red.neck chic: Dear Birthday,

You saw me enter this decade of years a sad red.neck. It was my first birthday without my Grandmother (who always shared my birthday with me), AND my entry in to my 30's.

THIRTIES? REALLY?

shiny red shoes, shiny red purse... i need to find a red polka dotted scarf/sash!

"the Mama" skipped the dinner that year knowing my heart wasn't in it, loaded me up and took me shopping. It was great fun - we hit a fabric store, then we went to some clothing stores where we found great things to add to our wardrobes... then we ate dinner. It was a good birthday in the end, and my transition in to my 30's (REALLY? THIRTIES?!) was fairly non-traumatic.

some Duct Tape and Denim sparkles on my arm... the pocketbook in it's fringey greatness can be found here

The CHANGES that have occurred in the last 9 years (where does the time go?!) are WAY toooooo many to list - much less think about - so I'm not going to.

I'm rewinding to how I entered my new decade and gonna focus once again on my wardrobe for my birthday. Yes, my closet and it's contents.

It is BORING.

Over the last 9 years I seem to have SUCKED THE COLOR - and pattern - right out of it. Which is freakishly odd since I live in color. The single-wide looks as if a crayon box exploded in it... and I like it.

the baseball bracelet was a gift from TOT, the pocketbook is lurking here

Why does my wardrobe not reflect my color adoration? Do my eyes think that gray, brown, cream, white and black - all solids - diminish the wrinkles, gray hairs and additional ~~age spots~~ freckles that have arrived in the past 9 years? *pffffft*

some "retreauxgirl" bling... and I guess navy is my new neutral... the pocketbook can be found here

So, for you my Dearest Birthday, I got brutal with my closet. I threw open the door of the den of awful and donned my sparring mittens.

If it didn't fit right - poof. gone.

If I felt it was boring and nothing would help? poof. gone.

I now own more jammie pants and SpongeBob t-shirts than I do "leave the house NOW" clothes. *pffffft*

i can't wait for it to get cold! i ADORE this ~~afghan~~ sweater! pocketbook available here... the charm bracelet is one that "the Mama" has helped me build for YEARS... and yes. this sweater is an EXACT MATCH to my hair... and I don't care!

I had EVERY intention of fixing the "lack of color and pattern" issue. Knowing that I was going in to re-hab the closet mode, I have been diligently searching all clothing stores over the last couple of months for COLOR... and things that fit right. And things that weren't solid... what's wrong with some floral now and then? I had EVERY intention of going out of my 30's in color... when I try something on and look in the mirror I think: "euww, that's tooooo bright!"

I kick myself (literally, it cracks me up.), shut my eyes, open them and look again. THEN I think, "oh... that's REALLY tooooo bright!". And it stays there!

Dear Birthday, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!

It was a few days ago that I had an epiphany (I just like saying "epiphany"... I don't know if it was an actual "epiphany"). I have to wear neutrals 'cause everything around me is a crayon box. annnndddd... I also don't know what colors to wear.

So... enter in the accessories... and a few clothing purchases to fit the whole "I need things that fit" mind-set.

the necklace and earrings are scarab beetles and each stone has a special meaning... the spoon necklace is from SusieQ at Spoonin'!

Yes, that is a sparkly shirt... No... I'm not sure if it classifies as "neutral"... No... I can't wait for someone to take me somewhere fun and funky so I can wear it.

the bag and cameo bracelet are both Whiting Davis... Whiting Davis and Cameos are 2 things that make me swoon.

Heck, I'm gonna wear it today. Because it's my birthday and if I can't bring myself to wear great colors and/or patterns - I will wear great sparkles. Lots of sparkles...

the boots are my newest and my FAVORITE... both beaded bracelets were made for me by the "resident teen" a thousand years ago...

My dearest Birthday,
This year you are bringing big things.

The "resident teen" is going to turn 18 in a few weeks. EIGHTEEN! No wonder I have more wrinkles. EIGHTEEN!!! HOW did that happen?
He's going to graduate...
next summer he's going to move out - go to college - start living his own life and figuring out who he is.

In between all of that we are SURE to have 50milliontrillionbillion things going on... some in neutral... some in pattern... all of it accented with lots of color.

This year - starting today - you are going to watch me exploring and running rampant... proll'y turning a few cart wheels and vaulting up stairs - totally wreaking havoc... through the last year of my thirties. Next year you are going to be welcoming me in to my 40's... yeah, Mom... I said FORTIES!

My forties are going to be my next chapter. I have great things on my "to do" list. So - one year from today - I will be turning the page and writing on a new one. It's going to be fun. And a lot colorful in all of the little ways that matter.

And totally sparkly... everything is better when it sparkles. Sparkles will disguise the laugh lines, ~~age spots~~ freckles and will accent the ~~gray~~ silver hairs that keep trying to accessorize my head.