Famous among dozens
Winter! The one season where you have absolutely zero guilt about snuggling in with a good book for 17 hours or so. When there’s a blizzard outside, you can be absolutely sure that no one in town is having more fun than you and your dominoes.
OK, pretend a foreign dignitary is sitting on the stove and Rachel is listening raptly. Doesn’t this cocktail dress highlight her intellect and sophistication? Also, her bum? Agreed.
The outfit is actually two pieces. One is an incredible vintage dress I gave Rae a while ago, after carrying it around for years hoping to meet someone small enough to wear it. (I was reselling vintage clothes when I acquired it. I’ve since stopped buying thrift-store dresses for friends I don’t know yet. For the most part.)
Unfortunately, the dress is tailored to fit a ’50s-era bullet bra. That means there are two unnatural points where one’s (presumably enormous) nipples would be. Rae planned to have it tailored, but she recently bought this little jacket, so now she may not have to bother.
The feather earrings are from Forever21. Rae is smart about mixing more current accessories with vintage pieces so her outfits don’t read as costumes.
Speaking of which, her blue pumps are by Nine West.
Here’s a closer shot of the little black jacket, purchased at Backspace. It’s by a local San Francisco designer, but Rachel cut the tag out because the jacket is transparent. If you know the designer, tell us in comments and I’ll update.
And that’s it! I loved this one. Rae, thanks so much for letting us peek at your wardrobe. Let’s celebrate.
You, Ms. Brune, are a sucker for fun.
Apologies for the silence, I’ve been at CES, and I’ve had hinky traveling issues with Internet. So without further ado, let’s talk about Rachel’s next outfit:
As I said, cute. Cute! You see that full skirt, so you know where this is heading:
Twirling is mandatory when you’re wearing a skirt this good. Rachel’s skirt is, of course, vintage. (I know, I know, I can practically see all of you shaking your fists at the sky.)
Her T-shirt is Old Navy, and the Pop-Out pendant is by Melissa Borrell Design. It’s from Rare Device.
I’m so covetous of these vintage shoes. She found them while we were out shopping together, and never have I been so envious of Rachel’s teeny feet. Also, they have a cool fastening mechanism where they snap closed so there’s no wear on the leather at the buckle:
Neat.
Monday we’ll check out Rachel’s cocktail attire. It’s Audrey-tastic.
Take us out, Rachel.
Have a happy weekend everyone.
This is another client-facing work outfit for Rae (who has a suspicious amount of pink in her wardrobe for someone who doesn’t consider herself girly.) Vintage dress by Junior Wiz.
Shoulder buttons! Who doesn’t love shoulder buttons? Especially in the event of an emergency.
I didn’t take notes on the ring and bracelet. Rae, will you enlighten us in the comments? The scarf is American Apparel.
This is a soft-sided purse with an acorn coin purse attached to the zipper. If I owned the coin purse, I would fill it with jujubees. Take note, Rachel Brune! Jujubees in 2010.
Comfy, versatile boots by Miz Mooz.
See what I mean about the strong, unfussy impression? Tomorrow it gets even cuter. Brace yourselves.
Latte bowls, flour covered aprons, cannelle toasting in the oven. French kitchens are such cozy kitchens. Maybe it’s how everything smells like vanilla, and good coffee, and leisure time.
This is Rachel pretending to wait for a bus in her own apartment. She’s sporting her Very Responsible Outfit for days when clients visit the office. Her grass green wool cardigan is from the Alameda Flea Market, which Rachel says is a great place to shop for sweaters worn by tiny elderly ladies. Her shoes are “Anitas” by ReMix, a company that does vintage reproductions, and also the new place I will be acquiring all my shoes.
The reversible necklace from the SF MoMA Museum Store was a gift from Rae’s boyfriend. He has pretty good taste himself, and also happens to be a former national yo-yo champion. Rae knows how to pick a winner.
The wristlet purse was a gift from me. (Rachel is clearly using this as an opportunity to suck up to loved ones. Well played, Brune.) It’s hand painted by an Argentine artist who reworks vintage leather purses.
It fastens with a snap, but the big outside button is a decoy.
The pretty ruffled yellow shirt is from Banana Republic. Rae used to get an amazing discount when she worked for Gap corporate, and I still mourn the annual Friends and Family sale flyers.
This belt is from Goodwill too. Good one.
