The Great Wardrobe Switch

This weekend it reached 90 degrees, so I felt motivated to put (almost) all of my boots, cashmere sweaters (proud owner of four!), gloves and scarves, long-sleeved t-shirts, and about forty pairs of Smartwool socks away for the summer. I also brought a dozen pairs of sandals out of their boxes, a Rubbermaid container of tees and shorts, and a couple of summer weight scarves. 

I am always surprised at how much WORK this is. After about three hours of bending, lifting, wrapping, bagging, and going up and down to the storage unit, I have to take two Ibuprofen and call it a morning. This mid-year review also points out the items I didn't wear, not once, or the things I did wear but should not have, and those get put aside for Goodwill. Three pairs of shoes bit the dust. One pair I actually put in the trash with the tea leaves to ensure I did not fish them out again. More folding and lifting and bagging. There is also the vacuuming and dusting as I stir up dust rhinos and endless cat fur. Buffy hides underneath the couch, convinced we are moving.

Last year I switched closets, too, but this year I realized that was INSANE since they are both in my bedroom. That's an old habit from when I had to move clothes to another room (and another floor) in my Skokie house. There are very few items I wear year round.

But, look! I had forgotten I bought these sunny creatures last year in October on Amazon for a pittance. Still for sale there!

Kenneth Cole Shine Through Sandals

And THESE beauties, oh, my feet love these Arturo Chiang sandals. I should be so lucky to find another pair this year. I've only seen them at Lord and Taylor. They give me some height, are super stable, and go with everything.

Now, of course, it is 65 degrees again, but I don't care, because it gave me the chance to wear The Sundance Jacket! Yes, I bought it, and it is fabulous. It's also wool, and will be put carefully away in my closet for this fall. But NOT YET.

I felt like wearing orange on Monday, and was muttering to myself about having packed away the matching orange sweater on Saturday.  Then, because the Sundance jacket was just hanging there, I put the two together and saw how the bitty plaid actually was burnt orange and teal blue! Tres fantastique! The sleeves are long and intended to be rolled up. Here's a closeup of the jacket ruching and the blue thread in the buttons.

It was a bit too warm to wear the jacket all day, so mostly I looked like this.

Riley looks perfectly square. I could wrap him in Kraft paper and mail him. The pants are Talbot's cords, with that slightly annoying Signature rise, which hits me at a podgy spot. I much prefer the Heritage cut.

Yes, I got a haircut for my birthday too. I was feeling like I needed a visible CHANGE in my hair, and Ivana said, "Pixie?" "Yes, please!" I had a pixie like this a few years ago.

Me and Veronica at the Dewey - 2010?

It was also my birthday on Sunday, so Ben came out to visit. He took me to Home Depot to get some plants and a new chair for my balcony (pictures to come). There's nothing Ben enjoys more than languishing with the cart while I mull over little pots. Thank God for the iPhone. In previous years he would have nothing to entertain himself with while I compared the virtues of pansies to impatiens. That young man can be pretty saintly.

Then we had The Eating of the Chinese Food and The Cake, and watched Sherlock. A perfect day.