My Little Rum Cake Outfit!

Hey everyone! Rum cake outfit? What the heck? I was just going through my pictures of this outfit and thought about how cozy, plump and soft I looked. Like a little rum cake!

Julia standing in the snow

I also look like I’ve never seen the sun before and have to squint against the burning light. Now, that part is accurate this time of year!

Julia standing in the snow

So, still “no-spend January” so you’ve seen this all before. This sweater you saw here and I still love how cozy and soft it is. I really like how the cowl neck is so plump and stands up on it’s own. No drafts around this neck! (I’m a bit caffeinated while I’m writing this, so I expect there will be lots of exclamation points!)

Julia standing in the snow

Right now the sweater is 50% off and they have it in Plus Sizes! I’m wearing size XL.

Best pants ever here. Do I need to say more? I wear them at least once a week and I’ve had them for… what…? … two years? I’ve gotten my money’s worth for sure! I’m wearing size XL.

Julia standing in the snow

These booties you’ve seen a couple times already but these also are getting lots of wear this winter. They are so comfortable and 33% off!

This purse is a couple of years old and It’s holding up really really well. I’m giving my pumpkin purse a break plus I like seeing the pink against the winter colors here in Michigan. You know pink and gray go well together!

Ok, onto my three gratitudes for the day!

One. I’m grateful that menopause doesn’t have it’s grip on me so tightly anymore. The brain fog seems to be mostly lifted and I can actually remember words and what they mean. I stood up from the couch the other day and I just felt, in a whoosh from standing up, like my old self. Like strong and clear-headed and sure.

I know. That’s kinda a weird description but the thought just popped into my head “this is how I used to feel”. I really can see the light at the end of the tunnel and if that one moment was any indication of how it’s gonna be (as well as hearing from women who’ve passed through it already), it’s gonna be a great time in my life. (I just feel good typing that!)

Penny in the snow

Two. I’m grateful for smart dogs. This Penny is very, very smart. She is easy to train and she knows that the house means food and warmth so she has no desire to run off. That is good because there are so many tempting deer and rabbits to chase and the shelter put the fear in me to not let her off the leash no matter what! Now, if only I can get her to sleep in a little longer…

Three. I’m grateful that January is almost over! Yay! Second worst month of the year for me. Of course, the first worst month is coming up next but after that it’s only the third worst month! Then we’re on to actually good months!

Do you rank the months or am I the only one? Here’s my list from best (1) to worst (12) in case you’re curious.

  1. October
  2. September
  3. November
  4. May
  5. June
  6. April
  7. July
  8. December
  9. August
  10. March
  11. January
  12. February

Alright, so that’s it for me today. I’m still getting used to only writing twice a week but for now that is a good amount. I think I’ll be able to add more in the future, but not just yet.

Have a good mid-week and I’ll talk to you Thursday!

Thanks for purchasing from these affiliate links here and for letting me get a few cents in commission!

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Lotsa Blue With A Splash Of Yellow And Red!

Hey everyone! Happy Thursday! How has your week been? I hope it has been a week filled with joy and productivity! How do I come up with those hopes for your week? Projection. I always ask you all what I wish I could say about my week!

Julia in blue top and blue jeans

Anyway, we’re still on “no-spend January” so I’ve got all the items on repeat. Though I’ve hardly shown these red booties. I know the pictures are dark so you can’t see the pretty details on the booties or the color really. Wait! I’ve got a fix for that! I’ll be right back!

Ok, that was an easy fix. I just went and took a photograph of them inside. I am adaptable!

Julia in blue top and blue jeans

Alright, so anyway these booties are waterproof even though they are suede. The red is a deep rich color so they don’t shockingly attract attention to themself — just enough to add a splash of color. They are no longer in stock so lots of people must have agreed with me!

Julia in blue top and blue jeans

This cozy cowl neck top you’ve seen before (like here) and I like the neckline and how soft it is, but I especially like it because the fabric isn’t super thick so it’s easy to wear under a jacket or sweater. I’m wearing size XL.

The leggings look just like jeans and I’ve had them forever (about 5 years — that’s forever in my clothing world!) and luckily they are still in stock. That never happens!

