Category Archives: Advice and Musings

Articles on style advice, philosophical waxings, my Wardrobe Inventory project etc.

11 in 2011: Try Hot Yoga Again

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One of my summer 11 in 2011 goals was to try hot yoga again.  I went to a Bikram class once last summer (where the room is heated to 105 degrees and you work through a set series of postures) and I hated it.  But, I decided to give it another shot this year and buy a Groupon for one month of classes at Evolation Yoga (which has studios throughout the country).

I’ve been to two classes so far.  One was a traditional hot yoga style class (for some reason they refuse to call it Bikram – licensing issues maybe?).  Like I said before, the room is heated to 105 degrees.  The idea is that the intense heat loosens up your muscles, letting you go deeper into the poses.  The excessive sweating is supposed to cleanse toxins from the body.  And if you’ve ever spent 90 minutes in a heated room doing all sorts of intense yoga postures, you understand how much you can sweat.  All of my clothes were drenched, my towel on my mat was drenched, and my hair was soaked through.

I enjoyed the poses and found the class intense and satisfying.  The instructor was nice, which helped, because the hot yoga instructor I had gone to at another studio felt more like a drill sergeant.  I went to a flow style class too, where the room was only 90 degrees (still really hot).  That class completely exhausted me and left me feeling drained the next day.

I still plan to try a couple more classes before my groupon expires, but I don’t think I’ll be going back after that.  Here’s why:

I like plain old Hatha yoga, where you get into a pose and push yourself to go deeper.  I like to feel relaxed and calm when I practice yoga.  I want to leave the studio feeling relaxed and peaceful.  I don’t want to feel my heart rate go crazy, or be drenched in sweat, or feel exhausted when I leave.  That’s what my cardio workouts are for.  For some people, yoga might be their cardio, and that’s fine.  It’s just not what I’m looking for when I go to a class.

Evolation is a great studio if you’re looking for a yoga class that’s intense and challenging.  That’s just not where I’m at in my yoga journey right now.

 

 

Summer Snack: Frozen Grapes

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If you’re anywhere in the Northern hemisphere right now, it’s probably hot and sticky outside.  So why not cool down with a tasty, healthy snack?  Right now, I can’t stop munching on frozen fruit, particularly frozen grapes.  I pop a bowl in the freezer for at least half an hour, and out come delicious, frozen tasty bites.  Keeps me from reaching for ice cream too often too.  What’s your favorite summer snack?

“Living is simple”

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Right now, life is a crazy, hectic and over-stressed world, and I’m just trying to make it through it one day at a time.  Nothing particularly bad is happening, there’s just lots and lots of deadlines as the school year winds down,  lots of bored kids who don’t want to stay on task, and lots of stressed out fellow adults dealing with their own deadlines.  I know that this just goes with the territory as the school year comes to a close, so I’m just taking it one day at a time.

At this point, I’m trying to keep the rest of my life as simple as possible so that I can really focus on the important things and not get bogged down by clutter.  That includes physical, mental and emotional clutter.  I took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill during spring break.  I’ve started listing stuff I know longer use on eBay (if you’re interested, check out here.  It’s just shoes right now, but I might add books and other misc later).  I’ve been clearing mental clutter by cleaning out my inbox and cutting back on mailings that don’t interest me.  I’ve been trying to deal with some emotional clutter by getting rid of items that I was holding onto because I was trying to cling to a part of me that doesn’t fit anymore.  These items were things that used to be a strong part of my identity, but my identity has changed, and I think that they had simply become emotional weight that was bringing me down subconsciously.

I have a feeling that the tone of my blog is changing and evolving.  I don’t really like to write short, frequent posts anymore (and it’s difficult to find the time).  But I love to share with my readers (you!) and I love to express my thoughts and my journey through life in this blog.  I think my posting style is going to change to longer, deeper, but less frequent posts.  That’s just what works for me right now, and I think it’s best to go with the flow of how my life is rather than to stress myself out conforming to a pattern that doesn’t work for me.  We’ll see how it goes :)

Tank: Ann Taylor LOFT (Revolve)
Cardigan: J Crew (eBay)
Slacks: Gap
Shoes: Dansko Sally
Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Quote: Living is Simple, by Switchfoot

Gift-Guide for Librarians

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As we all know, it’s the holiday season and everyone’s out buying gifts.  Since I’m a librarian, I thought it would be fun to put together a librarian-themed gift guide.  Normally, my posts like this are Etsy focused, but today, I branched out a bit with items from other sites as well.  Now you know exactly what to get for the library nerd/ bibliophile in your life :)

Note:  (Gift cards to your favorite local independent bookstore are pretty awesome too).

