What I’m working on this week: I’m so insanely scatterbrained as I kick off this week. It’s another adjustment week, in which new activities start up and out schedule is in shambles from having gone camping this past weekend (Fun! But terrible for getting “set up” for the new week.) My brain’s in a whirl, which is making organized thinking very challenging. BUT-! Today, I went through my time-management app and got things a bit more orderly for the new schedule. I’ve got my home-based projects where they need to be, in the hours they need to be scheduled. I’ve got my writing-based projects queued up in my Office Hours schedule, and I’ve even started importing tasks for the novel into it, so that moving forward, I shouldn’t have to think much about what I need to work on when I’m at the office. Keep your fingers crossed for me that this helps get me back on track. I’m so sick of things falling through the cracks! How on earth do working moms DO THIS?
What’s inspiring me this week: I’ve been blazing through the book A Guide to Elegance by Genevieve Antoine Dariaux. It’s an older book, originally published in 1964 (and, yeah, it shows a bit), but it’s been a charming little read. I’m always curious about how certain women just put themselves together in ways that look effortless, simple, and clean, so this falls into my pseudo-fashion interest. It’s fascinating to witness how much things have changed from the 60s to today, in terms of what’s considered “appropriate” attire. Back when this book was written, women generally wore dresses. All the time. For everything. Occasionally, you might have what she’d call “a smart suit” (though sometimes I suspect her suits are primarily skirt-suits, not trouser-suits, though she does occasionally make exceptions for a finely tailored pair of trousers–I haven’t actually gotten to the T’s yet, where “Trousers” are located). Compare that with today, and our expectations of “appropriate attire” are completely changed. Women wear pants a lot. Few people wear much by the way of “wool suiting” or even “linen suiting” (for those “warm months”). I’m not sure I’ve ever seen more than one or two pearl necklaces in my lifetime, and most of those are on older women (or particularly preppy younger ones). Jeans are “elegant” if paired with the right top and boots/heels (I can only imagine Ms. Dariaux reeling at this), and when was the last time you saw someone wearing a hat besides a baseball cap? It’s fascinating to me that the classic elegance has been replaced by a new elegance, perhaps more akin to something worn by Jennifer Aniston or Olivia Palermo–casual chic. I also adore the fashions of New Garçonne style, which is more elegant tomboy cuts and jeans and t-shirts and heels. Heels are still around, of course, and those do seem to be a cornerstone of “elegant” dressing–I guess I’ll eventually have to learn how to walk in them…
What’s challenging me this week: Just my crummy brain being completely overwhelmed. Need to get back into gear so I’m not just revving my engines in neutral…