2010 Year in Review: Queen

While most fans expect that 2011 will be an exciting year for Queen, given that it marks the band's 40th anniversary, personally 2010 was a rather marvelous year for me.

Of course, the big news is that in July, I met Dr. Brian May, Queen's guitarist. Click here to read my account of the day.

Though I didn't go into detail here, my encounter with Dr. May did not end that evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The next morning, I emailed Dr. May and thanked him for signing my book and CD. I also provided him with a link to my blog entry about meeting him with the explanation that I thought it might provide him with a bit of amusement.

To my surprise and delight, Dr. May responded! His message was short and simple, but enough to give me a thrill. Many fans have contacted Dr. May on a variety of topics yet a very small percentage report receiving any type of reply.

And believe it or not my excitement didn't end there! Later that weekend, I received another email from the woman who designs Dr. May's website. In her email, she wrote that Dr. May had in fact looked at my blog post and rather liked some of the pictures that Husband had taken of the lecture. She asked if I could send larger versions of the pictures and if I would allow Dr. May to use the pictures on his website.

Of course, I agreed and sent the photos along. Sadly, the lecture at which I met Dr. May was right in the middle of a busy touring schedule and once he had time to make a decision about using the pictures, it was too late. In fact, he never even wrote about the New York book signings on his blog (a highly unusual occurrence as he typically documents all his comings and goings in his Soapbox).

Just knowing that he had actually laid eyes on my blog though, even if it was just long enough to admire Husband's pictures, provided me with another great thrill and made my experience of meeting him even sweeter!

In honor of my momentous meeting, I spent the year thinking "all foxes, all of the time" (as a nod to Dr. May's Save Me campaign which hopes to prevent the return of fox hunting in the U.K.) Anthropologie was more than happy to help feed my new fetish and had an entire line of fox themed clothing and housewares this fall.

Sadly, I was sized out of the Fox tights, which ran a bit short and my evil evil evil sister had the nerve of fitting into the lone size Medium of the Wily Sweater left in my store (I'd tried it on earlier in the season but needed a size Large. See her review of the sweater here.) The fox candles were a Christmas gift from my mom as was the ornament which is now proudly displayed in my office next to my photograph of Dr. May. The children's sweater was adorable but unfortunately too pricey for any little boys that we know. And the button.

HEY!

RT, how did you sneak that button into my photo montage of fox items at Anthropologie?

The button was also a Christmas present, from my sister's two dogs Jack and Docker. I laughed for a good five minutes after opening the package and the button is now up in my office bulletin board.

The rest of the year was characterized by lots of frustration and lots of waiting. Waiting for the RT solo album that he originally began promising in November 2009. Waiting for news of the band's new record deal with Universal. Waiting for the release of the Hammersmith Odeon Christmas Eve concert from 1975 which has been rumored since last Christmas.

We did receive a new Rock Band track pack, which as far as I'm concerned was worth the wait. In addition to new lesser known songs like Tenement Funster, Now I'm Here, and Keep Yourself Alive, I can finally sing harmonies on previous Rock Band favorites like Somebody to Love and Killer Queen. I also convinced Husband to download the track pack early enough that I was ranked #2 on Pro Drums Expert for We Will Rock You. Not too shabby.

And though the boys weren't in the studio working on their own solo projects or Queen material, they did find time to play on a few albums released over the course of 2010. Both RT and Dr. May appeared on Taylor Hawkins' side project Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Rider's second CD, Red Light Fever (click here for a review of that CD and the concert that Husband and I attended in May). And Dr. May produced and played on Kerry Ellis's CD Anthems which was released this fall in addition to finding time to play on Meatloaf's album Hang Cool Teddy Bear.

We'll see what 2011 has in store for Queen fans. Personally, I'd love the opportunity to see the boys play live though I recognize that any shows would likely be abroad. With that in mind, I'm also hopefully that We Will Rock You, the musical, finally makes it to Broadway and when it does, rest assured, I'll be in the front row cheering ecstatically!

Tonight is New Year's Eve and tomorrow is 2011! So exciting!

See everyone next year!

2010 Year in Review: Shopping

If you can believe it, even my enjoyment of shopping was not a constant in 2010. There were weeks when I loved and wanted to purchase everything I came into contact with and there were other times when try as I might, I couldn't find a single thing I was interested in buying.

Oh but don't get me wrong, I did buy...a lot. And I thought it would be fun to go through a few of my favorite purchases of the year.

Swirling Villages Dress, Anthropologie (January 2010)

Once I made the decision to spend $20 to have this dress relined, it became a staple in my wardrobe. This dress also carries the important distinction of being part of my first-ever Anthropologie order. I ordered the dress on first markdown for $99 then the next day it got a second markdown to $49. I emailed Customer Service right away and to my delight, receive a price adjustment without a problem! The belt of this dress has also proven quite versatile throughout the year which means bonus points in my book!

Beribboned Buds Cardigan, Anthropologie (January 2010)

Another Anthropologie first: the first item for which I ever paid full price. And I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I had many a sleepless night over whether to return this cardigan. I loved it in the store. Had to have it. Then I got home and it sat in the bag on my dresser for two weeks which I wished and hoped for a price adjustment. When one didn't come, I had a choice to make, return my beloved sweater and wait for it to go on sale or suck it up and wear it. I decided to wear it and could not be happier with my choice: I've probably worn this sweater 25 times this year. In fact, I wore this sweater so often that I wrote an entire post about it (click here)!

