#everydaypinup #comfypinup #littleblackdress #handmadejewelry It was the very last day of the Institute for Contemporary Art's exhibit on the experimental college "Black Mountain" in existence in North Carolina from the 1930-50s, and I still hadn't gone. My last year of undergraduate college, I took a course about the college, co-taught by one of its faculty and well-known poet Robert Creeley. Yes, I am one lucky sonofagun, I know. It was a snowy end of January day, so I bundled up in my space boots, long grey duster sweater and blingy but comfy little black dress. Not only is this outfit really cute, but it's also very practical and comfortable, which one needs in an outfit, if one is to go about strolling a museum for a few hours. The dress and sweater are from H&M. The boots from DSW. But the necklace? I made that. From a bunch of "found beads" that were in my sister's room after she moved away to Illinois, and some wooden beads from the craft store. I put my hand to my homemade necklace as I looked at the pieces on display at the museum. Anni Albers was a magnificent textile artist and also a founding faculty member at Black Mountain, during the 30s, when materials were scarce. On display were necklace art pieces she and students made from corks, bobby pins and bathroom fixtures. I make my necklaces with beads from broken necklaces, left behind kid craft kits, broken napkin rings, all kinds of materials. I smiled as I touched my neck piece while looking at the display-- the things we learn early seep into what we do later in ways we cannot even imagine.