Welcome to a brand new gorgeous Monday!

When I can combine my ancestral magic with fashion…it’s a damn good week.  So pull up a chair and prepare to be CHARMED!

Elizabeth Taylor leads you into Monday with her beloved charm bracelet…..

This week’s secret is all about the power of charms….

• Did you know that the use of charms reaches back to the Babylonians in 600 BC?
• Did you know that for centuries, secret societies fashioned their symbols into charms so that other members could identify each other all over the world?
• Did you know that the ancient Egyptians collected charms to wear to later identify themselves to their gods and ancestors in the afterlife?

Charms act as stories, as reminders, as things we hold sacred.

Here’s a webcam shot of me with my beloved fortune telling charm necklace.

It tells its own story circled around my neck.

Throughout history, people have been intrigued by the romantic power of charms.

Remember this famous line from “To Have and Have Not”?

Well, Humphrey Bogart gave his leading lady, Lauren Bacall, this whistle charm when they were engaged, as a tribute to the line that stirred the first passions between them. The charm was later buried with Bogart when he passed in 1957.

But some of the most powerful charms are ones you can’t see – and today’s tip is how to use the ancient power of charms to give you an extra boost of confidence!

I use this tip to battle stage fright, but it can also be used when you want to be smooth and intriguing on that hot date you have planned, when you want to land that dream job, when you want to kick ass during that college interview, and when you want to enchant everyone you meet at this season’s holiday parties!

1. Find yourself a little charm that speaks to you and what you want to achieve.

I fell in love with this vintage styled charm when I started burlesque because I had the intention of performing burlesque internationally.

 

2. Grab yourself a needle and thread!

3. Sew the charm on the inside of special clothes that you will be wearing when you need that extra boost of confidence. Sew the charm 9 times in the same spot to secure it to the fabric and…..”with every stitch, make a wish” like my Grandma Helen used to say.

4. WEAR IT and feel the charm next to your skin like a secret medal of good luck!

In my hands, I’m holding a secret! I sewed one of my “Oui” charms in the inside center of that vintage leopard bra, so that it would rest against my heart. When I got nervous, I could feel it and be reminded of my international performing dreams.

Four months after this photo was taken, I was asked to tour Europe for the first time….

What charms will you sew into your clothes? And for what reasons? Whisper to me in the comments.

Here’s to hoping that all your dreams come true this week!