Monday, August 31, 2009

Chocolate Sunflowers (or some other equally uninspired post title)

Wow, two days in a row? Not gonna lie, I'm kind of impressed. However, this has got to be a quick post since tomorrow is my crazy day... eek. Gonna try to do a little more reading for Queer Performance (which I had for the first time today and I think is gonna be super interesting) and then go to bed. Setting the alarm for the dreaded hour of 8am. Ack. It's been a long time since I woke up that early... or since I went to sleep early for that matter. Hopefully I can manage.

I also had dance ("dance technique 1" ie: the dance class for baby baby beginners) for the first time today and I'm super psyched for it! The teacher is a crazy modern dancer who I worked with when I assistant stage managed the dance concert in the spring, and even though she moves a little fast, she's always willing to show stuff again and I think it'll be a fun break in my day and a good way to get in some nice aerobic exercise too... because I have a feeling my recent going to the gym kick is halting about... well... now. No time. Go figure.

Anyway, I wore this (but changed for dance):

{hanes men's undershirt, coup de cour skirt, h&m cardigan, mom's belt, target shoes}
I don't mean to look so disgruntled, really, I promise.


What's with me and the white and the brown and the yellow lately? I really don't know... honestly, when you say the colors "white, yellow, and brown" they don't sound terribly interesting or appealing, but for whatever reason I'm really liking them lately. Also totally matched my rehearsal bike again (calling it mine because I ride it across the stage in one 30 second scene change, haha) and still wanted to take a picture with it.

Anyway, eye candy for today (as you can see I'm enjoying this new little format and content idea) is pretty things that are brown, yellow and white. How creative of me! ;P

Chocolate. I love chocolate. Almost any kind will do, but I believe it's at it's best in dark and molten cake forms.

{smh.com.au, foodisluv}

The chocolate bar I am particularly savoring at the moment is this. Delish.

Sunflowers. Probably my favorite flower. I think.

{heavypiano.com, prajna photography}

Puppies and kittens. Yeah, this is totally and completely shameless. Deal with it. You know you can't resist baby animals. It's just not possible.

{kecute, oregon city classifieds, must love dogs}


{piccat.com, great-pictures-of-cats.com, the cute report}

And then there are polar bears. Does anyone remember Knut? I got to see him in person in the summer of 2007 but he was already starting to get a little less cute than he was here:

{Berlin Zoo}

Yeah... ok... uh... thanks for indulging me with that last part. Shall we all move along now and pretend that never happened? Ok, thanks.

Regards,
Freddie

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Procrastination

So I'm starting to remember how I managed to post during the school year last year... it's yet another way to procrastinate. haha. It's funny how the skill (because we all know it is one) of procrastination has returned to me so easily and effortlessly.

Anyway, this was the outfit for class day two. Granted I only had to go to one class, Psychology of Entertainment Media, from 12:20-1:10pm. It's far away though. My Thursdays and Fridays are really pretty great... but I make up for it the rest of the week, I promise. And of course all I've experienced so far is a Thursday and Friday so wish me luck with this upcoming Monday-Wednesday. My Tuesdays are especially killer. oy.

{target top, lucky jeans, vintage boots, laila rowe earrings which I lost at the gym midday :( }

I seem to be drawn to a much more muted color palette lately. And I'm also really enjoying ponytails.
Non sequitur: There is a vintage bike we've been using in rehearsal that I really wanted to photograph this outfit with (the bike is brown with white wheels) but somehow I don't think I could explain that one to the rest of the cast, my director, and stage manager. haha. The lighting in the black box is also not very good.

Anyway, no foodie pictures today but I have really been enjoying cooking for myself. I managed to get to Wegman's over the weekend and the past two nights I had corn on the cob. So delicious. I wish I had bought more. I also made sweet potato fries... and asparagus. And since my first class isn't until 12:20 tomorrow (ok I know that doesn't make it sound like too rough a day, haha) I kind of want to try making something like this, this, or this for brunch :o We'll see.

Ok, I lied. Two pictures:

{Mark Bittman's Potato-Asparagus Frittata, Chard and Onion Omelet from Serious Eats}

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement about keeping up the blog during the school year. I really do want to so we shall see what happens.

And finally, a little more eye candy (but not food this time -- shock!) for the day, because I'm pretty sure some of you have to be as excited as I am for these two films to come out.



{Where The Wild Things Are stills courtesy of allmoviephoto.com}


{Alice in Wonderland still courtesy of USA Today}
More here.

