firsts...

every year, when i was growing up, the first day of school was a big event. what to wear? ride the bike or have mom drive me? would people remember me? (i went through elementary, junior and high school with essentially the same group of people... i may have had a mild case of early onset anxiety, non?). my favorite part, though was standing in the garden in front of my house for the first day of school photo.

we have every single one. from preschool (yes, there were several years there when i really did where a leotard, tights and velcro sneakers every day), to public school, through the uniform years and up through senior year... it's pretty silly. man, all those whacky hairdo's!!!! i definitely had a flock of seagulls-inspired coif for a bit.

the first day of freshman year of high school, i remember, was significantly horrendous. I had just come back from camp, in vermont, as i did every summer. i had had zero contact with anyone from long beach, freshly acne'd skin, a birkenstock tan and truly beyond no fashion sense. to make matters worse, i was coming from a junior high where we wore uniforms. so for three years prior, i was in heaven. the only major decision i had to make was what color tights i was going to wear with my pleated skirt and doc. marten combat boots.... yep, helloooooooo early nineties!

it went something like this: blue o.p. courduroy shorts, white t-shirt with hang loose printed on it, white scrunchy socks and some variation of big skater/surfer sneakers. i was super comfy... long beach is sometimes in the high 90's or low hundies in mid-september, so i'd like to think i was protecting myself from embarrassing pit stains. nah. oh. my. gawd. y'all... my high school was a flippin' fashion show. not as severe as cher and dion in clueless, picture more surf-chic, but jeeze. i. was. wrong. i walked around the whole day trying to hide my feet. the girls were wearing jack purcell's, not simple's. duh. (ever tried to hide your feet during passing period in a school of 4,500 students? not possible, fyi).

when i finally got some fashion sense together, my mom made me close to 10 adorable a-line shift dresses in amazing fabrics. blue gingham, orange and fuschia plaid, turquiose hawaiian print... all of them worn with my white platform jack purcell's. gimme a break, i was still learning. a photo of me in the blue gingham dress sits next to the actual first day of freshman year photo... a do-over of sorts. big red's so indulgent.

anywhoodle, yesterday was my first day at a new job! what what?! same company, new role... a boss lady for a group of people! i know, crazy-town. good news is i didn't break anything, or anyone. my new boss is so great. a year younger than i am with so much energy to make great things happen for our team (do i sound like a corporate monkey yet??? whatevs, i'm geting benefits now!!!! and i like the job, boom!)

i took a piccy for big red and texted it to her, as i did when i entered college, had my first day at my first real job, when i went to grad school, etc... you get the point. we have a pile of firsts now...

here are some things that happened on my first day...

my super civilized breakfast... y'all this is serious! i did not have to wake up at 4am!!!!! i had time to eat, play with xavier and drink copious amounts of coffee!

shake it till you samba... my new gel mani for good luck on your first day positive energy!

what up big red?! she sent me flowers... the card said you go girl! love, big red. see, this shit runs deep, ain't just some behavioral nothings i picked up on the street (well, maybe some of it...)


ok, sweetie peas, i've been missing you. hope the week is the best. keep changing, it's fun. let's all do some digestion pose today (lay on your back with your legs extended up the wall... sitting bones huggin' up on that wall... it'll get you regular). infinite x's and o's.