April Adventures: Dinner with Lauren Winner

Hello Readers!

Lauren Winner- image from http://divinity.duke.edu/

Last month, just over two weeks ago, one of my favorite authors, Lauren Winner, came to my college to speak in chapel and to give a colloquium. You may recognize her from her books, like Girl Meets God, Real Sex, Mudhouse Sabbath, or her latest book Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis. In addition to being a successful author, she also teaches at Duke Divinity School in North Carolina.

Earlier this semester, when I found out that Lauren Winner was coming to campus, I mentioned to a colleague and friend that I was a fan of her writing and I hoped to meet her during her visit to campus. He recommended that I ask the powers that be (my now friend and former professor of Ethics) if I could meet  Lauren Winner. I did (thank you Kent!) and I was even invited to dinner with her, Winner, and another colleague from the college (thank you Christina!). Amazing! How many people get to eat dinner with one of their favorite authors?

As the time approached, I read and re-read some of her books to prepare for her visit. As I did my "research" I came to an interesting realization about authors, like Winner, who write autobiographies: they reveal so much of their stories to readers. It must be strange, then as an author, to meet people who already know so much about you, or at least the portion of you project in your writing. With this possibility of a realization in mind, I was determined not to be one of those creepy "I feel like I know you" fans when I met Lauren. I would be cool, or at least as cool I could be.

Finally, on April 25th, the day arrived of Lauren's visit. I had a lot of grading to finish, so I listened to her chapel address on the college radio station. In the afternoon I attended the colloquium, which was wonderful, and before I knew it it was time to jump in the car and drive to St. Louis for dinner. Lauren Winner, Christina, Brian, and me.

The drive from campus to our restaurant, Mangia, on South Grand was nearly an hour. On our way there we talked about almost everything: politics, religion, literacy, education- it was great! We arrived at the restaurant in time for half price appetizers (hooray!) and ordered duck potstickers (delicious!) and tomato bruschetta (yum!).

During dinner, our conversation continued over delicious food. At one point, Lauren asked each of us what our favorite book was that we read in the past year. Woah! One of my favorite authors asked me what I was reading? Cool! All of the books shared around the table were interesting, and I wish that I would have written them down. The rest of the dinner went well: delicious food, a bit of laughter, and more great conversation.

Looking back on the whole experience, I am so grateful for how it went. I've heard of people meeting authors and being disappointed, but Lauren was no disappointment! Meeting a woman with a powerful voice, an accomplished career as a writer and academic, and thoughtful Christian was an inspiration. I must admit that I wasn't very talkative during my dinner with Winner, but that was because I had so many interesting things to listen to and learn about from her and my colleagues from the college. This adventure may be my favorite one from this semester.

What a wonderful opportunity! Have you ever met an author? Or, if you could- who would it be?

Thanks for reading!

Backtrack: Fitz's with Friends

Hello Readers,

Happy Monday! Let's backtrack again. . .

A few weeks ago I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time with the couple at an engagement-almost-wedding party in St. Louis. I was able to catch up with a few friends from SLU (Bethany, Jenn, David, and Dave), friends from The Gathering (Jenny and Matt), and I was able to meet a few new people too! We had a blast! During the party I drank 2 Fitz's cream sodas. I'm not sure if those sodas contain caffeine- but I am quite certain that they contain sugar. A lot of sugar. Enough sugar for an energetic late night drive from St. Louis all the way to my home in rural Illinois. Yee hah!

Dressing Room picture! This is what I wore to the celebration!

I wasn't sure what to wear to this party. What does one wear to an engagement party? This was the first I ever attended, so I had no frame of reference to rely upon for this outfit. So, I made my own frame of reference. While crafting my outfit I tried to pick pieces that reflected the occasion. A ruffly top with sparkly belt and a sparkly headband to reflect the joy and happiness associated with engagements and metallic silver flats to reflect the brilliance of the couple (David and Bethany are both super-intelligent! Brilliant!). I chose the skinny jeans and cardigan for comfort. I am almost always cold everywhere I go, so it was important to remember to wear a cardigan! I also wasn't sure if we would play any games (I've heard those sometimes take place at occasions such as this), so jeans seemed like a practical option.

