Classic Style Always Looks Good.

With the new trend towards vintage clothing, I've been thinking a lot lately abut what makes fashion timeless. What is it about some outfits that make them wearable fifty years after their creation? And where is my own personal niche in the grand style spectrum of time? Here's what I've been envying my whole life...

The 1960's: Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face: There's nothing more loveable than a classic Cinderella story, and when it's set against the backdrop of the fashionable Paris with a wardrobe designed by Givenchy...doesn't get any better than this!

I spent half my life planning to get married in a dress like this...

My favorite dress in the movie is this polka-dot number! It's playful enough to feel youthful, but the cut is purely elegant!

The mother of all little black dresses. Drool.

The 1970's: Mary Tyler Moore: what a classy lady! The hair, the dresses, the matching skirt suits...if only everyone in Minneapolis looked this good!

She looks so effortless yet so put together. All the time.

And what could be a more fitting accessory than Dick Van Dyke for arm candy? Jealous.

Knee-length full skirts are my favorites right now!

The 1980's: Jessica McClintock Gunne Sax: (disclaimer: I am well aware that the first dress and possibly the shirt are from the late '70s, but the Gunne Sax line was around in the 80s. ) This obsession began well before I even knew what I was doing. When I was really little (maybe first or second grade) I found my mom's Gunne Sax dress from high school and fell in love. The dress is so versatile! I was able to wear it multiple times a year especially in high school for dressup! I could be a pirate, a pioneer, a cowgirl (see below)...the possibilities were endless!

Me (on the left) at an orchestra concert where we played Copeland. Win.

I realize this isn't the best picture, but in sixth grade I discovered the Gunne Sax blouse that my aunt had worn in high school. The first time I wore it was to dress up like a victorian-era girl, but in high school I discovered that it was an awesome alternative to the white oxford shirts that everyone else was wearing to concerts. Here I am backstage at the Kennedy Center with the Mahler 4 flute section of the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute 2008! Apparently I was wearing vintage before it was cool...

Most recently (I know I talk about it a lot, but seriously, this dress is amazing!) I bought an 80's era Gunne Sax prom dress to wear for a recital at school. I like mine way better than this gem (found on Google, duh), though. Can't wait to wear it!!!

The 1990's: Clueless: Generally, the 90's were one of my least favorite decades as far as clothing goes. Lots of poorly-fitting jeans and baggy sweatshirts...all I can think of are the frumpy kids in jr high health textbooks...but one girl was somehow able to skirt those fashion don'ts:

The red party dress sent my heart all a-flutter the moment I saw it. Serious fashion envy!

A mono-chromatic outfit with a touch of glitter in the shoes? Yes, please!

And who could forget this little white number? It's Calvin Klein!

The 2000's: The Housewives: Nicole Kidman and the Ladies of Wisteria Lane have proven that you can still be hot even if your main activities are cleaning the house and carting the kids around. It gives me hope that even after I loose my youthful charm and glow I can still be hot (that and the fact that my mother has lately taken to wearing Oscar De La Renta sundresses and looking better than I do half the time)!

This picture is flawless.

Loving Brie's dress, but then again she's always been my favorite!

Now all I have to do is find an aerobics class where I can dress like this!

Today: Lucy Laucht: Since joining the blogging community, I have a lot of new sources of inspiration. My absolute favorite fashion blogger is Lucy Laucht. I love her outfits because they are all in neutral but still aesthetically pleasing color schemes, they fit flawlessly, they are all super fashion-forward, and (the best part is) she gets a lot of her pieces at flea markets! What a cool girl!

These floral shorts are actually part of a romper...leave it to Lucy to prove that rompers aren't all bad!

I LOVE the gold shimmer on this top! I can't wait to find a similar one for myself!

My favorite summer outfit color-scheme. Also I am in extreme fashion envy of every pair of shoes she owns!

Calling the Fashion Police; I Need Help!

