Fascinator and the Edge

This is the look I love. Everybody looks good in this style. Southern Sisters LLC is working on a prototype of this style in felted alpaca. Black is our universal fashion color, so naturally, literally, Ruth has her first R & D challenge. So far it is looking good. We have another one in white felted alpaca with a white ostrich plume that I will add the netting to look like a birdcage veil to wear with a wedding suit. More on that one next post.

What we shall cover in this post is the term "fascinator". The fascinator is the focal point of the hat. All creations should have a fascinator or it is just a plain thing. It can be made of feathers, jewels, metal made into a cluster, woven band, or the like that would draw your attention to that point. Usually the base of the fascinator is smaller than a barrette, but occupies a lot of air space,

Some designers are making singleton hats of only the fascinator and they are usually called cocktail hats. This is fashionable after 5 PM when normally hats are not usually worn. What is magic about this particular hat that was created for Princess Diana, is the rare and exotic ostrich plume. There appears to be some pheasant plumage at the upper end of the fascinator making this a perfect head covering to mix with tweed, wool or fall wardrobe selections.

Let me share a thought with you. I read in a review of a book that said, " if you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space". I have been trying to digest that comment and evaluate my own life. Many times I think my mind says "I'm done" (The only time we should say that is when we are a tot and it is shouted from the bathroom.).

Many times thoughts of ours say that we have achieved!, or arrived! and really more effort would be just that, more effort.

Summary: Life never gets too occupied, deserted, lonely, chaotic or contented that we should not try to be up on our current game. It does not have to result in putting oneself into the Forbes 500, would be nice, but at least you are like the fascinator on a hat, you are looking at the focal point or you are the focal point. You are the only one who can help yourself. Try not to take up too much space, leave some room for another to get closer to you!

The fascinator in the side photo is called "Royal Molt-( $30), a collection of peacock feathers,mounted on a black velvet covered alpaca felt ,attached to a three inch hair comb. It can be worn singularly in an up-do hair style or clipped onto a felt hat, or simply on a head bandeaux.

Today is the day we finished picking the figs bushes on the farm, (have Brown Turkey and Kadota this year,) and preserve them for holiday gifts and later use. My mother used to get a whole batch and it would wear her out to put up dozens of jars at once. I take it in small bits, by covering about 50 figs with 2 cups of sugar and a thinly sliced lemon, sit overnight and the natural juices in the figs dissolve the sugar. Cook it til it is right and it makes about 4 jars, .....yum yum on whole wheat pancakes!

(Good sign that fall is around the corner: we harvested out first pumpkin our of the flower bed.)

Welcome to all who follow this post. Will try to have something uplifting for you each time while sharing the "Veil in our Lives"......CMx