Day: August 17, 2008

Fall resolutions

By / August 17, 2008

The past month has been expensive. We knew it was going to be. We talked and planned and calculated carefully. The two hotel bills will be covered by profits from the respective conventions. The down payment on the next book has been planned for. The repairs to the vehicles were not a surprise nor were the bills for eating out while traveling and the gas it took to get there and back. But it is one thing to carefully plan and calculate in advance. It is quite another to have all those bills come due nigh simultaneously. The tab was over five figures. I am suddenly inspired to re-institute many frugal habits which fell by the wayside while we were so stressed and busy.

The timing on the intention is good. The kids start school tomorrow and we’re going to be settling into a new life rhythm. I can build frugality right into the pattern. The first place to start is with meals. I need to be cooking from scratch rather than grabbing from the freezer. With life moving a little slower, I should have time to do the advance planning that cooking requires. Cooking gets difficult when Kids are already poinging around the kitchen complaining of starvation. I also need to clean. Howard’s office, my office, the pantries, the linen closet, the kids’ closets, all are in dire need of reorganization. I want to throw things out. Getting rid of stuff makes me feel in control of my life and it reduces the visual/emotional clutter. Lots has accumulated over the months of busy. It is time to clear out and to spend less.

A style of my own

By / August 17, 2008 / 11 Comments

Whenever I come home from a convention, my head is full of thoughts of wonderful clothing. At conventions I realize that the clothing styles I truly love are not exactly in style. So I then imagine myself creating a wardrobe full of things that I love to wear that don’t mark me as a weirdo, but do look different from the current “trendy.” Phil and Kaja Foglio did this admirably. Everything they wore fit in both the modern world, but also could have walked right into the world of Girl Genius and fit there as well. I loved the way that they matched each other. I’m not sure Howard and I will pull that off because we have different personal preferences for clothing. But whether or not we match each other, we both want to be wearing something more original than “nice professional,” Or “geek casual” (t-shirt & jeans.) Those looks are fine for at home, but at conventions it would be nice to be more distinctive. So my brain has been plotting. Howard brought home a lab coat from Linucon. A lab coat could be a good look, particularly if the coat is tailored to fit attractively. Whatever look he picks, needs to go well with his cool boots. As for me, I see long full skirts, and shirts with fitted waists, and embroidery.

Sigh. I do this every time. My brain fills with images of beautiful clothes. Then the reality of my daily schedule asserts itself. I don’t have time to spend hours sewing. Compared to the other uses of my time, clothing just is not important enough to make the list. But I can while away the occasional Sunday afternoon dreaming.