6.29.2012

Wavefront Music Festival Preview

Electronic dance music (EDM) continues its take over and this time it's hitting the beach!

Hello Wavefront Music Festival, so nice to meet you.


I'm super excited to be a part of the first ever Wavefront and I can't get over how awesome it is that we get to kick it by the lake shore on Montrose Beach while listening to some of the biggest names in the increasingly popular electronic/house genre.

And as always, I'm super interested to see what people will be wearing! No one wants sand in their furry rave boots so maybe we'll finally see an end to that tired look?! A girl can only hope.

As you all know from my latest post, I've been training for the marathon and I think this body may be almost beach-ready enough to hit Montrose in my bikini top. Normally I'd try to go for something a bit more put together, but this has been a summer of bare midriffs & hotter than hot temperatures--and come on, we will be at the beach after all!

Here is some inspiration for rocking a swim suit in style:


After finding these looks, I might just have to cover up with an over-sized button-up, slouchy harem pants or a cute crochet top. We'll see how confident I'm feeling come Saturday...

Until then, I'll be listening to all the MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize and Visionquest my bass head will allow!

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

6.28.2012

Marathon Training

Well so far, so good. I haven't keeled over and died or completely thrown in the towel yet, so I'd say I'm doing alright.

Not gonna lie though, training for a marathon during the peak of summer in 90+ degree  Chicago heat is not exactly a walk in the park.

So far training has gone a little something like this... 

During the week I'm raring and ready to go:


but by the weekend, I'm just like:


I am happy to say that I haven't skipped any runs due to being lazy or hungover, but my inability to say no to anything fun will definitely be a hurdle throughout this process. I've already blown off my weekend long runs the past 2 weeks thanks to Spring Awakening and the Pride Parade.

Rather than letting my guilt get the best of me, I've decided that my long runs will be done on Fridays when I don't have work and then I can engage in all the pleasures of the weekend without the big, long run looming over me.

And actually, according to the 2012 Nike Marathon Training Program, I'm ahead of the game despite taking a running hiatus the past 2 Saturdays & Sundays. At first I was following the 2011 program because the 2012 program hadn't been released, but after not following that the way I should have, I was relieved to see the program for this year starts 15 weeks before the marathon and allows Rest Saturdays & Sundays for the first 4 weeks!


I like the looks of that!

The other thing I'm trying to keep in mind is that I don't have to follow an exact, precise schedule. I don't want to stray too far away from these plans, but I do need to keep in mind that I have a life outside of training for marathons and the only way to stay motivated is to make sure it fits my lifestyle and happiness. 

For stretching and strength training, I use my workout days to do yoga. It's a lot better than forcing myself to go lift free weights or taking a cardio class at the gym and reaps all of the same benefits! And it's just nice to be back at The Chicago School of Yoga again since I took a break from going through the Winter months. 

Check out the story I did for The Red Line Project about this studio that I absolutely fell in love with in the Fall: 
Fullerton: Lincoln Park Yoga Studio Taking New Approach

Running and doing yoga together have proved to be a great combination so far, especially since a lot of the people around the studio are runners. It's been a lot of fun learning tips & tricks and making buddies to run those double digit runs with. 

Hm, I'm actually starting to sound like a runner...

 Images via 1, 2, 3


6.26.2012

Chicago Pride Parade


The 43rd annual Chicago Pride Parade was held this Sunday with rainbow colors, positivity and glitter galore! 

How have I never been to this before?! As a first-timer to the parade, I had no idea what to expect. I could only hope for flamboyant gay men, free condoms and a day of fun in the sun, but it turned out to be everything I had anticipated and more.

Not only did I receive a ton of compliments on my tight, see-through maxi from Akira...

....but I saw a ton of bold & bright fashion that absolutely screamed PRIDE!

And of course, Candice and I made some new friends.


All the while, the parade was in full swing! Only during Pride can you booty pop on a cop, parade around half naked, dress up in total drag and crowd the streets, waving flags of every color while gogo dancers shower you with condoms and after-party invites from the rooftops! 

