July can be easily summed up for me. I lost some things, but I gained some much more valuable things. Only the things I gained weren't really things, they weren't really experiences, they were barely nouns. It's as if pieces of myself were missing and this month, by losing some things I actually found myself more. In a city where we have more taxes on shopping than on homes, it can be easy to get caught up in things and forget who we are. Sometimes all we have to do is lose a few of those things to remember.
And I won't say that this month was without material gains. There was a vintage Christian Dior navy trench that fits like a dream and then there's all of that great Lord and Taylor 80s back stock I found at my hidden vintage gem, a twenty-five dollar handmade leather ammunition satchel from the army navy surplus, an amazing Ralph Lauren chalkline pinstripe suit from Ragstock. This month I really got caught up in the thrill of the hunt with thrift shopping. As the summer stock mostly empties out of stores after three tiers of markdowns and light transitional fall clothes start to appear the highlight of July shopping is really the thrift and vintage stores, which are ripe with selections after months of "spring cleaning" everyone does to prepare their closets for the seasons to come.
Fall is the turning point of the year, not just in fashion but in life. Fall is supposed to be the falling action of the year. With one more month of real summer crowds, heat, and white pants left there seems to be an internal clock ticking. The impending change of season begs the question: What have I accomplished? Am I on track to meet my goals, or am I tied to the track about the be run over my them? Am I even close to where I want to be?
Sometimes, in life less is more. However, I don't operate under that principle. More is more and too much is just enough. There are some people that lead minimal lives and I envy them. But I simply adore, j'adore, my excess. I have too many people, too many experiences, and too many clothes (that's actually subjective) in my life, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Emily Dickinson once wrote, "I dwell in possibility." Well, I dwell in excess.
In my month of emotional chutes and ladders I lost a boyfriend and a friend in Baby Daddy, but I gained a companion in Gucci. I lost a Crate and Barrel throw but I learned a new lesson in buying things to fit my life, not trying to fit life to the things I own. In ancient China, women bound their feet to keep them from growing, probably to fit into a pair of size four sling backs. Now, we just buy a size that fits. I lost parts of my routine, but gained a bit of freedom from my obsessive rituals. I lost a lot of money, but I gained a lot of value.
And as I look on the horizon and see the turning point of 2012 I think I am more complete now than I've ever been.
As for the cat pee: Gucci learned an important lesson this month as well. While I was eating dinner I saw him fascinated by my suede Varvatos wingtips. Then he decided to squat shakily over my shoes. Some people like to use a spray bottle to train their cats to stay away from something. I like to channel Annie Oakley with a super soaker I bought from the dollar store. From emotional chutes and ladders to shoots and bladders, before even a droplet of pee could descend upon and irreparably damage my suede shoes my shot with swift and aim was true. Annie get your gun, and Gucci get your ass off my shoes.
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