RAGS against the MACHINE

Visible Monday: Missing in Action

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 01:28:00 +0000

Sometimes life just doesn't seem to care that one is a style blogger who likes to post several times a week. Since I have lasted posted, I've graded 75 papers, learned that my father-in-law is hospitalized, dealt with a problem about which my lips need to remain zipped. On Saturday, I attended a baby shower hosted by my sister; I arrived to discover that she had been hospitalized for a kidney stone! This coming week I'll begin to move the first of my mother's belongings so that she'll be settled in before Thanksgiving. And we are hundreds of miles away from the storm that devastated the east coast.

High points of the week were the hundred or so trick-or-treaters who came to our door. This is my grandson in his tricked up cardboard boxes. I heard that there was a 6 foot "wild thing" from Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are roaming around town, but it was a 9 year old girl dressed as an old woman who gave me my belly laugh for the week. She stayed in character to the point that her halting gait and palsy made it impossible to get a good photo. And she confided that her family had gone on ahead of her.

A package from Krista at Peetee's Palace was another delightful surprise. I've coveted one of her bright sugar skull bracelets for months. And what a way to lift my spirits about the raft of things we're contending with at the moment.

I've tried to take photos at the end of my work day, but in most of them my fatigue and worry is showing. Forgive the vanity that keeps me from sharing most of them with my readers.

Nothing very special about this except the collection of nut & seed necklaces around my neck, 3 strands.

Today, in a small burst of daylight savings optimism, I took photos of what I thought might be blogworthy.
Tonight, I discover I've managed to lop off the top of my head in EVERY photo! So, have a laugh at my expense!

This charcoal gray dress by Ralph Lauren has a high waist also like last week's plaid. While in theory I love the scoop neck, in reality there is a difference between the skin on my neck and the skin on my chest. I pulled out this silk scarf that Citizen Rosebud used to wrap up an item I'd ordered from her and the blues and purples gave it just the touch of color (and cover) I needed.

I probably won't do much better visiting blogs this week. I have two stacks of papers to grade in addition to everything else. And I'll be so glad when this election is over!

I'm linking up to Visible Monday, mostly as a way to let everyone know I'm still kicking. Hope to see you there.

Visible Monday: Dressing Quietly

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 18:46:00 +0000

DH and I are en route to a funeral as this posts. This is NOT what I'm wearing, but I do want my readers' help dating this dress.

I know that it is vintage--it has shoulder pads and the fabric is rayon, suggesting the 1980s. But the empire waist, a profile I've grown attracted to in the past year, suggests the late 1960s.

I've begun to collect quite a lot of vintage, but I'm not very schooled in dating much of it and I'm in the market for an excellent reference book on the topic. Are there books like this? Or is it a skill that one gradually learns in the collecting process.

I hope to post again on Wednesday, but in the mean time, I send sincerest wishes for any of my readers who may be holed up due to this impending storm, for the safest possible week.

This post is part of Patti's weekly Visible Monday. Come join the fun.

Leathers

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 01:50:00 +0000

One of the materials DH uses in his antique organ repair is leather. When he told me what he had spent on the first piece he bought, I showed him how one could thrift leather garments in the same texture and finish he needed for his projects. Little by little, we've built up quite a stockpile of leather skirts over the past year, not all of it put to use on the innards of his organ.

I was ecstatic when I realized that leather was on trend for this fall--not so much because I wanted to wear it but because I'd have fun listing it in the new "store." I've had success with most of it--one pair of men's Ralph Lauren in DH's size (31 x 36) made its way to Australia, making a male customer there very happy. However, this pair of women's did not sell and I suspect it had something to do with the quality of the photo I posted. These are new with the tags still attached. And while the tag says they are an 8, they fit more like my usual 10.

What do you think, am I too old to wear such things? I know that IllusClaire carries hers off with a great deal of style, but then she actually rides a bike too and has good reason to wear them. And every time I see her in them, I'm reminded of a road trip my girls and I took back in my single parent days. We found ourselves all caught up in the motorcycle traffic coming and going from Sturgis, South Dakota. At first, it was more than a little intimidating and then the girls, captive in the back seat, befriended these bikers by waving and making funny faces. At one point, we made a pit stop at a gas station in some remote western town. We were standing in line, taking our turns, for the one-hole ladies room when a "gang of girls" in full biker leathers rolled up. And seeing the line, they walked briskly past us and into the one-hole men's room. My little girls were in deep awe! (Credit for this memory also goes to Shybiker who wrote about a ladies room dilemma earlier this week).

Now tell me, would you wear leather?

A belated Plaidurday Post Tartan

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:27:00 +0000

Some of my readers know that I've been taking a stab at selling on eBay. I'm so new at it that I'm still in my "trial" period and making newby mistakes. On the one hand I'm astounded at the money to be made on some items and dumb-founded at what doesn't sell.

I was so excited when I found this vintage pair of Hang Ten (a brand I wore in high school) high-waisted plaid pants. The listing for them on eBay has come and gone with very little interest so I've decided to try styling them myself. In the first photo above, I brought the rayon back to life with my steamer, added a simple black tee, and last season's heeled oxfords. On my little finger, I'm wearing a ring that features a pair of googly eyes.

In this second styling, I've changed out the tee for a crisp black blouse (by Bitten) and added a blazer on the left. I'm alarmed at how thin I'm looking and thinking it is about time for a hair cut. My hair had been curled right before these photos, but my arms aren't long enough to reach the end of the strands! And, I've nearly cut my feet off in many of the photos...evidence I haven't blogged in a month.

This third styling combines ALL of the plaids in my closet, in the spirit of mixing prints. What do you think? Too much?

The blouse/shirt is by Tommy Hilfiger and the bag is something I found at Goodwill. The clogs were brand new at the Salvation Army.

And in this final look, I've covered up the Hilfiger shirt with a wool sweater by Gap. You'll see that my hair caught a breeze, but I had no business adding a wool sweater with the humidity we've had the past several days.

The loafers are by Cole Haan. Everything has been thrifted.

Serene, bless her heart, published the link to my eBay store today, so if you really can't wait to see what I've been up to until I'm officially open for business, go have a look at the Elegant Bohemian.

And, if you're interested in these size 10, true vintage tartan pants, the first one who claims them can have them.

inVisible Monday:

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:36:00 +0000

I have had my cast off for nearly a week. The comments I've been leaving are "exercise" to loosen up the stiffness that remains in the wrist. As anyone who has worn a cast knows, the skin underneath flakes like crazy once the cast is removed and I have been working on that problem, taking my first unsupervised bath.

