Ballad Of Big Nothing

#31DDD Take A Picture Of Your Fridge


Well, I don't have a fridge so there's that.

Red Red Red

#31DDD Most Embarrassing Moment Ever

A few moments come to mind. The time in 10th grade when my skirt got caught in my tights as I walked outside. The time when I wore wood shoes for an awards show and the sound echoed every time I walked across the stage. Maybe when I was in the hospital and couldn't do much of anything for myself. I don't even want to think about what I looked like when I was getting my appendix taken out. *shudder*

I'm gonna go with something that happened recently. Does crying on stage sound embarrassing to you? Here's the story:

I was playing in an orchestra concert a couple weekends ago and we were coming up to one of the Nutcracker movements that I had some pretty major parts in. The whole Nutcracker suite brings me a lot of anxiety because of some bad experiences I've had with it before. (And yeah, now I pretty much am convinced the thing is cursed.) I was ready, though. The night before it had gone well and I just had to get through it one more time...but my clarinet all of a sudden wouldn't play. Like, would. not. play. And, mind you, this is a new (to me) clarinet so I don't know it's patterns and behaviors. I fiddled with it urgently and then 3rd clarinet player took it to look at as I grabbed my other clarinet- the one in a different key. I knew I could transpose the part I needed to play, but by then my hands were shaking and I was about to start crying. The first couple of notes were fine, but then I hit a wrong one and just stopped. I do NOT believe in "if you make a mistake, make it loud." Oh hell no. So I sat out the rest and tried to gather my composure for the Waltz.

By this time, though, I was a lost cause. My kryptonite is probably that I cry about anything and everything. And once I start crying, that's it. So imagine me being on stage, in front of hundreds of people, with my eyes watering. Yeah, Lost Cause. At this point the 3rd clarinet had figured out what was wrong (a faulty spring), but I was just trying to not have my nose run and my eyes give up the fight. (I really regretted my sweater choice and its lack of absorbancy.) I really didn't start crying for real until after the concert was over and mostly it was just the stress of it all and my disappointment with not playing my part. But talk about mortifying.

The 3rd clarinet, my hero, leaned over when it was over and said, "You're never going to want to play the Nutcracker again."

Oh how right she was. And you know what I've realized? 9 out of 10 holiday commercials use the effing Nutcracker as it's music. The piece is haunting me! I keep hearing where my part is and I remember it all over again! Damn you, Tchaikovsky8!

*Just kidding. I love that Russian.

+ Title from Fiona Apple

The Voice Within

#31DDD Last Album/Song I Bought:

It's funny because if I had written this post on the day the prompt was announced, my answer would have been totally different. I guess that means I buy a lot of CDs. I hadn't for a few months. Nothing was really sounding good to me and I was trying to save money, but then last week, BAM! I wanted everything!
Technically, the last album I bought is by Dia Frampton. You may remember her from The Voice and you're probably thinking, "You bought her whole album!?" I think, with the exception of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, most of those reality show winners suck. Don't even get me started on Ruben Studdard and Fantasia! Oh. My. Gawd.
But man, I heard Dia Frampton cover Kanye West's Heartless and I just had to have it! The cover isn't on the CD, but that same sound is. Breathy, pitch-perfect singing with lots of energy.

What's the last album you bought!?

Somewhere Else

#31DDD

Day 4: Write about the best experience you’ve had in another country.

The moment I stepped off the plane, I knew I was somewhere very special. For years I had dreamed about visiting this land rich in history and heritage and finally, FINALLY I was here. Suitcase in hand, camera charged, and a smile that couldn’t be paid away, I was ready to explore and love.

I am the type of person who knows she will love something or somewhere even before experiencing it. How could I not? I have had the map of this country pinned above my bed for years. No part of my being would allow me to finally make it to this part of the world and not completely enjoy every single second of it.

I think my favorite part was the accents. It had only been here and there, and mostly on TV, that I had gotten to hear this particular accent so to be where almost everyone has it was overwhelming…and confusing. “What?” “Pardon?” “Um, no?” And yes, I admittedly forgot to pay attention to the words sometimes as I just listened to how they were pronounced. I am a sucker for an accent.

