tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16533993017175137092024-03-08T03:34:25.880-08:00Becoming Gezelligthe (over-)thinking woman's lifestyle blogSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-12117642873329033752016-09-18T10:21:00.000-07:002016-09-18T10:21:56.455-07:00Last of the summer, first of the fallMy mom was up visiting a couple weeks ago, just before school started. The cats always appreciate it when there are extra laps around.<br />
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Grandmother and granddaughter occupied themselves for most of a week playing "The Frog Game," which is basically a live-action mashup of Minecraft and The Sims, except with frogs -- featuring a heartless capitalist boss named Jane Jacobs, and Hillary Clinton as the President of the Chocolate Tasters' Union.<br />
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No visit from my mom would be complete without a thrifting excursion! This year we engaged in a thrifting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-Z1di-c58" target="_blank">bang-bang</a>: first, we shopped the heck out of one thrift store. Then we ate <a href="http://www.ddir.com/" target="_blank">fries and milkshakes for lunch</a> and went to a second thrift store. Six hours of thrifting, people! Frankly, we were pretty wiped out by the end of the day. But so worth it.<br />
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Here are my purchases. I may have gone a leeeetle overboard in the cookbook section:<br />
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And I refreshed my kiddo's wardrobe (and bookshelf) too.<br />
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Why is there a big glass vase in the "thrifted for the kiddo" pile? "I think making terrariums is going to be my new hobby, mom." #dulynoted #weneedmorebookshelves<br />
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Late garden:<br />
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Speaking of going overboard, I may have made too much food for our 4-person Labor Day dinner. (That's barbecue-sauce-slathered tofu in the sandwich, by the way, because we're 100% All American.)</div>
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And then, it was time to buckle down!<br />
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But not before getting our nails painted for the first day of school. My daughter chose orange and white, because those are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/stampylonghead" target="_blank">Stampy</a>'s colors. Kiddo's first cosplay?<br />
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Have you been wondering if we're still tidying up? We are indeed.<br />
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And discovering that you never know what will Spark Joy for another person.<br />
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The rains have arrived this weekend, but I found just the candle to keep things cozy -- can we call it <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/09/last-weekend-of-summer.html">a tradition</a>?<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-75216979706640726162016-06-21T15:29:00.001-07:002016-06-21T15:29:22.647-07:00Eating lately: The transfiguration of leftoversOne of the welcome things about meal planning in warmer seasons is that leftovers become more appealing. You can turn those bits and bobs from the refrigerator into a kind of "composed salad plate" and feel sophisticated rather than merely virtuous for using things up.<br />
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Lately I've found that <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pomodori-al-forno" target="_blank">this recipe for roasted tomatoes</a> is a reliable way to tie these kinds of meals together. The best part is you don't even need to wait for tomato season -- the long, slow cooking plus the steep with herbs and garlic at the end mean that even canned tomatoes will become plenty flavorful. This is such a versatile and easy recipe that I've added a 28-oz. can of good-quality whole peeled tomatoes (I buy the San Marzano brand, because if you're going to do something you might as well do it right) to the short list of <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/02/why-i-am-no-longer-keeping-well-stocked.html" target="_blank">items I keep in my lean pantry</a>.<br />
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Here are some meals we've had featuring these tomatoes recently, plus a few other ways we've been enjoying leftovers.<br />
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First, as a side dish with a big kale-and-romaine Caesar salad for a light meal:<br />
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The <a href="http://cafelago.com/" target="_blank">Seattle restaurant that is the original source</a> of the roasted tomatoes recipe serves them with toasted bread and a bit of chèvre, and I recommend not deviating from that -- we've tried other cheeses but the goat cheese is really the best partner for the tomatoes for some reason.<br />
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Here are the tomatoes again, alongside roasted asparagus with a poached egg, and a little pile of <a href="http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2009/03/rose-bakerys-potatoes-gribiche.html" target="_blank">potatoes gribiche</a>:<br />
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More tomatoes, hard boiled egg, oil-cured olives, and a lentil-barley salad that I made by tweaking <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/20378-patricia-wells-green-lentil-salad" target="_blank">this simple, simple recipe</a>:<br />
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Using up a different kind of leftovers here in the next two photos. We had accumulated several loaves of slightly stale pita bread, so I brushed them with oil, sprinkled them with a little salt, and put them in a low oven until they were golden brown, then crumbled them up into smaller pieces. First I used the pita <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/03/you-are-going-to-eat-half-pound-of.html">to make fatteh</a> with chickpeas and <a href="http://smalltastes.blogspot.com/search?q=turkish+carrots">braised carrots</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAtFWabZd-hmGy1zNDfCyFkjL3gjSIzzZtPNpFSNBvx-kgLpn9mPplqM3Nw8jnIWt-U73Ur5g7sBf6jPS6Le1QKLgQVifYT7kIx-OB-s3V6nvm3De5yj8bM8djA09HLOxK7K0s-QehhY/s1600/Fettah_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyAtFWabZd-hmGy1zNDfCyFkjL3gjSIzzZtPNpFSNBvx-kgLpn9mPplqM3Nw8jnIWt-U73Ur5g7sBf6jPS6Le1QKLgQVifYT7kIx-OB-s3V6nvm3De5yj8bM8djA09HLOxK7K0s-QehhY/s640/Fettah_4.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The next night, I made a classic <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2014/10/autumn-fattoush_7.html">fattoush salad</a>, and served it with more lentils (same recipe as above, but this time just lentils, and I added a bit of Dijon mustard and chopped parsley) and more hard-boiled egg: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUD1UHquiN-kuDSyH4elJ2VspNUJ5mBp2DEq8chyphenhyphen1-1qk44R0Vm1JXVF9_HfrsHaitup3h2UQSwrORTYq2qT1tJZMXl-GtVQx_bkuj4t7W7381SByv-knaPdE3RUFlS1CHFxgeNMUlDM/s1600/Fattoush_Lentils_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUD1UHquiN-kuDSyH4elJ2VspNUJ5mBp2DEq8chyphenhyphen1-1qk44R0Vm1JXVF9_HfrsHaitup3h2UQSwrORTYq2qT1tJZMXl-GtVQx_bkuj4t7W7381SByv-knaPdE3RUFlS1CHFxgeNMUlDM/s640/Fattoush_Lentils_5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can see that a clutch of hard-boiled eggs is also a very useful thing to have on hand for these sorts of meals. </div>
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When I snapped the first few photos for this post, some weeks ago, I was thinking of <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2016/03/leftovers_aren_t_glamorous_but_they_re_the_most_joyous_part_of_my_cooking.html" target="_blank">this paean to leftovers</a> that I had recently read in Slate; Sara Dickerman's description of the joys of repurposing somehow reminded me of <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/03/finished-objects-new-dish-towels-and.html">my new dish towels</a>. Now, of course, looking at these plates with their common elements remixed in different ways reminds me of a capsule wardrobe!</div>
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What dishes show up again and again on your table at this time of year?</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-49960245372396972632016-06-12T16:58:00.000-07:002016-06-12T16:58:08.443-07:00How to build a capsule wardrobe the rational way from the clothes already in your closet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcKq5c0d4Q3KljuaQWk4x7VFB4QF97Gv-Kj7JzLP1t0Kjer2p8Add22h1tGgVmKMi3heJ7i267hNI1OgozXS6lVl4F9auwvAgNQKXsXp6i2B5I-PPzD1UWdIXzjdadp-c2kz6RD3rNqY/s1600/FinalCapsule_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcKq5c0d4Q3KljuaQWk4x7VFB4QF97Gv-Kj7JzLP1t0Kjer2p8Add22h1tGgVmKMi3heJ7i267hNI1OgozXS6lVl4F9auwvAgNQKXsXp6i2B5I-PPzD1UWdIXzjdadp-c2kz6RD3rNqY/s320/FinalCapsule_a.jpg" width="277" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSa099ZTJVqPCR-ma78-GVfjVkXoBoynaKXRomy8RPxlP-JBcZBac5_wGJErsZPF0U6fuRf21FrK3iVDNfmMPUP6mCILv0jOYpjn0YKGK-apZMIxX3bmGpBsvY4Ax_fpLQHnJP6vzP3w/s1600/FinalCapsule_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSa099ZTJVqPCR-ma78-GVfjVkXoBoynaKXRomy8RPxlP-JBcZBac5_wGJErsZPF0U6fuRf21FrK3iVDNfmMPUP6mCILv0jOYpjn0YKGK-apZMIxX3bmGpBsvY4Ax_fpLQHnJP6vzP3w/s320/FinalCapsule_b.jpg" width="277" /></a><br />
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Big claims in that post title, I know, but I don't make them lightly. Maybe this sounds silly but I really feel like I have finally cracked a code here!<br />
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My <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-should-i-wear-this-spring.html">previous post</a> ended with the insight that 10 bottoms, 12 tops, and 10 toppers is a good size for a capsule wardrobe, in the sense that it is Enough Things to build a wide variety of outfits for a three-month season.<br />
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So that's how many items I'll be assembling here. How to choose them?<br />
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Like the "<a href="http://www.theviviennefiles.com/search/label/1%20Piece%20at%20a%20Time" target="_blank">1 Piece at a Time</a>" method from The Vivienne Files that I experimented with in my previous post, this new system of mine starts with a favorite outfit for the season at hand. (Again, this is a spring capsule wardrobe, which I realize isn't quite seasonal at this point -- but the larger principles apply across seasons.) And I'll use the same outfit here as I did in that post, to help show how this new approach is similar and how it differs:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsZsHa4y52KpZw38Vf8k1UMrYcmRaCoxyQIsXXdGu53wlZ0EYQFNRAb3K94H8vvenxH24k2i6-pejfMKyApEJWIpevxhK6gFcerMWRhBcn2Mu8-GVroTxMTtf0C6DLgPtxk8_arSrrcI/s1600/photo+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsZsHa4y52KpZw38Vf8k1UMrYcmRaCoxyQIsXXdGu53wlZ0EYQFNRAb3K94H8vvenxH24k2i6-pejfMKyApEJWIpevxhK6gFcerMWRhBcn2Mu8-GVroTxMTtf0C6DLgPtxk8_arSrrcI/s320/photo+4.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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So the first three items in my capsule are the components of that first outfit -- bottom, top, sweater:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrot6DFl0IFHZGC5UHmE4cNh2vlL9VXMx8_0HWWM0CvmFBmtRwl1qXLjnA147NoXWbyKsWHoECgmmJmS3G2g16X3zlJfZodUcQ_ZJGlGPX5Y004PvKtqCoLaGhfbmCqlEOg58zyjBCpg/s1600/LightSkinnyJeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrot6DFl0IFHZGC5UHmE4cNh2vlL9VXMx8_0HWWM0CvmFBmtRwl1qXLjnA147NoXWbyKsWHoECgmmJmS3G2g16X3zlJfZodUcQ_ZJGlGPX5Y004PvKtqCoLaGhfbmCqlEOg58zyjBCpg/s200/LightSkinnyJeans.jpg" width="139" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDULXWTetyNmBpOwF5ebhXujBGamchSU36_ZbxmyFUrcJVWrLtoemuCUuC2255TRs8EE11u1vfGje4eoitZhTEZCapci5wu6GOpCrSGHVWk6PIRVouwXHsrKB0s85-uWP26mgkbSBPVow/s1600/BretonTee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDULXWTetyNmBpOwF5ebhXujBGamchSU36_ZbxmyFUrcJVWrLtoemuCUuC2255TRs8EE11u1vfGje4eoitZhTEZCapci5wu6GOpCrSGHVWk6PIRVouwXHsrKB0s85-uWP26mgkbSBPVow/s200/BretonTee.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr_Gu7UWNbF6nSU5PhJboBp49DBtfZl-HxNhCzfsx-Zgvai8j8WVayZacTmjOiiefHdDaIKpB55lvz31miASdJYGdMZxntIKXSrAdMhlI6ZLG-nRjsWidBnHoNmg3s2pgtPCt6kd3Bpw/s1600/AranCardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJr_Gu7UWNbF6nSU5PhJboBp49DBtfZl-HxNhCzfsx-Zgvai8j8WVayZacTmjOiiefHdDaIKpB55lvz31miASdJYGdMZxntIKXSrAdMhlI6ZLG-nRjsWidBnHoNmg3s2pgtPCt6kd3Bpw/s200/AranCardi.jpg" width="140" /></a><br />
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To begin building out my capsule, I remix each piece of that initial outfit in three additional ensembles. The rules here are:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Focus on creating the outfits that I really want to wear featuring each piece.</li>
<li>Don't repeat items, either from the original outfit or within the remix. This means that each pair of pants, for example, has to go with at least 4 different tops and 4 different sweaters.</li>
<li>Try to capture the different <i>ways</i> to wear each piece. So for example I like to wear my mid-wash skinny jeans in super-casual outfits with tall boots, and also, on warmer/drier days, in more polished outfits with flats, and both of those types of outfits are represented below. Keeping this goal in mind helps reveal the full range of versatility of each capsule item, I think.</li>
</ul>
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So to start off with, I made three outfits featuring those mid-wash skinny jeans. Again, these are all my actual clothes, and items that I already own:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrot6DFl0IFHZGC5UHmE4cNh2vlL9VXMx8_0HWWM0CvmFBmtRwl1qXLjnA147NoXWbyKsWHoECgmmJmS3G2g16X3zlJfZodUcQ_ZJGlGPX5Y004PvKtqCoLaGhfbmCqlEOg58zyjBCpg/s1600/LightSkinnyJeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrot6DFl0IFHZGC5UHmE4cNh2vlL9VXMx8_0HWWM0CvmFBmtRwl1qXLjnA147NoXWbyKsWHoECgmmJmS3G2g16X3zlJfZodUcQ_ZJGlGPX5Y004PvKtqCoLaGhfbmCqlEOg58zyjBCpg/s320/LightSkinnyJeans.jpg" width="223" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFeqjDdy1DbQuRA7akep1FJ6YLNd13Hac_xwZMIbZYy_N5k3Mc4P_RcG8ga5oSO402Whd_IlXKuDJRCES-NJaZMzg5Bv832zpbn8wd4QYoX7vNbBmZ0qaQckiW9pdcDkSixUcbLE9pQk/s1600/SkinnyJeans1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFeqjDdy1DbQuRA7akep1FJ6YLNd13Hac_xwZMIbZYy_N5k3Mc4P_RcG8ga5oSO402Whd_IlXKuDJRCES-NJaZMzg5Bv832zpbn8wd4QYoX7vNbBmZ0qaQckiW9pdcDkSixUcbLE9pQk/s320/SkinnyJeans1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrpGFdLEIeB6UCWwEUZPgYSIpLj_MXlxkjFq34rTt5h2WoLlq8i6IAVW1iwca9AlicNNEMc9L-b8NI-v7cxUoyUI8Y5pbpIhsLsnzaVp3FwJh9QoAxhM9AY30QgABr23IDtvgl9n8iCw/s1600/SkinnyJeans2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrpGFdLEIeB6UCWwEUZPgYSIpLj_MXlxkjFq34rTt5h2WoLlq8i6IAVW1iwca9AlicNNEMc9L-b8NI-v7cxUoyUI8Y5pbpIhsLsnzaVp3FwJh9QoAxhM9AY30QgABr23IDtvgl9n8iCw/s320/SkinnyJeans2.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiXdtaTU2jvMEraFbevECJ6QWa50zVjDVreKixutjaNr4PfpClEOPqS3qvELMOr10sa6yGGZrnGZhO8L1EItCceENXCborEeQ66hTb7ZOre8l92MSsmpD18akmw6F2aCTZ0Ukl0_Xsn0/s1600/SkinnyJeans3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiXdtaTU2jvMEraFbevECJ6QWa50zVjDVreKixutjaNr4PfpClEOPqS3qvELMOr10sa6yGGZrnGZhO8L1EItCceENXCborEeQ66hTb7ZOre8l92MSsmpD18akmw6F2aCTZ0Ukl0_Xsn0/s320/SkinnyJeans3.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
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Each item used in those outfits now becomes part of my capsule, and will eventually be remixed in turn. Here's my capsule in a kind of embryonic stage after that first round of outfit creation:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWZck6M4or6m7mY_XWNHuqvk9WPws4p39I4BUg1Y_UFNovu0PKwmZxMeQtPxx5LFPStb23bUYzMvsiOROq6Ii95ZNi2xMIQgZqrb-MkPk9UsydVao8lSYAIdko934zA78EAnOXHdKnIc/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWZck6M4or6m7mY_XWNHuqvk9WPws4p39I4BUg1Y_UFNovu0PKwmZxMeQtPxx5LFPStb23bUYzMvsiOROq6Ii95ZNi2xMIQgZqrb-MkPk9UsydVao8lSYAIdko934zA78EAnOXHdKnIc/s320/RationalCapsule_Round1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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When I created outfits around that first item, by definition I added all new items to my capsule (because of the no-repeats rule). In subsequent rounds of outfit creation, I can either use items already in the capsule, or add new items. The only constraint is that I have to stop adding to my capsule once it contains 10 bottoms, 12 tops, and 10 sweaters.<br />
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You can see how this works when I create three outfits featuring my Breton-striped tee (that is, the top from my starting outfit):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDULXWTetyNmBpOwF5ebhXujBGamchSU36_ZbxmyFUrcJVWrLtoemuCUuC2255TRs8EE11u1vfGje4eoitZhTEZCapci5wu6GOpCrSGHVWk6PIRVouwXHsrKB0s85-uWP26mgkbSBPVow/s1600/BretonTee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDULXWTetyNmBpOwF5ebhXujBGamchSU36_ZbxmyFUrcJVWrLtoemuCUuC2255TRs8EE11u1vfGje4eoitZhTEZCapci5wu6GOpCrSGHVWk6PIRVouwXHsrKB0s85-uWP26mgkbSBPVow/s320/BretonTee.jpg" width="224" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEsj1Cpkt_gF-2kxWUCeOlCakmXx57jgCtiFS4SySgP_Itp0GZdxOtiYAvSwYxoADpXyTQD2geY7L3EtDX1sFCNywjI4Nw_RGJ8XA0ETP7MPmkUSPlxP0g4IVlJv8UoR3Dfx1kOTloOs/s1600/BretonTee1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEsj1Cpkt_gF-2kxWUCeOlCakmXx57jgCtiFS4SySgP_Itp0GZdxOtiYAvSwYxoADpXyTQD2geY7L3EtDX1sFCNywjI4Nw_RGJ8XA0ETP7MPmkUSPlxP0g4IVlJv8UoR3Dfx1kOTloOs/s320/BretonTee1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazTb-yGEfX76nm2You2yehkXMRTsVkK9kp02n2Jk2dLpjte5EBbtm9UUANsPdghZH8Mh0vB7qntIUR_E_rx3QxVMuBi1yFddUjqXSXFS_nyVmDYbEfpoCLfgT4aDYOGAfmGplEb0rzXE/s1600/BretonTee2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazTb-yGEfX76nm2You2yehkXMRTsVkK9kp02n2Jk2dLpjte5EBbtm9UUANsPdghZH8Mh0vB7qntIUR_E_rx3QxVMuBi1yFddUjqXSXFS_nyVmDYbEfpoCLfgT4aDYOGAfmGplEb0rzXE/s320/BretonTee2.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5jJ6uBdt7eyNoQYvMThtzwYVeTVZC2ue6dMA8TfV0SDdNtzzyBjJrbEiFgkBMHJlKVtyliWIScs3c421fLIUVqeBiSsTzYbdGL2A874J-uNmsOH1j7s3kg6E9jNqn_VzbzBz3bbiimQ/s1600/BretonTee3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5jJ6uBdt7eyNoQYvMThtzwYVeTVZC2ue6dMA8TfV0SDdNtzzyBjJrbEiFgkBMHJlKVtyliWIScs3c421fLIUVqeBiSsTzYbdGL2A874J-uNmsOH1j7s3kg6E9jNqn_VzbzBz3bbiimQ/s320/BretonTee3.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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The ivory cardi with black trim and the navy argyle cardi were already part of the capsule, and the teal cardi, black skirt leggings, dark-wash skinny jeans, and mustard cords are added new in this round.<br />
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Here's the capsule as it stands now:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh9w4pBXv5xo42dhZPM3x0ATpDtUJ3u-oeIVs4ZUArCL1fkiaC3UtHjqmuHOMZp5PmUFhmJL2sc8qKsbSr7NJqpjv3YL_gLXYcI7_9iiNdhW-cQKV4YMgXBVzr1L8mXkF7jOHuLQhEec/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEh9w4pBXv5xo42dhZPM3x0ATpDtUJ3u-oeIVs4ZUArCL1fkiaC3UtHjqmuHOMZp5PmUFhmJL2sc8qKsbSr7NJqpjv3YL_gLXYcI7_9iiNdhW-cQKV4YMgXBVzr1L8mXkF7jOHuLQhEec/s320/RationalCapsule_Round2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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More items (coral cords, gray skinny jeans, and three tops) get added as I create outfits with the Aran cardi from that first ensemble:<br />
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After round three this is sort of starting to look like a capsule wardrobe, isn't it?<br />
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From here on out I continue this cycle of creating three outfits around each bottom, top, and sweater, tackling items in each category in the order in which they were added to the capsule. So next up is three outfits with those black skirt leggings:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE5DAyPFCfTYcLEDjSDIiVLLlupvY9ZNH8Dxr-poZGEQH_-55VXRrEhpy1TJZIiWD-GjRkgaNtuSShT6BQ7KqdiSWK_tD0RjKVOfUeuIauZWK0GIHVEseodi8zMhqDUQ0G1J4w26r-X8/s1600/BlackSkirtLeggings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE5DAyPFCfTYcLEDjSDIiVLLlupvY9ZNH8Dxr-poZGEQH_-55VXRrEhpy1TJZIiWD-GjRkgaNtuSShT6BQ7KqdiSWK_tD0RjKVOfUeuIauZWK0GIHVEseodi8zMhqDUQ0G1J4w26r-X8/s320/BlackSkirtLeggings.jpg" width="223" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj-1wE9cmr4Wzr5qpgyW0QVJAogDdweP3_PVyFYlcCAFFe7U6C-q_wifHGk8Jc5WvudeOylIzDk8p8j4bDM9ZnQnaeVzAgGDAprXgtFv3q-8OAI3qt316347uJ6y-P3gzUe3PK-_URtI/s1600/SkirtLeggings1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj-1wE9cmr4Wzr5qpgyW0QVJAogDdweP3_PVyFYlcCAFFe7U6C-q_wifHGk8Jc5WvudeOylIzDk8p8j4bDM9ZnQnaeVzAgGDAprXgtFv3q-8OAI3qt316347uJ6y-P3gzUe3PK-_URtI/s320/SkirtLeggings1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3D39qoeU373Kf0vqW9VbrK_Ui3Q7AlIDohjcOwE6kG69RCT4fg8VrvtHXzWwDeYcaPa0O5pOPR1kTrYrJKjg__zKhap-iNgjmqaWUTqBWLLOlsPN_Q1zpX5reqzn1nX07yF-qmBr8qk/s1600/SkirtLeggingsOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3D39qoeU373Kf0vqW9VbrK_Ui3Q7AlIDohjcOwE6kG69RCT4fg8VrvtHXzWwDeYcaPa0O5pOPR1kTrYrJKjg__zKhap-iNgjmqaWUTqBWLLOlsPN_Q1zpX5reqzn1nX07yF-qmBr8qk/s320/SkirtLeggingsOutfit1.jpg" width="223" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eh92jMdTjcU0W4DZgf4OG3sjRj1TiTpRfs6OjKLIpypHVXJ6_37t6jTnorEtmTysaOwthH7ygSt8THTyaXVTlxz0OS7ySuyMmxNFJ59NbfzdutoiG34-cqwVvlNV3HY2pf1oheWux3c/s1600/SkirtLeggings2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eh92jMdTjcU0W4DZgf4OG3sjRj1TiTpRfs6OjKLIpypHVXJ6_37t6jTnorEtmTysaOwthH7ygSt8THTyaXVTlxz0OS7ySuyMmxNFJ59NbfzdutoiG34-cqwVvlNV3HY2pf1oheWux3c/s320/SkirtLeggings2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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And now I've expanded my capsule with three more tops and three more sweaters:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgY5DTsJ0NVL2XSzylJWy_olxtXM0PhuPP0Nlw0CplL6BEWDhXGneyneKg_seV4H86s57HeDa1Ll4m7Bc63PgdVZOIt6Vh7FilzGTrrz5WcLaH3wOMVkymltXM8KGOIFbb5CSaglO9jE/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgY5DTsJ0NVL2XSzylJWy_olxtXM0PhuPP0Nlw0CplL6BEWDhXGneyneKg_seV4H86s57HeDa1Ll4m7Bc63PgdVZOIt6Vh7FilzGTrrz5WcLaH3wOMVkymltXM8KGOIFbb5CSaglO9jE/s320/RationalCapsule_Round4a.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMLzXY-yHEYIB9X1SwBXgEs5XBk-B2P8kh6WFl6zVAM27fbMfBTDFaV7M3oL1whBkKKkrAF1O1TqVDZXslCNe0pGfWZtZqpfst4eLATJY-iHn-mOfFPGvxHblL_ol4YI5d8UIQgt_vWA/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMLzXY-yHEYIB9X1SwBXgEs5XBk-B2P8kh6WFl6zVAM27fbMfBTDFaV7M3oL1whBkKKkrAF1O1TqVDZXslCNe0pGfWZtZqpfst4eLATJY-iHn-mOfFPGvxHblL_ol4YI5d8UIQgt_vWA/s320/RationalCapsule_Round4b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next, outfits featuring my Liberty-print popover:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTA-3GhhOSwZX5QlwcwjALZDBK7owBVJ3Llej598ZIzsJYtqV7rG2_u1pIjhgUL6vfStqsE9K0kgGHpcvkOpAzsPAntyOz39vsPTXUYflpJtsYI29FaeaDILdQ_S-9VuZev4CpUHDj6c/s1600/StrawberryThief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTA-3GhhOSwZX5QlwcwjALZDBK7owBVJ3Llej598ZIzsJYtqV7rG2_u1pIjhgUL6vfStqsE9K0kgGHpcvkOpAzsPAntyOz39vsPTXUYflpJtsYI29FaeaDILdQ_S-9VuZev4CpUHDj6c/s320/StrawberryThief.jpg" width="226" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI80Of1tXeM4zHZp0UWoW8VKUhv49qjm-JrVWHjG95HgHy5aMwZ9uZgOVfgWkJMgPKcTcs1dHOqJNKec5eGY18Ba9Mdxpi0NHKVRkdWOET6bPAUQTR5hEfYsIYDSDSBs4A3U154C_rPo/s1600/StrawberryThief1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcI80Of1tXeM4zHZp0UWoW8VKUhv49qjm-JrVWHjG95HgHy5aMwZ9uZgOVfgWkJMgPKcTcs1dHOqJNKec5eGY18Ba9Mdxpi0NHKVRkdWOET6bPAUQTR5hEfYsIYDSDSBs4A3U154C_rPo/s320/StrawberryThief1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8TSiwkKFY1WdwWAs2C27Rz2Xh5WcgKeiDCw_KVW1af1FkOsCR0Zq__K0-5xaPvQK3lkhiGTPhzJ__-gsjAGROY6crttQ5jYDiIN2-0KjOfmZYNn8qBqeFbFdCdey767EREfIHY6YC1g/s1600/StrawberryThief3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8TSiwkKFY1WdwWAs2C27Rz2Xh5WcgKeiDCw_KVW1af1FkOsCR0Zq__K0-5xaPvQK3lkhiGTPhzJ__-gsjAGROY6crttQ5jYDiIN2-0KjOfmZYNn8qBqeFbFdCdey767EREfIHY6YC1g/s320/StrawberryThief3.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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The capsule now, after the addition of an emerald-green cardi and black skirt in this round:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBhYBBU-RypVFJ1Lj4fEzHi2G60L03G-2_TpAg-46dX9VFaFUdbJPPCACuXXifkEVoOX1njpYWjUMhmynIYeuzJEG-F7jxcVMvruqXy0Ie8J7208OyPFoRjpk-OuuWdnONNrkr_aTOSs/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBhYBBU-RypVFJ1Lj4fEzHi2G60L03G-2_TpAg-46dX9VFaFUdbJPPCACuXXifkEVoOX1njpYWjUMhmynIYeuzJEG-F7jxcVMvruqXy0Ie8J7208OyPFoRjpk-OuuWdnONNrkr_aTOSs/s320/RationalCapsule_Round5a.jpg" width="292" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaXM3prSsIoV9bM1fN_-XmIli3ml9RRgysx-Cg7A6mHLRn-crBv8bc9wO7U4sgpYz7x2b0PMh_ILyNoPNv5hv786bwsCcKAD05unMlwBdG1eRvKrowHsr7l5xa6Pr-swFgZTBM2wo340/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round5b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiaXM3prSsIoV9bM1fN_-XmIli3ml9RRgysx-Cg7A6mHLRn-crBv8bc9wO7U4sgpYz7x2b0PMh_ILyNoPNv5hv786bwsCcKAD05unMlwBdG1eRvKrowHsr7l5xa6Pr-swFgZTBM2wo340/s320/RationalCapsule_Round5b.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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And three outfits featuring the camel cardi:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DfM7NNORfyKe4EJYjpllS_3g0yp9BrZyQw9Wb5sLjAJPdlkSdHYKONGgLhnb0nXoFJ_kdO2DzvJuI2IZEJp93W0eJAIwXj1z0LE2r2F_BRlfwSz-wAVtseLg01yEf2xSTF3vCHDPHGM/s1600/CamelCardi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DfM7NNORfyKe4EJYjpllS_3g0yp9BrZyQw9Wb5sLjAJPdlkSdHYKONGgLhnb0nXoFJ_kdO2DzvJuI2IZEJp93W0eJAIwXj1z0LE2r2F_BRlfwSz-wAVtseLg01yEf2xSTF3vCHDPHGM/s320/CamelCardi1.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">I just added two items, my black jersey knit dress and a pair of mid-wash bootcut jeans, this time:</span><br />
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Three more outfits, these featuring my dark-wash skinny jeans:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o9_zjJra5avI2f1erTQwfB-g7PiGBHYTIFQvM9d8jcZQ-FVgfmg4LTf4U7zBTF1iZ2C8o_bIrvVfQPTD6M2D5ArvC58Lg8xJgUTFZFXrbx-00roRf-H8s4UkSpNT3j3a_jLVMz803O0/s1600/DarkSkinnyJeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o9_zjJra5avI2f1erTQwfB-g7PiGBHYTIFQvM9d8jcZQ-FVgfmg4LTf4U7zBTF1iZ2C8o_bIrvVfQPTD6M2D5ArvC58Lg8xJgUTFZFXrbx-00roRf-H8s4UkSpNT3j3a_jLVMz803O0/s320/DarkSkinnyJeans.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwzpVtqct4wHDXeI_XTRq9JFFB3WyXzG565hqxbBj_AWSh2lrfJbRqVRhgS5k-WcmL3_efixNSwHFLis7BAMjBt3ljQbaWgDL2muYodHwI-J4JPa_T-NqQWyfvYBtS7I2vWim6s3CHwo/s1600/DarkSkinnyJeans1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwzpVtqct4wHDXeI_XTRq9JFFB3WyXzG565hqxbBj_AWSh2lrfJbRqVRhgS5k-WcmL3_efixNSwHFLis7BAMjBt3ljQbaWgDL2muYodHwI-J4JPa_T-NqQWyfvYBtS7I2vWim6s3CHwo/s320/DarkSkinnyJeans1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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And a capsule update -- I added two tops (navy gingham button-up, gray scoopneck knit) and one sweater (long teal cardi), the final items in my "budget" for tops and sweaters:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjUfeYJlJs72Z-cCGXW1-UafAbptPtmO0xIz5XgYWUySnBoAjOeKPeRhBEexgjHAYJMkNSG-jevt6FKeyawCzhiOeom2u2Sq1oqIQOo3DzmTRhlA6GkZQfskUFLJkRYfBbodDcx7MFzE/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round9a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjUfeYJlJs72Z-cCGXW1-UafAbptPtmO0xIz5XgYWUySnBoAjOeKPeRhBEexgjHAYJMkNSG-jevt6FKeyawCzhiOeom2u2Sq1oqIQOo3DzmTRhlA6GkZQfskUFLJkRYfBbodDcx7MFzE/s320/RationalCapsule_Round9a.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr990zblxrfznRJz_EdD0EUz3t5gC0GwQg6MR0jMBJTkyznuDOM3GG4po0HFh2bUQp1BGkCxYUWBF9SnOVzrPmU-2mhLOmqHWSMAyrH2f8B7xCO854HTw637mj920jxqdDkDNAreCOIY/s1600/RationalCapsule_Round9b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLr990zblxrfznRJz_EdD0EUz3t5gC0GwQg6MR0jMBJTkyznuDOM3GG4po0HFh2bUQp1BGkCxYUWBF9SnOVzrPmU-2mhLOmqHWSMAyrH2f8B7xCO854HTw637mj920jxqdDkDNAreCOIY/s320/RationalCapsule_Round9b.jpg" width="289" /></a><br />
