Tuesday’s Workwear Report: Willa Silk Blouse
This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
The irises in my garden beds are just starting to poke out of the ground, so I’m officially ready for all the spring florals. This blouson-sleeve blouse from Alice + Olivia is so delightfully spring-y that I’m confident that any day I wear it into the office will immediately result in a happy hour on a patio somewhere.
If you’d like to really lean into the print, it also comes in a pant, blazer, skirt, and dress for maximum spring fun.
The blouse is $375 at Alice + Olivia and comes in sizes XS-XL.
Sales of note for 5/1:
- Ann Taylor – Friends of Ann Event, 40% off your purchase PLUS $50 off $200! Readers love this popover blouse, and their suiting is also in the sale.
- Boden – 15% off new styles with code
- Brooklinen – 25% off sitewide (ends 5/1) — we have and love these sateen sheets
- Evereve – All tops on sale
- Express – $39+ Summer Styles
- Hatch – $15 off one of our favorite alarm clocks with code LETMOMSLEEP15
- J.Crew – Up to 30% off wear-now styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything, and extra 60% off clearance
- Lands' End – 40% off sitewide – lots of ponte dresses come down under $25, and this packable raincoat in gingham is too cute
- Loft – 60% off florals and 50% off your purchase
- M.M.LaFleur – End of season sale. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off.
- Nordstrom – 1500+ new women's markdowns
- Sephora – Hair deals daily – today 5/1 up to 50% off dae, Verb, PATTERN by Tracee Ellis Ross, and BaBylissPro products
- Talbots – 40% off one item and 30% off your entire purchase
- TOCCIN – Use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off!
- Vivrelle – Looking to own less stuff but still try trends? Use code CORPORETTE for a free month, and borrow high-end designer clothes and bags!
For folks who left the city for the suburbs, how did you make that decision?
Late 30s and single and of course I thought I’d have a husband and kids by now and therefore have moved to the burbs for more space and better schools. But, I have none of that.
I love the walk ability of my neighborhood but it’s expensive and crowded. Would I prefer a walkable suburb or a less urban city neighborhood? Or would I be bored/lonely?
I’m in a different position because it was a family-led decision. I do miss the city. I don’t feel like people ever voice that, so I’m sharing that. We chose a walkable spot in a suburb, which helps, but I miss the bustle and the solo-but-not-alone aspect of living downtown. I do sometimes feel bored in the burbs when I’m alone, which I never did in the city. I miss the parks and museums and world class libraries. I miss the multitude of options (not just 2 coffee shops in walking distance, 10+!). I miss never being in my car. I never would have described myself as a city person prior to my 30s, and I still find NYC overwhelming, but love small walkable cities like Boston, Philly, SF, etc. Realistically, I prefer life with elementary-high school kids in the suburbs than the same lifestage in the city, which is why we moved as our kids got older, but for me in your shoes, the right answer would be 100% staying in the city core.
There are so many dependent factors here. Not sure where you live, I am in Westchester out of New York city and there are some “suburbs” (stamford, white plains, downtown yonkers) that have a young single vibe and then there are some where I think you would feel isolated and everyone around you is going to little league on the weekends. It’s very hard to gauge how bored or lonely someone else would be. It’s also not clear from your post if you are hoping to meet a husband and have kids. If you are, i actually think a move is beneficial, just shake up your routine.
My single friends find it much harder to date in the suburbs. Most singletons live in the city and won’t consider dating someone who lives in the burbs (unless they’re someone who reverse commutes). The suburban pool is way smaller. Of course this might be different in OP’s location though
this will vary wildly by specific city and burb. If you post your actual city (and your boundaries on commuting, assuming your job is staying in the city?) you will get way better feedback.
Consider your daily routine now. Then imagine your suburban life. Walk to work vs. driving or other commute, stopping at the gym on the way vs. separate excursion, $ spent on higher rent vs. commute costs, little maintenance vs. regular upkeep (if different) etc. Drill down to specific categories that are important to you. If you are an outdoor person who is trading to get a garden and easy access to trails, the calculus is different than if you are a foodie who meets friends at city restaurants regularly.
There’s no way for us to answer whether you’d be bored or lonely. What is it about living where you do now that keeps you from feeling lonely? Is that same thing available in a suburb? For example: do you live near specific friends, is it a group of people you’re involved with?
