Merry Christmas to all my Gal Pals.

There will be no complaining in this Christmas blog but rather a blog of blessings. This is a time when we think about our fellow man instead of ourselves. I love everything about Christmas unlike Crabby Maxine who finds something to complain about such as “It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride. Especially if you like staring at a horse’s rear while freezing your jingle bells off”. Since joining the Lockport Women’s club I feel like it is Christmas all year round. For those of you who volunteer to help those in your community in some way will know what I mean when I say there is no greater feeling than knowing someone’s life is better because you were ready to lend a helping hand. When our club raised a SUBSTANTIAL amount of money for Legacy Horse Ranch in Lockport so they could pave their parking lot and driveway, I knew that the staff and the therapy clients in wheelchairs would no longer be challenged by the stones of the gravel parking lot. There is nothing like the warm feeling of pride and good will to man that I felt working Christmas Crossroads craft fair knowing that the proceeds would be used for scholarships for seniors at the high school or for women who never went to or finished college courses and want to do so. I am grateful that I am part of an organization that will bring a monthly book to children 0 – 5 years old because we partner with the State of Illinois to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Lockport. We partner with the Rotary Club to make sure senior citizens have food to eat and we contribute to Lockport Loves which is a non-profit charity run by our wonderful police force so they can help individuals and families residing in Lockport during times of need. They help our community all year round but often times the holiday season hits those in need the hardest and if they are made aware of any child who needs a Christmas gift that child will not go without. I love that we each contribute to the community monthly like when we each bring in hats and gloves to donate to a school so children who don’t have these can go out at recess and play or we each bring in a Toy for Tots for Christmas. But what I enjoy the most is working with the young adults with special needs on sewing projects. I don’t know how to sew but we are learning together. We have made some beautiful wine gift bags, stuffed pumpkin decorations, gift card holders and are finishing up tote bags. They are such a joy to be around. Such a gift! So as you can see the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in Lockport all year around and I get to be a small part of it. There is nothing like it! And to all my friends I have to agree with Aunty Acid who says “I just saw Santa’s naughty list. Funny…it is very similar to my friend list”.

Did you know that there are 134 different shades of red? Red is the first color that humans mastered, fabricated, reproduced,, and broke down into different shades. It is also one of the earliest colors used by artists during the prehistoric period. Throughout the Middle Ages, red had a religious significance. It was the color of the blood of Christ and the fires of Hell. In the Renaissance period, red colors were supposed to draw the viewer’s attention to the most influential figures in a painting. In the 19th century, red became the color of a new political and social movement. It is usually linked with our strong emotions such as love, energy, power, desire, and anger. People who favor the color red are generally observed to be extroverts, outgoing and enjoy spending time with people and living life to the fullest but they can also be seen as competitive and unapologetic individuals. However, in December, red represents Christmas and the excitement, action and vibrancy of the holidays. So, if you are not sure what to wear for your friends or family get togethers, just pull out something red from your closet, dressy or casual, and you will represent the best of Christmas fashion.

Let’s talk about the color red in the landscape design. Below is a picture of red bee balm flowers mixed with the pink flowers of the queen of the prairie in a section of my perennial garden.

Red flowers are beautiful when planted around the border of a small yard or in containers around the deck. However, I learned that when you have a large lot and you plant a perennial garden 75 feet away from the deck you cannot see the red flowers. They get lost in the see of green. From my deck I could see the pink of the queen of the prairie and the white of the metallic flowers but the red flowers disappear. The same is true of deep purple flowers. These bee balm plants stand 5 feet tall and there is nothing worse than mass planting a beautiful plant then not being able to enjoy it. I eventually ripped them out because I felt disappointed in my choice and I wanted to plant something I could see as I relaxed on my deck. So remember when you are planting a garden or even a container to take into consideration the backdrop of the plants.

Well, time for being wrapped in red.

This is a classic bright red. The top has a beautiful red sheen and the pointed black buttons not only go up the front but also up the back. Because of the stiffness of the material I can easily stand up the collar to give it a chic look. It fits loosely around the tummy and when paired with the black leggings it gives the outfit a slimming appearance. I am wearing it with black leather shoes with a small 1 inch heel which also makes my legs look slimmer.

Since I am standing up the collar I chose not to wear a necklace. I love the multi strand beads of the earrings. The gold and black bracelet and one of the rings contain similar beads. The other ring is very unique and it looks like a grouping of black and gold sticks with a little bling added. I bought it at an antique shop in South Haven, Michigan.

True story about this top. When my daughter was in college I took this rich burgundy red, velveteen dress out of her closet to wear with a pair of black leggings. She is now 42 years old which makes this top at least 26 years old. As you can see it never left my closet and it looks as good today as it did the day she bought it. It is the oldest article of clothing in my closet and I just can’t part with it. I now pair it with winter white pants and cream colored shoes.

I think wearing all off white accessories really makes this outfit look classy. You can never go wrong with pearls and this choker looks so good next to the flower pin. The rest of the grouping is a combination of gold and off white accessories.

I love unique pieces like this dark red topper I got at a craft fair. It is a mesh piece of material and the crafter sewed black and red patches and wove pieces of trim in random spots on the topper. Because of the black in the patches I paired this outfit with a black short sleeved loose fitting top and a dress pair of pants. I am wearing a stretchy gold belt. The only time I wear a belt is if I am wearing a jacket or topper that minimizes my belly as does the black outfit. My shoes are shined black patent leather with a small wedge heel.

In this picture you can get a better view of the pieces of trim next to the patches. All the accessories are gold or a combination of dark red and gold. I love to layer my necklaces and the beads on the short necklace are beautiful. The earring and necklace are a set. The stones in the rings are ruby and garnet.

So, I lost the weight I gained this summer. The doctor is not sure if it is my allergies or a virus but I feel like I have a constant head cold and breathing problems which have lasted for 10 weeks. Usually I stuff myself with comfort food when I don’t feel well but I have trouble tasting my food so I don’t really feel like eating. I lost 5 pounds this month so I guess there is some benefit to not feeling well. I am getting in a faster walk each day because my dog walks so fast in the cold and does less sniffing. I don’t need to worry about weight gain during the holidays if I can’t enjoy the Christmas cookies and candy. Eating Christmas treats is my favorite activity during the holidays. I love this quote by Crabby Maxine “I want to thank everyone who brings healthy treats to a Christmas party. Those extra 5 minutes in a nursing home are sure to be heavenly”.

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

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

I bet you thought this was going to be one of those “count my blessing” posts but you would be wrong. I want you to know that I know how blessed I am but I decided another complaint was in order. I think I knew when I reached the age of 50 that there would be depreciation of my body and I thought that I would be prepared for it. I think I have been very accepting of the fact that it is not easy for me to get out of my little car and that my energy level has been depleted. There are some changes to my body that are surprising but really don’t bother me. Joan Rivers says it best “My breasts are so low now I can have a mammogram and a pedicure at the same time”. However, I was not prepared for the disconnect between my brain and my bladder. You younger readers won’t be able to relate to this part of the blog but I am giving you fair warning. Yes, ladies, I am going there. How can something so small like a 2 inch bladder create such big problems? Aunty Acid puts it this way “Isn’t it strange that as we climb life’s ladder, everything about us seems to get fatter EXCEPT OUR DAMN BLADDERS!”. My first brain-bladder disconnect comes along when I am drinking my flavored water in the afternoon with my snack and doing just fine until I stand up. Why my brain doesn’t tell me that my bladder is full until then, I don’t know. So I walk the 14 paces into the powder room with no problem. Here is where the second disconnect comes in. I am in the powder room and I turn toward the toilet. Now my brain acts like the mature adult in the room and tells me the sequence of steps I need to take to empty my bladder properly in the toilet. On the other hand, my bladder acts like the impulsive child in the room and doesn’t seem to receive the message from my brain. Therefore, it is like Pavlov’s dog except instead of salivating when it hears a bell, my bladder lets loose when it sees the toilet. What the heck! Nobody warned me about this! So I think the only solution is to blindfold myself before I enter into the powder room. Here’s hoping I don’t kill myself in the process. That’s it, I’m done. I will never speak of this again. Thank you for listening.

