Senzu Style Insider

Is procrastination a human condition?

2013-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

The procrastination blog post, which I’ll write....tomorrow?

procrastinate
verb

To delay, put off doing something, postpone action, defer action, be dilatory, use delaying tactics, stall, temporize, play for time, play a waiting game, dally, drag one's feet/heels, take one's time; hesitate, vacillate, dither, be indecisive, be undecided, waver; Brit. haver, hum and haw; Scottish swither; informal dilly-dally, shilly-shally.

According to my Thesaurus, there are many words/actions to describe delaying doing something. Even with calendars, reminder apps and sticky notes, inevitably I end up procrastinating certain things all the time. Unpleasant phone calls for example, certain accounting tasks, even this blog sometimes falls victim to my procrastination, unfortunately. Not because I don’t like doing it; I love it! So why then?

Well, that same dictionary consulted earlier states: “fear of failure is often the reason why people procrastinate”. But research shows that’s not always the case. Other reasons for procrastination (plus how you could overcome them) are:

You perceive the job or task at hand to be unpleasant, and you’re trying to avoid having to do it. Oftentimes you’re better off just getting it done and over with, so you can continue with things you enjoy more, or with more pleasant/fun aspects of the task. Like ripping off a bandage: quicker is less painful! Also, many procrastinators overestimate the unpleasantness of a task, but many times, in hindsight, you find it was not nearly as unpleasant as you had thought.

You may be disorganised. More organised people are better able to prioritize tasks and schedule them in order of urgency or importance, and because they have prioritized to-do lists that cut the task down to manageable blocks of time, they don’t get caught with tasks overdue and avoid the stress that comes with being late to deliver.

Even though you are organized, you may feel overwhelmed by the task or job at hand. Maybe you have doubts whether you have the skills or resources to complete the job, so you delay getting started on it and spend your time on other, less important things in stead. But if that job you’re procrastinating on is important, it won’t just go away. So start with the parts of the task that you do feel confident about, and that you know you can complete succesfully. You’ll often find that once you’ve started, the rest will come too. Make a realistic schedule, taking into consideration the time needed to complete each segment, and stick to it. If needed, ask for help from people you know have the knowledge, and you’ll expand yours. There is no shame in learning along the way!

You may also fear success as much as failure. For example, you may worry that success at this task will lead to you being overwhelmed with more requests to do this type of task, or that you’ll be pushed to take on things that you feel are beyond you. Surprisingly, perfectionists are often procrastinators, as they tend to think "I don't have the right skills or resources to do this perfectly now, so I won't do it at all." Focus on one task at a time. Also look at all the potential outcomes: what's the worst that could happen? In many cases, reality is unlikely to be that bad! Learn to think more positively: it is a powerful tool to build your self-confidence and neutralise self-sabotage. If all else fails, have your Plan B ready, beforehand. No matter whether the outcome means success or failure (which is in the eye of the beholder and subjective to begin with), you are ready to deal with it.

One last reason for procrastination could be because you have an inability to decide. You just can’t make up your mind what to do, so you delay the decision, in fear of making the wrong choice. If you are really torn between your options, and your gut feeling is also not helping you, check out this guide from Mind Tools to help you develop decision-making techniques.

Are you a procrastinator? If the answer does not come to you immediately, you can try this procrastinator self test.

What's the most outrageous 'reason' you've ever given yourself to delay something you did not want to do? Share in the comments below.

Have you ever used some of these ‘reasons’ to delay doing a task or job? There are a million of them, to be sure, these are just a few:

Filling your day with low priority tasks from your To Do List (laundry, making a grocery list, organising your closet, etc.).
Reading e-mails several times without starting work on them or deciding what you’re going to do with them.
Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee (“I’ll get coffee now, that way I’m ready to sit down and work without interruption later.”).
Leaving an item on your To Do list for a long time, even though you know it's important.
Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list (“Sure, I’ll help you sort your filing system!”.
Waiting for the “right mood” or the “right time” to tackle the important task at hand (“I’ll start my work-out routine tomorrow, I don’t feel in the mood to work out right now”).

