Spotlight On: Over 40 Style: Fine Whatever Blog - Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
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Spotlight On: Over 40 Style: Fine Whatever Blog

Hello Friends!

Happy Monday! Do those two words go together? Well, I suppose if you had a good weekend, it helps to put you in a good mood for Monday. I am going to share with you another of my Spotlight On-Over 40 series today and introduce you to Rena of Fine Whatever Blog. Come on! Who hasn’t said that at some point, or at least thought that ? Rena is going to talk to you about why she named her blog this and tell you a bit more about her Over 40 style. If you are not familiar with my Spotlight On-Over 40 Series, please click HERE for more interviews.

1) First, explain to the readers how you got the name for your blog Fine Whatever Blog? Is there a teenager in the household?

The actual name of the blog is “It’s all Fine. Whatever tickles the fancy” and while one of my kids is still a teenager, he wasn’t the inspiration for the blog’s name.  As a victim of my own over-thinking, the name came about for two reasons.

First, it’s well known that the words “fine” and “whatever” are two of the most annoying in the English language and men usually hate getting that response from women in their lives and when they are combined, it’s like gasoline on a fire. And second, at the time I was thinking of starting my blog, I was intrigued by a song called “Whatever floats your boat”.

So the concept behind the name is a message of letting go of the passive/aggressive “fine, whatever” and embracing a new ideal.  Being stylish, having fun, and celebrating the moment with “it’s all fine, whatever tickles the fancy”.

2) I enjoyed reading the categories of your blog: Tell the readers what “Hooks the Look” means?

As I was setting up my blog, I had defined five categories; fashion, shopping, food, health/fitness, and fun stuff like hobbies/crafts/travel.  Here again as the victim of my own over-thinking, I wanted the names for my categories that tied back to the name of the blog.

I began looking up and jotting down “whatever” phrases like “floats your boat” that I could use and then my inner-geek that likes rhythms and patterns popped up and wanted these phrases to rhyme.  “Hooks the Look” is the category on style and it covers clothing, hair/makeup, and home décor.  The other category names are “Props the Shop”, “Hustles the Muscle”, “Skates the Plate”, and “Spins the Grin”.

3.You also mention in your blog that you love tap dancing! When did you start and what kept your interest. ( I used to tap myself!)

My start with tap dancing began about 13 years ago after switching my daughter to a new dance studio for her dance lessons.  At the time, this new studio offered a moms’ tap class that was for exercise only and would not be part of the annual dance recital.  I was curious about it and a couple of the moms of my daughter’s friends who were taking the class encouraged me to try it.

I liked it but my attendance was sporadic because of other commitments and I stopped going.  With the start of the new school year the following Fall, I had decided to try tap again but the studio director had dropped the exercise only class and was now offering a teen/adult tap class that would be part of the annual recital (adults could opt of performing).  I really wanted to give tap another go and figured it might not be so bad to be in a recital.

4) I was interested in talking about the “Goodwill Boutique” Is this just a name for the Goodwill stores that pop up in the fancier parts of town? Tell us the experience you had there.

It’s my understanding that Goodwill stores are run regionally and that stores based on a higher-end boutique concept is offered in many of them.  The goals of the boutique stores is to take advantage of luxury donations and get a leg up on the competition, including for-profit thrift stores and other re-sale stores.

The closest one to where we live is about 1½ hour drive away.  About a year ago, The Husband and I found ourselves in that area for another reason but we took advantage of the situation to stop by.

The décor, ambiance, and merchandise displays were similar to a standard retail store.  The clothing, as well as the home goods and housewares, seemed less weathered and worn than I’ve seen at other thrift stores and they were all well organized by type and color.  My haul for that trip was 9 items of clothing for about $100; four pairs of pants, a skirt, a cold-shoulder top, a jacket, a lighter-weight coat, and a pair of shoes.

