Monday’s can be tough, although I used to love Monday’s when the kids were little, and they all had to go back to school. It was a formula then, and a formula now to make the day a little easier. Jeans and a tee, and chicken for dinner. Kids are grown, youngest two in college, […]
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One of my go-to style tricks is to start the day with a black bodysuit and black skinny jeans and runaround everywhere and get stuff done. When it’s time to leave the house, office, or studio and face the world outside simply layer over top: a jacket, a knit, or even a dress, add some […]
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Wow, putting yourself out there in the social stratosphere can feel pretty overwhelming at times. Even on the best of days there’s second guessing. On hard days it’s really hard. Talked with my twenty-six-year-old daughter this morning and she said ‘mom, I delete my Instagram app now Monday to Friday simply so I can focus on getting done what I need to get done. Then on the weekend it’s just that much more fun to kind of scroll through and catch up with everyone’. I say smart girl.
Are our lives really that interesting? Is there oversharing? Where’s the line? And what about me posting pictures of myself? Crazy!
Anyways, here is where we are, and this is what I do so moving forward. I sell clothes. I style clothes. I wear and style clothes. I wear clothes to sell clothes so therefore the posting. Sometimes all I want to do is wear old jeans and my kids’ old college hoodies, and I do. I also believe women feel better when wearing better clothes. We can do better work when we feel good in our skin. I think we all can spend way too many hours staring into our closets wondering what to wear and I try and help with that.
These photos were taken by my second son and he too has a fear of sharing, and he’s in the very social generation. He documents trips and moments and life with his camera and for all of us it’s like pulling teeth for us to see his work. I try and tell him, ‘progress, not perfection’. I think it’s slowly working. Moving forward with one small step at a time, even when that one step can feel so overwhelming, bring you to your knees, or maybe even a complete standstill.
So here I am, wearing clothes from my current trunk show, photographed by my son, and he shared his work. Inside I’m smiling.
The outfit is a riff on uniform dressing, army greens. Some of my clients would object as the colors aren’t exact. I’m okay with it. The voile blouse has soft jersey insets and an edgy concealed zipper front. I think this is genius for women that have trouble with blouses, no gaping and pulling like you can get with a buttoned placket. The pants have front and back pockets, light gold hardware. Most of us love a column of black to get out the door, this combo just edges the look up a bit. Shoes are old Gucci, and love the block heel, so much better for on-the-go.
Besides selling and styling clothes I like to cook. The other night was scratch chicken noodle soup. No photo, camera battery dead. It’s got to get warmer out there soon.
Every day dress, clothes: dark olive on olive, food: scratch chicken noodle soup.
Day seventeen, moving forward, and check.
Trunk show now through Monday, April 29th.
In an effort to minimize, so far to go with that concept, for new house down south furnished in a flash I stuck with a color palate of white, grey, and dark brown, or one of my favorite words chocolate. Mostly white and grey, and we moved fast.
At Rooms to Go we picked up two white leather pieces, a sofa and a loveseat. The rest of the haul came from Restoration Hardware, and not embarrassed to say Restoration Hardware Outlet. Husband likes to move fast, no time to wait for special orders.
First night in the new house we slept on a mattress on the floor, and second daughter Booie slept on a yoga mat on the floor. In a land of plenty it was fun in a weird strange way. Booie and I also spent a night with no power, and that was fun too. Candlelight and early to bed.
Kind of like building a wardrobe based on a cohesive color story, furnishing this place with limited choice made it so much easier to make decisions. Of course, you always need to mix things up or throw in a curve ball, hence the Hermes orange cushions for outdoor seating area. Really like that little pop in what is otherwise Zen-like and serene.
Today’s work outfit was tone on tone too. Black cashmere V-neck, black leather skirt, soft white scarf, taupe suede boots, keeping it all in the same family made it so much easier to get out the door.
Every day dress, clothes: neutrals, interiors: mostly grey and white, food: Prosecco in the office and take-out for dinner.
Day 10, check.
Started the day in the pool at 5:30 am for lap swim, something I’m uncomfortable with yet I know is good for me and feels incredibly good when done. Followed that wet half mile with an hour of spin (including very hard push-ups) and try to get that double session in once a week. Other days its Tracy Anderson or maybe walking lunges and sit-ups or maybe even just walking. It’s a good day when that MyMotiv ring circles in at 16,000+.
Went for the annual physical and passed, with pretty good marks. Had some problems with the close-up eye screen hahaha and the nurse practitioner told me I could use my readers and then we were just fine. I honestly think that good health is closely related with making your bed, wearing good clothes, and eating good food.
Tomorrow I’m meeting again with Williams Media for another go-round of blog overhaul and marketing talk. They too are making me uncomfortable, yet like those laps in the pool it’s a very good thing. Have I used the word ‘good’ too many times? Posting to Instagram Stories twice a day is where I’m not passing. 🙂
Anyways, today I was all about black leather jeans with a little kick at the hem, a striped cashmere ‘jumper’ like by blog crush Alyson Walsh of That’s Not My Age would call my sweater, and a good pair of sneakers. If you don’t know of her jump on over to her here by clicking on this link: That’s Not My Age. Her post today about what to keep and what to chuck so timely with the city house cleaning overhaul going on. She also wrote a few books, her most recent ‘Know Your Style‘.
In these photos here I most definitely know my style: jeans and knits and sneakers forever, whatever the textile may be. We should all get and be and feel comfortable with what we wear.