Acting Out Skirt, Anthropologie (March 2010)

My last favorite Anthropologie clothing purchase of the year was an unexpected love. I grabbed this skirt for a fitting room review, expecting the size 12 to be a bit snug on my thighs. Imagine my surprise when not only did the skirt fit perfectly but it looked amazing on me! Once I realized that the price was only $88, it came home with me right then and there and I wore it happily through the year. I was tempted to purchase another color, but in the end something about the light grey version worked on me in a way none of the other colors did.

Silk Dress with Ruffle V-Neck, Loft (July 2010)
Artist's Pallette Necklace, Anthropologie (July 2010)

Even if I never wore these two items again (and I have many many times), I'd include them in my favorite pieces of 2010 because they both had the absolute honor of meeting Dr. Brian May with me. Is it insane that even now nearly six months later, I still smile to myself whenever I fasten the clasp of the Artist's Palette Necklace because at one point in its lifetime, it was within a foot of rock royalty? I got the dress on super sale at Loft (I actually paid more for the necklace than I did for the dress!) and suspected immediately that it would be a contender to wear to this exciting event. A reader poll indicated that I was right and I managed to get an amazing picture with the man himself!

In April, I wrote about being a rather bad shoe shopper (click here). I'm pleased to report that I managed to step my shoe shopping up a notch in 2010 with quite a few adorable and yet shockingly functional pairs!

Sofft Fiorella Pumps, Nordstrom (July 2010)

Perfect Exotic Pumps, Ann Taylor (February 2010)

Franco Sarto Panko Boots, Macys (October 2010)

Rennselaer T-Straps, Anthropologie (November 2010)

I have myself utterly convinced that flats make my legs look stumpy. I'm 5'8" so every time I share that piece of information with anyone else, they typically roll their eyes at me: how can legs as long as mine ever look stumpy? Well, I'm sure they do and tend to wear heels to combat this undesirable effect. My heel collection up until this year included two or three black pairs and one or two brown pairs. This year, I ventured slowly into the world of colored shoes with my Sofft Fiorella Pumps and Perfect Exotic Pumps. Then this fall, I treated myself to the newly marked down Rennselaer T-Straps for a brown heel far more interesting than anything I'd ever previously owned. The Panko boots were a total impulse buy: I spotted them at Macy's and the leather was just so so soft. I tried them on and couldn't resist taking them home with me. I was initially uncertain if I could work flat boots into my wardrobe, but surprisingly, I've gotten a ton of wear out of them and have found them to be versatile as well for both casual and dressy occasions! Perfection!

Honorable Mentions:

Wish You Were Here Cardigan, Anthropologie (October 2010) - My sister pounced on this cardigan first, but I decided that 600 miles was a far enough distance between us that we could both own it. It's soft and versatile and the pattern is just so darn cute!

Konnichiwa Sweater, Anthropologie (November 2010) - I splurged and bought this sweater while it was still on first markdown and I'm glad I did. It's really become my go-to casual winter sweater: so cozy, but stylish as well.

Long pearl necklace with pearl flower, Loft (November 2010) - This necklace is a more recent addition that I'm still trying to work into my wardrobe. I admired it afar for so long though, waiting patiently for it to go on sale, that I had to put it on my list!

I'm sure you all had your favorite purchases in 2010 too. Were they your favorites for emotional reasons (like my Dr. May outfit) or for practical reasons (most times worn)? Did I forget to mention something I bought that was one of your favorites?

One more Year in Review post will run on Friday and it will discuss everything from Rock Band to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to my new found obsession with foxes!

Happy Wednesday!

2010 Year in Review: Running

As predicted when I began this blog nearly a year ago, my interests have ebbed and flowed a bit. Some months I couldn't get enough of my three favorite obsessions and other months I ignored them completely.

Such is the life of someone with an obsessive personality.

Running is the interest that essentially fell by the wayside in late 2010 for a few reasons. Firstly, this summer was unbearably hot and humid. Waking up early to run is supposed to lessen that misery, but when it's 75 degrees and 80 humidity at 6am, short at running at 3 in the morning, I'm not entirely sure how I can be expected to run! True, I do have a treadmill, but the temperatures inside weren't much cooler and frankly the thought of potentially melting in my den was not appealing either.

The second reason why I got away from running was more personal. In August, I found out I was pregnant. My doctor advised me to stop running longer distances (hence my decision to not run the Diva Half Marathon in October). I didn't stop running completely though and by the end of the month, I wasn't pregnant anymore.

Mentally, I know that I didn't do anything wrong. My doctor didn't tell me to stop running altogether: he just said to cool it a bit with the long distances, especially in the heat. But Husband and I have been seeing this doctor, a specialist, since early in the summer and if there's anything I can do, or in this case not do, that might increase the odds of our being successful, I want to do it.

