All about me

Tag, I'm it!

The lovely and talented Mervat from the clever blog, The Writing Instinct, has tagged me. Here's how it goes:

1. Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention; add a question of your own.

2. Tag eight other un-tagged people.

What is your current obsession?

Blogging :)

Good fika place? (That would be coffee to us non-Swedes)

My dining table, first thing in the morning. All the better if I can manage to get up before the kids & DH and be alone with my notebook and pen in front of me, waiting to see what thoughts pop into my head, drinking coffee and staring out my window.

Do you nap a lot? No, if I nap I have trouble falling asleep at night…I am prone to insomnia.

Who was the last person you hugged? My children, both at once, while sitting with them on the sofa watching Thomas the Train.

What’s for dinner? Chickpeas w/spinach, tomatoes and garlic, maybe over brown rice -- it was delish :)

What was the last thing you bought? Aside from food, a waterproof tote bag for my books

What are you listening to right now?

The sound of my kids gleefully running back and forth from one end of the house to the other, getting their ya-ya's out before bedtime.

What is your favourite weather?

I like it cool, early spring or fall, and I like gray days – not rainy, just soft gray. Everything looks brighter against a gray sky.

What’s on your bedside table?

I don’t have a bedside table, but there are bookshelves nearby. On top is a glass bowl filled with bracelets, an alarm clock & sound machine, and a mirror resting against the wall. The shelves are filled with books.

Say something to the person/s who tagged you.

Mervat, I’m enjoying getting to know you via your blogs SOOO much! Your writing is so rich and layered, and I keep poking around and reading back posts, always finding lovely little gems. Thanks for tagging me :)

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?

That’s tough. It would probably be in Wellfleet or Truro, Cape Cod MA, but I could see living in a small city too, some sort of brownstone or townhouse in a quaint neighborhood.

Favorite vacation spot? Cape Cod, see above.

Name the things you can’t live without.

Well, my DH & kids aren’t things, but I sure couldn’t live without them. In terms of objects…books, my computer, cardigans, coffee, white wine, valerian, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, oh, and chocolate. Did I mention chocolate?

What would you like to have in your hands right now? A finished manuscript for my first novel!

What is your favourite tea flavour?

I go through phases with flavors, but my all time fave is regular run of the mill Tetley with lots of milk and sugar the way my grandmother used to make it for me. Although now I use soymilk and Stevia.

What would you like to get rid of? All the residual clutter in my basement, anxiety, and about 10 lbs.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Truthfully? For an hour I would just like a glass of wine and either some alone time with my husband, or with my computer to write ;)

What did you want to become as a child?

I commented on this topic on another blog (the blue kimono) recently, but I do remember wanting to “make books” as a child and writing down little stories. I would fold them up into booklets and make construction paper covers for them. I wish I still had them.

What do you miss? (This is Belette Rouge's question)

Being able to experience empty silence, without anxiety.

What are you reading right now? I’m almost done with a novel by Roxana Robinson, “This is my Daughter” and I also have been skipping around in a couple books on writing.

What do you fear the most? (Andrea’s question)

I'm a thrombophiliac, so I fear having a stroke and being incapacitated. I don't fear death, much, but I don't like the idea of being an invalid, or not being able to pursue my passions, or most of all not being essentially "me".

This is the one I (Kayleigh) changed: What piece of clothing would you most like to own that you don’t have?

I would like to have comfortable, non-leather, turquoise blue wedge platform sandals. That or the perfect green, cotton, short-sleeved cardigan for summer.

Admit one thing you feel awful about. Once you have written it down, you are no longer allowed to feel bad. My (Mervat's) question

Since I can’t feel bad about it once I write it, I’ll choose something fairly innocuous. I had to reschedule a doctor’s appointment and did it at a time usually reserved for one on one time with my daughter. I’ll make it up to her, so I should stop feeling bad about it…right….now!

Here’s my (Kayleigh’s) added question: What have you let go of?

