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Where I Discuss Wigs & Thrifted Costumes

By Mary Ann Moss on August 4, 2024

Souvenirs from the Cotswolds: a charity shop owl and a hand-carved mushroom from a shop in Bath.

Pam arrived this week for an art playdate with her Everyday Sketchbook

My command strip styrofoam ball wig "wall" hack in the back of the linen closet door!

I started to draw everything then decided a TOPS page was enough!

Pam and I ended up talking more than sketchbooking, but I did this page

I ended up mislabeling the garden pics. Par for the course

Dear Chrissy, our friend from Cornwall, met us in Bath

The last time I saw her in the flesh was in Paris in 2011. How good it was to be together again.

I remain my most loyal sitter for portraits.

On My Bookshelf

2 vintage novels that I'm reading at the same time. I'm enjoying The Book Shop more.

Life

The end of solar summer is upon us, dear middle-aged mammals, however things are just heating up here at the edge of the continent in Southern California so our end won't happen until October. The air conditioners are put into full service and steadily filter their cooling drafts throughout Moss Cottage. Porch sitting in the evening is at its very best now as there is very little chill in the air. The fan sighs and hums beside me. The garden and trees are thirsty and I provide water. The leaves crinkle and snap under my shoes and spiders spin their silken webs non-stop. The ants march to and fro in orderly lines with their heads to the grindstone. Work work work! The gophers tunnel underground and leave piles of earth in their wake. Such industry!

But what does any of this have to do with my photos? Not a thing! By the time I ready the photos, the plotline is lost, I'm afraid. I can't be bothered to match photos with text which is why I'm using captions lately. I hope they aren't too small to read.

On Monday I go into the classroom to begin readying my room for what I believe will be the final time of my teaching career. In this exact moment I'm thinking that I WILL retire in June of 2025. An entire summer dissolving into autumn without the start of school. Imagine!

Wig Chat

I've built a wig rack of sorts on the inside of a closet from a video I found on TikTok. Now I can keep my 6 most worn wigs easily accessible in a semi-dustless part of my 2-closet home. Hairdo basic cap wigs are my current favorites. I've gotten them for terrific prices from The Wig Company. I love that they come to me from Lenexa, Kansas which was dear Mama Moss' last home on planet earth. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that a complete novice wig wearer start with a basic cap wig unless you can keep your expectations really low. They can be face floppers and rarely can be brushed off the face. All wigs take work and you have to be willing to wrestle them under control. On the other hand, if someone like me, who never did any sort of styling to her hair, can make wigs work I think anyone can. I'm having a wonderful time with my collection of new hair and change styles like I change my shoes. In fact, the wig I'm wearing right now, "Classic Fling" by Hairdo ($39) is an asymmetrical short bob that didn't have bangs when I got her. I cut a thin little shelf of short bangs into her that somehow just works. I went from, "No way in hell!" to ordering her in another color because I love her so much. Wigging is almost exactly like sketchbooking. Aversion sets in when you finish something and then before you know it, love. Persistence is the key.

Buzzing my hair off with a clipper in early July was the best decision. No more worrying about the thin straggly bits of hair and my increasingly exposed scalp. Not to mention all the hijink I went through getting it under the wig cap. I love having no hair on my head. I got used to it very quickly. I'm mostly wigless around the house. When I go outside I throw on something really short, but sometimes I'm in the garden without any hair.

I'll continue writing (and posting on IG) about my version of wig life as a way to normalize alopecia & wig- wearing. Denise Sheets (Hey Wig Sister on YT) , Amanda Hoblak (Chiquel Wigs on YT), Frannie's Hair (YT), Marlene's Wig & Chat Studio (YT) provide great wig education and encouragement. There are so many! Do keep in mind however the best wig reviews will be the unsponsored kind. Also the wigs rarely look the same when you get them out of the box as they did on YT. So I urge you to watch as many videos as possible on the wig you're interested in. This will result in fewer returns. I've settled into a good groove with The Wig Company because I'm in my budget wig era. I'm making very few returns these days- I make it work! Naturally it goes without saying, I am unsponsored by choice, my wigs were purchased with my own money, and my opinions are unfiltered.

ThredUP

In an effort to spend less, I'm buying many more thrifted clothes now. For the Cotswolds trip nearly all of my tops & windbreaker were bought second-hand on Ebay. When I returned home I discovered ThredUP. I just sent them my first clean-out kit and they accepted 11 items for resale - the rest they donate for me. When those items sell, I get a portion of the money which I'll then apply to my next order. It was really easy to order a clean-out kit and drop it off at the post office (postage free). If you're new to ThredUP you can use this referral link to find out more and get started. it gives you 45% off + free shipping on your first order. Happy thrifting!

Retirement

If you've retired on a shoestring budget or know of others who have, I'm all ears! I'm particularly interested in women flying solo and how retirement pertains to them so if you have anything to share by all means do it! All aspects of leaving the daily grind of the salt mines is fascinating to me. If you're some years off, I'll be sharing my experience right here. If you've made the leap yourself, I'll be hanging on your every word. I've been following Susan Branch as she leaves Martha's Vineyard and heads to the central coast of California and into a mobile home. If you know of others making similar journeys please share.

From the warm summer porch of Moss Cottage I blow you a kiss and send a wave. May you be content on your long sea voyages. May the wind fill your sails with courage and enthusiasm. I'll just be here in my thrifted costumes, wigs, and sketchbooks. Up to my usual tricks. xo