Shades of her is more than a lifestyle blog--its a memoir of my
past, a window into my present, and a journey into the woman
I am still becoming.
I hope my journey inspires women to embrace every layer of
themselves-- the highs, the lows and everything in between.
I’m Denise- a mom of four amazing boys, an Autism advocate, beauty
enthusiast, entrepreneur, and a woman navigating the journey of
rediscovering herself.
Life has taken me through many seasons--from being raised by two parents
with addictions, to then becoming a young mom and wife. To then having
your whole life, change overnight and being a single mom raising three boys
alone, to rebuilding life after divorce, to finding love again, healing and
finding a way back to “me” again.
All while finding a way to motherhood again but this time with my youngest
son Adrian. At the age of two , my son was diagnosed with Autism, forever
shifting my perspective on motherhood and what advocacy truly is.
Alongside motherhood, I've always found beauty in self-expression. I was
raised around strong independent woman who always took care of
themselves which led me to my license in cosmetology. I may not work the
salon life full time, as I've balanced more of a corporate life for over a
decade, I've never lost my love for all things beauty. I think my upbringing is
what gave me the Entreprenurial spirit that always led me to create. Which
is what led me to my party shop business, bringing my art and love for
celebrating life while trying to pursue financial independence.
Shades of her is more than a lifestyle blog--it's a memoir of my past, a window
into my present, and a journey into the woman I am still becoming.
Shades of Her
Welcome To
Shades of Her
Denise Marie
new
They say every woman is made of many shades
the nurturer, the fighter, the dreamer, the lover,
the survivor.
I never truly understood how many versions of myself existed until life forced me to peel back each layer.
Shades of her was born out of reflection within me. The desire to tell my story not just for me, but for the woman out there who feels like Shes still figuring herself out too. The one who has lost herself in motherhood, heartbreak, or survival mode. The one who is still learning how to love every version of herself.
Here, you’ll find stories about trial and error of life. Raising boys into men, the growing pains. The beauty rituals that keep me sane, the lessons Autism has taught me, the joys and the heartbreaks of love, and the grind of building yourself up over and over again.
This journey has been far from perfect its layered , messy as hell and still unfolding.
But that's the beauty of it.
Welcome To
Where every shade, is worth celebrating.
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This is my story.
and if your reading this, maybe its yours too.
Peeling Back the layers:
Life has a way of stripping you down, forcing you to face the parts of yourself you've hidden, ignored or simply weren't ready to confront. My journey-- the woman i was, the woman i am, and the woman im still becoming -- was never meant to be easy. But with every layer that was peeled back, i discovered a new shade of me.
The first layer was survival.
as a child, i learned what it meant to be strong before i ever had the change to be just a child. i watched my mother fight battles i didnt understand at the time-- abuse, addiction and the weight of her own pain. i had no choice but to grow up fast. to find ways to protect myself emotionally when no one else could. I carried wounds i never spoke about, scars that shaped the way i moved through the world.
Then came resilience.
I found love or so I thought, i fell in love with a man who at the time was my escape from my reality of life. I became a mother young, then eventually after experiencing my own abuse. I carried the title of single mom like a badge of honor. Raising three boys on my own wasn't just my reality, it was my fight, m proof that I could break cycles of pain and create something better for my children. I poured love into them the way I wished someone had done for me. I didn't know how to be a parent, I don't think anyone does. What I did know was that I never wanted them to feel abandoned, unloved and unworthy. to me, as long as i knew what i didnt want for them, then i would focus on giving them what i did want them in life for them.
But life had more layers to uncover first.
in my previous marriage, I attend cosmetology school and had worked at a few salons with the dream of owning my own someday. Well, being a single mom of three boys who depended entirely on me, I knew I had to make more money. i had to get a “big girl Job”. long story short, I found success in the corporate world, built my own businesses, and rediscovered my passion for beauty. I thought i had figured it all out, but then, life handed me my greatest lesson yet- becoming a mother again. unfortunately, i was now a single mom raising four boys alone.
