Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Do you really need all those magazine subscriptions?
Sometimes we get ideas from the most unlikely places. Last year, I went into a weird frenzy while I was in a brief state of figuring out my direction in life, and got a number of deals for magazine subscriptions, and have 8 magazine subscriptions (I kid you not!), plus my boyfriend has 3 himself. For the most part, I lost interest in several of the magazines quite quickly, and while I have been tearing out articles in an attempt reduce the clutter in my house, I reflected on how much paper I have discarded for recycling. The sad thing is that a few of these are somewhat frivolous fashion magazines, which I only look through because I subscribed and paid for them, rather than due to interest. These glossy magazines are harder to recycle than non gloss magazines. On a positive note, I was happy to see that Elle had a green issue in which they applaud people who have done things for the environment. Unfortunately, however, they used little or no recycled paper for this "green issue". Ironic, huh? In any case, I was still glad to see that there are so many people doing good things for the environment, and also liked their focus on natural cosmetic products because chemical products have been linked to an array of health issues. This also fuels my undertaking about two months ago (on which I also posted on) to eliminate wear of makeup on a daily basis, and to limit products when I do.
Some people who made it on the green list include Colin Beaven and Michelle Conlin a couple (with a child and dog) who live in Manhattan who lived electricity free for a year. Read their inspiring, and amazing experiment. Brad Pitt donated $5 million dollars to make sustainable houses for Katrina victims. One woman, Rebecca Hosking, handed out canvas totes to everyone in her neighborhood for free when she say how many plastic bags (which are not bio-degradable and harm animals) were strewn in the street. There are many others, who I would gladly tell you about if you would like to know further. I felt inspired that not only celebrities are making a move to help save the world and each other, but even "regular" people. This confirms that we can all make a difference, even if it is turning off your lightbulb a little less each day, or reducing your paper usage!
I have been thinking for days now since I spent wasted hours tearing our articles and throwing away (recycling) magazines that just recycling these papers are not enough because there is not enough recycled paper to account for all our paper uses. I am therefore going a step further, and switching print to digital subscriptions for 2 magazines I read only out of obligation of not feeling I wasted money. I am keeping three that I like, and am trying to decide if I should donate the other three or cancel them. I would prefer to donate to my mom's office, but am wondering if I will be tempted to take them to read through when they arrive. It seems I have gotten a little too used to mindless banter and pictures in some of them, and may feel guilty for wasting the money on subscription by not even looking at them. I tried giving magazines to my sister before, but ended up taking them after she read them, so it seems that I may have to cancel them. I will evaluate if they are worth continuing based on what percentage of the magazines actually interest me. If it is less than 10%, then I will cancel them.
Although they were entertaining for some time, I have really gotten sick of the fashion magazines particularly, as they tout uber-expensive products, clothing, and accessories, yet claim to be trying to be green. Many very high end designers vastly overprice their clothing just for the image rather than quality and worksmanship alone. Yet, the designers are not the main ones at fault. Designers need to make a living, and we could say that they are just supplying demand for the wasteful folks who would rather spend money to $500 for a pair of shoes or $1000 for a dress or bag, rather than donate $50 to a charity. If they choose to spend their hard earned money on items, that is quite fine (I myself buy J Crew and BR - because it lasts long and requires me to purchase less items, and contribute less to the environmental effects of the clothing industry). The problem is that some of these consumers purchase items to feel a temporary sense of self worth. While it is fine to buy things that last, it is quite something else to try to deflect insecurities via purchases or letting your desires dictate how you buy, rather than necessity. This insatiable hunger is never filled because material things in themselves rarely bring happiness or satisfaction. So the end result is that they just keep buying more, and need to have the newest fad so they can feel a sense of self worth, even if it is short lived.
Frankly, I don't want to contribute to this behavior any further by subscribing to magazines that propagate this wastefulness, while people do not even have clean water or a meal in other parts of the globe, and even this country. The 3 other magazines that I intend on canceling are decor and housekeeping magazines, which also use gloss paper, that are silly too because I am trying to have a simple elegant house, and don't need to follow trends about how to decorate. When I feel peace within, it seems that I want less in my apartment consequently as unnecessary things are just a distraction. The fashion magazines nor the decor do not correlate with my life goals. Furthermore, they are not just a passive waste of my time and contributing to the behavior as mentioned above, but they are also very damaging to the environment in a collective sense when they are being thrown away. If one is very interested in a magazine and keeps a lot of its articles, I would say that is quite fine. However, to subscribe to several magazines which captivate little interest is a waste of time and resources. It also detracts from the minimalist life that I have been attempting to live. It is strange that my magazines are now down to 3, all of which both expire in 2 months. Next time I order magazines I will make sure that they correlate to the direction of my life rather than an impulsive whim or interest.
A few magazines may not seem like they are hurting the environment much, but add them up annually, and it is alot of wasted paper directly from trees. Consequently, one tree clears 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, so even half a tree saved is a lot. Furthermore, if each of us took small measure such as this, it would add up to many trees saved.
Additionally, it also simplifies the content that you take in, and eliminates unnecessary material to go through and discard, which saves alot of time. By watching and limiting what you take in, it is easier to keep things simple.
Some people who made it on the green list include Colin Beaven and Michelle Conlin a couple (with a child and dog) who live in Manhattan who lived electricity free for a year. Read their inspiring, and amazing experiment. Brad Pitt donated $5 million dollars to make sustainable houses for Katrina victims. One woman, Rebecca Hosking, handed out canvas totes to everyone in her neighborhood for free when she say how many plastic bags (which are not bio-degradable and harm animals) were strewn in the street. There are many others, who I would gladly tell you about if you would like to know further. I felt inspired that not only celebrities are making a move to help save the world and each other, but even "regular" people. This confirms that we can all make a difference, even if it is turning off your lightbulb a little less each day, or reducing your paper usage!
I have been thinking for days now since I spent wasted hours tearing our articles and throwing away (recycling) magazines that just recycling these papers are not enough because there is not enough recycled paper to account for all our paper uses. I am therefore going a step further, and switching print to digital subscriptions for 2 magazines I read only out of obligation of not feeling I wasted money. I am keeping three that I like, and am trying to decide if I should donate the other three or cancel them. I would prefer to donate to my mom's office, but am wondering if I will be tempted to take them to read through when they arrive. It seems I have gotten a little too used to mindless banter and pictures in some of them, and may feel guilty for wasting the money on subscription by not even looking at them. I tried giving magazines to my sister before, but ended up taking them after she read them, so it seems that I may have to cancel them. I will evaluate if they are worth continuing based on what percentage of the magazines actually interest me. If it is less than 10%, then I will cancel them.
