The Reunion!

35 years.
Thirty Five Years????

My, it just does not seem possible. I have been out of high school for 35 years.  I've stumbled over the words each time I've said them. But in 35 years a lot of amazing things have taken place and it was a night for reconnecting, remembering and re-evaluating friendships, life, and the journey life has taken us on.

We were blessed with beautiful weather (hot!!) a great turn out, and the hard work and team effort of some fabulous people. We even had some of our teachers join us for the dinner. What fun! We had a tour of the high school and it HAS changed. We partied and socialized till the wee hours... Bruce and I left at around 2 and the party was still bumping and thumping! Who'd a thought we could still go this late at our age, HA HA HA!

So.... What did I wear?  Well, I ended up changing my clothes at the last minute... I'm not sure why.
This is probably my favorite dress (and since I only have 3 or 4 dresses it rates pretty high) I had it in my mind all along that I would wear this.....

I only have one foot in the picture. LOL

But.... at the last minute, as hubby was putting on shorts, I decided to grab the capris and top I had laid out as back up....

I added flip flops and was good to go.... Either way I was sporting my school colors, felt comfortable and feminine and stayed cool most of the evening.

We had a great time!

Well, OF COURSE (with a reminder from a friend) we took the traditional FEET picture... happy feet. LOL

My awesome Alumni  T shirt. Rocked it with my denim skirt this morning... YES, I wore it to church!!!  (these are the kind of decisions you make after just 4 hours of sleep. But, I am proud to be a Pioneer.)

A Day in the Life Of

or 'What I Wore" x THREE!!

I don't do 'what I wore' posts, mainly because what I wore just wasn't that exciting!! But yesterday was a full day and I only changed my clothes 3 times to get me through 3 very different and very fun experiences.

My Friday began with WORK. 

On the circuit and keeping the ladies motivated, that's my job!

After work I had THE INTERVIEW!!!

I rocked the interview. I felt confident and relaxed and I did my best. If they offer me a job it will be because this is the way the Lord wants me to go! I will expect to hear something by end of next week.

Then the best funnest part of the day finally arrived!! My 35th high school class reunion is this weekend and we began the party with a social gathering last night for classmates only. 

School colors: purple and white!! Go Pioneers!

One of our class mates graciously opened her home and hosted about 25 of us for appetizers, drinks and a lot of social engagement. What a fun evening!! And we get to do it again tonight, with more classmates, spouses, and even some of our teachers!! I can't wait!! (I'll post a 'what I wore to the reunion" picture next time.)

Busy Week!

You all know how I feel about my Saturdays. the sleeping in and lounging till all hours. Welllll.....

My new job is offering me limited hours to start and since I need whatever hours I can get... I will be working Saturday mornings for awhile. It's only from 8-11 but still, it meant getting up at 6 in order to be ready to leave my house at 7:15. I know, I know, you are all crying right along with me right? Nah, it's okay. I worked a few days this week and had fun meeting new ladies.

After my shift I had an appointment at the Plasma Center but there was about an hour to kill before that. It seemed a good time to pop into my favorite consignment store and see if I had any credit. And I did! What a nice perk and how fun is it to find something to buy that is exactly what is available to you credit wise?  I am a happy girl.

cute AND comfortable!

I tell my husband all the time "Just say NO to cowboy boots" but I am thinking that only applies to if HE wears them. I think these are pretty darn cute. Boot Scoot Boogy anyone?

What Are They Selling?

We were on our way, trailer in tow, excited to be escaping for a couple of days. Time together, alone, away from phones and internet and doorbells, to reconnect and share. We didn't care if it was raining or blowing; we were just happy to be together.

Hwy 20 heading West... as always the road trip calls for The Coffee Stop. Espresso to go, tall, double, mocha, whipped..... latte-land here we come!

And we passed at least 3 or 4 because pulling a trailer means calculated stops; room to turn around or pull through easily.... and so we traveled on, thirstily eye-balling each approaching roadside coffee stand.... and then I saw a sign.... espresso stand....1/4 of a mile. We're ready for this one! Lots of room for pulling off...

the sign on the building showed a special that had me salivating; pumpkin pie latte. Yes please! Bruce pulled up to the window as I rooted in my purse for the wallet. I couldn't see her but I heard the perky voice of the barista as my hand connected with what I sought. I righted myself and saw my husband looking at me a little oddly. "Pumpkin Pie Latte with Soy" I told him but he looked back towards his window and I heard him say "Uhhhh" then quickly look back at me.

