Look Book

These photos are from the look book I created today. In the first one I'm the image of a latter-day punk rock school girl. The second I consider grunge-y: a typical casual outfit. In the last picture I wear the trendy necklace I bought in Banana Republic when I ended the cognitive therapy.

In all the photos my friend shot I'm wearing only lipstick, as I do on most days. In the last photo posted here I look ethnic. Thus I feel having 16 tubes of lipstick is justified: I know exactly which shade to use for each outfit to brighten my dull skin.

I look Italian. There is no way around this. I have distinctly Mediterranean features. You won't see me on a cornflake box. An old college friend [whose wisdom outlived the friendship] told me: "You look good without makeup."

Fear I look severe in black [the Sicilian widow effect] because although I do wear colors I fall back on black. Would like to buy a pair of white canvas pants I saw on the Loft web site. I'll see if I can swing that. It would be my one purchase this month apart from the necklace.

Walked past the jewelry store and on impulse I backed up and went in to see if I could find something for $10 or $15 dollars. Then I told myself I hadn't treated myself to anything in awhile so why not take advantage of the layaway plan that has generous terms. So I did. Shoot me.

The food order arrived just now. I bought a container of quinoa salad with faro in balsamic dressing that I'll have for lunch tomorrow. The bulgur cooks in 12 to 15 minutes and one serving fits the RDA of whole grains. I stored the salad and the baby beets in the refrigerator. I will try some baby beets with dinner tonight: have the crab cake and bulgur and baby beets.

2012 beckons. I want to be ready for it: fit and lean. With a sinewy mind. The way I see it: in three years I will have to make the decision the woman who gave me the reading told me I'd be faced with. That is a relatively short amount of time to make this kind of change in.

The rest of the winter and continuing in the spring I will devote my energy to the gym and to eating healthful foods. Only that. In March I will enlist the services of the image consultant.

The idea that you cannot look back in anger holds sway with me. You can only move forward with hope. To quote Linda Ellerbee: "Change is one form of hope. To risk change is to believe in tomorrow."

I believe tomorrow can only be better. I won't stress over things going on today and I won't worry about future events that are yet to happen. Always I will maintain a positive spirit. It is what I must do: keep hopeful. You would not continue to read JM if I put you in a downer. So I aim to entertain as well as educate.

Now I will go sign off and cook dinner.

Enjoy your night.