New Year's Eve 2019

Handbags: One of my fashion pet peeves is seeing women dressed up for an evening out or special event with her big, leather handbag over her shoulder. 😝 Evening bags are so affordable and some women have inherited at least one so use it! They don't have to be super embellished or expensive. Dillard's has some on sale right now. Start out with a black or metallic one because they go with everything. Be sure to put your smart phone in before you buy one to make sure it fits. A shoulder chain or strap is a good idea too so you never have to leave it at the table when you get up to dance or go through a buffet line.

Shoes: I've been a "band wife" for 41 years. I've seen a lot of women of all ages trying to get through a dance in high heels. Most of them removed their shoes and chose to dance in their bare feet. This ruins the look of a nice semi or formal outfit. There's also a risk of injury if someone steps on your foot while dancing. Many women of a certain age no longer walk easily in high heels due to arthritis or health issues. I hate seeing them stopping around in them because it's so unflattering. There's also an increased risk of falling. There are plenty of pretty flats and kitten heels available that will look great with semi and formal wear and keep your feet safe and comfortable. Who needs foot cramps later on when you're trying to sleep! (Been there...done that.) 😖

Call ahead to the event venue and ask if someone is going to stay in their "Coat Check" until the event is over. Many times the coat check person leaves early and no one is assigned to watch the coats. This is especially important if you check an heirloom or expensive coat. Put your business card or other ID in the pocket in case you forget to pick it up. Always tip the coat check person. We give them a dollar per person.

Self Care by Brianna. Wiest

“Self-care is often a very unbeautiful thing. It is making a spreadsheet of your debt and enforcing a morning routine and cooking yourself healthy meals and no longer just running from your problems and calling the distraction a solution. It is often doing the ugliest thing that you have to do, like sweat through another workout or tell a toxic friend you don’t want to see them anymore or get a second job so you can have a savings account or figure out a way to accept yourself so that you’re not constantly exhausted from trying to be everything, all the time and then needing to take deliberate, mandated breaks from living to do basic things like drop some oil into a bath and read Marie Claire and turn your phone off for the day. A world in which self-care has to be such a trendy topic is a world that is sick. Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely exhausted that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure. True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from. And that often takes doing the thing you least want to do. It often means looking your failures and disappointments square in the eye and re-strategizing. It is not satiating your immediate desires. It is letting go. It is choosing new. It is disappointing some people. It is making sacrifices for others. It is living a way that other people won’t, so maybe you can live in a way that other people can’t. It is letting yourself be normal. Regular. Unexceptional. It is sometimes having a dirty kitchen and deciding your ultimate goal in life isn’t going to be having abs and keeping up with your fake friends. It is deciding how much of your anxiety comes from not actualizing your latent potential, and how much comes from the way you were being trained to think before you even knew what was happening. If you find yourself having to regularly indulge in consumer self-care, it’s because you are disconnected from actual self-care, which has very little to do with “treating yourself” and a whole lot do with parenting yourself and making choices for your long-term wellness. It is no longer using your hectic and unreasonable life as justification for self-sabotage in the form of liquor and procrastination. It is learning how to stop trying to “fix yourself” and start trying to take care of yourself… and maybe finding that taking care lovingly attends to a lot of the problems you were trying to fix in the first place. It means being the hero of your life, not the victim. It means rewiring what you have until your everyday life isn’t something you need therapy to recover from. It is no longer choosing a life that looks good over a life that feels good. It is giving the hell up on some goals so you can care about others. It is being honest even if that means you aren’t universally liked. It is meeting your own needs so you aren’t anxious and dependent on other people. It is becoming the person you know you want and are meant to be. Someone who knows that salt baths and chocolate cake are ways to enjoy life – not escape from it.”
By Brianna Wiest
(Photo from Pinterest)

The French "No-Diet" by Marie-Ann Lecoeur

 

The French "no-diet' diet is three simple ways that work to lose weight.

1- The food shouldn’t be ‘piled on’: only 1 layer please!

2-There should be some space left on your place without anything.

3- Leave something on your plate.

I have been teaching this French way to eat to many women who not only lost weight but kept it off and are now loving this French way to eat. They are excited with every bite, every meal, their new slimmer body and their new-found confidence. They have a new relationship with food, one that makes them happy and certainly no longer guilty.

