The Secret Life of Dreams

The last few days have been interesting. We’re under 40 days left until elections, which means just over 40 days until I leave for China. Work is sporadically getting busier, and I am slowly exhausting myself. Luckily there’s NyQuil to help me sleep at night. But even though this week has been uneventful in my personal life, minus the season premiere of The Office, I have been busy in the wee hours of the morning (yes Olivia, you can quote me saying ‘wee’).

Monday I woke up a little warm. I had just been in Paris wearing the same stunning red ball gown Blair Waldorf donned in that evening’s episode of Gossip Girl:

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wondering who that brunette was wearing the same dress as me and talking to Chuck Bass, because wasn’t I supposed to be standing on the bridge in Paris convincing him to come back to New York?

Then Tuesday I woke up shaking just a little, wiping the blue face paint off and testing my breastbone for a dagger – I had been crusading around the British Isles as William Wallace. Cornered in a castle tower, I had been betrayed and was about to meet a less than valiant end being stabbed to death.

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I’ve never seen Braveheart. Not even five minutes. I’m not really a big fan of blood, even in the movies. We can worry about my obsession with vampire TV shows later.

Then on Wednesday, I had merely gone for a swim, probably in the ocean. Seemed harmless at the time. Except when I walked into my house (Georgian style mansion? Where did you come from?) I had a powdered wig and straw hat covered with sunflowers unwillingly thrust onto my head. Then I found out that Adam was in fact next in line to rule a European principality and didn’t I know I had to look presentable? You try doing that with a powdered wig, rain boots and a towel. Not a lot to work with.

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Something like this but with sunflowers instead of Tiffany blue ribbon. That I could have enjoyed.

So I’ve done a little digging into what all this might mean. I asked Leah (both her parents are psychologists) if she thought dreams could tell us about what was going on in our lives. She thinks sometimes it works. I’m going to guess it’s working now. I tried to pick a key point or two to explore. Thanks to the Smart Girl Dream Dictionary, here are a few ideas:

Monday: Actor / Actress: To see an actor or actress in your dream represents your pursuit of pleasure. Your admiration of a particular celebrity may lead to a desire to have some of their physical or personality traits. To dream that you are an actor denotes that your hard work and labor will be well worth it in the end.
Bridge: Bridges often signify travel and transitions. Dreaming of a bridge over water suggests that you could be conflicted in your emotions. If the bridge was unstable or collapsing, it could mean problems in a friendship or love relationship.

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Tuesday: Knife: If you dream about a knife, you may be worried about a male person in your life. This dream might also mean you can solve your problems by being honest with others about your fears and anxieties.
Betrayal: To dream that you have been betrayed represents your suspicions of another person, relationship, or situation. This dream usually occurs when you have feelings of insecurities and are facing major commitments.

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Wednesday: Swimming: Dreams about swimming are related to the need to trust your instincts and look to past situations for answers to problems. They can also signify the need for nurturing or mothering in one’s life.
Mansion: Symbolizes your greatest potential and growth. If you dream about living in or visiting a mansion, you may feel that your current situation or relationship is in a rut. But have hope – your dream is a positive omen that you will someday leave your home for a better place and you will be lucky in life and finance.

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Unprepared: If you dream of being unprepared for something, it represents your fear of messing something up and failing. You may be worried and insecure that you don’t have what it takes to accomplish a particular task coming your way.

I picked the last one because while it was great figuring out that I would be a ‘princess,’ I felt completely inadequate. At the end of the dream, instead of sitting neatly in line with everyone else on big floor cushions, I plopped down with my legs stretched out right in the middle of the floor. This must be my acquiescence of my fear. Haven’t decided if it means I’m giving up yet. I do have a rekindled desire to write, and I’m hoping to motivate myself during the free time I have at work. At least to get something creative flowing again. Any ideas?

Cheers, Kate

Happy Labor Day

So here I am on the last holiday of summer at work. I will be the first to admit, just as I struggle to get up in the morning, I am struggling with this blog. I am not a creature of habits. Brushing my teeth 6 our of 7 nights a week is an accomplishment. I’m sorry Dr. P that after almost a year of trying, I still do not have flossing pinned down into my daily activities.

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I am struggling with a topic. Travel is exciting and I love it, but it’s hard when I know I won’t be going anywhere for 58 more days (Charleston, followed by Florida, followed by China). Hopefully packing my bags again will renew my love. I am also struggling with the idea that I want to do more than write about travel, I do after all need variety in my life. I like fashion, but I don’t love it. I can’t be bothered to cook let alone blog about it (I’m sorry Adam, but you knew what you were getting when you asked me to marry you).

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Don’t ever expect to see something like that coming out of my kitchen. And this is not a wedding blog. I love weddings and events, but I don’t want to live weddings forever. I am also completely sick of people asking me, “How is wedding planning going? Ohmigosh yay!” Really people, my fiance lives in China. How do you think it’s going?

