She Accessorizes Well

Hidden yellow pastel outfit of the day

2012-03-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

Well, this was supposed to be my pastel outfit for Tammy at SilverStyle's Trending Through the Decades-Pastels linkup. We were trying to hurry to take pics before the battery died on the camera so I did not realize that my yellow tee did not show at all on the full length pictures and only a little on the jewelry closeups. My necklace really did not show at all. It is a bird with blue rhinestones. I know that I probably should not have worn it since it is really making the outfit into a theme with birds, but I liked it and I've decided that trumps the "rules." I really like this blouse with my navy jacket best. I think that since I have been blogging I am coming to realize I look better in deep and bright colors.

Jacket: Chico's
Blouse: Old Navy
Tee: Chico's
Jeans: FDJ
Shoes: American Eagle - really old white bucs
Harry: Really silly Airedale who loves to be in pictures

See, there really is pastel in this outfit.
Left side of picture: bracelets: Silpada, Coldwater Creek
Right side: My new Scarab Spoon Bracelet, Michele watch, Yurman

Scarab Spoon Bracelet From Etsy Seller The Bead Ladies
I had them add some beads to the center of the bracelet.
I am obsessed with all things Egyptian. I have been since I was quite young.

I have decided that my Michele Watch and my David Yurman bracelets are part of my signature style. I wear them so often that I feel a bit naked without them. Even though Yurman jewelry is expensive, if you figure cost per wear they turn out to be less expensive than some of the costume jewelry that I have bought and worn very few times. Do you have a signature style piece that you wear all the time?

A Whole Lotta Layerin' Goin' On - Visible Monday and Monday Mingle

2012-03-19T18:39:00.000-05:00

Today I am linking up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and the Bon Bon Rose Girls for Monday Mingle.

My last 4 days have been spent with my leg propped up and ice packs on my knee. After my acupuncture on Friday I felt better so I went out and walked some at the mall. Big mistake. By the time I got home, my knee was really swollen and hurt like the dickens. So, I haven't been up and out much for the past few days. I had to get dressed today to participate in the linkup's, so this is what I wore on this gray, cool, rainy day. Not that I am complaining because we needed the rain as we have been in a severe drought condition for months.

Green Jacket: Chico's
Leopard Jacket: Dressbarn
Gold Lurex tee: Von Maur
Lace Tee: Chico's
Jeans: FDJ
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Necklace: Ann's Fashions
Bracelets on Left: Miscellaneous stretch beaded
Ring: Inherited 1950's Citrine from Brazil
On right: Michele Watch, Yurman bracelets

I bought the sleeveless, pale gold lurex tee, which has WAY too low of a neckline and is way too thin, because I thought it might be a good layering piece. I played around with what jacket to wear with it and picked these two when I realized I liked the leopard jacket layered under the green jacket, so that's how I came up with this combo.

I don't have on nail polish right now, just a Julep Nail Therapy to help my nails. I think that changing polish as often as I did was causing some peeling on my nail tips. I am thinking of polishing them with a mint green though and probably will. I will try to take some breaks between colors for a while. but now that I am accustomed to having polish on I just feel kind of bare without it.

I told you all that I would report back on the acupuncture treatment. It was very interesting and not painful. I only felt a couple of tiny pricks of the needles (which were very small.) I was kind of surprised at how painless it was. Afterwards, I could not even see where the needles had been placed even though I knew where some of them had been. I did feel better after the treatment and would definitely do it again.

Please visit the Visible Monday and Monday Mingle linkup's to see what stylish outfits everyone is wearing this fine day.

A Quiet Thursday

2012-03-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

This was one of those quiet days when not much is going on. My outfit is not a very inspired one, but it is what I wore.

Jacket: Chico's
Tee: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: French Dressing Jeans Jegging
Sandals: Think! Julia

Necklace: Ann's Fashions

Just like in most of the USA, our weather is unusually warm. 80 degrees in March? I do like to have my toes in the open air and it was a joy to wear sandals.

Tomorrow I am going for my first acupuncture treatment. I am looking forward to it. The Doctor is also my Thursday yoga teacher. I am so excited to learn more about this ancient treatment. I hope to learn some ways to do some acupressure on myself. Dr. Barbara has showed us some in yoga class. It is amazing how sore some of the pressure points are. I will report back on my experience.

A Visible Monday, A Monday Mingle, and A Giveaway Winner

2012-03-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to announce the winner of my giveaway! Kiah of From the Rez to the City is the winner of the Elizabeth Taylor for Avon necklace. Kiah it will look so beautiful on you! If you haven't visited Kiah's blog, please visit From the Rez to the City. Kiah has amazing style and is a wonderful person too!

Today I am linking up with Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and MomTrends for Monday Mingle. My outfit for today is a combination of bright and deep colors. The pants are the bright blue ones that I bought at Lane Bryant. I realized after wearing them that they are not denim, but instead a twill fabric that wrinkles quite a lot. I sure hope they wash up well. I haven't had a iron in my hand since I retired. I don't even know if it works any more.

Jacket: Chico's
Top and Pants: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Sheri Poe via HSN

This pose is actually a lot like the real me. I am always pushing up my glasses.

Bracelets Top to Bottom:
Large enamel bangle on top: Talbot's
3 Ric Rack bangles: Kate Spade
Bottom Bracelet: Vintage from 60's
Nail Polish: Zoya Ibiza topped with Lynnderella Shape Shifter

My husband was informed that he has to go to third shift this month. That means my photographer will be MIA a lot. I am hoping to still have photos that feature outfits I am wearing, but if not, it will give me the opportunity to do some outfit/accessory styling on a dressform. That can be fun too as it will allow me to do multiple stylings of the same outfit with different accessories.

Does the change the daylight saving time affect you? It sure does me. I have a hard time adjusting to losing an hour. I will have to set the alarm this week to make sure I can make it to my yoga class on time. I wish they would just leave the darn time alone!

Please visit Visible Monday and Monday Mingle to see what everyone is wearing this week.

Some Eye Opening Videos and Last Day for the Necklace Giveaway

2012-03-11T17:58:00.000-05:00

First, I want to remind you that today is the last day to enter my necklace giveaway. To enter, leave a comment on the giveaway post.

I would like to share with you these two videos, Killing Us Softly 4, Advertising's Image of Women by Jean Killborne. Ms Killborne presents a powerful message about how advertising portrays distorted, unrealistic ideals of women. It is no wonder that so many of us feel that we aren't worthy of being seen.

I recently read on The Sartoralist that he often asks women of all sizes to allow him to take their pictures. Women who are larger than the ideal often say no. Perhaps because they feel that they will be made fun of or the images used in a derogatory way. I know I have felt that I don't compare well to women who are close to my age, but thinner and more photogenic. I know I shouldn't feel that way, but I do. I recently read a remark on one blog about the very lovely woman who thinks she is not photogenic. She is lovely and should not be afraid to show her lovely self to all of us. That is precisely why I show photos of myself. I know I am not conventionally beautiful, (and I am NOT fishing for compliments) I am overweight and struggling daily with my body image. I know what I am and I am one of many millions of very normal women who rarely see others like us portrayed positively in the media.

I know these video's will take a while to view, but I really believe they are worth watching.

Everyday we are bombarded by images of perfect people who don't really even exist. As shown in these videos, many are photo shopped and no longer resemble the real person. We need to start demanding that the advertising that we see is truthful. How many times have we seen ads that we know cannot be real? I seriously doubt that many of the mascara advertisements show real results. For that matter, most of the ads for age related products probably feature women far younger than their target audience.

I am hoping that by continuing blogging and showing real women in real life we can change how we are viewed as consumers but more importantly as women of worth no matter our age, size, or color.

Would you wear bright pink jeans? (And don't forget the necklace giveaway!)

2012-03-08T18:32:00.000-06:00

I would! When I was thinking about this post, I remembered that I used to wear a lot of different colored pants. Coral, turquoise, green, red and lavender. Back in the early 90's, Dockers made a lot of different colored pants that had color coordinated tees and shirts. I bought a heap of them and wore them proudly.

With all the colored jeans now available, I debated about getting these hot pink colored skinny jeans. Lane Bryant had a big everything 40% off sale recently so it seemed like an opportune time to give them a try. I was quite surprised to find out how many things I have that they can be easily worn with. These jeans don't fit as well as NYDJ, but they are a whole lot less expensive. To be honest, I didn't wear this today as I did not get out of the house. However, I had planned to wear it this week, so I decided to put it on and take some pics. The jacket has little hot pink tweed flecks, so it does look good with the jeans.

Jacket: Consignment
Lace Tee: Chico's
Cami: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: Lane Bryant
Shoes: Payless
Airedale: Harry

I am wearing another of my Elizabeth Taylor for Avon pieces. The necklace is the Forever Violet from 1994. It originally retailed for $98.00. I also took a picture of another piece I have, the Katherina Maltese Cross Pendant, which can be worn as a pin or pendant.

Elizabeth Taylor for Avon

Last night I found the original box for the necklace that I have that is like the one I have in the Giveaway. I thought I would put a bit more information about it here. Elizabeth Taylor for Avon was very high quality costume jewelry. For those of you who might have seen other Avon jewelry, there is no comparison. There were several designers who created lines for Avon including Kenneth Jay Lane and Jose Maria Barberra.

The insert in the box says:
"Hammered medallions plated with 22 karat gold, are artfully linked to form a necklace.. All are lightly antiqued and, as in the case with authentic treasure coins, there are slight variations in color."

This piece is featured in the book "Identifying Avon jewelry" by Sandra Sturdivant. This book values it at $150.00, although I have found it for sale ranging from $50.00 and up. It is a very collectible piece and will no doubt continue to grow in value. Please go to my Giveaway post to leave a comment for your chance to win this beautiful necklace.

A Giveaway! Elizabeth Taylor for Avon Necklace

2012-03-07T11:46:00.000-06:00

On Monday I commented that I would be doing a giveaway for a vintage Elizabeth Taylor for Avon necklace. I love this necklace because it is bold and definitely a statement necklace. I have this necklace and have worn it on the blog. This is not the necklace I have worn (I could not give it up), it is a new in the original purple box, beautifully packaged and with a purple drawstring storage bag. In 1994 when this came out as part of her Signature Gold Coast Collection it originally sold for $75.00. It is a beautiful, well crafted piece of jewelry. I hope one of you will enjoy owning it.

Elizabeth Taylor for Avon Necklace
Hammered metal (brass?) with and E in the center of each disc.

The necklace is shiny like it is shown here. It is really hard to photograph its true beauty. I would describe it as somewhere between the top photo and this photo. Really hard to capture.

This contest is open to all followers of my blog. You can follow me either through Google Friend Connect or BlogLovin'. Please leave a comment in the comments section which you use to follow this blog and you will be entered in the contest. I will run this contest through next Sunday and announce the winner on Monday, March 12th. I will give the winner 48 hours to contact me. If I am not contacted, I will chose another winner. Good luck to you all.

Visible Monday (Kind of)

2012-03-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

I am linking up with Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and Glamamom for Monday Mingle. The outfit I have for you today is one I wore several days ago. I have not been feeling too great the past few daysd and will probably spend Monday in PJ's. I don't know if I caught some bug my husband has or if it is the allergies/bronchitis I seem to get a couple of times a year. Because I have asthma, anything that affects my lungs really packs a mean punch. Since my photographer is ill too, there have been no outfit photos for several days.

Jacket: Lane Bryant
Blouse: Old Navy
Tee: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: NYDJ
Shoes: Tom's burlap

The top is very sheer and requires a tank underneath.
It is very flowy and has tucked pleats in the front and tiny bits of red splashed throughout.

Necklace: Chico's

On Wednesday, I will be having a giveaway of a vintage Elizabeth Taylor for Avon Necklace. Please stop back by and enter. In the mean time, please visit Patti for Visible Monday and Glamamom for Monday Mingle.

A Color Blocking Experiment

2012-03-01T16:11:00.000-06:00

Today I was feeling bright and cheery so I decided to wear some bright colors taken from a scarf that I bought but have never worn. The colors do not look "right" in the pictures so I think the outfit really looks better in person.

First, the scarf. I bought it on eBay. It is a sheer scarf with very intense fiery colors. It still had a tag on it but it was all in Oriental characters which I cannot decipher. We were fighting the wind to try and get some decent pictures and finally just gave up. It is a lovely warm day here, but quite windy.

Givenchy Scarf via eBay

Blouse: Chicos's
Jeans: NYDJ

The blouse is really more of a bright coral than it appears here. There is some of that color in the scarf although it doesn't really look like it here. Sometimes it is so difficult to capture true colors. I am sure there is a technical reason for it, but it is frustrating to not be able to show accurately.

Bracelet on left: Chico's
On Right: David Yurman
Nail polish: A England Order of the Garter

I do love bright colors of nail polish but the disadvantage of wearing them is that they often do not match what I am wearing. Although in this case, blue is a complementary color to the orange/coral of the blouse.

For those of you who love nail polish, I would suggest trying A England polishes. They are a small indie brand sold in England but also available from a couple of sources here in the US. I got mine from llarowe, a company owned by Leah Ann Larowe. I received excellent service from her company and have placed two orders so far. She also sells some other hard to find indie/foreign polishes that are amazing.

I hope you had a bright and cheery Thursday!

Visible Monday Mingle

2012-02-27T08:51:00.000-06:00

Visible Monday with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style and Monday Mingle with the Bon Bon Rose Girls makes Monday's so much more fun. I have been saving this outfit for a while and decided that today was the day to wear it. I love turquoise and apple green together. My blouse has those colors in it to pull the outfit together. We only went to Walmart Neighborhood Market and to breakfast so it wasn't visible for a very long period and I doubt anyone even noticed my outfit. However, I felt visible and happy in it. One side of my collar kept flipping up and of course my photographer did not notice it and tell me to fix it or the piece of hair that stuck out funny. Oh well, since I don't pay him I guess I should just keep quiet about it.

Jacket: Chico's faux leather
Blouse: CJ Banks
Tee: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: NYDJ Coated Denim
Shoes: Joseph Seibel
Belt: From France Luxe

These Not Your Daughter's Jeans are among my favorites. They are a coated denim and fit like a dream. They aren't tight around the waist and fit very well through the hips and thighs. If you haven't tried them, I would say to at least try them on. While they are more expensive than other jeans, they can be found on sale and even at full price are worth it for the fit. I bought these myself at full price, so it is a very honest review.

