Mr. Josephs wide brim straw hat.

  

    I just love this hat for some reason. Saw it on Ebay and immediately fell for the nice tight weave, decent size brim and the price. I could see it needed a little TLC, but not much! So I figured "Why not?".   
    I was in for a shock when it arrived on my doorstep. Opened the door and there sat a dilapidated hat box! The lid was coming apart, the box sides were bent/crushed/smooshed, torn in spots, the actual bottom of the box was only connected by maybe two inches of paper.... all this was connected with two long strips of tape that crisscrossed the entirety of it. The address was a scrap of paper taped on the top. The hat sat alone inside of this cardboard disaster!
   I still can't figure out how he taped it without the whole thing coming apart, much less how the Postal Service delivered this from Colorado to Florida! And it DID NOT disintegrate in their hands!!!! My hat is off to them! (no pun intended)   Wish I'd had the presence of mind to photograph it.  An example of "This is how NOT to package ANYTHING!!!"   I was sent reeling into a state of shock at the sight of it.... just unreal! hahaha   All I can say is there was a kindly energy making certain that this little hat arrived safely into my care.
    But.... back to the hat. I just love the weave, need to find a good milliner for advice on how to clean and restore. Also more info on the brim edge, its that folded under type of finish. Of course it needs a little shaping and care. And those flowers.... oh my! they need "plumped up".




The sides start out "normal" enough.



The front is where it turns into a little hot mess.. of floral!

 

    Now the netting is where I'm really tempted to start tampering. Its sooooo orange! Now that makes it bright and perky and all that, but I can't help wondering if I toned it down a bit ~ would I love it even more? It would definitely go with a wider range of clothing.




See what I mean about the orange?




Just have to show this weave. LOVE it!

     Is it fashionable? No.   Is it stylish? Well... NO.   Is it loads of fun? HELL YEAH!!  And that's the most important reason to wear it. hahaha 

Spirits and hats... oh my!

   As the full moon approaches I was fairly certain that I'd be writing some long missive on the emotional & physical aspects of being a caregiver to my elderly mother...... instead, I woke up this morning and after tending to all the pets... I tried on hats! There I was, still in my nightgown, standing on the bed and stretching towards the shelves! I went through about half the hat boxes I have in the bedroom and just tried each and every hat on.   Some I hadn't worn in ages. Others I've never worn out in public. Its been years since I've had the time or the energy to put together a nice outfit and top it off with a really nice or fun headpiece!
    You know what? I have some really nice hats! hahaha!!   It was a grand way to start the day. I even got to thinking about how much my paternal grandmother would have enjoyed my hat "cravings". 
    Lulu was quite the understated fashionista!  She LOVED clothes! And SHOPPING! Mom used to tell me stories about when she was a newlywed and Lulu would drag her to Baltimore on shopping trips. My mom would wear out by mid-afternoon and Lulu would send her home by train.... then return in the evening with her packages in tow. What I would give to be able to go along on one of those trips!!! Mind you, this was in the late 40's. What an era!
    So anyway, when I went over to sit with mom she started telling me how she had dreamed about Lulu last night! Said she hadn't dreamed of her in years and years. She didn't remember any details, but that's ok. I thought it was great that my grandmother got "in touch".  And with the Veil being so thin right now and the moon growing every night... I wasn't that surprised. 
    You just have to love it when little things like this happen! chuckle

Some slightly, but not really, random thoughts!

Top to bottom: Soft pink linen capris, yellow silk slacks, dyed cotton "hippie" sundress! Love all these colors.

    Read a wonderful blog post yesterday. The writer described how she loves clothes, always has, and that her style has evolved as she has gotten older. (I'm hearing this a LOT lately!)  I absolutely loved it when she said her present style was ... "a mix between hippy, goth, witchy and Stevie Nicks (with a bit of Steampunk thrown in on occasion)."     Yep, I know there will be several ladies that will be hollering "YES" to that description! hahaha   Oh my, those were the days!
    I think I'm supposed to ask permission to post a link, so I'll just tell you that it was on Tansy Firedragon's Tome.  Y'all know how to look up things like that... so go over and check her out!
    The other point she made, that struck near and dear to my own heart, was the comfort factor. Now this is something I hear from LOTS of women as the years accumulate. I do believe I see a trend..... chuckle..... Crones want comfort and functionality. And we want it wrapped in BEAUTY! We want garments that drape, flow and swirl ~ yet are practical for whatever work we are doing. 
   (Think my next post will be on the impractical aspects of what folks used to consider ritual wear. It will be a lesson in staying safe! hee hee hee)   
    Then she also touched upon that horrid little bug-a-boo of affordability. That's where I consider myself very lucky.   1st: I have a sewing machine... though its STILL buried in the closet. And I'm pretty sure that I still have enough sewing skills to alter and make clothes. Though I should probably look around for a refresher course or good book. hahaha      2nd: I have a thrift shop just down the street that has 50% off on all clothing on Wednesdays!  SWEET!!!     
    But seriously, that place has been a treasure trove. Even though I work every Wed. morning and I care for my mom in the afternoon... I can still pop up there when Mom lays down for one of her naps. (Its that close.)     Have found quite a few linen pants lately.  Mostly capris, this is Florida after all, but since I'm kind of on the short side some of them are almost regular length on me! haha     I always go to the men's section too. I just can't have enough big flannel shirts for cooler weather! But I've also bought several XXL shirts that I want to try altering.   Back when I was young, and thin, I used to take the larger shirts and just roll up the sleeves, then either tie them at the waist or put on a nice big belt!  With thin legged jeans or a pencil skirt it looked really good! 
    Even bought a pair of yellow silk slacks that looked atrocious on me. Regular price is $3.25... half is $1.63 + tax. For that amount of money I can't go to the fabric shop and buy that much silk! Will cut up and use as an accent material.    (See where sewing comes in handy?)  
    Think that about catches up on whats happening in the closet!  *Except for I have got to get someone to take some photos!!!!  I missed participating in the Style Crone's Hat Attack.... again!  And I have so many hats that I want to show off!  chuckle
   

