Versatile clothing - Layerable stuff

So in my previous post, I gushed about convertible clothing. Today, I want to gush about clothes that can be layered. There is nothing more versatile than a piece of clothing you can wear to a variety functions in a variety of ways.

Take, for example, a pair of comfortable black slacks. Black slacks can be dressed up or down, worn with pumps, sneakers or boots. They match most tops and can be worn in warm or cold weather. When it gets colder and the slack aren't warm enough, wear a pair of microfiber tights underneath. When it gets super cold, wear pair of knee high or thigh high socks over the tights. So in this case, these slacks can't be the slim-fitting kind. There needs to be some room for layering underneath it.

Another favorite item is the thin, v-neck sweater. This sweater can be worn alone as a top, or over a collared shirt or turtleneck. It can also be worn under a cardigan. It can be dressed up or down with brooches, necklaces or scarves and a classically-styled v-neck sweater never goes out of fashion! Of course, it doesn't have to be a v-neck. I just happen to like the v-neck.

Microfiber tights are also another indispensable item in my wardrobe. As I mentioned before, I wear them under my slacks for extra warmth. They can also be worn alone with a skirt. The nice thing about tights is that they are more durable than stockings and you can wear them with loafers, oxfords, mules, certain pumps and boots. I stick to plain black tights because it matches just about anything I have.

I also happen to love the basic cardigan. You can layer it over the above-mentioned v-neck sweater or wear it on its own. You can also use it in place of a summer jacket and it's super handy to have if your office air conditioning is too strong.

In terms of lighter wear, there's always the trusty camisole. You can wear it under your shirt, blouse, sweater, or just about any kind of top. A nice, plain camisole made of good material can be worn casual as well as dressed up. I've layered my winter wear with my camisole underneath a turtleneck underneath a v-neck sweater underneath a heavier-weight, long, button-down sweater. Yes, it's bulky, but it keeps me toasty!

Going heavier, a nice heavy-weight, long, button-down sweater is another favorite. I wear this when I want more coverage and warmth, and the cardigan is just not enough. It can also double as a fall or spring jacket in a pinch.

Some things that I've found to be helpful when choosing which pieces to add to my wardrobe. First, it's totally worth the extra money to buy something made with natural fibers. Not only are natural fibers more comfortable to wear, but also reduces static electricity in the winter. As a girl with long hair, and I can attest to the nightmare of walking into a public bathroom stall and having all my hairs stick to the walls! Alpaca is warmer than sheep, but if you have the money, pay for cashmere. Not only is cashmere really soft and warm, it's lightweight because it doesn't require as much bulk to maintain warmth. Silk is also a great material. It's cool in the summer and warm in the winter and nothing drapes and flatters you like silk. Silk can be dressed up or worn casually depending on the weave, cut and style. If can't afford silk, cotton is just as good for light-weight clothes. It's breathable, absorbent and very durable.

Well, that's all I have on this topic. Until next time, have an awesome day!

Versatile clothing - Convertible stuff!

I've been thinking about paring down my wardrobe. I can't bring myself to do it yet, but I'm thinking about it. I'm inspired by a woman in a NYTimes article that wore only 6 pieces of clothing for a month and nobody noticed! That means that we really don't need a giant closet of clothes. It also means that if I were to purge my closet, the pieces I keep will need to be versatile, able to be worn to a variety of functions and able to be worn in a variety of ways. Versatility includes the ability to layer and be worn with other clothes to create warmth and new looks. Clothes also need to be comfortable. If a piece of clothing is not comfortable, I am less likely to wear it. So that means that the clothes I keep in my closet need to be made of comfortable, breathable fabric. Natural fabrics like cotton, wool and silk feel the nicest to me. The last thing to consider in a piece of clothing is fit. Even if I can fit into a piece of clothing, I'm not going to wear it if it makes me feel self-conscious, fat or insecure. Clothes that make me feel good about myself tend to be ones that fit me in all the right places. On this front, I can either shop until I find pieces that fit me or I can make my own clothes. :-)

Right now, my favorite clothes tend to be convertible clothing. I've been fascinated with convertible clothing! From the convertible dress to the convertible scarf, these are clothes that I think gives the most bang for the buck. The fact that they can be worn a variety of different ways means that they can be worn over and over again without looking boring. Part of the fun is finding new ways to wear it!

