What I Wore Sunday: Another Downton moment

Linking up with FLAP today.  Sadly, our car is iced in today, and we were thwarted in our attempt to visit our regular parish (an hour's drive away) and instead went to the Russian-speaking parish that is an easy walk from our house.  Just as well, I think, as I'm still feeling tired from the pneumonia. 

 I decided to have another go at a Downton Abbey-inspired outfit today, and while I'm not happy with my hair (I had to wash it and then style it wet, since I thought I'd have a headscarf on all morning for church and didn't want to waste time on a complicated hair do that would just get messed up with the scarf), I'm pretty happy with the overall effect.

A Sarah Coventry necklace I picked up at a flea market in Missouri while visiting my parents in the fall.  It has a very pretty opalescent stone in the middle.  The earrings are from Target, but have a lovely vintage look to them.  The stones are topaz colored, and the gold has a rose-tone to it.

My "ack-the-sun-is-in-my-eyes!" squint.   

After unsuccessfully trying for photos in my usual spot because of the sun, I went across the street to pose in front of the neighbors' as well as get a full-length shot with my new boots!  The blouse was a recent ebay find.  It is Karen Scott, which I think is a Sears brand, but what I loved about it was the double collar.  The pictures on the listing didn't do it justice--the blue is lovely and just the right shade for my skin (certain shades of blue are tough for me to wear), and it has a lovely mid-weight hand and some nice textured striping for interest.  The French cuffs are a little annoying, but period appropriate, I think!  Not bad for a $10 blouse.

Let me tell you about these boots, because they are da bomb.  I've been looking for a pair of tall lace-up brown leather boots for a while now, because I love how Solanah of Vintage Vixen styles hers, plus I have a growing list of outfit inspiration photos that include such a pair of boots.  I'm finding that shoes can make all the difference as to whether an outfit feels frumpy to me or not.  These boots really make this outfit for me.

  

Aren't they great?  My problem with finding the right pair was that I'm not willing to pay a lot of money for boots (I don't do three figures for shoes), and I wanted something with a low heel and if possible, a side zip, because I know that when I'm baby wearing, tying shoe laces is the last thing I want to do to get out the door.  Also, I have wide feet, so fit is sometimes tricky in these sorts of boots.  These are great because the laces are real, and allow me to adjust the tightness of the fit, but zip up the side, so once I've adjusted them, they are good to go.  They have a 1" heel, which is perfect, and fit my muscular calves just fine (another perennial problem with me and tall boots).  They aren't real leather (they were advertised as "vegan" which I don't care about), but that made them quite affordable.  My only complaint is that the sole doesn't have any tread on it, but there was some texture to it that keeps it from being horribly slippery.  I might try some kind of tread pad on the bottom to see if that helps (although I find that those stick on pads just fall off after two wears, so probably not worth it).

Details:

Blouse: Karen Scott, via ebay

Brown wool skirt: Pierre Cardin, via ThredUp

Brown elastic belt: Macy's (old)

Sarah Coventry necklace: Yellow Moon Antique Mall

Faux Topaz earrings: Target (old)

Boots: Follow the Cedar Boot via Modcloth

Hair slides (not pictured): Sally Beauty Supply

Foodie Friday: Hobo Stew

Foodie Friday today!  I don't think I'm going to get any Quick Takes up today. Things have been kind of crazy around here--last week there was a gas explosion that resulted in a bunch of underground fires very close our house, and lots of chaos has ensued as a result (we were without power for a few tense hours that day as we waited to find out if we would have to evacuate; as it was in the middle of an ice storm and Boo was home sick, I was not thrilled with this prospect).  I've also got pneumonia and the kids are all in various stages of sick, so it has been a tough go.

Anyway, on to the food.  I first saw this recipe on another blog, and thought it sounded great.  As I was making it, I suddenly had a memory of doing this over a camp fire in Girl Scouts as a child.  Mine is adapted to bake in the oven, but I'm sure it would be much better on the grill.  I also think next time I will make these with more of everything, as my husband felt he didn't get enough food, so I'm adjusting the amounts in the recipe below to reflect how I would change it.  You can also change the vegetables to adapt to what you have and to work with food preferences, etc.

My apologies for the less than stellar photos--we were using my husband's ipod since it was to hand.  I tried to make them better with filters, but there wasn't a lot of great material to work with.

