It’s full of great sewing advice for beginners, all kinds of stuff on which I could use a reminder now and then.

I especially love that little fuzzy capelet and that rope-handled tote bag. Maybe you’ll see something like those in my Etsy shop in the next few months!

Related posts:

1. I Love Life I Love You Update!

Yes, you heard it right here, Amanda Lee is going on the road. The Minor Leagues have a brief midwest tour planned, including two stops in Chicago. So this week I’ll be working extra hours, packing a lot, planning for a dog sitter, and forward-posting so I can enjoy the road time to the max.

So here’s what I want to know from you.

Have you been to Chicago? What kinds of things should I do/see/visit/buy there?

My dad’s family is from right outside Chicago, so I’ve visited a ton. But I’m always up for new perspectives and experiences. Specifically, I want to know what thrift stores/handmade goods shops/yarn shops/Thai restaurants are awesome.

Also, part 2:

Are you in or around Chicago? Would you like to come see my band?

Let me know, and I’ll get you the details later.

Related posts:

1. Sunday Survey – 1.24.2010
2. Sunday Survey: 1.31.2010 [Ask Amanda Lee!]
3. Sunday Survey: 1.10.10
4. Things I Learned, Accomplished, Did, or Came to Terms With During My, uh…Long-Ass Blogging Hiatus [And How This Affects You, Dear Readers]

In addition to the colors and patterns pictured here, you can also special-order any of our pieces in an array of colors [pick your poison], gauges [sock weight yarn through rope-sized yarn], fibers [cotton, acrylic, wool, mixed fiber]. If you have a special request, contact me through my Alchemypage

Finally, I’m proud to announce that if you order a custom item between today and Sunday, February 20, I’ll take 15% off the list price. Just enter the code “BEMINE” in the discount field. See? Don’t let anyone tell you I don’t love you.

Related posts:

1. Announcing…I Love Life I Love You!
2. How to Love Your Life, Even if You Hate Your Job
3. 10 Things to Do for an Instant Increase in Quality of Life

So, when my friends and I decided to have a spontaneous Valentine-making party over the weekend, I got stoked. After brunch was dismissed, we ran to a couple of shops to gather necessary materials – glue, glitter, lace, pompoms, cuttings from an old dictionary, and stick-on jewels – and then reconvened with snacks and the entire library of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. And then we got cracking.

My one-size-fits-all card. The letters are rub-on letters!

Chris and I share an affinity for the Pixies, so it was reflected in his card.

A few more for-anyone cards:

And a NSFW card for someone who hates Valentine’s Day:

Other thoughts:

The dictionary we cut up was the one my mum used in college. I never use it to look things up anymore, but I wanted to use it for something. So I’m using it to make new things. Score!

Chris drew me a card by hand. [Yes, he went to art school.]

Did you all make your own cards?

No related posts.

These are the flats from J. Aldridge’s Sea of Shoes line for Urban Outfitters. I got ‘em on clearance! They’re still in the break-in phase, but I’m already planning to replace their shoelaces with elastic thread to make them easier to put on and take off.

I especially love how they’ve got an actual heel. I have a problem with walking all the way through my flats, scuffing the heels down to nothing [I don't drag my feet when I walk, I swear, it's just something about my posture or stride], so hopefully these will last quite a bit longer. Tonight I’m going to treat them with leather protector.

These Charles by Charles David heels were on sale at DSW- seventeen bucks, y’all. [I also found a bunch of others that I loved, but I'm exercising restraint and waiting to buy them for a month or so.]

They’ve got treads on the bottom, so I’m not going to be slipping around in them. Rejoice!

Super-comfy. I typically like wedges way better than pumps, but these are really supportive. Who’d've thought?! I’m pretty sure I need to plan a stage outfit around these colors. I have a lot of grey, but not very much of this dark cobalt blue.

I love my new shoes!

Related posts:

1. Amanda Lee’s Birthday Wish List, Part 1: The Material

Spicy sweet potato soup. So, in December, I suddenly came into possession of eighty pounds of sweet potatoes. Bandmate Luke’s day job is farming, and he had a ton of extra sweet potatoes left over after his farming season was up. So he gifted them to our kitchen. Several holiday casseroles later, I knew I needed to make some lunches out of the stock, so thus this soup entered my kitchen vocabulary. I typically forgo the ginger [I only like it when it's pickled!] and up the spice factor. My good friend TJ brought me the requisite coconut milk and red curry paste from Cincinnati’s best grocery store, and we also found out they’re available for a similarly low price from Amazon [here and here].

Protein salad. I first had a salad like this at Pillow in Brooklyn, and have made different variations since then. When I want to splurge I make it with salmon instead of tuna, and I add different vegetables based on what’s on sale. I don’t really eat it with dressing, but I’m sure some kind of vinaigrette would be yummy.

Edamame. Get it in the frozen food section of your grocery store – most of the time it comes in a microwaveable pouch that you can plunk in the microwave at work and then eat straight with your hands. Add salt or soy sauce for extra kick, or add to a salad [like the protein salad above, hmm?].
A smoothie in a thermos. I’ve been doing this for a lot of dinners, actually, but I contemplated taking it for lunch. Use soy milk as a base and then add whatever fresh or frozen fruits you enjoy. Sweeten with honey, raw sugar, or vanilla; add silken tofu for extra protein.

