Sunday, July 1, 2018

Modish Matrons #25: Boat Trip & 2 Year Anniversary


Hello friends!
Welcome to the July Modish Matrons and a new theme offered by TINA - Style for a Boat Trip! That's not all though, since we also celebrate 2 years of our fun creative link-up this month, but first things first! Please visit my fabulous friends, two talented bloggers from Germany, TINA und BEATE, to see their unique takes on the theme!



When Tina chose Boat Trip as a topic for our styling challenge, I knew I wasn't in too big of a trouble - I love boats and I live around boats, so one thing is for sure - there won't be any difficulty finding an appropriate place to shoot! But the closer it was getting to shooting time, the busier we were getting here In The Writer's (and Sometimes Translator's) Closet. Plus, the weather was cool, breezy and a bit rainy for the last week or so. But true boaters go out on a boat in any weather, right? So armed with a newly thrifted jacket à la denim for a cool sea breeze, Justin and I took these pictures in one of our local little marinas.



Not only did we discover a lovely little spot just a few minutes down the road from our home, but we also witnessed a major great blue heron hunt! We see herons on a regular basis, but always alone or at most two or three of them within a short distance (and even when we lived in a beach house, it was still the case). But this time, we spotted about twenty of them (!) fishing at the same location, periodically changing from one fishing spot to another. 


"Herons, herons! What about toucans?" All right, all right, Touky, I'll introduce you to my audience! Guys, meet my new friend! Isn't he just irresistibly cute? I have to say that I accumulated quite a collection of beaded pins lately, and the toucan really stands out with vivid colors and intricate details. I have a feeling we'll be getting along just fine.


Other than Touky (sale, Chico's) and the coral jacket (Goodwill), you've seen all the pieces on numerous occasions: the eyelet skirt - HERE and HERE, the sailboats top - HERE and HERE. It's interesting that I was just recently rediscovering my mini collection of denim jackets and tops, and I thought that it would've been great to have such jackets in all colors of the rainbow... a short time later, I find this one. It is made of a linen/cotton blend, and I got it new with tags for only $12.99.


So, two years, huh? But how it all started, you ask?

2 YEARS OF MODISH MATRONS

For those of you who aren't familiar, here is a very brief history. Exactly 2 years ago, in July 2016, Tina, Beate and I teamed up to celebrate style and creativity for a themed link-up party for the very first time. I called it MIDLIFE FUN as opposed to a known phenomena "midlife crisis", and for our first get-together we wore shorts, of all things. (You can see my first post HERE, Tina's HERE, and Beate's HERE.) We loved it so much that we decided to get together every month, and till December 2016 we continued posting under that name.


Beginning January 2017, we started using the name proposed by BeateMODISH MATRONS. Just as our first name, it has a somewhat paradoxical ring to it, which I love - life itself is but a paradox! I love what Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés says in her bestselling book Women Who Run With the Wolves, "If a woman holds on to this gift of being old while she is young and young while she is old, she will always know what comes next." I think it is a brilliant way to look at age, aging and the whole relativity of it: do not exclude seemingly contradictory things, but include them! This sort of contradiction, or paradox, is what gives life richness, spark, quirk and true wisdom!

To celebrate our 2 year anniversary, I picked a couple of my favorite posts - one for each year: 

2017: WONDERLAND



It was Tina's theme, inspired by the timeless tale Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (as well as cartoons and films based on it). Whenever I revisit these posts, our photographs always bring a smile to my face, and I think it's because I see how all three of us really got into it, how we created something from our own imagination and from the stuff/materials/props available to us in our own closets and our own backyards (read: towns). In these respectable modish matrons, I see three little girls, playing in their own little worlds and completely lost in their game, as if nobody is looking!

2018: SIMPLY RED



I was taken with this Beate's theme, the idea of which was to wear as much red as possible. I have never created a total red look before, so it was quite a challenge. Red is such a strong color that sometimes people take it negatively, as if a woman wearing red is "trying too had", desperately wanting "to be noticed" etc. I too used to have my own reservations about the color red (the historical meaning in my home country was one of them). Do you know what this experience made me think about all that negativity and those reservations about red? Pish-posh! Wear as much red as your heart desires (and not only on Valentine's Day). I think that maybe what we all discovered preparing for this theme, was just how much energy the color red can give us! You start feeling powerful and simply unstoppable, not to mention, pretty gorgeous too!

