It’s almost three in the afternoon and the weekend is still going strong. We’ve been very productive these two days.
The weather, as muggy and cloudy as it is today, was actually a great thing because had it been beautiful outside, I would have never even made an attempt to transition from the winter wardrobe into the summer.
The storm before the calm. Transitioning the clothing is such a messy chore!
It’s a chore. I’m not gonna lie. And seemingly, with no downtime anymore due to working full-time, it’s even more of a chore but the deed had to be done! I felt like I was saying goodbye to my plaids and woolens—–I was. But, when the late fall arrives, they will be back out and happily hanging in my closet.
It’s very difficult for me to say goodbye–even for a season!
And it’s more painful to bid a seasonal farewell to my plaids!!!!
There’s something airy and not fussy about summer clothing. I enjoy wearing dresses more in the summer months because it’s one-stop dressing. Slip it over your head and you’re done and good to go!
Dresses in front and skirts in the back…the closet is summer-ready..
and lighter, summery shirts on the opposite side!
My summer wardrobe is even more basic than my winter one. Plain white tees. Simple skirts. Tee-shirt dresses. Solid color-maxi’s. I’m not into prints and not into many accessories during the summer. Due to the mugginess and humidity here in the Northeastern States, it’s better to go with less.
One of my favorite summer dresses from last year. So glad I made this purchase–and it will be worn in the same fashion this year. With those great low-top sneaker!
I know some will disagree with me and that’s fine. We all have our own preferences!
A simple dress with a pair of flat sandals, ballet flats or low-top sneakers works fine for casual times.
On Friday, it was this hot and I was able to wear summer clothing to the office. See what I mean about a simple dress and sandals? No fuss!
Take a pair of heels and strand of pearls and that same dress can be office attire.
And I did add a few items to the wardrobe for this summer. Yesterday was our most productive day!
I woke up early to an appointment for a mani-pedi. I leave Friday to fly to Cincinnati to visit Oona and wanted the nails to be perfectly painted in a new coat of Red!
Opi’s Big Apple Red is a year-round great red. I love my red nails!
J.Crew Factory had a huge sale this weekend and Bonaparte and I headed to the outlets. We both got lucky. He with pants and a couple of shirts and socks. Me with a great white denim skirt (that he can’t stand but I love), a navy Teddie Sweater with a pink flamingo embroidered onto it. And more white tee shirts. I had a $75 gift card from my step-daughter Claire–it was a birthday gift. Bonaparte had a $75 gift card that he forgot about. We ended up paying a couple of dollars for the clothing we purchased!
Fun in the fitting room! This skirt. I loved it the moment I tried it on..
And loved it even more paired with this lightweight summer sweater. BTW, I sized down to a Small in the sweater because it’s more fitted!
The skirt. I love a denim skirt and am a fan of the white denim in the summer. It’s got a frayed hem making it super-casual. It’s 98 percent cotton and two percent Elastane, giving the skirt just a hint of stretch where needed. It falls about three or four inches above the knee, making it very comfortable. I know this skirt will be worn a lot during this season.
The skirt. Not incredibly short–I can bend over in it and not worry about my origin of the world being on display!
I picked up a couple of Tee shirts to add to my collection of the many Old Navy tees. These are a bit looser than my fitted ones–perfect for the half-tuck!!
Bonaparte can’t stand the skirt. It’s the Parisien in him. He still thinks shorts on women is vulgar and thinks the same about denim miniskirts. I just give him the French shrug and will wear the skirt anyway!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being married to a Frenchman, I’ve perfected the art of the French shrug! I use it all the time!
And in summarizing, we headed to Home Depot to get some potted plants for the deck. In my head, I envisioned bright red geraniums. They are my favorite potted florals. But a funny thing happened when we arrived. The selection of geraniums was atrocious.
Bonaparte picked out the one decent plant and it was left to find what would work. I picked up red begonias and white ones. When I spotted white New Guinea Impatiens, I went with them too. When I lived in New Jersey, I had them in front of the house and they grew beautifully. We’ll see how long they last on the deck.
Geraniums on top. Bottom left, New Guinea Impatiens–to the right Begonias. My money is on only the Impatiens lasting through the summer. We’ll see!
But the thing is, I love hanging out on the deck during the warm months. And since we’re not going to France this summer (I’m really upset—but my new job….) we’ll be spending more time at home!
This guy lives for hanging out on the deck. Chippy is a regular concierge!
So, after everything was in place, flowers planted, dinner prep started, we sat down outside to enjoy the aperitifs before dinner. And in the middle of our second apero, the raindrops started falling on our heads!
Dinner was had indoors. Was it dietesque? No. I made the last batch of escargots that I had in the freezer as a sort of fare-thee-well to the winter food. And we dined on steak with béarnaise sauce. I don’t know what it is, but that man o’ mine loves my béarnaise sauce!
