In a flash

I have to admit when I was approached by Jack of All Trades about picking out a comic book tee shirt, I got a bit excited. Not only are their shirts super cute and comfy, but it just so happens that J (the boy) also knows a thing or two about some comics. So yeah, I was pumped to have him help me pick out a shirt.

We looked at several options and had a tough time deciding, but we finally narrowed it down to Superman (duh) and the Flash. But the more I looked at the two shirts, the more I realized that I probably had a bit more in common with the Flash: I'm a runner (though not very fast) and I'm always rushing around to my next big adventure or activity.

Plus the shirt was red and it had a lightning bolt on it. I mean really, that alone was probably enough for me to make my choice!

When I asked my friend Amy to handle this photoshoot, she very quickly threw out the idea of shooting at the new LightRails art-light installment near Railroad Park. At the time she had no clue what my outfit was going to look like, but she couldn't have picked a better location.

So get ready for a Fashionplate Cheapskate superhero-inspired photoshoot. In the meantime, here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown:

1. Flash tee shirt,  Jack of All Trades
2. Leggings, ModCloth ($34.99)
3. Heels, Nine West outlet ($29.99)
4. Crossbody bag, Charlotte Russe ($9.99)
5. Vintage cocktail ring, gifted
6. Earrings, gifted (thanks Joy!)

Total: Under $100.00

 

 

 

 

Photos: Amy D

Life lately

Apparently the name of the game lately has been working out and eating. Oh wait. Who am I kidding? That is always the name of the game. So yeah, clearly things haven't been too different.

But what was different was that I finally took advantage of the free (yes, free!) aerobics classes at Railroad Park recently. Joy and I went to yoga one Thursday evening, while Ashley and I opted to get "crunk" on a Monday night. Both were enjoyable, but the Crunk class was definitely harder. I was a sweaty girl afterward and I probably definitely looked ridiculous while trying to do these dance moves, but it was fun.

A couple of weekends ago I went with J to Mississippi to see/meet some of his friends. It was a super good time, but unfortch the only pic I was able to get was the one he took of the Bell Tower at Ole Miss—which is his alma mater. I wish we had made it to Oxford earlier on Saturday so I could've seen campus in the daylight. But we did at least get there in time to drive around town and visit Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home, before sundown. Our next priority was obviously food so we headed directly to the square and ate at Boure, which was pretty good stuff. This meant the campus walking tour had to be taken at night, but it was still a nice experience to walk around and hear his and Hannah's stories about the good ole college days.

This past holiday weekend was kind of insanely busy with visiting both of our families on the actual  Fourth of July. We ate more than our fair share of bbq, hamburgers, hotdogs and homemade ice cream. (Ok, maybe that was just me!) Friday was spent mostly with my mom as we shopped and got a few projects done around the house and then my dad came in that afternoon. I left them to hang with some of the girls from the climbing gym and we ended up grabbing food from the Off the Hook food truck...love their shrimp po boy..it's delish!

Saturday was a busy workout/errand/chore day followed by an evening Barons game in my company's suite with J and my officemate Leslie and her family. Then Sunday afternoon I went back to Regions Field for another Barons game, but this time the Triumph Services junior board was hosting a special event for the participants of Triumph. We ended up getting upgraded to a rather large suite and it was such a good time, even though the Barons ended up (barely) losing. Follow that with a "see ya later" dinner to Kyle at Slice (the 'wing and a prayer' pizza just might be my fav) and it was one exhausting, but fun filled weekend.

The dish on Birmingham: a love letter to my town

I can't lie. On Monday, when driving home from an amazing long weekend of camping at the Ocoee River in Tennessee, I actually groaned out loud as we approached town and I saw the "skyline" of Birmingham (that is, if you can consider four tall buildings a skyline?).

But the thing is, even though I groaned, I truly do love this place.

As I think I heard someone say recently, Birmingham is a city that is neither too big nor too small. But like the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, it's 'just right.' I like that it's not so big that I am too timid to get out and explore roads to see where they will take me and who they will take me to. And it's also not so small that there isn't anything to do on a random weeknight. I always feel like I could run into anyone that I know at any moment when I'm out on the town, but suprisingly I very rarely do.

