Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

Alright, I was only here for a few days, but...here's the new page! I decided that since this is actually turning into something I want to continue pursuing, I'd like to move over to Wordpress (as encouraged by my dad the web designer). 

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Monday, August 20, 2012

Daily outfit: The longer I'm home, the more I steal from my mom

Today's outfit photography courtesy of my 9-year-old sister!

Cardigan: forever 21
Dress: target
Earrings: thrifted
Belt: my mother's closet via Coach
Shoes: my mother's closet via Payless

I'm way obsessed with this dress. Also these earrings (even though they're clip-on and they kind of hurt...). Also everything I'm wearing.


NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Daily Outfit: Life in the valley is hot as Hades

dress: thrifted
belt: my mother's closet via Coach
earrings: target
sandals: Rainbows

I'm going to start posting some of my outfits here, just for kicks. This one is entitled: "I work in the valley and OH MY GOD it's hot outside."Alternative titles include: "Bathroom mirror photos are classy" and "It's hard to take pictures of swingy feathery earrings." Live and learn! 

NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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Five fashion trends I'm not sure whether to love or hate

I love clothes, but I'm kind of bad at fashion. I basically wear dresses with funny patterns, black cardigans, sandals when it's warm, and winter boots when it's cold. If I'm feeling lazy - jeans and men's v-necks.

But even if I'll never wear 99% of the things I'm looking at, I read about twenty-five fashion blogs and websites and think about buying all of the stuff I see. I then realize I'll never actually wear any of it and put away my credit card (usually). These are a few of those things that I'm trying to decide my feelings on...

1. Tribal print




According to the Internet, tribal print is a trend that's been around for a while...but I feel like it's just started to really exist pretty recently? Every time a tribal print dress pops ups on Modcloth, I get about thiiis close to buying one just to see if it's actually cute at all on a real person. I still haven't decided. Thoughts, anyone? 

2. Big giant floppy hats


So, these things are cute, but every time I put one on my head I think I kind of look like a spaceship. If Jennifer Lopez can look this good in it, why can't I?? My theories are currently that either my head is too big for them, or I'm just way too attached to my hair to hide it under a hat. (What's the point in shaving your head if you aren't showing it off?) 

3. Neon



I'm way into color, and I'm definitely pro-neon accessories and accent pieces. But there's something about neon clothes that makes me wonder why people are so into looking like traffic cones or 80s throwbacks this season. 

4. Patterned wedges

Some of these are actually really cute. I saw a pair once that had kitten faces all over them...I'd totally wear those, if I could pull them off. The odds of me tripping and breaking my ankle are incredibly high.  Oh well.

5. Jumpsuits



I honestly thought these went out of style already, but since I've been home this summer, women all over Los Angeles have been wearing them. (More often than not with the big floppy hats mentioned above.) Sometimes they look great, and sometimes they look like they're headed to do janitorial work...which I don't think is quite what they're going for.


I wonder if this post is less legitimate because it's 5pm and I'm lying on my couch wearing my cookie monster PJ pants? 


NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

A handy dandy guide to fighting ableism

So...here's the thing that sucks: it's really, really easy to be ableist. I mean, it makes sense: the modern world was just not created to be accessible. It was created with staircases and gym classes and long, romantic walks on the beach. If disability isn't a pressing concern in your life or in the life of someone you love and know intimately, it's probably not something you think about. And hey, even as someone who identifies as disabled, I occasionally think or say something that makes me stop and go, "Wait...did I seriously just say that?"

Here's what I've got for you today: a handy dandy guide to not being ableist. Of course, this list is nowhere near exhaustive; there are about ten thousand ways to be an ally. On top of that, these are based off of my experiences and thoughts - you may meet someone else who isn't able-bodied tomorrow who totally disagrees with everything I'm saying here. But here are a few that have been on my mind...

Watch your language.

"Cripple" and "retard" (just to give a couple of examples) have become incredibly common slang words, and that sucks, because they are offensive terms. People like to argue that the definition of these words have been changed, and so it's socially acceptable to use them in their new contexts. It's the same argument that has been made for saying "gay" instead of "stupid," and it still doesn't work.

So don't use them, and ask other people not to. This is something that I'm bad about. I feel incredibly awkward asking people not to use terms like that out of context, but if no one ever does...how will they ever learn?


Don't touch my shit.

