..it was a birthday bash!

I got this cute cupcake cake at work! Thanks Jen!

thats right folks, my day of birth was celebrated this past weekend and what a weekend it was!  I had a joint birthday celebration with three other lovely Capricorns!  We had a skating party at the local Skate World, followed by a bit more of a raucous house party!  to top it all off TWO, thats right, two of my out of town girlfriends came to KC for the weekend!  it was fabulous! 

 birthday girls (and Monica) at the roller rink : from L to R, Amanda, Monica, Me, Angela, Andrea

when was the last time you went roller skating?  I couldn't remember the last time I'd been...it was super amazing!  At first I was totally weirded out... it was hot and muggy in the roller rink (weird right?) AND it smelled so grossely of feet.  then I started skating and it was amazing, I gotta admit, I kinda rocked, and suddenly I didn't smell the weird foot stench... weird-ER?! maybe, but it was really fun.  Did I mention how much fun I had?  yeah, I even did the Limbo!

Outfit details: dress: wetseal (thrifted), belt: thrifted, I also wore my brown cowboy boots when I wasn't skating!

I wore this sparkly blue dress and a coon skin hat (but I had to ditch the hat, it was way to warm!).  I've had this dress since like July, but I never had a good occasion to wear it, I always thought it was a little to flashy for everyday wear, but it was perfect for a birthday celebration!

Me + Ryan doing some couples skating!

grey or is it gray day?

...I really should know.  Anywho it was one of those days, this morning we had some serious fog, but I still got some shots taken before I headed out to work.I had a fairly normal day, work and such but then..... I met up with some girlfriends at the gym and worked out, it totally kicked my butt and I was all ready to head home and relax, when I realized I'd lost my keys... this is so not like me, honestly, normally I am very on top of things and aware of all of my stuff, but I've been feeling exceptionally spacey lately and obviously it is having some repercussions in my daily life.  So anyway, after some running around I finally made it home, but, honestly, I am feeling very strange and  like I need to slow down and regroup.
I am really looking forward to this weekend as it is my BIRTHDAY!  A few of my best girlfriends have b-days around the same time as me and so we are gonna celebrate together by having a roller skating birthday party (followed by a party-party)!  I am soooooo excited.....

cardigan: thrifted, shirt: Urban Outfitters, leather skirt: Forever 21, boots: thrifted, tights: target, earrings: Forever 21

..now all I have to do is figure out what I am going to wear.  I really REALLY want to get my hands on an Indian headdress, so it can blow in the wind as I skate around the rink with my man by my side! (doesn't that sound perfect?)

mish-mash

I've been wearing all black all week while I was working at the theater, so I really wanted to wear some color today and minus the goofy pictures, I loved this outfit, it was warm and super comfy.

outfit details: cords: BDG, Urban Outfitters, shirt: American Apparel, belt, sweater,scarf, boots: thrifted

I've been working like crazy lately, packing up Nutcracker and working at the theater, here's a picture of some tiaras and hair accessories, that we were cleaning/ airing out before they were packed up for the season.

And, on another random note....Since I got engaged in December I have kind of been ignoring the whole wedding thing until I was done with  Nutcracker and the Holidays and such, so... now I have the time to think about it and, whew, talk about overwhelming.  Any of you married gals have some helpful advice for me?  I'm hoping to have an outdoorsy ceremony and party and I'm definitely trying to do it on the cheap.  I have a feeling I'll be sharing a lot of this wedding planning adventure here on the blog, so readers beware, sorry if I get too bridezilla on you!  but here are a few looks that I am loving...

holy snow!

It just won't stop snowing here, and apparently our town is completely unequipped to deal with ice/snow on the streets, which are totally treacherous.  As a Colorado native, I'm used to living with snow, but at least Denver is a city that knows how to plow the roads!  ...whew, sorry about the rant, it's just that I am working two jobs this week (normal KC ballet + White Christmas) and its been such a stress, getting to work and such. 

But, man, all this snow makes for a pretty setting, especially in the sun.  

I have a few big fur coats like this but I hardly wear them, for some reason I get a bit self conscious in them.  I think I feel a little over the top sometimes, or like a big, furry, giant, bear/girl amazon woman.  But, it is just so COLD and wintery here that this coat feels appropriate. (and, I like that this coat matches my hair color!)

One of the best things about buying from vintage/ thrift store is that the clothing/treasures have already lived a life and can sometimes tell a story.  This coat was actually made in Kansas City, which is really cool, and speaks to what an industrious city KC once was

 and to top it off someone lovingly stitched in the initials "J.E.D." into the lapel.  

