Golden Girl: Sporting a 1970's Vintage Bloomingdales Striped Cardigan
Feeling Golden.I am basking in the glow of my new-to-me vintage gold and black striped cardigan, a gift from the fabulous Ann ofAnnimal House. To bring out it's '70's character, I paired it with my mid-length vintage sun-dress and tied it with a polka dot sash. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to drag out my striped platform shoes, that I bought over a year ago inspired by a certain Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy, proving the suggestive power of the fashion blogger. She wore the shoes in an outfit- and I went online and ordered the shoes. Thanks Suze, for rocking things the way you do! And thank YOU, Ann for being you!
Let's Get Parochial: there's nothing like indulging your inner school-girl
Here's hoping this will be the last set of poorly lit indoor shots for a long while. The studio is close to being ready for our Citizens of Rosebud April- Fool-For-You vintage Hoe-Down & Extravaganza. We're just making the final touches of pretty (oh yeah, and pricing EVERYTHING) for our grand, grand, grand, grand, grand re-opening.
I'm thinking of posting some pics of my favorite pieces over here; what do you think, should I? If so, should I post prices and accept reservations, and/or online purchases? I do have my as yet to be utilized shop blog, shopthecitizen.com, and if enough people are interested would be happy to oblige. Let me know in the comments.
Now Wearing:
Citizen Rosebud embellished School-Grrl Jacket (available for sale)
Meet Loressa: a Tahoe transplant, now a stylish Sacramento denizen.
Sacramento street style representin' - Loressa Hutchinson
I shot these pictures of Loressa last February, when I was prowling the halls of Elks Tower during an intermission of Sacramento Fashion Week. Can you see why? She rocks. Of course I'm loving her polka dots, but I also love how she styles her outfits, very cute, very chic. She's SO chic in fact, this is not the first time I've taken a picture of her. The first time I took a picture of Loressa was the first day I met her, when she showed up at a Citizens of Rosebud sale. She was such a cutie in her spiffy vintage plaid jacket and killer red vintage topper, that I just fell in love. She and her boyfriend Ethan, were then captured on film, and featured last November on Street Style SACRAMENTO. You can see how cute they are together here. Yeah, her style is pretty wicked.
So you shouldn't be too surprised that this stylish sweetie-pie has a fashion blog, should you? Do check it out- she's been stylin' up a storm lately over at L on Sac. AND... she's recently been named one of the winners of the Nine West America Vintage "Voice Your Style" Tumblr Contest, along with another Sacramento blogger babe, the amazing Angeline of The New Professional. There's SO much rad style wandering the streets of Sacramento, and the Citizen Rosebud is happy to share it with you!
Star Power: Set like a 10 carat diamond in the firmament of heaven, Liz Taylor's star still burns brightly
In every sense of the word, Elizabeth Taylor is a true style icon. Beyond the celestial beauty of her youth, the down-to-earth heat of her personality, this supernova of a woman still burned brightly even in her end of days. While her life contained tragedy, she didn't read as tragic, and in spite of her many tumultuous loves and losses, her bearing was always regal. In her life-long role of celebrity, I was always struck by her flesh and blood qualities. She was, and will continue to be an inspiration for me in the expression of her passions, her elegance, her savvy and her grand heart. How she simutaneously could be one of the biggest stars in the world, EVER, and yet seem so approachable and so real is a tribute to her soul power, not just her star power. Her body is now at rest, but I can't help but feel that her star still burns brightly in the firmament, formerly in Hollywood, now in Heaven.
There is a lovely tribute written about Dame Elizabeth over at Entertainment Weekly, so I'm not going to regurgitate a quick bio for you here. You can read the facts on the life and death of this extraordinary ICON elsewhere. There are some wonderful blog posts commemorating the life of icon Elizabeth Taylor. Most touching for me were Marissa's photo essay over at The Well Appointed Catwalk, and the wonderfully written tribute at Beautifully Invisible. If you'd like to read their touching tributes, please click here and here.