In sixth grade, my friend Anna from TC Fashionista made a list in her yearbook of people who needed a warning from the fashion police. Among the top contenders were a number of our now close friends. Of course this list was discovered a few years ago by someone who made it onto the list and now we can all laugh about it. Now there is something that I need help with that is not a laughing matter: what are the ladies to do in the cooler months now that Ugg boots have unofficially been 'given the boot'?

Among my failed Mall of America endeavors was a trip to DSW in an attempt to find a pair of somewhat fashionable boots that will both keep me warm and make it through the snow (in the event that we have another four snow days this year). Nothing. The only boot-like footwear I could find that didn't make me throw up a little in my mouth were heeled leather boots (some even complete with peep-toes). Fail. Everything else would have resulted in my winter ensembles looking like a horribly lost mountain-climber, an 80+ year old Lutheran church lady, or an overgrown kindergartner. Not happening.

So right now I think I'm going to have to settle. Unless I can find something magically in the time between now and September 9th when I'm not working at the fair, practicing, or sleeping, that is. I've got my old Target-brand FUggs and a pair of Ke$ha-inspired 'BAMF boots' (as my mother and I have taken to calling them) which will hopefully get me through. But just out of curiosity, have any of you found a solution to the winter footwear problem?

I've Been Thinking...

A number of things have been on my mind lately; of course they've all been related to music, fashion, and the simple pleasures of life...what more do I think about?

First of all, I've been thinking about music in the church. The Lutheran church, to be exact. Mine. In the midst of solfege-singing my way through hymns that alternate between 12/8 and 8/8 (wtf?) I was reminded of the worst Easter ever. It was my senior year of high school. I woke up early to straighten my hair, paint my nails, and put on the perfect dress. We drove to church, and I immediately noticed the first red flag; people in jeans. They were everywhere. There were people in jeans, sweatshirts, T shirts, it was terrible. I was humiliated for them. It's like wearing a parka to the beach: who does that? THEN. I grab a bulletin only to discover that Jesus Christ is Risen Today was not on the agenda for the day. Seriously? No Easter dresses, No classic Easter hymns? It was like Easter hadn't happened at all. To make matters even better, they changed the kyries to some atonal contemporary crap that couldn't have been sung by anyone without perfect pitch. I was furious. So there. Music and aesthetics alone are enough to make or break any day. Then yesterday in church I couldn't help but notice the lack of Bach in our services. Sure part of it may be because certain organists just don't have the technical capabilities to play even sixteenth notes, but really? The father of modern piano playing and part of the reason we even have music (besides Gregorian chant) in church services not included in today's churches? Blasphemy!

Fashion. I went to the Mall of America last week for the first time in over a year and it was terrible. It was the first time in ages that I'd been around so much disposable fashion and all I could think about was how evil it all was! Ok why pay six times as much as I do for the same styles I get at thrift stores in really poor quality fabrics that will rip, come undone, or pill up after a few wears. Seriously, here I go harping on disposable fashion again, but I believe in it so deeply that I couldn't not say something! My clothes fit better, last longer, and cost less than anything you could find at the mall. Plus, I'm cutting down on the waste that is a result of the terribly polluting disposable fashion industry! Win-win-win-win!!!!

Finally, the simple pleasures of summertime and my youth! I've spent a lot of time this summer feeling terrible about not being at a music festival, about missing my friends in Cincinnati, and about feeling generally unmotivated all the time. But there are a lot of things I could be enjoying. Yesterday I went to the beach at Lake Calhoun. Ok first of all way nicer than Lake Nokomis; better view, you can swim out further, more entertaining people watching, more ugly tattoos...I remembered that summer is about soaking up the sun, wearing cuter bikinis than everyone around you, and singing along to cool tunes. And I got worried about losing my youth before I get to take advantage of it! So I'm not going to spend the rest of my summer enjoying all that the sun and heat have to offer...also finishing painting my shelves, work eight hours a day at the fair starting Thursday, practice driving...so much to do!

