Auditions or A Week of Wigging Out over 10 minutes of your life

Part of the difficulty of being a singer is doing auditions. At most an audition will probably last you 10 minutes, but that doesn't stop you from FREAKING OUT over preparations. Tonight, I sang the first of three auditions. Audition Marathon...er...5K.

Having your body as your instrument can cause you a lot of unavoidable frustrations: allergies, colds, menstruation (believe it or not, this time of the month ACTUALLY causes vocal swelling. SO UNFAIR.), fatigue...you cannot get away from how you're feeling at any time. It's been raining in Boston for days and my sinuses have been so swollen because I'm sensitive to pressure changes.

BUT...I can't take decongestants because they are too dehydrating to sing on. So, I have to resort to multiple steams with a drop of eucalyptus oil and a neti pot. It helps, but it's not a quick fix. Plus, breathing into a steam machine and using a neti pot seem so hocus pocus to me. If you've never seen a neti pot in action, watch this video.

Then on top of that mayhem, I still have to work my day job in the morning, mid afternoon and then get it up to sing like an angel in front of three strangers who are scribbling notes about you on a sheet of paper while you expose your soul to them in a Bach Aria. Ah, well, here's what I was wearing anyway:

Anthropologie: Deuxhill Cowlneck, In The Trees Skirt, Checkered Belt, Bare Traps Pumps

I have been a wreck all week stressing about this audition. I sang well and felt like I am improving getting control of my nerves and controlling the inner critic. But it's tough. Luckily, I was near an Anthropologie and I visited it for the first time in a few months :)

Boy, were the Anthro Gods with me today. The piece I have been WAITING to go on sale, was there. Now, the Boston Anthropologie is moving from Boylston Street to Newbury Street and they are offering an additional 25% off their sale merchandise because of it. You know what was on sale because it was the last one AND it was my size!?

Verdant Slipdress! I have been stalking this little beauty for months and to score it for less than half price was amazing! Thank you, Anthro!

Two auditions tomorrow night...and the beat goes on...

OOTD & Reconnecting

So, when I was about 8 years old, my mom signed me up for piano lessons because I was obsessed with playing. My grandmother had gifted me one of those tiny wooden pianos (à la Schroeder from Peanuts) when I was 2 or something and I loved it and could not stop playing it and figuring out tunes I heard. When I was about 10, my piano teacher suggested to my mom that I take voice lessons because she had heard me sing during one of our solfege lessons and she thought I had a nice voice. This is WAY too young to be taking proper singing lessons, but we didn't know any better. My cousin was taking some lessons with a gentleman and my aunt insisted he was great with children's voices without doing any damage. So, my mother took me to him and I starting singing. All kinds of things, classical, musical theater...amazing! I enjoyed it so much and to my amazement, he was also the artistic director of a Musical Theater Review Ensemble, which I joined when I was 13. I learned to tap dance, jazz dance, do a little ballet and sing my little musical theater butt off!!!

Ultimately, when I was 17 or so, I decided to focus my musical studies exclusively to classical singing and decided to leave the group and study exclusively with the teacher I was studying with at my high school. But, being that he was my first voice teacher, he remained a close, beloved friend of the family and we have managed to keep in touch off and on throughout the years. Well, he was able to come to my wedding four years ago, which was totally awesome and this week, he is visiting Boston and is staying with us. It's amazing to re-connect with someone who met you when you were a kid and watched you grow and go through all of your changes and situations.  Now, as an adult, it feels great to reconnect with someone and share your shared passion for music! So, I'm having a great week!

Here's what came out of my closet today!

Anthrpologie: Deuxhill Cowlneck (2010), Pinochle Skirt (2010), High Prairie Belt (2010?), Salutations & Closings Heels (2011)

A surprisingly All-Anthro combo. The Deuxhill Cowlneck and the turquoise in the skirt play off each other perfectly. Turquoise is one of those colors I am obsessed with these days. I have always been a fan of blue, but I'm loving all things turquoise right now.

Concert Countdown and, Outfits, Sale Steals and a Quick Review

Good evening, readers! Happy Sale Tuesday! Much to my disappointment, the Nostalgic Asterisks Dress is STILL not on sale! Grrr! Come on, Anthro! You put the Tuileries on sale, but not my beloved Nostalgic Asterisks? You're testing my patience!

Anyway, here's a couple of outfits from the weekend! Here's what I wore to a housewarming party in the burbs!

