I am fortunate to have joined a talented group of bloggers for the Global Writing Challenge. Each month, we write about a very broadly defined topic, and the responses are quite varied. We recently welcomed two new members to the group: Amy and Cat. The newly revised group includes Deb’s World, Marsha in the Middle, Suzy Turner, Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After Again, Cat's Wire [Cat], Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa [Amy], and me. This month, Leslie selected the to

Marsha at Marsha in the Middle is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the circa 1755 ink on silk scroll painting "Rooster, Hen, and Hydrangeas" by Japanese artist Ito Jakuchu. She wanted to find something that wasn't from a European artist, and a search of "obscure artists of the 17th century" turned up this piece, in which she loved "the colors, the movement, the flowers, and the roosters (or are they just plain chickens)." source:...

Today I'm continuing with my summer closet edit... -Grey tipped blazer post is here; -Navy short-sleeved jacket post is here; -Light blue Henley t-shirt post is here; -Slate blue skirt post is here. The fifth item leaving my closet is this navy pencil skirt from Walmart that I purchased 8 years ago for $10.50 (on sale). Just like with the slate blue skirt, I last wore this skirt in 2024 because in the summer of 2025, when I'd just left my job, I didn't feel like wearing skirt