I like the look of skinny jeans, my only complaint is because my calves are big the skinny jeans get dragged down when I don’t wear my “game changer” belt that I first introduced to you here. When I wear that belt I don’t have a problem with the waistband being pulled lower than I prefer.

And don’t worry about the waistband being too tight. I’m wearing a size 16 and the waistband has lots of stretch. Same with the legs. They really do stretch a lot without looking like they do.

Julia in blue top and blue jeans

My mustard purse is really holding up well. I see no signs of the stitching coming undone or any signs of the leather wearing out and I am not careful with this bag. It gets used a lot and tossed around a lot. I see they still have this exact same bag in midnight blue and black if you’re looking for a durable bag.

Alright, now onto my three gratitudes.

One. Beautiful sunsets in the winter in the midwest. Observe:

Notice the vertical column of light going above and below the sun? That is not from the camera or a reflection on glass. That is how it looked in reality. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that phenomenon before.

I’m thinking there were maybe ice crystals in the air refracting the light … and why do I need to wonder? I have all information at the tip of my fingers!

So, I just now looked it up on Wikipedia. It’s called a light pillar. “A light pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which a vertical beam of light appears to extend above and/or below a light source. The effect is created by the reflection of light from tiny ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere or that comprise high-altitude clouds.”

And the foreground is a corn field that has been harvested and the corn stalks are chopped down low to the ground.

Ok, my second gratitude is that there usually is two beautiful sides to a sunset. The most attention-getting view is the fire ball but if you turn around and look to the east you get a more subtle, but just as equally beautiful view.

My third gratitude is my pretty drive to and from work where I get to see lots of beautiful scenes. Below is one of the roads I drive.

Most of my commute is on dirt roads so most of my route looks like this.

Alright ladies. I hope you enjoyed this post today and that maybe I brought a little bit of joy or productivity to your week! Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you back here on Tuesday!

If you want to see more stylish ladies head over to Patti’s Not Dead Yet Style Blog!

Thank you for purchasing from the links on this website. I receive a small commission every time you do and there is no added cost to you!

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5 Easy Ways To Support This Blog + The Poncho!

Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday! Did you have a long weekend with Monday off? Did you gets lots done or did you do an act of kindness yesterday? I actually worked all weekend filling in for a co-worker who is far, far away from the snow and cold of Michigan.

Julia in black outfit with blue poncho

So, I hear from people that they want to support the blog but aren’t sure how, so I came up with a list of 5 easy ways you can help this blog grow and thrive.

1. See the new non-fashion items on this page (on the right side under the subscribe button if you’re on a desktop)? They are items I use everyday but are not fashion related so I don’t talk about them though I highly recommend them. If you click on one of those pictures it will go to their Amazon description. Even if you don’t purchase any of them, I still get credit for directing you to Amazon. So, if you know you want to purchase something from Amazon if you could pop back over here and enter through one of my images/links I will get some credit for getting you there. Thanks!

2. Along the same vein, if you purchase clothing from one of my links in any of the posts I get a small commission (a couple dimes to a couple dollars depending on the item) and there is no added cost to you. It is considered part of their marketing budget since I’m doing the advertising for them so they don’t mark it up. This is the main way I pay the costs of this site.

Julia in black outfit with blue poncho

3. Follow me on Instagram. Just click here. I do share more images on Instagram so you kinda get a behind the scenes look.

Believe it or not, right now companies look at the number of Instagram followers you have to see if you’re worth advertising for their clothing. I personally think they should track blog followers since they are more engaged than someone who follows me for the #cats or for #hairgoals, but no one asked me!

4. If you like an article of clothing or a whole outfit you can pin it to Pinterest using the red Pinterest button. This is a good way for other ladies to see my outfits since I get a lot of referrals from Pinterest.

You can also click on the Facebook or Twitter button to share an article on your Facebook page or Twitter page.

Julia in black outfit with blue poncho

If you’re not into social media you can easily sign up for this blog by email (over on the right hand side) and then every time I post an article, it will come straight into your inbox.

5. And last, but definitely most important, word of mouth. If you have a friend or sister or co-worker who has a similar body shape and is looking for style advice, send her over here. If someone compliments you on your outfit or an item of clothing that came from here, tell them about this page. I hear from women all the time that once they find this as a resource they are extremely grateful and are very happy to share with others.

Alright, now for the clothing items.

