I want to share my passion for travel and empower you to see the world. I've traveled in more than 25+ countries, flown millions of miles and lived in China. A professional at both business and leisure travel, I can coach you to spread your wings and experience the best of what the world has to offer. I hope my videos help inspire you to take that first step and start planning your next adventure but, if you need more personalized help, please contact me directly.
Cheers to Friday! Unlike most others at the office today, I didn’t sport a Seattle Seahawks outfit. No, I wasn’t staging a protest or taking an anti-football stand. I just don’t feel comfortable wearing a football jersey to the office. I’m not judging others-more football power to them all but it’s just not my style. I’ll wear my skirt and pearls, thank you very much, and still root for the Seahawks!
Cheers to Friday!
So besides the gorgeous grey and white pearl necklace that I got for practically nothing at the Pearl Shop at the AP Market in Shanghai (seriously $15 or less for real pearls!), I was also so happy to wear my custom made shirt that has a seriously flattering neckline that makes even me look good-MIRACLE SHIRT! When it works, duplicate it! My favorite Michael Kors shirt wasn’t getting any younger so before it died, I took it to the South Bund Fabric Market in Shanghai while we lived there and had them duplicate it, custom made to my size, and picked the colors/fabric and altered a few other items to really make it one of a kind. The result was the most comfortable and good looking shirt that I own, all for $20 US. BARGAIN! I just wish I had more made while I was there. I got one shirt in black and one in green. My friend, Patti, loved mine so much that she went while she was there with us and got one too.
Paired with my comfy stripe knit skirt, tights and my classic Frye boots, it was the perfect Friday outfit–work and then dinner out at a local Thai place to celebrate a new challenge given to me at work today. Busy times ahead but, for now, I’m ready for the Seahawks to win on Saturday and, yes, I’ll be wearing my football jersey which I find totally appropriate for a weekend ensemble. Pictures to come–have to decide what scarf matches my Seahawks shirt!
One sweater was just not enough today. Brrrr..it was cold and it was dark this morning as I lay in bed and contemplated the day ahead. What could I wear that will make me happy AND look good? After putting on the animal print sweater and wide leg cuffed pants, I just wasn’t warm enough so on went the funky grey sweater vest as well. Double protection against the chill. It kept feeling like Friday all day but no, it was only Thursday and tomorrow is not Saturday. DAMN. But my Banana Republic sweaters did comfort me all day as I raced from one meeting to another. Busy, busy! Though, I have to admit that I did miss wearing a scarf all day but you have to let that neck breathe once in a while so today was my neck’s day off from sporting a soft fashion accessory. So sad! Tomorrow, it’s back to wrapping my neck up and decorating it with a lovely something, something from my scarf collection.
Double sweater warmth today!
I did get compliments on my Spectacle Necklace that I sell in my online store, which is great validation that I bought the right stock. My peer loved it so I just took it off and gave it to her. Probably slightly weird of me to do that but I like to surprise people and give unexpected gifts. I hope she really did like it because it’s hers now! So, when I got home I added a long silver tassel necklace that I can’t really wear at work because it is so long that it gets stuck on my magnetic part of my tablet keyboard. Hello Melinda–are you stuck on your Surface??? Why, yes, I am! Awkward!
Want to buy a Spectacle Necklace for your very own so you can get compliments too? Here you go:
Spectacle Necklace Available at Decorate Your Neck for $16
I’m sad that I won’t be able to wear my favorite scarf again until my self imposed 30 day Fashion Challenge is over. Poor me! Scarves have always been an important part of my “happy outfit place” so much so that this particular scarf was gifted to me by my team who knew me so well and understood how much I would love it. They so thoughtfully picked it from one of my favorite stores, Madewell, and it has pictures of Paris and London on it because they knew that my dream was to live abroad. Now, I have never got to even go to those lovely cities yet but little did I know at the time that I would live in China one day. I cherish this scarf and it looks so damn good to boot. Score! And I WILL go to London AND Paris this year…. can’t wait to FINALLY see them.
Madewell Scarf!
I dug out my Ugg heeled booties that were so warm and cozy on a cold foggy Seattle day. I’ve had these forever and sometimes forget about them but they look good with a skirt so I’ll have to put these to good use while it’s cold. Pairing my animal print skinny belt (another Banana bargain!) with a denim shirt, I added my wrist beads from China to remind me of my great adventure and off to work I went! After getting home, my puppy Thor jumped into my arms so he could get a cuddle and be in the picture. Now, it’s off to the gym to get a little exercise after sitting all day. I do miss my long walks to/from work in Shanghai for sure. Once it gets a little warmer, I look forward to getting off the bus at a stop farther away than my close one just so I can get in a little walking.
