The Leopard Gets New Shorts

If you don't get this title, go out and read a book by Terry Pratchett. You could use the laugh.

So, for some reason, after nearly 40 years of doing without, I decided this spring that I absolutely must own something in leopard print. I decided on shoes because I have a thing for loud shoes. I went to Target. I found shoes I liked. The price was reasonable. They were comfortable, and........they even had half a pair in my size! Yup, I had been beaten to them by someone with one size 8 foot and one size 9 foot. Not to be deterred, I came home and ordered a pair online. Actually, I ordered four pairs online. I wear a 7 1/2, so I ordered 7s and 8s to see which is better.

Mad Love from Target

I also saw this second brighter pair that I thought I would give a go to. It all worked out pretty well because I ordered enough to get free shipping and what I don't want is easily returnable. These were not as comfortable and were too orange and bold for me. Both pairs went back. The lesson I learned from this is that it is a good thing for me to explore trends with small, inexpensive things like shoes, belts, etc. A skirt or shirt like this would have been too much for me. Now, shorts on the other hand...

Merona from Target



A Break from the Norm

One of the annoying things about living in south Louisiana is that there is no curb-side recycling for things like paper and plastic. On the flip side, you can get rid of basically any usable object that you no longer want without ever having to make a trip to Goodwill. You just wait until after the trash has come and then put out whatever it is you want to get rid of for the "pickers." I put things out on Saturday morning, and they are always gone by Sunday afternoon.

 

Last week, my neighbors put this little plastic patio table out for the pickers. Last week, the pickers were me! When I found it, the table was white, loose, and covered in mold, mildew, and Spanish moss. I brought it home, bleached it, pressured washed it, scrubbed a little with some steel wool, and then I painted it.

I went to Home Depot to buy a can of Rustoleum because of its magical properties that allow it to bond to anything--even plastic, only to discover that the color I wanted had been discontinued. I chose another color, came home, painted the table, hated it. Then I went to Michaels, where I found the exact color I wanted locked behind a glass door and not a single person willing to let me in. By the time I reached Hobby Lobby, I was in a foul but determined mood. I found the color I wanted, although it was in Krylon, and purchased it. I figured the first coat of Rustoleum would work as a magic primer. I gave the table a second coat of paint, and now I am loving it.

I love brown and aqua together for decorating. I need to remember to try it out in an outfit one of these days.



Back in Black

The moral of this story is: try, try again.
This top first caught my eye because of the criss-cross drape front design, but I nearly passed it by in part because it is black and in part because it was being worn by a mannequin who was also sporting a red tank and red skinny jeans. I was drawn in by the top, but I was pretty nervous about buying it, not just because I don't normally wear black, but because it was paired with the red, which is a color that I look awful in. When I brought it home (and realized I was stuck with it since the boutique I bought it from has a no returns policy) I tried pairing it with pants and a tank in the closest color I will ever get to red: fuchsia. It was way too bright and overwhelming for me though. Then I tried cobalt blue top and bottom and was a lot happier. I'm even happier toning it down even more with jeggings, and I plan to try it again with the fuchsia top and jeggings and a turquoise one if I can ever manage to buy one. (I've bought two so far this season and taken them both back because they were defective.)
The jeggings are Faded Glory purchased from Wal-mart. I tried on a lot of jeggings before I found these that I like--they come in petite so they aren't bunched at the ankles. I actually bought two sizes since I bought them online and sent back the ones that were skin tight even though they fit more like jeggings "should." I wanted more of a skinny jean look, but something without the button waist. Something flexible and durable that would go from mall to garden without a hitch.
It can be hard to work a new piece into your wardrobe, especially if it is different from what you normally wear, but don't get frustrated. Try it with several different things before you take it back or give it to Goodwill. If you don't get it exactly right the first time, it's no big deal. Not looking perfect now and then is not the end of the world.

I bought this pendant at a craft fair in WI, but hadn't worn it much until I suddenly had the right top for it to go with. Craft fairs can be great places to pick up unique statement pieces for reasonable prices. Plus, you are keeping a local craftsperson off the street!

The back of the top is lace to show off the pretty color underneath.

 

As a side note, this outfit got my husband's "you look nice" seal of approval, probably because it is not as baggy as my usual summer wear.