Don't get me wrong, Bham definitely has its fair share of problems. Traffic can be annoying (though I know we have it easy compared to many other cities), jobs (or at least really fun, cool ones) can be hard to come by and of course there is the always ongoing political mess that I don't even completely understand (or want to understand for that matter).

But as an optimist, I like to look at the bright side. I like to look at all the amazing things my city has to offer:

• Railroad Park, an award-winning urban greenspace that hosts free exercise classes, concerts & other events
• a beautiful new stadium downtown for our minor league baseball team, The Birmingham Barons
• incredible restaurants including those owned by award-winning chefs like Chris Hastings & Frank Stitt (but let's be honest, you're more likely to find me at the J. Clyde, Rojo, El Barrio, Saw's or Slice)
• UAB Health System—one of the top four largest academic medical centers in the country
• a pretty decent music scene thanks to venues like The Bottletree, Workplay and the new Iron City
• new developments including an entertainment district downtown and the revitilization of the Avondale area
• three top-notch colleges: Samford, Birmingham Southern and UAB, which was recently named the 10th best medical school in the nation by the U.S. News
• a variety of offerings for the outdoor enthusiast including 50 miles of biking and running trails at Oak Mountain State Park, more biking & running trails plus a zip line at Red Mountain Park and boulder fields for climbers at Moss Rock Preserve
• the unbelievably gorgeous renovated Historic Alabama Theater, which hosts concerts and their summer and holiday film series
• the Sidewalk Film Festival, which I think is the coolest event Birmingham hosts all year long
• and of course plenty of great shopping opportunities at both small boutiques around town and larger stores at the Summit

I swear my list could go on and on, but I'll stop here and hope that I've covered most everything I love about my (now) hometown. I'm sure I left a few things off, but I can always save those for another day.

And honestly, when you get down to it, it's not just about the awesome things I can do in Birmingham, but it's more about the awesome people that I get to share my adventures with. I have been so fortunate to have developed my framily here in Bham and now I've started to branch out with other great friends, thanks to the tons of people I have met through the climbing gym and church.

Basically what it all comes down to is, if they say 'home is where the heart is', then my home is in Birmingham—whether I live here forever or not.

Or to make that a broader statement, as the group Alabama sings "My home's in Alabama, no matter where I lay my head."

ps. If you want to see/read an entire 40 page piece on the state of Alabama which will be featured in the upcoming Delta Sky magazine, you can find that here.

My "go-to" fall/winter outfit

So a lonnnnggg time ago I wrote a post about my "go-to" summer outfit. As with all my other good intentions, I had meant to follow up that fall season with another seasonal "go-to" outfit post.  Fast forward a year and a half later and here we finally are!

If you're in my immediate circle of friends if you work with me on a Friday you ever run into me at all, chances are you'll see me in a plaid button down shirt, leggings and boots. Thankfully since the new colored jeans trend is here, I can now provide a teensy bit of variance in this wardrobe by exchanging the leggings for a pair of red or turquoise jeans here and there. I know, I'm wild.

Anyhow, I love this outfit because I feel comfortable, cute, stylish and it's so nice to have that one type of outfit that you can always return to if you're in a hurry or if you have a fashion stylist block.

So I encourage everyone to discover what their "go-to" type of outfit is and then find similar items that you can rotate in and out so you're not wearing the exact same thing all the time. You can also mix things up with different accessories like sunglasses, hats, scarves, bags and shoes.

One final note: Many thanks to my amazing friend Natasha for coming to visit me and shooting me with her iPhone one afternoon at Railroad Park during her stay. She had wanted to shoot me with film, but her old school camera battery died while here in the Ham, and there was no time to look for a replacement. So we decided plan B was to do my first ever instagram photoshoot. From the looks of things, there might be more of these in my future!

