Fashion or Fiction

Fashion: Do you have a uniform?

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'd love for you to see the students dressed as me,
but I'm obviously not going to post pictures of my students on the internet.
That would be a major teacher fail.

It'sspirit week at school. Monday's theme was"Teacher Student Swap Day," so teachers wore the uniform, andstudents dressed as specific teachers. There were quite a few Mrs. Woodswalking around, and it was a little bit scary! One girl looked so much likeme that other people were mistaking her for me in the hall. They even got the details right: knotted belts, leopard print accessories, and leather wrap watches. I knew I had a fairly distinct look, but I didn't know it was quite soformulaic.

Skirt or dress

Black tights

2 or more bright colors

Nerd glasses (most girls popped the lenses out of 3Dglasses)

+ Loud belt

^{___________________}

Mrs. Wood

I felt soconspicuous wearing that look today; I felt like I was in costume! But it brings up a question I’ve had for awhile about style. Is it better to havea signature? Or variety?

On the one hand, I’ve always thought that having asignature style was a hallmark of the truly cool, or at least the trulyiconic. Think of Marilyn’s blonde bob,Audrey’s LBD, Mary Tyler Moore’s capris and flats, Laverne’s “L” sweaters, evenSally Jessy Raphael’s redglasses. Even if youdidn’t like these women’s styles, you remembered them. The look was an extension of their identity,and that seemed to me like the goal of fashion.

At the same time, I crave variety, and I crave“new.” It wasn’t a year into owning myblue glasses that I started thinking about other styles. I change my nail color every other day. As much as I want to have a “signature,” Ican’t seem to settle on one. If I eventhink about it, I feel trapped. I don’twant to end up wearing the same thing every day. I don’t want my style to bethat predictable. I don’t want to be a cartoon character.

Maybe I’m just thinking about it too much. After all, I’m not a celebrity, and I’m notrelying on people recognizing my glasses to build my “brand.”

What do you think: is it better to have a signature look? Or to mix things up?

Ryan Gossling Loves Teachers

2012-02-09T18:34:00.003-05:00

If you're a teacher, and I know many of my readers are, you MUST check out "Hey Girl Teacher." I don't know that I've ever been more excited about an internet meme.

Fiction: In Defense of (500) Days of Summer

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Even if you hate Zooey, I dare you to say anything bad about Joseph Gordon Levitt. That's right. You can't.

Any day my readership will revolt against me and demand Istop writing about Zooey Deschanel. (Yes, I heard you the first time Lindsay.)But I can't help it. I have to say this one last thing.

Whenever people complain about Zooey Deschanel, they can’thelp but mention both (500) Days of Summer and the Manic Pixie DreamGirl trope. And yes, I hate theManic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) too, but I love Summer because it is a deconstruction of the genre.

In most MPDG stories, the stuck-in-a-rut male lead is broughtto life by the spontaneity and ridiculousness of the MPDG. She likes to eat desert first! She doesn’t care what other peoplethink! She wears weird things! It’s a cute story, but it’s infuriatingbecause it’s so utterly unbelievable.[1] Even if we believe that this girl’s bizarre quirksare enough to make the guy fall completely in love, the idea that this “letsrun out into traffic because it’s fun” lifestyle can exist for more than theshort time-span of the movie itself is completely stupid. Usually, we can be sure that the next scenewill be the lead’s life going completely up in flames because the MPDG decidesthat pyromania is like, so random, and randomness is like, so transcendent.

Natalie Portman’s GardenState character is my least favorite MPDG ever. In this scene, she acts about 14-years old,twisting her hands, wearing a backpack, and declaring “sometimes I lie,” as if her self-awarenessmakes her an adorably precocious 4 year old. Yet, by the end of the movie I’m supposed to believe that she is goingto be a source of stability as Zack Braff tries to “figure some stuff out.” It’s almost insulting that I’m supposed tonot only buy this, but find it romantic.

But while Summer is a MPDG, (500) Days of Summer does not put up with her crap. It declares from the outset that “this is nota love story,” and while some of us may find ourselves caught up in Summer justlike Tom is, the movie makes it clear that the romance was all in ourheads. They use a non-linear narrativeto show us how Tom has created Summer’s perfection where it never existed. The same scenes are repeated throughout themovie, but while we see only the good memories the first time, a second viewinglets us see how misguided Tom has been by his own romantic fantasies. In one of the final scenes, the director usessplit-screen to make this difference explicit.

So (500) Days of Summer is in a lot of ways, an anti-MPDGmovie. These girls probably don’t exist,and if they did, they’d be far more likely to destroy you than to make youhappy in the long-term. Thus, thehopeful ending of Summer is due to “Autumn,”a cute but utterly normal girl who is interested in the same things as Tom. Maybe she is a little quirky, but it’s nother whole existence. She still wearssuits to interviews and meets people for safe coffee dates. Autumnis real, not a product of Tom’s imagination.

So I understand if you hate Summer Finn, but don’t hate Summer.

[1]More unbelievable than most romantic comedies, which is pretty unbelievable initself.

Fashion: Colorful Blazers are a Must Have for 2012

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love love love my colorful blazers from The Limited, and this season they seem to be a must-have. I love their juxtaposition of classic shapes with frivolous color. Here are a few of my favorites:

Lime Green GAP blazer

This lime green blazer from The Gap is also available in a beautiful hot pink and a coral-red. The pink and green appear to be sold-out online, so hit the stores ASAP if you've got your eye on it. I like this particular blazer because, like mine in the photo above, it's knit, so it's as comfy as a sweatshirt. (Almost...) (And thank goodness we're seeing some color in The Gap this year!)

I like the shape of this Ann Taylor jacket, and red is the least trendy of the brights.

This yellow version from H&M is nothing I could pull off (especially because it's collarless), but if you can do it, you'll be the coolest girl in town. (Avoid those pants though....yikes.)

An orange blazer from H&M. PS: This model is not a real person.

This hot pink blazer from BP at Nordstrom is actually reasonably priced.

If you're not convinced yet, check out how cute Tara looks in her teal blazer and my favorite blue skirt.

Let me know which one you like best. Even better, if you have one yourself, share a picture!

Fiction: Go See The Woman in Black

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Drew and I don't see many movies in the theatres, but I'm sure you're notsurprised that we went to see Daniel Radcliffe's first post-Potter role. The Woman in Black washonestly the scariest movie I've ever seen.

I think any attempt at a teasing plot summary ruins the fun of a horrormovie. It's much better when you can slowly unfold the plot along with thecharacters. However, I will tell you that it contains all of the scariest possibleelements: slow wind-up-toy music, scary children, dead people, dolls[1],and a Victorian-era setting.

I felt nauseous, seriously considered leaving the theatre part way through,and screamed so blood-curdlingly that the person next to me dropped theirpopcorn and a profanity[2].

Somewhat surprisingly, I didn’t spend the whole time thinking about HarryPotter, which is awesome for Radcliffe’s potential to avoid a Mark Hamill-type fate. And Drew only made one “Expecto Patronum”joke![3]

The film is based on a book, but I’m not sure I can handle that quite yet. If you’ve read it and enjoyed, let me know.

[1]Only clown dolls are worse.

[2]I just used zeugma! This is a red letterday!

[3]Really impressive, if you know Drew.

Blog I LOVE: The Dainty Squid

2012-02-04T18:13:00.000-05:00

For my second Blog I LOVE, I'd like to invite you to check out Kaylah from The Dainty Squid. This girl is so unbelievably unique and completely cool (are those wooden glasses?). I can't decide if I want to be her best friend, or if I just want to be her.

I think I'm most envious of her ever-changing rainbow hair. I would love to be able to do this to my hair. Alas, maybe in retirement. (Or in the summer, if I'm feeling really bold. Maybe just the bangs? Egg me on!)

She also runs an etsy shop where she sells handmade pouches in a variety of styles. This woodgrain/squirrel print one is calling to me.

Head on over to The Dainty Squid and give Kaylah some love!

Fashion: You Heard it Here First

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Despite my turtle pin and pink glasses,
many students fear wearing non-uniform socks in my classroom.

“That people equate being girlie with being nonthreatening … I mean, I can’t think of a more blatant example of playing into exactly the thing that we’re trying to fight against. I can’t be girlie? I think the fact that people are associating being girlie with weakness, that needs to be examined. I don’t think that it undermines my power at all.” --Zooey Deschanel, in New York Magazine

Just remember, you heard it here first...

Fiction: New Girl addresses Deschanel Haters

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

I heart Zooey, and I don't care what you think.

Yesterday’s episode of NewGirl addressed something I’ve been personally raging about for weeks:liking girly things doesn’t make you dumb.

Nick’s new girlfriend, Julia[1],acted as the voice of all those who hate Deschanel’s signature quirk. She essentially called Jess’s personality a shtick,and then made it clear that shtick or not, it was not a personality type shewanted to have anything to do with.

What I think the episode did particularly well was pointingout that this hatred of Deschanel types stems out of a prejudice against thefeminine. “You do like a lot of girlystuff,” Jess’s lesbian friend remarked, as if femininity should be aliability. While the episode played forlaughs (not even Zooey herself would wear that ribbon hat), the point it madewas spot-on. People don’t hate Deschanelbecause she’s dumb. They hate herbecause she’s girly, and they think that makes her dumb.

We may think we’ve become liberated because Chelsea Handler[2]can act like a “bro” on national television, but championing women who act likeidiotic men is not my idea of equality. It’s like we said, “Oh no, womenaren’t inferior. Just everything about women is inferior. Stop acting like a girl, and you’ll be cool.”

This anti-girl mentality is very popular in the media rightnow. The new romantic comedy heroine isa cold, emotionally damaged career girl who has “no time” for girlythings. Think of Natalie Portman’s hideouscharacter in No Strings Attached, RachelMcAdams in Morning Glory, and SandraBullock in The Proposal. These characters wear suits, have tight ponytails, never have fun, care more about their smart phones than people, and are very serious, therefore very intelligent. While they are eventually whisked off theirfeet, they never drop their iPhone in the process.[3]

All we’ve done is taken characteristics usually associatedwith men and superimposed them on women. Now that our women act like men, we like them. It’s utterly ridiculous. We may have gotten rid of sex discrimination,but we still have gender discrimination.

If the difference isn’t clear, let me refresh you. Sex refers to biology. Gender refers to culture. So while we may no longer discount people onthe basis of their biological identity as women, we certainly have a biasagainst women who act too feminine: womenwho bake, wear dresses, and like kittens.

I could spend all day going on about the issues of genderstereotyping in America,[4] but the point I’m trying to make in this postis that hating Zooey Deschanel because she’s cute is just 2012’s version ofsexism. Cute does not make herstupid. Femininity does not make a womaninferior.

[1]Lizzy Caplan, AKA JANIS IAN! Who knew,right?

[2]Or Laura Prepon as Chelsea, whatever.

[3]The fact that these women all let down their hair and jump into bed by the endof the movie makes it clear that American culture will never reject the idea ofinsatiable female lust.

[4]I’m likely to find a way to work it into class tomorrow.

Fashion: Polka Dot Peplum Top

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I think that "Spring 2012" should be changed to "Kelly Season." I say this because pretty much everything in stores right now screams my name: bright colors, polka-dots, stripes, nautical inspiration, and cat/bunny prints. I think I could boost the economy single-handedly with all the purchases I've been making.

I've promised myself I'll slow down, but how could I say no to this peplum top from H&M? It's so beautiful, so retro, so perfect. The peplum is a great shape because it exaggerates my hips, thus making my waist look smaller. All my favorite skirts do the same. Many women are afraid of making their hips/butt look big, but ladies, that's where it's at! The hourglass figure is so feminine.

I'd really love a peplum skirt too. I've seen a few online, but I really need to try things on before I commit. Let me know if you see one in stores for a reasonable price!

Very Pinteresting: Show your love for OHIO

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Pinterest has been consuming the attention of more and more people lately, so for the time being I'm going to feature some of my pinterest finds on the last Friday of the month. This month, I want to show you all the love I have for my home state: Ohio!

I think I love Ohio so much because so many other people seem so eager to put it down. I've never understood that. Yes, places like California are beautiful, but so is Ohio. You just have to be open to seeing it.

Or if you need an invitation, leave me a comment with your e-mail!

I would have loved to have this when I was at OSU.

Source: cleclothingco.com via Stacia on Pinterest

I told Drew that we need this in our home.

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

You can custom-order to put a heart in your hometown!

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Cute.

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

I have one in silver, but I really like this one. The description says it's leather.

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Fashion: Jason Wu for Target

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm excited about Jason Wu for Target because it might be another way for me to feed my love of feline fashion. (Hopefully it won't be a repeat of the Missoni debacle!) Check out my favorite pieces:

Red, black, blue, and cats? Sign me up. The collection debuts on Feb. 5th. Don't steal all the good pieces before I get out of class!

Fashion: 5 Things That Define My Style

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Five Things That Define My Style:

Three watches is a legitimate look, right? I bet I would still be late.

1. Bright Colors: My closet is grateful that bright colors have been in style for the past few seasons. Previously, I had felt lost in a wasteland of black, grey,and "soul-sucking beige." Now, I can mix and match a rainbow of colors and feel on top of the world every day!

2. Watches: A teacher can't really check the time on her cell phone, so a watch is a must. Plus, there's something weirdly empowering about having such essential information closer than your fingertips.

