Sprinting In Stilettos!

This article was from a few months ago for Relay For Life at Virginia Tech. It was too much fun to keep to myself! Enjoy! 

Tech Students, male  and female, strapped on stilettos in hopes to break a Guinness World Record at the Relay For Life festivities this past Friday

In order to break the world record held by a group last year with 280 participants, organizer Caroline Gimenez was sure to break the record with just her dorm alone.

“I saw it on Facebook after one of my friends had joined so I joined it and invited more people” said one runner, Sientje Henderson. On Friday, sign in began as soon as Relay festivities began at 5 p.m. By the time the event was scheduled to begin at 9, the Drillfield was buzzing with activity. It was somewhat difficult to find the appropriate table to sign in, which had moved since earlier that day.

Each heel had to be at least 2.75 inches, and Gimenez and a team of other ruler clad individuals were hurriedly assessing the heels to see if they measured up.

Eight thirty arrives and there are still more individuals signing in.

“ We must be up to about 150” said Gimenez. Even if we were not slated to break a world record, Tech students sure do know how to make a statement. Even young men took the challenge for cancer. A patent leather stiletto clad young man, at least 6 feet five inches tall, stood a head taller than the crowd.

“I figured relay was a good cause”he said “Especially if we had a chance of breaking a world record.”

Not only is it a chance to break a world record, but it was a way to give new meaning to Relay for Life. Virginia Tech has been  the largest Relay for Life celebration in the country for the second year in a row and consequently raises the most money.  In 2008, Virginia Tech Relay For Life successfully raised over $294,000 for the American Cancer Society with over 303 teams and over 3,100 participants. (www.vtnews.vt.edu)

Henderson said “[I] realy for one of my old teachers, Mrs. Moore and more recently for my neighbor Bunny who was diagnosed this past week.”

It was down to the wire. Relay coordinators cleared a portion of the track that spanned five hundred feet from the finish line as a throng of participants gathered at the starting line. Some ambled, others strutted. It was an interesting group of people. Whether they did it to break a world record, have an acceptable reason to wear heels in public, or just for the fun of it, these college students braced themselves against the crowd, hoping to get to the finish line first.

“On your mark, get set, go!” And they were off. Like water rushing from the floodgates. After the initial rush, the crowd petered out to reveal girls struggling to get their guy friends' heels out of the mud.

“The shoes did survive. There was mud and grass all over them but it will come off” said Shannon Abrell, one of the participants. “Surprisingly it wasn't hard to run in the stilettos! There was alot of adrenaline flowing because everyone around us was ready to sprint off the starting line!”

Despite the fact that Tech students did not break the recent record, Gimenez said “It's still really exciting. As you may know, I found out from Guinness...that last April another organization broke the record with 763 people. It was slightly discouraging at first, but I didn't want to give up... and the response has been incredible!”



Addendum:

Thanks to the cooperative participants that lent their opinions to my humble blog! Virginia Tech's division of Relay for Life is one of, if not the biggest of it's kind in the nation. I've been personally affected by cancer and each and every one of us has a tale to tell about the silent and undiscriminating nature of cancer. I always look forward to hearing about creative ways  to raise money for a great cause such as this one! : )

 P.S. I sprint in stilettos to class every day! A quarter mile in my shoes! : P

Until soon Much love,

<3 SF

2nd Annual Spring Fashion Extravaganza

When the website posted a rain date, I couldn't imagine that with 80 degree weather and a sky sprinkled with white fluffy clouds that morning, little did mother and I know, as we pulled away from the hotel that morning (as I struggled to follow the directions to the letter) that rain was to plague our garden benefit for the Historic Smithfield Plantation at the event titled 2nd Annual Spring Fashion Extravaganza at Smithfield. 

After the pavement turned into gravel, a small 18th century house enclosed in a wooden fence rose before me. I second guessed weather or not I was in the right place for a fashion show. I spotted several rows of white event chairs lining a gravel pathway leading from the house to a gate, which fed into a seemingly limitless expanse of planted vegetables in exacting, orderly rows.

"Are you here to sign in?" Yes, thanks. I received my silent bid auction number and ticket. I checked out some of the items for bid and light refreshments. Lemonade sure hit the spot. And it certainly helped that it was pink. : )

Rain. Can you believe it?  Stoic against the drops of rain that pelted them, the chairs stood as a testament to our tenacity to continue. Perhaps fashionably late. In any case, we were fashionable. : )

After 5 or so minutes of watching the rain run it's course, we were welcomed to sit, and enjoy the fashions of centuries present and past.

The show opened with a menagerie of designs, several of which were compiled by mixing and matching separates to make a complete wardrobe. What makes this line of clothing by Sharon young is you can mix and match separates in the same color family in order to make a completely fresh and new ensemble with the introduction of a new accessory piece.

