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?
The post below we wrote days ago and never hit submit, it was one of those things. Longest winter I ever recall, except perhaps for blizzard of ’77, and then I was eleven, and ate frozen donuts for days on end. This time around we stayed in, and moped, and cooked.
Finally feeling like we’re getting back in the mix, it hit 72 degrees here today, and we put on a skirt. A navy tweed skirt and a brighter blue v-neck sweater, and some silver shoes. We like things easy, and this was easy.
Yesterday we went for a country drive, wedding planning and site visit, and did some chick pea quesadillas for dinner, that was easy too.
chick pea quesadilla with greens
scratch red pepper pappardelle with spinach and tomatoes on warmed plates
one lone pizza with pepperoni, women in the family moving towards plant-based meals
Even though we have sunshine the dogs don’t even really want to go out, it’s been so wickedly unspring like. We’re simply tucking in, and doing things like scratch red pepper pasta, and scratch pizza dough; come on fair weather we’ve got a wedding to shape up for, carb loading be over.
youngest of six at Providence College
While on the road the weekend before we toured Providence College, it was cold and windy there too. We spontaneously caught up with Steve Martin and Martin Short, they were spectacularly funny, and we’re still laughing.
hydrangea and eucalyptus, one on the left kind of checked out
Sorry for rambling unorganized post, simply working on getting back in the mix.
last weeks travel outfit, all black, add boots (or Birks with socks), and jacket for
upstate New York
Woke up Saturday morning after a month of being on the road and dutifully weighed in, yikes. Number was up, and couldn’t fit in shoes, (obviously, double foot surgery 7 1/2 weeks ago), or clothes, (can’t do the minimum 10,000 steps a day, and lots of restaurant dining), and thought, hmm, well, this is interesting. So, we’ve been back at the gym, every week day since.
Zero complaints, we’ve got two legs and two arms and a head that works. We’re simply doing what we do, eating protein at breakfast, making the bed, walking the dogs, getting out of the exercise clothes, putting on make-up, making dinner, spending time with those we love, and enjoying a glass of wine. We’re also dressing women, and cleaning up the garden.
In our conversations with our women it’s so often about ‘I’m on a diet’. Sorry, really don’t agree. Keeping your weight down by moving and whole foods, yes, some weird of the minute diet, so no. Like, wtf is Keto? I remember my grandmother Lottie being on Atkins and the pee strips in the bathroom and that was double decades ago, and she never lost any weight. If there was a diet that worked there wouldn’t be any new diet, so there, just saying.
The scale is our compass, simply guiding us, and when to pay more attention.
Every day dress; well, this is interesting, always. xo
Recent Instagram posts feature a dress and a tee by JCrew, a brand I haven’t worn in years. JCrew used to be our family go-to for outfitting five of our six kids, one just didn’t get it and still doesn’t and probably won’t ever, talking about you, Booie. As it often goes we’ve circled back. During holiday time oldest daughter and I stepped in to their Madison Avenue boutique and picked up some sweaters, one cashmere, one not, and both of those sweaters have been regular players in each of our wardrobes. The recent purchases they made quite easy, with an email online thing offering a discount of I think 20% or 30%, so picked out a few things and hit submit. The box with a few tees, a dress, and a pair of sunglasses arrived a few days later.
Their tees don’t need any double thinking, they can be worn out, to they gym, and for coffee in the morning, and really don’t impact the clothing budget or the overall aesthetic. A dress, however, can be a game changer, and a commitment. Wasn’t sure I was going to keep it or not, and threw it in the carry-on for little Florida getaway.
Late yesterday afternoon we headed to St. Petersburg, and the dress offered the ‘what to wear’ solution, thank you, JCrew. In my idealized world I’d be living in the Tuscan countryside and wearing Cucinelli, yet in the now we’re living in upstate New York, wearing most often Worth New York and W by Worth, and traveling wherever, and life is good.
