A Walk On A Semi-Cloudy Day

 Enjoy a walk with me!

First 2021 Shopping Adventure With My Mom! + More

 

My Mom is my favorite person to shop with and it's been FAR too long since we've had a shopping adventure together.  We are good shoppers, buying carefully and wisely, helping each other make good decisions.  We usually end up dressing pretty similarly, too. We are both wearing tops from Charter Club (Macy's) in the above photo, and I actually own the top she's wearing, also!  We don't usually end up wearing the same exact thing on the same day, but that would be fine.  Doesn't she look cute?!  I like those pants I'm wearing, too; they are pull-on leggings but they are cropped and have cute embroidery at the bottom.  I like that little feminine touch!

First I picked up some birdseed at WalMart (I was in and out of there quickly; it's not my favorite place!), then we went next door to Beall's, where we browsed around.  I haven't done a browsing sort of shopping trip since before COVID, so it's been almost a year.  I truly enjoy browsing online, but there's something relaxing and self-pampering about wandering through a well-organized and well-stocked store, looking at pretty things.

This t-shirt made me think of my sweet Gregory!

He loves spicy things.

I tried on that pink blouse in the background (not terrible, but not great, so it didn't come home with me).  My Mom had some coupons and decided that meant that she needed to buy my stuff for me (thank you, sweet Mom!)  I found a cute pair of walking/running pants and a light white sweater.  She also bought us a couple of drying mats for wet dishes (our dishwasher is broken and the one we want is so popular that it's out of stock until February).

Then we went to Target - hooray!  

I'm making a weird face in this photo because my close-up vision is getting bad (unless I take off my glasses), and I was trying to move my face farther from the phone to see if we were in focus . . . so I look slightly like a turtle retreating into my shell.  As my late Grandma used to tell me, "Aging is not for sissies."

I like that Target had an area for Black History Month stuff!

I bought a couple of lovely sweaters and a striped long-sleeved t-shirt.
Thank you to Greg's Dad and wonderful Step-Mom for contributing to this fun excursion and these great wardrobe additions!  

Believe it or not, I still had some energy after that (though I'm kind of wiped out today!), so I invited my parents over to participate in our Friday evening ritual: pizza and old Doctor Who (and brownies)!  What a blessing to have FAMILY members nearby!  It helps my heart.

Greg refused to act normal, but these are the only photos I have, so I have to post them.  Someday I'll be looking in vain for photos of him where he doesn't look insane. . . 

"Please look normal."

"Okay, fine.  How about a sad face?!"

"Come on!  PLEASE SMILE!"

Oh well.

***************

I should also share that our sweet little Measel kitten has found his forever home.  We're all grieving a bit, and our cats are wondering where he has gone.  Things are more boring around here.  We're happy for his family to have the opportunity to love him and get joy out of his sweet and wonderful self!  We miss you, Bébé!

Some Recent Wardrobe Additions

January is usually the time of year when I rethink and adjust my wardrobe for the coming year.  One reason is my parents are in town over the winter, and I can plan and shop with my sweet Mom!  (insert hearts!)  This year I have added a few things and donated a LOT of things.  (In case we end up moving in the next short while, I don't want to transport a bunch of stuff we don't actually use, so I've been sorting through things even more than I do each January.)

A typical outfit for me this winter (and this is nothing new) includes a lot of black & white,
small patterns, and a bit of pretty color:

pants: INC International Concepts (Macy's)
top: Charter Club (Macy's)
jacket: Levi's (Amazon)
boots: Sam Edelman (Macy's)
mask: Etsy

Here are some personal guidelines I try to follow when buying new clothing.

1.  I must LOVE the item and want to wear it right away.

Even basic necessities are better if they feel special in some way!  For example, I have favorite pairs of socks; their details (dots or stripes, usually) make them special.  Sometimes it's a nice smooth texture or a waffle weave or lace trim or a pretty color.

2.  It must be comfortable.

I'm not super picky about fit, but I care a LOT about things being comfortable.  I do not want to be adjusting my shirt all the time because the collar is itchy.  I have sensitive skin and some sensory issues (especially with tags, seams, etc.), so I don't tend to keep clothing that bothers me in these ways around in the long-term.

3.  It should at least sort of fit within my color palette.

My favorite neutrals are black & white.
My favorite non-neutral colors are light blue, light pink, and golden or mustard yellow.  

4.  I must be able to see myself loving and using that item for years to come.

It's wasteful to buy inexpensive things that don't last and then clutter up landfills.

Bonus point if the item is made with sustainable fabrics in an ethical way (i.e. not using child labor, not using slave labor, paying workers fair wages).  These items are more expensive, but it's worth it to feel like I'm investing in the world.

Here are some things I've ordered lately!
Keep in mind that some of these things don't exactly seem like winter-wear for most places, but in Arizona, these items can easily be worn in reasonable ways all year round.  I have been being creative in my mind with these items, imagining how I might wear them even in cold weather (with fleece-lined leggings or tights underneath on the bottom, a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath on top, warm thick socks inside boots, etc.)

This dress from Vetta has been on my list for quite some time.  It's a beautiful color with a small print (my favorite!).  It also can be worn a bunch of different ways.  It can be worn with the neck bow in front or the neck bow in back. It can be worn with or without the belt.  AND the bottom tier is removable, so it can be worn as a knee-length dress or a midi-/maxi-length dress!  Clever!  I picture wearing it as the longer version with sandals in the summer and with a long-sleeved t-shirt and tights underneath when it's chilly.  It would look great with sneakers and a denim jacket or boots and a faux-leather moto jacket.  I'm looking forward to playing with different options!