"Pumpkin Pie-- " I began to repeat myself but the look on his face told me he was not confused by my request. Something else was up. Before I could get it figured out however, Bruce looked back at the barista and said "We've changed our mind. We don't want anything here."

A suspicion formed in my mind as he put the truck in gear.  I leaned forward and caught the rear end of why we didn't want anything. Literally, caught her rear end. As in, bikini-clad-barely-there. No wonder my poor sweet husband looked so uncomfortable.

Oh. My. Word. I said quietly as he pulled back onto the highway. We drove away without speaking, each trying to formulate our thoughts to share our indignation in appropriate ways.

What kind of a person operates a business that makes showcasing young girls bodies the premium service they offer? What kind of girls want a job like that?

I am befuddled by the bikini barista business although I know they have been around for a few years now. I find the whole thing demeaning and I can't understand the mentality that drives the young women to take a job like this. Does she really enjoy working in her barely there costume? Knowing her wardrobe is the reason for her customer base? Are the tips she receives for showing such 'excellent service' all that much different from the money earned by strip club dancers and the like? Isn't she selling a little something more than just a beverage ?

it's a troublesome world we live in. Sad. I feel sad for the young ladies who take a job like this.

We drove on, stopping finally at a Starbucks. We know what we'll get when we shop there.

vintage shopper

as I mentioned to a blog buddy earlier today--- and to the nice little gal who handled my purchases... having size 9 feet can make boot shopping really really difficult!! I have been looking for boots since last fall and still no luck. I really don't (CAN'T) want to pay $$$ for NEW boots --the only way I can afford to shop these days is through consignment so its a moot point. the cashier said she wears size 9's too and knew exactly what I meant!

Still.... i had a LOVELY time at the consignment store BECAUSE I HAD CREDIT and I know how to use it!! :)

would you like to see what I got? I didn't take pictures of everything because, well, I just didn't. But everything I got was from either the Dollar Rack-- oh my how i love the dollar racks!-- or off the half price rack which is almost just as good.

 

the gray sweater (top left) with mock turtleneck goes great with jeans or the cute little gray cord mini skirt (bottom left) or the gray flannel knit slacks (bottom right). the gray slacks border on old ladyish in my opinion but I thought it best to have a pair of dressier slacks in my closet, just in case.  the purple flowered top has a really comfy fit and will be fun to mix and match with jeans and skirts.

I also got a lime green sleeveless knit shell --great for layering! and a sage green long sleeve t--  and by long sleeved I mean over the hand with those thumb holes in them. It is a tad on the show-my-bulges-side-- (hence the no photo!!) but it will be fine for layering as well. 

BUT

THIS NEXT PICTURE  is of my BEST FIND

Thinking I will get a lot of use out of this jacket. It is so soft!! and I love the length. perfect with jeans or leggings, skirts. dresses.

finished the afternoon with a skype session with my sister. tried to hook up with my daughter but we seem to keep missing it today. Still need to get Bruce proficient enough with skype so that we can visit while he is in Japan. Can't believe his departure day is in a little over a week!! so much to do!

Defining Moments

"Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: 
find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human."

~Anthony Robbins

 
This morning, with the sunshine gloriously streaming through the windows, my husband waiting on me (for a change) so we could leave for church, I whirled through my morning routine of 'what to wear today.' I wanted to wear a skirt; I chose my black and white floral patterned one. I grabbed a tank top but it felt too skimpy for church. I looked for my lime green t-shirt-- love the way it 'pops' with the black and white. Alas the green T was in the wash. My next choice was an orange V neck which I love. I just wasn't sure about the pairing but once I put it on I decided I liked it and now with hubby "A-hem-ing" at the bottom of the stairs, I didn't have time to change. I raced down to join him and away we went.

Why did I waver on wearing orange with black? I can tell you why; not 10 minutes after we arrived at church a friend commented that she liked that color (orange) on me and she would never be brave enough to pair orange and black because it seemed so 'halloweenish'
Aha! Exactly! That was the thought that flashed through my mind as I ran down the stairs.

