The shiney thing that has made my day

I thought the thing I'd miss most this year would be my vintage dresses. I took the decision ahead of the challenge that my favourite couple of dresses simply wouldn't stand up to daily wear. They were handmade in the 50's and everything about them is just a bit fragile. I decided that I'd sell most of them and just put aside the ones I couldn't bear to part with for a years rest.

But they are not what I've missed most. What I've missed most has nothing to do with the challenge, except as far as my sense of identity goes.It's something I'm allowed to wear as far as the rules of the challenge go, but that through a little twist of fate I couldn't.


Just over 5 years ago a couple of weeks before my 30th birthday, Laura and I headed to the E17 Designers fair, if you live in or around Walthamstow it's worth looking out for. We have some talented artists and makers around here, and there is always something to spark your imagination. I'd picked up a couple of presents for people and was about to head out for a glass of wine when something shiny caught my eye.

That shiny thing was this gold necklace.

 

Something about it really appealed to me. I couldn't work it out. It broke both of the 'buying Ed jewelry she'll like' rules which are (or were), I don't wear gold, and chunkier is better. But I couldn't stop looking at it.

Anyway - I had a chat to the lovely designer Faith (her website is here) who gave me her card so I could go away and think about it. And I thought about it (a lot) and in the end asked Matt to buy it for me for my 30th - for whatever reason I didn't use Faiths website (I don't know if she had one then?) but just gave Matt her card and described the necklace as being 'like the sun'.

Looking back this was a huge risk - I hadn't seen anything else Faith had designed so I could have got anything. For all I knew she could have had a whole collection made up of those horrible grinning suns (she doesn't - all her stuff is very tasteful). Thankfully Faith remembered what I had been looking at and I got exactly what I wanted.

And since then I've worn it nearly every day, somehow everything else I own looks nicer alongside it. Even though it's tiny and it's light there is a comforting weight around my neck when I put it on, and when I'm nervous I rub it between my fingers.

Until I popped to Sheffield without it for a weekend, came back and couldn't find it anywhere. The weekend I was away Matt had taken up & relaid the bathroom floor, after turning the house upside down I came to the conclusion it was under the bathroom floor. I asked Matt to take up the floor to look for it and he (because he is in full possession of his senses) said no.

And so I started this challenge with simpler clothing, and a whole jewelry box full of other necklaces, but without the one thing that lifted everything I own. Every day I've got dressed and found myself lifting my hand to my throat and feeling the absence of it.

Until today. I have worked from home today and Matt is working lates this week, so when he went out to run an errand mid morning I assumed he was out getting drill bits or whatever plumbers use (really - Matt knows nothing about legislation around disabled children's rights, why would I know anything about plumbing...) Of course because he is an excellent husband he had in fact been over to Faith's to pick me up another necklace to replace my old one. 

I can't tell you how happy I was to see it. 

Matt put it on me straight away but something wasn't right, the comforting weight wasn't in the same place. The chain was a slightly different length to the one I'd had before. I still loved it, but it didn't feel like my necklace.

This is why it's so great to buy from local makers though - because when I texted Faith to say I thought my last chain was 3cm longer - she didn't ignore me, or call me a spoiled brat, or try and charge me gazillions for the change- she invited me to pop round to hers so she could put it on a longer chain. So I knocked off work a half hour early and did just that.

Here is Faith sorting out my chain and being very lovely about the second Archer home visit of the day.

And here is me on Day 46 feeling really comfortable and happy with my lovely necklace back round my neck.

 

 I'm feeling so happy about the whole thing I've donated an extra tenner to Contact A Family - if you want to join me (as at today 7th July 2015 - we've raised £1270 plus gift aid so far) you can push us a little closer to our target here

Clothes diary Day's 23- 30

Hello Everyone

This week has been a little special. Tomorrow I'll do you an update on how dowser day went - I think it'll give you a taste of why the charity you are all supporting by sharing, promoting and sponsoring this challenge is so amazing. I'll also do you a tutorial on how to make the fabulous fresh flower hat I wore on day 29. But for now here's a super quick overview of what I wore and how many items are now on the list.