Although they were entertaining for some time, I have really gotten sick of the fashion magazines particularly, as they tout uber-expensive products, clothing, and accessories, yet claim to be trying to be green. Many very high end designers vastly overprice their clothing just for the image rather than quality and worksmanship alone. Yet, the designers are not the main ones at fault. Designers need to make a living, and we could say that they are just supplying demand for the wasteful folks who would rather spend money to $500 for a pair of shoes or $1000 for a dress or bag, rather than donate $50 to a charity. If they choose to spend their hard earned money on items, that is quite fine (I myself buy J Crew and BR - because it lasts long and requires me to purchase less items, and contribute less to the environmental effects of the clothing industry). The problem is that some of these consumers purchase items to feel a temporary sense of self worth. While it is fine to buy things that last, it is quite something else to try to deflect insecurities via purchases or letting your desires dictate how you buy, rather than necessity. This insatiable hunger is never filled because material things in themselves rarely bring happiness or satisfaction. So the end result is that they just keep buying more, and need to have the newest fad so they can feel a sense of self worth, even if it is short lived.
Frankly, I don't want to contribute to this behavior any further by subscribing to magazines that propagate this wastefulness, while people do not even have clean water or a meal in other parts of the globe, and even this country. The 3 other magazines that I intend on canceling are decor and housekeeping magazines, which also use gloss paper, that are silly too because I am trying to have a simple elegant house, and don't need to follow trends about how to decorate. When I feel peace within, it seems that I want less in my apartment consequently as unnecessary things are just a distraction. The fashion magazines nor the decor do not correlate with my life goals. Furthermore, they are not just a passive waste of my time and contributing to the behavior as mentioned above, but they are also very damaging to the environment in a collective sense when they are being thrown away. If one is very interested in a magazine and keeps a lot of its articles, I would say that is quite fine. However, to subscribe to several magazines which captivate little interest is a waste of time and resources. It also detracts from the minimalist life that I have been attempting to live. It is strange that my magazines are now down to 3, all of which both expire in 2 months. Next time I order magazines I will make sure that they correlate to the direction of my life rather than an impulsive whim or interest.
A few magazines may not seem like they are hurting the environment much, but add them up annually, and it is alot of wasted paper directly from trees. Consequently, one tree clears 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, so even half a tree saved is a lot. Furthermore, if each of us took small measure such as this, it would add up to many trees saved.
Additionally, it also simplifies the content that you take in, and eliminates unnecessary material to go through and discard, which saves alot of time. By watching and limiting what you take in, it is easier to keep things simple.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Spread the Love!
We are so blessed to have the chance to work with some AWESOME couples. Congratulations Steph & Jason! These was their feedback:
Will- the pictures are fantastic!!! I am so happy with how they all turned out. Everyone was so impressed with you and your wife. I got alot of really nice comments about how amazing you both did. I am so happy you were both able to attend and Jason and I are so pleased with how well everything went. Thanks again and I will talk to you soon!!
-Stephanie & Jason
The Battle is on! Shoot me!
Every so often Will & I feel like shooting each other, literally. Photographly speaking that is ;)! Sometimes by accident, with both of us moving around and getting everybody’s best angles we some time get in the crossfire of each other! So here are some shots of us, some for our personal portrait shots and other of us just being our goofy selves! Have fun and enjoy, we just want to make you smile and laugh, whether in front of our cameras or checking out some of the most fun wedding photography in Utah!
Oh and I love the 5th photo down! ;) Super shooter away!!!
Steph & Jason's Wedding PhotosVernal Utah
Stephanie & Jason both came back from Alaska to Steph's home town of Vernal to say their "I do's" of their wedding! Will actually met both Steph and Jason in Alaska while he was doing work up there several years ago and has done several weddings for her siblings, so she said that she would have no one else photograph her wedding day except us! It was a very relaxing wedding, with some amazing ballroom dancing at the reception! Steph had a gorgeous wedding dress, very cute flower girls and an energetic ring bearer! And I must add Steph & Jason photograph great at F/1.8! So now that we've done all the wedding for her and her sister's, now it's time for all the brothers! ;) Thank Steph & Jason for having us be your photographers, you were great!
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
On our way to Vernal Utah
Yes there was snow, but luckily not when we reached Vernal. Actually it was a really beautiful day, it was so sunny and nice. We even saw some fishers doing a last time ice fishing before it gets too warm. The driving was a lot better than the last time Will went, they closed the canyon right after he got through. So luckily we didn't have to deal with snow chains this time! ;) Photo's of the wedding day to come soon!
Community Society vs. Ownership Society
In the recent past, politics has become very polarized in this country. It began on a small scale with Ronald Reagan, but really escalated during Bill Clintons years in the White House and then became even more bitter following the 2000 election for George W. Bush.
George Bush ran on being a uniter. I believe this was a mistake. To be united, both sides must be willing. Once one man declares he will unite the two sides, the other side, if unwilling, can only make him look bad by being obstinate on everything that comes from the White House.
This trend of the past seven years has narrowed down much of the debate between the two sides to two very distinct positions. One side believes that government has the solutions. That government can move the country for the people. The other side believes that the solutions reside within the people. The classic liberal vs conservative. This is also known as the Community Society vs the Ownership Society.
See the following chart comparing the Community Society to the Ownership Society:
Community Society ***********Ownership Society
Government-Social Security ***Your personal account
Government Medicare and Employer Health Care*** Health Savings Accounts and Individually owned health plans
Employer Pension Plans ***Your Individually owned Savings Accounts
Your Personal Savings ***Your Enhanced Savings through Consumption Tax
The above chart is enlightening. Government believes that retirement responsibility
should be through Social Security and forcing employers to provide pension plans.
While the Ownership Society believes that people can save for their own retirements,
do a better job of it and provide themselves a higher and better prepared income for
retirement.
Social Security was begun in the 1930’s under the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
However, even President Roosevelt said that it should become privatized. In addition,
he said that Social Security is only meant as a supplement to whatever people do on
their own.
Social Security money was moved from it’s own Trust into the General Fund which then
allowed Congress to borrow the money. Pension plans were taken by employers when
they ran short of funds. This happened in Germany in the 1980’s and then spread to the
United States.
In two instances of forced savings by government and employers, both have failed.
Congress in one instance, and employers in the other. Yet ,government feels they can
do a better job for people’s retirement than the people are able to do for themselves.
