Reflecting on Dr. King

I want to briefly say something about Dr. King today.  I think that more than any modern figure, Dr. King's message resonates to each succeeding generation just as much as it spoke to the America of the 1960s.  We have come a long way with race relations since 1968; we still have a long way to go. But I believe Dr. King's message transcends race.  In these days of nasty political discord, we would do well to remember Dr. King's message of peace, equality and non-violent expression.  I think America has lost itself in its divisions at this moment.  Let us reflect on Dr. King's message and find ways in which we can come together as Americans despite our differences.

Boden Nails It For Spring '11

I've been a fan of Boden's adorable childrens' line, Mini Boden, for years. The clothes are adorable, different, hip, use cool colors, and are such great quality that they last for two or more seasons.  And for boys that is saying something.  The girls stuff is super adorable, and I can't wait to start shopping Mini Boden for my new niece.

The line for women has been a different story for me.  In past years it has seemed, well, kooky.  I love bright colors but not in loud, large combinations.  Boden has seemed to be a mix of loud prints, huge 80s buttons, poofy skirts and sizing that always looks like it will be way too long. (They do not offer petites.)  Even with free shipping and returns, I never bit before.  And with prices similar or more than J. Crew of old, there never seemed to be anything worth the investment.

Fast forward to the newest catalogue.  As I leafed through, I found several things I like and I though could actually look good. A few straight skirts.  Tops that don't have patterns a girl would wear.  Cool color combinations.  And the prices seem to be a bit lower.  My purchases this spring will be limited, but I am seriously considering a few items.

Printed cotton skirt $68.00. Great colors.

Textured Cotton Skirt $78.00.  Has side pleats on front.

Breton Top $38.  This one boasts a lightweight fabric for summer.  Love the hint of red. Comes in seven colors.

St. Barts top. $68.00.  Several pretty colors like Soft Red, Menthe and Blue Wash.  No blush in sight. Those "lipstick nude" colors look horrible on me - I can't wait until they are done.

Casual Satchel $148.  This is leather and also comes in fuschia and tan.  Can be worn cross body. Boden's bags do usually seem nice, and I'm regretting not getting the RM Nikki knockoff they offered in 09.  This one looks like a nice substitute for the Sak Silverlake flap that seems to have changed to a lesser quality leather.

Do you like Boden for you or for your kids? Do you favor brighter colors or do you like the nudes and neutrals in vogue as of late?

Thanks for visiting!

Out of My Comfort Zone

So I've been into nail polish lately.  I love color, and nail polish is an inexpensive way to bring a little color into your day, whether it's something bright and sparkly or a modern neutral.  Wet and Wild has a new set of colors out and this week they are on sale at Walgreens for $.99.  I won't even try to photograph the bottles or do swatches.  My photography skills and patience aren't up to the task.  Wonderful bloggers such as Nouveau Cheap have already done better than I could ever do at documenting the collection.

At $.99 a pop, I decided to push the envelope and buy some WnW polishes that are outside my usual comfort zone.  In addition to the sparkly blue I have on today ("Blue Wants To Be A Millionaire") I picked up a lime green and an orange.  I also got a hot pink, normally well within my usual palette, a bright silver and a silver/gray duochrome.  Guess what? I love the light blue, lime green and orange the best.  To my surprise.

So my message to you today is to try something that's outside of your comfort zone. What better way to push back the winter doldrums than a little change? Maybe it's a new color of something, maybe it's a new combination of colors, maybe it's wearing your usual stuff a different way.  So pop up your collar, push up your sleeves, grab your leggings, rock some skinnies, get out a brightly colored purse, whatever! Or blow the dust of your Doc Martens!

No one at work even noticed my blue nail polish, not even the cool young girls who would usually comment!  So much for work appropriate.

Have you incorporated any little changes lately?  Have a great night and thanks for stopping by.

And a big smile to Fabulous Florida Mommy for her nice shout out today.  Don't miss her blog, it's one of the best!

OOTD - Playing Dress Up

Did you ever have to dress up every day for work?  That question is almost like asking how old you are for everyone except a few people.  I did have to dress for my first two jobs, in suits.  We're talking skirts, hose, heels, jewelry the works.  In 1998 I went to work for a company that was casual and we could wear jeans.  My jobs since then have all been business casual. I do try to dress appropriately for my position and profession, so it ends up being somewhat nicer than most other folks.  However, I don't always dress professionally or conservatively (even though I probably should) because I enjoy embracing trends in an age appropriate way.  I also think female professionals can have an issue with approachability.  I want people in my company to feel like they can talk to me about their issues, and I think that if I'm too dressed up I can seem intimidating.

I have to dress professionally for certain meetings and events a few times per year.  For this particular meeting, I didn't have to get "all the way" dressed up due to the people who would be there.  I was also facing five hours round trip in the car.

It's a bit hard to see, but I opted for black work pants, a black silk ribbed sweater, blazer and scarf.  The outfit is built around flats as I had injured my foot the previous weekend. I am sporting my black patent Rockport loafers. I bought them at Marshalls several years ago but they keep going strong. I would definitely pay full price for another pair!

