Friend Friday: Heather goes on about books edition

I know, it's been a long time since I've participated in one of these, but the theme this week is books and reading, and that's one of my great long-lived passions- has been since I first discovered how amazing losing yourself in a good book was.  I was actually scolded as a kid for reading too much (and sometimes walking while reading- which I swear I was actually great at even though I'm a huge klutz).  Now that no one is around to stop me, my bookshelves are stacked dangerously high, and I  almost always have a book in my purse.  There's a lot of text here, so read on if you're okay with me running my mouth about books, but if you want to scroll past it to look at pictures of pretty clothes, it's okay.  We can still be friends.

November is the national novel writing month (NaNoWriMo), and since Katy of Modly Chic and organizer of FBFF (Fashion Beauty Friend Friday) has been working on her next young adult book for the last several months with very little progress it got her thinking...what's everyone reading?

Image via weheartit.com

Top 5 6 books and authors that I feel like I can always come back to:

I tried to narrow it down to 5, but I kept adding things on and not being able to remove things- and I had a hard time picking favorites even within authors, so you're getting more than 5 (and the knowledge that I'm terribly indecisive).   I don't want to overwhelm you any more than this, so I'm cutting myself off, but please feel free to continue the discussion  if you're interested :)  I tried to put them in roughly the order that I read them in, but while some of the earlier books are aimed at a younger audience, they're still books I read and enjoy to this day.

A Wind in the Door and The Arm of the Starfish: Madeline L'Engle
-One of the most influential authors on my life, since I'm pretty sure that A Wind in the Door sparked my fascination with science and The Arm of the Starfish was one of the first things that interested me in Neuroscience (my chosen field of study).  Many of the same themes come up in a lot of her books (science, music, family) that I really appreciate, and I love her style.  Honorable mentions for this author are The Small Rain/ A Severed Wasp, which I didn't read until I was older, and act as beautiful bookends on one character's life (and were written at the beginning and end of MLE's career).

Court/Crown Duel: Sherwood Smith
-This is one of the first books that I remember loving as a kid.  Also, saving up my pennies to buy it at Crown Books (and those went out of business a long time ago).  I've later realized that my early attempts to write the next great novel were almost attempts at fan-fiction, before I even knew what that was.  Strong female lead, political intrigue, and one of those antagonistic romances that are great on paper (but would probably suck in real life).  It was originally published as two hardback books, so I  even wound up buying a second copy (paperback and had both books= way easier to transport).

The Black Swan: Mercedes Lackey
-A revisionist look at one of my favorite ballets (the music for Swan Lake makes me feel alive like almost nothing else).  It's got magic, love, and some sweet outfits, and I love that it turns the traditional story on it's head and the personalities it brings to life.

Hexwood: Diana Wynne Jones
-A little unusual in formatting, but very worth re-reading even after the novelty of the first time through wears off.  This is one of my long-time favorites, and even though I'm probably pretty close to memorizing the book at this point, it's still a comfort read for me that often gets taken on trips.  I'd like to choose honorable mentions for her, since she was a great and a prolific author, but I don't think I can pick.

The Salmon of Doubt: Douglas Adams
-Most well known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which is hilarious and smart), but for some reason this odd posthumous collection of bits has been what's stuck with me most- first read when I was starting to think more carefully about certain things (like religion), and it really helped thinking through serious things.

Anything by Terry Pratchett, but particularly Small Gods and Night Watch:
-It would be hard for me to not include him on this list, since the bf and I have now amassed an almost complete collection of his Discworld books.  Most of his books are set in an alternate universe (much like our own except completely flat and balanced on four elephants on a turtle flying through space), which means that it falls under the sci-fi/fantasy umbrella, but in addition to being hilarious, these books are some of the smartest discussions of serious issues I've ever read.  Small Gods is probably the best one and Night Watch sticks out as one of my other personal favorites.  Also, the bf loves them, allowing me to live out my lifelong fantasy of reading in bed next to my bf.

