Day 257: A Golden Splash of Flower

There are many days when my getting dressed for work involves the bare minimum of effort and I just throw on what's clean, or even semi-clean, and hope that it matches well enough and looks presentable. When I'm going to be riding my bike I feel that I shouldn't wear my "nice" clothes because they might get messed up. So instead all of my "nice" clothes sit in the closet while the clothes that have been "bike riding" approved go to work with me every day. Well, today I decided that I was going to wear a nice dress despite the possibility that it may get messed up. And I have to tell you, riding my bicycle to work in a dress with a golden splash of flower made me feel pretty and feminine and even slightly chic.

Every day I see women riding their bikes in dresses and suits and the highest heeled shoes I've ever seen. Shoes that I wouldn't even wear if it was valet parking only. But there they are looking stylish and girlie and I think, "I could do that." Then I look down at my cargo pants and long-sleeve black shirt and tennis shoes and I tell myself that at least I am comfortable and warm. I've always been sort of a tomboy. In grade school and junior high I never brushed my hair during the day while I was at school. I would leave for school in the morning and by the time I got in the car when my mom picked me up after school my hair was nearly a rat's nest. And If I am being honest, I probably didn't brush my hair after I left the house in the morning while I was in high school either. But by then I had a huge perm so it didn't matter so much. (Thank you spiral 80's perm!)

Maybe I should make more of an effort to be more girlie. Before it gets to the point where I no longer have any high heels and I am looking more like the person coming to clean the office instead of the person who works there. Today I gave it a good go. It was more of a girlie day than most of my days. I had the dress and the pretty flower belt and even a pretty feminine scarf, but I still had on my lace up granny shoes, my sporty jacket and my bike gloves. I guess I have to start somewhere, right? But baby steps to being a girlie girl are probably all that I can manage. According to my husband however that is perfectly okay. He likes his occasionally girlie tomboy and I guess I do too.

Soft, feathery flower belt...

It gives my black dress the perfect feminine touch...