Just. Like. Lara.

When I was in high school, I took drama as my elective.  Because I was interested in theater?   Hardly.  Because I wanted to work on my public speaking presence?  Doubtful.  So that I could meet a cute boy?  Uh, yes.  I took drama in order to meet Chris.  And I did.  And I married him.  And now I’m having his baby.  I’d say that’s a wrap.  Mission accomplished.

One of the pleasant side effects of taking this drama class was getting to observe/obsess/ogle over Lara Casey.  Lara Casey was four years older than me and was tall, thin, and had crazy red hair.  As a redhead myself, I think that’s what initially caught my attention.  Our hair was almost the same color, so why didn’t mine look anything like hers?  Hers was a wild mane of cascading curls.  At the time, I was attempting to straighten mine so I looked like I was wearing a wig.  A Bozo the Clown’s wig to be exact.  But more than Lara’s striking beauty, I remember that she was one of the nicest and most outgoing people.  She always said hi to me and flashed her huge smile, and I don’t think she had a clue who I was.  But I knew who she was.  She was someone who would go far and she’d do it with grace and poise.  

Skip ahead almost 10 years.  I’m on Facebook one day and who do I stumble on but Lara Freakin’ Casey.  As Adult Lara, she is every bit as striking, and is the success I always knew she would be.  She is a professional wedding planner now and is the Editor-in-Chief of Southern Weddings Magazine.  Which totally figures because every wedding in those magazines are my dream weddings.  Lara strikes again.  

As Adult Katie, I continue to be as fascinated with Lara as I was in high school.  Only now, I’m fascinated by her success.  How does she do what she does with the same grace and poise she had 10 years ago?  There’s only one logical answer to me.

She has the best clothes ever.  

Now, I’m sure there is more to her success.  I’m sure the fact that she has studied at Carnegie Mellon and Yale helped her.  I’m sure her experience in the bridal industry is an asset.  But lets be honest.  Her style is impeccable.  

A few months ago, Chris and I made the decision to start working harder on my writing.  We bought www.marriageconfessions.com and are in the process of moving my blog over to this new site.  Now, don’t run off just yet.  We are still working on it, and you know you’ll be the first people I tell when its up and running.  But this is a big step for me.  To go from just a blog to an entire website is big doin’s.  And why are we doing this?  So that when I write my book (…sigh…), I can say to a publisher, “See?  I AM marketable…”  Its all very strategic.  Very professional.  Very complicated.  Which is why Chris is very involved.  Actually, when I say “Chris and I” are working on it, what I mean is that I draw a pretty picture and he figures out how to make it pop up on the computer screen.  As I said, very professional.  

Anyway, in an effort to get this new project off the ground, I told Chris I was going to change my image.  I should become as sophisticated as my website.  I should look as professional as my blog.  

“I’m going to start dressing like Lara Casey,” I told him.  I haven’t physically seen Lara since I was a freshman in high school, but that’s how strong her sense of professionalism is.  I can just sense it through her pictures on Facebook, through her website, through even her Twitter account.  She exudes success.  And so do her clothes.  And so this became my strategy.  This was my plan.  To become an elegant, sophisticated businesswoman.  Just.  Like.  Lara.  

Sadly, about two seconds after I made this declaration, I spilled salsa down the front of my sweat pants which my dogs immediately began licking off of me.  

So very un-Lara Casey…