I love fall because of all the beautiful colors. Not only are the leaves and temperatures changing but so are the wardrobe styles and color palettes. The vivid greens, yellows and oranges of the tree leaves are fabulous in women’s fall fashions. I love the pink tones that are trending this year but there is nothing like the natural colors of fall. Orange and yellow are colors that embody warmth and optimism while green has long been associated with renewal, growth and harmony. We surround ourselves with these colors in our home decor because it reminds us to cherish the present moment, to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us and it gives us a cozy feeling. We get these same feelings when we wear these amazing hues. However, in keeping with the topic of bladder issues, I thought you would appreciate a quote from Joan Rivers “I can’t wear yellow anymore. It’s too matchy-matchy with my catheter”. Hopefully, this is not an issue for you.

Once again I am exposing you to the front of my townhouse but it represents everything I love about fall colors.

I have even incorporated the trending pink color in with the orange, green and yellows of fall. Somehow it all comes together beautifully. One of my neighbors said she would like to just live in my small garden. I think she was telling me she would feel cozy in my little corner of the world. Me too!

OK, let the fall fashion show begin.

This is a great outfit for a cool fall day. All the autumn colors are represented in this quilted jacket and I see it as a statement piece. Underneath I am wearing an orange, sleeveless, mock turtleneck. The jacket looks great with the orange jeans but you have so many colors to choose from when you wear this jacket. I paired this outfit with the wheat colored shoes that match the wheat color in the jacket.

I had so many choices in my accessories but I kept it simple because I wanted to highlight the colors in the jacket but not take away from the design on the jacket. The orange of the watch band, earrings and ring combined with the yellow of the bracelet and the green stone of the other ring represent all the colors of fall.

Sunflowers make me happy as do ponchos. These sunflowers contain three shades of yellow, one of which is a light buttery yellow which is why I chose to wear it with a light buttery yellow pair of jeans. The poncho also looks great with mustard yellow or black jeans. I like the black flats with this outfit. This whole outfit is comfy and it hides all my fat rolls.

This jacket is just long enough to hide my belly. The multicolored geometric designs make it easy to pair it with many different colored pants. I like a lot of color so I matched this orange top with these green jeans both of which are vibrant fall colors. If you don’t like to wear two bold colors together I would suggest wearing the jacket with black or mustard colored pants. I have a black turtleneck top underneath the jacket but if you are always hot I would suggest a sleeveless mock turtleneck top underneath. The black 1inch heels help to tone down the bold colors. I wore the headband for fun for this picture.

There is so much color in the jacket so I wear more neutral colors in my accessories. I decided to highlight more of the black and yellow colors in the jacket with the black earrings, black bracelet, black ring and yellow watch. I subtlety pulled in the green with a green ring. I went with the round earrings because of the beautiful round buttons.

Well, this is where I talk about my weight. I wish I could tell you that I lost a few pounds but I would be lying. I know we have always been told that we should exercise early in the morning before we eat so I was thinking maybe that was my problem. I know people who just can’t eat when they first get up in the morning. That is not me! The minute I get up I eat. I was happy to hear the new research says that short strolls for 30 minutes straight after a meal reduces blood sugar and the level of glucose in you interstitial fluid. That means that the glucose will be used by your muscles instead of being stored as fat. I take a 2 mile walk right after I eat so that is not why I can’t lose weight. Maybe it is because I like to eat. It is kinda like Aunty Acid says “My new hobby is getting fat and I’m getting really good at it”. With the holidays coming up I just don’t see me doing anything drastic so I think I am going to subscribe to Crabby Maxine’s solution “I finally decided to do something about my weight…LIE”.

I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and please remember to VOTE.

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

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

This is going to be one of those cynical blogs (surprise, surprise!). I think I was sold a bill of goods when they told me that these were going to be my “Golden Years”. I am pretty sure I was told this would be the period of my life when I could relax, travel, pursue hobbies and spend time with loved ones without the constraints of work or other responsibilities. It refers to a period of prosperity, happiness, and satisfaction after retirement. I think I have been cheated! I have been handed the wrong ore! Instead of gold in the bank I was given lead in my ass. Instead of traveling to other places (which takes money) most days I have the energy of a sloth. I am going to get me one of those T-shirts that say “Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.” I am reading up about the “Golden Years” because I wanted to know who coined this idiom. I knew there had to be a gimmick involved and I was correct. It was a concept coined by a man named Dell Webb and his company in 1959 to cast retirement as the time for a life of leisure. His pitch was “Instead of being dreaded years of decline, retirement would become something people longed for”. This is the hype he used to sell retirement living in the US through the Sun City brand of communities. In other words, he had a product to sell and he knew the right words to make his product appealing. Apparently he was right because Dell Webb senior living communities are popular. We are being set up for what seems to be an idealistic phase in life but factors such as health problems, financial instability, lack of family support or just not knowing what to do with one’s time all play a roll in shaping our experience during this period and can make life challenging. It is like something Crabby Maxine once said “Hip joints, knee joints, lower back….yep, my triple -action doppler says it’s going to rain.” For some, referring to their “Golden Years” could come across as insensitive. The phrase can sometimes carry connotations of privilege or wealth but not all of us may have the same opportunities or resources available. I no longer have the delusion of my “Golden Years” but rather the reality of “It is what it is” and I try not to let it get to me. During these times I lean on Aunty Acid’s humor. She says “When I’m feeling down and someone tells me to ‘Suck It Up’ I get an overwhelming urge to break their legs and say ‘Walk It Off’. Gotta love her!

The topic today is women’s business “suits” (hence the blog title and the picture of the diamond suit) and how they are trending in the current fashion. First, let me tell you a little about the history of these suits. The 20th century saw influential designers such as Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent designing business suits for women that exuded sophistication and elegance. Women’s business suits were originally designed for practicality and modesty but they have evolved to represent power, confidence and style. Today, women’s suits come in a myriad of styles, colors and fits. Well, if you are like me and have several business suits just hanging in the closet because you don’t need them in retirement but you hesitate to get rid of them because they are so lovely and were so expensive, you are in luck. The new trend is wearing suit jackets and blazers with casual pants including jeans. If you don’t have a suit jacket my suggestion is to go to your local thrift store and buy one. Don’t just look in the women’s section because there are some sharp suit jackets in the men’s section. Also, business slacks are known as dress pants which are the more formal or semi-formal style of pants. However, you can wear them as part of a smart-casual outfit.

This is where I usually discuss landscape design but instead of 1 picture of a landscape design and 3 fashion designs I am going to take two of my business suits and show you 4 pictures of how I use them to make 4 different outfits. I will show you how to dress these pieces up or make them more casual while hiding the belly bulge.

So let the fashion show begin!

This is the suit jacket of my favorite business suit. It has a beautiful sheen and the color is a cross between a dark gold and a taupe with a creme colored pinstripe. I paired it with a loose-fitting taupe colored top and winter white brushed corduroy pants. I am wearing my off- white, 1 inch heels because the continuation of the same color from the waist down gives my legs a long lean look even when wearing a heavier material. It is the ombré scarf that really pulls this outfit together because it highlights each piece of the outfit and helps make the outfit semi-casual.

I have accessorized this outfit with the off-white coloring of the pearl and gold ring, the off-white color of the stone in the gold bracelet, the color of some of the beads of the necklace and the stone in the gold earrings. The copper colored watch, beads of the necklace and the setting of the small diamonds of the other ring add a little pop of color while staying within the same color palette.

Here I have dressed down the pants of the same suit by pairing the pants with an off-white, linen sleeveless top and an eggshell colored topper that is beautifully embroidered with crochet trim, both of which match the pinstripes in the pants. You can see the embroidery better in the next picture. To make it more casual I am wearing it with a wing tip pair of shoes matching the color of the pants.

