02. Gold

Gold. Wealth. Richness. Abundance. Avarice. So many big words, notions, in such a small word. Even though I'm a Leo, gold was never one of my favorite colors. I steered clear from any gold colored jewelry for a long time. It always seemed so dowdy, matronly. I much preferred the silver, it's coolness, it's blue and grey undertones, the not so conspicuous sheen, or even better - its dark patina. But, as I changed, aged (look at me, touting old age and merely verging on the last few years of my forth decade ;), I discovered that the warmth of gold suited me. It plays nicely with the current auburn shade of my hair, softens my complexion and the first lines by casting a friendly shine onto my face. My mom and my older daughter gave me this wonderful gold-hued necklace as a token of appreciation for sending them away for a nice Greek holiday in June. And the other picture shows a sentimental peace of real gold jewelry: a bracelet my god father gave me on the day of my wedding. It's a combination of white and yellow gold and I treasure it. I used to wheel it out only on special occasions, but I've forgone that silly habit - life is for living, every day, so my best things often come out to play!

Monday

This God awful heat is doing nothing for me, I tell you, nothing! It was ok for a day or two, but after four days of temperatures not going down below 30 degrees Celsius even during the night, I've had enough. The scorching atmosphere is conducive to nothing - sleeping, getting dressed up, making an effort, styling your hair, just nothing. The only advantage is that it is not conducive to eating either - small blessings ;)

My brain is working though, even if in a heat-induced stupor. There are issues to ponder, important stuff you know, like - after having decided on the bottoms (trousers and skirts), as well as dresses, for my back-to-school wardrobe, I realized that the one category of clothing sourly missing from my closet is tops! Yes people, tops! And I think I know why: after spending a few years buying any t-shirt, shirt, blouse that I stumbled upon at the sales, and after these have all pilled, sagged or just become ill-fitting (if they ever fitted me properly in the first place), I decided I didn't have the skills requisite for purchasing proper tops and I gave up. 

What that left me with are a few mariniere style shirts with both 3/4 and short sleeves, a bunch of tatty t-shirts and several cotton Zara tops, in navy, peach and dusty pink. Another thing - my body changed a lot after my first pregnancy, going from 'I can't fit any of my clothes', to 'this is soooo big I can hide a horse and a cart underneath' and all the stages in between. That meant that I stuck stubbornly to some of the pre-pregnancy pieces that I liked but that never really worked after the baby, especially in the boobs department.

Tops are almost like an accessory part of the outfit to me. I like simple bottoms. Whether it's a skirt or a pant, simple cuts, basic colors and no frills materials appeal to me. With the tops, however, I like to see them pack a punch, either with color or an intricate pattern. The real problem is - I don't like tops to cost much! I feel like good trousers or an elegant jacket are a much better investment since they pull an outfit together and make you look more polished. Tops - they are there for the fun of it, they usually don't last more than a couple of seasons, thus - I cannot justify an exorbitant price tag for what is essentially a glorified t-shirt. 

And now we come to the real issue here - if I don't want to blow my budget, what I'm offered is either cotton tops, which just don't wear well and get saggy quickly and have to be washed after each wear, or I have to settle for polyester! God forbid, if you ask me! Risking sounding too snobby, I just don't do synthetics. It itches, it creates static, it goes on my nerves and I don't like the feel of it.

Difficult much? Yes and no. I am definitely not splurging for silk or fine knits this year, so I got down to business and scoured the net and the sales in search of something acceptable. Here's what I've come up with:

1. A patterned, viscose blouse which ticks all the boxes for me - fun details, a flattering cut, color that go with much of my wardrobe.

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2. A two-tone cotton t-shirt with an interesting pattern and a powerful color.

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3. A basic shirt, in cream, communicates timeless, summer style.

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4. Teal and flowers - one of my favorite combinations.

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5. Again, a pattern with an amazing combination of colors - white, rust, ochre, teal.

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5. This is an afterthought, but I couldn't skip it - a perfect, striped cardigan:

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Now I just need to get to the stores and star trying stuff out - I used to be a hit-and-run shopper, just mindlessly racing to the register with anything that caught my fancy, without bothering to enter the changing rooms and have a proper look at myself. Not any more - no money to burn, thank you very much. Will report back with the results.

Bling Bling

With the impending return to the coalface and the daily grind, my mind inevitably turns to wardrobe issues. I have to switch gears and go from playground mommy with cute but often smeared outfits (courtesy of my very own baby:) to office appropriate. And it will not be easy, but I won't lie - I will enjoy it! I like my play clothes primarily for their comfort, but there is only so much of the sneaker/jeans or shorts/birks combinations a girl can stand.

