Without Laurie, I Wouldn’t

Accomplish nearly as much. Both yesterday afternoon and today, she came over to help me go through stuff and pack. We’re apparently getting a dumpster next week, which means I have an entire house to purge…

We packed 13 totes, emptied 7 (I think. I’m upstairs and don’t feel like hiking back down…) I went through all my fabric totes, and I think I went down from 10 to 2. That’s a significant reduction.

We also packed up my watercolor paper. This hit me hard, but I did keep a few out for when the water coloring mood strikes me. And most important, I packed up all my treasured books. Not all my books, but the ones that mean the most to me.

Although I’d gone through most of the “family room” part of the basement, today we went through it all again. And moved on into my workspace and the back room. This is a huge and significant thing. Yes, it did make moving more real to me but that’s alright. I need to get my head around it. Today was as good a day as any for that.

And without Laurie’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Her less emotional eyes helped me more than words can say. She occasionally reminded me what I was packing up were my tools. What I need to create. So how much I have is how much I have. Don’t beat myself up about that. And it helps tremendously I’ve already Konmari’d the workroom. I will continue to reduce the amount of stuff I have, but I’m pretty satisfied with my initial purge.

I found another Christmas tree downstairs. I plan to keep one and donate the second. I also found another tote tonight which had stuff on the top and yards and yards of denim beneath. I’m thinking curtains for both Anthony and Evan’s bedrooms. That would work in each room. Evan’s is a pale blue with white trim and Anthony’s will be sort of an Americana look.

Laurie brought over the finished quilt top she made for Anthony’s room. She had added a red border, the same red as the center of each log cabin quilt block. Before she added this, she called to tell me the quilt was larger than I thought it would be. This didn’t bother me but she wanted to know how I wanted to proceed. Did I want a border which would make it even larger? I really had no idea, as I couldn’t really visualize what she was saying over the phone. When she asked if I was taking it to Arizona with us, I said “Of course!” (It’s a treasure because she’s made it for me.) Laurie suggested she make the quilt king sized. That way I could use it on our bed once we move. I didn’t even know that was a possibility. I thought once you measured and sewed it together, that’s it. But no. Laurie is adding two, or maybe three, borders around the blocks to expand the size so I can use it later in our next home. She’s a rock star.

Landscape Considerations

I’ve covered a lot of landscaping and gardening topics here. Please search my site for several posts discussing specific things like zones, planting times and hardscape. And, as always, my suggestions are focused on limited budget concerns.

Fall is just around the corner. There are several things which need to be planted at this time of year, depending on your zone. The one thing I want to focus on today is year ‘round interest in your landscape. Why it’s important and how to achieve it.

First consider your landscape as a whole. We’ve discussed having a full plan laid out for your space. This way you can add as finances allow. If you don’t have a complete plan make one. This may sound odd, but begin by look out your windows. What are you seeing? Are there areas you wish to shield from view like your neighbors falling down buildings and crap filled yard? Are there areas you want to highlight, say a beautiful view of mountain ranges or a woodland stream? Are there places where there is no view at all? For example, you look out your kitchen window and see a cement block wall of some sort…Once you evaluate what you have, what you’d like to see, and what you’d like to hide you can better choose from all sorts of landscape options available to you.

Now onto year round interest in your landscape. The reason for this is you want something of interest no matter which season it is. In my zone, for example, my climate is extreme on both ends of the spectrum. I mentioned in one post my temperature changed over 100 degrees from the hottest day in summer to the coldest day in winter. That’s substantial and challenging to plan for. Plants which can survive both are pretty stout. And because of these two extremes, sometimes the best year around interest has to come from hardscape rather than plantings. Options might include a pergola, garden gates and fences, permanent planter boxes, garden sheds, and patios. All of which can be costly. Here are a few posts covering budget hardscape options. So having structures, etc. can provide year round interest without having to think about plant survival.

