Dirt Chic

Getting Dressed, etc.: Tropical Ridiculousness

Last day of one semester.  Then I went right to class-planning.  I resist class-planning much like I resisted homework.  Resistance is nothing.  Once I start, I'm fine.  And honestly, it applies to writing, too.  (Though I do not have mental breakdowns regarding class-planning or homework.  I also do not have homework.)

I enjoy teaching Comparative Worldviews, though it remains to be seen if my students enjoy being in it. ;)  Things to engage with, on tomorrow's agenda:
-Darwin's Origin of Species
-Genesis creation story
-Pascal's Thoughts on belief
-Hindu creation story
-Uh, the movie Creation
-An excerpt from Wordsworth's Lines Written Above Tintern Abbey
-An essay/blog post by Roger Ebert about evolution and existence
-Tree of Life

Heh heh.

But now - that is, after this - I will read some CNF for another class in the motherflipping bathtub.  I need to soak my feet.  I need to wear flats tomorrow.  I need to sit in a chair in front of the class.  (Or on a stool in the corner in a dunce cap.)  (No.  I just wanted to say that.)

Regarding this - here - what this is, Dirt Chic, let me attend.  I forgot to show and tell this garage sale find from Friday, costing a whopping FIVE CENTS: 

Official Dirty Dancing merch!  When I am reading, this is what I want to mark my book with.  And that's what people think of when they want to show their great love for Dirty Dancing - they want to go out and buy a bookmark.  Dancing = bookmark.  Patrick Swayze = bookmark.  Nobody puts this bookmark in the corner of a book.  Oh wait.

In organizational news, I went to go through my jewelry (jewellery, as the Brits say, and how did we Americans get away from this?  Have I ranted about this before?) and I realized/accepted that the green hanger, fun as it is, keeps me from wearing my necklaces.  Good thing I had some Command Strips hooks.  (Or whatever they're called.)

I then overhauled this corner.  Separated the necklaces.  Put up some of my favorite inspirational magazine photos, 15-year-old girl that I am. :)

A closer look:

Pleasing.  Hopefully, useful.

I wore this today.

Part of me feels like it's just... something.  But then the other part of me thinks it's... something.  I enjoy every component of this get-up, but... what is it?  Why can't I accept it?  Or do I?  I enjoyed wearing it, all day.  So this must mean it's all good.

Ok. :)  I'll just run with that.  I think it's just the usual professional-dressing problem of wondering if I would wear this on my own time.  There.  

Anywho.  Orange 80's shirt (which is just the best): $3.  90's Nine & Co sandals: $10.  Crazy green vintage earrings: $5.

And I'm Doin' This and I'm Signin' That

Summer-esque humidity: the Sriracha bottle was instantly sweating, and my black dress felt like it had perhaps not spent enough time in the dryer - without having been washed in I don't know how long (hangs head in mock shame).

Now the a/c unit has been pulled out and set in front of its window which means my re-arranged room is now in disarray, again.  But that's all right. :) I can still read on the couch quite nicely.  And humidly.

Tonight - later tonight, like 15 minutes later - will call for some porch-sitting and cocktail-drinking.  And more reading.  I have largely devoted today to it.  If I have recently said something about how I have not had a real mental break from the insanity of the last year, I was wrong.  That was just prelude.  Now I feel like I have some real peace.  YAY PEACE.  And I'm even still teaching 3 classes.  But that's all I'm required to do.  THIS IS INSANITY.  Wonderful insanity.  And my students should give thanks and praise that I'm so free to pay so much attention to them!!!  They should throw me a parade!  (Well, we're going to the March of Dimes next week.  That doesn't really count.)

