Let's call this one Marsala! My hats a wrap

It's a wrap!

It's finally Friday and I've exhausted all the decent hat photos we took last week. I'm pretty proud of myself though because in the beginning the plan was just to take a couple of pictures of myself wearing a few of my hats and it turned into something completely different.  

I changed direction!

I'm back

Today I end the "my hats" segment with pictures of the regular me, hair up and pulled back but remembering that there is still a young, and sexy side of me right underneath that hat!!

You can leave your hat on

Joe Cocker 1986

My classic oldie jam pick this week is

in memory of Joe Cocker who passed away on Dec 22

A great singer and musician with a voice like no other

He will be missed

This song was used frequently in one of our class routines when I was an instructor

for Art of Exotic Dancing for Everyday Women (short video)

(dancing in a man's oversized shirt - lots of fun!) 

But I digress..

Here's Miss Lily

I've mentioned before that my girls are always around when I do my photo shoots. 

They are also getting much more used to the camera and you will find them peeking around the corner or hanging out on the fringes just out of camera range

but 

sometimes....

 I'm able to catch one of them for a quick photo.

As for the color of my hat
Let's call this one "Marsala" 

(even if it isn't)

I have this hat in 5 colors. It's been my go to hat

The jacket is one I've had for a number of years - I bought it at Bryn Walker

Sporting a pair of my moto jogging pants from the Gap
I also bought another pair of Tom's. Black ones this time.
They aren't the longest lasting shoe, but I do like their "one for one" philosophy
And it was nice that they were on sale at Whole Foods over the holiday for $48
instead of the usual $60+

Well, as you can see, things don't always go as planned on my photo shoots!

Gottcha
Well almost!

Whatever you have planned (or don't).  Hope you enjoy your weekend!!

************
if you missed any of my other 4 posts this week featuring 
"my hats"
no problem -- to see them
 start here

You can leave your hat on

Have you ever wondered about the etiquette of wearing a hat?

"Can I leave it on or should I take it off?" 

First record of a hat is in a painting in a cave at Lussac-les-Chateaux in Central France and it dates some 15.000 BC.

There is a law in Wyoming that prohibits wearing of a hat that obstructs a view in a theatre or some other place of amusement.

In Fargo, North Dakota, There is a law that forbids dancing while wearing a hat 

under the penalty of jail

Those who supply men’s hats are called hatters 

those who supply women’s hats are called milliners

BTW - with my hair down some of my hats are just a little too big 

(wow - such a problem I have never had before) :)

Ok so guess who is behind the camera now?

Not me!

I came down with a major case of the giggles

"Can't a girl have some coffee in peace?"

So many hats and only one head!

please stop back tomorrow for the conclusion of"my  hats" day 5

(click older posts for more pics)

Hat attack!

day #3

The parade of hats continues

 and today is green hat day! 

I have several green hats and they are by far my favorites. 

A custom crochet hat

made by my firend Adrienne

People have been covering their heads since time immemorial

There are a many, manyways to pull off a wearing a hat without looking like you’re playing dress-up.

Initially hats offered protection from the elements and from injury from falling rocks, weapons or masonry.

Later hats became a symbol of status and authority.

Soon after that, hats progressed to become not only a uniform, but also an art form.

In fashion terms, hats are a very noticeable accessory because the onlooker’s attention is first drawn to the face.

A few of my favorite things!

please stop back tomorrow for "my  hats" day 4

A whole lotta color! - hats - day 2

How bout we add some color to the photo shoot, shall we? 

A whole lotta color!

I have a knit hat which I have always considered to be orange. I decided to photograph it with a beautiful scarf that I have which is full of vibrant orange and green. A sort of safari look. 

As soon as I put the outfit together and snapped the camera shutter  - uh oh - I noticed that the hat wasn't exactly orange like I thought but more salmon colored. 

But what's done is done, so why not just go with. So I threw on some aqua sunglasses and a bunch of colorful African bangles.

It's 2015 and anything goes right? 

Hair in braids (still drying).
I usually leave it braided for a couple of days to obtain the wavy look

These hats were my incognito (?) look while it dried - seriously!

Hair dry and down

There are no rules?
Well, maybe not everything goes with everything.
I ditched the aqua shades in favor a more neutral pair. 

I have a good friend who designs and knits the coolest hats.
She made the hats below for me

I also have the hat above in green (you'll see it on another "my hats" day later this week) 

When my hair is up this one looks like hair

please stop back tomorrow for "my  hats" day 3

and just in case you missed it....
click here for day 1

If not now, when?

Is it time for a change?

I see a hat I like. 

Try it on.

9 times out of 10 - it doesn't fit. 

Looks like a toy sitting atop my head.

Story of my life.

I'm forever complaining about the size of my head and how I can never find hats to fit.
It has been suggested to me on more than one ocassion that the culprit might likely be the tons of hair on my head and not so much my head  per se (although my head is definitely larger than average) but at any rate, wearing hats has been a chore.

After 14 years of growing my natural hair (for those not familiar with black hair Sisterlocks are natural locs (think Whoopi Golberg) not braids), I have NEVER worn my locs completely down. Nope, NEVER! My hair has consisitently been pulled back in one or a series of ponytails or twist overs.

For photos I throw it over one shoulder but most of the time you can only see it from the back. There are many reasons for this and most of them stem from the fact that when I wear it down -- it is a whole lot of hair for a black girl in corporate America. And let's face it, 14 years ago it would not have been acceptable. So I got used to pulling it back and up.

But it's NOW --  it's 2015 -- and in a few short months I will turn 65 and sign up for medicare. And soon after that... I will be enjoying retirement!

So, if not now....when?

Over the holidays I spent some time at the boyfriend's house where none of the electronics were working properly (he doesn't watch TV)  He was in his office working and me and the girls (my Yorkies Lily & lola) were left to entertain ourselves.

I had brought my camera with me to take some photos featuring some of my hats.

I had also washed my hair the previous day and had braided it to dry. (I braid after washing for a crinkle look) My plan was to photograph the hats as I wear them most often (as a cover for my hair while it dries).

So I shot all the photos of me in my hats - hair hidden underneath.

The next day, with hair dry, I unbraided it and before I put it back in a ponytail, it was just hanging loose. It was then that I got the idea of seeing what the hats would like - seriously that idea never occurred to me in the past.

I popped on a hat and snapped some pics.

and...What a difference flat hair makes! And Suddenly OMG -  the hats fit like a glove and many were even too big!!

I was having such a good time taking photos and posing for photos the boyfriend took, that we ended up with a loads of photos (and if you know anything about photo shoots you know you have to take a ton of pictures to hopefully end up with a few good enough to use)

Well, I think we have more than enough pictures to highlight a different hat every day this week.

So that's the plan!

Hope you'll stop by and check me out. And feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think about my new hairstyle possibility!

Oh and as usual the dogs just love the photo shoots

hair up
hair down
this is the same hat

big difference huh?

Do you see TWO different hats in this photo. 

If your answer is yes, you are correct

My boyfriend thought there was only one and suggested I should point it out

(thanks babe) 

Life! 

It's all about change

please stop back tomorrow for "my  hats" day 2