Home sweet home. Or not ...

Home should be a place of comfort, love, peace and acceptance. But to some, home is a battlefield of domestic violence. Please join me at the Walk For Me fashion show Aug. 2 at the Carnegie Library in DC. Portions of the proceeds will help domestic violence victims. And an added bonus, you can get some style tips from local designers!

A stylish vacation ...

I recently went on vacation (which is why I haven't blogged in two weeks). While on vacation surrounded by the beautiful lakes of Minnesota, I realized you really can be stylish while traveling -- yes, even in the airport.

Airlines have made flying so frustrating that I can understand why people just want to jump out of bed and travel in their jammies. But I strongly encourage you to think twice about that for three reasons:

1) People will stare (in a good way) -- While wearing this cute Betsey Johnson cotton dress (photo) to and from my Minnesota vacation (yes, it's alright to wear the same thing twice) I got a total of 8 compliments. While most of the other women at the airport sported shorts, jeans, tank tops, leggings, yoga pants, t-shirts, and pajamas, I dressed and looked like a lady. And I got treated like a lady!
2)  Be comfortable but be a lady -- Loose fitting, light-fabric (think cotton, linen, silk) dresses pack well  (roll them instead of folding them) and wear well. Collapsible ballet flats take up very little space in a carry-on bag. A pair of cotton white capri pants go with anything and can be dressed up (if going to a nice dinner) or played down (walk on the beach) much easier than shorts.  A bright, sleeveless silk shirt will always look classier than a jersey knit tank top.
3) Don't let the airlines win -- If we start to let ourselves go (fashion wise) because the airlines have made air travel so difficult (smaller seats, smaller bathrooms, no luxuries at all), then we are now the proverbial fashion lemming who let's them think they dictate our lives because they dictate our travel. Don't let them win your style game!

Stunning in silver ...

I love silver as an accessory color. It looks much better on my skin tone than gold. So, when I saw a co-worker with these beautiful metallic silver nails, I just had to go out and try the new look out for myself! I'm not a big fan of nails painted with symbols and designs but this shiny nail color really does give you the glitzy, glamorous and yet very stylish look without being faddish or gaudy. Love it!

The American Dream ...

A great Suzanne beret with ribbon work and a fabulous hat box!

The American Dream is different for everyone. For me, the American Dream is five things really:
1) To have a great family who is happy, healthy and comfortable. I have all that now although when I was younger we weren't so comfortable (money wise) but we were healthy and happy, so 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
2) To have a nice home. I have this now and I appreciate my humble abode (it's not a mc mansion but its not a hovel either)
3) To have great friends and people who care about me.
4) To have a great job that I love that ensures I can pay the bills and still be able to have nice things. 
5) To have nice things! I don't need a lot of nice and/or expensive things, just a few. But my American Dream does not ensure I can just spend my hard earned cash willy-nilly. No, my American Dream ensures that I save some money so I can really appreciate my nice things once I've bought the,. I mean, who really appreciates things they haven't worked for? I saved money to buy my American Dream hat (a Suzanne Couture Hat, photo above) and I absolutely appreciate it more!

What is your American Dream this Fourth of July?

Travel like you mean it!

Traveling is tough but when you dress the part, you can fit in anywhere. This is New York City, Summer of 2015. Blue and grey jersey cowl blouse, blue denim Nine West hat and London Jeans. You can't see them but a great vintage cream and brown Hermes canvas make-up bag (used as a purse) and cream colored loafers! This is a a stylish tourist, not a trashy tourist. All her bits and bobs are covered, there are no jiggly parts sticking out of her shorts, no muffin top peaking over trouser edges and no big bags that take up a prime real estate seat on a crowded NYC bus. Now that is seasoned style!

Don't be the Ugly American ...

At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. you must remain quiet and respectful so all tourists can appreciate the monument and read the inscriptions and quotes. Even though her mouth is open, this tourist is silent and respectful.

 

I recently took some visiting friends into Washington D.C. to do the "touristy" thing. Since it's summer here in our nation's capitol' there are A LOT of tourists. Some are pleasant, some are not. Just by the way American tourists treat their own tourist attractions makes me wonder how they treat tourist attractions in other countries. Which prompts me to write this post on how NOT to be the Ugly American. The first "what not to do" is fashion related because if I saw one butt cheek hanging out of a pair of daisy duke shorts, I saw an army of them. Here are my top five bits of advice to Americans on how to NOT be an "Ugly American" tourist:

1. Dress conservatively -- I Know I am not the only person who would much rather NOT see the 3 B's (buttocks, bosom, belly). Show some decorum people! Would you want some guy in a speedo walking around your precious American monument? Then why would you wear a tube top to the Arc de Triumph (which is just as sacred to the French as our Vietnam Memorial is to us Americans).
2. Don't flaunt -- Trust me, the people in whatever city you visit are very much aware that you are from America. You do not have to wear a "God Bless Texas" or American flag T-shirt to proclaim your citizenship status.
3. Carry a foreign language phrase book -- Even if your French accent is horrendous or your Spanish is pathetic carry a foreign language phrase book or dictionary because it shows that you are at least trying to communicate with the people in the country in which you are a GUEST.
4. Research pays off -- Do a bit of research before you travel so you will know how to "fit in" (i.e. should you tip your servers, is it acceptable to haggle, is wearing red considered "slutty", etc.).
5. Follow the rules -- We expect people from other countries to follow our rules (e.g. like the photo above) when they are visiting our country so why shouldn't we be expected to do the same? Don't litter, be noisy, smoke or do any other annoying things in a country where you are a GUEST.

Can you think of any other "Ugly American" things you've seen when touring other countries? Or even seen American tourists do in their own country?

The LBD for 40+ ladies ...

It's safe to say that most ladies in their 40s and older don't have the bodies they did when they were in their teens and 20s. There are a few exceptions, like my friend Samantha (you can find her on Facebook at Fit At Fifty Samantha) who have better bodies in their 40s and 50s than they did in their 20s. But for the most part, we 40+ women usually have a few more wobbly bits and saggy places as we age. Which means the Little Black Dress (LBD) ebbs and flows with our "seasoned" bodies. Hemlines get closer to the knees, sleeves get longer, and necklines stop plunging so much. The dress seen in this photo has a great gathered waistline , a hemline right above the knee and elbow-legnth sleeves. It's still sexy and form fitting but its such a great, versatile dress you can dress it up with diamonds for a cocktail party or dress it down (like above) with simple sandals and black bag for a nice family celebration.