Clothes Talk: Part 1

So, remember when I said I wanted to talk clothes/fashion/style? Well, here I am. I actually feel a little dumb posting this, but I am really hoping for some responses as to how you choose what you wear and so on.

A few years ago a girl I knew made fun of me for how I dressed. I was annoyed and angry and really surprised that a grown adult would actually say something to another adult in such a 7th grade manner. 

Did I stay up with the latest fads? No. Did I accessorize? Mostly no. Did I wear things that flattered me? Not usually. Was I comfortable? Oh, yes! Comfort is very important to me.

I won't lie and say that her words didn't affect me. They did, but not so much in the way probably would have wanted them to. In fact, what made me rethink the way I was dressing myself was a post I read  years later that I wrote about on our family blog*. After reading it I realized that I could be comfortable and wear things that flattered me, all while staying true to myself and not buying into whatever the fashion industry told me was cute that particular year. (And, I don't care that skinny jeans are all the rage now. They have not, nor ever will be flattering on a body like mine. I am totally fine with that.)

Sorry, I think I accidental stepped on a soapbox with that. Let me move on...

Before the days of Pinterest, I used to occasionally tear out pictures from magazines or catalogs of outfits I liked or particular clothes items. I kept these nicely taped in a notebook. Once I started using Pinterest I saw the cute outfits (and not cute outfits) that people pinned. I thought to myself - hey, this can help me on my new quest of wearing comfortable and flattering clothes! And as I started pinning outfits I realized something.

I own most of what I would want to wear! I just never add a little flair to the solid shirts with jeans look. I didn't realize that THAT color looked really nice with THIS color. I hadn't thought about how a scarf (something I will address in a later post) or pretty earrings can totally change an outfit.

So, one day I tried it. I had on a white shirt, brown cardigan and jeans. Very Collette of an outfit and also very librarian. Even though when I just hang out at home I wouldn't normally wear jewelry, I decided to try adding a little something extra to my plainer choice. So, I pulled out this greenish necklace I bought at Wal-mart for like $4 and put it on. You know what? I looked so much better! And I felt better too. Just because I didn't have anyone but my own family to see all day didn't mean I couldn't look nice. And I was still comfortable. I started looking more closely at the things I was pinning (which, by the way I no longer pin the outfits I like. They all go into my One Note pages I have set up and used to organize things before I got in Pinterest.) I noticed that there were a few more changes I wanted to make to make my wardrobe "just so" for me. And I will tell you all about that later because I already feel like I have totally rambled and I want to keep you hanging (not really, but kind of), so I will continue on a different day. But, as you wait, you can share with me if you want why you choose to dress the way you do. I am sincerely interested to hear how other people figure all this out.

*My family blog is private, but here's a snippet of what I wrote in 2009 (which you will notice some sounds a lot like the above statements): 

I am not hip, trendy or cool. I am fine with that. I hate the ebb and flow of fashion. (Like why should I wear skinny jeans today when yesterday I was told they are not flattering on most body types?) I like the staples in clothing. The classics. The things that don't change. But, I also like some fun in my wardrobe. And as much as I like that by taking good care of my stuff so that it lasts, I also like to get new clothing now and then. I found this website called Sensibly Styled a few weeks ago and fell in love. My fondness grew after seeing THIS POST today. Now I just want to go through my closet and drawers (and truthfully the bin in the garage full of stuff that will likely never fit again, despite my want) and clean out. I have way more clothes than I actually wear, but still need just a titch more - solely for variety. (I am trying to step up my sewing to assist with this.) ...
I'm never going to be trendy. It's not me, it's not my thing. Occasionally there are trends that I do really like. The cute shirts with slightly puffy sleeves, the ruffles in the front, plaid shorts - I dig all of those (yet own none). I don't understand things like scarves and I doubt I'll ever put on leggings again (or heaven forbid - stirrups, which I saw in the store the other day!) Those are me in 4th grade, not now. But, I won't say never to them.

Cubes of Citrus

I LOVE Mountain Dew (well, diet Dew). In the past year I drank way more than one should, so I cut myself off a couple of weeks ago. I have been drinking more water (yea me!) and I thought I'd like it more if sometimes I had some variety to it. I saw a friend pin this idea and I figured out how to solve my boring water problem on a smaller scale.

I don't know about you, but I don't usually buy lemons and limes and keep them stocked just for water. So, when I had some the other day that never quite made it into the recipe I had planned, I tried out my idea. I cut an orange, lime, and lemon up into chunks and filled some ice cube trays with the pieces. 

