The Blush of Fall

I've been loving the soft blush color that has been everywhere lately.  I'd love a car in this blush pink. Why don't women design cars?  How beautiful would it be to get into a blush car with black and white cabbage rose interior?  lol, that'll never happen. But the next best thing has been adding little touches here and there of this lovely blush around the house.

I've done it with pillows, flowers and candles.

These are the same pillow covers that Country Living used in my living room.  They are washed velvet and I love them.  They are so well constructed and the fabric is thick.  Here is the exact color I'm using, Mauve.

I paired the blush pillow with a couple of black and white cabbage rose pillows I made early in the year from a fabric remnant I had. I love the way they look together!

The farmers market had huge bundles of this blush colored stock so I sprinkled them throughout the house.

Pink Grapefruit Candle

This past weekend I was wandering around Williams Sonoma and found this pink grapefruit candle which is divine.  I would never have thought that pink would look so lovely in fall decor but it totally works for me.

For some easy and inexpensive ways to add some blush to your life here are some pretty links...

read more ››

34

Checking in on September Goals

There are only 4 days left in September so I wanted to check in with my goals and see how I've done.

Goal #1 was to get out into the garden.  I would say that is 50% done.  Our garden requires so much work.  Without having a sprinkler system, a lot of time goes into just keeping everything alive.  We did quite a bit of work in the front but all the side gardens need attention.  So this goal will carry over into October.

Goal #2 was working on the inside.  I did a lot of decluttering and rearranging this month which I plan to share with you next month. Today we plan to tackle the basement so my donation box will grow for sure.  After today I'd say this goal will be complete!

Goal #3 was to go through my wardrobe.  I shared that with you on Monday.  While it is complete I know it's an ongoing task. One of my favorite shopping secrets is to buy anything that needs replaced at the end of the season when things are on sale.  For instance the last 5 summers I've carried my wicker bag, but it is wearing out. The wicker is starting to fray and the handles are starting to separate.  So last week I ordered a new bag from Frances Valentine.  This is Kate and Andy Spades new company and has all the spunk of the original Kate Spade. The bag I ordered is sold out but they still have lots of gorgeous bags and right now an additional 25% off the sale price. Take a look if you are in need.

Frances Valentine

Goal #4 was to get the pantry and refrigerator sorted since Larry is now vegan.  Gone are the traditional ice cream and cookies and in their place he's enjoying Trader Joes Soy Vanilla and their Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip cookies. All the shelves in both places were thoroughly cleaned and organized.

Goal #5 was to increase my exercise and I'm super happy to report that I've rejoined my Yoga gym.  It feels so good to be back even tho I'm so sore!

I'm looking forward to October and seeing what I'll come up with. How did you do?  We still have 4 days left!

Oh in case you're interested that's my Williams Sonoma Apron I'm wearing in the photo.

I wear an apron all the time when doing chores around here.  I find it saves my clothing from stains and wear and tear.

Happy rest of September guys! x

read more ››

21

My Closet Cleanout

Good morning dear readers.  Last week when the temps dropped I knew it was time to start changing over my wardrobe from warm weather to cooler weather.  As most of you know I only have one tiny closet in the whole house so I have a canvas covered garment rack in the basement that I can use to rotate my clothes. At one point in the 10 years that we've been here I was able to keep all my clothing inside and not have to rotate anything but in the last 2 years that hasn't been the case.  Mostly because I began collecting vintage coats.  Some of you know that my son Alex is in the vintage business and he and his wife B would always come upon an old coat that was "perfect" for me.  I'm not blaming them, no no no!  It's always me. I really do know how to say no, but when it is free and fabulous it gets hard.  So all that being said, the summer dresses and blouses are downstairs now and my coats and sweaters are inside. Below I show some of my newer things and ways I hope to wear them.  This is really just like me talking out loud to myself to help make sense of everything.  I'm sure you know what I mean.

Ok, I see this as a good base layer for cooler weather and all I have to do is throw on a good oversized sweater or old coat.  These A New Day long sleeve tee's are at Target. They are a blend of cotton and modal and feel great, I'm loving all things blush at the moment.  They come in lots of colors, necklines and sleeve lengths.  I know I'll be purchasing a black one the next time I pop into Target.

Here are my beloved Who What Wear Cropped Flares.  I love these pants.  They make everything look better because of the little flare. They have a zipper in the back but I never use it.They have an elasticized waist so they just slip on.  So affordable and a great great work pant.  I normally wear these with a black tee for work but here I'm trying a vintage silk gold blouse I picked up over the summer for $10.  I love the sleeves on this blouse and the silk is so soft.  Either black flats or booties will be cute with this.

