New Research: Indulging My Feminine Side

My latest research for the third novel in the Royals of Solana series brought me back to my clueless, naïve, uncoordinated adolescence all over again.

But this time around, I could do so from the privacy of my own home, without external judgment. Well, except from husband, but he’s allowed. J

Before I delve into my uncomfortable adolescence, here’s some background:

Growing up I wasn’t the ‘girly’ type. I was the tomboy, running around the neighborhood barefoot following my two bigger brothers and their friends around, playing in dirt (or mud), pulling frogs out of the creek with a stick or my bare hands. I rollerbladed, played soccer, swam, dived off the high dive, and never wore a bikini. In general, I just got dirty.

Forget skirts, jumpers, or dresses.

Much to the chagrin of my mother, who didn’t really get the chance to doll up her only daughter.

By my teenage years, I became more interested in the ‘girly’ stuff. But didn’t really have beauty-savvy or a lick of fashion sense that most pre-teens developed. I didn’t wear makeup until 14 years old, and still today have a hard time curling my hair in a way that would last half a day.

Fast forward to today.

When I started this research, I got excited. Because this meant I get to peruse ball gowns and hair styles and accessories, without anyone realizing I was clueless when I asked questions like “What’s an A-line dress?” or “How to make a French braid?”

I found these nifty charts:

 

Which led me to a whole bunch of fun finding ball gowns for my characters.

 

 

 

 

Which ones do you like?

Thanks for letting me share my feminine side with you today.

Now that I’ve embarrassed myself all over again with my ignorance of the ‘girly’ stuff, I’ll go try to tackle hairstyles.

And perhaps my arch-nemesis: the curling iron.

By Susan Sheehey http://www.SusanSheehey.com