I mean, I can't even!!!

Okay. It's official. I am wearing my pajamas ALL THE TIME these days.

It has been so so hot this year that loose and breezy is the only way to go.

Also, my waistline disappeared awhile ago. I have been looking for it in donut shops and brew pubs all over town but it simply cannot be located! Another reason to go for the loose look.

I mean, I can't even!

I had this plan to actually venture out of my yard to take a few photos out in the Real World.  But as soon as I set up my tripod in the park I noticed that there was a punky kid on a skateboard skating back in forth in front of me just sorta checking me out. I feel like an idiot taking photos of myself already so I really didn't need an audience. Then I noticed that he was wearing a Trump for President t-shirt! Yikes!!!
I packed everything up and skedaddled on home. It was truly terrifying.
I can't even explain to those of you who don't live in the United States right now the level of anxiety that is floating in the air.

Alas. Here I am Back in the safety of my old backyard. Wheh! That was a close one.
I'll be hanging out here until November.

Both the white linen blouse up top and the faux Liberty night-gowny maxi dress are made by me
from Kwik Sew pattern 3065. No zippers, no button holes, no sweat. Easy Peasy. I added pockets OF COURSE.
My sash was purchased from the Putumayo store on Columbus Avenue in NYC in the 1980's. I loved that store. I shopped there all the time. I wish I'd kept more of my things from there. Yes, Seinfeldians. It was a REAL store.
~~~~~~~~~
Isn't it amazing when you can actually shop for vintage in your own closet???
I mean, I can't even.

I'm not aware of too many things.

big old thrifted patch work shirt

Madewell jeans

straw bucket hat from Target

Reef flip flops
resting bitch face

Not so long ago, the always amazing and insightful Suzanne Carillo published a little worksheet to help us identify our personal Style Statement.

You can check it out HERE.
I filled in the worksheet but I was soooooo confused.

The results made absolutely zero sense to me.
My list of style attributes sounded like the names of Snow White's little men:
Sleepy, Grumpy, Frumpy, Dumpy, Tipsy, Schlumpy and Bored

You see, I have spent the better half (and I use the term "better" loosely) of the past five years somewhat out of commission.
It didn't seem like I'd gotten dressed in real clothes for a very long time. Though I do have to admit that there is somewhat of a deconstructed chic to hospital gowns.  

Alas, I had lost my style mojo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So.....

For a week I photographed every outfit, every day to try to figure out my "Style Statement."

I think I've figured it out:

It's big old shirts, jeans and sensible shoes.

big old linen shirt and little old cardigan from The Gap Outlet circa 1990

Levi's 501 jeans

beat up old Born ballet flats

big old made-by-me fabric remnant dress

Lucky jeans

Ecco sandals
1930's amber bead necklace from my very stylish mother-in-law

big old men's shirt from Target

big old hideous Eileen Fisher jeans - purchased with my employee discount

bandana borrowed from Pancake (my dog)

Merrill clogs

big old shirt and big old bib overalls circa 1980's

shocking pink kinesio tape on my ankle courtesy of my physical therapist ~ thanks Oly

fresh haircut

big old flannel shirt that used to be a dress until I cut it off

ridiculous elastic waist jeggings - that's right - jeggings

Warby Parker spectacles

Vionic clogs

big old thrifted Chinese housecoat

Lucky jeans

Hush Puppy sandals

LIPSTICK!!

big old rayon boho tunic I have had, like, forever

Lucky jeans

Reef flip flops

Seriously. I want to Thank Suzanne for her Style Worksheet. This has been most enlightening. I honestly had no idea that I was such a blue jean baby.
Did you take Suzanne's quiz?
What is your Style Statement?

And like the good little blogger that I try to be, I am linking up with the Always Stylish Patti.
Also, for the very first time ever I am joining Judith's Hat Attack!!!

Keeping Up Appearances

Oh My Gosh.

I have fallen off the map lately.

My apologies to my bloggy friends for my absence. I'm still here.
So let's see....where was I???

San Clemente longboard surfers circa 1940's

Not too long ago I decided to channel my inner Hyacinth Bucket and take my poor hapless Richard, I mean, JON on a day trip up the coast to a nearby Stately Home.

I got all dressed up in my favorite Anthropologie polka dots, assumed my bossiest persona, forced the dog and the husband into the car and set off up the coast to Casa Romantica in San Clemente, California.

the main hall

Well, it turns out that Casa Romantica is not so much a stately home as a lovely old, rather large stucco house that was built in the 1920's.

My camera battery died not long after we arrived but I still managed a few shots.

The tile work blew my mind.

So here I present to you: TILE.

The view of the Pacific from the main house was indeed Romantica.

This is a painting on tile of the Grumpy Old Matriarch of the Casa.

Or perhaps this is the Queen Grump?

In my defense, I was trying to look coy. But I've discovered that as I age, what used to be a sexy sultry look now translates as "Get Off My Lawn!"

cliché Instagram toe photo of street tile depicting Casa Romantica

So, Kids, where have your feet been lately??

the granola years



Kork-Ease platform sandals ~ they're back!!!



There is a bit of a 1970's vibe going on these days. Or if you're the beautiful Vix, it IS Your Vibe!
A Lovely Inconsequence just did a sweet post about her Summers with Seventeen Magazine when she was young. You can read it HERE.
I think it was probably the last era when we weren't all plugged in and connected by Social Media. If someone called you on the phone and you weren't home, you didn't even know about it. Or if you wanted to watch something on tv and you weren't going to be around when it was showing, well too bad for you. We could only get information by asking a real person or looking in a book. During the 1970's we all wore very groovy clothes but we very rarely took photos of our bad selves and when we did snap a photo, we usually had to wait days to see the results. And there were only about four types of shampoo in the stores but we all used the yummy dark green one called Herbal Essence. 

  You could wander around for days and nobody knew where you were or what you were wearing or what you were eating or what your feet looked like from your personal perspective. We were Free, just like Joni, Unfettered and Alive.

I refer to these ancient times as The Granola Years. If you'd like, you can check out my 1970's Pinterest Board right HERE.
~~~~~~~~~
I actually love our present era of connectedness. Instagram, Google, YouTube, Pinterest, BLOGS!!! Heck Yeah!  Even though I have my flip flops firmly planted in my 2016 era kitchen I have decided to cook up a batch of my Home-Made Granola using the same recipe I have been using since about 1972.

