I took myself on a date!

First posted 9/8/16 While I originally planned on heading to the beach at some point during my day off on Tuesday, I decided to get some exercise in the sun at Crocker Park instead. I'm always blindly envious of the women I see in the store who use their husbands' credit cards to spoil themselves on a daily basis. While I would be terribly bored with a lifestyle like theirs (not to mention really, really uncomfortable spending lots of money that I didn't work for), I figured to reward my own hard work by taking myself on a date. I woke up early in my big fluffy white bed surrounded by [feaux] white peonies and ivy and two very real fuzzy kitty cats to make myself an enormous breakfast of fried eggs and avocado on toast with a fresh cup of strong, hot coffee. It wasn't breakfast in bed, but my kitties helped me make it, so I was happy. Then I polished my glasses, packed my credit cards, and headed out for a lovely day at Crocker Park. I found a prime parking spot and bee-lined for the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble, where I ordered a big fat PSL, even though it was almost 90 degrees. Being thus appropriately caffeinated, I allowed myself the luxury of meandering from store to store, with no real goal in mind other than eventually finding a new pair of jeans before I left. I stocked up on pumpkinny goodness from Bath and Body Works (I had a coupon) and some fun costume jewelry, and spent a little too long in Arhaus and Anthropologie, drooling over dreamy home furnishings that I could creatively recreate in my own tiny apartment. Once I realized I was starting to get tired and cranky and frankly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of delightful things, I wined and dined myself at B Spot with a giant bbq burger and a glass of Rosé on the patio, where I could watch the other fashionable shoppers hustling to and from their Benzes and Audis and BMWs. Then I shopped until I was quite satisfied and exhausted and lugged my own purchases back home again.

Lethargic Labor Day!

There are few days slower than a beautiful, sunny Labor Day at the mall. All the non-working Clevelanders are at Bourke Lakefront Airport or sunning on Edgewater Beach enjoying the heart pounding excitement of the annual air show. While I don't get to see it firsthand this year, I at least got to watch them practice flying circles around the city while I drive across the city on my way to work. What a cool site that was: Blue Angels cutting across a bright blue cloudless sky over the city on one side and the lake on the other. Plus, when I saw it in the early afternoon there was no traffic, which always makes the drive more exciting. Anyway, the mall is slow today, but Saks is even more beautiful when it's not in an uproar over a sale or promotion because I can see clear across the store, soft music playing, every piece of elegant, luxurious merchandise neatly in its place. It's like enjoying a perfectly organized millionairess' closet all day long. Plus, I can stroll out to Starbucks for a leisurely PSL pick-me-up because it's that time of year! I had my first one yesterday, and felt instantly swaddled in cozy boots, a soft sweater, and a warm, snuggle scarf, even though it was in the mid 80s outside and I was instead squashed into my usual structured, restrictive dress clothes. To add to my beginning-of-fall festivities, I went on an adventure to Yankee Candle to use my coupons and stock up on autumnal candles, so now my apartment smells like an elegant home in New England instead of a litter box in Clevleland. But I'm not totally ready to surrender summer just yet! On my day off tomorrow I'm planning one last Edgewater Beach excursion! Weekdays are the best because there's hardly anyone there except me and the seagulls,specially after Labor Day. I'll download some kind of sensationalist Victorian novel on my audiobook app and enjoy one last day of sun! Living by the beach, even if it is in Ohio never fails to make me feel quite luxurious!

Sassy September!

Well, today officially starts my favorite season of the year...fall! I hate that summer is over, because now I can't wear my white jeans as often, I have to pack away my bathing suit, and I won't be able to spend as many glorious, sunny days basking on Edgewater Beach. BUT! The real reason I'm sad that summer is over is because I look forward to fall all year long and as soon as it starts it seems to go so quickly. September marks the start of the shopping season, starting with the annual publication of the fashion manifesto known as the September Issue of Vogue magazine (and all the other fashion mags are just as glorious!). There are few things I look forward to more than a cool September evening curled up in my favorite paisley Ralph Lauren jammies on the chaise lounge, sipping a fruity herbal tea (or late harvest Reisling), and pouring each detail of the September issues with a pumpkin spice candle blazing away in the background. Ah, fall! This year, I'm even more immersed in the shopping season since I work blissfully at the couture headquarters of Northeast Ohio known as Saks Fifth Avenue (at Beachwood Mall). Fall has been underway for weeks here, as the fall merchandise has been rolling in steadily since the beginning of August. My favorite part of the morning is coming into work and riding to the top of the escalator where I am greeted by the breathtaking splendor of the dress department. Oh, the green and gold lace! The beading! The taffeta! My heart, be still! If I could afford any of them, I would by the poofiest ball gown and whirl around in it all day long at work. Heck, I'd even wear it to Swiffer my hardwood floors or wash the dishes. But for now, just being able to see them all the time and feel the gorgeous fabrics is good enough for me. Just knowing I'm surrounded by such unparalleled elegance is enough for me! After a lifetime of salivating over each and every page of the high end couture fashions in Vogue and Elle and the rest, being surrounded by the pieces all day every day is sheer bliss. To make it even better, I love this season's emphasis on super bold patterns and colors, and the fact that yellow gold has returned in a big way. Alexis Bittar went nuts with black metals and rhinestones and huge-scale rings and bracelets. I want them all, because I could wear them with my boring old-lady black dresses and suit tops so I look less boring.

The pursuit of beauty

There are few things that make me happier than being surrounded by prettiness! Is that superficial? Perhaps. Shallow? A little. Vapid? Maybe. But even the Bible says to fix your mind on what is lovely (and pure and admirable and commendable, etc). Ok, so maybe that's taken a little out of context, but one of the benefits of beauty and art (and music, dance, writing, fashion, etc) is to provide a pleasant sensation which a not be distinctly described, but which gives us humans a chance to catch a whiff of what the sensations of heaven might be like. So on that note, the pursuit of pleasant artistic sensations in all of their forms, whether they exist through beautiful surroundings, delightful fragrances, exquisitely crafted jewelry, perfectly tailored clothes, catchy music, is a noble one! However, I don't live in Paris. Nor do I live in Milan, Tokyo, or New York City- I live in Cleveland. My goal is to find ways to seek out the most beautiful, couture life in a less than couture-- but no less beautiful-- city!