Hello Everyone!

I have some FUN NEWS TO SHARE for ME!I was LUCKY enough to get a WALK~IN CLOSET ADDITION!

As you know I have a THING for CLOTHES!If I like it and its made its way home with me I most likely will Not part with it for along long time!That is just the way I am MADE!

It took me a long time to figure OUT SALE SHOPPING is AWESOME but ONLY IF YOU CAN BUY THE ENTIRE OUTFIT!

My wardrobe has NO JEANS and ONE pair of SHORTS I have NEVER worn!

It does have a couple pairs of pants but the majority of the pants are linen & velvet and they go with a TOP and or jacket.I adore the BRAND called BRYN WALKER………I have chatted them up before!I first discovered them in Walnut Creek in the mall.They ALWAYS had a SALE RACK OUTSIDE!

They now reside in BERKELEY.Two shops and have a website as well.

FULL LINEN PANTS would go down to $20.00!!I kid you NOT!That was back in the DAY.

They always have SALES first its 20 % then 50% then 70%!!!

I WAS A SALE SHOPPER GOTTA GET THAT BARGIN!

Then a light Bulb went OFF some years ago in their dressing room!

GET THE ENTIRE OUTFIT ELIZABETH!

YOU will look BETTER and be happier in the LONG RUN!

I DO ALL MY IN STORE SHOPPING WITH THEM.

Then I have MY SOURCES I am ALWAYS sharing on INSTAGRAM!

GREEN SUPPLY VINTAGE ~ Instagram & ETSY

CHATEAU BEL AGE BOUTIQUE ~ Instagram

JENNAFER GRACE COLLECTIONS ~ Instagram, ETSY & Website

CARLA CHRISTOPH DESIGNS ~ Instagram & Website

ARE MY GO TO PEOPLE ON LINE! NOW YOU KNOW ALL MY SOURCES!

I did NOT LINK THEM as I AM LAZY AND HOT!IT has been 100 degrees this last week maybe MORE AND HUMID,whichWE NORTHERN CALIFORNIAN’s are NOT USE TO AT ALL!

JUST COPY AND PASTE TO GOOGLE THEM!

( if you need help with that just tell me in comments!)

Here WE go back to THE CLOSET REMODEL……………….

 

Foundation was laid out in JANUARY/FEBRUARY.

A hot tub was REMOVED and an architect was hired.

THE CEMENT POUR was done a bit later.CAN you guess which one here is THE ITALIAN?

There HE IS on a different DAY!

NOW the framing has started!

I had to LOSE these windows which I LOVED.

Can you get an idea of the EXISTING CLOSET SIZE?

8 by 10 feet

WHICH I SHARED WITH THE ITALIAN!

I might ADD he had some empty space on his wall………….

This will be added to the closet!Another 8 by 10 FEET!

NOW, I AM GETTING EXCITED!

There was a BIG LAG in building;

due to the COUNTY INSPECTORS not working because of the PANDEMIC.

THEODORE WINKING AT YOU!

I used MY SONS old room to STASH MY CLOSET OF CLOTHING!

Then my SON’s GORGEOUS GIRLFRIEND had to move some of her belongings to hang with MINE!

( She moved out of her old apartment.)

This was all TEMPORARY except for the fact I moved out of my closet in February!

I wanted to take my time and LOOK at each piece and decide to KEEP, TOSS or maybe keep if SPACED ALLOWED!I know how the ITALIAN OPERATES……..when he is ready then all has to be done in a timely manner!THAT MEANS YESTERDAY for him!

Here is one of his three piles!

It took him all of TEN MINUTES maybe less to EVACUATE THE OLD CLOSET!

The rolling rod at the foot of OUR BED!

Housed SOME of the CAFTANS!

NOLLIE……..GRAND DOG NUMBER ONE!

TONQUE ALWAYS OUT!

BANKSY is VERY JEALOUS of her VISITS!

SHE TELLS HIM, “I WAS HERE FIRST PIG I’M NOT MOVING!”

PILLOW became hers on her recent stay with us!

Italians second pile of clothing……….

Sword on Right was The Italians GREAT GRANDFATHERS used in the Great War of 1914-1918.

Now we are getting somewhere!

I am standing in the old closet looking at what will be THE NEW CLOSET!

See the brick tiles?

That is where the old closet stopped and the wall with the windows stood.

Standing in the ADDITION.

Looking back……..as you can see I had not moved everything OUT by the time CONSTRUCTION BEGAN!

Actually a few pieces made their way back into the closet as the PANDEMIC SOARED and MY PATIENCE had all but given up!I live in a STUFFED HOUSE which I have Enjoyed immensely these last few months.However, even the CLUTTER and CHAOS had me on edge!

I just learned NOT TO NOTICE IT!

The old floor I wanted to keep but the ITALIAN after about a two minute discussion

said , “NO!”

It would drive him CRAZY so off he sends me to find flooring during THE PANDEMIC!

I found it at the first spot I stopped.

I was the ONLY person in the shop and I’m lucky most of the time I know what I LIKE within Minutes!

Took THREE samples HOME.

INSTALLATION has been BLOWN into THE WALLS………..

THEN COMES SHEETROCK, TAPING,and Texture.

RODS GO UP!

AND PAINTING!

I was asked color for closet and because I was so HOT and wanted everything to move along I said WHITE!I figure my clothes are MY COLOR!I really wanted to do a PALE PINK but never verbalized it as that would have required more time and paint samples!I have found as I get older the JUST GET IT DONE WAY is THE BEST WAY for me!

Never mind I will have those WALLS COVERED!

HERE are the NEW FLOORS!

He nailed them in place.

