Alexis Senge Johnson2011 was another year of rebuilding myself after the divorce and I think I did a fair job at keeping my resolutions to pay off my debt, get control over my health and make an effort to reconnect with my friends. I can check 2.5 off of my list and that’s pretty good in my book. I didn’t quite completely finish the first item, but I did make one heck of a dent and I’m just months away from accomplishing that goal despite the fact that I learned how to live a little this year.
Reconnecting with my friends reminded me why we all became friends in the first place. I forgot how awesome it is to have people who truly understand you to laugh with. Last night I was with one of my friends and she declared that she was going to help me start off 2012 on the right foot. I thought I was about to get a calendar with all the dates we were going to hang out penciled into it, but instead her surprise was just proof of how well she knows me.
My early 2012 gift was a choice between two beautiful, designer purses that I have come to learn are classified as “hobo” bags. I learned this not by reading fashion magazines, but instead when I was looking for a picture of the bag this morning. That should tell you that I’m not the best at being all that girly. The few things that I tend to pamper myself with once in a while are all items I picked for very specific reasons, but I’ve come to learn that my reasons are a bit odd compared to most ladies. It seems as if my days wearing baseball caps and overalls left me a bit skewed on how to really be girly when I’m not at work and that’s a whole other subject we’ll get into.
For example, I like to get pedicures because I spend many years dancing and know that cramming my dancer feet into heels at work all day equals some gnarly looking digits if I don’t do something about it. Apparently most girls like to do it so their toes look pretty and so they can enjoy a day getting pampered. Who knew? My trip to the nail salon includes acrylic nails so that I stop my bad habit of picking at the side of my fingers until they bleed. I’ve been informed that other gals go for the nail polish choices and to bond with friends. Clearly I missed the boat on this stuff somewhere.
In my personal life I tend to pick items for functionality and just recently began to learn how to accessorize. Past jobs I’ve had always declared how long necklaces could be, how big earrings could be, how many bracelets you could wear. That’s all fine and dandy but it caused me to pick out one necklace, one bracelet, one ring for each hand and a very functional watch and wear them all year so I didn’t have to mess with making any choice in the morning. Then I started this new job and learned that with each outfit I needed to pick out accessories that would enhance my fashion choice each morning. This is a world completely foreign to me, but luckily those around me are trying to break me into this theory.
While my mother any boyfriend have headed up the earring, necklace, and bracelet front my friend from last night decided that she would throw her hand into the game and start on the purse front. I have a few purses, messenger bags and a briefcase for work. Each that I selected was based upon function and not style. Each that someone picked for me was based upon style and not functionality. Laying them all side by side it is clear to see which ones I picked for myself in my sad attempt to be cutting edge.
2011 was the year I learned how to accessorize with jewelry and I guess 2012 is the year I complete the outfit with a proper purse. After almost 20 minutes of her trying to explain to me the redeeming qualities of each bag, how you don’t lose items in bags that large and the fact that either of them would go with anything I wear; I made my decision. Ladies and gentlemen, meet my newest (and largest) purse!
I don’t think I would have made this step on my own, but it looks as if I might just learn how to be a real gal after all. Readers of my blog who’ve read my past posts about fashion (It’s Bootsy, Its Got To Be A Goorin, Alright Pooch Cough Up The Goods, Don’t Forget To Stretch Before Trying Those On, It’s A Matter Of Jacket Equality, or Is Ke$ha Her Fashion Icon) might find it odd that I don’t know how to pull that into my personal life, but my close friends know it’s possible to still teach this old dog new tricks. Tomorrow night I will be meeting Miss Megan at my very first live basketball game. It will be the maiden voyage of my new purse and my chance to thank her for being such an amazing friend through the years! Now I have between now and then to figure out how on earth I’m going to organize things in this new bag so I can find it all later.
