All things EARTH...

[MJC]

Continuing on, with a good one and a so so.

 

 

The full length version of this photo was SO bad, you don't get to see it! But, here is a knee-length purple tank swing dress that is already on the Goodwill pile for being too big. As soon as I saw the photo the sweater had to go, just too much volume between that and the dress. This is one of those cases where now that my belly is smaller, the dress just blew out and looked like a sack, unlike the brown dress I posted before where the fitted bodice helps give me some shape. I wore my nude pumps again.

 

I'm just not sure about this color, either. It's so in the middle, not really EARTH, but not too blue either. Hmm.

 

 

 

Here is a daytime outfit, my absolute favorite t-shirt and a great sun hat, not too big and not too small. I had on tan capris and my brown sandals. I have a great green and blue necklace that I usually wear with this, but it was just too hot for jewelry that day:

 

 

You can see why I like this shirt, it makes my eyes look so blue. :) It goes with olive green, light green, tan, gold, brown, or blue. So versatile.

[MJC]

Here are my last two pics of my formal night outfits.

 

First, the full length blue one from before (this picture benefits a lot from the beautiful warm professional lighting). Again, this dress is a little big on me now and I don't think that helped at all:

 

 

 

For the second formal night I wore the teal dress I bought this summer. It has sequins here and there so has a bit of sparkle but not too much. After I saw the picture, I tipped my head over and shook my hair out a bit more so it didn't look so tight. I think this length is my sweet spot and makes my legs look so nice:

 

 

 

I had nude nails and coral toes. I got this dress on sale at TJ Maxx for only $30, and I think it is a great lesson that color and fit are more important than how much you spend. The next time I wear it I'm going to try gold accessories and shoes, and copper eye shadow instead of turquoise.

 

So, that's it for the cruise photos. Now I have to plan another cruise so I can start thinking about my clothes again. :)

[MJC]

Two recent spreads from W magazine that pair emerald green with warm colors. I love the idea of a gold dress with green shoes!

 

 

 

[laurspag]

Margaret, that second group of clothes with all the gold and lace, etc....oh, I'm in love!!!

 

After wearing my navy blue suit tonight, and seeing you in your dark blue formal dress, I can honestly say it is way better than black or gray! Your dark blue dress has a touch of warmth to it, actually.

 

The second dress is really a great style for you. I agree on the length too, it's just right for you. I think it makes you look proportional. I use that term a lot lately, but I think it's one of the big thngs in learning how to dress the most flattering way.

 

Seeing your locale, I would imagine you have a ton of places to shop!

[Anita Latte]

I'm finally posting the photos from DH's company holiday party. It was a "Holiday Casual" party. Since I have such a severely limited winter wardrobe...this is what I came up with...and it was very appropriate:

 

 

 

Some of you may recognize this shirt from Mom. It's too big for her now...so I have inherited it. These photos aren't the best because I'm so flushed from running all around the house to get ready. And can you believe how much my hair has grown! I'm getting it cut next Tuesday.

 

Margaret...I also love that T-shirt you love! And the hat is fabulous... I don't know if it's the lighting for the Navy photo or not...that's a great photo. I know the lighting and situation can do that though...Mom has a photo of her wearing a black formal and she looks absolutely gorgeous because the background was her colors. We have formal photos taken on that background...so I've seen it IRL...and it is super flattering for us EARTH ladies. That teal dress though...va-va-voom!! You are HOT in that photo! Totally glad to hear you messed your hair up a bit...you have a bit of a retro look that's nice...but I think the messy do would be even better...and I agree with trying the gold accessories.

[aoknkentucky]

Holy Cow, Anita. What was it CJW used to say? Squeeeeee!!!!!!

 

You look GREAT! Happy, relaxed, and festive. And, I love seeing you in the Pam/Anita top. I'd love to have one just like it.

 

Margaret, I agree with Anita. You look mah-va-lishous in that teal dress.

 

--Fire Sister, Debbie

[MJC]

Wow, Anita, you look awesome in that top! And I love the bronze sandals with it.

 

Thanks, ladies, for the compliments on my teal dress. I do have a bit of a retro vibe. I would be very happy on Mad Men. In my early twenties I was always wearing my mom's clothes from the late 50's, all those pencil skirts and structured handbangs.

 

For anyone doing the Style Statement book, I think this segment (in three parts) from Dr. Oz is a nice complement. He talks with Nate Berkus about having a "design for dealing with stress," and the design/health connection:

 

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/nate-berkus-things-matter

 

I think about these things a lot as I continue to wade through my closet and edit, and try to deal with all the other clutter in life as well. My positive step for this week was to buy a shredder and clean out my file cabinets. Not very sexy, but it sure felt good! Also, I am always inspired to work out when people talk about being active and getting exercise.

