Embracing white and red

I have just had an amazing week.  No! No news on the housing front.  I am reconciling to another winter here.  But...

Before I reconciled that,  I consoled myself with playing around with OOTD's which are outfits of the day.  In my case that is pretty casual..  I wore a comfy outfit all day and when I went to post it to the 40+ style club  private FB page I realized I hadn't felt uplifted.  Hmm, why not?  My conclusion was that it was primarily a warm palette and I am a cool winter.   What we wear does affect how we feel.  You know the motto- Dress for Success!  Then I got to making my ootd's in neutrals.  Stone/beige is tricky.  All white is a stretch for this messy gal.   But greys ...

This could be my look!  Now to add some colour, but not piles as too much colour seems to overwhelm me.

Here are the details I posted:

#ellenpukalo #hourglass
Ready or not! Momentous week. OOTD had me working with neutrals. Colour I have a handle on. Contrast I get, sort of. Value even in quilting is my struggle. So low value contrast causes me angst! Ditched all black. Not too smart because I just eliminated a lovely distinguishing line. edgy, Tracy? Light neutrals and a hint of soft femininity, Sally. ( 'member I wanna be sweet). Guess that means I load up on white cause beige is tricky for me since I am reconciled to not being a warm winter. lol So what cubby hole did I stash all the tints in? grey- silver and all the lovely other light to medium greys. duh!
My style as it continues to evolve: A- amiable, red is one of the colours that draws people in.(learned that in public speaking) Full out red and white is more contrast than I want/need. Therefore, A- is for accessories! A little dab will do you! And they don't have to scream like a scarlet letter. oye! red running shoes, Autumn ;) B- backgrounds, my light and going to be versatile and interesting neutrals! yay! C- creativity shown with accessories on my background canvas (note the c) and my soon to be revived sewing skills! (help Deborah)
Hope I am not unrealistically optimistic (tis my nature/style) but I have managed this month to somewhat gather and corral all the galloping and wildly plunging ponies in my personal style stable and head through the colour gate for July! whoo hoo Ruth Essex   Gosh, Canada has a birthday and EVERYTHING is red and white especially this weekend! ha, I'll be right in style.
I have included my neutrals in the comments. Note this isn't so much about styling- just figuring my backdrop. Get out your red pencils all you 40+ers!

And then these were the various options:
 
This is what I would hope is more stone than that common pink beige. Even with some accessorizing with colour it is pretty blah.

actually I'm a bit stumped to accessorize.

ivory? not so hot, how about we call it a tint of hopefully clear cool yellow. I was hoping anyway!

a little edge? A lot of creativity. I did make the tote.

So the 'best' ??? for last. white, black, grey This is where I learned black with white spots is very different from white with black spots!

Hitting my stride!

I had this fabric in my considerable stash and thought hmmm.  Not flowers.  I am not a floral person and turns out flowers/prints relate best on gals with lots of highlights (texture to their hair).  I am light and sleek.  I hadn't known that but I have never been much for prints, especially small prints.  This fabric shows lots of colour tint options and some edgy X's to bump things up from blah.

Then I went to have my shower and now the whole FB site knows I posted in my jammies!  lol 
Because....tadah!

I just LUV, LUV, LUV! my IKEA shower curtain.  Lots of white, some smooshy, watercoloury, tints that are a light/medium value, and that lovely black line!  BINGO!

                            
 The topic for 40plusstyle club in July is colour and I must admit that Ruth Essex has so changed my perceptions with her insight into the looks we put up on the site.  She tells us why or why not it works.  So helpful and now she is doing the master class for this month.  Here is a video I snagged to show you why I think July is gonna be a red letter month!  If this link doesn't work it can be viewed on the public FB page- https://www.facebook.com/40PlusStyle
 

S0...  OOTD and accessorizing. I need a red statement necklace.   Actually, I am pretty pumped.  Home decor, personal clothing style and a focus for my fibre arts and even my jewelry making justification (all those beads but no big red ones) is all starting to make sense.  I'm a little bit, well, maybe a lot, ADD when it comes to colours and style so all this understanding could be a good anchor.    Looks like I really have something to celebrate!

Long time, no see...

AH, LIFE!

Sometimes it just marches along and other times there is a big missed step and...

My phone crashed.  It is my main communication device.  It is my phone, my camera, and my Internet connection for all things in the cyber world.  Not necessarily a complicated fix, or so I thought.  I just went in to get a new phone at the old office; different brand as this was twice in less than a year. They are the 'new' office and can't help me.   Our provincial telecommunications network was bought out by a bigger national network and they had to pass some of the customers on to a third network. So I had to go to a bigger centre where the old office still functioned.  Guess who got caught in the crack???  :/  You wouldn't think removing a red flag from my old and first choice  network would be too hard.  It took 5-7 working days to put me back where I had never wanted to leave!  grrrr!  But I have a new phone and the learning curve seems manageable.   I think!

We found a perfect place to retire.  Lovely piece of land in a small town.  We found a plan for a modest home.  I got kinda excited and began planning my playroom!  Seems the 7 people on the title were not all aware of the sale and definitely not in agreement.  So while they squabble we have moved on.  vbsigh

The weather has actually been rather cold and miserable but the flowers seem to luv it.  Amazing blossoms this year.  The Rooster kept up with the grass but I think we'll be taking an hiatus from traveling the country to staying home this long weekend and weeding flower beds!

