On Not Getting a Ticket....

I was all set to write on the WSJ article about which stars sell the most clothes, but that will have to wait until next week. The following encounter has trumped any fashion talk today...



I was headed out the door to take the kids to school today when The Husband reminded me that I needed to take his car. He had kindly offered to get a couple of new tires put on my car (This offer coming after I had a total tire blowout after he had assured me all was fine...nevertheless). I don't drive The Husband's cars very often. I'm not allowed to drive the porsche...and I do not hold this against him. I wouldn't allow me to drive it either. But today, the kids and I climbed into the Honda and took off. It was absolutely pouring down rain and still dark...it was Little One's day to pick "leaving time"...and she picks "crack of dawn".....So there we were at 7:20, driving and talking. We pulled off the backstreets into a merging lane, when all of a sudden, the state trooper behind me (I had seen him) flashes his lights. Well, crap.



I quickly pulled over and waited. "What did I do?" I asked The Boy. "No clue", he replied. Little One whispered "Are you going to jail?" ......The Boy laughed and said "Ooh, dad is really gonna yell at you!" Sadly, this was the exact thought going through my mind. However, I crossed my fingers and hoped I had a break light out or something. I rolled down my window, and the trooper trudged over in the rain with a really mean look on his face. "I WAS TRYING TO GET YOU TO PUT ON YOUR LIGHTS."......Ok, well you don't have to yell at me. "License please." I handed it over and murmured "really sorry".



Little One, who needs to learn to restrain her temper, started talking about how "dumb" he was. The Boy was strangely quiet, only mumbling "We're gonna be late." I sat there lecturing myself not to cry...though I felt like it. I was already planning my explanation to The Husband, yet I was also shallow enough to hope that no friends of neighbors were seeing this....although I was a bit comforted by the fact that I was in The Husband's car and it was still dark...giving me a bit of "disguise"...



A few minutes later, here came the trooper again. He walked up, took off his glasses and sighed. "Ok. I'm mad at you because you made me get wet. I had already made up my mind to give you a ticket....But...if you will promise to put your lights on.....I won't."........He didn't smile, but he looked like he might, so I said "Thank you so much", and flipped on my lights. Since we were at the worse possible place as far as trying to pull back on to the road, I hesitated until The Boy said "MOM GO...and be sure your lights are on!" ....Little One rambled on about how "dumb" the policeman was, and frankly, I was feeling the same way, so I refrained from my motherly duty of correcting her.



The thing is.....here it comes......I didn't even know you could get a ticket for not having your headlights on. I mean, I should have had them on, and it was still a little dark and rainy....but I was just wondering why he didn't stop me on the side roads and just tell me. As we pulled away, I said "No need to even mention this to dad.".....The Boy shook his head. "MOM, How come when I make a bad grade, and I beg you not to tell dad, you say you have to. I guess next time I make a bad grade, we don't have to tell him either."......Busted. And not only busted, but embarrassed.



All's well that ends well. We made it to school without further problems....and I did call and tell The Husband about it. "Did you tell them you weren't used to driving my car?" he asked. Well, no I didn't, because I did not know if that would hurt or help.....



Anyway, I feel very fortunate to have "gotten off"....kind of lifted my spirits on a gloomy Friday...SO



Until tomorrow....

Finishing the Fashion List

It was lovingly pointed out to me by The Niece this morning that I never finished the fashion blog. I am so off my game this week. Too many distractions. But without further ado...here we go. I believe we left off at item 6....

6) Gold metallic Sperrys....Ok, back in 'the day', these were called 'Boat shoes'. They have come in and out of style so many times I cannot count. I have never owned a pair. As I have said before, the only flats I ever wear are boots.....however.....I LOVE these. I think it is the metallic that makes them so cute. I would wear them with skirts and shorts. But I am torn between these and the suede McAlister boots. These look like old-fashioned hush puppies, but a bit more cool. I'm going to need The Niece's opinion on this, since price will prevent me from buying both.

7) The Minnie Pant....I love these pants! The ankle length is so flattering (they are called the 'magic pants" in the catalogue because they look good on everyone. They have a real french look...I would wear them with my ankle boots because that is the look I like, but I can see them with flats too. If The Husband didn't read the blog, I'd tell you that I already purchased these....and the following......

8) Ruffled Vest.....Ok, as you get older, you definitely have to balance out 'cool' with 'appropriate'. I am constantly editing my wardrobe to be sure that I don't look like I'm trying to dress like Big Sis or The Senior. But having said that, occasionally I just have to go for it.....the "Minnie pants" with the darling Ruffle Vest seem to satisfy my "chic" craving without going overboard. The vest can be belted or not, and once again, I would wear it with almost anything....