Funny how we let certain situations (or people) define us. This same friend said she loves the color red and with a birthday on Valentines Day, she decided one year to buy herself this beautiful red dress. But when she put it on and came out of her room her mother said (and we can all hear our mom's voice on this one) "Your not wearing THAT are you?"
My friend took the red dress back to the store and exchanged it for something more sedate.

I wish we could all be brave enough to express ourselves. Appropriately of course. But so often we let what other people think define us. We shouldn't wear that, or we should wear this.

My mom made a lot of my clothes for me when I was in grade school. And I remember one time choosing this very FUN material-- it was actually kinda crazy-- all sorts of primary colors and it had cheery little graphics on it-- pigs and balloons and !! exclamation points. it was kind of a down on the farm -mod squad-Laugh In combo and I thought it was awesome! The outfit was a 2 piece; top and bottoms. I couldn't wait for Mom to finish it so I could wear it to school.

I wore it once.

Why? Well, because the very first day I wore it, some snotty little classmate laughed at me and my outrageous outfit. And suddenly I saw how ridiculous the material was. When I got home I shoved the outfit in the back of my closet and never wore it again.

As a grown up, I decided not to let others influence me this way. One day, while thrift shopping I found these very cute pants. They were made up of many different squares of silk-- each a different color and pattern. They looked ethnic. I fell in love with them on the spot and bought them. And I wore them a lot.

Until one day one of my closest friends, upon seeing me in them for her first time, blurted "Those are the most god-awful things I've ever seen! I can't believe you are wearing them!!"  I felt the smile freeze on my face as I choked back a retort.

I kept them in my closet for another couple of years, pulling them out every so often and wearing them around the house but when it was time to leave, changing into something less bold. Finally, I sent them on to the consignment store.

I like bold colors. I like pastels. I go through clothes as my mood changes. Bright primary colors in the summer and fall, pastels in the spring and a lot of black in the winter. And sometimes I like to wear something with a little 'pop' to it.

One of the oldest friends I have (and by old I mean, length of time not age) initiated a friendship with me because she saw me wearing my red Ked's and thought anyone who wears red shoes has to be a lot of fun!

I look at my mom, wearing her sock monkey slipper on her good foot and I understand where I get my streak of creativity. I may tone things down from time to time because the situation calls for it but underneath my sedate black sweater I might just be wearing a fire engine red bra or a polka dotted one. I might change my clothes a dozen time before meeting a friend for coffee, finally settling on the safe paring of blue jeans and white t-shirt rather than being brave enough to wear a leopard print negligee under a pink cardigan.

I wrestle with these moments. I should be confident enough by now to wear what feels good and get rid of anything that smacks of boring. I should feel free to ask the spa attendant to paint my toenails all a different color for once. I should get up and karaoke next time I have the chance.

Life is too short and to important to let those defining moments hold us captive. Defining moments should instead be about being set free.

Spread your wings today and write your own definition!

Whew!

What a Day! What a Weekend!

My sweetie is already in slumberland which is where I am headed next! But what a busy weekend and this whole week promises to be just packed with business and adventure.

What did I do this weekend? Where did the time go? A lot of time spent organizing and shopping and getting ready for the vacation this week. Wedding ceremony plans to finalize with the bride and groom. Cars to drop off at the mechanic, trailers to make ready for camping. I think sometimes more energy and time is spent on the getting ready to go then the actual vacation itself. Whew.

Today's agenda included new clothes for the parson. The wedding last fall required spiffied up clothing. A lake side wedding is a much more causal affair but Bruce's wardrobe needed help in this area as well. So at his request I made a trip to REI and purchased a very nice (ie: expensive) shirt that he has been longing for for quite some time. It's one of those breathable shirts great for hiking and still nice enough looking that paired with some khaki's would work for a night on the town. (or in this case-- a wedding!) The long sleeves can be rolled up and the color is the exact shade of blue of his eyes. Awwww. Got him a couple of pairs of shorts too. The man never shops.

But being the thrifty shopping queen that I am, for what I spent on his one shirt, I could have bought a whole new wardrobe for myself at my favorite consignment store....

Then just because I am some sort of sadist, I decided if we were going to the lake, I should update my swim wear. What was I thinking? Well I wasn't. I had skipped lunch so the brain was already melting so when I wandered into the clothing store and started pulling swim wear from the rack... well-- who knew this could hurt so much??? i yi yi.

