Not what I thought it would look like

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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