Re-entry

Glacial "blue ice" and a retreating glacier in the distance, a preview of posts to come.

I'm afraid that for most of the rest of this week, I'm going to be like that obnoxious neighbor who drops by to show you vacation slides until the wee hours of the morning. It was an amazing trip in so many ways, and I would like to share some of the highlights with you. I could've taken a thousand pictures of scenery as just as gorgeous as this.

But today we all return to work or commence summer camp and will come home tonight to mountains of laundry, so the next installment will come in a day or two. Happy Monday!

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J'adore Vanouver! (a parenthetical recap)

One of the very best things about travelling these days is getting to meet mes amis from our blogging community. Materfamilias was one of the first people to read and comment here regularly, so it's no surprise that when we finally met it felt like connecting with an old friend.

We walked and talked and shopped all afternoon. She made sure to take me to the Fluevog store where I succumbed to the boots I'd been ogling online for years, (but in black) and to the m0851 store where she'd purchased her knot bag (and I was sorely tempted, may yet succumb). She guided me on a walking tour through the West End area down to the seawall (we stopped for a sushi snack on the way). We talked about our histories (not surprisingly, lots of commonality), families and cultures, and of course clothes, bags, shoes, scarves and style. Meanwhile, I was kicking myself for having left my camera in the hotel room.

After a short break, our family met back up with Mater and Pater for a lovely, quiet dinner of burgers-and-beer (such a nice respite after cruise ship meal mania) where the picture above was snapped (The White Spot - one of the best burgers I've had anywhere!) and a nightcap in the piano lounge at the hotel. All in all a lovely day with a friend. I really appreciate her spending such a huge chunk of her weekend with me!

Even if Mater did not live here, I would still want to move to Vancouver. First of all, there are TREES, lots and lots of trees. (La Belette, you should really check out this town, think you'd love it!) It's cosmopolitan, but with a funky, laid back vibe (like une femme). It's a city with a very young demographic, which probably explains a lot. There's art, culture, shopping, trees, parks, community gardens, shopping, lots of wonderful ethnic eateries, and did I mention shopping? I'm afraid the rest of my So Cal native family wouldn't do well with the often cloudy weather here, but I'd be in heaven. I think future visits to this area are definitely in order.
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Foulard de la semaine

This is from a couple of weeks ago, "Champignons" scarf with a JJill sweater.
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Telegram from Skagway

Woke up this morning to our first sunny day of the trip. I have loads of photos to share, but no way to upload them until we get back to Vancouver. We've passed through some of the most gorgeous scenery imaginable, and yesterday cruised up a fjord to get within spitting distance of a calving glacier. Today we're off to ride the rails up into the Yukon territory.

Internet connection is a fortune, so will keep this short. Much more to come once we're back on terra firma.
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Not my grand-mere's pearls...

I'm crazy for these Chan Luu pearl and leather bracelets from Garnet Hill. This combination adds edge to a classic.Pearl and nugget wrap bracelets, $158-168.

Multistrand leather bracelet, $180.

Leather and pearl wrap bracelet, $138. I want that blue one!
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Tech Support

If you're browsing using Internet Explorer, you may be having some trouble reading this and other blogs. May I suggest a switch to Mozilla Firefox? (Download is free, here.)
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A swing and a miss...

While trawling the mall for something to wear for formal nights on our cruise, I spotted this dress at Nordstrom. First thought: Sleeves!! The shirred jersey bodice looked forgiving, and the wide v-neckline was promising. I tried it on, thinking it might impart a fun 50's vintage vibe.

But the mirror informed me that Ethel Merman was not the look I was going for.

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Foulard de la semaine

Our June Gloom seems to be surrendering to sunshine, so this may be my last chance to wear a large carré for a while. Until I can get my pictorial scarf tutorial going, I'll let mes amis in on a little tip: if you double-knot your scarves, use a granny knot instead of a square knot. This helps impart more of that "just threw it on" look les Parisiennes seem to have mastered. A square knot will look more studied and "done."
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Schedule of Events

Between packing, end of school year festivities and next week's cruise vacation (where I understand that Internet access is both expensive AND slow, a two-fer!), posting will probably be a bit sporadic for the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, here's a fluffy LA Times article on how to dress for a job interview. To which une femme can only add, spit your gum out before you enter the building.

