In My Stylish Yet Affordable Boots

WIWW: A Little Bit Bad Ass

Really, "bad ass" isn't a word I would apply to myself (nor, probably, would anyone who knows me...), but there's something about a moto jacket that feels a little bit dangerous.

I first tried this jacket in a Gwynnie Bee shipment and loved it so much, I stalked it until it went on sale enough for me to justify its cost. Since it's faux leather, it is much lighter-weight than a leather version would be, and can be worn as a blazer instead of outerwear.

Top: Unaluna, via HauteLook
Trousers: NYDJ, via Boutique Larrieux (similar here)
Jacket: Mynt 1792, via Nordstrom
Necklace: Kohl's
Earrings: Lia Sophia

I'm just not going to talk about the shoes, since right now I own 3 pairs of shoes (aside from athletic shoes) that I can wear, and they're really not particularly exciting. However, I did buy a cute pair of Dansko lace-up shoes yesterday (in mocha) at my favorite local shoe store, Stan's. They're lighter than my other 2 pairs of lace-up shoes, which feels a bit more spring-like.

In News Of The Foot, however, I had my 10 week post-op check up yesterday and my surgeon is happy with the way everything is progressing. I now have orders to start physical therapy, and I'm very much looking forward to that. Surgeon assures me that I will not have to wear lace-up shoes forever, which is an enormous relief, though I will need to continue to wear my orthotics. So, my shoe options in the future will be somewhat limited, but still better than what I've been able to wear in the last few months. I suppose I will continue to pine for all of those amazing high heels, but I won't have to wear only old lady shoes while doing it. At any rate, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel, which is a great feeling.

Cheap Trends vs Classic Investments

One of the things I'm passionate about in dressing myself is playing with trends in a way that works with my life. Generally, this means office-appropriate, budget-friendly, easy-care, and pairs well with pieces I already own. I want trendy items to be of good enough quality that they don't look cheap or out of place in my wardrobe, but because they're trends, I don't expect them to last for the next decade. Keeping this in mind, I've been on a quest for a black & white striped blazer - I've seen them all over the place, wanted to try out the look myself, but I didn't want to spend a lot. Target came through for me, with a ponte knit poly/rayon/spandex blend with -- wait for it -- REAL POCKETS. That was just a a bonus, but YAY.

Jacket: Target (Matching skirt here)
Trousers: NYDJ, Chaplin style, via Boutique Larrieux (Similar here)
Tee: Eloquii (Sadly, they are shutting down, but you can score this same tee for $6.49 right now if you're a 14/16!)
Scarf (which I have wrapped around my neck, not worn as a shawl): I purchased mine at the China pavilion at EPCOT, but the same design is available from this eBay seller (no endorsement of this seller implied - I've never purchased from them) 

Now, about those investments. These black trousers are, in my opinion, pretty much the best black trousers I've ever owned. The fit, the style, I love everything about them. But they will take a chunk out of your budget, especially if you're normally a deep-sale and discount shopper accustomed to spending a quarter of the price on your trousers. I still maintain one should invest in classic basics like this AND one should patronize local boutiques, but if you can't swing it, I strongly suggest using eBay and sales at high-end department stores or outlet stores to add pieces like this to your wardrobe without resorting to ramen for months.

You'll note that I did not mention shoes in my collage. Well, I have some news on that front: 

Yep, those are my feet, both in shoes! I'm officially 10 weeks post-op today, and seem to have transitioned fully to a shoe! Not my top choice of shoes, but this is what I can wear right now on Day 2 of Full Time Shoe Wearing. Those, by the way, are Wolky Moira lace-up shoes, which are discontinued. So I'm hobbling around in actual shoes, though I still need a crutch to get going when I first get out of a chair because of stiffness and soreness in my ankle and foot, and to get up and down stairs. I've been doing various foot exercises -- the same things I did in physical therapy last summer -- to improve my strength and range of motion, so I hope to be wearing something other than lace-up shoes in the not-too-distant future.

Thanks, Starbucks Customer Dudes.

Last time I posted, I wrote about the kindness of strangers while I've been juggling mobility aids and doors. This morning, especially, people were so incredibly nice, and I just want to give a shout out to them.

