So I have this obsession right now with putting outfits together that should maybe not go together, specifically because they consist of pairing fancy pieces with casual accessories. I'm pretty sure this started after I saw Emma Roberts' sparkly green dress and Adidas sneakers in 2017's Nerve. It was a show-stopping moment, believe me.
The idea that it feels like I can't be both feminine and powerful probably comes from my constant self-doubt. There's always going to be parts of me that feel like I'm not as strong or deep as the women I look up to because I love glitter and pop music and cappuccinos. And pearls and Instagram and romcoms.... Well LISTEN UP LADIES because that's not true. We get to defy ALL the stereotypes when it comes to what we want to do in our own lives. If that means you love to watch slasher movies while you paint your nails, or listen to rap music while wearing your best dress (like me, hehe), we can do whatever we want. 99.9% of the time that I think I need to be a certain way, I'm feeling the constraints of a box that I literally put myself in. (They do say you're your own worst enemy). My original title for this piece -- the placeholder, if you will -- was "pink vs. power" and I think that perfectly encompasses everything that I'm trying to say. There seems to be a constant tension between being girly, where you're catty/materialistic/innocent, or you're a powerhouse, in which case you're too caught up in saving the world to care about your appearance. You can either be Cinderella or Mulan. Katniss Everdeen or Elle Woods. Okay, so, I'm grossly generalizing women here (exaggerating is like my thing. It's such a bad habit) but you can't deny that society has set us up to think that a woman can't be resilient, or protective, or muscular if it means her favorite color is pink. This topic was mentioned today in my gender and identity class of all places, when my professor was talking about Eve being created as Adam's ezer, or in (horribly translated) English, his 'help-mate'. I know as soon as you see 'help-mate' you're thinking about June Cleaver, but hold on one second there pal. While an ezer is mentioned in the Bible many times, it is usually only referring to two things: woman, and God coming to the aid of His people. That means that when we're called to be girlfriends or wives or sisters or even friends, then we are called to join our boys in BATTLE. I need to write a whole other post on this topic because WOW do I get fired up about it. So we're called to be radiant and kickbutt and lovely and warriors all in one. Get ready, because you better believe I'm showing up to fight in some Givenchy heels. There's a reason my tagline is "lightning and daisies." I want every woman to feel like she can be powerful and delicate, and that they don't cancel each other out. Every January, instead of a resolution, my mom picks a word that she wants to focus on for the year. I like this very much, and this year, mine will be two-fold. Maybe "glow" and "strong," or "sparkle" and "conquer". We'll just have to see.
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AuthorI am a September baby, which may be the root of my love for fall. I love dark chocolate, popcorn, and I do actually like brussel sprouts. I'm the kind of person that listens to a Christmas song in September. (But only one. I don't want to ruin the ~magic~). Archives
May 2019
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