Today’s Denim, a Fit Experiment

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 Katie: I’m sorry.  I know this is serious.  I am listening to you, but I just need a moment to process the fact that I need to gain weight.  That is the nicest thing anyone has ever told me.

What I had just heard from my ivf doctor was, “You need to gain weight in order to maximize your chances  for a successful ivf transfer.  Blah blah blah blag too skinny.  Blah blah blah blah need more meat on your stomach.”  It might have been the greatest moment of my life.  Should I send a group text or let people know one by one that for the first time in my ENTIRE life, someone thought I needed to gain weight?  I am not too skinny.  I am normal by all accounts and regularly feel that I need to lose 5 pounds, but for one moment in life, I was too skinny.

The next month I split my beloved Joe’s jeans which leads us to today.  I could not rationalize spending  $150 on jeans that were a size bigger than normal and might not even fit afterwards if ivf worked and I became pregnant.  What to do?  Head to the Gap.  Premium denim was a rare thing 10 years ago, but now every mass marketer has it.  Status denim forced the change of denim the specialty stores offered and brought me back to a store that I had not stepped foot in for probably 10 years.

We all have our favorites, and different vendors all have different fits, but there is no longer a need to spend a huge fortune on denim, if you do not want to.  I was pleasantly surprised by what the Gap offered, and today I will also show you what Banana Republic, J Crew, Gap, and Urban Outfitters offer for a more reasonable price.  My darling model is my sister-in-law, Anna Goeschel.  She is athletic in build and tall.

Banana Republic. Our basic call out was that we would have preferred to have the pockets closer together.  If you want your tush to look smaller, look for pockets that are slightly angled and close together.  Banana offers a nice wear-to-work option in denim.  All denim styles shown were $79.50 and 89% Cotton, 8% Polyester, and 2% Spandex.

Sizing: runs more generous than premium denim lines.  Anna went down 2 sizes from what she wears in other denim.

Boot:

BR BOOT BR BOOT BK

Curvy:

BR CURVY BOOT BACK BR CURVY BOOT

Skinny:

BR SKINNY BR SKINNY BK

Gap: Gap usually fits me very well and they had the widest variety of styles.  Anna was pleasantly surprised by how well she liked some of the fits.  Gap is the most economically priced as well.  All styles were under $70.  I felt the back pockets, washes, and details were more updated than what Banana Republic offered, but not as wear to work friendly.

Sizing: Runs a little more generous than premium denim lines.  Anna went down 1 size.

Always Skinny: $69.95.  98% Cotton, 2% Spandex

GAP ALWAYS SKINNY GAP ALWAYS SKINNY BACK

Curvy: $69.95. 98% Cotton, 2% Elastane

GAP CURVY GAP CURVY BK

Perfect Boot: $69.50.  79% Cotton, 20% Polyester, 1% Spandex

GAP PERFECT BOOT GAP PERFECT BOOT BK

Real Straight: $69.50. 79% Cotton, 20% Polyester, 1% Spandex

GAP REAL STRAIGHT GAP REAL STRAIGHT BK

J Crew has the priciest denim, but had Anna’s favorite fit.  For me, it runs a little long.  I feel it’s best for a taller customer, but they do offer petites.  They only have skinny denim right now, but the shape of both offerings is right on trend.  The washes were a nice, flattering dark wash, but were light enough to look more current than the curvy wash at Gap and all of Banana Republic’s washes.  All denim is $125 and 93% Cotton, 6% Polyester, and 1% Spandex.

The sizing runs smaller than both Gap and Banana Republic.  Anna wore her regular size in comparison with premium denim lines.

Matchstick:

J CREW MATCH J CREW MATCH BK

Toothpick:

J CREW TOOTHPICK J CREW TOOTHPICK BK

Urban Outfitters offers their private label brand, BDG, at a very economical price.  The average is $58, but they often run pricing specials.  Colored denim continues to be huge, and a blue wash is a safe way to venture into the trend.

Sizing runs similar to premium denim lines.

URBAN URBAN BK

FLOWERS IN THE CRACK DEN

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Katie: Pat, why don’t we have a ceiling today?

Pat: That’s called progress.

Katie: What if it rains?

Pat: It never rains here.

Katie: But what if it does?

Pat: It won’t.

A couple days later….

Katie: You know our neighbor’s cat pees on everything. If we don’t cover the hole to the crawl space, he’s going to come in here.

Pat: He’s not going to come in here.

(A couple of minutes later, cat strolls through house. Pat and I scramble while I repeat over and over “I told you so”.)

Welcome to the crack den. Pat does not find this term amusing. He also didn’t find it amusing when I told him I was sure I would find used needles in the backyard. In his defense, I am extremely dramatic. I did think of placing one of my ivf needles out there as a joke, but didn’t think it would go over very well.

