DON’T FADE INTO THE BACKGROUND

Fading into the background is a real issue with women as they age. We have put so much time and energy into raising our families, building careers, or taking care of our husbands that we don’t have an identity of our own. We are known as “her” mom or “his” mom or maybe “his” wife, etc. that some people might not even know that you have a name much less an identity. I know when we moved to Grundy back in 1992 that Joe’s mom experienced this to some degree. She was an elementary teacher and she also taught college courses but when we moved back she became “Joe’s Mom.” She was very very proud of Joe but she had also worked hard to become her own person. I think that it might have bothered her a tiny bit because she said that she thought about having personalized license plates that said, “JoesMom.” Once our “role” of mom or wife or accountant, etc. is over how do we become ourselves again? Do you even know who you are? Maybe this is where the poem about wearing purple when I am old comes from. Or, maybe it is just about being able to express yourself and not giving a flip about what others think. Either way, when you are wearing these pants, you won’t be fading into the background anytime soon. Lol!!! Today I am wearing my birthday suit! Lol! Today, I turn 58 years young and now I can just hear the Ray Stevens song now saying, “Don’t look Ethel!” Hahaha! Joe is on a golfing trip so this morning before he goes golfing I think I am going to send him a text that says that I will be sending him a picture of me in my birthday suit. I really doubt if he is going to expect to get this picture. That makes me giggle just to think about it. Because I have on soooo much color on the bottom half I decided to just go with white on the top half. This is an old top and I think it came from Cato’s several years ago. I bought it because of the details that made it stand out. In this top, the details are the raw fringe look at the sleeves, the crochet trim in the center and also the crochet lace hemline. Be on the lookout for clothing that has details that make it stand out from all the rest.

I am mixing a little old and new together today in my jewelry. The two bright yellow bangles are vintage bakelite and I have been collecting bakelite bracelets for a long time. They are unique and I love them. The turquoise earrings and bracelets are discontinued items from Plunder. Plunder just announced its new spring and summer line and this 5 strands multi-colored necklace was one of my very first purchases. I love the Nettie necklace because it is fun and also because it will go with almost anything. It is adjustable from 24″ to 27″ long which means you can just put it on over your head without having to worry about a clasp. I love that!!! May is my 2nd year anniversary with Plunder and I am celebrating all month long. When you make a 50.00 purchase (excluding taxes and shipping) you will receive a FREE piece of jewelry from me as a gift! Join me in the business of Plunder Design this month and I will gift you 2 pieces of jewelry. Go to plunderdesign.com/taniastephens and hit the shop tab. Pick a party with my name on it and then have fun.

Who is bold enough to wear these pants??? I love them, they are so colorful and fun! This wide leg crop pant could be dressy enough for work or just fun for an afternoon going shopping. They are a flowy crepe material and are machine washable. You have a wide variety of colors to choose to wear with this pant and I added a turquoise crop cardigan to show a different look. You can choose to be wild with these pants or more sedated by the color you choose to wear with them. Black or navy would really tone down the look. There is a sash belt that comes with the pants but since my waist is my widest part I chose not to highlight that fact. Lol! If you are looking to stand out and not fade into the background then these pants are perfect. And, they are actually very affordable.

My little fashionista granddaughter came over to visit. She might be a fashionista but she is still having trouble figuring out which foot her shoes go on. Lol! She wanted to know where I was holding my birthday party and just couldn’t understand why I wasn’t having one. Lol! I told her not to worry because I would make sure that she got a piece of cake. That is really what she was worried the most about. Haha! There is one good thing about blogging every day and taking your picture. I have an easy reference to look back and see what I looked like a year or two ago. Tonight is when I am going to go live on Facebook at 9:00 pm EST.  I will be telling you why I started R+F, about the business, and going over some of the products with you. I will also be having giveaways and a special deal for those that attend since it is my birthday. I will be giving away a full-size Active Hydration Serum and a Bright Eye Complex along with a few other goodies. Here is the link to join. I hope you will come out to support me and cheer me on. BTW, Joe is out of town so it will just be us gurls. I hope to keep this around 30 minutes or less but I know that I get carried away sometimes when I am talking about R+F. Hahaha!!!

I really appreciate all of the shares and the pins of my outfits that you have been doing. PLEASE continue to do that, you won’t believe the difference it has made in my number of visitors to my blog.

If you like my blog then I would LOVE for you to sign up for my daily emails. Just put your email address in the “Subscribe To The Blog Via Email” box at the top right.

Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

Please be aware that links to vendors may be affiliate links. I do profit from your purchases through the links on the blog.