Officially done with "Detox"

Okay, so maybe I didn't do the best job of not having ice cream, and I did get a couple of things for myself - but I didn't have any pretzel buns! I don't feel too badly because I finished all of my finals with A's - not perfect scores, but good ones - and I'm looking forward to having a break before second term begins. I worked really hard studying for those exams. We're headed for Maine and we are all in desperate need of a vacation.
We'll be staying with my father-in-law and his wife for the first week, then my mother-in-law and her husband for the second week. It'll be nice to see them again, since it's been three years since our last visit.
The day after we get home, school starts for all of us. Well, my kids and me. My husband will go back to work, of course. It's going to be a hectic morning, but at least we each start school at different times. My older son is starting middle school this year, so that'll be a big change. So the route is Little Guy to school across town then back toward our house for Big Guy then I drive to another town for my school. Luckily on Tuesdays, I start later than Big Guy. On Wednesday, he'll have to join forces with the neighbor kid and go with him because we have to be to school at the same time. It's going to be a neat trick.
I got some more school clothes for the boys at Saver's Thrift Store and I had found a few things for myself when I came across a gorgeous gown. Now, I'm not doing a lot of cabaret these days, so I'm not sure when I'd ever wear it, but it was $35 and I tried it on and it's like it was made for me. I'm thinking I may use it for a very elegant vampire Hallowe'en costume. After I tried it on, I put back everything else I had picked out for myself. I'd chosen a few cute things, but about four months ago, I gave away all of my fancy dress clothes to a local theatre in a purge and I wanted that gown to restart a collection. Oh, and I had taken three bags of mine and the boys' clothes to donate and got a 30% off coupon, so I spent about 7 dollars more on everything than was the original (thrift) price of the gown. I'd probably given the theatre about $5000 worth of vintage and evening wear. I figure, if I ever feel like I want to borrow some of it, I know where to go, but if I want something now, I have it. Today I went through my dresser drawers and took 5 bags of clothes to the thrift store up the street. I still need to go through the boys' stuff for more things they've outgrown, but there will be time for that while they're in school. I only have classes on three days, so I'll have time to do some clearing out.
Also today, I decided that my size 8 jeans just weren't going to cut it any more - well, actually, they were cutting into me, so... I went to Saver's to find some jeans. I found two pair of nice ones that fit really well. One is even a pair of "Not Your Daughter's Jeans" and I have to say, if I ever have the extra dinero to buy them new, I may just do that. They're extremely comfortable and the fit is sublime (my butt looks great!). Plus I picked up a couple of larger sweaters to go over my giant, massage therapist arms. I had to get rid of a few sweaters because I've outgrown them in the arms.
Since Hallowe'en is coming up, I'll be looking for more Indian clothes (saris, kurtis, etc.) since they often put them out with the costume stuff. I could seriously live in that style. However, I need specific clothes for school (yoga pants and t-shirts that don't gap open at the chest - no cleavage, front or back). Luckily on Tuesdays, my two classes won't have any practical component to them (no massaging), so I can wear whatever I want. I'm really looking forward to those days. I don't dress up on my days off and I do like to peacock it up every once in a while.
Well, my little flowerpots, I've made my confession, mea culpa <whip, whip> and I don't feel badly about it at all. I worked hard and I deserve a bit of fun. Everything I got for myself and the boys was either on sale, thrifted and/or couponed and I'm feeling quite proud of myself for that. I spent less this year on school clothes than any other year and my boys are happy with what they've got. Of course it helps that they couldn't care less about labels - they figure everyone shops like I do.
Speaking of which, have you been to a thrift store lately? You never know what you might find. I also picked up a Calvin Klein blazer for just a few dollars. Should look great with my NYDJ's!

Good ol' JC Penney

Remember the days of the giant JC Penney catalog? Each season a thousand-page book would arrive and I was in heaven. I'd go through the pages putting together the wardrobe of my dreams. I'd often get one outfit for my birthday or Christmas. I'll never forget the green striped swim suit I got the summer after sixth grade. It was strapless, but with a halter strap. It made me feel so grown up.
I haven't been to JCP in years except for a couple of things here and there. Pillows, mostly. However, as I was searching online for deals on kids' clothes, I found some of the best deals at jcpenney.com, and shipping was free. That was a special deal running for a few days, but when you find those free shipping deals, it's a nice thing to take advantage of. So I did. I didn't necessarily get a lot of things, but the boys don't need an awful lot. I got some new jeans for each of them and a few new shirts. They are growing out of so much. I can only "make do" with so much for them while they still fit into things.
Everything arrived on time (if not early) and it all fits. I'm actually rather proud of myself for taking the time to search for deals.
Then I screwed up the shopping detox. I went through some of my things and discovered that most of the sweaters I have don't fit me quite right any more. My arms have bulked up some since I've started massaging (I actually have visible biceps brachii now!) and my buff arms are too big for some of the things I have for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. My arms and shoulder have always gotten big when I exercise and I just accept it. I'm kind of boxy. So I went to the local Goodwill to find some layering pieces. I found two cardigans that'll work with what I have to wear at school. I also found a book that'll be a nice gift for a friend's birthday.
I also got onto Zulily.com and found a sweater that'll go with a skirt I've been dying to wear but had nothing to go with it. Hopefully the large will fit over my big ol' arms.
Then I really screwed up the detox by going to Target for groceries and I bought a new purse. To be fair, the one I've been using was really too small. I'd been putting up with it since Christmas, and I just couldn't take it any more. Also, it's from Target, so I didn't spend that much on it and I've had good luck with longevity with Target purses. Can you tell I'm trying really hard to not beat myself up for this? My mom even got in on the justification by reminding me that we'll be going to Maine soon, and you "really need to have a nice big purse for traveling." Thanks, mom!
Here's another thing I found today that's going to be a problem: Sockdreams.com. With Socktober coming up, I'm in real trouble. They have a pair of tabi socks with foot and leg bones on them. Those would be a great addition to my collection. I have quite a few socks that I've held on to for years (we're talking over a decade, people) so I should clear out that sock drawer and get some without holes in them.
School is going quite well, though I fainted whilst watching a video on kidney dialysis. My head fell forward and blocked my airway, so they thought I was having a seizure and called 911. That was exciting. I've never actually lost consciousness before and it was really strange. I've felt faint and had the tunnel vision, but I usually get myself into a position to where I can pull myself out of it. How embarrassing! My classmates thought I was going to throw up, but it was just me not being able to breathe. Very attractive. I was out for 20-30 seconds. If you've never fainted before, it's very surreal opening your eyes and suddenly being surrounded by people who weren't there just a "moment" before. I was released from the hospital fairly quickly and was able to go back to school and not miss the test I had in my afternoon class. I did alright on it, too, considering my morning.
I do have a bit of test anxiety on written exams, but when it comes to the practical application exams, I feel right at home. It's spectacular to feel like I'm doing the right thing, to feel so comfortable doing what I'm learning to do. The hard part is finding new clients. Also, once I'm done being a student who can't charge and become a trained and licensed massage therapist who can charge, will my clients stay with me? I hope so. I'm getting a lot of great feedback from those I've been working on, so I really shouldn't worry about it.
Well, flowerpots, I don't know if you got anything from this except that I'm totally guilty of not restraining myself when it comes to spending money - though I am a great bargain hunter - and I faint during medical videos, but if you've made it this far, that's saying something. Also, if you're local to me, you should really partake of my massage therapy skills. Just a little plug, there...

Oops, I did it again.

