Happy Holidays!

December 17, 2022: Hi all. I'm still here, just been very busy (who of us is not?) I'm working on updating Maison Newton bit by bit, it's been awhile since I changed things up. Happy Holidays to all, soon the Winter Solstice will arrive and then the days will start to get longer once again, hooray!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Leopard Spots!

I do like leopard print.  A few years ago, I went waaayyyyy out on a limb - for me - and purchased a mock-turtle neck cotton knit long sleeve shirt in a leopard print.  I have worn it many times since: sometimes with beige; sometimes with black; sometimes with brown.  I love that shirt and it's actually getting a bit stretched out now, a combination of wear and my weight loss around the middle - YAH!

A few months ago I acquired a "leopard spot" carryall from Estee Lauder on special - spend so many dollars, get so many dollars back in samples plus the purse.  I purchased some mineral make-up to replace my rapidly diminishing Bare Minerals (I thought I'd try a different brand and see how I like it) and I got free samples of a number of different "age-fighting" products, none of which I've tried yet.  I'm so happy with my L'Bri products I haven't felt the need to try anything new, but they're sitting in the upstairs bathroom tray of "try me" products so sooner or later I'll give them a shot.
The purse is red with black spots and has black faux-patent leather trim.  I love it!  I haven't used it yet - must do that!  When it comes to putting outfits together, I'm still in my no-fashion frame of mind most of the time - and I must put deliberate effort into planning something to wear that will allow me to use that bag.  I won't wear it, for instance, with my bright yellow rain-jacket; nor with my light blue light-winter jacket, and it certainly won't go with my heavy-duty down fuchia winter coat, or my steel-blue ankle-length down coat (that I think weighs about 30 pounds) for those really 40 below zero Wisconsin winter days...  It seems I have nothing in outerwear that it would "match" and I'm just not going to carry a bag, a handbag or a tote or anything in-between, that doesn't coordinate one way or another with my outerwear - and innerwear too, of course!
I have thought about a red coat (as you know if you've read prior posts here) and I've also thought about a purple coat - only because of the purple and red ladies whom I love, and I think purple and red go together beautifully.  But I haven't made any purchases yet and may not.  I'm not the easiest size to fit - most clothes that have enough girth to fit my middle area (even with the weight loss) have arms down to my knees and are mega-large everywhere BUT where I need the large.  It is quite obvious that people who design these coats (and women's clothes in general), do not have any idea what an average middle-aged woman's figure actually looks like.  They're still stuck on designs for Olive Oyl.  You know - Popeye the Sailor Man's stick-figure girlfriend.  HellooooOH, Anorexia!
Back to leopard print!  I have been eyeing a couple of bags at Sam Moon's website, including this 11 x 17 tote, for a very reasonable $20.99 (not including S&H):



The tote above has black trim and is roomier:  13.5 x 18.5 inches.  The reverse side is solid black, so it suits someone like me, with a more conservative style (although I'm fighting it, darlings, I swear I am!) 

Soooo, which one do I choose, the full-out leopard print that is a little smaller, for a lot smaller price? Will I be able to fit in everything I need, particularly when travelling?

 Or do I choose the larger, more conservatively styled tote, for $17 more?  I would be able to fit more in for travelling, including probably a book AND my neato tiny Acer notebook that is a mere 10.1" across!  To be fair, my little Acer notebook would also fit in the less expensive tote, but wouldn't leave much room for anything else.

Either one is neutral enough to go with my current autumn/winter selection (such as they are) of coats - unlike my red and black leopard print tote from Estee Lauder!

On the higher end (much higher for most of the looks), you can always do one or more of these if you have the cash or are willing to run up your credit cards, but I did sniff out this bargain from the New York Fashion Magazine, Leopard Spots (October 30, 2011):


Zara top, $49.90 (yes, that is not a misprint), at 580 Broadway.  It's not my thing - looks like a pajama top to me, darlings, and those black strips right where your boobs are - no thank you.  But one never knows how a clever one might put this together with some other pieces and come up with something absolutely suberb - minutes the black strips (If they're sewn on, I'd remove them in a flash). 

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