Modish Matrons #30: Iceland

If you ask me why Iceland even came to my mind when I put together the list of themes for the 2018 Modish Matrons back in December 2017, I couldn't explain - it just did. I have never been to Iceland and I didn't know the first thing about it. Obviously, I had to visit and learn. Or at very least commission sending a photographer to this intriguing far away place. The things we do for blogging, right? 

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.

Library Happenings and Secrets of Public Speaking

Most people, at most times, go to a library to see books. But on October 5-6, 2018 some folks had a rare opportunity to go to the Puyallup Library to see book authors! I happened to be one of about 30 local authors who were honored to present our work during this event. 

Modish Matrons #27: Road Trip

When back in late 2017, Tina, Beate and I were planning our Modish Matrons for the year of 2018, I got an idea of a Road Trip as a theme - I thought it was quite fitting for the end of Summer, when many folks hurry trying to squeeze in just a little more vacation time, and not necessarily even a long vacation, maybe just a day or two away before the Summer is over. For my fellow Americans, the first weekend of September is also an unofficial end of Summer (a long Labor Day weekend) before the new school year starts, or at least this is how it is done in our local school district, which I think is pretty smart.

The Woman Who Runs With the Wolves

I have some exciting news to share, but first let's talk about this amazing dress! How happy I was to find it at my local Target! A short back up story. It's a part of the Who What Wear collection and comes in the whole range of sizes, regular and plus, which is great, but typically there isn't a lot of that collection available at my local store. I prefer shopping online anyway, but oddly enough, even though the dress just screams my name with all these bold colors and various stripes...I was indecisive for too long - the dress sold out in all plus sizes online. Oh well, I thought, maybe it wasn't screaming my name after all. But then...

I Heart Dresses

I don't know what's your most favorite type of clothes, but mine, without any competition, is dresses! This past weekend, I made my goal to go out, wear dresses and take pictures. You see, more often than not, I stay at home and don't dress up at all; or if I go out, I don't take pictures of my outfits; or I don't feel satisfied with my outfits enough to share them. It's all fine, but as a result, I don't blog as often as I used to, and while it is also OK, still sometimes I miss it. I miss sharing my pretty dresses (and other things) with you, my stylish friends! So this weekend my faithful photographer and I made a point to bring our camera along, and I made sure to wear the prettiest outfits which I will be sharing with you over the next few days. And I am eager to do that! Are you? I sincerely hope so, 'cause ready or not - here I come! Yay!!!

Dress Up, Dress Down

There is absolutely nothing wrong with either approach to dressing, and I use both, though I mostly show dressed-up versions of my outfits on the blog. In this post, I will share two outfits, very different in style and feel - in some ways, they really couldn't be more different, but I created both and I enjoyed them both equally. I just try to listen to that little bell that goes RING - when something from my wardrobe clicks with my current mood or energy level, and considering the weather and the situation I'm about to enter, I think it's pretty much all I have to know regarding what outfit to pick. It usually takes no more than a few minutes - and I am out the door!

Long After

May has proven to be a surprising month on more than a few occasions, and it brought surprises this year as well - involving unexpected trips, new cities and airplanes. But before I leave for my unexpected trip, I thought I'd stop by to say hello and share photographs we took in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park in early May. May is also the prettiest month with the abundance of blooms in magnificent Northwest gardens. I hope you enjoy the season, wherever you are! Have a fantastic week, and I'll be back soon with news stories, pictures and comments!

Live and Let Live

"You astonish me in that you can look both stunningly dramatic and also cute and adorable, two looks that don't seem possible in one person." These words my talented blogger friend SHAWNA said about me in a comment to my post, and I cherish them, because they resonate with me deeply, and I've never heard anything quite like this description, either about myself or anyone else, really. Although I remember both comments being said to me independently from one another by other people who knew me in the past years. I thought about it today and realized that blogging is what bonded these two sides of me visually - the warm, genuine and personable part of me with the bold and dramatic part. It helped me to dress that bold part more consistently than ever before. And so thanks to my style and blog journey, my whole personality started shining through.

Reset Button

14 days without a new photo shoot is all I can handle! Thank goodness for good health, no rain (though I missed many sunny days that we had while I was sick), and of course for Justin who is good with the camera. 

I am happy! I am celebrating all of the above!

Blurry Stripes with Blurry Dots

If you're an old friend, you might remember this space dyed sweater which I wore with a matching skirt before (in JANUARY 2015 and NOVEMBER 2014). It's a good time to play with knits right now (and the scarf I started knitting a few months ago, is slowly getting longer and longer...I guess it'll be ready by next Winter, haha!). So I wore a knit dress and knit set recently, layering a blouse under it, but this combination with a pleated faux leather skirt got just one extra vote in the family (only Justin voted! he loved both variations, but he loved this one a little better), so I went with it. I feel it's classically elegant and will probably appeal to many women. We'll see whether I'm right about it. :)

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.

