I think so…
The above outfit is what I had intended to showcase on the blog today. I’m wearing the April Cornell Weekend Jersey Blouse with my trusty J Jill pima leggings. Mine are from last year. I think the blue gray color would be similar if not the same. I’m not wearing any makeup because of the chemical peel, and, gosh, I feel naked! The more I looked at the photos, though, the less I liked them. There just wasn’t enough contrast between the top and the leggings. But, we’ll call this my make believe look!
So, I switched…
Today, we had our first Home Owners Association meeting. The builder will be completing the last home in the neighborhood shortly after the end of the year. So, today, we elected a board, group, or committee. I’m not sure what terminology they will end up using. I was running a teensy bit late (but not as late as Nigel) so I rushed into my closet, threw on my favorite Talbots jeans, and grabbed this top.
Why an impostor…
Well, the truth of the matter is this is the way I normally dress! I’m a pretty basic person when I’m at home. I wear comfy jeans or shorts (depending on the season) and tops I like. I rarely even wear my wedding rings. When I was teaching, the first thing I did was to take off all of my jewelry! I think it’s some form of claustrophobia! I just can’t wait to take off the jewelry! I do usually wear my diamond studs in my top holes until I get ready for bed. When I go somewhere, that’s when I dress up, put on the extra jewelry, and nifty shoes. You may have noticed I’m barefooted in the photo above. Yep, that’s what I usually wear on my feet…nothing! If I’m out and about (taking Jack for biology breaks), I usually wear my yellow Old Navy flip flops that are probably ten years old! The pink ones in one of the pictures above are even older!
But, if I dress up…
Now, that’s where the blog looks come into play. I do wear the clothing I show on the blog regularly with the exception of some of the Style Imitating Art looks (see my latest here). If I’m going to the mall, to a meeting (OK, excuse today’s meeting), or church (when I start attending again), I dress up. I love to dress up! And, of course, there are days when I’m going nowhere that I’ll dress up. But, those days have been few and far between due to the house move. I also tend to dress up more in the cooler months…I’m not sure why!
An impostor or not…
I don’t think I’m an impostor as a blogger, but I did think it was important to let you know I don’t always wear flowered frocks and fancy boots! In fact, a lot of my jewelry is still sitting in a box on the floor in the bathroom (that’s a lot of prepositions)! I haven’t decided how I’m going to store them. I had a genius way to display them in our old house, but IKEA doesn’t carry those nifty little rods anymore. I have a couple of ideas percolating. You’ll know when I’ve settled on one when more jewelry starts showing up!
So, why a blog anyway…
I’ve said before I started blogging for several reasons. One of them was because Debbie convinced me I needed to do it. If you need to make some changes in your life, I highly recommend working with Debbie (formerly Fashion Fairy Dust) of Your Styled Story! You won’t regret it! Another reason was I felt I was growing stagnant and not growing any new brain cells. The final and maybe biggest reason was I didn’t see any bloggers who looked much like me in the blogosphere. Sure, there are voluptuous women who blog. But, it seems like they are voluptuous in places I’m not and thin where I’m not…does that even make sense? So, why not a blog! And, I have to admit, since I started blogging in July of 2021, my sense of fashion has evolved a bit. I look at clothing in different ways and have more confidence in building looks different from what I might have done before.
Just a little more…
Now that I’ve revealed myself, you’re probably shaking your head in disbelief that I would even call myself a blogger! OK, that’s a bit dramatic! More than likely, you’re probably just shaking your head and wondering why you just wasted your morning coffee break on this bit of non-information! But, I’m assuming all of you reading wear clothing on the daily and are also interested in fashion. So, you may be thinking you’re not really fashionable if you don’t dress to the nines (is that even an expression anymore) every day and for every occasion. I am here to tell you this, “You do you!” If you want to wear a tutu to Target or a waistcoat to WalMart (see what I did there), I’m with you 100%! And, if you also want to wear your comfiest jammy pants to Target, WalMart, or even Nordstrom, you’ll get no guff from me! That’s why fashion is such a wonderful thing…it’s different things to different people! If you want to read a really thought provoking post, read this one by Sally. She truly made me think about buying new things in a completely different way.
The Lewk!
Now, in my “make believe” outfit, I wore my L’Artiste Rodeha boots. I really, really want them in the teal! I ordered them in the brown last year. It was a strange shade of brown so I returned them. But, the teal…I think I could do some really awesome things with them! All of the jewelry is old and is from Stella & Dot. I don’t provide links to older jewelry because I can’t verify it’s the real thing. I have bought “Stella & Dot” jewelry before and found it was fake. In my real outfit, I did wear the earrings and the leather studded wrap bracelet!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I really did intend to use my “make believe” photos on the blog. But, the more I looked at them, the less I liked them! And, it had nothing to do with the clothing (though I did change to jeans). It was more the lack of eyebrows, I think! Due to my hypothyroidism, I have very sparse brows, and I noticed the lack in every picture! So, can we talk? What’s your go-to daily look? Do you dress up on a regular basis? Or, do you tend to dress up only for specific reasons. Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to respond as soon as possible!