And what is it about living where you do now that allows you not to feel bored? What interests you and engages you, and is that available in a different location?
Where do you live? This is extremely city dependent. I strongly prefer living in the suburbs but we can also bike and walk a lot of places.
We did the move to be closer to family, kids were 4 and 1. Pros: free childcare from people with multiple graduate degrees (my parents). Helpful during COVID.
Cons: we talk to almost no one now. Never get to our beloved city, which I still miss 10+ years later.
There are seasons to life and the move worked for us in ours. But I’d look for a very walkable city with several restaurants or coffee shops or other community offerings you can put into your weekly routine. Proximity to an international airport. Look at political history of any town.
If you want to date I’d stay in city.
OP here: I’m in Philly (Old City). So, would consider city neighborhoods like Roxborough or Mount Airy or suburbs like Ambler or Ardmore. I like Conshy a lot, but can’t afford it.
When we were younger, my friends were mostly in Center City, then CC and South Philly, and now they’re truly all over – some still in the city and then scattered across the burbs on the Main Line, non-ML MontCo, and SJ.
Not sure if I’d want to buy one day (and if I’d want a rowhome vs SFH vs condo). If I move I need easy, free parking (hence no Manayunk). I’ve been in a 1BR apartment for ages, and would love a second room. I am still dating and holding out hope I’ll find someone, but I”m currently coming to terms with the fact that I’ve likely missed the window for kids.
I work downtown (near Suburban) and make a little over 100k. I have a car, but would NOT want a life where I have to drive on a regular basis – right now I use it to get to the Wissahickon and the shore.
At one point I was single in a tiny apartment, jealous of my coupled friends with their big homes and outdoor space. Moving into a larger place was expensive but made me SO much happier every day. If you move to the suburbs make sure your home is an upgrade. Otherwise you’ll be in your 1 bed condo jealous of your suburban SFH neighbors
I moved from Queen Village to West Mt Airy after we had our second kid. Its a good middle ground and very genuinely diverse by almost all metrics.
Not sure this is something that you are considering, but we have multiple neighbors that are single moms by choice in Mt Airy. You would have a real community here (along with other queer families that would welcome you) if you were to go that path.
Good luck.
I think Philly has a lot of very cute, train-commutable small towns for you to think about. Mt Airy could work, maybe Ardmore or Bryn Mawr? Germantown?
You could also look for a more walkable/spread out hood. I’m near Clark Park and it would check some boxes, too, especially if you wanted to take the trolley to work.
I was just coming here to suggest West Philly — you get more house for your money and the trolleys make it (except for the annual maintenance blitz) an easy ride esp. if you are on the west side of Suburban and can get off at 19th rather than dealing with sprawl around City Hall.
This really depends on your lifestyle and ethos. I am pretty against car culture and the socio, cultural, environmental and economic harms of suburban sprawl.
I bought one of those “expensive” downtown houses so I could have a 5 minute walking commute and everything I need within a 10 minute walking radius. The house isn’t actually all that expensive when I consider how much I save on commuting, parking, insurance etc. it’s the same cost as moving to the burbs would have been. Personally if something requires anything beyond a walk or a subway ride it’s simply not going to happen for me. I like being able to run to the museum for free nights on Thursday or get good sushi on my way home. My friends in the burbs have their 2 go to restaurants and one coffee shop, their world becomes so small. Luckily my husband is pretty on board with this, occasionally 4-6 times a year we’ll rent a van for a big FB marketplace pick up or something but it’s a nice life.
“Their world becomes so small” hasn’t been my experience – my world opened up a ton once I moved to a suburb that requires a car. I had told myself that car-free living (which I did for five years) was the way and there were certainly a lot of perks, but it kept me within the constraints of my city far too often because the sticker shock and inconvenience of rental cars made me never get them. There were so many amazing historical sites and nature adventures within a short driving distance that I never once go to when I lived in that city. I have been on SO many awesome day trips since I got the car, and yet my suburb is still walking and biking-friendly for local trips. Best of both worlds.
This is my SIL’s life and I’m a little jealous of her (I’m on the edge of a much smaller city).
