Loving this

 This dress is the epitome of elegance to me. After posting some pics of garments from the runway I'd like to recommend this one for the runway instead. Stacy and Clinton talk about enhancing the best features of the body. On the previous post, that was not done. The models had really thin legs and the skirt stopped at the right place to show that. Then the boots covered the lower leg. Just think how much better the outfits would have looked with a nice pair of heels.

This dress has many of the things I love. First the color is wonderful. That color is perfect for my complexion. The fit of the dress would have to wait a while, (100) pounds, but it is a very feminine shape. The pattern is a bit boho which appeals to me in that wearing it wouldn't be following the crowd. So for me, this dress makes a lot of sense.

 I love color. I especially love color on a black background. It makes the colors pop out and gives the outfit some oomph. I don't know where I got the photo but I will promise that if I ever find that fabric or a garment made from that fabric, it will be mine. I have read that wearing black is slimming. Unfortunately, unrelieved black can also be boring. Just thinking of adding all of those colors makes me smile.

The dress at left is not one I could wear. I have never been able to find an appropriately uplifting bra to wear with that sort of dress. I like the style. I like that it is very tropical. And the colors are just wonderful. It makes me think of the tropics and I would wear that fabric as a top and just love it. I have discovered, though, that when I think of tropical I don't think of the type of heat we have been having in the middle of the country. Not even the beauty of this dress could make me feel cool outside in this heat.

 This pic is definitely from someone's blog, and I, again, don't know whose it is. I wouldn't use it but I am so in love with the look presented here that I couldn't help it. The top is really pretty to me. The sweater is fabulous and would enhance just about anything worn with it. And I am so in love with that necklace that if I knew where it came from I would already have one. One thing that I would change about the outfit if I were to wear it is that I can't wear large bulky necklaces down low that way. I have a large bust and it would get lost so I would have to shorten the necklace for me. But this look just rings my chimes.

Do you see the print on this skirt? It isn't black but again, a fairly dark background mixed with the floral is nice. The best part of the print to me is that the flowers aren't all over the fabric. There is plenty of room for that lovely background color to shine through. And the mix of top and bottom with the belt is super.

There are times I truly despair of ever being able to wear things I see and fall in love with. I have never been prone to tearing things apart to see what makes them appealing to me. But now, that is just what I am having to do. While I'm still trying to figure out how to get past my horrific eating habits and drop some weight, I can't wear stuff just because it will go on my body. I've been doing that for maybe 50 years. I've been arguing with my body about size and proportion for at least that long. Right now belts are out. I lament the problem and do nothing about it. But I am learning to be more discerning about the things I really like. And I am trying to include certain aspects of those things into the wardrobe. I am also learning more about things I don't like. Aren't you glad I'll be sharing those things with you too?

Skinny legs and all

I'm posting a couple of things I don't care for. Knobby Knees is one of them. These outfits are covering all of the body except those Knobby Knees. I believe girls with really skinny legs would be better off with other clothes.

Who do you dress for?

  This is me. This is me on a not particularly great day. This is me in my natural habitat, wearing the sort of thing I pretty much wear all summer. I like the pants because they hide the worst of the flab. I like the blouse because it is a great color, and has some interesting lace. I haven't asked him what he thinks of the outfit. He wouldn't  say anything bad anyway so why bother.

We have looked at some totally strange and unbelievable outfits and I've asked him what he thinks. Now remember, this is a good ole boy from Tennessee who still, at 41, wears slim jeans, T shirts, and athletic shoes. But I will say I totally agree with him that sometimes women don't seem to dress for men. I surely don't. I'm having trouble figuring out about that dressing for men thing. The girl in the picture to the right isn't dressing for normal men. I think she would have fit right in at Comic Con. And I'm assuming that she is dressing for a paycheck. When I say dressing for men, I mean what men really like as opposed to what the designers say. Believe it or not, the picture to the left is a male person. I am not sure I could keep a straight face it I saw this in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. And I recognize regional differences. The girls in New Jersey, if they were to all dress like this wouldn't fit here either.

I must admit that the dressing for men is still bothering me. I really don't expect my honey to like or even understand the designers. I don't understand what they are trying to do. I thought clothing was supposed to be pretty, to enhance the wearer, to make the wearer look better. But I'm finding that the old saying "She's not wearing the dress, the dress is wearing her." has become more and more true. Dressing has become costume. Fashion has begun to look more and more like a trip to the circus. to                                                                                                                                       

J Wow? Wow to whom?

  I finally

found a garment that he said was nice looking. Leslie Bibb is a pretty actress wearing a pretty dress. And I am pleased to show it. It seems that there are several schools of dress out there now. And they don't have anything to do with the normal woman. There is the Pear shape that I didn't know was a good thing until the Kardashians were shown on TV. There is the dress that is so tight that even the starlets that wear them look like hookers. And there is the old Hollywood glamor that sneaks in sometimes. I, on the other hand am a part of the generation that actually thought naked was a little less interesting than lightly clothed. You know, a little something for the imagination. I am happy to announce you will not see me in tight clothing. Or skimpy clothing. Aren't you glad?