Everything I’m wearing today you’ve seen several times before as will be the case all this “no-spend” January.

Julia in black outfit with blue poncho

The best black pants ever (size XL) are available here and this pretty little poncho (size XL), which is a nice alternative to a sweater, is available here. The poncho is available in 4 colors and right now is 50% off!

These black booties won the most comfortable bootie-off and I have been loving them this winter. They are lightweight but super comfy and they look cute. Plus right now they are 33% off!

I’ve mentioned this before, but I find with a poncho like this that shows the sleeves and side of the top I’m wearing that it’s best if the color of the top matches the color of the bottoms. That way I don’t have a big horizontal line where the shirt ends and the bottoms start. It would make me look chopped up with lots of crazy lines.

Same with a dress. Make sure the tights or boots are close in color to the dress so it’s just one column of color under the poncho.

Ok, well this was a long post so I’ll skip the gratitudes today but I’ll be back on Thursday for sure. Have a great week everyone!

Thank you for purchasing from the links on this page. I receive a small commission which helps me keep this site up and running.

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Don’t Let This Top Get Away!

Hey everyone! I’m here on a Thursday which seems weird for me but works out so much better for my schedule. New year. New schedule. I’m being adaptable and flexible I guess! So important as we add the years on!

So, I was able to quick show you this top during the holiday edition of Where Bloggers Live but I wanted to make sure you all saw it again because it is a really cute way to hide a tummy and who doesn’t need to do that from time to time?

I’m showing both ways this top can be worn. Above it’s twisted so you get lovely draping that covers your torso and below it’s worn as an open, flowey sweater. Both options give lots of coverage and look nice.

If you’re not into the burgundy color it is available in black and right now both are on sale!

Everything else I’m wearing is at least three years old and since I’m having a “no spend January” it will be awhile until I get something new. Which is fine with me because I really feel like I’ve got enough right now.

This is the White House Black Market turtleneck I’m always raving about so when you see it available next fall grab one!

And the exact same booties are no longer available but here is the same brand in the same heel height and here in a lower heel height and both have similar cute styling.

And same with the clutch. It is no longer available but there are a ton of options out there and here, here and here are some seriously cute ones!

Ok, and I’ve been forgetting to add my daily gratitudes lately so here goes!

One. I’m grateful to have such a fun job working at the winery. Now that it’s winter time it feels so cozy inside and more like a neighborhood pub. I love my co-workers and they make the time fly by. I know it is rare to like your job and your co-workers so I am very mindful of how lucky I am!

Two. I’m grateful to have lucked out in finding such an amenable canine companion for me. Penny has had no accidents in the house. She learns manners really quickly. She is such a good sleeper and has no intention of going out into the cold unnecessarily. What an excellent match!

This is her right now. She is sleeping so hard I can hear her breathing! Perfect blogging companion!

Three. I’m grateful that my daughter’s are doing so well. My youngest was just named to the Dean’s List at Michigan State University (it’s not her first time — in fact every semester she is listed) and my eldest is thriving in her new job in her new state. Lots of gratitude for those two!

I’m linking up with a bunch of beautiful bloggers over at Patti’s Not Dead Yet Style. Pop over to see what they’re all up to!

Ok, that’s it for today. I will not see you until Tuesday I believe, so have a wonderful, restorative weekend!

This post contains affiliate links which bring me a small commission every time you purchase from one of the links. There is no additional cost to you and it helps me offset the cost of running this blog!

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2 Things I’m Saying Goodbye To In 2020!

Hey everyone! How are you doing today? Good? I hope so.

If you’re a long time reader you know that I do a No-Spend January so I don’t buy any new clothes for the month. So instead of talking about clothes, I need to venture into other areas so I thought I’d talk about 2 emotions I feel like I’ve left behind in the last year. If you’re just here for the clothes then check back on Thursday!

Or you can stay to look at the pictures I took this weekend while we were having an ice storm!

So, I really had a change of attitude at the end of 2019. I felt like I had spent a lot of time this year being mad or sad about a number of things. I don’t know if I just went through all the phases of acceptance (kinda like all the phases of grief) or what, but towards the end of 2019 I just felt like I stepped through a doorway and left mad and sad behind.

Now, I don’t mean I never feel those two emotions anymore. I’m just done having them circle around a specific situation.