One such item is the convertible/infinity dress. It's a simple dress you can make yourself. Instructions can be found here: http://rowena.typepad.com/rostitchery/infinity-dress.html
I made one earlier this year and plan to make another one later with some alterations using the lessons learned from my first one. If you're not into sewing, you can also buy one. Victoria's Secret, Monif C and Dessy all have their own version of the convertible dress. Simply put, the convertible dress is a skirt with two fat, long straps attached. Styling is varied depending on how your wrap the straps.

Another favorite convertible dress of mine was actually found at a street fair for 20 bux! I am told it was made from old silk saris, but I have no idea really where the fabric comes from though I do believe it is silk. Anyways, it's basically a two layered wrap skirt with long straps extending from the waistband. There are a few ways to wear it as a skirt, but my favorite is wearing it as a dress. It can be worn many different ways as a dress and it is one of the most comfortable items of clothing I own. You can buy a version of this online and see the different ways to wear it here: http://www.karizadesigns.com/

Continuing on this convertible stuff tract, I also love convertible wraps! I've made a few of these and as long as you make the wrap light and thin, you can wear it as a belt, scarf or wrap. Add buttonholes all around the edges, connect a bunch of buttons with jump rings to make them like cuff links, and your wrap can also be turned into a shrug or poncho. See the knitting pattern and ways to wear it here: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATTconvertible.html

The last convertible item I have are convertible mittens. Okay, I know convertible mittens are not versatile like the above examples, but I still love them! As much as I prefer gloves, the truth is that mittens are warmer. However, there are times when I need fingers! With convertible mittens, you can flip the cap off to expose your fingers and when you're done, you can flip the mitten caps back on. Perfect!

Maybe I love convertible clothing partly because of my love of cool, well-designed gadgets like the iPhone. Or maybe I just love cool clothing. Whatever the case, I am really, really happy to have some convertible items in my closet!

Cat vs. Printer

Toadstool table and chairs set

Okay, I admit that I am mildly obsessed with mushrooms. What can I say? They're just SO AWESOME!! Not only are they adorable, they are also really delicious! So when I saw the picture in the link below, I can't tell you how I gasped and ogled!

http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/toadstool-table-chairs-set/productinfo/26401/

Love my new earrings!

I found these on Etsy and have been coveting them for about a year now. Finally, I treated myself to a pair.

Check out the Etsy shop here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/strungoutdesigns?ref=pr_shop_more

It's NaNoWriMo, baby!

Once again, it is time for National Novel Writing Month! Every November the challenge goes out to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Writing begins at midnight, November 1st and ends midnight, November 30. It is an intense amount of writing to do. I've tried to do it a couple of times before, but have never succeeded. This year, I have a writing buddy! Maybe that will spur me onto NaNoWriMo success in 2010!

Before I began this, I had some ideas of what I was going to do. Originally, I was going to prepare an outline for the novel, but never got around to it. So I am now just writing and letting the story take me where it will. I also originally planned to do a high fantasy novel, like the ones I was obsessed with reading in my adolescence. Currently, I find myself writing something more like chick lit taking place in a weirdly modern fantasy world.


It's only Day 2 in the challenge, so the story and characters are still being fleshed out. Right now, the main character is female and she starts the story at a low point in her life. After spending Day 1 writing the beginning, I got tired of it and skipped to another scene. Today, I can't seem to stay focused on my scenes, feeling uninspired and aimless. I hope that the novel will gain some substance and excitement as I trudge on!


Check out NaNoWriMo here:
nanowrimo.org

Quality education for all

I honestly believe that quality education should be made available to everyone. We all know and see the benefits of getting everyone in a country to learn how to read, write and do math. Educating the population elevates everyone's potential, which elevates an entire country's potential. If every country's potential is elevated, our entire world's potential is elevated. Think of what can be accomplished if everyone in the world was afforded a good, basic education?

That is why this article makes me happy!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/world/europe/01iht-educLede01.html?pagewanted=1&ref=world

Smell like a monster

Anger towards Marie Claire

I was infuriated last night watching the finale of Project Runway. In my fury, I went online to see if others felt what I felt. While reading others' posts and feeling better that I wasn't alone in how I felt, I stumbled across something else that has been happening at Marie Claire magazine. I admit I am not always up on current events, so this may be old news, but when I read it, it blew my mind!

