Ketchup

It does NOT seem like almost a month since my last post, but it's that, just short a couple of days. Wow. During my absence, we've had thunderstorm-intense weather with lots of rain (we did need the rain) followed by some gray, chilly days and all that has been unsettling for tornado wary folks here. Dan and I spent a lot of these weeks annoyed and inconvenienced by March Madness nonsense and dealt with customers staying at home because of tax time (an annual non-treat for us, too.) We've spent an inordinately large chunk of the lost weeks reestablishing our stuff with a new primary health-care provider ... another ultimately good thing, that. 

 But my last nerve finally shredded last week because I was still afoot after the old-car debacle of some months ago, and Dan had to coax me down from the tree-tops with a promise of car shopping. At least I thought it was my last nerve, but I found I had still had some left to be frazzed during the compulsory shenanigans pulled by the local, good ol' boy used-car dealership in the process. I have no proper words for this experience, really. But I do have a decent vehicle that ought to be returned into my anxious arms tomorrow after a critical bit of repair is finally completed. So, that's really good and I can only rejoice that it's about freaking time at last !

So, that's some of what I've been doing. Oh, yes ... I almost forgot having to face the dreadful, cold squeezies of the Mammogram Monster. But the result was clean as a whistle, so more good news to report. Yay.

During all this day to day stuff, I did manage to take pleasure in the change of seasonal wardrobe and bring a few items from last month's list out to play! Look ... I managed photos as well!   

So nice to be able to jazz up old favorite combos with a fresh pair of kicks. Keds Double Ups, in this case, and I was delighted with the slightly thicker sole, matching red pin-stripe and red laces! Delightfully and magically, the red laces relieve some of the gunboatish quality that old-school tennis shoes sometimes have. I'm not crazy about how I look in large, flat RED shoes, so they've been worn since then with rolled up BFs, sloppy T shirts and my coolest sunnies. They work better in that context on a short girl, I think, and make a trip to the grocery store a little more fun.

 I wore this on a trip to town on one of those thunderstormy days and tried a nude shoe where I might have worn a bolder color. The otherwise uninteresting and matronly top worked pretty well with pale coat and shoes and a mid-blue pair of skinnies.   I always get compliments when I wear this coat, and I like that it makes a faint swishing noise when I walk. Nice to get one more time to wear it before it gets too hot.

I always go after handbags and shoes if I'm unsettled about everything else ... so here you see a pale pink, white and nude one from Call it Spring (JCPenny) with my favorite rose gold-tone accents.

I couldn't make this photo do justice to the rich cognac color blocked with black in this Sorial tote. It's much better IRL, as are the cognac mules. I could really fall hard for these "straight leg skinnies" from Old Navy. They may be my new favorite jeans cut as they definitely remind me how elongating and curve-flattering a longer line can be.  I like this current iteration of the straight leg; it's like my old style, wider, straight leg stacking jeans married a pair of skinnies and had these!

Ah. That's better, closer to the real life color. Along with black and white, I'm seriously attracted to brown, blue and black combos in all the possible variations for this spring, so there's more to come.

I've been wanting these windowpane pixie pants, and got them at deep discount. Not as huge a pattern as the black and white plaid version I showed you not long ago, and closer to flattering, I think. I'm enjoying wearing fitted shirts like this one with a collar to pop, and the close-but-not-tight fit feels like a good thing. 

Speaking of shoes and bags to make me feel grounded; I love this chunky heeled and thick strapped pair (Steve Madden) and adorably cheap-and-trendy clearance bag from good ol' Charming Charlie ! I'll get the good out of it with all the black and white graphics that are appearing on my radar. Stay tuned.

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So.  That catches me up, and I'm off to check in (sooner, I hope, rather than later) with all the Glamazons and Glamoratti at the Lovely Patti's Visible Monday .  I need to see what you're all up to!