Raindrops on redbuds . . . it's a jungle out there.
More thunderstorms in the forecast for today, but it's a little warmer. Yesterday's temperatures didn't even break 60F, and last night I was so chilly that I a) turned the heat on for a while to dry out the air, and b) wore a cashmere pullover until bedtime.
Today's high is supposed to be 72F, but it'll still be wet, so I'm not sure how things will feel. At least my hair loves all this rain.
My agenda for the day is as always: essay-writing/pondering, then a little housework, then dinner prep and cooking, with dog walks interspersed, and some reading. Still plowing through Mapp and Lucia --- two novels down, four to go. They're short and snappy and do make for good light summerish reading. My goodness, though, I'm glad I don't live in Tilling, Britain's Gossipiest Fictional Village. At least it makes a change from Miss Marple's St. Mary Mead, Britain's Deadliest Fictional Village. In Tilling they don't kill you. They just cut you dead.
I'm looking forward to the return of days when Dora and I can sit outside in the sun, although after all this rain the mosquitoes will be upon us, which is a drag to contemplate. At any rate, those days do not begin today.
After days of wool, I'm really really feeling that I should wear some linen, just for a change of pace.
Wearing:
*Secondhand Not Perfect Linen Leila dress (M/L, with shoulders taken up by my seamstress) in Chocolate Brown, bought December 2003, last worn March 23. Wears in 2025: 2 (????)
*Thrifted cashmere pullover, bought September 2023, neckline, hem, and cuffs cut out by me sometime in 2024. Year 2 of wear
*Thrifted Crocs sandals, year 2 of wear
OK, this dress . . . I think I often don't choose it because in my mind, brown is boring. I think, nah, not today, and I choose some other color instead. But then I put this dress on, and I remember. Somehow, despite what I think, it's not boring at all, which is why I have not resold it and probably never will. Again I am resolved to wear it more, because when I wear it, I love it. It's when I don't wear it that I keep not wearing it, because my brain tells me, entirely in error, that brown is boring.
I love it all by itself as a summer dress. Here, I really like the monochrome effect of the dress and the sandals, which are not the same color but are in the same tonal family.
And I like it with this turquoise cashmere pullover, which I'd put on last night when I was cold and left folded on the hamper in the bathroom, where I found it this morning and put it on again. The day is going to get warmer, and I'll probably switch to a lighter top layer later on, but for now the house is still chilly, and this light cashmere --- which I wore a lot in Norway last year, especially for mountain hikes --- is a welcome addition. When winter comes around again, I need to remember that I like this combination, which would work perfectly with boots and tights.
This is a very non-yellow shade of brown, which is why it works with my skin tone. I've tended to think that I don't wear browns or "warm" colors, but the truth is that "brown" is not a single shade, and that even brown-based pinks (such as Cinnamon Rose) can work really well for me, as long as they don't lean yellow.
This was my first NPL dress, bought at a fairly steep secondhand discount --- so often these dresses, like Wool& dresses, appear for resale at prices hardly lower than what they retail for new, but if you watch for them, you can find good deals, where people are just trying to clear out their closets, not actually make back what they spent on a dress. NPL is a particularly good brand to buy secondhand, because they're so well made as well as non-trendy. They're not going to go out of style, because they've never been really in style, as in a fashion trend. But they are made to be worn for years, and high-quality linen is an incredibly durable fabric. They're a better buy, I think, secondhand, even at a higher price point, than Wool&, or really any brand based on knits, because they are going to hold up and look new for a long time.
I do wish NPL still made this style. They have several other fit-and-flare designs with elastic waists, but nothing else sleeveless or with a scoop neckline. I've been tempted a little by those other designs, but I think I'd look pretty dumpy in them. This neckline was a good bit lower, until I had the shoulders taken up, but even set higher, its openness is a lot more flattering to me, I think --- I feel a lot better in it, anyway --- than a neckline with a collar and buttons.
Anyway, I'm glad I pulled out this dress today to wear. May I make this decision more often in the future. Now it's time to take the dog out.
AFTERNOON UPDATE
Just as I sat down in my chair after walking and crating the dog with her afternoon snack, a strange brightness appeared momentarily in the sky. Is it the end of the world? No, must not have been. Whatever it was, it's gone now.
No, wait, now there are these weird blue patches overhead. And it's like, there's light on the house across the street. What is happening?????
Anyway. The world may well be ending, but let it be known that today so far I have
*walked the dog (twice)
*worked with the dog on the challenge of settling herself in the house, instead of pestering me for attention the minute I sit down
*finished and uploaded my Thomas Campion essay for Friday
*answered some emails
*made and consumed a smoothie consisting of frozen blueberries and mango chunks (enough to fill about 2/3 of the Nutribullet canister), an ounce of neufchatel cream cheese, two scoops of raw-milk whey-protein powder, and just enough water to cover the fruit. It was very good. Again, the cream cheese adds only flavor and a little bit of fat, but the calories are fairly negligible, and it's worth it.
*made the bed
*bought a pair of Xero sandals --- teal web straps, very cute --- which cost me nothing because of my sale credits. Did I need another pair of sandals? Well, not strictly speaking, no. BUT teal is fun and will go with lots of things, and I am wearing both my Jessies and my Crocs on repeat. Since the Birks broke, I guess I'm committing myself to the barefoot-shoe life. These also will stay cleaner-looking than my pale-gray Jessies, so will probably get a lot of wear. Adding that to my tally of secondhand purchases.
I still need to unload the dishwasher and give some thought to what's for dinner, but there's time for that yet. Right now I'm going to sit and read for a bit while the dog rests in her crate.
Oh, it's still pretty cool outside. I had thought for sure I'd lose this cashmere pullover by this time, but nope. Still wearing it perfectly comfortably. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer, though, just in time for pub night, so I can wear something fun.