My Top 10 Fall '10 Necessities

Schooltime is approaching (well for some of you more quickly than others...!!!), and I've been thinking about what I can't live without during the cooler months! So here goes...

10. Black nail polish! Ok for realsies I just wish I could be Taylor Momsen, but since I don't see that happening any time soon I will be copying her glamorous style in every way that I can.

9. A Mary Poppins hold-everything bag! I had a big ol' pink one last year, but I think I loved it to death, because it's so grody it's turned more of a dark magenta color and the straps are falling apart. I found this gem at Marshalls in the luggage department. It was love at first sight.

8. Hulu! What better way to spend those cold wintery nights than curled up in bed with a mug [see no.4] of warmth and a classic television series? Currently re-watching season 1 of Arrested Development and starting to work through The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

7. Black Leggings! I know they're not pants, but if you follow my 'butt rule' (thou shalt only wear leggings when the shirt/dress on top is long enough to cover both the panty line (or where a panty line would be) and the camel toe (or where a camel toe would be)) I think they're legit. And oh so very comfy!

6. Covergirl Lashblast mascara! The only mascara I've ever used that both adds volume and magically resists clumping. The pink tubes even come with built in shimmer. What more could a girl even dream of?

5. Burt's Bees! I never wear lipstick or lipgloss, I think it's a result of being a flute player; every time I get dressed up it's to go play my flute. But I can't live without my Burt's. There's a tube on my music stand, two in my purse, a few in the medicine cabinet...

4. Quirky mugs! What better way to stay warm than with a mug of coffee or tea? And what better way to drink that coffee or tea than from something awesome?

3. The Romantic era! Mahler and Wagner and then some Tchaikovsky; corsets and bustles and skirts full of ruffles; Monet's great paintings of waterlilies; these are a few of my favorite things! (you can ALMOST sing along!)

2. My Vera Bradley planner! It's cute so I'll be more likely to use it than any UC paraphernalia that gets thrown at my face.

1. Big ol' sweaters! Just looking at this picture gets me in the mood for apple cider, leaves changing color, and curling up with all of the above!

(photos from Google...and my Facebook)

The Internet, Happy Birthday Isabella, and Saving the Planet by Shopping!

It has been far too long since my last post again, and the only feeble excuse I have is that I have been too busy looking for inspiration. It's been a tough week for me; I got to see the boyfriend for a few days which was wonderful, but unfortunately that only seemed to make me miss my life in Cincinnati more. Now with the heat and the knowledge that I have four whole weeks until I get to go back (and SO much to do in those four weeks) AND a semi-broken flute, I have been pretty much miserable.

But I've fixed just about everything now. First off, I have to acknowledge the internet's part in making my life better. I have spent the last three days on StumbleUpon, which has led me to a few entertaining (but mostly just time-consuming) new addictions; Hel Looks (a Finnish street-style blog that showcases the fashion of people on the streets and what inspires their unorthodox styles), and the Real Weddings photo albums on OnceWed.com (so after a while they all start to look alike, but there are some really beautiful things and some really funny hipster weddings up too. My favorite is the bride with silverware tattoos.). I've also been paying far too much attention to youtube videos people post on Facebook, because I've found myself showing the following to everyone and anyone who will let me: Basil Marceaux.com, Antoine Dodson's TV interview, the subsequent song version, and finally what I imagine my childhood must have been like for my parents (the misunderstanding of the world, not the language...and yes, I had that haircut, too).

Today I made a shocking discovery as to why it's been so hard to practice the last week or so...I felt like there was too much resistance to my air stream, and for some reason certain notes were just weirdly out of tune. THEN while playing an Eb-E natural trill I figured it out! DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS, but I noticed that one of the keys wasn't coming all the way up after I pressed it. So I worked some magic with a mini screwdriver and a bottle of key oil, and voila! THEN I realized that I had forgotten my flute's birthday AGAIN this year. Dear Isabella (who, incidentally, was named while Robert Pattinson was still reveling in his Harry Potter fame) is four years old. I think she was pissed I forgot her birthday and wanted to cause a scene to make suffer. But that is all sorted out now.

