Thursday Miscellany: It’s The Little Things…

Detail: Susan B. of une femme d'un certain age wears a Citizen Eco-Drive watch with a quilted leather band.

Like…having a working watch again. I’ve tried on a few watches from Monday’s post, and this one’s the keeper so far. I like big watches, which is good because I also have a very small wrist, so what’s average-sized on most people is over-sized on me. And I really love that quilted strap. Just gives it a little something extra. ( Top | Boots )

Sephora silicone makeup brush cleaner pad. Details at une femme d'un certain age.

Like…a little gadget for cleaning my makeup brushes. I wash my makeup brushes every few weeks, but never felt like I got all of the product out of them (especially the ones with more compact bristles). This little silicone goody really gets a lot more of the gunk out. I use it with this brush shampoo.

Like…having hot running water. (OK, so maybe not such a little thing…😆) We arrived home from a short trip last Friday evening to discover that we had no hot water. Our less-than-two-year-old water heater had sprung a leak inside and was kaput. Yes, it’s still under warranty, but the plumbing supply company it was originally purchased from wasn’t open on weekends. We made the decision to go ahead and replace it ourselves (from Home Depot this time!) rather than go another few days without hot water (our plumber wouldn’t have been available again until mid-week), and try to work with the plumbing supplier for compensation. Fingers crossed…

What little things are making your life easier this week?

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20 Comments

  1. Hi!

    If you use a Dixie cup and put some 90%alcohol (available at CVS, Target, etc.) and simply swish them around in it; it will clean your brushes. Then lay them flat to dry. They dry much quicker and it’s very easy. I got this from Wayne Goss on YouTube. Have been doing it for a year now and brushes have remained in good shape, both synthetic and natural.

  2. little thing…a monogrammed money clip a friend gave me almost 20 years ago. Nothing precious, but allows my license, a credit card and some bill to lay heavy in my pocket when I’m running a quick errand and don’t need a purse…when I cannot find it, a binder clip pinch hits.

  3. Well, here is what made my week amazing. My Black Company back ordered Leopard cashmere scarf arrived. I’ve ordered a gift from them long ago and can say they have only gotten better. This scarf, soft soft soft, came elegantly packaged in a beautiful black pinstriped fabric envelope with a satin ribbon tie closure. It was wrapped in precisely folded and creased tissue paper and a single round sticker held the paper shut. I was a kid at Christmas. Worth every single penny and I can’t wait to wear it!

    1. Jan,
      In response to your difficulties with the Chico’s jacket, I had a similar problem. The same jacket in the same size fit differently in both the same and different colors. Everything from overall size to sleeve length varied. I finally ordered one while in-store to be shipped. It did work, so I was lucky. Like Susan, I have broad shoulders, so that may be the key to this particular jacket. Also, it may be necessary to choose how much you wish to have underneath. I chose a size which was a bit generous overall, but it will work well in my colder climate as I can layer comfortably. If you really love it and want it to work, maybe you should order two in your most likely size and hope for the best. Good luck!

  4. It really is the little things!
    My week of Likes…
    – hearing back from the class action lawyers for the next phase of the Hill’s Science Diet recall with forward progress
    – Thursday Boots rep (Jessica) checking their warehouse for the discontinued burgundy color of the Captain boot – she deserves a Customer Service Award for sure!!
    – a new way to style a well-loved T-shirt dress to feel like autumn but satisfy the 90° temperatures (loafers, belt, and Greek Fisherman’s cap, all in black, of course)
    – the daily habit of checking in with my favorite bloggers and seeing new content! Thank you, Susan!

  5. You changed your own hot water heater? That’s amazing.
    I am assuming it was electric?

    We replaced our gas heater a year or so ago and it required a permit and an inspection, which I’m sure was a good idea safety-wise, but it added to the cost.

    1. No, we didn’t do it ourselves! Yikes, that would have been a disaster! We have a regular plumber who’s very good but quite booked up, and fortunately he had time on Sunday to pick up and install it.

  6. Finally got all unpacked from being away for 9 weeks. It took me a week to do the task. Everything was strewn all over my living room and I kept looking at it without any desire to put anything away. Made a great decision this week to raid my closet in the near future and to get rid of things I did not use in the last couple of years. Quite a task but I’m running out of space!!! Love everything I have but they have got to go!! Will call the Real Real! Any experience with them??

    1. Yes, I’ve consigned several pieces with them. They are fast and efficient. They tend to price most items for fast sales, meaning you may not fetch “top of the market” prices.

      1. Thanks so much for your answer. I have some LV, Gucci, Armani, etc.. that I need to part ways with. Will give them a try. They claim to price items higher than some other competitors. Need to lighten the load. I’m only now starting to understand the idea of “downsizing” most of my friends in my age group are talking about! All my life I accumulated things from all the travels. Now it would be nice to not have to worry about things every time I leave for longer periods of time. An almost empty closet would be a great start. It reminds me of the time we lived in Paris during a sabbatical and the apartment we were renting from a professional family also away on a sabbatical in another country had closets with only 10% of what we would find in an American closet!! Amazingly smart!! Chic yet frugal and always in fashion.

  7. Thanks to Hurricane Dorian, we had no hot water for 5 1/2 days. People in my community are still waiting and no amount of complaining should be allowed when we consider what others are dealing with in the storm’s aftermath. But I can certainly relate and it underscores the things we take for granted, like hot water.