30 for what.

This is and was the beginning of my Feb 2011 30for30 attempt. I found myself, oh about half an hour ago, in a mountain (think Mt Everest) of crushed clothes, desperately trying to take close-ups of 30 pieces of clothing. Which items of clothing in which outfit combinations would impress the blogosphere? Would more readers come to my blog if I wore this with this?

Am I going mad?

After finishing mosaic number 1, I realized I was taking on the challenge for all the wrong reasons (me=genius). There are places I’d love to go with my own blog, my own dress-sense, my own body, my breakfast ideas and my writing that perhaps don’t need that external challenge at the moment.

Don’t get me wrong, I had such a hoot the first time round. But this time I’ll be bowing out gracefully and be contentedly inspired by all of your efforts. In fact, I’m more likely to be trying to copy you after the event. But that’s OK, right?

The big deal about breakfast: part 3

In part 2, I wrote about how a good breakfast makes me feel.   I love me a good rule, so in this part, I'm going to lay some down and in all probability break them tomorrow.

A 'break fast habits' good breakfast...

... differs from the one I had the day before (variety being the spice of life). 

... satisfies my hunger level at that moment.

Is…

... full of balanced, fresh ingredients.

... enjoyed and digested slowly.

And, last but not least, never takes itself too seriously.

(Now this is a good breakfast.  A 'healthy' take on the old 'Birchermüsli'.  I mean, the original only tastes heavenly because it's full of sugar and cream.

................Mmmm. Sugar and cream.............

Anyway, you'll need:

A small pot of runny plain yoghurt mixed with a dash of milk, if you like things even more runny.

Mixed with

3 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 a grated (sweet) apple
1/2 a mashed (sweet) banana

Ta ra!



It can be a tad tangy, so go for sweet fruit (or some honey?).  I chopped the rest of the banana on top and sprinkled with linseeds and cinammon.




Quick and fresh!  What do you think?)

Broach: the subject (the sporran)

The lovely Colette's Friend Friday post is the inspiration for my getting-dressed antics this week.

This morning, I chose the dark green cardigan and moss-green tights (no.they.are.not.black) to complement the red stones in my lovely brooch.  The brooch itself is actually tying the fasteners of my skirt together so in real life it looks quite decent.  In blogger life, it looks rather like a mini-sporran, which also isn't bad.  It just isn't very decent.







How would you wear this brooch?  Any ideas?
 

Broach: the subject (matchy matchy)

Boy, was I tired this morning.  Talk about the dead of winter. 

Anyway, on a brighter note (you gotta laugh), the term 'matchy matchy' totally cracks me up.  I'd never heard of it before reading Already Pretty and now that I have, of course, I want to do it every day.  Getting dressed this morning was just my chance.

 

Silver in brooch = grey in trousers;
Red stones in brooch = red in shoes;
Black between the spaces in brooch (tenuous, I know, tenuous) = black blazer



Black gets a hard time in the blogosphere at the moment. I have a sneaking suspicion it's preparing an elegant and beautiful comeback when the time's right. Don't you?

Any ideas for an outfit inspired by my brooch?

Broach: the subject

The lovely Colette's Friend Friday post is the inspiration for my morning getting-dressed antics this week.  Thank you!  She uses her tights as a starting point for creating her outfits!  Tights! 

Great idea; problem being that the colour range of my own tights goes all the way from black to very dark moss green.  I've just fallen asleep thinking about the outfit opportunities from that colour range.

But...

I do have some beautiful brooches.  What about one week with outfits created around the same brooch?  Would that work?




So, girls, help me out.  What to wear with a silver and red brooch now?

Friend Friday: Pre-planning Outfits

Friend Friday courtesy of ModlyChic

Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend?
I've started trying to plan my outifts for roughly 5-7 days in advance, as part of this 'break fast habit' thing that I'm doing and, so far, it's reduced my morning stress levels significantly.  In fact, I'm even having fun with it!  The really funny thing is though, despite all that planning, I quite often make last minute changes if my mood has changed, or I'm not too happy with the way the outfit has (n't) worked out once it's on.  I suppose, the positive difference is having too many ideas in the morning as opposed to none at all.  Here's one example of what I had planned to wear, and what I ended up wearing:




Thanks to my great photography skills, you can't see that my ring and shoes are actually deep purple, and my tights are a very dark moss green.

How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet?
Fashion blogs give me a lot of inspiration these days, and I always try to relate a new combination or interesting idea to my own wardrobe. The pattern mixing post and my red shoes were inspired by other fashion bloggers.

Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don't repeat?
My fashion goals are to feel good and have fun with what I'm wearing, so repetition doesn't normally bother me (see this post for a contradiction on that statement:-).  This blog obviously helps me track some of my outfits, especially the LinkWithin function where random outfit posts from ages ago pop up and remind you what you've worn.

To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?
My goals are actually to slow down my dressing process; to enjoy the simple morning things in life (and it doesn't get simpler than getting dressed) while bringing a little more fun and creativity my way.  Getting up early, spending a little more time on planning and taking outfit pics all help me do that.

For the Morgenmuffels among us

Morgenmuffel is one of my all-time favourite German words; literally meaning 'morning grump', or, a person who really isn't good with mornings as a concept in general.  Recognise yourself?

