Distraction is a wonderful thing
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
April started so well. New job! Chocolate! Larking about in the woods wearing inappropriate shoes! Then it got a bit boring, and then it got a bit, well, horrendous. So I'm hoping May will be just like April, but in reverse. (Hear that, universe? Got it? Good.)
As of now, May is looking like a quiet month. There's nothing much in my diary. In a way, those blank pages are soothing; there is no pressure to perform, no need to go out into the world with a half-hearted smile written wearily across my face. But blank pages are also ominous. Long days and nights with nothing to distract me? No weddings or parties or weekends away to occupy my otherwise sombre thoughts? No outfits to plan?? NOTHING?!
An empty schedule and a gnawing worry do not happy bedfellows make. There are only so many hours a girl can spend obsessively pinning pictures of white blazers before she starts to go crazy. I almost made an appointment at the dentist, just for something to write in my filofax. (I didn't, though. I'm not that desperate.)
I just need a focus. Something small and achievable, but that requires some thought. Not too much thought, though. Something that, frankly, I can abandon without guilt if life intervenes.
Something like, ooh, I don't know, how about Style Me May?
"What", I hear you cry, "the hell is that?" Allow me to explain. Style Me May is a month-long style challenge organised by Hilary Rushford of Dean Street Society. I wasn't familiar with Hilary's work before I started hearing rumblings about the challenge, but having perused her blog I think she may have my dream job. It seems to mainly involve blogging, wedding styling, and shopping for other people's oufits. Also wandering around Brooklyn with a bicycle looking like Zooey Deschanel.
Just FYI: if any of you ever feel like paying me to style your wedding, shop for your outfits or just stroll around with a bike looking adorable, feel free. Seriously. CALL ME ANY TIME.
Ahem. Where was I? Oh yes. Style Me May. The idea is that you style an outfit every day, based on this list of style prompts that correspond with the days of the month, and post the results on your blog/twitter/Instagram for all to see.
The prompts range from the simple ("10. classic white shirt"; "18. color blocking") to the evocative ("7. a world traveler"; "25. an era gone by") to the downright weird ("23. all black like a spy" - what, "all black" wasn't enough? It has to be specifically "like a spy"? What does that even mean? Do I need to be wearing all black while also shagging a minor character and sipping a vodka martini Heineken?).
Yesterday's prompt was "makes me want to twirl", so I cracked out the infamous yellow skirt for some office-based twirling. Which was all well and good, until I realised that today's prompt was "bright happy color". Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have played the yellow skirt card so early! Can I just wear the same thing every day for a month? No...?
Fine. If you want to see what other bright happy colour I chose today, you can follow along on twitter (my tweets are here, or follow the hashtag #stylememay for everyone's updates) and I'll probably be posting some kind of round-up here at some point in the hazy future. Gemma, a.k.a. the Prettiest Hobo, is going hardcore and blogging her outfits every single day; I strongly suggest you join her for the ride. Girl's got style. And if any of you feel like joining in yourselves, please do - the more the merrier! Let me know in the comments if you're taking part.
The best part about the whole thing, of course, is that I get to write out each daily prompt in my diary, so now it looks like the month of May is chock-full of mysterious happenings. Tomorrow's entry reads simply "jazz hands". Unfortunately, if anyone else reads it I am going to look like a total weirdo. I mean, who the hell puts *jazz hands* in their diary?
Unless, of course, it's all part of a secret code, to be cracked on the 23rd when I'm darting around the office dressed like a spy...
April and May desktop calendar freebies from Shrimp Salad Circus and Her New Leaf respectively
8 boats moored
Great idea! I look forward to seeing Jazz Hands... the musical theatre lover in me hopes you'll have some kind of sequinning (is that a word?) involved. AND thank you so much for sharing Gemma's blog. If perhaps you had an aim to introduce a new blog to a reader this month, consider your work here done.
ReplyDeleteThis is in my top five blog posts of all time.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm pretty sure it's not *that* good, but thanks.
DeleteWow - I definitely couldn't do that. And not just because I own nothing black so would fail the spy assignment. The PRESSURE! Good luck....
ReplyDeleteI think I might try and (loosely) follow along. Never done any kind of clothing 'challenge' before, but I like that the prompts are somewhat vague and open to interpretation.
ReplyDeleteMaggie I'm depending on it being able to be loosely followed! And Kirsty, I can't wait to see photos of what you've been wearing! ;) x
ReplyDeleteHi Kirsty! Thanks so much for linking to my desktop wallpaper, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteI love this post and I am enjoying this challenge! Thank you!
ReplyDelete