Sneaker love

April 8, 2016April 3, 2016 / edebock / 2 Comments

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Do you call them running shoes or sneakers? Here in western Canada, we use the terms interchangeably.

Here’s a fun pair that I’ve had for years. I love wearing them, but I neither run nor sneak in them! In fact, even if I’m just going to do a lot of walking, I want a higher quality shoe that provides better support. For that, I depend on my trusty Merrells, pictured below on the steps leading up to the Jaffa gate in Jerusalem. The dried mud that’s clinging to them is a reminder of the previous day’s climb to Herod the Great’s hilltop palace, the Herodian. That’s just one of the amazing places they’ve taken me since I purchased them in the spring of 2011. They’ve hiked trails on the Pacific island of Saipan, walked the streets of Tokyo, climbed the Great Wall of China and explored many interesting places closer to home.

After five years of wandering the world, I know that they’re going to give out on me one of these days, so I picked up a new pair during December’s Boxing week sales. They’re still sitting in their box in the bottom of my closet. I wonder what wonderful adventures they’ll take me on?

If you’re looking to hit the trails in a durable, supportive hiking shoe, I would definitely recommend a pair of Merrells.

For working out, I wear this pair of Avia cross-trainers. The wider sole on this style of sneaker gives me more stability and support when I’m lifting weights.

While I have sneakers for various purposes as well as some that are just for fun, not everyone enjoys the luxury of having any shoes at all. New Missions, a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization, has been establishing churches and schools in Haiti for over 30 years and the Dominican Republic since the year 2000. Through child sponsorship, New Missions provides children with quality education, a daily meal and regular medical care. Today, approximately 10 000 children attend New Missions schools; 10 000 children who need shoes to walk to school. Through the New Missions Give Sneakers campaign, you can help cover all those little feet with brand new sneakers! Visit givesneakers.com to find out how to get involved. The campaign started on April 1 and continues until June 30. While you’re welcome to purchase sneakers and send them to the collection point in Orlando, Florida, postage is expensive, so making an online donation is also an option. I have determined that if I buy myself any shoes between now and the end of June, I will make a matching donation to the Give Sneakers campaign. Why not join me?

give sneakers

Spring is in the air!

April 1, 2016March 31, 2016 / edebock / 6 Comments

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 11.07.24 PM 3 Spring is coming to the Canadian prairie. The geese are back, the gophers have come out of hibernation and there are tiny sprouts appearing in my flower beds. Soon it will be time to put away our winter wardrobes and bring out spring and summer clothing. This is also a good time to take a look at what to keep for another season and what to dispose of, but how do we decide?

One suggestion that has worked well for me is to turn every hanger in your closet backwards at the beginning of each new season. Then, as you wear each item, turn it’s hanger back the right way. At season’s end, it’s easy to see which items, if any, have not been worn at all. Those should, of course, be the first to go. If you happen to live in a part of the world that doesn’t experience seasonal change, you could simply do this once every six months or even just once a year.

The next question is what to do with the items that you’ll no longer be wearing. Unless they are too worn to be of use to someone else, they can be sold or given away. Gently used, quality clothing and designer fashions can be sold through consignment stores that keep a percentage of the sale price in return for their services. In addition, there are many online buy and sell sites available. You can most likely find one or more of these in your local area. There are also thrift stores, women’s shelters and other charities that are happy to accept clean used clothing.

Before you get rid of a piece of clothing that you haven’t worn recently, you might want to consider whether or not it’s a classic item; one that won’t quickly go out of style that you might want to reintroduce into your wardrobe at some point in the future. The single breasted grey blazer pictured below is such an item. Until recently, it hadn’t been out of my closet since I retired from teaching several years ago. Now, it’s almost like having something new again!

The end of the season, before clothing is put away, is also a good time to check for minor repairs that might be needed. Are there any loose buttons that need to be secured or hems that are coming down? Make sure everything is clean before putting it away. This is a good time to have dry cleaning done so that everything is ready to wear when you take it out of storage again.

My dark wash Old Navy jeans are new, but the blouse, originally from Reitmans, and the belt were purchased at the Good As New, our small town thrift store.

At 5 foot 8 inches, I’m about 2 inches taller than my husband. Although he says he doesn’t mind me wearing heels, I feel more comfortable in flats. This pair was purchased at Payless last October using my birthday discount.

I like the versatility of wearing something more than one way. My question for you today is, do you prefer these looks belted or not?

