I Can't Stop Laughing!

Having recently been required to "dress up" (here in Maine that means you have to leave your LL Bean boots at home) for an evening dinner party, I succumbed to vanity and purchased yet another Spanx. Before doing so, I decided to reread a post I wrote back in 2014 about my very first "Spanx" experience and why it didn't seem to work out. Aha!!! Back then I had purchased a two-piece Spanx ensemble that kept coming apart in all the wrong places. This time, I decided, I'll be smart and purchase a little (literally!) one-piece number.

Here it is!

Before I tell you how Spanx worked out for me this time, take a minute to read about my 2014 experience so you'll understand where I'm coming from . . .

October 13, 2014

     10 Tips for Dancing In Spanx

Do you wear Spanx???

We just returned from a beautiful wedding on Cape Cod and since I had to get into this knit dress...

I decided to expand (poor choice of words?) my selection of body armor undergarments by purchasing some Spanx for the occasion . Two pieces of Spanx actually . . . a top to "smooth out" my  tummy and waist . . .

And a "bottom" to contain . . . well, my bottom.

After I squeezed into those two pieces, I realized that you could see through the knit dress so I added a half-slip.

Once all of these layers, were in place, I have to admit, the dress looked pretty good. So off to the wedding DH and I went. That was when I realized that there is more to successfully wearing Spanx than Oprah would have you believe.

The ceremony and dinner went fine; I was sitting still. The reception, however, was another story. Dancing required frequent trips to the ladies' room to fine tune the Spanx. With each of my ridiculous retro dance moves the top half of the Spanx went up while the bottom worked its way down. End result? Total exposure of tummy section I was trying to hide. And the half-slip? Forgetaboutit. It ended up in my purse!

photo courtesy of Vintage Style Files

Here's what I learned the hard way:

10 Tips for Dancing In Spanx

1. When the DJ yells, "Let's Get Down!", don't do it!

2. Don't even consider trying to "Move Like Jagger".

3. During "Twist & Shout", don't try to see how low you can go. In fact, don't do the twist at all or your layers of Spanx will end up, well . . .  twisted.

4. When you are wearing multiple layers of Spanx and friends ask if you remember how to do the Swim, say "No"!

5. Don't try to keep up with the dance moves of  crazy BFF Karen while wearing Spanx.

6. When you're slow-dancing to a favorite oldie and start to feel all fluttery, it's probably just your Spanx coming loose.

7. When leaving the ladies' room, make sure all of your supporting layers are tucked  INSIDE your dress.

8. When you think your partner just said, "Thanx for the dance", consider that he may actually have just whispered, "Your Spanx are askance".

9. Stick to slow dances and your Spanx will thank you.

And finally . . .

10. When the band plays "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green, try not to take it personally.

While I was rereading that old post, I got laughing so hard I almost spit out my diet Coke!

Seems I'll never learn.

Anyway, on the evening of this cocktail party, I thought I was well-prepared. I had the Spanx. I had the shoes. I had the dress. But . . . it was the hottest evening we've had here in Maine so far this summer - 93 degrees and muggy. As I struggled into my tiny new one-piece Spanx, the sweat was pouring off my brow. By the time I did my make-up and reached for the dress, I was damp all over. So . . .

I gave up.

I ripped off the Spanx, threw it on the bed, and wore this dress instead. (I think the reason they call this a "swing dress" is because you can actually move in it without Spanx!).  Note: I hardly had to hold in my stomach at all in this little number.

DH and I had a great time at the party and I've think I've finally learned my lesson:  No more Spanx! From now on, I'm just going to accept my bulges and dress with the inner layer "au natural"!

If you've figured out a way to survive an evening in Spanx, I'd love to hear about it!  Meantime . . .

It's all good,

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday #432 at A Stroll Through Life

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Sundays at Home at Little Farmstead

Downsizing in the Garden

Now that Spring is here, we realize that we're not quite done downsizing.
We almost forgot that we need to downsize outside as well.

