First I met with the chef, Robin Miller, who explained how to create a balanced 500 calorie meal. She gave me different recipes and I tried the samples. You can find more info here: http://www.slim-fast.com/plan/meals/

Then I met with the stylist, Jacqui Stafford, and she gave me tips on what I should wear to the rehearsal dinner. She told me to wear a blush color that would compliment my skin tone: something short and cute, with a bold necklace to accessorize and balance it out. She gave me a beautiful, vibrant blue scarf to wear on my honeymoon!

Then I met with Joey Maalouf, the hairstylist from The Rachel Zoe Project.  I told him my ideas for my wedding hair, and no joke: he whipped up something incredible in ten minutes flat. Half up, half down, with braid-work and a side part. I wish I could do my hair that fast!  The makeup artist did a beautiful job in no time as well, and they gave me a Joey Maalouf lip gloss to wear on the big day.

After that, I met with America’s Next Top Model’s Nigel Barker for a photo shoot! First off, he asked me what music I liked in order to set a comfortable tone for the shoot, and together we picked Morcheeba. While the camera started snapping away, he asked me all sorts of questions: he asked me all about Jeff, my fiancé- how I met him, about how we have the same last name, what I like about him. He asked what I like to do in my spare time; when I said “yoga,” he asked what my favorite pose was. When I told him, he asked me to do it! There I was in a back bend, with Nigel Barker snapping away and cheering me on. It was unreal!

He gave me a hug and told me that he loved that I stepped out of the box. “When people step out of the box, that’s when the real magic happened.” Photos to come! Stay tuned!

The dietician, Ali Auerbach, informed me about SlimFast’s new 3-2-1 plan. We talked about how important it is not to lose weight specifically for an event but to work to keep it off by sticking to plans and letting them enhance your overall lifestyle. By framing your goals with an easy-to-remember formula like “3-2-1,” you are more likely to remember your self-set plans and follow through to achieve great results.

After I left Studio Wow, I took their phrasing to heart: “Vow to be Wow.” It echoes the sentiment of my own mantra, “Be Your Best.” If you decide to take action and work on achieving your goals, remember the cornerstone of your actions. How do we set these goals for ourselves? By being our best self. And how can you do so? By Vowing to be Wow!

This year, dare to Vow to be Wow! And don’t forget to step out of the box.

“I used to equate having self-worth with being selfish, but now I understand that taking care of myself is the most beautiful thing I can do.  And, quite frankly, I can’t be a good actor, I can’t be a good wife, friend, or mother (to my dogs)…I can’t be a good anything until I’ve taken care of myself first. So this kindness to yourself is paramount.”

-Alicia Silverstone

Pretend to be what you’re really not.  Make believe you are who you wish you could be.

But the real question to ponder is, what disguise do you secretly wear in your daily life?

Psychologist, Robin Reznick, Ph.D., says:  “We sometimes wear masks as our shield-to protect (and conceal) ourselves. Hiding behind our masks gets us through our day, however deceptively, because we conceal what we truly think, feel and want.”

Masks we wear don’t necessarily represent who we are, they just “mask” who we really are.

Our masks help us play different roles in life so that others will view us in more desirable ways – the responsible worker, the confident adult, the great lover, a trusting friend.

Halloween is the night where it’s acceptable to present yourself as someone else. It’s fun (and okay) to wear a mask.

But on an ordinary day, do people see you when they look at you?  Or is your mask perpetually on?

Let’s face it-everyone wears masks. But, cautions Dr. Reznick; “Don’t get too attached to yours.  Reveal who you really are.”

BOO!  It’s Spooky.

But, don’t be scared.  Let others know who you really are. The true you has nothing to fear.

In your everyday life, enjoy being you.

But, on Halloween, enjoy the fun of dressing up and being someone else.

Trick or Treat.

If you practice this for a week, you will become more self-aware and emotionally intelligent. When you change the way energy leaves you, it will change the vibrations you send out. You can read about the Law of Attraction to learn more about how your vibrations effect your results.

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.”

“I’m an optimist in the sense that I believe humans are noble and honorable, and some of them are really smart. I have a very optimistic view of individuals.”

New York is like the whole world in one place, from little Italy, to Chinatown to the Upper East Side, New York has it all.

I remember my excitement when I moved to the city. I wanted to be a part of it.

For a while, it seemed I was in a relationship with New York. You know, one of those rocky relationships – when it was great, it was great and when it wasn’t it, wasn’t.

Sometimes this city got the best of me. It felt like I would get knocked down and beat up. But somehow, I got back up and got the best of it.

As I changed, my relationship with New York changed too.

8 years later I have a successful business, I found the love of my life and I’m getting married in April, 2012. What more could a 30-year woman ask for?

So, to you New York, I want to say thanks – for all you have challenged me to do, taught me, and for the inspiration I have gotten from all my experiences here.

Some of the lesson’s I’ve learned are:

1.   When you need help, get it.
2.   Never ever give up.
3.   If you want it, go after it.
4.   It’s okay to cry.
5.   If it’s not the right fit, don’t force it.
6.   Most of the time, the only thing getting in your way – is you.
7.   Focus is power, stay focused.
8.   Follow your intuition.
9.   Be grateful for what you have.
10. Sometimes no matter how you spin it, things just don’t make sense. Accept it and move on.
11. Friends come and go.
12. Your habits form your future.
13. See the opportunity.
14. Believe in yourself.
15. Don’t dwell in the past. Be present.
16. Say “No” to what you don’t want.
17. No person, place or thing has power over you unless you allow it.
18. Have a learning mindset.
19. Surround yourself with positive people.
20. Be your own best friend.

It’s been a journey and I’ve met some of the most incredible people –  that’s what it’s all about.

If  you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

It’s up to you.

She focused on writing and what she wanted instead of being afraid to fail. If you don’t have time to watch the whole thing, fast forward to 41 minutes into the video.

What’s one kind thing you can do today?

Your self-talk is critical to your success. The article in The New York Times, shows evidence that how you treat yourself makes a difference. Dr. Neff, said, “Self-compassion is really conducive to motivation.”

Treat yourself as you would want others to treat you.

I encourage you to read this insightful article called, “Go Easy on Yourself, A New Wave of Research Urges.” Click here to read the article.http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/go-easy-on-yourself-a-new-wave-of-research-urges/?scp=1&sq=compassion&st=cse