HAIResy!

 From Wikipedia:

"Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma...The founder or leader of a heretical movement is called a heresiarch, while individuals who espouse heresy are known as heretics. Heresiology is the study of heresy. 

 Etymology: The word "heresy" comes from the Greek hairetikos "able to choose" (haireisthai "to choose"). The term heresy is often perceived as a value judgment and the expression of a view from within an established belief system."

I am pronouncing myself a Hair-etic. Despite popular opinion, I believe that my children, with their wild and crazy locks, are fine. I don't feel the need to tame or control or style their hair. They are little kids, and they are fine. All yesterday, I kept looking at HaHa, and thinking she looked like a boy with her new fancy hairdo. I like her crazy curls just the way they are. And yes, they do get frizzy when she sleeps on them, or rubs her head against the car-seat, or puts food in her hair. 


As for Charlie, he happens to have some of the thickest, most dense, hair I have ever seen. When it gets wet it glistens as if it had dew drops on it. If you pour a cup of water on his head, his scalp doesn't get wet. When he sleeps on his hair, it gets extra frizzy and dry. I have been looking for product to put in his hair in the mornings, but I haven't found the exact right thing yet. However, the reason why I keep Charlie's hair longer than some people care for, is because he likes it. He doesn't want me to cut it short, although the more people talk about it, the more I'm sure the more he will get self-conscious about it. 


When I was out with my sister and the kids on Saturday night, she was surprised when a stranger complimented Charlie's hair. He gets a lot of compliments on his hair, actually. However, he also gets a lot of negative comments as well. I really don't understand why people are so concerned with the hair of my children. When they are older they can decide what they want to do with it. And, I do comb Charlie's hair, by the way. We'll see what happens after he turns seven tomorrow!


Outfit: 


Print shirt: I got this in the Bronx a few years ago.

Striped shirt: Goodwill. Banana Republic.


Pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.


Shoes: Capezio.

Day 182! Stat!

Hey! I really need to go to bed, so I am going to beg for mercy at not making a really great "I'm halfway there post!" We had a crazy night and when I was putting he kids to bed, HaHa cut her toe on the closet door. It's a sliding glass door, and apparently a tiny piece of exposed glass was at the bottom.

One minute I was walking to put something on my bed, the next minute there was blood all over the floor and HaHa said "Feet hurt." I was really upset, because she cut her toe this way before. Richard fixed the door, but I guess it came loose again. Anyway, the toe escapades threw off my evening schedule. I am just starting to write at eleven, and I really need some shut eye!

At school today, HaHa impressed me and Jordan by doing "pull ups" on the cubby hooks! She is so athletic! And crazy! I've included photos below.

Outfit:

Striped shirt: Hand me down from Pollyanna. Forever 21.

White shirt: Goodwill. Isabel Marant.

Brown pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.

Shoes: Predictions.

Jacket: Walmart. George. I got this when I was visiting my mom in her tiny Massachusetts town several years ago!

A Welcome Escape!

Today, I got to get into the classroom I will be occupying this summer, and I got to go to a graduation party for a very promising young lady! The graduation fete was called a "Get Out of Jail" party because the young lady who was being honored did not really relish high school. That is to say, she received more enjoyment from working after school with children, people with Down's Syndrome, volunteering, and participating in theater. She realized that there was much more life to live beyond the walls of her school, than in her school, where her peers seemed concerned with shallow and trivial pursuits. And, apparently, she is not a fan of teenagers.

We have something in common.

One of her teachers was at the party and he had nothing but glowing things to say about her, so it is not that she doesn't enjoy learning and studying. There were also many other guests with praise for the graduate. It was a very fun and happy occasion, and I am so glad I got to be there. I will leave out the antics of my children while we were at the party...

On a completely different note, today when I was working in the classroom, I was trying to help HaHa turn on a computer, which she was determined to do, and she pushed my hand away and said "I do it!" It sounded like, "I'll do it", and Richard and I started cracking up! She said it again later, and I'm sure she'll be saying it again. That's my little independent HaHa bear!