The moment I was first inspired by the legendary Liz Taylor was when I saw this:
R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor. February 27, 1932- March 23, 2011
Thanks, peeps for all the pep talk, but just to let you know I wasn't blue-blue, just blue with cold, and soaked with grey. It's been a soggy and grey Sacramento; the norm are mild winters but this one has been a rolling roller coaster of storms, so it's very wet, very overcast and a lot colder than normal. Since I don't drive, my feet are cold from walking over the flooded sidewalks and muddy lawns, I don't care much for biking on slippery bike lanes, or waiting at rained-on bus-stops. My bones are chilled, well to the bone, and I NEED MAH VITAMIN D. As I said before, these grey overcast skies don't make for a good outfit post, poor lighting and such. Also, it's hard to dress cute when you are braving slosh-y elements.
Well the sun must have heard my complain', because it came out today, a lovely respite from sodden misery. Much needed. Almost feels like a day in March and not late December. Here's what I wore right before our current storm session. Hopefully tomorrow will bring a few more rays with it as well. Cheers!
This is going to be a short posts folks. I'm trying to get some equilibrium with some of my projects underway, and the gloomy grey days here in Sac-town aren't helping me much. I don't do well in this weather, and am not an ounce of inspired to dress up in any sort of notable way. In fact, I've pretty much been wearing the same sweater and white jean combo for the past two days, and if it wasn't for getting some mud on my pants, I'd be opting for them in the morning. I'll try to doll up a bit tomorrow and share a few of my favorite recent looks.
But there is a lovely silver lining today. Vanessa over at My Heart Blogged wrote a wonderfully sweet feature of me over at her blog, and I'd like very much for you to check it out. Click here for bloggy goodness.
Make you own sunshine with We Love Colors Zig-Zag Pattern tights in Gold
Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! What your potential is. -Anne Frank
I'm getting lucky, and today, one of you just got lucky too.
At the beginning of March, Shabby Apple Dresses sponsored
my first give-away, a lovely dress for one of my lucky readers.
I picked this one:
Using Random.org to determine the winner, I drew the number 166.
So, out of 211 comments, the winning comment is:
Comment number 166.
The winning number was selected randomly at www.random.org
This is me wearing lucky green for Comment # 166
The winning comment was made by Retro Reva of Revas Rags 2 Roses!
So congratulations, Reva!
You WON the Shabby Apple Dress Give-Away. I have your email address
and will forward it to Shabby Apple. They will contact you to get your mailing information, and before long, you'll be sporting a lovely and lucky Shabby Apple dress. I hope you send me a picture of you wearing it, so I can post it over here at the Citizen.
Thank you all for entering the contest, and for being such wonderful readers.
And a BIG thank-you to Shabby Apple for providing the dress for my sponsored give-away!
This may be a long & wordy post. Let me warn you off the bat- It's not going to own an ounce of fashion, and I am deliberately not putting my stylish image here. This, is NOT an outfit post. This, is NOT an escape from the realities of the world that YOU and I are lucky to share. So, you may want to skip it, and if you do, I'll understand. I lured you here as a reader of a fashion blogger. And today, I'm writing as a world citizen.
Yesterday I started off a discussion regarding acknowledging real world events in the space we use as bloggers. Quite frankly, I was put off by the incessant tweets about, in the context of what was happening, the most inane posts. I was astounded that while in real time, news was being published on Twitter about earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami that was devastating Japan, among other places, people were actively ignoring these latest developments. The timing seemed a bit off. For me, it reinforced the stereotype others have of the fashion industry and fashion in general- that it is superficial. I expressed hope that as fashion bloggers, we would insert more context into our experience.
I wasn't demanding people POST about the earthquake, or stay home in their pj's and be depressed; my intention was to remind myself and others that sometimes the best reaction to SOMETHING is to acknowledge, and respond, even if that means keeping silent.
I guess I'll come right out and say it- perhaps the best moment to shill your outfit post ISN'T when news is breaking of an earthquake in Australia, or Japan. For me, the best response may have been a momentary silence. Perhaps a later time might be more fitting to share your awesome pics of your latest trip to F-21. To put it bluntly: if death and devastation doesn't remind you of proper priorities, I guess nothing will.
I was surprised by the reaction of people who HAD been respectful and not at all the people I had been referring to, who seemed to take offense to my opinion. I was sincerely surprised by the knee-jerk reaction from a handful of whom I DO consider to be women of substance and mystified that they would feel put-off by my post. I'd prefer to think that I wasn't articulate enough, and was misunderstood, than to think they are defending what I consider indefensible.