What is this technique?

Have a good look at the size of your plate: a great way to decrease your portion size is by serving it on a small plate.

In France, our plates are smaller.

What is the benefit of eating from smaller plates?

Our portions are smaller.

What is the benefit of smaller portions?

We don’t eat as much.

What is the benefit of not eating as much?

You guessed it! We either keep to our weight or we lose extra weight.

Simple I know but it works!

Please do implement this at your next meal: pick up a smaller plate (a dessert plate for instance) and see the difference in the size of your portion it will make. This will also make a difference to the size of your body if you continue applying this great tip, alongside the other three I gave you yesterday.

Here are some comments and questions I hear regularly:

- But what if we don’t have French people’s good genes? ;0)

These four tips I gave you will work no matter your genes. Decreasing the amount of food you eat does make you lose weight or stop extra weight from creeping up.

- I have hit the menopause and noticed the pounds creeping up and nothing works!

French women also get to that stage and many of us manage to keep to our weight and lose extra weight. This is of course possible for you too!

- I have no access to French food. How can I eat like the French with the food available in my country?

The beauty of this French no-diet diet is that you can get great results no matter where you live. Great news, right?

Marie-Anne Lecoeur

Velvet Covered Buttons

Plaid fabrics are #trending right now but sometimes it's difficult to make them look right for evening or special events. When I saw this picture on a French Chic Facebook page it gave me an idea.  "Back in the day" we used to cover buttons in matching or contrasting fabric when we sewed clothing ourselves. Hobby Lobby sells the type of button forms that you can cover yourself. I think it would be very pretty to dress up a plaid or checked dress or jacket by covering the buttons in velvet fabric. Adding a velvet bow made with wide ribbon would add a feminine touch as well. This is the link to view the button forms for DIY: https://www.hobbylobby.com/Fabric-Sewing/Sewing-Quilting-Notions/Fasteners/Aluminum-Half-Ball-Cover-Button/p/51243

"Imitation of Life"

One of my favorite "fashion" films is "Imitation of Life" made in 1959. Lana Turner portrays a struggling actress who becomes famous. Her wardrobe was designed by Jean Louis. He designed wardrobes for many award winning Hollywood films and for famous women of that era. The film also shows the racial discrimination of the time so it's not just about fashion. Here is a link to Jean Louis' bio: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Louis
DVD on Amazon:
Imitation of Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000714BT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_ISuNDbP0ZX5H0

Pashmina Wraps

"What is a Pashmina Wrap? #Pashmina wraps are made from #cashmere wool, from the changthangi or pashmina goat, and hand-crafted in Kashmir. Those worn by women tend to be fashioned out of a thinner material." (They are also available in synthetic materials.) My friend Becky M. always carries a pashmina in her tote bag. They are great to wear on cool, fall evenings over everything from denim jackets to evening suits. I prefer pashminas with fringe because they look more elegant. You can find them online and in stores where scarves are displayed. (Photo from #Pinterest.)

Wearing White After Labor Day

Wearing white in the summer makes sense. Desert peoples have known for thousands of years that white clothing seems to keep you a little bit cooler than other colors. But wearing white only during the summer? While no one is completely sure exactly when or why this fashion rule came into effect, our best guess is that it had to do with snobbery in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The wives of the super-rich ruled high society with an iron fist after the Civil War. As more and more people became millionaires, though, it was difficult to tell the difference between old money, respectable families, and those who only had vulgar new money. By the 1880s, in order to tell who was acceptable and who wasn’t, the women who were already “in” felt it necessary to create dozens of fashion rules that everyone in the know had to follow. That way, if a woman showed up at the opera in a dress that cost more than most Americans made in a year, but it had the wrong sleeve length, other women would know not to give her the time of day. Not wearing white outside the summer months was another one of these silly rules. White was for weddings and resort wear, not dinner parties in the fall. Of course it could get extremely hot in September, and wearing white might make the most sense, but if you wanted to be appropriately attired you just did not do it. Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, and society eventually adopted it as the natural endpoint for summer fashion. Not everyone followed this rule. Even some socialites continued to buck the trend, most famously Coco Chanel, who wore white year-round. But even though the rule was originally enforced by only a few hundred women, over the decades it trickled down to everyone else. By the 1950s, women’s magazines made it clear to middle class America: white clothing came out on Memorial Day and went away on Labor Day. These days the fashion world is much more relaxed about what colors to wear and when, but every year you will still hear people say that white after Labor Day is unacceptable, all thanks to some snobby millionaires over 100 years ago.
by Kathy Benjamin
(Photo from Pinterest of Cassie)
#laborday #fashion #whiteclothes

