A Throwback Girl

Have you ever felt as if you were born in the wrong era? As if you fell into a time where you didn't belong? *raises hand* Yep, that's me. I'm a throwback to a time when life was simpler.

You've read my previous posts. You know I am a woman who is more than a little old-fashioned. I cook and bake from scratch. I garden and freeze my own veggies. I make my own jams. Hell, I make my own soaps and lotions, too. Technology is great, but I miss the simpler times.

Mr. Charismatic Smile shared this the other day and it brought this post to the forefront of my mind.

Now, don't get me wrong! I'm all for people wearing what they want to wear, but I'm such a sucker for a man who can pull off a suit and tie. Yeah, I know...I like the jeans and hoodie/t-shirt look, too. However, there is such a classic look when a man puts on a three piece suit and dress shoes.

I'm not a fashion-minded person. I don't know designers. Hell, I had to ask my former roommate who the hell Kate Spade was and what made her special. Did the same thing with Coach. (He laughed at me and said, "You're a girl. Shouldn't you know these things?) I buy what I like because I like it. I don't care about a name. I'm not a fan of skinny jeans on men or the hipster look, in general. I prefer it if my guy wears jeans more often than a suit, but putting on a suit for an evening out or church on Sunday...mmmm...that works.

I'm so much of a throwback that I just ordered this dress:

I wear a garter belt and seamed stockings under all of my skirts. I wear heels as often as is possible. I love the femininity of it all. (Yeah, I'm the same woman who lives in jeans and t-shirts/hoodies and hiking boots.) I love the 40s feel to it. While it all is making a comeback in certain areas, I'm finding it easier to embrace my curves with some of the retro looks. 

There is so much changing in my life that I can hear my grandmother's voice playing in my head about how she's finally got her girly-girl granddaughter! I hated wearing dresses when I was younger. The first skirt I bought as an adult was one that hung to my ankles. (I have a gypsy skirt on my Amazon wish list, too.) I could get away with it, my bathing suit would include swim pants that go to my ankles. But I'm learning to embrace my feminine side the more I grow to accept my body. My curves aren't necessarily meant to be hidden. I'm trying to embrace them. 

In my hometown, there was a classic car event every July. My best friend and I loved that particular weekend. The old cars would roll into town and 50s music would play. We were two girls who loved the cars as much as the events that took place. The cruise was the best part. Especially at night when everyone brought the cars out to cruise Main Street. So many classic beauties would arrive and show off. It was almost as if we stepped back in time.

I'm very much a June Cleaver in a Kim Kardashian world. I love technology and all if affords me, but simplicity has a lot going for it as well. And classical! Being a classic never goes out of style! Think of the sexiest men and women out there...Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe. They had classical looks and a style that truly hasn't gone out of style.

So, tell me...in what era do you think you belong?

There is Something About a Man...

When I was going through the break-up of my marriage, my best friend looked at me one day and said, "Next time, you should try women." I laughed at him and said, "Nah, I like men. They have all the proper appendages." He rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, but you can BUY those." I remember sitting there laughing at him simply because he didn't get it. He told me, "Women are soft and squishy. They always smell good. They are smooth. Men are hairy and nasty.They get sweaty and stinky." I may have made a noise along the lines of "Mmmmmm...." to which he just shook his head.

Let me describe my best friend...He's 6 ft. 4 inches with dark brown hair and melted chocolate brown eyes. He's furry, big, and very teddy bear-like. When we first met, there was no facial hair. Then, he grew this beard that, well, let's just say, I like...A LOT!!! His family makes fun of it, but I find it about as sexy as anything. Then, there's his voice... Anyway, you get the point! This man is all sorts of sexy!

In the midst of the above conversation, he turned those heavily lashed brown eyes on me and said, "If I were a woman, I would totally be a lesbian." I snickered and tried to tell him what I love about men. There are so many things that make men the number one choice for me.

1. Their strength- Knowing he can hurt me, but won't is a huge turn on for me. So often I find myself needing someone to lean on when life gets to be too much and I always turn to my guy friends.

2. The way they feel- I'm not a woman who likes a guy with abs of steel. I want a guy with a bit of a belly. It's more comfortable to lay my head on when we are snuggling on the couch.

3. Their fur- There is just something about running my hands over a guy's fur that makes me go all weak in the knees. The contrast between my smoothness and his fur makes the womanly side of me become more defined.

4. Their smell- I don't mean their cologne, though that is nice, too. I mean their natural smell. I don't know how many times I've heard "I don't want to hug you because I've been sweating and I stink." Seriously? HUG ME!!! I love the smell of sweat on a man's skin. I don't mean the nasty, stinky sweat, but the sweat of an honest day's work is a good thing.

5. Whiskers, oh gods, the whiskers- This should be classified under fur, but I can't. Beards, mustaches, goatees...oh gods, I am a sucker for facial hair. The five o'clock shadow thing is nice, but a full on beard rubbing against your soft skin? Oh yeah, baby!

6. Their arms and hands- For the most part, men have these hands that are made to hold women, ya know? They are big and strong. They can hold a woman in her weakest moment and treat her gently. There is power in those hands. There is nothing (for me) like a man wrapping his arms around me, pulling me against him, and stroking my hair while I cry. See I used to be a "jeans and t-shirt" kind of woman, still am to a point, but there is just something about the way a man rocks a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show off his forearms...sigh... Seeing a man dressed up and ready to head out makes me glad to be a woman.

7. Their brains- I know a few women are saying "Wait a minute! Do men have those?" Yes, they do and they are remarkably brilliant...for the most part. There are some men who still sit around and laugh at fart jokes or any other crude behavior, but the men I'm talking about are brilliant. They have these minds that see things that women overlook. We may think they are being lazy, but in all sincerity, they are just taking their time.

8. Their eyes- Their eyes, if you've got a good one, sees you...the real you! The you they fell in love with. They see the beautiful woman you are and the reason they fell in love with you. If you've got an incredible man, he will even tell you how beautiful you are and how sexy you are. In your eyes, you may miss those things, but to a man...mmmmm...he sees it.

9. Their voices- Oh wow, the timbre of a man's voice is enough to push me over the edge of ecstasy. And it isn't just the voice itself. It's the words they say and the way they say them. Whether it is said in a whisper or at a normal tone, the words they say aren't always pretty, but they say them from their hearts.

10. Their hearts- They pretend to be all rough and tough, but inside, most men are smooshy, squishy tubs of marshmallow fluff. They have such sensitive souls and they love so intensely that it is sometimes hard for us to see that. I find myself liking a man that I have to be a bit more tender around. Not walking on eggshells sort, but simply watching my tone and words...not being bitchy simply because I can be.

11. Their lips- I love to kiss and be kissed...that is my girly side showing through. A man knows how to kiss tenderly and he knows when to take it deeper and rougher.

Yes, I love men. They are these incredibly complex beings (though many would deny it) and I simply want to know their secrets, their thoughts, their desires, their hopes, and their dreams. I want to be the woman who stands by one man for the rest of her life, sharing his joys, sorrows, and tomorrows. Men (or at least one in particular) makes my world turn. His strength keeps me balanced. His logic keeps me grounded. His love gives me security.