Twisted Vines

I was going through some old photos today and found quite a few sets that I had completely forgotten that I had taken. One of the sets was from last year's holiday visit to the Botanical Gardens in downtown Cleveland. We always go there around Christmas time and last year I seemed to have taken some really interesting pictures! This one in particular caught my eye, though.

These vines are wrapped around the giant tree that is in the middle of one of the greenhouses. It almost looks unreal with the way the roots are knotted into each other. What's even crazier is how much this picture spoke to me. In a weird way, it kind of reminds me of life. That sounds cheesy, but it's true. Sometimes things get twisted and mixed up. Things don't go the way we want and it feels like our lives are tumbling down around us in a tangled mess. Sometimes in such a way that it seems like it's not even real. Then there are other times where everything seems to work out so perfectly that it's twisted and unreal in another way. Things start to go your way and you feel like somehow, you got the luckiest end of the deal and you don't even know why.

Life is so great and rewarding that way, isn't it?

Playing Sally Bowles

One of the biggest perks of being in theatre is that I get to pretend to be someone else on a regular basis, and it's considered completely acceptable! I get to do things that I would never do in real life without being judged. I get to dress up and do ridiculous makeup. Before our first dress rehearsal, when I was getting into costume for the first time, I had a serious moment when I put my wig on. Being in full makeup, it was a transformation. I was no longer Emma Clark. I was Sally Bowles. Believe it or not, it's incredibly freeing.



Playing Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" was no different. She is a totally different person than myself. For one thing, she's English. She sells her body in a night club, drinks constantly, does drugs, and flits through life, not caring how her actions affects her long-term. She lives by the seat of her pants and consciously pays no attention to the world around her. Needless to say, I'm not much like her.

Or so I thought...



What was so amazing about this role was even though we are clearly so different, I was still able to find things we have in common. The fact is that, even though she's an awful person, she's still human. There were still levels on which I understand her and connect to her. Even though she's brash and unrefined on the outside, she's still vulnerable, feminine and emotional. Finding that common ground between us is really what enabled me to dig so deep into her character. Getting that connected is what ultimately gave me the ability to immerse myself deep enough to feel her pain myself. There were a few nights where it would hit me so hard that I would cry on stage. It was a beautiful, fulfilling feeling to be so utterly connected to her, this person that I thought I would never completely understand.



Playing Sally taught me so much. I grew as a performer and learned that I can push my limits and challenge my boundaries. In fact, I have no boundaries! The experience once again confirmed what I have known for so much of my life: I love being an actress. It is my passion, and I would never be as happy doing anything else.

Not to mention, I absolutely loved wearing that wig ;)

Antique Time

A few months ago, I went on a road trip all the way to Illinois for the sole purpose of going to a restaurant called Sweet Tomatoes. I used to eat there all the time when I was in Florida and I loved it. Unfortunately, they don't exist in Ohio, and closest one is near Chicago. When we had a day off of school, Steve and I jumped in the car and spent six hours driving to eat there! On the way, we came across an antique mall and decided to take a look. Here are some of the awesome treasures that were buried in the booths.

CABARET: The Reason I've Been Away

WOW! I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted something on my blog. I sincerely apologize to anybody who visited recently. I hope that I will never leave it vacant for that long ever again.







It has been an insane couple of months, mostly due to the fact that I was playing Sally Bowles in the show "Cabaret" at Cleveland State University. It was the most amazing experience I've ever had in the theatre. I adored playing that role and got to work with the most marvelous people. We had an incredible cast and the most wonderful directors. I danced, I sang, I acted, learning a ton about my field.







I'm extremely sad that it is over. It was by far the most enjoyable show I have ever been a part of. I know that I could've done that show on the long run. I also know, though, that I can walk away from it being completely happy with my work, knowing that I did my absolute best, and having made many new friends.

I am one step closer to my future career! Huzzah!

***Photos courtesy of Steve Wagner***

Quirks

Today's Blogtember prompt asks me to give you all a self-portrait. However, I think that you all have heard quite enough about "who I am". You all know the basics. If you're new here, check out the About Me page! As for today's post, I think I can give you guys a little bit of a different kind of insight and tell you the silly little details about myself. The interesting thing is, a lot of us share those same little quirks, but we rarely talk about them! After reading this, you may find that we have quite a bit in common.

*I love Twizzlers. Like, probably too much.
*I sing loudly and obnoxiously in the car, mostly to Lady Gaga, whom I adore.
*I like peanut butter in my yogurt, and applesauce with my grilled cheese.
*I like to sing people's names when I see them.
*If I'm in a foreign place, I go to the local Disney store to alleviate homesickness.



*I snort occasionally when I laugh.
*Bridal magazines are my guilty pleasure.
*I wear the same watch every single day.
*I think my toes look like little maggots.
*I can grab things with my maggot-like toes.
*I like (real) Belgian waffles wayyy too much.