Hollywood Actress Inspired Kentucky Derby Outfits

Kentucky Derby outfits inspired by vintage clothing worn by  Hollywood Actresses.

 

 

Marilyn Monroe

 

Grace Kelly

Audrey Hepburn

 

 

 

Black Sheath Dresses and Heels



 

I created these Polyvore sets to illustrate how easy it is to style black sheath dresses.

 

I chose a red clutch bag and red lipstick to give this  "Illusion" top dress a pop of color. I chose  crystal earrings and double cuff bracelets for a little "sparkle and shine."  I chose a "Cage" style heel to add a bit of texture to the outfit but it doesn't fight the snakeskin clutch. The silvery  Pashmina is all you need to keep the chill off your shoulders. 

 

 

 

 

I created this set to show how modest this crisscross style dress is even though the shoulders are bare. The jewelry is Lucite with silver accents. I chose the black and white reptile clutch so it would accent the jewelry not clash with it. I like the design of the crisscross heel because it mimics the top of the dress. Red lip gloss is all that's needed to add a punch of color to this outfit.

 

 



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Chanel Inspired Black Dress Outfits

These Polyvore Sets are just a few of the ones I created for my "Chanel Inspired" collection over the years. I thought it might be helpful to my readers if I could put together outfits from popular stores instead of from the Polyvore website. The second and third sets are from Dressbarn and Macy's. I doubt that these items are still available but you get the idea of how to put together a pretty outfit that you can wear for any occasion. 

 

 

 



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Black Dresses for Date Night

It doesn't matter what age you are or what size you wear you should always dress up for special occasions! Date Night with your beloved or with a beau should give you a good excuse to put on some sexy lingerie and your best black dress. Add some sparkling accessories and make up to finish your look. Men love to be envied by other men so use Date Night as your opportunity to show off for him. Make him feel lucky he has you on his arm! 

 

 

(I created these Sets from the old Polyvore website several years ago. I wanted to post them again since all of them on this Blog were deleted when they sold out.)

 

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Fabulous and Frugal Black Dress Outfits

• I used to spend hours on the Polyvore website putting outfits together from their vast database. One day I decided to create two outfits that looked very much alike but the cost of the items were very different. That's why I named them "Fabulous and Frugal." I truly believe that a woman can look very well dressed without spending a lot of money. Here are three sets using black dresses and the accessories I chose to go with them.

 

 

 

 

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My Grandmother Ruby Called it "Reducing"

Everyone is familiar with this first picture of a big burger and french fries. It's considered a "meal" by most restaurants, fast food and regular ones. Women may have been able to completely metabolize a calorie, fat and salt laden meal like this when we were younger but that's not the case after a women is over 50. After menopause our metabolism slows down and we can easily store more fat than ever before in our lives. Some of us have health issues too that are aggravated by excess sodium and fats in our foods. Below is an alternative. You can still eat a burger but leave off the bun. Few of us need those extra calories that qualify as a starch and it's a bad choice if you are sensitive to gluten. If you've become lactose intolerant as you have aged leave off the cheese. Choose a side dish of a green vegetable that's full of good vitamins and fiber. Avocados contain fat but it's a "good" fat. Switch from heavy salad dressings to something that has "Vinaigrette" in the name.  Balsamic, Raspberry and Champagne are three of my favorites and order it on the side so you control how much you use. Tell the wait person not to bring any bread to the table at all. Did you know that if the bread basket even touches the table the wait staff has to throw it away?  Alcoholic drinks can really pack on weight through their high calorie content with zero nutritional value. Those drinks can add a lot to the bill too so maybe save that for special occasions. My weakness is dessert but I seldom order it because eating sweets late in the day causes indigestion. I also know I won't be active enough in the evening to burn off all those calories. Again sweets like alcohol are empty calories. I love genuine butter but without bread on the table I only have a baked potato or sweet potato to put it on. Potatoes are real food, not processed with a long shelf life. Order your butter on the side and tell the wait person to leave off the cinnamon sugar that so often is served on a baked sweet potato. If you want something fizzy to drink but want to avoid sugary sodas or ones with artificial sweeteners order a glass of club soda with a wedge of lime. It's zero calories and is very refreshing! If you MUST have a glass of wine with dinner try a wine spritzer. It is half club soda so you are cutting the calories in half. This works well with white or pink wines that are served chilled.

