A Challenging Request
Ballet Inspired Fashion
For me, fashion is a very personal thing. In high-school I wore big sunglasses because I liked them. They were a pearled bubble gum pink I found at Goodwill. I loved them. They reminded me of Jackie O and made me feel glamorous. I totally rocked them. My friends thought I was crazy, but I didn’t care. I liked them, and that was all that mattered to me. I also wasn’t afraid to rock penny loafers or plaid, corduroy and lace. It is because of lace that I’m compelled to write today. Spring is nearly here and the trends that I’m most looking forward to are the ballet inspired fashion and the lace. Ohhhhhhhhh these are so right up my alley, and I can tell you that I’ve already got a ton of pieces on my dream list. There is one website in particular that I was recently introduced to that I’ve spent hours on, drooling over. It’s jam packed with clothes, shoes, and shoulder bags this girl can only dream about owning at the moment (I could pay for an entire year of Catholic school for my son if I dared buy a few of these head to toe outfits I played virtual dress up with…more on that later.) Farfetch.com is an online fashion boutique filled with luxe fashion like Marc Jacobs, and unique brick and mortar boutique finds like American Rag, or cool underground street inspired fashion. It truly has something any girl or guy could love or lust over.
As I mentioned earlier, I spent my afternoon playing virtual dress up in polyvore with pieces and the links to the items found on farfetch.com. You can see all of my sets on my profile, that I created using pieces from farfetch.com including a lovely little spring outfit perfect for visiting a farmer’s market, and another little number that I’d love to wear to a polo match.
And here is my very own ballet inspired fanciful set. These dresses are absolutely gorgeous!
Love & Lace,
This lovely post is sponsored but the words (and styling) are all my own.
Some Alone Time
Yesterday I had a very rare treat…I spent the afternoon alone. I am the type of person who doesn’t mind being alone. I actually enjoy it-I’m not saying that I want to be alone all the time, but each day I need some time to myself. Since having children getting out and doing things solo is about as rare as seeing a unicorn at your local petting zoo. It just never happens. Because my husband and I never lived close to our family before our children rarely left our supervision. We sort of have this motto, If the kids can’t go-then we don’t go.
Now that they boys and I are back home and surrounded by all sorts of family, I realized I’m going to have to “let go” and relax a little when it comes to leaving my children in the supervision of others. When one of my husband’s cousins asked if she could take the boys for the day, I knew they would be in good hands. My son negated any reaming doubt when he asked rather exuberantly, if he was going to “have a babysitter?”
Yesterday while my boys had a ball at the park with their big cousins, I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon by myself at one of my favorite places in Miami. The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
For the last two years I’ve recalled this area in particular from my memory hundreds of times; because it is where the opening scene from my novel takes place. I can’t tell you how exciting and inspirational it was to finally walk exactly where my character does. To compare notes from those in my mind’s eye to the reality was exhilarating in a way I never thought it would be. I struggle to explain how I felt as my heart beat quickened as I walked down the nature path to the museum’s entrance, or how I felt when I finally laid eyes on the stone barge.
I took a ton of pictures that you can view in my Flickr set: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens some of them are blurry and lopsided, I’ve got a new camera (insert big ***squeee*** here!) In case you’re wondering it’s a Nikon D3100 and I’m trying to learn how it all works…this was certainly a great place to practice.
Love & Quickened Heartbeats,
Dial-A-Psychic
Today began like any other ordinary, mundane day. Somewhere in the middle of my day things took a turn down the street named Out of the Ordinary, and stayed there for about twenty minutes…give or take. It was during these 1,200 seconds (give or take) that I had two very interesting conversations. I spoke to two women, who for the most said the same thing in the most eerie fashion.
A few weeks ago I was given a phone number and a pass code to place a call in to Psychic Source. When I was offered the opportunity to have a psychic reading I thought, this could be fun. I went into it with no real expectations-even though I am a believer that there are people out there with true psychic abilities. I just didn’t expect to find someone on a 1-800-dial-a-psychic hot-line. Know what I mean?
I was pleasantly surprised.
