Pretty Cute Bottoms

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

Do any of you remember the day when we would visit a doctor of general practice (Not sure I ever liked the word “practice” like I was a guinea pig) for whatever ailed us or the emergency room if we needed to see a doctor right away? We only went to see a specialist if something drastic was wrong with us. Now a days, I see a specialist for everything. I see a lung specialist, a heart specialist, an allergy specialist, a liver/gastro specialist, a hand specialist, a shoulder specialist, and a hip specialist. It reminds me of a joke I heard “How many doctors does it take to screw in a light bulb? One to find a bulb specialist, one to find a bulb installation specialist and one to bill it all to Medicare.” These days I have developed a pat answer to their question “What seems to be the problem?” to which I respond “Well, Doc, I am old and getting older by the minute.” I think Aunty Acid described it best when she put it like this “CHILDHOOD INJURIES: Fell off my bike, fell out of a tree, twisted my ankle. ADULT INJURIES: Slept wrong, sat too long, sneezed too hard”. I am at physical therapy so often I am beginning to think my PT therapists think I am addicted to therapy. I tell them that it is like a Tee shirt I once read that said, “I used to be able to do cartwheels. Now I tip over putting on my underwear.” That says it all.

My blog today is about the evolution of jeans and how we went from strictly blue to jeans of many colors. The history I researched (Lifestyle article) was like reminiscing about my past because I lived through many of the fashion changes of jeans (because I am old). Between 1800 and 1839 blue jeans were first developed as work clothes, durable and practical but not stylish. From 1930 to 1953 they were western inspired, mostly associated with cowboys. The “50s” also saw jeans as boxy and cuffed. In the “60s” we saw jeans tight at the waist and wide at the bottom. In the “70s” jeans were more ragged and embellished. Bell bottoms (my favorite) became all the rage but also popular were slim straight leg jeans with a punk vibe. In the 80s, with the rise of hip-hop, jeans became baggy and oversized (not my favorite). However, at the same time others were drawn to a more sexy, tight, straight legged jean. I remember trying to squeeze myself into those tight jeans. It was like Aunty Acid said “I’m really into crossfit – I cross my fingers and hope I can fit my ass in those jeans”. Also, jeans with the high waist, acid washed, ripped and stonewashed jeans also became popular. So many choices in the “80s”, something for all of us. In the “90s” button fly jeans were more popular than zip jeans and low rise jeans took hold. In the “2000s” embellished jeans became popular again as did bigger belt loops and super low flared jeans were in. It wasn’t until 2008 that designers moved from “blue jeans” to anything but blue jeans. Color was slowly moving into the jean fashion world. Also we saw the beginnings of boyfriend jeans and jeggins. In 2013, skinny jeans were introduced and jeans became bright and colorful. You could get a pair of skinny jeans in just about any color. I am especially drawn to pastel colored jeans for the summertime which is the focus of this blog.

When putting together my container plants I also consider “pretty cute bottoms”. Containers should also be decorative to make one cohesive piece of beauty. Not all my containers are as decorative as the one below but they all have a decorative element.

I have filled this beautiful container with coleus as a “spiller”, Begonias, hot pink Pentas , and Dusty Millers as “fillers” and Heliotrope as a “thriller”. This container typically sits near my front door because Heliotrope flowers have a beautiful vanilla odor and when I walk out in the morning I bend down to smell it. It is truly a fragrant delight. What a glorious way to start the day!

Ok, let the pretty cute pastel bottoms fashion show begin.

This pair of creamy, buttery pastel yellow jeans go with just about any color. The top contains a pattern of flowers of many colors. Each color looks great with these jeans. I got this top for $22 at this years sidewalk sale in Holland Michigan. I love the flutter sleeves which are trending. It is a great top to hide my two tier belly (fat pads above and below my belly button). It is loose fitting and the hem hits at my hips. The busy pattern minimizes my tummy because it takes the eye away from my shape and onto the beautiful pattern. I am wearing my favorite Clark brand of sandals. They are so comfortable that I wear my old pairs when I water my plants and walk the dog.

When you have a top with so many colors you have such a vast selection of accessories. The necklace is made of a pale green piece of beach glass with a little feather falling down the center reminding me of the feathers I find on the beach. The top is very lightweight and feminine which is perfect for a simple piece of jewelry. The watch and sunglasses are a peachy gold to match the peach color in the flowers of the top. Smooth glass pieces making up the double layers of the dark green bracelet are the same color as the leaves in the top. The bright yellow flower earrings look perfect with the yellow flowers of the top. One of the rings contains green peridot stones and the other contains morganite peach stones. What I love about the rings are the settings. You can wear a ring with a lovely setting and no one will know if it is an expensive stone or a piece of glass.

These pastel green jeans look great with a simple white blouse but are highlighted through the necklace and sunglasses. This is another top that hides the belly by its length and double layering. I paired it with white sandals with a stacked, 1 inch heal.

I have already written about my love for pearls. Because of the pearls in the necklace, I was able to pair the outfit with pearl earrings, bracelet and ring. The other rings has flower petals of Mother of Pearl. The watch goes perfectly with the green around the face and the white band that pulls together the jeans and the top. I don’t know how many of you saw the Hallmark movie called “The Blessing Bracelet” but this bracelet is the one highlighted in the movie. I got it at a Christmas store in St. Joseph, Michigan where the woman who makes the bracelets and who was depicted in the movie made a visit. Each day you touch each pearl while thinking about a blessings in your life.

These boyfriend jeans are a pale pastel pink which means they can be worn with many shades of pink. The top has a gorgeous flower pattern of many shades of pink colors. The loose fitting top perfectly hides my belly and again your eye goes right to the bold pattern and less on the bumps underneath. I also like the loose fitting sleeves and the top is so light weight. I paired it with another of my favorite Clark sandals which are a metallic pink.

I paired the outfit with different shades of pink accessories. The matching necklace and bracelet are made of fleshy pink colored glass pieces, the earrings are a very pale pink, the band of the watch and the rose gold metal of the watch are a little darker pink while the glasses are a very bright pink. One of the rings is a dark green which matches the stem of one of the flowers in the top. The other ring is my buy of the summer. You can’t really see it well but it is made of a rose gold with diamonds in the center of tiny hearts. We were in Kohl’s up in Holland, Michigan. I did not know that Kohl’s was getting rid of their jewelry department and were having a great sale. I got this beautiful ring for $90 marked down from $300. It was my big splurge of the summer.

Enough of the fashion show, let’s talk about my weight. I am happy to say that I only gained 2 pounds over my two week vacation. I thought for sure the adjustment in my thyroid medication would cause me to gain weight but surprisingly it did not. I lost those two pounds my first week home. I can only surmise my limited weight gain was due to all the walking I did at sidewalk sales, craft shows, farmer’s markets and the 73 steps up the cliff stairs from the beach . I am also happy that going to the gym is off the table since I don’t have to lose those pounds. I have already told you my feeling about exercising beyond my morning walk with my dog. It’s like Aunty Acid says “A part of me wants to go to the gym and the other part of me isn’t a liar”. That says it all!

Well, until next month, remember God loves you and so do I.