I had ice cream last night. However, it was far less than I usually have (maybe a 1/2 cup) and I hadn't had any the rest of the week aaaand I've lost four pounds. I've also done really well at not spending extra, getting all of the boys' school supplies on sale or with coupons. In fact, the boys have done really well at not complaining about not getting any toys.
I will have to get them a few new clothes for school because I think my 11 year old has grown 2 inches over this summer and I know my eight year old's jeans are getting a little high water. However, a friend of mine brought my attention to TheChildrensPlace.com where you can get kids clothes at a deep discount. I'm thinking that's the place for my children to get their new clothes. Zulily has kid's clothes, too, but they're usually not as inexpensive, even if they are at a really good discount. I'm going to check them out later today, just to see the kinds of discounts they have for kid's stuff. I'm usually shopping Zulily for myself, to be honest. They have such a variety of styles and I'm always bound to find something I like. However, I'm not getting anything for myself this time. Not saying I won't be "window shopping" though.
I've updated my massage therapy website, CatalystBodyworkbyTracie.com. I've learned some new Shiatsu techniques including some really wonderful abdominal massage that is so helpful with digestion and general health and well-being that I can't recommend it enough. I actually think that it has helped in my weight loss, too. Okay, maybe that's foregoing the daily ice cream habit, but I feel awesome. I've also aced my practical exams and that right there is reason enough to get some bodywork done by yours truly. I have a few testimonials on my site, too. You should go check that out.
I can't believe my first term of massage school is almost done. We're talking about finals already. The time has really flown, which is great, because that means the rest of school will go quickly and I'll be able to get to work helping people feel better. My practice buddies are really enjoying and benefitting from their bodywork. It's very gratifying to know that I'm helping people feel better.
On the artwork front, I've been picking up the crochet hook again, getting ready for fall. I was actually inspired by my anatomy class, in which we use yarn to "build" muscles on skeletons. Having my hands on all that yarn made me itch to crochet, and I have a lot of yarn at home already, so I didn't have to buy anything to get started. My other project is some magazine collage art, but I'm going to need to get some art boards for that eventually, so right now I'm just cutting out the shapes and taking pictures of the way I want to lay them out when I do get those boards. I'll have to do some decoupage practice, too, because I haven't done it in a while.
Oh, I also made the fleece camp blankets for my boys. That was yesterday's project. I haven't made mine yet, but the boys have theirs and they helped me tie the knots. My knee wasn't thrilled, which is why I haven't made mine yet, but I'll get around to it. It'll be nice to make something for myself that I know I'll actually be keeping. So much of the stuff I've made lately has been under the assumption that I'll somehow manage to sell it. I'm so reluctant to sell my stuff, but I'm sure there will be someone who'll find it and say, "That's so me!" A kindred spirit. I've been on Pinterest, I know there are people like me out there.
Besides, I need to raise some money to get a Shiatsu table. I've been using a table in class and I can't believe the difference it makes. Unfortunately, a portable Shiatsu table (which is wider and sits lower than a standard western massage table) is almost $800. I've been saving the tips I make from my practice buddies, and I'd love to be able to pay for it all myself, rather than use family money to get it. I think this fall I'll have a special sale of my art and accessories to help me raise money for the table. It'll also help clear out my studio.
Well, I have a lot to think about and I've already given myself a bit of a headache with the overwhelming notion of it all. Carpe diem, flowerpots! Carpe diem!

How 'bout that detox?

I had an ice cream cone yesterday. We were at a street fair and all the kids were doing it. After not having ice cream for a week, I was the first one to finish. Man, I love ice cream. However, I do think I've lost a little weight this past week, and I justified yesterday's cone because we were walking all over the fair.
I haven't purchased anything unnecessary, though I have been tempted. We didn't get anything from any of the artists at the fair, though I saw plenty I would've liked. We did buy tickets for the boys to play on a couple of the things they had at the fair. Our older son went in a water ball and our little guy went on the bungee trampoline and they were happy with that. We also went to the petting zoo and just pet the animals, rather than getting seed to feed them. The ice creams were a special treat and totally worth it - homemade ice cream is the best.
I usually run errands on my day off from school and if I go to Target, I'm far more tempted to get something unnecessary for myself. A pair of earrings here, six pairs of socks there (I'm really into socks), one of a million tee-shirts...
Well, luckily, our credit union moved to a new location and it across the street from a grocery store. The money I save in not buying extras at Target is worth the tiny bit more I may spend on the groceries, and they have a better produce department. There are some things I just have to get at Target - it's where we have our prescriptions and school supply time is fast approaching - but not having all the other distractions is a pretty big deal for me.
I've also done really well at not stopping at either of the thrift stores and the fabric store between the CU and my house. It's not easy to stop myself, I'm not going to lie. But I know we have to save our duccats for Disney World next May, and I'm committed to doing just that. A couple of years ago, our neighbors did the same thing, so the boys are at least familiar with the concept of "saving for Disney".
One the mending front, I've been fortunate to not need to do any. My kids' socks are a cry for help, however, and I've tried repairing them, but then the boys won't wear them. They feel "creepy". Oh, well. Their feet are getting bigger, so socks are going to be a necessity, and frankly, I prefer better socks because they last longer. Every time I've gotten cheap socks for any of us, they thin out and get holes so much faster than mid-priced socks. I'm a firm believer in spending a bit more initially in order to save on having to buy more later. Especially where socks are concerned. Because I'm a sock freak.
Still not happy about my hair, but I'm going to let it grow out for a while and see what I can do with it. Maybe it just needs some length, though I've shaved my had to within 1/4 inch of my scalp and it looked better than this. Don't think I haven't been tempted. But I was looking at some photos of my self from a couple of years ago, and I think I'd like to grow my hair out again. If I can be patient. That'll save a considerable amount, too.
On a different topic, massage therapy school has been full of ups and downs and I've had quite a bit of test anxiety. My shrink (yes, I go to a talk therapist and it's worth it if you can find a good one) gave me some really good advice on how to cut down on that testing fear. I know it's simply because this counts. This is something with which I can and will make a living to help out with household bills so my husband won't have to work quite so hard. I have to make this work. So, as you can see, I've put a bit of pressure on myself to do well and it has been more challenging than I had anticipated. I do really well in my Western Anatomy and Physiology classes, but my Eastern Medicine classes are really out there as far as my brain is concerned. There's a lot of memorizing stuff that changes depending on situations and I think that's throwing me for a loop. But I retake the tests and I pass them. So the info is there, I just get myself into a snit and can't do it.
What is the Good Doctor having me do? Well, one thing is to eat a good deal of protein before I take a test and she's written a note for me to be allowed a container of milk while I'm taking the tests (we're only allowed water - how archaic!). The other thing I need to do is something one would think would be easy - breathe. But I have a tendency to hold my breath and breathe very shallowly when under stress, and that can affect my anxiety (would affect anyone's, really). So we did some concentrated breathing work last week and I used that in combination with the dietary suggestions the next day and I got my first perfect score in Anatomy and did really well on my Shiatsu practical exam. I don't even care if it's only a placebo effect, I did really well on the tests, and I'm going to continue following her advice.
Well, my little flowerpots, I don't know if you got anything out of this other than the fact I'm a sock freak and get test anxiety, but if you did - Yay! Stay colorful!

#30DayDetox

So, this week on the Today show, they've started doing something called the #30DayDetox. (http://www.today.com/health/todays-jill-martin-why-im-giving-my-smartphone-1D79918755?cid=eml_tdb_20140714) Since Jill Martin is giving up her Smartphone, you can see this isn't necessarily a diet - one of the food variety, anyway. So I've decided to participate. No unnecessary purchases. No new toys, no fabric, no nothin'. The boys will need new school supplies, but before I go out and purchase a bunch of stuff, I'm going to see what we already have. They will need some new school clothes, but for the most part, nothing much is needed in that department at the mo'. In fact, I may only need to get them some new trainers and call it good. My kids are only clothes horses because I am, and I keep buying them stuff.
I'm also going to stop eating ice cream. I just had my last ice cream sandwich for the next 30 days. I weighed myself this morning and I haven't weighed this much since I was pregnant. At least then I could blame it on the baby! I've been on three walks in the last two days. I've got to shed at least 10 pounds by my October birthday or sooner, but that's the goal: 10 by mid-October. More than doable, and if I'm lucky, it'll be even more than that.
I thought about not going on facebook for 30 days, but let's be realistic. Besides, that's how I keep in contact with a lot of the people in my life, so that's out. Also, since I started school, I simply haven't had as much time to be on there, anyway. Between classes and studying, I've probably cut my fb time in half.
So, I have the two things from which I'm going to "detox". But I feel like I should maybe have one more. Three's a charm and all that. But I really don't have a whole lot of vices outside of shopping and ice cream... I really love ice cream. I rarely drink soda or booze and it'll be a cold day in the underground hinterlands before you'll pry the coffee cup from my clutches. Oh! I know! I'll stop getting a pretzel bun at lunch. The store doesn't always have them, anyway. That's one less bundle of carbs from my diet.
We all have some habits we could do without for 30 days. Maybe by then we won't miss them so much. Because I could totally have another ice cream sandwich right now...

Oh, Good Gravy!