Tea Time With Dewey, $12, American Library Association Store

(It has the Dewey number for tea on it.  How cute it that!  They have ones for coffee and hot chocolate as well)


Unshelved, $14.95

(I subscribe to Unshelved’s blog, and I’m always cracking up every time I read it. This is a must for anyone who’s ever worked in a public library)

Lovely Bag in Mustard Yellow, $29, Bayanhippo

(Because every librarian should have a gorgeous tote to carry home his/her books in.  Leave those ugly conference totes at the reference desk.)

Library Card Notebook, $6, Crab Apple Design

(Because I’m nostalgic for old library technology that’s no longer used)

That’s How I Roll T-shirt, $25 (sale), Cafepress

(This tee is perfect, because pretty much everyone who’s ever worked in a library has had to push a book cart at some point.  There’s an insanely huge selection of library related items on Cafepress.)


Open Page Book Holder, Standard Size, $11.50 and Up, Book Mate

(That’s a dreadfully boring picture, but it’s an insanely useful item.  I’ve had one of these for years, and along with their Fold N’ Stow bookholder, I’ve used it to read books while eatting, knitting, running on the treadmill, etc.  It makes reading while doing other tasks so much easier, because your hands are free)

Thoughts: On Brand Loyalty

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I was organizing my shoe collection the other day (which really isn’t that large by many standards – I think I own maybe 20 – 30 pairs) when I realized something – when it comes to shoes, I am fiercely brand loyal.  The majority of my shoes fit into about 3 – 5 brands – I very rarely purchase shoes outside of those brands.

My Dansko Collection

With clothing, with accessories, I’ve never really been a brand loyalist.  There are plenty of brands that I love, but I don’t buy exclusively from them.  I own plenty of articles of clothing (that I’ve thrifted) from brands I had never heard of.  I have tons of jewelry that is thrifted or second-hand with no brand names attached.  So why is it that with shoes, I almost always buy from the same brands every time?

My Fluevog Collection

I think there’s several different factors at play here.  One is the difference in how I shop for clothes vs. shoes.  The majority of my clothing shopping is done at thrift stores, consignment stores and other second-hand stores.  I do go to the mall occasionally and I do by some clothing on eBay and online, but the majority of my clothes are second-hand.  Generally, when thrifting, I looks first for patterns, shapes and fabrics that I like and find interesting.  I look at the brand afterwards.  There are certain brands that I will go for if I find them – whenever I see J Crew, Anthro or Boden at a thrift store, I will almost always snatch them up.  But usually, I tend to go with whatever I find that looks good on.  This ends up being a lot of LOFT, Gap, Old Navy, Target, etc.  But I don’t really see it as brand loyalty, because I’m not seeking out those brands – I just happen to like a lot of what they offer.

My Keen Collection

In contrast, I buy my shoes almost exclusively on eBay or online.  I don’t really like buying shoes in retail stores, because they often seem to be overpriced, and I don’t like feeling pressured by sales staff to buy.  As I’ve been doing more and more online shoe shopping, I’ve learned which brands always work for me.  I know what sizes generally fit me in those brands.  I know what heel heights I like, and which I don’t.  I know what kind of straps will be painful, and which will be comfortable.  And I’m patient.  If a price is too high, I will watch and wait until it goes down, or I find a better deal.

This isn’t to say that every shoe I’ve ever bought from my favorite brands has been perfect.  I’ve had some that didn’t work out.  But the majority of the time, I know what works for me.

So I’m curious: are any of you like this?  Fiercely loyal when it comes to your shoe brands, but much more lax when it comes to everything else?

Green Gift Giving: Mother’s Day

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Cards from Tweeprints
Lavender Soap from Mamacita

Purchased at Why Not Boutique and Tampa Street Market

A lot of people focus on green gift giving for Christmas, but they don’t always think about it for other holidays.

I have a set way of choosing gifts for friends and relatives.  The kiddos always get books (I am a librarian after all) or handmade toys.  I prefer to give kids things that will last rather than some cheap plastic toy that will either be broken or sitting in the back of a closet by next year.

For adults, I like to give handmade items as much as possible.  For Christmas, I always bake something.  For other holidays and birthdays, I like to get local handmade gifts, and of course, I frequently get things from Etsy.

