Friday Follow-Up | Alpaca + The Blogs I Read

Lauren Manoogian crew neck alpaca sweater | size 2, purchased w/credits at Garmentory
Rachel Comey slim legion jeans | size 8
AllBirds wool loungers
Transcience Swing Bag (gift from the designer to review)

Wearing/Buying

I mentioned that I have been adding alpaca sweaters rather than cashmere, or wool, to my wardrobe for a while, since it is seen as a more sustainable, animal-friendly option.  Many of you asked for suggestions.  Right now, I have a Zady alpaca sweater I’ve had for a few years (which is good, but I have never really liked how it fit on me all that much, so it might end up on slowre), this one by Lauren Manoogian, and another one by Han Starnes (seen here).  I also have a blanket by Bare Knitwear.

I will do a full post on alpaca in the coming weeks and talk about all of these items in more detail, but in general, I am now an alpaca convert.  It can be somewhat itchy at first, but I find that with wear and as it warms up against my body, it softens up and is lovely and comfortable.  This Lauren Manoogian sweater particularly, has never been itchy, and is heavenly to wear.  It’s a challenging style for me to wear for some reason, and I don’t like it much with these jeans.  But this is what I threw on to wear.  I do love the color very much.

My ES clyde culottes arrive today (they were a holiday gift from my mother)! I’m so excited, but also need to temper my expectations a bit because I’m afraid they won’t fit.  That’s always a hazard of ordering from Elizabeth Suzann, but I’m happy to take the risk.  If they’re just way too big on me, but otherwise I like them, I’ll change them out for a smaller size, but if I don’t like them at all, I would really love a pair of silk florence pants in another color – maybe rust? or moss? I know, who am I right now??

I’m going to talk more about this in another post, but I spent A LOT of money on clothes in 2017.  More than I should have.  And now, I don’t want more.  Of course I have enough, I had enough even before adding new things.  But there are some things I believe would enhance my wardrobe, and they are all from Elizabeth Suzann (clyde vest, Georgia midi dress, Florence pants, clyde jumpsuit).  So, and this is preliminary – not set in stone – I have decided to add one ES item per quarter next year and nothing else.  Like I said, more later.

Reading/Watching

I watched all of Alias Grace in two days and loved it.  Just watch it.

Started on Broadchurch season 3, it’s good, but not as good as the first two seasons.  Also watching the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which is so funny, and really fun to watch.  Leo and I are still watching Vikings – I think it’s the men’s version of Outlander?? I don’t mind it much, but I can’t wait to get through it so we can catch up on The Americans and Halt & Catch Fire.  We also watched the Big Sick and we both loved it so much.   It was so funny, and so real – just really well done.

One of the AMA questions was about what blogs I read.  Honestly, I’ve never really read many blogs, which is weird, because I love it when people read my blog lol, but I’ve gone through phases.  Back in fashion blogging’s heyday I followed all the “big” blogs that everyone else did because I thought I was supposed to, and just to “keep up” with things, which was stupid.  I purged them all from my reader and quit doing that, only sticking with blogs written by my “blogger friends” and people I really felt a connection with.

But some blogs I feel like I have to read, but don’t really enjoy have started to creep back into my reading habits, and like Michelle did a little while ago, I have purged them once and for all.  Now, I am rebuilding my list with her blog, Dr It Girl, + all the blogs on her blogroll (on which I am so honored to be included),  Accidental Icon and That’s Not My Age.  I’m particularly enjoying Ethel Grace lately (you may know Talia, who comments here) and I spent hours this morning wandering through To universe with love, a blog I have read off and on, but had forgotten about.

I must acknowledge though, that I am missing more such blogs written by women my age (45).  Any other suggestions?

Doing

Getting used to living with my jaw “wired” shut.  It’s not really wired shut, it’s sort of like having braces on, and really really strong elastics keeping me from opening my mouth very wide.  It’s funny how quickly you can get used to something so unnatural and uncomfortable!  I feel best when I don’t talk very much, and it’s a particular hell to smile 🙂  I haven’t needed any pain relief at all since the first day or so, and otherwise, I feel fine, just hungry a little more often than usual.

I miss Pure Barre, but think it would be prudent to wait and start back at least until the elastics are off (three more weeks).  I am going to start using the Peloton again today, but slowly ease back in.  I am lucky to get 800-1000 calories a day, so my aim isn’t to burn calories, just to get some physical exercise, I miss it so much.

Soon I’ll start making soups for myself rather than rely on the boxed soups by Imagine (although they are very very good), and I’ll be trying different smoothies other than my old standby.  I did make Golden Milk this week and thought it was heavenly.  Glad to have it in the rotation.

Again, I cannot express how happy and grateful I am that my little jaw fracture was not something more serious. All things considered, it’s not so bad.  I am dying to eat pizza.  Or anything I can chew, really, but I couldn’t ask for a better place to recover, a better partner and friends to recover with, and a better time to do it.  Now, it is getting rainy and very cold, so why would I want to be out and about anyway?

Not that I don’t get a little sad and scared every once in awhile.  I am very concerned about keeping my teeth/gums clean and relatively healthy during all of this.  My oral surgeon told me to use a baby toothbrush and brush with a 1:1 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water, and then I swish for a minute a few times a day.  I do that, but I cannot even get the brush to reach everywhere!  So I am nervous for infection, and that the end of it all, my teeth may anyway be out of whack, even if my jaw fracture is healed, and I may need to have my wisdom teeth out after all.  But that is for later.

I hope you have a very merry Christmas if you celebrate, and a lovely Monday if you don’t 🙂