Happy New Year to all my Gal Pals!
It is time to usher in the new and get rid of the old. Well, I will be ushering in 12 new blogs in 2025 but it will be my last 12 blogs. I originally started out to do a fashion blog for 1 year (12 blogs) and yet here I am with blog number 62. I figured I will be 73 years old this year and during 2025 I will post blog #73. It seems like an omen. So, for the next 12 months you will probably hear about my ups and downs and my thrill about aging (NOT!). I thought I would start out this new year with my annual self-reflection routine which I tend to do in front of a mirror. The problem is my mirror can reflect only what it sees, THE TRUTH. I took a really good look and said to myself “When did I get these new wrinkles?!” and “ When did these fat rolls get fatter?!”. I do this to myself every December 31st and think “That’s it! My New Year’s resolution is plastic surgery!”. However, I know myself well. I would start with a little nip-and-tuck. If that would be successful I would do one more little adjustment, then another and another until I would probably not recognize myself in the mirror. I don’t want to end up like Joan Rivers who once said, “I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware” but with my luck I would probably end up looking like comedian Rita Rudner who stated “ I don’t plan to grow old gracefully. I plan to have facelifts until my ears meet”. By New’s Year Day I remind myself that I am going to be 73 years old. Plastic surgery would cost a fortune and who am I trying to impress? I assume my friends like me just the way I am (maybe with a little less sarcasm) so the only solution is to cover the mirror which will make putting on makeup a little difficult. I just have to accept that this reflection in the mirror is who I am even with all my imperfections. I am kinda like Crabby Maxine who says “I don’t know what’s so special about New Year’s Eve, I drop the ball at least once a day!”. So a special thank you to all my friends who know exactly who I am and still put up with all my flaws.
OK, let’s talk fashion for the new year. What I love about New Year’s Eve fashion is all the glittering, shining, sparkling outfits. You know from past blogs how much I love to wear gold accessories with my black outfits. Gold and black together are all about sophistication and glamour. New Year’s celebrations always seem to include the wearing of gold clothing, jewelry or holiday home decorations. There is a reason we wear gold to usher in the new year. It is associated with affluence and success. There is a warmth to it like the shine of the sun. It is said that being surrounded by the sparkling elements of gold will bring good fortune to you in the new year. I figure if I wear gold throughout the year that I can only increase my chances of good fortune.
I decided to insert a picture of a holiday flower that I have nursed for over a year.
It turned green over the summer then I gave it 12 hours of total darkness each night starting in October and this is the result. The thing about plants is that if you put time and effort into them, you are always rewarded.
Well, let’s see some gold and black fashion combos.
This short poncho just shimmers. Because it is short, I am wearing a black, somewhat shiny, turtle neck underneath that falls loosely around my hips and belly. When combined with a pair of black dress pants that has a bit of sheen you totally mask the little bulge under the short poncho. I am wearing a pair of black heels to finish off the outfit.
The poncho has these beautiful cutout petals and leaves that have been covered with a see-through, black netting. It is hard to see all the bling in the jewelry from this picture. Some of this jewelry contains real diamonds while others contain cubic zirconia. It is really hard to tell the difference. All the metals are gold. The sparkly flower of the ring matches beautifully with the flowers in the poncho. The stud earrings become even more fabulous with the lovely earring jackets surrounding them.
This gold metallic top just shines! I love the buttons that are not only going down the front but are also an accent on the sleeves. The back of the top is just as cute with a large pleat going down the middle with a little black button at the top of the pleat. I have paired the top with a pair of wide leg, stretchy pants and shiny patent leather shoes with a 1 inch wedge heel. This is such a comfy outfit and it allows you to eat all you want on New Year’s Eve or any other occasion.
This outfit screams for shiny black metallic jewelry. That is the description of the watch, bangle bracelet and one of the rings. The earrings and other ring are gold and black which helps to pull together the metallic black jewelry with the metallic gold of the top. The black flower pin helps to tone down all the metallic shine coming off the top.
In my day the material of this top would have been described as velour but upon purchase it was called velveteen. All I know is that it is soft, stretchy and comfy. It is nice and long so it looks great with my black leggings. The shoes have a 1 inch wedge heel and are covered with a black cloth material.
This is a great grouping of accessories. The scarf has these lovely layers of gold, black and white. The bangle bracelet is gold and black with a similar pattern as the scarf. The beaded ring, earrings and necklace go perfectly together even though they are not a set. The other ring is a solid black because I did not want to introduce another pattern into this grouping.
As for my weight, after looking at myself in the mirror I was too terrified to get onto the scale. I was so proud of myself when I wrote my last blog. I had lost all the weight I had previously gained but admitted it was because I had a virus during the month of November and was unable to taste most foods so why bother eating anything fun (like chocolate candy). Well, my tastebuds were just fine in December. I put out my chocolate Christmas candy on December 1st as part of my holiday decor. By the time my company came on Christmas Eve I had eaten my way through 4 bags and had to replenish the said decor with bags 5 and 6. It is now New Year’s Eve and I can’t let the candy go to waste so it is part of my evening celebration since I have finished off all the Christmas cookies. I have a doctors appointment on Friday and I am sure to find out how much I have gained since weighing in is the first thing they do. I am seeing my heart doctor and I am sure he will shame me into losing the weight. Unfortunately, I am not easily shamed. Aunty Acid and I have the same problem, “Every time I lose weight I find it in the refrigerator”.
Well, the countdown officially begins. I hope this year brings you great joy. Until next time, remember God loves you and so do I.
A Peek Into Pam’s Closets 