Next were the historical pieces. However uncomfortable and constricting the ensembles were of decades past, you cannot help but admire the women that wore them and continued the everyday tasks of being a woman given the discomforts of the time.

Hmm, this one reminds me of acting in productions of Shakespeare in middle and high school!

However, this Jane Austin-esque muslin gown is something I could easily throw on today (given a few alterations like going sleeveless and a slightly different neckline) and still look fabulously chic!

Keep in mind that throughout the entire show, we were running in and out of the rain and despite combating the rain, we finally go to the final portion, the Wedding Gowns.*Sigh!*

When the new director of Smithfield and I had a conversation that day, a valid point surfaced. There is nothing like seeing the gowns on these women in person. As much as I have been immersing myself in watching bridal shows on TV and delving into magazines and books, there's nothing like seeing it on, in-person. Despite the fact that these women were not even getting married, the resplendent solemnity epitomized by the wearer and the gown itself could not be captured in any other way.

 In addition to the Wedding gowns of the day, here are some of my favorite bridesmaid dresses. The theme of the afternoon seemed to be eco-friendly and these dresses were because of their re-wear value! Too cute! : )

Hmm, like much? Yes! Alfred Angelo chiffon pink bridesmaid  dress! 

Alfred Angelo! Yummy color for summer! : )

 

Alfred Angelo, bridesmaid dress, burnt orange. Yes! : )

After a marathon effort of ducking in and out of the tent for a good hour or so it was time for the auction. A stunning dress was up for auction.

Kevin Meredith, a hair stylist by day and designer by night and owner of Meridith's Salon, designed and constructed the gown pictured above. I had a chance to chat with him about the dress and the material:

Love! : )

"If I was getting married, I would totally buy your dress!" I said. How many purses have I convinced mother to buy under the same premise: Oh I'll totally need it one day! Ha! : )

"Oh you should! You should! It would totally look great on you!" He said. It's an Jane  Austin-esque  inspired dress. The whisper of flowers on the collar suggest a modern and soft twist to the premise of classic simplicity. 

The gown, created with dubani silk is ecofriendly. If you know anything about how silk achieves it's smooth and even;y-spun luster, you might receive shock that could convince you to buy only eco-friendly silk.

In order to have perfectly even spun silk (the traditional kind), the silk worms are dropped into hot water, cocoon and all into boiling hot water! Yikes! However, the silk Kevin uses is taken from the cocoon where the silk worm has already left. Yes. Sounds better than being boiled alive!

"We should talk fashion!" Kevin tells me. Why yes of course! Duh! : )

So with promises to keep in touch and the sky clearing up, I took a few more pictures of the grounds and headed home for class on Monday. Eight a.m.'s are always the pinnacle of the college experience, especially over the summer.

Beyond lie perfectly tilled rows of farmland. How captivating!

Thuroughly enjoying the centerpieces! 

We had quite a turnout! : )

To host your own event or to hear about more like this one, visit their website

Historic Smithfield Plantation

for more info! 

Until soon, much love

<3 SF

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:

My Life M.I.A.

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: 

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

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:

SML a Destination, Not a Shirt Size

  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:

310 Rosemont 

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: 

Model Studies  

Surviving Exams 101

Okay, so after surviving my first exam out of three, I feel as though I have some relevant tips to impart upon my fellow test-takers! : )

Firstly, know your plan of attack:

If you have an exam before noon (if you're like me, 7:45), make sure you know exactly what you're going to wear. Even this fashionista was bumming it for the exams. So last night I laid out what I was going to wear! Then I proceeded to pack the corresponding purse with the necessary accoutrements needed for the following day's exam. I also knew I would only have time to shower in the morning, so I put absolutely everything that I would need in a pile so all I had to do was shower, dress and run out the door.

Wear what makes you feel good and is comfy:

So for all of you that bum it in jeans and sweats on a day to day basis, I would not advise attempting to get any comfier. However, I don't.

So I started with my favorite sweatshirt and worked from there.
Then I layered with a long sleeve shirt and short sleeve shirt. Jeans next. Loose, forgiving jeans. By that I mean those jeans that will help you forget that you didn't work out this morning. Haa! : )
Then a headband, my favorite mustard Chuck Taylors and a watch that's probably, more than likely 5 minutes ahead of time. Mmm...

Know what you need:

Math majors need formula sheets, philosophy students need those annoyingly small blue book or looseleaf. SF needed an essay, a #2 pencil, a 4 page essay, some sanity, visa card (for buying food, meal plan ran out over a month ago), ID card for getting back in the building and some raisins. Yes raisins. Great source of energy. I remember pulling an all nighter and the next day subsisting on primarily raisins and a few sips of coffee.