Mending I'm alright with, I am terrible at making do.
By now it should be fairly obvious that my family doesn't hurt for money. We're not rich by any stretch of the imagination and my husband works an extremely demanding job in order to provide us with what we do have... which is plenty. However, I really wanted to try to stop my extra spending on crap we simply don't need and I'm going to be honest with you: I'm not doing very well.
Oh, sure, I went to Fantastic Sam's and got cheap hair cuts for myself and the boys and I have always colored my own hair (which is back to auburn). I'm not thrilled with my cut. It's just not the same as when I go to Tasha and spend $50. It's not. I don't know why, but there's just something not quite right.
So there's that.
My boys had a birthday party to go to the other day and what did I do? I got the kid a present, then got one for each of my kids. FOR NO REASON! Don't get me wrong, my kids do stuff around the house for me when asked and are generally good, kind kids who follow the rules, but they didn't do anything extraordinary to earn these toys. I will say, however, that they have played with them quite a bit. At least they aren't laying in a heap of dust. Yet.
Tennis shoes. I needed new tennis shoes. I went to Famous Footwear so I could get some name brand shoes on sale instead of Target cheapies, which make my (already busted) knee really hurt. Besides, my old tennies were about a year old and I wear them nearly every day.
I went online and purchase some fleece fabric today because I got an email coupon for Hancock Fabrics and my boys want me to make them extra blankets for the camper. I got enough to make one for myself, too. I made one for my husband, why shouldn't the rest of us have extra blankets for the camper? Even though my husband and I share his. Well, okay, mine can stay at home. I picked out the fabric to go in our living room.
Isn't this pathetic? I can come up with what is to me, perfectly logical reasons to spend money. It's probably an illness. First World problems.
As I look at this now and realize that I need to stop. I honestly don't NEED anything now. I have the new shoes. I got my hair cut, however badly. My kids have a couple of new toys that they are playing with, at least. I have good music to listen to in my car, I have books to read, I have classes to attend.
This will have to be a better wake up call than my just saying I'm going to do something. I'm really more aware that I was when I left the house this morning to run errands. Besides, if I stop getting all the extra stuff, I can go back to Tasha and have my hair done RIGHT.

A Year of Make Do and Mend

Well, I'm a proud step-mama. My eldest step-son and his wife are both graduating with their PhDs next May! Keep in mind that these "kids" are 2 and 3 years younger than I, but that means we actually get along really well because we all grew up with the same stuff and we have very similar interests, which is super cool.
What does this have to do with "Make Do and Mend"? Well, my little smarty-pants darlings are having their graduation party at Disney World! Woohooo! My guys and I are so excited! However, this does mean a year of living frugally and going after the best price and foregoing things I'd normally get without thinking about it too much.
To be honest, we don't need anything. We have enough clothes and toys and movies for now. The boys are growing, of course, so they'll get stuff as needed, but I will be scouring the sale racks for school clothes. There never seem to be many boys things at the thrift stores. Maybe because they're harder on their clothes, or perhaps because they don't have as many clothes to begin with - I have no idea, but I sure have a hard time finding stuff for them at the thrift stores.
Besides, I have so many projects I could be making to wear. Sadly, last year I put on some weight and I don't fit most of my patterns. Part of me thinks I should just make the stuff anyway and sell it. Another part of me wants to lose the weight, while yet another part of me figures I could probably modify the patterns to fit my current size. The sum of these parts gets overwhelmed and freaks out and does nothing, but since I have some motivation, e.g. Disney World, I may actually get a move on to do these things. I know, I know. You've heard that before. We'll see how that goes.
By the way, I now have blue hair. I'm not sure I like it. It's a pretty color, and I've always wanted to do something out of the reds/pinks, but it seems so dark. I'm not a dark person. I put it over my natural hair color as well as the part I already had pink and bleach blond. The bleached area is the prettiest part of it. The rest looks sort of green and sad. Maybe I'll like it more once I get a trim. The pretty part is the color of the Caribbean, so I don't mind that. It kinda makes me want to go SCUBA diving, though. I haven't been in over 2 years and I really want to get back in the ocean.
Oh, no!
Speaking of hair and getting it trimmed, I'll have to go back to Fantastic Sam's for my haircuts if I'm living frugally. Sad sauce! I finally found a stylist I really like, but she costs $45, $50 with the tip. Dang it. I may have to consider her a necessity. I really like her work on my hair.
I also have a website for my massage therapy student business, www.catalystbodyworkbytracie.com. Be sure to go visit it. I'll be adding some updates shortly, since I'll be learning a new technique in Shiatsu after this week, I'm really excited about it. It has more of the karate chop type massage that you normally think of when someone mentions eastern massage modalities. Even though my thumbs have gotten stronger over the past 6 weeks, they do get tired when I have a lot of clients. Or when my clients wear jeans. That hurts like crazy the next day!
Well, I've gotten off topic quite a lot in this entry. Don't worry, I've taken my medication. I just have a lot on my mind.  Like coupon clipping and getting groceries while avoiding WalMart, keeping the bills down and reminding the boys that we can't buy a bunch of toys if we want to afford Disney World. All while keeping up with my studies and the household (thankfully, my mom is coming up this summer during my school days to help out around the house. I really couldn't do this without her). First World problems that I'm grateful to have, really.
So, where shall I start on this Make Do and Mend year? Well, my little flowerpots, I think I'll start with the Sunday supplements and clip the coupons and look for deals. Though I'd like to know why there are never any coupons for the stuff I actually use...?

Ouchie!

Several years ago, I injured my left knee while in rehearsal for a show. My costume included platform boots (think Herman Munster) and when I went to do a turn, my body went, but my foot didn't. Ouchie! I was still able to go on, so I didn't go to the doctor or anything.
Yeah, I probably should have.
In the past, oh, two years or so, my knee has been reminding me that I should have done that. Now that I'm practicing shiatsu on a nearly daily basis, it's REALLY complaining. So, I finally made an appointment to see the doctor about it. I have a feeling that I may kneed surgery. (See what I did there?) I'm hoping I can put that off for a while so I can finish school, but the pain has been so bad, I don't know if that's going to be possible. Also, my knee cracks (and by "cracks" I mean THUDS) repeatedly throughout my shiatsu sessions. It's kind of embarrassing. It doesn't hurt too much while it's happening, but afterwards, holy cow!
So, there's that.
On the other hand, I'm passing my classes (even Traditional Chinese Medicine, which I don't get at all) with flying colors. I was a little worried about my shiatsu practical, which doesn't happen until next week, but we did practice runs in class yesterday and I did much better than I thought I would. I do have a few things I need to remember, but over all, I feel ready.
Artistically, I've been working on another quilt top. Very basic, simple blocks, but I started with a set of fat quarters I picked up at JoAnn's. The colors are very Autumnal; burgundy, olive, gold, purple. I ran out of the fat quarters and went to Hancock's to find something that would coordinate. Don't you know I forgot to take a swatch! I decided to go with my gut and came home with four fabrics (including a solid burgundy and purple to break up all the busy-ness) that totally coordinated! I added those to the mix and decided that I still needed a bit more for the complete quilt top so I went back to JoAnn's to see if I could find any more of the original fat quarter set. I found two tucked in the back of a shelf and grabbed them both. I also found two fabrics that will work just in case I run out of the ones I have. I've taken a break from sewing while I've been studying for the mid-term exams, but I'm ready to get back to the sewing table. I'll post pix soon.
Oh, yeah! I made enough money on www.Spoonflower.com to purchase some samples of designs that have been laying in wait to be released. They are especially colorful and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. One of the best, newer options on Spoonflower is that you can order swatches on any type of fabric they have instead of just the plain quilter's cotton. I'm so happy they have that option now. Some of my designs simply look better on some of the other fabrics. I really like their performance knit. The colors come out so vibrant! (You know how I LOVE my colors to be vibrant!)
By the way, Optitz Outlet, mentioned in my last entry, has a website, www.opitzoutlet.com, and they're on facebook.

Impromptu Field Trip

Every once in a while, you have a few spare moments to yourself when you say, "What the heck? I'm going to do something for myself." If you happen to be able to help someone else in the process, well... Yay!
One of my classmates at massage school was looking for another practice buddy, so I volunteered myself. She's in the Western Massage program, so it'd be different than the Shiatsu that I get in class. So, on Monday morning she contacted me to say she'd got the practice room rented for the afternoon before I'd need to be home for my boys.
It was a great change to have Swedish massage! Not that I don't love Shiatsu, I really do, but it's very intense. It was also nice to get a taste of what it is I'll be doing eventually when I start the Western part of my training.
It didn't take very long, so I had some extra time to myself. Since it's the last week of school for the guys, I won't have many more chances like this, so I snagged it. I went to Opitz Outlet.
I don't know the story of Optiz, but they have brand new clothes, some designer, at deep discounts. I saw a pair of shoes I really liked, but they were $44.00. I couldn't see spending that much. No, really. I'm cheap. One of the best pairs of shoes I ever had (lasted for three years of nearly daily wear) I got at Payless for a dollar.
Anyway, my husband and I are going to a wedding for one of my childhood friends this month and I decided to be on a mission for a dress to wear to the wedding. Wedding guest attire can be tricky. You want to look nice, appropriate and still not pull focus - which, since I have fuchsia hair, is already a challenge for me. Also, my husband's class reunion is at the end of this summer, double duty for this dress. I found several designer dresses that I liked, but even at the outlet prices, they were out of my budget. Time to look off the designer rack... Sigh.
Well, I found a few along the back wall of dresses and saw several more that I liked. I had it down to three when I stumbled across a DKNY sheath number with a tropical orchid digital print on the front, black on the back. The front was just colorful enough to suit me, but not so much so as to be distracting from the bride and her bridesmaids. It'll be lightweight enough for the outdoor wedding, easy enough to dance in when the time comes. I think it'll pack nicely, so that when we go to Maine for my husband's reunion, it'll be carefree. Yay, reunion attire! Oh, I forgot to mention, it was $27.00. Ka-CHING! 70% off the retail price.
If you're in the Minneapolis area and in the market for something spiffy for a special occasion, might I suggest Opitz Outlet on Excelsior Blvd.? I might. In fact, I will.