Necklace: Chico's

The little white rectangular piece on the necklace is going to be removed. I kept thinking it was a price tag, so I am sure other people probably will too, so it will be taken off before I wear this again.

Please make your Monday better by visiting the linkups Visible Monday and Monday Mingle.

OOTD & The Good & Bad of Fashion Blogging

2012-02-23T17:40:00.000-06:00

First, the good part of blogging. I would like to say thank you to Wendy Brandes for featuring several over 40 bloggers (including over 60 me) in her feature, Fashion Bloggers Flaunt Blue-Collar Pride, in the Stylelist on HuffPost. Wendy is such a wonderful person. She supports those of us who are not 'famous bloggers.' She doesn't have to, but she comments on our blog posts which means a lot to me. The first time she commented on my blog I thought "Oh, wow, now I feel like I am a real blogger!" It reminded me of the movie "The Jerk" where Steve Martin's character gets the phone book and says:

"Nothing? Are you kidding? Page 73 - Johnson, Navin R.! I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book everyday! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity - your name in print - that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now."

It was a big thrill for me to have my picture in her article. I know that I am not beautiful or thin and I sure don't have the money to spend on clothing and accessories that some of the more well known bloggers have, but she made me feel like a million dollars. Thank you Wendy, you are the best!

Also good is a group of over 40 bloggers that I feel that I am a part of and those women make blogging so much better. It is so nice to read their comments on every post and know that they are standing behind me supporting me with their care. Thank you all (and you know who you are.) That I have younger women who also take time to read and comment on my blog makes an over 60 blogger so happy. Thank you all too!

Now for the outfit.

Jacket: Target
Blouse: Old Navy
Cami: Chico's
Jeans: French Dressing Jeans Silk Touch Denim Jeggings
Boots: Aerosoles

Necklace: Chico's
Nail polish: Sinful colors Tapping Nails

I love, love, love this blouse. I got it at Old Navy on sale. I really needed a size larger, but they did not have it and online it is not on sale. What's up with that? I did order a couple of tops from Old Navy online. This top fulfills my desire for a "bird top." I have seen so many bloggers wearing bird prints and I wanted one so much. Which brings me to the bad part of fashion blogging. I see so many things worn by other bloggers that I would love to have. I can't afford a lot of the things I see like Balenciaga or Chanel handbags, or Louboutin shoes, or designer clothes. I can try to emulate it less expensively, but it still costs money and time to hunt for the prize. I have got to stop wanting and start being satisfied with what I already have. I am just not sure how to do that other than never look at another blog. I sure don't want to have to do that. How do you control yourself? My willpower has been sorely lacking lately.

On a related note, my credit card company contacted me today to ask about some charges on my account. My card has been compromised somehow. So, now my only credit card account is closed and I will have to wait 10 to 14 business days for a new card to be issued which means no online purchases for me. What a hassle, but I am so thankful that my card company is so vigilant!

Tiger again

2012-02-22T19:33:00.000-06:00

I got a compliment when I wore this jacket from a lady who said she loved anything animal print. I love the jacket but it is a bit hard to style because it is such a bold print. Today I wore it with all black and added my orange booties instead of the usual red that I would put with it.

Jacket: Chico's
Tee: Chico's
Jeans: NYDJ Coated Denim
Booties: Nine West

Necklace: Chico's
Bracelets: L to R
Spoon Bracelet w/ "D" Monogram - Etsy
Michele watch
Rest of them Yurman
Nail polish: A England Bridal Veil

Blogger is not co-operating with me tonight. It is not letting me use IE to edit and then in Google Chrome it is acting weird too. I have this fear that my computer is getting too old for all the new changes being implemented.

Fortunately, I was able to edit the .html file. A couple of years ago, I was really good at writing HTML code. Now, I am so far behind that a lot of it is like reading a foreign language. It scares me to think of how much things will change in the next 10 years. I'll probably have to get some first grader to help me blog by then. Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed by technology?

Visible Monday #34

2012-02-20T09:16:00.000-06:00

Another Visible Monday with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style. I cannot believe how quickly each Monday rolls around. In order to have this outfit ready for VM, it is not what I am wearing on Monday; I actually wore it to breakfast with my husband.

This outfit is comprised of pieces you have seen before. I am trying to take note of the items that I seem to go to most often. I love the colors in the blouse and of course a navy jacket goes with so many things. I decided that I needed to start wearing my cowboy boots more, so I did. An acquaintance has a pair that she wears with everything and she always looks so unique and cool.

Jacket: Chico's
Blouse: Foxcroft via eBay
Jeans: French Dressing Jeans
Boots: Old Gringo
Flower pin: Etsy

Chiffon flower from etsy seller tijusai

I have seen several bloggers wearing chiffon flower pins and I wanted one so much. I find so many lovely things on Etsy and these flowers were no exception. This flower is actually a bonus flower the seller sent me with my order of 3 other flowers. I will wear the others soon because I just cannot wait to wear them.

Friday I went to our local Women's Fair. It features shopping, food and beauty demonstrations, health and wellness exhibitors, and other things of interest to women. It wasn't as good as it has been in the past, but I still enjoyed myself. I got a free 5 minute massage from a local spa and as a result, I booked a massage for Wednesday morning. I had a massage probably 30 years ago, and I am looking forward to having another. Do any of you have regular massages? Do you think it improves your health?

Please visit Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and Monday Mingle (sorry, I could not find the link at the time I published this).

A fun Thursday at the Thrift Store

2012-02-16T18:14:00.000-06:00

Today I am wearing two pieces I purchased at thrift stores. I also went to one of my favorite stores, the YMCA Treasure Chest. I found a red ultrasuede duster, a White House/Black Market scarf, a Fossil belt I will use to make some bracelets, and a White Mountain handbag. It is funny how you can go so many times and find nothing and then all the sudden, there are the treasures.

Silk Blouse: Jones New York Thrifted
Vest: Orvis
Jeans: French Dressing Jeans
Booties: Thrifted

Necklaces
Monogram: Max & Chloe
Pearl and Chain: Forever21
Heart chain: Old (probably would be classified as vintage, but I have had it
since it was new.)

Mr. Harry was his usual silly self and decided that not only did he want his picture taken, but he also wanted someone (me) to play ball with him. Playing ball involves a lot of slobber and me throwing the ball like a girl. I cannot throw worth a darn, so he doesn't get to run very far to catch it.

Is anyone else having a hard time with the new "prove you're not a robot" word verification that blogger has changed? I am having a horrible time reading some of them. I tried 5 times to enter it on one blog. I am with Sacramento on this one, I hate word verification and wish everyone would just turn it off. Here is her post on how to turn word verification off on your blog . Note the screen captures of the verification--those are easy to read, the newer ones are horrid. I am betting a robot could read them more easily than I can. I don't want to offend anyone, but gosh it takes time to comment on blog and it sure is not a pleasure trying to input cockeyed words just to leave a comment.

Visible Monday & snow!

2012-02-13T10:52:00.001-06:00

Today I am linking up with Patti of Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. It is a snowy, c-c-cold Monday here in Kansas. This is the first really measurable snowfall we have had this winter. I would be perfectly happy with snow if it did not end up on streets or sidewalks. Back when I worked, I would be a nervous wreck by the time I got to work. My hands almost had to be peeled off the steering wheel and my muscles would be stiff and sore from tensing up so much. Fortunately, I don't have to drive anywhere today so I can sit at home and just look out at it.

My outfit today is really bright colors. You have seen the jacket and jeans before. I think I was laughing at Harry who was being very silly as usual.

Jacket: Chico's
Top Ann Klein
Jeans: Purple NYDJ
Booties: Arche

Me & Harry "The Ham"

Arche Booties

I got my Arche booties from eBay. I thought they would be plenty large as they were a size 38 which I normally wear, but these babies run small. I cannot wear socks with them as they fit like a glove without them. So, when it is really cold, these boots don't get worn. The leather is just so soft though and the color is gorgeous. It is so hard for me to get shoes on eBay. Even with accurate measurements, they often don't fit correctly.

Please visit Not Dead Yet Style for the Visible Monday linkup. It is always fun to see what everyone is wearing to be visible.

No outfit, but accessories are on display

2012-02-08T16:19:00.000-06:00

The battery on the camera was almost dead and I just barely got the photos taken and downloaded before it bit the dust. Today I am featuring some bracelets I have made over the past few years.

All bracelets were made by me for me.

Closeup

All made by me.

Closeup (Please excuse the hair that fell from my head into in the tray.)

Closeup

I really need to get back to creating jewelry again. I had thought to start a business at one time, but I find that most of what I create is hard for me to let go. I have made things as gifts and sold a very few pieces to a co-worker, but I have kept the rest. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Red/Green

2012-02-07T19:28:00.000-06:00

Red and green may be traditional Christmas colors, but I love the way they look together when the green is more of an army green. I have had this shirt for a long time and it just occurred to me that I had all the components to put this outfit together in a look that makes me quite happy.

Shirt: Coldwater Creek
Hoodie Jacket: 1/2 of 1/2 Price store
Jeans: NYDJ

This outfit was worn really casually and without my usual accessories for a day at home. It was comfortable (the word that Stacy & Clinton of WNTW dislike so much) and its bright colors were cheery on a rainy day.

I am sorry for this rather short post, but I must to watch Gibbs on NCIS to see if his character is living or dying.

Visible Monday Animal Print Style

2012-02-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

I am linking up with Patti from Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday #32 and Bon Bon Rose Girl's Monday Mingle. My outfit is a mix of some wild animal patterns. My top is tiger and my jeans are cheetah. I know it is a fashion faux pas to mix two animal patterns, but I was feeling a bit ornery, so I decided to go ahead with it. We went for breakfast and then to the Walmart Market, so there weren't many folks to see this outfit.

Jacket: Talbot's
Top: Anne Klein, Macy's
Jeans: NYDJ
Shoes: Teva

Necklace: Forever21

Shoes: Teva

I have to include this picture of me and my dear Harry. He is always a big help with taking pictures. We probably spend more time laughing at him than we do at serious picture taking.

What a face! Mr B had to whistle to get him to
settle down and look forward instead of looking up at me.

I hope you will visit Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday and Bon Bon Rose Girl's Monday Mingle view all the lovely women who participate in these wonderful linkups.

Wednesday wonderings

2012-02-01T16:36:00.000-06:00

Today I met my best friend from work for lunch. I arrived at the cafe first and was surprised to see another person I used to work with there eating with his wife. He had retired a few years before I did and I have seen him a few times since then. I was really happy to see them. Wichita is a fairly large city (380,000) but it seems like a small town at times. We ate at Cafe Maurice, a wonderful restaurant featuring Lebanese cuisine. One of the owners, Therese Srour, came to our table with a plate of the most wonderful hummus. It was so smooth, creamy, and delicious. I will definitely eat there again, even it if is clear across town on the far east side.

Here in Wichita, there is an east side/west side rivalry. Many eastsiders never venture west and vice-versa. Living near downtown, but on the west side of the Arkansas river, I will go both east, west, north, but rarely south. I wonder if that is typical for most cities? The east side here is where all the really nice shops are located, so it is considered to be the more upscale part of town. Do you have a "side" rivalry in your town?

I decided today to wear a jacket that I rarely wear because it is very long. The weather today was lovely, so it was easy to wear it as both jacket and outer coat. I was already dressed and ready to go when I noticed that my purple finger nails did not look great with the outfit. I said to heck with it and just wore the outfit anyway.

Jacket: Embroidered Coldwater Creek
Blouse: Dillards
Jeans: FDJ Side Zip Leggings
Shoes: Helle Comfort
Necklace: Forever 21

The back of the jacket is also embroidered.

I almost did not post that last picture. Whoa! I don't normally see myself from behind and this is not a very flattering picture, even if it does show the embroidery well. I am thinking that this jacket is going to go to consignment. Or, I could make a couple of pillows out of it.

Not what I thought it would look like

2012-01-31T08:31:00.000-06:00

Today's outfit might have worked if I had some of the cool gold coated denim jeans. I thought it looked pretty good until I looked at the pictures and then I wasn't so happy with it. The jacket has dark gold metallic threads forming the flowers. I usually roll the sleeves up because they are always too long for me. It seems as though manufacturers today make the sleeves on everything really long. When I was younger, sleeves and pant lengths fit me perfectly. I guess people are changing size, but I am not (well, I am, but not in the arm and leg length.)

Jacket: Chico's
Top: Talbot's
Jeans: JMS
Shoes: Tom's

I hope this next picture doesn't gross you out too much. Harry came over and sat up to give me a kiss on the chin. It was such a special moment. He usually doesn't do things like this. What a sweet boy he is.

If this isn't love, I don't know what is.

Necklace: Forever 21

Here is a closeup of my hair. It is getting long enough to wear with side hair combs. I used to wear combs a lot until I started wearing my hair really short. Now I will be wearing them again. These combs are by France Luxe and are really nice, well made hair combs. They also sell other hair accessories such as headbands, barrettes, and clips.

I think that by the end of the summer my hair should be grown out like I want in a medium length bob. It takes a really long time to grow hair out and a whole heap of patience.

Visible Monday , New Hair Colors & Etsy

2012-01-29T20:33:00.000-06:00

Today, I am linking up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday #31. Please check out all the participants. I know I find every Visible Monday fun and I am amazed at how wonderful everyone looks in their own visible style.

Friday, I got my hair color weaved. Brenda, my hairdresser, used 3 colors--blond, dark brown, and a purple red (that I chose.) It is certainly different to see myself in the mirror! The colors will no doubt fade, but right now they are certainly visible.

A couple of my items today are from Etsy. I really like to shop on Etsy because I can find things that are very unusual and unique. I also like to support small businesses or individual artists and Etsy is one way to do so. If you have never visited it here is a link to it> Etsy It can be as addictive as Pinterest!

Jacket: Chico's
Blouse: Dillards
Jeans: NYDJ Cheetah wash
Shoes: Joseph Siebel

Hand Painted Silk Scarf from Etsy
MuseSilkPainting
Nail polish: Sinful Colors Sugar Sugar

Spats from Etsy
SewMuchStyle

I wore the spats, which are made from recycled suit coats, to cover my socks. I received several compliments on them. I have had them for quite a long time and this is the first time I wore them, but it won't be the last. I can see now that they are great for covering the tops of your shoes to hide your socks.