Now onto plant options. Evergreens are always nice in a landscape, as they retain their color. I planted four shrubs this year which are Thuja Emerald Green Arborvitae. 2 each of pyramidal and globe shaped. They are finer leafed than Yew, which is also a commonly used Evergreen. Some others include Boxwood, Blue Holly (berries are poisonous!), Spruce, Hemlock, Juniper, Winter Creeper and Fir. Any, and all, will give you color in winter. These shrubs have different leaves and textures, so combining them can give you a really interesting all seasons option. Be aware of their height and width when full grown. Far to many people plant their stuff to close to their house or other plants. Always design your landscape based upon the full size of the plants.

Red twig Dogwood is a lovely addition to a seasonal landscape. The red of the twigs stands out in striking contrast in a snow covered garden bed. Pine trees, my particular favorite is Blue Spruce, are also stately in a winter landscape. Not only can you add lights to them during the holiday season, they look breathtaking covered in snow. Not just lovely as a single tree, but around here they’re often planted as wind breaks. Stagger your plantings to give you the best results. Beautiful. Birds enjoy their branches, they will give you pine cones for crafts and they are fairly easy to grow. (Unless you’re me. They will not survive for me ever. I can’t tell you how many pines I’ve planted just to watch them turn brown and brittle. Breaks my heart.) White birch offers interest with the bark on the tree. Red maples will give you stunning fall color in colder climates. Actually, maples are known for their beautiful fall foliage. Willows give you swaying branches.

Mums provide beautiful fall color, but they will not give you interest in a winter bed. Cabbage and kale will as well. The gorgeous purples of the cabbage just look stunning in the fall garden. Some gardeners around here leave theirs in all winter. Obviously pumpkins and squash will also produce decorative elements for fall arrangements. And one of the easiest options is faux flowers in pots, planters and window boxes.

Last year, at a close out sale, I bought huge boughs, wreaths and hanging arrangements for use on our porch and the front of the house. The boughs will go into the window box with tiny white lights. The wreath will hang on the newly painted front door, and the hanging arrangements will be on the garage beneath the lights, framing the doors. These were all between two and five dollars. They will last the entire winter and will add interest to the house. While these aren’t permanent plantings or hardscape, they will serve the purpose well for adding winter interest to our home. Because curb appeal isn’t just a summer thing. And enjoying your landscape, no matter the season, is well worth the effort it takes.

Dear Friends:

Could you please offer a prayer for my dear friend Laurie and her son, Daniel. I won’t share what’s going on, but a prayer for inner peace, strength, health and quick resolution would be greatly appreciated.

Laurie and Daniel are two of the most genuinely caring individuals I have the privilege of knowing. Both are truly spectacular people. (That apple didn’t fall far from the tree, let me tell you!) Both, along with the rest of the family, are just really great people. I love Daniel as my own, and of course Laurie is my dearest friend. Sometimes challenges occur in life, but if I could spare these two incredible people this one, I would by taking this on myself. Truly.

Thank you for your prayers for Laurie and Daniel.

Fireworks!!!

As a huge fan of fireworks, I must say the display last night after the President’s speech at the RNC convention was absolutely spectacular. Check it out on YouTube if you missed it. Well worth the look.

Scrap Project

I spent most of the day working on a rag rug. I had tried, twice and unsuccessfully, to use the clothes line wound rag rug-style. This was a hot mess both times. The first time the fabric unwrapped. The second time, the gaps were to wide between the rows. It was an absolute catastrophe and I had to remove all the fabric and start over.

So, third times a charm. I separated the fabrics into three groups. One is tan, one is dark blue with red and yellow paisley, and then the third is multi-colored and patterned. These I had ripped into 2” wide strips. Then I sewed the groups end to end, in three long strips.

Once I had the strips of fabric, I sewed the end of each roll together. I cut off manageable sized pieces and began braiding. Once I reached a 6” braided piece, I attached it the the back of a kitchen chair with a clamp borrowed from my husband. This gave me a sturdy way to braid the strips. Then I braided the strips into a long rope.