 

Gone are the three acres, trails through the woods, pool, fruit trees, and potting shed. So it's Goodbye to the lawn tractor, wheel barrow, and hoses for every occasion. Goodbye to the garden benches, broken, lawn chairs, yard art, soccer balls and pool noodles.

 

Packing for Mexico

Hola!  I can't believe it's finally here . . . the long-awaited "Girls' Getaway" to Cancun, Mexico.

 

Except for one, "the girls" are all educators in our 50's and 60's who have been getting together for years as part of our infamous "Gourmet Group".

My carry on is stuffed with plastic leis to shower on the "girls" at Logan airport, flamingo straws and cocktail napkins for our Margaritas, and plenty of books and snacks for the flight.

A Good Day to Sew

We've barely dug out from Tuesday's blizzard and it's snowing again.

 

It's a good day to sew.

 

I did get out long enough to go to the gym early this morning. One advantage to working with a personal trainer is that you have to show up . . . no excuses!

When I got home, I stopped at the base of our driveway to take this photo.

The Valentine Wreath I Made for the front door can barely be seen over the snow bank.

It's also a good day to be retired!

 

Once I finally got in to the house, I couldn't wait to change into cozy flannels and wool socks.  

I've been working on a simple hand-tied quilt to snuggle into on cool nights in our Casita this summer. That and a book will make the perfect afternoon.

One of the pleasures of winter is not having to feel guilty about staying in and sewing or reading.

 

DH has a Weight Watcher-friendly custard pie in the oven and it smells delicious.  Warm custard, a fire in the fireplace, my sewing, and a good book - or  LL Bean catalog - are all I need today.

 

(I just realized that even my current library book is set in the snow!)

 

Nothing can compare to a summer's day in Maine, but winter has its own appeal.

It forces us to slow down and appreciate the special joys of just being home.

Stay warm out there!

 

I Loved This Book!

"There was a time in Africa the people could fly. Mauma told me this one night when I was 10 years old."   And so this amazing story of two women . . . one a slave, one a slave owner . . . begins.

I was encouraged to read Sue Monk Kidd's The Invention of Wings by the gentleman who gave us our historical walking tour of Charleston, SC, when we visited there in June. I'm so glad that he suggested this amazing book to me. If you recall, Sue Monk Kidd was also the author of The Secret Life of Bees.  The Invention of Wings is her newest book, just out in hardvoer this year.

 

This book, a work of historical fiction spanning the first half of the 19th century, is inspired by the lives of Charleston's wealthy Grimke sisters. The character of Sarah is based on Sarah Grimke, an early South Carolina feminist and abolitionist

 

 

Sarah's life is contrasted to the life of  Hetty "Handful" Grimke, a slave of about her own age, who was "given" to her as her waiting maid for her 11th birthday. As both girls grow into women, and  unlikely friends,  they tell the story of their own lives as seen from their very different places in the world.

Fiber artists will enjoy this book for the importance that quilting plays in telling the story of Handful's family. Since slaves were not allowed to learn to read, Handful's "Mauma" records her history for Handful through her story quilts. 

 

This quilt was actually done by Harriet Powers, herself a former slave. A book with photos and descriptions of her quilts, Stitching Stars, is available here.

 

In The Invention of Wings, both  Sarah and Handful struggle for freedom . . .Handful from the injustices of slavery, and Sarah from the expectations and constraints, especially for women, of life in wealthy 19th century society. As the book unfolds and the girls' lives continue to collide, the struggles for abolition and womens' rights begin to intertwine through these two strong female characters. One of the best books I've read on so many levels!

I read The Invention of Wings on our last camping trip, to South Arm, and later today we leave for our next one...to Searsport Shores, my very favorite place on the coast of Maine. Our neighbors at Applegate know we are headed out on another trip when they see us pull the Casita into the driveway to pack it up. And we have the best neighbors in the world...

Our next door neighbor stopped over with this brand new "Roadtrip" game which she bought for us when she saw it at a yard sale. She said that the tin it comes in reminds her of our Casita!

