The End

They say all good things must come to an end.  I don't know whether I believe that or not, however, this study of mine must in fact come to an end.

This study has taught me multiple things, and many of them are contradictory of one another.  

The first is that I spend way too much time checking my phone.  I don't even want to know how much time I've accumulated just mindlessly scrolling through pictures and tweets.  

The second is that I focus my attention on the wrong sorts of media.  Well, maybe not the wrong sorts of media, but I definitely don't have my priorities straight when it comes to web browsing and channel surfing.  I pay ample attention to who wore what at the Oscars, or what beautiful face Adam Levine made at a Knicks game, however, I never think to watch the news or flip through a newspaper.   I think a healthy balance between the two is fair to ask of a twenty year old aspiring fashion guru/art history teacher, right?

Lastly, I've learned that the pervasiveness of the media is not necessarily a bad thing.  I do believe that my generation, (and probably most other generations as well) spends too much time mindlessly scrolling, liking, and posting.  However, I also believe that the advances in technology are for the better.  There are so many answers literally at our fingertips.  A very wise woman told me that my generation is lucky because we can access information from anywhere in the world at a moment's notice.  I think she might be right.

You're supposed to make the most of every situation.  That I definitely hold to be true.  Our access to the media should be no different. I don't think it's wrong to love twitter or to keep up with Lebron James or James Franco or whomever.  However I vow to start making better use of my time with the media.  Yes, I might check my Twitter feed a few times a day, but I should start paying attention to the really important news, as well.  And most importantly, I promise to stop paying as much attention to my phone, and more to the world around it.  

let the good times roll not scroll

xxoo

Win

p.s. I apologize for the above corniness.  

closing time

Well, the weekend has come to a close and so has my study.  This weekend was one for the books.  It was filled with good friends, good food, and good Fayetteville-lovin' times.  With that being said, I really didn't have much interaction with the media at all over these past couple of days.  I woke up this morning, realizing that I hadn't checked Snapchat, tweeted, or cheated by browsing Instagram once this weekend.  My roommates and I didn't watch any television, unless of course you count Youtubing music videos so we could learn the dance moves as well...

This weekend was proof that making memories is a thousand times better than scrolling through and "liking" everyone else's.

xoxo

Win

art for art's sake

Vincent Van Gogh was the first human to come up with the concept of an underwater warship.  However, he didn't release his sketches for this premature submarine because he didn't want war "to become any nastier than it already was."

Why is this relevant?  Well, I am minoring in Art History, and one day hope to teach the subject to a bunch of college kids that are too cool for school but secretly appreciate a good Titian as much as I do.  This bit of history about Van Gogh is one of my favorite things I've learned so far in my young adult years.

Van Gogh, like many of his peers, is a name that will go down in history, and one that will (hopefully) be remembered for forever.  Van Gosh is a classic.

As I observed my media interaction for my fourth and almost final day, I began to tie my observations into my love for the art classics.  I began to wonder what Van Gogh, Monet, and even Warhol would be creating if they were around today?  Would the Mona Lisa be taking a selfie?  Or would The Girl with the Pearl Earring be awaiting a text message from that cute boy with the pretty blue eyes?

If these artists were working today, they'd probably have a difficult time keeping their model still because of the need to check twitter or post on Instagram.

Today, Twitter has been my main interaction.  I've yet to watch any TV or be exposed to any sort of newspaper.  However, the night is young, and I'm sure there's more pinterest pinning and magazine flipping to be done.

It might be a blessing and a curse, but the media is certainly all around us.

stay golden, y'all

xoxxoxo

bye bye birdie

{day three}

Today in class Professor Purvis spoke about the mother of all social media sites.  (Well, in my humble opinion, at least.)  In 2006 that lucky devil, Jack Dorsey, gave birth to the tiny white bird sitting atop a blue background that allowed humans worldwide to express their ideas, feelings, concerns, etc in an (sometimes not so) easy 140 characters.  Over the past eight years, Twitter has grown to become quite the powerhouse.  Whether you're an eighth grade girl tweeting about your boyfriend and his "mega cute braces" or a sixty year old grandmother favoriting EVERY SINGLE TWEET that your granddaughter composes, or maybe somewhere in the middle, you've probably at least visited a Twitter page.  