On my way to work this morning, I stopped at the Racine Washington Avenue Starbucks for my beloved coffee. When I got out of my car to go inside, a man who was already at the door and about to go inside stood there and held the door while I walked from my car - not a long distance, but certainly enough of a time gap that no one would have faulted him for going inside and leaving me to fend for myself. As I entered the vestibule, another exiting man opened the inside door for me and let me go by. And then, as I was leaving, a third man got up from his table, opened the inner door, waited til I grabbed it, then went out and opened the exterior door for me to leave.

So, thanks, Starbucks Customer Dudes. You all totally made my morning, just by being kind.

The State of the Foot, Part II

Today is officially 8 weeks since my foot surgery, and it's surprising to me how fast it's gone by, and the progress I've made. At 6 weeks, I was given go-ahead to begin partial weight-bearing on my foot. Here I am, my first time on two feet in 6 weeks: 

Dress: Dress Barn
Leggings: SWAK Designs
Boot: Kohl's
CAM Walker boot: Aircast ;) 

So I've been walking - first, with a rollator walker or two crutches, and now with a single crutch - for the past two weeks. What a relief that has been, just to have more balance! Today was my most active day yet, where I didn't use the walker at all, mostly single-crutched, made it across my work campus and back for lunch, ran two errands, and pumped my own gas. All of that doesn't sound like much for a person with normal mobility, but it felt great to achieve that much on my own today! I have about two weeks left in the boot, transitioning to a surgical shoe or a regular shoe, depending on the swelling I have, in week 10.

One of the more interesting things about this experience has been seeing first-hand just how inaccessible the world is for people with mobility issues, instead of considering their difficulties in the abstract. Accessible ramps are frequently far away, if they even exist, and exterior ramps can be tricky in winter weather when businesses don't clean up the snow and ice. Even those places that are technically accessible via ramps often don't have enough space between tables (restaurants) or racks (stores) for mobility aids to get through. Access to urban shops and restaurants is often difficult in the snow, as corners are not always dug out and snow can be piled up at the curb. Parking, bathroom access, even just getting in and out of a chair, all come with challenges. I won't be sorry to leave those challenges behind and get back to my normal mobility. Unfortunately, that's not an option for most people who need accessibility, and I will definitely be more aware of their trials from now on.

Of course, not everything has been difficult. I've been pleasantly surprised at the kindness of strangers and offers to help me with carrying things, putting my walker or bag into or getting it out of my car, opening and holding doors. Given all the horrible things we regularly see in the news, it's nice to know most people are not awful and are actually interested in helping their fellow citizens of the world.

The State of the Foot

So, last week, I drafted a nice little update post, which Typepad apparently saw fit to not retain. I was annoyed enough to not write again until now.

In any case, I'm now 3.5 weeks post-op(!) from my flat foot reconstruction surgery: the repair of the posterior tibial tendon tear itself (which is what started this whole thing), endoscopic gastrocnemius recession (cutting & lengthening of the Achilles tendon), a medial sliding calcaneal osteotomy (cutting off the heel, shifting it, & pinning it back on to recreate an arch in my foot), and a cotton medial cuneiform osteotomy + graft (cutting a bone in my mid-foot and inserting a cadaver bone graft), also to help recreate the arch. While it's still too early to predict the final outcome, the surgery and first few weeks of recovery have been, while scary and difficult, much better than I'd hoped. I was home the day of surgery, completely off pain meds after only 5 days, and out of my original cast & dressing and into an Aircast boot after a week. I've been able to get out a few times for things other than appointments with my surgeon (dinner, grocery shopping, a movie). I've even made simple meals or food items a few times.

Sure, I'm a bit bored, since I haven't been able to leave the house in over a week because of icy or snowy pavement conditions. I spend the majority of my days in bed, simply because in our one-bathroom, two-story house, it's what's closest to the bathroom. If I'm downstairs in the living room, my slow crawl up and down the stairs makes peeing a ten minute, gotta-plan-it endeavor. I've had some nasty nerve pain in my heel that messed with my sleep. I've had crazy-making incision itching. Taking off the boot and wrappings to shower stresses me out because I don't want to bump anything. Simply getting myself from the front door to the car tires me out. But I've had so much support from family and friends, I have plenty of tv and books and internets to keep me occupied, and I know this mobility challenge is short-term. In 2.5 weeks, at my next follow-up appointment, I hope to be given the go ahead to begin weight bearing on my foot, getting me closer to freeing up my hands and making many things easier.

Here we have my foot in its cast and dressings, just a few days post-op; my tricked-out knee walker at my dad's house on Super Bowl Sunday (streamers, bag, & cup holder courtesy of my friend Trina; beer can courtesy of my thinking-they're-hilarious dad & brother); and my fabulous Aircast boot.