As we know now, Social Security will be operating in the Red starting in 2017 and will
be exhausted by 2041. The only thing said to this point is that for Social Security to
continue beyond 2041 is to reduce the benefits by 30% in 2041 or taxes would need to
be increased. So if you’re receiving $1,800 per month, it will be reduced to $1,260 per
month in 2041. By the way, if you that’s beyond your lifetime, think of this. People born
in 1976 are the ones first affected. Those born in 1976 turn 32 this year!
Then there is health care. Take a look at the next chart:
Community Society -Health Care- Ownership Society
Opposes Individual Accounts ****Favors Individual Accounts
Mixed feelings on “Cap Adjustments ****Opposes Tax increases
Favors “locked box” on Trust ****Favors Wage to price indexing
Favors Universal Health Care Coverage ****Opposes Universal Health Care Coverage
Costs imposed on employer/individual/government*** Favors Free Market Health System
Tax subsidy for small employers ***Tax deductions/credits to purchase health insurance.
Expand Medicaid & SCHIP ***Encourage State initiatives
Drug Price Negotiations ***Expand HSA’s
Pay for coverage thru Medicare Restructuring/expired ***Limit SCHIP
Again, the Community Society advocates government as shown in the chart above.
Let’s look at how well the government has done with the health care they do have now.
Medicare will be operating in the red during the year 2008. That’s THIS YEAR!!
Medicare will be exhausted in the year 2019. Those born in 1954 will be put onto
Medicare but there will be no money to pay for it. Do we really want to turn our health
care over to the government that hasn’t been able to run the health care system they do
have successfully?
They will put the costs on the employer, the individual and the government. Government
doesn’t earn any money. They only confiscate it. So while they will be responsible for
writing the check for the health care, they’ll get the money to write those checks from
employers. The employers won’t pay for this out of the kindness of their hearts, so
they’ll collect the money from the employee. That’s you and I.
The ownership society advocates people finding their own health care and paying for it.
There are plans out there that not only pay for health care, but also help the people
save money within their health care plan. Again, the solution found within the people
and not from the government….AND IT’S AFFORDABLE!!
Finally, there is tax reform. Again, the community society wants to increase taxes. The
Alternative minimum tax has affected people in ways that weren’t planned, but the
Community Society says to reduce it, maybe eliminate it, but not without making it up
somewhere else.
They are willing to reduce SOME of the capital gains, but not all and they want to raise
the death tax.
The ownership society wants more and more to move to the Sales tax, also known as
the Fair Tax. They want to make the Bush tax cuts permanent and they want to reduce
and/or eliminate the Estate Tax. See the chart below.
Community Society -Tax Reform- Ownership Society
Eliminate/Reduce AMT ***Consumption tax
Some cap gain reductions*** Sales (Fair) tax
-Business startups*** - VAT
First $250 ***Make Bush Tax Cuts permanent
Raise the Estate Tax Exemption Level ***Eliminate/Reduce Estate Tax
So what happens if they let the Bush tax cuts expire? The answer is, on January 1, 2010 our taxes will increase. I’ve posted the following before, and I’ll do it again. This comes from www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
Taxes during the 1990’s *****Taxes under Bush
Single making $30 K- Tax $8,400 **Single making $30k-Tax $4,500
Single making $50k- Tax $14,000 **Single making $50k-Tax $12,500
Single making $75k- Tax $23,250 **Single making $75k-Tax $18,750
Married making $60k-Tax $16,800** Married making $60k-Tax $9,000
Married making $75k- Tax $21,000 **Married making $75k-Tax $18,750
Married making $125k-Tax $38,750 **Married making $125k-Tax$31,250
It is mind boggling that the Community Society can get away with saying that the rich got the tax breaks while the poor didn’t when looking at the facts.
If the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire, we’ll all be getting an income tax increase less than one year after the new President takes office. In addition, if the new President is to take on Social Security we can expect yet another tax increase. If they take on Medicare, we can expect another tax increase, and if they work on health care, we can expect a huge tax increase to pay for “free” government health care. One thing is certain, nothing is free. By the way, Happy Tax Freedom Day. From January 1, 2008 until today, you've been working to pay your taxes. Today, you begin earning money for yourselves.
If the tax cuts are allowed to expire, tax freedom day will move back into May.
Power is in the people, but "loaned" to the government.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
George Bush ran on being a uniter. I believe this was a mistake. To be united, both sides must be willing. Once one man declares he will unite the two sides, the other side, if unwilling, can only make him look bad by being obstinate on everything that comes from the White House.
This trend of the past seven years has narrowed down much of the debate between the two sides to two very distinct positions. One side believes that government has the solutions. That government can move the country for the people. The other side believes that the solutions reside within the people. The classic liberal vs conservative. This is also known as the Community Society vs the Ownership Society.
See the following chart comparing the Community Society to the Ownership Society:
Community Society ***********Ownership Society
Government-Social Security ***Your personal account
Government Medicare and Employer Health Care*** Health Savings Accounts and Individually owned health plans
Employer Pension Plans ***Your Individually owned Savings Accounts
Your Personal Savings ***Your Enhanced Savings through Consumption Tax
The above chart is enlightening. Government believes that retirement responsibility
should be through Social Security and forcing employers to provide pension plans.
While the Ownership Society believes that people can save for their own retirements,
do a better job of it and provide themselves a higher and better prepared income for
retirement.
Social Security was begun in the 1930’s under the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
However, even President Roosevelt said that it should become privatized. In addition,
he said that Social Security is only meant as a supplement to whatever people do on
their own.
Social Security money was moved from it’s own Trust into the General Fund which then
allowed Congress to borrow the money. Pension plans were taken by employers when
they ran short of funds. This happened in Germany in the 1980’s and then spread to the
United States.
In two instances of forced savings by government and employers, both have failed.
Congress in one instance, and employers in the other. Yet ,government feels they can
do a better job for people’s retirement than the people are able to do for themselves.
As we know now, Social Security will be operating in the Red starting in 2017 and will
be exhausted by 2041. The only thing said to this point is that for Social Security to
continue beyond 2041 is to reduce the benefits by 30% in 2041 or taxes would need to
be increased. So if you’re receiving $1,800 per month, it will be reduced to $1,260 per
month in 2041. By the way, if you that’s beyond your lifetime, think of this. People born
in 1976 are the ones first affected. Those born in 1976 turn 32 this year!
Then there is health care. Take a look at the next chart:
Community Society -Health Care- Ownership Society
Opposes Individual Accounts ****Favors Individual Accounts
Mixed feelings on “Cap Adjustments ****Opposes Tax increases
Favors “locked box” on Trust ****Favors Wage to price indexing
Favors Universal Health Care Coverage ****Opposes Universal Health Care Coverage
Costs imposed on employer/individual/government*** Favors Free Market Health System
Tax subsidy for small employers ***Tax deductions/credits to purchase health insurance.
