The Last Chord

Hello my friends and readers, and Happy Halloween!

I would like to finish October with the outfit that feels quintessentially Fall to me. I wore it to a walk, dinner out and a movie this past weekend. It has many remixed pieces that I've shown before, and it just makes sense to include it with all those other Autumn ensembles I've shared recently. It's like a finishing touch, the last chord in my October music piece. I have a feeling that November will be different. We'll see!

The Mamushka!

 

I don't know about your part of the world, but here in the US there are basically three kinds of movie theaters. My favorite kind is the little independent movie theaters that show artistic movies, foreign movies, documentaries, and indies. Another kind of theaters show current movies, and with the latest addition of comfortable recliners, they became more welcoming to me, especially when they show classic old movies, or (rarely) something of my interest (Woody Allen, for one).

Is It a Sofa? Is It a Bird?

This outfit is very me. The big and bright yellow poncho made of a thick heavy fabric with rich texture that reminds one of the late 1960s/1970s upholstery fabrics is most definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I happen to love it. It brings much needed sunshine to gloomy days - in fact, that's usually when I want to wear it the most, on gray cool days, which we have in abundance this October. To make the impact even stronger, I tend to pair this poncho with yellow pants too. 

Count Holmes and Sherlock Dracula

I would like to thank our local theater community for preparing for Justin's birthday so well this year! We barely made it to the last performance of a humorous, dynamic, fast-paced Hound of Baskervilles at Lakewood Playhouse, as Tacoma Little Theatre offered the dramatic Dracula. I love theater and will watch just about anything. But Justin is a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, and Dracula is up his alley as well, so bingo! That made my birthday present shopping really easy! Both were amazing performances, by the way, and if you're in town, I highly recommend - you'll have an unforgettable evening while supporting local arts. On to my outfit now.

  

Midlife Fun: Pumpkin & Squash

 

WOW!

After staying at home without getting out for two weeks, it feels so weird to finally get out and embrace the world! All the smells, noises, color, light, air, temperature...A-MA-ZING! I'm feeling a little drunk with all of it! 

It's a good thing I got better just in time for MIDLIFE FUN too! This month, we celebrate pumpkins and squash which to me express the true spirit of Autumn - its beauty, coziness and abundance. Pumpkins are technically a kind of squash, and our theme could be simply "squash", but "pumpkin" is such a great word, it would't be right to leave it out. 

50 Years of Happiness

October is rich with birthdays in my family - Justin's as well as my nephew's birthday are tomorrow, Mom's and two of her sisters (twins) on the 24th, and then my Dad is not very far away on November 1st. But this year, we also celebrate my parents's Golden Wedding Anniversary. Almost exactly 50 years ago, on October 15th 1966, Misha Lialin and Nadia Shadrina, who first met in the 6th grade and then hadn't seen each other for many years (so many that my future Dad did not even recognized my future Mom) became a family. They were beautiful, young, head to toes in love, and poor as church mice, my future parents. There was no white dress, no wedding rings and no photographs. Just a small civil ceremony with a couple of witnesses, as was required. But on that day, a new life began for the two of them - and, a couple of years later, for my brother Andrei, and in 5 more years for me.

Call Me Quirky

This was not a planned photo session, but I am so glad we took a few pictures when I met Justin for a lunch date and some errands in town on Friday.

Playful in a Park

 

Parks are for playing! Whether you play sports, enjoy time with your family and friends, or go for a walk, it's all about joy. We've been experiencing rainy weather here for the past few days, but there was some glorious sunshine too, and we took advantage of a sunny day to play in a local park and enjoy Autumn leafage this past Sunday.

Sheena: Color, Pattern, Globe

My dear friends and readers, 
I am delighted to introduce you to Sheena of I Am She Global who I am sure will brighten your day with her unique mosaic of playful outfits, inspired by world cultures, bold colors and patterns. I find Sheena's approach to style refreshingly lighthearted, and her thoughts on unleashing one's creativity encouraging and uplifting. I hope you'll enjoy this post as much as I did composing it.

Finding New Harmony

So, about those different stories. They absolutely don't have to come from brand new pieces - neither in art nor in life. Sometimes, a great inspiration comes from doing old things in a new way. We don't have to get a new vocation or even hobby every single time when, in an otherwise enjoyable activity, we suddenly feel a bit stuck in a rut. And wouldn't it be just a bit unwise if we got rid of an old friend or our hubby every single time we felt a bit stuck in a rut? And while you can, of course, change the country you live in or the continent you're on, what to do with the planet when you feel just a bit annoyed with some things that are going on there? Stop the earth, I want to get off?  Now, that puts things into perspective. If you genuinely love what you have (or, in case of our planet, you objectively don't have too many options), working with it, making it meaningful and enjoyable time and time again, is also a great creative challenge - both in art and in life.