The novelty of wearing a cast quickly wore off after the first week of being showered and shampooed by my dear husband. He was very attentive to do this for me and we even took photos one morning, with the cast all wrapped up in Press and Seal. And after he had blown dry my hair. For the first week or so, he even helped me dress so that I could keep styling. After one outfit in particular nearly required the help of the department secretary to button my trousers, I decided that autonomy was more important than looks. I slipped into the mode of wearing jeans and a long-sleeved tee even to work, something I haven't done in several years.

Driving proved to be a bit of a challenge, but I could do it so long as I avoided rush hour and stuck to tried and true routes. My right hand turns even in my responsive little Miata were very wide. I am somewhat proud that I begged out of only two work commitments during the month because of the wrist.

DH was a little less devoted to washing the pots and pans that piled up in the kitchen sink and in seeing that our sheets were changed. And these were the first two tasks I tackled once my arm had been freed of the resin "rock" that seemed to grow harder and harder as the days passed.

Mid-terms hit in early October and I graded 150 papers within a two week period, dragging my cast across the keyboard. My state of mind slumped as I missed Jill and Adrienne's oxblood event, Plaidurday on October 5, and Sheila's birthday party. I had no tulle in my closet to join the meme that Melanie started at Bag and a Beret. I really connected with Shybiker's post about rejection, although that wasn't exactly what was happening to me. In actuality, many of my blogger friends were keeping touch. And Citizen Rosebud published my interview with Meg at Meg's Ragged Edge in a wondrous welcome back.

During this time, we had to put our cat of 16 years down. DH's father was placed in a convalescent center and another friend has been hospitalized for weeks. DH himself was trying to put the finishing touches on the apartment for my mother who will move to our address sometime in November.

I'm a believer that accidents often happen for a very good reason. While this was my very first broken bone, in the huge scheme of things it is unimportant. I followed the twitter stream of Xeni Jardin while she was being treated for breast cancer and Tammy at Silverstyle's blog as she has healed from her broken hip. (And now Gracey is all battered up). And while I know how important presentability is when one is ill or injured, I would have to place greater value on autonomy. I found myself understanding all sorts of things I would not without having broken this bone. It was good to touch base with those essential values. At left you'll see the stairs I stumbled down. That greenish tint is the moss that grows on them because this set of stairs is north facing. It could have been so much worse.

My grandson snapped this photo of the cast removal. He was convinced they were going to cut my arm off with the saw. I gave him my camera and that little bit of distance seemed to help him cope.

Finally, I did a photo shoot this afternoon though none of the photographs have been processed yet. It's good to be back.

Visible Monday: the Purple Cast Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:11:00 +0000

It is more than a little frustrating to be able to read blogs, but have to limit my interaction and "save" the arm for the five courses I'm teaching online, activity that is non-negotiable. But I am following you all and know that Lisa gave a fascinating radio interview that made me want to sit down and have a long cup of coffee with her. I know that Joyce Caprioti, one of the Advanced Style ladies, has been to Hollywood and back.

I nodded to myself as I read Amber's musings on how our sense of time changes as we age. I followed Lisa at Dangerous Curves adventures with her niece visiting from Japan...and found myself looking forward to the return of Iman at Mishaps and Miracles (she promises in October).

Sacramento has been to Milan Fashion Week and I'm looking forward to her reports. I followed Lynne's musing on posture and vision. I know that Pam is shopping for her mother-of-the-groom gown. I followed Krista's trip to the UK to meet up with Vix and Curtise and the gang (I thank she influenced my first look with the cast). I know that Vix herself felt the hot pink rub off. I know that Sarah attended a vintage fair with big hair. And Helga has frolicked with statues again.

I'm following Stacy, Franca and Jess advancing pregnancies. And April's meditation of first smiles and laughter beautifully reveals the charms of being a grandmother. I was floored by how fabulous Melanie's gift from Pao looked on her. Tamera's series on Antietam and the lay of the land around her has been unexpectedly moving.

I enjoyed Autumn's interviews with the twins from Beauty Redefined, here and here. I know that many of us are feeling under the weather or already swamped with school, but Erin is looking like a million bucks at KC Fashion Week. My week wouldn't be complete about Shelley's latest post on her reading of Thorsten Veblen: How Much is Enough.

My biggest regret is missing Sheila's inaugural swap...and I hope that this is something that's so successful, she'll try it again and again.

Just checking in for Visible Monday. Perhaps next week I'll do a post on DH's showering and dressing me for work, if he/we can come up with something blog-worthy.

Broken wrist

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:33:00 +0000

I've broken my wrist...will have to go into lurking mode for a bit.

EBEW: Back-to-School Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:30:00 +0000

It's crazy to think that even in my late 50's that the school year continues to shape my wardrobe and my sense of time. This year, I have the responsibility of delivering my grandson to school by 8:15 each morning. Often, that look involves the first thing I find and is certainly not very polished. On days, I travel to campus for my lone face-to-face class this semester, I dress up. Below, you'll find a few of the looks I've sampled in the first three weeks of my academic year.

I like the wide lapels on this polka dot blouse and the way that the length fluttered in the breeze. I've paired it with the same black slacks I wore for the Six Item Challenge in July, my red sneaks, and the plaid thermos bag I've been using as a book bag this semester. Of the looks pictured in this post, this is the only look that garnered nary a compliment.

In this second look, I'm wearing an oxblood rayon top, with an unusual pattern of embroidery, simply paired with black jeans and my Swedish clogs. I've added a necklace made of a chandelier crystal and a "found" silver chain. This look did garner compliments.

Here, I'm dressed for a meeting at the district offices as well as a day of teaching on campus. I'm sporting the shoes that I blamed for setting off last week's funk. They are a nice leather flat, with leather appliques of leaves in various fall shades. I threw a Banana Republic tasseled bag over my shoulder and added a curious DIY ring.

Here, I wore a pair of sailor-style pants and a simple striped tee. My favorite of the looks I've tried thus far this semester.

The pants are a PERFECT fit, something that rarely happens in my thrift store shopping. The scarf has a nautical motif. And I'm sporting the Swedish clogs again.

All of these looks are more casual than in recent fall semesters as though I can't be bothered to dress up for the 75 minutes of face time with these students. I'm wondering too if it doesn't reflect a subconscious decision about my retirement...

What I won't share with you are the pink terry-cloth robe or the denim skirt I wear to sit Indian-style at my computer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

I find myself thinking today of where I was 11 years ago today--just returning to campus from a year-long sabbatical and listening to NPR on my drive to work. The announcer suddenly sounded very confused and switched to a track of classical music. Overhead, I saw a jet make an unusual looping manuver in the clear blue sky. I would not realize what had transpired until I arrived and found everyone glued to televisions. Classes were not canceled though no one could focus on the subject matter at hand.

