hi, i'm kaylie

(photo)

I'm 17 (almost 18).  How would I describe myself?

An old soul
stuck in a fourteen-year old's body
that acts like a fifties housewife.

I just read Emma's post about cute clothes and a clipping from Housekeeping Monthly in 1955 that she read in her English class.  I felt like I could dedicate a whole blogpost to my thoughts about it, so I jumped at the chance of a prompted post. 

To start off, the clothes are adorable.  I can tell they are from Anthro, and Anthro is roughly equivalent to Tiffany's when it comes to beating the "mean reds."  Well, Anthro, and the nearest antique store.  Breakfast at Anthro&thenearestantiquestore's... starring me, Kaylie.

Second, I have mixed feelings about the idea of the ideal wife presented in the "Good Wife's Guide."

The guidelines suggested I find very unrealistic.

I admit I do love
dresses and aprons
sewing and crafts
being a hostess
having things look nice
caring for others
baking and cooking
decorating
the idea of marriage
being ladylike
children

But there is one thing I never forget-- strong and fierce women fought for my suffrage and independence.  This doesn't mean a lot of us women don't enjoy feminine things like baking.  A lot of us do.  I know I sure do!  I also realize that being a wife and mother is enough for some women.  I personally want to have a career.  But you know what the wonderful thing is?  It's because of those women that we now have the choice to decide.

I may dress like a fifties house wife, but I am truly a feminist.  I want my relationship with my future husband to be balanced.  I want to feel intellectually and creatively equal with whoever I spend the rest of my life with.  I don't want a husband who will feel lost and helpless when I'm in England for a book signing!  I mean, come on, the man's got to know how to take care of himself.  I need an independent man.

Yes, I do want to marry a lovely gentleman and have lovely children and be lovely in general.  But before all that, I want to travel, finish college, start my career.  I want to know I can support myself before committing myself to another human being, much less a family.

I know of--and look forward to--the quirks and mishaps of being an imperfect wife, mother, and grandmother.  Because truly, that's what makes life so precious--finding someone to share your love, your laughter, and your Chinese takeout when yet another of your adventures in French cooking takes a wrong turn. 

To be truthful, these are the moments I can't wait for most.  I can't wait to make a home with someone and learn to love someone's imperfections and make 34234 mistakes while raising our well-dressed children.  I can't wait to be the mom who teaches her daughter to sew and her son to cook (because real men know how to cook). 

I know for a fact there will be days that I will not be happy to see my future husband.  And that's okay--I'm sure the feeling will probably be mutual.