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown:

1. Plaid shirt, "borrowed" (sorry Brooks, you were out of town!)
2. Red jeggings, Necessary Clothing ($24.99)
3. Guess boots, Macy's ($54.53)
4. Scarf, gifted (thanks mom!)
5. Beanie, on the streets of NYC ($7.00)
6. Wayfarer sunglasses, Urban Outfitters ($10.00)
7. Bag, Designer Details in L.A. ($40.00)
8. Leaf ring, gifted (thanks Em!)
9. Loop necklace, Brooklyn Flea ($20.00)

Total: Under $175.00

 

 

Photos: Natasha Richardson O'Neill

Life lately

It's been another active couple of weeks. In fact, I'm considering posting a "life lately" post every week instead of every other Monday since there has been so much going on lately!

We'll start with a couple of Fridays ago when I baby sat for Laura so she and her hubby could attend the Alabama Symphony gala. I took the girls to the Birmingham Artwalk downtown and met up with some friends as well. It was kinda chaotic and hard to keep up with everyone in the crowds, but it was still a fun and different way to spend the evening.

The next day was spent with an early morning run, followed by a hike with Ashley and Amy at Red Mtn Park. The second we pulled up at the park, the clouds rolled in and rain starting coming down on us. But we decided to brave the weather and had a great (wet) hike. We had worked up quite an appetite so we headed over to JoJo's Diner on Broadway for breakfast with Torry. It was good to spend some time with the Bham Fram!

This past weekend was my friend Lauren's wedding. I can't imagine a more stunning and happy bride. It was so great to see this event finally take place after all of the preparation and anticipation. And the reception celebration was a good time, too! I got to reunite with a few of the girls that we went to Africa with last summer. So much fun!

The next day (yesterday) was actually my birthday, so several of us got together at Railroad Park for the Food Truck festival I blogged about last week. I think that ALL of Birmingham seemed to come out for my bday celebration and the lines for food were crazy long. So Ashley bought us Dreamcakes cupcakes and we packed everything up and walked to Moe's for lunch instead. It was so much fun laughing and talking with everyone. After lunch, those who remained went back to Railroad Park to sit on a blanket and listen to some tunes and talk. Such a fantastic bday celebration. Good times with good friends. Plus, I got so many phone calls and texts. I couldn't really ask to be any more loved. It was such a good day!

Cheap thrills: Trucks by the Tracks

I don't know that I need to do too much "selling" on this event. I mean, who doesn't love food from a truck...am I right?

Anyhow, basically all the food trucks in Birmingham will be in one fabulous place (ahem, Railroad Park) selling their delicious food and you can listen to live music from Burning Vinyl, Gip Gipson, The Green Seed and Todd Simpson for FREE. And oh yeah, the weather should be amazing as well. So basically I guess I should go ahead and say thanks for the awesome birthday party. Happy birthday to me indeed!

And yeah, technically, this could be considered a free fun post, but cmon, how could you possibly pass up a cupcake from Dreamcakes or a goat cheese burger from Spoonfed Grill or a popsicle from Steel City Pops? That's right. You can't.

Details:

Event: Trucks by the Tracks
Date: Sunday, September 16th (my birthday!)
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Place: Railroad Park
Admission: FREE
Other: Live music

ps. Thanks to Amy for the heads up on this event! 

Free fun: Relax by the tracks

I know, I know. How many times are you going to have to hear about how much I love Railroad Park? Well, until they stop having awesome free events, I guess you're just going to have to keep hearing about how great it is!

Don't miss Relax by the Tracks tomorrow night at Railroad Park from 5-8 p.m. There's good weather and free music to enjoy. Plus, you can bring your own blanket and picnic or purchase food, beverages and treats while you're there!

Free fun: Sunset cinemas at Railroad Park

photo taken from the Railroad Park flickr album

I've blogged about how great Railroad Park is before. And last week I never got time to mention the last Relax by the Tracks event (le sigh). But hey, at least now I can mention their last Sunset Cinemas event tomorrow night Thursday October 27th. They will be showing Poltergeist (scary!) at 7:00 p.m. and of course, it's FREE.

