Health

Keeping Up With Current Changes

It’s been a month since I last wrote a blog post and my goodness doesn’t it seem like a lifetime ago?! Everything has changed in the last 4-5 weeks. COVID-19 rules the world, and with so much uncertainty about the future, staying home and staying safe truly is the way to get through the next weeks and months. But, as humans do, we’ve adapted in these emergency scenarios, and are getting through it with the same resourcefulness, determination, and compassion that we’ve used to get through other crises. It’s not always pretty but its happening.

For The Mechanic and I, life goes on more or less the same, with some obvious and not-so-obvious changes.

Still working from home. My new coworkers are the bunnies and I still take way too many pictures of them during my work day.
My weekends now consist of making fabric masks for friends and family who request them. Lately, cities and states around the US are recommending individuals wear masks if they are out, especially to grocery stores and on public transit, for those who still need it.
I’m trying really hard to get *some* exercise every day but it’s not always working. But the changes I *do not* want to see after this is over are the ones happening to my waistline so the comfort food needs to go. Maybe I’ll be healthier once this is over! #goals
Speaking of goals, I have to change up my Cheese-Chocolate-Champagne goals. Some of them aren’t relevant anymore, such as biking to work twice a week.
I feel better when I wear real shoes to “work.” Don’t ask me why, I just do. It feels more official. Even more than wearing makeup.
I’m saving a ton of money by not eating out and not running to Target every day from work. I had no idea how much I was really spending doing that, ulp. On the other hand, my online ordering seems to increased….
We are eating at home more but also trying to support our favorite locally-owned restaurants. Picking food up to go doesn’t have the same feel but it’s a welcome break from our admittedly uninspired home cooking and frozen meals.

There’s one really big change though – I started a new job! Yep, nothing like a pandemic to not only change jobs, but to one that is located in a different state. Of course, when I started the process, coronavirus was barely on our radar, and my main worry was apartment hunting in a new city. That’s a worry I’ve put off for a while. First things first. Speaking of first, on my first day of my new job, even though I was still at home, I dressed up, put on makeup, aforementioned real shoes, and decorated my standing desk. It made it feel more official. Of course, one week in and I’m well into the new job and super busy, and I may have given up again on the makeup….

I’m sure your lives have changed as well. We know we are fortunate, and think all the time of those who have lost jobs, are newly essential at their now-high risk jobs (grocery store staff and anyone working with the public), medical staff everywhere, and are also attempting to teach their children at the same time. I hope when we come out of this, the changes we see as a society recognize the value of those who perform the services we truly can’t live without.

TinLizzie-ing in a Time of Coronavirus

We are well into social distancing and lockdowns and stores closing, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Mechanic and I are both teleworking, which suits me – my desk is right next to the bunnies’ pen, so I get to watch them All. The. Time. Few things make me as happy as watching them snuggle together and play – also, two of them squeak-snore, how adorable is that?!??!?

Being a naturally anxious person who worries about everything, the uncertainty of our current state of affairs is hard to suppress. Luckily, there are distractions beyond the bunnies, namely, sewing, biking, and Spring flowers.

Hooray for warm weather biking! This cotton lawn shirt was lightweight and comfy, just as I’d hoped it would be!

When you inadvertently dress like your Galaxy’s Edge reusable bag….

Speaking of Star Wars (which we weren’t really but whatever), this Star Wars print cotton I ordered on clearance from Joann Fabrics arrived yesterday – if only all telework days could include fabric deliveries!

My telework days don’t really give me much more time to sew, so I am looking forward to staying home this weekend to finish this shirt I started last weekend. It looks like my bunnies! I’m trying a new shirt pattern with this one, and yes, it will have white reflective piping on it. Stay tuned! I’m playing a telework game of sorts with myself – I am going to wear each of my print shirts every day until I’ve worn them all. Most of them I’ve made myself but not all. I feel like I don’t wear them enough, which is silly, since I love them, so now is my time! I’m calling them my telework uniform. Soon the bunny shirt will be in the mix too.

I can make it through several weeks with all these shirts! (and clearly I don’t really need to make more…..)

How I telework – do you have a telework style?

I’m thankful that my company has the ability to let us work from home. So many small businesses and my friends in the theater community are suffering from loss of employment and revenue. I don’t want to talk too much about my work when they are losing out. I wish I could support all the small businesses I love, but I can’t afford to. I just hope they make it out in the end, whenever that comes.

My wine sippy cup from small business Stonemountain and Daughters Fabrics arrived just in time!

