Motto Mojo

Check out this cuff I bought from Zalina's Etsy shop, My Peace of Jewelry! 

 

She has lots of other cool things, too, but I bought this because of the message – let it go. 

I figured this would be a good thing to remind me not to get too wound up at work – or any time. 

I wrote about that in a message to the lovely Zalina, and she replied with a story about her mother calling her when she had bad days at work, and they would repeat "Let it go, let it go" and end up laughing. So now the cuff has a message AND a great story to go with it! I'm trying to feel the laughter and the letting go, but I also just love wearing the cuff. It's kind of a mix between graceful and funky, which are good words to describe the style I aspire to. I'm still working on that… 

coat with pointy shoulder pads - Gallery from TJ Maxx; skirt - JCP; boots - Target

scarf - museum gift shop; shirt - JCP

Awhile back I found a little tag in the pocket of my red raincoat. It says, Life is a journey, Stay Warm, Keep Dry. It was fun discovering it, because I'd already had the coat for about a year. What a cool thing to add to a mass-produced garment!

Do you have any mottos or adages, in your life or your wardrobe? Something that grounds you or helps you get through the day? I've always liked the last two (haunting) lines from "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. They seem to echo the sentiment "Life is a Journey." Or as I commented to Melanie at Bag and a Beret, life is performance art. It happens and then it's gone. And I mean that in both the everyday and in a lifetime, just like those two lines mean two things:

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Val

Serial Monogamy

I went back to wearing boots today. Lots of the bloggers I follow are still wearing boots and tights, so I was inspired to take these lovely little boots out again. The weather is 10 degrees cooler than it was last Friday, so footwear could go to either sandals or shoes or boots.

Too much teal and turquoise? Topper – Soft Surroundings; T-shirt and tights – Target; skirt – Christopher & Banks, shortened by me; boots – thrifted; necklace – Etsy

I find it a little hard to switch back. I get my mind set on a certain course – sandals, no socks, painted toenails – and I have misgivings about returning to socks, tights and boots. My mind is saying, "But I don't understand. You said we were going to do this now. I thought you made a commitment."

The same thing happens with glasses and handbags. When I get new glasses I always think that I'll alternate with my old pair, even though the prescription is usually slightly different. So I wore my old glasses on Mother's Day…

Great-auntie Val wearing old glasses; dress and belt – thrifted

And I didn't like them - they're boring. (If you want to see more pictures of the old glasses, look at any posts before March.)

Once I get used to my new "face" I don't really want to go back. I'd like to buy two new pairs at a time, but what if people get confused and don't recognize me from day to day? And I might not be able to decide which ones I want to wear one morning. Would I worry that I was cheating on one pair when I was wearing the other one?

Anyway, I do the serial monogamy thing with handbags, too. I buy one, use it constantly for a year or two or three, then I get bored and buy a new one, and the cycle begins again.

My current squeeze

I do swap occasionally, but generally I'm a one-bag woman. My old ones remain good friends, but the magic is gone.

Left on the shelf

So far, one husband has been enough for seventeen years. That's good because I don't want to have to break in another one.

Are you a serial monogamist or a randy wardrobe slut?

Val

I Hate Fridays

I know most people like Fridays, but when the alarm clock rings for the fifth day in a row, I hate that day. At least I hate the part between 8:30 and 5:30 when I'm working for The Man. And some of the people I work with have the social skills of a spatula. It might be fun if I had a window and a more creative and colorful job. But my desk is gray, and I have two beige walls and two modular walls that are covered with fabric that looks like mushroom vomit.

Since I woke up way over on the wrong side of the bed today, I wore some old standbys that are both comfortable and effortless. I figured this would help reduce my mad desire to spill coffee on my computer and run stapled paper through the printer. It worked – I got through the day without incident.

I was TOO LAZY to take my sunglasses off

The lime green cardi is part of a twin set from Target, and I have gotten so much use out of this cardi on its own. The color is vibrant and bright, but doesn't overwhelm my pale skin. It was briefly seen here.

Top and skirt - Christopher & Banks; sandals - Bare Traps

The asymmetrical skirt has been seen before, here and here. It's not tight anywhere – I could be naked from the waist down and be just as comfortable as I am in this skirt.

