out of the blue








i'm so, so glad the weekend is here.
i've been a little "off" all week long.  my allergies are in full force and i had an out of the blue attack of extreme envy, so not pretty.  i got the envy under control but not the allergies.

do any of you have a girlfriend that you love but you're not so crazy about her husband/boyfriend?
i've got that sticky situation going on right now. 

hopefully next week i'll have something exciting to post about, although in reality that's not likely.

so i guess it's just the simplicity of this american apparel chambray skirt and black t shirt to get me through the day.

oh and i'm truly honored to have been asked by san diego fashion stylist vanessa valiente to answer a few questions on her blog, v-style.  i've fooled vanessa into thinking i've got style, when in reality i'm just cheap.  if you have a moment, pop over and say hi, she's gorgeous, talented and a sweetheart too.  click here to read the post.

thank you vanessa!


have a beautiful weekend my gorgeous friends.

xo
janet

64 comments

  1. Well done you! I think your outfit looks very French today.

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    1. I also think it looks quite American - like something Grace Kelly would have worn.

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    2. Where do you think Grace Kelly got her clothes? ;)

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  2. Janet! I am SO happy for you...congratulations! I can say I have a famous friend now. :)
    You've got a whole lot of style ...every time I see you, you look fabulous. And being cheap is smart.

    Hope you feel better for this weekend.
    xo

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  3. Hi Janet, I'm a long-time reader of your blog and I have to say....this is my favorite of all of your outfits that you post. It's so classic and so lovely. Just had to tell you.... (smile) Have a great weekend and hope the allergies get better!

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  4. such a great feature at v-style! i left a comment, but maybe it's awaiting approval.

    i have an allergy tip that i think is really working for me this year. i may do a little post about this on my blog, but here's the idea:
    you've heard of a neti pot, right? well, i don't have one, but i accomplish basically the same thing: nasal irrigation. with just plain warm water as it flows out of your tap, the warmer the better. cup the water with your hands then put your face in the water. blow bubbles with air from your nose, just to get the right pressure, then VERY GENTLY, don't "sniff" but pull the water into your nose as far as it feels comfortable, then blow it out. i do this several times just before i wash my face, or whenever i feel like i've inhaled pollen {like right after a walk}.
    i've been doing this faithfully this spring and have not suffered they way i usually do with seasonal allergies {mine could be terrible at times}.
    sounds a little nutty, but it's allergy maintenance with no drugs and no money. simple ♥

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    1. ouch--that must hurt like heck. i have a neti pot and i use warm salted water. never put plain water up your nose. the membranes are too delicate. neti pots are cheap. costo sells 2 neti pots plus 140 salt packets for $9.99. cvs pharmacy also sells neti pots. do not use unsalted water in your nose.

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    2. shell, i have tried it both ways (salted and unsalted) and honestly it doesn't hurt. since this is simple & requires no equipment, i stick with it. this is the first spring i've tried this, and it's the very first time i've been allergy-symptom-free. each to her own ♥

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    3. I can't believe it doesn't hurt. I have accidently begun to use the neti pot without salting the water first and had to stop immediately.
      The salt that you add prevents infections.... never use a neti pot with straight up tap water. I'm
      positive that ANY doctor will say always use salt.

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    4. Catie is only pulling the water into her nostrils--unlike the netti which feels like it shoots up into the brain. :-) I forgot to add salt once with the netti, and I thought my face was going to explode. :-)
      -Suzanne in Illinois

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    5. That must be why she says it does not hurt. ONE reason I say use only salted water to clean your nose with is the salt that you add to the water for nasal cleansing is purifying and cleansing and thus it prevents infections.

      I'm positive that ALL doctors will say to always salt the water you rinse your nose with. The salt makes the water 'cleaner', more like your body's fluids and properly salted water does the job much much better.

      Unsalted water is not as effective in cleansing the nose because it irritates the mucous membranes. if you have allergies, your nasal membranes are inflamed so by not using salted water you are actually defeating the purpose of nasal cleansing.
      Therefore an isotonic or hypertonic salt water solution is normally used, i.e. water with enough salt to match the tonicity of the body cells and blood.

