The Day Of Limited Remembering.
Item: Dress Color/Fabric: Black/white, Silk/chiffon Designer: Express Years Owned: 4
Today I unexpectedly got called in to work at Next, and it was such a splendid way to break up my week! It is nice to get away from the sweat, and the sweatpants, and the sweaty people once in a while and be surrounded by shiny, beautiful things.
It’s just another type of playground for me.
And today I got to do a lot of playing!
A stylish and beautiful young woman came in looking for an outfit for an amazing, possibly life changing event.
I got to help her pick out a totally sexy, rockin’ outfit, and it was such fun!
It turns out that she is a musician, and very talented. Her name is Sandrine, and I think you should check out her website, here.
Days like this make me want to just work at the boutique full time, and put clothes on beautiful people.
This dress is something I wore on a not so fun day at Next. Two years ago, when I worked there more consistently, I was sort of the Emergency Girl. I would hold down the fort while the other girls had something awesome to do. Like go to the City. Or to Fashion Shows. Or get married. (Twice).
I wore this on one of the days that someone got married. I can’t remember who it was, but I had to work by myself.
Usually I would try to not wear something from Express there, but I liked my outfit. I wore this with my most favorite cardigan, black tights and flat boots, and a fringe-y, turquoise scarf that I was obsessed with then. It was a great fall outfit!
Now that I’m trying to recall that day, I’m not having much luck. Pretty much I just remember being alone. Slightly bored. A little apprehensive that we might get a giant rush of people and I would have a panic attack.
But, nothing happened. It was fine. I think someone may have come to help me in between the wedding and reception.
This summer I wore this after a performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That show was madness, and addictive, and crazy amounts of fun! A great cast, frenetic pacing, and a gifted director, my friend Lisa. Plus, I got to wear a red Mohawk and a tutu!
The hair, I kind of miss. The tutu, I kept.
This time I wore the dress by itself, with a long, lariat-ish necklace, and these boots:
It was one of the first times I had worn real heels after my surgery. For a long time, even after I had little or no pain from anything else, it was still painful to wear heels.
Thank goodness that’s behind me!
The ensemble really looked awesome after the show, with my psycho-slut makeup and teased out hair. Sadly, I can’t remember if we did anything after the show or not.
Today is just a day of limited remembering.
But I did get to play with lots of clothes! After the boutique, I went back to the gym for a few hours, then straight to the Center for a Bye Bye Birdie photo shoot. The cast looks great! I’m so excited for this show.
I guess that explains the limited remembering. It’s been a long day, and I’m beat. To bed with me!
Oh! The dress. I like it. It fits like a glove, the kind of glove that you have to expel every breath from your body to get into, and even then it’s touch and go, and takes at least 10 minutes.
But once the glove is on, breathing is possible! It feels fine, honest. It’s sort of like a corset. Who doesn’t love a corset?
**This is one of my favorites. It stays!
A Birthday! A Gown!
Item: Dress Color/Fabric: Various blues, polyester Designer: Nikki Livas Where Purchased: The Goodwill Years Owned: 10+
Today is a joyful day! It’s my one and only sister’s birthday. My sister is the kindest, most generous and completely selfless person I have ever known. She can always make me laugh, is a world champion listener, worries about me and many things too much, and has totally conquered the mom thing. How blessed am I that we happen to be related?
She’s also a very gifted photographer. Go here to check out her fb page and if you’re inclined, like it. And if you’re in the Ohio/Michigan area and need a wedding photographer, here’s her amazing website. You should go here even if you’re not in the area and bask in the glow of the love.
I was thinking today about how far she’s come, from being a harried nurse to running a successful and artistically satisfying personal business. Of course I remembered photographs she’s taken throughout the years.
Including this dress. I have always loved this dress, although as I look at it now I’m afraid the love may have waned a little. I remember finding this at one of my most favorite thrift stores in the world, the Goodwill in Bowling Green. I can’t remember exactly when this was, but I know that I was in college. Otherwise I would most likely have worn this to prom.
I found this dress so interesting. The bodice is so plain, almost like a tank top, and the color is almost like tie dye. It’s almost hippie-ish.
Until you get to the enormous train. That’s what did me in.
If you feel like dragging a yard or two around on the floor as you negotiate, well, wherever this might be appropriate, then, cool. If you are looking for a little more junk in your trunk, it has two loops and a button for a lovely French bustle. Or, and most appealing to me, you can wear the loop on your finger like a ring, and let the fabric drape off your hand, like a sophisticated Old Hollywood movie star. This option is best if there is a dance floor, and a man whirling you around in, preferably, a waltz or a fox trot. Then, the fabric will flow down from your hand on the dapper gentleman’s shoulder, a vision of effortless grace. Your dance-card will be full in no time!
