Is It Really Necessary

that as I'm walking down the street in Oakland, I get cruised by a car driving by, which then goes around the block to "chat" with me?  If I say, "No, thank you" once, I pretty much mean it.  Please don't ask again, and please don't stalk me.

Jeeze!

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Quick! Before Someone Walks In

 Dress:  Junya Watanabe for Comme des Garcons
Hat:  Simmons
Tights:  Wolford
Boots:  La Canadienne

Dedicated to the One I Love

MichFest bracelet fell off today.  I wore it as a talisman for fest.

Fashion Blows

I went into Toronto today to see the Fashion Blows exhibit at The Bay, and I'm really glad I went.  The exhibit was intermixed with racks of clothing on the sales floor, making it feel more like clothes worn than clothes presented.  To underscore the fact that these were the clothes that were actually worn by Isabella Blow, they left all stains, cigarette burns, and tears as they were.  I really enjoyed being able to walk around the mannequins and see the clothing from all angles.  I did, however, have to restrain myself from reaching out and touching the material.

Junya Watanabe jacket; Alexander McQueen skirt; Philip Treacy hat

Alexander McQueen suit & top; Philip Treacy hat

Authenticity in action

There were a few text panels but not too many or too academic.

Deborah Milner dress; 1930's monkey fur jacket; hat unattributed

Hussein Chalayan dress

On My Mind Mondays: Toward a Common Goal

Mulberry is fascinated by the pressure canner

• Independent bookstores:  I listened to a Fresh Air interview with Ann Patchett who was compelling in her argument for buying books at actual bookstores and not online.  More often than not, I buy online because it's often less expensive and conducive to off-hour (aka impulse) purchasing; however, I do value bookstores, and frankly, I can afford to pay full price to support local economies so that's what I'm planning on doing whenever possible from here on out.

• Wabi Sabi (continued):  I'm reading Simply Imperfect:  Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House by Robyn Griggs Lawrence, and her explanation of the concepts and how to make them part of one's life resonates with me.  I cannot claim to be a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination, but my life seems to be a constant work-in-progress where I continue to try to whittle things down and get everything closer to what I value.  I'll be working on slowly decluttering spaces around me.

• Eggplant with Anchovies:  This is what I'm making for dinner tonight.

• My upcoming trip to Oakland:  I'm off for a visit with the boy and will have a lot of time on my own (the boy's got to work).  I've signed up for a sashiko workshop already, and a friend has recommended I check out the Ai Weiwei installation on Alcatraz.  While I'll be seeing the boy daily, part of this trip feels as though I'm on my own, which is quite interesting.  What will I do with my time?

• Fashion Blows:  My friend, Abi Slone, curated this exhibit showcasing some of the late, great Isabella Blow's clothing.  It's got a short run, and I'm going to Toronto to see it tomorrow. 

• Interrogation of the Closet:  I've been trying to "curate" my closet/wardrobe for the last couple of years, slowly.  I'm working with the theme "Making my closet work better, not bigger."  Now it's time for the inquisition, as it were.  I'm going to take each rail of clothing (yes, there are more than one), divide it based on how often or the last time I wore an item, and then figure out what stays and what goes.  In conjunction with that, I've conceived of a creative nonfiction piece that deals with the process.

• Apples:  Today I've got to utilize the last of our apples.  Applesauce & hard cider are on the schedule.

I've never seen Gwendolyn so fully sacked out on the DVR before.

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: You Wanna Talk About Purple Prose?

Dress:  Woolen Moss (etsy!)
Vest:  Noro pattern, Noro yarn, knit by me
Tights:  Hue
Boots:  212

Another Way to Travel

I have to admit, I am one of those people who find adults riding Razor scooters kind of lame.  Yes, I said, "lame," but I just followed a link to this Kickstarter campaign.



I have to admit, kinda cool.

