The Saga of the Boots

It all started with a plan to spend Christmas in the snow. We decided to visit Whitefish, Montana, a ski town just outside Glacier National Park that's been named one of “America’s 50 Prettiest Winter Towns” by USNews and one of the “Ten Best Ski Towns” in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice poll.

I don’t ski, and I live in Georgia with little to no need for cold weather gear. While my husband bemoaned the fact that he’d only recently given away his ski pants, I’d never owned any. On my one ski trip to Beech Mountain in the 70’s, I was such an abysmal skier, that I never tried the sport again.   I have a warm winter dress coat suitable for business travel to New York and Chicago, but not for activities like dog sledding.

Though I figured I wouldn’t get much use out of a cold weather wardrobe, I knew I needed to shop for a few basics. We planned this trip far enough in advance that I was able to take advantage of spring catalog sales to get long underwear and a fur-trimmed quilted coat. Serious shopping for a few more key items began in the fall.

Wool sweaters started arriving in the mail; ski pants were available at a local sporting goods store, and warm boots were next on the list. Yes, I have lots of boots, including a black fleece-lined pair that comes out every year to wear in the few inches of snow we get.  They’re warm but not comfortable enough for all-day wear plus I wanted to take two pairs of boots on the trip. Thus started the great boot hunt. I ordered two pairs from Amazon. The first pair seemed promising style-wise but perhaps a tad big and likely not warm enough.  While waiting for the second pair to arrive, I hit the mall.

There I found a pair of short boots, good for warmth but still not perfect. Time was awastin’, so I brought them home in case I couldn’t find anything better. Next, I headed to DSW, where I discovered a perfectly adorable pair of fleece-lined lace-up boots. Now, I had three pairs of new boots at home. The next day, the final pair arrived from Amazon. They weren’t especially warm, but they fit like a dream and were good looking to boot! I was beginning to feel like Cinderella trying on boots instead of glass slippers.

Decision Time

It was decision time. Could I make do with only one new pair? Could I use the old black ones for dog sledding and the new lace-up pair for dinners out and touring the town of Whitefish? Perhaps I needed the last pair from Amazon even if they didn’t travel to Montana.

All it took was my husband’s observation that what I had were two different kinds of boots, and I might need both. Decision made. I am now the proud owner of two new pairs of boots: one fashionable fleece-lined pair for my trip and colder days at home, and another slightly more practical pair to wear with jeans and leggings throughout fall and winter.  Of course, I may have to enlarge our closet to house my growing collection of boots, but that’s a worry for another day.

Comments welcome at inkpenn119@gmail.com

Jeans are Out?

 Yes, you read the headline right. These days, instead of jeans, folks are turning to athleisure wear.  You won’t find athleisure in the dictionary but you will see it in headlines and news stories.  The definition, per InStyle magazine is, “…clothes that fit a somewhat broad category of being appropriate for either athletic or leisure pursuits, or both. We’re talking about anything from designer leggings of the Lululemon variety to cashmere sweats to layering pieces to absurdly fancy (and expensive) gym clothes.” I first spotted the term in a WSJ article: Yoga Poseurs: Athletic Gear Soars, Outpacing Sport Itself.  Sales of athleisure wear are increasing, “even as Americans' rate of participating in most sports is in decline.”

It’s not that more folks are taking yoga; they just like the clothes.  When I mentioned the article to my husband, he quickly assured me that he wasn’t giving up his jeans.  And, I had to laugh when my boss said something about athleisure wear only being for finely tuned yoga bodies.  I assured him that there were plenty of folks wearing the look whose bodies had never approached being finely tuned—far from it.  I liken this trend to the spandex craze of the 80’s.  Do you shudder, as I do, when you recall those spandex sightings at the grocery store and other inappropriate places?

Years ago, when I first started working out several mornings a week, I’d hesitantly stop by the grocery or drugstore on the way home and think, “I shouldn’t go in dressed like this.” I think I was scarred by those spandex days. Then I began to notice that many of the other shoppers were dressed just as I was. I attributed that to living in suburban Atlanta where so many of my neighbors were stay-at-home moms who worked out.  Now, I see that we were all on the cutting edge. Since I work at home, the three days I work out in the morning, I not only start out in athleisure wear but also spend the rest of my day in that attire.

Still, I don’t put on my workout clothes unless I’m headed to work out. The closest I come is during the cooler months when I reach for leggings and a long top to wear in my home office and in front of the fireplace at night, or a dressier version to wear with boots as I head out the door.  You can’t beat that outfit for comfort. In the warmer months, though, I still go for shorts.

 Because so many folks are turning to athleisure wear, jean sales are dropping. Don’t  get me wrong; I’m not giving up my jeans, though I haven’t put them on once this summer. I’m more likely to wear them to go shopping, out to lunch or dinner or to run errands when the temperatures are cooler. So with the temps starting to moderate here in Atlanta, I’m looking forward to wearing my JAG, NYDJ and Eddie Bauer jeans soon—except on those weekdays when I stay in my comfortable athleisure wear all day long. 

