Monday Musing- Hair Color, Deja Blue, and Recipe Of The Week
Happy Monday, ladies. I’ve been feeling to urge to shake things up in my wardrobe this week. It’s warmed up a bit, so I’m starting to swap things out for spring. As I add my warm-weather things to the closet, many are looking a bit tired to me. Several just need to be replaced, but I’m also feeling the urge to dress differently this spring. It could be because I’m around so many new clothes, but it’s also because my taste is evolving. I’m anxious to see where this takes me this spring.
What I Wore
We attended a lovely Seder last week, and this is what I wore.
I loved this dress so much in Raspberry that I blew the budget and bought it in this Atlantis blue color. Nordstrom tells me they can easily hem this dress at no charge (gotta love that!), so I’m thinking of having a few inches taken off the Raspberry one to make them different looking.
I may not, though, because they’re so perfect for a wedding guest, bridal shower, dressy cruise night, etc. I know I will wear these dresses for many, many years, so my cost per wear will be much lower than if I’d bought something glittery or beaded. I’m also going to experiment with dressing this down and will share what I come up with.
A note on these sandals...I can’t wear heels for longer than ten minutes, but this low-block heel is very wearable, and I can wear it for a special occasion. I’m wearing nude because it goes with everything and helps elongate the look of your leg.
āWhen you start wearing Eileen Fisher, you might as well say, āI give up,āā says a character in Nora and Delia Ephronās playĀ Love, Loss, and What I Wore.
I could not disagree more. I’ve been picking and choosing my favorites from her collections for many years and am very far from giving up on fashion.
Haircolor
My ashy-blonde daughter dyed her strawberry hair blonde last week, and it looks amazing!
I always wanted to experiment with strawberry blonde but was too chicken to try it. That seems kind of silly in retrospect because I did dye my hair platinum for a short time. I wore it in a very short pixie, and when I got tired of the upkeep, I went back to highlights.
My mom gave me plenty of perms in my youth, and I subjected myself to one of those corkscrew perms that were so popular in the 80s. What a disaster!
Several readers have asked if I’ve added highlights to my hair, and the answer is no. Nature is highlighting my hair. I’m really enjoying the silver as it comes in, and I’m anxious to see what happens. I also know my fragile hair is one wrong step away from entering a shedding phase, so I’m just not going there.
Reading
While I was in Mexico, I got to read a small part of an advanced copy of my brother’s latest book, but we had to leave it there with him. He’s written several children’s adventure books, and now heās branched out to adult action thriller books which are right up Kevin’s alley. I loved this one he wrote, which my son is currently reading to my grandson.
Iām so proud of my brother for taking up writing in his retirement and following through. My dad did the same thing when he retired. I dabble with writing this blog, but I’d never call myself a writer. I did, however, start this blog at 56 which has turned into a full-time endeavor. It’s never too late, and we’re never too old to start a new adventure, ladies.
Recipe of the Week
I try to avoid gluten when I can so when I found this dairy free, gluten free Lemon Coconut Macaroon recipe, I had to try them. I don’t bake often because I don’t need the extra calories but I had all the ingredients so I made them yesterday and they are amazing! The chefs pictures look much better than mine so I can only imagine how her’s taste, but I’ve already eaten 5 of mine and need to stop! Find the recipe here.
Are you adventurous about coloring your hair?
Iād like to know if youāve styled these dresses in a different way other than with a same color cardigan?
About hair, I stopped dyeing altogether in 2019 and now have long, silver locks that get a lot of positive comments.
Not yet but I will be soon
Jennifer, love both dresses. I would not have even looked twice at them . I like the silver/gray one as well. You ask about being hesitant to color oneās hair but my fear is the opposite. I would love to stop coloring my hair. Wish I could see what that would look like before I started the process.
Itās a gamble to grow it out but you could always dye it again if you donāt like the result.
Oh dear, sorry I asked! I tried on that Talbot’s dress but didn’t purchase it because it fit like a glove — not what I’d want to wear to a big meal LOL. It would be a good work dress though. The EF dress lets you look great and covers a multitude of ‘sins’ — it’s very feminine as well.