The last few months have been exhausting, mostly mentally, but not surprisingly that has translated to physical exhaustion as well. Since October my body has been playing tricks on me: I feel tired as if the treatments have worked and I give in to my body's request to rest, rather than be active. Husband encourages me to take care of myself, to listen to my body, and more and more I've been allowing myself that indulgence. Then I find out that we've been unsuccessful and all my resting turned out to be just laziness and, if I'm being honest, a bit of depression.

It's been hard to convince myself that I shouldn't have done something differently and my response has been to all but eliminate running completely. Obviously this isn't the healthiest of choices for me, particularly if I'm hoping to actually sustain a pregnancy in 2011. My resolution for the new year is to slowly get back into running short distances at a slow pace because I know that ultimately, that's the best thing for me.

Likewise my running shopping was virtually nonexistent this year as well. True, I did acquire a capri running skirt which proved to be suitable attire when the heat finally broke late this fall. And a good friend gave me two navy athletic skirts leftover from an event that she coordinated at her office. Other than that, I've really been making due with the gear that I already had.

My intention in sharing this information is not to be a downer, but rather to be honest about why a formerly significant aspect of my blog has virtually disappeared. I also know that I'm not the only person to have gone through the things I've experienced this year and as much as I've not really liked talking about it, I know that I've appreciated hearing others share their stories. Perhaps my writing this will help someone going through the same thing.

Stay tuned on Wednesday and Friday for 2010 Year in Review posts on Queen and Shopping, the other two subjects about which I frequently write. I promise that both of those posts will be slightly more uplifting!

Happy Monday!

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone who celebrates has a very Merry Christmas!

We opened our presents early this year because my sister and brother-in-law left on Tuesday to spend Christmas with his family, but this morning we woke up to stockings and yummy French toast prepared by my dad! Delish!

On January 6, we'll be celebrating our third Christmas when Husband's father and wife come into town so I still have a small pile of presents under the tree just taunting me for two more weeks!

Luckily, I've done quite a bit of shopping at Anthropologie's pre-Christmas sales so stay tuned next week when I start debuting all my new Christmas buys!

Merry Christmas!

Step Into Christmas: What I Wore

If I had to pick my favorite contemporary Christmas song, it would probably be Step Into Christmas by Elton John (quite surprisingly as I wouldn't really consider myself an Elton John fan, but I just love this song!) I think part of my love stems from the song only being played for one month out of the year as opposed to most other Elton John songs which seem to be on a continuous 24-7 loop on easy listening radio stations.

Christmas begins tonight in the Princess of Taylor household: we're having some friends over for a Christmas Eve dress rehearsal (i.e. where I make all the food I intend to cook on Christmas Eve to make sure I can handle the menu and then invite over friends to act as guinea pigs and eat it all!) and then my family is arriving in town tonight!

Originally, my sister, brother-in-law, and Grandma were coming tonight, but because of bad weather down South (for the second year in a row), my mom and dad decided to drive up a day early!

This is the second year in a row that Husband and I don't have to travel for Christmas and I couldn't be happier. In years past, we've driven ten hours to see my family and then flown down to Florida to see his family. It makes for a more exhausting than enjoyable holiday and last year Husband put his foot down.

During our summer vacation, he informed my family that we would be celebrating Christmas at home and they were welcome to join us if they wanted to see us. Shortly thereafter, we told his family the same thing. And to our delight, everyone agreed to travel to us!

I'm not sure how we managed a repeat Christmas at home: we obviously did an amazing job convincing our family that it made little sense for the two attorneys to take time off work to travel to see the retired folks, teachers, and people who work at home in their jammies (I'm looking at you, Suzanne!) who can just leave town indefinitely at a moment's notice!

Can you see my snowflake fleece blanket? That's my idea of decorating the couch for company: I promise the rest of the house is decorated (click here)!

Ludi V-Neck, Anthropologie

Corduroy Blazer, Loft

Skirt, Ann Taylor

Plum Paisley Tights, Anthropologie

Rennselaer T-Straps, Anthropologie

Clepsydra Hoops, Anthropologie

Bracelet, Pandora

Bracelet, Gift from Husband

I don't mind hosting at all. I love cooking and since we're not leaving town for weeks on end, Husband allows a real Christmas tree, which in my opinion is necessary for holiday festiveness. Last year it also gave me an excuse to buy a pretty new Christmas dress (though I'm trying to be good this year!)

I'm imagine my posting will be rather spotty for the next week or so. To everyone who celebrates Christmas, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and to everyone else, Happy Holidays!

Happy Friday!

Queen Songs of the Week: Now I'm Here & Dragon Attack

I'm featuring two Queen Songs of the Week this week since I've already reviewed Now I'm Here, the next song in the band's 1982 concert at the Milton Keynes Bowl.

This is one of the last concerts where the boys played Now I'm Here, one of my favorite songs and, of course, it's awesome!

Courtesy of queenofficial.

Dragon Attack was written by Dr. May and appeared on the band's 1980 album The Game. The song was the B-side to the single Another One Bites the Dust and the song is reportedly one of Deaky's favorites.

Courtesy of queenofficial.
In the commentary for the Queen: Rock Montreal blu ray, RT laments that the drums on this song were particularly difficult to play, especially on his right wrist. Fellow Queen fan and Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins has listed this song as one of his favorites due to the great guitar riff and awesome drum solo.

