New Year, New Look
Mom and caretaker makes a change during Mother's Day Makeover 2009By Ashley Gurbal, agurbal@altoonamirror.co
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At a glance
$30 gift certificate, Caribbean Sun Tan and Spa, Greenwood
$500 set of pearl bracelet, necklace and earrings, Kranich's Jewelers, Logan Valley Mall, Altoona
$250 shopping spree, J.C. Penney Co., Logan Valley Mall, Altoona
$75 gift certificate to Olive Garden, Altoona, plus lunch
$55 gift certificate for one-hour massage X-press Women's Health at The Summit Tennis & Athletic Club, Altoona
$50 tea set from Tea Merchant 101, Duncansville
$136 including $57 in services at Cutting Crew Salon, Hollidaysburg, including haircut and style, manicure and make-up, and a $79 gift bag, which included X-Rush shampoo and conditioner, HealthySexyHair styler smoother and CHI leave-in shine spray
$59 Vera Bradley purse, Gold Rush Jewelers, Ebensburg
$45 floral bouquet, Myers Brothers Florist, Altoona
$40 gift basket of fragrance tarts, candles and other gifts, Scents of Life, Tyrone
Total: $1,240
Lynne Blose of Altoona has one son, but she considers herself a mother to several people.
In addition to running 16-year-old Clayton to youth group meetings and cross country and swim team practices, Blose also cares for her 83-year-old father, who suffers from dementia, and her 70-year-old stepmother, who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
"It's not the number of children you have - it's what you do for your family that makes you a mother," said Blose, 47, who lives in Altoona.
In fact, it's a role Blose has been filling since before Clayton was born - her own mother passed away when she was 17, and she took care of her two younger brothers, then 11 and 14, with her father.
The last few years have been filled with challenges, too. In 2002, her husband passed away, and she decided to stop working to take care of Clayton.
In 2006, she was a living kidney donor for her cousin. During her recovery from the transplant, Blose battled depression and gained 25 pounds.
Recently, though, she joined Weight Watchers and started an exercise program. She said she "feels much better" and wanted a new look to match her new attitude - which is what prompted her to enter the Mirror's Mother Day Makeover contest.
"I have had the same mommy 'do since forever," Blose wrote in her entry, which was selected as the winner from more than 50. "I really, really could use a new look to spice up my efforts."
Spice it up she did - complete with several new outfits, a new spin on her "mommy 'do" and a fresh take on her makeup - on Wednesday, which was a day of shopping and pampering.
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The day began with a trip to Caribbean Sun Tan and Spa in Greenwood, where manager Kim Middleton presented her with a $30 gift certificate, good for a tanning session and a treatment in the salon's hydration machine.
The hydration machine treats skin through vibration massage and steam and is "very soothing, very relaxing," Middleton said.
"It's a 20-minute little piece of heaven," she told Blose. "I think you're going to love it."
Then it was off to the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona. At Kra-nich's Jewelers, Blose received a pearl necklace, brace-let and earrings, worth $500.
"Oh my goodness, that's beautiful," Blose said, teary eyed as she looked at her necklace in the mirror. "I didn't have any pearls. That's wonderful."
At J.C. Penney Co., Blose was given a $250 gift card to spend on clothing and accessories, as well as her own personal shopping attendant, customer service associate Mary Grace Horton.
Blose decided to start with a wardrobe basic - a new bra. Since she started losing weight, her old ones no longer fit properly.
"I tell ladies to go through and look at every bra - they're all different, and there's a lot involved," said Ellie Fisher, women's accessories supervisor at Penney's. "You want to go home with something comfortable."
With the foundation for her new look in place, Blose headed off for the women's department, where she wanted new, bright pieces. Her old clothes, she said, were frumpy and unflattering - she'd just throw them on to run errands for Clayton and her parents.
She chose bright colors and bold prints, from ---a zebra print skirt to a blue and purple graphic printed top with black pants - items she probably wouldn't have chosen before, as well as several pairs of capri pants. Her natural tendency, she said, was to gravitate toward clearance racks in clothing stores, and only buy one or two items.
"I needed my style modernized," she said. "This definitely has perked up my wardrobe."
The zebra print skirt and a black scoop-neck top with cap sleeves will be perfect to wear to a breast cancer benefit later in the month, Blose said, and she couldn't wait to show her fiance, Frank Yetsko of Hollidaysburg.
High-heeled sandals with black leather straps that criss-crossed at the ankles completed the look. In total, Blose spent $208.39, and can return to spend the balance of her gift card at her convenience.
After her shopping spree, it was time for lunch at Olive Garden in Altoona, where Blose ordered soup, salad and chocolate ciottoli cake - dark chocolate cobblestone cake chunks layered with chocolate mousse and a soft brownie topped with hazel nuts. Sales manager Derek Class presented Blose with a $75 gift certificate after her meal, which she said she'd use to treat Yetsko and Clayton some time next week.
The next stop was The Summit Tennis & Athletic Club in Altoona, where massage therapy director Mandi Springer gave Blose a gift certificate for a one-hour massage at X-press Women's Health Club at The Summit Tennis & Athletic Club, Altoona, worth $55.
At Tea Merchant 101 in Duncansville, proprietor Joe Doyle showed Blose how to use her prize - a teapot and matching cups, as well as samples of loose leaf tea in Acai Super Green Tea, Margaritaville and Paris.
"I got an education today," Blose said.
From there, it was off to the Cutting Crew in Hollidaysburg, where Blose consulted with stylist Jami Galla-gher.
"We're going to keep the same shape of the cut, but texturize it and add some movement," Gallagher said. "It'll slim down her face and be a more modern look. We're going to keep it convenient but update it a little bit."
Blowdryed to perfection, Blose and Gallagher sat down for a manicure, with an iridescent purple nail polish, and a makeup application. Blose beamed when she looked at her reflection.
"I look like a new girl!" she said.
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At the end of the day, Blose posed for the camera in one of her outfits and received the last of her prizes - a gift basket filled with fragrance tarts and candles from Scents of Life in Tyrone, a Vera Bradley purse from Gold Rush Jewelers in Ebensburg and a floral bouquet from Myers Brothers Florist in Altoona.
Headed home to take care of her father and stepmother, Blose said the day was more than she expected and a welcome break from her everyday life.
"It's overwhelming sometimes, but there are rewards," she said. "God gives me little rewards like this one. ... It's that little pat on the back that lets you know you're doing everything right."
Mirror Staff Writer Ashley Gurbal is at 946-7435.