So, we kept the dress, because it was easy. And wore it with leather. A dress is one and done. We’re heading home tomorrow, and moving into trunk show mode. Here we come Worth New York and W by Worth, we’re so looking forward to our women and some new season spring clothes. Trunk dates: tomorrow, Friday, February 23rd – Thursday, March 1st, and Tuesday, March 6th – Monday, March 12th.
Four daughters will buy suits in multiples, me, not so much. I’ll do one at a time, maybe two. Husband and I dropped oldest at Tampa International Airport, and then stopped at International Plaza to run in and return a broken belt buckle at Louis Vuitton, and to pick up a new suit.
Two things about this quick visit, Louis Vuitton handled the repair with grace and courtesy, and will be shipping out a new buckle in a few weeks. Nice, good things go on. When I started this site seven years ago I thought I was starting a site about fashion for the over forty set, and now it seems it and I have evolved to more about style, not necessarily fashion, and style with respect to clothes, food, make-up, life, and perhaps not that age specific. Fashion to me can feel exhausting, and endless. Style feels like it can be cultivated and counted on for the long run. That Louis Vuitton belt and buckle will endure.
Now, secondly, the suit: we’re in Florida for a little so obviously spending some time poolside. I brought a classic black Eres tank suit, (actually gifted to me by the husband a few years ago), and a Dolce & Gabbana floral bikini I picked up last summer in Portugal. The Eres suit is as classic as classic gets, and fourth daughter likes to wear it as a bodysuit with her denim. With proper care it will last a good, long time, yet it’s not a piece I like to wear when sitting pool side, it’s a little hot. I wanted to add another to the rotation, and prefer a two-piece for pool time, and don’t care about maybe a two piece is not the best look for women my age in some opinions, in my upstate New York State of being. Truth: last summer posted to Instagram while wearing a white Eres bikini, outdoors in the country side cooking for the family, our dog in the background, and it was reported, and deleted. Come on, really? Is that why I get seated in the backside of the restaurant for breakfast when dining alone yet when I return with the twenty-something daughter the very next day we are shown a table up front and center? Yes, this is a tangent, and probably worthy of more space yet simply had to get it out there. While traveling in Europe I never feel or sense this ageism, two piece suit or not.
The takeaway? Women, wear what you want, and feel good. I’ll upload the photo of the suit I bought as a flat-lay, yet not going near the body in the suit, at least for now. Think I’ll wait until I’m sixty or seventy or eighty something, when I/we really look good feeding the family at the country house with the dog in the background.
Every day dress, a new suit, and it’s a two piece.
self-portrait and recommitted to wearing a little make-up
we’re in FL and off-shoulder dress with pockets is two years ago new
Regular readers, you’ve probably noticed a drop in postings, we’ve been in one of those lulls that happens when you live for a while. Triple decades of marriage, six great kids, and tons of travel have been on our mind. We’ve been self-cleaning our house, literally and really. Also, our first wedding, for oldest daughter.
As for the blog we’ve thought we need new gear, or a new look, a fresh jaw line, and some new clothes. And when you’ve lived for a little you begin to learn you don’t need all that new stuff, we really need to self-teach ourselves to love ourselves now. You know how when you might find a photo or yourself from maybe five years ago and you think, damn, I look pretty good? And you might look at an image of yourself now and think it’s just not good enough? This post is about let’s love ourselves now. If not now, when? And also how?
black leather jacket, denim, and one-shouldered washed silk
The new camera will wait, the jaw line, whatever, and the new clothes are coming. I’m simply going to jump back into this blog thing and write, and post, and hope to help women feel better, and perhaps be inspired so that we are all the very best versions of ourselves, today.
I do think women like to know possibilities of what to wear
For three nights second daughter and I camped in at The Nomad, and for three days second daughter, first daughter (bride-to-be) and I shopped out by appointment various atelier for the precious dress.
black cropped denim, oversized sweater, silk blouse underneath
It was sublime, and close to perfection. Each morning we started with eggs and avocado in The Atrium and then walked, taxied, and ubered around town for dress appointments. There was champagne, and chardonnay, joyful tears, and honestly plenty of burgers, and fries.