And then, when we got home from errand-running yesterday, we found this great Bob Marley "Upta Camp" sticker wedged into the screen door of the Casita. Now it just so happens that one of our very favorite neighbors is best friends with Bob Marley's mother, and Bob Marley practically invented the phrase "Upta Camp", so I have a pretty good idea who gave us the sticker. Thanks M.E.!

Here it is on the Casita.

 

We're all packed and, once I get off the computer, ready to go!

 

We're off to Searsport . . . with another LL Bean bag full of books to enjoy while we're there!

 



I'm So Done With March!

Here in Maine, March came in like a lion and never went out.  

It was an unseasonably cold and dark month, but there were a few bright spots...

  



My bunny pillow...handmade by Claudia

Our infamous Gourmet Group, a group of friends who have celebrated dinner together every month or two for over 30 years, got together Saturday evening at BFF Claudia's house in Kennebunk. Although it was a  cold, rainy night, Claudia served a delicious spring-themed dinner of roast lamb on a gorgeous table decorated in an Easter theme.

 

The whole Bunny Family!

Claudia is a Home Ec. teacher who, as you might expect, sews and cooks beautifully. Not only does she teach middle school full-time, she also has her own very successful business creating gorgeous purses, totes and aprons which she sells online and at craft fairs. Each chair at Claudia's dinner table Saturday evening had a hand-painted, hand-sewn "bunny " pillow on it. What a surprise to hear that Claudia had taken the time to make one for each of us to take home!

 

And, for those of you who have been following along for awhile, I'm happy to share that our Mom's medical condition has stabilized. She is still in rehab. at Falmouth by the Sea and still unable to walk or swallow, but...she is comfortable, aware, and working hard to regain lost skills...which at 92 is not an easy task. She is well enough now to participate in activities at the facility, like the presentation by the Portland Museum of Art which I attended with her yesterday. She even wore a purple flower in her hair!

I love going to the events at Falmouth by the Sea with Mom. It's a beautiful facility, right on Casco Bay. In addition to skilled rehabilitation, the facility offers both long term care and assisted living. I've met some amazing residents there...with fascinating life stories...and hope to volunteer there someday when my Mom is no longer a patient. Older people have so much to teach us, if we take the time to really listen.

 

 

I couldn't help but laugh to myself yesterday at the Portland Museum of Art presentation though. The large dining room was darkened so that the docent could show slides of various paintings and, as she drew her rather lengthy presentation to a close, I realized that I was about the only person left in the room whose eyes were still open. Mom and most of her fellow art-lovers had fallen asleep!

 

 

The sun is shining on this first day of April and I am ever hopeful that Spring is finally here. This morning, DH shoveled off the back deck and went to LL Bean to buy a gas camping grill...both pretty positive signs of Spring.

 

But my personal favorite sign of Spring? Registration for Fiber College 2014 opened today!!! If you missed my 2013 post about Fiber College ("Summer Camp for Adults"), you can find it here. 

Fiber College is a chance to spend three or four days learning, creating, and making friends with other talented women in a beautiful oceanfront setting at Searsport Shores in Searsport, Maine. For more information, registration, and a list of 2014 classes, click on the Fiber College website here. 

 

I just registered for Fiber College 2014 this morning and am already getting excited. So far, I've signed up to take classes in Bookbinding...

  

and Needle Felting...



Dance Like Nobody's Watching by Kathleen Gerdes, Fiber College 2014

 



 I can't wait! 

 

 

 Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

My Boomer Bike

I got a new bike!

This is a pretty big event since the last time I got a new bike was for my 12th birthday in 1959. I think I'm just about as excited now as I was back on that crisp October day in Connecticut so many years ago. So...here she is...official color listed at LL Bean as "Wisteria".

I just had to have the basket...it snaps off so you can carry it while shopping and snap it back on to bring your purchases home on the bike...pretty clever...and a far cry from the heavy metal 1959 version.

I'm hoping that the new bike will help me shed the five pounds I've put on over the summer. And in September, I'll bring it to Fiber College at Searsport Shores. I can't wait to drag out my Birkenstocks, fill the bike basket with fabric and yarn, and spend four days connecting with my inner fiber artist (?).

Now all I need is a funny hat and a little dog!

Gone biking...