From: The Little Pink House

“It might be a bit over the top for a married woman in her thirties,” said my husband with raised eyebrow.

“We might be old, but we’re not in our thirties yet,” I reminded him with a laugh.

But I got his point.

Continuing in my efforts to identify what “look” I’m going for in my wardrobe (and consequently what looks he likes in my wardrobe), I’d asked him about a particular accessory. And apparently, I don’t need to start looking for it.

He apologizes for being difficult. But he’s not. He’s really quite simple in his tastes and preferences: classic, traditional, elegant.

I just keep wanting to “look cute like so-and-so.” But my hubby’s opinions gently remind me that understated fashion is better than looking silly.

a guest post by Erin L.

A “minimalist wardrobe”. The concept is fairly simple—pick several “key colors” for your wardrobe, figure out what you like to wear and what fits with your lifestyle—and pare your wardrobe down to include those elements!

Several months ago, I decided to drastically change my wardrobe. I had lots of clothes that I liked, but nothing seemed to go together and it took me too much thinking to put together simple outfits. I had lots of clothes that just “worked”, were “tolerable” or “sufficed”. I wanted a smaller wardrobe, but with every piece being an absolute favorite.

Lest I come across as being superficial, I do not think that clothes/outward appearance are extra important or of eternal value. But that being said, I want my husband (and children) to know that he is extra-special to me—and one way I can let him know this, is by putting effort into looking nice for him. It is a way I think that I can honor and show him respect.

So to start off, I picked a couple of neutral colors and two “fun” colors (colors that look good on me and I could enjoy wearing over and over). For me, the neutrals are black, gray and denim. The fun colors are aqua/turquoise/teal, and lavender. I also included white/cream.

I went through all my clothes and pulled out everything that did not fit me or fit into this color scheme. (I did keep a couple pieces that I just loved that were not in the new set of colors—I did not want to be too drastic. Smile )

I also figured out what types and styles of clothing I felt most comfortable in and that my husband likes to see me wear. I love layering sweaters and tank tops, ruffles, feminine scarves, and jeans. I am also a mama of 2, I live in the cold north, and I spend a lot of time at home. My style is a mix of classic and romantic. So based on that, I looked for trouser or boot cut jeans, pretty scarves, nice plain t-shirts, fake pearls, skirts that transition from snow to 80 degrees, and nice sweaters. A lot of that was already in my closet.

Having a set palette has saved me time in the thrift stores and other shopping! I focus on the sections that have “my” colors—and ignore the rest. I can pull any top and any bottom out of my closet, and it should theoreticallycoordinate and look nice on me. It has also helped me limit how many pieces of clothing I have—I am not tempted to have a sweater in each of my favorite colors; instead I just limit it to “my best colors”. Continue reading »

1,000 Words

Jan 222012

It’s been a delicious month for books…

My husband surprised me with one of the first of my friend Lanier’s Low Door Press editions of Kilmeny of the Orchard for Christmas… He’s reading it aloud to me so we can enjoy it together. (I can’t believe I’d never even heard of this L.M.M. book until Lanier spoke of it!)

When we were visiting my parents at New Year’s, we escaped on a date—just the two of us—and wound up at one of our favorite used book shops after lunch at a Mongolian Grill. We’d never been able to browse the rare book room before, and what a treat it was!

I couldn’t pass up this Louisa May Alcott book—the cover was so charming.

The dream is always vivid.

Oh no, I’m such a bad friend—I haven’t written or called Merritt in forever!

And it’s always the same. Except for last night.

I haven’t heard from him in forever. Should I write or call? No, that would be assuming too much. I’ll text Marlys instead and maybe she’ll let me know how he’s doing, too.

(Never mind that none of them had cell phones until after I married into the family, and that even I didn’t text until very recently!)

I feel terrible. How could we go so long without talking? How could I lose touch with my best friend?

And then I wake up. Slowly, I become aware of the deep breathing next to me.

I’m married to him! He’s the speed dial I can call any time of day. We don’t have to write letters or have those hours-long phone conversations: we sit across the table from each other at every meal, we fall asleep next to each other every night.

I turn my head to watch him sleep. I can’t resist pulling him closer. And I hug him a bit tighter when he wakes.

Five-Minute Friday: Vivid