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  5. You look fab as always~ love the skirt! Happy Friday to you my friend.
    xo~
    T

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  6. Love this outfit. I agree very french and classic style. I have had girlfriends who had friends I didn't like hanging out with. It is a sticky situation. I can't imagine you feeling envy -- you have such great perspective. I hope you'll be feeling better physically and mentally very so. Remember that old skit on Saturday Night Live "it's not how you feel, it's how you look. And you look maaarvalous! "

    Have a great weekend.

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  7. You're published! Fame is just around the corner. Or maybe it just under that great skirt!

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  8. Really like this outfit the chambray is sooo you. Interview was cool as well.
    Here is an allergy tip that works for me: Local raw (unfiltered) honey, make sure you get the one with the white stuff/bee pollen on top-that is the secret. The stuff on top comes from all the flowers/allergens in your local area. Ingesting the white stuff + the honey (it dissolves in my coffee/tea) builds a natural immunity quickly. Make sure it comes from your specific area/neighborhood. Good luck!
    -Missone

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  9. I had a friend who always dated men I couldn't stand. Abusers, controller, alcoholics...the whole gamut. Often they would sense my dislike and steer her away from me. I never said too much about them at all. I found that if I said something when they broke up, she would be back with him the week after and mad at me for saying something. SO I shut my mouth about them personally, offered bits of advice when asked, told her right out when she needed to get out, and in the end was just plain worn out from her repeated mistakes. Our friendship ended when my husband and I separated for a short while. She was full of venom and nastiness and didn't hold back at all. (she claims she was being supportive). In the end, despite trying to put her words behind me, I just never felt the same way about her and we don;t see each other anymore. It's a very fine line, you have to be careful.

    Have a good weekend...your outfit is very Springy and lovely.

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  10. That skirt is perfect on you.

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  11. Hello Janet:
    We really do sympathise with any kind of allergy and do hope that you will have respite in one form or another soon. In the meantime, cast care aside and have a wonderful weekend.

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  12. What a chic outfit and a great interview, too.
    I'm sorry you've been suffering with allergies, I'm sure once summer starts Jon'll be a wheezing mess with hay fever, there's some advantages to the rotten weather after all!
    We have a friend with a dreadful husband, he's appallingly racist, boastful and criticises our friend's appearance in front of us. Fortunately he works away so she comes out without him. xxx

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  13. Love your outfit Janet, but that's no surprise, I like everything you wear and you do have more style than most people who spend fortune on their clothes.
    My husband and my best friend all met in college and stayed best buddies ever since. She dated and eventually married someone that we don't really like and it spoiled the very close friendship we had. But the worse thing is that every chance we are alone this guy always hits on me and it is not even subtle. I know a lot of people would just tell her but I know her very well and eventually she will always choose him, our kids are best friends and we spend many vacation and holidays together, this would make such a mess so I keep my mouth shut but it is killing me.

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    1. ajc that's horrific, what an awful situation to be in. I've lost few good friends to odd partners, it's the scourge of adulthood.

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  14. I loves this outfit. So simple, classic and ladylike. Just love it.

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  15. You look like summer herself came down and dropped a kiss on you! What an inspiration! Hope you get to feeling better soon, feeling icky sucks!

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  16. What a beautiful silhouette, I wish I could find more skirts that length and I love your pointy flats. Janet you have bags of style!

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  17. Janet you do have style and are much too modest about your many talents.
    But maybe that's why I like you so much...you never brag !
    I love your outfit and the fullness of the skirt is very feminine.

    Hope that you feel better soon.

    Yes I do have a friend whose partner I cannot abide.
    He's a weasel of the first order and she doesn't see it...
    unfortunately we do not see them as a couple very often.
    I try to arrange girl only walks and lunches.

    Good luck!

