I didn't throw it away.

This post is part of a blog train hosted by Agatha from Green Issues by Agy.

I NEVER THROW AWAY BUTTONS! 

I don't know any woman who doesn't save at least a few buttons, do you? 

  Of course I have been saving them ever since I was a little girl, straight out of my grandmother's button jar and into my own, where many of them still are!  But often I do use them.  They make such wonderful embellishments.

Here is a photo of me in my full button regalia. 

 

I sewed them onto the lapels of this vintage jacket, made earrings, crocheted a belt with buttons to hang across the front of my skirt (that also has buttons sewed onto it), and glued them to a pair of my shoes.

 

You can attach them to almost anything.

I even sewed them onto some collars for my dog.

There are many reasons why I don't throw buttons away.  But the most important and compelling reason is that there might be something that I want to CREATE with them.  That is why I don't throw away a lot of things - they not only have sentimental value, but can also inspire me to create so many wonderful things.  And buttons are always perfect for adding a little fashion flair!

Tomorrow Maya from http://thelittletreasures.blogspot.sg/
will add to this bog train.  Enjoy the ride! 

Channeling Frida

This morning my friend Paige held an art class in her home in West Cape May.  The goal was to draw without any expectations of what your work should look like and just play with all the different drawing materials.  I have always avoided drawing with the thought that I'm not good at it, so I figured that this class would be an excellent challenge for me.  I decided to try to channel Frida Kahlo. So of course I decided to wear some of my Frida Kahlo clothing for inspiration!  After all, not only did Frida paint and draw and write, but she herself was a work of art.  That's what I have always liked best about her.  She has been a major inspiration to me for dressing creatively and expressing myself artistically in what I wear everyday.

This is a pin that I have had for years made out of bottle caps and charms. It dangles and dances when I wear it like a marionette and keeps Frida close to my heart.

I also wore an apron made out of Frida inspired fabric that my friend Cass gave to me.

Several years ago, I made this collage book out of postcards and cutouts of flowers from magazines.  I wrote a gentle story about Frida that was appropriate to read to a kindergarten class. 

Here are some pages from the book:

And this is my ultimate homage to Frida Kahlo.  I made this Mexican inspired shrine out of an old wooden box that used to hold a chemistry set.  I keep it on top of the bookshelf that holds all my books about Frida.

If you want to learn more about Frida Kahlo, visit the website about her here.

Birthday Bangles

My sister has a lot of beautiful costume jewelry and we played dress-up today before we went out for lunch.  I couldn't decide which one I liked best so I decided to just wear all my favorites at the same time!  My sister took photographs of me in front of this stunning painting that hangs in her living room.  

I am glad to be with my family and friends here in NYC to celebrate my birthday today.  I am 58 years old.  Style gets better and better with age.  To see some really stylish older women visit advancedstyle.blogspot.com.  It is my "go to" site for inspiration on a daily basis.

Outerwear and Small Towns

Just because its winter doesn't mean that we all have to dress ourselves in dark colors, especially in our choice of outerwear.  When skies are gray, then color goes a long way.  It makes people feel better and may even help warm us up. 

I bought this orange coat on sale at Etcetera Thrift Store in North Cape May at the end of last summer.  It was on sale and I paid $3.50 for it.  Shopping for any kind of clothing off season is always a good idea. You can get some great deals.  The tights are from American Apparel and yes, they DO come like that!  I scored this bag last week at the Goodwill. Its actually official "Cirque du Soleil" merchandise. I didn't even know there was such a thing.  It has pockets galore - maybe a tiny dancer will pop out of one of them!

As you may know, after having lived in NYC for 35 years I have been living in a very suburban area of Cape May, NJ for the last 3 years.  These are the decorations that I chose to put in my front yard garden.  One of my neighbors asked me if I was going to "leave the red chair there" and the local librarian asked me if I lived in the "house with the truck."  I said "No, we don't have a truck," and she said "Yes you do, the yellow one."  I found out then that we live in a very small town.  Last year, someone even asked me if I was the lady walking down the street in town with one orange leg and one yellow. By now, however, many people know me and I am happy to report that they totally embrace my eccentricities.  So I have also discovered that a small town can be a very good place to live!

