Frills and furbelows
Sober monochromatic jacket-blouse-skirt ensemble for the first day, check. Rather snazzier (but still professional) outfit for the second day (when, presumably, the Ruritanians will have divined that I’m not an ax-murderer or the like), check. Appropriately restrained makeup, check. Earrings, check. Newly-shined shoes (have to pack them because their metal shanks won’t go through airport security screens, and have I mentioned lately that I hate air travel?), check. Neatly-trimmed hair, check. Static Guard for the fleece cape that’s rather classier than my grungy patchwork coat (it’s a nice cape, but it does get staticky), check.
I could say something about gilding lilies at this point, if it weren’t more a case of sow’s ears and silk purses, you know what I’m sayin’?