Would you believe that I’ve never even tried that option? I have only worn this once, and that was for my sister to take some pictures of me in it.
I can’t remember if it was her idea or mine. Probably I put it on the very minute I brought it home after buying it, and she happened to have her camera out for some other reason.
Anyway, it was great fun. Like Glamor Shots! Which I’ve never actually done. And wonder if they still exist. For the future of the aerosol hairspray business, I sure hope so.
In the picture, the loop is, of course, over my finger.
I don’t know what happened to that picture, or I’d show you.
Now my sister has actual equipment, including a studio I’ve never even seen. She’s a pretty big deal, and I’m very proud of her. I also love her. Dearly!
The dress, though. Hmm. It does not look as polished as I remembered it. I remember thinking that this was just the epitome of sophistication. I’m not sure that I would ever wear this to an actual event. Maybe if someone invites me to prom. Should I save it for a costume, perhaps? Or hold out for prom?
**I’ve decided to say goodbye to this one. Someone, love it, please!
Oops! The Wardrobe Malfunction.
Item: Sweater/Jacket Color/Fabric: Grey, cotton/modal/spandex Designer: Linq Where Purchased: ideeli.com
Ah. What a day. It’s been a whirlwind of theatre. This morning i had our first ever rehearsal for The Drowsy Chaperone, and it was great. I am so excited to work with this group of wonderful and wonderfully talented people!
Then, tonight I had rehearsal for Bye Bye Birdie, a show that I’m assisting with costumes for. This show also looks like it’s going to amazing. I can’t wait to see my gorgeous friend Kat on stage again, and I’m also excited to actually be able to sit back and watch a show that Annie has directed.
I realized today, watching her do her thing, that I haven’t had any quality, one on one time with Annie since October. A travesty! But that was a day with a story worth writing about.
This story does have a moral, of course. It is not to be lazy while dressing and undressing. Also, not to be a slob and wear something that you wore the night before. Also, not to trust your husband’s key chain.
We met uptown, and did a little accessories shopping at Bop To Tottom, and then walked around the Farmer’s Market for a while. We were both starving, but it took us almost an hour to decide where to eat. We finally selected Gabriel’s, a tiny little place neither of us had ever been to, but literally followed our noses to.
It smelled so good that we didn’t mind having to wait for a while to get in.
And it also didn’t hurt that it was adorable.
There is mostly breakfast food and sandwiches on the menu, which suits me just fine. I ordered spectacular, award winning whole grain french toast with berries and walnuts. Indescribably delicious. Annie ordered Juevos Rancheros, with chicken and black beans, and it was also delicious.
It would have been a lovely brunch experience if it hadn’t been so hot in there.
It was roasting. When I had dressed that morning, I just threw on the same outfit I had worn out to dinnerthe night before, this sweater, a white tee, and skinny jeans. Yes, I had left it in a crumbled heap on the floor. But, no, I didn’t really care. It was quick and easy.
When I could bear it no longer, I decided the sweater had to go. I unbuttoned it and took it off, and immediately felt better.
Until I looked down and saw that my entire right boob was out. In a bra, of course, but still, out.
Here’s what happened; in my haste to go to sleep the night before, I just peeled off tee and sweater as though they were a single layer. And in the morning, I put them on the same way. Convenient.
Unbeknownst to me, however, was the fact that I missed the right sleeve of my tee shirt entirely.
Hence the boob, out.
There was no easy fix, either. I just had to throw on the sweater and run to the bathroom and have another stab at getting dressed.
A memorable brunch!
Then, we headed for more shopping, stopping at a few stores before meeting our sweet friend Carolyn at Marshall’s. Where I didn’t buy a single thing!
I was rather depressed, since this was the day that Nate left for India. You know that it must have been bad for me to escape Marshall’s with my wallet unscathed. So finally, exhausted and sad, I headed home.
To find that I had no house key.
Nate had told me to drive his car while he was away, but forgot to inform me that there was no house key on his key chain.
For some reason this was enough for me to turn into a blubbering mess. Literally, I could not stop crying. I felt completely unable to function as a person without Nate. It seemed like I would never survive the three weeks. Luckily, I am blessed enough to have not one, but four friends come to my rescue in my hour of need; Annie, Vicki, Kevin, and Michael. Kevin nimbly helped get me back inside the house, and I will never forget the sight of his legs sticking out of my laundry room window. I had such love and support from everyone else that my meltdown slowly receded.
