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Coffee Break – Women Writers II Umbrella

women writers umbrella I can't decide how I feel about this umbrella. On the one hand: hooray for lady writers! On the other hand: MUST the “delightful caricatures” make all the authors look so, well, fug? On the third hand (which I'm discovering one needs), perhaps it's too schlocky anyway. Opinions? It's $24 at Amazon. Women Writers II Umbrella (L-2)

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91 Comments

  1. As discussed in this weekend’s open thread: SF Bay Area Corporette meet- up on September 24th at Nola in Palo Alto. Ok with everyone? And timing question: lunch? “happy hour” on a Saturday? dinner? We’ll need to figure out how to take this offline – karenpadi, am I right in thinking you created an anon gmail for this?

    1. I’m at karenpadi at hotmail dot com if you want to use that.

      I’m thinking an informal lunch or happy hour. I don’t know if there are any students planning to show and I remember the days of tight budgets.

    2. Feel free to email me. It’s an address I use for junk mail and, well, email from strangers. Because it’s such a catch-all, I don’t check it at work so a reply might take a while.

      I’ll send out an email to the people who have emailed me later tonight. Work is not going to let me leave at a reasonable hour tonight so it’ll be late.

    4. I can’t make the 24th, but I will look forward to joining y’all at the next Bay Area meetup! Once we’ve figured out a way to communicate offline hopefully it will be easy to set up more . . . .

    5. Oops, we never decided on lunch or happy hour. So I’m going to go with a late lunch–1pm at Nola’s on the 24th.

      Sending out emails now.

    1. I have this umbrella and I love it! It’s small enough that it fits in the bottom of my purse so I can leave it there. Many a days it’s saved me when I left the house with the sun shining only to leave my office with the rain lashing down.

  4. Hello, ladies. I’m participating in my first fantasy football league this year and need a team name. Heard any good ones this year?

  5. I know it’s still uncomfortably hot in many areas of the country, but my thoughts are on fall fashions and I need some boot advice. At the J.Crew end of season final sale I bought a pair of gorgeous brown boots. They are the right shoe size, but the calves are super tight and they do not have a zipper. Getting these puppies on takes 15+ minutes and leaves me sweating. I went this weekend to my cobbler and looked in to having a zipper installed. I was told it was going to be $70. And I only paid like $90 for the boots. Given this, would you pay for the zipper? Or just suck it up and buy new brown boots for this winter? Does $70 sound right for this kind of repair? To be honest, I thought it would be about $30, so maybe I just need to check around. Thoughts?

    1. isn’t getting the calves stretched going to be cheaper? $70 is steap (but i’ve never tried that kind of alteration)

    2. I’m shocked it’s not more, as I’m assuming these are real leather boots. Things to take into consideration: how would you feel once the boots are marred w/ a zipper (plus any extra fabric/leather they have to put in the boot in order to put in the zipper, as I”m assuming they are going to have to do for an alteration)? How much was the original price (and therefore, if the cost + alterations = original price, then not really a bargain)? How much are you willing to pay for a new set of boots cost you? If you’ll pay more for new boots than the total cost of boots+alterations, then get new boots; if not, then do the alterations.

      1. You could also sell them on eBay, which money you could then use toward a new pair of boots. That could change the equation.

    3. I would definitely look into stretching them rather than putting a zipper in. The zipper might not even really help if it does not add much circumference, and could just leave you with the problem of not being able to zip the boots. Alternatively, depending on what you are planning to wear them with, maybe try a pair of compression socks underneath? Kind of like spanx for your legs. Or maybe even just a plain old pantyhose knee high? I haven’t tried that, but I’m thinking it might make your leg slipperier so that it is easier to get your calf into the boot. And once you have the boot on, you might be able to shove the knee high down far enough that it is not visible.

      I definitely feel for you…I have athletic calves and have a ton of trouble finding boots that I can wear.

