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. 

Laying out the Garden

The Garden looks fantastic and it isn't even finished yet.  It is even better than I imagined when I first started planning it last January (2014) while in Florida.   I am sore all over but it is a fantastic feeling.  People always complain about these types of jobs but for me there is nothing better than working in the fresh air and sunshine to build something of worth. 

The only concern I have is how much the flagstone patio will heat up the bedrooms in summer although it will be welcome in winter.  I'll have to figure out how to mitigate that... and how and where to plant wisteria.  We had sand and mulch delivered yesterday afternoon and after one bbq and one birthday party, I am very happy with our progress.  I laid out all the beds and mulched on one half of the yard while K laid weed barrier and moved two tons of sand from the street to the back of the house. 

We still have to level the sand and lay the flagstones but the beds are ready for planting, all 96 square feet of them.  This is a dream come true for me to have such a large space for growing my own food. My goal is to grow and preserve all our own produce in the next two years. K does his own thing with the garden beds and wants two of the six 4x4 plots.  I plan to start with three and fill the last one with sand for k.  There is always room to expand. 
Wish me luck!

Simple Spring Tonic

Pull the cold-weather dandelions from your garden.  Right now before they take over the whole thing or at least before they begin to flower.
Any 'dandelion' that grows in a rosette is fine to eat although people who have latex allergies should avoid those that produce a white 'milk'.   I have no such issues but avoid eating the spiky ones. 
Wait until after a spring shower if possible then gather the leaves all together and yank upwards and slightly to the side to pull the root out.  If spring showers do not coincide with your weeding schedule, you can use a 'weed popper' or a digging stick to loosen the soil around the roots then pull with the same method as above. 
Gather about 10 plants, take them inside, wash the dirt out and remove any dead or damaged leaves.
Allow the plants to rest while you prepare the other tonic ingredients. 
I took the liberty of pulling some fresh mint from an overgrown plot for this tonic. 
To this I add dried spearmint (bulk herbs online), red clover flowers I gathered last year in Winter Park and black tea.
Place all ingredients in a french press or glass jar, cover with boiling water and let steep overnight.
Strain with pressure and add 1 Tbsp honey.
 
Let the the root, leaf and flower power your day and repeat a necessary. 

Warm Black Lentil Salad with Shitake, Goat Cheese and Almonds

Cook black lentils in water and duck or bacon fat for 20 minutes or until tender. 
Saute mushrooms in fat for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Season with add salt and red pepper. 
Drain lentils if needed and place into a bowl, add mushrooms, top with goats cheese and roasted tamari almonds. 
Enjoy this earthy delight. 

Revisiting the Numbers

I revisited my numbers the other day and realized that my major investment will cover exactly my projected living costs thus attaining financial independence (in two years when the note is paid off).
This is both reassuring and cause for concern although, as I am still quite young, there will be time and opportunity for making more money. 

Obviously I can't complain that it cost $50 for two meals when I just spent next to $75 for a single meal/night out with friends and then again for sushi. This is as always, a matter of changing my internal environment (cook at home) rather than changing the external environment (price of food).