Every time I reached the end of the strips, I went downstairs and sewed the coordinating fabric strips to the end of their fabric rolls. I cut another section of fabric from each and then went back to braiding. I’ve done this several times now and currently have enough braided rope to make a throw rug. My goal is to make a large rug, about 8’x10’ in size.

While this is a time consuming process, the results are quite beautiful. I used the most unusual and colorful fabrics you can imagine for the center strip of the braid. I did add the fabrics in a coordinated way. For example, I began with green. This transitioned into another fabric with green in it. Then I added another fabric to that one, which had one of those colors in it, and with each successive fabric having a color from the one above it. This was because I wanted a smooth transition of color throughout the rug.

Obviously you can sew any and all fabrics into your strips randomly. You don’t need two of one specific color or pattern. I did that because I had so much of both of those; the tan and the paisley; I thought they’d “tone down” the very bright and highly patterned fabric in the middle row. And they have. The braided rope is actually quite beautiful this way. The coiled braid, when laid out in the shape of the rug, looks great.

Scott, being used to my projects, wasn’t paying much attention to what I was doing. He’s used to my unconventional projects. He was working on his computer while we watched T.V. and I braided. Once I had a substantial length of braided rope, I laid it on the floor and began wrapping it into a rug shape. I did this to see how the braid would look once I sewed it into a rug. He glanced up and said, “Hey, that’s really cool!” Which is a lovely compliment.

A couple things: You will need a lot of fabric to make a large rag rug like this. I mean a lot. I’ve only braided enough for a throw rug so far, so 2’x3’ or so. I need to triple, or even quadruple, the rug in size. I have half a large tote filled with fabric pieces for the center multi-colored strip, and several more pieces for the paisley strip but I ran out of the tan. I have a few more old sheets in dark beige which I’ll rip into two inch wide lengths for that part of the braid. But I will obviously need to scrounge for more fabric for those two strips in the braid. I have great plenty for the center, multi-colored one.

Once I have the appropriate length of braid to make the rug in the size I want, I’ll begin sewing it together. You can use a sewing machine for this by just zigzagging over the rug to keep it together. This will work for mine when it’s small enough, but I’ll have to hand sew the rope when the size gets to big. This is also a heavy project. The weight of the rope, made into a large rug, is heavy and unwieldy. It’s also important to make sure the rug doesn’t curl up. If you sew it to tightly, the outer edges will roll. You want it to lay flat on the floor.

This is a wonderfully frugal project. I’m using fabric I had on hand, which costs me nothing. Rag rugs of this size can run from $350.00 on sale, to over $1000.00. In my world, that’s a lot of money. I clearly can’t afford to purchase a farmhouse appropriate rag rug. But I can certainly spend my time to have one. Even smaller rag rugs in front of your entrance door or in front of your kitchen sink can cost more than I can afford. Which makes this project perfect for gift giving as well.

In a kitchen, for instance, you could make the rug and add things like kitchen towels, hot pads, aprons, utensils and cookbooks too. This will give you a substantial gift for a newlywed, someone recently moved into their first home, students heading off to college, or someone like me who could really use a replacement bridal shower after 30 years of marriage. And you can make the towels, aprons, hot pads and cookbooks yourself. Buy KitchenAid kitchen utensils from Dollar Tree and you have an inexpensive, yet impressive, gift for someone on your list.

I’m absolutely sure you can have anything you want, inexpensively, if you’re willing to be creative and do the work to make it happen. Since my goal is to make my home a modern farmhouse/Joanna Gaines style to get the best price for it, I’m willing to work hard to make that happen. By doing all the work ourselves, we’re saving thousands and thousands of dollars.

A kitchen remodel, even a small one, can cost around 25 thousand dollars. That’s so far beyond our means it might as well be 25 million. My closest estimate for our entire home remodel, inside and out, will be around 10 thousand dollars. This includes the big ticket items like the new roof, flooring, landscaping, new bathrooms and new kitchen.

