All Zipped Up & Your Own Twist Link Up #55
April 29 is National Zipper Day, a day to celebrate the humble and extensively useful zipper. A thing that I suspect most of us take for granted. I do believe that this most fantastic of fasteners is one of my favorites. It far surpasses other types of fasteners when it comes to ease, finger friendliness, and versatility in function. We use zippers on so many things…clothing, shoes, purses, backpacks, duffle bags, suitcases, sleeping bags, and tents.
Better than buttons and brooches, less complicated than buckles and hooks, superior to snaps and safety pins, and quieter than velcro, zippers are the most preferred type of fastener for people of all ages. Because zippers are easy and functional and they make a cool sound...ziiiiiiippp! Much more pleasant than that horrifying noise that comes from unfastening velcro. Oh, that is a sound that I equate with nails on a chalkboard or dragging a fork across a plate. I got spine chills just thinking about that sound.
You know what is an even better sound than a zipper being zipped or unzipped? Um…Grateful Dead music, of course!
So I am celebrating National Zipper Day with my new favorite zipper hoodie! I went to see Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead perform in Asheville, North Carolina, on my annual winter road trip in February and I was needing a new everyday hoodie because my Umphrey’s McGee one from last year’s winter road trip was getting all worn out from daily wear. So I scored this awesome oversized XXL zipper hoodie at the merchandise table before we even found our seats. The graphic is from his performances at Atlanta Symphony Hall the previous week. The hoodie immediately became my favorite everyday hoodie. It is super soft and heavy which is perfect for this chronically cold human.
I wore it with my Grateful Dead tee, a pair of denim shorts, over the knee socks, a straw hat, and cowgirl boots that zip! We had a beautifully sunny and warm weekend that I was able to knock around the house all day with bare legs and not get too cold. It was too sunny, in fact, that outdoor pictures were nearly impossible. We had just emptied out the boys’ bedroom and the game room for our new carpet installation so I took advantage of the empty rooms and blank walls for colorful photo backdrops.
The new carpet is a huge improvement over the ugly old stained beige carpet, don’t you think?
Since we are on the topic of things that zip…I have to shout out to the Lowe’s carpet installation folks. Two people showed up for the job, a man and a woman who were both really tiny in stature, and they zipped through this job so fast, I was amazed. I have never seen people work so quickly, quietly, and with such precision. I have no idea how those tiny people heaved those huge rolls of carpet up my very narrow and twisty staircase, but I was impressed by it all. The whole process of removing the old carpet and padding and installing the new carpet and padding took exactly 4 hours. I have removed carpeting myself before and it took me at least that long just for the removal part. I have never attempted to install my own carpeting though. I will pay the professionals for that process! Thank you zippy Lowe’s folks for a job well done!
That is all I have on the topic of zippers. And I am afraid I may have lost Monica to momming so she won’t be joining me again this month. But that’s okay because we are all just zipping along through chaos, trying to stay sane. I get it. And I don’t judge it.
About Your Own Twist
Your Own Twist is a monthly link party hosted by Monica of Monica Hayworth (formerly Jersey Girl, Texan Heart) and me on the third Thursday of every month with the goal of inspiring some of our friends to get creative with personal style.
The idea behind this collaboration is to take one common piece or theme and style it our own way with our own twist…Monica and I have both taken a lot of fashion inspiration from one another over the past few years even though we have totally different styles. It is always fun to see how we can interpret similar items in unique ways or what kind of twist we will each bring to the chosen theme.
We will let you know the themes well in advance in the event that you would like to use the theme for your own post and add it to the link party. However, any fashion posts are welcome regardless of whether you used the theme or not.
Check out the graphic below which has the first six style prompts for 2023. You are invited to join us next month for our Going Goth theme…
Featured Favorite from Inspired by Sports Cars
Michelle of Funky Fashion Style
Do you have a favorite fastener? What is it and why?
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Joining these Link Parties.
