the bride wore black.

well, at least this bride to be is currently wearing nothing but black.  I am currently working the musical Young Frankenstein (where I am required to wear all black)  we are also getting (somewhat frantically) ready for our winter show over at the ballet, so I am VERY busy, and I am only wearing black.  So, no outfit posts, but here are some wedding inspiration images that I have been collecting!

I am totally gonna try to have this hair!  isn't it beautiful?

oh, how I  wish that we had an old stylish get away car!

these tree slices are a great way to add interest to a centerpiece

doesn't this wedding just look like so much fun?  I hope that ours is just as sweet!

Love is in the air...

...and apparently it is catching.  I know that everyone is supposed to be opposed to this Hallmark enduced, sickeningly sweet holiday, but I just can't help it!  I LOOOOVE celebrating love!  and I know everyday should be a celebration of love, and I do try, but it is just so fun to get crafty and lovey....so here is how I celebrated.

I baked sugar cookies and made strawberry jam and cookie sandwiches  (this was really kinda of typical me, cause I got all the supplies and I got going and I was listening to music and dancing in the kitchen with flour all over me, when I realized that I don't own a rolling pin!  I made do by using the side of an especially round bowl...oops)

the pink cookies are a Valentine's gift from Ryan's mom!  thanks Ann!

I got flowers from my beau and made these hearts out of the wrappings that they came in...

I decided to use the hearts to dress up my outfit photos too...

Since Ryan had to work tonight I made us a Valentines Day brunch, which consisted of a Mexican Egg Casserole (you can get the recipe here), bacon, grapes, and fresh juice! The rest of the day was spent watching romance movies and eating tons of candy!

outfit details: t-shirt:thrifted, skirt: Forever 21, tights: old,old,old, boots: I stole them from my friend Amanda! (and I'm not giving them back, you hear me Amanda!?  I'm not giving them back!)

I hope that you have/had a LOVEly day!

what'cha reading?

so... what'cha been reading lately?  I am a self-proclaimed "avid reader"  and I am always looking for something new to read, as I go through books really quickly, so if you have any good suggestions, let me know!  I love all genres, but I especially like reading classic romance novels during this time of year (the Valentines season)!  

I just inadvertently read two dog related books in a row, the first was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski, a story about a mute boy who grows up raising dogs and goes through some seriously heavy life changes....it was very sad and moving and made me want to go directly to the pound and adopt every dog I saw!  the 2nd was  The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, which is a story of a modern family told from the point of view of Enzo, the family dog...it is so sweet and seriously laugh out loud funny.  these were both good reads and I give them my stamp of approval, but beware, you may have the urge to adopt every dog you see!

I embroidered this little wheat motif!
a very festive bracelet (have I mentioned I love valentines day?!)

I am going to pick up one of my all time favorite books this evening, Pride and prejudice, by Jane Austen.  It is my go to book, when I am out of new material, and it also fulfills my need for romantic love scenes and beautiful landscapes!  happy reading!

outfit details: skirt: Forever 21, tights:really old (i just refound them!), sweater: gap, shirt: thrifted (embellished by me)

Happy (early) Valentines day!

...well, since, my boy, Ryan, has to work every night for the rest of the week we decided to have our valentines celebration tonight... we both got all dressed up and then had a great night.  We went out to eat at a cute little restaurant called PotPie, then we had dessert at Ryan's reastaurant (where he works, not HIS restaurant)...I'm a sucker for coffee and chocolate cake and I went a little overboard, but, all in all it was a lovely night with a great guy! (if I say so myself!) 

outfit details: lace top: thrifted, skirt:Forever 21, tights: walmart, boots:thrifted

apparently I am very fidgety and Ryan is very photogenic...alas, such is life.

currently, we are winding down the night by watching Spinal Tap (pure Romance) and getting cozy on the couch!  Hope your Valentines is as amazing as mine!  xoxo

aw, summer, i miss you so!

I miss summer and the sun and being hot and working in my garden , sitting on my porch drinking coffee and days when this outfit felt like it was just too much clothing!

the end of an era!

Thunder Eagle... Rocking out!!!!

... that's right folks in the words of my friend Stephanie.... tonight "Rock sinks to the ocean floor and slowly takes in its last dying breath.  Lungs filling with water and mud.  Fair thee well Thunder Eagle."....okay, so , let me explain....  My fiance, Ryan, has been in a band, Thunder Eagle for the past few years, they are a butt-kicking, good-ole, rocking and rolling time, kinda band!  serious fun!  but like all good things the thunder eagle era is coming to an end...tonight, actually!  (so if you are in KC come to the riot room and wish the self-proclaimed gods of rock, 'adieu')

Obviously my outfit for tonight's festivities had to be sufficiently rocking (I am even wearing my trusty Thunder Eagle shirt). 

 I got this lace top at the thrift store and cut off the ugly turtle neck it once bore.  I went the whole nine yards and took these glam/rock photos, I feel a bit narcissistic, but hey, that's kind of the name of the blogging game, eh?  

Have a great weekend!

outfit details: boots:thrifted, skirt: American Apparel, shirt:Thunder Eagle Concert, Lace shirt: thrifted

oh, Dolly!

For some reason today at work we got on to one of my favorite subjects....Dolly Parton.  It's true, I love her, especially the old school Dolly...she just seems to be so fun and totally gorgeous (despite her crazy enhancements! wowza)  I've been sitting here looking at blogs and listening to Dolly, wishing that I had

 hair like her!  Any way, It's been a long day, but Ryan is finally

home, so I'm gonna stop being a computer nerd and spend some 

time with him!

a ballet sneak peek...

Outfit details: jeans: bdg/thrifted, socks/shoes: Target, shirt: ATC, sweater: thrifted

haha! so I woke up all early and took these photos and then I just got home and uploaded them to my computer and I realized that the shadow from my tripod is in every photo!  woops, I guess I wasn't really running on all cylinders this morning....

I thought I'd give you all a peek at one of my favorite parts of my job.  For those of you who don't know I work as a costumer at the KC ballet.  This means I pattern, sew, construct and alter everything that the dancers wear.  I really love what I call the "mock-up" stage of the costuming process, when we are creating costumes ourselves we work from a design (done by a professional, hired-on designer, or designed by our shop)  So we make a mock-up, which is the 

first "draft" of our pattern.  

design by Jennifer Carroll

In this instance I created a flat pattern based on some other good leotard patterns that we have in stock, so I drew out the shape that I thought would work ....

I placed the pattern on some scrap fabric and cut around the pattern, then wham bam ...thank you ma'am...  

...we have a leotard!

I like this aspect of my job because it takes a lot of problem solving, but then  it is really rewarding when I have an immediate product.  (It gets a bit more tedious later on in the process when I have to make 12 versions of the same leotard)  

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my job!  If you have any queries about any of this, feel free to ask!

chug chug chug...

well, I've just been chug-chugging along this past week, fairly uninspired as far as fashion and just life in general.  I've got some serious winter blues!  And to top it off the fiance is off skiing and my car got hit (a hit and run to boot!)  anyway, so not to complain toooo much, but that's were my head has been this whole week, just in a serious funk.  But things are looking up!  I met up with a couple of my favorite gals for some biweekly bingo!  I never win, but still, it is super fun.  I even wore what I was calling my "lucky gator foot" , but I guess it wasn't too lucky, as I won squat!

I've actually been working on some fun valentines crafts, which I will show you soon!  I love holidays!  (and holiday craftiness!!!)

outfit details:shirt: gap, skirt: thrifted, boots: gift, tights: target