Rena

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot Link-Up Welcome to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, where ideas, inspiration, and good vibes can all find a spot in the fast lane. I’m so happy to be one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which brings together bloggers from all corners of the web. Whether you write about style, food, travel, crafting, or anything else (and family-friendly) that makes your world go ’round, this is the place to share your posts (new and old), discover new favorites, and connect with a wonderful community.

Another set of fabulous reads, cozy vibes, and creative ideas for the weekend ahead! #newblogpost #linkup

Style Notes: On The Fringes & The Fine-Whatever Link-Up Nine years ago, I tried my hand at a little DIY, a fringe hem project inspired by another blogger’s creative take on cropped jeans. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment experiments where curiosity meets opportunity, impulse, and a pair of scissors. I liked the result well enough to write about it, tuck the jeans away, and move on to other things.

From a 2016 DIY to a 2025 refresh — same scissors, new perspective. #newblogpost #fringedhem

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot Link-Up Welcome to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, where the lanes are wide open, and everyone’s invited to merge! I’m so happy to be one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which brings together bloggers from all corners of the web. Whether you write about style, food, travel, crafting, or anything else (and family-friendly) that makes your world go ’round, this is the place to share your posts (new and old), discover new favorites, and connect with a wonderful community.

A fresh batch of inspiring reads, cozy vibes, and creative ideas for the weekend ahead! #newblogpost #linkup

Fright Night, Every Night: The Scary Truth About Facial Hair They may call this time of the year “spooky season,” but honestly, nothing gives women more of a fright than catching sight of a rogue chin hair glinting in the bathroom mirror. No warning, no mercy — just there, as if it grew overnight to remind us that hormones have a sense of humor. Facial hair isn’t a glamorous topic, but it’s a very real one, especially as we navigate midlife and beyond.

Forget ghosts — my midlife horror story stars a magnifying mirror. #newblogpost

Unpopular Opinions (But I’m Saying Them Anyway) & Link-Up With age comes perspective — and a few opinions that don’t always go along with current trends. Especially when it comes to impractical fashion choices, overhyped lifestyle trends, or the idea that everyone over an arbitrary age needs to “reinvent” themselves. So, in the spirit of mild rebellion (and midlife clarity), I’ve gathered a few of my own unpopular opinions.

A little style sense, a little common sense, plus a few opinions that don’t follow the crowd.

🖤 Leopard meets floral
💬 Comfort, confidence, and midlife perspective
👢 Secondhand favorites featured

Full post 👉 link in bio

#MidlifeStyle #FineWhateverBlog #StyleConfidence #Over50Style…

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot | Weekly Blog Link-Up Welcome to Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, where the lanes are wide open, and everyone’s invited to merge! I’m so happy to now be one of the co-hosts for this weekly link-up, which brings together bloggers from all corners of the web. Whether you write about style, food, travel, crafting, or anything else (and family-friendly) that makes your world go ’round, this is the place to share your posts (new and old), discover new favorites, and connect with a wonderful community.

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot Link-Up

Pink-A-Boo, I See You (And You’re Worth Checking) October may be known for PSLs and falling leaves, but it’s also a month painted in pink; a reminder to show support, spread awareness, and honor the fighters and survivors of breast cancer. My newest thrifted find, a pink corduroy jacket, felt like it was meant to come home with me — cheerful, cozy, and perfectly timed for a month when pink takes on extra meaning.

Just me, a thrifted jacket, and a reminder friendly reminder that early detection truly does save lives. #newblogpost #PinkForOctober

Reuse•Reclaim•Recycle: Do You Love It? & Link-Up When it comes to secondhand shopping, I’ve learned to ask myself one simple question before making a purchase: Do you love it? Not “Do you kind of like it?” or “Could it work if I style it just right?” but genuine, heart-fluttering, I can’t wait to wear this type of love. Maybe it’s the cool turn in the air or the rainstorm that finally made it feel like fall, but lately that question — Do you love it?

