Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Kansas Weekend Scene

Even though I live in Kansas City MO, I don't often get to visit the state that is 1.5 miles to the west (and the birthstate of my mother).  This weekend offered quite a few opportunities. And my poor little car even made it to Lawrence and back!


I attended the dress rehearsal for The Golem performed by the Owen/Cox Dance Group at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, KS.  Here, Christopher Barksdale is teaching the Golem to dance - a brilliant and graceful expression of communication.

We ate pretty decent BBQ at McGonagle's Meat Market.  They had a board game called Mr. Bacon's Big Adventure.  I'm not gonna lie - I might be buying this for my husband for Chanukkah.  Because I am culturally sensitive.


A late summer Kansas sunflower at sunset.


The Punch Brothers at the Lied Center of Kansas.  Great show - good energy, interesting music, and Christmas lights.  They'd played a day or two before at the Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass Festival and driven all night to get to the show - they were acting a little quirky and silly, but still musically sound. You can read my review here.


All my adventures were dispersed around work and other obligations, but I had a fun time venturing out into my neighboring state.  Can't wait to go the whole 1.5 miles back, again.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Imagi-packing

Whenever I am planning a trip, I always, always spend the most mental energy planning on what to wear.  Not the sights, not the itinerary (though that's probably second highest), not booking the hotel, or traveling from place to place.  It may come from the fact that what I pack is comepltely in my control, whereas hotel availability, cash funds, event schedules, etc. are not. It may also come from the fact that when I travel I want to be prepared for all situations, weather-wise and socially.  And also that I want to present the best version of myself.  But mostly that when you travel, you don't necessarily have to be the everday-version-of-you anymore. 

In my next trip, I'm taking on the persona of "Arts Journalist - loose in NYC."  I'll get to wear my best business/casual chic and hopefully catch the eye of fashion journalist Steve Schubert.  Unlikely, as I think he's in Paris and anyway, I'd be hard pressed to morph my pure MidWestern comfort-chic into his prefered style of tailored Euro bohemian fashion forward-ness. 

Not only that, but October is a changable month.  It could be 80 degrees or 40, rainy, snowy or wonderfully sunny.  I need to look professional and put together.  The good thing is my wardrobe is eclectic.  The bad thing is that I dress very emotionally on a typical day, pulling items from the closet based on how I feel.   With the contents of a suitcase you can't really do that.  Blerg.  I wish I were one of those variation-on-a-theme type of dressers, but unless you count the very broad theme of always-having-some-sort-of-cardigan, I don't do that. 

I'm excited, though, to present the very best version of my professional self and I'll let the fashion cards lay where they may.