Scarf It Up NOT Scarf It Down!!!

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

I wanted to ask the person who coined the phrase “You are as young as you feel” if he continued to believe this as he grew older but, alas, he died at the age of 52. John O’Donohue was an Irish priest, poet, author and philosopher (it figures) who wrote that quote at the age of 41 so he never got to experience what it was like to be a senior citizen and all the physical maladies that come along with aging. As Aunty Acid puts it so bluntly, “Sure I’m REtired, I was tired yesterday and I am freaking tired today!”. So, as a 70 year old woman I can say that there are times when I feel younger than my years but that could change within a day, a minute or even a second especially on days when there is a change in barometric pressure. Today is one of those days. It is suppose to rain tonight and my arthritis believes the weatherman. Scientists say that there is no proof that there is a correlation between precipitation and inflammation of the joints. Well, someone forgot to tell my joints that because the myth still lives on in my body. I wonder, if John O’Donohue lived to be 70 would he have rescinded his famous quote or would he have continued to live in LaLa Land? I guess we will never know. By the way, did you know that on March 23 of every year we celebrate As Young As You Feel Day? Well, I know what Aunty Acid would say about that, “I’m EXHAUSTIPATED…which means I’m just too tired to give a crap”. I love it when I learn a new word!

Today’s topic is using scarves as accessories. A scarf is a perfect combination of function and fabric. They are considered appropriate for every season. They can help to keep you warm but they are also popular fashion accessories (especially for those trying to hide a wrinkled neck). They are made of many different types of material (ie., chiffon, woolen, silk, cashmere, etc.) and many different styles (ie., cowl, infinity, triangular, stole, shawl, etc.). The origins of the scarf trickle back to Ancient Egypt, precisely to Queen Nefertiti. Josephine Bonaparte collected over 400 scarves which make my 70 seem paltry. The emergence of scarves as accessories began after World War I as a way to add a little joy on the homefront in London. In 1937 French fashion house Hermes started producing luxurious silk square scarves and they were popularized by Queen Victoria. A scarf can be used as a finishing piece that adds another layer to your outfit. A scarf is one of the best ways to pull together an outfit and make it cohesive.

I am not writing about a garden design in this blog because I am using the space for more pictures on how to make a scarf the focal piece of your outfit as well as a beautiful accessory for your coat.

So, let’s get started.

I love this scarf with my dark purple coat. It is so light weight and the craftsmanship is amazing. I saw it at a craft show but could not afford it. Apparently my sister thought I was worth it and surprised me with it at Christmas. I think it is made of boiled wool but I am not sure. Each flower is made up of individual pieces so expertly put together.

After you take off your coat, the scarf makes a beautiful accessory that becomes the focal piece of the outfit. I paired it with a light colored top so it would stand out and a pair of dark purple jeans. When you wear a focal piece like this no one is looking at my bulges which are well hidden by this top.

No one is really going to be looking at my jewelry when I wear this scarf so I keep it simple. I am not wearing a bracelet because the sleeves of the top are so long. I am wearing two different shades of purple with the gem stones in the ring and earrings as well as a green stone in the other ring that matches the green of the leaves in the scarf.

I have doubled up this fringed infinity scarf to wear over my blue wool coat. I am wearing my blue and pink flowered jeans and pink pumps.

I unfolded the scarf to wear as a single loop and you can better see the lovely cutout flowers. You know from past blogs that I love the fringe look. The long, button down, loose top as well as the scarf hides my bulging tummy. If you want to have the scarf stand out wear it with a light colored top.

I wanted to add a little contrast to all the pink accessories so I am wearing a navy blue slide that I bought at an outdoor art show in downtown Chicago. It was made by a teacher trying to supplement her income so how could I not buy it. The watch is rose gold with a pink band. The beads on the bracelet pick up on whatever color is in the outfit. The cutouts of the earrings go so well with the cutouts of the scarf. The flowers in the ring goes perfectly with the flowers in the necklace. I love this ensemble!

This scarf is made of a very thin fabric so it has to be worn with a lightweight spring coat. The multiple colors of the scarf with the reddish-purple background pairs so well with the plum raincoat I am wearing. The flower extravaganza is on both the front and the back of the scarf and you notice there is a dark turquoise wine bottle on the lower corner for added interest.

I take off the raincoat and I have a beautiful outfit with the same scarf. The cream colored flowers in the scarf go beautifully with the cream colored, lightweight sweater and wide leg cream colored pants. With the cream colored base the colors in the scarf really pop. Again, I love that the scarf covers my belly.

I have several pieces of jewelry that would go with this scarf because of all the colors in it. The cream colored flower earrings go perfectly with the cream colored flower ring. You can’t see the whole scarf in this picture but every color in the beads of my bracelet can be found in the scarf.

I really don’t want to talk about my weight. I haven’t been on the scale in 2 weeks. Every once in a while I go on a binge especially when I am stressed. It started with the hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries that the stores were selling for Valentine’s Day. These are one of the few desserts I can eat so when they were so available I was eating several a day for a week. Then the binge continued with left over ice cream from Vicki’s birthday party. Finally, I was so sugared out that I started binging on salty chips. Aunty Acid describes my binges perfectly when she asks “Am I the only one who eats a snack while looking for another snack?” Hopefully I am coming to the end of my pigging out. I will say I don’t do this very often but when I binge I GO BIG!

Until next time, remember God loves you and so do I.