Visible Monday - My favorite purple outfit on Halloween

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. I love crazy TV shows like The Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly, Bones, Memphis Beat, and What Not to Wear.
2. 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.
3. I love my Airedale Terriers, all of whom are rescues.
4. I was a part of the Color Guard in high school. I carried the school flag.
5. I love antique needlework and have done quite a few counted cross stitch samplers on linen.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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!

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?