Classy and Formal

I love my life. My last two weeks in Provo before I ship out have been the best of my entire summer. And I've had an awesome summer.

Last night I was privileged to attend the most exclusive private society in Provo - Minae ut Congregatio (Latin for "Menace to Society"). This is a professional Gentleman's Society, roughly 6 months old, and very active here in Provo. Twice a month, these Menacing Gentlemen gather with equally classy females of their choosing, best dress, of course, and enjoy an evening that speaks of a different age.

If there's one thing I love, it's formality. If there's two things I love, they are class and formality. Being classy is always my goal, but it's not for me to decide or determine if I reach an acceptable standard. But formality I think I achieve. I often get asked why I wear head-to-toe black, skirts and dress pants often. It's true my office doesn't require that level of dressiness. I just like being and looking formal. I often overdress. Don't get me wrong. I get home from work and throw on sweats almost every night. I guess it's the girly side of me, but I love getting all dolled up for stuff. So naturally I was absolutely thrilled when I was asked to attend a best dress, formal event.

Especially if it's a classy Cocktail Party.

Except we are all nice Mormon individuals so I guess it was "mocktails" but that just sounds stupid.

I was immediately inspired by the fashion-forward musical Chicago. I watched the 2002 film before I left to visit the city in focus, having always wanted to have seen it. The best part of the whole movie was how much I incorporated their style and looks into my own look after watching it. They could have stepped right off the set of the movie and into the downtown area of any city and looked maybe a little overdone but very chic. I think I must be obsessed a little bit with the "Roaring Twenties," maybe because I'm a roaring twenty myself right now, but I LOVE the formality, the classiness, the society of the '20s. Society itself had an unwritten dress code. People had swagger, but the kind that is still polite and looking to earn respect, not just expect it. The men were confident, smooth and pursued what they wanted directly. Women were recognizing new rights and freedoms, having fun, being independent, but never "wore the pants." Femininity was still important. I love that.

And most importantly. The Style.

If I could rock a finger-waved bob, you better believe I would. I told my mom that when I was 14, and I've repeated it several times since. Also, the short, blunt bangs have always intrigued me, and a couple years ago I worked up the guts to try it. I loved that too. At H&M in Chicago, I saw a Flapper-esque dress, and was inches away from buying it and thought "But really, when am I going to wear this?" Am I kicking myself now? Absolutely. An hour or so after that, I came across a headband in Aldo that I couldn't resist. Black with a silver embellishment, very Flapper. Recently inspired by the movie Chicago, my new headband and a new red lipstick, I got ready with a 1920s cocktail party in mind. Muted cheeks and eyes, winged black liquid eyeliner, matte red lips, an outfit similar to this one with sparkly silver accessories. I was kind of loving it and wishing I could dress up every day. I think I found my Halloween costume. Katie Derrick - What do you think?

The party was held in the classiest room I've ever seen in Provo. "The Cigar Room" is lushly decorated, with a nostalgic, vintage feel. I wasn't really expecting anything other than my outfit to pay tribute to a different age, so imagine my delight at the decor of our venue (complete with a crystal chandelier-my favorite!). I should have snapped a picture of it. I didn't take any pictures and now I'm wishing I had. :( Anyways, everyone arrived, classy and formal. We sat in a large circle and the members opened the meeting with announcements and proposals. Drinks were served with classy lemons, limes and the optional umbrella. Andrew was leaving the society in a week when he was getting married and moving to Colorado, so he had the honor of leading the discussion. Each meeting there is a discussion about things that are and create Menaces to Society. What they are, why they are, how they can be changed, prevented or used for the betterment of society. Andrew chose to introduce the topic of egoism. We talked at length about pride, the Fundamental Attribution Error, and becoming better people in general.

When's the last time you sat with a group of peers and discussed deep moral topics, with some formality and plenty of humor? I spend a great deal of my time in conversation with all different kinds of people, often about life and moral issues, but never in such earnest and honest conversation, meant to edify all those present. "We like to think of ourselves as influencers of Provo. For the better," claimed my date. After this discussion, I found that he was not being pretentious or conceited at all.

And then.....

We

To

and it was the best social event I've been to in the past year.

Why can't we go back to the 1920s way of socially interacting? Why can't we be classy and formal? Why can't we live our lives richly and with flair?

This was a great night, not just because of the company, the outfits, the discussion, how much I smiled, or laughed. This was a great night because it gave me hope that Provo (and the world) isn't entirely given over to the social agenda of (and I will recognize that I do actually LIKE all of these things, I just think they shouldn't be the only social interaction/dating method, which they are becoming) frozen yogurt dates, random Neon/80s/Jersey Shore/Techno/Stoplight/House/Dessert dance parties, redboxing movies and homebody hanging out.

You stay classy, Provo.

I Heart Chicago

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to go on one of my favorite vacations ever. Chicago. My sister graduated from high school and for her senior trip she wanted to go see the Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley (my family have been Cubs fans since...always. Weird, I know).