Have you ever purchased any items from sellers on Etsy?

Red & Blue & Denim Friday

2012-01-27T16:32:00.000-06:00

My outfit for today is bright and cheery. I have been inspired by seeing denim shirts worn by some of the younger fashion bloggers. The shirt is one I have had for years and just put in the back of my closet. I wish it were a bit longer, but it is what it is.

Jacket: Chico's
Denim Shirt: Ralph Lauren
Jeans: NYDJ
Booties: Nine West
Scarf: Mossimo via eBay

Bottom bracelet is cloth handmade of different vintage fabrics by a local artisan.

I hope you all have a cheery, lovely weekend. We are off for our Friday date night fried chicken dinner.

Wednesday

2012-01-25T16:13:00.000-06:00

My outfit for today uses a rather dressy jacket with jeans for a more casual look. The jacket is one of my favorites due to its details. The double lapel and metallic brocade fabric make it a jacket that can be dressed up or worn a bit more casual with a pair of jeans. I styled it with my black coated NYDJ. I know some brands of jeans have a wax coating, but I am not sure what these have on them to give them a subtle sheen. I tried to DIY some waxed jeans, but it was a big failure. So, when I saw that Nordstrom online (we don't have a store here) had these in plus sizes, I ordered them tuit de suite.

Jacket: Alex Marie from Dillard's
Top: Chico's
Jeans: NYDJ Coated Skinny
Shoes: French Sole

Necklace: Carla's Love It Boutique

Bangles on left: Chico's
Bracelet on Right: Made from vintage rhinestone earrings, boutique

This jacket and the one from yesterday were purchased at the end of the season at Dillard's sidewalk sale and were around $20.00 each. I thought they were amazing bargains. Even though both were really suit jackets, I saw them as excellent pieces for a more casual look. On What Not to Wear, Stacey and Clinton often tell participants that they can mix their business suit jackets with jeans. Do you ever wear your suit jackets with jeans?

Floral and Cheetah

2012-01-24T19:07:00.000-06:00

Here is another styling of my NYDJ Cheetah wash jeans. This one is more traditional with a blazer and floral top. The top is a Jones New York that I got at the 1/2 of 1/2 price store and got an additional 30% off when I paid for it (a nice surprise.) You have to be careful and look over the merchandise when shopping at this store. Some of it is damaged and really not worth anything and other items are just past season that did not sell. This was in perfect shape.

We were experimenting on trying to set the tripod so the pictures are not so distorted and ended up with lighting that is funky. This top is red and bright pink not the orangey color that it looks like here. It reminds me of a kimono with the way it wraps and the ties on the side.

Jacket: Ralph Lauren
Blouse: Jones New York
Jeans: NYDJ Cheetah wash Sheri skinny
Booties: Helle Comfort

I didn't do any special accessorizing with this outfit as I did not leave the house yesterday afternoon. I will do better tomorrow because I am going out for lunch. I may have to change my blog name to "She Accessorizes Sometimes."

When I first retired, I thought I would still dress up every day and wear the same accessories I would have when I worked. Now with a year of retirement behind me, I find that my original assumption was faulty. There are some days when I do not get out of my yoga/exercise clothes because I'm not leaving the house. I do still get dressed nicely when I am going somewhere. For those of you who are still working, do you get dressed up even on weekends?

Monday - Visible and Mingled

2012-01-23T12:45:00.000-06:00

Today I will be linking up with Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and with Monday Mingle hosted by GlamaMom.

MenopausalSuperModel asked me how I style my NYDJ Cheetah jeans. You will see one of the ways that I wore them today. I find they are surprisingly easy to style because the pattern is rather subtle. I LOVE these jeans. This jacket is really more red than it appears here.

Red Jacket: Dillards
Blouse: Dillards
Scarf: Chico's
NYDJ: Sheri Skinny Cheetah wash from Nordstrom
Shoes: Joseph Siebel

I think you may soon be sick of seeing me in these jeans. They are comfortable, cool, and as a bonus, on trend. My husband couldn't see the pattern, even when I asked him to take a closeup of them. The closeups did not come out very well, so I have a picture of the jeans from Nordstrom's website. The picture makes the legs look much narrower than they actually are. If you can wear a petite size, Nordstrom has this jean in petite for 50% off. (I wish that had been the plus size price!)

Source

Tomorrow, I will show you yet another outfit wearing these same jeans. WhoWhatWear has a trend feature on animal print jeans. I know some women are not comfortable wearing animal print jeans, would you be?

May these words inspire you as they did me

2012-01-21T15:56:00.000-06:00

Last week, my Friday yoga instructor shared this quote with us. It has been attributed to Mother Teresa, although I found a site that said it was falsely attributed to her. Regardless of who said it originally, I thought it was very inspirational.

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”

The line "May you be content with yourself just the way you are." really struck me because I am so self-critical.

I hope these words will inspire you. Namaste.

Thursday's are for Thrifters

2012-01-19T13:57:00.000-06:00

Today I will be linking up with Meagan from Spunky Chateau for Thursdays are for Thrifters. The Tahari jacket I am wearing was purchased for $3.99 from the Salvation Army. It is a bit too small through the middle for me, but I got it anyway as it is just so cute and such a pretty hot pink. I am forever hopeful that I will one day lose some of my apple core.

I have become a recent convert to Not Your Daughter's Jeans. The Sheri Skinny is just perfect for me. I now have them in the dark purple shown here, red, cheetah, and coated denim. It is so wonderful to have them available in plus sizes in the more trendy colors and fabrics. While they are not true skinny jeans that fit the calf tightly, they are more straight on me and I couldn't ask for a much better fit. Even though they are called "Not your daughters" I think they would work on any age woman. You can find some on sale at 6pm.com.

Jacket: Tahari thrifted
Blouse: Dillards
Jeans: Purple Not Your Daughter's Jeans (Zappos)
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Saddle Oxfords
Scarf: Borrowed from my Mother

The scarf was made for my Mother by her friend Marilyn.
It is just beautiful! Very lacy. I wish I had one too.
Nail polish: Zoya Faye

The saddle oxfords I put on just for the picture and I probably would not have worn them otherwise (I was home all day and stayed barefoot here in the house). I bought them off ebay and they are too big for my feet. I need to relist them as they have never been worn outside. I wore saddle oxfords in high school and have loved them ever since. I will keep on trying to find a pair that fit comfortably.

Price Upon Request

2012-01-18T13:39:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I received my new Marie Claire magazine. As I was perusing it, I noticed a lot of "Price upon request" labels on a number of items in the features. When I was growing up, I always heard "if you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it." I am pretty sure that most of the items that were price on request are WAY out of my price range. I realize that magazines have to appeal to a wide audience, but it irritates me when I see a 'price on request'. Just sayin'.

I do like to look at fashion magazines to get ideas on how to use my existing wardrobe or accessories in new ways to make my outfits more on trend. But, I started thinking about all the lovely ladies in the blogs I follow who put together fantastic stylish looks on a real budget. (I started making a list of my favorites and it got too long! Check out my blogroll for their blogs) Needless to say, these ladies inspire me everyday. Putting together a great look on a budget takes a lot more creativity than putting together a magazine look from endless, unlimited items. Just sayin'.

This outfit is from a couple of weeks ago, it is not the greatest, but it is the only one I have available to post right now. I got some new boots from Aerosoles that work over leggings. None of my jeans, even the skinny ones, have legs small enough to go inside boots. If I ever get my sewing machine out and tailor some jeans, these boots will work great with them. There are zippers in the sides that make it easier to get the jeans inside of them. They aren't the Fiorentini + Baker beauties that did not fit my calf's, but they do work and they have an equestrian vibe.

Jacket: Talbot's
Top: Dressbarn
Leggings: Hue
Boots: Aerosoles

Boots: Aerosoles

Chico's Necklace

I have been working on updating my blog roll. If you follow me and I don't have you listed, please let me know and I will add you. I try to keep up, but sometimes miss one.

Visible Monday-Pretty Posies

2012-01-16T10:43:00.000-06:00

Today, for Visible Monday, I am using an outfit that I wore a week or so ago. I hurt my knee in yoga on Thursday. I have been spending time with my leg propped up and iced. Why is it that as soon as you injure yourself, you think "I shouldn't have done that"? I was attempting a camel pose and when I leaned back, I heard and felt something pop in my knee. It didn't hurt much that day, but with each passing day I starting feeling more pain and have had trouble walking. Needless to say, posing for pictures hasn't been high on my list of things to do.

I told my husband I wanted to do some "poses" and this is one of the results. I am still trying to figure out how to look natural and yet not stiff.I look at other bloggers poses, but some just don't seem natural to me. Any suggestions?

Jacket: TanJay from Dillards
Blouse: Dillards
Jeans: DG2 HSN
Shoes: Walking Cradles

I purchased this necklace at a local boutique that features jewelry, clothing, and other items made by local artists. I couldn't resist this necklace made from vintage pins. I think I need to do a bit of rework on it as the pin between the yellow and orange flowers keeps flipping over as it did in this photo.

Necklace: Rebecca's boutique
Named: Posies

Bracelet on left: Lucinda's boutique
Bracelets on right: Yurman
Michele watch
Nail polish: Revlon Blue Lagoon with Whimsical top coat

Please take a moment and go visit Not Dead Yet Style to see the styles the lovely Visible Women are showing today. I am also linking up to Monday Mingle hosted today by BonBon Rose Girls. The linkup's sure make Monday a Fun day!

Winter arrived today and a handbag giveaway from Fashion Chalet

2012-01-11T17:10:00.000-06:00

First I would like to thank you all for your comments on my previous post about the unprofessional photographer. It means so much to me to read your words of support and encouragement. As a result of your suggestions, I am in the process of writing a letter to City Arts about my experience. There were no feedback forms to fill out after the class and I think I will suggest they should have them available. Feedback is important to anyone who wants to improve as an instructor and to any organization providing classes.

I wanted to share with you a fantastic handbag giveaway from Fashion Chalet. If you have ever admired Balenciaga handbags this might be your chance to win an Arena Giant City bag. I would dearly love to win this bag and would likely carry it the rest of my life. Please check out the post quickly as it ends tomorrow! While I would love to win it, I would also be thrilled if one of you won it.

Wow, it has gotten really cold today. What a change after a winter where the average temperature has been in the 50's. I had to go out today to exchange a nail polish that I had duplicated and wore this outfit without a coat over it when I started out at 11am. It progressively got colder and very, very windy. After I got the polish, I decided just to go back home since it was getting too cold to be out without an overcoat.

I am not sure that I like this outfit now that I am seeing the pictures. It is hard to tell, but the jacket is a really pretty rich purple with velvet appliqued flowers. I am not sure the scarf looks as good as I thought it did when I put it on.

Jacket: Talbots
Lace Top: Von Maur
Jeans: FDJ
Scarf: from eBay
Boots; Thrifted

The scarf ring is actually one of those stretchy rings you see everywhere.

The scarf has a cut out and appears to be painted silk.

Harry gets so excited when the camera comes out. He has gotten to be a real ham and insists on having his picture taken which makes me laugh. We both look silly in this picture.

When I worked, we always called Wednesday "hump day" because once you made it through Wednesday you were over the hump and it was downhill to the weekend. I am just happy to have another day here on earth to enjoy. Happy Wednesday to you all.

The dude dissed me & what I wore when he did

2012-01-08T17:25:00.000-06:00

I am going to post my outfit photos before I get into the story about the photographer who dissed me. If you don't want to read about it, you won't have to do so. As to the outfit, I am participating in Visible Monday with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style.

Jacket: Coldwater Creek
Houndstooth Blouse: Foxcroft
Scarf: From Aspen Boutique
Jeans: NYDJ from Zappos
Shoes: Pencey

I have been wearing these jeans way too much this past week. I just love them. There are most likely people who think someone 60 shouldn't wear red jeans, but I sure do like them. They make me feel very visible and happy. I am thinking of getting some cobalt blue colored jeans.

Necklace: Max & Chloe

Bracelets: Yurman
Nail polish: Dark Blue Zoya polish, Tart

The dude who dissed me was the freelance photographer who taught the Saturday photography workshop I attended. It was a real disappointment as most of the time was spent with him bragging about the beautiful models he had taken photos of and how he was such a great photographer. Some of the pictures he had taken were good and the women were beautiful, but I am thinking that is generally what models are supposed to be.

He decided to set up some strobe lights and umbrellas to impress us with his great knowledge. None of the people in the class wanted to take photos set up like that. All of us were more interested in how to tell a story with our photos, which is what the workshop was supposed to be about. While he was setting up, an attractive, thin, young woman came in thinking that our class was part of the digital arts open house at City Arts. When she realized that it wasn't she left to go look around. He asked which of us would want to be the "model" for his photos. No one else wanted to, so I said I would. I thought I might learn something by having a professional take the photos.

I stood up in front of the lights and his first remark was that the first picture would probably be really bad. He looked at it and said, yeah, it is really bad. Then he took another and said the lighting wasn't right and asked us to look and see if we could tell what should be done to make it better. In the photo, my hair had washed out into the background. Heck, I had no idea what needed to be done. Then he said, "It is too bad we can't get that other woman back here to model, she was really beautiful." So, then one of the guys went to look for her and brought her back so she could be the model. I was thinking, what the heck? If all you are doing is showing us how lighting changes the picture, why am I not good enough as a model? If you are a professional, shouldn't you be able to make almost anyone look good?

I know I am old, fat, and not beautiful, but to be pushed aside as not good enough to photograph was very hurtful. The photographer wasn't attractive by any means. Until he started talking and bragging, I had not judged him by his looks and probably would not have had he not been so crass. Why is it that even unattractive men think only beautiful, thin, young women have any value? I wish I was one of those people who could come up with snarky comments on the fly, because if I was I sure would've said something to him! Nah, I wouldn't have, because I am a lady and ladies don't say snarky things to others. (A shout out to Serene at the Elegant Bohemian who may be posting more about what constitutes being a lady.)

Physical beauty fades and is an product of genetics, not something you can take credit for anyway. You can be beautiful on the outside and have a really ugly personality. Thank goodness not every fashion blogger is beautiful. To me the most interesting are those who are creative, intelligent, and kind. The passing time will not take character away from you and that is truly beautiful.