3. My Engagement Ring: I don't mean to be overly sentimental with this one, but because my ring is yellow-gold and I'm a little anxious about mixing metals, I tend to stick with this metallic. For right now, platinum is in and the retro-vibe of yellow-gold feels kindof edgy. Let's hope it stays that way.

4. My Glasses: Like I mentioned in a previous post, my glasses end up being the inspiration, catalyst, or centerpiece for a lot of my outfits. Their "are they blue/are they purple" quality make them one of my favorite pieces. (Although a new pair is on the way...)

5. Skirts and Dresses: On the weekend, I admittedly prefer jeans, but for the work week, I love skirts and dresses. I think I've worn pants exactly 2 times since I started this school year.

Can you pick just 5 things that define your style?

Fashion: Blue Blazer

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was so excited when I saw that The Limited was selling my favorite blazer in blue. I bought the red version at the end of summer, but blue! What luck! I saw similar styles on sale at H&M, Ann Taylor, and Express. I guess bright colors are "in" for the time being, which is fine by me!

Also, I love this skirt, but it is huge! Even thought it's my size, I am not quite sure why I ever thought it fit. Gap sizes are a lot bigger than other stores, and while that can be complimentary, it is confusing! Has anyone else had this problem?

Fashion: Happy Accident

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

This outfit was a bit of an accident. When I got dressed in the morning, I put on this t-shirt as an extra layer under a blazer. But when the day turned out to be unexpectedly warm, I lost the jacket and gained a new outfit idea. It hadn't occurred to me to layer this look dress with short-sleeves; I don't know why.

In other news, I have no idea what I'm going to do when I finally wear out this dress. It's not just a closet staple, its THE closet staple. I think I wear it once a week. I wish I could find more like it in more exciting colors. (Let me know if you see one!)

Fashion: Why Miss Pillsbury Should Have Said "No"

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I hate Will Shuester.

It's no secret that Will Shuester is my least favorite character on Glee! Last nights episode, "Yes/No" gives me the perfect opportunity to rant about what a loser he is. Without further ado, 6 reasons that Emma Pillsbury should have said "no" to Will's proposal.

1. He couldn't even come up with his own proposal. Will had to rely on his high-school students to tell him how he felt about Emma. That's perfectly reasonable, because we all know that what we think of as "love" in high school translates perfectly into a healthy marriage. I'm glad that Mercedes' passing flirtation with Sam has helped Will find meaning in his relationship with Emma.

2. He doesn't have any friends. Will asked Finn to be his best man, proving that no one his own age will have anything to do with him. Emma should also worry about her future as Mrs. Will Shuester, seeing as Will will lose his teaching license when the board finds out he had students at his bachelor party. Creeper.

3. He's not even sure he wants to marry her. Will managed to overlook Emma's obvious issues for the entire time they've known each other. He even vowed to help her tackle the problem, but the minute her parents suggested it might make her unfit to be a wife, he freaked out and insulted her, calling her a "helpless" cause.

4. His proposal was insulting. As if it wasn't bad enough that he told Emma she was helpless, he recalled this insult in his proposal, singing Rhianna's "We Found Love [in a hopeless place]." I suppose it can be overlooked, because the song choice was just so perfect. Nothing makes me think of true love more than Rhianna.

5. He set her up for public humiliation. If you want a secret to become public, your best bet is to tell a high-schooler. So when Mr. Shue announced his proposal and then began to reconsider, he was basically guaranteeing that Emma wouldn't just suffer privately, her rejection would be on display for all to see.

6. His white tuxedo and top hat. Surely that's reason enough.

For what it's worth, Finn's proposal (while probably a terrible idea) was much much better. It was heartfelt and intimate. Real love doesn't have to be a spectacle.

Fashion: On Being a Fashion "Expert"

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

The author has always loved cat-print dresses.

I think the funniest thing about writing a fashion blog is that it makespeople think I have some kind of actual fashion knowledge or authority.

A few weeks ago, I showed a curious co-worker my blog. After she looked overa few pages, she said, "I used to think I didn't know anything aboutfashion. Now I know I don't." Another (male) co-worker asked, "so howdo you get into something like that?," as if the internet had called me personally,and wanted my advice on fashion and fiction.

The truth is I don't know anything about fashion.[1] Ijust wear what I want. And wearing whatyou want with confidence[2]equates to something better than fashion: style.

I certainly took a long time finding my way towards something I can tentativelycall a style of my own. While I had aunique look in high school, in college, my taste in clothes changeddramatically.

In a lot of ways, I think I was part of an anti-fashion crowd. Among litmajors, it's not cool to look like you care about appearances. Lit majors wantto have as little in common with sorority-girl-business-majors as possible.Cool was about not wearing makeup, wearing ugly things you found atthrift stores, and pretending that you've read Finnegan's Wake. I even got the “you’re trying too hard” look forwearing low v tank tops. Sheesh.

Thus, when I first started teaching, I was a fashion disaster. I had amotley collection of skirts and tops left over from college, and a few ugly,poorly-fitting khakis that I bought once it got cold. My footwear was"comfortable" in the same way that ugly people have "greatpersonalities." Actually, all my outfits had great personalities.

Teachers certainly have a reputation for being frumpy. My relative youth wasthe only thing holding me back from being Miss Geist from Clueless.(The English teachers are always the craziest.) But it was also my youth that kept me in my boring, too-oldclothes. I knew it was important toestablish authority. At 23 years old and5 foot nothing, it wasn’t easy to convey. I thought that if I wore anything similar to what my students werewearing, they wouldn’t take me seriously.

I was finally inspired to change my mind and my wardrobe when I found outthat I needed to wear glasses full-time. The square, purple wire-rimmed glasses I had seemed to suck the remaininglife out of every outfit I had. So Idecided to go big or go home: I got mybig blue glasses.

I knew they were a little goofy. Iwas worried about what people would say. Yet, I loved them. And they were like wardrobe magic. Suddenly all the trendy pieces I thought were“not for me” looked great. The glassessomehow gave me the confidence I needed.

Shortly thereafter, I wore a maxi-skirt to school. One of the best dressed teachers stopped me andtold me that she was so glad I had worn it: she wasn’t sure if they were in style or not, but she felt safe now thatI had worn it first. It seemed soridiculous that she would look to me for guidance: what did I know? I was only just beginning to teach myself.

What I’m saying is this: Forget thefashion rules, the fashion magazines, the hots and the nots. Forget fashion and wear what you want. That doesn’t mean that I’m endorsinginappropriateness; I’ll never wear mycat-print dress to an interview. No matter what the occasion, there’s alwaysa way to make your choices feel like “you.” And if you do, I know you’ll feel better about yourself. So stop buying safe grey sweaters[3],and decide to love every single thing you own.

[1]Neither do most fashion bloggers, and you know it.

[2]A caveat: I do think you have to knowwhat looks good on your body. No amountof confidence is going to make empire waists look good on me.

[3]Unless your personality type is “safe grey,” of course.

Fiction: Bridget Jones's Diary

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Each second Friday of the month, I'll feature a favorite book, old ornew. This week I want to talk about Bridget Jones.

Always choose the pre-movie cover!

In the 12 or so years[1]since I first read (and loved) Bridget Jones's Diary, I have to admitthat I've grown a little embarrassed about it. After all, it's not onlychick-lit, but THE chick-lit. And chick-lit has become a "hide it on theback of my bookshelf, no I didn't feverishly read A Walk To Remember"guilty pleasure.

But something made me pick up Bridget the other day, and I'll behonest with you, it's quite good. It might not be high-art[2],but it's genuinely a good, well-written book.

Bridget is a great character with a strong voice. I can't read the book without droppingpersonal pronouns and linking verbs from my sentences as I narrate my own life. “Amon way to school now. Traffic very heavy.” Istill use the phrase “verybusy and important.” My friendCallie even uses Bridget’s signature calorie and drink count as a Facebookupdate. While many characters are forgotten shortlyafter the last page, Bridget somehow manages to stick with me.

I don’t actually think that the book is embarrassing at all. (It won the British Book of the Year award.[3]) For a book that’s pushing 20 yearsold, it remains surprisingly fresh and edgy.[4]

I think it’s the overwhelming success of the movie, the terrible terrible sequel [5],and the general craziness of Renee Zellweger that have ruined the fun forus.

The original movie was, in my opinion, actually a really fantasticcomplement to the book. This is ofcourse, primarily because of the casting. Bridget Jones is a modern Pride and Prejudice, so that Mark Darcyshould be played by Mr.Darcy himself, Colin Firth, is deliciously meta for those in-the-know. Sheeven mentions Firth’s famous role in the book.[6]

I also really loved the added fight scene. While I generally despise any changes to the original material, a Hugh Grant and Colin Firthslap-fight to “It’s Raining Men” should always be considered a positiveaddition to any film.

Unfortunately, the sequel BridgetJones: The Edge of Reason was a far less inspiring book and a disaster of amovie. It deviated wildly from thealready weak book and included a salaciously panderinggirl-on-girl kiss. So 2004. So not a part of the book. It ruined the whole franchise by making thesequel completely unwatchable.

But it was Renee herself that put the final nail in the Bridget Jonescoffin. Her bonkers post-movie dietinggave her a skeletal appearance and enhanced her crazy-eyes. No one took her seriously. The dieting was probably a result of BridgetJones. There were rumors that she lost amagazine cover because of the weight she put on for the role. What’s most frustrating to me though, is thatBridget is decidedly not fat. She weighs only 129 lbs, so unless she’s thesize of an elf, she’s pretty normal or even pretty thin. The fact that she obsesses over her weightwhen she’s not even fat in the first place is one of the things that makes BridgetJones so relatable.

So, even if you think Bridget Jones is not for you, give it a secondchance.

[1]When did I get that old?

[2]Even as an English teacher, I feel comfortable admitting that I don’t alwayswant to read literature. (Do italics do a good enough job ofmaking a word sound heavy and pretentious?)

[3] This information is fromWikipedia. If you’re a student readingthis, you are still not allowed to use Wikipedia as a source. As for the seriousness of the award inquestion, it has been given to legitimate books such as Harry Potter and Eats,Shoots, and Leaves. The DaVinci Codealso won, which gives me doubts.

[4]I won’t reprint my favorite lines, but on page 10 she gives a colorfulexplanation of what dating is like for those over 30.

[5]Please let this not be true.

[6]She talks about Hugh Grant too, but again, I don’t want to reprint exactly whatshe says. Does anyone remember Grant’smid-nineties scandal? Let’s just say he’sperfect for the role of despicable Daniel Cleaver.

Fiction: Famous Writers on Writers Block

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I turn sentences around. That's my life. I write a sentence and then I turn it around. Then I look at it and I turn it around again. Then I have lunch. Then I come back in and write another sentence. Then I have tea and turn the new sentence around. Then I read the two sentences over and turn them both around. Then I lie down on my sofa and think. Then I get up and throw them out and start from the beginning. — Philip Roth

Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor. — Anne Lamott

A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. ~Thomas Mann

One of the most difficult things is the first paragraph. I have spent many months on a first paragraph, and once I get it, the rest just comes out very easily. --- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Five Reasons I'm Thinking About Quitting Blogging and Five Reasons I Won't

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

5 Reasons I've Thought of Quitting Blogging:
1. I've got such bad writer's block, this was the best I could come up with.
2. Home-ownership is all consuming. (And yet, still desirable...what a paradox.)
3. My outfits have felt uninspired.
4. I want to write more fiction posts, but they require even more time/energy than the fashion posts.
5. Sometimes it's hard to feel the presence of an audience. Blogging can feel isolating.

and

5 Reasons I Won't:
1. I want to be a writer, and writers write.
2. My students have found this blog, and I want to set a good example. Even when you feel like quitting, you can work through it. (Hi Ladies!)
3. It might just be a bad week. I really love blogging.
4. It has helped me develop my personal style and grow as a writer.
5. I want to be a writer, and writers write.

Blog Resolution 2012

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Super serious in my red pencil skirt.

So last Friday I told you that I had some resolutions for my blog. I'm usually not one for resolutions, but I think Fashion or Fiction needs a little structure. Thus, I'm introducing "Feature Friday." Each Friday I'll have a regular feature post as follows:

First Friday of the Month: Blog I LOVE

Second Friday of the Month: On My Bookshelf

Third Friday of the Month: What Drew's Wearing

Last Friday of the Month: ???

I clearly haven't thought this through fully, but I've got a few weeks until I've got to make a decision. Any thoughts? What type of regular feature would you like to see on Fashion or Fiction?

Fashion: Free Zoya Nailpolish? Sign me up!

2012-01-06T18:14:00.001-05:00

I saw on Refinery 29 today that Zoya was running a promotion where you get 2 free bottles of nail polish for free with the code ZOYA2012. Of course, you have to pay shipping ($6.95), but that's still a pretty good deal for polish that runs $8 a bottle.

The promotion lasts until January 9th at midnight, so pick out your colors soon!

Here are the colors I chose:

Zoya "Twila"

Zoya "Valerie"

Just a note: The colors on Zoya.com don't seem to be accurate based on what I saw in stores. I used temptalia.com to see color swatchs. I suppose I don't know until the bottles arrive if they are more accurate, but they seem to be.

Happy polishing!