Without getting into the details or getting too personal, I had been waiting on a change from other people and situations and once I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I was able to shed those two emotions and look forward and move forward. That’s why I keep describing it as going through a doorway. That’s exactly how it felt. Like I literally woke up one morning and thought “I’ve done what I could. Time has passed. I guess it’s set then.”

After I stepped through that doorway and shed mad and sad I felt lighter. Really. And more focused, especially on my goals/dreams and my health. I realized I had let my own mental and physical health take a backseat and I needed to make it a higher priority.

My unhealthy behaviors had often been in response to people and situations around me. Once I realized those things weren’t going to change I knew that my actions and behaviors should be to benefit me and not just be a response to others. I didn’t want to continue to react but, instead, act.

Now, of course that is easier said than done but I’ve been allowing myself to take small steps in that direction rather than haranguing myself about why I’m not doing more. I know there are valid reasons why I do or don’t do things (even if I don’t know the reason at the time) so I’m being kinder to myself while I move to a healthier me and I am allowing myself to take the time needed.

I never make new year’s resolutions since I feel more motivated in the spring than the dead of winter but this year it felt so natural to step into the new year feeling hopeful, independent, and moving toward goals that had only been dreams a few years ago.

Those dreams and goals always look big and intimidating and there are so many unknowns but every time I chip away at that Mountain Of The Unknown and do a little thing moving in the direction of a dream, I realize that it wasn’t that hard. I figured it out. I did it. Now, onto the next unknown!

What’s the moral of this story? Gosh, I don’t know. Maybe if you feel like you’re constantly circling around and around waiting for someone else to change or waiting for a situation to change and you’ve given it plenty of time, maybe just accept it’s not going to change. That way you can move forward with your own goals. And if that change happens that you were hoping for but gave up on, you can be pleasantly surprised.

Also, as I look back, I realize that actions speak louder than words. Or inaction speaks louder than words. Situations are crystal clear when you use that as your precept. Ok, that seems like a good moral to this story!

I always feel, if I’m going to write something personal it needs to have a purpose. It can’t just be me rambling on. I always want to make sure what I’m putting out into the world is a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. I hope this essay meets that criteria.

And let me finish by saying I didn’t think I had it in me to write about something so personal and do it in a way that, yes, keeps my privacy, but is universal. It’s easy for me to write about clothing and fit and style but harder for me to write about personal things. I wasn’t sure if I could do it vaguely enough for people to be able to relate to or interestingly enough for them to continue reading. If you’ve made it this far, maybe I have.

I think I may be dipping my toe into more personal essays in the future even when it’s not No-Spend January. I’d love to hear your feedback on that.

Take care and give yourself a big hug! You deserve it! See you Thursday!

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Where Bloggers Live: Pets + A Surprise!

Hey everyone! Happy Friday! So, since my new schedule of Tuesday and Thursday came into being I feel like every week has been an exception!

Anyway, I’m part of a group of bloggers (Where Bloggers Live) who show something about where they live once a month. I’ve listed all of their blog homes at the end of this post so stop by and see what they’re up to!

So, this month I decided to talk about the animals I live with. You’ve seen them here and there but let’s go through them one by one so you can meet them all and at the end of the post is a surprise!

So, we’ll start of with BeBe, as seen through my back door of the mudroom this morning. If you can believe it, I am down to one horse — down from nine! My eldest daughter took her two horses down to Tennessee after Christmas so now I have just BeBe.

This is the first time she’s been alone and she is not loving it. Horses are herd animals so they do mentally and emotionally better when there are other horses around.

I’ve had BeBe since she was one and now she’s nineteen and I’m trying to find her a home where she can just be some other horse’s companion or just be pretty to look at in the pasture. Of course, she doesn’t look that pretty right now since she’s been rolling in the mud because it is so warm here and she is itchy!

This is Skittles. She is our oldest cat at 14 years old. Probably about 10 years ago she disappeared for 6 months until one of our neighbors, about 1/4 mile away, saw a black cat in their tree house. We rushed down there and it was her but she smelled like someone’s house. So, she had found a new family somewhere but we still took her back home with us and she hasn’t wandered off since then.

This is Orangie. He has lots of nicknames like Big Man, Big O and Stiffy (when you pick him up he gets really stiff like he’s doing a plank). He also has quite a personality.

