Speedy's Cafe - General Chat about anything you like!

[Van Buren Supernova]

My online shopping for clothes and shoes are mostly disastrous too, so I never do it again unless I buy exact same thing with what I already have from reliable source or something really generic like T-shirt.

 

Even windbreaker and jacket doesn't come out well. And I remember buying polo shirt with medium size and I look like I'm borrowing it from a giant or something or pant that drops to the hip while some other time I probably need to break a rib to squeeze inside a top, or jacket ends up glittery from details that are not visible from pictures. There are measurements etc, I know, but not always accurate, and it depends on country source I suppose, like Asian's tend to be smaller, but that is also not always consistent.

 

But I hate shopping in person too, mostly I get my stuffs by accidental shopping or if I have to because I really really need it.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I grew up thinking makeup was something women "had" to do whether they wanted to or not.

 

But I resisted makeup from the start, I don't like the way it feels on my skin and I don't like taking the time to fool with it. But I will if I think I'm going into a situation where I think I'll stand out too much if I don't wear it, such as an art show opening or an awards function. And every time I do wear makeup, there is always, always someone who comments that I should wear it more often. So the pressure is still there....

 

I never wanted to do the "normal" stuff, I found every way I could to avoid it. Partly because as soon as I tried it, I discovered I sucked at it. Lipstick, especially, seemed pointless; I chewed it all off before I ever got where I was going. Someone always critiqued whatever makeup or fancy clothing I tried to do. And frankly, I think I look better in jeans than I do about anything else, because they hide my stubby legs, and with the right fit, make me look taller (aka, normal sized. ) I don't mind wearing "sexy" tops, though, as long as it's a fabric that doesn't make me itch. And isn't frilly; I don't like frilly. Don't know why; doesn't bother me on other people. But can't stand it on me.

 

Amen to all of that!  (Well, most of it, anyhow.)

 

I've always wondered how your skin is supposed to know the difference between makeup and dirt.

 

And right, how can anything that goes on as a stick ever be expected to last any longer than (generously) half an hour?  Seems to me if you want your lips to be any color other than what nature gave you, your best bet would be to stain them.  (I suppose the problem there is that you couldn't wear a different color with each outfit, because you'd have to wait till you grew new lip cells.)

 

Maybe my no-makeup-ever approach has advantages I'd never stopped to consider.  I can't recall the last time anyone suggested I wear lipstick.  (Well, yes I do, but she didn't know me, and was paid to say that, so it doesn't count -- and that's been at least twenty-five years.)  Apparently everybody I know considers me hopeless.  Which is fine by me.  :D

 

I'm a bit more tolerant of frilly clothing than you are (I will wear things with one plain ruffle), though my favorite dress-up style is a simple cross-over draping.  But I'm nearly always in jeans or shorts and an ordinary shirt (tee, sweat, or button-up) -- though I do like for the colors to coordinate.

 

I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, either.  Lately I've even gotten away from wearing my wedding ring (after nearly losing it twice), though Alex still wears his, bless his heart.  My ears are (or at least have been) pierced, and I will still occasionally buy a cute pair of earrings, but it's been so long since I wore any that I'd need to find my pair of training studs to break 'em in again before I'd be comfortable wearing anything else.  About all that I wear on any kind of frequent basis (as in at least once a year) are minimal neck chains, with or without beads or pendants.

 

Eventhough we were poor and couldn't afford good stuff, [my mom] always made beautiful dresses for me yearly when I was a girl, we both would design it and she would sew it herself. They were the best and much better than other costly dresses out there....

 

Oh goodness, yes -- my mother too!  She normally used fabric from the store, but when we kept hens, she made me a number of outfits from chicken-feed sacks.  That's not quite as desperate as it might sound, because the sacks came in three different colors (magenta, cyan, and whatever the yellowish primary-ink color is called), either plain or printed designs -- probably because the companies knew they'd sell more feed that way.  I particularly remember one dress, back when I was seven or eight years old, that had a plain-magenta skirt with a magenta-print top.

 

Regarding the nail [....] Why would anyone disable the ability to wipe their own a**?

 

I despise smokers. I can't understand why anyone willingly do something that they know it's harmful to your body. It's stupid and unattractive.

 

It's my impression that there are two main factors:  1) peer pressure (which is especially bad for teens, I think), and 2) addiction.  Kids start smoking because "all the cool kids are doing it" and then have trouble stopping because their bodies have learned to crave the stuff.  People can and do stop, but it takes really wanting to quit and then working at it.

 

My online shopping for clothes and shoes are mostly disastrous too, so I never do it again unless I buy exact same thing with what I already have from reliable source....

 

I remember buying polo shirt with medium size and I look like I'm borrowing it from a giant or something or pant that drops to the hip while some other time I probably need to break a rib to squeeze inside a top, or jacket ends up glittery from details that are not visible from pictures.

There are only a few mail-order places that I can confidently buy from (primarily Lands' End and L L Bean), and even they occasionally trip me up.