Thrifted finds that make my heart skip — literally and figuratively.

The 7-Point Method: Fashion Math Or Modern Myth? & Link-Up Ever put on an outfit, look in the mirror, and think, “It’s fine, but something’s off”? Enter the latest attempt to quantify that elusive “just right” feeling: the 7-Point Method — a social-media-born formula that promises to help you build a balanced look by giving every item in your outfit a numerical score. Supposedly, if your total adds up to seven, your outfit achieves style harmony; not too plain, not too overdone.

Fashion math, outfit points, and a style scorecard — can the 7-Point Method really measure confidence? #newblogpost

Stronger Every Day: Progress Update & Work Out Survey Results In August 2024, I shared that I’d recommitted to strength training and invited readers to take a short workout survey. As with many of my fitness efforts over the years, my strength training progress has come in fits and starts, but this time around I’ve managed to stay more consistent. My first real exposure to resistance training was during college, and once I started, I was hooked.

I may not be where I want to be, but I’m not where I used to be. #newblogpost

Style Notes: Pieces I’ve Fallen In Love With & Link-Up Layers, textures, and a hint of cozy drama are the common threads among the pieces that are my fall favorites. Instead of chasing every trend, I’m leaning into a mix of fresh purchases, pre-loved finds, and trusted standbys. The editors at Glamour recently pulled together a list of 13 capsule wardrobe essentials for fall. While I nodded along to many of their picks, my own lineup tells a slightly different story.

Fresh finds, longtime loves, and one dazzling wildcard to remind me that rules no longer apply #newblogpost

Fall 2025 Footwear Review: Step Right Up Step right up, step right up! My semi-annual footwear review and inventory update is back in town. Twice a year I open the closet, shuffle the boxes, and count the pairs. And every time, the results are part spectacle and part reality check. If you appreciate stats, I've got those as well. Anyone who knows me isn't surprised to discover that I have my footwear inventory cataloged on an Excel spreadsheet and that I've color-coded the shoe boxes as well.

Shoe stories, closet confessions, and a few hard choices #newblogpost

Sleeves, Leaves, And Pet Peeves & Link-Up This fall, instead of defaulting to 'sweater weather', I’m rolling up the sleeves of my argyle cardigan, both literally and metaphorically. Sleeves, leaves, and pet peeves feel like the perfect way to capture where I am this season. Sleeves, because layering is the joy of fall style. Leaves, not so much the ones that change color (there aren’t many of those where I live), but the habits and rules I’m happy to leave behind.

A new cardigan, some old annoyances, and a reminder that fall is about more than just “sweater weather" #newblogpost

On The Hunt: Black Boots There comes a point when even the most trusted pair of black boots must admit defeat. As shared in Pardon Me If I’m Repeating Myself, I was especially dismayed when a favorite fell into unsalvageable disrepair after years of loyal service. Another adored pair that I'd worn for my 50th birthday party oh-so-many-years-ago was culled from the herd during this past spring's semi-annual footwear rotation (see…

From busted heels to perfect fit, one stylish sole survivor stands tall #newblogpost

No Fallback Plan Needed & Link-Up The first day of fall always feels like a reset button, with the air a bit crisper and the days a bit shorter. This season, instead of leaning on a fallback plan of safe outfits, I'll be guided by comfort, confidence, and creativity. My style has never been about chasing every trend but about creating outfits that feel both familiar and fresh.

not falling for trends, just for what fits me #newblogpost

Would You, Could You? Barrel Jeans Styled 3 Ways & Link-Up It's a decidedly rhetorical question, as you definitely SHOULD NOT pass on the phenomenon known as the barrel jean. Divisive, perhaps, but a solid choice when what you seek is a mix of splashy style and easy-to-wear comfort. Barrel jeans are fitted in the waist, tapered at the base, and bow out in between. Sometimes referred to as balloon jeans, they get their name because of their barrel-like shape.

