Where do you store your bike?

from apartment therapy

Great post over at Chicago Apartment Therapy from 2 years ago that solicits reader answers on where they store their bike. We have a bike hoist (like one below) that's used mostly for winter and special occasions.

from amazon.com

ElliptiGO: bike or elliptical?

from the gadgetguycolumn.com

Discovered ElliptiGO in Shape magazine's September 2010 issue. One of ElliptiGO's founders was a cyclist and Ironman triathlete who starting having hip and knee injuries and was tired of working out inside on a treadmill. So he created an elliptical bike. Read more about it on the company history page.

from ElliptiGO.com/product/photos

Suddenly, I'm having San Diego envy (where the company is based). I would love to see these in some kind of Boston, Zipcar-like rental program!

Athleta's siren song

item that started it all: swinging 60s caftee

Athleta. You siren you, based in some pretty-sounding California town called Petaluma. Acquired by the Gap in 2008, but not changed as far as I can tell (despite what some user reviews say). You've bewitched me again with your catalogs, the first I saw with real women, real muscles, in real yoga poses. My family's Caribbean trip last year made me forget all my previous returns. I started the order with one to-die-for kaftan. Which disappointed and I had to return but since exchanges have free shipping, I ordered a few other kaftans. And bathing suits. And crewnecks. And now here I am, finally returning the last round of almost-keepers.

final almost-kept kaftan: feather swirl coastal kaftan

A sweet kaftan — 68% cotton and 32% silk — until I saw a picture of me in it, which I'm too embarrassed by to post here, and realized it came to my knees. I looked like a stump. To keep it, would have to hem it and I'm not up for that.

The bathing suit. Mum's The Word Tankini (in 3 sizes, because I had no idea of their fit) and the Sunny Boy Short. My favorite colors. I was really ready for a brown suit. I could ignore the slight bunching in the double layer of fabric over the stomach near the waist. But it was the boy shorts that did it. The even-very-slight suggestion of camel toe. So sad.

And the final shirts — two long-sleeved tattoo tops from YellowMan, an unknown-to-me brand, a marketing partnership that reflects well on Athleta, bringing hipness to base layer clothing with madkool technical fabric. I was hoping for perfect layering pieces for my otherwise all-black winter wardrobe.

front

back

The YellowMan Maori black/bone Crew Neck was simply too tight. No one needs to see every belly roll.

front

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The YellowMan Japanese Floral Tattoo Top felt a tad looser and was nice and silky. In the end, it was still tight and really not my colors.

Summary: I am considering another YellowMan-like top, the Long Sleeve Twist Top (below), in a larger size and in red, which IS my color. And if I order it with my return, I can avoid shipping charges. Until someone ties me to a mast or fills my ears with beeswax, it looks like I will be susceptible to Athleta's catalog items.

Swapaholics do Boston Fashion Week!

I read the blurb from Boston Fashion Week so I knew the basic details. Arrive at the Somerville Armory by 7:45pm, drop off your donations, pay $15, receive an official swap tote, and go to the end of the line and WAIT until the doors opened at 8pm.

Lots of waiting and wondering if it was going to rain.

But then what, was it going to be like one of the Filene's Basement bridal events, where we grab first, examine later? The answer? Yes. Exactly like that.

Fashion bloggers look down on us from above.

A few larger sizes and less stylish items left.

The doors finally opened onto 7,000 square feet of racks and racks and racks and it was —  overwhelming. No nice neat labels for shirts over on this rack and dresses over there. Just women grabbing and stuffing clothes into totes. And TV and photography crews filming and interviewing. Like a nearsighted sheep, I stayed close to the door, picking my way methodically from rack to rack. A mere fifteen minutes later, the racks were empty. By the time I got to the "accessories" table, it was bone dry. The shoe section? A scatter of rejects including one pair I'd brought. Ouch. My pride took a hit!

Shoe rejects. Don't ask me which are mine cause I ain't telling.

I laid out my spoils, which I took home and promptly put into bedbug quarantine (being a little paranoid, I know).

Two bags of stuff, plus jacket, shirt, and skirt!

While waiting in line for some complimentary chardonnay, some new friends show me their shoes. Fun, right? For that price?

Sorry to say this, but the fashion show was anti-climactic. Suddenly the space felt too large. I realized later that the models were the same fashion bloggers who'd been partying up on the balcony while we wrangled clothes off the hangers below. There had been no interaction until then (no live blogging or tweeting on the overhead projector) and we didn't know who they were or what their connection to the event was. The personal scale was lost. At least, for me.

Liked how the heels were silhouetted by my iPhone camera.

Even so, the event felt significant, a sign of the new shopper. The Swapaholics — Amy Chase and Melissa Massello — are riding the new frugality. In one of their video interviews, Amy Chase said that because of regular swaps with friends, she can go forever without buying any clothes! Each of the Swapaholics has their own distinctive online presence, and as a team, they seem to be whizzes at finding partnerships and sponsorships. I am definitely a fan and look forward to their next Boston event.