Sensational, Sarah!

Smart/vivacious/artistic/athletic.  Oh, and great fun, too.  Meet our friend, Sarah! 

For years her talents have been featured in FP workshop photos.  Now Sarah is bringing her creativity to the world through Gap’s Athleta!   

In her own words:  "For a few seasons now, I've wanted an après ski dress -- some sort of cover up to both keep me warm and allow me to go running around in my long underwear. I've never found catalog shots of women lounging in their base layers by the fire to be realistic. It's the ski world equivalent of "hanging out in the gazebo in your underwear," right?

Hence, the Hot When You're Not. Whether you're joining you friends in the ski house kitchen for pancakes, heading straight out to the bar for après (or dinner or the grocery store), or chasing your kids around trying to get them in the bath, you'll be cute, covered, and cozy.

The fabric is our Tech Stretch -- a great mid-weight fleece that's smooth on the outside and fleecy on the inside. There's a side zip on the hem for extra mobility or in case you simply want to throw it on over your ski pants and a double zip kangaroo pocket on the front for stashing lip balm, car keys, and cash.

I love versatility and function in my clothes so I kept the design simple. It would be cute with tights and a turtleneck for exploring the ski village or layered over fleece tights for snowshoeing or winter walks."

Connect with Gap Athleta to place your order today!

I just did.  I definitely want to be Hot When I'm Not.  This would include most of my days.  And nights.

Congratulations, Sarah! 

 You may have saved the day for more than you realize!



<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HbXrYD4QGGLv8U8pAn-CfSHws10nCPOMtVWchqbuiC4?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_B-jgpkHMUzo/TKEu7iX5b-I/AAAAAAAD-Ak/jLy3LdwxPBg/s288/sarah_side.jpg" /></a>

A holiday worth celebrating

As my darling hair colorist-friend noted, "Every day is Halloween."  For her.  And, as it turns out, for me as well.  She had on a "hint of sailor."  And I, a quasi-crazy mix of "scarf-as-skirt" with non-matching accessories.

"You look like you had fun getting dressed today!"  Yep.  With few exceptions, I have been wearing the same thing for the past six months.  This makes life exceptionally easy.   

"I like your, ah, look/style/outfit.  What do you call it?" someone inquired recently.  "I'm going with Ethnic Mix and Match."  Toss in a pair of leggings and a leotard, tee shirt, tank top or tunic and you're good to go.  Couldn't be easier.

For some, this would feel as ridiculous as Pearls and Polo would  for me/which I happen to love.  On other people.  

"The best part about ethnicity," noted my friend, Karen, "is that the look lies outside of the world of fashion/What's In or Out." 

It simply Is. There's no, IT'S SOOOOO YESTERDAY.  It never HAD its day.  And it's fun.  Moreover, Who Really Cares?  And should that matter to you?  I don't think so.  

My friend, Susan, recently remarked, "You came in an original.  Why go out a copy?"  I could not agree more.

And, Halloween is, after all, my favorite holiday.  You'll see if you stay in touch long enough.  

Less Is Much, Much More

You’re no doubt familiar with this old adage:  In crisis there is potential opportunity.  When the tsunami warnings sounded, I cleared my closet of everything that had been collected with Hawaii in mind. 

Once home I began the sometimes-tedious/mostly-terrific practice of putting together what I termed, "accessory packets."  Why?  Simply so that I could be much more organized when I returned.  My goal: far less stuff/far more thoughtfully constructed combinations.  The process was so enlightening and so incredibly satisfying that I’ve decided to sound the alarm at home as well.

 I began by asking myself what components typically define an outfit.  This meant a handful of the following:  necklace, earrings, bracelet, scarf/for waist or shoulders and shoes.  Possibly a purse.  Occasionally a belt.   

What I’m about to describe will sound silly/like total overkill/to some.  But for me, the following system simply makes sense.  Here’s why: 

Since I almost always try to squeeze as much as possible  into a day, I’m inevitably on the brink of running late.  With my/your pre-packaged AP in hand, getting dressed and out the door is a cinch.  You simply superimpose your accessories over a column of color (black or white/I’m currently loving leggings and leotards as a base) and you're ready to go.

Another benefit?  Packing for travel becomes a Total No Brainer.  Accessory packs can be stuffed into colossal/oversize Ziplocks and stored until worn.   Or, as on a recent trip, I left the bags in my suitcase simply b/c there was no place to unpack.  When I was searching for a particular item, the giant Ziplocks glided effortlessly across each other so I stayed organized for days, which was pretty remarkable.  I was one happy camper.

 You can place your AP, as I often do, on a hanger.  Or pack it all in a purse.

Organza drawstring bags help corral components.  Search online for these handy holders that could, if it makes sense for you, accommodate shoes as well as the other pieces.  My top two picks:  6 X 9 and 6 X 15. Alternatively, an attached, punched picture helps track pieces that go with multiple outfits/jewelry, shoes, belt. 

Where to start?  Spread your stuff out on a table.  Begin the process of partnering, starting with a favorite scarf, earring or shoe/sandal… 

You’ll quickly discover One More Big Benefit:  Those items that need to be discarded, disassembled, shared with someone else or donated will be left standing alone once you’ve assembled your packets.  You’ll also find “orphans” that simply need other “family members” to become fully functional components of your closet.  Choose carefully/purge regularly.

Final recommendation:  Be a savvy shopper.  No need for Neiman Marcus when you can find far more interesting, hand-crafted treasures from your travels around town or elsewhere in the world.  Favorites:  Local farmer's/craft markets and Cost Plus finds/shown below.

Dinner deadlines are no longer an dilemma.  I can be ready to go in two seconds flat.  Time me tonight!

Update on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 8:43PM by Lois

Truth is/on vacation this past week/I've worn precisely the same thing every evening to dinner.  It's so much easier to pick up and put on what's already on the counter rather than opening the closet. 

AND, I have to say, that it's tremendous fun when there's time, to mix it up a bit. 

I'm enjoying both ends of the spectrum.  No need to obsess about one end or the other.