Here's the link to the original post on Marie Claire by Maura Kelly:
http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/dating-blog/overweight-couples-on-television

As someone who has struggled with my own body issues my whole life, I cannot believe the non-apologetic apology and the staff at Marie Claire standing by the post! I'm not going to reiterate the outrage that most others have already expressed, nor am I going to write my own editorial of the post since I think Josh Shahryar did it better here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-shahryar/dear-marie-claire-and-med_b_775159.html

I really don't understand why the folks at Marie Claire think it is okay to hurt the feelings of their readers when they are supposed to help them feel better. Certainly, one can argue that fashion magazines don't actually make women feel better, but their glossy pages always pretend that they are for the benefit of women rather than to their detriment. What was posted is just so blatantly mean and unapologetically damaging that any pretense of being for the benefit or entertainment of women is lost.

Yes, they have the freedom to post such speech. However, as good human beings, there needs to be an eye towards publishing responsible speech. It is most disturbing that neither the author nor Marie Claire is expressing any indication that they truly understand why the original post is so offensive. Is this just another indication that people are losing their ability to empathize, or even pretend to empathize?

A conscious decision to change direction

This has been a fairly fluffy blog. I have made an effort to avoid controversial topics. However, I have been finding it more and more difficult to avoid posting about events that have touched me. I am a very opinionated person, and though I don't have an opinion on everything, I am very passionate about things that I do care about.

So I'm going to start posting more of my opinions and links to articles that has piqued my interest in one way or another. I'll probably go light at first and get deeper as more issues inspire me. The disclaimer to all this is that I am not always fully informed, nor am I unbiased. I'm just saying not to take anything I say too seriously. Feel free to disagree with me without being mean and nasty. I find it sad that it feels like the ability to have a civilized debate is dying away. I don't agree with my hubby on certain things and we'll argue, but it never devolves into accusations of stupidity and/or threats of physical harm. I have never ended a friendship based on differences in politics or religion. The way I see it, insulating myself with only like-minded individuals makes it harder for me to keep practicing empathy, and it makes it harder for me to break out of my comfortable mental grooves.

After all, being challenged isn't always a bad thing. We all just have to remember that just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn't mean they're automatically a bad person through and through. There are always different points of view and different reasonings towards conclusions and having a civilized debate is one way towards understanding and compassion.

Pumpkin Pie

This past weekend, I decided it was time our little pumpkin made itself useful. My hubby bought it for me to carve up because I told him I had never carved a pumpkin before. However, I never did get around to carving it and honestly, I didn't have much desire to. So it just sat there on the table gathering dust. This past weekend, I made pumpkin pie out of it.

It was surprisingly simple, but as it was my first time making it, I probably made the process more complicated than it had to be. In the end, all the effort was worth it! My hubby totally loves the pie and insisted on getting heavy cream to make whipped cream to go with the pie. I have to admit, the pie is pretty tasty and even tastier with the homemade whipped cream!

If you're thinking about making your own pumpkin pie, check out the instructions I followed here:
http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/2010/10/making-a-pumpkin-pie-from-scratch.html
For our pie, I cut back a tiny bit on the sugar and instead of nutmeg, I used mace, which is sort of like a stronger nutmeg.

Paper flower pomanders

Even though I'm done with weddings, I can't help pausing when I see a pretty flower pomander or kissing ball. Here's one that I think looks really festive and cute! The flowers are made from a set of paper punches and glued or pinned to a styrofoam ball.

http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/wedding-kissing-balls.html

Craving Big Macs

I have not eaten McD's in a really long time. The last time I had McD's I was very disappointed that the Big Mac tasted nowhere as good I remember it. Perhaps I have been spoiled by "real" burgers or perhaps I've just outgrown my love of cardboard meat. In any case, I haven't had a Big Mac since and I miss it. It's sad to know that the Big Mac of your memory really isn't very tasty and really doesn't exist.

So I was excited to see this recipe:

http://locallemons.com/local_lemons/2009/12/big-mac-make-your-own-have-a-party.html
Wow! Make your own Big Macs! I've always thought the McD's Big Macs would taste much better with good burger patties, but never knew how to make the special sauce. This is a recipe that I would definitely like to attempt one of these days...

Lovely paper shredder

I like to shred paper. I really do. I just hate how loud our paper shredder is! I rarely ever use it because of the noise. I mean, why torture myself if I only have one sheet of paper to shred? So I'll usually get a small pile going beforeI turn the sucker on and watch the paper get eaten.  I also think our paper shredder is ugly. It's practical, but the thing is an eyesore.