So... I eventually ended up at the consignment store and no, I won't be posting any pictures of the swimwear I finally purchased. suffice it to say I found something that covers what needs to remain covered and will still allow some sun to touch my body. Whew.

and I still have no idea what I'm wearing for the wedding.

Like An Old Denim Shirt

"Saturdays should be like an old denim shirt." I said this morning to Bruce as we sat on our front porch sipping coffee in the sunshine.

(Except he thought I said "...like an old Deming shirt." and was trying to figure out which of his shirts looked like our little town of Deming.)

But really. I have an old denim shirt and it's awesome! It's large enough to hang loose. It's soft from many washings. It's light weight and easy to wear. I don't have to worry about spills because it already has paint stains in a couple of places. I can roll up the sleeves and get to work if I need to. It will fit over other clothing. It is comfortable and comforting. It's the perfect Saturday shirt and it is a perfect example of what Saturdays should be like.

So today, I put my old denim shirt over my P.J.'s and basked in the morning sun as I sipped my special brew and chatted with my sweetie about our plans for this day. I love Saturdays and all they are intended to be. A day to catch up on sleep. A day to enjoy a second cup of coffee without feeling rushed or guilty. Time for contemplation. No hurries, no worries. Pancakes with fresh strawberries for breakfast. A dump date* with my sweetie!  I think I'll wear my old denim shirt.

* dump date: a day where we take a load of garbage to the dump. it may not sound romantic but it's a measure of uninterrupted time together that always seems to spark deep conversations. Maybe it's the subconscious thought of hauling away the old junk to make room for fresh and new that causes the reflective conversations. Whatever the case, we have a lot of fun doing it.

What's Going Down? (As Oppossed to What's Up?)

What's been going on the last couple of days? Well, there was the job interview, some consignment store shopping, a hair cut and this weeks winners in the weekly Faith Writers writers challenge. All great stuff!!

First off: HAIR CUT: scraggly frizzes go bye-bye! Cant go to an interview with bad hair!! It's just a trim, about 1/2 inch all over; sticking with the layered look for now.

The Interview: went really well. Here's the thing; I do really well in interviews and I LIKE them  (Weird I know but hear me out) . I find them to be fun and challenging and I learn much about myself in the process. I always enjoy learning more about me-- I hope that doesn't sound self centered-- it's just a great way to re-evaluate myself when someone asks a question like "how would you handle difficult situations-- like an unhappy client." or "Give an example of going out of your way for someone in service."
I felt relaxed through out the whole time, able to think clearly of examples and offer information that was pertinent to the job position. And most importantly, a few times I made them laugh!

what I wore to the interview

I wont expect to hear any thing back about this until the first part of June as the business owner and his family are going on a mission trip to Honduras -- yes, the same one one we were contemplating. I feel ambivalent about the job and know that whatever happens, it will be because of God either opening or closing this door.
 

After the interview... and to celebrate how well I thought I did, a little Retail Therapy was on the docket. SO, off to the Consignment Store...

two cute tops--- Old Navy even.

I love it when I have credit on my account and I love the sale rack-- particularly the Dollar Rack!! Always amazed at what I find there!!


dark brown skirt, with interesting pleat in front. knee length.
and (not pictured) blue jeans.., because one can never have too many blue jeans in my opinion! Especially when they're on the dollar rack!!!

This morning was nail biting time. Not really nail biting but each week I participate in a weekly writing challenge at Faithwriters.com and this week I placed in the TOP TEN for Editor's Choice!!! You can read my winning entry here . I placed 9th. Competition is fierce in the Master's level which is where I have finally worked my way up to. And almost every week I am in competition with my big sister who has won her share of awards at Faithwriters as well.. We are each other's biggest fans-- applauding and cheering when either one of us places.

In between all these fun, busy activities, I've been doing a lot of thinking. Scary, I know. But God's been provoking me I think, to re-examine the goals I set and the vision and mission statement I wrote at the end of D.R.S. Some of that relates to the huge struggle we went through regarding the whole Honduras Mission Trip decision.

Will save that all for another post, but the bottom line is... every day is a mission when you live for Jesus.

The Dress Requirements

I have a job interview coming up this week and because I just read a fellow bloggers post on  dressing to impress it prompted me to take a trip down memory lane about some of the jobs I have had... and had trouble with, because of dress requirements...

