There is no photo today.

I cried my eye makeup off earlier (watching a kid’s movie, go figure); I have a puffy face from a suspected sinus infection; my chin is broken out and my hair is dirty. But this is not why I haven’t posted a photo.

I’m not posting a photo because I besides changing essentials and a long-sleeve t-shirt, I have worn the same thing all week long: my worn in, hole-in-the-knee jeans, boots and my black turtleneck sweater. Every day. Although, last night I switched the sweater for a black blazer for a school concert.

It is 13 degrees F, now, and my main goal is staying warm and this outfit seems to work (with a few blankets piled on me, as well)

So, that’s why I’m not posting a photo.
What I am loving:

I am LOVING my soft worn-in jeans. Can you ever have dark denim jeans (my preference) that are this soft and comfy? I am on a quest to find some  before next winter!

The sunshine. It is unbelievably cold, but the sun makes me smile.

My readers. I am so excited to post their photos and Q&A responses on Friday. (At least they can provide some chic clothing this week because I’m definitely not doing so.)

Anyway, that’s all. I’m off to use the neti pot, take another emergenc C, lay on the couch and hope I’m not getting even sicker. I have chills, but you would do if your house were as cold as mine!

Here’s a better view out my front window. Those are the icicles hanging down in front of my window. Today, they are actually melting a little.

charcoal sweater (gift) -- black skirt (BR, thrifted) -- black scarf (husband's closet) -- black boots (liz claiborne, consignment)

I think this is going to be my “go to” outfit the next few months. It is comfortable and warm and right now more flattering than my too tight jeans! I especially love this scarf — it is a man’s chunky scarf, I only wish it were even bigger and chunkier!!!

Also, while I would like Guerlain’s kohl, at $36 it is not practical, so I tried Loreal’s HIP kohl liner today since it was on sale at Walgreens (BOGO). I was scaring myself taking pictures, but I’ll post one anyway:

I am going to try to return the Loreal cream eyeliner though (i had rubbed most of it off the top of my lashes for this picture) it didn’t look good at all. That was my sub for the Bobbi Brown eyeliner I’ve always wanted.

I’m trying to create a smudgy smokey look, so maybe I’m better off trying eyeshadows, which I have never worn.

I ended up returning both products. I felt self conscious running errands today and even picking up the kids at school — it just doesn’t suit me. You can’t tell in this picture how dark it is, but I felt a little like a street walker! So back to softer smudgy browns for me, plus it saved me some money.
Menu:
Breakfast: small dish whole milk yogurt with raisins; cafe au lait
Lunch: 1/2 sandwich with turkey, provole, jack daniels honey mustard horseradish; few baby carrots, hunk of mozzarella
Dinner: creamy tomato pasta; romaine salad with avocado; no wine*

I get a migraine every month, like clockwork, in connection with my cycle and hormones. I can actually tell what day it will come. I knew it was going to happen today and sure enough — boom. I usually like to skip my wine with dinner on days when I have a headache. I always feel out of sorts with Excedrin Migraine in my system and for some reason wine just doesn’t appeal to me that much on these days only.

I love photography with a passion and wish I had garance’s job. Here I am taking pictures at my brother’s wedding in November.

Thanks to the lovely Girl on a Bicycle (see link to her blog on right under “inspiration”) I picked up this book by Isaac Mizrahi at the library this morning. I’m only about 30 pages into it and feel like it is already helping me re-evaluate and refine my style.

As a sort of private exercise I went through all the photos I have posted since I began doing so in May last year and saying “yea” or “nay”

Wow.

A few hits, but so, so many misses.

Photographing yourself and posting in on your blog is like having a magic mirror — clarity at last. It helps me see what doesn’t work — so many things — and what does.

I can’t explain why I don’t see the same thing just looking in the mirror, but I really don’t.

I only see it in a photo.

As a result of this ongoing evaluation, I have discarded or sold many items.

For instance, my beloved velvet ballet slippers that every male in my world told me were hideous — gone with some additional input from readers.

It also revealed to me that my favorite (and only) black slacks were so tight they looked horrific and so I’ve delegated them to a drawer in the hopes that with a few pounds back off, they will once again look flattering.

Just looking back over the past two months, I realized I despise the way my rubber snow boots look with jeans tucked into them, so I’m either going to pull my jeans down over them or find something more attractive at some point.

