Graduation

 

Ok, I've avoided the subject for long enough. I'm officially a college graduate. One week ago yesterday, I walked across a stage, shook Wake Forest University President Nathan Hatch's hand and received a rolled up piece of yellow paper that explained my diploma would arrive at my house in 30-60 days.

Just like that, my college career was over. The ceremony was bittersweet. Sad, mostly because I don't have a job, but happy because in just over two weeks I'm headed to New York! I won't give away all the details quite yet, but it's all very exciting.

So readers, what advice do you have? About New York, careers in journalism, life as a post-grad? I'm listening!

Graduation Quotation

Hello readers! I know I've been rather MIA lately, but I've been extremely busy with my final final exams and graduation celebrations. Later this week, I promise I'll begin posting regularly again, but until then, I'll tide you over with a quote from Wake Forest's graduation speaker, Indra Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi Co. and arguably the most powerful woman in business today.

"Whether it’s your first job or your dream job. Whether you’re running a business or running a photo copier, your effort has always got to be 110% be the best you can be at the task at hand."

Style of a 20 Something Elsewhere: Trend Alert: Zumba

Last week I wrote a trend piece for my school newspaper about the latest exercise dance craze: Zumba. Click here to read the article.

Readers--do y'all take Zumba classes? What's your favorite way to work out?

An Evening with Emily Giffin

Last night I had the incredible opportunity to meet New York Times best-selling novelist and Wake Forest alumna Emily Giffin. Author of books like Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You're With and most recently The Heart of the Matter, Giffin was simultaneously hilarious and inspiring. As an aspiring writer, I loved how candid she was about the publishing process, while still remaining positive about the industry.

I'm so excited for her first movie-adaptation to come out. Something Borrowed starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski comes out in May, and Giffin couldn't have spoken higher of the film.

Readers--have you read Giffin's books? Are you looking forward to Something Borrowed?

Carolina Cup Recap

Sorry for the lack of posts this week--I'm still recovering from my weekend at Carolina Cup. For those of you unfamiliar with this preppy event, Carolina Cup is a day of horse racing similar to Nashville's Steeplechase and Kentucky's famous Derby. The event is a favorite of Wake students who make an annual three-hour pilgrimage to this Lilly-studded field. The day is as much about the hats, clothes and celebration as it is the racing. Many visitors claim to never see a horse.

The weather this year was great--a handful of clouds and a cool breeze kept fashionistas from overheating. But unfortunately, the South Carolina sun got the best of me and I have a burn with some horrible tan lines. Anyone have any home remedies for sunburns? I'm dying here!

Readers--have you ever been to a horse race? Do you have a favorite spring tradition?
Click below for more pictures from the day!

 

Scenes of College Row

 

My attempt at modeling at 8 Saturday morning haha!

 

Pretty girls at the races!

Taste Test Tuesday: Mozelle's

This weekend I went out to a girl's dinner at Mozelle's, a cute bistro in downtown Winston-Salem that specializes in modern Southern fare. The restaurant's quaint green decor was perfect for St. Patrick's day weekend, and the food was so fresh and flavorful. The menu is a bit pricey for everyday, but Mozelle's is great for a special occasion.

 

It's a shame this photo didn't turn out better--I had the salmon with pesto and orzo pasta. So yummy!

 You can see straight past this patterned counter top into the kitchen!

 How gorgeous are these scallops? My friend ordered them as an appetizer.

If you're super hungry or craving comfort food, I definitely recommend the mac and cheese. It was so rich and creamy!

Willow's Bistro Satisfies Without Blowing the Budget

 

This weekend my friend Kristi came to visit, so naturally Saturday brunch was a must. After a quick trip to Wake's women's lacrosse game, our group headed downtown to Willow's Bistro, an art-filled cafe in the heart of Winston-Salem. I'd been dying to try Willow's for a while now, and it definitely didn't disappoint.

Affordable, with a variety of menu options, Willow's is perfect for college students tired of  traditional cafeteria fare. The restaurant's walls feature a rotation of work by local artists, and the intimate dining area feels cozy, but not cramped.

When we sat down at our table, my group and I were verging on the literal meaning of starving, so we ordered three appetizers: the hummus platter, grilled asparagus drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette and crostini topped with a mixture of cheese, olives, red peppers, artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes.

I'm not the biggest fan of olives, so the crostini wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but the chewy house-made pita chips combined with chili-cilantro hummus were the perfect start to my meal.

