Monday, May 31, 2010

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Okay, so I knew that reaching 30 posts in a little under three months and 4,000 views was kind of a big deal. So I brainstormed what I should do for my 30th post to capitalize on this. Brainstorming happened for three weeks


And I brainstormed.


And I brainstormed even more.


And more.

I'm still brainstorming. I've got it! I'll reflect on how much this blog has meant to meant over the past semester and how it has contributed to my career.

At the beginning of the semester, I had just returned from a hiatus of a little under a year  with no classes  to find myself somewhat out of sorts as far as classes were concerned. I remember taking my first test two weeks into the semester and feeling absolutely petrified to think that I might not remember the material.

But I digress.

My Media Writing Class, for which this blog was started, was absolutely concerning the first day. In so many words, my professor told forty pairs of anticipating, beady eyes including mine, that if we weren't ready to work really hard under tight deadlines, then by all means, jump ship quickly.

Nice. I armored myself mentally and jotted down a few notes in my planner. Especially after not having homework for so long, I was totally pumped to have assignments, even if that meant that I didn't sleep for days (which has happened on several occasions).

Our fist assignment was to create a blog, which to your benefit, you've taken time to read (I'm conceited, I know). The past July, I invested a few minutes to draft a blog about President Obama and the First Lady Michelle O. If you'd like to take a look at it, it's here:


At that point, I figured blogs were the makings of lonely closet writers that were the modern form of Emily Dickinson whose work was posthumously savored by the poetic crowd.

And I thought to myself, what a creative waste of time. But, with the promise of extra credit, I plugged away with concerted fervor.

Well I figured I might as well cover fashion, since I surrounded myself with it every evening I would figure out what to wear the next day. I first thought to take the angle of that of a social hopper, but who would want to wait to hear about those elite gatherings in college town only in the late Spring like Formals? So I took to the streets. What would an average, stylish student reach for to wear on an average day?

Armed with my pink camera and pink laptop, I was determined to find those fashionistas. So on my daily sprint to class in my 10 a.m. dash, I stalked out ABP (Au Bon Pain). Here she is, my first fashion subject:



Then I accepted a challenge from one of my good friends to wear jeans to class.  For me, that was entirely unheard of. I view dressing for class as a way to express a sense of professionalism as well as creatively dressing  after being repressed of my ability beneath the twelve years of uniform I suffered. 

Yes, suffered. Aside from the weekly mixers (where single-gender school children "mix" and have a sweaty orgy as masked by loud hip-hop and rap) I really had no reason for figuring out what to wear. No, excuse me, "Tag Day"s were an exclusion...but I digress. 

So there were fashion shows that a few of my friends in Roanoke were hosting (one is a photographer and the other  a jewelry designer, but proximity and timing were key limiting factors to my attending. Fortunately, a fashion show came to me. Well a fashion show of sorts, rather, a bridal show. 

There were so many factors that worked together to inhibit my attendance, but I staved them off with the determination and certainty that my missing it would be the end of humanity. Thus was born the following post: 


After having spent only one hour there, I managed to make invaluable connections including Angela Courser of Corsair Floral Decor who insisted, after reading my blog that I attend another bridal show at Smith Mountain Lake to meet a local designer Terissa Vaugn of Vaughn Designs. Fortunately, it was the Saturday right before Spring Break and thus was born the post below:

  So I proceeded to take pictures of the stylish individuals around campus and made sure to make an appearance at fashion events in the area. Including a trunk show:


whose direct link was mentioned in the Southern Proper's Twitter page. That day I had a couple hundred hits.  :)

Then I was in a couple fashion shows myself and I met Korto Mobtu (of Project Runway, of which I have yet to write about...lame), Ginny Hilfiger and the coolest designers of Virginia Tech. So here's to being Thirty Flirty thriving! : ) 

 Bear with me as I catch up on all the unpublished blogs I'm harboring and the Bridal fashion show next week and a D.C. designer! Also, I hope to cover what every individual should have in their closet, starting with "The Little Black Dress"! 

Much love, 

<3 SF : )


P.S. Here is MY favorite post of all time: 



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