And I, Like A Firework, Explode.
Item: Dress Color/Fabric: Cherry Red, silk Designer: Julie Haus Where Purchased: Next Boutique Years Owned: 4
This week I am going to try to surround myself in happy, smiley, perfect memories. And there is nothing like a shiny red bubble dress to raise one’s spirits!
This dress has to reign as one of my favorites. At least Top Twenty. As soon as I pulled this from the rack, it instantly brought a smile to my face. It has this perfectly flattering Ballerina neckline, and it poofs out in the most playful of ways. It is lined with the softest gold metallic fabric that is like a secret in my pocket when I wear it. Oh, and did I mention it also has pockets? Yup. I adore a fancy dress with pockets. It lets you have that ever so slightly slouchy and easy posture that says, ” I do this without even trying, and I couldn’t care less.” I love that.
Even with all these excellent reasons to love this, I’ve only worn it a single time.
My friend Andy, who was more Nate’s friend than mine at this point, since I’d only met him a few times, was having a football themed birthday party. Costumes were very strongly encouraged. So, what were our options? Cheerleader? Referee? Hot dog?
None of those ideas would cut the mustard, as it were. Real costume parties have been few and far between in my life, and I wanted to make this one good. Then Annie came up with a Fireworks theme. And yes, I do know that not many football games include a firework display. But the Superbowl at least always has some sort of pyrotechnics. At least I think it does…
Anyway, so we decided to be fireworks. We spent many hours planning our costumes, and even had hoped to include a short choreographed explosion dance piece. Sadly, we ran out of time for that part.
But the Firework costumes were awesome. As soon as the idea was born, I automatically knew I would be a Cherry Bomb. First of all, my nickname was Cherry, and second of all, I would have a reason to buy this glorious dress. Perfect! As a bonus, I also got to wear my Super Hero boots:
And Touchdown! A totally fun outfit. We made Nate into a Born In the USA firework, Annie was a crazy sort of Grand Finale firework, and Kevin was one of those big beautiful star-shaped fireworks. Here is a picture of us all, and I hope no one minds if I post this, but it’s just so fabulous:
The super excited Football Player in front is Andy. In case you couldn’t tell, he loved our costumes. We were awarded Ribbons of Excellence.
What memorable evening! It was a smashing good time. A few highlights were dancing with a mysterious masked Matador (which, I think, are even rarer at football games than fireworks) who I did not know then but one day would become a dear friend, an unforgettable performance of “Wind It Up,” and cupcakes. Many, many cupcakes. With much frosting.
Smiling.
Why haven’t I worn this dress since? I’m not sure. Maybe there’s a one great memory limit? Is it worth hanging on to if I love it but never wear it? Might there one day be an encore to the Firework show?
Roman candle lightning love.
**Of course I am keeping this. Also the boots. Was there a doubt?
With My By Myself!
So I didn’t write yesterday. I’m trying not to feel bad about it or beat myself up or make excuses. It just didn’t happen.
What did happen was that I locked myself out of my house during the first few hours of being husbandless for three weeks, and cried for nearly two entire hours. Thankfully, I have some wonderful, selfless, and very tall friends who are always there to talk me off of the ledge or the porch railing when I have a meltdown.
The truth is that I have a very hard time navigating the world when Nate’s not with me. It takes me a while to regain a little equilibrium. So I might not be entirely myself for the next few days, but I will keep trying to get back in it and write away.
But enough of the self pitying. Here goes the trying.
Item: Sweater dress Color/Fabric: Light grey, acrylic Designer: Lux Where Purchased: Urban Outfitters Years Owned: 4
Here is a sweet little sweater dress. I bought this online, and was enamored with it entirely. I love the neckline, and the pleated shoulder. I wore this to work at Next one day, and got great feedback, which, let’s be honest, doesn’t always happen to me when I’m working there. It looked like I was going to have a long and exclusive relationship with this sweater.