Pat and I gutted and remodeled 90% of our house when we moved in. By ‘we’ I mean that I fully participated, in the heat, for 3 months and then complained and cleaned. It was brutal. One of the ways I kept myself from going completely savage while cleaning dishes in the bathroom sink was to have fresh flowers anywhere in the crack den. Sumatra and Stargazer lilies are my favorite. They are stunning and have a most glorious smell that can hide many chemical smells. When people came over, I could at least show them that while we lived like squatters, I had not forgotten my manners. I think outside of their visual fabulousness, I gained this love from my mother whose house is always filled with flowers. Her tip is to buy a bouquet and put 1 or 2 flowers in beautiful, tiny vases along window shelves. It looks so pretty and stretches the bouquet.

P.S. Pat is a very accomplished architect. For more of his work, see his website at www.studiobuildca.com. He would love to help you with your den too!

before work started

before work started

The crack den look.

The crack den look.

FINALLY!!!

FINALLY!!!

The bathroom now only washes humans and canines. No dishes.

The bathroom now only washes humans and canines. No dishes.

Always Wear Your Underpants

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  1. When I was a little girl, my mother one time told me to always wear underpants because if I ever got into a car accident, I would want to have them on. This has stuck with me.
  2. The entire time I have lived in California, I have never had central air conditioning. You only need it for about 6 weeks out of the year, but I still wish I had it. In this instance, however, it did help me out.

Pat and I first lived in an apartment near Old Town Pasadena, which is a fun area. One day, we had plans with friends and decided to walk to meet them. Coming home, we realized that neither of us had keys. Luckily, we had also forgotten to close the bathroom window. (#responsibleadults) Pat suggested that he hoist me up and I crawl through the window. I told him I didn’t want to do that because I had on an expensive skirt that I really liked. After a fair amount of brainstorming and a futile visit to the manager’s apartment, we decided that my climbing through the window was the only option. We also decided that I would have to take the skirt off in order to not rip it. Two thoughts went through my head. “If we are arrested, I hope they let me put my skirt back on” and “Thank goodness I’m wearing cute underpants.” I was hoisted up after Pat promised not to look and all turned out just fine.

The BEST skivvies are by Honeydew, in the mesh fabrication. You can buy them at discount at Nordstrom Rack, and regular Nordstrom usually has a good deal on them during their Anniversary sale. The mesh fabric is unbelievably forgiving (still matters even if no one is seeing them but you), they have cute prints, and they have a hybrid cut which means that you have moderate coverage, but will not have VPL. Even when I’m not fitting into my skinny jeans, I feel pretty good when wearing these.

honeydew

FIND YOUR THEME SONG

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“Hey big girl, make ‘em back it up.  Make ‘em back it up.  Wobble baby wobble baby wobble baby wobble.”  From the prophetic words of V.I.C., I was deeply inspired.  I had a few thoughts while running it out on the treadmill.  1. Was I too old to be in a music video?  2. If I were to audition, would I qualify to play the big girl?  I deeply wanted the lead….  3. Wow.  There is a serious jazz funeral influence on this song, and I want to know more about jazz funerals.

Itunes has changed the way we live.  You can pick and choose the songs you want and create your own albums from home.  Brilliant.  For a mere $1.29, you can have any song you want.  I find that I do my very best thinking when I hit the pavement or treadmill.  Any time I need to have a serious creative session or mood boost, I grab my headphones and take off.  I genuinely survived the ivf process with a pair of hot pink running shoes and head phones.  I end up drawn to 1 song and listen to it over and over while I work out solutions or ideas in my head.  This blog was created listening to “Wobble” and my husband’s innovative thinking.  This morning while T napped, I came up with several possibilities for creative outlets and projects for myself.  Most of the time these ideas are too over-the-top for my day to day life, but they provide fun thinking time and I always exercise longer than planned.   Give yourself some ‘me’ time and get your juices flowing.  Here is what was on my playlist today.

“LA Song” by Beth Hart.  I decided I needed to learn this song for any future karaoke time.  I had some good arm movements to accentuate key phrases.

“Closer” by Tegan and Sara.  Fantastic beats for models walking in a fashion show.

“Love Somebody” by Maroon 5.  Adam Levine keeps me on the treadmill.

“Wobble” by V.I.C.  I actually got an extra workout as I had to get off the treadmill to do my best wobble dance when this was on.  Go abs.

What 1 Moment in 1999 Taught Me

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Karen Kane tank

Soon after I moved to Manhattan, my best friend and I were invited to the opening of a big deal restaurant.  I was certain that I was on my way up in the town.  I wore a sheer top in a fabrication that is best described as panty hose in oxblood (for any men reading, this is the color of barbeque sauce, roughly).  Underneath this, I wore a pink tube top.  (This was 1999 after all)  The night was fantastic.  Minor celebrities such as a soap stars were there.  Oysters AND champagne were consumed, and all of this within a beautiful setting.  My boyfriend of the time came to pick me up and said, “I can see through your shirt.”  I was way too full of myself after a night of glamour and replied, “Yes, that is the point.”   Really, someone who only wears Brooks Brothers could not understand my forward fashion statement.  I sashayed one more time through the fabulousness to get my coat.  Standing in front of the mirror to put it on, I realized what he was saying.  My tube top had fallen down and my girls were out in full view with only oxblood panty hose over them.   It was certainly a moment.