It was, all in all, an interesting day. I would do it again in a heartbeat, minus the boob and the meltdown, perhaps. The French toast, though, , for sure! Maybe I can have another date with my Annie…I miss her.
Well, about the sweater. It is soft, and very very cozy. The top button tends to come unbuttoned, which drives me crazy, but I still like this. I’ve worn it a lot already. In fact, Kevin’s voice saying “I’ve seen you in this before” is echoing around in my head. Maybe I’ve worn this too much. Maybe I’m tired of it.
**I do wear this a lot. I’m keeping it, for now.
O Valencia!
Item: Tank top Color/Fabric: Blue/white, cotton/polyester Designer: Eloise Where Purchased: Anthroplogie Years Owned: 0.5
Tomorrow my first batch of Ebay auctions end, and I’m not sure that this experiment was a success. Certainly I was not attempting it for money; I just was hopeful that a few fun readers who didn’t know me might pop in and give some unbiased opinions on my clothes. I think I’ll try a few more times, and then re-evaluate if Ebay is worth the trouble.
Even though I have owned this funny little thing for a very short time, I have already worn it two times, which should be a good omen for it. The first was for a production of Death Of A Salesman, which was sort of a miracle. And the second, in Spain.
When we were in Spain, we spent a week on the Mediterranean coast in a little town called Calpe. I chose it because it looked like it was in a prime location for lots of exploring in the area. Nate failed to tell me, though, that he didn’t really want to drive anywhere. So mostly we just relaxed around the resort. And that in itself was wonderful.
On our very last day, though, I became restless. I could not believe that we were going to be so close to so many wondrous places and not get to see them.
Therefore, we headed to Valencia.
Nate had really wanted to see the Aquarium there, as it’s World famous, but we left to late to really make it worthwhile. Instead, we wandered around the starkly modern Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. The architecture was remarkable, built to resemble an underwater seascape complete with waves and corals and giant molluscs.
Then we headed into the ancient, noble city of Valencia, with orange trees everywhere, blue tiles on the domes of buildings, and beautiful, shining marbled sidewalks. Of main interest to me here was the Holy Grail. Yes, Valencia lays claim to the genuine Holy Grail, and I was dying with curiosity to see it. It lies in the beautiful and eclectic Cathedral.
We were forced to purchase an audio tour, and the highlights were pointed out by the attendees.
“Of special interest are our two Goyas in number 16, and the Holy Grail in number 19.”
So nonchalant.
Then, a question.
The woman looked at me politely, and asked, “Is this considered warm where you’re from?”
This because I was wearing this tank top and had forgotten my jacket in the car. It was not even 60 outside.
“Oh, no.” I answered. “I forgot my jacket.” They nodded, even though I’m not sure they understood. They just kept staring at me as if I was crazy and smiling.
The Cathedral was one of the most interesting we’ve visited. It had a mixture of arctectual styles, and the severed arm of a Saint.
And, of course, the Holy Grail.
The Chapel that houses it is awe-inspiring on its own. The cup has been there for the last five hundred years, and the history is almost palpable. The Grail itself looks rather…fresh. They claim that the cup part, made of agate, is the Holy Grail, and the ornamental handles and elaborate base were added on throughout the years.
Whatever its true history, it was a beautiful and mysterious artifact.
Our last stop was to the Bell Tower of the Cathedral. On our way out, the women at the desk stopped us again for one more question, this time for Nate.
“Are you… Chris O’Donnell?” she asked shyly.
“Um, no,” Nate answered, laughing. I don’t think they believed this answer, either.
We’ve visited many, many towers in our European travels, and I’ve developed this habit of counting the steps. The Tower in Valencia had 300, rising up in a very tight spiral.
Tower climbing is not for the faint of heart or the out of shape.
But the view from the top- unbelieveable.
Here I am:
You can see here the Spanish trend we found in every city; graffiti. It seems so much more prolific than in any country we’ve gone to. We even saw names carved into innocent cacti. It’s sad.
Anyway, we did not stay long in Valencia. One very good reason why is that people stared at me and my scandalous bare arms everywhere, people dressed in parkas, scarves and mittens, and full on winter gear. While I thought that they were extreme for temperatures in the mid to high 50’s, I was greatly outnumbered. I don’t think I’ve ever attracted so much attention at any other time. Nate found it hilarious. I held my chin up and attempted to make it work.
