Photos by Diana

Close-up of the hat!

Sheer orange/purple scarf – purchased in Mexico;  vintage orange beaded pillbox, vintage earrings, vintage umbrella – estate sales, black sleeveless dress with asymmetrical hemline – boutique on Colfax now closed, orange peep toe pumps – summer retail sale years ago, all on black background.

The SC wore this outfit dominated by orange to a friend’s 60th birthday party and out into the rain, requiring an umbrella.  I live in a climate that seldom allows me to play with this accessory, so I took full advantage of my vintage umbrella inventory.  Looking for the meaning of the color orange, Emily Gems states HERE that it is a power color.  How convenient, because the renovation of my home is requiring assertiveness, persistence, and constant vigilance.

I am learning that I deserve to live in a structure that is well cared for and that my home, built in 1907, is a beautiful slice of history and the work needs to be consistent with its majesty.  I am its advocate, thus it is required that I advocate for myself.  Somehow it was easier to be a champion for others; for Nelson within the health care system, as a parent, as a friend, for my patients.

This project involves the intensification of chaos with the goal of peace and beauty.  I know nothing of construction, renovation or navigating this unfamiliar world.  Talk about wildly fertile ground for encroaching self doubt.  So I have decided to respectfully verbalize my thoughts and feelings when the work does not appear adequate or doesn’t feel or look right to me.  And to speak up when my tentacles, which have taken years to develop, detect disregard or lack of concern.  I have discovered that there are many resources available when something appears or feels amiss in the abyss. Fortunately I have talented, kind and generous friends that I consult with at important junctures. Directing this upgrade involves vast  amounts of orange energy, and I have plenty of that in my closet.

I recently learned of the weekly outfit posts at ‘the pleated poppy’ HERE , so stopping by with a bit of orange!

Photo by Camille

Vintage Gano-Downs Denver patterned white/black long spring jacket -yard sale, vintage black velvet pillbox, vintage long black gloves, vintage red/white/black bangles and earrings – estate sales, black knit leggings- gifted, black suede heeled boots from the ’90′s, and a touch of red lipstick.

Tess and Camille

Photo by The SC

On Mother’s Day Eve Camille and The SC dashed off into the chill of the rainy May evening to attend the studio opening of 50 Dresses HERE , the new dress designing home of Camille’s dear friend Tess. Camille and Tess grew up together dancing  at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School HERE. Upon graduation from high school they both left for NYC for college on scholarships, Camille at Fordham University Lincoln Center and Tess at Columbia University.  Camille moved back to Denver over a year ago and Tess moved back a few months ago.

Their mothers couldn’t be more happy!  Our accomplished, talented and beautiful daughters are back home, lighting up our lives with their bright smiles.

We spent the evening trying on dresses designed by Tess, laughing with old and new friends, toasting to the event and reunions, and enjoying the time spent together.  It was a Mother’s Day Eve to remember, as we create new traditions!

Hope you had an exceptional Mother’s Day weekend!  The SC is off to join Patti’s growing community of bloggers at Visible Monday HERE and Monday Mingle HERE.   And will this be the week that I say good-bye to my boots for the season?

]]> http://stylecrone.com/2012/05/13/mothers-day-eve/feed/ 25 http://stylecrone.com/2012/05/10/the-cuff-and-the-fence/ http://stylecrone.com/2012/05/10/the-cuff-and-the-fence/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 04:04:28 +0000 Judith Boyd http://stylecrone.com/?p=10376

The SC stands in front of the new fence in the garden.

Flaunting crone hands with cuff in floral ground cover.

Photos by Diana

Cuff by Debra Rapoport HERE, multi-colored patterned silk wraparound skirt with turquoise lining – NYC street vendor, silk hat – flea market, vintage silk turquoise jacket – estate sale, black/turquoise shoes – Buffalo Exchange, and black obi from deep within my closet.

The first phase of the partial renovation of my home and garden involved the replacement of my backyard fence.  As I  watched the destruction and the disappearance of the old fence as it left the garden, I felt exposed to the openness of the evening and sleepless through the darkness of the night. This structure had been my protection since 1989 when Nelson, Camille and The SC moved into the home that remains my sanctuary.  It had witnessed many years of backyard parties, dinners on the patio, gardening extravaganzas and Camille growing up within its boundaries. The fence was slanting in places with large gaps that interrupted privacy. It was broken and battered, yet comforting in its own way.