      1. Thanks for the suggestions all. The problem is not actually the calf circumference (my calves are athletic, but I have never needed wide calf boots before) — once they are on, there is about an inch of extra room. It’s almost as though there is an issue with the design — it’s not wide enough in the area just above the ankle to work your foot (particularly your heel) into the bottom, if that makes sense. Maybe they would work if I was double-jointed or something. I think the suggestion to sell on ebay may be the best option. I may have to look in to that. Thanks!

        1. Sounds like you have a high instep (like me). I actually think the zipper might help, as long as you like the feel of the boots once you have them on. I would pay $70 for a pair of boots I really liked – particularly this time of year, when boots won’t be on clearance for a long time. You’re not going to get your $90 back on ebay, so you should regard that as a sunk cost.

          $70 sounds like a good deal for that level of cobblery, by the way.

        2. I still wonder if a good cobbler might be able to stretch just that portion of the boot for you. I also wonder whether you are standing up and using your body weight to step down into the boot. I have a pair that would be impossible to get on if I didn’t do that. Forgive me if you are already doing this, but basically what I do is put the boot on as far as it will easily go while sitting, then stand up and press my foot down the rest of the way while holding onto the top of the boot. Getting my body weight behind it really helps.

        3. I have a high instep and a long foot and it’s nearly impossible for me to get any sort of pull-on boots to work. Not to mention totally embarrassing in the shoe department. I would try to have the zipper installed and see what happens. If they still don’t fit, sell them online and try again. You have my sympathy!

        4. Maddie,
          Get the zipper (or sell the boots). I bought the most gorgeous pair of Ferragamo boots on sale at Saks a few winters ago, sans zipper. It didn’t even matter at first. But then I wore them while running around all day and my feel swelled. Getting them off, I ruined the inside somehow and the boots (or rather 1 of them) are basically impossible to get on and off because now the lining is all screwy and my foot catches and it takes anywhere from 30 m to 1 hr to get them off. Sometimes I have just sat there and wondered if I will ever get them on/off or just going to end up slicing them open. Needless to say, I am very weary of zipperless boots now. Shop around, do some price comparisons, but either bite the bullet and get the zipper, or get rid of them before it’s too late to break even.

          1. As a competitive equestrienne, I wear fitted knee high leather boots frequently and have had plenty of headaches with taking on, taking off, zippers, no zippers, and broken zippers. Maybe I have some insight into the boot thing! Some things to think about:

            * It is pretty common for the ankle area of a boot, particularly one that flatters a shapely leg, to be difficult to get a foot through. Getting a zipper DOES help with this without sacrificing the good shape of the boot. I would not recommend stretching or otherwise increasing the size of the ankle area because it may do two things. First, if the calves are otherwise loose on your legs, you may experience “drop” in the boot. Basically, it puddles around your ankle. I imagine this could be quite pronounced with the extra soft leather most fashion boots sport. Second, and this is a personal thing, I HATE boots that cankle-ify me, even though the slimmer ankles make them hell to get on and off.

            * Look into some slippery boot socks. Horse people have perfected them. Look for “zocks” or similar — some horsey websites likely to carry them include doversaddlery.com and smartpak.com. If the horse places are too intimidating to navigate, I don’t doubt that other non-horse places sell similar items. The estimated cost might be about $5-10. They also come in …very… fun prints. They DO make a big difference in getting your foot into the boot.

            * A simpler, cheaper, and less obtrusive alteration may be to insert nylon loops into the inside upper portion of the calves, near the top. The idea being that you can then invest in a pair of “boot hooks” (also sold on horse sites — I would link but not sure what the protocol is). You know you can get your foot IN the boot, it’s just a PITA to get it there. The extra leverage of the hooks will allow you to get the job done in a matter of seconds, especially if you pair it with slippery socks. I can’t imagine the alteration would cost much at all — two loops on either side of the inside of each calf. Think about whether the stitching that would show on the outside would bother you. I think it would be a fun detail in the equestrian theme. The boot hooks will run you a couple of bucks.