The Eyre Affair and Thursday Next books: Jasper Fforde
-Much like Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, this author uses the fantasy/sci-fi genre to make smart commentary, and I actually laughed out loud while reading it.  It also involves more literary jokes than you can shake a stick at and allows the main character to do what I've always wanted to do: literally lose herself in a book.

Enchantment: Orson Scott Card 
-Revisionist (theme, I've got one) Sleeping Beauty.  I love that it pulls from history and Russian folklore influences.  Honorable mention for this author is Ender's Game/Shadow, which were super influential on me when I was younger.

Robin McKinley, particularly Sunshine, but also Spindle's End and Chalice:
-Her books have this magical hold on me, where I feel as though I'm being totally consumed by the book's world while reading through it (more so than even other good authors).  She does a lot of revisionist fairy tale/ mythology type things (which I love), but it's the way she writes and not just the content that puts her here.  It doesn't hurt that Sunshine (along with the TV show Pushing Daises) are among what I cite as influencing my love of baking. 

Neil Gaiman: American Gods
-Dark, gritty, and pulls together a lot of different mythologies- both the gods that we've forgotten and the gods that we've unknowingly set up in modern times.   I'm also a huge fan of Stardust (both book and movie) and Mirrormask (more so the movie than the book).


For what it's worth, I'm currently reading:

The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt- an odd but mostly engaging read that I don't know how to summarize well (think steampunk mixed with elder gods and human sacrifice).

The Tortall books of Tamora Pierce- I'm not sure if anyone else was enthralled by the world of Alana the female knight, but it come up in conversation with friends over a few drinks, and it made me realize I was totally ready for a re-read (strong female lead! coming of age! fighting and magic!)  Unfortunately I read through them much faster now than I did the first time.


 For more people's thoughts about books, check out today's link-up post on Modly Chic

FBFF: I love Color

It's Friday!  And this week's Friend Friday questions are about one of my favorite things- color.  Read on below for my answers and check out Katy's page to learn more about FBFF.


This one is definitely going down as one of the quickest outfit photo sessions in Inner Cupcake history (seriously, even quicker than my lazy indoor shots).  I had about two seconds in between meeting someone to get a ride to a teaching outreach training session and biking over to Chipotle to get dinner (so that I didn't end up getting hangry at people during a training session and a capella practice last night).  This all makes me sound a lot more important than I usually am (when I was in middle school, I thought it was the coolest thing ever that I would have to practically skip lunch in order to work on after-school activities, and that it made me really important), and it also meant that I made sure that there weren't any cops in the cop cars nearby, so I could sneak next to the ramp up to the parking garage next to my school, bust out the tripod, take a couple rounds of shots, and then flee the scene in less than 5 minutes.  And then someone walked by, and it wasn't the end of the world (and no cops were called on me).

Outfit: Shirt: Express; Cardigan: Target; Skirt: Anthropologie, Boots: Steve Madden Intyce; Scarf: Inner Cupcake designs; Tights (2x): We Love Colors; Coat: Old Navy; Glittens (glove/mittens): Mommed

In a happy coincidence with today's topic, I was wearing a ton of color.  Also, I love that my gloves have a ton of color (and match my coat and scarf) in them and that this coat is so bright, so I thought I'd throw in a goofy test shot, since I'm in said outerwear (and I'm not sure what I'm trying to do to the wall there).


1. What color dominates your closet?

I think that I tend to wear a lot of blues (especially navy), grays, and maroon, but I definitely consider myself all color-friendly now.  I used to stay away heavily from white, yellow, orange, pink, and red, but I no longer feel like I can't wear a color- instead I find that there are shades within the color that work best for me (for example, not a big pastel person).

2. If money weren't an issue how would you change the color emphasis in your closet?

I wouldn't- I'm pretty happy with what I see when I look into my closet, if anything, I just need to work on wearing more of it and relying less heavily on certain things, but I've started to purchase things in shades that I've recently become a fan of (whites, creams, nude/blush, gold, and rust) while still getting a lot of great use out of old favorites.

3. What is your mantra about mixing colors?

I'll try anything once! (and maybe even twice for good measure)  I feel pretty confident in mixing colors and patterns- not everything works as well in my head, but more frequently unexpected delight is the result.

