When I can manage, I follow a few Sl bloggers, one of which is Strawberry Singh. I’ve never done one of her ‘memes’ but I saw this one and just could not resist. I’ve been very inwardly retrospective the past few months while going through the process of settling a family estate. Going through the remains of two lives prompted me to reflect on my own. I had an unexpected period of downtime to mull over my life and where I want to go from here. It was a rather cathartic experience. I think that exercise has helped me achieve a balance through the past few months.

I think taking time to look at life goals and plan a bit is a good thing to do as long as you don’t allow yourself to get bogged down in the mire of self-doubt and regret. I made a promise to myself at a very young age to not ever get too wrapped up in past errors. I told myself to make thoughtful decisions based on the information at hand at the time, and then not to second guess those decisions later in life. So without getting too deep and reaching for those mental water wings, I will insert my responses to Strawberry’s meme from last week:

I am… thoughtful

I want… love and respect

I have… a big heart

I wish… the world was kinder

I hate… bullies (in all forms)

I fear… that I will not be my best

I search… for peace and sometimes for my car keys

I wonder… when manners became optional

I regret… when I don’t make a good first impression   and    missing out due to procrastination

I never… am deliberately mean

I always… cultivate the optimistic from people and life

I usually… fall short of perfect (sometimes more than others)

I dance…every day

I sing… loudly with my music while doing my cleaning chores

I often… smile

I sometimes…  want to run away to a tropical island with an amazing man

I cry… when I think of how much I miss my mom and her laughter, hugs, smile…

I need… the occasional bubble bath

I should… treat myself better

I love…the ways babies and puppies smell

I hope I did this exercise justice. If you do this meme try to write down your first thought on each line. Sometimes the first reflex of the mind is the most genuine. You might surprise yourself. I know I did.

Goodies:

Blouse – Bangalore top, White, Sascha’s Designs
Skirt – First Date Skirt, Navy, Boom at Uber
Shoes – Sass Pump Patent w/ HUD, Baby Monkey

Jewelry:
Necklace and earrings – Prophecy Set. Forest, Mandala at Uber
Ring – Auturo ring, Donna Flora
Bracelet – Celtic Dream, Gold, Magic Nook
Hair – Touch so Warm, Exile

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you’ll find you get what you need” Mick Jagger & Keith Richards

As a model when we are issued a challenge, perhaps we first go to our inventory and see what we have. The next step might be to go to a store we know has the things we need. Then a cruise through Marketplace using a variety of search parameters.

So what to do when we can’t find that specific thing we are looking for? Like for this challenge of mixing dots and stripes. I just was not finding what I wanted. I had something in mind but it was nowhere to be found. I found the shoes I wanted and started with that color pallet, building from there. Ever try using mesh templates? They can seem a little scary at first, but with a little practice they can go from scary to fun. I am not advocating using templates for blogs since, as a model/blogger, we want to showcase designer items. I am just saying that when you need something specific and can’t find it, never be afraid to try and make what you need.  Happy shopping.

Coat: Ladies Punk Rock Full Length Coat, MELI IMAKO (textured by Josephine Aeon)

Tights: Dotty Pants, textured to match coat

Shoes: Stormy Boots, Sky

Earrings: Nyorai, MANDALA

Ring: Auturo ring, Donna Flora

Hair: Boys&Girls 16, Dark Brown, Dura

Lips: Tessa Lip Gloss, plum, WoW Skins

Eyes:    Nature Girl Moonstone, Dulce Secrets

Couture Eyeliner no.01, Glam Affair