All the accessories fall within the same color palette as the outfit. The watch is antique gold while one ring has a brown topaz stone in a gold setting the other ring is a gold band with a mass of tiny faux diamonds. The shorter neck accessory is made of cream, gold, taupe and copper colored yarns and trims. My cousin Sally made the longer neck accessory by knotting together several pieces of trim that beautifully match the shorter neck accessory. The colors of the bangle bracelets are taupe, brown and cream matching the neck pieces and the earrings.

I have a a thing for suits with a showy sheen which make this suit jacket look silver. To dress it down I have paired it with a white cowl neck top and black brushed corduroy jeans. Because the jacket is shiny I paired the outfit with my shiny Patton leather shoes. I love that the longer top under the short jacket is considered stylish because I can hide my belly bulge with this style.

The fun suit pin is made up of zebra stripped yarn. You know from past blogs that I love to mix patterns especially geometric patterns. The geometric pattern of the earrings looks sharp with the silver, white and black geometric pattern of the bracelet. The long dark silver chained necklace is made up of black beads and I love the way it hangs from the cowl neck of my white top. The square ring has a dark metal setting with silver beads and goes beautifully with the dark silver metal of the watch. I have often worn my black ring made of wood but I had to pair it with this outfit because it really goes well with the black corduroy pants.

The shimmer of the pants goes so beautifully with this black collared vest. The painted white flowers and leaves are connected by a shiny silver metallic paint. I am wearing a black mock turtle neck top as a background so you really are drawn to the shimmery pattern of the vest. To make it a little more dressy I have pared it with a pointed toe pair of heels.

The long silver necklace contains flowers similar to those of the vest. The bangles are shimmery white and the silver ones are cut in such a way they look shimmery also. The band of the watch is covered with a silver shimmery plastic and the cuts of the rhinestone earrings make them very reflective of the light. One of the rings is made up of silver looking leaves and the other is a black and faux diamond band.

Well, there has been no movement as far as my weight and yet I am happy. Last week I had a small birthday get-together for my daughter and son-in-law. Of course there were left-overs that someone had to eat. That someone was me! Apparently there are a lot of calories in fried chicken, macaroni-and-cheese, corn bread, cupcakes and 4 different flavors of ice cream. Who knew?! So now you see why I am happy that I only gained a half of a pound. I guess I relate to Aunty Acid’s rational, “My new hobby is getting fat. I’m getting really good at it!”. Of course I really like Crabby Maxine’s problem solving “I finally decided to do something about my weight…LIE!”.

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

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

I have decided I do not like the label “senior citizen”. It seems like people lump us all into this phase of life as if we were all destined for the grave. It reminds me of something Joan Rivers said “You know why I feel older? I went to buy sexy underwear and they automatically gift wrapped it for me”. The latest research shows that humans mature more rapidly at 44 and 60. Therefore, I think we should be relabeled as “maturing adults”. There is no finality to this label but rather a continuation of life. Also, I think when people consider us as “senior citizens” they put in big letters “SUCKER” on our foreheads. First of all, let’s consider all those anti-aging products out there that are very expensive because they promise to make us look younger. The global anti-aging market was valued around 62 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and is expected to increase to some 93 billion by 2027. We fall for those ads promising that skin creams will smooth away those new wrinkles and crepey skin. I became one of those “suckers”. I paid more for a skin lotion that was for crepey skin than I did for a cheaper body lotion I have used for years. Much to my surprise, after reading the labels, they both contained the same ingredients (Ugh). Consumer reports found that the wrinkle creams they tested “had a small effect and not on everyone”. They did say that retinoids had ‘some’ positive effect at prescription levels. Add to that stem-cell facelifts that may or may not work (not a lot of research) but promise to get rid of the wrinkles for which you will pay quite a bit for the possibility. You could pay thousands if you decide to see a plastic surgeon, but if you do take this advice from Crabby Maxine “A good rule to remember for life is that when it comes to plastic surgery and sushi, never be attracted by a bargain”.

Let’s look at all the rest of the scams that are geared toward the senior “SUCKERS”. There are a lot of devious supplement makers trying to cash in by selling knock-off sexual enhancement pills that either don’t work or are more dangerous because they contain chemicals that are bad for you. How about the scammers who want you to pay them to help you get more out of Social Security or how about the funeral insurance scam where you think you are buying insurance to cover your burial but you are really buying life insurance which you probably already have. Hopefully none of you have been taken in by the reverse mortgage scam that fails to explain the risks and fees that sometimes leave seniors without a place to live. Here are some wise words that I remember Aunty Acid saying, “ATTENTION: You can’t spread frosting on top of BS and call it a cupcake. Just Saying”. The only time I want to be considered a senior citizen is when I get my discounts at retail stores otherwise I am just in the maturing stage of my life.

Today’s fashion continues the theme of aging because it is about transition. I love outfits that are perfect for daytime events but can easily be transformed into lovely evening wear. Just by adding a few accessories and a “topper” (today’s focus) you can leave your daytime activity and go out for a night on the town. In my past blogs I talked about the difference between ponchos, ruanas, kimonos, dusters etc. but found it easier to refer to all of them as “toppers”. Toppers are nothing more than something that is on top of your basic outfit. At this time of year toppers are needed for a little warmth in the cool evening weather and they add a little flair to a very simplistic outfit. Throw the topper and a little bag of jewelry in your car and head out for an evening with friends or family. For my new readers, the purpose of this blog is to highlight outfits that hide that over 55 belly while still looking fashionable. All these outfits do just that.

You are probably getting sick of seeing the front of my townhouse but it kind of fits the theme. Some of my neighbors already have out their mums and pumpkins. I think I have written about my dilemma in past blogs but each year I have the same problem. Which “maturing” plants do I get rid of to make room for my fall display even though they are “senior” plants that are still beautiful and should not be discarded.

I think fall colors would clash with what I have and it would get too crowded to just add more. The thought of getting rid of something mature but still vibrant just to replace it with something new raises my shackles mostly because there seems to be an analogy to aging human life.

OK, let’s start the transformative fashion show.

The basic daytime outfit is a pair of straight leg blue jeans and a cream colored top. I paired it with tan leather sandals. You could wear the outfit to your child’s or your grandchild’s sport events during the day. When the kids go out for a dinner of pizza with their coach, you can throw on this topper and go out for a drink with your significant other or friends. This lovely topper was originally $159 but you all know by now I never pay more than $49 for any article of clothing unless it is an exceptional piece. This topper went on sale at Chico’s for $104 but if you bought 3 sale items, you got 75% off your total purchase. For 3 gorgeous items I paid around $60.

I chose these accessories because the topper seems a little Boho Chic and these just seemed to go with the theme. I loved the layered look of the necklaces. The denim watch, two toned blue ring and blue beads of the necklaces go perfectly with the dark blue of the jeans. The silver and gold earrings with matching ring allow me to mix the metals of the silver of the watch and the gold of the bracelet.

Whether you are going to work or doing some running around during the day, the base outfit of a white top and white leggings with these cute lemon patterned shoes are perfect but if you want to go out to dinner with friends or family you might want to dress it up with this deep tangerine colored topper. You can’t see it in this picture but the lemons on the shoes are edged with a tangerine color. I forgot to show the feathery flower pin in the accessory picture below but the differing orange colors really enhance the outfit.

I bought the tangerine colored stone necklace many years ago, then this summer I bought the earrings which match beautifully with their dangling orange stone. The woman who made these earrings used flowers from her garden in the inlay and I can wear them with many different colored outfits. Deep tangerine goes so well with the bright yellow of the watch and necklace. The layered gold necklaces as well as the reddish orange stone and the white flower of the rings beautifully complete the outfit.

Now most of you know that I have a phobia about gyms (I am sure the smell of the wrestling mats in high school and dirty locker rooms started my phobia) so I go walking and if this is also your form of exercise you could easily transition to an outfit that would be appropriate for a lunch with friends. The basic outfit is a pair of black Nike leggings and a very casual, sleeveless, loose fitting T-shirt material top I wear to go walking. Throw on this topper that creates a dressier look with it’s flowers of white, green and red metallic paint and a nice pair of red sandals and you are good to go.

