20 THINGS ABOUT ME YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW

Would you believe it took me 6 months to write this? I’ve rewritten it so many times, more than any other blog post. Why? Well, because I wanted to get it just right. Although this blog so often focuses on fashion, it’s also about my life, and I really wanted to open up about myself. I consider each and every one of you a friend, and I’m so grateful you’re here. 

First, the obvious: I am a stylist and the creator of Tel Aviv Couture blog. I’m in love with my family, my husband Jason, my stepson Jaiden, and my two adorable munchkins: gymnast Katya and Letters & Numbers genius Leonix. If you follow my blog/Instagram, you might have picked up that I am obsessed with fashion, a fitness enthusiast, and a lover of anti-aging beauty treatments.

And now, a few you probably don’t know—get ready to be surprised!

• My real/legal name is Tatiana, or Tanya for short. When we immigrated to Israel, my friends started calling me Tali, and I thought it was cool to have an Israeli name because it made my transition easier.

• I was born in the Ukraine and we moved to Israel when I was 13 years old. Being that my family was from the Ukraine, I speak Russian fluently and I’ve retained some very positive Slavic values, including my strong work ethic!

• I grew up in Israel, a country that made me who I am today and will always hold such a special place in my heart. My entire family lives in Israel, and my husband and I had our first wedding ceremony there! Israeli people are the friendliest you will meet in the world. If you haven’t been yet, you must add it to your list!

• During my mandatory army service in Israel, I was an officer and trained thousands of soldiers! I always had it in me to call the shots and I think this experience helped me to develop the ability to run my own successful businesses.

• I’ve been financially independent since I was 13. When we immigrated to Israel, we didn’t have much money, let alone cash for clothing and shopping. Trying to fit into Israeli society as a teen with my Ukrainian wardrobe was hard. So, I decided at the age of 13 to start working so I can buy clothing. My very first job was babysitting and I’ll never forget the first purchase I made–a bright neon t-shirt with a smiley face that said, “Don’t Worry Be Happy!” Speaking of neon, this trend is back 🙂 And that attitude definitely captures me even today. I am overall a very happy person, as I’m sure you can tell from my pictures!

• I moved to the U.S. because of my ex-husband, who lived in Chicago at the time. That relationship became very toxic and abusive, which is why I don’t share this story often. However, I’m choosing to share now because while it was not easy to be in yet another new country after moving around as a kid, and then going through a difficult divorce, I managed to break free and build the life I always wanted. Anyone who is struggling and reading this should know that you can make a better life for yourself! If you stay strong, surround yourself with amazing people, and get focused on doing what’s right for you, you will find your happy ending, too. 

• I have one sister whom I love and adore! Her attitude in life and presence in my childhood had a huge impact on me. Her unconditional love is everything to me, and she never ceases to amaze me. In just one year, she completely shifted her direction and built an entire career of her own in a field she always loved: fitness! Not only did she manage to take everything to the next level at lightning speed, but she is also in her absolute best shape at age 45. Follow her on Instagram (@orlyfitness) and get a regular dose of fitness inspiration like I do! 

• Before I started Tel Aviv Couture, I worked as an accountant! Can you even believe it? I almost became a CPA and then I realized… I am in the wrong industry! Well, I kind of always knew that it was not my niche and so did my friends. But I’m grateful to have had that experience, as my ability to understand numbers helped me to launch my own company. When I look back, I’m so happy I followed my heart and chose to apply my talents to an industry I loved. I feel like it’s my mission to bring awareness to talented designers from Israel and all over the globe.  

• My styling business was born out of selling Israeli designer pieces through Tel Aviv Couture. One client hired me to be her stylist, and the rest is history.

• English is my third language! I spoke Russian and then Hebrew before learning English. Which means that while I can speak three languages, I’m not always perfect with grammar. This makes me feel a little insecure, especially on social media, but I continue to fearlessly move forward, buoyed by your support and support of my team.

• I am SO not a bookworm. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’m an avid reader. I’m constantly on the go and just into DOING, so I can’t sit still and get into a book! However I am very into podcasts now. Some of my favorites are: Goal Digger, Melissa Ambrosini, The Life Coach School, and How I Built This. Please share yours in comments 🙂

• My absolute favorite part of being a blogger and a stylist is that I get to live my passion: empowering women! It is so rewarding to help a woman feel good about what she’s wearing, and to see how that confidence helps her to achieve her dreams. As a bonus, I’ve met so warm and wonderful people through my businesses. 

• To the surprise of many, I am not an organized person at all! I’m actually quite messy. I’ve come to the point where I’ve stopped pretending and I just accept and love myself, mess and all! After all, nobody is perfect, right?

• That being said, I am pure magic when it comes to organizing someone else’s style and closet. One of my new and most popular services I offer is to style your closet. If you feel stuck in a style rut, reach out! I’ll come to your home and create looks based on what you already have (and purge what you’ve totally needed to let go for years now!). 

• My favorite food is sushi! Juno and Momotaro are my favorite sushi spots. I also cannot live without sweets. 

• My religion is kindness and love.

• If you follow me, you know that my favorite colors to wear are black and white with an occasional pop of red. But I recently started experimenting with more color and prints and I’m loving it. And I have a thing for white shoes; they just elevate any outfit. I found my new must-have white pumps at the Michael Kors Collection store in the 900 Shops on Michigan Ave. 

• My motto is: Life is too short for boring clothes, including workout wear! I also believe strongly that you don’t need a lot of money to have great style. I love mixing high and low and shopping at stores like H&M for great finds. 

• My favorite new vacation discovery is the magical and still under-the-radar Nosara, Costa Rica… more on that in next week’s blog! And my new inspiration destination is the masterminding class series with Jessica Zweig. Ever since I took 2 of them, my business has taken off to the next level. 

• My absolute favorite thing to do is to spend time with my family. I can watch my kids play all day long, as long as they play peacefully 🙂 I am also addicted to my job! Sharing all my style secrets with my readers and getting to support so many talented people along the way brings me a lot of joy. If you’d like to learn even more, check out this blog post on the secrets to my marriage. And I also want to get to know you, so please tell me something about yourself in the comments!