SHOES – IN FOR THE RUNNING

SHOES – IN FOR THE RUNNING

LET’S TALK SHOES. IT’S A FEW DAYS AND COUNTING DOWN TO #TRACYWEARSWOOL  100 DAY DRESS CHALLENGE.  AND I AM ANXIOUSLY (STILL) WAITING ON THE MAIL… YIKES, CUTTING IT CLOSE.

For those of you who haven’t heard…I have been invited to do a 100-Day Challenge, put on by Wool&  — and I am starting on 1/20/21.  i hope…

Today’s goals:

  • take a realistic look at the shoes that I currently have — and decide which will work for the challenge.
  •  Get rid of the shoes that I no longer need.

 

What’s in my closet:

These are the shoes that I think will work for this challenge.  I have more shoes that are in Portland.   I paired them up with leggings because it is in the dead of winter, and a skirt… just to give me an idea about how it would look. And I did not include ALL my shoes.  For instance… I did not include my trusty KEEN hiking boots that have about 800 miles on them, because I just don’t think I will wear them with “the dress”…. or will I???

What’s in my closet:

shoes

These are my most favorite Crocs.  I got them at the Croc outlet in California a few years back.  At first, I was not so crazy… because they pinched my toes.  So I put them in a big pot, and poured boiling water into the toes.  Then I put on 2 thick pairs of wool socks, took the shoes out of the water and put them on my feet.  Lo and behold, they stretched out a bit and molded to my feet.  Now I can’t take them off. Super comfortable, and perfect for rainy weather. 

KEEPERS.

shoes

I LOVE my KEENS.  These, I got off EBAY — someone bought the wrong size, or got them as a gift, or whatever.  Their loss is my gain.  I wear them with everything from shorts to dresses.  Super comfortable, nice wide toe bed.  And everyone should have a pair of tennis that they love!

KEEPERS

shoes

More KEENS. Decidedly more girly, these have been in my closet for about 3 years.  And I love them to death.  I think they would work really well with the dress.  Unfortunately, the elastic on one of the straps is a little stretched out.  But, they would be worth fixing.

REPAIR

These boots are actually one of my favorites.  But to be honest, they have been hiding at the bottom of my shoe storage for most of the year.   And you can tell — definitely in need of polishing and clean up.  But since they are super comfortable, I’ll do a little rehab.  And hopefully, by thinning out my shoe selection, they will not be hidden away.

KEEPERS

SHOES

It is funny how taking a photo gives you a completely different perspective on something.  Looking at these boots, I can see that they look awful and bunch.  Not at all flattering.  I like them because they have a fleece lining. But that’s about it. Since I have a pair of Hunter wellingtons in Portland… I think these should go. Someone will love them… just not me.

DONATE

shoes

These are my substitutes for slippers… well these and some incredibly ratty Uggs that I didn’t photograph — because I will NOT be wearing the uggs with the dress.  But these, I might.  I wear them with socks, or bare — it’s just nice to have something to throw on.  Super comfortable, versatile, easy to wear, and fun. Not terribly fashionable.

KEEPERS

SHOES

I got these on Amazon a few months back.  And when I saw this photo, I thought  — HORRIBLE.  But, I think they would do much better if NOT those tights and NOT that skirt.  Perhaps they will be fine with the Dress, and with black tights or leggings. Photo was a learning experience. They are super functional for our rainy weather. Great for pulling on and running down to the beach… they hose right off. Ohhh- and they are flece lined – so you don’t need socks! (More HERE

 

shoes

Yes.. another pair of KEENs.  My go to for warm weather.  I wore the heck out of these in California.  Had them for at least 3 years.  They go with just about everything I own, are super comfortable, and easy to clean (been to pottery studio and survived!!) I love that they offer toe protection while still being sandals.

KEEPERS

SHOES

You may be saying to yourself — “Dear Lord, what was she thinking???”  And honestly, that was my first impression when I saw this photo.   My daughter calls them my Nun shoes. BUT…. I bought these for a specific purpose — I had a job that required black shoes, and to stand on my feet for long periods of time on hard surfaces.  And these are the most comfortable for that.  Perhaps… I will try them with black tights…. and maybe polish them up before making a decision.