He walked onto our farm in 2015 and started hanging around. Of course I started feeding him because he was a young cat, not a kitten, but definitely less than a year old. I tamed him slowly by petting him while he ate and eventually he was completely tamed and neutered and vaccinated and is living the life! Though he is a bit of a bully to the other cats, especially Ivy.

Speaking of Ivy she is one of the most-loved cats. She came as one of the litter of wild cats living at my mom’s house. You may recall she is the one who was hit by a car this summer but lived to tell about it!

Ivy enjoying the heated kitchen floor!

She loves loves loves Dave. Everyone else she tolerates. As soon as Dave sits in his big chair to watch TV she is up on his lap. Actually, all the cats fight over Dave’s lap. He’s able to stay in one position for a long time and they appreciate that discipline.

Ivy also loves to watch TV. We discovered the Amazon show “Movies for Cats – Forest Songbirds” starring Cardinal, Chipmunk and Chickadee. Really! It’s hilarious to watch her watch the birds eat seed.

This is Wasabi. She is the mom of the kittens we rescued. It took us 5 days to catch her and now she is the biggest cuddler ever. Her face is half light colored and half dark colored right down the middle.

And here she is with OJ her grown, very big baby son.

He loves his momma sooooooo much. Really he still meows like a kitten and is such a baby about everything. He tries really hard to lay next to his mom without her getting annoyed and there is nothing more he wishes than to go back to being a kitten with no cares in the world!

And last of the “kittens” is Slavvy. He was originally named Slovenly Peter (remember that scary book? No? You didn’t go to Catholic school then did you?). He is a very independent young man. He goes out for days to be in the wild and he comes back with all kinds of detritus in his fur.

He does paw (sink his nails in) your feet when he wants to be picked up and be petted. We say he wants to de-feral himself which a good petting usually does!

Mopsy is one of the rescue cats we caught at my mom’s house in 2016. She is my favorite of the cats. She’s quirky and skittish but such a funny girl.

I can’t find her to take a picture of her (I think she’s hiding in the basement) so I have to use this old picture of her. Her ears are missing from frostbite from when she was living in the wild. Poor little thing!

He’s such a handsome boy!

Here is Kip. He is an 11 year old border collie. We’ve had him since he was a puppy. It’s a myth that all border collies are smart!

He is a loyal guy helping me take care of the horses. He likes to sit at the top of the hill on our driveway or on the landing of our stairs inside the house so he can keep an eye on the neighbors and their antics!

Lately though it seemed like he was lonely. He kept barking at the neighbor’s house to try to lure one of their dogs over (his girlfriend we tease him) so he could romp with her since he really hasn’t had any other dog interaction since this summer when my sister came to visit. So I decided to remedy that…..

With the surprise of a new dog! Penny!

I got her last week from a dog shelter. I had been thinking since around October that I plan on doing some traveling in the next couple of years visiting the national parks and I wanted a canine companion. Kip is horrible in the car plus he has a bad knee so he couldn’t go.

Also I thought since we are in a quiet time of our lives right now we’ve got the time to work with a new dog. Plus after the holidays in Michigan it’s so bleak and depressing that I wanted something to beat the winter blues…and Penny is definitely it!

Yes, this is the same bed that you saw OJ and Wasabi sleeping in minus the ripped up holes

So, let me tell you about her. First off her shelter name was Lady but I toyed with the idea of calling her Maggie but Dave and Sara didn’t like it, plus it’s a mouthful to say when you’re trying to quick call a dog. Penny was my second choice and it is very easy to say.

She came from Kentucky with 8 puppies, 6 from her fall litter and 2 from her spring litter. She is 4 years old and was running wild in the woods of Kentucky. Someone was feeding her but she wasn’t tame or spayed or vaccinated. They had been trying to catch her for several years but she is whip-smart!

Something that is going on with animal rescues that I didn’t realize is they are driving hundreds of dogs and cats from the south up to the north to be adopted every month. Here in Michigan, all the shelter animals are from the south. The demand in the north is greater than the supply and the south has greater supply than demand plus in the south they still have “kill shelters” where animals are euthanized regularly where in the north they foster out the animals until they are adopted. All a sad business really.