Rainy day musings...

Flood warning alarm on my phone went off in the middle of the night. We aren't in an immediate danger area, but that warning was no joke. The rain has been going on and off since yesterday afternoon and it's hard not to enjoy the rumbles of thunder and the rustling of sheets of rain on the roof. Our lawn has magically sprouted overnight.
Of course, we got our water park pool on Friday and put it up while the sun was still shining yesterday. It's laying, deflated in the back yard, which was mowed yesterday by my 11 year old (his first time). So, we'll have to wait a bit longer to use the pool, but the rain is so refreshing, I'm not going to complain too much. Even my kids seem to be okay with the extra waiting. Anticipation.
Anticipation is such a strange phenomenon. It can be an exhilarating, frustrating, crazy-making and wondrous time. Like when you've ordered something and hear the UPS truck rumble down the street but they don't stop at your house...yet. Or when you're all set to go to school but you still have to wait two months before the first day. Or studying for your first test in 20 some years, freaking out and imagining that you didn't take notes on the stuff that's actually going to be on the test. Yeah, I did that to myself last week. I may not have aced the tests, but I got all A's and B's. Stupid anxiety.
If you haven't guessed by now, I'm prone to anxiety. It's super fun. <sarcasm> At long last, I've figured out one trick to help: I don't cram. I stop studying for a test several hours before the actual exam time. If I don't, I only add to the pressure. When I'm in a show, I can't be one of those people who stands backstage with a script on opening night double checking lines. If I don't know it by opening night, I never will and I'll make something up. No lie. That's how I roll. I always seem to take that anxiety and make it work, but I can only do it if I stop myself before I go nuts. I've gone nuts. It's not fun.
Okay, I haven't actually gone nuts, but there was that nervous breakdown. I don't want that to happen again. Granted, some of what perpetuated the physical response was not knowing what was wrong and having to go through a million tests to figure out what it wasn't. You'd have trouble, too, if you were told you may have cancer, you may have MS, heck, "we just don't know what it is." That's enough to make anyone a little nuts.
Over the past year, so much has happened. I've had countless MRIs, a spinal tap (and the blood patch to close it up) and I've lived with not knowing if I had something acute or chronic. When you are faced with your mortality, you make a few changes.
I have created and helped to create more art in the past year than I ever have, whether it's sewing, painting, sketching, writing or performing. I've figured out that "what I really want to do" is help people. If I get to also make art and people kind of like/want it, great. When I tried to make art my life, I lost my spark. I worried more about if I could make a living at it and that stressed me out. Art stopped being an enjoyable endeavor when I started to worry about whether I'd be able to feed my family with it. My husband is close to retirement and I have to be able to contribute. Not only that, I need a purpose.
When I landed on Massage Therapy as a possible vocation, it was like doors not only opened, they flew open and all the porch lights went on. Since I started on the MT path, I've finished four art projects and made significant progress on several others. Something is working for me. I don't put any stock in supernatural forces, so I'm just going to say that I found my personal purpose. For many years, I tried to be what I thought people expected of me. I enjoyed much of what I was doing (performing), but still... something wasn't quite there for me. Now that I've come to this place, I feel pretty unstoppable. It's kinda scary. I've never felt this way about my life before, and the anticipation is pretty intense, but I've a good feeling about it this time. Finally.

Summer's Here! - Midweek Edition

I can hardly believe it! Memorial Day is behind us and the weather is cooperating. The lilacs are blooming and the lawnmowers are humming. It felt great to finally go for a walk and not need my hoodie!
One of our local flower markets has a slogan for the summer that really speaks to me: Summer's short, fill it with color! Now, I'm a lousy gardener (I joke that I have a black thumb), but I have planted some beans and herbs that I hope will provide some greenery on my porch. My one and only flowering shrub (a bleeding heart) is drooping with blossoms. I have a closet full of bright colors, enough to not need to shop for the rest of the season, but who am I kidding? For what more could a person ask?
I really wish I was better in the garden. I always have grand plans for my own vegetable garden and beautiful flowers, but I'm pretty lazy. I wish I could have a garden that all I had to do was plant it and forget it. I've tried that method, however, and it doesn't work. This year (and next, for that matter) would be near impossible to have a garden because I'm in school so much of the time and studying or practicing on people the rest of the time. On the other hand, I am learning to have a more structured schedule, so perhaps having a garden next year isn't such a bad idea. Maybe this whole having a schedule thingy isn't such a bad idea, either.
It sounds so luxurious to not have to work outside the home when you are working outside the home in a job you don't really like. The truth is, I'm not a self-starter. I hate having a schedule, but when I don't have one, I don't do anything in particular. A li'l of this, a li'l of that... and none of it really seems to make a difference to me or to anyone else. Well, good gravy! No wonder I've been depressed!
Now that I have classes to attend and homework to do and tests to take, I'm much happier. I've been practicing bodywork on my friends and making them feel good and relaxed is so rewarding! I finally feel like I'm making a difference in some subtle yet profound way and it feels pretty fantastic, I'm not gonna lie.
Dressing in the colors of the sun is one thing (and a great thing, too) but living in the sunlight of something you love to do takes it to a whole new level.
My flowerpots, all I wish for you is that you get to live in that sunlight, but you have to be the one to step out the door, open the curtains, or flip that switch, whatever it takes to make that change. Not only is summer short, but life is short. Be bright. Fill it with color.

Studying...

Oh, yeah. That studying thing. I have my first Physiology quiz on Tuesday and an Anatomy quiz on Thursday. I spent all of Mother's Day weekend studying and this weekend has been spent making  Physiology flashcards and testing myself on them. I've got to the point where I know them all and now that I've made it to that point, I'm going to stop looking at them. I have to step away or my brain will explode.
Of course, I have yet to make flash cards for Anatomy. That'll have to be later tonight. I have a DVD that goes along with my Anatomy book and I' think I'll watch that before I make any cards. It may be that's all I need is to watch the DVD. Otherwise, I'm off to make the donuts... er, flashcards.
I'm having a hard time in my Traditional Chinese Medicine class. It's really hard being a skeptic. There are certain things you "just have to accept" and my first instinct is to say, "no, I don't." So I'm treating it as a bit of anthropology. I'm trying to look at it as learning a new language and culture, one that I don't have to integrate myself into, but would like to understand from a cultural point of view. It's not easy, especially when I know my instructor, who's a really nice guy and good at explaining things, is gung ho about it. But I know I'm not the only one in my class who just accepts things on account of because. A couple of my classmates are struggling with it as well.
I was almost to a point where I thought I should switch my certification to strictly Western massage, but we've started practicing Shiatsu on clients and, wouldn't you know it, I'm really good at it. I already have repeat clients! If I could just take the Shiatsu without the TCM, I'd be golden, but I should have some background in where the modality comes from, so there you have it.
On the creative front, I've been working on quilting a baby quilt (I'm about halfway through) and I worked a bit on my sampler quilt, as well.
I've done smashingly well in the thrifting department, scoring 20-30% off of the last two purchases I've made. After I did my banking and grocery shopping on Friday, I thought very briefly of going to the Goodwill between the Festival Foods and my house, but it didn't feel right. Then I decided to hit the Savers. I was feeling drawn to it like the proverbial moth. The last time I had been there, I found a lovely long skirt and I felt I would find another. I did indeed. I found two. And some leggings and a couple pairs of knit pants I can wear to school. Then I went to the back corner where they have some craft items. I almost didn't go back there, but am I glad I did! I found doll parts and faces! No, you don't understand. I've been looking for these vintage faces for ages. They're the type that my grandma used to make these really crazy fun fur tissue box covers. I have some fun fur that I've wanted to use to make one, but I couldn't find any faces like the old ones. I hit the doll face jackpot.
Then, when I went to check out, the lady in front of me had used a coupon and it was left on the counter. The clerk asked if it was mine and I said no, it was the previous lady's. She gave me the 20% off for being honest!
Well, I've taken a long enough break from studying. I'd better get back to it.