Now think about that a moment: our house is 2700 square feet in size. For most families, that’s a fairly large house. (Our family is huge, so we found it a bit snug. Once four family members moved out and took most of their worldly crap with them, it opened up significantly.) But given the size of the house and yard (an acre or a tick more), 10 grand is practically nothing to remodel/redo a house of that size. For us, obviously, it’s a ton of money. But the reality is it’s very little for the tremendous amount of projects we’re doing. And the reason we’re able to get all this done on a shoestring is because we shop huge sales, do all the work ourselves, are patient in waiting until what we want is available for a price we can make work, and by spending money where we’ll get the most bang for our buck.

You can do the same thing in your life. Don’t despair if your finances are tight. This is a wonderful opportunity to use your creativity to achieve your goals. Whether you live on little, want to save money for a specific thing like a down payment on a house or college for your kids, or you’re considering future retirement and want to save as much as possible before hand-life lived frugally isn’t a bad thing. It’s an experience many would benefit from greatly. It teaches self discipline, priorities, and blesses you with abundant creativity.

And I’ll take creativity with little over no creativity with lots every single time.

If you have questions on any project or goal you’re trying to reach frugally, please contact me. I’m happy to share suggestions or ideas to help you achieve what you want. My email address is purplewhimsie@gmail.com and my first name is Ginger. I’m here to help. Truly. And our conversations would be kept private unless you gave me permission to share (without any personal details, obviously) here so others could benefit from that information as well.

Happy Frugal Holidays! More Garden Ideas

Here is a post about making holiday gifts from your garden’s produce. Obviously, there are more garden/gardener/outdoor gifts you can give too.

• Adirondack chairs. Scott made a beautiful chair of his own design, but there are several free patterns on line for this very comfortable and cheap-to-build chair. The cost for my chair, in materials, was around 50 bucks. When compared to the cost of a purchased chair, that’s practically free. The closest I found to a chair at that price was a cheap plastic one which I doubt would last the entire summer. Depending on your budget, you could make a set and add colorful throw pillows made from scrap material. A thoughtful and useful gift for anyone.
• Patio. This can be made from patio blocks. I haven’t priced them lately, but I bought enough for a large patio I had planned to put in behind our attached garage. Since I have very little money, they couldn’t have been that much. There are several patterns you can use when laying out the blocks. While this requires physical work to do, it is a fairly straightforward DIY project. Look up the directions for install. Buy the blocks now and put it in to your gift recipients yard this fall. They’ll have a lovely patio to enjoy and you’ll have paid for and given a gift before the financial pinch of the holidays.
• A fire pit. Another easy DIY which can add a lovely outdoor space to a yard of most any size.
• Potting bench. This can be something you pick up at a secondhand store and repaint, or made from scrap lumber and an old wooden door. I’d add a shelf beneath the larger work surface for storage of potting soil, pots, and hand tools
• Garden Arch or Pass through. I saw a clever idea somewhere. In the photo the person used three old wood doors-one for each side and then another, shortened one, across the top. Add the doors to treated lumber or metal poles, which you put into the ground. Leave a foot or so of space between the doors and the ground to protect them from rotting in the damp soil or grass. For added protection I’d give them a coat or two of exterior latex house paint.
• Old Bed Spring Planter. This works well as a screen to shield an area from view by the neighbors. Add succulents in “pots” made from landscape fabric. They will last for years and years, holds the soil and plant, and drains excess water easily. Simply cut the landscape fabric into a large square, add the soil and succulent to the center, pull up landscape fabric edges to create a pot. Stick into the springs.
• Planter Boxes. Here is an article with several DIY options.
• Yard Art. Stacked flower pots, with holes drilled into them and threaded onto a piece of rebar, will give you a topsy-turvy stack. These pots can be painted anyway you wish. My daughter made mine and they have my grandchildren’s hand prints on the pots. Dragonflies made from a spindle and four ceiling fan blades. Old wood chairs with holes cut from the seat to hold flower pots. An old brass bed, used as a flower bed. A vintage tub or sink to use as planters. Old drawers, stacked to make a planter for cascading plants. Old children’s furniture to sit in flowerbeds to hold pots..the possibilities are endless. And cheap.
• Flag Poles and Flags. Don’t forget the light if your hanging an American flag.
• Picnic Tables. Both full sized and children’s
• Sandboxes or Outdoor Toyboxes
• Shutters
• House Number Art. My late father-in-law was a carpenter. My sister-in-law used a wood cut out of a hand saw and painted it to match the wood shutters they made. She added the house number to the painted hand saw cut out. My mother-in-law still has both the shutters and the house number art, nearly 30 years after receiving these gifts.
• Painted Mailboxes. I like florals, but you could paint a scene too.