If you want to "reduce" then start making a few changes. I often order a "To Go Box" right after I get my meal. Portions are so huge now that not even a field hand could burn off all those calories! By dividing your portions into your To Go Box you not only cut your portions and calories in half but you have a good meal for lunch or dinner the next day. That also saves you money! You may not see a change in your weight or size for a while but as you adapt to new eating and drinking habits you will see the difference. If you are able to get a little exercise you will notice the changes sooner. I'm very aware of how bad joints can be too painful for walking or working out. That's why it's important to change your diet first. If you lose weight it may help lessen the pain in your hips, knees and ankles.
Pamela Owen
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Travel Wardrobe Advice for Women Over 50

This is advice from a woman who has traveled almost weekly for 40+ years:
"I only wear black and white while traveling.  Black and white jeans, black slacks and black, white, navy tees.  A cute sweater jacket (black and white stripe), scarves, and comfortable shoes.  Black & white gingham rain/trench coat." C.K.G.

When I fly I only wear black. It doesn't show dirt or spills. I always pack several colorful scarves for a punch of color. I also wear black, leather clogs and black socks. I will never wear flip flops or any shoe without socks. There are too many foot diseases that you can pick up from other barefoot travelers going through Security like Plantar warts that are caused by a virus that never goes away. I like for my jackets to have plenty of pockets. If they button even better to keep my things secure. I carry a handbag with handles long enough to slip over the telescoping handle of my small, rolling carry on bag. I check my suitcase to ease my physical burden boarding and departing the airplane. It's difficult for me to lift heavy bags over my head to place in the overhead compartments. I can't depend on someone helping me do that so I check it.

10 Tips for Attending the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby

1. Wear comfortable shoes.

2. Take bandaids, ibuprofen, etc.

3. Take a clear poncho because umbrellas are not allowed inside Churchill Downs.

4. Carry a lightweight tote bag and paper towels to wrap Mint Julip and Lilly glasses to take home.

5. Pack snack mix in clear baggies. Food lines can be long and you need to keep food in your stomach if you are drinking alcohol.

6. Cell phone service is scattered, make sure your family knows this.

7. Carry some loose change to tip the bathroom attendants. Most have mints and other handy things.

8. In case of a chill, stick a scarf in your bag.

(Or tie it to the handle of your handbag to look chic! Pam)

9. Place your Derby bet way before post time. Men are notorious for the last minute bet. There may be lots of shoving and stepping on toes.

10. Sing "My Old Kentucky Home" loud and proud! 

Should you have the winning ticket and want to wait to avoid lines you have weeks to go back and collect.

Advice courtesy of M. G. Gurley

 

 

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The Old Forester Mint Julep Recipe

 

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Sprigs of fresh mint

Crushed ice

Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whisky

Silver Julep Cups
 

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Old Forester Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

 

 

https://www.kentuckyderby.com/history/traditions/mint-julep

Kentucky Beaten Biscuits Recipe for Country Ham

Servings: about 40 1-1/2-inch biscuits

(adapted, slightly, from Charles Patteson’s Kentucky Cooking)

• 2 c. all-purpose flour (preferably a soft wheat type like White Lily or Martha White) 
• 1/4 t. salt
• Pinch of baking soda
• 1/4 t. sugar
• 6 TB cold lard
• 1/4 c. cold whole milk
• 1/4 c. cold water