Finally, I've been thinking about my environmental impact the last few days with the heat, the storms, and people around me talking about the end of the world. I think that humanity is more than capable of destroying the planet, but I also think that there is plenty of time for us to take responsibility for our actions and to reverse some of the damage. So today I am preaching the importance of recycling. STOP THROWING THINGS AWAY! I can guarantee that someone wants that old couch with mystery stains on the cushions, tye-dye your old white tees so no one can see the sweat stains (plus they're super trendy right now!), and no matter how terribly you hate Twilight, donate the books to Goodwill or your local used bookstore! You would be shocked to see what people are willing to buy at the thrift stores I frequent! Conversely, buy from thrift stores! My senior year of high school I did an AP environmental science project about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. It's grotesque. And it's something we can change so easily. On Hel Looks, almost all the people they feature get more than half their wardrobes second hand! And my current style icon, Lucy Laucht gets all her cute stuff from flea markets!

I guess today I was just thinking about places like Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe, where you can get really cheap clothes that are fashionable for one season, then they get runs or rips or they pill up and you throw them away. This is what's wrong with America. (sorry that was kind of strong) But really, think about really any previous decade; our parents, grandparents...even back to earlier centuries! People had a few really well-made, durable outfits that were classic enough to look good for even a few years! Vintage clothes are so trendy right now in part because they have held up long enough to still be wearable today! Right now I'm wearing a khaki Eddie Bauer dress right now that my mom estimates is from 1987, and it feel virtually indestructible. This is just food for thought, but think about how much landfill space we could save if people weren't throwing away clothes. Just think about it...

Garage Sales, Cars, and Television

Today I went garage sale-hopping with my mother for the first time in...maybe ever! It's a bit more work than thrifting, but if you can handle looking through all the junk it is even cheaper! I got a nice antique wood end table, a cookie sheet, a mixing bowl, a casserole, and a frying pan for $6. Total. It was actually far easier than I had anticipated, too! Craigslist has a pretty good list (updated every day) which we scoured. About half of the sales we visited turned out to be busts, but we only drove about three miles away for the furthest one, and once we got back into our own neighborhood, we found three signs almost without looking for sales that were within Crocus Hill! I think the plan is to check out the scene again tomorrow, as I am still on the lookout for silverware, another frying pan, curtains, a mirror...there is so much to buy and so little money and time!

Upon returning from our trek, we found quite congregation down the block. Further investigation revealed that a television show was being filmed outside a house down the street. Naturally, I had to see for myself. The possibility that Pretty Little Liars or Parks and Rec (which are currently my two favorites...more on that at a later date) could be filming in my own neighborhood was just too enticing. So. I mosey'd on down as nonchalant-ly as I knew how until I thought I might have caught a glimpse of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Yeah, THE cutest bumbly young actor around today, who I've been in love with since I saw 10 Things I Hate About You for the first time (that's right, I would have picked him over Heath Ledger any day!). Two steps further revealed that it was not him. But he was still kind of a looker. So I calmly asked what was 'goin' on'. He informed me that they were filming 'a children's sketch comedy televsion show'. Biggest letdown ever. Not only was it a show that I would never see, but I hadn't even talked to the real Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fail. I guess the younger generation of neighbor kids got to be extras and enjoyed the day far more than I did. Good for them.

Finally, I have gotten to work at the elusive driver's license. Somehow having to renew my permit yet again (this would be my third), along with the knowledge that my friends' younger siblings (whom I still seem to envision as 13-year-olds) are getting their licenses is just too much for my ego to bear. So I'm going to try to do it. I've got five weeks exactly until I leave for Cincinnati and in the last two days I've driven for three hours already. I think I'm pretty baller at it, if I do say so myself. I've done highway driving, night driving, downtown driving...now all I have to practice is parking! (which could be easier said than done) I'm also working my way through the MN drivers' manual, as I think most of the knowledge has escaped my mind in the almost five years since I took drivers' ed...