But the greatest part was what the whole event represented. Feelings of overwhelming pride (okay, yeah obviously), excitement and gratitude kept coming over me as I looked around and realized what an open and accepting city I live in and how far the Gay Rights Movement has come.


Over 850,000 people came out to show their support for the LGBT community on Sunday and I couldn't help myself but to have corny moments of hugs and congratulations for the steps towards equality that the parade, festival and whole pride month in Chicago has made. 

I can't WAIT for next year!

Photos by John Koeger
(minus Fashion section photos by moi!)  

6.25.2012

Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective

Andy Warhol-esque, cartoony pop art has always been one of my favorite types of art so when Bianca invited me to go see the Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective exhibit at the Art Institute, I jumped at the chance. Art history professor Michael Lobel, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on Lichtenstein and actually had one of the last interviews with the iconic artist before he died in 1997, took us through a brief overview of Lichtenstein's work and provided a little acronym for what we should look for while viewing the exhibit. CGE. Color; Genre; Experimentation. 
{Look Mickey, 1961}

Color According to Lobel, artists reduce their color palettes to challenge themselves, which was the case for Lichtenstein as he had a tendency of working with the primary colors quite frequently. Not only was this an artistic move, but it also had mass media appeal and worked well with his comic book panel-style artwork. My favorite part of the exhibition was seeing all of Lichtenstein's famous girls. As an avid comic book reader growing up, these faces seemed so familiar to me and I love how the single frames with only a snippet of dialogue leave your mind to fill in the blanks behind these women's woes. Definitely reminds me of the way some of my friends (and okay, probably me too sometimes!) sound when we haven't heard back from the guy we like... 

Genre
While Lichtenstein certainly helped to start the Pop Art Movement in the early 1960s, his art also took many other forms and encompassed many genres. His career lasted for nearly 5 decades and only about 5-6 of those years were spent on pop art. It was so interesting to see his other works that were completely unrelated to his comic book paintings. These included a wide variety of nudes, seascapes, mirrors, sculptures, abstract paintings and more. 


Experimentation 
By simply looking at the wide variety of genres that Lichtenstein explored, it is apparent to see that he experimented with many different techniques. Most well-known for his use of the Ben-day dots, Lichtenstein made the technique famous while pushing his boundaries and experimenting with many other forms of art.

Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective is on at the Art Institute of Chicago through September 3.

6.20.2012

Spring Awakening Style


Lately my personal style has taken a turn towards punk. I love dressing down a girly skirt with combat boots or adding a metallic cuff to just about anything. When I saw these spiked shorts at Urban Outfitters a few weeks back, I knew they would have to become a part of my closet at some point and Spring Awakening seemed like the perfect time to make the addition. 

Just as I strived to do, there were quite a few people that rocked out a more hardcore, metal look in honor of Skrillex.

While some still went for the boho festival look that I'm sure will be all over Wavefront Music Festival next weekend.
  

But neon brights (especially yellow!) definitely dominated at Spring Awakening this year.

                                                 
       

  

And let's face it, it just wouldn't be an EDM festival without the typical half-naked ravers in furry boots & tutus.
                                                                                         


6.14.2012

Festival Fashion


With Spring Awakening just 2 days away, I've only had one thought on my mind: 

What on earth am I going to wear? 

Seeing as how it's going to be chokingly hot with 90 degrees of sunshine beating down on Soldier Field, I definitely want something light and airy to keep me cool while I'm thrashing out and dancing the day & night away!

Unlike more indie festivals like Bonnaroo and Pitchfork, Spring Awakening is all about electronic dance music and rather than the typical boho chic festival look, I'm sure the fashion will reflect the music with neon brights and decorative body adornments in rave-like proportions.

Known for his metal background and mixes, Saturday's headliner Skrillex will definitely influence people's looks. Expect to see a ton of studs, metallics and 90s grunge galore.

Here are a few looks that are inspiring my Spring Awakening festival fashion: 







Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6