miss doris



This is my dear neighbor, Miss Doris.  Miss Doris lives in this huge yellow Victorian home.  When I moved to Redlands 3 years ago, I would pass this house on my way to work and notice this woman always working in her garden and also walking her beloved poodle, Bobbin.  What struck me immediately about Miss Doris was the way she was dressed.   You will never catch Miss Doris walking Bobbin wearing a track suit, sweats or those nylon gym type outfits that a lot of women her age will wear.  No, every time I saw Miss Doris out walking she would be wearing a belted trench coat with a scarf and black boots.  Or if she was out doing her gardening, she would be wearing a full, flowered skirt, a blouse and cardigan.  Never grubbies, as she calls them.  She doesn't see the point.  She figures she has beautiful clothes so why not wear them everyday.  Needless to say she had a huge effect on the way I looked at my own clothing.  I no longer wear grubbies either and i thank Miss Doris for that.

I was so intrigued as to who this lady was I asked my co-workers if any of them knew her.  Turns out one of them lived next door to her!  So I asked her if she could introduce us.  The next day I finally met her and we've been friends ever since.  To top it off she shops only at thrift stores because she loves saving money and the thrill of the hunt.  She loves sewing and can deconstruct a garment and tailor it perfectly to fit her.  She also makes lace.  Who makes lace?   You cannot believe how time consuming making lace is but it is absolutely beautiful.  As I was driving by yesterday, she was out mowing her lawn and she agreed to have her picture taken.  She is wearing navy slacks, a red gingham blouse and red sweater - proper mowing attire, wouldn't you agree?





The One and Only Adorable Miss Doris




49 comments

  1. I would love to read more about Miss Doris: What an elegant lady. How long has she lived in her yellow house? Where was she from originally? People of her generation are becoming a rare commodity. Please convince her that by sharing some of her history we will benefit going forward in our own lives; perhaps in a more appropriately dressed manner! She is a gem.

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  2. I love your post. How sweet, your Miss Doris.

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  3. what a Lady!!! you rarely find real ones anymore!!!!!
    she is just beautiful!

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  4. She is an inspiration! I agree with Marta. Would love to know more about her!!

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  5. I'm guilty of the grubbies, I must say. Comfort comes first for me; Miss Doris dresses in her "finery" because if pleases her (I hope). I do the same!

    S
    xo

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  6. Miss Doris looks very classy...she must have an interesting background. It looks like a well manitained heritage home and I wonder how she manages to keep it all looking so spiffy...does she have a husband, or a handyman?

    I wear a 2 piece Yoga outfit to garden in most days as I am a messy gardener...but often I have my pearls on :)

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  7. Birds of the same feather flock together. :-)
    No wonder you are friends with Miss Doris. Reading your post today was like that moment when you are looking in your garden and then, poof, there you see the most beautiful little rose bud hiding out, and you think, "Oh, hello there, little pretty." :-) Thank you for pointing out all that is so true and beautiful.
    -Suzanne in Illinois

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  8. I guess I need to get a flowered skirt to wear when I do my yard work.

    We want to know her story! Everyone's got something interesting in their life story and we want to know more about Miss Doris.

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  9. Thank you for this post on Miss Doris! I remember when you first mentioned her and her floral skirt. Love the photos and the story. Perhaps you can 'interview' her and note down Miss Doris' tips for a stylish life? Like the others I would love to read it!

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  10. ...i too know a miss doris...her name is mama...

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  11. You took the words right out of my mouth...adorable! She is simply elegant and I completely agree, unless your painting something there's no need for grubbies. There's the perfect attire for every occasion...it reminds me of your apple picking post. What a beautiful yellow house!

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  12. I wish there were more like her around. I'm as guilty as the next one of wearing 'grubbies' do do the gardening in, but I'm going to take a leaf out of Miss Doris's book and smarten up my act!

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  13. Dear Janet, I simply love Miss Doris's house. The architecture is wonderful,the colour stunning and everything set off beautifully by her well tended garden. I totally agree that one should wear one's pretty clothes all of the time since it is too easy to 'let oneself go' and just look sloppy.

    It would appear from the photograph that Miss Doris mows her lawn with a cylinder mower. The perfect implement for the perfect lawn.

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  14. Janet,

    Miss Doris is what I hope to be at her age....so I guess I had better start now and put the baggy t-shirts and running shorts away when I mow our lawn (which is like once a year - that's the husband's chore) or trim the roses.

    That house looks very big. Does she care for it on her own? That is lots of work for any one person (and I complain about upkeep for our home).

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  15. Dear Janet, There really are no words to say how remarkable and lovely I think she is. Hugs, Joyce

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  16. Miss Doris is a treasure!

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  17. Hi Janet,

    What a classy lady! Do you know her age? My next door neighbor Mary is 82 and always looks adorable. She works out in her yard sometimes for 6-7 hrs. What an inspiration!

    My husband always teases me about "dressing up" to run errands, but if I don't I won't get to wear my clothes much. Plus, there is nothing worse than seeing someone you know and not looking so hot.

    Linda

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  18. Lovely Miss Doris will be an inspiration for me now. She reminds me of the lovely Deborah Kerr. Hugs to Doris for making our world a prettier and more gracious place. Hugs, Joyce

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  19. What a precious lady is Miss Doris! How lovely to have a neighbour like her.

