Newest Addiction

Fingerless gloves. I love them. I bought a cheap pair of gloves in Chicago earlier this month, and became frustrated when I was trying to take a picture of the snow for Facebook. I couldn't do it. Quickly realized the gloves were the impediment, and slid my nose across to open the phone, belatedly acknowledging the fact that using my nose to go in and actually take the pic to upload to FB would prove too much. So I begrudgingly set down my Christmas present shopping bags and took off my gloves to snap the photo.

The next day I went to Eileen Fisher in the mall to present shop for my mom. I remember my mom taking me to Eileen Fisher when I was a teenager, California or New York I can't remember, only being in the store and picking out a sundress that was apricot-colored, with soft, luxurious light fabric, draping almost to the floor - this didn't happen a lot with me and dresses once I hit puberty. I love that dress. I still have it - good quality lasts a long time.

As I was running around the store quickly taking in colors and images to get ideas, I happened across a stand with these amazing bronze and charcoal-colored fingerless gloves. They were thin, soft wool, and had tiny bronze and silver beads in different patterns - just a few so they were elegant, not gaudy. My search was over. Iphone gloves - bronze for me and charcoal for my mom. There was a little story behind the gloves on the back of the tag - someone had made them for Eileen Fisher for Christmas last year and she loved them so much, she was selling them in her stores this year.

Of course I couldn't wait until Christmas - I wanted my mom (and me) to be able to wear them to all of her holiday parties and get use out of them immediately. I get compliments on them wherever I go. So does she. People laugh when I call them my iphone gloves - someone in a tiny shop in the Heights supporting local artists said, "Hey! We should get our knitters to make those! What a great idea!"

My mom loved them so much when she came across a pair at the mall - soft, fluffy ones with pastel rainbow stripes, she bought me a pair. Now I can mix and match and accessorize.

Last week as I marched into work one day through transcription area, everyone looked up and I suddenly felt self-conscious. I was in a black overcoat - the Gandolf one, according to Mellificent in residency - my hair still slightly damp from my shower. I was slumped over from carrying the giant black leather bag I bought in residency to house diapers that is currently sheltering my Christmas card project, the book I am reading (The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion - big winner), a cd project for the kids that may or may not happen, recipes for cooking projects with the kids when I am off this week, and various menus and receipts, in addition to my wallet, lip gloss, and press powder. My laptop rendered my slouch symmetrical. I was wearing the rainbow fingerless gloves. I did not have on the beautiful, cozy bright blue slippers with the flowers on them (a present from Dr. Styles), the ones I noticed were still on my feet on the way to work, quickly turning around on Evergreen cause they just screamed crazy lady (in my defense, that's a first for this year. I did it twice last year. If you had such cozy slippers, you would accidentally almost wear them to work, too), but I looked down because I suddenly worried I still did. That I looked like a bag lady. Then I just laughed. Who cares?