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Some outfits featuring my Black watch plaid button-up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj6ApHluAG0oYM5hqGqq__tnpGY4b8OOqbZHyAbJknpkYyvku0aAOgvPzUqt92murvE98EfGjsWnuwIEaNyRU5A053J_Dm-nnsrsNC0Av9ZyGZBSxToo8j_47Ugtyxx17tzpmUYLnNiE/s1600/BlackWatchShirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj6ApHluAG0oYM5hqGqq__tnpGY4b8OOqbZHyAbJknpkYyvku0aAOgvPzUqt92murvE98EfGjsWnuwIEaNyRU5A053J_Dm-nnsrsNC0Av9ZyGZBSxToo8j_47Ugtyxx17tzpmUYLnNiE/s320/BlackWatchShirt.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQGqvT73CpBZZDtrXD9q2920XkHlc46D-iAS5zcJ-c9683a4d-ORSCAz-15-iZ_QfwhnZ5wNj2Ra6Q48zmrFup4n_EJKJEmJKaT2rjCQxSCfrF0CthahX2dCsmoNGpNDx4iNItCH63HU/s1600/BlackWatch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQGqvT73CpBZZDtrXD9q2920XkHlc46D-iAS5zcJ-c9683a4d-ORSCAz-15-iZ_QfwhnZ5wNj2Ra6Q48zmrFup4n_EJKJEmJKaT2rjCQxSCfrF0CthahX2dCsmoNGpNDx4iNItCH63HU/s320/BlackWatch1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrpmRMEQpDji41sfpgKBym9LV-9zTtyCZJD8740pxLDlgkMM0C18rLp3zshJ8x2Um0q84RJEWliZ85goZbNcqRO_Zku8IkO45G5MTRDi_T6YaqoLzQi5KUO_wAOM-omIS-pMu8fvqxC4/s1600/BlackWatch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrpmRMEQpDji41sfpgKBym9LV-9zTtyCZJD8740pxLDlgkMM0C18rLp3zshJ8x2Um0q84RJEWliZ85goZbNcqRO_Zku8IkO45G5MTRDi_T6YaqoLzQi5KUO_wAOM-omIS-pMu8fvqxC4/s320/BlackWatch3.jpg" width="223" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVI8RAnox69KE0dUlNbKrMZ9QiKYj5v79aT06j3D_3onDZq825ahNtzzfjw0Cf0CODC3K3yWgi7goWJr8bokmMF1r9cQHW7p7mi8cZgJdkm7JM1ZUFgMrE_WWlLc5qp0hPjLYfY5kglA/s1600/GrayJeansOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVI8RAnox69KE0dUlNbKrMZ9QiKYj5v79aT06j3D_3onDZq825ahNtzzfjw0Cf0CODC3K3yWgi7goWJr8bokmMF1r9cQHW7p7mi8cZgJdkm7JM1ZUFgMrE_WWlLc5qp0hPjLYfY5kglA/s320/GrayJeansOutfit4.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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And with the addition of dark-wash bootcut jeans in this round, that's it -- the capsule is complete!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSa099ZTJVqPCR-ma78-GVfjVkXoBoynaKXRomy8RPxlP-JBcZBac5_wGJErsZPF0U6fuRf21FrK3iVDNfmMPUP6mCILv0jOYpjn0YKGK-apZMIxX3bmGpBsvY4Ax_fpLQHnJP6vzP3w/s1600/FinalCapsule_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSa099ZTJVqPCR-ma78-GVfjVkXoBoynaKXRomy8RPxlP-JBcZBac5_wGJErsZPF0U6fuRf21FrK3iVDNfmMPUP6mCILv0jOYpjn0YKGK-apZMIxX3bmGpBsvY4Ax_fpLQHnJP6vzP3w/s320/FinalCapsule_b.jpg" width="277" /></a><br />
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So from now on I'll be creating outfits solely with this group of items. Here's how I used them in outfits featuring the next item in the rotation, my ivory cardi with black trim:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-UqONF-NPxJsr0SIbPrs_hKlV3Xt4Jdm09-PuqeAs1nLZhnQCKAEkAWL7_gRpPaS4YRjlxzMlr0MhJQL1PMXWo8ab47S5kAF0tevd414z51OU53Zq15TaMPs3D8StTNh6wkc2M6umwk/s1600/WhiteTippedCardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-UqONF-NPxJsr0SIbPrs_hKlV3Xt4Jdm09-PuqeAs1nLZhnQCKAEkAWL7_gRpPaS4YRjlxzMlr0MhJQL1PMXWo8ab47S5kAF0tevd414z51OU53Zq15TaMPs3D8StTNh6wkc2M6umwk/s320/WhiteTippedCardi.jpg" width="223" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbGPuwwWhEMBRXLretMtBidjgSX5JUGspnYcnR7Ausxfd3OtKgLscol4El5RbiAuw-Q6oSUZt-gGAF4M_2upJpSFDPSZwh6iTL8d22IU7eu-HhaRrgt5_yzmLwcyBzVfimuxKFstGCWs/s1600/WhiteTippedCardi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbGPuwwWhEMBRXLretMtBidjgSX5JUGspnYcnR7Ausxfd3OtKgLscol4El5RbiAuw-Q6oSUZt-gGAF4M_2upJpSFDPSZwh6iTL8d22IU7eu-HhaRrgt5_yzmLwcyBzVfimuxKFstGCWs/s320/WhiteTippedCardi1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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I'll stop there with the examples of outfit creation/remixing, since this is already a very long and picture-heavy post. Just for the record, though, I really did go through and do this exercise for all 32 items in my capsule, yielding a total of 97 (!) different outfits. And yes, it worked, in the sense that I was able to make the requisite trio of outfits with each item -- though this did get a little challenging towards the end.<br />
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This system has some of the same advantages as the "one piece at a time" system: It begins with that manageable starting point of a single favorite outfit. And it focuses on the creation of outfits, not just the assembly of the capsule.<br />
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Unlike the "one piece at a time" system, though, this method doesn't really encourage you to justify why you are adding each new item to the capsule. But on further reflection, I think this is a feature rather than a bug. Too often, thinking about what a capsule wardrobe "should" contain ("A chambray button-up is a versatile basic," "I have several neutral items so I need a 'pop of color'") leads us to items that don't really suit us.<br />
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In this system, <i>all that matters is what you want to wear</i>. If you want to wear jeans and a long-sleeve tee every day, then that is what you build your capsule around. If you only want to wear wiggle dresses and cropped cardigans: ditto. Or all neutrals. Or nothing but purple and gray. Who cares what anyone else is doing?<br />
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For me, the 10 bottoms - 12 tops - 10 sweaters structure of this capsule is really ideal. It accommodates my need for layering, as I mentioned in my last post. And seeing how many outfits can be made from this number of items quiets that "fear of scarcity" in a way that is honestly revolutionary for me.<br />
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I mean, look at all these different outfits I have to wear! And this is barely a quarter of the possibilities:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaHfEFydKWfhqnkHIsN5dDXxXhuzCrpq5jGU53syDZGulXTf3b5HlLL5VACY0Fw5i5bmMcGCqD9hUUfMEjSbcGqLy6png4NjNGCMgmftwVMjP65WsxBaJMLQrT_0kS9C6yL-YebeIXME/s1600/RationalCapsuleLooks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaHfEFydKWfhqnkHIsN5dDXxXhuzCrpq5jGU53syDZGulXTf3b5HlLL5VACY0Fw5i5bmMcGCqD9hUUfMEjSbcGqLy6png4NjNGCMgmftwVMjP65WsxBaJMLQrT_0kS9C6yL-YebeIXME/s320/RationalCapsuleLooks1.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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That said, there is nothing set in stone about that 10 - 12 - 10 structure. If you live in a hot climate and rarely need a topper, go ahead and shift some of that sweater allocation to tops, or even bottoms (maybe you want 12 - 16 - 4, for example). If you're a true minimalist at heart maybe you want fewer items, so go with a 5 - 6 - 5 structure. Or, you know, 5 - 7 - 5 if you are a minimalist who loves haiku. ;-) Point is, the system of capsule assembly and outfit creation should work no matter the size or structure of your capsule -- as long as you stop adding items once you get to the requisite number in each category, and make at least 3 additional outfits featuring each item.<br />
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However I do think that the final capsule should be not very much bigger than 32 items of clothing. I think if it gets too much larger it will be too hard to mentally keep track of the options. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I suspect that regardless of the distribution across categories, 32 items will enable you to make enough outfits for a 3-month season. (Again, not necessarily a different outfit every day -- but enough to feel like enough.)<br />
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I also think that this method does a good job of addressing some of the difficulties I had with applying the "one piece at a time" method to my existing closet. Because I could bring in multiple new pieces from my closet at a time (a new pair of pants AND a new sweater to make an outfit with a top already in the capsule, for example), I was able to create new silhouettes more easily. And because my whole closet was available to me in those early rounds of outfit creation I had the flexibility to assemble the outfits that I really wanted to wear, rather than ending up with outfits that were passable but that I wasn't excited about.<br />
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I should also say that I think the ideas here owe a lot to a couple of posts from Bridgette Raes' blog -- specifically one on creating a <a href="http://bridgetteraes.com/2015/04/13/casual-wardrobe-capsule/" target="_blank">capsule wardrobe outfit by outfit</a> and one on how to <a href="http://bridgetteraes.com/2015/09/07/you-can-get-more-from-your-wardrobe-you-just-dont-know-it/" target="_blank">get more from your wardrobe</a> (the latter of which I <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-wardrobe-this-season-fall-2015.html" target="_blank">played with some last fall</a>). But I think I've taken it a step further here by making things more organized and structured.<br />
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Alright, I know this has been a monster post, and if you've made it this far you deserve a gold star. I'm so curious to hear reactions! Is this a system that could be useful to you? Or how would you tweak it to make it work for organizing your wardrobe?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-3305582493030506822016-05-30T14:42:00.001-07:002016-06-12T17:00:29.913-07:00What should I wear this spring?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlnPCx24Aj6h6L2BYBWXi_OPB_5D7mIqI9hQhoLt1mPgp-EpL4APELXx8iRj0BJKNzV9fPS28YKUEPpPfzvsGyyAfcMsI3QGSfioJ5RajP9mLDGN8vocW6-qechyYYgQHpUoNoNVWV6o/s1600/Round4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlnPCx24Aj6h6L2BYBWXi_OPB_5D7mIqI9hQhoLt1mPgp-EpL4APELXx8iRj0BJKNzV9fPS28YKUEPpPfzvsGyyAfcMsI3QGSfioJ5RajP9mLDGN8vocW6-qechyYYgQHpUoNoNVWV6o/s640/Round4.jpg" width="563" /></a></div>
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First, let me say that I realize the question in the title of this post is pretty ridiculous, as in belated, to be asking the last few days in May. But this was a time-consuming post to put together, and I've been noodling on these ideas for a while. And in any case, I think what I'm about to say is applicable to dressing for any season of the year.<br />
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For the past year and a half or so, as I've <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-non-minimalist-capsule-wardrobe-for.html">mentioned before</a>, I have been experimenting with <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-wardrobe-this-season-fall-2015.html">seasonal capsule wardrobes</a> to help organize my closet and streamline getting dressed.<br />
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I still love the idea of this, and especially of having <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/01/thoughts-on-capsule-wardrobes-for-non.html">distinct color palettes</a> for each season. But lately I have to admit that my capsules haven't, so far, quite done what I hoped they would do.<br />
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Even though I like the individual items in my capsules, and think that most of those items are relatively versatile, I often struggle to quickly and easily pull together outfits that I'm excited to wear and end up feeling good in.<br />
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That's the real purpose of a capsule wardrobe, isn't it? To be a reliable, relatively stress-free source of great outfits.<br />
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And yet up until now I've more been focused on the collection of items in my capsule rather than the individual outfits that they make. Which is sort of natural -- after all, those capsule wardrobe collages you see all over the place online sure are pretty. (So pretty, in fact, that I couldn't help but put one right at the top of this post.) But I wonder if maybe I've been thinking about it backwards.<br />
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And along with the idea that I should be somehow building my capsules around outfits rather than individual items, there's also the suspicion that I haven't included quite the right items in my capsules so far. But how to figure out what those right items are? And how many of them should there be? I've <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/01/thoughts-on-capsule-wardrobes-for-non.html">been skeptical</a> of what I perceive as* arbitrary number limits in various capsule wardrobe schema, but I think I've probably had too many items in my capsules up to now.<br />
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*(That's foreshadowing, by the way.)<br />
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All of this was rattling around in my brain when Janice of The Vivienne Files <a href="http://www.theviviennefiles.com/2016/02/how-to-build-wardrobe-one-piece-at-time.html" target="_blank">introduced</a> her "<a href="http://www.theviviennefiles.com/search/label/1%20Piece%20at%20a%20Time" target="_blank">1 Piece at a Time</a>" capsule wardrobe concept earlier this year. I was immediately smitten.<br />
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The system begins with a favorite outfit of three pieces -- bottom, top, second layer. From there, you add clothing one piece at a time -- add a top, then a second layer, then a bottom -- remixing the new pieces with existing ones to create new outfits with each addition. This rotation repeats until you reach a total of 16 items (an extra top gets added in towards the end).<br />
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Janice presents this system as a purchasing strategy -- a way to build a coherent wardrobe over time by adding pieces to your closet one by one. But I thought I would see if it could also work as a strategy to build a capsule wardrobe from the clothes already in my closet. Here's how it went:<br />
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<b>Initial outfit</b><br />
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I chose an outfit that is quintessentially Seattle spring to me: Classic nautical color scheme, but warm enough for the chilly days we tend to have here especially early in the season (I could have worn this outfit yesterday, to be honest). So my wardrobe starts out with three items: jeans, a Breton-striped tee, and my Aran cardigan. (Janice's scheme doesn't include shoes or accessories, but I've shown them in some outfits in this post.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rnNU0DJCbU1VScYZWLGau3HjWh-I9aCkv2ak8cDSi1JrAcjqB8ArnlLVCZL60V-Vzmwp6rXtENhysJXHm6zCuB9JEAtYkzRzRV3y6owEdRdy6lNfBvSxZzu5LPlLxbMSoSv6UCSQyx4/s1600/BretonTee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rnNU0DJCbU1VScYZWLGau3HjWh-I9aCkv2ak8cDSi1JrAcjqB8ArnlLVCZL60V-Vzmwp6rXtENhysJXHm6zCuB9JEAtYkzRzRV3y6owEdRdy6lNfBvSxZzu5LPlLxbMSoSv6UCSQyx4/s200/BretonTee.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBNCT0yl6xDUtW4UX9fbZSJthz16AI7Ce23FQPKCD87EBUdLrbWDzNBhaOZ8QtmrJCxj4pNL0GjpXjYIk882X13oITWqJ6LV732ZIPtraWGVPfjfdiEyZNJPrwPdlJZSrojgh_UBd8EI/s1600/AranCardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBNCT0yl6xDUtW4UX9fbZSJthz16AI7Ce23FQPKCD87EBUdLrbWDzNBhaOZ8QtmrJCxj4pNL0GjpXjYIk882X13oITWqJ6LV732ZIPtraWGVPfjfdiEyZNJPrwPdlJZSrojgh_UBd8EI/s200/AranCardi.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD6_iyrpB51bXsdKAY4UvSpiisa-V-rScbVQiaWQut9k93fX0jgepvv7PwqU3Ck0l_jNZXPxp0r5_zyIguUuhpYm_jG4jrOTYVuiaoKmpGbuaFKInJ1Evra96Dx0ABHMYrQOEBZJWg_g/s1600/LightSkinnyJeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD6_iyrpB51bXsdKAY4UvSpiisa-V-rScbVQiaWQut9k93fX0jgepvv7PwqU3Ck0l_jNZXPxp0r5_zyIguUuhpYm_jG4jrOTYVuiaoKmpGbuaFKInJ1Evra96Dx0ABHMYrQOEBZJWg_g/s200/LightSkinnyJeans.jpg" width="139" /></a></div>
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<b>Item 1: teal fine-gauge cotton sweater</b><br />
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Since I started out with a patterned top, I'll add one in a solid color. These are all images of my actual clothes, by the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjBRPEb5i2VyEQ51fqJsORvhKrXc_x74LnhQ2sXFwBFtfgAygrRJd8z8LLebAcrVaTizrJp22y-5WtHEKgG4TUuam7X5-AQW1qDCbmolN16cyUWQBjGT4uT09sFdAItUF7_rKmLLpw4o/s1600/TealSweater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjBRPEb5i2VyEQ51fqJsORvhKrXc_x74LnhQ2sXFwBFtfgAygrRJd8z8LLebAcrVaTizrJp22y-5WtHEKgG4TUuam7X5-AQW1qDCbmolN16cyUWQBjGT4uT09sFdAItUF7_rKmLLpw4o/s320/TealSweater.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
And now I can make a second outfit:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PU0G4c5gKNzNvlCpJwSBfXKR3Zo743hBdurgakEytaE1d8Zdcx-naT2QSquUp_9yqiSHwJpE7EB71boAM7pWNCJvOqAg_HvSS-Us2rOKmEUC_jX40bd93pKrxLUAy8tU5d1SLJuPwcw/s1600/Outfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PU0G4c5gKNzNvlCpJwSBfXKR3Zo743hBdurgakEytaE1d8Zdcx-naT2QSquUp_9yqiSHwJpE7EB71boAM7pWNCJvOqAg_HvSS-Us2rOKmEUC_jX40bd93pKrxLUAy8tU5d1SLJuPwcw/s320/Outfit2.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<b>Item 2: charcoal gray cardigan</b><br />
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I have a light-colored cardigan, so I'll add a dark one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcivqHiRI6DPESrfEq6sFpDbB3pYMVuRKvjqB5W1zgryYdqrMugEXiCSuYR9JMjA5owz8R70O_x2KiBRS6hp22YIHYzjFNRorwoLkhI_qflLOFewdsLMLHABlEYqxqGFI6Ej49cPRoWU/s1600/CharcoalCardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigcivqHiRI6DPESrfEq6sFpDbB3pYMVuRKvjqB5W1zgryYdqrMugEXiCSuYR9JMjA5owz8R70O_x2KiBRS6hp22YIHYzjFNRorwoLkhI_qflLOFewdsLMLHABlEYqxqGFI6Ej49cPRoWU/s320/CharcoalCardi.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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And now I can make two more outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk58NntdHu1ltrRrczLzeVYUnRjA4D-ADpdUsFDh2lx5H6XQH2hExHUBlitbCYsL4pmxi-hS8TAlFIy6J4j_IgSkCdvxheEH_4jzL2KCKHpL7lUgMOagGZMUnTq_FoA7BQi3uOF2PQKaY/s1600/CharcoalCardiOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk58NntdHu1ltrRrczLzeVYUnRjA4D-ADpdUsFDh2lx5H6XQH2hExHUBlitbCYsL4pmxi-hS8TAlFIy6J4j_IgSkCdvxheEH_4jzL2KCKHpL7lUgMOagGZMUnTq_FoA7BQi3uOF2PQKaY/s320/CharcoalCardiOutfit1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiKQMN1zURq1vYhPkvvKmhnYDmucAVlFyTD_DU2YknkENxw_ZsGDQYZVErO0oi4HFnmOSTlfbN9pj_MNH2guZsqfS7U0emjN4huFao4WeFcpZxyezc2rohz_BVAoMmqtxXqOY1qX3Q_U/s1600/CharcoalCardiOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiKQMN1zURq1vYhPkvvKmhnYDmucAVlFyTD_DU2YknkENxw_ZsGDQYZVErO0oi4HFnmOSTlfbN9pj_MNH2guZsqfS7U0emjN4huFao4WeFcpZxyezc2rohz_BVAoMmqtxXqOY1qX3Q_U/s320/CharcoalCardiOutfit2.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
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<b>Item 3: coral skinny cords</b><br />
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My first pair of pants were made of medium-wash denim, the most basic of neutrals. So let's mix it up with a bright pair of pants here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnwHL-fQ_0bJQUTT4X95Zk5aKy9-67NYsPd7Z5C6xplULBcwGtTb2MOSzpJWNm2JO0Tqb5UCRUR3EXecMHyl7TYR5Xjfwie_mvmIHg0SEF3RWPSiu1y_Od4GNlwFSfIDJXbaeUsR18gg/s1600/CoralCords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnwHL-fQ_0bJQUTT4X95Zk5aKy9-67NYsPd7Z5C6xplULBcwGtTb2MOSzpJWNm2JO0Tqb5UCRUR3EXecMHyl7TYR5Xjfwie_mvmIHg0SEF3RWPSiu1y_Od4GNlwFSfIDJXbaeUsR18gg/s320/CoralCords.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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From here on out, with each item added to my capsule I'll show four additional outfits I can make:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4X0qN9iDHeQn7tUGaOAeMPKClaS093yiVdTjEVo5d0MfW1uwAlMC0hu1m21XjCTLSlkhDKVoRFypmU3nDw1OzkxM-6l7Bkj_D66OWleJkznPPOzxfVQ7MKJze7eqI8cTmvpIHMqaN-2w/s1600/CoralCordsOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4X0qN9iDHeQn7tUGaOAeMPKClaS093yiVdTjEVo5d0MfW1uwAlMC0hu1m21XjCTLSlkhDKVoRFypmU3nDw1OzkxM-6l7Bkj_D66OWleJkznPPOzxfVQ7MKJze7eqI8cTmvpIHMqaN-2w/s320/CoralCordsOutfit1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLDXH0U9gtWBI9GQ9eUE_xBsg1744VdK7Z7dUkvag9Qe2rOWKfilEB-P2gWzAey7DL_Rzwt2oUTp5bwB7dvbIOODPtJfmo5oI7KI73mrjVgKbJiFPTub_SKNdQCnrtJcK_km6t1NQ88k/s1600/CoralCordsOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLDXH0U9gtWBI9GQ9eUE_xBsg1744VdK7Z7dUkvag9Qe2rOWKfilEB-P2gWzAey7DL_Rzwt2oUTp5bwB7dvbIOODPtJfmo5oI7KI73mrjVgKbJiFPTub_SKNdQCnrtJcK_km6t1NQ88k/s320/CoralCordsOutfit2.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vDH8RT5y_3a1T3a32Q5Pr94X2p0x9vynHzrbp7bvV9Lo6t620PVhnM6vG57u_7MPhFDnjyJWHVcN7QLDWaufMRI_he_cCdhib0PBhSA6cDTl_m84epizrlurmig0BtZBbnpMr6tkWKw/s1600/CoralCordsOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vDH8RT5y_3a1T3a32Q5Pr94X2p0x9vynHzrbp7bvV9Lo6t620PVhnM6vG57u_7MPhFDnjyJWHVcN7QLDWaufMRI_he_cCdhib0PBhSA6cDTl_m84epizrlurmig0BtZBbnpMr6tkWKw/s320/CoralCordsOutfit3.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHuIdz_6W6FuJOLqcX0pX2sQ1bXrJnSchLbh5a3sQwzlb_FXqELRPU3puNkG5lAv0HjcnZTE-aiSvHlBKyIdOf14v99h1cavKhQCrhSv_hyphenhyphenFvE8vWxOYmA7K1M5pUX74roGa1iFGurao/s1600/CoralCordsOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHuIdz_6W6FuJOLqcX0pX2sQ1bXrJnSchLbh5a3sQwzlb_FXqELRPU3puNkG5lAv0HjcnZTE-aiSvHlBKyIdOf14v99h1cavKhQCrhSv_hyphenhyphenFvE8vWxOYmA7K1M5pUX74roGa1iFGurao/s320/CoralCordsOutfit4.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
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Here's my capsule wardrobe so far, after one round of additions:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_g9fl8NSp3ErBdQbjWxWApRchz13_07jrsuKMZt9HXVJttM5xPlZUtEY6yuwpt9Od4FyKvluVdA36tYIBQaqkLE546K5h9a11009WHdfCx2gr7s48iJI7CguIk-2BtaIjDlfUHHbYDw/s1600/Round1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_g9fl8NSp3ErBdQbjWxWApRchz13_07jrsuKMZt9HXVJttM5xPlZUtEY6yuwpt9Od4FyKvluVdA36tYIBQaqkLE546K5h9a11009WHdfCx2gr7s48iJI7CguIk-2BtaIjDlfUHHbYDw/s400/Round1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Item 4: gray/white striped popover</b><br />
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My first two tops are dark knits, so let's add a light-colored woven shirt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ViV9dQpHbKk23M7kAm5TNfk0iQvWctM5eDyYWvG2TmzMOjmXrgbz3veJ4C0_sUR3md8paawDOQivymuv-H8DrzvL9yqjeqid1DcaqLNB0RweQ6ORqHEriT9PAw_7MpGb_yX3rJ2ktZM/s1600/GrayPopover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ViV9dQpHbKk23M7kAm5TNfk0iQvWctM5eDyYWvG2TmzMOjmXrgbz3veJ4C0_sUR3md8paawDOQivymuv-H8DrzvL9yqjeqid1DcaqLNB0RweQ6ORqHEriT9PAw_7MpGb_yX3rJ2ktZM/s320/GrayPopover.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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Four more outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35M4oOlO4NKX8ZeNb2_oYEIQX2IbbjzSt5iuOUAOOAYwFvCDMJUkZpEQSEeY_9t9xcTM9aVmWU7YLspMoyfLKdySumkP0MtcpyyVLj6J8kwEg5fQ0V3Xd6B3ypHnCFPW5r-2KO7UxxEk/s1600/GrayPopoverOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35M4oOlO4NKX8ZeNb2_oYEIQX2IbbjzSt5iuOUAOOAYwFvCDMJUkZpEQSEeY_9t9xcTM9aVmWU7YLspMoyfLKdySumkP0MtcpyyVLj6J8kwEg5fQ0V3Xd6B3ypHnCFPW5r-2KO7UxxEk/s320/GrayPopoverOutfit1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau8r_Nysl4U60ScRZVz0Hf37ezRDztgSshrP0C-2_1pll2SCR7TUPw06f1tgFHh7z9WyxMVwZS56W7Co93TXLtHrwPAHSk4fH2E5nqBSdo8CMqU2zlRONdCtzZrubaYrKpHlV85099_A/s1600/GrayPopoverOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjau8r_Nysl4U60ScRZVz0Hf37ezRDztgSshrP0C-2_1pll2SCR7TUPw06f1tgFHh7z9WyxMVwZS56W7Co93TXLtHrwPAHSk4fH2E5nqBSdo8CMqU2zlRONdCtzZrubaYrKpHlV85099_A/s320/GrayPopoverOutfit2.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0M01s2ZoEEemb7f9y7eOMJEJz4kwBSb6ZQu_7b5-Ia66OTIq1AZeoppC4jTZ0l0r8Y3m16v_KdX0jXXlUX3w5mCCWYCZdi0w0wh-7-ER1PYp24XS8qeOe0bW_Fp1lE4ZW37oZRu4HI8/s1600/GrayPopoverOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0M01s2ZoEEemb7f9y7eOMJEJz4kwBSb6ZQu_7b5-Ia66OTIq1AZeoppC4jTZ0l0r8Y3m16v_KdX0jXXlUX3w5mCCWYCZdi0w0wh-7-ER1PYp24XS8qeOe0bW_Fp1lE4ZW37oZRu4HI8/s320/GrayPopoverOutfit3.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogwDYAOYBC7Dk38onsRf8krWe3VYQWm04oMTrnXqmNXRQjhTZ4RRNO2Cm0BdoviW5yyuAlxrh5AB2cvBQA3zWnazvaKOyU9kSccmjGpEHOoWUnCfHZqWjrcb8VfNMGg1o7JOViCyxRco/s1600/GrayPopoverOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogwDYAOYBC7Dk38onsRf8krWe3VYQWm04oMTrnXqmNXRQjhTZ4RRNO2Cm0BdoviW5yyuAlxrh5AB2cvBQA3zWnazvaKOyU9kSccmjGpEHOoWUnCfHZqWjrcb8VfNMGg1o7JOViCyxRco/s320/GrayPopoverOutfit4.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<br />
<b>Item 5: Navy argyle cardigan</b><br />
<br />
Adding a patterned cardigan at this stage in the game seems bold, but I know I like pattern-mixing with this piece, and its longer length matches well with the skinny pants I have in the rotation so far.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqJwmYVVZYbTdkfGs4XBxX7dTbEZD9SszwTGLu1aKY7ucmfZK1fJeuG1t6zES_BKsi4uuEXaw7z4XdgTTlwxWigmkjZIb1fDynRKFA4nIzwcRuBW3b9ahnUzO_rcpjz_hvQWmHbTSIpU/s1600/NavyArgyleCardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqJwmYVVZYbTdkfGs4XBxX7dTbEZD9SszwTGLu1aKY7ucmfZK1fJeuG1t6zES_BKsi4uuEXaw7z4XdgTTlwxWigmkjZIb1fDynRKFA4nIzwcRuBW3b9ahnUzO_rcpjz_hvQWmHbTSIpU/s320/NavyArgyleCardi.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<br />
The outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgD9yB_rAmuvl2lsfRQicoy0XyzOMhOXqCaOUmt6MH14EHaV36Y6lVWXHN98cOnKOXv-KIWKiRa0Qc3Fi8oFl4jd8bXDYVd6vz_O-XWICnVj7Ke5pCBL2J-dywaMAUPdVCL2LKfL-bcI/s1600/NavyArgyleOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgD9yB_rAmuvl2lsfRQicoy0XyzOMhOXqCaOUmt6MH14EHaV36Y6lVWXHN98cOnKOXv-KIWKiRa0Qc3Fi8oFl4jd8bXDYVd6vz_O-XWICnVj7Ke5pCBL2J-dywaMAUPdVCL2LKfL-bcI/s320/NavyArgyleOutfit1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mANx6NuhVEAU9CKySLBIG_Fd4WBJpLoUj9LqXPEQKUU5rAwt2qUPHEiRpS7FVWhW374Gv6h0qXVuliN3WA7HFR3yOrgzj1lP4AtLfsWZHeDEC6HXo27_yWOoDI4JQmJ_uiF05TzbExY/s1600/NavyArgyleOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mANx6NuhVEAU9CKySLBIG_Fd4WBJpLoUj9LqXPEQKUU5rAwt2qUPHEiRpS7FVWhW374Gv6h0qXVuliN3WA7HFR3yOrgzj1lP4AtLfsWZHeDEC6HXo27_yWOoDI4JQmJ_uiF05TzbExY/s320/NavyArgyleOutfit2.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiTJl3umOwAnDkD6fRiJEO0C22-T5ao0pmV8rY3CV-wuM8f7mHorfcGWoQjV1uC0hktSK-tBsHA_epaV0VvO6SC-MXJpysfnl14GQfOjAj6JEAsazAwjL17ryxJp5ezCqcU3tmED9t8Q/s1600/NavyArgyleOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiTJl3umOwAnDkD6fRiJEO0C22-T5ao0pmV8rY3CV-wuM8f7mHorfcGWoQjV1uC0hktSK-tBsHA_epaV0VvO6SC-MXJpysfnl14GQfOjAj6JEAsazAwjL17ryxJp5ezCqcU3tmED9t8Q/s320/NavyArgyleOutfit3.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuwPFSQBR9ssti4dY1z8VTDjCRPFI-iZQF9n0gTQ9iing18cJByXfxMojqGB7mR3h__xWsi_5LqFSpcioXHfSwCSl40i3ytRG34wwXZ4OhyphenhyphenriFSWEVL8v5tMbSLdAV1hf-wZLjBpEcAY/s1600/NavyArgyleOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuwPFSQBR9ssti4dY1z8VTDjCRPFI-iZQF9n0gTQ9iing18cJByXfxMojqGB7mR3h__xWsi_5LqFSpcioXHfSwCSl40i3ytRG34wwXZ4OhyphenhyphenriFSWEVL8v5tMbSLdAV1hf-wZLjBpEcAY/s320/NavyArgyleOutfit4.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<b>Item 6: Black skirted leggings</b><br />
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A dark-colored bottom option is always good to have.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE5DAyPFCfTYcLEDjSDIiVLLlupvY9ZNH8Dxr-poZGEQH_-55VXRrEhpy1TJZIiWD-GjRkgaNtuSShT6BQ7KqdiSWK_tD0RjKVOfUeuIauZWK0GIHVEseodi8zMhqDUQ0G1J4w26r-X8/s1600/BlackSkirtLeggings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE5DAyPFCfTYcLEDjSDIiVLLlupvY9ZNH8Dxr-poZGEQH_-55VXRrEhpy1TJZIiWD-GjRkgaNtuSShT6BQ7KqdiSWK_tD0RjKVOfUeuIauZWK0GIHVEseodi8zMhqDUQ0G1J4w26r-X8/s320/BlackSkirtLeggings.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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And now I can wear:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3D39qoeU373Kf0vqW9VbrK_Ui3Q7AlIDohjcOwE6kG69RCT4fg8VrvtHXzWwDeYcaPa0O5pOPR1kTrYrJKjg__zKhap-iNgjmqaWUTqBWLLOlsPN_Q1zpX5reqzn1nX07yF-qmBr8qk/s1600/SkirtLeggingsOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3D39qoeU373Kf0vqW9VbrK_Ui3Q7AlIDohjcOwE6kG69RCT4fg8VrvtHXzWwDeYcaPa0O5pOPR1kTrYrJKjg__zKhap-iNgjmqaWUTqBWLLOlsPN_Q1zpX5reqzn1nX07yF-qmBr8qk/s320/SkirtLeggingsOutfit1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhBHXzQf9-cyYJ2n9rQ-2eyH-rNA0RERcrFurC6FMHi-6xIYZ676DRr_mWdPf9v1Wq_aMBjthkZjcUZcB-SnEfTfYOfV2qj9huFbz25TFXQ54qDNKdhK88O-ZJq2QomRmvITcSl8tw6o/s1600/SkirtLeggingsOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhBHXzQf9-cyYJ2n9rQ-2eyH-rNA0RERcrFurC6FMHi-6xIYZ676DRr_mWdPf9v1Wq_aMBjthkZjcUZcB-SnEfTfYOfV2qj9huFbz25TFXQ54qDNKdhK88O-ZJq2QomRmvITcSl8tw6o/s320/SkirtLeggingsOutfit2.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS329GLViVaFJrTjCWiTda5mK-JBqSXlJZX-DFfxFHoZYk-ilMkJyUviqhkaOmm8Tr-Ia7qppkx_FAW4XDv3ra2yTo2R4Nb5Pl80YWIZaCWlr1ITgkqqtkFFKDIwhpvK63of-Z1UJGHo/s1600/SkirtLeggingsOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS329GLViVaFJrTjCWiTda5mK-JBqSXlJZX-DFfxFHoZYk-ilMkJyUviqhkaOmm8Tr-Ia7qppkx_FAW4XDv3ra2yTo2R4Nb5Pl80YWIZaCWlr1ITgkqqtkFFKDIwhpvK63of-Z1UJGHo/s320/SkirtLeggingsOutfit3.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnxnvxFkzakGDzKYeYtJMURIuZWveBWQnQkwsPbX91OMvc93IVEdT_8qntzodhgu8n48TbZ2K2sDV8_tqJ0i7D_m9iHNXqumgO73KjjqYaUKvPL7BTZFset1nZ9zOYCrqDWLFHL8xpFI/s1600/SkirtLeggingsOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnxnvxFkzakGDzKYeYtJMURIuZWveBWQnQkwsPbX91OMvc93IVEdT_8qntzodhgu8n48TbZ2K2sDV8_tqJ0i7D_m9iHNXqumgO73KjjqYaUKvPL7BTZFset1nZ9zOYCrqDWLFHL8xpFI/s320/SkirtLeggingsOutfit4.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
<br />
An update on how the capsule is shaping up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVl2x9btNNKjLG_SnMCLo09v_FILSmhR0Uy6pLDTPguOq38kdb6hJscK2BO2ocQ8fyFnnWPZaq_3QT0uo0g5pXdCuWNWLTniHpkZF8SMcO8CQTst-naq1JaJcCjDE5a6B1g6b1r_Rg8MM/s1600/Round2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVl2x9btNNKjLG_SnMCLo09v_FILSmhR0Uy6pLDTPguOq38kdb6hJscK2BO2ocQ8fyFnnWPZaq_3QT0uo0g5pXdCuWNWLTniHpkZF8SMcO8CQTst-naq1JaJcCjDE5a6B1g6b1r_Rg8MM/s400/Round2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Item 7: black watch plaid button-up</b><br />