Because of the shiny metallic paint on the topper, I am able to add a little bling to really dress up the outfit. The face of the watch and the silver and gold bracelet have faux diamonds. I pulled in red with the watch and the glass flower earrings. I pulled in green with the beads on the other gold and silver bracelet. I have worn my gold necklace with other outfits because it really enhances an outfit. Both the jade ring and the ruby ring contain teeny tiny diamonds that add a little more pizzazz to the overall effect.

OK, my weight is a good news – bad news situation. Good news, I only gained 1 pound over my 2 week vacation even though I ate lots of ice cream, blueberry pastries and fried fish. I think I was able to keep my weight down because of all the walking I did at craft shows and sidewalk sales as well as walking up and down the 73 steps to the beach. Bad news, the only thing that weighed less at the end of my vacation was my wallet. Unfortunately, that 1 pound I gained was added to the other pounds I put on during my hot weather hibernations before I left for vacation. I love this Aunty Acid quote “Some days I eat salads and go to the gym. Some days I eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. It’s called balance.” In my case, I wouldn’t be able to put on my pants because they are already getting too tight but the cupcakes do sound good.

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

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

I did it! I am so excited! I joined the local women’s club and I can finally “give back”. I knew if I made the commitment in my blog that I would follow through. I will be helping with the huge Christmas craft show (love it!), the spring fashion show (right up my alley) and working with high school students with special needs learn how to sew (my favorite population to work with). I don’t know how to sew but I am an expert at ironing because I do it all the time. That’s because the clothes in my closet are so smashed together they are typically wrinkled. I will also be joining their bookclub beside the one I am in with other retirees from my place of employment. Let’s face it, the only reason I am “free” to do this is because I am retired. This is one of those positive blogs instead of me complaining about something that has to do with being a ‘senior’. Not that I am going to stop complaining about getting older because there is so much to complain about. I love Aunty Acids quote “Every time I say ‘Life can’t get more screwed up than this’, life replies “Challenge freakin’ accepted” (so true, so true). The ability to retire is probably the best part of aging and giving back to society only costs me time. I may not be able to afford to take an expensive vacation or buy expensive things but I can get so much pleasure from helping others through charitable works. It is like Aunty Acid says “The happiest people don’t have everything, they just make the best of everything they have”. For me it is like the feeling I get during the Christmas holiday which is the best feeling in the world. So for the next year I am ‘floating free’ and feeling good!

My blog is about ‘floating free’ with the kimono or dolman sleeve. Sometimes clothes can be cumbersome during the summer months especially if they are fitted close to our bodies. The kimono sleeve is cut in one piece with the bodice. The dolman sleeve is similar to the kimono sleeve in that it is cut as part of the bodice but it has a different shape, joining the bodice farther down – they are often called ‘bat wing’ sleeves in reference to this shape. There are many advantages to wearing tops with these types of sleeves. It is felt that they have the effect of making the shoulders look sloped, therefore minimizing the appearance of the waist. These types of sleeves flatter all body types and they are loose fitting so they give you better range of motion. If you are the type of person who tends to sweat and often have perspiration marks under your arm pits this style is for you. Overall they are just so comfortable and ‘freeing’.

When I think of plants that grow ‘free’ I think of prairie plants. I used to grow Joe Pye Weed in my garden because of its vanilla smell and it attracts butterflies. The pictures of prairie plants below surround the path I walk every morning.

I use to live across the street from the walking path that went through the forest preserve but now I walk at the park (one block from my house) through native prairie flowers and grasses. There is always something in bloom and during the fall the copper color of the grasses is stunning. The migrating birds sit on top of the plants and the butterflies are always hanging around. Not only do prairie plants grow free but I feel free when I walk through nature.

OK, let’s start our free floating fashion show.

Black and white is so classic. Not only do the sleeves make this top comfy but the material is stretchy as are the white leggings. You can see how the shape of the top minimizes my waistline. A great summer outfit! The outfit is completed with a pair of black, low heeled summer shoes.

I love this faux necktie that snaps together. It looks great with a black suit jacket but it really adds something to this black and white outfit. I bought it from a crafter who was at Christmas Crossroads craft show last year. You know from past blogs that I LOVE polka dots. There are also black and white polka dots on the watch band and earrings. These are paired with white and black rings and bangle bracelets.

I have my arms up so that you can see the shape of the sleeves. With my arms up it pulls up the front of the top but once I put my arms down the loose front falls over my belly. I love the plum color of this top. What I like about these tops is that you can dress them up or dress them down. I paired this one with my off white wide leg pants and off white, low heeled sandals.

What I love about the solid colors of the outfit is that you can really play with your choice of accessories. This outfit screamed for a chunky necklace so I picked one with a large gold chain and off white, amber and copper colored beads. I love the gold crackling affect in the large white beads and that helped me decide on my bracelets. The tortoise shell segments on the set of bangle bracelets are gold and off white. On the other wrist I wore the solid gold bangle bracelet on the same wrist as the cream colored watch band. I chose this watch because it is a little dressier with the faux diamonds around the face. One of the rings is gold with a pearl which goes well with the beads of the necklace and the other is one of my favorites. It looks like a flower made up of 3 layers of cut purple glass in a gold setting.

Here I am dressing down the top by pairing it with my white jean capris. The blue top has a smattering of white hearts and once again it typically falls loosely over my belly but I wanted you to see the sleeves. Underneath I am wearing a sleeveless white top because the cut of the neckline is so wide. I paired it with my blue and tan sandals.

I think the white heart necklace goes perfectly with the hearts in the top. The denim blue watch band and the blue star sapphire are perfect with the blue top and the white pearls of the earrings, ring and the bracelets are so complimentary to the blue of the top.

So I guess we can talk about my weight. At least I can tell you that I lost a couple of pounds since my hibernation last month. I was always led to believe that it was easier to lose weight during the summer but that must have been said by someone who did not do a lot of socializing during the summer. There is nothing better than to go out with friends and sitting outdoors at a cafe when the weather permits. The last thing I think about is the calorie count of my meal. I can relate to Crabby Maxine who says “For my summer diet I start with a nice big salad bowl and then I fill it with ice cream”. I am going on vacation and I am going to eat whatever I want (which is limited due to my many allergies) but going on vacation with extra weight is not good. I am sure that next month I will be writing about the weight that I have gained so you have been forewarned. It won’t be pretty. There are a lot of festivals going on this month in Michigan and where there is a festival there is food. I am not sure how I am going to lose the weight but I will think on it. I wish I could recoup all the money I put into gym memberships that I never used. You all know how I feel about going to the gym to work out. It is like Aunty Acid says “I forgot to go to the gym today….that makes 3 years in a row!”. Yep, that is me!

Well, until next month remember, God loves you and so do I. For all you who work in education I hope you don’t suffer through the August 1st nightmares and I hope you have a good year.

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

My birthday was in May but I just got around to doing some retail damage with my birthday gift cards hence the “aftermath”. The cake has a “56” on it because this is blog 56. I could let my readers assume I’m 56 but most of you know I am not. In reality 72 is the correct number. I am reminded of a quote from comedian Victor Borge (some of you will remember who that was) who said “I’m celebrating my 75th birthday, which is sort of embarrassing because I’m 85”. My little Matty will be celebrating his 8th birthday this month so I made sure he was in the picture. The clothes I bought with my birthday gift cards will be the focus of this blog’s fashions. I just want you to know that I donated clothes in my closet to make room for these new purchases. Do you realize that I have shown over 150 outfits from my closets? I believe I have a very eclectic style because I like to change it up. In fact “change” will be the focus of this months blog. So let’s get started with a complaint (isn’t that a surprise) about how society attaches ridiculous idioms to senior citizens. The ones that I really hate are “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” and “Older people get set in their ways”. Based on past blogs you know how upset I get when senior citizens get stereotyped as if we are all the same. How mad do I get when I hear someone say one of these outdated idioms? I think Crabby Maxine can best describe my anger when she said “I was going to get one of those greeter jobs at the discount store until I found out that ‘Kiss My Ass’ still doesn’t count as a greeting”. Yep, that mad! First off, I am offended by the comparison to a dog. Secondly, (I can only speak from my perspective) that most of the retirees I know love learning new things and don’t mind change. In fact, they love having the time now to learn about new things. They have the time to travel to learn about new cultures, to engage in learning about new sports like pickle ball and to join clubs, like book clubs, where they get to learn about others and their opinions. When I hear the younger generation’s expectations that seniors cannot “change” their established pattern of opinions and behavior or must adhere to a rigid schedule, I think to myself, I knew of rigid people like this who were in their 20’s and 30’s. Maybe this was true of seniors from past generations but we have come a long way, baby! Watch out world and don’t get in our way because things have changed!

