Good morning lovers, how’s every little thing?
I’m peachy as per usual but I cannot shake the feeling that today is Sunday and my entire schedule should involve nothing more strenuous than deciding which Scotch I should pour over my waffles (no really, it’s delicious. Butter, a teensy bit of pure maple syrup, Scotch and a few flakes of salt to bring out the complexity. It’ll rock your world.) so I thought instead of waxing stentorian about one thing or another, I’d open up the comments today as a sort of open forum exchange.
If you’ve got questions for me, I’ll answer them.
If there’s something on your mind that’s either rubbing you the wrong way (or the right way for that matter, but you know your pal Plummy is squicked out by overly-graphic sex talk, so maybe use some moderation with that) put it in the comments.
Heck, just check in and introduce yourself if you’re new or maybe not a regular commenter, I really do like getting to know the gang. Oh, and don’t worry if you’re not a big girl or even a girl. You’d be surprised by how many guys and straight-sized gals click here on a daily basis.
So, in the immortal words of Marvin Gaye…what’s goin’ on?
@JennaB: I’m a prof too and a scientist to boot–a species not usually known for their snazzy dressing. I figure that one of the perks of academia is that we can largely dress as we want, so rock it! I’m sure Plumcake can say better than my but I try to wear my costume jewelry in a high-low combo: if my clothing is more casual, my jewelry is more blingy and vice versa.
Comment by Astra — September 13, 2011 @ 4:32 pm
Two days ago one of my dear friends was beaten up by her long-time boyfriend. Two days ago I lived in a world where that only happened to other people. How do I talk to her about this? How do I reconcile that I now live in a world where partners hurt each other? At an intellectual level, I understand that I always lived in a world where this happened.
My friend is debating the merits of pressing charges, but she’s not entirely blameless and she’s not entirely mentally sound. I’m worried about what his lawyers would do with that and what trial prep would do to her mentally and emotionally. Not to mention the ordeal of a trial. The bottom line is that I’m her friend and I will support her no matter what, but I don’t know where to start.
Comment by Sara A. — September 13, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
Sara A. The best you can do is be her friend. Be the stability & care that is sounds like she will need regardless of her decision. Hugs.
Comment by Leah — September 13, 2011 @ 10:25 pm
I have much the same build as thesailorsaid, and an A-line dress like the one in the link is terrible on me. It obliterates my chest and says “LOOK AT MY BELLY!”. An empire line with soft gathers works better for me, calling the attention upwards. As I have a biopsy (benign, hooray!) scar on my chest that I don’t like to show, big ethnic necklaces that cover it are my go-to, and they tend to tone down the lowish V-necks that such dresses often have.
Comment by Margo A — September 14, 2011 @ 1:36 am
Long-time listener, second-time caller here…I think I chimed in much earlier about vinho verde. (Which I think they stopped selling in PA, I can’t find it anywhere.)
Anyway, I am interviewing for a new job (woo woo) and if I do get said job, I need to probably obtain a new work wardrobe, as I’ve pretty much been working in jeans and T-shirts for the last three years of my professional life. (At a college, no one will yell at you for being casual, because they are probably casual, too.)
I want said work wardrobe to look expensive without actually being expensive. What are some tips that you can give to achieve this goal?
Comment by Mary — September 14, 2011 @ 10:32 am
1) Hello! I am a long time reader…only sometime commenter, but I do enjoy the blog (Even when I disagree with it). The main thing on my mind right now is…when is it going to finally be cool enough to wear my fall clothes? I’m ready now now now! Stupid summer.
2) Sara A., The best thing you can do is support your friend through whatever decision she makes. As far as whether or not she is blameless, unless she initiated the physical contact, she IS blameless, IMO. Nothing excuses raising a hand to another human being short of self-defense.
Comment by Gryph — September 14, 2011 @ 11:15 am
Hey,
(ignore the picture, I keep meaning to get a more ‘sophisticated’ avatar, but….)
Anyway, I’m developing my own style and building up my wardrobe, and it was only fairly recently that I came to be a believer into how important shoes are to an outfit.
I love any advice that you have about wear and care and I’d love if you could feature (hi/low) versions of the lace up ankle boots.
Comment by KjenNu — September 14, 2011 @ 3:10 pm
@KjenNu: I’m not sure what you mean by wear and care, but if you could be a little more specific I’d be glad to help. As for lace up ankle boots, I find them uniformly horrendous and my only word of counsel on them is “don’t” so you might want to search elsewhere (maybe Manolo’s blog?) for deployment advice. Good luck and don’t worry about the avatar!
Comment by Miss Plumcake — September 14, 2011 @ 3:13 pm
@Mary: Ah Mary, welcome back! I call questions like yours “ocelot questions” I’ll try to answer your question in a feature next week, but the short of it is, you’re not going to be able to make a cheap wardrobe look expensive, you just can’t. You can, however, make a wardrobe look expensive with only a few spendy pieces.
Comment by Miss Plumcake — September 14, 2011 @ 3:19 pm
@Gryph: The answer is never. It is never ever going to be cool again. It’s the middle of September and 103 degrees outside. All my boots, cashmere sweaters and fur coats are going to have to be donated to a costume institute because we are now living on the face of the sun and it will never be pleasant again.
Comment by Miss Plumcake — September 14, 2011 @ 4:39 pm
I guess I should have clarified my question – I don’t mind spending a reasonable amount of money on good clothes. I guess what I really want to know is where I’ll get the most bang for my buck, figuratively speaking. Any advice you can give would certainly help.
Comment by Mary — September 14, 2011 @ 4:48 pm
What’s your waffle recipe? Not the Scotch part, you’ve covered that, but the actual waffle?
Comment by marvel — September 14, 2011 @ 10:33 pm
@Marvel: If I’m feeling premeditated, I’ll make a yeasted recipe like Mark Bittman’s Overnight Waffles, otherwise I just make something up along the lines of:
2 cups flour
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking power + pinch soda
half a stick of melted browned butter
3 eggs, beaten
large pinch of salt
heaping spoonful of sugar
capful of Mexican vanilla, booze or almond extract
Mix the dry ingredients together, then combine the wet in a separate bowl. Stir together, let rest for a while (overnight is best but really it only needs a few minutes) and proceed to waffle it up.
My all time favorite waffles were the malted waffles from the DIY waffle station (complete with cast iron irons you had to flip halfway through) they served at James Madison University. Mmm, delicious.
Comment by Miss Plumcake — September 14, 2011 @ 11:15 pm
Waffles & scotch sound almost as tasty as Sally Draper’s French toast & rum. I am totally serious.
Comment by BSAG — September 16, 2011 @ 5:40 pm