The Elegant Bohemian

Shop The Elegant Bohemian...New items added

2012-02-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm FINALLY getting around to marrying my store to my blog and I'm so excited! As you drop by The Elegant Bohemian blog, I'll be periodically showing you what is new in the store. You can click on any of the pictures and be taken directly to details about the item and how to purchase.

SKIRTS

This is not an exhaustive showing, so for even more vintage and current finds, please check out The Elegant Bohemian store !

Do you wear a slip? Why you may want to start...

2012-02-14T03:32:00.000-08:00

I recently read in More magazine (magazine for women over 40) that slips were items of clothing that are apparently now unnecessary. I couldn't DISAGREE more! Call me old fashioned, but slips still serve our wardrobes and when you're talking vintage slips, well, the possibilities are plentiful!

Here's why I believe every woman (with the possible exception of women who only wear pants and jeans) need slips in their wardrobe.

Coverage: According to the magazine article, everyone knows we have legs, hence using slips for coverage is now obsolete. In my opinion, sheer dresses and skirts look better with coverage underneath. Even a light slip will provide enough opaqueness to give a clean look.

Proper Hang: Especially in the cooler months when tights are worn under many skirts; I have found that having a thin slip between my tights and my skirt allows my skirt to hang more freely without getting caught on the texture of my tights. Nothing looks worse than a straighter skirt clinging to colored legs!

Lengthen: Do you have a dress or skirt that's just a tad too short? Add a slip with an interesting hem and get an Anthropologie worthy new look! That inch or so of slip peaking out from beneath the hem will give you the length you want and add a touch of the unexpected. Be sure to color coordinate. You wouldn't want a white slip dipping below a black skirt (ever heard the expression "It's snowing down south"?); but why not play with the possibilities of mixing colors?

Expose: Truly, Desiree (Pull Your Socks Up) does this best. Wearing vintage slips as clothes themselves. The red slip below is the perfect example. The color is deep enough and provides enough coverage, that I could wear this as a dress. My sweet husband is all for this idea and when he first saw me in it, it was the first thing that came to his mind!

Lounge Wear: Terri (Rags Against the Machine) commented months ago that she now uses thrifted vintage slips to wear around the house in the warmer months. When you're lounging around the house anyway, why not look pretty? Again, according to Terri, husband approved and appreciated!

Take a look at some of my favorites in my collection. They're all thrifted and all vintage and all used quite often!

My all time favorite! In the deepest, will never fade, red!! And how about that bodice? Fits like a glove and has the BEST details!

A black half slip. Just necessary! This has given length to some shorter black skirts.

I wear the fool out of this one! Short enough to go under everything and those button front dresses are more comfortable with some coverage beneath.

Full slips probably get even less wear than half slips, but I just love them! Talk about a nice clean line under your clothes; these will give everything the perfect silhouette!

This one is a favorite! That adorned bodice and again, a great fit just make me feel pretty, in an old school kind of way. And what woman doesn't want to feel pretty?!

Seriously, I don't know how I could do without my slips.

Do you ever wear slips? Or does it seem out dated?

One outfit...10 Pair of shoes!

2012-02-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading my blog for any time at all, you'll know of my devout fondness for shoes. It's the first section I look at whether I'm shopping at a department store or trolling my favorite thrift haunts. It would make life so much easier if I were one of those clever women who could wear the same shoes with everything and still look smashing! Alas, I am not. In my opinion, shoes have a way of transforming an entire look for good or bad. So I thought I would show you how different shoes on the exact same outfit could make, break or bore a look.

With Michael Kors clogs.....I kind of like this! Keeps the look kind of casual. I really like these clogs with black tights and skirts. I used to ONLY wear clogs with trousers, but now I can see them with skirts, dresses and maybe a pair of skinny jeans.

With a Bandolino boot. Okay, so not necessarily interesting, but it's definitely me. Nice clean lines, if not a bit preppy.

Franco Sarto sandals. TOTALLY not feeling this look, but it does score points on the interesting factor.

Nine West platform pumps. I almost didn't put these on because I thought I wouldn't like the color with the printed top. HOWEVER, I actually REALLY liked this!

Vintage Together boots. To be honest, these babies are going on eBay. While I really do like them, I simply NEVER know what to wear them with and I really don't like wearing them with anything other than a really long skirt and I don't wear enough maxis to warrant keeping these.

Vintage Apostrophe. I've had these for 20 years and rarely wear them. Again, I really don't do booties very well. Patti pulls them off with such aplomb, but I feel like a goober!

Thrifted black leather pumps. Nothing necessarily wrong with them in this look; but nothing really right either. I think I'd prefer these with the black tights and a black skirt.

Vintage Nine West boots. This was a serendipitous pairing. At the last minute, I saw these in the closet and thought, "Hmmmm, how bad would these be?" and then? BABAM! I really really like this! It keeps the whole look much more casual and I like the contrast against the black tights.

Jessica Simpson thigh high boots. Can I just say.....YES!!! Love this look! I know, I know, it's another black boot, but the heel and the higher style just gives it a different and more edgy look than the Bandolino boots above.

10.

Same Jessica Simpson boots from above, but with them worn over the knee. LOVE this look too!

So what do you think? Out of all of the above, what's fabulous, what's boring, and what's hideous?! I'd love to hear your opinions!

PS. Which ones do you think I ended up wearing for the day?

Why you need a leather skirt....

2012-02-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

Skirt: Vintage Thrifted, Top: J Crew, Sweater: H&M, Boots: Bandolino

A couple of years ago, a leather skirt was no where in my closet. I had NONE! And I didn't know what I was missing! Now, I can't imagine my sartorial life with no leather skirt....and for me, it simply HAS to be the real thing. I just can't seem to get as excited about pleather or ultra suede.

You know what's great about suede and leather skirts?

*No ironing needed....anytime you can wear something without having to iron it is just a good start to the day!

*Always the same fit....barring any extreme body changes, your leather skirt will pretty much fit you the same every time you wear it; unlike fabric that seems to modify itself a little with every wearing.

*Wear it year round....Yes! You read that right! Why not wear your leather year round? For this skirt, I could easily do a cute tank and a great heel and I'm out the door! While leather pants may prove to be a hot box in the warmer months, a leather skirt still allows you to keep the breezeway!

