Saturday Morning Chatter - Age is Just a Number

Last week I attended Chicago the Musical with my girlfriends and had such a great afternoon! It was so nice to be among adults, having a glass of wine, catching up, and taking in some culture. It truly was so needed! The gals that went with me are my theater family. The people I've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with for over ten years. Women who are talented, passionate, and understand the thrill of performing. I haven't done a show, with them or otherwise, in almost four years and I'm okay with that. I'm busy being a mother. I'm raising a baby boy in hopes of having a mannerly young man in several years. A young man that may not want me around, and I might seek the stage again, but for now I love playing the roll of Mama.

I fear the thought of heading back to theater in my late 40s or early 50s because there isn't much for older women in leading roles. There's Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy. The mother in Night Mother. The mother in Barefoot in the Park. But I don't do straight plays. I'm a musical theater girl who likes to hoof it on stage. A dancer by trade, who loves to dance as much as she loves to breath, but may not have the goods at 40 let alone 50. I can't stand by that statement after seeing Chicago last weekend.

I walked away obsessed with the woman who played Roxie Hart, Bianca Marroquin. At 40, she had the ease of a young woman in her 20s. The way she moved was so lithe. She was sensual without being slutty. She danced without any effort. So comfortable in her own skin. She melted into the floor and I melted with her. And though I'm not aware of her actual dance training, I would only assume she has an extensive ballet background. Her lines were exquisite. A frame that can only come from years of ballet training. Something that a classically trained ballerina notices. She was incredible. 

She was also quite the performer. She pulled back when needed, but went for it when expected. She  brought a great humor to the character and a tenderness at the same time. Can you tell I loved her? And it got me to thinking. I'm mean, I've had this thought forever, but it really hit home this past weekend. Why is it that society, Hollywood, and even blogging, sets glass ceilings on age? Why is that those entities believe that after a certain age we've dried up? That we're talentless and have nothing left to give. Well let me tell you, we have plenty to give after 30! Hell, even after 40 and more!

American Idol cuts off the age of entry at 28. Really? Twenty-eight? Because we couldn't possibly have any talent at 29! In my personal opinion, I didn't peak until after I turned 30 and I think I'm still growing. I'm in no way saying that I think I'm extremely talented. That's not it at all. But I became so much more comfortable on stage the older I got. And, I got better roles as a result. I mean look at Bianca. She's playing a sexy, sultry lead character at 40! And could continue to do so in another five years! She's actually inspired me to up the game and get this "old girl's" body back in shape. There's an old dancers body in there somewhere. I just need to find it! But I digress. Why can't men and women over 28 audition? Afraid they might blow the youngsters out of the water? That the American public wouldn't vote for them, or listen to them on the radio, or buy tickets to see them in concert? Because they're over 28? Why can't someone's career begin at 30 or later? I didn't realize there was a cutoff age for your dreams to become reality!

We can argue that men aren't generally judged for getting older. (I'm not a feminist so I won't delve deeper.) Some do become more distinguished with age. But there are some women who just grow more beautiful with age. They grow into their own bodies, become more comfortable in their own skin. Why are we not looking at them to model this season trends? Why aren't we putting them on the cover of more fashion magazines? I'm thinking specifically of Helen Mirren, have you seen her on the red carpet? What about Diane Keaton? Sure she's incredibly quirky, but her menswear style is unbeatable. And have you seen her killer body? I also love Meryl Streep. She's not much of a dresser, and I would kill to style her for the next red carpet, but she's stunning. I would love to see them embraced by the public for the amazing, talented, beautiful women they are! And for the fact that they are all over 50!

I wrestle with this issue all the time. It's probably part of my own insecurities and I blame it on society and Hollywood. That I'm not living out my dreams because I'm too chicken shit to do so so late in my life. (Chicken shit always makes me think of the movie Cousins. There's this great line where the dad says "You've got only one life to live. You can either make it chickenshit or chicken salad." So true!) But either way, we should embrace maturity. Like they say, age is just a number. I don't feel 41. I don't feel like I'm getting older, when obviously I am, because I'm comfortable with parts of myself. I love that I look better now than I did in my 20s. I've never considered myself pretty, but I do feel that I've grown into myself over the years, and I look better than I did. Wrinkles, laugh lines, and concealed dark circles included. I dress better than I did in my 20s because I'm not trying to impress anybody. I'm dressing for me. And like Bianca, if I ever take the stage again, I would like to think I would have the ease, confidence, and maturity to embrace my older self and go for it when expected!

Thanksgiving Tablescapes - Three DIY Ideas

I have loved creating tablescapes ever since I discovered Sandra Lee on the Food Network years ago! I love how she took a holiday, created a theme, took it to the table, and even to the door as guests left with a sweet party favor. And because of her inspiration, I have tried to create simple table settings for our own holiday, and any other party, we've hosted.

So with Thanksgiving just three days away, which I can't even believe, I took some time to get my dinnerware together and created a few test runs in the tablescape department. You don't need a ton of fancy centerpieces to make an elegant or whimsical table. All you need is some festive dinnerware, autumnal colors, and a few small things to place in the center of the table. 

When it comes to centerpieces, or tablescapes, keep it as minimal as possible. You don't want to distract from the gorgeous dinner at hand or the amazing company that has gathered around the table. And, keep everything low. You don't want to block the views of the people in front of you. You want to be able to look across the table and look them in the eye when conversing.

I started with my antique Iroquois dinnerware that my mom and I found several years ago at our favorite antique store. I loved the colors and design within the place settings and the serving pieces are just as cool. We've been able to fill in the gaps with replacement pieces we've found online. I love the idea of taking in someone else's treasures!  It makes our dinner table even more special.

