fashion!

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Wednesday Randomosity: Squeaking in at the Last Hour Again

Okay, maybe it isn’t the last hour, but it’s pretty late. 

Once again, all I have for you is a collection of small random things I’m thinking about. But first: I am typing this from the armchair (Stephany: Pottery Barn Kids, purchased in 2013) in the corner of my room while my husband entertains his parents. An owl is hooting halfheartedly outside, or perhaps it is a mourning dove; they have similarly soft voices. 

From my vantage point, I can admire the new lamps for our nightstands, which arrived today! My husband set them up and they are lovely! I am still not 100% in love with the shape of them, I think, but I like the color (blue on ivory) and I really like the soft arcs of light they throw off. The dimmest setting is not as dim as I’d hoped (I wake up at the slightest provocation, so wanted dimmable lamps so my husband could see without jolting me out of sleep every night), but they will do, probably. 

I haven’t had a lamp on my nightstand since we moved in, so I’m very pleased about the presence of LIGHT! and I feel like I will warm up to the shape of the lamps.

Furnace: My furnace emailed me today. First of all, I didn’t know it could do that. Secondly, it is the kind of furnace that apparently only deigns to talk to you if there’s a problem. No, “Hey, how’s it going?” No checking in on how *I* am doing, just reporting issues like we don’t live in the same house together. 

THIS CAN’T BE GOOD.

It wanted to let me know that “your system briefly stopped heating your home several times.” What? Why? ARGH. I don’t know what’s going on with my furnace, but the whole thing is worrisome. We had our HVAC people out a couple months ago to do a check up, and they reported that the system is working fine. But it’s aging, as are we all, and the HVAC technician strongly suggested I register for the extended warranty on the furnace. But when I called, they said I only had 90 days from the day we bought our house to purchase the warranty, and they needed a copy of my title and the title transfer paperwork to get the process going. The title and paperwork we did not yet have. So I called the title company and asked where was our title, and they said it had been mailed, coincidentally, earlier that same week, and we waited for it, and it never showed up, and I badgered and it didn’t arrive and then the 90 day furnace warranty extension period evaporated. So. We don’t have the extended warranty on our furnace. (We do, finally, as of two weeks ago, have the title for our house. Not the original, which has apparently been lost to the whim of the US Postal Service, but a copy, which I had to prod and bother for.) This is all to say: of course our furnace is absolutely going to die now, isn’t it. 

Someone asked recently if I am feeling more settled now, and the answer is yes: more settled. But am I loving our house? Not yet. I am still hopeful it can happen. But right now, it still feels like there is so much. So many things to take care of, new problems popping up all the time. And with my in laws here — well, this is the first time they have been to this house, so we are showing everything to them and revisiting the early days of owning this place. Plus, they tend to be… quick to see the negatives in a situation, and they seem to often feel like people are out to get us all. So I am plunged back into feeling pretty low about the whole thing. I think (I hope) that this is all Part of Moving, and I am holding on to Jen’s assurance (HI JEN) that it will take me a good six months to feel like this is home. Maybe by the end of February I’ll feel better? Let’s check back then. Maybe my furnace and I will be on better terms.

Face (again): I know I just talked about face-washing yesterday, but it’s top of mind because a) my face is in A Right State lately and b) I had to buy a new bottle of Cetaphil face wash from Target and c) I just had a dermatology follow up to my diagnosis of rosacea. The dermatology appointment was a little disheartening. I don’t know what I expected, honestly. My skin hasn’t improved. If anything, it seems to break out more frequently than ever. The dermatologist kind of shrugged and said that it’s a chronic condition and there’s nothing I can really do to get rid of it. So. That’s the disheartening part.

