Tag: So What to Twenty

The lovely Glenda Harrison of So What to Twenty has a beautiful and timely message to share with us today on being authentic. (For those of you using screen readers, the complete description of Glenda’s dress and accessories can be found in the alt-text in the accompanying photos).

“Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit.

‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’

“It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

~Excerpts from the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

The story of the Velveteen Rabbit is such a beautifully written, classic children’s tale. My favorite line – ‘But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.’  Such a poignant statement. I’m reminded of a Winnie the Pooh doll my mother gave me as a child. I loved it so much it became Real. I held on to the Pooh and even passed it on to my sons. It didn’t matter that one of Pooh’s arms had been stitched back on, or his left eye was missing. They understood how real it was, and not ugly at all. Now the lovable bear is tucked away neatly for future off-spring to love.

To be Real is such a beautiful quality to possess, but yet, more often than not, it is avoided. This idea of being real often disappears when child-like wonder fades. Then we become what is expected – with sharp edges and all…untouchable and needing to be handled with care. While being real makes one more pliable, cozy, lovable and warm.

I’m so pleased to present another post from Glenda Harrison of So What to Twenty. Due to the positive feedback I’ve received on Glenda’s submissions, she has kindly agreed to extend her term as a guest contributor through January 2016. Please Note: To visit Zipmyself please go through Glenda’s site at So What to Twenty as it is a sponsored post. As always thank you Glenda for your fabulous post!!

Innovative:
(Of a product, idea, etc.) featuring new methods; advanced and original.
(Of a person) introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking.

Have you ever spotted an item that’s so interesting, you just have to have it? It catches your eye; you take it into the fitting room, and with all it’s quirkiness, you know you can make it work. That huge fashion light-bulb goes off above your head. As you examine yourself in the mirror, your mind says, ‘A tweak here and a tweak there.’ Yes, your creative juices are flowing. You gather your belongings, along with the new item, and head towards the check-out. While the sales associate rings your purchase, your mind is spinning with all the ways you’re going to wear the new purchase.

Such is the case for the over-sized duster/jacket/surgeon coat – thing-a-bob, I’m wearing in today’s post. While waiting for my favorite eyebrow threader to return from lunch, I wandered into the neighboring Urban Outfitters. As I perused the store, I took a peak in the clearance section. There among legions of little tops, I spotted the item. ‘What is it?’ I thought. The inside label read – Operating Surgical Gown. It even tied like a hospital gown. ‘Hmm, if I remove all the straps, this would make a really cool light-weight coat.’ I examined the price…$19.99 with an addition 50% off. You can’t beat that! And since I’m a sucker for white garments – I made it mine. I hope you enjoy today’s look – The cornerstone being my new, innovative purchase.

Outfit Details – White Duster: Urban Outfitters (Sold Out. Dig this white duster by Sandra Weil); Black Pants: Ann Taylor Loft. My own DIY project. I cut regular length pants into cropped. Last seen in post called Kick-Hem. Lots of cropped pants at Shopstyle; Lou & Grey Roll Fave Tee: Ann Taylor Loft; Short Crystal Pendant Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft (no longer available); Long necklace “G” Pendant: Swell Caroline. (Really cute pendant by Kate Spade); Basic Sunglasses (Brown): Ann Taylor Loft; Leopard Crossbody Bag: Nine West (tons of leopard crossbody bags at Shopstyle); Belt: Michael Kors via TJ Maxx; Sandals are vintage Nine West via eBay.

Sometimes we have to be innovative in order to create the wardrobe of our dreams. That ‘to die for’ item isn’t always without tweaks or changes. It’s good to go shopping with a more open perspective. If you see something that catches your eye, examine it, and try to view it beyond what is in plain sight. In this case, a surgeon’s coat loaded with lots of straps and ties has become a light-weight coat or duster. Who would have thought {wink}

Please visit today’s sponsor, ZipMyself – the innovative idea to help you zip yourself.

Stay True,

It’s always a pleasure to present to you articles from guest bloggers I admire. Glenda Harrison, a regular monthly guest and author of the blog So What to Twenty, has been sharing with her followers, style tips via Periscope. For those of you who don’t know, Periscope is a live video streaming mobile app. One of the nice features of this app is the interaction between the publisher and audience (think of it as a live performance where everyone has a front row seat).

In the following post Glenda shares her styling philosophy on accessories. Throughout the article are photos with descriptions in alt-text. So without further delay here’s Glenda:

Last night I had my third gathering at The Intersection on Periscope called, How to Make Accessories Werk (see video below). During the broadcast, I styled a basic LBD with several different accessory options, with each look having its own personality – the Equestrian, the After Five, the Playful, and the Quirky. The last look, which I dubbed the pièce de résistance (which I’m sure I pronounced incorrectly) was an Ode to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I also shared my top four accessorizing rules (see below).

To end last night’s gathering, I demonstrated one of my accessory rule breakers, that is, taking a multi-colored garment or ensemble, and matching accessories to every color represented in the outfit. To shed light onto the rule, I took the dress I’m wearing in this post and paired it with black shoes, red purse, green necklace, yellow cocktail ring, blue gloves and a white bangle. The results…an outfit with too much going on. To counteract the busyness of last night’s demonstration, I invited them all back today to see how I accessorized the dress in a way that werks. Enjoy!

Dressed in a multi-colored, off-the-shoulder, maxi dress of black, white, red, blue, green and golden yellow, I chose to let the dress make the statement by keeping my gold hued accessories to a minimum. Wrapped in an assortment of color, I thought it fun to wear my latest acquisition – an antique gold snake charmer wrap cuff purchased during my day at the villa. The other gold toned accessories complement the cuff plus the green and golden yellow hues in the dress. The finished look gives a polished, ancient Roman vibe with a kiss of bohemian. Hence: Often times a complete look can be created around a single accessory. Such is the case with my snake charmer cuff.

Glenda’s Top 4 Accessorizing Rules:

• Accessories should complement the feel and flow of your attire. Accessories should not compete with your look but enhance it;
• I try to stick with elements when wearing jewelry (silver, gold, rose gold, etc). I never wear head-to-toe matchy-matchy. In other words, if I’m wearing a orange pantsuit, I wouldn’t wear orange earrings, bracelets, handbag, shoes, belt, etc. Or, if wearing a multi-colored outfit, select one color to play with or stick with elements. Wearing accessories to represent each color in the outfit becomes an over produced look;
• When considering my own image (personality, body type and scale), I believe less is more;
• It’s not necessary to put accessories on every part of your body. As an example, if wearing an off-the-shoulder top or dress, the bareness of the chest and shoulders is quite alluring.

Accessories are a fun and roughly inexpensive way to add to and/or enhance your wardrobe. They truly are like the icing on a cake. However, you have to be careful when applying the icing. There are times when the icing is delicious and adds to the decadence. Then there are times when the icing is bad. When this happens, you find yourself eating around the icing to get to the cake. Don’t let this happen to you. Make it all delicious so each and every bite can be enjoyed {wink}

Stay True,

Glenda