Some of you will remember this blouse from several years ago at THIS estate sale.  It was $5 and I just love it.  It looks great this time of year because it's brown and all those vivid flowers.  I love wearing it with jeans and my herringbone jacket.

And here it is with these 1940s trousers, another summer thrift find.  I love these pants because wow are they roomy and hide lots and lots of stuff.

Here's a shot of the closet before the transfer.

And here we are ready for cold. Besides the one long sleeve black tee I want to get I'm pretty set for fall and winter.  Going through all my things is fun.  I pretty much follow the Kon Mari method and empty out the armoire and closet. I dust and vacuum and then go piece by piece and see what fits and what I love.  I cannot stand to be uncomfortable in anything these days.  I love elastic waistbands now.  I'm serious!  You know those jeans you've seen me in lately?  I chopped them off at the ankles because they were too long and I'm not a fan of rolled jeans bc they just bother me. So don't be afraid to re-work your stuff.

I have a pretty big box of stuff going to Family Services and that makes me happy.  I hope I haven't left anything out.  I promise to show lots more of the outfits I wear in coming weeks.  I hope for it to be a regular thing here on the blog bc in a few short weeks I'll be 60 and I gotta represent.  xo

read more ››

62

Outfit of the Week

Happy first day of Fall to you.  Where has this year gone?  We've been having the most beautiful weather and the forecast says it's continuing.  Yay.

I've been furiously working on sorting my closet as I do with each season.  It's a favorite pastime of mine:)  I have a big fat juicy post coming up that answers questions like...Why did my clothes shrink in this closet and how to add elastic to everything.

A few weeks ago I was at one of my favorite 2nd hand stores here in Redlands.  I about fainted when I spotted these Gucci horse bit loafers.  I did my best to keep my cool but when I flipped them over to see the size I may have cried.  Size 7 perfect fit, $16.

I also found these vintage cotton canvas painters pants at the same place.  So Gucci loafers and some old mans pants make a perfect fall outfit for me.  If you don't have such vintage stores in your area but like the look here are some options...

read more ››

29

Don't toss that stained white shirt yet

Before I start talking about stains can we all just take a moment and admire this outfit?


We all get them, they ruin our best blouses and tee shirts, grrrrr. But I've found out that they can be stopped before they start and also an effective way to remove them once they are in.

I'm talking about armpit staining.  If you are using an antiperspirant then that is what's causing the staining. Antiperspirant contain aluminum and that's the culprit. Aluminum in essence enters the pores in order to block the sweat from coming out of our body.  Well that doesn't sound healthy and the aluminum causes the yellow staining, it's not from our sweat.

So try switching to deodorant which doesn't contain aluminum but does contain antibacterials to combat the odor. These do not cause the yellowing pit stains.  Yay.

Once the stains are in though, a half and half paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide will remove the yellow.  Just apply it to the area and let it soak in for a bit and remove.  It worked for me but to be honest it was a fairly fresh stain.  I don't know if it will work on old washed and dried in stains.  But try it and report back.  xo

read more ››

30

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats have been a favorite breakfast for over a year now. They are so easy and nutritious you just cannot go wrong with them.  Use the basic recipe as a template and then the sky is the limit when it comes to additions but these are my favorites.

So each night I take about 20 seconds and pour 1/2 cup oats into a bowl with 1/2 cup soymilk or any other milk you desire and stick them into the refrigerator, I don't even cover them.

In the morning I add my fruit and nuts.  Usually apples, berries and nuts.  Sometimes a little brown sugar and cinnamon, sometimes not.

Frozen fruit is good in a pinch too.  Frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are so good!  I keep a wide variety of nuts on hand so walnuts, pecans, chia seeds, you name it goes in.

What's your favorite breakfast and if you make overnight oats, what do you add?  I'm thinking I'd like to do a pumpkin spice for the Fall.  xo

read more ››

40

Simple Saturday

We are talking basic of basics here.  But you know what?  I never ever tire of them.  Give me jeans and a white tee any day of the week please.  I've yet to ever see a woman dressed in a white tee and jeans that did not look chic. It's just one of those classic looks that luckily for me fits my style.

Most days you'll find me in a version of this outfit right here.  I'll change the top, shoes and bag and get a whole different feel but Saturday is usually this.

Here are the basics of my outfit.