Love the dress style and it looks great on you. I’m very sad Nordstrom has pulled out of Canada!
I too am pulling out my warm weather clothes and hoping Mother Nature takes the hint. Some of it is looking too serious/classic. I think my style mindset is changing and I need to loosen up my wardrobe to fit.
The dress! In both colors itās stunning! I wish I had somewhere to wear it, Iād choose the Atlantis as well. The color is dreamy! Great choice in both colors. Thank you for all your work on the blog, I really enjoy reading it. And hello all from a gorgeous 72 and sunny day in Denver!
Oh, those EF dresses look lovely on you, Jennifer. You are a perfect representative for the joy of Spring! Your column also reminded me of an incident long ago that now I can laugh off – since it’s been 56 long years since it occurred. My well-intentioned, WW II-into-permanents-mother decided to give me a Toni permanent on the afternoon of the night of my sixth-grade graduation. Well, to make a long story short: The pink, spiked rollers were stuck in my thick, wavy hair and would not roll out. We had to cut them out with a scissors. Wound up with a new hairstyle that evening, one that you couldn’t have dreamed of. Have never had a permanent since. LOL.
Ouch!! That sounds traumatizing at the time. So many of us had Toni perms but your experience sounds the worst. Iām sorry but I love your attitude!
Love the Atlantis blue dress! I own this dress in black and have dressed it down by adding a slim tunic sweater over the top — basically turning it into a skirt. I caution you against having the raspberry one shortened, though — the pleats and proportions of the tiers make it difficult to get right. This could easily ruin the dress.
Thank you for letting me know, Bette. Iāll leave it as it. I love them so much.
I bought those books by your brother for my middle school grandson and he absolutely loves them. At the time I did not know he was your brother. Love your blog.
Iām so glad he loved them!
Binged-watched the Night Agent on Netflix last weekend. Awesome!!
Love the EF dresses. May I ask a question that is not related to today’s subjects? Could you please address the subject of pantyhose? I know younger women do not wear them, but they have nice looking legs. I am 69, soon 70, & have obvious veins, brown & white spots, fatty knees, etc etc. I read somewhere that nude & sheer black panyhose are again aceeptable. Is that true? I have some summer skirts & dresses that are shorter than I would like & don’t want to wear with bare legs. I live in a colder climate even in summer. I would really appreciate your advice Jennifer.
Yes, hose is back! Go for it and wear your dresses with confidence.
Both dresses are beautiful on you! I am hoping for some sunny days soon up here in the PNW.
How cool that you brother is a writer! š
This is a pretty flowy dress. I think the raspberry is gorgeous. The navy is more like MOG to me. (Pam’s wearing a green one to her son’s rehearsal dinner.) I’m curious, though, as to what happened to the Talbot’s jersey popover dress that you purchased to wear for the Seder and Easter?
My Mexican holiday helped me eat my way right out of that Talbots popover dress. It was too snug around the tummy and I looked very stout in it. It was uncomfortable to sit in.
don’t you just hate it when the dress or top looks and fits great until you sit down? yuck. happens to me all the time. now I try to buy cotton/spandex so there is some stretch! I love linen but it does not stretch!
Love the indigo dress! Such a classic and I would keep the length. Stunning and I think could be dressed down a little but why?š That dress just needs special occasions.
Dressing it down would just mean I could wear it more often because my daily lifestyle is so casual.
I would dress down the EF dress with cute matching sneakers and jeans jacket for fun. I think at 65 only reason I keep working is to wear (purchase) fun clothing, shoes, etc!
I agree, you look stunning in those dresses and I’m curious to see what changes you make to your style this spring. We seem to have skipped spring this week and will have summer temperatures till next Monday! I’m scrambling to get out my summer clothes to wear, but not complaining. š
Our spring may be very, very short too!
We havenāt had spring yet in PNW! Waiting!
Want to switch out clothing!