[Joby]

I'm finally posting the photos from DH's company holiday party. It was a "Holiday Casual" party. Since I have such a severely limited winter wardrobe...this is what I came up with...and it was very appropriate:

 

 

 

Some of you may recognize this shirt from Mom. It's too big for her now...so I have inherited it. These photos aren't the best because I'm so flushed from running all around the house to get ready. And can you believe how much my hair has grown! I'm getting it cut next Tuesday.

 

Margaret...I also love that T-shirt you love! And the hat is fabulous... I don't know if it's the lighting for the Navy photo or not...that's a great photo. I know the lighting and situation can do that though...Mom has a photo of her wearing a black formal and she looks absolutely gorgeous because the background was her colors. We have formal photos taken on that background...so I've seen it IRL...and it is super flattering for us EARTH ladies. That teal dress though...va-va-voom!! You are HOT in that photo! Totally glad to hear you messed your hair up a bit...you have a bit of a retro look that's nice...but I think the messy do would be even better...and I agree with trying the gold accessories.

 

 

Love the picture, Anita :)

[MJC]

Due to my cold I'm getting a chance to wade through some magazines from November. This article from People Style on Luxe Finds for under $100 has some very nice EARTH items. I especially like the mock croc pumps and the gold sequin Tshirt:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, here is one of those outfits that can go from day to night. I would wear it with a jacket and more serious shoes for work, and change into the high shoes for evening:

 

[laurspag]

I have some catching up to do!

 

Anita, I love that top. It is definitely something I would wear. What are the temps like out there right now? Those colors are fantastic.

 

We are around the mid 40s today, and it is rather damp outside. I've got a nice warm sweater on today.

 

Margaret, I keep going back to look at your formal photo with navy dress. Boy, It really does have a warmth to it, I can imagine that it can be made even warmer yet with some bolder gold jewelry, shoes and a clutch. My duaghter is a fire, and one of her go to colors is bright clear navy. I feel like your dress is a dark version of this, to some degree.

 

I very much enjoy the pictures you post from Vogue and other magazines. That top from Forever 21 is so cute, and a great price. My daughters love that store. They just opened a larger store at the mall, which is 2 floors. When you are on the second level, the clothing is grouped by color, which I adore. It is mostly sized for teens/juniors, but they now have sections for young men and plus sizes. I dream of a store for me that is sorted by color tone, lol. My daughters not only love the store in general, but they love they way the clothing is grouped. Being young, they aren't as dedicated as we are to color theory, but they give a lot more thought to it since I found out I was an earth. One of my daughters is an earth also, and the other is a fire. They are great to shop with.

 

The fur collar cardigan is cute. I think it would be a bit too much for me to wear, because I don't need to add anything to the chest area. But, I really, really like it.

[MJC]

Laurie, I'm glad you like my fashion posts. I find that the time I spend on looking through a magazine or two each month helps me to narrow my focus when I'm in the shops and not be so distracted by things that aren't right for me. I'm obviously from my pictures not a total slave to fashion, but I like to keep up on what's going on. I guess my biggest fear is that I look like a boring middle-aged English teacher. :) Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

Your comment about my navy formal photo got me to look at it again. The lighting is so beautiful and I have to admit that it makes both my skin and the dress more luminous than in real life. It has a peachy golden glow to it that is very flattering both to me and to my husband. FWIW, I think navy is still problematic for us EARTH girls, but as I said before maybe not as dire as black or gray. I think proper makeup and accessories can really help it along. I'd love to hear what you wore to your party with your suit. Was it sparkly?

 

I agree with you about the fur-collared cardigan; I love that style but it is just too much bulk up top for me. I've been tempted by a coat or two like that as well, but they always go right back on the hangar. Something to admire from afar, I guess. The other thing I really liked in that article was the tweedy purple coat.

 

Believe it or not, I stepped into Forever 21 for the first time a few weeks back when I was shopping for the holidays. I was drawn in by the window which was showing lots of this beautiful muted pale turquoise/blue color. They also had a lot of that pale peachy pink that is coming for spring, and a lot of ivory and gold. I just wandered around looking at the colors, I think they have a lot right now in EARTH shades. I was tempted to buy something for my goddaughter but she is an ICE, so I behaved myself and just looked. She is the only girl I get to buy for since I have a passel of nephews but no nieces.

[laurspag]

Margaret, every year my niece sells magazine subscriptions, and I order a magazine I end up not liking. This year, I went with In Style, thinking about all the fashion posts you make. I just got my first issue, and I'm really liking it. I love the way it gets me thinking about styles, what looks good, what doesn't. Even if a section seems focused on a color that isn't earth, I find that as I go through the magazine, I find things that are earthy for us. It reminds me that I need to do the same thing when I shop - open my eyes and really look around.