I've added in a couple of different charges, one in a grapevine wreath design and the other in gold. I found the wine glasses and water goblets at Pier 1 last year. I love the rich amber color. 

From there, I scoured my cabinets for some fun and festive fall themed pieces to create a couple of possible centerpieces. I love the idea of playing around with turkeys, it is the main event of the dinner ahead, but I also love the corn cob candles, the bud vase filled with flowers, and the different glass pumpkins. So many great options! 

 

 I set the table first. I placed the grapevine wreath charge below the gold one and then piled on the dinnerware from there. The dinner plate, then the salad plate, then the bowl, and a nicely folded napkin is placed within the bowl. I even have sweet little butter plates for each place setting. There's even a little place setting for McKinley. Don't leave out the little ones. Make them feel like they're part of the "big people table"! He has his own plate and a sweet little turkey ornament as his napkin ring.

For the first tablescape, I set out four sweet bud faces full of gorgeous fall flowers. The flowers are fake and can be picked up at any arts and craft store. I got mine at Michael's. I placed a colorful turkey between each vase and that was it. I love it! I think it's my favorite of the three! 

So simple yet so chic!

Next up is a cute little centerpiece created around a colorful little ceramic turkey. I placed two taper candles on each side of the turkey and one corn cob candle on the end of the tapers. Still low for conversation and it adds a little whimsy within an elegant place setting. 

Lastly, I clumped three different pumpkins pieces together to create a very small cluster within the center of the table. One thing I would love to add is a bouquet of sweet flowers within the orange pumpkin one. A cluster of mums or vivid yellow roses would be amazing! Maybe I will rethink my original version and play around with this one.

 

I definitely think the bouquet would make this really pop! I do like the cluster effect. It keeps the table open for all the food! And a couple of bottles of wine. (Note that the turkey ornament napkin ring is missing. McKinley decided he needed it more than the table did. A sick three year old wins every time.)

One thing I have learned is to never have scented candles at the dinner table. You never want the scent of the candle to interfere with the aromas of all the food being served. Candles do set a gorgeous mood. Just make sure they are unscented.

What is your favorite way to set the table? Do you reach for the china or your every day dishes? Do you have a family piece that you serve from every year? I love incorporating traditions. It keeps it so personal. Please share your Thanksgiving traditions and ways you ready your table! I can't wait to read them!

Navy Leather, Gray Camo, and Cut-Outs

Sweater: LOFT (on sale); Cami: LOFT ; Skirt: Piperlime (gift); Booties: Ivanka Trump (gift);

Handbag: J.Crew (gift/similar); Necklace: Banana Republic; Bracelets: Silpada (similar); 

Ring: Silpada

For the Saturday afternoon runway shows, I wanted to look chic and pulled together, but I also wanted to keep it casual and fun. Remember when I blogged about my leather favs, well my aunt gave me this as an early birthday gift and I couldn't wait to wear it! I originally had planned to wear it with this sweater, but it was a balmy 80 degrees that afternoon, so I opted for something a little lighter in weight. This gray toned camo sweater was perfect! Paired with cut-out booties (another early birthday gift from my mom), my navy bag, and crystal clutch necklace, this truly was a styling success!

 

 

Saturday Afternoon Runway Recap - Kansas City Fashion Week

Saturday afternoon's runway shows were just as wonderful as the shows on Friday. There were six featured designers and I walked away inspired by four! I love that they all varied in their presentation and use of colors. There was plenty of black and white, which we all know I adore, but in the next breath there were vibrant pinks and purples. There was couture and bridal, minimal and streamlined, and tropical with the most amazing headpieces. All of this is why I love fashion. It's constantly evolving and there isn't just one aspect to design. Here is my recap from the shows that afternoon!

WM Couture gave us just that, couture. It was dramatic and full of texture and layers. 

 

 

Lauren Bander was a favorite in the spring and I loved what she brought this weekend. The use of flowing fabric was prominent throughout the collection and I loved the use of detail within the fabrics. There were folds and layers and I really liked how she utilized the same fabrics throughout some of the pieces. 

 

 

 

L.O.D. brought the color in the spring with vivid use of yellows and limes. This time around she kept things simple with black and white and a very minimalist approach. Not a lot of fuss, however there was one piece that had the most amazing sleeve! See if you can find it!

 

 

And lastly, there was Afielda, which was my favorite of the afternoon. The bold colors were such a contrast to all the black and white and her headpieces were unreal! So fresh, so tropical, so amazing!

The neckline in the dress above and top below was so dramatic and so chic! LOVE! 

 

So that was my Saturday afternoon! Pretty fabulous, huh? Which is your favorite designer? Honestly, I would wear any of their pieces. Did I mention I love fashion?

Feathers and Red Bows

Friday was an unbelievable day! I spent the afternoon at the new Halls in Crown Center with a few of my blogger friends getting pampered by their makeup artists and having complimentary drinks at the new H Bar. I was so lucky to have my makeup done by Tesha of Chanel, one of my favorite makeup counters, and I can't wait to share more about that amazing experience!

But let's talk about this look. I have to say that this was my favorite look of the whole weekend! I mean who doesn't love feathers and red bow heels? I knew I wanted to wear this skirt, but I had no idea how I was going to style it. This sweater was buried among others and I had completely forgotten about it! I purchased it in late summer, knowing full well it would be gone by fall. (I was right!) I love how it makes the skirt look like it's part of the sweater. I was originally going to wear black pumps but the red just screamed fashion week! And lastly, I found the top necklace while shopping on Thursday! Just a perfect addition with the pearls.

 

   

Friday was just magical! I couldn't be happier that I was included to be a part of such a fun and fabulous evening. Can you believe there is more to come? I can't and I was there!