4. For you, how do you incorporate color into your outfits?

All over, except jewelry I guess.  I definitely have plenty of brightly colored clothes, accessories, and shoes.  Colors or shades that I'm unsure of how I feel about are most likely to be in shoe format or skirt format.  As far as skirts, this can be advantageous for having something to balance you out instead of having it right next your skin tone (tights ftw!).


5. Which blogger(s) do you think do a good job of incorporating color into their wardrobe?

To repeat everyone else, Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy is pretty awesomely fearless and a great color inspiration source.  I have also seen some great color combinations on Kendi of Kendi Everyday and  Sal of Already Pretty.

Check out more FBFF answers on Modly Chic!  Also, this is the first sponsored post of FBFF, which is pretty cool.  Although I am not a part of it, I am  totally wearing We Love Colors tights, because it has still been cold enough (I feel like I betray my Midwest past when I say things like that), and two pairs of their tights make me toasty on the walk/bike in!  Plus they're super soft and don't do weird things the way some other tights do. 

FBFF: How do you make all those pretty pictures?

We approach the end of another week, which I'm looking forward to since since this was a long one. This week's FBFF (Fashion Beauty Friend Friday), a group of questions organized Katy of Modly Chic around a relevant topic for bloggers to answer, is on blogger tools.  You can check out her site for more answers to the question and to find out more about FBFF.

Outfit: Skirt and Shirt: Anthropologie, Cardigan: Urban Outfitters, Scarf: Vendor in Montreal, Shoes: Adidas via Delias

What?  An outfit photo and FBFF answers?  This is madness!  Or I managed to get my act together enough to take a fair amount of pictures this week and this one made me feel awesome.  By which I mean I threw on all the comfortable things in my closet at the same time and then had a checkout girl tell me she really liked my style.  Compliments from strangers when I feel like I'm in ma going-out sweats?  I'll take it!

FBFF: Truth in Advertising

We approach the end of another week, which I'm looking forward to since we're having an apartment warming party tomorrow night. This week's FBFF (Fashion Beauty Friend Friday), a group of questions organized Katy of Modly Chic around a relevant topic for bloggers to answer, is on blogger authenticity.  You can check out her site for more answers to the question and to find out more about FBFF.
 
1. Most readers and fellow fashion bloggers value authenticity in the blogs they read. How would you describe blog/blogger authenticity?

For me, much of this comes down to voice- does the writing match up to the way it sounds like someone would speak, and in case of a longtime read, does the voice remain consistent?  It should sound like a real person is writing posts, as opposed to something that sounds like it was written for an ad or a fashion magazine spread.  I suppose I'll put more time into vising someone's blog that makes me feel like if we met up in real life we could hang out and go out for drinks, maybe watch reality television together.

2. When it comes to your blog how to you infuse it with that true/authentic feeling?


I don't think I've ever really thought much about purposefully adding authenticity and truth here, but I'd like to think that it comes naturally- does that count as being authentic?  I just think of this as communicating with a friend, which is how the blog started off- me and a couple friends goofing off and talking about clothes to each other on the internet.  I do try to edit for coherence which does not always happen when I speak, but that's about it.  Also, while I do edit myself in terms of picking pictures that are the most flattering/ least blurry (which I'm guessing that most people do), I'm posting pictures of what I actually wore, without attempting to photoshop anything (I don't have the skills to do it really, although sometimes I try to take out the occasional wrinkle in my skirt).  And I will post outfits that I feel questionable about in terms of how I like it and how it photographed, not just the ones that I feel really positive about.


3. Have you stopped following a blog in the last three months? What made you lose interest?

While they haven't dropped totally off my radar, I have noticed a few blogs that I've stopped feeling as invested in or visit less frequently.  I think part of this is that now that I've discovered more and more blogs that I'd like to read and it's impossible to keep up with everything, so somewhere along the line choices need to be made.  Another part is that as I've started to blog I find myself more interested in people that I feel like I can relate to better and may want to establish more of a connection with than just clicking through and looking at pictures.