Honest, Kind and Brave

I noticed that at the end of Summer, I usually loose interest in fashion and style. I think it's the same at the end of the cold season, and I am probably not the only one who experiences it, and my explanation is really simple. I think I get bored with the sameness and just want something different for a change - in other words, I am ready for a new season! Here in the beautiful PNW, there are really only two seasons, and I call them simply Rain and No Rain. We've done some No Rain, and I guess I am getting ready for Rain now - don't shoot me!  

Mountain Peaks

Yesterday was the day to admire and conquer some snowy mountain peaks. To complete that challenging task, I started with my bimonthly visit to Erica which always makes me feel like I'm on the top of the world. Erica is my hairdresser and one of the first people I got to know after relocating here from another state. We know each other for almost 10 years now, and I can't imagine my life without her. As usual, I had a fresh pixie cut, great chat over a cup of chamomile tea, and waxed my eyebrows and upper lip where I have some random hair. I also returned to my favorite and I almost want to say natural copper red (after a side trip to brown for the last couple of months) - I was born a redhead, literally, but then changed into a blond, and finally dark blond as I grew up. So it really feels like coming back to myself when I color my hair copper red. Thanks, Erica! I think everyone needs their own Erica in their life.

Indian Spice, American Revolution and Soviet Clown

I don't wear boho often, but I have a few pieces and love playing with them from time to time. Neither the blouse nor the skirt are new to my closet (showed previously HERE and HERE), but until just recently, they sort of lived in the same town, but on different streets, and didn't have a chance to cross each other's paths. Then they bumped into each other during a town meeting so to speak, went on a date once, and what do you know - pretty much immediately decided to get married. Kids! 

Dainty Flowers and Big Reveal

 

Dresses are and quite possibly always will be my favorite garment to wear - I dream of a closet full of dresses in every possible color, hue or shade ... some day. This wrap dress in the 1950s style with dainty flowers all over it was a Spring find earlier this year and became a very welcomed addition to my growing dress collection. It's made of lightweight breathable cambric, with a lightweight breathable cotton voile lining - perfect for hot days! In fact, so perfect that I got a little lost waiting for the hot weather to arrive, and when I realized that it's already mid-July, I put the dress on without hesitation, even though it wasn't a hot day, but rather cool and breezy. But I thought I'd wear it anyway, before the Summer is over.

Where Transformation Happens and What I Wore

Last Saturday, Tacoma Little Theatre (I wrote about it a few times before, e.g., HERE about its almost 100 year history) presented a one evening benefit reading of LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the bestselling book by Ilene Beckerman. Directed by Suzy Willhoft, one of my favorite local directors, it was a wonderful evening of both laughs and tears, and on too many occasions I felt like I was having a conversation with my dearest blogging friends. It was a series of monologues and dialogues about clothes, style, relationships with our mothers and sisters, and about life. That feeling that we have nothing to wear, or how we can never can find anything in our closet, or how when we finally put an outfit on, we are now too sweaty, and how impossible a simple act of going to the bathroom becomes when we wear a jumpsuit, and finally THE question - when and why black became our favorite color... these and many more things that Justin said he hears from me on a regular basis. What can I say? I wish you were there! And maybe we all need to check out that book!

Modish Matrons #11: Buds and Blooms // Модные матроны №11: Сады в цвету

April showers bring May flowers, as we all know, and we had plenty of rain here not only in April, but also in March...and February...and January...and December...and November...and I probably wouldn't be too wrong if I say in October as well. It was a rainy year, what else is there to say! So as we welcome the month of May, we want to celebrate buds and blooms in all forms, sizes, colors and shapes, much like women and their outfits! We invite you to join the 11th issue of our monthly link-up with your floral or other Spring-inspired outfits! 

Нет худа без добра, а апрельские ливни, как говорится в английской пословице, приносят майские цветы. У нас дождило не только в апреле, но и в марте... и в феврале... и в январе... и в декабре... и в ноябре... Наверное, я не слишком ошибусь, если добавлю: и в октябре тоже. Дождливый был год, что тут скажешь! Встречая долгожданный май, мы приветствуем цветы всевозможных форм, размеров и оттенков, совсем как женщины и их наряды! Приглашаем вас присоединиться к нашему ежемесячному мероприятию, уже одиннадцатому по счету! Добавляйте ссылки на ваши платья в цветочек и другие наряды, вдохновленные весной!

Ready

While I'm waiting passionately (not so much patiently) for the return of my fashion muse, I thought I'd share a few more or less recent outfits as well as some of our latest adventures - that should stir things up in the meanwhile, right? It better! Modish Matrons are coming in only a couple of days!