Ladies, do you see how relentless I am at ferreting out information? Now I
have additional features to add to my profile of each of you!! The dark hair
did throw me for a loop, Theo, with your scandinavian genes, though! O/h
has already told me on numerous occasions that my shoulder length bob
looks like a great highlighting job, albeit a grey one! Definitely time for
a cut, though! Essie, somehow I just knew that you’d approve of the skull
leggings 🙂 🙂 🙂 I hope that they are restocked soon. Great, great, great to talk
to you today! If your ancestors date back to the Mayflower, we may actually be related. For all intents and purposes though, I think that we already are…
The holiday will soon be upon us. It’s sneaking up very fast, and I’m still
waffling between LTC’s chicken dish or a seafood stew infused with saffron,
orange zest, a pinch of red pepper flakes and white wine. Decisions, decisions…
I think that I will let “the bearded one” make the call. Are either of you cooking,
and if so, what’s on the menu?

We do have one thin line on my father’s side going back to the Mayflower, but it’s distinctly outnumbered by the usual polyglot New England combinations of Irish, German and assorted British wastrels who fled the mother country in suspicious circumstances to carve out a slightly less disreputable life on this side of the pond. That’s just paperwork, though. As you wisely note, we’re totally related in the ways that count. 🙂

You know what you need to set off those skull leggings to perfection, Allie? A little accent of Betsey Johnson jewelry. It’s on sale right now at L&T. Like everything Betsey does, it’s girly and scary in equal measure, which is why I love it. Betsey = happiness to me. Everything, from glitter hearts to skeletons in couture, is sheer joy.

Ring set: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442440122&R=889295260555&P_name=Betsey+Johnson&Ntt=betsey+johnson&N=0&bmUID=m1Sm8se
Charm bracelet: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442427567&R=889295260456&P_name=Betsey+Johnson&Ntt=betsey+johnson&N=0&bmUID=m1Sm8st
Necklace: http://www.lordandtaylor.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442392458&R=889295243367&P_name=Betsey+Johnson&Ntt=betsey+johnson&N=0&bmUID=m1Sm8u_

We’ll be guests this Christmas, but OH’s mother is so incredibly kind and conscientious about my WoE she planned the whole weekend’s menu in advance and ran it by me. She even bought Wildbrine kimchi and sauerkraut so I could have all resources available to me. Christmas Day is going to be a roast duck made by mom-in-law’s sister. It’s her specialty, apparently, and I’m very much looking forward to sampling it. I’ve never had anything but seared duck breasts and things made with duck fat (all delicious). My contribution will be brussels sprouts slaw with grated romano cheese and green onions and steamed asparagus dressed in a miso vinaigrette, both of which I can make before hand to leave room in the small kitchen for duck wrangling.

Your seafood stew sounds fantastic! With the saffron and red pepper it makes me think of a riceless paella. What kind of seafood do you use?

Allie, funnily enough my family ranges from blue-eyed blondes, brown-eyed blondes, green and brown eyed redheads, blue, green and brown eyed brunettes (not in the same person, obviously😉) and me – black hair (at least til it turned grey) with almost black eyes (eyebrows still black). Mother was brunette (now white) with green eyes, father was gorgeous auburn with dark brown eyes. O/H is blonde (what there is left of it) with intensely pale blue eyes (think Paul Newman😋). One of my sons has inherited my intensely dark colouring, both my other kids are brunettes with a touch of red, both with golden-brown eyes. My sister is a redhead (dark brown eyes), who at the moment – and you will love this Essie – is sporting quite a large emerald green streak to celebrate her 70th, was married to a guy with black hair (dark brown eyes), and all her 3 kids are blonde! So go figure – genetics are a wonderful and peculiar thing😜

Loving the jewellery links, Essie, although I’m not much of a jewellery person myself, love to see other people wearing it, particularly such fun pieces.