*Makes you look like you stepped up your game....When DOESN'T leather look like your A-game? Seriously! Throw on a leather skirt and any top and tres chic!

Every leather skirt I have (I think 5 in all) was thrifted. To buy a nice leather skirt new may be a bit cost prohibitive, but with so many thrifting options there's no need to mark them off your wish list!

Do you have any leather skirts? What do YOU love about them?

Southwest with a side of chipotle fries!

2012-02-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

Shirt: Vintage thrifted, Skirt: Thrifted, Boots: Bandolino, Belt: Chico's

Just some Thursday fun!!

Ouch! Oh! CRAP! That SMARTS!

2012-02-01T03:35:00.000-08:00

or....Fashion hurts Baby!

The fashion road has been paved with some prickly pebbles through the ages. As we often tell our daughters, "Beauty hurts!" Though history confirms that a woman's life has never been easy, this is sometimes the most true in women's fashions!

Am I exaggerating? You tell me.

The Ruff

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The ruff was popular in the mid sixteenth century and makes me claustrophobic just looking at it! As with all fashions, ruffs could get extreme. From simply a a yard or so of fabric with a drawstring to up to 2 feet of fabric with wires added for stiffness. Sounds painful, eh? As far as fashionable.......in my opinion it gives the semblance of a sovereign head levitating above the body! And according to Wikipedia, these were worn by men, women AND children!

The Stomacher

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This one has always looked a bit painful to me because of where it falls across the breast. Hovering just above the nipple line and laced pretty tightly, the stomacher was quite popular through the 17th and 18th centuries. The stomacher was a triangular decorative piece of bejeweled and bedazzled fabric that would run from the bodice to as much as 10 inches BELOW the waist! I would imagine one didn't SIT much in the stomacher. And if having this panel was too uncomfortable across you chest? Now worries, some ingenious (obviously male) designer came up with a solution:

There was a brief period during the court of Louis XVI, when the neckline and stomacher actually were below the breasts, which were covered by a transparent ruffle of fabric called a fichu. The nipples could then be rouged or even pierced and decorated with pearls or other gemstones. This fashion did not take off.

The Bustle

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The bustle accommodated the changing fashions and heavy fabric skirts of the mid 19th century. It was a framework that was smooth in front and on the sides and then lifted in the back to keep a woman's heavy skirt from dragging the ground. Basically, the bustle is a sartorial mullett - business in the front....PARTY in the back!

The Corset

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Ahhhhh, the corset. A fashion underpinning that still, to some extent, remains today. Women's obsession with an hourglass figure needs some help sometime. So in comes the corset. And I mean IN! Most corsets from the 19th century don't extend to more than 20 inches!! Apparently, a rule of thumb of the day was that a girl's waist (before she married and had children) should be equivalent to her age in years. And as it was common for girls to get married at 15-17 years, these were some pretty small waists!

The Hoop Skirt

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Apparently, there has been a form of the hoop skirt for about 3 centuries. But the purpose was always basically the same: to create a false silhouette for a woman's dress. What made hoop skirts so tedious to wear was their construction. At various widths, but often made of whale bone (as corsets were often made of whale bone also; the whale has certainly suffered at the hands of women's fashion!), steel, or rope; the hoop skirt was another underpinning that was NOT made for sitting! Oddly enough, mid 1980's southern high school proms brought a revival of the hoop skirt! And believe me, disco doesn't dance well in these babies!

The Cone Bra

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Sure Madonna made this look famous during her Blonde Ambition tour, but this look hearkens back to the late 50s and early 60s. Apparently, it wasn't enough for the breasts to be perky; but society demanded they be pointed too! This conical (one consonant away from being the more appropriate "comical") bra, was popular among younger women trying to emulate the look of the 'sweater girls" like Lana Turner and Jane Russell.

The Girdle

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Now we're getting more modern if not more comfortable. The girdle (Playtex was a popular brand) was a more current answer to the corset and reigned in control of more body parts. Of course the physical conditioning needed to get this bad boy on would seem to negate the actual NEED for it! I think the toilet rule of thumb for the girdle was to "go before we get on the road"; because there was certainly no quick trip to the loo in this tree hugger!

Tight Jeans

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Now we're moving into my era. While not an underpinning, as Ms Brooke reminded us, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvin Kleins!" That's because nothing COULD! Even my mother taught me that jeans were made to be worn tight! I remember laying on my bed and sucking in my stomach trying to get my jeans buttoned! Of course, this meant a lot of stiff legged dancing at the homecoming dance, but I guess we figured, "I'm here to LOOK good, not dance!"

The Big Handbag

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There appears to be an unexplained correlation between the smallness of a woman and the largeness of her purse! Nowadays, large purses are all the rage and have the appearance of being a larger version of the overnight bag from the 60s! While I do love a big honkin' hand bag, some of these are more on the luggage scale! There are carry on's that are smaller than these gorgeous gargantuan bags! My back hurts just looking at them!

The Platform Heel

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While the above is an extreme version of a modern favorite, the platform heel has taken off like a bat outta heel! (couldn't resist...I'm addicted to puns!) Giving the wearer an extra 5"to 8" in height, this shoe must be the bane of men everywhere! And walking gracefully is almost impossible in these vertiginous feet jewels. "Lumbering" would more aptly describe the gate in platform heels. Hey, no finger pointing here. I do love me some platform pumps, but my LACK of gracefulness forces me to keep it at a manageable height.

So there you have just a few of the things that we ladies have historically (and currently) put ourselves through for the sake of looking good! There are so many other pain inducing things that I left off this list like waxing, plucking, thongs and skinny jeans. A quizzical lot, these females! It's no easy row we hoe, but I think we've managed it with good sport!

What other painful processes or items do we use to look good?

Hey Hey Paula....We finally got to meet!

2012-01-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

BLAZER: Vintage Pendleton..Thrifted, SKIRT: Leather Wilsons's Thrifted, BOOTS: Bandolino....had for years, SHIRT: J Crew hand me down.

Wednesday was a GREAT day! I got to meet. IN PERSON. PAULA of FASHION OVER FIFTY!

