Orange and, Whatever

Not much to report, gang. I have a lovely new phone, my tripod doesn't fit it, and I haven't gotten out to get a new tripod yet.  Plus there was a wonderful four day weekend and a visit from Ben along the way. We went out to eat, saw Skyfall (hubba, hubba, Mr. Craig), and sat around with the cats.
 

I wore this at some point, and really liked it even though my neck was cold. J. Jill skirt, Talbots burnt orange top, and taupe Born boots.

Then I tried to make THIS happen without success.

I look all hunchy because I'm trying to keep the blouse from gapping in the front - it is just too small in the chest. Beware purchasing something on eBay that you hope will fit even though you know that isn't your size. I trusted the measurements and hoped the tunic was loose and blousey. It is Jones New York and the most fabulous fabric; silky, drapey, filled with orange and gold and brown and even a bit of plum. The pants are brown ponte from Talbot's and went immediately back to the store. Look at those baggy knees! I don't know if they are too big and I don't care. I'll stick to brown pants OR brown Leggings, both of which I have a-plenty.

And now I'm going to have a good whine about how FAT I feel.  GIANT and PUFFY and MICHELIN MAN-ISH. I know it isn't particularly true (probably no more than five pounds) and I'm sure I don't look different, but everything feels snug except the truly stretchy things or tunics. I really don't like that big shirt/ leggings look at all, but I feel like my waist is VANISHING. Many of my pants and skirts feel very tight. Some of this might be, shall we say, timing. I'm just coming out of M (abbreviated in sympathy for my readers) and I know weird body changes are to be expected - just like puberty! Ha!

Also, I haven't been my usual walkabout self. My left foot is really hurting - plantar fasciitis - so my roaming habits have been curtailed, though hopefully only for a while. I went out and bought a bunch of rugs for my hardwood-over-concrete floors. I also ordered cushy mats for my kitchen. 

The combination of ouchy feet and many delicious meals makes me a big couch potato. And it pisses me off that I have a number of great things that I paid good money for and now make me feel like ten pounds of couch potato in an eight pound sack. I bought a shaping camisole but it mostly makes me feel squished and even fatter. It's all mental, people.  

So. Salads for dinner as many nights as possible, and no new clothes until the new year. I even resisted Monday/Cyber/Black/Whatever. I did venture out to Barnes and Noble to replace my Nook at 40% off. That was totally worth it. I went to the Barn quite early and then had breakfast at The Bagel.

And then (I'm excited to do this) I'm going to keep track of piece of clothing I buy in 2013 in an Excel chart! Tracking my eating always worked really well for me, and I think this will be a really good habit. I already track the spending, but I haven't tracked the what very closely. I'd like to do an inventory of my closet someday, but the idea has been too overwhelming. I hope this chart will be a step in that direction.
 

 

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.

Orange and Fawn

We have to keep going to work, you know? I have to drum up more donations for our Rotary fundraiser at the end of the month, I have to meet with staff for their evaluations, I have to figure out a "best offer" price for our bookmobile, I have to organize a focus group for the Chamber. The memorial service is tomorrow and we're figuring out how to cover the desks so that many of us can attend. Everyone is stepping up to help out.

Feeling useful and engaged saves our lives in moments of crisis. All my life, when I've been the most depressed, worried, even afraid of what my future held, it was work and those relationships that made me feel better. Working in libraries has only intensified this feeling of value and support from my coworkers. I'm not dragging people out of burning buildings, don't get me wrong, but we're an important part of the community, and a "free" library is a public good. We're not really free of course, but every resident is welcome and encouraged to use us every day. That's why it says PUBLIC in our name.

Here's what I wore.

Talbot's head to toe: burnt orange cardigan and knit top, "fawn" stretch pants, cognac ankle boots. Faithful furball at my side.