Outfit Details: Zipper Hoodie-Bob Weir concert merchandise table / Tee Shirt and Hat-Torrid / Shorts-Old Navy / Belt-Rainbow Zen / Socks-Sock Dreams / Boots-Target / Earrings-Gift shop in North Carolina
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
14 Comments
Nancy
I don’t think I know anyone else that can talk so much about a zipper, lol. Love the shorts and boots!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
OMG, Nancy, I almost spit my coffee on my laptop when I read that! Hahahahaha! You know I can talk for a long time about the oddest topics! I hope this post helps to increase your appreciation of the zipper! LOL
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Cool hoodie! And a cute outfit all around. The striped socks are so cute. Bob Weir puts on such a great show. We really enjoyed seeing him the year before. Love the boys’ rooms. The yellow and orange is so cheerful and fun. And that does seem an amazingly fast carpet install. Zippy indeed! Thanks for the shout out! A very nice surprise!
Michelle
https://funkyfashionstyle.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, thanks so much, my friend! We had a great time at that concert. I really appreciate the general Grateful Dead fan base. We are a calm and kind demographic which drastically decreases my crowd anxiety. I also have become very comfortable with that venue. It isn’t so large that I get lost and they run a comfortably tight security system which makes me feel safe. By the way, I am really enjoying my colorful house. My kids say it looks like a box of crayons! I have covered almost every main color category…yellow, orange, purple, blues, and greens. I just need to get some red in here and I have a complete rainbow!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kevin
Thank you for sharing your fashion creativity with us!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kevin! I appreciate that!
xoxo
Shelbee
Pamela
Love these quirky days, takes us out of the humdrum and raises a smile!
Probably my favorite zippie hoodie stretches back 20+ years, boring and plain navy it’s still the warmest and most versatile topper I own.
Pamela
http://www.style-yourself-confident.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Pamela! I love these quirky days for that same exact reason! Smiles are contagious and I think we all need more of them…so I do what I can to spread the laughter! Hehe. Some of the best sweatshirts and sweaters are the oldest ones, in my opinion. They are all soft and perfectly worn in. And they can’t possibly be boring when they hold 20+ years of experiences and memories in their fibers. Your navy hoodie sounds like a very special wardrobe item!
xoxo
Shelbee
Suzy Turner
What a fun outfit for a Grateful Dead concert, Shelbee! I bet you had such fun! I definitely take the zipper for granted lol. Who knew there was amn actual National Zipper Day LOL! Brilliant!!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Suzy! Actually, the outfit I wore to see Bob Weir included this plum colored clip dot kimono. I didn’t take any pictures at the concert though! But I did recently wear this kimono for a breakfast date with Jeff after a date night to see a Grateful Dead tribute band. I will share both of those outfits soon! Neither included zippers though. Ha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
What a fun prompt! I had no idea zippers had their own days! I like zippers, but I loathe trying to sew one into something! I need to make new pillow covers for my couch, and I just keep putting it off. But, your outfit is so you, Shelbee! Love the new hoodie!
Did you paint your uppper hall, and I missed it? Love the orange and yellow. It’s amazing to watch carpet installers going about their work, isn’t it? I am always amazed at the way different things are done. New carpeting just makes you happy, right?
Thanks for the link party!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Marsha! This summer I am trying to commit to relearning my basic sewing skills and hopefully some new advanced skills as well. I need a sewing machine first though! Haha. I have never attempted to sew in a zipper but it doesn’t look easy!
I did paint the upper hallway last winter. It’s a very light gray and I decorated it with a yellow bench. The yellow and orange room is the boys’ bedroom that opens right off my happie hippie hallway. Then their room opens into the spacy game room which leads to the attic. I can’t wait to get my bedroom, closet room, and living room carpeted now. We went for the top of the line padding and it is so soft and squishy on our toes it feels like a foot massage walking on it! Ahhhhhh. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking very nice and love the new carpet.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Patrick! I can’t wait to get the other rooms carpeted now!
xoxo
Shelbee