I have had more than a few jobs in my lifetime that had fussy dress requirements. And for a rebel like me that should have been the first clue that this wasn't going to be a good fit. (Still searching for the elusive sweet spot in the world of working women) Because of this I have had my share of troubles.

For example... there was the job in the grocery store that required the black pants, white shirt-- with tie-- and black dress shoes. It wasn't long before I was bored with the outfit and noticing that the men who worked there had the option, at least, of a different tie each day. Ties that showed their personality while us ladies seemed destined to these silly little black bow ties.  I decided that I should wear ties with personality too. And thanks to my mother, who is a 'creative' sewer, I was soon in possession of several colorful bow ties. While my boss raised his eyebrows the first day I wore one, there was little he could say as I was with in the dress requirements.

Summer came and with it the warm weather. I looked carefully over the employees handbook to see if there was any rule against shorts. Alas, there was, but what caught my eye was the notation that black pants or skirts must be worn. I had never seen anyone in a skirt at work, but it was the perfect solution for those hot summer days. I wore my black skirt to work and this time, the boss not only raised his eyebrows, he also shook his head. I felt obliged to show him the page in the handbook about the mention of pants and skirts.  He muttered something about 'there's always one of those..." but I didn't get sent home.

One really really hot day, as I came to work in my white shirt, my screaming-with-personality tie, cute black just-above-the-knee skirt and... birkenstocks. Black of course.

boss; (indignantly) "hold it right there! what are those on your feet?"
me; (innocently) dress shoes.
him: (snort) those are not dress shoes. those are sandals.
me: (sweetly) Mmm, they go perfectly with my dress-- err-- skirt-- so that makes em dress shoes in my book.

You can see why I wasn't cut out for a long term career in the grocery store industry.

The other job that jumps out in my memory was a very short stint I did with a name brand coffee place. Again with the white shirt and black pants and again with the black dress shoes. I lasted 2 days in my black slip on dress shoes before both my feet and my back were screaming for relief. I came to work the next day wearing my black n white tennis shoes. And got called out for it...

"Tennis shoes belong in the gym." I was told firmly. Never mind that no one could see my feet behind the counter or that I could run faster and jump higher with them on... that job wasn't a good fit for me either.

I have matured since then and learned how to play along with the rules of upper management but still the best jobs I have had, have been where the dress code is relaxed and the people are real. I have wasted too much time in jobs where things are done a certain way "BECAUSE".   I just have too much creativity to be bound by too many rules just for the sake of rules.

This job interview-- and if I get the job-- will require me to 'dress to impress' but I think all this really means is no jeans.  I think I can handle that.

up and ready to go

so, it has all kicked in and while I can't say my back is 100%, it is at least in the 90 percentile and I can live with that! Thank you Jesus for answered prayer!

Despite the rainy gloom of this day, I have decided to dress up and fling the jeans or pants to the back of the closet. Would you like to see what my husband's date looks like for this fine adventure?

I love this fun skirt!

and pairing it with the lime sweater really makes me smile!

 

so, we are heading out for a beautiful fun-filled night on the town in the big city of Seattle! Maybe by the time this night is over my sweetie will have figured out his big decision about Honduras....

30 for 30? I don't know...

Seems like I have been reading about 30 for 30 on a lot of blogs lately and now one of my dearest friends is actually doing it! She encouraged me to join her... I don't have a problem with the not shopping for 30 days-- I have had to abstain from shopping anyway because of hubby being out of work, and I don't have so many clothes to choose from that selecting only 30 from my closet would be that big of a challenge.

So what's the big deal?

I am thinking about our fickle weather and how one day we have winter and the next we have spring! What if I choose 30 things and we suddenly get a real spring and I only have winter layers to put on or peel off? What if I choose springy thingies and then I freeze when winter revisits? I'm serious; this is tough stuff!!

scarves! the best accessory!

OK-- maybe it's not. I played around in the closet this morning trying on different things and thinking about it... but I'm just not quite ready to make the commitment.... yet.... but I promise to give it some (more) thought.

meanwhile... here are just a few of my favorite things....

 

 

this green cord blazer gets picked at least once a week!

leggings!! and a long shirt-- the perfect Saturday outfit!

anxious for spring and loving bright fun things!

I look forward to spring and summer wardrobes. I think it might be easier to do a 30-30 in warmer weather! maybe I could just do a 15 for 15 as a warm up??!!