Another day – another week – another blog. Another cup of coffee.
Just a personal note: I have a friend who is a full time blogger. And before I wrote a blog – I used to scoff to myself “How could blogging possibly be a full time job? What do you do with the other 23.5 hours in day?” Now that I write a blog – I kind of get it. I have a pretty small blog. I get between 500-1,000 views per post. (I’d like to bump that up!). I don’t get paid. I have no sponsors. I get no free products. None of that. It’s mostly just because I really enjoy it and people seem to like reading along with me. And I find it pretty time consuming. I have to write like five pages of content, take all the pictures featured, post it up on all my platforms, come up with ideas. For my one post a week – it can take me between 3-5 hours to complete (depending on how diligently I am working). I TOTALLY get how it can be a full time job for these bloggers who post between 3-5 days a week. I get it. Much respect to you.
Life Updates:
I posted a bonus blog on Tuesday for my mom and grandma in honor of Mother’s Day. You can check that out here. My mom (and dad!) are such wonderful, caring, and selfless people. I find myself increasingly proud to be their child. They have done every single thing a parent can do for a child and always provided me with a household to grow, to learn, to flourish, and to love. If you want to read more of my open note to my mom, grandma, and other women that have inspired me – click on over.
This past week was my grandmother’s memorial and two of my cousins spoke and I gave a speech. I was very proud of it. I knew my grandmother well and loved her very dearly so I hope that I honored her memory. I’m going to put a short poem that I found in my Grandma’s journal here. My grandmother kept several journals throughout her life and I poured through them to be able to offer her own insight to her family about losing two children and about having dementia as it developed and got worse. But in one of her journals was a copy of this poem simply credited to C.R. This is what I finished my memorial speech with and it touched me. So I’m going to post this below.
Celebrate the temporary.
Don’t wait until tomorrow.
Live today.
Celebrate the simple things.
Enjoy the butterfly.
Embrace the snow.
Run with the ocean.
Delight in trees or a single flower.
Go barefoot in the wet grass.
Don’t wait until all the problems are solved
or all the bills are paid.
You will wait forever.
Eternity will come and go and you will still be waiting.
Live in the now with all the problems and its agonies
with its joy and its pain.
Celebrate your despair and your anger and your grief.
It means you’re alive.
Look closer.
Breathe deeper.
Stand taller.
Stop grieving the past.
It is temporary
Here and gone
So celebrate it while you can
Celebrate the temporary
I just wanted to share this poem with all of you. In case anyone needed to hear it. I did.
But the content of the day is this:
I have no idea why I thought this would be a good idea. But we did it and I loved it.
Preston and I often coordinate our outfits, mostly by accident, because we are both such fashion conscience people. And so far, the regular readers of Curves, Curls, & Coffee seem to be a big fan of Preston and our wacky and adorable antics. So I decided I wanted to do a “His & Hers” fashion post today. You saw Preston and I coordinate some colors in our Spring Photo Shoot post that I had up a few weeks ago. Here’s a link to that post – if you are interested in seeing all of the shots from that particular photo shoot.
However, as many of you know, Preston and I are both long time actors, huge dorks, and can’t do anything super traditional. We like to to do things in a kooky, fun, and quirky way whenever possible. So, for this week on our His & Her fashion – I decided that it might be fun if we did outfits inspired by famous pairs. Now, I don’t mean to say that we’re wearing costumes – our outfits are just inspired by these characters.
For example:
Fred & Daphne
Preston is sporting some blue dress pants, a white dress shirt, and an orange tie. I’m rocking some WeLoveColors tights, some Avenue white pumps, and an awesome stretchy 1960’s purple dress that was a Ross find like three years ago. Easily one of my favorite pieces. I think that pink pastel headband was actually from a craft store. They are totally the best place to buy solid color (of any width) headbands. I’m going to call this look ‘Zoinks Chic’. Love it. Zoinks!
Sherlock & Watson
Now there is ENDLESS fanfiction and hopes and dreams and conspiracy theorists that think that Sherlock and Watson were lovers the whole time. Which is cool. But this time – it’s true! I’m donning my Modcloth Coach Tour Dress in Houndstooth, a black DressBarn cardigan, and my white Avenue pumps. Preston is rocking a Houndstooth suit coat, gray vest, burgundy tie combo (that he literally stole right off the mannequin.) and black slacks – all from Jos. A Bank. I was going for Sherlock and he was going for Watson. We even snapped a few pictures of Sherlock looking lovingly and longingly at Watson. (in case anyone REALLY wants them to end up together.) And I’m not talking Benwinkle Cougarthatch and the guy from Fargo – Sherlock and Watson. (just kidding. I loooove Martin Freeman. And Sherlock is pretty good.) But I was more going for the older older older movie version. Like Basil Rathbone era.