A Bountiful Beauty Bag

I’ve been enjoying myself immensely since my girlfriends took me out for a birthday lunch last weekend. Their gift to me was a Beauty Bag, as they called it. I’ve always been the one in the group most interested in skincare and makeup, so a Beauty Bag was the perfect gift. They know me all too well.

Years ago, I read about Paula Begoun’s book Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me and became a huge fan of the book, her Paula’s Choice website and her products. Paula believes you can find good products at the drugstore and don’t need to spend lots of money to look good.  Her website has a section called Beautypedia where she rates products, and it’s my go to when I’m looking for makeup or skincare products.  My friends have been the recipients of her products and books ever since I found her, so it was fitting that Bev, the Internet Queen among us, referenced the Beautypedia as she researched products for my Beauty Bag.

I haven’t even begun to try out everything they gave me, but I've worn my new infinity scarf and tried the CoverGirl Professional Remarkable mascara and Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm, and love them all. The lipstick, which came out in 2013, was recommended by Bev’s 21 year-old daughter, so now I feel like I’m keeping up with the younger crowd. And, since the birthday I just celebrated ends in a zero, every little youthful boost helps.

This week, while listening to a two-hour training class, I tried the Suddenly Smooth Intensive Hand Treatment. The treatment consists of a pair of gloves “infused with shea butter, argan oil and rose oil." You leave them on for 20 minutes and voila—smooth, soft hands!  That was a heavenly treat, and I definitely need to stock up so I can use them weekly this winter. Now, if only they made gloves that went all the way to the elbows to combat the leather look of my arms.

Also in the bag were several items from Andree’s Essential Soaps, a company headquartered in Athens, Georgia. Susie, the newest addition to our group, discovered this line. Check out the website for the inspiring story of how they got their start.  Their products were even included in the Gala Gift bags at the Emmy Awards one year. I’m enjoying the French Hand Crème, and I’ve been using the jar of H.E.L.L. Crème on my legs nightly. And, just what does H.E.L.L. stand for? Help Eliminate Lizard Legs.  You gotta love the name!  Perhaps I should try the Lizard Legs Crème on my leather arms, or better yet, I’ll send Andree the idea for a new product.

I have no idea where they came across the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, but I can’t wait to try it. It’s a masque that’s supposed to make my face glow. I’ve also got a cleansing lemon verbena sugar scrub and a moisturizing serum to try.  So many beauty treats, so little time! 

Do I have great girlfriends or what?

Shopping and Satan #2

It all started with an innocent visit to a girlfriend in Virginia.  Okay, okay, perhaps there are no innocent girls’ trips, and admittedly, I did suggest we might want to do a bit of shopping while I was in town. I promise, though, I didn’t intend to help the economy quite as much I did. 

Do you have shopping buddies—friends who are helpful and honest, who know what looks good on you and what doesn’t, who don’t try to get you to settle or push you into styles that appeal to them, not you?  I’m sad to say that it’s primarily my out-of-state girlfriends who fit that description, so is it any wonder that I get into so much shopping trouble when we’re together?

Packing and Planning

We’re taking a ten day sailing/cycling vacation in Greece this summer, and lately I’ve spent most of my free time cycling to try to get in decent shape for the hilly terrain and also reading up on what to see while there.  It’s been fun to re-read Greek mythology and to learn a few Greek phrases.

We succumbed to a Great Courses sale flyer and purchased a lecture series on Greece. While we haven’t watched all 24 lectures, we have enjoyed quite a few on Athens and the islands, where we’ll be spending our time. Since I approach a big vacation just as I’d approach a work project, I’ve made notes on what to see as part of my comprehensive task list.

An equally important part of the plan is what to pack. To me, that’s half the fun. Imagine the challenge of taking enough clothes for ten days in one carry-on bag and a backpack. Thankfully, the weather is warm, and the clothes are not too bulky. We’ll take detergent and a clothesline so we can wash our cycling gear on the sailboat, but we still need multiple cycling shorts and tops.

Bike Tours Direct provides a suggested packing list, and we’ve learned a bit from two similar trips we’ve taken over the years. We know we need clothes for sailing, for evenings on the islands and for touring Athens for two days. I’m pretty organized, perhaps too organized, and I’ve planned mix and match bottoms and tops.  Everything is light weight and can be layered with a sweater or windbreaker.  It’s all also light colored, as I’d stand out like a sore thumb in the islands if I were dressed in red or black, two of my favorite colors.

Sunscreen, a floppy hat and a ball cap are essentials for this locale.  The ball cap is mostly to slap on your head when you remove your cycling helmet, before others notice just how dreadful your helmet hair looks. For sailing and shopping--err, I mean touring--the towns, a broad brimmed hat is best.  After much searching, I finally found a white floppy hat  at REI with both sun protection and a chinstrap.  Hats are prone to fly off when you’re sailing, so the strap is a must.