UNDECIDED

AND CAN’T WAIT UNTIL MY DRESS COMES!!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE!

So there you have it.  These are pretty much the shoes I wear the most.  Doing an inventory and photographing them has helped me decide what to keep, what to donate, and what needs a little attention.  I would like to get rid of what I am able to keep.I also found another pair of KEENS that I am ordering to round out my footware. (SEE HERE)

As part of the challenge, I will be posting my daily outfits on blog posts as well as social media with the hashtag #tracywearswool — please follow along — and see all the creative outfits that I can come up with!

SOME OF MY RECENT POSTS:

day 36: flowers

day 36: flowers

Flowers -- I have a weakness for button down shirts with flowers on them. So today, I had to take my car in for her 6 month service.  I was going to wait.. .mostly because I thought it was only going to be about an hour long.  They said they would call me.  I wanted...

read more
day 35: shot of glory

day 35: shot of glory

I got my little shot of glory today, but not in the traditional sense -- it was my second dose of the Corona vaccine! I can say that the people giving those shots at the Oregon Convention Center are angels.  Personable and chatty, but efficient and quick with the...

read more
day 34: silk degrees

day 34: silk degrees

This post has almost nothing to do with the iconic album Silk Degrees, except that I love this skirt so much it makes me want to do a "leet-le" shuffle!   Sorry, I couldn't help myself.  Must have been the Harbor Lights... What Can I Say? Alright... now that...

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CLOTHES PURGING: THE FIRST PASS

CLOTHES PURGING: THE FIRST PASS

4 DAYS AND COUNTING DOWN TO #TRACYWEARSWOOL  100 DAY DRESS CHALLENGE:  GETTING READY  BY  CLOTHES PURGING — CLEARING OUT THE EXCESS CLOTHES IN MY CURRENT WARDROBE!

For those of you who haven’t heard…I have been invited to do a 100-Day Challenge, put on by Wool&  — and I am starting on 1/20/21.

Today’s goal:

  • COMPLETE inventory of what clothes I have now.
  •  Clothes purging: get rid of the excess to make way for new wardrobe choices

 

(And to see more of RAINEY… she has her own page & story HERE!)

I started with t-shirts.

This is what I had left… after I got rid of 7 shirts.  I felt bad… like I hadn’t accomplished much.  So I tossed out (rather put in the donation bag) 17 undershirts.  I don’t even know when I last wore one… I kept 2… just because it seemed right.

clothes purge

Next up… pants

old clothes

This is actually the before photo of the pants.  I ended up tossing out 3 pairs of capris, and 2 long pants.  And I set aside 4 pairs of long pants that are too small — if they are still too small by March 1st… they will be donated.  Oh… and I kept the skirts and shorts.

Moving on to sweaters and sweatshirts.

clothes purging

There are actually more sweaters in the close — but this was just from my bags.  And this is a before photo — I ended up keeping 6 of the heavy sweaters, 4 sweatshirts, and 5 of the lighter weight sweaters. 

And now the real fun begins… I got my daughter to help via zoom, as I went through part of my closet…..

I FEEL PRETTY GOOD… LIKE I MADE SOME REAL PROGRESS.

clothes purge

AND I ORDERED THESE AWESOME PACKING CUBES SO THAT I CAN ORGANIZE MY CLOTHES BETTER FOR WEEKLY TRAVEL. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!

As part of the challenge, I will be posting my daily outfits on blog posts as well as social media with the hashtag #tracywearswool — please follow along — and see all the creative outfits that I can come up with!

SOME OF MY RECENT POSTS:

day 47: stormy weather

day 47: stormy weather

Stormy weather, and I just can't get my  poor self together!   That is the way the song goes, anyway.  I think I got myself together pretty good... but I only have stormy weather out on the horizon, but not in my life - as in figuratively speaking. So I only need...

read more
day 46: good day sunshine

day 46: good day sunshine

It's a good day... but then again, everyday is a good day for me.   It's not that I am ridiculously optimistic and cheerful.  But everyday I am alive is a good day.  Some days are more challenging than others.  Some days are more fun.  Some days even have sorrow...

read more

OLD CLOTHES AND MORE OLD CLOTHES…

OLD CLOTHES AND MORE OLD CLOTHES…

5 DAY COUNT DOWN TO #TRACYWEARSWOOL  100 DAY DRESS CHALLENGE:  DO I REALLY NEED ALL THESE CLOTHES?

For those of you who haven’t heard…I have been invited to do a 100-Day Challenge, put on by Wool&  — and I am starting on 1/20/21.