Apart from the actual outfits (which merit a post or two of their own), I find myself fretting over the jewelry section of my not-so-large wardrobe. It has grown, considerably, over the past few years. Some additions more valuable and pricey than others, mostly costume jewelry pieces though and many gifts from the hubby and friends. The emotional value of these pieces is what makes it so difficult for me to try and downsize some so that the whole collection is more manageable and that it allows me easy access and decision-making in the morning rush. 

I've cracked the problem somewhat before the baby girl arrived last fall. Knowing that for months I will be mostly house-trapped and surgically attached to the little one, I culled both my wardrobe and my bling leaving only those easy pieces that I knew would come into play for that instant pulled together look on the odd occasion that would see me leave home and look presentable someplace. The rest of the bling is neatly stashed on the highest shelf of my wardrobe patiently awaiting resurrection from the box.

Most of the things I selected as go-to items for the first year of the baby's life that I'm spending on maternity leave actually got worn, though some more than others. Exhibit A - this cocktail ring which I received as a birthday present last year from my best friend. It's a unique piece from blown glass made in Italy and I find it so special yet so versatile and matching almost everything in my wardrobe. I like a good sized cocktail ring - I have long fingers and nice-looking hands (still) so I don't shy away from showing them off. This is a keeper for my back-to-work combinations for sure.

This charm bracelet was also a last-year birthday gift from a dear friend and it made the cut in many combinations. Although it primarily feels like a summer piece, jangling away with beads and charms, it also has that edgy, leather/metal combination look that got me to wear it during colder months as well. The orange/tobacco colorway helps as well as it goes with most items in my wardrobe.

Desigual bracelets! OMG! The hubby recently visited Barcelona on business and, as requested, he came back with Desigual dresses for me and my elder daughter, however, the store threw in a surprise with the purchase so I received a trio of bracelets as an extra. There is the thinnest, lilac one missing, but it just does not get as much wear as these two. They fit well at a certain point on my forearms and don't come down clanking and banging onto stuff as I wear them, which I find a nuisance especially when I'm seated at a desk or typing at the computer. They get worn almost daily and I love them!

This bracelet was also a random present from the same friend who brought me the cocktail ring from Italy (what can I say, she's a gem ;) and I love it! It's made of recycled bicycle parts (that's what I gathered anyway) and is so edgy and cool that I ended up wearing it more often than I initially thought I would. Keeping it in the work wardrobe though - I'm not sure. This is the summeriest and most casual of all these pieces so I think it will be relegated to the box, waiting for the next spring/summer season.

Friday Shoes

I did get myself a new pair of shoes as a birthday present, although not the fancy designer ones I stated my desire for in one of the previous posts. I went the sensible route this time (that, and I found out that the designer shoes were never made in my size, damn you large Hobbit-like feet) and opted for some Clarks brogues. Exhibit 1 below:

These are a perfect example of the office/casual, the look I'm going for most of the time (could never do the full formal pants suit or matching blazer and skirt thing, no way) and will go well with most of my wardrobe. It's a nice shade of navy, there are rubber soles as added bonus and padded insoles which are just heavenly to walk in - one feature of the Clarks shoes that may just win me over for good.



I see on their website that there is a black patent version of these, which I would love to get my hands on as I have a similar pair that is now almost seven years old and in dire need of replacing, but these were not on offer sadly.

I hinted to my significant other to do a little browse through the ZARA accessories section and I'm hoping I'll find a neatly wrapped up necklace of my choice as my birthday present tomorrow ;)

I already made two cakes, the third one is in order tomorrow, my husband's birthday is on Wednesday so there is a heavy chocolate cake in my future for sure and I've found a new recipe for macarons which means I'll be tempted to try it out . . . 

Outfit of the Day

Just because my head is about to burst and I like the particular color combo that I'm wearing today. And the shoes of course . . .

 I love this Mango cardie from the sales a few summers back, although I'm not sure about the vertical stripes across the hips, but - whatever ;-)

The shoes are one of my favorites. They are designed and made in Serbia, which makes me particularly happy as I like to wear local designer brands. Check out their facebook page LILU Fashion Shoes, they have some pretty rad designs!

The same pair, from another angle, styled by me ;)

Perfect pointy-toe, kitten heel black patent leather pumps - I could live in them!

I bought these at the end of summer sales so I can't wait for warm weather to actually wear them!

Autumn

I am a child of summer and I feel best during long, warm and sunny days, with light being the key factor in the equation. I thrive on sun and sun light. I get all depressed, listless and energy-deficient during winter and I just want to curl up and snooze until spring.
That said, I LOVE autumn. I love the colors, the smells and sheer abundance of seasonal fruit combined with hints of imminent decay announcing the cruel winter.
The pictures below illustrate my point exactly. These were taken during the weekend getaway with my family.