And some inspiration taken from these films on Refinery 29. (A big source of fashion news and inspiration for me now because they send me e-mails. haha)

Alrighty, time to actually buckle down and write this "what I learned from my summer internship and what I hope to accomplish at BADA" shenanigan so my professor will write me a recommendation. I hate writing things like this because I always feel they sound bullshitty and never sincere (even when they really are). Alas, I'm sure I'll come up with something... I always do... eventually. haha.

Regards,
Freddie

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Falling into, well... Fall

It really is hard to believe that I'm back at school and classes have now begun. I'm still drifting about in a sort of weird, in-limbo mood which has left me not terribly inspired to blog and all that jazz. The weather, too, is not cooperating, because after about 2 or 3 hot summer days, Autumn seems to have hit Ithaca. Not surprising really, but I feel like it took so much longer last year. And I guess I'm exaggerating when I say Autumn, but the weather certainly isn't hot anymore, it's getting into the 50s in the evening and only barely eeking above 70 during the day... and that if we're lucky. While I had mentioned before that I was getting excited about fall clothes, I'm still looking for ways to stretch those summer pieces, especially some new ones I haven't even gotten to show you yet!

Combine this with the urge I still retain from childhood to wear something special on the "first day of school" (which is a little hard to pinpoint in college considering I've been physically at school for almost 2 weeks (!!), and although my first day of classes was today, I won't have had all of my classes until next Tuesday) and I came up with this:

{? white long sleeve, silence & noise for urban dress, Forever 21 bracelet,
shoegasm sandals, German Tausche bag}


This is actually the dress I wore to my grandparent's wedding anniversary, so it has the option of looking fancier as well. I like that. I've got to get a picture of the back, it's quite nice. And I do love this bag, which I got in Berlin a few years ago, but it's really not big enough to use on any class day other than the first ;)

Though... not gonna lie, even with the long sleeved shirt underneath (and a cardigan on later too) , I was kinda cold! Especially in our black box theater where I had a two hour class and then four hours of rehearsal in the evening. eek.

Anyway, we all saw this coming, but I have a feeling I may be trailing away from the blog world for a while... we shall see. It's a shame though since I so enjoy the community I've started to become a part of, but I just know I am not going to be able to keep up, especially after how pooped I feel after my first day, a day which was really not that challenging, especially compared to what's to come! Maybe the weather (in addition to the cold, it's getting rainy too!) is contributing to this off-crankyish mood I've been in? Or maybe it's nerves about upcoming auditions for our production of Romeo and Juliet... or for the London program I'm applying to go abroad to in the spring... or just for the semester in general? Hah, I apologize... no one wants to listen to me whine about nothing in particular ;P

We'll see, I'm sure I'll be back at some point (maybe sooner rather than later, who knows?).

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with some eye-candy. Looks like I'm not the only fashion blogger with foodie inclinations as of late. Check out this article on Refinery 29!

Special shout-out to Blushing Ambition, who's blog I'm already a follower of. She has such great, simple pictures of both food and clothing--I love them!


Amelia has been sporting some gorgeous foodie pictures lately too! (And some cute back-to-school-ish looks as well)


Then there are the always lovely latte pictures provided by notebookdoodles:


And the many incredibly tantalizing Asian goodnesses photographed by Yulanda of little thoughts:

Seriously, go look at this post right now. It's kind of ridiculous. (In a good way of course)

Even the famous Cherry Blossom Girl has been getting her foodie on as of late... and in New York City too. Not gonna lie, some of those photos made me glow with hometown pride ;)

P.S. Please note that these beautiful pictures all belong to their aforementioned bloggers! (And if any of you don't want me using your pictures in this way just let me know and I'll take them down pronto!)

Funny, you know, putting those last pictures together (much of which I did during downtime in rehearsal... haha, shhh) was rather nice... perhaps the first step out of my blogging semi-rut? Maybe I just need to start posting about other people's pretty pictures rather than taking my own... which are never quite so nice (and I'm just not ready or able to invest in a fancy camera or tripod or a magic sun to shine above Ithaca at the moment, haha) and often take me more time anyway? Like I said, we shall see... but until then, try not to forgot about me, and I'll do the same for you ;)

Regards,
Freddie

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Surreal (or perhaps, in retrospect, this post should be titled: Upgrade, in bold)

I've been back at school for almost a week now (ok, not quite, I got here this past Saturday) and have been in rehearsal for four days (though I had Tuesday off) and I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that in one week, I will officially begin my Junior year... and also that tomorrow is Friday, the beginning of the crazy time that is freshman orientation (and the upperclassman's excuse to party as much as possible before classes begin). I don't know if I'm ready for this. Living off campus in an apartment is so weird and different. I can go home from rehearsal and make lunch and dinner for myself (something I do hope to keep up during the semester) and I also now walk home in the opposite direction... away from campus rather than across campus in the 20+ minute trek I did at least once, if not twice, a day, every day, for the past two years. The beginning of last year didn't feel this weird... I just can't explain it. Not that it's bad weird really, but it's not really good weird either, at least not yet.

