Back to Life, Back to Reality (and my New England 6)

What are the telltale signs that my vacation is officially over? My once glorious tan continues to fade a little more each day (thanks for all the rain, Boston), the 25,347 mosquito bites that I acquired are merely a memory (a really itchy and annoying one), and my neck is already stiff enough to require its traditional midday massage. Sigh…is that all there is to vacation?

But wow was it great, and much needed too. Not only did we swim in a bioluminescent bay, drink our weight in Piña Coladas (did you know that Puerto Rico claims to have invented them back in the 60’s?) and gaze at the stars from the hot tub every night, but I managed to do all of the above while only wearing 6 articles of clothing. Danne bam!

You might think that denying yourself the joy of packing a suitcase full of Forever 21’s entire summer collection would be a bummer, but it was more of a relief. Let’s face it too, does anyone really wear all of the outfit alternatives that they pack? Maybe it’s just me, but I always end up wearing the same dress over and over again. After this trip, I think I’m officially a vacation sixer for life.

Sixing has been really great back in my regular life too. No more "I have nothing to wear" moments, no more looking through my closet for stupid amounts of time every morning. Now, I simply choose pants or dress, black or gray, and then add some shoes and accessories. Done and done. I actually really love it. I mean, I do miss some of my old brightly-colored favs, but I'm kind of enjoying looking a little more like a grown-up in my black and "Graphic Design Gray" (as a professor of mine in college once put it) ensembles.

Here are a few things that I've learned from 2 weeks of sixing:

1. My Spring jacket can definitely be worn as a shirt too, win!

2. Leggings are the best thing ever, especially on vacation. Not only did they protect me from at least a hundred more mosquito bites, but they can act as yoga pants, regular pants if you have a long shirt, and keep you a little warmer if worn under a dress. A whole new world...

3. Scarves are also a contender for the best thing ever. If anyone needs an idea for a birthday gift for me next year, I'm all about building up my scarf collection. They make anything look a little fancier and can even make a black wife beater look snazzy. Amazing.

4. I need to invest in some serious staple pieces. You know, a nice black sweater, a white shirt—basically, the opposite of my current pattern infested wardrobe. While the stripes and florals are fun, I can definitely save the pizazz for the scarves and jewelry so I don't need to hit up H&M every season. Oh the things I'm learning...

5. Nobody notices, or cares, if you wear the same thing 2 days in a row. Well, unless it comes from the afore mentioned floral pattern section of my closet...



A snapshot of my Viequation, ahhh Vieques sunset, I miss you already...