The first person I spoke to was Cecilla, she was very perceptive and even figured out with out me telling her, I had two sons. Who she said are very happy, (true) who have amazing energy (True. True!) She touched on some really honest things in my life regarding my career goals (more on that later) and even mentioned something about an “envious” friend,which made me want to pull out my azabache and pin the darn thing on! What’s crazy is she described this her in great detail, down to the color of her hair. Saying that she envies what I have, believing me to be more successful than she. Psychic Cecilla didn’t warn me against her-much to my delight-because that would have put a bad taste in my mouth; instead she said I should “encourage her to have her own autonomy”-which is what I do anyway (I am an awesome friend.) We ended the call with her cleansing my aura. I don’t know exactly how you cleanse one’s aura, but I didn’t mind her doing it-because a dirty aura is certainly not a good-thing.
The second person I spoke to was Simone. Simone had a lot to say, notably according to her, I will be a “great success” if I keep behind my passions and dreams. That made me feel really good, because she also mentioned that all I need to do is work on it for short periods each day. She said, because I’m a “goal oriented sort of person” (again totally correct) to try not to focus on the larger goal, but just of that small goal 5-10 minutes a day. Which is almost exactly what Psychic Cecilla said.
Bloody brilliant! If I do say so myself.
I also spoke about my husband to both women, and they both said things that were easily validated when I spoke to him today. Psychic Simone also got that the hubs is apart from me for work and that he is stationed in an Asian nation. Simone also said Europe is in our future!
***Squeeeee!!!***
I got a lot of fun out of my psychic reading from Psychic Source who provided me with a credit to have these little chats at my convenience.
Love & Mystical Things,
Grandmother’s House She Went
This weekend while in Tampa I went and stayed with my Grandmother. I’d not seen her in two and a half years so it was great to finally see her and squeeze her and love on her for a bit.
For those of you who know me, or who’ve read my blog for a while know how much I adore my grandmother and how I’ve missed her. I found her in good spirits, but for the first time in my life she seemed old. I mean, it’s too be expected I suppose, she is 83 after all. It’s just that when you haven’t seen someone in a while, its almost like seeing them for the first time. You take note of all the things that have changed, and what has remained the same and although she’s still the same person I did find her somewhat changed. Not in a bad way-just different. Much like when you see a movie again for the first time since you were a kid and although it was still pretty darn good, you find that you may have enhanced things a bit in your memory.
My memories of my grandmother haven’t changed my perception of her has. I’ve always viewed her as this “Rosie the Riveter” type of person. Strong, capable, a person who could do anything she put her mind to. Now, she seems frail, like a newly hatched chick I found myself wanting to baby her like I do my own children. I tried not to ofcourse knowing that would not be to her liking as she still likes to think her self the completely independent person she always was. I came away from my weekend with a new appreciation for her and a desire to bottle up every little ounce of information that’s stored in her long memory.
Miami Twice Vintage
Yesterday I took a little mini-excursion into a shop I’d not been to in over ten years (since I moved away), Miami Twice. I would go there when I was in high-school and just get all googly eyed over all of their antiques and retro pieces. Yes, I was into vintage when it wasn’t a cool or hip thing. It was so great to go back and find the store still carried all the fun stuff. I could litterally spend the entire day-but since I had the little guy with me, that wasn’t feasable.
While there I fell in love with this green 1950′s number-went and tried it on only to find that the zipper wouldn’t go past my rib cage. I wanted to cry because it was actually really affordable at under $50. The second dress I tried on was so cute, and totally me too. It was a magenta polka-dot number that I just may have to go back and get!
I think, if I could I would probably fill my entire wardrobe from the pages of Vogue magazine of years past (mixed in with some contemporary pieces too of course!)
Love & Old Things,
“Mindblind” Book Review
I just read the last few lines of Mindblind by Jennifer Roy. Mindblind is an amazing book about four-teen year old Nathaniel a profoundly gifted young man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Nathaniel loves formulas because they make sense to him-unlike the real world where he’s forced to live in when he comes out of his “Aspie” world. Formulas are his friends but along the way he learns that they are not his only friends. He is beyond smart- though not quite a genius-a fact that irks him despite his 182 IQ. At 14. he’s already gone to college and is taking a year off to decide where he wants to go to graduate school. He plays keyboard methodically in a band with three other “normal” kids, loves “The Amazing Race”, and would rather be alone at home where he lives with his lovely mother-in the controlled environment of his own room, rather than spend his weekends with his egotistic father-even if his little brother makes him laugh.
