Farmer's Markets - 11/12/11

So, this is what I wore to go to the Farmer's market today. It was a mild fall day and I'd hoped the sweater would keep me warm enough with the help of the sun. It was a good thought. Sadly I was prepared for the ambient temperature, but not the wind. The cold, cold wind. Again I focused on comfortable walking shoes, leg warmth, overall comfort, and cuteness.

Oh, Hi Thoven.

A close up of the knit on the sweater I was wearing.
Sweater - Target thrifted $2
Turtle Neck - unknown brand via Crossroads Trading Co. $9
Leggings - Victoria's Secret $12
Denim Skirt - Abercrombie & Fitch thrifted and altered by me $5
Shoes - Privo by Clarks via DSW $35

V and I have made a habit of visiting the Farmer's Markets in Chicago - Chicago has an amazing number of neighborhood markets during the spring, summer, and fall - and this week we started going to a new market that's open through the coldest months. I'm excited that we can continue our new ritual even though the weather is getting cooler. Sadly, for me, this was not to be. Like I do, I remembered my train pass, but not my cash. So I got to walk around the new space and get a feel for the stalls I like and the prices to anticipate. All was not lost.

Chicago's Green City Market did not disappoint.



The gourds and peppers are beautifully in season right now. G and I have been trying a few new things each week and really enjoying coming up with new recipes to use it all.

It's a cat in a box. This is our oldest, Williams. She's named after and American composer and yes, she's a she. Most folks assume she's a he because we call her Will. I brought some new flatware and dishes home from work in this box and, as cats are prone to do, she found the empty box entirely too tempting to leave alone. I fairly often get free things at work. In this case the boss-man wanted new dishes for the office so the old ones were set out for the taking. Um. Okay. I'll bite.
When the evening had just started, G and I went to our favorite local coffee house to read and pass some time. We each drank a press pot or two of tea and I had a chocolate and lemon macaroon. Yeah. Those didn't last long enough for me to get a shot of them. As we were sitting there a musical group came in to play a set and raise funds for a trip abroad. We chipped in and joined their raffle cause why not, and wound up winning a gift card to Starbucks. Good day.

Sans Pictures

Hey all. And by that I mean, hey me! And maybe L? G is off visiting a grad school today and he has the camera, so this will be a pictureless post.

I admit I'm feeling a bit at loose ends. It's weird when G's not there. When he's around I find myself sometimes wishing I had more alone time - not that I don't absolutely LOVE spending time with him, but sometimes you want your own time, ya know? - and now that I have an evening of unmitigated alone time I'm not sure how to spend it. I find myself missing him already. I know that feeling is absurd to a certain extent - I don't Normally see him during the day and I did see him just this morning as he left - but I'm already pining for the lack of him I will experience this evening.

We're not the kind of couple who needs to spend every waking hour together and never have been. We go for quite a few days sometimes seeing each other only as we get ready in the mornings. It's only when he's physically incapable of going home that I find myself feeling homesick for him.

I suppose that's kind of nice actually. I am not one for love at first sight or anything thunder-clappy, but I honestly can't imagine my life without him. He's my best friend, closest confidant, and best of all makes me laugh at myself. He is my true love.

Perfect Weekend

I had absolutely the perfect weekend last weekend. I didn't have any morning obligations so I was able to wake up whenever my body wanted me to, I found a beautiful dress on super sale for an event I have coming up which also allowed me to spend time with one of my closest girlfriends (always a bonus), I got some laundry done, I was able to clean the house...it was just good.
Sweater Dress: Brand unknown ($11.50)
Boots: Aerosoles via Piperlime (giftcard)
Sleeves and socks: Target ($10.00)
Tights: Target ($5?)

