on being unabashed

Dress (remixed): Ruche // Lace Top (remixed 1 / 2 / 3): Ruche, 
Cardigan (remixed 1 / 2 / 3): Banana Republic 

I'm not sure if it's just me, but I tend to have phases of favorite words. Words that catch in my mind. Most often they're new words or ones I've forgotten about and once I rediscover them, I will attempt to use them as much as possible. A while back my word was "galvanize", recently it was "nebulous". You'll probably find that both of those are scattered throughout my blog posts in the past few months. Galvanize is a great word. To spur into action. And just the word itself, galvanize, makes me visualize a kind of grind of activity. A knight in clanky armor leaping onto his horse, sword-raised for some noble cause. A drill into wood, a shovel into dirt.

Lately my word has shifted to unabashed. I think one of the best things you can be is unabashedly something. I am unabashedly a cat lady. It's true. To be unabashed is to be bold, unembarrassed, unashamed. It's a great word with a slap to it, unabashed. It's fun to say which is always a bonus, and the meaning is powerful.

I was thinking about this word this past weekend when I went to the Renaissance Festival (check that one off the list!). There are many reasons I adore the Renaissance Festival. Flower crowns, chocolate, henna tattoos, side shows, music, bread bowls, costumes, jousting, artisans, trinkets, tomfoolery. I was probably 6 or 7 when I went for the first time. My childhood friend and I went for probably 15 years in a row, until my husband and I moved to Virginia. This past Saturday was the first time we had been since college. I was genuinely sad when the day was over!

On our way home, I asked my friend what her favorite thing about the festival was. We began to talk about the things we have always loved about it, and my answer ended up being, "I love that everyone is completely unabashed about their enjoyment of it all. It's a fun, whimsical, absurd community of genuine people who love what they do. That is fantastic."

I stick by that answer. I think that's the part of the Renaissance Festival experience that is most attractive to me. It's refreshing to be in such a fruitfully silly place, where people are free to embrace a character for a few months and sell clay dragons. I love talking to these men and women who pour themselves into a creative outlet like that. I think we all have that secret wish to disappear into another time or place - I mean, who wouldn't want to go live in Harry Potter's world for a while? Or Narnia, or Middle Earth? I raise my glass to the minions of the Renaissance Festival because I don't see them as weirdos. They're just being themselves, and having the time of their lives doing it.

I think that sounds worthwhile. Cheers to having stars on your shoulder, and to unabashedly living.

the fairgrounds

There's something enchanting about a fair.
Especially a State Fair - it sounds so grand and invigorating, something that unites everyday locals by serving them junk food with twinkling music and bright lights and games that you know are rigged but you can't help but play anyway. It's competitive and recreational, playful and intoxicating.

We went to a State Fair this past Saturday and stood around various food booths for at least an hour straight when we first arrived.
Bloomin' onions, mini donuts, hot french fries with vinegar, corn on the cob with cajun and parmesan, fried cookie dough and frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate. For some reason nothing at the fair actually fills your stomach - it all just makes you more hungry. It's bewitched.

It was a pretty busy night, and we arrived right at sunset so we got to enjoy the fair right at the beginning of its glorious night time glow. We didn't ride any rides because the lines were so long, but we did sing, dance, skip, eat, laugh, play, eat, eat, and eat.

Last year was my husband's first time going to a State Fair, so I'm glad we were able to go again this year -- and this time with friends, who grew up in the area and have gone every year since they were little! It's a fun tradition and it was even more fun to hear their favorite spots, and to see how quickly they could find their way in the maze of littered popcorn and bustling strangers. 

Last year was so warm, but this year it was slightly drizzly at first and stayed pretty cool throughout the evening. I love this dress for its endless versatility (see it remixed here), and I kept it pretty casual with an open plaid top (remixed here), tights and boots, and a coat for the rain and chilly breezes.

It was fun to experiment with a photo shoot at night --- I always try to avoid those, but there are so many lights and so many colors that the pictures turned out pretty cool. We also got to enjoy a fireworks show later that evening! 

It was the perfect way to pretend to be a kid again, road tripping and skipping around the fairgrounds on a dreary Saturday night.