It goes without question that Twitter is my favorite facet of social media.  My observations from day three show just that.  Today's interaction included on average a couple of Twitter checks every hour.  However, once again, I didn't reach for the television remote.  And surprisingly I didn't flip through single glossy page of a fashion magazine.  

If I were stranded on a desert island, and could only bring a handful of things, I would bring a Bible, a pocket knife, my sketch pad, some sunscreen, and my twitter account.  Because how else would everyone be able to keep up with my island adventures? ;)

xxoo

W 

do, re, me(dia)

day two of observations...

Today was a little better than your typical Monday - filled with classes and tests, the day saved itself by ending with pizza and snow cones with my very best friends.  

To make it an even better day, the media wasn't very present in my day.  Yes,  of course I checked Twitter when I woke, but other than a few Twitter scrolls and a little bit of Facebook, this day has been substantially media free.  

However, I must admit...the closer we get to Easter weekend, the harder it is to stay true to my Instagram-fast.  I gave up the photo site for Lent, but cheated today, once, maybe twice....

I know I've still got a few more days of noticing my habits, but this study has already taught me a thing or two.  The first being that I mindlessly check my social media accounts.  I might be working on a paper, or walking to class, and I'll just scroll because I'm bored.  The second being that I rarely ever watch television.  I honestly don't remember the last time I sat down and watched any sort of TV program.  I think this is because my day (and I know most around me would agree) is so fast paced, that I don't have time to sit down for thirty minutes to an hour and watch Corey fall for Tapanga, but I've got all the time in the world to check my Twitter feed multiples times a day.  Hmm..

bring it on, day three 

xoxo 

W 

me(dia), myself, and I

Day 1.

"Allllll aroundddd youuuuu."  If you've been to any movie theatre lately you've heard an ominous child-like voice deliver those three words through a sound system.  A sound system so powerful that the words boom through the entire theatre like a gigantic storm.  Well that voice isn't the only thing that's "all around us."

Today was the first day of my media experiment.  And though I've only been keeping a tab for the past twenty-four hours, the media has already proven itself to be all around me.  My day began at eight a.m when I woke to the sound of our obnoxious washing machine.  The kind of mechanism that sounds like it's giving birth to a donkey as it washes our delicates and linens.  Anyway, my alarm wasn't supposed to sound until nine forty-five so needless to say I was a pit perturbed by the unnecessary noise.  So, what's there to do at eight a.m?  Check my Twitter feed, of course.  (1)  I finally fall back to sleep and all was well.

Nine forty-five rolls around and I actually begin my day.  I check my Twitter feed twice, Snapchat once, and log-in to Facebook all before getting out of bed.  That marked my 2,3,4,5, and 6th number of media interactions for the day and the clock hadn't even reached ten a.m.

Ironically enough I skipped my Media & Society class (Sorry, Professor Purvis) in order to attend a lunch meeting with Anna Taylor, the girl I'll be interning for over the summer.  She and I shared ideas via Pinterest boards, (7) but that was the only source of media used during our lunch.

Immediately after my meeting I hustled to work where I modeled for an Instagram shot, but I technically was not the one accessing the site.  However, we flipped through a gazillion fashion magazines for inspiration and ideas.  It's easy to forget that "media" covers more than just social networking sites.  So my hours spent on the job brought me to interactions number eight and nine.

The hours since work have been spent catching up with my fabulous roommates.  I'd rather laugh, dance around the apartment, and dive into huge bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with them than scroll through Instagram on any given day.

Granted, while writing this piece I've checked both Twitter countless times...

Day One, you've taught me well.  Here's to four more...

xoxoxo

@windomgrace

school girl

Howdy, folks.  Much to my dismay, spring break has come and gone.  Though short-lived, my week could not have been any better.  It brought new friends, new tan lines, and new memories to make my days that much brighter.  I would give you more details, but I don't spring break and tell... It wouldn't have been spring break without one of my girlfriends, while executing the perfect "Wobble," falling and breaking her ankle, right?  Well don't fret, that was the plot for night two.  Despite the broken bones, the week was perfect.