Outfit:

I got a sun burn when we were at the park a few days ago, so I opted for a racer back tank today. These past couple of days my shoulders have really killed me. I wanted to be comfy so I paired it with these kick around corduroys. Of course when I got dressed this morning I wasn't thinking about the party later, but I manage to spruce up my outfit with just a couple of tweaks!

Print Shirt: Forever 21. I really can't resist a fruity print!

Brown Pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.

Sweater: Hand me down from cousin. Merona.

Shoes: Fit Flops.

Tweaked by adding:

Gold Crop Jacket: I got this for 5 buck at Walmart when I was visiting my mother in Hanson, Mass. 

Shoes: Patricia Field's for Payless  that I got for 12 bucks! I was looking for shoes for the boys a couple years ago, and I went to peruse the 10's. I saw these and snapped them up! I wish I had bought a second pair because they are soooo comfy!

Pants: I took the elastic bands I had around my wrists earlier in the day and gathered the pants at the bottom so they were more stylish, and less frumpy... At least I hope they were!

Bieber Fever!

I've been hearing about Bieber Fever for a while, but it was only recently that I heard Justin Bieber sing and saw him engage in witty repartee with Oprah.  He was very charming and quite talented, I thought.  Besides his crazy hairdo, I could understand why young girls are obsessed with him.

What a lucky lad to be born in the age of You Tube. Where was You Tube when I was a kid? Pollyanna and I could have uploaded our "The Brunettes" songs! With our brilliant lyrics and dazzling personalities I'm sure we would have gone viral in a flash!

Just take the theme song (?) for our band: "Brunettes Have More Fuh-uh-un. I know it 'cause I am Wuh-uh-un (one). Brunettes have more fuh-uh-un. I know it 'cause I am one!" Sheer brilliance!

That song is second only to the toe tapping hit "Us". It goes like this: "We. We are us. We grow each day. Life can be easy, it can be tough, but, we have to take it either way." (By the way, Richard wants me to remind people that these songs are copyrighted and he is very litigious.)

Now, in our/my defense, we were in fourth grade and we were nerds. And, I am sure I was a negative influence on Pollyanna's lyrical styling. After all, she listened to the Beatles and Carole King. I listened to KISS-FM. Oh, to bring this back to the fashion side, we made our own Brunettes t-shirts with puffy paint. They were awesome! (By the way, Richard also questions the past tense use of "nerds" in referring to Pollyanna and me. Sorry Pollyanna!)

Outfit:

White shirt: Goodwill. Isabelle Marant.


Green Shirt: Goodwill. Lux.

Brown pants that look black in the photo: Goodwill. I.N.C. (fabric right)

Shoes:  zoe & zac

Thank You Lena Horne!

I was unaware yesterday that Lena Horne had passed away. I heard the news as my radio alarm went off this morning and I was surprised and sad. I guess the fact that Ms. Horne was 92 makes it more bearable, but it is still upsetting to lose such an iconic and important figure in the struggle for black equality. It's hard to imagine now, but in 1951, when MGM made Showboat, they gave the role of the "mulatto" Julie to Ava Gardner. Apparently Gardner, a friend of Ms. Horne's, was "duskied up" with makeup that MGM staff had created for Horne. The makeup was called "light Egyptian." This is just one of many, many stories that illuminate the kind of racism and ignorance Ms. Horne had to endure when it came to Hollywood. In the closing paragraph of The New York Times' obituary it says: "Looking back at the age of 80, Ms. Horne said: “My identity is very clear to me now. I am a black woman. I’m free. I no longer have to be a ‘credit.’ I don’t have to be a symbol to anybody; I don’t have to be a first to anybody. I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become. I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.”


"I'm me, and I'm like nobody else." Those are words to live by!

Outfit:

Shirt: This is another classic Salvation Army find that I've had since high school. I love the print!

Sweater: Another hand me down from my cousin Taylor! Mossimo.

Brown Pants: Goodwill. I.N.C.

Shoes: Mossimo. I still have to wear shoes that don't touch my heel!

This is Leo getting in on the action!

Freddy's Dead!