That’s funny you think people in the burbs have a small world, when you won’t go anywhere that requires more than a walk or subway ride! Hellooo.
the variety of high-quality places (at all price points) that are within a 15 minute walk from my city home (not to mention longer walks or adding subway range to that!) is >>>> than the choices that are within a 15 minute drive for my friends who went to the burbs.
Life in the burbs isn’t just about going to museums or restaurants. It’s about having space to entertain. Taking your kids fishing or hiking. Going to the library or recenter. It’s much more family oriented.
There’s over 100 restaurants and 10 museums within 10 minutes walk. My suburban friends drive to target in 10 minutes
I cared about having a walkable lifestyle when I was in my twenties. It’s fine for a while. But I wouldn’t want to get stuck in that phase of life.
😅 enjoy your generic mom life. May you be the human embodiment of target.
10 museums within a 10 minute walk? I live in the city and value walkability, but this seems extreme.
if we’re still on Philly, you could live somewhere where the Art Museum, Rodin, Barnes, Calder, Mutter are all within 10 mins’ walk. And that’s just rattling off the big names!
Also, the Free Library is right in that same area. As is access to the Schuylkill river trail (fishing included).
When we go out to visit our parents in the burbs it takes longer to drive out of their *development* than it takes for us to walk to (1) work, (2) several medical offices (dentist, derm; PCP or hospital is 20 minutes’ walk, alas), (3) a huge variety of food choices, (4) two different parks, one of which is a kid paradise with equipment to play on, (5) a bike trail, (6) historic buildings / museums.
We moved from DC city living to a suburb in another state. It’s never been easier for us to make friends since coming to the suburbs! Our neighbors across the street practically ran over to greet us with a tray of homemade brownies when we moved in, and we often have BBQs and outings with the people who live nearby. I think we did get lucky. Not everyone is this friendly, even in our neighborhood. But when we lived in the city, we never made friends with neighbors, and just getting to a first-name basis was a milestone. I’m glad I lived in a city for a few years, but the suburbs have been a welcome change. It’s nice to be able to just sit in my backyard and relax.
walkable suburbs are new and preplanned so they are more expensive. Don’t do it!
Lots of older cities have older suburbs that are naturally walkable!
Or they’re old and preplanned and you get what you pay for?
This depends on where you live. In my metro area, all the walkable suburbs are inner ring old suburbs (many of which where their own towns long ago). They are more expensive, but are the opposite of preplanned
Maybe that’s true in the middle of nowhere, but around any city that existed prior to WWII, most suburban towns organically developed for their community of families with 0-1 cars that relied on walking and metro area trains to commute to work. We live in one of those and it’s definitely not pre-planned.
Yeah, my colonial era hometown is what all these new places are trying to be but failing. I walked absolutely everywhere as a kid. I could even walk to a shopping mall if I really needed to, but also there was a bus for that with a stop across the street from our house.
Something that I have never heard people talk about re: cities v. suburbs is how professional or social organizations work if that is something you are a part of or that is important to you. I used to be very active in a professional women’s organization. I got less active when I had kids, but now that my kids are older I was looking at becoming active again, but it’s just hard to do that from the suburbs. All of the meetings are downtown and just out of the way for my commute.
Similarly, certain organizations (Junior League as an example) are city-wide. This means that for me to participate, I would have to drive 20 min into the city and then meet people that might live 45 min away from me. There are not separate organizations within my particular suburb. This makes it hard for me to meet people outside of my suburban mom bubble.
To the person yesterday considering a 100k pay cut– just wanted to chime in that my sister (33, single, homeowner) worked in accounting for private equity which she hated for various reasons. She left for a job with the state highway department at a 50% pay cut and is ridiculously, wildly happy with her choice. She loves her job (it’s very parks and rec in that they’re all just so enthusiastic about the highways), is stress-free enough to pursue hobbies she’d dropped, works exactly 38.7 hours/week, and has a pension. In fact, she has accidentally recruited two former coworkers from the PE services company to her state agency and the other two people are also very happy with their choice to take the drastic pay cut.
Also, I’d just mention that she interviewed for a bunch of jobs that would have been a pay cut, but chose this one because she could tell from the interview that the culture was aligned with what she wanted.
It’s not a panacea, but working in government is the best of all worlds for me. I couldn’t love it more
A major frustration in my life is that my state government went full MAGA, so many of the government positions I would have loved at this stage in my life are now unappealing.