However, it's always good to get back to Fayetteville.  And boy, did I hit the ground running as soon as I entered the 479?  I've been back for a total of five days, and so much has already happened.  The most exciting of news is that I've settled my plans for this summer.  I will be interning for Anna Taylor, the dazzling U of A grad who founded the Judith & James organization.  (Don't worry, you will hear much more about Anna and her company on a later date.)  I will be working from Fayetteville but will get to spend a good chunk of time in New York City, and fingers crossed, Kenya as well!

But being back in Fayetteville means being back in class.  Don't get me wrong, I love my classes more than your average twenty year old girl, and I really enjoy being a student.  However, sometimes class plus work plus friends plus sorority plus Easy Mac can get really stressful, and girlfriend just needs a bubble bath and a bar of dark chocolate.

Anyway, my being back in class has brought on a new project.  As a journalism student, I'm taking a course entitled "Media & Society."  The class is really neat, and we study the impact on media in our society both back in the day and in the present.  A new word that's joined the bandwagon which is my vocabulary is "pervasiveness." Webster defines this word as something that exists or spreads everywhere.  In class we use the term to describe the influence of media and how it is literally all around us.

For the next five days I've been asked to keep an online diary of my interaction with the media - how often I find myself subject to it, what kind of media I turn to the most, and my reactions and feelings now that I have to take note of how many times I scroll through my Twitter feed in an hour.

With that being said, my next couple of entries will stray from my normal posts.  Stay with me people, I swear to add a little Windom flavor to each and every entry.

Although I feel like I'm back in the seventh grade competing in the dreaded science fair, I think these next five days will be kind of fun.

let the good times roll.

xxoo

W



behold the spring break highlight reel...

It's that time of year.  (Thank goodness.)  Tomorrow I will hit the highway with two of my best friends.  Our minds will be set on UV rays, and our GPS will be set on Destin, Florida.  I'll be away from most media sites for the week, but don't worry, I'll document each and every crop top and maxi skirt combo. 

xoxoxo

W 

spring awakening

Well ladies and gentlemen, it's March. Where is the year going?  I can't explain the fast pace at which 2014 seems to be moving, but I can explain my favorite looks for this spring season-

1. monochromatic color schemes 

Valentine's Day was the catalyst for this new obsession of mine.  I paired a blush crop top with berry colored harem pants and my bright red "lips" handbag.  All of the colors were very close on the family tree - first or second cousins, I would guess.  I can't wait to explore this idea with shades of lavender, violet, and plum.  

 

2.  hair accessories

Personally, I don't believe I will ever rock a flower crown, but I do plan on being experimental with adorning my head this spring.  I want to play with scarves around my head and worked into a braid.  I'm a recovering hair-cutter-offer, so until my hair grows back to its normal, extra long length, I plan on making the uppermost portion of my body a visual interest.  

not exactly what I had in mind...

3. funny sunnies

2014 has been a very fun year so far and I'm going to let that translate into my eyewear.   I've been an aviator girl for most of my life, but this time around I'm going to be a little more risky with my UV protection.  My most recent sunglass purchase was a pair of navy tinted, heart shaped rims.  I adored them the instant I saw them, and what made them even more appealing was that Behati Prinsloo has a pair just like them.  Although, I doubt she and I paid the same price...

perpetually pretending to be Behati 

t. g. i. f. // thank goodness I'm fabulous

Today's tgif doesn't come with an interview.  Not because my subject is hard to reach or too shy to answer some questions...but because...it's a SURPRISE.  Today I am celebrating one of my very best friends.  Happy birthday to my brilliant friend, Morgan!

Morgan could be considered a nomad.  She's lived in Memphis and Conway, but now calls Fayetteville home.  Like yours truly, Morgan hopes to one day inhabit NYC, if only for a while.  Morgan and I met in the fall of 2012 at an event where Whitney Port was speaking.  You can definitely say that our love for the fashion industry brought us together, and even more than that, it turned us into lifelong friends.  That following spring we had a class together, and gracious Morgan introduced me to a local designer she had been working for.  The designer, Leslie, decided she could use an extra set of hands, so Morgan and I grew from friends to a package deal of fashion interns.  (We like think of ourselves as the southern version of Lauren and Whitney.)

