In the last week or so I have looked at some really awful, depressing apartments, and read about a zillion ‘OMG don’t live here run awaaay!’ apartment reviews. I’m finding this whole apartment-hunting process slightly soul-crushing, to be honest. I’ve come to the realization that my original budget and my need to not live in a craphole are in direct opposition. Since my need to not live in fear and squalor overrides my desire to save money, I have upped my original budget. I may have to get a bit creative with a studio, if I can find one available, but that’d be all right. I could hang some curtains. I’m tired of looking at places I immediately hate. Though I guess it’s much better to realize that on the tour than after move-in.
Yesterday I soothed myself with shopping. I got some more yarn (’cause god knows I don’t have enough of that) and, on a whim and armed with a today-only! 50% off coupon, a book of crochet squares patterns. I justified it because I’ve joined a monthly square swap community and I’ve got three left to finish before the 24th. It’s a beautiful book, all full of gloss and color and pictures. I’ve come to terms with that about myself too. The recipe (for food or craft items) could be completely out-of-this-world, but unless there’s a picture of the finished object or a lot of white space I’m sort of unlikely to try it. Presented with the cheaper black-and-white printed crochet books my brain happily shuts off. I really prefer to get books from the library first to try them, or at least read a bunch of reviews online, but this one was compellingly pretty and bright. I was delighted this morning to discover a dozen and a half glowing reviews on Amazon, and a very high used resale price — higher even than what I’d paid.
I also got clothing of bold-coloredness (teal sweater, red long-sleeved shirt), another workout top and pair of shorts (which in no way match but which were both on sale), and a purse. The purse is lovely. It’s all dark pinky-plum burgundy wine sort of colored tweed with leatherish accents. Long and very shallow. It’s a purse with personality, which is my favorite sort. Buying it I had this sort of impression it would go with lots of my wardrobe, since I have so much pink now, but upon further reflection that’s not strictly true. I’ve shrunk out of most of that first pink infusion, and now I just mostly have no wardrobe. Which is just fine; I’ll just have to buy more pink to match the purse.
I didn’t get what I really went shopping for, which was — well, also a purse. But a little silver dress purse, to go with my new dress. I’ll be in San Francisco the weekend of Bryce’s Yahoo holiday party — Dec 2-4. He’s still trying to get a ticket for Steph too, though I’m not holding my breath. Anyway, I wanted to get a fun new dress but not spend an arm and a leg on it since I almost never have dress-wearing occasions.
My first thought was Everyday People, the resale shop in Uptown where I got my new black wool peacoat (mmm peacoat). So Saturday I met Jo and we went about a zillion places looking for a cocktail sort of dress. It was slim pickings, though, ranging from ultra-formal to pretty damn trashy. We finally pretty much gave up and got our tickets for Mirrormask and just wandered around some, trying to stay in out of the dampness. We wound up by the Corner Store, which I recognized as the place where Katy had gotten her infamous orange pants in high school, so we decided to duck in for a quick look.
They didn’t have a ton in the way of dresses, and lots of them were eighties-ish contraptions with lots of shoulder, or the sort of thing your grandma would wear to a wedding. There was this completely gorgeous red silk kimono-style dress, but it was insanely small. (Later Jo and I determined that if I had all but an inch of my breasts removed it may have fit around my ribcage.) As we were wandering back toward the exit, though, I spotted a black dress that looked promising. Knee-length, sleeveless. I was skeptical about being able to get into it, but at Jo’s prompting I decided it wouldn’t hurt to try it, just to see.
Determined that it probably wasn’t going to fit, I decided I’d just leave my pants on. And then it zipped. And looked — promising. Pretty good, really. But I really didn’t want to have to take off my shoes again, so I just slipped my pants down to my ankles, so we could see the fit better. And it still looked good. So I ended up having to take off my shoes, convinced the whole time it was suddenly going to become un-good, and then I’d've gone to all the trouble of taking them off just to have to put them back on.
It didn’t become un-good. It remained gorgeous. Though it’s cut straight down the chest to the front bra join it is elegant, not trashy. Just below it sort of gathers in, and there is a circular piece studded with silver rhinestones. The skirt drapes beautifully, fun and sort of flirty in a way that makes me want to twirl endlessly. It has a sort of halter-style/racer-back cut that makes a bra impossible, but I miraculously do not need one. Emphasis on the miraculous part. This does not happen. As a D-cup, I do not step out of the house without a bra. They just don’t make clothes with that much support. Except this dress. (Well, and a corset I got a few weeks ago, but that’s a corset. And also a miracle.)
I’m pretty much in love with the dress. It’s vintage 60′s Frederick’s of Hollywood. Not vintage-look or style or whatever — it’s actually itself from the 60s. I need to find a better way of saying that, I think. Everyone I’ve mentioned it to so far hasn’t understood that it’s not reproduction. Not that it matters, but I like the idea of the history of the dress. I like to imagine it’s been to all sorts of glamorous parties.
So anyway. I need to find a purse that does justice to this dress. And earrings. And something to do with my hair. I am not only open to suggestions — I am making a direct plea for them.
I was going to talk about Tum Rup Thai and the boy-hunt that wasn’t, but I’ve spent so long prattling on about the dress that I’m out of time. I have another apartment appointment directly after work. Oh shudder.
I will soothe myself with good thoughts of the dress.