So yes, the guys were high on my list to do. (Kidding! I kid.) In all honesty, I did go there with the fantasy of falling in love with a native who would sweep me off my tired, touristy feet and begin a whirlwind romance with me that would end with him coming to America to find me and declare his love and say that he needed (needed!) me to come back with him. And I would go, because he would be wealthy and able to encourage me to play in orchestras and would pay for me to visit my family often. Our children would be so cute and would have little baby accents. Baby accents are the best!

That didn’t happen, but that’s okay. I still had a great time. The pubs were amazing and I have to say, I was quite the hit with the locals. It’s not often my ability to drink a lot of beer gets me cool points, but it certainly worked there. I was the girl who always had a pint in her hand and kept asking people to say certain words so I could hear their accents more.

When I wasn’t in the bars, I was exploring. The city was a photographer’s dream and I took so many pictures that I ended up buying another memory card while there. Every building had a history older than my homeland and the overcast sky provided the perfect lighting for pictures. I even had some luck getting the locals to pose for pictures that I will forever cherish. They make me laugh every time I look at them and I can’t wait to go back to visit as soon as possible.

I left a little piece of myself there when I finally got on the plane to come home. Not that I don’t love America, but I feel such a connection to this other place. This country that plays a part in my ancestry and continually amazes me with the music and greatness that comes out of it. I’ll be back. I know I will. And maybe next time my fantasy will come true and I can start to call Scotland home, too.

This post was written from the future as I have never actually been to Scotland. But this is pretty much how I know it will go. I will love it. 

+ Title from Travis

Missing

#31DDD Day 3:

Tell Me About Your Grandfather

The worst part about what I am about to write is the use of the past tense. The best part is that I have three wonderful people I have been lucky enough to call Grandfather.
What I love about grandparents, besides their incredible love, is the names children make up to call them. I remember nine years ago when my aunt was about to become a first time grandmother and was trying to decide what name she wanted to be called. Mamere was her top choice and while I laughed at the thought of a baby using this French title, it also made me smile to think of a new set of grandchildren growing up with their own special grandparent.
My dad’s dad was always Grandpap to us. He lived in Pennsylvania and I have such great memories of our visits up there. He passed away when I was only 11 so to have such a rich and clear memory of him is something I cherish. He was also the only living member from my dad’s side of the family. My dad’s mother and brother died when he was pretty young, so Grandpap was it. Visiting him was special and my brother and sister and I always loved to go up there. We always ate at a truck stop restaurant my grandpap loved and we would stay in the guest bedroom in the basement. I remember watching a lot of Benny Hill and seeing those DVDs still reminds me of my grandfather.
My “extra” grandfather is Bob. My half brother (only in genetics!) started calling his dad’s dad Bob when he was little and it stuck. Bob was really cool and he always treated my sister and I like his own grandchildren. My best memory of Bob is when my family would go on vacation to Ocean City, MD and he would make us brunch when we first got there. They had a condo for years and it was one of my favorite places until they sold it about 10 years ago. We would get there at about 11am and Bob would be cooking up a storm. He would send my siblings and I out to the balcony with a bowl of steamed shrimp to work on as we waited for everything to be ready. He would make his special eggs, bacon, sausage, cantaloupe, fried potatoes and anything else you could imagine. It was so delicious and the perfect way to begin a week at the beach.
The grandfather I spent the most time with was my mom’s dad, Granddad. He passed away just a few years ago and it was one of the toughest things to go through. He had always been the rock of the family. Never ill, always there, and he just kept on truckin’. My grandmother was the one who had back problems, diabetes, and even a stroke about five years ago. I don’t think anyone thought that my grandfather would be the first to pass away. He was there for Thanksgiving and then started to feel ill. That was the year my brother got married on New Years Eve and I think he held on until after that. I will never forget visiting him in the hospital and seeing how small he looked. He said, ‘I’m not doing too well, honey.” And I told him I loved him and that was that last time I saw him.
Granddad was awesome, though. We called him “The Godfather” because he would take the whole family (10+  people sometimes) out to dinner, sit at the head of the table and just let everybody get whatever they wanted. He was incredibly generous and part of that came from the success he made for himself. He came back from World War II after being a paratrooper (because it paid more) and started his own business that is still running today.
It makes me sad that I only have memories of my grandfathers left, but I also feel so fortunate to have had three. They all made me who I am today.

+ Title from Beck

Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying

#31DDD
Day 2: Write a  poem to an apple.