So bundle up, pack a snack and take a date, or somebody to snuggle with and protect you! Just be sure and get there early for prime seating. 

Back of the closet: Turquoise skirt

I've had this skirt since about seven years ago when long flowy hippie skirts were all the rage. In due time, that style went out but I loved the bright turquoise color of this skirt so I couldn't think of parting with it. Luckily, I wised up and realized I could turn that skirt into a dress by simply adding a belt! Viola! My life was changed. I mean, what better way to maximize your closet than taking an item and being able to not only extend it by wearing different accessories, but to wear that one piece two completely different ways?

Ever since that magical day of realization I have been a huge advocate of turning a skirt into a dress. I do it with several other skirts in my closet that are long enough to rock that way. And now that I think long skirts are starting to pop up again, I'm hoping to do a post showing this skirt as an actual skirt. So stay tuned!

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown:
1. Skirt, Parisian's (wow, if that doesn't tell you how old it is, I don't know what will!)
2. Belt, ATL Market ($15.00)
3. Sandals, Payless ($16.99)
4. Turquoise necklace, ATL Market ($8.00)
5. Hat, Forever21 ($12.80)
6. Sunglasses, Forever21 ($5.80)
7. Adrienne Vittadini handbag, TJ Maxx ($69.99)

Photos: Laura Menconi

Free fun: Alabama Symphony Orchestra

Photo: Kelly Newport. Taken from magiccitypost.com

Hey Birmingham! Bummed cause you couldn't afford to go to Bonnaroo this weekend? Or that you didn't get your Mumford & Sons tickets in time before their Sunday Atlanta show sold out. (I definitely fall into both categories!) Well, don't stay sad for too long, cause there's some great FREE music going on this whole weekend right here in town.

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra has free performances Friday, Saturday AND Sunday evening at Railroad Park. I've been to several of the symphony's shows and it's always a good time. Especially shows like these that are in the park because you can bring whatever you want. So pack a picnic and bring a blanket or your chairs and get ready for some good tunes.

Here's the lineup:
• Friday June 10th at 8 p.m. - Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 & more
• Saturday June 11th at 8 p.m. - Tchaikovsky's Favorites
• Sunday June 12th at 6 p.m. - Theme songs from films like Harry Potter and The Sound of Music

I'm planning on attending the Sunday evening show, so I hope to see you there. Oh yeah, don't forget the bug spray!

Free fun: Railroad Park

Photo: Ann Allen. Taken from activerain.com

Growing up, my family never went to a "park" much because we lived out in the country for all but two years of my life. So the "park" for me was really in my backyard and at the pond across the street. But when I moved to New York City after graduating from the University of Alabama, I realized that I had taken my green space for granted all those years. I discovered that every once in a while you need a little more green in your life! So I became super thankful for a little place called Central Park that fulfilled this need for fresh air and green grass for me (and millions of others) while I was in NYC.

Now that I live in Birmingham, I do have a decent yard, but there's still no better feeling than stretching out on a blanket, taking off your shoes and settling down to read a book in a park on a nice day. So in honor of the amazing weather we Birminghamians have to look forward to this weekend, I'm suggesting you have some free fun and go to the park! But not just any park. Let's make it Railroad Park. It only just opened last fall, but it's fast becoming one of my favorite places to spend a Sunday afternoon. And considering it just won the People's Choice award for "Best New Park" on thedailygreen.com, I'd say it's a few other people's favorite place, too.

There are really so many free things you can do: skateboard, run, walk, read, nap, get a tan, listen to music, play guitar, hang out with your friends, play frisbee, have a picnic, play with your dog, play soccer, play on the jungle gym with your kids...or you can do what my friends and I like to do and bring board games to play in the park. The possibilities are endless. So even if you're not in Birmingham and you can't visit Railroad Park, I think it's ok if you visit another park instead :)

Photo: Ann Allen. Taken from activerain.com 

Photo: Ann Allen. Taken from activerain.com

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a great-outdoors-kind-of-weekend!