Jan
2018

Last of the Peak Outfits, 2017: Work & Other Stuff

categories: style

The Unicorn Dress

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Behold: one of my eBay unicorns. I can’t recall precisely how long I stalked this dress online, but we are talking at least 3 years. For much of that time, I was searching for the wrong (Anthro) brand, which surely did not help. More recently, it turned up for sale on a local Facebook group, and I missed out on it by mere MINUTES. Gah. But, all’s well that ends well – even though the happy ending did cost me a pretty penny. No regrets; it’s a lovely dress with lots of interesting (but not too quirky) details.

Someday, I will wear a classic little, black dress. Some day. Just not today. And probably not tomorrow either.

Cool Factor

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Words can’t quite express how much I love this Marni top and how much it tickles my sartorial fancy. It’s just so very … me. It’s different without being fussy or precious. Layered over a thin turtleneck, it’s seasonally appropriate even though we are talking about linen here. I have spent the last couple of months lusting after Marni pieces on eBay, but no dice; outside of thrift stores, it ain’t happening. Sigh. Getting back to the outfit, this is a 2017 Top 5 moment for me, for sure. It received very little love on Instagram, much like the majority of my Absolute Favourite Peak Outfits, which I find oddly hilarious. I am basically an anti-style blogger. I am kinda tempted to lean into that whole vibe – like the ManRepeller for basic suburban moms.

The Old Formula

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Fundamentally, this is a very boring outfit. Top, skirt, accessories, done. There is nothing particularly interesting about this silhouette, which is the sort of thing I get excited about these days. There is nothing baggy, or slouchy, or chunky, or knitted here, bah! But! I do like a well-executed monochromatic outfit, and this one is made in matchy-matchy heaven. I also appreciate the quality of this lacy Club Monaco top, and the texture play with the wool skirt. So, fine, let’s call it Peak Outfit.

Unrelated side note: I remain deeply conflicted about my bangs, and specifically about how they look with my bob, but I have to admit that they have increased the versatility of my current haircut. I think they actually look better with my hair pulled back – either like this, or in a pony tail – which means I now have way more styling options, especially for third- (and fourth-) day hair. Perhaps the dreaded curse of the Every Two Years Pixie Cut can finally be broken. A girl can only hope.

Sack of Glory, 2017 edition

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Shut up, it’s amazing. Yeah, this dress makes me look like I’m gestating (I probably am, but it’s just a food baby). Yeah, it’s a glorified potato sack. But it is amazing all the same, and we’ll just have to agree to disagree if you have a different opinion. I want to wear this dress all the time. I may have worn this dress all the time over the holidays. Forget Thankgiving-dinner-eating pants; this dress doesn’t even have a waistband – it has pockets instead. A 125% improvement, if you ask me.

We are also going to have to agree to disagree about these loafer slides. They are exceptionally jolie laide, and I adore them. Insult them at your own peril. I paid a whopping $12 for them at Winners, and they will probably fall apart next week, but I will enjoy the heck out of them in the meantime.

Marni 2.0

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Marni does it again. Weird proportions (is it a top? is it a tunic? who knows what, who cares) and charming-though-extraneous details (that extra-long sash thing – who knows why, who cares) are just my ticket. They may not be yours, so you will have to indulge me. I wore this outfit for my big family Xmas party and what it lacked in festive spirit, it made up in Adina Spirit.

Goodbye, 2017

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I haven`t celebrated NYE for the better part of a decade; it was a last minute decision to do so last year, but it seemed fitting given everything my husband and I went through during those interminable 12 months. Celebrating the birth of a new year, surrounded by family and friends, was amazing. Also amazing? This Betsey Johnson dress. It makes me feel like a princess, and everyone should have a dress in their closet that makes them feel that way, IMO.


Jan
2018

Keeping On

categories: Life, Writing

Well, hello there.

It’s a new year, and a fresh page, so to speak. I hesitate to declare that I am back because, truthfully, I don’t know that I am. Or what I am. Am I still a blogger? There is only one thing I really missed about the blog during my absence, and that was the comment section. Instagram is a quick and easy way of connecting with people, but it isn’t the same. There are many things I didn’t miss about the blog, and those include all the extra work that goes into a 5-day-a-week posting schedule. Okay, maybe I missed the writing a little bit – some of it anyway. I have found that I actually prefer sharing outfits on IG because, honestly, there is only so much I can say about the clothes I wear on any given day. I have been doing this for nearly 8 years; there are only so many words that can be written about an average person’s outfits.

