Spring Blooms, again

crownsSeems like a lifetime ago when Nine Cent Girl was born. The fiery hues of autumn had just subsided into a monochromatic black and white across my Vermont landscape, while fickle sunlight and arctic air drove me indoors. It was during this introspective time in the seasonal circle that my blog became a trusty beacon, illuminating my direction through what dark days lay ahead as well as brightening the unforeseen surprises dropped along my path.

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April Fooling

If, like me, you’ve noticed a change when strolling by a Gap storefront, you are witnessing the rebranding or reenergizing (as in returning to the very iconic and diverse identity the store achieved 40+ years ago). And if, like me, you were drawn into the store, you would not be disappointed with the quality of fit, the feel of fabrics, and the same price-value you remember from years ago when you last shopped there. “Fashion is entertainment. It’s also art, innovation, and culture,” says Richard Dickson, the current CEO. I could not agree more. Having Zac Posen, coming directly from his success with Barbie, leading the creative future for Gap is another big win for the company. So, how about it? Dare to venture back inside everyone’s favorite store from eons ago, not necessarily for the khakis, but certainly for a super comfortable “feels like Gap” moment.

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the aging face

If you are cognizant of even a sliver of the media spinning-wheel directing our attention and you are female, you are probably fixated on aging, especially the visible changes on your face. Sadly, this attitude can happen even if you are only a teen, but most definitely can define how you value your worth once you reach an ‘advanced age’. This is not a male issue as evident along the packed shelves in every drugstore and grocery store or at the core of the countless ads directed at women, to conceal, enhance, even to defy how you actually look. Women are being forced to relinquish control of their autonomy thanks to a stacked repressive Supreme Court and equally hoodwinked into believing that while men grow more distinguished with age, women just get old. Our society tells us that men are not able to control themselves if an attractive woman in her twenties wears a pencil skirt but by fifty women should be quietly buttoning up all desires and most definitely putting on a new face.

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