July 7, 2005 7:14 PM
Looking like a lady
This is something that's hard for me.
Number one: I didn't grow up with a mom who did "girly" things with me, as she was a single mom and busy working and trying to find a man.
Number two: During my years as a hippie, good grooming was not top priority. Radical feminists did not shave their legs or under their arms. We didn't wear makeup or get many haircuts.
Number three: Having kids every year and half for ten years didn't leave much time for manicures.
Number four: Ditto for becoming a writer. For two years, I've been meeting contract deadlines. This is the first week of an indefinite period of freedom.
So since I have a little extra time on my hands, I decided that this year when I attend the CBA - that's Christian Booksellers Association - conference to sign my books, it would be nice to look just a little nicer than I have in the past.
I mean, the other Christian lady authors - really speakers who write, while I am a writer who speaks - are always pretty polished, with perfect hair and makeup and clothes. I, on the other hand, look like I just escaped from a houseful of kids. Which I guess is because I did - just escape from a houseful of kids.
So I went to Target yesterday and loaded up on Nair/facial/pedicure/mainicure/hair products and locked myself in the bathroom for a couple hours today. I think the results are pretty good, but I can't imagine devoting a couple hours every week to this stuff.
Well, anyway, please picture me in Denver signing books with nails that are short (mine refuse to get long) but nicely manicured.
CBA is a conference that's held annually as a trade show for people who own Christian bookstores to come and see all the new books and products. Book publishers are there to showcase their new books and have authors sign free ones for the conferees. Also all the greeting cards, jewelry, bumper stickers, and knick-knacks that have crowded out books - much to the writers' and publishers' dismay - in your local Christian bookstore.
Looking down on it from an upper level last year in Atalnta, I thought it was as much like Babylon as Christianity can get. I don't mean that harshly, but that's the only way to describe all that merchandise concentrated in one place.
I will have a laptop while I'm there. I'll take pictures and show you some of the stuff. Also, who knows, maybe I'll get a picture with some big Christian celebrity.
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Comments
Wow! You will be in my fair city. I hope you enjoy your time here. The weather promises to be hot and *very* dry. Bring lotion for the cuticles around your newly manicured hands!
I wish I were a "conferee"!
Posted by: mopsy | July 7, 2005 9:28 PM
Enjoy the conference. I too, wish I were a conferee. If I were I'd go to Mopsy's for some pumpkin pie. :)
Posted by: Lexie | July 7, 2005 11:39 PM
My growing up was a little different: no haircuts, no jewelry, no makeup, very plain--so it's still hard for me to use all that stuff and not feel phony. Sometimes I do a little for fun. (We did shave our legs, though. :-)
I hope you have a blast, nails and all!
Posted by: Julana | July 8, 2005 12:20 PM
Julana -
that's funny. i never thought about it from the point of view of your upbringing :)
Posted by: barbaracurtis | July 8, 2005 6:17 PM
