OOO #67: Outfits, Ohio, and Other Things I Like
Always looking on the bright side and two things that remind me of my grandmothers
Outfits
Ohio
This weekend, my husband and I had to run a few errands in Bexley, including returning a package at the Market District Express on Main. Neither of us realized that there was a Giant Eagle in easy driving distance from our house, and as my husband is a huge Giant Eagle fan, our lives were forever changed.
While we were there, I wanted to check out their fruit selection. I love fruit, and after reading The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession, I am always itching to try new species whenever I see them (my husband even once brought me a selection of unusual fruit he saw at a farmer’s in Seattle and hand-carried them on the plane—he’s the best). So, as we walked around the produce department, I noticed orange gooseberries (which I’ve never seen at our Kroger) and decided to get some. I had never tried gooseberries before, but they were one of my grandmother’s favorites.
My grandmother was raised to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and took it very seriously throughout her life, including in her later years. I do not think there is anyone on the planet who enjoy eating fruits and vegetables as much as she did (I’m still working on loving vegetables, for the record). I think the best birthday package I ever sent her was two jams (gooseberry and blackcurrant), a novel based on a Shakespeare play and a Scotland word search. She was thrilled.
My grandmother often told me about her life growing up in Scotland and she would always mention gooseberries (and gooseberry jam) in those conversations. She often said it was a shame you didn’t see them much in the United States. Well, I tried one yesterday in her honor. If you’ve never had one, they taste like sweet, fruity tomatoes (yes I know that tomatoes are fruit, but they do not have a sweet taste, so don’t come for me). They have that earthy, botanical base of tomatoes but also have flavors of… pineapple? banana? I can’t really tell, but I loved it. Thanks, Market District!
Other Things I Like
It definitely feels like spring, so I’ll soon switch out my cold-weather clothes for my warm-weather clothes and dry clean my coat to store for the season. My go-to wool coats did not fit this year (more on this later), so I pulled out my paternal grandmother (my other grandmother)’s swing coat. I did not know my paternal grandmother well, as she lived 1200 miles away and passed away when I was eight, but everything that I have of hers (including some photographs) indicates she was a very stylish woman.
This swing coat is no exception. The wool is a cinnamon color, which elevates it beyond a typical camel coat (for the record, I also own and often wear a camel coat). It’s also, as mentioned before, a swing coat, which is not something too often (ever?). Typically the only coats without buttons that I’ve seen are belted, but this coat is not. I was planning on getting a new coat this winter, but after trying it on, I realized there’s no need to. It’s in remarkable shape considering it is at least 30 years old, and there’s no reason to buy a new coat when the sustainable option looks brand new, has family sentiment, and feels very chic.
I am so thankful for this coat, and the other things of my grandmother’s that I have, and I will continue taking care of them for future generations!
Old News
The Vanity Fair Oscar Party definitely has superior fashions to the Oscars themselves.
I think Carey Mulligan was best dressed at the Oscars themselves though.
Vogue summarizes the lessons learned from “The Blue Zones.”
This is as bad, if not worse, as when the Met got rid of their daily buttons.
That’s it! Have a great rest of your week!
That coat is a dream!
I inherited an alpaca swing buttoned coat from a friend's now long gone mother. I love it! As to gooseberries, it must be an UK thing. My grandmother, from the Lake District, planted several varieties of gooseberries and made marvelous tarts and jams with them.