But goosebumps are just never stylish.
Someday, we will return to Valencia and spend much more time there. It deserves more than a few hours.
And I still like this top, in more appropriate weather.
**I’ve worn this even more times! I must like it a lot. It’s staying.
If You Like It, Then You Shoulda Put A Ring On It.
Item: Dress Color/Fabric: Sassy bronze, cotton, metal, and silk Designer: La Rok Where Purchased: Next Boutique Years Owned: 4
Today I realized something frightening. I have been back from Spain for exactly one month. It has gone agonizingly slow, but somehow faster than lightning at the same time. It honestly feels like I’ve been back for months. A lot has been packed into the last four weeks, I suppose.
What has not been packed, at all, into the last four weeks is Kerry-related shopping. I have not bought a single pair of shoes, piece of clothing, or any type of jewelry since I’ve been home. I did come close today, though, I must tell you. I did visit a few prohibited websites under the guise of “Christmas shopping.” Really I was just tormented by wondering what new stock my have come in. However, I am a warrior! I did not fall. Not today, my friends! Not tomorrow!
I was reminded of this little dress type thing this weekend at the MAC Christmas party. It was at BSP, a place I had never been to before. But I did peer into the window once, though.
My beauteous Lizzie had wanted to go salsa dancing. We had talked about it for ages. I don’t exactly formally know how to salsa dance. But I’m very good at putting on my dance face and pretending like I do. So I was looking forward to it, ever so much.
I was not sure what to wear to dance salsa. Actually, I kind of know what most women wear, and did not feel like wearing such things. So I decided to wear a metallic baby-doll dress and skinny jeans.
I have always loved this little dress, because it has a surprise. In the front, it is sweet and sort of demure, if a little on the shiny side. Then, I turn around. Wham! 
Didn’t see that coming, did you? This has what I call, a backlace. It is meant to be worn in the back, but if you aren’t quite feeling up to Celene Dion on a particular day, you could surely swing it around to the front. You can even detach it an where it with other things!
Perhaps that’s why it was so very expensive for something so tissue-thin. There really is no substance to the dress part. All of these we carried at Next got marked down drastically, because they were really astoundingly overpriced. Almost like real gold had been melted into the fabric.
Anyway, wearing a dress with numerous heavy chains that will whip wildly back and forth while I was dancing with Latin abandon seemed like a brilliant plan!
So Lizzie and I procured our chauffer for the evening, Nate, and headed to BSP.
Then we looked in the window. It was white, and stark, and there were only a handful of people, and no dance floor, and no sign of salsa flavor. We stared in disbelief for a few seconds, and then turned to each other. Simulaneous head shaking.
But on Saturday, I learned the secret.
Lizzie, there is an awesome dance space in the back! That’s where all the dancers were!
Yes, we were a little heartbroken, but the night was still young. We couldn’t decide where to go. And then, it came to us. The Hurley Mountain Inn. We would go and eat fried pickles!
If you have never eaten the fried pickles at the Hurley Mountain Inn, I want you to promise that you will go, before the year ends. It’s that important. They will change your life.
Our friend Mike was working, which was a nice surprise, and there was even dancing! Who cares if I felt very out of place in my weird overpriced metal thing with the lethal swinging chains? It was great fun.
We didn’t do that much dancing. Just enough to feel satisfied, but not exhausted. We even got to salsa a little.
My favorite, though was when “Single Ladies” came on. That was the very first time I had hear that song in a dance-appropriate situation, and it was amazing! It makes me get all attitude-y with Nate. I even push him around a bit. I really get into it, and can almost actually feel angry, until he reminds me that he did, in fact, put a ring on it.
Maybe I mean a bigger ring.
Ha, only joking. I love my speck. It reminds me of Who-ville.
And I will see Lizzie in the blink of an eye, and hope we can squeeze in some dancing!
I’m interested to hear what you think of this one. It is not everyone’s cup of tea, and I know metals can be hard. As can backlaces.
**This is just too unique. I feel compelled to keep it.
Ode To Detroit!
Item: Tee-shirt Color/Fabric: White/crazy paint, cotton Designer: BDG Where Purchased: Urban Outfitters Years Owned: 8
The Vault of Nostalgery opens once more! This time I have found what was for many years my favorite tee. It was one of my $1 finds at Urban Outfitters, and one of the best because it was a unique combination of fashion and craft project.
In case you could not tell, I painted this my self! I felt very clever for using metallic paint. I’m not sure what exactly is clever about metallic paint, but that’s how I felt.