As you can see, Rachel is already looking ahead to tomorrow’s work outfit. We’ll meet her there.
*Update– Her pants are Gap, her hair is asymmetrical, her shoes do have heels. (You can click through on the shoe link to see them in all their splendor.)
This is our very dear and seriously adorable friend Rachel. Rae and I were roomies for just before Bryan and I got engaged, and fortunately for me, she’s not the sort to leave passive aggressive notes on the fridge. She’s more the subtly witty friend who never seems all that funny until you’re spraying red wine out your nose for the third time in a night. Ow.
Bryan strong-armed Rachel into becoming one of Adaptive Path’s first employees years ago, and she’s still there. I have no idea how to describe her job. She’s sort of their resident empath — advisor, bellwether, able to predict whether new policies will make everyone feel vengeful and quitty, etcetera. Rachel is the sort of person in whom it is wise to confide. She’s also a sharp dresser, and that’s really why we’re all here.
The office is casual, and Rae never looks like she’s trying too hard, which fascinates me. It’s easy to look good when you’re dressed up, harder to feel cute when you’re just going about your day, you know? This is the type of thing she’d wear to work if she had plans to head out afterward. (Like I said, the office is casual.) Her jacket is by Plus Four.
For me, good casual dressing requires a lot more effort, or more money than I want to spend on the perfect T-shirt, but Rae always seems to have pulled something over her head and tumbled out into the world looking stylish. Her dress is American Apparel.
Rae is naturally a wee tiny person, and she’s also a vegetarian who bikes everywhere — hence the ability to wear anything made by American Apparel. Her petite frame can be a big challenge when she’s looking for clothes, because she either has to shop at Gymboree or have everything tailored. Her red belt is a Goodwill score.
Her shoes are by Me Too. Rachel refuses to wear uncomfortable shoes, and more than once I’ve had to pep talk her through buying a pair of pumps for a wedding or whatnot. She’s become more open to heels over the years, but she’d like you to note that these are comfortable flats with nice, bouncy rubber soles. Noted.
She got the necklace second hand at Buffalo Exchange and the bangles were a gift from a friend who got them in Vietnam. Rae has very little jewelry, so what she does have is in heavy rotation.
Tomorrow, we’ll have a look at a work outfit for when clients are in the office.
In 2008, Esquire published 75 Skills Every Man Should Master and Popular Mechanics published a list of 100 Skills Every Man Should Know. My list was inspired by those, but it was Jason who mentioned that someone should do a list of gender neutral skills; I’ve been working on this on and off since then.
A few of the items could read as attributes, but I think they’re all acquirable skill sets. Some have links to tips and articles attached — eventually all the items will link out, but I’d like all the links to be valuable. I figured you guys would be a better resource than a search engine. If you’ve read anything recently that you think could be helpful in acquiring one of these skills, please leave the link in comments. I’ll update with links as we go, and suggestions for skills are also welcome.
Without further ado, here are my 100 Skills Everyone Should Master:
1. Set goals
2. Keep a plant alive
3. Care for a baby:
How to Hold a Newborn Baby
The Five Ss from The Happiest Baby on the Block will soothe most fussy babies
4. CPR
5. Feel confident naked
6. Interview for a job
7. Bake a birthday cake
8. Use a fire extinguisher
9. Use a compass
10. Express condolences
11. Tell a joke
12. Remember names
13. Sharpen a knife
14. Dump a poisonous friend
15. Check your oil and tires
16. Relax/Meditate
17. Apologize
18. Be polite
19. Get a good night’s sleep
20. Dress appropriately for the situation
21. Type
22. Fight fair
23. Read
24. Ask for exactly what you want
25. Trap a rat or mouse
26. Basic stretches and/or yoga poses
Yoga Sequence for the Novice (Thanks, Kelli)
27. Heimlich
28. Please a partner sexually
29. Tell your partner what you want in bed
30. Shine your shoes
31. Make your case in writing
32. Tie a scarf or tie (bowtie too):
Scarf Tying Guide (Thanks, Louise)
33. Jump a car
34. Mix a signature drink
35. Delegate