Changes can be good or changes can be bad but either way people tend to notice the change. If your friends are used to your hair being a certain way for a long time then you get it cut and styled in a different way, they will notice. If you behave in a way that is not consistent with what the people around you have come to expect, they will notice. Same with your clothes. If you have a particular style or color that you always wear, for example khaki colored cargo pants or always wearing gray sweat pants, people will notice if you wear a different color and style. I am not suggesting you change what you wear if this is what you are comfortable wearing but on those occasions where you want others to notice you, change it up. You will rarely find me in the same color or style. In fact, one of the reasons I started this blog was because when I was about to retire one of the women that I worked with said she was going to miss my fashion show meaning the clothes I wore to work. That is because each day was a surprise. I loved changing things up. The pieces I bought with my gift cards are completely different from each other and the rest of the clothes in my closets.

You are probably tired of seeing the area in front of my townhouse but I decorate it differently for each season and it is never the same from year to year. That is why my neighbors tell me how much they like how I decorate the space and can’t wait to see what I am doing next. Just like with women’s fashions, sometimes simple subtle changes in the environment are noticed.

This is my spring display with pansies, stock and Mandivillas. I decorated with a windmill, green picket fence, metal flowers, spring chicks, and different colored pots.

This is my summer display. I switched out the chicks for a bicycle with a flower basket attached in the front and back. I put out mostly terra cotta pots and added the bird planter. I also added the planter in front with a metal hummingbird and flower decoration coming out of it. I added a few metal flowers hanging on the fence and I planted an assortment of summer flowers. On my front porch I put a different outdoor painting on an easel to match the season. Just these subtle changes and my neighbors notice.

OK, let the fashion show begin.

What is new here are the wide leg pair of pants with the bouquets of small flowers that I got on sale at Chicos. The gauzy, yellow top has small embroidered flowers around the neckline, bottom hem and sleeves and looks so cute with the pants. There are at least 5 different colors in the pattern of the pants so I can make it look like a whole new outfit just by changing the color and style of the top and changing up the accessories. It looks good and is so comfortable. I chose my flat black sandals with the attached black flowers.

The bouquet of flowers in the pants seem very feminine to me so I chose simple pieces of jewelry. The coral choker necklace and matching earrings go perfectly with the lighter coral in the flowers as does the watch. The yellow and white bangle bracelets match the colors in the flowers and the white and gold ring look like the white flowers in the design. The green and gold ring matches the darker parts of the leaves.

This new top from Von Maur makes me think of a modern painting. Definitely a change from the last outfit. I like the straight black lines of the seam stitching that helps to define each section of the top and I think the large buttons really stand out. I love the collar and cut of this top! The high neckline negates the need for a necklace. The pants are the Jams I often talk about because they are so lightweight you barely know you are wearing pants. That is why I have them in so many colors. I paired it with one inch heeled black sandals that also have straight lines to match the ribbing in the top and seem to section off my feet in the style of the top.

Since the colors are bursting in the top, I prefer to wear basic black accessories. The black bangles, wooden ring and earrings match the shape of the buttons while the straight lines of the watch match the black ribbing. I added a little color with the blue-green stone of the other ring.

I love this short kimono style jacket from Von Maur! I think what I love the most about it is the mix of patterns. I love the bold flowers against the wide stripes. The only color the same in both is the dusty pink. I have a lot of black tops, each one in a different style, but the black top I have underneath the kimono is my favorite one. It is sleeveless with a loosely fitted bodice and then flairs at the waist to hide my bulging belly. I paired the tops with wide-leg summer black pants and two inch heeled sandals with an attached flower.

There is nothing more Asian than a kimono so I chose accessories that also have an Asian flair. The slide and matching earrings are shells that have both the taupe and dusty pink color in the wide stripes. The bracelet has a very subtle pink coloring to the beads. Because the bracelet is very simple, I wore a very simple silver metallic watch so my wrists were well balanced. The rust colored jasper stone of one ring matched the rust coloring of one of the thin stripes in the kimono. I think the off-white coloring of the pearl goes beautifully with the off-white wide stripe in the kimono.

You know how I said some change is good and some change is bad? Well my current weight leans toward the latter. I blame it on the consistent 90 degree and above heat. My first excuse is that because of the heat, my dog would only allow me a one mile walk instead of our normal two miles even though we walked at 6:00 am when it was a few degrees cooler. My second excuse is that I do not have a working sweat system so I tend to overheat quickly and get very sick so I hibernate in my air conditioned house. My third excuse is that I get terrible headaches going in and out of extreme temperatures so just going to the grocery store (which is usually freezing) sets me up for a terrible sinus problem so I hibernate. I really don’t like hibernating because I like to be out-and-about with my friends and I am very claustrophobic . When I know I am going to go into hibernating mode, I make sure I have enough food in the house. The problem is that I bought 2 large coffee cakes to keep me company. They weren’t much company since they were gone after 4 days. Due to so little exercise and lots of ingested calories I gained 5 pounds. “Woe is me” is an idiom that definitely applies here. It kinda reminds me of something Auntie Acid said “I just ran 5 miles and what a workout! I didn’t think that ice cream truck would ever stop!”. It is amazing what we will do with a little motivation! Right now I should be highly motivated to lose the weight but I am feeling more like Crabby Maxine who says “I think I am emotionally constipated because I haven’t given a crap all week”. Maybe next week I will be motivated (or not) to do something to shed these pounds. Sorry about all of Crabby Maxine’s anal references. She must be having a bad week and unfortunately she has no filter. I will speak to her about it.

So, until next month, remember God loves you and so do I. Happy 4th of July!

Hello to all my Gal Pals,

I can’t believe this is blog #55! Where has time gone? Time is such a precious thing when you hit my age. I remember the days when I thought there was not enough time in a day to get everything done. I was raising my children, working and going to school in the evenings. I saw time as a present here-and-now concept. However, at my current age I look at time as more of a lifespan concept. Some of you might have a “BUCKET LIST” of things you want to do before time runs out. I do not have a “Bucket List”. I have already traveled around the world, I don’t want to do anything risky like skydiving nor do I want to learn ballroom dancing. For the most part I am content with my life as it is. All I want to do is spend time with family and friends. When I was working I only had time to read professional reference books or text books. Now I read solely for enjoyment. I may have 30 more years on this planet or I could die tomorrow. What I want is quality of life for my remaining days. It really bothers me when someone negatively impacts that goal so, you know I’m about to complain about something. It is like Aunty Acid says, “People who say ‘I can’t complain’ just aren’t trying”. I get somewhat upset about having to wait on the phone to talk to a real person after going through 20 minutes of wait time. However, what really gets my “panties in an uproar” is a medical system that sucks! I am not upset with all of the medical system just the part where I have to deal with specialists. I have been having some health issues lately and would like to get them resolved. Why do I have to wait 2 months to get in to see a specialist as a returning patient? Do these doctors not see a problem with letting people suffer for months until they have time for these sick patients? Do these doctors not see that some of their patients don’t have all the time in the world? Don’t they think that my time is valuable? I can relate to Aunty Acid who says “I had my patience tested….I’m negative”. I was told that I have a choice, either I could wait to see a specialist or I could go to the emergency room. Last time I went to my local emergency room there was an 18 hour wait because everyone was in the same boat I was in. I would like to spend my days enjoying quality time with family and friends but that is hard to do if I don’t feel well! OK, I have said my peace and I will get off my soap box. Thank you for letting me spout and I will try to be nicer in my next blog but it is like Aunty Acid says, “If what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger then I should be able to bench press a Cadillac by now!”.