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Another subtly patterned woven shirt, but this time in a rich, dark palette (it's more vivid in real life, promise).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixV-VQgNcOV-_1nGAaBSi2XIY_64nCAnzo4I6vCuXgA3KNTjqjgkpzWs7XZFFc-_Yj_brPPFfbohAbGAB4xpgnK1xCOzvA3BbPtfmdvwPd7AbhzjeeG5eoN4FH8qklwGAzRr55AzPKN0M/s1600/BlackWatchShirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixV-VQgNcOV-_1nGAaBSi2XIY_64nCAnzo4I6vCuXgA3KNTjqjgkpzWs7XZFFc-_Yj_brPPFfbohAbGAB4xpgnK1xCOzvA3BbPtfmdvwPd7AbhzjeeG5eoN4FH8qklwGAzRr55AzPKN0M/s320/BlackWatchShirt.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<br />
The outfits:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTRdkrj2efFow2lY5qx9MkBp2AaI5sAz-NUfEFs1fhO-S8hRvr6tppEJuTVISdXlqma9mSjQ35lFURC-tlDhG1wAcE7-tgWlgkH9mbrc_n5LXqm-4ZDoPWpuDOOPwnCNPkavpdnXZaYI/s1600/BlackWatchOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTRdkrj2efFow2lY5qx9MkBp2AaI5sAz-NUfEFs1fhO-S8hRvr6tppEJuTVISdXlqma9mSjQ35lFURC-tlDhG1wAcE7-tgWlgkH9mbrc_n5LXqm-4ZDoPWpuDOOPwnCNPkavpdnXZaYI/s320/BlackWatchOutfit1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CTajDLvu0GpWKQQK1fM63vU6fBYd85ddzQvSdxfIh7wXKzIL1mYhOEpE4QNf34EsJNIf03NM1dJP8ZxugOvocDVErfSpWM3dNAYJ9k3ccUZeaI2xJIeeNDXQWV6kC__EI5hjqbSlmqo/s1600/BlackWatchOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CTajDLvu0GpWKQQK1fM63vU6fBYd85ddzQvSdxfIh7wXKzIL1mYhOEpE4QNf34EsJNIf03NM1dJP8ZxugOvocDVErfSpWM3dNAYJ9k3ccUZeaI2xJIeeNDXQWV6kC__EI5hjqbSlmqo/s320/BlackWatchOutfit2.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeD1dheJB-aNu_PKQG6I4wvYG3Lp0ndesbsucmkHTMyGc_zNpdOwyg9ri_l2-huplO611iqdarpT-LLA6NgwVScYk0NGWprW86G35Ch3Yb6uAiVDr129uFAmN-mAKZjaOZwJfmINu4Pk/s1600/BlackWatchOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeD1dheJB-aNu_PKQG6I4wvYG3Lp0ndesbsucmkHTMyGc_zNpdOwyg9ri_l2-huplO611iqdarpT-LLA6NgwVScYk0NGWprW86G35Ch3Yb6uAiVDr129uFAmN-mAKZjaOZwJfmINu4Pk/s320/BlackWatchOutfit4.jpg" width="223" /></a><br />
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<br />
<b>Item 8: Teal cardi</b><br />
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So far my top layers are neutral or semi-neutral, so here's a color -- and in a slightly different silhouette.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipO6si9L68oeNc6_hiU2zVrLcyuoJEP8lAxH2KXBJw4DAo2OD-paSpY-9SM_Iu6fUQSnMtAqxCliHN1EPdaiu26HL62M6_NxxAHl2VHc39Vk6UHHwfgV-6TBw0SS9XZZePsNM0chL-ig/s1600/TealShortCardiOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipO6si9L68oeNc6_hiU2zVrLcyuoJEP8lAxH2KXBJw4DAo2OD-paSpY-9SM_Iu6fUQSnMtAqxCliHN1EPdaiu26HL62M6_NxxAHl2VHc39Vk6UHHwfgV-6TBw0SS9XZZePsNM0chL-ig/s320/TealShortCardiOutfit3.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2oM58HSHPvHH_tAsSOM0BR34H87CDXqs4GP818Qeg5j8M02wc7p5XTTjJ4UP_OCQRbqwOtG5EvG1R_eR3gcHALcnve4T5J6DGGfnxb5YOPMXAnTrAJuul5fQnxnf0pfgwafcXv-k_wE/s1600/TealShortCardiOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2oM58HSHPvHH_tAsSOM0BR34H87CDXqs4GP818Qeg5j8M02wc7p5XTTjJ4UP_OCQRbqwOtG5EvG1R_eR3gcHALcnve4T5J6DGGfnxb5YOPMXAnTrAJuul5fQnxnf0pfgwafcXv-k_wE/s320/TealShortCardiOutfit4.jpg" width="221" /></a><br />
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<b>Item 9: Gray skinny jeans</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Jeans are a wardrobe staple for me, so I'll add another pair, in a different color.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ4JdYMeXue1qEutX4ORZ3_z8wI8uSQmE0jK29JYF0ndeIS8I8gH6btwL3jDhS-mMrawSVo0r6qzBXV1WO26dxiYHTx8ck1wGMHp_I_1jTQdnyMR-mQvwH762zBAtHsf7XE-vDzK9xZE/s1600/GrayJeans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJ4JdYMeXue1qEutX4ORZ3_z8wI8uSQmE0jK29JYF0ndeIS8I8gH6btwL3jDhS-mMrawSVo0r6qzBXV1WO26dxiYHTx8ck1wGMHp_I_1jTQdnyMR-mQvwH762zBAtHsf7XE-vDzK9xZE/s320/GrayJeans.jpg" width="223" /></a><br />
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And now I can wear these outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-P2s5tI1ijk2e7Bl23K9u4U8iQ80U0v_Yp4MkreJDGGDam918TnJ1YH4ceRSWq5rkuSEKXc_9-5HYu3AFLzVKNcKTMsP1_5HQwolnDRePMpKgln7VMSkdY9cdfMOjS7bqAR_W2mzsY8/s1600/GrayJeansOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-P2s5tI1ijk2e7Bl23K9u4U8iQ80U0v_Yp4MkreJDGGDam918TnJ1YH4ceRSWq5rkuSEKXc_9-5HYu3AFLzVKNcKTMsP1_5HQwolnDRePMpKgln7VMSkdY9cdfMOjS7bqAR_W2mzsY8/s320/GrayJeansOutfit1.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg6BwiTXaml4vm7yVAaic3u-I0KaMtz5-zU_pwEy8BK343qCttaWpSTQAhis2_5fTosg1ejLMymkME8nd6RSG1IDo1lCcz6Ot1M8qFYoJKuBsqScCuvHKHe99863SG8NVnaVtdr9YW7I/s1600/GrayJeansOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg6BwiTXaml4vm7yVAaic3u-I0KaMtz5-zU_pwEy8BK343qCttaWpSTQAhis2_5fTosg1ejLMymkME8nd6RSG1IDo1lCcz6Ot1M8qFYoJKuBsqScCuvHKHe99863SG8NVnaVtdr9YW7I/s320/GrayJeansOutfit2.jpg" width="223" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM2C0I8GnzJh6rmKYGGmndNYMYvSYRweAq-bQooiI52U3MTO3JM_vvzRnalMNzKysNpLxHdG8GkS72ioWK5T_ZtUJ6wR-Ja6BL-j8XacZIl2he1K9h45peVoWLisqL22qzIyrP4HJ2_c/s1600/GrayJeansOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivM2C0I8GnzJh6rmKYGGmndNYMYvSYRweAq-bQooiI52U3MTO3JM_vvzRnalMNzKysNpLxHdG8GkS72ioWK5T_ZtUJ6wR-Ja6BL-j8XacZIl2he1K9h45peVoWLisqL22qzIyrP4HJ2_c/s320/GrayJeansOutfit3.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_C0q6nSxSciBt7853Ta9Jzn6YYt3wyXHoNhb2pWRgFo2CnWUhzScM6S__EBzKHI0mnF7C-c0JtRgu2abSJU5SzTi0vK7-9bSIiE51FFxF45KtkipH9wazT5xyXj4M7PR6Tawym0Kmh4/s1600/GrayJeansOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_C0q6nSxSciBt7853Ta9Jzn6YYt3wyXHoNhb2pWRgFo2CnWUhzScM6S__EBzKHI0mnF7C-c0JtRgu2abSJU5SzTi0vK7-9bSIiE51FFxF45KtkipH9wazT5xyXj4M7PR6Tawym0Kmh4/s320/GrayJeansOutfit4.jpg" width="223" /></a><br />
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<br />
The capsule after three rounds of additions:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuPVgnavnl5ULyBtyeqFbBNKQiAa7HyaKW71kjjxs1hEe9Ulw-qvfrFTNamtx8i-Jf30u0-Ti0r16ENlIZW5jOdCVlqEq9KRZJQQHD9eNf1GCVGQfpYVGaGvmRZT-7ZqfYFxaA2RKmE8/s1600/Round3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuPVgnavnl5ULyBtyeqFbBNKQiAa7HyaKW71kjjxs1hEe9Ulw-qvfrFTNamtx8i-Jf30u0-Ti0r16ENlIZW5jOdCVlqEq9KRZJQQHD9eNf1GCVGQfpYVGaGvmRZT-7ZqfYFxaA2RKmE8/s400/Round3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Item 10: Chambray popover</b><br />
<br />
A long shirt that works well with skinny pants, and will work now that I have gray jeans in the mix (I'm not a fan of blue-denim-on-denim, so I wouldn't likely wear this top with the blue jeans).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtF5QIw6nuUeCw4LWcjCZwJgc79Ldx5hcgs_BRA366b6pYcL3_vb8an6Uo6VD2gMwvz1_yJoywn2-2Wl0W-a_xCNgxwN53UJC72Im8fNKf1HmSbBW9pGHg7sEdGR-tNHChLeh0CBxDvg/s1600/ChambrayPopover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtF5QIw6nuUeCw4LWcjCZwJgc79Ldx5hcgs_BRA366b6pYcL3_vb8an6Uo6VD2gMwvz1_yJoywn2-2Wl0W-a_xCNgxwN53UJC72Im8fNKf1HmSbBW9pGHg7sEdGR-tNHChLeh0CBxDvg/s320/ChambrayPopover.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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More outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBleIe093TvrHD9Y0F1EKBqnUvYGtsLVtDyjJyTOrJeJuGIgCPVJShUC-RhP-MQhpnMMoDiRkOvhf6vjpB9dkEQCVYGDFNADZxYFZXuGjnKvHFI6AmDmbm4b59Y5Rss79pitNB_uDKp8/s1600/ChambrayPopoverOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBleIe093TvrHD9Y0F1EKBqnUvYGtsLVtDyjJyTOrJeJuGIgCPVJShUC-RhP-MQhpnMMoDiRkOvhf6vjpB9dkEQCVYGDFNADZxYFZXuGjnKvHFI6AmDmbm4b59Y5Rss79pitNB_uDKp8/s320/ChambrayPopoverOutfit1.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupM6MI7ZfmhoehHCOkYncX9msuZEZIBDCDHLsbGGRiP7o8DDSU2Da7XV1Qv9zJhTACGpFtr2iALgDgySDv5lJln50q58XkvSZkA9teZ-VoXxdvLxqT_oeO-Fk0QWlXAqckG58UtqNWKY/s1600/ChambrayPopoverOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupM6MI7ZfmhoehHCOkYncX9msuZEZIBDCDHLsbGGRiP7o8DDSU2Da7XV1Qv9zJhTACGpFtr2iALgDgySDv5lJln50q58XkvSZkA9teZ-VoXxdvLxqT_oeO-Fk0QWlXAqckG58UtqNWKY/s320/ChambrayPopoverOutfit2.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmlvRrZ7kJwaUmlZqiqvWK3rB5QUbdbVvoKGMBSt9-45fG0zsmkvVGTIRngy_xWzMPgJ_1dy8Oq9gmXQB3w7dQV_b_5vMIgIHPgMCP9eUaxDtMgj4w2WSQmnRanBqyiUAZVzaLeHYRo8/s1600/ChambrayPopoverOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmlvRrZ7kJwaUmlZqiqvWK3rB5QUbdbVvoKGMBSt9-45fG0zsmkvVGTIRngy_xWzMPgJ_1dy8Oq9gmXQB3w7dQV_b_5vMIgIHPgMCP9eUaxDtMgj4w2WSQmnRanBqyiUAZVzaLeHYRo8/s320/ChambrayPopoverOutfit3.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQmik-mY9l8Yy7KLn9clXcR4KSKQt8LZu3gVP79mLmtJYPupHMF2eTz9nextj-l3tRAeXXLkQhSVqeWJK5ZusgqKgvFFO4cF3_oMnGBebjNlrYa7CIxFvwRAy9vXPThyIJbasuanOb-o/s1600/ChambrayPopoverOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQmik-mY9l8Yy7KLn9clXcR4KSKQt8LZu3gVP79mLmtJYPupHMF2eTz9nextj-l3tRAeXXLkQhSVqeWJK5ZusgqKgvFFO4cF3_oMnGBebjNlrYa7CIxFvwRAy9vXPThyIJbasuanOb-o/s320/ChambrayPopoverOutfit4.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<b>Item 11: Black-trimmed ivory cardi</b><br />
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I love my Aran cardi, but it's very casual. Here's a sweater in a similar color that gives me a more polished option.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x8_8q6OCMBD3Zj_yEC0PYnMzJxO9FBT8V7vBk4LpNys-MhVHOqusIo7O2ZAupA1lmB_N_kV_1hYJVVjKmHAERhnt0A7p7cX0l_EJpORbQ6mbq1_Zn4_yU4YLhJX177IfOFGgF36pOy8/s1600/TippedCardi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0x8_8q6OCMBD3Zj_yEC0PYnMzJxO9FBT8V7vBk4LpNys-MhVHOqusIo7O2ZAupA1lmB_N_kV_1hYJVVjKmHAERhnt0A7p7cX0l_EJpORbQ6mbq1_Zn4_yU4YLhJX177IfOFGgF36pOy8/s320/TippedCardi.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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And these are the outfits I can now create:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk_mZQjRiCp6AzvJIK3wbpiefPdUs65lvyxlkq2Joz58rz1cONd01DrD8XozGdm1YU0zyBhwi-Tv92ojpnHGc2qCaivVJsm6E6Kuqlwrg3qCgiFnJIQl4-lhyphenhyphenBm8mNhVY-OkF-lbCBsE/s1600/TippedCardiOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhk_mZQjRiCp6AzvJIK3wbpiefPdUs65lvyxlkq2Joz58rz1cONd01DrD8XozGdm1YU0zyBhwi-Tv92ojpnHGc2qCaivVJsm6E6Kuqlwrg3qCgiFnJIQl4-lhyphenhyphenBm8mNhVY-OkF-lbCBsE/s320/TippedCardiOutfit1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAePM4wJp6EFjO-5dK06tkCOXdJ2w7ZGCt9hDPBScRTkKsNg5TkPPsiI8cVPHsi6mbiPn1fTLkbQmoEbk2kcOSiAc2wr0qg2hwcGt3VtqDIZtASvImw1J4WtokE4SyVJ2cqyUvv0wnr0/s1600/TippedCardiOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAePM4wJp6EFjO-5dK06tkCOXdJ2w7ZGCt9hDPBScRTkKsNg5TkPPsiI8cVPHsi6mbiPn1fTLkbQmoEbk2kcOSiAc2wr0qg2hwcGt3VtqDIZtASvImw1J4WtokE4SyVJ2cqyUvv0wnr0/s320/TippedCardiOutfit2.jpg" width="223" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop0P8nfXdC4qCfoYRddHj356Kez8wgIx9IaNH5PZQVKxxcXRqR7Hx9qqQwSXj3xI_E9lhwepg90cqz83bMWx_ZoZlm4SkKLM9-VRunpbg6ySDAUxK0s8FkU3yL5wrMkkWbtBBMD5yIPQ/s1600/TippedCardiOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop0P8nfXdC4qCfoYRddHj356Kez8wgIx9IaNH5PZQVKxxcXRqR7Hx9qqQwSXj3xI_E9lhwepg90cqz83bMWx_ZoZlm4SkKLM9-VRunpbg6ySDAUxK0s8FkU3yL5wrMkkWbtBBMD5yIPQ/s320/TippedCardiOutfit3.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4-4OHCC1NI11lzt11XWYWioJ9FW6eDaHPykWcPbxl1KMj9Qv2nzc5fUe7cASKhr3Bxby_J6dii3UrfQxWis4pUZ0w-FcvoKEwQfyDI9sfAywtjakd0QFy3yMWPLnRVMYK4oGplz0VdQ/s1600/TippedCardiOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4-4OHCC1NI11lzt11XWYWioJ9FW6eDaHPykWcPbxl1KMj9Qv2nzc5fUe7cASKhr3Bxby_J6dii3UrfQxWis4pUZ0w-FcvoKEwQfyDI9sfAywtjakd0QFy3yMWPLnRVMYK4oGplz0VdQ/s320/TippedCardiOutfit4.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
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<br />
<b>Item 12: Eyelet-trim striped tee</b><br />
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The "extra" top. Breton stripes are a signature pattern for me in spring and summer -- here's a lighter variation on the top I started out with, with a little whimsy for good measure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU_i2hTEtOyVaCmYQMUWnYcXCbK3AERdbKydNYN4xW0_3BQRLHK8plY8KSaE88iHBJie2zlSpejRQMqjEWTmT-QNj9A73i3pP4BCoScPpBCvdl7kX3OwWXikBSyx5zQ9fIq_XTDvoBz8/s1600/EyeletStripeTee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRU_i2hTEtOyVaCmYQMUWnYcXCbK3AERdbKydNYN4xW0_3BQRLHK8plY8KSaE88iHBJie2zlSpejRQMqjEWTmT-QNj9A73i3pP4BCoScPpBCvdl7kX3OwWXikBSyx5zQ9fIq_XTDvoBz8/s320/EyeletStripeTee.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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And here's what I'll wear it with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2It6p9wxrlzT_-IZGZapdAMRn6J4zlEdUJZF63rzF_MRI_M0eNRxd2F3dJc0GNPG3bjrYVXEt25Ujm1wr3Kdm-npd0JSBDkcT-hDLpVvsZQLYZDotcrbpGjUZHcEV6j1rdA9iXSm3iL0/s1600/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2It6p9wxrlzT_-IZGZapdAMRn6J4zlEdUJZF63rzF_MRI_M0eNRxd2F3dJc0GNPG3bjrYVXEt25Ujm1wr3Kdm-npd0JSBDkcT-hDLpVvsZQLYZDotcrbpGjUZHcEV6j1rdA9iXSm3iL0/s320/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrUcMN9A-sSN8ohCiAac0Fy3VFgS9AqOOJATy2Rh5Y_OKFSZ1uzRFdJHIOGT_g0EuGwnUrSvZa8DFsgqA1eSP_VrDNsx3EEc9EwCBfvceQFbWJSooxzykRDVG2DQwlqzCa-DhIeXduN8/s1600/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrUcMN9A-sSN8ohCiAac0Fy3VFgS9AqOOJATy2Rh5Y_OKFSZ1uzRFdJHIOGT_g0EuGwnUrSvZa8DFsgqA1eSP_VrDNsx3EEc9EwCBfvceQFbWJSooxzykRDVG2DQwlqzCa-DhIeXduN8/s320/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit2.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPag7ICdAoJN_4FTmp1rZEzGUviK7UJlKN2yPKwFiPIOwS_CqDcqk-3quvYMnTmV1TaeBYSMZYwvgNHzbO4V9jl_BA9Y3dxJKvwtDwafbR8fPQOLe3_6J1lN8r_MwlQ9D6WOtJt3SPwI/s1600/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPag7ICdAoJN_4FTmp1rZEzGUviK7UJlKN2yPKwFiPIOwS_CqDcqk-3quvYMnTmV1TaeBYSMZYwvgNHzbO4V9jl_BA9Y3dxJKvwtDwafbR8fPQOLe3_6J1lN8r_MwlQ9D6WOtJt3SPwI/s320/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit3.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcU3bepjCuFJR71a1TAt60kDO1zDNBAUxgkZ-JHJ4B2Y9cXzG7Rf7E8G6TAMcbFiLhLPsHo-gB1UmlDUnNEtqqoV8iH0-GsEdDm00fxKTizkOiDHl9VHq44bSB2WjAiV0Y_E18bXDIu8/s1600/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikcU3bepjCuFJR71a1TAt60kDO1zDNBAUxgkZ-JHJ4B2Y9cXzG7Rf7E8G6TAMcbFiLhLPsHo-gB1UmlDUnNEtqqoV8iH0-GsEdDm00fxKTizkOiDHl9VHq44bSB2WjAiV0Y_E18bXDIu8/s320/EyeletStripeTeeOutfit4.jpg" width="224" /></a><br />
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<br />
<b>Item 13: Green A-line knit skirt</b><br />
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Finally, a skirt to round things out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkY1jDWhkHkHncsha6qaTdS1tICnFtA0xQLcqkjoVmJvXhHKgqIfCVt_v1NHZjQaEe42waHsr1e3tQFxbsTR6WsGN4eC-HwlJ98EH0277UEyE4D_0cL4F0n3am_kIu1wZN63v5MwmAjA/s1600/GreenSkirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkY1jDWhkHkHncsha6qaTdS1tICnFtA0xQLcqkjoVmJvXhHKgqIfCVt_v1NHZjQaEe42waHsr1e3tQFxbsTR6WsGN4eC-HwlJ98EH0277UEyE4D_0cL4F0n3am_kIu1wZN63v5MwmAjA/s320/GreenSkirt.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
And the final set of outfits:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRQup6iGuU-dEqwmHkCb_yJ0dmp5iwX9yHJLM-ZdJpYQDQXce2kZ_EVKshUF1e_WvHwcxvMNLVBLQsjVy7bsATJ3Lz7D3_P-DaaygFapkOpvZUyKQ0Aeelzh3QkzhECxz2N1lAjQK6sQ/s1600/GreenSkirtOutfit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRQup6iGuU-dEqwmHkCb_yJ0dmp5iwX9yHJLM-ZdJpYQDQXce2kZ_EVKshUF1e_WvHwcxvMNLVBLQsjVy7bsATJ3Lz7D3_P-DaaygFapkOpvZUyKQ0Aeelzh3QkzhECxz2N1lAjQK6sQ/s320/GreenSkirtOutfit1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSF_fL1U30mF8C56m-PTKMfiygs7ySnhTaTT-4PNoBzRKFO1X8vPS9xjH9eedSQOiBPtBe4nKLZBTR6p9CJ8vNrZ0kVdAkcXi0xO35A_hZqdwkI0DUlBX6aGNOaQJg1QL3m9fHYClBZ8/s1600/GreenSkirtOutfit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSF_fL1U30mF8C56m-PTKMfiygs7ySnhTaTT-4PNoBzRKFO1X8vPS9xjH9eedSQOiBPtBe4nKLZBTR6p9CJ8vNrZ0kVdAkcXi0xO35A_hZqdwkI0DUlBX6aGNOaQJg1QL3m9fHYClBZ8/s320/GreenSkirtOutfit2.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqdyY2xCzYe2V6zjf4OphzZK_kd6U6exhco1pmKCheITQYWBTlxhzKJmf1p4aZ3YTo_MatqJNKVoY6Mq4NC5C_kchrFprAyYINJe3MF1yEyjAAnHuXfa3n3o0aXMNqyq_AobGjGJjinM/s1600/GreenSkirtOutfit3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqdyY2xCzYe2V6zjf4OphzZK_kd6U6exhco1pmKCheITQYWBTlxhzKJmf1p4aZ3YTo_MatqJNKVoY6Mq4NC5C_kchrFprAyYINJe3MF1yEyjAAnHuXfa3n3o0aXMNqyq_AobGjGJjinM/s320/GreenSkirtOutfit3.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhr9eOsnzE7TycQ7pTp0UAxY_iKZGR4jwgqRW9Bg8AynDaOy30C_H1fTS1xfzJWxvHB7bDS3-uwvr3Y8A9HcW0sn_-ilxGGJXnOkmThxEob5KuePjq1BHscjY2E282AcsumdcVlx7QfYY/s1600/GreenSkirtOutfit4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhr9eOsnzE7TycQ7pTp0UAxY_iKZGR4jwgqRW9Bg8AynDaOy30C_H1fTS1xfzJWxvHB7bDS3-uwvr3Y8A9HcW0sn_-ilxGGJXnOkmThxEob5KuePjq1BHscjY2E282AcsumdcVlx7QfYY/s320/GreenSkirtOutfit4.jpg" width="226" /></a><br />
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And the final capsule:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlnPCx24Aj6h6L2BYBWXi_OPB_5D7mIqI9hQhoLt1mPgp-EpL4APELXx8iRj0BJKNzV9fPS28YKUEPpPfzvsGyyAfcMsI3QGSfioJ5RajP9mLDGN8vocW6-qechyYYgQHpUoNoNVWV6o/s1600/Round4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlnPCx24Aj6h6L2BYBWXi_OPB_5D7mIqI9hQhoLt1mPgp-EpL4APELXx8iRj0BJKNzV9fPS28YKUEPpPfzvsGyyAfcMsI3QGSfioJ5RajP9mLDGN8vocW6-qechyYYgQHpUoNoNVWV6o/s400/Round4.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>What worked about this system for me:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I really like that the process begins with a single outfit -- that's such a manageable starting point. I think even people who don't feel great about their wardrobe in general usually have at least one outfit they like to wear. It's great to begin from that place of confidence.</li>
<li>The process encouraged me to think through <i>why</i> I was adding each item to my capsule -- not just "do I like this item" but "how does it function as part of the whole."</li>
<li>It also focuses on the creation of outfits, not just the assembly of the capsule -- exactly what I had felt was missing from my previous forays in this area.</li>
<li>This is the first capsule wardrobe scheme I've encountered that accommodates my need for layering. Most capsule-building advice leaves you with something like a blazer and two cardigans, but this system gives me roughly equal numbers of tops and second layers. Yay!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>What didn't work:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I found it difficult to introduce different silhouettes into my wardrobe. I am picky about the proportions between the top and bottom of an outfit, and as a result I felt a bit trapped in the "skinnies / top / long sweater" outfit formula that I started out with.</li>
<li>I also felt constrained by the small number of items to choose from, especially early on in the capsule-building process. Remixing as I added each item gave me outfits that I <i>could</i> wear, but often they weren't outfits that I really wanted to wear. I knew I had better combinations in my closet than what the process was giving me.</li>
<li>Items added early get used in more outfits than items added late -- I never thought I would say this, but I am well and truly sick of looking at that Aran cardigan! Another consequence of this is that the process doesn't facilitate wearing all the items in the capsule evenly. (I realize that once the capsule is assembled you can mix the items up into new outfits -- but wouldn't it be great if the process of building the capsule gave you more of a head start at planning the outfits you wanted to wear?)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b>What surprised me:</b><br />
<br />
It occurred to me that this process results in the creation of 40 outfits from a 16-item capsule. Do the exercise twice and you have a 32-item wardrobe and 80 outfits. That's about the number of outfits that will get you through a three-month season, and -- oh hey, that's right around the number of items featured in a lot of capsule wardrobe schemes. (I realize that those systems sometimes include shoes and/or accessories, which I haven't done here -- but not always.) So it turns out there's some theory behind those supposedly "arbitrary" item limits after all.<br />
<br />
I have to say this was a hugely, hugely useful epiphany for me. I think a kind of "fear of scarcity" has made it difficult for me to pare down my wardrobe in the past. But here was evidence that 10 bottoms, 12 tops, and 10 sweaters would give me a different outfit every day (N.B.: One doesn't actually need to wear a different outfit every day.) for a whole season. Here was hard proof of how much is Enough.<br />
<br />
And this insight, combined with the pluses and minuses I identified as I went through the exercise, gave me an idea about how to tweak the process to make it more useful for assembling a capsule from clothes I already own. I'll show you what I came up with in my next post.<br />
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{Update: you can read that <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-to-build-capsule-wardrobe-rational.html" target="_blank">next post right here</a>.}Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-70735775960793515032016-04-30T17:59:00.002-07:002016-04-30T17:59:52.277-07:00My home this season: April 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYNiL6cxisHIFz2bh-s1HILaol-_5aLeXyOgdcPQfEtRCQPKRQGH6DL47Ixyq6PKd4-zZkBqZlLfKivbUH75NCm8qZ9Iiih3Xlb4tvjZnlOQcq0n3XO6uFT1yKdI__K-_bQAIzjyUhEU/s1600/AprilHome_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYNiL6cxisHIFz2bh-s1HILaol-_5aLeXyOgdcPQfEtRCQPKRQGH6DL47Ixyq6PKd4-zZkBqZlLfKivbUH75NCm8qZ9Iiih3Xlb4tvjZnlOQcq0n3XO6uFT1yKdI__K-_bQAIzjyUhEU/s640/AprilHome_1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">Here is a little planting bed -- formerly the bottom pool of a water feature that was non-functional by the time we moved in to our house -- just outside our living room sliding door. </span><br />
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Almost everything in this bed is a Pacific Northwest native plant -- western meadow rue, fringecup, yellow violet, beach strawberry, columbine, TWO kinds of camas (I am inordinately proud of growing this plant!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTGkrhFbmrPXvFZ50uUB5yFDRHEFXZog49TvW-Zd9CUdleNETp0-8R1pjQJlzN7CEDSf9XkznQ0ys1EwQT599dIzGbHRsTsFFWiFMce6I1nN9nk6ftFtHxEooaww-W85WQqi_qb95LP8/s1600/AprilHome_Camas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTGkrhFbmrPXvFZ50uUB5yFDRHEFXZog49TvW-Zd9CUdleNETp0-8R1pjQJlzN7CEDSf9XkznQ0ys1EwQT599dIzGbHRsTsFFWiFMce6I1nN9nk6ftFtHxEooaww-W85WQqi_qb95LP8/s640/AprilHome_Camas.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I don't think my husband is a huge fan of what I've done with this spot, and I admit it looks rather messy -- but that's precisely what I like about it. The way the wild plants have been allowed to grow, well, wild, and they've filled in the space with drifts and mounds of subtle flowers and delicate leaf shapes. (In fact, "what I've done with this spot" is not really accurate -- mostly, it's been the plants' doing.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0h0ZhxR-uz1oRokxp_nGCg1AOx7OyznqCHUAuo-UteP9HBkHcCAdNSqIwhqF_zWGIEUQeIN6mcAfxG93Iva4QQD_mHaIWnKRhQnGC5OWtyHqvAA7dO9CHEw46bUhl1L0BoVLbL0haas/s1600/AprilHome_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX0h0ZhxR-uz1oRokxp_nGCg1AOx7OyznqCHUAuo-UteP9HBkHcCAdNSqIwhqF_zWGIEUQeIN6mcAfxG93Iva4QQD_mHaIWnKRhQnGC5OWtyHqvAA7dO9CHEw46bUhl1L0BoVLbL0haas/s640/AprilHome_2.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Why am I posting photos of my garden under the aegis of my monthly "what my home looks like these days" update? Well, to remind myself that our outdoor space is our home too. That's something I've been ignoring lately, to be honest. I've been frustrated by the fact that we've lived here for 11 years, and we've worked steadily on the yard every year, but it's STILL overrun with weeds and invasives, and we <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/08/works-in-progress-front-yard-garden.html">STILL don't have an overall landscape plan</a> to guide us.<br />
<br />
The truth is, our lot is substantially larger than I really want to take care of (a function of the outlying neighborhood where we could afford to buy a house). And at least one-third of it consists of rockery, slope, and parking strip that is inaccessible, difficult to maintain, and/or not really useful as a space for us to actually spend time in.<br />
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So I've just felt done with it all -- I don't want this, so I'm pretending I don't have to deal with it. It's too much work, and I don't have time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4YdySGD8ZNTR0ugwCTgt8eijjyp6Uqv0ifpLZSKzNHtpmK-Ne5RS7UtU7t4zFvNg6dmUztLuraxtoHEdwrMHTFs8V_67s8Hyi5qYkcO70d68KkY4YOcdnRKvcSroxp7jofV_dTHIfzA/s1600/AprilHome_Columbine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4YdySGD8ZNTR0ugwCTgt8eijjyp6Uqv0ifpLZSKzNHtpmK-Ne5RS7UtU7t4zFvNg6dmUztLuraxtoHEdwrMHTFs8V_67s8Hyi5qYkcO70d68KkY4YOcdnRKvcSroxp7jofV_dTHIfzA/s640/AprilHome_Columbine.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
And then I thought about something I read in one of Marie Kondo's books. (I know, I know -- go ahead and roll your eyes.) She says you have to take care of your home, even if you're not thrilled with the home itself, because your current home leads you to your next home. To be clear, we're not planning on moving anytime soon, so we're not actually looking for our next home. But something about that admittedly woo-woo formulation seemed useful to me in dealing with the ambivalence I've always felt about the house itself. (Basically, the way I put it is -- we bought in an extremely hot market, so I knew I would have to compromise on space, style, or location, but I was kind of bummed about having to compromise on all three.)<br />
<br />
And a week or two ago it occurred to me -- ohhhhh, that all goes for the yard, too. I realized that lately I haven't been fair to our little patch of habitat. So I'm trying to re-engage. And while this little pool doesn't quite constitute an overall landscape plan, come to think of it, it's a glimpse of what I'd like to achieve.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwKVmq8xOu7RF-BSUHZqJQuvWqjlm0qrBje3vr7oIAUXomPWyGs0H9s9FPEvxwTkWkySltwqHN4EirHILOubMXmAP9x9e6_uGsReXSOT3UtOuqu3KotTst-UdizybT4ba6EyitDHig7Y/s1600/AprilHome_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwKVmq8xOu7RF-BSUHZqJQuvWqjlm0qrBje3vr7oIAUXomPWyGs0H9s9FPEvxwTkWkySltwqHN4EirHILOubMXmAP9x9e6_uGsReXSOT3UtOuqu3KotTst-UdizybT4ba6EyitDHig7Y/s640/AprilHome_3.JPG" width="640" /></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-53942417283850640082016-04-10T17:53:00.001-07:002016-04-10T17:53:24.778-07:00Eating lately: As good as they say<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweMT0Vxz0EjS8RxSdIANqeCJrlzQ53tNbnmDmvCqYXADdEFYhYsAKbfrfBuWm4rqBapTaPzCA-gfChv78jO0QaTatJi25b803J0WOUU7EsUjHCtOzcAAnDqaW7xp9ahFHiBjtmnFi-OA/s1600/Meal.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweMT0Vxz0EjS8RxSdIANqeCJrlzQ53tNbnmDmvCqYXADdEFYhYsAKbfrfBuWm4rqBapTaPzCA-gfChv78jO0QaTatJi25b803J0WOUU7EsUjHCtOzcAAnDqaW7xp9ahFHiBjtmnFi-OA/s640/Meal.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Here's a recent meal made up of two recipes that came highly (<i>highly!</i>) recommended from various quarters of the internet. Both of them, happily, lived up to the hype so I thought I would share.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTEb911jE2NIgAPmabNJVUuB1qvtd2LReQ05iBCE0XOGyaFK0YNu2vNNjascXmqmP5NC7LjeMoFhlTQp0zyTUQN2gwNrccRPM6mA1mMjpMlLZPFeWu7loDGwk33lsLLt3ZzoIvRt74Ww/s1600/ParmesanRoastedCauliflower.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGTEb911jE2NIgAPmabNJVUuB1qvtd2LReQ05iBCE0XOGyaFK0YNu2vNNjascXmqmP5NC7LjeMoFhlTQp0zyTUQN2gwNrccRPM6mA1mMjpMlLZPFeWu7loDGwk33lsLLt3ZzoIvRt74Ww/s640/ParmesanRoastedCauliflower.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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First, Parmesan-roasted cauliflower. I discovered this recipe on the the delightful <a href="http://www.assortmentblog.com/assortment/2016/03/mollys-parmesan-roasted-cauliflower.html" target="_blank">simple-living blog known as Assortment</a>; it comes from <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/article/all-winter-vegetables-taste-better-roasted-especially-this-cauliflower" target="_blank">Allie Lewis Clapp of Bon Appetit</a> via <a href="http://orangette.net/2014/03/call-it-a-meal/" target="_blank">Molly Wizenberg of Orangette</a>. Everyone who writes about this dish seems to apologize for its simplicity and then shout its deliciousness from the rooftops. Consider this my addition to the genre.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJV13RSDdA3Sa-MzPCnc_cfWgDd2B2_BjZrubEcWojsV6oF_4-tT-z_cIheTzjZuElJQFbQIVPOfLgpotBk3pA0enMWYr3wlrYkyi6o6XvR1gR6HcoDiu8ThOR2vAJHezIRBghaFa_A8/s1600/ParmesanRoastedCauliflower2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJV13RSDdA3Sa-MzPCnc_cfWgDd2B2_BjZrubEcWojsV6oF_4-tT-z_cIheTzjZuElJQFbQIVPOfLgpotBk3pA0enMWYr3wlrYkyi6o6XvR1gR6HcoDiu8ThOR2vAJHezIRBghaFa_A8/s640/ParmesanRoastedCauliflower2.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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(One small tweak I may make next time, though, is to steam the cauliflower by covering it with an inverted baking sheet for the first 5 minutes of cooking -- a trick I learned from the America's Test Kitchen recipe for oven fries. I think that should help the thicker parts of the cauliflower soften and cook through before the smaller morsels and onions get too far beyond the desired "just this side of burnt" stage.)<br />