I spoke at a conference on Wednesday - this involved adding 2 dresses to the line up. For you maths geeks (who are going to LOVE my stats post on the 23rd of each month) That takes me to 54% of my wardrobe in 8.2% of the year.

So the new items are......


My 'pretending to be a grown up' Hobbs dress. It's a beautiful, basic navy number which crucially has pockets which has made it one of my favourite peices of workwear. So here you go. Item Number 18 The navy dress:

 

And my favourite (it's 5 years old now at least) summer frock, item number 19, adding some much needed colour to my wardrobe :

And then this week:

Day 23 

Sunday - lot's of lazing about going on

Day 24

Monday - working from home

Day 25
Tuesday - double denim at the office

Day 26

Wednesday - pretending to be a grown up at a conference

Day 27

Thursday - linen and silk in an attempt to deal with humidity (spot the dowser day prep)

Day 28
Friday -end of the week frock action

Day 29
Saturday - Jeans, trainers & a hat made out of flowers (what else would you wear to a wedding?)

Day 30
Sunday - summer frock for pub lunch

 I'll update you in week with posts about the stats so far, some things you can do and why Contact a Family is a cause you'll want to donate to, but for now happy Sunday xx

What do they call double denim in NYC? The Texas Tux? Disappointingly No

So far in the challenge lots of people seem a bit concerned about what I’m wearing out. Not  OUT out – everyone’s clear I’m far too conventional to allow myself to be inappropriately dressed for a wedding, and they know I’ll have made sure I have smart enough stuff for presentations  and work events. People are worried about what I’ll have t for evening drinks in town.

It’s true that there isn’t much in my wardrobe that’ll work for a cutting edge bar in Shoreditch – but I thought I’d got it sorted. Double denim . Jeans, denim shirt, heels and a slick of lipstick. It’s a classic no? 

Every year a glut of fashion magazines announce that we’ll be amazed to hear double denim is back. And we aren’t because it’s never really gone away. Yes, there is a risk you look like you’re dressed up as a cowgirl – but I’m ok with that. So I’ve full on embraced the looks other nickname – the Texas tux.

I love a bit of bluegrass, and deeply uncool as it is I also have a lot of time for 70’s country and western. Rule of thumb – if my dad played it in his car I love it. One of my happiest childhood memories is me, Zoe & Jason in the back of the spacecruiser roaring along to Grandma’s OldFeather Bed  – that is what family is all about right? And I’ve always wanted to do the old City Slickers cow herding thing – so the name always felt cool to me.

Until I met my lovely friend Leah for lunch on Sunday. Leah is a full on Yankee, with all the epic coolness that implies. She’s sharp, she’s got a filthy sense of humour and has insanely good hair. Sickening all round really.

When Leah asked the- “But with that few clothes what do you wear to bars?” question I replied almost cockily “the classic texas tux”

And Leah attempted to stifle an enormous snort. “that is not what we call in in NYC – in New York it’s called ………..

……A CANADIAN TUXEDO”

Her face made it very clear this was not intended as a compliment.

Thing is I’ve always had a soft spot for Canadians – they take a lot of stick for Celine Dion – but really what nation doesn’t have a star that they are a bit ashamed of – David Essex anyone?  When I first traveled with friends I met countless Americans who wore a Canada pin because they knew people would be more friendly to them if they thought they were Canadian. This was in ’99 – it wasn’t political. It was about politeness- that’s the reputation Canadians carry (excepting the odd crack smoking mayor) – that they are polite. I’m not ashamed to hang my hat there (even if I’d rather it was a Stetson). 

So regardless of NYC disdain you’ll find me at the bar rocking my Canadian tux.

P.S. Philanthropy is well cool – you can donate here.

More Posts