A PERFECT LITTLE GIFT

Looking for something unique this Valentine season? These little charms are adorable, affordable, and customized just for you.  There are several options so follow the link to find ...

TOM DESIGN  

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TomDesign

I have known the owner of this shop, Debbie, for a number of years. She is delightfully artistic and has managed to grow a successfull business all while putting her husband through law school ( he passed the bar) and juggling two pre-schoolers. In fact I thought you would enjoy the picture of her inventory after it was accidentally spilled by her dancing daughters.  Got to love a working MOM!

NO AGE LIMIT ON ROMANCE

This photo appeared on the Today Show website this morning. It didn't have a caption, nor did it need one. We all know the movie. I suspect that in the "moment" these two were somewhere, where time and age can't define us.

I have been single now for almost seven years and I honestly don't know if that will change. I did however, make a promise to myself... With or without Mr. Wonderful I am not going to miss out on the "romance of life."

Two years ago I took my very first hike to a place called Stewart Falls. My two youngest children talked me into it, promising that it was only three miles and a very shallow incline. The trail was bordered by a densely wooded forest and that part I loved. But thirty minutes worth of hiking brought me to realization that I might be in over my head. "No quitters" they called. I put one foot in front of the other and just kept going.

When the worst seemed possible, that the trail had NO end, I suddenly found myself on top of a peak on the back side of majestic Mt Timpanogos.

 I felt so alive. I wanted to stretch my arms out just like the woman in the photo and take in the view, and the smell and the power of the waterfall. I was experiencing something new, and it was heady and romantic.

I nursed sore muscles for days but it didn't matter. I had just experienced my own little version of "Rocky Mountain High"  All I could think was .... what's next!

THINGS I LOVE... LEOPARD!

A few years ago I swooned over a faux fur leopard jacket that I saw on the Nordstrom website.  I ordered it and daydreamed about it  for the next ten days (I went to Disney World with my grandkids) The flight home felt like Christmas Eve... that jacket would be waiting. It was, but to my horror I looked like an NFL linebacker in it. It was promptly returned.

What I had to admit to myself was that my body type just couldn't handle all that bulk. If you are willowy or so full of "fun" that you can pull it off, I say ... GO FOR IT!  As much as I love leopard, and I do, I lean toward well tailored pieces or great assessories. I'm still looking for the perfect leopard coat.

100 YEARS / STYLE / EAST LONDON

100 YEARS OF STYLE

This is so fun! Watch it on FULL SCREEN and see if you can keep track of each decade. Fashion has certainly changed but the desire to "dance" never leaves us.

THE WEIGHT WAS LIFTED

Losing weight was my top priority in 2004.  By the end of the year I had lost 70 pounds. I could sleep again, I could move again and I could walk into any store and find clothes that fit.  I was thrilled.

Even though I was halfway through my fifties I thought when the weight came off I would look like the "old me" But time and menopause had dealt me a few surprises, my body just wasn't what it use to be. I could definitely see my flaws and I clung to the few assets I had left. 

Knowing your body type and image can help you dress to accentuate the positive and detract from the rest. During that same year I watched the TV show "What Not to Wear" religiously.  Besides its Cinderella format they taught some really good basic rules for successfully dressing. Ask yourself a few questions.

1. Where do you carry your weight.... in your hips, around your waist. through your torso?

2. Are you short wasted and long legged or the other way around... maybe you're evenly proportioned.

3. What are your best assets... great legs, tiny waist, beautiful neck and shoulders?

4. Are you short, tall or average?

5. Are you sporty, trendy, traditional, dramatic? Do you love color, fur, menswear, hats, accessories? Are you excessive or minimalistic? Is comfort an issue? Do you have to dress for work?

Start noticing people who's style you like and see if you can pick out things they consistantly do. If you are going to transform yourself, you need to know what you want to morph into! Look around, there's lots of flowers in the garden.

   

I love Barbara Bush's beautiful white hair, her
silk scarf and her iconic pearls. A "class act" at any age.
                                                                                    This is a photo from Ari Seth Cohen's book Advanced Style

My mother was excessive when it came to accessories. She often wore several strands of pearls, earrings, a cameo, gemstone rings and if it was an occasion like Mother's Day... a corsage. She loved it all and somehow she pulled it off. On the other hand I am a minimalist.  A pair of simple earrings seems like enough. At our age there's no one left to boss us around... just figure out who YOU are!

I love this look... black and white with a pop of color. Her handbag and straw hat give it a casual feel (maybe it's early Spring) and a few nice accessories make it all work!  I imagine she's wearing a pair of leopard heels... something to give it the "wow factor."

WHERE TO BEGIN ....

IN MY CLOSET!  It was full of clothes I couldn't wear. Removing them was like watching a fashion parade of the last 25 years of my life. At this point I was three years from being "suddenly single" but something inside knew it was finally time for a change. Not a drop fifteen pounds and feel better kind of change, but a real, let's peel back the layers and see if I'm still in there, kind of change.

I tossed almost everything, pants with "pleats" in the front, prairie skirts with elastic waistbands, sweatshirts that fit but were stained ... all of it.  The memories came clinging to the clothes, some good and some painful. I wasn't just tossing outdated jeans and t-shirts, I was purging my past. I was making a new start and I NEEDED to be phsyically ready.

I was left with a couple of pair of sweat pants, a sweatshirt, one white tee shirt and one "dress." It was a Coldwater Creek, soft sage linen jumper with a purple dragonfly embroideried on the bodice in a size 1X  It was saved because it was the only thing that fit. 

Driving away from the Deseret Industries (our local donation center) I felt giddy... change was definitely on the menu!

EVERY WOMAN NEEDS ONE!

I have been hunting for a great black leather jacket for years. When I stumbled onto this one on the White House Black Market's website, I fell in love. Notice how both jackets have seams that create the appearance of a waist. I first heard about this trick on the TV show, WHAT NOT TO WEAR. Since my middle is where I carry extra weight I was pretty skeptical. The first time I slipped on a fitted jacket I was shocked. You were right Stacey and Clinton!

This jacket did not disappoint... fits like a dream!

I'M A NEW FAN OF "WHBM"

The brown jacket is on the same website.  I love the shape... so feminine.  Maybe next time.

BEAUTIFUL CLOTHES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL FEMININE!

www.whitehouseblackmarket.com