Nesting & Refining

I'm in two familiar states again - nesting and refining.  The nesting was necessary after a three or so week period where I was up late (like 4:45am late) on more than one occasion and other obligations messed with my sleep schedule.  Plus, it's the last few weeks of classes, and it can get crazy.  So this weekend I mended (which is also part of the refining state) and cooked - a lot.  Tonight it's Chicken Tortilla soup from the The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.  Good "oh-my-the-first-storm-of-the-season-is-coming-but-it-won't-be-nearly-as-epic-as-advertised" soup.  Damn, if we were snowed in...how amazing would that be?

The refining state is where I go back to thinking about the way I live, what I need, and why I'm bored with my closet (might not seem philosophically linked to you, but it is - trust me).  The refinement stage encompasses different elements at different times but almost always has to do with getting my life to more closely match my values and desires.  Don't underestimate the importance of desire.  I believe that if your values and desires are complimentary, it can transform your life.  I don't know that for sure, but I believe it.

Wow.  I sound like some new agey life coach.  When do I get my own TV show?

Meanwhile, back on the couch (unintentional psychiatry joke)...I'm knitting the Carnaby skirt, which I'm really excited about.  It's a little bit of a risk, knitting a little skirt for myself.  I say "little" because it'll fall mid-thigh or so, and that's little for me.  But I'm also happy to be making something for my own wardrobe.  Little by little I'm putting things I've made into rotation and slowly weeding out the items that no longer work for me. (Okay, if one of my students wrote this paragraph, I'd have put a box around every "little" in it; pointing out the repetition of the word.  But I'm off duty.)

I could go on about the things I'm hoping to make soon*, but that's not where my attention is at the moment.  It seems that I'm also going through a bit of a "hippie/dress-me-in-jersey/oooh-that-looks-comfy" phase.  Frankly, I'm just a little concerned - am I losing my style?  Is it morphing?  Is this the real me?

Cue Etsy where I've spent the past hour or so trawling for clothes, and I'm highlighting some of the things I like here.

First from Woolen Moss (I even love the name) -

Faux Wrap Skirt in Organic Cotton (I like the top, too)

Winter Tunic in Organic Cotton Fleece

From Conscious Clothing

Hemp Denim Manitoba Pants - how hippie are these?!

Organic Cotton Everyday Dress - it's clear I have a thing for cowls and hoodies

From Stephanie Teague

Pretty Birdie's Soy High Waisted Pencil Skirt - feels like a must-have

From LeMuse

Open Back Sea Muse Dress

Long Blue Asymmetric Dress - reminds me a little of Rick Owens's aesthetic

From Gaia Conceptions (oh yeah)

The Pokara Dress

From Yana Dee

T-Shirt Dress in Bamboo and Organic Cotton - a little chilly for now, but summer always comes

And from Soul Role

Grey Dress - Deep Cowl Hoodie - yes, both 

in one!

I think that I'm looking for a new ease, with style, in dressing for everyday life as well as clothes that lend themselves to being layered, which increases their versatility.  I want to be comfortable - physically comfortable but also philosophically comfortable.  These are all individual makers, and I'm thankful for them.  What I also like about the clothes is that they're kind of hippy-dippy but also not.  If you know of other vendors on Etsy that make clothes in this vein, please leave a comment with the maker's name.  A few of these I found just by snooping the favourites list of people who are following Woolen Moss (which I found out about, along with Conscious Clothing, from SouleMama - oh my, the deep blog/internet trail).

*Note:  "Soon" means within the next year or so.