Summery

I get hot. Even in the Winter. So I'm wearing a summer top I picked up at the end of Summer sale at Stein Mart. The fabric is a cottony knit and it's so soft it would make great jammies.

I've been buying too much. So for December, I'm not going to buy myself any clothing. I Plan Plan Plan to make outfits out of what I already have. We'll see how that goes.

I'm just not lovin it

My hair. I'm just not lovin it. It's gotten long and I'm over it. I thought that this time I would be able to do stuff with it since I have a lot more time. It's fine but fairly thick. It's heavy and it falls out of just about any barrette I put into it. I suppose I could use a bunch of product on it but I don't like that either. It must be washed every other day due to oil.

Also, I went through the pics I've taken of myself in the last couple of years. You know, I look better in short hair. I also look better when my hair is a little lighter. I also look better when my makeup is a little darker. I also want to wear some of my killer earrings. Anyway, I am going to the salon today to make an appointment for a good cut. Then I'll get down to thinking about how short I want to go. I've decided I am just never going to be satisfied with looking the same all of the time. So I'll work with that.

 The outfit in this picture is my typical black pants and black sweater/jacket with a top I got at Stein Mart. The top is actually probably a summer top as it has short sleeves. But I love the fact that it's colorful. And I think it makes my yellow bubbles look super.

This is a pic of me with shorter and lighter hair. I think I like it but I want more of a graduated cut with a little less at the bottom. I think.

One other thing I'm interested in is the refashioning of clothes into better looking things. I don't have many things that aren't just fine as they are. But I'd like to find some laces and some other fabrics to upgrade the things I'm not in love with. I figure that if I have them but don't love them, I don't have much to lose.

I've finished Christmas shopping. Now all I need is to wrap and mail the things. I went to our new Publix yesterday and got a couple of things and while I was there I was able to get what I was looking for. So---done. It's a relief to not have to fight the crowds. I'd gotten the grandkid stuff before Thanksgiving just for that reason.

I do plan to go to the mall this week. I need to see people and decorations and hear Christmas music. It jump starts the holiday for me.

I'm still loving bubbles

 I'm seeing more and more scarves on the blogs I follow. And I follow a ton of them. I'm glad to have the bubble necklaces to add color to the neckline instead of the scarves. I've already stated that for the most part I would feel confined if I had a big scarf on. Claustrophobic. And the outfit in the left pic wouldn't need a scarf. I'm wearing a simple black slinky T and black pants with a floral cardi from Kohl's. I love the cardi because it is so soft and not wooly feeling. I think the turquoise adds enough pop.

 The sweater in this photo is also from Kohl's. I think they have as good a section for plus sizes as any department store in my area. This sweater wasn't on sale but was still reasonable and I wore my new orange mocs with it. It's not strictly orange but a combo of colors that looks orange from a distance. It's very lightweight and comfy for me when I'm at home.

I found the top in this pic at Stein Mart. They have some fine sales and it's too big but I got it anyway. I'll take it up sometime. I love the colors and the print. At first I was afraid that the print would overwhelm the necklace. But those bubbles are a strong statement.. I'm very glad I got too excited about the necklaces. I have 5 of them and I wear them a lot.

I'm in the market for a little bit darker makeup. I love the way this one feels and how it goes on. My skin is several colors and in order to get one makeup I'll probably have to mix two colors. I hate trying to find makeup and lipstick that works for me. Without any testers in the drugstore, I find it's so much guesswork. But I can't afford to go to the nicer stores to try on their makeup. The last time I did I ended up with a $45 bottle of makeup base and the season changed so it only worked for a couple of weeks. I used to lighten up a lot in the Winter but I don't any more. I've seen lots of makeup blogs and I'd love to make use of the expertise but I just can't seem to get everything just right.

I'm almost done with the Christmas shopping. I'm not going to be around my kids at all this Christmas so I'll be mailing stuff. I went before Thanksgiving. I didn't have the nerve to fight the crowds. I read that there were fights and people were injured in the rush on Black Friday. I'm probably going to finish Wed. of this week and have the stuff sent by the weekend. As soon as that's done I can relax and not worry about anything else.

When I was growing up we really didn't have much in the way of Christmas traditions. Mom cooked and I opened gifts. I'm an only child so it wasn't really any big deal. And unless Georgia Tech was playing football, Dad watched very little tv. We listened to Christmas music sometimes. When the kids were young I loved Christmas because their faces when they say their gifts were luminous. I have always loved the Christmas Carol movies, the cartoons, and reading The Night Before Christmas. White Christmases are really really rare here. I remember one. Just one.

