Anna | Frivolous Universe

These Colors Don’t Run (but they do get damned tired….)

By: Anna D.

27-03-2012

Just 62 miles south of Boise is Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park – a sprawling wonder of a windswept centerpiece that juts loftily away from the high desert plains and rolling foothills of archetypal Southwest Idaho. The unpaved, rut-stricken Sand Dunes Road leads directly to the base of Bruneau’s tallest dune – an impressive 470 ft. mass of sand, whipped into long, billowing peaks by the relentless and torrential wind.

It appeared to me a towering sandcastle, shaped by massive, ghostly hands, and just looking at it stirred in me an overwhelming desire to conquer – to run up its sloping sides as quickly as my sturdy leather boots could carry me, feeling with each step the sucking, shifting deep of the sand.

Upon reaching the crest of the dune, my entire body was smacked hard by the phantom hand of the wind, my ankle-brushing turquoise skirt and true red jacket acting like sails on the mast of my body. I leaned forward, shut my eyes against the stark sunlight, and gave my weight to the wind. Standing on the crest of Bruneau, my body suspended by the sheer force of the wind, I felt free….it’s moments like these that keep me here, in this hopelessly flawed and endlessly awe-inspiring state of Idaho.

My feeling on the place I’ve chosen to call home often wavers greatly between paroxysms of joy and utter despondence…..but most days I hover directly in the middle, in a state of comfortable acceptance. Lately though, this state has shown its abrasive side more effectively than the sunbleached sandscape I fell in love with last weekend.

Idaho Senate Bill 1387 has severely shaken what little confidence I had in our state’s ability to focus on actual issues. I’m disgusted and insulted that the majority of our spring legislative session was caught up in the vacuous mire of this absurd argument. I find it particularly despicable that such an emotionally charged issue is being so hotly debated at a time when vastly more important discussions should be taking place. It’s such an unbelievably stupid argument, I wonder how anyone can take it seriously long enough to state their case on either side.

I love my home. I can drive less than an hour in any direction and be surrounded by sand, hiking deep in the mountains, lounging in natural hot springs, routing world-class rock climbs, and countless other incredible assets that make Idaho an unbeatable place to live. But it’s a damned good thing this state has so much to offer, because there’s plenty else in this little corner of the country that make Idaho an exhausting home as well….all the more reason to savor my blissful, fleeting moments lying contentedly in the sand.

Thanks so very much to Bethany Walter and Jeanne Glitzow for
capturing this glorious day with these lovely photos.

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Best laid plans….

By: Anna D.

20-03-2012

Anna

Well, folks……I had a really lovely outfit planned for today’s blog, none of which is pictured here. It included gorgeous layers of silk and wool, with a stunner of a Hazel Cox necklace I have yet to include in an FU post, and the kind of color palate that makes me weak in the knees – muted shades of plum, ochre, chocolate and taupe. Yep…..best laid plans indeed.

After another white-knuckle journey up north to McCall from my blessedly snow-free Boise home (if you missed my last adventure, click here), I arrived at my mother’s house safe but with a wicked case of cold sweats and an overwhelming eagerness for a warm fireplace and hot cup of tea. Little did I know, my snowy escapade was far from over…..

Any sane person would look at these photos and think – jeez, lady! Wasn’t it more than obvious you should not have driven into that driveway with your rinky-dink car?? Well, yes….it does appear to be a simple case of stupidity, doesn’t it…..but no! The scheming, deceitful snow is to blame! When I pulled up to the house, the snow had ever so carefully dusted itself across this gaping wallow of slush, making it appear solid. So I happily pulled in, thinking I was minutes away from shaking off the harrowing day in the comfort of Ma’s house, when – KA-THUNK – I suddenly found myself leaning distinctly to the left and unable to get out of the driver’s side door for fear of flooding my car.

So, after hefting myself out the passenger’s side door and huffing and puffing around the house a few minutes, cursing the mean ol snow and wishing I drove a giant 4WD truck, I finally called AAA. You’d think (or at least I thought) a trusted name such as theirs could end all my woes with one quick call, but no….the saga continues.

Apparently, even though I pay for roadside service anywhere, anytime, because I was stuck in a driveway my membership did not cover extraction from this mess. In the condescending words of the woman with whom I spoke, “It’s your responsibility to keep your driveway clear, and same goes for anyone you visit. Sorry I can’t do anything more for you.” For f%&* sake…..really? So with the looming dread of a $100 service bill looming over my head, I called up my secret weapon – master negotiator, Dustin Scott (may also be proudly referred to as my manfriend). Within minutes, he had AAA eating their words and a tow truck on the way. My hero! (swoon)

“Best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” – Robert Burns

In other words, even if you set out ahead of the storm, it may easily catch up to you. And even though the footing looks solid, beneath that invitingly smooth surface a ghastly mess of trouble may be lying in wait.

Of the plans I made for my day, the best one by far was to forego the fashion photo shoot in favor of jammie pants and a cozy sweater (and pouring myself a glass of wine, post haste).

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NAKED Givenchy & Green Pepper.

By: Anna D.

14-03-2012

Anna

Monday I got down NAKED style in a Givenchy-inspired getup, Tuesday I spent most of the day paying for it, and today I attempt to relay the evening’s events here on the FU blog…….goody!

Monday night was Story Story Night’s inaugural Late-Night show – NAKED Stories. Hosted by the hot Emma Arnold at the Visual Arts Collective, our brave audience marched up to that stage and told the packed room naked stories that shocked, delighted, reviled, and titillated the crowd. heheheh…..titillate. what a creepy word.

The night was one of the most gut-bustingly hilarious evenings I’ve spent in years, and I enjoyed my fair share of Crooked Fence’s 3 Picket Porter for the sake of gaining the gumption to put my name in the breast-shaped collection bowl. Perhaps thankfully, my name did not get drawn so I was not required to impart my best naked story to the raucous room, but – huzzah! – a more (less?) fortunate Ms. Holmes graced us with a brilliantly told moment of vulnerability in the buff.

For a night filled with nudey tales, I had to find an appropriately inspired outfit. Thanks to Givenchy’s slip dress creations at the Fall/Winter Paris Fashion Week, I was able to sift through my closet and put together this quirky ensemble by employing a few key flares with an otherwise ho-hum black strapless dress from White House / Black Market. I love how seamlessly the V line of my pink lace bodice meets with the heart-shaped neckline of the dress. And the oversized belt accentuates my waist, making for a more interesting overall silhouette.

I have a bit of a giraffe neck. I love a good excuse to exaggerate my near 7-incher, and nothing does that better than a high bun and absurdly long, shiny earrings. I found these beauties at Studio 616 in McCall. My bracelet, though the details are difficult to see, is worth mentioning – it’s an Italian mosaic cuff done in bronze and glass, picked up in Florence by my great-grandmother around 1910.

To top off the feel of this outfit and the theme of the night, I needed the perfect fragrance. Intentions Perfumery’s uncompromisingly incredible perfumes never disappoint – an alluring and complex blend of oud, boronia, and green pepper is at once appealing and complicated, much like so many naked experiences worth sharing with a 300+ crowd of giggling spectators.