September List Love

September brings with it the last flush and flurry of summer and the promise of a winter to come where labor under hot skies can be relished and enjoyed with family and friends.
Time is poised this month and leaves begin to quiver and vibrate into different shades.  All is held in suspense while continuing to ripen.  This, in short, is the climax of the year.  

Here is a list of things to do throughout the month of September to prepare for the upcoming change of seasons:

1. Preserve this year's harvest.  Freeze, can or desiccate summer's bounty to last you through the cold season. 
2. Clean your car and home.  No small chore but highly satisfying once complete.  
3. Have your tires rotated and breaks and alignment checked.  Winter can bring unexpected wet weather at the very least you want reliable steering and stopping power.  You can also have the fluids serviced and any other required maintenance performed while you are at it.  
4. September 22 marks the first day of Autumn when leaves begin to fall.  Celebrate this day with a harvest dinner of fresh food from the garden. 
5.  Take a weekend hike or camping trip.  Mid-September is when the leaves begin to change in Colorado.  
6. Assess your finances.  If you have any outstanding personal or consumer debts, plan retire them before the New fiscal Year begins (October).  Along the same line, plan and (re)commit to your budget.  Now is the time to look down the road and plan your Holiday and Gift budgets. 
7. Sort and file any paperwork that needs attention.  
8. Prepare a pampering kit for yourself.  Include some version of the following: half-litre of champagne, soaking salts, candles, music, reading material, something for noshing (chocolate, pistachios...).  Pamper yourself for a day or an evening. 
9. Plan your capsule wardrobe for September.  September is usually a warm month with slightly cooler nights.  The following list should yield over 20 unique outfits for the month.  Wash, rinse and repeat as desired.

• two skirts/shorts
• two pants
• one t-shirt
• two blouses
• one button up
• one jacket/cardigan/blazer

What are your favorite back-to-school to-dos? 

Uptown Girl

I am an uptown girl.  I would say I was raised in an "uptown world" but I believe someone else already has a patent on that phrase.  I will say that I come from a nice family and expect that my deportment, or lack thereof, will reflect either well or poorly upon my upbringing. I strive to present a polished and poised visage to the world every day in all facets of life.  Working in Engineering presents unique challenges but we all have them don't we? 
Therefore, I have Four (4) Wardrobes:

• A sharply-tailored and well-maintained wardrobe for the office
• A small selection of formal attire
• A casual wardrobe that supports a variety of outdoor activities
• Specific clothing for running, soccer, mountain biking, snow sports an yoga

Some of the items cross over between wardrobes like casual and sporty and casual to office.  However most of the wardrobes absolutely do not cross over.  It took me a long time to figure this out but once I did I was immensely happier with my wardrobe.  I could finally streamline each separate set and clearly define what was needed.  I really wanted a minimal, streamlined wardrobe that could go everywhere but for the same reasons it won't do to wear cotton trousers while camping, it won't do to wear wool trousers to work year round.

I live in Colorado, a state where inhabitants are issued standard patagonia/north face fleece outerwear with their driver's license.  This is not really true but it seems to be the general rule that you must own at least one micro-fleece item if you live here.
There are plenty of great reasons for this and several other peculiar sartorial faux pas.  Foremost is the standard forty degree temperature swing from day to night, second, Denver is still in many ways a "cow town."  Denver is a tiny urban landscape replete with disheveled and disappearing sidewalks and seething suburbs all dwarfed by soaring mountains to the West.  Many of the most charming places in Colorado are remote, wild and unkempt.  Which leads us back to the mountains and all they entail including skiing, hiking, climbing, camping, rafting and mountain biking to name a few hobbies of those who live here to play. 

Being a native of this great state, I don't discriminate against 'flatlanders' however I divide residents into two categories; those that came for 'the view' and those who came to play.
The real residents spend most of their time outside and require clothing appropriate to the environment which can vary wildly from hour to hour.  Any combination of blistering sun, drenching rain, heavy snow and blustering winds can accompany a day's fun which includes the stringent exertion of hurling one's body at various velocity (pick your poison) either up or down a mountain. 

How does one maintain gloss covered in sweat and dirt from a 35 mile mountain bike ride?

