What is the correct length for skinny jeans

Hi there

"I shop therefore I am" - a new twist on an old saying. And of course the first item we need is a pair of well fitting black jeans to kickstart the season. 
So today, I found a great pair of semi skinny, not too low rise and in a fabric that kind of keeps you in.  They look great with this season's longer look tops for a timeless look.

A few years ago, I visited my friend R, who owns a beautiful store 'Shop at Next Door' which stocks an extensive range of jeans with fabulous tops and accessories. I learnt the ins and outs of how to wear skinny jeans - with boots of course but also with killer heels, flats and flip flops. R says that the worst mistake you can make when taking up jeans is to make them too short - flared jeans need to be almost to the ground but skinny jeans are a little tricky to get right. Have them as long as you can make them without cupping the bottoms too much; a certain amount of cupping however is necessary for the look and with summer jeans you can fold up the bottoms for a casual look.


This is what she says on her site http://www.shopatnextdoor.com/ - click on Jean Scene at bottom of Home Page.


'No, you do not have to be skinny to wear skinny jeans. It's all about how you wear them that makes the difference. Going into a Wisconsin winter, we all know how great it is to throw on your favorite skinny jeans with a pair of boots and a big oversized sweater. It's the one time that living in the frozen tundra makes fashion fun as well as practical. But thankfully that is all behind us for another seven months or so. So now what? Well a picture is worth a thousand words. Wear skinny jeans with killer heels, your favorite flats, barefoot if the moment is right and of course your favorite flip flops. You can wear a skinny jean scrunched around your ankle or cuffed for a casual look. That solves some of the length issues, which is nice for us as well as you. Of course we'll always shorten them for you if need be.'


I'm off now to take up some jeans - because they're usually too long for me. I learnt from R how to do a professional job but am under threat of dire consequence if I devulge the secret. Sorry!
Clara
By the way - if you want some tasty food ideas that will help you to be able to fit into your jeans go to www.fitinyourjeanscuisine.com

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Babyboomers can win the Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge by
Lynee Follow That Girl who could write a book about jeans; styles, length, what shoes and tops to wear.
She says about me (generously) "My boss has this friend from Australia, Clara -who coincidentally writes a blog called "Fit in Your Jeans Cuisine". How perfect.
The photo's of the finished recipes are gorgeous and mouth watering."
Thanks Lynee, for your kind words. Can't wait to hear how you went and what you were wearing when you cooked your meal.
Clara

It's getting to that time of year. You know, THAT time of year. It's when my husband watches in disgust as I jump, lay on the floor, do a dance routine, lunges or cry to get on my skinny jeans. After I painstakingly inch the zipper up and nearly lose a nail buttoning them, I promise myself that "Today, I'm only eating water." The next thing I know I'm eyeing up something that looks like this...

I am announcing today that I will wear my skinny jeans with comfort all year around. And no, I cannot survive only eating water.

So what am I going to do? I'm going to actually follow Clara's recipes, and make sure I only eat my small portion! I'm excited, and so is my husband. You see, I'm not a very good cook. I screw up scrambled eggs, burn the toast, overcook the noodles and dry out the chicken. So, I plan to write about my "Fit in your Jeans Cuisine" diet once a month, my wins, my failures... my poor husbands love while he eats it even when it's awful (of course I'll throw in what awesome outfit I'm wearing from Next Door while I slave away in the kitchen). Are you excited? I'm excited!

Lynee

To view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

Relaxing in January

Hi Babyboomers
I hope you are relaxing and taking it easy. 

Had a lovely time but this is how I felt after Xmas

We spent a few recovery days at Nambucca Heads which is a delightful, relaxing coastal destination about a 5 hour drive north of Sydney. I'll let the video below take you there.   Click on the arrow.  Clara

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How to put on skin tight jeans after Xmas

 

I only need a belt in case my jeans burst

Hi Babyboomers
Thought you might benefit from some post Xmas hints on how to fit in your jeans.
G said,"I only need a belt in case my jeans burst."

Or Peter Hinchliff's experience, "The other day I got a clean pair of jeans out of the wardrobe. Then began a two-minute nightmare as I struggled to get into them. I couldn't get the wretched things past my knees, let alone fasten the button at the waist.


"Oh no," thought I in the midst of the wrestling match. "No more cake. No more biscuits. No more eating for a week." Then I noticed the label on the jeans. They were my wife's. She'd hung them in my wardrobe by mistake.


Everyone should be lucky enough to find a smaller person's jeans in their wardrobe after Christmas feasting. The relief at discovering they belong to someone else makes up for having gained an inch around the waist.......... and then about why it happens...... "Eating up every chocolate and biscuit, draining the whisky bottle to the last drop isn't mere self-indulgence. It's a duty. A display of appreciation. A way of saying thank you." Let waist-lines bulge and buttons strain as we accept the responsibility of showing appreciation to our gift-givers.