Sadly, I didn't really learn anything in the class other than I would never ever take another class where he was the teacher.

What I wore to my Mother's birthday lunch

2012-01-04T17:25:00.000-06:00

Today is my Mother's 79th birthday. She told me that she used to think that 79 was really old and that her Mother and Grandmother had seemed really old at the same age. I think that technology and improved communications has made us seem less old now. When my great grandmother was alive, there were only 3 TV stations to watch. I remember my Grandparents and Great Grandmother watching Lawrence Welk. I think they would be shocked to see some of the things on commercial TV now. Can you imagine your Grandparents watching Two and A Half Men? They would've have probably fallen out of their chairs!

We went to lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse. They have really good food and the Old West decor is right up my alley. I spent some time just looking at all the things that were on the walls and the amazing lighting fixtures.

Both my sister and Mother commented that I was very dressed up. I don't think I was, but I told them I had to dress nice because I was a fashion blogger! Do you ever feel that you should always dress nicely when you go out just in case someone might recognize you from your blog?

Jacket: JonesNY
Top: Anne Klein from Von Maur
Pants: Chico's
Shoes: Boutique 9

I forgot to have my husband take pictures of the top of the blouse. It has very pretty black lace around the neck.

Top bracelet Forever 21
Please ignore the dog nose print on my top.

My nail polish is really cool. I layered Nfu-oh 051 over Zoya Jem. The polish is holographic. Depending on which way the light hits it it can be burgundy, gold, or green. There are sparkles and flakies in both polishes. It is really stunning in person.

I am still working on a perfect manicure. I haven't perfected the areas around
the base of the nails. It doesn't look as noticeable in person.

I am very thankful to still have my Mother alive and able to get around. I only hope I do as well when I am 79.

Visible Monday - What I Wore on New Year's Day

2012-01-02T12:33:00.000-06:00

Today I am participating in Visible Monday #27 with Patti @ Not Dead Yet Style. This outfit is what I wore on New Year's Day to go to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie. It is very, very visible with all the gold metallic threads in the jacket.

I really enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes--lots of action and suspense. We rarely go to movies at the theater because we have cable with all the movie channels which allows us to see most anything we want. There are some movies that need to be seen on the big screen and this is one of them.

Jacket: Chico's
Top: Talbot's
Jeans: NYDJ from Dillards
Booties: Orange Suede Nine West

This outfit looks better in person than in these photos

Nail polish is Edyta by Zoya
The bracelet closet to my watch is my new bangle bracelet from Yurman
It was a birthday present from my Mother, Sister & Brother-in-Law

One of my goals for the new year is to learn more about photography. I just signed up for a workshop on Fashion Photography taught at City Arts. I will be sure to share any tips I get with all of you.

I have also been tossing around the idea of taking some shots of outfits that are displayed on a dressform. That would allow me to showcase some accessories and illustrate how different accessories look on the same outfit. I can do these type of shots myself and not have to inconvenience my husband with waiting on me to change accessories. What do you all think? Would it be something you would be interested in seeing?

With Pam's (of over50feeling40) help, I am also planning on interviewing some local boutique owners and showcasing some of their merchandise. I know I enjoy seeing what different things are available in different areas of the country.

When we were about done taking pictures, my husband asked Harry if he wanted to pose for a picture. He is so funny! He came straight over and sat down in front of me to have his picture taken. Usually, we have to try to get him to sit still. He adds a lot of life to our home as do the other two Airedales. I will leave you with a photo of me and silly Harry.

Harry

Looks like fall

2011-12-29T19:04:00.000-06:00

My outfit for today looks more like fall than winter with its fallen leaves colors. It was in the 60's today so we could do outdoor pictures. I will be glad when I get my hair grown out a bit longer. It started really short, so it has grown a lot, but it is now at one of those stages where it drives me a bit nutty because the sides are shorter than the back. I have been tossing around the idea of going darker. My natural color was a medium brown. What do you think?

Jacket: ConradC from Dillards
Blouse: CJ Banks
Jeans: DG2 from HSN
Booties: Nine West
Harry is showing off his new haircut

Me and Harry

I think I had picked up a bug of some sort right after Christmas. Today was the first day that I felt back to normal. This time of year it seems like there are so many things going around and no matter how clean I keep my hands I seem to be inclined to catch whatever is out there. I hope all of you are staying well!

What I wore for Christmas Day

2011-12-26T18:48:00.001-06:00

We had a lovely Christmas. I wore this black and white outfit. Not Christmas colors, but I thought it looked nice anyway. The jacket has silver threads in it, so it had a festive look.

Jacket: Chico's
Blouse: CJ Banks
Jeans: FDJ
Shoes: Naot

Monogram Pendant: Max&Chloe
Pearls:JCPenney

This past week I received the monogram pendant I ordered from Max&Chloe. I have coveted one ever since I saw Blair of Atlantic-Pacific wearing one. I chose this silver pendant that I could wear on my round omega necklace.

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style posted about whether or not we stray from our style. I am still not sure I know what my style is, but I am beginning to think it is Classic with a Twist. I find myself attracted to very classic styles like what I have on in this post. But I also like bright colors, funky patterns, black leather jackets, and biker boots.

Katy at ModlyChic asked if our style icons are celebrities or bloggers. I've thought about it and I've decided that my style icons are all bloggers that I follow. There are so many who inspire me daily.

Megan of Megan Mae Daily is one of my favorite bloggers. While her style is uniquely Megan, I am inspired by her. She is such a kind person who recently gave me the Liebster blog award. To quote Megan Mae:

"Liebster means "dearest" in German, and this award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. The stipulations of the award are as follows:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you. [ Thanks, Megan! ]
2. Reveal your 5 blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Hope that the people you have sent the award to will forward it to their favorite bloggers."I nominate:
Dreamz-n-Wishes
Silverstyle
The Wilted Magnolia
The Frump Factor
Lawyerdoll

If you weren't listed, it doesn't mean that I don't love your blog too. Most of my favorites have already been given this award or have more than 100 followers.

Have you given thought to who inspires your style?

Black with a touch of cream

2011-12-20T19:34:00.000-06:00

First, I would like to apologize for not having a picture of my nail polish yesterday. I swear it WAS there, but it disappeared when I published the post.

Yesterday's nail polish.
It was hot pink not orange and had silver glitter.

Do you ever look at pictures of your hands and think "how did they get so old and wrinkly looking?" I read once that the reason your hands start looking so wrinkly is that you lose fat in your hands. You can get something injected into your hands to add volume and make them look younger, but I don't think I would ever do that even if I had the money to do so.

Today's outfit is one that is comfortable for a day spent mostly at home due to the cold rain we had. This necklace is another one that I only wear during the holidays.

Sweater: Chico's
Jeans: FDJ
Necklace: Chico's
Zebra Socks

Chico's necklace

Yesterday after I posted my blog entry, I chipped my nail polish. I wish I knew why I cannot seem to get more than about a day and a half out of a manicure without it chipping. I use base and top coat, but it still chips. Today's polish is Zoya Reva. It is a deep berry color that with gold metallic sparkle.

Zoya Reva
I took several pictures before I realized that the gold color
I was seeing was a result of the gold glitter in the polish.

I had an appointment at the consignment shop to drop off clothes today. It ended up that they only wanted 2 jackets and told me to bring the others back nearer spring. They had too many jackets. I wish I had known that before I took every thing over there in the rain only to bring it back home. I did get a check for $10.00 for some blouses I had taken over there. It seems the blouses sell better than the jackets. For those of you who do consigning, how much of what you take do they accept for sale?

Glitter in the air on a Visible Monday

2011-12-19T17:39:00.000-06:00

"Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?" is a line from a song "Glitter in the Air" by Pink. She is probably my favorite female music artist. I watched a concert of hers last night on TV. It and my glittery pink finger nails inspired today's post. I know that women of a certain age have been told not to wear glitter nail polish by the AAFP (Age Appropriate Fashion Police.) I adore seeing glitter nail polish and I am wearing it regardless and enjoying it. Mine is hot pink with silver glitter. The pink polish is Samantha from Julep and the glitter is Sparkling from Revlon. It looks more orangey in this picture, but it is a true hot pink.

Hooray, I finally found a bow blouse that I have been wanting for a couple of months and a bonus is that it is polka dot which I also wanted. I was thinking I would never find one my size. The jacket is one of my very favorite jackets and it's from Walmart. It just goes to show that a well made stylish piece of clothing does not have to be really expensive. I wish that this picture was clearer to show the lovely details of this jacket. I also found some cherry red cords. I was beginning to think that I would never find red pants. A bonus is they were 40% off at Talbot's.

Jacket: George from Walmart
Blouse: CJ Banks
Jeans: Cherry Red Cords from Talbots
Shoes: Payless
Pins on lapel & pockets: Vintage Rhinestones

Vintage Brooch, It looks better in person, not so discolored.

Please keep an eye out for this jacket in dark blue.
It has soft shirred fabric on the lapels and the pockets.

When I bought this jacket, it also came in a navy blue. If any of you who thrift find it in navy blue in a size 18 and it is in good shape, $10 or less, get it for me and I will pay you for it and the shipping. I wish I had bought it. I know you aren't supposed to buy multiples, but I have gotten so much good out of this jacket and I know navy would be a wardrobe staple as well.

I am participating in Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday. Please stop by there and see all the lovely participants.

For those of you who gave me excellent feedback on the sweater set I requested advice on--I decided to take it back. As Margaret said, if you have any question about it, it probably was not something you loved. She was right. I did like it a lot but it did not zing like the richer more jewel toned colors do on me. I don't regret taking it back at all. Thank you all for the great advice!

Rainy Wednesday OOTD & Advice request

2011-12-14T20:00:00.000-06:00

We received a little over an inch of much needed rain today. The day turned out to be really pretty and more spring-like than winter. I went to my favorite Barbeque restaurant, Delano BBQ, for lunch with my best friend. As I was getting ready to go, I thought of how much I used to enjoy getting ready to go to work; deciding what to wear and what accessories to add to the outfit. I do miss that part of going to work (the actual work, not so much.)

I am sure it is no surprise that I am wearing a jacket today. The collar on this jacket is really cute. I am not sure exactly how it is made, but it has a ruffled collar which adds a lot to the jacket. I got the jacket for 70% off at CJBanks. It is from a new line they had that evidently did not go over very well. The jacket has some really cute detailing that I really liked. I don't think I would have bought it at the original price, but for 70% off, I like it a lot. In real life, the purple in the jacket is much brighter than it appears here. Oh, and I did not put my shoes back on for the pictures. So, you are going to see my socks with little fuzzy lambs on them. Stacy and Clinton don't like funny socks, but I do.

Jacket: CJBanks
Blouse: Coldwater Creek
FDJ Corduroy jeans
My fuzzy lamb socks

Necklace: Chico's
You can see the collar detail here much better.

I need some advice on whether or not I should keep the sweater and top shown below. I am not sure if the color is really good for me. I love the look of the sweater with the ruffles and the tiny copper metallic threads through it. I guess I am attracted to shiny things! I have had the pieces for a couple of days, but just cannot make up my mind about them. I used the same necklace I had on for my other outfit, and I probably would not wear it with this outfit.

Sweater, Top, and Necklace: Chico's
Harry who insisted on being in the pictures today.
(He always wants to be in them, but his mean people don't always let him.)

So, do you think I should keep the sweater and top or return them?

A stay at home outfit & unrequited dreams

2011-12-13T20:09:00.000-06:00

This outfit is pretty bland because I just stayed in the house and did nothing exciting. I thought about not posting it, but then decided that as a fashion blogger I should at least post even if it is a boring everyday outfit. I had to put on shoes because I generally don't wear shoes in the house. The jeggings look black in the photo, but they are dark blue.

Jacket: Talbots
Top: Chico's
Jeggings: JMS
Shoes: Naot

It seems that Christmas is just sneaking up on me this year. I just don't seem to have much holiday spirit. Last year when I was still working, it seemed that we were always busy with someone bringing treats or going out to dinner with our group. Maybe that is why this year seems to be a bit of a let down.

I sent my Fiorentini + Baker boots back. I decided that I wanted boots that fit without having to do something to hide the fact that they did not fit. It was hard to do it because I really loved the look of them. Well, if nothing else, it gives me the opportunity to start the search for a new dream boot. Sometimes I think dreaming is better than the reality of obtaining an elusive object.

Here is another one of my elusive dream objects. A Chopard Happy watch. I am relatively certain that it shall remain elusive forever. But it is a mighty pretty dream.

Source

Visible Monday - Silver and rose edition

2011-12-12T09:12:00.000-06:00

Visible Monday #25, my goodness, how time flies! For this VM, I am wearing a sparkly silver gray sweater and my rose color jeans. I have been planning on wearing this sweater for quite a while and today was the day.

Earlier this fall, I saw a silver metallic sweater from H&M that I just loved. So, I started on the hunt for something similar. I found this one at the 1/2 of 1/2 price store. It's a Ralph Lauren from last season that had a couple of pulls on it which I fixed with a snag puller. The jeans are from Chico's. The one thing I don't like about Chico's jeans is that the sizing is inconsistent. I would love to be able to buy a pair of the same style in the same size every time. I got these in an online sale for an extra 30% off. By the time I got them, the smaller size was sold out. I like the color and I can probably take them in some to make them fit a bit better. Why oh why can manufacturers not make a specific size the same size every time?

Sweater: Ralph Lauren
Blouse: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: Chico's
Scarf: Chico's
Booties: Not Too Coy

My nail polish for the last couple of days is Revlon Carbonite.

I am having so much fun with nail polish. The polish I am wearing right now is Revlon Carbonite. It is a dark pewter metallic color and has tiny silver and gold sparkles. It is supposed to be a duplicate for the Chanel Graphite polish. It is certainly close from the swatches I have seen and for 1/5th the price, a darn good one. So far, no chips and only tip wear. That is considerably better than I got from the Chanel polish or the OPI. I think that my nails are a colorful accessory to my outfit. I do realize that I can now spend time on polish since my retirement. If I were still working, I probably would not be polishing as it takes me a long time to do a manicure on myself.

