OMG! monday followed by too much? tuesday

enhancement in progress, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

going back to my roots tomorrow

As with the start of any overwhelmingly busy week, I spent today muttering OMG a lot while trying to whip myself into action. I did manage eventually to focus my thoughts into getting some productive and purposeful work done (homework, editing and layout, business admin, even started on a new necklace for "home is where the heart is").

A good thing cos tomorrow is one heck of a busy day, and the day after isn' much better, and lo! Thursday looks jam-packed too.



Tomorrow the Roots exhibition comes down so I need to unstring about thirty wire dragonflies. It's also a college day (via transit), and a Safeway customer appreciation day (10% off or 10x airmiles so a good time to do that big grocery shop for the month). Then in the evening I have to frame the thirty odd dragonflies plus the thirteen or so acorns cos their next destination doesn't have much 3D space for display (allez oops! up on the wall they go!).



On Wednesday the Roots show relocates to the Whistler Scotia Creek Gallery (pray for good road conditions on the Sea-to-Sky). The opening reception is on Thursday - I'll probably miss it (college day) but I haven't finally decided.

I don't think I've scheduled anything for Friday so far.
Let's keep it that way ;)

Sir David Tang and Only Using the Best Things You Have

I must share this with you. As you know we subscribe to the Financial Times out of London. It’s really an excellent newspaper and their weekend edition is superb- particularly their Life & Style section, the House & Home section and their magazine How to Spend It. There are always thought provoking articles on art, food, fashion and a rather interesting column called Lunch with FT where they interview some person of note over lunch and also provide what was ordered. (I love knowing what people have for lunch and things like that. In fact, one of my favorite pastimes when standing in line at the grocery store is to observe what other people buy- it is very telling!). But I digress.

The first place I go to each weekend is David Tang’s column in House & Home. Sir David Tang is a business man (behind the famed Shanghai Tang stores, among other endeavors) that divides his time between Hong Kong, London and China. He runs an advice column on the subjects of “property, interiors, etiquette, home, parties and anything else that might be bothering you”. Not only does Mr. Tang possess a rapier wit, but his first class opinions on the above subjects are refreshing and unparalleled. I ran across the below question one week and found his answer to encapsulate everything I’ve ever expressed regarding only using the best things you have. Regard:

A reader writes:

In our household, Saturday breakfast is the sacred meal of the week, enjoyed at home around the kitchen table. My girlfriend makes an effort arranging the glassware in a certain order. I then have to rearrange the order of the glasses. This upsets my girlfriend, as she argues that caring about such trivial things at our own breakfast table, with no other company present, is petit bourgeois. Please advise.

Mr. Tang’s response:

One definition of a gentleman is that he uses his butter knife when dining alone. I tend to agree. I always succumb to my pair of ivory chopsticks and my best crockery and cutlery and linen whenever eating alone. Caring about how things look only when there is an audience is precisely to be petit bourgeois. I am very much from middle-class stock but I hate most of its ingredients. So you should insist on getting your breakfast table right, and observe to your girlfriend that by practicing the best, you won’t become phoney when you are joined by the Joneses and the Smiths.

I really couldn’t have said it better myself! When you use the best things you have and 'practice your best' on a regular basis, you slowly train your habits and your palate to appreciate quality. Those that save their best things for company are missing out on living a quality life and are, it has to be said, petit bourgeois.

I would love to know... are you using the best you have on a daily basis? Or are you saving your best for later?


I recently visited the Getty villa in Malibu and took some photos of Greek and Roman antiquities. The Greek wine vessels and implements pictured above are in silver and date back to 350- 300 B.C. It looks like the ancient Greeks appreciated fine tableware as well...


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sunday shout out: two sisters stringworks

fingerless mittens - my first experience with Two Sisters Stringworks fibre (and it was good)

In my somewhat occasional 'shout out' series may I introduce my next victim - Two Sisters Stringworks.

