Still unemployed, and still feeling fabulous

Despair, discouraged, disappointed,disheartened, disillusioned - I refuse to delve deep into these depressing states of mind all because of a job layoff, and although according to experts, these feelings often rear their ugly heads following a job situation change, particularly an abrupt one. Rather, I've decided to delve into the old walk-in closet and assemble ensembles that lift, not only the one's spirit, but one's bosum and buttocks respectively.
No sense in looking haggard, worn, withdrawn, and unkept - God knows the world is already in a state of disarray, and an ignored appearance would only add to the sad situation. Global warming, crumbling economies, and unrest in the Middle East should not be the focus of one's thoughts, particulalry when one finds oneself in a state of temporary joblessness. Soon, the posture will be affected, the waistline will begin to thicken and bloat, and one's skin may appear unfresh and blotchy. Yes, appearance should be the first priority when one finds oneself in such a conundrum. A good supporting bra, preferably padded, lacey, and delicate is a sure way to start the day. Choosing colours that brighten and bring a smile to one's face, is also important during the morning dressing ritual. I suggest pastel pinks, and perhaps, on the weekends, fuschias or bright oranges like tangerine or cantelope. Afterall, you are only unemployed, and maintaining one's feminity, sexuality and "joie de vivre" is more important than ever.
Pencil skirts, a tapered blouse, and the perennial favorite, the tailored blazer, need not appear only at the job interview. A trip to the bank, postal outlet, doctor's office or grocery store are all ideal opportunities to test-drive this future uniform. Afterall, a great job opportunity could be merely days, if not minutes away.
Boots and shoes also require careful consideration during this time of duress. Leave the galoshes and Sorels in the closet is what I say. Now is the time for fashion forward feet. There's no telling when or where a prospective employer may appear, and looking professional and put-together from head to toe is of the utmost. Save the Sorels for snowman making with the young brood, shovelling the driveway, or powerwalking with the neighbourhood women. A proper heel is essential now more than ever. Don't save the stiletto boot for a night out with girlfriends, take full advantage of the esteem elevation those three inch heels provide. Of course, I do advise one exercise caution by checking one's local weather forecast before heading out in heels. The last thing one needs at a time like this is a slip and fall, that could only result in not only dampened spirits and a sore tailbone, but a dreaded extension of this unemployment phase.
Remember, you are a working woman, and you are not defined nor confined to a title on the door, a nameplate on the cubicle, or a nametag pinned to your lapel. In all areas of womanhood, looking fabulous on the outside will ensure you feel fabulous on the inside. And on that note, I will return dutifully to my post in the walk-in closet, to arrange an array of accessories that will catupult me into next week's job hunt. Here's to successful dressing!

Unemployed and Fabulous - the saga begins....

It is a sad day indeed when one must face one’s fate, albeit, reluctantly, unhappily, and helplessly. In this age of “downsizing”, “corporate takeovers”, and “restructuring”, I thought I was one of the lucky ones who would grow old and gray sitting at my laptop bashing out yet another community news story. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

The phone call arrived at exactly 11:14 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10 and although I had been expecting it, the ever-positive, ever-hopeful, ever-naïve part of me refused to believe it. Oh sure, the entire EMC Ottawa newsroom had been wiped out in recent weeks, due to a big corporate buy out, but I truly believed, down to my core, that the fact that I had been “the village reporter” for over a decade, I would be immune to any changes.

Why, I was one of the pioneers among my peers, at least as far as I was concerned. I had the luxury of working from the comfort of home, as a contract employee; certainly this meant I would not be affected. I was the face of my small historic town community newspaper, a trusted voice, a smiling face, that would show up at every possible community event, regardless of size or stature. In my books, the community newspaper belonged to the residents of the community and I never saw past that. I was simply the messenger, in the guise of a scribe, relaying the opinions of young or old, from kindergarten students excited at their first opportunity to have their photo appear in the newspaper, to the Mayor coming to town for a milestone event. Big or small, I took pride in being there. I loved hustling my way through the crowds (even if there were only five or five hundred residents in attendance), camera in tow, pencil over my ear, reporter pad in hand, ready to scoop a quote, always on the lookout for the next “news breaking” story.

This was no easy feat in the sleepy rural towns of South Ottawa. At times, the latest breaking story had to do with a broken water main, a traffic situation, or a championship high school sports event. I felt like Lois Lane, when at the very first sound of sirens, I was off and running, chasing some emergency vehicle, hoping to arrive on the scene of an exciting news story. Sadly, there were too many times where I found myself at the scene of a fatal crash, where the community lost one of their beloved young residents. These stories were the most difficult to write, yet they deserved a voice and had to be told, regardless of emotion.  

As hard as it is for me to imagine myself doing anything else but write, I have no choice but to look ahead. A wise man once said, “when one door closes, another opens” and maybe it was his brother that said, “variety is the spice of life.” With these positive words in mind, I am excited at what the future holds, what the next door will open up to, and how I must embrace and not fear it.

Perhaps it was a woman who once said, “the only constant in life is change.” Perhaps I will soon find myself immersed in some new-found line of work, where the pay is handsome, the hours pass quickly, and I look forward to every shift. Yes, perhaps I will find myself arranging soft, supple, aromatic Italian leather stilettos from pumps to sandals, boot to loafers, purses and wallets, in large store windows, ready to wait on my next customer. Perhaps I will be offered an enormous employee discount, and perhaps I can spend all of my waking hours arranging shoes, trying on shoes, recommending shoes, purchasing shoes, hiding shoes, and finally, writing about shoes. Yes, perhaps.

Unemployed and fabulous!

I am approaching my fourth week as a member of the unemployed class and truth be told, apart from a day or two of feeling like a "lost, loafing, loser", I'm having the most delightful time. Perhaps reality will set in as the old bank account approaches overdraft, but for now, I'm going to ride this positive wave and continue to organize every corner and crevice of this house.
Yesterday I tackled the kitchen that has been in a state of "renovation" for the past year. I figure if I can make it as pretty and functional as possible, the roommates (husband and the young brood) will be less grumpy and that, my dear friends, is worth its weight in gold. The weekend fared beautifully with a trip to my favorite thrift store, where as my Texan pals would say, "I struck gold!" Yes, I agree, now is not the time to be compiling that Vogue wardrobe, but fashion knows no boundaries, particularly in the areas of fiscal restraint. Knee-high tan suede wedge boots, a chocolate brown suede wallet, tan hiking boots, two pairs of gloves, two belts, a Lululemon black hoodie, a creamy dreamy peasant-style skirt with matching lace bustier, a merino wool wrap-around sweater, a ballerina pink chenille cowl-neck sweater, a plaid fedora, and I think that's everything - for a mere $170!!!!! Can you imagine?? I cannot even begin to fathom what shopping was like before I discovered vintage, consignment, and thrift shops. If only I could share this news with the husband, he'd be so proud of me. Then again, my women's intuition advises me to keep this little shopping adventure to myself, at least until some work comes my way.
What men do not understand is the importance of a woman's appearance, particularly during times of duress such as a lay-off. One can easily toss one's self-care by the wayside and begin to take on the appearance of a way-ward transient, and that, my dear friends, does not do an ounce of good for one's self-esteem. At times such as these, one's outer appearance can truly boost one's inner thoughts and feelings. In other words, "if I look like hell, I'm going to feel like hell" versus, "I look just fabulous, and gosh darn it, I feel fabulous!" Yes, today will be another day of organizing the home, compiling and catologuing more outfits in the beloved closet, and last, but not least, the on-going search for employment. Wishing you a fabulous day!!!