Category: FASHION

Stop and let a little light in!!!

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I discovered something about myself today. I went back to that job that is dreary and gray and I came with a new attitude.

I taped my postcard above my computer and took the two rocks I brought home from Sunshine and Daisy’s grave and put them below that, and then I decided to shine my Muchness into the hallways of this J.O.B. Perspective is everything.

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At lunch I went to go sit outside in the prison yard and there were some other employees out there. One was a guy who said he used to paint art and had gallery shows but he gave that up when he started having kids, and he took this job in the grayness and dreariness of Armpit, NJ. He said – in a tone that was clearly sincere but marked with sarcasm – that he felt as though he was rotting from the inside out.

I was like “NO!!!! No you CANNOT rot from the inside out!!! Please, please do not do that to yourself…. that makes me so sad for you!! I want to help!!!!” …and I meant it.

I have spent the last 6 months – the months I took to Build The Muchness – and spent it behind my computer screen. That is awesome because I love connecting with people online, but it also left me without the face-t0-face time and conversations that truly help me see where my energy is needed. This guy- oy. He was so drained of Muchness. I just wanted run over to him and sprinkle pixie dust on his head to awaken the muchness monster inside him.

I think he will be my project. All of them. I am still not 100% sure I will be taking this job. I don’t know if it’s what I am supposed to do to help me create income while I continue to share The Muchness, or if it was brought to my life to serve as a wake-up call about what The Muchness is truly meant to be about.

If you are reading this and can relate to that guy, that person that says “Oh, I used to……. but now I just…… because I have to. I’ll refind that part of me later.” I IMPLORE you to go out and but yourself a present- something sparkly, something bright and beautiful and vivid and wild that you LOVE that breaks the sound barrier of gray that surrounds you. Take one little step to push through that fog. Please, please, pretty please do not sit there and say “later, I’ll do that.” NOW. IS. LATER.

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I wore these shoes today. First time since last fall. These are my absolute favorite shoes for a whole bunch of reasons. But the #1 reason?? Because they make other people smile. Ya know how good it feels to make other people smile just by walking into a place wearing absurd shoes? It feels damn good. Good enough to have you contemplating taking a job at the grayest place on earth.

Maybe I have been sent where I am needed….

 

5 ways to keep your Muchness During the Holidays

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Ohhh, the holidays are upon us!! That exciting time when the energy is electrified with good cheer and happy people, where we spend carefree days and nights surrounded by our extended family, decorating the house while singing happy songs, eating yummy food, baking cookies and just enjoying the perfectness of it all! 

I know, right? Just writing that shit makes me feel a bit like barfing.

The holidays are hard. HARD.

Everybody with their oversized expectations, undersized budgets, chaos, drama, conflict, stress…

I was recently asked “How can a person keep their Muchness during the holidays?” and my first thought?

Don’t do what you don’t want to do. 

I know. Sounds impossible, right? We spend so much time trying to accommodate everyone else, how on earth are we supposed to not do what we don’t want to do?

Well, let me let you in on a secret. You don’t HAVE to do what you don’t want to do. Don’t want to travel four hours to spent an uptight dinner with your annoying relatives? Don’t. Will you be unpopular? Maybe, for a few minutes, but so what? You are the pilot of your own life and if you would rather have a quiet dinner at home with your buddies Lean and Cuisine, that is a perfectly valid decision.

But, since I live on planet earth and recognize that that is really hard for most people, I’m gonna give you 5 other ways to keep your Muchness at the Holidays.

1- Set your expectations low. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment by expecting things from people beyond the bare bones basics. The only one who walks around disappointed in the end is you. (PS- that doesn’t mean to give up all hope that the holidays can run smooth and beautiful, hopefully they can and your family members will all be in perfect form. Just don’t expect it.)

2- As My grandmother says “just because someone drives their crazy train into your station, doesn’t mean you have to purchase a ticket and hop on board.” Don’t get on anyone else’s crazy train. It is never worth it.

3- Expect your emotions to be a little off-kilter. In the baby loss community, it’s a well-known fact that the holidays bring with them shadow sadness. Even if everything is perfect (and maybe especially if they’re perfect) the feelings of missing those who aren’t there is especially acute. If you are aware that you might feel this way, it makes going with the flow a bit easier to handle. ***Note: this is not just about loss- it can be about sadness that the year has passed and maybe you didn’t accomplish all you set out to do… whatever the emotion that rests below the surface, just let it be what it want’s to be and accept it’s presence.

4- Create a tradition. DO NOT create a plan that is going to stress you out more. Do something small, meaningful, or significant to you in a way that only you know. If there is someone you miss, something that brings you sadness, take that exact thing and make it into something that puts a smile on your face and keeps you connected to that sadness, but gives you a reason to celebrate the love that is there.

5- Wear a Muchy festive sweater! Of course!! By the way, I’m totally serious. In the tradition of Fuit cake and well, ugly festive sweaters, go put one on! Wear it with a a big ol’ self-deprecating smile and take comfort in knowing that you are being proactive in giving other people a reason to smile. And those other people, the ones that roll their eyes and think mean things? Take comfort in knowing they just need a little Muchness in their lives!