Roasted nuts and dried fruits. I buy them in bulk at shops like Big Lots to save cash. Perfect for afternoon munchies. Eventually I’m going to make these into some kind of trail mix or granola, but not for awhile.

Ants on a stick. Yes, it’s a throwback to the normal kid lunches that I never really took in grade school – I couldn’t stand peanut butter, so I’m glad I acquired a taste for it when I reached adulthood. If I were at home instead of at the office, I would dip the celery straight into the jar [you know you've all done this when your roommates weren't looking].

Kiddos, what do you eat for lunch? Do you make your own every day? Share your favorite recipes!

Related posts:

1. Pre-Move Decluttering: Packing Without Screaming

Yesterday Cincinnati was blanketed by about four inches of snow. I’m embarrassed that my city [or its residents] isn’t better equipped to handle this kind of weather [because, y'know, it happens every year; it's not an irregular thing], but I spent the day languishing in it, knowing that after my triumphant return to New York, I won’t have any snow days [because the city of New York does not mess around when it comes to winter weather preparedness]. Here’s my successful snow day agenda!

5:44 a.m. Wake up and dial the office’s emergency line to see whether work will be delayed. Hear the message: “The office will be closed on Tuesday, February 9. All employees who can work from home are encouraged to do so. Please be aware that work may be cancelled or delayed tomorrow…” Hang up. Think about jumping for joy, but remember that it’s now 5:45 a.m., and settle for more sleep instead.

9:19 a.m. Wake up to the dog licking my hand and whining intermittently. He’s ready for his breakfast, which he typically gets an hour and a half earlier. Oops. Feed him, then dig out my boots from the basement so I can go outside with him in the snow.

9:25 a.m. Wear aforementioned boots outside in the snow, along with wool tights and skirt, cashmere cardigan, and fur coat. Wish my camera was working.

9:26 a.m. Jump in a hothothot shower. After I get out, make a press of coffee, then go back upstairs to work in my room.

9:40 a.m. I’m finishing up completely revamping my closet, sewing space, and yarn stash—giving old linens to the animal shelter, putting clothes I never wear anymore aside for an upcoming trade with bandmate Hilly, throwing away holey tights and tank tops. So I take this free morning to tie up some loose ends. Normally I’d work with music, but Chris is still sleeping. By the time I’m done, I’ve got a sizable pile for Hilly to go through, and all my undies, workoutwear, yarns, and fabrics are put away inside the vintage suitcases I use for storage. I’m almost ready to show you all some pictures of my room!

11:53 a.m. Call my bank and do some personal finance automation goodness. When this call is over, I will have achieved a goal I’ve been working on since 2006. Score! Tweet about it to let everyone know the good news.

12:00 p.m. Go make some more coffee. Crochet a bit. Put on Netflix and watch a couple of episodes of Special Victims Unit until Chris wakes up.

12:35 p.m. I’ve finished a pair of wristwarmers! I’m working on making a few Valentine-themed pairs for this weekend’s event at Fabricate, a sale and an opening of Julie Hill’s work [super-talented gal, check out her work]. Start another pair. Keep up the SVU and clear out my RSS reader.

2:17 p.m. Naptime. Chris still hasn’t awakened yet. [What time did he go to bed, anyway? It's anyone's guess.]

5:20 p.m. Chris is awake and hungry. We get dressed and venture out into the snowy wilderness. The sidewalks have been shoveled and the roads plowed, so I opt for tread-bottomed heels instead of boots.

6 p.m. We’re the only ones eating at Shanghai Mama’s, Cincinnati’s best [read: only] late-night Chinese food restaurant. The snow is starting again. I crochet at the table while we wait for our food. We consume vegetarian cashew chicken until we both have foodbabies [a term Chris hasn't heard before, and thinks is hilarious].

7:45 p.m. Leave Shanghai Mama’s and stop by Starbucks, as all the indie coffee shops seem to be closed. Recaffeinate and prepare to go back home to work. Slip around during the drive back to my house—the roads are terrible.

8 p.m. Shower again, because the house is freezing and immersing my person in hot water is the only way I can conceive of to get warm again. Dry my hair a little, then put it it pin curls in case I have to show up in the office again in the morning.

8:21 p.m. Pop by the roomies’ room to say hi. Stay for a minute to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race [hilarious!]. Admire Dita von Teese, who’s making a guest appearance in this episode. Contemplate redesigning my entire style to look like her [minus the implants, of course].

8:29 p.m. Pull out my rub-off letters and array of different cardstocks to work on some more rock lyric-themed valentines. My valentine for Chris, which I made earlier this weekend at a crafting party, features a lyric from a Pixies song! Chris is working on a web project he’ll unveil later tonight.

9:45 p.m. Call my parents, who are leaving early in the morning from the funeral [unless Chicago is swept by a blizzard, which looks likely]. Spend almost an hour on the phone with my grandfather, who gives me one of the best compliments ever: “No matter what you try, you’re always an expert.” Hardly true, but it’s flattering that he thinks so highly of my abilities.

10:45 p.m. Put away the papercrafting supplies. Call the office’s emergency hotline, and discover that the entire office is on a delay tomorrow. This time, do an actual dance of joy, because you know this means that almost everyone will be working from home. Get out the crocheting again, and put on a movie.

11:47 p.m. My hands are tired. I don’t even need a Tylenol P.M. to doze off tonight. It’s been a good snow day.