 Talbots petites blazer in taupe, Charter Club black silk sweater, Ann Taylor Loft "Julie" black pants and Jerry Garcia scarf.  The scarf is oblong and silk. I have it knotted at chest level with the ends hanging down.  Nails are Sonia Kashuk's Taunting Teal.  Kinda pushing the limit for a professional setting!

Do you dress professionally very often?

DIY Jewelry Creations - Mommy Bracelet

Those of you who are moms (or grandmothers) probably either have or want a bracelet with your angel's name on it. I have seen many of these, but I could never decide on one.  I almost asked DH for one, but of course I wanted to pick out my own.

I finally decided to make one.  I used all sterling silver and Swarovski beads  The dark sapphire beads are my son's birthstone.  The rest are clear beads.  The materials for the bracelet cost around $35. This is much less than comparable bracelets I have seen for sale, and I was able to make it exactly how I wanted it, and also the size I wanted.  You can see by the size of my wrists that I really am big boned!

 It is very sparkly in real life.  I wish my photography skills could capture it better.

Do you have a mommy bracelet? Have you thought about making one?

Serious Stuff - Cancer Patient For A Day

Every once in awhile I'll digress into more serious topics.

We have a mammogram truck that comes and parks outside of our office, right outside my window.  It makes it really easy to get your mammogram.

I got mine a week ago Friday.  No biggie.  They also do a physical breast exam.  Fine.  I'm not overly embarrassed or prudish about any of that.

I took the following Monday off, nursing a cold.  Oops, forgot to check my voice mail.

On Tuesday, there was a message from "Sue from the mammogram truck. Please call back."

When I returned her call, she said they saw something on my mammogram which wasn't there last year.  "An enlarged node." She couldn't tell me much more than that.  "We need you to come to ____ (the special cancer hospital in town) for an additional mammogram and possibly an ultrasound.  If they see something you will need a biopsy.  We can see you this week."  So I scheduled the appointment for Thursday.  And then I deliberated who to tell.

I knew my husband would be very upset.  I am supposedly the rational one; he is the emotional one.  But  I had to tell him.  I tried to tell him not to be upset until we had something to be upset about.  He said he would come with me to the appointment.  I was relieved.

I didn't tell anyone else.  I am very close to my mom.  However, my dad has been ill, my sister just had a baby, and she was dealing with a lot.  I decided I would't tell her about this appointment, but if it turned out to be something, I would tell her then.

Then the agony began.  I tried to remind myself that it was probably nothing. But I couldn't help but think about what would happen if it wasn't.  I knew that being of European Jewish descent put me into a high risk group for breast cancer, even though no one in my family has even had breast cancer (thank G-d).

There's nothing like a possibility of cancer, even a remote one, to make you think about your life.  I told myself that breast cancer is no longer a death sentence.  I thought about what it would feel like to have my breast removed.  If I had to do it I would.  I thought most about my little boy and my husband, wondering how they would make it in this world without me.   I thought about my step sons and my impact on their lives.  But I especially thought about my son, who is such a joy.  What would losing his mother, the person who he loves the most in the world (as he glowingly tells me every day), do to him? How would it change the person he would ultimately be? Would he persevere through the adversity or would he become a bitter, sad person?  If it was cancer, how would I make the most of my time with him, and why wasn't I already doing that?  I had the same thoughts about my husband.  We are constantly juggling, rushing around, trying to meet all of our work and home commitments.  We feel like we're working all the time.  We vow to make more time for  each other, but somehow we can never manage to do it.  I thought of all the petty things I waste time focusing on.  And I was mad at myself for not consistently making good choices for my overall health, especially my diet.

Long story short, we went to the appointment, they took another mammogram (this time with much more compression, ouch) and everything was fine.  They told me they call back a lot of people for a second look and often the angle or compression of the first Xray is off a bit and that's all there is to it.  They showed me the first Xray, and the area they saw barely looked like anything - just the white part of the Xray was a bit whiter than the rest.  I was impressed they caught that.

So we walked out, I kissed my husband goodbye, and I drove back to work.  I vowed that all of that thinking about life and such would not go to waste.  That I wouldn't take my life and my family for granted.  That I would make the effort to focus on the important things and let go of the trivial ones.  That I would be more attentive to my existing health concerns.

That I would try to live every day as if I had cancer.

Shouldn't we all?

Weekend Wear - Skinnies

It took me awhile to adopt skinnies.  As a busty hourglass, they aren't my number one silhouette.  However,  I finally caved.  After seeing my self in them in photos from last Hanukkah, I left them in my closet for awhile.  However, I think my weight lifting routine has made a difference.  For the first time ever I have done a lot of leg exercises: squats, lunges, dead lifts, step ups.  More on the weight routine later.  I also think that the mirror at our new Marshalls (where I took these photos) is perhaps more flattering than the mirror in my 1965 bathroom at work.

Old Navy Sweetheart skinies; NY and Co. cami, ON cardi, Gap flats. Coach bag,

Do you like skinny jeans?

Thanks for stopping by!