The Pride of Ownership

Another Umatilla County Fair has come and gone.  As I drove by the fairgrounds this morning on my way to church, the ticket booth was deserted.  The grounds were empty of the crowds and many of the campers were already beginning to pack up and head back to home ~ other venues, or who knows where.  Another year, another county fair.  The local community has been abuzz with the excitement of the rodeo, the entertainment, the kids with their 4H entries, the rides, the vendors, the jams, jellies, produce, floral displays ~ all the pride of the community on display for everyone to see.  I, for one, enjoyed searching through the names of the entries of the photography and art exhibits, not to mention the home ec and gardening entries to find familiar names.  And it's always great to encounter kids I know who have raised a pig or a sheep and are standing with it flushed with pride in the livestock sheds.

But the fair is gone for another year.  What remains are the memories ~ great times with family and friends and the plans for next year.  But what I couldn't help noticing as I drove past the streets surrounding the fairgrounds were the other things fair goers left behind besides memories of good times had there:  garbage.  The parking lots were littered with paper cups, napkins, plates, just general garbage that had no place other than in a garbage bin.  Not only that, but there was litter remaining in the streets.  What had happened to community pride?

Now, mind you, I come from a family that's a bit of a stickler about litter.  Maybe it's a genetic thing.  My brother was actually voted one of the 3 most hated people in his city because of his vigilance against litter. He will go out and pain over graffiti.  He will actually take a picture of someone littering or posting an illegal sign and report it to the city so that person gets a citation.  Harsh? Well, yes, but in the 10 or more years he's been doing this, his community has become pristine and beautiful.  You have to know that the people who live there appreciate it more.  Beautiful planters have sprung up on the sidewalks where weeds used to grow.  People are picking up after their dogs.  Garbage on the sidewalk?  You don't see a speck of it anymore, but it took an obsessive vigilante to make it happen.  What has happened to the rest of us that we can't be responsible enough for ourselves to put a piece of garbage in its proper place?  I know I'm risking being labeled a fanatic here, but I strongly believe that if we can take pride in our personal accomplishments, we can certainly take enough pride in our own communities, our own shared living spaces to keep them clean.  Does anyone else out there agree with this?

Can You Find the Finishing Touch?

It's all about that finishing piece, isn't it?  Just the right embellishment for that dresser we're refinishing, the perfect little froufrou for the dress we're wearing or, the icing on the cake, so to speak.  We want everything we do to look its absolute best, including us looking our very best!

I had occasion the other day to play a fun little 'game' online with In-Style magazine called "Can You Find the Finishing Piece"?  Basically, their stylists provided an outfit and then gave four choices of accessories to complete the outfit.  You chose what you thought would work, they told you whether you were "right" or "wrong" and points were scored.  Fascinating!  Interesting stuff for a woman like me whose job is to make women look fabulous in the clothes they buy.  I must confess that some of the designs were a bit out of touch for the rural area where I live.  Still, you have to love the fashion sense of the rich and famous who set the trends for the rest of us and it definitely made for an interesting (an informative) time on the computer.  (I'm visualizing my girlfriend mucking sheep dung or gathering eggs in her stylish leopard pumps).

Don't get me wrong.  I love watching the galas with the stars on the red carpet and seeing who's wearing what.  What I find fascinating is actually, who can wear what.  Sometimes I think it's not so much about finding the finishing piece, or the perfect outfit, but more about who can pull it off.  It's always amusing to see the photos in People Magazine with the stars wearing the same dress and the question is asked, "Who rocked it and who didn't?"  That's what came to mind as I scrolled through the outfits in the In-Style list: not so much how trendy or outlandish some of them were, but what kind of woman could pull it off.  I've seen some pretty crazy outfits on some very famous ladies and have to say that if Jane Doe tried to pull it off, she'd definitely get the boot!

That's what it's all about though, isn't it?  finding our own personal sense of style.  While I love reading up on what's on trend and who's wearing what, we each need to have a sense of what we're about and what looks good on us.  There's no point trying to rock a micro mini skirt when we're in our 60's!  In addition to that, we need to feel comfortable in what we wear.  Never mind if the frilly feminine look in in, if we feel uncomfortable in all those ruffles, don't wear them! You'll also need to identify your body type:

• Apple - Top heavy (14% of women fall into this category); You'll probably want to emphasize your tight legs and butt, draw attention away from your waist and shoulders/arms (wear long sleeves), and draw attention to your bust and neck (e.g. v-necks).
• Straight/rectangular - (46 percent of women); waist is about the same as hips and waist, more like a cylinder; if you have this body type, you can "pinch" your waist and exaggerate curves to avoid looking lanky or boyish. Go for ruffles and frills to add texture and volume (and femininity) to your figure. Steer clear of baggy jeans and track clothes if you don't want to look boyish.
• Pear - bottom-heavy; (20 percent of women); hips significantly larger than bust; if this is your body type, there are things you can do to make your hips and butt look slimmer, but some women might want to make their butts bigger!
• Hourglass - (8 percent of women); equal hip and bust measurements with a narrow waist; if you're one of the lucky few with this body type, dress to flatter - not flatten - your beautiful curves.

 
By all means, wear what you feel most comfortable in for confidence! And make sure that your clothes fit properly. Clothes that are too tight or too big will not necessarily make you look better.  Plus size women seems to think that loose fitting clothes will camouflage their size when it usually has the opposite effect.  Don't be afraid to show off those curves!
Here's a great basic website for information on dressing for your body type, including an informative video. http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-for-Your-Body-Type

The right finishing touch is important, yes, but without the basics it can be just wrong.  Determining what styles suit our body types and personal sense of style needs to be the primary focus before we allow the stylists to tell us what we should be wearing.  Taking a girlfriend or two along on  a shopping spree can make all the difference in buying what's right and what might be a disaster.  There's definitely safety in numbers! (and your girlfriends won't lie, will they?)