New Fab Gabs Merchandise!

{Clockwise from top left}
{1960s Autumn Floral Wiggle Dress} {1960s Formal Gown with Matching Cape} {1960s Herbert Sondheim Cocktail Dress} {1960s Red Plaid Wiggle Dress}

{1960s Leopard Print Cape} {1950s Gold Sequin Wiggle Dress} {1940s Red Satin Heels} 

 {1960s Yellow Western Jacket} {1920s Mens Wool Bathing Suit} {1950s Plaid Yellow Leisure Jacket} {1960s Western Suit}

"Quitcher Bitchin"

Well, I will be the very first to admit that my last blog post is possibly the WHINIEST whine that I have ever whined.

And it was public, dear god.

But you know, the mortification of realizing that was good for me. I just decided to stop it. I pincurled my hair the same night. It was such a perfect set, I've kept it through today (but tonight it HAS to be washed.) Today's style was prettier and smoother at 10am than it is at 10:30 at night. But it was never as smooth as a Kristin hairstyle. I don't even try. That way lies madness.

The next day, I went and had my eyebrows threaded. I'd never done it before. But Sarah of Stutterin' Mama swears by it, and her eyebrows are perfect. And now, mine are, too!

The day after that, we took two whole hours to go ride our bikes on the relatively new bike path near our home.

Yesterday, I worked really hard. And then, I stopped working hard at 5:30, and went to have my nails done.

Today, I put it all together. I put on a favorite dress, my bakelite anchor necklace, and those Chelsea Crew shoes from Mod Cloth that I love so much. Jesse and I volunteered for a couple hours visiting with some WWII and Korea vets. (I LOVE WWII vets and their wives. Love and adore them.)

We were dorks and forgot the camera. And now, it is Saturday Friday night and since Jesse is out, I had to take my own pics. So, there you go. Instagram. (Hey! I thought it was Saturday! I just gained a whole day!)

I think maybe I will be able to pick back up on my challenge, I just need some time, confidence, and some babysteps to get there.

After all, it's a lot more fun to take daily photos of yourself when your eyebrows aren't furry and your toes are painted. Although, I haven't taken care of my toes yet. This week. For sure. Because I'm feeling on top of it, now.

Outfit Post and Facing the Music

Well, gals. I have to concede. For now. NOT on losing weight, but on the process of trying to dress up and record an outfit each and every day. I have gained back about half the weight that I lost, because we really aren't eating very well. I haven't been able to find much time to cook.

I have been working for myself nearly my entire adult life - ten whole years now. (Yikes!) I had become *very* accustomed to the freedom of being able to take the time to do my hair and makeup, select an outfit, and to get out of the house each day to do something I want to do - not need to do. Frankly, I've been spoiled.

Here's a thrown-together outfit. The photo was taken outside Goodwill about a week ago - whatever Day 2 would have been. We weren't there to thrift for vintage - we needed more storage bins.

This whole process of acquiring the Puttin' on the Ritz consignment - with the added project of soft-launching the website - has really changed my life and how Jesse and I go about our work, and that's been sort of hard to accept. All I own is vintage, a few reproductions and five sets of workout wear. I don't even have normal "just around the house" clothes. So I've been wearing the same five house dresses on rotation for the better part of a month now. All I wear is turbans - I never find time to do my hair. My life has changed. I need to adjust my patterns. I am still working out how to make that happen.

Right now, I'm clocking about  14 to 15 hours of work a day, every day. (Jesse and I have both worked ourselves sick - we have really brutal summer colds that have lasted the better half of a week or more.) If I am not listing, I'm washing clothes, or measuring, or writing SEO for the website, or sewing on buttons, or patching holes, or responding to email inquiries. Since I have a standing desk, I really only sit down these days if I am in the car for some reason, or if I'm eating lunch. Jesse has a similar laundry list.

I made the mistake of going out to Last Thursday, to be supportive of Jesse, who got up and did his monthly stilting (in a custom made tuxedo) at festival. The cool evening and the crowd of people, plus the late night was the last straw for my health. So much for trying to do something fun! Now that I see the photo, I can see that I already looked sick.

Those pants are the other thing I've been living in - my new One Offs from Jitterbuggin. I love snagging prototypes in my size! Best jeans ever.

Damn. Even my turbans don't look good any more. It isn't that I don't care. I just don't have time to indulge my vanity. 

As defeated as I might sound, I'm really not. I know that this period of intense work is situational, and unavoidable, with building up the website and settling the MASSIVE inventory that we've taken in.  It won't last forever. But I don't forsee a return to the days of total freedom, either. The first step is to move down to clocking ten hour work days.

Then, starting taking one day off a week. To do things that I'm horribly overdue on, like waxing my eyebrows, or having a pedicure, or bicycling with Jesse.

I am going to try to put a couple posts a week, of some kind to stay to connected with you. My challenge still stands for those who started it, you'll certainly deserve the reward at the end! And I will pick up my own personal challenge when I can realistically see a couple hours of free time a day.

Thanks for listening! I know that's one heck of a lot of text for a fashion blog.
xoxo
Julie