For my entree, I ordered the fried green tomato BLT. Willow's menu describes the sandwich as "applewood-smoked bacon, goat cheese, balsamic sun-dried tomato aioli and lettuce on wheat berry bread," but I'd rename it southern-fried ecstasy on a plate. I ditched the goat cheese and this sandwich became a contender for one of the best things I've ever eaten between two slices of bread.Not to mention the damage to my bank account was minimal. The over-sized sandwich with a heaping side of home-made sweet potato fries only set me back $7. Add a drink, and my share of the three appetizers, and the grand total still came in under $15. Not too shabby.

Grace and Laura at brunch!

 

I had a bit of order envy--Doesn't Grace's crab cake sandwich look awesome?

I loved their glass window with an abstracted Winston-Salem skyline.

Readers--where are your favorite eateries for brunch?

Chucks

A thick layer of “frat sludge” covers every fraternity basement at Wake Forest. This grey-tinged mixture of alcohol, mud, and god knows what else leaves less-than-desirable stains on footwear. So what’s a party girl to do?

Invest in a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors. At least, that’s the solution Wake Forest's Greek women turned to. 

With sororities on campus embracing their newest members, expect to see a few more pairs of chucks running around the frat scene. 

As a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, I don our signature blue chucks. At least, I used to until four years of sludge turned them an awful dirty gray color. Now I'm stuck debating if it's worth it to buy a new pair with one semester of college left.

Readers, what do you think? Will I wear my favorite chucks in the real world? Or should I leave this tradition in college alongside 8 a.m. classes and all night dance parties?

Flannel, Formal, and Fall Leaves: A Life Update

It's nearing the end of fall semester, and I've been so busy with school and the Wake social scene that I've neglected my blogging. I hate to make empty promises, but as I enter the home stretch of this semester, I'll make an effort to post more frequently. In case you've been itching for an update, here's what I've been doing in my absence from the blogosphere.

(Me and my friend Aveen in our flannel waiting to go out on the boats)

Mountain Weekend
Visualize a serene mountain setting with cozy cabins, picturesque rocking chairs, and a lack of cell phone reception. Now impose over that peaceful scene a crowd of rowdy college students sporting flannel, blaring music and generally disrupting the crisp, cool Rocky Mountain air.

Two weekends ago I attended a fraternity formal in Fontana Dam, North Carolina, where activities included everything from floating pontoon boats to swing dancing at the formal. Needless to say, my weekend attire ranged from sweatshirts to stilettos. It was a nice break from campus life, but far too brief. Missing a weekend of studying threw me into an academic whirlwind once we made it back to Winston-Salem.

Public Art Final Projects
This semester I enrolled in a public art course to finish up my Studio Art minor. Basically this class is run as a guided independent study with an exhibited piece of public art as the final project. Naturally, I decided to go about my project the difficult way, and am in the process of creating a series of temporary public art pieces  inspired by the poetry of Wake Forest Alum, A. R. Ammons.

Last week, the library held a symposium honoring the poet, and I was fortunate enough to read a poem aloud during the final lunch. On the tails of the conference, I displayed my first work of art, a piece inspired by Ammons' poem "Rapids," pictured above.

Wake readers, keep your eyes peeled for the remaining works in my series. They'll be popping up on campus soon alongside the other final pieces from my class.

Semi-Formal

Right before Thanksgiving break my sorority had our last event of 2010, semi-formal. After internally debating my outfit for what seemed like days, I settled on a Plenty by Tracy Reese dress that I've had for a few years. Filled with dancing and food, formal was great. I couldn't have asked for a better night, but I am so happy to have a brief hiatus from Wake Forest for the next couple days.

(This print is part of Anderson Design Group's "Spirit of Nashville" Series)

Thanksgiving Break
After a day of traveling, I'm so excited to be back home in Nashville. I can't wait for all my family and high-school friends to get into town!

Readers, has your fall been flying by? Can y'all believe it's Thanksgiving tomorrow?

Spotlight on Winston-Salem: Breakfast of Course (Mary's Too)

This past weekend was parents weekend here at Wake Forest, and it was a whirlwind of activity. Between sorority events, a football game, and a family trip to Old Salem, my parents and I barely had time to eat! When we finally took a breather, Breakfast of Course, the new location of Winston-Salem favorite Mary's of Course, satisfied our hunger pangs with a healthy serving of comfort food in an artsy atmosphere.