 

Trend Overload

I don't know about everyone else, but this season I am experiencing trend overload. Most years, you can ask yourself, what is in style this season? But this spring, you might be better off asking yourself, what's not in style?
Here's a list of what is:

black and white
neons
coral
emerald green
mint green
cobalt blue
leopard print
military/camo
lace
peplum tops
scarf prints

also seen in mass quantities in stores:

bright yellow
bright pink
turquoise
aqua

So as far as I can tell, the only thing that is not hot right now: neutrals.  So just skip the gray suit with white shirt and boring gold jewelry, and you should be fine! (And for goodness sake don't try to buy a brown t-shirt right now--you'll be frustrated.)

Two blogs that I enjoy reading:
For keeping up with the latest trend: http://www.jseverydayfashion.com/ 
For a less trendy, more long term look: http://carahamelie.com/outfit-ideas/
The first gal lives in Florida and the second in Seattle, so you get two very different perspectives, which I love. It is so interesting to see how style varies from region to region.

The (almost) Perfect Dress

My husband is fond of telling me that I "have issues."  On the subject of dresses--and a few other things--he's right. When it comes to clothing, most women have some sort of "issue." The reality is, our appearance is directly tied to our emotions, and sometimes how we feel in a garment outweighs how we look in it.
I grew up on a farm. I spent a lot of time working around machinery that made it not only impractical but quite frankly dangerous to wear a dress. So the only times I wore a dress as a girl was when I went to church or to visit my grandparents. Both events filled me with dread, and I dreaded the dresses I had to wear nearly as much. My grandparents were extremely conservative Christians, which meant that when I went to visit them, not only did I have to mind my P's and Q's, but I had to wear dresses that went down to my ankles, up to my collar, and over my shoulders. I hated these confining garments, and I learned to associate dresses with misery. I never felt pretty in a dress and never thought of dresses as pretty. I did buy and wear a couple of shockingly short and tight dresses in high school as an act of rebellion, and my mom made me a beautiful velvet tea dress for prom, but as an adult I never looked twice at a dress when clothing shopping. When I saw them on the hanger, all I could think of was fire and brimstone sermons and the misery of being a girl in a family that did not value girls.

This is how I felt in dresses, right down to the snarky expression.

This year, I realized that there is a limited amount of time before I turn 40 and that the days when I can get away with a fun summer dress are growing numbered, so this spring I set out on a mission to find a dress that I felt comfortable in. I had simple rules: no ankle length, long sleeves, no high collars. I wanted a dress that I felt pretty in. Let me tell you something: Nearly 40 years is not long enough to erase the fear that I will be struck by lightning if I show my knees in public. I nearly had a panic attack in the dressing room.

I probably would have liked this better if it went down past my knees, but I'll get over it.

As it turns out, I like dresses. They are a darned sight easier than skirts. You find one that looks good on you and that is it. No worry about finding the right top. Even shoes seem easier to pair with dresses. I actually found two sundresses that I liked right off. One is more stylish but less practical. This one from Old Navy is good for nearly anything. It's light weight and durable and long enough for pretty much any activity short of planting flowers. It's easy to pair with little sweaters and pretty jewelry. Most importantly, I feel good when I wear this dress--so much so that I bought it in two other colors! I even plan to look for similar dresses that are slightly longer that I could wear for gardening. Yup, I believe I have found the almost perfect dress for me. So what if it took me nearly 20 years?

The Terrible Twos

The school/church at Laurel Valley Plantation.