The following day I witnessed the building of a new enclosure which beautifully wraps around the garden. The loss of the familiar is a mirror of my own process of reinvention.  I view it as an exercise in healing, but it touches the hole in my heart.  That tender place that still feels raw and broken, like the old fence.  Will building something new as my protection also construct confidence?  Did I make the right choice?  All of the decisions regarding my living space that I’m now making by myself without my partner’s reassurance feel uncertain, unsettling, hesitant.

In celebration of the new fence that now surrounds my garden, I chose to wear the cuff created by Debra, which was the focal point for the pieces that I selected for my outfit. In this case, every color in the cuff can all be found in the patterned silk skirt.

As I explored the meaning of the color turquoise HERE, open communication and clarity of thought seemed relevant as I admired my new fence, surprised by a new feeling of empowerment.  The first in a series of changes has been completed.

Almost every day I drive by the murals across the street from the middle school that Camille attended years ago and they always draw my attention.  The SC became carried away with each powerful and colorful expression of art and decided to show them all.  I wanted to display the two street vendor totes from my trips to Mexico City and NYC, and threw in the orange fabric hat from my journey to Minnesota.  I’m wearing my trips as accessories, which goes to show that accessories have the ability to speak for themselves.

Photos by Diana who risked her life on 13th Avenue to snap these photos.

The ‘Stop the Bullying’ mural first caught my eye some time ago.  I thought it was a great reminder in its position across the street from a middle school and actually, in any location on the planet.  One of the definitions of bullying is to use strength and power to harm or intimidate, which is really just another name for abuse. Bullying and the dynamics related to power and control contribute to pain and suffering, and in my work I witnessed the negative effects of this behavior on the health of countless patients.  It seems as though my entire career in health care revolved around confronting some form of this problem. To provide care to one patient with competence and empathy is important work, but changing a health care system can affect the lives and safety of entire populations. The areas that I felt passionate about were domestic violence; creating an abuse free medical workplace; and diversity, culturally competent care and eliminating health care disparities. There are so many forms of self expression in addition to hats and outfits!  To be involved in creating programs to address these issues, which matched my values and made my work fulfilling, made every day worthwhile.  So the anti-bullying mural spoke to my heart each time I drove by and I felt compelled to give it life.

On a lighter note, thanks to Ari Seth Cohen from Advanced Style HERE.  To my total and complete surprise The SC made an appearance on The Huffington Post Stylitst, Stylelist News and Advice from the Worlds of Fashion and Beauty , and was included in the CNN website article, ‘Aging Stylishly Online and in the Streets HERE .’  Sometimes life turns on a dime in a good way!

It’s Monday, so The SC is taking her hats and her totes to join the fun at Visible Monday and Monday Mingle.

Photo of Debra Rapoport by Ari Seth Cohen of Advanced Style HERE

Cuff created by Debra Rapoport

Photo of Susan Wick by The SC

 Painting on paper bag by Susan Wick

The SC wearing an industrial felt hat created by Debra Rapoport

The SC met Debra Rapoport in NY in November of 2010.  Debra has been regularly featured and has a page on Advanced Style HERE, Ari Seth Cohen’s blog about people aging with style, dignity and enthusiasm. Debra, the generous connector, introduced me to her friend of many years who lives in Denver, artist Susan Wick HERE.  I admire the friendship that the two of them have nurtured and enjoyed for many years.  It’s easy to understand why they’re dear friends as they share the qualities of warmth; enthusiasm for life, style and art; curiosity and creativity.  Susan recently informed me that they met in the late 60′s as graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, in the textiles department. They worked in collaboration for several years, receiving an NEA grant at one point. Particularly interesting to The SC was their creation of art performances which consisted of the visual presentation of an idea with live action in costume.  Along with other locations, performances were held in museums and in the windows of Macy’s in San Francisco.  They continue to live their lives as vibrant artists in different cities, bringing beauty and inspiration to everyone they touch. I could write pages about their intriguing lives, but instead I’ll provide a few of many possible links to sites which provide details about their endeavors and accomplishments.

