Monday Musings- Color Of The Year And Neutral Territory
Happy Monday ladies! Since most of my days meld together of late, I always like to focus on the fresh feeling of a new week. Our weekend was sort of crazy so I loved that our Sunday afternoon drive was extremely uneventful. We got out of the car exactly once, in a deserted town that was, well, deserted. 
We’ve driven through Old Georgetown before but never stopped for pictures so this seemed like a great opportunity.
Here are a few things I’m musing about this week:
Layering
Since my climate is pretty mild, I can usually get away with layering several thin layers to stay warm enough. Yesterday was just such a day.
It was too cool for just this cotton/wool cable sweater so I layered it over my trusty denim shirt (similar). I wasn’t in the mood to tuck my shirt so I wore it out and let the slightly cropped sweater define my waist which helps my legs look longer. My barely boot cut jeans are, no surprise, perfect over my boots:) I love the touch of pattern these boots add in the same tones as my sweater. I wore very simple silver hoop earrings and my favorite new lip color recipe…see below.
Lip Color Recipe
Do you combine products to create your own unique blend that’s the perfect color you like to wear? I do and this season it takes three items.
I start with Jane Iredale Lip Fixation Lip Stain in “Fascination” It’s a long-wearing lip stain I’ve used as a base for years under ALL my lipsticks. When everything else has worn off my mouth, a touch of this remains and it never dries out my lips. After that sets, I line my lips with this Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in “Supersize Me”. It goes on very smoothly and stays put! No creeping into lines. I top all this with the Kosas Weightless Lip Color In “Rosewater” which is creamy but stays where I put it. I’d love you to share your color recipe in the comments.
2021 Pantone Colors Of The Year
Pantone has chosen Ultimate Gray and Illuminating as their colors of the year for 2021. The intent is to be a color combination that gives us resilience and hope.
“Practical and rock-solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, the union of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity. It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly.” ~ Pantone
After the year we’ve had, color is a welcome addition to my wardrobe, but I’m unlikely to be sporting the yellow. The gray may feel too dreary on its own this time of year but I still find myself still reaching for neutrals, more times than not. I’m simply more comfortable wearing neutrals and find them a better option for investment dressing.
Content
What would you like to see more of here in 2021?
- Friendships have developed within this AWSL community so I would like to foster that and facilitate even more connections. Does a private page for more personal sharing appeal to you? Would you be willing to pay a small monthly fee for this group and have more access to me in this group?
- What would you like to learn from/about me? Are you more curious about my life? What I wear?
- Would you be interested in what I eat and how I care for my physical and mental health?
- Do you like to see me style things that may not be my style, but are your style?
I am so very grateful for your wisdom and engagement here so I want to be sure this space serves you as well as me.
Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
I don’t comment much but have been following your blog for a few years. You are the most relatable of your peers and I like your friendly approach and your awareness that we all have different styles and needs. Since I have been working from home this year, I have less interest in new clothes or make up except for the essentials. I do find your skin and hair care tips useful, also enjoy your recipes and travel news.
I’m not on Facebook or Instagram, but would certainly consider joining a subscription service. A while ago you offered a service to help with styling an outfit. I may need that if I ever get back to the office!
Have a wonderful and healthy New Year!
Happy New year, Janet!!
Happy New Year Jennifer to you and your family!
Personally I’m interested in being classically stylish and current with skincare. Emotional, spiritual and physical well-being rank high as well. However I’m also quite interested in lifestyle, food and travel. I enjoy when you share in these areas. Yes, I would much prefer to pay a small fee rather than have all the ads and intrusive pop ups on your pages.
I really enjoy your blog and look forward to reading and connecting with you and the community.
Thank you, Pat. Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year, Jennifer! Keep on doing what you’re doing. Love the material and guidance exactly as its done. It’s relevant and modern. Thank you!
The colors for 2021? Not sure if the yellow works for me! I have a few grey pieces and they’re pretty adaptable……I wear the newer green (almost teal) or navy blue with my grey. Pink works with grey in my humble opinion too. I’m certain no expert but know what garners compliments.
As a very long time follower, I am still amazed at how much new and relevant content you are able to come up with. I love DRD, Would You Wear It, Monday Musings and everything as it is. I’ve learned a ton from you. My suggestions:
More of the budget lines (maybe a quarterly update on Walmart, Old Navy, Target. You know how to suss out the quality pieces!)
Any organizing or home products you purchased after settling into your new home.
Cool stuff you come across or things you enjoy (I love Monday musings)
Snow boots and waterproof boots – That’s sort of a challenge for you! You wont find many of those where you live! We just moved from Santa Rosa to New Jersey to be near my 88 year old mother and my clothing needs and style are changing.
Happy New Year and thank you for all that you share about your life.
You will need warm snow boots there!! We lived in Chester, NJ for several years and loved the snow. Thanks for the suggestions Marian.
I love your pieces about skincare, and non toxic sunscreen! Also, your mental health and physical health experiences and perspectives are inspiring and helpful. I think we don’t talk about those things, it would be so more more healthy as a culture if we did. All the “perfect” facing instagram and blogs don’t hold an interest for me. Real people who have been thru life are so much more interesting.
Thank you.
The whitewashing on Instagram really bothers me too.
I enjoy your blog the way it is. You come across as an honest, down to earth, real woman that I can relate to. I like the fact that while you focus mainly on fashion, you also share other aspects of your life. As a Canadian reader, I don’t have access to many of the retailers that you write about which is perhaps why I don’t enjoy drd as much as many of your readers do, but I can still learn from the things you share about why certain pieces work or don’t work for you. As one who loves to travel, I thoroughly enjoy your travel and RV posts. I’m not interested in paying a fee to be part of a more exclusive group.