Two Sisters is the local business of artisan, Kirsten aka Yummy Yarn as you may already know her. She is a passionate handcrafter, producing the most adorable hand dyed and spun yarns from her 'in, around and in spite of the family' home business.

Her work is available online thru her Etsy store, as well as locally at Black Sheep Yarns and Baaad Anna's (where she also teaches). Students in my wire and fibre classes will know how good her product is first hand, as will visitors to the Roots exhibitions. A lot of my wire and fibre oddities contain Kirsten's hand dyed fibre as felted roving embroidery amidst the beads and eyelash.


wire dragonflies with felted wings for the Roots exhibition

Recently I've started working with her felting packs, small tufts of unspun fibre for crafting, in preparation for my upcoming exhibition. I'm using a technique called needlefelting to anchor the wool to a wire crochet framework before wet felting to set the project. It's a bit tricky but the results are quite beautiful - it's like watercolour painting with fibre.


yes, the iconic acorn is stuffed with Kirsten's fibre


wire and fibre hearts for "home is where the heart is"

friday forte: crime and punishment

new Fluevogs, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

no, it's not that kind of post

crime: overloaded with work
punishment: feeling somewhat overwhelmed (but coping), concentration vanishing, creativity approaching zero

crime: working at something every single minute
punishment: no treats, no exercise

crime: too busy
punishment: losing track of friends

crime: working right up till bedtime
punishment: flaky skin from lack of face maintenance, difficult switching brain off and going to sleep

crime: tiredness
punishment: being crabby with the Wee Guy :(



summary: neglecting self - feeling lousy, frittering time away - feeling guilty, decreased productivity - more stress

solution: take matters into own hands and be grown up about making things happen for self, schedule rejuvenating breaks, develop realistic game plan, meet up with friends, plan some inspiring and enjoyable evenings out for myself, "softer" approach to going to bed - a good book, face scrubs and retinol night cream!

result: chatty Wee Guy, less aged looking skin, back at the bench with renewed vigour :)

self portrait thursday 24th february

Today in pictures, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Each Thursday, for a great number of years, a bunch of Etsy sellers have been taking self portraits and posting them on flickr. It started as a way of staying in contact, and has continued with Etsy Self Portrait Thursday.

Each Thursday I try to take a self portrait. It seems quite vain and I do feel uncomfortable doing the deed in public. Over the years it's been a great snapshot (pun, groan) of my life. Hairstyles have come and gone, parenting stresses have changed, sometimes it's just a hand or a reflection in view, and other times it's a no holds barred look at me.

Recently it's morphed into a semi-regular blog post, where I indulge in some introspection (what else is new?). Today is no different, except that what I've been thinking about was neatly encapsulated in the awesome Amber's most recent post too

... and since I'm a good little blog visitor, I left a comment.

... and since I'm an efficient (?) little blogger, I'm recycling and adding the post below! Happy reading :)

in answer to finding support and community
"I realised that I do place an incredible amount of importance on feeling that someone ‘has my back’ while completing a Mama Renew workshop series almost a year ago. Niggling thoughts crystallised as we talked about setting up community and network – for those two evenings my journal page sat almost empty as I realised how vacant or far-flung my support network actually was. I literally had no one who would catch me if I fell (not even my husband).

Over the last year I’ve set out to ‘find’ my network, my support and happily realised that a lot of it was already there, I just wasn’t nurturing it. As a natural hermit, nurturing and maintaining friendships doesn’t come easy and I’ve held back from offering support because frequently I feel totally inadequate when depressed. I wouldn’t reach out for help as I felt I couldn’t reliably offer it in return. Overcoming the one has helped the other, and in no particular order. It has been hard work, and slightly alien to my natural personality. I’m usually very independent and self-reliant, preferring to keep myself to myself, but now there’s my son to think about.

Following intensive household re-training (!), I now know that the domestic stuff won’t fall completely to pieces if I’m out of the picture. And with taking care of my own personal network, I know that friends have my emotional back, so to speak, as much as I am comfortable with.