Blog I LOVE: Give Me Bows

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

So as one of my New Years Blog Resolutions (More on that later...) I've decided to do frequent postings about other blogs I read and love. I find that the best way to find new blogs is to explore the favorites of my favorites!

The first Blog I LOVE is a recent obsession. Elyse from Give Me Bows has somehow made real every 1950s fashion dream I've ever had.

Unfortunately, because Elyse lives in Australia, I cannot simply rush to the mall or internet and buy every single adorable dress she owns. Perhaps for Elyse, this is fortunate. In any event, check out Give Me Bows!

Fashion: My Thoughtful Husband

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Drew bought me this sweater vest months ago and tucked it away until Christmas. He had a minor crisis when I tried to buy it for myself in November, but he steered me towards the blue and green version that was only $10, and all was well. I love that he thinks about my gifts well enough to plan ahead like that. If you're not already married, I advise you to find a husband like mine. (But, let's be clear: not mine.)

On another note, it looks like the blog will benefit from our move: there's actually enough light to take pictures! Maybe one day we'll even have stuff hanging on walls that aren't so shockingly white.

Hufflepuff has offered to help.

Fashion: Brand and Identity

2012-01-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

This sweater, as you can tell by the moose on the hem, is from Abercrombie and Fitch, a store which I have carefully avoided even walking into since it became massively popular in the late 90s. Yet this Christmas, I received three items from Abercrombie[1]. I loved them each enough to overcome my aversion to the store, yet I still squirm a bit when I put them on, especially this sweater with its conspicuous moose.

Why such a hatred for A+F? Well, I suppose for the same reasons other people love it--branding. Abercrombie and Fitch is a “lifestyle” brand that sells ideas more than products. When you buy from Abercrombie and Fitch, you’re buying the idea of casual affluence, casual sex, and blinding (yet casual) beauty. Not exactly the ideas I’m searching for when I’m creating my own identity.

Yet, in some respects, my distaste for Abercrombie is just as much a sign of their success as their sales figures. They’ve created a defined brand identity that appeals to their target audience—a target audience that most decidedly does not include me. After all, I’m not an 18-22 year old sorority girl.[2]

Creating a brand identity is a marketing technique, and a good one. When a brand identity is successful, it is a “lovemark.” This term, coined by advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi, is used to denote a brand that inspires “loyalty beyond reason.”[3] The best example I can think of is Apple, of course. A brand that has so perfected their identity that people forget it’s a brand. It becomes a community. The Frontline special “The Persuaders” does a really great job explaining just how frightening the phenomenon can be.[4]

So, if I know it’s just marketing that keeps me away from Abercrombie and Fitch, why do I still feel a hint of ickiness every time I see the little moose embroidered on my sweater? Because this kind of marketing is much larger than an ad campaign. By wearing the sweater,[5]I’ve consented to yoking the A+F identity to my own,[6] which I’m not sure I’m comfortable with.

Clearly, I liked the sweater more than I liked my grudge against Abercrombie and Fitch, but I do wonder if I made the right choice. I’d love to just ignore advertiser’s suggestions for what I should or should not wear, but I don’t want this sweater to be an implicit endorsement of the company and its philosophy.

Your thoughts?

[1] Technically, “Abercrombie” without the “Fitch” is the name of their children’s store. However, I’m assuming you’ll understand what I mean if I abbreviate.

[2] I shudder at the thought.

[3] Saatchi and Saatchi seem to use this phrase, “loyalty beyond reason,” without a hint of guilt or irony. A contest on their website has people tweeting about their undying devotion to consumer products. The end is near.

[4] Watch the section titled “Emotional Branding.”

[5] Which after a full day of wear, still has the distinctive Abercrombie and Fitch scent.

[6] Much to the company’s dismay, I’m sure. The staff didn’t look too happy to see me when I walked in. “I’m not that old and ugly,” I thought.

Fashion: Warmest Coat and Frozen Yogurt

2011-12-29T08:33:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, my sister and I had matching ceruleanblue [1]coats. It was an accident, ofcourse. We didn’t mean to have twinsiecoats, but I loved to taunt her about it by saying OMGWHMC (Oh My God! We HaveMatching Coats!) every time I saw her.

This year we thought the era of OMGWHMC was about to end,until I saw her in her new coat. It wasnearly the same as the one I had put on my Christmas list. This time, the only difference is that mineis purple and longer.

Let me tell you, I never thought I’d want a ridiculous,knee-length, sleeping-bagcoat, but last year Drew’s grandma gave me one of hers and when the Ohio weatherwent from cold to miserable, I tried it out. It was incredible. It was a little bit heavy though, and the color wasn't flattering on me, so I asked for a new one this year.

This particular coat is from Land’sEnd and is super lightweight despite its warmth. Plus, it’s long enough that you can’t tellthat I wore leggings and a nightgown to get frozen yogurt. Except that I just told you.

[1]All my color vocabulary comes from Crayola.

Fiction: Stephen King's 11/22/63

2011-12-28T13:04:00.003-05:00

One surprise gift I got for Christmas was Stephen King's 11/22/63. (I had been gushing over it at the grocery store in front of my mom; I think she got the hint.) The premise sounds completely enthralling: a high school English teacher (!!) goes back in time to attempt to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

Whether or not I actually like JFK, I find the whole family and the concept of the "Kennedy Curse" to be fascinating. So the combination of the Kennedy's with Stephen King is surely going to be magic.

Now if only I had time to sit down with the 850 page book. Maybe after I'm done raking the 4 months worth of leaves still sitting in my new backyard. Sigh.

If you've read it, don't ruin it for me!

Thank You!

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

A big thank you to Lives in Progress and The Spanglish Life for choosing me for the Liebster Award! It's so wonderful to know that, even though I'm just starting out, there is someone out there reading.

Liebster means "dearest" in German. This award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers

The award has these stipulations:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your 5 blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Hope that the people you have sent the award to will forward it to their favorite bloggers.

Here are my picks:

1. Free to Be Stacia Lee

2. Enter Kelly

3. Just Take a Bow

4. Sweet Laundry

Sorry for only picking 4! I promise they're great and will make up for the missing 5th blog!

Guest Blog: Is It Worth It?

2011-12-22T00:22:00.009-05:00

Greetings, Fashion or Fiction lovers! This is Kelly's little sister, Kate, a.k.a. "The Captain," filling in for her today while she's moving. I was a little shocked when Kelly asked me to do a post for her. I've never been considered by anyone to be even slightly fashionable. But I do wear clothes. So here goes nothing!

While doorbusting at Macy's with Kelly and her husband the day after Thanksgiving, I made a mad dash for this absolutely gorgeous sweater that I had seen in the INC department a month beforehand. It was one of those drapey cardigan sweaters that are so popular this year, and this particular one was a brilliant royal blue. Since I was doorbusting, I thought I could get a great deal on this $70 dollar cardigan, but it was still over 40 bucks.

Now, I understand that this really isn't that bad for a nice sweater. Even as a college student with very little income, I can accept this. But as I stood there with my drapey sweater in a department with a dozen other drapey sweaters in a mall with hundreds of other drapey sweaters, I had to ask myself: "Is it worth it?"

This sweater is clearly trendy. And, oddly enough, it's a trend I like. How often can I go out to bars with my friends wearing something that simultaneously makes me feel hip and look like Meryl Streep? But, as with all trends, it's bound to come to an end, and most likely sooner rather than later.

So, with the imminent expiration date of my beloved sweater, I can't help but feel like "what's the point?" Even if I continue to like the sweater, I won't like the looks of disapproval I'll receive by wearing something that's "out." With that knowledge, I just couldn't go through with it. I much prefer clothes with longevity.

I think I'm better off leaving trends to others. This is too much clothing stress for me. I'm going to stick with my deep-V tees and (only when I'm feeling sassy) some blue Converse.

Guest Post: Classic Closet Staples

2011-12-21T07:44:00.000-05:00

Hi Fashion or Fiction fans! My name is Stacia and I'm guest posting today for Kelly while she moves in to her new home! Kelly and I are both fashion bloggers, both from the great state of Ohio & both have a thing for The Limited. Its a win win friendship. So when Kelly asked me to guest post for her I thought Ill do a outfit post. Then my camera had some condensation issues, so no outfit posts at all this week. How about classic closet staples? Great I'm glad you agree!

So to make it even more specific lets talk Winter Staples.

Brown Casual Boots

Black Dressy Boots

Scarfs are a must. I love the extra layer of warmth & a scarf completes a outfit with a polished look.
A comfortable but fitted sweatshirt. I wear this once a week. It can be worn casually or dressed up.
And a great fitting pair of medium to dark colored skinny jeans. Great tucked into boots, worn with heels or flats.

A fitted V neck sweater. Thanks to Kelly for picking this color out for me at The Limited. I have worn this sweater over & over again. It fits well and it something that never goes out of style.

& finally

A black pencil skirt. Mine is from Shabby Apple, the bow won me over! This pencil skirt can be worn so many ways and in so many seasons.

So there you have it my official list of classic closet staples! Feel free to come visit my blog freetobestacialee.blogspot.com, I love meeting new people! Thank you to Kelly for having me! Happy Holidays!
Stacia Lee

Memoir: MOVING DAY!

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hufflepuff helps with the packing

Well, I can finally tell you one of the things that's been keeping me away from the blog. Drew and I bought our first house! We'll be busy moving for the next few days, so I'll catch up with you after Christmas. Until then, I've lined up my friend Stacia from Free to Be Stacia Lee to guest post on Wednesday, and I think I'll try to sweet-talk The Captain into writing for you on Thursday. Happy Holidays!

Fashion: Electric Blueberry Tights

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

The first time I wore these tights, I was also wearing my polka-dotted dress. I must have been quite a sight. I'll tell you one thing; I didn't go unnoticed! The second I got out of the car a passerby gave me a compliment on them. It actually got to be so much that I was sure people were actually mocking me. Well, so what if they were? These tights rock.

Fashion: H&M Bow Belt

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

If only my bow belt weren't crooked!

This bow belt was my final Black Friday purchase. It wasn't even on sale, but it stopped me in my tracks. I didn't want to spend any (more) money on myself, but Drew convinced me that it was perfect, and he was right. I think I'll probably wear it every day this week. What's the point of anything if you can't have a little fun?

Fashion: Happy Outfit

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

I can't say life has gotten much calmer lately (thus my lack of posts), butI can say that it has gotten considerably happier. Thus, my happy day outfit.Nothing says happy like a bow belt and a polka dotted dress. Truthfully, thisoutfit didn't make it much past the pictures. I ended up trading in the sweaterfor my red blazer. It made me happier, and that was kindof the point of theoutfit. :)

Thanks for the feedback on my code of ethics. Feel free to keep makingsuggestions! I was also considering taking the "outfit details"section off the bottom of "Fashion" posts. I figure that most of myclothing isn't so new that you could run out and buy it,[1] sowhat's really the point? It just feels like unnecessary free advertising. Fromnow on, I'll only tell you where a specific piece is from if I really want toor if you ask. Thoughts?

[1]Seriously, other bloggers, where are you getting all that money? I seriously doubt most of you can afford yourwardrobes. Call my husband when you need a bankruptcy!

Fashion: Blogger Code of Ethics

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I flipped out in class the other day while discussingChris Brown. Why were we discussingChris Brown in English class? Because wewere talking about the boundaries between art and advertising and according toBrown, there isn’t one.

Remember “Forever”-the wedding reception stapleof 2009? Maybe you also remember the Doublemint commercialthat used a jinglefied version of the song? Nothing unusual, right? Exceptthat Brown wrotethe jingle first and then extended it into a full length song. It is essentially a 4¹/2 minute jingle. And he duped America into thinking that itwas about something more.[1]

It’s not that I blindly hate all advertisements.[2] What really gets me riled up is whenadvertisements become more culturally significant than real art. I get frustrated when students defend Brown’schoice to conflate art and commerce, but I can understand it. How many advertisements do we see in aday? How much real art do we see in aday? Is it worth getting riled up aboutadvertising infiltrating art when the “art” we’re talking about is a ChrisBrown song? If we let advertisementscreep in at the corners of art, is it already too late?

Advertising is an inescapable part of our society, but weneed to take a stand and draw a line. Wecan’t let it become our entire culture.

AsI talked about before, this bleeding between advertising and culture is aparticular problem for some fashion bloggers. As I enter my first Christmas season of blogging, I’ve been close todisgusted with the blatant, shameless advertising in some posts. Many advertisements are framed as charity efforts,which means that bloggers can be “so excited to participate!” and linkthemselves with a brand that they would otherwise have nothing to do with.

It really does cause me to question a blogger’sintegrity. How can I tell if what she’spromoting is really something that she would wear? In some cases, I’m not even sure the bloggerherself can tell—after all, there’s a big difference between something youwould wear once or twice because it was given to you and something that you likeenough to spend your own money on.

For all of these reasons, I think the time is NOW to publishmy blogger code of ethics. Feel free tocomment or make suggestions. I’m stillso new to this, I’m sure I’m missing some possibilities. As this blog evolves, I will add to (but notsubtract from) the code of ethics.

This statement will be available in the top menu of thisblog for future reference. Please callme out if I break my own rules!

Fashion or Fiction BloggerCode of Ethics

· I promise to always give you my honestopinion. Although, youprobably weren't too concerned about that one. Most people would prefer I holdback my opinions once in a while.