Cardi: J Crew Jackie Cardigan, Blouse: Banana Republic Polka Dot Blouse, Skirt: Anthropologie Wooded Hideaway Skirt

The kitties always find their way into the pictures, don't they? Ah...the Wooded Hideaway Skirt. Ever since trying it on, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I love Corey Lynn Calter's designs, but I never want to pay so much for cuteness. So, I can definitely do CLC on second cut! At $148, this skirt was quite pricey, and when it went on sale, $79.95 was still a little much for me to pay for a silk skirt and I totally forgot about it. When it got a second cut to $39.95 AND popped back onto my wishlist, I said: "Yup! I'm ready to buy that now!" and I snapped it up! It's a really beautiful and comfortable little skirt. I am so glad I was lucky enough to score one!

Then on to a fabulous drag comedy show in Back Bay Saturday!

Cardigan: LiaMolly (Thrifted!), Top: Anthropologie (not on the website yet!), Jeans: Gap Kids

The label on this little LiaMolly shrug is so different, but I found this in a designer thrift shop and it's totally cute! I still can't believe this awesome Anthro top is NOT on the website yet. It's been in stores since March and it's totally adorable and worth full price. For a xs petite, this fits TTS, so I would lean toward saying this runs slightly small. I'm totally in love with it. Best full price purchase of the season. And, damn! Why does the cat always get in the picture!

Anyway, I dropped by the Anthro store today since, it happened to be in the same mall as my tailor. I saw one lone Embossed Basket Dress, so I thought I'd do a quick review since I've never seen this on a person, but was intrigued by it.

This is a cute dress. The cotton is a little heavier so in summer months, if you put this on you might be hot. Reviews online are saying it runs small. It fits me, so that must be true (this is an extra small for reference). For me, it's nothing to get excited over and it's way over-priced. $168? Really? Wait for the sale.

Whilst I was shopping, I spied something I've been coveting forever! A LONE Deuxhill Cowlneck, Turquoise...IN MY SIZE!!! To boot, it's marked down in-store to $19.95!!! I must have done something wonderful, because the Anthro Gods were with me! I also snapped up a lone Poetry of Trees Jacket and the Heart's Desire Cardigan in ivory that I've been waiting to go on sale forever.

All this AND I picked up my...Irresistible Maxi Dress from the tailor for my concert on Thursday! I had the hem shortened and now, I'm ready to wear it! I'm so excited!!! It's such a stunner!

New Colors & OOTD: Sugar-Coated Shirtdress

Good morning, ladies! Another good sale at Anthro this week!!! It's quite a surprise since last week we saw a great sale with tons of second cuts and markdowns.

It's been raining here for what seems like ages here in Boston and I am trapped in my rainboots. I actually secretly pining over the Sugar-Coated Shirtdress ever since I tried it on and when it went to sale last month, I passed it up in favor for another piece. I spied two at my local Anthro before the weekend and I told myself that if it was still here during the week, it was meant to be and I would snatch it up. Well...

Dress: Anthropologie Sugar-Coated Shirtdress $59.95 (sold-out online, but still available in stores! Call customer service, style #18823385)

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Mustard

Belt: Anthropologie: Fastened and Knotted Belt ($19.95)

Wellies: J.Crew (old)

I am IN LOVE, IN LOVE with this dress!!!! I don't know what took me so long to pull the trigger on this, but it's possibly my favorite dress of the season (I love my Refined Cord and my Southward Stop, but...)! It's totally flattering, fits and is adorable. The hemline gets shorter with corresponding sizes, so it hits me at the knee, the same way it did the model, which made me feel good about it. The colors look bizarre when it's on the hanger, but on, it's all kinds of cute. It's got an awesome vintage feel to it. I do actually like the burgundy ribbon that came with the dress, but I took it off in favor of this belt. I feel like the key to this is a thinner belt, even though the model shot shows the Radiating Ruffles Belt. I just think it's too much for someone of a small stature...especially since I have a short torso. The belt is adorable though.

I still can't get over the bizarreness of this shot. It's like she's pining for candy.

So, it seems some items have come out in new colorways; specifically, the Refined Cord Shirtdress. I already own (and love) the navy, but the red tempts me. I also noticed a new color of the Daylight Aurora Top. The black and grey is cute and a lot more like something I'd be tempted to buy! I'm still pining over the new color of the Deuxhill Cowlneck though more than anything!

Does anyone else find that a product in another color will suddenly raise an interest for you?

Tons o' Reviews!