Please visit Not Dead Yet Style to see what all the Visible Monday women are wearing today. If you haven't joined us before, please consider taking part in this fun weekly posting. By participating, I have met some ladies whose style I greatly admire that I might not have discovered without it.

First, I would like to say Thank you for your nice comments about one of my other passions Native American and Western art. I decided not to post any more pictures of my home decor. If you are interested in seeing more of it, please email me privately at sheaccessorizeswell @ cox.net and I will send you pictures of more of my collection. I know everyone is not interested in Native American art and I don't want to post things people are not interested in.

Fuchsia Friday

2011-12-09T19:12:00.001-06:00

Today I went to lunch with a friend and then to Ulta to exchange a nail polish. The jacket I wore appears to be a very, very bright fuchsia. It is fuchsia, but not as bright as it looks in the pictures (I think that is due to the flash.) The jacket has a really neat wired collar so you can form it however you wish and it will stay that way. I had on bright turquoise blue nail polish which I did not have photographed because it chipped while I was shopping. I have to say that I am not that impressed with OPI polish because so far all the OPI polishes I have used on my finger nails start chipping after just two days. It seems to be okay on toes, but for me, not on fingers. I am going to try some other brands (Orly, Zoya, Julep, Nubar) that I had not heard of before starting to look at nail blogs (yep, there are blogs about everything including nail polish.)

Jacket: Chico's
Necklace: Chico's
Blouse: Dillards
JMS Jeggings
Shoes: Boutique 9

I forgot to have my photographer take a photo of my necklace. It is a very sparkly necklace with different jewel tone crystals. It is another one I usually only wear during the winter holiday season.

The artwork I will share with you today is a very old piece from 1929. I received it from a family friend who was cleaning out a relative's estate. The story is that it was given as a gift to the lady in 1929 after she had been in the hospital. It is a bit faded and discolored, but I love it and it has a prominent spot in our den where I see it daily.

The things hanging on either side of the canvas are buffalo tails. I know that might disturb some of you, but these are authentic Native American made items. The Native Americans used every part of the buffalo and the tails were used as fly swatters. I would guess that they saw the buffalo using their tails to swat flies and so they adapted the tails for their own use.

I hope you are enjoying the art work and that you have a wonderful weekend.

A lazy Thursday & Blackbear Bosin artwork

2011-12-08T18:39:00.000-06:00

Today I did not change out of my yoga clothes after class. I just did a few things around the house and read blog posts. So, I do not have an outfit to show you. I will show you more of my collection.

Blackbear Bosin prints
Top print is "The Challenge"
Bottom print is my favorite " Wichita, My Son"
It shows Native Americans from the past looking into the the city as it would be in the future.

From Wikipedia "Blackbear Bosin (June 5, 1921–August 9, 1980) was a Comanche-Kiowa sculptor and painter also known as Tsate Kongia." He lived in Wichita from the 1940's until his death in 1980. He lived not too far from where we did in the 1970's and we would often see him walking in the neighborhood. He is one of my favorite artists.

He created a sculpture called "Keeper of the Plains" which stands at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers. (Note: In Kansas, the Arkansas river is the R-Kan-sas not R-Kan-saw.) It sits near the Mid-America All-Indian Center, which has a wonderful museum. The Keeper was placed on a man-made promontory and there are firepots which surround it that are lit at different times of the evening. It is a beautiful sight to see. I've included links so that you can find out more if you would like. The Keeper is a much loved symbol of Wichita's heritage.

From Wikipedia

From Kansas Travel

What I wore on Wednesday

2011-12-07T18:24:00.000-06:00

My outfit today was simple and easy to throw together to go run a few errands. It was extremely cold early this morning so I dressed with a coat and scarf over my light weight leather jacket. As it grew warmer, I took the coat (not shown) and scarf off as seen in the second picture.

Since I am wearing a furry scarf, I will be joining up with Tammy @ Silverstyle's Trending through the Decades - fur faux real?

Jacket: Chico's
Sweater: Sams Club
JMS Leggings
Walking Cradles Shoes
Fur Scarf: Aspen Boutique

Outfit without scarf

Today I am going to share a couple of photos of some of the Native American art I have in my living room.

On the top 2 rungs on the kiva ladder are authentic navajo made rugs. The peach and blue
blanket is a 40's piece. Most of the things you see here are native made, but a couple are not. The afghan over the chair was made for me by my Grandmother. The fabric on the chair is of cave painting animals. You will see in some of my later photos, I love petroglyphs and cave painting.

A closer look. (the flat spiral basket was made in India not the US)

When I was taking these pictures I realized that I have some really beautiful pieces of art. It is easy to become accustomed to seeing things in your home and not taking the time to appreciate their beauty. When I was taking the pictures I stopped to really admire what I have accumulated over the years (lots of years!). Take a moment to look at the beauty around you.

"Looking for and enjoying beauty is a way to nourish the soul." Matthew Fox

OOTD and we had our first snow today

2011-12-06T18:44:00.000-06:00

Today we had a light dusting of snow. Just enough to make it slick but not enough to really count as precipitation which we need a lot. I stayed in until noon when I went to get my hair cut. The temperature with the wind chill was less than 20 degrees. Too darn cold!

Today I am participating in the Neutrals Challenge hosted by Megan Mae Daily and Casual Chic Kiki. Tomorrow is brown day(darn it I thought it was today, but today is gray, oh well, it is Wednesday somewhere in the world right now.) I combined both black and brown to go with a sweater that has both black and brown in its tweedy fabric.

Ruffled Sweater: Aspen Boutique
Blouse: Chico's
Jeans: FDJ
Necklace: Chico's
(I had boots on but did not want to put them back on to take the
photos.)

I polished my nails with my new Chanel Peridot polish. The following picture does not do the polish any justice. It is just beautiful. It is an iridescent polish which changes from green to gold depending on the angle and light. The polish looks kind of funny in the picture, but in person it is really pretty.

Chanel Peridot Polish

I am really having fun with the different polishes. I ordered some from a company called Nubar that I will share with you when I get them. They have very good reviews so I am anxious to get them.

Yesterday I told you I would start sharing some photos of my Native American art with you. I decided to do one or two a day rather than all at once. Today I am featuring a 'shadow box' of Anasazi pottery sherd's. I love pottery. While I can not afford a piece of Anasazi pottery, I did find this picture on ebay that was created with sherd's that are several hundred years old. I have this in my bathroom. I know you probably think that is a bit crazy, but my whole house is decorated with Native art and I am in the bathroom a number of times a day so I can enjoy seeing this often. I love thinking of the people who created a utilitarian object so long ago and spent time making them beautiful.

Anasazi Pottery Sherds

Now, for my new boots. I have been wanting these Fiorentini + Baker Eternity boots for several years. My dear husband told me to order them for my Christmas present. I got them today but I am not sure I will keep them. They are soft as they can be, comfortable, beautifully made, and the coolest looking boots ever. However, most manufacturers make the calf of the boot way too small for me. I wanted to wear these over my jeans but they are too small through the calf for that. My calf's are not that big! It breaks my heart as I wanted them so much. Have you ever wanted something so much and when you finally got it you were disappointed?

Fiorentini + Baker Eternity Boots

Visible Monday in Black - What I wore to the Dentist

2011-12-05T17:24:00.000-06:00

It's Visible Monday #24! Today I am participating in both Visible Monday with Patti @ Not Dead Yet Style and with Megan Mae for Neutrals Week. I had to go to the Dentist to get started on a crown. Today was the temporary crown and the torture part. I am still numb so my face my look a bit more wonky than normal. I am wearing a headband today inspired by Pam @ Over50Feeling40. This particular headband is known as a Dolly Bow or Bunny Ears headband. It has wire inside it and you can take the ends and make bunny ears, but only if you are much younger than I. I found several different ones at the Dollar Store, so you will be seeing them occasionally. They would be very easy to make and I may try my hand at making a few once I get out the sewing machine and actually do something other than look at it.

Jacket: Jones NY
Lace Tee over Chico's Black Tee
Jeans: FDJ
Shoes: Helle Comfort
Headband: Wired Dolly Bow from the Dollar Store

Bracelet: HRH Collection
Michele Watch
OPI Polish: Pompeii Purple

I would not recommend this OPI polish. I have had it on for two days and it is already coming off the tips of my fingers. I am really enjoying polishing my nails. It makes me feel very visible and very feminine. I have been reading some blogs on nails and have learned a number of things that I never knew before. For example, you really are not supposed to put the polish all the way down to the cuticle. I never knew that. I have also been finding out about the best top coats and the most coveted polishes. The Chanel Peridot seems to be the most sought after polish right now. It is gorgeous! I think I'll wear it tomorrow and try a new top coat that I read about.

Tomorrow I will also start showing some of my Native American art. I started taking some pictures, but they did not look the way I wanted them to so I will try again to get some better photos.

Please visit Visible Monday and Fashion Challenge Neutrals Week to see what everyone is wearing.

Golden Sparkles on a gray day

2011-12-02T19:24:00.000-06:00

Today was a cold, overcast day and I spent most of it cleaning house and I definitely was not wearing this outfit for cleaning. Every Friday night my husband and I go to a local restaurant, The Copper Oven, to eat Fried Chicken. It has become our regular Friday night dinner. The dogs love it too as they get a good part of my dinner in theirs every Friday. They are so excited when I walk in the door with the baggies full of goodies. Barking and jumping around like silly dogs. I think they enjoy the dinner more than we do.

None of the pictures came out very good today. This one looks like I have arrow feathers coming out my arm, but it was about the best of the ones we took, so here it is:

Jacket: Chico's
Top: Chico's
Jeans: FDJ
Shoes: Naot

The jacket is a black background with dark gold metallic threads and has dark gold ornaments sewn on the bodice.

I thought I would also show you what my nail polish looks like today. I put Chanel Peridot polish over the top of the gold OPI polish. The Peridot polish changes from gold to green depending on how the light hits it.

Several of you asked about my Indian picture that shows up all of my indoor photos. I purchased it without a frame at a flea market for $5.00. I thought the colors were striking and the subject fit right into my decor. I had it framed, which cost way more than the picture. The painting is signed Margie Jones, 1982. I know nothing else about it, but I do enjoy seeing it every day. Would any of you be interested in seeing some of my other art of and/or created by Native Americans? I have been collecting for quite a while and have some unique pieces--nothing really valuable except to me.

Thursday Lunch with a BFF

2011-12-01T18:15:00.000-06:00

I wore this outfit to lunch with a friend. It is nice to get out and share a meal with someone that you enjoy visiting with. It is easy to lose contact with people after you retire. It seems as though many of the people that you spent time with every day at work just disappear from your life once you retire. Everyone says they will get together with you for lunch, but no one calls. I know they are busy with their own lives as I was when I worked. That is why I cherish the few who make the effort to really stay in touch and invite me to lunch occasionally.

Today I decided to add some holiday touches to my outfit. I am wearing a necklace that I usually wear only during the holidays along with a crushed velvet blazer that seems appropriate only in December through February.

Jacket: Lane Bryant
Top: Chico's
Necklace: Chico's
Jeans: French Dressing Jeans
Shoes: Zeeta (no longer manufactured)

Somehow between the first picture and the later pictures my hair got
messed up. You can sure see the gray underneath by my temples.
I sure wish that all of my hair was that color.

Chico's necklace

I never really noticed before but the necklace seems to be missing an ornament on the chain by the heart. I think I will need to add something to it to make it look better. Once again a photo shows something not noticed in real life.

While we were taking the pictures, my husband said "I wish we knew who that Indian is supposed to be, because he is always watching over you". I love the picture because he looks so sad yet wise as if he has learned a lot from all of the challenges he faced in his lifetime. At least that is what I imagine when I see the picture.

I will leave you today with a quote about the past that I really like.

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now. ~Author Unknown

What I wore Wednesday

2011-11-30T20:09:00.000-06:00

Last Wednesday, I purchased a scarf I really love at Aspen Boutique. This Wednesday I wore it for the first time. I love the colors in it the middle is an orangey red and then it changes to a gray and then black at the ends of the scarf. It has a ruffled texture and it styles beautifully. Does it sound like I love it?

Sweater from 1/2 of 1/2 store
Blouse: Dillards
JMS Jegging
Scarf via Aspen Boutique
Shoes: Walking Cradles via Zappos

I have started painting my nails. I am not very good at it as I seem to go outside the lines a lot. Fortunately, the polish outside the nails seems to come off after a few hand washings. Today I am wearing OPI for Sephora Charge It. It is a gold color polish. I did buy some rather daring polishes-one a turquoise color. I am not really sure how to wear really different colors like that. Do you match them to your outfit? Do you make sure that they at least "go" with your outfit or does it matter at all? Any advice would be appreciated.

Not sure if this is clear or not, but you can kind of see the gold color.

I am now officially over 60

2011-11-29T19:31:00.000-06:00

It hardly seems possible to me that I am now 60 years old. I don't really feel 60 and I hope I don't act too old. I am happy to be the age I am. I am not ashamed to tell people my age, I am proud to have made it this far in life. I am really happy to be retired and free to do whatever I want whenever I want. I still haven't settled down to start all the projects that I thought I would. I guess I just needed some freedom to do nothing at all.

I really enjoyed seeing Sacramento's photos of her younger years. I had planned to scan some in to share, but the printer's scanner function is not functioning at all. I do have one to share. This photo was taken for a company newsletter back when I started a new job in 1971. The photographer wanted me to pose with a phone because I was to handle phone calls from the building tenants. When I look at this photo now, I think "you looked pretty good back then." Of course, back then I was very critical of myself and did not think I looked good at all.

Just look at those glasses! Those were real glass glasses, not plastic and they were heavy.
Notice the typewriter in the background. It was an IBM selectric. I did have to use carbon paper to send out invoices. The company used a mimeograph to print up contracts.

My photo for today is a picture of my birthday present from my husband. It is a new coat and I love, love, love it.

Seeing that old photo brought back so many memories. I disliked typewriters. Anyone remember correction tape? I had to type the invoices perfectly as I had to use carbon paper. I was never a great typist and I remember having to retype those darn invoices over and over. Things are so much easier now with auto correction, spell check, printers, and electronic invoicing.

When I first started to work at Cessna Aircraft in 1973, we still had real blueprints of the drawings. When I left, all the drawings were created electronically. Things have changed so much in my lifetime. I wonder how much will change in the next 60 years?

