This was my first weekend completely to myself for the next four weekends. And boy, did I make it count!! It wasn't that I did anything ridiculously spectacular nor out of the ordinary - it was that I did exactly as I pleased and for the first time in who-knows-when, I felt honestly utterly content all weekend long - no matter if I was with somebody or with absolutely nobody.
Friday afternoon I spent cleaning up our room for Abby's dad's brief visit, and while I did so, took pictures of all of my Spring clothes and wrote out a list of outfits I can make by mixing and matching everything I have in my closet. See, I'm on this mission to start dressing like a European Pinterest girl. I know, I know... I was on this mission last Fall, too... but it just didn't quite work out. I ended up with a bunch of colorful things with animals all over them, as hard as I tried not to.
But this season? I'm doing it right. I'm all in. And I have very specific rules:
1) There may only be one focal point of an outfit. That means only one piece can have a pattern or a texture - the rest must be solid and one color.
2) Each piece must be able to be mixed/matched with a minimum of three other things (dresses excluded).
3) I must feel confident in everything I purchase. Confident and amused are different things - and I need to start distinguishing these two things.
Up until this point I've had a very "Chelsea" way of dressing - for better or worse. I've always bought things that made me happy and that were very bright, colorful and unique. And yet, when I've put them with what else I owned, it never looked very... chic. Instead, it kinda looked like an oversized kindergartener's closet exploded a high schooler. And while I can't say I would have the biggest problem with this if I lived no a deserted island by myself, what I can say is that it dramatically decreases my self-confidence when I'm walking around like Joseph's amazing techicolor dream coat landed a spot on Noah's Ark... surprise surprise.
And so, I'm ready for the next step in my outwards personal growth - and dressing like a real person is that step. In the next few weeks I will transition from walking to the bus stop a few steps behind the others so that the parents can't see how disastrous I look and walking around Madrid on Saturdays wishing I didn't look so ridiculously American (and not cute American - wth American)... to feeling confident and proud every single moment I am out of my apartment.
It seems so daunting right now... but the truth is, it's only really 30 extra minutes in the morning, and a little planning (which I've already done). And so, we'll see how it goes...
ANYWAY - my Friday night was the first Friday in which I have been at home doing homework, while everybody else was out having fun. It was super strange, but I loved the solitariness of it all. I wrote and read for hours and hours and didn't finish until rather late.
Saturday was spent in company, watching the Madrid - Barcelona game, strolling around my favorite part of Madrid and getting cookies from my favorite Paresian bakery. I gotta say, after watching the soccer game, I continue to not understand the draw of the sport. I'm a lacrosse girl - give me a shot clock, tough men and fast action and I'm thrilled. But this? I think in the whole 90 minute game shots on goal were maybe made eight times total - three of those actually going in. The rest of the game is guys kicking the ball back and forth and occasionally wiggling around on their backs, pretending to be gravely injured to get ref sympathy or something (I don't really get it). And this last part is the only amusing part. It happens about every five minutes that you see a guy yelping and crying, grabbing some extremity and rocking back and forth. Just imagine an American football player doing that, or a lacross player, or a hockey player, or a rugby player or a roller derby player. Heck, I can't even imagine a ballet dancer doing that. These guys look like the biggest pussies in the world - it's hilarious and pathetic at the same time... THESE are Europe's champions? You've got to be kidding me.
Sunday was a ME day, which I chose to spend once again in the city. I was shocked when I got there by 1pm, and decided to use my timing to my advantage and went to El Rastro market!! ^_^ I hadn't been there in months and it was so nice outside that I hardly needed a jacket. I got a super cheap fake coral Longchamp back, and two hair scarves - all for 10 euros! After the market, I stopped for a tapa, and then continued on to Sol, Gran Via and Fuencarral. I was on a casual search for a few things for my Super Chic Spring Wardrobe, and ended up finding two AMAZING things at Blanco!! I can officially say that a) if anybody ever asks me out for high tea, or any other fairly fancy occasion, I have the MOST perfect dress in the world (which, can also be dressed down with a navy cardigan and worn to school) AND b) as long as it's not snowing, I no longer need to wear by CUSTO jacket - because I bought a real one!!! Don't get me wrong - I not-so-secretly love that CUSTO jacket - it's just, I feel like a FOOL every time I wear it. I get the oddest stares and the snarkiest comments... and, truth me told, after months of it, I'm totally sick of it all. Bring on a coat that makes me look adorable, not like a crazy teddy bear (as warm and as cozy as it is...).
And that was that! I came home to watch Silver Linings Playbook - which is one of THE best movies I have ever seen!!! And now I'm updating my blog and drifting off.
Such a lovely weekend. :)
XOXO
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