Classic Sunglasses

Classic Tee

Classic Jeans

Classic Boot

I've never been a big perfume fan bc of allergies but I cannot go a day without this Jo Malone Orange Blossom Scent.  It is intoxicating without being overwhelming. A spritz of this and my mood gets elevated.  I've never had that experience with a perfume before! Hands down the most lovely scent ever.

What are some of the classics that fit your style?   x

read more ››

33

A fall outfit you probably already own

Hey there.  It's gettin to be fall and all I can say is jeans, yes glorious jeans.  It's too hot here to wear jeans in the summer so I'm always happy when I get to start wearing them again.  I am going to be posting a lot more fashion stuff because I'm entering the 60+ fashion demographic and I couldn't be more excited. There is a freedom in getting older and I hope to embrace that. You've been warned:)

This outfit perfectly bridges summer and fall.  You can never go wrong with chambray, jeans and some wicker.

I personally think this outfit is timeless.  It'd look fab on an 8 year old or an 80 year old.   In case you are in need of this classic outfit here's how to get the look...

read more ››

42

Sunday

How much do you love this fabric?  It's Osborne and Little Lomasi.  I have no idea where I saved this photo from but wow how gorgeous.

I ordered mine and cannot wait to get my hands on these jeans from Everlane.  40,000 people were on the waitlist. At $69 a pair for premium Japanese denim and made in this factory, I'm beyond thrilled to always support Everlane.  As soon as I get mine I'll post about them.  In case you want to try a pair for yourself you can use my code  HERE I will get credit if you purchase anything so if that bothers you just order directly through their website:)

Some of you were interested in the wallpaper at Palihouse.  I tracked it down and this is the manufacturer...Abnormals Anonymous.  I'm seriously in love with this one...

And as much I love living in this small house, THIS lovely makeover of a rental home gets me thinking...hmmm.

Wishing you a peaceful Sunday and love and prayers to Texas and Florida and to everyone else who needs them. xoxo

read more ››

16

September Goals

Photo from September 2012

Good morning.  I have a list of goals for September that I'd like to share because making them public holds me to them in such a way that they will get done vs writing them down and forgetting about them.:)

1.  Get out into my garden, as it is a wreck.  Seriously.  It's been too hot to do anything but water for the past 2 months.  I have a ton of weeding to do.  Everything needs attention.  Trees need trimmed, bushes shaped, dead things need removed.

2.  I've been slacking on the inside too.  I have a lot I want to donate and that takes some letting go.  Letting go sounds so passive and easy but as we all know, it's HARD.

3.  Another thing I want to tackle is my wardrobe.  So many things are just not working any longer.  I don't know if it's the inside me or the outside me but things I used to love just aren't working and I have to address that.

4.  Since Larry has become vegan, I've been slowing cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator and I want to complete that this month.

5.  I want to get back into fitness.  This heat really puts a damper on working out.  So now that it is cooling I have no excuse.

What are your goals for this month?  Do share because maybe I need to add to my list!  xo

read more ››

35

Palihouse

For the last few days we've had the pleasure of escaping to Palihouse Santa Monica.  If you are planning a stay in Southern California or live in California and want a mini vacay I would urge you to consider this hotel.  This isn't a sponsored or paid post btw. I just fell in love and want to share it.

Palihouse has been in operation since 1927, first as the Embassy Apartments and now as a hotel.  It is an excellent example of Moorish influenced Mediterranean Revival architecture. Situated in the middle of a beautiful Santa Monica neighborhood, which gives the traveler a peek into the everyday lives of locals, it is dripping with original details that are preserved to perfection. Just a couple of short blocks to world famous Santa Monica's Ocean Avenue, the Santa Monica Pier, world class shopping on the Promenade and pristine beaches.

I was mesmerized from the moment I walked into the beautiful front courtyard.  It is a design loving woman's dream come true. The gardens...I die.  The interior...I die again and again at every single turn.  It was like walking through a luxurious magazine layout.  You are immediately wrapped in a moody elegance and trapped somewhere between the past and present. There are a lot of images in this post but trust me when I say there could be dozens more.  It's impossible to take a bad photo of the place because it is just so chic. If you love old architecture, antiques, jaw dropping paint schemes and wallpaper that will leave you breathless then you will be right at home here. Enjoy.

I've already got a side savings account dedicated to my next visit. I love staying in small hotels like this because it reminds me that no matter the size of your house, you can live beautifully, it's all in the chic little touches.  Remind me to never leave out the period when I monogram anything! Plus those deep blues mixed with greens is so intoxicating.  So what do you think?  Is this your cup of tea?  What are your favorite details?    xo

Here are some ways to get the Palihouse look in your home...

read more ››

21