4. We can't communicate effectively on our blogs, something we don't live in real life... what are some ways you try to live an authentic life?


Much like in #2, I don't think I've ever really thought about living an authentic life, but I suppose I do try to live a life that I would like to live instead of trying to fit into someone else's ideas for how I should live my life or giving in to peer pressure.  To be fair, I don't think there really is a lot of peer pressure in my life- I dress somewhat differently than a lot of grad students, but no one's ever given me crap about it or about caring what I wear.

5. Give a shout-out... Which bloggers do you think are truly genuine and why?

Just to pick a few (so that you know if we ever meet up, we should totally go out for drinks), Kendi Everyday, Sydney of The Daybook, Erin of Work With What You've Got, Kyla of Blue Collar Catwalk, Linda of The Auspicious Life, Indiana of Adored Austin and Laura of Ruby Bastille, although the truth is that this list could stretch on and on, since there's a lot of really great blogs out there that convey a sense of being genuine.  They all seem like people who are very much themselves and not an internet persona that they're putting on.

You can find out what other bloggers are thinking about these questions on Modly Chic, and read more about Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday here.

FBFF questions: Wake up in the morning, feeling like...?

Happy Friday all!  I've once again managed to get my act together and answer the questions Katy of Modly Chic proposed for this week's FBFF (Fashion Beauty Friend Friday), where she organizes a group of questions around a relevant topic for bloggers to answer.   Today we're talking about what goes into making the finished product that is a vast amount of the content produced by style/fashion bloggers- what we're wearing.


1. How do you determine what you will wear that day?

I tend to think about what I'd like to wear as I'm doing the waking up process.  I will factor in the important things most of the time:  What do I anticipate doing with my day, what's the weather outside, whether there's a particular thing I really want to wear, how messy are things likely to get, and how hard might this item be to clean.  Comfort is pretty much always a factor, but I'm more likely to sacrifice some comfort, say for the sake of wearing heels if I know I'm going to be at my desk all day and low wedges or flats if I'm going to be on my feet and running around.  I like to start off with a particular item in mind, but from there it can be a fairly trial and error process, as illustrated by my "guide to getting dressed" post.

2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend?

I tend not to.  While doing the 30 for 30 I did start matching things up as outfits and setting them out in my closet, to use as the mood struck me, which did make getting dressed much quicker.  I have also started to try planning outfit ideas during traveling.  I don't always stick to it, but it helps me to figure out what to pack.  Sadly, I don't have any super awesome closet computer set-up like Cher in Clueless.

3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don't repeat?

I now have this blog and I suppose I should put together a composite of outfits so that I don't start repeating things!  But mostly I just try to rely on my memory, although I don't really have a problem with wearing the same thing twice. 

4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet? (Trial try-ons?  Hanging items together?)

I will sometimes hang things together, and I get really excited when I notice two things hanging near each other and maybe sticking out a little bit that I wouldn't have put together, but I now really want to wear in the same outfit.  I like to think that they were trying to reach out for each other in the closet cuz they knew that they should be friends.  When at Thanksgiving this year, someone commented on my outfit and thought I had my own style, which is kinda neat, and then she told me that I must have played dress-up as a kid.  Weeeeell, I don't know that I was that into dress-up as kid (although there is an awesome video of my age 5 tromping down the stairs in my new Barbie clothes on Christmas), but as an adult I like to play dress-up in my closet and just try things out sometimes (frequently while dressed in my fanciest shoes).  This generally leads to me leaving piles of clothes on the floor, but will also help me to realize some of the ideas floating around in my head and how to pull those ideas off in reality.  I also have a bunch of stuff floating around in my head from reading blogs.

5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?

My first big project is going to be to organize my closet.  Now that I'm in a different space I need to re-establish where everything is and figure out a good way for everything important to be accessible and things that are more permanently stored to be out of the way.  But that's not really a new thing- it's more of a desperately needed thing that's hung over from 2010.  I like the idea of loosely reinterpreting the 30 for 30 by picking out a limited number of items and then using that as a jumping off point, or by picking ahead of time items I'd like to build an outfit around and using that to figure out what to wear.