Anyway, she had been at this shelter for two weeks and her description said she at first will bark aggressively and then is a cuddle bug. She did run up to the door of her kennel and bark meanly at me but I didn’t take it personally. Then we went into a big room to just to get to know each other and I had brought treats to win her over.

She was wary of me at first and hung by the side of the shelter employee. Eventually he left us two alone and I just continued to sit on the floor and let her come to me when she was ready. She was starting to warm up to me but still looking at me side-eyed.

I took her on a walk and she was really well behaved. Then I had Dave come and bring Kip to the shelter so they could meet, which is part of the protocol of the shelter. Everyone who lives in the house, human and canine, had to meet the new dog before they would release her to me.

Dave knew this was my dog and my decision so he was staying neutral. Kip was indifferent to her and was hoping we weren’t doing a prisoner swap so he wanted nothing to do with her or a walk but just wanted to get back to the car and go home!

I had several of the employees there interview me to see what I knew about dogs and about her breed since her breed, the blue tick heeler/Australian cattle dog are the number one breed brought back to the shelter. They wanted to make sure I knew these working dog breeds needed a job and had lots of energy. After having border collies I knew how they were and what better place for a dog like this to go then a 10 acre farm with humans who are mostly around during the day.

They also implored me to not let her off the leash for about a month because she is a runner. She is very interested in the chickens and the deer so I’ve kept her on the leash. However, she is really smart and knows the best life is in the house up on the bed! Forget running in the woods!

I have lots of videos of her but only a few pictures because she won’t sit still. I have to sneak up on her to get a picture but she is always aware of me.

She follows me everywhere in the house and outside she is right by my side. We go on long walks every day (part of my get healthy in 2020 resolution) and has such personality! She sleeps through the night right up on the bed and has had no accidents inside at all. She is such a good dog!

The cats are getting used to her and the only one who is still cautious is Mopsy. However Mopsy got the courage to sleep with me last night in her usual spot with Penny on one side and her on the other. It is a full bed! And I love it!

She does want to herd Sara and she does bark menacingly when someone comes to the door but so far she has been really good.

Even though I said I’d never get this breed and even though I said I’d never get an older shelter dog because they usually have too much baggage she is exactly what I needed at this point. She makes me smile and laugh and gosh do I feel loved!

I’m sure you’ll be seeing lots more pictures of her and hearing more stories in the future but since this is an extremely long post (so many pets!) I’ll call it a day.

Don’t forget to see what these other bloggers are showcasing this month!

Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Julia at When the Girls Rule
Lisa at Midlife in Bloom

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and give your pet a hug for me!

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2019 Bloopers!

Hey everyone! Here’s your favorite post of the year! The blooper reel!

Now remember this could have been much longer but I decided to spare you!

Let’s get started!

Even after almost 4 years blogging there are still times when all the photos turn out like this!

Doesn’t every fashion blogger get photo-bombed by a chicken? Regular occurrence here!

As you know, I often have a cat or dog or three surrounding me during the photo shoots.

Sometimes I am so surrounded by them that they are blocking the outfit. That means we have to take a pet break!

Skittles likes to have her shoulders rubbed!

I have no idea what I’m trying to do with my hair here. Also, I have no idea how I could repeat that even if I tried!

I’m not always all smiles. And sometimes I have to give my cheeks a break!

Or when it’s cold outside I have to give my cold teeth a break!

And this is my look when I’m done.

I’m saying with my face “We’ve got enough photos right? We’re done right?”

Ok, so I could go on and on with the windblown photos and the pet photos but you’ve seen a ton of them over the years.

And I’m looking forward to 2020. I’ve decided to focus on my health this year and to eat healthier and to get more exercise.

I usually don’t do new year’s resolutions but it felt like a pretty natural doorway this year to focus on getting healthier. I also have a pretty good motivation for more exercise as you’ll see tomorrow when I do a post with the group of bloggers (Where Bloggers Live) that showcase our home turf each month.

So, look for the post tomorrow to put a smile on your face! See you then!

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Clothing That Ages Us!

Hey everyone! Happy New Year! Can’t say I’m sad to see 2019 go — see ya! How was your holidays? We had a pretty quiet one but both girls were here for several days at Christmas so it was fun. Except my eldest was sick on Christmas Eve so we ended up binging Parks and Recreation all day long (which we’ve seen many times) in a totally relaxed, day-long pajama day!