Honestly, I like your blog just the way it is. The fun part for me is when you add just the right touch like a scarf or add just the right pop of something different like the shoes matching the sweater today. I would never think to do those things so I love that. I consider this more than a blog about fashion. It’s like saying hello to a friend every morning. Love the photos at the top of the post too. I keep the fireplace one as my wallpaper for right now. Have a blessed year!
Happy New Year, Eve!
Oh No! Those colours look fabulous on someone else but look horrible on me. I hope other colours are also popular this year…..
I also vote for places that are either in Canada or ship to Canada
I thoroughly enjoy your style blog and after more than two years, I think of you as a friend. Living in Canada my focus on style is weather and four season dependent. I enjoy all your categories and agree with another follower that the Target and Walmart and Old Navy fashions are interesting to me as a Canadian. I don’t as a rule buy outside our country. I will not be interested in an exclusive plan for styling. I do appreciate you sharing your take on personal health and skin care as it is very important at our age above 50. Wishing you a very bright New Year
Thank you, Susan! Happy New Year!
I love DRD! It gives me destinations to shop when you highlight something that appeals to me. Even though I am a couple of years older and several inches taller at 5’8″, most of your styling tips can be translated to my size and style. I would enjoy seeing your “work” on some women of different sizes. I’ve enjoyed your travels, especially your trip to Japan, as I was planning mine at that time. The RV adventures have made me consider renting one and trying it myself, if I could trust my husband’s driving! We take two cruises a year and two trips within the states each year, one of those might soon be in an RV. I appreciate seeing your travel wardrobes and items you use. I started following you when you lived in the bay area, then you moved to an adjacent city and shop at the same mall I do. I’m enjoying the familiar backgrounds and chuckling at your initial response to our summer weather. One of these days we might just bump into each other and I’ll be sure to introduce myself…
I never trust my husbands driving so I do it myself:) Please do introduce yourself!!
I would love to see you and Pam Lutrell style similar looks (they don’t need to be the identical pieces) to show how an outfit can be adapted to different shapes and coloring (warm vs cool). For example, I’d enjoy seeing what she would do to adapt the outfit you are wearing in this post.
That would be fun! Let’s see what Pam and I can come up with
I always look forward to your blog, makes my day! I am also interested in how to dress for different body shapes. I would really love a segment on petite clothing. I enjoy your DRD so much.
Thanks, Rose
Here’s a suggestion. You team up with Shepherd’s Fashion at the Trainyards in Ottawa Canada. Marlene Shepherd is the owner. The store caters to ladies who have lost their waists a bit, but still want to look great. They have lots of fashion education videos on you tube, instagram etc. They show an item on 3 very differently shaped staffers. Seeing is believing! They are building an online business – shipping to the USA and Canada. They pivoted very quickly and effectively during the lockdown, smart business wise.
Yes, I too enjoy watching the videos by “Shepherd’s Fashion” from Ottawa Canada and particularly like seeing their fashions on various body types, including petit, pear shape, inverted triangle etc. It’s all about looking good no matter what shape you are. It’s excellent!
Happy New Year, Jennifer! This is my first time writing on your blog. I am one of those people who can’t wear yellow (I could and did when I was a red head) but yellow and navy sounds exciting. I have been mostly grey since I was 12 yo and I am embracing it with open arms. Pretty greys really compliment my hair. I agree with just about everyone with their suggestions except paying for your blog for the same reason as the others but have you and your other blog friends ever consider doing a convention in a mutually beneficial place? Now that I would consider going to!! Love your blogs and keep them coming.
A convention would sure be fun. We will have to look into it when things open up again!
Wow! You asked for comments & you got them! I, too, love following you. I am especially interested in your thinning hair issues. Can you do a folllowup?
To be honest, I follow you because you lived on the Vancouver Island. I’m not even sure how I came to find your blog. Google, I suppose. I’m a different body shape than you – taller with a slight pear shape. I enjoy your varied and honest content from travel to books, trends to beauty, health care to fashion and more. I know others have suggested showing different body shapes and how they would wear the same outfit (love that idea) but the logistics might be difficult. What if you teamed up with other bloggers once a week to style the same outfit? Possible?
That is a good idea. I’ll check around. Happy New Year!
I would love to join a community of like minded women who celebrate not only fashion sense but who want to grow and learn from each other. I love hearing about others experiences and challenges and growth. I seek to grow and learn so that I can be an example for others on how to age but yet remain vibrant and vital.
Many younger women are looking to us for inspiration. Bravo Barb!
Actually really like these two colours and wear them. Turquoise also goes well with gray.
Jennifer, I really appreciate your varied blog content and your honesty while exploring something new. I agree with others about seeing you use your stylist skills. Maybe a weekly how to style a look for 3 different figures i.e. a denim shirt dress on a short, tall and plus size woman. And, my feet are not liking heels anymore, so blogs on stylish supportive shoes and boots would be great.
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!
Terrific ideas! Thanks Elizabeth. Happy New Year.
Hi Jennifer,
I’d love to hear what you do to take care of your mental health.
Just curious – do you still wear your French Kande jewelry?
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy New Year!
Yes, I love my FK. I did gift many of my pieces to a friend who was ill and admired it but could not afford it. Happy New Year!!
Hi Jennifer,
I have so enjoyed your blog as I sip my morning, before I make my daily to-do-list and start my day. I would enjoy also reading more about self-care and how you maintain your mental and physical health.
Thanks Sharon. I will start sharing more of my morning routines and self-care.
I love to wear yellow on gloomy rainy days. I have plenty of gray, find it a nice change from black. I am a widow trying to pay down debt before retiring, so I would need to think about paying a few for more content, but I will consider it!
There really is nothing quite like yellow on a gray, gloomy day:). Happy New Year Julie