I went to see the Wizard

I had a birthday. 66 years old. And my grandson Kingston turned 2 the same day. He's quite a boy. We had cake and lasagne and salad and played with balloons. Marlee, his sis, was 4 at the end of May so we celebrated her birthday too. But she was feeling bad so no pic. Anyway, the 2 are the children of my youngest daughter and her husband Eric. They live in Jacksonville so I don't get to see them often enough. This was a real treat.

 Turning 66 wasn't much different from turning 65. I'm still in roughly the same place in life that I was. However I have to say I did go see the Wizard. You're probably thinking that I went to see the Harry Potter movie. Nope. I'll wait for the crowds to thin for that. I went to my wonderful terrific doctor. And I told him about the problems I have been hiding from the bloggers, my friends and family, and myself. I had hit a brick wall. Not a brick road.

I have been in constant pain from the knee surgery, the back problem, and the recently developed hip problem. I was so tired I could barely function and the thought of going out somewhere and doing something was way beyond me. Part of the problem is that I've always been sensitive to heat and it is hotter than Hades here. And muggy. So going out of the house isn't appealing anyway. My therapy is done, and I had planned to keep up the work at the gym. But I couldn't make myself go. Just the thought of it made me want to run and hide. I was so tired that the best effort of my day was usually making the bed. Or cooking dinner. But not both. And I knew I was really depressed. But why. That is another matter entirely. I have a sluggish thyroid. That can cause tiredness. Pain can definitely do it. And a general collapse of the chemical balance in the brain causes depression. So why. Well it doesn't matter why. The wizard(doc) gave me an anti-inflammatory drug and an antidepressant. And my other levels were tested with a huge amount of blood drawn. I'm to call today to find out more. But already the body is better. The outlook is better. I'm not so tired. Why? Who cares why? I don't.

Confused yet?

 Pretty Woman-Wearing the worst jumpsuit I've seen in years. Think the crotch is too low? Why would someone wear something that makes them look fat when they have so many choices?

These are considered celebrities by some and a good reason to avoid New Jersey by me.

 Now you see a Pretty Woman. Still not her best look.

What do you think? Would you wear worms? Some designer somewhere thought this was a good idea. Sometimes I think the idea is to get noticed, not to offer good work for viewing. And speaking of viewing, sometimes thin people should avoid bikinis. I got this pic from one of the online rag mags. And there are women on those sites with beautiful figures. But they published this. And last but not least, Kirstie looking the worse for wear. I think it's odd that someone cares so much about their weight that they will go on and on about it and then ignore the things about themselves that they can easily do something about.

I am having a generational melt down. On another blog I saw a beautiful picture of Daya Torres, the amazing 41 year old swimmer in a bikini. She is magnificent. Then there were the put-downs. She doesn't look feminine enough. She shouldn't be considered a role model for anyone. Sorry but I think that is B......... This woman won many Olympic medals and definitely should be a role model. Please, if  you are having a hard time with this concept, remember this is my opinion.

I grew up with a fairly constant understanding of beauty. Unfortunately I have let it be a reason to hate myself. But I haven't been able to totally dump it. I don't wear white shoes after labor day, (or any other day either because I have big feet). I don't wear dark stockings and lighter shoes. (I hate pantyhose.) I have tried to live up to the sexy California Blonde model back when I was younger. Long blonde streaky hair. I have lost track of all of the girls with long blonde hair parted in the middle and hanging to the waist. (extensions have made this one achievable.) I have never had plastic surgery because I can't afford it and I don't know what I would change. But when I was much younger, a rack the size of Texas was not considered beauty. It was considered risque. Of course we went past risque years ago.

I grew up liking to wear clothes that matched. The best thing was to have matching shoes and bag that went with something in my clothing. And hose, panty or otherwise. And heels that didn't make my hamstrings scream. One thing I am glad to see go has come back into style. Hats are my big bugaboo. I have a very large head and cannot find hats that fit. So I haven't missed them. Anyway, this rambling blog is expressing my total confusion with what I think and what I see, being wildly different things.

If I had my way there would be total acceptance of differences. And yet you see that I don't think that way myself. I love the blogs I read and a guilty pleasure is the rag mag stuff. I see designers creating totally unwearable things to put on models that have not one curve. I thought models were supposed to be pretty. I must have missed on that one. I also, in the rag mags see some celebs who have really curvy bodies getting kudos for that. And on the street I see grossly overweight people. Where do I place my role models? I'm just lost.

Old? No!

Last Thursday I turned 66 years old. It really isn't much different from 65. My grandson turned 2 the same day and my granddaughter was four in May. We all celebrated together with Cathy(daughter) and Eric(son-in-law) and my honey. I wore my top from QVC. I had a super time.

Now that I am 66 I have a few more things to share, having to do with my opinions on things.