I know I have on occasion used one or more of these ‘reasons’ to delay an important phone call (“I’ll call later, when they’re back from lunch”), a confrontation with a staff member (“I have to check my emails and update the Facebook page first before I reprimand So-and-So for coming in late again.”) or yes, even writing of this blog (“I need a few hours to write and I have no inspiration right now”).

Personally, I’ve found that making to-do lists that indicate priority helped me a lot. There are a lot of Apps out there that can also help with this, and Apple’s Calendar has built-in reminders that you can set, as well as a Reminders app. Those are the ones I use the most, you may have your own favourites, please share them in the comments below?

Another method that works well for me is to reward myself with something fun, once I’ve done the task I’ve been procrastinating. For example: complete a blog post, then I can go play tennis! Or update my jewelry sales spreadsheets, then spend a while (a.k.a. two hours) on Pinterest or Facebook :-)

In any case, most experts agree that procrastination is a deeply ingrained habit and is not easily broken. Like any habit (good or bad), it takes a long time to develop or break, so you should not expect results overnight.

But if you tackle procrastination at every encounter, you’ll find that over time, you start recognising when you’re procrastinating and as soon as you do, you have an opportunity to identify why you’re procrastinating and and take the appropriate steps or actions to overcome the block.

Well, I am off to play some tennis! ;-) But when I come back, I’d love to read your comments, your personal experiences and your suggestions! Thanks in advance for sharing.

Your Style Insider,

Cristel
Thanks go to www.mindtools.com for much of this post's background research.

Emerald looks good on real women!

2013-02-05T01:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I must admit, I have been much amiss in keeping the blog updated with posts. I really have no excuse, other than that I've had to move house a couple of times and had been pretty busy with getting our home ready for sale. Oops, that sounds a lot like an excuse.... ;-)

Anyway, I am back on the blog now, and thanks also to my dear friend and digital nomad Carou Llou (check out her blog http://www.caroullou.com), who is also in Bangkok at the moment, I've renewed my enthusiasm for blogging.

I read over my past blogs post, and while I still enjoy reading them, I thought you all might enjoy a more personal take on fashion, rather than (or at least in addition to) what is disseminated from the various Fashion Weeks throughout the world.

Because let's be honest, would you really wear this to your local Starbucks?

This Alexander McQueen creation is certainly very elegant, but can you imagine yourself walking down the street with your latte in one hand, phone in the other, whilst trying not to trip over the dress' train?

(image courtesy of deepseanews.com)

So with that in mind, I thought I would see if I could take a few snapshots of a real person, who does not walk catwalks for a living, but a woman who works hard for the money (no, not the kind of work in Donna Summer's song!), sometimes working from home, sometimes having to commute by car, tram, train or metro. In other words, you and me. In this case, I'll be me, until I can find another willing fashion victim! :-)

Having tricked my friend Carou Llou into taking the picture of yours truly, check out this 'street style' fashion pic, incorporating Pantone's colour of the year 2013, Emerald.

This was a great outfit for going out. The dress is extremely comfortable, yet flattering to any body shape. It is faux wrap, so there’s no adjusting needed and has a inner skirt below the wrap skirt. The sleeves are full length, but because this is Thailand (hot, even at night!), I pushed them up to be 3/4 length.

The accessories (jewelry) are all from Senzu Style, from their Spirit Collection. They are brushed glass beads with dark polished metal beads in light and dark grey tones and go great with most colours. I am wearing the matching necklace and bracelet. Complementing it are the large hoop earrings from their Elements line in brushed grey rhodium (brass base, plated with rhodium).

The clutch is also a pretty grey, real leather with a bejeweled clasp.

My shoes this night were made by Wealthy in Thailand, black mix of gloss and matte, high heels with thin laces and I found them at a little kiosk in Siam Square market area.

So, if you have a cool picture that you'd like to share with fashion trends for real women, or if there is a trend you'd like to see me try on, send me a comment, link or an email through the blog!

As always, keep living in style, and see you at the next blog post!