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So in short, I’m lost. Dazed and confused, I wander through the abyss of the blogosphere. I have no focus, no audience, nothing to write about. And frankly, it makes me kind of dizzy.

I guess this is my warning that this project is slowly drowning. I will never be like Emily (cupcakes and cashmere), Della (The Wedding Row), or even my coveted Alexis (J.Crew Aficionada). These girls have found their niche, their audience, and something that they love. I’m back to the struggle that sent me across the world: what do I love? What am I passionate about? What can I devote myself to? Right now, the answer is dangerous love stories (I’ll admit it, I’m re-watching The Vampire Diaries season 1 before the new season premieres on Thursday), ruffles made of organza and tulle, and counting down the days until November 10 (66 perhaps?).

Maybe if I’m feeling better tomorrow, I’ll start writing again. Because everything can be put off until tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

Bembo’s Zoo

The other day, I stumbled across this great little site: Bembo’s Zoo.

As you can see from this image, the creator builds animals on your screen from the letters in their name. I love E elephant and U unicorn the best. Check it out and stretch your imagination. What would you build out of the letters in your own name?

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

 

Love is in the Air?

This summer has definitely been a big one for romance. In June, a classmate of mine Andrea got married in Greensboro, and yesterday Southern Weddings posted photos of her wedding shot by Abigail Seymour. I love the classic monogram:

and these adorable Elon cupcakes:

and who could resist these traditional North Carolina favors: Krispy Kreme doughnuts in adorable boxes reading “Glazed and delicious from the new Mr. & Mrs.” So precious!

Next to their cute favor boxes, I just had to leave this great photo of Andrea throwing her bouquet. Check out more photos in the Southern Weddings post and on Abigail Seymour’s blog. Congratulations! I can’t wait to borrow some of your fabulous ideas!

In July, Adam and I went to Jake & Kim’s wedding down in Durham. You saw a photo peek here, and here’s a snapshot of me and Adam all dressed to the nines:

and I snagged this adorable photo of the happy couple off Facebook (all my pictures were blurry thanks to the ambient low lighting and my point & shoot camera) thanks to Brian Mullins Photography:

There are some amazing shots up on Brian’s blog! I love how you can see the reflection of Kim and Jake in the piano. So classic! And to top it all off, the next day, Adam proposed in the Duke Gardens!

Then in the last two weeks, I had two sorority sisters get engaged as well. Congratulation Lisa and Alison! You can read Alison’s adorable engagement story here. And to top it off, The Wedding Chicks are giving away customized DIY wedding invitations with this classic bicycle built for two design:

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Just enter in your info, pick your colors, and each file will be emailed to your address. Get your invitations here.

So all this romance has to make a girl wonder, is there more in the summer air than just humidity?

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

Back From the Nap…

So I wanted to apologize for my hiatus the last few days. I’ve been in a blogging nap, both from lack of inspiration and from being busy in real life (sort of). Here is a mini life-update:

Friday, we took our usual office outing to Murphy’s Irish Pub, where I of course followed along with The Unicorn Song, doing all the hand motions. I even went to bed at a sensible hour.

Saturday, I attempted to bleach my hair with good old-fashioned lemon juice

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but alas the sun was not cooperating on the project. I also successfully organized my scrapbooking stuff, which I will begin to work on tonight. Then we had an office-sponsored Washington Nationals versus the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game.

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The Nats lost 2-9. And later that night, I attempted diplomacy with my fiance’s friends. I also learned that ‘tear-away jorts’ are in fact my biggest fear.

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Sunday, I came into the office for a few hours to jumpstart some work for this week. My massive allergy attack that ensued prompted me to pop a Benadryl when I got home. I woke up several hours later with my best friend banging on my apartment door coming to borrow a dress for a wedding San Francisco this weekend.

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So now we are back at Monday. I have successfully tapped my beauty-product-obsessed sister for skin care advice, and will try to persuade her to write a few guest posts to share her knowledge with you. I have also scheduled a job interview for a position in Colorado starting in January, which means I don’t have to feel guilty going to Monument with Adam or about spending two months with him in China at the end of this year.

I have also decided to put John Frieda to the test. I’ve been unhappy with my hair color for a while now, and I’ve never dyed it (that’s right, 100% natural blonde here folks). So I’ll be testing out some of the JF products to see if they do in fact improve my blonde from a brassy corn field color back to a more champaign beach blonde shade. So keep posted for that project.

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Anything exciting happen yet on your Monday?

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

Employment Bonus

I’ve seen quite a bit going around lately not about people finding creative ways to get hired, but about using innovation to quit. Yesterday a Jet Blue flight attendant exited an argument with a passenger by using the safety evacuation slides. Needless to say, he won’t be coming back to work.

