"One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art." -Oscar Wilde

I'm not sure if Oscar Wilde actually said that quote (the title of this post). I really could have made that up. It's a good one, though, and I'm pretty sure he legitimizes it, you know?
I had my first NYC, big girl opera audition on Monday. Flew up there for the weekend and had a pretty alright time. Saw some old friends, enjoyed some fall weather, went to MoMA and Central Park. I think my audition went pretty well. I learned an important lesson about packing one pair of shoes (because i'm too cheap to check my luggage)...make sure they aren't miserably uncomfortable. I felt like I was undergoing Japanese foot binding all weekend. Though, I have to admit, I looked awesome (aside from whatever excruciating expression was on my face. I can't account for all that.)

In lieu of studying, I read the new David Sedaris book. It's fantastic.






























One of my favorite fall songs:


And something pretty:

I saw these bubble-ists in Central Park. Magical.
















Also, I need the illusive galaxy dress:

It looks mostly like that, except it's a dress.
Everyone, please raise awareness for this cause...it's really important and it will change many lives. Well, really just mine, but I'll wear it a lot and people will be jealous, just inciting some change here and there.
Also, it will make people more aware of the universe and outer space...and how awesome I look in that dress.

The following was written about a month ago: {There is a tattoo on my foot and…I’m not entirely sure I’m ok with it. I’m not even marginally sure I’m ok with it. Immediately after getting it, I looked up laser tattoo removal in Baton Rouge with the thought, “I don’t care if it hurts. I don’t care if it feels like my whole damn foot is being burned off, I want this thing gone.”

What, you may wonder, could she have tattooed on her foot that is so offensive that she would want it erased so quickly? Tribal art? An ex’s name? A misspelled word? A butterfly?

It’s a bow. A little blue bow less than the size of a silver dollar on the inside of my foot just below my ankle bone…
And it has depressed me into sitting at home on the couch, drinking coffee and researching the cost of lasering this sucker off. The fact that I may have to wait a total of 4 weeks for it to heal prior to beginning its riddance makes me anxious and impatient and I have to ask myself, “What the hell were you thinking?”}

4 weeks later, I have to say, I’m liking the bow considerably more. And, while it doesn’t offer any profound statement about what I believe, it speaks volumes about who I really am. I’m impulsive and picky…and at the age of 25 am still learning how to say “No, this is MY life and MY body…so let’s do this MY way.”

In bocca al lupo...

Hey! So I'm back from Italy! Yeah...I know I should have posted on this ole blog while I was over there, but our wireless was shitty and I was too busy living to actually write about it.

Anyway, it was awesome. I worked a lot, learned a lot, made some mistakes...you know, my usual agenda. My costume was pretty fancy. The costumers who worked on the most recent Tosca production at the met designed it. It's ok if you're feeling a little jealous right now...completely natural response.





I'll post more later...

It's been a long time since my last post. That's because my life has become a giant shit show in preparation for this Italy experience. If I were doing anything short of fulfilling my life's dream over there, I'd have said F*%^ Italy weeks ago.

However. Today...the new Renee Fleming "tape dropped". Praise Him.
She's singing songs by Deathcab For Cutie, The Mars Volta, Band of Horses, Arcade Fire, Muse...and it really doesn't suck at all. Of course, she could record a cd of herself sneezing and I'd probably think it was high art because, you know, it's Renee Fleming.

I'm currently looking for an accompanist for my Arkansas fundraising recital...it's not going terribly well. Unfortunately.

Goddamnit, I'm stressed.



This is a picture of my niece, Molly, last year being cute with a kitty.



And this is me in Boston one day last year when singing wasn't the most anxiety-inducing activity in my life and I wasn't trying to raise $6,000 to make it happen.

I'll dress my family in corduroy and denim.

Tomorrow, when I'm hanging out with David Sedaris*, I really hope people aren't too jealous of me.

* operative name drop

Sometimes I think to myself, "I wish I had My Little Pony hair."
Lady Gaga is pretty lucky.

Don't waste your time or time will waste you...oh, whatever.

Assignments I DO like in grad school:
1) Song Lit presentations (especially featuring animated clip art)
2) learning in my 20th Century Music History class
3) singing

Assignments I DO NOT like doing in grad school:
1) anything for French Diction class...I have a minor in French. How is it possible for me to be so shitty in this class?
2) studying for my 20th Century Music History class
3) learning complicated and confusing Poulenc songs 36* hours before I perform them

Assignments for which I choose to procrastinate instead of doing:
1) All of the above

*So, let's make that 20 hours before.


This photo shoot (which later features Lady Gaga as the witch) must have been inspired by the Hansel and Gretel that the Met staged in 2007. It's probably my favorite opera production.



And this cat is obese.


And I sure do wish I owned this fancy dress. I think about it every single day...