I’m supported and offering support in baby steps – it’s taken a year, it’s still a work in progress."

PS: if you'd like to see what's going on in my business life alter ego, check out studio portrait thursday's post here

The Extras in my 10 Item Wardrobe

For this special Thursday post I thought I'd give you a glimpse of some of the extras in my 10 Item Wardrobe- many of which are investment pieces. Investment pieces can mean different things to different people- it all depends on what you have in your fashion budget.

Trench coat by A.P.C.

I love this coat. It is so well constructed and will probably last forever. It's a classic French cut and goes with everything...


Black Wool coat by J. Crew

I got this for our trips to London. J. Crew gives you the option of ordering coats in various thicknesses (I believe they call it 'thinsulate') depending on how warm you need to be... this one is very warm!



Grey blazer by Banana Republic

This is not an investment piece but it just a wonderful and versatile blazer. I recently wore it with black trousers (from my 10 item wardrobe) and a white silk tank to tour a potential preschool for my daughter and felt very pulled together.



Black sweater blazer by BCBG Max Azria

I really love blazers because they can dress up any outfit- especially jeans. The gold buttons add a special touch...


Black cocktail dress by Alexander McQueen

This was a present from Mr. Connoisseur from one of the collections right before Alexander McQueen's tragic death. Here I'm wearing it to the Project Runway premiere with Romi... I'll cherish this dress forever.



Royal blue cocktail dress by Temperley

This dress has such a regal feel. I wore it to a winter wedding in London last year. The fabric is very thick and luxurious and the jeweled bow brings me joy...


Black satin peep-toe pumps by Dolce & Gabbana

These shoes are classic, sexy and will go with most of the dresses I own, making them a wise investment.



Black leather medium height heels by Ferragamo

These shoes are great for when you have a daytime event that calls for heels and you don't want to go too high, or when you might be on your feet for a long time. They are so comfortable and very well made...



Black nubuck ballet flats by London Sole

I love these shoes and wear them all the time- they are comfortable and stylish and perfect for daytime.



White leather embossed faux-snakeskin handbag by London Sole

This is a great tote for summertime and the leather gets softer and more supple with each use.


Black leather doctor's bag by Monserat de Lucca

I love this bag and have had it for almost 3 years now- I will probably retire it soon and search for a new signature bag. I've always loved the quilted Chanel handbags but they are not in my budget yet... one day!



Tortoise shell wayfarers by Zooey Deschanel for Oliver Peoples

These are my signature shades- I love them so much I wish I'd bought two pairs!

I would love to know... what are your investment pieces?



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wordless wednesday: would rather be at the beach

at the beach ACEO, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

:)

My Observations on the 10 Item Wardrobe

The following are my thoughts and observations on the experience of the 10 Item Wardrobe:

Opening my closet in the morning makes me happy. Not only is it wonderful to see my items hanging so luxuriously in their own space (not jam packed next to each other) but it makes me inordinately happy to not wonder what to wear for the day. There are so few options, the choice only takes me a minute to figure out. Also, having a clutter-free closet boosts my mood. (It must be the feng shui of it all).

My desire to shop has not been strong. I did not expect this reaction in the slightest. I thought that after the first week with my 10 item wardrobe I would be begging for someone to take me to Nordstrom’s. Not so. There is something marvelous about having so little hanging in my closet- I am not in a rush to drop a lot of money and fill it up with clutter anytime soon. I know the urge to shop will return, but when it does I am hoping that I will peruse the shops with a very discerning eye and not over-purchase.

When I do go shopping I note that shopping is freeing. I normally never leave a shopping trip without purchasing something. I am interested in more expensive, quality pieces. I am more comfortable with window shopping for research purposes and not purchasing. I know that the next purchase I make will be a high quality choice and that I need to take my time to find what that is.

