Dressing For Summer

Well, summer has arrived.  Memorial Day marks the opening of the season.

How do you dress for summer?  Do you enjoy the season's clothing? 

I'm not really sure what women wear this time of year, other than to pick lightweight, casual items, usually worn with sandals.  Heat precludes more elaborate outfits and the relaxed mood of summer seems to dissipate concern for formal fashion.  Relaxation often shows in the clothes people wear.

What do you like to wear?

"Midnight In Paris"

I was surprised and delighted yesterday by this new comedy from Woody Allen.  I haven't liked his last few films, but this one hits a homerun.

The movie is a whimsical romp through art, literature and history.  Set in Paris, the film stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cottillard, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody -- and Carla Bruni!   Yes, the First Lady of France plays a small role.

Telling you about the plot would ruin its surprises for you.  Trust me, the film is good!

Defiance

I'm defying my age.  I'm defying my gender.  I'm defying propriety and good taste.  Tonight, I'm feeling defiant.  The pictures below are what you get when you break some rules. 

You're my audience, you're my judge.  What's the verdict?

Choosing Our Destiny

A fun, well-dressed blogger named Daphne just gave me a Versatile Blogger Award.  You may remember my recent post about Daphne's amazing shoe collection.  Her blog, Fashion Confessions Of A Mommy is a terrific read with creative outfits and regular posts.

1. One of the important things I've learned in life is that we create our own reality.  We see what we're capable of seeing (and miss many other things).  We get what we give to others.  We react to incidents in ways our psyches incline us.  This realization about how life is largely affected by who we are is incredibly hopeful because it means we can shape our destiny to a greater degree than we are taught.

2. A downside to it though is that we often respond unthinkingly to things in patterns of behavior created during childhood.  We stub our toe and moan for hours about how unfair the world is to us, when all that happened was a stubbed toe.  It's valuable to step back from our daily life and re-think if we're acting in ways that bring us happiness.  We often aren't and can make improvements through conscious choice.

3. I'm trying to break out of the prison others have consigned me to.  Early on, my parents locked me up in male-ness and I've lived there for decades.  I didn't believe I had a choice.  But now I think I do.  Society still expects me not to show any interest in girly things and yet my desire for them remains unabated.  I'm tunneling an escape path through the concrete prison walls and quietly sneaking past the guards...  Wish me luck!  I hope to see you on the other side.

4. Support from others, like you, has a huge impact on my life.  It gives me courage.  It gives me strength.  It gives me the very idea I can live a real, authentic life.  When you are nice to me, you're making a bigger difference in someone's life than you probably will with anyone else.

5. I'm flattered when someone reads my blog.  The act of doing it presumes interest in someone who's different and implies support for them despite their deviance.  That's a serious act and I appreciate it.

6. Someone whom I won't mention (yet) read my blog, saw a dream I revealed in an early post, and encouraged me to realize that dream.  I decided to do it and the pursuit of the dream has become a major project for me.  Both the journey and destination of the project are magical experiences.  Lots of legwork is needed and I'm loving doing that, plus it gives me an excuse to enlist my real-life friends in a shared girly enterprise.  I plan a BIG splashy surprise in a few weeks when I share this dream with you guys.  Until then, keep this a secret just between us, okay?  Don't go tellin' anyone...

7. It's almost Friday!

Oprah

Oprah Winfrey is ending her show after 25 years.

Were you a fan?  Did you get anything from her programs?

Hairy Men

Men from 15 countries just travelled to Norway for the World Beard and Moustache Championships.  Here are some of the entries.  What do you think?

Fashion Rules

A bright blogger I follow ("Mrs. Bossa") just put up a great post on whether we should follow "rules" in fashion.  She excerpted comments made by other bloggers -- including me! -- to show the range of opinion on this tricky subject.  Best of all, the comments are illustrated with pictures of the bloggers making them.

It's an intriguing and educational piece, perhaps one of the best blog-posts I've ever read.  Check it out!

Real Friends

I've always valued good friends and now, as I journey toward a more authentic life, I cherish them even more.  People who are willing to support someone as unusual as me deserve standing ovations.  They are real friends.

I spent time today with Debbie, one of my best friends in real-life.  I met Debbie twelve years ago when we both belonged to a motorcycle club.  I liked her immediately and have always wanted to remain her friend.

Reading my blog, Debbie noticed that although my clothing choices are acceptable, my skill at applying makeup is poor.  I lack training at makeup and my unguided experiments are sad failures.  I flail around like a tween without a clue.

Debbie, being a kind and helpful person, offered to assist me.  Today, she instructed me in Makeup 101.  She even gave me a little gift-bag of makeup tools and materials.  How sweet is that?!

Here are a few pics of the two of us.  The best part of the day was not the makeup lesson, it was the time spent with a wonderful friend.  Thank you, Debbie!

Women Can Do Anything

How amazing is this?  A woman, attending a pro baseball game with her 8-month old baby, caught a foul ball while holding onto her child.  The woman's name is Tiffany and ya gotta see the picture...

Green With Envy

I love the color of this new dress.  And its shape reminds me of Donna Reed.  If you don't know who she is, click the link or ask your mother.



What do you think?

Female Life

You've probably heard by now that Arnold Schwarzenegger recently admitted to secretly having a child with his housekeeper ten years ago while married to Maria Shriver.  Arnold and Maria were married 25 years ago and, after hearing this news, Maria decided to leave him. 

This isn't Arnold's first infidelity.  He has admitted to groping women in public and there are several other women who say they had sex with him.  Previously, Maria conceded that Arnold sometimes acts badly toward women but she accepted his behavior.  This incident, however, went too far for her.