Good Evening, Anthro Fans! I have got some reviews for you! Some old items, some new items...mostly adorable! Here we go!

Lucerna Dress $128 Velvet

This little jersey dress is JUST DARLING. It didn't do much for me on the hanger, but on, it's simply adorable and flattering. $128 is more than I'm willing to pay for a jersey dress, so it's wishlisted for sale.

Collector's Cardigan $168 Knitted and Knotted

This cardigan is one that caught my eye when it popped on to the website, but did not impress me in person. It's adorable and the hand-painted flowers are lovely, but it seems a little short. I wished it was 3 inches longer at the bottom so that the flare was more pronounced. It seems a little pricey at $168, wait for the sale if you love it.


In The Trees Skirt $158 Floreat

I know I'm late to the party on this one and I'm probably the last blogger to try it on. I didn't think much of this at all before. It seemed interesting...kind of. When I tried this on, I absolutely fell in love with it! It's so adorable and I can't believe the 0P is sold out online! If you are petite, you would probably be better off ordering the Petite size or having this altered. I think this skirt is pretty adorable, but I don't think it's $158 worth of adorable. Wishlisted for sale time!

Humbled Hydranga Top $68 C. Keer

I'll be quick. I hate this. It's not a flattering shape and when you raise your arm, the top comes with. See? Plus, an ugly gray. If you love this, wait for the sale as $68 is unfair for something that fits weird.

Deuxhill Cowlneck $88 Odille

I already reviewed this blouse once when it was only available in one colorway, but I was thrilled when I got an email saying that there were 2 more colors available! When I saw the new turquoise color in the store in my size, I grabbed one to try on. Last time, I wasn't even able to try on a 0, so this is almost like a first review. Anyway...I still LOVE this blouse. It's very flattering and looks good tucked in to a pencil skirt. I think it's worth the $88 since it's silk and well-made. Plus, I just have a feeling it will become harder and harder to find one as time marches on. I think it's worth the splurge!

Jacinth Sweaterdress $168 Isabella Sinclair

An adorable little sweater dress that's VERY comfortable. It doesn't look as amazing on me as it did in the model shot, but it's cute and it would be improved with a belt. For some reason, on the product shot and the model shot, it flares out at the bottom, but I didn't find the fit to be like that. I would have liked it better if it did. It's still cute though!

Konnichiwa Sweater $128 Sparrow

Bleh. Looks cute in the product shot. Adds 15 lbs to you when you put it on. I couldn't get this off fast enough. Horrible.

Wightwick Manor Dress $128 Maeve

I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up this dress and discovered it was corduroy. I love Maeve. I love cord. I love dresses. I wanted to love this one. I just...don't. It fits funny (it's a little big) and would only look great with the waist cinched with a belt. The pattern bothers me slightly also. It's a tad overwhelming for someone of my stature. Again, maybe a belt and some hemming would help it. It's a fair pricepoint at $128 and it feels nice and is comfy. I may reconsider this at sale time.

And there you have it! Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend!

Concert Black, Anthro Style

It's concert season again and it's time for me to consider new clothes for the stage for ensemble gigs. I am not a big fan of wearing all black, actually, but it comes with the territory of being a musician. Luckily, there are some lovely pieces at Anthro that are tempting me and would perhaps cause me to loathe wearing black less!

French Bustle Jacket $188 Mise En Scene by Ruffian

Gorgeous.This is like #2 on my concert wear list. With a great pair of black pants or a trumpet skirt, perfection. The $188 price stings a bit. Sale?


Dollhouse Jacket $118 Elevenses

It's so cute! The "bow" is really just ruffles. The little flare at the bottom is precious. I love it.

Falling In Love Vest $118 Tabitha  &   Finessed Turtleneck $58 C. Keer

Cute together maybe? Who knows.

Deuxhill Cowlneck $88 Odille

I already love this little top so much. Sold out online right now in every size. Totally worth full price. Ya.

Soleares Silk Blouse $198 Leifsdottir

Oh my. I have to admit, I'm not much of a Leifsdottir girl. None of the pieces appealed to me before and I thought the price points were just ridiculous. This pretty little blouse is making me reconsider. The little tulle accents are slaying me (I'm a sucker for tulle). I've never seen this in person and the 0 is sold out online, but I'm hoping for a sale soon, I'll snatch that sucker up.

I am leaning towards one of these pieces for my first concert next month!