And then, this happened:
Item: Sweater Dress Color/Fabric: Dark Grey, cashmere Designer: Karoo Where Purchased: Next Boutique Years Owned: 3.5
Yes, another grey sweater dress! This one was returned to Next, and I got to buy it for 75% off. And it’s a little sleeker, a little more sophisticated, and a lot warmer. And so I shoved the poor little Lux dress to the back of the closet, and relied mostly on the cashmere one when I wanted a sweater dress.
I have worn this one so many times. I will put it on with tights and boots as a dress. I will belt it and wear it with jeans as a sweater. I just have never gotten tired of it!
But I discovered the neglected first dress this weekend, and our love was rekindled. Now I feel torn. Is it silly to have two grey sweater dresses? I know that they are similar, but they’re also very different. Number One is lighter and airier, more of an early fall or a spring dress. It’s also a little longer, and a little more dress-like.
Number Two is a serious sweater. It’s very warm, and has done me well on the streets of Manhattan in the winter time. I also wore this on a trip to Tennessee, where I finished writing my book two years ago. So I have many more tangible memories with Number Two. Plus, I love the kimono sleeves. I also love cashmere.
I have to confess that I want to keep these both. I don’t think that I can choose between them. It’s an impossible choice. But give me some opinions, please.
**I kept Number Two, but just recently decided to toss Number One. I don’t think it’s meant for me- the fit is just not quite right. Anyone want to claim it?
I admit, though, that since I have obtained another grey sweater dress. So I really haven’t gotten anywhere…
An Unidentified Jean-like Garment
Item: Jeans/Trousers? Color/Fabric: Brown, polyester/cotton/spandex Designer: Gap Years Owned: I honestly can’t remember, but at least 6. I’m feeling 8, though.
Today for your contemplation I have a strange pair of pants that sort of want to be jeans and sort of want to be trousers. They are not trouser jeans, which I love dearly. They are instead some sort of unwholesome hybrid that is neither here nor there.
I don’t remember buying these, but I remember feeling thrilled, as though I had purchased a professional, sophisticated pair of trousers. Or were they jeans? This was a time in my life when I only felt comfortable wearing a dress if it was a wedding or a funeral. So I would wear these pants when I wanted to “dress up.”
I liked that they had a little bit of shimmer to them, that they weren’t just flat brown. And that they were styled like jeans, but not jean color. Or fabric.
I wore these jeans when I went to interview at the Countryside Animal Hospital, about six months after I moved here. I wore a lime green merino turtleneck sweater, a cranberry colored wool trench coat, and my classic Prada oxfords: 
(For the story of these shoes, see my post https://voltee.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/prada-a-tale-of-regret/)
I felt immaculately professional. And I got the job! It was such a great feeling. After staying at home for months, in true hermit fashion, I finally felt like I would be a Contributor. I would make my own money. I felt empowered.
However, it wasn’t really much money. And I only lasted about 6 months. And things ended really horribly. I was, rather indirectly, blamed for the death of a dog. I’ve never felt so awful in all my life. To this day I do not think it was my fault- I relayed the symptoms the dog’s owner told me to the vet, and the vet chose not to see the dog for hours. But by then it was too late to save him. Sometime I think of that situation, and I tell myself I was not to blame, and I almost wholeheartedly believe it, but there is still a doubt that pulls at me. Maybe I didn’t ask the right questions. Maybe I should have pleaded with the vet. Maybe I should have told the owner to bring the dog in anyway. I don’t think it will ever leave me.
I wasn’t fired, or, as I said, even blamed directly. But I did receive a “talking to,” that left no doubt in my mind who the doctor felt was to blame. I stayed and worked there for a few more months, but it just kept eating away at me. And then I quit.
Which began one of the happiest periods of my life, the Months of Prolific Writing. I probably would not have felt free to do such a thing if I had not made at least a little income that year. So I guess after all these trousers have brought me some good fortune.
