Pretty is

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Pretty is: Celebrating Mothers

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and it was fabulous. For me, the day started with a “made from scratch” sour cream pound cake.

Pound Cake, Cake, Baking

Since my mother loves a warm pound cake, I made sure she got some. I followed a recipe that I found on Pinterest posted by Call Me PMc which I have used before and will used again.

LB and I hand delivered it early Sunday afternoon. That’s Mama

We visited for a while, had a nice talk, then I had to head home to get ready for the evening festivities.

Amanda is my younger daughter and the celebrated middle child of my three.  She likes to treat me to a pedicure on Mother’s Day, and that has been our practice for several years now. While waiting for her to pick me up, and getting everything ready for company, LB discovered a plumbing problem. Sparing the details, let me just say, it was bad enough to cause a change in our evening plans. Instead of having the kids come to our house to visit, enjoy sliders, and maybe take a swim, LB suggesting we reschedule.  I broke the news to the kids but my brilliant first born decided we should all go out instead.
So we did.
To my favorite restaurant (it is Mother’s Day after all)… La Nopalera.
So we met at the Roosevelt location and enjoyed Fajitas for Mother’s Day.  As expected, I carried on to excess and am back on the diet today. But it was thoroughly wonderful and I am richer for the experience to spend time with my delightful children, glam baby and for all the lovely Mother’s day gifts they presented.

Glammy’s Girl is an artist
Amanda~Stephanie~Me~Richard~Lydia~Emily

Photography by LB

Pretty is: Mary Duckworth Reid

I met her in 1966.  She was only 20 years old and a newlywed… just 9 months prior she had married her High School Sweetheart.  With wavy brunette hair and big green eyes, she had her whole life ahead of her and so much to live for.

We liked each other right away…

…and we became a family.

Over the years, she taught me so much… beginning with the basics like how to walk, how to pray, and things every little girl should know like “Pretty is as Pretty does”.

She showed me how to make biscuits and milk gravy… and being the slow learner that I am, I now know how to LOVE biscuits and milk gravy…

Can I get some of these this year PLEASE?

She taught me how to take care of a home (vacuuming, dusting, polishing, and the importance of Windex, etc.)

She took me to church and taught me about God

She gave me a sister (and a lifelong best friend)

She loves my children as much as I do…

Amanda~Stephanie~Richard

and Who could ask for ANYTHING more?

Even though years have passed, she can still hold me in her lap

She’s my Mama

Happy Mother’s Day to My sweet Mama…. I wouldn’t trade you for any Mother in the world!

She is the reason I am sitting here composing…

“But behind all your stories is always your mother’s story, because hers is where yours begins.”  ~ Mitch Albom

Pretty is: Black and White

Black and white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, and hyphenated black-and-white when used as an adjective, is any of several monochrome forms in visual arts (source).
You can find it when watching movies or television

appreciating art

listening to the words of a song

shopping in a particular retail establishment

and on MY DRESS TODAY!Dress: Shein
Cardigan: Target
Purse: Michael Kors, Dillards
Shoes: XOXO, Amazon
Bracelets: Brighton

In my closet, if there is one color that stands above all the rest, it is black. Right behind at a close second is white. Most of the time I’ll be styling either black or white in my outfit ensemble
For my fabulous Fashion Friday entry, I respectfully submit

TGIF!

 

“Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.” – Coco Chanel

Pretty is: the Right Shoes

Give a girl the right shoes… and she can conquer the world. ~Marilyn Monroe

Perhaps Marilyn learned this from Cinderella, who showed us that “one shoe can change your life”.

More recently, Carrie Bradshaw taught us that a great pair of shoes can make everything all right.
Most women would have to agree that shoes are obsessive.


I’ve mentioned before that there is something satisfying about shopping.  This includes shopping for shoes.  Perusing through a magazine today, I came across an article that provided enough proof for me in this statement [regarding shoe shopping] “The neurotransmitter dopamine is released, providing a feel-good high, similar to taking a drug,” (source).
I told y’all!

Another detail I learned is that there is an additional desirable sensation that is brought about by wearing high heels. It seems that wearing high heels can bring a woman to a state of euphoria as the height provides a level of confidence that brings with it a sense of power.

