Why do Cabela’s clothes last so long?

October 15th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Why is it that my Cabela’s shorts and T-Shirts bought so many years ago are still mostly intact? How can this be when other similar items bought more recently have become rags or are not even around in any form? Quality oriented minds want to know.

Around fifteen years ago I purchased about a half dozen pairs of shorts and a dozen or so pocket T-Shirts from Cabela’s. Most of them still exist in varying states of condition mostly depending on what level of abuse they have been subjected to. Some have minor holes from my abuse, some are in very good condition and all were used extensively. Other shorts and shirts bought in the same era or later have long since entered the ether of clothes that now only exist in faded memories. Some clothes bought very recently have completely blown apart or had one part like a broken zipper render them completely useless.

Right now a pair of Cabela’s khaki cargo type shorts and a faded Cabela’s pocket tee adorn my appreciative and quite comfortable body. We hear a lot about comfort foods. These are my comfort clothes. The shorts have button cargo pockets with 3 out of 5 buttons still intact. A couple of small holes and a slight frayed edge or two grace the shirt. The stitching and construction remain sturdy and strong in both. Maybe not Sunday go to meeting condition, but certainly adequate for a trip to the grocery store or kicking around the house.

Which is more valuable, low price or high quality? These clothes have paid for themselves many time over. I tend to keep cars, computers and clothes for what is probably a longer than average time. To make this work in practice, you need to have higher than average quality built into what you buy. Of course, we still don’t want to pay a lot more for that privilege. I don’t mind paying a little bit more. For example, I buy only Apple computers and use them for longer than the average tech upgrade cycle. To be fair, Cabela’s clothes are in line with what one would pay at a department store. Yes, discount store offerings are cheaper in price, and build.

Are Cabela’s offerings still of higher than average quality? They still offer their legendary guarantee. That’s a good sign. Maybe I’ll have to order up a pair new dress cargo shorts and find out.

(disclaimer) I’m not connected with Cabela’s in any way and never have been other than being a satisfied customer.


Happy Happy Joy Joy!

October 15th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

If you didn’t know, today is I love Yarn Day. It’s just a fun day created by The Craft Yarn Council and it’s a great excuse to shove my yarn habit in people’s face. Ok, I wasn’t that pushy but I did wear my green featherweight and tell everyone what day it was. I also heard down the grapevine that some craft stores were offering discounts on yarn for the occasion. This would make sense since the CYC includes some well-known yarn manufacturers. Anyway, I hope my fellow knitters enjoyed the day. Any excuse to caress and pet my yarn babies is A-OK in my book.

In other news, My sister and her new beau are en-route to my crib as we speak. Tomorrow we’re off to see my grandma for an impromptu visit. Sunday, Dev and I are road tripping to the airport.

Lastly…I did something Hipster today. I’m not proud, but I’ve kinda wanted a pair of these for a while now. I heard they are super comfy and hey, they are for a good cause. I sold my “sole” and bought a pair of these. I know, I know. Next thing you’ll know, I’ll be listening to music you’ve never heard of. Ugh, I just threw up in my mouth a little…If my feet weren’t on cloud nine, I’d be a little ashamed.

Ok, enough of that. I’m going to go do something totally mainstream now…

Stay tuned!

Day 286: Self-Portrait

October 14th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

Next month my husband and I will have the privilege of attending our first gala, thanks to a generous birthday gift. We’ll be attending the PANCAN Night of Hope at Union Station. I bought this dress for the occasion about a week ago, and I’ve been meaning to take a photo of it to send to my mom. I figured I might as well turn it into my photo of the day. Now I just need shoes and jewelry … suggestions welcome!
A self-portrait in my new gala dress.

How to Make Your Lashes Longer and Fuller and Eyebrows Thicker and Lush

October 13th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

In my opinion the eyes are the single most attracting element to the human face. The eyes and eyebrows can help bring balance to your face and enhance your other other features. Every one should take advantage of having beautiful peepers regardless of their color or shape. The best way to do that is to have thick lush lashes and shapely well groomed brows. Most people desire to have longer lashes and fuller brows. As we age our lashes get thinner and more sparse and so does the brows. If you ever look at most babies and young children they have some of the most beautiful long lashes. Well don’t fret I have the solution to achieving thicker brows and longer lashes.