There are 3 bloggers that I met almost immediately when I started blogging. Paula, Terri and Pam. I've met many more great women since, but these three have been there since the very beginning. These women have been more than just fellow bloggers; they've been friends. Paula prods me to get out of my comfort zone and embrace color! Terri makes me think. I mean REALLY think and ponder things, and there's also in her, an element of mischievous fun to her. Like a really staid personality that belies a sharp wit. Pam reminds me to "redeem the time"....to move forward toward my aspirations. How precious to have these women in my life, even if it's just cyberly!

I met Paula at the Starbucks by my apartment. As soon as I walked up, she ran out and it was as if she jumped off the pages of her blog! A very Merry Poppins surreal moment! We sat and chatted for over an hour and we ran out of time before we ran out of conversation. We talked about EVERYTHING!!! Family. Style. Aging (she helped me out sooooo much with this one! helped me to see that I wasn't losing my mind!) . Blogging. What we love about blogging. What we hate about blogging. And to be honest, when she and her sweet husband were driving off, I thought, "MAN! I wish she lived around here!"

Do you ever wonder, as you read your favorite blogs, "Would I be good friends with this woman if I met her in real life?" And it's just so cool when you meet one of your closest blog friends and realize that "style" is the LEAST of what you have in common! That the woman behind the pretty poses and witty prose is not just another pretty face. She's a kindred spirit! And that's something to be thankful for!

Paula, I hope this is the first of MANY get togethers! You made my week!!! You most definitely are a KINDRED SPIRIT!

Right before Paula got back on the road!

Just like on her blog!

Paula

Me right before Paula got here!

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!!

MAINTENANCE: High? or Low?

2012-01-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

SWEATER: H&M, SKIRT: Thrifted, BOOTS: Bandolino, SHIRT: Thrifted, NECKLACE: Inherited from my mom

When it comes to appearance maintenance, I think the only way I could be lower maintenance is if I were a construction worker. Here is my regular maintenance:

Haircut about once a year
No hair color
Wash and go hair with occasional rolling
Eyebrows waxed (threaded) about every 6 weeks
Manicure maybe once a year
Pedicure once a year
Make up from drug store....new stuff about once every 6 months. I probably replace my mascara the most. Then experiment with a new lip color about once every 3 months
Generic moisturizer
Aveeno face wash

This is all that comes to mind at the moment. As I'm looking at this, I'm thinking on the 1-10 maintenance scale, this would probably land me on a 4 or 5. However, lately, I've been thinking I probably need to step up my game some. Fact is, I'm not as young as I used to be. Midlife hormones make hair grow in the strangest facial areas. Wrinkles and creases grow faster than hair (and in my case, that's sonic speed right there!) My long hair quickly goes from elegant to earth mother in a matter of a couple of inches. And honestly, with just one little chickie left in the nest (our youngest is a HS freshman), I actually have more time on my hands to take care of myself than when I had 4 young ones at home.

On Saturday, after about a year without a professional trim (I've had my husband lop off dead ends from time to time), I broke down and got my hair cut. I also treated myself to a new red lip color. My previous red was far too bright. After reading what Shey uses, I looked for the same shade, but opted for one shade deeper.

What do you do for maintenance? How often do you get your hair cut? Waxing? Dye jobs? Manis? Pedis? Do you find that you allow for more maintenance as you age or less? My next post, I'll tell you what my revised maintenance will look like. I think I need to crank it up to at least a 7!

By the way, guess what tomorrow is? VISIBLE MONDAY!!! So mosey on over to Patti's neck of the woods and check out all the visiblooms and be sure to link up as well!

I'm just a girl....

2012-01-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

This is what I wore AFTER I changed out of the leather skirt from the last post! I was FREEZING!
JACKET: Doncaster, inherited from my mom (why don't I wear this more?!), SCARF: gift from my sweet husband, JEANS: Kenneth Cole via TJ Maxx, WEDGES: BCBG thrifted, SWEATER: Same as here, GAP thrifted.

Today I read an article about a couple who did not reveal the gender of their child for five years. It seems that they believe that gender is societally imposed and did not want that for their child. What was interesting about their choice, however, is that they allowed the child (turned out to be a boy) to choose whatever he wanted to wear with the exception of "hyper-masculine outfits like skull-print shirts". He WAS allowed to wear a shiny pink girl's swimsuit though.

How much does the role of gender play in what we wear? For me, it plays a HUGE part! I'm a girly girl through and through, albeit, MY interpretation of girly girl (I don't wear ruffles); but still dedicated feminine. When I get dressed, part of the whole experience is that I FEEL so very womanly. Whether its the fit, the style, the parts making up the whole; I'm really looking for that feminine experience.

Without forming too much judgment over something that's basically none of my business; this article intrigued me. We really aren't an androgynous society. And even when women wear men's wear inspired clothing; they still bring their feminine form to it. Think Marlene Dietrich. Known for her penchant for masculine clothes, she was still decidedly feminine!

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My mom used to tell me that when I was a little girl, I used to cry when she tried to put me in pants. I LOVED dresses! One of my earliest memories was of my sister and I going shopping for Easter dresses and matching purses (another accessory that I've always had a weakness for!).

I don't remember anyone really TELLING me, "Serene, you're a girl!". I just KNEW. A couple of years later, my older sister and grandmother teasingly tried to convince me that I was really a boy, but that my father wanted a little girl so badly that they dressed me up in girls' clothes and pretended that I was one! I actually BELIEVED them! I didn't understand at that young age the anatomical difference in genders. All I knew was that there was a marked difference between boys and girls and I REALLY wanted to be a girl!

Apart from traditional gender roles, do you think it's possible to be truly gender neutral. To just embrace EVERYTHING? I don't think I buy this. Because it seems like all of us break to one gender or the other; either physically or mentally.

Do you enjoy dressing "feminine" and what IS your idea of feminine dress? Would love to hear your thoughts on this!

Body Contentment vs Body Happiness

2012-01-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

Gap Wool Sweater: Thrifted, Vintage Leather Skirt: Thrifted, BCBG Wedges: Thrifted, Bangles: Thrifted

See this body? It's not the smallest it's capable of being. It's true! Through really vigorous exercise, I've gotten myself down to a size 6 and at my smallest, was even trying on some size 4s! All the while weighing in at just under 140 pounds. Great accomplishment, right? I certainly thought so at the time. In fact, most of my life has been spent either fretting over my body's size or shape OR trying to break it's stubborn will and suborn it to my idealized mental image of what I wanted it to look like.