I had all my garments for the summer capsule ready to go and only posted one before the crash.  I was so behind.  Then I was busy catching up with all the gals and one comment got me thinking.  I have been learning LOTS with the challenges but not really identifying my own style.  So rather than catch up I'm going to finish the month with favourite OOTD, outfits of the day.  I'll start with ABC's- Approachable, Basic and a small c creative.  If home decor is a good base for identifying style I like a more neutral background and lots of vignettes.  So I'm thinking monochromatic clothes and make it personal and eye popping with contrasting accessories which  can show off my creativity.  I'm thinking sewing totes, and making jewelry.

The grand kiddies have been busy doing year end field trips so we haven't done too much art.   A visit to Lower Fort Garry was on the agenda.  All but one of our kids did volunteer work at the fort where they dressed in period costumes.  So the kiddies were right up to speed and interested.

They could chose an activity after the tour and they chose drill as a new North West Mounted Police recruit.  Hilarious!  I am waiting for DD's photos but these young kids hardly know their left from their right!  They had red jackets and wooden rifles and a stiff young Sergeant who kept yelling "chaos, chaos" !  Good thing this particular military stone fort never actually saw any battles!

The longest day of summer has slipped by.  Time to smell the roses while they are blooming.

I think I am also ready to get into formation. My playrooms haven't seen much of me. I know the drill but should settle down and quit fixating and fussing on where we'll be going and just march along however long it may take.  Right. Right. Right, Left, Right!

The Sweet Spot

Time to go back and visit with DD#1.  I have eaten all my candied ginger!

But other sweet things are happening!

WEEKLY STATS

Hi, Ellen Pukalo! Here are your stats for May.​ 29 - Jun.​ 4

Best Day! 10,188 Tue. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Sun.

 

61,993 total steps

⇡ 22,631 more than last week

I did gain 2 pounds last month.  Might have been all the sweet things that I did/ate while away.  I have been using my Fitbit and one kind lady says muscle weighs more than fat but unfortunately I didn't walk that much.  But I have discovered that I can rotate around the dining room table as I think.  Way better than sitting in my comfy chair with a cup of coffee!
  

With the Rooster's retirement looming on the calendar, I have been trying to up my at home/chore/casual look.   The 40+ gals are wonderfully helpful but I don't see make up, hair up-do's, and accessorizing as part of my shuffle, yawn, and sip coffee morning routine even if there are classier chicks out there.  Ha!  I will perhaps give it some thought as I rotate around the table while my dearie enumerates the day's projects.

 But the club did have an eye opening video on using scarves.  Did you know that wetting a scarf and putting it around your neck instantly lowers your core temperature.  !!!

But it would be good to perk myself up with some colour at my face.  The small square silky scarf!  Easy Peasy!  Next will be to see if I actually dare to whip out for the mail dressed like this!  When is one the right age to not care what the neighbours think!  sheesh!   Well, no sooner said typed than one came knocking and apparently my new look made little impression on him.  He only had eyes for the Rooster's old tractor!  lol

But just think what the effect would be on my art!

uh. oh!  Now I have to find a beret for messy hair days!  lol

I'm still trying to find good cheap paper for the grandkiddies nature journals.  I did find finger painting paper at the dollar store but it is pretty shiney!  My grand students arrive tomorrow to spend  the weekend.  We'll have lots to study as they are available for hire on the yard!  They have a long Lego wish list!  lol 

We are going back to recheck the property we liked to see if it still has a sweet savour.  It will also be to count stones.  The yard area seemed to have a number of significant number of challenges for a lawnmower!

Looking forward to a sweet weekend!

Finding Gold

The summer challenge is up for the 40+ style club and I'm hoping to incorporate some gold but I really need to focus on my casual wardrobe.  I learnt lots about accessories last month so I can definitely bump up my casual look with them.  Now I need my Eliana to help me find some gold sneakers!

The new owners of the farm have put it back to its black state but I expect it to be a canola golden yellow colour this summer.

I believe we've managed to mow down all the yellow dandelions.  Gee, I do not like those long stalks with the seed heads but the flocks of gold finches seem to enjoy them.

The grand kiddies need to include a nature journal in their school curriculum so their mum (DD#2) and I are trying to find the right format so that in their golden years they can relive some memories..  We are leaning to a clip board for the studies and store them in binders.  Now to find a good paper. 

We had hoped to get a small acreage in Tolstoi, Manitoba.  Wouldn't  living in a town named after a famous author be so cool for a blog called To Tell a Story!  pure gold!!!  Tolstoi used a lot of the proceeds from his books to help with emigration.  We haven't given up hope of finding something in this area.  The Rooster would like to be more involved with his Ukrainian roots and this is the area they first settled in.  There are heritage sites and an Ukrainian Festival nearby.  Hope the map manages to stay together until we strike the mother lode!

And we did find a nugget while traipsing all over one property.   Deer are a mixed blessing especially in a garden but perhaps this wee fella could be persuaded to move to the corners and  leave the homestead to the new settlers!  Here is hoping!!!

I also hope we are all looking forward to a golden summer!  :)