OK, so, I’m no fool. I know the chances of you purchasing a holiday sweater are slim. So I’ve taken the liberty of compiling this  selection of Totally muchy and easily wearable tops. Scroll through- there’s stuff in all size ranges and all price points. I’d love to see pics of you wearing some happy, light reflecting Muchness this holiday!!

Anniversary Muchness

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Today is my six year wedding anniversary!

I’ll be honest, last year passed without much fanfare. I don’t know why, especially since that was supposed to be our first “option to renew” anniversary.

…Quick background, historically, I’d never been a big believer in the idea of happily ever after with one person. It just seemed, I don’t know, conventional. Plus, almost no-one I knew in my family had proven it to be possible, at least not in the way I wanted to envision it. So, I decided Marriage should be a 5 year contract with an option for renewal at the end of 5 years. That way, you could try it out and if it wasn’t working, after 5 years, you could walk away, no harm, no foul.(Genius, right? I know.)  So last year, Elie joked that he was thinking he might not renew for another 5 years. I told him to STFU, we both laughed and I think I got a card. That’s cool, it’s how we roll. I was probably exhausted from burning the candle at both ends and the day just sorta came and went.

But today, I woke up in the mood to celebrate it. Maybe because I posted this pic on FB and it got like, a bajillion “likes” and that got me pumped.

That “after” was actually us just last night at a Bat Mizvah. Note to self- We both need haircuts.

On FB, I pointed out that Elie was wearing the same suit in both pictures and he said only 1% of people can fit into their wedding clothes after the wedding… So I got to thinking. The day after our wedding, We had a nice, leisurely  breakfast at the hotel of pancakes and eggs and my dress hasn’t fit me since. But, thanks to Elie and his obsession with all healthy foods, (Give that man a pile of beans and some bok choy and he’s happier than me in a bathtub of sequins…) it occurred to me I may actually be the size I was at our wedding.

So, I pulled out the dress.

And, I put it on.

And I zipped it up!

And then, after lamenting how my pre-baby nursing bust filled out the top so much nicer, I got psyched that it fit and remembered what a fun dress it was to wear and so I turned on our wedding song- yes, that’s right, our wedding song- and went bananas in the living room!

Posting this video here is a little self-indulgent. That being said, creating a blog about yourself is a little self-indulgent so why on earth and I getting sensitive about it now? Well, I really, honestly made this just to send Elie at work an make him laugh, but when I watched it back I realized how super muchtastic it is. I NEVER, EVER would have had the balls to make, let alone share, in any form, this nonsense before The Muchness. Fact is, I probably would have even rolled my eyes and wondered what the hell was wrong with a grown woman posting this online. Clearly she is just a lonely housewife craving attention, right? But here’s the thing! Having thoughts like that SUCK! Blech. Total Muchness Killers.

Anyway, I had so much fun making this and I don’t care about judgey people like me, pre-muchness, being all judgey. Those people need to get in touch with Their Much!

And for what it’s worth, I edited it down to like, 20 seconds. More than that, I just didn’t want to subject you to that. See? I care. You can thank me later…

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL_OdogisX4&feature=youtu.be”]

 

I’m already going through Muchy Shoe withdrawal syndrome

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Today was my LAST DAY of work!!! That’s it! I’m done! Crayyyyyzeeee!!! I thought it would be next week but it just made more sense to do it today. As soon as it was done, A wave of joy and fear and disbelief washed over me. It felt like the day I graduated college, knowing the checks from Dad were gonna stop coming every month but I didn’t have a job yet. The panic thrill of “What’s next” and the possibility of what can happen when you open yourself up to opportunity —- well, it was really, um…. muchy.

So, I left my office totally excited. I took a #MuchnessMoment pic of the view as I walked out of the building so i could remember the thrill I was feeling at that exact minute.

Then, I walked one block.

Oy.

So, the majority of my Muchy shoes were opportunistic purchases. Meaning (Since I’m not sure I used that term properly) I pass the Muchiest shoe store every single day on my way from the office to the bus. And I fall in love there a lot. And there it was. Those Jeffrey Campbell shoes, taunting me with their studs and crazy heels and… OMG. I’m pretty sure they don’t make Muchy shoes like those at the shoe store of my future- Payless.  It was a sad moment for me. So i recorded it. For posterity. You can hear the sadness in my voice. :-

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5wFrpQTKXY&feature=plcp “]

 

MUCHNESS strikes again!!!

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So there I was, trolling through the Joe Fresh store, mostly just because I needed a break from the blazing heat. The salesgirl comes up behind me- “Can I help you find somet—- OH MY GOD I LOVE YOUR SHOES!!!! They make me feel so happy!!”—-
I told her that making people happy via happy “stuff” is my goal in life. (One of them… true story) Obviously, I have a new BFF. I even asked her to take a picture with me so I could write this blog post because it was such an awesome MUCHNESS MOMENT and we all know, MUCHNESS moments are meant to be shared!!

