The Pink Pants Are Back!

I have been absolutely SEARCHING for a nautical stripe, boat neck, half sleeve shirt for the past month. I happened to be in North Carolina on vacation, shopping at some outlets, when low and behold I found the exact shirt I wanted at the Gap Outlet. Along with the half sleeve, it's also got a cute little 3-button detail on the sleeve. So cute! 

Not going to lie, I have fallen in love with Gap. It used to be the butt of jokes in middle school, but their clothes are classy, preppy-lite and totally my style.

It's been a little chilly in Cleveland this past week, so I decided I would wear my new shirt to work on my first day back. Paired with my pink pants, metallic gold flats, and my new tan, I got exactly the look  I was going for. 

Nautical Stripe Shirt: Gap Outlet, Pink Dress Pants: Express, Menswear Watch: NYC vendor

Metallic Gold Flats: American Eagle

Missing Wooster

Lately, I've been missing my alma mater, my nurturing mother, The College of Wooster. I decided to make a little bullet list of my most prevalent reasons for missing it, now that I've been in the "real world" for over a year. 

• Opinions: At Wooster, I had the ability to present my opinion to a class, a professor, a stranger, and  my friends. I was able to have a conversation about it, with good counter opinions and amazing educated insight. I was enlightened by these conversations, I was entertained by them, and most importantly, I was never judged. We could discuss topics and events current and past, and never would a foul word or a degrading name be strewn. Now that I'm out in the real world, it feels like I have no one to talk to about my opinions. No one is accepting, no one has the drive to educate or to be educated. It feels like evangelizing. Everyone already "knows everything."
• Cohabitation: Living with people is always fun. When those people are your parents, meh. I miss the cohabitation at Wooster because you were always with someone you didn't mind seeing or being with. If you lived in a dorm, you could run down the stairs, down the hall, and knock on their door at the oddest of hours. If you lived in a house, you could have everyone you wanted all in one place. There is an open door policy. "Stop by whenever you want," "Why didn't I see you last night, Wes?" And the conversations and dance parties are always endless. Plus, my boyfriend lived a 4 minute walk away, instead of a 4 (going on 9) hour drive away. Living with my immediate family back in the real world, I feel kind of lonely; yes, I like to spend time with my family, but they're not who I crave.
• Campus: Living in the 7th largest city in Ohio does not make it any more fun than a small town. Yes, we have the Metroparks, but they're not within walking distance. At Wooster, if I wanted to get out and experience nature, it was right outside of my door, and it was is beautiful. Trees, flowers, brick paths, gorgeous architecture, and I always felt safe, no matter what hour of the day I happened to be strolling. There was always somewhere to go at the end of my walk. Old Main for some pound cake, Lowry Cafe for some coffee and chatting, or the library for some studying and writing. In Parma, I feel like I have no journey, and no destination, so I sit here and blog instead. 
• Learning: I've always known that I love to learn. When I was at Wooster, there were so many other things to do, that I often took learning for granted. I was taking classes specializing in something that I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing, yet I only put half of my effort into them because I was co-occupied with other things going on in my busy college lifestyle. I don't regret doing extra-curricular activities, but I do regret not appreciating my classes and building better relationships with my professors. I'm bored when I'm not learning. I miss taking notes in a fresh notebook with my favorite pen. And as weird as this sounds, I miss writing papers. I try to go about learning things on my own, but when there's no structured syllabus or deadlines, it just falls through. For that reason, I am so anxious to get in to grad school and start doing what I love again. This time, I'm all in.
• Music: I've been playing music since I was in 5th grade. Ever since then, I have been in a school band, which was always in my life's schedule. At Wooster, music was also a part of my schedule, and from which most of my friends arose. Lately I've been feeling like something is missing in my life, and I finally pinpointed it on playing music. I'm not the greatest flute player, and I can't just pull it out and jam, but I do enjoy playing. I miss playing in a group of people that I adore. I miss wearing the kilts, and I miss the bagpipes. I've thought about joining a community band, but my wavering work schedule just pulls me farther from the idea. 

I never meant for this blog post to be depressing, or a woe-is-me. I meant for it to show how much I miss an academic, independent life at a beautiful institution. While I will continue to miss the campus and the experience, probably until I die, I'm so motivated for my future, and thankful for what Wooster has given me.

I know I'm not the only one who misses Wooster, so if you want, feel free to share what you miss in the comments!

 

 

My Views on Objectification

So, this blogger over at The Honest Badger has this kind of beef with Robin Thicke regarding his new song and music video "Blurred Lines." The lyrics are suggestive in a college frat boy kind of way, and the women are scantily clad in the video (and in the unrated version, topless and wearing nude thongs). She describes it as a "disgusting display of misogynism" (I'm getting the squiggly red line, so is misogyny the proper term?). While I agree that it's not the best representation of women, here's why I'm not going to throw stones in my glass house.