· I promise to always let you know ifI've received special treatment as a blogger. This would include disclosing freeproducts, gift-cards, promotional give-aways, discounts, products or media forreview, or anything else that was provided to me because of this blog.

· I promise to never take money to write anything. You can always besure that anything I write in a post is my own opinion and that I have not beenpaid to write it. No matter how transparent the advertisement may be, I willnot let advertising encroach on my own creative space. The sole exception tothis rule will be for giveaways.

· If I host a sponsored giveaway, I willmake entry requirements reasonable. I will not require you to “like” my blog or theproduct on Facebook or give an e-mail or other unnecessary information to thesponsor.

· I promise that an ad will always looklike an ad. If I ever choose tosell adspace in the sidebar of my blog, I promise that it will look like an adand will be clearly distinguishable from the content of my blog.

[1]My students and long-time Fashion orFiction readers can tell you that my Chris Brown hatred runs deep. I griped about this same song in a previousentry, “TheGoogle Effect and M.T. Anderson’s Feed”

[2]Okay, so maybe I do a little bit.

Fashion: Brightly Colored

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

So I promised I was cookin' up something worthwhile, but unfortunately, it's still on the back-burner. (Yay! Extended metaphors!) The good news (at least for me) is that I think I'm almost over my super-cold. I consider this awesome outfit proof that I'm finally feeling like myself again. Go me!

Fashion: Scarlet and Grey

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

As a loyal Buckeye, I am always on the prowl for scarlet and grey. It's easy to find, but not if you want something that doesn't have a football on it. I found this sweater at JC Penney a few years ago. It had fallen out of favor because the cut seemed a little full and the neck was a little high--but I think I like it with the button-down underneath.

I think I'm going to have to try something new again soon...this tights-boots-skirt thing is getting a little out of hand. Oh well.

Fashion: I hate wearing pants

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I really hate wearing dress pants. I do. They're never the right length, for starters. If I get them hemmed, they are inevitably too short. So I look to the sorrowfully small selection of petite pants, but even those drag on the ground. This means that on nasty, snowy days---the very days that one might want to wear pants---all the moisture from the ground wicks up my pants and I'm soaked to the knee in parking lot sludge. Plus, I can't find a pair that fits properly in the hips either. The same size that fits me in jeans has enough fabric for an extra person in a pair of dress pants. I'm too young to wear pants where the butt sags to the ground. So, really, I hate pants.

PS: I'm cookin' up something for later in the week that will be better than a rant against pants. I promise.

Fashion: Getting Dressed in the Dark

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm glad I'm married to such a talented writer, because I have not had the energy to make this blog happen lately. (Thanks for keeping Fashion or Fiction going, honey!) On top of the normal stresses of the season, I've been sick for three full weeks now. It's getting to the point where I'm forgetting what it's like to not have a headache and a sore throat.

Even if I had the energy to write, my outfits have been less than inspired lately. I like to plan my outfits the night before, but lately I've been stumbling into a dark closet and just putting things together. The result is frequently more than a little bit "off." I've had more than one "I thought this shirt was black, but now I'm not so sure" moment.

Today's outfit was put together in the dark. The exposure might not show the colors well enough for you to tell, but these tights and this skirt are not quite working. (Then again, neither is my hair!) Let's hope that I can get my act together soon, and bring my look and this blog back to life!

Wish me luck!

PS: This pair of tights is from Express. While most of my Express tights are high-quality, this pair snags and falls down without explanation. Avoid this print!

Fashion: Awesome Christmas Sweaters

2011-12-05T06:51:00.001-05:00

Drew's guest blogging again. I promise to give Kelly back her blog soon. In the meantime, check out this awesome Christmas sweater!

Sweater by American Living from JC Penney. Tie by Joseph A. Bank.

Here's a Christmas story to cheer you up during the holiday season. Two years ago, I saw this sweater at JC Penney. It was (obviously) awesome. Dark blue fair isle with moose? Price tag: $34.00? Sign me up!

The problem: there were no shirts in my size. Everything was large or extra large. We called other JC Penneys, but the nearest shirt was more than an hour and a half away. (Sorta counteracts the affordability when you're driving three hours at $3.00/gallon).

I grew despondent. Why were there no shirts in my size? Oddly, television provided my answer. There were no shirts in my size... because Hollywood had them!

First, it was Nintendo. Take a look at the Wii Holiday 2009 commercial:

That commercial was EVERYWHERE in December 2009. You probably still remember it. It was like Nintendo was taunting me.

Next: 30 Rock. This aired 12/10/2009.

Sweater by American Living from JC Penney... again.

So now I'm really honked off. Why? Why have you taken my sweaters, Liz Lemon?

Then, the ultimate betrayal: Glee.

Sweater by American Living from JC Penney.
Thanks for nothing, Artie.

This is the only picture of Artie wearing MY sweater on the entire internet. I almost blogged without this picture... until the Glee Christmas Episode was handed to me on a silver platter. (Thank you, Netflix!) This isn't anything so formal as a screen capture. I took this picture of my television with my own camera in my living room, which accounts both for the poor photo quality and the focus on the CHRISTMAS SWEATER.

Ultimately, our story has a happy ending. Through the diligent efforts of my wife and mother, my Christmas sweater was obtained (from the location 1.5 hours away) and I unwrapped it on December 24, 2009. I immediately put it on, abandoning... whatever else I was wearing that day. I can't remember, because it doesn't matter. This was the sweater that saved Christmas.

American Living got the hint. For the last three seasons, JC Penney has stocked multiple styles of fair isle sweaters, including a couple with polar bears(!) and some with just plain snowflakes, if you're into that. Other companies have learned, as well. Check out Tony Little, for example:

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Tony Little is imitating ME. (Or not.)

In conclusion, I have the best Christmas sweater in the world. (Well... me and Artie and that Nintendo guy and the guy from 30 Rock whose name I can never remember.) So, if you see that blue fair isle sweater, it just might be a movie star... or me. Either way, it'll be an awesome experience for you.

Merry pre-Christmas!

Fashion: Not Me

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed Drew's 2-day post on feminist readings of YA Lit; I know I did. I'm a little intimidated by his writing prowess sometimes, I think he might have showed me up! (Do us both a favor and don't respond to that!)

Today, I was looking for a way to shake up my the black dress I wear all the time and I settled on this combo. To be honest, I think I really hate it. It's not me at all. I think sometimes, in my effort to keep it fresh for the blog, I end up wearing things that I wouldn't otherwise. I think I'll go back to basics tomorrow and wear some bright color.

Fiction: Feminism in The Hunger Games and Harry Potter

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is part two of Drew’sguest blog, examining female role models in young adult literature. Drew has taken the liberty of swiping Kelly’sliberal use of footnotes. Hope you enjoyit.

Yesterday, we discussedwhy Bella Swan is a poor female role model: she lacks agency. So, who are the good female role models inyoung adult literature?

Katniss Everdeen – Katniss is a great role model from a feministperspective. She isagency. Katniss’s independence makes herthe symbol for a revolution, the very incarnation of independence. The people of the revolution rally aroundKatniss because she has the independence that they want for themselves.[1]

The entire conceit ofThe Hunger Games is a commentary on agency. The Capitol uses the hunger games to remind the Districts that they arepowerless. They have no agency. The Capitol is saying, essentially, “You areso helpless that we can take your children from their homes and force them tokill each other for our amusement. Youcan do nothing to stop us. You won’teven try.”

This is true… untilKatniss Everdeen comes along.

Katniss is a force ofnature. She is constantly compared towildfire—her costume lights on fire, she is nicknamed “the girl on fire,” shetalks about her own fire in a soliloquy at the conclusion of Mockingjay, and the second book of theseries is titled Catching Fire.

Wildfire is a perfectsymbol for Katniss. Neither Katniss norwildfire can be controlled. Katniss doesexactly what she wants, when she wants to do it. She regularly sneaks past the electric fenceto go hunting. She volunteers to takePrim’s place at the Hunger Games. She shootsa roast pig at her talent evaluation because she refused to allow herself to beignored.

What aboutrelationships? Both Katniss and Bellahave a “which boy will she choose?” subplot. Remember, Bella wanted both boys—she wants to marry Edward and stillhave Jacob as a best friend.[2] Belladid everything she could possibly do to avoid making a choice. Team Switzerland, right?

Katniss, however,realizes that she will have to choose between Gale and Peeta[3]. And, eventually, she does. In a way, it doesn’t matter whichrelationship Katniss chooses, because shemakes a choice. Even if she chosewrong, at least she acted.

Beyond the agency inchoosing her relationships, Katniss also has a high level of agency within her relationships. She isn’t ruled by the physical desires of herbody, or by her emotions. She considers them,which is absolutely fair, but Katniss ultimately makes a reasoned decision.[4]

Take, for example,Katniss’s first kiss with Peeta in TheHunger Games. Katniss kisses Peetafor survival. She makes a consciousdecision that a kiss is the best thing she could do at this time. Sheeven narrates her calculations: "Haymitch couldn't be sending aclearer message. One kiss equals one pot of broth.... If I want to keepPeeta alive, I've got to give the audience something more to care about...Never having been in love, this is going to be a real trick." (TheHunger Games, Ch. 8, last page.)

Don’t mistake me, here,because Katniss isn’t acting amorally. Shewants to keep Peeta alive because of his past kindness, not because heincreases her chances of victory. Katniss is making a well-reasoned decision to achieve the best result,where “best” means that the result satisfies the requirements of Katniss’spersonal integrity.

Katniss as a feminist[5] role model? Strong to quite strong.

Katniss as a feministrole model: strong to quite strong.

HarryPotter Characters[6]

There are three majorfemale characters in the Harry Potter series:Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Molly Weasley. Each of them is a fantastic female rolemodel.

Hermione Granger – Hermione is passively rescued once, from atroll. (The Tri-Wizard tournamentdoesn’t count—she was bait, not imperiled.)

Otherwise, in Philosopher’s Stone, we find Hermionesaving Harry from Snape/Quirrell’s attempt to curse his broom, saving Ron andHarry from devil’s snare, and solving Snape’s difficult riddle aboutpotions.

Later, Hermione can befound brewing polyjuice potion, uncovering the mystery of the basilisk,discovering that Lupin is a werewolf, teaching Harry how to summon a broom tosurvive the Triwizard tournament, dating an international quidditch celebrity,starting an insurrection at Hogwarts, tricking Umbridge into entering theforbidden forest, cheating during quidditch tryouts to help Ron make the team,creating the Marry Poppins-esque survival bag for Harry’s year on the run,un-splinching Ron with essence of dittany, brilliantly deciding to RIDE ADRAGON OUT OF GRINGOTTS, and otherwise being the cleverest witch of her age.

It’s no coincidence thatHermione is muggle-born, while both Ron and Harry have wizarding parents. The prejudice against “mudbloods” parallelsmisogyny in many ways, particularly in the assumption that a person is inherently weak simply because ofbirth. Hermione turns both prejudices ontheir heads.

Hermione is a strong,both emotionally and magically. Shemakes good decisions. She follows therules when appropriate, and breaks them when they are unjust. She is responsible, she has healthyrelationships, she is kind, and she is intelligent. If every little girl grew up wanting to beHermione Granger, we would live in a better world.

Ginny Weasley – Ginny is an extremely talented witch. Despite having six brothers, she manages tostand out because of her magical talents, not because she’s a girl. Her brothers are scared of her bat bogey hex,which was also good enough to get her noticed by Professor Slughorn, an expert evaluatorof talent.

Ginny’s sassy. She dates who she want, and she doesn’t takeany crap from her brothers about it. And when it’s time to date Harry, shedoesn’t wait for him to bumble her way—she walks up to him and she kisses him,in the middle of the common room, judgment be damned. When Harry breaks up with her to protect her,Ginny doesn’t mope about it for 500 odd pages.[7] Instead, Ginny revives Dumbledore’s Army andtries to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape.

Ginny sneaks out of thehouse at night to practice quidditch, makes the Gryffindor team as a chaser,and wins the house cup as reserve seeker when Harry gets detention. Ginny goes with Harry to the Ministry ofMagic and battles adult Death Eaters to save a man she barely knows. Ginny is strong enough to overcome beingpossessed by Voldemort himself, and grows up to live a healthy life.

Like Hermione, Ginny hasan enormous amount of agency. The firsttime we see both Hermione and Ginny, they need to be rescued. That never happens again.

Molly Weasley – Finally, we come full circle.

Remember, Noah Berlatsky’s article suggested that complaints about Bella’s passivity andlack of personality are actually displaced complaints about Bella’straditionally feminine choices. Berlatsky is accusing Bella’s critics of an ad hominem attack—the equivalent of saying “You likebratwurst? You shouldn’t. Hitler liked bratwurst, you know.”

Let’s take a step backand look at Bella’s choices. Is itpossible for a character to make Bella’s traditionally feminine choices, butstill have agency? If not, thenBerlatsky might have a point.

So, let’sgeneralize. We have a woman. She is desperate for sex, is interested indangerous boys, gets married, gets knocked up, refuses to abort, and doesn’t goto college.

That woman is MollyWeasley. When Molly and her futurehusband Arthur were students at Hogwarts, they were caught snogging in a broomcupboard by Professor McGonnegall. Mollywent on to marry Arthur and have SEVEN children (and she essentially adoptsboth Harry and Hermione). On top of itall, Molly is a housewife. She is theultimate mother.[8]

Molly’s greatest fear,as shown by the boggart she encounters at Grimmauld Place, is the death of herfamily members. So, what does Molly dowhen Voldemort returns to power? Does sheretreat with her family, hiding at home to avoid fighting andconfrontation? Hardly.

