Portland's farmer's market

My favorite story from Tina Fey's book...

Amy Poehler was new to SNL and we were all crowded into the seventeenth-floor writers' room, waiting for the Wednesday read-through to start. There were always a lot of noisy "comedy bits" going on in that room. Amy was in the middle of some such nonsense with Seth Meyers across the table, and she did something vulgar as a joke. I can't remember what it was exactly, except it was dirty and loud and "unladylike."
Jimmy Fallon, who was arguably the star of the show at the time, turned to her and in a faux-squeamish voice said, "Stop that! It's not cute! I don't like it."
Amy dropped what she was doing, went black in the eyes for a second, and wheeled around on him. "I don't care if you don't fucking like it." Jimmy was visibly startled. Amy went right back to enjoying her ridiculous bit. (I should make it clear that Jimmy and Amy are very good friends and there was never any real beef between them. Insert penis joke here.)
With that exchange, a cosmic shift took place. Amy made it clear that she wasn't there to be cute. She wasn't there to play wives and girlfriends in the boys' scenes. She was there to do what she wanted to do and she did not fucking care if you like it.
I was so happy. Weirdly, I remember thinking, "My friend is here! My friend is here!" Even though things had been going great for me at the show, with Amy there, I felt less alone.

My conservative look...

Blazer: Rag and Bone
Blouse: Banana Republic (petite blouses - yeah!)
Pants: The Row (love, love, love these pants -so comfy!)
Purse: Tory Burch
Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Carmel, Ca...

My dear friend is honeymooning in Carmel...this picture captures its essence.

Remember this?

I fell in love with these pants the first time I saw them in this picture. Then when I found an inexpensive version at Zara, I couldn't resist. I'm not as young, I'm not as beautiful, skinny, blah, blah, blah but oh well - this is what I did with mine...




Sweater: H&M
Top: Banana Republic
Pants: Zara
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Purse: Paris Totes

Running errands...

Sweater: Banana Republic
Jeans: Joe Jeans
Shoes: Robert Clergerie
Purse: Kooba
Glasses: Lenscrafter

A better look for the striped sweater...

Blazer: Anthropologie
Sweater: Alexander Wang (oops...I have been giving the credit to Jason Wu!)
Jeans: Jean Paul Gaultier
Scarf: Scoop
Wedges: Marni

New Outfits Ideas...not feeling this is me...

As I was moving clothes back into my closet, I started to find combinations I hadn't thought of before. Just as getting rid of clothes became easy once I started cleaning out my closet, so was finding new combinations. Here are some of the initial finds:

Blue and white striped sweater: Jason Wu
Red sweater: Marni
Scarf: Banana Republic
Jeans: Jean Paul Gaultier
Wedges: Marni

What do I love?

So once I had taken everything out of my closet and spread it all out in my room...I didn't know what to do next. How do I start putting it back in? What should go first - shoes, purses, pants, shirts?

I went and ate lunch. My sister called; we chatted. I clipped my fingernails.

Seriously, in the haze of this mess in my room, I completely removed myself and did the most menial things even though I knew I wanted it cleaned up before I went to bed.

But when I knew I couldn't put it off any longer, I started having a conversation with myself.

"What are you going to do with this mess?"
"I just don't know what the first step should be."
"Well, what do you like?"

And then it hit me. It was my Oprah moment.

"WHAT DO I LOVE?"

I looked around the room.

What do I love here, I repeated again.

I surveyed the room again asking myself "Is there anything I love?" And then I found my Burberry trench. I set it aside. Then a couple of pairs of Marni shoes. Next, my H&M white linen pants and my Pauw top. I stepped back and looked again. I selected my beautiful grey wool Louboutins with the fur ball, the ones Rory gave me for Christmas a few years ago. My new Robert Clergerie's, my Etro coat and my dumpy black anthropologie sweater with the soft cotton lining that at the end of the day is comfort in a sweater. On it went, me just looking around room and choosing only those items that I really love to wear.

And when I was done selecting and piling, there before me was a very small pile of clothing that I actually love, a short stack of shoes, two hats instead of nine, four belts instead of fifteen or sixteen, seven purses instead of...

And very gently, I started putting back into my closet ONLY those things I love. Each piece got one of my best hangers and then I hung each item so I could see it clearly. It was like putting a baby to bed; every item was treated with great care.