The title of this blog lets you know that I will be talking about the use of pastels in women’s fashion but also about form and function when wearing light hues. The nice thing about dark clothes is that they minimize our little poochy bellies and all our other fat pads. Unfortunately, pastels don’t do the same so you need to consider the form of the pastel articles of clothing and how they can function as minimizers or how you can pair them with other articles of clothing that can act as minimizers. The pastel clothing trend is totally in for spring and summer seasons. Pastels seem to evoke quite a lot of wonderful emotions. One of the articles I read put it this way “This type of clothing brings to mind the sweetness of candies and innocence. They make you think of luxury on a sunny afternoon and a gentle life. Pastels conjure up images of babies and well-behaved children in their Sunday best.” You will have to figure out the best pastel colors for your skin tone because some pastel colors may make you look washed out. You can usually find one or more pastel colors that will look good on you. I am wearing a summer scarf with each of the outfits because I think accessories really make an outfit.

I am going to talk about our favorite spring flowers and our use of form and function in the landscape. I love taking my morning walks in the spring and looking at all the daffodils and tulips in the front yards of my neighbors. However, now on my walks I am looking at ugly dying leaves on those same plants. The landscape solution is day lilies.

This is what my day lilies looked like at the beginning of June but the plant starts to leaf out in April. You can’t tell that there are dying daffodil leaves underneath because the form of the leaves of both plants are strap-like and the function of the day lilies is to hide the ugliness of the daffodil and tulip leaves. The day lilies get large enough to cover the upright leaves of the daffodils. Same with tulips as their leaves tend to bend over like the leaves of the day lilies. The strap-like form of the day lily leaves allow the sun to get through to feed the spring bulb plants. No one wants to look at dying leaves.

Ok, it is time for my sweet pastels.

One way to wear pastels is to create a monochromatic look. The two piece outfit and all accessories are the same pale pink. I love the looseness of the top and the wide leg pants that just flow when I walk because the material is so lightweight. There is a pattern in the material that creates a striped look. The lacy, delicate scarf I am wearing is the exact same color of the outfit and is very lightweight like the outfit material. I am wearing my clear Barbie shoes so all you see are my pink toenails.

The short necklace and bracelet are made of pink glass beads and the long necklace has an insert with a pale pink background, white and pink flowers and words that read “Sisters are Forever Friends”. The clip-on earrings are also pale pink as is the square stone in one of the rings. The other ring has a landscape carving under the glass.

For those of you who do not feel you look good in lilac around your face then wear lilacs pants. The scarf replaces the need for a necklace and is made up of multiple stripes of pastel colors. The white blouse falls loose around the hips but adds a little flair around the upper arms. This is such a casual look that I decided that sneakers are best paired with it.

Because of all the colors in the scarf you could wear almost any color in your other accessories. The watch band, faux pearl earrings and pearl ring are a light purple while the glass bead bracelet is a dark purple. The other ring has a heart shaped green peridot gem.

Pastels look great with neutral colors. Here I am wearing cream colored skinny pants and a sleeveless cream colored top underneath a blue-green topper with a two-toned pale green scarf. The topper is one that can be worn a few different ways. In order to hide my tummy I wear it like this. I paired it with a cream colored pair of sandals with a one inch heel.

All the accessories are either pale green, blue-green or blue. I got the bracelet and earrings at the library sale for a dollar each. The rings I got from an antique store in South Haven, Michigan. One has a blue-green stone and the other a cream colored pearl. The watch is a sea foam green while the shorter necklace is made up of cream, blue-green and turquoise circles. The longer faux pearl necklace is blue-green. All-in-all, this is a great grouping of colors.

This was my favorite blog because I got to eat part of the scenery (the bakery goods) while we were shooting the pictures. I gained 3 pounds between the time we took the pictures and the time I wrote the blog because someone had to eat all those bakery goods and I volunteered. I try to eat healthy but my diet is similar to Crabby Maxine’s which is “I believe in eating several servings of fruit each day, in pie form”. It would have been a sin to spend all that money on cookies, donuts, coffee cake and cupcakes then let them end up in the garbage. I did share some of them with my sister (my photographer) because it is rude to eat in front of others without offering them some of the goods. Unfortunately we had just come home from Michigan where I got very little exercise and ate poorly. I guess this means I am going to have to go on a diet and work out in order to fit into my bathing suit (yeh, right). Like Aunty Acid says “I’ve reached the age where my mind makes commitments my body can’t keep”.

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

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

I will turn 72 on May 1st. I remember when I looked forward to celebrating my birthday but now it is just another reminder of getting old. It’s like Crabby Maxine says “A birthday is a good time to salute Father Time. Which finger you salute him with is your business”. It just seems to me that society in general doesn’t allow us to forget we are growing old. If it is not a TV commercial for a memory supplement or letting me know that I qualify for a senior citizen discount then it is a reminder that it is time to renew my AARP membership. These reminders don’t bother me anymore but I received something in the mail this week that really made me feel emotional and very old. A few years ago I received something similar but I think this one really hit home because it came the week before my birthday. I got a flyer which was an advertisement for pre-planning my end-of-life arrangements. I was filled with mixed emotions when I read over this information. On one hand I was appalled that they had the nerve to call out my age. I was feeling like Aunty Acid who remarked “My tolerance for idiots is very low today. I thought I’d built up a strong immunity but there’s obviously a new strain out there”. On the other hand, I felt guilty because I probably should give more thought to the subject. But then I was both mad and excited because they were offering a “Spring Sale”. Mad because it made it seem that my life was cheap but on the other hand, you all know I can’t pass up a good sale! I felt disgusted that they put an expiration date on this sale as if there was an expiration date on my days on earth but then they appealed to my love of beautiful things by displaying the most lovely urn. The flyer sat on my kitchen counter for a few days but every time I saw it I became overwhelmed with all these emotions so I threw it away. Out of site, out of mind! I physically feel 72 years of age, I don’t need a reminder. I recalled something I once read and I quote “I’m at that age where my mind thinks I’m 29, my humor suggests I’m 12, while my body keeps asking if I’m sure I’m not dead yet”. UGH!

You are probably wondering what the topic of fashion will be for this blog that relates to waffles. Whether I am talking about landscape design, interior design or fashion design, I am always emphasizing 3 things; color, form and texture. Texture is so important in fashion design. An article I read put it this way, a combo of textures gives your outfit that special touch. It said that fashion magazines talk a lot about mixing prints, but mixing textures can have that “wow” effect, too. Even a look that’s all solid colors becomes eye-catching when the pieces are all of noticeably different materials. Waffle fabric is a type of textured textile that is characterized by its unique, honeycomb-like pattern. One of the main benefits of waffle fabric is its comfort because it is gentle on the skin. It is also lightweight and breathable. I try to keep my outfits interesting by mixing textures. I want to leave this topic with my favorite quote “Fashion is what you buy. Style is what you do with it”.

Texture is an important concept in landscape design. Here is a picture of an outcrop I designed in my previous backyard.

An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock. In landscape design we create rock gardens. Using rocks is one way to create texture in the landscape. You see flagstone on the outer perimeter of this area. I started to create this 10 x 12 foot area by mounding top soil then slightly overlapping two pieces of flagstone measuring 4 inches thick by 3 feet in diameter at the top of the mound. I planted plants that require very little water like grasses, lantana, perennial geranium and succulent ground cover. I placed several small boulders around the area then covered it all with pea gravel. This is a perfect example of texture in the landscape.

OK, let the fashion show begin.

This outfit is perfect for the spring. I love this dress with its tiny multiple shades of pink with green leaves but it has no sleeves so this is a perfect time to add this waffle jacket. The color of the jacket perfectly matches the green leaves in the dress and it is a great alternative to wearing a sweater or spring coat. My pink shoes match one of the colors in the dress.