Here are a few tips.

It is vastly more important to wear appropriate clothing than to look stylish -no wedge hiking boots or other atrocities.  Remember, unless you have a very limited set of activities and inhabit only cities or only 'the sticks', you will have more than one wardrobe and items do not cross over*.  *Some outerwear excluded.  Luckily, there are several athletic brands that have transcended the 'Rocky' aesthetic.  However, don't limit your wardrobe to exclusively 'athletic' brands or you run the risk of being covered head to toe in synthetics and micro-fleece.

While out and about;

Take it easy and remember the beauty you see around is a reflection of the beauty inside you.  Whoever said beauty is only skin deep is a shallow idiot.  Who cares if you look a wreck as long as you are enjoying yourself.  "Your looks" are the last thing that should preoccupy your mind.  The prettiest girl is always the one who is smiling so get over yourself.  Really, it's the same as any day.  You make your toilette and dress in the morning and never give it another thought because you you are wearing the most appropriate clothing.

Stay hydrated.  Use chapstick.  Wash and moisturize your skin following your normal routine and skip makeup altogether or use the side-view mirror to apply only mascara (if you must).  Wear long loose clothing and a sun hat and stay out of the sun as much as possible.  Sunscreen is often recommended but I am not personally a fan of chemical sunscreens and the zinc-oxide based ones leave my olive skin look ghastly. This could be a whole other blog post but just take a second to consider that our ancestors were intelligent enough not to sit outside in the sun all day long and sought shade as shelter.

No matter where you go or what you do, be sure to always leave a clean set of clothes in the car for the ride home.  Another reminder not to be afraid of how you look in the mountains; anyone else you're liable to run into 'up there' probably hasn't showered recently either.

Once you get back 'to town' you can clean the dirt out of your teeth, cover your bruises and raspberries with long pants and no one will be the wiser regarding your adventures as a 'weekend warrior'. 

moving towards minimalism and contempating zero waste

So far I have accumulated a count of nearly 24 things thrown out.  The goal was to monotonically increase the number of items I rid myself and my household of until I couldn't meet the minimum number or felt it was time to stop. This self-challenge has been going on for mmmm, four days and so I should have rid myself of 10 items but it is always easy to find more junk in store. 

I have created a list of places in my home where junk is known to collect or places where I store things I don't use, like the linen closet drawer that is full of sample beauty products, travel sized-tooth paste, unused jewelry and the like.   The first pass will eliminate obvious junk and return misplaced items to their proper collection.  The second pass will sort through the collections, taking everything into account and remove unnecessary or unneeded items. 
For example, my fireplace mantle is now collecting candle holders while my bureau is collecting jewelery and papers I need to file (because they no longer fit into the piano bench where I've been stuffing them for the past 6 months).

First I should mention a few things: 
I have never been minimalist and never a rabid consumer.  I usually only buy things I perceive as needs and sometimes I don't.  Usually the need is food, alcohol, tea or books and sometimes it is coordinating Christmas tablecloths and napkins for both kitchen and dining room tables.
I lived away from my home for work for over a year quite recently, in a very rural part of America. 
My cell phone is over five years old.  It is not a flip phone but it is my last upgrade from a phone where I had to press the number key several times to select the appropriate letter/number while sending text messages.

This process has already helped my immensely.  First by identifying a few places where clutter stacks up (coat room) and second by bringing my attention to things I have completely ignored.  i.e. my finances.  I loath opening mail.  This needs to change.

So without further ado, here are the ejected items and some thoughts I've collected along the way: 