Today’s goal:

  • Recognize what I need and don’t need in my closet — great because I am limited on space!

So I am starting small… realizing that indeed.. I have a problem with clothes hoarding.  I just hate to get rid of anything.

Top reasons I “can’t” get rid of something:

  • Sentimental value. Doesn’t matter what it is– but it is tied to an event or evokes a strong feeling.  Old concert t-shirts, sandals from that amazing summer trip, oversized sweatshirt that was stolen from an ex…
  • Comfort clothes.  That 30 year old flannel shirt, sweatpants from the 80s, boxy cashmere sweater with mothholes…
  • Cost.  Either it was super expensive… or I got a screamin’ good deal at a thriftstore.  Doesn’t matter if it fits or looks good…
  • Size.  Yep… that’s a big one.  I have to keep these Lucky jeans for when I lose those 20 lbs that are keeping me from being able to get that button close to the buttonhole.

Mostly my clothes fall into a couple of categories.    So I have come up with a plan to help me pare down my wardrobe… 

 

 

old clothes

 OK… HERE IS THE SCARY PART!

old clothes
old clothes

Not too bad… but I live in a 24′ rv!

(And… I have still more clothes in Portland.. and Santa Barbara.)

So today…. I have identified the problem and come up with a plan…

Tomorrow… I will enlist the help of my oldest and wisest daughter — because she has great fashion sensibility and practically no social filters.  She will be blunt and honest in her job as my “declutter coach.”

old clothes

By the way, sme of my coolest storage hacks are these blue bags.  I don’t have drawers in my rv, so I use them to store my clothes — on for pants, one for shirts and one for sweaters.  Light weight, and really useful for a lot of storage situations!  Get them HERE!

I also use them to store blankets, and … my favorite… YARN!! What a surprise!!!

 

 

 

old clothes

As part of the challenge, I will be posting my daily outfits on blog posts as well as social media with the hashtag #tracywearswool — please follow along — and see all the creative outfits that I can come up with!

SOME OF MY RECENT POSTS:

day 47: stormy weather

day 47: stormy weather

Stormy weather, and I just can't get my  poor self together!   That is the way the song goes, anyway.  I think I got myself together pretty good... but I only have stormy weather out on the horizon, but not in my life - as in figuratively speaking. So I only need...

read more
day 46: good day sunshine

day 46: good day sunshine

It's a good day... but then again, everyday is a good day for me.   It's not that I am ridiculously optimistic and cheerful.  But everyday I am alive is a good day.  Some days are more challenging than others.  Some days are more fun.  Some days even have sorrow...

read more

Beach Hat

Beach Hat

A slouchy comfortable to wear hat knit up in worsted weight. Easy to memorize 6-row pattern incorporates Knit together and yarn overs on one row for the waves, and an easy cable on another for added interest. Easy to see where you are — so no pattern watching with this. Perfect for solids, variegated and long stripes. Makes a fast gift. Great beginning lace project.

There are two versions — regular beanie style, and a slightly longer style.

Size: 8” flat across, and 7.5″ or 9.5″ tall (unstretched) –slightly snug fit to show off the lace pattern.

Materials:

*100 g.(200-220yds) light to medium worsted
Needle: US7 36″ circular for Magic Loop, or 16″ circular and set of DPS needle or size needed to obtain soft drape and gauge.

Gauge: 5.5 Sts per inch as knit in Beach Chart

This will fit most heads. For larger heads, go up 1-2 needle sizes. You should still have enough yarn on a 100 gr skein

DIRECTIONS:

Cast on 88 sts loosely, using knitted cast on, cable cast on, or similar stretchy cast on. Divide for Magic Loop — 44 on each needle– or use a smaller 16″ circular needle & place marker for BOR.