So I wrote this post a couple weeks ago about not thrifting for awhile.  I'm glad I didn't post it, because then I would be hanging my head in real shame, as I do still thrift a bit.  I was the Thrift Monster before, gobbling up crazy 80's garments like there would be no more clothes, anymore, after.  I treated life as Thriftageddon.  And if you think that doesn't make sense you're right.  But I'm reading absurdism, and I'm working on it. ;)

Well.  I do plan - after my cocktail, or maybe before, or during - to go into my closet-wardrobe-boudoir and put things away and weed through stuff.  Again.  I'm even going to go through my jewelry.  *gasp*  I found a stack of books I want, today, and I knew the only way to justify getting them (besides reading 6 other of my own owned books first and tracking down mega-cheap copies online) was to sell something.  So I did/am.  (Magazines.)  The same goes for clothes.  I will indeed get rid of two things for every one I have recently brought in.  And I will sell some lovely beloved jewels, the ones I don't wear - because I just think someone else should have them.  Who will wear them.  And who will pay me for them so I can go buy silver fringed leather items.

Well.  It's later - and I have my cocktail and I put my clothes away and moved the 80's shirts to where the sweaters were and vice versa and now I will read on the porch.

In this.

Somewhat *sedate* for me, yes?  But it's 70's Nieman Marcus jersey.  And the fit is so awesome.  And it is summery.  I mean springy.  I mean humidity-appropriate.  $3.

You know what else was $3?  

Yep.  I couldn't believe it.  Maybe a person doesn't like cowboy boots (I do), but it's hard not to appreciate incredible cowboy boots that are already broken-in but not actually falling apart.  $3.  (Shaking head) (Smiling)

My grainy bad pics don't do them justice.

Super-awesome.  I'm ready to roll.  Right into Wyoming. 

Oh, and when I put them on, this was stuck to my leg.  This is my life.  I find sequins everywhere. :)

And I leave you to go READ (stop talking about already, Arwen).  But here is my pile of 80's shirts.  May your May be pleasantly humid and frugal as well....

Light on Winter, Heavy on Showers, and the Male Cardinal is Up to His Old Tricks...

It's spring.  Is this weird to you?  It's weird to me.  One day all flora was threatening greenness in a fuzzy, hazy kind of way, then seriously one day later it exploded into full-on springtime.  It's like nature decided to go apecrap with every seasonal trick in the book - tulips, magnolias, redbuds, daffodils.  And rain, and robins, and allergies.

I'm not complaining.  Even about the allergies.  It's just weird.  I don't mind not having had to wear my snow boots more than ONCE, but I was looking at all my sweaters earlier this evening, trying to apply my usual purging ethos "if you didn't wear it this year you should deeply consider getting rid of it" (who am I quoting?  I don't know) until I realized it didn't count.  There just weren't that many opportunities to max out the layering.  

So this brings me to what I suppose we could call spring cleaning, though I didn't think of that till just now; I'm trying very hard to get rid of stuff.  Like, get down to the stuff I really wear.  It's easy, and it's hard.  Mostly I just want to get rid of the ever-growing pile of discards.  Not sure how to go about that.  Don't feel like messing with Etsy - it's just one more self-starting thing, when my life is full of those (writing, looking for a full-time teaching job, writing... WRITING).  

Oh, and exercising.  That takes a lot of willpower.  I'm wanting to step up the yoga to daily practice, because I know it would further change my life.  I also want to be enriched by weight loss.  :)  Because.  Time to shed layers.  Time to wear... shorts.

Time to have jazz hands?  Is there never not a time for those?  

I can rock the pleated 90's shorts.  You bet your bottom dollar.  But, first, bet a larger sum that I will lose some pounds so that I feel less like my 13-year-old dumpy self and more my... I'm thinking my 28-year-old self.  

I'm 33 now.  I like it.  But sometimes I don't love my 33-year-old-face.  I was trying to self-start into selling some stuff on Etsy earlier today.  I fizzled out quickly, and read The New Yorker instead.  (David Sedaris.)  