junk and a few actual used-up items

• I am a long way from acquiring anything additional:  
• I already have such a load of stuff
• I don’t want my daughter to inherit a plastic-filled world. 
• It is important to look at everything together.  Decluttering your wardrobe and shopping habits with a house full of other useless junk is missing the point.  
• Decluttering room by room is one way to go, but it allows one to compartmentalize things.  It is better to examine every piece of a collection in conjunction.  
• I am now more than ever keenly aware of the amount of trash I have brought into my home and the amount leaving it.  
• Recycling is just another like a byword for garbage. 
• I have this dream/vision that everything I own will fit into either my dresser, medicine cabinet/dash bag, suitcase, desk or cedar chest.  
• For a girl who carries her passport in her wallet, this is the ultimate in flexibility.
• I also don’t want my daughter to inherit the idea that stuff/ someone else will solve her problem or make her happy.  
• I have bought so many things 'in a pinch' and the convenience is overshadowed by the burden of disposing of the item.   
• I don’t want my daughter to give up her sovereignty or right to knowledge as so many other people have been separated from nature and simple solutions.  
• I don't want her upended and stuffed into yet another box as those who came before her.  
• There are even things that I took for granted that I am rethinking now. There are much simpler and plastic-free ways to accomplish the same goal. 
• Once I have visited all the ‘clutter sites’, I will revisit them again and probably again after that because for me decluttering is very mood-dependent.  
• I have to catch myself in the right frame of mind to let go of some things.  
• One day, it is a sentimental treasure, the next, I can see it as junk/clutter that contributes nothing whatsoever to my life/happiness.  
• I've only worn out one thing.  One thing.  Out of 24.  Most of the stuff on the list I bought and will never use all the way up.  Some things I bought and used but couldn't let go of the container -weird, I know but that counts for another two things for a whopping 15% of the things I am getting rid of due to wear.  
• I feel more guilt throwing something into the garbage or even recycling than I would if I kept it.   
• This is very eye opening and will inform future purchases.  Even if I decide I do need to redecorate or change something, I will carefully consider the materials, ethics and eventual disposal of every item I bring into the house. 
• Several of the sites I want to clean don't contain junk but hold items that belong elsewhere.  
• I need to examine these items and figure out a better system of management for them.
• I want everything gone now.  I wish I could ditch work to declutter the entire house this instant.  On the other hand, I have never been a rabid consumer so there is refreshingly less clutter to deal with than I had originally envisioned.  
• Unfortunately, however, I did not stay on top of my filing and that will be quite a task, once undertaken.  I am not looking forward to it.  Not at all.  
• I need to deal with my files and finances.  I can not afford to ignore it.  

Trade Stuff and Worry for Freedom

If I could trade everything I've bought to date for a financially independent future, I would do it in a heartbeat. 
If I could start with a clean slate; I would:
only have ~50 items of clothing; everything would fit perfectly
own one suitcase that flies as a carry-on
buy 5 acres of land for a hobby farm and save the proceeds to build a manor house
(alternatively, I'd buy the smallest house on the biggest lot I could find)
invest in rental property to produce a reliable stream of income
find a job I could work remotely
This is so hard; I seem to be lacking focus today
If I could already be done; if there were something I could do other than wait, I would be doing it already. 
Perhaps there is something I just don't see. 
It's only 139k more steps until the finish line but the first 210 or so has taken a toll and I am back to feeling this untoward sense of dread that my finances are not all I could wish of them. 
So, I can't start over but I can still strive to attain my goal.  Perhaps I need to look at the numbers for perspective. 
Let's see, in 2006, I bought the albatross for 282k, paying 2800 per month for the mortgage.
In 2008, my mortgage payment escalated to 3000 with higher rates to come. 
I sought to refinance and given my limited knowledge and time (I had to work to earn that 3k), I ended up with a bunk refinance job that essentially put me into debtor's prison via a foreclosure on my credit report, despite holding on to the house and debt and paying as agreed for all but the 3 months it took for the company to take my pleas seriously. 
After an additional 30k in fees, the loan was back on paper and I was still paying at least 60% of my salary for the mortgage.
In 2009, I rolled up my sleeves, stopped whining and decided to banish this bane as soon as possible.  To that end, I paid off my car loan and a modest amount of credit card debt (3k).  I then dedicated 80% of my salary and any additional money (TDY stints) to pay off this mortgage.

