Hi, This Is Jan's Mom

Hi guys! Going to let my mom take over my blog today because she's cool like that. ;)

Yes, that's an e-cig. Yes, I want her outfit.

Hi, I’m Jan’s mom. I’ve been wanting to do this, speaking my heart - about the people I love and like and my mind - about the people and things that I think I love. I am 53 and my 3 girls are all grown and practically living their own life. I have an 8 to 5 job, M-F, still work out and love to dance till I drop. I love reading, but it takes me forever to get through a novel. I fall asleep after a couple of paragraphs. You see, when you are at this point in your life, there are times when you won’t get a chance to speak with a single soul (at home), for days, so what I do is speak to myself and keep my mind preoccupied with ideas, on things I need to do and wanted to do…

I had my Jan when I was 27, the heaviest of the 3 at 8lb & 10 ounces through CS. She was the youngest. My first two girls were delivered normally, so at that very moment, I knew she will be different from her sisters. When she was a chubby toddler, she stays with my mom & dad and babysitter when I was at work. When she started going to school, she was pretty independent, never needed or asked for help with her homework or with any school stuff. She was artsy, loves books and coloring books, dressing up paper dolls and oh man, all her gadgets are all over, as in literally, all over the place. She was a QUIET little sweetheart, behaved and much disciplined ever since I’ve known her. When she turned 7 till 15, she just cannot stop talking about her day in school, about her classmates, about food, about anything under the sun. Most of my weekday evenings were spent, from the time she gets off that school bus, having dinner, to cleaning the kitchen to washing their uniforms till going to bed, listening to her. She will chase you around, even when I was in the bathroom, her story continues on and on and on... I should have named her ‘Belle’. [Now you know why I needed a blog. LOL. I. TALK. A. LOT.]

I used to go shopping abroad, ‘buy and sell’ apparel and accessories as a side job, and also buy me shoes, bags, jewelry and dresses of course. My girls were still young then, not fashion conscious yet, except for Jan. When she was seven, she would stare at my closet and say, “Mom, when you die, I will get to own all these clothes huh?” “Of course”, I said, “It will all be yours.”

She has a keen eye for fashion so when she turned 10, she started wearing my capri pants, blouses and shirts from Kamiseta, Cinderella and Giordano among others. She was almost as tall as I was then (5’5”). I remember her sisters calling her ‘senior citizen’ because she was wearing my style. She will also fix her hair in different ways, asked me to braid her hair sideways, or on top making her look like a princess, or just dolled up…
I cherish those memories, a few of those precious moments when she complained, “Mom, it’s too tight!” and her face looks like this ¦¬( [see bottom right picture above]

Now she is 25 and married...

Nothing has changed except for the distance [that's less than 30 miles!]. For me the heart knows no distance. We conquer the choppiest lines ever, talk as if there’s no tomorrow as well as get mad when somebody fails to pick up a call or reply to text or is nonresponsive. We call each other for urgent reasons like what color we like or what size would we order or if one has a promo or gift card for this and that or for any urgent nothings. Everything is urgent when it comes to the one you loved most.

I call on Jan during a fashion transition syndrome attack. I am very age-conscious, middle-aged woman and I want my dresses to look age-appropriate. I am a proportioned size 2 or an XS and I dress up according to my mood. Too many ideas (or dresses in my closet) sometimes make me lose myself. I ran to Jan to seek advice. Questions come pouring in like, ‘this, this or this for this occasion?’ … I like her taste and style, daring, unafraid to try new things and most of all, classy even in the most casual fashion. I go for classic and timeless styles. I know I need to begin to tone down the contrast. I always want to dress to please myself and reflect who I am. I believe that is how it is supposed to be…