10 on the 10th Reminder…
This month’s 10 on the 10th has to do with birthdays! Why, you ask? Mine is this month! I hope you’ll join me (and possibly Leslie) on the 10th with your answers. Don’t worry if you don’t have a blog. You can answer in the comments or even send me an email with your answers! And, there will be a link party! Don’t forget!!!
Affiliate links and such:
Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. I recently became a Brand Ambassador for Sarah Flint shoes. You can use SARAHFLINT-BAMARSHA for $50 off your first pair. As of right now, I also have an affiliate code for Kantha Bae! Use MarshaintheMiddle in the promo code box for $5 off any order (excluding Bestie restocks)! I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA2098, for 20% off any purchase. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post.
Thank you!
I appreciate all of you so very much! I am extremely grateful to those of you who read on a regular basis, comment, or subscribe to my blog. You can also follow me on Instagram here.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, Being a Wordsmith, and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I’m a co-host on the Weekend Traffic Jam (here). I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Friday Print Mixing on the last Friday of the month. I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
I do love to dress up. But I work out 4 times a week and wear that gear until the afternoon. Then I change my outfit, depending on how the rest of my day looks. But I never wear jeans if I’m not going to cycle, lol.
Oh, when I work out, I’m a sweaty mess! Then, I have to wait until I’m done sweating before I can shower and get dressed…it’s an all day affair! Maybe you should wear jeans more often…you look fabulous in them!!
You are so adorable, Marsha! I really enjoyed reading this post and I really love that beautiful embroidered top. I can totally relate to sometimes only getting dressed up for blog photos. I spend most of my days in leggings and a hoodie with sock and Birkenstocks! But I do still love to play dress up. I just don’t really go anywhere these days so my favorite comfies is where it’s at for me!
Shelbee
Shelbee, you always manage to make me smile! I am a big fan of dressing up…I just want to go somewhere! Sometimes, I think about substitute teaching, but I hate getting up early! Home Depot and Lowes? I think I’d get a few second glances there, right?
Even though you quickly threw that outfit on to go to a meeting, you still look great!
I use to dress up everyday for many years. I loved it. Fashion was so much a part of my life. But ever since I became a stay at home mom, there is not as many opportunities to dress up. Or at lease not something I want to do while chasing a 3 and 5 year old around. But I miss having a reason to dress up so much. I’m very slowly finding small occasions too. Next year maybe different. But for now I just will keep it all hanging in my closet.
Thanks, Meagan! Oh, we don’t even want to talk about when I was chasing toddlers around! It was not pretty! And, those were the days when we got perms, scrunched our hair with gel and didn’t comb it out…not a good look! You keep that in your closet because your days of dressing up are coming soon!!!
You are not an impostor! I do the same thing. I am mostly casual but do like to dress up for the blog or going out. I love both looks and wish I looked as good without any makeup!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you so much, Kathrine! I’m glad we took pictures yesterday because I am peeling like crazy today! I love to dress up…there’s just not many places to dress up for! I think they’d think I was crazy if I showed up at Lowes or Home Depot in my dresses and boots!
I definitely reach for leggings, jeggings, or jeans 99.8% of the time. Unless we’re heading to a wedding or a funeral it’s pretty rare to see me in dress pants, skirts, or a dress. I like to be comfy!
You know, when you say dress pants, I then thought of my ponte pants from J Jill. I wear them almost every day in the winter. They have the comfort of leggings with the warmth of sweatpants! I tend not to wear jeans in winter very often because I don’t think they’re that warm!
I LOVE YOUR BLOG! IT’S ONE OF FIRST I CLICK ON EACH MORNING TO READ! YOU ARE A NATURAL; SUCH PRETTY HAIR! I LOVE YOUR CHOICE OF OUTFITS!
NOW IF I COULD ONLY SAVE UP TO BUY A PAIR OF THOSE BOOTS! SIGH………..
Oh, my goodness, Kathy! You have made my day and maybe my week! I am smiling from ear to ear!! Thank you so much!!!!
I think there are a lot of style bloggers in your same position, who tend to dress more simply when at home but dress up for outings or for blog posts. I do dress like you see on my blog the vast majority of the time, but that’s idiosyncratic – I associate dressing in loungewear or very simple top + pants with being sick, so I put on All the Stuff on my normal days. Whatever you do, if you own it, you’re definitely not an imposter!
P.S. Thanks for the shout-out to my post 🙂
You are very welcome, Sally. I thought that post was very important eye opening! And, the way I dress on the blog is definitely the way I would dress if I were still teaching…maybe a little more creatively than before! But, I also changed out of those clothes when I was teaching as soon as I got home so I guess I equate dressing down with comfort (but I totally get why you associate it with being sick)!
I think there is a time and place for everything, and how we dress is just a tool. Some people use that tool differently, and then there are the times when there are more important things to consider. Reality, right??
