You See These Lights are Blue

 We've made it one week since this year's Oscars, did any of you happen to tune in?  I only saw two of the movies nominated, well, one and two thirds.  I had to turn off Elvis because it was so bad, and Avatar was my first movie theater experience since before Covid.

Anyway, that's not really why I watched it.  The real reason is of course, the fashion!

I wasn't overly impressed with this year's selections, most being your standard Red Carpet fare, even though they went with a champagne carpet, instead.  You'd think with an update like that our celebrities would have thought a little more outside of the box.  Oh well.

I really liked these three cream to white dresses on Zoe Saldana, Halle Berry, and Tems.  I love a good, lacey slip dress, the flower details on Berry's dress make it much more interesting, and the sculptural quality of Tems' dress is quite refreshing.

These two-tone color dresses stood out as well on Monica Barbaro and Fan Bingbing.  The light and dark pairing for each is exquisite and dramatic, while also bringing some much-needed cheekiness to the affair.

But none of these compare to the detailed beauty Kartiki Gonsalves wore.  It's a map, a story, a pictorial explosion of color and light!  And she looks fabulous in it.

I actually started following the designer, Rahul Mishra, about a year ago on Instagram, and every single piece is this stunning.  The amount of work required for each must be astounding, as they are all handmade.  With collection names like The Enchanted Garden, The Tree of Life, and Cosmos, you really see his reverence towards nature and the beauty that surrounds us.  If you have some time, his Instagram page is worth a perusing.  I mean, these images below are just a hint at what's on the page!

(photos collected from Celebmafia, justjared, Vogue, etonline, celebmafia, reddit, and instagram)

Happy National Tolkien Reading Day

Today, the 25th of March, and every 25th of March since 2003, has been declared National Tolkien Reading Day.  In Tolkien's grand epic, The Lord of the Rings, this date is an auspicious day.  Frodo casts the ring into the fires of Mount Doom, the dark tower of Barad-dûr falls, and the evil Lord Sauron is defeated forever.

In honor of this fairly recently instated holiday, here is one of my favorite songs from The Fellowship of the Ring.

(photo collected from tolkiengateway)

Explorez-Vous l'Univers Avec Moi?

A few weeks ago I started following several French fashion bloggers on Instagram, partly for their savvy French style, and partly to listen to their ramblings on Instagram stories.  I thought it would be a good way to brush up on my French.  I can still read it fairly well, and speak in basic, short sentences, but I always had issues understanding a French person speaking at their normal pace.  So far I've only been able to pick out a few words here and there, but I'm getting better at understanding the overall subject of the little videos.

And this last weekend, their normal day-to-day videos stopped because two very important things happened: Saturday was Bastille Day, and on Sunday the French team won the World Cup!  It was like a French national patriotism explosion on social media for two days.  Vive la France!!

(photos collected from instagram.com/marieandmood, instagram.com/junesixtyfive, and instagram.com/frenchwords)

Queen of the Met

Last Monday was one of the year's biggest fashion events, The Met Gala.  This event is a little different than most celebrity red carpet affairs, though, in that rather than everyone just wearing pretty designer gowns, everyone wears pretty designer gowns according to a theme.  This year, the theme was Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination, and I quite enjoyed the interpretations.  After Rihanna owned everyone for not dressing enough to the theme last year, the celebs went all out for this one.  Rather than being mainly about Catholicism as a religion, I think most based their look in reference to the Catholic role in history and art.

While they definitely follow that look, did anyone else get a really strong Queen Amidala from the Star Wars prequels vibe?

(photos collected from nesdesk.si.edu, usmagazine, artoo.tumblr, glamour, starwars, geekmom, thecostumevault, makingstarwars.tumblr, padawansguide, club.doctissimo.fr, and starwars.wikia)

Here, At the Window

Hello and happy weekend!  I am off work today and am using my time for some leisurely activities.  Sleeping in, coffee by the window, vacuuming, a grocery store run, that kind of stuff.  I spent most of my coffee time catching up on Pinterest emails.  A couple times a week they send an email with links to twelve boards of topics that might interest you.

The ones they send me usually have to do with fashion, as that is mostly what I look at on Pinterest anyway.  I'm always up for finding new boards to follow and new inspiring looks, so I enjoy going through the emails.  I usually let them build up for a couple weeks and then have a grand viewing session and look at them all at once.  Pinterest is the best.

