o.BAM.a

In honor of the inauguration on Monday, I thought I'd do a shout out to the classic first lady, Mrs. Obama. This miss not only has a slammin' bod, but she also takes risks in her style choices. For the first time since the days of Jackie O. we have a first lady who goes for more then the pant suit, or a color to send the message of some political position. She simply has fun with her clothes and appearance. Also, these two lovebirds always look so happy in each others arms- it makes my heart melt. They're not afraid to show affection!

Inaugural Ball 2009, Dress by Jason Wu

For the inauguration, Mrs.O rocked a patterned coat and Jcrew gloves and belt. The best part about this I feel is that she's sending the message that her style is accessible. I mean i can go to JCrew and get those gloves, right?

I also wanted to share this great blog I found dedicated to this style maven herself.

Mrs.O

I also recently attended a discussion by Kate Betts here in town. She's written the book,

Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style. I'm in the processes of reading my signed copy and can't wait to share more about it.

in the Nude

No, not naked- but forgoing clothes with a pair of these may make for an interesting evening..!

The barely there look is only flattering for some when it comes to full out clothing, however the "nude" shoe is a universal pleaser! There's many shades and styles and I've had my eye on a few splurge worthy kicks this past week. Think my closet needs a new pair!

Tory B.- Aaden pump

same shoe, less height!

Tory B. Aaden flat

Tory B. -  Pacey Ballet flat

ToryB. Madison pump

Jcrew

Jcrew

 

I tend to favor the flat shoe, but a new years goal is to venture into heel wearing more often. The heel styles have some substantial height while still having a nice thick walkable heel. I'm just loving the Jcrew styles- but the aaden pump from my all time fav ToryB may win out due to an inch less height.

 

Either way you slice it, i don't think you can go wrong with any of these nudes..

Drama Queen.

So in case you don't know this- I'm really into theater. In my high school days my niche was "drama kid" and I was in "Glee" before it was even a thing. Singing in particular is a passion of mine. I've "starred" (local in south florida that is) in 9 full productions between high school and college; 7 of these being Musicals (my favorite lead roles being Meg in Damn Yankees and Cinderella in Into the Woods). I've trained classically with private intstructors (yep, I can sing Opera), been honored to sing during 3 wedding ceremonies (my sister's and 2 dear friends), and have spent countless hours singing in the shower or evenings out at karaoke bars.

I'm not gonna lie...I sort of think I'm a big deal in the vocal department. I was truly blessed with a talent and lately I've been frustrated with myself that I don't use this talent more often. I do at times think, "Oh if only i tried out for American idol, or moved to New York to pursue it.."; However I am far to practical and pragmatic to have tried such a thing. Eh... C'est la vie.

Well you can imagine my excitement a few years back when the film industry decided to undertake transforming the beauty of musical theater to the big screen! I.have.seen.them.all. no matter how good (Evita, Chicago, Dreamgirls, Rent) or bad (Sweeny Todd)- I go.

Over the holidays I was able to go see Les Miserables. Simply put, I was blown away. Mostly I was overjoyed by the way it was done. This is the first time the raw passion and acting of musical theater while also singing LIVE was caught on camera (let me tell you, it is hard to cry and belt out notes at the same time!). no no no, no dubbed singing here. I was SO impressed with every aspect and talent of the actors within the film and the quality overall. Now keep in mind, Les Mis is an operetta or "through-sung" musical, meaning there's about 3 spoken lines of dialogue in the whole 2 hour 45 minutes film...no joke.  

I wept throughout and have a whole new respect for Anne Hathaway (however I still think Amanda Seyfried should stick to just acting ... or take a hike altogether please).

I bought the soundtrack, and have been humming along (slash belting out notes in my apartment at random). I will own this film as soon as it's available as well, and really hope it gets the props it deserves come awards season. If you haven't seen it, you should. A beautiful story about sacrifice, forgiveness, and love...

Welcome, 2013!

2012 was a fantastic year for us, and frankly will be tough to top.

I became a “Mrs” after 6 years of dating my best friend

We went on our free honeymoon (won for us through the votes of dearest friends and family on a “proposal story contest” on the knot.com- yes people win these things!)

J made the decision to leave the law, took a 3 week solo road trip

across America, and then started a new job.

We welcomed the first grandbaby into the Bruno family, my dear sweet nephew Pierson.

As far as New Year’s resolutions, I’m not a big fan. I think we have a tendency for setting big goals for ourselves and then chucking them completely out the window the second we start to slip. The gym has been packed this week- but give it a month and I'm sure it'll die down.

So instead of just focusing on all the changes that need to be made (i.e. eating better, drinking less, working out more), I've decided to highlight some of the beautiful moments life has to offer this year (those sparkling ones)! Here's a few I hope to enjoy:

Wear high heels more. Host a brunch with girlfriends for no occasion.  Spend more time outside with Zuko. Be nicer to myself and stop comparing myself to others. Host a few game nights. Have a monthly stay-in date with J where we cook something fun/new. Enjoy posting on this blog more and letting myself have fun with it. Hear more live music. Make ice cream. Take day trips to Huber’s for the vineyard or to pick fresh produce. Visit the farmer’s market. Buy our first home.

So on that note, I am making a choice to enjoy each moment and invest in myself more. I think I'll also start making more check lists. Welcome, 2013. It's gonna be a good one...I can feel it.