Something else I can’t tell you is how this ended up in the Vault of Nostalgery in the first place. It’s not like the other items in the Vault, since it’s still pretty much wearable. Perhaps I just wore this too much and got sick of it, but could not bring myself to get rid of it. Or perhaps I was trying to shut away the strongest memory I have of wearing it.
Yeah. It’s embarrassing.
This was I think close to eight years ago now. I was still living in Michigan, and had bought two tickets to see Beck and The Flaming Lips play in Detroit. On a whim, I decided to ask my friend Erica if she and her boyfriend (now husband) Ian wanted to go, too.
Erica was one of my dearest friends in high school, and Ian was my first-ever boyfriend when I was 12. I have a trove of ridiculous, hysterical, and wonderful memories of both of them.
But I did not, and still do not, see them enough, and Detroit was sort of halfway between us, and it seemed like a wonderful plan.
Nate could not go, so I went with our friend and roommate Ashley.
We were very excited.
It seemed like such a grown up, adventurous thing to do, driving to the big city, just us girls. It was quite thrilling.
We met Erica and Ian in downtown Detroit, and promptly headed to a bar.
This was the first time I had seen either of them in a long time, and I was inexplicably nervous, and was hoping a beer would loosen me up a little.
Ha.
We went to a very cool sort of dive bar, most likely exactly what you’re picturing in your mind when you visualize a Detroit bar. And they had 50 or 100 beers on tap or something. There were just taps everywhere. It was like a giant pipe organ made out of beer taps.
We decided to play a game called “Let’ all choose a beer we’ve never had before!” This is a very good game.
20 minute later, I am totally relaxed, talking about high school, sharing laughs and memories, being old pals.
Then I got up to use the bathroom. As I was leaving, Ashley and Erica came in. And outside waiting for us, Ian. Some sort of light struggled to turn on in my brain, something about how you should never, never leave a something unattended in a something. I shrugged it off.
Then when I got back to our drinks, there was a tip laying by them. As though perhaps someone had even approached our drinks in our absence.
How funny! I thought, and finished my beer. This naivety is one of the downsides to growing up in a cornfield.
Still having some time before the show began, we went and sat in Ian’s car and talked. I think we listened to Sea Change (oh, great album. Get it right now.)
This is when I started to feel like something was wrong.
Once we entered the theater, I was in sad sorry shape. Well, we all were, except Ashly, who did not drink anything in the bar. I have never been so dizzy in all my life. And then I lost all motor abilities. An usher literally carried me to my seat, while The Flaming Lips were playing. I only remember some animal costumes, and thinking they were the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen.
Beck came on, played two notes of my favorite song, a little ditty called “Cold Brains,” and then my mind fled. I don’t remember anything else, except some crazy dancing at one point.
But it just would not be a concert experience if I did not do some crazy dancing.
And here is the Great Debate in my life.
I remember this: The concert ending, and having to use the bathroom, getting lost, going through some swinging doors, wandering down a hallway, finding a deserted bathroom, coming out and making a wrong turn, going to Beck’s dressing room, seeing him chatting in a white bathrobe, a guard screaming and asking me what I thought I was doing, blubbering that I honestly had no idea, getting literally dragged down a hallway so severly that my arms were bruised for weeks, ending up by a large line of people with backstage passes, and then finding Ashley and crying.
Ashley remembers this: I disappeared for 45 minutes, could not possibly have gone backstage or seen Beck in a white bathrobe, and then suddenly I reappear just when she was ready to call the cops.
Such a mystery.
Here’s the even worse part of this story: Erica got violently ill as soon as the concert started, and they actually left before Beck even played. She was sick for days.
Ian was positive that we were drugged. Since I have nothing to compare it to, I can’t say. I just know that never in all my life have I ever felt like that. And my mouth tasted like copper for two days. It was horrible.
So, yes, we were stupid, and yes, we should have been more careful. But in the end we were all fine, and very, very lucky. Lesson learned.
The only bad thing that really happened was that we bought some books we didn’t need from some guy on the street. Yep, we found the only guy in Detroit prowling around selling books. Amazing.
I wish I could get a do-over on that night. It should have been legendary in a much different, less humiliating way. And I miss all of those friends. It physically hurts me.
And now for the matter at hand. Can I even fit into this shirt still? It’s teeny. With those funny sort of sleeves that I’m just not sure my guns will fit into. But I did paint it myself, and am rather proud of it, and wish that my hair could have gold and silver streaks in it. And that I had neon green eyes.
