In My Stylish Yet Affordable Boots

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.

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!

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:

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!

For a Cure

Last night, I participated in my third Light the Night walk, to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. After a rainy and chilly afternoon, it cleared up just in time for the walk to begin. Those of us at the Milwaukee lakefront were treated to a beautiful (and double!) rainbow and a spectacular sunset as we set off on our walk with lighted balloons.

(Yes, that is The Husband, making his first blog appearance. No, he doesn't REALLY have a Wal-mart smiley face, but he really does have a beard.)

A little bit of math today tells me that over the course of the last three years, my family has raised more than $12,000 for LLS, between memorials and LTN donations. While there are certainly plenty of LTN teams that raise a lot more than that in a single year, I think it's a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to our friends and family, who have dug into their pockets and supported us, Mom, and LLS. I'm proud of what we've achieved.

Ghosts of Christmas Past

In the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, I began to reflect on the Christmases of my childhood. Christmas, in my family, was magical, joyful, a special time for friends and family to spend together. I remember bundling up in the backseat of the car with my brother as we drove to or from a relative's home, and the Christmas morning round-robin with the neighbors where the adults had drinks and hors d' oeuvres and us kids showed off our brand new toys. I remember singing in the children's choir at our church, and later, the peace of Midnight Mass. I remember my mom and her sisters singing Polish carols, tree-cutting expeditions, hanging ornaments, preparing for my parents' annual Christmas bash, lighting the Advent wreath, making cookies, shopping for family gifts in the church basement, and even one service day spent wrapping Christmas presents at the local pregnant teens home. But most of all, I remember Santa.

My mom wholeheartedly believed in the magic of Santa Claus, and together, my parents created a world for us in which Santa continues to be real. Even long after Bro & I stopped setting out cookies, milk, carrots, and a shot glass of sugar (for Rudolph!), the magic and surprise and joy of sharing that perfect gift endured.

But the memories that have me smiling the most of late are what I wanted to share in this post. One is an encounter with Santa, and the other was a Christmas morning surprise.

When I was quite small, my dad's company had an annual Christmas party that included the employees' families, and the kids had the opportunity to visit with Santa. As we approached with Dad, Santa called out our names! He knew our dog's name, and about our camping vacations. He knew what we were wishing for before we told him, and the ways in which we'd been naughty of late. Bro & I were stunned. We were talking to the real Santa! From the North Pole! Only recently, we learned who was really in that Santa suit - an old friend* of the family, and we'd never, ever guessed.

Another year, when we were both questioning a lot, we set out the Santa & reindeer treats, and with them, a note to Santa: "Are you real?" When we got up in the morning, Santa had answered our note to tell us that of course he was real. To this day, I swear it was neither of my parents' handwriting - they did a fantastic job of disguising it. He also "accidentally" left a bit of white fluff from his coat stuck to the branches of our Christmas tree, and little bitty sooty footprints** on the hearth. The fireplace doors were left wide open and the tree was lit as well. We were in awe. Clearly, Santa *had* been in our house. It was another couple of years before we even started to question again.

All of these memories are the things I hold close to my heart in this season. So here's wishing you amazing memories of the magic, joy, peace, and love of the season.

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* As I was composing this post over the last few days, I learned that this old family friend passed away on Friday. That makes three men lost this year, who were all important to these Christmas memories in some way. Bruce, Melvin, and Al, you are missed.

** No matter how many times I ask, my dad STILL won't tell me how he made those footprints!

 

I'm turning into my mother

Several years back, during food prep for some holiday or another, I found no fewer than six containers of sour cream in my parents' refrigerator. Some were partially used, some were unopened, and every single one was expired. My mom was not a hoarder, by any stretch, so it was just weird and hilarious and, of course, we teased her mercilessly about it.

Tonight, I made a quick grocery run to pick up the fixings for tacos and margaritas, in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Naturally, I bought sour cream. And when I put it in the fridge, I found an entire unopened container already there.

Bet you're looking down and thinking, "Who's laughing now?", right, Mom? Happy Mother's Day.

A little ditty

"This is about the little peace that's in you, that makes other people happy to see you comin'. Dogs lick ya, babies like ya, that kind of peace. And I'm pretty sure at this point, if more people would pay attention to the little peace, the big peace would just take care of itself." - Arlo Guthrie's intro to "My Peace"

I spent this afternoon at a performance of the Milwaukee Symphony Pops, where they were joined by folk singer Arlo Guthrie. It was an enjoyable show, but this simple song - which I hadn't heard before, not being a big fan of folk music - really touched me. According to Arlo's introduction, the lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie not long before his death, and later set to music by Arlo. I suspect I'll find myself humming this from time to time.

 

Why I love social media communities

Where else, in the course of a day, can you have conversations about race relations & segregation, sewing machines, the Rapture, food, home improvement and repairs, children's toys, duct tape clothing repairs, customer service wins and woes, clothes, Chapstick, and a dozen other topics, from the serious to the mundane, with humor, intelligence, and respect?

You all know who you are, and I love our conversations.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night

But apparently, our valiant USPS mail carriers can be vanquished by the sorting machines. In my pile of mail today was this:

Luckily, this wasn't a bill or other important document (which we've had happen before), though it was not easy to read the Christmas greetings from my aunt & uncle. But I really enjoyed the half-blameshifting on the back:

Specifically: "...if you will continue to properly prepare and address each letter or parcel that you enter into the mailstream" and "We appreciate your cooperation..."

It just kind of smacks of, "I'm sorry if you feel bad...", doesn't it?