Chameleon Confidence

Every once in a while I am reminded of the fact that I am from the middle of no where Colorado. I mean seriously, middle of no where. Sure I can go into the city (if you can call Denver a city) but seriously, my neighbors are cows. My house barely shows up on GPS. So when I come to places like, oh say, New York City, it is quite a culture shock. Like, did you know that some kids actually have neighbors to play with? I mean when I was growing up my parents shoved me outside to let me "get in touch with nature". Here's a stick, your new best friend. But no, some kids actually have human contact outside of school (not to mention they go to schools that don't regularly have lock downs because there are mountain lions on the playground).
Exhibit A:

My lovely sisters in their youth modeling the fabulous style of mountain living

So, like I said, coming to New York has been quite a culture shock. Which is why I have had to turn on full chameleon mode. While in Colorado, where people think crocks and cargo shorts constitute as style, I may be considered the most fashionable one on the block (or mountain as it is), here I have had to try a little harder. A lot harder. But that's okay, I enjoy practicing my chameleon skills. No, this does not mean I have the ability to turn into a reptile, which would be quite fantastic–Xmen style–but it means that I try to blend into whichever environment I may be in at the time. This requires two main things: 1) clothing that looks as if it belongs in the environment and 2) the confidence that you do in fact belong there. Regarding requirement one, it is not necessary that you spend a fortune on completely different outfits so that you can fit in just as well in a mountain cabin as on the upper east side. I highly recommend shopping at places like, shhh, TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. That way you are able to find a few good pieces for relatively inexpensive that are able to work anywhere–like a good button up blouse, nice jeans, and good shoes. The harder part is number two. Sometimes it is really hard to actually feel like you belong some where. You may feel as if everyone can tell that your life started in a trailer or that you spent the first 15 years of your life thinking of Target as practically couture. But you know what? They actually can't! When walking into somewhere like Bergdorf and Goodman or the designer flagship stores on Madison Ave, the only thing that matters is knowing that you are the costumer (even if everything in the store costs more than you make in a year) and that, being in a a free country, you have just as many rights as the models and aristocrats of the world and that means that you too have the right to shop in a beautiful, shiny department store. So, stand tall, smile, look clean and put together, and no one will question why some small town girl from Colorado is in their store. Confidence is key.
And Context is all!
Wait I actually don't know how that is relevant...oh well...
Once you have your confidence in check, you can chameleon your way through anything! It's like that quote, "fake it till you make it", just pretend that you belong there, and people will think you do, and who knows? maybe someday you will. If that's what you want, go follow your dream.

Example: as I have mentioned above, I am in New York. Manhattan that is (for an internship). I brought as many cute clothes as I could fit in my tiffany blue hard case suitcase, which was not quite as much as I would have liked. So, I have had to make do. The other day I went to "work" and then went to some of the major stores on 5th ave, including Bergdorf and Goodman. This is what I wore

Calvin Klein shorts, Rebel wedges, braided leather belt, and Tart Collection gingham button up in mint

(forgive the selfie, I have no photographer out here)

While maybe not my most fashionable outfit, with a little touch of confidence and an air of self importance, I was able to fit right in with the hordes of upper east side moms and rich french tourists roaming around Bergdorf and Goodman and even acquired quite a few compliments. Tada! the magic of chameleonizing. 

So my friends, whether you are going to a fancy store, a cocktail party, climbing a mountain, or going to a ranch, or really just anywhere where you may feel a bit out of place, just pretend you are a chameleon, and adapt as best you can–easier said than done, I know, but believe me, once you master that, no one will ever no the difference. 

Go forth young grass hoppers, grasp that confidence and live a life full of experiences. 

xoxo

Justice

I Cu Oxidizing

It seems that everywhere I turn now a days I see the color mint. I have avoided talking about it because I thought that it, like many fads, would disappear. But it hasn't. It is still the "it" color. Don't get me wrong, I love the color, in fact I think it is my spirit color (like a spirit animal, but just a color), but I would just like to give it a deeper meaning than "it's pretty".