When I look back through the years, I can only think, "What a futile life's purpose!" Because it really was a life's purpose. Trying to have model thin thighs monopolized my thoughts. My pants size became the obsession of my brain. And all of my angst was rewarded by the shear delight of going into a department store and "fitting into" a smaller size. And because there's ALWAYS one size smaller, my angst was never relieved and my lust for being satisfied with what I saw in the mirror was never sated.

Through that decades long journey, I've come to a conclusion. As small as one CAN get is probably not where their body's meant to be. That's why those 10 pounds usually always find their way back on. We're not failures. Our body is trying to tell us that we're not SUPPOSED to be that size! Just because you can GET to a size 2 isn't proof that it's the right size for you. I could attain a size 6, but maintaining that size would require herculean effort and time.

We hear so much talk about body image and body acceptance. And that's a GOOD thing. But it saddens me that it's even an issue at all. How unfortunate that we put unattainable or unMAINtainable body shape standards on ourselves at all! For some reason, women (more than men) make such a connection between happiness and the size of jeans we wear! I certainly did! And if I'm being brutally honest with you and myself, every now and then that mindset still wants to creep in. It takes discipline to break the habitual thinking that started in my preteens.

The thing about happiness, though, is that it's usually circumstantially based. When the skinny jeans fit; we're happy. When they don't; we're depressed. When we like what the scale reads; we're happy. When we don't; we're blue. Do you see that pattern? And we can't even deny it, because how many times do we get dressed in the morning and try putting on something that's not too tight, only to find our day is ruined because we now see ourselves as fat? I've seen (and been there myself) so many women who step on a scale happy as a clam because they just KNOW they'd be lighter than they were the day before. And when they don't see the number they were expecting, like a card in the hand of a magician....happiness disappears.

So, while I'm not the HAPPIEST I've ever been with my body (remember how giddy I was over a fleeting size 6!); I'm absolutely the most content with the ol' bod! I'm content with the fact that I'm strong. I'm content with larger calves that now hang from my shins like a rotisserie chickens, not dangle back and forth from them like chandelier earrings! I'm content with my muscular legs, even if they're not exactly small. They can climb, walk for hours and kick some butt if need be! I'm content with my poochy tummy, because it reminds me that this amazing creation that is my body, housed four healthy children! I'm content with my arms because they're strong enough to embrace my husband and my children in a honkin' big bear hug!

I'm content with the woman I see in the mirror. I'm content with this body. And I've come to realize that contentment is so much more fulfilling than fickle happiness.

Do you have a dream?

2012-01-16T16:48:00.000-08:00

Sweater: Vintage Jantzen, thrifted, Skirt: Suede, thrifted, Boots: Can't remember, Bracelets: Thrifted

A few months ago our pastor preached on having a vision and going after it. I sat there in church thinking, "I DO have a vision!"; but was afraid to really follow it. I knew I wanted to make my thrifting my full time job. I believe I have an eye and definitely a passion for finding amazing treasures, and I wanted to turn that into something I could do full time. I also had been wanting, for some time, to be my own brand. I've been fortunate in that I've had the privilege of helping build up the businesses of others. But now I was ready to do that for myself.

I wish I could say that I went home, quit my job and took the plunge. Or at least that, I went home, kept my part time job and BEGAN pursuing my vision. But the truth is I didn't. I talked it to death. I berated myself for being such a pansy. I was terrified of the embarrassment of failure and I realized that I trusted my employer's business sense more than my own and really, for no good reason. Simply put, I was all talk and a big ol' chicken.

When we moved, I didn't keep my former job because it was a local business. So now was the time for me to finally follow my dream. I was kind of kicked out of the nest because my only other option was to start looking for work. But I felt like, if I was ever going to do this, right then was the time. To be honest, it's been WONDERFUL and I'm a little embarrassed that it took me so long. Within the past couple of months since I've started selling, I've probably sold about 70 items on eBay. I'm loving what I'm doing and my confidence as a business woman is building every day.

I've no aspirations of building any kind of business empire. I'm not striving to reach my first million. I find that the older I get, the less MONEY means to me and the more the people in my life DO mean to me. But being able to help my family out AND be home and available to them is such a treasure for me at this time in my life. And that fact that I get this while doing something I feel so passionate about, is just a bonus!

I've said all this to say, What's your vision? What is it that you just KNOW you'd be great at? If you could spend your day doing ANYTHING you wanted to do, what would it be? What would your days look like if YOU decided how your time would be spent. I'll never forget that Sunday when our Pastor said, "Either you get a vision, or someone will get a vision for you" and it's so true!

Now, as I'm finally living my vision, I'm thinking, "SERENE! Why did you wait so long?!?" For me it was fear. For you, it may be something else. But in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I want to do my small part to encourage anyone out there to follow your vision. You can put it off until "just the right time", but usually that time never comes.

Seize the day girlies! I just know you have some awesome visions! I'd love to hear about them and I'd especially love to hear about how you're making them happen! Big love to you all!!

By the way, here are my auctions if you'd like to take a look!

Still blooming, not pining.....

2012-01-11T03:38:00.000-08:00

Top Left: Downtown Apex, Top Right: Statement Necklace that I DIDN'T buy; but DO think it's really cool! Bottom Left: Men's Suit shop, Bottom Right: My Sweet Baby at Starbucks

Before heading to Apex. I'm confused. Is it January or May?!?!

My man, watching the ballgame on Sunday

My kiddos, AKA The Fab Four, having chili on Sunday

I know it's Wednesday and here I am talking about my weekend, but what can I say? It was a really great weekend! On Saturday, the temps hovered around 70 degrees which made it impossible to just sit inside. So here was my weekend:

Walked 8 miles on Saturday (head held high as I type that!)

Got purdied up and went to downtown Apex exploring with my daughter.

Found a FABULOUS bakery and also a tearoom that serves a lunch tea of cucumber sandwiches.

Made myself a promise to take myself to tea!

Came home and fixed dinner.

Went to church.

Came home and made a big honkin' pot of chili (I put coffee and cocoa in it!

Welcomed home my oldest sons (twins) from Wilmington. They came in to help take my daughter BACK to Wilmington for school.

Lots and Lots of hugging!

Worked out Monday morning with Sweet Baby, and then we explored a bit and found a really great bakery/breakfast place minutes from our house! (Have I mentioned how much I love living here?)

