Designing Wardrobes & Designing Menu's

Guys, help me to help you, and pay attention.

Ladies, forget everything you know to be truth and set it aside, and give Klecko's first post of 2012 a chance to gain traction.

If after meditating on what I have to say, you choose to disagree with my thread of logic.....toss it into the trash, and I promise...there will be no hard feelings.

Lot's of people get married, and furthermore, lot's of people stay married for a long time, but my question to you is..........

How many people do you know that survive themselves and their spouses uncountable shortcomings (LOL) end up growing their marriage stronger?

And those that are able to achieve this, how does that work...is it an accident or fate?

Secret #1 -

Love is a choice.

How many times have I heard.........

"We were going separate directions" or "I think I'm just falling out of love."

I don't think it's that EZ. I think we have to make a conscious choice,love simply doesn't manifest from nowhere.

It is the result of action(s).

Rule #2 -

New Years Eve, Valentines Day and Wedding Anniversaries are as sacred to your love life as Christ getting nailed to the cross. The second a person starts to lessen these priorities, just sit back and watch, they won't even notice it at first, but a shadow will rapidly materialize around their heart before they know it.

None of us are immune to taking love for granted. That is why the "Romantic Holidays" are essential.

New Years Eve is w/o a doubt the night that Sue McGleno lives for.

And guys.....not only do your women want you to participate in this event, they usually like when you go out of your way to plan something spectacular and romantic.
They want it to be "your" idea.

I know-I know,common sense and practicality can get in the way........

"But Klecko.....my wife agrees that New Year's Eve is for amateurs, so we just like to sit in front of the fire, drink wine, and watch T.V."

Rule #3 -

Know that wives will lie to cover their disappointment.

Every-Every-Every woman in this worlds desires the Fairytale New Years Eve or Valentines experience.

Every woman deserves this special treatment guy, but let me reiterate. It's not enough to go along with it, you have to make it happen. You have to present it with joy in your heart and enthusiasm in your voice.

Last August (On Sue McGleno's birthday in fact) I presented her with 2 tickets to see some new fab Cinderella production which was to take place New Years Eve at Saint Paul's finest theater.

I look for options for the romantic holidays year round.

Would a play alone suffice, and fulfill Klecko's "Love Obligation"?

Probably, but sometimes paybacks are exponential when you choose to keep piling on.

When the production was finished, I knew we would be within walking distance of Meritage (Capitol Cities finest French Restaurant) so I also booked us a table for a 10 p.m. seating.

At 9 a.m. on the morning of New Year's Eve, I rustled Sue McGleno from slumber and asked what she was going to wear on our "Romantic Date."

I guess you have to know my wife to appreciate this, but unlike her usual wake up self, she didn't surface from our Select Comfort bed like a zombie, but sat erect in a flash, swung her legs over the beds side and bolted like a banshee to her closet and began pulling out garments one after another, after another.

"I kind of like this dress here, but if I wore this one, I could pair this belt and these boots......."

I knew this literally could go on for an hour, so I interrupted.

"May I make a suggestion?" I asked......

She bobble headed "Yes."

I don't like any of this stuff, if I wanted to take Stevie Nicks out on a date, I would of asked her in 1978 before she let herself go."

The bobble heading stopped, and a look of befuddlement overtook my date......

"What I was going to suggest to you" I informed her "was if you would indulge me, let me take you to Macy's and pick out a mini wardrobe for you.

Sue McGleno wasn't quite clear on the rules of this......

"What, you get to pick out my clothes?" she actually looked intrigued....."Sure, and if you don't like what I select, you can add up the dollar amount,disregard my choices, and get w/e you want."

We were in agreement, so we proceeded to Macy's.

Before we hit the department store, I guess I should inform you that Sue McGleno has great taste, and furthermore.....I am a baker and don't have aspirations of becoming Tim Gun or Michael Kors, but first off, her clothes at home were just fine, but nodding your head...yes dear, yes dear, yes dear has to become redundant for a woman of virtue.

I wanted to show Sue McGleno that I actually cared about the textiles that shroud her body. It really wasn't so much about the fabric, as much as setting the mood for the day.

More than clothes.....women covet involvement.

Putting together a wardrobe is a lot like putting together a menu.

You have to lay out options that will remain current and hopefully impress whatever demographic surrounds you.

Rule #4 -

Wardrobes must have cohesion. Often times women who don't go out on a full time basis will tend to buy ensembles that will SPLASH the stares of those that they will be grouped with at an event.

No one outfit can define a woman's essence, so if you're feeling a little blue ladies.....dressing like a matador might be fun for a night, but when that evening is over.....I'll guarantee you, 99 out of a 100 times that outfit will get placed into the recesses of your closet and then simply fade into oblivion.

That's why I think it is the best to buy classic looks that are well tailored.

Sure...they might cost more, but you get what you pay for.

Back to romance....

Sue McGleno and I ended up visiting 194 different places that retailed clothing in Macy's, and my little Russian-Jew fulfilled her "Chick Vow" of touching every garment on every rack.

I'll spare you all the details, I'm running out of column space here, but I guess this is my way of broaching a segue where we talk about you.

Designing menu's is a lot like fashion.

What you cook, or what you bake is just another way of presenting yourself to the world.

Now days I've noticed that everyone born after 1985 seems to enjoy rotating their culinary desires.

Even people my own age are kinda getting swept up into being Foodies (even though they would cringe at the word) or playing around with fusion concepts.

How many of you guys have renewed your vows to get in shape this year?

I'll bet some of you have even joined a gym huh?

When people recommit themselves in that setting, what do most of these peeps focus on?

Why core work of course.

The same should be true with your baking.

It is my most sincere desire that those of us in the L.A.B. site will get back to basics in 2012.

Nobody (who isn't an abject loser at least LOL) spends more time following baking trends than Klecko.

But I honestly feel compelled to back track a bit and make sure that each and every one of you ladies can make a chocolate cake.

In culinary terms, there is nothing-nothing-nothing sexier that a classic Chocolate cake.....but from what I'm seeing online, it appears to me that Girlfriend Nation might think they are a little past that.

You are not.

So just off the top of my head....the following might be a realistic baking menu to focus on this year.........

Chocolate Cake

Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves

Banana Bread

One Flavor Scones

French Baguettes

One Holiday Recipe

Count em up........

One-Two-Three-Four-Five....and one more makes Six.

That is one recipe every 2 months this year.

This means you get roughly 55-56 days to monkey with each one.

If you could bake what I have listed above with proficiency, and if you never baked a single other item that is not listed here.....the world would drop at your feet and worship you.

This my friends is a swank wardrobe of baked goods if I ever saw one.

If just one of you commits to working hard on the above 6 items, I pledge to you my full admiration.

Because it's kinda like my childhood neighbor Dougy Jeremasek (the Mormon next door) told me as I strutted up Georgia Avenue in a striped Izod polo and a white Members Only jacket......

"Invest in the classics Danny, people never tire of them. Fads can come back to bite you, but classics will never disappoint."

BTW......

In case you are wondering what my baby doll ended up wearing on the big date......well maybe that's a post for another time (see, now you are forced to come back) but I will tell you this.

In a year where we have had record low snow fall in Minnesota, right as we left Cinderella and embarked on our 2 block walk to Meritige.....Big flakes of snow, big as apples floated like angel feathers from the sky, and Sue McGleno just smiled.

The fairytale was happening. She was living in a snow globe, and possibly dating the hottest Man in the kingdom.

Happy New Year

Klecko