My own answer: perfection.



I tag the following bloggers, though I can't say for sure they haven't already been tagged at least to my immediate knowledge at the very minute I write this, they haven't been:

Shallow Coffee, notSupermum, Udarata Kella, Style Klutz , My Shenanigans , I need a makeover , Already Pretty, Africana 's Wardrobe Diary

Rainy Days and Mondays

Ok, I know it's not Monday -- but I took these pictures yesterday, so it still counts. They are both bad pictures of a good coat, so I'm hoping that the two added together will equal one decent view.

The trench was bought at Target last summer, off the clearance rack for about 15 bucks or so. It is a lovely peachy coral color -- the blurry picture is more true to the real color than the clear shot w/the flash.

There's something very cheerful about a bright trench like this on a dark rainy day...helps you remember that pretty spring flowers need those torrential April showers. Plus, I'm very easy to spot -- no chance of me getting lost in the fog, lol!

The umbrella was from Target too, and the waterproof tote bag is from Borders (where the rest of my money goes that doesn't get spent at Target, lol!)

Have a peachy keen day -- see ya tomorrow!

Just in time

Egads, busy day, very late to get this posted!

Right after we snapped this photo the torrential downpours let loose -- and it's supposed to continue until late tomorrow. My timing was good, tho, because I managed to get to the market and back, AND lug in all the groceries first. Oh, and I got the mail, too. A perfect (and dry) trifecta :D

The blouse is from Kohls and I love, love, love the watery blue & green colors. The cardigan is from NY&Co, the jeans from Target and the plum Sofft Maryjanes are secondhand.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend replete with perfect timing!!!

PS: Busy day coming on Monday, might not get a picture up until Tuesday. See ya then :D

Why am I here?

A recent post over at the thought provoking blog, “the blue kimono”, really struck me. The delightful Sallymandy posed the seemingly simple question, “Why do people post photos of their clothing?” What struck me in particular was that I didn’t really have a clear answer at first, yet I’ve been doing just that for almost 5 months now.

I guess my own answer to Sallymandy’s question all started with, believe it or not, watching an episode of “What Not To Wear”. I’d been aware of the show’s existence prior, but never actually seen it. I had made assumptions about it, though…it was sexist, mean, touted unrealistic ideals of beauty, focused too much on women’s appearances and there was quite enough of that already, etc. I've blogged about how I lost alot of weight a few times before. Yet I still didn’t always feel so hot about how I looked. Suffice is to say my body image was severely out of whack and the last thing I needed was some stupid show to make me feel worse!

However, when I happened to watch the program I found something unexpected. Bottom line -- they didn’t really criticize the person’s body, just how they’d been dressing it, how they presented it. And it wasn’t about trends or keeping up with fads, it wasn’t about being some slave to fashion. It was actually the opposite, it was about making a woman’s own particular body look good, celebrating her positive features and making her feel better about her appearance, which inevitably made her feel better about herself.

It may sound grandiose, but it seemed to me that dressing well could be an act of empowerment, and it belonged to every woman, no matter her size, age or wallet capacity.

That was HUGE for me.

Size didn’t matter, fit did. My body is what it is, and it was bound to change throughout my life anyway…all of our bodies change, our appearance is never static. I just needed to find the most flattering clothes for my individual shape and I could take some control over what I saw in the mirror. Whether we like it or not we each make a statement about ourselves based on how we appear, without even saying a word. Unless we live in a cave, that matters. It's not about being perfect or matching some arbitrary ideal. It's about attitude and reflections. How we present ourselves speaks volumes about how we feel and what kind of person we are. The good news is the impression we make is actually up to us.

So, the journey began. During the course of this process I discovered blogs, blogs by real women with real (and beautiful) bodies, wearing real clothes. They inspired me more than words can express. They continue to do so, every day – and I know for every one of them there are dozens more inspirational women out there finding strength in expressing themselves via their clothing choices in a world that can, sadly, twist that act into something negative…yet they, each in their own way, keep it real and beautiful.