9) Vintage Denim jacket......I was not allowed to have a denim jacket in middle school or high school. My mom thought that only "hoods" wore these. (I do not know what the current equivalent for "hood" is....all I can say is that the kids that wore jean jackets back then all smoked and skipped class....and none of them were forced to wear pigtails by their mom...) Anyway, once I was buying my own clothes, these became a staple for me. I even bought one with a beautiful pastel bird on the back during college....what the heck was I thinking? Now, I like the ones that look kind of worn and cozy. I wear them with everything...skirts, dresses, you name it....It kind of gives a yin and yang look. The newest ones are cropped, and they are cute. But I think you have to be careful with proportion.....I think the normal length is more versatile...

10) Crystal necklace.......I love to look at these in the magazines. When I use to merchandise, these were the pieces that would really make an outfit pop. But to be honest, for me, they do not translate well into reality. I have to wear jewelry that is comfortable. I cannot wear anything that is heavy or too bold. Of course, this is totally a personal thing. Some people carry these off so well...and this necklace is the perfect show piece if you are that person....

Ok, that's it for today. I'm going to stick with the fashion theme tomorrow. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article this morning on which "stars" sell fashion the best....I'll have to give my 2 cents on this...

Until tomorrow...

"If There Ever Comes A Day When We Can't Be Together,Keep Me in your Heart. I'll Stay There Forever.' Winnie the Pooh

Little One was home from school yesterday. I went up to wake her up for school, and she began to cry. I hesitated....then I heard her stomach making funny noises. Could be hunger...but I couldn't take the chance. A memory popped into my head of a young 4th grader (me) who got sick at school one day. My mom determined it was nerves...so she brought me home, cleaned me up....and sent me back. To this day, I can remember putting on my yellow jumper, which by the way I hated, and crying at the thought of my impending humiliation. I do remember apologizing to the boy who sat in back of me. This particular boy was a good friend. He had nicknamed me "Ork" ....this was the sound he envisioned the bird who I was named for making....I can still remember his sweet words of reassurance: "It's ok Ork. Just don't do it again." .....You'll understand why he remained a good friend all through high school...But I digress....



I tucked Little One back in and let her sleep. After dropping The Boy at school, I came home and worked on a painting for a few hours. Little One eventually appeared on the stairs with a small grin on her face. "I'm really hungry. Can I have the left-over cheeseburger?".....Ok, so those stomach sounds were probably hunger. At least she'd have a day to rest. Little One is easy to have around on these days. She is content to watch game shows and entertain herself while I do my thing. Around noon, I suggested a trip to the bookstore. You'd have thought I said we were going to Disney World. She ran upstairs and put on her "outfit"....leggings with shorts over them, tank top with a shirt over it...and cowboy boots. (no yellow jumpers for Little One). We made our way to the bookstore where she picked out several good books. Later, as we headed to pick up The Boy and grab her homework, she leaned up and gave me a kiss...."I love you. I like being home with you." A sob caught in my throat. Little One doesn't like any show of emotion...so it was not a good idea to burst into tears at his moment. 'Ditto' I replied.



Last night as I tucked her in, I teased her. "I don't care how much your stomach is growling in the morning...you have to got to school." She grinned and said "Darn it! I was hoping for another day." This morning, there were no tears. She hopped out of bed, dressed, ate 2 waffles, and styled the hair into her newest "do". As I grabbed my keys to leave, she ran over and gave me a hug. "I'll miss you today". This time, I couldn't stop the tears. And she didn't even fuss at me....



So this morning, as I sit here on this rainy day preparing to paint, I miss my Little One.....



Until tomorrow...

On Putting Aside my "Best Laid Plans"...

I heard little steps on the stairs at 7:00. This is not a good sign on Sunday morning. The bathroom door opening before my door was also not a good sign. Little One walked over to th e bed with tears in her eyes. "I think I have the stomach flu. I didn't make it to the bathroom." Oh my. These are not the words any mother likes to hear. What makes it worse is that Little One always makes it in time. This could not be good. I jumped out of bed and followed her to the bathroom. There was work to be done. She laid down on the couch while I cleaned. I ran through my mind what she had eaten the previous night, hopeful that it was something she ate and not a virus. High school basketball game, two hot dogs...a grill cheese when she got home....uh oh...nothing to indicate a bad food reaction. I took her back to bed and tucked her in, hoping it was just a freak thing. 2o minutes later, she came in again, again not making her mark, and this time, feeling even worse. Ok, well, at least I knew what was coming...



