What I Wore Today: Purple, Pleats, & Polka Dots

BLACK.PLAY.BOOK.: Black Love and Politics at the DNC; or “Introducin...

BLACK.PLAY.BOOK.: Black Love and Politics at the DNC; or “Introducin...: "For Barack, success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives." ~@MichelleObama #DNC ...

What I Wore Today: Sun Day

I only made it as far as Starbucks that day but I did it in style ♥

Operation Sanity: Fall 2012

REMEMBER:

1. Mommy is still rooting for you!
2. Go the library if the house becomes too distracting
3. When utilizing your home office, begin your day with a clear, direct, and regimented schedule of tasks that you planned the night before. Turn off the internet connection and get to work!
4. It’s OK to continue sewing, so-called “pleasure reading,” and indulging in an occasional(KEYWORD!!!!) guilty pleasure that is a total waste of time. Mine is watching Basketball Wives {hangs head in shame} or reading Yoga Journal and Lucky. Grad students who act like they are so academically devout aren’t better than me. In fact, they’re probably miserable or lying.
5. As Mini-Me says, “You’re my Mommy not a machine.” Take care of yourself! Lean on your sisters, friends, and mentors. Ask for help! Remember that you ALWAYS  feel BETTER after you run and do yoga and LOUSY after you eat M&Ms. As I take care of myself, I promise to be mindful of burnout. Before I reach that point, I will set any offenders on fire and refuel myself with the energy of the blaze.

Although I started reluctantly, I know this is going to be a great semester!

In a Room of My Own Tending My Mothers' Gardens: The Only Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart...

Broken hearts, burnout, and weary spirits are inevitable. Internal conflict changes us. External conflict may even rearrange our countenace for good or bad (the choice is our own). However, Alice Walker's autobiography says it all in the title The Only Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart.

The only forward motion I could make in the past year was in a circle as I dealt with so much uncertainty, self-doubt, indecision.

It's time to move forward broken heart and all.

ABC: Another Bad Creation

Bib Necklace

The New Vintage

Cardigan: Limited | Brooches: Handmade with Materials from Hobby Lobby | Bracelet: Betsy Johnson | Dress: Handmade with Robert Kaufman Fabrics and Simplicity Pattern 2444 (I should have done a quick steam on my dress before I took pictures after coming home after work, but such is hindsight)

I used to watch YouTube videos religiously and a common theme was “the haul.” The gist was to go to a store usually a thrift store of a discount chain and get as many clothes as possible for a ridiculously small amount of money. To be sure, the women on YouTube should be applauded for their frugality and ability to be so resourceful, but are their any implications for these hauls; and if so, what are they?

I see this pin on dozens of pin boards all over Pinterest. I cringe every time I do, because I have gone into Target and didn't find anything as I wait for a prescription I need.

After scrutinizing the clothes, shoes and accessories, I realize that the quality is not worth the price and I’ll wait until it’s 70% off or forgo the purchase completely. I check seams, fabric, and, construction methods. I have found some polyester garments pilling and running on the hanger! I’ve even seen accessories with visible hot glue—for shame!!!

I love Target and shop there often but I do so discriminately and conservatively. There are reasons for you all to consider doing the same:

1. If the market is flooded with throw-away clothing then what will our children and grandchildren have as the next generation of vintage clothing? Who will carry on the traditions of our grandmothers?
2. Materialism: I raised this issues in a posts that I wrote last December: "I Shopped 'til I Dropped"  and "The Heart of the "Gray" Matter"
3. This article from the Huffington Post about Elizabeth Cline the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost Of Cheap Fashion, makes several salient points as well. 
4. This blog post from Couture Allure Vintage Fashion Blog explains the anatomy of a cheaply constructed garment.