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Oh, and the happy making shoes? Just my everyday loaf around the house platforms:


…naturally.

An Ode to my Jeffrey Campbell Shoes

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Perhaps you remember my blog post,
about how I had discovered the most,
Muchy shoes on a website,
that made my heart delight,
J. Campbell of my town you’re the toast.

The shoes are gold and pretty,
with platforms that are witty.
Sarcastically high,
with stripes to the sky,
Increasing my view of the city!

The box, it was too big for flats,
with a cool chic who’s shirt sported cats.
I took them out and I cried,
these are cooler than I
had envisioned from pictures and stats!

I slid my feet inside,
and nervously I tried,
to tell myself
they fit so well.
But the truth is that I lied.

They kinda pinched my toes,
and that ankle strap, who knows?
I worry that it’s not secure,
and running for the  bus I’m sure,
my foot will twist,
I’ll lose my cool,
I’ll hit the ground,
feel like a fool.

If I’m going to return them,
I can’t test them out outside,
to see if on the pavement,
I’d fall upon on my hide.

I wonder if it’s a mistake
to keep these shoes–
but they look so great!

I also bought these others,
and they were much less pricey,
but it’s not the same,
though they’re far from lame,
they’re also much less dicey.

And so…

My question, dear reader, Do you think I should keep,
these shoes though they aren’t great friends with my feet?
You know how I love a Jeffrey Campbell shoe,
They make me feel fierce, I don’t know what to do!
Will I ever get used to the height of these stems,
As I did with these others, My makeover gems?

I’m not much of a poet,
just been reading Seuss,
to my daughter who certainly
loves all my shoes!

Let me hear what you think,
I look forward to know,
If in fact I should keep them,
Or if they must go.

Muchy Shoe Makeover!!! (and a bunch of other ramblings….)

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you can’t help but notice the overwhelming amount of neon people are wearing these days. In my head, there is but one association I have with neon…. Please…. Join me on my trip down memory lane….

It’s 1989.

I’m in 8th grade.

This could be the back of my head:

My bedroom walls are plastered with pictures of the New Kids on The Block.  I told everyone Joey was my favorite because he’s the sweet one.  But secretly, I liked Donnie more, because he’s the bad boy.

And this was my Muchness:

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By86PcLufOU&ob=av3e”]

That girl in the audience with the 4″ tall hair and Fluorecent Pink t-shirt with the smiley face on it…she was my Hero.

But Anyhow. Here we are 2012. Everything old is new again. Except The New Kids. They’re just old.

The nostalgia of the fluorescent trend is really exciting to me. Months back I posted about this Neon yellow bag I saw some chic carrying and how much I adored it. But wouldn’t wanna spend the money on it. And a lot of the affordable neon, well, it looks like something I may have worn in 1989.

And then. Friday, I was at Home Depot and came upon this:

My brain raced… Oh! The Muchness I could make! I don’t have to invest $300 on a trendy pair of shoes… I could get creative! I stood in the aisle for 5 whole minutes, debating between the pink and the yellow. or maybe the orange. or the pink. or the orange. pink. yellow.

I bought the yellow. And I bought Painters tape. Because I knew I’d recently used up what I had on this. Everything else for my master plan I already owed.

OK. Rambling complete.

Here’s the PROJECT!!!!

Materials:

Black Patent heels from target. (I could’t justify buying these new ones until I found something to do with the ones I already own.)
Unworn lace thong panties.
Painters Tape.
White spray primer
Fluorescent Paint
Triple Glaze Spray Gloss
Rhinestones and E6000 Glue

The Process

I cleaned the shoes and then used the painters tape on the parts I didn’t want to paint:

Then I used more tape and lace to cover random parts of both shoes.

I cut shapes out the the tape. It was only after I cut out the heart for one shoe that I realized the inverse would be awesome on the other shoe. I also originally thought I’d make them match each other but then it occurred to me that if they were even a tiny bit off, it would annoy the crap outta me. So I creatively solved that problem by making it a non-issue.

After taping, I took the shoes to my basement and sprayed them white. Twice.

Then I sprayed them fluorescent. Twice.

Then I sprayed them with clear glaze. Once.

Then I brought them upstairs and while watching “The Voice” and contemplating Christina’s Funny hat, cut the tape off. I had to use the blade to slice the paint before pulling the tape. For the most party it came off slick and sharp and clean.

In other places, not so much.

I used a black sharpie to clean up any smudged edges.

I also used the sharpie to recreate areas of the lace that were too misty and unclear.

Then I sprayed the whole shoes again with clear glaze.

Then I carefully placed the rhinestones around the hearts on both shoes.

Then I stared at them because I could not get over how much I friggin’ loved them.

Then I took about 4,000 pictures in different poses.

Then I finally tore myself away from them and went to bed. It was like, 3 in the morning.

Then I wore them to work the next day. Here they are on a bike path in midtown Manhattan

Seriously, Every time I looked down I got a small buzz because I thought my feet looked so muchtastic!!

…Then one of my co-workers told me she thought they made me look cheap.
I’m pretty sure she’s just massively jealous. Right???