The first thing you would want to do is keep your eyebrows conditioned. You can do this by using the same conditioner that you use on your hair. Weekly condition your brows. You can also use oils to condition your brows. Olive, Castor, and Coconut oils are excellent to condition your brows with. Olive oil will help the brows to grow and keep them conditioned and Coconut oil will help calm and straighten the brow hairs. Growth enhancers have become very popular these days. There are so many on the market today. You can use an over- the -counter growth enhancer that is for your lashes and apply the same solution to your brows. Another trick to make your brows more fuller and thicker is to have them tinted a shade darker than their original color. Lash tinting works well for the same purpose. Often a person may think they don’t have brows, but actually their brows are very light in color and doesn’t show up against their skin so the best solution is to have their brows tinted. By tinting the brows a shade darker it helps the brows to appear more thicker and denser. Just make sure you don’t go too dark for your complexion and hair color. You also want to make sure that you are very selective in who shapes your brows and arch them. Always discuss your goals to have thicker brows to your Eyebrow Shape Artist. He or she can undue all of your hard work in one sitting so let them know before hand that you like your brows thick and long if that is your goal.

Long lashes help you to look younger and they are just simply gorgeous. Mascara helps a lot of women achieve that look easily and effortlessly. But now you can achieve longer lashes with various over the counter growth enhancers. Check your beauty aisle at your favorite makeup store as I have seen so many growth enhancers on the shelves. With eyelash growth enhancers you can achieve longer lashes without having mascara on all the time. If you don’t have the money in your budget to buy growth enhancers for your lashes you can also use Vaseline on your lashes. Vaseline will help to keep them conditioned and encourages growth also. So the days that you are lounging around without makeup on, your lashes can still look long and thick naturally without mascara. You also would want to be gentle with your lashes when removing your mascara as at that time is when you loose most of your precious lashes. Also purchase a eyelash curler to keep your lashes curled and growing upward. If eyelash curlers scare you then simply pressing the lashes upward will help them grow upward. On the days that you want to take your eyelashes to the extreme by using mascara it is best to use a clump free mascara that will add length and volume along with using a Lash Fiber Mascara. Lash fibers are like weave for your lashes. Apply several coats until you have the length and volume you are satisfied with. If you follow my advice you should have lashes and brows that most will envy!

Staying Motivated While Trying To Lose Weight And The Scale’s Not Moving

October 13th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

 

There you are pulling out the scale and weighing yourself again, even though you know it’s not best to weigh yourself too often. You know, it’s depressing. The fact that we move up and down in weight even as much as every day sometimes, doesn’t help.Or, maybe it’s the tape measure your pulling out. How about those too small jeans? Whatever you’re doing to aggravate yourself, Stop it!

Don’t beat yourself up as they say. Instead think of things you can do instead of constantly going over and over about what you can’t or don’t feel like doing.

Exercise is the best thing to do to fill up time and to gain a better fitness level. Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise or diet plan. Once you do that you’re ready as long as your really thinking in terms of losing weight and doing the diet and exercise parts of a healthy program.

Another thing you can do it to go online to Style.com and look at the fashions you can fit in now and the ones you want to fit in as you lose weight. While you’re on the computer you may try Cafe World on Facebook to think about whipping things up in the kitchen.

A good thing to know too, is why it is that you want to lose weight. Do you want to be healthy? Do you want to look great in your swim suit? Find out what your main motivation is, and be sure to keep it at the top of your mind each day as you move along. You can do the old thing of putting photos on the frig or notes on the mirror. Do whatever it takes, and don’t care what anyone else thinks about your motivations.

When people see you dressed in comfortable clothing suitable for exercise they’ll know you’re really serious about what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing sit-ups in the tanning booth or actually going out for a walk.Just the idea that you’re dressed and capable of doing some exercise may actually get you to do some.

It isn’t that you have to do this, unless of course your doctor said you have to of course. But, the idea is that you can choose what it is that you want to do to get moving. Everyone out there who knows anything about fitness will tell you that walking is the easiest way to get started with the exercise part of losing weight.

Go forward thinking about what that doughnut or piece of pie will add onto your already heavy body. Don’t drive yourself crazy doing this, but do think properly about it.

If you’ve ever been thinner, think about what it was like getting dressed and feeling very nice and comfortable in your skin. Look at some thinner photos.Believe you can be that thin again.

Hobbies can help keep you occupied with your hands, your body, your time. Go back to something you love to do, or choose something new. Just make it something that’s fairly easy to pick up.

Do what you know is right. For someone who’s not on a special diet it seems that eating the following this simple food list may help:

*Lean protein

*Complete carbs

*Lots of fruits and veggies

*Lots of water

*Multivitimin

So, to wrap it all up I’d say don’t weigh too often, focus on possibilities, don’t beat yourself up, exercise and watch food intake and type, play Facebook games, find your reason for weight loss, dress the part, think about not eating sweets,and dig into old and new hobbies.

the family that renovates together…

October 11th, 2011 | Uncategorized | Comments Off

the family that renovates together…

As much as I bitch about this wedding, it’s actually forcing a lot things to happen. All good things.