Today I saw a brilliant slideshow that a young assistant sent around to her office to quit:

Thanks to TheChive.com, the whole world can see Jenny’s witty quitting display of slides, proving her dedication to her job for over two years until her discourteous boss gave her thelast straw:

Then Jenny dutifully reminds us all that even the boss can have his or her own plans to increase productivity backfire: her boxx spent 19.7 hours a week playing Farmville as recorded by the office snitch program installed to monitor internet use.

While the last few years have definitely not been the best economically, for job seekers, or for homeowners, this is a great reminder to remember that a job is much more than just a job. The biggest difference between employees today and of previous generations, is we believe a job is something you should enjoy doing. You don’t work just to work – you shouldn’t suffer through the 40 hours a week you spend earning your living. And just like Jenny, you certainly shouldn’t put up with office abuse from your supervisors.

So thanks Jenny for giving us a reminder of what our generation stands for: living life to the fullest in every aspect.

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

Features: Novels and Photos

Thanks to TrèsSugar, I have two really fun features to share with you.

The first is their Summer Reading List: 20 Smart Chick-Lit Novels. I’ve read several of these titles including Lipstick Jungle, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Pact, and have had others on my must-read list for a while: Something Borrowed and Something Blue.

The great this about this list is the inclusion of less-well-known authors like Melissa Bank, Rita Ciresi, and Dixie Cash, so there are some new faces to befriend these last few days of summer.

TrèsSugar has also blessed us with this fantastic spread of film inspired Engagement Photo Shoots. Granted, two of my top five favorite movies of all time are included in this list: timeless romance from The Notebook, and tragic desire from Atonement.  Here are my favorite photos from the shoots as posted on TrèsSugar:

Atonement:

Up:

Breakfast at Tiffany’s:

The Notebook:

and Alice in Wonderland:

Have you seen other movie-inspired photo shoots? What other films do you think would make a great inspiration for engagement photos like these? Happy photo hunting!

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

The Anthropologist

I love artistic collaboration, and Anthropology creating an online art gallery is a natural project for the eclectic company. Called The Anthropologist, the site started out with an incredible work by Jim Denevan. Jim works are transient, completely subjected to the whims of nature. They are, after all, natural art. In this video, you can get a glimpse of Jim’s latest work on Siberia’s Lake Baikal. Listening to the ice crack under his clamp-ons is just incredible.

Read Elle’s post about this new artistic venue here, and check through the archives for other artists The Anthropologist has featured like Derek Henderson and Dona DeMari.

Any other great online art venues you’ve come across?

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

‘Take Ivy’ Makes a Preppy Comeback

With  just over 30 days to the re-release of 1960s fashion icon book Take Ivy, out August 30,  there has been quite a bit of buzz around the revival of American preppy style. I’m sorry, I didn’t know preppy was out?

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Luckily, stars like Blake Lively (I want her hair!) are staying true to preppy summer style: check out InStyle’s summer top trends.

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You can also get a get some great accessories ideas from Vogue’s ‘New Prep’ article, like these fabulous Linda Farrow tortoise sunnies:

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and these ultra-prep pink chino pants (of course from J. Crew, which is synonymous with modern, prep chic):

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Defined as “Witty and intellectual, you prefer to be covered up in houndstooth, argyle, and other nerdy-chic styles,” Vogue also has some fabulous purple YSL strappy heels I’d love to say I wore, but that would never happen. Like a true Prep, I care too much about comfort.

This fall, you can also get your copy of the new Preppy Handbook: True Prep

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available September 7th! And in honor of my fellow Eloners, I’ve also added this coffee table classic to my Amazon order: Mating Rituals of the North American WASP

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If you can’t wait for your books to come in the mail, check out these NYT pieces on the preppy comeback:

Fashion Diary: Prep, Forward and Back by Guy Treebay July 23, 2010 (How do I get your job??)

Dress Codes: The All-American Back From Japan by David Colman June 17, 2009

Happy Preppy Reading!

Cheers,

Jenna Kate

New Edition from J. Crew

If you know me, you know J. Crew is part of my religion. And as I am now psychotically stalking their weddings and parties collection, I have found my new love: the Silk Chiffon Arabelle gown:

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While I look good in white, I’m trying to mix up my wardrobe color palate. I’d pick it in Spiced Wine. There is another new dress in the fall W&P line that I’m super excited about: the Silk Taffeta Selma Dress:

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Here it is in a beautiful color called Matisse Blue. I’ve been to the Matisse museum in Southern France, and this is certainly a color he’d approve of.  Now I’m just waiting for a reason to order them!

Also in the new arrivals on J. Crew are Bobbi Brown lip gloss in colors buff and rosey, and Cosabella cutie lowrider thongs, in colors black, olive moss, barely peach, melon, shocking pink, and radiant orchid. J. Crew is truly turning themselves into a one-stop shop for the fashionista looking for a chic, semi-casual look. Any new favorites of yours for the fall line?

Cheers, Kate