Twist and Shout

______I can't tell you how many times I go out in these darling little Jeffrey Campbell oxfords and get called out by people telling me how cute they are.  If I ever die, it's not going to be because I went down the wrong creepy alleyway at the wrong time; it's going to be because some zealous literature fanatic wants my oxfords to be the final addition to her Gatsby shrine.

______Speaking of, have any of you seen The Great Gatsby yet?  I was rather impressed by Leonardo DiCaprio's acting (and timeless good looks), the striking wardrobe choices, and the set design.  It was visually pleasing, fer sure.  The Valley of the Ashes was exactly on par with how I visualized it in the book--a soot-covered wasteland with that all-seeing, ominous T.J. Eckleberg sign looming in the distance.  At first, the music was a little odd to me, but I suppose it parallels with the chaos and confusion that the roaring 1920s realm presented, the chaos kindled by alcohol and social statuses and the impossibility of reaching the American Dream.  I'll stop trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about, because I totally don't, and spare you a review.





______Now that it's finally beginning to feel like summer, I've been able to do things I'm not usually able to do during college, such as reading for fun--and man, I totally forgot how splendid it is to read something of your own accord.  However, I've been guilty of reaching for a pen and noting repeating elements and themes, along with underlining quotes that reverberate with me.  My mom suggested I read an urban fantasy series by Karen Marie Moning (beginning with Darkfever), and I tore through the first two books of the series in just two days.  I'm trying to savor them now.  Trying.  My favorite places to read have to be the papasan chair in my room, where I snuggle into my fur blanket like a royal burrito, or the swinging chairs outside, where the light sifts so whimsically through splotches of tree leaves.  Read.  Sip tea.  Pee occasionally.  Change reading positions.  Repeat.  It's a good cycle.

______My mom is probably going to get at me for typing the word "pee" on the Internet.  And for learning that I've been scribbling in her novels.




______Oh, and hey, the most darling lady Katherine (from Of Corgis and Cocktails) featured me as her May style icon, so if you wanna learn more about how much of a dweeb I am, head on over!

Lace top: Charlotte Russe
Skirt: via Modcloth
Socks: Target
Oxford heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Necklace: vintage
Earrings: Lotus Botique

Fringe and Ink

______Something about a long black dress sorta makes me feel like an old lady, or maybe even something more unnerving, like a black widow spider.  Well, 1/4 of a black widow spider, seeing as how I only possess two out of the eight required legs to be classified as such.  Man, did I just use math in a real-life situation?  I sure did.  Gold star for me!

______Speaking of dressing like an old lady, twice today, I was referred to as "ma'am."  Worse, it was by guys my age, or possibly even older.  Ma'am?  I scoff in their general direction.  I have never been more insulted in my life.  How dare those sassy turds call me such a thing!  I am as young and fresh as a recently refrigerated ring of mystery flavored Jell-O.  Not to be mistaken with the Jell-O that has those mushy, decorative specks in them, the ones their father company so confidently dubs, "sprinkles."  I think they stopped putting the papery flecks in after realizing that no sane human being wanted to feel like they were slurping up gelatinized toilet water, but maybe some of you remember it before its inevitable discontinuation.  If you've never had the honor of tasting it, you're not missing out, and I hate your guts.

______I have no idea where I was going with that.  Was I arguing something?




______This is probably the most basic way this new princess dress of mine could have been styled.  The warm and humid weather is beginning to seep its disgusting little way into the land of Alabama, and wearing black makes everything two times as hot, and so dressing it up just wasn't an option.  Doing so would result in subsequently taking a trip to hell, and I'm not feeling hell this week.  Maybe next week.  I think hell is pretty jam-packed on Mondays anyway.



Dress: Kohl's
Heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Belt: Fossil, thrifted
Necklace: Forever 21
Earrings: from a tiny little handmade jewelry store in South Carolina

Reflection

______At times, life can be an immense burden.

______Just when you think,"Ah, at long last, I am home in my dorm and able to go pants-less for the night!", you simultaneously realize you have forgotten your iPhone in the Photography room, most likely on the glass table where you usually set it down while you're slaving away in the darkroom, splashing yourself with chemicals occasionally and having a bit of a nostalgic dance party with your colleagues, one kindled by the 90s Pop Hits Pandora station.  None of you knew each other as children, but the music made it seem otherwise.  You left your phone on the table because as you waited for your prints to wash, you were deep into A Game of Thrones.



 ______After you left your prints to dry, you walked out the door reading the book, your mind focused on remembering the households and the characters and their relationships. There were so many names to remember, but you had a good hang on them, and that made you feel somewhat successful.



______It is the first day of summer break, and this is the last time you will have to return to that room.  You are forced to trudge a whole six minutes back to retrieve your electronic device that is so vital to your daily existence.  It's there (thankfully).  A girl looks up from her binder and cocks her head at you like you're some criminal scurrying out of there with something that isn't yours.  She has never reacted well to your presence, and you've never been sure why.  You never liked her cropped pants, the ones with the white stripes snaking down the sides like day-old toothpaste.