Visible Monday #23 on Cyber-Monday

2011-11-28T16:32:00.000-06:00

Are you doing any cyber-Monday shopping? My eMail box is just full of special offers for today. So far I have not been tempted by any of the offers.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. Of course, I ate too much. My sister and brother-in-law prepared both smoked and deep fried turkey. She is such an excellent cook.

Visible Monday#23! My goodness, I cannot believe that we have had this many VM's. My outfit for today shows you just how much I love animal prints as it is yet another version of mixed prints. The body of the jacket is a fantasy tiger type print and the border of the jacket is leopard. I love the orange/rust color on the jacket.

Jacket: Chico's
Blouse: Dillards
Leggings: FDJ
Suede Booties: Nine West
Necklace: Chico's

I folded the jacket open so you can better see the necklace.

My mother surprised me with an early birthday present. I mean REALLY surprised me. I knew that someday a ring she had would be mine, but I never expected it as a birthday present. She wanted me to have it now so she would be able to see me enjoy the surprise as well as see me enjoy wearing it. I will definitely enjoy wearing it and treasuring the memory of receiving such a wonderful surprise. I present to you my new ring.

It is much prettier in real life.
The band is fairly wide and yet very comfortable.

I think this may be one of the only rings I have in yellow gold. Normally, I wear white gold because I was allergic to yellow gold when I was young. It seems that my system has changed and I can now wear yellow gold.

Please visit Not Dead Yet Style to view all the stylish, lovely women who participate.

What I wore for a trip to Sephora

2011-11-23T10:32:00.000-06:00

Sephora opened a new store here in May and I absolutely love it. It is so fun to go in and try different products and just look around. Today I went in to get some nail polish and ended up with several items. One of them is Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat. The associates raved about it and said one customer had bought it a month ago and put it on one hand to see if it really performed. According to them the difference in her nails on that hand and the other was amazing. It is a bit expensive so I hope it really does do something. I have been admiring manicures on so many other bloggers that I decided I wanted to try to start polishing my nails. We shall see how it goes. I love shellac manicures but can no longer afford to pay what they cost to maintain. I do not expect this to perform like a shellac manicure, but if it really does strengthen my nails and provide a good polish base it will be worth it. It has very good reviews online.

Velvet Jacket: Alex Marie from Dillards
Blouse: Chico's
Corduroy jeans: French Dressing Jeans
Scarf: TJMaxx
Think Shoes

I did not realize I was holding the back side to the front
until I saw the pictures.

I will probably not be posting again until Monday. I want to enjoy the holiday with my husband and family. I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. It is a lovely time to reflect on all the things we are thankful for in our lives. One of the things I am very thankful for is all of you!!

Tiger, tiger, Airedale haire & a date not forgotten.

2011-11-22T13:58:00.000-06:00

When I saw this jacket in the Chico's catalog I wanted it so much but it was more than I wanted to pay. This month in the Chico's catalog I received a 50% off coupon for the highest price item over $100.00, so I knew what I would get with it - my fierce tiger jacket. I have worn it twice now and received compliments on it. It really is a very stunning jacket.

Now as to the Airedale haire (haire as in hair, crazy Airedale people spell anything 'air' as "aire" and I am most definitely a crazy Airedale lady, times three.) When I got home today Harry decided that my pants should match my jacket and rubbed all over them. I ended up with quite a lot of his haire on my pants and couldn't find my lint roller, so I was covered in cat and dog today.

Jacket: Chico's
Ruffled blouse: Dillards
JMS Jeggings
Softspot boots

If you are older, November 22nd is a date that cannot be forgotten. On 11/22/1963, I was 11 years old and sitting in gym class at Westlawn Jr High when a teacher came in and announced that President Kennedy had been shot and killed. We were all horrified. Like 9/11, no one who experienced it will ever forget the day. It was rather like our innocence had been taken from us and nothing would ever be the same again. We sat glued to the television for days watching the events unfold and a funeral procession unlike any other than perhaps Princess Diana's. Most of you were probably too young to remember that day, but I will not forget and feel sad about how the world changed that day.

Visible Monday - Toasty warm sweater

2011-11-21T07:43:00.000-06:00

For Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday I am showcasing my new sweater. I am not sure exactly how to describe it. It is flowy, has a shawl collar, and has tied tassels all over it. I do love me some tassels, but that is another story. Last week I went into a local boutique that I had never been in before. Just as I was getting out of the car to go in it started snowing like crazy. It did not last long and since we haven't had much really cold weather the ground was still warm and the snow did not stick at all. I first saw this sweater in an oatmeal color and I loved the style, but not the color. A sales associate told me it also came in black and asked if I wanted to try it on. Because I have been wanting one of the flowy sweaters (like Pam from over50feeling40 wears so well) I decided to try it on and I fell in love. It is a really warm sweater so today (Sunday) was the first time the weather was cool enough to wear it. We went out to breakfast and it kept me toasty warm and I believe quite stylish.

I was going to wear it with a new charcoal gray cowl neck tee but when I put it on I felt itchy so I switched to a red turtleneck. I am not that crazy about turtlenecks as I always feel like I am being choked when I wear them.

Red turtleneck (?)
Sweater: Coalition via Sister Moses Boutique
(shown without clasp)
JMS Jeggings
Think! Shoes

Shown with clasp on sweater

Harry heard us taking pictures and came racing in to try to get in the picture.
I banned him to the family room by closing a "kiddie gate" to keep him out of
the hallway where we were taking the pictures.

Please stop by Not Dead Yet Style and check out all the other stylish participants in Visible Monday #22.

The winner is... ...

2011-11-18T18:00:00.000-06:00

I put all the names in my new hat and had my husband draw a name. The winner is Paula Luta of FashionOverFifty. Congratulations Paula, please contact me at SheAccessorizesWell@cox.net with your mailing information.

Thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I could've given all of you a prize. I want to have another giveaway when I have 100 followers, so you will have another chance to win something. The next giveaway will be a piece of jewelry.

Yesterday I bought some different false eyelashes. I have not successfully applied them to both eyes yet. I just cannot seem to get them applied correctly. I bought a tool that is supposed to help so I'll be trying again. I have short, light colored eyelashes and with my deep set eyes my eyes just almost disappear. A year or so ago I tried Latisse. It did help my lashes while I used it but when I stopped they went back to normal. I ended up with hairs growing where my lashes touch my eye socket. That is not where you want hairs to grow and now I have to do even more plucking which is not my favorite thing to do. I am determined to figure out how to apply the false lashes. I will let you all know if I am successful. Do you have naturally long eyelashes? Have you ever tried Latisse or any other product that is supposed to help your lashes grow?

Again, thank you all for entering the giveaway.

Reminder: There is only one more day to enter the Laura Mercier giveaway

2011-11-17T17:59:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to remind you all that the giveaway ends tomorrow evening. So far there are only 11 people entered. The odds of winning are pretty darn good. Please just comment on the Laura Mercier Giveaway post to be entered. I am going to put all the names in a hat, then draw.

Thank you to everyone who commented so kindly on my post yesterday. I cannot I let a churlish (don't you just love thesauri?) anonymous person get me down when there are so many wonderful people like all of you that I have the pleasure of interacting with most every day. Happy Thursday to you all!

The inevitable happened today

2011-11-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

Today I received my first distasteful anonymous comment. Thank you to the very kind deja pseu who replied to the anonymous comment with a very witty riposte. I saw something on an IFB video about negative comments. It said "anonymity breeds stupidity." I wholeheartedly agree with that. If you chose to make a negative comment at least leave your name or email otherwise I will think you are not proud of what you are saying.

The comment really did not bother me that much; I knew that as a blogger I should expect it to happen someday. It was almost laughable especially when the person said that every New Yorker makes fun of us "mainlanders" who are "obese and badly dressed," and then stated "Go to Chicago and eat a fattening meal and wear your flip flops or those dreadful shoes you have on in the pic." The really, really funny thing about the "dreadful shoes" is that they were my Pencey leopard booties that are also worn by "thecoveted" blogger, Jennine Jacob, who is a New Yorker.

Now to change the subject, today's outfit is fairly simple and quite comfortable. The necklace I got at least three compliments on--two from sales associates at a very high end Wichita store.

Leather jacket: Chico's
Blouse: Nygard from Dillards
Dark brown French Dressing jeans from Ann's Fashions
Orange suede booties: Nine West

I am not sure why the jacket did not photograph well in the above picture. It is a butter soft leather with such fun, feminine details.

Necklace: Chico's
You can see some of the detail on the jacket in this picture

Please don't forget to enter my Laura Mercier product giveaway. It is open to all my followers, no matter where you live. Just leave a comment on the giveaway post. You just might win!

Giveaway day - A Laura Mercier product sampler

2011-11-15T13:13:00.000-06:00

If you have shopped at Sephora you may know about their Beauty Insider card. For every dollar you spend, you accumulate a point that can be redeemed for products when you reach at least 100 pts. When you hit 500 points you can get a limited edition product sample. When I was in there this past week, I redeemed 500 points for a set of Laura Mercier sample products for this giveaway. I have not used these particular products but I have used her eye shadows and lip stain and like both quite a lot.

This Laura Mercier sample box contains Mini Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara in black, Mini Eye Basics in Wheat, Mini Face Polish, Mini Tinted Moisturizer SPF20 in Nude, and Mini Foundation Primer. These are sample sizes, not full product sizes.

All you have to do to enter is giveaway is to follow me on Google Friend Connect and leave a comment that you are following me. That's it, nothing else.
I will close this contest on Friday, November 18th at 5:00 CST, so you will have a few days to comment. One entry per person please.

Giveaway

I will announce the winner on Friday evening and give the winner 48 hours to contact me at SheAccessorizesWell@cox.net with their name and address. Good luck everyone!

Visible Monday

2011-11-14T08:32:00.001-06:00

Today is Visible Monday started by Patti @ Not Dead Yet Style. My VM outfit is one that you have seen part of before. The sweater is one I wore recently and asked for some feedback on how to style it. A few of you said leopard print so that is how I went. I found an animal print top on sale at Chico's and I think it I like it better than how I originally styled it. I love the sweater; it is one of those pieces you could just wear and wear until everyone was sick of seeing you in it.

I went to Ann's Fashions for the French Dressing Jeans fit clinic. It was too busy, so I just bought some of the leggings that I knew fit (and got $10.00 off) but I did not win anything. Since I was unlucky, I decided to make someone else happy. Tomorrow, I will announce a giveaway for my followers. Stay tuned for that.

Sweater: Chico's
Top: Chico's
JMS Jegging
Shoes: Nine West

You can see the faux fur and bead detail on the sweater.

The shoes have sparkly studs on them and look more silvery in person.

Ally at Shybiker wrote a post Saturday about perfume. Although I cannot wear any scent now due to my asthma, back in the early 70's I found a perfume that I absolutely loved--Bakir by Germaine Monteil. It was only made for a couple of years. I had forgotten about it until Ally wrote the post. I spent a couple of hours trying to remember the name of it, then I started looking for information about it and found this quote:

"Bakir Perfume is dark and resinous with slight green floral tones on the opening. Very rich, with a woody oriental flavor. Dense and strong, ultra long lasting, but a scent that stays close to the skin and doesn't over project. Sultry and sexy. Not for the masses, only a few, very special women (and their men) will know how to appreciate the glory of Bakir...and have the style to wear it." Jeffrey Dame

I guess that is why it wasn't available for long, only very few women (special or strange, I am not sure which) liked it. It really stayed on for a long time and a little went a long way. The formula was purchased by Irma Shorell and Long Lost Perfumes makes it, although I understand it is not as long lasting as it was and some say doesn't smell the same. Probably because something in it can no longer be used. It was a nice memory to resurrect as I hadn't thought of it for years and yet the memory of the spicy scent was still in my mind. Did anyone else wear Bakir? Did you wear a perfume that brings back fond memories?

Please check out what all the visible and stylish ladies are wearing today at Visible Monday @ Not Dead Yet Style.

On a side note, I previewed this post and it looked fine, I published it and blogger seemed to have changed it. I have had experiences where my text gets jumbled, anyone else experience this?

Thrifters Thursday

2011-11-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

I swear I cannot believe how fast Thursday seems to come each week. Time flows so much faster as you get older. I never understood it when I was younger, but now it seems as though it passes with the speed of light.

Today's outfit is one I had planned so that I could link up with Tammy from Silverstyle for her Scarf Attack Trend posts. I am wearing thrifted loafers, but y'all have seen them before, so that is not my thrifted item for Spunky Chateau's Thursday is for Thrifters. This outfit is what I would definitely call classic--a blazer, white shirt, scarf, jeans, and loafers.

Jacket: Ralph Lauren
Blouse: Coldwater Creek
Scarf: eBay
Jeggings: JMS
Loafers: Bass Thrifted

Mr Harry wanted his ears rubbed and to be in the picture.

Scarf

Now for my thrifted item. This is one of the sweaters that I bought yesterday. It is a George ME Design by Mark Eisen for Walmart and has tiny gold threads through it. It reminds me of an oriental carpet pattern. I just love it and for $3.99, who could ask for more? I am sure it was not real expensive to start with, but it sure is pretty.

Sweater Thrifted
Blouse: Dillards

Please check out the Scarf Attack at Silverstyle and Thursday is for Thrifters at Spunky Chateau.

New Goodwill opening

2011-11-09T17:13:00.000-06:00

This morning, I went to the opening of our newest Goodwill store. (It is only about 4 blocks from my house.) They must have saved up some really good things for the grand opening. It was full of great merchandise and it was packed with people. I got some bargains. A nice tripod, a camo jacket for my husband, 2 belts that I plan to refashion, a necklace, bracelet, and 3 sweaters. I really did not need any clothing, but who can resist $3.99 sweaters and $1.99 necklaces? One of the sweaters was too small, so I will donate it back to them. (There was no way to try anything on.) I would like to have looked more, but the aisles were blocked by people with shopping carts and it was just a madhouse. I guess there are a lot of people who love Goodwill.

After my wild morning, I went to lunch with some of my former co-workers. This outfit was a bit of an experiment. I wasn't sure how the bright red of the jacket would work against the olive green. The blouse has both colors in it and I really like how it turned out.