Anyway, I’m back today with all those lovely ladies from the Ageless Style group and we’re showcasing clothing that we think ages us and explaining why. It was my idea for this topic because, as bloggers, we usually just show what is working and the idea of something “aging” us is hard to define. But not hard to show!

Now remember this is all my opinion. Feel free to disagree.

Also, I went to a store searching out these items because luckily I don’t own anything at the moment that I think ages me.

First example. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. The style of the shirt is classic “crabby old lady at a picnic making sure everyone uses a napkin”. I strongly dislike the collar, button-down aspect but especially the print. It’s like it’s too cute.

Julia in terrible shirt

To me, it looks stiff in the fabric which gives it an “uptight” feeling. The tabs at the elbow annoy me too. And yes, those horizontal lines at the bust means it is a bad fit. This shirt did not come home with me!

Second option.

cardinal sweatshirt blech

Do I need to say anything? Well, I will.

The holiday design sweatshirts age us faster than anything, no matter the holiday. Why? Because it is a stereotypical holiday shirt that older women are shown in all the time. Especially with a sweet, cutesy image like this cardinal, or a pumpkin at Halloween, or a bunny at Easter. Too cutesy.

As regards to flattering for my shape? Big no! The crew neck collar looks like it’s choking me and pair that with the ribbed bottom of the sweatshirt I look like a pumpkin wearing a sweatshirt. Good riddance!

Third option though this one is more subtle I think.

The color and design are too cutesy. Too soft of colors. No black. All flowers. No edginess. Sweet scalloped collar (which I have no objection to usually) adds too much sugary sweetness to this shirt which equals aging in my opinion.

The fit is too tight around the midsection so even if I didn’t hate it, I wouldn’t be bringing it home.

So, in my examples, I find when an item is too cutesy it makes an older woman look older. She doesn’t look like a vibrant sexy woman. She doesn’t look like a commanding CEO. She just looks like a grandma who bakes cookies and goes on cruises. And even if you are a grandma who bakes cookies and goes on cruises you know there are hundreds of more interesting aspects to you than those and your clothing should show that.

If I had to sum it up in a word I’d say they make me look inconsequential.

That’s a lot to unpack so I’ll give it a go.

These kind of clothing items make me look and feel like my opinions and knowledge don’t need to be taken seriously. They make me feel like I am someone easily swept aside and is past my prime. They signal that I am best planning picnics and holiday meals but really nothing else more complicated. They signal I am not very strong so I’m relying on being cute.

Again, remember this is my opinion and it is based on stereotypes that we have had for decades about older women. These shirts just support those stereotypes instead of blowing them up, which I enjoy doing!

Well, I hope this gives you some insight into clothing and the messages it sends out into the world. Pop over to these other lovely ladies who are talking about clothing that they feel ages them too.

Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks bloginstagrampinteresttwitter

Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust bloglovinbloginstagrampinterestfacebooktwitter

Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots bloginstagramfacebookpinteresttwitterbloglovin

Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style blogfacebookinstagrampinterestbloglovintwitter

Julia ~ When the Girls Rule blogfacebookinstagrampinterest

Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag bloginstagrambloglovintwitter

Lisa ~ Coast to Coast blogfacebookinstagramtwitterpinterest

Paula ~ Dimples on my What blogfacebookpinterestinstagramtwitter

Shelly ~ The Queen in Between bloginstagrambloglovinpinterestfacebook

Shugunna~ Nzuri N* Simplicity bloginstagrampinterest

See you all on Thursday!

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Where Bloggers Live: Holiday Decorations!

Hey everyone! I know. It’s a Saturday post which is really weird for me but, because my good blogging friend Bettye came up with the idea for this group (Where Bloggers Live) and we had to coordinate with several other bloggers, this date was the date that worked out for everyone. So, I rolled with it!

Anyway, as you know a couple of months ago, Bettye started this group to share our surroundings with our readers. This month we decided to show our holiday decorating.

Now, I’m not one for holidays and putting on a big splashy spread. I like to think everyday is a good day for celebrating and not postpone celebrations or wait until a certain date rolls around. However, I love having a tree in the house (a real one) and putting lights on it. It lights up a room, especially this time of year here in the frozen north.

