The Highly Overrated Valentine’s Day

CarrieLeave a comment

With or without a beau, I always have a fantastic Valentine’s Day.  It’s just another excuse to make sure you have fun!  Last year, I was taken out for dinner and given a bouquet of roses.  The typical Valentine’s tradition was placed upon me for the first time and I can confidently say that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.  Ladies, do yourself a favor and make sure you have a man who can come up with something a little more creative to captivate your attention.  I have a feeling that I’m going to have more fun this year with my 7 year-old friend, Fionna, who I am watching over the weekend.  I have made plans to take her to Lowe’s on Saturday morning for their kid’s workshop, give her a Jamberry manicure, bake cookies, dance around the house, craft a heart puzzle wreath, and to go to see Paddington.  Sometimes it’s freeing (and let’s not forget exhausting) to be a kid again.

Needless to say, I have the house all decorated for our Valentine’s festivities.  Hopefully they will inspire you to get into the spirit.

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I used mini cupcake liners to hold these candlesticks into place.
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I often use cake stands and swatches of fabric to decorate tabletops.
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I keep my Christmas tree up and decorate it with hearts.
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I’m constantly changing the decor on my Hoosier. I got the Hoosier Mama Book of Pie as a Christmas present and now display it on a cookbook holder.

Tonight, I am taking the Valentine’s theme to a party at the VIM thrift shop where I volunteer. We’re hosting a ladies’ night for heart awareness month. We’re having blood pressure checks and giving tips on keeping your heart healthy. We have to have snacks that are a little more health conscious than I would normally make. I whipped up some marshmallow treats made with Cheerios.  I also gave myself a heart friendly manicure with my new Jamberries!

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Cheerio Marshmallow Treats
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Jamberry Manicure
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Cupcakes for Fionna

Wanted: New and Pretty Spring and Summer Outfits

SadieLeave a comment

Even though we still have a couple solid months of chilly temperatures ahead of us, I have already been browsing the stores for lighter fabrics, shorter hemlines, and fun warm weather patterns. All of my usual haunts have started to put out their spring and summer lines, so here are some basics that are on my wish list so far:

For Work:

jcrewpants

These pants from J.Crew are colorful, chic, and machine washable. Enough said. With dress pants I’ve realized that I need to try them on before I buy (I usually avoid trying things on). So I will definitely be finding some time to visit a J.Crew in the coming months to make sure I pick the right fit.

AnnTaylordress

This dress from Ann Taylor is pretty simple, but I love a good sheath and I could easily pair it with a bright cardigan or a plain blazer and wear it clear into the fall. Easy peasy.

BananaBlouse

Black and white seems to be on trend this spring, surprise, surprise. This hits all of my requirements for a work shirt: blousey (forgiving), white, unique geometric print, and timeless. Plus it easily doubles as a casual look with jeans.

For Play:

slubsweater

J.Crew Factory is killing it right now! I have a similar slub sweater from there that I got last year. I wear it all the time and I think I need a new color. Other cute things from J.Crew Factory include: this, and I need stock up on these.

jcrewshorts

Here’s another need from J.Crew Factory. Because who doesn’t need blue leopard print shorts? (And speaking of leopard print, I really needed new gym sneaks so I just ordered these)

gapshorts

I might need a new pair of jean shorts, and these ones from Gap look perfect. They have a real finished hem (an upgrade from my current cut-off version), and they’re a good wash. Even though I might be pushing the age limit for short shorts, I’ve realized that dressing for my figure means shorts that are 3 or 4 inch inseams. Honest to G**, my muscular quads make longer shorts look awkward.

 Investment Piece:

blushleather

I saw this in Banana ads but it didn’t register with me how fabulous it was until I saw it in a magazine as well. I love a blush/nude anything and I think it will go with everything. I could definitely use a good spring jacket. I’m keeping my eyes open for a sale or similar alternatives at other stores to make sure I make the best choice!

As we know, my new year’s resolution is to have an efficient wardrobe, so these choices are obvious relatively neutral and timeless (blue leopard is always in season). A few are in my “shopping cart” but I’m doing some comparison shopping and waiting for some sales. We’ll see what makes it home!

What has caught your eye in the stores so far?

Gigi at the Kennedy Center

SadieLeave a comment

I saw an article a couple months ago about Gigi the musical being revived on Broadway this spring. I love Gigi the movie and have seen it several times, so I was excited to hear it was coming to the stage. Then I heard that they were planning to preview the production in DC for a couple months before it went to Broadway. Bingo!

Gigi

 

Since my parents are also Gigi fans, it was a perfect excuse to trick them into visiting me. We had a quick but tasty pre-theater dinner at District Commons in Foggy Bottom, then headed to the Kennedy Center for the show!

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The big name in the production is Vanessa Hudgens who stars as Gigi. I believe this is her big Broadway debut (or at least debut in a leading role on Broadway). Hudgens is of course known for her role in High School Musical and other Disney productions. She does all her promotional shots in that black dress but it’s actually not in the production, it’s her curtain call dress. It’s not really true to the period which explains why it isn’t in the actual show, but I’m not sure why they decided it was a good look for the promos… Besides Hudgens, there are a few Broadway names, but no other headliners.

First of all, I enjoyed the production. Second of all, they made some rather significant song changes that threw me for a loop. In the movie version, Maurice Chevalier plays Honore LaChaille, the narrator and wise older uncle to Gaston Lachaille (the leading man). He sings one of the signature songs: “Thank Heaven for Little Girls.” In this production they gave that song away to Gigi’s Aunt Alicia and Grandmother Mamita, and it lost a lot of the Chevalier charm in the process.

Also, in this production, Gaston is interested in science and technology and spends a lot of time at the “Exhibition.” I’m not quite sure why they made that addition because outside of a little dialogue here or there it doesn’t do much to the plot at all.

Of course every revival is going to have changes, but overall I thought it was a solid production. Hudgens was good, and I think Corey Cott who plays Gaston has potential. His songs always ended really strong but he needs to be a little more consistent throughout. In the movie Gaston is played by a much older Louis Jourdan but it was clear that they wanted to make the Gaston/Gigi relationship a little more plausible for the current audience (apparently a 30 year age gap just isn’t the norm anymore…).  I thought the costumes and sets were great and made several nods to the original movie which was nice.

Though it might have lost some of that “je ne sais quoi” from legends like Leslie Caron, Chevalier, and Jourdan, and I think it’s definitely worth the trip. It’s a great love story and period piece that makes me want to watch the movie again!