Well, I learned at least one thing with this blog: I really don’t like WordPress. And as hard as it can be to sit down and write an amusing, creative, insightful post; it becomes even harder when you don’t know how to use/don’t like the publishing software you’re using.
So, with that, I send you BACK to blogspot for http://kikitikka.blogspot.com
I promise to keep this blog active… at least for a month.
I don’t know when or why it became so hip to be earth-conscious, but here we are. I’m just sorry it took us so long to realize that, yeah, life isn’t an unlimited all you can eat buffet. Like a trip to Piccadilly, there will be consequences for your greedy actions.
I distinctly remember reading the back of a particular cereal box when I was about 6 or 7 (man, they had me so locked in… they could have easily persuaded me to sell my soul if it was the target of a back-of-cereal-box maze) that had tips on how to be more earth friendly. Turning the water off while you brush your teeth, turning the lights off when you left a room, asking your parents to install low-flow showerheads and showing you how to put two-liter bottles in toilets to reduce water waste (yes, I made my parents do this). To me, even at that age, it was all pretty obvious. What’s the point of leaving a light on in a room you aren’t in? I figured if my 7 year old mind could easily wrap itself around this concept, why was it so freaking hard for adults?
Life went on and I kept turning the water off while I brushed my teeth. I ended up majoring in Environmental Studies in college, despite “not looking like other ENVS majors.” Yeah, someone actually said that to me. I’m sorry I’m not a dirty hippie, but I do believe that you can be environmentally conscious while still dressing pretty, and you know, showering. It’s not that hard, promise.
The absolute most tree hugging way to dress? Shop secondhand.
old polyester > new organic cotton
In addition to the earth love you’re giving, it’s cheaper, more fun, and you don’t end up looking so goshdang cookie cutter. The only cons are an occasional mothball smell (invest in some extra strength Febreze and be sure to find out where your local eco-friendly dry cleaner resides), the sometimes odd sizing, and the need to dig, dig, dig to find the perfect thing. It’s not for everyone: you’ve got to at least kind of like to shop. But trust me, it’s worth it. Treasures abound!
goodwill dress / vintage scarf / coral pumps
While I can’t put my finger on what exactly made me want to re-start my blogging career, I can tell you the idea behind this blog. It’s an idea that’s been swooshing around in my head for a while now, and so I decided to go for it. I’m not saying that it’s anything mindblowing or even all that special, moreso that it’s something that *I* care about. And yes, it really is all about me.
So, the title. It’s a serious mantra of mine, and I promise there’s no deeper meaning. I’m a pretty superficial kind of girl. It’s just that in this world of *more, more, more* (a world in which I find myself on a regular basis) I think that you can boil it all down to just doing / eating / wearing / using / being whatever it is that you love. It makes decisions that much easier. I promise.
What do you do, however, when two loves get in the way of one another? Like, say, a job you know you’d love that involves leaving a city you love? Yep, that’s what I did. I chose the job, in hopes that I could learn to love the new city. While I can’t yet reflect on whether that was the *right* decision, it’s the one I made and my my I hope it’s the biggest decision I have to make for a long time. Decisions are hard. So because I obviously have no credibility in the world of life coaching or helping anyone make better life decisions, as I, in fact, am well known for my poor life decisions, I can shout one credo from the rooftops.
And that’s to wear what you love. Every day. No matter how little it is. If it doesn’t bring you joy, donate it. It’s that simple.
Getting dressed every day is such a small facet of our lives, but we all know what an impact it can make on our attitude. So don’t settle for something that you feel okay in: it’ll become a waste of a day. So, what I hope this little blog will become is one to remind you to love your clothes, love YOURSELF. Now isn’t that sappy?
The end of 2008 and start of 2009 were quite a whirlwind.
A few highlights:
A last minute 700 mile move from a city I was unabashedly in love with back to the only home I knew.
A new job, sans office, doing something that I truly love and believe in.
A roommateless, cableless, microwaveless, urban living existence.
A 2 month period passed without buying one stitch of clothing.
So yes, it was time. A lot has changed since I was the DC Fashionate and I hope that this new little spot on the internets will serve as a fun project for me personally and also a way to keep in touch with those I’m so far away from. Expect regular musings on fashion (both my own and what remains painfully unattainable), attempts at sustainability, life in Atlanta, and the great quarter life crisis. Nothing overtly cerebral here, just a touch of fun. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for stopping by.
