SHOPPING MY CLOSET

Shopping My Closet

I received a compliment from a friend the other day on the outfit I was wearing.   When she asked where I got it I replied “I shopped my closet”. 

My friend asked where this shop was located and I repeated to her that what I was wearing came from my closet and that I had just “shopped my own closet”!

I explained further that I was not working much these days, basically just delivering some part time Training.  

I was transitioning into retirement mode and trying to cut back on spending and part of my restraint program involved a personal challenge to stop buying unnecessary clothing. 

I have always loved fashion and take great pleasure in shopping for clothes.  The result was a closet bulging with so many items I had a tough time finding ‘anything to wear’! 

New items would be purchased and added to the already overflowing closet and although I did on rare occasions clear out that which I didn’t fit or wear much I knew that I had more than enough to wear without buying more. 

Shopping, although fun and therapeutic at times, had become a costly habit for me! 

My closet is not large and yet it isn’t too small either but I knew it wasn’t more space I needed. 

I needed to organize the space I already had.  This would aid my motivation to ‘shop my closet’ instead of a store.  I devised a plan to clean out my closet and organize it in a way that I could clearly see and find outfits that I actually wore.  In the past I had thought about removing seasonal clothes however it seemed like too much work at the time.  In spite of this I started with the removal process and I eventually removed EVERYTHING with the intention of only putting back what I actually wore regularly!

Having freed up some space allowed me to spread out my outfits and be able to clearly see what I had available to wear.  I tried on everything and if the buttons were bulging or the waistline too tight they were sent off to the Thrift Shop.

I found things that I had forgotten I had.  I discovered ‘shamefully’, outfits I had never worn. 

 

I had more than enough to wear and the best things were jammed in where I couldn’t even see them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So now that I have completed this mountainous task I can ‘shop my closet’ and revisit items that are like new.  

So take a peek in my closet and think of me the next time you say “I have nothing to wear” and consider “shopping YOUR closet”!

Author:  Trish Repay (BlackCrowCurios)
visit me at my personal blog:  http://blackcrowcurios.wordpress.com/a-bit-about-me/

Clothing Power!

So, Merry's post got me thinking about style. Personal style is in many ways, a flashing neon sign directed at other humans. It signals such things as mood, confidence, personality type, daily activities, duties, and sometimes what you ate that morning. I don't care how much you say you don't judge people based on clothing. You many not be "judging" but you are analyzing. We all do it; it's an ingrained method of understanding culture and the individuals within it. Because this analysis is ingrained and largely subconscious, changing your personal style is an excellent way to mess with people's heads. I do this often.

For instance:



My little demon <3

I like to walk my dog with a Pashmina scarf (wide, shawl-like type with elaborate patterns) wrapped around my head if it's misty. This mostly happens in the wintertime. My dog is a wild animal and needs all hands on deck to manage. Umbrellas are out of the question, and most jacket hoods are too small and slip off. My head's not that big, I promise. I suspect the industry just thinks hoods are for looks only. Like fake money, and almost as disappointing. Anyway, I walk my dog with my head wrapped up when it's misting. My neighbors then go from smiling, waving, chatty people whom I've known for years, to nervous little critters. If I wave, they scurry back into their garages with heads bowed and a clear lack of actual purpose. My neighbors think I'm a Muslim when I have the scarf on. They run away because they think I'm a terrorist. Or, perhaps I've got it all wrong and they think me a leper. Either way, these kinds of reactions made me quite curious at the power of a scarf.





OK, that's me in a blanket, but you get the idea.

So I did a little experiment all winter. It was windy, so I could be justified in bundling up. It's not like a tried this in the summer. When I used a "normal" knitted scarf and wrapped my face, nobody gave a flying squirrel about it. When I used the Pashmina, cashiers flinched, nobody was available to help me in the aisles of stores, and people actually stopped their cars more than 3 inches from my kneecaps in crosswalks. It was weird.

It makes a nice tribal wall decoration, too!

Another for instance:

For my college graduation jewelry exhibition, I had made a wild necklace from computer cord and zip ties. It didn't really fit with the collection to be in the show, but it was fun to wear, so I borrowed a hot-momma black dress, popped on the necklace, painted my lips bright red, and went to my show. Those of you that have been to art shows know that strange people infest art shows, so I shouldn't have stood out as much as I seemed to. People asked to take pictures all night, even in the streets, like they were tourists. I went downtown for fro-yo later and somebody got out of their car to shout "Lady GaGa!!" and point at me. Still not sure if they were kidding, drunk/blind, or actually thought Lady GaGa was present. Several people clearly thought I was some kind of celebrity and I almost caused an accident because some driver was gawking. The fro-yo people even treated me like I was a very important person who had paid a surprise visit and whom they were desperately trying to remember the name of.