Speaking of fashion, the weather has been decidedly more spring-like this last week, with a few dips back down into the cold, but overall it's been rather balmy.  You still need a light jacket and scarf when venturing outdoors, but no gloves and the heavy coats are back in the closet.

And lucky for me, light jacket weather is my favorite kind of weather!  Here are some pics from the past five or so years of such weather.

And in my morning Pinterest foray, I found some new jacket looks to emulate.  Let the coolish weather continue!

(photos by e.hunt, and collected from weheartit, bedazelive, lovvit, glam4you, and memorandum)

Sometimes You Will Never Know the True Value of a Moment Until It Becomes a Memory

Happy International Women's Day, friends!  As I did last year, I'm wearing red to honor all the awesome ladies out there.  I am lucky to have many inspiring ladies in my life: first off, my Mom, who is one of my best friends.  I feel so fortunate to be able to come to her with anything, not to mention we just have a lot of fun when we're together.

My best friend Kaitlin and I live in different cities now but talk every few weeks or so.  She and I are very opposite in many ways but get along famously.  She is always supportive and we can talk about anything with each other, no judgement and no holds barred.

Together, with my Aunt Debby, who reminds me to not always take things so seriously, we make the perfect travel team.  Here we all are in Greece, enjoying our daily afternoon gelato treat.

Both of my Grandmas, who have wildly different personalities, inspire me in a creative and professional sense.  My Mom's Mom, Nana, always had work selling her paintings, needlepoint samplers, and other craft items.  My Dad's Mom worked in the high-end fashion retail industry for years.  Both traveled extensively with their husbands, and even took their kids and grandkids with them on occasion, much to our delight.  A few years ago Mom and I got to travel with both of them to Santa Fe.

And my many other good friends I've had throughout the last fifteen years or so.  Our friends shape us in a lot of ways and I've been fortunate to have some great influences through high school, college, and family.  Some I've lost touch with over the years and others I still see every once in a while.  They all were significant in my life and I appreciate their friendship.

So I guess the theme of this post is that women need to support and believe other women, and we can be unstoppable.  Appreciate your friendships, past and present, and listen and learn from the women around you, because we are awesome and we deserve it.  Happy International Women's Day!

(photos by e.hunt, k.horner, e.gerhardt, a Greek citizen, a Santa Fe citizen, s.harris, l.walton, j.hunt, and r.hunt)

This is Skywalker's Heir

Well, I spent the last week working on my costume for Comic Con, and that came and went over the weekend.  I reused several pieces from my Link costume, and added some new details.  Three Lord of the Rings actors were going to be in attendance, and I could barely contain my excitement to see them.  Andrew decided he wanted to join in the fun, and we figured, if we're going to go to one of these, we're going to go all out, and that included costumes!

We decided to combine our two favorites into crossover characters.  Can you guess which movies I'm talking about?

Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, of course!  I blended the two to be Leiagorn and Andrew was Lukeolas.  We had matching capes given to us by Galadriel and lightsabers to fight the storctroopers.  I also made Leia's blaster from A New Hope.

In the LOTR movies Aragorn wears Boromir's bracers to honor him after he dies, so I painted felt pieces for that.

The blade part of the lightsaber Andrew gave me a few years ago is a bit unwieldy, and difficult to put on and take off, so I used the inside of a tube of wrapping paper to create Aragorn's rare grey lightsaber, with the words from the reforged shards of Narsil, the blade that cut the ring from Sauron's hand many years ago.

This was the test run from the night before.  Stay tuned for the final look!

(photos by e.hunt)

Beneath the Heather Lies the Meadowlark

I'm sure you all noticed the gap between the last post and the one before, but let me tell you, there is a reason for it.  My New Year's Resolution was to post more often on the old blog, and I've already slowed that down.  Not anymore, my friends!

The reason I've not been posting the last few weeks is that I was using my computer time to scour the internet for the perfect green dress to wear to Andrew and Juliana's wedding.  Nordstrom, Asos, Lulu's, Boohoo, Macy's, and Tobi, among many others.  It's been quite a process, but I've found several possibilities.

The four below are the ones I've already ordered.  As you can see, they all have similar characteristics: maxi length, a bluer shade of green, a light, summery fabric, and a bit of floral or lace detail.