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Going to lengths

This is my new Banana Republic elbow sleeve sweater that La Belette Rouge was referring to in yesterday's comments. (On sale, bien sur.) I'm not certain about this long-over-narrow silhouette on me. On the plus side, it skims over my mid-section, good for H-shapes, but loses a point or two as the proportions make my legs look shorter. But it's a very practical piece, which pushes the overall verdict into positive territory.

What say you, stylish readers? Yea or nay?
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Talking about the weather

We've had quite a long cool and cloudy streak here in LA. I'm in the minority here; while the rest of the region seems to be longing for warm and sunny weather, I'm quite pleased to be able to wear my sweaters and big scarves a while longer. The truth is, I have a very hard time feeling stylish in warm weather. I don't do dresses (well, I would but really don't find anything in between skin-tight sheaths and smocked styles which could rightfully be mistaken for maternity wear), I can't go braless (eliminating as options many of the cute tops I've seen recently) and find that most short skirts really aren't my thing. I tend to fall back on t-shirt-and-capris or tunic-and-white-jeans when temperatures climb into the 80's and above, and in general am just not at ease baring a lot of skin, especially at work. Thus, summer and autumn in LA are my least favorite sartorial seasons, and I'm secretly dreading the onset of warmer days as something to get through until next winter.

What about you? What seasons really let you express your style? How do you cope with hot summer days?

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Foulard de la semaine

More playtime with color. The melon color of this sweater works very well with this "Les Toits de Paris" carré in a rust, copper, brick red, green and grey colorway.

When this scarf came available at Luxury-Scarves.com, I couldn't resist, as the images brought back fond memories of our last trip to Paris...

With Hermès scarves, the fun is always in the details. I love the little family of mice sitting on the rooftop!

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La vérité

A few weeks have passed since Miss Janey tagged une femme with the Honest Blogger meme. I've been working on this post since then. Honest!

As I'll never pass up a chance to talk about myself, here goes:

1. I cry at those Pedigree commercials with the dogs in shelters waiting to be adopted.

2. I'm so claustrophobic I can't go on the Nemo ride at Disneyland.

3. Most of my current friends are people I met online.

4. Despite supposedly being on a self-imposed "austerity program," I have purchased four pairs of shoes in the last three weeks. (Here's the rationalization part: one was a pair of classic nude pumps, a staple I've been hunting for since it seems like forever, and the other three are all variations on summer shoes/sandals as the few pair I have are about ready for the donation pile. Two of the four were on sale.)

5. In the last two weeks, I have lapsed on watching what I eat or counting points. I haven't gone overboard, just haven't been making a conscious effort. Today is back-on-track day.

6. I will sit and watch any "Law and Order" episode that comes on, even if it's one I've seen 23 times.

7. I do not own an MP3 or an ipod. I still listen to music on the radio or those old-fashioned CD disk things.

8. I own six pair of jeans, all Not Your Daughters Jeans brand.

9. I have never shoplifted anything.

10. I attended my one and only Grateful Dead concert when I was 35 ('92 at Shoreline). It was awesome.

I am hereby tagging Tessa Scoffs, La Belette Rouge, and Sorting It Out (welcome back!). If you were not tagged but are feeling strangely confessional and would like to do this meme, have at it!

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Les vacances, les vêtements

We are leaving in ten days for a seven-day Alaska cruise (with a two-day Vancouver visit on the tail end) and having never been on a cruise before, I am flummoxed about what to pack.

We will have three days of land excursions, all of which will be jeans-and-sweaters type venues, and the rest will be aboard ship. Supposedly there are two "formal" dinners, but can I get away with a dressy skirted suit accessorized with some sparkly stuff? S'il vous plait, je demande votre assistance...how much of what do I need??? Experienced cruisers, please share your tips and suggestions.
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More Emotional Baggage

New items just posted, here!

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The Look for Less: Gilded Cage

YSL, $995.
Banana Republic, $160.
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Back in town...

...from someplace that looks a lot like this.

Just got back home a short while ago. I'll be back to posting in a day or so, but just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your condolences below. Your kind thoughts are very much appreciated.
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When the phone rings at 6am, it's never good news

My dad passed away early this morning from complications of ALS. I'll be out of town for a few days to help with arrangements.

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