Related posts:

1. Things I Do At Work To Make The Days Better, Happier, and More Productive

It’s been silent around here for the past couple of days, and I’m sorry. I’m amidst a launch of a big project at work, sometimes putting in almost seventy hours a week between my office and my other job…and it’s catching up with me. So hold tight. I’ll be right back with you later this weekend. If you need your Amanda Lee fix before then, you know where to find me.

Much love, kids. I’ll see you soon.

Related posts:

1. An Announcement
2. Ask Amanda Lee #1: The Origins of My Name

What do you want to know about me? I want to write an occasional column where I answer your questions—about knitting, sewing, design, blogging, Cincinnati, New York, organization…you name it. So ask away. You know you want to.

Related posts:

1. Sunday Survey – 1.24.2010
2. Sunday Survey: 2.14.2010 [Valentine's!]
3. Sunday Survey: 1.10.10
4. Sunday Tea: Reflections

Remember when I used to send postcards to my readers every couple weeks?

Remember when I quit? I do, but I don’t remember why.

So I’m doing it again. Email me with your address by Sunday night, and I’ll send you something pretty.

[Disclaimer: I'm not going to sell, give away, or otherwise share the information that you give me. That's not really the business that I'm in. And it's not very nice, is it?]

Related posts:

1. Postcarding! (A Day Later Than Usual)
2. Postcarding!
3. Postcarding: 12.19.2008
4. Sunday Survey – 1.24.2010

• Wear clothing that makes me happy. I’ve already been over exactly what I think of office dress codes ad nauseum. I push the line every day with bright colors, scarves around my wrists, textured and colorful tights, big hair, and rings large enough to break noses if I were inclined to throw punches. No one’s raised an eyebrow yet. [Sidenote: Fasshonaburu has posted a great list of challenges she uses to push herself to dress amazingly every day—despite a dress code.]
• Set my BlackBerry’s alarm for every ninety minutes. When it goes off, I take a break from staring at the screen and walk around the office for ten minutes. Good for my eyes, posture, concentration, and metabolism. Allows me to stretch. Get water. Moisturize. Think about something that doesn’t involve contracts, content management system implementation, or PowerPoint webinars [cringe!].
• Spend a couple minutes at the end of the day straightening up. I loathe disorganization in a workspace, and it’s a drag to arrive to a messy office. Plus, you all know how I much I love cleaning and organization [they tell me I'm a Virgo at heart], so it gives me a good, stress-free way to wrap up each day. Extraneous paper goes to the recycling; dishes to the office kitchen; email box cleaned out to Inbox Zero levels; and desktop wiped down with a damp cloth. Yum.
• Bring a good lunch, and enjoy every bite work-free. I guess somewhere in some part of the world, there are people who eat at their desks with their email account open and their work spread in front of them and their BlackBerries at their fingertips. I am not one of these. My twenty-minute lunch is spent solely on my own – working on non-work-related writing, making phone calls, catching up with my personal email, and stretching after the meal is over.
• Work out every day in the office gym after hours. The free gym in my building is a perk that I’m determined not to take for granted. After all, the minute this contract gig is up, I’ll have to start paying for a gym membership. [Because, honestly? I'm liking working out so much that the idea of not doing it makes me sad.] So as long as it’s free, I’m using the hell out of it. And after wrapping up a nine-hour work day with a clean office and a clear head, this is my favorite way to re-energize after work and make sure I don’t just go straight home and crash for the night.
• Limit my office coffee intake. The coffee, like the gym, is free. However, unlike the gym, the coffee sucks. So I’m skipping it altogether in favor of two tall glasses of ice water on my desk at all times. If I wake up groggy and really need the caffeine, the gentleman friend and I make a quick Dunkin’ Donuts stop on the way to our respective offices.
• Maintain my extracurriculars. Yes,The Minor Leagues are amidst heavy rehearsals in preparation for our upcoming tour dates, EP release, and video shoot. Yes, I’m supplying both Fabricate and Chicken Lays an Egg with a steady stream of handmade goods, plus keeping up with a bunch of custom orders. Yes, my blog updates have been more regular than they’ve ever been in the entire seven years I’ve called myself a blogger. Yes, Chris and I have found time to learn new design skills together. Know why? Because although I’m loving what I’m doing, this gig is temporary. And I’m going to feel really crappy if, when this gig is up, I’ve neglected everything else I love. So I’m not going to.

Related posts:

1. Business Professional Dress: WTF?
2. Losing Your Work Without Losing Your Mind

No related posts.

When we talk about fashion, or when we choose to engage in it, we’re choosing to wear something that shows other people something about us. When an organization requires a uniform, what it communicates [both to insiders and outsiders] is that it values uniformity [and as a result, interchangeability] over individuality. Put simply, the work you bring to the table is second only to your willingness to toe the uniform line and shape up—in some cases, to extreme and ridiculous extents. [Example: I have a friend whose former office forbade sandals. When she broke her toe and her cast wouldn't fit inside a shoe, she showed up with a sandal on the injured foot. She was sent home with a reprimand for violating company policy because, as the HR rep said, "I can't play favorites. If you can wear a sandal, that means everyone else should be able to as well." Ridiculous, hmm?]

