Everyday Beauty V: Tidiness is a result of aesthetics

An empty desk is functional but is it beautiful? A cup holding pens is functional, but a pen cup made from cut glass in a metal frame is beautiful beyond its function. So it is with all things pertaining to beauty including the art of tidying. Marie Kondo, in her book, THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP, writes of taking an object into one’s hands and asking, “Does this object bring me joy?”  That action is about aesthetics, not about function.  An object may be beautiful due to its function but what causes you joy is not merely function–it is aesthetics. … Continue reading

Looking To 2013

I love the pristine hopefulness of a new year. A New year has so many possibilities, so much potential and a whole 12 months of adventure in it. I shall make plans and enter into the New Year eagerly and energetically.  How will it turn out?  Will the New Year be a disaster, or success, or something in between? I resolve to cling tightly to my personal goals.  I plan to adhere to my healthy eating plan, geared to my issues with blood sugar, and my need to lose weight.  How?  I will combat the feelings of deprivation by pampering … Continue reading

REVIEW: It’s So You

“Personal style is a wink at the fashion world. Your style says, I’ve got control over you, and you’ve got nothing over me.” –from the introduction to It’s So You IT’S SO YOU by Mary Sheehan Warren, New York, Scepter Publishers, 2011, originally published by Spence Publishing, Dallas, TX, 2007; reprinted with permission. We all want to enjoy having control over fashion and often do not know how to do it.  Fashion is ever changing and usually totally wrong for anyone outside of the model walking down the runway.  IT’S SO YOU by Mary Sheehan Warren is a marvelous answer … Continue reading

A Fun Event: Tourney of Squires, Cadets and Aracarius

I had so much fun this Saturday! Baby in tow, outdoors, social FUN! The fun of an organization like the Society for Creative Anachronism is that it encourages a study of history that is oriented to the people and how they actually lived, then creating aspects of that way of life without the elements that were, well, not so fun. This weekend’s event, only an hour from where I live so I could easily drive there, enjoy the day and drive home, was an outdoor event. Here is the top of the blurb from their facebook event page: Tourney of … Continue reading

History Texts and Learning Resources Recommendations

I used to hate history. It was a boring jumble of unrelated dates and isolated incidents completely focused on politics and economics that had no power to capture my imagination and thus could not be remembered.  BORING! Not anymore!  Several things came along to wake up my brain and make history something that I not only no longer dislike but I happily spend hours studying it! Dr. Warren H. Carroll wrote a series of World History texts titled his Christendom Series.  His writing turned me from a non-history learner to a person who enjoys the study of history. He made … Continue reading

Skirt Wars and My Skirt Phase

Anyone who knows me knows I love skirts. Long, full, swishy skirts are a delight and joy to wear.  Do I feel that skirts are extra-feminine?–yup; are skirts the ONLY clothing that is feminine?–nope. Do I feel skirts can be very modest?–yup; are skirts the only clothing that can be modest?–nope. My loving skirts does NOT mean I hate your jeans. Most clothing choices have modest versions but any of them can be made raunchy if you try hard enough. A person’s tastes and preferences in clothing vary over time.  I’ve had my pantsuit phase, my jeans and t-shirt phase, … Continue reading

Learning to Dress Modestly

It can be done!  You can be dressed modestly and also be appropriate for the office.  You can be dressed modestly and avoid being frumpy.  Just think about the various styles that have existed over the history of clothing and realize that today there is a wider variety of styles in fashion than ever before– it can be very exciting and confusing. One delightful book about modest style is IT’S SO YOU by Mary Sheehan Warren, which is about finding your personal style and colors and being frugal and stylish by buying only what works for YOU;  another is THE … Continue reading

Modesty and Victorian Re-creations

“Victorian women were feminine, perhaps the most deliberately feminine females of history, and dressed and carried themselves to look the part. Steampunk lasts in part because the Steampunkettes dress in pseudo-Victorian costume, and it looks very cute and very female. It is refreshing change from the dull unisex monotony of modernity.”–John C Wright–A Salute to Steam-Powered Cuteness The attraction of steampunk clothing to the modern woman interested in feminine and modest clothing that delights her own creative nature is in the period of clothing from which it takes inspiration. John C. Wright, over at his blog, gets into the reasons … Continue reading

Modesty Can Be Fun

I was enjoying some blogs found here, and from there here and here.  One of those blogs posted this question “Could Modesty Just Be More Fun?” My instant response was YES! Absolutely yes.  In a world where modesty is not found all that often, being different from the mob can be absolutely the most fun imaginable.  It is easy to discuss modesty based on the most obvious element, clothing, but it is not the only aspect of modesty; that said, I’m going to talk clothing first. There is the wide variety of clothing styles NOT being worn much these days, … Continue reading