I realized that if I could gain all of that from some TV show and a handful of blogs that maybe others could benefit from seeing me go through my particular journey, knowing that I am just like them, a regular woman with “flaws” and body issues, just trying to dress myself to my best advantage as an act of self-love and empowerment.

And so here I am.

I want to deeply thank the wonderful Sallymandy for making me really think about all this and find some clarity for myself. What a great, poignant question she posed...there are no doubt many possible answers…each as diverse as the lovely mosaic of women’s individual styles.

Blizzard!!!

Ha, made ya look -- April Fool's!

It's nice and sunny, no snow in the forecast :)

This gray Croft & Barrow shirt from Kohls is more of a winter one, so it's the last time I'll probably wear it till the fall. Spring is sometimes bittersweet, you have to say goodbye to seasonal clothing you've come to rely on frequently.

The aqua cardigan is from NY&Co, the pin was from an Etsy destash purchase and the heart locket was a gift from my mother.

The jeans are Target, the gray Maryjane Franco Sarto pumps are secondhand.

I hope everyone has a great day -- and that's no foolin :)

See Spot. See Spot run.

This is only the second time I've worn this cardigan...hmmm, I wonder just how many different punny titles I can come up with involving spots, dots or other references pertaining to the pattern? The possibilities boggle the mind :)

Today my spotted cardigan and I are on the run, out early this morning to do errands and now home for a pit stop before heading back out again.

See Kayleigh. See Kayleigh run. See Kayleigh run in her spotted cardi from Target, along with the jeans. The top is from Kohls, see Kayleigh wear it before in 2 other colors, green and lavender.

Now see Kayleigh accessorize her spotted cardi with a dollar store necklace and discount bracelet. See Kayleigh run in her secondhand Franco Sarto Maryjane pumps.

Funny Kayleigh. See funny Kayleigh say, bye-bye.

(I hope I'm not the only one out there old enough to remember the Dick and Jane books, because if so, this whole post makes absolutely no sense!)

I've been cheating on you

I have a confession to make. I have two other blogs.

No, really, it's not you; it's me. I just have needs that a fashion blog alone can't fill.

:D Sorry, couldn’t resist, lol.

All kidding aside, these two other blogs are actually recent creations. They are not wardrobe or style related in the least. They are both for my writing – I want to be/am a writer.

One blog is a journal type of thing...poetry, essays, ruminations and the odd bit of whatever else pops into my head. It’s called, “Miscellaneous Brain Music”. I think it will be nice to have a distinct place for snippets of writing & various thoughts.

The other blog is “1000 Words Each Day”. This is essentially a place for a novel in progress (she said hopefully). A few times a week I'll post some of the VERY rough drafts from my daily work. It keeps me motivated to continue as I see the pages accumulate there, rather than just as a list in a Word file or as stacks of paper scattered on my dining table. The entries are not in story order, just slapped up there as written, almost like little vignettes. We’re talking totally no frills, very raw. I may sometimes go back and post edits & changes -- so it’s also transitory.

So, there you have it. Please feel free to check them out, leave comments – or not. If you just want to continue tuning in to this blog alone that’s absolutely wonderful too, I’m happy for the company along the journey on any branch of the path.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled style blog :)

See ya Tuesday with an outfit pic, hope everyone had a great weekend!

Off the deck!

It seems like ages since I took a picture elsewhere in the yard, doesn't it?

Today it is supposed to be in the high 60's, so we're going off to enjoy the weather this afternoon. Perhaps a park, a walk on the beach by the lake, not sure -- I just know the kids, DH and I need to get out and celebrate the lovely warmth!

The shirt is from Kohls, the green shoes and distsressed jeans are from Target. I'm wearing the same necklace as Wednesday -- a gift from my mother that just never seems to photograph well, but it is a fave of mine and goes with nearly anything I own :)

I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend -- enjoy!!!!

