Rainy Day Blues and Happy News

Hello Readers!

Good news!  I am moving on to the final stage of my comprehensive exams: the oral defense!  This means that I am even closer to graduating with an M.A. in Communication! Just a few more weeks left until I am FREE (well, sort of).

In a post last month I wore a wool dress and secretly hoped for another occasion to wear the dress, a day cool enough to permit a dress of this weight and warmth. Well, in the last week of April (today) I got my chance. I almost put the dress away for the fall, but with the unpredictability of the Midwest I trusted that the dress might get one more wear before the weather is supposed to be cool.

Department of Communication!

As you can see, I styled it a bit differently today and went with a palette of greys and blues.  It's amazing how much you can change the look of a piece of clothing with the right arrangement of accessories and layering. I also wore my BR trench coat for warmth and rain resistance, but forgot to take a picture with it on.

Retail Details:

Grey Wool Ruffled Suit: Nordstrom Rack
Navy and Black Windmill Bow: Anthropologie
Teal Tights: Hue (from Bergner's or Martin + Osa)
Charcoal Pumps: Cole Haan (purchased at Macy's)

Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday!

As Seen on TV. . . Diamond Sky Skirt

Hello Readers!

After an exhausting day (an essay exam, post office visit, two job interviews over the phone, and grocery shopping at 5 PM), I decided to give myself a break and watched House on Hulu.  Today was a beautiful day in St. Louis- but House and a brief nap seemed much more appealing than walking around outside.

As I was watching the show, I spotted this skirt on Martha Masters, played by Amber Tamblyn.  Here is a screenshot that I took from Hulu:

I've noticed that she's worn a few other anthro items- but this one caught my attention because I own it too! I've yet to feature it on this blog (although, I did wear it to the anthro Spring Showcase), but I think I might soon!  I am inspired by how the outfit mixes patterns.  Not something I usually do. . . but maybe I'll try. Until then, here are two more photos:

Hippity Hop It- I Beat Bop It!

Hello Readers,

Remember Bop It?  That loud game that commanded you to "bop it" "twist it" and "pull it" until it would outlast you with its obnoxious speed?  Well, yesterday I outlasted the Bop It.

The Bop It resurfaced yesterday in my parents' living room.  I approached it, twisted it, and found that it was alive again! (Well, someone put batteries in it).  Charged with a sugar-high, courtesy of my Easter basket, I decided to take on . . . (dum dum dummmm) THE BOP IT.

I set the Bop It to the single user setting and began my duel.  In my dress and heels (from church), I danced around the living room to the Bop It beat until finally it gave up.  The beat stopped, and a strange assortment of happy sounds blasted from the Bop It's tiny speakers.  While this song was unfamiliar to me (I've never beaten the Bop It), I recognized the song as a sign of my victory.  At the age of 25- I beat Bop It.

Here are a few pictures of my Easter Sunday outfit:

My mom and I before Church

That's right- I beat Bop It

Retail Details: 

Aqua Cardigan- Martin + Osa

Spinning Lace Dress- Plenty by Tracy Reese (Anthropologie)

Beaded Leather Belt (worn backwards): Anthropologie

Copper Tights: Anthropologie

Neutral Snakeskin Pumps: Calvin Klein

Χριστός ανέστη, Αληθώς ανέστη

Does anyone know what the title of this blog post means?  First clue: it has something to do with what I celebrated yesterday.  Second clue: it is in Greek.  Third clue: it was said many times today in many languages and this is a variant of what we say in English on this day.


Did you guess "Christ is risen, He is risen indeed?"  Well- you are right! I found this translation (which is supposed to say "Christ is risen, Truly He is risen").


This post is about Resurrection Sunday. According to Google Translate, it is also known as Easter, Pascuas, Pâques, Cásca, Pasqua, Páscoa, Velikonočni, Påske, Wielkanoc, Velykos, Paskalya, as well as many other names in many other languages.  


The reason why we say "Christ is risen, He is risen indeed" on this day is because we (Christians) celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, three days after He died on the cross. Resurrection Sunday (Easter) is of great significance because we believe it is the day that Christ defeated death.  With this day comes an invitation to start a new beginning, to be renewed- an invitation to bask in the beauty of forgiveness.  Pardon for you and for me, and for the whole world.  This is a good day!


Instead of an outfit (that post will come later) I want to share a song with you all.  The video below is of a song that I first heard at my church in Peoria, Imago Dei, written and performed by John Mark McMillan for RELEVANT Magazine.  Enjoy!

Also, if you are interested in hearing the sermon that I heard on Sunday at Imago Dei Church, it is available on their website here. The podcast is titled "Eighth Day of the Week" and it is also available on iTunes as a podcast.


Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!

Next to Normal

Hello Again Bloggers!