1. Robin Thicke is known for his sex mantra. Ever since he changed his stage name from just "Thicke," Robin's been all about the ladies. I'm pretty sure on most of his albums, a majority of the songs revolve around sex, pleasuring women, and crooning beautiful sexy things. He's got a theme, and it works for his beautiful self. Just like Taylor Swift is known for writing songs about being a young woman, while also playfully bashing her ex-boyfriends, it works for her and she sticks to it. You go girl!

2. As you can see from that previous bullet-number-point, I objectify him. Robin's got beautiful blue eyes, great style, and a sexy voice. I also objectify many celebrity males (and females), mainly Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake. I've never had an intelligent conversation with either of them, and I don't know their personalities in real life, but I definitely have topless photos of them on my laptop wallpaper, my phone, and maybe taped to the wall inside of my closet. And I would totally bang either, or both, of them if the opportunity presented itself (at least in my mind, I would).

Most, if not all, of the women I know, self-declared feminists and non-declared feminists alike, have objectified both celebrities and non-celebrities (male and female) based on their looks alone. Now, I know that we as women aren't equally represented in society and are often objectified and expected to be sexy and look our best, and therefore it's so degrading; but my argument is, do we not do the same?! Do we not ogle at Ryan Gosling's six pack abs, beautiful arms, and great style while making disgusted faces at Kevin Federline's beer gut and wife beater tank tops? I am in no way saying that it is more acceptable for men to objectify women, but what I am saying is that both sexes do it. Men just do it more publicly and sometimes to their advantage (like making hit songs of the summer). Therefore, it's time for the women to take note and do the same! Unless you're looking to shift the focus of the entertainment business from sex to smarts, which realistically would just be too big of a battle, and honestly, ain't nobody (me) got time for that.

The Big Bang Theory has both!

To some people. I probably sound ignorant, anti-feminist, and all for a male driven society in which the women stay home and the men provide; my views are quite the contrary, but this is how my mind works. It's the entertainment business; with every Playboy magazine out there, there's also Playgirl. For every "Blurred Lines," there's a "How Many Licks?" by Lil Kim. "Blurred Lines" doesn't and shouldn't compromise my, or any other woman's, personal drive and ability to be a strong independent woman out in society, so I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. That's not to say I don't care, but I kind of....don't care.

If there's anything my liberal arts education has taught me, it's to think independently. Yes, I think women and men should be represented equally. Yes, I think women are more objectified in media than men. No, I don't think there's anything I can personally do about it. Heterosexual men think women are sexy, and heterosexual women think men are sexy; it's a fact of life. And because I believe that, I live my life as a confident woman who respects herself and enjoys the entertainment business for its face value. I wouldn't call it ignorant or idiotic, just a lifestyle choice that I feel works for me.

Now, feel free to objectify, without judgement, the men whom I also objectify on the daily (but it's your choice):

Ryan!

Justin!

Adam!

Zac!

Francisco!

My Dance Partners

I wanted to make a tribute piece, dedicated to my favorite dance partners across America, since I'm stuck here in Cleveland (not that I don't love it). Everyone listed here started out somewhere in Ohio, where I subsequently met them. I wrote this because I miss them, and my nights out dancing just aren't quite as fulfilling without them. They've complimented me on my improvement and are always so encouraging. All of these leads find incredible joy in dancing, and whenever I dance with them, it reminds me why I love it as well. This list is in no particular order.

Gordon:
Gordon was actually the dance partner with whom I first learned lindy hop. He's the one who first instilled the love of dancing in my heart. He's tall (quite nice for me), he likes to look good, but he also likes to be silly. He likes to be good at what he does, so he's always willing to work on things with you. Honestly, he was the first guy I ever actually considered to be my dance partner, and the first guy I ever danced with. And those first ones will always have a little place in your dance heart.  
Current location: Whittier, CA

Tristan: 
Tristan isn't really my dance partner. We don't get to dance together that often, and at most if not all dance events, he's a crowd favorite. Nevertheless, Tristan is the dance partner with whom I feel I have the most dance chemistry. He's another tall one, and he's so incredibly graceful. I first danced with him when I was still relatively new to lindy/blues and the tricks and moves that he was able to make me do just blew my mind. He really does put his dance partner on display and tries his hardest to make every dance the best you've had yet.
Current Location: Columbia, SC
Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of us dancing together, but here are some great pics anyway!

Nick:
Nick first introduced me to lindy hop and blues. He is the guy who no matter how tired he is, or no matter how tired you are, he still wants to dance to those crazy songs that are 200 BPM or faster. He is full of theatrical energy and every dance with him is almost a performance for everyone watching. He loves to do those moves that make people whoop and wail, and he always compliments you with a "Ooooooooooh yeah!!!" whenever you add some unexpected flair to your dancing. Dances with Nick make you feel good about yourself.
Current Location: New York, NY
Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of us dancing together either! Here are some great pics anyway!

