My Actual Birthday

Lots of birthday posts here lately!  I have only one birthday, but this 50th birthday continued for a week!  I'm hoping it'll last longer than that--not because of gifts or anything, mind you, but because it's a new era, a new season in my life.  And, I want to take advantage of the time I now have, and live it to the fullest.  Life, and that more abundantly.

Today is Monday, and it was a fine day for a birthday.  It was still warm outside, and one of the things I decided to do was to hop on over to Goodwill with my 25% off to see what I could find.  My mom came with me, too!

I discovered a set of blue glasses, and decided for $8-9 I would replace the mishmash of glasses in my kitchen cabinet with them.  I also found a pretty, brand-new fall/spring top with beading around the neckline for a few dollars.

While Mom and I stood in line, someone came walking up to me--my "sister" Tressey!!  She had been at my house to wish me a happy birthday in person, and the guys told her where I was.  We chatted in the store, through the checkout line, then out into the parking lot before hugs were exchanged and Mom and I went home.  When I walked into the kitchen, I saw what Tressey had dropped off:

After dinner, we had CAKE, the second cake Becki made for me.  We brought it home on her well-used jelly roll pan, but that cake is ure pretty!

I asked my guys, and my parents, to sing to me, and they did.

Danny sang quite elaborately, too!

What a fun birthday!  Here are the glasses I bought...

And the top...

I am blessed.


Back to life,
Christine

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Simplify -- Say No to the Dress

Simplify!

Our Goal

A simple and beautiful house

that the Lord can use as a peaceful haven

for my family and others.

Click here to find out why/how I started!

The dress is the centerpiece, if you will, of a wedding.  Besides the vows and rings, it's probably the most important part, some would argue.  It's what people see first, what stands out--there's the bride, here comes the bride.  For us in the Christian community, the pure white of the dress symbolizes the bride offering a pure self to her groom, with her father giving her away to this new union.  It's a sacred and beautiful ceremony, and the dress plays a large role in that.

I regret only one thing about my wedding dress:  I never tried on a single dress.  As her wedding gift to me, a friend made my dress.  So the two of us went to the fabric store, looked at patterns, and I picked one that I thought was super pretty.  Then she took me shopping for all the extras--lace, edging, buttons, ribbon...

Although I loved my wedding dress, and felt so beautiful in it, I do wish I would have gone to some bridal gown shops to at least try a few on.  I had no sense of style (I still struggle with it!), so I just went with what I liked in the picture on the pattern envelope.  It would have been fun to go try a few on, but the regret is small, because I am practical, as I said, and I can't go back and change things.  I guess I can look forward to trying on mother-of-the-bride dresses!

So, you're wondering why this is in a Simplify post.  Well, I said "yes" to this dress when I was getting married.  That was 28 years ago (wow).  This dress is not quite old enough for the vintage category, but too old to be in the contemporary stylish category.  And since I've been decluttering our stuff, it was time to say "no" to my wedding dress:  I'm not keeping it any more.  The memories are in my heart.  Since I'm a photographer, I decided to plan a little photo shoot of this once-fashionable dress.

I tried to make it out to The Morton Arboretum during spring, when the trees were blooming and flowers were popping up.  But, the weather didn't cooperate, and our schedule didn't cooperate, and...  I never made it out.  One last spring-y day before it was supposed to rain then turn cold, I decided to go to my special place (for that is what it will be some day) in my back yard.  I have a bench back there, and somehow, the dandelions and weeds were fitting for this last trip down memory lane.

While I took pictures, I focused on the details--the ruffled hem, the beading in the veil.  I remembered that amazing day I walked down the aisle in this dress, feeling as if I were on the edge of a new life--which I was!  Feeling beautiful, and blessed, and set apart for my new life with Fernando.

I focused on the love with which Mary Beth stitched every stitch and paid attention to every detail.  I remembered how she made a flower girl dress with the leftover materials, and how my niece Suzie looked so adorable in her little dress.

These new images will help me remember those things and more, as the years slip by and details become fuzzy.  Even if these images never make it into a hard-copy photo book, I'll have them, and the memories they spark, for the future.

Once, I said "Yes!" to this dress, and joyfully wore it, and fondly kept it for the memories of an amazing day.  Now, I'm saying "No."  It's time to give it away.  But I remember that I'm giving away only the physical dress.  I get to keep every memory--the dress, the day, my family, my friends, my new husband--forever.  I'm so thankful for pictures to help me remember!


Back to life,
Christine

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Simplify -- Folding More than Shirts

Simplify!

Our Goal

A simple and beautiful house

that the Lord can use as a peaceful haven

for my family and others.

Click here to find out why/how I started!