But have I worn them in the last three years? Doubtful. Do I still think they are flattering on me? Unsure. Now that I own real trousers, is there a reason to keep these impostors?
**These had to go. I don’t think I have any other garment that has been shown such universal disdain. But maybe someone out there wants them anyway?
Pointy Bird, Oh Pointy, Pointy…
Item: Blouse Color/Fabric: Emerald, silk/cotton Designer: Odille Where Purchased: Anthropologie Years Owned: 3
Tonight I am not feeling so creative. I knew that it was bound to be one of those evenings where the words run amok in my head and do not want to come out. So I asked Nate to give me a color to write about. “Green,” he answered definitively. Even though I did write about something green yesterday, I decided to go for it, and pulled out this blouse.
This was an internet purchase. I was so excited when I found it that I made a little paper-chain calendar to count down the days until it would arrive. Ok, so not really, but I do so love those paper-chains and would really like to make one. They are a really simple and beautiful concept, I think. But I digress.
Here I was, shivering with anticip-pation for this blouse to become mine. And when I finally lifted it from the box three long, endless days later, it did not disappoint. Oh, green blouse! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: I love your jewel-like coloration. I love your enchanting sweetheart neckline. I love your romantic scalloped hem. I love your flattering cap sleeves. And I love your softness and shininess.
I immediately removed the crap I had been wearing and slid this blouse on. I ran up to the mirror to see it in all its vintagey glory, and- wait. What’s this? I turned to the side. That’s… peculiar, I thought. There is a fold of fabric that sticks out on the right breast region, like this: 
Horrors! So I had not bought the perfect blouse, after all. I thought maybe the flaw would not be that noticeable to others not staring directly at my profile. Or, I reasoned, perhaps it wasn’t a flaw at all. Perhaps it is just a part of the design, and it is a mark of fashion-forwardness to strut around with Madonna-esque pointy boobs. I could maybe buy that, except that there is only ONE pointy boob. Righty. The left one is normal. So it does, unfortunately, seem to be a design flaw.
Did that stop me from wearing this? Not at all. I may not have proudly flaunted the pointy boob, but I did not shrink in fear. I put a velvet blazer over top, and I wore this ensemble to the Center, but I can’t remember which show it was. I keep thinking “Sweeney Todd.” I might be making that up.
I just remember that my friend Kevin greeted me and said, “Oh, is it St. Patrick’s Day? I didn’t know!” Maybe the jewel tone is a little overpowering.
At some point in the evening, I did remove the velvet blazer. I felt very self-conscious about the pointiness. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. No one commented about THAT, however.
I know I’ve worn this at least one other time. That time I tried a serious sort of push-up bra with it. I rationalized that perhaps if the blouse was filled to capacity, the fold wouldn’t be quite so pointy. Wrong again.
I have often considered trying to sew it somehow, with no follow through. I’m not sure it’s even fixable. Or even worth the attempt. What do you seamstresses out there think?
**This is shameful. I did decide to get rid of this, and listed it on eBay, but at the last second I found I couldn’t bear to think of life without it. It’s just that I’ve never found anything else this precise shade of green. I am going to fix it somehow. You’ll see.
Some People Think That Laughter Is Sexy.
Item: Gown Color/Fabric: Mermaid Green, silk Designer: Vera Wang Where Purchased: TJ Maxx Years Owned: 3
Well, today I celebrated my husband’s birthday. It was a splendid evening, and stuffed with food and friends and love. But it got my mind thinking about celebrations in general, and birthdays in particular. When I was about to turn thirty, at approximately the same time as my dear friend Annie, we decided to have a joint birthday party. And since we were both heading into the big 3-0, we decided to have a 1930’s Hollywood theme. and we chose to display portraits of ourselves in Hollywood glam. What other option was there?