I have to admit that when I went in my closet that night to get ready for bed, the shock of my stark closet made me feel...lonely! But then I slept oh so soundly.

The rest of the stuff? The middle stuff? The clothes that I don't love but might need?
Right now they are in another room. I am waiting to see what I actually miss. Did I forget something? The answer so far is no.

Vintage...

Ok, just when I got snotty about the whole secondhand/vintage thing, I saw this picture on a blog. This is a vintage coat and I swear I would wear it no matter who had been wearing it or where it had been!

Next?

Pulling EVERYTHING out of my closet made a few things crystal clear...
First, why was I storing things like the optional floral purse lining to the Kate Spade purse I had gotten rid of years ago? There were things in my closet I simply wasn't seeing anymore and the physical act of removing them made me finally acknowledge them....and get rid of them!
Second, while removing it all, the junk stuck out like a sore thumb! And so, quite easily, three large garbage bags later, I was pounds lighter (if only losing weight took twenty minutes).

Now my girls will go through those three bags and pull the items they want to sell at Buffalo Exchange (don't even get me started on second hand stores - I just can't do it! What if someone died in that yellow dress you buy from a "vintage" store - yuck!)
Then the rest will go to Salvation army and to make myself feel better I picture someone finding that floral Kate Spade lining and creating the most amazing use for it! Why I dream of creative second-handers but can't do it myself is something I am not ready to face...that will be my next overhaul.

EVERYTHING OUT!

I pulled EVERY SINGLE ITEM out of my closet! Every shoe, every coat, every t-shirt, every scarf, every belt, every purse, every skirt - everything I could see came out. Here it all is in my bedroom...notice the heavy emphasis on the shoes?
Guess how long it took me to do this?



20 minutes

CLOSET BLOWOUT!

Where have I been the last week? Well, my last posting (Cold Morning) left me a little inspirationally flat. I kept looking at the picture, trying to figure out what was off...the mismatched tights? The color combination? Am I just too picky? Finally, I figured it out...
It just wasn't completely me!
So I waited a few days to see what would happen...nothing...still nothing...and nothing again.


And then finally it happened.


I got a big burst of energy walked in my closet and...

Cold Morning....

Coat: Zara
Dress: Lanvin (from Gilt Groupe)
Boots: Maison Martin Margiela
Scarf: Gift from my mother
Tights: Did I put on my black ones accidentally?

Comfort vs. trends...

What do you think of these socks with pumps? I like them but have had the thought running through my head the last few weeks "I don't want to wear high heels anymore!" That said, you'll probably see them on me next week. Oh my gosh!!! They're $60.00!!! Maybe not.
By the way, I found these on La Gaconne and they come in black as well.

More inspiration...

Inspiration...

A woman doing it so well!

Trends...

Though I don't like the idea of being trendy (it goes against personal style), two trends I have attached to this year are the socks with heals and the dressing up of sweats with heals. Am I too old for this? A fine line I feel I am always balancing is having fun with my style BUT not trying to look younger than I am (which always makes one look older). Yes, some trends I love but the style I appreciate on mature women usually involves really fabulous BASICS. I am headed to L.A. this weekend and if I get a little shopping in, I will be focusing on basics, not trends. In the meanwhile, what do you think of these trends? Have YOU tried them?

Picture 1:
Jacket: Kenna-T
T-shirt: Hanes (mens)
Sweats: Theory
Shoes:Christian Louboutin

Picture 2 (don't you love that nasty look on my face):
Coat: Elizabeth and James
Dress: Gilt Groupe
Socks: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Glasses: Kate Spade

New Shoes...

My first purchase in a couple of months...these Robert Clergerie shoes I have been eyeing for a while. They are by a French designer, of course, because they came in the most beautiful box with that lovely silk shoe bag. By the way, do you store your shoes in a shoe bag? I don't because I have to see my shoes to remember what I have so I tuck those bags away until I clean out my closet and slowly get rid of them. But this Robert Clergerie bag is one I will keep!