Fashion Week Look Book - Chris Benz Inspired

2011-03-29T03:24:00.000-07:00

With Toronto Fashion Week kicking off this week, Senzu's Style Insider decided to get everyone warmed up with a taste of where the up-and-coming Designers of the recently held New York Fashion Week find their inspiration.

As reported by Marie Claire's fashionista bloggers and others, among of the bright new Designers stealing the show in New York this year was Chris Benz. Chris grew up in Seattle in the 90's, attended Parsons School of Design in New York City, interned with Marc Jacob and presented his first ready-to-wear collection in 2007 to high acclaim at that year's New York Fashion Week.

"I was inspired by Savannah, Georgia," Benz told MC during his audience-packed presentation. "I've been working so much with SCAD (the Savannah College of Art & Design, where Benz is a mentor), and the city has this haunted beauty about it… It's very old-fashioned. I was thinking about the influx of edgy art-school students into a historic place."

This Senzu Style Insider has visited the beautiful city of Savannah many times and it is certainly a place infused with history, quirky style and old-fashioned elegance. One visit and you're sure to fall in love with it.

Benz mentions Savannah's "gorgeous graveyards" as inspiration for this specific look. He also expresses a nostalgia for the past and his designs reflect a certain carefree, relaxed spirit and a 'don't take yourself too seriously' attitude with a decided vintage touch.

In this look-book image, we've combined Chris Benz' signature design of this year's New York Fashion Week with some of Senzu's jewelry collection pieces as well as other accessories such as boots, purse and hat that will allow you to recreate this on-trend runway look.

Senzu Style Insider's next blog post will feature Designer Rachel Comey, so watch this space!

Styling it up,

Cristel, Your Senzu Style Insider.

Featured in this article are the following Senzu jewelry:

SZ9EA20 - Fuchsia Oval Cut CZ Silver Earrings

SZ9PE12 - Fuchsia Oval Cut CZ Silver Pendant

SZ9EA12 - Swarovski© Magnificent Magenta Hearts

SZ9PE5 - Swarovski© Magnificent Magenta Heart Pendant

SZFBR5 - Black Beaded Charm Bracelet

SZFNL43 - Circles Necklace

Culturally Inspired, Fashionably Colorful

2011-03-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, here we are in March already, and Spring is only 6 more weeks away! Time to lighten up the outfits along with the weather and channel a bit of Spring in your look too.

The 2011 Naturals Collection was launched with the addition of 3 very unique necklaces, each inspired by different places and peoples of the multi-cultural, colorful and sensual continent of Africa.

Madagascar Midnight was inspired by the innumerable stars that sparkle bright in a dark nightsky above the warmth of a wood fire, and those are the colours that come back in the necklace. It looks great on a solid-color outfit or simple dress, adding a touch of tropical and sensual élan with the depth and sparkle of the warm tones of the necklace. A true statement piece.

The city of Zanzibar, in all its spice trade glory (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper), quintessential lanterns, pearlescent sandy beaches and its beautiful people was the inspiration for the Zanzibar Spice Necklace. This necklace is so versatile, it looks great on a LBD for evening events or on any daytime outfit, ranging from jeans and white t-shirt to natural tones and everything solid-colored in between.

Finally, African Dreams was inspired by a trip Brad and I did in the beginning of 2010, when we visited Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Namibia, and had the immense pleasure of meeting different tribal peoples in all these countries. Their colourful dress, jewelry, headdresses and the simplicity of the beaded jewelry is reflected in this Senzu homage to their beautiful sense of style. I personally love the fact that there are 4 different ways to wear this necklace, and they all create a different look, with just 1 necklace. The colors are bright and really pop, yet they complement one another.

For those who’d like to see some pictures of our trip and the people we met there, please visit Brad’s photography site, www.bradmol.com.

I find inspiration for jewelry designs all around me, in my everyday life in Asia, traveling around the region or on trips like the one to Africa last year, and from the colors, textures, shapes and the feelings those images impress upon me. Where do you get your creative inspiration?