When Morgan isn't busy working her tail off in her apparel classes, you can find her with a Starbucks cup in her hand, listening to her xx albums, or dreaming up ideas for her inspiration board.  Morgan stays busy as a sales associate at Country Outfitter, a relatively new, super cool addition to the Fayetteville Square.

She and I aren't working together at the moment, but our dynamic duo is nowhere near over.  In a dream world Morgan and I could work under the same boss.  Or maybe be somebody else's bosses. ;)

Cheers to you, birthday girl.  Morgan Taylor, one of the neatest, most creative, beautiful girls I know.

love you, pretty lady

W

t. g. i. f. // thank goodness I'm fabulous

Meet my friend Maggie.  This Conway native is a Sophomore at the University of Arkansas.  Whether it was here eery resemblance to Miley, or her deep adoration for the Beatles, I knew Maggie and I would friends from the moment I met her.  Maggie works at one of the neatest little vintage shops in Fayetteville, Grey Dog Boutique.

W- What's your dream job, Mag?

M- Owning a vintage store of my own.  I'd really love to sell records, too.  The two things I love; old clothes and even older records...I really want to bring them back.

W- What's your favorite thing in your closet? 

M- Mmmmm.  My favorite thing?  Well, currently it's this jacket.  It's a lined flannel.  It's quilted.  What more could you ask?  

W- What would you say is the best thing about working in a vintage boutique?

M- Well, besides the trade (working hours for clothes), I would say it's helping our customers.  So many people come in thinking they can't make vintage work for them.  It's so much fun to show people that they can, in fact, make it work.  

lots of love. 

W

giggles & gamma

It's 2014 and we're still surrounded by the legacy of the ancient Greeks.  It may be that you're "sorority squatting" with your pledge class and throwing up a couple of Greek letters?  Or maybe you're about to dive into a big bowl of Greek yogurt?  Even better, you're debating on ordering your third pair of gladiator sandals to wrap up your online shopping splurge?  At some point in time, many of you were more than likely guilty of all of these things.  No shame in that.  Like I said, our modern world is filled with many Grecian reminders of how life once was.  In one of my art classes we're studying classical Greek sculptures.  I've seen more than enough statuesque calf-bearers and spear throwers to last a lifetime, however, I do adore this period of art.  It's obvious that during this movement, artists weren't concerned with portraying the human body as it truly appeared, but they were striving to depict the ideal frame.  My teacher said something this afternoon that really grabbed my attention - When an artist was preparing for a project, he wouldn't recruit one model; however, he'd recruit multiple models.  Why?  An artist would gather models that together formed the perfect human body.  He'd find the individual with the perfect arms.  The perfect legs.  The perfect torso.  Even the perfect pair of hands and feet.  To me, that just sounds like a lot of work for a big chunk of marble.  However, the ideal nude form was so important to those artists, and they wouldn't settle until they achieved their goal.  So I was sitting in class today, and it hit me - I'm just like those ancient greek artists.  I look at celebrities, strangers, even friends and wish that I had their (insert perfect body part here.)  And I'd bet my bottom dollar that I'm not the only one who does this.  I want Scarlett Johansen's perfect pout.  So and so wants Carrie Underwood's legs.  He wants George Clooney's timeless jawline.  We all want the kind of thigh gap you only see on the Victoria Secret runway.  While I try my darndest to look good in a swimmie, I know that I may never have the "perfect body."  Does the "perfect body" really exist?  Be confident in the parts of your body that you love, and as for those portions that may not be your favorite...just leave those for the ancient Greeks. ;)

These are a few of my favorite (Greek inspired) things...

homecoming dress circa my senior year 

Chi Omega & the fabulous girls I get to call "sister" 

Kostas, Alexis Bledel's love interest in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 

Go forth and be glam.

Windom

social (media) butterfly

This past weekend was one for the books.  I spent my class-free hours making memories with some of my favorite people.  Friday night began with my girlfriends and I treating ourselves to gourmet pizza, and we finished the evening by joining forces with our Y chromosome bearing buddies, and played Battle of the Sexes until the wee hours of the morning.  Although the board game spiraled into a much too competitive brawl, the real story for tonight comes from the first half of the evening- the pizza date for a table of three.