Having this blog is self-indulgent in a way, I admit. But it has really helped me define my style and I hope it continues to do so.

I have had so much great input from readers and I really appreciate it. That has helped a ton.

Thanks for reading and please continue to give opinions if it strikes you to do so and please have a wonderful, healthy and happy new year.

I am really drawn to wearing men’s clothing lately, maybe the cold weather brings it out in me — wanting to snuggle up in something too big and warm.
Well, my husband’s longtime friend (from high school) whom I have also known now for about 20 years was visiting this week and I was admiring his sweater. I said something to the effect that I loved his sweater and wanted to find one like that for my own wear.
Well, he whipped it off and gave it to me right on the spot.
Nice.
So here it is. It is a deep gray, nearly black, 100 percent merino wool from marshall fields that feels like cashmere. What do you think? My dream sweater is one like this that has a super, super deep v neck, but alas I haven’t found one yet and especially now on on my current budget — free or next to nothing!

Sorry, I don’t know why all these photos are miniature! Argh.

I love Spain. Maybe more than Italy and France. Probably more.

I grew up in California and Spanish words were part of our vocabulary, just tossed in as slang or whatever …. cerveza, adios, que pasa …

I took Spanish in high school and didn’t take it seriously. More than 20 years later I am still kicking myself for this. I was offended by my haughty Spanish teacher who took me to task for goofing around in class by telling me, “You cannot have class unless you speak two languages.”

My response to him (the one I said in my head) is unprintable.

Now I believe he was right.

I took several Spanish classes in college, still not very serious and then took three Spanish classes AFTER college. So you think I’d be on my way to fluency? Noooooo.

In fact, I bought this book to start from square one again with my Spanish and will continue my studies until I am fluent without any breaks for fooling around … wish me luck. I’ve procrastinated way too long.

BOOK GIFT ————————————————-
I received an awesome Christmas present this year. Adriana Trigiani sent me an uncorrected proof of her new book, Brava Valentine:

I almost never buy new books. I have mentioned this before, but I usually check a book out from the library at least once and know I love it before I ever purchase it for my bookshelves. However, I love Adriana’s books so much that I always buy them new, each and every time she has a new one.

She is very open to her readers and called into my bookclub meeting last year. Because of this, she sent me this advanced copy of her book. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

And here’s the kicker, unlike a lot of bloggers who get swag (maybe I need to find out how to get me some of that) I never have and Adriana has NO CLUE I even have a blog and how I rave and rave to everyone who will listen about how much I love her books.

Of course, I’m sure there is some publicity angle to sending me the book, but it is a down home, grass roots effort, I believe, which I find charming.

Full disclosure: If you do want to buy the book and click on my link, someday I will get some money for it. So far, my amazon account for people clicking on my links has $1.16 in it, which of course, is better than nothing, so it’s more of a convenience than a way for me to get rich quick ; )

As I dress recently, I have been trying to achieve a look that appears effortless. This seems to be my main goal when I analyze my outfits lately. I don’t want to appear that I am trying too hard. I hope this outfit captures that mood. I tried to make it appear effortless by leaving the tee untucked, having the longish sleeves hang out of the blazer, taking off additional jewelry I had on, etc. My new mantra is: Simple is elegant.

Charcoal tee (Gap)
Black blazer (DKNY)
Black cords (Union Bay)
Black boots (Sesto Meucci)
Silver hoop earrings

Here is with a beautiful black scarf one of my SIL’s bought me for Christmas. You can’t see, in this photo but the ends are beautiful knit roses as the border!Look at the photo after. So lovely.

Scarf detail:

The FC group has been having a lively discussion on uniforms and I found another blog with a great take on it today:

http://streetstylelondon.blogspot.com/

I was having a discussion with some chic online friends this morning about uniforms and how boring I felt in some of my clothes sometimes and I had an “aha” moment thanks to A, who pointed out a photo on this blog we both like, with a big scarf (dec. 12) and I realized all my ho hum outfitted needed was a bulky scarf and I would like it a lot more. So here I am with the scarf. You can compare it to the picture in the previous post where I wasn’t wearing it. Also want to thank the other A and beth for the info on texturing, etc. Thanks chic friends.