it's my half birthday, today

So, it's been awhile. I'm back living at my parents', post-B.A, or rather, B.A.-impending. I was 3 credit hours short as of Commencement, so while I got to wear the cap and gown and pretend I was now a graduate, President Cornwell actually handed me a be-ribboned blank piece of paper. Sigh. It's not all bad, though; every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through mid-June I join my mom on her daily commute and take a Jewelry making course at UVM. It's just been a week and I can't believe how much I've learned and created. It's unbelievable, the class is from 9am to 1pm, and it doesn't even occur to me to look at the clock until about 11 -- there's just so much to do! Everyone keeps saying it's like summer camp; I never went, so I can't know for sure, but it is pretty damn fun. Once I've got my pendant finished I'll take a few photos of it and share my work.

That's pretty much it, for now. We still use dial-up at home, so I haven't really been able to follow all the fashion blogs (I've got a backlog of 359 posts on bloglovin'), and all my time is currently devoted to class/work/eating/sleeping, so there isn't much creative thought going on. However, I did renew my library membership, so hopefully soon I'll be crossing a few off my Books to Read After College list. First up: To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf. Somehow I've never read any Woolf, I can't wait.

Lastly, I did manage to get a job. I'm replacing a friend of mine at the indie/offbeat video rental in town, and while I'm just happy to have a steady income, I also get free rentals of anything non-new release. Yes! This is fantastic. I love films, but have never been able to watch very many. Living on a mountain in the middle of nowhere with parents who didn't allow me a driver's license until I was 19 kind of limited my options. Anyway, it's been great so far, I've now crossed Blue Velvet and Paris je t'aime off my list. Blue Velvet was... interesting. I feel like there's something I'm not getting. And I felt totally manipulated and violated by Lynch at some points, but I guess that's his M.O.

And then there's Paris je t'aime. A collection of short films by many different directors, all placed in Paris; I had seen a few of them before, when I took Francophone Film last spring, and have been meaning to check out the whole thing since then. There were a couple that I didn't like as much, but overall, they were beautiful vignettes that got my wanderlust at a dangerously high level and my emotions spiking in every direction. I highly recommend it.

Well, to quote our favorite Bunny, That's all, folks.

Emily

a moment of whimsy

This, a link to which can be found over at The Enthusiast:

La Joie de Vivre

reminds me of this:

Paul Gauguin's Fatata Te Miti

Thanks Julia for sharing that gorgeous, strange little video!

Emily

I never knew Frye loved me back

On this slow rainy day I don't think there's anything better than lying in bed, finding a new online tv obsession (check out Chuck for a thoroughly entertaining action show -- it's hilarious, the guy playing Chuck, Zachary Levi, has an adorable John Krasinski-esque smile), and browsing various shoe sites for the perfect high-heeled sandal. And what do you know, at both Piperlime and Urban, my favorites literally had my name on them. I'm a Frye girl (on an Old Navy budget), and I have fallen in love with these two lovelies:

the Frye Emily Slingback at Urban

the Frye Emily Ankle at Piperlime

It wasn't until relatively recently (the past two years or so) that I finally tapped into my womanly right: a deep love of shoes. And almost immediately following that magical, bittersweet day, was the day when I discovered the irresistability of a shapely platform. A month ago or so I fell for a Madden Girl gladiator platform on the DSW site, and then... it was gone. Just like that.

I hope some day I'll find her again. (Because she was a hell of a lot cheaper than these Frye beauties.)

Emily

distraction

I cannot believe it is May already. Not only that, but there are only nine days between this lovely Saturday and that long awaited Monday: the day when I will graduate from college.

In the interim, I must write one last paper and take two last exams... and then, I'm done. Done? Done.

To quote OMC, how bizarre.

Are you, too, looking for distractions from the bittersweet beauty of this young green spring?

Head on over to Feed Your Soul: the Free Art Project, and download yourself some beautiful, unique, quirky pieces to decorate your dorm room or otherwise. Predictably, perhaps, the Tricia McHellar piece is my favorite, with the Elsita Mora and the Michele Maule as close runners-up.

If you're feeling the spring cleaning impulse, head on over to Charade (you can always find a link to this great blog under Emily's Favorites in the right sidebar) for another invaluable installation of The Dream Style Series, entitled Getting Organized. Lord knows I should (get organized, that is) -- but hey, I'll be packing up to go soon enough. Ugh, need more distractions, and fast....

Nope, can't do anything but succumb to this irritating wave of nostalgia. Well, I'll leave you with a shot of the brilliant fireworks witnessed a couple weekends ago in Louisville:


A lovely weekend to all,

Emily