by the side of the road

Yeah, that smile is a lie. I am not at all pleased that the skies decided to dump on me again today. It's almost goddamned April, already (the adage calls for April showers, not April snow showers). Funny thing is, I didn't even know it was snowing when I got dressed for the Gothic Harajuku Christmas Carol this morning.

(tunic: tjmaxx; headband/necklace: forever 21; tights: hue; shoes: payless)

Last night K and I went to a semi-advanced screening of Julien Schnabel's (of Basquiat fame) new film, Miral, which I thought was fantastic. The film was based on the girlhood diaries of a Palestinian journalist (Rula Jebreal, who also penned the screenplay) and her life growing up at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict. I thought the decision to make the film from a Palestinian point of view offered an oft-ignored perspective, and the general message that education and understanding can be great forces for good in the world was one we somehow still seem to need to be reminded of. There was a Q&A after the screening with Jon Kilik, a UVM grad and the film's producer, who has quite an impressive resume and has worked with the likes of Woody Allen and Spike Lee (he is also currently dating Jebreal, who does look remarkably like the film's star, Freida Pinto). I definitely recommend going to see the film if it comes to your area (it is currently showing only in NYC and LA), and I definitely recommend to myself that I keep track of these incredible free events on college campuses around town. Four years out of university, I had forgotten that there still existed a place where you could gather to watch and learn for free :)

Miral is a red flower.

It grows by the side of the road.

You've probably seen millions of them.

Soooo definitely not up for posting outfit photos on three hours of sleep (although I can assure you that I am dressed)... here is a photo from our gig last night!

I hope you all have wonderful weekends!

star of the county down

From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay

And from Galway to Dublin town

No maid I've seen like the sweet cailín

That I met in the County Down

Near Banbridge town, in the County Down

One morning last July

Down a bóithrín green came a sweet cailín

And she smiled as she passed me by.

She looked so sweet from her two bare feet

To the sheen of her nut brown hair

Such a coaxing elf, sure I shook myself

To make sure I was standing there.

As she onward sped I shook my head

And I gazed with a feeling rare

And I said, says I, to a passerby

"Who's the maid with the nut-brown hair?"

He smiled at me, and with pride says he,

"That's the gem of Ireland's crown.

She's young Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann

She's the star of the County Down."

I've travelled a bit, but never was hit

Since my roving career began

But fair and square I surrendered there

To the charms of young Rose McCann.

I'd a heart to let and no tenant yet

Did I meet with in shawl or gown

But in she went and I asked no rent

From the star of the County Down.

At the crossroads fair I'll be surely there

And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes

And I'll try sheep's eyes, and deludhering lies

On the heart of the nut-brown rose.

No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke

Though with rust my plow turns brown

Till a smiling bride by my own fireside

Sits the star of the County Down.

From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay

And from Galway to Dublin town

No maid I've seen like the sweet cailín

That I met in the County Down.

(dress: forever 21; tights: gap; shoes: seychelles; scarf/belt: thrifted; sweatshirt: irish tourist shop)

So this outfit is perhaps more gypsy-folk than Irish-folk, but no matter... I've got a little green going on, which is more than I can say for last year's ensemble. I thought I should probably wear my Ireland sweatshirt for at least one photo, since I found it in a bag of my old clothes last week (pretty timely). When our semester in Dublin was over, my friend Olya and I bought matching sweatshirts (hers was like this but dark green) and took a bus across the country, visiting Sligo, Cork, and Galway (where I promptly had my wallet stolen with my temporary passport inside [since it had originally been stolen in Rome] and spent the rest of the trip crying on the phone trying to find a way to get on an international flight without a replacement).