A little gripe.. a little ramble.

  So.... what to do when someone, in the nicest way possible mind you, lets it be known that in her opinion some women are too fat and poor to be able to dress nicely and/or stylishly.  No, it wasn't even directed at me... at least I don't think so.  (If I DID feel that she was talking directly to me, then the next part of the conversation would  have begun with a "Now listen up, BITCH.")  No, this gal was one of those people who is so brainwashed by our culture and media that she can't see past all those fake images.   
   And the sad part is, I have to admit that it struck a chord deep within me.  I've been programmed that way too. And its hard to jump out of that mental track that my thoughts have been trained to and hop over into a groove that is made especially for me. One in which I feel authentic and comfortable. As corny as it may sound, in trying to find my "style" I'm actually finding myself.
   And one of the things I've found is that a part of me is straight out of the 40's and 50's!!! I guess that's because of how my mother and aunts dressed when I was small. I just LOVE the HATS!!! Oh my! I ADORE them! Of course, the fitted bodices and nipped in waists do not work very well with my body shape. But I intend to maneuver that aspect around a bit.  One of the reasons I get such a kick out of this "discovery" about myself is because its such a polar opposite to the whole lagenlook way of dressing!  But hey! I can do both. And the hats are really versatile... so its all good!
   And while I've touched on the subject, I'll go ahead and say that YES, I intend to lose some weight.... but not from the same stance as my mother. It seems like she was almost always dieting. That last 10 pounds! And trust me, Mom didn't need to diet. But like so many women she was told that being thinner was better. And she bought into it.   No, I need to take off some of this weight because of my back and knee injuries. As my body ages, this becomes more and more evident! chuckle    The wise folks say to "listen to your body!", and they say that for a reason!!!     Our bodies have their own wisdom, and we should really be on the same page with our body! hahah  We should all strive to not be separate from it. It just makes sense. 
    I want to be able to enjoy myself now and in the years to come. Feeling good is more important than looking good. But it would be nice to do both, don't you think?
  

Too hot for clothes!

   So much for style. Its just too hot!!!  And humid!!! Going naked has more appeal than getting dressed... clothes are just too warm to wear. And it isn't even August yet. Oh my!  Same for most jewelry. It absorbs the heat from my skin and intensifies it!   Did I forget to mention the heat rash? It feels HORRIBLE!!!  And my part-time job is doing pack out in a bakery.... in front of those big ovens.  I tell you, I'm really hating the heat right now.

    In contrast, or maybe because of all this heat, I've been obsessing on Autumnal colors. My last couple of trips to the thrift shop have yielded several blouses in that color range.  Earthy pumpkin orange is calling to me! hahaha 
 

 

 

Well, its a start. chuckle

 

Arrival of the sari fabric.

   So, a few weeks ago I discovered that you could buy old saris. I thought that might be a good source of some interesting and different fabric for my Crone Closet. Well it looks as if I was right! These are the first two that arrived. I think they're going to layer and drape just beautifully!!

    I've also come a bit closer to finding a "style". Thanks to Pinterest (again!) I stumbled across something called the Lagenlook.... interesting. Then I came upon a page filled with photos of some of the most fun looking clothes by the designer Gudrun Sjoden. Not all of them tickled my fancy, but quite a few had that long, breezy look that I love so much!!  And the layering. I'm really getting excited about this project again!!!    Now to dig out my old patterns to see what I can modify and head off to the fabric store to check out the new ones. Also to find out what materials are available around here. I desperately need some solids!

Got lucky this time!