There is a part of me that wishes she could unwind the clock and choose to blog anonymously on BCRL in the first place; had I done so, it would have made this next transition much easier – the things I would love to write about at this point in my life are more personal, not necessarily tied to style. But it’s too late for that now. I have been thinking recently about what the next best compromise would be; wondering if there is a way to keep this outlet for my writing (together with this community) going in some fashion — no pun intended. Because I don’t blog for money, the field is wide open … which is both liberating but also confounding.

So I don’t have a definitive answer yet.

What I’ve decided to do for the time being is to experiment a little and see if the answer presents itself through the process. Posting a little here and there, and seeing what feels comfortable. This is harder than it sounds because I’m not the type of person who does anything by half. In fact, my tentativeness almost made me decide NOT to re-open the blog. But I am trying to be a little more flexible, and a little more open to the uncertainties of life.

2018 looks to be filled with uncertainties. For the first time in a long time, I don’t have any grand plans for the coming year. 2017 was full of significant upheavals in my life, whose trailing waves are only now starting to settle. I have no idea what is going to happen in 2018, nor do I have a clear vision of what I would like to see happen. My theme this year is persevere. (Read about last year’s theme here.) I am going to just … keep on keeping on. I will also try to enjoy the small, interstitial moments of life and take fewer things (and people) for granted.

So, back to the blog – welcome. I hope you will check in again from time to time. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you. Were you as happy as me to see the last of 2017? Have you chosen a personal theme for 2018? What’s new in your corner of the world?


Oct
2017

A Few Words

categories: Uncategorized

It’s been a rough week, my friends. My thoughts about it are not all that coherent or eloquent, and I would normally keep them off the blog, but for reasons that will become apparent, I’m going to go ahead and share them.

So, in no particular order …

Over the last six months or so, the stress levels associated with the quotidian challenges of my life have been slowly creeping up. I’m not sure why that is (or why it’s happening now) but the impact has been manifesting in ways that are increasingly difficult for me to manage. I’m tired all the time; it’s a mental and emotional exhaustion as much as it is a physical one. It has left me in a place where even minor annoyances – or a bad news cycle, which seem increasingly routine these days – can feel like the proverbial last straw. It is not a good place.

Since last week, I have been following the Harvey Weinstein story (as reported in the NYT, New Yorker, and elsewhere). It has brought up a lot of feelings; their intensity took me by surprise. Living in the Trump era has desensitized me to many things, including things like this; or so I thought. Again, perhaps this was no more than a last straw. I believe all women have met at least one Harvey Weinstein in their lives, be it the personal or professional or both. I always thought I had a good handle on my own experiences; I’m starting to think that might be just something I told myself. A compromise. I wore my cynicism like a badge, not seeing it for what it was: complicity. Every time I didn’t speak up and smiled instead, hoping to disappear into the background, I was acquiescing in the status quo. With the guilt comes anger – anger for the fact that complicity felt like my only option. The public reaction to the Weinstein revelations has been no less emotionally taxing. There is so much more I could say about this, and want to say about this, but I’m going to leave it at that because this is not the place for it. And that’s a whole other story.

Earlier this week, my husband and I were subjected to a very troubling episode of online trolling/harassment which crossed into real life. It was not related to this blog. I hope that it has come to an end, and nothing more will come of it, but the whole experience was deeply upsetting. It has made me feel very vulnerable, particularly in relation to my online presence. It was, in its way, another last straw.

The fact is that I cannot continue with this blog right now. I have no emotional bandwidth left for it. It has been my passion and my creative outlet for over seven years, and it’s strange and a little scary to think of it not being a part of my life. It used to feel like a safe refuge; it doesn’t now. So, for now, I need a break.

I am not writing this to elicit your sympathy or comments. I appreciate that many of you have been following for a long time, and I believe you deserve a few words of explanation for my absence. I am going to miss your comments more than you know. I’m going to miss this corner of the internet — yeah, that’s hokey and I don’t care. Thank you for the community you helped to build. It’s not farewell; let’s just say … till next time.