Thanksgiving was hard for me this year. The diabetes thing made it hard to face a complete dinner. We were invited to honey's Mom's for the meal and I just couldn't go. I couldn't have the things I loved to eat at Thanksgiving. I don't mean I sulked or anything. I stayed home, watched tv, and played on the computer while honey went to his Mom's. And it was fine. But I am actually looking forward to Christmas Dinner. I'm having crab legs, shrimp, and scallops. Now that's a new tradition I can get behind.

I got some orange shoes. Now I need an orange bag.

It's in the bag

Sometimes I think I should have known then. I purchased this Sharif bag from HSN about 3 years ago thinking I like the fringe and the combination of leather and fabric. It was a tad off center in the fashion climate of East Tennessee. And God forbid that I should look like the other women in my area.

I should have realized that I was headed in a certain direction with my interest in fashion. Toward the boho look. And maybe toward a non-boho look that is just my own. The purchase was made at a time when I was totally into bags and thought the bag would define me to those who saw me. I supposed that just because I noticed that sort of stuff in others, they would see it in me.

Alas, not so. I got some compliments on some of my bags. This one, I actually never carried because when it came I already had one I liked better. So now it goes on eBay.

I found this bag with the peace symbol stitched onto it at TJ Maxx. It's by le Sac. I paid $69. And it was actually an accident that I found it. You see, I'd gotten some new bags at Charming Charlie's and didn't think I needed another. But I happened to walk down that aisle. And now I also believe in love at first sight. I actually gasped when I saw it because it is so me. Leather and everything. I took it as a sign that I'm on the right path.

After I got the bag into the cart, I found 2 pairs of shoes and a bathrobe. I hadn't been to Maxx in 2 or 3 years. I've already been back. But I don't go down the handbag aisle.

The next bag is my hippie dippy bag from Charming Charlie's. I was so tickled to see it that I snapped it up immediately. I'm following the boho boards on Pinterest. I've seen several of the gorgeous bags on those boards and I wanted one for my use. This is perfect except for one small problem.

It is not the big expensive boho bag that I crave. It has some trimmings on it but the more expensive ones are done in such a way that it would be difficult to make by hand. I mean the ones with the kilim rug patterns or the Southwestern ones.

Another boho style offering is the handmade and hand embellished bags. Those are my absolute to die for favorites. I've had a little work with crochet but I don't want a bag that is all crochet. I have finally decided to try to do something similar to the last 2 bags myself. I have tons of beads. I will try to thrift some things with lace on them that I can use. I'm going to hit the fabric

store for trimmings. The fabric stores also often have small bits of leftover fabrics that could be added. I think that having to purchase all of that stuff will probably make any bag I produce quite expensive. But to me it will be more valued because I had put a lot of work into it.

The bottom bag seems to be a conglomeration of yarns, trims, strips of fabrics such as t shirts. I will probably wait on that till I've had time to collect things. Garage sales next Spring will help. I have also

decided not to try going from scratch. There are a lot of totes and bags like that on Craigslist. I think I can use something like that if it's in decent shape and just sew embellishments onto it. That way I already have handles. Also I saw on You Tube how a girl took apart old handbags and reused things, handles, hardware, zippers, pockets, and even leather. That is the sort of reuse I am hoping I can achieve.

There are things that make me wish

There are things that almost make me wish I was young, tall, slim, etc. One is this pair of shoes. I'm not sure why but I think they are one of the coolest pairs of shoes I have ever seen. I tend toward flats, loafers, and mocs. I have bought 3 pairs of loafers, and 3 pairs of mocs this Fall. All on sale of course. And I don't feel a particular  need to be fancy or dress up. I've always heard that you should dress for the position you want. Well I want to be retired. And relaxed. And still to enjoy fashion and dressing.

The skirt at right is one of the things I'd like to have in a way. I love the print and the colors. But I'd be just as happy if it was a top or a blouse. I'd be able to enjoy the print year round then. I like some floral prints and I'm finding that they must have certain things to recommend themselves to me. Such as a background color that I really like. And some open space between the flowers. And a fairly large design,(read-not tiny flowers). And of course it would be nice if it would go with something I already have. And I have a lot of black pants.

Another thing I'd love to have would be this outfit. Without the scarf. I'm in love with the colors and with the shoes and with the bag. I know there is nothing boho about it but it is so feminine that I think I'd wear it a lot.

And I won't be tall, slim, and young, so I will be looking for anything with this vibe. I love the boho look and the fact that it is feminine. I don't subscribe to the total look thing because for me that would be deadly. I believe I have a bit of ADD. I do know I hate doing the same thing all the time and I hate looking the same way all the time and I hate wearing the same clothes and carrying the same bag all the time. The only exception is shoes. I love having lots of shoes but if one certain pair is really comfortable I'll wear it a lot. A whole lot.

Anyway, This coat would be a favorite of mine and since I know how to sew, I think I'll look into making some things in this vein. 