I think I may like the blue dress even better. Both are perfect for you! I can’t believe your daughters beautiful hair. Looks amazing! After chemo my hair was silver and dark. I was surprised how much I liked it but just recently I had my stylist put in some low lights and I don’t think I will do that again. It just seemed brown to me so I’m going back to natural.
Iām finding our natural color is so often the most flattering.
Jennifer, that blue dress and sweater look great on you! The raspberry one does too!
Your pic of the fuzzy hair reminded me of my youth. My younger sister had curly hair so my mom thought I should have it too. Canāt tell,you how many Tonettes I had in grammar school! Hated them all! I did do the curly business in the eighties tho until I had it cut short. Now itās back to shoulder length with highlights. Iām in my seventies and the gray wonāt start but I hate the look of this dull brownish blonde hair I have so I have the blonde highlights. Would love to have that lovely silver hair that doesnāt require so many salon visits!! Yours looks great like you have it!!
Iām not much of a baker but will try those macaroons! Thanks for all your work and bringing so many new products to our attention!
I donāt have as much silver as I hoped for but luckily itās enough with my blonde. Those macaroons are fabulous!!
Both dresses are just beautiful. That raspberry color would be perfect for me — it lights up my face. And the Atlantis color is also a good one for me and the opals I have collected over the years would be great with it. Would love to try it but I’m afraid I would like it and the budget does not allow, sadly.
Opals are stunning! I only have a tiny one my husband gave me when we were dating but itās so pretty.
Jennifer, that dress is worth every penny you paid for it. I love it in both colors, and the length is perfect on you – I would not shorten either one. You look fabulous in these gorgeous colors! Keep it up as you freshen your spring wardrobe. I firmly believe that as we age, color is our friend.
As much as I love neutrals, Iām finding color very helpful the older I get. Itās a challenge for me!
Just wanted to comment that I really enjoy reading this blog. That dress is beautiful and you look terrific. You always present interesting ideas.
Thank you, Elaine
I read your posts religiously and love them. I also have an idea for some future posts.
Loved the post on style adjectives; however I am still struggling to find mine because I like many different styles. Could you show us what classic looks like, what comfort looks like, creative, boho, chic, etc. Perhaps devote an entire post to show the depth and breadth of each adjective. Surely I am not the only one still struggling to find my wordsš³šµāš«š¤£. Thanks much for your consideration!
Yes, I can go into more depth with it. Iāll work on a post.
Thank you, Jennifer! I need help with that too! So appreciate you and all you do for all of us!
Ellen, youāre definitely not the only one šµāš«!
I may try the strawberry blonde, I love your daughters hair and it gave me inspiration. I have colored my hair for years and last year thought about giving the whole costly enterprise the boot and going natural. My gray hair did not come in evenly and was more salt and pepper. I felt like it aged me so I went back to the color.
I too tried the spiral perm in the 80’s with bleached highlights!, talk about damaged hairš¤¦āāļø
Yup! The perm/highlight combo was disastrous on my hair. Live and learn.
Chunks of hair broke off at the crown for me! I too was a blonde but my hair has turned white and silver stripes in the last few years. I cut off my long wavy hair and now wear in a Bob very much like yours. I love both dresses and cardigan on you. Beautiful! Your daughters hair is gorgeous and I too love strawberry blonde but would not look good with my skin tones.
I think this whole outfit is just perfect! I ordered it in Atlantic as it’s my perfect blue. I would love to see how you style it in a more casual way. I immediately thought that it could be worn in the summer with sandals and also in winter with a jacket and booties. It will be perfect for cruise wear!
I printed out the macaroons recipe. I’ll make it with Serve sweetener. Love everything coconut!
Let me know how they work out with swerve! That sounds perfect. The blue is striking in person.
Love the dresses. The raspberry is on my wishlist! I donāt think strawberry blonde would suit you. You are cool toned..are you light summer? I have been done with hair dying for years and I love my silvers. I was a dark brunette so dying was a huge pain and looked harsh or got brassy or grew out in a few weeks. Love my salt and pepper which in some lights now looks more all over silver. I canāt wait for full on silver. Iāve had to adjust my colors and makeup a bit due to the loss of contrast, but I bet you wonāt have to being blonde. Any oy, those 80s perms!