Luckily, it’s spring, and trees and plants are in bloom, and the grass and leaves are returning. I’ve been trying to walk at least once a day, but I’m aiming for twice. I need to be more disciplined about getting some exercise! Just seeing all the green things brings a bit of peace and comfort. We’ll get through this. We’ll return to normal, regardless of what that looks like a year from now.

Looking Back to Look Ahead

And here it is, a new year. Welcome, 2019! I think I’m not the only one to be happy to say goodbye to 2018.

It certainly wasn’t a bad year, but it was not an easy year for me. Two major surgeries and a seemingly endless cough for the last month of the year meant my overall health went out the window. With it – my motivation and a bit of self esteem. Not biking to work this past year means I’ve gained weight and gotten out of shape. That’s taken a big toll on me. Then we lost our beloved girl bunny, Quinn the Angora, who died unexpectedly while we were out of town. Ugh – no wonder I’ve been comfort eating the entire month of December.

Hospital style, haha!

But it wasn’t all bad, of course. I traveled a lot, once I recovered from my surgeries. I went to New York City, visited friends in Los Angeles, went to Disney World *three* times (!!!), spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws in Arkansas, and The Mechanic and I enjoyed a few days of doing-nothing bliss in Bermuda.

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I made myself 24 new garments, including my amazing Dashing Tweed Reflective Coat.

I have some other favorites as well, including the Liberty of London dinosaur print shirt I made after my first Disney World trip – I guess I’ve fallen back in love with dinosaurs.

I did a lot of travel sewing, making things specifically for my trips.

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And made some personal appearance changes – red hair and a rabbit tattoo!

Red Hair and New Glasses!

Floral bunny – totally me!

But now it’s time to look back at 2018 and decide what I want 2019 to be like. I do like making resolutions because I’m a bit obsessive-compulsive about planning, and what’s better than a brand new start?!

Nevertheless, some changes need to happen.

I must get healthier in 2019!!! Back to biking to work, at least 3 times a week, and adding the yoga and BodyPump back into my schedule. Gotta reduce the cheese intake too, alas. But I’m turning 47 this year, and I want to be super healthy before I hit 50 (ulp), so time to get serious about that middle-aged health stuff!
Revamp the blog. I’ve been a bit lazy with the blogging – lazy, busy, sick, whatever, the blog has been neglected. So I’m going to try a weekly focus each month, rather than a random update on whatever. Sewing one week, biking the next, travel, then the random ICYMI post. I know all you reading this blog like different topics so we’ll see which weeks are the most popular, haha!
Hm…. maybe two things are enough! I could add in stuff like: sew slower, spend less, be more strategic about money, etc., but I always need to do those things, regardless of year! So I’ll stick to health and the blog and we’ll see how it goes.

Thanks for sticking along with me this far, as I sew and bike through my adventurous life. I appreciate all of you and look forward to a productive, constructive, and healthy 2019!

Sullivan and Gaston resolve to be better friends in 2019!

Heavenly Bodies and Earthly Bodies

Two weekends ago, a friend and I went up to New York City to see the Met Museum exhibit, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” The exhibit explores how Catholicism inspires designers, both religious designers and fashion designers. There were pieces from the Vatican collections (sorry, no photos allowed) that had embroidery so fine that it looked like photos and gems as large as your eyeball. Then there were chiffon pieces that appeared to float in the exhibits where they were found – everything was scattered throughout the museum. Part of the exhibit was at the Cloisters, at the north end of Manhattan and in my former neighborhood, but we didn’t make it that far. We were at the Fifth Avenue location long enough, admiring everything.

The garments on display ran from the sumptuous…

…to the “mundane.” There was traditional….

…and there was modern. I particularly enjoyed the Versace dresses on display far above our heads, but felt it was a bit weird to be staring up the models’ dresses and skirts. On the other hand, it did let me see some of the structure of the undergarments. I definitely recommend the exhibit. It runs through the beginning of October, so you have time to go see it.