5) PLease explain what a “linkup” is and your Powers the Flower linkup When did you begin loving florals and what makes you want to wear them?

A linkup is defined as a connection enabling two or more people or machines to communicate with each other and in the bloggingsphere, a linkup party is a way to connect with other bloggers and highlight some of your best content.  I initially created my linkup with a floral theme and Powers the Flower is another take off from the whatever phrases.  I can’t say when I began loving florals as it seems like I always have.  I think that I like them because they are decidedly feminine but can be worn in a way that is not frilly or fussy.

6) Have you made any New Years Resolutions? If so, what?

I’m a member of the “no resolutions” movement but I do believe in self-improvement so I’ve tried other types of New Year’s “fresh starts”.  In 2016 I tried “16 Goals For 2016” but I got a bit crazy with the 16 For 16 theme and overloaded myself so it didn’t work out well.  This year, I’ve set up “17 Challenges In ‘17” and a new one starts every 3 weeks.  The whole concept is explained in a recent post.

7) Is there anything in fashion that you want to try for 2017? ( ex. experiement with style, mix patterns more, high low style?)

I’m intrigued by a ‘deconstructed’ look; frayed hems, inside-out seams, raw edges.  Wearable art is another aspect of fashion I’d like to play with and I’d also like to focus on evolving my style to include more comfortable and yet fashionable footwear.

8)  Cancun or Switzerland?

While I enjoy time in the sun and on the sand, I’d have to pick Switzerland because it brings to mind snowy mountains, lush green landscapes, and quaint villages

9) Shoes or Purses . ( explain)

A quick glance in my closet would tell you that it’s shoes although I do have many purses as well.  Shoes are a necessity in an outfit and they can make or break the look.

10)  Give us some tips to how you style your curly hair. I love the waves ( mine is poker straight!)

It’s been a lifelong battle dealing with my hair.  As a child I wished for long, straight hair like my sister and friends.  Since my mother didn’t know how else to deal with my hair, I wore it short.  I did try growing it out as a teen but it was very frizzy and I didn’t know anything about styling products back then.

Eventually I learned about products to use and how to blow dry/iron my hair.  I even tried various methods of chemical straightening but it was because of my daughter that I learned to embrace the curls.  The message I had gotten from my mother about my curls was that they were bad (and hence my love/hate battle) and I didn’t want to my daughter to grow up with that same impression about her beautiful curly hair.  Think of the mixed hair when I was telling her how much I liked hers.

I’ve learned that my hair needs lots of moisturizing and lots of styling products to keep it under control.  I’ve adopted a “co-washing” approach where in between days when I actually use shampoo, I only apply conditioner to “wash” my hair.  And since my hair tends to be rather dry, I can get away with using shampoo only once a week.  At night, I sleep with my hair gathered up in a topknot to minimize roughness and frizzing that comes from pillow friction.

11) Where do you get your style inspiration? ( other bloggers, magazines, ?)

I find style inspirations from a number of sources.  Magazines and catalogs are a given because that’s what they are intended to do.  There are a few women I know where I work who have inspired me and now with blogging, I’ve expanded on my world of “colleagues” who inspire me.  I also find inspiration from several television shows like The Good Wife, Younger, and believe it or not, John Oliver’s Last Week TonightThere was an episode some time last year where he wore a black and white check shirt under a gray flannel jacket and I can remember thinking how much I liked that combination and that I wanted to try using it in an outfit for myself.

12) What do you hope to achieve with your blog this year, 2017?

Wow, this is probably the hardest question to answer.  I started my blog as a means of self-expression and as a way of recording who I am.  At the beginning, I had little understanding of how I would attract a following or how to connect with other bloggers or even how to generate any revenue.  I’m proud of the growth in my following that I made last year and I cherish all of the connections that I’ve made with bloggers like you.  In 2017, I want to expand on those successes (and perhaps make a little bit of money),  but most importantly, I want my blog to continue to challenge me to be stylish, to have fun, and to celebrate my life.