Molly joins the Order ofthe Phoenix. She and her family arefirst in line to fight. Molly isintensely moral and encourages her family to make the right decisions. When Voldemort returns to power, his regimepressures people like Molly to swallow their principles and succumb tofear. Molly Weasley refuses to bebullied. Molly stands up for herprinciples. So does her entire family,because she raised them right. And eventhough Molly might lose her family in the fight, she knows that fighting forthe principles is more important.

In Breaking Dawn, what was Bella’s most difficult choice? Trick question! There isn’t one. Bella just wants her child to live, while theVolturi want her child to die. Quick,who should you support? A mother, or abunch of baby killing vampires?

Rowling actuallypresents Molly Weasley with a moral dilemma. If Molly doesn’t oppose Voldemort, her family is probably safer. If Molly stands up for her principles, herfamily is in danger, but they keep their integrity.

Rowling rewards her bygiving her a crowning moment of awesome. “Not my daughter, you bitch!” Oneof the ten best lines in the entire series.

Molly makes the rightchoice, and chooses to fight. Mollymakes the same choice that Katniss would make. Bella, when faced with tough choices, chooses not to choose. (Team Switzerland sucks!)

Molly Weasley shows thatit is indeed possible to have a character make feminine choices while stillbeing a feminist role model. Molly Weasley has the agency that Bella Swanlacks. Or, put another way: whereStephenie Meyer failed with Bella Swan, Rowling succeeded with Molly Weasley.[9]

[1] Katniss is actually TOOindependent. In Mockingjay, even the revolution can’t control her.

[2] Doesn’t work. Emotionalinfidelity is a real thing, and neither Jacob nor Edward is into it.

[3] Note that Gale is named after wind, also a force of nature, whilePeeta is named after bread, representative of nurturing and home. Collins gets her symbols right, unlikeStephenie Meyer, who insists that the cold vampire is a better choice than thewarm and fuzzy canine.

[4] Contrast this to Bella, where “Edward came first and I want tojump on him” seems to override any normal decision making process.

[5] Some final notes about The Hunger Games as a work of feminist literature, not necessarilyrelated to agency:

Katniss’s signatureweapon is a bow and arrow, the chosen weapon of Artemis/Diana, goddess ofchastity and the hunt. Katniss as huntress is established early on, and femalechastity is a rejection of the male.

Katniss's ally duringThe Hunger Games is Rue, a woman. Rue is killed when a man impales her with a spear. Rue could havebeen strangled, or bludgeoned, or blown up, or shot. Anything. ButCollins chose to impale Rue with a giant phallic symbol. That’s a rapemetaphor.

Katniss kills Rue’smurderer by shooting him in the throat with an arrow. She impales him ashe impaled Rue, which is his just desert. But Katniss also removes his voice, and the voice is a symbol of agency.

[6] Rowling’sstrong female characters extend beyond Hermione, Ginny and Molly. Luna Lovegood is flighty, but also loyal,insightful, and good in a fight. FleurDelacoeur is powerful enough to be a Tri-Wizard champion. Tonks is “the klutz” of Mindy Kaling’s romantic comedy archetypes-- cute, funny, and Mad-Eye Moody’s star aurorprotégé, who is only made believable by forcing her to “stumble around like adrunk buffalo.” Gryffindor’s quidditchteam features all female chasers for the entire series—Katie, Alicia, andAngelina, and later Ginny. Even PansyParkinson has enough agency to stand up in a hall full of people and say, “Hey,why don’t we sacrifice Harry to Voldemort?” A terrible exercise of agency, but agency none the less.

[7] Ahem. Bella.

[8] In fact, almost all the moms in Harry Potter are strongcharacters and (reasonably) good role models. Both Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom stand tall in the face of evil,defending their principles and children at the cost of their life and sanity,respectively. Even Narcissa Malfoy iswilling to defy Voldemort if it gives her a chance to save the life of her son,Draco.

[9] The Harry Potter characters who most resemble Bella Swan? There are two: Moaning Myrtle, and HelenaRavenclaw, the Gray Lady, Ghost of Ravenclaw Tower. These women lacked agency—they allowedthemselves to be manipulated by men, and it got them killed.

Fiction: Feminism and Twilight

2011-11-29T05:30:00.000-05:00

Guest blogger time! Drew has taken over Kelly's blog once again. Sorry loyal fashion readers... it's time to talk about... FICTION!

Kelly and I saw Twilight: Breaking Dawn: Part One thisweekend. As we watched, we had a hushedconversation about what a terrible role model Bella is for young girls. Then Kelly mentioned Noah Berlatsky’s defense of Bella in TheAtlantic.

Calling the article adefense of Bella is a stretch—Berlatsky mostly waffles back and forth on theissue of whether Bella is a good role model or not. Berlatsky takes the controversial position ofsuggesting that Bella, while not necessarily a good role model, isn’t as bad aswe all make her out to be. He suggeststhat Bella’s decisions are reasonable, even if not ideal. Finally, he suggeststhat Katniss is a “superior feminist example” only because Katniss rejectsfemininity and embraces traditionally masculine traits.

Is that true? Is Bella a reasonable role model for femininebehavior?

Stephen King has been (apocryphally) quoted as saying “Harry Potter is allabout confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in theface of adversity… Twilight is about how important it is to have aboyfriend.” (The real quote has beentraced, as nearly as possible, to the blog of music producer Andrew Furtal.) Regardless of who saidit, the quote resonates because it is both funny and true.

But it’s too easy to simplyslam Stephenie Meyer and Twilight andBella. (Much like politics—it’s easy toslam Bush, or Obama… but it isn’t easy to do better.) Let’s be better than that.

Today, we’re going todiscuss a few things. First, whatcriteria are we talking about when we talk about good role models forgirls? Second, how does Bella measure upto those criteria? Tomorrow, we’ll talkabout other characters from young adult literature, to see how they measure up. Specifically, let’s talk about Katniss from The Hunger Games, and the entire femalepantheon of Harry Potter, with afocus on Hermione, Ginny and Molly Weasley.

First, our criteria.

Any time you’re talkingabout literary role models for young woman, you’re really talking aboutfeminism. And when you’re talking aboutfeminism in literature, you have to talk about The Awakening by Kate Chopin.

In The Awakening, the protagonist, Edna, struggles with the dutiesimposed upon her by society as a wife and a mother. She feelsunfulfilled, and wishes to reject those duties. (This is the titular “awakening.”) Edna is presented with an alternative—a loverwho would abscond with her, leaving all her responsibilities behind. Ultimately, however, Edna's lover abandons her and leaves alone. He leaves Edna trapped in her old life,leaving only a note stating that he will never return.

So Edna walks into theocean and drowns herself.

Why is this novel alandmark in feminism? Because, by committing suicide, Edna is takingcontrol of her life. Her suicide is about agency. Until the momentof her suicide, Edna's choices were controlled by men. If she conformedto society, she would act as a wife and a mother, based upon the expectationsof her husband. If she didn't conform, she could abscond with her lover,also a man. When Edna's lover abandons her, he deprives Edna of heropportunity to escape from society's expectations. All her actions, even her rebellions, werecontrolled by the whims of men.

Edna wanted to takecontrol of her life. She wanted to takean action that could not be controlled by a man. The only action that Edna could take that wasentirely free of male influence, however, was suicide. Suicide was the only way for Edna to ensurethat she would never again be controlled by a man. The drama of suicide emphasizes both theplight of women (arguably, they were little better than slaves) and theimportance of agency and freedom (death is preferable to slavery). And let's not ignore that Edna commitssuicide by drowning herself; water, especially the ocean, is almost always afemale symbol. Even Edna’s method ofsuicide rejects men.

The point of talking aboutThe Awakening is this: agency is oneof the touchstones of feminism. Whatever choices a woman makes, sheshould be making them for herself. If a man is controlling a woman'sactions, she must fight that control. She cannot accept it.

So, how does Bella stackup?

Bella Swan -- Terrible. Terrible terrible terrible feminist rolemodel. I will say "terrible" as many times as I have to. Terrible terrible terrible.

Bella’s greatest failingis that she lacks agency. She never does anything. (Alyssa Rosenberg calls it Bella’s “overwhelming passivity.”) Bella is so passive that she barely qualifiesas a protagonist—she does almost nothing to advance the plot of thenovels. Things are simply done toher.

Bella gets sent toForks. Edward likes her, not because ofanything she does, but because she walks past a fan and smells good. Bella almost gets hit by a car, then she getssaved by Edward. She almost getsattacked in town, then she gets saved by Edward. She never walks anywhere—she piggybacks onEdward. She watches everybody playbaseball. She almost gets eaten. She gets tracked down. The one time she tries to do anything in Twilight, she gets herself bitten,nearly dies, and is saved… by Edward.

New Moon is the only time that Bella does anything. She rides a motorcycle. She dives off cliffs. She does all this with Jacob—yet anotherreason why Jacob is the better choice, by the way—while Edward is off ignoringher. But does she do these thingsbecause they’re fun? Because she needs anew hobby? Nope.

Bella goes cliff diving because,whenever, she does something terribly dangerous, she hallucinates and imaginesEdward. She jumps off a cliff so she can see her boyfriend. She's hoping to see Edward's face, but she'salso hoping that, somehow, her terrible choices will force Edward to return andprotect her.

Yes, ladies andgentlemen, Bella Swan has managed to co-opt the first major feminist act in allof literature. Bella Swan has turnedsuicide-by-drowning into an angst-fueled attempt to get her boyfriend back.

Eclipse and Breaking Dawn aremore of the same. Bella hangs out withsome vampires, people want to kill her, other people rescue her. Even BreakingDawn, when Bella is supposed to be protecting her family, she largely just…stands there. Her presence is all that’srequired.

Bella’s major act ofagency, of all four books, is her decision to keep a child that Edward wouldrather abort. And let’s be clear—this isagency. She’s going to do this thing, even at risk ofher own life. She has her shiningmoment, and I can’t really take that away from her. But it’s also one moment over the course offour novels. 1800 pages before Bellamakes a decision of any sort of consequence.

If agency is ourmeasure, Bella is sorely lacking.

Join us again tomorrow,when we discuss Katniss from The HungerGames, and Hermione, Ginny and Molly Weasley from Harry Potter. Let’s hopethat there are some good role models out there, because Bella certainly isn’tit.

Fashion: Skinny Cords

2011-11-27T20:02:00.001-05:00

Gap skinny cords in black

It took me forever to warm up to the idea of skinny anything. Pencil skirts, skinny jeans, -- I thought, "No way. My hips are too big, I'll look like a horse jockey." But now that I've warmed up to the idea, I'm a little bit addicted. These skinny cords are AMAZINGLY comfortable in a way I never would have expected. Plus, they are a little bit dressier than just jeans, while being just as easy.

If I DO look like a jockey....just don't tell me.

On another note, life has become unexpectedly busy lately, and I don't just mean the holidays. Until things settle down in a month or two, I might be sticking to some pretty short posts. Luckily, it doesn't take too much effort to post a picture of what I wore the day before. Hooray for the short-form fashion post!

Fashion: Thanksgiving Outfit and Black Friday Deals

2011-11-25T09:49:00.000-05:00

How cute are these black skinny cords I got at the Gap for 60% off at a pre-Black Friday Sale? Can't stay long--gotta go get some deals!

Let me know if you find anything great today!

Fashion: Hipster Girl Dress Up Game

2011-11-23T17:29:00.001-05:00

I like to think I would get a tattoo if I wasn't a teacher, but I'm probably chicken.
Hey, if I wait until I'm old, no one can say "but what will you think of it when you're old?"

So I just discovered the Hipster Girl Dress Up game, which was fantastically fun. I like to pretend I'm not a hipster, but there were a lot of Hipster Girl's duds that I envied, and a few that I'm pretty sure I own. Anyway, go check it out!

PS: I found the game through Refinery 29.

Fashion: Rut

2011-11-23T11:07:00.001-05:00

I don't know that I'm ready to call it a rut yet, but I can't get enough of this skirt-tights-boots combo. I think I wear it multiple times a week. Old habits die hard, I guess.

Outfit Details: Express scarf, LOFT top, Limited skirt, Gap tights, White Mountain boots

Fashion: Don't Be Afraid of Bright Colors!

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

This pose is ridiculous

I love bright colors because they're such attention getters. I get so many compliments on this skirt, this belt, and these shoes. It's insane. So don't shy away from brights--people love them!

Fashion: Keep Black Friday on Friday

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I wish I had a moose fair isle sweater to wear on Black Friday 2011!

I love Black Friday. I love the buzz and excitement of a crowd. I love the nervous excitement of waiting inline and the thrill of getting what you wanted at a great price. I consider it the kick-off of the Christmasseason. I’ll pull out my bow earringsand Christmas sweater. I’ll paint mynails in “elf explosion.” I will drinkpeppermint hot cocoa and eat Chick-Fil-A. (Okay, Chick-Fil-A has nothing to do with Christmas, but it isdelicious.)