I love driving. Even in ye ol' minivan. When I crank the tunes, and roll down the windows...it's like there's nothing cooler in the world. Now if only I had a Jeep Wrangler...not that I'm an SUV or a truck kind of a girl. There's just always been something about the Jeep that set my heart a-flutter. I blame The Parent Trap and Mary-Kate and Ashley flicks from my youth. In all seriousness, getting a car is at least a year away (I don't even know that I'll get my license this summer!), and if I even were to get a car, it would probably be a used hybrid sedan, buuuut, the last few days I have been absolutely drooling over these...they're like Barbie cars. Except even BETTER!

(photos from Google)

The Countdown Begins

I will be leaving for Cincinnati five weeks from tomorrow. One of those weeks will be spent with the boyfriend and for two I will be working at the MN state fair selling tickets. I have two weeks left of summer. I had so many things I wanted to accomplish this summer, and yet somehow I feel like I spent almost all of it thinking about how much I'd rather be at school. That's not entirely true. I [would like to think that I] have gotten a lot better at playing flute, I updated my wardrobe so that it's both more mature and more unique, (by the end of the summer) I will have made about $2000 so I won't starve, I practiced doing domestic things like cooking and cleaning, and I started blogging. There, those are almost entirely productive things.

I only wish I had read more, worked out more (although I have lost ten pounds since I left school in June, hopefully I'll be able to keep going!), seen more of the Twin Cities, and just enjoyed the summer sun. I suppose it's never too late.

I was just talking to the roommate about last-minute things we need to get before we move in (for example, we just remembered how nice it would be to have a vacum...) and I remembered how excited I am to decorate! I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures when the time comes. I am most excited for a gigantic white board that's going in. This is your invitation: come over and draw us a mural. It will be greatly appreciated. And fun. Other than that, all I'm going to say is get ready, world: here we come!

SO MUCH To Do!

I find myself so often sitting around feeling sorry for myself because I miss my life at school (in Cincinnati) and I'm home this summer instead of off at some fabulous summer music festival like some of my friends! ...but then I am reminded of all the things I need to get done before I am ready to go back and I feel a bit more motivated...

• I still have to figure out what credits I get for my AP/IB/CIS classes in high school (nope, still haven't taken care of that). Since performance majors at CCM don't get academic advisors it makes this process all the more tedious. I should have almost all of my academic requirements out of the way once it's all taken care of, though!
• I need to finish getting all the furniture and decor for the apartment. This includes sanding and painting shelves, getting kitchenware, finding curtains, ordering posters, varnishing a table...wowzers.
• I need to fix a big bag of clothes. I have sweatshirts with loose seams, a pair of jeans with a broken zipper, skirts that need to be hemmed...some of this I can take care of myself, things like zipper replacements will have to be left to professionals!
• I need to stop in at the State Fair Employment Office to get my official badge, t-shirt, ticket box...all the good stuff!
• I need to figure out how we're going to power and heat the apartment, how we're paying for it, and how we're going to get internet. Very necessary.
  
• My second permit is going to expire in exactly one month and one day. I should probably think about taking my driver's test soon or I'll be running around with permit number three.
• When you play a flute for 3+ hours a day it gets a lot of wear and tear. I should probably have that checked out before I leave...
• Audition requirements for placements at the beginning of the year were posted today. To my chagrin, the excerpts desperately need practicing.
  
• Oh yeah, and I need to pack stuff up/figure out how everything is going to fit in our minivan...it could be a long 13 hour drive if I'm stuffed between a table and a dresser.

Ok maybe life is going to be busier than I anticipated...