*I enjoy leaping down the hallways in my house and at school.
*I don't put butter on my bread.
*I debate downloading Candy Crush because I'm afraid I'll get addicted.
*I'm very particular about how my groceries are bagged at the store.
*I was afraid of Chipotle burritos until I was a senior in high school.

I think that's enough crazy for one day! What are your quirks?

Leaving the Cage

Mom and I leave for Europe tomorrow! I'm so excited, I can't even bring myself to go to sleep. Which probably isn't even a bad thing, because if it were up to me, I would be passed out for the entire flight there. Flying doesn't necessarily scare me, I'm just really terrified of throwing up. I recently learned that this is a legitimate phobia and there are many people who suffer from it just like me. For some reason, in my head, airplane = motion = motion sickness = puking = Emma curled up in a little ball rocking back and forth and crying. Well, that last bit is an exaggeration. Although two years ago when I was in Italy, I had to get on a boat to go to the island of Capri and well... Let's just say at that point it wasn't actually that much of an exaggeration...





For the first time in my young adult life, I'm going on vacation laptop-free. I rarely leave my laptop home. I even take it out to the camper when we go so we can watch movies (our little tv in there is no longer kickin'). I always seem to need it for something, whether it be for communication, an online class, or even just for the sake of my photos. This two week hiatus from my computer is definitely going to be an interesting adventure! I'm kind of excited to leave it home, though, and just focus on the moment and the time there. I am a little nervous that I'll fill my memory cards too quickly, though!

Even though I won't have my computer with me for the next two weeks, I won't be entirely technology-free. I will still have my handy iPhone, my Kindle, and my very advanced camera with me. I'll be able to use my phone where there is Wifi, which means I'll still be Instagramming (follow the adventure)! Of course, I will also be taking *plenty* of photos with my regular camera, so there will plenty to share when I get back! Hopefully I will be able to post a few times during the next two weeks, but please don't hold it against me if I don't update as regularly. Writing blog posts from an iPhone is no fun.





I am so excited for this trip! I have been aching to go back to Europe ever since I left and I'm so glad the day is finally here! A little rundown of our itinerary for you: We start in Belgium, so that I can see my host families and all my friends, as well as show my mom around the country where I lived for a year. From there we go to Paris for three days where we plan to climb the Eiffel Tower (check that off from my bucket list!), go to the Louvre and Notre Dame, and stroll down the Champs Elysées. Then it's off to Provence, which is a region in the south of France that is famous for their beautiful country landscapes, wine, and lavender. We're doing a driving tour of some of the wineries and soaking up the fabulous views! Last but not least, we finish up in London. I didn't make it to London last time I was in Europe, so I'm incredibly excited to see the city! We are definitely going to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. We are going to be so busy for two weeks, but it will be so worth it! I'm sure there will also be plenty of wonderful food along the way :)





Because we're leaving so soon, all my super cute clothes are packed and ready to get on the plane with me. Dressing myself has become even more of a process than usual because, let's face it, you always want what you don't have and right now what I don't have are the things in my suitcase. It's not like I don't still have plenty of things to wear, it's just that I'm always wishing I could pull something out of my very neatly packed bag, even though there really isn't that much in it. I wore this outfit for the day of my sister's going away party. She's leaving for Ireland in the fall to study abroad. There will be more on that party later! Anyways, I decided to pull out a pair of my super flowy patterned shorts, a breezy sweater top, and my brand new lace bralette. I was so nervous about showing undergarments at first (gasp!), but I feel that this way, I'm still being fairly modest and I have to remember that these things are designed to be seen. I also debuted my new hot-air balloon necklace. I'm totally in love with this piece. It's so unique and interesting, when I saw it, I knew I couldn't leave the store without it! Unfortunately, it won't be coming to Europe with me.

And for those of you who are wondering, yes, those are prescription glasses and yes, I am basically blind without them.



Only 13 hours until we take off! Follow what's happening on my Instagram! Oh, and I can't wait to get back to speaking French again ;) What would you do with two weeks in Europe?

Free Sparrow

I want to start today's post by letting you all know that Classy Emma is about to undergo some major construction. I'm unhappy with the name of my blog, so I'm changing it. By Saturday, just about everything about this blog will be new. The title is changing to "Free Sparrow" (more on that later), the layout and icons will be different, I'm even changing the URL to finish it up (I'll keep you updated on that as well). That will be happening on Saturday. I wanted to let everyone know that there are no surprises and you know exactly what is coming.





Anyways! It rained most of today, but Olivia and I braved the weather and went to the zoo anyway. We're very lucky in Cleveland to have such an awesome zoo and despite the rain, it still proved to be plenty of fun! Most of the animals were still out and active, and I got to pull out my snazzy dome umbrella, which I take pretty much every opportunity to use.