Styling it up,

Cristel, your Senzu Style Insider.

'It's Elemental, my dear Watson' -behind the scenes at Senzu's Elements Spring Collection

2011-02-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

With Valentine’s Day come and gone, and New York Fashion Week in full swing, today’s blog post we are going to take you behind the scenes of how our 2011 Spring Elements Collection was designed.

Overlooking Hong Kong Harbour

When we sat down to determine what the look for Spring 2011 was going to be, we knew we wanted to make sure that whatever the look, the jewelry had to be light and versatile. For our Elements line we really wanted to go back to the basics; using clean, natural lines, shapes that look great on any facial shape and body type and play with texture.

For our Naturals Collection, 2011 would be the year of warm tones, inspired by Africa and tribal jewelry. More on this collection and the trip that inspired it in the next post!

When we went to Hong Kong in early Fall 2010, our goal was to work with out manufacturers to create these looks exclusively for Senzu, and the results are now online at Senzu.

Rose Gold & Black Hematite
plated Senzu Jewelry.

The 2011 Elements Collection has already become a great addition to the Senzu jewelry lines. The simplicity of the shapes, being mostly round and oval shapes, flatter all facial structures and soften those with more angular jawlines (like myself!). Hoops are the most popular type of earring for most women because it is so versatile and timeless, that we included a variety of sizes and twists on the hoop theme.

The continuing theme throughout the Elements Collection though is the unique ‘scratched’ finish on each and every piece. This finish adds interest and depth to each jewel, and gives it almost a matte look. As always, we looked for a strong and allergy-safe base material (brass) and added luxury premium materials such as 925 sterling silver, rose gold and 18 karat gold plating, as well as rhodium and black hematite. This gives the Elements Collection a great variety of colours and looks, in necklaces, earrings, bracelets and bangles.

I’ve been wearing the new Elements pieces a lot, and both in Canada and here in Thailand there has been a great response to the collection. Which brings me to the second bit of news: Senzu jewelry is now also available in Thailand through our sister company, Senzu (Thailand) Limited! Visit our senzustyle.com contact page for all the details.

Tomorrow night Senzu will be participating in The Wine Ladies Dinner in Support of The Heart and Stroke Foundation. In this month of love and Valentine’s Day, it is a great opportunity to support this very important organisation. Enjoy a great wine-paired dinner at Cucci, swag bags with Senzu jewelry in it, and bid on the Inori© for Senzu Stainless Steel & Crystal jewelry set in the silent auction, all for this amazing cause.

We hope to see you there!

Cristel,

Your Senzu Style Insider

This is not a jewelry blog post

2011-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Rene Magritte - This is not a Pipe
and this is not a post about
jewelry, or is it? ;-)

“Many of life's failures come from people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Edison.

I thought it would be a nice change to talk about something other than Senzu jewellery for a change (though I am always happy to talk about that!). So I thought it would be more interesting to give you a bit of an insight as to why we started Senzu, and what challenges come with building your own business.

Playful Metal Colours Necklace
& matching bracelets
SZFNL37

The quote this post started with was tweeted by Bear Grills, one of my favorite personalities on the Discovery Channel. I love his ‘can do’ attitude towards any situation he’s dropped into or that crosses his path. In one way, he is the ultimate boy scout; always prepared. On the other hand, he improvises when he does not have a particular tool to get him out of a pickle. When he can’t have elk steak in some tundra he’s stuck in, he opts for catching something or eating bugs. Ok, I would not go that far, but the underlying idea is flexibility and adaptation to your environment. It was also tweeted the same day by Anthony Robbins, the well-known self-improvement and inspirational speaker. The bottom line is, don’t give up too soon! If you truly believe in a project or concept, the business model and the strategy, then go do it! Nay-sayers be damned ;-)

Multi-Tone Metal Chain Necklace
SZFNL45

For me, I always wanted to get back into in the jewelry industry. Many years ago, when living overseas, for a while I worked with another jewelry company that used a proven, no-pressure networking sales method and I got a taste of it, and ever since then it was always in the back of my mind to return to that industry.