It sure used to be. Fed and fed adjacent gov’t is a mess rn.
I also want to point out that there are benefits to working in government that might close some of the pay gap. For example, I used to work for NYC and a lot of people I worked with went to the “other side” for $10k- $15K pay raises. Meanwhile my health insurance cost me nothing for me and my kids, if i had gone to a firm that would have cost me easily the $10k- $15k raise. Really put that in your analysis. I have twice stepped back but I am fortunate to come from a reasonably affluent family and my parents help with college for my kids and i will inherit something.
Yes, that’s a great point. Ever the accountant, my sis did the calculation of her state benefits, and just the pension vs no 401k contribution at her old job closed more of the gap than I would have expected.
I didnt get to reply yesterday. I left law firm for government when I was in my early 30s and took about $150,000 pay cut, which I could afford to do because I never allowed lifestyle creep when I was working at the firm. It was one of the best decisions I ever made in life so far. I went from miserable every day to loving my job and the life I was able to build once I had the time available to do so.
I also missed the thread yesterday but I took a huge paycut, like $300k to $100k and it coincided with a move from a VHCOL area to a much lower one and a big career pivot. I am much happier in my new job and it has incredible WLB. I had spent years building a nest egg and funding my retirement and I could not have taken this paycut in my old city.
It was still a huge adjustment. My current salary is totally livable but there are definitely tradeoffs. I recently paid to have some repair work done on my home and it will take months to build back up my house fund whereas in my old job, I could have topped it up within a month or two. I also help out a family member on a monthly basis, something I am happy to do but makes my budget tighter, and not something I anticipated going into this new role.
I think there is no harm in applying but I also would think realistically about your finances currently and your long-term financial goals and make sure you’re in a good spot. And try to live on your new reduced salary during the application/interview process to see how it really feels.
Any chance your sister is in Utah? Their highway department social media team is amazing. I’d work there.
Nope, east coast. But this does make me wonder…are all highway authorities secretly fun places to work? hahah.
I work in transpo and yes, we are all very geeky and fun.
I’d asked awhile back about ThredUp as a seller. Reporting back. I sent in around 30 items of well-cared-for mall brands. 5 were rejected (older pieces that were the most worn, to be fair). 3 are about to expire without selling – Lands End swim tops, fwiw. I made about $100 in shopping credit. So when people said they got pennies on the dollar, that wasn’t an unfair description vs original prices paid, but for the ease of decluttering my closet of stuff that was collecting dust, I’m fine with it.
Oh and a tip- black pieces are by far the slowest sellers. My guess is because even with their bright photography, it’s hard to see details, and from the buyers’ perspective black also shows wear/fading quickly.
Can I ask how you came to select ThredUp over another option, such as Poshmark?
OP here- the items were not worth my time of photographing and listing and dealing with individual shipping. I might have made like, $10-15 each max (so $200-$300) but at the cost of hours of my time and the stuff still sitting there in my house until it sold.
If my goal is decluttering my closet, I just donate the items. The tax benefit is greater than any money I would wear by selling the items, and it’s way less work.
OP here- we take the standard deduction, and donating say $500 worth of clothes wasn’t going to move the needle there.
Good to know. I’m a frequent TU shopper, so I’d be open to a credit. I may try with a stack of clothes I have if I don’t have any luck on FB.
I am extremely burnt out. I need to get through the next four weeks and then I can take a staycation. Would you (1) triage down to a bare minimum or (2) try to get through as close to a normal amount of work as possible in anticipation of the staycation, so that there will be as little outstanding as possible?
Triage now to get through the most pressing items this week and next. Then knock out what you can reasonably do in the weeks leading up to your break. If you have projects that you dread, try to prioritize those above routine stuff so you don’t have them looming over you while you are away.
Bare minimum absolutely.
Four weeks is still a lot of time left before you get a break and you are already burnt out.
Triage ruthlessly.
My framework is importance vs. urgency, in 4 buckets:
1) Important + urgent = have to do it
2) Important + not urgent = do it soon post-staycation
3) Not important + urgent = delegate or try to push to later
4) Not important + not urgent = do not do it, unless something changes that makes it go into another bucket
Bucket 1 has limited space and can hold only a small number of items. If that bucket gets too heavy, you need to reassess the importance and urgency of those items with you manager or whoever is a stakeholder of bucket 1 items (could be personal items, too).
