Back to My Roots...social experiment Part II

After a year and a half of being platinum blonde, I've finally decided to return to my roots, my dark brown roots. I'll be honest, I'm so vain that I cried when I got home from the salon. I really just thought I looked smokin' as a blonde (social experiment Part I: do gentleman prefer blondes? Verdict: Yes.)

It's been two days, and I'm slowly getting used to my new locks. I actually cut my hair too, but length doesn't phase me...just color. 

My awesome stylist, Lee Ann, at Halo* Studios in Dundee, anticipated my shock and gave me a little funk in the form of "car crash bangs". As you can see in this pic, a strip of super short bangs underneath longer bangs makes my hair look like I just hit my head in a car crash. 

I wonder how long it will take to recover?

Sweatfest 2009

Master masher, Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk spun Friday night at the Slowdown to a drippy, sweaty crowd. 

Security was so tight that it took about 12 minutes to get into the venue. There were a lot of underage kids trying to use their fakes. Obviously, they didn't know that it is impossible to drink underage at the Slowdown (I should know :/). After getting my wristband slapped on, I waltzed in to Girl Talk taking the stage. It wasn't 30 seconds before the stage was flooded with grinders and groovers trying to get as close as they could to Mr. Gillis. Girl Talk was probably the most fun I've had at the Slowdown since the infamous monthly Goo parties of 2007. 

Gillis really knows how to read crowds, keeping a steady current of energy flowing for the duration of his set. I just don't know how he put up with several teenage girls in American Eagle henleys and jeans constantly petting his body the whole time. 

But I guess hard work (dancing) pays off because I got to take a picture with Gregg after the show. Yes that's toilet paper on my head, it was working at the time....the place was covered with it. 

Here is a picture of me and my Aroma's co-workers. From left Boss Jeff, Kate and Kevin. Thanks to Jeff for the photos. 

And no, I didn't shower until the next day. 

A Flood of Frugality

My mom (I mean Santa Claus) always buys me underwear for Christmas. Unfortunately she chooses plain, boring, logo-bearing panties, while I prefer a little more color and spice in my life. While I was at the mall, and after I made my exchange at Victoria's Secret, I broke down and went to Target.  I had been avoiding the store, because I knew Omaha's own Thakoon was the latest Target GO International designer, and I knew I'd go crazy over his crazily patterned pieces (I'm desperately trying to save money). 

Before I knew it I had dropped my purse, coat and cardigan on the floor and was modeling the Shibori print cardigan in the mirror while thinking the floral bandeau bikini would look bangin' on the beach in Puerto Rico (where I'm Spring Breaking in March!). I slowly put my own clothes back on and ran out of the store while chanting, "Stay away from the clothes." 

At least I'll look good under my outfits

Soulless Sex Appeal

Indie lyrics matched with a funk/jazz sound make Omaha's Shiver Shiver (or shiva shivah - as I like to pronounce it) a truly unique sound on the scene. 

Chase Thornburg (left) plays drums while Jordan Elsberry (right) plays the keyboard, and they both sing, very sexily. 

This photograph (thanks to their Facebook page) was taken December 26th at the Nomad Lounge, which doesn't usually hold live shows, but instead chooses to feature DJs every night. I thought Nomad, overall, was a good venue for the stylish duo. The only problem being a wooden beam dividing the audience's attention between the two performers. 

Soulless Sex Appeal is Shiver Shiver's latest album, and seeing pictures of these dudes all dolled up and watching them gyrate live, certainly earns them that title....my only question, are they lovers too? That would be too good to be true.

Embrace it, Fear It

Embrace it, fear it: The wise words of Regina George from 2004's Mean Girls, and a definitive description of several different facets in my life right now.
I'm moving to New York in June and am FREAKING out how I'm going to afford living there. One part of me is terrified of having to leave my comfort zone and getting off my parents insurance, while the other half can't wait to be submerged into the rejuvenating creative energy of New York City.
When the time comes, I'll be ready...embracing and working to solve whatever curve balls are thrown at me, but still fearing to stay afloat. The perfect balance of idealistic optimism and conservative decision making.
If fate had a say...meeting my best friend and future roommate in New York while working for a former fashion editor in Omaha, Nebraska, I'm headed in the right direction.
Like my friend John Van says, "Here comes the Flood."

(Embrace it, Fear it!)

Stage Crew Chic

When someone tells me to wear black, I automatically run through my closet in my head and think about all the items I have..mostly sheer, going out items: Leggings, tights, tube tops, back-less tops, my one lone black T-shirt. 

While on costume crew for the One Acts I had to wear black every night. This was a challenge because I am a very, very colorful person. 

The first night of tech, I was way to cold for comfort, so I borrowed a large black hoodie from my brother Eddie, a sophomore at Creighton Prep, with ample pocket room for safety and bobby pins. My Kidrobot sad banana keychain found a home on the zipper, and Saturday night I got a hot pink (to match my patent Dr. Martens) NebraskaFish emblazed on my sweatshirt from the NebraskaFish Rising show at the Bemis.

Here's a picture of some of the theater crew and me. The angle's bad for the sweatshirt, but be on the lookout. My brother did let me keep it. 

A Night of (Debauchery) Durang

Creighton University, the Mecca for cookie-cutter North Face-wearing, taboo-repelling, basketball-watching Midwest stock, will host a Night of Christopher Durang Thursday through Sunday in the blackbox theater at the Creighton Lied Center. 

Durang, a naughty, absurdist contemporary playwright, likes to write about child abuse, Roman Catholic dogma and sexual tendencies.  His plays aren't complete without several layers of parody and uncomfortable situations. How refreshing is it to have his presence in ours!

The five student-directed one act plays are The Actor's Nightmare directed by Matthew DeNoncour, Medea directed by Kathleen Lawler, The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From and Naomi in the Living Room directed by Wesley Pourir and For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls directed by John-Paul Gurnett.  

I'm on costume crew for the plays and have a whole new respect for people who work behind the scenes. The crew has to show up earlier, stays later and doesn't even get to see the plays performed (if you work backstage). 

I assist actors with quick changes behind stage and make sure everyone has all their costume pieces each night and wears them properly. The first act features the first three plays mentioned above and the second act follows with the last two. 

Tonight we ran tech for act two and I stayed on the second level of the theater to help two boys change, one into a dress and one into cloud-covered footed pajamas. Who knew undressing two boys in one night would get me school credit and be so anticlimactic. I could tell the boys were nervous when they both told me that I would see them in their boxers, poor underclassman. ("As if!" as Cher would say). 

I had to suppress a sneeze or two, but even though I couldn't see the actors I couldn't help laughing out loud (quietly). 

Wesley's shows should be crowd favorites, but the others make great compliments. If you're in the mood for some wild hilarity, that's barely PC on campus, don't miss the chance to see actors stripping, screaming and dropping F-bombs onstage. 

Rebels unite!