Welcome.  Today's breakfast is for the Morgenmuffels among us you (I'm an early bird, remember?).

When you're feeling at one with yourself and the world (i.e. the night before), chop up 2-3 of your favourite fruits with a smile on your face.  Mix, 1 fruit at a time, with a dash of lemon juice and a dash of apple juice.  Layer them in a large glass and gaily place them in the fridge overnight.  You'll notice I've gone for apple, banana and blaeberries:



Skip lightly off to bed and await Morgenmuffel's appearance the next day.

Get up as grumpy as hell.  Grumpier if you can manage it.  Take lovingly prepared fruit from the fridge and pour your choice of runny yogurt over it (vanilla is always nice, but I prefer plain in the morning).  Top with a teaspoon of linseeds.





Healthy, speedy (just when you need it) and made with love&happiness.  Mood gone?  Thought so.

My Blues

Opening the doors to my wardrobe is reminiscent of the North Sea in winter... awash with icy greys and steely blues.  I'm getting a little tired of it myself, but my weary eyes, first thing in the morning, are unendingly grateful.

Instead of rushing out to buy reds and blacks, though, I've decided to listen to the blogosphere.  Work with what you've already got, both clothes-wise and figure-wise. A sensible movement, if ever I read one.

So... notice anything different?



My first ever pattern mix!

If you squint your eyes while tilting your head sideways at the last picture, you might spot a subtle pinstripe to my blue jacket.  A clear pattern if ever I saw one - mixed with something bolder (i.e. the scarf). Beginners (via Sal, thank you) are advised to keep it in the same colour shade... which for me and my blues is no problem at all.

The big deal about breakfast: part 2

How can a good breakfast help you?...
 ...hm...

Well, on a good day (which for me would mean getting up on time, choosing the right ingredients and munching leisurely), a good breakfast helps me to feel:

- Hydrated: the world's most underestimated feeling
- Energized: not starving, not stuffed and
- Relaxed

On a brilliant day, I have also been known to feel concentrated right through until my first break at work. All reasons enough for me to try and eat 'well' in the morning (whatever 'well' means).



(Talking about good breakfasts... WOW... did we have something special yesterday: the Edible Perspective's Banana Scramble.  It's...

banana-ey
coconut-ey
cinnamon-ey
vanilla-ey
peanut butter-ey (if you choose that as your topping) 

... in fact, it's just about every -ey a girl could wish for in her breakfast.  All of the smells and tastes really came out, and it was delicious.  Thank you Ashley. 

My only (two) word(s) of warning for those trying it at home would be... make sure you are 1. famished before eating or 2. about to venture into heavy-duty sports activities (iron-man comes to mind) two hours later.  This humble scramble has enough fuel potential to fire a jumbo jet.  No kidding.

Nearly finished... will I manage that last mouthful?



... mmmmm.)

Sorry, I digress.  What about you guys?  Your thoughts on good breakfasts? 

Carry on camping

It was so much fun - laughing with great friends; popping choccies into my mouth and giving a don’t-mind-if-I-do to extra helpings of roast potatoes. Then the party prep, coupled with a little healthy stress, found me gouging out the Toblerone-cheesecake bowl in an attempt to get every.last.drop of that chocolate out of there (I did manage it). In other words, I’ve eaten a tad too much over the holidays. No excuses and some great times had in the process.



My work wardrobe, on the other hand, gave me a hell of a pinch this morning.

Ouch.

So, without further ado, let me gracefully introduce you to this week's tent-inspired getting dressed results.  You’ll be seeing this black pinafore once, twice or even more until my normal clothes fit me again .




Scarves always distract the eye :-)  Do you like the bow or the pocket version better?

Salt in your porridge puts hairs on your chest

I'm not selling this very well, am I.

I've yet to meet someone outside Scotland who puts salt on their porridge.  OK, perhaps I haven't been around enough.  Perhaps you were sent to read this blog and open my mind?

If I had to choose a life-time favourite breakfast, salty porridge would be it.  Super simple, healthy and very tasty.

You'll need:



1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup water
1 chopped apple
1 dashing dash of SALT (OK, or honey with chopped hazelnuts for the lily livers)

Boil up the oats and water until the consistency's right for you.  It doesn't take long - a mere matter of minutes - just keep stirring.  I prefer thick and creamy, others light and runny.  Pour over the chopped apple, add your dash of salt (or your honey/nuts) and some:



... milk.



Easy peasy.  Tastes fan...tas...tic.  No kidding.  I have the hairy chest to prove it.

The big deal about breakfast: part 1

A good breakfast, eaten on a daily basis, is not going to change your life forever. No, it’s not going to bring thousands of readers to your blog, slim you down to size 0 proportions, solve your relationship problems or get you a pay rise (shame really).

A good breakfast, though, eaten slowly and on a daily basis will help you. A lot.

Think about how. And we'll talk.

In the meantime, try crumbly pumpernickel with cottage cheese, sticky honey topped with sliced hazelnuts and some fresh fruit on the side.




Fashion bloggers be warned: outfit shots to be taken before consumption :-)