Summer Staple

Great fitting white pants could take me through the whole summer.

 

I look for a smooth flat front or no waistband and versatile straight legs made from a fabric that can be dressed up for the evening.

Success! These Audrey Stretch Pants from Fabrizio Gianni fulfilled all my needs.

There is a side zipper, so there is no bulky closure in the front to show under silky tops such as this black layered one (old from Chico's).

The bag is old from T.J.Maxx. The necklace was a gift from Mr. Mickey. The shoes are by Steve Madden.

These pants are made in the USA from 96% cotton, so they are very lightweight and cool. They are also on sale right now at Fabrizio Gianni.

Bring on Your Badass with Style!

This is my first in a series of collaborations with experts in many fields to bring you content that will hopefully expand our minds and enrich our lives.

Have you noticed that you suddenly get a little strut in your walk when you put on certain items from your closet? 

I recently finished doing a Seven Day Challenge with a group of wonderful women. The challenge was called Baby Boomer Woman-Now is Your Time to Fire Up Your Life, and it was so exciting to watch these women start to do things that they had previously shied away from and to feel more powerful.

Life Coach Marianne Cherico orchestrated the challenge, so I asked her if we could share some of that information with you.

Here is the part that each of us found to be most fascinating.

One of our favorite challenges for women was called “Bring on Your Badass.” Marianne began by explaining the definition of a badass, so I will let her take over the blog post from here.

Marianne, in her Badass Look

"A badass is a really cool, confident woman who knows who she is and doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.

She is not about ego; she shows up in the world authentically without making excuses for who she is.

A badass is cool and sexy and comfortable in her own skin. She does what she wants. She is not worried about whom she does or doesn’t impress, and she is uninfluenced by fads.

A badass wear what pleases her, and she does this with inner confidence. She rocks it!

She also spends her time how she wants, eats what she wants, listens to music she likes, and indulges in things that bring her joy.

The challenge was for each of these women was to post a picture of themselves wearing or doing something that made them feel badass. 

I coach women to feel empowered, so this is one of my tools to tease that innate power out of them, to show them how what they wear might affect the way they feel about themselves.

It was so exciting to see these women come out of their shells. Doing this challenge and being encouraged by myself and the other women in the group gave them permission to put on their sassy pants and go for it.

I found it most interesting that they all tried something that was a stretch for them and may have seemed small by others' standards, but it was huge.

The main thing was that in their inner game, they felt BA.

One woman posted a picture of herself in skinny jeans and a jean jacket.  Her badassery may have gone unnoticed by others, but to her, she was rocking it from the inside out." 

Christine is rocking her look.

“I don’t think anyone would call me a badass. I chose this outfit for my photo op because I feel young and confident when I wear my skinny jeans and a jean jacket. Maybe even a little sassy.” 




"And there was Leah, a woman after my own heart because I also feel badass in animal print," Leah said,

Leah in her animal print.

"I love cowboy hats. Mix with a little Leopard, and you got it going on! My friend added the cats." 

"Another fabulous woman donned a biker chick outfit. She said, “This is my bad-ass look. Biker chick. I told my husband it is amazing the swagger that develops when you put on black leather.”

"And last but not least, here is the fabulous Susan Street, our sweet Southern girl, rocking her BA outfit." Susan says, "It was probably my most badass outfit to date. I felt confident, healthy, bold, and brave. Just a few years ago, I was almost fifty pounds overweight and could barely walk a block in tennis shoes, much less walk a mile in four-inch heeled booties. Life is better at 58 than it was at 38. Way better!"

Susan in leggings, leather, and boots.

"The point of this exercise is that we all have some badass in us. Tapping into this part of yourself helps you show up authentically and from a place of innate power.

It helps you take on the world with an inner swagger.

So next time you are feeling small or want to start playing a bigger game in your life, think about how can you bring on your badassery?"

Thank you, Marianne, for contributing to this project and allowing me to share part of your challenge with my readers. I hope it gives them something to think about the next time they need a little boost.

Marianne Cherico helps Baby Boomer women create a life filled with joy, passion, and purpose so that they can create a Smokin’ Hot Second Half. She is proud to be a member of this generation of women who changed the world for women, presenting future generations with limitless opportunities to thrive and grow into meaningful and authentic lives. 

Marianne's sincerest pleasure is to help these women find their purpose, work through limiting and self-sabotaging beliefs, and step into their own brand of magnificence. You can get a taste of Marianne’s teaching by downloading her free report “How to Plan for a Smokin’ Hot Second Half” on her website here.

Taste Of The Town

Last evening we attended the Taste Of The Town event to raise money for the Johnson City public art installments.

Throughout downtown, there are parks and benches, and art installments for the enjoyment of everyone.

Above is "Genisis," and below is "He Stopped and Turned to the Light," just two of the many rotating art installments here in Johnson City, Tennessee.

The event was well attended!

There was live music and a variety of dishes to try from downtown restaurants.

I was so happy to catch up with some of my sweet friends! Lynda, Sally, and Pam are shown me below. 

Can you believe Sally is 80? She always looks so elegant!

Lynda is mine across the street, neighbor. She makes us laugh so much! She may be only four feet eleven inches tall, but her personality is seven feet tall!

I wore more pieces from My Fair Lady, where they have just received lots of new styles. This open shoulder top is by Clara Sunwoo. They are so comfortable and sassy.

The pants are by Mesmerize. I love the fact that they are dressier, and they have a smooth waistband and zipper closure with no loops or buttons to show under smooth tops.

Both these pieces are made in the USA and offered by the shop My Fair Lady, located in "The Alley In The Valley" 6000 Reseda Blvd. in Tarzana, California. 

My shoes are by Nine West Style. The bag is from Stein Mart. The necklace is from Chico's.

Electric Blue!

Do you take the day off from your regular routine and spend it with those you love, doing nothing special?

I am wearing a cool, comfortable pair of electric blue pants by Fabrizio Gianni. These pants are so soft and lightweight! They are made in the USA, and they keep their shape all day, even in warm weather.

I spent this beautiful day with my sister and two of our beloved cousins enjoying gardens, cottages, lunch, shopping, and ice cream in the park. We talked and laughed for the whole day. It's a therapy that truly soothes the soul to be with those you are most comfortable and happy with.

Since we would be walking for much of the day, I wore flat comfy sandals by Aerosoles and a tank top with a mesh sleeve lightweight Chico's jacket, which are all old.

With me are my life-long best friends and first playmates. My sister, Glenda, is wearing the black top and to my left are Donna and Sherry. I am sorry that more of my sweet cousins could not join us for this beautiful day in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Hot Weather Dressing

What do you wear when the temps climb into the 90's?

We rarely have hot weather like that here. For those days, I have a couple of short sleeve tops that only get worn when it is too hot for anything else. This blue cross wrapped front top is old from Chico's. The white jeans are by NYDJ last year from Dillard's end of season sale.

 

The shoes from Nordstrom.

Now for the takeaway tips for this outfit. If I show skin on top, such as bare arms or a low neckline, I cover up on the bottom. 

When I wear boot cut jeans, I never wear heels with them. The silhouette just isn't right. I always wear flats or low boots with long jeans ending in a wider leg opening such as these.

I save my trendy heeled sandals to wear with a straight leg and ankle-length pants. 

The cross wrapped style of the blouse and the half-tuck are perfect for those of us who have less than flat, smooth middles.

Here is one of my favorite cross wrapped style tops from Covered Perfectly. I also love those three-quarter length sleeves!