My friend and I inadvertently ended up dressed alike in floral shirt dresses and Dansko sandals – dresses I made! It was a whirlwind trip but we did make it to Mood, where I discovered a huge collection of reflective trims. I got white, blue and black reflective piping – expensive, but in colors I don’t have and it means I don’t have to make it myself! I think I need to call and order more… (by the way, my friend bought her purse from a street vendor on our way to the museum. It was the only one and we both wanted it, but I let her have it – then realized *afterwards* that it is reflective! And we never saw another street vendor the entire rest of the weekend!) Apparently my earthly body was feeling neglected, because I ended up in the hospital again. Three months after my surgery, and three months of constant pain, I went to the surgeon to ask when the pain would stop. After a quick examination, they directed me to the operating room of the hospital for emergency surgery! Internal stitches had popped and bad things were happening. So there I was, checking into the ambulatory surgery center in my business clothes with a full face of makeup, madly emailing and texting everyone who needed to know so I could cancel and rearrange my schedule. Although it ended up being a long day at the hospital and ended with more pain than it started, I was happy to see the same nurses I’d had three months ago. They made me feel much better about everything. One even pointed out that my nail polished matched the hospital gown! Although the repair surgery was not as dramatic (no incisions) as the last surgery, it still means no biking for a while, again, and taking it easy. I’ve been resting, resting, resting – I don’t want another trip to the hospital, no matter how nice the nurses are!

Hospital style, haha!

Hopefully this will be a fast recovery and I can get back to some sort of activity level before this summer is over. At least sewing isn’t too strenuous, right? I’ll be taking care of my earthly body from behind my sewing machine. Take care of yours however makes you happy.

Working My Way Back to You, Bike

It’s been three and a half weeks since I had major surgery. In that time I’ve watched the trees from our bedroom windows, played with our rabbits, read alot, gotten a tattoo, done a bit of sewing, and eaten way more comfort food than planned (whoops). I’d say it’s been relaxing but it hasn’t been, really. There’s still some pain and I am exhausted all the time. The days I’ve managed 5,000 steps have wiped me out so when I’m finally allowed to start biking again, I might not be biking very far. But I’m working my way back to you, Fauntleroy – we can’t miss all the lovely spring biking weather!

Gaston, Quinn and Sullivan (l to r)

Inspirational necklace made by a friend many years ago.

I’ll be ready for that day though, because one of the things I made is a lightweight coat. This Simplicity 8055 was a super easy pattern but I decided to make it slightly more complicated by lengthening the sleeves, flat lining all the pieces, adding some dimensional stitches to the cuffs, and making covered buttons. Playing around with my Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 965q stitches was a lot of fun and I plan on doing this again on other projects.

Lately, Spring has sprung around our place so my daily walks have resulted in many, many photos of flowers.

I’m returning to work with some trepidation, knowing that I need a nap every afternoon. But I need to get back to my normal routine, or at least as close as I can. I guess I have to accept that it will be slow going, but I’m not a patient person, so we’ll see how it goes.

Pre-Op Update

Just a quick update to let you know that I am having surgery on Wednesday so I won’t be blogging (or sewing or biking) for a while. A health problem that has plagued me for at least twelve years will finally fixed once and for all (I hope), and I am looking forward to it.

I am also looking forward to some down time. I was told that the recovery is usually 4-6 weeks; I am taking 3.5. I don’t know how I will feel but hope I’ll be up and moving around enough to get *some* sewing done. The doctor looked a bit horrified when I said I usually bike to work so I am not allowed to do that for at least four weeks. Honestly, I haven’t biked much lately, due to weather, schedule or just plain not feeling like it. But after four weeks of not moving much, i know I’ll be anxious to get back in the saddle.

I failed in my plan to eat super healthy and do yoga every day in preparation for the surgery, so I am not going into it as strong as I’d envisioned. I guess I will focus on the recovery period to get my health mojo back. I know, I’ll pretend I am at a health spa, with a regular routine of veggies and yoga!

I will be back before you know it though! Until then, Happy Spring!

Let Nature Nurture

There is a lot of pain, fear and anger in the world these days. I don’t know if it is worse than years, generations, decades or even centuries past, but it is certainly stressful. I have been avoiding the news, discussing the news, thinking about the news… I just need some time to recover from the raw emotions of the shootings in the United States, I need time to fully process and recover my strength. I don’t have time to turn to nature to help me heal, so instead, I’ve been hunting through my photos for pictures of some of my favorite healing nature places.

Water

My most relaxing place is the ocean. I love the crash of the waves on the rocks in Mendocino, which is my happy place. But there are many oceans, and rivers, and bays, and lakes, and other places that have water that make me happy.

Trees

I love trees, too. I love their huge size, the bright green when the leaves are new, the dramatic skeletons when the leaves are gone… In forests and in fields, and down the street from me. Trees are completely uplifting.