**I’m sad to let this go, but it’s just too small. I would love someone to give it a happy home!!
I Could Cry Salty Tears.
Item: Skirt Color/Fabric: Turquoise and Royal blue, cotton Designer: Odille Where Purchased: Salvation Army Years Owned: 1.5
It has been a somber sort of day. I’m not sure if it is the fact that I didn’t sleep well last night, or if I’m still recovering from my mysterious illness on Sunday, or if I’m just depressed because I still have not managed to complete my Christmas decorations.
It also, most likely, has something to do with the fact that I have been thinking about Pearl Harbor all the day long. It started this afternoon, when I saw a picture on the internet; until then I had forgotten what the date was.
And I started to think about last year, when we visited the Pearl Harbor memorial in Hawaii.
I didn’t know that it would be so enormously powerful. In the beginning I really thought that I would not feel much. We had skipped breakfast in order to get there early, as we had a packed day ahead of us. Was it even our last day? I can’t remember, but it’s very possible. We got our tickets, then had to wait for a while to watch a film, then take a boat to the USS Arizona memorial.
We bought snacks from a stand, and stood around laughing and enjoying some of the last Hawaii sunbeams that would touch our skin. There were missiles, and huge battle guns that you could sit on and play with. And the ocean, all around, shining like a sapphire.
It just did not seem conceivable that such unimaginable tragedy could ever have touched that paradise. It didn’t seem real to me, at all.
When we went in to watch the film, the volunteer that led us recounted his personal tale, having witnessed the attack as a little boy. That was the first time that it started to feel real to me, but I think at that point I still felt more sad about the prospect of going home.
Then, the boat ride out to the memorial. Passing along the way all of the boats that had sunk in the Harbor. I had never realized that part of the boats would still be visible. And it felt real, beyond a doubt, at that point. It was like a fist beginning to close around my heart. Then, this:
The memorial was so beautiful, and elegant. The contrast between the perfect whiteness of the memorial and the rusted metal of the ship it was immortizilizing simply took my breath away. Again, I had no idea that the memorial was built directly above the ship, and that the ship was still visible. Or that oil was still rising up from the wreckage. Still! You could stand and watch it bubble to the surface. Like it had happened only yesterday.
One of the most striking images I remember is the fish swimming around in the wreck of the ship. The same brilliantly colored fish we pursued snorkeling in the open ocean made their home among that rusted metal. It was a stirring reminder of the resilience of the world.
I could not help but weep for the men who had died right beneath my feet. But the moment when my heart broke entirely, and still may never recover, was when I was reading the names of the men entombed in the ship. At the end of the list, there were a few additional names. Men who had survived the attack but asked to have been buried at the ship with their lost comrades. That I just could not handle. The thought of those men, surviving such a horror, and then healing, living their entire lives, perhaps having a family. With that day always, always a part of them, so much so that they wanted to return there upon their death.
Ah. It’s just too much for me to comprehend…
Now it seems silly that I would choose to wear such an irreverent sort of skirt to such a place. I had bought this with Lisa at Uncle Sal’s on a half priced Wednesday, the week before our trip. It is not my size. Not even close. But it just seemed so tropical, and I loved the fullness and the weight of it that I tried it anyway. It has a drawstring, so I could just cinch it up, and it worked. It is the fullest skirt I’ve ever owned, perhaps to the point of absurdity, so much so that I didn’t even attempt to put it on Trixie. It would swallow her up. I am very partial to it. I do sort of wonder, though, how it might look if it was the correct size. I have contemplated letting this go for that reason, but I just have not been able to bring myself to.
**This has made it on stage for a few shows now, and it looks great. I will probably wear it again, too, someday, so it stays.
A Time To Panic.
Item: Trousers Color/Fabric: Pale grey, linen Designer: Bica Cheia Where Purchased: Anthropologie Years Owned: 2
Today I offer before you my linen Sailor pants. These are something that I bought before I went to Europe two years ago, convincing myself that I needed them to have something comfy to wear on the plane.
That was a bad idea.
Linen does not much like to be sat upon for 8 hours on an airplane. It gets very wrinkly.
However, once I disembarked from the plane I no longer cared whether my pants were wrinkly or not. I was in a state of sheer, blind panic.
Nate was flying into Frankfurt from India, and we were supposed to meet up with each other in the airport. But the time difference between us when he was in India was 9 and a half hours. In the hurry to pack and prepare to leave, he was already on his plane before I realized that we had not specified a place to meet, or come up with a plan for if we couldn’t find each other.