The best part of this whole thing was not the attention or the stories to tell later. It was the fact that, in that dress, with those red lips, with that spikey wild "necklace" on, I felt invincible. In one of the strangest outfits I've ever worn in public, I felt more confident than I ever could in my own clothes. I walked tall, ordered my fro-yo like I owned the shopping center, and stared directly back at the gawking people. Normally, I'm terriblyshy towards strangers. My words get all knotted up and I forget to look at people. Not in that outfit! (I've always thought it's impossible to be shy in red lipstick.)

So, while I don't believe that clothes are the end-all-be-all to "making the (wo)man," I have to honestly say that it often makes a huge whopping difference.

All About Style...

Hello to all our lovely readers!

Looking back over our posts, I realized that we are a super diverse group of ladies with unique interests, personalities and creative passions.  Being a unique and diverse group means we also have unique style; this is how we show the world around us who we are.

My style reflects who I am as a person.  My style is reflected in what I wear, how I communicate and in the things I enjoy.  I am both extroverted and introverted (yes you can be both!); creative, outgoing, colorful, reckless, thoughtful, reserved, spiritual, cautious, compassionate and analytical.  Of course I am many other things too but we don't have all day. :)

Fashion and accessories are two of my favorite ways of expressing myself. I love combining colors and patterns that are unexpected!

When I get to put on clothes and accessories that make me look good, I automatically feel that much better about myself.  "But WAIT!" you say... "clothes DO NOT make the person... do they??"  Of course not; if you are not a good person a stylish outfit isn't going to change that.  "Hold on a second!" you say... "are you saying I have to wear those pants/shoes/shirts/colors to be in fashion?? If that's the case, forget it, that just isn't me!"  Ummm no. The golden rule of style when it comes to trends: wear what is appropriate for your body type, lifestyle and personality!  If you work as a kindergarten teacher, wearing 4 inch heels or short skirts probably isn't going to work for you.  That being said, there is no reason to go to work (or anywhere really) in clothes that are ill fitting and/or inappropriate.

If you want respect, you need to respect yourself and appreciate and celebrate who you are!  For most people, taking care with your appearance and doing nice things for yourself helps you feel and look more confident.  Going back to my original point about style; we are all unique in who we are and we need to be true to ourselves.  Use your style to decide how you want to portray yourself to the world around you.  Pay attention to yourself and treat yourself with the respect by having great style; if you do that, everyone else will too.

Thanks for reading!

Merry W. (This Merry Life)

Colors, Cats, and the Curious

Goooood evening ladies and gents!

I've been in a very inquisitive mood this past week. Today I thought I'd share a two of the more interesting things I've learned. Although they have nothing to do with each other, here's some food for your noggin. Bon appetite!

Ombre.

It's been bothering me. You've probably seen or read it a dozen places lately. Check Pinterest, Wanelo, Twitter, Etsy, Ebay, and anywhere else. You'll find "ombre" products to be highly popular.

Ombre is like this:

 

  Just Dwell

IdAndEgoCreations

ChatterBlossom

 

So. Where does this crazy Spanish-sounding word come from and why can't we just call this new color trend a "blend" or a "fade"? It sounds silly. (I really like the visual effect though.) I know I sound like someone's grandmother complaining about how times are changing and how I hate them. I just don't like being surprised with odd words. So I thought learning its origins would make me feel better. Surely someone didn't just make this up last week, right? So I thought about it. My thoughts went like this: Ombre sounds like "hombre" which is Spanish for "man", which makes no sense. So, scratch that.

I went digging and, after reading about the old card game of the same name, finally came up with this from Webster's.

French, past participle of ombrer to shade, from Italian ombrare, from ombra shade, from Latin umbra. First Known Use: 1893

So there you have it. It still sounds funny, but the word actually has quite a history. Now the only mystery is why it has resurfaced in pop culture.

 

Parasites to make you brave.

Sooo, there's this parasite. It comes from cat poo, and it really makes things sound like cats might be taking over the world after all. Toxoplasma gondii, which lives in cats, makes it way to other animals from the cat's poo. It gets into your brain, but don't panic! because you can live with this parasite just fine. Many people don't really show many symptoms. They just suddenly like cats a whole lot better than before. They also might be braver.

 

This sounds nuts, yes? Parasite of Bravery!



But there have been studies on this parasite in rats. Check out this Time article for a good synopsis. Basically, the parasite raises dopamine levels in your system, which theoretically lowers your fears/inhibitions. In rats, this means the animals are less afraid of their natural predators, which makes them lunch. (Or breakfast, or dinner, or a present at your doorstep.) In people, the studies have suggested that you love cats more, but seem to be more inconclusive about the bravery thing. Also, there's a very small chance you might trigger schizophrenia by being infected. Weird, yes?

 



Meowwuahahahahahaha!
[Photo courtesy of a certain crazy cat lady I know and love.]



Hope I brightened your day ;)