So this dress is one of the Great Finds of my life. I literally almost fell onto the floor weeping when I found this on the clearance rack for less than two tickets to a movie. Will I ever find a treasure more worthy than this? Who can say? But the fact is that the birthday “photo shoot” was the first and last time I have ever worn this. That is just so sad, because it really is gorgeous. Putting it on is like slipping into a pool of dreams. It kisses my skin. I love the way that it feels.
Anyway, we only had one night that would be feesible for a photo shoot with the two of us, and it was on a day when I had started work at 5:30am. Plus it was at one of the most stressful times in my career that I can remember. So, one could say that I was fatigued, and it would not be a lie.
Even on a good day, I’m not sure how I would have done. Annie wanted us to have sexy pin-up girl shots. I wanted that, too. But for some reason, with the mere whisper of the word “sexy” I start laughing. And it’s worse if I’m tired. So poor Annie kept trying to coach me through sexy poses, and I honestly could not keep a straight face to save my life. Here is the only picture I like that came out of this session: 
And yes, I am laughing.
Annie, on the other hand, had no trouble at all with the “sexy” part. Once I had that camera in my hands, she could pucker, smirk, flirt, and flutter like a pro. It was honestly a wonder to behold. She had many gorgeous pictures to choose from, and we eventually came up with an idea that made us both look good.
When the day dawned for the actual party, I did not choose tto wear this dress. I choose another that made me feel equally fabulous, but sometimes I wish I had worn this one. If I had, then this dress would be sitting, sad and injured, in the back of my closet, mortally wounded with a substantial Garbo Gimlet stain down the front of it, instead of the other. And I don’t know which one I would want to be sitting pristine and unworn and which one I would want to be sitting ruined and unworn in my closet. Ah, c’est le vie.
The party turned out to amazing in every way. I am saving that tale for a rainy night, though.
Well, what shall I do with this fabulous slip of a thing? Will I ever have an occasion to wear it in real life? Will I perhaps need it for a show someday, like if there is ever a stage production of the movie “Splash” and I need to be a mermaid? Is it worth hanging onto just so I can try it on every few months and sigh and preen and then put it back? I just don’t know.
**Oh, how I love this dress! My heart skipped a beat just seeing it on Trixie. A keeper.
The Mystery of the Technicolor Shrinking Tunic
Item: Tee-shirt/Tunic Color/Fabric: Many, bright, Rayon/Spandex Designer: White Where Purchased: Marshall’s Years Owned: One
Today I have chosen this near tee-shirt type garment because I honestly don’t know what to do with it. Yes, it is, comparatively, a rather recent acquisition, and has not been cluttering up the closet for too long, but it puzzles me. Here’s why.
Last year I found this at Marshall’s not long before I was going to go to Hawaii. It was a tunic. I swear. I thought it would be perfect airplane fare, soft and stretchy and comfortable. I would wear it with a pair of leggings, be cozy and comfy for the entire endless flight, and then step of the plane and fit right into my tropical paradise.
That’s sort of how it happened. However, the flight was not nearly as much fun as I hoped. The only other very long flight I had taken had personal tvs on the seats, and you could watch whatever you wanted for no additional charge. I watched almost the entire first season of Mad Men during that flight. It was amazing! This flight had no personal tvs. We got to watch an in-flight movie, which was the Soloist, but I fell asleep. It was a really long, really boring flight- but the ticket was only $249 round trip, after taxes, so I really could not complain.
The other exception to my picture perfect flight plan was that my tunic seemed to get smaller and smaller. It turned into a tee-shirt while I was wearing it. This isn’t a lie! We had to take a separate flight to Kauai and by the time I got off of that flight I was a walking version of one of my very own pet peeves- the girl who is wearing leggings as pants. Because now my tunic did not even cover up my bum.
The upside of this travesty is that I was in Hawaii! After a quick second of panic when I realized I was a fashion disaster, I saw that I was in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and really didn’t even care if I was wearing pants or not. But still was glad that I was all the same.