 'Tis the pumpkin season after all!

 Wall nut leaves have this amazing tobacc-y brown color that I like so much.

 This shrub got all confused poor thing and blossomed in November ;-)

 Last of the roses before spring.

Indian Summer

This will be a picture-heavy post. Not much patience for creative writing at the moment. And all kinds of different topics and musings are welling up within, but I just don't have the requisite nerves to write them down. These pictures show both the outside and my inside, or at least how I would like it to be, colorful, serene, happy ;-)
Edited to add: this is the music playing in the background of my mind - here.

Challenges

It seems that the relatively calm waters of my life that have enabled me a somewhat less chaotic existence for the past six months or so are in for a serious storm in the coming period. Things are about to heat up on the home front as the nesting urges voice their protest ever louder and ask for a bigger space. The infamous biological clock is deafening and my daughter is asking for a sibling. All this is related and inter-dependent and all of it is hard and demanding and I'm not sure I have either courage of strength for it, but I'll need to give it a go.

Meanwhile, a few details from a perfect wedding of a dear friend we attended this past weekend.

Outfit combo
















 

  Gladiolas and the view from the wedding party

Bouquet throw

Look to the heavens
















That's it for now.

XOXO
Mimi

A quickie

Again, ton of stuff at work, no time to breathe, I feel I'm submerged most of the time in a never-ending stream of e-mails and documents.

Combination of the day: my mom's blouse from the 70s, I love it and have been wearing it since high school, a ZARA cardie and a Swatch necklace, all geometrical and fun, a present from a dear friend.

We have a minty nail situation going on here the whole week ;-)

Photo courtesy of http://bourbonandpearls.blogspot.com/

I just adore men in uniform and this particular picture of the young Prince Harry is . . . um . . . hot!


















Plus, I've found a super secret hush-hush website that let's me watch second season of 'Homeland' on the sly! Yaaaay! It's so exciting and dramatic and Carrie is way better that in the first season, while sergeant Brody (now Congressman Brody) is smokin' ;-)

That's it!

XOXO
Mimi

Marine Faring

As promised, here is the styling for the Ralph Laurent striped tee I gushed about several posts ago. It's rather mundane I would say - a marine themed bracelet and a clashing print scarf, but in a similar color way. The drab colors of the morning didn't inspire me to aim for more experimentation. I'm pleased overall, although I have to think of more ways to style the tee in a more attractive manner.

The VAT has gone up, the prices are sky-high and I sense an interesting winter coming up full of recycling, up-cycling and general belt-tightening activities ;-)

XOXO
Mimi

Color

I like color. In fact, I think I would be seriously endangered if I was ever made to look at the world in black and white. My emotions have colors, my days have colors, and I wear copious amount of color.

Since this spring I've been in love with orange. But combining orange and light blue with brown accents - I don't think there's more people like me out there. Sometimes I feel so alone in my color combos, and yet sometimes while looking at the fashion mags they seem so plain and pedestrian compared to some of the antics ongoing among the fashionista crowd.

Take my outfit of the day today:

This 3/4 sleeve tee is one of my wardrobe staples ever since I bought it a few months ago. The light blue pencil skirt was tailor-made from some leftover fabric my mom has been safe keeping for years ;-)













These shoes are easily my favorite ones ever! If you ask me - they go with everything!

The necklace is big wooden beads and is a gift from a dear friend.















Despite a few odd looks from people around the office, i think this works. This kind of skirt-tee/shirt-flats with a print combination has become a sort of a uniform in my case.

Lots of good news from several friends today and I feel all hopeful and joyous, hence the colors are totally appropriate!

XOXO
Mimi

Autumn fashion in transition

There is a word 'style' in the title of this blog, did you think I was going to let you off easy on that one? I made a quick snap of my favorite scarf that is getting plenty of wear these days as the weather is getting chilly and I need more layers, especially in the morning.

I love the gray and those rusty nuances combined with gold accents make it a warm and cold combination all at once and it complement my skin tone. It's very soft, a nice cotton blend, so it will get a lot of wear. My little owl earring is pictured also as I really like the quirky accessorizing and I'm bang on trend with the animal theme, right?

Next up is a new purchase - a Ralph Lauren long-sleeved tee, all striped and navy and with a nice detail on one of the sleeves - I could not resist getting it.

I'm not big on brands etc., but the quality of this one is awesome.

Will post pictures of me wearing it once I get round to it.

XOXO

Mimi

p.s. also, I need to figure out why blogger keeps messing with my pictures?!?!