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  18. One of my best, and oldest friends (and ex business partner) is married to a nice man, but he's so incredibly boring, especially when he drinks too much, which is often - that we've given up going out with them as a couple. I see her alone for lunch, and as they have no family close by, they have become part of our family and spend most holidays in a large group at our home. It's easier to stomach him in a large group. And, you have so much style. You're way too modest. It's easy to have style if you spend tons of money and get dressed by a stylist - the real talent is when you don't spend a lot, and know just which pieces to pick, which you do. I think your talent was also so evident in the photos of your home. I absolutely love your outfit today - shoes are perfect with it also.

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  19. This may be my favorite of all the lovely and flattering outfits I've ever seen on you. There's something about it that's just so classic, fresh, and graceful. No one would guess that you were suffering from either allergies or angst! I'm off to read that post now. Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

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  20. janet-beautiful outfit! YES i have a friend who married a man i can't stand. she had all kinds of issues with him before marrying him and i kept telling her these red flags were warning signs. i was the voice of reason but did she listen? no. now, she and i see each other without our husbands but our friendship is just not the same because i do not want to be around this jerk she married. janet get a neti pot. it's the best thing for anyone with allergies or sinus problems. Imagine your nose, with warm salt water flowing through - this is the 'river' you create each time you wash your nose.

    Your sinuses are stagnant ponds with small outlets allowing them to drain into the nose. When the saline solution flows past these outlets it creates a low-pressure stream that draws out the contents of the sinus cavities; just like a swiftly moving river would drain a small pond.
    It is just common sense to practice this nasal cleansing as a part of daily nasal hygiene. You get rid of allergens, pollution, dust & stagnant mucus.

    My allergist calls me a "success story" and congratulates me on achieving "normal" sinus health by practicing daily nose washing. She told me most patients of hers who have had sinus surgery end up worse off. I never thought I would be normal. After my 3rd sinus operation - back in 1995 - I got so depressed because all I could see ahead was more sickness, more surgery and no normal sinus health. But daily nosewashing helped me improve and normalize my sinus health. I can not say enough good things about it. I have also avoided colds by doing this - I swear! I used to work teaching elementary school - those germ bag kids were always sick-! I have had 3 colds in the last 17 years. I began daily nose washing in 1995 so since 1995 I have had only 3 colds-!

    Nose washing is one of the safest, easiest, cheapest & most beneficial things you can do for yourself. I don't want others to suffer as i did - that is why I encourage everyone I know to protect their sinus & respiratory health by washing the nose-!

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  21. Janet,
    I love this outfit. You look like a French movie star from the 50's.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Sincerely,
    Miranda
    SF Bay Area

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  22. This outfit is perfect. Love it. You wear it well. Deb

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  23. You look fabulous as usual and the fact that you do it for so much less $$ is that more representative of true style.

    I'm going to have to second, Anonymous/"Missone" with regard to allergies. This same advice was just on my local news and I have heard from others that it indeed works. I am definitely going to locate a local bee/honey producer for my daughter's next seasonal allergy run-in.

    As for friends and jerk mates, I have definitely faced that situation. It is really tough when it is a dear friend, though. I do not have any suggestions other than, tread lightly.

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  24. your outfit is great...so is your hair by the way. what i'm really digging is the size of your ferns. perhaps you will grace us with a tour one fine day? rosanne

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  25. I love the comments page today! Could be summed up as:
    "You look gorgeous / he's a real jerk / get a neti pot."

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  26. Ditto...you summed up my week too! The allergies are a tricky thing to cope with. What works one time doesn't always work the next. And jealousy, I've been feeling that all week too! I have a hard time being kind and gracious to people when I'm feeling like this. But like you say, "kindness is never out of style", and I really should be grateful for those who show me kindness. Reading your post and knowing I'm not alone is a kindness. Thank you!

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  27. Janet you are a real style guru. Being your age I know I have changed my outlook due somewhat to your influence. On envy - From time to time I get major attacks of it, it does no good to anyone, but is hard to overcome.
    Janey

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  28. Two more additions - neti pots are extremely useful for allergies, especially to air borne ones. I get lazy about doing it, and then I get a sinus thing, followed by a cold. A good reminder for me too.
    Also - love that in your interview you said that your style was American. Nice to hear someone say something other than that they're emulating the French woman. Bravo!