I'm... 33.  I no longer enjoy selling stuff online.  I prefer article-heavy magazines over fashion rags.  The skin under my eyes is too thin and makes me look tired, and my eyelids are more droopy and make putting on my eyeliner an exasperating experience.  I am ready to move on with things and see more stuff produced and published.  I am happy to write and teach.  Ok - and I'm happy to keep doing a lot of what I always do.  Everything else.  All that.  More.  

Think I will get away from the magazines and into an actual book, now.  As in right this minute, not in general.  I bought myself (with birthday money) a lil' something I've wanted for awhile.

Avon Soft Pink bubble bath.  Old-lady soapy opulence.  I love it.  Tomorrow, I'll go to the post office and pick up my other two prizes.  I'm very excited.

But I must take a bath.  Right now.  With the window open.  I will sneeze.  Into a mass of bubbles.

Happy spring. :)

Therapies

What a semester.

If you think this an obnoxious, dramatic self-photo of me, you're right.  But man.  I'm grateful for some upcoming relief from my schedule.  

RELIEF, I say.  

(...Why did Avon think this was a good idea?!?!)

Not that I don't know how to find it in other ways. ;)  

(Yes, this is at Sam's Club.  I was there with friends.  I don't shop there.  But if I did, you know what I'd buy.)

Tomorrow I will take these puppies in and figure out if I'm just crazy and not used to the new prescription, or if something else is wrong. 

It's kind of bad that a pair of sunglasses not turning out can make me so upset.  So upset that I take another obnoxious photo of myself.  But, once I get them under control, I will feel extremely good.  My sunglasses are a rather big part of my day.  They ARE prescription and all. :)

It helps that it is the Christmas season.  Even at my busiest, I love the novelty of it all.  Especially this book tree.

But since I don't have one, for now, I will settle for books.  

Like three Smithsonian Guides to Historic America.  (I have one already. Thrifted for $8, total.)

I will also enjoy my own decorations, like my smaller Christmas tree.

And candy canes.

I kind of (totally) need to but a spending/thrifting freeze on myself.  I know I've said this before.  I'll say it again.  It's kind of... out of control.  (Not really.)

But it IS the Christmas season and now that things are sort of, uh, chilling out (sorry for the use of cold words) for me, responsibility-wise, maybe I will feel less need to get my thrift on.  ...Except I am costuming my upcoming show (more details soon) and it will require much thriftage.

Anyways. :) S'all good.  Some recent scores:

Gold-sequin and clear-beaded sweater: $5.  The previous owner messed with it a good bit, to fit.  I had to take out some seams so it would fit ME.  It exposed some damage.  I have a pile going for the next snow-day.  I will fix anything that I possibly can, to save some $$$ on repairs.

I am continuing my 80's shirt kick but bringing it into the cold weather by finding long-sleeved ones.  Also am bringing it into... the 90's.  Gotta love Versace knock-offs.  I paired this shirt ($3.25) with my lime green sweater-blazer ($6).

Pastel formal, $4.  ...Yeah.  Like I NEED another formal.  This one I could pull off, though, on a regular day.  It requires a scarf tucked into the décolletage, Jane Austen-style.

I was just messing around, here.  The 40's-from-the-80's polka-dot dress is cool but I do need to drop a few inches here and there to make it truly comfortable.  (Working on that.)  I paired it ($6) with my pink 60's pumps ($40), pink 80's belt ($2), fur-trimmed cardigan ($12) and crazy pink Lucite bib necklace (made it myself, probably was $30 for the beads).  If I had grey or bubble-gum-pink tights I would wear them with it.

Sigh of bliss.  I'm really kind of over sweaters - I have a bunch that I love, but I don't need any more, and they're hard to find where they don't just add bulk - but this one.  This one.  Is The One.  (And I thought to myself, this is slightly Michael Jackson-esque.  And then I wore it out to dinner and my friend Jen said, that looks Michael Jackson-esque.  YES.)  Sweater: $3.

So anyways.  Therapies.  Looking forward to getting back to my novel.

