Pin up Plan - Pretty Smart

Yesterday, my 12 yr old daughter had an incident at school.  When she asked her teacher for extra work because she had finished early, she was told there was nothing for her and she should just "Go sit at her desk and be pretty."

Friends, I had steam coming out of my ears.  I could subject you to the lengthy tirade that followed, but this post is actually about something a little different...

After I had some (lots) of time to cool down, I started mulling over my reaction to this incident in relation to what I "do".  I sell vintage clothes.  I share style tips and photos on my social media sites.  I write blog series with titles like "The Signature Style Project" and  "The Pin up Plan".  One could argue that these things send a message that I value appearance over substance.  One would be dead wrong.

These things are driven by my intellect.  I choose to wear (and sell) vintage clothing because I appreciate the history, the craftsmanship and the art of the garments.  My love of vintage is inspired by my love of history.  My personality and how I present myself to the world has been formed in great part by what I have studied and what I choose to read.  When I get dressed in the morning, my concern isn't "How can I look appealing to others?", it's "What can I choose to visually express to the world who I am and what I'm about?  What will make me feel true to myself?"

All of this stems from the people in my childhood who chose to show me the magic in a book, the character development that comes from acting out a play, dancing or performing, the lessons to be learned from the people who have come before us and it has continued to be self driven by my love of knowledge.  These are things I hope to share with all of you here on this blog (and most importantly, with my children.)

Your intelligence is the most remarkable thing you possess.  Beauty is incidental to the confidence it gives you.

Hugs and Smooches,
D