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  29. Your style reminds me so much of the person I worked with for 20 years. She had a knack for finding fabulous outfits at consignment shops. But her true talent was putting the pieces together and accessorizing in a very simple-chic way. As a matter of fact, I think I will give her a call- it's been a while and I miss her. Have a lovely weekend.

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  30. I've been reading and enjoying your beautiful blog for awhile, but have never commented.

    I love this outfit! Simple, and very pretty.

    Enjoy your weekend!

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  31. You say that kindness is never out of style. Maybe try being kind to your friend's mate.

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  32. You look so pretty! You DO have style, being cheap is just an added benefit. :)

    Oh yes, I have a good friend who's husband can be a little annoying. He is really hyper and always makes it sound like they have a lot of money but I know otherwise. I guess he must think she doesn't tell me anything. My husband and I get together with them a couple times a year and my poor husband tolerates him and never complains to me!

    Have a wonderful weekend and hope your allergies are under control. My daughter is graduating from college tomorrow and I am beyond thrilled and proud!!! And no more tuition!!

    Linda
    xo

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  33. Hubby and I have a really good male friend and neighbour and we were not all that keen on his girlfriend, but she was his choice and we supported that. We befriended her because of her relationship with him, but she was not someone whose friendship we would normally have sought-does that make sense?
    He often came for a visit to our house on the way or when he didn't want to be at home, we never once ran her down but supported his choices in staying with her and when he asked we gave him suggestions on how to ease a separation. 3 weeks ago-a couple of days after he had told her that he couldn't continue in the relationship(which we didn't know he had done) he went home and found that she had taken her life. Utter and complete devastation for him. Not to mention the 2 little children she had(our friend is not their father)
    Sometimes we can see the bad matches before the people in them do. I don't think there is much you can do about your friend except support her choices and be there for her if it gets rough. Hopefully it won't and she will experience nothing but beautiful, extraordinary, love.

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  34. I love that simple yet beautiful outfit! In my teens I had a similar skirt, buttoned down in the front that I LOVED!
    Sure it happens that you have a dear friend who's choice of partner you just can't understand...

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  35. You always look so dressed up yet approachable...not dressed up in a fussy way, just pulled together! I admire that. I guess i may be a little.....envious!

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  36. Hey, cheap is the new reuse, recycle, save the world! Much love and more power to you.

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  37. Janet, you're my fashion hero by a long shot. Now, to heck with fashion, do tell us all the juicy gossip about your extreme envy and your friend's horrible husband. That is something I would like to read. I try to keep envy in check, but it is sometimes unavoidable. I am usually envious of people who have easy lives they have done nothing (besides blow jobs) to achieve.

    xo T.

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  38. ...having a cynical day janet. :)

    excuse the language. xo terri

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  39. Hi Janet,

    You're not fooling anyone, you have great style. . . and we all get to see through your blog, it has nothing to do with the cost. Another great outfit today, have a great weekend.

    Dee

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  40. Absolutely gorgeous!!!! I love this classic look and you can wear it so well.


    I think we are pretty lucky because as I think about it...at this stage of life....I like all our friend's spouses. At least they don't bother me.

    About envy...I really do not suffer much from it much. I am truly happy for other's successes and good fortune and I know that WE ALL have some cross to bear in life. In fact, if I do start to feel at all envious of someone, I immediately remind myself how blessed I am am and that none of us makes it through life unscathed. Pain finds us all somehow at sometime. it is just a matter of how we deal with the hand we are dealt and what we make if it.


    I also second the idea of nasal washing. I don't love the netti pot but I bought a sinus wash bottle at CVS that works better and more comfortably for me. I don't use it daily but whenever I think I need it.

    Have a great weekend.

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  41. Janet:

    I'm a first-time commenter, but I've been reading your blog for awhile. The first post I read was the tour of your pantry late in 2010 and I loved it. Like your other readers, I'm intrigued by your aesthetic--spare, frugal, but lovely.