We’ve made all of the above items at one time or another through the years. Some we still have, others have moved on. But all are DIY projects, depending on your skill level. Generally speaking, these projects are inexpensive. Obviously some cost more than others. Nevertheless, any of these ideas would be great gifts for someone on your list.

Okay, People! DNC and RNC Convention Match-Up

The democratic convention, yes I was one of the 12 people who watched it, wasn’t what I expected. First, as I’m a theatre person and these things matter to me, the production value was poor. I really thought with all the Hollywood people on the Dems side, they’d pull out all the stops and make it a “virtual” feast for the eyes. Not the case.

And I found their message uninspired. Their two main focuses were: we hate Trump and Trump messed up on the Coronavirus crisis. This was beaten to death by every speaker, repeating the same thing over and over again: He mishandled the virus! He’s a jerk! That’s about it.

My main problem with this message is, they think he’s a jerk. Okay. Got it. They think he mishandled the crisis. Okay. If so, how? Exactly what are they complaining about? That he didn’t listen to the experts? Because he absolutely did, which is why we were all in lock down for months. And for those of us in certain states like Michigan, we still are. That the country was unprepared to deal with a massive pandemic? Yes we were. But we would have been unprepared for a massive pandemic no matter who was in office. Including Hilary.

I wanted to hear about the Democratic plans for the future. I lived through their past plans, and if they want to go back to that-they can forget it. I will not vote for anyone who thinks the way things were decades ago is perfectly fine today. It’s not. So, in short, I found the Democratic National Convention to be a disappointment on several levels.

The production value of the Republican Convention was better than the DNC’s. I am truly baffled by that. Because this alone should have been one area the DNC blew the doors off the Republicans. The lighting, sound and staging for the RNC was polished and professional. The video which opened the convention was well done, easy to hear and understand and the picture quality was beautiful. There were no technical glitches.

The message was more uplifting I thought. Yes, it was clearly playing to Trump supporters and not necessarily those of us who are independents and not sure who we’re voting for in November. But the message was focused on the greatness of America which, after all the complaints we’ve been hearing lately, was nice to hear. It was a nice opening.

The speakers were diverse, some of their messages uplifting, others rather alarming. One which was truly touching and brought tears to my eyes was given by Cuban immigrant Maximo Alvarez. His was a truly moving and inspirational message which I think all Americans should listen to closely. Others talked about how the Democrats plan to destroy everything this country was built on: freedom. Well, that’s a bit over the top, don’t you think? A political party intends to destroy the freedoms we the people have in the United States? What are they going to do, repeal the constitution and bill of rights? I mean their policies can certainly change things, but that goes for any political party. And since the Democrats are mum on their policies anyway, how the heck do the Republicans know what they’re going to do. Apparently even the Democrats don’t know what they plan to do should they get in.

This convention was heavy on policy. I mean they hit a ton of issues, including one I found particularly interesting: the Right to Try law. This provides terminal patients the right to try experimental medications and treatments, which have not been FDA approved. While some may say this could cause vulnerable patients to be taken advantage of, it’s a tremendous gift to those out of options. As one who has been let down by all known forms of approved treatment for my chronic condition, I understand a person’s willingness to try experimental options. I am a human test subject for all sorts of drug combinations. These are all medications approved for use by the FDA. The Right to Try let’s people use unapproved options, still in the research stage. This is a very good thing.