Baked Hobo Stew in Foil 
(serves about five)

2 pounds ground hamburger
1 bunch scallions, green ends chopped up
2 pouches teriyaki sauce from Gardein Teriyaki Chick'n strips (or about 4 T. teriyaki sauce)

salt/pepper (Maldon is especially nice)
olive oil
foil

4 baby gold potatoes per person, diced with skin on
2 handsful green beans per person, trimmed
1/2 bell pepper per person, coarsely diced
2 handsful frozen sweet corn per person
1 small zucchini per person, diced
1 carrot per person, chopped into coins

Soy sauce (for garnish after baking)

Preheat oven to 475.  Mix ground beef, scallions and teriyaki sauce packets in a bowl.  Take two strips of foil about 8" wide and make a cross.  In the center of the cross, place 1 cup ground beef mixture and then top with veggies.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.  Wrap up the mixture by wrapping the inner foil like a burrito, and then pinch the ends shut, and then wrap the cross piece to cover completely.  Repeat until you have one packet for each person.  Take a baking sheet and put a wire rack on top of it.  Place packets on the wire rack and bake for 45 minutes.  (You could bake directly on the oven rack, but I like having the baking sheet there in case of drippage).  You can serve the dish directly in the foil wrapper and add soy sauce or Worchestershire sauce for garnish on the veg.

Odds and Ends, Vol. 5

I've just discovered a new writer, Tony Woodlief.  He's articulating so many things I have running around in my head, and much more elegantly too.

Here is one on the virtue of not being special.  My favorite lines: "This is not, however, because we are destined for inconsequential lives. Many of us just have to recalibrate our understanding of what it means to live well. To craft beauty, to care for those who need us, to live honorably—surely these are the elements of a great life, though television viewers don’t care to see a sturdy grandfather or an orphanage director profiled on the E! Channel."  In short?  We are called to great purpose, but not necessarily to greatness itself.  How wonderful.

Here is Rod Dreher's response to Woodlief's reflection (and I must give credit to Dreher for pointing me to Woodlief in the first place!)  As usual, an excellent response.

A history of the Midwest.  As a Midwesterner, I was interested to read this book review, because it is completely true that those of us from the middle are different from the coasts.  

The Rhyme of History: Lessons of the Great War.  Long, but interactive with original photos from the Great War (aka WWI).  We are in the centennial year of that war's beginning, and I'm sure many more articles of this type will be forthcoming, but this is a nice introduction and bridge to understanding both the war, and the world it created.  I think the Great War gets short shrift because WWII has overshadowed it in public memory.  Some of it is that the scale of World War II was simply larger, and some of it that there were many more visible veterans around.  The last living Great War veteran died a few years ago, well into his 90s; the veterans of World War II are also getting on in years, but interest in reenactment and reality television have kept that war much more present)  In any case, any study of the 20th century must begin with the Great War, as it set the stage for much that came after and forever changed the landscape (both literally and figuratively).

The Decline of the Family Friendly City.  This article piggy-backs nicely with Jonathan Last's excellent book, What to Expect When No One is Expecting, and articulates many of the things I personally find difficult about raising children in the city.  The problem I see is that as cities move increasingly away from welcoming families and prioritizing housing for singles and couples, as well as making public spaces friendly for dogs but not for children, and as the societal landscape moves toward smaller families that don't live in the city for the most part, the city culture becomes one that is not only unfriendly to families, but in many cases, actively hostile.  I am excruciatingly familiar with the dead stares at my (mostly well-behaved) children when I enter an establishment, get on the bus, or otherwise just live my life in the city.  The suggestion that children are worth having and raising is met with suspicion, hostility, anger, and disbelief.  Don't get me wrong--I've had plenty of positive experiences in the city with my children, and I've had times when the kindness of strangers overwhelmed me, but the overall trend seems to be heading in the opposite direction, and I think true city diversity should make room for everyone, families included.  We all benefit when families are welcomed because families tend to produce stabilizing influences on a neighborhood, provide ballast, and many other intangibles to rich community life.

On Truth Telling (or not).

For those of us parents: Don't Help My Kids.  Why having a hands-off approach (within reason) is a good thing for our kids.  I'm a great believer in benign neglect when it comes to regulating children's play, and I think kids learn a lot of social skills and life skills when they have to work things out for themselves, and between themselves.  There is, however, a fine line between benign neglect and expecting other parents to look out for your children, and I'm aware of the tension, which I've not found an easy resolution to.  

And related: Parenting with Authority.  In short: Always Mean What You Say.  I've been pondering this for a while now.