______And once you're out of the room, you skip down the first two stairs, walk down the rest, and are happy that your phone was there, and happy that you are on your way back.  The walk there wasn't long.  The walk back would be shorter.  You decide to stop by the world's largest Starbucks on campus to order something warm to drink on the way because it has gotten cooler.  It is wedged perfectly between the photography room and your living space, and they know you by name there because you order the same thing each time--a Venti Passion tea, piping hot, unsweetened.




______Sometimes, they will draw a heart on the "i" in your name, or maybe rush a smiley face, or say, "The usual?" and it makes you feel a little bit classy, a little bit known, a little bit like you belong somewhere.    Two of them even know you by name.  One knows that your last name is Norwegian.  There is a certain pause at this moment, one that makes you forget how you forgot your phone in the first place.  You're enjoying this little detour, but you won't admit it.  You won't admit how convenient things are for you, and how much you like being able to feel like there's kind of place you belong, at least in the nooks and crannies where there are less people who are more important.  You are not in the mass, and probably never will be, but that is okay.



______You walk back to your conveniently located dorm on campus.  The sun is setting and casting orange light against the buildings, and blue shadows are opposite to them like ghosts with outstretched arms, and there is the smell of spiced flowers in the air.  Things are greener, warmer now.  There are no flowers sprouting eagerly from their buds, no set name for this day that should make it feel any different than the others, but there is the right feeling, the one that seems as if everything has awoken from its hibernation, and is now full of vigor and an honest brightness.  And it is rather serene, the scene which nature has so kindly painted.



______And that is when you realize that life isn't really such an immense burden, and you wonder why you could have ever imagined such a thing in the first place.  It is the first day of summer break, and you are leaving your pleasant burdens behind.

Spring 2013, Photography I, 35mm film

Introducing: Maxnina

Maxnina is an online wholesale women's clothing store that offers not only fancy pantsy dresses and custom wedding dresses, but also a most excellent array of cute, everyday fashion items.

After browsing for a couple of minutes on the site, I've noticed they've got tons of fashion items reminiscent of Korean style, and well, you can't go wrong with Korean style fashion.  You just can't.

Besides having lots of cute dresses and such, Maxnina has an ogle-worthy selection of pretty jewelry, too!  And at such decent prices due to the fact that they sell their items wholesale, you can get a few things and not have to sell your soul for payment.

Did I mention they have free standard shipping, too?  'Cause they do.  That seems to be a rare thing these days, so a big fat gold star to them for that.

I'll be getting some jewelry from them in the next few weeks or so; I'll let you guys know what else I think then!

  printed dress /  spike bracelet 

navy collar dress / feather necklace

The Beekeeper

______Last night, I went to the Schaeffer Crawfish Boil in downtown Birmingham.  It's basically this huge gathering of people in front of an outdoor concert stage complete with boxes upon boxes of crawfish (and some other food, and all those cheesy light up bunny ears and lightsabers and stuff that you kind of want but don't want to admit you want).

______My friend and his dad invited me to come along with them it since they had an extra ticket, and although usually crowd things freak me out a little, I'm so very glad I went!  It was an extraordinary event, and I even ventured out to taste test crawfish for the very first time.  If you've never had them before, I suppose the best way to describe them is similar to something with the texture of a very squishy jellyfish and the taste of chicken--odd, but surprisingly scrumptious!  The beady little black eyes stared into my soul a few times, but I did my best to look away and remind myself that they are mere relatives to cockroaches... Unfortunately, they are very cute relatives.




______There was a lineup of bands that were to play, some that I didn't know, but two that I did: Train and Flo Rida.  At first I was all, "Flo Rida? Well, all right," but then as he began to sing all of his songs, I realized that a) I recognized each one of them and b) I could sing along word for word.  They were extremely catchy and the people amongst us were extremely bouncy, and it was just a lovely, bouncy time, one full of synchronized light flashes and flailing hands.

______And then when Train came on stage it was a bit awe-inspiring since I adore Train (and now I adore Train even more).  Seeing a person perform their songs in real life makes things so much more real, mainly because you can physically see the heart and soul that a person pours in their music.  It's more than impressive.  The lights suited all the songs so well and now it's no wonder to me why people get so caught up over going to concerts... They're just so inspiring and visually pleasing--literally moving, breathing works of art!

______So yeah! I hadn't ever been to any concerts before last night, and so being able to go see more than one band was quite rad, especially ones that are so well-known.  It was a most excellent way to ease my mind into the summer mindset (and hopefully the artfully productive mindset as well!).



Dress: Charlotte Russe
Striped top: JCPenny or something like that
Belt: via Lotus Boutique
Heels: Chelsea Crew
Necklace: Charming Charlie
Hair: courtesy of mom!