Happy ‘NEW’ Year

To all my Gal Pals,

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe we are entering 2024 and I have written 50 blogs! Starting a new year is a mixed bag. Life is a balance and there are pros and cons to everything so I thought I would voice my thoughts on celebrating the ringing in of the new year. On the positive side we celebrate New Years Eve as a “Good Riddance Day” because we are glad to get rid of all the stressors of 2023. We celebrate because we survived the last 365 days and we see the new year as getting a fresh start. We tend to be optimistic that our lives will be better in 2024 and we make resolutions because of our desire to have some control over our lives for the next 365 days. Our resolutions are an anticipation of possibilities and typically focus on self-improvement. However, let’s be honest (now the Debbie Downer side of me emerges) our stressors tend to follow us right into the new year. For example, how many of you haven’t looked at your charge card statement from Christmas because you want to wait until after the holidays? I can relate to Aunty Acid who says when the holidays are over “I look forward to paying off all my debts and finally getting back to just being broke”. The stressors of 2023 don’t magically disappear. And as for those resolutions, they are rarely kept by the second Friday of January which is appropriately referred to as “Quitters Day”. There was a British study conducted of 3,000 people over one year. Of those subjects, 88% failed to achieve the goals of their resolutions although 52% had been confident when they made them. As far as self improvement how many of us can relate to Aunty Acid who says “I can’t believe it has been a whole year since I didn’t become a better person”. While we all know the resolution statistics are real, there is still something glorious about the 36 hours we celebrate. It is during these hours that hope springs eternal and anything is possible. Well let’s hope that 2024 is a good year for all of us. I will leave you with the profound wisdom of Aunty Acid “Happy New Year! Try not to screw it up.”

I have highlighted the word “New” in the title of this blog because there is something about wearing new clothes that reminds me of the feeling we have on New Year’s Eve. According to Behavioral Psychologist Professor Carolyn Nair, a person may associate a new outfit with feeling of self-esteem, self-worth, superiority and/or success. When we try on new clothing we can see ourselves as a different person and take on a new identity and mood. It is a phenomenon called “enclothed cognition”, the ideas that our clothing choices can impact our mood, self image and even our performance. Psychologist Dr. Audrey Tang says it is possible that donning new clothes help to give a person a new perspective. In today’s world where people are always looking for ways to improve themselves, wearing new clothes every now and then can give them the boost they need. According to Harpers Bazaar magazine the idea of instilling joy through what we wear has a name – “dopamine dressing” and has long been the subject of psychological research. In theory, when we buy or wear new clothes, dopamine in our brains is released in large amounts creating feelings of pleasure and reward. It is funny how my taste in clothing has changed over the years. I wouldn’t dare wear some of the clothes I wore in my 20’s and 30’s but I still think I look fashionable in what I wear today. I have not yet reached the fashion sense of Aunty Acid who says “At my age ‘strappy shoes’ means sandals with Velcro fasteners” but I assume I will one day be able to relate. In the mean time I love to wear what I think are fashionable clothes and I was lucky enough to get some adorable new clothes as gifts for Christmas that not only look good but also hide my fat pads.

I typically insert something here about landscape design as it relates to the topic of my blog but I got such beautiful gifts for Christmas that I decided to use the space for another outfit instead.

So let the fashion show begin….

What I love about this top is the way it sparkles! I am not sure you can see all the gold metallic threading that is throughout this top but you can really see it in the next picture. It is a mesh of black and reds with dark pink flowers. The overlay is quite sheer so there is an attached red sleeveless top underneath. I am pairing it with black pants that has a little bit of a sheen which makes them a little dressier as well as a pair of dressy black heels.

In this picture you can really see the gold threading in the top. I wanted to highlight the gold so all the jewelry complements the top. The cuts in the gold bracelet make it sparkle. The earrings and the watch go beautifully with the choker as they are all a little heavier in the gold metal. Both of the gold band rings add a little sparkle. One is ruby and diamonds white the other is a red toned firefly whose body is is made up of faux diamonds.

