I will say, though, both in terms of these outfits as well as my loungewear? I love my wardrobe. I’m wearing colors that make me happy, I have versatility of styles and ways to combine favorite pieces, and also versatility of fit and some of size for body fluctuations. That’s actually a pretty awesome place to be.

I did “break my fast” to add a couple unplanned pieces, but I’m not upset about that. I do not plan to make more clothing purchases but I did buy things that were put to use right away and fit in well without duplicating what I already had.

So here’s a What I Wore collection as well as a peek of what else I’m up to in case you want the wordy details. (If not, please enjoy the pictures anyway!)

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1. Tonal outfit in navy and classic blue. Navy cropped blazer and silky wool trousers in a jogger cut, cupro top, faux-Pearl necklace, grey suede pumps.

2. Silk kimono-inspired jacket, black with burgundy floral print; black tube top; black pleated ponte culottes; rose gold statement necklace; low rose gold wedges
3. “Marine blue” drapey knit top, black pants with removable ankle cuff, grey suede pumps, black beaded necklace
4. Black wide crepe culottes, black bell-sleeved floral print blouse, faux-pearl necklace, grey suede pumps
5-6. Faux dress in mossy green: long-sleeved tee with black color-blocked cuffs, knit pencil skirt, black and bronze tassel necklace, black satin bomber, distressed gold booties
7. For a “Disney Dapper Day at Home” tea/picnic: silky V-neck forest green floral print dress, grey suede pumps, a different faux-Pearl necklace knotted and triple-strand draped
8. Navy cropped blazer, black knit top with asymmetrical knotted neckline, burgundy and navy plaid pants, pewter oxfords, metallic beaded necklace
9. “Marine blue” Universal Standard Curve cardigan over a navy V-neck tee, fashion brooch, black thick, seamed ponte pants, bronze oxfords
10. Classic blue knotted-waist knit top, wide black crepe culottes, grey suede pumps, black beaded necklace
11. Faux-leather and knit mixed top, black beaded necklace, grey and black plaid pants, plum suede mules

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”Appendix”: pets and plants

12-13. Running, both alone and with Lucy. I haven’t been doing as much running and am slowly getting back to the routine that worked well for me.

14-17. Lucy, at rest and at play, very happy to have both of her people home so much.

18. We sadly lost our sweet adult rescue rat Pongo after his cancer returned a second time (even after aggressive surgery that our lovely vet hoped would be successful), and on top of that, so many other (unrelated) health problems popped up for him. He was a really cool, sweet, handsome, friendly rat who made way more of an impact on us than you’d expect for the 5 months that he was part of our family, and such a resilient personality despite having a freight train of (expensive!) health problems pile on within a few short months. We are so glad that he was part of our lives.

[Edit: I may have neglected to mention here too that our very, very old rat Lolly passed away 5 weeks before we lost Pongo. https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....s-and-rats ]

19-20. With that in mind, just before things got more locked down, we adopted 3 new young rat boys. We named the younger pair (white bodies) Frodo and Sam, and their dad, a few months older, Strider. It’s actually rare for intact males of different ages and father/son pairs to live together so happily, but our rescue tried pairing Strider with similarly aged boys and he wasn’t as happy as he was with this pair; we couldn’t bear to leave him behind. (We can’t get them fixed until vet restrictions on non-essential procedures relax; our lady rats are already spayed so they can live safely together.) They are playful, friendly, and really nice boys.
21-22. Our existing lady rats, Leia and Minerva (adopted in Fall along with Pongo, though a bit younger than he was) are doing great and though the new young boys have a lot of energy, they live pretty happily with them and bonded right away. Leia has the little “diamond” mark on her forehead and is a mischievous explorer of forbidden places. Minerva is a “dumbo” with big, low ears, and she’s the calmest, most cuddly rat we’ve ever had. We can (and do!) take naps together.

23-33: My other quarantine hobby: caring for houseplants, pruning and propagating new starts from some of my existing plants, and ordering quite a few new plants (most very small) from a couple local independent stores that offer limited-contact drop offs for local customers. It has been a very healing hobby.

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Hope you all are well! I’m spending a bit more time on Instagram these days and I know I’m connected to some of you already (@karireading if you want to say hello!)