Our Christmas dinner is very traditional – starting with a smoked salmon and cream cheese gateau (already made and in the freezer) with watercress, followed by roast goose with all the trimmings for the meat-eaters, and a delicious caramelised vegetable tarte tatin (also already made and in the freezer) for the vegetarians (who are all, thankfully, actually pescetarians so we can all eat the same starter) There will be a choice of puds – Christmas pud obviously (my 92 year old mother’s contribution, which she makes on stir-up Sunday every year and has done since she got married in 1945), a chocolate roulade (made and in the freezer), or fresh berries, all with a choice of Greek yoghurt, double cream, brandy butter, or ice cream (or all 4 for the piggies amongst our guests😆, of which there are myriad – I am the only one in the family who has ever had a weight problem😭) There will follow a cheeseboard for anyone who still has a smidgeon of room left. I will eat pretty much whatever I fancy, apart from the obvious refined carbs, because frankly (1) my appetite is so diminished these days that I know I won’t overeat(half portions are more than enough for me) and (2) I could really do with putting on a couple of pounds!! Who on earth would have thought I’d be saying that a year ago????

Allie, the seafood stew sounds delicious – we are sticking to seafood on Boxing Day. Essie, roast duck is one of my favourites, so enjoy.

What a striking couple you and O/H must make, Theo! You and I share
a Russian link, too… My Mother was 100% Ukrainian, black hair, huge
cornflower blue eyes, and skin with a fair amount of melanin in it.
Tanned in a few hours in the southern climes. Father, stawberry blonde
complexion with red stubble on the rare occasion when he didn’t shave
early in the day, English heritage dating back to the 16th century, if
our geneology research is accurate, and the most unusual shade of
blonde hair (not a trace of yellow in it) that persisted until his death
at the age of 47. When I see anyone in a crowd with this color today,
it always brings me up short, 48 years later 🙂 Oh, and grey eyes…
My 2 sisters and I have our parent’s features in differing proportions,
different skin tones, and wildly different shades of blue eyes. Without
ever seeing Mom and Dad, you’d never believe that we are even related!
Completely different body types too…I’m the banana, and we’ve also
got a pear and an apple. Genetics, as you say, is fascinating! I do
wish that I hadn’t been “gifted” with the pale, pink/white skin that is
allergic to the island heat, however! 🙂
It was so interesting to hear about what you’ve prepared to serve
for the holiday that you will be hosting. I was intrigued by the salmon
and cream cheese gateau, so I looked it up on google and located
a recipe/photo from the BBC. It looks lovely!! I think I would enjoy
plopping some caviar on top. ( how is that for greedy?) Anyway, I
really did enjoy perusing your Menu, so thank you for taking the time
to share it with us 🙂 When my grandmother was alive, she did the
whole salute to her English heritage with a flaming plum pudding,
a standing rib roast with yorkshire pudding, overcooked vegetables,
and some very boozy homemade mincemeat tarts. She did this for 25
people, and she was an excellent cook. I’d really like to try a traditional
roast goose someday! Do the boys get anything special???

Esnecca, safe trip tonight on the road north! Very wise of you
to not wait until friday night. Your Mom-in-law sounds like a complete
dream, having your staples waiting for you 🙂 I’ll reveal the full recipe
for the “Sicilian Seafood Stew” when you return. You’re going to love
City Fish! It’s no frills, with a warehouse vibe, but their product is
excellent, and the counter guys are very knowledgeable. Enjoy this
holiday back in New England! So glad that the gourmet dog treats
turned out great. Chat more when you return….

Only 4 days left, everyone!

Allie

Phoenixes, wishing you all a wonderful Xmas!

Enjoying reading about your wonderful menus. Mouth is watering!

Saw a lady get off the train yesterday wearing the below in black. Where have I been?! Adding to the goal list! What do you think? Not sure I could carry off in red but reckon I could in black.

http://www.nastygal.com/gb/glad-to-see-the-back-of-em-patent-boot/AGG94647.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAmvjRBRBlEiwAWFc1mHb4F1rqEzI1zGBztao7nn2lMJSw1pPm-kXW3katWBdtmsQA-FzoOxoCDj8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

See you all soon!

Kazzee xxx

Haha, Kazz, brilliant of you to find a picture of these boots! I know I would break my
neck if I tried to pull this look off. Essie, on the other hand, would go for it! I know she
would track these show stoppers down, and have them on her feet in 2 days time. (She
and I have a weakness for red). Can’t wait to hear what she thinks! Thanks for the link.
What fun!

RED RED RED RED! You’ve got the three-inch lucite heel, the shiny faux patent leather, the mid-shin height shaft, all extra hot. There’s no point in trying to tone that down with black. Lean into it! You can totally sport those shiny red kicks with pizazz. As soon as you slide into them you’ll feel energized and awesome and ready to take on the world.