At some point during that day we met up with Kevin, who had taken a separate flight. It was a very low key start to an unbelievable vacation, with numerous adventures I’m sure I will describe in future posts. The strange thing is that for some reason I feel like I wore this again for the flight home. And I think it just got even more mini. So I just don’t know what to do with it. The print clearly says “tropical vacation.” Will I wear this anywhere that does not have palm trees? Does it even work with this new scrunched up tee look it has now? It does look cute on Trixie. I’m starting to think everything does. Maybe it’s her lack of booty- perhaps that’s why clothes look so great on super models.
But what do I do with this tee/tunic?
**I have decided to part with this. Who wants it? It’s so colorful!
A Confession About Obsession.
Item: Sweater Color/Fabric: Tan, acrylic/wool/nylon Designer: Abercrombie and Fitch Years Owned: 12
Maybe you haven’t yet noticed, but I have an obsession. I’m not obsessed with clothes, necessarily. I’m more obsessed with the acquisition. One could say that I have an obsession with possession.
Well, even that doesn’t exactly cover it. It’s not entirely the possession of things, it’s the possessing them at ridiculously low prices. It’s the pursuit, the luck of being in the right place in the right time, of finding a diamond where others see only a lump of coal. It’s the quest, the seeking the biggest discount, and then the exhilaration and the triumph when I find something for 50, 75, or 95% off. Sometimes I think I like the conquest more than I like the actual piece of clothing I get.
It’s gotten so bad that I honestly can’t remember the last time I paid full price for a garment. It just doesn’t mean the same thing to me. Who wants to just walk into a store and hand over money? Where is the challenge in that?
The last time I paid full price for something might very well be this sweater. And Nate’s apartment had to burn down in order for me to do it.
It was sometime during my freshman year of college. The most tumultuous year of my life, for way too many reasons. Nate and I were doing the long distance thing; he went to Michigan State and I went to Bowling Green in Ohio. We were only about two hours apart, but it felt like an ocean. Especially when he called me one day after classes saying there had been a fire in his apartment. No one was hurt, thankfully, but the firemen had to fight the fire in Nate’s room, because of its strategic location. Pretty much everything he owned, which wasn’t that much in those days, was ruined from the toxic combination of water and smoke damage.
He was given a check from his insurance in a pretty speedy manner, for that sort of thing, to buy new clothes. I can’t remember exactly how much they gave him, but it seemed like a sum fit for a king’s wardrobe. Today I’m sure I could lay waste to that much in a few hours at Marshall’s.
But Nate couldn’t spend it all, so the next time I came to visit, I got to go on a little shopping spree. I went to the most expensive and luxurious store i could think of, Abercrombie and Fitch. And I picked out the most expensive sweater I could find, and I paid full price for it. And I felt sick about it for days.
Twelve years later, I think I’ve gotten my money’s worth from it. I think. I can’t really think of a specific occasion where I wore this. But I know it happened, and more than once. It’s just sort of an awkward length, and a little bit on the itchy side. And kind of too chunky for my tastes nowadays. But I still like it. I think it looks great on Trixie. To be honest, I don’t think it looks as good on me. I have been debating letting this one go for years now, but I just can’t quite bring myself to do it. I always decide it would be nice if I ever go skiing someday. Right?
**This is gone. It went to my sister. I don’t even miss it!
Online Shopping and the Hungarian Ballet
Item: Blouse Color/Fabric: Cream, polyester Designer: Rebecca Taylor Where Purchased: Shopbop.com Years Owned: 3
Here is a blouse that I love. It’s very romantic, with all the lace, but in a very wearable tee-shirt shape. This was an online purchase, a method of shopping that has quickly turned into a bit of an obsession with me.
It’s just so easy. You can sit comfortably in your home, with a nice glass of wine, and browse for hours without even standing up. Most of the time I am also catching up on my recorded tv shows that I missed during the week. But the best part is that you can get an email announcing a sale, and you’re just a click away! So you never miss the time it takes to get out of your house and travel to the store. One can lose many treasures during that transit time. And then there’s the delightful anticipation of a package in the mail. That’s a pleasure I never get tired of.