Blossoms

Any bright and cheerful blossom in the spring makes me smile – I can’t get enough of the gorgeous colors around me then. When I lived in New York City, I lived near Fort Tryon Park, and spent years wandering through the park soaking up the vivid colors. And I’ve always loved gardens – botanical gardens, gardens at historic estates, gardens of my neighbors. Bright colors make me happy!

Fort Tryon Park, in 2007

Just looking at these pictures make me happier, and perhaps more resilient. Of course, they also bring back happy memories, which probably also lowers my stress level. It’s a nice reminder to see adventures with friends and family over the years.

I hope you have a moment to stop and smell the flowers and enjoy the trees. It won’t solve the world’s problems, but it might make them easier to stomach.

Shopping, Sewing and Sustainability

The Mechanic and I try to live a sustainable life – we are vegetarian (except during international travel, when we want to try local specialties), do our best to avoid foods made with palm oil, we walk, bike or use public transportation on a daily basis, and rent cars when we are going out of town. We use as little water as possible, turning off the water during showers and while brushing teeth, and The Mechanic mostly washes dishes by hand to reduce water usage. We have CFLs or LED lights, reuse our plastic zip top baggies, use environmentally-friendly cleaning products as much as possible, take reusable bags when we go shopping, and turn off the lights in rooms we aren’t using. There is always room for improvement – I’ve recently been exploring environmentally-friendly toiletries and beauty supplies, and buying bulk food items like nuts. But for me, shopping is The Weakest Link.

Eileen Fisher, fashion designer and industry activist, said last year that fashion is the second most polluting industry after the oil industry. She knows better than I do, but there is no arguing with the fact that the fashion industry is not an ideal industry. From ethical treatment of workers to textile manufacture to shipping garments and shoes thousands of miles to billions of garments being thrown away, there are problems all the way through. Fast fashion, clothing that is turned out quickly after it appears on runways, has become the norm, as people of all ages flock to inexpensive trends as soon as they come out. Fashion Revolution Week, April 18-24 this year, brings attention to the nameless workers who crank out those fast fashion pieces, a movement inspired by and in honor of the over 1,100 workers who died in the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In response, some clothing companies pledged greater transparency with their supply chain, resulting in the Fashion Transparency Index, ranking clothing companies by results. But even beyond the idea of who makes the clothes the world consumes are issues involving the fabrics themselves – polyester is made from petroleum; creating cotton fabric uses an unbelievable amount of water; there’s the fertilizer used in growing those crops; and apparently the average American citizen THROWS AWAY 70lbs of clothing a year. The statistics are depressing.

Who made my clothes? I did!

So with an industry dirty from beginning to end, how do you incorporate sustainability into what you put on every day?

I love these pieces but maybe for the same price I should have just ordered three yards of Liberty of London fabric…

I could smugly answer, “Well, I make my own clothes,” but that is not only an incorrect answer, it doesn’t solve the problem. I don’t make ALL my own clothes. I don’t know where the fabrics I purchase are made, or by whom. I’ve never even looked to see where my patterns are printed! Because I have limited local fabric shopping options, I tend to order most of fabrics, which means transportation emissions from the warehouse where the fabrics are kept; don’t even think about how the fabrics were transported to that warehouse. And I still buy fast fashion – I love my Liberty of London for Uniqlo purchases! So what is a sewist and fashion addict to do?!

For starters, I try really hard to not buy clothing any more “just because.” I actually find that I would rather make most things anyway, and that I’d rather *wear* the things I make. It’s more fun to make cute reflective garments than basic tee shirts, but I may need to start doing that as well. I love Spoonflower because of their eco-friendly system: digital printing of fabric leads to less waste of fabric, ink and electricity; they don’t need to store potentially unpurchased fabrics that could end up thrown away; many of their fabrics are made in the USA or organic or both; they support small designers by giving them a platform; and the Sprout Patterns printed on fabric reduces even more waste! If I could buy all my fabrics from Spoonflower, I would.

One giant piece of fabric with the pattern pieces printed right on it!

I have started researching companies that do engage in eco-friendly, ethical creations. H&M and Uniqlo aren’t doing too badly on the Fashion Transparency Index, and I do like H&M’s Conscious Exclusive collection, even though most of it is fancier than I’d ever need. I don’t know that I have the patience to simply not buy – I’m a bit like a magpie: Oh look, something shiny! But if I can focus on a list of places whose practices I agree with, at least my purchases are supporting what I believe in. I haven’t fully identified those companies yet; the ones I have found have very expensive clothing. On the other hand, the pieces I own that I’ve spent the most money on tend to be the pieces I love wearing. Hm… maybe that should be my new shopping strategy: only buy expensive things! Hahahaha….

