Dish Love

I have a few mini-obsessions, dishes being one of them. LOVE THEM! If I could and if I had room I'd have dozens of sets. When I moved in with Pup I edited and edited. Gave a few sets to daughters and made decisions on some I owned that I didn't love as much. Oh the sadness having to do that.

No love in a vacuum. I am slowly filling up that void. I am not only hopeless, but helpless to the dish-love.

In my defense, who could resist these? I had this set many years ago when I had my first apartment. A co-worker gave them to me and I cavalierly broke, lost, or misplaced the set.

Started stalking them in shops and online.

Found these! For such a great price! LOVE.

I am very excited to eat a delicious meal from these dishes. Here is another justification in my mind; these are little, little like things used to be when the country wasn't so hugely huge. Look at the tiny saucers, the small coffee cups, the lunch plate. Visual reminder to not upsize my portions.

I will make dinner today to celebrate the dishes.

Have I made you fall in love?

uninspired

Hot Men Friday

Mmmm!

Look at Brian's man-pack. I noticed these as early as two winters ago. Many of the smart, hip young men downtown were wearing them with tighter jeans and white Ts. My DD2 told me it is an European influence. Never thought I'd be lovin' the fanny-pack as I am from Minnesota and some people in these parts are still sporting theirs from the 80s. :)

Blog Action Day

Today is the day when all bloggers unite to form a wall of information for anyone who is reading.

Here are a few examples of my efforts to save resources and reuse.

My Aldi bags. I keep two or three of these in Ruby (my Wrangler) and use them every week.

I have used this bag for over 10 years! It is where dry cleaning goes to die. Or goes to rest until I actually bring it into the dry cleaners. (note to self: bring in dry cleaning?)

One of a million Ikea bags I own. Somehow I almost ALWAYS forget to bring my Ikea bags with me when I actually go to Ikea. But the bags get used in millions of other ways. I brought three of them with me to Sarah's house the other day for the closet edit. They were filled with donation and tailoring items.

Here are two bags of donations I just filled from my own closet edit. I constantly edit my closet. Well, by constantly I really mean maybe twice a year. I am reusing two bags here. One is from Pier 1 (really??) and the other is a random Ikea bag I found. They will be donated as well.

This is the coolest little bag that I carry in my handbag. It is a tiny little package and inside is a largeish (word@!) tote bag for when I need a tote bag unexpectedly. I found it at some office supply warehouse.

What are you doing today to prove your involvement with our planet?

All the Single Babies

Now, this baby has style! Tears are squirting out of my eyes while watching this. Darling.

Closet Edit and Styling Session

My first! Yes, it was my daughter, yes she "volunteered," and yes it was the best fun. We started about 11:00 in the morning and were still going strong at 5:00 that evening. So great hanging out with her and getting this done.

She is a darling girl with kick-ass legs. During the edit, we discovered that skirts look the best on her when the hem hits just above the knee. She has a HUGE pile of skirts to take to the tailor.

We took pictures of most of the outfit possibilities. 69 pictures in total! I left her with a list of additional accessory purchases she needs to make for outfit snazzing. It was great seeing how just the few scarves and necklaces she did have could be used in endless ways.

Styling with her was energizing and inspiring. I cannot wait to see her in every outfit.

She has tons of jackets and tons of skirts. Look at those legs! What a great outfit for work and then happy hour yes?

Another great jacket combo.

And another.

This jacket is great in person. I loved it with the sleeves rolled up.

These pants are great. They have pleating at the top. She hadn't found a way to wear them. We came up with about five options for her. I really adored this one.

This option made her look incredibly tiny! Who doesn't love that? Plus, she is tiny!

Look at the detailing on this fantastic suit. When this skirt gets shortened (with about five others) this suit will be in constant rotation.

Got the booty going on! Another fabulous jacket.

Same jacket, different option.

This skirt is incredibly versatile. We had endless ideas for it.

After all that styling, this is what she was wearing out that night with her husband. Of course it was an Ugly Sweater Party. Oh the 80s!

A lovely lovely day.

Fearless

http://fashionloveandmartinis.blogspot.com/

I woke up this morning with no intention of writing on this subject, but I stumbled on this video while doing my coffee and morning blog and twitter readings (thanks Maegan!).

This darling girl is only in her 20s and she has already begun her soul-scorching crossing into self-awareness.

How many of us have been where Amanda is right now? How many times? How many? It's a private struggle for us. Maybe we share it with our closest peeps, but mostly it's left deep inside to mock us and nag us and judge us.

Where are you with this today?

This, My Darlings, is Snow

October 10th! One month ago it was 95 degrees and incredibly humid. Now I'm ashy like a cold fireplace.

On a cheerful note, I am off to my DD1's house later this morning to do my first closet/styling session. Sarah agreed to be my first styling client and has volunteered to be my first online model. I am excited. I am bringing Ikea bags for the tossing, mending, throwing piles I know we will find.

Posts to follow.

The Minnesota Twins!

What do they have to do with fashion?

At this time of year they have everything to do with fashion around these parts! Everyone is all about jerseys, hats, beads. Show your team support.

Minnesota is in sports-heaven right about now.

Who is more fashionable than these guys?

GO TWINS!