Have I ever told you about the tendency I have when I read good books? I get lost in them and can’t shut up about them because they take up so much space in my brain. I get this trait, among many, from my dad. Six years ago or so I dedicated my reading to …
Fab Collab: Summer Get-Away Styles Over 40
It’s that time again when the ladies from JTouchofStyle and I pool our memories and photos to create a Fab Collab that spans the generations. Over this coming week we’ll share memories of summer get-away styles from the past as well as ways we style them today. My story kicks us off with memories of The Stratford Festival and …
Speakeasy Style in Vancouver with Friends
Nearly two weeks have passed since I boarded a train heading from Seattle to Vancouver. It was early in the morning–far earlier than I’m used to–but I had enough butterflies in my stomach and excited buzzing in my brain that I couldn’t sleep once the train got rolling. I headed north that day to meet …
Going Grunge with the Fab 40s
The year Kurt Cobain died I quit my job in advertising and became a nanny. His death had nothing to do with my leaving advertising for nannying. They just happened to occur in the same year. It may come as no surprise to regular readers, but the King of Grunge didn’t impact my life much back then. It feels …
Extending Summer Into Fall with a Twiggy Dress
Now that we’ve turned the clocks back, the sun sets around 4:30 in Seattle. From where I sit, the bottom of the sky is pink, the water and overhead sky are steel, and the hill rising up from the Alki Peninsula sparkles with lights of people living past dark. Here in Seattle, early darkness generally means chilly evenings. To …
Great Gatsby on a Budget
Another Halloween has come and gone for another year. Did you dress up? I didn’t dress up this year, but it used to be something I did every year. These days, I put that energy into creating modern styles using elements from past decades of fashion. My goal is to create real style, something I would …
Time Travel in a Plaid Skirt
It all started with this skirt…. And then there was the Fab Collab on plaid that I did with Jodie and the ladies of JTouchofStyle.com. I got plaid fever, I tell you! But seriously, the skirt spoke to me from a place I visit often when I’m looking for thrifted inspiration. You may have heard …
Starlet Bling for Dainty Wrists
The starlets of the 1930s loved their jewelry. Pictured above, 1930s actress Myrna Loy appears to be dressed casually but her bracelets are the stuff of red carpets today. When it came to jewels and accessories, the rich and famous in the 1930s believed in the old adage that “more is more.” Even as the rest of the world struggled …
Mixing Prints in a Twirly Dress
Last week I took my first foray into the art of mixing prints. It was a small start–a patterned jacket combined with a patterned scarf, inspired by a look Marlene Dietrich first wore in the 1930s. The outfit itself is not one I would normally wear, though. It’s a bit serious for my lifestyle and personality. …
Fab Collab: The Ageless Appeal of Pearls at Seventy-Plus
The Fab Collab I’m doing this week with the beautiful ladies of JTouchofStyle.com is all about memories centered on an ageless piece of jewelry: the pearl necklace. There are four generations in this Fab Collab. Each of us has our own unique relationship to pearls, so we’re all taking turns to tell our stories and show how we style them. On Monday, …