Shopping Carts and Bees

A Keeper of Bees by Allsion Wallace

Shoppers push hundreds of shopping carts out to their cars from supermarkets everyday.  George Hewitt is one of the dedicated workers who collects them from wherever people have dumped them all over the parking lot.  He has been doing it for 21 years and is retiring next Saturday.  He told me that when they take your health insurance away, its time to leave.  He was able to sign up for Medicare just in the nick of time.  He didn't find out that they had taken his insurance away until he was at his doctor's office.  Shoprite is the culprit. 

Recently, I have been reading a book about bees that discusses the necessary repetition of most work that we all do.  "Such appears to be the futile nature of most work... There is no such thing as work done that stays done..."  A Keeper of Bees by Allsion Wallace  

So I asked George how he feels about doing the same thing over and over again and he said that he doesn't mind it, that it has to be done.  But he just doesn't like it when he has to do other people's work.  He says the guys who work after him don't usually pull (or push) their own weight.  I assured him that I always put my shopping carts away and then I realized that often I don't.  I am not at all tolerant of repetitive work.  Maybe it would be a good idea for me to apply for George's job and get some "busy bee" practice - I think I need it.

Sequins and a top hat!

We went to the local strip mall in Cape May looking for New Year's decorations but most of the stores were sold out.  We ended up at this little privately owned store, "Cindy's Cards & Gifts" located at 3845 Bayshore Road.  They graciously hosted us for a photo shoot.

Since we don't have any plans for tonight I decided to put on my tackiest sequin clothing and make my own party at the store by playing with all the toys and modeling all of their gorgeous paper apparel!

 So Happy New Year everyone

and don't forget to kiss the ones you love!

xoxoxox

penelope

What color should I wear today?

I love color, so dressing myself in all black is not something I usually do.  There are times, however, when it works perfectly.  Today I went to the The Magic Gardens in Philadelphia and the color was so vibrant there that any color I could have worn would have paled in comparison. I also like the way the black looks in contrast to this incredibly colorful fantasy world created by the artist Isaiah Zagar.  Fashion may be art but art definitely takes center stage here.  Maybe my next project should be a mosaic dress!

Bicycle wheels were used to create windows onto other parts of the mosaic landscape.

Small tunnels lead you to small rooms like going through a maze or a labyrinth, and every square inch is covered in mosaic. If you are ever in Philadelphia, The Magic Gardens is definitely a must see.

You never know what you will find...

After spotting this funky box in a corner of Etcetera Thrift Store in North Cape May, NJ I just had to open it...

... and voila!  Sensational vintage "Roller Derby" skates!  So of course I tried them on and they fit perfectly, only I almost fell on my butt immediately and knew that I was not destined for the rink.  Oh, did you see the price tag on the box?  $5!  I could at least use them for decor - maybe tuck a vase inside and display some pink roses.

But I did this instead...

...and then this!  What do you think of my new shoes?

Slow down and check out this outfit!

Shopping at the Goodwill during this season of goodwill is a really good thing to do!  Yesterday I went to their store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ and bought these fabulous suspender pants and a retro paisley shirt.

I upcycled these high top sneakers by cutting out the tongue and the top part of the rubber toe.  Then I laced them with black and white satin ribbons.  People always do a double take when I wear these shoes.  I love to catch them smiling or giggling.

I have these beautiful earrings which match the shirt perfectly that my friend Annie made.  I visited her last January and you can see a photo of us making art together in her amazing studio in Ben Lomond, CA  here.

Anyone want to go shopping with me next time?

My Best Christmas Outfit

This dress is like an old fashioned hoop skirt.  It swings when I walk and usually gets where I'm going before I do.  Sitting down in it takes a lot of practice.  It has a tendency to pop up and hit me in the face!  

This is the Christmas tree that my husband and I made out of an upside down garden trellis spray painted green.  I like to dress my trees almost as much as I like to dress myself. 

Merry Christmas everyone and have fun wearing something festive today!

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penelopecakefashion.blogspot.com

Christmas Coat

I

I bought this fantastic coat at a consignment shop in Wildwood, NJ called 

"Turn Around Boutique." 

The buttons have been upcycled with leopard fabric to match the collar.