Susan’s home and studio, Zwickplace, is filled with art and is a never ending visual delight HERE.  Every time I visit I find something new and fascinating that I hadn’t focused on before, or that has been newly created.  Susan was chosen as ‘Artist of the Year’ by Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006;  click HERE to read about her installation at this museum and more about her process and her rich life. She will be showing her new paintings on June 1st at Weilworks Gallery, Denver HERE.

Debra describes herself as ‘an artist working within the visual and healing arts.’  Much of Debra’s art is wearable; she has a line of industrial felt hats, seen in her photo above and worn by The SC HERE.  She has been featured in many articles and magazines, such as Time Out New York’s ‘Most Stylish New Yorkers HERE,’  and will be presenting workshops at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC, ‘Better with Age, Summer Salons in Dirt, Dust and Ash HERE.’  Brilliant at recycling, she is also creating cuff/bracelets which can be purchased on her page on Advanced Style HERE.

The SC was fortunate to snap up the cuff in the photo above, and will be composing an outfit with the bracelet as her focal point – coming soon on Style Crone.

]]> http://stylecrone.com/2012/05/04/friendship-and-art-debra-rapoport-and-susan-wick/feed/ 18 http://stylecrone.com/2012/04/30/the-year-of-reinvention/ http://stylecrone.com/2012/04/30/the-year-of-reinvention/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:31:04 +0000 Judith Boyd http://stylecrone.com/?p=10027

Photos by Diana

A close up of the Francois!

Vintage Francois multicolored fur felt fedora – consignment shop, vintage gloves, vintage YSL pumps, vintage jewels and vintage black wool jacket – estate sales, and the black ruched jeans that have been my uniform for the season.

The SC once again wears the outfit that she wore at the YSL exhibit (details were vague under the pink bow) and it may be the last felt hat before the spring/summer hats begin their appearance on a regular basis.  As long as the weather is chilly, felt is the favored option, even though the calender may disagree.

This past year has been a transition and at times a lesson in survival as I wandered through the wilderness of grief.  I have decided to move forward to the year of reinvention, yet at the same time aware that feelings related to loss do not magically disappear after one year. The first step requires that I direct my attention to my home which has suffered from neglect as I focused on whatever appeared before my eyes.  The scaffolding of my life needs reinforcement!  The fence surrounding my garden, which is deteriorating, will be replaced. The worn and damaged hardwood floors upstairs will be refinished and the rooms will be repainted.  I am in the process of going through every item in my inventory with the sorting categories of keep, maybe and GO.  I have already found many pieces that I had forgotten about, which sparks my creativity.  My attention is easily distracted from sorting to playing with long lost friends. And then I hear a gentle internal reminder assuring me that ‘letting go’ of items that no longer serve me will become easier with practice and that peace of mind is really the goal. I am learning to live without chaos, within myself and within my living spaces.

This morning, with amazing synchronicity, my yoga teacher quoted a Chinese proverb, “Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid of standing still.”

Now I’m taking this hat over to Patti’s Visible Monday HERE and Monday Mingle HERE!

Photo by Jackie

The week prior to the anniversary The SC landed beneath the pink bow at The Denver Art Museum for the Yves Saint Laurent Exhibit HERE, along with dear friends Linda, Jeanne and Jackie (who came in from NYC).  Showing in Paris, Madrid and Denver, the show was a spellbinding display of beauty.  The designs, the colors, the hats, the history!  We were entranced for hours as we slowly walked through the many rooms of the exhibit, only to end up in a space which consisted of a presentation of tuxedos from floor to ceiling facing a long runway of gowns.  A grand finale at its best and I continue to have vivid memories of this visual celebration.

From the Denver Art Museum’s website:  ”A sweeping retrospective of the designer’s 40 years of creativity, Yves Saint Laurent: The Retrospective features a stunning selection of 200 haute couture garments along with numerous photographs, drawings, and films that illustrate the development of Saint Laurent’s style and the historical foundations of his work. Organized thematically, the presentation melds design and art to explore the full arc of Saint Laurent’s career, from his first days at Dior in 1958 through the splendor of his evening dresses from 2002. The DAM will be the only United States venue for the exhibition.”

I wore my YSL pumps seen in a previous post HERE and when I returned home I rushed through my closets to check for more YSL possibilities.  I found another pair of shoes, a tuxedo jacket, and two sweaters, all purchased at estate sales.  Makes me think I’ve forgotten much of what I have tucked away.  This calls for further exploration!