This year, I was not around when the tree got chosen or decorated. This tree was the most densely packed branches, darkest green color, tightly vertical tree we’ve had in years. So, it ended up being a dark mass in the corner. The tree decorators (not naming any names!) went a little light on the lights this year too.

I kept it up for 5 days to see if it would grow on me, but, alas, it did not. I undecorated it and added about 4 more strings of light. Now, it’s bright and glowing and I can see it from outside when I drive up the driveway. However, I still have yet to put the ornaments back on! Since my eldest will be home today I think we can have a second chance at trimming the tree!

And yes, those are all amazon boxes around the tree. We might get to wrapping them but maybe not…

Also, my eldest left her succulents with us and they look perfect sitting on our half wall between the living room and dining room (I may have to steal them from her) and they look even better when they have the lights wrapped around them. It’s almost an Instagram or Pinterest worthy idea!

On the outside I hung up a wreath on the front of the barn…

and decorated the two concrete pots at the end of our sidewalk.

I always think about how decorations that involve lights usually look terrible in the daylight so I wanted the concrete pots to look pleasant in daylight. I used the branches that were sawed off the tree and arranged them in the pots and added a couple of green bulbs for some decoration.

Now the garden shed wreath looks terrible in the daylight…

but very glowing and welcoming in the darkness.

And I even ventured out into the brisk wind to show you the top I was talking about on Thursday. You know the one. Where your holiday feasting can be covered up a bit if you tend to carry it in your midsection, like me.

This is an easy, easy top to wear and can be worn two ways depending on if you just slip the long scarf ties behind your neck and then it’s open like a regular jacket or twist it in the front and then loop it behind your neck for the closed look.

Either way it’s a pretty color and stylish way to hide your midsection if you just don’t feel like using all the other strategies I’ve talked about here on this blog. I’m wearing size large.

Ok, so now that you’ve seen my decorations and my holiday jacket/top/sweater go visit my fellow bloggers and their holiday decorations.

They are:

Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Em at Dust and Doghair
Iris at Iris’ Original Ramblings
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Julia at When the Girls Rule
Lisa at Midlife in Bloom

Alright ladies, I’m going to be taking the next couple of weeks off to enjoy the holidays with my family. I will be posting the bloopers post of the year sometime at the end of this year or beginning of next year depending on when I get my act together!

Until then, have a wonderful holiday season with lots of love and laughter and have a glass of wine in my honor!

Take care!

Thank you for purchasing from the affiliate links in the post. Did you know that I use 100% of those proceeds to keep this blog up and running! And there is no added cost to you! Win win!

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My Holiday Feasting Top!

Hey everyone! Ha ha! I said I would be posting Tuesday and Thursday and all of a sudden Thursday rolls around and I’m not ready!

I was going to show you this top I bought at the beginning of the week but I couldn’t do any photos until this morning and it is soooo windy outside and freezing (wind chill is 11 degrees fahrenheit) that I can’t make myself go out and do it! I’ll get some photos this weekend (hopefully!).

Anyway, I was looking for a top that would cover my belly this season. I’m feeling particularly chubby this fall and wanted something that just did the plain, old hide the belly routine and this top works and does it with style!

You can wear it two different ways, open like any regular jacket (above) or draped over the front (below) and that’s how I like it because my midsection is covered completely. Bring on the holiday feasts!

It’s a beautiful color for right now but easily will work all winter and then beautifully next autumn and it’s 40% off right now! I bought size XL.

I’ll be posting this Saturday with a group of bloggers showing our holiday decorations and I’ll make sure I get a picture with the jacket then. Other than that, I will be taking the next two weeks off to be with my family and friends and do some chilling out.

My three quick gratitudes:

One. My youngest is home now after finishing up her semester and is talking my ear off as I write this.

Two. My eldest will be home on Saturday from Tennessee and will be here until the 26th.

Three. I made the best mulled wine last night with a bunch of left over red wine that I never would have drunk on it’s own because they had been open for a couple of days and weren’t that great to begin with. I have some mulling spice and added a cinnamon stick and a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and let it mull for about 1.5 hours and it was delicious and festive!

Ok! See you Saturday!

Thank you for purchasing from the affiliate links in this post. I receive a small commission from your purchase yet you pay no extra cost. Yay!

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