But, for now, it’s cold and wet here in Seattle so I’ll struggle through the next couple of months until we can get back to our walking habits from China. I do miss our strolls to explore new places and look forward to walking all over Seattle…. when it gets a little warmer.
So, what do you wear when you have to catch the 6:40 a.m. shuttle for a “what the Hell were they thinking when they scheduled it this early” morning meeting? Well, first, you take time the night before to plan out your outfit so you don’t look like a fashion “don’t”. Seriously, I have been lazy and not done this in the past and ended up looking not so good and that’s being too nice. I also learned the hard way to do that all important bathroom mirror check when I get to work to avoid wearing my dress backwards (yes, for an important meeting)and, yes, that really happened. Now I am a little more aware and try to always take a moment to check for major faux pas before facing the boss. I have caught myself sporting only one earring, holes in tights, etc. and managed a quick wardrobe tweak to fix quickly before I embarrass myself AGAIN. Live and learn!
Banana Republic both classy and sassy
But this morning I had prepped the night before and purposely picked my new Banana Republic black sweater (50% off!) that was light but warm with a cutout back detail that was highlighted by the white shirt underneath. Now, this was no ordinary boring white shirt. This was my custom made, fits like a glove, French cuff cotton shirt that I designed in Shanghai, adding print details to the collar and underside of the cuffs. I love it and only wish I had bought a few more while I lived in Shanghai.
Add in the dragon cuff links that I bargained hard to get for less than $10 at the South Bund Fabric Mart in Shanghai and the bold turquoise Banana Republic necklace that always garners major compliments (bought last year on sale) and I was feeling good despite the early call.
Classy black pants from Nordstrom’s and my comfy Dansko studded heels made this a great outfit for a very long work day. Now, off to plan my outfit for Day 7 so I look decent despite another early call. Good night!
Day Five is the start of the work week after a long holiday break from the office. It actually felt good today to dress up and get out of the jeans and sweatpants. After wearing t-shirts and jeans as my “work uniform” for a few years, I love wearing fashion forward outfits with accessories galore! Today I celebrated one of my favorite brands that is not widely available here in Seattle. Desigual is a casual clothing brand based in Barcelona, Spain, one of my favorite places in the world.
Desigual prints brighten a grey Monday!
They have amazing stores in Spain and a few here in the U.S. I walked by one such store every day in Manhattan when I worked in Times Square a few years ago. Now, I never entered the store unless they had a huge sale going on and then I walked right by that store guard and entered the inner sanctum of crazy colorful prints. These wild prints and intense designs combined with flamboyant splashes of color are their trademarks on clothes for all. Of course, I am a bargain shopper and they don’t run cheap so I wait for the 50% off sales and then pounce. Today, I wore my beige/black print skirt and got a few compliments on it. Don’t you just love a cute skirt with pockets??? In addition, I tied on their wild clown print scarf inspired by Cirque Du Soleil, which I got in Las Vegas on my daughter’s 21st birthday trip when we saw the Beatles Cirq show. This show was overwhelming in it’s intensity just like the Desigual prints. And, yes, I am the coolest Mom in the world for taking my daughter to the Venetian for a weekend of light gambling and intense shopping and people watching. So. Much. Fun.
With two wild prints, the rest of my outfit needed to be a solid color but not boring. I only own one Eileen Fisher piece, which I picked up drastically reduced at Nordstrom Rack. She has great quality items that are classic in design but are grossly over priced. I love the lime green color that makes the prints “pop” and pulls out the green in the predominantly red scarf. All these colors just make me feel so positive on a rainy Monday in Seattle. Clothes DO affect your mood so dress for happiness.
P.S. The amazing Rooster print I am standing by was given to my husband when he visited a local Community Center in Shanghai to take a calligraphy lesson from the locals. When they found out he was born in the Year of the Rooster, one artist drew this while he was there and proudly presented it to him as a gift. We just got settled into our new home and framed it on our bedroom wall. It looks gorgeous and we can’t wait to send the artist an email to share with him how much we treasure it. Memories of China abound!
Sunday dawned rainy and grey…big surprise for a Seattle winter, right? So, the fashion challenge today was finding something to wear that would be appropriate for puppy cuddling AND watching lots of football. Very low impact and high comfort. Warm, cozy, loose, and simple….tomorrow will be the start of a crazy work week and the outfits will have to actually be acceptable to interact with people on a professional level. HORRORS! But today, Thor and Izaak were my constant companions and their standards are quite low as long as I could quickly transition from bed to couch to quick trips outside to do their thing and get them back in out of the rain fast to get a biscuit. Ahh…to have a dog’s life!