More and more I am trying to get myself to buy quality rather than quantity and one day I hope to clean out my closet to just the best 100 things I have including socks, jewelry, purses, hats, shoes, clothes - everything! I would like to believe I would rather have a few wonderful things in my closet than have many "snacks". Though I understand the value of stores like H&M and Anthropologie, they just don't seem to provide the sustenance my wardrobe needs. These shoes are sustenance!

Coat: Zara
Sweater: Vince
Pants: Michael Kors (bought at Off Fifth that were originally a flared leg but recently tailored them to the Audrey cut)
Scarf: Erderm (I seem to be in a Erdem scarf mood this week)
Purse: Tory Burch
Shoes: Robert Clergerie

A Good Tailor and other things...

One of the most important parts of my wardrobe is my tailor, Larissa! Besides being nice as can be, she is a really talented seamstress and good at knowing what works. And, as I age, I know what styles really work for me but can't always find them in stores. Larissa is great at transferring the image in my mind to reality. Next on the docket for Larissa is one of Rory's old pinstriped suits that I want tailored to fit me AND material for a black sheer skirt I saw on "The Sartorialist" that I would love to have for a dressier event. I'll keep you posted on those.
The jumpsuit I am wearing here is actually a version of one I saw in NYC and really wanted but didn't want to pay the price. Then I saw a picture in vogue of a jeweler who wears jumpsuits as a uniform and buys them at supply stores. So, I came home and described it to my tailor and voila - here it is! A good tailor can pull something like that off. And, being 5'3" with short arms, nearly everything I buy has to be altered in some way so my tailor is close to work where I can drop off and pick up easily.
Btw, I actually love the jumpsuit idea because the backdrop of the outfit is in place and all I have to do is add the accents. Also, I hate things tight around my waist all day so this is also accomplished with a jumpsuit. The bathroom thing is the only problem - heaven forbid someone barges in on me when I have that jumpsuit all the way to the ground!


Jumpsuit: Made by Larissa
Sweater: My son's sweater from JCrew
Scarf: Erdem (Scarves always make me feel like I should be in France)
Shoes: Marni
Purse: Tory Burch

Improvements...

The day after wearing my white blouse/black coat outfit below, my daughter posted this picture on her blog and it made me wish that I had tried buttoning up my blouse and popping the collar the way the woman on the left has done. It seems to finish the look so I will have to try that on our next very cold day!

Coldest Day of the Year...

Wednesday the high was 39 degrees - COLD!...for Vegas. I didn't think I would get a chance to wear my riding pants this winter as January was unseasonably warm but Wednesday's weather gave me the chance. And for the first time, not one person joked about me just getting back from the stables! Though I am not a horse person, I did buy these from a horse-riding clothes website (sorry, don't know the technical names). And because this picture was taken as I was rushing out the door to class, just envision my camel colored Tory Burch messenger bag and my colorful striped "Strand" book bag with all my school stuff in it.

White blouse - Nordy's
Black long sweater - Theory
Riding pants - horse riding clothes website
Coat - Elizabeth and James
Boots - Christian Louboutin (bought at Last Call)

Sundance style...

So I just spent the last six days in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival. I basically ate and watched movies all day - sounds relaxing but it is really exhausting! Boo hoo! Saw some terrific movies and some cool mountain style. Here is a representation of both...

Glasses...

One accessory that I love for interesting women and men (over 35ish) is a great pair of glasses! They add immediate style and statement to each of these fashionistas. By the way, the one with the red hair is my sister-in-law Elizabeth/Beth.

And one of my attempts...

It has been an interesting process to take pictures of myself. I am seeing what I like...and what I don't like! The one thought that goes through my mind when I first see a picture of myself is "simplify"; however, I feel a need to maintain some hint of the artistic/Berkeley/independent in my look. Any ideas? For this picture, I wish I had grey gloves rather than red. Maybe I said this before but the older I get, the less I want a lot of distractions. I have to remember this when I shop!!!

Coat - JCrew
Scarf - Nordy's
Leggings - Nordy's
Gloves - Bought about 15 years ago at a department store in NYC - still my favorite!
Boots - Oilily
Fur Purse - Zara
Glasses - Chanel (at Lenscrafter)

Rules...

Crap -I don't know how to get the enhancer off this photo! I hate technology...except blogs...and itunes...and...oh forget it.

