Dress Challenge: Days 31-40.

Days 31 and 32: Pajama days!

Day 33: Many years ago, my mom bought me a light pink dress at Anthropologie. It must have been on crazy sale. But I'd never worn it because it's completely sheer, and I couldn't figure that out. But today, I had the thought to wear it over my black dress. 

I wore pink jelly flats with gold glitter, gold earrings with pink rhinestones (which I think I bought at Target many years ago), and Urban Decay Naked Cyber palette eye shadow.

Day 34: Since we're having some gloomy weather, I decided to wear two of my favorite cardigans over a couple of days. Today, I wore my dress with a champagne glitter cardigan from The Limited, Anne Klein champagne glitter wedges, my Banana Republic key necklace, and Urban Decay Naked Ultraviolet palette eye shadow.

Day 35: Now comes my other favorite cardigan: a charcoal open sweater with silver glitter. I wore my Betsey Johnson peacock necklace, black jelly Mary Janes with multi-color glitter, and Revolution eye shadow.

Day 36: Pajama day! Josh got home early and did all the driving!

Day 37: St. Patrick's Day was yesterday, and I feel like wearing green. I wore my dress with an emerald short-sleeved cardigan from Loft (my mom and I each bought one year ago, thrilled to find something in that gorgeous shade of green), a gold necklace with green rhinestones (a Betsey Johnson knock-off I found on Ebay last year), green flats, and Urban Decay Liquid Moondust in Horizon, which is bronze with pink glitter. I also wore Urban Decay marshmallow body glitter on my arms and neck. More exposed skin means more space for sparkles!

Day 38-39: Pajama days!

Day 40: Today is the last day of my challenge. I don't have to go anywhere today as it a teacher work day for my son, but I did wear my dress today--just the dress, no accessories or makeup. It is a good dress, and I'll think to wear it more now. 

I had less laundry during these 40 days, but the best part was thinking differently about my jewelry, shoes, and makeup. I created about 30 unique outfits with one black dress. This showed me how big my wardrobe is and how often I neglect it. During the challenge, I also gave away about 40 pieces of clothing. Wearing one piece for more than a month made me less sentimental (the memories!), less guilt-ridden (what I spent!), and more practical (that long-ago size!) about my clothes. Not a single person has commented on the fact that I've worn the same dress for weeks. I don't think my husband would have noticed if I hadn't told him about the challenge. 

So who cares most about how I look? Me. Recognizing it is good. I'll dress to please myself.

Dress Challenge: Days 21-30.

Day 21: Today, I wore my dress with a pink and purple striped cardigan, Betsey Johnson asymetrical princess earrings (crown on one and scepter on the other), purple flats (which I think have reached the end of their journey), and pink and purple eye shadow from the Urban Decay Moondust palette. My dress got an extra wash today because I splotched it with avocado. So far, it's holding up.

Day 22: It was too warm for a cardigan or tights. I wore my dress with my Betsey Johnson shaky charm heart necklace (one of my favorites) and pink floral heels. The dress continues to be a lint magnet as you can see. I wore iridescent lavender eye shadow from the Huda Rose Quartz palette--which I bought in New York!

Day 23: I wore my dress with lacy gray leggings, purple sequin flats,

Betsey Johnson purple snowflake earrings (which match my very first Betsey Johnson necklace), and Colour Pop purple and green Just a Glitch eye shadow. I also wore Urban Decay highlighter, hence the sparkle.

Wearing the same dress each day hasn't had a major impact on me. I think all my other clothes will seem new when I get back to them, and going through them objectively seems a little easier. I'm mostly just enjoy the mindful challenge of it. I went through my clothes and donated about 45 items to the nearby college's success closet! Now, we have hangers to spare, and since I haven't been wearing and washing them, all my clothes are put away.

Day 24-25: Pajama days!

Day 26: I wore my dress with a short-sleeved peppy purple cardigan, Betsey Johnson purple star earrings, and a purple Betsey Johnson charm bracelet (hand mirror, crown, ballet shoes, all a-sparkle). I wore Hard Candy Star eye shadow quartet in purples. 