Crunchy and raw.
Red death.
Skin that lays on my kitchen counter.
An itch and burning deep inside.
An answer that comes with pain and regret.
Bite down.
Resist.
So sweet. So sweet.

+Title from Belle & Sebastian

The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning.

Why are YOU participating in #31DDD?

Why am I participating? Honestly? Because I want to be a writer. Sure, I’ve had a blog for over 10 years now and can definitely get my point across, but I have bigger aspirations. I want to write a book. I’m working on it, but it’s slow-going. I have two book ideas and while I have shelved (haha) one for now, I am quite excited about the other. It’s tough, though. The advice from other writers is to “just start writing” and yeah, I’ve started, but I need to get to that point where I realize that it’s not going to come out as a finished product. I want every sentence I compose to be perfect and it is creating quite the obstacle to getting much actually completed.

So, I’m going to do this writing challenge and hope that I, at least, get more comfortable with how I write and what I write. I look forward to the questions that D and D bring us!

+Title from Smashing Pumpkins

Boo

For the IndieInk Photo Battle (#IIPhoto) this week, Lis Rock challenged me with "BOO" and I challenged Jennifer with "Cold."

R U Still In 2 It

My job is really getting in the way of what I want to do.

What do I want to do? I want to have more time.

Remind me to blog, ok?

XO,
SVR

+Title from Mogwai

Sam's Town

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Sam Adams beer. So getting to go to the brewery yesterday in Boston was quite exciting! My tour guides for the day, Ali and Vanessa, had told me that this was one of the best brewery tours and that we would get lots of beer at the end of it!

The tour is like one of any brewery and I enjoyed learning some fun facts about Sam Adams such as the use of Boston tap water in it's making. Yum! The room for the tastings was set up with long tables that we all sat at to learn more fun facts and try the beer! Yum! Boston Lager, Oktoberfest, and Brick Red were on tap for us and each one was delicious! We learned quickly to ignore the advice to only fill our tasting glass 3/4 of a way full and by the last beer, we kept a pitcher near us for fill ups as needed. Without having had lunch and already about 2+ beers in (we got one at Doyles before the tour), we were all feeling a little buzzed.This turned out to be a great start to our day that included several bars and lots of talking. It was a great day in Boston. I can't wait to go back!

XO,
SVR

+Title from The Killers

Northern Star

I am in Connecticut.

I could not be happier. Well, maybe if I didn't have to go back south on Monday. While I LOVE Virginia, I am so over Northern Virginia and its traffic, crappy weather, and "same ol', same ol'," if you will.

While here visiting my sister, we are packing in a lot of fun. We have already been to a Punkin' Patch and are headed to the Casino tonight. We were in New Haven yesterday and Niantic today and then tomorrow we are headed to Boston, which I have never been to! My good friend Vanessa lives there as well as Sam Adams and I can't wait to see them both!

Below are a few pictures I took while in Niantic.

+Title from Hole

Gimme More

Fashion is, oftentimes, about what is in right now. Or, as is the case with fashion weeks and editorial spreads in our favorite magazines, it is about what will be in style in a few months. However, I think what is most special about fashion, is what becomes timeless. The Chanel look that still turns heads. The Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress that both my mom and I would wear. The Pucci prints I still would die for. Trends are awesome, but what really makes something special is that it stands the test of time.

So, where am I headed with all of this? Well, basically that is my verbose way of explaining why it has taken me so long to write about going to the District Sample Sale with DCCeline. I was lucky enough to win her twitter contest and after a long day at work*, I headed into the city while repeatedly telling myself I would not spend too much money.

I had no idea what to expect and was so pleasantly surprised by how the evening unfolded. The space was great and each boutique or seller had ample space to present their clothes, shoes, and/or accessories. As expected, the majority of sizes were tiny, but just like a regular store, after some digging I found quite a few things I wanted! I ended up buying a Jenny Han dress, but also eyed anything with sparkles, an amazing fur/feather vest, and all items that would best be worn when 10 degrees out.