Here's part of how I'm staying sane - iPad, Roku, gifted entertainment, chocolates, and making sure I find something awesome about every single day. (many thanks to Stinky, jaycee, librarysarie, KnitsAndThinks, and two more awesome friends who shall remain nameless [I'll call 'em L and J ;)]) Not pictured: the DVD boxed set of Undeclared  or the Wii game from The Husband. :)

Also a lifesaver?  My beloved Tervis tumbler with lid - I can actually carry this, full of water, while crutching! Hooray for hydration!

I've become somewhat accustomed to carrying a backpack, since that is the only way for me to get items up and down the stairs right now. I'm using this one, to remind me of stress-free vacation time:

For the curious, one week post-op photos of my foot are here and here. I didn't want to embed them to save the squeamish. ;-) It's far less swollen these days - I can see my ankle bone again, but the incision sites are still fairly gruesome and very, very tender.

All in all, I'm not doing too badly. I've been released to work from home last week and this week, and I go back physically next week. I'm allowed to drive (though I haven't yet [see: icy pavement]). I have enough mobility to be left on my own for a good portion of the day. My physical limitations are frustrating, but I'm working hard at giving myself perspective on the duration and severity of those limitations. I think I'm going to live!

Wordless Wednesday: Why I Shop Local

This and That

Something that's been on my mind a lot lately is The Star Thrower, or Starfish Story as many people know it. The original Loren Eiseley version is not as accessible as the adapted version, which can be found all over the interwebs: 

An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach.  One day, as he looked along the shore, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.  As he came closer he saw that it was a young woman and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.

"Young lady," he asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"

"The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in they will die."

"But young lady, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it?  You cannot possibly make a difference."

The young woman listened politely, paused and then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying: "It made a big difference to that one."

Anyway, as I said, this particular tale has been on my mind a lot, to the point that I pulled out my vintage starfish brooch -- a family heirloom, if you will -- last Thursday.

 

In light of what occurred on Friday, I've been thinking about this little fable even more. It's overwhelming, to say the least, to think about the enormous losses and the grief and heartbreak, and to feel as if there is absolutely no difference to be made for anyone. The Big Issues get political and productive discussion grinds to a halt as each side retreats to their corner of extremism. But while it's true that the terrible events in Newtown, CT cannot be taken back, I can still make a difference in the world. I can reach out to people in my community who need a helping hand. I can commit random acts of kindness. Simply saying "please" and "thank you" and giving a smile to a stranger are things that make the world a little bit kinder. I realize that sounds trite, platitude-like, but I feel as if I need to remind myself of these things; that even in the face of unimaginable tragedy, small things can and do make a difference to someone.

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With no outfits to blog, what's a girl to do? Chop off her hair, of course!

I kid. I've been kind of obsessing over doing this for the past five months, and last week, my friend librarysarie and her awesome new cut gave me the necessary kick in the pants to go for it. I love it, and I'm so glad I did it!

Other pertinent details: I'm wearing a Lands End cowlneck sweater dress (100% merino wool! And currently more than 70% off!), my Chamilia bracelet, and Lia Sophia earrings. The Christmas tree brooch is several years old, but still available from the Smithsonian Museum Store.

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One of the things I love most about this time of year is the music. While the constant drone of Christmas carols in every store between Halloween and Christmas can get a bit wearing, hearing my favorite hymns nearly always leaves me with a feeling of peace and joy. I have the Candlelight Processional from Epcot loaded on my device and love to listen to the choir sing. 

Some of my favorite Christmas memories are around music; specifically, Polish koledy. My favorite of those is Dzisiaj w Betlejem -- Today in Bethlehem -- which figured heavily into my childhood Christmases, as my mom and aunts would sing this around the table. (Translation of the lyrics here.)

And no Christmas is complete without Johnny Mathis' Christmas albums playing. Those, along with Nat King Cole, were the tree-decorating soundtrack of my youth. So I leave you with my favorite Johnny Mathis Christmas tune, which never fails to make me smile:

WIWW: Winterize Your Wardrobe

(Full disclosure: this is actually from a few Wednesdays ago, but I haven't had much time for blog-writing lately.)

Back in July, I wore my SWAK Designs Brazil Maxi with a bold gold necklace:

Now, I fell in LOVE with this dress, and I didn't want to give up wearing it when the weather turned cold. What to do? Why, winterize it, of course!