Every day, I wear Urban Decay Stay Naked powder foundation (30CP now [light pink], 20CP [fair pink] in deep winter--I don't know about all the shades, but the line has a great variety of options for people with pale skin, including a 10NN ultra-fair neutral that is too pale even for me) and Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions mascara (just dreamy in Brynn black).

Day 27: Today, I wore my dress with a white three-quarter sleeve cardigan with black polka dots, knit black Kate Spade espadrilles with white polka dots and grossgrain ribbon ties, Betsey Johnson mismatch fairy earrings, and Fenty Kilowatt Foil highlighter in purples. I love polka dots.

The dress itself is looking a little worse for wear after five recent washings, but it should survive through day 40 at least.

Day 28: A chilly, gloomy day. I brought out my tights again. I wore an open-weave Kelly green cardigan, a Betsey Johnson purple crown necklace, my green sequin Irregular Choice heels, and Tarte eye shadow. 

Day 29: Today was cold again, so I were black fleece tights, a light blue cardigan, my blue Betsey Johnson key necklace, black flats, and Marc Jacobs Blue Me Away Highliner.

Day 30: Today is warmer, but I still wore sweater tights and a fuchsia cardigan with sequins. I wore glittery black flats, Betsey Johnson rose earrings, and purple and pink shadow from the Urban Decay Game of Thrones palette. 

30 days done! Ten to go...

Dress Challenge: Day 11-20.

Day 11 & Day 12: I started the second ten days of my challenge. But these were pajama days.

Day 13: I wore my dress with a short-sleeved purple cardigan with sequin stripes, a Betsey Johnson fairy and crown necklace, and black Poetic License kitten heels. I wore Urban Decay's Naked Ultraviolet eye shadow--one of my favorite palettes. 

Day 14: Today, I wore my dress with a short-sleeved mint green cardigan, a blue and green Betsey Johnson ocean necklace (which Josh gave me for our 16th anniversary), and green glitter shoes. I wore Makeup by Mario glitter eye shadow.

Now, I will show you one of my favorite things: my collection of glitter shoes! I've been wearing glitter shoes for a good 12 years, first Big Buddha (not so durable), then Keds by Kate Spade (great but tight), and then Feversole (loose, many colors) and Irregular Choice (the seahorse ones!). I still have space for two more pair, so maybe I'll fill those next year.

Day 15: I wore my dress with a cornflower blue short-sleeved cardigan, Betsey Johnson mismatch fairy earrings, and light blue glitter shoes. I did "ice eyes" (pale shadow with pale liner) with a blue eye crayon and Marc Jacobs Highliner in Obeyge. 

Day 16: Today, I wore my dress with my Betsey Johnson pink crown necklace and magenta/multi-color glitter shoes. It was too hot for a cardigan!

Day 17: Theatre day! I wore my dress with black sweater tights, a chunky forest green cardigan, my Betsey Johnson peacock necklace,

and my Irregular Choice trellis heels with green sequins and gray rosettes. I wore Anna Sui trio eye shadow with Urban Decay Cosmic Speed black eyeliner.

Day 18: Today was cold and gloomy. I wore a glacier green long-sleeved tee under my dress with black tights, black flats with criss-cross straps, a gold seahorse necklace with multi-color rhinestones, my black sequin duster (to sparkle away some of the gloom), and Stila's Happy Hour palette eye shadow in silver and purple.

Day 19: We had another day of February temperatures though the sun was shining. I wore a lavender mock neck under my dress with black tights, lavender flats, 

and a Betsey Johnson silver snowflake necklace with pearls and purple rhinestones. I love snowflakes all year. I used Revolution's Fortune Seeker eye shadow palette.

Day 20: Today, I wore black stripe tights, a light peachy pink cardigan, pink flats, and my pink Betsey Johnson key necklace. I didn't end up going anywhere today, but I was officially dressed for day 20. 

