Friends, Wizards, Zucchini Bread, and Dreadlocks

Where did the summer go? Yesterday I was just getting here, still questioning my living arrangements and where in the world I was going to work. Today, I am happily residing in three homes (not simultaneously, of course) and building my fashion resume by working at Aldo shoes. I can honestly say this summer has been the best yet. My friends and I have grown closer than ever before. Part of me thinks it's because last summer, with all of the excitement of the new chapter of our lives beginning, we did not take advantage of the solid friendship we had built for the past four years. Now, with the same monotonous routine of going back to school lying ahead, the fear of an unknown future before us, we're taking comfort in the familiar faces, places, and activities we once knew. Last night on our way home from the Harry Potter premier, reality struck. This is probably going to be the last summer when all four of us will be in Hanover at the same time for an extended period of time. One of us is moving to Winston Salem, NC, another will be living in Richmond, the other will more than likely be working at a summer camp in the mountains, and me? Well, I'm not quite sure about me yet. I will probably stay in Waco.

On a lighter note, I've been doing a lot to keep myself occupied on these summer nights. For one, I'm pretty sure I have consumed two entire loaves of my grandmother's zucchini bread and there are four more waiting for me in the freezer. My goal is to spread the rest out through the entire summer so I can savor every piece before I go back to Texas; however, I've still managed to lose the freshman ten I gained and then some. I'm not really sure how that worked out. No complaints here. I also attended a SOJA/OAR concert earlier this week. For those of you who do not know of these bands, their musical genre of interest is mostly reggae with a little bit of a jazz twist, consisting of trumpets and saxophones. Needless to say, the people who attended were almost more interesting than the bands themselves. Women who had no intentions of ever shaving again, countless tie-dye shirts, dreadlocks and the ever familiar smell of mary-jane in the air. How people can even begin to do that stuff is beyond me, but to each his own. I have also enjoyed late night car outings with Ali among other friends as well. We literally just jump in the car and drive around the Richmond metropolitan area for hours at a time then inevitably stop at McDonald's to grab a coffee (it's much cheaper than Starbucks and they are open all night!).

In other news, the boyfriend shall be arriving in Richmond on Wednesday to pay me a visit for a whole week! Needless to say, I am extremely thrilled to see him. Two months is way too long. Although, the time has gone by fairly quick. And, I have also purchased a brand new camera so I will definitely putting up pictures of the visit!

Fashion World:
HELP. I am spending way too much of my paycheck on shoes and accessories. I am ashamed to admit I may be a shopaholic. I guess there are worse things I could be, right? Right. I'm glad we got that settled.

Home, and Planning Twelve Steps Ahead

My World:

I’m home. The late night study sessions, time management skills (or lack thereof), awkward mixers, cramped dorm space, gross dining hall food, late night dates on campus, more coffee than one should consume in a lifetime, and the best memories I have created so far have all come to an end along with my freshman year at Baylor. I guess I really make college seem more like jail time; however, freshman year was probably the best year of my life. I had never been put completely out of my comfort zone before and it never felt so good. I felt alive; I felt as if I were actually making something of my life.

My World of Fashion:    

                I am currently trying to find an internship for next summer. I may be a little eager planning a year in advance, but I just cannot help myself. I contacted my mom’s friend, Holly, who works for Bloomingdale’s online in one of my favorite places on this planet: New York City. I have already sent my resume and hopefully I will be hearing back from her soon. If anyone has any other suggestions for me, please feel free to comment. I am planning on having an internship with Conde Nast but I will not be able to until junior year. Even though I only need one internship for my major, I want as much experience as possible. In this industry, it’s not where you went to school, it’s how much hands-on experience you’ve had. I am willing to accept an internship anywhere, especially in New York, Dallas, or anywhere in Europe. I would love to have an excuse to go overseas again!

                

True Life: I'm Ready for Summer

I just found this post under my drafts and, although it is belated, I feel it necessary to go ahead and post. Enjoy!