Little Girl, High Heels, Pink, Dress

This is not something I have experienced firsthand, as I typically keep my heels at or under a controllable 2 ½ inches

Feeling euphoric, dominant and more self-confident helps empower women, so why stop at one pair of shoes? Thus the addiction; the purchase of shoes will be continual, in order to keep these sensations alive.

It doesn’t matter how many shoes I have, I am always finding that I have an outfit that requires a pair that I don’t have.

Therefore, I keep shopping.

 

Amazon / Payless / Amazon

LOFT / Payless / Payless

Amazon / Amazon / Amazon

Amazon / Banana Republic / Banana Republic


Two Months!

Today is my two month Blogiversary.

I began posting to prettyis.me on March 10, 2017 and have had a ball writing about “my life and style”!  In that time I have learned so much about wordpress, webhosting, tags, media files, and so much more relating to the World of Blog.

unofficial World of Blog mascot

Though there are days when I have nothing to post, I will continue posting.

On this auspicious Wednesday, I’m celebrating by wearing a Sunday School outfit to work.

Obviously I’m not the best model (poor LB)

 

“If I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, it stands to reason that I’m going to get there.”
― Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Pretty is: Spring Cardigans

It has been surprisingly chilly the last few days.  So much so, that I won’t leave the house without a jacket or sweater.

This morning I am styling my green/black kitty cat cardign to keep warm in the cool morning air.  This cardigan came from Grease Rags Clothing Co. and I mentioned it in an earlier post.  It is perfect weather for it this morning and I’ll likely need it when I leave the office later this evening.

If you’re in a shopping mood… here are some cute cardigans

http://amzn.to/2sQvuwj

Macy*s / Amazon (my favorite) / Macy*s / Macy*s

J.Crew / Macy*s

Macy*s / LOFT / Talbots

Notice how the cardigan is versatile.  And it has several other good points.

These are shown paired with different items.  Most with pants, some with shorts, and one is paired with a skirt.

Cardigans add another layer (3rd piece) to an outfit.  If you aren’t familiar with the 3rd piece rule of thumb it implies that your pants (or skirt) and top are your first and second pieces, and your third piece is an extra outfit component such as a jacket, sweater or possibly a statement accessory.  The 3rd piece adds distinction to an otherwise nondescript outfit, making you look put together, polished, and like you put a little effort into your look.

Cardigans help with an easier transition from season to season.

Almost every store that specializes in ladies clothing carries them.  There is an unbelievably HUGE selection of cardigans on the Macy’s website… 673 results if you search the word “cardigan”.  The black Tommy Hilfiger open-knit is something that can be worn comfortably year round and currently a great buy (Extra 20% off code: MOM; Final Cost: $23.99).

Now that I’ve completely worn out the word CARDIGAN, I’m going back to shopping for my upcoming tropical vacation.

Happy Monday

 

Kentucky Derby Day

LOVE LOVE LOVE the horses

and I especially love their names!  California Chrome was a favorite, as was American Pharoh.  American anything would get my vote.  Always Dreaming was a little different than my usual pick, but nevertheless, it was my pick.  Next year I may have to place a bet… I’ve picked winners for several years in a row now.

Anyway, as I was saying, I LOVE the horses… But it is the Hats that sets the Kentucky Derby apart from other sports events!  THE HATS!

Whether it is southern tradition or spectacular spectacle, part of what makes this event the greatest two minutes in sports are the hat wearing fashionistas that are believed to bring good luck.  Much like getting into costume, hat wearing has been embraced by men, as well as the women who started the tradition.  These wide-brimmed, southern belle inspired Kentucky Derby hats can be anywhere from simple and elegant to flamboyant or gaudy when decorated with flowers, feathers, bows, ribbons, or any other little ol’ thing.

Recently, thanks mostly to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton), the fascinator has become a Kentucky Derby trend.  A fascinator is a headpiece and is worn as an alternative to a hat.  The headpiece is a large decorative disc topped with such items as feathers or netting attached to a band, clip, comb or headband.  When the design resembles a miniature hat, it may be called a hatinator.  Here are some that I like

Black / Black / Red

Ivory / Black / Peach

I love the fascinators, and I have the ivory one in my shopping cart.  But I also have a wide brimmed hat on order…

 

 

GiddyUP

 

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