We got up real early on Tuesday and caught our flight to Chicago. After a rain delay we were able to see a late Cubs game vs. the Oakland A's. There is nothing better than the ballpark atmosphere. The camaraderie is infectious, and the dedication to the team, while found with each time, is a unique brand when it comes to the Cubs. Because we suck. But even though we lost, this game was so fun. I love Carlos Zambrano and Marlon Byrd and DLee. So fun.


On Wednesday we got up and drove into the city. We had a delicious lunch/dinner at Maggiano's (best classy mafia-style Italian restaurant ever), and then hung out downtown. I absolutely fell in love with the city. We didn't go to the South side because, obviously, we wanted to stay alive. But downtown is fantastic.


I love that all of the buildings have a unique history, and that they are from all different time periods and reflect different architectural styles. I mean, I'm walking past a Gothic style cathedral covered in ivy, and then cross the street to go into H&M or the Apple store. I love the residential high-risers with balconies and rooftop gardens. I knew I didn't love nature and general outdoorsy-ness, but I always liked living in Mapleton with fields and yards and deer running around. Now, I think I may actually be a city girl, through and through.


Thursday we went to a day game and sat in the bleachers. The experience is awesome. Drunk, shirtless guys, tons and tons of cussing, and eating hot dogs. It was so so so so hot. But way fun. Afterwards we went to see A-Team, which was fantastic (2nd time for me). Loved it. I'm thinking about doing movie reviews on this blog. But that's a tangent. The Cubs won, so this was one of my favorite days, but also because we ate at Pizzeria Uno - Home of the Deep Dish Pizza. BEST. PIZZA. I. HAVE. EVER. HAD.


Friday we drove downtown and ate at the Melting Pot for my dad's bday/father's day celebration, Part One. For some reason we were super giggly and ridiculous this entire day. There was a crazy storm that afternoon and evening. Trees falling down and whatnot. It was so fun to sit with the lights out and watch it out the glass balcony doors of our hotel room.

Saturday we went to another day game, this time vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. We saw Toy Story 3, and it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. We laughed throughout the entire thing, and I'm 90% sure my dad cried at the end.

Sunday as we were checking out of our hotel, luckily my dad checked his email to find that our flight was canceled. And luckily, we were able to get another flight out. After resolving the drama we at at Weber Grill, which was delicious and then caught our flight home.

The best part of the trip? Getting to spend a week with these people.

Cinema

I love movies. I always have. When I was a kid/teenager, my family used to go to movies like crazy. Almost every Saturday afternoon we'd fill ourselves with tubs of popcorn and Diet Coke while enjoying the latest action, science fiction or comedy film. I particularly remember the comic book and Lord of the Rings movies. My dad would buy a chunk of tickets and we'd go with all our friends, passing the time with card games and making fun of people. I miss that.

Now, it's Netflix, 24/7. I made the decision to get Netflix this summer because I wasn't taking classes. I thought, "Hey, I'll probably get rid of it in the fall when school starts up again." No. I won't give it up. I'm never letting it go. I am almost CONSTANTLY watching a movie or TV show. Right now it's an episode of Reno 911! Hulu is also a companion of mine. YouTube is particularly awesome. I watched all of the original series after the new movie kicked my, well... it was awesome.

Ok, so let's just say I had to rank my top 5 movies. This would be it. But it is subject to change.

1. The Phantom of the Opera (2004). Anyone who knows me at all knows this. In 9th grade I was unhealthy about this. This movie simply astounds me. The music needs no explanation. I fell in love with the costumes, the scenery, the actors and actresses. I became completely enamored with the romance, action, and suspense. I will watch this movie at any moment of any day.

2. The Little Mermaid (1989). Cheesy. I know. But I watched this every day, sometimes multiple times a day, for a significant portion of my youth. It reminds me of who I am. I sing "Part of Your World" in the shower regularly. Oddly, I hate the ocean.

3. Anchorman (2004). This is the most hilarious, quotable movie ever. I think Will Ferrell is the best. Last week my dad bought me a "Stay Classy, San Diego" T-shirt. It's fantastic. Did anyone NOT like this movie?

4. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). If I could list the Trilogy as one movie, I would. They are incredible. I've loved them for as long as I can remember. Han Solo is THE MAN. I have always identified with Leia. Naturally, I love the romance there. Sometimes Darth Vader is in my dreams.

5. Star Trek (2009). JJ Abrams has the Midas touch. I thought this movie would be entertaining but largely cult-classic material. It swept my Memorial Day weekend in '09. I was BLOWN AWAY. I loved it. I found myself incredibly attracted to Spock. This took my nerd-dom to a whole new level. I immediately began watching TOS and loved that even more. You can appreciate the movie better after watching the originals. Leonard Nimoy is phenomenal, and all of the new young actors absolutely NAILED their parts. Great movie.