DH was working in an IRS facility and was actually locked in for two hours, then let go for the day. He called me at work to be sure that I was okay and that for me is the one positive thing that came from that day--the recognition all Americans felt to reach out and touch the ones they loved and the vulnerability we were temporarily willing to share with our fellow Americans. I'm curious, as I have readers world-wide, what you might recall from this date 11 years ago.

Visible Monday: Time Warp Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:23:00 +0000

I have not disappeared! The week following Labor Day took me into an unanticipated "Slough of Despondency". (see John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress if you want to know more about that allegorical location.) On Tuesday, some strange sort of body ache began. I chalked it up to wearing a pair of shoes I wasn't accustomed to and hoped to sleep it off.

But the problem persisted into Wednesday, with an additional problem in an online class. It came to light that my students were working from a different edition of our textbook than the course had been designed for! This has happened once before and it involved redesigning the course since it is easier to inconvenience one person than to ask 30 students to return a book

The pain persisted into Thursday--I was making health bargains with the powers that be and popping glucosamine and pain pills. I began to deal with the textbook problem, which seems to have begun with a clerical error somewhere in the pipeline. But I came home from campus to find my first e-mail from a disgruntled eBay customer. aaaaargh!

Friday, it rained. The pain disappeared.

It would be Saturday before I had my hands on the correct textbook and could redesign the course (hours of work). The body ache had passed and I had heard nothing more from the customer. All I accomplished last week was listening to a political convention on the radio and following Fashion Night Out on my Twitter feed.

Credit for the this look goes to Vix at Vintage Vixen who suggested weeks ago that a more creative use of a Chanel jacket might be to pair it with my cowboy hat. I liked the idea and don't do enough to subvert the looks we're fed. The jacket here is not the same one featured in August's Chanel post, but a new to me Ellie Tahari take with long fringe at the wrists and the hem. I've paired with a simple jersey tee, plenty of pink pearls and a new pair of Wrangler jeans. Cowboy gear is not so unusual in my neck of the woods, but here is the evidence: I'm back on my horse.

I'm linking up to Visible Monday at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. It's unusual for me to succumb to problems the way I did this past week. I'm curious to know how my readers snap themselves out of it when it happens.

Forecasting Trends: Good as Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 03:39:00 +0000

I stayed up late Wednesday evening reading Elizabeth Cline's Overdressed from cover to cover. Much of it covers territory similar to topics I've previously blogged about, but she made two points that were new to me. One, that the cycle of fast fashion is such that if you don't grab an item when you first see it, it is not likely to be available if you return to the same store several weeks later. And, that given this speed trend forecasting is essentially meaningless. And two, that the impact of fast fashion on quality middle-of-the-line (bridge?) clothing once available in department stores is that it too is shoddily made and less expensive than it once was. She argues that there is a bifurcation--99% of us wear some version of fast fashion, while 1% may be able to afford couture.

If I asked you what YOU want to wear this fall, how closely would it match what was shown in the Fall/Winter shows last February? How closely would it match what the magazines are telling you is "in" this fall? I'm pretty hit and miss about watching video replays of the fashion week shows, but I do know that I began to hunt for a pair of white wool slacks and to buy up garments of gold, as I came across them in the thrifts last winter. I suspect that I was influenced by the Gucci show, but Tom Ford has a gold belt that I highly admire as well.

In preparation for writing this post, I went through 10 pages of Google search results on "Fall Fashion Trends" and tallied the results. I looked at 15 different periodicals ranging from Style.com to Elle to Glamour, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, O., Cosmopolitan, the New York Magazine, Seventeen, The Chicago Tribune, Essence, and the Boston Globe. Five of these sites found that Brocade, Matched prints (in suits and pantsuits), Black Leather and Military were trends. Four of them touted fur in bold colors. oversized coats, winter whites, and "oxblood" as trends. Just three thought that this gold I focused on was a big deal. Two mentioned knee high boots, velvet, peplums, and oversized hats as a trend. A wide variety of other things received single mentions--pink, black and white, pale grey, reptile prints, jumpsuits, slouchy pants, turtlenecks, harnesses, and tiny shiny bags.

I'm curious how the public translates what they are told are trends into the things they actually wear. The first week or two of school is always interesting because I pay close attention to what students are wearing. The Toms go without mention, but ombre hairstyles and lots of bright neons have been catching my eye. In a class discussion on Thursday exploring baby boomers nostalgia for the 50s, my students told me the decade they'd most like to return to was the 1980s! THEY told me that leg warmers are IN, though I've not seen them on anyone and not a single magazine mentioned them! How many of their choices are dictated by the fashion industry whether by magazines, social media, and what's available in stores? How many of their choices are dictated by the local mores of their socioeconomic group? And how many are independently chosen?

If you could MAKE something trend, what would it be?

On Shopping for a Mannequin~A guest post

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 03:07:00 +0000

One evening in recent weeks, I naively typed the word mannequin into search boxes at Amazon and eBay. I wanted something to display my merchandise, but what I got was very eye-opening. When one is 58, it is always interesting to discover items you never knew existed, such as rubber, bendable figures with wigs and breasts and other things.

Quickly, I revised my search terms--dress form. And up came all sorts of vintage forms, as well as professional forms that basically look like a scaffold with bodies hanging from them. While I searched and searched, refining what I actually want and need I recalled a memory my mother had shared with me. And she agreed to write the following--

The summer of 1953 was one of the most memorable in my life. I was preparing to be married in June to the love of my life who was in the army stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. That allowed him to be home most weekends. His father was away attending summer classes at Kansas State in Manhattan, KS. This left lonely evenings for myself and future mother-in-law to spend together.

She was an incredible seamstress and I toyed with creating clothes for myself. She was always available to help me with fitting and making alterations where necessary. She suggested we order a kit to create a dress form of me. And it proved to be the experience of a lifetime.

She ordered it from J.C. Penney's catalog as I remember. It consisted of a sleeveless knit body suit, rolls of brown Kraft paper with dried mucilage on it and a detailed instruction sheet. We spent several minutes reading what seemed to be a simple enough procedure.

I put on my bra (with underwires) and my rubber Playtex girdle. Then I put on the knit body suit (no crotch). That in itself provided our first fit of laughter. We took the waist measurement, which was needed for a wooden disc cut to attach the form once it was ready to use. The next step was to start attaching the Kraft paper that we tore into two inch strips and ran through warm water. They were applied to my body suit. Of course, Twila, my mother-in-law had to do this so I could maintain the proper posture. This took most of one morning and then it had to dry on me so it could be cut up the middle of the back.