The lyrics in this post are from my new favorite song in our repertoire. Tonight's the big night! I'm hoping to finagle some video out of the show, but knowing me and my family we will be way too disorganized to manage it :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Sláinte!

oscar night favorites

So, no outfit post today. I took photos (and even took some this weekend as well!), but forgot my camera cord in my other bag (since I got a new one in the mail!) so have no way to upload. What else did I expect from a Monday? Luckily for me I did watch the Academy Awards last night and took note of a few of my favorite dresses, so I have something to share with you today. I'm terribly sorry to be so lame and simply regurgitate photos that are already all over the interweb, but tomorrow I'll be more original, I promise :)

I loved Scarlett Johansson's wine-colored Dolce and Gabbana and her sultry bedroom eyes, but Mila Kunis wore my favorite of the evening--a lovely lavendar Elie Saab gown (who also made the amazing Monet-inspired dress that I swore I would have worn to last year's Oscars if given the opportunity).

My other favorite of the evening (if not even more favorite than Mila's Elie Saab) was Florence Welch in buttery yellow Valentino Couture, but Halle Berry also looked amazing in Marchesa.

I absolutely love that cobalt blue is trendy this season (it's a great color for blue-eyed brunettes). As it turns out, it's also a great color for redheads (although actually this dress is more purple than blue)--Amy Adams looked amazing in sparkly L'Wren Scott (though I would have taken the jewelry in a different direction)--and saccharine-soft-pop songstress Mandy Moore shone onstage in Monique Lhuillier (despite the fact that the song was sensationally silly, as most of Ms. Moore's ballads tend to be).

Who were your favorites?

2011 inaugural ball

(Sugarbush Resort)

On Friday night, I attended the Governor's Inaugural Ball. It. was. awesome. My parents were staying the night at Sugarbush Resort (where the Ball was held), so K and I stopped in to visit, have some champagne, and help my mother decide which of her many pairs of new shoes to wear. I will apologize in advance for taking absolutely no pictures during the event--I decided it probably wasn't that kind of party and I didn't have anywhere to store my camera when it wasn't against my eyeball. I also apologize for the terrible quality of the outfit photos I did manage to capture that evening--ambient light in a rustic ski lodge does not make for ideal photo-taking conditions.

on me: [dress] modcloth; [tights] gift, diy; [shoes] charlotte russe; [headband] forever 21; [rings] modcloth/gift

on mom: [dress] macy's; [shoes] the shoe dept

We headed down to the party around 7:30, grabbed a couple glasses of bubbly (gals) and beer (guys) from the bar, and went in search of snacks. Mom and dad were busy catching up with political pals, so K and I ventured into another room of the lodge, where we found a spread of Vermont cheeses, amaaazing grilled cheese sandwiches with mustard, little flaky tarts with ham (I abstained), and more champagne. To make up for my complete camera abandonment, here is a little video that Sugarbush put together after the event:

Around 9 PM, Governor Shumlin made a speech in the ballroom to kick off the entertainment. I couldn't hear very well because we were so far away, but as people began to file out after the speech, K and I managed to push our way through the crowd and get into prime dancing position right in front of the stage. The band was amazing (Dave Grippo Funk Band), and we danced all night long (well, at least until my shoes started to strangle my feet around 11:30...).

It was a really great event, and I kind of feel like an Inaugural Ball in any other state would be a stuffy, snooty affair--this was anything but. There was really great energy in the air and the turnout was a surprising mix of young people and older statesmen, all boogie-ing like maniacs on the dance floor. As far as my outfit was concerned, I have to say that the tights did not turn out exactly as I imagined them. Originally I wanted the tights to be opaque (probably in red or grey), but couldn't figure out how to attach the strip of feathers without causing serious runs. Instead, I stitched the feathers onto a pair of patterned tights and planned to layer them over the opaque red, but that just looked strange. Oh well! They were still a big hit--a couple of women in the bathroom even bowed to me when I told them I had sewed the feathers on myself.

Also, the skirts on all of my Modcloth dresses are so much fun! They're incredibly flowy and flirty and swingy--perfect for dancing the night away! This one was appropriately named the "I Just Wanna Dance" dress, and it was perfectly suited to a night of stiletto-stomping funk :)