friday forte: appearances

Maybe I'm just vain but one of my big hangups right now is how old I look! I'm feeling a little "old lady-ish" and it's well before my time. As a SAHM (or more correctly, someone who works from the home) I have absolutely no need to dress up for work everyday, let alone sport a trendy hairstyle, embellish my visage with make up or be 'easy on the eye' to workmates. Occasionally the Wee Guy announces he likes to see me wearing a dress (cos I look like a princess, bless him) but other than that, there's no real feedback for my frumpy self around the house ...... except that I'm getting really critical of myself. Mirrors are demoralising and occasional SPT's a reminder of how much greyer my hair is/how my wrinkles collection is growing. In my mind I'm still only 21y old; mirrors jolt me back into mid-forties reality.
I've had to take direct action recently since my regular spectacles (bottom row, middle) are disintegrating with metal fatigue. I need to replace them soon. In the meantime, I'm wearing my school pair (bottom right image,  yes, that old!) and have been surprised at how different they make my face look. This launched me into a detailed online investigation of face shape vs. specs shape vs. hairstyling. For instance, according to the outline drawn in eyepencil on my mirror, I have a long face (length is greater than width), and a lot of forehead. I should choose glasses which add depth and  a hairstyle which doesn't drag down the face (see my current style for an example!!) but adds width. Bangs or a fringe are a must! Alas, my sleek Jennifer Aniston do needs to go.
But what will a radical makeover accomplish? (or even a less radical one to allow me to wimp out last moment?) What's in it for me? Would I feel more confident. Although I'm extremely proud of what my body has accomplished so far (re: childbirth, breastfeeding , recovery from complications of flu, and so on)  my body image problems are more to do with the packaging than what's underneath. Despite appearances influencing judgment, I think it would make me feel more at ease with myself.
If I knew I was presenting my best side and wasn't looking like a hag I could get on with the business of my mid-life crisis with fewer wardrobe malfunctions and interruptions.

forte!

wordless wednesday

..... and goodnight!

sunday specials

Well ...... life's looking up!
Sunshine, brunch al fresco with the boys, frisbee on the field .........

friday forte: meaning

I must thank Annie from PhDinparenting for the content of my post today. This video sums up so eloquently a lot of what I am struggling with right now, in choosing the direction of my life from here on and the 'complications' thrown in each way I contemplate by my traveling companion, The Wee Guy.

I still wouldn't have it any other way.

forte!

date night

aquarium life, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

I can heartily recommend IKEA for a post-valentine date night; Smalland for the Wee Guy to play around in, and a civilised cafeteria setting for coffee, cake and The Discussion about 'what went wrong on valentines day".

sorted (kind of)

snowdrops

snowdrops, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Spring is sprung!

pls send card from dog

Valentine's Day, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

My lil sis jokes that one very single-ish year she received a card from our parents' dog on Valentines Day to save her from being cardless. She was allegedly mortified (not sure if the dog had good taste or not).

If you've still got it, please forward it on to me. k thnx bai xoxox

... and i forgot

rude tiger, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Forgot that I do have some bragging rights this week re: my ongoing goal of regular, reliable, trustworthy childcare.
Two of my solo-parented evenings this week involved me leaving the house. This was accomplished thus; one night of sleepover (thanks G and family), and one evening of babysitting (thanks N, Wee Guy wanted to know if you were still around to play the next morning so you left a very positive impression).

Oh, and some news for the beleaguered parents of Tri Cities. Lullaby League is hosting one of their speed-dating sessions on Monday, March 29th (location not yet confirmed). The cost of registration for parents is $52.50 and the event lasts for an hour of interviewing. Potential sitters are aged 18y and older, and currently enrolled in college or university.

Could be interesting!

friday forte - bless you

It's been a week (understatement).
No exercise bragging in this post (thank goodness, I hear you cry) cos we've had a cough/cold so bad that the Wee Guy started upchucking and I took to my bed. So exercise would probably be A Very Bad Idea right now (anyways, there's a sporting event happening round here so all the sporty energy is being maintained, just not in this house).
I have however, managed a spurt of efficiency and submitted pieces for no fewer than five jury processes. The list includes pics for a book (oh the digital image hoopla), my first call for artists (still not firmly in the 'i am an artist' camp), a couple of selling venues and a new workshop proposal. Thinking positively.
Also on the 'hobby' front I've almost finished a new asymmetric 'mermaid' necklace, delivered two-thirds of content for an evening class and been accepted for a craft fair (which I now have to work out how to pay for with Vancouver snarled up in the aforementioned sporting event).
We've also taken in the olympic torch relay, one board meeting for Family Place, a visit to ER and I managed a most brutal wardrobe cull (no time for regrets as the cast offs are now safely at the trift store (gulp).
Did I mention I was solo parenting all this week?