Now, while the pregnancy at the time, felt like it was my biggest lesson yet-- my youngest sons autism diagnosis was really the bigger lesson. it was in that moment that I had to redefine what strength looked like. it wasn't just about pushing through” it was about understanding, Learning, embracing and advocating on this new journey.
This blog-- shades of her -- is my truth.
it's the raw, unfiltered look at who I was, who i am, and who i am still becoming, it's a space where i can share my experiences in my life. Because as women, we are never just one thing. we are a million different shades, layered with stories , pain, joy and resilience.
and if you're reading this, maybe it's yours too.
Today, the world won.
And if I’m being honest… it took the best part of me. My light felt dimmer today, like no matter how hard I tried to push through, the world just hit harder.
I’ve been in pharma for over 15 years—and I’ve never felt so drained. The crazy part? It’s not even the people I work with—it’s the leadership, the environment they’ve created. Toxic doesn’t even begin to explain it. And that’s exactly why I’ve been putting myself out there, trying to find something new—somewhere I could actually feel valued.
A few weeks ago, I made it through four rounds of interviews at a company I was genuinely excited about. For the first time in a while, I could actually picture myself being happy there. But today, I found out they picked someone else. Not just anyone… friends of the team. Of course. It stung, but it wasn’t just the rejection—it was that feeling of knowing you never really had a fair shot. Like sometimes, no matter how hard you work, it’ll always come down to who knows who. And honestly? It broke me a little.
But that wasn’t even the hardest part of my day.
Later, I had my son’s IEP meeting. I walked in hopeful—we’ve come such a long way. I’ve watched my baby go from barely being able to say “I love you” to now being a little chatterbox I sometimes have to remind to stop talking. His growth has been incredible.
So when I asked where he stands compared to his third-grade peers, I wasn’t ready for the answer. The teacher hesitated—almost like she didn’t want to say it—but finally, she did. “He’s at kindergarten level.” And just like that… it felt like the air got sucked out of the room. My heart sank. Because no matter how far he’s come, hearing those words out loud crushed me.
See, as his mom, I know how hard he tries. I see the progress no one else gets to witness. And it was just a reminder that the world will always measure him by a standard that was never made for him. That no matter how hard I fight, I’ll always be fighting—to prove his worth, to remind people that he is somuch more than a label on paper.
I’ve been fighting for him since before he even took his first breath—and today, it just hit me that the fight isn’t ever really going to stop..
So yeah… today wasn’t mine.
Today, the world won.
But here’s the thing… it’s one
day. Not every day. Not the
end. Just a hard chapter in a
much bigger story. And
tomorrow? Tomorrow, I get
back up—because that’s what
moms like me do.
We break. We cry. We carry
the weight of the world on our
backs. But we never stop.
For anyone who’s ever felt this… for any
mom sitting in her car after an IEP meeting or
after a job rejection wondering if you’re
doing enough—you are.
You’re doing more than enough.
You’re surviving the days no one claps for.
And that right there makes you unstoppable.
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Thank you for being here. Shades of her is a
journey. One filled with layers, lessons and lived
experiences. Right now, there are just a few
pages written, but trust me... there’s so much
more to come.
The Story’s Just Getting Started...
More stories. More moments. More of the real, raw
and beautiful shades that make us who we are.
Stay tuned these pages are still being written.
More blogs coming soon...
Shades of Her
Denise Marie
Shades of Her
Denise Marie
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Denise Marie
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Denise Marie
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This Space was created from the raw
and unfiltered moments of my life. If
you made it here, maybe you lived
through some of those moments too.
Whether you’re a mom trying to keep
it all togeher, a girl trying to find her
way, a woman chancing her dreams,
or simply someone needing a
reminder that
you’re not alone my inbox is open.
I’d love to hear your story. Share your journey,
your wins, your struggles or reach out if you
just need a friend who gets it. Because if there’s
one thing, I’ve learned... it's that we heal, grow
and rise stronger when we do it together.
And if you ever need someone to remind you
that if I can do it, you can too, consider this that
reminder.
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