Fast forward a couple of hours. 4 trips to the bathroom. 2 long crying jags (hers, not mine) and a full load of laundry...all before 9:00. My heart goes out to Little One. I guess everyone has a predilaction to some kind of illness...something that they tend to get. The Boy gets a cold....The Husband gets upper respiratory something or other....but Little One gets a stomach virus. This is hard to watch as a mom. Lots of patting and ponytail holding....and lots of trying to discreetly chlorox everything in sight. Then there is this...



The first hour, I find myself wondering if I have it too, or is it just my reaction to her? Ok, I think I am ok. Then there is the mental review and tweak of the day, knowing that church is out...and so are any hopes of finishing the painting and the french novel. The Husband and Boy have a busy day planned, so they will be fine. Neither have risen from bed yet...and when they hear about Little One, they will make a quick exit...There was the aborted attempt to do a yoga tape in between bathroom trips, in some sort of pitiful effort to feel productive....but that failed when Little One ran through yelling "Grab my ponytail...it'c coming again!!'...



So today, I will give up all thought of any of my "best laid plans', and just try and comfort Little One. Is there anything worse than being 10 years old with a stomach virus on a Sunday? Not in her eyes.



Until tomorrow, when the 24 hour rule probably dictates that Little One will miss school...which means more rearranging and adjusting of plans.....but she is calling again....

On the State of the Union

I'm going to do a quick follow -up blog here this morning. I hadn't planned on watching the President's State of the Union speech. I was going to go run during this time....but it was too cold, so I was forced to watched. Therefore, I feel compelled to give a short reaction. My apologies to those of you who have this blog sent to your e-mail...sorry to put 2 in your box in one day. Remember, there were none yesterday...

Speech reaction:

1) "I am more hopeful than I have ever been"......I don't think most Americans are feeling this positive, but I could be wrong. I think there is a real feeling of worry and concern out there...

2) "Change has not come fast enough".....again, I feel there is a true disconnect with the country. The problem is, the change that has occurred has not helped or is not wanted.

3) You cannot re-name the Stimulus Bill. You can try and call it a Jobs bill now, but it is the same thing. And here is the deal....many of your job 'suggestions" could have already been passed if you had tried...but you were more interested in cramming through your agenda.

4) If you really believe that the only reason the healthcare bill is unpopular is because you "have not explained it well"....I don't know what to say. New Jersey, Virginia, Massachussetts....do you really think the people in those states didn't understand?? Isn't that an unbelievably smug and condescending reaction? Could it be that people heard and did not like it????

5) You spent very little time on National Security. Why didn't you mention the Christmas Day bombing? The terror trial in New York? Closing Guitmo?..............

6) Thanks for acknowledging that you have screwed up some this year. But you have to do more that acknowledge it...you have to change course a bit......I don't see it yet, but I can be patient.

7) I liked the talk about helping out small businesses and college students...these are things I can support.

8) You want Congress to list earmarks on a website???? ...How about you VETO anything with an earmark in it...this was your campaign promise....

9) Kudos to your wife. Childhood obesity and help for veterans are 2 meaningful and important causes. She stays under the radar and I admire this.

10) It makes me physically ill to have to stare at Pelosi and Biden while you speak.

I think the President has a hard time not being "adored". When he looks out at the republicans in his audience, and they are staring at him stone-faced...he cannot handle it. He still feels that he can somehow win people over with his charisma and personality.....

Please, Mr. President......change course....listen to the Americans.....and listen, you can blame the former administration the first month you are in office...maybe the second....but by the first year...it's your baby. YOU are Washington, Mr. Obama...you are no longer the "outsider". You are the change, remember? Don't play the blame game....it makes you look weak....

So that is it for today and tomorrow.....happy weekend to all.....

Is it Spring Yet? ( the Fashion Blog)

Why is it that right after the holidays, when it is still below freezing outside, the spring catalogues start showing up in the mail box? You've just bought all the Christmas presents...and you're wearing your sweaters and boots...and here comes the spring bathing suit catalogue and the resort catalogue. Now as a previous buyer, I can answer the more literal part of that question....the buying for these items has already occurred. But the more fun part of the answer is that these catalogues come just about the time we are ready for warm weather again. When you are freezing just walking out to the mailbox, it's nice to open up a catalogue and see pretty spring clothes....