At first I did not think this omission was such a big deal. I figured I would have no trouble navigating the Frankfurt airport, as they were sure to have signs in English as well, plus people who could direct me if I needed help.
This did not prove to be true. Bleary eyed and exhausted, I could not decipher even the pictorial signs in the airport. Most of the signs had little green men running, and an arrow. What did this mean? Emergency? Bathroom?
Enter the panic.
I didn’t know where to go, and I could not find anyone who spoke English to help me. I finally managed to find my way to the correct baggage claim, mostly by following other people, and found my luggage, but part of me was certain that Nate would be waiting by the baggage claim.
He was not.
What if there was a problem with his flight? I didn’t even know his flight number. What if he was in the bathroom when I was collecting my luggage and we missed each other? Should I leave the terminal? I know I would not be able to get back in if I exited and found no husband.
I started to sweat. My heart pounded in my ears. Somehow my dehydrated body found the means to produce tears.
I stood rooted to the spot, looking in every direction, trying to decide what to do. It seemed like the only choice I had was to leave, and hope that was right. I was actually shaking when I walked through the giant glass doors, blinking back tears.
And then, the flash of a camera, and my sweetheart’s smiling face. Whew! Here is the exact moment of relief:
I think that the crazy bend of my body here is the first sign of the injury that would plauge me for the next year and a half. That really doesn’t look normal!
So I guess it’s appropriate that I did wear these pants another time, also associated with panic. It was my second follow-up visit with my orthopedist after my surgery. I was supposed to have my stitches removed. And again, it was not the smarted time to choose to wear these pants. They’re so very wide on the bottom that it makes it very difficult to not get crutches tangled up in them.
We were in the car, just starting the hour and a half drive to my doctor, when I started having difficulty breathing. It just felt like someone was sitting on my chest, and no matter how hard I tried I could not get a good lungful of breath.
I mentioned this immediately to my doctor, whose name was really Dr. Angel.
“Kerry, ” he said in his cool, calm voice. “I’m going to have to go ahead and ask you to go to the Emergency Room.”
Possible pulmonary embolism! Enter the panic a second time.
Seven hours later, it had been publicly determined that I was a poor housekeeper and that my house was too dusty to stay cooped up in for three weeks without allergy consequences. Awesome.
That day did have a nice ending, though. We went to a fantastic Mexican restaurant and I got the best fajitas I have found this side of La Senorita.
And I think the moral of this story is that sometimes I really need to just chill out and relax. Nothing ever turns out bad as it seems when my head fills up with panic.
I do still like the pants. They are so roomy and slouchy, and ride dangerously low on my hips that sometimes I wonder if they’re too large. But then I think of how comfy they are and really don’t care. But perhaps I should.
**These are so comfy. They’re staying for a while longer!
See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me.
Item: Blouse Color/Fabric: Navy, silk Designer: Marc Jacobs Where Purchased: Barney’s Co-op Years Owned: 3
This was not a good day. I felt horrible all day long, with such awful stomach pains that I could not even walk, combined with body aches and a ridiculous weakness. I don’t think I’ve had a day where I just laid around all day since my surgery.
It drove me a little crazy. I had so much I needed to accomplish today, and nothing got done.
The only thing that I did manage to accomplish was that I listed a few things on Ebay! I’m kind of nervous, as this is the first time I’ve attempted to sell anything that wasn’t brand new. I was as honest as possible, and gave links to the blog so that any prospective buyer is as informed as possible. Still, I feel nervous.
Now for the business at hand- and I’m afraid it will be brief tonight. I bought this blouse at my first Barney’s President’s Day sale at Woodbury Common, the event that pretty much spoiled me for all other shopping. And I have worn this a lot. It’s great to wear under blazers, and quite nice just on its own.
One time I have worn this that I will never forget was the Summer of 2009, after a performance of Tommy. Rarely have I ever had such fun on stage as in Tommy. It just literally rocked. The energy was so frenetic that we only stopped moving at the end of each act. I believe I drank an entire gallon of water during each performance. And the cast and crew was wonderful!
Nate’s former gymnastic teammate was coming up to see the show on this particular night, and I slyly invited my friend Carissa to come see the show and hang out with Chris. Given my track record with setting friends up on dates, someone surely should have stopped me. But alas, there was no interference.
I thought things were going well. We went briefly to the Double-O, and then went to hang out at our house, with a large part of the cast and even a few other friends not in the cast. It was very laid back and fun, such a nice time, and then our friend Tiffany showed up and whisked Carissa away. I knew then that my plan was not a success.
