Resolutions. And Clothes.

Ok, so in an effort to spend less crazily (this feels like the same new year’s resolution I make every year...spend more thoughtfully....of course, I feel like I am making fewer impulse purchases so something must be working) I’m going to do a full-on closet inventory and then purchase the basics I’m missing. You know, round things out a bit. This only sounds easy. You have to take into account the fact that it took me two years to find a pair of brown boots that I like. Love. Adore. Wear all the time. It’s like a hunt for me. Not looking for the bargain, really. What I’m looking for is a pair of boots that will make even the bums outside the library sit up and take notice. (This pair did exactly that, by the way)

I’ve stolen a list from a blog I just discovered (yay google!) - if you want the exact link it’s this:

http://highfashiongirl.blogspot.com/2007/12/wardrobe-basics.html

and the list is this: (in () are my comments)

Basics:


1) A well-fitting bra and well-fitting underwear (duh - this should include slips and shapers)
2) A fitted black jacket
3) A basic white button down
4) A great pair of jeans (or 3 if you have my job.)
5) A tailored pair of slightly wide-leg black trousers (or more - gray, brown, and navy should be on this list as well)
6) A cashmere cardigan
7) High quality black, navy, white and brown turtlenecks (MUST BUY)
8) A little black dress (or 2 or 3....what was it Madame Coco said...?)
9) A silk camisole in a pretty jewel tone
10) A black pencil skirt
11) A trench coat (I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to take myself seriously in a trench coat...)
12) Hanes plain white tees (I actually prefer Mossimo from Target. They’re soft and not see through. The $5 Ts at Forever 21 are also nice to have in many colors)
13) Ballet flats
14) Classic pumps
15) Classic tall boots (brown and black - need black)
16) A great handbag
17) A peacoat
18) Belt (a few of these - sometimes a funky belt is all it takes to keep an all-black outfit on the chic side of funeral chic.)

Great extras:

1) A classic watch
2) Pearl necklace
3) Diamond studs
4) A gold chain (Silver if you don’t wear gold)
5) A vintage rock and roll t-shirt (fake vintage works, too. Hello, Target)
6) A trapeze/swing jacket
7) Oversized Jackie O sunglasses (Not necessarily in black. Mine are cream)
8) A classic tote bag
9) A gorgeous cocktail dress
10) A leopard print coat (less seriously than a trench coat. I couldn’t even be ironic in this)
11) Jeweled cuff
12) A beautiful clutch
13) A v-neck sweater
14) A black and white striped t-shirt (what...for convict-chic?)
15) Wrap dress (YES)
16) Neutral pumps or slingbacks
17) A pashmina
18) A sequin tunic (this is so fall of 07 - can we move on already?)
19) Leggings (NO. NO. NO. If you are old enough to have worn the trend the first time around...)


So my list is fairly short. And in two more years, it’ll be complete. Yippie!


What are my other resolutions, you ask? Surely it can't just be the same one year after year, can it...? No, it's not. In addition to making the wardrobe make sense there is:

1) Floss. Regularly and as directed.
2) Regain my pre-brain-swell workout routine (this coincides nicely with being off the pills. I'm not able to downward dog just yet, but perhaps in another week or so....)
3) Be more organized in general - cooking, grocery shopping, general storage. I've been in enough houses by now to know how easily it all gets away from you. I've actually got a client who doesn't know what's in half of her closets, up in her attic, in her garage, in storage...she just keeps collecting stuff and then not remember what she's got. And it's not because she's old and forgetful. It's because she's got tons of stuff. I don't know how many times she's wanted to see the inventory list from the storage facility and I've handed it to her and all it says - apart from furniture pieces - is "1 box, packed by client. 12x12x2" with varying numbers and sizes. She has no idea what's in those boxes and they're unlabeled. She's paid well over a grand in the past year to store all of her shit. If that's not a cautionary tale, I don't know what is.

Anyway, I should start dinner. Something with fish. And maybe pasta....?

ciao!

Free to Be Drug Free!

That's right, folks. Pill #The Last was consumed yesterday morning. I've been clean for going on 30 hours and so far just a little headache by way of withdrawal. I'm not writing it off, though. I anticipate general crumminess to ensue any time now....

The New Year came in with a bang for us - freezing our fingers off in Conroe setting off fireworks. I'll get those images edited and up on the googlepage soon. You're excited. Admit it.