Yesterday I showed you how to fold a t-shirt.  You can use that same general method to fold other clothing, too!  Watch this, for underwear.  (Shh, don't tell my guys!!)

Face up.

Fold the bottom half up.

Fold one side (doesn't matter) in, as in thirds.

Repeat picture--I moved the underwear down to see it better, lol!

Fold the other side in.

Rotate (don't flip over!) so the top is toward you.

Fold the top up and in half, and store in your drawer seam side down, fold side up.

Easy, huh?  No go do some laundry.  :)


Back to life,
Christine

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Simplify -- How to Fold a Shirt

Or, How to Fit your Clothes in the Drawer.

Simplify!

Our Goal

A simple and beautiful house

that the Lord can use as a peaceful haven

for my family and others.

Click here to find out why/how I started!

T-shirts, shorts, sweatpants, Cuddl-Duds...

I love this method as a space-saver!  However, let me say this--if you have a ton of t-shirts, please declutter them first!  Do you really need 40?  Or 30?  There are some of you who have that many.  Honestly--you can't wear that many, and you should assess exactly what you're wearing.  Remember, this is a Simplify blog post; the idea is to simplify your life--house, clothing, schedule, etc.--so that you have time for people, not things; so that things don't control you; so that you have what you love and love every thing that you have.

This method of folding will help you maximize your space, meaning you can fit almost twice as many items in the same space, all while being able to see every single piece of clothing.  See the photo above--you can see every shirt and pair of shorts I own (okay, one pair of shorts isn't folded, but you can still see it!).

Keep in mind that this method of folding takes a few seconds longer than any method you've probably been using.  So if you plan on keeping a ton of clothes, you will be spending extra time taking care of them.  Eliminate the extra, maximize your space, maximize your time.  It's that easy.

Folded laundry waiting to be put away.

The Method.

Here are the steps, with the corresponding picture below each step.

1.  Lay the shirt face down on a flat surface.  (My shirt is hanging over a bit.)

2.  Fold in one side (doesn't matter which side you start with) in, on a line about even with the neck.

3.  Fold the sleeve back, thus:

4.  Fold the other side over, just like the first side.

5.  Fold the sleeve back in.

6.  Fold the bottom up a bit to hide the bottom hem edge.  (Since my guys are men, these shirts are long, and I fold the bottoms up quite a bit.  For children's shirts, you'll fold a lot less up.)

7.  Take the bottom and fold it upwards in half.

8.  Take the bottom again and fold it upwards in half.

9.  Flip the shirt over, et voila!  It's ready to go into your drawer, folded side up.

10.  Place the shirt vertically, seam side down and fold side up, in your drawer.

Once you fold two or three shirts, you'll quickly get the hang of it.  Below, you can see each item, which can be taken out instead of rooted through to find the right one.  Because of the fold on the bottom, the clothing items stay upright even when you remove one from the drawer.

Unmentionables.  ;)

Back to life,
Christine

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The Fashion Model -- Not!

I dared to take a few pictures of myself in some recent purchases.  I was brave.

I love bargains!  And when a friend's two daughters took me thrift-store-hopping (yes, hopping) with them, I was game.  I spent about $40 and brought home about $400 worth of stuff!  Good stuff, okay?  I got ride of a few clothing items in my closet to make way for the new items.

Here we go.

Oh, and not all of these items were purchased at thrift stores.  And there are only a few below.  I didn't want to take the time to change clothes that many times.  Plus taking all those pictures of myself...  No, thanks.

Remember, my body shape is short apple, so I'll be describing some of the clothing characteristics that appeal to my body type.

My first purchase was a new coat!   Off-white, which is not my color but it's tinged with enough brown that it works for me, and sparkly, too!  This is a great coat for those in-between winter/spring days--I'm keeping my old, old brown "movie star" coat for the really cold days, and this coat works very well for days that are 30+ degrees.  The original price was $230, and it was on clearance, plus I had a $10 Kohl's coupon (now you know where I bought it), plus my mom had a 30% off coupon.  Final price:  $44.

The next purchase is below.  If you're a regular reader, you've seen the top before ($4 at Goodwill).  This time around, I purchased the skirt, a chocolate microfiber.  Now, I already have a chocolate microfiber skirt, but it's a teensy bit bit in the waist, and this one fits perfectly.  Note the fullness along the bottom--it's an A-line, good for us apples.  Plus, there are no pockets or bulky fabric (gathers, etc.) around the waist, which helps minimize the tummy area.  Goodwill price:  $4.