The last of the escargot!! Click for Chef Ludo’s Recipe–it’s the best!
I dread the weigh-in tomorrow. But let me tell you…
When I arrived home from the office on Friday, I weighed myself. The scale’s needle fell between 145 and 146—which is a great thing but no two scales are alike. Tonight, is chicken and salad!
That’s the struggle. On Friday I weigh a lot less than on Mondays. I’m a moron to go to Monday night meetings!
Friday was the same thing. We started to have dinner outside and it rained. Hopefully the same won’t happen when we go out to enjoy dinner tonight!
Hopefully tonight, we’ll be able to enjoy a full dinner outside!!
Oh!!!!!!! I have to tell you something!!! It’s about cosmetic multi-tasking!
So, a few months back, I picked up an illuminating palette by e.l.f (not an older-woman-friendly company). It was six bucks and I thought the product was a cream. It wasn’t. The four-shade palette was powder. I knew I wouldn’t be able to use it on my face due to the fact my skin is really dry. It’s an aging thing.
I bought this palette. It didn’t work as an illuminator for me though.
Anyway, I was thinking the other day that I just wanted a simple, lighter eye look. I ended up using this palette as eyeshadow. Boy—did it look great! It’s one of those “make it work” things. That product you have that you don’t use—maybe it can be put to task in another way! And with a fake tan, the eyes will glow even more!
But see how glowy and natural it makes my eyes look as an eyeshadow palette? I’m also wearing Ardell’s magnetic Accent lashes!
I know I’ve been falling behind in my posts, but I’m still getting used to the time management with the job so I’m asking you to be patient with me for a bit. I’ll be back to posting on a more regular basis once I get the timing down!
In the meantime, have a look at this video I made on my phone. It’s a look into my summer closet and I hope that you enjoy it. I tried organizing the best way I could.
Have you transitioned your winter wardrobe to summer yet? What are your organizational secrets??? Let’s share!!
Love the black & white shift it’s simplicity at it’s finest plus the cute little cuff in a smaller print on the sleeves is great coupled with the white lowtops what’s not to love. A white denim skirt is a summer time staple for me here in the South but mine have a cute pair of stretchy shorts underneath no worry about a stray breeze.
I’ve noticed my lashes aren’t as full as they used to be but have put off getting any because of the thought of glueing my eyes shut, yes I know it’s silly. So what are magnetic lashes?
Hi Bec! Oh those shifts!!! Perfect summer dressing! I like the idea of built-in shorts with the skirt–kind of like a skort! The magnetic lashes have a top and bottom unit. The application is tricky at first, but once you get it down, it’s easy. Place the upper lash along the top of your natural lash line then attach the bottom lash so that the natural lashes are sandwiched in between. Ardell makes great ones and they last a lot longer than the glue on kind!XOXOXOXXO!!!
Oh no – you are not going to France this year! I do enjoy your travel blogs – but if I am disappointed I can imagine how very much more you are. Just at the time in our lives we should be able to go and enjoy doing things we want to do but real life gets in the way!!!
Hi Anne! Well………we are but not this summer. We’re spending Thanksgiving in Paris–it’ll be a quick four-day visit. I”m bummed but I have to be an adult about this. I started a new job and just couldn’t swing the time off for the big trip–but next summer…..XOXOXOXO!!!!
LOVE the auburn wig!!! which one is it??
Chloe by Envy. Isn’t it beautiful??? XXOXOXO
I’m also disappointed for you about no trip to France. You do such a wonderful job of sharing your excitement and experiences that I’ve felt I’ve been right there with you. Your next trip will be so much sweeter.
Hi Jean. Yeah. It sucks. I’m trying to wrap my head around the thought that I would normally be saying “Next month I’ll be in France”–instead it’s “In six months I’ll be back in Paris”–not a shabby tradeoff!!! In fact, I cannot wait to get back to Paris. I am extremely comfortable there!!!! And it will be sweeter!!! XOXOXOXO!!!
Oh bummer! No trip to France?! What a disappointment! I know how much you love coming over.
What will you do instead?
We’ll be off to Puglia, Italy, this Summer touring around the countryside and finishing off via Napoli and Roma. Love Rome; we’ve been many times over the years but the piazzas and the Vatican are beckoning constantly. I’ll try to be more consistent on my FB page, I know I haven’t been lately, posting photos of our discoveries.
I am lucky enough to not have to pack away last season’s clothes. I guess I have enough closet space or I don’t have enough clothes! :). But we do size down our closet in the entrance hall (le vestiaire) by transferring our winter coats to our house in the country. That is where we are this week, enjoying summer temperatures and waiting impatiently for the pool to heat up; the whole of France is on vacation this week as there are 2 “ponts”, meaning Tuesday and Thursday are holidays and by taking 3 days vacation , Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you have the whole week off! Hubby is doing just that, working some from home.
