We (I) talk a lot about the more physical and visual aspects of getting older as well as our non-acceptance of societal expectations of said aspects of getting older. I wear whatever clothing I want to, I wear my hair long and color it rose gold, and I have the sassy attitude to match. But do you know what is equally, and perhaps more important…
THE STORY
…Our brains. More specifically, keeping our gray matter stimulated. And the best way to do that my friends, is through learning. Learning something new, I believe, keeps us young mentally and physically. It gets us excited, it gets us jazzed…it keeps us alive. It doesn’t matter so much what we are learning, just that we are learning. It could be a skill like sewing or photography; a new sport; technology, like say, starting a blog at midlife; or it can be purely academic like taking a class to learn more about something that you are passionate about.
I have always loved to learn about new things which I suppose is a good thing since, you know, I’m a teacher. I love the mental stimulation and the challenge. One of the thousand reasons that I will miss my most favorite student in the history of my teaching career is because during the course of our many conversations about history, world events or science stuff he would have questions. Questions that I oftentimes did not know the answers to, so he and I would embark on little research adventures together to find the answers; not only was he learning, but so was I.
When I decided that I had had enough of my unhealthy eating habits and was going to return to what I know is the right way for me to eat, I figured that I had been out of the nutrition loop long enough that there were probably a plethora of things that I didn’t know. So do you know what I did? I signed up for a nutrition and healthy eating beta test/class to learn more. I’m starting the second level of the course today and I am loving it! There is so much new research and interesting bits that I would have never known if I had not made the decision to continue learning about nutrition. It has turned out to not only be great for my brain, but my body as well.
Find something that you love, that you are passionate about, and learn more about it. If you stop learning, you stop living. Not only will you grow a more beautiful mind, but your heart and body are sure to follow.
THE OUTFIT
Two words: simple and basic. That sums up today’s outfit. Sometimes it’s nice to not overthink things. Nothing fancy going on, just an easy, but pulled together outfit for bopping around running errands and getting groceries. The olive lace trimmed cami is one of three I picked up on the cheap at American Eagle months ago. The other two lace trimmed camis are identical except one is blush pink and the other ivory. As always, I’m an advocate of buying in multiples if something really strikes your fancy.
The jeans I’ve had for a couple of years, but they are special. Why? Not because they are my favorite pair of skinny jeans (which btw, they are), no, these babies are special because they haven’t fit me for well over a year and now they do! Yay me! Yes, I just “yayed” myself because I’m pretty damn proud of my progress. In any case, the reason I’m wearing jeans on an 85 degree day is simply because I can.
What gives this basic outfit a little more oomph is, as always, the jewelry/accessories. The tied around my hips shirt would be my accessory. I actually had it with me because, like an amphibian, I’m cold-blooded. Put me in a chilly environment like say, the freezer section at the grocery store, and I get all unbearably shivery, hence the need for an additional layer.
The great big gorgeous chunk of necklace comes to me c/o my friends at Charming Charlie. It is the perfect layering pendant and the pretty off white color works with just about anything. The two thin bangles, one gold and one silver, were the surprise hit of my Charming Charlie box. They are absolutely beautiful, and although you can’t see really well in the photos, each one has a word/phrase of empowerment on it. The gold bracelet says “Feminist” and the silver bracelet says “She believed she could”. I fell in love with them for a number of reasons. I’m a sucker for meaningful motivational phrases, they are beautifully delicate and fit my elfin-sized wrist better than any other bangle I own, and they actually latch closed so there is no fear of losing them. I loved them so much if fact, I ordered four more of them on my own dime!
THE TIP
Jewelry and accessories more often than not, make the outfit. ‘Nuff said.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Cami: American Eagle (Similar); Jeans: JCPenney (Similar); Sandals: Birkenstock (Similar)
