Sharing A Few Fun Outings
Hello everyone! To be honest, today's post is less about fashion and more about a couple fun outings the Mr. and I have had recently. But, I'll include a little fashion along the way. We enjoyed a really nice hike at The NC Arboretum today before the rains returned. We did a side hike we had not done before which took us through what is called, "The Azalea Repository." In the pic above, I'm having a rest on a wooden bench next to a pretty stream.
We didn't see any azaleas yet. It's too early. But, there were a lot of lovely rhododendrons, unique trees, a beautiful stream and bridge crossings. I like to wear layers when I hike because I can add or remove a layer as needed. Today, I'm wearing a purple Columbia jacket over a cardigan sweater. I had a hat and gloves and my faithful Leki pole. I rely on my Leki pole when hiking for balance. And, I am so enjoying this colorful fanny pack that I bought before Christmas at Sanctuary of Stuff. I had never seen a fanny pack like this one. It's all cloth material in magnificent colors and it snaps and unsnaps around my waist so easily! I like wearing my fanny pack to the front so I can easily get into it. I'm sure it's a fashion faux pas to wear a cardigan that hangs down below the jacket like you see here. But, I really don't care. How's that for style?! Ha!
Look at this unique tree we saw along the trail! I wonder how old it is? The knobby texture is so different looking and pretty with the moss growing up the trunk. The Mr. and I took all of these pics with our Iphones which we enjoy using for photography. Which is interesting since both of us usually rely on regular cameras for photos but the convenience of just whipping out the phone is really great.
Looks like the beavers ate around this tree and the Arboretum folks are trying to save it by fencing it off. Several trees had fencing around the trunk.
The Mr. likes taking pictures much better than having his picture taken!
The Arboretum has trails that are what my husband refers to as, "Debbie approved trails." That means they are mostly level and the hikes are not too strenuous. We laugh at the reference to "Debbie approved trails" but he's right. That is the type of hiking I prefer! We look for these type hikes to do together. He is an avid hiker and can do strenuous hiking for hours on end. But, that's not for me.
Fanny pack hint: this one is quite roomy and holds lots of stuff! If you can find a cloth fanny pack you may find that you can fit more inside it because it bends and stretches with the objects you place inside.
So now, it's time to leave the Arboretum and head downtown to a few pics from a night out we enjoyed a couple weeks ago.
It's been such a wet winter here and more chilly than cold.
We ate downtown at a restaurant called, "Barley's." It's a fun venue right in the heart of downtown and has delicious food. We have been coming here for years and years.
My outfit for the evening included a little pattern mixing mainly because I chose pieces for warmth. We were attending a trumpet/organ concert in an old church that I knew could be a little drafty. So I opted for these thicker pants and top and then added a scarf so I could stay warm.
I don't know about you, but sometimes my outfit choices just "happen" and I fall into a happy mix. I would definitely be willing to wear these pieces together again because I feel like the pattern mixing doesn't clash and the colors blend well enough together to look OK together. I added the black scarf not only for added warmth but for a little extra "oomph" for dressing up for an evening out.
And would you believe that I deleted the pic I took of the HUGE piece of lasagna I had for dinner that evening? I didn't think I was going to use the pic and foolishly deleted it. Oh well, but the lasagna was delicious and we enjoyed our meals and then the concert afterward.
So, as I bring this post to an end I just want to say a few words about sharing pictures of myself on this blog and sharing fashion posts in general. I'm trying more and more to incorporate whatever fashion posts I do share into a general post about what I'm doing in daily life, sharing a little bit of this and that about life in general. My fashion sense is pretty casual, laid back and, in my opinion, not over the top. It is not my intent to ever come across as a grand "fashionista" or a great "model" because I know I'm not. I'm just a normal woman who wants to look as good as possible while staying within a budget, shopping from my closet and enjoying what I already own. I'll also go out on a limb and say that there is a "big movement" right now for women to wear "whatever they want" no matter their age and while I agree to some degree with this, I also feel strongly that at age 61, I truly don't want to come off as trying to look like I'm 25 years old. I do believe that there are styles which can be age appropriate without looking old and dowdy. There is such a lot of emphasis on blogs right now to "shop until you drop" and "spend, spend, spend" and I worry that I may contribute to that mentality even though I don't believe it is right and that has never been my intention with this blog. So, I just wanted to share my intentions on that score with you before I close out this post.
Thanks for reading and I love reader comments so please feel free to share before you leave!
Until Next Time,
Debbie
Look at this unique tree we saw along the trail! I wonder how old it is? The knobby texture is so different looking and pretty with the moss growing up the trunk. The Mr. and I took all of these pics with our Iphones which we enjoy using for photography. Which is interesting since both of us usually rely on regular cameras for photos but the convenience of just whipping out the phone is really great.