If I had given up on this idea for a jewelry business concept over 15 years ago, Senzu would not exist today. Timing is everything, and the rest is enthusiasm and perseverance!

So if you’ve ever had the idea to start your own business, work for yourself (no boss!) or work from home, then why not grab the bull by the horns and make 2011 your year? There are lots of options out there, a Senzu Stylist bring one of them.

Next blog post I'll talk about the advantages and challenges of being your own boss as well as working from home.

Until then, Style it Up and Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Cristel, your Senzu Style Insider.

The LBD & other styles that never fade, literally!

2011-01-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone,

Having just come back from Shanghai on a Senzu sourcing trip, I was welcomed by some good news out of England this morning. It just goes to show you that true style never goes out of fashion and never fades away. Now we can actually say this and mean it literally, thanks to the scientists at the University of Leeds, who came up with a black dye for fabrics that does not fade in the wash. It was about time, right? ;-)

As was reported on also in The Toronto Star a few days ago, Partick McGowan and colleagues at the University of Leeds are proud of the dress because “black is the hardest colour and the most sought after. More than 50 per cent of clothing is black.” Glad to hear I am not alone in favouring this colour as a basic! It is flattering on most people, makes you look a bit more lithe and goes with nearly anything. Plus, the little black dress is one item that nearly all us ladies have at least one of, in our closets.

Though I am not big on techie-speak, I thought it was worth quoting Mr. McGowan's process to create this little miracle (Nerd alert: science paragraph coming up!).

The eco-friendlier process behind the dress and the dyes “turns a traditional problem in polymer chemistry on its head,” said McGowan. The process uses PLA or polylactic acid, a polyester derived from renewable sources. “It biodegrades, it is carbon-neutral, and it doesn’t rely on products from the petroleum industry,” he told The Star.

“We’ve eradicated the wet-dyeing step and achieved a homogenous colouration.” Fabric dying traditionally uses oil-based material, lots of water, high temperatures, and creates considerable waste. Each type of textile needs to be dyed differently or takes the colour differently, even in the same garment. “The dye actually stays attached to the polymer. When you wash your PLA fibres, it doesn’t come out.”.

Separate research is developing hair dye “without some of the chemicals perceived to be nasty. Organic is one of our goals.” concludes McGowan. Now would that be nice, to be able to colour your manes without all the horrible chemicals?

When Sumitra and I started Senzu, we also wanted to ensure the colours and materials in our jewelry were long-lasting, which is why we love our Stainless Steel line.

It is also a recyclable, very durable, non-staining, hypo-allergenic, and long-lasting material that will keep the same beautiful sheen, look and colour for a very long time with minimal care.

Just like the non-fading LBD!

Styling it up with a wink and Senzu jewelry of course,

Cristel,

Your Senzu Style Insider.

PS: Don't forget to join our FB page too, for all the latest updates, and follow us on Twitter @senzustyle

Fashion Colour Report for Spring 2011

2011-01-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

Good morning and I hope you've had a great start to the New Year!

This blog post is all about colours. What's hot, and what's not? We asked the experts! This spring 2011, with the help of the colour 'authority', Pantone, the feature colour for all of 2011 has been named as Honeysuckle, however of course we are not monochromatic, monotone or one-size-fits-all people, and inspiration and colour-plays can be found everywhere around us.

Citing exotic destinations like Africa, India, Peru and Turkey as inspiration for Spring 2011, designers worldwide continue to satisfy consumers’ need to escape everyday challenges and dreariness with intriguing color combinations that transport them to foreign lands and exotic cultures.

“The colors that designers have chosen for the spring season present an interesting marriage of unexpected warm and cool tones,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “By cleverly combining complementary colors, those that are opposites on the color wheel, they have created a striking intensity to the palette. These unique color combinations make it possible for consumers to pair existing pieces in colors traditionally associated with fall, with new favorites to punch up springtime wardrobes.”