Here are a few I haven't ordered yet, but like.  Upon further reflection, a wrap-style dress may be a good option, as it is more casual and summery, and might be a little more comfortable.  I'm also thinking that a more mid-length dress would be better for dancing.

Mom ordered several different dresses and jumpsuits as well.  We're planning to have a try-on party at my apartment this weekend to see if any of them work.  We may find something or we may just see what silhouettes work and which ones don't for the next round of ordering.  Stay tuned!

(photos collected from lulus, nordstrom, macys, asos, amazon, and tobi)

Decisions, Decisions

Now that the Christmas lights are up at home, I've started thinking about my own Christmas tree at my apartment.  Last year I hung lights on the wall in a 2d Christmas tree shape and hung little ornaments along the branches.  This year I'd like to do something a little different, but along the same lines.  Enter Pinterest, the go-to source for DIY projects and inspiration.

I think each of these is doable in a 6ft or taller version, it just depends on what kind of look I want.  A 3d tree, like the top two options, would be nice, but would also require a bit more work to put together (and a lot of newspaper!).  I like the simplicity of the white cutout one draped with lights, but then I like the detail in the hand-drawn one.  For that one I could get a flat sheet or piece of fabric and just roll it up when the holidays are over to use next year.  So again, I just need to decide what type of tree I want this year.  What do you guys think?

(photos collected from karinkrut, popsugar, thenest, and homedit)

And in That Certain Position of Light

It's time for a Fall inspiration post, and what better thing to be inspired by right now than the beautiful autumn tree leaves?!  This week and last has been exceptionally good for the colors.  I love those saturated jewel tone oranges, reds, and golden yellows.  It makes the crisp air feel more refreshing, and the early setting sun less sad.  These colors remind me of hardcover books, Christmas shopping, art museums, and Lord of the Rings.  What do you think of?

(photos collected from instagram profiles sushivoyage, taramilktea, theprettycities, thejungalow, parisjetaime, bontraveler, museeorangerie, kjp, thereneberry, elensham, sincerelyjules, kjp, stlartmuseum, abeautifulmess, elledecor, somethingnavy, weareherenow, graciestudio, cntraveler, beekman1802boys, cntraveler, cntraveler, national_gallery, prettycitylondon, sennarelax, living_europe, and andrewknapp)

The Daily Hunt

A couple weeks ago I received my Save the Date for Andrew and Juliana's wedding, and I have done just that.  It is a very handsome picture of the two, and the wear and tear from our good US Postal Service gives it a nice vintage feel.  Cheers to the happy couple!

Other bits of planning for the big day have been happening as well.  Mom booked our accommodations for the weekend at a lovely little house in East Nashville called The Hobbit House.  It's close to all the action, has three bedrooms so we won't get cramped, and is called The Hobbit House!  How could it not be perfect?!

Juliana has also sent out invites to her ladies in waiting.  She did not want to have bridesmaids but she did want some of her good girl friends to come down a couple days early for a little girls getaway and then all get ready together the day of.  One is a friend from college, three from middle school and high school, one all the way back from pre school, and then as future sister in law, I'm on the list too! Should be a fun few days getting to know the girls.

Another thing Juliana wants us to do is all wear green for the wedding.  She wants to have lots of greenery and plants for decoration instead of the more traditional, flower option, so green is a good choice.  She mentioned it being more along the earth-tone line, but I immediately thought a minty, pale sage green would be pretty, or on the other end of the spectrum, jewel-tone emerald.  She said it was pretty much up to us, and even though the wedding is still seven or so months away, why not do a little research?

I like these ones that have a subtle, lace element to them.  Green is a very nature-y color in itself, but I like that these dresses play that up a bit.  They're delicate and detailed, but don't draw too much attention to themselves.

I also like these ones that have a bit of color to go along with the green background.  The floral elements make them a little more casual, but also more fitting for summer.  These don't really have a "bridesmaid dress" feel, which an all-green dress might.

What do you all think?  Since it is October, it's not the best season to be looking for a summer dress, but it is fun to start looking and thinking about it.

(photos by e.hunt, and collected from airbnb, pinterest, asos, urbanoutfitters, and swell)

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Mercury Vapor Lights

We've gotten a little of that September fall weather over the past couple weeks, but then it shot back up to the 90s this weekend.  I'm ready for chilly mornings, a hot chocolate treat at night, falling leaves, and all the little ankle boots.  That is why this month's inspirational color is deep burgundy red.  It's comforting, but also mysterious, much like Autumn itself.

