my poor washing machine

Apparently, it's terminal.

The repair guy (Nice Kiwi chap. Looks like he might've played rugger back in the day. Mate.) said he gave it 3 to 6 months. And he told me that to extend its life was more expensive than a new one and even then might not work for long. There's a leak somewhere in the tub and the transmission is spitting grease and rumbling.

So, like a beloved pet, we are going to let it live out its (leaky, rumbly, sometimes doesn't spinny) life and limp along until it is in too much pain and must be put down.

So back to Consumer Reports. And heck, why not just buy a used one again, since the brand new one only lasted 3 or 4 years, which is about how long the cheaper used one lasted when we had a used one before?

Training bras through the ages

I was futzing around, looking for pictures of 1877-1882 corsetry in England.

And on this one site, there was this thing: a child's stay band. What the heck? I guess it's a practice corset?

Looking at some of the other child/adolescent corsets, they say they were probably primarily intended to make the girl stand and sit up straight. But really, boys had to sit up straight too. I think it was to get the girls used to being squeezed and squished as soon as possible.

Now, I have never been good at sitting up straight, but am definitely glad that I never had to wear one of those.

I am an enthusiast of the Rational Dress Movement. ONLY seven pounds of undergarments for me!

Baby socks! Baby shoes!

Now, I have to state that I'm not generally the person who goes all girly and squealy and simper-y when it comes to babies and small animals. I love my babies. I love them bigger, too, which though it has its own drawbacks, is so much easier on my head. Most of the time.

However, I have a big weakness where babies are concerned. My secret awwwwww thing is baby socks. They're so little! So cute! So tiny for those itty, bitty, sweet little toes that make you go um-yum-yum... Gag. OK, deep breath.

Anyway, there is an alterations shop two doors up from a Starbucks that I go to every now and then after taking the kids to school. In its windows, I have been admiring, drooling over, and otherwise coveting the baby socks that they have stuffed and hanging there. These are probably the cutest baby socks I have seen. So now that I know we're having a girl, it popped into my mind the other day that I should drop by there.

So here's what I got: http://kmbabysocks.com/ Since it was in a shop, I actually did a mix to get to six pairs, while it looks like you have to get a box of six of the same if you shop online. Let me tell you, it was really, really hard. I was only limited because they're pretty expensive for, well, just socks. I got a couple colors of the B-Jolie ones,

at least one Via Bella, ummm... not sure what else. It was really hard to choose, and I kept picking them up and putting them back.



I got a pair of these too. I have already posted the link to the Cherry email group. They know who they are! They had a lot more in the shop than they have on the website. It's a local company that does these shoes and socks, but the store I was in had lots of other fun socks for kids and grownups.

And now I have some super ultra cutie baby socks and shoesy-woosy to put on wittle baby feets!

Someone stop me now.

What she says

http://cadhla.livejournal.com/1297088.html

And then don't even get me started on how low the low-cut hip-hugger pants think a size 18+ woman should wear. Um, I'm got a belly hangin' out the front and when I bend over, I get plumber's crack.

Mom jeans all the way!

P.S. Mom's flight schedule has been re-rearranged and then delayed due to storms in Dallas, so she's supposed to get in at about supper time.

New t-shirt

Another black t-shirt for my stack. This one from No Sweat, which had been backordered, but is now back in stock.

I'm trying to upload the picture from the front, but even though my computer doesn't tell me I haven't saved it, I sure can't find it on my drive. So here it is in all its organic cotton glory, union-made by a company in Bethlehem that brings together Palestinians and Israelis. It's darn soft, too.