catching up.

So I mentioned before my trip that I have been painting a mural on my bathroom wall at my dad's house. Now that I finally have the pictures on my computer, I can show you!

My sketch. I don't think I'm going to include the bird but I really like it. Maybe I will put it somewhere else.

I would say the whole thing is about 3/4 done because I have to do touch ups and the like.

Close up.

I considering doing another part of the wall with contrasting colors, maybe orange or lime green. Or I might just keep it simple. Any thoughts?

Also I am procrastinating pretty heavily now (avoiding writing a film analysis) so I will have some things to share coming up. 

Ok, ok, I'll give you a taste.

home sweet home.

So I'm back...if you didn't figure that out from the title.

Anyways, it was a great trip. The weather was great (sunny, 60s) and the scenery, unreal. It actually looks like it does in the pictures. That perfect. Speaking of pictures, I have a lot so I'll share a few with you now, and a couple more throughout the week.

The view from my window. We (my mom, brother, his girlfriend, and I) rented a house in a small town called Praiano that is situated between Amalfi and Positano.

The lovely church in the town. The bells rang every fifteen minutes. Which was quaint. At first. And then it was kind of like Gilmore Girls where everyone just wants to get rid of the church bells by bashing them with hammers. Or maybe it was just me.

Pathway to the beach.

I'm actually not quite sure what this building was but I found it beautiful. We would drive by in the buses and when I wasn't clutching the seat for dear life I noticed that it seemed empty. Is there anything more romantic than an abandoned building?

Well, maybe an Italian sunset. 

Harry Freaking Potter.

It's so sad, but seeing Daniel Radcliffe in person was so fulfilling. I mean its not exactly akin to feeding impoverished orphans or anything, but I think a whole in my heart has been filled.

As for the show, it was amazing! Like I said before I've always really like How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ever since I saw the '67 version as a kid. I mean it was written by the guy who wrote Guys and Dolls, so no-brainer. Seeing it live was so much better though. The music absolutely came to life and the choreography was awesome. Two standout numbers were "Grand Ole Ivy" and "Brotherhood of Man", especially the latter. Guys, Daniel Radcliffe can dance. And he actually has a decent voice. Not the best I've ever heard, but it is clear and strong. And he was so cute! The character of J. Pierpont Finch is a little impish and manipulative while still being charming, and Radcliffe really pulled it off.

John Larroquette was the second lead as J.B. Biggley and I thought he was great as well. Singing wise I think he was pretty on par with Radcliffe. When they sang together, though, they really elevated each other and had great chemistry. He didn't really have much dancing to do so that is kind of a moot point, but I also thought that he captured the character well.

As for the woman in the show, I thought they were all very good, if less prominent. How to Succeed is pre-dominantly a male show so overall the woman had less to do. But I did really enjoy Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones. Christopher J. Hanke was also superb as Bud Frump. He definitely stole a few scenes with a really annoying, immature character. Plus he reminded me of Neil Patrick Harris the entire time (in looks, not character), so I was pre-destined to like him.

The sets and costumes were both gorgeous and fit into the atmosphere of the early '60s, without seeming dated. I think that's one of the greatest challenges with How to Succeed, trying to make the music, story, and show in general seem modern. This production definitely succeeded (har, har).

The spectacle of the entire event was really funny and heartwarming (at least to me). People lined up waiting for Daniel to come out after the show (my mom and I included) and there was such a sense of solidarity between these people. Yes, we were just waiting for a celebrity to come out of the theatre, but for so many of us Daniel Radcliffe is as much a symbol of growing up as anything. And though he was very good in the show, I don't think he'll be able to shake the Harry Potter image anytime soon. I heard a guy on the street talking on the phone saying that Radcliffe must have wore contacts because he wasn't wearing his round glasses. Then again, my mom did ask me after the show if he was British. (I might have to disown myself from her for that one.)

I didn't get any pictures of the show or of Daniel Radcliffe, though I did get a glimpse of him outside the stage door, so I'll just share the poster for the show, in which he looks adorable.

http://www.lgbtpov.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Daniel-Radcliff-How-to-Succeed1-240x300.jpg

Basically if you have the chance to see the show definitely do it. It was worth it, for both my mom and me. We were happy for hours afterwards!

So, the moment you've all been waiting for, my destination reveal. I am going to ...Italy! I'm so excited to be going to the Amalfi Coast. We are renting a house and will just chill and soak in the Italian atmosphere. Hopefully it will be fantastic.

what a tease.

So this entry is really just a teaser for what is to come. I will be showing off some pictures of my about halfway painted mural. Yay! Though I have to say that whenever I see the word mural I immediately think of Jerry and his murinal....poor Jerry.

Anyways I'm going down to New York City tomorrow to see some fancy pants Broadway show, How to Suceed In Business Without Really Trying, so you will get my thoughts on that. I am really excited. I remember watching the movie when I was younger and loving it. I've always thought it was a shame how not that many people know of the show compared to the popularity of something like Oklahoma! Oh god, Oklahoma! (The exclamation point is in the title. I am not really that excited about it.)

And then Saturday I leave for my trip with the family! Cross your fingers for pictures. I just got a new charger for my camera but who knows, I think this camera has it out for me.

That's it from me for now. Play me out, Old Crow.

a whatyamacallit.

SPRING BREAK! Woooo! It's true, I'm on spring break. Finally. It feels like it has been forever since I last had a break.

