Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Popping In Briefly



yes, i'm still alive. My timing for taking a break was excellent, as mr. e and i are both under seige from a particularly evil virus. Instead of choosing to attack either the gastrointestinal system or the upper respiratory tract, this bug hits BOTH. Two days of 'mice having a circus in your guts' (mr. e), followed by your basic sino-sorethroat blow-out. Which is gross enough, but mr. e has a techy tummy and i'm prone to sinus infections, causing the whole sordid affair to linger indefinitely.....

I had a lot more fun a couple of weeks ago at a 'Ladies' Movie Night' hosted by ielgirl.  Food, romantic movie, drinks, dessert, and some very smart and realllllly funny ladies. Our hostess requested that we all wear our most romantic hats, so i trimmed up my straw one in pink and black. I really fancy the way it turned out and plan to leave it trimmed like this possibly through summer. If this event sounds fun to you, be aware that ilegirl is hosting a Fancy Pants Reuse Outing in Danville for April 2nd - Bay Area eccentrics, consider yourselves notified!



As you can imagine, having your brain slowly replaced by mucous does little to increase one's intellectual functioning...however, i have managed to do a little of the writing on high strange experiences i wanted to focus on during this break. I also managed to miss the fabulous Sheila's Leopard Week extravaganza - click here to get the scoop at the Leopard Week Wrap Up! Those ladies aren't the only busy bloggers out there - Allie of Wardrobe Oxygen has been posting some really helpful information the past few weeks - how to dress for the weekends, her 'eat your vegetables' philosophy of wardrobe building (a little like cake and frosting). But to top it all, Allie goes where no blogger has gone before and posts a complete list of her entire wardrobe! I find these type of posts really helpful, and really hard to write, so kudos to Allie!


I saw some long, twisted scarves of cotton gauze at J. Crew a while back and finally knew what to do with that cotton gauze in my stash. I checked out the RIT website for ideas on olive drab, and a few hours later i had a new scarf. It's soft and warm and i've3 been reaching for it constantly.I think of it as a 'statement scarf'. Wearing a new color, texture, size of scarf can really change the feel of your outfits, with such a small commitment of money, time, or commitment (you can take it off much more easily than, say, shoes or your blouse, at least in the circles in which most of us move).


Last but not least at all - i can't believe that people have actually decided to follow me while i'm on this hiatus! I so much appreciate all the people who take the time to read this blog and comment and follow. It is so much more fun to put these posts together thinking about the various 'pairs of eyes' that will take in my efforts - not to mention it makes me take it a bit more seriously. So THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! to all of my readers and commenters and followers, old and new!!!  In the past couple of weeks, i've started to feel that old compulsion to photograph my looks, so i expect you'll be seeing more of me sooner rather than later - in the meantime, take care and have fun!!!  steph

22 comments:

  1. Hello - I'm sorry you've been so terribly ill, but I'm very glad you're back, even if only momentarily. That hat is absolutely fantastic - you did a wonderful job of trimming it. I love the outfit composed of that fabulous blouse, cream skirt and your new scarf. Gorgeous.

    Gracey
    http://fashionforgiants.blogspot.com

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  2. Yay, you're still alive. I've been missing having you pop up in my reader. Get well.

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  3. So good to see you again, Steph! Thank you for the shout-out - missed you for Leopard Week!

    I love what did you did with your hat's trim - so fab. The scarf is genius!

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  4. Ahh old friend--good to see you and just love that hat! Paula

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  5. Hello Gracey! okay, i admit i embellished a bit - mostly this bug is gross and tedious, not so much life-threatening. and thank you about the hat - it turned out nicer than in my head, which is fun when it happens! and i like that outfit, too - it's inspired me to keep on the lookout for more fabrics to make in that pattern.

    and nice video! yay, i can tie my new scarf like you tie your orange one!!

    Hi Cynthia!! thank you - & just to let you know, my 98 year old grandma is on the mend and complaining about the nursing home food....yipeee!!!

    Hello Sheila! yep, missing Leopard Week was pretty much a low point of my blogging experience...but i'm getting a real kick out of seeing everybody's looks who participated!! and that leopard sheath dress you wore was !!OUTTA SITE!!woot! *thank you*

    Nice to see you Paula! hee hee, that's a very nice compliment coming from a fellow hat afficionado....

    take care everybody! steph

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  6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE what you did with that hat - absolutely gorgeous!! When I lived in a sunny country (sniff) I lived in straw hats and ever since seeing Helena Bonham Carter swan around in a series of gorgeous hats in A Room with A View I always loved sticking flowers on my straw hats.
    Your fashion diary sounds like fun and like they are up for a bit of dressing up fun too. I wish I knew more people who entertained with a "romantic hat" theme (that person used to be me until I traded in living in a house for a one bed flat!!)
    I hope you get better!

