Aw, I try, but somedays I shouldn't be allowed to girl

I've come a long way baby! (eew - that phrase came from a cigarette commercial). Anyway, I do feel I've made fashion progress since my mom jeans days when I was dressing three people. Okay 2 were small and wore Garanimals - those cute mix and match outfits. But still, I really wasn't a fashionista back then.

just bad - ugh.

Then came the landfill years - when long johns and a hoodie were were appropriate. I didn't wear my steel toed boots every day, but they did look hot. As in clunky and warm. I used a space heater back then and hey, now I use one at the Wallace Building too!.

I ditched my hoodies when I started working in the Big City. There is no dress code at DNR, so I do wear jeans nearly every day - especially since it is so cold there. I've talked before about how I stepped up my game when it comes to my hair. A couple friends introduced me to Sarah Darby at Sahar and I've been going to her ever since. She takes care of me - realizing my limitations. I've even learned to use a blow dryer and a flat iron (a little bit).

The flower girl knew more about makeup than I did...

My makeup still fits in a small container in a drawer. (I'm amazed at my friends that whip out elaborate kits). I no longer really have eyelids - victim of sag. Mascara and eyeliner are part of my daily routine, plus I have to keep track of my unruly eyebrows. Moisturizer with sunscreen is my friend. I use a bit of foundation sometimes.

Mrs. Elming - 1971

I mentioned before about how out of my element I feel when I'm around a bunch of women doing girl things such as hair and makeup like during the morning of Jud and Kara's wedding. I was glad the stylists and makeup artist made me feel right at home as they plied their trade. 

I ponder - how did the other chicks learn all this stuff and I missed it? Was I just not interested when knowledge was being dispersed? Did I fall asleep at the slumber party when they went over this stuff?

Mrs. Elming did try to import makeup skills upon the girls of Atlantic Junior High. She was our Home Economics Teacher and I give her credit for taking me under her wing when it came to girl things. Corduroy jumper during the sewing section, failure. During our cooking segment I was doing some allergy testing and couldn't even eat the food. Yeah. Failure. I passed the class alright, but both of us knew that I wasn't planning on life as a homemaker. Hah!

Life has a way of pulling a fast one on us. I have used Mrs. Elming's button sewing method more than many other things I learned at school. I wish I would have received more training on every day life skills prior to high school graduation. Paul took shop and he uses and enjoys those skills a great deal. May we should go back to requiring at least a semester of that type of class for everyone! I wish I would have encouraged our children to take shop and home ec.

Back to my girlie point. I would not feel comfortable sitting at some Younkers in front of all God and shoppers while a makeup artist applied products to my face. That makes me feel very uncomfortable just thinking about it!

Therefore I'm resigned to my style. I don't wish to wear a bunch of makeup. I've improved (and wrinkled), but will never be super stylish. Or girlish.

Sometimes I have to laugh at myself. Like yesterday. I wore a necklace I'd purchased for the  wedding rehearsal dinner - bangles. When I took it off so it wouldn't jangle on my lunch walk I noticed I hadn't even put it on "right side" out. Failure to girl. Sigh. I'll keep plugging away.

the other side is just plain silver