The worst part about online shopping is that it is so easy. Sites that will save your credit card info are the most dangerous. There is nothing to slow you down, or give you time to reconsider- you don’t even need to get out your wallet. One click, and you’re done! It seems like virtual shopping, until the credit card bill arrives…
So it’s very easy to make a mistake and end up with something you regret. This blouse was not one of those. It was even better in person, and I loved it instantly. I’m sure I sang to it.
Anyway, I wore this in Budapest two years ago. We visited many cities on that trip, but Budapest was one of our favorites. It is an amazing medley of cultures, from the truly bohemian to urban chic. We only had two days to spend there, but could have stayed for weeks.
The city is divided into two halves, Buda and Pest. This day we spent in Pest. I remember walking up Andrassy Ut, one of Budapest’s grandest avenues, all the way up to the Heroes’ Square, with it’s statues of legendary Hungarian Rulers that look like they might have inspired characters in The Lord of The Rings.
We finished the day by watching the Hungarian Ballet Company perform Gone With the Wind. It was a strange thing to watch such an American tale told so far overseas. And to be honest, it wasn’t our first choice. We really wanted to see the opera, but it was sold out. The ballet was truly wonderful, though. Simply gorgeous. It was the first time either of us had been to a Ballet. Nate was not at all familiar with the story, and had not even seen the movie, so I had to narrate along to the dancing. Which was easy, since I know the plot by heart.
It wasn’t a perfect day, though. We got into a huge fight on the Boulevard before the ballet. I don’t even remember what it was about, but it wasn’t a fun one. It was just a flash fire that burned hot and bright for all of an instant and then faded away. But still I remember it. Here is the blouse inside the Opera House:
I can see the argument in my eyes. There were tears, for sure. But the night, and our stay in Budapest, ended on the highest of notes. All in all, a city I will never forget. And a blouse that I love. I think this one should stay.
**I can’t get enough of this blouse. It’s staying!
Curiouser and Curiouser! Wonderland and Fairy-tales!
Item: Dress Color/Fabric: Midnight Blue, polyester/spandex Designer: Forever 21 Years Owned 4
Meet Trixie! She is my new model, and has been through a plethora of name changes in the short time she’s been in my employ. But Trixie has stuck. And I love her already. She makes the clothes look so much nicer, doesn’t she? I think she will help you form your opinions.
This dress I have only worn a single time, but it was a joyous event; Friday, October 26th, 2007. It was my Library and Novel Completion Celebration. I had set the date months in advance to give myself a target to actually finish the novel. Deadlines and pressure and procrastination always did me proud in school days, so I thought I would try to apply them to my writing once more. Plus, I thought the addition of a public proclamation would also add another layer of accountability to finish my project. All of it was great in theory, but, alas, did not work. By the time of the party, neither my novel nor the library that Nate was building for me was actually completed. It didn’t actually matter- the mere contemplation of the completions were certainly enough to warrant a celebration!
I had a “Dress Like Your Favorite Literary Character” theme. So of course I picked Alice in Wonderland. I wore this dress, with a white eyelet lace blouse underneath, frilly white ankle socks, and red flats. And, for some reason, this hat: 
I do so love this hat, and feel that it looks much more flattering on me than on Trixie, mostly due to the fact that Trixie is lacking an actual head. I think I was trying to represent Alice at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. But really I just wanted an excuse to wear the hat.
Nate, mostly for lack of actual costume, was dressed as Mr. Darcy for a brief spell. That is, until our friend Richard arrived in what appeared to be Colin Firth’s actual costume from the Pride and Prejudice movie. He is a genius with a costume, that Richard. I think then I had to demote Nate’s costume to generic peasant boy in a Dicken’s tale. My other favorite costumes from that night had to be The White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter, by way of our friends Herman and Andy. There were fake giant teeth and everything. We made a festive trio.