Here are a few pictures from Bethany and David's St. Louis engagement party-schindig:

Billiken Buddies- me, Bethany, and Jenn (with a flash)

no flash

Here they are- the bride-to-be and groom-to-be!- Bethany and David.
(PS- I didn't crop your socks because I thought they looked cute!)

Aren't they adorable? I think so!

Thanks for reading!

One of The Reasons I Love St. Louis. . .

Oh St. Louis!

Hello Readers,

Last month, before I officially moved out of St. Louis, I spent a few days saying goodbye to the city that took my heart by surprise. I knew that St. Louis, and graduate school, would be an adventure, but I never anticipated how much I would enjoy adventuring in St. Louis.

What the what?

In my time of goodbying, my friend Megan and I took a stroll around Maryland Plaza before meeting up with our mutual friend Deanne (yes, we all went to school together) for a movie at the Chase Park Plaza cinema. As we ambled along the sidewalk we came across the oddest spectacle. There, on the sidewalk, were two street performers. One, a man, was riding a giant stationary bicycle with an umbrella of spinning wine glasses and the other, a woman, was standing as a statue, dressed in a sequined gown in the middle of a fountain.

This is one of the reasons I love St. Louis. A familiar place, like Maryland Plaza, will sometimes yield unexpected experiences- like a man drying wine glasses on a stationary bicycle and a woman pretending to be a statue in a fountain. I'm still unsure as to why these performers were there, but I wonder if it was to benefit a nonprofit in the area. Did anyone else see this? Do you know?

I miss St. Louis, but fortunately I will be back there (briefly) today!!!

Delightfully confused

Megan is also delightfully confused

Retail Details (me):

Pink Tank: Abercrombie & Fitch

Silver Heart Necklace: Gift from my cousin (for singing in her wedding)

Navy Blue Printed Dress: American Eagle Outfitters

Black and Navy Blue Windmill Belt: Anthropologie

Charcoal Metallic Flip Flips: Ipanema

AG Gift Card Winner. . . (And More Love for StL)

And our winner is. . .

Michelle!!! Her favorite place in St. Louis is the Zoo on a cold day, sans crowds- how smart!  I believe there are still a few opportunities to visit the St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park on a cold day before Spring weather is in full bloom.

Other mentions in the entries included: Forest Park (which is bigger than Central Park), the main quad on the campus of Washington University, Big Bang (piano bar), Dewey's Pizza (delicious!), a middle school, and the Missouri Botanical Garden- all wonderful places!

 Where are my favorite St. Louis places?  Well there are many, but these are just a couple:

The Botanical Gardens (also Hannah's favorite!):

I love these glass bulbs at the Gardens!

Waterfalls are wonderful!

 Forest Park:

The Basin (at the foot of Art Hill)- there is something about this spot that is so tranquil and calming.

Congratulations Michelle!!!

*Upcoming posts: St. Patrick's Day outfit, Rent The Runway dress

Showing Love for St. Louis (AG Giveaway)

Happy Friday Readers!

Today through next Friday I will be running another giveaway!  As you may have already gathered from my other giveaways (the brooch and the handcreme), I like to give away products that I really enjoy.

Since  I love my AG Stevie cords, and because I had such a lovely visit at the AG store in St. Louis (featured in my last post), this giveaway will be for a $25 dollar Adriano Goldschmied gift card.  This gift card can be used only in AG stores (not online, and not at other retailers like Anthropologie or Nordstrom), and the winner of the gift card will receive their prize in the mail.

So. . . how can you win this gift card?

picture courtesy AG Website

First (1) you will need to follow my blog, if you are not already a follower (you can do this either on blogger or through google reader).

Second (2) leave a comment about your favorite place in St. Louis- this could be a park, a restaurant, a neighborhood, an attraction, etc.  AND tell me why this is your favorite place

Third (3) make sure that you leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

In case you were wondering. . . here are a few locations of the AG stores:

St. Louis, MO
Beverly Hills, CA
Costa Mesa, CA
San Francisco, CA
Aventura, FL
Miami, FL
Atlantic City
Soho (New York, NY)
Upper West Side (New York, NY)

Best of luck to all of you!!!

Adriano Goldschmied Store Visit- Maryland Plaza

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Good Morning Readers!