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With my cauliflower -- the Romanesco version works just as well here as the common white stuff -- I served a hearty spoonful of chick peas. This dish was inspired by a recipe I <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172122016978878222/" target="_blank">pinned ages and ages ago</a> from the blog <a href="http://hungrybruno.blogspot.com/2012/05/chickpeas-just-chickpeas.html" target="_blank">Hungry Bruno</a>. I liked the idea of "just chick peas," but to make things really work according to the original recipe, I think it would be necessary to cook the chick peas from scratch. Here I made do with the canned version, mashed them up partially, and simmered them for about 20 minutes with some olive oil, a little bit of vegetable broth, and some finely chopped, spicy Mama Lil's peppers. And despite my rather loose interpretation of the recipe, this one, too, was as good as they say.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-52726821472623422052016-03-31T18:54:00.000-07:002016-03-31T18:54:07.877-07:00My home this season: March 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">March came in like a lion and we made a terrarium with what it left behind.</span><br />
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(Wooden pysanky eggs, previously: <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2011/04/symmetry.html">1</a> | <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-decorating.html">2</a> | <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/04/on-symmetry-yet-again.html">3</a> )Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-29086766476267402492016-03-20T09:41:00.001-07:002016-03-20T09:41:22.785-07:00Finished objects: New dish towels, and a defense of downcycling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi_z8cFGAkKNyLEhmKaTJqlPjZKKhwfwWWP9rxUCFAQJml8f8eLvYxwh8hwPiMbanYk_vjqu7q6ddzen5MzoBQqLKto4Bz6lw19QDxk1k5hfZQOqf-dkMz6sPgJDKDTZ0Llr4lUOp5u8/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRi_z8cFGAkKNyLEhmKaTJqlPjZKKhwfwWWP9rxUCFAQJml8f8eLvYxwh8hwPiMbanYk_vjqu7q6ddzen5MzoBQqLKto4Bz6lw19QDxk1k5hfZQOqf-dkMz6sPgJDKDTZ0Llr4lUOp5u8/s640/photo+4.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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Upcycling is all the rage these days. Upcycled this and that are so omnipresent on Pinterest, Etsy, and various blogs that for a long time I wasn't even aware that the term "upcycling" was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling" target="_blank">coined along with, and in opposition to</a>, "downcycling."</div>
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Briefly, downcycling describes most recycling processes, in which discarded items are transformed into new products of lesser quality, while upcycling involves transforming trash into something better than it was to begin with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQZVFG2hbSOvDAH2_kc0qU_YBmgJfL8g8NWGzhLBcpIxTsf-AkQjlX54qGjijgzv7C2oTT7UuYEj5H0rn1OD6-WbyMNYQXJUdog0SyWRGEmisNWWw8UDtM4f3w_9FgYhNO9oGjgrtdGs/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQZVFG2hbSOvDAH2_kc0qU_YBmgJfL8g8NWGzhLBcpIxTsf-AkQjlX54qGjijgzv7C2oTT7UuYEj5H0rn1OD6-WbyMNYQXJUdog0SyWRGEmisNWWw8UDtM4f3w_9FgYhNO9oGjgrtdGs/s640/photo+5.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's hard to argue that upcycling is a good thing to strive for when it comes to industrial recycling, but in everyday life I think the idea of downcycling deserves a second look.<br />
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That's because even though it makes me sound like a crank, I have to say that quite a few "upcycled" craft projects strike me as a little bit, well, lipstick on a pig*. (It would be unkind of me to actually point out examples...but I bet you can think of some.)<br />
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Instead I think: Why not just accept that with time and use things will get downgraded to lesser purposes, without having to hide the fact that they have become stained or worn?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaG1LKCtf1HmXWu5MPLxDQMgmAoXCH64mQMsEjAHtKE8xFtHTCt4fRvvoL9GUmB3LFpATEmWOranWTltaqZIA5SGcMNa1mWZd9PuL4oUjObdgNSu7_k_qikDC2y5A7CrAoq0o85Ww_Tg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWaG1LKCtf1HmXWu5MPLxDQMgmAoXCH64mQMsEjAHtKE8xFtHTCt4fRvvoL9GUmB3LFpATEmWOranWTltaqZIA5SGcMNa1mWZd9PuL4oUjObdgNSu7_k_qikDC2y5A7CrAoq0o85Ww_Tg/s640/photo+4.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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That is, "creative reuse" doesn't necessarily require fancying things up: Not everything needs to be a silk purse. A sow's ear is good for its purpose. A dishrag doesn't need a doily embellishment.<br />
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This is what I had in mind recently when I made some dish towels from an old tablecloth that belonged to my grandparents. It was given to them as a wedding present, so it must be almost 75 years old, can you imagine?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlBj2M8A7E7UAEyB8Plv7Eez1tRacMrOw2VUvgN48sgQdmuOInplKdAjWh9l3ZLi47MPEp3__9x0lPDJzi4QFQla8yuvi565YTFECq01h72RqPLJT0aMF2LoAMdJ1jFdkK7BLcBIVr2o/s1600/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlBj2M8A7E7UAEyB8Plv7Eez1tRacMrOw2VUvgN48sgQdmuOInplKdAjWh9l3ZLi47MPEp3__9x0lPDJzi4QFQla8yuvi565YTFECq01h72RqPLJT0aMF2LoAMdJ1jFdkK7BLcBIVr2o/s640/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's pretty threadbare -- even worn through in spots -- and not really in good enough shape to use as a tablecloth, even for a picnic.<br />
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But it's super soft and the color scheme is pretty, and I thought the fabric might have some life in it yet.<br />
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I might not have dared to do this on my own, but fortunately my mother views her mother-in-law's possessions less reverently than I view my grandmother's. >:-)> (<--Devil smiley)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCvUaOcsGhc6uycTXBA68ZRFGKsi2pY9I6skoi0SfUXb_0XkIKwzVF0thgoRpzkA-UlM0l9udKS_pAO6b4JVBCsNSB0MFaOywS39zt52SyIYLA2T_ZTZlvGafU-rjrKSt0zUWa2U1oDQ/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyCvUaOcsGhc6uycTXBA68ZRFGKsi2pY9I6skoi0SfUXb_0XkIKwzVF0thgoRpzkA-UlM0l9udKS_pAO6b4JVBCsNSB0MFaOywS39zt52SyIYLA2T_ZTZlvGafU-rjrKSt0zUWa2U1oDQ/s640/photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsYnqjvSGt2tjmqVgniXp_bJY6kXw3eGet-og8BjYl_1WcJrFx_jAa8yiNPr3f8GbGV_q12H78HRIQ9FWkuu-5K91fJL76kRhtUsSZuH_QZk1lkewZZvnpxkySJO5CgaXoXBNZjWAbb0/s1600/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsYnqjvSGt2tjmqVgniXp_bJY6kXw3eGet-og8BjYl_1WcJrFx_jAa8yiNPr3f8GbGV_q12H78HRIQ9FWkuu-5K91fJL76kRhtUsSZuH_QZk1lkewZZvnpxkySJO5CgaXoXBNZjWAbb0/s640/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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This was a very simple project: I just cut the cloth into six roughly equal sections, using the grid pattern of the fabric as a guide, and hemmed the raw edges. I thought about using this project as an opportunity to learn how to make mitered corners...but in the end I didn't bother.<br />
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I have to admit that some parts of the fabric are in worse shape than I had realized. I should probably patch some of those holes (NOT with a doily!). So this project might end up being more a meditation on wear and reuse than an actual source of new dish towels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNQjiNHZYh0F8d4y7PSqrxn_Oloy9DUA6HjOuJMtkbTNGmQ1zb8VpML45D0PhiKZAVGCyw0N4a9uQGJ-rz0p8NFAP_Q9AKbknjSvOXiEm_mLRBNUv_N3pDx9ms8CWwm2loYPMcbq1lbw/s1600/photo+2%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRNQjiNHZYh0F8d4y7PSqrxn_Oloy9DUA6HjOuJMtkbTNGmQ1zb8VpML45D0PhiKZAVGCyw0N4a9uQGJ-rz0p8NFAP_Q9AKbknjSvOXiEm_mLRBNUv_N3pDx9ms8CWwm2loYPMcbq1lbw/s640/photo+2%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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On the other hand, while the fabric itself may not be in much better condition than our existing kitchen linens, these towels are a lot more absorbent. I prefer them from an aesthetic perspective too, for their soft colors and uniform pattern. Perhaps most of all, I like the way these towels give me the chance to ponder the history of objects as I go about my everyday life.<br />
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*Not to be confused with "lipstick on Pig," which is what my daughter heard when she heard me say the phrase recently. Pig, of course, being the name of <a href="http://pig ron weasley" target="_blank">Ron Weasley's owl</a>. Actually, I think "lipstick on Pig" should be a saying, too. It would mean something along the lines of "gilding the lily," but rather than indicating an attempt to improve on perfection, it would signify an attempt to prettify something for which prettification is irrelevant. So, a cross between "gilding the lily" and "like a fish needs a bicycle." So now you'll know what I mean when I use the phrase in everyday conversation, which I absolutely plan to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PnUbtBC2RX6NSeccO-QzHnuJV41HIRrZAQn53K2WD8aqleHFnefc48SLKb63DLwPSmvwHk4-TGsboLZdTQkrwLnQz0Se000CRRKaZtk17GnfcxBLzDQvY4Ev3_UBF2QIu8au-jLVfIk/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9PnUbtBC2RX6NSeccO-QzHnuJV41HIRrZAQn53K2WD8aqleHFnefc48SLKb63DLwPSmvwHk4-TGsboLZdTQkrwLnQz0Se000CRRKaZtk17GnfcxBLzDQvY4Ev3_UBF2QIu8au-jLVfIk/s640/photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-46107535868529602322016-03-12T16:09:00.001-08:002016-03-12T16:09:15.961-08:00Late-winter pick-me-up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGo0kOI7dS7lIdyhbWOSpXQH3YHD5Nflk4v06zXAahbXqCmAlwrHbkbV8vwm7UOzsCbZ08oHy5UVHIzjmEIdKc4ZvipvV9hLNqBsdIcLGQuDEgYKsni5q8lfIP1BDXHNR9zbc_Bvsbfw/s1600/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTGo0kOI7dS7lIdyhbWOSpXQH3YHD5Nflk4v06zXAahbXqCmAlwrHbkbV8vwm7UOzsCbZ08oHy5UVHIzjmEIdKc4ZvipvV9hLNqBsdIcLGQuDEgYKsni5q8lfIP1BDXHNR9zbc_Bvsbfw/s640/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<i>(This post contains affiliate links.)</i><br />
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Spring is definitely on the way, but here in Seattle the seasonal transition involves quite a bit of dithering on the part of the weather. Here are four things -- slightly random, but they all hang together for me somehow -- we have been enjoying while we wait out the frigid rain squalls.<br />
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1. Julia Rothman's <i>Nature Anatomy </i>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1612122310/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1612122310&linkCode=as2&tag=becomgezel-20&linkId=WTGG3AXXVOQTWT6H" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/nature-anatomy-the-curious-parts-and-pieces-of-the-natural-world-9781612122311?partnerid=44247&p_ti" rel="powells-9781612122311" title="More info about this book at powells.com">Powell's</a> )was an impulse purchase, of the "I'm buying this for my kid, <i>no really</i>" variety. In this case though I'm happy to say my daughter actually has gotten good use out of it -- in fact she read it cover to cover as if it were a novel. (There's no narrative to it, it's basically just a series of labeled illustrations of various types of animals, habitats, and landforms, with facts delivered in short captions along the way.) A nice reminder of the gorgeous things out there waiting for us when the season turns, and the gorgeous words available to us in the meantime.<br />
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2. I've set myself a goal of reading a book a month this year, inspired by <a href="http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/12/the-tail-end.html" target="_blank">this post from Wait But Why</a> that I mentioned in the comment section of <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/01/weekend-reading-on-marie-kondo-and.html">one of my posts a while back</a>. In the post, writer Tim Urban visualizes the number of times he is likely to do various things in the amount of his life that is left to him (assuming -- knock on wood -- a 90-year lifespan). I found the bit about books especially sobering:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I read about five books a year, so even though it feels like I’ll read an endless number of books in the future, I actually have to choose only 300 of all the books out there to read and accept that I’ll sign off for eternity without knowing what goes on in all the rest."</span></span></blockquote>
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Even more so because since my daughter was born over 8 years ago I have only read a handful of books. I've plowed through a fair number of <i>New Yorker</i> articles, sure, and quite a few blog posts (of course, it goes without saying, some lovely and thoughtful ones!). But books? Seriously, maybe one per <i>year</i>. (I blame <a href="http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-wellbeing/brigid-schulte-why-time-is-a-feminist-issue-20150309-13zimc.html" target="_blank">time confetti</a>.) One book per month probably seems like a laughably low bar to some of you, but better to start somewhere.<br />
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February's book was <i>The Wolf Wilder </i>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481419420/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1481419420&linkCode=as2&tag=becomgezel-20&linkId=5GNLLOPTCZC55DCU" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/wolf-wilder-9781481419420?partnerid=44247&p_ti" rel="powells-9781481419420" title="More info about this book at powells.com">Powell's</a>), a middle-grade novel about a twelve-year-old girl in late-Tsarist Russia who teaches wolves formerly kept as pets by aristocrats to be wild again, and the struggles that ensue when she and her mother run afoul of the cruel and powerful General Rakov. I recently came across a description of middle grade novels as basically poetry without the pretension -- the idea being that they often contain beautiful language and figures of speech, but you don't have to stress out about whether or not you're "getting it." <i>The Wolf Wilder</i> illustrates that well: "The sky was the blue of winter palaces. The snow stretched, untouched, for miles and the half-grown trees dipped like praying polar bears." You might even begin to wish that winter wouldn't end after all.<br />
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For the record, the actual middle-grader in my household also read the book, and she says she liked it, although fair warning: too many animals died for her taste. Some of these deaths occur off-page, as it were, but my kiddo is a sensitive sort; she's been known to abandon more than one book because a character said an unkind word about a cat.<br />
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3. On a different note, having <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/01/weekending-20164.html">exhausted my "log fire" candle</a>, I bought a new one with the new season in mind, smelling of citrus blossoms and tropical fruits: Volcano by Capri Blue (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&index=aps&keywords=Capri%20Blue%20volcano%20candle&linkCode=as2&tag=becomgezel-20&linkId=YUGBTRDR7USBF65S" target="_blank">Amazon</a>). I have to admit that I wish it didn't smell so <i>exactly</i> like the inside of an Anthropologie store (mostly because I am embarrassed that I have apparently spent enough time in Anthropologie to have developed this distinct sensory association), but it's a lovely scent anyhow and a nice little sensory treat to go along with reading time.<br />
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4. Finally, a museum visit is another nice thing on a crummy weekend day. I like the <a href="http://fryemuseum.org/" target="_blank">Frye Art Museum</a> here in Seattle. It's a great place to visit with kids because it's small, the exhibits are often quirky in a way that engages kids and grownups alike, and admission and parking (in a lot directly across the street) are free, which really takes the pressure off. My daughter and I went there to see a (very abbreviated, as it turned out) <a href="http://fryemuseum.org/exhibition/6260/" target="_blank">exhibit of Russian paintings</a>. I liked watching the expression on her face when I suggested that some of the paintings could be of characters from <i>The Wolf Wilder </i>-- half "Mom, you're so embarrassing" smirk, half delighted smile at the idea.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAi4kkzG1gkN18X75dTD6IDLNLhkUgcX9EzpovOMsQl1umfUJW3ekiX_xTScOAeJnE2CfbQ60XF0Q_pJ0bQgSHT9jU4nJ7iSgdhlmuDaBSunWJILk6e-brilpls2o7jwY_iYkaLsbNNE/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAi4kkzG1gkN18X75dTD6IDLNLhkUgcX9EzpovOMsQl1umfUJW3ekiX_xTScOAeJnE2CfbQ60XF0Q_pJ0bQgSHT9jU4nJ7iSgdhlmuDaBSunWJILk6e-brilpls2o7jwY_iYkaLsbNNE/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Leon Gaspard, "Head of a Russian boy" [...or is it Ilya?]</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpo7R93MmmfXbkjxbMm4yorU74aftcIrZQTeLV2TBWvpgG_xmzMRP5DXYDAnJ9mr5rqPMWbaGqX47I5ghays0pF5ZaAkM0l1G4Vzr8KOycsZuKPuBj3g9armR6MO00eUCcF_-EmUPejas/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpo7R93MmmfXbkjxbMm4yorU74aftcIrZQTeLV2TBWvpgG_xmzMRP5DXYDAnJ9mr5rqPMWbaGqX47I5ghays0pF5ZaAkM0l1G4Vzr8KOycsZuKPuBj3g9armR6MO00eUCcF_-EmUPejas/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Ilya Repin, "Cossack girl," 1889 [...possibly Feo?] </td></tr>
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Though some might argue the best part of a museum visit is the cafe at the end. I don't think that's quite right, but I'm not above resorting to a little bribery....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDT2NH72s4vKUVMGyQx7FJZUTQ4-1su8NmjZ_g5rLdx19eQJjIxySQUCy22tePachmx6b4nxRyagsr1hp_Agl9Tg5megdWweI_ptFHu06WKfvVrMRQUt9B0O8eaz3Ha88Rh0A1GsVF5Gc/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDT2NH72s4vKUVMGyQx7FJZUTQ4-1su8NmjZ_g5rLdx19eQJjIxySQUCy22tePachmx6b4nxRyagsr1hp_Agl9Tg5megdWweI_ptFHu06WKfvVrMRQUt9B0O8eaz3Ha88Rh0A1GsVF5Gc/s640/photo+5.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-6479648407215120722016-02-27T19:10:00.001-08:002016-02-27T19:10:09.353-08:00My home this season: February 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qzdEQf3YyPg-e2v6pp0JV_qgiLRW_slgQfETOUTH6BxM0O12PFPuTZgGGIRG9wQx7qYoVeLu2x3XAGQUtkK9rvETcVJnylnclk63oCYNqWZDmPxqKgagOPpB9qq1HCMFjH8Y8svPGRI/s1600/MantelFeb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qzdEQf3YyPg-e2v6pp0JV_qgiLRW_slgQfETOUTH6BxM0O12PFPuTZgGGIRG9wQx7qYoVeLu2x3XAGQUtkK9rvETcVJnylnclk63oCYNqWZDmPxqKgagOPpB9qq1HCMFjH8Y8svPGRI/s640/MantelFeb16.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I wanted to post a few recent snaps of my house and link up with <a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/photo/styling-the-seasons-february-3/" target="_blank">Styling the Seasons</a> again, sneaking in just under the wire before the month is over.</span><br />
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So: the meaning of February. Hearts, of course, and my daughter contributed some worthy ones, made in her after-school art class.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkBnw0YZ1o9aZXBc1D4DK_vngCYqAH_xFOTLcMkYTJbeqEtcVZME8EVJf9h6xIENi8xRUTDkfY7zlARyF2tSjnkiExRnqIabODZmTU4h1zokkpPILpwSm0UaqcMgxPHE0ZzGM4vt8w2k/s1600/BigHeart_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkBnw0YZ1o9aZXBc1D4DK_vngCYqAH_xFOTLcMkYTJbeqEtcVZME8EVJf9h6xIENi8xRUTDkfY7zlARyF2tSjnkiExRnqIabODZmTU4h1zokkpPILpwSm0UaqcMgxPHE0ZzGM4vt8w2k/s640/BigHeart_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyY2TrNbo2dFe9Fuh2sh25F2czV6BEo09Bo3a4LVHWnAUQdhXMBicuEfQsdjhmmsOiNcudkZ2YG7apKXAf3FsnxI8myEE_lXQQuvLR_PmBxRnHzhUP3zMHv61_fK9_Agrf8b_l-fTVVQ/s1600/BirdHearts_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisyY2TrNbo2dFe9Fuh2sh25F2czV6BEo09Bo3a4LVHWnAUQdhXMBicuEfQsdjhmmsOiNcudkZ2YG7apKXAf3FsnxI8myEE_lXQQuvLR_PmBxRnHzhUP3zMHv61_fK9_Agrf8b_l-fTVVQ/s640/BirdHearts_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And flowers, no doubt. Tiny, star-like daffodils are cheering, and the perfume of hyacinths is heady, amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz61DC56K9FeX2geI4WgQA-Q5drzI0nJWH_Qcn2R-O6MkoPpGCzWZ5lN90tF6xzhrF6dysK3PkFZAdlAO2GZSMEUbj977_JXQHMv0CHIzbn_ri5JfmrpwXRAFZqliWvOqzQcQRfiXAz6I/s1600/Daffodil_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz61DC56K9FeX2geI4WgQA-Q5drzI0nJWH_Qcn2R-O6MkoPpGCzWZ5lN90tF6xzhrF6dysK3PkFZAdlAO2GZSMEUbj977_JXQHMv0CHIzbn_ri5JfmrpwXRAFZqliWvOqzQcQRfiXAz6I/s640/Daffodil_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoXk3HHLRVHt7FMrs8zWKSMSfHN1ryIpLwK-Rk7x7ABUFoXcHMdbpDvG29vJrOlKvI3qPzMQFfMY0dnzAiX1k8gC5spWnL18UTePg-tdcWpyGUIHwh7-Kwuf2b05yorg-ZHWSlf1JBww/s1600/MantelLeft_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoXk3HHLRVHt7FMrs8zWKSMSfHN1ryIpLwK-Rk7x7ABUFoXcHMdbpDvG29vJrOlKvI3qPzMQFfMY0dnzAiX1k8gC5spWnL18UTePg-tdcWpyGUIHwh7-Kwuf2b05yorg-ZHWSlf1JBww/s640/MantelLeft_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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But I think equally expressive of love and tenderness is the idea of roots: those delicate, usually hidden parts that both feed the blossom and are, once we really look at them, equally wondrous. That's a better metaphor for what we witness, and what we cherish, when we love someone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqmLE8rmNtgktxnXqKem3r9x9GHGgbb1EFqqZNhDYM9pd0U8zPcEcqy9t0pjtSHqipyYnqByyLm2SVPZUFKpd75-AbYmeFa-QVSxupllRYC_z7JtZQlJAHmOyyKNu9dhG3o5Sv0tBplA/s1600/Bulbs_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqmLE8rmNtgktxnXqKem3r9x9GHGgbb1EFqqZNhDYM9pd0U8zPcEcqy9t0pjtSHqipyYnqByyLm2SVPZUFKpd75-AbYmeFa-QVSxupllRYC_z7JtZQlJAHmOyyKNu9dhG3o5Sv0tBplA/s640/Bulbs_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And so, for this month, a display of the rarely seen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2INxt5hnrflZ_7hg8Xs35S939XkytavTAUP52pxoCAhaiJZxvlWrP6CR5DAVadv7nGmOV-opVfiNxAGssaXo-VAJMecvXcZU5_qvojamtqKOQBPUalId2KTnzDZZlMsGpPxItNdW36Bo/s1600/Bulb_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2INxt5hnrflZ_7hg8Xs35S939XkytavTAUP52pxoCAhaiJZxvlWrP6CR5DAVadv7nGmOV-opVfiNxAGssaXo-VAJMecvXcZU5_qvojamtqKOQBPUalId2KTnzDZZlMsGpPxItNdW36Bo/s640/Bulb_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Yes, I know, this post might have been more apropos at the beginning of the month. But it's worth pondering these things at least all February long, don't you think?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2MRnmFtZYQIZdS_O3FZlI0hY847JZ5Sgw-av31U82YiGpoxLU8gqbNFm0x0Z1pyIFPoV_JNe4mOwdjnUQFz_A3nodkyrfMQGFiN5DbKVXl0eA3sZRBK8aAJEdjG7WgWIUGOGYATDi68/s1600/MantelRight_Feb16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2MRnmFtZYQIZdS_O3FZlI0hY847JZ5Sgw-av31U82YiGpoxLU8gqbNFm0x0Z1pyIFPoV_JNe4mOwdjnUQFz_A3nodkyrfMQGFiN5DbKVXl0eA3sZRBK8aAJEdjG7WgWIUGOGYATDi68/s640/MantelRight_Feb16.JPG" width="640" /></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-64435705140750660002016-02-18T19:02:00.000-08:002016-02-18T19:02:15.884-08:00Why I am no longer keeping a well-stocked pantry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc36CjiiaJJQ-XEkFsUvZi8ttr3PtkMNXoqtgfszht9zfF5TCKlBnDz3IsU1ocliPknLrvGWtebanUyzx9ctC7m-Eo7ZV25wRDobOyslrhzyD1IRu5x3j4l5YtNsXsoSa35HkRtJctMY/s1600/AptTherapy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc36CjiiaJJQ-XEkFsUvZi8ttr3PtkMNXoqtgfszht9zfF5TCKlBnDz3IsU1ocliPknLrvGWtebanUyzx9ctC7m-Eo7ZV25wRDobOyslrhzyD1IRu5x3j4l5YtNsXsoSa35HkRtJctMY/s400/AptTherapy2.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fnW1X2AaK6F7uoUNQNY1zU0GJESnJyJqE4pCYR6eLw7HHlkDOSAiS9tyBDWCiBAmZhf3SAGfJSBP6Cd2T1H3awFHXOKSjTVnE9m78iWmBduHP4kxJ29bO0dQG0WFwI09XqX-HAm_MjA/s1600/AptTherapy.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fnW1X2AaK6F7uoUNQNY1zU0GJESnJyJqE4pCYR6eLw7HHlkDOSAiS9tyBDWCiBAmZhf3SAGfJSBP6Cd2T1H3awFHXOKSjTVnE9m78iWmBduHP4kxJ29bO0dQG0WFwI09XqX-HAm_MjA/s400/AptTherapy.JPEG" width="295" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzYnWGkRKWS9yA7poGPPI8F8bnru2H3sGgM6HFJMGbBch5AIR4HFV0fCNTCKqVynXU-x2rmj0oV-9CexIb1LPccolEZQXkLX5tSLhIEM7mD6akBMmN1xypxnad76_6VNSzuC9kBIH4RA/s1600/TheKitchn.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzYnWGkRKWS9yA7poGPPI8F8bnru2H3sGgM6HFJMGbBch5AIR4HFV0fCNTCKqVynXU-x2rmj0oV-9CexIb1LPccolEZQXkLX5tSLhIEM7mD6akBMmN1xypxnad76_6VNSzuC9kBIH4RA/s640/TheKitchn.JPEG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Images via Apartment Therapy/The Kitchn (<a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/beautifully-organized-pantry-areas-182831" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-case-for-open-144336" target="_blank">2</a>, <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/love-lemons-bright-zest-of-fresh-airkitchen-tour-177497#gallery/39791/15" target="_blank">3</a>)</td></tr>
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I am a sucker for a beautiful pantry, with rainbow-colored collections of beans and grains and variously-shaped pastas arrayed in matching jars. Wouldn't it be nice to be not only so organized, but so prepared to cook so many different dishes?<br />
<br />
But as nice as images like the ones above are to look at, I've realized that taking a similar approach to my own pantry is a recipe for food waste.<br />
<br />
The truth is, I don't cook "so many different dishes," at least not very often. Mostly I cook the same things over and over.<br />
<br />
Keeping things on hand because they are "pantry staples" even though I don't actually have recipes that I make with them is sort of the kitchen equivalent of buying khaki pants and black blazers because they are "wardrobe basics" even though I never feel like myself in khaki pants and I hate blazers. (I've totally done that, though, in the past.)<br />
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This is part of how my pantry cupboard that I <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/01/weekending-20164.html">showed you before-and-after shots of recently</a> got so out of hand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfmNUuS0vCiBsJSjCxWj7fhadfpKkNCM2kbFb-siSINgOXnj_YuWk8EqxFORIZvIrgAVEGA2O9_M2bY-mcvHpPUhi8VUqXjfEB9lHYE7zuVcwbkvIz_UpZP0XROUr2LqcyePxBzGxlP0/s1600/Before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfmNUuS0vCiBsJSjCxWj7fhadfpKkNCM2kbFb-siSINgOXnj_YuWk8EqxFORIZvIrgAVEGA2O9_M2bY-mcvHpPUhi8VUqXjfEB9lHYE7zuVcwbkvIz_UpZP0XROUr2LqcyePxBzGxlP0/s640/Before.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I cleaned it out I tossed any cans and jars that were expired*, anything so old that were it a child it would already know its ABCs, and anything that, let's be honest, was not going to get eaten because no one in the house actually liked it.<br />
<br />
*(I realize that "expired" when it comes to most canned goods is more of a suggestion than a hard-and-fast eat-by date, but there was a lot of stuff that was so old or out of date that when I considered cooking with it I thought: "Well, that's so old though..." and didn't use it. I wasn't going to become more likely to use these things as they got even longer in the tooth so there was no point in keeping them.)<br />
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This process resulted in a much sparser cupboard, and I'm calling that a good thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rAeAwz-Zbw8oDU3EHeaMhexW12I6_YTzrXyVjyNbhLyG6TDfJrrWpHE6wRtLd3LAOoCFXAiEwYhYzWTHxKTeyQCfND4V0vq78p4xIa5tWfMeND3QMDTRuYQ2JSc3BgmBNh0GqcFXazY/s1600/After.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rAeAwz-Zbw8oDU3EHeaMhexW12I6_YTzrXyVjyNbhLyG6TDfJrrWpHE6wRtLd3LAOoCFXAiEwYhYzWTHxKTeyQCfND4V0vq78p4xIa5tWfMeND3QMDTRuYQ2JSc3BgmBNh0GqcFXazY/s640/After.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I expect it will get even leaner in the future, as I use up a few items that were fresh enough to keep but that I don't cook with all that often. When we polish them off I won't replenish their stocks.<br />
