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

Look What Kathleen Made!

I recently blogged about wanting to paint and stencil Flour Sack Towels.  For two weeks I've been meticulously drawing designs and hoarding supplies for the "big project".

Meanwhile,  my artsy friend Kathleen Gerdes, went to Target, bought a few towels, and  and actually completed them! (Obviously we work from opposite sides of our brains).

I love what Kathleen did!

For $1.00 plus the cost of a little fabric paint, wouldn't these make great gifts?

I've used 50% off coupons on a few stencils at Michael's and A.C. Moore but they can get pricey, even with coupons, so . . . 

I purchased some Mylar sheets and am having fun downloading simple shapes from the internet and cutting my own stencils.

 

Between Kathleen and I, our Target is now out of the towels, but, if you'd like to try this craft with us, they're still available at Target Online - $4.00 for a simple ribbon-wrapped package of four. To save on shipping, they'll "Ship to Store"; you can order online and pick them up at your local Target store.

Two friends and I plan to get together in my craft room later this week to trace and cut stencils. Since I've already squirreled away 8 packages of towels, we'll have to work fast.  At least I've got all the supplies we'll need:  Sharpies, Xacto knives, a bottle of wine, and . . . band aides!

Yours in Mylar,

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday #432 at A Stroll Through Life
Craftastic Monday Link Party at Sew Can Do
Style Showcase #39 at Savvy Southern Style
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Three Good Summer Reads!

I've been doing a lot of reading this summer.

Since I'm always looking for new authors and new books to try, I thought you might be too. 

Here are three "beach reads" you might enjoy:

The first book I read was The Lost Girls by Heather Young. I loved this book! It's a beautifully written mystery about the devastating power of family secrets. Secrets whose effects are felt for generations to come. It's a tale of sisters, of love, of loss, and of redemption. that takes place in a remote Minnesota lake house over four generations.  I simply didn't want this book to end!

The second book I read was extraordinary. It was The Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. I finished it three days ago and still can't stop thinking about it. In fact I was on my computer until 2:00 a.m  this morning reading about the real women who inspired the book.

The Lilac Girls is a work of historical fiction which takes place during World War II. It tells the stories of three young women between 1939 and 1959 - one a New York socialite, one a Polish prisoner at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, and one a German doctor.  The characters become very real and their stories eventually intertwine as the unforgettable plot unfolds. If you enjoyed Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls is a book you will love.  It is still haunting me.

The most recent book I read was the new novel by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, The President Is Missing.  Although I love thrillers, I don't generally read James Patterson anymore since he has started using "co-writers" to collaborate on his novels. But this time, since his co-writer was Bill Clinton, and since I'm a political junkie, I made an exception.

The President Is Missing was not in the "haunting"/"I'll remember it forever"  category of  The Lost Girls and The Lilac Girls, but it was a suspenseful mystery and a page-turning summer read. It's a tale of cyber-terrorism that feels all-too-real. The story is told in the first person with the President as the narrator. The plot twists are vintage James Patterson but the narrator's voice is classic Bill Clinton. A fun read!

I hope you have the chance to do some reading for enjoyment this summer and that, if you read a really good one, you'll pass your recommendation along to me!

Happy Reading!

This post is linked to:
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Flour Sack Towels

I've been looking for affordable 100% cotton Flour Sack towels to use with my craft group. We'd like to "play" with them using dye, fabric paint and/or stencils. Since we're experimenting with this craft for the first time, we don't want to invest a huge amount of money.

  (Maybe when we get really good!)

I've checked out flour sack towels at a local quilt shop, on Amazon, and with friends who own a screen-print shop. Until now, I've only found the 30" towels at $3.00 to $6.00 each.

Imagine my surprise to find these at Target on Saturday!

Four for $4.00!

They are good quality, 30" square and 100% cotton. I thought they must have been mismarked but they did ring up at $4.00 for 4, all neatly wrapped in a grosgrain ribbon. I bought two packages . . .  and went back the next day for two more!

 They were located in the new Target section of products called "Made By Design".

Now I'm looking forward to having my crafty friends over to see what we can create with them.

I have a few ideas from last year's Fiber College of Maine. These ladies used a combination of fabric paints . . .

 and stencils.

Another technique I'd like to try is shibori.

This shibori towel was a gift from a friend.

There is a good tutorial on the Japanese tie-dye technique here. Thanks to Tammy at her blog, Honestly WTF, for her great fiber art ideas!

The finished towels could be used as curtains for a small window, a table cloth for a small table, fabric for a sewing project, or as, well . . . dish towels!

Yours in flour sacks,

This post is linked to:

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life
Talk of the Town #131 at Knick of Time

Two Sisters On the Road

Do I have a story to tell you!

Back in 2007, my sister, Nancy and I took our first "Sisters' Road Trip" to Searsport, Maine.

We didn't know then that it would be our last road trip together.

The memories of our time together at the Shores are special ones and I reminisced about them often on my previous blogs, It's Always Something and  My Sister's Cottage.

Imagine my surprise when I heard that two sisters I never met had booked five days at Searsport Shores (where my sister Nancy and I first camped) after reading about it on my blog!

I often wonder if anyone is really reading my posts so this news was definitely blog-affirming. DH and I made plans to be in Searsport to meet these adventurous sisters, who had  trusted my blog posts enough to drive all the way from Texas and Ohio to be here!

The sisters, Lori and Becky, really wanted to look for sea glass so I took them to my "secret " sea glass beach. 

It was a "good tide" and there was more glass on the beach that day than I've ever seen at one time. Sisters' Karma? Lori even found a sand dollar!

Sometimes spotting the sea glass among the rocks is the challenging part.

Can you see the pice in the photo below?

The blog sisters did well and each returned to camp with a bucket of sea glass. I loved sharing their excitement!

The next day at the same beach, I saw a jellyfish . . .

And chatted with a local fisherman who was out digging clams.

Both this and sea glassing are done when the tide is low.

On Tuesday eveniing, while I was in the Casita in my  old t-shirt and borrowed boxer shorts  pajamas, there was a knock on the camper door. It was Lori and Becky stopping by to say "Goodbye". They were leaving Maine early the following morning. Long ride back to Ohio and Texas!

They surprised me with a pot of bright red Gerbera daisies . . . 

And a very special note.

Meeting two sisters who were following in the footsteps (tire tracks?) of Nancy and I meant the world to me. I watched them explore the Maine Coast and relived my "sister time" in Searsport. I saw them sitting shoulder to shoulder on their deck and could easily imagine the kinds of conversations they were having; the kind that only sisters can share.

Thanks to Lori and Becky. I remembered why I started blogging in the first place. 

This post is linked to:

Dwellings: Amaze Me Monday