Monday Musings: Sparkle on the Outside, Ice Pack on the Inside

Fashion Pioneer

Claire McCardell has been living rent-free in my head all week. I just finished The Designer Who Set Women Free on Audible, and let me tell you…if you’ve ever slid your hands into a dress with real pockets, you owe her a thank-you.

Claire McCardell was a real spitfire, smart, stubborn, and wildly ahead of her time. While the fashion world clung to corsets and couture, she had the nerve to design clothes women could actually move in. She gave us denim dresses, wrap styles, ballet flats, and bless her…pockets. She wasn’t interested in impressing Paris. She was too busy inventing American sportswear and making sure women could go about their lives without tripping over a train or gasping for air. Claire had grit, vision, and just the right amount of rebellion. Honestly, I find her completely inspiring.

Zipping along

In other news, I’ve dusted off my Ziip Halo…a tiny microcurrent device that promises to lift, tone, and generally remind your face of its former structure. I’ve actually had it for several years, but I gave up on it when the routines started taking too long.

I’m using it with their free app, which offers a whole library of protocols, but this time, I’m sticking with the 3-to-5-minute ones because I know myself: if it takes too long, I’ll quietly abandon ship and pretend it never happened.

For now, I’m zapping faithfully, hoping a few things decide to snap back to where they used to live. And if I start looking suspiciously refreshed, you’ll know why.

Knitting Nightmare

Knitting is usually my peaceful place. There’s something deeply soothing about the rhythm of it…the clack of needles, the feel of yarn running through your fingers, the slow build of something useful.

This project is… not that.

Each row is taking me anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes, depending on how many times I get distracted…and after all that effort, I realized I’d gone 16 rows too far and forgotten to make the buttonholes. To make matters worse, I’m not thrilled with how the front band is turning out, so when I finally rip it back, I’ll probably make a few changes while I’m at it.

For now, I’ve set the body section aside and moved on to the sleeves…they’re easier, and I needed to feel like something was moving forward. It’s less meditative than usual and more like knitting under duress… but still, I love it…in a stubborn, complicated way.

Current color obsession

Now for the current obsession: my new Eileen Fisher coat in the shade Rye. It’s the color that pulled me in first — a soft, cool-toned neutral that somehow manages to go with everything without feeling the least bit boring. Not quite beige, not quite gray… just quietly perfect.

The shape is simple, the lines are clean, and yes — it has real pockets. It was the perfect weight for our trip down the PCH last week: not too hot, easy to layer, and just right when the drizzle rolled in. I wore it almost every day, and never once wished I’d packed something else. That’s saying something.

Hallux Limitus

I also made it back to ballet class this week, which fills my heart…but absolutely not my foot…with joy. My big toe isn’t just cranky, it’s screaming. I’m fairly certain it’s hallux limitus, which sounds almost elegant until you realize it just means your toe won’t bend and hurts like hell when you try.

It was so painful during class that I stepped out for a drink of water and stood outside pretending to stretch. When I finally limped back in, my daughter looked at me and smirked: “Are you trying to run out the clock?” Yes. Yes, I was. Busted.

My physical therapist has me rolling the tendon under my arch with a hard ball, wearing toe stretchers, and icing it religiously…all part of my personal campaign to avoid the surgeon at all costs. If sheer stubbornness were a medical treatment, I’d be doing pirouettes by now.

Birthday Sparkle

And finally, the thing that’s been putting the biggest grin on my face: a sparkly new bracelet. It’s slim, simple, and quietly elegant…but the way it catches the light? Pure magic. Not bold, not loud, just that perfect kind of shimmer that makes you pause for a second and smile.

It ended up becoming my 69th birthday present, which feels fitting. A little sparkle to celebrate another trip around the sun, and a gentle reminder that joy doesn’t always come in big, sweeping moments. Sometimes it’s just a bracelet that makes you smile every time you glance down at your wrist.

So no, it wasn’t exactly a graceful week. My toe’s still protesting, my knitting went rogue, and I’ll be revisiting those buttonholes whether I like it or not. But somewhere in the middle of all that, I wore a great coat, added a bit of sparkle to my wrist, and thought about Claire McCardell…designing clothes that worked for real women with real lives.

What about you? What small thing brought a little ease or quiet delight to your week?