I Run in Heels

Great Gatsby Style

The lovely Carey Mulligan

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My friends and I saw "The Great Gatsby" at a fancy-schmancy theater, and I couldn't resist trying my hand at some Gatsby-inspired accessories and attire. My mom loaned me a beautiful, long strand of dark pearls, and I wore my sparkling silver flats and a striped strapless dress with a crocheted-lacey-sweater type thing. I was the only one in the group to dress up, but it was worth it!

The film was a visual smorgasboard of color and movement and sensational designs. The RealStyleNetwork.com reported that forty of the costumes in the over-the-top, Baz-Luhrman-style party scenes were designed by Prada, and Carey Mulligan wore several of the pieces from Prada's spring 2010 collection for the film as well.

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A movie like this can't help but get me thinking about the beauty of vintage clothes and how I can work more of them into my wardrobe. My friend Evie, the talented artist behind evie-s.com, made the gorgeous dress below out of a vintage top, vintage linens, and a satin curtain for the sash. Isn't it lovely? 

 If you're like me (and not as crafty as Evie) but looking to incorporate some 1920s flair into your own wardrobe, here are some great pieces to get you started:

Crystal Ballroom Necklace, $21.99

 

Can't Stop Dancing Half Slip in Silver, $28.99, ModCloth

 

Notch Your Step Heel in Caramel, $69.99, ModCloth

 

Cambridge Beaded Headband, $12, Francesca's Collections

Color Your Day Dress, $52.99, ModCloth

 

All Neutral Dress, ModCloth, $89.99

 

 

"Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!"

-F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby" 

Great Gatsby Parties

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With Baz Luhrmann directly, the latest rendition of The Great Gatsby to hit the theaters is sure to be a lavish spectacle of costume and set design. I can't wait! I've loved seeing how others have incorporated the theme into their parties, their childrens' birthdays, and even their weddings...

Candice Lake's surprise birthday party was Gatsby-themed and held on a yacht!

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LaylaGrace.com shared photos of a Gatsby extravaganza thrown to celebrate the first birthday of twins:

Gatsy-themed weddings look so festive! I like any excuse to add a little more sparkle and pizzazz to an outfit or event. 

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Source: Josh Golman via Once Wed

And for those who want to take the theme beyond the party, Crown Publishing Group has provided 5 Ways to Live Like a Modern-Day Flapper.

Great Gatsby Gifts

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One of my fellow editing friends happens to be a huge fan of The Great Gatsby, and even contemplated having a Gatsby-themed wedding. I've had a lot of fun looking for Gatsby-inspired gifts for her for her baby shower and going-away party. If you're looking for a gift for the Great Gatsby fan in your life or you want to add to your own collection, here are some fun ideas even Jay Gatsby himself would have to approve of: 

Outofprintclothing.com offers a variety of book-inspired treasures, from t-shirts to totes:

                                                       Tote (13.5" w x 14" h), $18

                                          Women's Tee by designer Mikey Burton, $28, size XL 

                                            First Edition Women's Tee, $28, sizes S-XXL

Modcloth.com  got in on the fun as well:

                             Bright Young Things: A Modern Guide to the Roaring Twenties, $12.99

And, of course, you can never go wrong with Etsy.com: 

                                      Literary Book Charm Necklace, Sterling Silver, $25

 

                                                   11x17 Movie Poster, $16.95

Little Gatsby baby t-shirt  

(This is the one I got for my friend's son. Sadly, they're currently out of stock, but I'm hoping she makes more!)

Happy birthday, Mom!

Videos to Laugh and Cry Over

It's been a while since I've posted any videos on here, but I absolutely love the two videos below. Put aside 14 minutes and get ready to laugh with Jimmy Fallon and John Krasinski and cry over one of the most moving dance routines you'll ever see. This is the most entertaining Friday afternoon procrastination you'll find!

 

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Volunteering at the Oklahoma City Arts Festival with Craig & Carter's Famous Fish Tacos

(Photo Credit: @carriepemberton)

This week the Associate Board of the OKC Philharmonic and the Philharmonic staff, along with friends and family, helped man the Craig & Carter's Famous Fish Tacos booth at the Festival of the Arts. (Special thanks to my mom and my friends Carrie and Mike for helping us out!) With crazy weather that included hail storms, summer weather and freezing cold, there was never a dull moment for the volunteers! Whether we were huddled around the hot stations for warmth or downing cold drinks by the gallon to beat the heat, we had a blast getting to talk with festival goers and serve them some very tasty food.

Pictured below are the famed fish tacos, comprised of corn tortillas and deep-fried pollock that's covered with a spicy cole slaw and topped with a chipotle cream sauce. We put together a lot of those! (The rest of the photos, from a previous year's festival, are from Craig & Carter's Facebook page.)

The booth's other offerings include pork carnitas, fried okra and fish sandwiches. The chocolate meltdown was also a huge hit, featuring puff pastries filled with a warm chocolate ganache and then covered with ice cream and either orange, raspberry or chocolate sauce with a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Yum!

