Dotted Half Note

Where has September gone?? It's nearly October. Time slips away so quickly.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting on life lately. There's been many changes and eye-opening experiences in a short span of time. I guess I'll just get straight to the point: music is my true passion; I've never wanted to excel in something as much as I do in it. The downside? It gets overwhelming. I know I'm nowhere near as advanced as the talented musicians I share classes with, and I am constantly pushing myself just to stay on what I feel is the same level as them. Though I absolutely love learning all about theory and whatnot, it begins to wear on me. It's worn on me to the point where I've been doubting my ability/decisions. I am my own worst critic: I know I'm not awful, but I know I'm far from anything spectacular. When I was feeling my most hopeless, Dr. Bassett (my voice teacher) somehow knew exactly what I needed to hear. Without going into too much detail, I can tell you that he revitalized me spirits. He shocked me with his words, dusted me off and stood me back up on my feet again... then [gently] shoved me in the direction I know I want to continue in. I can't express how much I already appreciate him and the vast amount of knowledge he's imparting.

 I felt very whimsical wearing this outfit. It has a lot of youthful personality, mixed with just enough classy sophistication. Out of all the colors in my wardrobe, black is one of the least used (which is in complete contrast to Erin's style choice). However, I felt it made the white polka dots pop that much more. I experimented with the layering of two tops, and I was very pleased with the end result! Of course, I can't help that I love neck-tie shirts so much.



Blouse (under): A'GACI, skirt: Gap
top, shoes, earrings: Forever 21,
tights: JcPenny

One of the unique things about Florida College is the number of rooms/corridors you will find. Featured in these pictures is the historic Sutton lobby,.. but I'm going to save the explanation of the FC campus for a different time. I'm keeping this entry short and sweet. (Like me!)

Swamp Creature

So here I am, a month into life at Florida College... and only one outfit post thus far. Life has been really busy! Oh well. I'm not going to apologize too much. It could be worse.
My birthday was last Wednesday, and it was one of the sweetest birthdays I have experienced in the 19 years of my life! And the word "sweet" is to be taken literally. I was treated so wonderfully by all of my friends, old and new, as well as my family. One of my shelves is still full of candy and cards/notes of kind words. I cannot express my appreciation.
Branching off from the previous topic, lately I have been extremely appreciative of the simple things in life. With the stresses and seriousness of studying/college life, tiny beams of joy will penetrate the dullness and really cause me to smile: the sunny walk from the dorm to my classes, a warm cup of my daily Colombian roast coffee, the mysteriously swampy coloring of river road (the area in the pictures), finding happy mail in my mailbox, a newly vacuumed floor, unexpectedly running into a friend and having a good chat... It doesn't take a lot to brighten my day. I think a large part of it is how much I really love living on my own. I feel like I've been given this clean slate, and now I'm experiencing life anew with all of my senses wide open, and every little thing is so special. Life is just so pleasantly full of... life!

Mint is such a popular color lately, it's not even funny. It's not funny because I totally owned it before everyone began obsessing over it. (Hah, ok. I kid. Sort of.) Since it entered the fashion scene, I've seen it most prominently in nail color and pants. It's one of those colors that can easily be incorporated into most outfits. My one pair of mint denim is a treasured item as it is the only pair of "colorful" pants I own... and they aren't even that far off from light-wash denim, just more green-blue tinted. I've just recently begun to be very interested in unique colors or prints on pants. They're an alternative to a statement shirt or jewelry. Thinking about the different clothing combinations with a coral or deep teal pair makes my head twirl. If I had the money for it, I would add so many more trousers to my wardrobe.

This broach is a gorgeously dainty little piece. I picked it up along with a couple other accent accessories at an antique store back in Tennessee, but I don't feel like I do it the justice it deserves. I wish I was able to show broaches off more, but I generally only wear them in two ways:

1. On the lapel of a blazer/cardigan, or
2. To hold a scarf in place

I guess those are really the only few ways to style a broach, but I want to challenge that. Any suggestions? I'm always open to new ideas.


Top: Forever 21, pants: A'GACI,
blazer: A'GACI, shoes: ModCloth, broach: antique store