So that's all I've got right now. It's definitely lunch time.

PS - Steve is playing Welcome to the Jungle on the Guitar Hero III.....the word you're looking for is "addict" ;-)

Baked Kitties

Every now and again we give our kitties catnip. It's a special-occasion drug pulled out when neither Steve nor myself feel like laser-pointing and ribbon-bouncing or ping-pong throwing. We've got a little pouch and some loose weed and we dribble the loose on their scratching post and toss the pouch on the floor and they go to town. Think Lions on a fallen Gazelle. If weed bled our floors would be saturated. They tumble over each other to get the best bit and then after several minutes they wander away to fall into a stoned coma. That's where they are now.


Ever notice that people who don't have kids talk about their pets as if they are children. Not in the "my baby got an A" way but in the "here's a funny anecdote about my dog/cat/parakeet/komodo dragon" way. It's amusing and something almost everyone can relate to. Because unlike children, if you don't have a pet of your own you know someone who does and they're completely whacked about it. Case in point: my parents inherited robokitty (Steve's name for Patience the grey cat) from a friend who met a guy on the internet and moved to England to marry him. It was supposed to be for a few months and turned into several years. The cat passed away at my parents house of plain-old-age (and she was up there - pushing the two-decade mark) and then the cats owner, who called on a regular basis to catch up with my parents and talk to the cat , asks for the ashes of the cat. At one point there was even discussion of saving the DNA so she could clone robokitty and have her favorite cat again. This was a serious conversation. You can't make this up.

I'm going to make m&m chocolate chip cookies today, as soon as we go to the store and pick up eggs. These, plus the pumpkin muffins, will be my dessert contribution to the Mexican-themed Christmas Eve Dinner at the in-laws. I'd rather make sopapillas, but those don't travel well and using the in-laws kitchen is something I'm loathe to do.

Sister-in-law posted a blog on her myspace bemoaning her hair. We've all been there. That's another situation everyone can relate to. I've got a wild-hair to do something different and drastic and yet I don't want to hate it next week because I went and did something rash. I have the solution - a cute style worn by Julia Stiles a few years ago. It's on the cover of the Aug 2002 Elle. How do I remember this? Because not only did I convince my sister to chop about a foot off of my hair not long after that, but I still have the magazine. That spread makes me want to chop my hair again. I'll settle by vicariously chopping it via SIL. ;-)

I'm feeling rambly and chatty this morning (clearly) but we've got present to deliver and I MUST do something about my nails. Oh, and there are cookies to bake. And now that I think about it, I like that I'm too busy to write an in-depth blog. And it's all fun-busy today.


PS - next year I'm sending out a letter in our Christmas cards next year. And I think we'll expand so that everyone gets a photo card rather than just immediate family. We'll pick a less-formal picture for next year, too. Something everyone will enjoy....... ;-)

Baking and Martinique

So this afternoon I'm going to do some baking. M&M Chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Might even try that peppermint bark again. :-)

This week has been crazy but it looks like it might be lightening up. Demanding clients are in Florida, miraculously actually leaving rather than canceling their trip to stand over the subcontractors like they did last time. (That was hellacious.) And I've just purchased the last of my Christmas gifts. Insert WOOT and imaginary glass of celebratory Emily Cocktail (champagne, pomegranate juice, cosmo mix, seeds for garnish) here. :-D

The Alaskan cruise has been put on hold - primarily because it costs more than we want to spend. Alternatively, a villa in Martinique in July (the off-season due to hurricanes) is going to be much less expensive. Especially when split with 6-7 other people. It'll be a 30th birthday on the beach :-D I'm considering chartering a yacht for a day so we can go wild-sea-life watching. Want to come? All you need is a passport, airfare, and whatever your share of the rent is. There's a full kitchen so I figure we'll let the men do some grilling and the women do some whipping up and go out a couple of nights, but it's better than spending tons of money on overpriced mediocre hotel food. And after my many hotel and hospital stays....let's just say I'm burned out on cafeteria food :-D

That's all I've got for now, so I'm going to go throw in Elf and make some cookies! Happy Day!

The Googlepage is caught up!

Until babies are born, the Alaskan Cruise is taken, and more happy hours occur, that is ;-)


http://emily.steve.googlepages.com/annualholidaysleepover