Happy New Year friends! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted; I don’t take blog breaks very often, but when I do they are typically spur of the moment…
THE STORY
…And such was the case with this break. It wasn’t that I was immersed in holiday busy-ness. I wasn’t on an exotic getaway to parts unknown. It wasn’t that some unexpected tragedy struck. I quite simply needed some quiet time in my own head. I needed time to sort through the noise, organize the chaos, clarify my goals and my path forward as well as reconcile myself to the fact that my entire world is in a season of major change; it has tumbled from a foundation of stability and constancy that I’d grown accustomed to into the abyss of the unknown.
That last paragraph might sound like nothing more than hyperbole, but let me assure you, it isn’t. I am a creature of habit. I find comfort in the expected and mundane. Although I know from a long life of experience, that the expected and mundane are nothing more than illusions that we create to add a sense of order to our existence. Last year my guiding word was “discover”. The reason for that choice was that I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone of the expected and discover new delights in the world. And I did discover so much…I visited new places, lowered the wall and allowed new people into my world, and discovered new aspects of myself and my points of view. However, those discoveries were somewhat within my control. I didn’t necessarily know what was coming, but I knew how it was coming.
The changes that are coming now though, for the most part, are out of my control. They are full of unknowns and uncertainty. There are so many factors in play that could make them the best thing that ever happened or the worst thing imaginable. And while part of me feels the wild thrill of exploring uncharted territories, the other part is frozen in unadulterated terror.
The single domino that toppled and began the chain reaction of change that has led me to this point was my husband’s work injury at the end of May. Those of you who are regular readers might remember that, and if not you can read about it and then head back to today’s post. Long story short, after months of doctors, hospitals and physical therapy there hasn’t really been much improvement. In all likelihood, work is a thing of the past for him. This has in turn changed every single thing about our lives; from financially, to emotionally, to our simple day to day existence. Activities that were once taken for granted can be no more. I would not even venture to try and write about everything that is now different. Suffice it to say that nothing is the same as it was nor will it ever be again. That in and of itself is a hell of a lot for the brain to wrap around, especially for someone who thrives in the expected.
One of the glimmers of good that is developing from the chaos is that I have been pushed into doing something that I have long talked about, thought about and dreamed about…but fear and thoughts of “Oh, I’ll do it someday” held me back. I’m currently in the beginning stages of using the blog as the structural foundation for building a business, a for real solid source of income. I’m not going to lie, it’s nothing short of terrifying. I have so very much to learn and feel like I know nothing at this point, however I am fully committed to learning and figuring it all out. I’m 100% committed to succeeding.
I know that in order to ever be able to retire from teaching and in addition perhaps keep us afloat as a family even if I don’t retire, I’m going to have to pick up a second income. The mere thought of returning to retail or restaurant work causes my soul to wither up in a corner and die a little. There’s not a thing wrong with either of those career choices, they just aren’t for me. In my mind, looking at where I currently am and where I’ve been in life, I would be taking ten steps backwards and be miserable to boot if I went either of those directions.
Of course being a creature of habit, since those are both jobs with which I am intimately familiar, that is where my thoughts went first. The blog was right there at the forefront of my mind, but initially I kept pushing it aside because of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of looking stupid. Fear of not being taken seriously. Fear of failure. The mind (and especially the heart) are persistent beings though, and eventually I accepted the obvious path…the scary unknown path… but ultimately the path that will lead me where I need to go…so transitioning the blog into a business it is then.
With that being said, a little heads up for all of you. In the near future the blog will temporarily be down for the count while some renovations take place. In place of the blog you’ll see a page that says something along the lines of “We’ll be right back!” It won’t be down long, so please be sure to check back for a new and improved FFD… It will be my first baby step into my scary brave new world and I hope you’ll all come along for the ride!
THE OUTFIT
I have got a definite thing for feminine girly-girl skirts. From tulle to chiffon to satin…I love ’em all. This pink satin skirt was (and still is) on sale for $20, so how could I resist? **Side note– the Shopstyle widget says that it is out of stock, however it is still available in sizes 6, 8 and 10. It will pair beautifully with so many different pieces…think graphic tee, chambray shirt, sweatshirt…but on this particular day I thought it would be perfect with my blush pink off the shoulder sweater.
The nice thing about this particular sweater is that while it is off the shoulder, I can still wear it on the shoulder for work. A few weeks ago I shared some tips for choosing an off the shoulder sweater that you might want to check out if you’re not sure this type of sweater is for you. The two shades of pink blend nicely since they are both subtle pastel shades. Since I wore this outfit on a warmer day, I went with bare legs my off white western booties. I’ve had these boots for years (in 3 different colors), and all three colors get worn a lot. Since they are leather, they only seem to get better with each wear.
THE TIP
A satin skirt might at first thought seem to be a dressier piece, but like most things, it’s all in what you pair it with. They work with graphic tees or sweatshirts…really just about anything you can think to pair them with. If you’re thinking about trying a satin/silk skirt here are a few things to keep in mind…
- A looser fit is better…This type of fabric will show every lump an bump. Depending on the cut I sometimes size up so that the tummy and butt area are not super form fitting. I prefer a circle or a-line skirt for this reason. Spanx might be useful, but I’ve never tried them myself.
- If possible, go with an elastic waistband… This might just be a personal preference thing, but I don’t enjoy wearing anything that cuts into me at all. Since satin/silk fabric does not really have much stretch I prefer an elastic waistband as opposed to a zipper for comfort and ease of movement.
- Keep in mind that even if the skirt is machine washable (and most seem to be), this type of fabric does wrinkle after washing it… I found with some satin skirts that a steamer or a quick air fluff in the dryer removes most of the wrinkles, but others are stubborn. In those cases I have learned to embrace the wrinkles.
- Allow your satin skirts to air dry… I air dry a whole lot of things, but I always air dry my satin skirts regardless of what the care tag says.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Skirt: Nasty Gal; Sweater: Similar; Boots: Aldo (Similar)
