Can real women find real clothes?

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 11 December 2012 14:25

“Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.” —Mignon McLaughlin, “The Neurotic’s Notebook”

The average height and weight of an American woman is 5 feet, 3 inches and 164 pounds.

Sounds about right. So, can someone explain why the jeans distributed within a 60-mile radius of my house are either size 0 low-rise, skinny or size 12 ultra flare, extra long?

And take it from someone who’s officially “below average,” it’s better to blow off the petite department. Judging by that section in the stores I’ve been in lately, the blueprints for constructing jeans for a “typical” petite woman must be printed with blue outline of Danny Devito.

If the length is right (which is...

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A Thanksgiving with foreign flair

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 27 November 2012 14:41

“Can you find a unifying language that cuts across age and income and culture? …Yes, and the language would appear to be food.” —Pam Warhurst

The perfect American celebration, Thanksgiving. A holiday without calories. Did you do your part?

As our family tree naturally expands and branches out, settling us in different places at the holidays, we still manage to usher in Thanksgiving with a proper spread of food and drink.

The multiple locales are not a bad thing because as the years go by, regardless of miles, it seems we all get a little bit closer.

Maybe it’s the unexpected and slightly overwhelming pride an aunt feels watching her nieces and nephews build grown-up lives of their own, the new crop of babies that keep...

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Things I need to be thankful for

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 13 November 2012 15:37

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. —W. T. Purkiser

“So this is Thanks­giving. And what have you done?"

John Lennon actually sang “Christmas” in those lyrics, but it’s a poignant holiday song and he was a creative guy, so I don’t think he would mind the tweak.

The holiday season will blow wide open in the next few days, but there’s still time to think about November’s last-minute list of thanks before starting on December’s list of “I wants.”

It could be titled something like, “Things I’m thankful for,” or maybe more accurately, “Things I forgot to be thankful for.”

So what’s on your list?

Food, shelter and clothing? Good ones.

Dibs...

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Film festival has a seat for everyone

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 23 October 2012 14:15

“I scream sometimes. I know I shouldn’t but I do anyway. Breathing helps…and pancakes.” —“The Story of Luke”

You know how it feels when you are standing there, minding your own business, and a guy steps out of another time directly in front of you and throws up his history all over your shoes?

Maybe I am being too vague to create a clear image.

It started when I was learning the ropes at a film festival. There were several movies being shown at dozens of venues in downtown Wichita. Each theater had a group of volunteers, the venue manager, an announcer, a projectionist and a couple of ushers. I was one of those, an usher.

The assignment was pretty straightforward. Hand out two ballets to each movie attendee as they walk...

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