Last week I had the opportunity to do my very first store review!  Where, you may ask?  I went to the Adriano Goldschmied store in the very lovely Maryland Plaza (CWE, St. Louis), conveniently located in between my occasional walks from The Cup (formerly The Cupcakery) to Straub's.  When I visited this store for the first time two weeks ago (a week before my review visit) and was so impressed with the clothing, helpful and knowledgeable staff, and welcoming atmosphere of the store, I was so inspired that I asked if I could do a review for this blog the following week.

During this visit, as well as my first visit, Carol helped me find the right styles, fits, and washes and offered water and soda to me upon my arrival.  She offered honest advice and reactions for each of the styles I tried on- always encouraging and never pushy.  If trying on jeans is something that makes you as nervous as it makes me, Carol is the perfect stylist for you because she helps you identify your strengths, offers helpful styling tips for disguising any insecurities, and finds flattering styles for you to try on that you never would have considered before.  She is wonderful!  But so is everyone else I've met at this store, including Daniel and Nikki (who has a delightful blog: AddBubblestoTaste).

Here is the store's exterior:


And the interior (it reminds me a lot of Martin & Osa):

They have men's clothing too!

Here are a few of the jeans I tried on during my visit:

The Charlotte: 

These jeans were a dream and a half! The straight cut of these jeans make them super flattering and ultra-versatile.  I could wear these to work on a Friday, out with friends, running errands, with heels or flats, even cuffed! Of all the jeans I tried on, this is the most practical and slimming pair of the bunch with the inseam I was searching for.

Fit Guide: These are very slimming and I recommend staying with your regular size, TTS.

The Ballad: 

I almost bought these beauties- they are super comfortable (lots of stretch and really soft fabric), but since it's been a while since I've worn bootcut jeans, I decided to hold off.  I have, however been stalking these jeans on the agjeans website since I tried them on.

Fit guide: The Clyde wash comes in a fabric with a lot of stretch, almost like a jegging (but not as restricting as a jegging), so I recommend trying on one size lower than your usual size along with your regular size. 

**Attention tall ladies: With a 33 inch inseam, this jean had a wonderful length that I would recommend to all my height (5'9"/5'10") and above.

The Farrah: 

This jean, inspired by the original Farrah's famous flare for bellbottoms, is like a flashback to a past I never experienced (the 1970s).  Wearing these, I really felt like I could have stepped back in time, maybe to one of James Taylor's first concerts way back when.

Fit Guide: I recommend trying on the size that you usually wear, in addition to the next size up.  These are stretch-free, which I think is a testament to their durability, but this means that sizing up is a good (and shame-free) idea for these fun jeans.  The waist is higher than what I am used to wearing, but is true to style, and completes the look.  Aren't these fun?
**Attention fellow tall ladies- these jeans have a really long inseam!!! I usually wear a 33 or 34 inch inseam, and even with 2 inch heels I had plenty of length.

The Stevie: 

For all of you anthro fans out there, you may already be familiar with the Stevie either as a denim or cord, or maybe both! As a proud owner of two pairs of AG Stevie cords, I had to try these jeans on.  These jeans have a major wow factor- they fit closely where they should, but never too closely, and have just the right amount of stretch to make this a wonderful anyday-anytime jean. Very flattering!

 
Fit guide: I recommend staying with your normal size for this jean.  The fit is lovely, but it is close, and the jean itself provides a lot of structure, so you don't want it to be too tight since it already fits closely to the body.

So. . . moral of the story: visit the nearest Adriano Goldschmied store near you! For locations, here is the AG's store locator on their website: http://www.agjeans.com/store/storelocator.aspx

Thank you Carol, Nikki, and Daniel for all of your help and for making this visit such an amazing experience!

*PS- stay tuned- I have a very special giveaway starting tomorrow!

My very own. . . Etsy Shop!

Hello Readers!

A few posts ago, I mentioned an interest in opening an Etsy shop. After talking about this idea with my parents, and a few other people, I decided that this would be a lovely little side project. Nothing too big or time consuming, at least until May 21st (graduation!), just enough of an endeavor to provide a pleasant diversion from the stressors of grad school.