Shoe-wise I gave up pretty quickly. My size is either 10 or 11 (hey, I'm 5'11"! I'd fall over if my feet were shorter) and I saw a few 10s and no 11s. I would like to take this time to point out that Paris Hilton wears a size 11 and she has 1000s of pairs of shoes. But I digress...I wanted to befriend one girl who was trying to decide if she should buy a knee high pair of light brown boots that, in my opinion, looked amazing on her! I kept my mouth shut, though, as her friend talked her into them and I am trying to decrease my number of awkward interactions.

My best luck was with accessories, as I knew it would be. Queen Bee Designs was killer and I wanted so many pieces that I had to step away. I ended up with a multi-strand, gold necklace that I wore the very next day. Please go look at her stuff-it is amazing! I also picked up a cute pair of tennis earrings at another spot and can't wait to prepster them out.

But wait! That's not all! Much to my surprise and extreme excitement, the food and drinks were all free. That was like music to my ears after such a long day. DCCeline and I grabbed appropriately named cocktails (The Fashionista!) and noshed on some food in between shopping and getting our fortunes read.

I would definitely go back and recommend the evening to others. For next year, here are some things I will keep in mind:

• Shop, then drink. It's way too difficult to hold up clothing to see if it'll fit while holding a delicious beverage.
• Get enough sleep the night before. I was a walking zombie and did not make my best impression upon those I met....and names? I can't remember names when I'm alert!
• Wear an outfit that allows for trying on clothes out in the open. I wore black tights, slip on flats (zebra!), and a basic tank dress with a cardigan. Some of the boutiques have makeshift fitting rooms, but if you've ever changed clothes in a small tent then you can imagine what that would be like.
• Cash or Credit. I was worried about only having credit, but it worked out fine. But not everyone takes AmEx. 
• Dress to impress...or not. Not to be a broken record, but after a long day, it was all I could do to change into something halfway presentable. Some people were dressed to the nines, straight out of a fashion magazine while others just wore whatever. It really didn't matter. A lot of people put on their purchases before they even left the show. That was awesome!

I hope to see y'all there next year!

XO,
SVR



*This is where I just have to say that it was a rough week for me. Waking up at 4am every day and commuting 1.5 hours to Clarendon was so tiring. I am quite excited to go to the Sample Sale, but next year I am definitely going to make sure I am not a zombie while there!

+Title from Britney Spears

Workin' On A Groovy Thing

DC Celine has issued a challenge: To Clean/Organize/Reorganize/Overhaul Our Closets.

Challenge Accepted!


But, with a few notes:

1. I have no internet at home. Woe is me, I know. Also, "Shut up about it, Scarlet." And yes, I could create my posts and send them off to blogger later, but that is just not going to happen. So you will have to be patient.
2. I am in a weird living situation right now. For those who don't know the story, I had given notice on my apartment in February thinking I would either be moving up north or in with a friend and then I got appendicitis. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise because omg hospital stays are not cheap and rent was not in the equation. So I'm livin' in the country with my parents right now. I miss my larger, brighter closet, but this way I never have to cook and I have someone to take my outfit photos. I am not as excited about my closet right now and overhauling it, but it is necessary because I have a lot of clothes and seemingly nothing to wear!
3. This is going to take me a long time to post.

XO,
SVR




+Title from 5th Dimension

Every Rose Has It's Thorn

I am trying something new.

Like everyone in the world, I get annoyed. I also remember everything so when you annoy me once, twice, three times, I am like a piggy bank of memories and it's difficult for me to forget. There are some people I encounter almost daily who annoy the crap out of me. I'm not happy to say that because I want to be a kind person, but sometimes? People. Annoy. Me.

The other day, though, after calling someone a loser because they do things that annoy me (no one who reads this blog*), I felt bad. Who am I to call this person a loser just because he/she has done some things that have rubbed me the wrong way? And several of these things were months ago. So I decided to start fresh.

I am going to start fresh with annoyances. It sounds quite negative, but it's not really, I promise! It's like giving second chances. I don't have to like everyone, but sometimes, coworkers or acquaintances are going to be there, whether you like it or not, so I may as well try to not dislike them completely.

Except for a couple of people. They're just thorny branches with no rose in sight. No thanks.

XO,
SVR

*That I know about...


+Title from Poison (and suggested by Serena!)

New Birds

I'd love for you to come to this show:

Birds Of A Feather

+Title from Arab Strap

America

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July...and, if you're not in the USA...I hope you have a great Monday!


XO,
SVR


+Title from Marcy Playground