What the?!

Warning: The following post contains sensitive material. Do not read if you are offended about the discussions of female anatomy!


I was going to do a really provocative post about labiaplasty after my friend Ayiko sent me a story from Jezebel about it. Years ago, when I first heard about the surgery, I was perplexed and aghast. I mean, it's bad enough we have to worry about the things that are visible to the world like our weight, or our breast size - our hair, teeth, eyebrows... our style! But worrying about that?! That is something only a select few will see (hopefully), and hopefully those who have access to that area will know that there are a variety of "styles", so to speak, and they also will hopefully love the person as they are.  

 Unfortunately, some women are comparing themselves to the photo-shopped, and tucked-up pornographic images of neat and tidy vaginas (think Playboy centerfold), and according to this article "labiaplasty and vaginal cosmetic surgery are the fastest growing emerging growth trend in cosmetic plastic surgery."


I guess I just did a shorter version of the post I had in mind. I had an exhausting day with one particular child, so I was going to bail on posting! Tomorrow I will talk about pants and the women who wear them!


Outfit:

Back to layer-mania! I thought I would not be able to wear this shirt again, but I got the idea to pair it with these two skirts.

Shirt: Goodwill. Campus Casuals. One of my favorites! 

Checkered Skirt: Salvation Army. A high school find!

Under Skirt: Friend hand me down. Old Navy.

Shoes: Falchi by Carlos Falchi.They are red and pointy.

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!

Word to Your Mother!

To the moms who do.
The moms who try.
The moms who help and love.

To moms who scream
And cook and clean
And work
and play.
Happy Mother's Day!

Okay, I'm grasping at straws, but I just have to go with the flow sometimes. Actually, yesterday I meant to write about the loose pages of a book Leo and I found drifting down Olympic Boulevard. I believe they were from one of those Life Magazine books that I used to read with fascination when I was younger. The pages that I happened to pick up were fashion related which led me to believe it was a little cosmic nudge. Go forth young woman and blog about trivial things! Your pants and shoes. Be brave! One of the pages referenced Wellesley girls bringing "their sloppy attire into town". Adjacent to the sloppy look is a "classic" girl in her presentable attire. Clearly a lot has changed since those days. I was surprised by some very short shorts circa 1956 and intrigued by the line "What U.S. women wore: Shirts trim or sloppy. Skirts high or low." Now that's some good copy. That's Life!

Outfit:

Following in the footsteps of my Wellesley sisters I am sloppy on Sunday! I was cooking today and hanging around my casa, so I couldn't get all dolled up. I also continue to be pained by any shoes with a closed heel, but am looking forward to the day when I can wear them again!

Shirt: Salvation Army. I got this tank in high school and have hung on to it because of the lovely visual motif. It also says "la mer, les nuages. " The sea. The clouds. All on double knit nylon!

Grey sweater: Mossimo. A hand me down from my gorgeous cousin Taylor who made two amazing tarts for our Mother's Day lunch.

Grey Jeans: Old Navy. Also from Taylor. Lucky me!

Shoes: Fit Flops. Again.

The short shorts.


The sloppy coed.

The fashion highs!

Doubt!

Many times I have sat in front of the computer at the end of the day, after all the little ones are in their beds, (except Haha usually), and imported my pictures. Many, many, times. Many times also, I have seen my pictures and thus my outfits and thought, "Uh-oh. Not so good." Today is one of those days. I am also amazed at how "fresh" I feel in the morning when I put my outfits together and how messy I look and feel when I take my photos hours and hours later. C'est la vie, I suppose.

I actually put on another outfit this morning but it was so cute I didn't want to "waste" it on a day of where I would just be chauffeuring the kids around. This has happened more than once. And truthfully, I don't remember some of the cute outfits I created and opted to wear at a later date. I hope I can remember some of them. I guess time will tell.

After I picked up the boys from their sleepover, I dropped Charlie off for a rehearsal. I don't know how it happened, but the dude seems to be very hammy. While Leo, Haha, and I were waiting for Charlie we grabbed some lunch and walked through The Water Garden. It was really nice to follow their lead and take time to explore. So often I am so busy managing my kids that I forget to enjoy them. I have to remember this.

We drove to Malibu for a little impromptu visit with Josh.