Oh, and as long as we're talking apple shape, the top above is V-neck (I'm wearing a modesty panel for obvious reasons), and flared at the waist/hip to minimize the tummy.  Plus, you may not be able to see it in the picture but it does have an empire waist, another apple body plus.

I happened upon the boots at the second Goodwill store on our shopping trip.  My old brown boots were very, very old, to the point I colored in one of the decorative buttons along the side because the fabric had completely worn off.  No one ever noticed, but I knew the boots were nearing the end of their life.  These boots below have heels a tad higher than I would have liked, but they're comfortable to walk around in (for short periods of time!), and they were new.  Coupled with a red half-price sticker, and I was sold.  Final price:  $2.50.

The dress below was more expensive, so it was a splurge.  Back at Kohl's and during the coat-purchase, I found this dress.  I bought a red one from Kohl's with the exact same pattern, and you know how I love blue.  I called Fernando and explained, "You know the red floral dress I have?  Well, there's a blue one just like it here, and it's on sale, 65% off."  He responded, "Get it."  Now I have two fancy dresses--not too fancy for church, plus we have a growing list of weddings coming up in the next few months.  Perfect!

Apple body--notice the V-neck, the flared sleeves (not necessarily apple but it de-emphasizes my rather large upper arms), the empire waist, and you can't see it but it flares nicely a smidgen below the knee.  Yay!

Okay, that's enough looking at me.  I was happy and excited to share my purchases with you!


Back to life,
Christine

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Exploring My Shape -- Short Apple

A short apple.  That's what I figured out, anyway, through hours of intensive research late one night.  Well, two hours, anyway.  And as intense as one can get when one is tired but can't fall asleep.

Anyway, it comes down to this:  a short apple.  That's what my body type is, apparently.  An "apple" shape is not necessarily an overweight body, though I can stand to lose a few pounds.  Generally, it's one whose shoulder width is about the same as one's hips, who is fairly straight all the way down but with a larger bust.  Plus, the key--one who tends to gain weight primarily in the tummy.  Well, that's pretty much me.  Add the "short" in (I'm 5' 2") and I was all set with my "official shape."  Now to figure out what clothing styles look good on me...

The color part was easier--Fernando loves color, and I'm happy to oblige.  I've figured out that primary colors are best with my skin coloring, and bright colors work better than pale ones--though pastels are good if they're a "faded primary."  Here's a very recent pic of me (thanks, Danny!) to show you that "faded primary" pastels can look good.

As for style--well, that's a little more difficult.  I have five men in my life, and although they can tell me if they like something I'm wearing, they're useless when it comes to what actually looks good.  Fernando likes almost everything I wear (which is good, I suppose!)  What a pickle I'm in!

From my research, I've found that V-necks are better than rounded ones, and empire waistlines cover/hide the tummy.  Shirts whose hems fall at the hip line are good, as well as ones that flare out slightly at that point.  Also, A-line skirts are better than straight ones.  All of these style characteristics help give definition and curves to my body shape.  Several websites added shorter (as in above-knee-length) skirts to de-emphasize height, but that's just a little too short for me, generally speaking.  I'll stick with A-line skirts.  :)

Here are a few self-portraits, which frankly speaking, are rather scary to post.  I'm not the best-shaped person out there, duh.  However, these pictures have really helped me figure out what looks good, since I can see myself "outside of myself" and figure out if something looks good, and/or hides what needs to be hidden.  This has helped me on my quest to find the right clothing when I'm out shopping.

My analysis of the above Christopher & Banks top and skirt:   The skirt is not the best, since it has pockets, seams, and other bulk, but one must have a denim skirt, and it is an A-line and very comfortable.  The blouse is V-neck, and the seams and stitching along the front add shape to my waist.

My analysis:  The skirt is from Kohl's ($13 on sale with a coupon and my mom's senior discount!), and I found the top at Goodwill.  I love the flowing sleeves, which are 3/4 length, another favorite.  To compensate for the extremely low V-neck, I spent quite a few bucks on a bra that has a modesty panel in it.  I've tried layers, but don't look good in them; they just add bulk to my upper frame.  So the bra-with-panel works for those really low V-necks where I need a little more modesty, while still showing the V shape that adds shape to my figure.

Well, that's it for this little post.  I'll post more as I continue to get the confidence to take pictures of myself, and as I find clothing that works for my short apple figure.  See you at the store!



Back to life,
Christine

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Khaki Skirt!

Another quick blog post!  On my recent walk home from physical therapy (for my neck--it's much better now!), I had a sudden urge to stop at the Goodwill store.   I actually found a khaki skirt that fit!  And that I could walk in!  I can wear any top I want with it, too.  This makes me happy.  :)

photo courtesy Danny

What do you think?


Back to life,
Christine

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