Choir Uniforms

Male singers have it easy--they just have to buy one tux and not outgrow it. Women, naturally, have a more difficult time. Some choirs require particular uniforms: you buy the same dress that everyone else wears. Easy enough to do, but because of the nature of dress committees, you usually end up with an outfit that doesn't look particularly good on anyone. (I have at least two long, black dresses in my closet that are gathering dust.)

Other choirs allow you to choose your own outfit, within certain parameters (generally black, full-length, long-sleeved). I've always taken this approach with the choirs I run, because every woman looks good in something different. It does have its drawbacks, though. It's not as formal as the men's unifed tux look, and can frankly look rather ragged with the disparity in styles.

My main complaint today, though, is that I have a closetful of formal black clothing, and can't decide what to wear tonight. Pants? Velvet skirt? Other skirt? Two-piece satin dress? T-shirt, beaded T-shirt, or sweater? Suit jacket or beaded cardigan? Plus, whatever I pick out needs to work with the "Christmas-colored" scarf I've been requested to wear for the second half.

When the Weather Doesn't Cooperate

After all that time spent finding the right outfit for tonight's casual gathering, it turned out to be cold and windy. I did wear the shirt we picked out, but I wore it with jeans and a fleece jacket.

Reunion Outfits

High school reunion coming up next week! After much agonizing, here is the almost-final result of three trips to two malls and visits to many web sites:

Outfit #1
This one is for a casual get-together at a tavern (still need some summery sandals). I also plan to iron both the skirt and the top!



Outfit #2
Dinner and dancing at the Moose Lodge



Final tally:

• 3 dresses purchased


• 2 dresses returned


• 1 top purchased


• 1 skirt purchased


• 1 pair of shoes yet to be purchased

In Search of a Dress

Went into SF today with DH & sis. After a nice lunch at the mall (I always have the BBQ short ribs at the Korean BBQ place), we combed the stores looking for something appropriate for the first night of my reunion. DH was amazed at how hard it was to find the right dress. I tried on a bunch, and found one "maybe," but we finally ended up with a nice silk top that's waiting to be paired with a skirt or jeans. I'll take some photos later, after I try it on with what I have at home.

The kids have called home twice this week. They're having a great time in Minnesota: canoeing, water skiing (well, attempting to water ski), tubing, etc. They've been to the Mall of America, where B found the American Girl store and had to do some shopping.

One more week of kid-free living!

Quiet Quiet Quiet

The kids left on Monday for a road trip with DH's parents. They are headed to Minnesota to visit relatives.

DH and I are trying to decide what to do with our temporary empty nest. Tonight we went to dinner at O Chamé in Berkeley, since I had a gift certificate (thank you, Voci!). We walked around 4th Street a little, then headed home. We have tickets for the 12:15 am showing of Harry Potter tonight--we haven't stayed up that late for many, many years. I hope we can stay awake!

This weekend we have a bunch of things planned. On Saturday morning we are going to a brunch to meet a potential political candidate--we've been assured it's not a fundraiser, although I'm sure our name will end up on lists for the future. Saturday evening we're going to dinner at the home of DH's postdoc, with hot-tubbing to follow. Sunday we're heading in to SF to meet my sister, have lunch, and do some shopping. I have been scouring web sites and stores, trying to find the right outfit for my high school reunion next month. I have a little black dress that will do for the cocktails & dinner night, but the previous night is a get-together at a local bar. I've been looking for something casual but elegant--hard to find! The dresses I've seen are either too dressy (B and I found a lovely one last week, but it's more suited to a garden party than a casual tavern) or too unflattering. Maybe a skirt and nice top would be easier to find?

Seasonal Shopping

M has managed to lose THREE hoodies in the last month. One (the new one my mom got him for Christmas) was left at school on Wednesday, and the other two are (in his words) "not lost--I just can't find them." So yesterday we took a trip to Target to get a new sweatshirt or two, since it's January and still rather cool outside in the mornings. I had forgotten that at Target (and many other retailers), January is the month where you can buy swim trunks and T-shirts, but not winter clothing. Last month they had multiple shelves of sweatshirts in all sizes and colors. This month, nothing.

M is wearing one of my old sweatshirts today, and maybe I'll be able to find some cheap hoodies online.

What to Wear?

Every morning, I get out of bed, and eventually I get dressed. I try to look at the weather forecast, but sometimes I don't have time. I think I've only worn the right clothing one day this week!

Sunday, I wanted to put on something nice for New Year's Eve dinner, and I thought red was a good choice, so I put on a red wool sweater. It was nice and warm that day, and I was quite toasty.

On Monday, I learned from what happened on Sunday, so I put on a cotton sweater. By the time I dropped off the kids at their afternoon activities, the temperature had dropped, so I was freezing all night (I was at rehearsal, so I couldn't change).

Yesterday I got it right--wool sweater with a turtleneck. I was especially glad I was wearing that when the fire alarm went off at 9:30 am, and we all got to spend thirty minutes standing outside in the cold.

Today, when I got up, it was 32 degrees outside, so I went for the wool sweater and turtleneck again. Not the right thing to wear--by the time I picked up B from school, it was nearly 60 here, so I was quite warm again.

I have no idea what I'm going to put on tomorrow morning. Maybe a sweatshirt over a T-shirt?

Dress Shopping

Yesterday, B and I went shopping for a new holiday outfit for her. It was actually less traumatic than I expected, given that she has previously stated her distaste for empire waists, short skirts, long sleeves, ruffles, and anything too warm. We started at Tarzhay, and didn't find anything suitable, so we headed off to JC Penney. Wonder of wonders, we found two dresses in her size that she was willing to try on, and she decided the one I picked out looked better on her than the one she picked out. It does have long sleeves, but she was willing to accept that in a holiday dress. Now we're negotiating when exactly she's going to wear it. The Nutcracker performance we're attending is definite, but that's just one occasion. I feel that she should wear the dress more than once before she outgrows it, so we agreed on Christmas Eve (but not Christmas Day, for some reason), and possibly a concert that she's attending (although it looks like it won't work for logistical reasons). Now we just need to work out what she's going to wear for tomorrow's outdoor tree-lighting concert.

If you're anywhere near the Bay Area, come hear me sing this weekend and next! (Concert listing at right)