Dress Challenge: Days 1-10.

Day 1: I started my challenge today. I wore my dress with black tights, green boots, a Valentine's Day cardigan with pink and red stripes, and Betsey Johnson key cluster earrings. I'll want to wear my boots often. 

For makeup, I wore ColourPop Flutter By eye shadow palette and Marc Jacobs Highliner in Brown(Out). The Highliners appear to be discontinued, which is a bummer. They're great eye liners that don't require sharpening. 

I've found that this dress attracts wrinkles and lint. I'll need to find a lint roller. I spent the evening at Bruce's, so I probably picked up some dog hair.

Day 2: Today, I wore my dress with black tights, a navy scallop open cardigan, navy flats with pink glitter hearts, and Betsey Johnson princess mismatched earrings. The weather has been getting so warm that I may be thinking about short-sleeved cardigans. I bought the flats at Gap long ago; I'd forgotten about them. I love anything with hearts. I wore NARS eye shadow duo in Kauai--gold and iridescent purple, Urban Decay black eyeliner in Cosmic Speed, and Urban Decay Game of Thrones lip stain (which I'd also forgotten). One of my major motivations is that I want to make these rediscoveries. 

I remember dressing my Madame Alexander Anne of Green Gables doll when I was eight. I dressed Anne in black tights with navy shoes. My mom told me that black and navy didn't match; what a bummer. I always remembered that, but now, it's apparently totally cool to wear black and navy together. Today is the first time I've really done it. 

Day 3-Day 5: Pajama days! Yes, I'm lucky.

Day 6: I wore a pink turtleneck under my dress with black tights, pink criss-cross strap flats, and my Betsey Johnson pink snowflake and bow necklace. I like the turtleneck-under-dress look, but I don't know if we'll get any more cool days. I wore eye shadow from the Sephora/Disney Ariel palette.

Day 7: Today, I didn't wear tights or a cardigan because it's 68 degrees, which currently feels like summer. I wore the lock and key necklace Josh gave me for our anniversary, a pair of light blue Mary Janes, and shadow from the Fenty Kilowatt Foil palette. If it stays too warm to wear cardigans, I'll have a lot less variety in my outfits! I need to find my short-sleeved cardigans. Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 78!

Day 8: I wore my dress with a short-sleeved pale yellow cardigan (the only yellow article of clothing I own) and my layered Loft pearl and chain necklace. During my first semester of teaching, I broke a strand of pearls on this necklace. I restrung it into two strands.

And I wore one of my favorite pair of heels. These are from Irregular Choice. IC is amazing; watch for sales. I actually bought these on sale through Modcloth. They're called "Cinderella's Choice," which of course made them irresistible. The heels, which are a little challenging, are white glitter. I wore these to the dentist last year because my dentist and her assistants love shoes.

Day 9: Pajama and cleaning day...also dress-washing day. We'll see how it fares!

Day 10: I hung my dress to dry yesterday, and while it's still a lint magnet, it did just fine after a gentle wash. Today, I'm wearing it with ribbed black tights, my green boots, my Banana Republic key necklace (such an amazing find), and a forest green open cardigan. I'm wearing Urban Decay Game of Thrones eye shadow and Wunder2 metallic forest green eyeliner. Ten days done!

Stillness & Attention: Week 7.

Day 1: I haven't felt well today, and my mood has been anxious. I did take a much-needed, soothing bubble bath, using up my Winterberry Wonder gel. I also lay down and read Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears while Josh took Oliver to the park. While there, Oliver greeted a boy he recognized from ABA and even responded to a fist bump. He also said bye without prompting. Maybe he's growing socially. 

I did write a poem today: "Cleaning," which may become part of the collection of poems I'm writing about raising Oliver.

