For Valerie...

...because she asked so nicely
and because it's too early to go to bed.

 

Tunic length sweater, knit pants worn tucked
 into boots and my blazer.
Unless I can work some real magic on that
blazer this winter will be its last.
I can now wear it (buttoned) with both a long sleeve shirt
and my fisherman sweater.

 

 This is one of the cashmere cardigans we bought during
that long-ago shopping spree.
It is one of my few "old" pieces that still fit
and I love wearing it with this
striped shirt.
Here it is with skirt, tights, boots and pearls

and here with grey jeans, and different shoes and necklace.

These trousers have been versatile

 

 as the grey jeans are proving themselves to be.

I do love a flannel shirt

and this one is tunic length so it

presents less casual than most.

 

This worked well before the cold settled in

but we're forecast to hit near 40 this week

so it may make another appearance.

 

And the red coat continues to delight.

 

I haven't made straight-line progress

with Christmas shopping

because I keep finding things for myself.

This week  (THIS week)

I came home with new

(well, some of this was thrifted)

yoga pants

a plaid skirt

2 tops

1 sweater

and a wonderful pair of

berry/burgundy jeans.

Oh - and a new pair of

"alligator" booties.

They look so good with the new jeans.

Can you tell I love those jeans!?

I'll include a picture of them soon.

 

I'm still experimenting to find a reliable way to

take these pictures.  Often it

just doesn't occur to me

until the clothes are in a pile at the end of the day.

 

I have a haircut scheduled for Tuesday. 

It is truly amazing to see

how much my hair grows in six weeks.

 

My to-do list is pretty reasonable

for the week before Christmas.

The gym every morning.

Some last minute shopping tomorrow.

Hair on Tuesday.

Baking and cleaning as it fits

 throughout the week.

Charlie has a bath scheduled on Friday

so any last last minute

shopping can happen then, too.

Jacob flies into Minneapolis on Friday night

then he, Naphtali and Aidan will

come down Saturday.

The Jordisons descend on Sunday.

Fort Dodge on Tuesday.

Kids leave Wednesday.

Naps and sanity resume Thursday.

 

How is your week shaping up?

 

 

 



Change of Plans

My afternoon plans changed

leaving me several attractive options

before leaving for work:

nap

watch a movie

write my haiku

post about the exciting

package delivered to my doorstep!!

 

I've recently spent too many hours

of too many days

looking online and in stores

for a pair of shoes for

Jacob's wedding.

 

I've never considered myself

a "shoe" person

but the longer you look

the more you see...

It does amaze me that shoes/heels/pumps

-which essentially share a standard construction-

can elicit such a varied response.

I've seen some that all

you can do is say

"That is a beautiful shoe,"

while the one sitting next to it doesn't earn a second glance.

To digress here about the seductive and expensive

options out there would keep me from

the object of this post

so let's soldier on.

 

 

 

Putting my best foot forward

I can only ask:

What do you think!?

 

 



You Have to Laugh

I brought this book home from the library recently:

Overdressed
The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion
by Elizabeth L. Cline.

 

Of course, the next day,

JCP had a flier in my mailbox promising

everything I need for summer

for $20 or less.

 

I already shared the opinion

(and have tried to be responsible in my attitudes and consumption)

that there was something amiss in

the way clothing is

 perceived,

marketed,

produced

 and/or procured

so it won't be a life-changing read.

 

 

One comment, on page nine of the introduction, elicited

a "Seriously!?" when I read Ms. Cline's

earnest exhortation to

"...develop more of a relationship with the things we wear."

 

While I understand, and agree with the

basic premise,

I couldn't help but think that I have

family/neighbors/co-workers

with whom I need to develop relationships!

Please don't add my wardrobe to that category!!

 

 

 

 

 

Great minds...

It was tempting, after a quick read through this morning's posts, to suppose that everyone was thinking of ... me!

The comments made by Duchesse fit in, not with my retirement, but with the prospect of starting over, redefining my role in this new place without completely discarding who I've been in the old place.  Pseu offered a refresher for casual wear beyond sweats, as well as links to a very timely look at hot weather solutions from Imogene.  I'll lift (and credit) a portion from Sal at Already Pretty that simplifies

 the idea of signature pieces: 

The quickest shortcut to unified personal style is to select and wear a few signature items. You may consider your watch or pendant necklace to be signatures, but this practice is most effective when the items in question are fairly large and noticeable, and exist within your wardrobe in several variations....I have multiple versions of these items already in my wardrobe, wear them often, AND! By wearing them across the board, no matter what the dominant influences in an outfit may be, I create continuity. If you find that solid-colored cardigans, ballet flats, and cuff bracelets are your signatures, do your best to deploy those pieces often and in multiple style contexts.

These women managed to touch on areas that have grabbed my attention as I navigate this transition/move.  Maybe they were thinking about you, too.