Hi to all my Gal Pals,
Welcome to blog #65. Seven more blogs before the finale. It is that time of year. Happy Spring, Happy Easter and Happy Allergy season! Spring does have its pros and cons. I love how we go from drab to colorful. It takes me back to a time long, long ago, when we watched black and white TV (yes, I am that old). When my dad bought our first colored TV it opened up a whole new world for us. Kinda like in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy’s world was colorless then she experienced the beautiful colors of Oz. The grass is now green, the forsythia and daffodils are a beautiful yellow, the blooms of the magnolias are pink and white and the flowers of the crocus are multicolored as are the buds of the hyacinths. What is not to love about spring! WELL, last year was the first time I ever experienced spring allergies and I was miserable. I am hoping they bypass me this year. It is like Crabby Maxine describes it, “For spring my nose decided to take up running”. Does that count as exercise? For me the worst part of spring has to do with aging. Many of you will be able to relate to my problem. I think I have addressed it in past blogs. My body likes to speak to me when it is going to rain. I want to scream at it “Use your words!” but instead it communicates by making my joints ache. I would prefer to watch the weather on the news to find out when it is going to rain but my body says “that is so impersonal!”. I can relate to Aunty Acid who says “They say you should listen to what your body is telling you but mine just points and laughs”. Because I am allergic to so many over-the counter and prescription meds I may have to endure this spring malady. Unfortunately, April showers bring more than May flowers. It brings a lot of sleepless nights caused by aches and pains. Oh well, this too shall pass (or will it?). OK, I am going to stop complaining now. I should accept that I am pain free on most days and happy that April, the worst month for me, is only 30 days out of 360 days. I remind myself that it is the small things in life that really matter and all is well. It is like Aunty Acid says “Sometimes when my underwear matches, it makes me feel like I really have my life together”.
According to fashion magazines, everybody is wearing caramel colors in 2025. Call it butterscotch or toffee if you prefer but consider it a new neutral with a confident kick. Caramel is a versatile color that can range from light beige to deep golden brown, making it easy to pair with a variety of colors. Caramel is universally flattering and compliments a wide range of skin tones. The outfits I am wearing in today’s blog show how caramel can be paired with other neutral colors like white or with warm or cool colors like corals and pinks. I am also wearing an outfit that is caramel from head to toe for an on-trend tonal look.
When landscaping you really have to consider the backdrop to your plantings. If you have a neutral color backdrop, you can plant with almost any color. While my backdrop is a dark brown (the color stain on my house) not a golden brown like caramel, it is still considered a neutral color. Because of that I was able to plant flowers with a palette of colors. However, dark red and dark purple get lost when the backdrop is dark.
This is a picture of what the area around my patio and deck looked like at the end of April. To the right are the white feathery flowers of the fothergilla shrubs that don’t leaf out until after flowering has ended. The ground cover to the left is filled with tiny yellow flowers. The hanging plants at the corners of the pergola are filled with purple violas along with purple and white sweet alyssum. The crab tree is full of white flowers and in the planter that surrounds the deck I planted pansies, stock and bright orange dwarf asiatic lilies. It was a profusion of color after a very colorless winter.
OK, let the fashion show begin.
Here I chose a monochromatic caramel colored outfit. The light weight sweater set is embellished with coppery metal studs that form a flowery pattern. The set looks perfect with the two toned caramel checked pattern in the pants. It is time to break out the sandals! This is my head to toe caramel outfit. It is perfect for spring.
The metallic accessories go perfectly with the metallic studs in the sweater. The beads on the necklace and earrings are like the roundness of the studs. The watchband is the same color as the beads and it has a round face. The coppery metal of the bracelet and rings finish the look.
This is the outfit where I combined two neutral colors. The white blouse and white pants really bring out the vibrant caramel color of the topper. The topper has a very Indonesian flare so I am wearing leather sandals to complete the look.
The leather in the watchband and the braided leather of the necklace go so beautifully with the braided sandals. The pattern on the earrings and the craftsmanship of the rings pair beautifully with this outfit. The leather and beading on the bracelet goes perfectly with the leather and beading of the necklace. All these pieces really enhance the Indonesian flare of the topper.
Here is where I combined the warm and cool colors of the blouse with the neutral caramel color of the pants. There are subtle blotches of caramel color in the dolman sleeved blouse. I paired this outfit with cherry red, open toe shoes.
Here you can better see the blotches of caramel coloring in the blouse. The metals in this grouping of accessories are gold. The burgundy earrings represent the warm tones while the soft pink of the watch band represents the cool tones in the blouse. The dark red color of the garnet ring and the pink glass of the butterfly ring complete the ensemble.
I wish I could tell you that I lost a pound or two but I refuse to get on the scale. It would just depress me and I don’t want to feel down right now. I am glad that the dress I chose to wear for the fashion show has an empire bodice so it hides all sins. The biggest problem I have is all the candy I am surrounded by because of the holiday! I can relate to Aunty Acid who says “Just a heads up. I’m starting my summer diet which has probably ended by the time you read this”. I ordered chocolate filled Easter eggs to help a choir who was having a fund raiser. They were not the small little eggs I typically put into candy dishes. They were more like the size of the large Fanny May Easter Eggs. They did not last more than one day. No one has commented on my weight gain so I take that as a good sign or maybe they heard Aunty Acid say “A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than people who MENTION IT!”.
Well, until next time, remember God loves you and so do I.
A Peek Into Pam’s Closets 