First day of school!

Tomorrow I'm headed off to school to begin training as a massage therapist. I'm really excited and have been looking forward to it for two months.
Last Thursday evening was orientation and I got to meet my classmates for the next several months (there are 20) and pick up my books for the first term (there are 10). Tomorrow morning I'll be getting a brain full of Human Physiology and the afternoon has me learning the fundamentals of Shiatsu massage. Wednesday will be my most challenging class, Fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I don't believe in TCM, but decided to take it (it's part of the East/West program I'm taking) because a lot of people do seem to really believe in it and at least I'll know what the heck they're talking about. I do believe in learning, so I'm going into it with a slightly open, yet still very skeptical mind. I'm just hoping for a passing grade in that one, to be honest. It'll be interesting, to say the least. Then Thursday has me in Musculoskeletal Anatomy for the morning and back in Shiatsu for the afternoon.
I was looking at my anatomy textbooks over the weekend and freaking out. It's a LOT of information and I don't really have that much experience with the subject, to be honest. When I took any science classes in my earlier college career (as a Theatre Arts major) it was something I had to do because it was part of the core curriculum. I did just enough to get by. But I was thinking this morning: I wasn't bad at it, I just didn't apply myself. I think I got Bs and Cs in it (remember, this was 20 years ago) and that was okay considering I didn't put my all into those classes and I was doing all my theatre stuff, too, with rehearsals every night and performances and all the other classes and projects. I always took a full load of at least 15 credits.
This time around, I'm taking a break from the acting, I only have to worry about subjects related to my course of study and I can really focus on the science. I'm not stupid by any stretch of the imagination, so I should be able to get this. I have a fresh perspective on the subjects and I'm looking forward to the challenge.
On the creative front, I've managed to finish a few of the projects I've had laying around for (ahem) a while. I finished the flannel shirt dress I posted pix of a while back, tho I may just wear it as a frock coat instead. It looks really cool that way with my charcoal gray leggings and a black t-shirt (I know, not sun colors, but will look so cool come Fall). I even have blue combat boots to go with it.
I finished a blanket bag I've had sitting around for years waiting for a binding and webbing. I'm looking forward to using it to carry my sheets and towels to massage appointments.
I've been thrifting (oh, yes, I have). I took two bags of my sons' outgrown clothing to Savers to get the 30% off coupon and hit the proverbial jackpot for school clothes.
Don't worry, I also got the boys some new pants and shorts for the summer months. They're growing so fast!
Which reminds me, they need clean clothes so I have laundry to do. I have to manage my time better now that I'm a student. I think I have a grasp on things until I don't, know what I mean?

Dressing in colors of the sun: Day three ramblings...

I think it may be working. Day one was lousy. I wore every bright color in my closet and still spent most of the rainy day contemplating how to get out of doing things that need to be done and sleeping. Horrible. The weather doesn't help ye olde fibromyalgia one whit either, so it was a day of aches, pains and feeling like I must weigh over 500 pounds. It's the strangest phenomenon. I feel like there's a very heavy blanket pinned down over me and movement is difficult.
Day two was better. I managed to get out of the house and get some fruits and veggies. A colleague of my husband's was over during the weekend and explained how he lost around 50 pounds with juicing. Now my husband is back on his juicing kick. This meant a mid-week grocery run for more fruits and veggies because by Sunday evening, we were out of everything. Sigh. But at least the coral sweater and blue scarf with little coral flowers on it seemed to help. I even put on some earrings. I know! Tres chic!
The worst part of yesterday was that, not only did it rain all day, there were moments of snow. That dirty, four-letter word. Tomorrow is May first. Get your poop in a group, Mother Nature.
Forcing myself out into the sleet also seemed to help my mood a bit. I made a stop at Goodwill, since it's smack dab in between my new grocery store and my house (I checked the GPS, "smack dab" is very accurate).
I have a new rule when thrifting for myself. I won't spend over $20 and I will only buy things in the colors of the sun. At least for the Summer. That may change in the fall when I'm looking at sweaters, but for now, I'm going for bright. I'm going for bold. I'm also going for skirts. I wear pants every single day. Usually jeans, but sometimes I actually change back into my pajama pants after a while. Don't worry, the pair I'm wearing today are neon orange. Oh, yes, the are a color of the sun!
Anyway, with Summer creeping ever slower upon the horizon, I'm thinking about how I'm going to be too hot unless I wear the dreaded shorts. I hate shorts. I don't really care for short skirts, either. I've always had a love/hate relationship with my legs anyway, but I really hate the idea of exposing them in the Summer. I'm kinda weird, I guess. But I'm going to be in school over the Summer months, at least three days a week. I'll want to be comfortable. I'm also hoping to go for walks on my Tuesday/Thursday lunch breaks.
I used to belly dance and I still have a great love for the style of clothes I wore when dancing, so that's what I'm currently hunting for when I thrift. I found an orange, floor-length tiered skirt yesterday. It's exactly what I'm hunting for - I could totally belly dance in it. I found two other skirts and an Indonesian carved book rack for my cookbooks and spent $17. Boom. That made me feel even better than the earrings!
So now we're on Day Three. Three days in a row of rain, cold, mist, and wind. I spent my wad yesterday, have no real errands out of the home today and I really think that's what made me feel the best yesterday - getting out of the house. It's such a First World Problem, having nowt to do. Not that I have nothing to do, just nothing that takes me out of the house and into the world of the living. People who have very stressful, busy, full lives don't understand why someone who doesn't have to do anything should feel depressed. Well, I'll tell you. Everyone needs a purpose. When you don't feel like you have one, you lose yourself. You lose yourself, and that brings on a host of depression related illnesses.
Tomorrow night I have the orientation meeting at the massage school. I'm really looking forward to that. It's actually one of the reasons I'm having a hard time picking out what to do around the house. I'm so excited about going back to school that everything else seems so much more boring than usual. I've finally found something that feels like a true "calling", if you will. I've found a purpose. I'm going to be helping people feel better, healthier and more relaxed. What could be better than that? When you feel like you have a purpose, even if it may seem unimportant or even frivolous to some, everything else seems to work itself out. The pieces fall into place and if one's not quite in the right place, you're more capable of getting it into its place.
When I was in college I had a wonderful professor, Dr. Robert S. Joyce. About 14 years ago, he passed away. After his memorial, a bunch of us were sharing our stories about him and one woman was explaining how she had called Doc recently, explaining that she really wanted to go back to her old job because she had really loved the company and the job itself even though the money wasn't as great and she had just bought a house.... all sorts of excuses for not going back to what she loved doing, even though her new job left her empty and miserable. Bob said to her, "If you don't love it, don't do it." She took that advice and went back to her old job (which was a fortunate situation that happened to work out) and never looked back. There may have been financial issues with her mortgage and all, but she was able to handle them better because she was in a place where she could think and be productive, not only in her job, but in the rest of her life because she wasn't always worried about how much she disliked what she was doing.
During all of those years since I heard this story, I've been searching for the job I will love. I do believe I've finally found it, and going to massage therapy school will get me there. At long last, I'm on my way, are you? Have you even thought about what your way is? Where are you going? Are you in the right place...really? What would have to change in order for you to love what you do? Sometimes we spend so much energy trying to be what we think we're supposed to be that we miss the thing we're actually supposed to be. I spent a great majority of my life doing just that. If you are exactly where you're meant to be then, woohooo! You have what everyone deserves in life. If you feel a bit off, try to figure out why that is. Change is scary, but when you are following your path to your truth, you know it, and it'll be the best thing you ever did.

