Well Tailored

This Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique is so beautifully designed. I love how the front snaps to form a flattering series of folds. The draping and ruching are genius.


Blouse, BCBG Max Azria. Dress, Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique (consignment). Boots, Nine West. Sunglasses, Meow Meow. Earrings, Charming Charlie. Bag, Marc Jacobs.

Long Wool Skirt Season

After living in Cincinnati for 8 years, I have more cool weather clothing than warm. The season for long, wool skirts is short in Sacramento. But it’s finally here.


Shirt, Mossimo. Skirt, Hauber Sporting Life (thrifted). Boots, Lauren Ralph Lauren. Hat, Nine West. Sunglasses, Target. Earrings, Epcot Mexico. Bag, Marc Jacobs.


Today is Veterans Day, so I’ve included a photo of myself as a young 2nd Lieutenant in the USMC. Such a baby face!

Bare Legs and Boots

Bare legs and boots. Short sleeves and a scarf. The best of summer and winter. Isn’t that what fall is all about?


Jacket, Bebe (consignment). Dress, Banana Republic (consignment). Boots, Lauren Ralph Lauren. Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Scarf, consignment. Slip, vintage and thrifted.

Gossip Girl

A blazer, button-front shirt, skater skirt, and oxford shoes give off a bit of a schoolgirl uniform vibe. A headband and necktie would have taken it too far. I’ll admit to doing a bit of schoolgirl gossiping. Our sales team only gets together a few times a year. We had a lot of news to catch up on.


Blazer, James Jeans. Shirt, One Star (thrifted). Skirt, Miss Avenue (consignment). Shoes, Chelsea Crew. Necklace, Banana Republic (gift). Umbrella, MOMA.

Orchidaceae

My hair is now less bubblegum and more orchid. I can’t decide which I like better.


Jacket, Mossimo. Sweater, Joseph (thrifted). Shorts, Sans Souci. Boots, Lauren Ralph Lauren. Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Earrings, Charming Charlie. Bag, Marc Jacobs.

Cinco de Noviembre

I wore my Cinco de Mayo scarf and belt on the 5th of November. Happy half-birthday*, Mexico!


Shirt, Jones New York (thrifted). Skirt, Bass (thrifted). Shoes, Chelsea Crew. Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Scarf, consignment. Belt, thrifted. Bag, Marc Jacobs.


*Not really. Mexican Independence day is November 16. Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Cinco de Mayo vs Cinco de Noviembre outfits:

Heart Eyes

I had heart eyes the moment I spotted these sunglasses. Best of all, they were free with my purchase of two other pairs at Coco Sunglasses. Super heart eyes!


Shirt, Mossimo. Skirt, J Crew (consignment). Boots, American Eagle (consignment). Sunglasses, Coco Sunglasses. Earrings, Rain’s Embellishments. Bag, Imoshion. Belt, thrifted.

Cling

Ah, that awkward transition from bare legs to tights. Discovering that this dress clings terribly to these tights. Tugging at my hem all day to ensure my goods stayed covered. Wishing I could find a slip short enough to wear with this dress. Wondering if the lack of appropriate slips means my dresses are simply too short.


Blazer, BSB Jeans (thrifted). Dress, Equipment. Tights, B. Ella. Boots, Audrey Brooke (consignment). Bag, Marc Jacobs.

40 B4 40: Results

I’m 40! Pencils down, heads up, I’m out of time for my 40 B4 40 list. Feel free to grade my work.

1. Get old timey photos of our family - Done!

2. Skydive or hanglide - Done!

3. Take a Napa wine tour - Done!

4. Hike Half Dome - Done!

5. Stand-up paddleboard - Done!

6. Snowshoe - Done!

7. Camp with the dogs - Done, with Jasper, only.

8. Skateboard at a skate park - Done, the day before my birthday!

9. Compete in an agility competition - Done!

10. Renew my passport - Done-ish . . . my passport is still in processing, after a request for MORE documentation last week.

11. Pose for a photo with Mickey Mouse - Done!

12. Attend a Comicon - Done!

13. Dye my hair pink - Done!

14. Teach Jasper to walk nicely on a leash - Done-ish . . . he knows how to walk nicely, but is not 100% reliable.

15. Do a 365 Photo project - Daily picture success! Find my photos here.

16. Sew a garment - Done! And it was so ugly that it went immediately in the donation bag.

17. Take a sewing class - Done! (Obviously, it didn’t help much with my garment creation.)

18. Meditate - Meditation is never “done, ” but I tried multiple techniques during the year. I haven’t found a routine that works best for me, yet, but I will continue explore meditation.

19. See a live concert - Done!

20. Go to a hot air balloon festival - Done!

21. Learn to 2-finger whistle - Done!

22. Do the splits - Done-ish . . . I am simply not a flexible person. I had my left split for a few weeks this winter, but stiffened up again.

23. Show Dan my old Bridgeport haunts - Done!

24. Finish making all the burgers in Veggie Burgers Every Which Way - Done!

25. Write one special content blog post per month - Done!

26. Sail - Done!

27. Wallpaper a wall - Done-ish . . . I got one roll up. I’m using a self-stick, removable wallpaper. It is fairly easy to work with and can be repositioned, but can’t be applied to an unpainted or matte wall. I painted the wall with satin paint and waited 24 hours before starting the papering, but that wasn’t long enough. The paint started to peel up as I moved the paper. I’m waiting until next weekend to finish, when the paint will hopefully be completely cured.

28. Participate in Toastmasters - Done! I’ve given ten speeches and won “best speech” seven times! I’ve also served as toastmaster, evaluator, general evaluator, jokemaster, grammarian, timer, and pledge/inspiration at meetings. I earned my Competent Communicator designation in October.

29. Ride a horse - Done!

30. Have a birthday party - We’ve had a number of scheduling conflicts and my big party will be on lucky Friday the 13th.

31. See local theater - Done!

32. Practice ambidexterity - Done! I’m not ambidextrous, but I practiced! My left hand activities: throw a frisbee, sling a ball, make checkmarks. I’ve also been practicing signing my name (badly) with my left hand.

33. Learn a new piano song - Done-ish . . . it isn’t performance ready, but I’ve played through it.

34. Raft down a river - Done!

35. See a drive-in movie - Done!

36. Take a historical home tour - Done!

37. Practice lucid dreaming - Done! I had two lucid dreams at the very end of October. So so cool.

38. Gaze at the stars - Done!

39. Send out holiday cards - Done!

40. Guest appear on a podcast - Done!

Will there be a 41 B4 41 list? Probably not. But I have big plans, nevertheless!

The Big Four Oh

It’s my birthday! I’ve joined the 40+ club. Most of my favorite fashion bloggers are 40 or older.


Leggings and clutch, Express. Poncho, Aziza. Boots, Style & Co (thrifted). Earrings, Stardust Remembered.


Birthday blog pics from 2006 - 2015: