Pretty's Hierarchy of Moving Needs

First and foremost, my thanks and gratitude go to that Yummy Mummy in L.A., One Fabulous Mom, for honoring the Pretty on her lovely blog today. Please go forth & investigate her splendiferousness immediately. Thank you for your cooperation.

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But back to talking about myself . . . this being the new year and time for odious resolutions and reflection blah blah, it struck me that I'm coming up on one year of life in a new city. Having done this a couple of times in as many years, it seemed to me there was a bit of a pattern to this settling in to a new town business. Cribbing furiously from that Maslow guy and his hierarchy of needs, which I ever-so-vaguely recall from my college Psych course before I discovered that there was actual science involved in psych & dropped the class, my inner Type A Minus took command of my keyboard and came up with the following sequence of priorities I've somehow come to rely on in my moves. Starting with the more "primitive" needs at #1, I bring you the Pretty Hierarchy of Moving Needs:

1) Home / Job
2) Grocery Store/ Dry Cleaner (the latter being the bitchiest of them all to find, no?)
3) Reasonable facsimile of Southern California culinary staples: a decent late-night Mexican food source/ In-n-Out burger
4) Keepers of the Pretty - doctors, hair salon (also onerous), etc.
5) Finding the fun stuff / meeting people - decent bookstore, liquor source, cupcake source, theater, shops
6) Finding the Civic Duty stuff / meeting people - Junior League membership, etc.

Hmm . . . come to think, the bar & the bookstore probably come hand in hand with basic grocery store needs . . . aside from that, I do believe that in this current Austin abode, I've made it almost all the way through this odious list business and am only left at #5-6. Not so bad for one year, I'm surprised to find ((she says as she smugly in a self-congratlatory glow)).

This look about right to you? What are the first things you seek out in a new town?

Sitting in a Bar, a 10-Ish Year Retrospective*

(*10-ish years because I did not, of course, frequent bars 10 years ago when I was a mere 20 years old. Nope.)

Legallyblondemel Thought Process While Sitting in a Bar, Aged 21-Ish

"Ooh, look at that guy at the next table. Pretty shoulders. And I look OK in these jeans. AAACK, did I remember to put on deodorant? ((surreptitious sniff)) He looks like a Bret. Bret Jones. Hmmm, how does 'Mrs. Legallyblonde Jones' sound? Legallyblonde Jones, Legallyblonde Jones, la la la la wedding bells la la . . . oh, um, he left. Where's my jello shot?"

Legallyblondemel Thought Process While Sitting in a Bar This Weekend, Aged 30

"Ooh, look at that girl's shoes. Nordy's? I wonder if I can ask her. No, that would be too weird. She looks so cute and nice though & reminds me of friend X back home. Maybe I can send Anonymous Husband to ask her about the shoes. Oh, God, no - that really sends the wrong 'HBO Special' message. Geez, I'm the dumbest of the dumb. At least I look OK in these jeans. AH, where's the pinot?"

Conclusion

Swap out eyeballing potential husbands for potential friends, and not much has changed in 10-ish years. Except for the pinot, which is an excellent decision for many reasons (I'm looking at you, Rosarito Beach. And not through Corona-colored glasses this time). This whole making girlfriends after college & in a new town thing is a bit tricky. Raise your hand if you're with me!

Pretty Picks, aka One Fun Part of Moving

Having moved residences 13 times over the past 13 years (!), I have spent many hours contemplating/ forcing myself to contemplate the upside of moving. The excuse to buy new personalized stationery for the new address is surely chief amonsgt them - or at least to me , a lifelong paper dweeb. Confession: I'm the girl who rushes to the mailbox every day, just convinced that I'm going to be receiving some exquisite thank you note or invitation - and looking for any excuse to send the same.

Now that I've confessed, looky at the Crane & Co. moving announcements I've already ordered & sent (but in seafoam blue ink & font) - just gorgeous in person:



Here are some fun ones I'm considering for my own personal correspondence, all Boatman Geller (which I've never ordered, but am loving the look of):

(v. Tory Burch, don't you think?)

(these make me irrationally happy - sometimes you need your prep with a spoonful of snark, no?)

(so pink, so green, so Pucci)

Here's another brand, Whitney English, that I have yet to try but keep admiring here on the Interwebs:

(like the teal, green, chocolate combo, perhaps with a less cutesyf font)

(more wee pink skulls! Obvs. not for sending to Aunt Myrtle, and I fear this toes the Avril Lavigne line, but so fun and irreverent for the right recipient)

And for the wonderful Anonymous Husband, who despite aforementioned wonderfulness still sends personal thank you notes on business stationery - although at least he's sending them - I thought about ordering this:

Any votes out there for the winner?