Hands Free Mama does it again: letting go of expectations and embracing the mess.  As someone who struggles a lot with the basic messiness of kids in all forms (I have mild OCD in this direction; I'm working on it), this spoke to me.  It is also a point upon which I struggle with our life in the city--are we somehow depriving our children of the chance to roam free by staying?  A question we keep pondering.  So far, the answer remains, no.  It is better to stay, at least for now.

From Momastery: Don't be Pretty, Be Beautiful.  A reminder to cultivate the inside, and not focus so much on the outer shell.

Finally, just in time for Valentine's Day, and to dovetail with my post from Monday: 19 Things I Love About You (including a printable!).  This little exercise is good for anyone in your life, not just kids.  

The Narnia wardrobe.  What a fun playspace!  

Amazing sandsculptures.

Having a Downton Abbey Moment

The post man delivered my ThredUp goodies yesterday, so I present you with a Downton Abbey fashion moment, inspired by this photo:

I admit I didn't do a bang up job on my hair, but I'm getting a hair cut today and I didn't want to spend a ton of time on it since it is just going to get washed in a few hours.  

It's too bad that Edwardian S-curve corsets went out of fashion, because I have enough junk in my trunk to get the look without the pain!  Ha!

It was about 25 degrees when I took these photos--the things we do for fashion blog posts!!

I'm also very excited that the costumes of Downton Abbey are coming to a museum near here starting March 1st, and I was able to buy tickets for the exhibit yesterday, so my mom and I can go see it when she visits next month!

I also got a belted shawl collar wool cardigan sweater, that I think would make this outfit just perfect for this weather (and channel one of Lady Edith's wartime outfits!), but it was still at the dry cleaners having a wash, so I'll save that for another post.

I'm telling myself that my bare face is period appropriate, but the truth is that I have pneumonia and don't have a lot of extra energy today, so did a minimal job in the getting-dressed department.

  

My shoes are Clarks, and so comfortable!  I can style them from this period up through the early 1940s, and they aren't so fancy that I can't wear them casually.  I bought them used for less than $30 on ebay.

 I'm thinking of making this a little series, as I've been on a DA fashion kick lately, and I'm hoping some of you might enjoy a bit of inspiration from the Great War era. 

For the record, all these clothes are modern:

Navy Blouse: Metro Style, via ThredUp

Wool Skirt: Pierre Cardin via Thredup

Brown elastic belt: Macy's (old)

Brown tights: Foot Traffic via Sock Dreams

Necklace: Etsy, koololejools

Earrings: (old) Etsy, MrsSMeow (no longer in business)

Talking Tuesday: Tony Woodlief

An excellent reflection on the mortal coil and the condition of the soul by Tony Woodlief, writing about the death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Read the whole thing--it is well worth it, and not very long.  

"Things have never been better in the realm of the measurable. But the human soul has no gauge. It has no quantity and so no self-respecting scholar will come near it. This world is better than it has ever been, so long as we forget that we have souls, and hearts that beat despite being broken.

This is not a brief against progress. I have the luxury of this lament because I do not have to spend all my hours scratching out subsistence. I am only trying to say that something has gone missing. We aren’t measuring wrong things, it’s just that we’ve forgotten what is immeasurable. And if we cannot remember this part of humanity, we will turn every good thing against ourselves. Man is, in the end, a creature who flees pain.

And where may he run, to be free from a life that is, by every scientific measure, less painful than ever, yet somehow more inviting of despair?

I have run many places and never found refuge. At best I’ve achieved brief forgetfulness, the price of which is recalling, when you come back to yourself, what you did to forget. I do not know the shape of hell, but I think it is a spiral."

Tony Woodlief, "Past Where Legs Can Carry", Sand in the Gears Blog, February 6, 2014

Let Me Say Once More That I Love You...

In our current culture, (and I'm super guilty of this) we tend to use the word "love" for almost everything, from the extremely mundane to the supremely sublime.  It's not that the English language doesn't have gradations for words to indicate strength of feeling or simple preference, but most of us default to the simple love.