Wrapping me in warmness, this grey sweater cardigan has been my favorite for a few years and is always top pick for travelling on cold planes because it’s like wearing your favorite blanket but more socially acceptable. To spice it up, I added a jeweled scarf that my daughter had gotten for me (again, she IS the stylist I can always count on) plus some super cozy black pants that are perfect for pairing with my faithful UGGs to walk the dogs in the rain. People mock us UGG wearers but there is a reason that they NEVER go out of style and they cost so much–they are like walking in warm, dry pillows from heaven. Seriously, I’m a huge fan though I admit they do look clunky.
Add some simple earrings and the cross necklace that I adore from a trip to Sedona many years ago and it was the perfect Sunday outfit! Tomorrow, the Spanx goes on, the stiletto booties get dusted off and the work week begins. Let the Fashion Challenge continue on!
A grey, rainy Saturday calls for fashion to match. So, on Day Three of my fashion challenge to wear a new outfit every day this month, out came the grey tones in the form of a Merona grey balloon cozy cardigan that Hannah picked out for me awhile ago and the grey V-neck t-shirt that she also sourced for me at the Boise thrift store for a few bucks. I love having her as my personal shopper because she has such a good eye for fashion AND she loves a bargain. I taught her well–fashion isn’t about how much you spend but how you put it all together no matter the price you pay.
Day Three in grey tones rocking a bicycle scarf
Of course, no outfit is complete without a necklace and scarf so I wound my grey bicycle scarf around the gorgeous silver Chinese inspired necklace that James got me for Christmas. Done! Off we went to run errands after we borrowed my son’s car (really my old car) that is now held together with plastic tape and a prayer. We noticed another large dent and the side mirror pretty much hanging off the side, to which James replied when asked what happened, that he had a run in with a very solid pillar that got in his way. Oops! We were in China at the time of impact last year so he never thought to tell us since we had already warned him that there would be no further repairs to this 19 year old car–Infiniti makes a great car but it can’t run forever. But, for now, it got us to Ikea to buy some final home stuff we needed and to Lenscrafters for new glasses. We get around Seattle without a car most of the time using Car2Go, Zipcar, Uber, our own two feet and an Orca card but it’s nice to borrow our own wheels sometimes. Having James over to puppy sit Thor and Izaac while we ran around town was an added bonus. They love him and give him LOTS of puppy love while he was here. We bribed him to stay for dinner by promising Chinese food, which is not at all like food in China but still yummy. Good to be back in Seattle with family close by!
Already I am dreaming of the 30 outfits I will style this month so that I never wear the same clothes twice…. ahhh, the challenge of it all!
Day Two and I’m feeling Lucky
Had to work today but it was a Friday so I opted for jeans and LOTS of accessories. I felt LUCKY today so on went the Lucky jeans, Lucky earrings, Lucky necklace–seeing a trend of desperately wanting to be Lucky?? Yes, I do love me a little Lucky in my wardrobe. It makes for a fashion forward yet comfy outfit perfect for a casual Friday when I was the ONLY ONE at work. Darn I work too hard but with a new job and a busy month ahead in January, there is so much to do. Plus, of course, I needed an excuse to dress up and get out of the house.
Besides all that Lucky going on, I had on my usual Banana Republic piece, this time the classic black cardigan teamed up with an olive t-shirt and exotic patterned scarf. The best piece of the whole ensemble was a multi-jeweled stone belt buckle that I picked up at the local Goodwill for a song… such a bargain shopper I am!
Looking forward to a super casual weekend ahead enjoying our new apartment after a quick trip to Ikea to get those last items needed. Ikea on a Saturday in Seattle can’t ever be as amusing as Ikea on a Saturday in Shanghai–everyone napping in the bed displays and having picnics in the dining set displays. I miss my adventures in China so much!
2015 here I come! Blue skies dawned in Seattle and I started my 30 Day Challenge. No, I am totally NOT going on a diet. Well, unless there is a chocolate/wine diet craze I can tap into. No?? Okay, well my resolution this year then is to challenge my fashion sense and utilize my closet to the max. You see, this challenge is all about fashion not flab. No doubt I’ll be hitting my new gym as well but, while the treadmill is deadly boring, creating a new outfit every day for the next 30 days (NO repeats!) is fun and truly challenging. Though, with my passion for scarves and necklaces leading to enough inventory to start my own store today (http://decorate-your-neck.myshopify.com), I not only will not repeat any clothes but also accessories as I style it out new and different every day.
January can be oh so boring and bleak but my outfits will not be. Even I do not have 30 different pair of shoes so there will be multiple uses there–trust me, I have no room for any additions to my shoe collection. I will document my styling daily and share to keep me honest on this challenge. This whole idea came from my lovely daughter Hannah who did something similar, taking selfies daily to share her thrifty pairings. She and I both LOVE a good deal and frequent the thrift stores looking for brand names at ridiculous prices. I just shared one big find–a Elizabeth and James shirt for $12 which ended up not fitting me so Hannah got it. Score!