Thank you Rena for being a part of my Spotlight On Series, follow Rena on Facebook.

Follow me on INSTAGRAM for more Over 40 fashion.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU TOMORROW FOR TURNING HEADS TUESDAY LINKUP! If you are not familiar with what a linkup is, please click HERE.

Jess xo

More Pieces of Me | Beauty By Miss L |Frosting | Whitney Nic James | Elegantly FashionableStill Being Molly | Fashionably Employed |  Style NudgeLife of Meg || Claire Justine

20 Comments
  • Elle
    Posted at 16:00h, 28 March Reply

    Jess,
    I loved this very interesting interview. I must say Rena has great style, I loved her outfit with the tiered dresses and denim jacket, and I adore her curls!
    Glad to know there is another shoe- and handbag lover out there!
    xx, Elle
    http://www.theellediaries.com/blog/

  • Amy Christensen
    Posted at 14:15h, 02 February Reply

    Great interview, Jess. I’m going to hop on over to Rena’s blog and subscribe. – Amy
    http://stylingrannymama.com/

  • jacqui
    Posted at 13:36h, 31 January Reply

    Interesting read, it’s nice to get an insight to some one other than their fashion sense. I too have recently returned to tap classes! I love it, and a good way to keep fit! Jacqui
    http://www.mummabstylish.com

  • Adriele (@StyleAssisted)
    Posted at 16:00h, 30 January Reply

    Jess, she is lovely, thank you for introducing us to her! Rena is spunky and hilarious. I loved getting to know her on this post. Love the interview style!

    -Adriele
    http://www.StyleAssisted.com

    • Jess Jannenga
      Posted at 17:53h, 30 January Reply

      Thank you Adriele, glad you enjoyed the interview. It is fun to learn more about our blogging friends. xx

  • Patti
    Posted at 14:05h, 30 January Reply

    Great to get to know you better! And thanks for linking up to Visible Monday, xo

    Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

  • Erica Ashley
    Posted at 12:43h, 30 January Reply

    What a great interview! I love hearing about other bloggers and their passions 🙂

    • Jess Jannenga
      Posted at 14:20h, 30 January Reply

      Thank you Erina, I am the same, I enjoy learning more about my blogging friends. xx

  • Liz
    Posted at 11:45h, 30 January Reply

    What a fun interview! I love reading about other bloggers. Happy Monday!

    Liz
    http://Www.lizzieinlace.com

    • Jess Jannenga
      Posted at 11:54h, 30 January Reply

      Hi Lizzie, thanks so much for popping by! I do too, and enjoy this series, it is fun to get to know people better. Happy Monday to youxx

  • Gemma
    Posted at 09:10h, 30 January Reply

    Great post, nice to see Renas style and discover her blog!

    Gemma x
    http://www.jacquardflower.uk

    • Jess Jannenga
      Posted at 09:47h, 30 January Reply

      Thank you Gemma! So glad you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful week. xx

  • robjodiefilogomo
    Posted at 09:02h, 30 January Reply

    It’s so fun to get to know the bloggers we interact with in more detail!! Thanks so much for doing this Jess!
    jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

  • Nancy
    Posted at 03:08h, 30 January Reply

    Oh what a lovely interview! She has such original names for everything on her blog! And I love her hairstyle!

    • Jess Jannenga
      Posted at 09:49h, 30 January Reply

      Thank you Nancy! Glad you enjoyed the interview , I do enjoy finding out more about my blogger friends. xx

  • Rena
    Posted at 01:48h, 30 January Reply

    Jess, thank you so much for asking me to be a featured blogger in your Spotlight On series. I’m honored to now be part of such a distinguished group of bloggers.

    Rena

    • Jess Jannenga
      Posted at 09:50h, 30 January Reply

      Hi Rena, Happy to! I love to find out more about my blogging friends and enjoy your elegant style. Have a great week! xx

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