Looks like the beavers ate around this tree and the Arboretum folks are trying to save it by fencing it off. Several trees had fencing around the trunk.
The Arboretum has trails that are what my husband refers to as, "Debbie approved trails." That means they are mostly level and the hikes are not too strenuous. We laugh at the reference to "Debbie approved trails" but he's right. That is the type of hiking I prefer! We look for these type hikes to do together. He is an avid hiker and can do strenuous hiking for hours on end. But, that's not for me.
Fanny pack hint: this one is quite roomy and holds lots of stuff! If you can find a cloth fanny pack you may find that you can fit more inside it because it bends and stretches with the objects you place inside.
So now, it's time to leave the Arboretum and head downtown to a few pics from a night out we enjoyed a couple weeks ago.
I Love The Nightlife....
Actually, neither the Mr. nor myself are big on nightlife. So, it was kind of a big deal when we went to a concert on a Friday evening downtown a few weekends ago and we went early enough to have dinner downtown. We snapped a few pics along the way as walked.
We ate downtown at a restaurant called, "Barley's." It's a fun venue right in the heart of downtown and has delicious food. We have been coming here for years and years.
My outfit for the evening included a little pattern mixing mainly because I chose pieces for warmth. We were attending a trumpet/organ concert in an old church that I knew could be a little drafty. So I opted for these thicker pants and top and then added a scarf so I could stay warm.
I don't know about you, but sometimes my outfit choices just "happen" and I fall into a happy mix. I would definitely be willing to wear these pieces together again because I feel like the pattern mixing doesn't clash and the colors blend well enough together to look OK together. I added the black scarf not only for added warmth but for a little extra "oomph" for dressing up for an evening out.
And would you believe that I deleted the pic I took of the HUGE piece of lasagna I had for dinner that evening? I didn't think I was going to use the pic and foolishly deleted it. Oh well, but the lasagna was delicious and we enjoyed our meals and then the concert afterward.
So, as I bring this post to an end I just want to say a few words about sharing pictures of myself on this blog and sharing fashion posts in general. I'm trying more and more to incorporate whatever fashion posts I do share into a general post about what I'm doing in daily life, sharing a little bit of this and that about life in general. My fashion sense is pretty casual, laid back and, in my opinion, not over the top. It is not my intent to ever come across as a grand "fashionista" or a great "model" because I know I'm not. I'm just a normal woman who wants to look as good as possible while staying within a budget, shopping from my closet and enjoying what I already own. I'll also go out on a limb and say that there is a "big movement" right now for women to wear "whatever they want" no matter their age and while I agree to some degree with this, I also feel strongly that at age 61, I truly don't want to come off as trying to look like I'm 25 years old. I do believe that there are styles which can be age appropriate without looking old and dowdy. There is such a lot of emphasis on blogs right now to "shop until you drop" and "spend, spend, spend" and I worry that I may contribute to that mentality even though I don't believe it is right and that has never been my intention with this blog. So, I just wanted to share my intentions on that score with you before I close out this post.
Thanks for reading and I love reader comments so please feel free to share before you leave!
Until Next Time,
Debbie
5 comments:
It was nice to read about what you've been doing. I especially like that fanny pack. It's hard to find one that will hold a lot. Yours is bright and cheerful, and it looks like it holds quite a bit. Your posts inspire me to shop my closet for new looks, and I appreciate that. I don't "spend, spend, spend" so your intentions fit with my way of looking at budgeting and shopping.
Thank you, Sharon, for reading my blog and being my cheerleader!
What a beautiful place to hike! I'll bet it's spectacular in the spring! I enjoy these posts about what you are doing, and follow you because you keep it real and are so relatable. The excessive shopping mentality doesn't work for me either, and I've seen a blogger admit to buying things to wear on the blog, then send them back. That's not really practical and I prefer the reality of your blog. Like you, I have no desire to try to look like I'm 25 since I'm not, I just want to look my best at the age I am. That can be achieved, as you show here, while still sticking to a budget and using what we have more often. The concert sounds so enjoyable. Keep doing what you're doing Debbie!
I like those types of trails too. How fun to have them named after you. LOL We have a lovely place about 30 miles from us where it is all nice trails, trees lovely native California plants and lots of small animals and an occasional fox. My Mister and I love to go there at least once a year and we even bought the year pass but still only went once so far.
Lovely outings and you look like you're having great times!
I had to smile - what you call 'fanny packs' sounds so odd. In the UK 'fanny' means something quite different. We call them 'bum bags'. Whatever they are called, aren't they useful!
xx
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