Merry Christmas to phoenixes present and future, and may all your party outfits be slamming!

Fashion consultation time! New Year’s Eve is coming up and me and my fella are going to celebrate in high style. I’m going to whip out that tuxedo jacket with the tails which he has yet to see because I’ve been hiding it. I never did find a white pleated bib shirt that was quite right. I found a couple, but they had puffy areas in the shoulders and sleeves or were too long to fit sleekly under the fitted jacket and skinny velvet pants. I thought a body suit might work and I had one in black velvet with lace accents down the chest that I thought might work. I would have preferred white for the tux-like effect, but the full Johnny Cash turned out to look good. I tried it with a patent leather strappy stiletto and while it was gorgeous, I decided to break up the monochrome with an ankle boot of hotness.

What do my sister phoenixes think?

https://s17.postimg.org/aku03lbkf/NYE.jpg
https://s17.postimg.org/vhq887rkv/nye2.jpg

Oh lord that mirror is a disaster. Just for the record, anything streaky, smudgey, speckly or faded comes from the mirror, not the outfit.

Essie, how did we manage without your fabulous energy for the past few
days??? Your great greet the new year outfit is going to turn heads. Now,
what about a top hat? There’s still time…. 🙂 I think you have kind of a
Faye Dunaway sophisticated lady thing going on! I love the peekaboo
blouse, but I’d have to wear it back to front, ahem. Boots are hot, hot, hot!!!
I’d like to find some snakeskin, but without the block heel. Some kind of
shaped silhouette, between the block and the stilleto. Italian, I expect!
Will you be going dancing? (and E, clean your mirror!) 🙂 🙂 🙂

Theo, is everything okay with you?

More to follow on email…

I’m just theatrical enough to love the top hat idea. 😀 I actually have a rather dashing black and white hat that isn’t quite tall enough to qualify as a top hat but is cylindrical and taller than it is wide. It’s straw, though, not felt or trimmed fur, so it’s a little on the daytime side. It could still work. I must try it on with the whole outfit to be sure.

Essie, from a Phoenix wannabe, I think the boots are perfect! Do you have a matching purse? Possibly some sort of sparkly broach for the lapel or a sparkly pendant peekerbooing through the lacy gap just as a finishing touch? I see you in a fedora, Faye Dunaway style!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=fedora+faye+dunaway&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB655GB655&oq=fedora+faye+dunaway&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.9254j0j8&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=tboMcQQ6iMk0OM:

I do not have a matching purse (all I have for evening bags is one sparkly black and one with white crystals, no animal print), but I do have happen to have such a pendant, as a matter of fact. It’s one of those that has a ball that you can drag up and down the ends of the chain so you can adjust the length anywhere from choker to navel. I’d be able to position it perfectly to accent the peekaboo. It’s just gold, not sparkly, but a very warm rose-ish gold and with its geometric shape (a sphere inside a square) it’ll fit with the overall sleekness of the look while adding some color and shine. It ties in with the cheetah print great too. 🙂

Oh god somebody hold me down. I have a sudden uncontrollable impulse to burglarize Faye Dunaway’s home. That half-down half-up brim on the Chinatown fedora is just beyond. I usually buy vintage in hats because I like the quality of the materials, but I might have to hit the shops to see if I score one of those before Sunday.

Thanks for the great suggestions, Kazz. You totally are a phoenix already. You may not quite be at the point of burning down your old nest (ie, closet) yet, but you’re well on the way. Have you noticed if your feet have changed size? Mine shrank 2 full sizes but that happened well before I got to my goal weight. I think I probably had another 50 pounds or so to lose when the feet stabilized. A little interim shoe-and-bag purchase would be a great way for you to feel properly phoenixy. 😀

Oh, I will look forward to THAT day when my feet stop resembling boats but it hasn’t happened yet! Still in little house on the prairie boots! 🎶🎶 Da da da da…. da da da! 🎶🎶 Handbags, however, I could start collecting now, but then without an outfit to match them to …… I’ll hang on for a bit, savour the anticipation! Your bag and pendant will be just fine. Now, just the hat…. hope you find THE hat in time. Very excited for you and your fella!