Business professional dress is merely a watered-down version of the uniform – a uniform cloaked in an image of flexibility, but deceptively restrictive. The amount that it’s watered down, of course, depends on the workplace. Some offices forbid bright colors. Some forbid heels over two inches. Most frown upon unnatural hair colors or excessive cleavage on display. But only in rare cases does violating the dress code mean you actually can’t perform your necessary office functions. [For the sake of simplicity, let's leave out industrial jobs here. I definitely don't recommend wearing heels to work in a factory or at a construction site.] So it boils down to a question of etiquette.

…which is about making sure everyone knows the rules of behavior so everyone knows what’s expected of them, and what to expect from one another. But many of etiquette’s other rules have long gone. When was the last time any of you wrote a thank-you note? Not an email, but a physical note? How many women were wearing Little Black Dresses at the last wedding you were at? And when do you ever use the shrimp fork to pick up your scampi appetizer? Likewise, no one wears hats and gloves on public transit [unless it's freezing]. No one changes dresses between afternoon and evening. Most men don’t have a wardrobe of suits for each season. So why the entrenchment of a sartorial dictatorship within the office walls?

Professionalism encompasses a lot of things, and dressing the part is just one of them. But the rest—getting your work done, respecting your colleagues and your clients, creating solutions and not excuses—is the important part. I’m not Joan Holloway; I’m not paid to serve as office eye candy. And as such, I will continue to push the boundaries with bright colors, crinolines, bows and flounces, painted nails, and big hair…at least until this contract is up, and I can go back to working from home wearing whatever the hell I want.

What do you wear to work? Do you enjoy it? What would you wear, if you could choose anything?

Related posts:

1. Business Professional Dress: WTF?
2. My Ideal Uniform
3. A Reiteration: Why Fashion Is Important
4. Things I Do At Work To Make The Days Better, Happier, and More Productive
5. Frugal Fashion from my Mum: 7 Tips

So, I’m working in an office now. It’s a contract gig, and I like it a lot. I like the fact that I’m getting paid decently to do what I do best—write, edit, design, and communicate. I like my colleagues. I like my office [not a cubicle! it has a door that closes! and a dual screen monitor set up! and my own thermostat, so I don't freeze!], the free lunches, the gym membership, and the freedom to listen to Pandora while I’m working.

However, I’m sorely lacking in the professional dress department. I have never, ever been one to toe the line on dressing exactly how people expect me to. I’m lucky to have casual Friday; otherwise, I might have to do two loads of laundry a week instead of one.

I can see the benefits of it, really. I enjoy wearing costumes on stage, and wearing a certain type of clothing for work activities should appeal to that part of me. I understand the emphasis on professional appearance so that clients will take you seriously. I can see how dressing in a certain way indicates your respect for your colleagues and your place of employment, and the ideals they stand for.

But to be honest, I don’t get it. I don’t work with clients. Most of the time I’m locked in my office on conference calls with developers or attorneys—calls in which they don’t see me or what I’m wearing. And I know it’s young and idealistic of me, but I wish it were the case that I’d been hired solely for my copywriting and design skills rather than for my adherence to a code of conduct and dress that’s not really my own…and I wish I had the client base to say that if a client didn’t approve of the way I dressed, I didn’t need to work with him. This isn’t Sterling Cooper, yes?

Do you all have any thoughts on professional attire? What do you wear to work? Or, what would you wear to work if you could wear anything you wanted?

Related posts:

1. Business Professional: Oh HELL No.
2. Things I Do At Work To Make The Days Better, Happier, and More Productive
3. My Ideal Uniform

Related posts:

1. What I Wore: The Minor Leagues Album Release Party, 11.15.2009
2. Cincinnati People, Take Note
3. Shameless Self-Promotion: Buy Our Album!
4. The Rudiments of Stage Presence
5. Snow Day!

Dress, Target, with modified extended hem
Tights, Target [solid white Betsey Johnson tights underneath for warmth]
Ruffly blouse, vintage
Jacket, Forever 21
Heels, Lindinny [purchased in 2003]
Knitting necklace, a gift from Myrrh
Scarf [worn as bracelet], vintage
Hat, vintage [if anyone can tell me what kind of hat this is, I'd be super-grateful!]

Other thoughts:
I bought this tunic from Target in Rhode Island in 2007. It was two dollars on the clearance rack. It’s always been an awkward length—too long to wear as a top, but too short to wear as a dress without flashing my ladybits at everyone. So I extended the hem by adding solid white satin to the bottom. I love how it turned out. The satin I used, incidentally, is the leftovers from having shortened my New Year’s Eve dress!

I love these ombre tights! They’re from Target as well. They’re thin and they’ve already got a run in the foot after only four wears, so I’m going to try to replicate them with some We Love Colors tights.

As you can see, this jacket is getting a lot of wear. It accompanies me to the office about three days a week. I’d planned to make some huge shoulder pads and replace the buttons with something glittery and over-the-top, but I didn’t have time. Next show, I suppose.

The oxfords I wore at the actual show are looking a little worse for the wear, so . They’ve served me well. As soon as warmer weather rolls around, I’m going to take them to get re-soled. For this photo shoot, I wore these pumps, which I bought in 2003.

The hat was my favorite part of the ensemble. When I bought it, it had a ratty veil attached, and there was no way I would have been able to repair it, so I cut it straight off. It was a hit with everyone I saw, including my band’s drummer John, who introduced me to his family by saying, “Amanda Lee was actually the inspiration for the Madeline books.” Maybe sometime I’ll put some little tails to hang off the back next time I wear it. After the evening was done and my friends and I went to a diner for a late-night snack, a drunk asshole tried to steal my hat from my head. Ridiculous! I yelled at him.