As I said, the RNC’s convention was heavy on policy. It also focused on everyday Americans and their experiences with the Trump policies and with the President personally. My guess is they were trying to showcase his humanity and make him appear less abrasive. In several instances, it worked. I didn’t realize he’d worked tirelessly to get so many people who were held hostage around the world released. I didn’t realize he spoke at length to, and continues to communicate with, the father of a school shooting victim to enact protective measures for our nations school children. I was touched by the personal stories these people shared and I saw a side of Donald Trump I’d never have guessed existed. I was particularly moved by the message given by Herschel Walker. I remember him as a great football player, but I had no idea he was a friend of the President’s. He spoke articulately about their relationship and stated very clearly that the President was in no way a racist. (Not that I thought he was, but it does seem to be a point the other side is trying to sell.) I found Mr. Walker to be very persuasive and I liked him tremendously. Which honestly makes me think better of Donald Trump as a result.

All in all, I’d have to give the first night of the convention “win” to the Republicans. They, of course, have more nights ahead of them and can certainly still go down in flames. But the first night was a decided win for the RNC. Both in substance on policy issues and in overall presentation. I was impressed, in spite of myself.

Having given you my review, I was interested in what other people were saying. I tuned into all the major news organizations to hear their take on the RNC’s turn. I had listened to their praise of the DNC’s convention and, honestly, at times I was wondering if I was watching the same convention they were. The over the top praise for the some of the speakers was really annoying. I almost said nauseating, but thought that might be to harsh. And this love affair with Michelle Obama is baffling to me. I just don’t get it…(But I did think Mr. Biden’s speech was, by far, the best I’ve heard from him recently.) Since I want a well rounded view on all issues and I tuned in for all the various commentary.

In spite of what I feel is a decidedly liberal-leaning news organization, I found CNN to be the less critical of the RNC convention. Chris Cuomo tried hard to give a balanced commentary, although Don Lemon had a more difficult time with that. MSNBC, on the other hand, made no attempt whatsoever to offer non-partisan coverage of the opening night. In fact, they had one commentator say : They were clearly playing to Trump’s base, which falls into two groups. The uneducated and the Evangelicals, both of which are motivated by fear.

I almost dropped my can of soda.

Have these people learned nothing from the Hilary comment on Trump supporters being a “basket of deplorables”? How insulting and dismissive of half the people in this country. Because we’re about 50/50 on the Democrat and Republican side of the fence in this two party system. How nice those representing the Democratic views lump Trump voters into such terms. Uneducated indeed. This leaves me with the impression the Democratic Party is out of touch with everyday people. But, worse, they think they’re better than us.

If this is the message the Democrats want to send, that’s up to them. But I’d think twice about it.

In Spite of a Slow Start

10 finished projects today. All for a new art journal. A couple oldies but goodies:

• Layering one identical image over top of another. I used this to make a tuck spot and a corner. Both were fairly intricate floral designs. I printed two of each. One was the page, one for the add in. I glued the second to left over card stock and cut out. I put foam tape at the far edges and pressed onto the top of the page, over the identical image. So both the tuck spot and the opposite page’s lower corner have the elevated image which holds tags and a booklet.
• Using the leftovers I made clusters, both sewn and glued. I added leftover thread, bits of ribbon, slivers of paper…they turned out cute and coordinate with the journal.
• Doilies. Cheap, easy to find and they add a lot to an embellishment or page.
• Fussy cuts. These can be images from magazines, books, or patterned papers. I fussy cut while watching T.V. at night with my husband. It’s good therapy for my hands and gives me an abundance of images to use in art journaling.

It was a refreshing experience, working on my art. I guess I needed a break from the house remodeling. And I was resting both the shoulder and the leg, which made Scott happy. My past tendency is to think whatever surgical procedure I’ve had fixed the problem, so I’m good to go. And I launch into life as if I have not had surgery at all. This has resulted in some unfortunate things like split incisions, bleeding, and, ultimately, lengthier recoveries. In the case of the ankle, it caused permanent damage which I still feel today. 25 years later. But as I’ve learned from my past mistakes, I truly try not to over do it now. And I have greatly improved in this area. Unfortunately, not enough in my husband’s opinion. Nevertheless, I haven’t had to go back in for damage done by over doing it in quite a few years…Which is impressive for me.