Aaron:
Aaron dances every day; he dances when he walks, and when he's sitting. We both learned lindy together at Wooster, but we never really danced together until senior year when we taught lessons in our swing club. We quickly bonded and became instant dance partners and best friends. Whenever you're out with Aaron, if there's danceable music playing (even if there's no music!), no matter where you are he'll grab you and dance. You could be in a coffee shop, outside at an art fair, or in an intimate setting listening to live jazz. Even if there's not enough room, you will dance. Dancing with him is fun and celebratory. He gets so much joy from dancing that he doesn't care how it looks to other people. Aaron embodies a true dancer, living his life through it, and sharing it with everyone.
Current Location: San Jose, CA 

And now, thanks to everyone moving away, I have to force Adam to dance with me. Though I don't think he minds.....tooooooooo much.

*Gordon photos courtesy of ShortGirl Photography
*Tristan photos courtesy of  Maggie Hardesty and ShortGirl Photography
*Nick photos courtesy of Cameron Dunbar and ShortGirl Photography
*Aaron photos courtesy of Sally Soto
*Adam photo courtesy of ShortGirl Photography

My Life As It Were

In a sigh of relief and also, just for the sake of sighing, I have reached the end of this admissions period. And survey says: I did not get in. But I MADE A WAIT LIST! That wait list gave me a little glimmer of hope that I was all but lacking for the longest time. My rejection letter said the only reason I didn't get in was because the program filled up! How good does that make me feel, you ask? It makes me feel freaking FANTASTIC! Fortunately, I'm able to "roll over" my application there (Eastern Michigan) for the winter semester. I have already done so, and plan to send in a few more letters of recommendation, as well as a new and completely improved personal statement, full of emotion and narrative and power.

I figured I might as well apply to a couple more schools for the winter semester, just to open my odds again. There aren't many schools that accept winter admission, but I chose Baylor in Texas and Appalachian State in North Carolina. My friend Wes is going to Baylor for grad school, and he's really smart so I'm afraid it's one of  those schools in which you have to be extremely above the curve to get in. I'm trying to get ahold of him to ask since I'm not familiar with their reputation, but he's one of those people who are bad at communication. But Wes is more!

In lieu of grad school for this semester, I'm looking for a job more in my field. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the people I work with, but "division secretary" is not my dream job. I've been a secretary for 5 years and I'm ready for a challenge. My friend Megan, who graduated from the same program as me at Wooster, just got a job as a classroom behavior therapist at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism. Here's the article she linked me to that tells all about it. Basically, this job requires a bachelor's degree in any field pertaining to psychology or one of multiple therapies (speech therapy being my forte). With a bachelor's in speech therapy, there are basically no jobs available in the field, so I was elated when I found this one. It's also the only job like it in the area. It pays a great salary, which is perfect for paying my student loans (that starts next month, eek!!!), and it will give me great field experience which grad schools absolutely love. Thankfully there was a brand new job posting on the website for this position. I quickly applied to it and am patiently* awaiting their correspondence.

So, here I am, awaiting with an optimistic smile, trying to save up my money for potential moving out when grad school inevitably comes around, as well as for paying student loans. I'm persevering and as my friend Nick always says, I'm "living the dream." 

It really bothers me that "excited" is spelled wrong.

*I'm not actually very patient with this type of thing.

Outfit post 3!!

This outfit post has a kind of theme: skirts with pockets! I absolutely LOVE skirts and dresses with pockets, and am even considering a wedding dress with pockets when that day comes (I watch too much Say Yes to the Dress). I feel like these outfits are both really me. One is a more business professional me, and the other is a more casual every day me. I love them both.

I was really excited about this first skirt because I had been looking for a gray one to wear to work. I walked in to H&M, saw it, and freaked out because it had pockets! Plus H&M is relatively cheap, so I was pretty content buying it. The black top border is great for defining a waist, and the gray goes great with bright colors. I wore black patent wedges to work this day. They're really comfortable.

Pink Shirt: New York & Co., Gray Skirt: H&M

This next outfit I wore just this week. I absolutely LOVE Lauren Conrad's designs and I feel like they really help define my style. Therefore this is one of my favorite skirts. Sadly in the picture I didn't put my hand in the pocket, but I assure you, they are there. The cardigan was a Christmas gift from my boyfriend's parents (his mom knows my style well). I totally love it and was excited that I could finally wear it since it has quarter sleeves. The back is a sheer crochet lace type of thing and it's so cute. I finally took a detail picture for you all! I wore some brown (I can't remember the exact name, kind of like a wood shade) flats. They're kind of uncomfortable, but way cute.

Gray Cardigan: American Eagle, Bird Print Skirt: LC by Lauren Conrad for Kohls

 

The back of the cardigan!

I'm feeling quite stylish as of late. Except for today, I went from scrubs to a t-shirt and shorts. Hopefully I can keep up the pictures!

Any style suggestions for me?

I Feel Like.

I feel like exploring.....yet I have nowhere to go.
I feel like writing........yet I have no words to pen.
I feel like reading.......yet I have no time.
I feel like learning.......yet I have no medium.
I feel like starting my life......yet I have no means.

I feel like I've been off work for way too long and my mind is going nuts. Maybe I'll start to make daily to-do lists. Or ACTUALLY find a means and medium to start doing things like learning. I think I just need to get out of my house.