Expand Medicaid & SCHIP ***Encourage State initiatives
Drug Price Negotiations ***Expand HSA’s
Pay for coverage thru Medicare Restructuring/expired ***Limit SCHIP
Again, the Community Society advocates government as shown in the chart above.
Let’s look at how well the government has done with the health care they do have now.
Medicare will be operating in the red during the year 2008. That’s THIS YEAR!!
Medicare will be exhausted in the year 2019. Those born in 1954 will be put onto
Medicare but there will be no money to pay for it. Do we really want to turn our health
care over to the government that hasn’t been able to run the health care system they do
have successfully?
They will put the costs on the employer, the individual and the government. Government
doesn’t earn any money. They only confiscate it. So while they will be responsible for
writing the check for the health care, they’ll get the money to write those checks from
employers. The employers won’t pay for this out of the kindness of their hearts, so
they’ll collect the money from the employee. That’s you and I.
The ownership society advocates people finding their own health care and paying for it.
There are plans out there that not only pay for health care, but also help the people
save money within their health care plan. Again, the solution found within the people
and not from the government….AND IT’S AFFORDABLE!!
Finally, there is tax reform. Again, the community society wants to increase taxes. The
Alternative minimum tax has affected people in ways that weren’t planned, but the
Community Society says to reduce it, maybe eliminate it, but not without making it up
somewhere else.
They are willing to reduce SOME of the capital gains, but not all and they want to raise
the death tax.
The ownership society wants more and more to move to the Sales tax, also known as
the Fair Tax. They want to make the Bush tax cuts permanent and they want to reduce
and/or eliminate the Estate Tax. See the chart below.
Community Society -Tax Reform- Ownership Society
Eliminate/Reduce AMT ***Consumption tax
Some cap gain reductions*** Sales (Fair) tax
-Business startups*** - VAT
First $250 ***Make Bush Tax Cuts permanent
Raise the Estate Tax Exemption Level ***Eliminate/Reduce Estate Tax
So what happens if they let the Bush tax cuts expire? The answer is, on January 1, 2010 our taxes will increase. I’ve posted the following before, and I’ll do it again. This comes from www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/151.html
Taxes during the 1990’s *****Taxes under Bush
Single making $30 K- Tax $8,400 **Single making $30k-Tax $4,500
Single making $50k- Tax $14,000 **Single making $50k-Tax $12,500
Single making $75k- Tax $23,250 **Single making $75k-Tax $18,750
Married making $60k-Tax $16,800** Married making $60k-Tax $9,000
Married making $75k- Tax $21,000 **Married making $75k-Tax $18,750
Married making $125k-Tax $38,750 **Married making $125k-Tax$31,250
It is mind boggling that the Community Society can get away with saying that the rich got the tax breaks while the poor didn’t when looking at the facts.
If the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire, we’ll all be getting an income tax increase less than one year after the new President takes office. In addition, if the new President is to take on Social Security we can expect yet another tax increase. If they take on Medicare, we can expect another tax increase, and if they work on health care, we can expect a huge tax increase to pay for “free” government health care. One thing is certain, nothing is free. By the way, Happy Tax Freedom Day. From January 1, 2008 until today, you've been working to pay your taxes. Today, you begin earning money for yourselves.
If the tax cuts are allowed to expire, tax freedom day will move back into May.
Power is in the people, but "loaned" to the government.
I welcome your comments.
Brett
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Fruition: Oh My God!
It is hard to come up with adjectives to describe Fruition; you can use the word orgasmic only so many times before it looses its impact. Every course was a visual art form with tastes that burst upon the tongue with explosions of shock and awe. One’s senses overwhelmed, all one can do is gasp and sigh. Eyes rolling back in the head are a bit dramatic I admit, but when the entire restaurant is doing it, it seems like the most natural thing in the world.
Our mystical experience began with the watercress salad. Watercress always makes me feel like a naughty goat trampling in the clover, but this preparation with the grilled asparagus, avocado, and shallots was a feast for the two-legged kind. It was bright, crisp, and harkened summer’s sweetness even on a less than spring-like day. We followed this up with the braised rabbit over homemade tagliatelle (a fancy name for fettuccine), and roasted onions. The clincher, since rabbit is relatively mild, was the veal and mushroom jus. As our waiter exclaimed proudly, “veal jus just makes everything taste better”. We couldn’t agree more.
Our prime beef entrée was a towering pyramid of culottes (a sirlon cap), choux dumplings, braised oxtail, and trumpet mushrooms all sitting on a wonderfully bright orange and sweet carrot puree. This puree, since as per usual we were splitting, became a dangerous battleground of whisking forks, flashing knives, and general exclamations of “your on my side of the plate”.
Fruitions wine list won’t break the bank and has a little something for everyone. I am on an officially announced quest to master the Rhone, so we tried a decent table wine (just a plain Cote du Rhone) from Domaine La Garrigue. No surprise that it was highly marked up at $40 a bottle, but was still inexpensive as restaurant wines go. Our waitress brought us three different wines to taste before we settled, which is always a sign of first class customer service.
While in a state of contemplative bliss we settled on the Blonde Carrot Cake for dessert. This is not your overly sweet carrot cake, but one without the cream cheese and a small dab of golden raisin compote on the side and a small scoop of cream cheese ice cream. The real find, however, was the Belle de Brillet cognac, which is a nice French cognac infused with pears from the Alsace region. It added just enough touch of sweetness without distorting the cognacs pleasing warmth. I declared henceforth that I would always have a bottle in the house for those cold winter nights.
Don’t take my word for it, and the word of the many pundits out there, go, enjoy, worship at the alter of food excellence that is fruition. You too may find yourself using orgasmic in a sentence!
Our mystical experience began with the watercress salad. Watercress always makes me feel like a naughty goat trampling in the clover, but this preparation with the grilled asparagus, avocado, and shallots was a feast for the two-legged kind. It was bright, crisp, and harkened summer’s sweetness even on a less than spring-like day. We followed this up with the braised rabbit over homemade tagliatelle (a fancy name for fettuccine), and roasted onions. The clincher, since rabbit is relatively mild, was the veal and mushroom jus. As our waiter exclaimed proudly, “veal jus just makes everything taste better”. We couldn’t agree more.
Our prime beef entrée was a towering pyramid of culottes (a sirlon cap), choux dumplings, braised oxtail, and trumpet mushrooms all sitting on a wonderfully bright orange and sweet carrot puree. This puree, since as per usual we were splitting, became a dangerous battleground of whisking forks, flashing knives, and general exclamations of “your on my side of the plate”.
