Stylish Mom Ensemble #1

Thanks to what I wrote yesterday about feeling like I was once so stylish but have lost my panache since becoming a mother (and gaining weight and entering my 40s...), I was inspired to create a whole new series! I hired a photographer today. She is 8 years old, homeschooled, and happens to be my only child, Beezy. We incorporated "digital photography" into our school time, and while chilly, it was a gorgeous sunny day, and we were able to get some fine, outdoor shots. Having previously worked as a model, I know it can take a whole roll of film to get just a few usable pictures, so the fact that she took less than a dozen, and we came away with plenty to feature here, I'd say she is a natural! It was a lot of work for my husband to format, so I think I can only get away with asking for his help once or twice a week. I'll stockpile, though, in the meantime.

I picked out my outfit last night before bed. I used to do this when getting ready for the next day of high school. I recommend the idea, because it made me excited to get dressed this morning. Sometimes I stay in my pajamas too long and then use taking a shower as a break in the school day. Instead, today I got ready first, and we walked the dog and had lunch in between sessions.  And since I had gone to all the trouble, I was motivated to get out and show off my style! We went to the library and ran errands to the grocery, Family Dollar and Shopko Hometown. Plus we stopped to see my grandparents. Here is the ensemble, shot on my front porch:

The sweater was a Goodwill thrift store find, and the cherry red ankle jeans are from Simply Vera at Kohls, which I bought online at the beginning of fall. My socks are from Target, which have a crazy pattern and are "scrunchable". My sister gave me the Dr. Scholls clogs for my birthday when I was pregnant in 2003, but I haven't actually worn them much, so they are in great shape. The next photo is with our dog, Daisy, taken in front of our 2003 Volkswagon Beetle.  I am wearing  tortoise shell prescription sunglasses by Polaroid and a dusty rose L.L. Bean "barn coat" with brown corduroy trim that I found on Ebay. I bought this when I was in the mode of wanting to dress like an eccentric, "English country" style woman, so of course I also got "wellies" (rain boots) which I'll be sure to feature another time. I still rather like the idea of the eccentric English lady.

I wanted a close up to display my accessories, which did not quite show up as well as I would have liked. The necklace is a vintage 20s style with turquoise beads and gold filigree, and my earrings are feathers connected by a delicate chain. These were purchased at a shop on the circle in Angola, Indiana, but I can't remember its name. You can also see here that I am letting my gray hair come in! This was taken on my side porch:

Notice that I didn't get matchy-matchy. The color of my jeans is not in my sweater, but it works. And my clogs are a different shade of red than the pants, but again, it all flows together. I chose the jewelry to pick up the turquoise stripe in my sweater, and the earrings also have turquoise. By the way, it gets very windy where I live on a regular basis, so a very precise hairstyle simply is not workable. It also is healthier not to wash one's hair every day, especially if it is long, so this is 2nd day hair.

First I turned my head upside down and brushed it. Then I used style extender by Neuma, a natural hair care line available at the Ajave salon in Bryan, to revive my natural curls. I also recommend their smooting creme. I used a flat iron on my bangs only, then sprayed with Jason thin to thick, extra volume hair spray, which can be purchased at vitacost.com. That's it! I hope this has inspired you, and please check back for future stylish mom ensembles!! I will leave you with a few more pics from the day.

Special tip:  Rosemary is said to improve mental clarity, so smooth on Avalon's rosemary hand and body lotion (vitacost.com) before dressing in your fab fashions!