Lighthearted and Serious

*Warning* *This post turns toward a very serious matter at the end*  Feel free to do the outfit check and run if you so desire!

Isn't this a cool tree?  I've always had a thing for gnarly, interesting looking trees.

This tee sits outside of a charming local Italian restaurant where I had lunch with my friend Rose this week.

My hometown is filled with old homes like this one, which was converted into the restaurant about 10 years ago.  Before that, it had been a lovely French restaurant.

This town is full of old architectural charm...I'm in awe of it!

Vintage Rose necklace by Lia Sophia

The weather is slowly getting a bit more spring-like and I felt like wearing something just a bit lighter, but because the wind was sharp, I still needed to be warm.  

I decided on warm clothing in lighter colors.  

This cream and brown polka dot skirt by Julio and Julio has some serious 'swoosh factor'

Julio and Julio are designers who travel to ballroom competitions and do a good deal of business there.  These dresses are not ballroom competition dresses, but dresses for social dancing, every day wear or social events.

 The ring is 'Lemon Chiffon' and its one of my favorite LS rings.

I layered two necklaces; the one pictured above and this one, 'Poised' by Lia Sophia.  This particular necklace is their 'Dress for Success' necklace.  The company donates about 3 million in jewelry to the non-profit that benefits women reentering the workforce.  A portion of the proceeds from this necklace go to DFS.

The architecture inside the restaurant is beautiful; a lovely staircase, wide wood moldings, lots of nooks and crannies and places to explore.

This is the restroom.  

.......wine displays in the bathroom!

I'm crazy about the ceiling in one of the main dining areas (there are many dining rooms!).  I want this in my lower level (which has been under construction for 7 years----which means we start we stop we start we stop). 

The white gadget is an antique bread slicer.  This is actually what they use to slice the bread that is served throughout the meal.

There were several original paintings by HGTV's 'Color Splash' designer David Bromstad for sale throughout the building.

On Thursday, I wore this simple black and grey outfit to run errands and to class....

but I jazzed it up with this necklace...'Coil' by Lia Sophia.

When I first saw this necklace last year I said "That is not for me".  I really dislike it.  But it slowly grew on me and it was fun to wear!  It makes a strong statement, especially when worn with a neutral outfit.

This is a bundle of FREE stuff that I earned from Lia Sophia for submitting a party in the month of March.  Several times a year, bonus incentives are offered if we meet certain goals.  In March, we received a different kit of retired pieces each week we submit a party.  I submitted two parties and will receive another bundle of bling next week.

The idea is to use the jewelry to give away as game prizes or booking incentives....therefore, I'm only keeping two pieces.  We can do whatever we want with the jewelry and I like to give pieces to hostesses, but I HAD to keep these two bracelets.

Most bracelets don't fit me...so when I received two that fit beautifully, I had to keep them.

The rest will be gifted to some lovely ladies at my next parties!

*Warning; this is the darker side to my post*

I am also sending a pair of earrings to my sister.

My sister is a recovering heroin addict and has had two years of sobriety this month.

My sister also financially exploited my mother of her very large inheritance in the last two years of her life.  If you haven't read this story and you have the stomach to read it, you can read it here.

It is a big deal for me to send her a simple pair of earrings because her crimes (and consequences my mother suffered as a victim) against my mother were so egregious.

I'm working on forgiving her, but I'm not there yet.

Still, she is my sister and I love her.  I hate her acts, but I love her.

She lives in Chicago now....and I rarely see or talk to her, by her choice.

She spent a year in Cook County jail...and nearly a year in a recovery home.

She has a job in a restaurant and a new boyfriend she met in the recovery home.

She has a very different life than mine.

There are times I feel guilty for the abundance in my life....and times I think about how the circumstance could have been different...it could have been me living her life instead of her perhaps, but for some twist of genetic fate.

If you have read this post and my last...you might be thinking that I must be doing some soul searching...and I am.

But I am not searching from the depths of despair or from a negative place in my life.

Just a periodic self-check that I think is necessary and good.

I am so grateful for the abundance....and so hyper-aware that this is position of responsibility.

I don't get into a dark place when I acknowledge my families' 'dark secrets'; in fact, I am very open about the topic because I know that my experience is one that many other people have experienced.   I open up and find that others who have had similar experiences with family members are able to open up for the first time.   Because they feel embarrassment and shame, they have kept silent...and when I open the door to my story, they feel freer to let go of that and experience the freedom of the release of all of those oppressive feelings.  I know that by sharing my experience.....I give others the opportunity to vent, ask questions, learn and let go of their secret shame.

I feel that I have a RESPONSIBILITY to share and that God leads me to others who need to hear my story.

Yes...my simple outfit post took an unexpected turn; but perhaps it is for the benefit of someone else.