I was having coffee with a new colleague the other day, clad in my usual accessories that often catch the eye of those who share my taste in movies or book genres. Sitting across from me, she said “I love your bag!” I get compliments on it a lot, and I smiled, ready to share our mutual love of Star Wars, when she asked, “Is it a Birkin?”
That’s when I found myself explaining the symbol of the Rebellion, and opening it up to proudly show tiny Tie Fighters lining the inside of the purse. It’s a Loungefly. Officially licensed fandom fashion that incorporates imagery from our favorite Disney franchises into bags, wallets, and more. Glancing at my watch (with Wonder Woman watchband,) I quickly changed the subject.
In our house, we love Sci Fi, Superheroes and book series of all sorts. It’s one of the things that has made this stage of parenting so fun. There was nothing like watching the kids watch Star Wars for the first time (after Drew and I heavily weighed the decision of the order in which to show them) or seeing them dress as their favorite characters and superheros and battle in the backyard.
Earlier this summer, we even took them to Phoenix Fan Fusion, a huge comic convention downtown. The boys loved it, and asked to go back again the next day. They loved seeing all of the other costumes, browsing booths full of memorabilia, and geeking out over everything from Pokemon to Lego to Zelda. They could, and have, spent hours and hours on each topic.
Tonight, they sat at our kitchen table, each adding to their own fan fiction stories. One about Big B’s favorite book series Wings of Fire, as little b wrote a continuation of The Mandalorian. It’s so fun watching their creativity and to know they’re unapologetically themselves. The world needs more people who care enough to know a lot about something—and love every minute of it.
Our Life in A-Z 