My fondest dream — well, after becoming a bestselling novelist, owning my own tropical island and acquiring the ability to eat chocolate all day with impunity — is to learn how to wear a scarf like all those stylish celebrities. Or, like every other normal woman knows how to wear a scarf — except me. I love scarves and collect as many as I can, but whenever I wear on I just end up looking silly. Sigh. Read more at my column in today’s TimesDaily, http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20090116/ARTICLES/901160302
Scarves
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My younger daughter loves fashion and putting outfits together. She’s the best 
thrift-store shopper I know. We go into a Salvation Army dig store and I’m done in three minutes because there’s nothing there — I think — and she emerges with an armload of cute and stylish pieces. Of course, she’s young and cute and stylish herself, so that helps immensely! Most thrift-store finds would just look sort of sad on me but she wears them with flair. It’s all in the attitude, and she’s got it. The other secret to thrift-store shopping, I think, is combining high and low and new and found. When she was home for the holidays, she brought some of her latest discoveries and had fun putting looks 
together. In these pictures she was going to a Christmas party with her dad’s family and was trying to winterize a festive 
black sundress with pink embroidery she’d bought in a thrift store for about $4, I think. First she tried a black short-sleeved pullover top over the whole thing. Nice, but no pizazz, although it fit her well. So next she tried a black cardigan with black velvet trim and little black velvet bows on the pockets for an elegant yet casual touch. Adorable! I voted for this look, but I got outvoted — she ended up ditching the dress idea and instead headed to the party in her usual but very chic college-student look of jeans, boots, scarf and sweater. And here’s the thing: These two black tops are mine, and she looks great in them. However, if I wore this sundress, I would only look ridiculous. Why is that? My daughters borrow from me and look fantastic (better than I do in the same clothes, that’s for sure) but the reverse does not hold true at all. If somebody can figure this out and fix it, I’d be so grateful! In the meantime, I continue to be in awe of both my daughters’ creativity and style. I’m in constant hope that some of that gets passed up to me.
If you’re looking for some of the most beautiful and creative jewelry ever, go to etsy.com and check out the offerings from birdznbeez. A 
jewelry maker in the Midwest, she puts together lovely whimsical pieces that will make you smile. For several years, my two 20-something daughters and I have been collecting jewelry with birds, and when my son-in-law found birdzNbeez on etsy, he knew we would all love it. He was right! We ordered several things for Christmas gifts, and they were even more amazing in person than in photographs. And prices are right, too. You know similar jewelry in upscale boutiques is almost three times as much. But the problem is that now I: 1) Want more of this jewelry; 2) Want more clothes to match the coolness factor of these pieces; and 3) Want more places to go to show off my new clothes and jewelry. Or, I could just send y’all to the Web site and live vicariously through your purchases. I wonder which option my husband would prefer …
Welcome to the eighth day of Cathy’s New Year Countdown. Look, I promise you that it is not too late to make your 2009 resolutions. (Go to 
On the second day of Cathy’s New Year Countdown, it’s time to do your part for the economy: Get out there and spend your Christmas money. On yourself. Look, you were good all December. You got everybody everything on their lists and you did it within your budget while ignoring all temptation to treat yourself. You resisted the pull of those luxurious cashmere sweaters that felt so good, those fabulous high-heeled pumps that called out your name, that gorgeous jacket you accidentally tried on. But your job as a giver is done now! It’s over. You did good and everybody’s happy. Time to reward yourself. And, listen, all this talk about sales and bargains and slashed prices are true right now. Go shopping this weekend and I promise you can get about three times the value for your money. Really. I promise. If you don’t believe me, check out Web sites such as 
Welcome to Day No. 2 in Cathy’s 12 Days Before Christmas Countdown. It’s Christmas Eve — time to get those stockings up. And if you still can’t find them (when 
you unpack the Easter decorations in a couple months, they’ll be there as wrappings for your china eggs) but don’t want to brave the crowds to buy replacements, try this incredibly stylish alternative my friend Marlene does at her house. Can you see what she’s used in place of stockings? Look closer. She’s got Santa hats up around her fireplace — turned upside down, they’re the perfect Christmas “stocking.” Fabulous idea! But then, she’s that sort of stylishly fabulous person. I think she just lets me be her friend for comic relief. Check back tomorrow for Day No. 1 in Cathy’s Christmas Countdown.
I’ll admit that I usually spend December evenings curled up on the
couch watching Bing Crosby movies in my pajamas and eating the best part of Chex Mix — the burned crunchy bits at the bottom of the pan, but the invitation to a Christmas party in Huntsville, Alabama, for this past Saturday night said dress to impress. Marlene, the hostess, wanted a glam cocktail party, so my husband and I tried our best. How do you think we did? My husband always looks so spiffy in a suit. For the party, he went with classic all black and since he couldn’t find his Christmas tie, he substituted his Beatles one for a festive touch. My dress was a two-year-old (three? four?)
black halter from the sadly now-defunct Parisian’s, with the added feature of not being tight or binding in any way — my only prerequisite for party clothes. All I can say is, 
“Damn. We look good!” Marlene kept the festivities to proper cocktail hours so we could go out to eat or whatever afterwards, but before we did that, John and I stopped by my daughter and son-in-law’s apartment for a quick snuggle with almost 9-months-old grandson. Good company, good food and good baby time to top it off. Could it get any better?
Happy Day No. 11 in Cathy’s 12 Days Before Christmas Countdown. Let’s face it, as mom and CCO — chief Christmas officer — of your family, things are a bit hectic right now. So pour a cup of coffee, take a break and help Michelle Obama decide what to wear for the inauguration balls. Well, not really. But at 
of the company that publishes Ebony and Jet magazines and friend of the Obamas — on the first page of Sunday’s New York Times’ Style section? Here’s the link: 
Don’t you think? It’s a Weston Wear dress I bought this past summer in Birmingham, Alabama, to wear to a wedding — and here it shows up in the New York Times Styles section. On a publishing magnate. On a friend of the President-elect. A dress that I personally have in my closet. I mean, this woman is smart and gorgeous and rich and powerful and knows the upcoming First Family and could presumably wear anything she wanted to and she and I picked out the same dress!!!! I am absolutely stunned. Does this mean I have somehow acquired a sense of adult style? Can world domination be far behind??? And as a side note, this only further solidifies my belief that we Americans finally and with much wishy-washiness have chosen a good team.
Coffee with Cathy 