We are all aware that tragedies and political upheavals happen daily. I am not postulating that we don sackcloth and ashes, wring our hands and pull our hair. It is MY opinion that we are doing OURSELVES a grave dis-service to stay unaware of world events. I'm NOT saying that fashion bloggers become political bloggers or journalists, and blog about politics or natural disasters. But I'm going to challenge you to trade in your business-as-usual during these times for something that means something.
Fashion may be superficial but fashion bloggers don't need to be. A number of bloggers did NOT blog in a vacuum, and either chose to refrain from posting, or chose subject matter that came with a bit more gravity. Some even chose to acknowledge directly what was going on. These posts moved me the most- I guess I'm a sucker for context.
Many of the defenders stated that they'd been watching the news all day, therefore welcomed the trite escape of fashion posts. Fine and good. I'm just still surprised about the amount of defensiveness. I was addressing this to a rather specific group of folks who seemed clueless of world events and shamelessly voiced a lack of interest in the recent spate of burgeoning democracy, or the impact earthquakes on communities around the world. My point was aimed in particular to those that shilled mind-numbing nada in the midst of breaking news. If you still choose to defend or condone this reprehensible and blase behavior, well, you & I are going to have to agree to disagree. I don't condone the callow or the shallow, and if I lose followers for being vocal about it, I will take my lumps.
I beg that you keep your heart open to the sufferings of others, hold them in your thoughts and keep them in your prayers. While it is difficult to be reminded that we were born to a world of suffering, I'd rather live firmly planted in the world that I've been lucky enough to bloom in, even if it means my heart's destined to break over and over again. This life is precious, folks, and the price we pay to live it, is the pain that it accompanies.
One of the most courageous acts is to bear witness. Sure, you may feel helpless and overwhelmed, it is a hard thing to do. It is a powerful act- to feel helpless. It is a brave soul who is willing to see the world just as it is. But, I invite you to bear witness. It is the spark of the artist, the journalist, the freedom fighter, of those who seek justice. No positive change is possible without it.
To bear witness we must be willing to see what our world looks like- in all its beauty, majesty AND tragedy. You aren't doing this for the good of those suffering in Japan, you are doing this for the good of YOU, because it gives YOUR life context. And perspective is EVERYTHING.
If you want to help, please do so! I know our aid seems a drop in the bucket, but raindrops makes oceans. If you can't spare a nickel, I beg you to spare a prayer.
Here I offer you, not to a place to escape, but for a space for substance. Substance not made of grand gestures, but in small acts, taken from the infinity of moments that knit our day. No act is too small to contain a grain of substance, not even on a fashion blog.
And for the record, I don't feel helpless. I feel grateful.
If you'd like to donate to the Red Cross, please click here.
Caesar:
Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear.
Soothsayer:
Beware the ides of March.
Caesar:
What man is that?
Brutus:
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
The Citizen Rosary
My heart's been taken on a roller-coaster ride, and now more than ever I am re-accessing my role as a fashion blogger. I will admit, I was appalled the day of the great earthquake in Japan, that I had to shift through tons of callus tweeting of fashion bloggers shilling their latest outfit posts and twit-pics of the latest, greatest Jeffery Campbell platforms. SERIOUSLY. There's a country being devastated, live, and all you've got to say is: check out my color blocking? (Go ahead and insert your favorite cuss word here, because I am fucking saying it.) I have never been so embarrassed by the superficiality of fashion followers and their ilk.
Then, I had the pleasure to be reminded that not everybody's beauty runs skin deep. The post of Rumi Neely, known for her blog, Fashiontoast, touched my heart as she touched many others with her earnest post on Japan. If you haven't read it yet, here's the link: For Japan.
And I am grateful for the "Deep Style" bloggers out there, who inspire me, not just with mere outfits but with their heart, warmth and depth- the ah-mazing Judith of Style Crone comes immediately to mind. The thoughtful Roz, Jill of Pics by Polka Dot, Leia of Leia's Delights, Terri of Rags Against the Machine.
Gearing up for GETTING LUCKY: posing in a make-shift photo spot at the Citizens of Rosebud studio.
I'm not suggesting we drop our specialty topic, which is by nature superficial, but we could perhaps seek to put more context in our activities. There has been a lot of serious news recently: natural disasters, political upheavals, and while I'll not saying we should shift our subject, I am urging that we make room for these more substantial, real world events happening in real time. Don't fashion blog in a vacuum. For example: please re-access the urgency to tweet your outfit post on your new flared jeans while a 30-foot tsunami wave is washing away a whole Japanese village.