😆 I so hummed along to that tune. Laura and Mary running down the wildflower-covered hills… Ah, flashbacks of my tv-soaked childhood. If your boots have about 4,000 buttons you have to tie with a hook that’s kind of cute, though. Retro fashion is always best when it goes Victorian.

Handbags it is. Get your purse on! My vote (surprising no one) is for something bright and daring and happy that makes you strut like you’re in spike heels instead of big ol’ boots.

Speaking of which, Allie, my cheetah shoes actually have slim heels. I think they’re just short of stiletto and about 3.5″ high. I do know what you’re talking about, though, that midway between blocky and spike. I’ve seen so many cool shapes out there. My favorites right now are cone heels, the kind that go from broad and chunky up top to skinny at the tip. I haven’t bought any yet but I will when I find just the right pair.

God Kazz, a fedora would be perfection, and probably easier to find! Great
great thought 🙂 Essie is right, it’s only a matter of time until you will be
as crazy as the rest of us. Come on, I know you’re thinking about it…..Ha

Now get to work, E! Turn this little state upside down. I have zero doubt
that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Esnecca, did you get the hat sorted? 🎩
Wishing you all a fabulous new year!
Kazzee xx

Kazz, I experienced yet another fashion-related miracle. I had no luck whatsoever finding a hat on Friday and was resigned to hatlessness, but yesterday just hours before the festivities began my mother called and said she’d been cleaning her closet and found a bunch of old hats of mine. I raced over to see the chapeau archaeology she’d excavated, and there was a black wool felt fedora with a wide brim that I was able to tilt up on one side, swoop diagonally over my forehead then straight on the other side. Faye Dunaway Chinatown all the freaking way.

It was perfect. I felt like a million bucks and the reaction from OH was everything you could possibly want in a reaction from a man who’s been by your side for 24 years. What a way to ring in the New Year.

Thanks again for the idea, Kazz. I can’t wait to get you decked out in hot boots, sequins, mini-dresses, skinny pants, everything and anything you dared not hope you could wear. This is your year to burn that old nest to the ground.

Happy 2018 to all phoenixes!

I’m blown away at that miracle, Esnecca! Do you believe in fate?! What a result!

I’ve had YouTube on most of today, listening to various talks, interviews etc with Perlmutter, Taubes, Moseley etc so I’m all fired up for a new 8 week stint, no weekend alcohol and at the end of the 8 weeks, I’ll treat myself! TO A STETSON!!!! I’m browsing cowboy boots and guess what, I’ve found a monthly line/barn dancing meet up group not that far from me! Yehar! I’m thinking Cyote Ugly and once at goal, I will strut my stuff to Leann Rhymes! 😎🤩😂

I don’t know if it’s fate, but there’s definitely something numinous at work that seems to want me to look as slick as possible after so many years of sweats, t-shirts and shapeless giant tunics. People stared at me as I walked by and I strutted the aisle with shameless abandon. “Stare all you like, folks. Phoenixes in tails, velvet pants, cheetah boots and fedoras-ex-machina don’t come by very often.” 😀 😆

Go Stetson go! That is so exciting, Kazz. I love Stetsons because they’re such a great statement hat. Be sure to think ahead about which boots you’ll get when your feet shrink so they can work together for the full line-dance chic look. You are going to have a blast!

I know what you’re thinking. “Why hasn’t Essie posted any of her sweet buys from the post-holiday sales yet? We all know she hit as many of them as humanly possible.” You are correct, my dear phoenixes, and I apologize for the unconscionable delay.

How about a handsome almond-toe pump in a rich magenta color? https://s13.postimg.org/k8oiha0rb/spoolshoes2.jpg

I know what you’re thinking now. “Okay nice enough, I suppose.” Well then allow me to TURN AROUND. https://s13.postimg.org/itmxsn7ev/spoolshoes1.jpg

Oh yeah. Your eyes do not deceive you. Those are ombre’ striped heels shaped like a stack of thread spools and I am so deeply here for them.

What do you think about these? https://s13.postimg.org/4n76xfbzb/toepoimt.jpg

Don’t tell me. I’ll guess. “Handsome neutral dove grey and elegant pointed toe, but of a biz snooze compared to your usual.” SPLADOW! https://s13.postimg.org/lnq363wqf/pow.jpg

That’s right. All this time the messenger of the gods has been among you and you didn’t even know it.

