Black And Blue

Our unseasonably warm winter weather continues, so dressing for my commute to the Library of Congress today was tricky. With the temperature likely to reach the mid 50s in Washington D.C., I wouldn’t need a heavy coat. Yet rain was forecast for my commute home this afternoon, and it is still January, after all. I finally settled on black peachskin gauchos (I also have them in two other colors) from Rod’s Western Wear (http://www.rods.com/), a black cotton blouse with turnback cuffs by Worthington for JCPenney (I own the blouse in two other colors), black leather cowboy boots with a low buckle detail by Willie which I purchased at DSW Shoe Warehouse (I also have the same boots in brown), and a stretchy black belt from Target.

I decided that all that black would be the perfect foil for one of my most beloved possessions: a heavy silver and turquoise squash-blossom necklace that belonged to my mother. I added a coordinating heavy silver and turquoise cuff bracelet she gave me decades ago, a turquoise beaded fashion ring I bought in Las Vegas last May, a silver and turquoise choker necklace that I’ve owned for decades, some black "God’s Eye" woven-hoop earrings adorned with black feathers and turquoise stones and a stretch bracelet of turquoise stones I found at Claire’s, and a silver metal filigree watch I picked up at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport a few months ago.

Since rain threatened, I finished the look with my colorful, cropped Native-American blanket jacket with silver conch detailing that was a gift from my dearly departed girlfriend, Linda Adams, when I lived in Reno, Nevada in the early 1990s.

I received several complements on my attire at the Library of Congress today, including one woman who stopped me in the hallway to comment on my squash-blossom necklace, saying she is from Arizona but never sees those necklaces here on the east coast. I thanked her and remarked that I grew up in California. She laughed and said that explained everything.

Cheers,

Lynell