It snowed again after these photos were taken, so it’s a good thing that I haven’t put my winter clothes away yet. It won’t be long though. Spring is in the air!

Introducing Fashion Friday!

March 25, 2016 / edebock / 4 Comments

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One of the things that I’ve enjoyed about blogging has been following and getting to know a number of other bloggers with interests as varied as my own. Along the way, I’ve started reading several fashion blogs and learned a lot about my own personal style. As a result, I’ve decided to add a weekly fashion feature to my own blog! For the foreseeable future, every Friday will be Fashion Friday here on Following Augustine. In between, I will continue to write about a wide variety of other topics.

I’ve recruited my husband as photographer and you’ll be seeing lots of pictures of me in upcoming weeks, but I want this to be much more than just a “look what I’m wearing today” feature. I hope that together we can explore the topic of personal appearance and how what we wear affects our daily lives. I look forward to examining a wide variety of topics related to how we dress and how we present ourselves. You can expect posts on everything from fabulous footwear to dressing on a budget, and packing a suitcase to purging your closet. I also intend to do a bit of investigating and share what I learn about some of my favourite clothing retailers. I want this to be an interactive feature, so I will be encouraging you, my readers, to participate by sharing your insights, ideas and questions in the comment section.

I have no desire to look or dress like fashion icon, Iris Apfel, and I don’t imagine that you do either, but you must admit that she has injected fun and flair into her own personal fashion and, at 94 years of age, she has definitely played a part in making growing old cool! I may not want to dress like she does, but Apfel, who first made her name as an interior designer, would be just fine with that. In her own words, “People should try to personalize their own outfits. It gives them a chance to be a bit creative and then they don’t look like everyone else. I think the biggest fashion faux pas these days is looking into the mirror and seeing somebody else.”

Iris Apfel 1

Watch the behind the scenes video of Apfel’s recent photo shoot for the Financial Times How To Spend It fashion special, here, to hear more of her personal take on style.

Iris Apfel 2

So, how do you find your own personal style?

Please join me here on Fashion Fridays as we explore questions like one this together!

International Women’s Day 2016

March 9, 2016March 9, 2016 / edebock / Leave a comment

Yesterday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day. My search for something relevant to write about led me to a headline that caught my interest:

Ditch the sexualized dress codes, Ontario employers told

Compared to many of the issues and abuses such as poverty, female genital mutilation, and child marriage, that women in other parts of the world face, being required to wear sexy, cleavage-baring outfits or heels to work is definitely a first world problem, but one that I’m happy to see being addressed.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has told that province’s employers to stop demanding that their workers dress provocatively as a condition of employment. Requiring female staff, most often restaurant and night club servers, to adhere to a sexualized dress code that frequently includes tight skirts, low-cut tops and high heels is discriminatory and, according to US research, leaves them vulnerable to a higher than normal rate of sexual harassment.

Those in the industry claim that dressing in a sexualized manner garners greater tips. That may be true, but isn’t that a rather sad statement about our culture? Should a restaurant server have to sell her body to make a living? Personally, I would rather eat at an establishment that builds its reputation on quality food and excellent service and I tip accordingly.

Hooters is, of course, the first to come to mind. It built an empire on its young, attractive and scantily clad waitresses. With their tank tops, short shorts, tights and socks, at least they get to wear comfortable shoes!

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photo: http://www.hooters.ca

Some employers insist that servers, who are on their feet all day, must wear heels. According to the Earls communication manager, that company recommends wearing heels “to reduce safety hazards.” A heel or wedge is preferred because apparently ballet flats don’t offer enough protection against stepping on glass. That’s a feeble excuse if I ever heard one! She also claims that heels provide more support, but the American Osteopathic Association would disagree. According to their website, “statistics show that high heels are one of the biggest factors leading to foot problems in women, with up to a third suffering permanent problems as a result of prolonged wear. Over time, wearing high heels can shorten the muscles in your calves and in your back, leading to pain and muscle spasms.” I have nothing against women choosing to wear heels, but to require it of someone who is on her feet day in day out puts her long term health in jeopardy.

It was the comments on the articles about this issue that disturbed me most, however. Over and over again, I read responses like this one:

” If women go to Moxie’s or Hooters to work they know they will have to flaunt their equipment. Unbelievable how women would complain knowing full-well going into the job what it’s all about.”

and

“This is a free country, Women have the choice to accept or decline employment at businesses that require revealing uniforms.”

Tell that to the many young women who are working in these places to put themselves through school or feed their children. How many options do many of them have, especially in today’s economy?