Like many people today we are more conscious that good food can taste indulgent without necessarily being so, with the obvious exceptions of course. So here are some of the delicious, less indulgent dishes we enjoyed on Xmas day, which I will post over the week. At this time of the year, one needs to keep on making the dishes rather than write about them.


Capsicum Dip with Parmesan Cheese Rounds
Thai BBQ prawns served with Mango and Avocado salad with snowpeas and roasted sesame seeds
Stuffed Turkey Breast, and honey cured ham with Green salad with Salsa Verde, and Roasted beetroot and pumpkin salad with goats' cheese and walnuts
Potato salad with yoghurt dressing
Pavlova with berries served with Yoghurt or Mascarpone cream.

We were very fortunate to have some wonderful wines to accompany each course, thanks to our resident wine expert.


I hope you all had a fantastic festive dinner and can still 'fit in your jeans.' If not, all is not lost - visit http://www.fitinyourjeanscuisine.com/ for tasty healthy food or if all else fails, read the instructions below on How to put on Skin Tight Jeans


Clara
Handy Hints
Put the jeans on in the morning, after a cold shower. Putting your skin-tight jeans on in the morning will increase the chances of success since you haven't eaten much. Also, a cold shower will get your body as taut as possible, making you slightly slimmer.
Wiggle into the jeans. Putting a belt through the jeans' belt loops will help you pull the jeans up. Using the belt as a grip, wiggle side to side to get the jeans over your hips.
Zip up first. Closing the button is almost always the hardest part of putting on skin tight jeans, so try get the zipper closed first. If the jeans are really skin tight, hook the end of a hanger into the zipper so you can leverage the zipper up.
Hold your breath. Like an athlete at the finish line, the last step takes a deep breath in. Breathe in deeply so you contract your midsection and in one quick and deft motion get that button closed.


Click on 'comment' at bottom of page to have your say or email clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

Aren't those jeans more suitable for a younger woman? Fightin' words!

Hi Babyboomers
I asked the advice of my friends in USA, Renotta (jeanophile) and Renee (fashion blogger)
Re - What shoes to wear with skinny jeans?
Ok, so we are coming into summer but it still feels like winter. It hasn't been warm enough to bare the toes but it's time to wear white jeans.
So here I am - on my way out to meet up with weekly, long term, similar - aged friends and I am wearing new white skinny jeans I bought on sale; to-die-for Hudson jeans with fabulous detail, which fitted damned well! I tucked them into my short black boots, and said, 'Let's go, Baby!"

So then G says, " Aren't those jeans more suitable for a younger woman? Fightin' words!

I ran it past my friends who said, diplomatically, unlike G, "You have such slim hips etc"
But in the lift, on our way out, husband of friend said, " Hmm, I see what he means - whatever that meant!" Did they have a quiet conversation about it? How extraordinary!

I guess it was the white jeans tucked into the black boots that caused the upset, but I really like that look with blue jeans. Perhaps it was the contrast that didn't work.

Clara

The answers will be found at http://fitinyourjeanscuisine.blogspot.com



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Chicken Chow Mein,Chop Suey !- Remember the first Chinese restaurants?



With a wonderfully wild freshness due to the overuse of
delicate herbs, this is a definite Clara favourite.

Hi there Babyboomers

We love Asian cuisine and Australia's multicultural immigration program lead to a diversification of cuisine, particularly under the influence of Mediterranean and South East Asian migrants.

Chop Suey

Remember the first Chinese restaurants?   So many of the dishes definitely had Chinese origins, but were modified to suit the western taste - I recall going to a Chinese restaurant  in US, which offered a side salad!   In Australia and US, an insipid menu by today's standards - Spring rolls, Dim Sims, Fried Rice, and Chop Suey which was 'assorted pieces of chicken, fish, beef, shrimp / prawns or pork and eggs, cooked quickly with vegetables such as beansprouts, cabbage and celery, bound in a starch-thickened sauce and  typically served with rice.   Then there was Chicken Chow Mein, consisting of celery and onions in a whitish sauce with crunchy noodles, and  Sweet and Sour Prawns or whatever - great if the sweetness and sourness were balanced but more often, particularly re  the US version, consisting of an overly thickened super sweet sauce.

Most Australian country towns, to this day, have a Chinese restaurant where the food can be decidedly gloopy (or surprisingly wonderful)  but fortunately this is usually balanced by a Thai or general Asian restaurant.


The featured Asian herb salad recently got the tick with key players  where it went perfectly with the first course of BBQ chicken skewers served Asian style. See link below

The wonderfully wild freshness is achieved by massive overuse of delicate herbs along with an Asian dressing.   We've come a long way!
Clara
ps - is there any gold left?

