Daydreams, Music, and the Olympics

Songs are like books. They keep us company. I've been listening to a lot of Florence + the Machine lately (and Kate Bush and the Smashing Pumpkins and Lykke Li, lol), and I found a quote by Florence Welch that I think is a good reminder to all of us to embrace our inner children every now and then:

From EnglHub

Did anyone get a chance to see the opening ceremony for the Olympics last night?  I was really excited to get to see some of it with my younger (but much taller) brother. He and I spend a lot of time together . . . we used to eat lunch together every day in high school, which people thought was bizarre because teenage siblings usually aren't best friends.  But there's nothing quite like getting to be fully and unapologetically yourself with someone who knows the extent of your introverted, ridiculous awkwardness! Anyway, the opening ceremony was really beautiful. It captured so much of Korean culture in such a magical fairy tale way--complete with phoenixes and giant white tigers--and at the end, there was a performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" that almost made me cry.  Here it is, in case you missed it:

Beautiful, isn't it? I'm very excited for the figure skating portions of the Olympics. It's like seeing a ballet performance, and the flexibility, strength, and grace of the skaters are amazing.  They can spin and leap and jump while on ice. Meanwhile, I'm over here trying to sort of/almost do a semi-decent Natarajasana (Lord of the Dancer) in yoga. (And now I feel all yoga-y because I just used the official Sanskrit term for a pose for the first time.)

The "ShibSibs" (from NBC)

I'm sending sweet thoughts for everyone on this second Saturday in February.  The time around Valentine's can be difficult sometimes, but please remember that you are loved <3, and please take some time to show yourself some loving-kindness, too. In my research on movement and creativity therapy right now, I've found that cultivating compassion for ourselves and others is just as important for well-being as movement (I hesitate to use the word "exercise" because it can be anxiety-provoking) and wholesome nourishment (not dieting!) are. I've been feeling stressed out lately because of some personal stuff and because of some new jobs that I'm excited about but also nervous about, and taking time to breathe and ground myself has been very helpful. So is this video here by Michelle Elman:

If you haven't watched Michelle's TEDX Talk, you definitely should. It's incredibly moving and beautiful.

That's all for this morning. Now back to my essays :).  Big hugs for everybody!

<3 Frances

Golden Globes Fashion Haul

Hi, friends!  It is so cold outside today, and there is ice everywhere.  I'm hoping everyone stays safe this morning.  There are cute little bird footprints in the snow (awww), but I feel sorry for the birdies to have to be in such a chilly climate right now.  It was pretty warm up until last week.  I think all our Christmas weather just decided to come at once.  But the benefit of having work delayed today is that we got to watch some of the Golden Globes last night.  There's so much struggle in the world right now, and in life, and it's nice to be able to escape into a little film and fashion sometimes.  Not that some real-world difficulties weren't discussed last night, of course.  Meryl Streep gave a very meaningful speech, and there was a sweet dedication to Princess Leia and Debbie Reynolds.

Note: Red Carpet pics borrowed from the Popsugar website. 



Emma Stone as a celestial goddess



 

Hailee Steinfeld in a soft purple princess look with angel sleeves
 

Natalie Portman looks Jackie Kennedy-chic in Prada

Lily Collins as a ballerina fairy (I love this look so so so much)
 

Gina Rodriguez sparkles in Naeem Khan

Brie Larson channels vintage glam in Rodarte

Laura Dern is sweet in flowers

 

Drew Barrymore looks breezy and magical

Naomie Harris stuns in metallics

Viola Davis is bold and bright in Michael Kors

Claire Foy makes sparkles adorable and glamorous

Zoe Saldana is beautiful in blush

Reese Witherspoon is elegant in buttercream yellow

Michelle Williams plays with texture and the perfect simplicity of black and white

Ruth Negga goes futuristic-glam

Mandy Moore embraces goddess vibes

Octavia Spencer is chic in a pantsuit

 

There were a lot of other beautiful looks last night, so if you get the chance, definitely check some of them out.  Which were your favorites?  Stay safe this Monday!

 

 

<3 Frances



Happy Easter

Happy Easter! 

It feels odd to have Easter in March this year when I'm so used to it being in April, but there are so many pretty purple flowers on the trees that it doesn't seem to matter, and the colors are all very spring-like despite a chilly breeze.  I hope everyone else is having a happy Sunday regardless of whether or not they're celebrating today.  We have a lot of homework to do (sigh) and lost a dear pet last week, but we're honoring the holiday with some memory lane trips courtesy of childhood Easter specials.  There's something very comforting about old holiday specials, and it's been sweet to revisit characters like Snoopy and Max and Ruby. 

Max & Ruby Easter and Spring Compilation

 

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!

 

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

<3 Frances



3 Spring Trends We Love

Spring starts in 19 days, and, despite my love for snow, snowmen, and peppermint, I'm admittedly very excited about warm days, flowers, and (of course) baby animals.  We're getting a little preview of it now with 65 degree weather, and it's refreshing to step outside without freezing.  With that in mind, here's a sneak peak of what to expect trend-wise this season:

White Blouses

 

 

 

 

 

Nightgown-Inspired Pieces

 

 

 

 

 

Ruffles

 

 

 

 

 

 

<3 Frances

 



 

Space Age Inspiration

There's no denying it: space is having a moment right now.  From Star Wars VII to The Martian to gravitational waves, space and all space-related things seem to be everywhere, and today, in honor of NASA's record-breaking number of astronaut applicants and the developing body of proof for Einstein's black hole ideas, we're looking to the stars above for fashion inspiration.  

<3 Frances

Tuesday Playlist and STAR WARS!

Well, first off, the new Star Wars trailer is here, and we're very excited.  

In non-intergalactic news, though, here are some songs for your Tuesday.

Little India: "Like Vineyards"

Ellie Goulding: "Atlantis"

The Civil Wars: "20 Years"

<3 Frances

Piglet is Steampunk

Having been raised by a teacher, I consider myself something of an expert on the characters of Winnie the Pooh.  That said, though, I'd never known all that much about the inspiration behind the characters until yesterday.  I knew they were based on actual stuffed animals, but I hadn't seen them before, and I was SO EXCITED when my mum sent me the link to the Winnie the Pooh exhibit at the New York Public Library.  The exhibit houses the original dolls, which came from London's famed Harrods store in the 1920s.  Being almost 100 years old, they're worn and in some places a bit threadbare, but their antiquity only makes them all the more awesome--and cool (they've got a bit of a Tim Burton-esque look to them now).

My favorite part?  Piglet is totally steampunk!

<3 Frances 

Style Inspiration: Mad Men

Mad Men--that iconic show about the complicated, dark lives of Madison Avenue advertisers--took us from 1960 to 1970 in seven seasons and ended up influencing the fashion world as much as it did the TV one.  It had everything from the polished, preppy dresses of the late-1950s housewife to the bohemian bell-bottoms of the hippie girl, and today we're going to see a few of our favorite Mad Men-inspired looks:

<3 Frances