Last week, my best friend Melissa came from Denver to visit me. We had two stated goals during this visit: 1) See some of the local historical sites. 2) Do some serious clothes shopping for her. You might wonder why someone from Denver would come to the little town of Houma to go shopping. It certainly was not for our mall or shops or overpriced boutiques--all of which could easily be outdone in Denver. No, it was the lure of shopping with a friend who knows her personality and wardrobe needs, and who is a little bit more adventurous but won't force her too far outside of her comfort zone that led to the Great Shopping Expedition of 2013.
To be fair, her wardrobe really was in need of an update, seeing as how some of her clothes date back to college and possibly even high school. Her two biggest challenges are 1) she is an engineer and works in an office that is nearly all men, so she doesn't want to look too girly at work and 2) she is a size 2 and tall--really, really tall.....like an Amazon or a sequoia. My biggest challenge in shopping with her is that she is a total chromaphobe. I have to hold back from slapping her little hand every time she reaches for something black or gray.
I admit, I was worried. For the past few weeks, my next door neighbor and I have been on the hunt for a pair of colorful capris for her. (I think she is secretly jealous of my pink ones.) For me, finding colorful capris was no problem this spring, I walked into Sears, and there they were: pink, coral, cobalt, turquoise, yellow...  The only problem was choosing which color I wanted. Now, I admit, the capris this year seem a lot baggier in the butt than the ones last year, but I really wanted fuchsia pants to wear this summer, and since I usually wear longer shirts, I wasn't worried. Finding colored capris for June has turned out to be a near impossibility. It seems that the smallest size most stores carry these days is 4 and she is a 2--and she is a normal height!
As it turns out, we only found one pair of pants for Melissa. They are gray dress pants from Limited that look really nice on her and happened to be on sale. I have to say I would recommend this store for tall thin women, but stick to the clearance section! We had a lot better luck with shirts and were able to meet her husband's request for color, pattern, and maybe some flowers. At the end of the week, we got out her haul and made a "look book" for her since mixing and matching are apparently not skills native to the average engineer. All in all, it was a successful shopping expedition, and just a generally fun time. Shopping with a friend is just so much more fun than shopping by yourself.

The making of a lookbook. You can tell Mel is unsure about this pink cardigan that I talked her into, but it looked great with her gray pants--and her husband liked it!  It was by far the boldest thing I talked her into buying.

Off the Wagon

One of the things I love most about fashion is that there is always something new and exciting coming down the road. I love seeing what is new and figuring out ways to use what I have to keep current or to add small inexpensive items to my wardrobe that are trendy. I am a trend watcher. I am not always a trend follower. Sometimes there are things that I just can't get on board with. For example, I'm not a big fan of polka dots, so you won't see me walking down the street in a dotted dress any time soon. You might see me with dots on my nails though.
The one trend that I am really not loving right now is mixing patterns. It's something I often encourage people to do for interior decor when I am staging their homes, but it is not something that I like seeing on the human body. I've seen lots of examples in ads, on youtube, on TV, and none of them move me. In fact, they make me think of my years in Korea, where mixing patterns seems to always be popular. I would often see a Korean walking down the street and wonder to myself if that person had gotten dressed in the dark.
Maybe I just haven't found the right outfit yet. Maybe. More likely this is a trend that is just not for me, and that's ok. Style should be individual. Sometimes we can take a trend and make it our own. Sometimes we have to make adjustments to the trend (colored pants too much for you, well dark green and olive are colors, right? safe colors). Sometimes we have to just admit that something is not for us and let other people enjoy it.

 

I found this image on Google and a brief discussion at: http://www.luuux.com/fashion/trend-mixing-patterns   My only thought:  If an outfit makes a high fashion model look like a rodeo clown, the trend is probably not right for me.

What do you think? Any trends that are a miss with you this season?

On the Beach

I don't own a swimsuit. I grew up in an area of the country where bodies of water larger than a horse tank were a rarity. I finally learned to swim in my mid-twenties when my husband decided to buy a house with a pool. At that point, I decided I had to learn in case I fell in while skimming for leaves or the occasional lap-swimming ground squirrel. I don't go to the beach or the pool. Even though I wear sunscreen rated to stop a solar flare, I would still burn at either of these venues.
I don't own a swimsuit, but if I did, I would own this one. (Ok, I would own a much less expensive version that I put together from a Target top and a pair of shorts stolen from my husband.) I love the color and the fact that I wouldn't feel like I was walking around in my undies in public. Finally, someone is making suits for the women who wear them instead of the men who see us in them. Thank you Land's End!

Hey look, I'm a super model....and other things you'll never hear me say

I love putting outfits together. My obsession with color and texture is largely what drew me to a career in the Humanities. It serves me well when I create a painting or when I help someone stage her home for sale. It also serves me well when I am picking out what to wear each day. Photographing the outfit, on the other hand, can be a real challenge.
We all want to look good in photos, but a lot of us fell awkward in front of the camera. Where should I look? How should I stand? What should I do with my hands? How do I hold my head? Smile? Don't smile? You can be sure that after starting this blog, I am going to be paying a lot more attention to the ads and catalogs that show up in my mailbox. Maybe the models will provide me with some inspiration.
It also doesn't help that I have help when I am trying to photograph the outfits I am wearing.
This is what you see when I photograph an outfit:

 

This is what I see when I photograph the outfit:

Sometimes it's hard to not bust out laughing at the antics my cats get up to when I'm trying to take the pictures. The "mysterious paw" is a common occurance.

