What I wore to jury duty

wearing: pink earrings / olive tee / tweed jacket / bucket bag / spring nail polish / wide leg jeans (on sale) / boots / (background is AI generated-read below)

OK, first off, I was called for jury duty and wanted to be comfortable yet professional, so I paired my wide leg jeans with a blazer in order to combine comfort with a bit of structure. I was in the jury pool and ended up not getting called despite having to sit in a courtroom for three days while a jury was picked. This was my outfit from day three, I failed to photograph day one and day two because the weather was so bad.

Second, this is a full disclaimer! It was pouring rain when we snapped this photo, and the background was terrible. I wanted to share my jury duty outfit, but I didn’t like the photo overall, so I decided to play with AI.

In case you haven’t noticed, AI is everywhere. Sometimes I really need to examine a photo online in order to ensure it is real. It can be really difficult to tell! Since I wanted to share this outfit, but wasn’t happy with the background, I reluctantly clicked the “generate background” button and typed in various commands, the results were often humorous.

I tried “city streets,” “courthouse,” “sidewalk,” “path,” “downtown,” and from the often disturbing, dystopian results, I decided to try something a bit more on the simple side. My next run through was “brick wall,” and “plain wall.” These two commands resulted in close to real backgrounds. I cleaned up the background on this white wall and voila! I had a clean enough background to make the picture worthy of sharing.

It does feel weird posting something with an AI generated background, but since I didn’t touch the subject, which was me, I felt like it was ethical to post this photo along with a full disclaimer.

What are your thoughts on AI? Do you think using it to improve a photo is ethical? Is what I did OK?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Spring 2025 handbag trends

spring handbag trends 2025

Spring handbag trends from top left: studded handbag / belted tote / boxy bag / east/west handbag / bucket bag / doctor bag /

The anonymous handbag is still ruling the streets, and it’s showing no signs of going away. I love the fact that quality has overpowered logos. Isn’t it fabulous? So, as we move into spring 2025, keep rocking your beautiful, anonymous handbags without breaking the bank! Love that!

When it comes to color, spring 2025 is all about neutrals, shades of green, shades of mocha, and an occasional pop of yellow, red, and pastels. We will mostly see neutrals, black, and shade of green when it comes to handbags.

Suede is transcending season and staying put for both the spring and summer seasons. So, if you have already invested in a suede handbag, perfect! If not, maybe take the plunge on one that isn’t too expensive. While there are ways to clean suede, you don’t want a situation where a $3000 handbag gets ruined.

The east/west handbag is still hot! If you already invested in an east/west handbag you’re all set. If not, this is a hot silhouette so snap one up for the new year.

Slouchy bucket bags are staying put too! In addition to slouchy bucket bags, look for belted bucket bags and buckets with top handles and/or cross body straps. Designers and brands are expanding what we know about the bucket.

Doctor bags are back! We saw them starting to emerge last year and this year they are going to explode. If you have one in the back of your closet, pull it out! If not, this is a classic investment handbag style, might as well invest in one during the spring season! Love!

Boxy bags are hot, daytime handbag styles. If you don’t already have one, invest in an anonymous style. Love!

Your work bag is getting a makeover. Plain tote bags are so last year. This season, look for a fabulous, belted tote. It can be soft and slouchy or stiff and structured. As long as your laptop stays put, it’s the perfect work tote! It just needs to be belted.

Rock n’ roll is here to stay! Studded handbags are staying put into spring 2025 too. Look for circular, flat and shiny studs. I love a good, studded handbag.

Lastly, designers are trying to make the IT bag from ten and twenty years ago happen. It’s not going to happen. Try to restrain yourself from dropping big bucks on a reissue. Thier time is fleeting and once the reissue collection sells out, so does everyone’s interest and they are back to looking dated. Stick to new, anonymous handbag styles at reasonable prices.

Well, that’s it! Spring is all about the anonymous handbag in a style which fits your daily life. Think buckets for daytime, belted totes for work, studs for fun, doctor bags and the east/west for any look, and suede for those living dangerously. Love it!

Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more spring coverage!

XOXO
Cathy

Rosie the Riveter National Historic State Park

Rosie the Riveter is an important part of our national history. Women came out of the homes during World War II to help build much-needed supplies for the war effort. This gave both women and minorities the opportunity to hold important jobs normally not open to them during peace-time.

There were a few different locations throughout the United States where Rosie the Riveter worked. One of those locations is right here in the San Francisco Bay Area in Berkeley. The Ford plant was turned into a factory for the war, and local women were able to obtain jobs there in order to help the war effort. It was an amazing operation which built important equipment for the war while giving people jobs normally not available to them. It’s incredible how efficient they were. The whole story makes me wish we still had the Ford factory in Berkeley!

The museum is extremely well done with excellent exhibits and informative movies. In addition, you can visit the various locations where everything was built and assembled throughout the area. Not only is it interesting and informative, it is in a beautiful location with views of San Francisco. Love that!

Whether you are local to the Bay Area or visiting, I highly recommend checking out our Rosie the Riveter museum. You can learn more at RosieTheRiveter.org.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy