Weekly Thrill: 6/16-6/22

Weekly Thrill is a feature in which I share my current truths:

• T is for taste testing
• H is for hearing
• R is for reading
• I is for interested in 
• L is for learning
• L is for loving.

• Read other weekly thrills here.

JUNE 16 – JUNE 22 (2014)

Taste testing: As I mentioned in my last Thrill post, I won a few giveaways last week, including one that involved a credit for $1,000 to Rent the Runway. If you’re not familiar with the site, it allows shoppers to rent designer dresses for more than 50 percent off full retail price. It also has jewelry and accessories for rent, and sells some makeup and beauty products.

I’ve never enjoyed dressing up. I don’t go to a lot events that call for fancy attire and frankly, I always feel awkward when I’m dressed in my Sunday best. Still, I wanted to give RTR a try, and I did.

It was swoon at first sight. The Opening Ceremony cut-out dress called to me. So, I ordered it. The Cookie Cutter Perfection dress that normally costs more than $400 for only $40. I got it in two sizes; they give you the choice of a second size for free. The plan was to wear it for a weekend night out so I set my rental dates for Friday through Monday (they allow four- or eight-day rentals).

Right on schedule, my order arrived via UPS on Friday afternoon. The dresses were on hangers and zipped inside a RTR garment bag. In the box was a large UPS envelope for easy return.

I hate to say that I was disappointed by my choice, but I was. I wanted to love it. Perfectly is how it fit around my shoulders and arms (others who rented it said it was tight around the arms). The cut outs were darling but positioned in a way that one has to go braless or wear a strapless bra. I personally would have preferred it a couple inches shorter and more fitted around the waist. The material is quite thick and made me feel warm, which is to say it’s not as summer friendly as it looks. The texture of the fabric was one of the things I was initially drawn to, but what looked so intriguing on the computer screen reminded me of a blanket in real life. Of course I don’t blame RTR for any of this. I don’t even blame Opening Ceremony because they have more good to offer than bad.

I love the idea behind this company. There are so many beautiful formal and casual dresses, pant suits, jackets and other garments available. (I’m already thinking of renting something for next weekend.) I would recommend this to any lady who needs an outfit to wear for an event or even those who do not have special plans but like the idea of overdressing for a night out. Why spend money on something fancy that you’ll wear once and then banish to the never-wear section of the closet? 

Hearing: You know how you listen to an album consistently for a long period of time and then somehow pull away from it for a while only to revisit it a month later and wonder why you didn’t play it a million times more than the million times you already played it? Such is the tale of my listening relationship with Saintseneca‘s Dark Arc. The folk album plays beautifully from start to finish.

One of my favorite tracks:

Reading: I’ve been reading a book suggested by one of my good friends, Mark. It’s about the power of the subconscious mind, so much so that it’s called “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind.”

In reading this, I’ve become more aware of how often I become anxious over how I think people perceive me. I know a lot of us do this. Often times the details we obsessively worry about are rarely recognized by outsiders. I think it’s important to remind ourselves, through affirmations and otherwise, of the power our thoughts hold. They truly can work for us or against us (self-fulfilling prophecies, anyone?). There are a couple quotes I keep in mind that help me when I am too wrapped up in what other people think or expect of me:

1. “I cannot control how I am perceived; I can only control how I am presented.”
2. Charles Bukowski in “The Laughing Heart,” “Your life is your life, don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.”

Interested in: Zady is a store with an “ethically fashioned” mission. In its own words, “No more clothing that ends up in landfills. No more production with questionable roots. Quality over quantity. Your choices matter.” I love to hear about retail initiatives like this, here are some of my favorite items from the store:

Learning: I’ve taken my share of Spanish classes and though I passed them all, I definitely wouldn’t consider myself proficient in the language. I have always wanted to learn French but knew the more practical option, as a person living in the Southwest, was to learn Spanish. Well, the time has come to learn French and the way I’m going about it is truly a sign of the technological times. I’m using a phone application called Duolingo. It’s so convenient to be able to take lessons whenever and wherever. The app is free and has lessons on more than 15 languages. I’ll be fluent in all of them in due time. 

Loving: Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps can be used for just about anything. I use them to wash fresh produce, clean around the house, do laundry, and clean my face and body, but they can do so much more. They’re also biodegradable and vegetable-based, and manufactured with certified fair trade and organic oils. In other words, they aren’t filled with a long list of ingredients you cannot pronounce or otherwise identify. 

Lately one thing that I cannot go a day without doing is washing my face with Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Magic Pure-Castile Soap. I’ve used other castile soaps from this line, but nothing is as refreshing as peppermint. It is brilliant and awakening. There’s a tingling feeling that lasts for a minute or so after I wash. I usually follow up by patting on some witch hazel as a toner and that’s it — the makings of a clean, fresh-faced woman.

What people, places or things made your week? Are you interested in trying any of the things I mentioned?