturday (unpaid, I might add). Those days are long gone. My characters are usually "naked" until the 2nd revision when they get clothed.

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    1. I dress my characters right away to show their personalities and activities. I never have a scene where you don't "see" my heroine as she appears.

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  3. Your mom sounds like such a lovely woman!

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    1. Thank you, Roxanne. She was a beautiful woman. My dad wrote a poem about her green eyes. So romantic.

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  4. Your mom is a great inspiration. I see so many women who let themselves go and it's a shame. When you look sharp, you feel sharp.

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    1. I still hear her words when I feel like letting go. She would tell me, "Look at the mirror. That's what others see. Don't depress them."

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  5. I also tried to deliberately make my heroine, Jane, in None But You lighten up her wardrobe as she opened up her views of others.

    But I was struck by the setting you mentioned in your blog: Belarus. How did you come to set a book there?

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    1. For four years I traveled to Minsk to refurbish laboratories, as part of a contract from the DOD. I enjoyed the hospitality of the people there, but the winters were so cold. I even bought myself a mink chapka.

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  6. What a wonderful memory! I sometimes wonder if my mom picked up the wrong baby at the hospital. She's a lot like your mother while I'm, well, I'm NOT!

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  7. Angela, you should see me on Saturday sitting at my computer in my PJs till noon.

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