DIY Makeover: Quote(s) of the Day #3

More from The Pocket Stylist, by Kendall Farr:

All women should worship the almighty unbroken line. Meaning, we're always looking for silhouettes and proportions that will create the longest-looking body line.

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If a "must-have" piece you've clocked in the fashion pages doesn't help you achieve thet vertical line it created on the model, you'll leave it in the dressing room and look for a version of the idea that works for you.

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In fact, there are only two kinds of clothes in the fashion universe: those that fit and flatter your body shape and size, and those that don't.

DIY Makeover: Quote of the Day #2

A trend is only relevant for you if it has a shape that fits and flatters your body.

--from The Pocket Stylist, by Kendall Farr.

DIY Makeover: Quote of the Day

Stylish: wearing clothes that suit your personality, your body shape, proportions and colouring along with good grooming and a great pair of shoes will make you stylish.

--from Inside Out Style.

Great Links I Found to Cool Info About Looking Great, or What I Do When I'm Sick

So. Yesterday I felt pretty crummy. Tired, wrung out, and coughing all day. Actually, that should be COUGHING. It wasn't so much the quantity as the quality, meaning, I didn't cough non-stop, but when I did cough it was powerful.


Anyway.

I took the time to do some hands-on internet research about fashion, style, clothing, and creating your image, and I'd like to share. (I've also told myself no more studying till I've digested what I've already learned.)

Here are some great places to go learn about style and fashion, especially if you're over forty:

Inside Out Style. I learned about Color and Value and Contrast and Proportion. And the gal there likes to put together outfits and show you what she means. Very helpful.

Of A Certain Age. Subtitled "Musings, Stylings and Inspirations for Grownup Women."

Real Style, Real People. Subtitled "AN AFFORDABLE AND REALISTIC TAKE ON STYLE! For those of us who've left our twenties in the dust, or thirties, or fourties..." My favorite thing on this blog is when she posts a photo of a celebrity and then a photo of how she recreated their great outfit.

And here's one I really like: Fabulous After Forty-- Fashion and beauty advice to help you Tweak Your Chic™. The two gals who write the blog are fashion savvy and enthusiastic, which is fun and encouraging, and they also publish a FREE bi-weekly e-zine that you can have sent to your inbox, which of course I have done.

I have written before about what I have learned about creating a wardrobe, and now I'm learning about how to have style. It's fun, even if a little overwhelming, and I'm determined to begin now to be the person I want to be in this second half of my life.

Brief Makeover Update

I had a chance to try out my new wardrobe this past weekend at the conference we were at. It was a smashing success: the other ladies on the worship team-- who had no idea I had been making myself over-- had incredibly nice things to say about me and my new look. (One outfit I wore: Black tailored, fitted shirt; black leather skirt; black tights; black patent sandals; grey metallic cardigan; white scarf; necklace with matching earrings) I'm very pleased with the result, since these ladies are very well-dressed themselves, so I think I got an "A"!

I've been looking around some more, seeing what else I can learn, and basically trying to brainwash myself, so to speak, into thinking more stylishly, and I found an interesting comment in the book "Staging Your Comeback: A Complete Beauty Revival for Women Over 45" by Christopher Hopkins. The author said that too often for woman our age, our fashion shows more about who we have been than who we are now. He encourages woman to make a statement about who they actually are now.

That has stuck with me, and I've been thinking about it. I agree, with one slight modification: I want how I dress to be indicative of who I want to become in this next half of my life. I really am not sure who I am at this point. But I'm beginning to have an inkling of what I'd like to BE.

In which the weather can't make up its mind

We're home after our weekend adventure. I say "adventure" because after a beautiful spring day Friday, on Saturday a spring storm came through and threatened to snow us all in. By mid-morning, the interstate was closed west of us to the Wyoming line. Therefore, the people in charge decided to end the conference early: at noon Saturday, instead of five o'clock.

We got out of there at two, after tearing down the sound gear and packing up, etc. It was snowing pretty good, and had been for a couple of hours. After a while we drove into rain, and it rained on us most of the two and a half hours home. Shortly after we got home we heard the town sirens go off and learned that two tornadoes touched down a few miles from us.