Outfit:

Striped shirt: Hand me down from friend. Gap. 

Red dress: Goodwill. Also from Gap. Seen in: Riddle of the Jinx! and Reality Check!

Under skirt: Salvation army. A million years old, but I love it! Seen in: Iron Lung, Friday A-Go-Go, and We Are All Hypocrites! (maybe more, but I don't feel like searching).

Shoes: Zoe & zac.

Fried Egg!

I did not eat a fried egg today, but I didn't know what to call this post and those words popped into my head. I would have eaten a fried egg if I had the time to make one. However, my morning was spent hurry-scurrying about gathering the boys' belongings for a sleep over with Aunt Janine and dealing with a dead battery in our oh-so-reliable Toyota.  On top of that our AAA membership had lapsed, but they were completely accommodating. For the record, I would like to say that I love Triple A!

I was out of the house the entire day and returned home around 8:30pm. After I put Haha down, I bee-lined for my computer so I could check my emails, see if I had any new comments, and all of that fun, computer-related stuff. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from Intact America saying that last week the America Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a new statement proposing changes to the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act, a law that has prohibited any form of FGM in the U.S. since 1996. You can download the abstract on their site.


In an attempt to be culturally sensitive, and to stop parents from sending their girls abroad to have the ritual genital cutting performed, the AAP suggests that doctors perform a "nicking" of the girls' genitals instead. Interestingly, one of the things that the abstract said was that the term Female Genital Mutilation in itself was "inflammatory", and that "some forms of FGC are less extensive than the newborn male circumcision commonly performed in the West." Ha! Take that male circumcision advocates! You may or may not have read my post Cut!, but I can't wait to hear what pro-male circumcision folks have to say about this new recommendation from the AAP.

Outfit:

I took my pictures while I was out and about today and they are a bit sketchy. Needless to say, I have a lot more respect for models after doing this blog! 

Shirt: This is the shirt I wore underneath the sweater yesterday. I got it at Goodwill and I said that it did not have a label, but when I read the care label and saw a replacement button with an M on it today I  saw the name Isabel Marant.



Skirt: Forever 21. I got it when I was pregnant because it had the stretch that I needed!

Shoes: Miz Mooz. Since my outfit was so plain I thought I would jazz it up with bright shoes!


Oh the pain of posing! It hurts!

The Compact!

One of the exciting things about writing this blog is that it has introduced me to a variety of like-minded people who are doing really interesting things! One of these people is a woman named Angela Barton who has a blog called My Year Without Spending. She joined a movement/group called The Compact at the end of 2008 and vowed not to shop for anything for one year! She completed her year of time, and now her blog continues with helpful and useful tips for living a less cluttered life filled with more thoughtful consumption. On Tuesday she had a post about getting rid of junk mail and credit card offers once and for all. On Monday she talked about the Meatless Mondays campaign which invites carnivores to let go of their meaty habit at least one night a week! It's good for your health, and it's good for the planet! Shazam! That's what I call awesome!

On Angela's site she has a section called Thrifty Threads, and today, I was her featured model!!! I was so excited that she featured me on her blog, and she said some very flattering things about me. She also said that I inspired her to go through her closet and pull out some things she hadn't worn in a while and try some new combinations! This is exactly what I want to hear! The whole point of this experiment is to look at my wardrobe with new eyes, and hopefully get some people to look at their closets anew too! Perhaps I should get some people to model for me. I was actually thinking about going to people's houses and creating a "new" outfit for them from their old clothes... Any takers?

One last thing. If you don't normally read the comments on these posts, you should look at the comment from "Two of Seven" on yesterday's post. It is from my amazingly brilliant Aunt Diane. She is hilarious, and you can see why she is one of my idols! I heart you, Aunt D!

Outfit:

Simple again. Still nursing my hurt heel, so forgive the Fit Flops day three appearance!

Shirt: Goodwill. I love, love, love this shirt and it had been in a ball in my closet because it needed to be hand washed and it had several stains. I actually bleached it, which made it a little brighter than it had been before, but the stains are gone and I can wear it again! It has no label, but on the side label with the washing instructions there is Japanese along with pictures. 

Sweater vest: Goodwill. Urchin. Seen in When's Day?

