I think it has already been well established that I'm a passionate person. And there isn't much in the world that I'm more passionate about than voting. I mean I truly love everything to do with voting. I love protecting the right to vote. I love helping enfranchise folks so they can vote. I love voter education and registration and empowerment. So as you can imagine, Election Day is my favorite holiday of the year. Even more than Halloween or Thanksgiving or Sukkot, I love Election Day. Shutting the curtain, ticking the boxes, pulling the lever {sigh}, it's perfection. Ok, apparently I'm passionate and a geek.
Sadly as much as folks seem to think it is, voting is not a right in this country. I wish it was, but it isn't. There is no affirmative right to vote in the United States, rather the Constitution merely says that you cannot be barred from voting due to your race or gender or age. Nowhere does the Constitution say voting is a right. Plenty of Americans of sound mind and legal age cannot vote and in honor of them I strongly encourage every last one of you that is able to do so, to exercise that right. Ok, I've now dismounted from my high horse.
All of this is a prelude to the fact that in my book Election Day is a reason to get dolled up. This doesn't mean nearly as much to me as it does to others as I sometimes feel the need to dress up when I go to my bagel shop, cause otherwise I disappoint the lovely men who work there who have dubbed me "hot pink lips" but an excuse is an excuse.
I think I mentioned that when I was on my sojourn down South in October I did a bit of thrifting. Thrifting in NY is both expensive and a bit of a headache and heartache as there's not nearly as much to go through when your size hits the double digit. That is very much not the case in Charleston where I picked up today's dress as well as 2 others for a grand total of $20.
We were driving into town, a bit lost and confused when we passed a thrift store and I made Ash pull over so I could do a quick "pop." I really like to "pop" into stores and within 15 seconds ascertain if there will be anything I want to buy, can afford and will fit me. I have it down to an art and a favorite bloomie saying when you're walking down the street with me is "can we pop in for a minute?" So we pulled over, Ash gave me 10 minutes and as I jumped out of the car I dropped my guide book in some sludge in excitement...oops. I then ran inside where I experienced a strong sense of deja vu, realizing I had been in the same store 8 years earlier on a post-college graduation road trip. I'm telling you people, the store spoke to me for a reason.
It was in that quick 10 minute "pop" that I found today's gem. A bright, ridiculous, beautiful dress. It is vintage Chadwick's and it was the first time I had worn it. The tights are from Old Navy and the wedges are from Payless, a store I don't really shop in but I was walking past it one day and saw these shoes in the window and I just fell in love. Patent, hot pink wedges, how could it not be love at first sight. The belt is from Primark and the headband...well that also has a story.
The headband was another purchase I made on my Southern trip, this one acquired at an arts and crafts fair outside Savannah. It was kind of hysterical because I got the headband at this booth labeled "bows for little girls" or something along those lines. I actually went a bit mad at the booth because their hair accessories were so much cheaper than in New York that I bought 5 for less than I would for one. It was also hysterical because the proprietor of the booth kept wanting to help and offering up suggestions about how "it looks real cute" when you put your hair in a ponytail and stick a barrette with a huge bow right in the center of your head. I kindly explained to her that it wasn't quite the look I was going for.
Headband detail
Belt and print detail. Perfectly matching nail polish is just a happy coincidence. Photo credit goes to Ateqah, who among many other titles is my voting buddy. Sadly it is likely to be our last time voting together since she moved a few days after Election Day (just a few neighborhoods over, not to a whole new city). We started voting together last year on Election Day (which was just ever so slightly more exciting than this past one) because we were phone banking swing states for that one and we were supposed to tell folks to bring a friend to the polls so they didn't get frustrated with waiting and walk off. So last year we voted together and I was done in less than 5 minutes while she waited for over an hour and it turned out to be a good thing that she had a voting buddy. Sadly this time around turnout was waaaay less and neither one of us had to wait at all.
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