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Going forward, my aim is to keep on hand only ingredients that we go through in large volumes (I'd be nuts not to keep a backup jar of peanut butter on hand); frequently eaten snacks (Kind bars, crackers, salted peanuts); a few quick meals (boxed mac & cheese, tomato soup -- sometimes you just gotta); and the ingredients for a handful of tried-and-true recipes that are part of our regular rotation. That's it.<br />
<br />
I still want to try new recipes, and experiment with all sorts of different beans and grains and pastas. It's just that when I have a specific plan to do that, I'll go to the grocery store and buy only the amount I need of that ingredient. Isn't 21st Century life grand?<br />
<br />
So I guess when I say that I'm no longer keeping a well-stocked pantry, it depends on what's meant by well-stocked. Well-stocked as in copiously and with great variety? That wasn't working for me. Well-stocked as in thoughtfully, and a bit minimally, is more what I'm after.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-6223271199759892752016-02-07T15:32:00.003-08:002016-02-07T15:32:36.833-08:00Finished objects: Wool felt dryer balls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaRZ6EvWeH0tF4SA5pS7X7AZhU6Lk4NZcuYJ4uB4BeN7BeQ_gYKN1kUTs_kVI-kjzlh8QQ2wXupW-nNhUa9hffcX4vH2u3dsg08Okr-JNxOGWT0c4LAvy8bRgMq_3P8y76CzOHiNlOxc/s1600/DryerBalls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaRZ6EvWeH0tF4SA5pS7X7AZhU6Lk4NZcuYJ4uB4BeN7BeQ_gYKN1kUTs_kVI-kjzlh8QQ2wXupW-nNhUa9hffcX4vH2u3dsg08Okr-JNxOGWT0c4LAvy8bRgMq_3P8y76CzOHiNlOxc/s640/DryerBalls.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Quite a while ago -- by which I mean, oh, four or five years by this point -- a friend was moving house and hosted a clothing/household item swap. She was letting go of some wool yarn that she had dyed using natural dyes way back in high school. If memory serves, she had intended to knit a sweater from it but didn't like how the colors turned out.<br />
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I was interested in learning to crochet, so I scarfed the yarn up to practice with. And then, after having sat in my friend's stash for many years, it sat in mine for several more. I began to feel sorry for the yarn, waiting for so long to be useful! And so, in line with my <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2016/01/weekend-reading-on-marie-kondo-and.html">recent epiphany that crocheting is probably not in my near future</a>, I decided to do something else with it.<br />
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So I made it into wool felt dryer balls. The yarn I had made about 12 balls; I kept three of them for our use and I've been giving away the rest as gifts along with a bottle of essential oil (you can put a few drops on each ball before tossing it into the dryer and it will make your laundry smell nice).<br />
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I know that this probably does not seem like a very noble purpose for hand-dyed yarn. I confess that I have one set earmarked for my friend but I have not yet had the -- well, you know -- to give them to her.<br />
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But at the time, the imperative to *do something* with the yarn outweighed the qualms I had. The process could not be simpler:<br />
<br />
-Wind yarn into softball-sized balls. (Yarn must be wool, and not washable wool -- something that will shrink and felt.)<br />
<br />
- Tie off and use crochet hook (aha, I AM using my crochet hooks after all!) to poke end into center of ball.<br />
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- Put yarn balls into the legs of an old pair of tights or pantyhose and tie off with twine in between each one.<br />
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- Wash in hot water and dry on hot setting 3-4 times to felt the wool.<br />
<br />
- Meanwhile, make endless series of immature jokes about "sock full of balls," "woolly balls," "is that a dryer ball in your pantyhose or are you just happy to see me?" etc. (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.)<br />
<br />
- And voila! That's it.<br />
<br />
The point of dryer balls is that they are supposed to make your laundry dry faster. I do think they work pretty well for that purpose provided that the load is made up of fairly uniform items -- like sheets or towels. With mixed loads like my daughter's or my laundry our dryer always seems to stop when thin fabrics like t-shirts are dry but the thicker things like the waistbands of pants are still damp, and the dryer balls don't solve that problem. Which is unfortunate, as that's exactly why I started looking into dryer accessories in the first place. Oh well. On balance, they're useful -- and that, after all, was the point of the exercise.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-30060308194868232512016-02-03T16:53:00.000-08:002016-02-03T16:59:59.824-08:00About & Abroad: Our Montreal Christmas Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3FRdq4HEaS_GsoRVTG4pg675ocG7PfTGqoj0b5aC4Mkf2F9TCXd6fXki5Jhfg7IuYohxE5NCEivdzHd_yeP_hN90dioUip5RFv5U837u0pJhOIjFet0xeTHDi5vEURJOl7PNcVp6Y-g/s1600/HeaderPhoto_MontrealTrip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3FRdq4HEaS_GsoRVTG4pg675ocG7PfTGqoj0b5aC4Mkf2F9TCXd6fXki5Jhfg7IuYohxE5NCEivdzHd_yeP_hN90dioUip5RFv5U837u0pJhOIjFet0xeTHDi5vEURJOl7PNcVp6Y-g/s400/HeaderPhoto_MontrealTrip.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Before the event recedes too far into distant memory, I wanted to type up some reviews and recommendations from our trip to Montreal over Christmas.<br />
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First, a few logistical thoughts. We stayed in the <a href="http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/eng/accueila.htm" target="_blank">Old Montreal</a> neighborhood, in an Air BnB a couple of blocks from the Notre Dame Basilica. This was really convenient, within easy walking distance of the Old Port and a lot of major sights, and I think was especially advantageous for a winter trip. (We considered a few places in the <a href="http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Discover-montreal/Neighbourhoods/Plateau-Mont-Royal" target="_blank">Plateau Mont-Royal</a> neighborhood, and I could see that being nice in the summer, but I think I would have found getting around in the cold and snow a lot more unpleasant.)<br />
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We arrived in Montreal for our Christmas holiday the evening of December 23. This worked fine but I wouldn't have wanted to arrive any later -- grocery stores and such pretty much shut down for 48 hours from the afternoon of the 24th until around noon on the 26th. But as it was, we were able to get our bearings and get provisioned for the holiday.<br />
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In general Montreal closes for Christmas to a much greater degree than Amsterdam, which we <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-view-i-could-get-used-to.html" target="_blank">visited over the holiday two years ago</a>. There's still plenty to keep you busy, it just requires a bit more planning and Tetris-ing of schedules. Major museums and attractions mostly reopened the 26th. Some restaurants were closed from the 24th through the new year, others reopened the 27th or 28th, and some said they would reopen the 28th but...didn't. My advice is that if you want to go somewhere, and you can't see an affirmative statement on their Website or Facebook page that they are open, call first!<br />
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So with all of that said, here are some of the highlights from our trip. This isn't everyplace we went, just what I particularly recommend:<br />
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<b>See and Do:</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPirbXYN47SuMGlk5XwtDc6pBfTBbBd9imgijWA20BTIHOMrXvMlD_wa2sefFd72qaoP8YonLT1_dNdK0R_h1NtFygWmB2WoUbhClOJK5aQCf_MeOt0VBFtGwpO4yAwm6ywKfJM0odN2o/s1600/photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPirbXYN47SuMGlk5XwtDc6pBfTBbBd9imgijWA20BTIHOMrXvMlD_wa2sefFd72qaoP8YonLT1_dNdK0R_h1NtFygWmB2WoUbhClOJK5aQCf_MeOt0VBFtGwpO4yAwm6ywKfJM0odN2o/s400/photo+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.pacmusee.qc.ca/en/home" target="_blank">Pointe-a-Calliere / Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History</a>: This is both a museum and a working archaeological site featuring the ruins of some of the earliest structures in the city. An exhibit set up among the ruins traces the history of Montreal and Quebec from the time of European contact to the present. The story told here gave me a very different perspective on European settlement of North America than I'd gotten in my history classes in the United States: I could see much more clearly how geography, natural landforms, and especially the courses of rivers like the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi shaped this process. Utterly fascinating. While I liked the archaeological site and exhibition best, my daughter was partial to the little dioramas of Montreal scenes through different phases of the city's history. There is also an interactive, kid-friendly exhibit about pirates and privateers that I thought was quite well done, but my daughter declared herself totally uninterested on the grounds that pirates are "smelly, foul, and mean." Your mileage may vary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnGxyVtChn_VwrGrNsa8hgTBVR19zD3AwSQNcsaviozzj3zppPWiaa8E948bnyqLmtUKD_TtsYXoOnvsopi0OBkacfthu4vQJ7CEnkiVpAIwh_LPSUgnqtU0-jYRbaPVt9wskqVQ8mqQ/s1600/Notre-Dame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnGxyVtChn_VwrGrNsa8hgTBVR19zD3AwSQNcsaviozzj3zppPWiaa8E948bnyqLmtUKD_TtsYXoOnvsopi0OBkacfthu4vQJ7CEnkiVpAIwh_LPSUgnqtU0-jYRbaPVt9wskqVQ8mqQ/s400/Notre-Dame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.basiliquenotredame.ca/en/" target="_blank">Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal / Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal</a>: The city's grand cathedral, with decoration modeled on Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, had free admission (normally $5 CDN) on Christmas afternoon so we joined the crowds touring through the space. This was not a religious service, but did feel like a spiritual experience, albeit one of a secular sort (if it's not sacrilegious to say that about a church). What I mean is that marveling at the church's stunning blue nave, intricate wooden decorations, and tenderly carved statues of figures from Montreal's history with a crowd of people from all different backgrounds and traditions (e.g.: I saw a number of women wearing Muslim headscarves) felt very similar to standing in a crowd of people gazing at Rembrandt's <i>The Night Watch</i>, as we'd done exactly two years before. Which is to say it felt like an appropriate way to spend Christmas Day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-UjX5WKBxxIIA9mHd8SVcMF2DVXxHcQUeb_gunW4CRBbvbNyQ5x2zNxuLrfXm0hmfBqt4a85777ToDTyR2twXYRkTdo7_0qhc_u0tHwv_cBzEDn7iKf9fJiID5Y5V6CER5Y-ASNr_YE/s1600/Patinoire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-UjX5WKBxxIIA9mHd8SVcMF2DVXxHcQUeb_gunW4CRBbvbNyQ5x2zNxuLrfXm0hmfBqt4a85777ToDTyR2twXYRkTdo7_0qhc_u0tHwv_cBzEDn7iKf9fJiID5Y5V6CER5Y-ASNr_YE/s400/Patinoire.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.oldportofmontreal.com/activity/skating-rink" target="_blank">Patinoire du Vieux-Port / Old Port ice skating rink</a>: I can't say much from a first-hand perspective since ice skating tends to be a daddy-and-daughter activity in our family but this outdoor rink on the shores of the St. Lawrence River is well run, reasonably priced, and plays just-cheesy-enough music.<br />
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- <a href="http://montrealvisitorsguide.com/reso-underground-city-la-ville-souterraine/" target="_blank">La Ville Souterraine / Underground City / RESO</a>: We treated this not as a destination in itself (though it could be) but as a means to an end, and we got almost all the way from our apartment to the Fine Arts Museum using this system of tunnels, shopping malls, office buildings, and subway corridors (there are 20 miles in all). It's worth trying out as a means of transport: Intermittently baffling, but fascinating and kind of awesome in the end. If you have a Minecraft fan with you, keep them engaged by marveling at how much time it must have taken to mine out all these tunnels!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TPg-Do8l-HjVbbOt19esEO10HB73slZjKTm1vQ927JOy6K-rT6Di2J2RCtAihQBJAszmPF0D3DPqzWS7EHMX5JVeb4F4wnav8gXUgcyfJw3rOmle_ulENWn8kqTsqoFxgPciViIHPgE/s1600/Beaux-Arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TPg-Do8l-HjVbbOt19esEO10HB73slZjKTm1vQ927JOy6K-rT6Di2J2RCtAihQBJAszmPF0D3DPqzWS7EHMX5JVeb4F4wnav8gXUgcyfJw3rOmle_ulENWn8kqTsqoFxgPciViIHPgE/s400/Beaux-Arts.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by my husband.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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- <a href="http://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/" target="_blank">Musee des Beaux-Arts / Fine Arts Museum</a>: We spent most of our time here viewing an excellent temporary exhibition on a jazz-age collective of Montreal artists. I wish I'd had more time to explore the permanent collections -- the museum has a really extensive <a href="https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/collections/quebec-and-canadian-art/" target="_blank">collection of Quebec and Canadian art</a>, organized into chronological exhibits, which I think could make a great art history lesson. My daughter and I did take in the Inuit Art collection, which is fairly small, focuses on contemporary artists, and is located in a wonderful little crow's-nest-like space at the top of one of the museum buildings. She found this really engaging and loved recognizing the Arctic animals and speculating about the monster-ish characters depicted in the sculptures. By the end of our time there she had sharper eyes than I did for the various materials (whale vertebra, etc.) used by the artists.<br />
<br />
A couple of pro-tips for this museum: they are pretty strict about not allowing large bags/backpacks into the galleries, and while there is a (free/by donation) coat and bag check available I recommend packing light if you can. Also, I found the museum cafeteria expensive and pretty lackluster -- I wish that at lunchtime we'd braved the cold and tried out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lpvmtl/" target="_blank">this vegetarian restaurant</a>, which has a location just around the corner on Rue Mackay, instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD0FUe6nQwxtPzUge-FG07eOsiLdK_6lF9y38mx_BiZOa1gYEE3ccI_zq0F_SPH1hlR59Wlzd3yg3TSfvKtcGoUSU_-RIgNOWcpHqXwCRc3a7AOYP6EuSPjdy_dsMLHZsQJl5n64VgbI/s1600/Dinos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD0FUe6nQwxtPzUge-FG07eOsiLdK_6lF9y38mx_BiZOa1gYEE3ccI_zq0F_SPH1hlR59Wlzd3yg3TSfvKtcGoUSU_-RIgNOWcpHqXwCRc3a7AOYP6EuSPjdy_dsMLHZsQJl5n64VgbI/s320/Dinos.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMMcpD6l3MNDXSQ2uLnepCB151YSyNMDSE63JMc0ivVVsmbAoDtTy9EibHXuX1r7B7E_iHw0iwdNPLJIRN3hen8UA6APINq3NTuf4MuVRRmo1i1Y1kEKDRlkl0acLyZ2aLyhcMLTR7rE/s1600/Genes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMMcpD6l3MNDXSQ2uLnepCB151YSyNMDSE63JMc0ivVVsmbAoDtTy9EibHXuX1r7B7E_iHw0iwdNPLJIRN3hen8UA6APINq3NTuf4MuVRRmo1i1Y1kEKDRlkl0acLyZ2aLyhcMLTR7rE/s320/Genes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.montrealsciencecentre.com/" target="_blank">Centre des sciences de Montreal / Montreal Science Centre</a>: I have to admit, these sorts of places are usually low on my list of priorities when traveling. After all, if you've seen one science center (we have an excellent one in Seattle) you've seen them all, right? But my daughter wanted to go, and it was nearby and fit well with our other plans for the day, so off we went. And let me tell you, it was so great to have absolutely no agenda of my own and to just let her guide the visit. She loved the temporary exhibit featuring animatronic dinosaurs (of course), which was certainly entertaining if not really high on the actual science. We also spent some time in one of the permanent exhibits, about the human body and human evolution, which I thought was really well done -- engaging and accessible for my 8-year-old, but really meaty in terms of scientific content.<br />
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<br />
<b>Eat and Drink: </b><br />
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- <a href="http://ilfocolaio.ca/en/" target="_blank">Il Focolaio</a>: Brick oven pizza place with lots of different pies on offer, including many vegetarian options. The food is a little heavy-handed, but oh, blessedly, they deliver to Old Montreal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDG4J1P1OhfJIkwR6DJ02aZt8_peIDy3tJatyBzzvha51HbkWfw27mz-omU9eYGFiiHO_YVlTT1Y8zGsEEYkmY59ZgyJrRdfOydXyOMShEjO-Nm2JvtKwuup6tvZl3ncyXgvN4BvknwA/s1600/StashCafe1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDG4J1P1OhfJIkwR6DJ02aZt8_peIDy3tJatyBzzvha51HbkWfw27mz-omU9eYGFiiHO_YVlTT1Y8zGsEEYkmY59ZgyJrRdfOydXyOMShEjO-Nm2JvtKwuup6tvZl3ncyXgvN4BvknwA/s320/StashCafe1.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhAb0AFFVJsE65KICh60txj3UDjqHlewt1qBrp5quYxGgNt2oNWcDQeTzRt279tpeBxs3LTi_aeZC1-lLr-AKCbG5JxxU8dFmIeCkPAx0VkfdeislC0C06DucngTovbZzAsorvykS6Xg/s1600/StashCafe2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhAb0AFFVJsE65KICh60txj3UDjqHlewt1qBrp5quYxGgNt2oNWcDQeTzRt279tpeBxs3LTi_aeZC1-lLr-AKCbG5JxxU8dFmIeCkPAx0VkfdeislC0C06DucngTovbZzAsorvykS6Xg/s320/StashCafe2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://restaurantstashcafe.ca/" target="_blank">Stash Cafe</a>: We had a light lunch at this Polish restaurant on Christmas Eve. Friendly staff, charming Old World atmosphere, reasonable prices and portions, and kid-friendly options like pierogi, potato pancakes, and mushroom croquette.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbyEP02MwJTlVQMRDT5AUhqqfwBEgcmy-NQhT0UDRCMwCAaP7xnVbEKNTmBgtXhvdCACs201Yf9z2IvdlG8myoBdC3TB-CPBbURvstiuwg6FMTRxCmjlQPiTIUI3U_rnaNi7GY2mQaa4/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Buche.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbyEP02MwJTlVQMRDT5AUhqqfwBEgcmy-NQhT0UDRCMwCAaP7xnVbEKNTmBgtXhvdCACs201Yf9z2IvdlG8myoBdC3TB-CPBbURvstiuwg6FMTRxCmjlQPiTIUI3U_rnaNi7GY2mQaa4/s320/YUL_Xmas_Buche.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCC-GnX2oaC_o0GlTficOVpe2AKSFZQKHl21Wzdobt6-W2jUWAdX_FcbFs7YbIn4BXADtzWdJaug61fiat7lTPP-UGj8Id2GBeKWLxt0IU0dLbXklxJwz1bEwDVZ3c05fiB1tTxNvwc7g/s1600/Buche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCC-GnX2oaC_o0GlTficOVpe2AKSFZQKHl21Wzdobt6-W2jUWAdX_FcbFs7YbIn4BXADtzWdJaug61fiat7lTPP-UGj8Id2GBeKWLxt0IU0dLbXklxJwz1bEwDVZ3c05fiB1tTxNvwc7g/s320/Buche.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://maisonchristianfaure.ca/en/parlour-an-pastry-shop/" target="_blank">Maison Christian Faure</a>: This high-end pastry shop seems very old-school French to me, by which I guess I mean it seems to be staffed entirely by dudes. A little spendy, highly caloric, and absolutely worth the extravagance.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx56TsF5Ldn_AN2uLGUpAHnu735dTdKik8CCrwLkwuP59S4Cc0f4guqTMe9oQPn_RxL2brZaadBST8v3SkVd8WoBwPc0rfOQccRZjr9tXTPsB7ylzqSs-HGoEBc2bvlSIIdnD0RElpU-U/s1600/TommyCoffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx56TsF5Ldn_AN2uLGUpAHnu735dTdKik8CCrwLkwuP59S4Cc0f4guqTMe9oQPn_RxL2brZaadBST8v3SkVd8WoBwPc0rfOQccRZjr9tXTPsB7ylzqSs-HGoEBc2bvlSIIdnD0RElpU-U/s400/TommyCoffee.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.tommymontreal.com/" target="_blank">Tommy</a>: A little cafe/coffee shop in a beautiful old space a few blocks from Notre Dame Cathedral. Sure, this place is a little hipster-y, in that way that I am slightly embarrassed at being such a sucker for, but the staff are totally friendly and down-to-earth. And they make a fantastic latte.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHUgHBVtT-uGVjwFjHLLI9ylrIYKU2E9UsvyAOpsV2J-Culdwn91-Y3Pq4sH1NHAuPnCC3JTBO4QMLxEAbH3TywzXnS2uaAFiheZuN6MT3C60GlEhIF3AfGLUO45AVv_ZzmilKVL7bNA/s1600/Comptoir21_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHUgHBVtT-uGVjwFjHLLI9ylrIYKU2E9UsvyAOpsV2J-Culdwn91-Y3Pq4sH1NHAuPnCC3JTBO4QMLxEAbH3TywzXnS2uaAFiheZuN6MT3C60GlEhIF3AfGLUO45AVv_ZzmilKVL7bNA/s400/Comptoir21_1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm23p1eszLOs7l14lyfkipUow5Z_IylSrL8S28g63c4XZiGC4uCu5SyFaXNWgCMGTv-XFE8TklyS6sC6GaosR8Iv3r42LjDLtDkMWwr_OzkiefSvzM3a21t3-__hYYJS0KpIRymvxXSXY/s1600/Comptoir21_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm23p1eszLOs7l14lyfkipUow5Z_IylSrL8S28g63c4XZiGC4uCu5SyFaXNWgCMGTv-XFE8TklyS6sC6GaosR8Iv3r42LjDLtDkMWwr_OzkiefSvzM3a21t3-__hYYJS0KpIRymvxXSXY/s320/Comptoir21_2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.comptoir21.com/C21_nov_17_2015/BIENVENUE.html" target="_blank">Comptoir 21</a>: This fish and chips joint is, oddly enough, said to have some of the best vegetarian poutine in Montreal. I can confirm that, indeed, it was the only poutine I have ever been served outside my house that I thought was worth eating (oooh, fighting words!). Three locations -- we visited the one on Rue Ste. Catherine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegcKHrsjl_CrGO1xLNbQ-2IcmpWEsUJi8JnbIi8jebEqDDLqIj_tiMrALPmDE4LEY01jFIqwum8Q4Og38YGW_wsugFC3u6FlfiXSytt_aZ11hqwh9Vr2RoVmsRhrm5bri75bPDnt54Ns/s1600/Bagel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegcKHrsjl_CrGO1xLNbQ-2IcmpWEsUJi8JnbIi8jebEqDDLqIj_tiMrALPmDE4LEY01jFIqwum8Q4Og38YGW_wsugFC3u6FlfiXSytt_aZ11hqwh9Vr2RoVmsRhrm5bri75bPDnt54Ns/s400/Bagel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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- <a href="http://www.fairmountbagel.com/" target="_blank">Fairmount Bagel</a>: Ah, Montreal bagels! Yes, they live up to the hype, although strictly speaking my husband is not sure they are worth walking 40 minutes in a blizzard for, so -- make your plans according to the weather, I guess.<br />
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<b>Next time:</b><br />
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- <a href="http://www.stviateurbagel.com/" target="_blank">St. Viateur Bagel</a>: I was sorry we didn't get to sample the offerings from Montreal's other iconic bagel maker. St. Viateur and Fairmount have locations a couple of blocks from each other in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, so I think the ideal thing would be to have <a href="http://www.eater.com/2014/5/13/6225053/watch-louis-c-k-eat-a-double-dinner-aka-a-bang-bang" target="_blank">a bagel bang-bang</a>, no?<br />
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- <a href="http://www.dolcettomontreal.com/" target="_blank">Dolcetto & Co.</a>: This restaurant in Old Montreal looked promising, an atmosphere to appeal to the grownups but some nice basic pizzas on the menu likely to be enjoyed by the kiddo.<br />
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- <a href="http://espacepourlavie.ca/en" target="_blank">Espace pour la vie / Space for Life</a>: We had to scrap our plans to visit this complex of nature museums in the Olympic Park at the eastern end of the city when, on the last day of our trip, a blizzard arrived and my daughter came down with a cold. Dangit. I was intrigued by the Biodome's exhibits on ecosystems of the Americas and the Planetarium's show about the Aurora Borealis; my daughter was bummed to miss out on the Insectarium. Next time, indeed!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-73608929998466732892016-01-28T10:33:00.001-08:002016-01-28T10:33:28.082-08:00My wardrobe this season: New life for gray jeansI'm linking this post with <a href="http://www.anneinresidence.com/2016/01/pin-to-present-sweet-potato-crust.html" target="_blank">Anne's "pin to present" linkup</a>, because it started with an image pinned from the blog <a href="http://unefemme.net/2016/01/hit-refresh-grey-denim-1.html" target="_blank">une femme d'un certain age</a>:<br />
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I believe this is a picture of another blogger, <span style="font-family: inherit;">Garance Dore, and she is very fancy. I am <i>not</i> very fancy<span style="font-family: inherit;">, but I did like the way une femme described this blogger's gray jeans outfit as "<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">simple, sleek and sophisticated." </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">I have a pair of gray skinny jeans (from the Gap) myself -- they are a few years old now and you may have seen them when I talked about <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/03/winter-capsule-wrap-up.html">my winter capsule wardrobe last year</a>. I have always worn them in very casual outfits, like so:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWygYgqPQbo4pc0BjcdeZwELX6iA6SJJ-7zRKs4I5RSAq-yCwJQfijCwUB3sY0lTk9s25JyXdpkNv5G0FY9iclWUavoJ8KuA-pz7QPl1M7sChi0BqQkFWFvlHR-Bh_CqjXvdZKqH3vzjE/s1600/photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWygYgqPQbo4pc0BjcdeZwELX6iA6SJJ-7zRKs4I5RSAq-yCwJQfijCwUB3sY0lTk9s25JyXdpkNv5G0FY9iclWUavoJ8KuA-pz7QPl1M7sChi0BqQkFWFvlHR-Bh_CqjXvdZKqH3vzjE/s640/photo+1.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">And I like that look well enough, but it was getting a little old. So I appreciated the push to try to dress up an item that I've always thought of as resolutely casual.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's what I came up with.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6aBwbtN0Sw6d2H-lKXvtRWwpjNPoHkK6Skbx14T-jZiv4-2pX8gPjCSyE5fpEdFIIHi1hyCTeiYVkpQgVUgGsAB_sErTa-eJNFaCw0tmL8PsH8Y6dPRx5vR9HsuKmrYHhTcNNHTH63w/s1600/photo+2%255B4%255D+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6aBwbtN0Sw6d2H-lKXvtRWwpjNPoHkK6Skbx14T-jZiv4-2pX8gPjCSyE5fpEdFIIHi1hyCTeiYVkpQgVUgGsAB_sErTa-eJNFaCw0tmL8PsH8Y6dPRx5vR9HsuKmrYHhTcNNHTH63w/s640/photo+2%255B4%255D+%25281%2529.jpg" width="312" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgNJfD7-r-7UnrDeDBoP0I7wcuFA3Ob5rj8kXV5Ldumc_mCED2Ov-9KdHBy1xPc9yLCDI92npcfOw0a9UgfiFE1efIOKWy1ajWv_sjj_O7Lr1dcaPt8MB-r8Mysm8A7wxBWhHzJmNuKY/s1600/photo+4%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgNJfD7-r-7UnrDeDBoP0I7wcuFA3Ob5rj8kXV5Ldumc_mCED2Ov-9KdHBy1xPc9yLCDI92npcfOw0a9UgfiFE1efIOKWy1ajWv_sjj_O7Lr1dcaPt8MB-r8Mysm8A7wxBWhHzJmNuKY/s640/photo+4%255B1%255D.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">My gray jeans are very low-rise and a quite skinny cut, so I prefer them with longer tops. My white button-up shirt (J. Crew, thrifted) works well with the pants proportion-wise, and the tuxedo-style pleats help lend a dressier feel to the outfit.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can put either my charcoal gray long cardigan (Allude, via Ebay) or my black one (Lord & Taylor, also via Ebay) over top. Both are soft cashmere in a fine-gauge knit, so they also look relatively refined (the pictures are flattening out the color differences, but I promise, they are not entirely interchangeable in real life.)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I especially like the black cardi, something about the crispness of black and/or white really dresses up the jeans.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiudqA_VHEbBm1g4LcjlNnbHR1bDbDAG_-NYd_498IpaQtv63_lNYAMZysQtUjmh6-THUVuptc0uFY3748YRadrDM2oMv-bGfdAJgsRqWBvq3FcV58iapEINorstXlJB2bPTDTaJXe22M/s1600/photo+1%255B5%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiudqA_VHEbBm1g4LcjlNnbHR1bDbDAG_-NYd_498IpaQtv63_lNYAMZysQtUjmh6-THUVuptc0uFY3748YRadrDM2oMv-bGfdAJgsRqWBvq3FcV58iapEINorstXlJB2bPTDTaJXe22M/s640/photo+1%255B5%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUT7DPvhulvndyzqCs5QrDRGb3h7sz6gk0OJ3fK5pres4ZIiYTZ7QVVkN5wxVMhE7GDqYzvLMTg-rkbnlz_uFQ0cQ7-MxhVnbqAp0HkhTHNrgBHPqtl4yDKHsM_gLWRhYP8IPEkorOWEA/s1600/photo+1%255B4%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUT7DPvhulvndyzqCs5QrDRGb3h7sz6gk0OJ3fK5pres4ZIiYTZ7QVVkN5wxVMhE7GDqYzvLMTg-rkbnlz_uFQ0cQ7-MxhVnbqAp0HkhTHNrgBHPqtl4yDKHsM_gLWRhYP8IPEkorOWEA/s640/photo+1%255B4%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am not one for strappy stilettos like Ms. Dore, but I consider a nice ballet flat "sleek and sophisticated" enough for me. N</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">ot the most practical footwear for winter, admittedly, but </span><span style="color: #444444;">doable</span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> on the occasional dry, warmish day. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So this challenge ends up providing a good chance to get a little more wear out of those gray flats I thrifted a while back (we <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/10/slow-fashion-october-worn-and-why-i.html">discussed them here</a>), as well as a pair of photographic-print floral flats that I recently purchased (Ted Baker via Lord & Taylor on deep, deep discount -- no, I did not need them in any way, but I believe they are what is known as a coup de coeur).