My world:
Going into my freshman year at Baylor a few short months ago, I never thought "I can't wait to go home" would ever escape my lips. Boy, was I wrong. Maybe Spring semester has burnt me out, but I'm actually looking forward, and more than willing, to go home for the summer. After turning in a 21 page paper, decorating a Michael Kors poster, finishing a fourteen article notebook, and completing the finishing touches on two other papers all before Wednesday, life can really seem slightly draining.

Luckily, I will be soon headed to Springfield, Missouri to spend the Easter Holiday with my boyfriend and his family. I think staying in some sort of household will hold me over until I actually go back to Virginia. What is in Springfield, you ask? That is a wonderful question. I never thought there was evidence of human life there, but apparently alot of people live in this barren state. In fact, Brad Pit grew up in Springfield and attended my boyfriend's alma mater, Kickapoo High School. No joke. That's the real name. Their signature cheer was "fear the poo". Catchy.

Just an observation: Recently, I feel like I am the only decently dressed woman on campus. Not to sound arrogant or grandiose but as I walk around campus I cannot help but wonder why college women actually enjoy wearing Nike running shorts and huge t-shirts with the name of their sorority or their boyfriend's fraternity emblazoned on the front. Shouldn't college-aged women be flaunting their figures? This is our time of physical peak, so shouldn't they want to wear things they can get away with now rather than making a fashion faux pas later? I just cannot figure out why someone would voluntarily dress like a cross between a little boy and an aerobics instructor. Maybe the fact that I am a fashion major makes me biased. Maybe I'm the one who's missing something. Either way, I WILL NOT result to dressing that way on a daily basis unless I am consumed by finals week.

Fashion World:
NEED OF OPINION
I was reading an article yesterday in Glamour (I have no idea how I even found the time to just sit down and read) about how, as skirt hems are getting loner and pants are making a comeback, shirt hems are slowly getting higher. Apparently, the current trend is to wear high waist skirts, pants, or shorts with crop tops, exposing a sliver of midriff.

Career Day

As I begrudgingly hit the dismiss button on my alarm clock at an early 5:30 am, I immediately became overwhelmed with excitement. CAREER DAY! I hopped out of bed, slipped on my oh so stylish I-line, long sleeved, open back, black floral dress and my nude heels. I then went through the necessary procedures of getting ready. Once we got our white mocha cinnamon dolce latte and skinny caramel macchiato Starbucks fix, we were ready to go. We arrived at the World Trade Center in Dallas at 7:30 and our day officially began.

Career Day is probably the biggest day for college Fashion majors around the United States. There are seminars, keynote speakers, and a fashion show. Finally! a place I could be where everyone cared about fashion as much as me. 

I attended seminars on merchandise buying, fashion trends, and styling. My favorite seminar was, hands down, without-a-doubt, the seminar on fashion trends. Why, do you ask? DAVID WOLFE. Anyone associated with the fashion world knows who this wonderful man has done for the industry. Known as "the Grandfather of Forecasting", David Wolfe introduced the idea in Paris in the seventies to, instead of figuring out what is in style now, to figure out what will stylish in the near future. He was also the illustrator for Vogue magazine for twenty years. He worked one-on-one with famous designers such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Karl Lagerfeld and many more. Needless to say, I was star struck. I even got to shake the man's hand!

Much of the information he presented to us, however, was slightly disturbing. He said that 2012 will be the year of a huge shift in fashion and that we are finally moving into the twenty first century. We are beginning to create garments that function for more reasons than aesthetics. They have created garments that release scent from your body heat, real iron man suits, and boots that create energy just from walking around in them. He also mentioned that by the year 2045, there will be more computer intelligence than human intelligence in the world. Computers will be able to create better versions of themselves with no help from humans. In a matter of years, there will be no such thing as a fashion designer and everything we could possibly think of to create will have already been created. 

Kind of a scary thought, no?