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Time to Demonstrate

Dress:  Alabama Chanin design sewn by yours truly
T-Shirt:  Mossimo
Jacket:  Noblu
Boots:  212
Tights:  Wolford

On My Mind Mondays: Eternal Recurrence

It's Monday morning, and here's what's on my mind:

1. What do I really want my life to look like?  (Yes, it's time again for an existential crisis, or at least an existentialist reckoning.  Always fun!)
2. The idea of wabi sabi and how that might fit into my life
3. Slow fashion and the continuance of the curating of my closet 
4. Today's To Do list:
1. Prep materials for class on Wednesday
2. Make and can applesauce
3. Start the hard cider
4. Continue figuring out my life
5. The seized muscle in my right calf - it's been over three weeks now; off to physio today.

That's probably good for one week.

Harvest & More: Preserving the Good Stuff

 

 

 

A weekend in the Berkshires can be quite energizing!

We spent Canadian Thanksgiving in the Berkshires with friends; it seemed like a good idea to go south for the holiday because not only does most everyone love the opportunity to have two Thanksgivings, but also we wanted to go to New England because it's freaking beautiful at this time of the year.   It was, by far, one of the most relaxing weekends we've had in awhile.

So this weekend I've had a bit of a making/cooking/canning spurt.  It's been fantastic!

Yogurt, courtesy of the yogurt maker I bought from Goodwill.  I feel like a fool waiting so long to make it because it is really easy, and it works even if you put the lids on during the process (whoops!).

And then there was...

• canning the traditionally fermented kosher dills; frankly I was afraid they might've gone too far.  I had them in the brine for 6 weeks, easy, but they are very tasty.  I use the recipe from Canning for a New Generation
• cooking and canning apple butter (it's in the crock); also from Canning for a New Generation
• I made some elderberry winter tonic syrup (not shown); it's supposed to be good for staving off colds and what-not during the winter.  I put some into my homemade yogurt, and it was delicious
• and I tried my hand at making some cottage cheese.  Not entirely sure about it, yet.

The magazine in the foreground has the recipe I use for applesauce.  It's from the November 1998 issue of Martha Stewart Living (they don't have the original recipe online; we've noticed that with some other MS favourites from the '90s).  I'm hoping to make that tomorrow along with starting some hard cider (yay!).  There could also be a batch of chicken stock...

Tomorrow will also be the start of a regular Monday feature called "On My Mind Mondays."  This is not a spoiler, but clearly I've been thinking about the shape and future of this blog.

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Dressing for Climate Change

Shirt:  Aimee G
Skirt:  Ellen Tracy
Boots:  El Naturalista

(I taught yesterday as well, but it was a bit crazy, and well, I thought I had a photo of the outfit already...)

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Sweeping Ramifications

Dress:  J. Morgan Puett
Skirt:  J. Morgan Puett
Tights:  Falke
Shoes:  Cydwoq

What I'm Wearing To Teach Today: Autumn is Here

That rosy glow behind me?  Sunrise.

Dress: Ralph Lauren
Tights:  Hue (I'm guessing)
Boots:  Cydwoq

TV On The Radio and Paul Reubens - A Match Made in (My) Heaven

Two great things that go great together:

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Oh Issey, You're So Fine. You're So Fine You Blow My Mind

Dress:  Issey Miyake
Shoes:  Trippen

Ghost Bike Memorial - London, ON

I saw this on my walk to the bus this morning.  A ghost bike memorial for Alex Foto, who was killed when she collided with a turning cement truck.

If You're Going to Look at Me, Please See Me

I consider myself a member of a number of tribes (women, lesbians, the inked, cyclists, those interested in fashion/style, etc.) although I don't always have to assert that connection.  For example, on Monday when a store owner tried to engage me with "Oooh, you've got some ink," I replied, "Oooh, you've got some eyes."  (I know, not terribly kind, but don't try to get me to buy your shoes like that.  Some tribe members are a bit douchey.)

However, when I'm commuting to the train station Wednesday mornings, I like to smile or give a little wave or acknowledgement when I see others commuting because we're going against the tide (next time you're in traffic, look to see how many cars have only one occupant).  We need to stick together (but dude! get off the sidewalk!).

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Looking Back, It All Seems So Different

Shirt:  Karen Klein
Skirt: J. Morgan Puett/Shack
Shoes:  La Canadienne