Monday, June 24, 2013

Feeling the blue

When I was in my thirties, I wore shades of aqua blue all the time. I've always thought it suited my colouring and, besides, I love it.
Then, as I got older and put on weight, I started wearing black all the time, because it's slimming (or so they say), it's easy to mix and match pieces, and it looks professional when I am working. I quit wearing my favourite shade of blue for a couple of decades and a small part of me was sad.

On the way out to the Ranch a couple of weekends ago with Lori and Lige, we stopped in Sisters to peruse the stores. I found a shop that caters to women and men of a certain age and makes all of their clothes here in the USA. It is called Drawstrings of Malibu, and is only open in Sisters in the summer; the rest of the year they are in Mesa, Arizona. All of the clothes are crinkly cotton, which I adore (especially for traveling) and I found a few items that made me happy. The website doesn't show anywhere near all of their clothes, for some reason. The two tops are the same shade of aqua and the skirt is cream. I was thinking about our upcoming trip to Hawaii in September, but dang, I love these clothes, and wear them whenever they are out of the laundry basket! They aren't cheap, but I am way past caring more about price than about looks and comfort. That attitude was for my poorer, skinnier self!


Funnily enough, my current yarn projects both use the same shade of blue. I picked up some Martha Stewart alpaca blend and wool blend yarn at Fred Meyer on clearance, so it was hardly planned, but here they are. 
A knitted, wave-patterned afghan, that I can already tell will need more yarn or it won't be big enough.


And a crocheted baby blanket for our wee Victoria. The blue is softer and I love the colour combination, even though it isn't very traditional.


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Our garden out at the Ranch has been full of surprises this spring and summer. The best of all are these poppies that have apparently re-seeded from last year. I did some research and I am pretty sure they are opium poppies. Conventional internet wisdom says that as long as you're not growing them commercially, you're probably safe from the DEA.
Unless they come to visit and find little slits in the stems below the seed pods.
And then you're doomed.

9 comments:

  1. Sue, those poppys are stupendous! And I still love that top on you.

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  2. Love that color on you and the top is so cute!! Your popping poppys are pretty!

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  3. That top is adorable! Love the color on you too. The afghan is so pretty and looks like it would be so good to snuggle in.
    Bob would be so jealous of your poppies. He keeps trying to grow them and they just keep struggling. Yours are gorgeous!

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    1. Well, Mari, maybe I should send your Bob some seeds when we collect them, We could be partners in crime!

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  4. Yes the blue top is great.. definitely a youthful look and is working well. And the poppies are awesome, no doubt a source of beauty and mirth for some time to come.. The gift that just keeps giving.

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    1. Mark, I think you are having more fun than everyone else put together over my poppies!

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  5. Hi Sue, I fell into the black trap some years back, but then noticed that the only time I received compliments from my students were when I wore colours - especially the bright jewel colours (including your lovely aqua) that suit my dark hair and eyes. The more I wore colours - the more comments I received from others as well as my students. Great for the ego, but the pivotal point for me was that it proved the effect colour can have upon our moods and on the impression we make on others. I felt happier simply by wearing colour and it made my students happy too, so why not? I'm now more concerned that the style, cut and fabric suit my shape rather than trying (unsuccessfully) to hide it. Dianne R (Hence the English spelling)

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    1. Dianne, how lovely to see you reading my blog! I guess I'm a little later than you to self-realization.

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  6. P.S. I love you poppies and so wish I still had time for craftwork - your blankies are beautiful!!! Di

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