Once the essentials are taken care of, it’s time to consider style.  Taking a pair of Capri leggings and several big white tops gives me a look I love--slim on the bottom, flowing or big on top.  Adding a short skirt and pair of khaki capris combined with tank tops and light weight sweaters for layering pretty much rounds out the packing list.  

You know, off course, that I didn’t have everything I envisioned just waiting in my closet, so I hit the mall, the local consignment shop and T.J. Maxx to find a few things I had to have.  Now, I’m all set…at least I keep trying to tell myself that. Note to self:  Stop shopping.  

That carry-on bag and back pack are looking smaller all the time.  Cross your fingers that everything fits.

What on Earth is Dancing Casual?

You read right.  That’s the dress code for a high school reunion we’re attending. My husband has two high school reunions this year—yes, that’s right, TWO.  He has stayed in touch with folks from his younger years even though he moved away before high school, so they invited him to their May reunion.  Then, in September, we go to the reunion for the high school he actually graduated from.

Naturally, I asked the first question on every woman’s mind: what’s the attire?  You will love this description: dancing casual for the Saturday night event with a band--slacks, golf shirt type for men. Pretty clear for the guys, but what about the girls?  I’m thinking the choices could run the gamut from slacks and capris to dresses or skirts, but who knows?

Just for kicks, I googled Miss Manners because I remembered her "dissing"  the seemingly endless variety of dress options on today’s invitations. I found her website and from there, I somehow stumbled across Pure Wow, with an amusing bio of Miss Manners, but not the answer to my burning question—what on earth is dancing casual?

Next I googled “dress on invitations” and found “Cracking the Mystery of the Party Dress Code”.  I had to laugh when I read, “If you are the invitation receivee, what the heck does Cocktail Casual mean? Or maybe your invitation said Texas Chic.”  Seems I wasn’t the only one facing the dress code dilemma.  They have a list of dress options and definitions, but no--dancing casual is not among them. 

I quickly decided to follow their advice, which I’ve followed most of my life: “When in doubt, dress up.  Who doesn't want to look better than the rest of the party competition? If you're overdressed, you can always say you are on your way to another party.”

I was starting to form a picture in my mind of a fun outfit, either a dress or skirt. I shopped off and on for a few months, with no luck. Nothing I saw matched that image.  It seemed the dresses in the department stores were tailored work dresses,  flowered church dresses or entirely too glitzy.

 I had just about convinced myself I could wear my linen LBD, when I ran in the local consignment shop one last time.  Voila!  I found an above the knee black and white skirt that looked perfect and flirty with either a black tank or one in a jewel color. Everyone knows what flirty is, right?  To me, it’s a skirt that moves or swings when you walk, or in this case, dance.  I added just the right shoes and jewelry, and I was set.

In fact, I realized I was doubly set when I  flashed on the fact that we had another celebratory event in May—our wedding anniversary.  We don’t have many occasions to go out for a fancy dinner, but our anniversary is one of them. Thank goodness!  I hate for a good outfit to go to waste.

Shopping, Satan and Little Black Dresses

 I laughed aloud when I read this story in the KellyGram: 

A husband whose wife loved to shop asked her to take a break from it for awhile. He suggested she fight the shopping urge by saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan," whenever she was tempted. She promised him she would. Then, one day, she spotted a beautiful dress in a store window, went in, tried it on, and bought it.   

When her husband saw the dress, he said, "Honey, you said you weren't going to buy any more clothes." She replied, "I know, but Satan tempted me."  

"But you were supposed to say, 'Get thee behind me, Satan,'" he reminded her.  

She said, "I did, but Satan said it looked even better from behind." 

Two of my witty friends replied: 

It must be a coincidence that Satan said the same thing to me last week too. 

Satan lives in my iPad and visits whenever I visit Coldwater Creek. 

Now, I don’t think shopping is evil by any means, and I shop more than my fair share.  After working at home for 14 years, though,  I’ve finally convinced myself that I don’t need as many clothes as I used to—but it‘s been a battle.  

 

On the one hand, it’s almost impossible to run out and find a work outfit when you suddenly have to travel to headquarters and your typical workday attire of shorts or jeans clearly won’t do. On the other hand, I’ve bought “just in case” work outfits that were out of season or worse, out of style, before I ever had occasion to wear them. 

In my case, I find Satan especially likes black—black dresses that is—which is appropriate, I think.  I seem unable to resist LBDs.  The good news is I usually find these dresses at my local consignment shop, Consigning Women, so I’m not spending a fortune.  I found two black Talbot’s shirt dresses there, one sleeveless and one long sleeved,  and now I’m ready for the office, no matter the season.  

One day, a black linen sheath called my name, the perfect thing to wear to a gallery gala spotlighting the work of my friend Cathy McIntire.   I am proud to say I resisted a black shirt dress trimmed in white this past weekend. Satan and I, however, keep wondering whether I should go back and grab it...because a girl just can’t have too many LBDs. 

PS. If you enjoyed the KellyGram  anecdote, check out the website and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter.