Inside or Outside?

Hi to All My Gal Pals,

It is good to be back! Between holiday parties and get-togethers along with some health issues that started in October, something had to give and unfortunately it was my blog. Today’s blog was suppose to go out last fall but now is more appropriate for spring unless you are in the southern part of the country where this blog is probably appropriate right now.

So, how do you like my picture? I was trying to duplicate those beautiful cheekbones of Angelina Jolie but ended up looking more like Dory the fish. However it did seem to take out the wrinkles of my face! That reminds me of a Maxine cartoon I recently read, “Darling, you are not old unless going braless pulls the wrinkles out of your face”. Hey, if it works, I’ll try anything!

For anyone who may be new to this blog, I want to recap its purpose. At a certain age we begin to notice strange things happening to our body especially in the mid section I refer to as tier 3. It is NOT a positive to be able to say “I have flabby thighs but fortunately my stomach covers them”. Just because we have that bulging belly that keeps us from buttoning those pants we used to wear doesn’t mean we can’t look fabulous in the clothes we do wear. It is just picking out the right outfit to accentuate your good qualities and minimize those parts of your body you are not real fond of. Let’s face it, we are getting older so we need to accept it and as Maxine says “With age comes new skills…you can laugh, cough, sneeze and pee all at the same time”.

As you know, I have a lot of clothes. So even though I don’t care about trends, something in my closet is always trending. Royal blue is the color of the year but I don’t wear a lot of blue. I think it is because it reminds me of a uniform I so did not want to wear when I worked at a hospital. Some of the outfits I picked for this blog are trending because bright colors, assymmetrical details and dark florals are in vogue. I like them because the outfits minimize my hips, belly and rear end. That begs the questions, why does everything slow down with age except the fat that reaches our hips?

So lets talk fashion! I have several articles of clothing in my closet that I am not sure if they are to be worn inside as part of my outfit or outside as a cover up when it is a little chilly. You know I like to put in a plant example to show how fashion design closely resembles landscape design. So lets talk about the fern as an example.

The fern is a perfect example of the dilemma “Inside or Outside”. These look beautiful outside on the front porch of my new townhouse but in my horticulture classes, these plants were taught as indoor plants. I guess that just goes to show that in design certain looks can be either-or. I wish it were still this warm out right now!

I love taking pictures in front of the closet in my new place because it gives all of you the ability to see the back of the outfit as well as the front. This beautiful duster jacket is very lightweight and is 90 percent polyester and 10 percent spandex. It is a purplish-gray with raspberry, gray, dark purple and cream colored flowers and leaves starting at the waist. The inside of the jacket is tan. It has a beautiful see-through collar that goes from top to bottom. I paired it with burgundy colored pants and shoes with a cream colored, light weight sweater. I also have paired it with a ribbon and yarn neckpiece. There is such a thing as wearing too much of something so I minimized wearing too many flowers by wearing this neckpiece instead of the flowered necklace that goes with my earrings. I have taken a picture of my jewelry as seen below.

Don’t you love the sunglasses that match the outfit! One of the best pieces of jewelry that I have is the floating faux pearl necklace. Because it looks so simple, I can combine it with other necklaces to create a layered look.

This would be an outfit where the jacket becomes more of an overcoat for a chilly day. The bright yellow duster is made of 96% cotton and 4% spandex. I love the pleats in the back that start at the waist to give me a little more free flowing material around my mid section. It has great deep pockets and seams for accent. Underneath the duster I am wearing a man-tailored, long shirt that covers my hips and black skinny pants. Since I will be taking off the duster indoors, I have to make sure the outfit underneath hides my bulges. I have paired the outfit with over-the-knee boots and a fringed scarf. I have a picture of the jewelry below.

I like to buy jewelry that is really different from other pieces I have. This butterfly cuff bracelet is one of those pieces. The little black and silver heart ring has a tiny diamond in the middle. I think I bought it through an advertisement I saw in the TV Guide.

This jacket is a beautiful bright color and it has an asymmetrical hem. I do not like drab colors in the winter. Just because it is drab outside doesn’t mean we have to bring that drabness indoors. The more colors the better. Can anyone say they look better in drab colors? If you want to be a wallflower and not get noticed then drab colors are for you. I have added even more colors through my scarf and jewelry. This outfit can be worn as indoor or outdoor fashion. A better picture of the accessories is seen below.

The feathered pin is a great accessory for keeping a scarf in place. One of the rings has multicolored stones and the earrings pull in the colors of the scarf. The watch, ring and bracelet are each a different color of purple.

Well that is it for now. I am afraid all the socializing I did in December was not good for my waistline. I should do better this year because it turns out I am allergic to foods that contain sulfites. Those foods high or moderately high in sulfites are causing my asthma attacks and all foods containing sulfites tend to upset my digestive track. To help me keep my diet on track I bought a kitchen towel that says “My heart says chocolate and wine but my jeans say, ‘For the love of God woman eat a salad’!

Remember, God loves you and so do I.