Derby Fashion

My parents are THE coolest. 

I love the fact that my dad has a job where he doesn't have to commute across the country. I love that his company makes communities safer. I love being his financial dependent. 

And you know what else comes with the territory of the new job??

 

The Kentucky Derby. 

He and my mom are going to the Kentucky Derby- a big 2-day, 3-outfit kind of deal full of hobnobbing with lots of VIPS. Now, this isn't exactly my parents' usual type of gig... but it's a TOTAL once-in-a-lifetime. 

All that remains now is one very important question for my mother:

What to Wear??

Let's start from square one. Classic Derbywear.

 

Like Audrey, my mom is a total babe. But this doesn't really scream "Sandy Simpson"- plus, she's too thrifty to buy a dress she could never wear again to a wedding or something.

Let's move into the 21st century: Classic Derbywear part 2:

 It's probably the only event in the world where large-brimmed hats are considered the norm.

 (But she's still a little skeptical.)

Luckily, we have the Crown to give us guidance and inspiration... and by Crown,

I mean Kate Middleton.

Enter the "fascinator."

Let us also not forget the closest thing America has to the Crown... namely, Michelle Obama and her faithful reliance on J. Crew.

Oh Michelle. 

You may hate on dessert, but you do have some sweet style. 

Love you, Mom. Let's take you shopping!!

Reconnecting

 This week I went to bed ridiculously early so I could exercise in the mornings BEFORE my classes. I went to the Provo library and checked out SheDaisy CDs and Steel Magnolias.


This weekend was primarily spent getting rid of my highlights, seeing Tangled at the dollars, and reading a book for fun.


It's so nice to feel like myself again.

 

 

Cute middle names are SO in right now.

So I have this thing for names. I LOVE them. I used to have a book of baby names hidden under my bed that I would read after school... not because I was planning on getting pregnant in the seventh grade, but just because names are absolutely fascinating. 

It's something so deeply ingrained in your identity that you have absolutely NO control over. Think how fun it will be to get to NAME your child! You decide what they will be known as for the rest of their life! 


I also firmly believe that names have personality-shaping powers. For example, naming your daughter Hannah is practically guaranteeing that she will be a fantastic person. I have never in my life met a Hannah who I could not describe as a classic "good girl." I mean, think about it: Who is more likely to end up working the corner- Susan or Veronica? Like I said, it's a pretty foolproof science. 


It's taken me a full two decades to grow into my name. I thought it was weird that both my first and last name end with an "n" sound, and I would have never picked out Ashley as a middle name.


But now... I realize that I can't see myself being anything besides Lauren Ashley Simpson. It makes me happy just writing it out. It has taken me twenty years to get there, but I LOVE my name! Loving your name is loving who you are. 


I was recently blessed to come into some money... so I promptly decided to invest in a new iPod to replace the one that got lostolen. I even ordered it online so 
a) I could get it in red- but also
b) I could get my name engraved on the back :)


My name fettish continues: 
Tell me! What will you name your future offspring/automobile/goldfish??

Real Life... what?!?

Do you see these happy faces?

Oh, Wildcats. I remember back in May of 2008 when I, too, jumped with gleeful joy at the prospect of graduating and leaving Ooltewah High School behind me. 

However, today I realized that in scarcely more than a month's time, I will again be a senior. The difference is that now, I love my school. I adore it. I love planning out my classes, laying out on campus (when it is warm enough), running into old friends, going to football and basketball games, running the streets of Provo, etc. BYU is the greatest... and I do not want to leave.

Because here's the thing: If I wanted to, I could graduate a year from now. Easily. All of a sudden Brigham and Karl G. are pushing me out of the nest and making me be what-- a real adult?!? Not a financial dependent of my parents?!? A 21-year-old, totally single young woman who has to go work as a reporter in Pocatello, Idaho?!? Surely this is not what I signed up for. Young Women's taught me a lot of things-- but highest among them was the promise that I would attend BYU and there meet my spouse: a man older, smarter, and more financially capable than myself. I would work for a few years to put him through graduate school, then focus the rest of my life on things like raising babies and canning pears for the poor.  

Clearly, future husband, somebody has dropped the ball in this department.

There are many good reasons to serve a mission... and postponing graduation should not be one of them. But the phrase "cherry on top" is totally appropriate.

Bottom line, I have a bad case of Peter Pan syndrome... I would even say equal to the March Madness that is so contagious this time of year. I do not want to grow up. I do not want to graduate. (Why should I?? College is fun!!)

What Breed of Hipster are You?

If you are hipster to the point of having a type, then you have already seen these.

(I chose Odette because let's be honest: Ariel is getting kind of mainstream.) 

But as far as labels go, this is the era of the long tail, niche marketing, iTunes Genius. 