I’ll stop for now but there is more. I’m keeping them in the hopper to give Theo a chance to post her HAWT new awesomely colorful happy minidress and her legendary “party in the back” Christmas/New Year’s look. And I know there are others in this very forum who have some killer festive outfits to post so get on that, would you?

Cool shoes, Essie – a bit “business at the front, party at the back” just like my little black number 😉 I haven’t actually got a decent photo of that outfit – being totally black it didn’t photograph well – front looked very plain (though actually very sleek and elegant) and the wonderful chiffon floaty, flouncy back just didn’t show up. Will try again when I get the chance, but not holding my breath. However, here’s my little mini number, which you’ve obviously already seen on the other thread – mental aberration, I thought I was posting it on this one, doh!!!….

https://s9.postimg.org/tunhrqf3z/20171215_122239-1.jpg

Looking forward to seeing your other sale purchases.

Yay color! With red predominant! You got that dress just for me, didn’t you? Ooh, and are those knee-high black suede boots I see under that happy mini-floral print dress? I love the just barely squared-off toes. It’s like they were going for witchy then changed their minds at the last minute. 😀

PS Essie, my only post-Christmas sale purchase so far is a full set of waterproof walking gear – weather has been so appalling that I’m fed up getting soaked every time I walk the dogs. Thrilled with both the jacket and the trousers, but hardly high fashion 😉Sorry, black again, though trimmed with shocking pink. O/h took one look at the trousers (size extra small) and declared them to be only an inch wide 😊 But they fit a treat😊😊

And yes – the colour of that dress was definitely bought with you in mind. They had it in red or navy and I thought “what would Essie choose?” No contest 😊 And yes, suede, though evidently indecisive, knee highs.😉

I have nothing but respect for your battle-the-elements gear, Theo. You will see in my next picture that I am wearing some rather unsightly and bulgy socks that are technically OH’s but will be mine until this frozen hell thaws. They’re alpaca wool socks he got from his parents for Christmas and the fact that the they are so huge on me that the hell balls up at my ankles doesn’t deter me from stealing them. They are fuzzy little furnaces and the entire world could try to pull them off of me but they’d fail.

As promised, here’s another Christmas sale treasure. They are platform sneakers by the one, the only, my cartwheel-turning forever girly-girl favorite Betsey Johnson. Like everything she does, they make me grin ear to ear. Goofy? They sure are and that’s the whole point.

https://s13.postimg.org/6gjacs1if/bets.jpg
https://s13.postimg.org/ygndx1x93/bets2.jpg

That should read the *heel* balls up around my ankles, not the hell. The hell is everywhere and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Green-eyed monster rearing it’s ugly head here, Essie. 😉 I could cheerfully kill for those sneakers 😱 Not that I would, of course – I am far too gentle and like you far too much for that 😊 But I’m definitely suffering from a bit of sneaker-envy – but you can keep your snow and ice, thank you 😜

This wonderful thread seems to have gone a little quiet of late, so I thought I’d revive it by showing you my latest purchase. We have a big holiday planned in the Spring (April) – an African Safari, but we are also doing an “add-on” in Cape Town which culminates in a big party.

Anyway, I saw this……………….and believe me, this dress is SOOOO NOT ME, but I love it (again, please excuse the pesky dog who insists on taking his place in the limelight – only just noticed him lurking in the background, and I’m not getting dressed up again to take another pic without him. What is it about dogs? Guess they are like people, one has to get in every single picture, the other runs a mile as soon as he sees a camera!!)

https://s9.postimg.org/s0r9yfjz3/20171215_124518-1.jpg

Being slender again, after all these years, has given me so much confidence to step out of my “comfort zone” clotheswise……..I really hope it meets with your approval, particularly my phoenix buddies, Essie and Allie (who are my heroes)

Allie, did you get that smartphone for Christmas, so you can join in our game?😉

OH MY GOD, Theo!!!!!!!! What a breathtakingly beautiful dress!!! Will you
be my personal shopper? THAT is the embodiment of Spring! It were
on anyone else but you, I would be downright jealous 🙂 I looked far
and wide last summer for a silk midi skirt with kicky ruffles, but the only
one I found was $500.00, so I came to my senses! Where did I think
I was going to go in it, I wonder!? You have an exciting trip to look
forward to, however. I hope you will began to share the plans/itinerary
as the time approaches. I’ve been giving some serious thought to a
solo U.K. trip this Spring, to meet up with some of my new BSD friends..
Weekends have been crazy of late, so haven’t gotten to the electronics
store for my new phone, but it’s coming, never fear! I’m afraid that when
my head hits the pillow tonight, I’ll be fantasizing about the perfection
of your dress! Just STUNNING…

XOXO

Allie

You look gorgeous Theo!