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  20. Gorgeous! definitely a lady indeed. Thanks for sharing Miss Doris and her views. I think she needs a "What I Wore" blog. She would be a hit - I can see it already.

    xo Terri

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  21. Oh I love this house and adore Doris! I would love to learn more about her (and also take a peek around.. and IN.. her house!!!) I wonder if she'd agree to telling her story or sharing her house with us? I bet she has no idea she has so many internet fans now! :)

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  22. Aww...That was my mother's name :). Since I'd like to believe she would have turned out like me, only better (classier, smarter, and more eloquent), surely she would have been just like your neighbor, the other Miss Doris. I have so much to learn from the likes of her. Thank you for sharing.

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  23. Miss Doris seems like a woman I would love to know. She looks darling out there in her pretty clothes - a real lady. I bet the inside of her home is perfection....her house looks a little familiar. It's an old yellow house thing. :)
    I'd love it if we could learn a little more about Miss Doris ~

    One more charming thing to add to my list of why I love Janet!

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  24. A very classy lady indeed. Yes would love to get to 'know' Miss Doris a little more if she is willing.
    Inspirational ladies like her are a national treasure.
    Thanks Janet for introducing us to your neighbour and her beautiful house.
    xx

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  25. I love this post...I wonder how long she lived in that beautiful house. We would like to know more.

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  26. Miss Doris seems delightful! I love that she is using a push mower. Like everyone else I would love to know her story. Everyone has a story. Thank you for indroducing us to her.

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  27. Hi Janet,

    I first want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. There were previous, beautiful entries, too many to even mention that I also enjoyed (the library post comes to mind). Thank you for blogging Janet.

    Hat's off to the lovely Miss Doris!

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  28. She's fabulous.

    Please don't ever take a pic of me when i am working in my yard.

    I'm no Miss Doris!

    We have "Abulita". She's a very old Bolivian woman who lives across the street. Whether it's 100 degrees or 40, she's working away, weeding and mowing, in stockings, a skirt, maybe a knitted vest and a hat. She has cataracts so thinks GG and I are the same age. Love her!

    xo Jane

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  29. thank you everyone and i cannot wait to have miss doris read all your comments. maybe she will tell me her story.

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  30. I love Miss Doris, she looks just like my grandmother TD, minus the red hair. TD always wanted red hair and to live in Redlands. She never got to live here but was blessed with redheaded great grandchildren. Cannot wait to hear more about her.

    Love,
    Margot

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  31. Miss Doris looks like a lovely lady. I wish she lived next door to me.

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  32. What a beautiful house and what an amazing and gracious looking lady - truly one of a kind. x

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  33. Miss Doris has the Right Idea- Grubbies are the Devil's Work-she's obviously embraced the dual concepts of Effort and Standards. Well Done Miss Doris. Plus you can tell she is v. fussy about her hair. I love her.

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  34. Miss Doris seems a confident lady, comfortable in her own style. She certainly embraces life and has the most beautiful sunshiney looking house full of character like herself!

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  35. When I grow up I want to be like miss doris. What a lady. I love that you notice and did a feature on her.

    Julie

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  36. I would love to have Miss Doris as a neighbor! She is one classy lady!

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  37. Dear Janet, this is such a charming post, perfect neighbour, perfect style, even a nicely period lawn mower! And a yellow house and sunshine to boot, when all we have now in England is cold and drab.

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  38. Lovely - tell us more please! :o)

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  39. miss doris reminds me of the ladies that were my grandmothers' friends...when i was growing up, ladies of a certain age, did not venture outside their homes without full (but subtle) makeup, beauty parlored hair and the appropriate attire for the day.

    the adorable miss doris would be a fabulous name for an upscale thrift shop....

    would love to know more about miss doris.

    nanne

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  40. People like her are are a treasure and we need to appreciate them. So glad you do. Allegra

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  41. I think she is the older woman we all want to be when we grow up.

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  42. Wow.. she's so strong.. I can tell...

    I'd love to have a neighbor like her.

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

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  43. Oh, how adorable, I love my garden, however I don't like "grubbies" either! Happy Holidays Miss Doris!

    Aloha,

    Connie

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  44. I have a Miss Doris down the road from me too! She is from France and every day she walks her dog in this beautiful fur coat with hair clipped up in a bun. In the summer she walks past in beautifully coordinated outfits....always inspirational and yet somewhat of a curiosity. I love this aspect of neighbourhoods. You were right to stop and get to know her...what a pleasure for her too I bet.

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  45. I met Doris when I purchased the Victorian house next door and renovated it.She has lived their since 1959. She is very attentive to her poodle Bobbin. Her dog is named Bobbin because Doris makes handmade lace and the threads are wound onto beautiful wooden bobbins that she uses.She told me about this blog but does not have internet in her home.

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  46. hi rita,

    you know i'm your neighbor right? in the little red cottage. i'm so glad Doris told you about the piece i wrote on her. as you can see she has captured the hearts of readers all over the world.

    xo
    janet

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  47. We used to love seeing Doris walking in Redlands; she was a classy lady!

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    Replies
    1. awww, i miss seeing her so much. she was such a dear friend and a redlands institution!

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