Anna, Rachel, and I walked into my favorite pizza place around eight.  We were able to get a table immediately, but not without me noticing an almost wink from one of the backwards hat wearing waiters.  I didn't really think anything of it, and we sat down and started in on our gabbing.  Being the old biddies that we are, we spent most of our evening talking about the dangers of social media.  We ranted about the kids whom we kept over the summer, and how their idea of "playing" involved an iPad or some sort of tablet and, sadly, no sign of a swing set or soccer ball.  Confidently we decided that our children would not be brought up that way.  That they would pretend, and play dress up and make believe, and build forts from bed sheets and broomsticks.  We admitted to falling subject to the ways of the social media world, and how it was finally time we were proactive about the issue. Could we go a day or two without mindlessly scrolling?

Right on cue, our waitress appeared at our table.  She must have heard our blubbering, so we thought, because she was giggling as she approached.  Cute, late twenty-something, red-headed, single mom, and very personable.  She leaned into me, almost to the point of it being uncomfortable, but she seemed nice enough.  (And for the record, it takes a lot more than a dramatic lean for me to feel uncomfortable.)  By this point she was definitely laughing.  "I know this is so silly..." she began.  She went on to say that the backwards hat wearing waiter thought that I was "so cute," but that he "didn't have the guts" to come tell me himself.  She then uncovered a folded white slip of receipt paper from her apron and planted it on the table. "Here's his email address.  He's a nice kid," she said with a wink then slips away.

My friends and I sat there, picking our jaws up off of the table.  Not only was it hysterical that I had been hit on via my waitress, but that she brought me his EMAIL ADDRESS.  I'm sorry, what are we, 12 years old and you want me to message you via the Runescape chatroom?  (Don't be embarrassed, we all did it.)  Somewhat to our dismay, it was not his email address...it was his Instagram username. I had just been hit on via my waitress, and what she had to offer me was a name preceded with an "@."  Charmed, I'm sure.

What happened to the days where a boy would spy a cute girl, approach her at the soda fountain counter, and offer his hand for dancing that next Friday night?  We live in a world where texting is the new phone call, snapchat is the new secret admirer, and a username qualifies as "courting."  I am not pinning this all on the guys, as a female, we are all guilty of it too.

On his behalf, the backwards hat wearing waiter eventually introduced himself to my friends and I.  He was very kind and an eerie look-a-like to Corbin Bleu.  I don't plan on that going anywhere other than our table for three, but at least I got to put a face with the username.

Boys.  Girls.  It's the season of love.  Whether you're reaching out to your husband of twenty years, girlfriend of three years, or eighth grade puppy crush, be sure to sign your valentines with a pen and not via the world of social media.

Spread the love, y'all.

xoxoxo

W

helping verb

I vowed to make 2014 a year to go out and "do."  Do fun things.  Do adventurous things.  Do risky things.  Do big things.  Take trips.  Meet new people.  Help others.  At the inauguration of the new year, I decided that I was going to focus less on pronouns this year - I, you, he, she, they -  and more on verbs - go, do, help, say, love, laugh, play, write, dream.  One of my roommates, Rachel (the Charlotte), is an English major aspiring to be the best darn English teacher you ever did see.  Needless to say, she's the one we turn to to edit papers, resumes, and even tweets.  Rachel and I were talking the other day about the future.  About where we'll be in the next five to ten years.  We got to the topic of my dream job and how it changes almost every day.  Lately, I've been playing with the idea of combining my love for the fashion industry with something in the non-profit world.  I've had this idea once before, but a few days ago I resurrected it, and it's been heavy on my mind.  I'm not certain about many things, but I know this - as I grow up, I want to work in fashion, if only for a while.  I want to eventually teach Art History.  I want to wear really fabulous things.  I want to live in a cool city.  I want to surround myself with people I love and who love me back.  Lastly, I want to help people.  See, I did it again.  I used the word "I" an obnoxious number of times in the sentences above.  Here's to living less for I, and more for others.  I promise to live my life as a verb who helps those around me.  A verb, as Rach would say, a helping verb.



all my love,

W

In honor of fashion week, here's my favorite picture of my favorite NYC dweller, Carter.  Junior at FIT.  Keep your eyes peeled, because one day it will be his designs strutting down the runway..

t.g.i.f. // thank goodness I'm fabulous

Meet Tess.