The Trade Street restaurant opened in June of 2010 when the Mary's of Course location could no longer adequately serve its hoards of hungry patrons. "Mary's Too" occupies a larger, slightly less eclectic space, and maintains different hours, but its large portions, friendly service, art-covered walls are definitely reminiscent of the original eatery. 

After a lengthy perusal of the brunch menu, I finally settled on an egg scramble with bacon, spinach and cheddar cheese accompanied by sourdough toast and hashbrowns for $9.50. This scrambled egg dish was large enough for two people, but that didn't stop me from trying to finish it myself. Simple yet satisfying, the build-your-own options at Breakfast of Course are they way to go if you're looking for an individually tailored breakfast experience. With a list of over 40 "elements" to customize your scramble, omelet or eggs benedict, these menu options ensure your plate will arrive cooked to your specifications.

My mom ordered a more refined scramble with goat's cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, while my dad opted for the "apple butter baby" sandwich, a house specialty, pictured above. On my next trip to BoC, I hope to try some of their "punny" menu options, which include the Breakfast Club, a BLT sandwich with fried egg, avocado and pesto and the Full Monte Cristo, a ham, turkey and cheese sandwich served on french toast.

Overall, the food was wonderful and well-worth the 45-minute wait. I highly recommend the restaurant to Wake Students, tourists and Winston-Salem residents alike!

Breakfast of Course is located at 723 Trade Street, Winston and is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.

For more images of my visit to Breakfast of Course, click below:

 

Clockwise from top:

Hand Carved Set of Rubber Stamps (Etsy: $15)

Splash of Sunshine Umbrella (Modcloth: $29.99)

Eileen Fisher Weather-Resistant Hooded Raincoat (Bloomingdale's: $218)

Hunter Original Gloss Rainboots (Zappos: $125)

After breaking North Carolina's record for most 90-degree days in a year just last week, Fall has finally come to the Forest. Unfortunately, cooler temperatures were quickly followed by monsoon-like rains. With such dreary days its hard to pull myself out of bed, but if I had a chic rain outfit it might be a little easier. I love the idea of wearing bright colors in the rain, but I haven't quite convinced myself that Hunter Boots are worth the $125 price tag. Readers, what are your thoughts on the Hunter Boot phenomenon? Are colorful wellies worth over $100?

P.S. Today's the last day of  the Anna Dillard Designs Give Away! Click here and leave a comment to enter!

Wake Forest Alum Starts Preppy Clothing Line: Southern fROCK

Fashionistas dissatisfied with your current wardrobes, look no further than Southern fROCK for this season’s most-stylish tailgating attire. Drawing inspiration from the laid-back lifestyle of the coastal Carolinas, Southern fROCK’s spring/summer 2010 collection is filled with light-weight fabrics, flattering silhouettes and perfect pieces to transition from a casual lunch date to a night on the town.

The preppy clothing company, best known for vibrant sundresses and chic skirts, was founded by Wake alumna, Amelia Rogers, and her close friend Emily Newman in the fall of 2009. Just three years after starting her career as a kindergarten teacher in Charlotte, NC, Rogers made an impromptu life-changing decision when she spontaneously moved to Charleston, with Newman, a childhood friend and fashion design major who had recently graduated from Meredith College.The pair spent a few months hammering out the details of starting a clothing company, and Southern fROCK was born.

Unfortunately, the company decided to forgo designing a fall/winter women’s wear collection this year. Instead, Southern fROCK is choosing to focus on preparing for the Atlanta Apparel Trade Market in October, giving the company an opportunity to be showcased to wholesale buyers alongside popular clothing lines including Vineyard Vines. Additionally, this fall, Rogers and Newman are expanding the company to include a menswear line. “The Tobacco Road” is a collection of men’s clothing inspired by local sports and North Carolina history, scheduled to debut in November.

The company’s original marketing platform was based entirely around digital sales and trunk shows, but boutiques in North Carolina and Georgia recently started carrying the line. Click here for store locations. Wake Students, contact senior Rebecca Hinson (hinsre7@wfu.edu) if you'd like to schedule a trunk show for your sorority, group of friends or other organization.


Later this semester, Southern fROCK will be one of the featured brands in  Panhel’s Breast Cancer Fashion Show slated to take place on campus Nov. 1. The line will be modeled in the show alongside other preppy industry staples like Lilly Pulitzer and Southern Proper. I'll post more details about the show when they become available.

For more information about Southern fROCK (or a little online retail therapy), check out the company’s new website: www.southernfrock.com.

Readers, what are your favorite new clothing companies?