Hi to all my Gal Pals,
It has been awhile! I thought I might not get my April blog out in time because I had so many reports to write but I had no idea what life had in store for me that created barriers for getting out my blog for over 3 months. You know how they say “When it rains, it pours” or as Aunty Acid puts it “I’m not sure if life is passing me by or trying to run me over!”, well it felt like I was run over. First, I hurt my back and had to make my annual trek to physical therapy. Why I think I can lift heavy things is beyond me. Remember when we were kids and we couldn’t wait to be older? Well, now I am here and it sucks! So to continue this saga, my sister, who is also my photographer, ended up with a very bad case of shingles. She has been in pain for over 5 weeks with a rash on her abdomen and lower back. She is also one of the 2% of people who get an associated pseudo hernia. She has a bulge on her abdomen that will last 3 months up to a year. Hard to believe she got the shingle shots! Then we both got Covid. I had the fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, nausea and headache. Sadly, I realized I am at that age where I never know if all my aches and pains are due to old age or if there is actually something wrong with me. For the most part I am a very happy old lady but I have those days where I just don’t give a damn. It is like Aunty Acid says “My 4 Moods: I’m too old for this crap, I’m too tired for this crap, I’m too sober for this crap, I don’t have time for this crap”. Yep, that says it all.
As you can tell from the mime picture and title (I love 3 Dog Night) the theme of this blog is black and white. If you read blog #16, I did a whole write up about the use of black and white in fashion. I have so many black and white pieces in my closet so I decided to do another blog with some of my favorite black and white outfits. Black and white are very neutral colors so the trick is in finding interesting pieces or finding fun accessories that enhance the outfits. Black and white can be very elegant, very interesting , very boring, very casual or anything in-between. I typically will wear a pop of red with these colors but with the right accessories you might just use a pop of red on your lips which is what I have done in todays’s blog pictures. When you add accessories to an outfit think about the scale of the pieces you use. The size of your accessories have an impact on the final look. Your accessories should enhance your outfit, they shouldn’t overpower it. Accessories add dimension, depth and individuality to a look. Never wear something that doesn’t feel like it is working with the rest of the outfit. Black and white outfits are trending for 2022 but the combination is classic so it never really goes out of style. Maybe that is how I should think of my age. I’m not getting old, I’m just becoming a classic!
I really don’t have any pictures of my gardens that would depict the black and white theme of today’s blog but I used many “accessories “ in my gardens to enhance the beauty of the yard. I would create little areas that added interest to a very large area. Below I created a very simple cluster of items that created a very cozy, relaxing area. The colors are coordinated and the candle chandelier adds a little ambiance. Something to think about when you are putting together an outfit. When putting this grouping together I thought about color, scale and interest.
OK, let’s look at some belly hiding outfits through a black and white lens.
This is a very preppy look and is trending for 2022. I am not a stickler for trends but I really like this look. I like the classic cut of the shorts and checked patterns are very much in style. Just like I think every woman needs a little black dress, I also think she needs a black suit coat. I have shown this jacket in many of my past blogs because it is so versatile. I am wearing a loose fitting white top to minimize my tummy. This is a very casual outfit so I scaled back on the jewelry. I think the patterned sneakers look great with the checks.
I not only try to think of the scale of the jewelry when pairing the pieces with the outfit but I try to think of the scale of each of the pieces to each other. I kept to one color of metal and each of these pieces compliment the checks of the shorts even though they are very simple pieces.
I just happened to have a pair of pinstriped pants in my closet that go beautifully with the pinstriped top I just bought at a cute little boutique in Saugatuck, Michigan. My favorite part of the top is the asymmetrical hemline. The black sandals look great with the stripes. A solid black shoe would have been too overpowering for this outfit. Even though the pinstripes are interesting it is the jewelry that really enhances this outfit. Whether you are designing a room or putting together an outfit, stripes look great with flowers.
The flowered necklace is the statement piece in this grouping. The earrings are part of the set and look like the petals in the flowers. The only other flower is in the small ring. You don’t want to go overboard with too many flowers because you want the necklace to be the star of the show. I stayed with the gold metal and chose pieces that would not only enhance the outfit but also enhance the necklace.
Gauze outfits are really trending this summer. This outfit would look great at a black and white beach wedding. I kept my jewelry simple because I wanted the top to be the statement piece. The gauze pants I bought at The Bridge in Holland and the top at The Beach House in Saugatuck. I love shopping in Michigan! The flowered sandals are simple and look very summery like the rest of the outfit.
I love the polka dot watch with this outfit but I think the stars of this grouping are the dangling pearl earrings. I bought them from a jewelry crafter at the open air market on River Street in Savannah, Georgia. The cluster of pearls look a lot like the floating seeds you can see on my lovely top. When I am going for a beach vibe I automatically reach for pearls.
As for my weight, I have lost about 12 pounds since I started this blog. I have to keep it off because my liver doctor will have me weigh in when I see him in November. He said 10 pounds this year and another 10 next year. Unfortunately I have the same problem as Aunty Acid who says “Every time I lose some weight I find it again in the refrigerator”. My biggest downfall during the summer is my love of ice cream. I think I might have found a great alternative. I just bought a Yonanas machine and it makes a great ice cream substitute that tastes like ice cream but is made from frozen fruit. I probably would have no problem losing weight if I follow the cardiologist’s diet which is “If it tastes good, spit it out”. It ain’t going to happen!
Well, let’s hope no more crap gets thrown my way so I can get my blog out next month but as we all know SHIT HAPPENS.
So until next time remember, God loves you and so do I.
A Peek Into Pam’s Closets 