Why a staycation? I’d try to go somewhere when you have time off to actually refresh and not think geez, I should organize those closets.
+1. That’s the problem with a staycation when you’re burnt out. Now you’re home looking at all the chores you neglected, telling yourself you “can’t relax” until you make a dent in the clutter, and suddenly a week has gone by, clutter is 50% reduced, and you haven’t enjoyed yourself at all. If you feel you really need physical rest and to lay in bed, is a cabin rental an option?
Believe me, I wish I could go to a cabin in the mountains and just breathe the air. However, I have kids who will still be in school so 4 weeks out is when I will be able to take a break from work but not from parenting. I’ll be away one weekend and the kids will be away one weekend.
Counterpoint, the most relaxing vacation for my husband and me is a fancy hotel in downtown Chicago (we live in the far burbs) with a spa appointment and theatre tickets. We do a lot of international travel too, but it’s not as relaxing as a staycation.
Get through as much as you can so you don’t have a lot weighing on you when you can take time off.
What nail shape do you prefer? And how long do you wear your nails?
Squoval (basically the shape they naturally grow, with a little filing) and the longest I can tolerate is just past fingertip.
Same. I cut mine short every Sunday – I’ve never been able to tolerate typing if I don’t.
Same on both counts!
+1 i really dislike the pointy trend in nails right now.
+1.
I wear my nails short, since they break easily and I pick at them.
My natural shape is a “squoval” as someone below named it, so I just trim or file. I have maybe 1-2 millimeters of “white” showing – anything more and it is too hard to keep up.
I still wear nail polish in all colors, or just a sheer Essie if I want no color but for it to look “done”.
Cut to the quick and natural shaped with red polish.
I love the look of short nails with a bold polish.
Same. I assume this is from years of violin.
I’m still really surprised that anyone in healthcare has long nails.
Long nails just … gross me out. Always have. I also don’t know how people do anything with their hands.
And acrylics/dip! I thought this was not allowed, honestly.
I love this blouse but it reminds me about migraine attacks caused by perfume because I judge hard on how people are dressed so I can guess if they are wearing perfume and if I need to avoid them.
Floral blouse wearers, drapey scarves, noticeable earrings and hairspray-held hairstyles are fairly reliable tells! Anyone else operate like me?
I can see that.
But I can assure you, I have some very similar floral tops and do not wear perfume or hairspray.
Love you for that, and for your taste in blouses!
Always happy when I’m wrong and can breathe easier.
I have never made this connection, although blue eye shadow does seem to be associated with too much cloying product.
In my experience, men with slicked back hairstyles are the most prolific scent offenders because their Venn diagram overlaps heavily with guys who wear way too much heavy cologne or Axe body spray.
Ah yes, I give teenage boys a wide berth for fear of Axe.
Sure you’re not just smelling the hairspray? Scented products are so overscented these days!
But laundry detergents and fabric softeners are a much bigger migraine trigger for me than perfume, so no, I don’t pay attention to people’s style.
I have a direct report who must wash her clothes in those scent beads. It’s clearly a laundry smell, not perfume. The scent is SO STRONG and really bothers me but I keep quiet.
Please say something. There are many of us who are not in positions of authority and for whom the symptoms are more than just an annoyance. We shouldn’t have to medicate ourselves into a stupor in order to breathe just because others opt to douse themselves in scented products.
Please give me a script! I have a colleague like this and I cannot even pass her office without feeling nauseated. I pulled the plug-in thing she installed in the common restroom and when asked I told her it gives me a raging headache. PS it smells so fake!
Rude.
I’m sorry to ask you this, but I’m sensitive to scents- if you wear perfume or use perfume laundry beads, could I ask you to stop? They give me the worst (medical condition). Thanks, I really appreciate your help!
(done this many times- scents give me bad asthma)
At the end of the day, just before she leaves. “You may not know this: products with strong smells can cause health issues for many people. Please dial back on the scents. Thanks!”
The script at 1:36 is so much better than the one proposed at 1:57. The latter is condescending (“you may not know this”), directive, and accusatory. The former gives the scent-wearer some plausible deniability (“if you are wearing perfume”) rather than low-key insulting her intelligence and accusing her of causing wide-spread health issues. People are far more likely to respond well to a polite request by an appreciative person, not an embarrassing accusation that puts her on the spot and being told what to do.
