Red and White

 

In solidarity with people of Belarus fighting for their freedom.

Жыве Беларусь!

Modish Matrons #35: Trip to Paris

Welcome to May Modish Matrons!

TINA invited BEATE and me to take a trip to Paris this time. I have never been to Paris, and in the light of recent events, all I could think of was the fire that destroyed Notre-Dame de Paris. You see, we come up with our themes in advance - we got them all lined-up back in December (if not November) 2018, and no one of course could predict that Paris would be on our minds so much this time of year... I must admit that it is a bit difficult for me to abstract my mind from the fire which happened just a couple of weeks ago, but it is comforting to know that at least the structure was not damaged, and with time, generous financial investments, creativity, dedication and labor efforts, the beautiful and legendary cathedral will be rebuilt. And then all of us who have not had a chance to visit the old original Notre-Dame de Paris, will be able to visit its new incarnation.

April Showers, Fridays for Future and My Contribution to the World

Thank you so much for your wonderful comments on my previous posts!!! They brought so much joy to my heart, and I mean it. I do miss interacting with you guys, and I feel like I am very much behind each of your real life series. I lurked at your blogs a few times in the past few months and have every intention to catch up some day, though it is still challenging at this point. I thought that my workload would be lighter in April, but boy I was wrong! After finishing with one gig, I continued keeping myself busy with new ones, and after family time, trying to keep the house in at least a tiny bit reasonable state of chaos, and time to rest and recharge, there is very little time for blogging and fashion. But it isn't a bad thing, and even rare style and blog encounters can still provide fun as well as a break from other activities and responsibilities.

Modish Matrons #23: All White

Happy May!

As usual, I start a new month with a new Modish Matrons link-up (open for the whole month) and a new, most unexpected theme offered by Beate - ALL WHITE! Please visit my dear friends TINA und BEATE to see what they have in store for us this time. 

Modish Matrons #22: No Matter the Weather

Happy Easter and welcome to Modish Matrons, 

the party where my dear friends TINA und BEATE and myself get together to celebrate style and creativity! Each month, one of us offers a theme, and April was Tina's turn. "No Matter the Weather," said Tina, leaving it wide open to interpretations. "Hmm," said I and scratched my head trying to find a focus for my outfit.

Modish Matrons #21: Baroque

Hello dear friends and readers and MODISH MATRONS fans!

It is time for our new theme, and I thought that March would be perfect for BAROQUE!

Bonjour

French countryside, that's what Justin named this outfit. On a gray rainy day it seemed almost like an escape to a far away romantic place...countryside...maybe in France...and maybe even in a different century. Considering that it was raining cats and dogs all day, such a soft-colored and lighthearted outfit might seem inappropriate to some. Wouldn't it be much more practical to wear a raincoat and wellies of a sensible dark color? Yes, it would. But I am with such style icons as late Lynn Dell, one of the brightest stars of the wonderful blog Advanced Style (and the inspiring documentary under the same name) who used to say, "I dress up every day for the theater of my life." Or, as another style icon and my beloved blogging friend Vix says, "Dress for the life you want, not the life you have." 

Modish Matrons #17: Art Deco

I am so happy to welcome friends to the new Modish Matrons party!

In November, the theme is inspired by my writer's imagination...and my writer's closet. I've chosen Art Deco, one of the most fascinating styles of visual arts that became truly international and dominated the world of art, design, fashion, jewelry, cars, trains, ocean liners, and of course architecture - for decades between the two world wars. I simply could not resist picking this theme for our Modish Matrons improvisations! I hope you are as eager as I am to read my beautiful co-hosts BEATE's and TINA's posts and see their visual/wearable interpretations of the theme.

Potpourri

 

A Merriem-Webster dictionary online defines the French word potpourri (literally: "rotten pot", a name for a meat stew popular in 17th century) as "a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices that is usually kept in a jar and used for scent" or as "a miscellaneous collection". In the last September post, I decided to bring you a potpourri of my outfits, suitable for a transitional season. I wore these ensembles either in Spring of this year or in Fall a couple of years back, and even prepared photos for publication, but for whatever reason changed my mind and did not post them before, with one exception, when I posted and then changed my mind and deleted that post (yes, my mood can be that changeable - women, eh?). In this mix, I threw together a bunch of colors, shapes and styles; some leaves, petals, and even some bark; and a few classical paintings to make my potpourri more interesting and palatable. Have I stirred up your curiosity? No more introductions then - dive into my recipe!

(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.

Vacation Situation

The Writer's Closet and all the writers are on vacation! (If you're not aware of it, all members of our family, including two cats, are writers.) I keep posting in my usual semi-regular manner though, because we are doing staycation this year. No extra pennies to spend on hotels (all are spent on pretty dresses!), so we are exploring our own region, which to be fair, we do year-round anyway, for over 10 years now, and we still did not run out of places to go, plus there are quite a few repeat offenders (it's a gorgeous area, what else is there to say). Still, vacation means we have more freedom and explore a little more intensely. I already took you to Olympia, our state capital, a few days ago (HERE), and our next stop is a unique award winning garden on beautiful Bainbridge Island.

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!). 

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.

111 Years

One of the most admirable qualities about Americans is the way they treat the history of their young country. I'm not talking now of the famous historical figures and events about which we all can read in school textbooks, and it isn't only the pride they take in the Declaration of Independence and feeling of good fortune to belong to a powerful nation. I'm talking of the sincere interest in researching and preserving their "small homeland", starting with a family history and continuing with the history of small towns and neighborhoods where they live. They treat their small communities with care and respect, and the people who have built or are building these small communities remain true local heroes. I'm a bit of an outsider here as you know, and I have both the privilege to be a part of it and the privilege to see things a little bit from a distance, being able to compare with what I know about different cultures and countries, mostly of course with my own. Today, I invite you to take another walk in my 'hood, enjoy the laidback atmosphere and learn a bit about 111 years of its life. 

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! 

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!

Boho Chic My Way

If you think it always rains in Seattle, think twice! We had a whole FOUR mild sunny days since the beginning of October. Wahoo! (Read HERE - please note that even though the article declares 3 sunny days, we managed to squeeze another day and a half just after this read!) To be fair, it is the first winter like this in our 10 years living here. Previous years were sunnier and milder, and I noticed that we get especially nice winters when my folks are visiting from Siberia, so we intend to bring them here again soon - you're welcome, Seattleites!

Spirit of a Place

I had lots of fun creating and wearing this outfit. For a brief weak-kneed moment, I wanted to change into a different coat, but decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and over the top with this furry thing (previously shown HERE), playfully marrying Winter with Spring in my attire. 

Dear December

Hello December, 

You greet me with raindrops falling from your heavy gray sky. With cold outbursts of wind that feel prickly against my cheeks and mess up my hair. With your short, barely noticeable by a night owl light spans. With long dark evenings that remind me why since the beginning of time, people celebrate light in this darkest of all months.