First of all, I got an email from one of my New York buds informing me that Freddy's, a 70 year old bar that was hugely important to me post-break-up of my second serious relationship, is closing in the coming week. I am so sad. To think of lovely, dive-y, Freddy's being demolished is disheartening. It is especially so when it is being demolished to make way for yet another billion dollar development project that is promoted by tycoons and fought by the locals. For 7 years many community members in this section of Brooklyn have protested the Atlantic Yards Project, but alas, it seems that Goliath won this time.

When I hear these stories it makes me not miss Brooklyn as much as I used to. On my last visit to New York, I walked from Time's Square all the way downtown and over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Slope. The city had changed so much, and so much of it was shopping related. Target, K-Mart, Bed, Bath, and Beyond. These stores were stores I did not want to see in the city. I felt like I was an "alien in New York", as Sting said so many years ago. Oh, well, the good old days are gone, I suppose.

Outfit:

I was going with a color theme. However, when I saw the photos I took today I realized that this is a very Fall ensemble. It was chilly today, so I can pretend it was fall! The fashion police will kill me, I'm sure!

Satin Shirt: From friend. I.N.C. I have a friend who is into Feng Shui and color therapy (or something of that nature). She got rid of a bunch of her very nice stuff because the colors did not work for her anymore. Lucky Me! The orange Tracey Reese sweater I wore in Oral Hygiene! (another brown/ orange combo. I better watch it!) However, I am thinking this shirt doesn't work for me, either. It will be in the out pile soon!

Orange sweater: From cousin. Mossimo.

Brown pants: Goodwill.  Moda International.

Jacket: Goodwill. Allegory.

Shoes: Mac & Jac.

Weird Science!

I am subbing in science again, and no, it isn't weird, but I needed a title. When I was a kid I watched Weird Science a million times with my best friends Pollyanna and Sarah. We loved it, and we were in love with Ilan Mitchell Smith. At least I was. I think we all were. So cute, that one! To this day, I can still quote choice lines from the film, such as, "You're stewed buttwad!", or, "In your race for power and glory, you forgot one, small, detail." Why is it these lines come with ease, but I can't remember the birthdays of some family members?

Interestingly, we were working on tornadoes in science and that's just what my morning was like! Everything was a rush and a blur, and I grabbed this green sweater  and worked my way down. I am a tree today, mirroring the browns and greens of one of our earthly ancestors. My shoes also have flowers, so Mother Earth is my inspiration!

I just made that up, but I do love me some trees and Mother Earth!

Also, I would like to thank those of you who have been kind enough to look at this blog and share it with others. It really, truly, means a lot to me!

Outfit:

Green sweater: From Cousin. Old Navy.

Brown Beaded Collar Shirt: Hand me down from stylish friend! I.N.C.

Brown Pants: Goodwill. MODA International. I have 5 pairs of brown. I bought 3 and two were given to me.

Shoes: Predictions.

Re-Discover!

I went on a field trip to the Re-Discover Center with Charlie's class today. It was a joy to see his class in action. They are an adorable and smart bunch of kids! I got out of bed later than I should have, so it was a mad dash to get out of the house on time. I grabbed my jeans and threw the rest of my outfit on quickly. I started with a "mom" top (from my admissions days), so I could look like I'm dressing my age for a change. I added the velvet jacket for fun.

When the kids and I got home they had to clean up before we could go to the library to check out a movie for Movie Night. When we got there, the security gate was down inside the building and a few people were gathered outside discussing how they keep cutting back the hours because of the furloughs. It was nice to have a political discussion with total strangers. While I was talking about the "Govenator" and California, the boys wee walking along a wall with a little boy who was entertaining himself. I love how children connect without hesitation. It was a very lovely moment of humanity!

Outfit:

Maroon Top: From friend. I.N.C.

Tank(Underneath): Old Navy.

Velvet Cap Sleeve Jacket: Forever 21

Jeans: From Cousin. Gap.

Shoes: Airwalk. I had to retake the pics from earlier today, so I snapped a photo of C&H! Charlie's totally awesome striped red pants are from Goodwill!!!