Whilst shopping I was wearing this thrifted sweater dress which I'd found only a couple of weeks ago at Crossroads Trading Company. I do enjoy that store. The boots were worn as much for comfort as fashion since I knew I'd be doing a fair amount of walking from shop to shop on State street. The just-this-side-of-chilly weather had me donning my trusty sleeves which are really socks that I cut the toes out of. Very handy for large sleeves that don't want to go in a jacket. Plus when it got warmer as the day wore on I was able to simply take the sleeves off.

On Sunday, G had a "thing" in the morning and I needed to work on some invitations for a holiday party my girlfriend (I'll call her V) and I host each year. This year it's a joint venture with the event planning company V created (and with which I am involved), VKH Events (www.vkhevents.com), but that just means that our own little party gets a little fancier and will see itself on the web site come January. So I hunkered down on the couch to watch romantic comedies and make invitations. That's a great day to me, to be sure.

Without G there I needn't worry about using eggs or dairy in my cooking (it's an allergy of his that keeps us from eating them regularly), so I whipped together this little treat for myself for breakfast. Organic spinach and potatoes cooked in a little olive oil on the stove top along side scrambled eggs with a little fresh Farmer's Market thyme and salt and pepper. Coffee and OJ on the side. Yurm.

And, also this weekend, our youngest, Thoven, found the joys of the bathroom sink. He's a beast but we love him. Here. Have a picture of our cat in a sink.

Some Medical Words of Wisdom

I get a newsletter from my GP (General Practitioner - non-specialist MD) every once in a while. Please note, I freakin' Love my doctor and the entire office of doctors he works with. They aim for holistic solutions before invasive ones unless you request something invasive. Holistic healing, I feel, should be a cornerstone of healing in the West. Sadly, it's what's most often missing in our medicine and the whole healthcare industry.

Today's newsletter's lead article was about stress in the workplace. I think we can all relate to stress in the workplace, especially now that the recession seems to be dragging on to infinity and beyond. I have been dealing with my own bouts of depression and mood swings and everything that corresponds to too much work cramming into too little time with coworkers who are awesome, but grossly over-worked. Tensions runnin' high today at the ole office.

Article can be found here.

The last paragraph is what really hit home for me. I don't know if I am capable of just letting go the way the article proposes, but the thought of it actually brings a certain amount of peace to my little island of inner turmoil. Recently, my husband (I'll call him G) and I have been talking about how we can be happier and healthier people for ourselves and for one another. He mentioned something last weekend as I was rushing from one obligation to another that hit home in the same way the article has done. He said we have to take stock of what we spend our time on. The things that add to stress that we don't enjoy doing, we should really reevaluate. Life is too short to spend our time on things that offer us no benefit or worse add to worry and stress and actually make life harder. Maybe it's a sign of my age - I used to be able to go to work, be in a show, help run a company or two, entertain friends, and so on without a second thought. I'm having a hard time doing that anymore.

So what's my grand plan? I don't have one yet. I'm going to start cutting back, though...and adding in. Exchanging one stressful activity for a relaxing one - and maybe that's all the goal I need for now. How about you? Does that article hit home for you? What're you going to do about it?

A Change is in the Air

I've just been inspired to regroup and re-imagine this blog. So watchout! Yes. All one word.

I'll be retooling this blog a bit in light of recent life and lifestyle changes to highlight a few more things and allow for more frequent posts (fingers are crossed on this one) and things that apply to more of my life. That's the trouble with building a blog around thrifting. That's not what I feel my life is about at all - though I do only clothes shop in thrift and resale stores. I shop for clothes maybe twice a year with the occasional ebay purchase thrown in for good measure. So while thrifting (literally speaking) does apply to my life in a big way, it's not a constant enough to make it worth reading about (or blogging about).

However, my husband and I have had some recent adventures in vegetarianism, wait veganism, wait what IS this diet we're eating and I'm thinking that a daily food post with the occasional clothing post with the occasional thisisourlife post might just be a good way to go for this blog.

I'm not ready to give it up just yet, so hold on to your ergonomically resplendent seats and let's go for a ride. Giddayup!