On the Convenience of the Dress

The most recent addition to my closet

I am a dress lover. A dress is an outfit in one piece. I have been wearing a lot of dresses to work rather than the ye old pant & blazer ensemble because:

1. Wearing a nice dress is much easier than finding a skirt/pants that coordinate with a shirt that coordinate with a belt with a sweater with a jacket with shoes.  With a dress, you just slip it on, and voilà , you can leave the house.

2. Dresses call more attention to your shoes than pants do and I love shoes.

3. A dress with a blazer just plain looks good, caveat being that blazer can be removed post 5 pm if you want to hit the town, and actually look fun loving and free. (While a suit . . . . how do you make a suit insta-hip?)

On E-cards

I used to think e-cards were just annoying animated noisy things with flash, but since discovering Someecards my opinion has changed. The humor in these cards makes me want to send one out everyday. Some of my favorites for love day: 

 

On Finding Love

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.  I will wear this to the office. Despite the fact that I haven’t found him yet, at least I don’t think so. I will be celebrating. I love romance.  I will be celebrating all of my great friends by sending out some just-because-I-love-you-packages.  I will flaunt the colors pink & red, listen to love ballads, burn candles, nibble on dark chocolate, sip champagne, think about peonies. . . . and all the while my heart will be wide open. 

On How I Sort of Own a TV

Now that I have Hulu +, I am convinced that I basically have a TV.  After years of being TV-less, I must say I am enjoying some shows on a regular basis. My current top three:

Favorite Character: Chuck Bass

Favorite Character: Cam

Favorite Character: Schmidt

On All Things Bright & Beautiful

It is February. That means. . . it is spring in LA. 

You are probably thinking, "Wait, there are no seasons in LA?" I would have to agree with you there. My born-and-raised Angeleno friend just had me explain Groundhog day to her. Enough said. 

What I mean is that people are dressing as if we have just emerged from a cold, hard winter of thick socks, corduroy, and wool sweaters.  (Here in LA, and surprisingly many other winter-prone places, we have not. My girlfriend in Manhattan just reported 60 degrees last weekend.) 

 "There will be brighter days ahead" was a message I read in a storefront window yesterday. As if the 80 degree weather last weekend wasn't UVA/UVB bright enough. Even if they did mean something about the recession and the dire state of Republican presidential candidates' public speaking skills, I am still convinced that window was being shallow and trivial.  Despite economics and politics, the uplifting message was merely trying to make a point about needing new clothes for the new season. Hence, the ubiquitous pastels and neons.  

As an Angeleno, I am dressing as if I have just spent several long, cold months underneath layers of snow, sipping hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and wearing two-layers of mittens (my sister in New Hampshire actually does this).  I wearing brights that pop, cut-off shorts, and moccasins with no socks. Spring has sprung!

photo courtesy of J. Crew Spring 2012

On Manners

I am adamant about one thing in particular. No phones at the dinner table. Being out to eat is tantamount to being at home. Regardless of where it is impolite to have a phone in between you and your supper plate not to mention you and your dining company. I believe that the very last meal of the day (exception being dessert of course) is meant to serve as a transition from the hustle-bustle of the day to the somnolence of the night. Face it, a phone in your face doesn't make for meaningful conversation. Chances are that phone has been in your face or in your fist for the majority of the day. Give it a rest, break some bread, and live a little.  

Afterward: I am considering having a phone-less day once a week. A day in which I either 1. make no plans and then am no longer capable of making plans once that day is upon me 2. have pre-existing plans or 3. forewarn my friends and insist that they must come a-knocking if they want to me come out and play. I think it could be a riveting modern day adventure.