Then last SATURDAY I was HIRED to PAINT the trim!

That was AFTER I spent four or FIVE hours CLEANING A CHANDELIER!

CRYSTAL BY CRYSTAL……..rubbing with an ear swab the metal trim as well as finding replacement crystals for some areas.I Know it will NEVER be done AGAIN!

 

Our NEIGHBORS came for a VIEWING!

SO, I showed how the CAFTANS would LOOK………..

WHY SO HIGH you ASK?

ANSWER is below THE CAFTANS will be two shelves for shoes.

NOT DONE YET!

I HAD TO STOP FOR THE DAY BUT THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA.

ABOVE the rods will be another shelf for sweaters……..and MY basket BAGS!

I had ordered HOT PINK HANGERS!

They arrived SUNDAY NIGHT after two days of moving in at 5 pm!

I was DOWN for a NAP!

Kimono’s and CAFTANS share the back wall……..

THAT is not a PART in my hair it is a STRIP OF GREY!!!!!!!!!

I HAD TO ZOOM IN as it looks like I shaved my HAIR!

NO MAKE UP.

HAIR PULLED OUT OF MY FACE.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS!

AS you can see the ROD has become a BIT FULLER!

The HOT PINK HANGERS got HUNG.

I agree BLACK would have looked better but sometimes

YOU JUST HAVE TO GO WILD!

 

THIS is the rod on the left side of the closet a bit TIGHT!

……………..HANGERS still on MY TO DO!

I am about half way through them………do you think 200 hangers will do it?

Let me RESPOND……..NO!!

I do NOT know what I was thinking!!!

SO every item has been edited……….still to come are SWEATERS, EXERCISE GEAR and T-shirts.

They will have to fit onto the shelving!

Now there is CHAT about a VERY NARROW ISLAND…………

As we need space for Underwear and SOCKS, scarves etc!

I have a BIG ROUND TUFFET that would LOOK GREAT tucked back there by the CAFTANS & KIMONOS.That would give us a place to SIT and Toss Things UPON!

I also have my GRANDMOTHERS CHAISE LOUNGE…………..

Give me your THOUGHTS DEAR READERS in the COMMENT SECTION:

LET’s PRACTICE OUR VOTING SKILLS!

SEVENTY~ FIVE MORE DAYS!

A.ISLAND

B.ROUND TUFFET………GORGEOUS PIECE!

C.GRANDMOTHER’S  CHAISE

I would like to mention here that another

VERY WELL LOVED BLOGGER and WARDROBE CONSULTANT has passed.

Brenda Kinsel

I was DEVASTATED by the NEWS and so did NOT want to BELIEVE it was TRUE!

I held out HOPE and even rang her phone hoping SHE WOULD PICK UP!

IT RANG AND WENT TO VOICEMAIL so I STILL HAD HOPE!

THEN THE EMAIL CAME……..

WE had met a few times and she always made a comment about wanting to see MY CLOSET!

(I was HORRIFIED as IT would NOT have been up to SNUFF for this ORGANIZED LADY!)

I think I said PLEASE COME once and SMILED BIG OTHER TIMES!

She lived in SONOMA which is a quaint darling town only an hour away from me!

We were always going to do lunch, which never happened as she was a WORKING GAL and as you know I was not up for driving long distances these last 4 years!

The last time I saw HER we were at SANDRA SALLINS in Los Angeles having dinner……….

WE had a lovely time and SANDRA I know your MEMORY is BETTER than MINE but I can remember HER showing us HOW TO WALK?What was that ABOUT…….I recall lots of giggles and FUN CHIT CHAT!She was becoming a GRANDMAMA TOO…………lucky me as I got to drive her back to the GUEST HOUSE she was staying at in Beverly Hills.SO KIND, SO GRACIOUS, SO YOUNG AT HEART!

Brenda has about 5 published books on how to DRESS.

If you need HELP in that department head to your nearest Book SHOP!

BRENDA, I HOPE YOU CAN WATCH ME FINISH THIS CLOSET AND SMILE BACK AT ME WITH YOUR APPROVAL!

I WILL THINK OF YOU OFTEN.

AS I STEP INTO MY BALLROOM CLOSET AS I NOW CALL IT!

IT will BE READY FOR YOUR APPROVAL SOON!

KEEP SCROLLING TO VOTE AS I REALLY AM IN A DILEMMA~

APPRECIATE YOU!

XXX

 

 

Dear Friends, It’s with the heaviest heart that we are writing this to you. This past Sunday we said goodbye to our beautiful, courageous, creative, ambitious, and, of course, stylish mother, Brenda. Her last moments were surrounded with the deepest love from her partner Russ, her three children Trevor, Erin and Caitlin, and her brothers Brent and Kirk. She passed peacefully and with grace. Her passing was unexpected, the result of a new medication that had a devastating side effect. We are in total disbelief, as I’m sure all of you are also. Suddenly dealing with the grief of losing our mother has been a tremendous shock. As you know, Brenda loved writing about fashion, making it relatable and “doable” for her followers, fans, and friends. Her blogs and posts were fun and inspirational. Her writing could make you chuckle in one paragraph and tear up in the next. She put her heart into each and every sentence and held nothing back. And that smile!!! We are so proud to have had her as our mom. She taught us strength, to love, to be kind, to appreciate music, and to always get dressed. She is one of a kind and irreplaceable, as I’m sure you would agree. Mommy Foxy, you have spread your love and vibrance to so many communities and touched so many hearts. All of those that you have reached are now reflecting their love back to you. Thank you so much for being a part of our mother’s beautiful life. With love, Her daughters, Caitlin & Erin Kinsel