My pearls! How dare a direct boss tell her rude report to quit doing something that could actually cause serious health issues! Think of the children!
You are absolutely right, hairspray is so scented and a big trigger for me.
Do you also get car sick?
No, I don’t get car sick. Does that affect you?
I’m wearing a black blouse, cream Akris blazer, straight cut jeans and Byredo’s Bal De Afrique, if that helps you update your profile in any way.
The blouse is pretty.
Did anyone check out the skirt or the pants? Felt like I needed a magnifying glass to find the skirt, and the pattern placement on the pants is..something.
Oh my. The pants fit the “gardening” theme here, though.
The skirt is fun but not as office wear.
I am a 36DDD and need to wear a strapless dress. What are the most supportive bra alternatives that do not add bulk?
No such thing. Get the dress altered as tight as you can.
I’d ask Bravissimo on their live chat what they recommend.
Use the A Bra that Fits calculator with 6 measurements, then go to that subreddit and ask for recommendations. Strapless bras are not forgiving in the wrong size, especially if the band is too large.
have something sewn into the dress
+1
Any you already getting the dress tailored? I’m kind of assuming this is a bridesmaids dress (but that’s cause I would never pick strapless if I have a choice). If you are already getting it tailored, I would ask about options for having a built in bra added. I’ve always found that way more comfortable than a strapless bra.
If the dress allows, a longline strapless will provide more support and be more comfortable than a conventional strapless.
This is the answer. Freya is my go to.
A longline strapless – the corset bottom provides a lot of stability so that the elastic band doesn’t have to do all the work.
The best is it to get it tailored and have a corset built it. It actually needs to fit well around your waist
What is a good third piece for layering during the summer in a more formal office? Is it mostly blazers now? Every time I try a cardigan it looks weird to my eye, but perhaps I am not styling it correctly. I need something for when it is hot outside but the AC is cold.
Try fully buttoning the cardigan.
How are you styling the cardigan and what kind of outfits do you usually wear?
You can do a cardigan, but the shape / cut / quality needs to work with your outfit for the day — the idea of one “office cardigan” that you put on whenever it’s cold doesn’t work. Or maybe you keep two or three different shapes in your office so you can choose.
I wear a cardigan over a blouse 2-3 times a week. Totally fine.
Yes, a blazer
Cardigans are frumpy imo.
I love a cardigan, but I also love to lean into the absent minded professor look, which is something you can get away with in my field. Maybe it is frumpy, but it’s comfy and is better than a rumpled blouse on its own.
Completely frumpy.
That is so sad to hear. Cardigans are the best.
I’m not sad–I love cardigans and these people are ridiculous. Wear a cardigan and be happy!
Here’s the thing, you can still wear them b just know it’s not a polished look and is yes, frumpy. Sometimes that doesn’t matter at all but know this so you don’t mistake it for a good look for a big meeting or interview.
Not all cardigans are created equal. Mine are perfectly polished. And no, I’m not lying to myself.
Yeah, “cardigans” is a type of sweater, but there are lots of different styles. Some are frumpy, some are not. I keep a desk cardigan that is frumpy af. I have beautiful, fitted cashmere cardigans that are lovely over dresses. I have structured cardigans that are polished. Doesn’t mean they are replacements for situations where a blazer is appropriate, but characterizing all cardigans as frumpy is silly.
get a space heater for under your desk and keep a big throw/ blanket.
Always a blazer.
A blazer with my outfit, or a pashmina for use at my desk.
I keep a couple of linen blazers in my office.
Lightweight blazers
I transitioned to a new job late last year that has allowed a much better work-life balance. I no longer have to catch up on work in the evening, which has allowed me to maintain an exercise routine and resume some other hobbies. I recently realized that I would like to start a creative hobby. I loved to paint, make jewelry, and build things when I was younger. We live in a condo, so space is somewhat limited, but where I am stuck now is what to do with the product of the hobby. For example, I do not need art work, jewelry, or knitwear. I am not sure I would like creating something just for the process of creating it but I would love to hear from others. For those with these types of hobbies, what is the hobby and what do you do with what you make?