Every day dress, clothes: leather and cashmere, food: leftovers, ha!. 🙂
Day 8, or is it 9? check. xoxo
Running a little behind here yet self-employed and self-published so I’m the only one losing any sleep over this, big huge problem.
In the interim I have found the summer pant: intricate textured stretch jacquard Italian style pant in yarn-dyed stretch cotton in an on-trend plaid and stripe combination. Tried them on in the studio with twenty-six-year-old daughter, she loved them too, added them to doctor client’s order this morning, and placed my order this afternoon. Thinking these are the perfect dress-up run-around version of denim pants that I default too way too often. These are 76% cotton, 20% polyamide, and 4% elastane, giving them incredible wear and ease. I’ll pair them with a white blouse or tee and navy cashmere something, crew or cardigan if needed.
What I was really wearing as it’s still cold was a navy cashmere turtleneck hello late March, current favorite camo jeans, black scarf, black coat, and combat boots. All wardrobe classics and things that will hang around. The coat is Celine from before Phoebe left, and the scarf is Fendi from before Karl passed, both gifts from husband, and both things I’ll keep and wear until threadbare.
We ate out that night at Billy Club, and I had market salad as you can never have enough green things and Bolognese as I make it often and am constantly trying to improve it, therefore trying it wherever it is served. Chef added rosemary, thyme, and a bit of lemon, three aromatics I’ve never tried. House made tagliatelle pasta was divine. Started with a tequila Three Stacks cocktail because I’m kind of wondering just how much wine I can drink…. It was a great meal and a fun night out.
Every day dress: clothes, fun plaid pants and kind of all black, food: dinner out at Billy Club.
Day 4, check.
I’m working trunk the entire upcoming month of April, minus a getaway to celebrate Easter and maybe a quick trip to Florida. Working trunk means being with women one to one in my downtown studio surrounded by 300+ pieces of luxury clothing items and helping them find styles that they love. This has been the professional piece of my life for almost nineteen years now.
Most women love having help in the dressing room. I think deep down we all have a need for affirmation in how we present ourselves to the outside world. For sure the clothes we wear speak about who we are, where we are, and where we’re going. As a stylist I help women refine their message with what they wear. I’ve been doing it forever, it’s always evolving, and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. It’s in my DNA.
Wear good clothes, eat good food, love those around you.
Most days I’m in jeans and a tee, this is where I’m truly most comfortable, and as a creative it’s a look I can do. At the studio I tried on a pair of easy flowing satin and reverse satin pants in on-trend olive green with a little fitted jersey shell from the summer 19 collection, these two items definitely upgrade the denim and tee look.
Before I leave for the day, I like to have dinner prepped or planned out, it simply makes me feel good and gives me a sense of calm knowing what I’m feeding those I love. Yesterday it was meatballs in tomato sauce. Sauce was a little watery on the plate, whatever, we had five at the table, nobody complained.
Every day dress: clothes: olive green, food: meatballs.
Day three, check.
I have a bad habit of making things harder than they need be. Here we go with day one and I’m supposed to post twice a day and maybe to Instagram stories and I still haven’t totally figured that out yet and supposedly it’s super easy so I’m going all old school with photos from the camera.
It was Sunday, and the day before husband and I drove to buy pansies by the dozens as I just can’t wait for spring. Planted most of those pansies in pots on the terrace and cooked up this month’s Food & Wine Italian Spring inspired Stewed Chicken Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs and Olives, Sautéed Chicories with Chile Oil, and Pear Crostata.
Really didn’t know what Chicories were, and now I do: Chicories are closely related to lettuces, but heartier and with a bitter edge. Cool weather crops that come into season in late fall (and last in temperate climates through early spring), chicories provide a lot of flavor to seasonal fall and winter meals. Thank you to The Spruce Eats. I guess I sort of did because Food & Wine didn’t specify radicchio and I picked that up at market anyways.
Planting and cooking took most of the day, also got in a long walk and some yard clean-up. Outfit of the day was denim on denim and vintage Bogner ski jacket.
Day one, check.
Seven years ago while in Sonoma CA bought a paper crown for Lizzie’s thirteenth birthday. She wore it when we returned home for a New Year’s Day family brunch celebration, wore it again for a more formal sweet sixteen at a private dance party with all her teenage friends, and wore it last night for a small family dinner to celebrate turning twenty.
Like a special dress you can take out and wear again and again for special occasions, love that she checked into the china cabinet where this special paper crown is kept and displayed, and topped it on her head. Love that at twenty she wears what she wore at thirteen. Simple style endures.
As for me, I’m wearing this year’s black silk blouse, sleeves rolled for cooking, and new higher waisted black leather jeans. Last year’s silk scarf tied at the waist as a belt, and good to go. Simple style works.
Happy Birthday dear Elizabeth. May your twentieth year be as brilliant and beautiful as you are. xoxo
Weekend activities included several trips to grocery and nursery as even though the landscape guy said he could/would fill the pots, I simply just couldn’t wait.
Large purple plants were on display at grocery for what seemed like weeks and no-one was buying, snow flurries and all. Scooped up 8 of them in two separate trips, and than 5 flats of violas, two separate trips also, at the nursery down the street. Had some potting soil on hand and away we went, dressed up all 8 pots, all monochromatic, because that’s just easy. Never mind we had to cover them all with clear kitchen trash bags while the temperature dipped at nightfall.
Need some spring, and just couldn’t wait.
Happy Monday dear readers, and almost, can you believe it, May?
xoxo