Of Nymphs, Fairies & Goddesses or why Early Opera is Way More Fun

As if it weren't fun enough to sing opera, it's even more fun to be a niche singer. Because all of our instruments are so different, there are some singers who do better in a niche - like me. Standard operas call for big, dramatic voices (there are some exceptions, but this is mostly true). As much as I love a good Puccini aria, I will never sing one in public. Why? I'm just not built for it. I've got a light voice and it would not sound appropriate in a role like this. Isn't this gorgeous? I mean, it's glorious and her voice is to die for. I bring this aria to an audition and I'm laughed all the way back to the Conservatory.

Written before 1800? I'm all over it! I've found that the early music people like my sound and I like the repertoire, so I decided to specialize a few years ago. And why not? Doesn't this look like fun!?!?

You HAVE to watch this one all the way through. (This is Les Indes Galants, "Les Sauvages". American Indian theme obviously. My dream role is to sing princess Zima. So fluffy and cute with a great aria in the end!) Rameau is one of my favorite French Baroque dudes and Patricia Petibon is the cutest soprano ever. (I swear she's part fairy.) Doesn't this make you want to go to an early opera right now?

Early Operas were fun!!!! They still have BALLETS, costumes were outrageously extravagant (the wigs!) and a lot of them were about gods and nymphs and stuff. This is where I get typecast usually: In my January project, I'm a fairy/fury/something little and probably is accompanied by a twinkle sound. Today I had a callback for a sort of god-like virtue who is a young boy. Pants Role. Always something cute. Do I care?! NO WAY! I LOVE these kinds of characters! Not all my gigs are fun, but staged opera gigs are where the fun is had. How often do you get to step into another character and make beautiful music? I am so grateful that I get to have this much fun in my life and call it "work" :)

Maybe I'm gushing because it's kind of fall and everything is starting up again, but I'm looking forward to a great season!

How about an outfit?

Dress: Anthro Nostalgic Asterisks Dress, Limited Cardi, J. Crew Scarf, Anthro Elk Camp Wedge Boots

Did you all enjoy our healthy shopping show on the Dereck and Kay Show last night? If you missed it, click to play the show on my sidebar! We did a two hour show JUST for you guys! Enjoy!

Screw YOU, Screws! 2 Outfits too!

Good evening, Ladies! So, we had some decent Anthro markdowns on Tuesday, didn't we? And AT LAST, the Nostalgic Asterisks Dress got marked down to $80. The much-coveted Magellan Dress did also and I picked them both up on Tuesday morning along with the Tepore Cardigan. On the website it looks totally drab, but in person it's GORGEOUS. It's soft and delicate and perfect for spring and summer and looks fab with a belt. I am looking forward to sporting the Nostalgic Asterisks Dress for a party on memorial day.

Being the impatient Anthro girl that I am, I popped into my brand new dress for running errands yesterday morning!

Dress: Anthropologie Magellan Dress (sold out online)

The weather was SO BEAUTIFUL yesterday after it has been miserable and rainy for the past 10 or 11 days or so. I enjoyed wearing this and having my shoulders and arms free after months and months of cardigans. I was so glad I was able to find this dress in my size on the sale rack and I've been stalking it. This is a 0 and it's a great fit for me.

In the meanwhile, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I've been having some pain in my ankle due to the fact that it has 4 screws in it from a bad break (er...breaks) I had four years ago. I went to see my orthopedic surgeon this morning and he said he can definitely take them out! So, in a week, I'll be screw-less and hopefully a lot more comfortable. Here's a link to the photo of the x-ray if you want to see it. I know some people are squeamish, so I will give peeps a choice whether or not to look at it, but I think it looks COOL!!! My surgeon says they look like a cyclone!! Anyway, that ginormous sucker on the bottom is starting to back out a tad and interfere with a tendon there and giving me an awful zinger. So, we're going to take them ALL out next week! Apparently, this will cramp my style for a couple of weeks and I'll need a cane. How do you work a cane with an Anthro Dress? Am I supposed to whimsy it up a bit?

Anyway, I wanted to look not-so-pathetic at my appointment today because the last time I saw my very-handsome doctor, I was a hot mess. That's what 10 weeks on crutches will do to you. I haven't worn my Seabound Skirt in nearly a million years. This was actually the first piece I purchased from a B&M Anthropologie after I found the guts to go in. It's whimsical, well-made and colorful. Today was a gorgeous day, so I thought it was appropriate outfit...for...the...doctor's office. (?)

Blouse: Anthropologie: Picture Frame Blouse (2010), Skirt: Anthropologie Seabound Skirt (2010), Belt: Anthropologie High Prairie Belt, Shoes: Jessica Simpson

I'm a little nervous about going under the knife again. The operation on my ankle is the only operation I've ever had aside from getting my wisdom teeth out. Frankly, who enjoys being cut open? I'm also slightly worried about being intubated due to the fact that they have to shove a plastic tube down my trachea and I have a very important gig in 4 weeks. The last time I talked to the anesthesiologist and they gave me the smallest tube possible and I had no negative vocal effects that I remember. I'll have to trust again that I can make the same requests. Don't mess up the money maker!!