Day 2: I had a hard time going to sleep last night, but I did read more. So far, my favorite story in the book is "The Beast" by Tanith Lee--kind of a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Bluebeard. It's always fun to read Joyce Carol Oates stories in anthologies like this. She does it all. I read her journals years ago as research for the seminar I taught during my MFA graduating residency. Her stories are much darker than the thoughts she records! I'd like to read more journals. I've always meant to read May Sarton's journals. The best book I've read about journaling is The Hidden Writer by Alexandra Johnson. I should read it again.

This morning, I'm looking at the art of Christian Schloe. I have a couple of her prints; I'd have more if I had wall space! She's my newest favorite artist. Other favorites are Kinuko Y. Craft, Amy Brown, Mary Blair, Stephen Mackey, Molly Harrison, and SARK. And I do still love Lisa Frank.

I've read fourteen books this year. I'd like to be further along, but it's okay; I'm still three books ahead of schedule according to Goodreads. This is my seventh week without spending frivolous money. This week, Josh and I will celebrate Valentine's Day and our fifteenth wedding anniversary. One of his classes won't meet on Monday (Valentine's), so we may get to spend the whole school day together. We'll spend the morning of our anniversary together too. I've given him a couple of presents, including a map-drawing activity set and a doodle book by the Strange Planet artist. Josh showed me some of his drawings this morning. He's another of my favorite artists. 

Today, I finished reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet to the boys. I started reading Many Waters but switched to Peter Pan and Wendy, which I want to read before my winter children's lit focus ends.

Day 3: Valentine's Day. Josh and I don't usually celebrate the holiday since our wedding anniversary is just a couple of days later. But this year, Josh took part of the day off so we could spend time together while Oliver was at school. Josh also gave me the beautiful BENU Wild Rose fountain pen (and some sparkly pink ink)!

The pen is matte light pink and translucent hot pink with fine gold glitter, gold glitter leaf, and red glitter hearts. It's the prettiest pen I have.

Sparkling ink doesn't work out in most fountain pens, so I gave my new pen a Levenger ink cartridge: Shiraz, a burgundy ink that Levenger no longer makes.

I also received a special package today from one of my closest childhood friends, Leah. She sent Prisma Color pencils and a bunch of pens from my NoBuy2022 list! Gifts that support my writing are especially meaningful to me. A friend from Borders also sent me some pens a couple of months ago to get me started on writing through this NoBuy year. 

In case you're wondering, these are Prisma Color Scholar pencils (a less expensive version), Pentel Krazy Pops, Crayola Take Note iridescents, Gelly Roll Stardusts, and Whaline Outliners. 

Day 4: Today was not a good day. I hope tomorrow is better. It looks like Oliver will not get aid for next year, so we'll have to make some difficult decisions. Apparently we were supposed to have Valentines for the whole school yesterday, but I never received the E-mail about it. I've been missing weekly E-mails. It seems to be a big deal (we got shamed this morning), so I wrote an apology to the principal and Oliver's teacher. I'll be making late Valentines tomorrow. I also got busted for the way I pick up Oliver, so I just can't do anything right. After two weeks of E-mailing NCSEAA and an afternoon on the phone with three different people, I'm no closer to getting Oliver financial aid for next year. 

I did finally finish and return Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. I found some new authors to read, and I may read more of the anthology series (this is book 3). I started Daphne du Maurier's The Loving Spirit, but I haven't gotten far. Stories for the magazine are coming in quickly; I read three today, and I still have three left. I took a peach marshmallow bubble bath.

Day 5: Today is our 15th wedding anniversary. Josh picked up a cinnamon roll and a Dr. Pepper from McDonalds. He gave me a blue rhinestone and faux pearl lock and key necklace. For lunch, I made whole wheat pasta with asparagus, sweet peppers, and Alfredo sauce.

I made the Valentines--I cut out and wrote on 36 cardstock hearts, helped Oliver stamp his name on each, and attached Starbursts. I also wrote to Oliver's teachers, and Josh picked up Starbucks gift cards. And I ordered some items on the teacher's classroom wish list. And I picked Oliver up correctly today. But I have a feeling it's not adequate. Josh says I get fatalistic when I'm overwrought. I received no response to my apology. I'm not in a much better mood than I was yesterday; this is likely to be depressed day #2. I wish I felt better on this special day. 