Aww bless you Allie. And thank you Victoria.

I was a little unsure when I saw the dress because it is soooo different from what I usually wear, so your approval means a lot. I shall definitely wear it on my trip, but after that. ……? Who knows? Maybe I need a posh garden party to go to?

Allie – do it! Europe (and in particular the UK ) need you – our lives and culture will be seriously enriched by an Alliecat visit.

Theodora, that dress looks fabulous – and you look so …. tall.

Theo, this IS your phoenix dress. This is the new you 🙂 Wear it with
confidence and joy! Have an over the top garden party. Can I be on
the guest list??? I don’t think your cosmopolitan, sophisticated friends
would find me too over the top, do you? 🙂 (Ha!) We need only tell them
that we were separated at birth…Cornwall beckons 🙂 🙂 🙂

😊😊😊😊😊 Do it, Al. Not sure Cornwall is ready for you (we are rather a rural, undeveloped community) but hey – you could certainly set the place alight. Why not knock us totally for six, and bring Essie too?!!!! Now THAT would be something to write home about 😉

PS Cornwall is lovely, gorgeous, stunning, wonderful and any other superlative you care to throw at it, but sophisticated and cosmopolitan? Errr, maybe not!

Thank you Flick – and I’ve been called a lot of things in my time, but sadly tall isn’t one of them😢 Something I’ve always aspired to, however, so thank you kindly, ma’am 😊

Theo – what a beautiful dress, what a slender model, you look fabulous.

I am seriously about to hyperventilate here. That dress is freaking EVERYTHING and you look like a freaking Boticelli goddess in it. You’ve found a rare unicorn: the floral gown that looks elegant and lengthening while still being full of life and movement. Flirty but demure. White but not bridal. Floral but not couchy or carpetbaggy. You look like you’re about to take flight, borne aloft by gossamer fabric and fluttery ruffles. Theo’s Rite of Spring will be one for the ages.

And let’s take a moment to acknowledge the awesomeness of you breaking out of your old patterns to embrace your body and all the great things it can do now thanks to your hard work and dedication. I’m not saying stack all your wellies in the backyard, pour lighter fluid on them and strike a match — way too much money and usefullness to go up in smoke — but to rip off Footloose (okay Eccelsiastes), there is a time to every purpose under heaven and you need a glorious new dress for all of them!

I tip the black velvet cloche I bought yesterday to you from across the ocean, Madame. [Insert many hands clapping and fireworks emoticons]

Such a beautiful dress Theo, you look so slim! I wlways look forward to seeing the pics you post!
Inka

Wow Theo! You look wonderful! It’s a very pretty dress and makes you look willowy and free! I think you could wear it day or night during our rare summer! Dress it up or down depending on the occasion. Team it with a floppy sun hat perhaps or a fascinator for a wedding even. A pretty light stole across your back and. hooked loosely over the crook of your arms. It’s just lovely!

Yes willowy is exactly the word!

Aww- thanks guys.

Essie, your post made me quite tearful – in a good way obviously – I really hadn’t expected you to like it (because it’s so not like either of us!!). I knew you wouldn’t be unkind, but was half expecting you to be rather half-hearted in your praise. But what did I get? A full on essay of superlatives. Thank you so much – all of you. You have given me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and flout this silly, feminine confection with pride. Thank you – can’t wait for an occasion which is up to the job now so that I can show it (and me) off!😉

But NOO, it will never replace my waterproofs and wellies😉

PS I am a HUGE hat fan myself, Essie, and need only the very shallowest of excuses to wear one, so the mere thought of your black velvet cloche is giving me SERIOUS hat envy 😉

Theo, I’m not sure we crazy ladies of the “Phoenixes” thread even know
what is “like us” any more. That’s the fun in finding out!! I’m willing to
provoke a bit with skull print leggings when they’re back in stock. I
TOLD you that dress was a stunner! Float on the air like a beautiful
butterfly when you wear it!