Oh I can hear it now. The ringing carouses of individuals admonishing me for my dining choices. No, I do not support unhealthy eating habits however, if you're in a bind, grab some raisins.

I also needed chewing gum to hold me during the exam until I could carb overload after the exam.

Lastly, BREATHE!

I haven't been able to because of an unspeakable respiratory affliction, commonly known as allergies. Allergies or a cold? Hmmm....

Regardless, all best with exam week! Now with my exam at 4! NOOOO!!!!


Untill soon, your very tired and spent and trying to avoid typos,

<3 SF

Taking the Time

Armed with my favorite mustard Chuck Taylor lowtops, and an oversized black purse, and my hair in a defiant ponytail, I was determined to enjoy the last of the lingering twilight over the horizon.

I'd gone to the tailgate out by the ball field and noted the lush sprawling grass that lined the expanse between the vet school, road and myself. Two seconds went by , and an eternity lapsed between myself and the second I closed then reopened my eyes. As if by divine intervention, the Hahn horticulture Garden sprung up in my line of vision. With my inhibition still tied around me snugly, I obediently walked around the garden, the long way and nodded greeting to the passerby. A gentle breeze beckoned me to glance over yet again. This time though, I obeyed willingly and ran into the abyss of visual stimulation.

I suddenly felt 5 again. All the canopies of trees made a low celing that I ducked in and out of.

SNEEZE! Lovely. The moment I decide to enjoy nature I suffer the wrath of my nasolacrimal passage rejecting all that is of the wild. Just great.

But that didn't stop me. I ran to the edge of the small pond and stopped on my tip toes, daring to fall in the 5 inches of pond scum and neon orange khoi. Each in turn bobbed and nodded to the surface of the body of water then kept on their way.
"Do not feed the fish" sign cautioned me in my peripheral vision. I wonder how many visitors had adhered to that rule? I wondered, as I savored a dry hamburger bun.

The soft grass muffled my footsteps. Am I here alone? I suppose so. I dropped my burden and continued my progression deeper into the maze of tree trunks, fallen branches and overhanging wysteria. Out of boredom I began to pretend that I was being chased. Or perhaps I would chase a suited rabbit down its hole into a wonderland of tea parties and talking playing cards. I'm game.

Hmm, sniffle, sniffle,  SNEEZE! I must admit, as whimsical as this is, the creepy guy that just walked by may have just doubled back around again and given me the once-over. Ok. Time to go. Sensibility kicks in and my air passage tightens. Wheeze. Cough. Sniffle, sniffle. Ah, lovely. Just lovely.

Two minutes later I pass by dorms and dining halls to my right. I could potentially prolong my getting home by meddling with the friends that would love to see me. However, this was without a doubt the first time in a long time that no one was expecting me to be anywhere at any time and I had no immediate deadlines. The realization was dangerously liberating. No deadlines or expectations awaited me. I was transported to a blissful childlike state yet again. I ran, again without direction, purpose or cause. Just because it felt right.

Feelings. Quite an unexplored section of my brain. Tick, tick, tick. I could feel the neurons in my brain in overdrive as I took in the colors, sights and sounds.

I stood again, in awe of my surroundings. Closing my eyes, I pointed my nose skyward and let the warm glow of the sun bathe my face and sink into my eyelids. No adventure would be compete without a prodding stick to work with.

Tiny, sweet, innocent and vulnerable little bundles of brown and yellow down tottered behind their mother as I approached. I tried to still them by making duck calling noises. Perhaps I used the wrong one? She stopped, cocked her beak in my  direction as if to listen momentarily, and continued on her way.

The makings of peat maybe? or something like it. An unmistakable scent of eggs and fungi followed me. In the stillness I was awed. It somehow felt like a moment out of a CGI film. Did places like this still exist? Apparently so.

It's that moment where you realize that some things are just beyond the confines of time, space, age, limit, bound, nationality, race and status. The stillness quieted me, I was no longer a child, but a transient being that surpassed time and space. I was myself. So much more, yet so much less, yet better in that one instant. I'm here once for a very short time. And for what it's worth, every second is made even more amazing by the passage of time and it's resolution.

I knew in that moment that I'd miss this place, too much to accept and everything with it.

Style Sightings!

Ok, so. Here's the deal: school happened, then life happened, then NEW YORK happened. So, now I can successfully post as the school year winds down and the summer picks up. AND, that also means my relocation to Washington D.C.!

I've yet to write about my final adventures in New York, so be ready for that. Until then, enjoy the Style Sightings from over a month ago! : )


Much love,

<3 SF

Hey look! That's my purse! Florals and neutrals are in! A light scarf to brighten the mood! : )

"So I went to work today and my boss says 'Get outta here, you're wearing UVA colors!'" Oops! : ) 

STOP MOVING! Looks like it came out of my closet! : )  Absolutely love her accessories!