That said, let me awkwardly segue into an announcement that my Get Lucky Shabby Apple dress give-away ends tomorrow 5 pm. I will announce the winner on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, a most venerated of American holidays. If you haven't entered to win, you can do so here. Good Luck!
Don't turn your back on world events.
Now Wearing:
Vintage 1960's green/blue knit jacket- Citizens of Rosebud
J.T. Wisdom is a +40 fashion blogger who has a lot more to talk about than the latest fashion mood-swings. She is thoughtful in her posts and in her comments to others. A mid-west girl who loves the big-city but can appreciate the country, J.T. Wisdom's cup runneth over in her blog, Bubbling with Elegance and Grace.
THE CITIZEN: How long have you been blogging?
JT WISDOM: I started my blog in August 2009, so for almost two years.
THE CITIZEN: What inspires your style?
JT WISDOM: My grandmother and mother are my two biggest inspirations. My mother taught me how to remix my clothing so that it looks like I have way more clothes than I actually have in my closet. My Grandmother taught me that you do not have to wear name brand clothing to look good; boy was she right about that one.
My fashion sense ignited when I took a sewing class in Home Economics in high school. That class taught me how to save money by making my own clothes including my high school graduation and baccalaureate dresses.
THE CITIZEN: You are an "over 40" blogger, when most bloggers average between 14 and 28. What motivated you to start your blog?
JT WISDOM: I enjoy writing about fashion, beauty, hair care and lifestyles issues. And mind you I love wearing all types of fashion and accessories. I started my blog as a way for me to write about these topics and to be able to share information with other people who have the same interests.
When I first started blogging I didn't know anything about the whole age thing. It wasn't until I became more involved with the various communities that I found many of the bloggers are under 30.
THE CITIZEN: Were you discouraged at first because of your age? If so, what got you to move beyond the discouragement and get to blogging?
JT WISDOM: Sure, when you look at all the people who are blogging right now, so many of them are under 30. It seems like I was way out my league; but I still wanted to blog. So I decided that I would not let age stop me from doing what I wanted to.
I enjoy blogging and I've learned so much in every aspect of it. The sky is the limit with my blog and I'm enjoying the ride and the community of meeting really cool people.
THE CITIZEN: As an older woman, do you find yourself comfortable with contemporary fashion? Where do you see areas of improvement in the industry?
JT WISDOM: Well, I don't consider myself an older woman.Age is just a number. I'm in my early forties and I am as youthful as I feel. You can be 19 and feel old or you can be in your eighties with tons of energy to run your next marathon. One of my long-time friends always says at each birthday that she is so many years young and I love that phrase.
The fashion industry to me gives mixed messages because I hear designers and fashion magazine editors say that they cater to everyone. But this is simply not true. When I flip the pages of the fashion magazines, I may see one model that is over a size 8; but every other model is a size 2 or less. When I look at a garment it would be nice to see it on a body shape that is my size and not only on a stick thin model.
THE CITIZEN: What has being "over 40" done to help your self esteem? Are you more comfortable in your own skin?
What's been the best benefit to you as a blogger?
JT WISDOM: I am in my early forties and hopefully with age comes wisdom. My relationship with my Lord and Savior has helped me tremendously in feeling comfortable in my own skin and dealing with self esteem.
My blog has introduced me to a fashion and beauty community in a passionate way. In my current job, I am completely removed from the fashion industry all together. The jewel of blogging is community and meeting people from all over the world without leaving my home. I am able to interact with bloggers as if they were a neighbor across the street, not across the world.
THE CITIZEN: Who are your readers? Who would you like to read your blog?
JT WISDOM: My blog readers are a diverse group, from fashion bloggers to stay-at-home moms. I have many readers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Bangladesh. It's cool for me to see that my blog have visitors from all over the world.
I love diversity so I would like men and women of all ages from all nationalities to read my blog. I strive for my blog to be appealing to anyone who loves fashion. I want the mindset that if you love fashion then you will love Bubblingwitheleganceandgrace.com.
"The jewel of blogging is community & meeting people from all over the world without leaving my home."
THE CITIZEN: You've recently moved to Wordpress from Blogger. What made you decide to make the switch?
JT WISDOM: I started on Blogger because it had an easy-to-learn platform. As I became more comfortable, I wanted to see what WordPress could do for me. There’s so much freedom now. I can add many plug-ins and finally design my blog the way I want with no limits and that is a thrill to me.