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with metal blade. Pulse a couple of times to blend. Add lard and pulse until mixture is mealy. With machine running, add milk and water. Process for about 2 minutes “until the dough is shiny, elastic and rather sticky, not unlike pulled taffy.”
Place dough on a well-floured surface. Roll out to about 1/2″ thick. Cut out small round biscuits. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet at least 1/2″ apart. Use a fork to prick a row of holes on eat biscuit.
Bake in center of oven for 6-7 minutes at 350°. Increase oven temperature to 400° and bake for 7-8 minutes more, making certain that biscuits do not brown too much on the bottom.
Split the biscuits while still warm.
Fill biscuits with thin slices of country ham and a dab of sauce (2 parts mayonnaise, 1 part Dijon mustard and 1 part mango chutney).

 

https://gourmandistan.com/2014/04/28/bettering-beaten-biscuits-with-lard-and-a-little-derb-kee-sauce/

Kentucky Benedictine Spread Recipe

 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon mayonnaise or could use Miracle Whip
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dill weed

Pinch cayenne (optional)
1 to 2 drops green food coloring
Peel cucumber and split lengthwise down the middle.  Take a spoon and remove the seeds before chopping. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, dill weed and cayenne with a mixer.  Fold in the chopped cucumber, green onion and food coloring and mix with a spoon.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups.  Enjoy with your favorite crackers or make into sandwiches as pictured in the photo below. When making sandwiches, once you remove the crust, flatten the bread with a rolling pin before adding the spread.

 

 

https://thesouthernladycooks.com/2018/04/16/kentucky-benedictine-spread/

 

Old Kentucky Bourbon Balls Recipe

Adapted from "The Book of Bourbon", p325

Or order the original Rebecca Ruth Bourbon Balls here: https://rebeccaruth.stores.yahoo.net/100proofbour1.html

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb confectioners' sugar
3 Tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely ground pecans

Combined softened butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Add the bourbon and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the nuts and mix thoroughly.

Roll the candy into 1-inch balls. Set in refrigerator until firm, then transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag and place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight.


Chocolate Coating(for either center prepared above)

4 to 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
30 -50 whole pecan halves, for garnish

Place a toothpick in each bourbon ball, sticking the toothpick into the center.

Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave or a double boiler. Mix and heat until smooth.

Working quickly, dip the bourbon ball centers into the chocolate one at a time. Tap the toothpick against the side of the bowl to shake off excess chocolate. Set the coated bourbon ball on waxed paper covering a baking sheet or pizza pan. With another toothpick push the bourbon ball gently from the toothpick and cover the spot where it was with a pecan half.

When all bourbon balls have been dipped allow them to rest until set. (To speed the process the pan of bourbon balls can be placed in the refrigerator.) When set, transfer the candies to a holiday tin or other storage container. 
From: http://www.myownsweetthyme.com/2008/12/kentucky-bourbon-balls.html

The Legendary Hot Brown Recipe from the Brown Hotel

INGREDIENTS
Makes Two Hot Browns 

• 2 oz. Whole Butter
• 2 oz. All Purpose Flour
• 8 oz. Heavy Cream
• 8 oz. Whole Milk
• ½ Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese
  Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish
• Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper
• 14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Thick
• 4 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)
• 4 Slices of Crispy Bacon
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
• Paprika
• Parsley

In a two‑quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium‑low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2‑3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast with the crusts cut off in an oven safe dish – one slice is cut in half corner to corner to make two triangles and the other slice is left in a square shape - then cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.
https://www.brownhotel.com/dining/hot-brown



Vintage Dressmaker Details

I chose these Vintage outfits from Pinterest to show how women's clothing used to be designed. I love the covered buttons and little details that show how much care and creativity went into each design.

 

 

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Fashion Influencers

If you were wondering what has been happening in the fashion industry because you can't find clothing you like anymore this is why:

"An influencer is someone with a large social following who has the power to inspire and, in turn, influence others. This includes style icons, celebrities, athletes and public figures to name a few. Each has the potential to generate brand awareness for most any business they choose. Influencer marketing is the practice of leveraging these individuals to bring in more business and reach more people. This is done by taking advantage of their vast networks of followers, fans, and connections. One endorsement is all any company needs to grow."
By Brandon Meawasige

 

Picture courtesy of  Pinterest

 

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