Getting it off my body created several fits of laughter. At this stage it had to dry to a good solid foundation as we needed to apply the rest of the paper tape to it. We decided to cut to the wooden disc to my shape and size, mount it to a broomstick mounted on a solid base to support my "form" before we did any more. More than a week later we were ready to finish our project. By the time we applied the rest of the paper, it was somewhat larger but we thought it was useful for measuring for hems at least. After the paper was all applied and dried to perfection, we applied a coat of shellac. Success!

The wedding had to be postponed twice because of cancelled leave; I lost weight and my suit from Rothchilds of Emporia, Ks, had to be alter twice before the wedding date. Twila didn't want to do that alteration so I went back to Rothchilds to have it done professionally.

The first two years of marriage brought us our two daughters and my weight and measurement were never again the size of the dress form. It became one of those items you don't want to part with because of the memories. I have to be honest and say I don't know whatever became of it.

What my mother doesn't tell us is how the mother in law provided a coffee can for a potty break during the making of this dress form--more cause for laughter! Have any of my readers ever attempted to make their own dress form? Do you have items like this that embody such good memories? And do you have any idea where I can purchase an inexpensive, size 8 form, on wheels? And do you think my mother ought to start a blog?

Visible Monday and Leapin' Liebsters

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 01:11:00 +0000

Near the end of June, readers may recall that I attended my first KC Blogger meet-up at Saks Off 5th. It only took a room full of friendly bloggers, a glass of sangria, and an hour of wandering around with my camera, before I finally stepped into a dressing room with a dress.

Add a 6-way mirror and a spacious, well-lit dressing room, an Elle Tahari dress that was true to size, and a$25 gift certificate and I stepped out of the store, with the first new dress I've purchased in years.

DH seemed delighted to discover I'd done this. And the dress was whisked into my closet where it was to remain top secret until our wedding anniversary in August. And then, as things turned out, we didn't go anywhere that required dressing up. So the photos below are there because I promised on Friday

I like the colors and the cut of the dress, with a waist line somewhere between an empire and a natural waist. And I'm sure it will be worn...sometime next spring. Purple has begun to proliferate in my wardrobe.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Late in July, Lisa at Dangerous Curves and then, more recently, Pao at Project Minima have both blessed me with awards. So, I have lots of questions to answer and Liebsters to pass on.

Eleven things about myself.
1. I only purchase one fashion magazine a year--September Vogue.
2. I don't dream very often.
3. I have always considered my mother my greatest resource.
4. DH and I are an unlikely pair and yet, perfectly matched. We are often mistaken for brother and sister.
5. I drive a Miata convertible.
6. I live in what once was an old funeral home.
7. I have a blended brood of 8 children and 8 grandchildren.
8. I once mooned a comedian in a stand-up comedy club.
9. My picture has been in People magazine.
10. My quirk is cleaning my ears, multiple times a day.
11. I am a blue voter in a decidedly red state.

Answering Lisa and Pao's questions--

1. What's with the #11? I'm drawing a blank...
2. How do you have fun? Family gatherings, reading, writing, thrifting.
3. gray or au naturale? I'm au naturale, but more than once I've wanted to dye my hair a platinum white and get this greying process over with!
4. Where was your first vacation as an adult, i.e., not with your parents!? I spent a summer working as a maid at Old Faithful. My mother came to get me, as she was afraid I would not return when the summer ended. And while she was there, I was 'detained' for skinny dipping in an off limits geyser pool.
5. Do you "have" a song? "Baby Love" by the Supremes always gets me movin'. I loved the Detroit sound when I was supposed to be a hippy.
6. Fidget or meditate? Hm, a bit of both actually. I'm a zombie for the first hour of the day.
7. What age were you when you first did it? Did what?
8. Is a cell phone really necessary? No. We keep a cell phone only for traveling purposes.
9. mini, midi, or maxi? midi
10. What do you know now? I love the seeming wisdom of being older and wiser. I would not be painfully young even if I could.
11. What do you wish you knew? Whether retiring in May is folly. I'm obliged to decide by December.

And my nominees for Liebsters would be:
1. Meg at Meg's Ragged Edge
2. Dani at No Guilt Fashion
3. Stacy at One Owl Obsessed
4. Narda at Pink Calico
5. Erin at Pretty, Polished, Perfect
6. Devyn at Mavyn Mom
7. Diane at The Blue Ridge Gal
8. Veshoevius at The Taxonomy of my Wardrobe
9. Bella at The Citizen Rosebud
10. Stef at The Dashing Eccentric
11. Ana at She's Addicted to Clothes

And my eleven questions would be--
1. If you could change just one thing about our world, what would it be?
2. What is your earliest memory?
3. What is your pet peeve?
4. What is a nickname you'd rather we didn't know?
5. What famous person would you like to meet?
6. Who knows you best?
7. What will be the title of your memoir?
8. What item of clothing would you NEVER wear?
9. What makes you cry?
10. What's the top item on your bucket list?
11. What time do you get up in the morning?

To recap, here are the rules:

1. The new nominee must post 11 things about him/herself.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the person who gave you the award.

3. Choose 11 new nominees and link them in your post.

4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you've nominated.

5. Go and tell them that they've been nominated.

6. No tags back!

I'm joining everyone for Visible Monday this week. Check all of us out at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.

On Rummaging

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:17:00 +0000

During my three weeks off in August, I visited EVERY thrift store in the Kansas City area, about 50 of them, and two auctions, building inventory to begin my eBay business. In addition, I made multiple visits to the Goodwill Outlet, a place I have described visiting before.

Here, you literally dig through the bins, throwing items you want into a grocery cart, which is then weighed at the checkout. All items are priced at .79 per pound. In these bins, we've found lots of leather, which DH purchased initially for work on his antique organs, although I've snagged a couple of his findings for myself. I've rescued all sorts of handwork--embroidery, crochet work, and hand-stitched quilts, which need nothing more than some tender loving care.

I've found vintage, with tags still attached and have begun to collect items for care packages to Vix at Vintage Vixen, Helga at Helga von Trollop, and Curtise at the Secondhand Years. I threw these baby shoe forms in my cart for any of my readers who might want or need them for homemade booties or shoes.

DH discovered a dragon kite, fully intact, while I scooped up corks, buttons, and a chandelier crystal, which has been fashioned into a lovely necklace on a "found" sterling silver chain.

