Discovery in Reality

The little square of paper tore as the Girl held it between her fingers.  She purposefully walked to the center garbage can to be closer, pulled out the tiny swipe of alcohol and began rubbing her fingers with it.

I love your skirt, the Lady had said.

Something had pulled at the Girl. She had seen it in the stranger’s demeanor, her expression. Somehow she knew.

The opening was made. Chitchat. The Girl smiled and the kindness in the Lady’s eyes held hers and she shared her heart.

She shared why she was there. At the gas station. The emotion, the sadness, the overwhelming longing and mystery of discovering Why and When and How and WHY. The Girl, was alone.

The Lady was alone. There was kindness. Content. No, peace.

Do you want to have dinner with me? The Girl asked.

Okay. I’ll follow you. The Lady weighted.

The Girl, not knowing the area, drove here and there searching for a place. All the while, the Lady stayed just behind her.

Thoughts came and went, doubts, scenarios, questions until finally, the Girl found a place in an old hotel that was perfect.

They entered together and kind music carried them to the corner table. The Singer was gentle and sweet and his acoustic guitar soothed the empty bar.

After the Girl unloaded her emotional tirade of self discovery and frustration, the Lady shared her life.

70’s. Alone. 4 sons, 9 grandchildren, top Special Ed teacher in the state. The Lady told stories of her experience as a teacher. Her job was one of the highest drop out jobs, and yet here she was in her 70’s still teaching.

Compassion, tenderness, love. These, she said, were what she gave her students success. The Lady worked with severely emotionally traumatized children and rehabilitated them to be able to attend schools and grow up to have a relatively normal life. How she got through to them was compassion and being able to see to the heart of the child.

She spoke of a tall and very large Boy who had Autism, and wouldn’t do anything. Everyone was afraid of the Boy who, she described as resembling the Pillsbury Dough boy, would scream and throw tantrums and not do anything but stand off to the side, alone.

One day she went over and poked him.

He said, Why did you poke me?

Because I wanted to. She replied.

This went on for days and weeks. It became a game and before long, the Lady and the Boy were dodging each other so much, they were jumping.

Look! We are Dancing! The Lady said.

The Boy with size 16 shoes laughed and began dancing with her.

I’m Dancing! I’m Dancing! I can Dance!! The Boy exclaimed.

After that, the Boy was happy to be at school, be part of the class. That love and compassion shown him, made all the difference.

The Lady impressed on the Girl, No matter what you do in life, make time for compassion and love, for it is the language we all understand.

The Girl and the Lady walked away as friends with a shared understanding of love for others and at the same time, love for themselves.

The Singer, watched the two ladies who knew each other a long time. His voice followed them out as he sang his closing song, California Dreamin’.

 

 

blue fall

Fall is in full color, with vibrant shades to deeper grays. Its the ever glorious shades of the beautiful Scorpio. Mmmmagic!

 

 

 

Michael Kors knit sweater, AMB tie dye top, Marc Fisher boots, Franco Sarto cross-body purse

Model K. Gibson, Photo Shoot by Carmen

 

single parenting made easy. Nerf Wars!

The best parenting skills go out the window, when 4 #monsterwieldingloadedweapons are in the house. I loaded up and joined in!

A few hrs of blasting my boys+1 with the latest in Nerf gun technology, made 2 things happen.

First, they were all happy and as only a parent would appreciate, exhausted.

Second, I actually felt like a kid again, playing capture the flag on moonlit nights in South America. The cool thought, give my boys that adventure-loving game of life I had… that’s what I want for them.

Living great was never more enjoyable!

Polka-Dot Power

 

 

 

They keep coming back!

 

I like polka-dots! They have stood the test of time and are back on the racks this Fall!

 

As a young girl, I remember a particular dress I chose for Easter. White ruffled skirt with black polka-dots and a black cap-sleeve button up top. I loved it! Sadly, I have not donned the dots in years.

 

The Dots out there now however, have certainly caught my eye!

 

 

Rachel Zoe Polka-dot Scarf Top

 

 

Kate Spade Maya Dot-print Shift Dress

 

 

Kate Spade Cap-Sleeve Top

 

 

 

 

The power of the Dot is contagious…

So why not brighten up your wardrobe with a few Dots this Fall?!! I certainly will!

 

Related articles

• Spotted, Literally: See How Jessica, Gwen, Diane, and More Perfect Polka Dots (fabsugar.com)
• Day and Nite JCrew PolkaDot Skirt (chanelwears.com)

 

Gorgeous Jackets for Fall

 

Armani is another example of luxury designer clothing label. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

There is one thing I love about gearing up for Fall. Jackets!

 

Living in California, I don’t need to shop for heavy jackets till Winter months. Nights are getting cooler and a light layer is nice…

 

While browsing the Armani Exchange , I found a few styles I simply love! These classy Jackets have an eye-catching appeal that you wouldn’t want to miss.

