Wednesday, October 28, 2009

All Hallows Eve

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which is excellent when you're a college student. Of course, this also means it gets celebrated two nights in a row. Last night, I got to act in a haunted house. I got all creepified and sat on a table that was covered in "blood" and candy in the middle of an empty room. When the tour guides led people into my room they would tell them something about me (little Suzie, or Cindy, or Samantha, haha) and my mental patient status. I would offer the guests candy in my best creepy, possessed child voice (a lot of people were too scared to take any, haha) and when they were all spread out standing around the table, other people who were hiding behind tarps taped to the walls of the room would scream and yell and some other people would grab at their legs from underneath the table. Haha, it was so much fun seeing everyone's reactions! (And having to report back to everyone behind the tarps after each round, haha) A lot of people got so scared! Good times :)

Now who though I couldn't be creepy... huh? ;)

After the haunted house I decided to run with my character for the rest of the night. I've never gone the scary Halloween costume route before and it was a lot of fun.

However, tonight will be much more lighthearted. I'm attempting to dress up as Mary Poppins.


What are you going to be?

Also, it's about time I post embarrassing old photos on this blog... right? And what better way to do so than with a Halloween flashback!

2003: As a cow. I had a cow bell and a tail too.
(This outfit was actually a reprise of 2001, but I don't have pictures on this computer, or maybe even on any computer, from before '03).

still growing out the bangs of my youth here...
funny how my hair styles seem to have come full circle ;)


2004: As Dorothy. With two of my besties: the cowardly lion and a tap dancing, sexy ladybug (haha, love you my friend but that doesn't make me less amused by this, haha)

yes, that is a child's costume.

2005: As Peter Pan. I don't seem to have a picture, which is sad because I really think this was a good one. Maybe I think it was good because I don't have a picture? ;P

2006: Minnie and Mickey. Yeah, not gonna lie, this was pretty legit.

My momma made this dress. When I was little, she always used to make my Halloween costumes. That stopped around high school. I was supposed to make this myself but was too busy so I talked her into it ;)

Also, that thurr is my bestie. And yes, even as Mickey he wears a polo. hahaha.


2007: Audrey.

Oh my freshman dorm. Memories.

2008: Minnie reprise.

haha.

I was going to cop out and go with Minnie or Audrey again this year because I have all the things I need... but I decided to try to be a little more creative and come up with something different. I'm mostly putting the outfit together from stuff I already have so we'll see how it goes ;)

Happy Haunting.

Regards,
Freddie

p.s. if any of my friends object to the presence of their photos here, just let me know and I'll take them down.

Wanted: Motivation. Or Inspiration. Reward: Good Question.

I can't seem to get motivated to do anything this evening. Not even my laundry. It feels like it should be Friday already and clearly this is not the case. I think the problem is I don't have anything that is specifically "due" tomorrow... but you know, I should be writing a play, and doing research, or studying... there are many large tasks looming in my future that I should get work done on. But they're not "due" tomorrow. So I'm not motivated. Booger.

I did just spend a while browsing Sheila Callaghan's blog archives since my playwriting teacher suggested I might do so and therefore it was kind of homework... right? She's a playwright. She seems like a really cool lady. Like I would want to be friends with her and we could be random and creative together and it would be great.

Anyway, yesterday was a beautiful, warm fall day. Unlike today, which was rainy, and the rest of this week and weekend which also promise rain. However, the rain did make today a trench coat day, and whenever I wear that coat I feel like the part of this song where she sings about being a spy ;)

Found a kind of nice photo taking spot behind my building yesterday though. Wonder what the old guys with the leaf blowers thought I was up to? haha. I also really enjoy taking pictures with my new glasses on. They have not yet lost their novelty. And my new-ish black converse have been sorely neglected this school year... now that I'm allowed to wear whatever shoes I want... so I felt like I should take them out for a bit. I'm still thinking they may need studs.


{target vest, H&M blouse, street fair scarf, AG jeans, black converse}

This outfit was also partly inspired by what we're working on in acting class at the moment: a very experimental, rough production of Woyzeck. Before fall break we picked parts by drawing slips of paper. I am the drum major... the manliest man in the play. haha. It's quite fun, but really tough. Anyway, I'm wearing this vest as my "costume" (and have also provided this jacket, this jacket, and this hat for other members of the cast to wear). I did in fact, get asked if this outfit was a costume for something -- though it was followed by a compliment... how diplomatic ;) -- which surprised me, because to me, anything with jeans is incredibly tame and normal. haha.

