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Remembering the "Rare Bird"

3/3/2024

Like other rare birds, she was never afraid to wear her bright colors.

The world lost a rainbow of colors this week with the passing of Iris Apfel, the "Rare Bird" of the fashion and style scene.

Iris Apfel was the glorious age of 102 when she passed this week on March first. Now, the news wasn't unexpected as the icon had lived a long and glamorous life, but the news still pinched my heart as her presence in this world has served as such a source of joy and inspiration for all, including myself.

Iris Apfel has been a foundational source of inspiration in my own style journey as she was not afraid of color nor afraid to pair them in unusual/unpredictable color combinations. She worshiped at the altar of the accessory and was bold in her choices whether they were luxury items or from the corner costume jewelry store. She dressed not for attention, but to express her soul as well as to bring color into a dull world. She saw style not as a thing that was ruled by the rich or by the "trends'' of the current fashion, but instead she saw style as something inherently individual.

I discovered Iris close to ten years ago through her documentary which is self-titled "Iris". The movie documents her life and captures her spirit of enthusiasm for life. To this day, it is my favorite documentary and I would advise everyone to watch it as it captures the joy of creative expression, the individuality of beauty, and the eternal youth that we all possess.

Below are some of my favorite outfits/ quotes of hers for your own inspiration and appreciation.

Enjoy, and please wear something colorful this week in her honor.

'Life is grey and dull, so you might as well have a little fun when you dress.'

'No amount of money can buy you style. It's just instinctive.'

'I don't dress to be stared at, I dress for myself.'

'Clothes are not frippery. Properly done, they can be an art form.'

'Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. They key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There's no how-to road map to style. It's about self-expression and, above all, attitude.'

'More is more. Less is a bore.'

“I love a nice hot pink. I like thick lipstick, otherwise it doesn’t look like you’re wearing any.”

"Downtown, they think they're stylish, but they all wear black. That's not really style. That's a uniform."

'Never be afraid to stop traffic.'

“I say, dress to please yourself. Listen to your inner muse and take a chance. Wear something that says ‘Here I am!’ today.”

'I am inspired by everything around me. It's not like I stand out in the moors or any of that romantic crap they throw around. I'm just inspired by being alive and breathing and meeting people and talking to people and doing things and absorbing what's happening. I think if more people did that there would be better fashion.'

“Everything that’s happened to me, nothing’s been planned. I’ve never had a business plan. I just kind of fell into it, and I liked it, and I took a chance. I took a lot of chances in my life.”

“I think dressing up or down should be a creative experience. Exciting. Fun. For me the key to personal style lies in accessories. I love objects from different worlds, different eras, combined my way. Never uptight, achieving – hopefully – a kind of throwaway chic.”

'If you're not interested, you're not interesting.'

'Colour can raise the dead.'

'When the fun goes out of dressing, you might as well be dead.'

'Great personal style is an extreme curiosity about yourself.'

"I love to dig and search and find. And if I’m shopping…You know, if it’s a piece of fabric, I listen to the threads. It’s not intellectual at all. The price is nothing. It’s the emotional content: I have to feel it in my gut. I don’t know how to explain it other than that. I am a hopeless romantic.'

'I don't have any rules, because I'd only be breaking them.'

'I think I still keep my sense of wonder, which I call childlike, not childish, childlike. I still have a vivid imagination, and I like to try a lot of new things.'

“I was never hurt by what anybody said about my clothes, because I dress to please myself. If somebody doesn’t like what I’m wearing, it’s their problem, not mine.”

“Coco Chanel said take one thing (accessory) off. I always said put another one on.”

'What’s my style is not your style, and I don’t see how you can define it. It’s something that expresses who you are in your own way.'

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February 2024

3/1/2024

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Valentine's Day Outfit for this year. I love me some cherry red and tiny hearts. The tights are a new edition and I will be wearing them all year long.

My kids are learning the essential verb of "have" so I came up with idea to use the game "Guess Who" as a fun way to practice. It has been a hit and their English is developing beautifully.

Dancing around the pool table between runs.

A "tradition" from my family that I love is our love for a themed birthday party...no matter how old you are. Here is a photo from my cousin's 31st birthday party. We played “Texas Hold ‘Em” and wore our Western Wear. I didn't win as I tend to be an “all chips in girl”; however, I found out that I love to be the dealer. It is quite the performative role and I even got to use those tiny racing flags in my dealing. I’ll have to have someone film me next time because I might have to use it for my casino audition in the near future.

Getting the '84 Bronco up and running for summer break. I have plans to road trip all over Colorado with her. I'll be dabbling in some car camping and showcasing this "Baby Blue' all over Colorado; because, not only is she cool, but she is a beast.

My reffing partner for this past season, Al. He is a Denver original and I thoroughly enjoy hanging with him. He tells the best stories and protects me from the hecklers and naysayers in the stands. It's a fair trade as he doesn't run much up and down the court. Instead, he leaves me to do the calls and he is the guard dog. At the end of the season, he asked to take a photo together and I was more than willing. Also, peep his hydration of choice…coca-cola…while I had two gatorades and a gallon of water. Needless to say, he’s built different at the age of 82.

As an audiopile, it is so hard to narrow down a playlist to three songs; however, here are three songs that I had on consistent rotation this month. 'Dumptruck" makes me feel like the baddest , especially at the line, "Now back it up and dump it"...and best believe I am doing that. "On My Mama" is also sassy and encompasses the idea that I did in fact get it from my mama (if you know her, you know). The last song is a forever favorite with so many tender memories. I had to add it to this playlist to "tip my hat" to Usher's amazing half-time performance at this year's Super Bowl.

Downtown Denver was looking glamorous while I drove to my favorite used record store.

Warmer weather means it's pickleball season. This past weekend, I strutted over to the pickleball courts across the street from me with a coffee cup in hand. And, I am proud to say I went undefeated.

We have a baby on the way! Here I am helping my sister's business "Bach Please" set up for my cousin's baby shower. It was Valentine's Day themed and it was beautiful and boisterous. I also love how they followed the family tradition of not finding out what gender the baby is. I am hoping for a girl because a "Ramirez Girl" has a way of pivoting the earth's axis.

I am continuing to learn more and more algebra as I "push in" to help my students. Here is a lesson from this month. I swear to the highest heavens that I've never seen this box method in my whole life, but it has been fun to learn. I have been able to consistently "push in' during this class period as testing season is over and I have seen my kids grow exponentially in their math skills and that is the best part of teaching. Another perk, I also enjoy the excitement of learning something new and that "ah ha" moment. So, math has been a beautiful new challenge and frontier which makes me feel more complete as both an educator and human.

These two ballerinas are my two favorite finds from the thrift store this month. These two lovebirds arrived just in time for Valentine's Day.

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Remembering the "Rare Bird"

February 2024

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Remembering the "Rare Bird"

February 2024

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