Next week I'll be back in control of my mid-life crisis, I promise.
forte!

getting into the spirit

torch relay - Port Moody, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

olympic flame carried thru Newport Village
... so we started the day (very early) with this .......
.... and ended late with this

three sutures in the wee guy's head

wordless wednesday ; hiding behind ....

friday forte! - another morsel

It's time for another friday forte post - usually I write these up and edit thru the week but today I'm a little behind in my routine.
So to get things rolling, let's list some accomplishments for this week (ra ra).

• exercise - since my last forte post I've kept up the exercise though I did wimp out of cross country skiing on Saturday as it was raining. I've swum twice, fenced, visited the gym for a run thus logging about 2 miles and 1300m in distances covered! Feeling good, feeling lighter too :)
• childcare - fingers continually crossed but I have childcare for two events next week (including one sleepover!). Since not all my "work" can be fitted into school hours I really need reliable after hours sitters too. Life would be wayyyyyyy easier if all I did was during my period of "free" childminding at school but that's not how it works out. Anyway, evening pursuits get me out and about away from the husband permanently glued to his laptop (he asked me the same question twice one evening so I know he's not really paying attention even if I am in for the evening).
• "work" applications - I've sent off a couple of craft fair event registrations and am in the middle of making up jury packages for some B&M's (bricks and mortar aka shops) - wish me luck pls
  

In my last post I mentioned I was reading a book on 'dressing for your forties" - it's no joke! I really do need an image makeover (see above for my usual uniform - jeans, T shirt top, sensible hair ....) but just what does a 40+ y old SAHM wear? and how do I clothe this new bod of mine. The legacy of pregnancy/C-section/breastfeeding has been a bigger (droopier) bust, weight gain issues, a truly matronly upper body, thicker waist, facial wrinkles ..... in short, it's not the body I grew up with. And yes, I mentioned the 'm' word - matronly = guaranteed to strike fear into the heart of every (older) woman. Image does matter, even if you're stuck at home most of the time (well, it does to me).

Another volume I've devoured recently has been "What Your Clothes Say ABout You" by the very excellent Trinny and Susannah. I have been a huge fan of their image makeover advice ever since I (temporarily) ended up with 38G instead of 34A. They write sensibly, don't pull their punches and back it up with brilliant photos.

My clothing/style needs have certainly changed with the arrival of the Wee Guy into my life, but I've also aged. What was really 'hot' on a 30 year old postgrad now looks ridiculous. My arse is bigger and boobs even more so. I have wrinkles and grey hairs (amazingly curly ones too!). I can no longer rock short skirts and big boots without looking a total cougar (another horrifying word to the more mature). My slightly androgynous style of dressing looks horrific on my expanded bosom (the top shown above never tented forward with boobs when I first bought it many years ago), making me look like a shot-putter in drag. It's been a total journey of despair on some days.

And to cap it all, I'm meant to be a stylish jewelry designer, not a frump!

Well, I'm still working on it. I'm planning a very brutal wardrobe cull this week.
My one word of advice - bold patterns are your friend, and don't knock the shapewear!
(OK two words!)

forte!

(almost) wordless wednesday

jottings, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

see the completed necklace here

doctor's knickers

at granny and grandpa's house, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Yup - it was a doctor's knickers day for me (and I just know that around the world lots of other women are sniggering at this titbit, nodding knowingly whilst their menfolks are looking bewildered - relax guys!). Personally speaking, it's one of the few days in a year when having matching undies matters. 'Nuff said.

Anways, doc's appointment was In Town so I got a peaceful morning drive into pre-olympics Vancouver with nothing but CBC Radio One for company. Interesting snippets on The Current, including this one by Raj Patel on how modern capitalism functions on women performing their work unpaid (listen to the part two podcast).

Other interesting news, a great summary of the new EI laws for self-employed folks in Canada by Amber and a notice of intention from me: I'll be switching over the business side of blogging to my other blog, Portable Crafting so I can get some separation of rants from bootiful jewellery marketing thus injecting some professional integrity :)