Obviously objectifying and exploiting women is still alive and well in our culture.

What’s your purse-onality?

January 9, 2016 / edebock / 1 Comment

Are you a big purse person or a small purse person? Do you have multiple purses for various occasions or to complement different outfits or do you have one basic bag that goes everywhere with you? Do you prefer a shoulder strap, shorter handles or a clutch? We women are as different as our handbags!

Several years ago, I tried living life as a small purse person and it worked for a little while. It had to have a built in wallet compartment though and I insist on having the hands free convenience of a shoulder strap. Shortly after we went to Japan to teach English in early 2008, the zipper on the last of those little purses wore out (possibly from trying to stuff too much into it!) and I knew I had to replace it with something bigger. During the year that we were there, our days off were like mini vacations and I needed a purse that would accommodate extras like my camera.

Of course, I also had to purchase a wallet as the new, larger purse didn’t have a built in one. Off I went to Seiyu, Japan’s version of Walmart, and found just what I was looking for at a very reasonable price. Though I’ve worn out several purses since that time, I never dreamt that I’d still be using the same wallet almost 8 years later! It’s beginning to show some wear, but I’ll likely have it for quite awhile yet.

Several months ago, I was given what I believe will be the perfect purse for traveling. It can be worn over the shoulder or cross body for extra security. I tried using it as my everyday bag (yes, though I have a couple of little evening purses, I’m pretty much a one bag goes everywhere girl), but it was actually TOO big. I quickly tired of digging to the bottom of it to find things. I’ll soon be taking it on a long awaited trip though. In addition to the usual items found in my purse, it will handily carry my camera, sunscreen, sunglasses and a scarf. Those (especially the last item) are hints to where I’m going. Can you guess?

the travel purse

I don’t know how gals who carry teeny, tiny clutches do it. I seem to carry my life in my purse! I found my present one, made of genuine leather, for less than $25 at a Boxing Week sale. (That’s our Canadian equivalent to America’s Black Friday sales and begins on Boxing Day, December 26.) It’s a mid-sized bag with lots of handy compartments. It seems a wee bit cramped right now but that won’t last. When I get everything loaded onto the new smart phone that I was given for Christmas, I’ll no longer need to carry an address book, a calendar or the electronic Bible/dictionary that has gone everywhere with me for many years.

for everyday

So, what else is usually found in my purse? Keys, notebook, pen, chequebook, bowling score cards, a mini folder full of rewards cards from a wide variety of stores, a packet of tissues, a reusable shopping bag, hand lotion, lip balm, nail clippers, emery board, a tiny pair of folding scissors (I’ll have to remember to leave those out when I switch to the travel purse so that I don’t lose them going through airline security), medications, a cloth for cleaning glasses, bandaids and safety pins (after all, I was a Mom and a school teacher for a lot of years!), and a spare pair of earrings for those days when I’m out and about and discover that I forgot to put any on. I also carry a travel toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste. After surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from one of my main salivary glands followed by 6 weeks of radiation to my neck and jaw in 2014, I’m supposed to brush my teeth every time I eat. I hate having to brush in public washrooms, but it’s a small price to pay for hopefully keeping my teeth!

What do you carry in your purse?

What’s your purse-onality?

You are what you wear

December 30, 2015December 30, 2015 / edebock / 4 Comments

What we wear affects the way we feel. Have you ever watched a little girl dance and twirl while her pretty skirt swirls around her? Her joy simply overflows. The same is true of we adults. As superficial as it may sound, the right dress or a stunning pair of shoes can be just what a woman needs to give her the confidence to rock an important interview or a boardroom presentation.

Taking care with how you dress also sends a message that you care about yourself. “If I throw on a large, over sized T-shirt and do not fix my hair or makeup, then the message to me and others is that I don’t care or matter,” writes popular fashion blogger, Pam Lutrell.

Over recent years, my interest in fashion has grown and I’ve given more thought to what my clothing says about me, but there’s an even finer way of dressing that is much more important to me.

“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 NIV

I’m not in the habit of making New Years resolutions, but I do want my 2016 wardrobe to include:

compassion ~ I want my life to exhibit sensitivity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
kindness ~ I want to treat others with warmth and affection.
humility ~ I want to accept myself as I truly am, but not consider myself better than anyone else.
gentleness ~ I want to treat others with tenderness and be a calming influence.
patience ~ I want to have the grace to accept whatever happens in life without anger or complaint.

By clothing myself in these basic items, I hope to experience the joy of the little girl in the swirling skirt, the confidence of the successful businesswoman and the peace that comes from living in harmony with those around me.