I love red and green together.  Why do we limit ourselves to wearing it for only one month of the year?  Lets go wild and wear it next summer too!  Maybe a cherry red bathing suit and a bright green sarong?  But its too early to be thinking of summer yet.  Thank goodness I still have a lot of great winter outfits to carry me through!

We won!!

"Miss Metal" won first prize in the Individual/Family category at the Emlyn Physick Estate scarecrow contest in Cape May, NJ.  Jeffrey and I made her together.  We also put a scavenger hunt sign next to her with the following text.

CAN YOU FIND IT?

Ok, we'll start with a TEAPOT. I know, that was way too easy! How about some KNITTING NEEDLES? There are 5 of them. What about a CANDLE HOLDER? (Hint: its upside-down.) Two SCOURING PADS? The kind that you use for really dirty pots! A HEART? (aaaw...) A CIRCUIT PANEL? (In other words, that electronic looking thing.) A SOUP CAN? (What kind do you think she likes?) A LOCK and a few KEYS? Here's another easy one. A STARFISH. Oh my gosh, what's that THING hanging in the middle of her body? Ok, here's a really hard one. BEDSPRINGS! And how many SPOONS is she wearing? Its a good thing she always has her SEATBELT on to keep her safe. How about a little BIRD and a little FISH? She's even ready for Christmas with a JINGLE BELL and she has her hair done up in PINCURLS. (Ask your Grandma what those are.) I'm sure that you can find a lot more things that are not even on this list, but we'll end this game with the biggest ZIPPER PULL that you have ever seen! So what do you have around your house that you can make into ART?
  
 She is now living next to our front door to welcome you the next time you visit us! 

The doctor is in.

When the doctor entered the examining room he looked like he was wearing a children's costume. He had one of those large round reflector things on a strap around his forehead. I'm surprised that he didn't have a little triangular hammer to test my reflexes and a box of pink band-aids. He was completely full of himself - as all doctors are - more concerned with making an impression on me than doing anything to really help.

Anyway, fast forward to the end of the exam.

The doctor took out a small hand held recording device and started to speak into it holding it closely to his mouth and waving it back and forth while he reported his notes. It was an incredibly absurd and obnoxious performance. He threw as many obscure medical terms around as he could, never looked at me even though I was sitting right in front of him, and talked faster than anyone I had ever heard.

I laughed out loud in the middle of it. I had started to imagine a dance. His recording would be the soundtrack and a dancer would move frantically and desperately around the stage, getting nowhere, and falling a lot.

When he was finished with his report, I asked him if I could have a copy of the recording for some choreography that I wanted to do. He didn't really answer me but looked quite perplexed. He had no idea what I was talking about. I laughed again, stood up, and offered to perform a piece of it right then and there, but I changed my mind when I saw the look of fear on his face and sat down again. Relieved, he handed me a useless prescription and left the room. I smiled to myself, and for once I was able to leave a doctor's examining room without feeling physically humiliated and psychologically eviscerated.  

I thought this poem today, and now I am writing it down...

 

I hear the wind

and imagine the trees 

are breathing.

The cicadas drone

like the music of India.

I sit with my dog

and our hearts beat

in synchronicity.

I think this may be

the poetry

of meditation.

Putting An Outfit Together

I like the way things go together when they don't go together but you put them together anyway.  Striped bike shorts, a white lace skirt, red polka dot belt, multicolored sports bra, a lacy translucent top, and sports adventure sandals to finish it all off.  I think of dressing in the morning as my first creative act everyday.  Its a good way to exercise my imagination and express myself.  And when I am out and about throughout the day, strangers often talk to me.  It is like an invitation to a 10 second party.  We exchange smiles, feel a momentary connection, and then go our separate ways.  

Hand Embroidery On Antique Photograph

This is the latest photograph in a series that I am hand embroidering.
I call her "Spider Baby."

Embroidery from the heart.

In my studio...

This weekend my old friend Jane came to visit us in Cape May with her two teenage children, Lucy and Leo.  I was thrilled that they wanted to make things in my studio and we spent a splendid afternoon together being creative.  It was so wonderful to be in the company of children who can appreciate this kind of experience.  Wouldn't it be great if all teenagers had access to supplies and a space like this to play in and express themselves?  What a different world we would all live in!