Here's a picture of one of the additional ways to wear this dress:

This dress arrived and it's WONDERFUL.  It's well-made, it's a beautiful color, and it fits great!

It's a little crumpled from shipping and it's longer on me than on the model.  I'll be wearing with shoes that have a bit of a platform or wedge, probably.  The shoulders and neckline are perfect.

I also just ordered this dress, also from Vetta.  It's another convertible dress!  I adore the black dot print, and how the dots are spread randomly over the material.  

Let me give you an example of how it can be worn.  

The bottom tier can be removed so the dress looks like this:

It can be worn backwards so that it has a crew neckline instead of a v-shaped neckline and the belt can be tied in the back instead of in the front

My Mom and I went shopping recently, and I found the following helpful items . . . 

a lovely lacey sweater from Knox Rose at Target:

I got it in white, too!

Target's Universal Thread line had these wonderful drapey ribbed tees:

I sized WAAAAAYY up because I want my tees to be flowy, not clingy.  I don't know why t-shirts are sized so weird.  No wonder women can't figure out what size we are or how we actually look!  I came home and ordered some more of these striped tees online (the store only had one).  I like wearing striped tees underneath sweaters and jackets and dresses, so I want to make sure I'm stocked up.

I've been considering this sweater, but I'll wait awhile before ordering it because I found the ones from Target.  This one is from Vetta, and it also is convertible. It can be worn with the v-neck and buttons in the front or the back.  It's oversized, and I am always looking for sweaters that are long enough to be worn with leggings!  If this sweater is as good as I think it might be, I would love a light blue version and a pink version, but those aren't very popular colors right now, nor are they normally available in the dead of winter!

This winter I would also like to add a couple of pairs of straight-leg black pants I can wear with shorter tops & sweaters.

I feel satisfied with my the comfort, flexibility, and personality of my wardrobe, but it's fun to do little tune ups from time to time!

In a different area of acquisitions,  I also did not choose to resist these salad plates . . . I love dishes and have a lot of them (especially considering that only two human people live in our house), but we have lost some of our original wedding salad plates over the years, and these will definitely bring me joy every time I see them:

We used them tonight during pizza and Doctor Who!  :)

Late Christmas!

This post will start out with CATS!
Please appreciate the beauty of these felines.  This little orange one is pretty great.  We are still looking for a forever home for him, so if you're near (or even semi-near) Arizona, and would like to add this cuteness to your life and home, let's chat!

How much cuter could one bébé be?

Let me know if you know anyone who is considering adoption.  Cats are the BEST.  They bring beauty, elegance, love, softness, silliness, joy, and peace to a home.  

Here's Allistair, sleeping in a strange position.

Since winter has come, Stephen has enjoyed this snuggly nest bed.  He's a sloth of a cat and LOVES to DROOP in any way possible.  In the winter, of course, he's chilly and doesn't want to be even chillier, so he doesn't want to droop off the couch or the half-wall; he wants to droop while being cozy!  He found a way - he droops out of the nest!

Our transition into 2021 has been smooth.  We've barely noticed.  We did purposefully enjoy New Year's Eve by watching old Doctor Who and eating pizza and brownies, but we do this almost every Friday.  It's a delightful ritual that makes weekends feel more special.  We also went for a walk later in the evening to see some of the fireworks being set off near our neighborhood (and in fact even IN our neighborhood!)  The air quality has been terrible thanks to the fireworks and people having fires on "no burn" days and now I'm fighting a sinus infection. 

Look at the SCARY ALIEN!

Greg was pretty concerned.

But the best holiday event was still upcoming: a Christmas celebration with my parents!

I am fairly introverted and didn't realize how much I miss PEOPLE.  Especially having people over and eating with people.  I'm surprised how much my mood has been lifted by simply spending time with more people who love me.  :)

My parents drove down and arrived week and a half ago from Minnesota.  We decided on at least 7 days quarantine, but after that, they're in our bubble!  Hooray! - we have a social bubble!  We saved our Christmas presents until our party, and I made a feast.  I made lasagna, potato veggie chowder, brownies, and chocolate chip cookie bars.  My parents brought some treats and a huge fruit salad.  Everything turned out great (that doesn't always happen; cooking is weird!)

Potato veggie chowder:

Brownies:

Chocolate chip cookie bars:

Oops - I ate one before our guests arrived!

Delicious creamy lasagna:

Our pretty and delicious table!

Greg was hiding:

and then he disappeared behind his huge white beard!

Then we opened presents by the fire! (It's a DVD fire.)

My parents are always extremely generous with GIVING and this Christmas was no exception.

It was sweet and heart-warming to have them filling up our home with more LOVE.

Greg put "hi!" with tape on one of the presents to me!

Our three adult cats actually came out, accepted some pets, and were friendly and sweet.  They don't have people around that often lately (stupid COVID), so we're proud of them for remembering how to be sociable.

Grandpa thought it was cute how Allistair snuggled up to me.

Greg started playing with his new toys right away (a holder to keep his cell phone attached to a regular tripod).  This was a set-up so he could record some foosball moves.

One of my gifts was a weighted blanket!

I bundled up in it for a bit on the couch and in about 5 minutes and it was so relaxing that I could barely keep my eyes open!  I slept exceptionally well last night with that extremely heavy blanket!

I hope you sleep just as well tonight!