Taking the Next Step

Hello friends,

It's always a bit difficult to restart a conversation after a pause, isn't it? So let me jump right in, without a long introduction. We're old friends, after all. Thanks to blogging, you've known me for the past eight years. You've literally witnessed my little kid growing up. She was still in elementary school back in 2013 when I started this blog. This year, she graduated from school and started college. I'm often asked what she chose to study. Well, there is no simple answer to it. College education is very different here compared to mine back home in Russia in the 1990s. We had to choose our professional direction right away, and pretty much from day one, we knew what general field in which we'd be working once we graduate. Back then, I only wanted to study literature, so I chose philology. Pretty much all of my classes were related to this field, with some extras like Philosophy, Sociology, History and Economics. The rest was history of the Russian and world literature (mostly Western), modern European languages (German and Czech in my case), everything about modern Russian language and literature in depth, and ancient languages like Latin, old Russian and Old Slavic. Anya's classes at this point are pretty broad, some related to Arts and others to Science, and she doesn't have to choose her vocation till couple years later. Which is smart and generous for those who have many interests and not sure what to choose at 18. Which is, I believe, the majority.

Sharing is Good for the Soul

No worries, friends, I didn't finish all these fries by myself - 

I shared it with my friend the Crow!

Modish Matrons #29: Beautiful Black

"Beautiful Black!" said Beate.

"It sure is!" said Tina and I.

And so the month of November is dedicated to this elegant, dramatic and edgy color - BLACK. I admit that I do not wear black very often, but I have a few favorite things in black, and for this outfit I remixed some of them in a new and a bit unexpected way. The only new thing in my outfit is...

Velvet in the City

What I like about velvet pants the most is the fact that I can feel dressed-up and be as comfortable as if I was wearing pajamas. Especially pants like these, with roomy legs and elasticized, stretchy waist - nothing gets too tight, nothing pinches, nothing irritates or restricts movement. I bought this pair last Spring for their gorgeous rich color (what would you call it?), and wore them recently with light long coats and sneakers, for different occasions, locations and moods.

Summer Patchwork and Back to Who We Are

Just as quilt makers collect various scraps and fabric pieces which may or may not end up being a part of a quilt, as a style blogger I am also left with a variety of "scraps" - pictures of my outfits which were sometimes created purposefully and thoughtfully, with an intention to become a "quilt" - a post about a particular ensemble; while other times happened almost unintentionally, randomly, on the way to an event (or sometimes at the event), with very limited time and/or lighting for a decent photo shoot. I collect such picture "scraps", Justin's photographs of my outfits (my form of art) and from time to time combine them to create a post-quilt with all those lovely scraps... And so I've done with this post, showcasing 5 outfits which will tell you a few more stories of my Summer. Many pictures and words!

Modish Matrons #26: Blue & Green

Hello dear friends and welcome to Modish Matrons!

In August, we follow Beate's steps into the beautiful sisterhood of two summery colors - BLUE & GREEN! We wear them together, just as we see them together in nature, and especially in abundance during Summer peak. 

Falling in Love with Life Again

Summer, I'm in love! This Summer, I'm in love - in love with this Summer!

I have a reputation as a positive, warm and light person, someone who is full of sunshine and completely in love with life - and while all of it is true, another part of the truth is that the last few years were hard, in various ways. My family and I were thrown challenges so difficult to deal with, that at some point, it seemed like I fell out of love with life - something I never knew could happen to me. A very few people and things were helping me to hold myself together, and I am so grateful for all of them. Blogging about style and meeting you, my far away blogging friends, have been a huge part of it. Without even realizing it, you've been helping me to go through the process of dealing with life's unexpected twists, grieving, doubting and reinventing myself. It was a courageous, genuine, honest journey, and as a result of it I know myself so much better now and I've became so much stronger. Particularly this Summer, it feels like I'm finally approaching the end of this long journey. I was struggling to find my way back to JOY and LOVE of LIFE for what feels like such a long time, and now it finally feels like I'm back, as if this Summer's warm and caring hands nursed me back to life... It's been sunny, warm, at times hot, with some cool days (a welcomed relief!). And we've been busy - but a good kind of busy, you know? Of course you do!

State Affairs: Trip to Washington DC

Despite all the jokes said by my husband's American friends about him being married to a Russian spy, you can hardly find a person standing as far away from politics as me. Yet, sometimes politics affect my personal life and demand me that I take action. I won't get into details as to exactly why I had to go to Washington DC, as it was a purely practical reason, and way too complicated and boring to even talk about it. Trust me when I say that I postponed this official business for as long as I could, a bit too long for my own good really, and there was a sudden sense of urgency when I finally plucked up the courage to deal with it. It all went well in the end, and the whole appointment took only 16 minutes, which became the most expensive 16 minutes of my life to date. I could of course fly to DC on my own which would reduce the spending by far, but what fun is there in that? We don't do things for purely practical reasons in our household, so when Mama had business in Washington DC, everyone else suddenly found things to do in Washington DC too! So fasten your seat belts, 'cause here we come!

Pleated in the Park

Hello hello!

It's been a while since I posted or replied to your sweet comments. I have a couple of outfits I haven't shared yet, and the final post about our Oregon vacation is still in the making. To ease into things, I've decide to start with the improvised photo shoot that I had with Anya last week.

Modish Matrons #16: Tomboy / Dandy / Garçonne

Welcome to the October style challenge with MODISH MATRONS! 

Beate is leading the way, it was her turn to offer a theme, while Tina and I followed. Do not miss the fanciful and creative interpretations of my dear friends: BEATE und TINA. 

