Thursday, December 31, 2009

Making your own clothes


I have started my yearly search for a winter coat, I start off thinking it will be a nice Christmas present. Christmas comes and goes and I still remain, coatless. As each year goes by I feel more and resigned more and more desperate. I look online, walk around, hopeful of finding something. when I do find a style I like, its normally sold out.
Probably bought by one of those fashion hounds who spends endless hours on the net. They are not reading news, not emailing friends, not doing work but instead looking at clothing websites and buying them as soon as they come out.
I can envision these tall girls, stuffing them into their bulging wardrobes. They probably tell casual visitors, who marvel about the amount of closet space they have and say "oh, look at this coat, I bought it a few years ago, only wore it once."
As I am not into fashion, I can easily let the hipest trends slide right past me without so much as a blink of an eye. Though I must admit when flares came in, I went a bit crazy, oh and the time that there was this pearl, lace and chain concoction that was everywhere, attached to bags, shirts, whole necklaces were made out of them. Ooh how I drooled and salivated over those.
I spent many frustrated days, a poor student, looking for sales, buying lycra tops, trying to follow fashion advice on those with a low budget until eventually I noticed a girl who only ever wore leggings and a long tshirt with boots. Except for the boots, it was a very easy look to pull off. I dressed like this all the time. Clubwear, sorted. Casual look, sorted. I added a short skirt for work and I was on a roll. So there were no trousers in a style and fit that made me look clunky, who cared. So there was nothing in the shops, who cares? So there was nothing in grey, just pink, who CARED!
But then winter came, and I had no coat, I looked around but could find nothing. Years and years went by, every year nothing. Till finally I though, I may have to make my own. There, I said it. Making your own clothes. Its no fun, its time consuming and you have to learn, get special equipment and your first efforts will be rubbish. But sometimes it has to be done.
I found this website, on another tall girl blog

http://www.threadbanger.com/

I will have to give it a try, wish me luck !

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

What is the Peanut Butter Solution?



I read this today


It gave me a sinking feeling in my tummy.Oh my lovely peanut butter. I knew this and stopped eating peanut butter for several years . One day feeling idle and quite hungry I found it at the back of my cupboard and tucked in.

Nothing like its smoothy, creamy nuttiness.

I will no longer be able to eat peanut butter and guava jelly on water crackers as I am about to rush out the door in the morning or late at night, or on weekend that I lie in so long I get hungry and have to eat some thing while I try to defrost some meat or whatever I can find at the back of my cupboard.

I will no longer be able to eat groundnut soup. Mouthwateringly delicious but so so stodgy. Let me drool for a moment.

Picture from http://majalouisa.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/fufu-traditionel-ghanesisk-ret/

I can't plan to cook it. I can't sit at home salivating over the recipe on the Africa cook book any more. I can't enjoy my food because its bad for me. I guess I will have to make do with just looking at the recipe

http://www.recipehound.com/Recipes/Recipes2/7905.html

I suppose I must go and find this Sunbutter thing. They don't have any any England, but I can use hummus for now, if only it didn't go off so quickly. Is there any food that you can leave in the back of the cupboard and it will still be ok? s any food that doesn't go off in 3 days good for you? If so I want to eat it.


Sunday, December 27, 2009

Buying Clothes in America

From Opera's website, Copied because it may get archived and disappear.


Labels That Measure Up

Mary Alice Stephenson
Photo: Alex Beauchesne
If you're shopping for...

Longer-length pants:
Akris, Neiman Marcus, 800-365-7989
Alice + Olivia, Neiman Marcus, 800-365-7989
Alvin Valley, AlvinValley.com
Anthropologie, Anthropologie.com
Express, Express.com
Gap, Gap.com
Garnet Hill, GarnetHill.com
The Limited, TheLimited.com
Michael Kors, MichaelKors.com
Tory Burch, ToryBurch.com

Jeans with inseams 33 and up:
7 For All Mankind, 7ForAllMankind.com
Calvin Klein Jeans, CalvinKlein.com
Dockers, Dockers.com
Earl Jean, Macy's, 800-622-9748
Earnest Sewn, EarnestSewn.com
Levi's, US.Levi.com
Lucky Brand, LuckyBrand.com
L'Wren Scott, Barneys New York, 888-822-7639
Paige Premium Denim, PaigeUSA.com

Jackets and suits that won't fall short:
Ann Taylor, AnnTaylor.com
Banana Republic, BananaRepublic.com
Diane von Furstenberg, DVF.com
Eddie Bauer, EddieBauer.com
J.Crew, JCrew.com
JCPenney, JCP.com
Lands' End, LandsEnd.com
New York & Company, NYandCompany.com
Old Navy, OldNavy.com
Rick Owens, 212-627-7222
Shape FX, ShapeFX.com
Talbots, Talbots.com
Urban Zen, 212-206-3999

Outerwear:
Banana Republic, BananaRepublic.com
Ellen Tracy, EllenTracy.com for stores
Gap, Gap.com; JCPenney, JCP.com
Old Navy, OldNavy.com

Athletic clothes:
J.Crew, JCrew.com
Lululemon Athletica, LuluLemon.com for stores
Old Navy, OldNavy.com

Tops and sweaters with length to spare:
Banana Republic, BananaRepublic.com
C&C California, CandCCalifornia.com
Eddie Bauer, EddieBauer.com
Gap, Gap.com
Inhabit, InhabitNY.com
J.Crew, JCrew.com
JCPenney, JCP.com
Lands' End, LandsEnd.com
Lily McNeal, LilyMcNeal.com
Michael Stars, MichaelStars.com
Old Navy, OldNavy.com
Saint Grace, SaintGraceStore.com

Swimwear:
Just My Size, JMS.com
Lands' End, LandsEnd.com
Miraclesuit, CyberSwim.com
Newport News, Newport-News.com
Shape FX, ShapeFX.com
Speedo, SpeedoUSA.com
Victoria's Secret, VictoriasSecret.com

Shoes up to size 14:
BareFoottess.com
DesignerShoes.com
Gwyneth, Gwynethshoes.com
Kathryn Kerrigan, KathrynKerrigan.com
Samantá, SamantaShoes.com
Shoes.com
Zappos.com

Extra-long hoisery:
Donna Karan, DonnaKaran.com for stores
Falke, MyTights.com
Le Bourget, MyTights.com
Levante, LevanteUSA.com
Spanx, Spanx.com

Maternity:
Gap, Gap.com
JCPenney, JCP.com
RG Maternity, RGMaternity.com

Skirts and dresses that flatter a tall frame:
Banana Republic, BananaRepublic.com
Eddie Bauer, EddieBauer.com
Gap, Gap.com
JCPenney, JCP.com
J.Jill, JJill.com
Lands' End, LandsEnd.com
Old Navy, OldNavy.com

Plus, check out...

Websites with extensive tall collections:
Ann Taylor Loft, AnnTaylorLoft.com
Banana Republic, BananaRepublic.com
Eddie Bauer, EddieBauer.com
Gap, Gap.com
J.Crew, JCrew.com
JCPenney, JCP.com
Old Navy, OldNavy.com

Catologs and online boutiques:
KatClothing.com
Moi-Meme.com
SearchbyInseam.com
SoftSurroundings.com
TallCouture.com
TallGirlShop.com
TallWomensClothes.com


http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200901_omag_height_labels