Tess is the gem who hired me a couple of months ago and opened up the door for me to embark on what is now the best gig I could ask for.  Tess opened Fayetteville's unique boutique, Savoir Faire a handful of years ago, and other than maybe her new down parka, it's her baby.  I'm featuring Tess on this weeks' tgif not only because she's my boss, but because she truly is fabulous - inside and out.

"Oh Windom, I'm a total dork in pictures."
"Tess, no you're not!  Just act casual."

W- What's your favorite fashion memory?  It could be something you wore, something a celebrity wore, or something you just dreamed of wearing.

T- Hmm...something I wore... My rehearsal dinner dress.  It's For Love & Lemons.  I wore a flower crown and...OH!  NO!  This dress in Paris!  This was on my honeymoon.

free people 

W- What was your favorite thing about Paris?

T- The lawn, the husband, and the champagne... Nothing else mattered. 

xoxo

t.g.i.f // thank goodness I'm fabulous

Well, it's Friday and you know what that means?  I survived my first week back at the good ole U of A.  This spring, I thought it'd be fun to add a little something to the blog.  Each Friday I will bring you the fabulous looks of those around me- some I may know, some I may not!  I see so many cool cats strolling through campus and I decided it's time to share their creativity with the world.  (Well, the itty bitty percent of the world that reads my blog.)  I'm so excited about this, and I look forward to meeting some very neat people and hearing their stories.  Dress fab, because you never know when you'll be my next victim. ;)

happy weekend!  

xoxoxo

W 

Meet my first of many new friends, Hunter and Clarissa.  I stumbled upon these two while walking home from yoga.  

"How long were you a Girl Scout?  And more importably, what's your favorite cookie?"

"Oh, I wasn't a Girl Scout.  I just liked the shirt."

curtain call

I wore many hats in high school.  I was volleyball captain.  Sang in the choir.  Served on Student Council.  Sported my Elle Woods hat for the year I was on the mock trial team.  And even won a dinky pageant that landed me a very pretty tiara and a free meal at Arby's. However, my favorite extra curricular during my years as a Golden Hurricane was my involvement in the theater department.  That's right.  I was the tall, blonde theater kid who would practice her monologue in the middle of math class and everyone would just assume I was as weird as I dressed...

My acting class was my favorite hour of the school day.  I'd head out to the trailer, (literally...class was in a trailer...)  toss my bag into the heap of doodled on Jansports, and begin to create with some of my dearest friends.  Believe it or not my specialty in the class was improv.  My best friend Drew and I could turn the most obscure of scenarios into a four to six minute masterpiece.

Being the theater kid turned hopeful Carrie that I am, my utmost, most adored, most wonderful, number one, favorite aspect of the theater...the costumes.

The acting, blocking, and facial expressions could only take you so far.  It wasn't until you slipped into your costume that you truly believed you were someone else.  And I'd bet that more than 99 percent of actors have been taught that you can't convince the audience that you're someone else, until you believe it for yourself.

Yes, whether it was my pinstripe butch suit I had to wear as a Shakespearian futuristic police officer, or my fabulous vintage ensemble I wore in our Christmas musical, the costume always made the character...

I've graduated...Finished my first year and a half at this thing called college...And sadly, it's been that long since I've been in any sort of production.  However, from time to time, I still slip on a costume.  No, nothing for the stage, but a costume for Windom, for my day to day routine.

Don't get me wrong, I am very confident in my own skin.  But sometimes, it's fun to throw on a "costume" just for kicks and giggles.  It might be fooling the local barista by using "Georgia" as my Starbucks alias, or speaking in an Aussie accent as I checkout in Walgreens.  (Both of which I am guilty of doing on more than one occasion.)