However, as much as I love Black Friday, I love Thanksgivingmore. Thanksgiving has long been myfavorite holiday for a very simple reason: it doesn’t involve gifts.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy presents. I am nearly as anxious to open presents frommy husband as I was to see what Santa brought me. And as I get older, I’ve learned that the joyof giving presents can be even more rewarding that receiving them. I can say almost without a doubt that myfavorite Christmas was in 2009, because I had found just about everyone the perfect gift.

It’s not wrong to enjoy giving and receiving gifts. In fact, gifting is one of Chapman’s 5 love languages. Giving gifts, particularly well-thought outones (not gift cards, generally), is a way to say “I know you; I’m thinkingabout you, and I care.”

But American consumerism has exploited this expression oflove. Companies have told us that “theperfect gift” is the most expensive one. They tell us that only cars and cashmere will be good enough, and thatlove is luxury. This assumption can puta lot of pressure on families too, as we struggle to purchase things we cannotafford as an attempt to quantify caring.[1]

Thanksgiving seems to be the only major holiday that hasn’tcapitulated to the machine of consumerism. In this way, it’s almost anachronistic. We stay in. We eat homemademeals. We spend time with family. Thanksgiving is a nostalgic, throwbackholiday that reminds me of a Norman Rockwell America of years gone by. And I like that. I like that there is still a time tocelebrate family and be thankful for what we do have, instead of wanting more.

Which is why I hatethat Black Friday has become Black Thursday. Stores like Macy’s, Target, Wal-Mart, Old Navy, Best Buy, and Toys-R-Ushave chosen to open at midnight or earlier,which is a slippery slope towards the destruction of the last stronghold of thefamily holiday. It’s easy enough to say,“well you don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” but some people may not feellike they have a choice. Companies haveconvinced us that Black Friday is your only chance to get the “perfect” gift ata price you can afford. I hate to thinkthat there are mothers who, after an exhausting Thanksgiving, feel like theyneed to leave their families in order to get the “must have” gift for the nextholiday.

Yet, none of this even considers the employees, who in manycases, must arrive at the store hours before the doors open. They are not making the choice to leave theirThanksgiving meals—they must leavetheir families on Thanksgiving, or they will risk losing their jobs.

Target employee Anthony Hardwick started a petition onchange.org to protest Target’s midnightopening. According to the WashingtonPost, Hardwick and fellow employees were told they would need to work a 10 hourshift starting at 11pm on Thanksgiving. Hardwick would have to miss Thanksgiving dinner in order to get sleepfor the shift. According to Hardwick’spetition, “A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation -- all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night's rest on Thanksgiving!"

Hardwick is right. BlackFriday and the entire holiday season has become a mixed blessing for those struggling during“The Great Recession.” While it seemslike drastically reduced prices (themselves an indicator of our strugglingeconomy) would be a benefit to those in an economic pinch, it is essential toremember that these are frequently the same people who must leave their holiday celebrations to work Black Friday. Thus, the people who would most benefit from Black Friday savings might be unable to participate because they have to work.

I feel like people co-opt The American Ideal of “TheIndividual” in order to justify poor choices. They say, “Just because I wouldn’t want that, it doesn’t mean it’s wrongfor everyone.” To be frank, I think this is ridiculous. It’s okay to have societal standards, and Ithink those standards should dictate that stores aren’t open on major holidayslike Thanksgiving so that people can spend time with their families.

Hardwick’s petition is online here, and I encourage you tosign it.

[1] I’m of course reminded of O Henry’s “The Gift of The Magi,” although thereare a few key differences. First andforemost, Della and Jim have chosen gifts that truly would mean something tothe recipient. Jim has purchased combsfor Della’s beautiful hair; Della has purchased a watch fob for Jim to use withhis grandfather’s watch. Both giftsrepresent value that is more than material. The most important difference though, is that Jim and Della come torealize that the gift their relationship is the gift. They do not need material goods to celebrate that.

Fashion: Tara @ Mix and Match Fashion

2011-11-17T21:48:00.000-05:00

Head over to Tara's blog, Mix and Match Fashion, to check out the super-cute pants she bought at The Limited using the gift card she won in my giveaway!

Her blog is pretty awesome in general. Not only does she have great taste, she does a feature called "Teachers Have Class and Style." (Which I stupidly didn't submit a picture to. I must have been grading papers when the deadline came!)

Fashion Meets Fiction: Hunger Games Nail Polish!

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've found this image various places on the web, but not on China Glaze's website.
Maybe it's not official---there are a lot of typos!

I'm dorkily excited about Hunger Games themed nail polish from China Glaze. The movie comes out in February, and the polish will be available at the same time. I want "Heat of the Moment" (Team Peeta!) and "Flaming Gems." It's tragic just how susceptible I can be to clever marketing strategies. It's a good thing they don't have Harry Potter nail polish--I'd have to buy the entire line.

As a side note, how incredible is The Hunger Games trailer?

I'm so excited. Only, I'm not quite sure how to dress in costume for this one. I don't think you can bring a bow and arrow to the theatre.

Fashion (Blogging): Should Bloggers Take Free Stuff?

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

The author in her free skirt.

I'll start with some complete honesty: One of the reasons I started my blog was because I wanted free stuff.

I had a few acquaintances that were bloggers, and I had been reading their blogs for about 6 months when I started getting jealous of their awesome sponsorship deals. I thought, "they're getting free clothes just for writing this blog, which I could totally do."

I didn't start the blog just for free stuff. I mean, honestly, that would have been ridiculous. It's an awful lot of work for only the slim possibility of any real popularity or success. But hey, I figured if I got some free clothes out of the deal, then good for me!

And I did. So far I got a free skirt and mostly free top from The Limited, and a (poorly fitting) but cute dress from eShakti.

But I'll be honest, when these offers landed in my inbox, I felt a lot more conflict than I anticipated.

I may have started this blog because of the lure of free stuff, but I've kept with it because I love writing. And there's a very real (if slightly embarrassed) part of me that thinks, "maybe I can be really successful with this." Maybe not blogging specifically, but writing. I mean, producing daily content makes one heck of a portfolio, right?

And the hope that this blog might one day be more than my guilty pleasure makes me guard my artistic/journalistic integrity more closely. The problem is, in the fashion blogging world, no one is quite sure what that means.

First, a little background on the debate in case you aren't a blogger.

Fashion blogging has been growing in popularity for a few years now, and companies have noticed. Many companies have started to sponsor bloggers as a form of targeted advertising. This can happen in a couple of different ways.

By purchasing ad space on the blog itself
By offering the blogger free products for review (effective, because the odds are that the blogger will like the product she has chosen)
By paying the blogger to sponsor a giveaway (which has the added bonus of increasing the blogger's traffic)
By giving the blogger free product
By sponsoring specific posts (This is when an entire post will be paid for by a company--like Jessica Quirk for Timex. I find this particularly insidious because it jeopardizes the content of the blog.)

Sponsoring popular bloggers is incredibly smart for companies because they can pay the bloggers quite well while still spending far less than they would on more traditional advertising. There are other benefits as well. First, they can reach an extremely specific audience, which means that the money they do spend is more efficiently spent. Not only that, but the audience already trusts the blogger/spokesperson. And finally, when the payment is at least partially in the form of product, the company can probably bet that the item will appear again and again on the blog. Really, when you think about it, it's a criminally good deal for the companies.

Blogging is too new of a medium for there to be any real regulations on it. Among fashion bloggers, the basic agreement is "disclosure, disclosure, disclosure." This is why you see c/o or "care of" splashed across the most popular bloggers' websites. Any items marked with a c/o were provided free of charge by the company. Of course, because this is just a guideline, you can't know for sure if a blogger is truly telling you which items were c/o'd and which weren't.

However, even if you believe that all bloggers are 100% honest about what they have been given, there are still potential conflicts. This is why journalism ethics demand that journalists never take free products, services, tickets, or pay of any kind. Just having the product already makes you biased because you're more likely to talk about it than something you haven't been given for free. Even if you say something negative, the product is still getting press. This is even more of a problem in blogging, because companies typically allow the blogger to choose the item she receives. Thus, the blogger is even more likely to like the product and sing its praises.

The connection to journalism ethics raises an important question: are bloggers journalists? At first blush, it seems that the answer would be "yes." Both bloggers and journalists publish daily articles. However, the essential difference is that most blog content is completely editorial. Personal opinion--taboo in traditional journalism--is essential to blogging. Furthermore, blogging is largely a personal hobby. While editors and a paycheck help a journalist keep his impartiality, a blogger who wants to make money from her blog doesn't have those middlemen who keep her hands clean. So it seems unrealistic to impose the ethics of journalism to bloggers.

However, that doesn't mean that a blogger should throw all ethical considerations out the window and grab all the payola she can get. If taking free products compromises your credibility, you will lose readership. If opinion is essential to bloggers, it is of paramount importance that you have an opinion that people trust and care about.

It wasn't difficult for me to accept the opportunity from The Limited because I already liked the brand. The actual grand opening and store tour, however, was laced with problems. They buttered me up by treating me like a real journalist. It would have been easy to get lost in my ego and forget that the "news' they were giving me was just an extended sales pitch. Because I had been given a gift card, I felt like I "owed" it to the company to write what they wanted. I ended up deleting the entire post because it just didn't feel like something I would write. I replaced it with a more personal analysis of what I wore and how it made me feel. However, I was shocked at how easy it was to slide into the trap of letting the company control my content.

So where is the line? I'm afraid that on some level, it is impossible to be completely impartial towards your sponsors. That line of thinking makes me feel like I should reject all sponsorships, free products, and product reviews. That would certainly be the best way to maintain complete journalistic objectivity.

Yet, I also feel that because I'm not a journalist and have never claimed to be impartial, I should be able to reap some benefits from any success my blog achieves. But is that just justifying what I know to be a bad choice?

I will tell you this: I have rejected offers that seemed to go to far. I will never let a company dictate my content. I also will only work with companies that I truly like and that genuinely match my personal style. (Lesportsac, can you hear me?)

That being said, if someone offers me a free skirt....I'm probably takin' it. Wouldn't you?

Let me hear your thoughts on blogging ethics. My intention is to create a "blogger promise" or "mission statement" that makes it clear to my readers where I draw the line. I didn't think I'd have to tackle this question so soon into starting this blog, so I'd better come up with a game plan!

Outfit Details: c/o The Limited skirt, Express top, Seychelles shoes

Fiction: Does art need to be deep to be good?

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is relevent to my interests: Dave Barry is in a band with Stephen King and Amy Tan.

A few days ago, I assigned my advanced English class a Dave Barry piece called "Turkeys in the Kitchen"¹ as part of their unit on the literary essay. The piece was very different than what we normally read in English class. It didn't have a social agenda or a heavy topic--it was lighthearted observational humor. Here's an excerpt:

Men are still basically scum when it comes to helping out in the kitchen. This is one of two insights I had last Thanksgiving, the other being that Thanksgiving night must be the slowest night of the year in terms of human sexual activity.

I expected the girls to love the break from "heavy" literature. What I didn't expect was how much the girls struggled to impose a "deeper meaning" on the piece. "I think Barry is being deeply manipulative," one girl said. "He's sucking up to women in order to impose his patriarchal ideas."

I was stupefied. I had read Barry's piece as comic hyperbole. A wink and a nudge to women at the expense of men, without any real sting. Eventually the class came around and saw that "Turkeys" wasn't as loaded as they had first thought. But they expressed discomfort at reading something and not finding an argumentative thesis. They didn't know how to read something purely for entertainment. And I think this raises a couple of interesting questions about why and how we read.

Namely, and I asked this question of my students as well, is it okay for literature to be purely for entertainment? Can art just be beautiful without having deeper meaning? I can't say I have a firm answer for this one myself.
On one hand, I am constantly looking for meaning in fiction in all forms. I literally can't watch a movie without thinking about plot structure, theme, and character development.²Theme is extremely important to me, and I get very frustrated at movies and books who neglect this story element, or worse, who deliver a story whose them is uneven and contradictory. I honestly don't (can't? won't?) enjoy fiction that relies solely on a zany plot. Shows like CSI frustrate me because they reset after every show, and the promise of a neatly packaged climax and resolution is all they can deliver.

Yet, I certainly think there's a place for art that isn't "heavy." I loved Barry's piece, for example. Even though it didn't make any bold statements about gender relations, I thought it artfully used stereotypes and hyperbole to make me laugh and think, "oh, it's so true." And that's really saying something. Anybody can make a joke and get a few people to laugh. But Barry (before he retired from The Miami Herald) did it with remarkable consistency. Not only that, but he managed to create enduring humor as well--"Turkeys in the Kitchen" was published in 1986. Can you think of a 1986 comedy that still feels like it could have been written yesterday? He's not just a funny guy who happens to be a writer. Barry is a talented writer who happens to write humor.

I think to call something "art" there needs to be a combination of technical skill and meaning. Of course, not all "art" will have the same balance. The best and most enduring art will have both large amounts. But I don't think everything needs to have deep meaning. I think beauty can be enough meaning, sometimes.

Beyond that, I think that entertainment can be enough, sometimes. Take Twilight, for example. I love to rail against it, but I sure did love reading those books for the first time. And anything so enjoyable can't be that bad, right? (Just ask Sheryl Crow) I tell my girls that books like that are like junk food: they can be delicious, but you still need something hearty and nutritious most of the time.