36. Make a simple meal for company
37. Give a neckrub
38. Drive a stick
39. Ride a bike
40. Swim
41. Use chopsticks
Chopstick Etiquette (Thanks, Mindy)
42. Make a new friend
43. Build something simple (ie: shelf, desk, treehouse)
44. Change a tire and put on snow chains (thanks, Toni)
45. Give a toast
46. Make a perfect egg
The Great Fried Egg Tutorial (Thanks, Tara)
47. Speak in public:
Public Speaking Made Easy
48. Improve your mood
49. Simple mending (Thanks, Maureen)
50. Travel light:
Rick Steve’s Packing Light Tips (Thanks, Sandy)
51. Steam vegetables
52. Negotiate
53. Be a good listener
54. Be alone comfortably
55. Select good produce:
List of seasonal produce generated by state and month
Locavore App for iPhone (Thanks, Samantha)
56. Maintain your weight:
The Steve Ward Diet
57. Build savings:
The Wealthy Barber isan accessible book that teaches the basics of personal finance
58. Say no/disappoint someone
59. Use a drill
60. Flexibility/equanimity in the face of the unexpected
61. Make small talk
The Rich Resonance of Small Talk by Roxanne Roberts (Thanks, Pamela)
62. Skip a rock
63. Set personal boundaries:
The Relationship Two-Step by Martha Beck
64. Organize your home
65. Deliver a eulogy:
How to Give a Eulogy
by Tom Chiarella
66. Shuffle a deck of cards
67. Dance socially
68. Know a second language
69. Win the affection of a dog or cat
70. Write a quality love letter
71. Play one card game well
72. Eat healthfully
73. Create a budget
74. Take a decent photo
75. Order the wine
76. Know what makes you happy
77. Flirt
78. Make a good first impression
79. Write a thank you note:
How to Write a Thank You Note by Leslie Harpold
80. Find a perfect gift
81. Assertiveness
82. Arriving on time
83. Make a little kid laugh
84. Kiss well
85. Make a good mix tape
86. Tie basic knots:
IWillKnot.com
87. Dress to flatter your shape
88. Build a campfire
89. Change the subject
90. Acquire or shed a habit
91. Treat a hangover:
Hangover Cures by The Morning News
92. Be a good judge of character
93. Season a cast-iron skillet
94. Give a compliment
95. Accept a compliment
96. Contribute in group situations
97. Judge yourself by your own yardstick
98. Calculate the tip:
Michelle said this in comments, and it’s what I do too: Simple trick to calculating a tip. Move the decimal over one place and double that total. So, if your bill is $100.00, it would be $10.00 x2 = $20. Or if your bill is $5.23, your tip should be .52 x2= $1.04
99. Ask for a raise (Thanks, Amber.)
100. Build a shelter
Good reader suggestions:
-Do a load of laundry
-Keep your living space clean (Thanks, Megan)
-Write legibly (Thanks, Robin)
-Choose a good mate (Thanks, Pamela)
-Ask for help (Thanks, Mavis)
I’m no longer embedding these suckers because they started auto-launching and it makes me homicidal. (Also, I’m worried those of you at work will be chastened for reading the Internet when you should be sweating for the man.) So I’ll put screencaps here now, and if you want to watch you can click over. Deal? Deal!
I’m behind on updating these, so you have options:
Holiday Greetings from Momversation in which I get all Merry on you. Also, did anyone else notice that Giyen’s daughter is a jaw-dropping knockout? Yeah. Go check that out.
Santa Claus: What do you say to your kids? in which I advocate lying to the children. Take that, children.
Memories of Momversation where we revisit the handcuffs incident. Did I ever tell you that we once recorded a MILF episode that never aired due to raciness? Truth. And yet here I am again with the handcuffs and wig. Though they did edit out the pole dance.
Co-Parent: Did you pick the right mate? in which I reiterate my dictums for choosing a spouse. It’s all about the Benjamins. Am I right ladies?
Taste 1,000 Fruits is an item on my Mighty Life List. I’m currently inching my way through the first hundred.
These are Kiwiberries, and they are rocking me out. They’re grape-sized Kiwis without the fuzzy exterior, and you can just pop them in your mouth. I’m pretty sure Willy Wonka was involved somehow.
They’re delicious, by the way — sweeter and more intensely Kiwi-flavored than their larger Kiwi cousins, and so effing cute. Cute, I tell you!
Inside, they look just like tiny Kiwis, with the seeds and everything. I want to have a party just so I can use them to garnish Kiwi-themed cocktails.
Whooo’s a tiny little kiwi? Wuzzah-wuzzah.
Mighty Girl 