Sat at Starbucks with my honey bun, did computer stuff and made googly eyes at said honey bun!

Can you tell it was a great weekend?!?! Although, I'm expecting another stellar weekend this one coming, I try very had to stay "in the moment". That's so cliche isn't it? But yet it's also very true. I've found myself on a Monday morning saying to myself, "Wow! I can't wait till Friday!" It was sobering to realize that I was so quick to bypass 5 days every week just to get to 2! So as much fun as this weekend will surely be, Wednesday's shaping up to be a pretty good time too! Hope yours is as well!

High fives all around!

By the way, all the above pictures were taken with my iPhone. I'm completely feelin' it!

Using seduction to get attention...

2012-01-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

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Shy Biker first blogged about this photo a few days ago, which was the first I had heard about this controversy. The full story is here, but in a nutshell, this young girl (Sidney Spies) submitted the first photo to the yearbook staff to be used as her senior picture. Upon rejection of the picture, on the grounds that it was inappropriate for the yearbook, she was asked to submit another picture. She then submitted the second photo shown above.

As far as I'm concerned, whether or not this is suitable for the high school yearbook is a no brainer. Of course it ISN'T! The bigger issue is why do many young girls go directly for sexualization when vying for attention? Sidney is a beautiful girl and I'm sure very intelligent as well. According to the article, she's an aspiring model and wanted this picture in the yearbook to make that point clear. According to Sidney, " I honestly think (the picture) describes who I am......I'm and out going person and I really do think it's artistic."

Call me a prude, but no, this is not artistic. This is nothing short of blatant sexuality. And my question is, in the 21st century, after decades of women fighting to be seen as bright individuals who have so much more to offer society than their bodies, why are more and more young women (and their mothers) allowing themselves to be overtly sexualized? Sidney is certainly not the first. There's been Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus and very recently Dakota Fanning on the cover of Cosmopolitan AND in a rather suggestive Marc Jacobs perfume ad that was actually banned in the UK. Playing the sex card seems to be the quick and easy way to fame.

When we play to quick visual titillation, we sell ourselves short. We say to the world, "THIS is how I want to grab your attention! See me as a sex object! " But is that REALLY how we, as women, want to be noticed? If it takes exposed skin and an arched back to grab attention, then what does it take to hold that attention? Stimulating conversation? A mutual exchange of ideas? Sharp wit? Prooooobably not! It's going to take amping up more of the same visual seduction. And aren't we so much more than that? Don't we have so much more to bring to the planet than cleavage and a seductive over the shoulder gaze? Of course we do!

My message to Sidney, all of us in the sisterhood is this: We need careful using our sex appeal to gain attention for ourselves. Because THAT speaks so loudly, nothing else of value that we have to say can be heard. As Ralph Waldo Emmerson said, "What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say."

I've got all the riches baby, one man can claim...

2012-01-08T14:37:00.000-08:00

I really appreciate the comments that all of you left on my last post! My mind has been racing with things I want to talk about....some just fun and frivolous and others, a little more substantive. I don't want people to get caught up on the term "lady" because, obviously, that's very subjective. I think it's one of those ideals in which it's easier to recognize what it isn't rather than what it is.

Dictionary.com defines lady as "a woman who is refined, polite and well spoken". Certainly that's unoffensive enough. It also defines it as simply a woman/female. I think that term has been subjugated by some who would make it mean something far more narrow than these definitions. Again, absolutely NOT my intention. More to come on all of this! I'm looking forward to exploring more of my and YOUR ideas of what being a woman means to all of us in the sisterhood!

On a separate note, I tried doing my hair in a large bun as instructed in this tutorial. May I just say, I REALLY LOVE IT! My husband teased me that I was rocking the BIG hair! What I felt like was a movie star from the 50s or 60s! I'll be doing this one A LOT!

So, consider this my "Visible Monday" submission. Be sure to check out the other Visibles at Not Dead Yet Style and be sure to say hello to Patti!

The Art of Being a Lady

2012-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Source

My husband and I found a website a few months ago called The Art of Manliness, AoM, Reviving the lost art of manliness. They have articles such as:

Blacksmithing Basics - How to make a hook
A Resolution Romance - The 52 Lovenotes Challenge
Willpower Part 1: The Force of Greatness
How to shave like your Grandpa
Bringing Back the Hat

And those are just a few. I have utterly enjoyed reading this site and it would be an understatement to say that my husband merely "enjoys" it too. It's a site where men can revel in some "traditional" erstwhile manly pursuits. Do you think this is sexist on their part?

The reason I ask this is because my husband and I were talking about this and I mentioned that a woman could probably NEVER get away with an Art of Womanliness website. She'd be accused of setting women's rights back a hundred or more years! Sometimes, as women, we're uber sensitive to anything that pigeonholes us into what we view as archaic gender roles.

But are we cheating ourselves? What would we consider "reveling" in being a woman? Is it any more wrong or misguided for a woman to want to learn the basics of setting a table than it is for a man to want to learn how to shovel snow? Does it make him sexist because he WANTS to do those things for the people he loves? Are we trying too hard to be androgynous when it comes to gender roles? Or perhaps that's the issue, these pursuits aren't "roles" because a role is something placed upon you. Maybe WANTING to excel, or at least master, traditional feminine pursuits is just embracing the difference between the two sexes.

Because I want to know the correct way to iron, or take up knitting, or take pleasure in decorating my home doesn't mean that I think that it wouldn't be helpful for my own sons to know these things. It just means that I'm looking for that place where I truly revel in being, not just a woman, but a lady.

Listen, I love that the iconic history of my gender includes Betty Boop AND Rosie the Riveter! I'm not interested in should-ing all over anybody. But I've got to be honest. I'm a bit envious when I read AoM. In a world where women are shrinking to almost invisibility to fit into an industry's standard, it would be a JOY to escape to a place where my swelling hips are lauded, not laughed at. Where Mother Theresa is a more vital life coach than Kris Jenner (Kardashian). And especially where, as we age, we have a greater voice not a weaker one.