Alright, now it's your turn!  What goes into getting you dressed in the morning?  Do you work within a more organized structure or let the process happen more organically?  For the most part I like getting dressed, but let's face it, there are plenty of days where nothing seems to work and there are multiple start-overs.  Any advice for me for getting to the final outfit more quickly?

You can find out what other bloggers are thinking about these questions on Modly Chic, and read more about Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday here.

FBFF questions!- How do you (think you) match up?

Happy Friday all!  I've decided to join in on Katy Rose of Modly Chic's FBFF (Fashion Beauty Friend Friday), where she organizes a group of questions around a relevant topic for bloggers to answer.  I joined the group prior to the holidays, but this is the first time that I will have managed to get around to joining in on the discussion instead of just lurking.  This week touches on perceptions of success and comparing yourself to those around you.  This got a bit long, so I won't be fussed if you don't read it all the way through, but I'd love to hear from you what your thoughts are on these questions, especially since I'm trying out Disqus for comments now and I'll be able to reply to your individual comment.

1. Have you ever looked at someone's blog and thought yours will never measure up?
Starting off with an easy one!  I feel that way a lot of the time, but I don't feel that that's a reflection of my own insecurities or a lack of pride in what I'm doing here- there are a lot of talented people out there who are showcasing themselves on the internet and many of them have been doing it for a longer time.  I consider myself to still be in the early days of this and developing what I want to do with this space as well as exploring photography, and I know that I don't put as much time into it as a lot of people out there.  I also in general tend to approach things with the attitude that while I'm doing quite satisfactory, I could be doing better, so while I've been really happy with what I've done, sure I'd like to be doing it better.

2. Do you (did you) feel pressure to meet some kind of undefined standard for fashion bloggers?
I'm a little leery of calling myself a fashion blogger, possibly because I know that I don't fit into those undefined standards- I'm not model-esque, don't put up editorial-quality spreads, or showcase high-end stuff.  But I wouldn't say that I feel any sort of pressure to work towards these things.  I suppose that I felt more anxiety along these lines before I actually started posting (would I be laughed off the internet, do I have something to contribute?), but haven't thought much of it since starting actual posts.

3. Many established fashion bloggers are also extraordinary DIYers, bakers, and crafty people. Do you think you need to combine all of these things to be successful at blogging?
Oh dear.  I don't want to contribute to the potentially problematic attitude of striving to "do everything and do it better than you," but I must admit that I love baking/cooking and I'm fond of crafting things- I'd even like to start incorporating those interests here, in part because I've seen it done well elsewhere.   I don't think that pulling together multiple things makes you into a shiny veneer of perfection.  Most people have multiple interests and can't really be categorized in one simple way, so it makes sense to me to post about different topics.  That said, I certainly don't think that you need to combine these things to be a successful blogger (unless you're trying to launch a crafty/baking blog), and I don't feel any pressure to include them.

4. The most successful blogs are the ones that have their own personal voice - how are you developing your voice or how did you find yours?
I don't know that I've really thought about this intentionally.  I do like non-fiction writing and wrote a fair bit in college since I double majored in English.  But really, this is a very casual thing for me and I tend to write similar to how I might speak if I were telling a friend my posts.  This may be in large part due to the fact that this blog is the result of text messages with a couple close friends who've contributed to the content here and I was surprised when someone other than them started to come here.
 
5. Toot your own horn... what's one thing you do that is unique to you and your blog? What gives your blog an edge?
My style is pretty unrelentingly frilly (cupcake-y), but I know that's out there (probably any Anthro-blog?).  I'm a grad student in lab sciences, which means I'm an outlier among my immediate environment and I dress somewhat impractically, but all those things are out there too- in fact I've even come across a blogger who's a student at the same school as me!  I feel like it's easier to see things we've got in common though, so I don't know that it's possible to identify anything unique to me and my blog other than my actual self.  So there you go.  I'm me and I think that it's pretty darn awesome thing to be, and I'd love to use this blog to help other people feel that way too.

You can find out what other bloggers think about these questions on modlychic.blogspot.com, abd read more about Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday here.