 

Back when Sears had the big mail-order business, I bought a lot of clothing from them, and it was usually fine -- but I do recall buying two blouses -- same shipment, same stock number, same size, one white and one pink.  They were delivered in the same package, the labels said they were the same size, and the white one fit fine, but the pink one was a couple sizes too small.

 

So yeah, I'd rather try things on (especially shoes -- sorry, Arcadia!), but then I hate going shopping (I usually know exactly what I want, so of course they never have it), so I tend to wear mostly stuff that's been kicking around in my closet for decades, plus the occasional impulse purchase from either a store (where I'd gone to buy something else) or a catalog.  On the occasions when I actually go shopping for clothes, it's usually to Good Will, where at least I know I won't have to pay much.

[Boton]

 

 

I've always wondered how your skin is supposed to know the difference between makeup and dirt.

 

...

 

I'm a bit more tolerant of frilly clothing than you are (I will wear things with one plain ruffle), though my favorite dress-up style is a simple cross-over draping.  But I'm nearly always in jeans or shorts and an ordinary shirt (tee, sweat, or button-up) -- though I do like for the colors to coordinate.

 

I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, either.  Lately I've even gotten away from wearing my wedding ring (after nearly losing it twice), though Alex still wears his, bless his heart.  My ears are (or at least have been) pierced, and I will still occasionally buy a cute pair of earrings, but it's been so long since I wore any that I'd need to find my pair of training studs to break 'em in again before I'd be comfortable wearing anything else.  About all that I wear on any kind of frequent basis (as in at least once a year) are minimal neck chains, with or without beads or pendants.

 

 

That's why it is so important to clean your skin thoroughly at night, to take off the makeup.  Although it does have its advantages: even makeup without SPF gives you some sun protection (all I need, actually), and, while I was a teen, my desire to wear makeup meant that I kept my hands off my face, so I wasn't always transferring bacteria that could make me break out.  Even now, if I don't have makeup on, I'm more inclined to rub or fuss with bumps and stuff.

 

Helpful hint: Anytime you apply anything to your skin, do so upwards rather than down. So, put your moisturizer on sweeping upward at a diagonal from the center of your face toward your hairline.  Helps keep you from sagging in middle age.  

 

I love fancy dress clothes, and I love jewelry. A new pair of earrings or a wonderful new necklace will make my whole week.  And I adore my bridal set.  I don't wear it at home (I have a plain band for home), but I so look forward to going out so I can wear the real deal.  Mr. Boton had it custom made for me, and even though it is simple by some standards, I find it stunning.

[T.o.b.y]

Boton, what is a bridal set? I just have a ring... A simple gold band with my husband's name engraved on the inside. Other people around here might have fancier rings but I had never heard of a set before.

[Boton]

Boton, what is a bridal set? I just have a ring... A simple gold band with my husband's name engraved on the inside. Other people around here might have fancier rings but I had never heard of a set before.

That's an old fashioned way to refer to your entire set of wedding rings. At minimum, it is your engagement ring and your wedding band, usually made so that they work together stylistically. Back in the day, women sometimes had bridal sets where the two rings hooked together; my mom had hers attached to one another so her engagement ring and wedding ring are now one piece.

 

Mine are separate, but Mr. Boton designed my engagement ring, then had the jeweler cast the band so it would have the same curve and feel as my engagement ring. A year later, he bought me a small guard ring which goes in front of the engagement ring; that was a practical matter, because my fingers get smaller in the winter and without a guard I might have the others slip off.

 

 

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[T.o.b.y]

Oh, so the "set" is just wedding ring plus engagement ring? I don't have the latter. We didn't really get formally engaged.

 

A guard ring is such a good idea! My fingers do the same thing in the wintertime and I am always scared I will lose my wedding ring some day. I think I will ask my husband if he would consider giving me one for Christmas. Of course I could just go out and buy any old ring that is small but where's the romance in that?

 

I hate having to take my wedding ring off and I only do so for work where it's necessary for hygiene and safety. Then I either put it on a chain around my neck or, if that isn't possible either, I attach it to my bra. That ring has not lost contact with my body since the wedding except for when I had to have surgery earlier this year and my husband had it while I was in the OR.

[Carol the Dabbler]

A guard ring is such a good idea! My fingers do the same thing in the wintertime and I am always scared I will lose my wedding ring some day. I think I will ask my husband if he would consider giving me one for Christmas. Of course I could just go out and buy any old ring that is small but where's the romance in that?

 

Neither Alex nor I are fond of diamonds (in fact, I've told him in no uncertain terms that if he EVER buys me a diamond anything, I will consider that grounds for divorce).  When we got engaged, we decided not to get married for about a year (so we could go on our honeymoon in the autumn, which we both love), so some sort of engagement ring seemed to be called for.  What we did was go ahead and have our wedding rings made (by a friend who is a jeweler), then we wore them on our right hands until the wedding, and switched each other's rings to the left hand during the ceremony.  (We were told later on that this is common practice in certain parts of Europe.)