Senzu is also playing on the same contrasting, yet complimenting aspects of colours and textures this spring and summer. Without giving all our plans away, we will be introducing a range of 27 new earrings, necklaces and bracelet sets into our Elements Collection that will really pop. Watch our website, our @senzustyle tweets and this blog for updates when they will become available!

Of course, our Senzu jewellery already represents a voyage around the world, with pieces this year from India, The Kingdom of Thailand, China and Malaysia.

Silvers, yellow and pink gold tones, as well as the more muted black rhodium and charcoal grey hematite continue to be important base colours to bounce the brighter colours off. As the Pantone colour specialists put it in their 2011 Colour Report: "Another dependable background color, Silver Cloud, is the quintessential neutral that consumers can rely on to coordinate with everything in their closet."

Which for Senzu means that we will shortly also be introducing, handmade by our jewellery artists in India, a great new line of fun jewellery for our Spirit Collection. That's all we'll say for now, you'll just have to follow us on twitter, our Facebook Page and of course the Senzu website for updates and to get it before everyone else! ;-)

Sumitra is off on a well-deserved vacation this week as she worked throughout the holidays, and I will be departing for Shanghai on a sourcing trip this Sunday, so the next blog will be from the great city of Shanghai! We've never been there before, so Brad and I are really looking forward to sharing our new experiences with you.

2011 will truly be a year of hot Senzu jewellery, travel, global influences and intra-cultural experiences! Style it up with me!

Cristel

Introducing: The Senzu Prestige & Naturals Collections!

2010-12-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone,

Today it is my pleasure to introduce two new Senzu lines of fine jewellery today; the Senzu Prestige Collection and the Senzu Naturals Collection.

The Prestige Collection focuses on genuine 92.5 sterling silver and are considered statement jewellery, and high elegance. We have included a limited number of pieces that are made with Swarovski© crystals, with my personal favorite being the Swarovski© Divine Rock Earrings and Pendant. In addition to Swarovski©, you'll also find top quality cubic zirconia statement earrings and pendants, which most of the time include elegant silver necklaces. Many of the new jewellery pieces in this collection is handmade for Senzu by Artesans in Thailand, a country known for its creativity and craftsmanship especially in silver. The gorgeous jewellery in our Prestige Collection brings your look to the next level and would be very well suited for evening wear, as well as to dress up your daytime outfit. New jewellery pieces will be added to the Prestige Collection shortly, so be sure to visit the Senzu website.

Twilight Agate Silk Choker
Necklace - SZWNL1

The Naturals Collection was created to introduce jewellery based on natural materials. The first jewellery featured in The Senzu Naturals Collection is a handcrafted silk choker necklace with Agate stones, both beautiful gifts from Mother Nature. These necklaces are available in a trio of Agate stone colours, named Fire, Forest and Twilight. Agate is a semi-precious stone that is characterized by its fineness of grain and brightness and range of colours and because it is a made-by-nature item, each Agate necklace is unique and a little different in colouring and shape. The Naturals Collection will focus on the beauty found in natural stone such as Agate and Turquoise, as well as other natural materials. New jewellery pieces will be added all the time, so be sure to visit the Senzu website regularly.

Today was Senzu's first annual Holiday Soirée and it had a great turnout! More about our Soirée in the next blog post, as well as an interview with Sumitra, my partner-in-Style who hosted it.
Styling it up until then!
Your partner-in-style,

Cristel

Christmas Shopping - fun or fright?

2010-11-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

Good morning Stylistas,

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I always find that I have these great ideas throughout the year for presents, and I think to myself: 'I should write that down for Christmas, so I'll remember'. Invariably I don't and then December arrives and I am scrambling to think of what to buy friends, family and co-workers.

Luckily, this year will be much easier for me, now that I have the perfect source for gifts for most of my friends and family with Senzu! Now if I can just get around to getting my orders in, in stead of working on all other aspects of the business ;-) At least I won't need to drive to the mall through sleet and snow, sit in traffic jams, fight over a spot closer to the mall entrance, and then wrestle my way through the mob in the stores. Most likely I'll be doing most of my Christmas shopping the easy way; online, in my pajamas, on the sofa with my iPad, relaxing with a nice cup of green tea and listening to some music. This is especially convenient now, since I will be in Thailand over the Christmas holidays and a lot of my friends and family are scattered all over Canada, the USA and Europe!