Dress in the colors of the sun... Special edition

The last time I went to my talk therapist I was wearing a coral t-shirt and fuchsia cardigan with my jeans. Yes, yes I was. This is a fairly normal thing for me to do though some people would snub me for it. My therapist has come to expect me to wear vivid colors, since that's what I do, but that day, I reminded her of a cult leader from Antelope, Oregon in the 1980s. He has a very long Indian name, not unlike Rajesh Koothrapali, only not that. My therapist remembered it after I don't know how many years, but I frankly can't be bothered to remember it. IF you're interested, Google Antelope, OR and you'll find the guy.
Anyway, he had a ton of women (like cult leaders do) and they were instructed to "dress in the colors of the sun." Often this was red, orange, and popular cult color saffron, but included pinks, corals, and purples, too.
Now, I don't hold any truck with cults and their misogynistic leaders, but dressing in the colors of the sun doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. This week our weather forecast is nothing but cold and rain, thunder and fog. Sounds to me like the perfect week to dress in the colors of the sun! So I got my laundry done, making sure to have plenty of sunny options for the next several days. I have layers (since temps will be below normal aaallll week), t-shirts, sweaters, cardigans, sweatshirts; pinks, purples, coral and orange; solids, stripes, patterns and textures. I even have some sky blues thrown in for variety.
The color I shan't be wearing in any variation will be black. No muted shades, no muddy browns, no drab colors of any kind. Well, I may have to wear black jeans, but nothing dark on top. At all. Anything near my face will be bright, sunny and spring-like. I don't have a lot of pastels, but I'll layer them in there. I'll mix colors in unexpected ways and clash like a field of riotous wild flowers.
Something about being bold in color makes me bold in action and attitude. Everyone has something that does it for them. For some people it's a single, signature item or color. For others it's a variety of a type of item. I have a friend who collects very unusual and colorful eyeglasses that go with anything he wears. That's his thing.
Do you have a thing? Do you know if you have a thing? I think it's entirely possibly to have a thing and not really be aware of it. The people you are around will know what it is. They're going to notice, "Hey, when Ralph wears his navy blue suit, he exudes confidence, not so much in the grey one." "Penelope is really take-charge when she wears that emerald green blouse that matches her eyes." For some its a pattern, for others, a scent.
It's weird, isn't it, how we attach power to these things. People and their respective institutions have spent major coin, probably millions of dollars to study the effects of colors, aromas, patterns, and textures on people, but it's so subjective. You have as many reactions to stimuli as there are people. For me, bright colors have boldness and power in them. I love prints and brocades. I'm fascinated by tapestries and the textiles of a wide variety of cultures, though I have to say Indian paisleys are a favorite and Indonesian batiks. I have a few Kurti that I love to wear and they're all (surprise) brightly colored. With the exception of one green one, they are all colors of the sun. I also just made a cotton top best described as a short caftan that is a diamond print in orange, purple, red, black and marigold. The fabric screamed at me from across the store. I swear I only went in to buy thread.
I think it's tempting to look out the window at the rain and pull on some dark, dreary shroud to blend with the clouds. I'm guilty of it. But I've been veiled for a long time and not living my truth. I'm not saying that everyone needs to look like they stepped off the train with the rest of the circus, as I'm sure people must think I sometimes do, but everyone should find their thing. Go find yours.

In the details...

Two years ago I began working on a baby quilt for my great-niece.  She's a year and a half old now, and I'm still working on it. Why is is taking so long? I've pieced it all by hand. That's right, I'm stitching over 400 hand-cut, English paper pieced hexagons together for the top of this bad boy.
I've often said I must've been on a special brand of crack when I decided to take on this project. I had to set it aside for several months while I worked on other projects and for my own sanity. It's piddly work, I'm not going to lie. To top it off, my other niece had a baby a few months later. I haven't even bought fabric for his quilt yet. They're killing me, these girls.
Anyway, I brought it out from its box to work on it yesterday - for the first time in months - and realized why I did it. The work may be tedious and repetitive, but it's also meditative. I decided long ago that it would be larger than a crib blanket so that Claire could have it with her for many years, take it with her on sleep overs, wrap herself in it as she sits by the fire pit at my sister's log home.
As I make tiny stitches I think about the adventures this quilt will have, making forts, being a princess cape, picnics, laying out on the beach. I want this blanket to have a life, not just be some sort of heirloom stashed away in a box, which is why I'm making the stitches smaller than they probably need to be. This blanket is made for the long haul.
Which reminds me, I should probably get back to work on it.

Spring cleaning - Mid-week Edition

Aaahhh... It's finally feeling like Spring in the Minneapolis 'burbs. I'm on a cleaning jag. This never happens, so I have to write about it. It's a pretty big deal.
Today, since it's finally going to be warm and not rainy, I'm going to rake the yard, if for no other reason than to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. I may only get the front yard done, but you know, that's something.
I'm also looking forward to going through my kids' clothes. I know they've grown out of a lot of stuff. My problem is that my younger son is fairly small framed compared to my older son. I don't know if I should hang on to clothes for him or donate them. It'll be at least 3 years before he'll be able to wear them. Do I really want to hang on to that stuff? Boys clothes are very much lacking in the thrift stores. Perhaps boys are simply harder on their stuff or they just don't get as many clothes as little girls do. I'm not sure. There's a very large part of me that wants to donate them.
Yesterday, I not only worked on Rachel's quilt, but I finished (or almost finished) three other projects that have been sitting around and cut fabric for a table runner and place mats. Yeah, the creative version of cleaning is slow going. I know that and I'm just going to make peace with it.
I even did some data entry on my pattern spread sheet. I had started out looking for a tunic pattern for some really fun fabric I found the other day. You know me. I can't go to the fabric store and only buy thread. Sadly, all the tunic patterns I have are not what I want to use for this fabric. I guess I'll have to make my own pattern. What I really want is something sort of peasant-y. Hmmm... you know what? I was searching tunics, not peasant. Duh. Well, to be fair, I really did start out wanting to make a tunic.
It wasn't until I got online to look at pattern inspiration that the peasant thing really popped up. I haven't had a peasant-style top or dress in ages. Since I was in the Society for Creative Anachronism and being a serving wench for feasts. This print is nowhere near "period" though. I have decided however, that my own personal authentic style has very little to do with things that are specifically "right".
How is your Spring cleaning progressing? Is it? Have you even started? Have you even thought about it? It's not something I've really thought about in the past. No need to beat yourself up if you haven't. But perhaps it's time...

There they go...

In my last "Thrifty Thrusday" post I mentioned that I'd be getting rid of a few things soon. Done and done!
Over the past two weeks I've managed to take about a dozen grocery bags of clothes and some other miscellaneous stuff to the thrift store. However, there were a few things I just couldn't bear to part with in such an impersonal way. Clothes that mean something to me, but I no longer wear for various reasons. I had a lot of vintage things and really nice evening gowns I probably won't be wearing any time in the near future. I had more coats than any one person should have including some lovely vintage pieces. I had some men's suit jackets and a tuxedo that belonged to my step-dad, who passed away in 2008. They don't fit my husband, and he doesn't need to wear a suit very often, anyway.
I thought about some of the theatres I've worked with over the past several years and decided that Morris Park Players in Minneapolis needed some stock for their costume closet. The other night, Sue, one of the board members and frequent costume coordinator came by and picked up 14 bags of really amazing stuff. I'm hoping to go see a show and find my clothes being used in a new life, perhaps I'll even get to wear some of it again when I go back to performing after I get my massage certification.
I also finished the quilted wall hanging for my friend's son's band fundraiser. Her sister came to pick it up the same night the theatre clothes left. I suddenly have a great deal of room - in my living room, in my closets, in my brain, and in my life.
I'm not going to say that I don't also feel a bit empty. I put a lot of work into some of the things I gave up. I figured that between the actual value of some of the clothes - some I never even wore, some I altered in some way, some I made myself - and the time involved in basically curating, caring for and building them, that's a donation of somewhere between $2000 - 3000. I'm going to write up some sort of paper which states that and then the theatre can sign off on it and I estimated the value of the quilt to be around $250. I'll use it for my taxes next year.
Of course, that's not the real reason I did all the culling. You get to a certain point in your life when you just want to pare down and simplify. I'm there. I'm not ready to give up my fabric stash yet, I still want to make stuff, but I'm making room for it. I'm also having a hard time parting with my books. But, the more room and less clutter there is in my life, the more I can do. Maybe I can actually read those books. What a concept.
Now, to finish Rachel's quilt. I've assured her that I am working on it, true enough, but my decision to hand stitch the binding down on the back side was a bit much for my fibro to handle. I have to take a lot of breaks. As for my ADHD, I sometimes just have to set the quilt aside and not think about it for a while. Luckily, my friend is more than understanding and is patiently awaiting her hand-made treasure.
Sometimes you're not ready for a cull. I get that. I wasn't ready to cull for years. When I decided it was time, holy crud-monkeys was I ready! Now to see if I can lose that 20 pounds I gained over the past year.

