A year (?!?) in Instagrams

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Wow... it's been almost a year since I visited this space. And oh, how I've missed it so...

In my last post I mentioned some major transitions in my life. Well, Alex and I decided to part ways. After nine years, it was decided that we wanted different things. It took a long time to come to grips with this reality, and because this blog heavily involved our life together, it was difficult to revisit. For now I will be a bit stingy about what I share regarding my personal life, but I am so excited to get back to having an excuse to keep up with creative things!

So now, for the "update"...

One: I am still living in the best city ever (Louisville, KY) with my "little prince" Motown.

Two: My best friend of nearly 15 years (Natalie) got married this past May. It was such an honor being a bridesmaid for her special day. I still remember when she met her husband, Dan, when we were in high school. I can't think of a more perfect couple than those two. Squee!

Three: I attended my first Kentucky Oaks and Derby! I now feel like a true Louisvillian! I've officially overpaid for a silly hat (not pictured), and stood in the rain at the venue, where people across the world watched what was happening just outside the window. I also learned just how nice my boss is (the fella in the suspenders). Not every male boss is willing to run around Churchill Downs looking for tampons for his female friends (and way overpaying for them). Yes Scott, you are going down in history for best boss ever.

Four: I turned 26.... wait... 26, right? I can't keep track. Anyway, I baked myself some red velvet cupcakes (I love baking for my birthday. Buying a cake is for suckers). I also had the best birthday party ever. I went to The Taproom on Bardstown Road to get signatures for our Forecastle Beer Tent volunteers and *also, kinda* have a birthday party. I was so blown away by how many people showed up just to celebrate me. I've never felt so loved, it was awesome. Part two: I worked our Forecastle Beer Tent all day, all three days.... Holy crap, I'm tired just thinking about it. It was a fundraiser for the theater, so I was happy to do it... but MAN was it exhausting. The photo above was taken before the gates opened on day 3. At that point I was running on "wait, I'm still alive?!" endorphins. It was a ton of fun, and we raised a lot of money, so I can't complain at all. *Special shout out to the Heine Bros Airstream for being there for us that weekend.

Five: Work. Work. Work. I upgraded from the intern at The Alley Theater, and am now the Managing Director. Yeah, I'm kinda the boss... besides my boss (you know, "suspenders fella").  There have been several sappy Facebook posts about my job... I'm not joking... I love my job. Also, I was recently officially accepted into Bellarmine University to continue my degree in Arts Administration : Theater Emphasis. I am so excited to get back into class in January!

Six: it's official.... I've started "acting"... Not really... Well, kinda... Ugh... I avoided it (besides acting class) until recently. My acting teacher Martin (who got me involved in The Alley) wanted me to be in Kafka's Metamorphosis, so I agreed. Oh my God, I'm miserable. It's okay though, I only have one line at the end, and it's taped. You should still go see it *wink wink*... I'm also in a short film/commercial for a Zombie 5K fun run. I will share it as soon as it's ready, but wow the shoot was fun! I didn't have any lines (Thanks Kenn!) and it was pretty fun to feel like a film actress for a second.

So in conclusion, it's been an up and down kind of year. But, man, have I had fun. I have learned so much, in a job I lucked into (that happens to be what I'm going to school for). I have made so many amazing friends. I have grown as an individual. I felt incredibly out of place, and just as quickly realized that that's exactly where I belong.

Follow your heart, you may be surprised what you find there.

xoxo Natalie

Transitions

Sometimes life just throws a curveball... sometimes it throws you about ten at once. Some exciting. Some really painful. My life is going through some major changes right now. I haven't really had the strength to deal with some of these changes, but I'm still trying.

Some of these changes are things I will not be discussing in this space. I believe in bloggers being open with their readers, but there are certain things I would like to keep in my private life. I hope to get back into the blogging swing of things, but lately I haven't had time to think, let alone blog. I hope this changes because I do miss this space.

Thank you for being a reader. I appreciate it. xoxo Natalie

In The Life Of A Theater Intern....

Life has been a bit nutty lately. The semester is wrapping up, and I'm being given more and more projects with my internship at The Alley Theater. I started with just administrative work, then added some nights of box office, now I'm doing those and the lights/sound/graphics for the Commando Cody/Flash Gordon show. The Alley does what they call "Geekend" shows, like Star Wars and Flash Gordon, at 10pm after the mainstage shows. So I'm learning all that fun stuff, and praying I don't totally mess it up durring a show!

Interning for The Alley has been amazing. I've been there for about a month and a half now, and I'm absolutely loving it. It is someplace I always thought it would be fun to volunteer, so when my theater teacher set up and interview for me and they offered me an internship I was super stoked! I've been learning a lot and meeting some great new people.

Well, I'm back off to the theater to practice lighting and sound. Until next time, Natalie.

Loving Lately : Jane Fonda

 Isn't she just the cutest? A friend posted a trailer for Barbarella on Facebook, and since then, I've been googling and watching trailers for old Jane Fonda movies. I just can't get over her perfect 60's/70's look (the hair!!). I'm also really looking forward to getting around to watching Barbarella. Yes, I'm a nerdy lady who enjoys campy sexy space travel movies...