As for this outfit, this is yet another shirt that I bought on clearance from JCP a couple years ago and just hadn't worn. The bright blue color and the lace earned it a place in the sun since those are both trending right now, and the fact that it is sheer and incredibly light weight, making it perfect to wear over a tank, will keep it in my summer rotation as the days get hotter and stickier. My green necklace started out life as one of a pair of earrings from Body Central. My little canvas shoes are from Payless and are a must for living in the South. I change shoes every time I step out into my garden, so easy on and easy off is the name of the game for daily wear.

For some practical tips about looking better in photos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMeBQtUe5NU

Wear it or Die!

This is another one of my summer "wear it or die trying" skirt outfits. I originally bought the skirt on clearance from Christopher & Banks and planned once again to wear it with an off white top. This just did not work out and the skirt was forgotten. Then, two of this spring's trends kind of collided in my brain to make this outfit: black and white/color blocking. Black and white is not a combination that does me any favors, but I was happy to pull this skirt out of the closet even though it has some tan in it and does not strictly fit the trend, and I decided to try it on with my absolute favorite color: purple. It just works. The top is also from Christopher & Banks. The shoes are the Earth Shoe brand from Wal-mart. I love these shoes because they are insanely comfortable and have a strap across the back that prevents me from walking out of them. The necklace is just a leaf pendant that I picked up on sale at Michael's. It originally featured 3 leaves, but I took one off because I didn't like it.
Another thing I feel comfortable doing in a skirt? Baking. It's a great way to kill a rainy day too--besides where would any good house frau be without her trusty oven? Either that or this skirt has me channeling a 1950s appliance sales' model.
Finally, a thought about why I have these skirts and haven't worn them: I used to live in Marinette, Wisconsin. Winters are brutal there. Like many folks up there, I used to mall walk to maintain my figure and my sanity. It's a small town and crime is a rarity, so the stores in the mall used to put their clearance racks out in front of the shop and just leave them there. It's hard to walk past a pretty skirt that is under ten dollars once, but make 10 or 12 laps past it, and the temptation becomes unbearable. As discussed in an earlier blog, part of the reason I never wore these is because of how hard it is for me to choose the right top to go with them, but part of the reason was also that summer in Wisconsin is approximately two days long. Now that I live in warmer climes, I am making an effort:  Wear them or die trying!

Spring/Summer 2013 Jewelry Haul

Ok, so the word "haul" doesn't really apply to my shopping style. I almost never go into a store and come out with a bag full of new clothes. Usually I buy one or two things at most. A lot of times, I walk out of stores completely empty handed.
But this spring, I did buy a bunch of new jewelry. It's an inexpensive way to keep up with the latest color trends, and when the pieces are not in style, it is easy enough to stuff them in a shoe box until the colors come back around. Even though large "statement" necklaces are the in thing right now, and I have to admit to really liking them, I stuck with moderately sized pieces that will be less likely to go totally out of style.
One of my favorite places to shop for jewelry is Burke's Outlet. I bought the fuchsia bangle, fuchsia necklace, and the yellow necklace there. Most of their jewelry is under $10 and those pieces were all under $5. I also will buy things from Clair's (the skull bracelets and the turquoise bracelet) when they go on clearance. I got the skull bracelets for $1 each. Hands down, my favorite place to buy jewelry is Body Central. At $3.90 a piece, you pretty much can't go wrong. I bought the two green "necklaces" there. Originally, it was a pair of earrings, but they were too big for me, and I wanted a green statement necklace after seeing one on Carah Amelie's blog, so I got out my needle nose pliers and repurposed them. I do that now and again, and I recommend that every woman have a pair of pliers so she can do it too. Sometimes you can't get exactly what you want, so you have to exercise a little creativity. This also happened to work out well because I plan to give the longer one as a gift to a friend who loves green.