 

Peplum Jacket

 

This new jacket has a touch of  feminine flare while staying true to the clean lines.

 

 

 

 

Suede Trim Leather Jacket

 

This jacket just says “Sexy” all over it! The suede trim and modern neckline give this leather jacket an enticement all its own.

 

 

 

 

Croc Embossed Faux Leather Jacket

 

My Pick ~ This jacket has the endless style of the moto, in a soft elegant look.

 

 

 

 

Each of these jackets have beautiful, original style that looks HOT in the dark and light!  Great with jeans or skirt, grab your jacket and GO…!

 

He wore WHAT!!?

On a Girl’s Night Out, I discovered that there were a lot of men who do not know how to dress. It’s time to get a little personal Fellas!

When dressing for a Friday night out, plan a little sex-appeal into your wardrobe.  That’s right!!

She’ll take in the whole package instantly, shirt to shoes. If you have great style, you’ll bag more than brownie points!

Most men I’ve seen go with the long sleeve button up. Don’t do that!  Try a different approach.

The V-Neck.

 

This is probably the sexiest style made for MAN. In every shade, the V-Neck takes casual to class!

The great thing I love about the V-Neck is, versatility.

Dress it up with a dark blazer on cooler nights or wear it alone. You can’t go wrong!

V-Neck sweaters are a nice alternative this Fall, but choose Cashmere to show off your muscle.

Date Tip~ Don’t shave it off! Keep a little scruff. We like it and want to touch it!

Why not draw her attention to you?!

Give yourself an upgrade the next time you go out. Put on the V-Neck.

 

Date Fashion

 

 

 

What to wear?!!!

When planning an outfit for a date, I give it some extra thought. I love to feel fabulous and sexy, so I choose my pieces carefully.

I chose a white ribbed tank and layered it with a fabulous Armani Exchange moto shirt.

Keeping my look simple, I wore black 4″ heel booties to add height and style.

Silver and burgundy stone earrings gave me the splash of color I needed.

The look I achieved was simple and sexy for my hot date!

He wore a slim-fit Tommy Hilfiger oxford and gray Geoffrey Beene slacks.

To dress up his look, he chose fashionable black Frattelli boots.

For a touch of class and sex-appeal, he rolled his sleeves the Italian way.

The Italian Way –

1. Unbutton the cuff.

2. Take the edge of the cuff and flip the whole cuff back.

3. Drag the cuff slowly up past your elbow until the bottom seam of the cuff is in your elbow pit.

4. Fold the extra 3-5 inches of  sleeve up, to secure the cuff above your elbow.

The cuff won’t come undone and the look is timeless Class.

On this date, both of us chose to keep our looks simple. By this, we emphasized our figures and drew attention to only one piece.

Wedge Wear day AND night!

Sandals are the first choice in shoe fashion where I live in California. Wedges are EVERYWHERE!

I love mine and have several pairs to choose from. But… I always need more!

At a recent Wine and Chocolate Stroll in fashionable downtown Danville, women were out in their cute wedges for some guaranteed night fun.  I had on my preferred heels, but what I saw, I loved!

I normally choose my colorful wedges for day-wear, however I think I’ll pull out a pair the next time I’m out at night as well!

 

Here’s to finding the versatile wedge!

My Picks:

Chinese Laundry

Lucky Brand

Naughty Monkey at Zappos

Seychelles

and my absolute favorite

Cesare Paciotti

Of course I’d wear those Cesare Paciotti’s anywhere! But for the casual fun in my downtown, I’d have to choose Naughty Monkey for their flare.

Related articles

• Walk With Wedges On! (covellifashion.wordpress.com)
• #FashionFriday: Patterned Wedge Sandals (mommieswithstyle.com)
• A Quick Style Guide For Wearing Wedges (dangerouslee.biz)
• Nude Wedges (coquette.blogs.com)
• 9 Wedge Pumps That Are Office AND Happy Hour-Approved (shefinds.com)
• The Wedge Sandal (curatingstyle.com)
• Sneaker Wedges Should Be Banned! (thedailybeast.com)

Moms in Fashion

Spring for Cool Feet this Summer

There are some nice selections out for spring and summer wear. Now that the West Coast heat wave is hitting early, I’m having fun sporting my sandals every day.

On a recent trip down the coast, I had the opportunity to view many who tread the path of cool California footwear.

The ones that got an immediate red flag… Crocs.

In very recent years, I have seen less and less of these brightly-colored clown shoes where I live. But they keep showing up!

Parents, C’mon! Have a little taste! Unlike the sizes suggest, in my opinion they are NOT for the entire family. At least not in public!

Save your dollars for a cooler pair of summer shoes.

I came across Amphibian shoes years ago and I still like them just the same! They are my first choice for beach, hiking, trips to Disneyland and the like.

Try this tasteful alternative that supports comfort, in any active setting.

My Picks:

Salomon Techamphibian 3

for him

The NorthFace Hedgefrog 2

for her