By the time this post goes live, the Elton John concert will have come and gone…
THE STORY
…but I can guarantee that the memories will last a lifetime. Friday’s post will undoubtedly include a story or three from the concert, as well as perhaps the outfit that I wore, but today I want to talk to you about the really important part; my date. If you caught Monday’s post, then you already know that my concert date was my son. Of course like any mother, I love him to the moon and back; 26 or 86 it doesn’t matter, he will always be my Bubber Wubber. He is truly the very best parts of both myself and my husband all blended into one stellar human being. He has an incredible gift for business and numbers, impeccable interior design taste and a kind and loving soul from his father. A sarcastic witty sense of humor and view on life, a mouth like a drunken sailor on shore leave, and a love and patience for those with special needs from me. A deep knowledge and sharp commentary in regard to politics, the confidence to speak his mind at the young age of 26, and goals and ambitions along with the work ethic to follow through with them that are 100% him. And what I just might love most about him is his absolute love and devotion to his little sister and his grandmother (my aunt whom I wrote about here, has been his grandmother since birth since my mom was gone).
We have actually been trying for years, literally years, to get tickets to see Elton anytime that he was within driving distance. I can’t tell you how many times I sat perched on the edge of my keyboard ready to dive in as soon as the tickets went on sale. No luck. I even tried to win a pair in a contest at a local radio station. Ya, that didn’t work out either. This year though we did it. Why the obsession? Is it because Elton is a freakin’ brilliant musician with more God-given talent in his little finger than any musician on the radio today? That’s part of it. Is it because my son will get his gay membership card revoked if he doesn’t see the godfather of all gay men everywhere live in concert at least once in his lifetime? Maybe. I would love to see Elton anytime, anywhere, with anyone, but the reason I absolutely must see him with my son is far deeper than any of these reasons.
You see, when I was pregnant with him I was utterly deeply terrified that I would have no clue how to be a mother; no one had ever taught me how to do it. These weren’t your usual expectant mom doubts; these doubts were deeply rooted in those voices I mentioned a few weeks back. Because of this paranoia, I wanted to give my baby every possible positive experience I could from the start; I wanted him to know that he was loved before he even arrived. I would spend hours laying on the couch with my Sony Walkman (yes, this was during the dark ages of technology) headphones stretched across my insanely ginormous belly; I gained 60 pounds and birthed a baby that weighed a little over 7 pounds, you do the math. I would play Elton for him over and over again. Ya, there was some Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and even the Beatles thrown in for good measure, but the preponderance of our prenatal musical adventures involved Elton. Hence, my overwhelming obsession to see Elton John with my boy. I made some pretty epic mistakes as a mom, but at the end of the day my boy always knew he was loved. And I like to think that maybe Elton helped with that.
**Proof that elfin-sized women should not gain 60 pounds when pregnant…and that some of us get better with age. And dig the head-to-toe tie dye. I was killin’ it my friends.
THE OUTFIT
Keeping with the late 80’s/early 90’s theme I’ve got going here, this vintage blazer is a blast from the past that’s been waiting to be saved from attic exile. I considered removing the shoulder pads, but ya know what? I think they give this blazer just the right amount of structure. It still fits perfectly, and while it’s long and more of a boyfriend shape, I don’t feel overwhelmed by the size of it. And the nice thing about late 80’s blazers? They’re long enough to cover your butt, if that’s a concern for you. The leopard pumps, while neutral, still add the needed visual interest to an otherwise rather basic look and the heel height is perfect to extend the lines of the blazer and skinny jeans. I kept the jewelry light and simple as well as not to clutter things up.
THE TIP
Don’t fear wearing pieces from a different decade (bonus points if they’re from your own attic). If you pair them with more recent pieces, for example the skinny jeans and leopard pumps, you’ll avoid looking like you’re the guest of honor at an 80’s costume party. Pairing vintage with modern will keep the look current.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Blazer: Vintage (Similar); Jeans: Old Navy; Pumps: Target (Similar); Clutch: JCPenney (Similar)
