Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Cutouts, ribbons, T-straps, heels, and a GIVEAWAY!

If you know me or have been a blog reader or pinterest-follower for some time now, you probably know that I have quite the weakness for shoes. Particularly vintage-inspired ones.
 
I used to make fun of one of my sisters for having more shoes than two people in our house put together. And, I hate to confess to you, already have a collection going:
 
Soft stripe in a grey color with fun cutouts and satin black ribbons

The faux buttoned straps sold me...

Brown oxford-styled heels
Satin white Titanic-reproductions which I'm saving for either a reenactment or my wedding someday (which ever comes first!)
Imagine my delight when I was notified this morning that American Duchess just began a week-long giveaway for a free pair of their Gibson Edwardian Shoes. The overall style, vintage appeal and colors available make these just beautiful! You may be a pessimist like I am in the chances of winning a giveaway, but it certainly doesn't hurt or cost you anything but a little time to enter! 


Click here to ENTER!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Life

As you all might have guessed (and you would have assumed correctly), "Cheri is busy." This is my attempt of coming out of my hole/practice room/busy schedule/(insert any other word here) to give you a brief update.
 
We had snow a few weekends ago. Being born and raised in the mid-west, and live in a snowy part of the world when I'm not in school, getting an inch or two of snow doesn't phase me. It changes everything down here. Schools and businesses close while people frantically run to the grocery store for bread and milk. (Don't they realize that it will be gone in a couple of hours? Especially when it's in the south?) 
 
 

The majority of people are literally scared to come out of their front door if there is snow on the road, while I leisurely took a walk early Sunday morning before church (and yes, the snow was gone by the time I got there) to grab a few pictures before the sun began melting it all away.

 
With classes, practice, and work I rarely have time for socializing (unless you count a quick walk with a friend or two to Starbucks in between classes as being social) and even on Sunday I don't often visit with people from church. If it wasn't 1 1/2 hours away, that would most likely be different. However, last week I was blessed with a several hour visit from a MN friend who was in the area for a friend's wedding. Amy and I enjoyed visiting over Olive Garden, window shopping, and Starbucks. 


School is going well, work is going well, and so is music. Each day I count myself so blessed to be able to learn from some of the best professors and teachers I know of. God is so gracious.
 

And as a testimonial of my joy in learning music, here I am with my just-arrived unaccompanied Bach sheet music. I had a cheapy edition, and my teacher was practically begging me to get a better one. I am working on the Loure and Gavotte for those of you who may be familiar with unaccompanied Bach. It sounds so simple, clean, and pure, but it takes more effort and practice than you can imagine to endeavor to get it sounding that way. :)

Well, I'm off to go make a grilled cheese for supper. Have a lovely February, and may it be graced with clusters of blooming daffodils like we're seeing in yards and hillsides down here (though my northern and western friends may have to settle with a bunch of blooms on their kitchen table!).