I saw someone here recently mention donating knitted goods. Volunteering at an organization where this could be an option would also be great if anyone has suggestions that I could search for in my community (I already volunteer at Habitat for Humanity).
Welcome back to the land of the living!
I do a lot of crafts (poorly), but I enjoy doing them for the sake of doing them and don’t feel the need to keep them after I’ve done them.
I knit and mostly stick to things my household wears (gloves, mittens, socks, sweaters, etc.). While I was still learning how to properly select sizes and make sure the color and fiber content worked for the intended recipient, I would sometimes knit perfectly serviceable items that didn’t fit or appeal to anyone in my circle. Rather than trying to find an organization to donate, say, a single pair of knit socks for a size 38 foot, I just donated them to my local thrift shop.
If you want to knit specifically to donate, you can check with local hospitals (hats for newborns or chemo patients), look up Knitted Knockers, ask if homeless shelters in your area need anything specific, etc. If you go this route, be sure to follow any guidelines, especially regarding fiber content so the item is as washable as it needs to be.
This is one of the great difficulties of having a creative hobby. If you don’t like clutter, but you don’t want to make something and just toss it, you’re never going to actually do your hobby much at all of of fear of the stuff. Eventually you could sell or gift it, but when you start a hobby again the stuff you are making is not typically of a quality that most people want until a couple months or maybe even years of consistently doing the hobby again. I just have some inexpensive watercolors and treat my art the same way I do my kids – display on the fridge until I have something new to put up, then the old one gets tossed.
I had a similar moment! I agree with the creating things but not wanting to have so many things around can be a challenge. I landed on doing jigsaw puzzles. I frame the ones that I can’t bear to break apart, that are particularly pretty, or sentimental and hang them up. I know that’s not everyone’s style but its worked very well for me and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how charmed people have come when they come over.
I’ve been doing watercolor zen tangles in a big watercolor paper notebook. Look up Lizi Phoenix on T*kt*k for the kind I mean. You can get a small watercolor kit and it doesn’t take up much space, plus the art is all collected in the notebook.
I also use watercolor journals for my watercolor painting, all in black in the same size so they look intentional. When I do use loose paper I usually cut it up into bookmarks and drop them at the library.
You could paint greeting cards — all your holiday, birthday, and special occasion cards for the year.
A relative of mine used to do this. It was special to be on her list of being worthy of one.
My understanding is that many hospitals have a donation bin for knits for newborns.
Also for chemo patients!! Hats, blankets, shawls. We are always cold!
I got into embroidery and visible mending as a way to do something with my hands that’s colorful and useful.
I want to do this. Maybe next year when I retire (there, I said it out loud in the universe).
I draw and do oil painting. My drawings are in notebooks and don’t take up much space. I do have a big folder with charcoal drawings in the back of my closet. I am a very, very slow painter, so no clutter. So far, family and friends have asked for paintings.
Not year-round, but growing cut flowers in our container garden – “consumable” end result and we get free bouquets all summer long!
Project Linus collects knit/crochet blankets for kids in the hospital.
Creating for the process of creating it is the joy, for me, and I expect for a lot of other creatives. I paint and draw and simply keep my “finished” art but don’t display it. Drawings are easy to store. Storing large canvases can be more of a challenge but small cavasses/water colors wouldn’t be. Storing the supplies is much harder. I really need them to be easily accessible or I won’t do anything.
Bucilla stockings for the nieces and nephews. Each stocking will keep you busy for a month (trust me) and the space consumed is not that big.
this has been talked about a lot in local neighborhood groups. there seems to be a lot of use at old age homes, where they have ‘shopping’ events for people to pick things out, and/or a woman’s shelter or low-income school, where kids could ‘shop’ (for free) for their moms for mother’s day
My local knitting guild needs lovely shawl/scarfs for women having breast cancer surgery. They also make knotted knockers. My local knitting group that is run thru our library system knits baby hats for the local NICU. I know a bunch of people who knit, crochet, and sew for Project Linus.
Cross stitching. It’s time intensive, and you can stitch items for longevity (christmas stockings) or consumption (dish towels) or small gifts (fancy napkins, coasters).
Love this
Thanks to everyone for these great ideas!