Who were you J.E.D.?  when did you wear this coat? was it for cocktails and parties?  I wish I knew your story.... alas, all I can do is thank you for passing on your coat so that I can stay toasty and cute on this cold winter day!

outfit details: coat: thrifted, jeans: Urban Outfitters, shirt: thrifted, earrings: F21

A new do! Welcome to....Native Moments (ta-da)

Well, thank you for your input on my new blog title, in the end I went with the title I'd felt pulled towards from the start! Native Moments. I think it leaves a lot to the imagination and can apply to several facets of my life. I am experiencing lots of new moments and taking you all along with me as I learn how to be the person I want to be.
The poem that I took the title from is a bit more wild and crazy than I am ( although I've been that wild and crazy person before) but it talks about being open and experiencing ALL of life, which is definitely one of my New Years Resolutions, to seek out and enjoy life and really feel like I am a part of it all! (whatever IT may be).

                                       Native Moments

NATIVE moments! when you come upon me—Ah you are here now!
Give me now libidinous joys only!
Give me the drench of my passions! Give me life coarse and rank!
To-day, I go consort with nature’s darlings—to-night too;
I am for those who believe in loose delights—I share the midnight orgies of young men;	5
I dance with the dancers, and drink with the drinkers;
The echoes ring with our indecent calls;
I take for my love some prostitute—I pick out some low person for my dearest friend,
He shall be lawless, rude, illiterate—he shall be one condemn’d by others for deeds done;
I will play a part no longer—Why should I exile myself from my companions?	10
O you shunn’d persons! I at least do not shun you,
I come forthwith in your midst—I will be your poet,
I will be more to you than to any of the rest -Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

what's in a name...

yay! so I finally got a tripod!  so... that means, hopefully, I'll have better image quality on my photos.  I took these photos yesterday, when I had a moment of feeling decent, it was snowing like crazy here and now it is just REALLY cold.  I am still under the weather and took one extra day of break (aka. I didn't go to work) so that I can go to work feeling 100%.

So, in another effort to improve my blog I decided to change the name of it...When I began this whole thing I thought that I would focus mainly on textiles and art, but as my life and lifestyle has evovled, my focus has changed and this has become more of a forum for me to share my daily experiences and motivate me to be a creative and thoughtful person.  So, in that vein, I was hoping to find a blog title that is a bit less specific and more generally suits me.

I've come up with some options, most of them are titles from poems in Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass"  (not to sound pretencious, but I've been sick and reading a lot of Whitman)

So, here are the options... I'd really love to hear your input, tell me which ones you like and why....

1. Native Moments   (I am leaning towards this one)

2. Quicksand Years

3. In Paths Untrodden

4. The First Dandelion

5. Unseen Buds

6. Turkey Talk    (This is NOT a Whitman title, but one of my nicknames is Turkey, Ryan likes this one the best) 

....OR, any other ideas? 

Outfit details:  skirt: American Apparel, tights: Kohls, t-shirt: thrifted, sweater: Nordstroms, boots: Sorels (New for xmas!)

countdown ka-put!

don't fear I have not abandoned you, just been REALLY REALLY busy,   so since I left so abruptly in the middle of my favorite holiday countdown I have done a lot... 

-I drove to Hutchinson KS in the middle of a rain storm, had a panic attack in the car ( don't worry, I'm OK, my sweet fiance, Ryan, took over the wheel and got us to safety)

-had a lovely Christmas celebration with my fiance and his amazing family

Christmas #1

-got a totally awesome air soft gun from Ryan, his whole family thought we were weirdos, but we had a ton of fun shooting trees and the barn out in the snow! (It was a bit windy)

getting country with my new toy, please don't think I am too hickey, it's really just for fun!

-drove back to Kansas City during a SNOW storm

-went directly to work 

-worked 4 Nutcracker shows in two days

-packed up the entire Nutcracker show! (yay, no more mice and angels)

-flew to Denver and had another Xmas celebration with my family!

my Momma and our skinny, pretty tree

-drove to the mountains, spent two days skiing in Loveland with my man and all of our siblings

we are such snowbunnies!

-drove back down to Denver, saw all of our guests off

-went to a nice dinner with my parents for New Years! (fell asleep on the couch with my mom, watching The Proposal)

my New Years Outfit!  skirt: Forever 21, sweater: borrowed from my mom, tanktop: actually a dress that I thrifted

-got the STOMACH FLU!!

-flew back to Kansas City (Nauseous the whole way)

-I am still recovering... every time I feel that I am getting a bit better my poor stomach revolts, guh,guh,guh.  

So, it has been a very eventful week to say the least and I am going back to work tomorrow, so hopefully my stomach gets in gear and I get back into my normal routine.  I am currently curled up on my couch, tv surfing, avoiding taking down my xmas decorations, and catching up on all of the blogs that I've missed this past week.  I have some new ideas to update and spruce up my blog here in the new year (new name? new layout?), so keep coming back, and hopefully I can get my butt in gear and make this thing a bit more impressive!