I also had questions about the sulfur-based face wash I have been using (works pretty well, makes me smell faintly of sulfur which is unpleasant and self-conscious making) and I also wanted to ask a Vanity question. Background: I have been using either Cetaphil or the sulfur face wash to clean my face. When my face feels like a desert dune, I also use Cerave moisturizer. As a result of this regimen, I feel like my face looks SO OLD. Crepey and wrinkly and bleh. Fine lines really get a good grip when the skin is dry, I think. (I really, really miss my Beauty Counter face oil.) So one of the questions I had for my dermatologist was WHAT CAN I DO. WHY HAST YOUTH FORSAKEN ME SO. Etc. The dermatologist recommended – brace yourself – Vaseline. On my face. Like. All over it. 

I use Vaseline on my lips, and, yes, it seems to stave off the flakiness (although I don’t think I’ve used it yet in the dead of winter, so I will report back). But… on my whole face??? How would I sleep? My pillow would become an oil slick. Is this… a real suggestion? I feel like it cannot work and yet: I would try a lot of things in the name of vanity. 

Fashion: My husband’s holiday work party is coming up and once again I have no idea what to wear. It’s sort of dressy, although people wear a wide range of clothing items. Last year I wore black Ponte pants and a black top and maybe a sparkly necklace. What should I wear this year? 

By posting at night two nights in a row, I feel like I’ve really messed with the rhythm of this blog. And also, I still have houseguests, so I am guessing I will post again (if at all) late tomorrow night. But we are down to the wire of NaBloPoMo, and I am not going to fail now, Internet! 

I am kinda sorta attempting to complete NaBloPoMo, with the full expectation that life will make it impossible any day now. If you want to follow along, or join the fun, check out San’s blog here. 

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Scarf Collection

A very, very, very long time ago, Engie posted about her beautiful scarf collection. That was when I vowed to someday write about my own scarf collection. The time has finally come. 

Apparently I own 17 scarves. Twenty, if you count the three I couldn’t find. This number is much higher than I anticipated; I would have guessed 10, if you’d asked me. 

The thing is, I WANT to be a person who wears scarves. I think they are so lovely and fun! And also practical. And if I love anything, it’s something that is practical but also fun. A scarf has so many uses. Need to spruce up an outfit? Add a scarf! Love to wear black, but feel like an occasional pop of color? Scarf time! Feeling chilly around the neck? Scarf, baby! Trying to disguise an actual baby from your work colleagues or TV viewers? GIANT SCARF! Need something dressy with which to cover your shoulders at an event? Say it with me: scarf!  

Top Row, Right to Left:

  • Grey infinity scarf: I got this from Stitch Fix, which means that a stylist chose it and sent it to me, I tried it on, and then agreed to keep it and paid for it. I may have worn this scarf one time. I feel like I’m wearing it wrong. Engie wrote a helpful Scarf Tutorial, and I still feel like I have no idea what to do with this scarf.
  • Grey scarf: I don’t recall buying this scarf, or wearing it, nor do I have any desire to wear it. It’s very soft, though. It’s made of a formal feeling material. Perhaps I bought it to wear for dressy summer occasions?
  • Burgundy scarf: This is a thickish material that seems more appropriate for winter, so I’ve only ever worn it in the winter. It’s not, like, a winter scarf, though. I do OWN a winter scarf, but I have no idea where it is. The key point of this bullet is that I have worn this scarf, and multiple times. 
  • Grey scarf: This scarf is from Paris! My mother took me on a trip to France one summer during college. I noticed that everyone was wearing a scarf, even though it was summertime and not cold. Scarf with T-shirt, scarf with sundress. I wanted a scarf too so I bought one as a souvenir. Scarves were not yet popular in the US (this was in the early 2000s), and I am not a trendsetter, so the scarf sat in my closet, unused, for several years until they became A Thing and I felt like I could wear one without feeling ridiculous. I have worn this scarf a good number of times.

Middle Row, Right to Left:

  • Burgundy, white, and – you guessed it – grey scarf: This is another Stitch Fix scarf. I haven’t worn it a single time. I guess if you really want my money, dangle a cute scarf in my face.
  • Blue scarf: I don’t recall the origin story of this scarf, but I really like the color. It reminds me of my husband’s grandmother, and it is possible it once belonged to her. 
  • Pink scarf: I want to say that this scarf is from Paris, too! I think I bought it while on my honeymoon with my husband. I could be making this up. My scarf-source memory is rather fuzzier than I would have thought. I have definitely worn this scarf though. The color is so bright and cheerful. I love it. This and the other Parisian scarf are both “summer weight” scarves, and I would never think of wearing them in the cooler months.

