Miss V and I went to lunch with the mayor…Thursday? Friday? I can’t remember. I tried to kill him with a fork. It was an accident of course. I grew up in an Italian-Polish family, where we all speak with our hands. Of course, you don’t realize this until you turn a utensil into a projectile in the middle of a restaurant. It got EXCELLENT distance, I was proud.
Now, if you’ve been around long enough…say about 8 years (and I only think about one of my readers was there) you’ll remember the fork incident at Punxsutawney. I’m going to go ahead and start using sporks from now on.
The kids got a hold of one of my most recent pieces, a portrait I was working on of a friend who passed away. Now if you have ever seen me work on a piece, you know I could never make a living of it. It takes me a good four or five months to finish anything. I would starve in that time period. Today the MIL was on the phone and the kids were drawing in marker in the closet on the walls. Apparently they were using the canvas as leverage to reach those pesky high spots.
RIP painting.
iz’s 2nd birthday fash.
Today the kids are excited: they were invited to a party with other little girls. Not just any other little girls, but fellow Barbie aficionados. A dear friend of Miss Vero’s invited us. “The girls will love it,” she says “our block is a sea of pink Barbie Jeeps as far as the eye can see.”
This, of course, brings us to the battle du jour.
Solaris and fashion are like oil and vinegar. She tries, it’s just hard for her in a town where all the other little kids are fine in their Garanimal shorts and tees. We do a lot of research online and quality time with Vogue to try to steer her in the right direction. For instance, today it’s a balmy 80 degrees or so. IsaLuna dons her super cute floral tunic from Carters in a super cute blogosphere/etsy inspired print (sans panties, as usual with her, but that is another battle).
iz’s tunic pattern.
Sol pops out in a long sweater dress ready to go. I shake my head.
ME: You can’t wear that today, sweetie, it’s too hot out.
Sol: I’m cold.
ME: (Changing direction) It’s not really in season. Here, look online at what the other little girls are wearing.
I pull up the Gymboree site, followed by Saks. I quickly learn that trying to negotiate fashion decisions with Sol using the Saks site is a mistake. Skipping past all the more affordable outfits like Chloe, Isabel Garreton and Burberry (and I use “affordable” losely), she goes right for the D&G. Even Dior is 1/3 the price of Dolce&Gabbana.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not one to spend more than $30 on a kid’s outfit given how they have a tendency to completely DESTROY anything they get near. (Artist kids– if it can be painted, it will be painted). And isn’t the purpose of buying higher quality clothing so it last longer, or is this just my utilitarian view of the matter? So if they are only in a size for a month or two, what is the point?
The Principles of Fashion Education in Emo Preschool
The original purpose of the exercise was to instill an appreciation for fashion, not that I want her to go out and drop $300 on a kid’s outfit, but so that she can learn an appreciation for style and quality so when she is out at a really great vintage shop and happens across an awesome vintage Balenciaga she won’t think twice about snatch it up for her dear mother. Ok, so really it’s so that she is able to recognize classic lines, textures and colors and apply them to more sensible items.
Fashion is an art, and like any other art is an equal mix of investment and sensuality. To not teach them to appreciate art is a tragedy. Materialism is an entirely different monster from art appreciation. She can go and experience a Van Gogh the same way she can experience a Versace, but it doesn’t mean she needs to own it. In fact, sometimes I wonder if the better investment would be to never own a Van Gogh, but instead take the lessons his pieces teach her about art and learn to recognize the potential in up and coming artists.
At least until she marries her pianist prodigy husband, Ethan and can buy herself as many Van Goghs and D&G sun dresses as her little heart desires. Until then the sweaters stay in the closet when the thermometer breaks 75, kid.
Cranes, originally uploaded by shellgreenier.
Crane Wreck.
P.S. Happy Birthday Laur!
