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In Vogue

By Debbie Farmer

It finally happened! The leading fashion magazines have declared that the natural look is in. For years, I've been ahead of my time. My natural look started with the birth of my first child and is a combination of postpartum fatigue and Cesarean section. My look was perfected with the arrival of my second child -- and the addition of elastic waistbands, support hose and a pair of sensible shoes.

I figure if the natural look also applies to the home, the chaos of my living room is already at the height of fashion and soon I will be the envy of the neighborhood. My home would be ready for unannounced visitors every moment of the day and I could loan my children out to tidy, organized neighbors who wanted to update their houses.

In Paris, I imagined models dressed in robes and curlers, with peanut butter breath, stumbling down runways piled with toys and mismatched socks.

"Oh, folding laundry is so passe," I'd explain to my outdated husband from my prone position on the sofa. "These are the nineties! Just dig through the pile under the bed."