The men behind the taco magic are, as the sign might suggest, Craig (Stringer) and Carter (Tague), who reside in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but make the trek back to the OKC area every year to take part. They made the hard work fun, and we are especially thankful to them both for their generous donation of a portion of the proceeds to the OKC Philharmonic Orchestra!

Instrument Playground at the Norman Music Festival

The OKC Philharmonic and the OKC Orchestra League hosted the Instrument Playground again this year at the Norman Music Festival. We had such a great time introducing music fans, young and old, to everything from snare drums and violins to tubas and recorders. Somehow I found myself with maracas in hand, playing along to "The Cat Came Back" at our table; luckily, my fellow volunteer Katie made it a duet performance. Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

 

 

 

 

A Soccer Knee Injury

The summer before my 16th birthday, I was playing coed indoor soccer, and a brute of a player plowed into the ball at the time same time I was kicking it, breaking my left tibia and fibula. I've been told I said "I'm fine" before taking a step and promptly passing out. Thankfully, my dad was playing on the next field over, so he rushed over to help. The EMT carried me out on a stretcher through the goal and then told me he'd finally get to mark off "sports injury" on the types of ambulance runs he'd been on. Glad I could help, buddy. That day started 8 1/2 months of cast-wearing, sideline-sitting, and sports-missing. I started with a cast up to my hip and gradually worked my way down to a weight-bearing knee-high cast, but it was a long process.

You'd think I would've had my fill of soccer, but I just can't get enough of the sport. I've played almost every year since, and other than a broken thumb, I've managed to make it through several seasons injury-free until six weeks ago. I planted my right foot, felt my knee just give way to the outside, and went down hard, with incredible shooting pain in my knee. I've prided myself on years of playing basketball and soccer with no knee injuries, after watching teammate after teammate suffer that fate, and now here I was joining their ranks.

Under medical advisement, I tried the usual remedies: ice, rest, elevation, medication, knee exercises I found on Pinterest. An X-ray showed no fractures, but sadly, the MRI indicated tears to my lateral and medial menisci. So later this week I'll be meeting with an orthopedic surgeon to determine the best course of action.

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It's hard to be missing soccer (and zumba!), but at the same time, it's been nice to take things easy for awhile. And if my mom's recovery from knee surgery is any indication, I'll be back to my old self in no time. 

In the meantime, I've been incredibly inspired by the indomitable spirits of all of those affected by the Boston bombing. I have a short road to recovery ahead of me, but I know many of those injured face weeks, months and even years of rehabilitation. I have also been so moved by the generosity of well-wishers around the country for these individuals. If you're interested in supporting them as well, here are a few of the pages I've come across:

Brittany Loring

Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky

Celeste and Sydney

Liza Cherney

As my own city recognized the 18th anniversary of the bombing of the Murrah Building this week, our hearts go out to Boston. I wish this wasn't something we had in common, but I pray that God would continue to heal and strengthen your city and everyone impacted by this tragedy.

Boston strong!

Familiar Faces Join Downton Abbey Cast

Two of my all-time favorite movies are "Sense and Sensibility" and A&E's "Pride and Prejudice." I mean, I even went so far as to memorize part of Shakespearean Sonnet 116 because of the moving way Kate Winslet recited it in S&S. "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediment. Love is not love which alters when it alterations finds, or bends with the remover to remove; O no! it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken..." Love it! I may have had to check the wording, but still! 

And don't even get me started on P&P. Two words: Colin Firth. "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Swoon.

Imagine my delight to find out two actors from these beloved films will be gracing the screen in the next season of "Downton Abbey." Dame Harriet Walter (Fanny Dashwood) will appear in one episode as Lady Shackleton, a friend of the Dowager Countess, and Joanna David (Mrs. Gardiner) will play the Duchess of Yeovil. 

Dame Harriet Walter and her role as Fanny Dashwood in "Sense and Sensibility"

     

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Joanna David and her role as Mrs. Gardiner in "Pride and Prejudice"

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"Pride and Prejudice" was also the debut of David's daughter, Emilia Fox:

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Pinterest Holiday Projects

 Pinspiration from 2Wired2Tired:

I loved this idea of a rainbow of fruit with a cloud of marshmallows and a pot of gold out of Rolos. My take on it is the bottom photo, and it was a big hit at at St. Patty's Day party this year!

 Pinspiration from Craftsncoffee.com

This website is awesome! There are so many great crafting ideas with easy-to-follow instructions. Here are a few that inspired me with links to how to make them: Fabric Ornaments, Egg Topiary, and Fabric-pinned Eggs. 

  

 My mom's mom used to make decorative eggs every year, so my mom and I decided to make some in her honor this year. The eggs below are a few of the ones we decorated. The first egg is just thin fabric strips mod-podged to a styrofoam egg with the ribbon loop pinned in. There's so many fun ways to display decorative eggs, from vases to bowls to trees like the one below.