Thursday: Remix Workout and the Style Challenge

On impulse yesterday, I decided to go kayaking in a nearby lake; I've rowed my whole life in various types of boats, but I've never kayaked.

I AM HOOKED. It was all the best parts of my other rowing experiences: the ability to go "on an adventure" and explore close-up the shoreline and water (like when I would take out the rowboat as a kid), a great upper-body workout and ability to glide swiftly across the lake (like when I was on crew in high school), and the ability to control it all myself, which I never had. I couldn't stop marveling at how much I had missed being so close to the water, and wondering why I hadn't looked into this sport before.

I will definitely be renting kayaks in the coming days and weeks, to check out the different styles and sizes, and then very likely buying one of my own. I've already checked and there's no rentals anywhere near Natchez Trace, and I won't have my own in the next two weeks, unfortunately. But I will figure something out!

Luckily, I had the perfect gear outfit for my spontaneous adventure; on Hubby's urging I had just picked up a pair of water-repellant long cargo shorts from REI, for going out on his boat in Tennessee. I paired it with his favorite message t-shirt, a Christmas gift he got from ThinkGeek for me last year (think like a computer geek and you will get the joke), and my awesome yellow Lands End aqua socks/waterproof Mary Janes. The colors are not my usual flattering ones, but it's actually better to wear bland neutrals on the water so you attract fewer bugs.



Heh.

Later that day, after I also squeezed in a C25K run (and um, some ice cream *g*), I finally had a chance to dress up for the Dress Your Style challenge I had issued over on YLF. This stemmed from a Name Your Style thread I started a couple of days ago, where I challenged everyone to use only 3 words to describe their current style and the style they would like to grow toward. My 3 words were:

My current style:
1. Polished
2. Cheery
3. Classic

My style goals:
1. Pretty
2. Clever
3. SophisticatedComplex, detailed, haven't quite defined it yet

Funny thing is, I tore my closet UP trying to put something together! I only have two pairs of jeans that fit right now, one in white and one in medium rinse (a hand-me-down pair from Target), and it's hard to do a polished look without dark-rinse jeans! I was completely panicking, certain that I would be the only one who couldn't actually fulfill the challenge that *I* issued, muttering "polished, cheery, classic" to myself as I tried on outfit after outfit. Shirt and after shirt were rejected, I grabbed vests and necklaces and scarves and different jeans and they were just ALL WRONG. We were heading out for dinner soon, and I was losing the race with the clock -- when all of a sudden, I spied the perfect top and realized I was making the whole thing much too hard. And I put on the outfit I should have been wearing all along.



The J Crew outlet denim skirt is polished, the BR Outlet yellow striped sweater top is pretty and cheerful with the classic sailor-stripe look, and the brown strap sandals have a nice wedge heel which gives me my signature height. The second I put it on, I felt like me, which is what the challenge was supposed to accomplish.

I wasn't really looking to create my future style, I only wanted to capture what I am now. I do feel like I cheated a bit by not wearing real jeans, and I may try later when my niece is gone to do it again with a t-shirt and jeans as the base, but...this is me to a tee! :)

Today we are off to Six Flags for a day of roller coasters. How the heck will I dress for that? Casual and nothing loose that could fly off when I am upside down, for sure! :)