Yesterday in playwriting, a few of the guys and my professor also got into a conversation about my wardrobe and how cool it is. One of them suggested I charge admission for a tour of my closet, haha. He said he'd pay $5 and another guy said $3. Hey, for real, any takers? ;) And my professor commented on how hard it is going to be for me to pack for London. Yep, she hit the nail on the head with that one.

Speaking of playwriting... that's really what I should be doing. I started a new play over fall break and I have this great middle scene and a great idea but everything around it is just a fuzz. It's hard when something needs to come creatively to you but it's work and it has a deadline. Guess that's sort of the story of every artist who ever wanted to make money.

Maybe I will go try and force the creative process. Or maybe I will just give in to the fact that I'm not getting anything done tonight and hope for better luck tomorrow?

Regards,
Freddie

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Featured

Life and light (it's starting to get dark early...) got in the way of an outfit photo for today. Another real post soon, promise. But for now. I'm featured on weardrobe- How cool! :)

I'm also busy researching fashion imagery for homework: I need to find looks inspired by historical dress from various periods.




{found via foto_decadent}

Fun. But distracting...

Regards,
Freddie

Friday, October 23, 2009

Back in Black

Less words today. Don't know what to say. But the weather was beautiful and my black skinny jeans fit again so these were both exciting things. Rainy weekend ahead though. Alas.


{target tank top and belt, uniqlo skinny jeans, h&m sweater, braided scarf made by me,
other scarf from urban, vintage doc martins}
"Do you ever have the feeling, when you wake up in the morning, that you're in love but you don't know with what? It's the feeling that you want to love strangers, that you want to kiss the man at the post office, or the woman at the dry cleaners---you want to wrap your arms around life, life itself, but you can't, and this feeling wells up in you, and there is nowhere to put this great happiness---and you're floating---and then you fall down and become unbearably sad. And you have to go lie down on the couch."
--Melancholy Play, Sarah Ruhl


A Grocery Store Musical:


Thanks to all for the congrats on London- I can't wait!

Regards,
Freddie

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

London Here I Come!

I have been accepted into The British American Drama Academy for the Spring 2010 semester. I am so excited! I'll be in London from early January to mid-April, so any suggestions of where to go/shop/eat/etc as well as for other places in Europe I should travel during my mid-term break and possibly after my semester ends as well are greatly appreciated! :)


{vintage red sweater, american apparel skirt, h&m jacket and tights,
steve madden flats, street fair scarf}


...at the time of this picture, I had not yet been informed of my acceptance. Hence the lack of ecstasy on my face ;)

Also... how the heck is a girl supposed to pack her clothes? I'm goning to be forced to be selective. This is going to be TOUGH!

If you need something to put a smile on your face too: here's this, it's great.


For now, back to the grind. Guess I still have to finish this semester in Ithaca, huh?

Regards,
Freddie

Monday, October 19, 2009

A Typical Sunday, or proof that my life is generally mundane

Thanks to Rebbecca, The Clothes Horse, who is always a fabulous source of inspiration on many fronts, I decided to do a picture an hour post. I thought about doing it yesterday but was rather distracted by my audition and didn't remember until about 3pm. I slept (or lied with my eyes closed trying to convince myself I was asleep) most of the bus ride back to Ithaca anyway, so that wouldn't have been very interesting. It is also very dark on the bus.

Anyway, said audition wasn't bad. Could have been better, but it was alright. I will find out the results sometime this coming week. For the time being, I've barely been back a day and have managed to overextend and over commit myself already. No surprise there. I suppose it will distract me? Hope to be able to check in with all of your blogs soon.

Anyway, on to the incredibly boring, if I do say so myself, pictures.

10AM: Morning Coffee.


11AM: Time for some reading.


12PM: Making progress...


1PM: An improvised lunch. The cupboard was quite bare. Tastier than it looks, I promise ;)

An English muffin: 1/2 laughing cow cheese and lox, 1/2 peanut butter, pumpkin butter, and cinnamon

2PM: Still hungry... and reading Charle's Mee's Paradise Park.


3PM: More reading? Oh joy!


4PM: Wegman's run- hooray!


5PM: A full cart.


6PM: Laundry time.


7PM: Dinner made from my new groceries: Chicken breast with lemon, garlic and tarragon and hearty quinoa with sautéed apples and almonds.