Bottom Row, Right to Left: 

  • Navy scarf with red and white flowers: I think this scarf belonged to my husband’s grandmother. For some reason, I wound up with several of her scarves. This one is very pretty. 
  • Black scarf 1: This scarf is one I bought to wear with dresses for fancy occasions. It’s very slippery. 
  • Black scarf 2: This scarf is wider around the shoulders, almost like it’s trying to be a shrug. An armless shrug. I bought this to wear to my dear friend’s funeral in 2019. 
  • Ivory scarf with birds: This definitely belonged to my husband’s grandmother. I remember her wearing it. It makes me feel closer to her. And I get compliments on it every time.
  • Turquoise and green scarf with flowers: This MUST have belonged to my husband’s grandmother. Or maybe it belonged to MY grandmother? I have never worn it and probably wouldn’t ever wear it – the material is stiff and scratchy and it’s a little more formal than I can see myself wearing. 
  • White scarf with turquoise and blue flowers: This scarf is very soft and has only ever belonged to me. I’ve worn it a few times. 

Top Row, Right to Left:

  • Black and white scarf with flowers: I went to a sock-hop themed dance back in 2007 and wore this scarf tied around my ponytail. I don’t think I’ve worn it since. 
  • Black and white polka dot scarf: This scarf is much thinner and shorter than most of my scarves. I am almost certain it belonged to my husband’s grandmother. My husband is pretty sure we bought it for her as a gift. 

Bottom Row, Right to Left:

  • Flower and bird scarves previously described
  • Grey scarf: I do not know anything about this scarf. Where did it come from? Why is it so similar to other scarves I already own?
  • Blue scarf with paisley (?) pattern: This is another odd-sized scarf; it’s also silk. My husband is certain we bought it for his grandmother. 

Unpictured Scarves:

  • Black scarf, green scarf, identical but for color: I bought these two enormous scarves in the early winter of 2012/2013 in an attempt to disguise my pregnancy from my colleagues. I had JUST STARTED my job there, and now I was pregnant, and I wasn’t ready to tell anyone. So I started wearing loose flowy cardigans and enormous scarves to detract from my growing belly. Since it was my first winter working there, I hoped that my colleagues would just assume this was my normal winter wear. 
  • Grey winter scarf: I do wear this scarf, in the winter. I have a matching hat. The pair are cute but a little bulky I feel a little claustrophobic when I’m wearing the scarf, like it’s a boa constrictor trying to suffocate me to death.

Have I worn a scarf in any of the time between Engie’s post and this one? No I have not. Have I gotten rid of a single scarf? No. Do I plan on wearing a scarf anytime soon? Not really, no. And yet, with such scarf abundance, I COULD. At any moment, on any given day, I could decide, I am a person who wears scarves and I could sling one ’round my neck and sashay off into the world with a fresh perspective on life. 

  • Grey Scarf Count: 3 (plus 1 not pictured)
  • Family Heirloom Scarf Count: 5
  • Scarves I Would Definitely Wear Count: 11
  • Scarves I Would Definitely Never Wear Count: 3
  • Scarves I Have Never Worn (in These Photos, Not in the Known Universe): 5
  • Scarves I Want to Get Rid of But Probably Won’t Count: 5
  • Scarves That Don’t Appear in This Post Because I Have Lost or Failed to Unpack Them: 3
  • Usage of the Word “Scarf” (but Not Scarves) Count: 64

Do you own any scarves? Are you a scarf wearer? (Which are clearly two separate questions!) Does the word scarf look absurd to you now? Do you think of Peter Sarsgaardd and this SNL skit every time you read the word “scarves”?

I am kinda sorta attempting to complete NaBloPoMo, with the full expectation that life will make it impossible any day now. If you want to follow along, or join the fun, check out San’s blog here.