However, I do enjoy shopping 'out' as well, especially at events that support local businesses and the community we live in. That's why I look forward to hearing from our Stylist David Lecitra how much fun he had at the Eglinton Community Centre Holiday Fair this coming Friday the 26th of November, where he will be hosting our booth together with my partner-in-style, Sumitra Mahakanok. Come see us there if you are in Toronto! We'll have some great new Senzu jewellery there.

We're also excited about the upcoming First Annual Senzu Holiday Soirée right here in Oakville on the 1st of December. A lot of people have confirmed their attendance, so it promises to be a great party at a beautiful lakefront setting. We'll have the Christmas décor and Christmas tree up, so it will be a fun way to welcome the last month of 2010. Please RSVP to join Sumitra, if you haven't yet, this will be an event not to be missed! Also, you never know if @Santa_Claus might show up, now that he's following @senzustyle on Twitter!

It will also be a bit of a celebration, since it will be 2 months since we had the unofficial 'Soft Launch' of Senzu. Plus, we will be at 150 unique and beautiful Senzu jewelry pieces. We started off with just 46, so we've tripled the selection! To celebrate, we've joined with Swarovski© Elements to create some beautiful crystal pieces that will be online in the next few days. There is just a limited quantity, so if you'd like them for Christmas, please contact Sumitra to order.

Besides the Stainless Steel Collection, we now also have the Spirit Collection and the Elements Collection. Another 2 Collections will be introduced very soon, so if you haven't yet, browse our website and discover great new Senzu jewellery!

Wishing all our American friends and fellow Stylistas around the world a very Happy Thanksgiving and a great weekend!

Styling it up,

Cristel

How to recreate the 'Mad Men' 60s chic today.

2010-11-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

Good morning fellow Stylistas,

With the new Season of Mad Men underway, the latest 60s style revival has reached a new level of excitement in the fashion world, from the runways to looks seen on the street by ordinary mortals like us.

The characters of Betty Francis (played by January Jones), Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) and Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) have become the personifications of elegance, style and female empowerment, and the looks they sport in the show are being recreated by women around the world, who love the femininity it exudes. So how to recreate that 60s elegant and stylish look without looking old-fashioned?

So to help you put together a '60s look using pieces in your closet (or as an excuse to go shopping) here's Senzu's Top 10 Tips for '60s Chic today:

10. Show off your curves! Keep it form-fitting on top, flowy on the bottom. A-Line skirts flatter every shape. Dress it up with a little jacket for the office, or a cardigan for a more casual look.
9. Go floral! Soft coloured floral dresses, skirts and tops add a feminine touch. If wearing a flowered dress, keep all your other accessories and shoes in matching solid colours.
8. Use 1 bold colour for an elegant monochromatic look. Gem colours are very on trend right now; emerald greens, ruby reds as well as royal blue and purple.
7. High heels will add drama to your look. Flats will make your look more casual. Nude tones are great at elongating your legs visually.
6. Emphasize your waist. Synch it with a narrow leather belt in contrasting colours or a fabric belt in the same pattern as your dress.
5. Clutch your purse. A small purse or clutch that compliments your look without overpowering it.
4. Up your 'do. The 60s style trend is great if you like wearing your hair 'dressy'. Elegant buns, high ponytails, but also pretty hairbands are all back in style.
3. Love your Eyes! Ultra-feminine eyes with 'cat-eyes' lined eyes. Bring out the eyeliner and 'Bardot' your look for that extra va-va-voom.
2. Luscious Lipstick in bold reds work best for this '60s look. For a less dramatic look, go for pale pinks. Keeping cheeks light and soft will give your eyes and lips centre stage.
1. Accessorize with Senzu jewellery! Especially pearl earrings and pearl pendants, as well as oversized pendants on long necklaces work really well to recreate the look.