This top is one of my favorite summer tops - little dots in purple, yellow-orange and teal.

Boob shot! Locket necklace engraved with "V" - gift from my parents circa 1969

The sandals (seen in my last post) are so comfortable. They don't flop, they don't rub, they've got a comfy sole. The only thing I would change is to have a peak-a-boo toe, but that would be a different style altogether.

Lest I give a totally bad impression of my workplace, there are some very funny and intelligent people that I work with, mostly men, and they help me get through the week. Heaven help us if we're all in a bad mood at the same time!

Have a good weekend, and Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!

Now to take my scowling pictures over to Visible Monday...

Val

If I were a boy

True story - My dad said he would have named me Ole if I was a boy. That's the Danish Ole (OH-lee). He may have been kidding, but then he said my name might have been Harold. I guess I got lucky being born a girl.

shirt - US Expedition - thrifted; buttonflowers - Megan Mae Daily

Another true story - When I was about eight years old I had a dream that I got my hair cut really short, and I turned into a boy. I looked like Eddie Munster. But the really funny thing was that my dream started out in color, but when I turned into a boy it became black and white. Maybe that's because The Munsters was in black and white on TV, and I had become Eddie Munster. But I think I also felt that being a boy would be dull in comparison to being a girl.

skirt - St. John's Bay from JCP; sandals - Bare Traps; belt - Walmart

I got a lot of hand-me-downs from my brother, and I loved them. I also got a lot of hand-me-downs from my sister, her friends, our cousins. I wouldn't have wanted to wear boys' clothes all the time. They were good after school when I was out playing cowboys with the neighbors, but I also liked my pretty dresses and shoes for church and piano recitals. I got the best of both worlds.

Like this outfit.

The top is a well made men's shirt, the skirt is denim, but it's still a skirt. I pinned buttonflowers to a necklace to make it all prettier.

one buttonflower is turned over - this wouldn't happen if I had a stylist

The sandals look like some my dad used to have, but his weren't a nice color like mine. This style is becoming popular again, as seen in this post on That's Not My Age.

I guess this is why Boyfriend Style is so popular now. We get to wear men's type clothes, but in prettier colors and fabrics! I know we pay more and the quality isn't as good, but I'd still rather wear girl's clothes.

I may be late, but I'm going over to Patti's at Not Dead Yet Style to link up with Visible Monday. I'll be number 327.

Val

PS - What would your name have been if you had been born the other gender?

Do you like pina coladas?

Do you like to see old pictures of the bloggers you follow? I do, but if your answer to that question was NO, you might just want to move on to the next blog. If you stay, however, I can promise you pictures of Paris, Rome, and Barthomley!

 

A couple of weeks ago I showed you this photo of me in Seattle wearing my faithful and fail-safe raincoat.

Other than the picture above, I have no recent pictures of me wearing that coat. I had become bored with it – it's shapeless, it's plain black, and I grew tired of the epaulets and cuff straps (what do you call those?).

I have lots of pictures from early in our relationship, when things were still exciting.

1998, Barthomley, Cheshire, UK, near Nantwich. White Lion pub est. 1614

It has no label, so I have no idea what it's background is. I bought it in Nantwich, UK, around 1997. You know, after all these years, it still shows no signs of wear.

1998, York, UK, Mr. Sparkle and I imitating the pedestrian light

I usually wear it open or belted like a trench, but it could be worn straight like a smock-type coat. It's pretty lightweight, but it's also wind-resistant because it keeps me warm, and it dries in about 10 seconds when it gets wet.

1999, Spanish Steps, Rome

It doesn't take up much space, so we've had some good trips together. I don't think I've ever seen it wrinkled, and it's pretty comfortable. Also, it has one cute little secret – an internal pocket that's ideal for holding a passport and boarding pass between checking in and boarding a plane.

2000, Louvre, Paris

How could I be so shallow? This coat and I have had so many good times together, and it has everything I need! Why would I want any other raincoat – this one is perfect! I'll never take it for granted again. 

Do you have any old faithful friends in your closet? Do you appreciate them as much as you should?

Val