Hey B! Yeah. My husband doesn’t even want to be reminded of the fact that we’re staying home this summer. We’ll be doing day visits to the shore and out to Long Island to my sister’s and to NYC. The summer goes by fast. And in November we’ll be in Paris. Thanksgiving in Paris means that I get to eat what I want and not dried-out Turkey. LOL!! You’re lucky that the weather is gorgeous. It’s still inconsistent here. One beautiful day followed by a rainy or muggy or cooler day. XOXOXOXOXO!!!!
Oh, visits to the shore and Long Island? Please post photos. I’d love to branch out to Long Island one day during a visit to NYC.
Thanksgiving in Paris? Hopefully you’ll be able to spare an hour so we can meet up at a café somewhere.
When I was doing WW I used to weigh myself on Mondays thinking that would keep me in check over the weekend and it did not work out as well as I thought. Womp womp. Not that you are taking requests, but I’d love to hear more about magnetic lashes (I have some and I can’t get them on right) and which tees you like best. I prefer v-necks with a somewhat looser fit, and often find white to be a little too sheer. I just flipped my closet too. It’s a lot of work but so satisfying!
Hi Turner. The magnetic lashes are pretty decent. The smaller “Accents” by Ardell work much better than the Whispies. It takes a while to get the hang of it but once you do, it’s easy peasy. I’ll try to do a post on it!! Yeah–I started wearing V-necks this year and I like them!! So true about the closet–I find myself enjoying stepping in their to get and put clothing away!!! XOXOXOXO!!!!
I bough the Ardell magnetic lashes and can’t get them on for the life of me! I’m at my wit’s end, I trimmed them down a bit but they still just don’t seem to work. Oh well.
That plaid dress from last year is so super cute and I really love your white skirt (as well as your shrug!). You had a wonderful weekend for sure!
xo,
Kellyann
Hi Kellyann. Keep at it with the lashes. Honestly. It took me forever to get the hang and now it’s much easier! I love that plaid dress so much. I may wear it to work tomorrow!! XOXOXOXO!!!!
Yeah, switching wardrobes is a chore and as I’ve just jet washed and sealed the deck it’s a job that’s gonna wait, I’m knackered.
Love your flamingo sweater, you made me laugh with Bonaparte’s thoughts on the denim skirt.
While you’re in Cincinnatti I’ll be in France for a few days…bon voyage!
Just off to check out your video. xx
Hey Fi!! Ugh. We have to seal our deck at some point. The flowers make the deck look much better!! Yeah..the skirt isn’t going anywhere except over my butt!!
Where in France? Back to the country or cityside? Lucky you!!!!!!!!!! I have to wait till November!!! XOXOXOXO!!!
I’ve been tidying up drawers and bringing out warm weather clothes this weekend too. Like Miss Bougie, I am lucky enough to have space not to have put things away, but I have been washing and folding away my woollens, and stuffing lavender sachets in them too. I am a big fan of Marie Kondo’s way of folding things, you can really see what’s there. I have also got rid of lots of old underwear – such a great feeling! I will miss your plaids!!
Hi Judy. Doesn’t it feel great when you finish that chore of bringing out the new seasonal clothing? We have plenty of closet space here but not enough to keep the clothing out all year–now I’m going to have to google this Marie Kondo–my interest is piqued!! LOL! I have a ton of old underwear to get rid of!!! XXOXOXOXO!!!!
From living in Antibes some years ago, I remember that the months of September and October are usually beautiful on the French Riviera, without all the tourists and probably much less expensive for housing and plane tickets – So maybe you’ll have enough PTO to escape a few days by that time of the year!
Hi Marie! Ohhhhhhhhhh I love Antibes! Bonaparte’s mother and aunts lived there during the Nazi occupation. The family sent the girls to live with relatives and that’s where Daniele became interested in acting!!
We’ll be going to Paris in November so that’s satisfying enough for me–LOL!!! XXOXOXOXO!!!!
So sorry you won’t be going to France this summer. We are off in two weeks and we are going to check out Theoule as a place to stay next year. Good luck with your weight loss. Having achieved my 21 lbs weight loss last year (and managing to keep off) I’m not sure I could have coped with a Monday weigh in – mine was Friday which meant five days to get back on track!
Susan D
Susan!!!!!!!!!! You HAVE to let me know if you find something in Theoule! We’ll be back NEXT summer!! It’s great!! Thanks for the good luck because it’s getting rather challenging now!!! You were much more pragmatic in your weigh-in day than I was–TeeHee!!! XOXOXOXOXOXO
I adore that gingham black and white dress – it is so lovely, and the white skirt, great! Especially if it brings our your rebellious side (so what if Bonaparte doesnt like it, he isnt wearing it 🙂 I am sure rebellion keeps us you). You are looking wonderful as always
I mean rebellion keeps us young – cant spell this morning