Fruitions wine list won’t break the bank and has a little something for everyone. I am on an officially announced quest to master the Rhone, so we tried a decent table wine (just a plain Cote du Rhone) from Domaine La Garrigue. No surprise that it was highly marked up at $40 a bottle, but was still inexpensive as restaurant wines go. Our waitress brought us three different wines to taste before we settled, which is always a sign of first class customer service.
While in a state of contemplative bliss we settled on the Blonde Carrot Cake for dessert. This is not your overly sweet carrot cake, but one without the cream cheese and a small dab of golden raisin compote on the side and a small scoop of cream cheese ice cream. The real find, however, was the Belle de Brillet cognac, which is a nice French cognac infused with pears from the Alsace region. It added just enough touch of sweetness without distorting the cognacs pleasing warmth. I declared henceforth that I would always have a bottle in the house for those cold winter nights.
Don’t take my word for it, and the word of the many pundits out there, go, enjoy, worship at the alter of food excellence that is fruition. You too may find yourself using orgasmic in a sentence!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Paul Watson: Terrorist or Eco-Saint?
In the recent controversies over seal hunting another issue emerged. Eco-conservation and nature-loving motivations sometimes make people use violence to defend nature. Violence as a chosen method of protest, not as a result of occasional outburst of emotions.Paul Watson, an eco-activist (for some, eco-fanatic) from US uses violence and organized attempts to disable or even sink whaler and sealer ships to save the seals and the whales. Interesting debate emerged:
Is Paul Watson a Terrorist or an Eco-Saint?
Paradox: Watson Keeps Seal Hunt Alive with His Protests
Paul Watson: Terrorist or Eco-Saint?
In the recent controversies over seal hunting another issue emerged. Eco-conservation and nature-loving motivations sometimes make people use violence to defend nature. Violence as a chosen method of protest, not as a result of occasional outburst of emotions.Paul Watson, an eco-activist (for some, eco-fanatic) from US uses violence and organized attempts to disable or even sink whaler and sealer ships to save the seals and the whales. Interesting debate emerged:
Is Paul Watson a Terrorist or an Eco-Saint?
Paradox: Watson Keeps Seal Hunt Alive with His Protests
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Quick pics while the sun was out!
While I was cleaning up our bedroom, the sun came out so while the colours were all looking fresh and bright, i decided to take a few photos. Below is our partially made bed ( I love the colour combinations of the sheets,bed and blankets).
I have this little painted wooden "coat hanger" on one wall and I like to hang pretty things there which brighten up that wall.
I also re-photographed this beautiful nightgown from about 1940. It has been on the website for awhile but has not received much attention so I thought some new photos would help it get the attention it deserves. Isn't the colour gorgeous?
After tidying the bedroom, I hurried outside to get some photos of this beautiful garden chair for the website. I had been waiting for days to have enough natural sunlight to photograph it.
When you sell vintage/antique goods, it is very tempting to keep things for yourself! I could just picture this pretty chair ( along with some others we have collected over the years) around the little table we bought for under the lilacs! I have listed it though....for now.
I have this little painted wooden "coat hanger" on one wall and I like to hang pretty things there which brighten up that wall.
I also re-photographed this beautiful nightgown from about 1940. It has been on the website for awhile but has not received much attention so I thought some new photos would help it get the attention it deserves. Isn't the colour gorgeous?
After tidying the bedroom, I hurried outside to get some photos of this beautiful garden chair for the website. I had been waiting for days to have enough natural sunlight to photograph it.
When you sell vintage/antique goods, it is very tempting to keep things for yourself! I could just picture this pretty chair ( along with some others we have collected over the years) around the little table we bought for under the lilacs! I have listed it though....for now.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Get rid of plastics - an incentive to declutter that is good for your health!
The media has made quite a flurry of the green movement. While I do care alot about the environment, and always have, I know that there might be some out there that are not really the tree-hugging types. However, going green not only benefits the environment, but your health as well. Ironically, going green also aids in your path to minimalism. Though shifting through the terms and information may seem a little tedious at first, it will be worth it in the end, I promise.
I recently read an article that scientists have found many dangers caused certain plastics leaching into foods and the environment, which can actually alter your health. I personally have started recycling old glass pasta sauce jars and PBJ jars to store my groceries, like teas, and such. It is not worth buying glass jars solely for that purpose when you already have jars at your disposal. Just take out the label, and if you want affix your own special label.
Here are the most dangerous plastic types. The numbers (types) are usually shown on some part of the container. (I am getting rid of most of my plastics today).
Data Source
I recently read an article that scientists have found many dangers caused certain plastics leaching into foods and the environment, which can actually alter your health. I personally have started recycling old glass pasta sauce jars and PBJ jars to store my groceries, like teas, and such. It is not worth buying glass jars solely for that purpose when you already have jars at your disposal. Just take out the label, and if you want affix your own special label.
Here are the most dangerous plastic types. The numbers (types) are usually shown on some part of the container. (I am getting rid of most of my plastics today).
Number 3 Plastics: V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging
Avoid these that contain food and drinks. They may may release toxic breakdown products (including pthalates) into food and drinks, especially when containers start wearing out, are put through the dishwasher or when they are heated (including microwaved). PVC manufacturing can release highly toxic dioxins into the environment, and the materials can off-gas toxic plasticizers into your home.
Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups (including insulated coffee cups), meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers (i.e. soft Styrofoam), cups as well as rigid foams and hard plastic products
Number 7 Plastics
Found in: Baby bottles, three- and five-gallon water bottles, certain food containers
Hard polycarbonate are the ones to worry about, which are found as found in various drinking containers (like Nalgene bottles) and rigid plastic baby bottles. These leach bisphenol A, a potential hormone disruptor, into liquids. No level of bisphenol A exposure is known to be truly safe, and in August a government panel expressed 'some concern' that the ingredient causes neural and behavioral problems in children.
Swap these plastics for Number 1, 5 or corn-based plastics, or as I am doing, shatter-resistant glass! Another great incentive to declutter!
Data Source
Educate the Children
Is Homeschooling a viable choice?
This writing focuses on three aspects of education.
1. History and results
2. Socialization –The ability to interact in society
3. Who’s to blame?
History and Results
In the early days of North America, children were schooled at home. Governor Bradford did not hop a school bus in the morning and head off to school. Nor did George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and so on. They were taught at home. I don’t think many would disagree with me that these were some of the finest minds in history, and we of course know that some of them created possibly the finest documents in history. The Declaration of Independence , the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution of the United States. Many of that era did go off to apprentice with others. Again, one to one training.