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To the gray flats outfit I added this floral scarf (Echo, vintage, via Ebay) for a little more color. I love the print on this and somehow it helps the outfit avoid the 80s associations that pink and gray usually bring up for me.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKh3OkxQUq17hIvRwXQRoTLWaYumVgDWlzy6084lzFBoyYK3rK9Swk0zxyr0vQOIsb5Edy11hXqp5mmJCHNRUnKjHrSvjfK5TELMK0Toar7-LsU_mLbj-NS39JJib-UC_DMAawBUdVU5E/s1600/photo+3%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKh3OkxQUq17hIvRwXQRoTLWaYumVgDWlzy6084lzFBoyYK3rK9Swk0zxyr0vQOIsb5Edy11hXqp5mmJCHNRUnKjHrSvjfK5TELMK0Toar7-LsU_mLbj-NS39JJib-UC_DMAawBUdVU5E/s640/photo+3%255B2%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I realize these are not so much different outfits as minor variations on the same one, but I'm glad to have a new way to wear an item that was already in my closet. I'm on the lookout for a tunic-length black pullover sweater -- I think that would also pair well with the jeans and have a similar, polished vibe. And I can see a few possibilities for creating similar outfits with items that are in some of my other seasonal color palettes. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How about you, have you discovered any new ways to wear old favorites that are brightening up your January?</span></span></span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-41031413809785302952016-01-26T17:52:00.001-08:002016-01-28T09:57:52.857-08:00My home this season: January 2016<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLVQGI5XjXxktZxVGnqrzOJgYvXaSI8e0V-BNpizycrlVBxIBItljZ1HkNOunycW__dTCbm5ARci03Nx9rMam9o-l3e_kKVA8A3FolhG8R81xfjibHKddeBPzUB3bZC7cuYHbCb_sRuw/s1600/GreenWhite.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLVQGI5XjXxktZxVGnqrzOJgYvXaSI8e0V-BNpizycrlVBxIBItljZ1HkNOunycW__dTCbm5ARci03Nx9rMam9o-l3e_kKVA8A3FolhG8R81xfjibHKddeBPzUB3bZC7cuYHbCb_sRuw/s640/GreenWhite.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Green and white is such a nice color palette for January -- calm and serene after the abundance (and maybe even, by the end of it, overstimulation) of the holiday season, but not so austere as to be dreary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56mppWLGIZRFphvA4Drbna1ru9catV3NIVoHFWr02togft-PznObY4keqHsiSgiWaLPQDY5Jayufbcp0bmk7TTQehoagMN_nQUAeGEbBwy9vYyntQZRXceVwbyJVk185Oh-C-F_k8PgE/s1600/GreenCandles.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56mppWLGIZRFphvA4Drbna1ru9catV3NIVoHFWr02togft-PznObY4keqHsiSgiWaLPQDY5Jayufbcp0bmk7TTQehoagMN_nQUAeGEbBwy9vYyntQZRXceVwbyJVk185Oh-C-F_k8PgE/s640/GreenCandles.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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In fact, if January has a color all its own, I think it must be that pale green of those candles up there. I suppose light green is often considered emblematic of early spring, the promise of new grow growth and all that -- but to me it seems just exactly the expression of what is already here right now. Or maybe I'm just taken with how lovely the candles look against those brass candlesticks, who knows?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5SYdcoIKZ1x64l2CwCvkIRHHo__namsd6k54tCT3Tad4HbQVHOK_-63sivwfBo0tI2Vekh1eOsJ7lxIZLOz3jdT03ACltR7B1XySaQy4gNfxp20JbkXGgm6FnzqmBoSyICEdx-4Loq8/s1600/Mantel_1.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC5SYdcoIKZ1x64l2CwCvkIRHHo__namsd6k54tCT3Tad4HbQVHOK_-63sivwfBo0tI2Vekh1eOsJ7lxIZLOz3jdT03ACltR7B1XySaQy4gNfxp20JbkXGgm6FnzqmBoSyICEdx-4Loq8/s640/Mantel_1.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm dipping back into <a href="http://www.apartmentapothecary.com/photo/styling-the-seasons-january-2016/" target="_blank">Styling the Seasons</a>, so here are some photos of the Janus-faced arrangement up on my mantel just now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-H6rbxEqcr4FmPimfbdggmFb4Q7Kusk60Yi-4eKm0cOnINXs_yAyitX5zR6RA8lo8NVG9XCYNyZPZNRD-7XlIeNZ6w-7ems1Rl4DdB9fiqe_mSuzFwCJyDNvx3u9fBdlS4uuWA4Rvdg/s1600/PostcardsCandle.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-H6rbxEqcr4FmPimfbdggmFb4Q7Kusk60Yi-4eKm0cOnINXs_yAyitX5zR6RA8lo8NVG9XCYNyZPZNRD-7XlIeNZ6w-7ems1Rl4DdB9fiqe_mSuzFwCJyDNvx3u9fBdlS4uuWA4Rvdg/s640/PostcardsCandle.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Looking backward with our <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2014/01/postcard-travel-journal-inexpensive-and.html">postcard travel journal</a> from Montreal*; looking forward with a candle that smells intensely of blossoms.<br />
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*(Oh and hey: more Canadian art on the wall above.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzkdw1wBqxL4AsFC3RXzv61TAKzv14Vl1k1Ao-esUNGqJroguopTGUHdswgVHSmsYxZKXySdyTqbTDphyPZZ_9F6mvnGkt4QYLpfkxFQsaRMx9lN3WxFWXQQWOyFuvWJkuEDJJVQPeAI/s1600/Plants.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzkdw1wBqxL4AsFC3RXzv61TAKzv14Vl1k1Ao-esUNGqJroguopTGUHdswgVHSmsYxZKXySdyTqbTDphyPZZ_9F6mvnGkt4QYLpfkxFQsaRMx9lN3WxFWXQQWOyFuvWJkuEDJJVQPeAI/s640/Plants.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Looking backward with some bulbs started back in December; looking forward with a new bay plant to cook with, replacing the one that had gotten spindly and tired. (I'll move it to the kitchen windowsill soon, but thought I'd enjoy it here for a little while first.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUQzy3my4GgyhX4CFBccSWkF2UL_1xa779pkXXkWqfWqP0OvQ_9MRxMZwAanld58ubtIbSQvk1o-9ZueZFYhdHmCpqNbeOAZwqtVCqzk88BXGc0udz0ihpiNxD9iGPHcvMwzZGdKuW0/s1600/Blowsy.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnUQzy3my4GgyhX4CFBccSWkF2UL_1xa779pkXXkWqfWqP0OvQ_9MRxMZwAanld58ubtIbSQvk1o-9ZueZFYhdHmCpqNbeOAZwqtVCqzk88BXGc0udz0ihpiNxD9iGPHcvMwzZGdKuW0/s640/Blowsy.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Those paperwhites won't be good for much longer, will they? No matter, the sideboard's Janus-faced, too: looking backward with a candleholder made from a banister post in my grandmother's childhood home; looking forward with some more bulbs coming along.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WqboNUhWOECY1p7bLccxyTuPNyauXZQyaG9ImRvPQZXatFfIMEPxt2n4SPU5Ux7QlKavrZL8aH1QOO0FX5CnKirhCIZBml88svthCk1Bi_7zZHf-x-9rb4WLEj6bACftP2oqZGYHF4k/s1600/bulbs.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WqboNUhWOECY1p7bLccxyTuPNyauXZQyaG9ImRvPQZXatFfIMEPxt2n4SPU5Ux7QlKavrZL8aH1QOO0FX5CnKirhCIZBml88svthCk1Bi_7zZHf-x-9rb4WLEj6bACftP2oqZGYHF4k/s640/bulbs.JPG" width="640" /></a>
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How about you -- does your home look backward as well as forward at this time of year, or are you all about the clean sweep?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-12980639527928112552016-01-24T15:02:00.000-08:002016-01-24T15:02:22.803-08:00Weekending: 2016.4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWeF38KG33TMnR0Yvjj0UoRSy3ZNImix4VDiJ_OrRcEssz-beF63Tl7hEJ4FRl-KnU8-Hzq_LA4cSIouo5j72yFZchC_FEBWm9dZsrX8rumTtJhkfV0xZcc8b7kLQKb34XiGw_JBJ7wc/s1600/Beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWeF38KG33TMnR0Yvjj0UoRSy3ZNImix4VDiJ_OrRcEssz-beF63Tl7hEJ4FRl-KnU8-Hzq_LA4cSIouo5j72yFZchC_FEBWm9dZsrX8rumTtJhkfV0xZcc8b7kLQKb34XiGw_JBJ7wc/s640/Beach.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Night-time low-tide beach walk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99v3yMX7-9B2kMmiJvrHXQjwGF613FtWD6Umlxc2Pe4PsiqK29a1KwvKPScGiiJ82WT2YwP1Ld6MUPup2-Wxu0GZpJa7j1NLOoRmi142tPjdw0nBWbySKod65N67lxK8TXNZ5GlHpROY/s1600/Harry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99v3yMX7-9B2kMmiJvrHXQjwGF613FtWD6Umlxc2Pe4PsiqK29a1KwvKPScGiiJ82WT2YwP1Ld6MUPup2-Wxu0GZpJa7j1NLOoRmi142tPjdw0nBWbySKod65N67lxK8TXNZ5GlHpROY/s640/Harry.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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End of an era.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPo74ec5gWA0OxggXe3CHgseD_DebqZR1TfflJtYkyRgKCPecaUH-fZWaaozS_GDpFiyaAH8-2cmTvhyphenhyphen-giCS-bM7sLJDvxldbYRIDBc8F98Dx0w3BpT4mcABnjNl1X72OzQzRtaAANE/s1600/Before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPo74ec5gWA0OxggXe3CHgseD_DebqZR1TfflJtYkyRgKCPecaUH-fZWaaozS_GDpFiyaAH8-2cmTvhyphenhyphen-giCS-bM7sLJDvxldbYRIDBc8F98Dx0w3BpT4mcABnjNl1X72OzQzRtaAANE/s640/Before.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhLSwIBc_lih2gLzUv48TPvoGexwC6j3LDN5yy9lB0OcMwrjJxXWCftTammqElQuNYNAVCXoWPSfNWTY1e2tCbK5OV57UrdmdcDVT41ZW6DdF9-Y03cPzKC3D3e5ABU2K4z35dJq9bzQ/s1600/After.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJhLSwIBc_lih2gLzUv48TPvoGexwC6j3LDN5yy9lB0OcMwrjJxXWCftTammqElQuNYNAVCXoWPSfNWTY1e2tCbK5OV57UrdmdcDVT41ZW6DdF9-Y03cPzKC3D3e5ABU2K4z35dJq9bzQ/s640/After.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Before and after.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSUhsdwsyzvyFStZQ2mCm2o5uU1d7vJtP0Y4R9sZH8kT4D3tTds1epBiDFywNMuovMigl7JlZhGbcUaITMAcgTItQ48U09J8po915z7rvJqsfTGWJkEVWjKjP6iNhWOxBDYkfeEJHJao/s1600/CandleEnd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSUhsdwsyzvyFStZQ2mCm2o5uU1d7vJtP0Y4R9sZH8kT4D3tTds1epBiDFywNMuovMigl7JlZhGbcUaITMAcgTItQ48U09J8po915z7rvJqsfTGWJkEVWjKjP6iNhWOxBDYkfeEJHJao/s640/CandleEnd.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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My <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/09/last-weekend-of-summer.html">London souvenir </a>-- used it up! That was so satisfying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsskJjhUQAOqwxTltF3j0Y22ROOCD5cqyIMMRW2uoUbpSuWhhtKFqOc3ZYHE3jRFoRUBZtK80u3_eYajUD_YzoaJ2Vx9HN1-q18OWRLZFFYhKfHx8VK-dLuVdgiudmGvSaNskrAGzCdB8/s1600/Scraps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsskJjhUQAOqwxTltF3j0Y22ROOCD5cqyIMMRW2uoUbpSuWhhtKFqOc3ZYHE3jRFoRUBZtK80u3_eYajUD_YzoaJ2Vx9HN1-q18OWRLZFFYhKfHx8VK-dLuVdgiudmGvSaNskrAGzCdB8/s640/Scraps.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PdQoodxhtHO2TMUl18E5GLUwtdDA8cuInKy5JGwI8Pahu6x7eXgGd6Cbepae-L8S5jl4AE9UrWoTO7Bq5XEcJbvSzUWd-ptwWjAtoUETio9KdWFT00r4R1ysggjK5NfLztMRVKArz-w/s1600/Skillet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2PdQoodxhtHO2TMUl18E5GLUwtdDA8cuInKy5JGwI8Pahu6x7eXgGd6Cbepae-L8S5jl4AE9UrWoTO7Bq5XEcJbvSzUWd-ptwWjAtoUETio9KdWFT00r4R1ysggjK5NfLztMRVKArz-w/s640/Skillet.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVkaEXt6dmAfhS1enahyphenhyphen1q6Wgjcx38etxyhSRNcThVmdIBUEsJNwPqooZuAoB2AneetPrnqdfI5_WVP5MzE4ZButY5Po4aAodxoTh0SCFOiGsVvFHnOnspbWmxEHl_kFCdmCvnbGp98s/s1600/SundayBreakfast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVkaEXt6dmAfhS1enahyphenhyphen1q6Wgjcx38etxyhSRNcThVmdIBUEsJNwPqooZuAoB2AneetPrnqdfI5_WVP5MzE4ZButY5Po4aAodxoTh0SCFOiGsVvFHnOnspbWmxEHl_kFCdmCvnbGp98s/s640/SundayBreakfast.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Some peppers needed to get eaten --> Sunday breakfast got fancy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwDJdqrBt29n8hgmv9XN8QCluMN4Fx96UnkbeAdqnUzyxrE1MliACkkVEnKvBLDehlF9tvlNqhLRiy_8lME0p2XFAy83ilgwfCJhpoQZX_a2uRvIqDHTnwiNSJaFgfOeacrFzg4vKqmY/s1600/LazyCats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwDJdqrBt29n8hgmv9XN8QCluMN4Fx96UnkbeAdqnUzyxrE1MliACkkVEnKvBLDehlF9tvlNqhLRiy_8lME0p2XFAy83ilgwfCJhpoQZX_a2uRvIqDHTnwiNSJaFgfOeacrFzg4vKqmY/s640/LazyCats.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Industry is overrated.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-43296599344535309392016-01-16T16:11:00.000-08:002016-01-16T16:11:05.845-08:00Weekend reading: On Marie Kondo and David Bowie<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNRI_dtcEKcbJalkcXt_vL8C7pUjG4Cso39v0g6G_C4ngx4ncWqGjPTiof9PlU5b5MAUAqdrKP5dDiIuIVs5URXM2vcIUZHjNTvOisFk3noNMJiICJT2mhiK0jNoHrW7lziXb4ePyaeQ/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNRI_dtcEKcbJalkcXt_vL8C7pUjG4Cso39v0g6G_C4ngx4ncWqGjPTiof9PlU5b5MAUAqdrKP5dDiIuIVs5URXM2vcIUZHjNTvOisFk3noNMJiICJT2mhiK0jNoHrW7lziXb4ePyaeQ/s640/photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vieux-Montreal, December 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Yes, I'm serious.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, there was <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2016/01/marie_kondo_s_life_changing_magic_and_death.html" target="_blank">this article in Slate</a>, which argues that Marie Kondo's campaign against clutter is actually "<span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; widows: 1;">a nonstop assault on the most basic form of human denial," that of our own eventual, inevitable demise:</span> "<span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; widows: 1;">The piles of stuff we might need someday are an argument that we will always be around to need them."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; widows: 1;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The article crystallizes something that I've suspected about myself but hadn't quite put the words to: I do tend to take on too much, too many projects, and the physical stuff that comes along with them (I'm thinking mostly of creative pursuits here, especially my shameful fabric stash). And in a funny, almost-hidden way, it's absolutely a bulwark against mortality. It's a way of telling myself: </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">There will be time for everything.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which brings me to David Bowie. It was striking how within hours of the announcement of his death -- a surprise to all but those closest to him -- pretty much the entire Internet had realized that with his last album, released just days before, Bowie had <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2016/01/11/23410041/in-death-as-in-life-david-bowie-remains-the-master-of-self-invention" target="_blank">essentially written his own eulogy</a>. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I won't pretend here that I am a fan of Bowie's -- or a hater, either; I don't know much of anything at all about his music. (I am what is known as a musical putz, actually). If you, like me, are more literarily than musically inclined, there's also this: a posthumously published memoir by Paul Kalanithi, who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer while studying to be a neurosurgeon. An excerpt <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/my-last-day-as-a-surgeon" target="_blank">appears here in the New Yorker</a>.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="widows: 1;">
<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The juxtaposition of these two pieces of art have me thinking about creativity and the art that people make when they know they are dying. (N.B. in case it wasn't obvious: We are all dying.) I'm sorry if this all seems morbid, but there's actually a psychological argument to be made that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/opinion/sunday/to-be-happier-start-thinking-more-about-your-death.html?_r=1" target="_blank">thinking more about our own deaths will in fact make us happier</a>. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="widows: 1;">
<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="widows: 1;">
<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What does all this have to do with stuff? I have also sometimes allowed myself to acknowledge a sneaking suspicion that this very habit of taking on too much, and having too many planned projects (and the supplies that accompany them) actually hampers creativity, makes it more difficult for me to focus on completing any one thing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #281b21;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, sure, there's a balance to be struck here. I'm not shedding my entire queue, just trying to make it a little shorter, so I can focus more completely on the <i>next</i> thing. And acknowledging that some projects aren't going to come to fruition, and then letting them go, is actually producing a weird kind of optimism for me. For example I would love to learn to crochet, but let's face it, I'm not likely to work that into my schedule any time soon. So it doesn't make sense to stockpile a bunch of yarn and thread. But, maybe later in my life, who knows? Perhaps I'll have a crochet season. </span></span></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #281b21; font-family: inherit;">There will be time for everything.</i></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-75991802454513423502016-01-10T16:16:00.000-08:002016-01-10T16:16:00.302-08:00Finished objects: Living room pillow covers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ovi1Dzb3gLmJQlCZ4zmfm__DFBtM4n0IBTsDbQ-IbxEhnaNaQAnr9v7taBlIDUuOD_I7wUZ13TD0go47h8Kf4UEyh9CO2l9q5k3mZFrWZ3gwFSnqWXTsMLFsBfw48bfuMv0Qtq970Qg/s1600/BirdPillows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ovi1Dzb3gLmJQlCZ4zmfm__DFBtM4n0IBTsDbQ-IbxEhnaNaQAnr9v7taBlIDUuOD_I7wUZ13TD0go47h8Kf4UEyh9CO2l9q5k3mZFrWZ3gwFSnqWXTsMLFsBfw48bfuMv0Qtq970Qg/s640/BirdPillows.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I made some covers for the throw pillows on our living room sofa.<br />
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You can see that the need for new covers was acute. The pillows were hand-me-downs from a friend. (Yay for free decor.) They came with some simple ivory velveteen covers that served us well for a while. But one had gotten quite dingy and one had suffered an even worse fate -- a fatal run-in with a glass of red wine. Oops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAgvDbb0EfdZcCVpbiwmMvgRmP6Ovoseq_4iiE2hGG_iMdhCwuTAVsXOxG4fmQithIOS9v39uTT-SGNNfb1PkOHALMY4ZJ1ZkR5RYmKm0oSuMVXsu9d7gqleRk5YIlWTy2vkIKyGIfFY/s1600/Pillows_Old.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAgvDbb0EfdZcCVpbiwmMvgRmP6Ovoseq_4iiE2hGG_iMdhCwuTAVsXOxG4fmQithIOS9v39uTT-SGNNfb1PkOHALMY4ZJ1ZkR5RYmKm0oSuMVXsu9d7gqleRk5YIlWTy2vkIKyGIfFY/s640/Pillows_Old.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I finished these some weeks ago (there was a sneak peek in my <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-home-this-season-december-2015.html">post on Christmas decor</a>) but I'm just getting around to throwing them up on the blog now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz7BBsmefMuAwk_axFJ37EHtZ502N3Z73DjFkf6M4gnnG2OsCQSlOCF24zlFA5f2BD-n7jPphDwjcZaNr0ts5WmmqKX7Fdkt3-H3nSJDzUeNNgtH2kp98Y96FeO6kXIRDZ8Bp2wYUwRo/s1600/BirdPillow_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEz7BBsmefMuAwk_axFJ37EHtZ502N3Z73DjFkf6M4gnnG2OsCQSlOCF24zlFA5f2BD-n7jPphDwjcZaNr0ts5WmmqKX7Fdkt3-H3nSJDzUeNNgtH2kp98Y96FeO6kXIRDZ8Bp2wYUwRo/s640/BirdPillow_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Actually I debated whether they were really "blog-worthy" at all. I mean, I am not exactly breaking new sewing (or decorating) ground with a pair of envelope-back pillow covers. They are nothing more than a bit of arithmetic (I first wrote "algebra" but even that is overstating the case!) and a few straight seams.</span><br />
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On the other hand, I really love them! I love the combination of fabrics -- the backs are a black linen-cotton blend by Robert Kaufman with a wonderful texture, and the fronts are a home-dec-weight fabric with a print of peacocks that I thrifted a while back. The print reminds me a bit of Liberty of London (it's not, as far as I know, just has that look) and feels a bit sophisticated and grown-up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0deVtWBsLi9LX8UBpOfuOtIkwUtNf2IA5-07FoX-0___AnpfIVp7cqPvvG_d7-r_iWDUCbf-tMn9_MP_T5V5MoarcIXGwzhiRwG69eDD12jYZ0oKXsvGbD18VPpSXa92SRqjm-4rBvk/s1600/BirdPillows_Closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0deVtWBsLi9LX8UBpOfuOtIkwUtNf2IA5-07FoX-0___AnpfIVp7cqPvvG_d7-r_iWDUCbf-tMn9_MP_T5V5MoarcIXGwzhiRwG69eDD12jYZ0oKXsvGbD18VPpSXa92SRqjm-4rBvk/s640/BirdPillows_Closeup.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Also, they took me a whole afternoon to make, so I guess I feel compelled to record the output of my efforts. I am not a very fast seamstress, perhaps because I am not that experienced and don't get to my machine as often as I would like. And when I do sew I like to be very careful and thorough about it. So maybe with more practice I would get faster at banging things out, but I think I'm going to stop worrying about my inability to actually make a "1-hour X" in a mere hour. <br />
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All in all, it's good to remember that even simple, commonplace projects can be non-trivial, both in the time and effort required to make them <span style="text-align: center;">and in their eventual impact.</span><br />
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I did make one mistake in the sewing: I meant to construct both pillow backs so that the outside flap would be on top facing down, as I thought this would keep the pillows looking neater. But I sewed the second one -- of course, it was the very last thing I did, and I was hurrying by that point -- backwards, so that the outside flap is facing up. Oh well, I figured, nobody would really see it and it would be an opportunity to test my hypothesis about which construction technique wears best. (Spoiler alert: I was right, outer flap facing down is best.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU8D4fpbZgTZfB3P2mY99LyVHp4EMBI1XpB64RZYF95NeFYYj4KMxcrDoEVDCClgtVVp7bpE-uvMX4rqqfRnN4lS4JfWIz1arHkuf5LfBOzVVj3wZogtQfBhah2l-AX0QhObIaws2oBc/s1600/BirdPillows_Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU8D4fpbZgTZfB3P2mY99LyVHp4EMBI1XpB64RZYF95NeFYYj4KMxcrDoEVDCClgtVVp7bpE-uvMX4rqqfRnN4lS4JfWIz1arHkuf5LfBOzVVj3wZogtQfBhah2l-AX0QhObIaws2oBc/s640/BirdPillows_Back.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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After I finished the pillow covers, I did something very unusual (at least, for me). I put the remaining peacock fabric in my Goodwill bag rather than back on my shelf. I thought: this fabric has served its purpose in my creative life, I'm going to pass the rest of it on (or something along those lines; I swear it sounded less pretentious in my head). And you know what? I don't regret it.<br />
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PS: Since we're on the subject, did I ever <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-home-this-season-december-2015.html">go through the Christmas stuff </a>to determine what sparks joy in my Grinchy little heart? Reader, I did. And in the end I didn't manage to let go of all that much. I asked my daughter which things were precious to her, and she selected a lot of items that I would have been ready to pass on. So into the Rubbermaid bins and back up to the attic it all went. And I don't regret that either, because after all, it's not just about what sparks joy for me now, is it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIrPM5DLWHnN8SF6mgZxmctuGVBs9ugP8ymq5deaUc5UJyZJPMEdm0tLFluRqcFu3UaZ2Ng2D5-Rpaobs1YDI1ID5R6m14B2stXrJ6Z9eOXp2GguPO9d8XAkWQbkvyJ_GNAlunrtYZko/s1600/BirdPillows_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIrPM5DLWHnN8SF6mgZxmctuGVBs9ugP8ymq5deaUc5UJyZJPMEdm0tLFluRqcFu3UaZ2Ng2D5-Rpaobs1YDI1ID5R6m14B2stXrJ6Z9eOXp2GguPO9d8XAkWQbkvyJ_GNAlunrtYZko/s640/BirdPillows_2.jpg" width="640" /></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-28597821213088411732016-01-03T11:15:00.001-08:002016-01-03T11:15:17.753-08:00Because what is a perfect Christmas, anyway?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k02wx_5gV2ibjTh8c2LggwcMAMbMkvX1G6IeYKCTJ2oms97kkEIuQGjaOwpovdwNiGFzRJS1bhg_ig9qovyFwZ2Y6ooYcwdY4y8VPiLqKTg0nMO6EDLsKDy6G-rb2UHoSyJbiJEnYk0/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Snow.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k02wx_5gV2ibjTh8c2LggwcMAMbMkvX1G6IeYKCTJ2oms97kkEIuQGjaOwpovdwNiGFzRJS1bhg_ig9qovyFwZ2Y6ooYcwdY4y8VPiLqKTg0nMO6EDLsKDy6G-rb2UHoSyJbiJEnYk0/s640/YUL_Xmas_Snow.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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Okay, that last post was a bit of a decoy, I admit.<br />
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The pictures were indeed of our home this season, but we weren't there for the actual holiday -- we spent Christmas this year in Montreal.<br />
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I mean, once we realized that the airport code for Montreal is YUL, how could we not?<br />
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It was lovely to travel again as a family. Sure, there's still a bit of tension around the fact that <a href="http://historyinhighheels.blogspot.com/2015/04/travel-versus-vacation.html" target="_blank">my husband and I like to travel and my daughter wants to vacation</a>, but each time we go somewhere we get better at it, and that's a great feeling.<br />
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The experience was also an interesting counterpoint to some of the thoughts I explored in <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-home-this-season-december-2015.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>. We left a house that was cozily decorated for the holidays and arrived at an AirBnB that was perfectly serviceable, but not home, and not decked out in any way. A fake potted plant served as a Christmas tree.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcdvANLjvs8GOzyoXValyewLYw3E9fcpuH47u29QqryiOSFR4s7Gw5r-1BI3s9XPgmrUMVSouJeyhFi3HUZKtDw298woTKK-99YixhyFwnCBYphh3wyCE9iXBj9amaZ0CtkWhiJ84cOs/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Tree.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcdvANLjvs8GOzyoXValyewLYw3E9fcpuH47u29QqryiOSFR4s7Gw5r-1BI3s9XPgmrUMVSouJeyhFi3HUZKtDw298woTKK-99YixhyFwnCBYphh3wyCE9iXBj9amaZ0CtkWhiJ84cOs/s640/YUL_Xmas_Tree.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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And yet, look at my daughter's body language in that photo above. She is feeling some Christmas magic for sure.<br />
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Similarly, our Christmas Eve dinner: split pea soup, bread and cheese, salad. That's a thoroughly everyday meal in our house, <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/10/eating-lately-october.html" target="_blank">as you've previously seen</a>. (We even resorted to bottled salad dressing, in this case.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9RZaV2yjCt9X9aYJox6llLbnOmMtzzhyphenhyphensYrXSIJ_Rz8avYVzz6aF6h8UYNtVwRUcRUuFYWrIMMehWITj1zQ0LKOoYN28AvFdCp8IXOYPJbUCLURQ2iKvOX0PMLw_quwOc3BHTKeiAVA/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Feast.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU9RZaV2yjCt9X9aYJox6llLbnOmMtzzhyphenhyphensYrXSIJ_Rz8avYVzz6aF6h8UYNtVwRUcRUuFYWrIMMehWITj1zQ0LKOoYN28AvFdCp8IXOYPJbUCLURQ2iKvOX0PMLw_quwOc3BHTKeiAVA/s640/YUL_Xmas_Feast.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm not saying we made no concession to the festive occasion. When in Rome (or Montreal, as the case may be), after all...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYphyVUD5QfOJJlg6OvrC78r0f6q5CGbblG7zezEyAXcO4Zi9JyXoe9baoFh10z6H1MlUGpY7VwUcD3tvMC5exmnjaikN7XElZrb1KzZHMzj7gYWrQVmOnEGaboz4J26swf9Mq78JUDo/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Buche.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYphyVUD5QfOJJlg6OvrC78r0f6q5CGbblG7zezEyAXcO4Zi9JyXoe9baoFh10z6H1MlUGpY7VwUcD3tvMC5exmnjaikN7XElZrb1KzZHMzj7gYWrQVmOnEGaboz4J26swf9Mq78JUDo/s640/YUL_Xmas_Buche.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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But the real gift was in that simple meal above. I get a lot of thrill, when I travel, from just doing everyday things -- odd as it may sound, I love to go grocery shopping in foreign cities. And it occurred to me: What immense good fortune, to be able to travel to a different country and have the means and the knowledge to make a familiar, nutritious meal within 24 hours of landing. That is real privilege, if you ask me. And even though our surroundings didn't really look like Christmas, it certainly felt like Christmas in the end.<br />
