Confessions of a One-Track Mind

I'm trying not to eat everything in sight. It's difficult. Restraint is not in my nature. I like food, and unfortunately, I tend to regard the major food groups as sweet, salty and fried. I'm trying to get away from that, but again, it's a struggle.

About a year ago, BC was storing some tinned fruit out in my garage, because he didn't have a garage at home. His plan was to make some kind of generic fruit wine/rotgut. I haven't been to that end of the garage in months, until tonight. I fought my way north and discovered it was gone, which saves me having to lug it down to the Sharing Center.

When I was rampaging through TJ Maxx a week ago Saturday, I got a hat. It's the same style as in my icon--- flat crown, flat brim with a turned up rim. It's solid navy blue. I've been thinking about customizing it. After all, Easter's coming.

I'm thinking of trimming it in yellow and white, both of which go well with navy and each other. And maybe gracing it with a butterfly or two.

Awesome Justified.



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For the last several years, this has been my favorite belt. However, because I've lost in the neighborhood of40 pounds since I got it, it doesn't fit any more. It is NOT adjustable. It's made by the company that has the site, but I got it from Torrid, who apparently got it especially in plus sizes, since the manufacturer's idea of XL is about 8" away from girding my waist.

This is unfortunate, because GK gave me a great long black rayon skirt with a taffeta sort of finish. I'd like to wear it with a cinched-in top, but alas, my beloved belt does NOT cinch me in any longer, Torrid doesn't have it, and Little Earth doesn't have it in my size.

Alas, WalMart doesn't *quite* go up to my size. This morning, after a quick visit to the C's---they like to reassure themselves that their dogs still love me before departures---I headed over to Fashion Bug, and I was Very Good. I didn't even try on anything except belts, and of their rather paltry selection, I choose ( this one: )

I have an event to go to on Saturday, and I'm undecided as to which top to wear with it. Ah, well, time enough to choose, and I expect I'll be elegantly turned out.

Hmm...if I go with green, I can further accessorize my ensemble with The Hat....

No, not the one from my icon!

I dropped by my bank this afternoon to take care of a little business. The temp being in the low 60s, I wore a long-sleeved grey and black top with black pants, grey shoes and the grey cloche hat I posted a pic of on Tuesday (but with a different pin).

One of the tellers, who is familiar with me, complimented me on it. He said it showed style, and that I looked European.

I choose to accept that as a compliment, as all the Europeans I know are very nice.

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I haven't mastered the self-portrait yet---it doesn't help that I'm squinting into the afternoon sun---but here's a snap taken in my front yard on a recent sunny day, featuring moi in a beige sundress, a playful rafia hat, and a necklace I made for myself to complement that and a couple other specific warm-weather ensembles.





ETA: The contrast at the neckline is actually the sun shining through the brim of my hat.

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For once, I actually get to post something in a timely manner, ie within 48 hours. Check out The Hat.



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I wore The Hat to church today with the dark blue blouse (I'd forgotten it was new with tags---another feature that made me happy when I acquired it.) The winter white pants are in no immediate danger of falling off. Wore my new necklace with the ensemble instead of the scarf I had planned because I could NOT get the confounded thing to drape right and I was sick of fiddling with pinning it. Next time.

(Mind you, I'll need to either fix the elastic chin strap or sew in a comb, because the darned hat kept trying to migrate. Looked good, though!)

Service was a Dumb Supper ritual for the Day of the Dead. "Dumb" because it's conducted in silence, and because the dead are mute. I wasn't familiar with the term before this year, and suddenly I've heard it several times. Since the most recent of my losses is ten-plus years, I was okay, but a couple of people Lost It. Next year, I'm liable to be one of them....

Afterward, during hospitality, I squeed in church. Back around my birthday, AI had promised me a trip to Lush, and the purchase of two goodies of my choice. It got postponed; this, that and the other came up---I had pretty much written it off as 'Not going to happen, poor little me'. Then as I was sitting there, carefully consuming chili with napkins over my decolletage to protect the blouse, she passed by and said, "Next Saturday."