In terms of sewing and sustainability, I will be testing out my first few download-and-tape-together pattern from indie pattern companies, and looking around for other places to order fabric. I need to find some patterns that can act as basics, so I don’t need to buy those but can quickly whip them up. I would love to be able to sew everything, but I simply don’t have time, and then I get impatient for something new, and then I go out an buy. Hm…. So really, what this all boils down to is being happy with what I have and not wanting anything new! But that seems boring to me – I need to make it work in more eco-friendly ways! And either way, I need to think about the carbon footprint of the USPS/UPS/FedEx way my orders get to me. Buy all the fabric all at once?

What are your favorite sustainable ways to shop and sew?

: The Liberty of London blue floral print is a vintage piece I was given – much more sustainable than ordering online!

: But there really isn’t anything sustainable about reflective fabric, I’m afraid….

2016: Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Happy 2016!

Yay, new calendars!

I love a new year. Like a blank slate, a brand new notebook, it has so much potential. What will happen in this new year? Some ideas floating around, but I have learned that no matter how I plan, things always seem to turn out differently…. Nevertheless, I love the feeling of starting over, of reinventing myself – who can I be this year?!

I love this “Line a Day” Five Year journal, and this year I get to start a brand new one. What will these pages hold at the end of it?!

However, I, like so many others, find it hard to keep my resolutions. So this year I’ve decided that maybe a personal mantra will help me stay on track. I just need to keep repeating something to myself that will remind me of my goals.

I decided to adapt the phrase made famous by Benjamin Franklin, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise,” into simply “Healthy, wealthy and wise.” This reflects all the different areas of my life that I constantly strive to improve, so it’s easy to group my specific goals under these three topics.

Benjamin Franklin, portrait by Joseph-Siffrein Suplessis, circa 1785. Wikimedia Commons

Healthy

I’ve been lazy with my healthy eating habits and regular exercise, and my pants are beginning to not fit quite as well, oops! Time to reset and get back on the bandwagon. There are many things I need to do to clean up my act, but two challenges in particular that I want to focus on:

Eight hours of sleep. More specifically, go to bed at 10pm, rather than 11pm or later. This is a bit of a struggle and The Mechanic and I practiced a bit this week (although not last night!). My goal is to be able to get up earlier and do some yoga before starting my day, and that means going to bed earlier.
Cut down on sugar. I’d love to say that I’m going to cut it out completely but I can’t give up lemon bars and pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies. I can, however, retrain myself to only eat them for true celebrations – Valentine’s Day, birthdays, holidays… I don’t want to eat it everyday anymore. I know it’s addictive, so this won’t be easy.
Right after I eat all these champagne cupcakes that I made for New Year’s Eve…

Wealthy

Saving money, or rather, not shopping, is a huge struggle for me, and it partly stems from the constant need for excitement. New clothes, after all, are quite exciting! But I don’t need much, and I want more savings. So there are two things I want to do to help myself:

Rein in impulse shopping. I want to only make myself things, or buy from my Stitch Fix subscription, or buy really cool shoes, not all the cool shoes. I tell myself I’ll behave and then I find myself with something in hand. Stop it, just stop it!
Set up a “Family and Friends” savings account. I love buying stuff for family and friends, and this year I want a dedicated savings account and have money automatically transfer into it, so when birthdays and holidays and vacations roll around, I have funds specifically to spend on them. Having it separated will work better for me; I know from experience.

This is the Boden skirt that inspired my color blocked dress that I made this fall. The skirt was on clearance so I ordered it. I love it! Last purchase, I promise!!!

Wise

Wisdom comes from different sources. I’m thinking not only of being knowledgeable and fluent in current events, but also of being wise when it comes to my actions, especially in regards to sustainability and my purchasing power. I want to think about what I do and buy and how it impacts the planet. For example, I recently read that bar soap is more environmentally friendly than shower gel, and although I don’t really like bar soap, it is making me consider trying some. The Mechanic and I are already pretty green, so now it’s time to take it up a notch.

Sometimes a different perspective is all that is needed to want to make a change. Here, the National Mall as viewed from the Washington Monument, on a recent, perfectly clear day.

Even if you don’t create formal resolutions, do you find yourself resolving to do things better or differently in the new year? Or do you make resolutions at another milestone, such as a birthday? What prompts you to make changes or improvements in your life?

Here’s to a healthy, wealthy and wise 2016!