I'm still not ready to "open" the shop officially, but I am happy with my present collection. Three skirts, three dresses, and a hot pair of vintage shoes. I still want to find a few pieces of jewelry, maybe an assortment of accessories, more shoes. . . I'm not really sure- but I look forward to expanding my stock of eclectic and elegant stock!

So far, my search for stock took place within a 30 minute radius of my parents' house in Peoria- but yesterday I returned to St. Louis and I am wildly hopeful about the possible finds that await my discovery in this locale! St. Louis here I come!

I will let you all know when my shop is officially open! :)

More Adventures: Parks, Art, and Cookies

Here are a few more pictures, and an additional outfit, from the week of Kellie's visit to St. Louis. These pictures are actually from Kellie's first day, when we explored Forest Park's Jewel Box and Art Museum. When Kellie and I studied abroad, in Madrid, one of the places we frequented on a regular basis was Retiro, a refreshing park located amidst the hustle and bustle of la ciudad. While St. Louis has less hustle and bustle than the metropolitan madness of Madrid, Forest Park is still offers a welcoming respite to its visitors. Since Kellie had an eventful morning before arriving in St. Louis (waking up early, landing in Atlanta, and navigating Lambert), I thought that Forest Park would provide a soothing introduction to this great city that I currently call home. (Don't worry Mom, St. Louis is just my sort of home).

The first picture (above) was taken in the art museum, through one of the interesting looking glasses in the basement of the museum. Just after this photo was taken, after a 2-3 minute interlude of trying to make creative poses, Kellie and I were caught off guard by a few museum workers who burst through the doors behind us. (Well, they didn't quite burst through, but their sudden arrival did surprise us).

Below is a picture of the first reunion of The Tres Amigas since May of 2008! After my night class, Rachel (center) and Kellie and I caught up and reminisced over giant peanut butter cookies from Great Harvest Bread Company. Here we are:

PS- I also wore this shirt, and belt, on a separate occasion when I went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens with my office roommate, Emily. Here is the ensemble that these items went with:

(George Washington Carver and I admiring a plant)

Emerald Green Silk/Cashmere Cardigan: Martin & Osa

Ivory Ruffled Button-Up ("Bits of Pearl") Blouse: Odille, purchased at Anthropologie (currently in the sale section)

Brown Furrowed Belt: Anthropologie

Charcoal-Grey Tank Top: Abercrombie & Fitch

Medium-Dark Rinse Straight-Fit Jeans: Abercrombie & Fitch

Silver Flats: American Eagle Outfitters (from last year, but currently available online)

Meet Me in St. Louie, Louie. . .

("Photo Opportunity"- Thank you Budweiser Brewery!)

Hello Bloggers!

It's been a while since my last post, the last few weeks have been a bit busy. As some of you may know, one of my dear friends, Kellie, came to St. Louis for a visit last week! She, along with my other dear friend Rachel, were my closest friends during the semester I spent at SLU Madrid. It's been nearly 2.5 years since the last adventure of the "Tres Amigas," so our reunion was well overdue.

Even though I've lived in St. Louis for over a year, there is still so much of the city that I still need to explore. During Kellie's visit, for example, we went to the top of the Arch. Of all the things to do in St. Louis, I can't believe that it's taken me this long to actually do!

Anyways, it was great to catch up with Kellie (and Rachel), and to explore St. Louis! Some of our favorite spots were: The Gateway Arch, The City Museum, The Missouri Botanical Gardens, Bailey's Chocolate Bar, and the Budweiser Brewery. If you ever visit St. Louis, or live in/near St. Louis, I highly recommend each of these attractions.

(Kellie and I with a friendly Park Ranger at the Arch)

During this time, I also got to put together some ensembles that I thought I should share with you, my readers. This particular post includes the outfit that I wore to the Arch, the Budweiser Brewery tour, and a brief tour of SLU. From head to toe, this outfit included:

Ivory Craft & Creation Cowl-neck: Deletta (from Anthro, this season)

Turquoise lace-trim tank top: American Eagle (from two years ago- one of my favs)

Greenish-Blue Glass Pendant: purchased on eBay

Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs (from many seasons ago, also one of my favs)

SLR Camera Bag: Tamrac

Jeans: Martin & Osa (last season, RIP)

Shoes: American Eagle Outfitters (also from two years ago)

(SLU's mascot, the Billikin, and I)