Dress: SWAK Designs, via Boutique Larrieux
Sweater: Old Navy
Belt: Eloquii
Boots: YNot, via Shoe Carnival
Earrings: Lia Sophia
Bracelet: Bauble Bar 

I love this method of transitioning pieces to more seasons than originally intended. It makes your wardrobe go further!

In other news, WIWW - in its current format - will be taking a bit of a hiatus. The place where my fabulous bathroom mirror was now looks like this:

So, until I decide where I want to take full-length photos, I'm afraid you won't be seeing much of my smiling face. In preparation for my ankle surgery (and just because I hated them), The Husband and I spent a few hours engaging in a bit of DIY shower door removal this past weekend. Surprisingly, the entire project took only one trip to the hardware store before we started (go, us!), and did not result in a single injury!

Hopefully this post has inspired you to think about ways to bring more of your warm weather wardrobe into winter rotation. Go forth and winterize!

Test Driving Gwynnie Bee, Part 1

In the past month or so, I'd seen some buzz surrounding the launch of Gwynnie Bee, a subscription site for clothing -- the Netflix of clothes, if you will. Currently, they are only carrying sizes 10 and up, so when I had the opportunity for a free trial, I jumped at the chance. My first three pieces arrived within a few days of filling my virtual closet with options from the site. Today, I'm rocking a Michael Michael Kors animal print dress:

Dress: Michael Michael Kors, via Gwynnie Bee
Earrings: Igigi
Tights: Sculptz by Silkies, via Boutique Larrieux
Boots and bangle: Kohl's

I LOVE the chain lace-up detail on the bodice of this dress. It's tremendously comfortable as well. My biggest complaint is that, as poly/spandex knit, it's terribly static-y. At this point, I'm not sure that I love it enough to purchase it (elsewhere; Gwynnie Bee is not currently selling clothing), but if I did, it is currently available at Zappos.

I also can't rave enough about these tights. They're just the right weight, just the right opacity, with just a tiny bit of sheen. Gorgeous. Riding boots would generally not be my first choice with this dress, but my continuing battle with the ruptured tendon in my ankle tends to limit my shoe choices these days. I chose bold gold earrings and a bangle to play up the chain detail a bit more, and this is one of the easiest outfits I've ever put together.

Keep an eye out this week for more on the rest of my first Gwynnie Bee shipment!

Rollercoaster

Since my last post, I turned 40(!), took an outstanding vacation (fully planned, including some truly amazing surprises, by The Husband), and scheduled my first (non-oral) surgery. "Rollercoaster" is a pretty good description of my feelings over the past month!

On Turning 40
I'm surprisingly less angst-ridden than I'd expected to be. Mostly, I'm shocked that such a large-sounding number applies to me. I don't feel 40. I'm not sure what I feel, but it's not 40. On the other hand, achieving such a milestone brought me such a fantastic celebration, I certainly can't complain!

On Vacation
Back on Christmas 2011, The Husband surprised me with his plans for my September birthday: a seven-night cruise on the (at the time) not-yet-launched Disney Fantasy! I spent the next nine months following the ship's story, as it was completed at Meyer-Werft, delivered to Disney Cruise Line, and took its maiden voyage. We sailed on the 27th voyage of this beautiful ship, and I could not be happier with The Husband's choice.

But that wasn't his only surprise! He also booked a night at Wilderness Lodge at WDW for us, so we could attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party the night before our sailing, AND he upgraded our outside stateroom to an outside with verandah! Having the ability to spend time sitting on the verandah and watch the sea go by made the trip that much more special and relaxing.

On That Surgery
I've written a bit about the problems I've had with my ankle since early in the year. After heavy-duty anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, and both off-the-shelf and custom orthotics, the pain hadn't really improved for more than a day or two at a time. One MRI later, I've been diagnosed with a tear in my posterior tibial tendon, which requires fairly significant surgery (4 separate procedures) to repair. Recovery from these procedures is pretty daunting as well: 6 weeks non-weight-bearing on that leg, several more weeks in a walking boot, and a hefty amount of physical therapy. Full recovery likely will take the better part of a year. I'll be getting on with that exciting chapter in late January 2013. I think I'll have to find something stylish and fun to do with a cast!

So that's my rollercoaster ride for late September and most of October. I'm starting to look forward to the holidays now, and have already pulled out last year's Thanksgiving menu to get started!