I would like to take a short interlude to give photo credit where credit is due. My older brother, Adam, did this for like an hour and some change with us on Saturday as we rapidly changed outfits in the kitchen. Adam lives out of state was only home to visit for the weekend (for Grandma’s memorial and Mother’s Day). And he was only a pain in the butt once or twice. (which for him – is a feat.) But he helped us get some really cool shots. So thank you, brother! He HATES having his picture taken – so as a thank you for taking all of these pictures – I will not post a picture of him now.
Barbie & Ken
My life long struggle to be plus size Barbie continues. And I LOOOOOOOOOOVE the Barbie line at Torrid. Just give me more of all of the things and I’ll be good, I swear. Maybe I’ll do a whole post about ALL of the Barbie stuff I have. Because, honestly – there’s a lot. And this was the one time I gave Preston a glare eye – because he has this awesome hot pink bowtie and I asked him to bring it for his Ken look. And I was sad that he brought a blue one. But the blue one has pink accents and it ended up looking great! My heart shaped sunglasses were a lucky find at a gas station in the Adirondacks. The Barbie shirt is from Torrid, pink skirt a thrift find (but from Lane Bryant), and that pink hat was something I wore when I was in Legally Blonde: The Musical! But there were a lot of pictures not featured here that were of us trying to pose like Barbies…but mostly we just looked like a bunch of dopes trying to do the robot.
Peter Pan & Wendy
Oh my gosh. I ended up LOOOOOOOVING this look. Seriously. The lime green with the winter mint blue. SLAAAY. But I’m wearing that Eshakti mint dress, velvet royal blue headband from AC Moore, and royal blue flats from the VF Outlets near my house. It was supposed to be a modern twist on Wendy’s nightgown and slippers and hairbow. He’s rocking the lime green shirt with brown double monk strap shoes. He’s all about that double monk life. This may have been my favorite look of the day. I am just obsessed with the color combination. Let’s call it “Neverland Chic”
Dorothy & The Scarecrow
This was tied for second with Fred & Daphne for my favorite look of the day. I’m rocking ANOTHER Modcloth Coach Tour dress (a recently released blue gingham one. Obsessed.) with my red ruby slippers and my red ruby headband. Preston is sporting his forest green tee, his brown jacket with elbow patches, jeans, and those double monks again. These were some of the hardest shots to get but they totally paid off. I love love love them! What should I call this look? Oz Couture? Yellow Brick Road Chic? Well, whatever it is. It was a ton of fun.
So my favorite shots for the day are these 5 posted below:
In the next few weeks Preston and I have some big plans coming up. We’re going away for Memorial Day weekend, I’m doing Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, my last March for Babies is done this weekend and then next week I’ll be done working at the March of Dimes, my birthday is in 11 days, I have no foreseeable job to go into after MoD and I have overwhelming anxiety about it. I’ve been applying for full time jobs for nearly 8 solid months. I’ve applied to like 120 jobs, had 19 interviews, and one part time, temporary gig offered to me. It’s really scary. I’m always ‘too inexperienced’. Usually I’m applying for jobs that ask for one year of experience and I have like two or three in that field. But I have a few things that I’m excited about…but mostly just scary. Any advice about the job hunt?
So here’s the “end of blog” spiel!
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Subscribe for updates! Check out my last post about your summer reading list, my top 10 plus size stores, or my thoughts about loving your body!Comment for topics you would like to see me cover! Like to help my self esteem! What do you think so far? More fashion? More lifestyle? Do you like the mix?
Question of the Day: Who is your favorite fictional couple? Or what fictional couple are you shipppppping for life? I’m a big fan of CeCe and Schmidt on New Girl.
My next few blog ideas: I think want to do one about memorial day. And my birthday. And transitioning your outfits from winter to summer. But I’m not sure. I want to know what you are interested in hearing about? My Top 10 Embarrassing Stories? 20 Facts from Your Blogger? The 10 People You Meet in Theatre? Dress-pocalypse? A team up with another blogger? My birthday wishlist? Let me know!
Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!
How Very,
Abby 
Penny Darling 
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