On one particular visit, I found this unlikely looking little memorandum book in the detritus at the bottom of a bin. I flipped through the pages and discovered a number of cigar bands carefully mucilaged in alphabetical order to the pages. It was not until I arrived home that I discovered that people collect these things and a cursory glance at the pages where they are for sale on eBay indicates that this could be VERY, VERY valuable.

One day, I grabbed a zip-lock bag that held several very carefully folded scarves. Inside I found this scarf, but in spite of my best efforts to determine whether it might have value, I'm stumped and wondering if any of my readers might know. In the process I've learned a lot about Monteil cosmetics...and the previous clothing line.

In the smaller picture, you can just barely make out the signature sphinx in a pale pink watermark. Does anyone know IF this is a valuable scarf?

These are only a few of my treasures. I suspect that I've had a bit of beginner's luck on eBay this first month. I've been listing things in categories, moving from tees to shoes to jeans to crocheted items, vests, and skirts. I'm trying to be methodical about it to discover what sells and at what price. Several of the items were snatched up within minutes of the listing, meaning that they were underpriced. But I'm loving the thrill of the auctions and in several cases, I've been astounded at how high the bidding will go.

On Monday, I plan to do a post that features the first NEW dress I've purchased in the history of Rags against the Machine. In fact, I want to do a post on my retail shopping for the year, something I vowed in January to learn to do. I'm not entirely a "bottom feeder," as DH likes to say.

Here's to a good weekend and happy rummaging to all!

Top Tier: Lisa at Dangerous Curves

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

During my recent blog vacation, I found myself thinking about the blogs I've seen come and go since I began blogging. I miss Paula from Fashion over Fifty and Serene at the Elegant Bohemian and Reva from Rags to Roses. I miss Christina from Second Skin Style. And I found myself asking whatever happened to the GANG of academic style blogs I was reading when Rags first began. I realize that people's interests change, but for every favorite that disappears a new one seems to come to my attention.

Last week Citizen Rosebud challenged us to introduce Top Tier blogs that may have been overlooked by the powers that be. I could think of many I might suggest and as I made my commenting rounds I met a few new ones and came across recommendations for several I already read. In some ways, "Top Tier" is a terribly loaded term as the dust-up at IFB demonstrated. I know that I most value those blogs where I have some sense of a personal relationship with the blogger and I can see that the clothing is worn for daily life.

In THAT category, Lisa at Dangerous Curves best fits the bill. When I stumbled across her blog, she was posting about the special set of concerns a ballroom dancer might have when dressing for competition. As I read, I found myself remembering the basic belly dancing classes I took several years ago...and the discovery that often the costumes the dancers wore enhanced the effect of the dance. Here Lisa is, in action with "Marcel."

As I continued to read Lisa's blog, I realized that she was a graduate student who both teaches and takes classes. I connected with that too, remembering my own days in graduate school as a very heady time of learning and learning by teaching. She's been off for the summer and has made generous comments on many of our blogs. I know she lifted my spirits when I hit the wall with the Six Items Challenge. And, she's been thrifting, with a special dancer's eye for the movement of a gown.

She's introduced us to her family members-- her young photographer has ideas similar to my grandson's about a good pose. So, while we share many interests, I encourage any of my followers to follow Lisa as she shares videos of her dance practice sessions, photos of her latest thrift store haul and shoe collections, and bemoans that portion of her body that seems to solicit out of the ordinary attention.

School started for her this week and no doubt, she's as swamped as I feel with the new semester, but I encourage you to swamp her with comments. You'll be glad you did.

A Wrinkle in Time: Chanel's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:25:00 +0000

One unintended side-effect of the Six-Items Challenge was that I grew very tired of publishing photos of myself! A variation of this "Chanel" look appeared earlier this month on Jill's Everything Just So blog. I found the jacket for $1 in a thrift, pairing it with a contrasting shell, and a vivid blue skirt. The shoes are a dark blue suede with patent toes. Somehow I doubt that Coco would approve of the blue and perhaps she would recoil in horror at the phenomenon of thrift stores, though in her early days she was quite a scrapper.

Often when I take a blog break, I return bursting with creativity and new ideas. And while I do have a few new ideas up my sleeve this time, the health situation of two dear family friends has given me pause in recent weeks. Clothes have come to seem like a way to disguise our basic human vulnerability. I've given much thought to the phenomenon of style blogging, feeling like I'm caught between the airiness of pixels and the "meat" of physically styling clothing

I've cleaned my closet yet again and I fear that it is now down to its essential "Frenchness," where it basically was before I began to blog. During the first week of my break, I read--things like Inez de Fressange' book (finally); Susan Sommer's French Chic, Alison Houette's Alligators, Old Mink and New Money, and eBay for Dummies. The problem with Frenchness is that the "chic" of it is often revealed up close and personal...and if one makes that their aesthetic, there's not much to publish pretty pictures about.

Mostly I've been rummaging. The inventory for my store has increased by leaps and bounds. I've devised a system to repair, launder, iron, steam, photograph, and sort the items I've amassed into a workable system. I'm still serving my apprenticeship of sorts on eBay and won't reveal my identity there until I'm over the worst of my mistakes.

I have lurked in the blogosphere noting the passing of Anna Piagi and Helen Gurley Brown. I've followed the intensity of the dust-up at Independent Fashion Bloggers. I was pleased with the attention the Huffington Post gave to Sacramento, Judith, Deja Pseu, Joni, Kim France, and Patti! And I've made a note of the arrival of Nora Bird's little one.

Now, if Coco Chanel were alive today, what do you think she would make of the upcoming fashion week, the advent of fast fashion, and the phenomenon of style blogging?

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:21:00 +0000

Many years ago, my youngest daughter had a routine of coming straight home from school, grabbing an afghan (that I didn't dare wash) and plopping down in front of the television to watch Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. I don't quite understand, even today, her fascination with his calm demeanor, and the puppets, and the piano. Recently I watched the first of nine videos he made for historical purposes and was enchanted to learn that his mother knitted the variety of sweaters seen on his PBS program. He also spoke of using the piano to articulate his feelings. The youngest daughter taught herself to play piano--well enough, that she was gifted this upright DuoTone player piano. From time to time, we'll load the roll of Rhapsody in Blue and the entire house floods with the sounds of Gershwin's music.

By contrast, I took lessons for over 10 years and while, I read music, the extent of my playing these days would be a basic church hymn! I thought about my teachers when I dressed for this post. The first one had the most beautiful pale sculptured hands and I seemed to recall that she also worked as a hand model. The last one was a bachelor. I would trek to his home after school, making note of the scent of his home, just as I'm sure he recalls that I didn't practice my Chopin Etudes as often as I ought.

Many of you may realize by now that I've been trying to take a bit a blog sabbatical. I haven't been making my regular commenting rounds though I've been lurking here and there.