Happy Anniversary, my lovely and daring Modish Matrons!
Be old while you are young! Be young while you are old!
Here is to new adventures!

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Linking with Visible Monday


18 comments:

  1. gorgeous boat themed outfit!!!
    love the combo of patterns - print blouse & eyelet skirt and that you wear coral with red!! fabulous! for the backdrop you had a real home run - beautiful pacific coast and sailboats galore :-D
    it is great fun to look at our old posts - it makes me so happy! i think we do something really unique in the "fashion blog world" - instead of illustrating "trends" and the fashion industry, we illustrate our very individual lifes - with our dreams, our needs, our joys and our unperfections - without taking it to seriously..... ;-D
    happy hugses to you my friend! xxxxxx

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    1. Thank you, my dear! You said it perfectly! Our collaboration is a love child, genuine and spontaneous! I also loved what you said in your reply to me on your blog - it is so nice to hear! I also loved the idea of a book. We'll see how it goes, and one day, I agree, we will have material for a book!

      Coral and red is a new combination that came spontaneously to me - and I love it!
      Happy Friendship! <3

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  2. How wonderful that Modish Matrons is celebrating its 2nd birthday. And what a wonderful theme to celebrate it with! I love your take on this theme, and how you avoiding using the typical nautical colours and replacing them with coral and toucans! That brooch is so quirky, and so is your gorgeous outfit. It must have been amazing witnessing a major great blue heron hunt, too! Lots of love xxx

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    1. Thank you so much, Ann! I am happy to "see" you here again! You've been missed!
      Lots of love!

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  3. Natalia i am in love with your wonderful boottrip style! You look fabulous with hat and this skirt is so amazing.
    And you have boots and water near your home! That' s great!
    I would like to post modish matrons with you forever :))
    I love our projects and I am so grateful for beeing a part of it. very big matrons hug and much love Tina

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    1. Thank you, my dear Tina! You've made my day! Here is to our bright future and friendship and fashion link-up that is unlike any other! <3

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  4. Two years! That's flown by.
    I'm trawling through my India photos trying to find a time I took a boat trip. Where we live in the UK we couldn't get any further from the water!
    Love the outfit. The toucan brooch is fabulous, the hat looks really good and I love that coral shade on you. xxx

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    1. Thank you, dear Vix! So cool that you joined the boat fun!!!! <3

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  5. Long time no write! Glad to see you looking so suave in your coral and red. Such a lovely combination. I love the flirly little detailing in the skirt. It is so good to take on a project and see it come to fruition. Your modish matrons link up has been such a success! Congratulations to you all!
    I wish I could join in more but fashion blogging isn't quite on my radar just yet. Maybe soon.
    I am doing a daily writing check in with a friend and have started writing the story of my life! Who knows if it will see the light of day, but it is so much fun to put down all the little stories in one place. I thought you might be interested as a writer yourself.
    Tons of love,
    Jazzy Jack

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    1. My dear, sorry it took me a while to respond. I am so happy that you started writing! Even if you decide not to publish, I do believe the process is sacred and healing, as well as fun! But if you do decide to publish, it's so much easier these days. Self-publishing used to coast hundreds and thousands of $$$ just a few years ago! Not anymore. Though, promoting your books is entirely up to you. But even that can be interesting to do.
      Lots of love!

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  6. Congrats on two years of synchronizing your style! I adore your look, the red eyelet skirt is so delightful. Thanks for linking up, xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  7. I adore this colorful outfit on you and I congratulate you on two years of this creative and fun link up. How cool that you got to see 20 herons. I love that you decided to wear a toucan on your jacket. Never let a bird fee left out,
    I love the red theme from your prior post the most. Red seems to suit you and your vibrant personality. Have a wonderful long weekend.
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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  8. what a lovely theme! and I love your outfits, so cute and totally summery!
    Touky is a fabulous colorful bird and it looks lovely on your jacket!, so beautiful colors!, and the sailboats top and eyelet skirt are stunning pieces!.
    Glad that you've been celebrating this link-up for 2 years! Congrats!
    besos

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  9. congrats on two years! love your outfit<3
    that blue heron is gorgeous as well. Great capture!

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    1. Thank you, Ivana! Like you, we love watching birds (and we are also not really bird-watchers :)!

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