Along with the challenge, I’ll be denying myself all shopping privileges this month. Honestly, if I have enough clothes to do 30 different outfits in 30 days, do I really need to buy any more outfits??? NO! So, I’ll be deleting all those tempting emails screaming 50% off and more during the winter clearance events. Enough is enough and I need to create fashion greatness out of what I already have and not add to the already cramped living quarters for my clothes in my itsy bitsy closet. Glad I got in that last order to Banana Republic last week!
While I will coerce my partner in crime, Thom, to take some nice outfit photos along the way, I’ll also be doing some selfie shots on the run as I travel and work long days…just setting up the scene so as to lower expectations around photo quality. Thom is such a perfectionist on his photos, and, thus, they look stinking good compared to anything I can do. So, come along with me on my 2015 fashion adventure and let’s see if I can stay true to a fun creative outfit every day in January, no matter what the weather or where I am travelling!
DAY ONE-1/1/2015–Rocking the New Year AND these Gap boyfriend jeans (yes, I paid for the hole in the knee look) along with a classic black l/s t shirt, silver/blue beads from my Shanghai collection of necklaces and a elephant scarf that hits the right exotic note. I was dreaming of warmer weather today so put on my Cole Haan wedges to let my tootsies breathe. Soon, the toes can be exposed again!! Cheers to summer coming sooner than later!
Day One-New Year’s Day rocking the ripped jeans and some being.
From his very humble beginnings in China as the runt of the litter, riddled with illness and unwanted by everyone including his mama, by all measures, Thor should not have even lived let alone be now enjoying life in Seattle. Rescued by a kind expat who found him in the Shanghai stable where she rode horses, he was given a second chance at life. However, she almost immediately faced a life crisis of her own when she had to leave China quickly due to personal issues. She reached out via our apartment complex’s Shimao Riviera Facebook group that Thom belonged to and improbably we became foster parents to a Chinese rescue dog in July 2014.
Teeny tiny Thor barely weighed a pound when we got him. Here, he explores walking between the legs of the giant, otherwise known as my son James.
Thom quickly started taking Thor to the vet to do whatever it took to nurse the little one pounder back to health. I had been in the U.S. on business and came home to meet the little ball of fur that would steal our hearts despite all the odds against him. Sequestered inside for the first few months as he got his shots, we were finally able to take him outside at about four months old. Teaching him to climb stairs was vastly amusing and the look on his fuzzy face when he met his first cat, who promptly hissed at him, was priceless. Of course when we found out that we were repatriating to the U.S. in October, we knew Thor had to come too. Though we feared what a transatlantic flight experience would be like with a puppy, we prayed heavily and, miraculously, he silently sat underneath the seat and was perfect the whole trip to the point we were poking him to see if he was still alive he was so quiet. Amazing!
What a face!
Not that Thor is always perfect. Last week, as we transitioned from our temporary apartment to our new digs in Seattle, he went through a “I’ll piss on Thom” rampage every day as his teeny tiny bladder needs what feels like constant attention vs. his older brother, Izaak, who only needs walked a couple times a day. Thor’s more of a “walk me every two hours or I’ll piss on you” type of dog. Thom especially hopes his bladder grows stronger quickly as he ages but, in the meantime, water is regulated and walks are frequent. He is just getting old enough to be fixed so, on Valentine’s Day as is our custom on this romantic day with our dogs, we will take him to the vet to be changed forever. Maybe that will help? Here’s hoping!
Cuddle buddies!
Thor’s brother, Izaak, our eight year old Vizsla who stayed with our daughter while we were living in China, has become his new chew toy and constant partner in crime. Izaak has taught Thor to raid our trash cans. They also just love to chew on toilet paper right off the roll-yum, yum. Thor can only dream of getting big enough to eat off the kitchen counters and drink out of the toilets like Izaak can do if left unmonitored. They love chasing each other, lapping the apartment. Our neighbor below us doesn’t find it nearly as fun and pounds on his ceiling (with a broom??) to show his displeasure. Too bad grumpy person–dogs just LOVE to have fun and while Thor at four pounds doesn’t sound like the thundering herd, Izaak topping out at 50+ pounds probably does sounds like a small pony galloping around. So sorry! Thor has also become the consummate sock stealer and only needs a second left alone to take off and hide under the couch to chew on his ill gotten goods. Our pet sitter, Madeline, found out the hard way as she must have left the dynamic duo alone for a few minutes, in which time Thor stole her socks while Izaak collapsed on our bed/pillows for a quick nap-check out this tag team of devious dogs below. P.S. Izaak chose Thom’s pillow to park his ass and I got doggy drool on my pillow. Ahhhh, being a pet owner is fun.
Thor guards his stolen sock booty while Izaak naps on our memory foam pillows
Travels with Melinda 