Acknowledging when an article of clothing is past its prime becomes easier. Last week I spotted a woman, who was wearing leggings, bend over and hug an acquaintance. She was in a room full of people and when she bent over she revealed three rather large holes in her leggings that exposed her backside! Clearly this is a woman who could benefit from analyzing her wardrobe. If she did so, she might have realized that her leggings were past their prime and could have avoided such an embarrassing situation. This poor woman’s ‘wardrobe malfunction’ has scared me into analyzing my own wardrobe. For example, I noticed that one of my favorite ‘extra’ shirts, a grey t from Splendid, was starting to look a bit sad. After one too many washings, it hung on my body in a very unflattering shape and just looked a little worse for wear. I believe the pre-10-Item-Wardrobe-me would have ignored the fact and stored it away just because it was kind of expensive (for a t shirt), but the post-10-Item-Wardrobe-me recognized that for my little grey t, retirement was imminent- and I got rid of it!

The ability to mix and match your clothing and create many possibilities is of the utmost importance. You should be able to pair almost everything together in your 10 Item Wardrobe- this is the only way to stave off boredom, eventually grow to loathe your clothing and utter those familiar words “I have nothing to wear!”

If you choose your 10 Item Wardrobe carefully, you literally force yourself to only use the best things you have and over time you become accustomed to it and can trick yourself out of ‘saving your best for later’.

To preserve your nice clothing while doing housework or other chores, wear an apron around the house. This was Madame Chic’s secret to keeping her clothes looking fresh while simultaneously taking on a lot of housework and cooking.

Getting behind in doing the laundry or dropping off the dry cleaning is not really an option- which can be a problem if you’re having a hectic week. I had a week where I got very behind with household chores (laundry included) and was ‘running on empty’ with regards to my wardrobe. I had to pull some items from my reserves to get by. Also- dropping off dry cleaning must be coordinated so that all of your dry cleaning is not out at the same time. If you do not have the laundry/ dry cleaning routine under control, adding more than 10 core items (20, for example) is probably the best solution.

If your fashion budget is on the lower end, avoid over-spending on the core items of your wardrobe. Purchase the best that you can afford (which I will explain in greater detail in a future post entitled: Quality Wardrobe- How Much to Spend) but you do not need to make all of your 10 items ‘investment pieces’. Save the big splurges for the following items: coats, shoes, sunglasses, handbags, cocktail dresses, jeans, watches and jewelry. These items will last you a long time so quality is of the utmost importance. Also if the above mentioned items are quality, they can really dress up a moderately priced outfit and make it look quite expensive.

If you are still feeling resistance towards the 10 Item Wardrobe but are curious about its benefits, try it out the next time you go on vacation. Scale your packing towards the length of your trip. For example, if you are going away for a long weekend, only bring 2 or 3 outfits. If you are going away 2 weeks, try packing your own 10 item wardrobe. You will experience the same benefit of doing the challenge in your own home and will have much less luggage to tote around (always a good thing).

With regards to maintaining and going forward you should adapt over time for what is right for you. If you are doing the experiment to the letter and are only using your 10 core items and you are having a wardrobe revelation carry on! If you find that you need to add more pieces into your capsule wardrobe to make it really work for you, then that is OK too. The exercise is extreme and even though Madame Chic and her family truly employed the 10 Item Wardrobe- it might not be right for you. Hopefully, going forward, you will take the best that this challenge has to offer by becoming more discerning towards the clothing you bring into your wardrobe. You will look at your wardrobe like you look at your home and not allow clutter into it. And ultimately, you will get one step closer to defining your true style.

I would love to hear your thoughts and observations on the 10 Item Wardrobe...

I recently visited the Getty Villa in Malibu and took some astonishing photos of ancient Greek and Roman antiquities, which I will be sharing with you in the weeks to come. The Marbury Hall Zeus is pictured above, dating back to 1-100 A.D.



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friday forte: not sure where it went

Somewhere in the ether between email and posterous my Friday forte post is lurking; it hasn't made it to posterous and it sure as hell hasn't made it to the blog. Wassup?

So, this is friday' post (well as much as I can remember) coming at you now.

