This is my bowling outfit. K and I are heading over to the alley this evening to bowl 'til we drop (and hopefully some pins do...), eat pizza, and be awesome. I'm really not very good at bowling (and K is a champ, since he has bowled twice a week at work for the past two years...), but I really enjoy it anyway. I've always had a seriously competitive spirit (it's in my genes), and I love love love organized games of all kinds--from bowling to bananagrams and back again. I thought I would embrace the spirit of youth and fun with this little babydoll dress.
(dress: f21; tights: goodwill; socks: kohl's; shoes: payless)That said, two things:
1. I feel as if this dress really isn't very flattering, and probably wouldn't be terribly flattering on anyone over the age of fifteen unless she had a baby figure. I am not an anatomically incorrect baby doll, so there you go (ps did anyone hear that segment on NPR last night re: the use of real orphan babies for "practice" in women's college programs during the fifties?). Anyway, I have been dying to find a dress with a peter pan collar and when I saw this on the racks at Forever 21 I knew it just had to be mine... regardless of the fit. And I love it anyway. Call it a Practice Baby(-doll dress).
2. I decided yesterday that I am not a playful person. This is something that I have been trying to come to terms with for a while now, and I finally decided--I just don't like to "play." This is one of those creeping self-doubts that has surfaced because of the internet. Many bloggers seem so full of whimsy, so full of childlike spirit--and I'm really not. When I go to the beach, I don't want to splash in the waves or build sandcastles or hermit crab hotels (like I did as a child)--I would rather bask in the sun with a trashy novel or the latest Vogue and dive in the water only to cool off and float around. When it snows, I don't particularly want to have snowball fights or build snowmen or make forts--I would rather go ice skating or cross country skiing or sledding. Even when I was a kid, I spent hours upon hours directing elaborate plays, and I always enjoyed the setup more than the execution. I don't, however, think this makes me any less interesting or imaginative. I like to be tormented or elated by prose, to be inspired by obscure films, to have late-night philosophical conversations over a bottle of wine, to dance all night to great music, to explore new places and try new foods--I want to live explosively, but I don't necessarily want to play.
What type are you? Do you prefer organized games to make-believe? Or do you, like Peter Pan, never want to grow up?
Caitlin, I ADORE this post. You look ridiculously adorable, and so perfect for a night of bowling (almost wrote "blowing", which is SO not what you were talking about!). But your comments about being playful ring so true to me (despite the fact that I just left a comment about "blowing"...). I like games, and I like having fun, and I, too, want to live explosively, but I am not a playful person, either. I would 10x times prefer a bottle of wine and deep thoughts to a night of sledding.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great post.
Yes, yes, yes!! Honestly, one thing that annoys me about a lot of bloggers is that they all seem to like swinging on the swings and eating cupcakes all day, drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows and generally acting like children. I know exactly what you mean (although I'm not such an organized games person myself). I like to get out and about and do things, and drink half a bottle of wine at the end of the day, but I don't consider myself to be a child and I don't want to behave in a cutsey fashion. Although I do like kicking my way through a pile of fallen leaves every now and again. ; )
ReplyDeletewell first off I like the dress. The collar is is perfect. on another note I think just because you arent "playful" doesnt make you any more or less interesting/creative than other bloggers who may be more prone to splash in the water. The world would be quite a boring place if everyone was the same. I think I would tend to be more on the playful side but to each his own right
ReplyDeleteI think you look adorable in that dress.it is so girly sweet looking on you.I love how you paired it with those darling mary janes and white socks.you will be a hit at the bowling ally
ReplyDeleteOh how I love black and white stripes.:) Good call on the mary janes.
ReplyDeleteI thought perhaps maybe you might like this post!
http://ladydazy.blogspot.com/2011/01/stick-to-classics-or-basics-you-only.html
I greatly enjoyed your thoughts on this subject. I feel as though I'm a little of both, if that could possibly make sense. I prefer organized games and my own brand of low-key fun to running around in a rambunctious childlike way. The idea of make believe always intrigued me as a child, if only for the way it made me feel. I was much more of a realist and never really incorporated much make believe into my play. With that said, I do have ''Neverland days'' every once in a while when childlike wonder, innocence, playfulness or what have you sweeps over me. I don't mind having them, as it's the feeling they produce that really grabs me. It's almost as if they're a rejuvenation for living in the here and now.
ReplyDeleteLove that dress.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting question... I love to laugh and I don't take myself (or others ~ eek) too seriously, but I'm not sure I "play" very often. Snow doesn't make me want to throw a snowball, it makes me want to stay inside. And the ocean is much better from the shore than in the waves. Those examples just kind of make me sound like a fuddy duddy but this is definitely a question I'm looking forward to considering further.
Leaving the House in THIS?!?!