Originally I planned to drive home for Easter Break on Wednesday, but had to delay my plans because I came down with a migraine/throbbing headache earlier in the day.  Thankfully, my Public Speaking students were giving speeches, so I did not have to stand up or talk very much.  After I taught I went back to my apartment, shut all of the blinds, took medicine, and went to sleep.  When I woke up, I determined that it was too late to drive home and that driving 3 hours with a headache probably wasn't the best idea. So what did I do instead?

I went to a musical at The Fox!

The current musical playing at the Fox (I think the 24th was the last night), is called Next to Normal.  I didn't know very much about the show, but I heard positive reviews from various people on campus and on The Fabulous Fox's website, I saw that the musical and the lead of the musical were both award-winners.

I tried to sneak a picture of the set! It was a three-story cross section of a house and the band was on the sides of the second and third level.

This was the second time that I attended a show at the Fox alone- which sounds terrible but I actually enjoyed it!  Yes, I would rather go with friends and share the experience with them, but going alone affords the luxury of spontaneity (I bought the tickets 3 hours before the show), and alone I felt like I was able to connect with the show even more.  I was more aware of my fellow audience members, more aware of little things on stage (the set was amazing!), and more entrenched in the story.

The story, I felt, was written well, and each of the leads were excellent actors who played roles that were believable and vulnerable. Most of the singing was great, except for the lead, played by Alice Ripley (who won a Tony award for this role).  She did such a great job acting the part of Diana, but when she sang her voice revealed what sounded like a lot of damage.  The night of the show, her voice was flat and sounded ridden with vocal nodes.  It was painful to listen to, and I imagine that it was painful for her to sing.  I really hope that she is able to rest her voice and get better soon!

So- what did I wear to the show?

Retail Details:

Off-White Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch

Beaded Leather Belt: Anthropologie

Green Silk Strapless Dress (with a bubble hem): Banana Republic

Off-White and Beige Spectators: Seychelles

Catching Up

Hello Readers!

I can't believe that the semester is coming to a close and my adventures as a Master's student is nearly over! A year ago, I would have said that school was moving at a snail's pace, but now I can hardly believe how quickly time has flown by.  How does that happen? When you're in the middle of something, time seems to move at a slower pace than at the end when it's difficult to account for all of the time that's gone by.

Last Thursday, my friend Megan and I attended Anthropologie's Spring Showcase at the store in the Galleria. I wasn't sure what to expect, but from what I heard from fellow bloggers, I knew that the event would be a lot of fun.  And guess what. . . it was!

Upon arrival, Megan, I, and the rest of the crowd were greeted by staff with smiles and ushered into the store where we filled out a tag (much like a luggage tag- very cute!) with our names.  Then, the flow of traffic led us to a table with an assortment of cheeses, crackers, cashews, olives, grapes, cookies, vanilla meringues, and raspberries.  Then we walked around and browsed the wears and wares of the store.  After Megan and I finished our food, we mosied over to the champagne table and enjoyed a little bit of bubbly. And, of course, we tried on clothes!  Here are some pics from the night:

Milwaukee 2.0- Day 2 and Day 3

Hello Readers!

I can't believe that I was in Milwaukee over a week ago! After the whirlwind events of Friday, Saturday was a bit more tame.  I went to 4 panels (the first was at 8 AM), ate lunch at the hotel, and then prepared for something fun.  The conference had a talent showcase on Saturday night and I contributed to the showcase with a song!  As a part of my warm up, I had to do this:

 

 That's right.  I jumped on my bed.  And documented my wild antics. Sorry Mom and Dad- I had to.  And it was so much fun!  I can't remember the last time I did this- maybe in middle school?

After jumping on the bed and (actually) rehearsing my song, "Leaving on a Jet Plane," Deanne, me, and my guitar walked over to the conference hotel and met up with the other two girls from school who also attended the conference (Margaret and Megan).  Before the talent showcase began, the DJ started the night off with a few dance songs.  I didn't join in until after the talent showcase ( I was too nervous), but I couldn't resist capturing some of the festivities:

Communication scholars getting their groove on

 When the time came for me to sing my song, I took my guitar out of the case and felt confident.  Oddly, I wasn't nervous, even when I found out that there wasn't a mic stand (which is unfortunate when you are playing the guitar and singing), but Deanne came to my rescue and volunteered to be my human mic stand AND sheet music stand!  I introduced myself, and my assistant, and began.  It went off without a hitch, and even by the first chorus of the song, people were waiving their cell phones and singing along! Whoo hoo!  When I finished the song, I felt like a rock star- or at least a folk rock star- and I had to resist the urge of yelling out "Thank you MILWAUKEEEEE!"  Instead I smiled, and walked off the stage.  It was wonderful.