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  7. Hullo Veshoevius! thank you!!! oh, i can just see you in your straw hats - it makes me think of penelope cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona in the picnic scene......frankly i thot the plot of that movie was laughable, but oh my goodness the camerawork and that gorgeous city and countryside...here's a link with a pic for you:
    http://tinyurl.com/6h6loc

    anyways your comment has made me long for sunny, hat-wearing days as well! and it's so fun to have 'blog friends', but frustrating that we're so far apart sometimes. every once in a while i forget! you take care too, and thank you for stopping by! steph

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  8. Stef--this styling of the hat is truly wonderful! Sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well.

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  9. Oh the hat is divine, I love how you styled it! And thank you for the link love, I am glad you liked the posts!

    Get well soon!

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  10. Hello Terri! thank you - actually, i can see the upright pheasant feather thing on your DH's tophat, on your DH! love a man who can wear a hat.

    Hi Allie! thank you! as i've said, there's not a lot of places that give that type of advice - the ideas you can use to find and develop a wardrobe that works for YOU. i really appreciate all the work! and thanks, actually the antibiotics seem to be working (yay!)

    have a happy sunday everyone! steph

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  11. OK, I just watched The Amazing Race tonight (Cal was over Sunday - no TV!). They were in China, and there is a segment where they cross this amazing (redundant) river on yaks; very very beautiful area, and the yak driver/leaders have amazing (again with the redundancy!) costumes including hats with much much MUCH taller feathers than your hat - also fur with feathers. It's on CBS, and I think they post the episodes online. The ethnic costumes are just wonderful, every week. What a nice surprise to see your post (even though I'm a week late, sigh). xoxo

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  12. It goes without saying that your hat is better and beautiful and wonderful - and I am thrilled that you were well enough to conceive and execute it. Hoorah! So glad I saw your post right before watching TAR.
    Smooches my dear.

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  13. you are absolutely a hat person...the thing i love about each of these looks is how they look so individual, so effortless. i especially love what you did with your hat now, though. beautiful!
    -brittney
    http://adayinlifetoo.blogspot.com (my daily outfit blog...it's full of quirky style, because i'm a quirky girl. come on by if you'd like!)

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  14. I saw your post at Rags Against the Machine - the comment regarding the giveaway. It made me smile, it was really cute and funny.

    I have a boot thing. The boots in the last pic you are wearing are just amazing.

    HEARTS!
    Meg @ Meg's Ragged Edge
    http://sewingpixie.blogspot.com

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  15. Steph is far too modest to mention that she won a prize for Most Romantic Hat at our ladies' movie night ;)

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  16. Hello Ioanna Lilliana! oh, such a yin name, beautiful! thank you for stopping by - and what a treat to find out about your blog!

    Thank you Mom! if i can find a link, i'll post it in my next post. Thanks! love, me

    Hi Brittney! thank you for those thoughtful thoughts (hmm...) anyway, i appreciate it! i tend to dress on the modest side as well - i think it's mostly because it tended to deflect some male attention when i was younger. also, i'm so pale i burn very easily....!

    Hello Meg! yeah, Terri is awesome. (& so is my landlord!) i love those boots so much - they're Bass Lamont and are wonderfully comfy (important for us old broads) as well as so cute! i've gotten more compliments on these ones.

    and i'm very interested in seeing your new tees!

    hullo P! you are very kind. That was a wonderful nite you orchestrated! Everybody go check out her next amazing event:
    http://tinyurl.com/4tez344

    Happy Weekend Everyone!!! steph

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  17. So glad to see you posting again! And sorry about the Conjugal Crud - we're doing the same thing in this household and I am SO DONE WITH IT. Spring is supposed to be about feeling energetic and.....spring-y, right?

    Oh - your hat is beyond amazing!

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  18. Hello Cynthia! 'Conjugal Crud' - ha! i sure hope you and yours are feeling better S O O N !! fortunately, the trees are full of blossoms and the birds are singing and building nests, so i can see spring even if i don't feel it so much....and hooray hats!

    mom, have you checked out Cynthias's blog yet? all about old-timey recipes, it's a lot of fun! take care, steph

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  19. Love your hats and how you put your 'looks' together. Very creative!

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  20. Welcome SC! that's a helluva compliment coming for you, o Queen of Hats! Thank you and have a great weekend! steph

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