Lest you think I'm here to talk about how we shouldn't use it so much, or that we've devalued the word, or whathaveyou, that isn't my focus at all today.  In fact, I'm here to say that we don't say it nearly enough, especially when it really matters.  I think it is important to tell people that we love them, and not just on special occasions.  Everyone is struggling with something, and usually the people who need love the most are the ones who appear to need it the least.  I'm a fairly private person, and it is difficult for me to express myself emotionally, and I think sometimes that comes off as aloofness, or coldness.  The opposite is actually true--I feel so deeply, so strongly, that I can't articulate it adequately, and I'm afraid of being rejected.  But I know that when love is expressed to me, it lifts me up, pulls me out of myself, helps me to see others and love them too.  Sometimes hearing a simple "love you" or "sending love" or even reading a closing on an e-mail that is signed, "love" from a friend can make a huge difference to my day.  It can be the difference between hope and despair.  I'll be the first to admit that it is hard to do sometimes.  What will the other person think?  I feel uncomfortable sharing my feelings!  Push past the discomfort and do it anyway.  You just might save a life.  And perhaps that life might be your own.

Odds and Ends, Vol. 4

I've amassed another list of articles, so time for another edition of Odds and Ends!  I'm glad that some of you are enjoying this feature.  I'm hoping to make some blog buttons to go along with the regular features here, but first things first.

Jen Fulwiler on why it is important to take time to rest, and on the importance of adhering to a sane daily schedule.  I really needed to read that this week.

Rod Dreher on the importance of telling stories.  I know this is becoming somewhat of a theme on this blog, but the loss of shared cultural narrative in the West troubles me very much, and I'm interested to hear what thinking people have to say about it, as well as what to do to save the stories we have.

Amazing photos of a frozen cave along Lake Superior.

How to raise a pagan kid in a Christian home.  The ways that we can subtly undermine our own teaching in the home, or worse, fail to pass on our values, our beliefs, our stories to the next generation.

The stuff priests are made of.  These photos gave me goosebumps--fearless priests and monks facing the riot police, in the no-man land between the angry protesters and the authorities in Ukraine.  It has never been more important to pray for the peace of the world.

Why the phrase "Do What You Love, Love What You Do" is not only fallacious, it undermines the menial work that makes up much of life.  Long, but worth reading.

For those of us who come out of academia, the phrase "publish or perish" is just part of the deal.  Sarah Kendzior writes why this might be a bad thing.

Notes on Nursery Rhymes--how the stories we tell our children form a collective cultural narrative.

Men and women experience time differently, and it affects how they parent and perceive household duties.  This article was quite fascinating to me, as I've done a lot of research and writing on time.

How Place Fosters Art.

Amazing photo portraits of a five year old recreating old paintings.

And in a similar thread (for those who haven't seen it): Flemish self portraits in an airplane lavatory.

Why communal spaces are important (and please do follow the embedded links to the anti-ergonomic park benches.  They are funny and sad at the same time.  I live in a city that struggles with high poverty rates, and I get why loitering needs to be curtailed (broken windows theory certainly applies here), but the commons are important for vital city life, and I'm interested in how to preserve it in ways that serve the needs of the majority of residents.

Can't have an Odds and Ends without Matt Walsh, and he's killing it with this one.

Christy reflects on Chesterton's thoughts about the importance of freedom in the home.

Meagan Francis talks about This Tenuous Life and the resilience and fragility of humans.

Jenny's Wellness Project.  I'm taking notes.

Cheers for Chubby, a funny little video from the 1950s that playfully demonstrates how to get fit and healthy.

A funny: if company slogans were honest.

Glennon at Momastery writes about how social media can interfere with real life (but also provides reasonable ways to live with social media).  I'm reading her book, Carry On Warrior, and am highlighting something every few pages!

Also from Glennon, The questions that can save your relationship.  My favorite part is the description of her day with littles.  "How was my day? Today has been a lifetime. It was the best of times and the worst of times. There were moments when my heart was so full I thought I might explode, and there were other moments when my senses were under such intense assault that I was CERTAIN I'd explode. I was both lonely and absolutely desperate to be alone. I was saturated -- just BOMBARDED with touch and then the second I put down this baby I yearned to smell her sweet skin again. I was simultaneously bored out of my skull and completely overwhelmed with so much to do. Today was too much and not enough. It was loud and silent. It was brutal and beautiful. I was at my very best today and then, just a moment later, at my very worst. At 3:30 today I decided that we should adopt four more children, and then at 3:35 I decided that we should give up the kids we already have for adoption. Husband -- when your day is completely and totally dependent upon the moods and needs and schedules of tiny, messy, beautiful rug rats your day is ALL OF THE THINGS and NONE OF THE THINGS, sometimes within the same three minute period. But I'm not complaining. This is not a complaint, so don't try to FIX IT. I wouldn't have my day Any.Other.Way. I'm just saying -- it's a hell of a hard thing to explain -- an entire day with lots of babies."

Spot on.