After the talent showcase was complete, Deanne and I hit the dance floor.  Now, I am not a very skilled dancer (despite efforts to become one in grade school and middle school), but I was among scholars.  There were quite a few skilled dancers from a few communication departments, but for the most part, my youth and extroversion were to my advantage in the dancing department.  Especially for The Macarena.  Yes, the Macarena.

At the Talent Show/Dance/Karaoke Extravaganza

Sunday, the final day of the conference, was much more relaxed than Days 2 and 3.  Deanne and I slept in and packed our bags in leisure.  What's the point of staying in a hotel if you can't enjoy its luxuries?  Here are a few pictures of our room:

Deanne pondering in the window-side chair and ottoman in the room.

Deanne's bed

My bed- a mess! 

Headboard

 On our way back to St. Louis, Deanne and I stopped at an outlet near the border of Wisconsin and Illinois.  Among the stores in the outlet was an Ann Taylor Outlet.  As excited as I was to be there, I was able to stick to my budget and restrain myself.  I found a skirt that I fell in love with at the Ann Taylor Outlet store, but it was just a bit too tight in the 4 and too loose in the 6- so it went back on the sales floor.  But, before I put it back, I had to take a picture of the skirt.

Isn't it lovely?

All in all, my trip to Wisconsin was a success.  I networked with scholars in my field, sat in interesting panels, danced my heart out, and connected with some awesome friends from my graduate program.  What a weekend!

Milwaukee 2.0- Day 1

Hello Readers!

Life has been, or shall I say, continues to be, busy.  Two weeks ago I took my comprehensive exams for my Master's program, then last weekend I went to Milwaukee for a communication conference. Busy busy!

I love dressing for cool weather, and I was in luck last weekend in Milwaukee!  On Friday and Saturday the weather was in the 40s and 50s, and I reveled in the opportunity to wear my trench coat and layers.  

I also had another opportunity- I was able to meet up with my bff from undergrad!  Jessica (my bff from undergrad), my friend Deanne (who was also going to the conference), and I grabbed lunch at Panera.  The place where Jessica works was on the way to Milwaukee, so I couldn't pass up grabbing lunch with her!  It was such a delight to catch up with her, and I enjoyed introducing my friend from undergrad to my friend from grad school!

Jessica!

Reunited!

After lunch, Deanne and I made our way into Milwaukee, checked into our hotel, checked into the conference and then went to the historic Third Ward of Milwaukee (which is charming) and stopped by the Anthropologie located in this sweet location.  This Anthropologie was HUGE!  I didn't buy anything, but I was amazed at the selection of items at this store!  But, I held off on purchasing anything in anticipation of the upcoming fashion showcase at my St. Louis store.

For dinner, Deanne, one of her friends, and I went to dinner at an amazing Thai restaurant, The King and I.  Almost exactly two years ago, I ate at The King and I when I attended the 2009 Wisconsin State Bar Annual Convention for my old job.  The restaurant wowed me two years ago, and it wowed me again! If you are ever in Milwaukee, and you have a hankering for Thai- The King and I is a great place to dine!

After dinner the three of us went on an excursion to Waukesha for gelato at Paciugo.  The gelateria is situated at a mall, which made it look like a boring ice cream place at first glance. (Paciugo is a chain store, but don't hold that against their delicious gelato!) Being a bit of an ice cream snob, I wasn't sure if I would like this place but I was wrong!  Paciugo was amazing! They had a unique selection of flavors that included varieties like chocolate coconut curry, acai sorbet, chocolate extra virgin olive oil, and chocolate orange saffron.  The flavors I settled on where rose and violet.  I fell in love with the violet gelato. What was it like? Imagine everything delicious about vanilla gelato and infuse it with the light decadence of violet pastille candies.  Here are a few shots of me with my new favorite flavor of gelato- Violet!

Again- YUM!

You betcha!

An Irresistible Invitation

Hello Readers!

I'm back!  My major comprehensive exam is over!  Later this month I will need to do an oral defense of my answers, but until I hear back from my exam committee (who were a dream team, by the way) about any questions or rewrite requests, I am FREE!

Amidst the terror, fear, and final preparations of last week, I received an invitation to a very special event on April 14th.  Would you like to see who it was from, and what it was for?  Well, if you do, you are in luck because this invitation is posted below:

On the blogosphere, I heard quite a bit of buzz about this event from bloggers in a few other cities, and I wondered (a) if this event would also take place in St. Louis and (b) if I would get to witness the event.  The answer to both of those questions is what brought a smile to my face during one of the most stressful weeks of my life.

I can't wait until next Thursday night!

In other exciting news, I am driving up to Milwaukee on Friday with my friend Deanne to attend the Central States Communication Association's annual convention (along with two other friends from my graduate program).  I love conferences, I love road trips, I love being around friends, and I love Milwaukee- so I think this will be a great weekend!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!