Thrifty Thursday

I couldn't help myself. I went thrifting today. I paid my Target bill down, arranged for my son's dentistry work, scheduled my other son into an after school activity, completed my financial aid paperwork and had spent the last week and a half repainting our living room and kitchen while my husband worked on the tiling and trimming. I deserved a little something. Besides, I'm working on finding my authentic style. Of course this means I'll be getting rid of a few things soon, too.
First of all, the most deadly thing about my going to school is that there's a Goodwill right across the street. It doesn't help that it borders several good neighborhoods and they have really good stuff there (on my first trip in I found an Armani Xchange denim blazer in my size for $14 - yeah). So I've decided I'm setting out to discover my personal style. I love jackets and blazers, but I also really like bohemian skirts and dresses. I like going to thrift stores because that's where people take the stuff they liked but never had the balls to wear. You know how you buy an ethnic outfit while traveling abroad and then you get home and are like, "This makes sense in Mexico/India/Japan/wherever, but not in Minnesota. Not on me." Those are the clothes I like. Stuff that the thrift stores put out for Hallowe'en? That's where I find the stuff I actually want to wear. Saris and Kurtis, harem pants and peasant skirts, vintage dresses and military jackets, brightly colored blouses and scarves. I must look like a bit of a magpie when I leave the house, but I'm colorful and joyful, so what's the big deal?
So anyway, I went to the Goodwill after my meeting with the financial aid guy at the school. I found one thing I was for sure looking for, a frame to replace the very kitsch-y 80s frame my husband had a family picture in. But the clothes were a different story. No Armani today. However, I found a beautiful pink dip-dyed full skirt and a very bohemian maxi dress that I can't wait to wear this Summer. I also found a broken, bejeweled bow brooch for a sewing project. I had settled for something else when I couldn't find a brooch like this one. I should've waited. That's alright. I'll find a use for the other stuff I got.
On my way home I decided to have a look at a junk shop called Hunt & Gather. I could've laid out a lot of coin for some cool stuff, but nothing leapt out at me as necessary. That in itself is a pretty big deal. There were vintage buttons and beautiful linens, fascinating books and posters. There was a fuchsia disco dress that almost came home with me, but it was at a vintage price instead of a thrift store price, so I didn't get it. I can't believe I actually walked out of there with nothing, but I went in looking for something that would go in our newly painted living room with nomadic flavor. I found nothing that suited me or my house. Or my budget.
Then I stopped at the Assistance League Thrift Store near my house. This place is a little gem. It's rare for me to find stuff I love and I really have to hunt for it when I'm there. That's what I like about it. Today was a jackpot day. A reversible, silk wrap skirt from India, $6; A white eyelet Summer top by Eddie Bauer, $3; a red-satin-lined black flocked blazer, $4. I also found a set of woven place mats and coasters that go with our fun new interior, $3. The ladies at the shop gave me a little button that says "I Heart Thrifting" because I made such a good deal. Last year I found Armani at this store, too. A beautiful rose brocade blazer for $36.
The best part about my latest purchase was the silk skirt. I've been looking at them online, very longingly, but they were a bit more than I wanted to spend. Anywhere from $50 - 70. I was becoming quite discouraged. To find one for $6 in vivid purple and turquoise, well, I couldn't say no to that!
Now, as I mentioned, I'm going to have to start getting rid of the stuff I just don't wear. I'm torn between sending it to a thrift store and having a yard sale. I could use the extra money for school, but it wouldn't be that much. Yard sales usually end up costing more than they profit. Well, I wouldn't have to advertise in the paper, just put a few posters out. That's what costs so much! My goodness. $45 to advertise your yard sale? Come on. It's cheaper to get sticks, poster board and a few balloons.
I sound really cheap, don't I? I don't mean to. I'm not some sort of Eugene Krabs. But I don't like to spend a lot of money for something if I don't have to, and I'd much rather reuse something someone else has discarded that still has life in it. So much of what is on the market today is cheaply made and sold for really disgusting prices. The people that do the really hard work behind the manufacturing of this stuff are so often working under deplorable conditions. If I'm going to spend a lot for something, it's because it was hand made by artisans not exploiting or exploited. Don't get me wrong. I've seen plenty of things I'd love to have, but won't purchase and I have bought clothes at Target that I know are being made at some factory in China. I'm not perfect. But I do try to keep those things to a minimum, especially lately. I look for things locally made, but if I see a wool sweater from Ireland, that's not going to deter me from getting it (usually it's the price that'll do that) because it was - probably - manufactured from field to product with very few middle men involved.
Here's your assignment, flowerpots: Take a look at what you own. Where was it made? Was any of it made locally? Was it even made in the United States? Set aside everything that you own that was made someplace other than your home country. Is it very balanced? Do you know where your stuff is coming from? We're very complacent as consumers. We go idly by, purchasing things we think we need or want, but do you really know the journey it has travelled? Think this isn't important? Don't think you should waste your time looking at the process? Think again. If you're not part of the solution, you're the problem. I'm not claiming that I'll never shop at Target again, however, a change needs to be made and I'm going to do my best to make it. Can you?

A Fresh Coat of Paint

A couple of weeks ago my husband decided it was time to freshen up our abode with new paint, trim around the doors and kitchen counter. He did the tiling of the counter and the trimming and I painted. I began to reflect on Spring, new beginnings, fresh starts and do-overs. (Hey, we finally had temperatures over 40* F, can ya blame me?)
The paint I chose wasn't too different from what we already had. I didn't want a total overhaul of everything. However, the living room paint is a bit brighter and the kitchen is a bit pinker. To be honest, though, if I didn't tell you I had painted, you probably wouldn't notice the difference. I was a bit worried at first, but it grew on me pretty quickly when I found a marble tile that coordinated with it so well that I really couldn't complain.
I did feel, however, that my living room would need new curtains. I have a table cloth that's about 10 years old that was my inspiration for the curtains. It's an Indian floral paisley print in yellows, greens and oranges on a white background. (Our new paint is orange - Fire Ant, specifically - and the trim is white) I knew I'd never find the same table cloth and I was thinking of adding even more or different colors, so I figured I'd start where I had found the previous cloth, World Market. I looked though every curtain they had. I found a few I liked but they weren't quite right and I just didn't want to settle for something that didn't speak to me on a very primal level. I wanted color, pattern, boldness, vibrance. I wanted something that would leap out of the dark recesses of winter and hurtle into Spring with abandon!
As I began to shuffle out of the store I passed the bath department and there they were - my perfect curtains! Technically an unlined shower curtain, I found color - every color! Pattern - paisley! Boldness and vibrance in abundance! So I bought two shower curtains and hung them from the bamboo rod over our front window. They were also a good $10 less each than any of the window curtains I kinda sorta liked and I only needed two of them instead of four. Oh, yeah. They were on sale and I had a coupon, too.
You never know where you're going to find just the right thing, do ya? I look at my new curtains and I'm filled with joy. The colors and pattern are better than I could've hoped.
So now I look to myself. I was officially accepted into the East West program at CenterPoint Massage and Shiatsu Therapy school. I have a whole new chapter in my life to look forward to living out. I'm going to sally forth with promise and hope, never being afraid to look for what I seek in places selcouth.

Friday's Field Trip

March's Friday Field Trip was to JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts in Edina's YorkTown Mall. I was the only one to show up, but that's cool because part of the reason I'm doing the field trips is to force myself to get out of the house more often.

Here's my lesson sheet if you want to copy it. Fair warning, when I copy and pasted it into my blog, the formatting got all ferkachte. Meh. Echt.

JoAnn Fabric and Craft Field Trip

February 22, 2014

Sewnday Morning Musings – Toots Hodgdon

• v How do I find a pattern? - Finding patterns is pretty easy. It's a bit like going to the library and using the old Dewey Decimal System. Only not that organized. By that I mean, in the DDS books are given a number based on subject or author, patterns are given a number, but I'll be dipped if I can figure out a system. 
•   First, know what you're looking for. You can waste many an afternoon in the pattern books, so it's best to have a plan of attack before you head out. All of the patterns books are arranged pretty much the same.
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•     Beyond that, here are some other things to consider when pattern shopping:
•   §  Ability - all patterns will tell you their level of difficulty, usually broken down into Easy, Intermediate, Advanced and the occasional Professional. Only you know your level of expertise, so choose wisely.
•   §  Sizes - be sure you have accurate measurements of the person for whom you are sewing. I cannot stress this enough. Some patterns will include multiple sizes in one envelope. This rocks, you just have to make sure you have the right size range. It doesn't rock if your person is between sizes of two different envelopes. Go with the larger size. 'Tis always easier to take in than let out. Always. Don't forget that these pattern sizes are not going to correlate to your ready-to-wear sizes. Think of prom or bridal sizes. They're made to measure. Ready-to-wear sizes will fit a small range of measurements. Be prepared for your pattern size to be at least 2 numbers larger than what you get at Target or wherever. Beware of vintage patterns. The sizes are different. Always go by the measurements.



The flap is where you'll often find a measurement guide, also in metric for the rest of the world.

  §  How to read the envelope -

From top:

Fabric suggestions - yep, the companies have designed these things with specific fabrics in mind. Not that you couldn't try it with something different, but in the design of the garment, weight, drape and stretch have been considered. It's best not to deviate too far from these suggestions.