Anyway, enough of my internal, unexplainable crisis... what IS for sure good about my off-campus apartment is my room. Last year, when we were figuring out housing, I agreed to pay a little more rent to have the bigger room and was starting to think it might not be worth it... but I have now confirmed that it is. It so is. Mostly because of my closet. Actually, almost completely because of my closet. My closet is amazing. I love it. It may not look like much to you... but this is the biggest closet I have probably ever had in my life. My clothes have room to breathe (although I realize it may not look like they do... I promise you they have more breathing room than they have ever had before) and I'm so in love I had to show it off:

Yes, my closest is big enough to have two doors. Last year I had a closet with one curtain. Now I have not one, but two, doors. Upgrade.

Also, note the new hat set-up. Remember the old one? Well that was pretty nice, but this too is an upgrade. (And not just because I seem to have acquired a slightly exorbitant number of hats in half a year, haha)

Seriously, I love my closet so much it almost makes me not want to go abroad second semester so I can live here for more than just four months (fourth months? Seriously? That sounds SO short) but obviously the key word here is almost.

Though please do note these are not all my clothes... I also have a chest of drawers, with two extra plastic storage drawers on top... as well as 3 coats (this one, this one, and this one) stored in our hallway coat closet. Yes, we have a coat closet. Upgrade!

And while I'm not such a fan of this outfit picture... (Something about my face and neck is somewhat off... I swear I didn't suddenly turn into a ghost upon arrival in Ithaca! ...Though I suppose that wouldn't be all that surprising... haha) I had to show it to you for a few reasons. 1. For the fact that the outfits I've been wearing the past few days have not been all that different from what I wore in the park this summer, haha, 2. To show off these lovely tights that my mom bought me in Scotland over the summer that I have not had the opportunity to wear until now (it's hot outside, and in my apartment, but super chilly in the performing arts building!) , and 3. Well, for the sake of it being the first outfit picture taken in my new apartment of course!

{men's undershirt, urban short-alls, tights purchased by my momma in scotland,
vintage sam & libby ballet flats}


Anyway, unpacking into this lovely closet was also kind of fun because I rediscovered a lot of clothes I had sort of forgotten about... kind of making me feel ready for fall-attire (and making me realize I have way too many gym/sleep t-shirts and should get rid of some), but I know I need not rush it, fall will be here (and then over) before I know it. Eek.

Anyway, look forward to more room and apartment pictures, as well as a return to more fashion content (rather than existential crisis type content, haha), and probably some foodie content too.

Until then,
Regards,
Freddie

P.S. While on the subject of wearing similar outfits to those I wore in the park this summer, I felt my fellow interns and my bosses (who have all read this blog, haha) would appreciate my sharing this picture. This picture also shows you how badly I needed that bang trim, haha.

{vintage polo-type shirt, urban overalls, headband by me, target tights, converse,
incredibly stylish first-aid blanket handbag}


P.P.S. Someone living within earshot has been serenading me on the cello for the past two nights (ok not really... but I can pretend). How great is that? (And while I enjoy it while awake, thankfully I'm pretty sure I can't hear it with the windows closed, or at least they've been done by the time I want to go to bed).

Ok, now that's actually all. Regards again and goodnight.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Things That Have Happened Recently

1. I read the big hunky September issue of Elle and folded down a million pages with things that I liked.

2. I watched the first preview of The Bacchae and saw Mikhail Baryshnikov there :o

playbill.com, politics and prose

2. I had my last day of work, which was sad, but we made commemorative brownie sundaes. Then I went home and made a lovely pizza (complete with caramelized onions, mushrooms and artichoke hearts... yum!) for dinner with three of my close friends who I may not see again for quite a while.