 

Forever 21 has got to be both of my daughters' favorite store. I think the huge color selection and the layout of the store has both of them buying a lot more of colors that are ideal for them.

 

I found a really cute scarf today in Target. It would look fabulous with that green skirt and champagne top. It was just $14.00 or $15.00. Did I get it? No....I guess I'm in Christmas mode and too focused on getting ready for the holidays. I have a ton to do between now and then. I felt guilty about not grabbing it. I may just stop back, or ask my daughter to grab it for me when she is out, since I only saw one!

[MJC]

I saw a picture of a beautiful Dennis Basso (who?) lavender gown, and in hunting for it online I came across his Spring 2013 show which has lots of lovely champagne colors:

 

http://www.meniscuszine.com/articles/2012121219407/new-york-fashion-week-spring-2013-dennis-basso/

 

 

My favorite is in the sixth row, last column.

 

Scary expensive stuff, but oh so pretty!

[MJC]

Laurie, I like In Style too, it's my airport candy. I like that it has some real world outfits, not so fashion crazy as the fashion mags. I also like when they do side-by-side comparisons of different women in the same thing, and who styled it better.

 

You should have grabbed that scarf! In New York there are no second chances, you have to grab something you like or it's gone. I can never buy shoes on sale here, especially if I'm looking for something specific, and if you haven't bought a bathing suit by April, good luck!

[MJC]

A few more things from my November reading. First, animal prints! I love a bit of animal print in the fall, it makes me less sad about summer being over, and says I'm just a little bit sassy:

 

 

 

I love the brown zebra print, not too overwhelming but still fun.

[MJC]

Red, red, red:

 

Calvin Klein does so much black and white, so I don't think of "muted" when I think of him, but still this is a pretty red, though it might be too deep and clear for us:

 

 

I love the tomato red of this dress, I wonder if there are other styles in a similar color -- oh just checked and this dress is now 50% off:

 

 

I don't know if this scanned properly, but it is the MOST GORGEOUS brick red Zac Posen, love it want it love it:

 

[MJC]

This might be a better view of that last one:

 

http://emmanueltjiya.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/jessica-chastain-takes-the-heiress-to-vogue/

[MJC]

I'm all packed for Florida, with not a single black thing in my suitcase. :) I'm mostly doing reds and purples, with a little blue.

 

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is my gift to you, a list of tips for shopping that we all know but forget from time to time. I have the most trouble with 5 and 6. And I don't believe #8 -- I do have some rules that I just can't break, like white shoes after Labor Day, and I think only the bride should be wearing white on her wedding day, and sometimes you must wear black to a funeral, to name a few.

 

Enjoy the list, and have a great holiday!

 

 

[laurspag]

There is some good advice there, Margaret. I do try to buy wisely. I'm not one to buy expensive items overall, but I do want quality. I have found that NY & Co. has very nice pants for work, and they are made very well. They run around $50.00 a pair, but I get all sorts of coupons, and they have big sales. I never pay full price, and I get a good item for the money.

 

One of the suggestions here in that article is to buy mostly classics, so you have the ability to wear everything frequently, and long term. That is what I try to do. I wouldn't say I'm the trendy type, as banking doesn't really allow for that. But, I can try to find unique jewelry to liven things up, and make me feel less clone like. I find myself doing that with my non work clothes too.

 

Right now, I have my eye on a steam punk necklace on Etsy. It is $39.00 and it is handmade. I'm sure it is worth that price, but I don't spend that much on a non work item, generally speaking. Here is a link:

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92366429/steampunk-clock-pendant-necklace-on-long?ref=usr_faveitems

 

Maybe after the holidays, if it's still there! I think it is different and unique, but not strange or overwhelming. I even saw a lovely vintage rhinestone neclace set in goldtone at an antique shop a few days ago. It was $68.00 for the neclace, bracelet and brooch. I will have to maybe ask for it to be taken out of the case for closer inspection. It would be a wonderful thing to wear on formal night!

[laurspag]

Wow, I'm just beat! I have gotten used to taking some vacation time each year at Christmas. TGIF, almost! We have been getting clobbered with snow too.

 

Speaking of which....we often talk about how we are all friends. I was wondering if the weather was bad for you in NYC the past day or so, Margaret. I was wondering too if you, Anita, have the good fortune of not having snow, lol. Really though, I don't mind it. I love having 4 distinct seasons. Despite all that, I am petrified driving in it. Supposely, we got something like ten inches of snow last night, but since my husband was out there with the snowblower, I can definitely say we were closer to about 13 inches. Plus, it was snowing a little bit a short time ago, and we may be getting more over the weekend. This is all typical for here, but last year's mild winter kind of spoiled us.

 

Going on a cruise in February will be a great departure from this. I'm getting closer!