Today's topic is:

How Important Is Sexual Fidelity To A Relationship?

How Would You React To News Like This? 

Art Photography

I enjoy photography and am enthused to learn more about it.  My friend Jamie is a skilled photographer who's teaching me valuable lessons.  Two months ago, Jamie and I went to NYC to photograph butterflies; I posted those pictures here.

I respect Jamie's talent and want to share with you a little of her work.  Here are some photos Jamie took that, in my opinion, are serious art.  Other photographs by Jamie can be found here.

Do you like photography?  Are you any good at it?  What kind of camera do you use?

I'm Famous!!

I'm so excited!!  *squeals of delight*

A terrific online fashion magazine, called "Her Catwalk,"  just profiled me -- with lots of pictures!  They asked intriguing questions and I did my best to answer them.  The profile is full of interesting stuff and links.

Here it is: Her Catwalk.

What do you think?  If you like it, please tell your friends!

Dainty and Feminine

That's what I was aiming for with this.  How close did I come?

Cher and Chastity/Chaz

When I was a teenage, Sonny and Cher had a TV variety show.  They sang songs and performed comedic skits.  Sometimes, they'd bring out their baby-girl Chastity and hold her while they sang.  Chastity was always dressed in ultra-frilly dresses with lots of ruffles.

I don't know if you heard but, a year ago, Chastity Bono changed her gender from female to male.  His name is now Chaz.  Prior to his transition, Chastity told people she was a lesbian.  Chaz is still involved with the same girlfriend he had when he was a woman.

Chaz made a documentary about his life called "Becoming Chaz" which will debut at the Sundance Film Festival this year.  It's starting to attract much press coverage, primarily because of Cher's popularity and also because Oprah Winfrey produced the movie.  It will certainly garner more attention as time goes on.  The movie will also be shown on the new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

In the film, Cher is interviewed and explains she has never been enthused about her child's transsexualism.  In earlier news-reports, Cher was vocally critical and unsupportive of Chaz.  Now, since the transition, Cher says she'll accept her child in whatever gender Chaz chooses, but her discomfort and barely-concealed dissatisfaction over the issue is manifest.  Cher's "acceptance" of Chaz is begrudged, at best.

Have you heard of this story?  Have you heard of the film?  Do you have any opinions on the subject?  I'd be happy to address any questions you have in the comments section.

Famous Female Movie Characters

I love movies.  I mean, I really love movies.  Remembering the names of characters is part of my enjoyment of films.

Here's a pop quiz which I promise will be fun.  Below are the names of ten female characters from popular movies.  Without looking up the answers, figure out which movies the characters are from.  The answers are the titles of those movies.

You don't have to tell us the answers; just figure them out and add up your total right answers.  We trust you -- this is an honor system.  The correct answers are given in the first comment.

1. Olive Penderghast
2. Juno MacGuff
3. Nina Sayers
4. Sarah Marshall
5. Ilsa Lund
6. Toula Portokalos
7. Elizabeth Swann
8. Romy White
9. Sarah Connor
10. Leigh Anne Tuohy

Good luck!

"Bridesmaids"

By now, you've probably heard the buzz that this film is funny and entertaining.  It is.  I caught it today and recommend you see it.

I was a little surprised to find more in the film than just humor.  Written by two women (Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo), the movie plumbs female relationships with pleasing accuracy.  There is emotional drama, diverse and well-written female characters and, of course, many funny scenes.

Hollywood is reluctant to make "female-directed" movies because male executives don't relate to them and fail to acknowledge any audience for them.  That's a shame.  I hope the box-office success of this movie changes that a bit.  It's fun to see a movie with emotional feelings and female dynamics.

It is also bittersweet to see Jill Clayburgh in her final role.  Jill died last November after a long career in movies.  She was nominated for Best Actress Oscars for her two most-famous films, "An Unmarried Woman" and "Starting Over."  Both films, made in the late 1970s, are worth watching.  They captured the status of women at that time.  Feminists cited her work as influential in representing the social dilemmas of women during that period in history.

I predict Melissa McCarthy will get a career-boost from her work in this film: she's really funny.  Melissa was Sookie the cook on "The Gilmore Girls" and is currently starring in "Mike & Molly," a popular TV show.

Little Pleasures

Life can be hard so it's important to enjoy small pleasures. 

I do.  In fact, I look for magical little moments and savor them.  They make my other burdens feel lighter.

Joy can be found in unexpected places.  Here are some of my favorite small pleasures:

- Going through a car-wash while sitting in my car.  I did it today and felt like a kid.

- Picking up an old friend at the airport and seeing the excited look on their face when we spot each other.

- Visiting my girlfriends' fashion blogs and telling them they look beautiful when they do.

- Learning that Blogger is back online... :)

- Picking up the tab after a meal with friends.

- Mentally planning a new clothes outfit.

- Handwriting and mailing real paper greeting cards.  Am I the only person left who does this??

What are your favorite small pleasures?

Things I Saw Recently

At The Edge Of Fashion

I am in the process of exploring female life.  That means that I don't always know what I'm doing.  Sometimes I experiment with new fashion ideas and it is a disaster.  Other times I try something new and it works out nicely.  I never know until I try and this blog is where I grow from presenting ideas and hearing your reactions.

Here is a new look, with new poses.  Hit or miss?



I created this outfit with three separate pieces.  I had the corset for years, paired it with a skirt I bought last year, and added the shrug I acquired recently.  They go together nicely, don't you think?