Playing Dress Up...

Choosing Necklaces for Necklines

Old Fashioned Glamour

This reminds me of my favorite Classic movies.

Anatomy of the Pencil Skirt

Stylish Winter Layering

This wool, oversized jacket works well as a layering piece. Notice what appears to be a denim jacket underneath. She's wearing a white shirt as her first layer. The elastic belt gives her body some shape. I like her wide leg pants because the flare at the hem balances the wide shoulders of the jacket. Her green zipper bag adds a pop of color. She appears to be wearing platform shoes or boots which keep her pants from scraping the pavement. I like her large watch and turned back cuffs because they make her outfit look so current.

Me at 60

Turning 60 years old last May was not a negative experience for me.  It didn't sink in for a long time.  I watched on Facebook as my high school classmates turned 60 one by one.  I DO feel a little different on the inside as my attitudes, patience and plans for the future have evolved.  I'm very grateful that I don't suffer from chronic health problems.  The few problems that appeared have been quick fixes with physical therapy for my knee and replacing 40 year old metal fillings with crowns.  I have stress in my life like everyone else but I've learned how to handle most of it.  When I'm upset I like to light a candle, write my issue on a piece of paper and send Reiki healing to it.  That allows my mind to rest and it reduces my stress.  I also use "Feng Shui, the Ancient Chinese Art of Placement" to create a restful, calming and peaceful atmosphere in our home.  My husband turned 60 years old last year too so we are on our journey together.  It's amazing how time has changed our 35 year marriage so many times and in so many ways.  We are closer now than we've ever been before and for that I am very grateful.  I like the calmer more settled feelings I have now and probably would not go back to my 30's if I had the chance.  I no longer desire "the hormone dance" and the stress and insecurities that go along with it.  I read somewhere that post menopausal women are "Mother Nature's road kill" but I don't believe that is true.  If a woman takes good care of herself and doesn't drink a lot of alcohol or smoke, she should live a happy, long and healthy life doing the things that she loves. 

This photo was taken last November. My hairdresser for 20 years is Theresa Sink at "Hair Trevilian," Louisville, Ky.  I'm wearing a boiled wool, green "Marc Cain" jacket (Rodes For Him & For Her, Louisville) with a hand dyed silk scarf (Peace Place, Sedona, Az.), black, long sleeved top with faux leather trim (Rodes), faux gold necklace (Macy's) and 14kt gold hoop earrings. I wore a pair of  black, ankle length slacks (Talbot's, Louisville) with black, "Stuart Weitzman, Nubeads" flats (Zappos.com).  (Photo courtesy of Kennedy)











Louisville's Own, Jennifer Lawrence

Congratulations to Jennifer Lawrence for winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in "American Hustle." Everyone in Louisville is so proud of you!

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That Awkward Moment...

"What To Do With Unwanted Gifts" by Karen Kingston

Christmas is over, or rather, it's just another year until the next one!                

But please don't take this long to figure out what to do with any unwanted gifts you've received this year. Studies show that most people receive at least one Christmas gift they have no use for, and at least half of them keep it in the misguided hope they will find a use for it one day.
This correlates with surveys I've done in Clear Your Clutter workshops I've taught around the world. The Number One reason people keep stuff they don't use is because they hope it will come in useful someday. Yet when they reflect on the actual wisdom of this, most freely admit it never does. And what they fail to take into account is the stagnating effect keeping such items has on the energy of their home, and the corresponding stagnating effect this has on their life.
Some people keep unwanted gifts out of loyalty to the person who gave it to them, to which I say, if it's a genuine friendship, then keeping the gift can get in the way of it. Every time you look at the object or think about it, you remember your disappointment and your energy drops. As the old saying goes, it truly is the thought that counts. It's far better to accept the love that was given with the gift and let the physical item go.
Which brings us to re-gifting, a clutter-busting method many people now practice. It can be a risky business, I know, and I will never forget the smile on my mother's face when I gave her a lead crystal fruit bowl I'd rarely used, only to discover she had given it to me many years before. Fortunately she'd read my books and took it in good humour.
In case your own relatives or friends aren't so understanding, a safer and wiser choice may be to go online to sell unwanted gifts, or give them away to someone who would like them and can use them. Depending on where in the world you live, eBay and community websites such as Freecycle, Craigslist, Kijiji, Gumtree and Marktplaats can help with this, and all report massive increases in listings, starting from Christmas lunchtime and continuing for the remaining days of December each year. Charity shops also report a flood of extra donations of items in the first weeks of January.
If you are brave (or brazen) enough to ask whoever gave you the gift for the receipt, you can return a gift and get a refund or exchange it for something you do want, which is probably the happiest solution of all.
Another option is repurposing. That ugly mug you received may be the last thing you want to drink your tea out of each morning, but could make a handy pot for some small tools in your garden shed. Or you can break something down into its component parts and find a use for some of them, such as keeping the inside part of a ghastly-looking cushion and using it to re-stuff something else.
Of course, if you take up any of these options, you also have to change your own attitude about the gifts you give. It would be hypocritical not to. My own attitude is that if I give a gift to someone and it amounts to instant or eventual clutter in their life then I certainly don't want them to keep it. I would much prefer they sell it, re-gift it or throw it away if necessary. I give the gift and let it go. It's entirely up to them what they do with it. I know how the stuck energies that collect around such objects can stagnate a person's life and don't ever want to be responsible for contributing to that!  http://www.spaceclearing.com/lists/news/karenkingston_newsletter_2014_01.html

My Mother, Alice

It has been four years since my mother passed away at the age of 89.  I miss her stories about growing up in Tennessee before and after World War ll. The  "Classic" style of her youth taught me that a few great pieces can work in a number of ways in my wardrobe. She didn't cut her long hair until the 1960's, preferring to wear an up do or sleek Chignon instead. She never wore it down for fear of it looking "stringy." My mother was vain enough to still worry about her weight and appearance well into her eighties. I have most of her costume jewelry and will always cherish it.

Winston Churchill Quote

Vintage Coat Illustration

These coats are so pretty and could be worn today, probably with a pair of beautiful boots.