grace



love the collar detail! (cropped from garance dore's website)

yesterday i met a young jewellery designer at her studio - i am so inspired! maybe i'm going to get one of her gold necklaces. if i'm disciplined with my spending in the next month i just might. and she was so charming - that mix of joy and simple interest in doing what she likes; a certain discipline that comes with just doing well what she is interested in; reminds me that sometimes i think a little too much of the what-ifs, and of my easily being distracted!

i thought about grace, as in, the trait. this young lady was edgy but in a very graceful way - so what is grace? i think that would equate to being aware of yourself, but not seeking to draw attention to yourself; not thinking so much about what you want to be, but just being at the state that you are at your most natural; being the most selfless and compassionate in a way that springs out of an inner confidence; and effort - i think effort is grace. when i think of the people i admire, those that i know deep down i want to be like most are not the 'cooler' ones or the most successful ones, but the ones with the most grace (my mother is one of them; another is my grandmother). i think that's not easy to do. like i said, i'm easily distracted. some days i want to be the quiet geek, somedays i want to be the centre of attention. so, i think it's time to remind myself to try and be a little bit more 'into' myself; i think i'm most graceful when i'm not thinking about myself but about my work or other people; and of course one way to do that is to get back to the Word, because actions and words guided by God's grace are the most genuine and natural.

of course another thing i was thinking about was 'graceful' dressing. i don't mean exacty being feminine - maybe more like, the most natural way of dressing that reflects who i am, how i move, how i am most comfortable, sometimes being a little bolder or different, but confident. i like to be a little anonymous in my dressing. i feel more authority in a great detail (ala proenza schouler satchel) than look-at-me monogramming. There's no mystery and excitment in the latter - you won't be able to create your own identity when it's outrightly a fendi (that said i do love the craft and detailing in these bags and i don't like certain models and maybe if you are one of those whose personality is awesome enough the bag won't overshadow you then such a bag i think is a complement).

i love garance dore's blog. i always get inspired by the people she photographs and how their personality oozes from what they wear.