I’ve been doing the scarf-round-the-wrist thing a lot lately. I was a little apprehensive about wearing it when I was playing keyboards, but it didn’t get tangled up in my fingers at all!

My dog decided he wanted to be in a photo…and then he got tired. [He looks a lot more terrifying here than he actually is.]

Related posts:

1. What I Wore: New Year’s Eve 2010
2. Things I’m Lusting for: January 2010
3. What I Wore: 12.01.2008
4. What I Wore: 1.25.2009
5. What I Wore: 12.5.2008

I started the weekend with a long meeting. Yes, that’s right, I stayed at work late to Take Care of Business [which in my mind is always capitalized like Getting Shit Done—you can even abbreviate them the same way and combine them. GTD and TCB, mf'er!] and then rushed home to crash for awhile before working a bit on some freelance stuff. I worked all day Saturday, met friends for sushi, and then spent the majority of my Saturday night and Sunday Getting Shit Done. It may or may not have included an entire bag of Almond Joy minibars.

Now it’s time for the Sunday Survey. I’ve been thinking about the effect my education has had on everything I’m doing now, and how nothing I’m doing now seems to have anything to do with what I studied in school, or what I thought I wanted to do. What’s more, it seems like a ton of people I know feel the same way – went to art school, but working as web developers. Studied fashion design, but currently working for a nonprofit. Wanted to be a journalist, but settling for waiting tables while he freelanced. Starting a company with an economics degree, but working days as a system admin. Majored in liberal arts, but substitute teaching…or teaching English abroad.

What I want to know is, did this happen to you too? Did you go to school? What did you study? Is it directly related to what you do now? Do you regret not doing something different?

Tell me your thoughts. Ask your friends to do the same. I’m curious.

Related posts:

1. Sunday Survey: 2.14.2010 [Valentine's!]
2. Sunday Survey: 1.31.2010 [Ask Amanda Lee!]
3. Sunday Survey: 1.10.10
4. Sunday Tea: Reflections

In an effort to educate myself about personal finance and hold my scant dollars like the tiny security blankets they are, I’ve developed a habit of furtively reading personal finance blogs while I’m shut in my office at my day job, making notes intermittently like “WTF is my interest rate?” I hate most writing about finance; it’s either prescriptive and dull, or it’s overly patronizing ["Spend less than you earn"? Thanks, I don't need to use my economics degree to figure that one out]. But not Ramit. He’s funny. He’s bright. And his blog is ridiculously awesome—no-nonsense advice on increasing your income via big wins in your finance, because face it: you’re not going to outfrugal yourself to being able not to worry about money. I’ve been beating his NY Times-bestselling book over the head of anyone who’ll listen to me. [He gives a chapter away for free at his web site. But if you buy it, it'll be twenty or thirty bucks well spent.]

His emphasis is on spending consciously has permeated my approach to every last buck: he advises you to spend money recklessly on the things that bring you the most utility or happiness; and then to cut costs ruthlessly on everything that doesn’t matter. He acknowledges that this isn’t the same for everyone, which is a far cry from most of the personal finance bloggers who toe the “SHOES/DINNERS OUT/VACATIONS ARE A WASTE OF MONEY!” line, and gives a ton of great examples of people who are living the good life—whatever that means for them.

I’ve internalized his rhetoric, and while my personal income level is way less than a lot of the users that are involved with his site, his ideals are still helpful to me. So I’m going to let you in on a little secret I’ve gained from reading his blog.

Spend a lot of money on the clothing you like most, need most, and wear most. Spend minimally on everything else.

I’ve talked about this before: part 1 and part 2 of Things to Ask Yourself Before You Buy and Cost Per Wear, but it bears repeating. And repeating. And repeating. Not all clothing is created equal, people. Some of it is useful. Some of it isn’t. Some of it is worth what it costs. Some of it isn’t. And you know what? There isn’t a panacea for every single broke fashionista’s wardrobe. So here’s my simple process on how to create your own conscious spending plan. [Ramit would precede this whole thing with a hilarious curse word-ridden lecture about living debt-free and funding your retirement and saving for things you say will never happen [because they always do] before you buy anything at all, but I’m going to skip that part, because although I love his advice, he’s much better at giving it, and I’m much better at taking it.Skip over to his site for that. You’ll thank me.]

