Fashion

I really do love fashion and following the New York Times coverage of Fashion Week from NY, London, Milan, and Paris is exciting and fun. I wonder why the trickle down theory of high fashion designer clothes doesn't seem to apply to the more mature age groups? Why can't designs that are less expensive yet fashionable make their way to the 50ish crowd? When I was younger, I enjoyed wearing trendier clothes that made more of a statement but that didn't have any real staying power, but now I look for pieces that I can count on time and again.  These days I greet my perennial wardrobe for each season with renewed interest until I realize clothes, even good ones, don't last forever and I need to start shopping again. Sometimes after a day of shopping, dread and disappointment ensue.Why? Well for one, there are simply not that many designers who reach out to dress the 50 and up crowd (OK Tory Burch excluded). And, while I'm a sucker for trends, I want to look age appropriate and relevant. I recently stopped in Barneys and took a spin around the floor to see if anything anything under 200 dollars caught my eye. After adding up my favorite pieces in my head I felt that the end didn't justify the means. In other words too little for too much money. I walked over to H&M and while some of the clothes looked appealing the fabrics were not what I was looking for (although I generally do like H&M). I ended up at Madewell and bought a few items for the girls and a sweater or two that seemed to work for me. The prices were right the quality seemed good but the age appeal factor- well that might be harder than I thought.

Theatre-goers

Yesterday my friend invited me to the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia to see Oscar Wilde's play, An Ideal Husband. I really love the Walnut Street Theater and the play did not disappoint. The acting was top notch and everything from the stage design to the costumes was fantastic(as were our seats). The opening scene takes place in a Victorian living room in London in the latter part of 1800s. The dialogue is witty and entertaining and you cannot help but feel the underlying satire in the portrayed voices of the men and women of that time and their desire to break free from the hemmed -in social mores of Victorian society. Oscar Wilde navigates the script inviting villains, blackmail, marriage and politics to capture the mood of the time with humor, wit and an element of surprise.  The play was terrific in every way. I believe it runs through March 3, 2013.

Reflection

photo courtesy of the Rodin Museum Philadelphia

When I started this blog I was looking for something to make my familiar everyday life a little less focused, more spontaneous. Like the theories I learned while reading Synectics by William Gordon during grad school, I thought how to make something familiar seem new and different. The idea then, would be to take things I do everyday and put a different spin on them, like cooking, reading, taking care of my family, and so on. I wanted to make the familiar strange because I have this need to continue to do what I love best but differently than before. I no longer cook for six people everyday, nor do I read children's literature by the cartload as I did just a handful of years ago. More recently I have been reading Trina Kenison's book magical journey and all the while I feel that women around 50 start to wonder...what's next? Although I still have one at home until the end of summer, and one temporarily home, I can't help but think that the next part won't be as easy because there will always be the longing for days gone by and wishing you could have some of those times back. Not going to happen- so I assume the next best thing is to find what will propel me into the next 50 years as a productive and content person making new memories and finding new interest in making what's familiar a little different.

Tulips

Trader Joe's had tulips in every color for Valentine's Day. I really like variegated tulips so for me this was an easy choice. 

Artistic or creative?

During the little bit of snow that we got over the weekend I had some time indoors to look through my latest library books and magazines. I really love to read Bill Bryson but the size of the book kept me searching. One of my library finds is a book called Zentangle untangled sort of a doodling book. I have forever and a day wished that I could draw-anything. When I was in school our art classes consisted of art history more than art if I remember correctly.  I remember my mother, in her kind way, saying to me when I was younger, that I was more of the creative type not artistic like a painter or sculptor. It took me a while to figure out how creativity and artistic ability are different. Still, I think of myself as artsy somehow because a- I love art, all kinds, and b- I love to doodle/draw. When I picked up this book at the library I was interested in what Zentangle untangled was all about. To get started, I used some really nice paper and a la pen then I learned some simple designs. I had a lot of fun feeling as if I really could draw-even if it was doodle-like.  There really is a book for everything.  I'd better stop doodling and get reading, there's quite a list to tackle.

Winter morning

Crabapple tree in our yard looks especially pretty when it snows.

Winter Wonderland

I took this picture from the doorway of my house this morning...not a significant snow for us in the Philadelphia area compared to other Northeastern States.

Weekend dinners

Weekends can be a good time to make something that can be eaten over a couple of days that tastes better with age. This Chicken Chili is from Barefoot Contessa Parties! Along with a simple salad, I added some cornbread and chips for a little extra interest. I think the chili tastes better on the second day because the chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes have a chance to meld. Oh- and the beautiful red color and aroma -irresistible.

Pasta

While I was putting the finishing touches on this recipe my youngest daughter took a picture because we always joked that it was the only thing she really liked to eat growing up that had more than one ingredient and that didn't include chicken. This recipe, Little Thimbles, is from Giada Food Network. I have been making this for years and it is the perfect pasta dish. 

Valentine's Day

This is one of the best days to show someone you care without stressing too much about a gift. A simple homemade card or some chocolate from Amedei in Tuscany (I miss Italy) or Chuao from local Whole Foods, or even a vase of flowers on the kitchen table is a sure way to brighten things up. In our house we tend to love Valentine's Day a little ahead of schedule meaning we pull out the pink candle holders and the heart wreath well before the date has approached. Why? Because it adds some fun and color to an otherwise stark time of year. My husband made a heart version of toad in the hole using a heart shaped cookie cutter.