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



There's no place like home away from home

    

Breath of Fresh Air

I'm sure you've noticed the excessive amount of DIY posts in ratio to the severely lacking outfit posts lately, huh? That is due to three things:

1. I've been performing in Les Misérables at the community arts center for the last two weeks, so I haven't had the biggest amount of time on my hands,
2. The time I did have, I was contained within the four walls of my house where I could only do small projects that would be finished in one sitting, and..
3. I've been in the process of packing my clothes away. Kind of presents an issue when posting about fashion.

I managed to squeeze in one last session before picking it back up once we're down in Tampa. I will go ahead and warn you that the school year itself will surely cause posts to be spaced out, but they will not stop completely. I assure you of that.

As I get ready to leave for Florida, I think about how prepared I am to get out of this place. It sounds awful, I know, but I don’t mean it as harshly as it comes across. I’ll miss my dear, lovely friends so very much, it’s obviously not because of that. It’s just the fact that... I’ve been in the same predicament since we first moved here. I have been spinning my wheels in this town; I feel sort of trapped and like I’m not getting anywhere with my life as long as I remain here. It’s been great for a while, everyone needs that steadiness to a certain point. There are a lot of really great things about Manchester, but there are a lot of things that really bother me. I don’t intend on going too far into detail about all of them, just the one that relates to the story behind today’s post.

Erin and I were taking these outfit pictures down one of the streets on the square. Few people were out and about in the area we were actually taking the pictures, it’s not the busiest section. However, we walked to a pawn shop before the shoot and nearly every single person glared at me (it would usually be “us,” but Erin was in a mere t-shirt and jeans on this particular occasion). The glares were that "giving someone the look-down" glare. This is far from the first time it’s happened, but it struck more me this time. I’ll be thrilled to be a place where people actually put forth effort into the way they live, whether it be their speech, dress, work, or general mentality. Not to sound like I’m some kind of high class booshie, but Manchesterites push the lines of trashy. And then they look at ME like I’m the weirdo! I’m sorry I don’t go out in public wearing whatever stained shirt and baggy PJ pants I rolled out of bed in,... geez. I mean, this is just a flowy skirt, a lace shirt, and a floppy hat! It was a nice, sunny day! It's not like I wore anything glitzy or unusual. I'll admit, this outfit leans toward the bohemian/70's extent of my style, but it's nothing too far out there!
Casual but fashionable, people. Get with the system.
The problem with the mentality of the inhabitants is that they aren’t used to (nor do they want to get used to) anything out of the ordinary. They’ve set the standards way back when and don’t want anything out of their comfort zone to catch them off guard. And I’m not only talking about dressing well put-together, I’m addressing many of the thoughts and opinions of people I’ve met here. Of course, it would be unfair of me to lump every single person from Manchester into this category, but most would agree that this is the overall atmosphere. It's just not for me. At least not for me to live in.

Not to say that Tampa is the perfect place. No place is the "perfect place," anywhere will have its flaws. Eventually, I will discover the one area I will want to settle down for good, but until then I'll be testing out a couple states. Perhaps Manchester will transition into a different feel in a few years. For now, I'm going to school in Tampa, FL, and that will be a good change from... this.

Saying "good bye for now, see you later" to the people that mean the most to me has been really complicated. Difficult, obviously, but mostly complicated. I think I'm fighting two feelings inside of me while I'm doing it. On the one hand, it's not as hopeless as it seems. It's just a school year apart, then I'll be back again for another summer. Not to mention the holiday vacations. Facebook, Skype, and cell phones make the distance less distant, and we'll be seeing about the same amount of each other as if we were going to various schools in the same state. Then again, I think my emotions are a little on the fritz since having to say good bye to Garrett. That was one of the most emotionally scarring moments for me from several aspects, but I think I got all of the sadness of parting (with anyone) out during that one "farewell". I already had to come to terms with being separated from the ones I love back then. The reason I'm not letting myself relive that moment with each of my friends now is because I couldn't handle it.
So. I've come to a reasonable conclusion: I'm not worried. It's unfortunate, yes. I'll miss people and want them around, but life continues. You'll always have those relationships as you continue to grow and gain experiences, and they will help to keep you going no matter where you are. It's not the things that come easy that are worth keeping.

“Things which come to us easily have no significance. Satisfaction comes when we do something which is difficult; when there is sacrifice involved”
-Barry Morris Goldwater
I like to think that applies.



Shirt/bracelets: Forever 21, skirt: thrifted,
sandals: Target, hat: courtesy of Erin



 

Display dangling earrings and necklaces

Frame Jewelry Organizer

Most of my jewelry are long pieces, making it difficult to find a jewelry box/tree tall enough to hold my necklaces that works for my earrings as well. Taking matters into my own hands, I hit up Pinterest for some ideas.

• Frame
• Paint
• Lace strips
• Hot glue gun

I discovered this vintage wood frame in the attic, and (after clearing it with dad and finding no significant value) painted it with two coats of pink craft paint. Painting it a different color is obviously optional, it was

 just my choice in the matter. Next, pin the strips of lace into the crease on the
inside of the frame, the indention where the frame's glass would settle.

 



Now, when pinning the lace, I cannot stress this enough: PULL AS TIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE. The lace really needs to be as stiff and have as much tension as you can make it, because I promise you the weight of jewelry will pull it down. So, eliminate slack. Once everything is where it should be, bring on the glue. Apply generously, but in layers. Too much hot glue at once just becomes a goopy mess. Allow the areas to dry, and repeat for each section of lace.



All that's left is to adorn your new organizer with jewelry and show off how crafty and cute you are.