I added some water and put the trays in the freezer until they were solid. All my cubes went into a plastic bag. 

 

Now I can have just a touch of citrus in my water whenever my little heart desires (or my stock runs out). And don't mind the floaties - it's just pulp!

Saw it/Did it: Hair

So, I have a lot of love/hate feeling towards Pinterest. That is a whole post of its own that I certainly will get to some day. I thought it would be fun to post things I did that were something I saw on Pinterest. I will always link you to the original website (because I figure that is what you should do, since Pinterest didn't come up with the idea). So, The "Saw it/Did it posts will be things I found on Pinterest. Maybe it'll get me doing more and looking less.

 Last night a friend had pinned a "no curl" tutorial. I have used some in the past and thought I'd give this one a go. It was from The Paper Mama. Basically all that is required is a headband. I tried it last night and here's how it turned out.

The pictures is a dumb self portrait, but it shows the hair well enough. The is not how it first looked, but instead after a walk to and from my son's school. I didn't remember to put gel in my hair (I don't own any and forgot to use mousse or something else). My band was thinner than hers. The mark on my forehead didn't go away for like 2 hours. Also, I have short hair, so I had to go back and curl all the ends under. I will still consider it a success and good for a day I want some texture. My hair is baby fine and straight as can be, so it is fun to have a little volume now and then, even if it does look a little like my perms in the 80s. Next time I will try a softer, fatter headband.

Update on the Wreath

I know you guys are just dying to know what I ended up doing with the wreath. (I know you aren't, but I still wanted to share.)

If my husband said it was too plain, than that certainly meant that it was. So, I added the rest of the tulle on, inspired by this wreath that my sister had pinned on Pinterest. I ended up just folding the tulle like fans and pinning it in.

So, here's the final product! I still don't love it, but I like it much better!

Apple Quesadillas

A few years ago I discovered Pacific Rose Apples at the grocery store. I tried them and loved them...and then it seems my grocery store stopped carrying them. This is the time of year to find them and since my grocery store still doesn't have them, I asked around about them. A friend led me to a different store and lucky me gets my fancy apples again. Now, these are not priced like a Granny Smith or Red Delicious, but to me they are worth it.

Anyway, the first time I bought them, the produce lady suggested that I add them to a quesadilla. So I tried out her suggestion.

Ingredients:

• Flour Tortillas (I prefer the kind that are not cooked when you buy them.)
• Jalapeno Jelly
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Pacific Rose Apple (may work nicely with other types too)

Preheat skillet at medium to medium high. Grate the cheese and thinly slice the apple.

Spread a thin layer of the jelly, then add the apples (maybe a little cheese between the apples and jelly, if you want). Top with the cheese and fold in half. (If using uncooked tortillas, cook just one side of tortilla before adding toppings)

Cook in a skillet until tortilla is browned and cheese is melted.
Now eat it and like it!

Another Not Project Post

I used to love doing laundry when I was younger. I loved the sorting, the separating the "hang up to dry" vs dry in the dyer clothes. I was actually pretty good at folding stuff up right as it came out of the dryer. And most of the time those nicely folded clothes got put away within the same 24 hours. Things are not quite like that now. Not at all. I have never been good at taking care of my clothes after I wear them. I remember being in elementary school and having a pile reach as high as my desk of clothes that had been worn, but were still clean enough to wear again. 

Multiply that bad trait, plus that I do laundry for 5 people now, and you can imagine my laundry/clothes pile woes. (My other blog where my sisters and I write about kid projects is aptly named "Heaps of Laundry," though no one should be tricked that it is all or even mostly due to all the awesome stuff I do with my kids as super mom.)

Where am I going with this? Well, I dazzled myself today by putting away all the clothes that have been piling up next to my bed waiting to be put away. (Okay, there are a few things like socks that are still sitting there waiting to find their mates.) As I was putting them away and finding my closet space fill up, I decided I wanted to blog about a few clothes things. Maybe this is totally not interesting, but it will get it out of my brain and make space for other stuff. Or who knows, maybe you are just like me and you will find it riveting (you won't).

I'm hoping that the 10 of you will join me in a discussion of sorts about how you build your wardrobe, what guides those choices, where you shop, fashion sense in general, fashion likes/dislikes, etc. I think it will be fun. So, I guess I will see you soonish.

Wreath=Done

 I got the wreath done and on the door.

I don't love it. It seems to plain, but I really have no idea what I am doing. Suggestions?