Friday, March 06, 2015

I'll teach the birds such lovely words & make them sing for you.

Ladies and gentlemen... Turning 25 is rough. You don't feel like your life is together, you're stuck somehow and really don't know what the future holds. At least that's the case in my situation. This whole quarter-of-a-century time in my life is so far not a good time (and I've been told by a very close friend that I am not alone, she as well went through this slump when she turned 25).

Though I don't know this for sure, damnit, it will get better.

So lately, since none of my serious, adult life experiences (finances, my future, etc...) have made me even remotely happy or excited to be an adult, I've had to resort to other methods. (I don't know what you may be thinking of, but stop thinking it, because you're probably wrong.)

No, it's not making goals for myself (though I already have 2 achievable goals for this year), it's focusing on things that I love (or am learning to love), and therefore, focusing on how or why these things make me so happy.

I have made a list. Wait a minute, I might be getting a little ahead of myself...

What makes me happy at this point in my life? What should I do to bring up my mood and 'tude? What makes me beautiful? (Threw in a little One Direction. Just keeping up appearances.)

I feel most beautiful, happy, confident, and any other synonym for happy, when I feel classy and sophisticated. (When I think I'm pulling off a Parisian woman look. Key word: think.) But there is so much more than just how I look when it comes to feeling sophisticated.

So to bring up my earlier point, I have made a list.

Alison's Sophisticated List:
  • When I wear lipstick. Not just any kind of lipstick, the kind that really complements my skin tone and pulls my whole look together, while also making me look like I actually have figured my shit out.
  • When my bra and panties match. It can't be matching in the sense that, say, the top is a pattern, and the bottoms are a solid matching colour, or vice versa. They have to be a set that go together. If my undies are matching, I feel like I can really conquer my day. Try it out, you won't be disappointed.
  • Watching old films. Black and white, romantic, and if it has subtitles, it's a bonus. Granted, I haven't seen many, but of the ones I've seen... They don't even need to be black and white. Old movies are warm and classy, and I love watching them every once in a while. Some examples of ones I've seen and enjoyed are: The Court Jester, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck though...), City Lights, and To Have and Have Not (Lauren Bacall though... Adore her).
  • Drinking wine, especially of the red variety. I'm a huge red wine lover. The boldest ones too. I don't mind white, but greatly prefer reds. The merlots, the cabernet sauvingons, cabernet merlots, cabernet francs, syrahs, shiraz... If they're bold, keep 'em coming.
  • On the alcoholic train, enjoying a before dinner drink, or aperitif. Dubonnet Rouge is my go to. On ice with some lemon zest - the cat's pajamas.
  • As well as my choice of tequila. Don't get me wrong, if I'm looking for liquid courage to sing some strong karaoke, or looking to be a classic "woo girl" with my friends, I'll go for the cheapest out there. But when I'm feeling sophisticated, I enjoy Patron. It glides, my god does it glide, and gives no gross mouth puckering feeling like our old friend Jose Cuervo.
  • Wearing my hair in a low, side ponytail. It pulls hair away from my face (and I love showing off my face), while also showing the length AND looking classy as hell.
  • Jazz music. I know it makes everyone feel sophisticated, so I'm not very original, but I refuse to exclude it from my list, so you just sit down and keep reading. I love some big band swing and jive music, but some slow jazz... makes me feel like I should have dinner parties literally all the time. Love some Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones, Nikki Yanofsky, Melody Gardot... the list goes on. And although she's not jazzy, Edith Piaf is also amazing. Check her out if you want to listen to some pull-on-your-heartstrings French music. You won't be disappointed.
  • Last, but certainly not least, wearing scarves. I've been very lucky and have incredible friends who know my scarf obsession, and have bought me some beautiful scarves that I love. I'm also very lucky to have a couple of great parents who buy me some gorgeous, soft, colourful scarves. I love all my scarves, and wouldn't give any of them up even for money.
All of these things make me forget (but not forget TOO much) about my issues. Instead, I go about my days with a more positive outlook and perspective, because inside my mind, I feel like I've got it all figured out. Even if I don't, I can fool some strangers into thinking I do, and that's pretty fun.

What sort of things make you feel sophisticated? Think about it, make a list, and do all the things to class your life up. Because, my darlings, isn't that what's fun about being an adult?

IT WILL GET BETTER <3

1 comment:

  1. Just discovered your blog and I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading it. You have a natural talent for writing in a fun, relatable way! I am turning 25 next month and am currently experiencing a quarter life crisis myself, so I really enjoyed reading your posts about how you're dealing with it.
    Keep up the great work!
    Kristen

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