Getting the Jump on Feminine Friday.

I found this over at Songs I Sing. Slap some pearls on, and this is how I'd love to dress once in a while -- if I had the courage. Seriously.

Actually, my father has quite a few photos of my late mother, who dressed a lot like this before I was born and even somewhat after. She and her friends really did look like June Cleaver when I was a tot.

However, it's never wise to imitate the past, but to do what we can in our era to look neat, pretty, modest, and feminine. I'd love some comments on my blog about how you think we can apply timeless principles of style to today's fashions.



Enjoy!
elizabeth

Kelli's got a very thoughtful and important post on her blog about the decision for young ladies to go to college or not. I, on the other hand, am going to be silly and blog about a skirt -- a RED skirt. Stacy and Clinton are probably somewhere moaning over my choice of cheap and red, but here goes:

I usually don't wear bright red, but this skirt called my name from the racks of Wal-Mart clothing. Since it obviously didn't cost much and since it is made in the shape that is most flattering for my figure and since it called my name rather loudly, I succumbed to a bit of holiday madness and said what could be more feminine and festive than a RED skirt.

Usually, red wears me rather than me wearing it. However, since this RED is in the skirt I can pair it with a color that is more flattering to my skin.

I have a lovely friend who wears red as her signature color. I think she's actually considered not wearing so much red, but people so identify her with the color that they gift her with purses, scarves, lipsticks, etc., in her special red.

Pink is more my style, with green becoming a fast favorite, as well. But, once in a while, a woman just needs a RED skirt.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Is it really time for Feminine Friday already? The weeks fly by! I enjoyed all of the posts for this week, as I do every week. Be sure to stop by Kelli's blog and check them out.

Kelli posted some encouraging thoughts about her adjustment to motherhood. Her openness will be a comfort to any young mother who is feeling so many things -- happy and perplexing and even frightening or wistful-- as she starts on the journey of motherhood.

I can relate to many of the things Kellie felt, including anxiety. My children are in their twenties now, however. So, when I look back upon those times, I tend to forget what an adjustment they were and remember only the joys. I guess I'm like the example in John 16:21: A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. You forget it even more as time goes by.

Even though I don't think of it as much now, early motherhood was an adjustment for me! I had quick and easy natural labors, for which I am greatly thankful. Later, after I came home from the hospital after each birth, I had health challenges: fevers after both births, bouts of heavy bleeding after one birth; the reality of what it means to care for someone 24/7, my inexperience as a mother, etc.

Of course, there were the wondrous things as well: nursing!; holding each of my children for the very first time; hearing their little coos and their laughs. I loved nursing!!

I think God used the adjustments I went through as a young mother to show me the basic selfishness of my own nature and to teach me what His self-giving love is like. In fact, he has used every stage of motherhood, including the one I'm in now, to teach me something. Often, I've been a slow learner!!

Each stage of mothering brings its own joys and its own challenges. My children are both happily married now, but I still am constantly on my knees for them.

Motherhood is a profound expression of the feminine nature God has given to us. When I had my first child, I felt as if I'd joined a great sisterhood of mothers. I still feel that way sometimes.

As an older woman, I'd like to pass on a bit of advice that was given to me and that I ignored to my peril: It takes about a year after the birth of a baby for your internal organs to be fully returned to normal. Even though you may feel fine, you do need to be careful about lifting or moving objects heavier than your baby, and you do need to learn all you can about taking care of your health, especially your internal health. Many of my peers are starting to have health issues that result from "inner sagging" if you know what I mean. Taking care of yourself when you are in your most active childbearing years pays off when you hit middle age and beyond. Do those Kegels ladies!!

Also, each mother experiences the emotional, spiritual, and physical challenges of birth and taking care of a newborn in a slightly different way. Some have easy labors and bounce back to full energy quickly. Others have a harder adjustment. I hope young mothers feel free to enjoy their recovery from birth and the bonding process with their newborn at their own pace.

Oh, one more note to brand new moms: No matter what you suffer as a mother, it's worth it! Even if you are going through some hard times, take note of little happy things to treasure up in your heart, as Mary did about Jesus. The time will pass more quickly than you know. I used to nod my head when older women said that to me, and I believed it as an abstract fact. In actuality, however, I had no idea how quickly my children would become adults. It was especially hard to imagine that on a long day of changing diapers and running after toddlers. Now, I look back, and I finally get what those older women were talking about! Take time to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy your little ones now.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

I haven't been in the blog-o-sphere very much this week, so I didn't realize that this week's challenge was to show a picture of feminine pants. So, I haven't taken a picture to illustrate this.

At any rate, I was the little girl who always wanted to be in a dress, even when I was climbing trees. Would you believe that I had a dream about a dress when I was about six or seven? I described what it looked like to my mother, and she made it for me.

We had to wear skirts and dresses when I was in the early years of high school, which suited me fine. Then, the dress code changed, and it was amazing how quickly pants became more common than dresses. Despite that, many girls wore dresses to class at least once or twice a week.

Of course, being a child of my era, I loved a good pair of jeans. Still, in college, I kept trying to dress up from time to time, and people would ask me, "Who died?" That was their joking way of saying that I was too dressed up -- as if I were going to a funeral -- instead of to class. To this day, I maintain that the right dress is never out of place.

