Category Archives: Style
Tea Party Dress Refashion
I picked this dress up at Goodwill for $3 to wear to my friend’s bridal shower tea party that I’m hostessing with her other bridal attendants this summer.
Stunning, I know.
I obviously knew I couldn’t wear wear it as is and not be shunned. I was wearing jeans under it when the picture was taken!
I never intended to wear it that way, I saw the great print and waist on it and decided to make it look something like these dresses from Kohls ($100 ), Macy’s ($59) and Forever 21 ($19).
- The first thing I did was remove the worn buttons. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to replace them with different buttons or turn the old ones into fabric-covered buttons, but when they didn’t leave behind any holes of weird fabric bunches, I decided I didn’t really need buttons.
Read the rest of this entry
Dress for the Mood You Want
Diabetes completely kicked my butt the other night. A stressful, unexplained high + a drastic fall and shakey, sweaty low + lack of sleep and a low-hangover basically turned me into a Monday morning zombie… as if Mondays aren’t challenging enough on their own!
Instead of tossing on khakis (or jeans!) and a random top then dragging myself into work, I opted to go with an outfit that I’d recently discovered while cleaning out my closet: a black pencil skirt and a hot pink spring sweater.
I actually look kind of tall
I’ve found that if I feel like a zombie and dress like a bum, I end up being a bummy zombie all day, which on weekends and sick days can be a welcome break, but on a Monday when stuff needs done… bummy zombie is NOT an option. Wearing a nice outfit and make up even when I would only be leaving my office for more coffee/tea and bathroom breaks made me feel more… human. Not only that, I got compliments from coworkers on how nice I looked. Dressing for the mood I wanted to be in, distracted everyone (including me) from the mood I started my day with.
Do you have a go-to tactic to keep from being a zombie after a rough night?
Third Time’s a Charm?
Speaking of diabetes…. Last night I couldn’t resist snapping this picture of my PDM collection:
Hiding
Most of us get pretty psyched when we see someone wearing and insulin pump “in the wild” and dish out some education when people see our own robot gear. Diabetes may be an “invisible illness” but it manifests visually a lot more than others would think.
Honestly though, being loud, proud and pancreatically challenged all the time isn’t my cup of tea. On a normal day at the office, at home or with family the arm sites and visible Dexcom sensors are no big deal. Sometimes I just want to hide in all and look like the normal, healthy person that I am. Most of the time though, the attire for those occasions doesn’t make it easy.
My pancreas was still operational when Brad and I got married, so I didn’t need to worry about the mechanics behind wearing a wedding dress AND an insulin pump like many d-brides have to. On New Year’s Eve, I didn’t want anyone eying my robot parts so I shuffled my rotation and site change times to hide my pod on my thigh and my Dexcom sensor on my backside then wore made wardrobe adjustments to keep the delicate, clingy fabric of my dress from showing the bumps. I stashed my d-gear in a clutch and commandeered on of Brad’s pockets for my PDM (I bought the largest clutch I could and everything still didn’t fit!).
No evidence of robotics
5 Style Choices That Make Mom Proud
When I was a teenager I hated being told to tuck in my shirt. No outfit needed a tucked-in shirt. Now, 9 out of 10 times, I tuck in my shirt (I also wear belts too!). Mom would be so proud.
Here are some other grown up style choices that I’m sure would make mom proud:
1. Owning jeans that are in good repair. My parents used to wonder, “Why would you pay good money for new pants that look old?”
2. Owning more pencil skirts than mini skirts. (although since I’m so short most of my “pencil” skirts said “mini” on the tag) Fingertip length rule anyone?
3. Wearing panty hose or tights.
4. Matching my socks. Also, matching my earrings (wouldn’t you love to see a picture of how I dressed at 15?)
5. Keeping a cardigan on hand. I can’t tell you how many times I regretted not bringing a sweater like my mom had recommended.
Wearing hose, a pencil skirt AND that’s a sweater sleeve poking out!
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Refashioned Pink Cardigan
Only on a rare occasion will you hear me call a cardigan a “cardi” I think it sounds a bit odd. But anyway, I love cardigans.
I’m more likely to be found wearing a cardigan sweater instead of a traditional sweater like my light pink sweater… that may or may not have been purchased in the girls’ department several years ago.
If it’s a size large in my closet… it came from the girls’ department
I liked the pinkish, peach of the sweater, the pearl details and its soft look but I didn’t really wear it very much because I’m not a fan of pulling static-inducing sweaters over my head.
I love the dainty detail
I measured and cut straight down the middle of the front. Sewed the edges and affixed a little ribbon tie. Now I have a cute little “cardi.” Read the rest of this entry
Friday Five: Confessions
This Friday Five thing might become a regular feature….