It rained most of the night, turning to snow by morning. When we got up Sunday our electricity was off, and there was snow on the ground and snow stuck all over our trees. Good thing the trees haven't leafed out yet, or there would have been a lot of damage from the heavy, wet snow.

It was our Sunday on the worship team, so we got ready for church, and headed the van out. The interstate was covered with a thick layer of frozen slush, the wind was strong, and there was lots of snow in the air. It wasn't actually snowing much, but the high winds were whipping the snow around and visibility was very poor. Also, the road was slick and we kept sliding around. We could only go 35 mph. Then we noticed we were the only vehicle on the road, except for one sand truck/snow plow. After a very few miles Hubby decided this was ridiculous. At that rate our trip to church would take well over an hour instead of 45 minutes.

We called our worship leader and told her we were turning back, and at the next exit we discovered that the interstate was CLOSED. I'm not sure, but we might have only gotten on because of a fluke-- the gate post at our exit had been broken off by somebody sliding on the ice. (I had actually seen the broken post, and had said, "See? I told you that was a stupid place for a post on that curve! It's right where someone would hit it if they were going a little too fast and missed the corner." Which I always say because Hubby loves to play race car driver on the entrance ramp, and it always looked to me like he was going to hit that post!)

Since the interstate was closed, we couldn't go either west (on to church) OR east (back home) and had to drive gravel. It was pretty much white-out all the way. I'm glad we were only a few miles from home.

Back home, down in our little valley, it was once again a picture-postcard-perfect day. Very little wind, pretty snow on everything. Electricity back on. By afternoon, the temperature had come up and the roads cleared themselves nicely.

Today, it's sunny, but too windy and wet for Hubby to do the tree work he has lined up, so he is in the shop, making bowls on his turning lathe. Swede is here too-- Hubby called him up early and said, "We got pancakes and eggs, if you bring the bacon!" Swede has his turning lathe here too, and it's a party!

Still Here, Still Thinking--Wanna Join Me?

Tonight I'm trying to head off to bed early, but it's not working. MB3 is working with someone else (besides Hubby) tomorrow and needs a lunch packed by 6:15am. Have you ever had to pack a full meal and two snacks for an 18-year-old boy who is working on a roof all day? It's quite a task believe me. However, I have all but the sandwiches ready to go already, so I won't have to think too hard at 6 in the morning. And then I'll have an hour before I have to pack DrummerDude's lunch. Think it's enough time for a nap? :)

Then, at noon, Hubby and I and GuitarGeek head out to help with a conference-- it's a yearly event that we've participated in for several years now. We will be taking a sound system and our instruments, and will be playing on the worship team tomorrow night and Saturday. I'm looking forward to it.

I've been a little anxious about my wardrobe for the weekend, but not for my usual reasons. Usually, I'm uptight because I don't know how to come up with something dressy out of my limited wardrobe. But this year, I have lots of choices! It's just been a matter of what the weather will be. Hubby just checked the forecast, and now I know: dress for spring tomorrow (sunny, high temp of nearly 60), and winter on Saturday (4-7 inches of snow!) That's spring in Nebraska for you!

I have a lot of things I've been thinking about lately, as I mentioned the last time I posted, and I've written quite a few posts in my head. Sorry you've missed out on all that. Some of it's been pretty deep and soul-searching. I've agonized over doctrine, and other questions of faith. I've been surprised at anger (my own), sorrowful over selfishness (yes, my own), annoyed at pet peeves. If I'd been writing all those things down it would not have been a very pretty place here the last couple of weeks; although, it might have been interesting. (More interesting than say, no posts at all?)

Well, if you'd like to start a conversation, go to No Longer Quivering and take a look around. One of the blog writers is from my home state, and I used to read the paper she edited, as well as the columns she wrote. Her recent sudden 180 degree turnaround, away from God, has been quite a shock to me (and is one of the things that's been on my mind.) After you read her story, I'd love to have you come back here and tell me what you think.

I probably won't be around till Monday, or maybe Sunday, so you have plenty of time to decide what to say!