Dress + Color = Fun

I love dresses! I mean it. I. Love. Dresses. Specifically, ones with defined waists and full bottoms. Perhaps because that's my preferred silhouette. Actually, this is also my personal physical silhouette. (Work with what you have, right?) So, I received an advertisement via email and Lilly Pulitzer today. And now - without further ado, I give you - The Eryn:  

The Eryn
PC's Unscientific Color Psychology Analysis
White - Purity & Openness
Pink  - Kindness & Hope
Blue - Calmness & Loyalty

Oh, Eryn, sweetie, you're almost too cute! You're super adorable. You totally make me smile. And isn't that what Lilly is all about? Happy dressing?

What wonderful memories we could make together!

I am a big believer in the psychology of color. While I have no true evidence of the affects of what I wear on how I behave and how people respond to me, I have a strong suspicion that it is real! I have things in my wardrobe that absolutely affects people's moods. I am usually very intentional in my dressing. This goes back to my corporate days. I used color and structure to project both my mood and how I wished to be engaged on any given day (IE., tailored dark suit jacket with heels for serious business meetings or a soft or bright sweater/knit with loafers for team building pizza and/or putting.)

During my stay-at-home-mother of preschoolers phase, I always wore color when with the children deferring to black, greys and taupe for "mom's night out" events.


As I've transitioned into being a mother with elementary school-aged children, I continue to use color and structure to support me as in whatever activity I have planned for the day - be it professional meetings with an accountants (all business), political leaders or educators (all business), volunteering at the school's book fair or substitute teaching (comfortable yet business),  going to church (lovely and business), playing tennis with my sons (sporty whites), playing bridge with my friends (cute top and accessories), date night with the Husband (it is imperative to look ladylike, cute and fresh on date night - one of the ways to keep husband).

I can't justify the cost of the pretty Eryn for the date night dress. (Boo, pout.) So for now, I will commit Eryn's color combination to memory (knowing that the pattern is half the fun) and will put something together that mimics the feeling of the dress.

Thank you, Lilly Pulitzer, for inspiring a fun new ensemble for me and those in my circle.

INTJ - At Home, In Law, In Life

About 15 years ago, the company for which I worked bought a Meyers-Brigg (MBTI) program. Long story short - my responses indicated that I fall solidly in the Introversion-Intuititve-Thinking-Judging (INTJ) camp. At that time, I was very comfortable with the results and could even understand better about my approach to working effectively in that environment.


This morning I took a Jung-MeyersBrigss Assessment that is available on-line at Humanetrics.com. I was thinking that the lifechanges experiences spent since then have certainly made me more extroverted and more perceiving, as well. However, what I learned is that after 15 years, a move to a new coast, two babies that are three years apart, the transition from Corporate America management team member to Homemaker, and a bevy of other changes, I remain - INTJ. (Although, I must mention that my T is quite low and has likely moved more in the direction fo F. Not sure if that's a bad thing.)  I thought that was weird. I mean, I feel different - more mature, more grounded, more holistic, more authentic, much more open than I did at that time.


Then, I thought (at we INTJers tend to do) about my approach to raising our children and to homemaking. I know that it is rather different that the way many people I seem to view it. I was always perplexed when someone might pose the infamous "What do you do all day?" question. I would wonder if the person asking could really be that lazy (Are you kidding me? There are always matters that require attention in your domain), ignorant (How do you not know that there are hundreds of ways that you could make real improvements to your family's well-being and the time it could take to make things significantly better?), or boring (Do you really have no hobbies or interests? Is there nothing and no one that you want to  learn about?).


Now it makes sense. It's not their fault. I really am uncommon - statistically speaking - when it comes to my applying the INTJ's modus operandi to husbandkeeping, homemaking and parenting.

Another very amazing and interesting discovery at the Humetrics site is where it suggests two career fields that would suit me as an INTJ - Lawyer and Librarian. The astounding thing is that these two fields are indeed at the tip top on my list of what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up, so to speak. The Librarian part comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me as a bibliophile. The surprise to some might be to know that, if I had the resources, I would be in Law School right now yesterday!

Let me clarify that the "Lawyer" that I have in mind for me is one who has studied the law, acquired expertise/certification and now advises clients as well as composing and reviewing contracts. I am NOT thinking of an "Attorney" or a litigator who now represents clients in court or in front of a judge trying to argue, persuade, defend and negotiate sentences. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't suit me.

The beauty part of earning a JD is that I would totally benefit from it personally - as would my family. I could impart some of my legal wisdom to my sons as well - particularly in the area of contracts for goods and services. Imagine rarely, if ever, having to pay for legal advice again. I'm thinking I could barter services, too. Also, it is something I could make a living at until I die. Really. I have to think of my future.

I wonder if it's common for the typology to stick for life. I wonder if people - particularly mothers - with JDs who are/were unhappily practicing law happened to be types other than INTJ. I wonder if it's really too late for me to attend Law School. I wonder if aquiring a Juris Doctorate via an on-line university is as bad an idea as it sounds. I wonder if I could carve out a few hours a day, most days for the next 3 years to acheive that goal. Of course, I could. I'd just have to re-prioritize a bit.

So, do INTJs really make good lawyers? Or do they just make good Law Students? Also, would it be impossible to do it all well?  Food for thought.