You'll be seeing my blog take a turn toward The Art of Being a Lady. For me, that includes everything from the domestic arts to wise financial investments. And Sisters, I absolutely WELCOME your input! I'm not just being polite. I SERIOUSLY want your input. I'm going through my head thinking of blogger friends who are truly gifted in various areas. Right off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Patti with her specialty in counseling, and tenderness she brings to blogging. Terri, a voracious reader (and educator) who can help me put together a female focused personal library. Shey, a brilliant seamstress who takes the simplest items and makes the FABULOUS! Paula, an artistic soul who has so much to say on bringing color to our lives. Pam, a prolific writer and interviewer who has a passion for revitalizing women who may have lost their life's zest. Vanessa, another amazing writer who proves daily that gorgeousness isn't pigeonholed into one size; and curves deserve color too! Jessica, who is decorating her home BEAUTIFULLY on a meager budget through (what she has turned into) the "science" of thrifting! And I could seriously go on and on. So many of you are so incredibly inspirational that I can't possibly narrow it down to a finite blog post!

Oh my gosh! My mind is racing and my heart is pounding!!! That means I'm on the right track and hitting on something that impassions me! I'm still going to be doing outfits because, frankly, I think more "thrifty" outfits would provide balance to the plethora of high dollar outfit posts saturating fashion blogging. But this direction is something that I've toyed with for a while and I'm taking the plunge!

What does "lady like" mean to you?

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Fight the funk!

2011-12-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

Blouse, suede skirt, and Michael Kors Clogs: Thrifted, Sweater: H&M years ago

I've got to get this off my chest....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

I'm excited about 2012! It sounds cliche, but I'm looking for great things this year. It hit me this morning as I was showering and thinking (I do some of my most creative thinking in the shower, don't know why!); that we all can get funky sometimes. I know you know what I mean. Where it's not necessarily one particular thing, but you just wake up feeling funky. Maybe a little blue. Down in the dumps. Morose. It happens to all of us, no matter how cheery we may appear to be.

And while there's nothing wrong with letting yourself actually feel what you're feeling; for myself, I feel like my day has been wasted if I've gone through it like a robot. Stoically going through the motions and trying to fight the blues. And sometimes, there actually IS cause for that gloomy feeling; but I've found that giving into that feeling really doesn't improve the original cause. In fact, it only multiplies the weight of it!

I've come up with some things that I TRY to do to keep myself on "topside". That's not to say I never have those days, because I truly DO! And the older I get, and my hormones revolting against every law of order in my body, I can feel like I'm inhabited by pissy old lady - think Miss Gulch from the Wizard of Oz!

Source

1. Dress up! It's so tempting to let our clothes match our somber moods sometimes. When you're pms-ing and feeling bloated and weepy (I KNOW I'm not the ONLY one!), it's easy to throw on some sweats and yank your hair back. But, from my mother I learned that if you'll get dressed up, put your make up on and spritz some perfume, it'll do wonders to lift your mood!

2. Put on your favorite music! I joke that I need a daily dose of Vitamin D (Disco!!!) and I do! I call it my happy music. In other words, how can you listen to Wake Me Up Before You Go Go and not get a little happy?!

3. Smile! At first you may look a little psychotic; but after a while, you'll definitely start feeling it! This is probably the number one easiest "pick me uppers"!

4. Have a mental file drawer of memories that make you happy! One of my favorite little mental numbers is a birthday card my kids got for me on my 41st birthday. When opened, it starts playing, "Cause she's a brick. HOUSE!!!" (Remember that?) No? For your enjoyment....

5. Do something nice for someone! Pick up a nice card and send it to someone you care about. Pay for the order of the person behind you in the drive through. Compliment someone sincerely. When I'm feeling funky, most of the time it doesn't help to continue to be "me focused". But when I divert my attention to myself and positively on to someone else? AMAZING how I start feeling chipper pretty quickly!
Personally, I LOATHE getting into a funk! Every now and then, we just have to ride it out. But for me, if I shift the mental gears; I can usually salvage my attitude and my day!
What do you do to fight the funk?

A silly little video of me telling a silly little joke....

2011-12-29T12:53:00.000-08:00

Just want to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year! I hope you will forgive this PITIFUL little video, but I was fooling around with my video on my computer yesterday and realized that I could tape myself! I think I may have created a monster, or as my husband would say, "Oh LORD! We'll never get her off that computer now!!!"
*Disclaimer: It's really NOT easy talking while looking at oneself. I became fascinated by the movement of my face....,mesmerizing actually......
God bless you all and see you in 2012!

Fourteen Joys and a Will to be Merry

2011-12-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

Blazer: Pendleton/Vintage/Thrifted, Sweater: Doncaster Tanner, Jeans: Domain/TJ MAXX, Boots: Jessica Simpson/TJ MAXX

I'm really not much of a layer-er. I don't like feeling bulky or that I'm wearing half my closet. While others pull off the layering with panache, I'm more comfortable keeping it on the simple side. However, imagine my surprise when I went to put this vintage red blazer back in the closet and thought, "Just for fun, let me see if it will go over this sweater". What d'ya know? I guess I can kind of get my layer on! I'm completely feeling the mixing of colors...the red with the khaki...and I'm also thinking, "Why am I not wearing this cherry red blazer ALL the time?!?!"

And how do you like my new boots? On Christmas Eve, my sweet husband took me to lunch and announced that after we ate we were going to get me a brand new pair of boots (I've been wanting a pair!) And while he knows I love thrifting, every now and then it's nice to have something brand spanking new! These are Jessica Simpsons, all leather with a suede heel (I sound like one of my eBay descriptions!) and I'm not going to lie. I have to practice wearing them! But they're soooooo worth it!

On another note, my sweet friend, Patti from Not Dead Yet Style presented me with the Liebster award! This is what the Liebster is all about:

Liebster means "dearest" in German, and this award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. All that's asked is that the recipient do the following:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your 5 blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Hope that the people you have sent the award to will forward it to their favorite bloggers.