Really, I should reward myself with jewelry because I’ve done so well…

Now I’m back to work. On the house or my art, I haven’t decided yet. I guess I’ll see where my mood takes me.

More of Laurie’s Brilliance

In spite of my unfortunately (in my opinion) slow recovery from an arm injury and surgery, I have been planning what I will do in the bedrooms we’ve yet to start. Anthony’s old room will be more of an vintage inspired room with antique toys on the shelves, etc. Scott brought home the painted brass bed he had as a child, and that will be the focal point of the room. With a stunning scrappy quilt made by my dear friend, and brilliant fabric artist, Laurie.

A couple weeks ago, she and I gathered a huge variety of fabrics together. Some are quite unique. All were fabrics we both had on hand. We separated them into lights and darks, Laurie cut them into strips and sewed Log Cabin blocks. A whole lot of them.

Laurie brought them over yesterday and we laid out the quilt. This is surprisingly more challenging than I realized it would be. We chose the Barn Raising pattern for the blocks. The issue was the dark patterns and lining them up so the same fabrics weren’t next to each other or to many of one pattern in a row. Since Laurie sewed the fabrics randomly, we took some time to make sure they were evenly spaced throughout the quilt.

The end result was just beautiful! It is, of course, my favorite sort of quilt-a scrappy one. And the pattern layout really highlighted that. I was absolutely thrilled to pieces with it, but Laurie didn’t seem to love it as much. Of course, she made it. Which I suspect is part of the reason. The stuff I make is never a big deal to me either, but others seem impressed. And when I make a meal, the family will rave about it but I’m never all that thrilled with it. Pretty much tastes like everything else I make…But when I eat someone else’s cooking-that’s wonderful! (I wonder if all artists feel this way?)

The combination of unique fabrics and patterns really spoke to me. This quilt will be a beloved treasure, just as my Grandma’s quilt is one of my most treasured possessions. Obviously this isn’t just because it’s beautiful. It’s because my dearest friend made it for me.

Side note: everything Laurie makes for me is a treasure. I remember a dress she made which I very literally wore out. The fabric disintegrated from so many wearings and washings. Same with my knit hand warmers and sweaters. Although I still have the sweaters, I only wear them on “special” occasions now. I don’t want them to disintegrate like my favorite dress…The socks she knit for me, I only wear at night to bed in the winter. I love them and want to keep them as long as possible. Oh, and one of my very favorite things is the knit Afghan she made. It’s in pinks and purples and stays in my workroom. I have it over the chair in there, in case Laurie gets chilly while visiting. Remember, my workroom is in the basement which is always several degrees cooler than the main part of the house. But I see it every time I look up from my work and it just brings a smile to my heart…

Today I hope to finish touching up the paint in the mud room and stairwell. We shall see, as sanding the nail hole filler seems to seize up my shoulder pretty quickly. Onward we go, making progress.

Just way to slowly for my liking.

Unexpected Compliment and Personal Style

The nurse prepping me for my last surgical procedure gave me a compliment. She said I reminded her of her favorite aunt. She always dressed well and her accessories coordinated perfectly. Her aunt always looked beautifully put together…

I think it’s important to note, when dressing for a surgical procedure, one tends to wear the most comfortable clothes possible. You’re not going to be feeling your best following the procedure, and if it’s out patient-which the last two were-you go home in the car after you’re cleared to leave. And, if you live in Michigan, the roads are potholed and lousy which means it’s a bumpy ride. Having explained all that, you can understand my shock at her comments.

I wore a comfortable rust colored maxi dress with my cowboy boots. I did wear a small amount of jewelry, which I removed and kept in my purse until I was ready to leave. They were leather bracelets, turquoise bracelets, a stone necklace with leather, and resin tree-of-life dangle earrings I picked up at an artisan mall in Arizona. Very simple and all cheap as chips. So why am I bringing this up?