I wonder if English teachers, in their quest to give students a taste for quality literature, have been too hard on the soft stuff. Have we made them feel guilty for enjoying something fun?
Yet, when I allow my students to read whatever they want, so many of them pick the same junk over and over. I can't help but think that this is the reason they don't enjoy reading: I wouldn't either if I only read Nicholas Sparks!

So what's the answer here? Does just being enjoyable make something "good?" Or does it have to have more than that? What about books that are good, but you don't like them?

Notes:
1. Alternately titled "Lost in the Kitchen"
2. If you ever want to hear my interpretation of how M. Night Shamalan's Happening misunderstood its own symbolism, let me know.

Fashion: Gloomy Grey Day

2011-11-14T18:11:00.000-05:00

As soon as I left the house, I realized I had forgotten my rain boots. These were essential for today, so I went back. I also grabbed a purple sweater, because I just wasn't feeling the day in black and white. Also, is it grey or gray? I prefer grey. Does it matter?

Fashion: No Repeats

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Since school started in August, I have only repeated 2 outfits. Of course, there are certain pieces that are in heavy rotation, but I haven't put exactly the same combination together. In some ways, I'm really proud of myself for keeping it interesting. On the other hand, it's sort of a bummer not to re-wear an outfit that really worked. Thoughts?

Outfit Details: Express blouse, Banana Republic sweater, Loft skirt,

Fashion: How Should You Answer When She Asks "Does This Make Me Look Fat?"

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Not my best outfit: just ask period 4!

Today in class, one of my students raised her hand and said, "Can I tell you something without you getting offended?" This introduction is never a good sign, but what can you say? At this point, I'd rather know what awful thing she's thinking than have to wonder! I braced myself for another "are you pregnant," but instead she said, "Um, those tights really don't go with your outfit."

Why are these comments always so hard to take? The comment wasn't nearly as personal as last year's pregnancy question, but it still stung a little bit. I felt self-conscious and defensive. I wanted to run from the room and change immediately. I kept staring at my tights for the rest of the day. She was right--the sunlight filled classroom was certainly a harsher critic than the dimly lit closet.

The thing is, I generally want that kind of honesty. After all, I wouldn't want to make the same mistake again and have people thinking "What a disaster!" behind my back. And while I understand that many people won't give me unsolicited wardrobe criticism, I do hope that when I ask,they tell me the truth. Even if it's a truth I don't want to hear.

Which brings me to the perennial question: Does this make me look fat? (And no, I'm not really asking.)

I think every woman wants to know the truth when she asks this question. Or at least she thinks she wants to know the truth.

Let me be more specific. She wants to know the truth if the truth is "No, you don't look fat."
But the reality is, some clothes can make us look fat. I'm a pretty small person, but a trapeze dress will make me look like a potato. Foolishly earnest husbands and best friends everywhere think that a woman would rather know this than go out in something that makes them look fat. Unfortunately, no matter how much we think we wanted to know the answer, we're never prepared for it.
So how does one answer the most difficult of questions?

First, note this: if she has asked you this question, she already thinks that she looks fat. She's extremely vulnerable right now, and almost no answer will be good enough. Tread carefully, and with compassion. This is not the time to pick a fight about unfair questions.

It may seem that the best move is to duck the question entirely with a "You always look beautiful." Bad move! Women aren't dumb; they're going to notice your evasion and wonder why you needed to. If you haven't answered the question, you might as well have told her she looks like a cow.
Unfortunately, you have to answer the question. Your first and best move is to actually look at her. Again, if you give a knee-jerk "Of course not!" she won't believe you. Actually look and consider. Careful! Not for too long! Now, decide. Does what she's wearing make her look fat?

If NO: Lucky you! Tell her "definitely not" in as specific terms as you can. For example, "That skirt makes your butt look hot." Bonus points if you can say "I was thinking about how hot you looked before you even asked," and mean it. But wait too long and she'll start to doubt your answer again. Time is of the essence.

If YES: Tough one. It's okay to take a little longer to make a plan of action, but don't tarry too long. You need to tell her the truth, but you can't say she looks fat. The key is the "No, but." Again, specifics and diversions are key. Make the issue something else besides her. For example: "No, but the dress just seems a little weird to me. I don't know who it would look good on." Her feelings are still going to be hurt a little, but you've put the blame on the item of clothing and not on her body. This is key. If possible, follow up with a compliment: "No, but I liked the first one better. You looked smokin' in that one."

There you have it. The answer to the most difficult question in the world. However, it should be noted that I am not by any means a normal girl. I sometimes struggle to find out what girls would want myself! So men, before you take my seemingly sensible advice, be cautioned. Female readers--do you have any advice for how to tackle this question?

Outfit details: c/o The Limited top, LOFT skirt, GAP tights, White Mountain boots

Fashion: Glitter Nail Polish

2011-11-09T18:09:00.001-05:00

I used to think that glitter nail polish was tacky. Then again, I used to avoid nail polish all together, so who knows. Anyway, lately I've had the urge to buy some glitter polish, but it was hard to find any color besides pink. And really, pink?

Don't worry, it's way prettier in person. (I know you were totally worried.)

I wanted purple. (I know, so much better, right?) But the only purple glitter polish I could find was Justin Bieber's "One Less Lonely Glitter." Despite the tempting ridiculousness of the branding, I wasn't about to spend $8 on glitter polish. Luckily, I found almost the same color at Sally for $4. This is Finger Paints "Purple Palette," but I can call it whatever I want. How about...Grape Fizz? I love naming colors.

I'm waiting to buy China Glaze's "Ruby Pumps" until Christmas. Wait, did I say "Ruby Pumps?" I mean "Elf Explosion." Oops!

Fashion: Sweater Vest & Fear of Matchy-Matchy fashion

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a little weird about matching. I actually really don't like it. At all. I think the phobia stems from a fear of looking like one particular woman who used to work at my local Kroger. She always matched, and she frequently had a theme to her outfits as well. A purple shirt with purple flowers, purple flower earrings, a purple scrunchie, purple eye-makeup, purple shoes, purple nails, purplepurplepurple! It was horrible. And my fear only increased after I became a teacher. I've seen one too many grown women wearing holiday-themed outfits better suited to kindergarten classrooms than the real world. Extreme matching just seems so old-fashioned; I feel as if I'm dressed as a caricature of an old-woman.

The perfect match of this sweater vest to my skirt and blouse made me a little nervous today. I got this sweater vest at The Limited over the weekend for $10! I only realized how perfectly it matched my other The Limited pieces when I got it home. I couldn't resist how pulled together the whole look felt. I think I avoided looking too perfectly matched by choosing neutral shoes and my leopard watch, or at least I hope I did.

What do you think? Is this outfit too matched?

Outfit Details: The Limited top, sweater vest, & skirt; Seychelles wedges; Timex watch

Fashion: eShakti Review

2011-11-07T06:56:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, eShakti contacted me about doing a review of their customized clothing service. While I have some internal conflict about blog sponsorship (more on that later), I couldn't turn down the idea of a perfectly fitted free dress.

I had come across other eShakti reviews on blogs before, and the concept seemed pretty awesome. eShakti offers custom fit dresses in sizes 0-26W. The styles can be changed to fit your preferences: sleeve lenthgh, neckline, and hemline can frequently be changed for a relatively small upcharge. You can select a size or put in your own measurements for a dress made just for you. I'm short, but have a relatively long waist, so the idea of a custom fit was very alluring.

The selection of styles was pretty hit or miss. Some styles, like the bird-print dress I chose and my other favorite, the La dolce vita dress, were fashion forward and youthful. Other styles seemed heavy, matronly, or boring. To be honest, it seems like some of the styles, customizable or not, are better suited to plus-sized girls. Many of the dresses had heavy ruffles and large patterns that would have been overwhelming on my 5'1" frame.

Once I decided though, I was pretty excited. I loved the button detailing on the front and the sleeves, the pockets, and the print. (We all know how I feel about animal-motif!). I was a little worried about the synthetic fabric, but it was soft and didn't feel cheap.

Then I tried it on. And I was extremely disappointed. The top was absolutely HUGE. Hanging off me--and I was even wearing my biggest bra! It's basically unwearable for me.

Now, I'm the one who sent the measurements, so it's possible that I'm the one that made a mistake. But Drew and I followed eShakti's measuring instructions very carefully, and we double checked all our measurements too. No matter what happened, the ultimate conclusion is that I've got a dress that doesn't fit.

So, in review, I think that the concept is really cool, and if you're a particularly difficult fit, eShakti might be a great choice for you. However, if you can just try on a dress at the mall and have it fit, you're better off going that route.

Fashion: Animal Motif Sweaters

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

I keep seeing animal motif clothing for fall/winter 2011, and I'm pretty sure all of these items were made specifically for me. It's as if someone said "What would Kelly like to wear? Ah yes, a sweater with a raccoon on it. Genius!" So it's particularly frustrating that I can't seem to find them in my size, even when I travel far and wide! Here are a few of my favorites, help me hunt!

Amazing cat fair isle sweater.
Impossibly small...need at least a size 8, sadly can only find size 2, suitable for girls of same age.

Source: hm.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Seriously. This sweater is amazing. My favorite color, and an adorable woodland creature.

Source: instyle.co.uk via Jessica on Pinterest

So. Cute.

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Like what you see here? Want to browse more of my awesome fashion finds?

Fashion: Power Skirt

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday morning, one of my bosses spotted me in the teacher lunch room and asked if everything was okay. She said that I didn't look like myself lately. "I know you're not a hugger," she said, "but sometimes we just need a hug." It was true. I'm not a hugger, but I did need a hug. And a cookie.

I don't like to talk about the details of school or my personal life on this blog, so I'll leave out why I was so stressed, but some days you do need a hug and a cookie. And on those days, you also need your power-skirt.

A power-skirt is a little bit like a power tie and a little bit like a power animal. No matter how nervous or scared you are, your skirt says "Seriously? You're gonna mess with me when I'm wearing a cobalt blue skirt? You don't have the guts to wear this skirt!"

Of course, it doesn't have to be a tie or a skirt. It's the item in your closet that makes you feel like no one can mess with you.

Don't be surprised if you see this skirt two days in a row--parent teacher conferences are tonight!

What item of clothing makes you feel unstoppable?

Fashion: Purple Tights

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering, the look on my face says "long day at school."

Luckily, everything is better with purple tights and really comfortable boots.

Pretty new red metallic watch

I really wanted to write a "fiction" post today, but unfortunately I don't seem to have the drive to get past the potential titles:

"Two and a Half Men with Ashton Kutcher: Now 1/3 Less Annoying"

"Glee Uses Song to Teach Kids the Joys of Meaningless Sex and Binge Drinking."

"Two Broke Girls: I'm not offended by crude jokes, but you've yet to make a joke."

"Man, I Really Love New Girl."

Outfit Details: Express blouse, Gap dress, belt, and tights, White Mountain boots, Fossil watch (outlet

(Halloween) Fashion: DIY Dinosaur Costume

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hipster Dinosaur

This year, as I was paging through a pattern book for my Snow White skirt, Drew spotted a toddler-sized dinosaur costume. "Man," he said. "I'm so jealous!" I just looked at him and said "you can be a dinosaur for Halloween. We can do that."

I made Drew's adult-sized dinosaur costume by gluing/sewing double-thick fun foam spikes down the back of a hooded sweatshirt. I made the tail from an extra pair of sweatpants. While we were a little bit nervous about the whole operation at first, it turned out really well, and it's actually quite sturdy.

I think people take themselves too seriously most of the time, and if you can't have a little fun at Halloween, when can you?

(Halloween) Fashion: DIY Snow White Costume

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Snow White and her woodland creatures

I was Snow White for Halloween when I was three, and it has remained my favorite costume of all time. Every year, I think about making an adult version. The only thing that has stopped me was my inability to find a long yellow skirt, so this year I finally broke down and decided to sew one myself.

If I ever tell you I'm going to sew anything more complicated than a pillow or a drawstring skirt, do your best to stop me. This skirt has a zipper and a waistband, and while it was marked "fast and easy," was anything but. At least if you haven't sewn anything in 8 years. It looks okay, but the belt is happily hiding a lot of the flaws. I was pretty proud of the shoes however. While it doesn't take a crafting genius to spray paint some old pumps, they turned out as delightfully cartoonish as I had hoped.

I do think a good costume is all in the details. The bluebird on my shoulder is the best part of this costume, I think. In the future, I'd like to attach a lightweight bird to a ring so that it looks like it's perched on my hand.

My best friend Susie and her boyfriend Johnny went as Rocko and Heffer from Rocko's Modern Life. Johnny made the costumes, and I think they turned out pretty amazing. Check out her amazing wallaby tail!

Tomorrow I'll show you Drew's costume and tell you how (sortof) easy it was to make! I promise, it's worth the wait!

Happy Halloween! Leave me a message and let me know what you dressed as this year!

Snow White Outfit Details: INC top (Macy's), homemade skirt and cape (Thanks for the cape Mom!), Target shoes (spray-pained with Krylon Indoor-Outdoor), Kohl's belt

Fashion: This is the only green I own

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

One of the other teachers at school likes to spice up the end of the week by having spirit contests among the teachers. This week we earned points by wearing green on Thursday. Since my department is ahead in points, I had to do my best to participate, even though I don't own much green. Unfortunately, I won't be earning the bonus points for wearing head to toe green. Anyway, this one is for you, Matt!

Now, I'm going to attempt to finish our Halloween costumes.

