Day 131: September in January

This particular day, I went up to Athens to brunch with my lady friend Laura and ambush my other lady friend Courtney.

(Sidenote: Courtney and I have been friends since second grade and we talk about seeing each other all the time, but every time we plan something, it falls through. I thought if I didn't say I was coming, we could meet, and it worked!)

It was a super-duper event filled day, driving to Athens, brunching, chatting, chatting, dinner-ing, etc., but nothing struck me as particularly "New" except for that it was the first time I've driven my new Corolla down 316. Whoop de doo.

Then, when I got home, I was about to fall asleep early again (recall my brie sleep attack at 7:00 yesterday?), and Mark suggested that we take advantage of Netflix and watch The September Issue, a movie I've been wanting to see for ages now.

It's a documentary film about the making of Vogue's famously-thick September issue magazine--the "New Year's" of fashion. It follows Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief, as well as Grace Coddington, Creative Director, through their uber fabulous lives of selecting and displaying what American fashion is. They have this beautiful dynamic, Anna being decidedly business-like and cold, where Grace is just the warmest and most romantic artist-type. They fight, talk about each other, want their way, get their way on various projects, passionately put forth their opinions and ultimately create something extraordinary.

It's a very grown-up and business-like "The Devil Wears Prada" meets "The City."

And although I could go on and on about any documentary (real life speaks to me so much more than fiction!), I just wanted to put out there, to anyone who cares, that I feel like Anna Wintour has a some sort of cruel inside joke with an imaginary friend that she's keeping from Vogue and the rest of the fashion world, that could somehow rock the industry if she just showed her cards. She gives these little smiles that just seem to tantalize with hidden opinions and information, if only she would open her mouth to say something about it.

It's so very strange, and such a piece of that whole world that I'll just never understand or be a part of.

Have any of my dear readers seen it? Any thoughts?

Day 20: Taking My Magazines Seriously

While purchasing magazines for the troops, I came across the newest edition of ELLE, with Lauren Conrad on the cover. I'm a sucker for both, and I figured that my altruistic "something new" for day 18 warranted an indulgence for myself, so I plopped that fashion mag in my basket. Hey, no one is perfect.

Luckily, my friend Katie's soon-to-be husband, Rian, offered up a great idea for how to challenge myself with my new treat--by reading it cover-to-cover. No skipping ahead to the article I want to read most, making sure to read every word from, even the articles I'm less-than-interested in. So, for Day 20, I read ELLE like a book.

This is a totally unnatural way to read a magazine. Seriously. It was w-a-a-a-y harder than I anticipated. My immediate reaction when picking up a fashion magazine is to skip straight to the pictures and photography, then bumble around the feature articles, stopping when I lose interest, and later getting back to the short articles in the front on fashion trends that I will never be able to afford or wear.

While reading, my attention span waned, my mind got weary, I felt like I was reading articles about things I could hardly relate to and probably never remember after I turned the page. Reading a magazine cover-to-cover is a surefire way to make your brain as exhausted as reading a textbook. And do you know how many captions there are in a fashion magazine??? Too many for reading it like a book. I made it about halfway through before tuckering out before bed. Didn't get to the big editorial pieces or the pictures. Sigh.

Overall, a cool challenge. Would I do it again? Likely, no. If I could barely keep my mind attuned to frivolity, I would assuredly fail at trying this with Time or National Geographic. Again, no one is perfect.

Day 19: Troop Lovin'

In the spirit of giving money to the firefighters, I’ve been thinking about a little something I can do for other people who keep up safe. Over the past few days, I’ve been doing research on which organizations are best and most reputable for sending care packages and letters to the troops overseas, as well as what kinds of items troops need. I found one, “US Troop Care Package” that had a variety of programs and options for donations large and small, from simple letters to combat gear. 

After selecting the organization I wanted to work with, I researched the kinds of things that the troops were looking for, discovering that no matter where I looked, military men and women wanted reminders of home and entertainment for downtime. After looking at my budget and what I could do, I decided to send the troops magazines and a letter expressing my thanks for their sacrifices. 

Remembering when I taught at summer camp and how much I got excited when my camper’s parents would send us magazines, I’m hoping they will enjoy the gift as much as I did--a silly example, but it’s the best I’ve got right now in my life.

I picked up some Men’s and Women’s Health magazines, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek and the like. And a Hooters magazine, since Mark suggested that any magazines about scantily-clad (“delightfully tacky!!”) women would go over well. I’m no dummy. If it makes it overseas, the men in uniform will like it. As for the ladies, please accept the Women’s Health with Carrie Underwood on the cover.