you definitely SHOULD NOT pass on the phenomenon #barreljeans #newblogpost

34 Years Later: We Still Do 34 years later, we've now known each other for more than half of our respective lives, and we still choose each other. This past year wasn't particularly flashy, but it was marked by a couple of trips, quality time spent with friends and family, and the sharing of TikToks that appear on each of our FYPs. How it started and where we are now.

the moments, memories, and love that keeps us saying ‘we still do.’ #34thweddinganniversary

Gut Instinct: Grains Of Truth After years of nagging symptoms and so-so fixes, I went dairy-free (moderate help) and then, on a nutritionist’s advice, gluten-free. Within weeks, the daily gut “noise” quieted. Here’s the quick catch-up, what changed, and the practical tweaks that make it livable.

Three years, countless guesses. The recap, the experiment, the results, #newblogpost

Celebrating My 10th Blogiversary And I Still Don’t Understand The Question Marking another milestone today as I celebrate my 10th blogiversary (aka blog anniversary). Spoiler alert ... it's unlikely that I'll ever understand the question that was the prompt for my very first blog post. We'll catch up on that in a moment. But first, some regular readers may have noticed my recent (and yet again) absence from the blogosphere. It's been roughly 6 months since my last post (give or take a week), and even longer than that since I've posted on IG.

and it's unlikely that I'll ever understand the question

Predictable Style: What Goes Around, Comes Around & Link-Up Predictability keeps fashion accessible and gives us a sense of familiarity, like knowing Fall will always have plaid and boots. And there's nothing as predictable as the regularly published style articles touting which trends are in and which ones are history (at least for the time being). Back in pre-digital times, I subscribed to several style/fashion magazines. My favorite of all time was…

Predictable Style: What Goes Around, Comes Around & Link-Up

Predictability keeps fashion accessible and gives us a sense of familiarity, like knowing Fall will always have plaid and boots. And there's nothing as predictable as the regularly published style articles touting which trends are in and…

Pardon Me If I’m Repeating Myself & Link-Up While Groundhog Day marks a quirky tradition of predicting the weather for the coming weeks, it also brings to mind an eponymously named film. In this comedy/drama, a cynical weatherman finds himself stuck in a repeating time loop, reliving the same day over and over until he learns to embrace personal growth, kindness, and love. This movie is practically a love letter to the theme of "repeating." It uses a time loop as a metaphor for the patterns we often fall into in life — both good and bad — and explores how we can break out of them by changing our mindset and actions.

Pardon Me If I’m Repeating Myself & Link-Up

While Groundhog Day marks a quirky tradition of predicting the weather for the coming weeks, it also brings to mind an eponymously named film. In this comedy/drama, a cynical weatherman finds himself stuck in a repeating time loop, reliving the same day…

Put That Away! Tackling Organized Chaos & Link-Up Do you follow any specific method(s) when staying or getting organized? Are you disciplined with regular routines that keep clutter to a minimum or is the thought of tackling your chaos simply just too overwhelming? If you're at all like me, it's not laziness that's holding you back. More likely, it's a combination of emotions, habits, and a lack of motivation which are the bigger challenges.

Put That Away! Tackling Organized Chaos & Link-Up

Do you follow any specific method(s) when staying or getting organized? Are you disciplined with regular routines that keep clutter to a minimum or is the thought of tackling your chaos simply just too overwhelming? If you're at all like me, it's…

Scroll On By & Link-Up "If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry each time we meet Scroll on by, scroll on by" My apologies to Dionne Warwick as well as songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for taking license with their song "Walk On By" but there's a similarity in the emotions conveyed in that song and today's topic of discussion.

Scroll On By & Link-Up

"If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry each time we meet Scroll on by, scroll on by" My apologies to Dionne Warwick as well as songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for taking license with their song "Walk On By" but there's a similarity in the emotions…