Today, I still love wearing skirts and dresses. However, for some reason, I end up wearing pants more often than I'd really like to. I'm not sure why I often reach for pants, as I have many skirts that are suitable for every day wear. Sometimes, I will wear pants early in the day, when I'm doing heavier work or exercising. Then, I will shower and change into a dress. For all but the hardest or sportiest tasks, I actually find a casual skirt and blouse to be very comfortable.

I do think you can wear pants in a feminine way. I think it has a lot to do with how they're cut, what top you wear, what shoes you wear, and how you present yourself all around. I don't know that I have any one particular pair of pants, though, that exemplifies this more than any other. I suppose I feel most feminine in capris, though I don't have a logical reason for that. Maybe, they represent light-hearted summer with fun sandals and pretty toenail polish.

Some of the others participating in the challenge have posted lovely examples of pants. I especially like Georgia's jeans with the floral insert. They remind me of the jeans we used to wear when I was much younger.

As far as sleeping pants go, DH presented me with a pajama gram for Valentine's Day, and I love the silky and feminine PJ's. I do have some long things I wear in extremely cold weather or when I am ill. They're cute and soft, but not exactly the most glamorous attire a wife could slip into. I make sure to also have and wear more alluring things for the nighttime.

I also have some exercise pants that should never, ever, ever leave the house and probably shouldn't even be worn in the presence of patient DH. After all, I'm not too keen on him lounging in some of his Saturday work clothes. But, we give each other some grace on that point.

I think many other cultures have created some lovely feminine pants. I especially like flowing pants underneath a tunic, and it seems that women from many countries have some variation of that look as part of their attire.

I know many very feminine women who wear pants most of the time. I have a good friend who dons slacks for almost every occasion, including some dressy events. She takes excellent care of her appearance, and she has a great sense of what colors and styles work for her. She also has a loving and gentle spirit, which gives her a feminine quality. Her tops and pants are modestly cut, yet they are also always very stylish. There are times when I throw on a skirt and dress and dash out the door, yet she never appears looking less than her best. I don't mean to say that she spends an inordinate amount of time on her looks, but she has worked out her beauty routine and coordinated closet so that she can present a feminine, well-groomed appearance in a hurry. Again, a lot of feminine loveliness goes back to the care you take with your overall presentation, so she is a great example to me of femininity no matter what she is wearing.

Having said that, I'm very happy to see so many younger women wearing more skirts and dresses now. I think the stores are offering some very cute options in dresses these days. Some are not as modest as I'd like to see, but they can usually be made modest with the help of a little creativity.

Happy Feminine Friday!
Elizabeth

It's Feminine Friday again! This week's challenge is to think of something outside of your home that makes you feel feminine.

Well, there are so many ways to go with this creative theme:

Relationship with God
Church
Family/Friends
Beautiful things in nature
Picnics alone with DH, with DH and children, with friends
Horses, cats, chicks, peacocks, baby animals of almost any kind
Roses! Roses! Roses! Roses!
Babies! Smiling Babies!
Touring old historic homes and getting ideas from the things you learn about the women who created them.
Lovely old shops full of lovely books and lovely things
Romantic restaurants
Small simple old church buildings
People singing meaningful old hymns together
Seeing where my parents grew up
Walking hand in hand with DH on the beach
Weeping Willows
Seashells
Outdoor symphonies and other outdoor musical events
Visiting with elderly women, who pass on the wisdom they learned in a lifetime of being a woman
Etc.

I'm one who always feels womanly when outdoors, around nature, and around simple things. But, I do have another side to my femininity: Y'all didn't seriously think that I would let this opportunity pass without posting pictures of my favorite feminine city --Paris --now did you? LOL

The pictures above are all from the Palace of Versailles. I tried to persuade Dearest Hubby that we could re-create this look in our dining room. I reasoned that all it would take would be a few trips to Home Depot for some paint. For some reason, he didn't go for it. Wonder why he didn't think we could do it? Giggles.

Enjoy!
elizabeth

Is it just me, or does it seem to you that Feminine Fridays are coming around faster and faster! This summer is flying by.

Anyhow, here is my feminine picture for today:

This is a picture of my beloved dear hubby (DH) standing on my favorite bridge in the world: Pont Neuf in Paris. I spent a summer in France when I was young. DH has always wanted to take me back to a place where I had such fond memories. A couple of years ago, when we were celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary, DH surprised me with tickets to Paris. He asked me to plan our itinerary, as he had never been to Paris. Well, the first thing on my list was to get a kiss from DH on the famous old bridge. This was taken a few hours after we arrived following an all-night flight. I practically dragged my poor DH out of a much-needed catnip and down to the bridge. But, I did get my kiss! (Please excuse DH for looking quite sleepy.)

I felt very feminine showing DH around the city of romance!

PS: I am very shy of showing pictures of myself or family on the net, so this may be your one and only chance to see what my wonderful DH looks like!

Be sure to visit the Barefoot Mama for more feminine inspiration.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth

Item that makes me feel feminine: Using my mother's kidney-shaped dressing table. She had sewn a lovely cover for it, but it was damaged somewhere along the way. When I rescued it from my father's attic, I sewed a new cover out of a yellow sheet and some yellow gingham, and I trimmed it with white lace ribbon. Of course, my sewing skills are very basic, and I wasn't able to re-create the professional look of my mother's cover. But, still, it was fun to re-do it. If I ever re-do my bedroom, I will re-cover the table with other colors.

Enjoy!
Elizabeth