3. I got my bangs cut (oh my goodness, I can see again!) and got a manicure and pedicure to make myself feel groomed and human again after this summer of hard work. Though I have to say, I'm not sure I remember how to dress not for the park now! Ok, well that's not really true... but I haven't had the same outfit-putting-together zeal (the zeal that brought tears to my eyes when I heard about the summer dress code... yeah... remember that? haha) I had before the summer started. Maybe it's just because I have a lot on my mind what with having to go back to Ithaca on SATURDAY. And I haven't packed yet. At all. Tomorrow is going to suck. Perhaps when I return to school I'll get back in the swing of fashion-blogging and reading your blogs which I have been terrible about lately, but I don't know. Lately I'm not really sure where I'm going with this blog, but I do know that I'm proud of keeping up with it for as long as I have and I really do enjoy it. I enjoy keeping up with all your blogs too, but I think I get overwhelmed with how many unread posts there on on my blog roll and get scared to look at any because of the daunting nature of the task... maybe I need to just do a big purge and clear out some blogs... or not worry about catching up and just start reading new posts from now on. We'll see. The blogs I have been reading lately have all been foodie related (perhaps I am turning in to Freddie: the foodie fashionista? haha) but perhaps part of that has to do with mentally preparing myself for the massive grocery shopping that will be done on Saturday/Sunday to stock up my new apartment and the cooking for myself that will follow for next semester and also the coming years.

I did wear an outfit I considered blogging today, but the weather was gloomy and no good for picture-taking and then half a brand new jar of salsa exploded all over me and my kitchen (including inside an open drawer of utensils... ugh) as I was making lunch! The clothes have been saved, but yes... photo opportunity: not so much. Anyway, I did sport a belated birthday gift my friend (my lovely "twin" who of course bought almost exactly the same things for herself- her headband is black-hahaha love it) brought to our pizza party.

forever21.com
and a bracelet I couldn't find a picture of. Oh yeah, and I wore clothes too :P

...the trip to the Forever21 site to look for pictures makes me want to further exam this "Cirque 21" (how can I resist something with Cirque in the name?) nonsense and decide if it's really cool or kind of frightening. Perhaps more on that later? ...

Anyway, props if you read all that. Something fashion related here soon. I think.

Regards,
Freddie

P.S. I'm not going to have internet in my new apartment until next Wednesday... ahhh! But knowing me I'll probably end up staying in the greenroom of the theater building as late at night as they let me so I can use campus internet, haha.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Short on Time and Inspiration

So, tech has begun again, this time for The Bacchae, which means I'm back to working late every other night, as well as one day on weekends... however, this schedule isn't going to last me long as I return to Ithaca Saturday the 15th! Boy has summer flown by. My busy work schedule combined with trying to fit in as much NYC and friend seeing activity as possible before I go has meant little time for blog reading and even thinking about fashion-y things. (Though I'll admit my latest free-time obsession seems to be browsing the blogs of healthy-foodie types who eat lots of almond butter and drink green smoothies. Not that I'm about to start putting green things in the blender, but they have a lot of other good food ideas too... and making food has been a big consumer of time in my house lately--it's a necessity but also enjoyable). I'm sure I'll jump back on the fashion blog band wagon soon, but for now I'm satisfying my fashion bug by admiring the outfits of some of the fashionable people at work, namely the costume designer, her assistant and the director's assistant. All three are rather indie/hipster/trendy in their style, but as I have said at work: fashintern approved. haha.

Today's wears: straw fedoras and straw cowboy hats (sported by a lot of the cast as well), an awesome striped Laura Ashley jumpsuit, a sundress reminiscent of an African country's flag, as well as a menswear outfit I would happily sport myself. Said outfit inspired a polyvore set to avoid a picture-less post and because, well, I liked it ;)

His version:
Navy and white gingham top with a flared/bell shaped cut, thin very light wash jeans or trousers rolled up a little, beat-up cream colored converse, a simple, slightly floppy straw hat with a black band.

My version:
menswear inspired

(I couldn't decide on the pants)

Also cool on the fashion front at work: the costumes for The Bacchae are totally weird (the chorus is all in spotted, hand painted boots and effervescent orange jumpsuits) but totally fabulous! Anyway, if you're in the New York area and want to see the show (which you should want to do: it's really bizarre, really free and really cool) - previews start August 11th and the earlier in the run you try to get tickets either via the virtual line or the real line, the easier it is like to be.

Regards,
Freddie

P.S. my black high-tops arrived from zappos and I am very happy with the purchase, studs (which may have to wait due to aforementioned time constraints) or no studs, especially when worn with black tights.