The rest is history, as they say.  I've been doing this for the past five years and it is getting tiring.  It isn't not spending money that is the problem.  Everything I 'want' could be purchased with less than a single paycheck.  I've even made a nice little list for you to read: 
Vitamix Blender $500
Brewing Supplies $200
Pressure Canner $300
Canning Supplies $50
Box Grater $20
Stock Pot $50
I couldn't spend all the money I earn in a month if I tried.  Even if I bought all the clothing I dreamed of, that would still fit into the same paycheck with a only one or two exceptions.  Other than that, I desire some unnamed intangibles; to-be defined accomplishments, journeys, trials and travails. 
Five years and one beautiful baby later, I'm married, employed in my chosen field, a mother, and yet, yearning for... something...adventure? travel? connection? freedom? self-expression?
 I am on this journey, putting one foot in front of the other and will keep walking until I reach my destination. Then what happens? 
So what is the rub?  I am unfulfilled and uninspired by my job; my enthusiasm a dull shadow of what I once felt for the field I work in.  Another unfortunate case of reality getting in the way of my dreams.  What is the solution?

First, I need to define the problem. 

Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Now Presenting my official Capsule Wardrobe for Spring (March 1st - June 1st): 

Clothing

1. Trench coat
2. Silk Shirt Dress
3. Wool Dress (too warm)
4. White Skirt
5. Green Skirt
6. Khaki pants
7. Jeans
8. Beige Cardigan
9. Teal Sweater
10. Gray t-shirt
11. Olive-khaki t-shirt
12. White Blouse
13. Political Party Blouse

 Shoes and Accessories

1. Straw Visor
2. Black loafers
3. Leopard flats
4. Espadrilles
5. Leather Sandals
6. Brown belt
7. scarves (2)
8. Leather Tote
9. Sunglasses

 Housework and Gym Clothes (worn only for washing windows, landscaping and physical therapy):

1. Canvas Shoes (Tom's if anybody cares)
2. Baseball cap 
3. Old Jeans
4. Faded Button down
5. Mesh shorts
6. Tank top

First, a few notes about the accessories.  I don't have a purse but carry my wallet with a ribbon tied to the zipper.  The wallet is large enough to cram my phone inside and makes a sleek clutch for hoity-toity evening dinners at the local Mexican restaurant.  I wear the visor every day.  I wear it in the car since my commute places me in direct opposition to the rising and setting sun.  I wear it on my twice-daily strolls.  I absolutely love it and am toying with the idea of obtaining another straw hat for daily use.  What ever happened to the utility of clothing anyway?  I have several types of scarves. Most of them sit around in a canvas bin.  I don't know how many I've worn thus far but I'll go on record as having worn a few although I doubt it was that many.  I am not an accessories girl but I would be if gloves become a socially acceptable means of self-expression or a genteel form of politeness and propriety once again.  The shoes all get worn in their appropriate places (on my feet); no sandals at work and no stuffy loafers on the weekend.  Finally, I need hosiery.  Two to three pairs of nude hose ought to set me up completely but I have yet to purchase.  It feels good to waffle in contemplation and indecision as long as possible since I have to buy new. 

The shocking thing is that I don't even wear all these clothes unless I try very hard.  For example, I've worn the white skirt once since creating this capsule five weeks ago.  Noticing this, I plan to wear the skirt tomorrow but not for lack of other clothing.  The silk shirt dress has never been worn outside the front of my mirror.  It is at the tailor's acquiring a more modest length to make it appropriate for work and bicycle riding.  The white blouse, cardigan and sweater only just arrived last week and the knits are on heavy rotation for days when it is cold enough but there aren't many.  The wool dress is also too warm for most days, when the temperature is above 60 degrees.  It is best kept for winter and retired after in February.  I am having a dressmaker create a second shirt dress for me.  This will replace the wool dress as soon as it is ready.  I love shirt dresses because they are so effortlessly feminine and appropriate for practically any occasion.  Speaking of occasions, I also have two party dresses which obviously don't make it into the heavy rotation and aren't listed here.  One was worn for my daughter's birthday and the other for Easter brunch and egg hunting with the family.

This month will no doubt fly by like the others and I will revise my wardrobe at the end of May with a view to summer.  By then, I hope to have acquired a second-hand khaki skirt to replace the khaki pants which are too pale and drab for me. 