Jacket: Talbots
Shirt: Foxcroft
Pants: FDJ
Shoes: Think! via eBay

Necklace: Chico's

Foxcroft blouses are just wonderful. They are well-made and have nice details. This blouse has a contrasting pattern lining the collar and cuffs. It also has buttons set in groups of 2 that make it a bit more unique. Do any of you have any Foxcroft blouses? Do you like them?

Rainday Tuesday

2011-11-08T17:42:00.000-06:00

It has been drizzling all day and a bit chilly. The only places I went to were to exercise and to a Walmart neighborhood market to buy groceries.

I think that I should've left the vintage fur collar off this jacket to make the scarf stand out a bit more. I really like a lot of contrast in colors for winter outfits. I am just not sure they work so well in pictures. It seems as though dark browns just end up looking more like a black holes that pulls the other colors into its dark matter. (I am a bit of a space geek.)

I have a lot of scarves that are just now coming out to play. I do love to wear them in the fall and winter, so this is the first of many that you will see this winter. I should've thought to take a picture of just the scarf so you could see the detail better.

Jacket: Chico's (There is a very subtle snake pattern on the jacket)
Blouse: Nygard-Dillards
Jeans: FDJ - Ann's Fashions
Boots: Thrifted
Scarf: eBay

This was a mistake photo, but it looked like a pose that some
style bloggers use, so I decided to include it for fun.

We had a bit of excitement over the weekend. There was an 5.6 earthquake in Oklahoma that was felt here in Kansas. It was a bit frightening to have your house shaking and a roar like a jet plane right over your house. I have never experienced an earthquake, so while people who have been in California thought it was nothing, it was a real experience for someone who has never felt one. There was another smaller quake last night. I didn't feel it, but FarleyJoe seemed to have noticed it.

Visible Monday - Colorful Plaid and Subtle Pattern Mixing

2011-11-07T09:27:00.000-06:00

My Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday style is plaid, corduroy, and a subtle pattern on a brown jacket. It is colorful and does make me feel quite visible.

I think this outfit looked better in person that it does in the pictures. The blouse has beautiful colors in it--gold, brown, and several blues. The jacket has a subtle texture, kind of chenille, and looks richer in color than it does here. I wore this outfit to do some shopping and running errands. We also went to Carlos O'Kelly's for a late lunch/early dinner. I remember a time when people would dress up to go out to dinner. Do people in your area dress nicely to go out to eat, even in casual restaurants?

I stopped in a local boutique, Ann's Fashions, and tried on some FDJ French Dressing Jeans. I tried on some of the side zip overdyed leggings and really like them and they fit me quite nicely. I have seen FDJ advertised as great jeans for older ladies, but I had never tried them on. Ann's is having a FDJ fit clinic next Saturday and are supposed to have all the different styles in stock. I hope to go by and find out more about the fit clinic. They are also giving away one pair of FDJ jeans every hour. I haven't won anything for a long time so maybe I can get lucky and win a pair.

Jacket: JJill
Blouse: Foxcroft via eBay
Cords: Talbot's
Booties: Nine West

Necklace: Chico's

Do any of you have French Dressing Jeans? If you do, what do you think of them.

Please stop by Not Dead Yet Style and check out all the Visible Monday participants.

Red, white, and black Friday

2011-11-04T16:42:00.000-05:00

I wish I could make up really cool blog titles. My mind is just blank when it comes to title creativity.

It was a bit cool today, so I decided to wear my new red sweater. I got it at the 1/2 of 1/2 store. It was originally from Lord & Taylor and still had the original tags on it. I first tried it with just a white blouse, but I decided I liked it with the striped tee instead.

Sweater: Ralph Lauren
Tee: Macy's via ebay
JMS Jegging: Walmart
Boots: Pencey

Chico's necklace

Yesterday, the Hostess of the Humble Bungalow asked about how we take our pictures. I am very fortunate to have a husband who is patient enough to take my photos. He may have to go back to 3rd shift at work and if he does, I guess I will be figuring out how to take photos with a tripod and timer.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Golden Thursday

2011-11-03T18:29:00.000-05:00

First, I would like to thank you all for your kind comments yesterday. Your comments are always one of the highlights of my day. I truly appreciate the time you take from your day to comment. I know many of you have full time jobs and family to take care of, so it makes it that much more special to me that you take the time to comment.

Today I dug out a sweater that I purchased late this spring from Chico's. I had admired it for quite a long time and when they had a great sale I got it for around $20.00. There are tiny beads around the neck and front of the sweater. I wore it with a top I bought last year from Chico's, but I think I would really like to find a leopard or some other animal print top to wear with it. Amazingly, I do not have the right animal print top in my wardrobe. I will have to keep my eye out for one on sale. The gold top I am wearing is just a bit too long for this outfit, but I didn't get out of the house after yoga, so only you all and my husband saw it. No accessories since I was home alone. The dogs don't much care what I look like--they only worry about whether or not they will get their supper on time. Believe me, the dogs do know what time dinner is supposed to be served.

Sweater: Chico's
Top: Chico's
JMS Jeggings
Shoes: Pencey

If this were your sweater, what would you wear under it? I think it would be interesting to find out how others would style it. I also thought of a turtleneck, but I didn't have any that looked right with it.

Sticks & Stones

2011-11-02T18:45:00.000-05:00

Today, Pam at Over 50 Feeling 40 wrote a post about supporting one another as bloggers. As always, Pam writes insightful and inspiring posts. Reading her post made me think about the power of words. When I was young, there was a rhyme "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." I don't think that was ever true, but now more than ever words can hurt not just one person but many. In the last couple of days, I have read on the internet some posts and comments about people who are overweight that hurt me. Some people are very well meaning, but their words hurt nonetheless and others are just plain mean.

One saying that I have always liked is "there but for the grace of God go I." I know how very fortunate I am. I hope that I never make anyone feel like less than what they are. If I do, it is not because I meant to do so. I would hope that if I say something that has upset anyone in any way, you will let me know.

When I worked, there were times when a person had done something that managment did not like. Rather than tell the person so that they could correct it, they would do something like demote them or fire them. That is so unfair. If you think someone isn't a good manager, tell them what they did wrong. Give them a chance to improve. If they don't, then fire or demote them. I think the same is true for the blogging world. If someone has done something you take umbrage with, let them know. They may not have meant what you thought. I remember once when I thought someone believed they were better than me. It turned she did not think that at all and we ended up as close friends who had more in common than we first suspected.

Now, I will share my outfit for the day. I saw an outfit in a magazine that was gray and camel and I thought it looked really nice. I did not accessorize this outfit as the jacket has rhinestone pins as buttons and I thought that was accessory enough. My biggest accessory is Harry, who has become quite the ham.
Today is our first really wintery type day. It is cold, rainy, and the wind blowing really hard. So, there will be many more indoor photos from now on.

Jacket: Chico's, vintage fur collar
Blouse: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: Dressbarn
Shoes: Tom's

His eyes were kind of wild which made me laugh.
He was being so silly.

I have communicated with so many wonderful people in this blogging world and I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community. We are learning as we go and hopefully becoming better people because of it. I thought of not even posting this, but then I decided that sharing our thoughts and feelings is just as important as sharing our fashion. I just hope I did not offend anyone with this post!

Visible Monday - My favorite purple outfit on Halloween

2011-10-31T16:36:00.000-05:00

Visible Monday from Wichita, KS. I wish it were from NYC like Patti from Not Dead Yet Style who sponsors Visible Monday, but no, it is from the middle of the continental USA. Please check out all the participants for today's VM.

This is one of my very favorite outfits. It is very royal purple although my monitor makes it look blue. The blouse is an exact match for the purple in the tweed jacket. I'm not sure why the blouse looks royal blue. I feel wonderful whenever I wear this jacket and blouse. Notice that I put purple laces into my shoes. I am having so much fun with the colored shoe laces.

Jacket: Chico;s
Blouse: Chico's
JMS Jeggings
Helle Comfort patent boots

Necklace from Holiday Galleria artist, (I added the crown)
all other parts are vintage.

There is a new "Project Accessory" show on Lifetime. It is along the lines of Project Runway, but is instead accessory based. The winner of the first week actually used rings from mouse or rat traps to help make her necklace. Molly Sims is the hostess. Did anyone else see it? What did you think of the first episode?

Zig Zag Lines

2011-10-28T19:29:00.001-05:00

I bought this sweater at the 1/2 of 1/2 Store. I was attracted to the colors and the graphic design, I am not sure how much I like it after seeing the pictures. It is supposed to be reversible, but I really don't care for the marbled look of the reverse side. The sleeves are bell shaped and a pain in the patootie. I drug one of them through my dinner tonight.

Sweater: 1/2 of 1/2 store
Blouse: Chico's
Jeans: Dressbarn
Shoes: Think! (I added the red laces)

Chico's necklace

I have been putting off getting a new cell phone, but I am starting to see how nice it would be to have one that would take decent pictures. That way I could easily see how I look in something before I buy it. I don't think I would've purchased this sweater if I had seen a picture of myself. So, now I guess I will be looking at new phones. Anyone have an iPhone 4? What do you think of it? Do you have any other recommendations on a phone that will take high quality pictures?

Happy Thursday

2011-10-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your comments on my post about Iris Apfel's interview. I read some comments left on the sites that featured the article. While many people agree that as a society, we no longer dress really well, almost no one supported the way she said it. I wholeheartedly agree that we should dress better, although I don't think I want to go back to the rigid rules of the 50's. I remember being really miserable as a schoolgirl who was forbidden to wear anything but dresses/skirts to school. It would be so cold sometimes that I would think I my legs would freeze off! And the playground wasn't nearly as fun when you constantly had to worry about keeping your skirt down.

Thank goodness I don't have to worry about that anymore. Now I can wear what I want, when I want, and how I want. I am thankful to live in a free country where no one dictates that I cannot wear stretch jeans or leggings and I am free to drive my car where ever I want.

This is an outfit I wore earlier in the week and I thought I would post it today as I did not get out of my yoga gear today. The Chico's jacket is a bit heavy as the faux leather is quilted. It looks like real leather and the quilting is very well done.

This was taken before I switched the laces in my shoes and I think that I really do like the addition of the colored laces. I bought red, blue, purple, and gold, so I am set for a while.

Jacket: Chico's
Blouse: Chico's
Jeans: Dressbarn
Shoes: Pencey
Necklace: Chico's

I hope your Thursday was as nice a day as mine was.

Being old doesn't excuse rude remarks

2011-10-26T17:36:00.000-05:00

Today I read an interview that really upset me. I know there are many people who admire Iris Apfel. I am not one of them. Her latest remarks in an interview are, in my opinion, just rude and mean.

In a Mail Online interview she said:

"'It seems that the fatter and uglier people are, the fewer clothes they wear. The shorts and flip-flops and tight jeans on butts that go from here to Poughkeepsie. I always say they should put people in jail for wearing clothes like that. Especially stretch jeans over [US] size 10 - they should be outlawed. Ten years ago people were starting to look like slobs in New York, now it's an epidemic."
Not that she would ever intervene on a bad case of misjudged style. 'Oh, now that would be horrible. It's a free country - if you want to look like a freak, that's your problem.'"

I don't think that being 90 years old means that you can make such rude remarks about others. She is entitled to her opinion. I just don't see how such cantankerous words help anyone. Anyway, who made her the arbitrator of who is ugly is who isn't?

There are many bloggers who are positively trying to show women that there is beauty in different ages, sizes, and ethnicity's. Verbally tearing others down does not make you better than anyone else. What do you think about what she said?

Today I went to purchase a new coat and took my Mother with me. I was having a really good time until I asked my Mother if she wanted to try on a coat. One of the sales associates said "Oh she will wear yours, that is the way sisters are." This was a compliment to my Mother, but it got to me. Do I look THAT old? It really brought me down. I had been so happy with my purchase and then that remark really took away my joy. After I told her it was my Mother, she said "Well I guess you want to hit me in the head now." I just smiled and left. What would you have done?

Leather jacket with patent snakeskin pattern: Chico's
Blouse: Chico's
Jeans: Dressbarn
Shoes: Pencey

The jacket is one of my favorites. It never fails to get a compliment when I wear it. It is such a light, soft leather with a really unusual patent snakeskin finish.

Recently, I saw some Cole Haan shoes that had bright colored laces. I fell in love with the look and purchased several bright colors of laces. These are really royal blue and not as turquoise as they look here.

This necklace is one that I purchased at a local boutique, Carla's Love It. The necklace was made by the owner of the boutique, who is quite a talented jewelry maker.

A beautiful Tuesday

2011-10-25T18:21:00.000-05:00

A couple of people asked where I purchased my leopard shoe laces. I think it was Famous Footwear, but when I went there yesterday, they did not have any in stock.
They are a fun touch on otherwise plain shoes. I also found some on ebay, but they do seem to be hard to come by.

Today was just a beautiful fall day. I have put away most of my warmer weather clothing, so I did have a challenge on what to wear on what is probably our last really warm day. Tomorrow it's supposed to be 35 degrees cooler and rainy. Well, we need the rain.

Chico's Vest (The one I cut the sleeves off)
Coldwater Creek Tee
JMS Jeggings
B Makowsky ballet flats

My necklace is one I purchased several years ago at a trunk show at a local jewelry store. I would love to find the lady who made it. Her jewelry was so unique. This piece has a turquoise bead that she said came off a vintage hat. The cord is silk handwrapped over some sort of cord. There really are three cords even though it looks like there are only 2 on one side. I just love things that are one of a kind.

I also stopped by Chico's just to see what is new. There were several things I really liked in leopard print. I restrained myself and did not buy any new jackets! There were some really cool gloves that I thought seriously about buying but talked myself out of it. They were so soft and the gray snakeskin had a bit of shimmer.

Chicos gloves

I talked to the Sales Associates about the new Chico's Black Label items. No surprise, we will not get them at the store in Wichita. It is so frustrating that these items will be available only in larger cities. Yes, I can order them, but there is nothing like being able to see and touch the merchandise.

I am back for Visible Monday #18

2011-10-24T09:53:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to be able to participate in Visible Monday again. My VM outfit for today is really not that visible but it is one that I feel good in and that's why it is my VM outfit.

Jacket: Dillards
Blouse: Foxcroft
Scarf: Chico's
Jeggings: JMS
Shoes: Finn Comfort

The blouse is a tiny houndstooth pattern that is subtle but striking. I chose not to wear a lot of accessories as I think the blouse, scarf, and shoes are enough for this outfit.