Found this at an antique store (didn't buy it), but it reminded me of a lil' cosmic affirmation that I should press on: my main character is named Deltrice.  And she makes cosmetics.  Finding this out was a RELIEF.  I tell you. :)

Tricks and Rocks

I promise I do more than just get dressed. ;)  Though I do so enjoy getting dressed.  I started teaching at an additional school this week, and seriously, by day two, I even felt like taking a break from Dirt Chic, like even it was too much.  It's no bother to show you what I wear.  But I was so overwhelmed I just wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere.  It's better today.  

It helps that I am doing things, once again, to remind me that I am a human being.  I've undertaken a new "trick" that gets the house straightened up and me out from under at least some pressure: I set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes and put away stuff as fast as I can.  I usually finish before 20 minutes is up.

I like my house.

I just wanna be in it.  Can't do that if it's a pigsty.

Oh, and Aldi succulence:

Couldn't help it.  I like small things.  I like houseplants.

Anyway.  Moving onward. :)  Have to finish my screenplay, write my biography, teach, GET DRESSED....

I'm tired.  

Like, right now.  But getting kind of worn out in general.  Lil' rundown:
-Teach three different classes at one college, gearing up to teach one at another 
-In my own full-time semester of screenwriting and it's kicking my butt
-Writing a biography on commission that's due in January and have to travel for research
-Doing a 24-hour play festival where I stay up all night AND write
-Am sorta broke right now, and if that sounds like it doesn't belong here, it does.  Being broke is wearisome. 

Who else is busy?

I know.  Everyone.  :)  I'm just sayin' - I've joined the ranks.  I'm just mentally worn out.  I need more:
-Dance parties, solo or with others
-Time with friends and family and pugs and animals
-Horror movies watched on a sectional couch
-Time to craft Christmas ornaments
-Sequins, fur, glitter
-Time to read things that aren't required for something
-Fudgesicles 

What am I trying to say?  Nothing.  But - I am feeling the need to continue dressing the way I dress, and probably trying to take it consistently up a notch.  It's a prime outlet and a huge joy.  I enjoyed Friday's get-up immensely.  And since I'm broke AND I already have a gazillion fabulous things, I need to "shop my own closet".

So hopefully tomorrow I will be decked out in ridiculousness AND will have curly hair.  But only if I go to bed now.  Because I'm tired.

School Supplies? At MY Age?

OF COURSE.

Finished my syllabi and handouts (the ones I need soon, at least) and my ever-important office hours sign (in a - ahem - classy plastic sleeve!).  I decided for the Sanrio Friends accordion folder that I stalked at Target and finally got for $1.70.  This is because a) I love it b) I don't know what else it would get used for anytime soon c) it matches my bookbag but most importantly d) it will reinforce a truth of my personhood to my students: I take my organization seriously, but not too seriously.  

In other news from today, I found a workable solution to a new clothes-organization problem: where the crap do I put all my pants/skirts?!?!  This last Christmas-break bout of thrifting ousted all my nice pants/skirts out of the wardrobe.  No room in the inn.  No desire to build shelves.  (No ability, either.)  My mom, bless her, informed me (post-painting) that she didn't want a door-hanging towel rack.

So that is what I'm doing for now.  I should probably modify it somewhat (How?  Don't know.), as this set-up looks like it will annoy me from a practical standpoint.  But it is a start.  And now, if I stick to my guns about not thrifting, I won't have the problem of trying to find even MORE non-existent room.  (Problems = stupid)

I look happily forward to less mirror photos, as well. (And never again in my robe. ;)

New Year Starts Tuesday, I Guess.

