Friday Update September 4th, 2020: Actually Working On My Dissertation and Drinking Tea

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Signs of fall are starting to creep in around here. Some days are still hot, but I can feel the weather cooling, particularly at night. Fall is my favorite season, so I’m not at all mad about it, but I also don’t know where the summer went. I feel like it was just the start of June a few minutes ago.

Goings On

Focusing on my Dissertation. With the changing of seasons also comes the start of the school year. For me, this means it’s time to have a bit more disciplined about when and how I work on my dissertation. I mean, I’m glad to still be a student right now, but I do really need to finish this year. This past week I’ve been really good about putting in several hours of work in the mornings. I’ve been easing into it by playing a game I call “you can do anything you want as long as it’s work” from about 8:30-11:30 each day. My nephew usually shows up about that time, so I’m motivated to get my to-do list done so I can play with him.

Baking with end of summer fruit. I’ve also been doing a bit of baking with end of summer fruit. My biggest accomplishment was recreating a version of one of my family’s favorite pies from a bakery back in our hometown. It has a lot of elements, so it took a while, but in the end it was worth it. Both of my efforts need a little more work, but when they’re ready I’ll post some recipes.

Weaving with my Flax and Twine Mini-Loom. I finished my first coaster from the Flax and Twine kit I bought. It turned out a little wonky, but my second one is going great. I should have a review up sometime in the next week. I’m really loving the experience of weaving, so I can’t wait to share this with you all!

Reading – Common Sense and a Little Fire by Annelise Orleck

Someone needs to make this book into one of those prestige costume drama series on HBO or something. Orleck has done a great job of researching and capturing the lives of four women who were leaders in the organization of garment workers during the early 20th century. The book is an academic text, so it tends to stick to the facts, but the story of these women is fascinating enough that I have barely been able to put it down. While it was originally published in 1995, I highly recommend getting the updated version (2017) for the excellent new introduction. I honestly would consider using the intro alone as a class reading if I were teaching History of Costume again. Purchase Common Sense and a Little Fire at Bookshop or wherever you buy books.

Watching – Mystic Pop-Up Bar

I’m slowly watching this K-drama about a ghost that’s forced to help people resolve their grudges. It’s fun and colorful and also reliably makes me cry. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to thoroughly distract you for an hour or so at a time. Watch on Netflix.

Product -Wooden Tray

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I spend most of my time upstairs in my room or in my office. I also drink a lot of tea. This means that I am constantly schlepping teapots, teacups, and other various things up and down the stairs. It occurred to me this week that my life would be a lot easier if I had something to help me. Something like a tray. I’d been using an old carved wood one every day now and it really has made a world of difference. It’s a small thing, but sometimes that’s all it takes to make life easier. I bought mine a million years ago, but there are lots of vintage and new options on Etsy.

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