I can't speak for everyone on this point, but when I'm walking with my cane, it's an extension of my body, and it makes me really uncomfortable when people handle it. I definitely know I'm not the only cane-user in the world who shares that sentiment. If you want to play with it, just ask, and I'll probably say yes...but grabbing it off the floor while I'm sitting down and walking around with it is kind of weird. Changing its height is even more weird and inconvenient.


Be respectful, but please don't go out of your way. 

That one sounds bad on its own, so here's a story to help illustrate my point: a couple of weeks ago, I went to Starbucks on a day that I happened to need my cane. (My cane, by the way, is awesome, but that's a story for another post.) I was a few feet behind the guy in front of me and he wasn't really paying attention, so he didn't stop to hold open the door. I caught it and was continuing on my merry way...until he realized he'd just dropped a door on a girl with a cane and started apologizing profusely for it. It was sweet (albeit unnecessary and a little awkward), so I just smiled and continued on my way...but I definitely had the urge to tell him that I do, in fact, know how to open doors, even when I'm walking with my cane.

Opening doors for people, able-bodied or not, is super great and respectful, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have apologized so thoroughly to someone without a cane. It's easily to make someone feel incredibly awkward if you're clearly going out of your way to do something they haven't asked you to do. Offer if you think there's something you can do to help someone, but don't assume, especially if it's not someone you know well. Assumptions are awkward.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

One of my greatest fears in life is that people who see me take the elevator up a single flight of stairs assume that I'm just being lazy. 65% of the time, I appear able-bodied - no cane, no braces. The other 45% of the time, I might be using any combination of cane, knee brace, ankle brace, back brace...and maybe a couple other things I'm forgetting about. (Occasionally I use them all at the same time.) The large majority of people I'm meeting for the first time don't realize I'm disabled, and every so often someone I'll have known for what seems like forever will see my cane and freak out because they think I've recently injured myself.

Anyway, I have an invisible disability, along with millions of other people. There's even an entire website dedicated to the statement But You Don't Look Sick...which, by the way, is one of the worst phrases ever, in my humble opinion. Anyone can be disabled, and anyone can become disabled. So when discussing ability, directly or indirectly, keep that in mind.


NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

On plus-sized fashion

I am not a skinny lady. After ten years of fibromyalgia living, most of which has involved jumping from one medication with "weight gain" listed as a side effect to another, skinny isn't really something that my body has the energy to do. I really struggled with body image issues during my high school years, but I've thankfully adjusted over time and, while I'm still working on shedding some pounds to help my health, I am really okay with my plus-size ass.

Great, right? Well, yeah. Here's the thing, though: I love clothes. So so so much. And while there are plenty of cute plus-size lines out there, a large majority of them kind of...suck. Or they just aren't meant for twenty-one year old college students, they're meant for middle aged professionals. On top of that, I also love inexpensive clothes (because then I can buy a lot of pretty things instead of just a couple pretty things). After a couple years of an extended sweatpants phase, I finally managed to figure out where I want to shop.

1. Target Plus



This one's a new love on my list. I've always been a little wary of Target's plus size clothes. The sizing's always seemed a little off (I'm a size sixteen, and can't even begin to get their size seventeen jeans on), and then most of the larger sizes seemed a little unflattering and dowdy. But there are some cute dresses in the plus-size line Ive been seeing around for a while (like the one above), and I feel like they've been expanding recently.

I was walking around Target yesterday and had a "how have I missed this?!" moment. Pure Energy for Target is a juniors' plus-size line that I apparently have totally turned a blind eye to in the past. Their clothes are super cute and actually kind of match recent trends (unlike a lot of plus-size lines, which seem to be a year or two behind the times...). I was particularly obsessed with the dresses I walked by on the rack, although I didn't try any of them on because I was being good and restraining myself from spending too much money. Highly recommended nonetheless.

2. Forever 21+


In case you're not familiar with Forever 21, here's a fact about them: they sell inexpensive, teeny tiny clothes. BUT, they started a marvelous plus size line a few years back, and I've been a devotee ever since. The clothes are cute, and on top of that, aren't just bigger versions of the main Forever 21 line - they're clothes that might actually be flattering on a plus-sized body. Also, they're way inexpensive, which makes them even more appealing. 



I love love love Modcloth. They constantly have new clothes, make adorable lookbooks (like I posted yesterday!), and WOW they have super cute things. 