BTw, you don’t need to worry as much about eyebrows with colorful glasses. The funny thing is I still use my stencils everyday, but I bet no one really notices them, haha.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
For some reason, your comment has me thinking about my mom’s funeral…I have no idea why…but, I remember choosing my clothing very carefully for the viewing (isn’t that an atrocious word). I felt like I was putting on my armor so I wouldn’t show any weakness. The dress I wore for her funeral…I never wore it again (the same goes for the clothes I was wearing on 9/11). I just couldn’t wear it so I donated it.
I think I notice my eyebrows because I know how thin they’ve gotten over the years. In fact, when I see pictures of my younger self, that’s one of the first things I notice…my eyebrows! I think it’s more that I notice them than anyone else! Now, if I drew them on really crazy…someone would surely notice, right?
What you see is what you get with me. I dress how I want and it’s best just to be authentic. Nothing worse than being fake.
https://www.bauchlefashion.com
I agree…I try very hard to be authentic. Sometimes, though, I feel like I may be coming across as fake…does that make sense?
I love this post! And your style at home is much like mine. Lol. Barefoot, comfy pants. And I also take off my rings, even my wedding ring, at night. I wish I had more opportunities to dress up, because I do miss it occasionally. Maybe with the world being more open now I can add a few things to my wardrobe and spruce up on occasion. 🙂
Erin, I think you and I are a lot alike (with the exception of me being old enough to be your mother)! You are the first person I’ve “met” who’s taken off their rings, too! I went to college with a woman who’d never taken her wedding rings off since her wedding! In our art class, the instructor basically forced her to remove them because we were working with clay, and she didn’t want the diamonds to come out of the settings!
I hope you’re able to dress up more soon, too!
You’re definitely not an imposter, babe- or, if so, then we’re all imposters, haha! I work from home and most days, I’m in super casual clothes, my boyfriend’s t-shirts, or workout clothes. I only break out the cool + fun outfits for when I go out and for the blog!
I think it’s important for everyone to feel seen and represented in fashion (and the world, media, etc.), so it’s amazing that you started a blog because you didn’t see yourself in a lot of the bloggers out there! We need more of this! There are so many body types and for the longest time, we only saw a very narrow subset. The more, the merrier!
-Ashley
https://lestylorouge.com
Thanks, Ashley! Even with all of the blogs I now read and interact with, I still haven’t seen anyone whose body is like mine. Most bloggers have dynamite legs…long(ish), thin, and shapely. Mine are the complete opposite of that and are what I struggle with fitting the most. I rarely buy true pants…mainly leggings because they’re just easier to fit!
If you are an imposter, then so am I. LOL! Most days, I just need to be in something comfy. But I like being able to get a nice outfit together when I want to, and honestly until I started interacting with fashion bloggers and attempting to create outfits myself, my best outfits were mediocre at best. I love my teal L’Artiste boots, btw. 😀 And Sally’s post has had me thinking as well…. Also, your face looks great sans make-up. You have a lovely face, Marsha. Great post!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Oh, thanks so much, Michelle! I have always been lucky with my skin, but it’s beginning to show its age (which is ok). I just have a couple of brown spots I would love to lose. I’m not sure the chemical peel did a thing for them!
I was sure you had those boots in teal, but I wasn’t sure. I really really like the boots anyway! We can be impostors together whilst wearing our teal boots!!!
I definitely go through phases where I want to dress up or don’t care as much and only do it for blogging. But I think the nice thing is to have the clothing in your closet and know how to put a nice outfit together if you should so choose. Sometimes having a little inspiration from bloggers is awfully nice! I’m frequently in sweatpants or joggers at home!
Thanks, Laura! I definitely have lots in my closet! I guess I didn’t want readers to think I was always dressed up! I do go in spurts where I dress up even if I’m just staying home. It’s my form of dopamine dressing, I guess!
Pingback:Long over Long! - Marsha in the Middle
Marsha, it’s the same for us food bloggers. Am I an impostor posting my homemade croissants and other time-consuming and/or complicated foods then making pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner sometimes? No! I really enjoyed this post!
Oh, thank you so much, Jean! I hadn’t even thought of that! I guess I really just wanted people to see me in my “natural habitat”!
No, or course you’re not an impostor. It makes sense to wear comfy clothing when you’re not getting dressed for a specific purpose. I keep a stash of old shorts, pants, and tees for doing housework and yard work — I don’t want to ruin my “nice” clothing by getting it dirty and stained. Additionally, I have a stash of workout clothing for sweating at the gym and walking/jogging around my neighborhood. Then, I enjoy wearing attractive outfits for blog posts and for whenever I’m NOT doing something sweaty or dirty.
Thank you for sharing this post in the Talent-Sharing Tuesdays Link-Up 37.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
Thanks, Carol! I love how you call it “nice” clothing as that’s what I call mine! Oh, the sweating and getting dirty…that’s me in a nutshell! I don’t have the heat and humidity you do for as long as you do, but I certainly feel it! And, I really get hot and sweaty whenever I work out. I am so happy…we are having to change insurance in January, and we will be able to use the Silver Sneakers program (which made me immediately think of your post about it)!