On a less terrifying note, David Wolfe also discussed the TOP trends for the up-and-coming year:

-Florals: both large botanicals and ditsy florals

-LACE

-Bold Colors

-White Out: wearing white from head to toe

-Back to the basics: wearing simple, looser clothing with no accessories

- Maxi dresses

-Long skirts

-Classic jeans

-Wide leg pants

-Delicate fabrics

These are a few of the many trends the great David Wolfe mentioned. I will be owning all of these things (if I don't already) come fall. I feel like this season will bring in some classic pieces that will never go out of style unlike the past decade when everything has been trendy and all about the "wow factor".

New Fashion Icon: Kate Middleton

Do we have a new Audrey Hepburn or Jackie Kennedy in our midst? Dear Lord, I hope so.

Goodbye Lady Gaga and your weirdness. We're tired of your shocking and costume choices wearing bubbles and meat. We want someone with class. 

Favorite Quote from Career Day: "When you are following your dreams and contacting people, start at the top of the list and work your way down. The worst they can say is no."- David Wolfe 

  

Stop this Train

"Stop this train. I want to get off and go home again. I can't take this speed, it's movin' in..."

Lyrics from one of my favorite John Mayer songs currently tends to describe my life as I hit the fork in the road between childhood and becoming an adult. As a novice of the ever famous (and necessary) right of passage called college, I am slowly but surely figuring out who I am and who I want to become. Every decision I make at this point will effect my future...kind of a horrifying thought. I wouldn't say I am scared of getting older; however, I am a little nervous. But, as my mom always told me whenever I had first-day-of-school jitters or pre-performance doubts , "a little nerves are a good thing!"

I love how her voice is always in the back of my head when I get overwhelmed with life and what it's throwing in my direction. I find comfort in that little voice and the fact that I know God has a plan for me. He already knows what will come of my life and if I trust in Him, He will give me the desires of my heart so, why waste my time worrying? Easier said than done.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the little details and the trivial situations, such as having a five page paper due by midnight or a misunderstanding between friends. It's times like this when I'm sitting in the middle of a coffee shop, realizing how quickly my life has gone and how quickly it will continue to slip through my fingers...unless I change my attitude. I need to take my life by the horns, take advantage of every opportunity, and actually enjoy the ride.

"Don't stop this train. Don't for a minute change the place you're in...honestly, we'll never stop this train."

Well, here goes

In the midst of class, homework, late night library sessions, formals, church, coffee dates, boyfriend time and other various college activities I seem to be plunging into simultaneously, I have somehow found the time to pursue a blog. Honestly, I have no idea what I will be posting/tagging/linking on here but spontaneity is all part of the experience, right? Hopefully my wit and charm will attract at least a few devoted viewers. If not, I can simply use this space for my collective thoughts, rants, and rationalizations about the world around me. 


For premiere post purposes, I might as well give my "viewers" (whoever you may be) the 411 on my life and why I decided to go through the somewhat daunting task of keeping up with a blog. 


I attend Baylor University in Waco, Texas and I am currently pursuing my Bachelors in Fashion Merchandising. Jesus is the number one man in my life, followed by my daddy as a very close second. I have been performing literally my entire life, yet I am terrified of public speaking; hence the reason why I created a blog. I can jot all of my thoughts, feelings, and opinions on a website and dub it a published work of art with the click of a button. So enticing. Who wouldn't do this? 


The only problem: college. 


As much as I would like to think I will habitually keep up with my posts, I have to face reality. Impulsive college life will throw stumbling blocks in every way possible, resulting in inevitable conformity to the stereotypical "flaky teen". Luckily, I won't be a teenager much longer. Come next February I can be placed under the label of "irresponsible young adult". Oh, joy. 


In the mean time, I will attempt to stay as devoted as possible to my "musings avant-garde", helping my viewers stay up-do-date with the latest news not only in fashion, but also in my life!


Cheers