Allie

Allie, thank you my friend, and I think you are so right. It is such fun (re)discovering ourselves 😊 Certainly never thought of myself as a butterfly before 😉

But I’m telling you, my girl, you’d better have invested in that smartphone by the time you get those skull print leggings so that you can share the full-on provocative effect with us, or…………..well I don’t know ‘or what’ but, give me time and I will think up a serious penance for you! 😉😜😚

I know what you mean, Theo. I’ve long been more into tailored looks than soft and flowy, but those old patterns don’t matter anymore. All that matters is how great you look in it and how beautiful it makes you feel. Besides, you’re going on safari! It can’t be pith helmets and johdpurs all day, can it? (Note to self: get your hands on a pith helmet and johdpurs stat.) Like Kazz says, a gorgeous summery dress is going to work for you in all sorts of contexts, be it a daytime maxi or an evening gown. Which reminds me, what are you planning shoe-wise? It seems to me you need at least a heeled sandal in bright pink or green and a flat for more casual wear.

I second Allie’s emotion. Our tastes evolve so actively these days that I hardly know what I’m going to like from day to day. When I went shopping with my style guru friend the first week in September, she had to repeatedly nudge me away from black and white. “Just try a color accent piece. This scarf, that cardigan, this jacket.” I resisted her in the beginning, but by the end of the day I was like “Ohh! Bright orange!” And voila, just like that I went from monochrome to color freak.

In a weird way, it matches the evolution of my palate. I like my clothes to tangy just like I like my fermented foods. 😀

Absolutely, Essie..You’re a bird of paradise!

Essie, my love, you are as usual completely correct. We are all not so much rediscovering ourselves, more discovering whole new us! And the dress does make me feel beautiful, and very feminine.

As far as shoes are concerned, I cannot actually wear flats with it, as it then drags on the ground. I do have a couple of neutral colour low-heeled sandals that I can wear, however. But I agree, if I want to wear it for a “dressy” occasion, I need a fantastic pair of knock-’em-dead heeled sandals, picking out one of the colours. I already have rather a wonderful “fascinator” in the exact turquoisey blue that is in the dress which I had especially made to match another outfit so it would be good to give that another airing, (plus I have a matching pashmina) so I will probably opt for that colour for the sandals – I’ll be keeping my eye open!

Blimey – hadn’t thought of adding a pith helmet to my safari shopping list😝 However, somewhere or other, I probably still have a pair of jodhpurs from a previous life (used to be a very keen rider) which I hadn’t thought of digging out😜

Yes, I agree totally with Allie – you are a bird of paradise, relishing all the bright vivid colours that we have hidden from for so long. I love colour as an accent, but I’m afraid that in general, my actual clothes still verge on black / navy etc!! Though I am getting braver…………….slowly!

Ha, help me, Theo! What, pray tell, is a fascinator??? 🙂 🙂 🙂

Allie – yet again, two nations separated by a common language 😉

A fascinator is one of those “little bits of nonsense” consisting of feathers, net, etc that is more than a headband but less than a hat😊

Come to think of it, I have a proper hat in exactly the same colour which I could also wear with my frivolous confection 😀

That is so perfect! Is it packable for safari or best kept for a home-based event? If it’s the latter, you need to find a pretext to wear that dress and the hat at the earliest possible opportunity. As for the heels requirement, there’s an easy solution that keeps you casual and comfy in the day while still being as colorful as you wish: wedges. Wedged espadrilles for spring/summer have been favorites of mine since I was a kid and I still love them, but nowadays oh my god there are soooo many different kinds of wedges from boots to strappy sandals. Go nuts!

Clearly we need to dedicate a few posts to our hat collections. Mine is in an expansion phase, as I’m sure surprises no one. I loved hats as a young woman but most of my old ones don’t really suit me anymore. I have a different face shape now and my head has shrunk enough to make cute riding hats and straw boaters that used to perch jauntily on my noggin fall down to my brows.

That’s a relief Theo – I was thinking along the lines of some torture
undergarment from the middle ages! Who knows what else that you
have hidden in the reccesses of your closet.!
I don’t know if you enjoy classical music, but I heard Vivaldi’s “four
seasons 1/4” when I saw your dress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Ub5B3lr1F48 I hope that it appears!

xoxo

Not to boast …. but I have a pith helmet 🤗