This Mother’s Day, I got my mom and my newest nephew’s mom (it was her first Mother’s Day!) beautiful cards from a local stationary designer, Tweeprints.  I’m also getting my mom a manicure at Becky Shop, which is a sister store to my favorite hair salon.  For my nephew’s mom, I got a lovely bar of lavender soap from a local soap-maker (and Etsian) Mamacita.

So, next time a birthday or holiday comes around (Father’s Day, anyone?)  think about shopping local and handmade for your gifts.  It helps the Earth, it helps your local economy, it’s unique, and it just plain feels good.

Advice: What to wear to a Florida beach wedding?

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(Note: I’ve decided to switch up the order of my weekend posts.  Shopping posts will now be on Sundays, while Shoe Lust and other topics will be on Saturdays)

Caranday Dress by Anthropologie (no longer available online)

One of my readers, Elizabeth, sent me a question about appropriate accessories for a Florida wedding, and I thought that my advice could be useful to others attending spring weddings in warm climates.

Diana,

I have a Florida specific style question I thought you could help me out with. I’m attending a wedding with my boyfriend in Jacksonville in late April. All of his best friends from high school and college will be there (most of whom I’ve never met) and I’d like to make a good impression. However, I have very little idea what sort of wedding this will be and don’t know any other women attending that I can ask. I bought the Caranday Dress on super sale at Anthropologie after Christmas and plan on wearing that (see above).   The sash is attached and a dark gray color. There is enough length to tie it either in the front or the back). I was wondering if you could give me some insider information on Florida trends/weather that would help me know what accessories to add. Will it be too hot for tights? Should I bring a sweater or shawl as a cover up? Are flats okay for an evening wedding with a plated dinner? I’m also hoping not to have to spend too much money on this though I have been wanting a pair of gray shoes anyway. Help!

Elizabeth

The first step I had Elizabeth take was to check the wedding’s website.  Often nowadays the bride and groom will set up a website or blog with information about the wedding, including location, appropriate dress, etc.  We found out that the ceremony will be on the beach, and the reception will be a plated dinner at an outdoor area of a restaurant within walking distance of the ceremony.

The dress that Elizabeth bought is gorgeous, and I think that it will be just fine.  Floridians tend to be pretty casual in general, and I think that this dress is dressy enough for a beach wedding without going over the top.  The weather here can be a bit unpredictable, but more than likely it will be too warm for tights by April.  Honestly it’s been too warm in the past week, and usually by April we’re in full-on Spring, almost Summer.  Generally temps tend to be in the 60s, 70s  and sometimes 80s in April, although the weather is always unpredictable.  Micro-fishnets or lace tights might work for an April wedding, but they probably won’t be necessary, and I wouldn’t recommend legwear any warmer than that.

Since the wedding is in the evening, it would be a good idea to bring a shawl or light, cropped cardigan to keep your shoulders warm.  Everything is outdoors, so you won’t have to worry about frigid air-conditioning.  Night-time at the beach often means a light sea-breeze, which can be a bit chilly.

A basic pashmina in a coordinating color (or contrasting for a bit of fun!) would be lovely.  A light cotton cardigan would also be wonderful for keeping shoulders warm.  Stick with a cropped length, because they are generally more flattering with dresses than longer lengths.

Favourite Cropped Cardigan, Boden, $58

I would say that it’s better to have some kind of heel or wedge since this is an evening wedding.  You can get away with flat strappy sandals at a beach wedding, but having a slight heel looks a bit dressier.  Since the wedding is on the beach, a chunky heel or a wedge is best.  Beach sand is pretty soft, and thin heels will sink in.  Also, avoid suede, because it is possible that the sand might be wet.  Wearing shoes with a strappy design and an open toe is a good idea, because it is inevitable that sand will get in your shoes, and wearing a more open shoe makes it easier to get the sand out.  It’s also good if the shoe is easy to take on and off, because it’s possible that some people may go barefoot for the ceremony.

Basically any comfortable, wedge sandal in white, grey or silver should work fine.  Strappy sandals are always popular in Florida, and I think that they can look a bit dressier than other varieties of shoes for this occasion.

Dansko Sissy Sandal in White $66.24 on Amazon (on sale)


indigo by Clarks Plover Sandal in Steel Blue $99.95 on Amazon (on sale)

For other accessories, I would recommend some elegant, understated jewelry such as a strand of pearls and some light silver bangles.  Add a simple clutch to all this, and the outfit would be all set for a lovely Florida beach wedding.