[laurspag]

Well, my dresses have come in. I already know the green formal full length dress is going with me. I am now leaning towards this new dress for the 2nd formal night. Needs a hemming! And yes, I will lose the train. I will just be tripping all over the place if I don't! But I love in in the pictures. There is actually a detachable part that I didn't have on the picture, that just has a few details to it. Since I'm not keeping the train as a whole, I didn't take a picture of the detachable train.

 

 

[laurspag]

Here is a shorter dress I threw in at last minute. You may remember that I mentioned that I didn't really have formal wear, except for a strapless ivory dress so I've been looking to build up to around 5 dresses, so I can change them around from cruise to cruise. This one here, I'd wear any given night.

 

[MJC]

Oh, Laurie, that gold dress is delicious! You look so beautiful! Snaps for you :) That brown one is beautiful too. You must be so excited that your cruise is coming up soon!

 

We have no plans to travel in 2013, which is kind of sad. DH started his new job in December and as a startup there is a lot to do this year. I'm hoping to visit family in Seattle during Spring Break on my own, but no cruises planned, unfortunately. :(

 

 

Here are two tops I got for Christmas:

 

http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/brands/liz-claiborne/women/liz-claiborne-long-sleeve-cowl-neck-print-top/prod.jump?ppId=pp5002040321&catId=cat100210006&deptId=dept20000013&N=224 1409&topDim=Brand&topDimvalue=liz+claiborne&dimCombo=Brand%7CColor%7C&dimComboVal=liz+claiborne%7Creds%7C&currentDim=Color&currentDimVal=reds

 

http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/brands/liz-claiborne/women/liz-claiborne-long-sleeve-print-v-neck-t-shirt/prod.jump?ppId=pp5001790119&cmvc=JCP|dept20000013|cat100210006|RICHREL&grView=&eventRootCatId=&currentTabCatId=&regId=

 

 

I think after I wash them a couple times I'm going to tea stain them to darken the ivory a bit. These are the style of top I like for work, and I've had to purge so many in the last year that I really needed these!

 

At this time last year I decided to start my "a different outfit for every day at work" project, which was so enlightening. When I look at my closet and the changes wrought there it makes me very happy, because there is clearly a focus to what is going on with my clothes now. It's by no means a finished process, but I feel like I have a method for dealing with my wardrobe that is so much more practical yet still makes me feel happy about what I'm wearing. I'm still going to make mistakes, but hopefully fewer of them!

 

My New Year's resolution is to re-read my Style Statement book every winter, and renew my commitment to being aware of my environment and how it is affecting and reflecting my moods and thoughts. I foresee some challenging times ahead with my aging parents, and I don't want to lose focus on what I need to do to help myself stay healthy, mentally and physically, during the changes that will come.

 

So, my plans for 2013:

 

- continue to wean myself from black

- continue my weight loss plan

- find a brown work pant to replace the one LL Bean doesn't make anymore, that was my favorite for work

- find an EARTH red bathing suit for next summer :)

- wear my dresses more often

 

 

So, does anyone else have EARTH goals for the new year?

[laurspag]

I try not to make New Year's resolutions in the sense that we think of them. In my case, I've made some recent decisions/changes, and I'm looking to continue them and strengthen them. In many ways, it is as you have described for yourself.

 

- I want to continue taking better care of myself, doing things such as making healthy food choices.

- I want to continue reading! I stopped reading because it was too difficult with the small print and I got a Nook last year for Christmas. I can enlarge the font size to just what I like!

- I want to continue working on better clothing choices for my body shape and size.

- I want to work towards two vacations a year. One cruise, one exploring another part of the US.

[laurspag]

I am really loving the gold dress. It is actually a little big. I can wear it as is, but when I move the shoulders up a bit and taper the sides, I can see how much nicer it looks. For this reason, I will probably bring it to my seamstress either just before the cruise or right after, with the intention of bringing it on my next one.

 

I am bringing the green and brown full length dresses for this cruise. I haven't really had the brown one on since getting it hemmed, and when I put it on this weekend, it laid a bit different on me, in a good way. I'm not really sure most people would see the difference, but I knew because I knew how it fit before.

 

I would love a full lenth dress in red or rust. Forest green is very elusive to find.

 

You know how you talk about weaning yourself from black? Well, I don't really have a problem with black. I think it helps that when I was younger, my mother wouldn't let me wear black. Seriously, she wouldn't! I wore it for a while in pants, shoes and skirts, but not near my face. I started wearing it in tops and dresses for about a year or so before I found out I was an earth. It has been easy to give up for me, overall. I still have two pair of black pants I wear occasionally, because they now fit!

 

My weakness is red and rust. The rust is easy, because it's the right color. I have to watch reds though. I do pretty good staying away from those with a strong purple or blue undertone, but there are a few reds I like that I'm not really sure about.