A Pear in Plaid

A few years ago, Christian and I pet-sat for my parents. We don't have cable so, naturally, we binge-watched an entire marathon of House Hunters. One particular episode became legendary between us:

A man from Vancouver was looking to relocate to a tropical island. He had Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Vancouver's grey, wet, weather was really taking its toll. As he was touring properties he'd make comments like, "Oh... there's really not enough windows. This wouldn't be good for my S.A.D." or "I can tell that my S.A.D. would really like it here." Except, he didn't pronounce the letters, he pronounced the word: "my sad." It was like his Seasonal Affective Disorder was the opinionated parrot on his shoulder or his very picky mother-in-law.

Christian and I got a kick out of this, and for a few months we'd make comments like, "Oh, I don't think my sad would like that!"

Lately, however, I'm eating my words. Seattle's endless gray, wetness is weighing me down, and I can really relate to "my sad" man. I, too, would benefit from a new home on a tropical island!

Clearly, that's not in the cards so, instead of a beach house, I turned to Instagram. I posted a video asking for other Seattleites' favorite places. I thought visiting places that light other people's fires might rekindle mine, too. My friend, Amy, (check out her LOVELY Instagram) suggested the current exhibit at the Frye Art Museum. I'd never been and neither had Christian. It was a date!

THE EVENT: A Saturday at the art museum and the IMAX.

THE BROKEN RULE(S):

Pear-shaped women shouldn't draw attention to their wide bottom halves.
Women shop in the women's department.

THE OUTFIT: That first broken rule has been on my list for awhile, but I haven't conquered it yet because I had no options to do so. Enter these plaid pants! (You may remember them from my April Stitch Fix review.) They're lightweight and comfy, the cut is great and they're far more flattering than I ever envisioned plaid could be across my backside. I wanted to feel arty, but also cozy, so I paired the pants with a black racerback tank, black Adidas, and the true MVP of my closet, this black bomber jacket with teddy-striped sleeves I bought in Zara's children's department.

THE EXPERIENCE: Often, when Christian and I travel, we go to art museums. Very rarely do we visit museums while at home. So, because of that, this Saturday excursion felt like a mini-vacation. We enjoyed both of the current exhibitions, each of us preferring a different one. The real winner of the day, though, was the Frye building, itself. I complain often that all of Seattle's new construction is the building equivalent of Tupperware, and it was refreshing to be in a space so well-crafted and thought out.

As for the outfit, I wasn't paying attention to the people around us, so I'm not sure if anyone was shocked that a women of my proportions was wearing plaid pants. I, myself, felt quite at ease.

We went home, had some leftovers, worked on projects, and then finished our day at the 3D IMAX. I confess, I put on a warmer sweater and jacket, but I kept the plaid pants. (I get very cold in movie theaters!) The movie itself, Ready Player One, was not my favorite. (I have many opinions, if anyone wants to discuss it!)

THE CONCLUSION: I love art museums. For me, they've always been a place of reprieve. They're quiet, and looking at art is a way of meditating in different perspectives. Our afternoon at the Frye gave me a space to reset after a harsh week, and wearing the plaid pants helped with that, too. So, while I do not have a beach house, this first excursion to new places was a success. Anyone else have any favorite places in Seattle they're willing to share? My plaid pants and I are ready for another adventure. :)

As you are probably aware, today is a Sunday. I've changed my blog-posting days to Wednesdays and Sundays! However, a special post will be published next Tuesday, April 10th.

Until then, come visit me on Instagram, where the experiment runs 24-7!

Pondering plaid pants?