I wasn't really sure who had how many followers, so I had to go back and check, but here are some that came to mind right away:

The Frump Factor - I have no idea how many followers Anne has. She's so fabulous that she should have a kazillion! But all I know is that I just ADORE her and this is a perfect opportunity for me to tell her so!
Everything Just So - Jill is one of those women with whom I just relate. I can't explain it. I look at her blog with the fabulous pictures of the FIT and her writing and I just KNOW that she and I could chat for hours over coffee!
Confessions of a Thrift Shopaholic - Jessica is the only blogger that I know face to face. We used to work together and oddly enough, got to know each other better through blogging. She's got an amazing eye for thrifting and a knack for making thrifted items look designer. Love love love that girl!
She Accessorizes Well - No pun intended on this, but Debbi has some of most beautiful accessories of anyone I've seen! Seriously, big name bloggers can't touch her for originality and quality. She also has LOVELY hands and a fantastic southwestern art collection!
Carpe Diem Gorgeous! - Colleen is not a style blogger, but what can I say? I NEVER read her blog without being moved. I feel like Colleen is my soul's twin. She lives in Norway, so it's doubtful we'll ever meet in person. But she writes so many things that I feel, but in a stunningly beautiful prose that leaves me always wanting to be more grateful. And what's not to love about someone who makes you want to be a better version of yourself!?!

I really could go on. There are so many of you that I consider friends. It's a gift to meet women whom I respect and admire. NOT because of their beauty or their closet; but because they share their hearts. I can't thank you special women enough for that! Group hug everyone!

Title Lyrics.....Sentimental Lady by Bob Welch

Bright Copper Kettles and Warm Woolen Mittens

2011-12-28T02:02:00.000-08:00

Blouse: Silk Thrifted, Black Shirt: Thrifted, Pencil Skirt: Thrifted, Clogs: Michael Kors Thrifted

I've found that there are just some items that I MUST have in my closet. Not name brand, but rather styles of items.....those clothes that I go back to time after time. Here's my short list of closet cravings that must be sated:

1. Pencil Skirts - I've never seen a woman who doesn't look good in a pencil skirt. Regardless of your body shape, these skirts are truly my wardrobe work horses!

2. Silk Blouses - I just love the way they hang. I rarely buy a cotton blouse because frankly, they just feel too boxy. But silk blouses skim the body and are so light; you could really wear them year round. There's almost no color of silk blouse that I would leave at the store!

3. Leather skirts - I've got about 5 leather skirts now and I'm always on the look out for more. Leather just looks sharp! It doesn't wrinkle. It wears well and feels great! I'd love to find a full leather skirt....most of what I find are pencil skirts.

4. Great high heels - A great pair of shoes makes the most humble thrift store finds look high end! A midi skirt is transformed from dowdy to dramatic with a funky pair of heels! If there's ONE thing that I'll spend a tad bit more on, it's SHOES!

5. Black and White shirts - All black and all white shirts. I have two little stacks of them in my closet. When you've got that statement skirt that you just don't know what to wear with it, throw on a black or white tee and suddenly it's PERFECT. They just go with EVERYTHING! My daughter and I have both picked up a pack of mens' v-neck white undershirts and those have certainly done the trick. When all else fails? Throw on white or black tee!

6. Belts - What can I say? I NEED my belts! It's one of the first sections I go to at the thrift store. A great belt is like that perfect pair of shoes. It will elevate your more humble items to "boutique" status!

7. Black tights - I've tried the colored tights and have been left deflated. I see colored tights on so many bloggers and they look fabulous! On me? I feel like a clown! But black tights? They go with everything!! A brown heel. A blsck boot. An ankle boot. A bright skirt. A black skirt. It's almost like the winter's version of the summer bare leg!

These are my closet staples. They're only necessary for my wardrobe because I enjoy wearing them so much! What are your must have's for your closet? The staples in your sartorial diet?

Seven DON'Ts of Thrifting

2011-12-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

Top: My sons', Skirt: Leather Vintage Thrifted, Shoes: BCBG Thrifted

Seven Don'ts of Thrifting

1. DON'T pass by a "not so nice" looking Thrift Store. This vintage leather skirt was purchased at a Thrift dive a couple of weeks ago for $2! Some of the BEST things I've found were bought in some of the WORST looking places. Let others avoid those dusty shops while you clean up like a fat cat!

2. DON'T buy anything for yourself that you're not crazy about. Seriously, if you even have to ask yourself, "Hmm, should I get this?", then the answer is probably "No". If you DO this DON'T, you'll be guaranteed to end up with a closet full of "so so" instead of a closet full of "FABULOUS!".

3. DON'T leave anything behind that you really want. Most likely, it WILL NOT be there when you go back. Rule of thrifting, if you think you're going to be thinking about it long after you leave the store, better get it right then!

4. DON'T be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Did I ever think I'd like this aqua blue green color? Absolutely not. But for $2....knowing that it's a quality buttery leather skirt makes it easier for me to experiment and find out that I actually DO like the color of a 1963 bathroom!

5. DON'T hit and miss. I often hear, "Wow Serene! How do you find such great stuff at thrift stores? I NEVER find stuff like that!" There's no special magic I have for finding things. I enjoy the hunt, so I go often and scour the racks. When it comes to skirts, dresses, and sweaters; I will quickly go hanger by hanger and put my eyes on everything. There are just too many items to cast a fleeting glance and tell if there's gold in them thar hills! Take your time and go often. The treasures will reveal themselves to you!

6. DON'T pass up something with a great fit! I'm talking PHENOMENAL fit! Especially when it comes to skirts and pants. Even something painfully ugly will look FABULOUS with a perfect fit!

7. DON'T take thrifting too seriously. It's supposed to be fun. So you could kick yourself because you passed up that fur coat because you wanted to think about it and when you decided that your quality of life would triple with it in your closet; you return to the store to find it gone. You forgot Don't #3! No big! I promise you, you'll come across something else equally FABULOUS and MONUMENTAL on another visit!

Peace....Love....and Good Thoughts

2011-12-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

Sweater Vest: Moth via Thrifted, Jeans: Simply Vera via Thrifted, Clogs: Coach (Inherited from my mom), Jacket: Vintage Leather via thrifted (on sale at my store after Jan 1)

Wooden bracelets thrifted, leather in middle inherited from my mom.

As we're all getting ready for Christmas, I just want to tell each and every person who may land on my little blog, Merry Christmas!! I hope your Christmas is filled with tons of LOVE! I'm reminding myself of why I celebrate Christmas and thanking the Heavenly Father for the best, most perfect amazing gift ever - His Son. Whenever I feel like I don't measure up, or just plain funky; I'm reminded that I'm loved just as I am. That, in God's eyes, I'm precious! I've got to tell you, that's a wonderful feeling.....to feel PRECIOUS!