I am aware that there is nothing fitted about the top I wore. Maybe that is why I feel so feminine in it. It is made with beautiful fabric and the embroidery is wonderful. I actually feel a little smaller with the top on. So my first opinion is about the importance of fashion, comfort, style, fit, and how well made a garment is. Stacy and Clinton on "What Not To Wear" said if you love the garment and it fits the largest part of you, have the rest altered for a good fit. Yes. I have worn many large garments and let them flutter in the breeze because they cover the girls, the belly, or the butt. A little fine tuning of the garment might have made me wear them more often. Lets say you paid $20 for a simple top. You wear that top a couple of times and discover that just because it covers the bad spots, doesn't mean it looks good on you. That is $10 per wear. Or you take that same $20 top and have it altered for $20 more. That is $40 investment. But because you now love the top and wear it say 20 times a year. That is $2 per wear in one year. And unless you get a total new wardrobe every year, I would bet the cost per wear will keep going down. The bottom line here, however, is not the cost per wear, though that is important. The bottom line is how you feel while wearing the garment. Making it fit well means no pulling, stretching, or riding up. Easy to wear and a good thing all around.

I do not use an inspiration photo to dress myself. One reason is that there aren't many people out there that look like me so I can't tell how an outfit will look by using someone's body in a picture to model it. And likewise, my garments aren't often like those of other women, even my size. So I continue to use the mirror and my camera to tell me what others see when they look at me. It's scary. But I do it. I do love to look at magazines and blogs to see different types of garments. I saw a tunic that a blogger had made and I might have to do something similar. The way she put the colors and patterns together was masterful.

I have discovered that as the population grows older, my patience grows shorter. When driving. And as the population continues to get more and more cell phones to use while driving, I am reconsidering getting a gun carry permit. I talk on my cell phone when driving. Very short things like a call home(speed dial) to ask if I can get anything or to answer if it is one of my kids and I'll call back later. But I really don't understand dialing the phone as you pull out of the driveway. And there is a road near my house that shouldn't allow left hand turns onto the busy street. Especially if the driver is on the phone, and smoking, and drinking a coke. The only reason I don't lose my cool entirely is that I don't have a lot of cool and I can't afford to waste any.

Previously I grouched about check writing at the grocery store. Now I am going to grouch about the store itself. My Kroger has not been open but about 10 years. They have done a couple of resets. That means during those times I couldn't find things I need. So now they have the whole store turned upside down. There are empty aisles. There are aisles that only one buggy can pass through. And absolutely nothing is where it was just 4 days ago. Except the beer. I am going nuts. Actually I am going to another store while this is being finished. Don't they know that as the customers get older we have enough trouble remembering where things were without all of this hubbub?

Last, not least. Isn't it a shame that only hindsight is 20/20?

 I bought a top from QVC on sale and when it arrived I fell in love. It has an embroidered yoke and is in the colors I love the very best. There is purple, lavender, green, pink, all on a black background. And it is so comfortable. The price was better because it was on sale. But I'd have wanted it anyway. You know how when you see something that rings your chimes, it's hard to say know? Well this one rang chimes, bells, and even drums. I'm so glad I got it.

This pic is of me wearing another top that I didn't expect to love. It may have been pictured before but the color wasn't on my color chart so here it is, again. I found that even if a color isn't considered right for a complexion, sometimes makeup can make it better. There is gold stitching on this top and that makes it feel sort of ethnic to me. Like maybe from India or something. Actually it's from JC Penney. But I do associate this pink with the beautiful fabrics from India.

Yellow. Sometimes I have a problem with yellow. Of all of the colors I purchase, it seems yellow is the most likely to fade or to pick up another color from the wash. But not this shirt. I use those color catchers with all my clothes but this is the first yellow to beat the fade. And I know it wasn't expensive, wherever the heck I bought it. It's bright, bright yellow and on a gray day or on a down day, it helps.

One interesting thing I have learned about a picture window is that I'm not the only one who loves it. The birds and squirrels have been using the feeders a lot. And Cheyenne loves to look out the window and watch them. Or plan her attack. In short, I have to clean the window a lot because there are 2 levels of nose prints. One is where she is standing on all 4's and the other is higher where she puts her front feet on the window sill. And another thing I have learned. If you use enough spit and push, this toy will stick to the window. It really is sticking to the window. Not resting on the sill. Neat, Huh?

My life in a nutshell. Let the dog out. Let the dog in. Let the dog out. Let the dog in. Are you beginning to see a pattern here? And she is very good about letting me know what she wants to do. She puts her nose into my hand and pushes till I pay attention. Then she shows me what she wants. By the way, she is definitely a pack dog. And I am finding it a struggle to remain leader of the pack.

Have you ever seen a more innocent looking dog?

I am moving right along in getting the studio cleaned out and ready for sewing. I am appalled at the amount of stuff(junk) I have collected. And I am amazed  at the amount of time I have taken to figure out what goes, what stays, and where it stays. I must be really slow.