            * Do you have trouble getting them off? You must if they’re that hard to get on! Invest in a boot jack (yes… you know where to find it). Unbelievably better. Make sure you get one with a soft lining in the area where you brace the boot, or stick some moleskin on there yourself.

            I hope some of that helps.

          2. I should add, I say “invest” but the boot jack also only runs a couple of bucks. For nice boots (especially the Ferragamos someone else mentioned) it seems like a small price to pay. Fashion boots are slightly different than most riding boots (obviously), so this will only work if you get one of a size and shape that will allow you to actually get some leverage on them. In fact, your cobbler could probably point you toward one designed specifically for real-world shoes…

            I can’t count how many times I have had someone tugging on a sweaty, stuck-on riding boot that had no zippers. The bootjack changed that.

  6. Anyone else dealing with an overly complex compensation plan? I have a base pay, a guaranteed bonus which I get automatically, a second guaranteed bonus that I get “from time to time”, and the possibility of additional bonusing. All of my bonuses are based on a percentage of how much I bring in, when it gets paid (so the guaranteed bonus is really a minimum). So, I have to track what I bill out, what I bring in (when the clients pay), and try to keep that plugged into whether it goes over or under the guaranteed bonus amounts.

    I swear that in my teen years, I was good at math, but it seems like this skill got lost somewhere along the way. When I try to find a way to track these numbers to make sure that they’re paying me right, the numbers dance like they’re on the waiter’s bill pad in a bistromathic drive.* I have all of the raw information that I need, but can’t keep up with it all. Someone please help me find a system to track this!

    * You don’t doubt that a gal’s good at math when she starts throwing in lessor known Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy references.

    1. Seems like excel would be perfect for this. At the top, you can enter things like bonus percentage, bonus basis (how much you bring in), bonus frequency, base pay, etc. Then do a calculation below for each type of compensation (base, bonus #1, bonus #2) and sum to total. You could also do some kind of hidden field that = 1 for guaranteed money and =0 for non-guaranteed money. Then to obtain a sum of guaranteed money, sum income * hidden guaranteed field. That would give you an idea of your minimum and maximum expectations. You can also play around with the bonus basis and frequency to see how that would change the income.

        1. Agree with Inva that a self-created excel spreadsheet is the best way to go on this … and, not to sound like your mother, but since it’s your salary we’re talking about, the more closely involved you are in tracking this and understanding how it is calculated, the better.

          Of course, if you really want to outsource it, I’m sure any number of financial adviser/consultant type people would gladly track this + your investments, etc. for you in exchange for a little bit of that salary, but IMO it’s really something you can do for yourself.

          If excel overwhelms you, there are any number of online courses and tutorials available to teach you the works. You don’t need any sophisticated knowledge to build a spreadsheet like what is described, just the basic functions. Or, call up your nearest finance friend and he/she can help you.

  7. Did anyone else get the email from nordstrom about everyday free shipping on every order? I hope this sets a precedent other stores follow!

    1. I did! Very exciting news for my closet; not so much for my bank account.

      Does this apply to the Rack too?

    2. Nope, but I did just get an email last week that Ruelala has a new shipping deal – after you order/pay for shipping, for the next 30 days shipping is free for additional orders. Good for frequent shoppers.

      Which reminds me, there is an Aquitalia boutique today. I think someone was asking about their boots recently.

    3. Seriously?!?! That is the best news I’ve heard in awhile! Stupid NYC and the lack of Nordstrom and my hatred of paying for shipping.

    5. Great news but could be really bad for my credit card. I guess it won’t really cost them more since now they usually split up the orders and ship things separately.

    6. Ann Taylor sent out an e-mail a little bit ago announcing free shipping on any amount, but it’s only until tomorrow at midnight. I’d like to think my repeatedly loading up my cart with items totaling less than $150 (after BOGO) and then Xing out of the site when I saw how much shipping was contributed to this promotion ;)

    7. but does it have free returns? No nordstrom in nyc to return to, so I need free shipping both ways.