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Only a couple of presents came with us to be opened the next morning. But my daughter still got the essential experience of whiling away the hours playing with new toys.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc8Tx_7ca_jVqM2njAGGFxbVi-4VLzikhVfSISpxObdl_tS801iPQnyWetVF-RIzHlbcrAvZO9hTYtfx8HKysLE8Z6KJ2c3dVu5v4A-U_hbc3C71IBvgNq6faNZ87P9fQ7MroIa0BKnE/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Lego.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxc8Tx_7ca_jVqM2njAGGFxbVi-4VLzikhVfSISpxObdl_tS801iPQnyWetVF-RIzHlbcrAvZO9hTYtfx8HKysLE8Z6KJ2c3dVu5v4A-U_hbc3C71IBvgNq6faNZ87P9fQ7MroIa0BKnE/s640/YUL_Xmas_Lego.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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And it seemed that overall, a little bit of abundance can go a long way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6rhyphenhyphenyER6nhzHsU8_bJGTgFuesWAiuFszGHQrIwKqs6PBvqvTYCDrVEfnj5ZhZFo3pDPXGYxk-b9uFTaOOc92S0kZuW_nP4DOhjNCAFlQolEcPsx4dKLZS3Pgr7E3KrCbDNacJrfaR7o/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Note.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6rhyphenhyphenyER6nhzHsU8_bJGTgFuesWAiuFszGHQrIwKqs6PBvqvTYCDrVEfnj5ZhZFo3pDPXGYxk-b9uFTaOOc92S0kZuW_nP4DOhjNCAFlQolEcPsx4dKLZS3Pgr7E3KrCbDNacJrfaR7o/s640/YUL_Xmas_Note.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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Back home in Seattle, I decided that I couldn't let the holiday season end after all without baking Swedish Christmas bread. Good news: the candied citron lurking in the back of the refrigerator, that I'd made last year, was still just fine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMQWky55M9xqKW6x4XDh0Vt8l1_NKvOzfQbO-xnRF2EEs-2G3PVuy9kMzy1itkb1VpVLvWeE353LDPN2X7eeVgjtaAXTNanm1-AZ8p6pKF2iayj2ttlkqVSgtw8vEOtKJX_voFpDLZe0/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Baking.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMQWky55M9xqKW6x4XDh0Vt8l1_NKvOzfQbO-xnRF2EEs-2G3PVuy9kMzy1itkb1VpVLvWeE353LDPN2X7eeVgjtaAXTNanm1-AZ8p6pKF2iayj2ttlkqVSgtw8vEOtKJX_voFpDLZe0/s640/YUL_Xmas_Baking.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I added a couple of postcards from the Montreal Fine Arts Museum to our holiday mantel, and we put out milk and cookies for Santa on New Year's Eve. (So yes, that note from Santa above turned out to be slightly inaccurate, but once again my daughter rolled with it. At eight-and-a-half, I suspect she equal parts (1) believes, (2) is humoring her parents, and (3) doesn't want to say anything for fear of disrupting the present racket.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0Rt9UoqMuGRAQfpvzGdb9UUMKoPrXxe6gTwdjIOH2V2ycEzyJYdxBTHDErpzTcQHsZgM_BWboLPqDzyxPTUc_fRncdCmfC6nF7FqX529J8b-bvmcjxjdYc-ziU3rsH9bs5zGtDhCLFk/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Mantel.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0Rt9UoqMuGRAQfpvzGdb9UUMKoPrXxe6gTwdjIOH2V2ycEzyJYdxBTHDErpzTcQHsZgM_BWboLPqDzyxPTUc_fRncdCmfC6nF7FqX529J8b-bvmcjxjdYc-ziU3rsH9bs5zGtDhCLFk/s640/YUL_Xmas_Mantel.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And we rang in 2016 by finally celebrating Christmas, which wasn't a bad thing at all. Look what showed up in the package from my mom: a book I'd never heard of but can't wait to read, and a doll made by my grandmother that I'd been thinking of recently but didn't know the location of. The doll, in particular, brought tears to my eyes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRD26FSBHBYJhT9rdx56R2oPfzizYCpUx4CCjLPy81psT_EeKuALhlwZo2AAvqHE8HrSAz55ukB3qm71aycy36-P6fjw-rIs6ZWDxkNq6VoDmrt0fnlfa-czfpRXk5Yc6xKpnkeWxCVw/s1600/YUL_Xmas_Gifts.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRD26FSBHBYJhT9rdx56R2oPfzizYCpUx4CCjLPy81psT_EeKuALhlwZo2AAvqHE8HrSAz55ukB3qm71aycy36-P6fjw-rIs6ZWDxkNq6VoDmrt0fnlfa-czfpRXk5Yc6xKpnkeWxCVw/s640/YUL_Xmas_Gifts.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Because it's a new year, but I'm still (despite all the hand-wringing about decluttering) the same old sentimental fool, and I like it that way in the end. Happy 2016, all!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-49009930334726659392015-12-29T14:54:00.001-08:002015-12-29T14:54:46.781-08:00My home this season: December 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4JJXyttj9wVWH9Ful6G17OFx4fHOLuNhIGHVpruDtlHT43m1t4nsB6Aoc1bsqIab1M7lxvdykW3QbKqDpq-kA0N8hkrS0aUFoQJrDykWSbUAPBbl4rUjM51u-PjvN-TUsEtHfasMfGo/s1600/Xmas2015_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4JJXyttj9wVWH9Ful6G17OFx4fHOLuNhIGHVpruDtlHT43m1t4nsB6Aoc1bsqIab1M7lxvdykW3QbKqDpq-kA0N8hkrS0aUFoQJrDykWSbUAPBbl4rUjM51u-PjvN-TUsEtHfasMfGo/s640/Xmas2015_2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I thought I would share a few snaps* from around the house while it is still decked out in holiday finery.</span><br />
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(*And yes, they are snaps, quickly captured with my phone -- imperfectly focused and somewhat underexposed, but hopefully they get the point across.)</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VpOkAuN8mbvLWMihovCdg-_D5q1xy_slPptBUSpmWV9hpc8exu85xmKkD1gC8b3oldOastnoNTlWrBYlDWTi2UHx6JwoABqlaJvJ7lDeAhbxcX4HtRj5NwfznnVXtUy3kB0Huu1kYBU/s1600/Xmas2015_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VpOkAuN8mbvLWMihovCdg-_D5q1xy_slPptBUSpmWV9hpc8exu85xmKkD1gC8b3oldOastnoNTlWrBYlDWTi2UHx6JwoABqlaJvJ7lDeAhbxcX4HtRj5NwfznnVXtUy3kB0Huu1kYBU/s640/Xmas2015_5.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I love putting out treasured Christmas decorations each year (some pieces treasured because they are beautiful -- like that white-and-gold Lucia figurine below that I have admired since I was small, and that my mother passed down to me a few years ago -- and others because they are silly -- like the Santa I made from a toilet paper roll and red construction paper when I was about five, n.p.).</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKXgiSYMTuNIhIQhcuARnYOhQ81udEGShoT9ClfOUKwnb3cnMlicmCxF-gLBMwv5-IRSb4-P5ZhHtunpdn6aBXQW7b9Di0OTj36wf60bzUD_cj-yvgUbQ2koAd92A5lEez_dJlaJ6Zts/s1600/Xmas2015_6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKXgiSYMTuNIhIQhcuARnYOhQ81udEGShoT9ClfOUKwnb3cnMlicmCxF-gLBMwv5-IRSb4-P5ZhHtunpdn6aBXQW7b9Di0OTj36wf60bzUD_cj-yvgUbQ2koAd92A5lEez_dJlaJ6Zts/s640/Xmas2015_6.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But each year I am also confronted with the realization that we have </span>about three times as many decorations and ornaments as we have room to display, and quite a bit of the excess does not fall into the category of "treasured." Does holiday time in the Marie Kondo era leave anyone else with a feeling of ambivalence?</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A lot of our Christmas stuff originally belonged to my husband's grandmother and has been passed down to us by my mother-in-law. My husband's grandmother <i>loved</i> Christmas, and went all-out with decorating. So it's wonderful to have some of her things. I love the little wooden Santas from Germany and the roly-poly tomtar from Sweden.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1spUEfRnWG0crSp2kcOoVKpCYyDBXV7famoz68hIIRbyfRtxONq8fFHCa4xDU0Zs6gUjM3s2_71tO6ZtUkNDHQky3SH08bQaoYn-zOv0XvjAh4MwbpCJwkUGWV68CT7qvONn99YjFsA/s1600/Xmas2015_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1spUEfRnWG0crSp2kcOoVKpCYyDBXV7famoz68hIIRbyfRtxONq8fFHCa4xDU0Zs6gUjM3s2_71tO6ZtUkNDHQky3SH08bQaoYn-zOv0XvjAh4MwbpCJwkUGWV68CT7qvONn99YjFsA/s640/Xmas2015_8.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But she also tended to overbuy Christmas stuff, and had multiples of many items that she never even used. A number of ornaments and other decorations came to us with their original tags from the 1980s still attached.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So these are not sentimental things. And some of them are, um, not exactly my taste, aesthetically speaking. (I don't really think they're my husband's taste, either; if I knew they were, I would feel very differently about them.) Sometimes I look at our Christmas tree and feel a bit burdened by someone else's overconsumption.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And yet, I can't quite bring myself to sort through and cull the Christmas stuff. To do so </span>seems, well, Grinchy. Contrary to the spirit of the season. <br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowYOh8SLn_Iit2zdw8gxV8A52-vjT610aqalr2QWtmL1TOpLkprpNyD-oUmvgWsUEQkPiNDnCnNvZMNtsLMU1rxyVINQeAXnBSlKpcLNeAAsa2cQjAZd4SlW3yeWiE_QjXZ1IDAyBakU/s1600/Xmas2015_9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowYOh8SLn_Iit2zdw8gxV8A52-vjT610aqalr2QWtmL1TOpLkprpNyD-oUmvgWsUEQkPiNDnCnNvZMNtsLMU1rxyVINQeAXnBSlKpcLNeAAsa2cQjAZd4SlW3yeWiE_QjXZ1IDAyBakU/s640/Xmas2015_9.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Funnily enough, as I was pondering all this my mother-in-law wrote me an email in which she informed me, "</span>I'm just finishing lunch and reading an article in Yes magazine on the KonMari method** and I quote: 'Kondo says that gifting friends and family with our unwanted crap is unfair and actually prevents us from moving on.' Oh my! I must stop bringing you Christmas ornaments!"<br />
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(**She knows I am a semi-devotee, but, although she has been dedicated to winnowing down her own possessions over the last several years, has not read the book herself.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MBIgkcZmtaKQ7uCwakllD_6SQqGdgJ_Z1nKsG6ooYy1WTdRSoedPXBjKwH2u-RIldRK52YQ3lJzKrmNtTmRA6JcnXkWcY5Ip3TAsTKZ9HAmUziotYG6tmQRxcg39lMzq2JRAWjie7yU/s1600/Xmas2015_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MBIgkcZmtaKQ7uCwakllD_6SQqGdgJ_Z1nKsG6ooYy1WTdRSoedPXBjKwH2u-RIldRK52YQ3lJzKrmNtTmRA6JcnXkWcY5Ip3TAsTKZ9HAmUziotYG6tmQRxcg39lMzq2JRAWjie7yU/s640/Xmas2015_7.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And I found myself telling her that I didn't quite think this was the answer. One of the ornaments she passed along to us this year, with instructions to give it to her granddaughter, was her own favorite Christmas ornament: a small, golden Japanese fan that closes and opens, etched with a scene of cranes on one side and a dragon on the other. It's very pretty and delicate, and I think my daughter felt quite grown-up to be entrusted with it. There's a lot of meaning in having physical objects to connect us with our ancestors.<br />
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(Looking through my photos I realize I didn't capture a shot of the fan ornament, but it has a prominent place on this little white tree that belongs to my daughter, currently topped with the extravagant purple glass bird that Sinterklaas left in her shoe this year.)<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0jJ-TSiPiBvOUnBneEGovogjumxTeyS60ZW_c8Me0CFa39Ff0pI8P9q96gkXeTwi0NeBU433NAMT4E0Y4dBrOzsXtTDo3g5w9y1J5xi-c6uBzvgVB7YdpzsqHhQ7z_ATXX-743Zx4OQ/s1600/Xmas2015_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT0jJ-TSiPiBvOUnBneEGovogjumxTeyS60ZW_c8Me0CFa39Ff0pI8P9q96gkXeTwi0NeBU433NAMT4E0Y4dBrOzsXtTDo3g5w9y1J5xi-c6uBzvgVB7YdpzsqHhQ7z_ATXX-743Zx4OQ/s640/Xmas2015_1.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The current craze for decluttering has a lot of upsides (as I notice each time I open one of our newly spacious kitchen cabinets, or marvel at the <i>entirely empty half</i> of one of our kitchen drawers). But one of the downsides is the way that minimalism can actually make us <i>more</i> focused on material things. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And I suspect this decluttering business is also tied up with some of the other instigators of controlled perfectionism that currently prevail in our culture: the helicopter parenting and Tiger Mom-ing, the snowstorm of closely cropped images that is Pinterest, the relentless "curation" of social media. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Probably some of us are more susceptible to this sort of thing than others. I find that it's easy for me to get a little too fussy about needing things to be <i>just so</i>, rather than letting them <i>just be</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">For example, I felt pleased with myself for not rearranging the ornaments that my daughter had clumped all into a small section of the Christmas tree, and for letting her pick out a selection of cutesy wrapping paper rather than the austere and coordinated grouping that I would have fancied to be sophisticated. And then realized that this tiny bit of letting go was not exactly a reason to get all self-congratulatory. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Sj8zIn5oxlNVFv-PEhMcVKVZwqyC69vis7-GCmgTLgLv5u_bYldCa-9CiPqhGjSNH5z-jgRvLbDvJUHD8LGwF-ghOkO_lBUk49N0BjqI19CTrXdEIbifO_jjfT8VQZyGQSLwRQ2MhAA/s1600/Xmas2015_3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Sj8zIn5oxlNVFv-PEhMcVKVZwqyC69vis7-GCmgTLgLv5u_bYldCa-9CiPqhGjSNH5z-jgRvLbDvJUHD8LGwF-ghOkO_lBUk49N0BjqI19CTrXdEIbifO_jjfT8VQZyGQSLwRQ2MhAA/s640/Xmas2015_3.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I mean, regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas in a religious or secular sense (or forgo anything Christmas-adjacent altogether), I think we can all agree that getting too focused on the trappings*** of the holiday season isn't really the point of the exercise.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(***that's an interesting idiom, isn't it?)</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm not sure I have a tidy wrap-up to these thoughts. I suspect that there's just a fundamental tension (or maybe, an unexpected kinship) between minimalism and materialism, and I'll probably keep on wiggling at these ideas like a loose tooth of sorts. In the meantime, yes, I'll continue to work on clearing away the crap and the clutter -- but I'll try a little harder to remember that this is not an end but a means.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">P.S.: If your Kondo fascination is not yet sated, I thought <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-origin-story-of-marie-kondos-decluttering-empire" target="_blank">this</a> was an interesting take on the phenomenon and investigation of the myth and reality behind it.</span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-71177512449268857642015-10-26T08:43:00.000-07:002015-10-26T08:43:06.812-07:00Slow Fashion October: WORN, and why I care about clothes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWX-cDKTeUm3q5yUbZcs_XP1QRILX6Af8IYi_4I8fvEHAQ8RoM9NOG1e7jsrKTnMn7mDxrwKzlwOew8H3LwmfWO_RglfKB4LK2aIPZ2F03PaqM1sOyQuf31iV9a29JP1vcVIke7crYoQ/s1600/Secondhand_skirts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWX-cDKTeUm3q5yUbZcs_XP1QRILX6Af8IYi_4I8fvEHAQ8RoM9NOG1e7jsrKTnMn7mDxrwKzlwOew8H3LwmfWO_RglfKB4LK2aIPZ2F03PaqM1sOyQuf31iV9a29JP1vcVIke7crYoQ/s640/Secondhand_skirts.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<strike>This</strike> last (I'm a little late with this again; at least I am consistent) week's <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2015/10/19/slow-fashion-october-week-4-worn/" target="_blank">theme for Slow Fashion October is "WORN,"</a> which Karen explains as being about:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; widows: 1;">heirlooms / second-hand / mending / caring for things / laundering for longevity / design for longevity (bucking trends, quality materials …)</span></blockquote>
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I thought I would pick up on the "second-hand" aspect of the theme.<br />
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I think there are a lot of women out there who find that clothes just don't light their fire. Which is honestly awesome. More power to you all: sort out your 'uniform,' wear it with pride and confidence, and go about your important work in the world.<br />
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But, the thing is, I really <i>like</i> clothes. I don't mean that I consider myself a fashionable person -- I don't really care about trends and those who do probably give me the side-eye when they see me walking down the street. But I do enjoy the opportunity for creativity that getting dressed represents. I like juxtaposing patterns and colors in an outfit the same way I might in a quilt. I like exploring the way different styles can imply character and narrative in the same way that I like inventing characters in fiction.<br />
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And so, though I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of ethically sourced clothing, and the environmental imperatives of minimal (or at least...reasonably sized!) wardrobes made up of items <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/10/works-in-progress-grainline-tiny-pocket.html">chosen with an eye towards longevity</a>, after a while this all threatens to become a little, well...joyless.<br />
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Shopping second-hand can be a solution to this conundrum, I think. It offers an opportunity for low-commitment, low-environmental-impact play. I am always happy when I find wardrobe staples at thrift stores (hello, knee-length denim skirt, and brand-new Breton-striped tunic from J. Crew). But I also like to occasionally relax my rules about what is and isn't "me" a little bit and try something new.<br />
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One can go overboard with this; buy anything that appeals to you in some way because "what the hey, it's cheap," and you end up with a mishmash of a closet where it's hard to find the things you truly love. But a little bit of deliberate "I'd like to give this look/item/trend a bash" can be a good strategy. Sometimes you conclude that a particular look doesn't suit you after all, but other times you might discover an enduring element to your style.<br />
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While thrifting with my mom during my parents' visit a couple of months ago, I found myself drawn to hippie-like maxi skirts. But I had an inkling that I wanted to wear them in a non-hippie way.<br />
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My style is neither "boho" nor preppy/conservative, but I think that sometimes juxtaposing both types of items in an outfit can cancel out or tone down both of those qualities in an interesting way.<br />
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So here are two outfits featuring my new maxi skirts, made up entirely of second-hand items. (Sorry for the blurry phone snaps -- this ain't a fashion blog.)<br />
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In this warm-weather take on the experiment, the skirt, t-shirt (Ann Taylor LOFT), and wedge sandals (Sofft) are all from thrift stores. The cardigan is by Leifsdottir via Ebay, and the bangle and earrings are both vintage via Etsy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I3_-HA6a-kVb6lkaxbsp7dmfzcK6Uyc_NYdw33jkfNv60ponocRjtQnLR4sWDDjOkhzA3qdXtCgPISDOTTIE1hLpWy642fKTPW_l_OdsJ0Zpre6RExv193ixVw134gFLSh_SbSF218A/s1600/photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I3_-HA6a-kVb6lkaxbsp7dmfzcK6Uyc_NYdw33jkfNv60ponocRjtQnLR4sWDDjOkhzA3qdXtCgPISDOTTIE1hLpWy642fKTPW_l_OdsJ0Zpre6RExv193ixVw134gFLSh_SbSF218A/s640/photo+1.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>
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This second look is entirely from thrift stores (the sweater is by Banana Republic and the gray suede loafers are by Peter Kent, which I gather is a $$$ Italian brand; I paid $5 for them), except for the pearls which belonged to my husband's grandmother.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVXS1jKjEnXI1uQYarntdv0BP-OMcX2udDePM_n9BP2KITeCjOyTtQnkMBZi6UfFh8QABZXFvDvZchbVyk2D-KBMbAd9RKZQsUBC5fx9w13LyXFEu3T7Hjq_8ASBsqh6KQeY5eVijiMo/s1600/Closeup2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVXS1jKjEnXI1uQYarntdv0BP-OMcX2udDePM_n9BP2KITeCjOyTtQnkMBZi6UfFh8QABZXFvDvZchbVyk2D-KBMbAd9RKZQsUBC5fx9w13LyXFEu3T7Hjq_8ASBsqh6KQeY5eVijiMo/s640/Closeup2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The implied narrative here is: "Oh this? I found it in a closet at Gran's country house. Would you believe Aunt Phoebe was a hippie in the sixties?"<br />
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In truth, I am not sure how long these skirts will remain in my closet, nor how often I will wear them. But in the meantime I'm having a bit of fun. I think I might wear the second outfit above on Thanksgiving!<br />
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-53839650316915056272015-10-24T17:44:00.000-07:002015-10-24T17:44:16.162-07:00Eating lately: OctoberI am just coming off my busiest, craziest work week of the year, so to get back in to the swing of the domestic side of things, I thought I'd share a few quick snaps of some of our recent meals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vne-MHYy56aiPc35mkypleagaElo0FBk1pkmgBxJ1sESsSwXq2H-juKlkhiuwwn2uzsMQpe5wj7haL8yydS_bFwjLwyFMktPTcaip52AAYKxgSmqgd62v80JCsoRYjsFgMYWrjJy4l0/s1600/SpaghettiSquash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vne-MHYy56aiPc35mkypleagaElo0FBk1pkmgBxJ1sESsSwXq2H-juKlkhiuwwn2uzsMQpe5wj7haL8yydS_bFwjLwyFMktPTcaip52AAYKxgSmqgd62v80JCsoRYjsFgMYWrjJy4l0/s640/SpaghettiSquash.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://theglitterguide.com/2015/09/15/spaghetti-squash-with-cherry-tomato-basil-sauce/" target="_blank">Spaghetti squash with cherry tomatoes and basil</a>. I tried serving spaghetti squash in place of pasta, because healthy! low-carb! But even though I served it with garlic bread, we were ravenous two hours later! This is a delicious recipe, but I think I'll consider it more of a side dish in the future.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-Ac3VNx6KSsVEOeNjXnK2UpeQNCb__N1jcNIrzoJIXX087wOhJOqF49bqlNDtg3HY77J_Y7vtwMblDNfaV04qa35TWtQdm9DpBvEssxJyDQ6F8eLobLCTcmk2OU8bejJUoT5MZEk7Xg/s1600/lasagna.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-Ac3VNx6KSsVEOeNjXnK2UpeQNCb__N1jcNIrzoJIXX087wOhJOqF49bqlNDtg3HY77J_Y7vtwMblDNfaV04qa35TWtQdm9DpBvEssxJyDQ6F8eLobLCTcmk2OU8bejJUoT5MZEk7Xg/s640/lasagna.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nothing says "Happy Birthday, sweetie, I love you!" like a 10-pound lasagna. (See, because carbs.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHi90TQDqVLyJhLi8EGLcuGsOrk8bweYzVsiIm7kZXJorVBAVG4NDNtTd2yf_jpj7qf_Z1u_XZoKzckX3-snrV9TZotfqi4-tDopI7w_GjBcXfr4bAPN0MBJhU55UslDNhUAxYeLr_RgA/s1600/SplitPeaSoup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHi90TQDqVLyJhLi8EGLcuGsOrk8bweYzVsiIm7kZXJorVBAVG4NDNtTd2yf_jpj7qf_Z1u_XZoKzckX3-snrV9TZotfqi4-tDopI7w_GjBcXfr4bAPN0MBJhU55UslDNhUAxYeLr_RgA/s640/SplitPeaSoup.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Split pea soup, carrot-raisin salad, and bread and cheese. I <a href="http://greengreyandgezellig.com/?p=1103" target="_blank">agree with Marian</a> that soup with good bread and cheese never goes amiss. And I'm grateful that split pea soup is, unlikely as it may seem, a favorite meal of my very picky eater. Our table looks like this roughly once a week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6wjyiJ-lOXEdZ0vjMaOACnV_Ib9Xcc370jeQUPBWHSjra_bZXU5bUrRG4BA7pIXHap-E4govVkP0fkH7RSxJxXvKr2k9Fk5fdMk3sKPp7YKr-3ZgTnyd6aYWs7D3ldgQ4m2oBATXoQw/s1600/RiceCabbageSoup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6wjyiJ-lOXEdZ0vjMaOACnV_Ib9Xcc370jeQUPBWHSjra_bZXU5bUrRG4BA7pIXHap-E4govVkP0fkH7RSxJxXvKr2k9Fk5fdMk3sKPp7YKr-3ZgTnyd6aYWs7D3ldgQ4m2oBATXoQw/s640/RiceCabbageSoup.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/the_wednesday_chef/2008/01/marcella-hazans.html" target="_blank">Rice and smothered cabbage soup</a>. This was the first recipe I ever cooked from a food blog, way back in 2008, and it's been a staple ever since. It may not look like much, but oh, it's so comforting and wonderful! (Easy, too.)</div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-39048002863638702682015-10-12T06:23:00.000-07:002015-10-12T08:32:11.156-07:00Works in Progress: Grainline Tiny Pocket Tank muslin and Slow Fashion October<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBgRz6pZY68-uOqa70dEtqvE1Nl3WGW80WXZxB0nGmz0DosJY_1iROSAU5iLcyPFKpuOuuQFBvjVndkxP8Sy7wemRMIhdFnyCNXjEqgk-Oh5T28tjrGBuV4lsd577m-iRj3aavVq9I2A/s1600/Grainline3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBgRz6pZY68-uOqa70dEtqvE1Nl3WGW80WXZxB0nGmz0DosJY_1iROSAU5iLcyPFKpuOuuQFBvjVndkxP8Sy7wemRMIhdFnyCNXjEqgk-Oh5T28tjrGBuV4lsd577m-iRj3aavVq9I2A/s640/Grainline3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grainline Tiny Pocket Tank muslin -- hey, at least I've figured out that hemming curves issue!</td></tr>
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Here is a muslin for the second of three patterns I've been experimenting with in an effort to find my One True Woven Tank. This is the <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/products/pocket-tank" target="_blank">Tiny Pocket Tank by Grainline Patterns</a>.<br />
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It's been a while since I last posted about this project, so to refresh your memory, the first pattern I muslined <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/07/works-in-progress-wiksten-tank-muslin.html">was the Wiksten Tank</a>, but I decided it probably wasn't for me because (1) no bust darts, and (2) janky shoulders.<br />
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As for the Tiny Pocket Tank...I am not sure what I think. When I first tried it on, I thought it was great. When I put it on again to take these photos, I thought it was awful. But when I look at the photos, it seems...ok-ish?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFV49VpWAORozbtsjMPHvjYF4nQKMsCgDpwRDpHXo83ZQhyphenhyphen-FdlPUwqF9ah8uy2v3qRa0rlKeHFmMVnfy4Bratbf108LKp1Zbv1wnrJSOXmurWqeg9mou9sOW3l4zlIWRSXnk5755cL4/s1600/Grainline6+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFV49VpWAORozbtsjMPHvjYF4nQKMsCgDpwRDpHXo83ZQhyphenhyphen-FdlPUwqF9ah8uy2v3qRa0rlKeHFmMVnfy4Bratbf108LKp1Zbv1wnrJSOXmurWqeg9mou9sOW3l4zlIWRSXnk5755cL4/s640/Grainline6+%25281%2529.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grainline tank muslin, side view...this is passable, I think.</td></tr>
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I do think the Tiny Pocket Tank fits better in the shoulders than the Wiksten Tank, and I think I have some insight into why.<br />
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In the photo below, the Wiksten pattern is laid on top of the Tiny Pocket pattern. See the shoulder seam up at the top? The Wiksten tank has much more sloping shoulders compared to the Tiny Pocket pattern.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JMXQPKvjECokxhpP5tBoC61TtST84MffZnlKUHzzQPmhOIjpQzz_LgzJ0ZvHpNwv808oTaEbJ38l6XeINkVLmquOYzD7T19iKZDHnEcdXLSdAlmZ6vUhcA5zQxt-L9ZM1DsZ-x6A5J0/s1600/GrainlineWiksten6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0JMXQPKvjECokxhpP5tBoC61TtST84MffZnlKUHzzQPmhOIjpQzz_LgzJ0ZvHpNwv808oTaEbJ38l6XeINkVLmquOYzD7T19iKZDHnEcdXLSdAlmZ6vUhcA5zQxt-L9ZM1DsZ-x6A5J0/s640/GrainlineWiksten6.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Direct comparison of the Wiksten and Grainline tank patterns.</td></tr>
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So I think, when I lay that angled seam on top of my broad, straight shoulders, the inside portion of the shoulder seam is forced upwards, resulting in exactly the sort of janky shoulder fit that I saw with the Wiksten tank.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXSsEjbKcTeSqtG3ChvZ1AzRQGvKp_58UpXwCHDCmz4-B6Lw8qUEJPSUZHE-Tmx7yzHUd9nxaHuCo67eT0dOz6S7VwdF1wT6mlumgM8Pk5j9p23nNoW5T-kfjAvHTp5FvaaUB5SYdLYM/s1600/Wiksten_left.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXSsEjbKcTeSqtG3ChvZ1AzRQGvKp_58UpXwCHDCmz4-B6Lw8qUEJPSUZHE-Tmx7yzHUd9nxaHuCo67eT0dOz6S7VwdF1wT6mlumgM8Pk5j9p23nNoW5T-kfjAvHTp5FvaaUB5SYdLYM/s640/Wiksten_left.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiksten tank -- janky shoulders.</td></tr>
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You wouldn't think such a small angle would make such a big difference, but look what happens when you align the shoulder seams of the two patterns: the Wiksten tank swoops WAY out and up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7dQ7AksePtg4sf1MtZmxNVD-Tz7XB0TBMz9BXTOiw9bN-JbjMk-j8JMwKBz3HuMTv0CYXfzRPsuF5Nos0O8YE4faE02lCjunS7DtuXcp9MeuzwuPpGuwItg6j1Rz8MhBt4qQ7gNBVn8/s1600/GrainlineWikstenCompare1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7dQ7AksePtg4sf1MtZmxNVD-Tz7XB0TBMz9BXTOiw9bN-JbjMk-j8JMwKBz3HuMTv0CYXfzRPsuF5Nos0O8YE4faE02lCjunS7DtuXcp9MeuzwuPpGuwItg6j1Rz8MhBt4qQ7gNBVn8/s640/GrainlineWikstenCompare1.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little angle makes a big difference</td></tr>
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I suspect this is why I initially wondered if I should lower the armholes of the Wiksten tank. In fact, looking at the patterns, I can see that the Wiksten's armholes are actually markedly <i>lower</i> than those of the Tiny Pocket, and yet the Tiny Pocket tank fit me much more comfortably in the underarms.<br />
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So, all in all the Tiny Pocket tank is a much better fit for my body. But it's not perfect. To make this closer to the Woven Tank of My Dreams, I'd need to raise the front neckline (by an inch or maybe a bit more, I think), and also shorten the bust darts (currently they go well <i>past</i> the apex of my bust). I have a short torso and a small bust, so neither of these alterations is very surprising.<br />