I'm really excited about this transition of the blog! I've been thinking about it for a while now, but it took me a while to come up with a name that satisfied me. Every time I came up with something I liked, I would find out that it was already taken by a business or blog elsewhere. I turned to list-making and wrote out a whole bunch of words that I like. I tried out combination after combination, even brought in some French. Finally, I came up with "Free Sparrow". I love it because sparrows are light, pretty, and full of spirit. Plus, they're just downright adorable. The phrase "Free Sparrow" is also a sort of spin-off of "free spirit", which describes me very well.

Even though it's August, it's still been pretty chilly here in Cleveland. Today was definitely a jeans and cardigan kind of day. I also don't own a pair of rain boots (I really should invest in a pair), but my combat boots fought against the rain perfectly, and triumphed. By the end of our visit, the rain had let up and we were enjoying the sun :)





This is actually the first time in a while that I've worn jeans. I'm pretty proud of myself for setting aside my insecurities about my body and posting these photos, let alone taking them. It's probably my most comfortable pair of jeans. Then I pulled out one of my older button-down shirts and that awesome hand-me-down cardigan to go with them. I jazzed it up with my super sweet bottle cap belt and umbrella earrings, which were totally appropriate for the weather conditions of the day.





I'm also SUPER excited about this bag! It's actually my brand new camera bag from Ona. I'm nuts about it. I'll do a spotlight post on this awesome bag later, after it survives my European excursions.





It was a great day of zoo shenanigans, animals, and playing around in the Dinosaur Exhibit. Turns out my sister looks a lot like a t-rex...

What are your best zoo memories?

July Wrap-up

As told by my Instagram:



July has certainly been a crazy one! I can't believe I've only been home from Disney for about a month. In that month, I have started a new job (I've been selling merchandise for The Lion King Broadway show as it comes through Cleveland), celebrated two of my best friends' weddings, got hired at a bridal salon (more about that later), and got started on this blog!

Of course, I have big plans for August, as well! In ten days, I leave for a two week visit to Europe with my mom (YAY!), and when I get back, it will be one thing after another! Classes will start back up, I'll start my new job, and begin preparing for upcoming auditions at CSU. There is a ton of stuff to be looking forward to, and I can't wait to get started! Sadly, it will mean ending my job with The Lion King, which is a shame, because I'm really enjoying it. But you know what they say, when one door closes, another opens! The more I experience life, the more I believe that.

Photos: my last day at Magic Kingdom until next summer; painting pottery with my sister; Fourth of July with the boy; cheese and crackers at an outdoor Cleveland Orchestra concert; rockin' my lion mane on my first day at The Lion King; my orange blueberry cornbread muffins; my latest shipment of Mary Kay eyeshadows; Steve and I at Nicole's wedding; my most popular post yet; on being extraordinary; free Starbucks, courtesy of my awesome manager; delicious sangria at lunch with mommy; beautiful design made my chance with sauce when Steve and I were at dinner; the wine we had; the amazing bruschetta that we had on our Super Date; pretty vegetables, ready to grill!

Happy Fourth!

Obviously, it is no longer the Fourth of July... But hey, we were all busy with cookouts and fireworks anyways, right? It's totally fine that I'm posting a day late :)

Yesterday was a pretty chill Independence Day at my house. Just me, my parents, my sister and my boyfriend hanging out and eating lots of yummies. We were hoping for some pool time, but it was a bit chilly here. I skipped out on the pool, but still had fun spending the day with Steve. We were long due for some quality couple time. We didn't end up seeing any fireworks, either, but my parents and sister did go see a movie. Steve was passed out on my couch, so we opted out.

People don't realize it, but Independence Day is probably the most important holiday in our country's history. I mean, obviously Christmas and Easter trump it on the religious/cultural scale, but as far as the USA goes, the Fourth is definitely up there and worth taking the time to think about. We wouldn't even be here today, living the way we do if the events of that day hadn't happened. Who knows where we would be! I, personally, am very happy with the way my life is right now, and though some people think that at this point, we may be better off still being ruled by another country, the fact is that these United States wouldn't be ANYTHING like they are now if it weren't for our founding fathers and our declaring our independence. There is a reason that patriotism is strong in this country, because we're awesome and worth celebrating. Our freedom is a blessing, and we should take this day to remember that.

I had decided to go for the vintage look yesterday with my white high-waisted shorts. Looking at these photos, they really could have used a second iron, but after doing it once that morning, I didn't have the patience or motivation to do it again... I had originally thought I would wear my red and white polka dotted bikini top, since we would just be lounging around in the backyard, but I guess I had gotten rid of that bathing suit because it was nowhere to be found. Instead, I closet-picked a flowy red and navy blue shirt from my sister and tied it up to go with the shorts. I actually had to take those shorts in that morning because they were a good inch and a half too big, and with no belt loops, that wasn't going to fly with me. I think I did a pretty good job! To that I added a navy blue head scarf, winged-out liquid liner, and bright red lipstick to complete the look.

The wind was not having mercy on my hair. I think I redid it three times yesterday. What did you do for the Fourth?