Happy Halloween weekend! See you on Monday!

Outfit Details: The Limited blouse and skirt, Gap sweater, White Mountain boots

Fashion: Cat Print Dress

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

I think my favorite birthday gift was my cat-print dress from Drew. The silhouette of this dress was already my style, but to add cats to it? Unspeakably awesome. It made me so happy to wear it. I'm glad that at 27, I can still (hopefully!) pull this off, but I'm sad to think that at some point, it just won't be cute to wear something so ridiculous anymore. Until then, I'm going to secure as many animal-themed prints as I can. If anyone finds a reasonably-priced dress with squirrels on it, please let me know ASAP--before I get too old to wear it!

Seriously, I love squirrels.

Outfit Details: H&M cat-print dress, Gap Outlet cardigan (yellow), Banana Republic Outlet cardigan (cream)

Fiction: Hot Tub Time Machine, Suprisingly Great (Especially if you LOVE 80s Movies)

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Drew and I turned on the Netflix looking for some fun, semi-mindless entertainment. We chose Hot Tub Time Machine.

Now, I hadn't really heard anything good about Hot Tub Time Machine, but it seemed self-aware about how stupid it was, and that was promising. It also starred John Cusack, and John Cusack can basically do no wrong where I'm concerned.¹

However, despite my expectations of mediocrity, Hot Tub Time Machine was fantastic. What the trailers don't tell you is that these characters are not merely transported back to 1986, they're also transported back to 1980s movies.

The best part of Hot Tub Time Machine was turning it into a game by trying to identify the copious references to 80s classics such as Sixteen Candles, A Christmas Story, Back to the Future, and my favorite Cusack movie, Better Off Dead.

Not only that, but the plot and film-making are reminiscent of 80s flicks as well--right up to the gratuitous nudity.
Hot Tub Time Machine wasn't just a time-warp for the characters, but also for the actors and audience. (The only downside was that it didn't feature John's perpetual co-star, his sister Joan.) It was delicious amounts of fun, and I completely recommend it.

Of course, if you're still not convinced, maybe you should give the truly bizarre Better Off Dead a chance.

I heart John Cusack.

Notes:
1. Okay, I didn't see America's Sweethearts, but I'm pretty sure that might have been the rare Cusack misstep. In any event, this movie is vintage, messed up, sad/adorable tears-in-the-rain Cusack.

Fashion: DIY Costumes from Your Closet

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just Add Ears: Business Mouse

I LOVE dressing up for Halloween, but it feels like a waste to spend a ton of money on something that will only get worn once. Thus, I like the foundation of my costume to be something I can find in my closet already, or something I can wear again.

This is what I wore to work on Friday, but I like to think that this is what Minnie Mouse would wear if she were a business mouse. And just a few changes would make it a pretty reasonable Minnie costume: black tights, yellow heels, and mouse ears. Of course if you have a red polka dotted dress, all the better.

Other Halloween Ideas From Your Closet:

Speaking of that red polka dotted dress, it also makes an easy lady-bug costume when you add wings and diddly-boppers.¹
A full-skirted blue dress and a white apron can make you Alice in Wonderland.
Tape wire or a hula hoop to the inside of a short full skirt to become Jane Jetson. (See picture below)
The Little Mermaid can be a challenge, but not if you go with the version where Ariel has legs. All you need is a sheet and some rope. Bonus: If you're feeling awkward, silence can be part of your costume!
Sexy pirate costumes are easy because they aren't supposed to look perfect. Make a corset out of an old t-shirt and some cording. (See picture below)
A black cat is always easy. For a unique finishing touch, have a pet tag made with your name on it---there's a machine at the pet store that makes little heart shaped ones . If you're worried about someone stepping on your tail, hold it up with a helium balloon. It might not be sexy, but it's adorable.

The Jetsons

You'll have to wait and see what Drew and I are going to be this year. What are you dressing up as?

Notes:

1. Fun fact, I have no idea what these are actually called. However, a slang dictionary informs me that "diddly boppers" might actually have something to do with street-fighting, which is very, very, unexpected.

Fashion: Dressing Like A Grown-Up

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

This is what I wore to work on Thursday. The original version of this outfit included striped tights and a feathered headband so large it would pass as appropriate head wear for a British wedding. Ultimately, I decided that it was a bit "too much" for work, and toned down the entire outfit.

I hate that I feel like I have to do that. I hate that adult and appropriate and professional so frequently mean boring.

To be honest, I think that's why my wardrobe was so uninspired when I first started teaching. As a woman who is frequently mistaken for a teenager, it was very important to me to dress in a way that communicated authority. I wanted to look like a grownup because I still didn't really feel like one.

My wardrobe in high school and college was so distinctive that people could spot me from down the hall. I was the only one who would wear a neon orange shirt with blue suspenders. But as a teacher I wanted to fit in, so I packed up the crazy and started to wear black pants and solid sweaters.

Of course, I'm not sure I was quite so aware of my motivations at the time. But I DO think that at some point we all slide into the choice to stop having fun and start being normal. And I think that choice is a little bit depressing.

I don't think I've really outgrown the things I loved when I was younger. I wish I could wear tutus and striped knee socks to work. I would declare my love for Zack Morris on a t-shirt, and I still sort of think that Jem is truly, truly, truly outrageous. I think we just tell ourselves that we've outgrown these things so that we don't have to be so sad when we realize that we have to act and dress like grownups again today.

Kids wake up in the morning, and if their moms let them dress themselves, they put on all their favorite clothing items at once. They don't look ready for the workforce, but they sure love their outfits. I doubt many people are quite as inspired and enthralled by their basic grey suit. I personally think I would have better days and even be more productive if I could wear whatever I wanted without worrying about whether or not it's professional.

I realize that I'm being a little hypocritical here. I'll be the first person to complain about people who aren't dressed professionally: men without ties, anyone in cargo pants, etc. It's not that I don't see why the unspoken (or sometimes spoken) dress codes exist, I'm just bummed about not getting to wear my really awesome headbands.

The good news is, when you get old, the rules go out the window once more. And let me tell you, I'm not afraid to be Wacky Grandma Kelly with the funny hats and giant glasses.

Outfit details: Loft tee, Gap dress, Macy's belt, American Eagles hounds tooth tights via TJMAXX, Aldo Gennarelli boots

Fashion: Shopping at the Gap Makes Me Feel Like a Giant Bruise

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-04:00

I love navy and black, and I love this outfit. But I'm sick of looking like a bruise.

Until I found my four magical Limited pieces: the red blazer, the cobalt skirt, and the pussy bow blouses, everything I owned was navy, black, or plum. It wasn't for lack of trying, I'll tell you that much. It's just that most places offer a very limited range of very depressing, muddy earth tones. I thought, at least black and navy have some drama. And so I looked like a bruise most days.

Color is in fashion this year, but I wouldn't consider the problem solved. My favorite store, The Gap, has firmly resisted the rainbow trend and insisted on continuing to offer only funereal colors. Is anyone else frustrated by this problem? I hope when Gap finds a new head designer, they can liven up the brand a little, like Jenna Lyons did for J Crew.

PS: If it matters to anyone, I don't know her name by heart, I had to look it up.

Outfit Details: Loft sweater, Gap skirt and tights, NY&Co. belt

Fashion: Why I Don't Love Thrifting

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

This skirt is officially the first item of clothing I've ever bought from a thrift store. It was a whopping $3, but by the time I paid for it to be cleaned and shortened, around $30 more, it was around the price of an on-sale new skirt. And not even a terribly good sale, quite frankly.

While I love this skirt, I don't love thrifting. The first reason is that, by the time I clean and alter most items, they are going to end up being the same price as something I'd buy from the mall. And I'd rather have something that didn't have a past of its own.

However, the main reason I stay away from thrifting has nothing to do with thrift. Thrifting is like real-estate: location location location.

(Insert city name here), Ohio is not a prime location for thrifting.

I once read an online photo article about thrifted fashion. All the girls featured had managed to find fabulous designer finds at thrift stores. "I got this Marc Jacobs blazer for $0.25!"

Right. I'm not sure anyone in this city can afford Marc Jacobs at all, let alone be willing to chuck it to the local Goodwill when it's a season old. Realistically, most thrift stores in most cities are filled with old high school sports tees that smell like cheese.

I know that if you search you can find hidden treasure anywhere, but I don't know that I want to look through heaps of color-coded, Spaghetti-O stained sweatshirts in order to find that one mythical piece that I'll then have to spend another $30 to get altered.

I know it's not cool to prefer the mall to "vintage," but I just don't get the thrifting trend.

Is it just me? If you love thrifting, tell me what piece of this puzzle I'm missing.

Outfit Details: LOFT top, American Eagle cardigan, Gap belt, thrifted skirt, Aldo "Gennarelli" boots

Fashion: Pattern Mixing

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Drew's a master at pattern mixing. This is the closest I've been able to come, and I'm still pretty sure it's not for me. Oh well.

Fiction: Living in the Library

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

See any of your favorites?

This Saturday, Drew and I did our favorite weekend activity: buying bags of books at the library book sale. Every two months, the library holds a "Friends of the Library" sale and opens up their collection of withdrawn and donated books to the public. On Saturday, books are $6 a bag. A full paper grocery bag of books for $6? Count us in!

The problem with this fantastically good deal is that we've collected a library's worth of books. So many that we're forgetting what we have and buying duplicates. To help this problem, I spent the better part of Sunday afternoon putting them into a database. We found out that we have over 660 distinct titles. (Not to mention the 4 copies of The World According to Garp!)

Having that many books can be a blessing and a curse. Obviously, we haven't read all of them.¹So when people come over, it's really easy for them to say "Oh, what about book X" and I have to sheepishly admit that I haven't read it yet. I always feel like a charlatan.²

And sometimes it feels like the books take up more room than we do. Seriously, we have an entire bookcase devoted to Stephen King.

But it's absolutely wonderful when we're discussing books with friends to be able to produce the book magically from the back room. It's even better when I can say "Here, just take this copy; it's yours."

And I've never had to wish I had something to read.

What's your favorite book? I'll put it on my "To Read" list--I probably already own it!

Notes:
1. Although I think you'd be surprised at how many we have.
2. Unit 1 vocab word alert!

Fiction: I Wish "Suburgatory" was "My So-Called Life"

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

Over the summer, I was promised by a magazine¹ that Suburgatory would be My So-Called Life meets Mean Girls. Add one of my favorite actors, Jeremy Sisto,² and Suburgatory was on my "Must See" list. I was sure that I'd love it.

But I don't think I do. The problem with Suburgatory, in my eyes, is that it's too much like My So Called Life without being enough like My So Called Life.

Suburgatory has a red-headed teenage narrator with combat boots, trapped in a world that doesn't understand her. But it doesn't have angst.

It took me an alarmingly long time to realize that Suburgatory is a comedy^3.I think it's because it just doesn't make sense as a comedy. Who is its target audience? Surely it can't be teenagers. It doesn't take itself seriously enough for the drama-queens, but isn't sharp enough satire for the outcasts. Is this directed towards parents? I just don't know.

It must not be directed at me, because I like my fictional teenagers with some 1990s drama. Not cat-fighting, Snooki-style drama, but some serious "you just don't understand me" tears. I enjoy reliving the delicious horror of high school love and betrayal. It's so much more fun in fiction than it was in reality. I want to shout at the screen "No, you don't want Jordan! You want Brian! Go with Brian! Go with Brian!"

What do you guys think? Do you like Suburgatory? Do you miss angsty 90s drama like I do?

1. Honestly, I don't remember which one. Which mean's I also can't be sure if the second comparison is accurate. It doesn't really matter, does it?
2. Jeremy Sisto's credits include Six Feet Under, Jesus, and Clueless. He was awesome possum in all of them.
3. It is funny, though. I did appreciate last night's triple entendre: "I'll try not to hold my membership against you"

Fashion: Coming Out of Retirement

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so pleased with this outfit because it incorporates not one but two pieces that have been sitting in my closet, unworn, for as long as I've owned them.

You've seen the black dress before. It recently made a comeback after a full year of retirement and is now one of my favorite dresses.

I got the sweater last year for my birthday. I loved it completely in the fitting room, but every time I put it on in real life, I just felt awkward and fat. I like to have my waist defined, and the flowiness of the sweater prevented that. Yet, belting it never seemed to work either. I think it's finally working here because of the dress. I'd like to give you an explanation, but I can't.

Still, I think the point here is that you never know. Play dress up in your closet! Your mirror won't laugh at you if you put on something that doesn't work, but you'll feel really satisfied when you put together an unexpectedly winning combination.

Outfit Details: Express sweater, Gap dress, NY&Co. belt, Rocket Dog "Orient" pumps, Citizen watch

Fashion: Color Block and Writer's Block

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

I have such serious writer's block. I haven't been able to think of anything compelling to write for over a week now.

I've had three or four false starts on this entry alone. I started writing about layering, then about my favorite colors. Realizing that neither of those posts were even remotely interesting, I thought I'd go meta and write about my writer's block. (It also helped that I had thought of a clever title to go along with that choice.)

But I even have writers block when it comes to writing about writer's block.

So I give up. Today, I've got nothin'. If you'd like to help, leave me a comment with suggestions for Fashion or Fiction topics you'd like to read about.

Outfit Details: The Limited blouse and skirt, Gap sweater and belt