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A Hint of Mint

Living in southern Louisiana in the summer is sort of like living in a sauna with a mosquito infestation. I am always on the lookout for lightweight shirts to wear over tank tops, so I was pretty excited when I found this linen top in the clearance section at Old Navy. Of course, they didn't have it in my size, so I came home and ordered it (and a pink one and white one) online. I laughed a little when I read the reviews and found so many women complaining about the gap under the armpits. Duh! It's a safari shirt---it was designed to show off the pretty tank or cami you are supposed to wear under it!

After purchasing it, I waited for a sale at JCP, which happened to coincide with the arrival of an extra 20% off coupon, and bought a matching tank top. I also bought a fushci one. Both look nice with the cobalt blue, but it turns out that my favorite tank to wear under it is the mint one I bought at Rainbow. I believe I have mentioned before how much I love the mint that is trending right now, and how it doesn't look great with my skin, but it does look great with the cobalt and is the perfect peekaboo color this particular shirt. Plus, since you barely see the mint, I can still wear a bright yellow necklace which I also love with cobalt blue.

The "Joy" of Scarves

 These photos and tips were shared by my friend Joy. Joy is originally from Bulgaria, but she currently resides in South Korea. Like many of us Joy started out life as one "color season" in her youth but switched to another as the years went by. Originally, her hair was a warm dark color that landed her squarely in the autumn colors, so she built a wardrobe of warm neutrals. Now her hair is a highly enviable salt and pepper shade that places her among the winters. Rather than rush out and buy a whole new wardrobe to suit her new season, she has introduced the bright jewel tones of winter to her autumn colored wardrobe through the use of scarves, which put the much needed blast of color right next to her face.

Joy writes, "I always try to look stylish, but with my size, it's not an easy thing to do in Korea and Asia in general. As for my scarves, I just try to make them pop up if my clothes are dark and dull, or blend in if the clothes are colorful." For Joy, adding scarves was easier than trying to find new clothes in Korea where European and American women have difficulty finding clothes to suit their height and curves, but it's a good tip for anyone who is "changing seasons" or just wants to add some color to her wardrobe without spending a fortune.

 

For Joy, the love of scarves seems to be a family affair.

Joy and her daughter looking stylish and warm thanks to their scarves.

 

 



She's even added some color to her husband's wardrobe with a more masculine plaid that will help keep him cozy on cool spring days in Korea. I wish my husband was as fashionable!

 

Stuck in Colder Weather

Ok, cooler anyway. Every year people comment on "how strange the weather is this year." Ten years ago when I was living in Houma for the first time, I would have told you that the weather here was as predictable as clockwork. In the winter, it was cool and dry and sunny. In the summer, it rained every day at 3o'clock. This is the second year of our return to the area, and the weather, like everything else has changed dramatically. It is by no means any longer predictable. Last year at this time, I had the air conditioner on and all my blankets folded up and put away. My long pants were securely nestled in a drawer, and I was buying new cotton capri pants because my Wisconsin summer gear was not going to cut it here in Louisiana.
This year, we have had a mix of hot and cold that is driving my wardrobe toward bi-polar disorder. One day is 85 and muggy, the next is it 60 and breezy. I like this ankle length skirt because it is a heavier fabric that quite frankly makes me feel like I am walking around in a light blanket.

I have to say, I thought this was going to be: The outfit that would not be photographed. It seemed like every photo was blurry, and although this outfit looks great in a mirror and gets me lots of compliments, it did not so good in photos. I think a lesson I can share here is that if you are short and curvy, swingy and flowing outfits might not be your best bet for photos. So, if you are going to a wedding or other event where you are going to be photographed, snap a photo of yourself in the outfit before hand. If it doesn't look great, try something more fitted.

When I wear a lot of color in an outfit, I like to keep the jewelry simple. I bought this silver bracelet at Charming Charlie's last year because it reminded me of one of those metal puzzles that you have to take apart. I keep it in a dish by the sink with my wedding ring so I can throw it on as I walk out the door if my outfit doesn't already have a colorful bracelet and can use a little something.