The new year has technically begun.  But I run on an academic calendar right now, and hopefully always will.  (And - rejoice!  I just typed out calendar correctly.  I truly am growing and changing.  ...Ha.)  So I am gearing up for the first day of class, which starts Tuesday (though I'm not sure why - I prefer to start the week on Monday.  Silly me.).  Right now, I am drinking very crappy (but free) coffee, and trying to get my syllabi under control.  Sound boring?  It is - except for the coffee part.  Coffee is ALWAYS exciting. :)

I need to get the syllabi done so I can move on to everything else I have to do.  Like conquer 4 composition textbooks.  Like read some plays.  Like (most importantly) WRITE MY SCREENPLAY.  (Note: "America's Vanishing Folkways" - I am nerding out on late-19th-century American antiquity.)  Sometimes I hate deadlines.  Usually, though, they are my best friends who practice tough love.

So anyway.  I have been feeling pretty smote about my spending and my possessions.  In other words, I have plenty of stuff and not enough money, so I need to get back to practicing a more intense version of artful frugality.  Primarily, I will avoid shopping/thrifting as a pastime, and I will be finding better ways to entertain myself. 

Like read this stack of books.  

But don't worry - I also teach 5 days a week, and have challenged myself to wear a new outfit every day. (It won't be hard.)  Of course, I will document it.  :)  Of course, I will find a way to take decent pictures. 

I will also be dwelling on how to take care of others, better.  But more on that later.  Now, more coffee....

Couch Potato, Nerd Variety

In a minute, I'm going to go in here and get my brilliance on.

Ha.  Well, I'm going to think and strategize.  I never know what's going to come out of my brain.  I don't even know what it is once it finally comes out, oftentimes.  For a person who relies heavily on intuition, I SUCK at gauging whether or not my produced projects are worthwhile.  Go figure.

If I haven't mentioned this already, my summer job ends (at least in terms of it being full-time) next week, and my teaching gig starts.  I am treating this as a downshift, though it might not be, in reality.  Three sections of speech back-to-back, three days a week.  Prep, grading, all that.  But, it's a shift, nonetheless.  I do better when things don't stay static for too long.  

Anywho.  I am enjoying the mere thought of the shift, because along with it comes a sense of possibility.  I need this.  Rather desperately.  I feel, fairly often, that my circumstances and choices have constrained me to be what I am - a writer, geez - but there is an emphasis on constrain.  Nevermind that I am surrounded with potential structure and resources; I tend to get bogged down and beaten up by the fact that my constraints often mean that I don't get to see the people I want to see, and generally relax.  

So the shift has made me relax, but not so much that I don't want to do anything but sip cocktails and watch TV marathons (though that sounds extremely choice, don't get me wrong).  Instead, hopefully, I'll be able to really focus on my own projects.  Oh the luxury.  Of being able to sit on my couch and think and strategize.  Under the brilliance... of my mod lamp. ;)

Work It.

Summer in Springfield, Illinois.  Humid and heavy one minute, extreme thunderstormage looming, the next.

 

I'm not complaining.  I don't mind both - when given the option of going inside.  ;) 

Work this last week, involved doing some poetry-reading in the Vachel Lindsay Home...

...which entailed gladiolas, and ancient (not antiquity-ancient) cookies.

It also involved ANOTHER Coors Light truck.

Seriously.  They infest my life.  They stop up a lane of traffic at LEAST once a week.  The other day, there were TWO in a 1-block radius.  Whatever.

I had to go over to the Lincoln Museum to get a badge, and while I was waiting for it to process, I came across this (in the gift shop, "For All Your Lincoln Needs" -- I made that up, but they better not steal it... ;)

So, First Lady Healing Lip Balm, a question for you: why did you not keep Mary Todd from mental illness?  Hmmmm?

And a slight re-arranging of my workspace - I now share a room with my lovely boss/co-worker, and I am most pleased to be surrounded by all these books on costuming and customs.

If I'm not at my desk, reading/writing, I am up on one of the floors, doing my thing...

...as Frances Gage.  At present.  Lola Montez to come soon.

I am currently contemplating both dying my hair *back* to a darker, non-summer color, AND, letting my bangs grow, so as to make the loathed middle-part easier, and more natural-looking.

I have mixed feelings.

 
And the polo is growing on me.  In more ways than one.