Radioactive

Snow?

Heck, no bother, I can always melt it with my radioactive shirt, lol!

Ok, truly, the shirt is a bright green, but it's not quite as glowing as this picture depicts. I got it at Macy's and have two other colors (but of course)...it's a faux layered piece that is a great thing to just throw on and go.

I promise, this is the last picture with snow in it till next winter :)

Have a bright and glowing day everyone!

DMV Blues

Ah yes, getting one's license renewed can be oh so much fun -- NOT!

Today I've been to the DMV twice...and it's a 30 minute ride each way. Apparently my SS# doesn't match my name in their computer -- it's still in my maiden name. Except that I've been married for over 15 years, physically went to the SS office to change it, and this is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened to me at the DMV. So I had to go all the way home for more documentation. I know what you're thinking...you are thinking I should have learned by now and brought every single document that exists proving I am who I say I am.

Yes, I should have. What's your point?

:) Oh well, national security and all, I guess.

ANYWAY, to move beyond my little rant, lol, I had to get the whole family ready and out the door this morning to go with me because the kids both desperately need shoes and the best shoe store is near the DMV. I needed an outfit that was a total no-brainer. This fit the bill :)

The blouse is from Target and goes with practically anything and everything since there are so many colors in it, yet it is also fairly neutral since the pattern is small. The jeans are Target as well, and the Sofft Maryjanes are secondhand. The cardigan is from NY&Co, and I wore it for the color in case I needed a new license picture (I didn't). The necklace, barely seen, is a gift from my mother.

Hope you all have a wonderful, completely frustration-free day!

Three strikes they're out!

These are three photos of what I thought were BAD outfits. The minute I uploaded each one of these pix I decided not to post them and changed clothes. Brave soul that I am, I've decided to share them anyway...mainly because I didn't have a new picture today, lol, but also to share my mistakes...that's part of the journey, after all.




Here's a great example of why taking pix can be a beneficial tool in discovering how things really look. Mirrors can be deceiving. This sherbet colored cardigan added way too much bulk and the color combo was a little off on me. I felt frumpy & top heavy :(

















And this is why I don't wear hats.


Actually, that's not the worst part, although it's not good, either.


Look at the darting on the jacket -- there's some sort of weirdness that makes it look like my breasts are oddly situated and hanging a bit lower than they are (trust me, between breastfeeding, huge weight loss & simple gravity I don't need the girls looking any lower than they actually are, thank you very much!)











Ok, this last outfit doesn't look too bad, especially since it was only my second adventure in tucking a blouse in. Granted, I'm not crazy about the tights, but that's no big deal.


What was the problem? It was totally impractical to wear unless I planned on standing up the entire time I was in it. Sitting or moving much at all caused things to become twisted or untucked, belts moved in unflattering ways -- just not a real world ensemble.

But DH liked taking the picture ;)

Ok, that's enough bad outfit photos for one post, wouldn't you say? See ya tomorrow with something better (she said hopefully)!

Made with love

So, today I have a bunch of errands and an appointment, no time to snap a pic -- but I planned ahead, Virgo that I am, and whilst I wore my kinky doo on Thursday I also took a second photo.


This is a new top from Kohls, I have it in green and liked the cut so decided to try another one, but I'm not sure about the pastel color. I kinda like it, tho it could be a little washed out...opinions?





The necklace is REALLY, REALLY special...my daughter made it when she was barely four years old. DH took her to a specialty bead shop and she picked out every single bead herself, strung it together exactly the way she wanted it and then all the shop keeper did was put on the clasp. I adored my husband for thinking of the idea and was tickled by the image of him walking around the store with her while DD chose each and every bead she wanted, a long process to be sure. And the look of pride on her face when she presented it to me, a real necklace made by her, well, it is my most treasured piece of jewelry.

Have a great day everyone, see ya tomorrow!