DH and I have had the house to ourselves for the past two weeks. We've celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary...among other things. It's been great to renew our sense of each other rather than take our partners for granted as can so easily happen with long-married folk.

My eBay experiments continue with mixed results, although its exciting to be learning something new.

Classes begin a week from Monday.

I'm going to continue to lay low for a week, resuming regular programming on 19th (Chanel's birthday). In the meantime, I've taken down my long outdated blog roll and if you would like to have your name listed on the new one, please leave a comment. And share your experiences learning to play a musical instrument.

Six Items Challenge: Lessons Learned

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:28:00 +0000

It's been a week now since the July round of the Six Items Challenge for Labour behind the Label's effort to raise awareness about working conditions in the global textile and fashion industry. And, it's been curious to watch my behavior...to see if anything has really changed. And after a week, I would say it has.

Early in the challenge Franca at Oranges and Apples wrote a post that worked on my thinking throughout the challenge. She speculated that a challenge would only be possible with frequent laundering, thus contributing to the environmental impact of a reduced wardrobe. Two of the items I selected for my challenge were Dry Clean only (the black slacks and woven skirt). Two were cold water wash items (the reversible shell and white skirt) and two could be tossed in with other items of laundry I might be doing (the white and black tees). I learned to change into my nightgown earlier in the evening than I ordinarily would. I learned that simply airing clothing might suffice; I wore items longer between washings. And, I learned to wash items in my bathroom sink. I dry cleaned once during the month, using a kit and my own washer/dryer. Today, 6 days after the challenge ended, I had my first official laundry day in a month, having run out of underwear.

I also worried that such intensive wearing might permanently ruin the six items I chose. I am happy to report that the white tee was the only item that showed this wear, with the hem beginning to ravel in the last week. The black slacks, however, will likely never be worn as a pair of dress slacks again--as I've discovered how comfy and "dressed up" they are for every day wear. In fact, as I type, I'm wearing the black slacks with a Harley top that Sandra from Owl Molt sent toward the end of the challenge. Picture it: a 58 year old woman, braless, in a tight motorcycle ridin' top. DH loves it.

I rediscovered the WEALTH of accessories I own and have done a second closet cleaning since the challenge ended, trying to think of a better way to organize these accessories. I need something like a shoe box for each color in the palette where items could be sorted according to color. Do any of my readers have an arrangement like this?

I also discovered what summer shoes I do not wear and have tossed them into a new box intended for a thrift store donation. Even more of the wardrobe that remained after the first closet clearing has now been added to the pile of things I'll attempt to sell on eBay. The reversible top may show up there. (I've made my first sale!)

Before the challenge began, I had wanted to include a dressier skirt and a grey linen blazer which has seen no wear this summer. Given the additional challenge that the hot-hot-hot weather added to the challenge, I consider myself very LUCKY to have stumbled across the reversible top in a thrift store just before the challenge began. It reminded me of this dress I had been very tempted to purchase last winter. Early on, some of my readers had questioned the long-sleeved tees, but given the intensity of the sun in my area during July, I was glad to be covered up. Luckily, my work does not involve going to campus in the summer time so I was able to make do with a fairly casual wardrobe.

I have never been a fan of fast fashion. The $20 wardrobe I worked with entirely originated in a thrift store. Rags has long ago proven that it is possible to dress professionally for very little expense, but the challenge has shown that I could likely do with a fraction of wardrobe I currently own. Another round of the challenge is upcoming in September for those of you who think you'd like to try it. And my fund-raising widget will remain in my sidebar until that challenge begins. I encourage you to try it!

And now for a glimpse of what I've been up to on my vacation:

Six Items Challenge: the Bag Lady

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 02:39:00 +0000

I finished grading the second stack of papers on A Doll House about 2 p.m. Saturday and decided to celebrate with an impromptu Arm Party. In real life, I seldom wear any of the bracelets and bangles I own because whether I'm blogging or teaching, they get in the way of what I need to do on my computer. I still didn't leave them on for long...as the weight of them collectively was pretty heavy and I couldn't bend my wrists.

At left, you'll see the donations I took to the thrift store Saturday afternoon. When I did my wardrobe inventory, a couple of weeks ago, I was embarassed enough by what I listed that I did not reveal how much I had weeded out as well. In this pile there are 8 pair of shoes, 11 tops, 8 pair of pants, 5 dresses, 8 skirts, and 3 sweater vests.

Also, not revealed would be those items (about 50 now) I've separated out with thoughts of an eventual eBay and/or Etsy store. I had never seriously considered such a possibility until early in June, DH and I attended an auction. We bid on the umbrella you saw in the last post, and another box of things which proved to contain a number of vintage fans, kid leather gloves, and silk scarves. The wheels began to turn... But to make this a reality, I seriously need to pick the brains of those of my blogger friends who have some experience with this. I've made purchases from both eBay and Etsy, the learning curve to SELL may prove to be very stiff.

Sunday, I wore this--which I considered a bit of a fail. In my imagination, it was cute, although in retrospect I probably should have taken the time to baste the two scarves together and wear them with a black bandeau rather than the beleaguered black tee.

And Today, Monday, I decided to wear all 6 items at once, just for contrast with those first few photos in which I wore no accessories. As I piled the layers on, I found myself thinking about an encounter I had over 30 years ago with a "bag lady" in Grand Central Station. She had claimed a pew in the central waiting area. As those of you who've been there know, these pews are long--likely a hundred feet in length. When another passenger dared to take a seat on her pew, she let loose with a string of foul language unlike any I'd ever heard before and it echoed loudly off the high ceilings. I was petrified...and yet, that woman who carried all her worldly possessions with her, or wore them, remains in memory today.

Of course, I didn't wear them all day. My grades are turned in and I have "inventory" to build for my imaginary shop...so in actuality, here's what I wore to shop...the bag's from Morroco. A place I'd love to visit.

I hope to do a post that recaps all the looks I've worn in the past month(there are MORE than 30) as well as a bit of meditation on what I've learned from the challenge. But I first want to extend my hearty thank you to all the readers who stuck with me through what could have a very boring and lonely exercise. I especially want to thank those who made a contribution to Labour behind the Label and for those who sent surprise packages that ensured I had plenty to work with during the challenge.

Six Items Challenge: A Second Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 03:29:00 +0000

First, a thank you to all my faithful readers and fans who encouraged me in my last post when I was down, down, down. The end of the challenge is within sight now--Monday. As promised, I wanted to begin with the stylings of the "Joni James" shawl.