      1. Free returns. I think they already had this, because my Anniversary Sale purchases came with a return mailing label.

  8. I guess going on the theme of women writers… has anyone read The Help? Seen the movie? I’ve done both and I’m a little split – I enjoyed it at a initially but it felt kinda “mighty white-y” (white woman coming in to save the maids) and had some elements of magical negro (Aibileen/Skeeter and Mae Mobley; Minny/Celia) which I’ve become more uncomfortable with as I’ve discussed the book with friends… just curious if other rette’s had an opinion.

    1. I thought the book was really over-rated. I did not like it much for the reasons you outlined above, plus I thought the characters were very one-dimensional and not very believable. I’m still curious to see the movie, but will probably wait until it’s on Netflix.

    2. I read the book and saw the movie. I agree with other poster that the characters can seem one-dimensional, but I thought both the book and movie were very enjoyable. Sure, they don’t tell the whole story or even a true story, and perhaps the perspective could have been changed to tell a ‘better’ story, but I thought both book and movie made for good entertainment that has *some* social commentary of value.

      1. Agreed. I haven’t seen the movie yet. But the book was good brain candy. The kind of novel you can read in a weekend, don’t have to put too much thought into, and it keeps you entertained. It’s not a great masterpiece of fiction, but it’s worth the read.

    3. Paraphrased from an opinion piece in todays NYT.
      In “The Help” none of the racists characters are likeable in any way. This kind of characterization can be dangerous because divides the world into bad and racist people and good and unprejudiced people. It ignores the reality that both people, and racism, more complicated. It seems to suggest that if we are successful at the important job of being good and kind in some ways, then we are exculpated from being prejudiced.

      The author of the opinion piece is much more eloquant than I am:
      http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/opinion/dangerous-white-stereotypes.html?hp

      1. I’m not sure about this. Mae Mobley’s mom (don’t remember her name) was more likeable than the really bad woman (don’t remember her name either) but still not that likeable and still did nothing to challenge the racist person. And Skeeter’s mom was portrayed not really as a racist but as someone who didn’t want to be inconvenienced by standing up for something that is right, which is really just as bad. I really don’t think it was a good/bad racist/not-racist kind of thing; there were some shades of gray.

        1. Iv’e only read the book. I thought it was a relatively good, accurate portral of race relations in the 60s, albeat an overly simplified one. I suspect the movie will simplify it even further. I think this is the problem the NY times peice is alluding to.

          The point though is that mae mobley’s mom was a racist person, just not the overt racist that the other lady was. Same for skeeter’s mom.

    4. I read it and basically agree with the comments above – it was a fun, quick, and problematic read. I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed reading all of the articles and debate surrounding it, so in that sense I’m really glad it was written/made.

    5. Read the book and saw the movie; thought the book was earnest and a great subject but somewhat lightweight, the importance of the subject matter carried the writing to some extent. I mean, not bad, but if it had been a less socially signficant subject the writing alone wouldn’t have carried it. Still, I did enjoy it. I felt similarly about the movie though I saw it with someone who had not read the book and he was far more moved by it.

    1. ugh, obviously meant for Valleygirl above. I should also add that I hope this movie makes Viola Davis a star. (Emma Stone is already on her way.)

  10. Need some advice from the moms here… I have an offsite from work that is 3 days/2 nights. I have a toddler and a (breastfeeding) infant. The offsite is in downtown Oakland (not Anaheim, or something equally family-friendly). I could drive 1.5-2 hours each day, each way, to see the kiddos, and possibly miss out on the after-hours schmoozing, or just suck it up and leave the kids at home with my mom (it’s during my husband’s busiest time of the year). I think I know what I’m going to do, and feel a little crummy about it, but wonder what others have done in this situation, i.e., please give me validation and not make me feel like an awful mother.