Okay, I'll bite. "Next Saturday?"

"Lush."

SQUEE! Sometimes it's very nice to be wrong. Of course, now I need to contemplate what I might like to get---back to the catalog!---although getting there and sniffing around may change any advance decisions I may make. There are some descriptions that sound good enough to eat, but my nose may think otherwise.

I know that a few of you gals use their products, and I hereby solicit your input. So far, I've used the cake shampoo (cinnamon), which I really, really like. It softens my hair like nothing else I've ever used. Great stuff. I've also thought of trying one of their exfoliants---or a moisturizer or a shower gel or ?!---I'd love to hear any recs or comments. Good results? Bad results? Anything you've tried that you wouldn't do again? Why not?

If you usually read my fiction but you've been busy lately, you may have missed the last couple stories I've posted. There's Zinfandel, a Heroes fic that plays some gender-bending mind games with one of the characters, and then there's The Inside Job, a Leverage caper which is one of the schmoopiest things I've ever written. Not quite picking-out-curtains schmoop, but close. Or you might just be looking for something new to read, whatever....

Tomorrow is Monday. I have gotten to where I dread Mondays and those damned doctor appointments. *le sigh* Better than the alternative, I guess....

Set off the fireworks, fling the confetti, cue the acrobats! This is my 2000th LJ post, and today is my 4th anniversary here. Woohoo! Good times!

In the spirit of having something to celebrate, let me invite you all to visit The 4th Annual Come as You're Not Party, a ficathon produced by the indefatigable karaokegal, with lots of fandoms represented and fresh stories from a bunch of fine authors (including a schmoopy Leverage fic from yours truly).

It's a beautiful day, the weather is warm without roasting, and I'm feeling chipper despite the back still not being a happy camper. I had an email this morning from ang5fam, who announced she was off to do some thrifting. This sounded like such a good idea that I hustled into some clothes and hit the road myself. I started the day with $9 cash and came back with folding money (so I have something for the collection plate tomorrow)---but I did put $10 on my debit card.

The first place I went to was the St Vincent dePaul on 520---they're fairly new and I've been wanting to check them out---there was nothing amazing; the don't separate plus sizes, didn't have any aluminum or anything else I collect, but I picked up a couple of newish pot holders and wash cloths for cheap, namely a buck and a half.

Then, since I was in the neighborhood, I wandered into the Sharing Center. It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't fallen in love with the hat---it's navy, very High Church, and I have a dark blue silk blouse that I picked up over the summer that it will compliment beautifully. It was $10, and they threw in the copy of Belle Armoire I found.

I meandered out to their furniture barn and discovered a sweet little area rug---4'x 6' in Neapolitan colors: pink and white flowers (with a smidge of green trim) on a chocolate background. For $5, I was not going to pass that up! Since my bedroom has brown walls for the time being, I figure it'll work in there---I'm planning to put it in front of the closet door---and when I get the other two rooms swapped around, it can go into the library, probably under my desk to keep my feet warm.

Total for the day was about $18 and not much gas to speak of. I'm contemplating my ensemble for tomorrow---the hat, the blouse, a scarf that will add a note of color, paired with some winter white pants that I really ought to try to wear more before they get too big for me.

Happy Halloween A splended Samhain to you, my darlings! Blessed be.

Courtesy of a really cool activity at Paste magazine. Because hats are cool, I'm cool---actually, I think I'm having a hot flash. But this was fun to do, and I wanted to share the results with youse guys.

Now I need to go scale Mt. Washmore. Arrgh!

Had lunch with Kat. Picked up some potting soil at Big Lots, came home and planted the tomatoes in the blue-painted pots. Let's hope they continue to thrive.

After a discussion of gay hats, I wandered around Google and have fallen very much in love with THIS hat:



Isn't that sweet?
I could SO rock that!