Paris!

How fortunate to have 2 consignment stores (my favorite kind of shops!) right around the corner from our rented apartment in Paris! Just like at home, it's necessary to weed through some things, but there are some great bargains to be had. I am loving just walking around our cute neighborhood--near the Sacre Coeur--window shopping. There are incredible bakeries, darling shops selling everything from clothing to perfume to stationery, and charming cafes. I am in heaven!

How Clever!

I just read about this nifty website called Reknit. You send them your old sweater and they will knit it into a scarf. Voila! That is what I call re-purposing. It reminds me of that story, "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat," where a thrifty and clever man fashions different pieces from his coat as it wears out. Joseph starts with an overcoat, makes it into a jacket, then a vest, then a handkerchief and so on.

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Fashion and the Recession

I am enamored with Kai Ryssdal's voice. He is the host of Marketplace on Public Radio International and though I don't always understand the finer points of the financial world, I can listen to his calm, reassuring voice all day. It helps that he does not take himself too seriously.

On June 11, he invited Kate Betts, editor of Time Magazine's Style and Design, to talk about fashion's reaction to the recession. He was baffled by the words, "poof skirts" but came to see that today designers are returning to classic, well-cut styles. I am encouraged to think that perhaps attempts to make women wear jumpsuits and stirrup pants are waning.

You can listen to the show by clicking on Marketplace and can read Kai's interview with Kate there as well.

Advice for our Times

Bless Bill Cunningham and his most recent fashion slide show called "Another Facet of Paris." What I love most about this piece is the advice he gives to women toward the end: "It doesn't hurt to dress in a cheerful way," during these uncertain, difficult economic times. I like that he is not exhorting women to shop but to pull things out of their own closets.

Tip for Recessionistas #1

My friend Katherine is so clever. I was whining to her about how worn my wallet looked, how they don't make leather goods like they used to, how the outlet mall did not have one wallet I liked. . .

She walked into her garage and returned to the room carrying a little jar of Murphy Oil Soap. Katherine told me that Murphy is magic, and that she used it for her tack when she was riding horses years ago. She also told me that she uses it all the time to bring out the best in her wood furniture.

Before I knew it, she had a damp rag and was dipping it in the viscous stuff. She then rubbed it on my wallet and, before my eyes, smoothed out the cracks in the leather and made the wallet look loved, not trashed.

When I mentioned Murphy to my dad, he said, "Of course I have that. I use it all the time." He is Mr. Resourceful: He shines his shoes, repairs anything around the house before tossing it out, and goes to great lengths to fix cherished items. I have a popcorn popper that he and my mom received as a wedding gift-- 50 years ago! Sure the handle is no longer metal but is fashioned out of a broom handle. But it still works!

Tonight I borrowed my dad's Murphy Oil Soap and treated my boots and leather shoes to a good washing. They look fantastic! All women and men who are tightening their belts right now should also be using Murphy on those belts, their wallets, purses, shoes and boots. Being frugal means taking care of your stuff and making it last.