    1. Not yet a mother, but I think you’d be a happier and saner mother if you spent those 2 nights at the off-site instead of frantically rushing back-and-forth for, what, 30 minutes of time with your kiddos each night? Provided you get there before bedtime?

      Relax. You’re doing great! The kiddos will be fine with grandma.

    2. Oh Angie, downtown Oakland is not that bad :). Is it in the Oakland convention center area? I took the bar there. It’s not Piedmont or Anaheim, but it’s not Richmond either. There are lots of families in downtown Oakland, especially as you get closer to Chinatown. Should you be out at 11pm at night around there? No, but you wouldn’t be out then anyway. It’s fine in the daytime.

      Driving 1.5 -2 hours a day, subject to the traffic gods of 580/680/880 is a bad idea, and you know it. This offsite sounds important, and you can’t trust our traffic enough to be confident you’ll be there on time, even if you leave at the crack of dawn (at which point you’re not seeing your kids anyway). And the schoozing portion is probably as important as the training, which I suspect you also know.

      My two cents – go to the convention, stay there, and also book another room there for your mom for at least one of the two nights. There are fun things to do in Oakland with kids (Fairyland, Oakland museum of CA, for starters). You’ll have her help and still see the kids in the evenings.

      1. I agree – I would have your mom come out there for as much time as possible, so you could still feed the baby. :)

    3. You are not an awful mother. It is only 3 days. Your kids will not remember it, and your toddler will think it is really fun to have special time with his/her grandmother. Yes, you will have to pump and freeze, but I also think you should consider the it’s-ok-to-drink-alcohol-and-then-wait-2–hours-to-pump rule (let the backlash of comments begin). Don’t feel crummy and hopefully relish in the chance for uninterrupted sleep and maybe even a chance to sleep in late.

      1. As a currently pregnant woman, I was so happy to find out about the “wait two hours to pump” or if possible, the “pump and dump” method. I miss wine as it is and a glass of water isn’t quite as relaxing as a glass of red…

        1. The general rule on that is if you feel a little tipsy, its in your breast milk. so pumping right before you drink a glass of wine, and then a number of hours later is the way to go. (Pump and dump doesnt really do anything unless you are engorged and you just need to pump)

    4. I’m not a mom, but I definitely think that you should go and stay. It’s not at all crummy to leave the kids with Gramma for a few days (assuming, of course, Gramma’s not a meth-head or something)- Grammas are awesome; the kids will have a blast (I guess babies don’t really have “blasts”, but they get lots of good Gramma loving) but they’ll be happy to see you when you get back.

    5. Don’t worry – they’ll be okay with Grandma! Unless you don’t trust her abilities for any reason, I’d vote to leave them with her. Your infant won’t know (at least I remember mine could care less where her milk came from). Your toddler may be more distressed, depending on his/her age, but if he/she is comfortable with your mom, it’ll only be momentary and quickly forgotten. Guarantee it’ll be harder on you. You might as well make those three days count and give work your all.

      Oh, do keep pumping though, even if you dump it. I remember slacking off on my pumping schedule during a short trip and then noticed my supply went down a bit after – took a few days to get back to normal.

      Good luck!

    6. Goodness – give yourself a break!! If your mom is willing to keep your kids, then go and enjoy it as much as you can! It does not in any way make you a bad mom! When my daughter was about 5 months old I had to go on a four day business trip – she was also still nursing, so I brought along my breast pump and then was able to catch up on some much needed sleep. The kids will be totally fine, but give your mom a big hug and kiss afterwards!

    7. I spent tons of time with my grandparents while my mom was in school and I was infant-toddler. It was wonderful. I am now very close with my grandmother, and am so happy I had that experience.

    8. Don’t feel like a bad mom. That’s, um, defining ‘bad’ upward. Let’s save that for not-sober-addicts, abusers, narcissists, etc.