I think I whiffled on about having 'to do' list a mile long, and having deadlines to be met pronto.

I might have mentioned that I seem to be working on something Every Single Minute of consciousness (and unconsciousness too if my dreams are any reflection).

I might even have spluttered about having homework to throw into the mix.

.... and to cap it all, there was a Pro D day too!

Then I spoiled it all by saying I had thrown in the towel and gone skiing for the day with the Wee Guy!

:p

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Wearable arts catwalk show

An amazing night out in Port Moody

See and download the full gallery on posterous

self portrait thursday: myth busting

SPT Feb 17th, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

mrs pig and Grizzy snuggle up for an evening cuddle

It never rains but pours, although today it was freezing hail, snow, a blizzard and gnarly driving conditions.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks; absolutely not - I managed to get a very decent mark for my technical writing assignment this time.

There's no use crying over spilled milk - we use soya.

A problem shared is a problem halved only if the listener is willing to do something about it.

The wisdom of age - I question this constantly. I don't feel any wiser year on year, and those around me don't offer any external justification either.

You can't be too rich or too thin, but money won't buy your bone strength back.

You can't please all of the people all of the time .... but it is possible to make two pets happy at once.

A Gentleman's Capsule Wardrobe

Mr. Chris Cox is the style-guru, writer and editor behind Easy and Elegant Life where he inspires men (and women) to lead a luxe, calme et volupté lifestyle. His current projects include working on the Easy and Elegant Life book as well as developing the Icon Collection- custom clothing based on designs from the golden age of Hollywood and menswear. Here he shares his views on the perfect capsule wardrobe for a gentleman.



I am pictured above in England. Mrs. E. reminds me of this whenever I pack. Nine pieces of luggage.

As you can see, packing light wasn't always my talent. I still struggle to do it right. But, having carted that many clothes through Europe for eight months, I began to realize that you could get away with far fewer clothes as long as they made sense when mixed and matched.

So, what ten pieces, not including accessories, outerwear and shoes, would I choose to live with exclusively?

1) Midnight Blue Double Breasted Suit. Worn on its own with the white spread collar shirt, cufflinks and a solid tie, it is as formal as you'll need short of a tuxedo.

2) Subtle Plaid or Check Sportcoat. To wear with jeans or khakis, the trousers from the blue suit or grey flannels. Dresses up or down.

3) Grey Flannel Trousers. Always appropriate with a blazer (wear the coat from the suit), or a shirt and sweater.

4) Blue Jeans or Khakis. Jeans wear harder. Khakis go more places. The sweater or sports coat dresses them up.

5) White Oxford, Button Down

6) Blue Oxford Button Down. Both just get better with age. The sartorial equivalent of comfort food.

7) White Spread Collar, French-cuff (double cuff) Shirt. Formal and good-looking. It can be worn with the grey flannels and a blazer or the suit.

8) Striped Shirt, Moderate Spread Collar. To dress down the formality of the double-breasted suit and to add interest to the sports coat when you've a spring in your step.

9) V-neck Cashmere Sweater (red, light grey, navy, purple or black. Whatever catches your fancy.) Warmth without weight, delightful to the touch. Wear it as a scarf if you have to.

10) Dinner Jacket (Tuxedo). You will be amazed at how easy it is to get into events if you're properly dressed. If you can't afford to have one custom made, buy vintage and have it tailored. Brits will tell you that an old dinner jacket is smarter anyway. You'll need a vest or cummerbund, bowtie, braces and a dress set of studs and cufflinks to kit yourself out properly. Chosen properly, the cufflinks can be worn with your French-cuff shirt. Simple gold links are best suited for double-duty.

Now I recognize that the assignment didn't include accessories, but there are just a few I'd like to mention that will take you far.

1) A great scarf

2) A subtle bowtie. I like one with spots or stripes. Slip it into the pocket of your sports coat and you're always ready if you are required to wear a tie to get into a restaurant. With the suit and the white spread-collar shirt, you're ready for cocktails at the most swellegant establishments.