First, please ignore the difference between the "tan" on my upper body and that below in the look on the left. I wore a black strapless bra, simply wrapped the shawl around and tucked into the bra and then belted, adding souvenir beads from youngest daughter's wedding and oldest daughter's ruby slippers. In a pinch, this ensemble could do. In practice, I wore the look on the right for about half a day until I was obliged to make a mad dash to the grocery store when I belatedly remembered that the County Fair parade was that night. I wore the white skirt to the grocery.

Our home sits on the main route and this generally means that all sorts of family, friends, and former tenants stop by for the great view and whatever food we might have to offer. I was scrambling but had time to BUY fried chicken by the bucket, a macaroni salad, a mixed melon salad. I made a huge batch of fresh salsa and added various other chip condiments and a huge pitcher of lemonade. It is a wonder that the white skirt was not stained by all the cutting and chopping. The day had been so warm (110 degrees) that my guests opted to eat BEFORE the parade rather than after as I had planned. I never did get to put on the bit of "costume" I'd planned.

The boots, the belt and the hat are all items that DH bought for me years ago and while I often wear the boots and the belt, the hat has very seldom seen the light of day. I've cocked it at a funny angle for dramatic effect in this photo.

Below is the kind of thing that you'll see in small town parades, minus the politicians, the Shriners, and the Boy Scouts.

That night, it rained! Blessed, glorious rain and I was inspired to pull out this umbrella I acquired at an auction in early June. Notice the remains of a small puddle in the photo.

For most of Thursday, I simply wore the black tee and slacks as we thrift-shopped a bit, the calm before a different kind of storm. My classes officially ended at midnight that night and the flurry of grading finals began. This is what I wore on Friday to camp in front of my computer, grading, grading, grading.

I'm wearing button flowers I won in Megan Mae Daily's recent giveaway! Aren't they pretty? They were a great pick-me-up after my last post.

I didn't snap the photo until LATE in the day after I'd graded an entire stack of papers on Ibsen's A Doll House. I've artfully covered my tired, tired face and to please Beryl, I'm wearing Libby Edelman orange platform sandals rather than the flip-flops I've worn in solidarity with poor women most of the month.

I have one more stack of papers to grade and THEN, come Monday I'll be a free woman for three entire weeks!

Six Items Challenge: Hitting the Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:59:00 +0000

I think I've started to hit the wall and no longer consider my lack of rain a benefit in the challenge. Crops are dying in the field, foundations and water pipes cracking, and trees dying. Layering is out and my faint tan is long gone.

I've "dry-cleaned" the woven skirt and my black slacks, and I'm on the hunt for looks that don't involve extra layers. The only thing new in Sunday's look would be the touches of orange--belt, scarf, and flip-flops.

I had great plans for the scarf/shawl I'm wearing in Monday's look. I thrifted it just before the challenge began and thought that it looked a lot like Joni's word art. It was a cool day indoors updating my classes and then I began to sample some of the future looks I'd planned with it. They are not working ...yet.

Instead of a skirt or dress made from the shawl, you see the purple top below again. Thanks to Sally's post on Monday, I thought of this Elizabeth James obi I haven't worn since last winter. And then slipped on a pair of Franco Sarto flats, a pair that has been with me since Rags began.

I finally took a look at the places of manufacture on my 6 items. The white tee is by Banana Republic and was manufactured in Vietnam. The black tee is by Gap and was manufactured in Thailand. The polyester reversible shell is by Westbound and was made in Indionesia. The Caslon slacks were made in China. The white skirt is by St. John's Bay was manufactured in Cambodia.

Is anyone noticing a pattern? Yes, that's what the Labour behind the Labels campaign is all about. The tees are probably the only items that I think of as specifically "fast fashion" though all pieces originally came from the thrift store.

The woven skirt--the sturdiest piece in my wardrobe this month is by Central Falls and was made in the USA. And I want to believe that at the very least the seamstresses who made my skirt earned a minimum wage and in safe conditions.

When I get discouraged about my workload or the weather, I need only think a bit about these seamstresses to change my tune.

Six Items Challenge: Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 01:01:00 +0000

We keep a huge suitcase of dress-up clothes at our house for the grand kids. It is usually reserved for days when they can't play outside. Most of the time, this means rainy, housebound days. But this month, when every day has been over 100 degrees, we've had it out. Both of these ensembles were put together by them, with NO prompting by the adults, perhaps putting to rest theories about children's gender boundaries.

I've finished grading the sonnets, the villanelles, and the sestinas and the end of summer semester is within sight now. Below, you'll see what I wore on the first day of grading these poems. I have to thank MeganMae at MMD for explaining to me how one can make a top out of an old pair of fishnet stockings. By the end of the evening of grading--each sleeve had slipped off the shoulder making for an even more interesting look.

By day 19 of the challenge, I had worn the reversible shell a total of 12 times and decided that I needed to give it a rest. When I looked at the possibilities, I decided to layer my tees, reasoning that so long as I was indoors grading, I might get away with it. But the effect is more than a little wonky.

The boys have been excavating a dinosaur skull and are covered in a very fine dust...which I'm trying hard not to get on my white skirt and tee. The necklace is a cinnabar elephant my folks home for me from a trip to China years ago.

Today (Saturday), I had planned to layer the black tee over the white with the black slacks. The weather changed my mind. We visited a sick friend at the lake and his two very friendly dogs. I'm covered in dog hair and worrying how I'll get these britches dry-cleaned before I need them again, but I'm sporting a pair of roller skates found in a thrift store on the drive home. They were marked $4. And DH found a pair in his size too. When we went to pay, they were 75% off! We'll see how many limbs I've broken by Sunday evening.

Forgive the repeat outfit, but the "shoes" are new to the challenge.

Six Items Challenge: A Wardrobe Inventory

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:53:00 +0000

With this post I have passed the halfway mark of the challenge. I began with the mistaken impression that the challenge was 40 days long, but an e-mail I received on Sunday mentioned that it was just 30 days long. The e-mail gently reminded that this is a fundraising effort on behalf of Labor behind the Label, which uses the funds to educate about issues raised by fast fashion. At left you'll see my pledge widget, and if you're so inclined feel free to donate.

On Monday, I wore this: the woven skirt, the reversible shell with the red side out, a huge straw bag, and a pair of authentic huraches. I found both the huraches and straw bag in thrift stores. The straw bag was an especially memorable find. When I found it at the Salvation Army last summer for $2.99, I had visions of carrying it to the Farmers Market and coming home loaded down with fresh produce. And, yet, we've not been to the market all summer!