Anyway it’s time for some confessions of the week:
- I lost my credit card when I stopped to buy a head of lettuce at the store. I searched my purse, car and house before we reported it missing to the company. I’ll have a new card tomorrow. I found my “lost” card about an hour after the report, stuck to my driver’s license.
- I enjoyed a cup of coffee before my dentist appointment today (and after).
- I have already been plotting Christmas gifts for people, but I’m holding back because it seems so early to get them. Read the rest of this entry
It Might As Well Look Good
I find myself saying this a lot about all of my diabetes crap stuff.
“If I have to have this stuff with me it might as well look good.”
I have all of this not so stylish medical stuff that I have to should either wear or keep with me. I mentioned last summer that I bought a nice, new purse to accommodate my meter kit and insulin pens. The stuff that I carry has multiplied with the addition of my insulin pump and my CGM so my lovely purse is stuffed.
I also started wearing a medical id tag last winter after several relatives mentioned it’d be a good idea and/or offered to buy me one (I have generous family members). I bought a bracelet that looked good with what I wear on a regular basis (black, big surprise) but I wanted variety… apparently a lot of if. At $30-$60 a pop, ordering the other styles that I like is not an option, so I got crafty and made some of my own. The only things I bought for the specific purpose of the bracelets were lobster clasps and some super clearanced beads. Otherwise, I’m upcycling with leftover beads from wedding projects, old bracelets I’d stopped wearing and charms that came on my mom’s lotion bottles (thanks mom!).
Pockets and the Weekend Food Battles
I use a tubeless insulin pump, so I didn’t have a device clipped to my pants or in a pocket. While I work, my PDM sits on my desk. When I leave my office, it stays on my desk or goes in my purse.
Now that I’m using a Dexcom also, I have another item to keep track of. Most of the time the receiver sits on my desk, but I’m trying to get into the habit of taking it with me when I leave my office because it can’t do its job if it can’t receive signals. I wear little pants because I’m little, which means I have little pockets. Why do girl pants have such tiny pockets?
I think I have three pairs of pants (that aren’t jeans) with adequately sized pockets for my Dexcom receiver. I also don’t own a single skirt with pockets at all.
I refuse to use the belt attachment unless I absolutely have to (and can cover it with my shirt) so for now I guess I have to carry it around.
And only buy pants with pockets in the future.
In other news:
P.F. Chang’s (which published nutritional information) defeated me and my crazy blood sugar on Friday night. At least it tasted good. But I defeated the unknown carb content in delicious ribs that we enjoyed at our local Rib n’ Rock.
How was your weekend?
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Mood Lifter
I’ve been a kind of stressed, tired and even a little angry lately. Not overall, but here and there. So the best thing I can think to do is step back and partake in “Thankful Thursday.”
I’m thankful for:
- Office coffee. I actually look forward to it on my way into work. The first sip puts me in the mood to start working.
- A tall husband. I love Brad, and would still love him if he were short, but that foot+ that he has on me in height comes in majorly handy. Especially since I can’t even reach the above the fridge cabinet while standing on a stool.
- A nosy neighbor. I was carrying my mom’s birthday present (a hanging flower basket) into the apartment building and ran into my neighbor. “That’s a pretty flower,” she told me and I could tell that she was curious why I had it. I just replied thanks and stepped onto the elevator. It was a nice confirmation that I’d picked a pleasant plant for my mom.
- Ruffles and colors. Read the rest of this entry
Friday Five: Making Me Happy
Mar 29
Posted by Probably Rachel
Things that have made me happy in large and small ways this week…
1. My 75-cent pin. I’ve been thrifting for a project and while I’ve been scouring thrift shops for teacups, I’ve also found myself checking for little treasures… like my 75-cent, key stick pin. When I saw it, I knew it’d be perfect for pinning on scarves.
2. Life’s little bizarre events. Things like the clicker on my pen randomly springing off in the middle of a meeting.
3. This video of the surfing bulldog. A coworker shared it with me this week and it was cute enough to make my husband kind of want a dog.
4. Lint rollers. I keep a lint roller in the bedroom, one near the back door and one in my desk. They’re wonderful inventions that keep me looking put together. I find that I lint roll before I leave for work to catch any stray pet hair. Then I lint roll again before I leave the office to get my own hair off my clothes. Seriously, put one in your Easter basket.
5. Easter. I like Easter, even if it’s still acting like winter Easter screams spring. I love tulips, lilies and daffodils that seem to be making an appearance. I love saving back a pretty dress to wear to Easter church service. It’s a refreshing holiday.
What’s been making you happy lately?
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Friday Five: Things I Love Right Now
Friday Five: Things I Don’t Understand
Emerald
Posted in Commentary, Style, Uncategorized
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Tags: animals, Friday Five, Happy, style