 

Problem was, my right hand is (as Sherlock would point out) a bit bigger than my left, so after the wedding the ring would tend to slip off my left hand -- especially in winter, as you say.  (I lost it in the underbrush once and we had to rent a metal detector to find it.)  When I mentioned this to the jeweler friend, she just said hey, no problem, and put it in her ring-squisher machine, so it's now a perfect fit.

 

Also, if we were designing our rings over again, I'd go for a flatter cross-section.  Our rings have a semi-circular cross section, so there's quite a bump sticking out from the finger, and in my case it tends to press against the nerve in the adjoining finger.  Alex's hands are more muscular than mine, and he's had no problem.

[Boton]

My guard ring is very simple. Some people get them with diamonds, but I told Mr Boton I wanted something that I could wear every day if I so chose (back before we got the every day rings, I would wear my wedding band and guard ring around the house). My guard ring is a plain, cheap, skinny gold wedding band a half size smaller than my other rings; I love it to bits. :-).

 

 

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[Doe]

I don't understand. What are wedding band and guard ring?

 

Do you share pictures about they?

[T.o.b.y]

I don't understand. What are wedding band and guard ring?

 

Do you share pictures about they?

A wedding band is a simple wedding ring. A guard ring is worn on the same finger above the ring that is to be "guarded" to keep it from slipping off.

[Pseudonym]

I'm listening my way through Cabin Pressure again, it's excellent background listening when I'm working, and the S03 E02 (Paris) episode has a lot of Sherlocky parts and references including a dramatic deduction. I wonder if it was hard for BC to ensure that that deduction came out sounding like Martin rather than sounding like Sherlock? Or once he's in the headspace of Cabin Pressure is Martin channelling Sherlock whilst remaining hopelessly Martin pretty easy?

[Pseudonym]

Okay, I don't think we have a 'something gross happened and now I'm traumatised' thread so I'll put it here. Step away from your delicious Speedy's cakes ladies, this might make you queasy. 

 

I buy pre-cut carrot batons to eat with hummus. I don't know why I buy them pre-cut, partly laziness, party they just seem to taste better. So yesterday I was happily standing in the kitchen, munching my way through a bag of carrots, when I spotted something in the bottom of the bag. Something red. I thought it was probably a bit of packaging or a different type of veg that fell in whilst it was being packaged or something, but I fished it out with a tissue... and it looks like a really big scab. It definitely looks meaty rather than vegetable. Did someone chop their finger whilst working on the machines in the factory, and when it had congealed it got into my bag? Is it actually something completely different that looks like meat? Is it from some kind of vermin, like mouse or rat? Do they package meat in the same factory and it's from that? God, it makes me feel so sick just to think about it. 

[T.o.b.y]

Hmm... Sounds like a mystery. Think Sherlock would be interested? After all, if it's a body part, there might be more where that came from.

[Pseudonym]

Sherlock would love it. Experiment on it, look at it under the microscope, realise it holds the key to some unsolved crime that no one even knew was a crime, followed by a dramatic chase to catch the perpetrator. 

 

I, on the other hand, just feel sick. Were some of those carrot sticks contaminated? Am I now... a cannibal? :O  

[T.o.b.y]

Well, whatever it was, your stomach acid should have disinfected whatever portion of it you swallowed.

 

To be honest, I would likely look at it under a microscope too. I wish I had one at home. I just love microscopes. In school, I pricked my finger and looked at my blood in the science lab.

 

Guess it's no surprise I love both Molly and Sherlock...

[T.o.b.y]

P.S.: Fun fact about me: I like blood and have never been scared to look at it. When I was about 5, my pediatrician had to take a blood sample and I watched every step with fascination. But I cannot watch violence, even fake violence on TV. My brain is so weird.

[Pseudonym]

I actually DO have a microscope, though the little bulb on it is broken. I'm already too freaked out to try to identify this though. 

 

I'm the opposite to you, I hate blood, but have no issue watching all sorts of violence on TV and in video games. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

I've heard stories of all sorts of things being found in packaged food, particularly in canned goods, I think -- frogs, fingers.  But that was quite a while back.  Maybe standards are higher now, so they allow only scabs?

[Pseudonym]

I heard of a finger in a yoghurt pot not so long ago.

[Pseudonym]

It's Friday the 13th!  :o

 

[Arcadia]

That is possibly the unscariest black cat I have ever seen.

[Pseudonym]

Well I could have used this guy instead. 

 

[Shadow Dweller]

That's a cutie. I wonder how good a cat's senses in the dark (read, light out situation) if something is coming closer while it is sleeping.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Their hearing is very good.  Also, if they awaken and open their eyes, they can see in much dimmer light than we can.  So it's hard to sneak up on a cat.  Not that they'll necessarily react to someone entering the room.  I suspect they can tell the difference between familiar and unfamiliar footsteps even in their sleep.

[Shadow Dweller]

Oh... there goes my plan to mess with kitties in the darkness