And so, I felt inspired to offer some further illumination to the classification via my one true middle-school love (that I have still not quite gotten over): 

The Online Personality Quiz

1. Your favorite author is:
          a) Norton Juster-- you have a semi-sacred hardcover of Phantom Tollbooth. 
          b) Henry David Thoreau... and also, Bob Marley.
          c) Gabriel Garcia Marquez-- but you never read it in English.


2. The longest you have gone without showering is:
         a) A solid week with your chums at summer camp, interspersed with lots of swimming.
         b) Mmmm... you honestly have no idea... but you vaguely remember Summer 08' wasn't your most hygienic.
        c) Bonnaroo, last year. BEST EVER!! (You probably haven't heard of it.)

3. When the weather warms, you can be found outside:
        a) Reading on the beach, soaking up the Vitamin D... but wearing a floppy sunhat
        b) Perfecting your skills... ukulele or kayak. 
        c) Slacklining. And looking like an Urban model while doing so.


4. Your favorite place to eat out is:
       a) Actually, you don't like eating out as much as you love cooking- and posting about it afterwards on your recipe/food blog!

       b) Betos? Rancheritos? You still aren't sure what to call it... and you don't really know what’s in it, but it’s cheaper than Rio and always a party at 2 am! You meet the best people.

       c) This hole-in-the-wall Thai place your found with your sister last week. Super authentic!

5. Speaking of your sister, tomorrow is her birthday! To document the party, you grab:

      a) Your handy-dandy point & shoot (in it's darling Vera Bradley case)

      b) Your baby, also known as the Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens.

     c)  Your polaroid. (And you will love commiserating with partygoers over the price of film!)

6. The Greatest Hits album you love because your parents raised you on it is most like:

       a) Neil Diamond

       b) The Beatles

       c) Simon and Garfunkel

7. Your dream city to live in permanently:

       a) Boston. There's something kind of magical about New England.

       b) Seattle... since plane tickets to Sydney are wayyy too expensive with the price of oil.

       c) Paris. Take me back PLEASE!!!

8. Your favorite Disney movie growing up was:
      a) The Parent Trap. (You cried when Natasha Richardson died.)
      b) Robin Hood. So great; so underappreciated.
      c) Aladdin. TOTALLY cliche... but you can't turn your back on your roots. And you loved it before everyone else did. 


9. You have been getting compliments all day on your new dress. You found it:
     a) Thrifting.
     b) Thrifting.
     c) Thrifting.


10. Your favorite season is:
     a) Spring. You are already wearing sunscreen and always in a skirt.
     b) Summer. Maximum playtime, minimum responsibility. Aside from work, you are generally always outside.
     c) Fall. You like the crispness in the air and the satisfaction of a well-layered outfit. 

And now... THE RESULTS!

 

Mostly A's:

You are a vintage sweetheart! Classic and charming... sometimes you look like you could have stepped straight out of 1962. You channel Zoe Deschanel, and listen to She & Him on a pretty regular basis. You aren't snobby, per se, but feeling like an individual is important to you. You can be introverted at times, but always light up around your friends. You adore reading- especially juvenile literature, playing tennis, riding your bicycle and drinking strawberry lemonade. Life is Beautiful and Old Yeller are two of your favorite movies... and you cry every time. But you also have a couple of quirks like a passionate love for hockey or horror films or musical theatre. All in all, not much not to like!

Mostly B's:

You are straight-up crunchy granola! Nature-friendly, stranger-loving, you are a true free spirit. You have been meditating and doing yoga for years, even before it was popular... but it's not something you feel you have to brag about. You don't have anybody to impress. Generally speaking, you can always be found sporting something braided out of hemp or some part of your hair that isn't its natural color. You can be a bit on the wild side and have a major independent streak, but you have good friends who never let you go too far off the deep end... or at least, they come along for the ride to keep you safe! You are a big believer in road trips, live music, and camping. You could seriously live in your hammock. You are a one-of-a-kind and everyone already knows it-- so you just do your own thing and let it be!

Mostly C'S: 

Congratulations-- you are an indie snob! A true elitist, you love classic literature, philosophical discussions in coffee houses, cuffed skinny jeans, and new-age folk. (As a rule, the more obscure it is, the better.) You come across as cooler-than-you to most of the Utah Valley population, but you have managed to acquire a posse of friends who share your same loves for foreign films and graphic design. If you are not now, at one point in your life you have tried going vegetarian/vegan/raw-foodist just for the experience... but regardless, you always prefer organic and can be found buying produce and Brianna's salad dressing at the local Whole Foods/Sunflower Market/ Good Earth. You like to read the New York Times-- in print-- and you may or may not be obsessed with Apple products. Underneath the wide-frame glasses, you really are a great person... but sometimes its more fun to subtly assert your superiority over people than get to know them.