Scarlatti Sonata Pearl Necklace  $38 (on sale)

Coryell Design

Bangle Trio Set  $36

Jill Popowich Designs

Vintage Wicker Lesco Lona Handbag   $25

Ancestor Vintage

Have you ever been to a beach wedding?  What did you wear?

How to Search Effectively on Etsy

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Well, okay, if you want a million bucks, you probably won’t find it on Etsy (well, actually…).  But if you want a sterling silver necklace with a cat pendant, I can pretty much guarantee you there will be something.  Ditto for a purple vintage scarf.  But how do you find these items amidst the vast collection on Etsy?  That’s what this post is here to help you with.  While there’s no guarantee that you’ll always find exactly what you’re looking for on Etsy, these tips can help you come closer to what your little heart desires.

  • Embrace Treasuries and Gift Guides: I love looking at treasuries, which consist of items handpicked by an Etsian based on a specific theme, much like my Etsy Love sets.  There is always a treasury displayed on the front page, with delightfully beautiful items.  I’ve found many of my favorite sellers through treasuries.  One thing I love doing is checking out the shop of an item that I’m drawn to in a treasury.  Gift Guides are another great place to look if you’re browsing.  Showcase is a daily set created by sellers, and another place to find some good stuff.
  • Try Etsy’s Various Search Tools: Etsy has many search tools to offer you, although I’ve had varied success with them.  The Colors search lets you search for items by color, but it doesn’t often find what I’m looking for.  Instead, you might want to search for items tagged with a color, such as navy.  Pounce lets you find shops that just opened or items that just sold.  Shop Local lets you find shops in a specific city.  The Time Machine lets you see items as they’re being listed.  Sometimes, I love watching the time machine slowly scroll through new items while listening to podcasts.
  • Browse through your favorites:  I am favoriting items on Etsy constantly, and I always have at least 30 pages of favorites at any given time.  I love browsing through them and looking at other items sold in the shops.  Often, you might find a gorgeous gem that you favorited months ago and had completely forgotten about.  Don’t forget to look back through your favorite sellers too.
  • Use Advanced Search:  Being a library science graduate, I love advanced search tools.  Etsy’s is very effective.  You can choose between the categories of Handmade, Vintage, Supplies or all three.  You can choose what section of handmade items you want to search, from jewelry to needlecraft.  You can search by tags, titles, etc.  You can set price limits.  You can change how the items are sorted.
    • So here’s an example of how I would use advance search.  Let’s say I wanted to find a handknit purple scarf in merino wool.  In the search terms box, I will type “purple merino scarf”.  I’ll be searching for handmade items in the knitting category.  I want to search tags and titles.  I’m willing to pay between $1 and $60.  This will limit my results to items that fit within these parameters, and it will be much easier to look through than a general search for “purple scarf”.
  • Be willing to spend some time browsing: When I create Etsy Love sets, I usually start out with a keyword search, such as “leather clutch” and then browse through 20 + pages of hits before finding what I’m looking for.  It can be a bit tiresome to look though so  many pages, but there are lots and lots of items on Etsy, and sometimes the best way to find what you really want is browsing through many, many pages of listings.  When browsing, look for quality images, because that is often the sign of a serious seller.

What’s your favorite search tip for Etsy?

10 tips for Shopping on Ebay

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I am certainly not an expert on Ebay, but I’ve learned a trick or two about how to find (and win) really great clothes, shoes and accessories, so I figured I could share a few tips.