Also, my TWSBI stub nib clogged with Electric Pink ink, so I had to drain and flush it. All the other Diamine inks have been fine; I don't know what's different about this one. Now, I'm trying Pink Glitz ink.

After two more calls to NCSEAA, I may have gotten the help I need. We'll see if he's awarded. 

I have those three magazine stories to read today, so I'm not going to get far with my other books. It's 4:14 p.m., and I'm ready to go to bed. I won't have time with Josh tomorrow. 

Day 6: I got some early morning cuddles with Josh before Oliver woke up, so the day started well. I read two more magazine stories last night, and I have two left to read today. 

I've been writing with a Crayola Take Note teal-with-blue-glitter pen (from Leah) and a green/blue glitter Sparkle Pop pen. I drained them both. I finally caught up with the magazine stories! That's always a good feeling. Today has turned out to be hopeful. I've read a chunk of The Daily Mirror and the first chapter of Locke & Key 4.

I figured out that the school entered my E-mail address with a typo, so somebody got those letters, but I didn't. I gave them my simpler address. I hope the word spreads. Oliver has great freckles, but everyone knows that.

Day 7: Today, I've already drained a Crayola Take Note iridescent pen--hot pink with light pink glitter--from the package Leah sent me. 

Now, I'm writing with a Gelly Roll Stardust Rose Star pen. I've been cleaning, something that I don't do as often as I should (Josh is more attached to neatness than I am). I finished listening to the London cast album of the musical Amelie while I cleaned the bathroom. Now, I have laundry going, and I'm making some semblance of order with my chair/ottoman nest--books, pens, magazines, notebooks.... I repurposed a rubbery blue bucket as a catch-all for Oliver's school supplies: crayons, markers, daubers, scissors, glue, pencils, and name stamp. Now, everything is put away in a cabinet but will be easy to take out for virtual weeks.

I think I may be on the way up. I was cleaning a door earlier, which usually only happens when I'm manic. But it's a happy up so far--not an anxious or irritable up. I hope it will stay that way. Sometimes, I get manic when I have something coming up, like a challenge or a social event. It's like my brain is trying to prepare and strengthen me...it just doesn't always work out well. But mania has allowed me to do a lot of great things that I might never have done otherwise. I remember writing a proposal for a science fiction class while in the white heat of mania. My medications really keep it in check most of the time, but I definitely still have mood cycles. 

I wrote a poem today! It's called "My Glinda," and it's for Bruce. As I'm reading David Lehman, I want to write more poems that are contemporary and specific with allusions. I wish I could write poems about New York City as he does. I'd have to spend some more time there, which I do hope I'll be able to do. If I had unlimited funds, I'd certainly want to live there for a year. I'd go to the theatre weekly instead of monthly (and monthly still feels pretty amazing). I did write in a slim Paperblanks journal while I was there. I'll always cherish the memories of that trip, which my parents and stepparents made possible. And of course, Josh was my perfect traveling companion. 

I told Josh that my wallet was starting to fall apart after several years, so he ordered me a new wallet! It came today, and it's perfect!

Theatre! Cats! This is from Vendula London. Josh transferred the little key charm that he's put on each of my wallets. It came from a wallet my mom gave me a couple of decades ago. I've gotten so many presents this week! I'm currently working on my mom's birthday present for next month.

I just wrote another poem called "Sheen." David Lehman includes so many specific people, songs, streets, and more in his poems, so I played with that.

We ordered Carrabbas for dinner, with enough leftover for tomorrow. We're celebrating a special week, and I'm in my best mood. I had a chicken Caesar salad--their Caesars are so good. Josh had spaghetti and Italian salad. We had to save most of the bread for later. Oliver was not interested; he prefers Pizza CheezIts and bananafers (vanilla wafers). We stopped fighting him on food once he was out of a belted booster seat at the table. It's no longer easy to trap him with pre-selected food in front of him. Discipline is different when your child doesn't really understand cause and consequence.