When you are in cities that are, well, getting on in years, you may notice that many of the big, old buildings have beautiful, bright green roofs. Mint roofs. Illustrated here for clarity:

This is not because the architects of yore had any particular affinity for the color. In fact, when first made, these buildings had orangish, brown roofs. Funnily enough, they were the color of copper. You know why? Because the were made of copper!!! SACRE BLEU!!!! QUELLE SUPRISE!!!!!! Here we shall now have a bit of a chemistry lesson. Copper (Cu) does this amazing thing called "oxidation". Basically this means that the electrons on the copper atom get excited and go to a party, some magic happens, and bada boom bada bang, the element turns into another piece of science! In the case of copper, which has two oxidation states, when it reacts with oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide, it can form a compound called copper carbonate which just so happens to have a beautiful greenish, blueish color. So when things are made out of copper, like the top of a building in New York, and are left out in the air for a while, the top layer of copper gets a "patina" of mint. Sadly, though, it does not actually taste like peppermint. That would just be too much excitement for SCIENCE in one day. However, this  "patina" does do something really cool, other than to look pretty (because, as we know, every pretty thing has another purpose that is much more important...okay well maybe not the Kardashians. As far as I can tell they have no purpose other than to show off their beauty. And even that is debatable). By forming a layer on top of the rest of the copper, the patina of mintiness is able to protect the rest of the copper from rusting and dying. Mint here to save the day!


So today when I was wearing my new mint sun hat from C. Wonder, it did not escape my notice that, not only was I being fashionable, I was letting the color live up to its full potential. I allowed it to protect my head in the same way it protects the head of Lady Liberty.

See Now? We now have a better reason to love this season's (and last season's and probably next season's) favorite color. Not only is it pretty, but it is a courageous, noble color that protects roofs all over the world from being destroyed by nature's evils. 

With Mint, Liberty, and Justice for all, I bid you a good night.

xoxo

Start Spreading the Word, I'm leaving today

"If London is a watercolor, New York is an oil painting"—Peter Shaffer 

I awoke this morning to my usual alarm clock blaring at 5 am. For a moment I forgot where I was or what was in store for the day. Was I supposed to go to work today? Or school? Or church? Or go back in time to stop Helen from going with Paris and thus avoiding a 1000 year war? No! None of the above. I hopped out of bed and instantly turned on Frank Sinatra. What song you ask? Well "New York, New York" of course! For today, at 8:45 in the morning I got on a plane for New York City!

"NYC!!! Just got here this morning! 3 bucks! 2 bags! One me!"

Okay well maybe more than three bucks, as that would not go very far in today's age, no matter how much it may have gotten some one in the Great Depression  as in that awful musical Annie. 

Starting on Monday I have a two week internship with a New York based company called Fashion Snoops, a fashion forecasting website. Being in one of the top fashion centers in the world, and one of the best cities in the world, I plan on absorbing every bit of "la mode" that I can. 

As today was a travel day, nothing too exciting happened. Dropped our bags off at the New Yorker hotel, popped in a cab and headed down to soho where we got a bit of research and a lot if shopping done until dinner time. We (being my mum and I) are as of now sitting on the floor, absolutely exhausted, watching Roman Holiday and eating a dinner bought from the Whole Foods on the corner. Perfection darling, simply perfection.

I can already feel the muggy New York air doing me good

For the day of travel, I wore a simple, yet stylish outfit, that was as comfortable as being fashionable allows

Corso Como heels, Calvin Klein jeans, free people chiffon top, brass "world" locket, and fossil purse. 

Being a bit tired now, I am not feeling too inspired tonight and cannot leave you with any great words, but I can say that when you want to feel as tiny and insignificant as an ant while simultaneously as large and important as Thor up on his clouds, come to New York. 

Xoxo 

Justice