On this note, I happened to pop onto the J Crew facebook page the other day. Their stylist "Jenna", who puts together a kind of 'top 10' list every season, had posted a picture of some 'must have' pieces. There was a kind of 'online' fight going on as to whether this look was relevant or not. Now, the job of the stylist is to create a kind of feeling. The look is not so much based on the individual pieces, but it is the total picture. I happened to love the picture. I thought it was a great mix of texture and color. I couldn't...or wouldn't... personally wear all of the pieces, but the picture caused me to look more closely at each individual piece. To me, this meant she had succeeded. But many had posted comments on the site critiquing the picture. I hit 'like' just to give Jenna a little support. (If you participate on facebook, you know that 'like' is a lazy way of saying 'I like that'.) This, in turn, made Big Sis laugh... I believe the word she used was "dork". But the niece quickly came to my rescue. She too had seen the picture....and she was more interested in whether or not I liked the sequined shorts.....so, here is my take on the "list'...once again, it's just my opinion...and who cares what I think anyway??



1) The sequined shorts.....These shorts got slammed more than any other item, and I understand why. You would have to be of a certain age and have great legs to pull these off. The niece could wear them. Britney Spears could wear them. Most people could not or would not wear them. But I think they were a very cool part of the whole look.



2) The boyfriend blue oxford shirt.....I love this shirt. It's a wardrobe staple. You can dress it up or down...and it's a great layering piece. She layered it under a sequined tank, which I thought was a really neat mix of texture. I wouldn't wear the sequined shorts...but I would sure wear the sequined tank. I can see it over a white shirt with a pair of jeans...but I can also see it over a sleek pencil skirt...



3)Long Beach cardigan.....at first glance, this one looks old-fashioned and dated...but the shape and texture are very modern...I would wear this over jeans or skirts...but I would also wear it as a robe or a bathing suit cover-up....again, versatility is the key.



4) Zoe Blazer...I am a real lover of jackets and blazers, but I prefer a more tailored jacket. There is a cute 'boyfriend' blazer that I have kept in my online 'wish list' for a month...but it needs a discount before I take the plunge....The Zoe blazer is too boxy for my taste...I don't like anything that doesn't compliment shape....



5) 'Bonne Vie' blue and striped scarf....Love this one...very Parisien, very chic.....perfect with jeans...very cozy-looking...



So that's it for today...6 through 10 to come.....



Until tomorrow....

In the News....

Short Discussion of the Day's Headlines in no particular order:

1) On the eve of the State of the Union Address, addressing the fact that his poll numbers are extremely low, President Obama tells Diane Sawyer he would rather be a good one-term President than a mediocre two term. Hey Mr. President....the point is, nobody thinks you're a good one- termer yet. WSJ has a very interesting article today entitled 'Obama and the Copenhagen Syndrome'. The jist of the article is that "Copenhagen Syndrome" is the "belief in your own miracles. It is a belief that those who crowned you king actually knew what they were doing." You sent your press secretary to the Sunday news shows to say that things are tough because of"the last 8 years. Do you really think the American people are going to give you a pass on that after a year in office? Come on...accountability......time to reassess and listen a little bit. You are the President of a country of people who are trying to tell you something. Listen.

2) Simon Cowell is said to be leaving American Idol next year. Possible replacements being mentioned? Tommy Mattola....uh...too old, irrelevant. Head of a record company, but his biggest claim to fame is being Mariah Carey's ex-husband....Jamie Foxx....I think he can be really crude and nasty. I know Simon is rotten, but one senses there is a heart there somewhere..........Donny Osmond....Love Donny, but no. Too nice. ..................Not sure there is a replacement for Simon.

3) Brad and Angelina are splitting up. Well, this is in the news every other week. If it is true, very sad for all of those kids....but really, why does this get so much attention?

4) It is being said that the US response to the earthquake in Haiti was worse than the response to Katrina. I think this is a tough one to judge. You are dealing with a country so full of corruption that there was unbelievable poverty to begin with. Factor in total devastation and a dissolving of any government structure...and what do you do? You send troops and supplies and try and figure out how to get help to the people who need it. Unfortunately, this takes time...and in a disaster of this magnitude, you just do not have time.....I really cannot blame our government for this one.....

5) Conan vs Leno. Well, I don 't really care. But from a purely business standpoint, the network is obviously going to give the Tonight Show to the guy who can bring the best ratings.....I understand that it stinks for Conan...but isn't that how it is for anyone who gets "moved around" in their job when someone else is more productive? I mean, it may not be 'fair'...but it's a business....

6) Colts or Saints in the Super Bowl? Ouch...it still hurts that I can't say Vikings. If I can't cheer for Brett, I'm going with Peyton Manning....

So that is it for today....I don't have time to get to 7-10. Just a warning to those who don't care...tomorrow is about fashion.....

Until tomorrow....