I wish the same for you in the New Year!

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Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Gala

November 8, 2015 / edebock / 2 Comments

Shoppers Drug Mart Canada is a huge supporter of both the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Look Good Feel Better program that offers workshops for women battling cancer to help them deal with the appearance related aspects of the disease and its treatment. Yesterday, Shoppers stores across Canada hosted their annual Holiday Beauty Galas to raise funds for these two worthy causes. Galas across the prairie provinces and in the Maritimes were held in support of Look Good Feel Better while those in the rest of the country supported the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

I wasn’t actually aware of the Shoppers galas until I was asked to write a brief testimonial about my experience as a Look Good Feel Better workshop participant for possible use in publicizing the events. I soon learned that half ($5) of each ticket sold is donated to the cause and the other half is actually returned to the participant in the form of a coupon that is redeemable on any purchase of cosmetics, fragrance or jewellery made during the event. Participants are able to book time with Shoppers Drug Mart beauty consultants during the event for skin analysis and/or cosmetic tips and makeovers.

When I arrived at the Camrose Cornerstone Shoppers Drug Mart yesterday morning, I was warmly greeted by three of the store’s beauty experts. When they learned that I’m a cancer patient and that I have attended a Look Good Feel Better workshop, they treated me like visiting royalty! My makeover began with Teia who started by using a BB cream to even out my skin tone and then showed me how to add contouring. Next, Sherry did my eye makeup and added a bright lipstick to finish the look. I felt pampered and came away looking great, if I do say so myself! I love the fact that I didn’t look overdone and I really appreciate the fact that there was absolutely no pressure to purchase any of the products that were used. I’m also looking forward to trying out the many product samples in the gift bag that I received!

Thank you Teia, Sherry, Jocelyn and Shoppers Drug Mart! I’m already looking forward to next year’s gala.

What the heck is vegan leather?

September 22, 2015 / edebock / 10 Comments

Lately, I’ve noticed more and more ads and fashion blogs referring to garments and handbags made of vegan leather. Really? What the heck is that? As a lover of words, I was compelled to find out.

Vegans are usually defined as a strict vegetarians who omit all animal products, including dairy, from their diets, but The Vegan Society offers a much broader definition. “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” Hence, vegan leather.

In reality, though, vegan leather is nothing more than fake or faux leather by a different name. Pleather, as it was once known, is a synthetic leather usually made out of petroleum byproducts such as polyurethane or PVC bonded to a fabric backing. A few are cork or kelp based. Though once deemed tacky, under its new and classier name, pleather is suddenly seen as eco-chic.

Make no mistake though, the production of these synthetic leathers involves excessive levels of toxic substances and since they aren’t fully biodegradable, they produce micro-particles that are ingested by animals and thus enter the food chain at all levels.

Animal-friendly or not, synthetic leather offers advantages to both fashion designers and consumers. The softer, realistic-looking material is a popular choice with designers as it offers them a flexible, versatile textile to work with; one that can be made to sparkle or shine or even be saturated with a rich or bright shade that no tanning process could mimic. Not everyone in the industry is happy to call the fabric vegan leather, however. Some would prefer to avoid the connotation that their clothing is designed exclusively for animal-cruelty advocates.

Like many consumers, I simply like the fact that faux leathers are a nicely priced alternative to the real thing. I can’t help thinking that the new term sounds overly pretentious though and I’ve also noticed that the so-called vegan leather products that I’ve seen advertised tend to be pretty pricey. Could it be that people are paying more for the sense of superiority that comes with the fancier moniker and the feeling that they’re doing something good? With apologies to William Shakespeare, a faux leather by any other name is just as fake!

One of my latest thrift store finds. The label says it’s “100% polyurethane with 100% rayon woven backing.” It doesn’t say vegan leather. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t!

Tote-ally awesome!

July 20, 2015 / edebock / 11 Comments

When I read “Crashing the Cancer Club“, Jenny Charlesworth’s story of surviving cervical cancer, in the March 2015 issue of Chatelaine magazine, I immediately responded with a letter to the editor via email. I’d completely forgotten about that until I flipped open the May issue and saw my letter in print! A bright pink tag announced that it was “This Month’s Winner”!

I vaguely remembered seeing a tiny note at the bottom corner of previous Letters pages announcing the chance to win a prize for writing a winning letter, but I didn’t give it much thought. I was just happy to see my letter in print! Sometime later, I looked back at the March issue and saw that the prize that was being offered was a blender. I already had a perfectly good blender and no real need for another one, so I wasn’t even concerned about the fact that I hadn’t included my mailing address with my letter.