Reviewed: Discovered Lace Dress, Sugar Coated Dress, Deuxhill Cowlneck and more...

Good Evening, Anthro fans! I have been working super hard lately and I am VERY tired. The tax-free weekend we had here in Massachusetts has done wonders for retail and I have been very busy! It's Monday night and that means, there may be a sale on tomorrow at Anthro! I hope some items on my wishlist go on sale, but they probably will not, given that most of the things on my wishlist are newer items. A girl can always hope, right? (Lost Time Skirt...are you listening?)

Anyway, I have some reviews!

Discovered Lace Dress $148 by Fleur Wood in size 0. (Pictured on the model to the left)

You know what didn't cross my mind when I saw this model shot of the dress? That they are models! They are tall, beautiful, photogenic and um...tall. But the Discovered Lace Dress just called out to me...it's a beautiful design and the lace accents on the sleeves and the neckline were so graceful and delicate. I wanted it...but I didn't want to try it on for fear of disappointment. Well...it's D-Day.

First off, it's a beautiful gray silk and the lace accents are very soft and nice. It feels weightless on and the top half of the dress is beautiful on. As you can see, it hits me right at the knee, which is horrible. I thought the dress looked so cute on Cat from Anthrosdottir, but I was so sad about how long it was on little me. 3 or 4 inches off the bottom would probably make this dress petite-friendly. I suppose I could have it altered...but...who wants to do that? Super duper sad face and back to the racks.

Sugar-Coated Shirtdress $128 by Maeve , in size 0. (This dress is by Edme & Esyllte, I don't know WHAT I was thinking?)

Can we talk about this product shot for a second? WHAT is she doing and what is the look on her face? Her hand is resting near the candy (like she ran out of energy to reach up for the lid). "Oh...I want to eat some cand...oh...I don't have any money, because I spent it all to by this dress, shoes and belt. I am so dumb..." YES. This is what she's saying.

Anyhoo...I have a lot of luck with Maeve Edme & Esyllte Dresses and ever since scoring a Tiny Windows Dress on sale, I have been LOVING the shirtdresses. I still need to get my grubby little mitts on a Two-Wheeler Shirtdress before it's gone forever, but that's another issue. Let's talk about this dress.

This dress did not disappoint. Personally, I loved this dress! The design is PERFECT for fall and the dress was super comfy. The 0 size translated well to petite as it looks like the dress is falling to the same place at the knee as it is on the sad model shot. Again, Maeve Edme & Esyllte wins with nice material, great fit and cute style. The ribbon it came with is very nice, but a belt would be really cute too. Wishlisted!

Deuxhill Cowlneck $88 by Odille in size 2.

First off, I have no idea how to pronounce the name of this top. Deuxhill is a neighborhood in Shropshire, England? Who knew?! How do you say it?? "Ducks-Hill"? "Doo-Hill"? Whatever! As soon as this top appeared on the website, it caught my eye.

She is chowing down on those chips, isn't she? She's gonna get crumbs ALL over it. What I couldn't tell from the photo and from the website, because I can't read, is that it's SILK. This shocked me a little bit, because I thought it was a jersey-type of fabric, but the silk is nice. Plus, Odille items are always good to me. The only quip I have with Odille, I suppose, is that on the actual fabric tag, 4's look just like 0's, so I grabbed a 4 in my fitting room frenzy. I tried it on, was appalled that it was so big and than realized it was not a 0. Well, it turns out there were no 0's, so the SA brought me a 2. Fine.
Well! The size 2 ain't half bad! I'm SURE if I could get my hands on a 0, it would be great. But you know what, I could live with a two. It's REALLY comfy and the silk is beautiful. It's not a black, black...it's a silk black, which if you know silk, is not as black as satin. I really like this top. I'm almost willing to pay full price for this one.

I also tried the Ladies' Choice Cardigan and the Kirklees Sweatercoat. Both were slightly overwhelming for a petite. I was so sad about the Kirklees, because it's SOOOOO cute, but it looked ridiculous on me. Too bad.

The Ladies Choice Cardi is an open front and was too long, but had a cute shape. I love the yellow color and the other colors as well. The back of the Cardigan has an issue though. The tag is sown in with brown yarn and to me, creates four little weird brown spots on the back of the sweater.

You can probably take the label off, but then you have a label-less garment. It's kind of weird. This little detail is not viewable on the website, but it's clearly there on the one I tried on.

Anyway, I hope these reviews were helpful! I can't wait to see what hits the sale tomorrow!