The first organized public school didn’t come into existence until the 1850’s in Massachussetts. Even coming into our own lifetimes. How many of our parents and/or grandparents attended a one room school house in the early 20th century? Drive the countryside. You’ll see many one room school houses now being used as child care centers, or historical monuments.
Homeschooling became more popular and began to grow in the early 1970’s. It’s always been around, but it began to grow significantly in the 70’s. Today, there are 4 million children being taught at home and that number is growing by 20% per year.
There are several reasons given for the growth in homeschooling. Parents want their children safe. Parents don’t want the liberal agenda of the public school system. The majority are for religious reasons. In 1962, God was removed from the public schools.
Beginning in 1962, SAT scores plummeted. Teen pregnancies, drug abuse, pornography, sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, suicides and illiteracy immediately rose by 200%.
More recently, textbooks are missing information or have errant information in schools. One textbook says the atomic bomb caused the end of the Korean War instead of WWII. Another says that 53,000 American deaths came from WWI rather than the 126,000 Americans who actually died. Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are relegated to six lines in textbooks.
Abortion is taught as a part of birth control while homosexuality, masturbation and premarital sex and adultery are taught as normal parts of life.
Safety is a big issue in the news in recent years. An elementary school in Washington DC suspended recesses due to the drugs and violence taking place no the playground until they could allow the children to have their recesses in a pit surrounded by police.
In light of this information is it any wonder why more and more people are choosing homeschooling over public education?
So what are the results of the past forty years of homeschooling compared to public and private education? Is homeschooling successful?
Here is an excerpt from a recent study of homeschoolers: "According to a report published by the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and funded by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, homeschool student achievement test scores were exceptionally high. The median scores for every subtest at every grade were well above those of public and Catholic/private-school students. On average, homeschool students in grades one to four performed one grade level above their age-level public/private school peers on achievement tests. Students who had been homeschooled their entire academic life had higher scholastic achievement test scores than students who had also attended other educational programs."
One interesting facet of the study noted that academic achievement was equally high regardless of whether the student was enrolled in a full-service curriculum, or whether the parent had a state-issued teaching certificate.
The study states, "Even with a conservative analysis of the data, the achievement levels of the homeschool students in the study were exceptional. Within each grade level and each skill area, the median scores for homeschool students fell between the 70th and 80th percentile of students nationwide and between the 60th and 70th percentile of Catholic/Private school students. For younger students, this is a one year lead. By the time homeschool students are in 8th grade, they are four years ahead of their public/private school counterparts."
Do we really need to analyze that? It’s there in black and white. The performance of homeschooled students exceeds that of public and private education. A parent, that does not have a state-issued teaching certificate is just as high as those with the teaching certificate.
Another aspect of education is the tremendous waste of time in schools. A homeschooled student will participate in their education for 2-3 hours per days. In my own experience, my children averaged 3 ½ hours per day. Yet in the public education system they waste more than two hours per day on lunch, recess and class changing.
Socialization
It was Theodore Roosevelt who said, "To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society."
Many homeschoolers share this sentiment when it comes to public schools, believing that the moral relativism, violence, peer pressure, drugs and promiscuity found inside their gates provide an inadequate setting to properly socialize their children. Yet 92 percent of superintendents believe that home learners are emotionally unstable, deprived of proper social development and too judgmental of the world around them, according to a California study by researcher Dr. Brian Ray .
The facts of this research are interesting, but what’s even more interesting to me is that 92% of superintendents believe that home learners are emotionally unstable, home learners are emotionally unstable, deprived of proper social development and too judgemental of the world around them. I really don’t care what superintendents “believe”. I am more concerned with the facts.
Let’s look at the socialization of the children. Most children are eligible to begin their kindergarten year if they turn age five by December 1. The parents may begin their child’s education the following year if they choose if the child is four at the beginning of the year, but turns five before December 1. Immediately, we’re told that all four and five year olds will begin school in early September. All of the four and five year olds are put together in the same grade. They will be with 25 or 30 other four and five year olds. The following year, they will be in the first grade with all five and six year olds. The second grade will be all six and seven year olds and that follows right on through their senior year in high school.
Lunches and recess are divided into sections. Kindergartners might be mixed with first or even second grade students. The third fourth and fifth grade students will each their lunch abit later and be on the play ground after the younger students are back in class. This also happens in middle school and high school. So the closest these children come to interacting with others that are not their age are at recess and lunch, and then only limited to within a year or two of their own age.
Homeschooled children aren’t limited to this age restriction. They will eat lunch with their parents, or guests that stop by, or in restaurants with people of many ages.
After 12 years of being confined to your own age level in public schools, you’re now turned loose on society in your chosen career. Look around at your own workplace. Is everyone the same age as you? The chances are you’re working with people that are older than you and younger than you. As you age, you’re not moved to another section confined to all 30 year old colleagues, and then 40 year old colleagues. You may gravitate to those of your age group for friendship, but you’ll be working with and dealing with people of various ages and lifestyles.
From an early age, children of homeschooled parents are mingling with, conversing with, and participating with others of various ages and various walks of life. Homeschooled students are actually more socially aware than those in the public education system.
So where do these children get their interaction with others? First, they get them in society. The libraries, where they spend a lot of time. 4H is very popular among homeschoolers as is boys and girls scouts. For sports, there are city athletic leagues and regional athletic leagues.
In recent years, more and more groups of homeschoolers are banding together for education and activity purposes. Spelling bees, science fairs, debate clubs, sporting leagues. From my own personal experience, I know that homeschool groups participate against each other in various groups as well as against the public and private school leagues. Lansing has a group. Grand Rapids has a group, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo have groups. All of this just in the mid and west Michigan areas.
Dr. Thomas Smedley believes that homeschoolers have superior socialization skills, and his research supports this claim. He conducted a study in which he administered the Vineyard Adaptive Behavior Scales test to identify mature and well-adapted behaviors in children. Home learners ranked in the 84th percentile, compared to publicly schooled students, who were drastically lower in the 23rd.
Dismantling the stereotype that home learners spend their days isolated from society at kitchen tables with workbooks in hand, NHERI reports that they actually participate in approximately five different social activities outside the home on a regular basis.
Furthermore, researcher Dr. Linda Montgomery found that 78 percent of high school home learners were employed with paying jobs, while a majority engaged in volunteering and community service.
Research presented at the National Christian Home Educators Leadership Conference divulged that homeschool graduates far exceeded their public and private school counterparts in college by ranking the highest in 42 of 63 indicators of collegiate success. They were also ranked as being superior in four out of five achievement categories, including socialization, as they were assessed as being the most charismatic and influential.
Boston University says, "We believe students educated at home
possess the passion for knowledge, the independence, and the self-reliance
that enable them to excel in our intellectually challenging programs of study.
