Plus ça change...

It seems only yesterday I wondered where to begin. And here I am again - about 10 posts behind (from an info-sharing perspective anyway) - somehow in the same boat.

For starters, I just returned from a 10 day vacation to Mtl and Quebec City. It was truly delicious, in no small measure because it's about the only decent weather I've experienced in, um, what seems like forever. There's much to relate about this trip (posts to follow), but it was somewhat anticlimactic to return to a wet basement a propos of the flash floods in TO on Monday. I don't want to get overly long-suffering. Our basement didn't flood with sewage (we've experienced that before) or even as extensively as those of many around us (and to the south of us), but it's not exactly fun to come home to reality writ-large, especially after so much relaxation and enjoyment.

In addition to eating and drinking my face off (Lord, the debauchery), I've spent the last couple of weeks focused on the changes in my body as they relate to the migraines I spoke about in my last post. Of course, one doesn't quickly detangle the complexity of biochemistry, but I did have the chance to consider things outside of the perspective of my normal life. I'm not parenting at the moment (kid visiting my parents). I'm not working. I barely looked at a computer in 10 days - can't say that's happened to me in the last decade. Holidays bring new beds and lots of walking aka structural distinctions. Natch, I have new thoughts on the matter (constantly) and I'm sure you'll hear them in time, for better or worse. Of course, this isn't a blog about perimenopause (thank your lucky stars), so I'll aim to keep my discussions of those epiphanies in check. Mind you, I suspect that my experience is not uncommon and, if I can share some new ideas they will assist others.

I do want to say, thank you, once again for your awesome comments and information on that last post. I've listened to all you have to say and, among other things, I've bought books and magnesium oil (weirdly, it's not actually an oil but a solution of evaporated magnesium chloride). I'm a couple of months into the B2/magnesium cocktail and, while this month isn't the best benchmark, I haven't had a serious or long-standing headache in this post-ovulatory phase.

But enough about that - let's talk about holiday shopping (everybody's favourite type, yes?)

As you know, I'm in a make vs buy mode lately, but there are a few basics best left to RTW, in my opinion, and I was in the market to replenish. Which items fall into this category?

• Shoes (though I really do wish I could make my own!)
• T shirts (sure, you can make them, but RTW has access to the best fabrics for this purpose)
• The slim, cropped-esque, fitted cardigan

A propos of the slim cardigan, alas, one cannot make this. Even if your tension is flawless, you can't knit on needles small enough to produce such a garment. Furthermore, the best of these cardis come in the most bizarre (and niche) fabrics - many of them milled in exotic European locales for high-end brands. It's that amazing textile which produces a perfect slender knit with beautiful recovery.

These are the workhorses of the sweater wardrobe and I have been managing, suboptimally, on the fumes of my last purchases, some years ago.

I decided, on this trip, I was not going to skimp. I don't spend a lot of money on clothing these days (not that I begrudge those who do - who doesn't appreciate peeps who have the means to stimulate the economy in such a way, and to look great while doing so?) so when I restock, I aim to buy the best I can afford.

The slim sweater is one of those items, I've observed, on which many try to get a deal: it's eternally necessary, one requires it in a number of neutral shades and sleeve/hem lengths, it sits at the bottom of one's bag when not in use, the rest of the time it's in heavy rotation, through all seasons.

We often have this idea that layering pieces are disposable, but they're keystones. Perfect stretch recovery, elegant lines (crew or v neck), the most flattering length, precise fit in the shoulder, snugness through the waist - these garments aren't meant to bag! - an ability (nonetheless) to do up buttons without gaping. I don't know how one can expect to find all of this in a cheap-and-cheerful cotton or synthetic blend. And the more one diverges from the Big Box slopers (generally large in the shoulders and quite narrow in the bust), the harder it gets.

Pilling, fading and over-stretching are not the fate of a well-made (though almost certainly pricey) layering cardigan.

At the risk of inciting suspense - and also because I need to find some photos of my new purchases (or to photo them myself) - I'll be back to show you what I bought.

What I can say is that Theory and ça va de soi are my go-to brands - and the ones I found success with on this trip.

Today's questions: Do you have a fave brand for layering basics? Do you agree that spending is the path to a good product (when it comes to this kind of garment) or do you have a go-to brand which works fabulously and which doesn't break the bank? Have you bought ça va de soi? It's a fantastic Canadian brand but I'm not sure how much exposure it has outside of TO and Montreal.

PS: One other quick thing - my aim is to reorg my blog slightly over the next little while (add an About Me section and set up a section of "highlight" posts for new readers). First off, I've opted to remove my blog links section. Of course, this isn't because I don't utterly love all of the blogs that are listed therein. But some of those blogs are not active any longer. Furthermore, I can barely stay on top of all the new blogs I love (which are not represented in the links section). You know, times change and I'm shaking it up.

This is a good time to mention, I suppose, that I don't "follow" any blogs but I do link to all of you via RSS feed. While following is a fun way to link to blogs, it's an additional layer of administration, the semiosis of which (IMO) is a kind of favouritism I don't really get with. My concern, having theoretically followed one blog (on a day when that seems like a fun idea) is that, when I neglect to follow another (and I will), it means something intentional (and it doesn't). I know how to find you all through my handy feed (more to the point, your posts find me), and that's how I make sure to stay on top of all you've got to say. Pls. don't read anything into my follow-free philosophy!