• Do the math. What can you afford? You know your budget; you know how much money you make; you know approximately the cost of your bills and your retirement/house/wedding/school/travel savings plans. I talk a lot about not buying clothing that doesn’t work for your lifestyle or your body, but it should go without saying that you shouldn’t buy what you can’t afford. [Ramit would threaten to punch your face for that. No, seriously.]
• Define what matters to you sartorially, within your budget. Do you want six cashmere coats? A killer wedding dress? New Etsy-purchased jewelry every four months? Luxurious pajamas? A few really nice designer pieces, or a lot of inexpensive ones?Whatever it is, decide. And stick to it. My priorities: as many dresses made by me as possible; good quality shoes that can be resoled and fixed up time after time; a ridiculous stash of epic textures, colors, shapes, and eras to wear on stage with The Minor Leagues; and work-appropriate clothing that doesn’t make me look like someone I’m not.
• Define what doesn’t matter to you as well. I don’t care about the clothing I work out in. I’ve got a drawer full of gently-used leotards and leggings in great condition from when I was a dancer. And most of the time when I work out at the gym, I’m the only one there, so if no one sees me, does fashion matter? [1] I’d say not. [Then again, generally I'm too busy trying to balance on the elliptical while simultaneously shaking my ass to whatever Pandora plays on my Prince station, so if I fail and fall down and bruise my tailbone [which happens at least twice weekly], does it matter if I look hot if I’ve proven myself to be a klutz?] Likewise, I spend almost nothing on underpants and bras, shopping exclusively at Daffy’s and TJMaxx, because let’s be real, if anyone sees my skivvies, they’re probably on their way off my body. Ya dig? Other things I spend almost nothing on: flats [because I walk the heels down no matter how great the quality]; hair products; coats [most of my coats were my mum's or purchased at thrift a long time ago];
• Make it exceedingly easy to stick to your fashion priorities, and exceedingly difficult to stray from them. If you want to wear all high-end stuff, don’t tempt yourself with the Forever21 knock-offs. If you want to take my approach and eschew sexy underwear in favor of other pretties, get off the mailing list for those damn Victoria’s Secret catalogues and walk by the store on the other side of the street. My personal tactics: I look at regular retail stores only after I’ve made sure that what I want can’t be found in a thrift store or in the pattern library at the fabric shop. Works like a charm.

Do you all practice this style of conscious spending when it comes to fashion…or anything at all, really? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Footnote:

1. If a fashion fiend wears something horrible in a forest while a tree falls and no one hears it, what is the sound of one high heel clicking? [Damn, I'm deep.]

Related posts:

1. Full Disclosure #001: In Which Amanda Lee Begins Speaking Her Mind About Fashion, Finance, and Writer’s Block
2. Frugal Fashion from my Mum: 7 Tips
3. A Reiteration: Why Fashion Is Important
4. Ten blogs you should subscribe to right now
5. Clothing to Get Rid Of Right Now

Buy a crock pot and a pretty thermos. Have warm things to eat—soup, stew, hot cereal, —on hand on hand at all times. My personal favorite? Sweet potato coconut, or Thai tom yum soup. Spicy food!

Likewise, drink a ton of tea. Forget about tea bags; instead, bring a reusable container to a health-foods store and get some loose tea to use with a tea ball—green thinking, oh yes! Make sure to get local honey or brown sugar. Drink with pinkies out…natch. [If you're the drinking sort (which I'm not these days, but I appreciate anyone who appreciates a decent sip), give yourself a nip of brandy or whiskey in your tea.]

Take on a ridiculous hat habit. Everyone seems to have a fur trapper hat. Find yourself a hat that takes on even more ridiculous dimensions. I’ve set up an eBay alert so I get a ping whenever a faux/vintage fur hats like this come up for auction.

My American Apparel high socks? Love ‘em. I have five pairs and wear them under everything. [An old boyfriend of mine borrowed a pair and loved them so much that he kept them after we broke up.] Apparently now you can buy them in a three-pack, too. [If you're crafty, you might have some success knitting tall socks like this. I'm certainly attempting!]

Seal off your windows with plastic insulation and wooly curtains. Make up for the lack of daylight by buying some natural-light lightbulbs for the daytime and burning soy candles at night.

Dig out all those afghans and quilts that some well-meaning relative made you a long time ago, and put them to good use. My Aunt Karen, an ardent crocheter, knitter, and quilter, made me an entire wardrobe of throws, comforters, and cozy things [fact: one quilt on my bed is made of cut-up pieces of clothing I wore when I was a kid. How's that for nostalgia?]. This winter, we’ve got them piled up everywhere—in the sewing room, on the couch, the end of my bed—and I’m almost constantly wearing one draped around my shoulders. Snuggies? Psssh! Who needs ‘em?

For some extra kick, line your sheets with an electric blanket. My dad and stepmum gave me one for Christmas, and it’s been an utter lifesaver every night.

Take a warm bath every day. Spend the time rereading your old favorite books.

Get into an exercise habit. Every damn women’s magazein is up to its sucked-in waist in bullshit about “Get your summer body ready!” Ignore all that. Instead, hit the gym in hopes of increasing your circulation, boosting your endorphins and working up a sweat.

Related posts:

1. Amanda Lee’s Winter Travel Essentials

Even more…a vintage drum majorette costume. And you know I’d bling that up and wear it out to every dance party for the next six months.

A pair of old-school Falmouth oxfords. I had a pair of these every two years or so when I was in grade school. Preppy and comfy and long-lasting, I’d pair them with skinny jeans and blouses. [I very nearly scored some of these on eBay for under ten bucks a couple weeks ago, and I'm annoyed that I lost the auction. They will be mine...oh yes...]

Spats—so I can make a single pair of black oxford heels into a multitasking win. This DIY from Threadbanger will suffice.

Tights and tights and more tights. And then some more. I’m loving this DIY for ombre tights. I bought some for five bucks at Target, but they’re really thin, and I don’t imagine they’ll last me too long, so I’m anticipating a huge We Love Colors order for some higher-quality ones followed swiftly by some quality time with a few bottles of Rit dye. Also, MyTights.com has some amazing prints that I’m loving: be mine, harlequin, optic black swirl, graduated stripes, and ladder back seams. Please and thank you.