This next area shows how much fabric you need to buy for your project depending on the style (view) you're making and your size. I typically round up to the nearest half yard. You know, just in case.
Lining - Make sure you get some lining if your pattern calls for it. I personally prefer a light cotton or silk lining for just about everything. Synthetics (even the so-called cling-free kind) generate more static than natural fibers. There are some polyester linings that are called cling free - these won't cling to other fabrics but may stick to you. Hang free linings won't stick to you, but may stick to other fabrics.
Contrast fabrics - don't forget to get your contrasting fabric or overlays if your pattern requires.
Notions - Don't know why they're called notions other than it's a pretty good notion to have them to complete your project. These are things like zippers, elastics, buttons, of course thread. Be sure to use the recommended sizes and types for zippers and buttons. A longer zipper may be used, but it's not always easy to work with.

From top:

 It’s how much?! - Yeah, patterns can be spendy. I personally belong to the BMV.com (Butterick/McCall's/Vogue) club and purchase most of my patterns when they're having a sale. Fabric stores will often have sale on patterns, too. Never pay full price for a pattern unless you have an emergency prom dress to make or something like that. I've also found patterns at thrift stores for less than a dollar. Sometimes you get stuck with only a portion of the pattern, but often they've never even been used. 

Ability level

The DDS code - this is how you will find your pattern in the drawers.

Project descriptions by view.

Size combinations of what is in the envelope. Make sure you've got the right one.

•   §  What if I need more than one size? - If you need to make more than one size of the same thing, the easiest thing to do (rather than getting separate patterns - $$$) is to purchase some inexpensive muslin or gridded interfacing. Trace the patterns onto that for each one you need. Believe me, it's more cost effective than buying a bunch of patterns and cutting each size separately.
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•    How to read Fabric Bolt Labels

•   §  Size - most fabrics come in one of two widths, 45" and 60" for fashion fabric. Nearly all home decorator fabric is 60". Though you may or may not actually get that full width. The narrower fabrics may be anywhere from 40" to 45" and the wider fabrics can actually be anywhere from 54" to 60" wide for example, the above bolt label shows 057 IN (57") for the width. If you have your doubts, measure the width before you purchase. Few things are as sad as finding a fabulous fabric, getting the amount required and discovering you could really use an additional 1/8 or even 1/4 of your fabric. Also, if it's a print, measure the print area. The print may not run selvedge to selvedge (edge to edge). I've seen prints which leave up to a total of 5 inches unprinted. That's rare, but it can happen.
•   §  Content - Your bolt end label will tell you what the fiber content is for the fabric.  Well, it should. I've seen bolt labels which read, for example: 70% polyester, 30% unknown. That's always fun. The unknown fiber will probably be another kind of synthetic if the main fiber is and most likely will be another natural fiber if the main one is. Not always the case, to be sure, but often. You can always do a burn test to figure out what fibers you've got, if you're so inclined. The above is 100% polyester. 
•   §  Cleaning method - This is important! No, really! Think about how you care for the clothes you've already got. Are you very particular about how they're washed? Does it bother you to have to go to the dry cleaner? The bolt label will tell you how your fabric should be cared for. If it does not, but you see an alpha-numeric code (such as "D2") on the label, you can ask your person at the cutting table to look up the code for you. They should have a reference book somewhere back there that will crack the code and tell you how to wash your fabric. Don't let them tell you they don't have such a thing. They do. Oh, yes. They do.
•    §  Handy clues - Bolts of fabric are wound with anywhere from 10 to 15 yards per bolt. Sometimes someone will have handwritten on the end "9.5" or "9 1/2" which means the original bolt had that amount wound on it. This is often the end piece and the quality may not be consistent. Check for printing alignment. The above bolt was wound with 8 yards and it's listed on the left side. Being that it's printed and not handwritten, you shouldn't have to worry about the print.
•     Occasionally you may find a brightly colored blank sticker on the end. This means that there are more than one piece wrapped on the bolt. This may mean there's a seam going across it somewhere or that there are separate pieces on the bolt. Sometimes employees will consolidate bolts and will write on the end that there's more than one piece.
•   You can guesstimate how much fabric is left on the bolt board (not a tube, mind, the flat cardboards) by counting the number of layers on the fold are on one side of the board. Every two layers is approximately one yard. This can come in handy when there doesn't look like enough on the bolt.
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•    Which thread is the right thread for my project?
•   §  Seam/construction thread - Cotton or poly/cotton all-purpose. Use the 100% cotton for 100% natural fibers and the blend for synthetics and blends. This will prevent any weird shrinkage issues. 
•   §  Quilting thread
• ¨     Hand  - a bit heavier, since you won't have the double thread over and under your quilt layers.
• ¨     Machine - typically very much like 100% cotton all-purpose (I've used all-purpose for quilting in a pinch) 
•   §  Machine Embroidery thread - usually rayon. You do not want to use this for construction sewing. It's not made for that and your seams will not be sturdy. It's made to be pretty.
•   §  Serger thread - Comes on cones. You can find it in either 100% cotton or in a blend to suit your needs. Most of the time you're serging knit fabrics and a lot of those are blends anymore.
•   §  Specialty threads - Button thread - stronger and thicker than regular thread and should be used for buttons that get heavy duty use, like on a winter coat.
•     Denim thread - is made for heavier fabrics, ie denim, duck or canvas. It doesn't come in as many colors as your all-purpose variety.
•     Upholstery thread - this stuff is very heavy and made for  - you guessed it - upholstering furniture. You can also use it for buttons on cushions which get a lot of wear and tear.
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•         Tools, tools, tools!
•    §  I need a wha’? - There are so many tools out these days to help make the sewing process easier and faster. I'll probably end up doing a piece just on tools alone. You don't need them all.
•   §  Machines
• ¨     Sewing - know what you plan on sewing. Don't get more machine than you need.
• ¨     Serging - I love my serger, I really do. It's awesome for working with knits. I just wish they'd find a way to make them easier to thread and clean. 
• ¨     Specialty - these can be anything from embroidery machines to long arm quilters.
•   §  Cut the stuff
• ¨     Blades and self-healing mats - I don't know how quilters did it before Olfa and the other blade brands came out with rotary blades and self-healing mats. Well, I do actually, and it sucked. No lie. I don't envy anyone who made quilts before these miracles came out.
• ¨     Pinker - this is the one with the ziggy-zaggy blades. They're excellent for cutting fabrics that fray easily.
• ¨     Shears - your basic cutters. I like spring-loaded ones.
• ¨     Small scissors - I have a couple pairs of small scissors, including kid's blunt point for plane rides and one for tiny detail cutting.
•    §  Needles - You can get universal needles for both hand sewing and machine sewing. Having a set of each is great for any sewing you might need to do, at least for a start.
•    §  Feet - For your sewing machine. The piece that comes down and helps to hold your fabric as it's fed through the machine is called a foot. Beyond your basic foot that came with your machine, you should have a zipper foot and a blind hem foot is a nice thing to have. Often the zipper foot comes with your machine. A button hole foot can be helpful, too. It helps you to make buttons holes in uniform sizes.
•    §  Marking tools - I have a blue pencil and a white pencil that can be washed out. I've found that's all I need. I used to have sheets of colored wax paper and the little pizza cutter-like tracing tool, but I've found that having the two pencils is just as effective and takes up less room. Tailor's chalk is handy for, well, tailoring and making larger marks.
•    §  Measuring tools - I have about a hundred cloth measuring tapes. Not really, but it seems like it. I have on upstairs, one by my ironing board, one in my travel kit, one by my machine... I have a few templates for cutting shapes for quilts, too, but you can go really crazy with those things. You can get a template for every shape you can imagine. Just go to the quilting department of your local sewing shop and you'll see what I mean. I've found that I really only need a couple of rulers and I do like my hexagons and easy Dresden templates.
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•     What are remnants  and fat quarters, and what can I make with them? 
•   Remnants are pieces of fabric one yard or less. Usually they are offered at a discount.
•   Fat Quarters are pieces that equal a quarter yard but are 20" x 18" instead of 9" x 40". They are almost always 100% cotton and are typically found in the quilter's department.  
•   §  Gifts - rems and FQs are just the right size for making small gifts, bags, pillows, potholders, water and wine bottle covers, soft body dolls. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.



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•   §  Repairs - they are also great to have on hand for repairs. Rather than paying the price for a hunk off the bolt, check the remnant bin for a suitable fabric to patch a garment. I also prefer this to pre-made iron-on patches. By the way, the smallest amount that sellers can cut for purchase is 1/8 yard or 4.5 inches. Depending on the fabric, you may find a rem for less than you would pay for that 1/8 yard.

I hope this helps you get ready for your next trip to the fabric store.

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