BASIC GRANOLA ~ makes about 3 cups
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats - not instant
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 cup honey &/or maple syrup
1/4 cooking oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts &/or seeds of your choice
Mix this all together until well blended.  Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 300 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 15 minutes. Stir the mixture around and continue to check and stir every 5 to 10 minutes until the whole thing is a nice toasty brown and the house smells awesome. When it is cool you can add 1/2 cup dried fruit or raisins if you'd like. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

And in keeping with the spirit of the '70's I'm wearing a pair of vintage flair jeans and an embroidered Baja Surfer tunic from FenixVintage on Etsy.

Do you have a favorite recipe that you've been making forever???

By The Way.

A Big Congrats to the Always Amazing, Gorgeous, Talented and Hysterically Funny GOODY of EAT THE BLOG. She won my Give-Away.

You know Goody don't you? Well if you don't, do yourself an enormous favor and get over there and introduce yourself.!!!





Kickin' It Grandma Style

The Granny Alphabet by Lawrence Mynott

The Granny Alphabet by Tim Walker and Kit Hesketh-Harvey



PLUS A GIVEAWAY!!

HEY! You are all so wonderful! I just LOVED reading your comments about your first fashion memories. If you haven't had a chance to read them yet you really should go to my last blog post and check them out. Interestingly most of them had to do with either denim or hand-me-downs.

The beautiful Rosemary of Miss Cellany talked on her blog about her adorable Smocked Dress and how this style has followed her throughout  her life.

And of course there is Curtise's famous Chicken Dress!!

So....let us now flip to the other end of the calendar of life.

I am not a Grandma. But at 62 I am certainly old enough to be one. I get the senior citizen discount at the pharmacy and the movie theatre. I buy purple shampoo. And cute young guys approach me not to flirt but to help me carry heavy packages. 

But I don't mind...much.

Maybe because I was fortunate enough to know my grandmothers and they were both pretty great, I have always adored good old fashioned Granny Style. I've kind of been dressing like a grandma ever since I was a teenager.

*my friends and family are all rolling their eyes and nodding their heads YES right now*

 I love orthopedic shoes with socks. I love flowered rayon dresses. I love pilled cardigan sweaters with wadded up Kleenex in the pockets. I love purses stuffed with almost-used-up tubes of  lipstick, tins of mints, torn ticket stubs and battered pet photos. I like chipped nail polish and too much rouge and bobby pins and reading glasses on chains.

And NOW I'm finally old enough to rock this style Authentically.

flowered rayon dress I've owned since the 1980's
gray cashmere sweater ~  also mine since the 1980's
piles of bead bracelets from various decades
brand new! ankle socks
super comfy orthopedic sandals ~ Naturalizer
tea cup and saucer ~ a gift from my Grandma Worthington
grey hair ~ Mother Nature

And now the GIVEAWAY part.



THE GRANNY ALPHABET is the most adorable two part book.

It is one of my very favorite picture books and I want to share it with you.

One book is full of photographs of Grannies by the Amazing Tim Walker.

The other book is full of charming Grandma drawings by the equally Amazing Lawrence Mynott.

 My one and only criticism is that it is lacking in diversity. But Tim Walker has said that this book was an homage to "the little old ladies who live down the lane" and I honestly believe that just about everybody will recognize a favorite Nana in these books.

Here's a teeny weeny sample:



#hot harridan reading ~ Thanks for that, Melanie :-)

So.... if you would like to have these books for your very own let me know in the Comments section and in mid-April I will pick one name out of my old straw granny hat.

Good Luck, Kids!!!!

I'll be kickin' it at Patti's Visible Monday. Meet me there.



overalls

Do you Recall your Very First Personal Fashion Moment???

My first Memory is of Overalls.

I must have been about three years old. At least I hope I was only three! I was wearing the type of Toddler Overalls that snap on the inside of the legs for quick emergency trips to the potty. The snaps were unsnapped, the pant legs were flapping around and I started twirling around singing, "I'm wearing a dress." My First Fashion Moment. Tra La.

Well, the fashion neurons in my brain must have imprinted on those overalls because I have owned and worn some form of bib overalls practically every decade of my life.

Meanwhile it is finally RAINING in SoCal!!!

El Nino ha llegado. YIPPEE!!!!

We're hunkered down doing inside rainy day things like

packing up holiday ornaments

baking cookies

and searching for new knitting projects

How gorgeous is Daphne Selfe in this Rowan knitting book?

striped turtleneck ~ Anthro
overalls ~ vintage 1990's from enidandedgar Etsy shop
Calgary slip on clogs ~ Vionic

Soooo....My Friends. What was YOUR Very First Fashion Memory?????

Do Tell.

meanwhile I'm linking up with the Super Smart Patti at Visible Monday

 Ooooohhhh.

This post is just perfect for Spy Girl's

Fashion Rosebud.

Check out the other Rosebuds HERE