Ingredients
250g / 8 oz rocket (arugula) leaves - (rimmed of excess stems (substitute any peppery lettuce)
125g / 4oz each of mint, basil, coriander  (leaves picked from stems, washed and spun dry)
30g / 1 oz chervil if available
2/3 cup canned bamboo shoots - (preferably already cut into matchstick)
Dressing
2 shallots, peeled, halved, and finely sliced
l tbsp rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
l tsp sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp mirin
sea salt and pepper

For the dressing, mix the shallots, rice vinegar, and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
Trim any excess stems from the arugula, and pick the herb leaves from their stems. Rinse and spin dry the arugula and herbs. Cut the bamboo shoots into matchsticks.
To make the dressing, whisk the olive oil, sesame oil, mirin, sea salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Stir in the shallot mixture, then taste and adjust the flavors.
Very lightly toss the arugula, bamboo shoots, and herbs in the dressing, and serve, with chopsticks.

Link for chicken skewers belowhttp://fitinyourjeanscuisine.blogspot.com/2010/10/skewers-capture-finger-food.html
To view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

Leafy green vegetables - 'little black dress' of the vegetable world

Clara says 'Eat More Green Leaves' because we are grazers. Leafy green vegetables are like the 'little black dress' of the vegetable world. They go with just about everything and they’re appropriate for every occasion,Green leaves are perhaps the most anti-ageing of all foods and since I am passionate about my greens, once I start on them I seem to need to give all the good news. (below)

Obviously, the best way to eat greens is uncooked, fresh from the garden, with Spinach or Rocket being my favourites because of their versatility. They can be stir fried in a little olive oil, wilted by steaming for a very short time, but I love them when added to cooked vegetables, at the last minute for extra colour and super nutrition.

'Eat More Green Leaves' because we are grazers

Sichuan Style Spinach or Green Leaves
30g peanut oil
20 black peppercorns
4 dried red chillies
2 garlic cloves
2 bunches English spinach
Sea salt
30ml chinese wine
Dash sesame oil
Heat oil over medium heat, add groundpeppercorns and chilli until fragrant. Remove, add garlic, then wine, salt, spinach and cook until wilted and liquid nearly evaporated. Add seasoning, and chilli.



It was common for our ancient ancestors to eat up to six pounds of leaves per day, ie a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Calorie for calorie, they are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, can help prevent age-related cognitive decline and may also reduce your risk of skin canceramong many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.
Almost Carb-Free, with the carbs that are there packed in layers of fibre, which make them very slow to digest.


Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important functions.
Vitamin K
•Regulates blood clotting
•Helps protect bones from osteoporosis
•May be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthritis.
Fat-soluble vitamin, so make sure to put dressing on your salad, or cook your greens with oil.
Quick-cooking Greens
These greens can either be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Six cups of raw greens become approximately one cup of cooked greens and take only a few minutes to cook. Spinach, Chard, Rocket, Beet Greens, Dandelion greens, Sorrel and Cabbage belong in this category.
Greens should be dry or almost dry, after washing; store in a bag with as much of the air pushed out as you easily can. I like to put a barely damp paper towel in for just the right amount of moisture. Then, put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge.



To view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page or send an email - clara@babyboomerconnections.com.au or visit my website at www.babyboomerconnections.com.au

There's a Man in My Kitchen!

Dear Babyboomers
What do you do when "There's a man in my kitchen and he cooks a better than your average meal?" 

Answer - enjoy! And stay out of the kitchen. A monthly Mosman magazine, delivered free, a good read, glossy ads of what's available, where to go, a few recipes etc. When I returned from tutoring, it was opened at Pork with prunes, sage, sauteed apples and hazelnuts was G was in process. And this was a man whose previous inspiration was Carrots and Beans with the occasional Microwave Miracle.
Encore G


Clara

And from an expert chef - From 'Wisdom' by Andrew Zucherman - 'Love'


"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin. . He moves on to say "Cook with love. Sit down around the table and share food with your children and your family. ....... You always communicate through cooking. You cannot cook indifferently, otherwise the food won't come across the right way.


There is a great deal of love which goes into the making of food, and you always cook for the other; maybe the purest expression of love is to cook for someone. I don't see myself alone, standing in front of the top of the sink and making a souffle of lobster. But as soon as someone else comes, whether it's your mother or your lover or your child or a friend; then you set up the table around you; you add to your table, and you open the wine."


.....and "I remember my daughter when she was small and standing in her crib for the first time that I gave her caviar and I put it on bread - butter and caviar - she licked it up and she said,"Encore Papa."
Clara's version of the meal http://fitinyourjeanscuisine.blogspot.com/


To view or add comment, click on comments at bottom of page or send an email -
or visit my website at http://www.babyboomerconnections.com.au/