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Village at Meridian invited me to bless one lucky local mother with a day of pampering, shopping, and head-to-toe makeover for Mother’s Day. Here is the winner’s story! (You can also read about last year’s winner, here.)

Andrea Correa recently turned 37, and found herself a divorced mother of three young children. Her sister Melissa wrote in to nominate her, sharing a little bit about Andrea’s difficult situation, and what a challenge it has been for her. For the last 12 years she’s been a stay-at-home mom, devoted to her children and her family! Now she’s had to walk through a very painful experience, and is struggling to find work to support herself with limited career experience, but armed with a passionate love for her kids and strong will to succeed. This makeover is exactly what she needed, to get a fresh perspective on her wardrobe, bolster her confidence, and prepare herself for the job market!

Our first meeting was right after her her name was selected: lunch at Grimaldi’s Pizza for a get-to-know-you. I found Andrea surprisingly energetic and joyful, despite her circumstances! She seemed grateful for the opportunity to have the makeover, was very easygoing, and full of laughter. I had a strong suspicion her kids adore her; I certainly grew to!

One week later we met for the makeover, with the Village at Meridian presenting Andrea multiple gift baskets, cards, and presents valued at over $1,000, including a generous gift card to Village Coffee, personalized workout time at Axiom, posh pampering at PURE Health, fun body products from LUSH, and an adorable tank top (pictured below) from Paperie & Pen! Andrea loved opening the gift baskets & presents, and was excited to start shopping.Photos by Ammophotog

First stop: SOMA Intimates, where Andrea received her very first professional bra fitting (something I recommend for EVERY woman!), and some beautiful new undergarments. The right size makes such a difference! If you haven’t had a fitting recently, stop by SOMA; the gracious ladies there really know their stuff!

Next stop: LOFT, who had graciously donated a sizeable gift card to Andrea! We worked on embracing her body type (hourglass), and I encouraged her to try tops that were less boxy, and more fitted, and the same went for skirts. We talked about color tones that worked best for her, and shopped some beautiful summer wardrobe staples.I taught Andrea some layering tricks to create slimming vertical lines with cardigans and/or long necklaces, and she tried a variety of pants, dresses, and tops. She found some beautiful pieces she could wear for job interviews, as well as work easily into her current wardrobe!

Then we stopped into White House | Black Market for shoes. Andrea was thrilled to find a beautiful pair of what I call “investment heels;” those perfect, comfortable, high-quality basic black pumps you can wear to work, an event, or just dinner out with friends! She loved these, and knew she would get a ton of use out of them.

After that we went to Chico’s, who had also donated a nice gift card. Andrea found a couple pairs of great summer capris that she loved, and appreciated the great prices and super-sweet, helpful customer service.

Next: Lunch! When you’re power shopping – and especially trying on tons of clothes! – it’s a good idea to take a break every 3-4 hours for protein and a moment to clear your head. Huge thanks to Noodles & Company, for hosting our much-needed lunch! Yum.

Last shopping destination: Evereve, where Andrea very bravely discovered for the first time that – gasp! – she looked AMAZING in skinny jeans!!! And oh my gosh, those shoes, am I right?? She loved this store, and would have happily shopped here for hours, but it was time to move onto…

SB Salon for hair & makeup! Andrea went on ahead to save time, while I stopped into Francesca’s to pick out some lovely jewelry pieces they had graciously donated to her. Thank you Francesca’s!

Andrea wanted a more sophisticated look, but needed it to be something she could easily maintain. The brilliant stylist showed her how to create beachy waves that worked with her hair texture and layers, bringing out the shine and dimension in her lovely locks.

Next up: makeup! Andrea was not accustomed to wearing makeup regularly, so she didn’t want something that felt “all made up,” or like there was too much fuss on her face and skin. The Makeup artists used Jane Iredale, and soft, neutral colors to highlight Andreas beautiful facial structure, cheekbones, and eyes. A dash of berry lipstick, just a little bit darker than her natural color, completed the makoever.

Now it was time for Andrea to dress up in her new clothes, and meet her family in the Village’s center square to show off her new look!

…Are you ready for this? 🙂

When they first saw her…

Lots of screams! And Andrea’s daughter couldn’t wait to hug her mommy.

What a beautiful family!

Surrounded by love.

Best day ever! Thank you for being brave, and letting us make you over, Andrea.

And special thanks to Ammophotog, for documenting this amazing day.

XOXO,

Tanya Carnahan & The Village at Meridian