Happy Ostara!

Ostara is an old Germanic name given to today, the first day of spring aka the Vernal Equinox. This is the springtime holiday my family and I celebrate, similar to Easter (in fact, the word "Easter" is derived originally from Ostara). Our festivities include the familiar bunnies & baskets of goodies, too.

I hide trinket filled plastic eggs 'round the house and when they are all finally found the children get to open a singular large wicker egg brimming with jelly beans, marzipan chicks and a dark chocolate bunny. They also each have a basket filled with little toys wrapped in pastel colored tissue paper...nothing too big or expensive, just odds and ends and favorite things.

We have another little tradition that the kids think is particularly fun...at some point, weather permitting, we go outside with bells and drums and stamp our feet, shouting to wake up Mother Earth from her winter slumber. This is probably almost more fun than the toys since they get to be as loud and rowdy as they want (my poor neighbors!)-- it's also self defense because it's a GREAT way to burn off a sugar high, lol.

The big holiday meal consists of eggplant lasagna, a colorful spring green salad and good, crusty Italian bread. For dessert there's orange carrot cake baked in an individual egg shaped cupcake tin so we can all decorate our own with pastel colored frostings and sprinkles. It's messy, but oh so good :)

All in all it's a fun day and the weather promises to cooperate. (I'm actually writing this the night before and scheduling it to post all by itself, fingers crossed. )

So, may the promise of this season for rebirth fill you with vitality and joy. Wishing you and yours a hoppy first day of spring and an egg-cellent weekend!!!! See ya Monday w/an outfit pic :)

Going kinky!

With my hair, that is ;)

This is what my hair looks like if I don't blow it out and let it dry naturally -- well, "natural" being a relative term...I repeatedly scrunch it up with my hands while it's wet and once it is finally dry I add about 5 or 6 random pin curls using a small barrelled curling iron, just to make it look more even.

This style can be fragile and fickle -- humidity, high winds and active small children can wreak havoc on my doo when it's done this way. But once in a while I get the urge to go kinky, you know?

The cardi is NY&Co. the tee is JC Penney. Distressed jeans are Target as well as the green platform wedge sandals. The necklace is from Kohls, not sure where the bracelets are from.

Have a great day!

Virtual spring cleaning

I'm doing a bit of spring cleaning today, so not really dressed for a photo. While I was at it I thought I might get rid of the last few straggler unused pix from my photo file.

I honestly don't know why this photo didn't get used. It's not an interesting outfit, but it's not a bad one either. Go figure :)

The tee is from JC Penney and so is the necklace, the distressed jeans are Target, as are the boots. The navy cardigan is from Land's End.

I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick's day yesterday, see ya tomorrow!

Éireann go Brách!

Ah yes, 'tis St. Pat's Day (she said with her best brogue)...and I am indeed wearin' a bit 'o the green, don't ya know (excuse me, my Irish lilt is showing)

Anyway...

I am actually Irish on both sides of my family, as well as Welsh & Scottish on my mother's side and Dutch on my father's, with a few other things tossed in for good measure in small doses. Obviously I look like I come from some sort of Celtic or Germanic ancestry, certainly, as do my children...though in true American melting pot style our last name is very clearly Latino since my husband is partially of Spanish descent. My kid's can lay claim to both St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo :)

The green cable knit sweater came from Kohls, the blue blouse underneath from NY&Co. The jeans are Target as are the brown short boots -- might be the last time for short boots till next fall, too, the weather is still chilly but it seems time to put away the winter duds :)

We'll be chowing down on some delish Irish inspired treats to celebrate. Have a great day, Éireann go Brách and I'll leave you with this Celtic blessing...