The only problem is that I have work that needs to be done before I go away. Where is this mystery destination to which you are traveling you ask? Well I'll tell you...on Friday. Keep the suspense going a little while longer. I know that you are just dying to know.

Anyways it is great to be back in Rhode Island, I missed my crazy state. And now that I'm here after being gone for a while I notice all these things that are changing. Like how my local grocery store has changed from their fancy personalized Clements Marketplace bags to "Thank you for shopping with us!" bags. I am not feeling it. Half the fun of going there is getting a snazzy purple Easter grocery bag or a festive orange one for Halloween. It is just a disgrace. (Wow, my town needs a town center or something.)

Last night some friends came over and we found this blanket that my grandparents got me. Or at least we thought it was a blanket. It turned out to be...

A giant blanket with a deer on the back! WHAAAAT? BUT WAIT, there's more...

IT HAS SLEEVES! Like a reverse snuggie. It is, as my friend deemed it, a "hunting kimono". Beautifully modeled by my friend Sophie.

Basically my grandparents are awesome.

i really want to go outside and make it light all day.

It is kinda getting warmish here, finally, and it makes me want spring more and more. It has also just been sunny lately, so that makes me want to walk around the lake and take beautiful photographs. Unfortunately there is still snow on the ground (boo!) and I am right in the midst of midterms (hiss!), so this is not going to happen too soon.

A girl can dream.

cause there's a brand new game that i want to play.

Today I heard that I am going to be an RA next year and thus I'm super pumped! Cue the happy hippie music!

Cheers!

yes girl talk, this is officially a challenge.

Now I am really a child at heart, as most teenagers are (though they try to hide it under their angst), so it should come as no surprise that I loved Pixar's Up. I went to see it with my friends at the end of our junior year and I'm pretty sure we were the only people above sixteen that didn't bring their children. We were also the ones who reacted most strongly: crying, laughing, dancing, screaming (just kidding on that last one).

Needless to say I thought the film was beautiful, like everything Pixar does. I don't remember the soundtrack much I have to say, but after watching the clip below I have started to re-evaluated how important sound is to a film. (This post also coincides with a sixty page reading I had to do about sound editing in film. Bleh.)

Anyways, hope you enjoy (and didn't leave a ton of homework until the last minute like me!).

You sing it Ed Asner. 

snog: british for kissing.

WARNING: Do not watch this unless you want to get totally addicted.

Damn it British television, you get me every time. This time is it Snog. Marry. Avoid. The show is hosted by some British singer/personality Jenny Frost, who I don't think I had ever seen before, and involves what my friend Kim deemed, "the Snookis of England". That is the best description I could ever imagine.

you like music we can dance to.

In honor of The Strokes' new album Angles, which I haven't listened to at all so I have no idea if it is any good, I present to you "I'll Try Anything Once". It is the demo version of "You Only Live Once" and it is beautiful. Amazing. I'm obsessed. Nothing like the polished, upbeat version.

I totally only know this version because it was in the Somewhere trailer, but I'm just going to ignore that fact and pretend that I know it because I am all cool and in the know.

prêt-à-porter?

I am home right now in my almost completely empty house so I am going to keep it quick. Just a little inspiration from Mr. Schuman over at The Sartorialist.

What a bad-ass. And you can't even see her varsity jacket in this picture. 

Thank you, The Man Repeller.

what i need is a good defense.

Unless you are completely clueless you know who Anna Wintour is. (If happen to live under a rock she is the editor-in-chief of American Vogue. She is apparently quite a laugh. Just kidding.)

Many speculations have been made about the "real" Anna Wintour, but none so perfectly illustrated (haha, get it?) as by Lisa Hanawalt. See for yourself.

I would personally love to see a real life giant flip-flop jumpsuit. Anyone got John Galliano's number? I hear he is looking for a job. (JOKE. Obviously.)

(Also I am obviously in serious nostalgia mode. Been listening to this song constantly. Hence the title of this post and how it doesn't really relate to the content at all. Kind of. And the Spice Girls music blaring from my room. Not all 90s music is angsty afterall.)

fashion week: erin fetherston.

While some collections seemed so over the top (sorry Pucci and Roberto Cavalli), Erin Fetherston so perfectly walks that line between being boring and being simple. I want everything.

I continue to find it funny that all the bloggers that I read go to fashion week, go back home, and are like damn, it is actually winter out there. Hell yeah it is. While they were looking all cute in California and the like, I (and my fellow New Englanders) have been freezing my ass off. And when it is consistently 25 degrees outside fashion can take a little bit of a backseat. It may be March (finally!) but that doesn't mean that we are really getting any closer to the dream-like summer that I am constantly longing for.

Luckily tomorrow I am going into Boston/Cambridge to go thrift shopping. Yes! I'll try to borrow (aka kidnap) a camera from a friend (mine is hating me right now) so that I can get some good shots and post them. Then you can see the man behind the mask. Bum, bum, bum. Just kidding. I'm not a man. And I don't wear a mask. Usually.

Also I feel so accomplished. I just caught up on my 300+ bloglovin queue. That's the most work I've done in a week. It may also explain why I'm feeling a little crabby cakes right now. Hence my use of bold.

Photos c/o style.com.

sweet, pretty losers.

Something to make you chuckle this...Tuesday? I think it's Tuesday. (That's probably not good...)