Just Like Audrey Hepburn

It's been a long and hot summer.

And, as mentioned, I've been wearing nothing but skirts, dresses, tanks. Nothing with legs or sleeves. My happiest days are when I can say, "I'm wearing only two things!" Pup usually says, "Take one off!"

That's how hot it's been. And now it's September. And still pretty hot. And I work retail. Where you're running around. And I'm hot. I just am!

Yesterday morning I had to open at The Turnstyle. I haven't opened in a loooooong time. In fact a lot of this hot summer I wasn't at work at all with all the Barnabee squiring I was involved in (smooches Barnabee).

Before I leave for work I stand in front of my closet. Peering into its depths. There is more in there than needs to be - hey, I'm a woman. But just between you and me? That closet is out of control. No matter how much I edit and purge and ween out crap, it's full full full.

Imagine the sound of hangers being shuttled to the left, click click click. I go deeper and deeper.

Aha! A little black dress. Sleeveless. To the knee. A kick pleat in the back. Price tag still on. WTH?

A woman phenomenon. We buy stuff on sale. My favorite phrase is, "It costs less than a latte!" Nothing makes me happier than a price tag with several strikes through the price making it lower and lower and than it's thrown in a 75 percent off rack. Oh the heaven of it all. Even at The Turnstyle, a consignment store, I love when it's at least 50 percent off.

But I digress, of course.

I clip off the tag. Look lovingly at the price. "Ooooo, that was a good shopping day." I slip on the dress.

I like to turn to the side, suck everything in perfectly, admire my front bumps and back bumps, and convince myself how amazing I look. Hey - it's all presentation. Even when you catch a glimpse of the back bump in motion. Oye vey!

I throw my badly behaved hair up high in a clip, pull out some very artful hangy-pieces (yup - otherwise known as what-the-hell hair) and call it a day.

I trot off to work where new young un interim manager/intern Izzy and Shelley-belly tell me I look just like Audrey Hepburn.

Yup, I look exactly like this, right down to the sunglasses and coffee.

Oh the power of a little black dress! And be quiet y'all. A girl can have a moment yes?

Hooches - repeat after me - I may not be everything, but I sure am something!

Go get em!

Closet Sorting

I am an organizer. A picture leveler. A counter polisher. A floor swifferer. A cupboard neatener.

My girls will indignantly tell you about sorting sessions we would have with their things when they were little. Oh they did not like that day! We would dump everything out, sort through it, throw the crap out, find missing pieces, make piles, put away.

At the end of the session I loved going in their room and looking at the clean, sparkling shelves and rows of sorted toys. They will deny it now, but they liked when it was over (yes! for THAT reason too - ha!) because they would always rediscover a love for an item they had forgotten about.

So it goes with my closet straightening. Constantly with the closet. Constant.

Stuff goes in so stuff HAS to come out yes? I always have a bag I am filling to take to the nearest donation center. Full of things I no longer like to wear, things I discovered I just don't want to wear, things that don't suit me (even though they suited me at the time of purchase color me sheepish), things that I'm just not fond of.

At times I have donation remorse.

When I got divorced a few years ago I was going from a house with a lovely, large walk-in closet to a much much smaller situation. So I edited fiercely. I mourn some of that stuff to this day!

So, this morning, I am in my closet pulling things out and throwing them on the bed. Not as many things as I could have thrown on the bed, but enough. It's all good.

Very satisfying!

Just imagine if I only had one size in there!

The Closet Palette

I've been teased about this by my daughters. You look in my closet and all you see is black, gray, white, and about a million shades of beige. It sounds dreary, but sorpresa!, it isn't. It's what I gravitate to, it's my comfort-hunger. It doesn't feel boring to me. I could be delusional. (Don't you roll your eyes at me missy! Or mister.)
I will refrain from using that PHRASE, (pop of color-arg) but I do like to use my color in different places. The belt. The handbag. The scarf. The jewelry. The shoes.
I just don't like colors ON me. Maybe because I grew up wearing red each and every day of my life because my redheaded momma could not wear red (she thought anyway) so she dressed her dark-haired daughter in red ALL THE TIME.

I still adore red. I do look good in red. I'd just rather carry it on my arm, wear it as a coat, tie it around my neck.

White - I love love love white. T's, puffy jackets, jeans, wool coats, scarves, sandles, handbags, gloves, button downs, sweaters.

Who doesn't love black? The ubiquitous LBD - I mean, come on, how many do you own? I bought two just yesterday (clearance rack! love love love). Black turtlenecks (sexy), black pencil skirts, black leggings, black shoes, black pants, black black black. I'm a graphic designer and I remember once had a talky-chat with a vendor and he said, "So tell me Deborah - just how much black is in your wardrobe?" We both fell out laughing because it is just so true. Designers LOVE black. Go figure.

Gray. Ohhhh my love. So sexy in a T. What is the best color for a sweatshirt? Sweaters sweaters. Dresses! Oooooh gray dresses. Shoes. I have loved gray my whole life. One of my newest fav handbags is gray (thank you San Francisco). Gloves! Mmmmm the gray love.

Beige. Don't jump to conclusions. There are billions of shades. Stone, cream, caramel, winter white, khaki. Millions more I can't think of. I love it paired with white. Handbags in beige! Mmmmm so buttery.

What is your palette?

Closet Edit and Styling Session

My first! Yes, it was my daughter, yes she "volunteered," and yes it was the best fun. We started about 11:00 in the morning and were still going strong at 5:00 that evening. So great hanging out with her and getting this done.

She is a darling girl with kick-ass legs. During the edit, we discovered that skirts look the best on her when the hem hits just above the knee. She has a HUGE pile of skirts to take to the tailor.

We took pictures of most of the outfit possibilities. 69 pictures in total! I left her with a list of additional accessory purchases she needs to make for outfit snazzing. It was great seeing how just the few scarves and necklaces she did have could be used in endless ways.

Styling with her was energizing and inspiring. I cannot wait to see her in every outfit.

She has tons of jackets and tons of skirts. Look at those legs! What a great outfit for work and then happy hour yes?

Another great jacket combo.

And another.

This jacket is great in person. I loved it with the sleeves rolled up.

These pants are great. They have pleating at the top. She hadn't found a way to wear them. We came up with about five options for her. I really adored this one.

This option made her look incredibly tiny! Who doesn't love that? Plus, she is tiny!

Look at the detailing on this fantastic suit. When this skirt gets shortened (with about five others) this suit will be in constant rotation.

Got the booty going on! Another fabulous jacket.

Same jacket, different option.

This skirt is incredibly versatile. We had endless ideas for it.

After all that styling, this is what she was wearing out that night with her husband. Of course it was an Ugly Sweater Party. Oh the 80s!

A lovely lovely day.