The song itself is a bit repetitive and in the studio was created using a mix of looping and live instruments. I imagine that makes it terribly difficult to play live, but the boys do a great job. This song was a staple in the set list in the early 1980s and here concludes, as it often did, with a reprise of Now I'm Here.

Though I'm not the biggest fan of the studio version of this song, the live version can't help but get you tapping your toes to the beat!

Happy Listening!

Do You Hear What I Hear?: What I Wore

It's Abbie!

These aren't particularly great pictures from Tuesday, but they were taken back to back and I think Abbie's midair leap to get into the frame is pretty funny.

Blouse, Banana Republic

Cardigan, Loft

Pants, Loft

Dr. Scholl's Flats, DSW

Belt, Kohls

Bracelet, Handmade by my sister-in-law

Necklace, Joseph Esposito for QVC

Earrings, Kohls

I'm at my office holiday party today. Family starts arriving for Christmas tomorrow and I can't wait!

Happy Thursday!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: What I Wore

And yes, while Christmas is the "most wonderful time of the year", this past week has been exciting for a few other reasons, all having to do with my favorite bands and musicians!

First, as I'm sure you all know, Rock Band 3 released two new Queen track packs. Now I can finally sing harmonies to Somebody to Love, rock out like Dr. May on Now I'm Here, and drum and sing RT-style on Tenement Funster. This release appears to reduce the likelihood that a Queen: Rock Band will ever be released, but frankly I'm content to enjoy track pack releases and am crossing my fingers for more.

The second bit of news is also Rock Band-related. Yesterday Husband sent me an email with this link. I was driving when I got the email (*shuuuuush!*) but I saw "Billy Joel" and "Rock Band 3" and pretty much knew that the most amazing thing in the world was becoming a reality.

Just a few weeks ago, Husband and I found ourselves listening to a Billy Joel radio special. Portions of an interview were played where Mr. Joel explained the stories behind his songs and the songwriting process and then those stories were followed up with the particular song. As we listened to the stories and sang along, we both agreed that Billy Joel Rock Band  would be amazing, especially with our newly purchased key-tar.

You're welcome, Mr. Joel.

(I swear all these celebrities must have Husband and I bugged or something: first Queen releases Now I'm Here and now the Billy Joel track pack. Clearly I should abandon this whole lawyering thing and just be a Rock Band "song recruiter".)

The third piece of news was confirmed this morning. Neil Diamond is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (click here)! Mr. Diamond has been a member of the Songwriting Hall of Fame since 1984 and frankly I've always wondered what was taking the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so long to recognize him (though he's been eligible for admission for years, this was only his first nomination!)

Congratulations, Mr. Diamond! I'll clear my calendar for March 14, 2011 so I can accompany you to the ceremony!

I promise that I will wear something much cooler than this though.

Cashmere Ruffle Sweater, Ann Taylor

Skirt, Banana Republic

Pin Dot Tights, Anthropologie

Franco Sarto Panko Boots, Macy's

Artist's Palette Necklace, Anthropologie

Earrings, Kohls

I knew this outfit was on the boring side when I put it on Friday morning, but in my defense, I had a lot of work to do around the office and really wanted to wear jeans. Sadly the "no jeans" rule stands so this was my attempt at being comfortable and it worked.

Happy Wednesday!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: What I Wore

Husband and I managed to get most of our Christmas decorations up last weekend (though Husband had yet to hang his fancy schmancy exterior decorations) and afterwards I went around and snapped a few pictures.

Over the last seven years, we've collected quite a few festive Christmas housewares and decor, mostly from stores like Christmas Tree Shop. We've also been gifted many Christmas items which make for wonderful memories when we take them out each year.

Here are some of my favorite parts of the house:

From Top-Left, clockwise: (1) my Santa candle and train set from QVC, purchased last year; (2) ornaments in a basket from Christmas Tree Shop, handmade poinsettia coasters from a co-worker, and a Hermey stuffed animal from Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer ; (3) and (4) tablecloth on super sale at Boscov's, place mats from Christmas Tree Shop, napkins from Bed Bath & Beyond, candle and topper from Yankee Candle, and Pfaltzgraff salt and pepper shakers (I have a whole table setting in Winterberry not seen here); (5) hand carved Father Christmas figurine from Sitka, Alaska (this has been on my one big super splurge when it comes to Christmas decorations and even this was 50% off!); (6) a table full of items that we were gifted: a nativity wall hanging handmade by my mother, a Snowman figurine set with our names and wedding year from Husband's aunt; a Santa football player from Husband's mom; a Christmas carousel from my grandmother (from the year I was born), ornament bowls (which need to be filled with candy and pistachios - yum!) from my uncle and his wife, and a Christmas topiary from Cracker Barrel from a co-worker.

Of course, we have stockings for everyone. As a child, my mom crocheted personalized stockings for our entire family and when Husband came along, she made him one too! Then last Christmas, when Husband and I hosted for the first time, I realized that I needed stockings for everyone else. Being significantly less handy than my mom, I ordered some from QVC and used glitter paint to write everyone's names on them. After that, I just needed to spend a small fortune on stocking holders at Bed Bath & Beyond and I was all set! The lighted garland is another Christmas Tree Shop acquisition, which several years later has yet to burn down the house (*knock on wood*) so it continues to keep the entryway rather festive-looking.

