Tired, Tried and True

Today’s ensemble brought to you by polyvore and the letters T I R E D.

I planted a hedgerow and an 8′ peach tree last night, then stayed awake far too late for the hour I needed to be up this morning. 

Everyone needs a go-to look for days when you just don’t have the energy for effort.  This is mine.  Black trousers with a slight flare and a good, tight crease (Target, $39), a black cami (I have several of these, today’s is Gilligan O’Malley from Target, about $20), and a charcoal/black/hunter green deep v-neck (today it is the charcoal v-neck from Old Navy, $15).  Worn with charcoal low-heeled maryjanes ($14 at Ross), black pearl earrings (a gift from my fantastic Mother-in-law) and a t-bar necklace with pendant ($9 at Charming Charlie’s–I supplied the picture in the pendant.)  It’s an outfit that is borderline casual, so it is important that your fabrics are good.  Good fabric makes all the difference in the world.

That reminds me of a girl I used to work with, back in college.  Carrieanne was driven, goal-oriented, Miller Lite Girl, who took me under her wing because she thought I was too conservative (in those skirts?!) and that I had much more potential for hotness.  She was going to work me out and get me a harder body so I could be a Miller Lite Girl, too. 

We’ve covered that my skin is the color of Elmer’s glue.  Well, Carrieanne had this beautiful tan to go with her perfect, thick, waist-length hair, which she wore in the  ideal ponytail for all exercise.  When she worked out, her cheeks would darken into roses and she just looked breathless and pulchritudinous.  When I work out, my skin splotches into hivey looking patches of vicious red, so I resemble those orange and white godlfish you see in coy ponds.

There we would be, Carrieanne in her sports bra and tiny spandex shorts, looking like an ad for the Abmaster, glowing with good health and fitness, and me in my Cure concert t-shirt, gym shorts and sweat frizzled hair, nearly falling down laughing at the men who would sometimes walk into things trying to watch her do bends.  It was good for my health, but so, so hard on my ego.

Actually, it was good for my ego.  Working out with Carrieanne forced me to confront my own petty jealousies, and come to the conclusion that it is better to look like a hag who has gorgeous friends, than be a hag with no friends.  I like looking at pretty people, so why begrudge all the stares Carrieanne got?  Heck, I liked staring at her.  She was just that pretty.

She was a sweetheart.  Anyway, Carrieanne was the one who introduced me to the difference between work-cute and date-cute.  She would find a dress she liked and buy it in two sizes.  She would wear the size 4 to work.   That one fit her prettily.  She would wear the size 2 on dates.  That one hugged every curve.

I liked her so much!  I hope she’s doing well.