More colleges are even having their own admissions policy's for children that are taught at home.
One more item that I saved for last, partly because I wasn’t certain how to present it and partly because it applies to both the success rate and the socialization in homeschooling is that of race.
As mentioned, homeschooling has been increasing since the 1970’s, but what of the minorities. This too has been growing of late. More and more blacks are electing to homeschool their children.
I have no statistics, nor do I have any research to cite as to why minorities, mostly blacks, are slower to come around to the homeschooling boom. I only have an opinion at this point. Prior to the 60’s, and even moving into the 80’s, the black people in this country had to work harder to succeed. They were hindered until the civil rights actions of the 60’s and as with all things, it does take some time to improve ones circumstances.
We all remember or have read about how black people were banned from white schools, drinking fountains were segregated and they were just treated at worse than second class citizens. So as they increased in their learning, their opportunities and their success, more and more have come to join the homeschool movement. A
As bad as public education is, the inner city schools are even worse. Detroit is graduating less than 40% of their students. Many cities around the country are having graduation rates decline and that is hardest hit in the inner city schools.
The Blame Game
We all know there are problems with education in this country. Just open any newspaper or watch the news on television. Schools are constantly running out of money. They need millage elections to raise money to replace buildings, build football fields, put in a pool, get new computers and a myriad of other reasons.
Children are not learning and the answer of the NEA and the teachers, administrators, and Federal, State and local governments is to throw more money at the schools. For over 20 years, we’ve been throwing more money at the schools and still they continue to decline.
Liberals and Conservatives blame each other. School boards blame the economy, regardless of how the economy is performing. Teachers and Administrators blame the parents. Parents blame the teachers. BUT NOBODY ACTUALLY SOLVES THE PROBLEM.
We can go back to the ruling in 1962 that took God out of education and see that all bad things increased while all good things decreased. Perhaps we could blame that. Or we could blame the relaxed standards of education over the years. Or maybe we could blame government interference for forcing indoctrination to government is good, home is bad, or for taking on the feeding of the children through the school lunch program or breakfast program. Or we could blame the parents for using the schools as nothing more than a baby sitting facility. Or we could blame the schools for taking on the role of babysitter and being accepting of poor performance by the students.
Again, this is my opinion. No statistics or studies to back it up. Just my opinion. I blame two groups of people. The parents and the teachers. Not one more than the other, but both equally.
I blame the parents for turning over more and more power to the schools and accepting that they have little to no effective input at school boards or with the government. Parents have just turned over the lives of their children to the school systems without holding the schools accountable. They’ve entrusted their most precious possession, their legacy, their children to strangers and if there is a problem, they in effect, say “ well, they are the professionals, they know best”. I think the studies above have proven that these so-called professionals don’t know best.
I also blame the teachers as much as the parents. These teachers are with the children for 8-9 hours per day. They have our children for 1/3 of their day. We have our children for 2/3 of our day, and of that more than 1/3 they are sleeping. The teachers are also aware of the school board side and the government side of education. The teachers should have the character to stand up for the children and their education. They should know what is best for the children in their care regarding education. They should not be following the school board because the school board chooses to implement something. They should have more say or take more say in the education of the children in the public school sector. If teachers are going to be considered professionals, they should have more input into what is taught in school and not be worried about losing their jobs if they speak out about something that is wrong.
Since parents and teachers haven’t taken back the schools and the education system from the various government bodies, there is but one choice a parent can make if they truly care about the education of their children. That choice is homeschooling their children.
Homeschooling is more successful. All studies to date have shown that parents teach their children better than those with teaching certificates and that homeschooled children are better equipped to interact in society than public school children.
I believe that the public education system can never be better than homeschooling children, however, I also believe that public education can be a very strong second to homeschooling with some immediate restructuring of the public education system. I base my opinion on the studies, and the statistics.
My opinions are up for debate. However, the statistics and studies are no longer debatable. There have been too many over too long of a period of time for them to be in error. My opinion, based on the studies and statistics and NOT ON FEELINGS, is that homeschooling is the best form of education in this country and that public education (or government schools if you prefer) is the worst form of education in this country.
Do not take my word for it. Do your own research (or your own home education if you will). You can google the information that I’ve provided in this writing and verify for yourself what I’ve said. I started off by typing in Homeschool vs Public school on the google search line. From there, it snowballed and found a lot of information. It’s your choice. You can choose to believe the myths of anti socialization within homeschool students or you can read and find that the actual anti-social behavior is found to be in public education.
Public schools and the government have a habit of saying “our children’ when talking about the students, but your children are in fact, your children. They don’t belong to the schools nor to the government. The teachers are just entrusted with the teaching of the children. When the education system is failing, and it is, it is our responsibility as parents to either hold the education system accountable or to see to it that they are educated to the best of our ability. Our ability has been proven to be superior through homeschooling to that of the public education system.
Brett
Thursday, April 17, 2008
this morning couldn't be better
Feedback Type : I just wish to say
Name : XXX
Email : XXX@hotmail.com
Time of Msg: 4/17/2008 5:21:38 PM
I bought one of your wrislet purses of XXX, and I wasn''t too sure about buying it because most of the items i''ve bought off XXX weren''t very good quality considering how much i paid for them. BUT! I was 100% happy with my purchase of your product and couldn''t be happier!
Name : XXX
Email : XXX@hotmail.com
Time of Msg: 4/17/2008 5:21:38 PM
I bought one of your wrislet purses of XXX, and I wasn''t too sure about buying it because most of the items i''ve bought off XXX weren''t very good quality considering how much i paid for them. BUT! I was 100% happy with my purchase of your product and couldn''t be happier!
Future Sacramento Temple WeddingEngagement done in Provo UT
It was a pretty cold and blustery day, which is pretty normal for Spring in Provo Utah. Amy & Jordan were really good sports to bare the cold and wind for their engagement session. I must say that they are as cute as a couple in real life as they look in their engagement photos! ;) The two will be married at the Sacremento Temple in Sacremento California and we will be there photographing the whole event! Well congratulations you two, we can't wait for the sunshine and good weather of California!
Click images to enlarge
Click images to enlarge
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Why and how to minimize your wardrobe
Reasons to minimize your wardrobe
This is a task that takes a very long time. I have been trying to minimize my closet for about 2 weeks now (less than 2 hours each day), and am almost nearing the end of the process. My motivations to minimize my closet is to have less material items overall: 1) so I can spend less time deciding what to wear and focus less on image, and focus more on activities and things that are important to my life goals; 2) so I can have a clean, minimalist house that require less effort to maintain as I am busy - this helps me keep my sanity also by eliminating some stress; 3) it will make it easier to move as there will be less to carry; 4) it is better for the environment because you will spend less money on clothes, which take a toll on the environment to produce, and I am not wealthy enough to afford organic materials. Also less clothes require less closet space, which means less wood taken from the environment.