My dad has done a LOT of work on himself and has remained sober. He’s also gotten a lot of help from my mom in regards to personal healing and self-change (she’s a licensed therapist) and they have some oddball new friendship forming. At no threat to my stepdad either, because well, he’s gotten his head out of his ass and he’s ALSO stepped up to the plate. Apparently the three of them sat down and realized that they have a daughter getting married and bringing a new family member to the table. There’s also that whole grandchild situation they’re all banking on.

So anyway, my dad is part of the picture now. A lot. He also living with the Ex-Stepmonster. Yes, that’s right. He moved out of his first wife’s house (my mom) and into his 3rd wife’s house. I don’t care how it happened, but it’s working. When I found out initially I was full of rage. A week later I decided it didn’t matter. She can handle my dad, they are making it work and being friends (which is what they ALWAYS should have been, NEVER married!) and he’s got a nice place to live. I’ve said my piece, told my dad he would never have to choose between us again, and wished him luck with repairing the damage they’d done to each other. What else can I do? I FINALLY have my dad back in my life and he’s sober. I can’t sacrifice that for a decade of bullshit with that woman. He’s made amends with me and that’s what matters. Maybe one day I can get over The Stepmonster Saga entirely, but the pain is still a little too real.

Right, so, my dad lives with his 3rd ex-wife, my stepdad is back to being the man my mom originally married, my mom is this totally gelled out earth mama now, and we’re all getting along fabulously. That brings us to the present.

We may be moving in with my parents, but we’re getting the entire basement. At first Dean and I were going to move in as is. Then my mom and I decided it should be painted. Then cleaned thoroughly. Well last month, record-breaking rain hit our area while we were on vacation and flooded the area. (The tree in the road picture? That’s the intersection by my mom’s house.) We didn’t realize (because it was mostly dried up) but the basement window had flooded and soaked the floor. Thankfully, that is the only damage to the house. The linoleum, which was mega cheap and poorly installed to begin with, was unfurling and coming up right in the middle of the floor.

Now let me paint this picture: me and my soon to be husband, my mom and stepdad, my brother, and my dad all painting the basement as one cohesive unit and laughing our asses off the entire time with football on in the background. While painting as a family (and saying that is still a surreal mindfuck in itself) we decided the linoleum had to go on the entire floor and decided on carpet tiles. It couldn’t be that hard, right?

Flash forward to this week and the floor has become the center of much aggravation. The linoleum ripped out in a swift tug and since she was on a roll, mom went ahead and ripped out the carpet in the other room with the fireplace (what will be our bedroom). Underneath the carpet? TWO layers of even uglier linoleum. For every hurdle, my mom calls my dad and he figures out the next step. Since this is all being done on our behalf, Dean and I have contributed financially. Mom and stepdad do the labor, mom calls dad for advice/estimating, Dean and I provide cash, my brother helps every where he can. It’s all working out very well, but it’s still really fucking surreal.

During all this renovating and family bonding, I’ve been busting my ass to get all of our stuff together for the move and the wedding. Knowing Dean is off his feet 100% (other than bathing briefly and using the bathroom) for a week, I have to get as much done as possible before the surgery so there are a few more things to get done just before that. And somewhere in there I have to do a final clean of the apartment and turn over my keys. Oh so much to do.

Of course I let the stress ruin me and now I’m really out of time because on top of all of this, I got majorly effing sick. About two days after my last post, I succumbed to the illness.

In all honesty, I’ve felt like shit for a month or two now (it all blends together anymore) but brushed it off. Then I started feeling a lot of pain. Cough, cold, sneezing, puking, I don’t take seriously. Pain? Pain I take seriously. So I finally go to see a doctor and surprise surprise I have another UTI. Get the meds, go home… it gets worse. WAY worse in the next few hours. More conversations with doctors and the end result is a kidney infection. A kidney infection due to having an untreated UTI for so long. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a kidney infection but it can be summed in one word: Agony.

I don’t even remember some of it, but I’ve been informed there was a lot of crying and a lot of sitting on the toilet which made me cry some more because it hurt too much to bend over at all to wipe. There were scary fever moments and questioning a trip to the ER, but in the end I managed to break the fever. Just in time to get strep throat! By Saturday morning I wasn’t any better (other than the pain subsiding) so they take one look at me, do a few cultures, and HUZZAH! You’ve got strep, bitch!

Two antibiotics and several days of forced rest later, I’m finally better. And now I’m down to 13 days till moving day and 17 days till wedding day. We’ve got about 30% of the apartment packed and into storage.

I’m never gonna make it.