      Also, please consider that it may actually be easier on your children to have you gone for the three days rather than just able to see them for little bits of time in the evening and morning. For many children of that age, the ‘good-bye’ is the hardest part.

      You might make it easier on your mom if you arrange for 1-2 hours of help each day so she can get out of the house or take a bath or something. Even the best Grammas get tired, and it’s harder to take care of someone else’s kids than your own.

    9. Leave the children with Mom and go. It may not feel that way right now, but honestly it’s really no huge time away in the grand scheme of things. They’ll be happy and safe. And don’t be so hard on yourself. That’s not crummy at all.

    10. 1) I was in surgical residency the first 18 months of my son’s life. He was fine with my absences.
      2) It’s okay to take a break from being a mom. You might even enjoy a full night sleep, quiet hotel room, having an uninterrupted thought.
      3) As long as your mother is a normal human being, your kids will love it
      4) I always used the rule that if I was sober enough to drive, I was sober enough to pump (I’m not a big drinker)
      5) You can choose whether you are going to spend the three days making yourself absolutely miserable with guilt. Or you can enjoy it. It’s kind of up to you.

      1. Thanks for all the advice… I will probably look forward to all the hours of uninterrupted sleep. Not looking forward to scouting out pumping locations.

    11. Go on your business trip, and do not kill yourself driving back. Your children will be absolutely fine — if your toddler remembers you being gone at all, he/she will have forgotten it by the time you are back a couple of days (and the baby will be oblivious).

      I do not travel a lot, but secretly have come to love being gone a few days for business since my kids (now 4 and 6) were babies. (I did a few trips with the pump back in the day; that was a hassle but completely doable). I have peace and quiet morning and night; can have a leisurely dinner without 1.5 hours of bedtime routine rearing its head; sometimes adult conversation (depending on the trip) or time with a book. Even when the work component is important/stressful, like a tough depo, I find the trip relaxing.

      Enjoy yourself, and a few days of adult/career time, without guilt.

    12. I have been there (I have a 4 yo and a 1yo), recently. You should go and you need to tell yourself not to feel bad about it. Just bring your pump. Call ahead and make sure your hotel room has a fridge (most hotels will bring one in there isnt already one). It sounds like you are driving, so traveling with pumped milk isnt much of an issue, but if you are flying, I can give you some advice on how to make pumping easier in that situation.

    13. Do you think your husband is a bad dad, an awful father? If no, then no you’re not awful either.

  11. I’m sorry it’s going to make you feel crummy, but it’s probably the right thing to do.

    When my oldest was a breastfeeding infant, sometimes I could convince one of my sisters to make the trip with me and stay in my hotel room so I could feed the baby. My sister would make a short vacation out of it. I’ve done the same recently for my youngest sister and her infant. But you’d really have to leave the toddler at home to make it work.

    1. I seem to be unable to post replies in the right spot today. This reply was for Angie.

  12. Can anyone recommend an ophthalmologist in Philadelphia (preferably Center City or South Philly)? I just need a routine eye exam and new glasses prescription.

    1. Not an opthamologist rec, but Dr. Valerie Biscardi who is an optometrist is wonderful. Read all of her rave reviews on Yelp. I have severe myopia and we had a bit of an issue fitting my glasses, but she did a fantastic job and didn’t charge for me for any of my follow up visits. And very friendly and personable, not someone to rush you out the door.

      Any reason why you are looking for an opthamologist in particular? For a routine eye exam and glasses, I find that optometrists are far, far better at it. That’s what they do day in and day out.

    2. Depending on your taste–and your willingness to cross the river–you could go to Modern Eye in University City. They do eye exams on-site and have a really hip, stylish selection of glasses and sunglasses.

      1. I guess by “routine eye exam” I also was thinking of glaucoma screening, retinal exam, etc., although I don’t have any particular problems or symptoms that I need checked out. I’m in my twenties and this is the first time I’ve had to find my own health services, and my mother is REALLY insistent that one always needs the medical examination along with the vision exam. I don’t know why she’s so adamant about this, but I haven’t been to an actual eye doctor in about four years so I can see the point of getting the full exam done this time around at least.