This was the only a-typical part of my day. This is probably the most complicated meal I've cooked all year. But now I have quinoa to last the week!

8PM: Catching up on Project Runway over some dessert.


9PM: Clothes hanging to dry.


10PM: It's a different article, I promise!


11PM: More of the same, plus a cup of tea.


12AM: Catching up on last week's missed lectures.


1AM: Post shower poofis. Mine is the disgruntled pink.


2AM: Time for me to go to sleep.

I wanted to include some of the text from Charle's Mee's Paradise Park in this post, but it's just too late and I need to go to bed. However, if you happen to find yourself with free time (what?) and an interest in absurdism, check it out. I found it quite interesting.

Anyway, I hope to do more of these in the future. Perhaps they will help me to discover the interesting moments in everyday activities?

Regards,
Freddie

p.s. I do notice Rebbecca often does these when she travels. Perhaps next time I will give it a go. Plane rides are much more interesting than bus rides for me though as I can't do anything on the bus or else I'll get sick - alas.

Friday, October 16, 2009

In case you were worried

Just in case anyone was worried, it took me the week to fall in love with New York City all over again. (Though I still can't abide by people walking too slowly in front of me. Not that I ever could.) Of course, my audition is tomorrow and then it's back to Ithaca and the daily grind. I'll see you when I see you but I do hope it is sooner rather than later.


{racked, plateoftheday}


{roboppy, benjaminsiegel}


{wholu, roboppy}


{manhattan street project, nytimes}


{manhattan street project}


{jpellgen, revengingangel}

Regards,
Freddie

P.S. I adore this blog I just found.

Don't Call Your Wife "Baby"

So, yesterday (ok, two days ago if you want to get technical since it's after midnight) I went to dinner and the theater with my parents, the perfect excuse to wear my new 1950s dress from the vintage show ;) We saw David Mamet's Oleanna. It was good, though more of a credit to the writing than the actors I think. Mamet's language is incredibly tough (so many short phrases and interruptions) and I could feel Stiles and Pullman struggling with it in the first scene. However, as the play progressed, they picked up the pace and I was fairly impressed with both of their performances, especially by Stiles because I think I expected her not to be very good and she did a nice job. What makes the play so interesting (the whole thing takes place in the Professor's office and only between these two characters) is the intricate power relationship depicted and how it is so carefully manipulated by Stiles' character Carol. It's amazing how a mere accusation can destroy a career. We actually had a talk back with Benjamin Brafman, a big shot lawyer, after the show (run by the very funny Lionel) which was really interesting. Stephanie March was slated to be at the talk back too and wasn't which was kind of a bummer.

Anyway, you don't really care about all that, do you? ;)

You care about this:
Photobucket


{vintage dress, mom's belt, vintage dooney and burke bag, mom's tights (which didn't stay up very well... haha), shoes purchased by mom at housing works for $6}

And my new glasses from Fabulous Fanny's circa the 1960s, and made in France!

Also should have taken a heel close up for you. I rarely wear heels and in theory I would love to wear them more, but in practice, well, probably not so much. These are a little big (my mom's feet are a tad bigger than mine) but were just so perfect with this outfit ;)

Anyway, these pictures were taken an hour or two before it suddenly became winter in NYC. Then today, boy was the weather nasty! I thought I left Ithaca for the week. haha. Though apparently, we had the first snowfall in Ithaca today and I missed it! ... Which I kind of don't mind considering it's October. I'll catch the next one ;P

However, the weather didn't prevent me from getting the pinkberry I planned on indulging in today. So good. And they have a new policy- instead of separate prices per number of toppings (and the max is 3) you pay one price for the size and flavor of yogurt and can get as many as will fit in the cup! I got four toppings :D

I also had a mini reunion with a bunch of the Public Theater crew from the summer up at Barnard this evening to see Tartuffe (yep I not only brought the weather back from college for my break, I also saw college theater, haha). One of the twinterns was stage managing and the other had designed the set. It was great to see everyone and the production was a fun spin on the classic, but the set was definitely the highlight of the show-- it was awesome!

Regards,
Freddie

p.s. If you ever needed more food porn in your life (and I mean, who doesn't) go to this site. It's amazing. It even generally links to recipes (which are generally on foodie blogs, aka love) so if you're really ambitious you can make the food yourself! ;)


{tastespotting.com}

p.p.s. What on earth is going on with facebook?? Did somebody just hack it?? :o