So imagine how I felt when I saw this hand cranked-paper shredder:
http://www.aplusrstore.com/product.php?id=631

Not only is it pretty, but it's quiet and it's super compact! Plus, because it's hand-cranked, it saves on electricity. I totally love this thing! However, I don't think my hubby would want to replace our current, still functioning shredder with this one.

DIY "Swiffer" Sweeper

I'll admit that I like using the swiffer for the in between moppings. I'll also say that I use a lot of sheets and those sheets get pretty pricey! So if you've got some old T-shirts lying around waiting to be donated or thrown out, here's a DIY project to make reusable Swiffer sheets:

http://www.diylife.com/2010/10/13/diy-swiffer-sweepers/

Reusable tea cup

It's true that I don't need another cup to drink my tea or coffee. However, I do have to say this particular teacup deserves a little attention here. It features a little button to hold your tea bag while it steeps. I can't tell you how many times I've lost my tea bag string and this little feature would have been very useful. On top of that, it comes with a silicone cap and band, and it's got a pretty pattern reminiscent of chinese tea cups you find in Asian supermarkets. All in all, I really like this!
http://www.mocha.uk.com/shop/index.cgi?command=moreinfo&search=DC09

Guilty pleasures

Everyone has one or two or more. Ever since I've been trying to live a healthier lifestyle, my number of guilty pleasures have increased exponentially. Right now, I'm in the fallen-off-the-wagon mode. I'm so far off the wagon, that I'll need to take several slow steps to get back on the wagon, and then back on track. Lol!

So currently, here is a list of my guilty pleasures:

I am still an omnivore. I drop the veggie-only lifestyle when I'm away. I can't fully relax on a vacation if I'm always worried about where I'm going to be able to find my next meal. I usually get back on track when I return, but this time, I've been dragging my feet. It's not because I'm addicted to the taste of meat. In fact, there are times when I find what I'm eating too meaty. It's that I'm really enjoying the ability to order anything I want on any given menu. I love the feeling that I'm no longer limited in my choice of restaurants and food. I love tha feeling of food freedom. However, I do feel guilty about eating meat, so I'm weaning myself off meat and back into a veggie-only lifestyle.

Eating dessert every night. Generally, I limit the number of desserts I eat and I limit the amount of the dessert I eat. Lately, I've been indulging almost every night! I can already feel my pants feeling tighter. Lol! So the time to cut back is now. I can't afford a new wardrobe anyways. :-)

Snacking on yogurt pretzels. Usually, I avoid snacking unless I'm really hungry. Lately, I've been snacking even when I'm only mildly hungry or simply because the snack is there. To make matters worse, I've been snacking on these yogurt pretzels from a newly opened convenience store. The ingredients list has "hydrogenated oil" printed first, which means this a pretty unhealthy snack. Luckily, the box is small so I can only have so many. I don't plan to buy another box anytime soon once the current box is finished. I do like them, but there are other things I prefer to snack on.

Shirking chores. I'm ashamed to say that I have been putting off sweeping and mopping. I've been good about the dishes, countertops, laundry and other stuff, but I just can't bring myself to do the floors! I've also been lazy about brushing the cat hair off the couch. I'd like to get into the habit of brushing the couch every day, but I just can't seem to get around to it. Perhaps the answer is to get hubby to do more housework?

Two spatulas/turners

You know the utensil you use to flip omelets and pancakes and other general cooking purposes? I never knew what to call them in English. In Chinese, I think we used a word equivalent to "shovel." I suppose it's because it looks like we're shoveling the food around in the wok. Anyways, we tried out our fabulous electric griddle this past weekend and realized we needed a nylon or silicone turner for our griddle's nonstick surface. We had only metal turners or thick wooden ones that look like paddles. We ended up using a silicone spatula, which worked fine, but we were resolved afterward to buy a turner for nonstick cookware.

So yesterday, we headed over to Bed Bath and Beyond after work to get a turner and a few other things. While browsing the cooking utensils section, we were torn between two sizes of nylon turners. Ideally, we would go with the smaller one with a longer handle, but that particular specification did not exist in front of us. Somehow, hubby talked me into getting both and we now have two nylon turners when I only wanted to get one! Do we really need two turners in two different sizes? I don't think so. So now I have put one out in the kitchen for easy reach and the other one in the pile of less used kitchen utensils.

