Less Wardrobe Less Stuff and More Life

I have been reading a lot lately about people who are choosing to have very few possessions and very few wardrobe pieces. They feel that by having less possessions to maintain, less clothing to maintain, less housing space to maintain that the time they get is greater, and so is the quality of their lives.

I have existed on as little as a carry on bag before, and as much as a full household. The idea of less is greatly appealing. How could we not want to have less things to take care of?
But, then I read of the people who own "Less than one hundred things" and similar, and I grow confused. Do toiletries count? How about hygiene essentials? Toilet paper? Paper towels? The list goes on and on.
I am reminded of a small flat that I rented in Paris. The manager made it a point to tell us that he was bringing toilet paper when he brought the keys to the apartment. We were so exhausted and arriving at such an odd hour that the small gesture of not having to go into the shops to get toilet paper was one that meant the world to us later.

I have been thinning the herd on clothing, though. If I don't love it and don't need it, I find a new home for it. I held onto dresses, waiting for the perfect weight. Coats for cold enough weather. Skirts for them to come back into fashion. Ridding myself of these weights made me happier because I no longer held onto disappointments. I think that is what I am bringing from the movement of downsizing. If I don't love it, I get rid of it. Of course, this is not practical in all areas of life. I may not love the wallpaper in the place that I live in, but it serves no purpose to get rid of it, and soon enough, I will be gone from the boring or awful wallpaper, and onto my next adventure.

The ugly boots that have served me well through the past nine years are so comfortable and broken in that the thought of getting rid of them for something else makes me sad. They have been to different continents with me. Even though they are not stylish, they are functional. That alone makes me love them. They fit me at the end of the day as well as they do at the beginning. I can pile socks on, and these boots accommodate the socks without making my feet feel jammed in. The idea of less possessions has served to make me evaluate everything that I own, and appreciate the things that I do choose to keep. That alone is awesome.

Your waist is UP a few inches......

I don't care what you call them....mom jeans. I like the extra coverage that they give me. Plus, with my personal body type, I don't need to be tugging my jeans up all day long. I am 42 years old. I don't feel like a pair of hip huggers is going to suddenly make me look...well...trendy and hip. I see the television makeovers where they go over a woman's wardrobe, hair and makeup choices and declare her a failure.
After having been to Europe recently, I would like to lodge my protest.
Clothing does not have to be trendy. I read about the rule of pick a few trendy pieces to add to your wardrobe.
I object.
Here are my rules for fashion and comfort. Make your own if you want to.

1. Underwear should fit you properly and comfortably.
If you don't know what bra size you wear, go to a bra store and get fitted properly. Look online. There are plenty of resources available to you. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a great bra that works for you. One of my favorite bras that really makes me look great cost less than $10.00 at Wal-Mart. I just got the right size and adjusted the straps properly.  You are actually allowed to try on bras in both Wal-Mart and Target. If in doubt, take the time to try it on.

2. Clothing should fit you properly.
There are no fashion police that are going to insist on seeing the size of your clothes. If you are an M, wear a medium, an L, wear a large, and so on. Wearing clothes that are too tight shows off bulges, underclothes, and strains the hems. Proper fit is more comfortable, and in the long run, your clothes will look and last a lot better.

3. Try it on in a mirror.
My sister and I once went to a shop and loaded our basket full of fun items that we wanted. We were excited about our choices and went to try them on. Good thing we did. Nothing fit. Nothing. Even the pencil skirt that was so cute on the hanger added a delightful tummy roll to my frame. Without the mirror, I would have to return it, or let it sit in the closet, waiting until I lost some weight or donated it to charity.  Don't forget to look at your rear view in the mirror as well. A pair of jeans I loved from the front made my bottom look like I was wearing a diaper.

4. Matching something? Don't bring the entire outfit. Grab a small thread.
I looked all over town for a pair of shoes to match a dress I selected to wear to a formal event. The problem was that all of the shoes that I looked at were close, but a tone or two off. I took a small thread from the hem and put it in a clear plastic bag. Next store I went to, I found the shoes. Why? Because the sheen of the fabric can change the color. The lighting can change the color. All sorts of things can change the color. With one thread, you only have the color. I got the shoes, and they were a perfect match.

5. Don't feel pressured by anyone to make a purchase. I have seen people buy clothing that their friends suggested, only to have it end up on the floor of the closet. I have seen people get talked into buying something that was not their style, because a friend said that it made them look great. If you don't love it yourself, then don't spend the money on it.

It does not matter what size panties that you need. You need them to fit your body type. If you are tugging them up all day, they are either too big, or the elastic has worn out. If you are digging them out of your body all day, they are too little. If you are pulling them down from your crotch eating them, they are too little.

Hello and Welcome Back

It has been far too long since I have been on here. Life has been so exceptionally busy that I have had little time to do anything else other than experience it.
Now that things are back on an even keel, so to speak, I must take time to thank all of my readers and let you know that I will be on here approximately once every week to week and a half to share nuggets of airline wisdom, insights and tips.
Thanks for reading, thanks for being there!

So small it could almost be a miniature elephant

So small it could almost be a miniature elephant , that is how much time I have had to work on this blog in nearly a year!

Crazy Hot Heat in Dallas broken by rain!

If you are in the Dallas area, you have been affected by the extreme heat. Temperatures have actually reached 110 degrees Farenheit, not counting the infernal heat index.
In the wee hours of the morning, I was awakened by a loud popping sound. I went to turn on the light, and discovered that the power was out. After making sure that the alarm was still on (it has a separate back up battery) I went back to sleep, thinking "Funny, that sounds like rain outside."
When I woke up this morning, I was greeted by the wonderful sights and smells of rain.
It has been glorious to watch the rain, but funny as well because my dog would not go down the stairs in the rain to relieve herself. Finally, I convinced her via an umbrella that the rain was safe.

Amazingly, people are in a wonderful mood about the rain. It has been so hot here for so long, that it has been good to feel the rain on our shoulders, rain on our faces, and see the rain on our lawns.

I have just finished rereading a favorite book of mine. Lamb by Christopher Moore. Christopher Moore is a very talented writer, with a knack for hitting you right in the funny bone. I knew someone a long time ago that used to become very irritated with me when I was reading a Christopher Moore book because I would laugh out loud in places as I read his book. Fast forward a few years, I needed a laugh and picked up this book to reread. It was time well spent, and the funny parts were just as funny as the first time I read them.