Pants: Look familiar? They should. Same as yesterday. Isaac Mizrahi for Target. On sale for 8 bucks! I got these when I was preggers with Haha. I wish I had snagged a second pair because they are cotton, sturdy, and very cute! Also seen in Lissie!

I Heart Mom!

When I was Google-ing Giselle the other night I happened upon a link that said that Home Births are temporarily illegal in New York! I was really surprised because I hadn't heard anything about this.

It's really the by-product of St.Vincent's Hospital closing after 160 years of service in Manhattan. This seems so shocking! It is so sad that a long standing member of the community has to shut down. And as for the midwives, I can't imagine being told you can't deliver the babies you've been waiting to bring into the world. And the poor moms and dads! Imagine being prepared to have a home birth, then being told at the last minute that it is illegal for you to go forward with your plan. Actually, my last home birth was almost derailed by a two week post-date baby, so I feel like I can imagine it. However, I was fortunate enough to have the birth I wanted to have, which is something every woman should have the right to do. I hope the city figures it out soon, so that the babies in waiting can be born at home! 

On a side note, last night Leo asked me if he was a "delicate boy." I wasn't sure how to respond, and I also wasn't sure where he heard that phrase. I chuckled to myself, and gave him the best answer I could which was, "Sometimes."

Outfit:

After several days of layering mania, I decided to go for simple and thematic. This is a nod to Sunday!

Shirt: Old Navy. Graphic tees are always in style and you should definitely hang on to the ones you love! Giving a shout out to the woman who brought me into the world. And the other mamas to!

Pants: Target. Isaac Mizrahi.

Shoes: Fit Flops. Still nursing my hurt heel.

  Thinking of the festivities coming up on Sunday I want to give a shout out to the ones who made me a mom!  C-dawg is showing off Alvin, one of his favorite friends.

        



    Those brown eyes kill me!

Afternoon Tea!

So, I can finally spill about my "secret" project! I was part of a group that was interviewed in order to honor six amazing people who have put in 20 years at the school where I work! 120 years collectively - Amazing! They made a film that was screened at the tea, sharing anecdotes and memories about what makes these individuals special and important to the community. I was speaking about the incredible teacher I was lucky to get placed with when I first moved back to California. I had never taught in elementary school, and she was the perfect person to observe and apprentice. I learned so much about teaching from watching her, and I learned a lot about life by working with her.  

At the tea I saw some of my former teachers, who all look really young to me now, and I saw a young man I used to babysit who is in his final year of law school. I believe he is 27 now. That made me feel really old. I will have my 20 year high school reunion next year. Yikes! I better get some Botox soon!


Outfit:
I wanted something tea appropriate to wear, so I pulled out the lacy shirt. I quickly realized that it would not work for nursing, so I decided to wear it backwards. I opted for the gray sweater because I thought it offset the sweetness of the shirt. I added the pink skirt to go full circle! The shirt and skirt were given me by the same person - the lovely and talented Lesley Alexander!

Lace Shirt: From Lesley. This shirt always elicits compliments and it did today, even backwards!

Grey sweater: From Cousin. Mossimo. I love the cozy feel of this bad boy.

Pink Skirt: Also from Lesley.

Shoes: Fit flops. I wanted to wear cuter shoes, but I cut my heel last night, so this was the best I could do!



This is Haha in a very Hepurn-esque (a la Funny Face) outfit!

We are all Hypocrites!

I was so happy when I heard that Giselle Bundchen had her baby boy in a bathtub in her Boston home. I was neither a fan nor a hater of the Brazilian goddess prior to hearing this, but this news sent her stock way up in my book, of course. When I read her recent Vogue article, I was really impressed. Not only is she beautiful, but she is down to earth, altruistic, and she is involved with saving the rain forest in Brazil, along with being a U.N. goodwill ambassador for environmental issues.

Imagine then, my disappointment when Richard showed me this article he read on Deciever.com a few weeks ago. The 20,000 square foot home they're constructing for three, or even 10 people, is crazy. Not to mention the fact that building a brand new home, in a city chock-full of available homes, flies in the face of of environmental conservation. I mean, it certainly looks like her new mansion is made of wood. Let's hope it's recycled! (yeah, right!)