And lest Abbie and Izzy be left out of the stocking-action. They have their very own stockings complete with personalized stocking holders! Typically my parents and sister bring their dogs also (which if you are counting, means there are six dogs running rampant through out house), but those pups just use plain red and white stockings from Target.

And last we have our Christmas tree. For the last two years, we've gotten a real tree since we've not had to travel.

My grandmother managed a Hallmark Gold Crown Store for many years and each year she'd gift our family ornaments. For anyone not familiar with Hallmark ornaments, they are referred to as "Keepsake Ornaments" and are meant to commemorate various events and interests in each year of people's lives. Each year, Hallmark also begins some ornament series, which continue for a certain number of years (the longest series our family collects is the Colonial Christmas series, which is in its 27th year!) Over the years, my collection has continued to expand so now my ornaments fill two plastic bins!

The Hallmark ornaments basically cover the entire tree. I have so many that a few years ago I stopped putting up the really old non-series ornaments since I was worried about them breaking or getting lost in the branches. Even after all the editing, we sometimes end up with two ornaments on a branch (and that's not even counting Husband's smaller collection of childhood ornaments!) Even now with my grandmother long-retired, Husband and I will still probably acquire 5-10 new ornaments every year! There are some young children in our circle of friends that I purchase an ornament for every year, just to tide me over until I can fill my own kid's stockings filled with ornaments, I'm sure!

And here's my own attempt at "festive": for some reason I don't have much red in my wardrobe (with the exception of my Alice in Autumn Sweatercoat), but I have been cleaning up in the green department lately (between my Penciled Ambronia Skirt, my Secret Treasure Dress, and this newest acquisition):

Night Skating Top, Anthropologie

Whipped Woolens Cardigan, Anthropologie

Acting Out Skirt, Anthropologie

Hue Tights, Macy's

AK Anne Klein Pumps, Macy's

Necklace, Banana Republic

Nonpareil Bracelet, Anthropologie

Bright Bulb Posts, Anthropologie

Our holiday celebrations are starting early this year: family starts arriving on Friday and I can't wait!

Happy Monday!

Christmas All Over Again: What I Wore

Some songs just always remind me of certain things: whether it be movies or events in my life, there are certain songs that just immediately make me think of a particular event.

This song (by Tom Petty) reminds me of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, one of my favorite Christmas movies!

I remember when the movie was first released. While shopping at the mall with a friend, we decided to buy tickets to see the movie. My father had driven us and was waiting in the food court with my sister and oh boy were they upset when they heard that I had scored only two tickets to the now sold out afternoon show! Yikes!

My sister did eventually see the movie though and in my defense, she was a punky little nine year old a the time!

While driving to my friend's baby shower this weekend, this song came on the Sirius radio and it got me thinking about how I need to watch Home Alone 2 again!

Isn't it funny how both that movie and Home Alone only contain about fifteen minutes of the robbers going through the booby-trapped houses, but that's really all anyone remembers about the movies?

(Well, not me, I guess. I always remember the hysterical performance by Tim Curry as the nosy concierge!)

Cashmere Turtleneck Sweater, Macys

Kut from the Kloth Jeans, Nordstrom

Nine West Boots, DSW

Necklace, Loft

Earrings, Kohls

Anyway, as we drove to the shower, I was wearing this outfit, which I liked so much that I wore it again to a work conference on Tuesday. I thought the grey turtleneck was a nice backdrop for my long admired and newly acquired necklace from Loft. And the jeans are just comfortable which is a must for driving long distances (which I did both times I wore this outfit).

Do any Christmas songs bring back childhood memories for you, readers? I'd love to hear stories!

Happy Friday!

Queen Song of the Week: Somebody to Love

This is a very timely Queen song of the week as we make our way through the set list of Queen's 1982 concert at the Milton Keynes Bowl: after a year of waiting, I have finally gotten to sing the harmonies to this song on Rock Band 3!

And readers? It was everything that I dreamed it would be.

Three-part harmonies are indicated on the screen: the low part sung by Dr. May, the mid-range vocals that Freddie sang, and RT's high parts. Truly amazing.



Also amazing is this version of Somebody to Love, considered by many fans to be the best performance of the song, if not the best live performance by the band.

Somebody to Love was written by Freddie Mercury and appeared on the band's 1976 album A Day at the Races. The song was released as a single where it peaked at #2 and #13 on the U.K. and U.S. charts, respectively.

The song itself has a gospel-type feel to it, which is a style of which Freddie was very much a fan: specifically, he was focused on recreating a Aretha Franklin sound. To accomplish this, the harmonies and background vocals are very prominent and perhaps the most recognizable aspect of the song. True to form, the band recorded layer upon layer of harmonies to give the impression that a full gospel choir was in singing on the track, when, in fact, it was just our three boys!

This song is a fan favorite and a favorite by many who don't even consider themselves Queen fans and is still played frequently on the radio nearly 35 years after it was first released!

Happy Listening!

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer: What I Wore

And by Grandma, I mean me.

