Playing Dress Up (Day 40, Year 3)

It's been a strange day for me. I tend to have days of intense productivity--and then I need a mental rest day so I can knock it out of the park the next three days. It is not that I actually fully rest; I just cannot be creative or productive and need to simply go through the motions and do what needs to be done; but nothing more. 

Like a day of no aspirations or a day where my only aspiration is survival! 

But, of course, I did find the energy to do my Reel hair, again. I don't even know what I'd look like without it, at this point!  Isn't it cute? Don't tell me when it ceases being cute. JUST KEEP TELLING ME IT IS CUTE!

I also found the energy to focus on my haggard skin care reversal tactic of "just paint it," and experimented with some fun blue-green eye shadow and three layers of under eye concealer. Tonight, I am going to try a mask from my "hives collection" so I can both exfoliate and freshen my skin! I'll keep you posted! 

And I did decide to succumb to Eagles Super Bowl fever (even though I am typically oppositional to joining in any mass celebrations or feelings) and I selected some Eagles gear from my sport costume collection. 

I have all my themed apparel hanging in a section in my closet for easy access. I think to think of these items as costumes! I have Phillies gear (baseball fan costumes!), Temple gear (alumni costumes), Alex's Lemonade Stand stuff (charity costumes!), Happy Family attire (corporate costumes!), Flyers t-shirts (hockey costumes), Pearl Jam/Counting Crows/Snoop Dog/Queen Shirts (music lover costumes!), Christmas shirts (holiday costumes) and of course, Eagles gear (Football fan costumes!). 

I mean isn't everything we wear really just a costume? Like when I have a big meeting in person with researchers, I put on a blazer and some dark jeans for that "professional, but still cool" costume. When I got to church, I've got my church dresses (church lady costumes!) and I have loads of sequins and leather for my "going out costumes."

Of course, the costumes I most offer wear consist of my pajamas, running shoes and long winter North face jacket (Tired Mother On a School Run Costume). 

Playing dress up just gets me in the spirit for whatever it is I have to do. On the days when I feel like I don't want to be professional, I force myself into a "business casual costume," just so I can get into the role. Since the big game is Sunday and I am not naturally a Super Bowl NFL type of girl, but I know my family is all in to the Super Bowl, I am going to play the part and get in the spirit! 

Playing dress up is a little like why I love decorating for Christmas and other holidays. Those strings of lights on trees at Christmas or heart wreathes on the doors at Valentines Day just invoke a feeling that maybe I wouldn't have if I did not have the visual input of the theme right in front of me. 

This is why I love bold colors and patterns (like my checkerboard kitchen floor and my jewel box colored office). Those bold colors and patterns are my way of dressing up my house to invoke and inspire the bold parts of myself, which I think are quite possibly the best parts of me and sometimes I squash them down out of fear of being seen. 

But, it's hard not to see contrasting colors and it reminds me not to hide my light or my voice or my fun hair from Reels or my opinion or haggard skin. It is not that I need to be noticed; it is more that I need to notice myself, so that I can be the best self that I can be. 

So, I'll keep playing dress up. 





Comments