        I was considering Modern Eye for the actual glasses, and they do have a branch over on my side of town (I think it’s around 13th and Sansom or Walnut?). I’ll check out Dr. Biscardi online as well.

        1. Now that I’ve written all that out I realize that optometrists can do glaucoma screening etc. as opposed to an optician. But my mother keeps saying “make sure you go to a real ophthalmologist rather than just an optometrist” and I have absolutely NO idea why she believes they are superior. Nevertheless she will never shut up about it if I don’t go to a “real” ophthalmologist, so I suppose I want to go to one just to keep her off my back.

  14. cardi! I really have finally come to grips with the fact that this trend does my hourglass shape no good. (Gee, I had boyfriends in my high school and college years that took longer for me to realize that about them.)

    Anyway, a repeat question.

    Has anyone had experience with asking a seamstress/tailor to shorten the cardi to a traditional, hip-length? As in taking off the bottom ribbing and moving it upwards?

    I have two boyfriend cardis whose patterns and colors I really like and can’t duplicate in any way. I’m looking at you AT (and by observation only, Boden) … why don’t you do the fabric in BOTH lengths?

    As I have had some wraps sewn shut (Boden, Tahari) and been happy to save fabric I adore…

    Now if I could only find a way to inexpensively “fix” all those sheaths and empire waist dresses with lovely fabrics into ones with defined waists…

    Do tell, Corporettes!

    Welcome back all the Irene-ites whose power is being restored!

    1. It would by physically possible to move the bottom ribbing up, but I think it would look off. Look at how the sweater is constructed; the bottom band isn’t sewn on, it’s part of the knit construction of the garment.

      Have you tried belting your boyfriend cardigans?

        1. Thanks – I have tried all belts from skinny to over 2 inches wide and just can’t make it work (nod to T. Gunn). Well, the belting seems to accentuate that there’s all that length over all my hips and fanny…I guess they are off to donations…there are many folks who will appreciate them.

          NOW, I really must resist them, eh? Adding it to my list of trends I hope disappear (3/4 sleeve jackets, empire waists, peep toe with platforms) … well, I won’t be fashion greedy. How about, I hope they are more balanced proportion of the fashion wares :)

          Thanks again for the direct feedback. All fashion can’t fit all bodies all the time. :(

      2. As a small hourglass (minuteglass?) belting only exacerbates the problem. You could try just leaving them open – creates a longer line down your middle and doesn’t cling to the hips. Maybe belting lower down, like around the hips, and sort of blousing the thing? Already Pretty and Fashion for Nerds have some good belting advice.

        I hate the boyfriend cardi trend, too, being both short and curvy. Just doesn’t look good on me.

    2. You can easily take in a lot of sheath dresses at the waist to create a more hourglass shape. I’ve had this done with a few dresses and they look a lot better now. When I’ve had them altered, it only cost about $15. It really depends on the construction though. Something with a lot of decorative seams may not work as well.

      As for boyfriend sweaters, I find I do best belting the shirt underneath the cardigan and then putting the boyfriend sweater underneath. It really does make a big difference.

  15. Purgatory, I thought about you all weekend. I do hope you’re doing okay.

    –Seattleite

      1. A semi-regular, I believe, who is going through some stuff. She made up a new handle for a question last week.

  17. FWIW, I like this umbrella. But, my “like” should be taken with a big grain of salt. I like silly umbrellas. The random-er, the better. It kind of reminds me of the B&N mugs with “famous writers.” Though, I am not sure if that detracts from my enjoyment of it.

  18. Michigan Ross MBAs are in a social media competition to raise money for Make-A-Wish. We hope to raise at least $7,500 to grant the wish of a child with a life-threatening medical condition. Please donate and make an impact in a child’s life! THANKS!!! Please donate here: http://goo.gl/aki6W

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