Living It With Lisa

Now you don’t think that Vic will be going without a wardrobe makeover do you?  Everytime a box arrived I told him that his stylist had some things for him to preview.  So here we go for the three Derby Events that we will be attending…

THE OAKS - Since pink is the color theme, Vic loves it.  Pink he says is his power color. He will wear his Black Sports coat with a pink shirt and gray slacks.  His tie will be black with small pink daisies.   I found the pink shirt and tie at Nordstrom’s.  Since the gentleman’s attire should compliment the ladies … I think this works!

THE GALA – Vic decided that he would finally buy a tuxedo since packing a rental seemed silly.  He informed me that he needed 140 wool.  Seems that the higher the count the lighter the fabric.  So I decided to order one online.  I found a site that had lots of tuxedo styles and had 140 wool or better.  I ordered one that was traditional styling in 150 wool and the other was a mandarin collar.  I knew that Vic would LOVE the mandarin collar, because one of he favorite shirts is collarless.  I had to take it away from him, but that is another story.  When the box arrived it was time to check it all out.

Here is the backstory.  Vic does NOT wear anything that has polyester in it.  He says it is too hot. Cut to him checking out the mandarin color tux.  He really liked it.  I wasn’t sure what the fabric was because it didn’t say what it was online.  As I was telling him that we checked out the fabric … 100% polyester!  I knew that was going back … but to my AMAZEMENT Vic thinks that it will be ok!  HELLO??? Where did my husband go and who is talking to me!  I knew he would love it … but that was a shocker.  Plus all the tuxedos were 50% off, so that made them very reasonable.  We did keep it and sent the others back.

You can wear this style with either a wing tip shirt or a traditional shirt.  I really wanted the wing tip but could not find an ascot tie that I liked fast enough.  A matching tie and vest were supposed to arrive on Tuesday but did not, so he will wear the traditional shirt with a traditional tuxedo tie.   The twist will be …shoes.  We are going for his boots instead.  I love that look.  Go figure!  LOL

THE DERBY – Vic needed a couple of new shirts so he sent me to his favorite online retailer, Paul Frederick.  In my web search I had not come across them yet.  So I parused their site and found sale after sale.  I just had to buy some other things, just to check it out.  Knowing that finding Big and Tall sizes are NOT easy and the selection in the stores are slim picking.  I found a light gray suit on their site that I just had to order for $138 !!!  When we got it, we were both amazed.  That turned out to be the deal of all deals. Vic wasn’t in the market for a new suit but at that price and the fact that DARK is not the desired color … remember Seersucker?  Well this is as close as Vic will get to that!

I found a pale gray shirt and a tie that will look great with his Italian Borsalino fedora should he decide to wear a hat.   Then I started to worry about his shoes.  Now Vic will be the first to tell you that he owns more shoes now, that he has had in his entire life pre-Lisa!  And I say YAY!  is that a problem?   Other than black there were no choices in his closet for a light gray suit.  So when I was in Austin, I was at Nordstrom’s Rack (their outlet store) and low and behold I found a Calvin Klein white loafer.  Joseph saw me pick it up and said “I have those shoes.  They are the most comfortable shoes I own”.   I stuck my foot in them and he was right.  The felt like pillows.  SOLD!   Now to ease Vic into the notion!

Last night I pulled them out and he stared at them for a solid 30 seconds.  Looked up and said “and for $99 down and $99 a month, you too can drive away in this car!”  We were laughing so hard.  He did try them on and sure enough very comfortable.  Reminding him that he needs to change shoes for each event…wearing the same shoe all day long equals sore feet.  (He’s done that in the past.)  So we went over the attire list and the shoes have found a new home!

Vic’s Derby Attire, DONE!  check!

You know what this has reminded me of?  Putting together a wardrobe for the Miss Texas Pageant!  Now that is a blast from the past!

We are off to Louisville.   So stay tuned for pictures of us cavorting about Churchill Downs.

There three main events that have specific requirements … unless of course you are in the middle of the racetrack in cutoffs watching the races!  This year we will definitely not be wearing cutoffs and mud wrestling!

Doublemint Twins

Our first event of the weekend is The Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday April 30th (my birthday).  That evening we will be attending the Barnstable Brown Gala.  Which is hosted by the Doublemint Twins.  Do you remember their commercials?

With the most eye-catching guest list of Derby week, the Barnstable Brown party has long been a coveted ticket on the Louisville social calendar.  Proceeds go to support the Barnstable-Brown Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Kentucky.

Barnstable Twins

The Barnstable-Brown Foundation raises funds for diabetes research through its internationally known Kentucky Derby party, the Barnstable Brown Gala. The foundation is led by Patricia Barnstable Brown; her son, Christopher Barnstable Brown; her sister, Priscilla Lee Barnstable; and her mother, Wilma Haverly Barnstable.  The late David E. Brown, husband of Patricia Barnstable Brown, was the inspiration behind the gala. He died July 2003, after a long battle with diabetes.

Our third event will be of course The Derby also known as the fastest 2 minutes in sports!   These three events required specific outfits as you have gathered from my previous posts.  So the search began.  First with the hats and now to complete the ensemble.

THE OAKS - I did find a simple black dress to wear with my pink hat.  The hardest part was trying to find pink shoes that matched/blended with the pink hat.  Believe me I exhausted the web and beyond and finally determined that was not possible since it seems that all the shoes that I found had more of a blue base … like fushia.  That just did not work.  So black Classiques Entier suede heels it was to be.

