Gigi's Gear - Talbot's wool coat

It's snowing in the Pacific Northwest and almost as cold where I am. Perfect time to wear my Talbot's double-breasted coat for the first time. I had a skirt on for work and wanted something quick, easy and warm to change into for dinner. I wasn't 100% on the green turtleneck, but was happy in the end. It looked great in the pics we took at the restaurant.

This handbag doesn't feel as big as it looks. It also looks less reddish in-person and matches the buttons on the coat perfectly. It's unlined, which I've chosen to overlook. And the flap I thought would be so great wants to curl up a bit. Lining would have resolved that, I believe. I really like the color, though, and got it for a great price so it works for me.

Coat (2P): Talbots (Similar here, here, here and here)

Turtleneck sweater (S): J Crew FA08 (Similar here and here) 

Jeans (29): J Crew toothpick ankle jean (Similar here, here and here)

Shoes: Joan & David, a closet classic (Similar here, here and here)

Tote: Banana Republic Blair leather tote (Similar here and here)

Now...

G Money & I met my cousin & her family at a restaurant. They have one kid, a toddler and a newborn. The bill came and I didn't want to split it in half. The waitress said she could do an estimate, but couldn't split the check via computer. Every freaking restaurant needs POSTitouch. No, I don't work for them. Just know they have systems capable of easily splitting checks. Anyway, it was $190 and I paid $90. I think ours was $80-$85 w/the tip. I ended up feeling bad because I should have just split the thing in half. After all, I rarely see them and it's the 1st time I've been out w/her & the kids. Obviously the newborn didn't eat anything. *lol* But we didn't drink and they drank, including my cousin's 2 glasses of wine for $17. I don't recall what we did when we've gone out before as it was usually just us 4 or a place where they had counter service. In the future I can ask for separate checks to begin with and suffer thru the threats about how our food might come our separately. Whatev. So there's the check issue. Then the second part of this is G Money remarked that my cousin seems to put her husband down all the time. I guess it comes across that he can do nothing right. I haven't seen her in ages and really focused on her and the kids, but I could understand G Money's observation. My cousin did mention that there is a power struggle, which I can relate to. We've acknowledged our power struggle issues in our house, but this is the 1st year we've been able to transcend them without having a major discussion to get there. We're on year 5 and they're on year 4. I told her to hang in there. They had 2 kids within a couple years, so I'm sure there is some adjustment, to say the least.

So...what do you do in a restaurant? Are you known for busting out the calculator and adding up food to the penny? Or do you just split it in half. I'm talking about dinners with family & very close friends, and not asking if you think I was right or wrong w/my choice. And then...how about dining with couples that have tension. If it's a family member or very close friend, would you let her know that she's emasculating her husband? ETA -- here's a bit more info...my cousin & I are as close as sisters. Her husband has specifically pointed out to my cousin how I treat my husband and asked why she can't treat him in the same, favorable way. And she always discusses her relationship in great detail with me. I'm currently deciding whether to broach the topic while it's fresh or wait until she brings up their relationship again. We fell out & didn't talk for 1.5 years because I didn't tell her some things I had on my mind. My position was to just keep my thought to myself whereas she is one to just throw it up and out there off the top of her head. I know what I'm going to do about the situation w/her. My question is how do you deal with a similar situation in your life.

Chime in...

♥
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Let's Talk - giving you the hand

There are a number of body language cues we pick up to decide how we feel about someone during a first meeting. I'm not a sociologist or any other ist that has studied said cues. However, I have a few things that I feel strongly about when initially meeting someone new. One is the handshake. When someone gives me their hand, I don't necessarily analyze the physical appearance of it. I'd like to think I don't judge too much as my hands aren't exactly sexy. At any rate, I'm busy making eye contact, as I was taught. And what I really pay attention to is the grip of the handshake.

I've gone the way of my mother with germ phobia and try not to shake many hands these days, but sometimes it's unavoidable. Sometimes it's completely necessary. Like with the guys my sister brings around. Many of them don't say much. I suspect it's because my and my mother's rumored reputation for being tough on her dating choices precedes us. Because they usually don't do a lot of talking, I try to glean what I can from attire and handshake. I do my best to not be judgmental. However, I definitely size people up in a more stringent way if they're spending time with my sister. And my nephews are a huge consideration. I don't want them spending time with any chumps. When I've met some of her "friends," they use only their fingers to gently hold the tips of mine and give a gentle pump...maybe two pumps, if they're particularly trying to make an impression? (slaps knee) There's no palm-to-palm shake; no shake like I was taught to make. Impression? Poor. My favorite (not), was the guy who had a soft, high voice to match. Both his weak handshake and voice foreshadowed how weak he'd be in a relationship. His actions matched his physicality. Now before you think I'm being hypercritical or tell me that a man should shake a woman's hand in a different way, you should know that almost every one of these guys that has given a weak handshake to me and/or my mom has also done that to my husband. Boooo! A man cannot shake another man's hand in a weak way without getting some criticism, at least behind closed doors. G Money & I have talked about this topic a few times and last nite we discussed & demonstrated handshakes to each other. We came up with a number of handshakes and how we'd interpret them as a woman or man. It was pretty funny. In particular, he stressed the importance of shaking my dad's hand in the right way when they first met. Lucky for my sister, my dad hasn't met any of her friends in recent years. He wouldn't be impressed. At all.

What do you think about the ways people give you the hand, for a handshake that is. As a woman, do you shake another woman's hand in a very soft way? Or does it depend on whether it's personal vs professional? How about if you meet a man? How do you interpret or judge the handshake? Again, does it depend on whether it's personal or professional? Or have you ever even given it a thought?

Oh, do chime in.

♥