We took a million iPhone photos, and at the end of it all decided to keep those albums private. Sharing here are a few photos from the Canon Rebel, with none, by design, of the bride to be.
on the floor at JFK while charging the iPhone
feet up on the carry-on, glitter socks, a tote, and a bag
Snowing again, and we’re totally jazzed by the idea of a white suit, or really anything all white.
Here we go, writing and posting at the end of the day, and not very first thing, as we had researched about habits, and productivity. There’s always tomorrow, that’s what we really love about the every day.
In a few days second daughter, or now MOH, (that’s Maid of Honor in wedding lingo, something I had no idea about), travel to NYC for a round of white dress look sees with first daughter, bride to be, (or is it BTB?). Obviously there’s been a lot of dress looking, for the bride and the wedding party online and on Pinterest, (another social site we’re just not that good at), and this has us thinking about a lot of white.
So, above you see some looks I’ll be working with this spring/summer 18 for clients, and myself. Our spring selling season opened today, I was in the studio wearing not yet a white suit, but white denim. I was cleaning, and prepping the show calendar, and organizing. A white suit for so many women sounds amazing, particularly in the middle of winter, yet for now we’re going with white denim (yes, white denim for sure in winter), and the standard but luxurious black turtleneck sweater. No photo, simply imagine the simplicity.
Over the weekend we we’re thinking about what it is that we really do, and why. We like to help answer the professional question ‘what to wear’, and the personal question ‘what to eat’. We love good clothes and the start of a new season, and we’re always honestly thinking about our next meal, truth.
We kind of wore a suit over the weekend, denim on denim while out in ski town, and last night upon arrival city-side cooked up a quick delicious batch of The New York Times Creamy Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Peas. Anyone that’s not eating vegan, or gluten-free etc. should have this in their repertoire, it’s a supremely good basic. All ingredients can and should be pantry staples. Add a green salad and dinner can be on the table in about twenty-five minutes.
What to wear and what to eat?
At the end of January it’s denim, of course, blue, black, or white, and lots of black knitwear. Moving towards spring, a white dress, and a white suit.
We like to be fuss-free so today tied a scarf at the hip. Super easy, and these photos don’t do it justice: it was literally freezing outside and daughter and I spent less than four minutes snapping these pics at an industrial site that is a walkable distance from our house. That scarf rode up on the hips a bit after the quick car ride. Simply needed a little tug, and we were cold.
This was our outfit of the day, and the two nights before, without the scarf. Simple sleeveless turtleneck sweater and some leather front pants. The boots are Birks, that’s all I got clearance for and really all I can manage. Wore this to the women’s club I joined a year ago, and brought ‘the mom’ with me, for a Thomas Jefferson architecture lecture followed by lunch. After the lunch went directly home and feet up, again. It was a day.
same outfit, different nail color, really liking the red now
A few women have asked me, ‘foot surgery?’, and ‘both feet at once?’ Asked the doc at consultation that if it were his wife or his daughter what would he recommend and he replied yes, both at once. Kind of like wearing a dress, one and done. Really couldn’t imagine doing this recovery thing twice, we’ve already watched every episode of The Crown.
With the cut hair we’ve also been into some short red nails. Picked up this Essie polish for $9, and it kind of feels right. Good news- laptop arrived today, woot woot.
We’ve also been reading, and prowling the internet. We’ve read things about creativity, and being productive, all from the couch, really a good feeling, not really. Thinking about changing the routine up, and posting in the morning, instead of late day. We googled ‘how to quit Facebook’, and then decided we’re probably not quitting Facebook, even though we don’t know how to really do Facebook. Social media is good, and then it’s bad, and we’re really exploring balance I guess.
After all this thinking we’re coming back to this: we want to write about two simple yet two absolute every day topics, what to wear and what to eat, for women and those they love. Please know we’ve missed our time in the kitchen, and please know we’ve read tons about food, and cookery.
Enough of the ramble, wishing you all good health.