The cherry pink lapel flower matches one of the flowers in the dress in both color and form. The band of the watch is a perfect match to the shoes I wear and the flowers in the porcelain earrings also match the dress in color and form. The beautiful green flower necklace was made by one of my co-workers. All the metals in the watch, bangle bracelet, necklace and rings are gold colored. One ring has a flower made of cubic zirconia stones on it while the other ring has tiny diamonds in the center of each heart.

This is a great summer outfit. I am pretty sure I bought this waffle vest at a craft show in Michigan. Beside loving the cute flowers I like that it has pockets. I wear it with a white top because I want the eye drawn to the waffle vest. I have paired the vest with navy blue cargo pants and caramel colored sandals. Both of these colors are in the flowers of the vest.

It seemed to me that the green dragon fly necklace and silver butterfly ring continues the garden portrayed in the vest. The green earrings remind me of leaves and they match the colors of the vest, necklace and watch. I needed to add a little white with the bracelet in order to balance the outfit. My other ring is a blue star sapphire.

This is a great fall look. Brown and orange colors look so lovely together. This waffle jacket is a a little more dressy because of the finishing of the edges. I love a jacket that has pockets and a cute little collar. I paired the jacket with brown dress pants and brown pumps.

I bought this necklace from a crafter at a South Haven craft show. He told me how he added all these colors to create these lightweight stones but I can’t remember what he said. Believe it or not, there is very little brown in the necklace. The stones are mostly orange and green. Most of the other accessories are brown with gold metals. The setting of the ring with the green stone looks like branches of a tree and the tree tops lay across the top of the green stone.

This is where I talk about my weight. I am going to start this with an Aunty Acid quote that kind of describes my life right now “Adulthood is like looking both ways before crossing the street and then getting hit by an airplane”. Yep, that about sums it up. The first week of April I had a CT angiogram, an endoscopy and an MRI of my back that took an hour and 45 minutes. Between the 3 tests I was given 2 different kinds of contrast and anesthesia. The results are that my heart is good, my esophagus is narrowing and I have two bulging discs. I’m happy that something on my body is narrowing but how did I end up with two bulging discs? It’s not like I am working out at the gym. But as I once read somewhere “A fun thing about getting older is how you can severely injure yourself just by sleeping”. What I can tell you is that since the tests I have been nauseous, filled with gas and lightheaded. When I feel nauseous all I want to eat are starches. That includes bowls of pasta without sauce, sweet potatoes, salty taco chips and bread. Well, I plan on self-medicating with cake and ice cream at my birthday party. I can’t weigh myself right now because the battery in my scale crapped out which is OK because I think we need some time apart. So for now I am following Aunty Acid’s advise “Don’t look back at your life and think ‘I could’ve eaten that’ “. Such wise words to live by!

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

Hello to all my Gal Pals.

I have been in a very ZEN mood lately. I don’t mean Aunty Acids ZEN mood which is “I got in touch with my inner self today. That’s the last time I buy cheap toilet paper!”. I have been in a more reflective state of mind. Do you ever wish you could go back and talk to your younger self? I would tell my younger self not to sweat the small stuff. However, my younger self didn’t have enough life experiences to know that what I was experiencing at that time was small in comparison to what I would face later in life. I would tell my younger self to be more assertive. I was not taught as a child that I should speak up for what I wanted. I would tell my younger self that you are stronger than you think. I learned how strong I was at 27 years of age when I went through a divorce and had to raise my son as a single parent. This is when I truly found my voice. I would tell my younger self to really appreciate your family who will help you every time you need someone to lift you up. I would tell my younger self that life will have its ups and downs but enjoy the ride because life is truly short and you don’t want to be left with regrets. I would tell my younger self that you will be OK in your senior years because you will be surrounded by friends you have made along the way. I would tell my younger self that God is always with you so you are never alone. I would also pass on the philosophy of Aunty Acid, “You can’t always control who walks into your life but you can control which window you throw them out of”. Always stand up for yourself!

In case you haven’t figured it out by the title, this blog’s topic is about crop pants. Before I did a little research about crop pants in women’s fashion, I first had to find out the difference between crops and capris. In some articles they were one in the same while in others there is a definite difference. I found one article that followed a rule-of-thumb that made sense. It distinguished between the two according to where the hemline fell on the calf. If the hemline falls between the ankle and mid-calf, the pants are considered crops. If the hemline falls between the knee and mid-calf, they are considered capris. My question is “What if they fall exactly at mid-calf?”. I choose to consider them crops and that’s that! Remember when we just called both pedal-pushers? Anyway, crops became popular in the 1950s and 1960s. They were embraced by iconic figures like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy. They became a symbol of youth and rebellion during the era. They were known for their shorter length and were often worn as a casual and comfortable alternative to full length trousers. Crops are popular because they provide a better airflow than full length pants, they can be dressed up or down, and they make a fashion statement. For some it may evoke nostalgia reminding them of past fashion years or childhood trends. While their popularity may ebb and flow with changing fashion cycles, crops continue to be a favored choice for those seeking a departure from the conventional full length trousers.

I always like to put in a picture of outdoor design as it relates to the topic of the blog. In this section, I have given you a picture of my first crop of the season, the pansy crop.

You have got to love the strength of such a delicate looking flower. Pansies are surprisingly hearty in cold weather even surviving frosts but they have a difficult time surviving hot weather. They love full sun in cool weather. Pansies are great for containers but to keep them blooming you have to remove the dead flowers. They are a cheerful flower with upturned faces and they are edible. When compared to other flowers, they have one of the widest ranges of bright and colorful petals.

OK, time to check out the crops.

I love a good sale and I got this top near the end of the summer season for $35 marked down from $60. The top yoke is made up of a light peach eyelet material and the flowered material is so light weight. It falls beautifully over my tummy so it makes me look slimmer than I am. The dark peach crop pants match the flowers in the top perfectly. I think the sandals are more like accessories which you will see in the next picture.

The sandals have a flower with a peach stone in the center and its leaves make up the cross straps. It is hard to tell but the watch strap is green as are the earrings and one of the bracelets. I wear the rose gold lovebird bracelet on the same wrist as my watch. The stones in the rings are peach and green.

You know how much I love ponchos! This one is so beautiful with the large tropical flowers and animal prints. I bought it from Chicos for $35 marked down from $99 during an on-line flash sale. The wide leg, black crops are so comfortable because of the elastic waist. I am all for comfort! The deep burgundy red shoes go so well with the color of the flowers in the poncho.

What I love about the colors in this poncho is that the accessory combinations are vast. The necklace and jasper ring match the burgundy red flowers while the green watch and green ring bring out the color of the leaves of the tropical flowers. I hope you can enlarge the picture of the butterfly bracelet because the body of the butterfly and the wings contain stones that match the exact colors of the plants in the poncho. The cheetah earrings match the cheetah print in this beautiful pattern.

I love the color combination of turquoise and white. The jacket and blouse fall loosely over the bulge below my waist. Most of my crops are loose fitting because they are cooler. I love wearing my Barbie Doll shoes as an alternative to the typical white pair of sandals.

My favorite accessory in this grouping are the peacock bangle bracelets. I balanced the three bangles on one wrist with the gold watch and two gold bracelets on the other. The slide on the necklace is made of white and multicolored dichroic glass. The white flower ring matches the flowers in the lace of the white top. The turquoise ring and earrings complete the group.

This is where I talk about my weight and I can sum it up in three little words “Fannie Mae Eggs”. I am not talking about those little chocolate foil wrapped eggs. I am talking large cream filled eggs like the green ones filled with chocolate. Holidays are my downfall. My weight is like my life with its ups and downs. Unfortunately, my ups and downs continue to fall within the “overweight” range of the BMI scale. I read a dish towel that was embroidered with the following saying, “Calories: Tiny little creatures that live in your closet and sew your clothes a little tighter each night”. Well they have been very active in my closet! There are now a few months between holidays so maybe there is a chance I could lose a few pounds. Miracles do happen! I always tell myself that I could go and work out at the gym but I don’t see that happening. It reminds me of an Aunty Acid quote, “A part of me wants to go to the gym. And the other part isn’t a LIAR”.