I did finish The Daily Mirror! And I wrote yet another poem, this one called "Vacation." I'm pretty close to being caught up now on writing daily poems. I'm going to call this day joyful. It could also be passionate, but joyful is rarer. 

Favorite Pieces of Jewelry.

I have almost no "real" jewelry. I love costume jewelry, especially from Loft and Betsey Johnson. Here are some of my favorite baubles.

• My wedding set. The white gold rings are tiny, and the tanzanite in the engagement ring is tiny. I can't wear them right now, but they wait on m dresser in a white bowl painted with violets.
• My tanzanite princess ring. My parents gave me a lovely ring when I graduated with my MFA. It reminds me of their support of me. I used to be afraid to wear it because I might lose or damage it, but now, I just try to enjoy it when I wear it. It's better to enjoy it with the risks than for it to stay in a velvet box.
• Art Deco star earrings. These are gold and black gold with many points and clear rhinestones. I got them on crazy sale at Banana Republic. They make me feel like a mysterious movie star. Plus, Josh loves art deco.
• Gunmetal star cascade earrings. These are from Loft, and Josh gave them to me for Christmas. They make me feel like a celestial fairy.
• My key necklace. When I first started teaching, I had little to wear. I decided that some jewelry might shake up my wardrobe. Mom and I were combing a sale at Banana Republic. This long necklace had silver, gold, and black gold chains with big and little skeleton keys. I need to wear it more. I love keys.
• Betsey Johnson love necklace. Josh bought me this for an anniversary. It's gold  and short with multiple chains and so many pink and clear rhinestones. Tiny and big keys, locks, and hearts makes this a favorite. I don't always wear it because it's a statement, but I need to get over that.
• My stars and moon necklace. I just wore this yesterday! This was on sale at Loft. It's a good length, short but not a choker (though I do love chokers too). The rhinestones sparkle.
• Gold and purple snowflake necklace. Mom spotted this in a department store. It was far more than I would normally spend on jewelry (my necklace obsession had not really begun yet), but it was so beautiful--almost a choker with three gold snowflakes with purple rhinestones and pearls. I left the mall wearing the necklace.

I have great memories of getting and wearing my jewelry. And doesn't "costume jewelry" just sound fun?

Brand Names.

Growing up, I shifted from Limited Too to Old Navy to Loft-when-it's-on-sale. I remember one point, the first months of 11th grade, I bought one Guess? tee and one DKNY tank. I wore Mudd jeans and Delia's everything else. Otherwise, I don't remember caring much about brand name clothes or accessories. My dad bought me a sleeveless Ralph Lauren top and an RL jean jacket. I think I wore them out.

Banana Republic is high above me, but I do have a couple pairs of work pants from there--I call them money pants. Maybe I'll be able to wear them (I loved the stretchy Sloan fit) again someday as everyday pants. I also have a plum and lavender silk scarf I've used as a headband and an amazing multi-chain, multi-metal (silver, gold, black) necklace full of little skeleton keys.

I own a few items from Jones New York. When I had an interview at Borders many years ago, Mom bought me a gray shell and a pair of gray silk pants. Funny--we each had a pair of the pants but sort of shared the matching jacket. I also wore that duo to my first full-time teaching interview.

I love Steve Madden shoes. I've worn out several pairs of his shoes, especially the Madden Girl style. I'm having to say goodbye to a sensational pair of gray heels and of black heels. I wore them every week at work. I wore his bowling shoes for years--black ones, blue ones, and red ones.

I have two Kate Spade items. One is the beautiful journal I'm using now, with a painting of a stack of blue and pink books on the cover. The other is a collaboration between Kate Spade and Keds: slip-ons with magenta trim and all-over, multi-color glitter.