What else could I do except throw a spontaneous Murder Mystery party?
This prospect seemed very exciting to almost everyone, so I ran upstairs, grabbed costume pieces for everyone, and changed out of my white trousers and into a black pencil skirt. I wish that I could tell you why. I don’t really feel like a black pencil skirt would look good with this blouse, do you?
It was sheer madness.
As for the murder, I think that the princess did it, but I can’t remember who was even playing the princess. Mostly we were all just laughing and being loud and annoying.
Gradually, everyone left except for Vicki. We put in Moulin Rouge, and chatted until the wee hours of the night.
Sometimes spontaneity is fun. Usually it just makes me nervous, and I just can’t pull it off. I think that with every year that passes, I lose a little bit more of whatever magic allows one to be spontaneous. In ten more years I will most likely be doing the exact sme thing day after day after day.
But this particular evening was a time when nothing was planned, and everything just fell together in a perfect, harmonious meld. I can’t help but smile when I think about that night.
The only problem with this blouse is that it has little snap closures. Sometimes my heaving bosom will just pop the first two snaps. That is the curse of having been blessed with such mountainous curves, I suppose. Is that enough reason to toss something so lovely?
**This is one of my all-time favorites. I’m keeping it.
Heavy Metal Lightning.
Item: Skirt Color/Fabric: Gold. cotton/polyester/steel- yes, steel!! Designer: David Meister Where Purchased: Last Call Neiman Marcus Years Owned: 5
Tonight I had the honor of going to a work party! Dare I say that I had fun? Indeed, I did! I know that many people out there probably cringe at the idea of the work or office Christmas Party. But I happen to work with some really beautiful people, and I know that we would be friends even if we didn’t work together. We danced and laughed and had a wonderful time.
I wish, though, that I had not been a coward. At the last minute, I did not wear my Tiny Hat with the feathers.
I feared that it might cause unnecessary drama, and I did not want unnecessary drama. Seriously, though, how much drama could one Tiny Hat cause?
I have never been brave. It’s a problem.
So I started thinking about the first, and only other Holiday Party we’ve had since I was working at the gym. It was during my first year of working there, and I had only been there for a few months. I didn’t really know anyone that well yet, so I felt extra nervous.
I spent countless hours trying to decide what to wear, and finally decided on this metallic skirt, and a red blouse that I have already written about (here). Festive!
I love the heft of this skirt. It is weighty- there is substance, for sure. Now I know why; because it’s made with actual metal. But before I thought it was just because it’s full.
Sometimes for me it’s all about how clothes feel. There’s just something that makes my smile a little more secretive when I’m wearing something like a weighty skirt. I think it makes me feel more like a woman.
Most of the time when I’m watching movies that have period costumes I’m wondering what those gowns would feel like to wear. My favorite example is Kate Winslet in Titanic. I am fascinated by her wardrobe in that movie. I love the sound that the red beaded dress makes when she is running. You can just tell that that is a weighty dress and that it felt amazing to wear.
I wish that we still did things like “dress” for dinner every night, or wore hoops beneath our skirts.
That’s why I take every opportunity I can to wear a skirt or a dress.
That, and the fact that I wear sweatpants every day to work.
Again I digress. I loved my festive outfit for that Christmas party. This skirt always kind of reminds me of the Degas Little Dancer sculpture, so it makes me feel a little bit more magical than usual.
The best part of the party was getting to hang out with Annie and her boyfriend Rob. Annie was the reason that I even started to work for the gym, and we became close friends really quickly. I would never have thought that such a friendship could come from a work situation, and yet somehow it happened. And thank goodness. I would never have survived without Annie, and I don’t know what I would do without her in my life.
The night ended early, and rather abruptly. There was apparently some undisclosed shrimp in the food, and Annie is very allergic and got really sick.
It was such a nice party until then!
I would never have thought that night, though, that I would be doing what I do now for the company. Sometimes I still think it’s crazy. I’m incredibly fortunate to have been given such opportunities, and so thankful to have such a great team to work work with.
However, I just can’t help but look back with longing on the days when I stayed home and wrote all day long. Eventually, that’s where I’d like to be again. Maybe when I’m 70…
As much as I do like this skirt, I haven’t worn it much more than that night. It isn’t the most flattering length on me- it’s a tad too long. But it’s not like anything else that I own, so that’s a good reason to keep. Right?
**This is so special. I’m keeping it for a while!
I Am What I Wore 