Check out Senzu's new Elements Collection, with some beautiful sterling silver pieces, as well as unique designer long pendant necklaces in brass with silver, rhodium or pink gold plating. Very elegant and these are only going to be available for a limited time (nickel-free and lead-free, as all Senzu's products are).

There is still time to confirm your attendance to Senzu's Holiday Soirée on December 1st, in Oakville, Canada. It promises to be a fun get-together; perfect to get the Festive Season started in Style. Bring a friend along and be the first to look and purchase new Senzu jewellery creations that with Swarovski(c) crystals and silver that won't even be available on the Senzu website yet.

We put together a Mad Men '60s Stylebook with products readily available at The Bay, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Aldo's, H&M, Mango and other main street retailers, and of course Senzu Jewellery to inspire you to create your unique Mad for Mad Men '60s style elegant look:

Let me know how you recreated the '60s elegance in your look? I'd love to see your personal take on this '60s trend!

Your Senzu partner-in-style,

Cristel

Senzu at Events for a Cause

2010-11-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

Good morning dear Style Fans,

A quick post today with an update on what we at Senzu have been up to this past week! It has been a busy and social one, with a number of great events that Senzu participated in.

Wednesday was the Oakville Chamber of Commerce's Business After-Hours Networking Event, which took place at Cogeco Canada in Burlington. Quite a few of Oakville's business leaders attended including Senzu's Sumitra. Here's a snapshot of Sumitra at the Oakville Chamber event, with Warren F. Boyd, gemologist of note and President of R. T. Boyd Limited.

The Wine Ladies Holiday Special in support of the United Way was the second event this week that Senzu attended with much gusto. The event, which was held at the Otello's Banquet and Conference Centre was the second Wine Ladies Event Senzu enjoyed the pleasure of participating in (the first one being the Silkeborg opening of Café Borg for the Angels Project Charity Evening). Quoting @thewineladies' tweet the day after:"...a Fabulous event! It was a roaring success and so much fun."

Senzu's Sumitra Mahakanok, Maureen Mol (above) and her husband John, as well as Senzu Stylist David Lecitra (left) who attended, could not agree more and Senzu was happy to donate Our fabulous crystal heart necklace set to the Silent Auction to help raise funds for The United Way cause. We will soon be posting pictures of the event on our Senzu Facebook Page, and if you have pictures of us at the event, please share them there as well!

There are a number of upcoming events that Senzu will be holding, including:

- This Wednesday the 17th of November will be Senzu's David Lecitra's Stylist Launch Soirée. David is our first (and as yet only) male Stylist, so please support David and start your Christmas shopping at his Soirée!

- 27th of November Senzu Stylists and the gorgeous Senzu Jewellery can be found at the Christmas at the Beach Craft Show at the Beaches in Toronto.

- The 1st of December marks the First Annual Senzu Holiday Soirée, held at a lakefront private estate in the Bronte Area of Oakville. If you'd like to attend this RSVP event, please contact Sumitra or myself or confirm via the Facebook Event Page. In connection with this, Ms. D.e.v.a, also known as Elizabeth Correia, our newest Senzu's Stylist in Brampton, is also doing a blanket drive for the homeless. Please check out her blog if you'd like to donate, follow or participate in her girls' empowerment events and groups (next event is on the 27th of November, some seats are still available!)

- 4th of December will find Senzu Stylists and a great selection of Senzu Jewellery at the Sunrise Residences Christmas Fair.

While I am in Thailand, working with our manufacturers and artisans on great new products (more stainless steel and silver earrings being added this week!), as an active member of the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, this past weekend I had a chance to volunteer and husband Bradley Mol to play golf at the First Annual Beaver Invitational Golf Tournament for Khun Mechai's Village Development Partnership and Thai Fund Foundation’s community projects. No prizes won, but excellent funds raised for those two worthy causes and another wonderful tradition started!

We hope we will see you at one or all of these events and if you'd like to host your own Senzu Soirée and earn beautiful free Senzu Jewellery, contact Sumitra or myself today!

Styling it Up,

Cristel,
Your Partner-in-Style.