    I'm glad you wear skirts and dresses. I love your LBD in the v-style blog, and your chambray skirt is great. I'm wondering about your black top. Is that the boy's t-shirt you bought at a yard sale for a quarter? If so, what a great pairing with the skirt.

    Thanks for taking the time to share your vision with us.

    ronaleem

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  42. OMG! Just had to post again. I now have my very own 'copykate' bag. Saw your exact same bag at Ross, only $17.98.the only difference is the color. I would have loved black, so versatile, but they only had tangerine. It seems though that kate also has one in orange. Ran straight over to joanne's and purchased a yard of grosgrain ribbon and its done. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. haha, orange will be awesome for the spring and summer. i'd treat it just like a neutral.

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  43. Well Janet...you did it again! You look gorgeous! Your style is flawless. Madeline and I saw your skirt or one similar recently at American Apparel and I remember telling her that I swear I had this same skirt by Ralph Lauren in 1985ish. It looks fabulous paired with a black T, black shoes and your copy Kate bag...Read your interview...loved it!
    xo
    annie

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  44. Janet, is it not true that our friends are so fabulous that no one seems good enough for them?

    Actually out of 4 friends marriages last year there is only one partner I don't care for. But this does seem to put distance between my friend and myself since I never have them over.

    Grrrr. Thank God for girl/shopping/ meeting/coffee/private time. At last i get to see her in the daylight.

    xo Jane

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  45. so true jane. it's not the way he treats us but rather, the way he treats my friend. grrrr.

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  46. Janet you look gorgeous in your outfit - simplicity at its best and so chic. And LOVE your previous post about the rose bowl - do you know that in a former life (i.e. when I was around 20) I used to sell furniture there!!!! Brought back memories to see your lovely photographs. XXX

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  47. Very honest of you to mention the envy---that is such a hard emotion to admit to and does not feel very good. And we are all attacked by that sooner or later, though hopefully very infrequently.

    It cannot be clothes envy, or garden envy, or husband envy, or house envy, or wonderful offspring envy, or hair envy or skin envy, or great figure envy...but you were in yoga boot camp...hmmm was it envy of someone's supreme calm?

    OK, I give up--but I am very interested. Not nosy but interested because I think you will have a very thoughtful take on it. So if you are able and feel like sharing the concept (of course not the private details) I think your readers would appreciate it.

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    1. i will try to do a post on this. i think it might be helpful to others, even though i'm not an authority on it. i did work my way through it and maybe that could help someone else.

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  48. I posted about some envy I suffered last week. I certainly am not proud of it but sometimes it happens. It is just a matter of recognising it dealing with it and moving on, I guess. Kudos to you for recognising it.

    As for the 'sticky' situation. I find it is usually best to say nothing unless the friend asks. Even then I am wary to say too much as in my experience it always backfires. I just try and tolerate the husband/boyfriend and try to see the friend on their own instead of with him. If I have to see her with him, I will try to make it in a group environment where I won't lose my cool.

    On to all things aesthetic: love love love the skirt.

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  49. Janet,
    You look fab as always!
    I cannot stand one of my very best friends husbands.
    In a word, he is just a jerk--good thing my husband does not like him either.
    I've learned to catch up with her alone, just girl time.
    And, she has no idea how much I cannot stand her hubby.
    It's best that way in my situation.

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  50. Try Kundalini Yoga's version of Frog. Start with 5-7 per day, and you will slowly build to 108.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgtAk8FiyFI

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  51. A little late to the comments here but....did you get the friend situation resolved? I have a wonderful long time friend whose husband is so abrasive we don't see them anymore. I would love to just see her but she wants all of us to go out for dinner and it just won't work. Don't want to put my own husband in the situation where he is the object of his insults and jokes that are just not funny. I see her becoming more like him. It is heartbreaking.

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    1. no not really, i haven't figured it out yet. it's that he is awful to her and that is hard to take. right now the only thing i can do is limit my time with them together and try to see her w/o him. it isn't easy though. good luck with your situation.

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kindness is never out of style.

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