Almost exactly a month ago, in the middle of June, I received a surprise email from Dominique at Chatelaine telling me that I’d won a leather tote from The Sak and asking for my address and phone number!

Leather tote or blender? Which would I rather have? I looked up The Sak website and checked out the many tote bags on offer. I love my blender, especially the fruit smoothies that I often make in it, but it was no contest. There were lots of bags that I could visualize myself carrying and I began to wonder which one would soon be mine!

Today, it arrived by courier… the Palisades soft leather tote in the shitake tassel design. I love it’s casual, slightly bohemian look. With it’s spacious fully lined interior, zippered inside pocket and magnetic closure, it has plenty of room for essentials like my wallet, cell phone, sunscreen and camera. In fact, I have a feeling that it’s going to be an ideal travel companion! I wonder where we’ll go together?

Born To Be Wild

July 19, 2015July 19, 2015 / edebock / 5 Comments

I saw the painting Born To Be Wild by Norwegian artist, Sylvia Sotuyo, for the first time the day before yesterday on the NET Cancer Day Facebook page and it immediately spoke to me in a way that art seldom does. I looked at it over and over again, each time asking myself what it is about that figure that inspires me so. I even posted it as my Facebook profile picture. Why? Because I see it as a picture of me! I may not look like this to you and it isn’t what I see in the mirror, but I know it’s me!

I contacted the artist and she graciously gave me permission to share her painting here and to try to explain what it means to me, but first, let me share her description of it:

The dynamic human tree represents the strength and stamina of the tree, combined with the power and intelligence of the human being. The human tree stands proudly, well grounded to earth, and reaches towards the sky to achieve all it`s hopes and dreams…

I, too, see it as a symbol of strength and hope, but I see other things that the artist may not have had in mind. First of all, the zebra is the symbol of neuroendocrine tumours (NETS), the incurable cancer that I was diagnosed with almost two years ago. Neuroendocrine tumours are difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are usually vague and similar to more common health problems. Many family doctors have never encountered a NETS patient. When presented with symptoms like stomach pain and diarrhea, they naturally think of things like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease or lactose intolerance. Medical students are taught “when hearing hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras.” Neuroendocrine tumours are very rare and therefore they are considered to be zebras.

Since my diagnosis, I’ve noticed zebra stripes everywhere! In recent years, the fashion world has been inundated with animal prints and the zebra is definitely a popular motif. I’ve seen zebra t-shirts, zebra leggings, zebra pjs and even zebra bras. I’ve tried on zebra jeans and a sexy looking zebra dress, but I didn’t buy either one. I’ve also seen zebra handbags and zebra luggage. One of the ladies I occasionally play golf with has a zebra golf bag. Obviously, it was the zebra stripes on the figure in Sotuya’s painting that prompted the NET Cancer Day organization to post it on their Facebook page and that initially caught my eye, but there’s more than that to my fascination with it.

Like the tree, I’m more firmly rooted to one place than I was before my diagnosis. I receive a monthly injection to alleviate the symptoms mentioned above that has to be administered by a specially trained nurse. Fortunately, I can arrange to have the injection given anywhere in Canada. In fact, plans are already in place for me to have my next one in Vancouver, but arranging to have it given outside the country would be much more complicated. There likely won’t be any more long term stints teaching English or doing missionary work overseas in my future.

I’m also firmly rooted in my faith, however. It’s my absolute confidence that my life is in God’s hands that gives me the freedom and joy that I see represented by the outstretched arms or branches of the figure in the painting. I see strength and purpose in those arms as well as exuberance.

The figure is also graceful, possessing an elegance that I would like to think is true of me. I often pray that I might be a woman of grace, one who doesn’t allow the circumstances of life to define who I am. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I fervently prayed that God would enable me to endure whatever lay ahead with grace.

As the title of the painting implies, there’s also a wildness in her. I, too, am a little bit wild at heart. It’s not a loud or out of control sort of wildness, but I believe in living life to the fullest and I’m always ready to try something new. I don’t like to follow the crowd and I don’t always see eye to eye with the people who love me. I speak my mind, but I don’t fly off the handle. I love nothing more than a hike in the wilderness or a walk on a beach and just because I’m in my 60s doesn’t mean I can’t climb a tree! Yes, I’m a little bit wild; a little bit unconventional and I think this is a picture of me!