What I would wear today underneath that top is a Karen Kane super soft tank.  It would have been dressy enough and never would have left me hanging, literally.  These tanks are fantastic.  They are nylon with a smooth sheen.  This means they never stick to whatever is on top of them.  While pregnant, I wore them in the hundred degrees plus weather at night to feel cool and to avoid arm chafing.  Post-pregnancy, they are tight enough to fake my old stomach without the crunch of an actual shaper garment.  People who have tried them are cultish in their praise.  Karen Kane makes them in every color, but I do find myself gravitating to the black and white the most.  They are 100% made in America and the company is a major leader in the Los Angeles garment business.  They run great deals at different times off of their website too, www.karenkane.com.  It is $40 worth spending!

It’s a Scary, Hairy Mess. This Helps.

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beach spray

My post pregnancy hair loss has started and it is startling.  Yeah, yeah, yeah it supposedly grows back, but there is a possibility that it will not.  Like all other curve balls, I just have to deal with it.  The positive side to this is that I have a fabulous Halloween costume.  I will let my hair air dry, wear nothing but a cape and heels, and go as the scary guy from “Silence of the Lambs.”  My neighbor told me that she saves all of her dog’s hair that she sheds and is planning on having it made into a quilt. I struggled for an adequate response on that one, but now it has me thinking.   Perhaps T would appreciate my hair shed from his birth woven into a small hot pad?  This would be a nice wedding gift for the “something old” portion of the program?

I have settled into a high-low balance on my hair care over the years.  I spend on color, conditioner, and products that really tame the natural frizz, and go low on shampoo (or get it during sales), styling tools and products that I don’t need for my daily look.  One thing I have always wanted was the Bumble and Bumble Salt Spray, but I could not justify buying it.  They promised beachy waves and I wanted them!  I recently found L’Oreal’s Ever Style Beach Spray for $6.99 at my drugstore and decided I would give it a try at that price.  I like it!  You are supposed to go easy on hair when it is in this shedding phase, and there are days when T wakes up early from his nap and straightening is not an option anyhow.  I still need an anti-frizz serum with this, but the waves are great AND it makes my hair look a ton fuller.  I also love the texture it creates because it makes it really great for an updo the next day.  This is a great product to have on hand if you are a curly girl.

Quit Diagnosing Your Friends

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My father is a physician.  For some reason, I believe that this is a genetic trait I have been given instead of a very learned profession for which I have no qualifications or education.  When I left for college, he sent with me the medications that I needed along with some antibiotics, in case I got sick.  I started diagnosing my friends’ illnesses and handing out my meds.  When I called him for more, he told me that under no circumstances was I allowed to continue this behavior.  I no longer have a stash to pass out (aside from an Ambien or two that I received from my own doctor in California), but I still diagnose my patients.  One of my favorite humans alive and I have spent much time on the internet together discovering the source of an illness or pain.  She will also call me with a diagnosis and I will say things like, “Well did you ask about this medication?  That’s what I would recommend.”  I seem to know about medications.  Perhaps from magazine advertisements?  I was really stumped one time and decided to call my colleague to ponder (i.e. my dad) and there was a long silence.  I assumed this was because he was thinking about the possibilities, but he squared me away pretty quickly about my inappropriateness.

Medications aside, there are so many supplements that truly do enhance your health.  I have a wretched stomach and have been put on so many medications over my life that never helped.  These actually CHANGED the way I live.  So, from Dr. Katie to you, here are supplements that I am never without.

Probiotics: You want live cultures and yogurt does not count.  I have not taken antibiotics in over three years with this program.  If you take antibiotics, you want to FOR SURE take these as they will replace the good bacteria in your digestive tract that the antibiotics kill.  If you have a bum stomach, “The Gut Flush Plan” is a great book, but super embarrassing to carry through the book store, as Patrick told me.  One night after T was born I was afraid I was getting a stomach bug that I would pass along to him.  I took 5 of these and then 5 more a couple hours later and it completely went away.  These might be the best thing I have discovered in my 30’s.

Digestive Enzymes: As you age, you have less and less of these naturally and Dr. Oz taught me that 70% of your immune system is in your gut.  I had been on these for 3 years already.   A healthy immune system keeps you looking better too.

Purified Fish Oil: It’s a wonder supplement.  It does everything from protecting your mind in ageing to keeping your skin pretty.  You want it purified so you do not ingest mercury.

Biotin: Aids in healthy hair and nails.

Pycnogenol: I just learned about this.  It is apparently the next big thing in wrinkle prevention.  It plumps your skin cells back up which decreases wrinkles.  It takes a while to work, but I started it.   I will keep you posted.

Excedrin over Tylenol:  There really is no comparison in which one gets rid of your headache faster. Excedrin does contain caffeine, so be aware of that.  It wires my best friend like a puppy with free reign in a new house.