We all have various costumes that we may strip from our closet now and then.  The shy girl.  The quirky girl.  The sporty girl.  (WARNING: if you're going to try this one, you better study up)  The flirty girl.  The I don't give a care who sees me dancing like a rabies ridden flamingo girl.  The damsel in distress girl.  The oh yeah, The National is my favorite band too, even though I can't name a single song girl.

Sometimes costumes are fun.  Sometimes they get us into trouble.  Sometimes we become so consumed with the costume, that we forget who's underneath.

That's the beautiful thing about a costume, it isn't permeant.  You put it on.  You take it off.  You appreciate the true you underneath the facade.

So every once in a while, put on a costume!  It might be for the night.  It might be for the hour.  It might be for the five minutes you're standing in line at Target.  Find out which costumes amp up your self esteem, and be sure to rid yourself of those that make you feel not so wonderful.

You don't NEED a costume.  The coolest costume one can wear is that of themselves.

But don't be afraid to experiment from time to time.  Find your favorite character.  Let her have her fifteen minutes of fame.  Call for the curtain to close, ditch the costume, and appreciate you!

xoxoxoox

W

aforementioned best friend / improv partner Drew featuring vintage glam Christmas musical costume 

oh baby baby

Ya know those families that you see on TLC specials?  The families that are too big, too loud, and  too female heavy?  Well that's my family.  Except I wouldn't change a thing.  I come from a family full of girls.  This summer we were nominated for a reality show.  Not a joke, people.  However, that's a different post entirely...

Anyway, my family is currently in the process of producing a new generation of tall blondes.  By that I mean that two of my cousins and one cousin-in-law are all with child.  Mary Catherine and Elizabeth are sisters who are sharing their time to glow.  Only three weeks between their due dates, the two sisters will be changing diapers at the same rate.  This is Elizabeth's third baby, and for MC, it's her first rodeo.  Elizabeth is having a baby boy, while MC is carrying around a sweet little girl.  

the name game:

Like fashion, names go in and out of style.  Although some names are classic, timeless.  I'm taking a poll.  My cousins are busy doodling monograms and researching Greek roots of names... It's your turn to add to the fun!  What names are your favorites?  

My Picks:

Classic:

Ellen

June

Claire

Family:

Bankston (Banks)

Cynthia 

Minor

just for fun:

Violet

Jett

Georgia

my sweet Aunt Tricia and I celebrating the gender reveal for Elizabeth's baby boy


xoxo

W

mark your spot

If you live anywhere near the tri-state area, you've probably seen, heard of, or viewed an image of my cat, Miss Kitty.  Coming in at 20 inches and nearly 40 pounds, she's quite the visual distraction.  Miss Kitty is many things, but one thing she is NOT is stupid.  On occasion, she's probably the most intelligent in the house. Ya know, cats really are bright beings who love to leave their "mark" on places.  No silly, I'm not talking about urinating or anything of that sort.  There's a spot on the entry way to our living room... a dark spark on the white washed wood that Miss Kitty has "marked" as hers.  For the past fifteen years she has rubbed her face against this certain spot, and overtime she has worn the wood down and created a series of black stripes on the wood.  While mom sometimes gets angry about the spot, calling it "dirty" and "tacky," she looks past the vanity of it, and sees it as Miss Kitty's spot.  It's her special place.  A place she's made for herself.

I don't suggest looking up to the sleeping or eating habits of my furry friend, but with her dirty spot she teaches us a valuable lesson.  This world is so big and there are so many people running around in it.  We've all got to go out there and mark our spot.  It might take some time.  We might dirty things up a little bit in the process.  But, at the end of the day, it's going to be a sweet and beautiful thing.  Use 2014 to figure out what kind of mark you want to make on this world, on the people around you, on yourself. 

the queen 

one of my favorite shots of all time with Marc the Kitty


xoxooxox
-W 

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I used to be the girl who thought up a gazillion resolutions with the coming of a new year.  However this year, I'm going to keep it simple.  I already strive to live by my mantra- Be smart.  Be hot.  Be happy.  Be holy.  For twenty fourteen, I'll be adding just a few guidelines to the list:

I'm going to stop overanalyzing.

I'm going to follow my heart.

I'm going to be a blessing for a stranger each day- even if it's something small.

Cheers to a new year!