Fashion for Writers

Chris and I had our seven-year anniversary a few days ago, to celebrate the night we first kissed in a dorm room oh-so-long ago. Here he is, looking pensive at the Northside Grill (a brunch place recommended by a FFW reader!), wearing a lovely shirt that had barely cost him anything a few days before.

We were walking along shortly after arriving in Ann Arbor when he noticed a sign for a “Vintage Yard Sale.” Neither of us had ever heard of a vintage yard sale before, but when we found the yard, it turned out to be a cute little nook of a place run by a group of undergraduates who’d amassed a bunch of amazing thrifted loot, including a table of Western mother-of-pearl snap shirts (Chris’s favorite, as he has an aversion to buttons). I bought a pair of lace gloves and the yellow buttercup dress that has made an appearance here previously.

A tiny apple and some soft, pungent cheese makes for a tasty snack. I’ve been reading a very earnest Australian book called Girlosophy: Real Girls Eat (2005) because, as much as I love to eat and am sort of obsessed with food, I tend to share some of the anxiety that a lot of other American women have about food and body image. The book has some rah-rah writings about eating healthfully while shunning diets, as well as including some delicious-looking, multiethnic recipes shared by “real girls” that look easy enough for me to try on my own in my bitty kitchen.

During a break in the rain today, I set my umbrella and peach yogurt smoothie on the ground and took a picture. I like how cheerful the umbrella is; I bought it out of a cardboard box in a Chinese supermarket back in California. There are few things nicer, to me, on a solitary Monday night than drinking a glass of icy water and reading the newest issue of UK Elle, especially after a day of running around doing errands.

This is my favorite reading room on campus. I bring my laptop and tip-tip-tap until the battery runs out (surprisingly, there are no outlets), at which point I’m usually craving a sandwich anyway.

I went to a potluck for lunch today and brought a bottle of wine and a bowl of freshly cut watermelon. I feasted on cheddar cheese, spicy corn bread, half a tamale, herb crackers, and fruit salad with no sugar in it, which is my favorite kind of fruit salad. Later tonight I’m going to see Elegy.

So many times in the past I’ve come close to selling or giving away this brown lace dress. The way it’s cut on top never seemed particularly flattering, but the fact that it’s so old-fashioned and seemingly antiquated means that I am extra-reluctant to part with it. Rarely do I see lace pleating. 

Time to read some Philip Roth…

Lydia and I hit up Value World today; she picked up a swank wool coat the color of emeralds pulled up from a treasure chest at the bottom of your most frightening ocean, and I snagged a little boy’s shirt plus a Kenneth Cole boy’s blazer, which will hopefully look cute thrown over some girly dresses come fall.