How did I acquired so many clothes?
Annually, I donate about 2 large bags of clothing to goodwill, yet I buy new items, so the process kept recurring. Over the course of my life, my style has been feminine but chic (think Bebe, BR, Zara) and consisted of color combinations that I love. When I was working before, I spent thousands on brand name items that I didn't particularly love, but that would fit into the work image and because a friend made a negative comment on my style of dressing. then, I felt stifled by that image, so I started purchasing trendy items to find my style once again. It was difficult for me to get back to that style because I started caring about the image I presented to everyone because I remembered my friend's comment, rather than dressing based on what I like. I even started dressing a little differently with each set of friends I was with because I wanted to feel that I was appropriate to their dress, though they never criticized. The strange thing is that the friend friend who did criticize recently changed her style to dress feminine as well - goes to show to never let people affect what you like about yourself because sometimes those people don't even know themselves.
How to choose what to throw out
The plan to minimize my wardrobe has helped me regain my style because my yardstick to see what to throw out is based on styles that I truly love. My style has only changed in that I cannot wear midriffs that I wore at a younger age, but I can still wear slim fit leg pants, pencil skirts and belted tops and other feminine tops like I did 10 years ago. Some of the items that I am keeping I have not worn for a while when I was trying to project a different image, but no matter how much I donate, I still kept because I love them. It is strange that when I bought and wore things based on soley what I loved and felt comfortable with, rather than an image to impress other or garner attention from others, I had less clothes, and I loved almost all of the clothes I had. By eliminating items that are not consistent with my lifestyle, and what I do not feel completely like myself in, I will only wear items I love. After choosing styles consistent with my lifestyle that I also love, I decided to choose clothes to keep based on color and material. I detest wearing name brands to appear more classy or for image, but I do believe in buying things of good quality materials. Often times, buying more expensive means better material, but many times, beyond a certain price point, you are paying for the name and image alone rather than just materials and workmanship. That is why I would prefer simple cotton button down blouse from Bebe or Banana Republic for about $70 to one at Theory for $200. I make an exception for outlet shopping because sometimes you find high quality, very expensive pieces for a fraction of the price.
Letting go
It is strange how we become attached to things because we don't want to feel like we wasted money or because we convince ourselves that we will wear an item later or might need it later. The rule of thumb is that if you have not worn an item more than twice in the last year, then it should go. This does not go for special occasion wear like formal dresses or an interview suit. Make a list of the main activities you do, then place each item in a category (i.e. work, casual/friends, formal). If you have never worn an item for its activity, donate it. It would also help to have a cap on how many clothing items to have for each category. For instance, 9 dress pants for work are more than enough. You can even have a max amount of clothing list like me (100). Try to keep a few things that are versatile and can be used for more than one activity. For instance, 2 shirts that can be both casual and for work cuts your need of shirts in half!
I will post my own (final) list of clothing soon.
This is a task that takes a very long time. I have been trying to minimize my closet for about 2 weeks now (less than 2 hours each day), and am almost nearing the end of the process. My motivations to minimize my closet is to have less material items overall: 1) so I can spend less time deciding what to wear and focus less on image, and focus more on activities and things that are important to my life goals; 2) so I can have a clean, minimalist house that require less effort to maintain as I am busy - this helps me keep my sanity also by eliminating some stress; 3) it will make it easier to move as there will be less to carry; 4) it is better for the environment because you will spend less money on clothes, which take a toll on the environment to produce, and I am not wealthy enough to afford organic materials. Also less clothes require less closet space, which means less wood taken from the environment.
How did I acquired so many clothes?
Annually, I donate about 2 large bags of clothing to goodwill, yet I buy new items, so the process kept recurring. Over the course of my life, my style has been feminine but chic (think Bebe, BR, Zara) and consisted of color combinations that I love. When I was working before, I spent thousands on brand name items that I didn't particularly love, but that would fit into the work image and because a friend made a negative comment on my style of dressing. then, I felt stifled by that image, so I started purchasing trendy items to find my style once again. It was difficult for me to get back to that style because I started caring about the image I presented to everyone because I remembered my friend's comment, rather than dressing based on what I like. I even started dressing a little differently with each set of friends I was with because I wanted to feel that I was appropriate to their dress, though they never criticized. The strange thing is that the friend friend who did criticize recently changed her style to dress feminine as well - goes to show to never let people affect what you like about yourself because sometimes those people don't even know themselves.
How to choose what to throw out
The plan to minimize my wardrobe has helped me regain my style because my yardstick to see what to throw out is based on styles that I truly love. My style has only changed in that I cannot wear midriffs that I wore at a younger age, but I can still wear slim fit leg pants, pencil skirts and belted tops and other feminine tops like I did 10 years ago. Some of the items that I am keeping I have not worn for a while when I was trying to project a different image, but no matter how much I donate, I still kept because I love them. It is strange that when I bought and wore things based on soley what I loved and felt comfortable with, rather than an image to impress other or garner attention from others, I had less clothes, and I loved almost all of the clothes I had. By eliminating items that are not consistent with my lifestyle, and what I do not feel completely like myself in, I will only wear items I love. After choosing styles consistent with my lifestyle that I also love, I decided to choose clothes to keep based on color and material. I detest wearing name brands to appear more classy or for image, but I do believe in buying things of good quality materials. Often times, buying more expensive means better material, but many times, beyond a certain price point, you are paying for the name and image alone rather than just materials and workmanship. That is why I would prefer simple cotton button down blouse from Bebe or Banana Republic for about $70 to one at Theory for $200. I make an exception for outlet shopping because sometimes you find high quality, very expensive pieces for a fraction of the price.
Letting go
It is strange how we become attached to things because we don't want to feel like we wasted money or because we convince ourselves that we will wear an item later or might need it later. The rule of thumb is that if you have not worn an item more than twice in the last year, then it should go. This does not go for special occasion wear like formal dresses or an interview suit. Make a list of the main activities you do, then place each item in a category (i.e. work, casual/friends, formal). If you have never worn an item for its activity, donate it. It would also help to have a cap on how many clothing items to have for each category. For instance, 9 dress pants for work are more than enough. You can even have a max amount of clothing list like me (100). Try to keep a few things that are versatile and can be used for more than one activity. For instance, 2 shirts that can be both casual and for work cuts your need of shirts in half!
I will post my own (final) list of clothing soon.
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