Upon seeing the pile of less used kitchen utensils, I am left wondering if we really need to actually keep any of them? A couple of the wooden spoons were left to us from hubby's grandmother's collection, but we really don't need 5 wooden spoons. We also have wooden turners/spatulas that came with our wok, which we never use because they're too thick.

Thinking about this further, we really have a lot of stuff that we don't use and really don't need. Many of those things are new, which makes throwing them out wasteful. I could just put them out by the front gate. Stuff that gets put outside often gets taken away by passerbys. Yeah, maybe I'll just put out the stuff we'll never use by the front gate.

Of course, the best thing to do going forward is not to buy or accummulate things that we don't need. Unnecessary things take up space, cause clutter and in the end, is a waste of money. It's not worth bringing home. Now, I'm not a minimalist or anything, but I find that the older I get, the more minimalistic I'm becoming. Who knows? Maybe 10 years later, we'll have nothing in the house but the barest of necessities. Haha! I'm dreaming. My hubby will never let that happen, being the cluttering pack rat that he is! :-)

Paring down my skin care routine

I'm thinking about ways to cut down on my skincare routine. Before weddings took over my life, I would make my own toner, lotion and creams. My toner is just aloe water and floral hydrosol. I use small squares of cloth or sponges to apply the toner and then throw them into the laundry basket. As for the lotion, I have a favorite summer recipe for a really light lotion. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get my act together to make lotion when I ran out earlier this year. So I end up just putting on a very light layer of coconut oil on my face as my facial moisturizer. I love doing it so much, I have no desire to use anything else. I particularly like it as a night cream. I did eventually make my lotion again and have been using it mostly on my hands and legs and any eczema spots.

Today, I thought more about my face routine. When I was a teenager, I used absolutely no products on my face and I never broke out. All I did was gently wash my face with cold water in the morning and evening and then let my face air dry. The key is to avoid touching your face. Your hands touch all kinds of things and dirt and grime can get trapped under your nails. So when you scratch that itch on your nose or rub your cheek, you may be depositing dirt on to your skin. Right now, I'd like to get back into the habit of not touching my face. I'm not sure about going back to just splashing my face with water and nothing else though. It's definitely cheaper, but may not be the best for my now-drier skin. For several days, I've been sticking to water only, just to sort of "reset" my face. I wanted to know what it feels like with nothing "treating" it and the verdict was, "pretty dry." So the past few days, I've been washing my face with only water and then applying a light coat of coconut oil. This routine only applies when I don't wear makeup, which is most of the time. If I wear makeup, I slather on some extra virgin olive oil on my face, wait a few minutes and wash it off with a clear glycerin soap.

It's all pretty simple, quick and easy. However, I'm still having a problem breaking the habit of touching my face. Lol! I'll have to continue working on that.

Homemade Toothpaste

I can't tell you how much I miss cooking, cleaning and knitting on a regular basis. Ah, the life of a homebody without wedding obligations is a life I've been wanting to return to for what seems like ages. So what other old habits are itching for a return?

Well, for one thing, I've gone back to searching for a good homemade toothpaste recipe. I am currently using a cinnamon flavored commercial toothpaste made by Tom's of Maine, but I'm finding the cinnamon to be really harsh on my tongue and lips. Particularly with my lips, they tend to feel hurt and dry and the toothpaste makes my eczema flare up on the corners. The issue I have with homemade toothpastes is that most of them use baking soda and/or salt as their base, and there is still debate about whether or not brushing with baking soda is too abrasive for teeth. I've been wondering if simply diluting it would make it less abrasive. After all, lots of commercial toothpastes contain baking soda, so there must be a way to brush with it without scraping off enamel. Some users of homemade toothpaste simply advise against brushing too hard, which is something I do. So, I found a recipe online that I might try, but I'll be taking out the salt. I think salt is too abrasive for my brushing habits. It looks like the baking soda should be diluted enough in this mixture and they use xylitol sweetener, which has shown some evidence of being good for teeth.

http://thriftysoaper.blogspot.com/2009/03/best-homemade-toothpaste.html

I don't think I'll be able to kick the commercial mouthwash habit though since a fluoride rinse is still important for oral care, and I think the fluoride in our water may not be enough. This is all speculation, of course. We'll know for sure whether or not my oral regimen works depending on whether or not my teeth fall out. Lol!