Aprons, Hairrolls and Heels

I wore a Halloween costume for the first time in at least a decade and it was more fun than I would really care to admit (ok, I just did). Our office had a contest/party/reason to wear great costumes and I went as a 50's housewife.

Yes, that is a martini glass and a bottle in my pocket. Booze is a truly a wonderful thing. (Thank you Amanda, for the photo.)

Putting together the costume was an education in itself. I knew there were certain themes that I wanted to hit (full skirt, aprons, etc), but there were still a lot of gaps. It's fairly easy to see stylized versions of the 1950's, but it's much less common to see a woman of color.

Thankfully, we now have digital records that highlight a cross section of actual life in the 50's. The Jet Archive was my favorite. The women were both glamorous and normal. It was eye opening to see that the "fashion looks" were very similar.  Within a few minutes I was able to get tips on both hair and makeup. All in all, it was pretty fantastic.

What exactly is a Starter BFF (SBFF)?

Imagine being able to ask someone all of those awkward questions about race. You know the ones - What about your hair, do you tan, are you sexually more promiscuous? (Quick answer to the last one - not even.) Can you be friendly without being offensive? (Of course, it's about intent and respect). Can you be sassy? (Yes and yes.)

Enter your SBFF. Safe enough to take to your parent's house in a "flyover" state, but pretty clearly Black. We'll navigate some of the big issues - media, dating, etc. and some of the smaller ones too.

I only have 2 rules:
1. Be Respectful - you can disagree, but if you get ugly you are so gone.
2. Don't be a coward - don't say or post anything that you wouldn't say to my face.

Oh, by the way… you can't touch my hair unless you ask first. Also, don't pet me like a dog. Otherwise, you may pull back a nub.

YSBFF