(photos collected from krautkopffoodblog, melusineh.tumblr, instagram.com/weareherenow, instagram.com/littleeena, instagram.com/elledecor, urbanoutfitters, gh2u.tumblr, instagram.com/afarmedia, houseandgarden, flickr, fredriksonstallard, flickr, places.kellynbailey, and instagram.com/lostinmaps)

Drifting and Floating and Fading Away

I know it's a little late this month, but it's time for an inspiration post!  Instead of choosing a color, I decided to keep the summery mood going and find inspiration in outdoor spaces.  It's a bit hot for enjoying said outdoor spaces, but there's nothing quite like a calm oasis in the outdoors.  Fresh air, relaxation, and nature-y views await.

(photos collected from instagram/com/jo_rogers, instagram.com/photobyshannon, emmacroman, instagram.com/chairishco, instagram.com/cntraveler, instagram.com/weareherenow, instagram.com/airbnb, instagram.com/circahouses, instagram.com/apartmenttherapy, boredpanda, instagram.com/theslowtraveler, and instagram.com/fleamarketfab)

Queens of Celestial Clouds

I chose a deep blue for this month's inspirational color.  Blue has always been my favorite color.  Calm, soothing, but also intriguing and mysterious; the color of the ocean, the color of the sky, a beautiful ink and paint hue.  Perfect for this early summertime month.

(photos collected from instagram.com/acolorstory, instagram.com/jxxsy, nofatnowhip, genuine-people, fightingcrimewithflipper, instagram.com/dominomag, instagram.com/acolorstory, anthropology, behance, pinterest, flickr, pinterest, domino, hairstylezz, thealphabetisletters, tresorbsdeboitesacouture.fr, instagram.com/nasa, victorypaperdesigns, chictopia, and etsy)

You Might Call it Far, Perhaps, But What Does that Matter?

Hello, everyone!  It was brought to my attention that I haven't done a blog post in a while, so here goes.  As always, things are busy around here.  By the end of next week I'll have three thirty-five+ hour weeks at work, I'll be done with finals, and I'll have a new couch!  Yep, I ordered the traditional grey one from Amazon and it should arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Expect a putting-it-together post.

During my nightly free time I've been indulging in one of my favorite things to do; watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  It is fascinating, every time I watch, which is usually about three times a year.  I never get bored with it.  How could I, when I have the extended versions complete with commentaries and hours of making-of vignettes?!  It is inspiring.

Anyway, this time I decided to watch them backwards, starting with Return of the King, currently watching The Two Towers, and next will be The Fellowship of the Ring.  I chose to go with the Actor Commentary this round, which is interesting.  They share details about character choices, different ways they filmed different scenes, what was a set and what was on location, and other good little tidbits.  And after each one, I watch the Making Of, with some of my favorite behind the scenes people.  Richard Taylor, who is the head of Weta Workshop, the production house that did everything, has a very distinct New Zealand voice, and is very knowledgeable on different details.  Alan Lee and John Howe, who did all of the conceptual design work, are interesting to watch.  They were famous before the movies, as they had done most of the well-known illustrations for the book up to that point, and it's very cool to see these typical, weird art guys work.  And then the stunt guys always have funny stories, and there's some great shots of Art Director Dan Hennah and the set-builders.  Oh, and the miniatures!  As you can see, I am quite fascinated with all of it.

I did choose a bad week to start the viewing party though, as this is Book Week, the last event of Cleanse Month.  Andrew, Taylor, and I decided to all read A Brave New World, and finish it before the end of the week.  Taylor figured out that it would take about twenty-five pages a night to get through it all.  Let's just say I have a lot of reading to do this weekend...

I hope you all have stayed dry over the past rainy week.  I don't like rain, but it's ok now because it helps keep the temperature in my apartment down.  I'm a little nervous about this summer: I only have one AC fan unit and it is in the living room.  Dad has a few ideas, like using a small floor fan to blow the cool air towards my bedroom, but maybe once I turn it on and get it going for a few days it'll cool the whole place.  It is a pretty small area, so we'll see.  Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

(photos collected from tumblr, cracked, forum.drawmixpaint, bradleybasement.wordpress, rebloggy, waymarking, tumblr, wanteddeadoraliveproductionblog, and reddit)