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Woman’s Day Magazine inspiration and my disjointed thoughts

May 28th, 2009 • advice, mommy, rant, sewing, shopping • No comments

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I finally got around to reading one issue out of my magazine pile (I only subscribe to 2 magazines) and here are the interesting points I found:

• Wear sunscreen, everyday, even on your lips, eyelids, and ears. I have sunscreen in my moisturizer and lipstick, but I don’t ever catch may ears…and it would be a shame have to remove an ear from skin cancer.
• I can make artisan bread cheaper than buying it. Make a big batch on Saturday and use all week. Recipe: Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast and 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt in 3 cups warm water. Stir in 6 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour. Cover and let rise 2-5 hours. Use or refrigerate up to 2 weeks. To use, cut off amount you want to use and let rise 40 minutes. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450. Dust dough with flour and slash top. Slide onto stone and put 1 cup hot water into pan on bottom of oven to steam the bread. Bake about 30 minutes.
• Not magazine related, but bread related: I’m super good at making homemade bagels, but then the family will eat more bagels at one sitting than when I buy them.
• Aly’s bubble themed birthday party menu (tablescape inspiration on left) is slightly modified to be healthier: cold whole-wheat pasta salad with veggies, warm weather potato salad (potato balls), hummus and pita chips, fruit salad (melon balls), baked brie or a cheese ball, and carbonated juices in pretty glass containers. Plus, whatever my friends bring.
• I have a crap ton of stuff to do in the next three days, and work is going to take a backseat. I have to weed the area of my garden, get dirt and plants, and plant the veggies. I have to buy and make food. I have to buy more dish soap to make bubbles and flyswatters to make bubbles. I need to have everything done by 11 am Saturday morning while not getting too dirty so I don’t have to shower and I can enjoy my family and friends celebrating 3 years of Aly’s life. 
• Oh, and I have a fashion show to debut my apron line Friday night….which means I need to do all the alterations, decide which one is going to be worn by whom, and decide which one to leave at home and give as a wedding present the next night.
• I love to wear sundresses but it’s a beast trying to find some that fit the big bust line well. Maybe I’ll make some when I’m done with the 3 quilts (one is so close to being done).
• Photograph life more!
• Curious to see what YOU might look like if you lost 20, 30 or 50+ lbs? Go to weightview.com and sign up for a free account. They’ll email you a picture of you at your ideal weight within 72 hours.
• Seller financing might be a good option for us to look into right now. Buyers are looking to get rid of a high-priced property, so they’re more likely to go with unconventional options. And the interest rate is usually more favorable….plus, I want to take on a boarder.
• I’ve washed the dishes, but I still have 5 reviews to write, a room full of laundry to fold, shopping for the party to do, the aforementioned fashion show stuff, get to a fabric store to buy backing for the quilts and fabric for cheryl’s romper and just general cleaning. And I need to head up to Providence to give VIP bag stuff to Machete…all the errands can be done in one shot, I’m more worried about the gardening and the cleaning. I think I’ll do the latter now, and wait til Alex can stay with the kids for the running errands portion of the mania.

Wardrobe reboot

April 13th, 2009 • advice, beauty, mommy, shopping • 2 comments

I’m so comfortable wearing the same pieces over and over and I’m more confident in those pieces. I’m throwing everything out and starting fresh. Well, maybe not everything.

Your wardrobe each season revolves around a handful of key pieces: a pair of well-cut trousers, an elegant shirt, a classic coat, a great pair of shoes, and so on. These are your staples, and you?ll wear them in and out, day after day. From this core of classic pieces, you add just a handful of new items into your wardrobe each season to keep it fresh.

Since you?ll keep truly amazing items in your slimmed-down wardrobe, they become signature pieces. Every day, you?re wearing outfits that make you shine inside and out. The overall impression you give off is, ?Wow, she looks so sharp every day.

Only buy items that fit you fantastically. Fabrics that last also matter more in a limited wardrobe.  Long-wearing fabrics like cotton, wool, and cashmere do much better over time than
crappy acrylic pieces.

So what if that top on the Target clearance rack is kind of cute?   You can have a dozen items that are kind of cute and kind of fun to wear, or you can save up and get something that is awesome?the kind of item that makes you feel like you?re walking out of a magazine, regardless of how much it costs.

What I want my wardrobe to look like, inspired by Audrey Hepburn, of course ( a “\” means I have it already):

1. A solid colored pantsuit with a simple shaped jacket and flat-front trousers with a boot-cut leg gives you the flexibility of wearing it as an ensemble when you need to look conservative and as separates that you can mix and match. I have a wintery jacket that I use to dress up jeans, but a light weight one is a must soon.
2. \ Black button-down shirt because I get pit stains easily and don’t like white as a result.
3. A turtleneck sweater of which I haven’t had since I was ten, but I remember looking great in…maybe
4. A cardigan – Cardigans can pull together an outfit and ensure you stay oh-so-comfortable while doing it. I have one in black but it’s seen better days. Old Navy has a bunch of cardi’s this season, so I might get another one. Or I might look for a fabric that ages well, like cashmere.
5. \ an A-line skirt - I have a bunch, but I need to invest go through and get rid of the ones that don’t fit and the ones that make me look pregnant. Tops are more the problem in my life than bottoms.
   
6. well-cut black pants – once again, I have a pair, but I really need to see if they still fit
7. A great pair of jeans. I just blew out the knee in mine I’m gonna repair them until Kohl’s has another awesome sale!
8. lingerie - or at least two good bra and panty sets that don’t look like swiss cheese
9. plain white tees – to wear under my clothes. I’d actually love to get some pretty pastel lacy camisoles instead!
10. workout wear and tights. Two things I wear daily of which I don’t have many flattering pieces.
11. a great thigh length trench coat. It’s one of those classic pieces I just haven’t found in the right length.
12. \ Basic Black Dress - The basic black dress has been around for a long time. I have two, one is a nicer material than the other, though I need to have it taken in a tad.

That’s a whole lot of crapo coming out of my closet, and not much to buy. Really, I need the lingerie the most, and I can get by without any of the others quite yet. I’m excited to be getting older.
via: (Mastering the Art of the French Five-Piece Wardrobe | On Simplicity)

2008 weekly routine

September 2nd, 2008 • food, shopping • No comments

For those of you that didn’t know, in addition to my daily routines, I have a weekly routine.

• Monday – I deep clean and wash sheets, curtains, and rugs in one room. I also sweep/mop the whole house and clean the fish bowl.
• Tuesday – I’m at my store
• Wednesday – I clean the fridge, Make a grocery list, and write thank you cards.
• Thursday – I run errands (post office, groceries, etc) on my way home from my store.
• Friday – I file important papers, clean out my purse, and mend any clothes that need it.
• Saturday – I clean the mirrors, windows, and doors in the room of the week. Alex cleans the outside of the cars, while I clean the inside. He also checks the fluids. We go to the farmer’s market and work at my store.
• Sunday – I rest and read the sunday paper