A tulle skirt of epic proportions. I’m physically incapable of doing ballet anymore, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a good tutu. I’m in the process of making my own yoked tulle skirt with eleven layers in black, brown, and grey.

Steampunk-inspired accessories and detailing on millinery accessories. I’ve been watching the market scenes of Blade Runnder over and over again, and I really love the crazy hats. [Then again, I've also been watching a fair amount of Lady Gaga videos, so who's to say where the idea really came from?]

A shift dress with vertical black and white stripes. I’d pair it with solid bright tights and a matching scarf and hat. I’ve got a sewing pattern that will work nicely; I may even sew the striped fabric myself out of solid black and solid white cotton.

Kiddos: What’s on your lust list right now?

Related posts:

1. What I Wore: New Year’s Eve 2010
2. Things to Ask Before You Buy a Piece of Clothing, Part 1: Economic
3. Things To Ask Before You Buy A Piece Of Clothing, Part 2: Aesthetic
4. What I Wore: 1.16.2010

Last night’s show with The Minor Leagues was amazing—I don’t think we’ve ever sounded that tight in any rehearsal ever; we did our planned encore and then another unplanned one; we sold a ton of merch; and all of us got paid a bit for playing. The audience was huge—this was the biggest crowd we’d played to since I’d been a member—and we all got a lot of positive feedback from both our friends and people we’d never met before. Sweet.

I’d been thinking all week about my outfit and the band’s collective onstage antics, and tangentially about the nature of stage presence in general. Having been on stage for the first time at age two and performing regularly since then, stage presence has been something I’ve worked on and thought about a lot. Simply put, the performers that I most enjoy are the ones that look like what they’re doing is effortless, no different from interacting with someone one-on-one…but so much stage time tells me that it’s anything but.

For me, adequate rehearsal is key. There’s a lot that can go wrong when you have a billion eyes on you, but knowing what you’re going to be doing and being really aware of your personal pitfalls so you can avoid them is the best way I’ve found to take control of the situation. This varies from person to person, but for me it means daily review of choreography/music/blocking/lyrics alone and several rehearsals weekly with my onstage cohorts.

There’s a lot to be said, also, for improvisation—that is, when you make a mistake or when something happens onstage that’s out of your control, being able to fake your way back to what you’re supposed to be doing. Forgotten choreography, mixed-up lyrics, someone standing in your place, a slick spot on the floor; a lighting/soung snafu—all of them mean you’ve got to think on your feet and figure out an acceptable alternative on the spot. [Case in point: last night's second encore was a song we hadn't practiced as a full band in over a month, and where one of us forgot the chord progressions, another of us stepped in a played his part until he caught up.] This is particularly important when you’re onstage with a group; not only do you have to look out for your own performance, you have to be aware of any issues anyone else might be having—issues with a guitar pedal not working; sudden injury or pain [true story: our drummer threw up during the set last night, and we had to deal with it on the fly]—and help each other out. There’s a lot of trust involved.

For me, being onstage is laden with ritual, and there’s no way I’d go on stage without a carefully planned stage outfit. This doesn’t have to be anything new or different from what I would normally wear, but it does signify to me that I’m doing something important and special. Also, with all the nerves I experience as a performer, there’s a lot to be said for being as comfortable as possible, and a big part of comfort is knowing I look decent when I’m going to be in the public eye. [Sidenote: outfit pictures from last night are forthcoming. Watch this space!]

The non-sartorial part of the physical presence, of course, can’t be underestimated. It’s difficult to define, but it’s about connecting with the audience on a physical level. Things like eye contact. Posture. Using the physical space you’re performing in, rather than staying locked in one spot. Believing in what you’re doing, and being confident in it—even in your mistakes.

What was missing from last night’s show was time alone before I went onstage. Northside Tavern does have a tiny green room for artists, but it’s literally tiny, so I couldn’t shut myself away for any amount of time before the show, and consequently was bombarded with people saying hello and asking if I was nervous. I was super-glad to see them all, but I needed some time to go over my presets and make sure my mind was in the right place before playing. When I was doing ballet and musical theatre, the dressing room used to get a lot quieter just a few minutes before curtain time; all our makeup was done and costumes were donned, but we were still preparing mentally. I miss that, and in the future, I need to figure out a way to get some of that pre-show quiet time back.

Darlings, have you ever spent any time onstage? What do you think makes up an awesome stage presence? What kinds of rituals did you have before going onstage? Any catastrophic/euphoric moments you’d like to share? Do it!

No related posts.

This is my companion for the evening—this, some bits of fabric and string, a bowl of sweet potato bisque, and some good, good music. Thinking of forwarding this article on introversion to everyone I know. What do you do when you want to be alone?

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1. Sunday Survey: 1.10.10

The Minor Leagues are back once again! This time, come see us at the Northside Tavern with local favorites The Fairmount Girls and Chicago’s finest Midstates and the Choir of Ghosts.

I’ve been hard at work on making a glamtastic outfit, ordering t-shirts and putting together some neato DIY merchandise [and for you non-Cincinnati readers out there: after the show, I'm putting all of it in my Etsy shop, so sit tight! You'll have your chance to grab some cute handmade Minor Leagues-branded stuff!]. Also, Bandmate Josh, who’s a super-gifted recording engineer, is going to record the show, so next week I’ll have some yummy live sound samples to play for you.