3) Several white linen or cotton handkerchiefs. Use one as a pocket square.

4) A good watch. I know that everyone has a smartphone, but a watch is one of the accepted forms of masculine jewelry. Choose a classic. I love a tank watch on a leather strap. If you go in for a sports watch like a Rolex or Omega, don't wear it with your dinner jacket. Unless you may have to make a fast escape into the water... .

5) One pair of cordovan penny loafers in oxblood.

6) One pair of darkest brown lace-up shoes.

7) One pair of black plain toe or captoe oxford shoes.

8) Waterproof overcoat. In camelhair, navy, grey or black. Have the wool waterproofed at the dry cleaner. Or choose a classic trench or Mac.

9) Either an umbrella or a waterproof fedora.

10) A pair of leather gloves to match your coat.

wordless wednesday: the tuneful version

from the wee guy, who was director, camera man, performer and author (music from Alfred's Basic Piano Library)

Customizing Your 10 Item Wardrobe

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are having (or have had) a beautiful day with your loved ones...

Many of you have told me you’re intimidated by the idea of having only 10 items in your wardrobe, and I don’t blame you. It can be a drastic thing going from a 100+ wardrobe to only having around 10 core items, but believe me, this exercise is powerful- even if you only do it for a week. You can learn a lot about yourself and your style- what your wardrobe needs, about your resistance to wearing your nicest things (I still have a fighting urge to ‘save’ my best clothes for later) and about how you want to present yourself as a person…

Now that you’ve cleared out a lot of the clutter, it’s time to customize your 10 Item Wardrobe. This will all depend on who you are, where you live and what sort of lifestyle you lead. An attorney in Manhattan will, of course, have a drastically different 10 item wardrobe than a stay-at-home mom in Atlanta.

Your 10 Item Wardrobe will all depend on what your day usually consists of (Board meetings? PTA meetings? Working from home? Riding your bike?). Also take into consideration the season (Snow? Perpetual rain? Cool sunshine?). And of course, your style and personality… (Fashion forward? Classic minimalism? Bohemian?)

My 10 Item Wardrobe has been tailored as follows to fit my particular life situation: I am a new mother of a young baby, but I still like to look pulled together- so the majority of my wardrobe is casual sportswear with a slight dressed-up edge. I live in Southern California- which has a temperate climate even in the winter. I mainly spend my days taking care of the home and baby, on playdates , writing and going on walks and my choices for the 10 Item Wardrobe reflect my lifestyle.

Here is my current 10 Item Wardrobe for Spring. Every item in this selection of clothing can be mixed and matched, thus creating many sartorial possibilities- a must for any capsule wardrobe.

Sea green silk top


Beige sheer blouse


Navy stripe sailor top


Beige crewneck sweater


Sea foam button down tie cardigan


Lightweight pleated black trousers


Tailored black high waisted shorts


Sea green A-line skirt


Tan khaki pencil skirt


White jeans


The core items in this 10 Item Wardrobe are mainly from a moderately priced retailer and thus, are not 'investment pieces'. They are the best quality I can afford for my budget. My current fashion budget only allows me to spend big money on items in my 'extras' list such as: coats, shoes, sunglasses, handbags, cocktail dresses, jeans and jewelry because these last much longer. A good trench coat or handbag, for example, could last up to 10 years, whereas a silk top, when worn frequently, might only last two seasons. Every one's budget and situation is different- this is what makes sense for me. I will explore the nuances of one's fashion budget in a future post. And next week’s special Thursday post will show you pictures of some of my investment pieces (items not included in my 10 item wardrobe).

And for this Thursday I will be posting an article written by guest author Mr. Chris Cox from Easy and Elegant Life, who will be offering his thoughts on a gentleman’s 10 Item Wardrobe.

I would love to know… what will the key items in your wardrobe be?



The Daily Connoisseur is now available on Amazon Kindle