I have several style rules to accommodate my bodytype. They are:
1.Dark tops (big boobs)
2.Lighter, trimmer on bottom (smaller hips)
3.Nothing tight around the waist (boxy shape)
4.Collars (to obscure wobbly chin and short neck)
5.Heels when possible (the short dilemma again)
6.Something interesting/funky (the Bay Area left in me)
7.Nothing to reveal my big boobs too much (ok, if you have big boobs, you know what I am talking about - blouses bulging open, any v-neck, scoop neck, slightly lower top easily turning into a stripper look if one is not careful and sadly I have not been careful a few times. No, it is not sexy, it's sleezy. I'm not trying to condemn big boobs but if you have small boobs, please enjoy the ease with which you wear a tank, a t-shirt, a blouse, a nightgown).

Though my daughters say I live by these rules way too often (they're young and let's face it, you just don't have to worry about it as much when you're younger), I believe as I have aged these rules have been helpful overall. When I go into a store and see a lovely crisp white blouse, I now know not to be tempted as I have many times before. A white blouse on me is BAD!!!! Not only do my boobs look huge, but they look completely out of proportion to my body, make me look even shorter and seem to be a neon sign saying "Look at my boobs"!

So, this outfit follows a few of those rules.

Jacket: Dries Von Noten
Striped top: Jcrew
Jeans: Joe Jeans
Boots: Maison Martin Margiela
Socks: Urban Outfitters
Necklaces: Models own collection (I don't know why I put that but I like how they do that in magazines, like I have something no one else can get???:):):)

I'm short...

Ok, taking pictures of myself has led to an epiphany - I'm short! Geez...wish I had gumby abilities to stretch myself a tad. But no, I need to be happy for what I am and have and make the best of it so after yesterday's post which seemed to emphasis my shortness, I am trying for something to create more length. Did it work?

Dress: Barney's
Leggings: Either my DKNY ones that I bought twenty years ago or my new splendid ones
Sweater: H&M
Necklace: Made by my daughter and can be found at Flappersphilosphers.com
Shoes: The Christian Louboutins again - told you I loved them!
Purse: Marc Jacobs

Trying to get it right...

I have certain clothes I want to wear but can never figure out just the right accompaniment. These pants fit into that category. After many attempts, I decided to stop fighting the jean and just embrace it. Accessories help my eye break up all that blue! And, I'm not going to lie, I've seen it done on the Sartorialist.

Jean blouse: Banana Republic
Jeans: Jean Paul Gaultier bought at Off Fifth
Purse: Tory Burch
Shoes: Christian Louboutin (that I paid a bundle for put have loved and worn often!)
Glasses: Lenscrafter

I'm So Vain...

So, my daughter has been showing me very popular blogs that feature these darling girls photographing themselves in great outfits. I liked them but they were all so much younger than me that while I could appreciate their style, I couldn't relate to it. I feel like I am facing that younger thing so much more now. Style is completely different for me now that I am in my forties. So, I have decided to tweak my blog a little and start photographing myself and women in my range. Is this only for the young, I keep asking myself. My answer? If I let it only be for the young. I also like the idea of telling where I buy things (and photographing and telling you where I bought them seems to help me justify my purchases). So here is my blog for...how does Maya Angelou put it...interesting women! TAA DAA - my first post!

Top: Marni
Pants: Dries Von Noten
Shoes:Marni
Scarf: JCrew
Gold Stud Earrings: From a jeweler in Winnemucca where Rory was campaigning and bought these for me last Valentine's Day.

Note: My niece calls Marni "idiosyncratic" which makes sense that I would like it - I have sooooo many idiosyncrasies!

Finally, I am attaching a piece by Andy Rooney that I hope you enjoy.

Andy Rooney: As I grow in age, I value women who are over forty most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over forty will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think.

If a woman over forty doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it’s usually something more interesting.

A woman over forty knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of forty give a hoot what you might think about her or what she’s doing.

Women over forty are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.

A woman over forty has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn’t trust the guy with other women. Women over forty couldn’t care less if you’re attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won’t betray her.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over forty. They always know.

A woman over forty looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over forty is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They’ll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one! You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over forty for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of forty-plus, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some twenty-two-year-old waitress.

Ladies, I apologize.

For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free,” here’s an update for you. Now 80 percent of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig, just to get a little sausage.