Today has been one of those days.

Luckily I had anticipated it so when one of my cases totally exploded this morning, at least I was prepared for it. I spent the day in my office typing 20 pages of motions and oppositions to motions and now my brain has shut off, I fear, indefinitely.

Swirling Villages, Surplice Dress, Anthropologie

Tucked-Away Blooms Cardigan, Anthropologie

Hue Tights, Macys

Sofft Fiorella Pumps, Nordstrom (on sale here)

Necklace, Kohls

Earrings, Handmade by my sister-in-law

Bracelet, Pandora

Bracelet, Gift from Husband

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

Happy Thursday!

Happy Christmas (War is Over): What I Wore

Thirty years ago today, John Lennon was killed hence today's post title, which I totally think counts as a Christmas carol even though it's not a traditional one!

Husband is a huge Beatles fan and I always thought I was too...until we got Beatles: Rock Band. I was shocked when I didn't even recognize half the songs and the few that I did know, I barely knew the chorus, let alone all the words! Husband, on the other hand, was immediately singing and playing guitar like an old pro! Very impressive, Husband!

I do remember always liking this particular John Lennon solo song, especially when all the little children start singing! So sweet!

And so sad!

Perfect Fit Crewneck Tee, J. Crew (available here)

Neapolitan Cardigan, J. Crew

Trousers, Ann Taylor

Bandolino Flats

Necklace, Banana Republic

Earrings, QVC

Bracelet, Handmade by my sister-in-law

Hm what do we have here? It looks like something I plucked off our Christmas tree!

One of my Christmas traditions with Husband is that every year I get him a Hallmark ornament. This Lady and the Tramp ornament is the first one I ever got him in 2003. When you pull the heart down, the spaghetti shortens and the two puppies kiss. So cute (although I'm sure I had ulterior motives at the time since I was campaigning pretty aggressively for a dog!) Then Husband committed the most serious of all Christmas-related sins: he threw out the ornament box!

Never throw out a Hallmark ornament box! They are called Keepsake Ornaments for a reason (more on this in my upcoming holiday decorating post)!

ARG!!!

I did finally forgive Husband although I made him swear that he'd never throw out an ornament box again (and luckily for him, he hasn't!)

Every year I have lots of fun picking out an ornament for Husband. In the past seven years, I've gotten him quite a few Disney ornaments (just because those are often the cutest and the most lovey-dovey). But a few years ago, I got him this Bananas for You ornament (featuring our favorite wild animal: the monkey) and last year, I got him this Olive You ornament.

This year, I picked out this ornament (Husband, you'd better not peek! I'm warning you!) There's a story behind it that I'll be at liberty to reveal after Husband opens his present!

Our first Christmas together, Husband was still in "woo-ing" mode so he got me fancy earrings and a necklace. I wish that was a Christmas tradition that he continued! Does anyone else have a Christmas tradition with their significant other?

Happy Wednesday!

 

Away in a Manger: What I Wore

This weekend was a rather eventful one for me: I was out of town at a baby shower for one of my best friends, Liz. A few of us got into town on Saturday so we could visit for a bit before the shower craziness on Sunday, which turned out to be a brilliant idea (more on that later).

Another good friend, and fellow shower attendee, Karen told me that she had one request for the weekend: that we take a photograph together in our shower outfits to post on my blog! I was honored and, of course, very happy to oblige.

The lobby of our hotel was rather fancy and decorated for Christmas so we just couldn't help taking several more progressively silly pictures.

Sweater, Banana Republic

Penciled Abronia Skirt, Anthropologie

Apt. 9 Tights, Kohls

Franko Sarto Panko Boots, Macy's

Earrings, QVC
Necklace, Gift from Andie of What Andie Wears

Sadly, we were about ten hours too late to pose in front of an actual backdrop set up for a charity event going on at our hotel on Saturday night. I'm told that the official term is "step and repeat" (which Karen learned from watching The Real Housewives of NY). Too bad because that would have been an interesting story!

Then it turned out that we had an interested story to go along with our shower outfits even without the step and repeat!

It seems Liz, the mother-to-be, has been on a bit of a shoe buying frenzy recently (hm - I have no idea what that's like!). In the past few days, no less than a dozen pairs of shoes have arrived on her doorstep. On Saturday night, as we visited, she told us about all these shoes and began describing them. Never one to accept simply a description of shoes, I insisted that the shoes be produced for inspection.

After several trips to the back bedroom, the shoes were finally all in the living room and we were able to vote on which pairs to return. Karen eyed the Jones New York Zipster Booties in grey and realized they were her size. The next thing we knew, she had them on and was strutting around the living room!

What a successful shower! Liz, our soon-to-be-mommy friend, gets all the adorable items off her registry and Karen scores a great pair of shoes, which she was able to purchase using a "friends and family discount. She was so excited with her new purchase that we styled her shower outfit around them!

After we finished our posing, Karen made one more request: that I strike one of my uber-serious "supermodel" pose. She'd been a good sport and ignored all the staring in the hotel lobby so I figured, "Why not?" It turns out it's a lot more difficult to be uber-serious with so many other people around!

Happy Tuesday!

Little Drummer Boy: What I Wore

Big news this week folks. And just in time for Christmas too.