This caramel gold and black top flairs a little at the hem so I paired it with my black palazzo pants. The picture is deceiving but the legs are very wide and flow when I walk. I love all the little fashionable cuts in the hem and sleeves and the high neckline. The square buttons and the vertical black trim add that little bit of pizzazz. I am wearing l inch wedge heel shoes. I don’t like wearing dressy, spiky heels with palazzo pants.

I really wanted to highlight the black lines in the top so I am wearing a simple black bracelet and gold watch with a black band. I have worn the black wooden ring and the 3 tone metallic ring with outfits in previous blogs but that is because they are very versatile pieces. The metallic black and gold earrings hang perfectly above the collar. You don’t want to wear earrings that fall too close to a collar or necklace.

This outfit was a Christmas gift to myself. It is hard to tell from the picture but the top looks like a shiny leather and pairs beautifully with the shiny gold coated, alligator patterned jeans. I love it when Chico’s has a good sale. Between the sale, my coupons and my membership discount I got the pants for less than $50 instead of the original price of $109 (never would I pay that amount for a pair of pants!) and I got the top for $25 (worth every penny!). I paired the outfit with gold toned flats.

Because of the shiny leather look of the outfit I thought my accessories should all be heavy on the metals. I started by layering my necklaces with both silver and gold. The multiple chains of the long necklace just seemed an appropriate look for the leather looking outfit. The bracelet and earrings have long metal gold bead with silver tips. The watch is a simple gold accessory which allows the other pieces to shine. One ring is a very simple silver piece with cuts that make it sparkle and the other has a very intricate gold pattern which also sparkles. I think the accessories are as bold as the outfit.

I love the claret red sweater and sleeveless matching shell. The sleeves of the sweater are made of a beautiful old-time lace looking pattern. I paired the top with my snakeskin looking skinny pants and a leather black belt. Again, I never wear a belt unless I am wearing an article of clothing over it and I always wear a wide belt because if I wear a thin belt you would not be able to see it because of my fat pads. I am wearing glossy patent leather black flats.

Because of the sleeves, I dress up the outfit with my accessories. I start with the lotus looking necklace which allows me to wear both silver and gold metals in my other accessories. My watch has gold metal around the face and a silver band. The necklace is somewhat showy so I paired it with a bold silver bracelet and hoop earrings. One of my rings is a sparkly silver flower and the other has beautiful cuts in the gold and silver metals that make it sparkle. Both rings look like a great match to the center of the lotus flower.

Now for the paragraph I dreaded to write. As you recall from the previous blog the dosage of my thyroid meds has been lowered which means I can no longer eat anything I want without gaining weight. However, I ate as if my medicine dosage had never been changed. I filled my Christmas candy dishes the week after Thanksgiving but the candy never made it to Christmas. After 2 pounds of candy, 3 dozen Christmas cookies, cakes and creamy dips I gained 4 pounds since my last blog at which time I had already gained 2 pounds for a grand total of 6 pounds. I guess I should make a New Year’s resolution about exercising and dieting but I know myself well and I don’t want to be both frustrated and fat. I suppose I should go on a diet but I know I won’t stick to it. I am sure I would tackle it like Aunty Acid who approaches dieting this way “Not to brag but I finished my 14 day diet in 3 hours and 29 minutes”. As for exercising I would like to present to you Aunty Acids reasoning for not attempting it. “Some things to ponder before you go to the gym:”

1). If walking were good for you, a postman would live forever.

2) A rabbit eats nothing but vegetables and hops around all day but only lives for 5 years.

3). A blue whale never stops swimming all of its life. It only eats fish and drinks water and yet manages to put on 20 tons of blubber.

4). A giant tortoise never runs and moves very little all day long, yet it lives for 450 years.

And you say I should exercise…I DON’T THINK SO!”

Well, that is it for this month. On New Years Eve I will be curled up on my couch with a good book and an old movie. It is like Aunty Acid said “I’m going to use what little energy I have today to breathe and maybe blink. That’s About It!”. I used to be able to go to parties on New Years Eve and celebrate with others but now I celebrate at midnight with my dog in my powder room with the fan on because he has a panic attack when he hears the midnight fireworks. If I don’t sit with him in the powder room he will literally try to climb my kitchen cabinets scratching the finish.

So until the next blog remember God loves you and so do I.