I’m glad that Swalwell is out of the race. But I can’t shake this icky feeling that this was known for a while and it coming out now was a Newsome-orchestrated thing to clear the field.
+1 Most folks close to the CA congressional delegation have known about his inability to keep it in his pants for a long time. I’m only surprised that it took this long to catch up to him- given his high-profile.
He (along with many members of congress) consistently has inappropriate relations with his staffers. Congressional staff are entirely dependent on their former bosses for recommendations and have almost no protections from retaliatory behavior. Its a cesspool on both sides of the aisle.
This sounds so naive, but I have been in a position of authority and power for almost a decade. I have never once thought about using it to gain se ual favors from interns or people lower in the power structure. I’m not even that great of a person! I’m just normal. And it would never, ever, ever occur to me to abuse my power in that way, or hurt the people around me. I just don’t get it. Maybe it’s men.
It’s always men
Yup
Both genders on the national stage have been guilty of this. It’s a power-trip problem more than a gender problem.
Yeah? Do you think this problem is equally distributed among powerful men and women?
I am convinced that the type of person who runs for office is also the type of man who is inclined to use the office. And it’s not 100% men but it’s close.
Omg no. Women do not commit sexual crimes at the same rate as men.
It’s not the same rate, but it’s also not the same professions (look at teachers and nurses and home care helpers to find more women who abuse power).
The narrative that these guys are succumbing to “temptations” is exculpatory. Yes it’s necessary to build safeguards around systemic imbalances in power that make people vulnerable. But what happens is that people who already want to misuse power seek out positions that will give them access to vulnerable people, because they are smart enough to work this out.
So there’s really no reason why you would ever have thought about abusing your power; it’s not a temptation for normal people at all.
Yeah, I don’t get it either. And I *married* someone that I met at work (we were in different offices at the same level with the same very large employer).
I agree that it seems like this was known for a while, but help me understand why it would be a Newsom-orchestrated thing? Who would he be clearing the field for, since he can’t run himself?
That was my though as well. I would be curious on why OP thought Gavin Newsom had anything to do with this?
agree, that was strange remark. Consulting company with ties to Newsom was doing work on Swalwell’s campaign even though Newsom hasn’t endorsed anyone.
Agreed, very strange to blame Newsom machinations for this.
There seems to be a far right breed of California conservatives blaming Newsom for everything. i.e WHY am I seeing so many social media rants about chemtrails? It makes NO sense. California definitely has its own weird conspiracy theorists.
I’m a far-too-cynical GenX, so, grain of salt, but IME guys protect each other. Guys dismiss obvious bad behavior, assume that rumors about a friend are false, and even liberal guys aren’t particularly self-aware. Think about all the liberal guys who adored Bernie and thought Hillary was too “shrill” and “but her emails”-d her all the way to having the other guy win the election.
I don’t like conservative men (in general) but at least they ignore me as a middle-aged woman or are blowhards and tell me more than I ever wanted to know their (horrible) beliefs. Guys who espouse my own political views make me wary because so often, they don’t actually want women in leadership, women as subject matter experts, or women with opinions.
Yeah… I understand that there are policies that are far better or worse for women that are worth our political opposition or support, but there really are not many actual allies of women in politics who are men.
But that still does not explain why Gavin Newsom (a white guy) would engineer the downfall of Eric Swalwell (another white guy).
Answer is that he didn’t
I say this with love in my heart, but the Democratic Party in CA is a right proper mess and I don’t think Newsom (or anyone else) could put together even a simple conspiracy.
Maybe Newsom was worried about Salwell as a potential 2028 contender? Maybe he wanted someone else in the corner office?
Agree. Have seen too much hypocrisy behind closed doors, and heavy bro culture in politics
A few years ago, one of the guys running for office in my oh-so-progressive town was glad-handing people at school drop-off. A woman friend who lives in my town was dropping off her kids in workout clothes. This guy barreled up to her and made a HUGE deal about how he was a lawyer and his vast legal experience would make him sooooooo amazing in public office. My friend *tried* to mention that she was also a lawyer and he didn’t even slow down his spiel, as if the little lady in yoga pants couldn’t possibly practice law (FWIW she’s a senior person at a big-deal regional firm). Super off-putting, especially since he was one of those super-lefty bro-y white guys who thinks he knows the answer for everything and that answer is a bike lane.