THE CITIZEN: Any words of advice to other bloggers?
JT WISDOM: First and foremost- BE TRUE TO YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. If you enjoy writing about fashion, write about fashion. If you have another passion write about that, blog about what moves and inspires you.
HAVE FUN! If you want to blog about fashion because that is what you enjoy, then it has to be fun. Do not get caught up in how many subscribers you have or how many people have commented on your post.
THE CITIZEN: Has blogging changed your style at all?
JT WISDOM: Not at all! I like being a girly-girl and my blog has not changed that. It just has provided me an opportunity to talk about it with others who have the same passion that I do.
Where do you see yourself and your blog in 3 years?
JT WISDOM: I enjoy blogging and I have learned so much in every aspect of it. The sky is the limit with my blog and I am enjoying the ride and the community of meeting really cool people. I would love to see if I could include an online shop that would include some of my favorite handbags and accessories and as a bonus I would love to include 100% Natural products for the hair and body.
THE CITIZEN: Any last words?
JT WISDOM: I love this quote from Sophia Loren- “There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”
Made in the Shade: Sacramento Fashion bloggers meet-up for cocktails at the Shady Lady.
I just wanted to share a quick post on last night's Sacramento fashion/style blogger meet up that took place at the Shady Lady. We meet for an after work cocktail at the best watering hole this side of well, almost anywhere. Angeline (The New Professional) and Keri (Headlines and Hemlines) staked out the booth, while three handfuls of lovely ladies piled in, introduced themselves and talked blogs, life and fashion. Some of the "old timers" were there, bloggers that met at the first Sacramento Fashion blogger meet up (click here/here for memory refreshment) and it was good to see Melody (It's All Happening), Jen (Wade & Associates), Lisa (Starship Narcissus) and Kari (Juniper James) all make the acquaintance of some of our newest members- the fabulous Ann (Annimal House), Erin (Bows & Sparrows) and two, count 'em TWO Teacher/Fashion bloggers- Sarah (Classroom Chic) and Tami (Teacher Goes Back to School.) Add that to Nikki (Lil Bits of Nik-Nak) and you have the headstart of an interesting new sub-genre of fashion bloggers. Speaking of new, a shout out to the brand new blogger, Bibi who came out to meet everyone. Bibi just started her fashion blog, Oh My Gatos! and it was nice to see a balanced mix of seasoned and starter blogs at the table.
Sacramento Fashion Bloggers: I had such a great time ladies! Thanks for coming out, and let's plan on doing another meet-up soon. And if there are any Sacramento area bloggers that would like to be included in the group, shoot me a message via Facebook where we have a Facebook Blogger group set up just for this. Be sure to introduce yourself and share your blog url, and I'll be happy to add you to the group!
Mixin' It Up with a mixed CD by Bows and Sparrows
(Oh, and check out a bad photo of my awesome new mixed CD tape made just for me by sweetie pie Erin of Bows and Sparrows! I've been rockin' out to it all morning, hopped up on coffee and indie pop. )
Friends, before you start reading this, I want you to push play button on theYouTube video. I believe if I were a song, I might be this one. Jolly, no? : )
It seems like just as good a day as any to dust off my collection of dotted favorites gleaned from my inspiration folder- who can resist more Polka goodness? As for moi, you can see a smattering of MY past flirtations with les dots de las polkashere, here, here, here , here, here AND here.
On a completely DIFFERENT note, you may notice I've got a new page up- My +40 Blog roll. If you want some style inspiration be sure to check these lovely ladies out. Feel free to bookmark the page- I plan to update it monthly. And if YOU are a +40 blogger, just leave a comment on the page and I will add you to the list.
And if you haven't yet entered my Get LUCKY Shabby Apple Dress give-away, be sure to do so soon. Winner gets announced on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th,) so be sure to try your luck and enter. GOOD LUCK! (Remember: Contest open ONLY to U.S. residents) Click HERE to enter.
I'm going to take a little break from my blogging this week and put focus on getting ready for the SHOP THE CITIZEN trunk show this Saturday. We're hosting it at the studio, so if any of you are going to be in Sacramento this week-end and would like to come, please e-mail me for the details. (My email? Bella@thecitizenrosebud.com) Until then: See you next week!
