After a run of about five nice, warm days, I decided it was safe to put away all of the winter clothes. Since I don't have a basement or an extra bedroom for storage, and our closets and dressers are stuffed, I have to "rotate" every season. I used to be able to just store my seasonal clothing in cedar closets in my basement, but I don't have that luxury any more. I didn't even really need to use bins since there was so much closet space. I could just move my clothes, hangers and all, from the upstairs to the downstairs. Sometimes, I didn't even make the transition--I just went into the basement when I needed something to wear. Still, it seemed like everything was in disarray if I didn't do a monthly closet cleaning. More space means more mess. I'm convinced of that.
Being in a smaller place means I have to be organized, and I have to have a plan. Having a six-foot teenager in the house helps greatly. He's strong and has taken on the job of organizing the attic. If I need something out of there, he usually knows right where it is. I took down my Easter decorations and since that bin needed to go in the attic, I went ahead and put my daughters winter clothing away too. I filled two bins with her sweaters and put the lightweight sweaters that can still be worn in the dresser that she has in the laundry room. This is in addition to the huge dresser I bought for her bedroom. As she reminds me often, it's my fault. I buy all this stuff.
I also filled a bin with hats, scarves and gloves, keeping a few pairs of gloves available for early morning soccer games. While putting the clothing away, my son brought down our summer clothes, and two boxes that held "who knows what". I know now. One bin was full of his sister's pajama pants. She was so over it that she said to just give them away. Honestly, she still has pj's from 7th grade but they still fit, so they're still here. The other bin was an awesome find. With the winter stuff put away, I decided to check the weather report. My heart sank---50 degrees? Well it could be worse, and I'd just discovered the contents of the other box. Sweaters! Corduroys! She's been looking for these since November! Also in the box were three great blazers, including her favorite herringbone one. She now has basically a whole "new" wardrobe to finish out these last two weeks of winter. After that, it's spring and I don't care what the thermometer says.
I apparently have forgotten what 50 degrees feels like, because I went out with just a sweater on. I planned to spend the day in one of my favorite places, Oak Park Illinois! I PLANNED to get some work done in the library. I PLANNED to take a lot of pictures. I PLANNED to be dressed appropriately, which I was not. As I ran in and out of stores, I wanted to kick myself, but that's hard to do when you're running unless you are extremely flexible/clumsy.
First stop, Whole Foods. I really planned to make this my last stop, but I needed to send a few emails out and I was starting to get a headache. I grocery shopped, and got a bowl of soup. Before heading to the car, I sat in the cafe and ate my soup, checked my mail, and checked that weather forecast again. It was actually closer to 40. That's why my sweater wasn't doing the trick. Once I headed out again, I saw much smarter people wearing coats, boots and gloves. On April 21. Cold weather never ceases to annoy me, especially when it's unexpected. This would have been a great time for a hot flash, but they eluded me all day. All Day. That never happens and today when I needed my internal space heater, the darn thing stopped working.
The library was apparently hosting a toddler story time because the parking lot was full of oversized SUV's with car seats and tv screens. I could have parked outside, but there was this little issue of me not having a coat and I didn't feel that I could make the mad dash with my computer bag in tow. I found a space by a park and sat in the car working for over an hour. Next stop: Find a thrift store. I know I shouldn't. I promised I wouldn't. I decided to pass up the "chains" and find a little off-the-beaten path store. I wasn't disappointed. I found a place called Bronco Resale and it was the most fun I've had thrifting in a while. The store wasn't too crowded and there were some great collectibles buried behind other not-so-collectibles. I really took my time, even though my bladder was telling me it was time to move along. I flash but I don't leak so I forged ahead. One of my favorites for today was a "ceramic wrapped in yarn" owl.
I also found a couple of great decanters, including one with a dancing ballerina music box right inside the bottle. I passed it up at first, then wisely went back for it. I was really trying to deny myself, but I wanted it, and I knew it was special. How do I know that? Because Google says it is, of course. Add in a Pyrex saucepan with a glass handle, a thermal carafe with tortoiseshell, and a couple of candleholders, and it was a great little haul.
My bladder starting talking a little louder and I decided Target would be a safe public place to find a decent bathroom, and I was right. I didn't stay there long, because I can always find something that I don't need but buy anyway at Target. On my list, but didn't happen: Pictures. I later remembered the Goodwill bag in the back of the car which contains--you guessed it--a coat. My day didn't really have to be ruined if I'd just given the situation a little more thought. To appease myself, I stopped at an Italian bakery for a dozen (or so) cookies. My day was over, it was time to get my daughter from work and head home. I'm going to try this again one day soon, and darnit, I'm going to be prepared. And I'm going back to Bronco!
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