    Did you ever do something without thinking it through real well? Then kick yourself for it? Well, I did that last week... I was perusing the usual internet shopping sites looking for a red bracelet. Found a few, some went on watch lists and I placed bids on a small handful.  
    Now, I know better than to jump in without checking the shipping cost. But I overlooked that on one bid. Oh, how I cringed!!! To ship was $6.99!!!!  The bid was for .99 cents!!!!! The photo wasn't that good either. What the heck was I thinking?  I kept hoping that someone else would bid higher.... and, of course, they didn't.  Well, I wouldn't even consider trying to back out. It WAS my mistake! Time to suck it up and learn to be more careful next time.
    Well, it arrived in the mail today. I now have a RED bracelet! A BIG RED bracelet!!!!
     Big, chunky, heavy and bright!  Forgot to take a photo to show the translucency.  The original listing said it was Lucite, (I don't know my plastics very well.) and it weighed in at 116 grams. I'll have to find a chart on weights. This thing has quite the heft to it!
     The geometric pattern shifts around as the bracelet moves. And what a color! A rich candy apple red. Well, at least in my opinion. Have no idea what I'm going to wear with this. She definitely commands attention! hahaha

I've decided to name her "Big Red".

  

Blossom approves! Or perhaps she is staring in awe...

And the search is on! Not real successfully, but hey!

    Spent a few hours off and on this afternoon researching and reading articles, blogs, etc... on fashion and style for women over 50. I was really hoping it would help. I'm looking all over for hints and tips and perhaps that perfect formula that will help me recreate my wardrobe and my style of dressing. But, like most things, the articles were conflicting. Some took that stereotypical stance of older gals need to cut their hair short, wear neutrals and blacks, etc... Others stated that pretty much anything goes, just look mature doing it. Yes, I'm over simplifying, but not by much. Looks like I will just go ahead and figure it out myself!!!
    I mean, I know what I like.  And then, I know how I'd like to look! haha  Not always the same thing.  There was one that had a quiz to find what your dominant goddess archetype is and how to dress accordingly. That was actually pretty interesting, as well as being fairly accurate.
    Guess I was hoping for guidance of a more detailed nature. Think I will just keep looking and reading. I've managed to glean some very helpful tips that way.  Plus there is always Pinterest!! Seriously, I have seen some wonderful garments on there that I would love to wear!

     In the meantime, I'm looking at what I have for accessories. Mainly jewelry and scarves at this point. Especially bangle bracelets. I like they way they feel on my arms!  You know, I love bakelite and other early plastics, but the more I learn about how I should be caring for them... the better Lucite and similar plastics look. So I'll start looking around for some of those pieces. Need to group them according to color. So I'll start with the blues and greens! Ebay, watch out! haha
   Update: Since writing the above.... no, I didn't post it, just stashed it away... I have played around with the plastics a little more. Will definitely have to stay with the older stuff!! The heavier the better! The really light weight pieces just don't feel "right". And the new pieces feel downright odd.
    Have ordered a vintage wooden bangle off of Ebay. I used to wear those when I was a teenager!  Now they're "vintage". Sheesh!   Always liked the way they felt. And hey, if I could get a hold of some that are unfinished I could do some artwork on them. Talk about a personalized jewelry statement. Now THAT would be the way I'd like to do it!

These photos show a few of my "keepers". At least for now.
I just love the colors!!!

The Importance of Putting One's Self Together!

    Had a wonderful little discussion this afternoon with an older friend about how important it is to begin each day by "putting one's Self together". Its a ritual that many women, and men, have somehow lost. Myself included. Well, I didn't actually lose it.... I misplaced it! chuckle   My life has become so crammed full of "stuff" to do, that I've neglected to give myself the time necessary for that morning ritual of dressing. Preparing oneself for the day ahead, regardless of what it might bring.

"I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little ~ if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And its always best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."                        ~ Coco Chanel

    Since I'm intent upon reorganizing and transforming my life, I feel that its essential to reintroduce this as soon as possible! 
    Its going to take a while for me to organize my clothes and such. I'm going to HAVE to dig out my sewing machine and reacquaint myself with it. Have quite a few clothes to be mended, altered and "recreated". This ought to be loads of fun!  But that will take some time... so first I'll focus on a dressing table. I don't have one, but.... I do have an old sewing machine cabinet out in the storage shed. That should do nicely for now. A little later I'll find someone who can modify it. It will need a drawer added and I'll have to figure out how to finish the top of it. Wood or perhaps a beveled piece of marble.  Oh, there I go getting ahead of myself again.    First step is cleaning it up and getting it inside!!! And I'll need a mirror. Thankfully I have plenty of those and will just have to chose which one, then put it up on the wall.
    Will have to seriously consider what my personal style is, or is going to be! Just went over to Pinterest and checked out my board titled 'Fashion for my Crone Years'. I see I've collected a lot of long flowing, layered looks. So guess that's where I'll start. But I have to consider that its Summer in Florida and I need to stay as cool as possible! haha  Oh my, this is going to be interesting!