chothes hunt

[velvetpage]

I just reclaimed another pair of pants from the back of my closet. I had apparently bought them just as I was starting to get too large for them, in the hopes of losing some weight, because the fasteners were all askew and needed a few minutes with a needle and thread. However, I got them sorted out, and they fit better now than they did when I bought them.

That brings the total reclaimed wardrobe to: one black skirt, one grey tweed skirt, two pairs work-worthy pants, both beige, and two blouses. Most of my tops were the stretch-knit type fabric to begin with, so they mostly still fit before, but tightly. Now they fit the way they're supposed to.

My shopping list for back-to-school now includes: one pair lightweight black pants, a wide variety of undergarments, and three or four tops/sweaters to replace the ones I'm sick of. Also a good pair of workable oxfords or other comfy shoes, and new runners. All in all, I should be able to get away under $300, maybe less if I find some good deals. Which is nice, because $300 is my usual fall budget before shoes. As a teacher, good shoes are of extreme importance, but I want at least some style to them - it's a shame to look great from the ankle up only!

Of course, I have to remember I've already spent $80 which should really apply to my back-to-school budget.

This is so nice. :)

Comments

[mr-weasel.livejournal.com]

Shopping in your closet must be fun!

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

It's great. I've rediscovered several items I'd forgotten I possessed. I also have some goals in mind - the white slipdress and turquoise blazer, for example, which were really expensive but I wore maybe three times because I was gaining so fast that year.

The best part about it is that it stretches my mind and my goals but not my wallet or my waisband!

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Yay!!! You keep going like this, you're going to have more clothing than you know what to do with! ;D

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I already do. Just think about the fact that I found all this reclaimed clothing still in the same drawers or on the same hangers they were occupying two and three years ago. I have plenty of stuff I have yet to shrink into, too. The reclamation is not yet complete!

My biggest debate now - do I pack away my recently-too-big clothes, against a possible weight gain in the next few years, or do I burn my bridges and get rid of them? Or do I attempt to alter them so they'll fit the new me? I'm not sure quite how to handle this.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

Hang onto them -- they'll make good transitional pregnancy clothes! :)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

That's not a bad idea. Ok, it's off to Home Depot for yet another set of crates in which to store pregnancy and transitional-pregnancy wear!

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

"Now they fit the way they're supposed to. "

That's awesome, I'm jealous! :D

I've lost three pounds. Success shall be mine! ;)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Of course it will. Shall we suggest, then, that snacks for next week involve veggies and dip rather than the usual chips and pop? I'm going back on the diet on Monday, and we need to encourage healthy snacking if we're going to game every week.

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

Yes, that sounds good! I've been (sadly) weaning myself off of pop, in favour of water and juice. Pop has always been such a ubiquitous staple when I've been gaming, that it's actually the time when I drink it most (some people only smoke when they drink, I chug pop and roll dice :D Must.. break.. vicious.. cycle! :D
I think if we can figure out a healthy snack between the two of us, the guys will go along with it. Like rainwolf said, it's something to do for the hands, rather than a real hunger.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Well, the sunflower seeds were good, and I think we still have some. Let's see:

I can eat any dip which has very few carbs in it, or I can just use salad dressing as dip, so that's not a problem.

If I provide strips of green and red pepper, of which I have plenty, and some mushrooms, can you bring carrots and one other veggie? I could make some veggie kebabs as well on my tiny George Foreman grill - they're really good, but they get eaten really fast, so they might not work. Together we'll all get our five-a-day, all at once in the evening!

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

I picked up some carrots and celery earlier today with just such a thing in mind :) If I don't already have it in the house, I can grab some light sour cream as well. Mmm, grilled veggies, that'll disappear faster than they cook :D

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Sounds like we've got it made, then - figuratively speaking.:) I'll have to remember to pick up some skewers. I think I can shop for those at a little place I know called Chez Mom.

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

Chez Mom always has the best stuff: vintage, but in great condition! :D

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Well, skewers come in packs of a hundred, so I doubt she needs all of them. And my mom has so many sets of dishes, i could probably abscond with a whole 10-person set and she wouldn't notice for a month - until she tried to add to it. :)

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

When both my sister then I moved out, my mom was thrillled to unload complete sets of essentials on us. She had a full set of new corelle dishes, still in the box, that was just sitting in storage! I guess it was just in case all of her set (in great shape) were to suddenly break? :D

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

My mom has her fine china, which is a classic Royal Daulton set with pretty pink flowers on it. She also has a set of Brown Quail stoneware, which officially belongs to Larry, my stepdad, and costs a bloody fortune. She is constantly adding to both these sets at antique shows - several vendors know their name. They probably have the visa number memorized by now. In addition to these two sets of "good" dishes, she has the standard Corelle set and a set of plastic patio dishes, both new in the last year.

Since I didn't move out until I was married, and my parents broke up shortly after that, I don't have a lot of hand-me-down stuff from them. They're still using it. For that matter, my dad recently unearthed all of my grandmother's Corelle which had been sitting in his garage before he moved. So they now have mismatched Corelle to seat about 12. It's insane.

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

There's got to be something about the older generation and their dishes :) I know their parents (my grandparents) even had their own personal cutlery and dishes!

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

My grandparents weren't nearly as bad as my mom and stepdad. Nana only had two sets of dishes - the ones my dad has, and the ones one of my cousins inherited. My grandma, also, has only two that I'm aware of. They both grew up fairly poor, and my grandmother still hems and haws about spending money on anything, though she no longer has to worry about money.

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

It's a tough habit to break. I still squawk when someone wants name brand groceries and I say "what's wrong with the generic brand?" Usually I'm right, but sometimes the name brand really is worth it (ie, Miracle Whip!)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Pyat is a Hellman's guy. *shudder* It's been one of the most difficult compromises of our marriage.

I wish I were more thrifty. Not that I spend exhorbitantly - but I do like quality, and if the no-name is not as good as the brand name, I'll buy brand. That's rare, though - usually, they're made by the same company!

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I just can't eat mayonnaise. Even if the calories were identical, I couldn't do it. To me, it tastes like some sort of bland fat that people slap on bread :P

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I know. I can eat it in stuff, like in the deviled eggs I made for lunch, but as a sandwich spread? No way.

That said, real, homemade mayonnaise is much better than Miracle Whip. But who in North America makes their own mayonnaise? It's a lost art outside of France.

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

Devon (my brother in law) respects the real mayo. He learned how to make it during his chef training, but he's never made it for us! Maybe now that he's out of the food industry, he'll cook more :)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Oh, and as for drinks, I'll make iced tea with Splenda, so we get some needed caffeine without the sugar and carbonation. Any other thoughts?

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

Hmm, low fat sour cream as a base for dip, with the option of salsa instead of dip. I do a fine herb dip with Knorr soup mix, any idea if the mixes themselves are high calorie?

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

The package should say on the side - not just the calories, but the fat and carb counts are important. I'll save all my carbs tomorrow for evening, just in case. (No yogurt or cottage cheese - I guess I'll just have to have bacon and eggs for breakfast! How sad! :)