Monthly Archives: December 2013

29

Dec. ’13

Geek Girl Celebrates, and Bids a (Temporary) Farewell

Today is Ian & I’s 9th anniversary.  It’s amazing, in a way, when I look back on how much time has gone by and how happy we still are.  There have always been challenges and will continue to be many, but one of the things I’ve really learned is how important my relationship with Ian really is, and how important it is to nurture that–and all the other relationships in my life–every day.

Though this blog officially ends on Dec. 31, this will, in all likelyhood, be my last “official” entry.  It’s been an interesting year; I’ve found a lot of things that work (being nice to people, (regardless of gender) putting on a little makeup as a means of pampering myself, cross-stitch) and some that don’t (ice baths, beets as blush, curlers).  I got a haircut I hated and one I loved.  I got engaged.  I learned to dress a little better and trusted myself to throw out clothes that just weren’t working for me.  I ate Cajun food I would have never tried on my own. 

But what I really learned was that I really like being a woman.  It’s something I take for granted a lot, but being feminine is a real pleasure.  I like looking nice.  I like having pretty hair and wearing perfume and cooking dinner. But what I really liked about all of it was that it was a choice I made because it made ME feel good about myself.  If Ian or Dave or Eeon or Pete or Matthew or any of the other wonderful men who took me out and put up with me liked it, well, that was just extra frosting on the cake.

But for all the wonderful men I had the immense pleasure of spending time with this year, I also got a chance to really connect with some wonderful women.  From Jamie and her fabulous French ways to hearing all the details of my grandmother’s wedding, this wouldn’t have been any fun without their assistance.

A handful of fedora-sporting twerps favorited this blog over the year, writing comments about how women aren’t feminine anymore and how that hurt their poor little man feelings and blah blah blah.  They can all go cook a radish as far as I’m concerned.  Every woman, whether she’s in Spanx or sweatpants, is beautiful.

The blog will probably be quite for a bit as I get my new year’s bearings…but I’m about to buy a house and plan a wedding, so keep an eye out for more from the Glam Geek.

Until then, stay glamorous! XOXOXO, darlings.  

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14

Dec. ’13

Now About That French Twist…

“A special fragrance is a most effective expression of femininity” Arlene Dahl, Always Ask a Man

Finding a “signature” fragrance has, like getting a good haircut, been a year-long challenge for me.  Betsey Johnson fragrances are too cloying, I don’t want to smell like Beyonce, Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber’s prostitute, and nothing else I found really smelled like…me.

Well, the long search is finally over.  And a man, in his own way, helped.

ImageIn “New Frontier,” off 1982’s The Nightfly, Donald Fagen sings, “She’s wearing Ambush and  French twist/She’s got us wild and she can tell.”  I wasn’t sure what he meant by “wearing Ambush,” so I did a quick search–turns out, it’s a fragrance launched in 1955, with notes of lavender, bergamot, orchid and jasmine.  Not too floral, not too woody, all scents I adore on their own.  It’s still around; my bottle on Amazon cost $14 bucks with shipping.

But when that bottle arrived and I opened it up, I KNEW I had my scent!  It was perfect–sweet, mysterious,  vintage.  Not heavy or cheap-smelling.  Classy.  Classic.  The scents I grew up with on the dressing tables of my mother and grandmothers.

Now every morning, as part of my beauty routine, I dab a little on in all the right places. The only downside is that it’s a little light, so I have to douse myself pretty heavily if I want anyone to notice.  But Ian did say, “You smell nice,” when I soaked a cotton ball and tucked it in my camisole.

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05

Dec. ’13

Beautiful TMI

“Just because chorus girls have to shave their legs and underarms is no reason why women in general should turn their nose up at the practice” Florence Courtenay, Physical Beauty (1922)

One of the things neither HGB or Arlene discusses is how to take care of body hair.  I imagine they trust that ladies are shaving their arms and legs, but they don’t give any discussion to maintaining the downstairs carpet.  Of course, every modern ladies’ magazine in the whole universe treats you as if you’re some kind of monster if your batch is anything but smooth, and it’s one of the few things I actually have image issues about.  I just can’t bring myself to shave it all off or wax–trim, yes, but not yank it all out by the roots–and I occasionally panic that this means I am an unsexy freak.

ImageHOWEVER, they both say to give a man what he wants, and I’ve found a quote from one of the sexiest men in the entire universe, Walton Goggins, that puts my anxieties to rest and pretty much settles the discussion forever: “Can I tell you how much I miss pubic hair? To me, if the size of a penis dictates virility, the length of a woman’s pubic hair dictates her femininity.” (New York Magazine, Jan. 14 2013). 

This, of course, from a man who once uttered the words, “Eatin’ ain’t cheatin’,” securing my permanent spot on #TeamShane,  so his declaration to let it all grow is that much sexier.   After all, isn’t the real heart of this project to be feminine for the man I adore?  (So what if we’ve never met and probably won’t ever–a girl can dream, can’t she?)

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01

Dec. ’13

Geek Guy Goes Glam

“Give a man a flattering image of himself, and chances are, he’ll live up to it.” Arlene Dahl, Always Ask a Man

Image

Ian has been wonderfully patient through this whole process.  He’s let me go on dates with other men, helped me wrangle out of my Spanx, complimented all of my haircuts (even the ugly ones) and STILL asked me to marry him.  But while I’m still seeing the influences of this project on my life, I didn’t realize that it would influence his as well.

Ian has always dressed nicely–funky printed tee-shirts, soft sweaters, button-downs.  But lately, he’s upped his game by adding a hat to his winter ensemble.  Not a beanie or a polar-fleece cap, but a real damn HAT.  It adds a nice level of sophistication to his outfit without making him look like a twit.  He’s started rocking his vests too, which I’ve always adored him in.  Because you can’t just slap a hat on your head and think that makes an outfit classy–you actually have to wear a classy outfit.

He likes hearing that he looks handsome, so I tell him as often as possible.  And really, how could I not?

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