It's almost Friday! How is everyone preparing for the Holiday Weekend!?

Reviews are Back!

Good Sunday Morning, ladies! Remember when I used to go and try on stuff and take pics? YEAH, me neither. Anyway...I found the enthusiasm to find my way to Anthro after work last night and here are some reviews for you this morning. They didn't have anything I REALLY wanted to try on (*sniff* Tuileries Dress). I'll have to try again this week in the bigger store.

Draped Jungle Skirt $158 Eva Franco

Hey, look! It's the Aniseed Skirt, Jacquard Missive Skirt, but in a new pattern. Getting a little tired of this...every season now? I actually really liked the other two skirts...this one not so much. Because of the pattern, it's hard to see the cute shape and bow-folding effect of the skirt. The material is not as flowy as the other ones. The Jacquard Missive Skirt was cutey-cute...same price. This one, I don't think is worth the pricetag. It's not as flattering as the other two. FAIL. Eva Franco is not working well for me at all this year.

Picked Plaid Skirt $98 Odille

Wow, $98? Really? I actually like Odille as a brand, I like their subtly cute style. This looked totally cute on the hanger...but look at it! The material is a little bit like, um...tablecloth. Which is EXACTLY also what it looks like. I'm wearing a picnic tablecloth made into a skirt. Dowdy. Too long for a petite. Unflattering at the waistband. Awesome! PASS.

Night Moves Chemise $68 Jonsey

Confession...I hate wearing black. As a musician, this doesn't always work for me, since I am forced to wear "Concert Black" a lot when I'm part of an ensemble. So I have an arsenal of black concert clothes...none of which I like very much, so as an attempt to remedy this problem, I was hoping I could find some love in this chemise, but wear it as a dress. The bottom portion at least anyway. In real life it was a lot shorter and less elegant than it looked online. It's most definitely underwear and cannot masquerade as Concert Black. Disappointment in that respect, although I will say that it's comfortable and fits well. Pass. Well, this is going great, isn't it? It gets better.

 Powdered Pigment Dress $228 Tracy Reese

I love Tracy Reese Dresses, they usually fit very well. There was a little bit of sticker shock involved with this one. It's been out for a while, but here is a silk dress for $228. It's a lovely silk, patterned cowlneck dress, but I don't really find it to be anything special. It's well-fitted. I noticed the tag said "0" instead of "P". I find the numerical sizes to be less awesome of a fit than xs (p). I really have nothing bad to say about this cute little frock, but I don't think I'll be picking this up, although I'd wear it if someone gave it to me as a gift.

Fountain of Youth Dress $128 Maeve 

*sigh*. Ok, here we go. This is such an adorable design. This dress simply cannot be cuter and the green color is just delicious. This is a wrinkly mess. The fit on it is very nice, but I could not get past how wrinkled it was. It suffers from the same malady that the Circle the Globe Skirt does, but I don't mind it as much as I mind it on an entire dress. I wish it was a less stiff cotton material. The material on the CTG skirt is very soft, but this is a stiff cotton which turned me off when I first touched it. The price is way too high. $98? Yes. $128? No chance, Lance. Wait for the sale. I may re-consider at sale time in the stripe color.

Cloud Art Dress $158 Laffaire

The product shot on the website of this dress is so beautiful. Doesn't it look amazing! Hey look, there is only one left in the store! It's an xs! *Snatch* It must be amazing, I can't wait to try it on...

Wow, it sucks. Shapeless. The slip that is attached to the dress doesn't fit (hey everyone, look at my bra!). Too long. Terrible. Lacey potato sack. FAIL. Size up...an xs will probably fit you if you normally take a small, etc.  XS gals will be sized out.

Nostalgic Asterisks Dress $158 Girls From Savoy

Girls From Savoy to the rescue...ah...this is LOVE. First off, it's very red. My camera did not capture the beautiful red hue that this dress actually has, but it's lovely. It's a gorgeous fit and gives me the illusion of a little bit more loveliness in the bust, which is very much welcome for me. The little stars on it are adorable and I love the 50's shape of it. I may pay full price for this if it's still full price around my birthday in April. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Thank you, Girls from Savoy for saving an otherwise terribly unsuccessful Anthro dressing room experience.

It's SUNDAY, so you know I must plug our internet talk radio podcast; The Dereck and Kay Show. We are on at 4pm today (or 5pm...we actually haven't decided...please check our facebook page for updates!). Please, please, please check out the show live! We get a lot of downloads of archived shows, but we are trying to boost the amount of live listeners we get. So, I'm asking my blog-sphere ladies to give us a little love. It's a weekly talk show...we talk about non-serious topics, because there are enough shows about serious stuff. Check us out! You can listen to an old show ANYTIME on the website. You can also subscribe on iTunes so you can listen to us on the go! (It's not for the kiddies though...there were some un-censored bad words that made it on to the show last week. President Obama no less! LOL)

End Plug.

Okay, ya'll...I'll try to get down to the big Anthro this week to try on the things I love the most. Have a lovely Sunday everyone!