Please do go to Patti's blog Not Dead Yet Style and visit all the ladies participating in Visible Monday. You also can try to win a Karina dress.

Tweed again

2011-10-20T18:05:00.000-05:00

First, I would like to say thank you so much for all your well wishes to me while I was ill. It was so kind of you to take the time to wish me well.

We had our first hard frost today and it was quite chilly outside. Yesterday, anticipating that we would have a hard frost, I took a picture of a coleus that I planted this year. It ended up being absolutely gorgeous. I did not think it would end up so beautiful because it was beat leafless by a hail storm shortly after it was planted. In spite of the horrible heat it grew huge and the color was a brilliant red (more red than it appears here.)

The plaid tweed jacket I am wearing is one I purchased from ebay. I am not sure if ebay counts as thrifting since it is not really a thrift store, but then again, people sell preowned clothing like my jacket, so I guess it can be construed as thrift.

I went to the 1/2 of 1/2 store which is a lot like going to a thrift store since you have to do some looking to come up with a bargain. I purchased a red Ralph Lauren sweater from last year. One button was off, but I think I got a fairly good deal on it. You really have to go through things to find the bargains as some of the merchandise is damaged. I got a very pretty zig zag patterned sweater for 9.99. The loop holding the button was pulled loose, but otherwise it was in perfect condition. As is the case in thrift stores, the best bargains are in the smaller sizes.

Jacket - Chico's via ebay
Blouse - Chico's
Scarf - Chico's
Trouser Jeans - Dressbarn
Shoes - Helle Comfort

The jacket has tiny silver threads and is busy enough that I did not wear much jewelry. I had added leopard shoe laces to my boots, but forgot to take a picture of them. They really did not show up well as my jeans covered them.

What do you think, can ebay be counted as thrifting?

Cool fall day = wearing new tweed jacket

2011-10-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day that I have felt almost good and it is the first time I have driven in almost 2 weeks. I went to lunch with my sister and my Dad, who is in town from Reno, NV.

Since it was 58 deg F and really windy today, I wore the tweed jacket that I purchased a while ago at a local consignment shop. I will be taking some of my things to that shop on Nov. 16th; my first ever consignments!

Austin Reed Tweed Jacket - Consignment Shop
Top: Chico's sequin tee
Jeggings: JMS Walmart
Boots: Thrift
Necklace: Consignment shop

I got a compliment today from a lady who admired my tweed jacket and how many things it would go with. She also raved over my necklace, which I love. I don't usually like oriental things, but this one was just so striking that I had to get it.

I think this necklace is one of my favorite non-retail purchases. I know I probably would never have gone in the consignment shop had I not seen so many wonderful things that my fellow bloggers have found via consignment and thrift. What is your favorite consignment or thrift purchase?

Perspective

2011-10-16T14:15:00.000-05:00

For almost 2 weeks, I have been sick. I started to say, "under the weather", but heck no, that does not convey just how bad I have felt. I have had a severe sinus infection, sore throat, and in the middle of that a really, really bad stomach/intestinal bug. At one point, I was so darn sick that my sister, who was a paramedic, wanted to take me to the ER. Fortunately, my dear sister helped get all the medicine I needed to at least get me up off the floor of the bathroom where I had been laying for most of the day. She ordered my husband and brother-in-law to the grocery store where they purchased all the necessities. I went to the Doctor last Monday and ended up with a steroid (I hate taking this as I always gain weight!) dose pack and a strong antibiotic. I wish I could say that I am a lot better, but at least I don't feel like death warmed over. I hope to be back to posting outfit photos this week.

Oh, and the sewer backed up. So, here I was feeling awful and having to mop up water from the back up. It was tree roots that had blocked the sewer. We don't have any trees in our yard, but the neighbors trees did their job on our pipes. If bad things do happen in threes, am I done yet?

Feeling really sick changes your perspective on things. I did not get out of my night gowns for several days and have only been out of the house a couple of times. When you are sick, your outfit really isn't a big concern. We have a tendency to take our health for granted--I was feeling kind of smug because I have been exercising and trying to eat well. All it took to bring me to my knees (literally) was a small virus or bacteria. Recently, a listeria outbreak in this part of the country killed a number of people, because they ate cantaloupe that should be a healthy safe food.

As we get older, illnesses that we could handle easily when we were younger now hit us much harder and it takes longer to recuperate. According to the NIHSeniorHealth: "As we age, our bodies produce less stomach acid, making it harder to get rid of harmful bacteria that enter our digestive system. Our digestion may slow down, allowing harmful bacteria to stay in our bodies longer."

Since I don't have any outfit photo to share, I thought I would share my favorite healthy dessert blog. Chocolate Covered Katie. Not only are the recipes yummy sounding, but the photography is also beautiful. Some of the pancake recipes look divine. Life is too short not to enjoy dessert!

I shall return, hopefully soon

2011-10-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let you know that I have been feeling really awful here lately. I hope to be back posting soon, but right now I am just trying to get back to feeling well again. I miss all of you and hope to do some catching up on your posts soon.

Steve Jobs - To Infinity and Beyond -1955 -2011

2011-10-06T18:22:00.001-05:00

Steve Jobs knew how to live while he was dying. I hope that I can learn a lesson or two from his life. I had never heard his speech to the Stanford graduates until today. Serene at The Elegant Bohemian wrote a post today that contains the text to his Stanford speech. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to do so.

When one of your contemparies dies, it is a rude awakening to the fact that our time is limited here on earth and that we are not guaranteed any specific amount of time here. I have been pondering this idea for a couple of weeks. I just finished the book "The Glass Rainbow" by one of my favorite authors, James Lee Burke. If you are not familiar with Mr Burke, the book is about one of his most memorable characters, Dave Robicheaux. In the novel, Dave has been thinking that his time on earth may be over soon and Mr Burke is keeping us in suspense as to whether or not he will die in this novel. That caused me to start thinking about what I am doing and how I look at aging. Then Steve Jobs died and reality smacked me between the eyes.

As Steve Jobs said "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." We should stop comparing ourselves to others. The media bombards us with messages that we aren't pretty enough, thin enough, don't have white enough teeth, have gray hair that needs dyed, and wrinkles that need filled or removed. Why can't we just be happy with who we are and just try to be the best we can be without comparing ourselves to others? I think it is easier said than done, but I know I am going to try. I am going to try to stop beating myself up because I am not thin and because my face is no longer firm and young looking. I am alive and I am going to try to do my best every day until my last one.

Steve Jobs has been compared to many like Henry Ford, or Thomas Edison. He was a visionary and we have all benefited from his vision. Rest in Peace, Mr Jobs and thank you for following your heart and loving your work.

Pattern Mixing

2011-10-05T18:56:00.000-05:00

We took the pictures inside today as I have been suffering from allergies and asthma. Usually, we will have had a freeze by this time of year and the pollen will not be as bad. However, with the hot weather and no rain, the pollen is horrid. My ears hurt, my nose is stuffy, my teeth hurt, and I am running a temperature. I am amazed the pictures looked as good as they did as my face is a bit puffy.

I am not sure if this pattern mixing works or not. I will leave it up to my readers to decide. I am kind of on the fence about it. The top is one I just got from Chico's. It is Mother approved, as my Mom was with me when I got it and said she thought it looked good. It is a really different design as there are multiple panels crossing over the front of the top. The jacket is one I got at Name Brand Clothing (NBC), which is a store that has closeouts from stores all over the country. It is kind of like a thrift store in that you have to do a lot of digging to find good stuff. I tried on a pair of leather pants that almost fit. If they had been just a bit bigger around the waist, they would've been perfect. Someone will get a great buy as they were just $26.00 and were nicely made.

While I was at NBC, I also got a Ralph Lauren silver metallic sweater for $9.99. I got a few other things, the highest price for any piece was $15.00. I will debut those pieces sometime this month, hopefully--if it ever gets cool enough for fall wear.

Jacket: NBC
Top: Chico's
Jeans: Dressbarn
Shoes: Pataguas

As you can see, Mr. Harry had to be in the pics. He was kind of wild and running around while we were taking the pictures.

Here is the top without the jacket and Harry of course.

I have to include this picture. If I had man parts, I would've been on the floor rolling around in pain as he came running to me and hit me with a big, big paw. It almost knocked me backwards.

Can you tell that my eyes are about to bug out?

So, what do you think? Is the pattern mixing just too much? Honesty please, you won't hurt my feelings. You may save me from being stared at by people who think I am a crazy old lady who will wear anything together!

Tell me about yourself award

2011-10-04T16:57:00.000-05:00

Megan of Megan Mae Daily awarded me the Tell Me About Yourself Award. I feel very honored as Megan is one of my very favorite bloggers! I haven't done one of these and I think it is kind of fun!

The rules of the game are:

Link back to the person who awarded it to you

Tell 7 Random Things About Yourself

Spread the Love to 15 Bloggers

I love crazy TV shows like The Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly, Bones, Memphis Beat, and What Not to Wear.
I love to read and have probably spent a gazillon dollars (that I should've saved for retirement) on books. My favorite books are Action Adventure, Thriller, and Murder Mysteries.
I love my Airedale Terriers, all of whom are rescues.
I was a part of the Color Guard in high school. I carried the school flag.
I love antique needlework and have done quite a few counted cross stitch samplers on linen.
Like Megan Mae, I love space. I have always been fascinated by astronomy. The Hubble Telescope has created some of the most amazing images I have ever seen. I would never be able to travel in space as I get very, very bad motion sickness.
I had a Meyer Briggs analysis and I am an INTJ. A very small percentage of the population has that personality type. It turns out I was very well suited to working with geeky engineering types. I worked with them for 37 years at an aircraft manufacturing company.
I am adding an extra. I love music. Cannot identify any musical note, but I love music. The BoDeans (before Sam Llanas left the band) was my all time favorite. I even have a BoDeans personalized tag. Lowen & Navarro, Fever Ray, Adele, Pavorotti, Beatles, and any music that has a "dark" tone is good for me.

Now for my nominations: (If you have already received this award from someone else, ignore this please.) And if you are following me and I missed listing you (I already went over 15) please consider yourself awarded to and participate in this award!

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Pam of Over 50 Feeling 40

Anne of the Frump Factor

Sacramento of Mis Papelicos

Terri of Rags Against the Machine

Paula of Fashion Over 50

Reva of Reva's Rags to Roses

Rosy of Sewingadicta

Serene of The Elegant Bohemian

Tammy of SilverStyle
Joanie of Making 50 Fabulous
Kiah of From the Rez to the City
une femme of une femme d'un certain age
Lesa of Always Summer
Lawyerdoll of Lawyerdoll
Debbie of Thrifty Girl Vintage

Meagan of Spunky Chateau

Visible Monday - Yet more leopard!

2011-10-03T08:41:00.000-05:00

This weekend, our Junior League sponsored a Holiday Galleria. Basically a shopping mecca for crazy ladies who love bling. I mean bling was everywhere! Especially on the rear pockets of jeans. That is one bling that I can't do; I don't need any more attention drawn to my behind with big, sparkly crystals. You would think that a really good fashion blogger would have taken a camera and taken some photos to share with everyone. Nope, forgot the camera! Maybe I need to get one of the new phones that takes good pictures. I just don't like having to pay so much for more than basic service.

My Visible Monday outfit is a bit wild looking. This vest is one I have had a long time and rarely wore. I was going through my closet and thought I ought to get it out and wear it or get rid of it. I may still get rid of it as it is really not something I love. There is some leopard print in the vest, so I wore my leopard booties. (If you are wondering what is in my hair, it was windblown and my photographer did not tell me it was wonky.)

Blouse: Chico's
Vest: Coldwater Creek
Belt: From consignment shop
Jeans: JMS Jegging
Leopard Boots: Pencey

Harry has to sniff and lick everything!
Bracelet: From Holiday Galleria

The bracelet is one of my purchases from the Holiday Galleria. It is a very unique piece made by a local woman. She wires together the stones and uses vintage jewelry for the center to make it look like a flower. A piece of an old western belt was used to form the cuff. It is tied together with strips of velvet. I really love unusual, unique pieces of jewelry, especially those that are handcrafted. I have a couple of other things I bought from a different artisan and I will share that with you in the coming days.

Have you ever bought jewelry from art & craft fairs or other sales where individual crafters sell their creations?

Another animal print - fyi on difference in cheetah and leopard

2011-09-29T14:42:00.000-05:00

Finally, my camera is charged and the pictures downloaded. Now I can participate in Tammy @ Silverstyle's Trending through the decades - animal prints. I got this shirt/jacket at TJMaxx on a clearance rack. I was so excited when I saw it and especially on clearance. I think it can be worn year round. In the fall and winter, I can wear a long sleeve tee underneath to make it more seasonal. Right now I have a sleeveless tee underneath. I was determined to find a dark gold top to wear under it. I went to several stores trying to find one. I think I am going to have to learn to sew at least simple tops. I get an idea in my head and I don't want to let go and make do with something else. So, sewing my own seems to be the only way to go. Perhaps this winter I will take on that challenge.

Shirt/Jacket: Susan Bristol - TJMaxx
Tee: CJ Banks
JMS Jeggings Walmart
Tom's Shoes

Forever 21 Necklace

Bracelets from Left top: Forever 21, Necklace worn as bracelet Thrifted
Right top: Michele watch (under bracelet) Both bracelets: Forever 21

Forever 21 has some amazing jewelry. I am not sure how it will hold up over time, but it is certainly inexpensive and pretty.

I don't know if any of you have ever wondered about the difference in cheetah and leopard prints, but I was wondering so I looked it up. Cheetah spots are solid black and leopards are multi-colored rosettes. I think my jacket is kind of a fantasy cheetah as there are gold and dark brown solid spots.

I really, really appreciate the comments my readers leave each day. I have wanted to be able to comment back to many of you, but not everyone has an email attached to their name. Blogger doesn't have a good way to respond to comments, but I found a site that helped me do a hack so that I can respond to you. My comments will not appear directly below yours, but your name will show at the beginning of my comment so you can see to whom I am responding. You will have to subscribe to the comments for each post or just come back and visit again. Again, I really love comments, it lets me improve both the blog content and my outfits.