The Real World

A couple spring days off work? Can life get any better!?

I'll be rejoining the real world tomorrow, but I sure enjoyed my long weekend. I spent it 1) shopping, 2) looking at art, 3) spending time with family, 4) reading, and 5) getting a pedicure.

Evan-Piccone Dress now in my closet - I know, I know. It's not exactly what I thought I was looking for, but it really suits me! Plus, black-and-white is oh, so versatile. I can add colored accessories to suit any mood or situation, not to mention this baby is washable and wrinkle-free!

1) My mom, sister and I went shopping for Easter dresses/spring staples on Friday. We all found some springy wardrobe updates, and my sister and I both found Easter dresses. Because the one I found (a really pretty American Living dress) was dry clean only, my mom and I went back out on Saturday, where I found a more user-friendly dress. Yay for dresses that are washable and don't wrinkle! Looking for dresses can be trying, so I am grateful I found more than one option! 

My cousin really enjoyed Jennifer Onofrio's work on display at Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art. Her work is gorgeous and inspires me, too. Above: The Space Between, 2010, Silver gelatin print with ink, 38 3/4 in. x 27 3/4 in. x 3 1/2 in.

2) On Friday night, my sister and I took my 16-year old cousin Robert to his first First Friday. I felt really good about introducing him to the modern art world. Oddly, enough, there were lots of skulls and skeletons featured in the exhibitions we saw. This was great, because that is one of Robert's favorite art subjects. After we walked around taking in all the art, we treated Robert to dinner at Rosedale Bar-B-Q. Rosedale's been around since 1934, but it was our first time. The meat was divine (especially the pulled pork), although the sauce was a little spicy for me. The baked beans also had a little kick, which I liked. All in all, I think Robert had a good time. It's hard to read teenage boys.  

I felt a great deal of responsibility while sharing art with Robert. My goal is to impress upon people, and especially young people, the value of art in and to our society. If more people grow up learning and believing art is meaningful, then art programs will be valued even when things get tough economically. Maybe. Hopefully.

Easter Eggs!

3) I stayed with my parents over the weekend. I always feel recharged after spending time with them. It's true, there's no place like home. I also saw all my cousins on Easter Sunday. After a really thought-provoking church service, we drove down to my cousins' home in Raymore, MO. They live on Silver Lake, and they know how to throw a party. We had good conversation, a delicious potluck and an Easter egg hunt. Growing up, we always collected candy during our Easter egg hunts, but my cousins fill their eggs with money... Aaaaand, I am still considered a "kid." Maybe I'll be one until I have kids of my own?? Or perhaps until I have a few noticeable wrinkles? 

Enjoyable read.

4) I have made it about a quarter of the way through The Girl Who Played with Fire, the follow-up to Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am really enjoying the series. It's dark. It's suspenseful. It is filled with intriguing and "human" characters. The first book hinted at Lisbeth Sander's disturbing past, and in the second book we begin to learn how and why Lisbeth is who she is. From reading the book jacket, I know there's another large-scale mystery or two to untangle. As soon as I finish here, I am going back to reading!

5) My mom treated me to a pedicure today. What more can I say? Thanks for the luxury-treatment, Mom! Now, my feet are fit to be seen (but no pics to prove it).

How do you fill your time off of work? What do you do to treat yourself when you have a few days of your own?

Alison :)

Group Project: 8 Weeks to a Better Me (Week 7: Personal Style)

Elsie of A Beautiful Mess is such an inspiration to me. When is she not doing something creative and inventive, not only with her wardrobe, but in the way she lives her life? I was so happy to see her as the featured blogger on Sometimes Sweet, talking about personal style in the seventh installment of Danielle’s group project, 8 Weeks to a Better Me. Elsie advises readers to know their bodies and only wear clothes that look really great. Go against the current and skip trends that do nothing for you.

I am not particularly trendy, and I pair thrift and vintage finds with off-the-rack options. I like to perk things up with handmade accessories and vintage jewelry. My relationship with my clothes is somewhat related to my relationship with my body. When I feel confident, I dress more confidently, too. I may wear a trend I would have otherwise skipped. In this case, the risk is its own reward. When I feel so-so or not-so-good about my bod, I tend to wear more staples, such as scoop neck t-shirts in solid colors and my best-fitting pair of jeans. No risk. No failure. While a larger goal would be to always feel good, no matter how I look, I am looking forward to taking simple steps to ensure I look good, no matter how I feel.

 
1. Dress in the moment. - What I am looking for in my wardrobe now is much different from what I looked for ten years. ago. Ten years ago, I was an art school student, and my goal was to dress to express. I wore wacky combinations, such as a blue sequined grandma dress with hot pink fishnets and tennis shoes. I still enjoy expressing my personality, but now the goal is to do it in a more timeless, 9-to-5 appropriate manner. I want a wardrobe that glides effortlessly from work week to weekend. I also want clothes that fit and flatter my body now, not the body I had five or ten years ago. I am going to purge my closet and pass along the clothing that is not working for me, so I can work it every day of the week.

2. Adorn myself! - I own quite a bit of jewelry, much of it vintage. However, I tend to gravitate toward the same few pieces and wear them for weeks on end. My goal is to rev up my style by wearing a broader range of the jewelry I love so much!

3. Stir things up. - I have a lot of clothes. I often wear the same clothing combinations over and over again. I could come up with some “new” looks without a swipe of my credit card by simply swapping one cardigan or pair of shoes for another. Instant. Wardrobe. Update.

How do you define your personal style? What are you wearing this summer? Do you have any shopping or closet clean-out advice? If you are following along with 8 Weeks to a Better Me, let me know. I would love to check out your blogs.  

Alison