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I also notice a bit of horizontal pulling above the bust. I see this in a lot of Tiny Pocket Tanks made up online, and I'm not sure what the cause is (in my case, it's obviously not that it's too small there), but I suspect it would bother me a bit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNrpcrXrJs9ZEoqwksOGa3kqZARYKyB2xwZIzOsUh5yBk_KModtc8XjqympskGTBgKkKT-6w-jQd1v8Iasok79UWpx0xcyDRyPxHFIpiZ4EvvybNcluvsYnT6P6IUg4a1OLxlOvQXFpw/s1600/Grainline5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNrpcrXrJs9ZEoqwksOGa3kqZARYKyB2xwZIzOsUh5yBk_KModtc8XjqympskGTBgKkKT-6w-jQd1v8Iasok79UWpx0xcyDRyPxHFIpiZ4EvvybNcluvsYnT6P6IUg4a1OLxlOvQXFpw/s640/Grainline5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horizontal pulling above bust. </td></tr>
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The fit across the back seems not quite right, either. Just under the arms it's very tight, and I suspect that's why I'm seeing that gaping at the back neckline, too -- the too-tight back is forcing the garment upwards.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk_7Y3owt7HmkCVYu-vYvTtbGUWNIMpvltIGc2C3lmaF8eWm8D98JFsTTfZ8X5_Kipbtm8r_T1T0I3NbUR_PEfcgGZd26CDVn6gKSW-tU-i26RGuQ_zjagX1mekIqXdJaEQedltIRNRc/s1600/Grainline2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk_7Y3owt7HmkCVYu-vYvTtbGUWNIMpvltIGc2C3lmaF8eWm8D98JFsTTfZ8X5_Kipbtm8r_T1T0I3NbUR_PEfcgGZd26CDVn6gKSW-tU-i26RGuQ_zjagX1mekIqXdJaEQedltIRNRc/s640/Grainline2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too small across the back, no? (Also, sorry for the involuntary sideways-thumb -- which actually sums things up pretty well, come to think of it -- and for the awkwardly placed bathtub faucet -- we only have one wall mirror in the house.)</td></tr>
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And yet, from the front, let's be honest...I'm still swimming in this a bit, aren't I? The Liberty lawn that I plan to use to make these tanks will probably drape better than this vintage bedsheet, but it's still a fairly crisp fabric, so I can't rely on drape for a flattering fit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WSDg-4dsDTQUcHacimRZxkc0JuEEQ-l34-Wnc1FsW_EjwPu3VNifC34O-5UoKUZfgnEytLdKBmnSZ1WU68FfM-ghY4aULAwm32XVMC-sxEtMTIL6cn4Y38Du41PMxvHMfNcWN0b4mw8/s1600/Grainline1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WSDg-4dsDTQUcHacimRZxkc0JuEEQ-l34-Wnc1FsW_EjwPu3VNifC34O-5UoKUZfgnEytLdKBmnSZ1WU68FfM-ghY4aULAwm32XVMC-sxEtMTIL6cn4Y38Du41PMxvHMfNcWN0b4mw8/s640/Grainline1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="554" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But...kinda shapeless and blocky from the front.</td></tr>
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What I think this adds up to is that the pattern needs the following alterations:<br />
-raise neckline<br />
-shorten bust dart<br />
-cut a size larger (?) at the upper back<br />
-cut a size smaller (? front and back ?) through the torso/waist<br />
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But I think I'll muslin my third pattern before doing any of that, to see if it is a better fit in any respect and also to see what additional insights I can gain.<br />
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Whew! Are you tired of me nattering on about all this? Me, too. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit demoralized about this project -- rather overwhelmed by the number of tweaks that need to be made in order to get a flattering fit in this very simple sort of garment (a feeling that is magnified by not really being sure how to diagnose what is wrong with the fit or how to fix it).<br />
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But I think I need to persevere. Which brings me to <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2015/09/15/slow-fashion-october/" target="_blank">Slow Fashion October</a>, an event/experiment/Internet-related happening initiated by Karen Templer. I recently started following Karen's knitting blog, <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/" target="_blank">Fringe Association</a>, and I don't knit -- not even one little bit! I think that really says something about how thoughtful her posts are and how compelling her sensibility is.<br />
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I'm posting this a bit late (hey, so I'm slow about Slow Fashion October, that ought to be allowed right?), but my thoughts here are inspired by <i>last</i> week's <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2015/10/05/slow-fashion-october-week-2-small-and-some-of-my-hardest-working-garments/" target="_blank">theme of "SMALL,"</a> which Karen describes as being about:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; widows: 1;">handmade / living with less / quality over quantity / capsule wardrobe / indie fashion / small-batch makers / sustainability</span></blockquote>
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I think it's pretty obvious from <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/09/my-wardrobe-this-season-fall-2015.html">my last post on the capsule wardrobe topic</a> that I'm not really a minimalist, in terms of either numbers or aesthetic. (Actually I suspect it is easier to be a numbers-minimalist when your aesthetic is also rather minimalist.) But I do care about sustainability.<br />
<br />
I think the way that I might square those two things is with the concept of <i>longevity</i>. That is, especially when I add something made with new resources to my wardrobe -- either bought at retail or made from retail-purchased fabric -- I want to aim for it to stay in my wardrobe for a good long time. I mean five years, or preferably ten. Or even longer!<br />
<br />
And that means that the thing has to be really pretty much perfect. The right color, the right style, the right details, and the fit spot-on. A big part of the appeal of handmade, <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/07/works-in-progress-wiksten-tank-muslin.html">as I've previously alluded to</a>, is that it offers the potential for lots of control over these things.<br />
<br />
And, looking at my existing wardrobe, I see the same silhouettes repeated over and over, most of the variation being in color and pattern. This means that all this fussing with fit is likely to pay off, if I can get it right; I am an <i>excellent</i> candidate for getting good use out of tried-and-true patterns. But I have to admit that I was hoping the trials would be shorter and I could skip straight to the true!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-65643088612306388072015-09-30T21:58:00.001-07:002015-09-30T21:58:53.932-07:00Home improvements: Bad news and good news in the dining roomBad news: projectile feline scarf-n-barf.<br />
<br />
Good news: all over the worn-out sisal rug I'd been gunning to get rid of for a while.<br />
<br />
You might remember our dining room rug. It was a big day when <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2011/01/frugal.html">I turned it upside down</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIBP4bqeIQ11_zIbYDfYdhhnJCbn8w5mtckGU8bhCCY1GVu9w60jwVyOKa10WcyQcOZDknucVekYL9Kn0wHBWsLe0xnmhI-HulLwoWJ9fW0sNC6c_20rXVe2F7rHzFcI2YjClL5QjZww/s1600/_MG_3904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIBP4bqeIQ11_zIbYDfYdhhnJCbn8w5mtckGU8bhCCY1GVu9w60jwVyOKa10WcyQcOZDknucVekYL9Kn0wHBWsLe0xnmhI-HulLwoWJ9fW0sNC6c_20rXVe2F7rHzFcI2YjClL5QjZww/s640/_MG_3904.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way before.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkuOm4l0hb23756gxa2ZptfUiwAJKVYQoLIaXALoyM2Nodb03olZuNw2rb2Opk-IFuafVSBdb4LfUGazwA8iBRvryBdiUoJv3y1lQnKOXR-Oul_B7TWpsAxn6C4WxfqRUzrkGWYVUe2U/s1600/_MG_3908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkuOm4l0hb23756gxa2ZptfUiwAJKVYQoLIaXALoyM2Nodb03olZuNw2rb2Opk-IFuafVSBdb4LfUGazwA8iBRvryBdiUoJv3y1lQnKOXR-Oul_B7TWpsAxn6C4WxfqRUzrkGWYVUe2U/s640/_MG_3908.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The truth is, though, no matter how I flipped it, the thing was looking pretty tired -- worn, stained, cat-scratched, and completely unraveling in one corner.<br />
<br />
When the aforementioned bad news happened I started to clean it up, and then I had this moment where I just felt DONE. Over it. I rolled up the rug and threw it outside.<br />
<br />
That rug had been through 11 years, two houses, a wedding, four cats, and a baby. It had done its job, you know?<br />
<br />
And secretly I'm grateful to our gluttonous cat. I'd been wanting to try removing the rug from the dining room for a while.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6km8CZYirs65WmUHyqFUXG4WX9GdN7jCFltN8EEu0JviGh9nq9RX6M-g1gYn-Mk7JoD-4QKe_6q6tigdmYGqsIkg9_AAnlDSL_CaW1VMOV5A1qGT-BbIe6mniQUPf3WtifCvztQoMck/s1600/IMG_3887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6km8CZYirs65WmUHyqFUXG4WX9GdN7jCFltN8EEu0JviGh9nq9RX6M-g1gYn-Mk7JoD-4QKe_6q6tigdmYGqsIkg9_AAnlDSL_CaW1VMOV5A1qGT-BbIe6mniQUPf3WtifCvztQoMck/s640/IMG_3887.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you, Daisy, for solving my home decorating dilemmas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUm9TsaVZ-6-Hj38CdpOl1uvEqJn9EdUM8nOM7NsFfTbd5y6LQs8sMstihy-r-KeOP-EDW__GWw1zaAkrLCZVa8QP1oLaaUn3AVAe7UtNUa_hTQFzlGilfVe4wxeRqLIB2LCWmai6G8Uc/s1600/IMG_3892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUm9TsaVZ-6-Hj38CdpOl1uvEqJn9EdUM8nOM7NsFfTbd5y6LQs8sMstihy-r-KeOP-EDW__GWw1zaAkrLCZVa8QP1oLaaUn3AVAe7UtNUa_hTQFzlGilfVe4wxeRqLIB2LCWmai6G8Uc/s640/IMG_3892.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy shows us what she thinks of all this mockery.</td></tr>
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<br />
My husband was skeptical. He thought (1) the lines around the previous position of the rug where the sun has faded the finish on our wood floors would look funny and (2) a dining room without a rug would look unfinished, as if it belonged in a house of college dudes.<br />
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It's true that there are sun-fade lines on the floor, but I don't think they are particularly noticeable.<br />
<br />
His second objection I guess is a matter of taste. I'm definitely in agreement that we want to aim for a grownup-looking space. But I don't think a dining room necessarily needs a rug to look finished. When I look at my <a href="http://examples of" target="_blank">Pinterest board of dining spaces</a> I see plenty of bare-floored examples, like so:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjF-FUlwnG4hHmu3yhfZlFMn25FaJGBwmhmX_KYq9KKm-tbGNxu-CYuHLrEFXyFUhO0jb85uXWK8nuIJTXYs7MdCj-ihOWSWOO3IkC9j_lOcuHXNVPMOr4BkK21R-Mst7qS5UEItr50I/s1600/Amber-15-600x800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjF-FUlwnG4hHmu3yhfZlFMn25FaJGBwmhmX_KYq9KKm-tbGNxu-CYuHLrEFXyFUhO0jb85uXWK8nuIJTXYs7MdCj-ihOWSWOO3IkC9j_lOcuHXNVPMOr4BkK21R-Mst7qS5UEItr50I/s640/Amber-15-600x800.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thedesignfiles.net/2014/11/amber-creswell-bell-and-andy-bell/" target="_blank">Original source</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And like so:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtYVEYSDhiL7veTUD8bcYBLvPooeAuO7KoxGRYT4Fda-CxzH5PQBAqXzm9M7aMhTC0R8hmEb4W3NForjdF6_bvNN39-bWFnI1dllE9iaxe48qC0pXlFvJXSHAK_lErm4uy9CXLwbe8V4/s1600/carldahlstedtlindstrom-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtYVEYSDhiL7veTUD8bcYBLvPooeAuO7KoxGRYT4Fda-CxzH5PQBAqXzm9M7aMhTC0R8hmEb4W3NForjdF6_bvNN39-bWFnI1dllE9iaxe48qC0pXlFvJXSHAK_lErm4uy9CXLwbe8V4/s640/carldahlstedtlindstrom-4.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.desiretoinspire.net/blog/2013/7/8/new-from-carl-dahlstedt.html" target="_blank">Original source</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Especially in an eensy space like ours, I think a rug can just create visual clutter. So. Here's where we are today. (The round table <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2013/05/upgrade.html">arrived here</a>. Funny enough, in that post I was worried about how stressful it was going to be to find a rug my husband and I could agree on. Like how I sidestepped that issue?)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWJr9PvGE-lISNIgyRzlV_t7L_UZgtNkdN5tBo-N6F167gi1shScDpjtyyRRGdMO_2k-OsXXsvKomhLzdweMECjKTRMNYtJUKj6GkBC6kMSf4lq1U8w1tZc8SnZK38oCC7ITsxnwcnFI/s1600/IMG_3880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWJr9PvGE-lISNIgyRzlV_t7L_UZgtNkdN5tBo-N6F167gi1shScDpjtyyRRGdMO_2k-OsXXsvKomhLzdweMECjKTRMNYtJUKj6GkBC6kMSf4lq1U8w1tZc8SnZK38oCC7ITsxnwcnFI/s640/IMG_3880.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anyway, I like it. My husband has not mutinied. Nice and simple looking, and it's definitely easier to keep clean.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AZkpTGO-uu14dfiJARXlKF3ZX2mj1A5-WfAKdD8vhdwvkuBFOlUaRB6FaQJHcP_L6Nz4lH8B-N1TWCLAgDvckta80pa8h3HAdvr2uTubSZH3Vt8xVqNzKLbrczO-rKMhsMZt_XKWLE4/s1600/IMG_3882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8AZkpTGO-uu14dfiJARXlKF3ZX2mj1A5-WfAKdD8vhdwvkuBFOlUaRB6FaQJHcP_L6Nz4lH8B-N1TWCLAgDvckta80pa8h3HAdvr2uTubSZH3Vt8xVqNzKLbrczO-rKMhsMZt_XKWLE4/s640/IMG_3882.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Hey, and how about that flower arrangement on the table? Just a few stems gathered from our front yard earlier today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjdwgqUMO_3B4yo3TYphaMYLFnAZTkVQb8nszP-U-MJpVhhOiN3HCs_iyyi04oSe0KlNTIdWy7c5Q5ghmznqSuHrL948dirgngqejvjD-j9XodIFqohBzIBTk83RcUQnSBQtjVcWTXtc/s1600/IMG_3886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjdwgqUMO_3B4yo3TYphaMYLFnAZTkVQb8nszP-U-MJpVhhOiN3HCs_iyyi04oSe0KlNTIdWy7c5Q5ghmznqSuHrL948dirgngqejvjD-j9XodIFqohBzIBTk83RcUQnSBQtjVcWTXtc/s640/IMG_3886.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The funny, spiky things with balls on the ends are anemone flowers that have lost their petals. (From <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/08/works-in-progress-front-yard-garden.html">these anemones here</a>.) I think they're kind of funky and modern, and I really like the way they look with the subtly shaded, late-season hydrangeas.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa3_jrQAVuFhHjEBMCip3gknwzKcJ2V4lG4UVIUxSCHHHcNFrsGpBI6EM68zHK9Z_VclyFYRON9ScAgK0i8EFukbm0mg5m6lf6pp7pzBnRrpaLwuI_8AX-bwZ6QuwYg3GCG8f4fVEMdU/s1600/IMG_3884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa3_jrQAVuFhHjEBMCip3gknwzKcJ2V4lG4UVIUxSCHHHcNFrsGpBI6EM68zHK9Z_VclyFYRON9ScAgK0i8EFukbm0mg5m6lf6pp7pzBnRrpaLwuI_8AX-bwZ6QuwYg3GCG8f4fVEMdU/s640/IMG_3884.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRR5AS1SPZxugkRWzzAxjuKW3PZ2FpixE9dtR6zmSK_KRym22Vws71PQSIuN7zj6_H7eF_WC-Eyzful9bCvXVd3CFKURYTcw3MEgAauynfzfZeRvwBz6x1h4aw6wfQH7Ik85CjbPY1z-E/s1600/IMG_3885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRR5AS1SPZxugkRWzzAxjuKW3PZ2FpixE9dtR6zmSK_KRym22Vws71PQSIuN7zj6_H7eF_WC-Eyzful9bCvXVd3CFKURYTcw3MEgAauynfzfZeRvwBz6x1h4aw6wfQH7Ik85CjbPY1z-E/s640/IMG_3885.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
I realize it's a bit cheeky to get rid of a worn-out old rug and label it a "home improvement." And I'm certainly not claiming that just getting rid of things will solve <i>all</i> interior decorating quandaries. But I do think that when we're thinking about replacing or upgrading an item, it's worth including "actually, do we need that at all?" as a step on the flow chart.<br />
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As a matter of fact, I recently did something similar in the kitchen. We had a mat in front of the sink that had always been kind of ugly, never stayed in place, had become horribly cruddy and stained, and couldn't be washed. I did ponder getting a nice rug of some sort to replace it, but in the end I just chucked it, and I haven't missed having something there at all. (Hm. Who knew I had such a vendetta against floor coverings?)<br />
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In the dining room, I've got my sights set next on reupholstering those chairs. I mean, this is pretty bad, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Fshaogcpubtr0o7fv1ch6eaSBYXoDz0D6jScyIvSGVs9oMvyRZ8Jqr9OnVIYlzVTYAuIfTb3m-SGrC-8HSWpnhhsDuYB_Pfe5Qi4gIpfxE7YDDWynBT1zjNSIKWsJmVHjh3jJ_8c4Pk/s1600/IMG_3883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Fshaogcpubtr0o7fv1ch6eaSBYXoDz0D6jScyIvSGVs9oMvyRZ8Jqr9OnVIYlzVTYAuIfTb3m-SGrC-8HSWpnhhsDuYB_Pfe5Qi4gIpfxE7YDDWynBT1zjNSIKWsJmVHjh3jJ_8c4Pk/s640/IMG_3883.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this is not a case where I can just get rid of something and not replace it. But it should be -- knock on wood -- a pretty easy project: just stretch the new fabric over the seat and staple to the bottom. I'm thinking of a <a href="http://nyfashioncenterfabrics.com/products/metallic-linen-fabric" target="_blank">metallic gold linen</a> -- it would echo the texture of some other linen we've got going on elsewhere in the common areas of the house, and I think the gold might fancify everyday meals a little bit without being fussy.<br />
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I need my dining room upholstery to be wipe-able, though. So I'm thinking about <a href="http://seekatesew.com/make-your-own-laminate-fabric/" target="_blank">laminating the fabric</a>. (Yes, I realize this is probably not the most environmentally friendly project ever, but I'm willing to compromise a bit for something durable.) Has anyone tried something like this?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1653399301717513709.post-70985470664711535562015-09-27T18:54:00.000-07:002015-09-27T18:54:34.079-07:00My wardrobe this season: Fall 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwC1_zYbeY43wTywBXiNz5f3cz6hqQcdFcfni-7xvnvhyAYBnDZM1xwXFrCa7Oy5VqYLn_OndDG1CwZBPdye4ZqVE3I5rJAbUm0WGC36WQ4fQAIhVlBtgCZeMunnmoV7TPCrAH8epdIkc/s1600/FallCapsule.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwC1_zYbeY43wTywBXiNz5f3cz6hqQcdFcfni-7xvnvhyAYBnDZM1xwXFrCa7Oy5VqYLn_OndDG1CwZBPdye4ZqVE3I5rJAbUm0WGC36WQ4fQAIhVlBtgCZeMunnmoV7TPCrAH8epdIkc/s640/FallCapsule.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
My approach to seasonal capsule wardrobes has evolved a bit since my first <a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/01/my-non-minimalist-capsule-wardrobe-for.html">experiments in this area last winter</a>. I'm still very inspired by the idea of switching up my wardrobe each season, and organizing each capsule around a characteristic seasonal palette or "color story." I'm less interested in having hard-and-fast rules about how many or which items I'm "allowed" to wear at any given time.<br />
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So here is what I did to organize my wardrobe for fall. I pulled together a stack of items that seem quintessentially "fall" to me. Here's a better view of what's in that first photo above:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWQpbNvK-r8i0rEqDx7FdmsxsivTkzs6lyCdwhw-qwSQONIWweUeLkAH5cioi-QXW-KweFQ920gSO24d_aEmCzUuAFbl5EAMg7opA877SBxc56ffJWFXjZHm5Ke07kSnbCsUS7a_r1qs/s1600/FallWardrobe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWQpbNvK-r8i0rEqDx7FdmsxsivTkzs6lyCdwhw-qwSQONIWweUeLkAH5cioi-QXW-KweFQ920gSO24d_aEmCzUuAFbl5EAMg7opA877SBxc56ffJWFXjZHm5Ke07kSnbCsUS7a_r1qs/s640/FallWardrobe2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My idea is basically to wear the heck out of these items between now and Thanksgiving, mixing them both with each other and with a variety of closet basics that I tend to wear across several seasons. (<a href="http://becoming-gezellig.blogspot.com/2015/04/on-spring-transitions.html">This post</a> should give you an idea of what I mean by "closet basics," although it's not really an exhaustive view.)<br />
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I spent a bit of time recently playing around with various combinations of these items. I was inspired in part by <a href="http://bridgetteraes.com/2015/09/07/you-can-get-more-from-your-wardrobe-you-just-dont-know-it/" target="_blank">this post on Bridgette Raes' blog</a> showing the mix-and-match potential of items owned by one of her clients. Bridgette is a professional wardrobe stylist and clearly knows her stuff, and her posts have a warm and upbeat tone -- all of which makes hers is one of my favorite style blogs on the Internet (and is probably why I keep referring to her as Bridgette, as if we were on a first-name basis!). I like that instead of pushing particular trends or items to buy, her posts tend to be much more analytical. I find that even when the outfits she shows are not my style or appropriate for my casual, work-from-home lifestyle, I can often glean the underlying principles that she's illustrating and then apply them to items in my own closet. <br />
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So, I sort of took apart Bridgette's post and then tried to apply what she was doing to my own collection of items. I haven't replicated her template exactly, but I think I've captured the spirit of her post. Settle in, this is a long one, with lots of photos!<br />
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1. First, Bridgette tackles an item that seems like it should be a staple but has been deceptively hard for her client to style. She's working with a pair of subtly patterned navy pants, and I'm using my <b>bottle-green cardigan</b>.<br />
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Here I've paired the cardigan with my black skirt leggings and a teal layering sweater. I can wear this outfit with black ballet flats early in the season, or black ankle boots later on when it's colder.<br />
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In her post, Bridgette also uses a particular scarf repeatedly and shows how it pulls together a lot of different outfits. My goes-with-everything scarf is a large square scarf with a print of ducks on a pale-pink background. Here's a better view:<br />
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I love this scarf and wear it often in fall. It was an impulse purchase at Goodwill about three years ago, believe it or not. It is not my usual fare -- I thought it was <strike>a little</strike> way too preppy for me -- and I balked a bit at paying <i>seven whole dollars</i> for it. But I am so glad I did. It's a good example of the usefulness of rotating my wardrobe seasonally: I only wear the scarf in fall, so it feels fresh each year and I'm excited to pull it out and wear it again.<br />
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It's also interesting to consider with regard to color. A common piece of advice is to build a seasonal color palette around the colors in a printed scarf, but in fact I don't wear the colors in this scarf much at all. I do love this pale pink, but have very little of it in my wardrobe. And the particular blues and greens in the scarf aren't exactly the ones in the rest of my clothing. Nevertheless, I think it works because the pink makes a nice <i>contrast</i> to colors like teal or bottle-green, and the blues and greens end up being "close enough." (In the outfit photo above, for example, you can see that the teal layering sweater really pulls out the medium blue bits of the scarf. But they are really not the same shade.)<br />
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Second outfit: same cardigan, with mid-wash skinny jeans, a gray layering sweater, smaller floral scarf with green border, and green flats.<br />
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Same jeans and cardigan, this time with a gray-and-white striped popover blouse, gray boots, and the duck-print scarf.<br />
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Same jeans, cardigan, and boots, this time with a black watch plaid shirt and and a floral scarf with an orange background. (On a really rainy day I would wear this with Wellies and perhaps swap out the jeans for dark-wash skinnies.)<br />
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Finally, the same combination of cardigan and black watch plaid shirt, this time with my black merino knit pencil skirt and black ankle boots.<br />
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2. Next in Bridgette's post is a cobalt-blue pencil skirt. My version of a brightly colored bottom that turns out to be surprisingly versatile is a pair of <b>mustard cords</b>.<br />
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First, I've paired them with the gray-and-white striped shirt and gray boots that you've seen above, and my ivory Aran cardi. You didn't think I'd leave out my Aran sweater, did you? Perish the thought!<br />
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Same cords, with the black watch plaid shirt from above, long navy argyle cardi, and Wellies. I realize that is a lot of color, but I think it would be rather cheerful on a dreary gray day.<br />
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Now the cords are paired with a black-and-navy plaid tunic, long charcoal gray cardi, gray boots, and the duck scarf makes an appearance once more.<br />
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Same mustard cords and gray boots, this time with the gray layering sweater you've seen before, and a fair isle cardigan (mostly blue, but it has a bit of yellow in it). Cozy!<br />
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3. Finally, Bridgette styles a pair of gray pants to make the point that basics can be worn in non-basic ways. I'm going to depart from her formula here and show a mix of items because I wanted to feature at least one outfit including each of the items in my "capsule."<br />
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First, a couple of outfits featuring my plaid portrait-collar blouse. Admittedly this blouse has a rather short season -- it has elbow-length sleeves, so it's just not warm enough, even with a sweater over it, once the weather really cools down -- but I do love wearing it in the mean time. Here I've paired it with my black merino knit skirt and navy argyle cardi, both pieces that I've used in outfits above, and a pair of braided clog sandals. The sandals are a good example of an item wouldn't be practical to include strict capsule wardrobe for fall, but on one or two unseasonably warm days, it's fun to pull them out and create some unexpected combinations.<br />
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Here's a similar formula that will more often be weather appropriate: the same top with dark-wash skinny jeans, my long charcoal-gray cardi, and tan clogs.<br />
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Here's that black merino knit skirt again, with a Liberty-print popover blouse, emerald green cardi, and green flats. Of course I could just as easily swap out the skirt for my dark-wash skinny jeans if I need to keep my legs a bit warmer.<br />
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Medium-wash skinny jeans, teal layering sweater, long charcoal-gray cardi, black ballet flats: all basics that I've used in various combinations in earlier outfits in this series -- here completed with a teal paisley scarf.<br />
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And finally, the emerald-green cardi and black ankle boots, with my beloved animal-print shift dress.<br />
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So that's 14 outfits from 30 items, pretty similar to Bridgette's 15 outfits from 31 items. Also, about half of the items that I've used here were obtained secondhand -- just to continue beating my "a secondhand wardrobe doesn't have to be a hot mess" drum.<br />
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Of course, these outfits don't exhaust all the mix-and match possibilities of these items. And I have a few other things not pictured here that I'll likely make good use of (a camel cable-knit cardi, for example, and a few burgundy things that help outfits feel fall-ish.) But it gives a flavor of my wardrobe this season.<br />
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I think this sort of exercise is a great alternative means to accomplish some of the same goals as a capsule wardrobe more narrowly defined. I'm surprised how many combinations I've discovered that I wouldn't have thought of before sitting down and rather methodically pairing up different items in my closet. And I'm excited to wear these outfits this fall and make use of what I already have -- rather than going shopping.<br />
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I'm sharing this post on Anne's <a href="http://www.anneinresidence.com/2015/09/pin-to-present-insta-memory-game-linkup.html" target="_blank">"pin to present" linkup</a> on In Residence. You can find the post that was the original inspiration for this one, and several other posts from Bridgette's blog, on my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/gezellig/how-to-wear-it/" target="_blank">How to Wear It </a>pinboard.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171205124450749463noreply@blogger.com10