So instead I decided to try and find a pink purse.  On my trip to Austin, I was introduced to a store called Charming Charlie.  OH MY WORD … what an experience.  Every kind of accessory and color coordinated in the store.  So if you needed pink… you went to the pink section.  Seriously!  I found a pink and black faux snakeskin clutch.  I gambled on the color and brought it back to Florida.  By this time I had a good idea what color of pink I was looking for.  It worked!  Now at least I have more pink that just the Louise Green hat.  Maybe the dress police won’t fine me for wearing a black dress!

THE GALA – Well I thought I would pull a dress out of my closet for this black tie affair.  That doesn’t work when you have gained weight and are a size larger that what the dress is.  Looking like a sausage will not do!  Since I wasn’t sure where to shop and FAST in Florida, I headed back to Austin where I knew where to go for power shopping in two days.  I found a gorgeous dress with my girlfriend Stacy at St. Thomas (sorry no picture) and then of course they added a necklace that totally MADE the dress.  Simple yet contemporary.   The dress is long, black silk, strapless, fitted with a flowing skirt.  The necklace is black beveled stones with turquoise and can be worn with jeans too.   (See the justification – lol and the turquoise is the green color that all the other turquoise that Vic has purchased for me … so I have added to my collection!)   I will be wearing gorgeous heels from Elizabeth and James that have the same type black stone on them.  Believe it or not I had those first, along with a black silk evening bag that looks like a flower from White House Black Market.

THE DERBY – To go with my Black and white hat will be my wedding diamond and pearl earrings.  My  dress is black and white and simple and classic and will be worn with the Elizabeth and James heels that I am wearing to the Gala.  I am putting a splash of color with the purse.  A Mary Frances bag that is black with red cloth roses.  After all it is the race for the roses!

I really did let my fingers do the walking.  Most were ordered on the web which felt like Christmas everytime Sam the UPS driver came.

My Derby attire DONE! – check!

Next up … Vic’s Derby attire!

(to read all the Derby posts click on The Kentucky Derby category)

Where on earth am I going to find a Derby hat much less more than one in central Florida?  And then what color?

Before I let my fingers do the walking around the world wide web as my shopping grounds, I had to do my research.  First, just exactly what kind of hat did the ladies REALLY wear?  What do the guys wear?  Believe it or not there is right and wrong apparel for Derby.  Tradition states that certain rules must be followed.  Follow these steps for dressing right for Derby Day.

STEP 1:  Choose your hat (ladies only, of course). Hats go with the Derby like the frosting on a birthday cake. It should be large-brimmed, feminine and frilly (think 18th-century France), and worn low on the brow tilted slightly to one side. Design the rest of your outfit around the hat.

STEP 2:  First it is spring, not a cocktail party.  So no cocktail dresses at the races … think Easter.  Think Easter bonnets. And believe it or not, it is appropriate for the men to wear Seersucker Suits.  Do they make those anymore?  The answer, YES!  Trust me right or not … Vic will NOT be in seersucker!

STEP 3:  Dress business casual for  many venues at Churchill Downs.  This means blazers and jackets with collared shirts and ties for men, dresses and pantsuits for ladies. Denim, shorts and tennis shoes, torn or frayed clothing aren’t welcome in here.

Believe me these are the cliff notes.  After scouring picture after picture to get the look and feel of what we were about to embark upon I think I finally got a grasp of how to SHOP!

Now if you want a funny blog post … go to the Blacksnob for a read that will get you giggling.

Vic and I celebrate our birthdays going somewhere.  Last year I stayed home and Vic chose Ireland.  So while we were driving to South Beach for the SoBe Food & Wine Festival in late February, he asked me where I wanted to go this year.  I had not even given it a thought!  He mentioned the Hershey Spa, since that was planned last year and we didn’t go.  I said no, but it was still on my list.  As we passed a billboard that was promoting John Fogarty on April 27th, Vic chimes in and says we could to see him for MY birthday.  NOPE! don’t think so…

That got me thinking and brainstorming just where I might want to go.  I remembered several years ago, Vic thought about going to the Kentucky Derby because his mother was born on May day, in Kentucky on Derby day.  That particular year Derby Day fell once again on her birthday.  Needless to say they didn’t go.  So, I said “well the Derby is on my list, not for this year since we haven’t planned a thing, but definitely on the list”.  And we carried on about other places never making a decision.

Cut to the Food & Wine Festival.  We were there with American Express BIO (By Invitation Only) group.  On Saturday evening we had a private dinner with Chef Michael Chiarello.  During dinner Vic was visiting with Dave and Debbie and I was visiting with Casey from Gainesville sitting next to me.  Towards the end of dinner, Vic leans over to me and says, “Guess where Dave and Debbie are going?”  ”The Kentucky Derby!”   Needless to say I wanted to know where Debbie was getting her hat!

On our way back to our room, Vic proceeds to tell me that he shared with Dave and Debbie that the Derby was on my Birthday Wish List.  During dinner Dave emailed his cousin to see if he could get 2 more tickets to the Derby.  I was shocked and excited at the possibility!

The next day we are at one of the Culinary Events and we see them.  Dave turns around and tells us that he just got an email back from his cousin that they have two tickets for us, if we are still interested!  I am stunned!  Now that is the Law of Attraction at work … in spades!

Needless to say the whirlwind began. HATS topped the list for sure! (no pun intended).  Not one but TWO.  One for The Oaks race which just happens to be on my birthday AND the color is PINK.  Why? Because all the fillies are racing and it benefits Breast Cancer Awareness.  And then there is the Derby Race … run for the roses … the fastest two minutes in sports racing!

So join me on my unexpected journey to Churchill Downs.