So, she should be a repeat on here! Last time my camera died! : P 

Is she even a student here? Cute outfit nontheless! : ) 

Looks best buttoned up with just a peek of gingham ruffles showing! : )

Ginny Hillfiger's Fitting NYC Part2

“Well helloo! Come on in!” The voice’s owner was a petite blond that stood no more than 4 and a half feet from the ground. She smiled broadly from ear to ear and welcomed us past the threshold of her apartment in the Upper East Side, New York. I had just met the youngest sister of the world- famous designer Tommy Hillfiger.

Ginny’s apartment had a few dress forms outfitted with a few shifts which I recognized from her collections as posted online on www.ginnyh.com. What struck me upon entering was the window on my left which showed a perfectly outlined image of the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson river and to my right, an ideal view of the city and the tiny ants that milled about below us, carrying on their early morning tasks. I stared out at the George Washington Bridge. For a moment I had to move my head back and fourth to make sure that the window wasn’t a poster. My, what a view.

“Would you guys like something to drink?” Ginny asked, “Some Perrier?”

“Yes, thanks!” I smiled broadly, taking in my surroundings even further. I observed a woman with a notepad and another running about making sure that the rack of clothing, with at least fifty pieces of clothing on it was in order. Skirts, dresses, blouses, navys, blacks and blues caught my eye. And lots of shift dresses. It was as if the line had made a projection into the future of my wardrobe.

Finally after the arrival of 2 more models and an editor or two, we were ready to start.

“So, okay, I have some notes here, hmm”, Ginny said.  I readily looked on. I perused the rack with my eyes. I would be absolutely fine with wearing anything on the clothing rack.

Ginny glanced at the four of us models She turned to me and glanced at my frame “You look like a zero. Hmm.” Yes! I thought. Ahhh, Chinese food from the day before did not show. Yay!

She began to lay out the potential outfits for us to try on. The segment would be about how to dress simply. “Well, there are some things that you always have to have in your wardrobe. You need a black turtleneck, cream turtleneck, some black slacks, black leggings and...”

Had Ginny raided my closet? I looked over at my mother. We smiled at each other. Yes, this was excellent. I was definitely in the company of like-minded individuals.

She pulled a gray shift dress of the rack. “____, go try this on” Ah, my favorite! Shift dresses are my favorite. Taking a nod from my favorite actress Audrey Hepburn, I’ve been known to rock a timeless shift dress or two and added funky accessories to make it young and fresh.

“You can add accessories to make it fun and make it age appropriate”, Ginny said. So she proceeded to mix and match the jackets and blouses and skirts and cardigans.

The bedroom in the back, which by estimation would be a master bedroom, was used as a fitting room. In the walk in closet hung opaque patterns of all shapes. They were somewhat reminiscent of the shells that crustaceans leave behind when they shed.

I came back out from her dressing room to find the separates organized in multiple ways on the Persian carpet.

“Here, try this on”, I was told. A sherbet- orange cardigan awaited me.

Snap! Snap! One of Ginny’s friends helping us accessorize took my picture as I stood awkwardly in the foyer as I was wardrobed for the fashion show. I barely could wrap my brain around what was going on. How did I, me, end up in Ginny Hillfiger’s apartment trying on her clothes and conversing as if we went to high school together. I was overwhelmed yet strangely at home at the same time. This was my world, I was right at home with it.

I also tried on a lavender dress, but my company wasn’t wowed.

A few hour pass. Models tried on this skirt with that blouse. But what about this belt with it? Well what do you think. We had all but exhausted every possibility “So i think we’re done here?” Ginny says, satisfied with the outcome. It’s almost time to go.

“So what do you guys do with your lives?” She asked the models. One was a dental hygienist, the other a first year law student and the other worked for Real Simple Magazine. She turned to me. I’m not one for ostentatious behavior.

“‘_____’ what do you do?”

“I’m a second year college student” at a college in Virginia. I made the trip up? Yes, and I have class on Monday. My epic journey was duly noted.

In the foyer Ginny turned and faced me to say bye. “You’re so beautiful!” I smiled sheepishly and air kissed her cheek.

“See you soon! Bye guys!”

“Bye!” What just happened? No, really. What happened? One of the coolest things ever!  Ah, yes. indeed. I waited for the elevator in her outside foyer. I smiled inside, then outside. I was blissfully transported in my mind to a world of endless possibilities. New York was a pretty magical place and I couldn’t wait to return.

Next entry: Style Sightings, Double take and...So much to catch up on!




Much love,

<3 SF