You know, Giselle is not alone as far as the eco-celebrities are concerned. Harrison Ford, James Cameron, and even the poster man of global warming himself, Mr. Al Gore, all seem to be talking the talk, and not walking the walk. Well, do as I say, not as I do, is an easy web to get tangled in. Or, perhaps, as Richard tells me, "the 'crisis' of global warming only applies to the little people".

Outfit:

This outfit is fundamentally the same as yesterday, but with different pieces. One piece is the same, and that is the coral skirt. I got called to sub this morning, so I had to think fast. My main thought was "Don't repeat!"

Polka-dot shirt: This is an eighties shirt I deconstructed that I found at The Salvation Army circa 1991. I took of the shoulder padded sleeves and turned it into a shirt I love. I threw a shirt on top of it because I didn't want to traumatize the first graders with my hairy armpits!

Pink Sheer Polka-dot shirt: This shirt is from Forever 21. I got is several years ago when I was working in admissions. I love the delicate appearance of the shirt.

Coral Skirt: Thrift store. Old. Love the color.

Khaki skirt (on bottom): Goodwill. Also very old!

Shoes: Airwalk.

I got home at 5 with the kidlets. I had a lot of stuff to do, so I only took a few pictures, and did not pay attention to the mise-en-scene. (see sock on floor...) Anyway, please look on the photos with a forgiving eye! See you tomorrow! Oh, would you mind taking the pants poll? Thank you!

Showers!

I went to two baby showers this weekend. Actually, the second one was called a "sprinkle, not a shower." It was for a second baby, and the invitees were told NOT to bring any gifts. We were encouraged to offer gifts of a more useful nature. Like babysitting, or help with packing (the family is moving soon), or simple moral support when baby number two drops in! The "sprinkle" was for one of my best friends and her husband. They always have an eclectic and friendly crowd surrounding them because they are rad, and it was a beautiful afternoon celebrating with everyone.

I'm keeping it short and sweet today because it is the day of rest!








Outfit:

Brown and white print shirt: From my cousin. Forever 21.

Undershirt: Old Navy.

Print Skirt: Goodwill. To The Max!

Coral Skirt: From a thrift store. I can't remember which one. Seen in: The Pacific!

Socks: Target. I wish I had more socks like this in my sock drawer. Maybe next year... Or maybe not!

Shoes: I know, I know, I know. I promised I'd put 'em away. Mossimo.

Jacket: Cast off from my fabulous friend Jamie! I believe she brought it to a clothing swap and I nabbed it!

Here is a picture of Haha getting a ride in a wheelbarrow from big brother Jordan!

Fences!

Maybe it's a sign that we are too comfortable, but last night Richard and I got into an argument in front of a friend. Now, the argument had to do with the fence that separates our yard from our neighbor's yard. It had been leaning and deteriorating for quite some time, and Richard decided that rather than hire someone to mend the fence, he and his brother would embark on another DIY project. He also decided to tell Jordan to sledgehammer the fence without telling Jordan to let our neighbor, who has two dogs mind you, know. I also was unaware that Jordan had ripped out the fence. So, when I heard our neighbor calling her dog over and over, I did not think anything of it. It was only when I saw our neighbors' dog in our back yard that I went outside and noticed the entire fence torn to smithereens, and lying all over the place. I also saw that there was nothing preventing the dogs, or kids, from running down the street. Rusty nails stuck out everywhere, and it was a mess.

I, of course, was furious, and when Richard came home he got an earful. Richard was defensive, and we got in one of our Battle of the Bulge arguments (Richard says that using the Battle of the Bulge as a reference is a gross overstatement). Getting back to my friend, she was probably wishing she had made plans to watch the playoff game elsewhere, but she was stuck. I think Robert Frost said that "Good fences make good neighbors." Maybe this applies to more than neighbors. Maybe it applies to friends as well.

Outfit:

Dress:  I was "saving" this dress for the right occasion, and today seemed to fit the bill. I had a baby shower to attend and I went in style!  This dress was given to me by a friend. She bought it at a yard sale, and it appears to be from the 70's. It is silk, and the label says Ayesha. I think it might be from the designer Ayesha Davar. I've included a picture below of how the dress looks before I tie it. I tie it to give it a little more shape and a less preggers look!


Shoes: You know I love 'em! Mossimo.

Jacket: I threw this on when I went out in the afternoon. Given to me by my best friend's ex-roomate.