This book is told from Nathaniel’s perspective in a very well done first person that gives an amazing glance into the mind of a child with Asperger’s syndrome where he understands that he his “mindblind” (has a hard time understanding what other people think or mean) but tries to work through it even if he’d rather go off into his own mind and world where he’s the normal one and everything makes sense. Despite his mindblindness Nathaniel is able to care and love and develop meaningful friendships and relationships with friends and family members. I highly recommend this book for his wonderful dialogue, quirky characters, and unique way the story is told.
Mindblind was recommended to me by literary agent Mark McVeigh during a webinar about perfecting the first chapter called “Nailing Your First Chapter” if you’re a writer or aspire to be one, I highly recommend this webinar.
Small Bedroom Design (WIP)
When I moved to Miami to live with my in-laws while my husband serves his remote tour I knew that I’d have a small bedroom to call my own. I haven’t had a room-just to myself since I married ten years ago and although I’ve always decorated how I saw fit. The idea of decorating a room that is just for me was-and is really appealing. A few weeks ago I was browsing some website, I’m guessing it was either flickr or weheartit, but I could have easily just searched small bedroom images and come across this, my inspiration photograph.
Unfortunately I neglected to note where I got it from which means I can’t tell you who the rightful owner of it is, nor can I thank them for inspiring my current decor scheme. Mainly because I was drawn to this daybed from Ikea and secondly because I’d already had a shelf like the one pictured. Plus the decor is so totally and completely me I could have easily designed this room myself!
This room is still a work in progress (WIP) I didn’t really bring any of my “knick knacks” in aside from my desk things and a small glass swan a friend of mine gave me as I figured I’d have two years to collect plenty of new treasures. (Not to mention the stuff my husband will send me from Korea!)
(You can click on the photo to get a better view of the larger image.)
Update:
I did some smart key word searching and found the rightful owner of my inspiration photograph. Check our this lovely little flat where she calls home.
xo,
Big World Small Example - Project 365 - Day 38
My husband left this morning and as I write this I’m feeling okay. Ask me in a few days…or even in a few hours how I feel and that-of course could completely change. I am, right now more worried about our children. My eldest seems perfectly fine at the moment but last week he was one hot mess! He’d lament to me about how much he was going to miss me, while at school big wet tears falling uncontrollably from his eyes. I had the sinking suspicion that it was not me he was really going to miss but his father. Then one night…as we both put our boys to bed Michael, crying and we-unable to calm him down finally expressed what he’d been holding in. He said in the most heart wrenching fashion, “I have a big hole in my hear
t.” My husband and I could only stare at each other over the top of his head as it rested on my shoulder. It was not what we expected to hear from our precocious six year old.
We gave him a great big hug and loved on him till he fell asleep. In the morning he seemed better and his crying at school eased. Today there were no tears at when I dropped him off at school-but I think that’s because we were running late and there really was no time for tears.
I’m sure I didn’t help matters much when he saw my eyes well up with tears when we dropped his father off at the airport. This is the first long term separation our family is going to have in five years. Michael will eventually understand what we mean when we say Daddy’s got work to do for the Air Force.
Later in the day I got on Google Earth and showed him where his daddy was going and he seemed to get it. It was still a virtual representation of the space and distance between us and that is when I remembered this old globe (it’s from way back when the USSR was around) we discovered while moving in and cleaning up my brother in law’s old bedroom. I traced along the states from our location in Miami and then the great big Pacific to where he was going and then I showed Evan. I think Michael finally understood just how far away he’ll be and that we couldn’t drive there. As for Evan, he just asked when we were going to go pick up his daddy at the airport.
I couldn’t tell him when, so I just told him not today. He then asked if he was at our apartment and I told him no. I think he may be getting it that his Daddy is actually far, far, away.
The world seems really big right now.
It could be worse. We’ll get to talk and email and skype, a lot of military families don’t have that luxury right now. I’ll take it!