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

PS: as an after thought, here's one of my own old poems, Celtic in nature:

Brighid's Song

You are the cauldron and it’s hearthstone home

Both water and wellspring from whence it’s drawn

You arethe seed, the bloom, the fruited vine

A hopeful sharpened plow, the waiting fallow field

You are the green shaft of grain and the nourishing dark loaf

The Smith’s glowing forge and malleable iron both

A swift pointed arrow and the unknowing mark it seeks

The pen, the unsung words, the terrible white page, still blank

You are the candle and the flame it bravely bears

You are the mirror gazed upon…and the reflection seen

Dot calm

I took this photo yesterday but haven't had a chance to post it till now. I've been running around getting ready for the Vernal Equinox on Friday -- we celebrate that as our spring holiday, complete with goodie filled baskets, jelly beans and chocolate bunnies. Oh, and in case you might be wondering what a non-egg-eating vegetarian has for a spring holiday meal? Eggplant Lasagna, but of course, lol!

Wasn't too sure about the polka dot cardi when I tried it on at Target. The blouse I had on that day didn't do it justice and I was afraid it might be too busy. But with the teal tee from JC Penney and some simple jewelry I really like the serene ivory & gray combo.

The jeans are from Target as well, and the Maryjanes are secondhand.

See ya tomorrow...oh, and what with a name like Kayleigh do you suppose I might be wearin' a bit o'the green?

I'll miss you...

This could be the last time I wear these skinny jeans till next fall. Since they are black velvet they don't seem quite right for spring and summer. Not to mention that I've discovered skinny style pants look best on me tucked into boots rather than with any shoe, heel or flat. I think the bulkiness of the boots balances out the snug porportions around my more generous hips, thighs and tush :)

Today was cold enough to pull them off, but being that we're nearly halfway thru March and spring is inevitable, I think this is it. So farewell, black velvet skinny jeans, till we meet again.

(Suddenly I'm hearing that old song, "See You In September")

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

One Skirt Three Ways Challenge -- Day Three

Today is the final day of this challenge, put forth by the lovely Jane from the wonderful blog WorkThatWardrobe. Her clever idea was to take a single skirt and wear it three different ways. For my skirt I chose a navy Chino mini from Target.

Today is sort of somewhere in the middle of the other two outfits -- not for a cold day like when I wore the peplum sweater on day one, but not for hot weather like the tee and sandals I wore on day two, either. I have to admit I felt a bit daring wearing boots without tights...just who the heck do I think I am, lol? It reminded me of go-go boots from the 60's.

The blouse is from JC Penneys, as is the bracelet. The brown boots my favorite Merona Karla from Target. The chain is vintage and belonged to my mother, a woman who was pretty daring herself in her day, she wore hotpants after having two kids and looked darn good in 'em. (the chain doesn't show up well in the photo, but I've worn it before).

I think this challenge was genius in its simplicity because it showed me how versatile a single piece of clothing can be. Truthfully, if I'd chosen a longer length skirt it could have been even more mulitpurpose, going from a day to an evening look or from casual to corporate.

And I must add....I am planning to go on vacation in June and I can tell you this -- between the Capsule Wardrobe Challenge and now this one, Jane has single handedly made my packing enormously easier, not to mention my suitcase will undoubtedly be much lighter!

Thanks again for this One Skirt Three Ways Challenge, Jane, as always you have the BEST ideas for challenges and I can't wait to see what you come up with next :)

One Skirt Three Ways Challenge -- Day Two

The lovely Jane of WorkThatWardrobe put forth a clever challenge once again, take one skirt and wear it three ways -- today is my day two.

Yesterday I paired this same skirt with a purple sweater, but in fact this is more how I pictured wearing the Merona Chino skirt from Target when I bought it -- as a simple, casual, mom-on-the-go type outfit for summer weather. Navy is a good neutral for me so it will go with lots of my things. And queen of multiples that I am, I have the skirt in green, too :)

The green knit shirt is from Kohls and the green slingback wedge sandals are from Target -- they're very comfortable, too. The blue beaded necklace is a dollar store find.

I'm off to enjoy the warm weather today -- in the high 60's!