New Arrivals

Why is it that when you can sleep in, you're wide awake and when you have to get up, you can barely pry your eyes open? Saturday, I was up even before the alarm would have rung which made for a leisurely morning. I read blogs. I read books. I took a latte out to Howard's work and went shopping. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gathered Hemlock Dress - $148.00 - this dress looks interesting in one print and prissy in another. What a difference fabric choices make. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - In an effort to buy a few basics, I spent over an hour at Value Village - a chain of second hand store in case you who don't know what that is. After trying on thirteen different blouses and t-shirts, I came away with nothing. The only one that fit remotely well had a hole in the sleeve. I gave up at that point. Obviously the mood wasn't with me. Why bother with the rest of the aisles. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Timeless Ribbed Tee - $48.00 - a basic t-shirt for forty-eight dollars makes sewing my own look like a fabulous savings especially when it takes me hours to buy and less time to sew. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remember the older woman I told you about who breakfasts at McDonald's with her husband every morning? The one who dresses so amazing? She was there shopping. This woman has to be in her early to mid seventies. She's tall, slim, well proportioned and apparently fearless. She was shopping while dressed completely in shades of white - slim cut jeans, leather stiletto boots, a long turtleneck top, and a fur vest. I'd really love to spend some time with her although once Fabricland moves to its new location our paths are less likely to cross. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Alfresco Tunic - $98.00 - unless you could see my waist underneath this would be unflattering and maternity-ish. Even so, I loved the details and especially the back. Maybe as a swimsuit cover-up - LOL - if I ever wore a swimsuit. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd After Value Village, I went to Reitmans, which is the ladies dress shop that I'm most likely to find clothing in. Last spring, the place was chock full of skirts. This spring, it seems to be pants. I was not in the mood for trying on pants. I wanted tops. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Checkmate Tank - $78.00 - I thought this was a very nice way to use gingham without getting that little girl playing dress-up look and the shaping is very flattering. It'd look great with the skirt below. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd It was another hour, mostly wasted, although I did realize that petite tops fit my body proportions better heightwise. There's none of that bagging under the arms or pooling at the back waist although that doesn't help the width any. My hips are still wider than intended which still means trying on a lot of garments and coming away with next to nothing. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

Voile Maxi Skirt - $258.00 - I have a lot of cotton voile fabrics that could be made into simple skirts like this. I liked the smooth yoke instead of the gathers right at the waist. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd I bought a plain black, V-neck, t-shirt and a black and grey printed t-shirt with some ruching around the neckline. I went for color. How does this keep happening? I did get some color. I'll tell you how tomorrow. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Dusky Dunes Skirt - $68.00 - LOVED the seemingly abstract way this skirt was put together. It looks soft, comfortable, completely wearable. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd There were several really cute cardigans that I could not even pull up my arm. Apparently small bicep widths is another factor in this season's fashions. At least I can sew. At the end of a fruitless day trying on clothes, I can go home and sew myself something. How frustrating for someone who can't. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd En Plein Air Dress - $258.00 - a simple, summer dress. Simplicity had a pattern similar to this that was done with a lace overlay. I almost bought it Friday night but there was WAY TOO LONG a line-up at the till for me to wait through that. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Saturday afternoon, I went snoop shopping on-line and checked out the new arrivals at Anthropologie. I'm sure this was just another way in which to avoid sewing although why I'm avoiding sewing I have no idea. I'm in one of those less enchanted stages I guess. We all go through them. Possibly... dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Crocheted Tank Dress - $458.00 - pretty but check out the price. There isn't a hope that I'd pay that much for a summer dress - not even for a special occasion. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd It has something to do with changing sizes. I'm envious of those women who have remained the same size for years and years. It's totally doable to build up a wardrobe of basics and beauties if your size remains consistent. What you buy or sew one year will be wearable the next and the next and the next. If your size fluctuates - as mine does - it's SO ANNOYING. Every season, every fluctuation, you're starting over because even five to ten pounds totally changes the way a garment looks and feels. I need to give this some thought to see if there is some "fault of my own" that I can deal with to change this situation. I wouldn't mind being slightly more fluffy than I'd like if I was consistently fluffy. I also need to learn to sew to the middle of the range so if I go up or down five pounds, I'm still okay. ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Blogger still wasn't fixed Monday night when I finished this posting. To get the spacing needed, I had to insert rows of letters and then change them to white text. What a PAIN that is plus my husband upgraded my computer and I have new software to learn and "things" to try to get back to normal like the width of the text on my screen but... at least I could post. Let me know if there are glitches - besides funny spacing. I'm at work all day but can - hopefully - fix things for tomorrow or - if I'm lucky - Blogger will be fixed. dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Talk soon - Myrna dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Grateful - surviving the first day of an unbelievably unorganized move