Of course, to say I have a weakness for prestige cosmetics would be an understatement. I've long loved Urban Decay and Too Faced, but I've also become interested in Marc Jacobs Beauty, MAC, and Fresh. I like heavy glitter makeup in whimsical, intriguing packages.

My other brand love is Betsey Johnson. But I think I've bought some faux versions of her jewelry on Ebay, and I'm okay with that. It's her style that I want.

So I'm a little more into brand names than I thought. Mostly, I think I try something, and if I love it, I can get obsessed or just loyal and excited.

Do you have any beloved brands? What do you think of that?

Nourish/Challenge: Week 4.

This past week was not my best. I didn't finish any books, and I came nowhere near my halfway point on my list. But the week was still interesting.

Josh turned 34, and I'm not far behind him. We went grocery shopping together, which I always enjoy. We ponder over which foods Oliver will actually eat. Josh and I also took a nap, holding hands. Holding hands is the greatest.

Our heat stopped working. The people at the office know me by my voice. The maintenance guy came quickly and stayed a long time. I was here alone, so it was a challenge.

I found (for 50% off) a beautiful trunk-shape decorative box with pink hydrangea on it! My tank top box is falling apart, so maybe I'll use the new box for tanks. Or for journals I want to use soon. The sight of those flowers gives me sustenance like pure sunlight.

I worked on organizing my jewelry. I have a lot of it, and almost none of it is real. I have so much fun with it. I feel happy when I see the pretty trinkets. I sometimes build outfits based on a necklace or pair of earrings.

Whimsical. I love the word and its meaning. I like whimsy in my life. I feel whimsical when I wear cute jewelry or use the Winky Lux Mer Kitten Eyeshadow Palette.

At Michaels, I bought a few cards of adhesive rhinestones. I stuck a green one by the corner of my right eye. I hoped Josh would like it. He did. Now where did I put those rhinestones?

Bruce and I went to see our third show of the season: Miss Saigon. I knew the plot but not the songs. We had an excellent cast and a massive ensemble. Our Chris had an astonishing voice. I need to see if he has an album. I'd love to hear him sing other showtunes. But the story is dark. Raunchy. Painful. Still--musical theatre tends to pry open my heart.

Loving Gold Too.

I've always loved silver. I thought of gold as my mother's signature tone. She seemed like a princess from a book, a little golden light always with her.

Gold seemed warm while silver had a chill like stars. Growing up, I rarely wore major jewelry. I would wear one simple necklace (a choker with shining hot pink beads from my mother...a tiny silver oval locket from my boyfriend at the time) every day. I wore an Irish wedding band for a long time. My great grandmother gave me a silver and turquoise owl ring.

But ust in the last few years, I've started loving gold too. Interestingly enough, Mom now primarily wears silver or white gold! Maybe this representes other changes we've both made or experienced. Several of my necklaces, including the one I wear most days, are gold tone. I love certain Betsey Johnson necklaces especially, and most of those are gold tone.

My metals are mixed, hanging together from hooks and knobs in my room, and they both shine.

Jewelry.

If someone had never met me but saw my jewelry laid out on a table, he or she might think me vain or materialistic. That person wouldn't even know how many necklaces I gave to Mom to dismantle for crafts!

But another person might find the jewelry interesting and the owner creative.I have so many kinds of necklaces and earrings. I only have 2 or 3 pieces of real jewelry. I love costume jewelry. A lot of mine comes from Ann Taylor Loft or Betsey Johnson. I'm good at hunting for sales.

I was at the mall with Mom, Shane, Josh, and Oliver a few years ago when Mom noticed a short, gold-tone necklace with three purple-rhinestone-adorned snowflakes. It was too perfect. It was too expensive. I bought it anyway, and I put it on right then.

During a major sale at Banana Republic, Mom and I found a necklace in black, silver tone, and gold tone with several large chains and matching keys of varying shapes and sizes. It makes me think of a darker version of The Secret Garden. 

Jewelry is fun and expressive for me, and it boosts my confidence. I'm trying to wear some each day even though I'm not working.