Too Much Brain Activity

Is there a point where you actually just think too much about the most ridiculous things? I have heavily contemplated every little move this week. From whether to drive to a friend's place for Thanksgiving, when to go grocery shopping, how to phrase emails, budgeting, obsessively pouring over Black Friday ads online, and even to what to eat each day. Annoying, right? I feel like I am trying to consider too many things all at once and then I just get overwhelmed and decide to either research it to death or forget about it all together. Annoying, yes.

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Technically, I did lots of future research to remind myself the good decisions I have made for myself. I looked at apartments in various cities that I am thinking about moving to after grad school, looked at ideal jobs that I would absolutely love to start my career in, and lots of looking at clothes. Not many of you know but I chose my undergraduate institution, Oregon State University, because it offered two of my potential future career paths: Fashion Design or Elementary Education. I thought about doing both and then I got overwhelmed and unmotivated and went with the path of least resistance. I absolutely love fashion though and have seen some opportunities to incorporate all of my passions which is really exciting.



It's funny when people think about fashion. They consider it to be frivolous and expensive; not very relevant or important in the overall scheme of things. I have been watching What Not to Wear all day and it is amazing the difference an outfit, the right haircut and the right makeup application can make. The clothes and all of the "outward" things really help you feel more confident about yourself making you be more confident and successful. It is that crazy succession of dominoes that when you get a good start, everything else falls into place.

I am a budget-conscious girl. That is probably an understatement but I am constantly aware of how much money I have, how many bills I have to pay, and any excess left over. I am currently dog sitting so that I can ease my mind of the above for December. It also allows me to enjoy Christmas just a little bit more. I love buying things for people and finding the "perfect gift" but buying for myself is a catastrophe. I shop at thrift stores and have to love the pants if they are $5 or a shirt for $3. Me in a regular store will be found at clearance sections only. I return things (sometimes several times) if I can't see myself actually wearing it or it having a purpose (i.e. work) in my life. Shoes are the worst since I need to be able to walk comfortably yet be warm. I have learned that boots are my arch nemeses. They are a necessity but scare me!

I think that clothes really make the person. If you wear slouchy, ill-fitting, stained clothing that it shows you have no interest in how you look and how the world perceives you. I feel that I put outfits together but I am seeing many repeats in the rotation. If I lost 15lbs. then I would have a good number of pants/jeans in my closet that would look a bit more fantastic but that isn't happening any day soon. I also have the huge issue of looking 23 yet being almost 30. It really affects how people treat you and despite the fact that I dress professionally (in my opinion, somewhat teacher-mom like), I can bet $10,000 that most of the people that I work with think I am in my early 20's. Yes, helpful when I am 40 but not so much now. Now I need to have confidence and give assurance to my students that I advise that I know what I am doing. Imagine you are a 50 year old student coming in for advising and get seated in front of someone who looks about 23. Yeah, you can see the issue.

So this WHOLE entry is a result of too much brain activity! Clearly I need to get a plunger and loosen up the brain a bit. I have research of the grad school variety to focus on.