I see wonderful things in store for all of us in 2012! Can't wait to share it with you!

Peace, Love and Tons of Good Thoughts headed your way!!!

Livin' my life like it's golden...

2011-12-18T15:10:00.001-08:00

Blazer: Doncaster, vintage & thrifted, Black top: No clue, Skinny Jeans: TJ Maxx, Boots: Catalog order from about 10 years ago.

Jentine, at My Edit, is such a great "thrifty" blogger! She recently did a post about thrifting blazers. I've been fortunate to have thrifted quite a few really great ones! This one is 100% woven silk. I replaced the dated buttons with wooden ones. Amazing what a difference buttons can make!

Honestly, this is just a great "I have no clue what to wear" uniform. Skinny jeans tucked into boots and a statement blazer. A girl could do this a hundred times and look FABULOUS every one of them!

Since, I'm feeling so visible, be sure to check out the other "visible" lovelies at Patti's blog, Not Dead Yet Style. Be sure to post your very visible self on her blog!

The Elegant Bohemian Boutique

2011-12-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Introducing The Elegant Bohemian Boutique!! After researching various selling venues, I've decided to stay with the venue that's always been good to me. I have sold on eBay both full and part time off and on over the past 10 years.

What you'll find when you visit The Elegant Bohemian Boutique

Just grab a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and sit back and enjoy perusing unique and hand picked vintage and current items. I look for items that are beautiful, well made, and interesting!

What kind of service you can expect

I work hard to get your beautiful items to you toot sweet! On most items, I offer a "Buy it Now" option so that you can purchase your lovely immediately. I also list all measurements and answer questions about items right away. Bottom line, I want you to be THRILLED with your purchases

It's easy to pop into my boutique!

All you have to do is click the "Shop" icon at the top of my blog and you'll find links to everything I'm selling, as well as what is currently on sale! How easy is that? If you've been reading my blog for a while, you may see some familiar items that I've worn on my blog. However, I'm treasure hunting for AMAZING pieces, regardless of the size. So this is not a "clean out my closet sale", but rather "Serene is serious about pursuing her passion for spreading the sartorial love throughout the universe"!

Also, just a reminder that I can be found on Facebook here. I would appreciate the "Likes" so that I can claim the name! I'm only 4 away!

I am also on Twitter and you can follow me here.

And last, but not least, at the bottom of each of my posts (under my signature), you'll notice this icon.....

I would be thrilled if you would "stumble" my post if you enjoyed reading it! It helps me share my blog with others! Thanks so much!!

I'll come driving fast as wheels can turn

2011-12-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

Top: Vera Wang Simply Vera - Thrifted, Skirt: Thrifted, Clogs: Michael Kors - Thrifted, Leather Gloves: Saddlebred, vintage and inherited from my mom, Belt: $3 clearance from Dillards

Please disregard the constipated look on the left! UGH! I don't know WHAT my face was doing!

Why do women not wear gloves anymore? Sunday, it was a bit nippy, so I pulled out these vintage leather gloves that belonged to my mom and I had a BLAST wearing them!

I just wanted to take a moment to run some numbers by you....

Blouse (Vera Wang Simply Vera) - $3.29
Belt: $3
Skirt: Tag ripped out - $1
Clogs: Michael Kors - $3.50
Gloves: Free
GRAND TOTAL: $10.79

Sermon of the Day:

Friends, can I get your ear for a moment? Do you feel a longing in your heart to get your pretty on? Are you TIRED of wearing those same ol' evil clothes that try to TRAP you in the bonds of "so so"? Do you feel the stirring to revamp your style, but that stirrin' stops when it gets to your wallet? Can I get an AMEN?

Brothers and Sistahs (alright, mostly SISTAHS!), you can BREAK these ties that bind you! You can be RELEASED from the CHAINS of spending all your money on high priced clothes! The answer dear people is right in front of you. The truth has made itself known!! SOMEBODY! Help me! PLEASE! There's one word. One. Word. my dear friends you need to know!

THRIFTING!!!

Moral of the Sermon:

For just over $10, I felt like a million bucks!!! Now THAT'S just a DANG good return on investment!!!

Title Lyrics: Driving by Everything but the Girl

The value of clothes.....

2011-12-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

Top: Hand Me Down (has a leather front....see last pic for a close up, Skirt: Thrifted, vintage, Boots: Had forever!

How attached are we to things? More pointedly, how attached are we to our clothes? Does paying a higher dollar amount for an item increase it's intrinsic value to us? What is it about our clothes that we LOVE so much? How they make us FEEL? How we believe we LOOK in them? What we believe they SAY about us?

I know, deep questions for a Tuesday morning, right? But to be honest, these are the kind of things I think about. My husband half jokingly said to me months ago, when I was in the midst of my blogging frenzy, "You feel about me the same way you feel about your clothes."

Then came my astonished,"What?! What do you mean?"

"Well, you LOVE that skirt and you LOVE me. You feel the same about that skirt as you do me."

Ewwwww........even I know, that's not good. Because, you know what? I really don't. I love and adore my husband. If our house were on fire, it would be him and my kids I would be anxious about NOT my clothes.

That's why, when I changed the design of my blog and modified my "About me"; I wanted to make it clear (mostly to myself) that it's GOD and PEOPLE I LOVE, and clothes and things I ENJOY. While no one gets more excited over a fabulous pair of shoes than I do. You, my friends, know that I can wax poetic about the joys and health benefits of a pair of platform pumps. I get giddy over feeling elegant in a perfectly fitted pencil skirt. My heart leaps at pair of wide leg jeans and silk blouse that make me feel like Jaclyn Smith circa The Charlie's Angels years! HELLO! For goodness sake, I enjoy my sartorial life so much I've devoted a BLOG to it!!!

But at the end of the day, my clothes are just things. If I had to leave EVERYTHING and start over, I could walk away from my closet with fond memories and peace in my heart. They're just things. No need to obsess over them or about them. No need to covet what I don't have. No need to put more value on them than is warranted. I LOVE my family. I LOVE you, my friends (known and as yet unknown) reading this. I ENJOY my clothes.

Could it be, that at the end of the day, our style really isn't so much about our clothes, but about US? Well, my girlies, that's for another post. Till then, I wish you LOVE, PEACE and SOUL!!!!!!