Aaaahhhh... The flowers are starting to bloom and the weather is warming up. I love Springtime!
I need to fertilize my poor, somewhat neglected flower beds - they endured frosty and wet
weather all winter and are in need of a boost of energy, a bit of a kick start. Sound familiar?
I feel like I need the same prescription.  Just like my beautiful flowers, I need to hydrate and eat
properly.  Taking care of my flowers seems to be an easier, consistent task.  Taking care of myself starts
off easy enough, but keeping up the consistency has always been a challenge for me. I decided to make of list of things to do for the upkeep of me:

Exercise daily (check, I love my tennis and jogging)
Eat well (check, veggies and fruits are at the top of my food list and protein is a must)
Take vitamins (check, this one I really struggle with - hate to take pills)
Hydrate (check, I now keep a glass on my kitchen counter to remind me to drink! Wine starts @ 5 :))
Be kind to my skin (check, sunscreen, moisturizer and removing all make up before bedtime)
Last but not least, have fun, slow down and enjoy the day (check, spend time with my family call my girlfriends, read a book)

Now that I have my flowers and myself on track, I am ready for the beautiful Spring days ahead.

Be kind to you.

                   My backyard flowers...

                                                                         Hydrangea

                               Bearded Irises

Things to do for me...

Relaxing by a fire

                                                       
  Taking a walk by the water

Enjoying a concert

On a recent trip to my home state of Maine, I had the pleasurable experience of ice fishing.  I haven't been
ice fishing in a few years, make that many, many years - do they do that in California?  
Layer, layer, layer! In winter I have no vanity, when I am cold I dress in the warmest clothes possible.  When in Maine that usually means whatever my parents have for castoffs in their mudroom (hence the lovely photo of me in the rabbit fur bomber hat): oversized boots, flannel shirt, quilted LL Bean vest, down jacket and a mismatched mitten and scarf ensemble knitted by my grandmother.  
Braving the below freezing temperatures, my sister in law and I wedged in the caboose behind the snowmobile (my brother at the helm) and headed across the lake to the ice shack. By the time we got to the appointed 'fishing spot' my entire upper body was stiff from clenching and anticipating the bumpy, snowy ice - visions of The Madahorn dancing in my head.  The trauma of the caboose ride quickly disappears as I exit our ride, the sun is shining and the ice shack is warm and cozy.  I spent most of my time on the ice with my brother, checking the traps and putting new bait on the hooks.  We had a quick and simple lunch of homemade sandwiches and brandy (keeps you warm, as my dad would say), I remembered why I like this time of year in such a cold climate. The air is fresh and clean, the sun thaws you just enough to keep you from freezing; and being outdoors is where I like to be.
After a long day of false flags (the wind was brisk enough to unhitch the flags from the traps) and no fish, we headed back across the frozen lake to warm ourselves in front of an inviting fire.
A perfect day.

Here I am 

Our housing and transportation

Even the dog loves to ice fish

The snowy, frozen lake

Having a bit of fun ice sliding

My brother and his wife - enjoying togetherness!

What to keep, what to purge?

The age old dilemma: what should I get rid of in my closet? I have a close friend that has a logical answer:
buy one, purge two. Logical to her, impossible for me. I am a bit of a hoarder (I really hate to admit that, but it's true), I love my 80's and 90's wardrobe. I fondly remember it to myself as my "back in the day" wardrobe. I keep thinking that these fabulous items (if kept long enough) will come back into style. Which, I have to say a lot of them do - just renamed and redesigned. Belts? What about the peplum belts? The wide leather ones with oversized buckles? The yellow gold ones that stretched? Why are these not at the top of the fashion pages? Ahhh, their day will come.
And don't forget the faux animal print leggings (better known as leggins' to my east coast family and friends).  Honestly, does turquoise or hot pink leopard ever go out of style? Certainly not my leopard - fringed bolero jacket, that was my fave back then.
I guess the reason I hesitate to purge the many "questionable gems" in my closet is that the task is truly overwhelming.

I need to make a plan of attack, here is a fool proof plan:

1. try it on (with hair and makeup) in front of a full length mirror
2. does it fit properly?
3. does it look good on me?
4. is this outfit representing the real me?
5. big question: will I ever wear it?

Once I go through this process, I should be able to have a  big pile of funk and a nice tidy closet to be proud of.  Give this a try and let me know how successful you are.
I will keep you posted on my progress.  Happy purging!

Casual Days

We all have those days where we want to be casual and comfortable, but not look like we just rolled out of bed (not that I don't have those days where I feel like doing just that).  On the mornings where I really don't feel like getting "gussied up", I pull an outfit together that is simple and straight forward.  My go to's for cool winter days are my black skinny jeans or leggings, a long sleeve fitted thermal top or v-neck long sleeved top, a colorful scarf, blazer and knee high boots.  My only jewelry would be my mainstay gold or silver hoop earrings.  No fuss, no muss. Some may see this as a huge departure from casual, but it's all in the planning. I think it's just as easy to pull this outfit together as it is throwing on sweats and matching sweatshirt.  Get organized the night before and have them ready for the next morning.

You'll feel better the whole day through.

Here are a few of my ensembles I created on Polyvore.  This is a site where my imagination comes to life, addicting? Absolutely! Click on the images below and let my creations inspire you.


Lynelle

what to wear?

When choosing an outfit for a night out, especially a holiday party - I like to wear a statement piece and build my ensemble around it. Here I chose a green and gold faux fur jacket with a simple cream top and short skirt. Add jewelry and ready to go.