No matter your personal style, there are ways to look good in any situation. I’ve covered my wardrobe essentials Here. This is my list of essential accessories. Here is my list of essential jewelry pieces. Read these over before continuing. Obviously most of us have more than just essentials. However, this is a good place to start if you’re considering changing your personal style or greatly reducing your wardrobe.

After reading over my lists, I want to update them slightly. Take your personal preferences and situation into consideration when buying your essentials. The listed basics will take you through most of life’s situations. But adapt them as necessary. If you need an entirely different wardrobe for the cold months, that will require different essentials. Like a warm winter coat, boots, and heavy sweaters. Adapt your core pieces as necessary.

For example, I hate shorts. They wad up in the crotch and I find that uncomfortable and frustrating. Instead, I wear skirts. These always hang well, don’t touch me that much in hot, humid weather, and are modest. I also like tunics. These I wear with leggings and ballerina flats. Mine are bold patterns, often with sparkle or bling. (Let me tell you, they get looks in Texas! I’ve never seen so many cowboy hat, blue jean and boots wearers stop and stare. One even said “You’re not from around here are you?” Following that experience, I tone down my clothing choices in areas I know people will find them way over the top).

So how do you look pulled together, no matter your style or budget? Well, begin with what you love. What are your absolute favorite things in clothes, accessories, or jewelry? Build upon that. I never wear a “set” of jewelry. I combine several different pieces which coordinate but don’t match. Leather is a good example. I wear bracelets made from old belts, which have different patterns, colors and widths. They’re all leather, but not the same. Earrings are made from a variety of materials, but are primarily earth toned colors. Same with necklaces, some are beads, some stone, some silver, some antiqued metals, some leather. All in earth tones. So I have a vast choice of combinations which are all in colors which work well with my clothes.

If you choose a color family for your clothes and accessories, you’ll have a much better chance of looking pulled together. Which doesn’t mean boring. I don’t think anyone I know would call my look boring. On the contrary, my children call me weird. My friends call me eclectic. Yet they would all agree, it’s pulled together-no matter what I wear.

Looking good starts with what you choose. It doesn’t take money-obviously, I don’t have any-but it’s the choices you make and then build on. If you’re preference is classic-then choose classics in a color you love. That might be blue, lavender or pink. Doesn’t matter which color you choose.

Another idea is monochromatic. I’ve watched the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series, the Swedish version, many times. The woman who played Erika Burger was dressed primarily in beige, head to toe. Her costumes were among the most elegant and sophisticated I’ve seen. The character is a magazine editor-a working woman-dresses as such, and looked impeccable at all times. In beige.

So it’s possible to look pulled together, no matter your budget. If you’re feeling like you can never accomplish this, begin by going through your clothes. Make a pile of the clothes you absolutely love. Then figure out why you love them. Is it fit? Color? Style? The fabric used-does it feel good to wear? Is it the image you wish to show the world? Whatever the reason, build on that. Remove all clothes you don’t like, that don’t fit, that are out of style, not your style, and if you just never wear it. My wardrobe was filled with this sort of stuff. A lot of it was in there because it fit-at the time-and was cheap. Neither of those were good enough reasons to keep the item.

So as I rebuild my wardrobe following substantial weight loss, I’m paying attention to things like color, fit and style. I’ve built up a nice variety of jeans. I have a stack of classic tee shirts. I have white blouses. I have dresses which can be worn for a variety of occasions. Sometimes it’s better to invest in a high quality piece you’ll wear all the time. Like a good blazer or jacket, which can be dressed up or down. If you’re weight stays consistent, you could make a classic item investment every year. Which will eventually result in a complete, high quality wardrobe.

My next area of focus will be shoes. I pitched nearly all of mine, and what’s left is seriously limited. Cowboy boots, two pair of ballerina flats which give me blisters, red stacked heeled sandals, and black military style boots. I need pumps for dresses and flats for everyday wear. This is another place where high quality classics will serve you well.