Talk about a challenge! 

This one was perhaps the most challenging over all for me, starting with pants. 

Arboretum in Autumn

 

This Fall, when it comes to dresses (my favorite item of clothing), I am looking at budget options. I learned to trust my intuition, and when I feel a nudge to look at a certain store, even if it is not my usual shopping spot, I don't second-guess myself and don't ask why. This strategy pays off - I find plenty of beautiful, feminine affordable options. Perhaps the most unexpected find was the red dress from my previous post (HERE). Target started doing much more in terms of stylish plus size clothing in the last couple of years. The red dress that many of you liked so much is by Ava & Viv, Target's plus size line that they launched two or three years ago. At the price of $35, it won't break any pockets. It is my first purchase from this brand, so I really can't say much about the quality, other than I am pleasantly surprised. We will have to see how it holds up, of course. I can recommend to pay attention to the Who What Wear line as well, which offers both straight and plus sizes. I also found quite a few great dresses at Old Navy, including this beautiful Autumnal boho number. With a 50% discount, it came down to $32.50. So even if you are on a budget, there are wonderful options out there right now for us, plus size girls. Don't be afraid to experiment! Trying something new keeps our wardrobes and our lives exciting.

(Unofficial) End of Summer

Happy Labor Day to my American and Canadian friends and readers!

Unlike many European countries (Russia included) which celebrate Labor Day on May 1st, the USA started celebrating it the first Monday of September since late 19th century. So for many families, the long Labor Day weekend became the last opportunity to have a summer vacation, plan trips, family reunions, friends gatherings and barbecue and pool parties so popular with many people. Outdoor pools typically close after Labor Day and many schools start a new school year right after Labor Day (though, in some states, school start as early as August). Evenings become cooler, and even though we experience a new heat wave since late August, it really feels that Autumn is just around the corner.

Maudie, or Bursting with Joy

Blue and green are so pretty together, yet this is probably the first such a bold combination I've done. I probably told you on numerous occasions that I was a huge fan of green for as long as I can remember, yet in the last few years I've done very little of it, and this skirt (bought back in Spring) is one of my first attempts to add back more green to my closet. It's made of thick cotton, and I love that it keeps its shape.

The Kiss

Last weekend, practically by mistake, we found ourselves in Olympia, the state capital of Washington. I'm saying "by mistake" because our plan was to visit Tumwater Falls (my 2016 post HERE and 2015 post HERE), which is on the way to Olympia, and when Justin mistakenly took an exit just a few feet apart from the exit to Tumwater, I said, "Let's go to Olympia, then!" I am saying it was "almost" by mistake, because Olympia has been on my mind for a while now, and I think we haven't visited since we took a tour of the Capitol when my parents were here two years ago (lots of pictures and historical information in my 2015 post HERE).

Discoveries

One of my favorite things about Sunday nights is to sit down with my laptop and go through the pictures we took during the weekend. It brings me a delightful mix of feelings, both excitement and peace, and the feeling of satisfaction, to look at the photos, sort of re-live again and remember what we were up to - our little trips, events and, of course, outfits. One of my favorite things about this Summer has been a growing sense of finally finding my Summer style, or at very least the core of it (I know it will grow and develop infinitely from here, and that brings me so much joy just to think how much play is ahead of me!). 

Modish Matrons #13: Safari

Our July theme was offered by Beate, and it sounded like this:

Heia Safari: What would you wear if you only could shop your closet for packing that suitcase.

Now, that's a challenge! Anyone could feel puzzled if not defeated by this theme! Anyone but fierce and fearless MODISH MATRONS (insert drum roll here)! Tina and myself followed Beate's lead and created our own versions of African travel worthy outfits. As always, I cannot wait to see the girls' interpretations. Please join me - let's go visit BEATE und TINA! 

Character vs. Elegance

This was such a fun and easy outfit to wear to a lunch date with my sweetheart (a.k.a. husband). I have lots of orange in my closet, I'm sure you've noticed by now. I love colors, but if I had to pick just one, for the last few years orange has been a strong favorite. I love all the shades of it - rust, pumpkin, carrot, coral, 'orange' orange...you name it! And I also love polka dots (which you've probably also noticed by now), so you can see how this skirt came to my radar. It's a last Spring Lane Bryant skirt, and I sort of "lurked at it" for a while, and when it finally went on clearance sale, I snapped it at a very low price (which is my frequent tactic - I rarely buy anything full price). 

Weird or Genius?

Summery weather has finally arrived in our part of the world, which we thoroughly celebrated this past weekend. And while I am still working on my recent pictures, I've decided to share with you the photo shoot that we had a month ago, in April, at Gas Works Park - Seattle's most unusual park for sure, and perhaps one of the world's weirdest too. Are you intrigued? Are you interested in learning about it? Then dive in with me!

A Focused Bohemian

For many years, I have had a soft spot for all sorts of jackets, blazers and coats. My latest coats-infused madness aside (there will be time for spilling the beans in the Fall), I think I still can share some great jackets like this one, even in the heat of the Summer.

Stripes, Stripes, More Stripes

They say, we got more rain this winter than in a few previous years, but it does not mean that we don't have perfectly wonderful sunny days and blue sky - sometimes, we do! Like today, or that day a couple of weeks back when I wore my new stripy dress. It is so easy to wear, comfortable, that I wore it out quite a few times, and even was lounging at home in it. The silhouette is very simple - almost a basic sailor shirt, which is flattering on a woman's body even the way it is, but combined with a variety of stripes, creates an especially successful design.