Rock Band is releasing new Queen track packs! Click here for details.

In addition to releasing five brand spankin' new songs (including Now I'm Here which I've always said would be amazing on Rock Band. You're welcome again, boys!), fans now have the option of downloading harmony and piano parts for six of the ten previously released tracks.

I'm particularly excited about the harmonies for Somebody to Love. I was really disappointed that they weren't available in the first Rock Band version and was then even more sad to see that they weren't included in SingStar: Queen, which I got for Christmas last year.

To finally have a chance to sing, "At the end of the day...goes home...goes home on his own," from the second verse of Somebody to Love has me rather ecstatic.

See. This was my reaction when I found out about the track packs!

Optimist Dress, Anthropologie

Konnichiwa Sweater, Anthropologie (on sale here)

Tights, Kohls

Franco Sarto Panko Boots, Macy's

Necklace, Loft

Earrings, Kohls

Husband said that this would be a nice addition to my Christmas list, which is quite sparse at this point.

I, however, said this would be a nice addition to my Rock Band download list effective immediately when the tracks are released tomorrow! Hey, a girl's gotta have something to tide her over until Christmas!

Along the same lines, I've issued myself my own little Christmas challenge: will I be able to use the title of a Christmas song in every What I Wore post between now and Christmas? Stay tuned to find out!

Happy Monday!

And the Winner of the $40 Gift Certificate to CSN is...

Congratulations to fawn!

Fawn, I've sent an email to CSN Stores to let them know that you are the winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered! In honor of my decorating-themed giveaway, I'm really going to try to get my act together tonight to take "after" photos of our bedroom and to take pictures of our Christmas decorations! I can't wait for everyone to see!



Winter Wonderland: What I Wore

Just a few weeks ago, I was Christmas shopping and feeling guilty for starting so early.

Now Christmas is upon us in full force and I'm feeling rather ill prepared. Last evening, I shoddily put together my own Christmas list to pass along to Husband while he did the same for me. And while I have about half of my Christmas gift shopping complete, I don't even know what I want to get the other half of my family!

Typically I implement a shopping ban in December lest I accidentally buy myself something that I'm receiving for Christmas. But this week I simply couldn't stop myself from making two purchases.

First, my Alice in Autumn Sweatercoat which went on sale just two days after I decided that I just had to own it. Today's outfit was really just a delivery mechanism for my lovely new purchase and it worked like a charm: I got tons of compliments!

I also took the opportunity to wear the herringbone tights that had scared me off earlier in the week (click here).

Sweaterdress, Ann Taylor

Alice in Autumn Sweatercoat, Anthropologie (on sale here)

Hue Tights, Macy's

Necklace, Gift from Andie at What Andie Wears

Earrings, Handmade by my sister-in-law

Rampage Shoes, Endless

The second item I bought?

Save Me Christmas cards!

I was so excited to see these cards available because back when I met Dr. May in July (click here), I mentioned that I thought note cards would be a great merchandising opportunity for his campaign! Though I'm sure it's not the case, I've decided to give myself partial credit for the idea of selling Christmas cards.

And after I placed my order, I was excited to learn that actual note cards will be available soon for which I will take full credit!

You're welcome, Dr. May!

You can buy your own Save Me Christmas cards (along with other merchandise) here.

Happy Friday!

Queen Song of the Week: Staying Power

We're still working our way through the set list of Queen's 1982 show at Milton Keynes.

Staying Power was written by Freddie Mercury and appeared on the band's 1982 album Hot Space. It was released as a B-side to the single Back Chat, which peaked at #40 on the U.K. charts. The song was released as an A-side in Japan where it did not chart.

Video courtesy of queenofficial.

The studio version of this track contains a fair amount of synthesizers, drum loops, and the main beat has likely been sped up in the studio. To that base, RT added some electric and accoustic drums, Deaky played some rhythm guitar rather than bass, and Dr. May harmonized his Red Special (though most of that was removed, leaving only a few harmonized riffs throughout the song). Freddie sang all the vocals in this song, including the harmonies. Source: Bechstein Debauchery.

Happy Listening!

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm: What I Wore

Sometimes I feel really old.

I'm not old, obviously. I'm not even thirty yet.

But technology-wise, sometimes I have no idea how something works. Which is funny because in my office, I'm considered the "tech expert" and even the IT crew has said to my co-workers, "Oh Kathleen can help you set that up."

But can I really?

The biggest thing that I don't get is Twitter. Everyone has Twitter it seems and the best way that it's been explained to me is as a series of Facebook-style status updates.

I don't really get Facebook status updates either. They just strike me as narcissistic, which probably comes across as rather hypocritical since...you know...I'm writing this in a blog for all the world to read.

But I feel like my blog isn't really about me making cookies or driving home from work or whatever other types of things that people feel compelled to share in their status updates.

My blog is, at least it's supposed to be, about ideas: things that strike me as funny or odd and sure, my life experiences can affect those ideas, but the last thing I ever wanted was for my blog to be a "list of things Kathleen did today."

Which brings us back to Twitter: the ultimate "list of things X did today."

Part of the problem is that I don't understand how Twitter works. Maybe if I knew what the heck was going on and who the heck was posting what, it would make sense to me.