I will never forget the moment that I read a few pages of my novel to our guests. We all sat in the library, and it was the first time we actually sat and enjoyed it. I know that it was very late by the time I actually began the reading, and some of the guests had left already. But there were still many friends remaining, and I was so nervous to read my book. It was like the time when we jumped off of in cliff in Vancouver; I wanted to do it, but was so terrified at the same time that it took me about 20 minutes and a dozen false starts before I actually took the plunge. But once I did, it was so freeing and exhilarating that I thought my heart might just burst from my chest with joy. In both circumstances I felt fantastic, and proud of myself, yet I’ve never felt the need to do either ever again.
And here it is, almost three years later, and I still haven’t finished my book. Just as Nate still hasn’t finished my library. Both are so close; everything is in place, and to the distant observer they would both appear to be complete. But I know where the little holes are, the subtle missing details that are lacking. For some reason those little things are the hardest to accomplish.
Anyway, I do like the dress, but I’m not sure that I love it. It’s just a cheap dress that looks good from far away, but up close you can tell the quality just isn’t there. The loops for the ribbon belt, for example, are ridiculously large. If I felt like it, I could slide my hand through one and wear the whole dress as a bracelet. But it is a pretty dress… I just can’t decide.
**I said goodbye, via eBay. Wishing this dress well. I’m sad.
For Crying Out Loud.
Item: Vest Color/Fabric: Tan Herringbone, wool Designer: Gap Years Owned: 12. Possibly more.
Here is a thing that I am ashamed of. I don’t know why I still have this vest. It has survived so much closet purging, year after year after year. I cannot let it go. Look at it. It is clearly ruined. There’s a blue stain on it that won’t come out. What on earth is wrong with me? I’ve never even worn this!!
How did it become stained if I’ve never worn it? That is the story I will tell this evening.
Let me take you back to the time when Nate and I bought our first house. Yes, it was just a ‘manufactured house’ (Read: double-wide on a foundation). But we had a completely lovely acre of land in Michigan that included lilacs, large rocks with fossils in them, a steep hill, a large oak tree with stones around it, and turkeys. We loved it! First a large hole was dug into the earth, then they put in the concrete that formed the basement, then they placed the house on top in two halves. The last step was to put windows into the basement.
We moved all of our belongings into the house before the windows were in. And one of us had the brilliant idea of putting our clothes into garbage bags to move them. It was fast and easy! We just flung the bags into the basement where we would worry about them later.
And then it rained. And rained more. It was like the Flood, Part Two. So our basement filled up with water, and the garbage bags did not prove to be water proof. Wow, was I angry. There were piles and piles of ruined clothing. Sweaters that shrunk. Garments that were not color proof and bled onto other garments. It was a clothing massacre.
This vest was one of the things that got bled on. But still I could not get rid of it!
I like the idea of the vest. I’m not sure really how long I’ve had this. I know it was before I got married. It is probably one of the oldest garments I own. I remember when I found it at the Gap, and was so thrilled. It seemed like I was buying a sophisticated piece of clothing, one that would elevate my wardrobe to a new level. It was menswear! I thought I would be all Katherine Hepburn, wearing this with a billowy silk blouse and wide-leg trousers. Or I could really push the envelope and wear it as a halter top with no shirt underneath and jeans.
I had such dreams for this vest. But I was never brave enough to accomplish them. And then it ended up with a big blue stain on it. I kept telling myself that no one would notice the stain. Blue and tan blend so well together, yes?
I guess I’ve just been waiting for someone to tell me how crazy I am and to get rid of this ruined vest. Plus, I don’t think I could even button it these days if I wanted to. Give me affirmation!
**I made up my mind to toss this. I just haven’t yet. Anyone want it? The stain came out a little!
I Am What I Wore 