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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Frugality 101: What I'm Wearing and What My Lemon Tree is Wearing

No pics, because I look ridiculous.

It's so cold. This might be expected in Minnesota, but seems totally unfair in the DEEP SOUTH. In truth, we often have cold, damp winters. When we moved into our old house, we heard that the previous owners had just spent a week in a motel because the house was so drafty. So Mr. FS insulated as best he could.

Still, it's a cold house, partly because of our 12 foot ceilings and many windows. Here is my outfit.
Feet: sheepskin-lined fitflops (Found NEW at Goodwill!!).
Bottom: Eileen Fisher long wool skirt. (Also from Goodwill. My daughter says I am NOT allowed to wear long skirts in public. This is working well in private.)
Top: The piece de resistance. Pieces would be more accurate. Regular old tee shirt topped with toasty wool sweater (Brooks Brothers, via Goodwill) topped with great Dale of Norway cardigan (I LOVE these sweaters and figure the Norwegians know about cold winters. Also from Goodwill)topped with a down vest (from Banana Republic, the actual store).

By the way, Frugality 101 involves anticipating your needs. So all the Goodwill items were purchased last summer. There is little competition for the warm and toasty then.

Oh yeah, the tree. The tree is decked out in a mover's blanket, with some kind of light bulb. We picked about a zillion lemons yesterday, which we will share with people when we return to school. Frugal Son made some lemon bars, which he will share with friends.

Another Frugality 101 tip: Be nice to people with lemon trees.

What do you wear when it's cold inside?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for giving me a chuckle on this cold morning. I live in Canada (albeit the southernmost part of it) and it's dang cold here too. Luckily, we live in a newer home, so it is pretty air tight. Our last home, however, was pretty old and I always joked that you could feel a breeze sitting anywhere near a window.

I'm all for bundling up no matter how ridiculous I look! Wow. What I wouldn't give to be able to grow lemons. I've never even seen a lemon tree!

Susan B said...

We don't get that kind of bone-chilling cold in LA, but it does get nippy here at times. My interior warm-up ensemble includes my cashmere hoodie and almost-worn-out sheepskin slippers.

Duchesse said...

Like Kim, I live in Canada, so am wearing:
1. Eddie Bauer silk longjohns rolled up so as not to reveal knee high black opaque socks
2. A wool, bias cut calf length circle skirt
3. Black v-neck cashmere sweater over a sillk/wool Hanro cami
5. Indoors, Eddie Bauer red sheepkin slippers; outdoors, Blundstones with sheepskin innersoles
6. A lightweight green cashmere muffler

I like lots of layers, cashmere and wool, and would rather be outdoors than in a drafty house.

Darla said...

I rarely gets down to freezing here but it can still feel damp and cold. Heating is expensive so we try to use it in moderation. I have one of those fleece "wraps" I drag around with me like a kid with their security blanket. If I'm up and moving I'm ok but if I sit I get cold.

Darla

Over the Cubicle Wall said...

I perpetually wear a fleece jacket in winter. Other than that, really no different in winter. I don't like long sleeve shirts or sweaters, so the fleece is pretty necessary.

Do you have a satsuma tree? I miss those.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Here in BC Canada, our weather is usually rainy and windy but we have had snow and bitter cold. That is when I pull out my down filled Eddie Bauer vest and coat which is rated for 32 degrees below? Never tested that temperature yet! I wear wool socks, lined boots, a cashmere sweater, cashmere scarf, lined leather gloves and a HAT, which looks really silly on me as it covers up my ears and most of my forehead...need I say more, NO PICS here either!! Also Dr. Hauschkha Rose cream on my face and Burts Bee's lip balm.
I am chilly just remembering this outfit!

Shelley said...

My favourite Christmas gift this year was several pairs of cashmere socks! I wear heavy tights under jeans and thermal running tops (Helly brand) under wool sweaters. I've never been much of a scarf wearer but I found that helps a whole lot. Hats as well -- what's wrong with a beanie around the house? My days of being uncomfortable just to 'look good' are way over.

How big do your lemons get? The ones in Spain and Italy nearly look like grapefruits. I've loved eating lemons all my life -- with salt.

Frugal Scholar said...

@Kim==Same with my house! The windows, that is. I think the Deep South may have Canadian temps later this week.

@Deja--My husband grew up in Pasadena, so I well remember those wonderful cook LA mornings. You must look very chic, even indoors.

@Duchesse--I think my next purchase will be silk long johns. I have a feeling they will be sold out all over the country.

Frugal Scholar said...

@see you--My son (aged 20) still drags blankets around. I do too, at times.

@Cubicle--We just got a satsuma tree. I don't know it it will survive the next two days. We did get 4 satsumas this year. So nervous!

@Hostess--I wear a hat inside too. I have a great picture in my mind of your ensemble. Love it!

Frugal Scholar said...

@Shelley--Ditto-as above--on the hat. Our lemons are about the size or oranges. My son just reported that he picked some oranges at a friend's house and will be bringing them back!

Funny about Money said...

Br! It sounds awful in the East! Hope your tree makes it.

I wear a sweater or a sweatshirt...it rarely gets cold enough for a jacket here. Warm clothing in the house allows me to keep from turning on the central heating, which helps.

But a light frost will freeze the lime tree, which is even more sensitive to frost than a lemon.

Right before the first frosts come in, we festoon the lime tree with old-fashioned Christmas lights, the kind that hold large bulbs. These emanate enough heat to protect the tree...so far, anyway. We haven't had a hard frost in about three or four years, so I don't know what it would do if temps dropped into the 20s.

I imagine if you combined those with a frost cover, you MIGHT get a frost-sensitive citrus through a hard freeze.