On Tuesday, I wore this: the white skirt with the purple shell. I've added the fiber necklace my middle daughter gave me for Mother's Day and the antique funeral home fan I found in an antique store last January. It's been over 100 degrees most days for three weeks running now and I'm doing my best to keep my cool.

Today, I've been grading formal poems all day--an exercise I put my literature students through simply for them to have an appreciation of the complexities of rhyme and rhythm. It's funny though to watchi me do this as I'm often counting on my fingers and tapping my foot in an iambic rhythm. I'm sporting a belly-dancing veil as a superhero cape in this look, but below, you can see more sedate versions of the look.

One thing this challenge has led me to do is to clean out my closets and dresser drawers and to catch up on all laundry, ironing and steaming. For a moment, everything is neat and orderly. Here's what I discovered I have on hand...and the "muchness" of it, is more than a little embarassing.

27 pair of shoes (12 heels; 15 flats)

5 pair of boots

4 pair of flip-flops

4 pair of sandals

7 purses

2 backpacks

3 full length coats: camel wool, khaki down, London Fog grey raincoat

3 winter jackets: Icelandic wool sweater coat; Mondrian wool; shearling

3 light jackets: madras plaid, orange hooded vest, paper clown jacket

3 nightgowns

1 robe

2 cocktail dresses

2 suits—charcoal grey knit; beige silk pants

7 dresses—3 winter; 4 summer

19 skirts

4 summer skirts

13 slacks

40 button front shirts/blouses, long-sleeved

17 sleeveless or short sleeved buttonfront

14 blazer or dress jackets

10 cardigans

8 vests

8 sweater vests

21 pullover sweaters

2 pair Mom jeans

6 pair denim jeans

2 pair corduroy jeans

4 pair shorts

3 pair cargo/Capri length

23 long sleeved tees

23 short sleeved tees

13 pair tights

1 swimsuit

2 sarongs

30 pair cotton undies

6 bras

1 camisole

3 FL slips

229 pieces—not counting thrift store contribution & items designated for E-Bay or Etsy

Do you have any idea how many separate pieces you might own?

Visible Monday: The Lake Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:24:00 +0000

I did it--made through the weekend with my 6-Item wardrobe. The chair at left is the secret of my success. If I wasn't sitting on it, I had it wrapped around my waist in the kitchen, apron-style, cooking for the crew of 7 adults and two children, all family this time.

Friday's look was a departure from what I had planned. And the look had to be re-created at home as I was the photographer for the weekend and failed to snap a photo of me in my swimsuit and skirt combo.

Here's how I looked this morning--a little worse for the wear in Friday the 13th's garb.

The suit--a Nike's swimmer suit is likely 10 years old and has no foundation, as it's designed for swimming laps, which I sometimes do when we are at the lake. I swam no laps this time between keeping track of the grandsons and cooking and washing dishes.

On the plus side though, I have no burn to recover from.

Below left, you'll see what I planned to wear Friday. My photographer suggested the belt become a turban and I have to confess that it somehow looks more lake appropriate.

Both the scarf and the mustard shoes were thrifted,

although I know I saw the shoes in Old Navy just this past spring.

Below is how I looked most of Sunday, although the photo wasn't snapped until we arrived home. The sarong was an experiment that probably needed the invisible bra I purchased in May.

And now if you'll indulge the grandmother in me...a few of my favorite photos from the weekend.

The grandson visiting from Montana with a "hairy" ear.

The live-in grandson discovering the uses of a short paddle.

Oldest daughter actually RELAXING for a change.

Boys and their toys.

Visible Monday is open to all and you can post your look at Patti's Not Dead Style. And now I'm off to catch up on a weekend of missed blogs.

6 Items Challenge: Update & Further Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:19:00 +0000

We're about to depart for a long weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks and I'll be packing my entire wardrobe along...and having nothing truly appropriate to wear! Typically, weekends like this entail a swimsuit and a pair of Mom jeans. The swimsuit is okay by the rules of the challenge (sportwear is okay), but the jeans would not be. Yikes--it ought to be interesting keeping the white skirt clean in this location.

On Tuesday this week, I wore this for a day of thrifting and I realized a problem with the reversible top. It's not long enough to be tucked in properly and expect it to stay and it's a bit too long for a true crop top.

The only thing new here would be the addition of a floral scarf for a belt and a better photo of the black espadrilles. The scarf shall return in a couple of weeks, if all goes according to plan.

On Wednesday, although I was basically sending out mid-term reports to my students, I tried to tackle the problem of what I might wear if I needed to dress up for some occasion. Given the current parameters of my wardrobe, below is the best I could do.

I don't really have a pair of heeled sandals that might have made this more dressy. You've seen the Picasso scarf on Rags before, but I piled on the necklaces. I think I have 4 here (the bracelet is one that was later draped around my neck). Two of these necklaces were gifts from Reva, and two were thrifted. One in particular is interesting to me as I think it looks like beads of cement. The clerk at the thrift tried to suggest that it was something called blue coral. Is blue coral a thing? Or something the clerk invented?

Today, I have updated my classes waiting for my long hair to dry naturally. My hair has a natural wave to it and though when I'm not working, I like it down, I've been experimenting with hairstyles during the challenge. Above I have an off-center bun as big as a doorknob and below, I'm sporting the side-braid again.

The backpack is of a different woven material than the skirt. The purple flip-flops were dug out of my closet from two years ago. The neon scarf was thrifted and at my neckline, I have a brooch made of an item I found on the street--a neon colored dragonfly shape. In the backpack will go all the accessories I'll need to look put together this weekend.

And here is a photo of my dearly beloved wearing his stilts with his slender legs crossed. He's been replacing the ceiling in one of our apartments in preparation for my mother moving in with us this fall sometime.

For the first time, we're really having to think through the health and medical needs of a "tenant" as we renovate and there are all sorts of considerations we've never pondered before.

What's on your agenda for the weekend? I'll be back on Monday with bedraggled versions of my weekend looks.

EBEW: Colorblocking on the 6-items Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Terri) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Who knew that color blocking would be this month's EBEW focus when I committed to doing the Six-Items Challenge. The look below is a variation on what I had planned for the challenge, but I think I managed to include six different colors: the yellow side of the reversible shell, a red belt, blue flip-flops, a green bracelet, and orange DIY bracelet, and a purple fan.

And to those who may be visiting from EBEW, a word about the Six Items Challenge. I've committed to wearing variations on the same six items as part of Labour behind the Label's effort to educate consumers about the working conditions of garment workers in the "fast fashion" world. I'll be wearing these 6 items only until August 9th. This would be my 9th day of 40 in the challenge. However, the challenge allows me to use all of the accessories I like. And things are starting to become more interesting, or desperate, depending upon your point of view.