Here's the thing, though: you've gotta be careful when you're plus-sized and getting clothes from them. There are a ton of styles that come in a variety of sizes, but because Modcloth sells a huuuuge number of different brands and designers, the sizing isn't regulated. Luckily, their return policy is great, so if you get something that just doesn't look good or fit right, you can return it without any drama. 

4. Thrifting

Alright, this one isn't a specific place, but it's worth putting on the list nonetheless. I've had a ton of luck thrift shopping lately. You have to dig through a lot of crap, but that's true of any thrift shopping experience, plus sized or not. But this summer I've secured like five incredibly cute dresses, all for less than ten dollars, from a few different places around Los Angeles. Patience is a virtue. 


NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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Monday, August 13, 2012

These are a few of my favorite things...

I spend a lot of time on the internet, like, probably far too much. (But such is my generation, right?) Stumbleupon and I have become really good friends this summer, and I've found a bunch of new things to be obsessed with. 

1. The New York City Ballerina Project




The NYC Ballerina Project is a series of photos taken by photographer Dane Shitagi. His work on this project focuses on the "starving artist experience" and on NYC as a "magnet for creativity." They're an absolutely BEAUTIFUL set of black and white photographs that I have become a liiiittle bit obsessed with...

2. Dog of the Day

SERIOUSLY, you guys, they just show you new puppy pictures every day. What could be better?

3. An umbrella installation piece in Portugal


This installation is part of an art festival called Agitagueda in a small town in Portugal. A member of the town council suspended these umbrellas over two streets, and photographer Patricia Almedia captured it.


 


This summer, I've developed a little mini (okay, maybe huge) obsession with nail art. Someone out there is obviously in agreement with me, because they compiled all of these images together for me to gawk at. My nail designs aren't quite this fancy, though... 
Kaelah Bee runs my absolute favorite blog. It features fashion, tattoos, an adorable child, two adorable dogs, and beautiful photography. She is awesome. 
 


Okay, so I'm already way obsessed with Modcloth to begin with, but their new lookbook makes me want absolutely everything in their store. Look at that dress! It has bananas on it! Why wouldn't I want it?!


NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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Saturday, August 11, 2012

On armpit hair

So, I was ten years old, and my friend Kate's father was pushing us on a tire swing outside of my family's apartment. That particular summer was hot, even for the valley, so it was approximately a hundred and twelve degrees outside, and we were all wearing shorts and tank tops and still melting away.

Mid-swing push, Kate's father gave his daughter a look and pointed to my incredibly pale legs: "See, Holly doesn't shave her legs."

My ten-year-old legs were so pale they were practically translucent, chubby and covered in a furry mat of dark brown hair. Kate, on the other hand, was several inches taller than me, California suntanned, and the nicks, scrapes, and a few missed patches of blonde hair on her legs were a sure sign that she had just shaved them with her dad's razor - much to his dismay.

Needless to say, I went home and put pants within minutes, and I proceeded to spend the rest of the month begging my mother to let me shave my legs too. Eventually, I won. For the next eleven years, I painstakingly removed the hair on my legs and under my arms every other day. Anything longer than stubble meant jeans and long sleeved t-shirts, accompanied with a healthy dose of fear of wearing shorts in gym class that day. I strove to make sure that the popular girls at school didn't realize that my smooth skin was really a trick - that without constant care and upkeep, I'd look like Bigfoot's younger sister.

About a month ago, I got sick of the illusion. My fibromyalgia getting worse every year made it harder and harder to shave, and suddenly I realized that shaving my legs took more effort than shaving my head. Is it just me, or does that seem a little ridiculous? So, I gave it up (despite my mother's insistance that she is going to shave my legs for me if I don't start again).

A month later, I couldn't be happier with my decision. My showers are half as long, so hey, I'm saving water - plus, they're a less painful experience, fibro-wise. The only downsides have been coming from other people, not from me: raising my arms in public is rewarded with some weird looks. I've also had to start playing a new game: "Is that girl in Starbucks checking me out or judging my hairy legs?" I've started noticing that people can't get over the combination of pretty dresses and painstakingly manicured nails with hairy legs and armpits.

But you know what? That's okay. I am so much happier hairy than I ever was hairless. Also, Alix Olson totally agrees with me, so I'm probably not all wrong.


you turn 13, they put a razor in your hand
to teach you the difference between a woman and a man
you see, chicks smooth their pits so boys can smooth the chicks
but i was different, i wanted to smooth the chicks



NOTE: As of August 22nd, Adventures in Adultolescence has a new home!

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