See, that makes me feel old: I don't get it, so I hate it.

I could make some sort of awkward segue here about how I don't get pattern mixing either so I initially put on these adorable herringbone tights with my Soffione Blouse, but then took a round of photographs, freaked out, and put on my more safe grey dot tights, but that just seems a bit forced, doesn't it?

So take this moment to create your own mental segue into my outfit photo before I resume my Twitter confusion ramblings. Andd if you're really feeling saucy, think up something about how I was uneasy about wearing an underlayer for the first time and that frankly, if I were to repeat this outfit, I'd forgo the J. Crew perfect tee.

Perfect Fit Long Sleeved Crewneck Tee, J. Crew (available here)

Soffione Blouse, Anthropologie (available here)

Skirt, Ann Taylor

Hue Tights, Macy's

Sofft Odina Pumps

Gold & Pink Pearl Flower Necklace, Loft (available here)
Earrings, Kohls

Okay, you ready?

In an effort to educate myself and to not feel like a grumpy old curmudgeon baffled by technology, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to post some Twitter updates from a celebrity's Twitter account that I found myself reading today. I'll write what I think is going on in the post and if I'm wrong, correct me. Please!

This one seems easy. It's a post written by the Twitter account holder, no?

Okay, now this is where it gets complicated. It appears as though "terry_____63" has posted something on the account holder's wall and then after the hyphenation, the account holder appears to have responded to the post. But what does the RT stand for (and can everyone agree to not laugh hysterically when I tell them that when I first saw one of these posts that began with RT, I immediately thought it was Queen-related!)

Here's one that lists three different users in the same quote. To keep things less confusing, I didn't blank out the name of the celebrity account holder (And yes, I'm a dork. I've admitted that before so back off!) But who wrote this post? Certainly not Martin____5 since he's being insulted a bit. Maybe the account holder wrote it? Or did oug____ak write it and somehow post it to the account holder's page?

And what's that darn RT doing there again? Why does Twitter keep taunting me with Queen?

Last one, folks. We're doing great!

Just when I finally think I've got a handle on Twitter's use of the @ button, it throws me for a loop with the # key. And I clicked on the link to investigate what it's purpose might be and nothing came up. Is this just a topic button? Does the account holder put the topic button in or does Twitter do it automatically? And if it is a topic button, how can it be that no one else has even mentioned Shakespeare on Twitter recently? (Remember my point about Twitter being a bit narcissistic?)

Turns out that understanding individual posts isn't too difficult, but when they all just read in a string on one page, my mind shuts off a bit. And I'm sure now that I think I've figured some of the Twitter-speak out, they'll invent some crazy use of the % key and then I'll be back to square one.

However, I did manage to properly decipher this little exchange and, for the record, it's adorable. 

Told you I'm a dork!

Happy Thursday!

Anthropologie Skirt Review: Pointedly Skirt

My love for the Pointedly Skirt began on November 11, 2010. I remember the exact day that I walked into Anthropologie, spotted it hanging on the wall near the front of my store, and rushed over to it so I could examine this completely adorable skirt more closely.

The biggest size in stock at my store was a size 10. I grabbed it, secretly hoping that the a-line cut would allow me to go down a size, but knowing that probably wouldn't be the case. As predicted, the skirt was tight in the waist, but fit fine in the hip area.

Then the waiting began. I patiently waited for the skirt to appear online and when it finally did, I pounced! My Soffione Blouse from the same order shipped a few days later without issue, but my Pointedly Skirt was listed as back ordered! The horror!

Thankfully, the back order listing proved to be an error and my skirt shipped out to me the day after Thanksgiving (and mere hours after I had sent off a snippy email to customer service asking why my skirt was back ordered when the online inventory confirmed that at least fifteen skirts were still in stock!)

The skirt arrived on Monday night and I could not wait to try it on.

Meh.

This is one of those skirts that I wanted to love; that I really tried to love. But ultimately for $128, I simply could not justify keeping it.

I ended up sizing up to a 14. For some reason I have an issue with skirts at Anthro fitting my waist. I think it's because I'm so used to wearing skirts lower on my waist that I can't wrap my head around a properly fitting high waisted skirt. In my mind, when a skirt sits on my high waist, it's too small. This problem is compounded by the fact that I am naturally short waisted so a high waisted skirt ends up being just a few inches from my bust and as fashionably as some old men can rock that look, I think it makes me look rather odd.

The waist is still a bit snug too. The skirt zipped up fine and then suddenly the waist tapered a bit more than I was comfortable. This created a sort of "reverse muffin top" where the tight waist made the skirt jut out awkwardly, making my hips appear even larger than they really are. Not a flattering look.

The skirt itself is just lovely: I still adore the color and pattern and the length is just perfect. In my mind I can totally imagine rocking this skirt with flat boots and my Konnichiwa Sweater or with heels and a blouse.

Sadly it wasn't meant to be for me and I'll be returning my skirt to the store.

Not working yesterday meant no outfit to photograph. I'll be back tomorrow with a What I Wore post and in the meantime, don't forget to enter my latest giveaway for a chance to win a $40 gift certificate to CSN Stores here!

Happy Wednesday!