The Paris Review covers The Rational Dress Society and their mission to get everyone in a JUMPSUIT (sic) aka monogarment (also sic but I love it): The Jumpsuit That Will Replace All Clothes Forever.

It’s The Paris Review so it’s not fluff, but it’s fun to read. I enjoyed the author’s experiment of wearing nothing but a jumpsuit for three weeks:

Although I have been worried about how I look, the truth is I’ve never felt less fat. The garment does not constantly remind me of my girth; it does not threaten to bust at the seams if I move too quickly or eat too much. I’m not just thwarting the tyranny of capitalism—I’m thwarting the tyranny of tightness.

[…]

As the days passed and the novelty wore off, a different set of truths settled in. Two weeks in, I sat in a work meeting across from a woman with beautifully blow-dried hair, perfectly applied makeup, and a colorful pencil skirt. I felt, by comparison, like a manly baby wearing a onesie and work boots, and I was distracted by my need to prove both my femininity and my professionalism.

From BuzzFeed News (I know), a short and delightful essay by Alanna Okun about how making her own clothes made her confront her measurements and think a little more kindly about herself:

I stopped thinking, for a moment, about my body as anything other than the vehicle for this beautiful item I wanted so badly to bring into the world. I stopped thinking that it had to look or be anything other than what it was, because the sweater, somehow, would conform to its requests. My body had nothing to do just then with sex, food, pain, worthiness, or value. It was just there, and it was mine, and so too would be this sweater.

I love the end:

“Look what I made” isn’t just a cute little mewl for attention; it can be a battle cry. “Look.” It can be a command. “Look at me, as I am, as I want to be. I did this. I made this, and you can’t ever take it away.”

I don’t quote it much here but Frank Herbert’s Dune series is probably one of the most frequent things to pop into my head (Laura Ingalls Wilder is up there, too).

Blame it on early exposure and complete world building, I guess–but the Litany Against Fear has served me well for many years. Here it is:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Four years ago tonight, I went to a hipster taco place to celebrate my friend’s husband’s birthday. Because my friend is a magician, there were not one but two single men there.

Because my friend is smart, she hadn’t told me about this beforehand.

The hipster waitress told us about the hipster specials, saying, “The fish for the fish tacos tonight is escolar.” Single Man #1 said, to no one in particular, “Pablo?” and I thought, “Who’s this guy?”

This guy, it turns out, is the most patient and generous man I’ve ever met. He’s calm on the exterior and Steinbeckian in his depths (he really does wave at dogs and cars). He gives the best advice and the best hugs has become the bedrock of my life. It has been a privilege to spend the last four years learning from him and I wanted to publicly celebrate it.

(We’re not going back to the hipster taco place for dinner, though.)

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees AND IT WILL STILL WORK EVEN IF YOU ARE TOTALLY OVER WINTER.”

Pretty sure John said that.

For today, when the rain just turned to snow, a delightful find from EvenCleveland: A new take on Vivaldi’s “Spring” by Max Richter, set to springtime time lapse:

Spring is coming, dammit.

An assortment of yellow things today, from an orchid that hasn’t re-bloomed for two years, to $1.50 Trader Joe’s daffodils that exceeded all expectations, to early spring flowers. Metaphors? I’ll take them.

With my sewing and planning I am trying to be a lot more conscious about what I consume, but the fact remains that I still am consuming, still thinking about the next project, still wanting to wear something new.

I do think that desire to CONSUME is more under control with sewing than with heading to J. Crew to buy something, but maybe I need to adopt the “lean closet”/10-piece wardrobe I see talked about on the fashun blogs.

What got me thinking about all that? Oh, just seeing these photographs from artist Libby Oliver, of people wearing every piece of clothing they own:

(You can see more here; h/t to SwissMiss)

It’s like that scene with the Junk Lady in Labyrinth where Sarah gets weighed down with all her possessions and she can only escape when she realizes, “It’s all junk”…

Well, I guess when you say you’re ready for spring, you get sixteen inches of snow instead. As we all say in Utah, “We need the water,” and I didn’t have to drive anywhere so it worked out.

I’ve been in an Issa mood so here is a haiku about snow (from this dated but excellent site):

falling snow–
yesterday it wasn’t there
“House for Rent” sign