**Magic Loop How-To Video: https://youtu.be/1mqIqRdJc68

Engish Ribbing: *KTB, P* around for 6 rows.
*KTB = Knit stitch through the back

Begin Beach Chart.

Repeat 8 times for the shorter version, and 10 times for the longer. .. or until the desired length.

Begin Decreases according to Beach Decrease Chart:

** If using a short circular needle, switch to DPNs when needed

 

Break end leaving a long tail. Using a needle, run tail around through the remaining 8 Sts, twice around, and pull tight. Pull yarn to inside of the hat and tie off.

Weave in ends. And Enjoy!

beach hat
beach hat

Ravelry users: Coupon code at checkout for FREE Canyon Hat Pattern: beach 

-or- go HERE for instant checkout!

CLICK HERE to download the BEACH HAT pattern PDF for Free!

Be the first to hear about all the free patterns and promos that I will be running. Sign up below, and I’ll be sending an email out, with the coupon code to use on MY STORE, Gypsywagon Knits, on Ravelry , and other special offers! If you are not on Ravelry, Respond to my welcome email, and I can send you specials directly!!

Check out more knitting information, tips and techniques on my main KNITTING page. You can also get links to the yarn I used for the Bulky Version of the Canyon Hat (top photo), and some really cool needles. There is also a link on how to do the MAGIC LOOP technique that I used for the hat. But, you can also knit this up with Double Pointed Needles, and/or a small circular.

The advantage of Ravelry — for those not on it, is that you will automatically get updates. And plus… it is the BEST resource for knitters and crocheters!

 

MORE FREE HAT PATTERNS:

MORE KNITTING POSTS:

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best dining and kitchen ware

best dining and kitchen ware

I must say, I love searching out and finding the   best dining and kitchen ware deals.  I Just have a fascination for practically all of it — from dishes to gadgets, bakeware to frying pans.

So, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for the best dining and kitchen ware ideas and deals… so that I can share them with you.  We all have different styles, and different situations.  But I think you will find some great ideas for your home, and also for gift giving.

Personally, I grew up in the back of a Mexican Restaurant, — literally. And I don’t say that like it’s a bad tghing! You see, it was our family business. I grew up around food, and so I have a LONG history, and great fondness for food and cooking.

And in 7th grade, we moved next door to a woman who had vast cooking experience and had lived all over Europe. She taught me how to make crepe Suzette and chocolate souffle…. and she had a copper plumbed espresso machine… so she made me cafe au lait to go with my after school “snacks”. So began my obsession with food… and coffee! ( so you can see where this fascination with the best dining and kitchen ware came from!)

So here are some of the best dining and kitchen ware ideas that I have been coming across. I hope you enjoy them!

** CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW TO SEE WHAT I HAVE FOUND**

Editors' pick: Coffee upgrade
Kitchen featured categories
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
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Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining
Best Deals for Kitchen and Dining

More BEST dining and kitchen ware deals… click link below:

kitchen and dining

 

Enjoy yourself, and some of my favorite food quotes:

“This magical, marvelous food on our plate, this sustenance we absorb, has a story to tell. It has a journey. It leaves a footprint. It leaves a legacy. To eat with reckless abandon, without conscience, without knowledge; folks, this ain’t normal.”

– Joel Salatin

“This evidence is overwhelming at this point. You eat more plants, you eat less other stuff, you live longer.”

– Mark Bittman

“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him… the people who give you their food give you their heart.”

– Cesar Chavez

“If organic farming is the natural way, shouldn’t organic produce just be called “produce” and make the pesticide-laden stuff take the burden of an adjective?”

– Ymber Delecto

“Food is an important part of a balanced diet.”

– Frank Lebowitz

“If you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.”

– Kahlil Gibran

“Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.”

– Voltaire

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces — just good food from fresh ingredients.”

– Julia Child

“The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one. It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilized people, and warms the heart.”

– Samuel Chamberlain

“Laughter is brightest in the place where food is.”

– Irish Proverb

“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.”

– Epicurus

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

-Virginia Woolf

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”

– Ann Wigmore

“Let things taste the way they are.”

– Alice Waters

— Tracy Wright

more posts:

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