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

Hi to all my Gal Pals,

As I get older I get more and more conflicted as to how to handle my future as I age. My explanation is going to be like one of those dark comedies. I hope I don’t offend anyone by what I am going to say but these are my feelings. The best way to help you understand is through an analogy of algebra. When I was a freshman I was told that I needed to take algebra, so I took algebra. I don’t know about you but, while I did well in algebra I hated it! I hated it because I really didn’t understand how this was relevant to my future. I was told because I really didn’t know what my future would look like I “might “ need it so that all bases for my future were covered. So fast forward to the present. I have really been interested in the mind-body connection as we get older. I found a good essay from the DASH program at DASH.HARVARD.EDU that I thought was interesting. I am going to put some excerpts from the essay into this paragraph that I think “might” help me with making decisions about my future. “The ability to sense bodily states declines in older age as does one’s activation of physiological systems, both of which may contribute to an impairment in the mind-body connections”. “…there are obviously some serious downsides of not having strong mind-body connections.” “…the lack of association between the mind and body “might” impair the ability to make good decisions.” That tells me I need to start making some serious decisions right now! Let’s face it, Crabby Maxine totally understands where I am coming from when she says “At my age, a “party favor” means somebody helping me out of a low slung chair.”

Here is my dilemma. I have been told that keeping my mind active will help it to function better as I get older. I do crossword puzzles and read at least two books a week to help stimulate the verbal part of my brain. I always have a jigsaw puzzle going on my dinette table to help with the visual-spatial part of my brain. However, my body is breaking down due to a very serious car accident that had me laying flat on my back in a hospital bed for two months and I have already had quadruple by-pass surgery. Once again, I am having to make a decision on what “might” be in store for me regarding my future. It is like algebra all over! I “might” have a fairly healthy old age with a good mind-body connection. However, I could be like my dad who had a fairly good body but had dementia or like my grandfather who ended up in bed in a nursing home (my mother and grandmother died in their 60’s from heart problems). Do I want to be one of those old timers who is laying in a nursing home bed and visitors say “It is a shame because her mind is so sharp?” If that is the case I would rather have a dull mind and be in “LALA Land”. If I end up with dementia does it really matter that I engaged in all those mind sharpening techniques? Maybe my time would be better spent writing a journal and writing on the back of photos in my many photos albums identifying the people in the picture and their relationship to me. Once again I am in a quandary about my future because I don’t know what I “might” need. Do I let my mind go to “LALA Land” in case I end up in a bed in a nursing home? Does it really matter if my mind is sharp only to lose it to dementia? Do I keep doing those mind building techniques in case I do have a decent mind-body connection? Isn’t it crazy the things we think of when we are in the last part of our lives! It is like Crabby Maxine says, “Eating, napping, no teeth, toilet troubles, being a baby is just a practiced run for old age.”

Before we get into today’s fashion topic I want to remind everyone about one of the reasons I started this blog. It was to highlight that even though we develop belly bumps over 55 we don’t have to be uncomfortable by using tight body shapers if we want to look good in our clothes. We can put together outfits that allow us to breathe without having to resort to the crushing of our bodies. I subscribe to the Aunty Acid way of thinking about it. According to her there are “The Five Stages of a Woman’s Life: To grow up. To fill out. To slim down. To hold it in. TO HELL WITH IT! I have the body I have, bumps and all, and I am tired of trying to hold it in. Todays fashion blog is about leggings and how to properly wear them as part of an outfit. Let’s face it, leggings tend to highlight every bump on your body. But when worn with the correct top, they can look fashionable and be comfortable at the same time. But before I start the fashion show I wanted to understand the difference between leggings and jeggings. I was under the impression that jeggings were leggings that looked like blue jeans but there are a differences between the two. Jeggings are slightly less stretchy, they have a rougher feel than leggings, and the fabric is slightly heavier because many have a small denim blend in the material. Apparently, jeggings now come in different patterns and colors which was exclusive to leggings. The reason I bring this up is because the form fitting bottoms I will be wearing are apparently both leggings and jeggings.

It is so hard to believe it is still winter! My neighbors early daffodils are 7 inches tall already! Chicago weather! You gotta love it! Anyway, I decided to show another picture from my last house because it kind of goes along with todays blog of things that go well together.

When I put my planters together I always think of color, form and texture. I also consider how well it goes with the environment it will be placed into. In this picture, you can see that I took into consideration the red chairs and decorations and asked myself what could I do to accentuate this grouping using color, form and texture. I think that these things go together like peanut butter and jelly.

So let the fashion show begin.!

If you have been following my blog from the beginning you may recognize this sweater from one of the first posts. You never want your pants to be the focal point of your outfit. They should be more of an accent piece. When you are trying to figure out how to design a room, you first have to figure out the focal area. Same concept when putting together an outfit. The leopard pattern in these jeggings are very busy so I bring the eye up by creating a focal point around the fur of the sweater. The brown and black colors of the sweater look great with the same colors in the jeggings. When I wear a long open front sweater I will always choose a long top to wear underneath. In this outfit I chose a short sleeved brown top that could easily be worn as a mini swing dress. I have it belted with a leather looking belt to go along with the animal fashion theme that you will also notice in the jewelry. I think jeggings look great with black pumps.

I love this grouping. They really accentuate the outfit. The jungle animals of the necklace set up the scene for the rest of the accessories. They really go well with the pants and I chose both black and brown rings and stayed with the gold metals because of the gold in the belt. The earrings and bracelet have that African flair. I got the necklace, earrings and bracelet (which came in a group of 3 bangles) for $1 each at the library resale event.

This is one of my favorite sweaters. I love the flair of the scalloped hemline at the bottom that matches the end of the sleeves. I also love the color because winter clothing can be so drab. I have told you before that I have no problem wearing white in the winter. These are white jeggings and they have back pockets. I paired the outfit with champagne colored pumps which have a peachy tint that matches the sweater.

Once I layered my butterfly and flower necklace with white pearls the rest of the accessories fell into place. The metal in the necklace is gold so all the rest of the metals were gold and white. The grouping of bangles contain gold, gold and white, and white pearl. There is a little bit of bling in the center of the flowers of the necklace so I wore the faux diamond earring jackets around the pearl earrings. Wearing more than one ring on a hand is a trend that I have adopted. I wore my tri-colored gold and my white flower rings on one hand and my pearl ring on the other. The coppery rose gold watch looks peach with this outfit.

It might be hard to see in this picture but this is a black and taupe cap sleeve sweater and because I tend to get cold in the winter I put a black, long sleeved shirt underneath. It looks like it could be a sweater dress but the wind could easily blow open the front of it. The high neck collar looks great with my long neck and it has two cute buttons on it. I have on black leggings and black pumps.

I wanted to pull out the taupe colors in the sweater so I paired the outfit with mostly taupe colored jewelry. The feather pin is the star of this grouping and I worked off of it in my decision for the rest of the pieces. Once again, I decided to wear multiple rings, two on each hand because I love the look. One of the rings has a little bit of bling to match the center of the feather pin. The other rings I chose contain both black and taupe colored stones to compliment the colors of the sweater and the feather pin.

Well, good news! I lost all my holiday weight! By going back on my strict allergy diet and having a colonoscopy I was able to shed the 5 or 6 pounds I gained over the holidays. Therefore, I did not have to join the gym but I am going to physical therapy which provides me with the stretching exercises I need. It is funny how we can rationalize our weight. I prefer to think of my body the way Aunty Acid thinks of hers “I have a Rock Hard body well protected by a cushion of fat”. I don”t celebrate Mardi Gras but I am a partaker of Fanny Mae chocolate Easter eggs. Doesn’t it always seem like there is something to celebrate requiring the eating of delicious but fattening foods? I am going to combine my topic of aging with my eating of fattening foods with a quote from Aunty Acid, “My brain cells are dying. My skin cells are dying. My hair cells are dying. Yet my stubborn fat cells continue to lead strong , healthy lives.” Go figure!

Well this is where today’s blog ends. I hope you enjoy St. Pat’s Day and have a happy Easter. Always remember, God loves you and so do I.