Red and white.

I feel like lately I've been treading into territory I said I never would before. First khaki, then black, and now white and red.

Sweater: Victoria's Secret. Dress: Thrifted. Necklace: Gift from Mom. Shoes: JC Penney.

Why not, say you? Well, my relationship with white went sour one afternoon in 8th grade. I had happened upon a white jeans/white jacket combo at TJ Maxx or somewheres and wore it to school feeling like Lauren Bacall. Until someone complained that me being so white and wearing white was causing them visual discomfort. I earned the nickname "Great White Shark". Gawd.

I'm telling you now that if you need shoes, clothes, or anything remotely related to covering yourself, you need to go to JCPenney. After years of assuming it was where blue-collar guys got bland polo shirts from, I went in on a whim and proved that to assume is to make an ass of u and me. These babies were a cool $9 on clearance. If that doesn't deserve a "Dammmmnnnn...." then I really don't know what does.

As for red? Well, red is vivid and alarmist and unapologetic. I like colors that can be bent and shaped to create meaning. Blue can be professional or placid; green, stuffy or outdoorsy. I'm finding that gray and khaki do a lot for red's malleability... as these shoes have now become my "power shoes", I suspect I'll happen upon other unexpected combos.


I love bright colors, I just prefer to have them tempered, which is funny now that it strikes me in writing this that that attitude is a perfect reflection of my personality (according to me) which is eclecticity-loving, but ever-seeking of moderation.

Speaking of red, a rather red package arrived for me today from the folks at Perricone MD.

perricone acai berry. I'll pop a bubble and think of you.

Having red --ahem-- read of my need to fit into my size-to-small wedding dress, they forwarded me this box of Acai supplement and some guidelines for following the Perricone Diet. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that I absolutely am completely against taking weight-loss drugs or products. They provide fake results, don't promote a healthy lifestyle, and rob you of the joy of (in the case of SlimFast type products) cooking and eating healthfully. And, I'm equally against diets, be they Grapefruit, Adkins or Master Cleanse. They're weird and unnatural.

I'm happy to report that this Perricone stuff is nothing of the kind. The diet is basically a lot of healthy fats from fish and nuts, cutting out white carbs, and comprised of things that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get from their local grocery (no bonito flakes here). And, as someone who drives about 200 miles a day, it's plain to me that I don't eat as well as I should, so I have been looking for some healthy and straight-forward guidance. So. I'm giving the plan a whirl, in addition to taking the supplement for 30 days. I'll report back on how I feel!

In the meantime, if you'd like to join me on my magical mystery acai tour, the good people at Perricone MD also have a 30-day supply of this same supplement for one of YOU magical readers!

All you have to do to enter and win this contest is to leave a comment on this post telling me about one healthy thing that you like to do for yourself-- be it exercise, alimentary, religious, silly! Contest ends at 12a.m. EST on September 2, 2009. A winner will be chosen at random and announced shortly thereafter. In the meantime, you can pop on over to Perricone MD and take the skin quiz, learn more about berries, or merely develop an appetite for salmon!

Good luck!

Yours,

Elissa.