  • Tip #1: Know what you are looking for ahead of time. Ebay is not really a place for serendipitous browsing unless you have a lot of time on your hands to sift through a ton of crappy items to find that one elusive gem.  When I go on Ebay, I am always in hunt of something very specific.  Perhaps I am looking for a pair of Fluevog boots, or a J Crew cashmere sweater, or a pair of non-black leather gloves.  If you just search for something extremely broad and non-specific, like “red dress”, you are going to have to look through tons and tons and tons of items that you have absolutely no interest in.
  • Tip #2: Search for brands you already love.  Not everyone on Ebay offers returns, so it isn’t really the best place to experiment with new brands you know nothing about.  Google reviews on a new brand if it’s something you haven’t tried on in a physical store before.  Try to have a good idea of what your size in that brand is before you start searching.  I always keep saved searches on several of my favorite brands that I know work for me, including Dansko, Fluevog, Boden and J. Crew.
  • Tip #3: Save your searches!!! I cannot emphasized this tip enough.  I would say that about 95% of my Ebay purchases have been found through saved searches.  This saves lots and lots of time for you, and allows you to make sure you don’t miss anything that you’re interested in.
    • To save a search, enter your search in the search bar, such as “Dansko boots”.  Once you get your results page, you can limit your findings to what applies to you.  In my case, I select “women’s shoes” on the side bar, and limit the sizes to 8 and unspecified (sometimes sellers don’t check the size box).  Then, look for something like this:
      “18 items found for dansko boots in Women’s Shoes: 8 [ Save this search ]“.  Just click “Save this search” and Ebay will e-mail you anything new that turns up in those search parameters for a designated amount of time.  I get about 20-25 of these e-mails every day for different things I’m interested in, and looking through  those e-mails is so much easier than searching for 25 different searches manually every day. (Note: the e-mails will only show you nine of the most recent items posted.  To see everything, there is a link in the email that you can click on)
  • Tip #4: Add items to your watch list. Whenever you are interested in an item and think you might buy it, add it to your watch list.  If you want to get an idea of how much a certain item goes for, add it to your watch list.  I check my watch list a couple times a day to remind myself of what items I’m considering.  Generally, I never end up bidding on many of those items, but I still like knowing what I’m interested in.
  • Tip #5: Search general and broad. Maybe you know that exact name of the shoe that you’re looking for.  But maybe a seller doesn’t.  And maybe, you are itching to get a pair of Fyre 8R Engineer Boots, but a seller simply lists them as “Black Frye boots”.  If you have searches going for both “Frye Engineer Boots” and “Frye Boots”,  you’ll find that posting either way.  And sometimes, if a seller doesn’t put the name of the item in the listing, it doesn’t get as much attention, and you could end up scoring your dream item at an excellent price.
    • Added tip:  if there’s a certain term that you want eliminated from your search results, put a minus sign in front of it.  Thus, searching for “Dansko -clogs” will show all listings that contain the word Dansko but do not contain the word “clog”
  • Tip #6:  Read listings very carefully and ask questions early. Always read every section of a listing.  Look for measurements, fabric content, imperfections.  Look at the photos.  Check the seller’s feedback ratings.  If you have any questions about an item that aren’t answered in the listing, send the seller a message as soon as possible.  If they’re good, they’ll get back to you before the listing closes.  If they don’t, it’s not worth biding on anyhow.  Most sellers are very willing to work with you and will gladly provide details about the item and additional pictures if you ask.
  • Tip #7: Determine the absolute maximum you are willing to pay for an item, and stick to it. It’s really easy to get sucked into the thrill of online auctions.  Someone outbids you, but you really want that item, so you bid again, and again, and again.  Next thing you know, you’ve won that item, paying three times more than what it’s worth.  Before you bid, decide on how much you are willing to spend, and stick to that, even if you get outbid.  Sometimes, you have to be willing to let stuff go.
  • Tip #8: Never bid until the last five minutes of the listing. Now that you’ve saved all your searches, that perfect pair of vintage Fluevog pumps comes up.  And you want them desperately.  So you bid several days before the listing ends and you are massively outbid.  You sulk for several weeks.  What you could have done is waited til the last five minutes of the listing (preferably the last sixty seconds) before putting in your maximum bid, so other bidders wouldn’t have much time to outbid you.  I’ve won many, many auctions this way.  Bidding early just ends up raising the price most of the time.  Wendy B. swears by “sniping” services, and while I haven’t tried it yet, it sounds like it would be very effective.
  • Tip #9: Resolve any problems with seller before leaving feedback. Did your item not turn out to be what you expected?  Was it mis-represented in the listing?  Always send a message to the seller with your concerns if something isn’t what you expected it to be.  Many will be willing to work with you, offering a return or refund, rather than getting bad feedback.
  • Tip #10: Always leave feedback.  Did you get your item in a timely manner?  Did the seller answer all communication?  Did they resolve any problems you had?  Then go leave some positive feedback.  Ebay thrives on feedback, and leaving sellers positive feedback when they do a good job helps them, and it’s just plain nice to do.

What are your favorite Ebay shopping strategies?

Circle Shawl Wrap Tutorial

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Curious to know how I wrapped my circular shawl in the outfit post from earlier today?  Here, I’ll show you how I did it.

First, you fold the shawl in half, with the right side on the outside.

Then, drape the shawl over your shoulders, with the two ends hanging in front.

Tuck one of the ends over behind your shoulder, underneath the shawl.

Then drape the other end over the other shoulder, on top of the shawl.  Secure with a shawl pin or brooch, or leave it loose.  Voila!  You now have a chic circular shawl wrap!

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