What a Retired Boomer Wears on a Casual Day

I am always in awe of the fabulous outfits that my fellow bloggers create. There are so many with unique, elegant, quirky, artistic, or classic style that I adore seeing every day.  I am not sure that my outfit for today's Visible Monday is really even blogworthy. I have found that the longer I am retired, the less likely I am to dress to the nines. I still try to dress nicely, but my reality is much different than those of you who are still in the work force. Today's outfit illustrates that new reality. It was far too warm for a jacket (we had a record high yesterday) and we only went to the grocery store, so my fanciest accessory was a scarf.

Shirt: Lauren
Jeans: Chico;s
Shoes: Boutique 9
Scarf: Next

I did wear a scarf on my wrist as well as around my neck. I have seen several bloggers wear a wrist scarf and I decided to try it as well. I don't think I will do it again because it is too difficult to keep it dry when I wash my hands. Cute, but impractical.

No Harry photo today because he was too busy watching a squirrel to be bothered with us.  

I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy today's linkups for Visible Monday and Monday Mingle.

OOTD & The Good & Bad of Fashion Blogging

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!

Visible Monday & snow!

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.

Rainy Wednesday OOTD & Advice request

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

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

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

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.

What I wore on Wednesday

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

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

Golden Sparkles on a gray day

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

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

Visible Monday #23 on Cyber-Monday

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

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.

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

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?

New Goodwill opening

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

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

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.

Golden Thursday

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

 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!