This capsule will be refined as time goes on.  However, I do no plan to deviate from this template of ~20 clothing items with 10 being the ideal, assuming I can get someone else to do all my household chores for me.  I do not wish to own more clothes than listed here.  I think, perhaps owning fewer clothes would be even better.  If I won the lottery, I'd still try to wear these clothes out before even looking for a second-hand replacement. 

why does it take so much?

It is an ugly paradox that only those with an overabundance of money can fully realize its limited utility in life whereas those with a limited supply never fully grasp the concept.  Thus you have the poor and disenfranchized buying more and more new things at WalMart, trying hard to keep food (of questionable definition) on the table while those with an oversupply are able to transcend its limitations and free themselves from the yoke of

Changing Clothes

The problem with almost all my clothes is that they are unwearable.  There is no consistent 'story' or style although if you asked me, I have a good idea about how I want to look.
Sadly, in this world of infinite solutions, there is a disconnect between my purchases and the statement I want to make. 
I am too easily sidetracked by beautiful models (honestly) and imaginings about how I envision my daily life.

I've absolutely neglected to buy anything I can put on in the morning and wear to work.
Honestly, there is always this disconnect between how I imagine I will look wearing something and the reflection in the mirror.  The reflection more often than not displeases me so I try again.
In the end, I asked myself what I would wear everyday if it magically washed itself at night.
Out of my closet, I found three outfits that fit the bill and have been wearing them once weekly every since.
I have wasted a great amount of money on clothes and now I am a bit gun shy about it. On the up side, I do really notice and evaluate what I see other people wearing from the "ok, if you're taking your child to the playground," to the "all the mirrors in your house must be broken".
Geez people, comb your hair and brush your teeth and hem your pants to the correct length.
Being an extremely (for America) slim woman, I have only recently become acquainted with a local tailor and with very happy results.
My aim now is to own enough outfits to manage seven days of very nice/ clean clothing.
I like to dress in as few colors as possible; three is a lot for me.
To the point, I have found colored bottoms (skirts/pants) to be much less versatile than colored tops.... actually I feel most comfortable in neutrals with a scarf or lipstick for color or no color at all.  I consider leopard a neutral by the way.  The main exception is party dresses where all-over scarlet, turquoise or coral feels appropriate.  

Anyway, I figure that if I can just line up one weeks worth or stylish and beautiful outfits and wear them every week for a month then I can start working, one day at a time on two weeks worth of outfits.
Again, I am close to retirement and this may change what I choose to wear everyday but I hope not too much since my work has a business casual dress code that every woman interprets very differently. 
Recently, I have identified a fashion muse who is similar to me in coloring and stature and that is actually quite inspirational.  Celebrity stocking her online has revealed to me several items I could put to good use in my own wardrobe as well as given me tips about makeup and an objective view of what will and will not look good on me.  For instance, Navy Blue is a horrible choice both for her and me.  I have made the mistake of thinking I needed a navy blue dress after seeing a stunning women in one but something about my coloring makes it look completely wrong.  It is fine for the sallow french.  I made this mistake more than once myself but seeing it on her, how absolutely awkward she looks and compared to so many other colors she can wear well, I absolutely realize that unless I become a sea captain, I need have nothing to do with navy blue.
Let her spend embarrassing amounts of money on clothes.  Someone will always snap a picture of her and post in online.  All I have to do is google her name and I can view the image results which don't lie about what looks good and what doesn't.  The main trouble is finding things I want to wear in colors that suit me.  (Lots of things to wear in colors that don't suit me.) Luckily, tomato red and scarlet are all mine. 
My hope is to pick a spectacular outfit/idea and copy it for myself. 

I love the American spin on French chic. Chic but with washed hair, painted nails, pretty smiles, anyone can look like the slept in the gutter and then put on a suit and pair or heels but you still look like you slept in the gutter.  Kudos to you for not wearing makeup or ever smiling but shiny lips, white teeth and smiles win hearts.

My next purchase will either be a black pair of shoes (1 1/2" pumps, which no one seems to make anymore).  These will definitely be useful but perhaps I could/should look at creating another outfit in my 'best' colors.  Or, perhaps I'll do that next. 

Other things I need include beautiful (real) jewelry and shoes.  That's about it.  As long as I can stick to my plan and purchase things in colors that truly suit me I can always be a shiny, happy person.