Photos by Camille

A close up of the feathers of the day.

Grief has its own timetable.  The day before the anniversary presented with hours of dull and heavy slow motion. I found it difficult to think clearly or take action.  An interesting study in mindfulness which I observed from a distance.  Not anxious or depressed, but a with a hint of immobilization. I lacked the ability to worry about things that I couldn’t control, as I’m inclined to do on an ordinary day. Now there’s a concept that I would like to take with me into every moment of my life. Yoga has taught me that a single pose does not last forever, so sink into it, explore it. The heaviness with a life of its own left as suddenly as it had arrived, in the evening, before dark.

Camille and The SC spent Friday, April 20th, together.  We buried some of Nelson’s ashes in the rose garden, which is behind the blue wooden fence in the first photo and shown in past posts HERE and HERE.  This had been his request. To commemorate the day, I wore a vintage pale blue embroidered silk kimono which usually hangs on a purple fabric covered hanger on the closet door of my bedroom. The vintage fuchsia feather headpiece spoke to me from its perch in the hat room and flew to my head announcing it was the only hat in the room appropriate for the day.  I was intrigued by the third photo above; the image reveals my hair moving suddenly from red to fuchsia (how quickly things change), underneath the mini chandelier which hangs off a tree branch above my head.  The tree decor becomes an accidental extension of my headwear as it miraculously defies gravity.

As the day unfolded, we traveled to a number of personal historical sites, scattering a few ashes to the wind along the way and covering the full range of emotions in the process.  The bar where we met which is no longer a bar. The places where we lived, worked and played.  We moved through the city for hours on our tour of remembrance.  The SC had a story to tell at each location; family lore to pass on to our daughter.

Another passage has been completed as I enter the beginning of the second year and reflect upon the significance of the past, the reality of the present and the allure of the future.

Photos by Diana.

Vintage coral structured beret, vintage jewels and suede YSL pumps – estate sales, 50′s silk taffeta print dress with velvet collar and vintage coral fabric gloves – purchased from a friend’s inventory, and nude fishnets.

The lilacs are blooming and though I have resisted the reality of spring this year, reluctant to see the blooming trees, daffodils and tulips, I am in love with the fragrant lavender blossoms that wave in the spring air in my front garden.  They greet me, embrace me as I walk by, coming and going.  I gather sweet bouquets that grace my home until the lilac display outside my front window sadly ends.

As I have described before on Style Crone, the hat room transition takes place in spring and fall.  The twice yearly ritual is announced with the blooming trees, and the fall/winter hats are cleaned and tucked away in their tissue paper and boxes.  The spring/summer hats come out on the racks and sit waiting to be chosen for the outfit of the day. However, it’s tricky; if the weather is chilly, the felt hats and fabric gloves remain in the mix, making this transition complex.  But then April is tricky and complex.

In the middle of the hat room transition, in the middle of the seasonal transition, in the middle of The SC’s transition – an outfit of transition was created with the inspiration of lilacs.

And now, over to Patti’s Visible Monday HERE to join a creative group of bloggers.

April 9, 2011 HERE

April 13, 2011 HERE

The last photo, April 15, 2011 HERE

With one week remaining in this year of magical thinking, I reviewed The SC posts of April 2011.  I vividly remember the moments in time that are documented in the above photos, which Nelson took, though weak yet determined.  He transitioned five days after our last date and his last photo.  I now realize that without my blog I wouldn’t have these dear memories frozen in time.

As I approach this week, I don’t know what to expect as feelings are unpredictable, like death.  I notice the return of ‘grief bursts,’ but they are less intense and much less frequent than a year ago. They can be triggered by unusual happenings, such as the crab apple blossoms falling from the tree in front of our home.  They were in full bloom just a few days ago and they mirror the cycle of life, loss and renewal.

All the ‘firsts’ have come and gone. I received a letter from hospice, describing possible anniversary date responses, and set it aside.  I remember reading in several grief books that this day has significant importance.  I also know that each individual responds differently.  There must be a space between expecting the worst and denial.  And in that space I will wear a hat!

Camille and The SC plan to spend the day together with our memories, honor the year that we have experienced together and the future that we both look forward to.  A structure will be in place to provide peace and celebration.  We are both still standing.