So come out. Get tipsy. Buy me a coffee or a slice of pizza, and I’ll love you forever. And of course, dance your asses off. You know you want to.

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It’s the beginning of…not just a new year, but a new decade, people. What better time is there to optimize your wardrobes? I’m super-impressed with all your sartorial New Year’s Resolutions: wear better quality; buy less crap; spend consciously on eco-friendly wardrobe pieces; support local designers.

But wait. Before you pull out your charge cards and go on a Gilt/Etsy/eBay/iDeeli spree, we have to get rid of what you don’t need. And I’ve been in enough closets to know that there’s a lot of it—trust me. Below I’ve listed everything in our closets that we all need to just let go, and what needs to take its place.

• Things that are irreparably damaged. You know I’m a hundred percent in favor of repairing and repurposing what you have. But if it’s beyond all help, you know what you need to do: let it go. It doesn’t matter if it’s cashmere; if it’s filled with moth holes or literally coming apart at the seams, there’s nothing you can do. It doesn’t matter if it’s emotionally significant; if there’s a stubborn stain in an obvious place, you’re never going to enjoy wearing it. Replace with: new or gently used items of great quality and in perfect shape.
• Things that don’t fit. If it’s not something that you can fit into between your own sewing skills and your tailor’s, there’s nothing you can do. Let’s repurpose and move on. Replace with: items that fit great—not too tight, not too short, not too ridiculously difficult to breathe [yeah, I know you've got a dress like that...we all do]. [A note on aspirational weight-loss clothing: I know you're going to lose weight. I see you going to the gym and watching your cupcake intake; but let's face it: fitting into your old prom dress or your former favorite pair of jeans is not a great weight-loss motivator. What is, however, is knowing that as soon as you drop the pounds you want to, you get to go shopping for newly-minted, up-to-date duds. Isn't that fun?! So, let's go ahead and make room in your closet, yes?]
• Things that are worse for the wear. That tank top with the stretched-out neck? The undies with practically no elastic left? The tights that are shredded not self-consciously, but accidentally, the ones you forget have a hole until someone points it out during your morning commute? Get ‘em outta there! Replace with: brand spankin’ new replacements. Get ‘em on the cheap at Daffy’s or TJ Maxx if you’re cost-conscious.
• Things that don’t fit your lifestyle. Be honest with yourself: if you wear corsets twice a year, there’s no reason to have eight of them. If you never wear heels to work, there’s no way you need twenty pairs. If you don’t attend formal-attire events, you don’t need a slew of formal gowns. If you don’t go to the gym daily, there’s no reason for seven color-coordinated workout outfits. Think about how you spend your time, and what clothing is absolutely required for doing so. Then get rid of the excess. Replace with: clothing that fits what you do, and makes you feel great doing it.
• Things you never wear. There are a ton of reasons we own clothing that we don’t wear—sentimentality, perceived thrift ["I spent a ton on this, it would be such a waste to get rid of it!"], aspiration. But habits die hard, and fashion habits are no exception. If you’ve owned it for over a year and you haven’t worn it, you’re not going to. So why not pass them along to someone who will wear them? Replace with: outfits you want to wear all the time, and do.
• Things that don’t make you feel amazing when you wear them. Know what happens to these? They become relegated to the back of the closet, worn only when laundry day is looming, and they always make you feel weird. Maybe the hem is too high; maybe the bias cut makes you feel weird about the size of your hips; maybe you love the warmth of a wool sweater but hate the itchiness. [My most embarrassing example of this: when I studied ballet, I used to have a couple of leotards that, no matter when I wore them, I danced badly. I couldn't turn, my jumps were laggy, and choreography flew right by me. I deemed them my "unlucky leotards" and only wore them when they were the only ones I had clean.] Whatever the issue, you deserve better. So let it go! Replace with: outfits that make you feel like a rocktar/ninja/badass/goddess.

What kind of excess is lurking in the back of your closet? Anyone have any other tips for getting rid of clothing that just doesn’t work? Share your experiences [and pics, if you want!] in the comments!

Related posts:

1. Things To Ask Before You Buy A Piece Of Clothing, Part 2: Aesthetic
2. Things to Ask Before You Buy a Piece of Clothing, Part 1: Economic
3. The Cost Per Wear: How Much is Your Clothing Worth to You? [Or: Are You Getting Your Money's Worth?]
4. How to Clean Out Your Closet
5. The 80/20 Rule…Sartorialized.

So, kids, how is 2010 treating you?

Have you kept up your New Year’s Resolutions? I’m proud to report that I have, for the most part.

Have you touched base with any old friends, or made any new ones? I’ve met some cool kiddos via the IFB community, and I’m looking forward to meeting more new people next month when my band goes on tour. Woot!

How are you eating? In the past week my gentleman friend and I have been on a soup frenzy – so far we’ve made Thai tom yum soup and spicy sweet potato/coconut milk soup. Upcoming: pear/butternut squash curry and sweet potato pumpkin bisque. [We gotta keep warm somehow...]

Tell me what’s new! I’ll post some highlights next week.

Related posts:

1. Packing a Lunch 2.0: Components of a Grown-Ass Lady Lunch
2. Sunday Survey: 2.14.2010 [Valentine's!]
3. Sunday Survey – 1.24.2010
4. Sunday Survey: 1.31.2010 [Ask Amanda Lee!]
5. How to Avoid Freezing Your Ass Off in Mid-Winter