Iām a true summer so I wear colors with a bit more saturation and coolness than light summer. I agree, red would make my skin look pinker. Iām loving my natural color. So glad I grew it out.
Good morning, Jennifer.
Both of the dresses look lovely on you! I might not have even looked twice at this dress if I had not seen it on you. The website photos do not do it justice.
Your brother’s new book looks like one that my 3 grandsons would love! It’s now on my list for gifts.
I looked at the sandals, but they don’t come in “nude” according to the website. Are your sandals possible the “golden caramel”? Or are they out of nude?
Have a wonderful day!
Iām wearing golden caramel and I went down 1/2 a size.
Susan BK…..I’ve seen things in catalogue and considered ordering but wasn’t familiar with ordering and sizing, etc. My question; are they ok to deal with for returns etc. Thanks for your imput, I do like that they other something “different” and looks like good quality.
Wow, I love that dress! It might be an investment, but I agree with you that you must look at the cost per wear. You can wear that dress for years (and that is the beauty of EF). Plus, it is always nice to have a fancy dress in the closet so you aren’t hunting for the right dress to wear on a special occasion.
Exactly! Iām so happy to have this at the ready for so many occasions. Iām not one to worry if people have seen me in something before. If it works, it works.
Hi Jennifer,
Those dresses are stunning on you, you look amazing!! I am in a similar headspace of trying different things and changing things up. I recently cleaned out my closet and got rid of so many dresses lāve had for over fifteen years, my husband saying ā but you love thoseā , not any more!! Your daughterās hair is so pretty too. Mine is grey and getting very frizzy so l am trying different products. Congrats to your brother. I have taken lots of writing classes and need to get back to that. My daughter is a television writer and is currently working on the hit show āThe Night Agentā on Netflix so very proud of her. Happy week š
Your daughter sounds amazing. Congratulations. I bet it runs in the family.
Please tell your daughter my husband and I loved The Night Agent! She should be proud! Great suspenseful show!
Good morning and Happy Monday,
I love the dress in blue and a great length too! Your daughter has beautiful hair, I think you would look good as s strawberry blonde. Try it with your new warm weather wardrobe! I printed off your recipe for the macaroons, we have dear friends who are dairy & gluten free. I plan on making them this coming Saturday for our dinner group. Have a great day
They are so good!! I have to stop ratting themš¤£
The PLEATED SILK MIDI DRESS IN ATLANTIS was perfection on you, Jennifer! I can’t for some reason wear a dress like that, it doesn’t work and can’t figure out why. But the sweater, now that’s a great addition – completes the outfit and for those of us who have loose upper arm shenanigans it works every time! I did have a perm – once only. We were living in England right after we married, and I was tired of messing with my hair, so I got a perm. What a disaster. My husband was waiting on the street for me across from the salon. I came out and he totally didn’t recognize me – devastation. Took FOREVER to grow out. OMG!
Hair disasters do seem to take forever to grow out! I agree. Great haircuts grow out of shape so fast. Itās not reasonable.
Both dresses are stunning on you. I loved the raspberry before, but now I donāt have a favorite. I agree with you- both dresses will be perfect for many years. Have you tried the cardigans with wide leg linen pants and a shell?
They add such a nice pop of color.
I, too, felt my wardrobe getting boring. Have been selectively trying pieces from Artful Home. So far, found my favorite spring shirt.
Your daughterās hair is gorgeous. I havenāt touched dye or highlights in years. Recently, my stylist started to add a few highlights around my face. Subtle, but I like.
See my comment and question separately……thanks.
I love wide leg linen pants so the moment it gets warm enough thatās what Iāll be trying! Great idea.
I love Artful Home clothes! Jennifer, Iād love to see you feature them again (I know you have in past years) as well as Anthropologie, Sundance, and of course more Eileen Fisher. But I donāt know how fashion blogs work, and maybe you have some commitment or agreement to only work with certain stores.
Thanks for all your work.
Iād love to feature mor AH too but theyāre not working with bloggers these days. Iāll reach out and ask them.