Don't Spend a Mint on Color Trends

I rarely jump on the latest fashion color trends because the colors often don't look great on my extremely pale person, and let's face it, the "it" color now is going to be the "out" color three months from now. It's just safer to buy colors I look good in and stick with them. I love the mint that is uber-trendy right now though. It is way too light for me to actually wear clothing that color, but I found this Mint Sorbet nail polish at Rite Aid, which is allowing me to participate in the trend for $3.26, tax included. Fortunately, it looks great with my existing indigo, fuchsia, turquoise summer wardrobe. Unfortunately, it also makes me want mint chocolate chip ice cream every time I look at my hands....

 

Other trending colors that my nails will be sporting this summer: coral, bright yellow, emerald green, turquoise, and cobalt. I love the tiny bottles of polish because 1) they are usually under a dollar and 2) I can use them up in one season and not feel like I am wasting a whole bottle of polish, and also not have out of date colors piling up in my medicine cabinet. I got the mint and coral in bigger bottles because I can see the coral transitioning into fall and the mint being my go to fingernail color this summer as lighter colors work better on my hands.

I can't wait to try the coral with my aqua shoes!

One trending color I didn't have to buy: bright pink. This is a summer staple for me. Fuchsia Shock. That's what my husband goes into when I start dragging out my bright colors for summer!

A Bright "June" Day

My neighbor June is originally from Scotland. She's survived some of the toughest things life can throw at you and come out the other side with a kick-ass sense of humor and a great sense of personal style. She is fond of quoting her mother as saying, "It's better to be out of the world than out of fashion." It's not right to tell a lady's age, but I will say that she is a mom and a grandmother, and still one of the best dressed gals I know.  I love to see what she is wearing everyday because she is a great reminder that fashion, style, and trends are not just for teens!
Colored pants have been a major trend since last fall, but one that a lot of us are afraid to try because we aren't sure what tops to put with them. In this look, June combines two hot trends: bright colored pants and black and white. (I may be a little jealous because she rocks her turquoise pants way harder than I do mine.) June's tip for wearing colored pants: Pair them with neutral tops to soften the overall look. If you normally wear a colored top and neutral bottoms, just flip them! It's great advice if you want to follow this trend without going overboard.
Still nervous about colored pants? Consider dark colors like forest green, plum, or burgundy or a more neutral color like olive. These colors will feel safer and never go out of style.
What's your favorite color for pants this season?

Rainy Day Woman

I am determined to wear skirts this summer. Even if it kills me. Which it might.
This is not to say that I am determined to buy skirts to wear this summer. Nope, I've already got plenty of them in my wardrobe--ok, three to be exact, but that is plenty for a non-skirt wearer like me. We all have that one thing that we buy and then wind up taking directly to Good Will with the tags still on it because we can never figure out how to wear it. For me, that thing is skirts. I grew up in pants and I pretty much prefer them to anything else, but if I have to get dresses up, I head straight for a dress. With a dress, the hardest part is done at the store: finding the right dress for your shape. After that, it's just a matter of picking out shoes and jewelry. The designer has otherwise done all of the work for you. Skirts are a whole different animal. Skirts require that you pair them with shirts, which can be a total nightmare. I don't know if it is that I buy the wrong skirts for my shape or if my shape is just not conducive to skirt wear or if, quite frankly, I just don't have a clue.
This summer, I've decided to wear skirts on rainy days. It's not like I can go out and dig in my yard on days like this anyway. I can however get my oil changed, buy groceries, generally be seen in public, and do light housework--all things my mom and grandma did while wearing skirts.
So today, I drug this skirt out into the light. I bought it a couple of years ago at Christopher & Banks when it was on clearance and the beautiful pattern and colors screamed at me to take them home. At first, I thought I would wear it with a white top, but it just didn't look right. So it got banished to the back of my closet. Today I gave up trying to match it to anything exactly and pulled out this teal colored top that I got from a street vendor in Korea and the dusty aqua lacy tank from Maurices that has also been hanging out waiting for me to wear it with something. Add my go to summer shoes, and I was good to go. I have to wear a different shape of top with skirts, so though I normally wear the blouse untied, I went ahead and tied it to go with this skirt.
Skirts can be a pain to "style" for a lot of women. My only thought is: If you have one you love, don't give up, and try it on with every top you own until you find one that works. If that doesn't work, take it to some place like Maurices and have the salesperson help you find something. It's their job, chances are they are better at it than you think.