There are a few young things I'm not going to do, ever. One is wearing neon in anything bigger than a piece of jewelry. When you are the size I am, wearing a neon shirt like in the photo would allow people to see me coming a mile away. And I shudder to think of wearing that color on my butt. OMG. The pink skinny jeans are ok but again I couldn't wear them both because of their light color(I'm clumsy, messy, and big), and because I hate to be constrained. And the scarf, while being very pretty, would make me feel penned in. I enjoy seeing what the young people are wearing and sometimes there is something I can adapt to my use. These things, though, aren't really adaptable.

I'm learning so much from the blogs I read. One thing is what I like and what I don't like. And I've learned to try visualizing something on me before I get it. For instance, blazers. I like the boyfriend look. The small blazer isn't for me for so many reasons. The constrained thing comes to mind. I actually had a decent figure until about 10 years ago. But I have never been comfortable in tight clothing. And I was somewhat limited by a large bust. The funny thing is-I wore pencil skirts in the sixth grade, in the fifties. I wore sweater sets. I wore the add on collars. I wore flats. I had a beautiful pearl collar. I just wish I had kept it. By this you can see something of my perspective. What goes around comes around.

I'm a little bit boho

This bag totally rocks. This bag would become a treasured piece in my wardrobe for the rest of my life. And I'm going to try to create a bag with the same or similar feeling using yarns, some tweed stuff, jewels, etc. I have many bags that I love but that is necessary for me because I don't like wearing/carrying the same thing for a long time. I'm maybe a little ADD. I believe I have said that before.

I was in therapy for 3.5 years and during that time I began to see myself in different ways. I did some of what I called "Costume Therapy". There were certain clothes I had that just made me happy and made me feel sexy. Now I'm over 80 pounds heavier. I've discovered my style. And "Costume Therapy" actually makes more sense to me. So when I say I'm a little bit boho I mean that when I get dressed I'm going to wear a little bit of boho. If you look at the designs seen on the runways, in magazines, on the blogs, and on Pinterest, you will see that boho is ethnic prints, headbands, crochet, lots of jewelry(usually silver), either boots or barefoot, long hair, outdoor shots, and finally, skinny girls. I love ethnic prints. I love jewelry(gold). I don't do headbands, boots, long hair and I'm definitely not skinny.

I do like to be fairly simple in my clothing. The layering thing is sort of good for those of us who tend to be warm most of the time. The long hair can be pretty good for some of us. I find boots cumbersome. Barefoot is great in the summer. There is no way I'd wear a headband. And crochet is simply wonderful but there isn't much out there for super size women. And on top of that bohemian is an anti thing. A true bohemian wouldn't be caught dead following the crowd.

That brings me to my other 80%. The simple part of me. I love, love
beautiful jewelry. I love, love shiny

 sparkly jewelry. I hate wearing a ton of jewelry. According to the times I was learning about fashion, you get dressed, add your accessories, and then take one thing off so as not to overdo. Ha. Now I see that things are the opposite. More is more.

The gorgeous white-haired lady with the gorgeous standard poodle fits my idea of less is more. She has some edgy things like the leggings and the tunic. She has bracelets on one arm and a fantastic pair of earrings. To me she looks fabulous. Really truly fabulous. Of course I'd love to have that waist and also the dog. But the whole thing is actually 80%simple and 20%boho. Now see what I mean?

I have been collecting clothing that I am drawn to when I shop and that has some boho vibe to it. Crochet, unusual or ethnic prints, tunic shapes, and just about anything purple. I love the western jewelry even though it's silver. And I'd love to have a squash blossom necklace. But my 80% says that would be all I need to make an outfit pop. I'm totally in love with the idea of having things that are bold enough and unusual enough to stand on their own. Statement necklaces have a bit of that but I am not stopping there. I'll talk more about jewelry in the future. I have some definite ideas on the subject. For now, I'm going to have to go out into the rain to a meeting. And I hope you all have a fabulous day.

Friday, Nov 2 and that's all

See that not happy face. That's me today. I'm in a blue funk. It's Friday. From the time I got up this morning I've been in a blue funk. So today, I'm getting real. I hate having diabetes. I hate needing to change aspects of my life. I am in a blue funk. Trust me, they never last long. Anyway, I got the shirt I'm wearing on eBay and the necklace. It is a color changing purple glass and I love it.

That blouse fits my idea of boho, and it goes with tons of colors and it makes a great Fall piece. The weather here in East Tennessee tends to be warm/cool/warm/cold. And the weight of the fabric is great to handle that switch.

I'm looking for something that will get me out of my blue funk. The beautiful shoes Shybiker got for his birthday may just be the ticket.

Check it out. They are great shoes and such a happy color.
http://shybiker.blogspot.com/2012/11/friends-and-shoes.html