I hope to be back in this space soon. I know it's been quite a while since I've popped in to say hello. I've been a very busy bee with school and my internship (I should post about that sometime...). Only 2 more weeks of Fall semester! Woo Hoo! Jeez the time has been flying lately. I'm still waiting for September to start, but apparently it's Christmas time. Who knew? xoxo Natalie

Searching For Sugarman

Tonight Alex and I saw the film Searching For Sugarman, and I gotta say... wow. It's a documentary about the brilliant musician Rodriguez and the rise of his album as the soundtrack for a major political movement in South Africa agains apartheid... but get this... he didn't know about it until 25 years later. We have been listening to Rodriguez for a few years now, and I've always loved the music and knew a very vague idea of his story, but not to the extent that this film presents. It's a truly inspiring and incredible story, and the film was beautifully done, so if you have the chance, please go see it. 

Here is the title song "Sugarman"

And the leading song to the South African movement

Inspired and ready to make my heart sing.... xoxo Natalie

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is Alex's favorite holiday, so we try to get pretty spooky around here with scary movies and such. To me, Halloween is all about the kiddos. Who doesn't love seeing some tiny people running around in costumes? No one. Everyone loves it. It's my new nephew's first Halloween, and it got me in the spirit to share some super cute kiddo costumes from Etsy.

1) Hedgehog 2) Wookie Onesie 3) Sock Monkey Hat 4) Fox 

I hope you and your kiddos (if you have any) had a wonderful Halloween. I'm already planning for next year ;)

And in case you were wondering, my nephew was the cutest darn giraffe you have ever seen.

A Quick Hello...

outfit details: sweater/jcpenny, skirt/american eagle via goodwill, tights/target probably, boots/macys

I'm sorry for all of the silence around here lately. I have been quite busy. Two of my teachers decided our workload wasn't quite cutting it, so they've just about doubled it every week (I spent all day yesterday just working on two assignments for one of my classes). It's been insane. Also, I have started an internship at The Alley Theater. I love the people and the space, and I have been wanting to work/volunteer there for quite some time. I'm pretty excited :) 

Blogging is lovely, but sometimes life just gets in the way. I haven't even had a chance to grab my camera and take photos of the changing leafs... although I'm pretty sure hurricane Sandy may have blown those away. Anyway, I hope to be back in this space soon. Until then, xoxo Natalie

**If you want to keep up with my everyday, follow me on Instagram @nschoenbaechler

Waterfront Fashion Week

 As I mentioned in my last post, I was given a front row seat to Waterfront Fashion Week (literally!). I was so shocked to be given such an awesome opportunity, and was blown away by the quality of the production for Louisville's first attempt at a fashion week. Unfortunately my camera and I were not getting along very well that night, so these are among the very few photos that were decent enough to share. Maybe next time I'll have it figured out. Until next time xoxo Natalie

Waterfront Fashion Week Bike Ride

 The Waterfront Fashion Week Bike Ride was a success! It was nice to have people show up for the ride, dressed to the nines, even if they weren't going to Fashion Week itself. The gentlemen were dapper, and the ladies looked lovely. We had a fun little crew that enjoyed cocktails at The Marketplace Restaurant (which was super swanky and fun), then headed to the waterfront for our evening ride.

Thanks to Mary Beth of Bicycling for Louisville for putting together such a great event!

A fun little surprise: Mary Beth offered me a free ticket to the Fashion Week shows, for helping with the promotional ad in Louisville Magazine! We both had a great time at the shows and were blown away when we found out our free tickets were front row! The shows were amazing, and the quality of the production was incredible. I will be sharing photos from the shows soon, so stay tuned! xoxo Natalie

TONIGHT!

Hooray, it's here! Tonight is the Waterfront Fashion Week Ride, and last night of Waterfront Fashion Week. This event should be fun, with time for drinks and socializing before we ride to the waterfront (details can be found here). I hope to see you tonight, dressed up and on your two-wheeled friend!

Hustle + Bustle

image source. Just because she's cute and on a bike, and that's good enough for me.

Hello lovelies. Things have been a little crazy around here for me, so I'm sorry for the lack of posts over the past few days. I have a bike fashion DIY (or two, or three!) up my sleeve for the couple days, so stay tuned! Also, don't forget about the Fashion Week Ride this Saturday at 6pm at the Marketplace downtown here in Louisville, KY. It should be a fun time, and I hope to see you there! All the details can be found here.

CycLOUvia

I am so glad Alex and I got to enjoy CycLOUvia for a bit yesterday. Basically, one of Louisville's busiest streets was blocked off from motorized vehicles for 3 miles for the afternoon. It was open to bikes, walkers, skateboarders, people doing yoga, you name it. It was a really great to experience riding down Bardstown Road being invigorated instead of terrified by traffic. We got some lunch and I brought along my camera, so get ready for a photo-heavy post...

This is (kind of) what it's like riding on the back of our tandem bike.

A friend of ours and his family being super adorable.

Bands were scattered in front of several businesses down the street.

And of course, the local high school had their boys taking advantage of the open road (I cropped their faces out, but there are some good ones... one boy even yelled "tag me!" as they ran by! Ha!)

The man who sold us our tandem (the owner of Parkside bike shop on Bardstown Road) being interviewed for TV.

Coolest thing ever! he's peddling in there!.... and the rest of these, I just thought were pretty...

 There is talk of this becoming a somewhat regular event, and I could not be happier. It was a ton of fun. I only wish I had more time to spend there (dang schoolwork). If you have a bike, go out and enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. If you live in Louisville, let people know you want another CycLOUvia to happen. You won't regret it. Until next time xoxo Natalie

Etsy Love : Bike Bags

This little looker can be found here, made by MercyandRuthHandbags. I absolutely love the versatility of this fun chevron bag.

I've thought about making a tool roll very similar to this, but I think anhaicabagworks did this just right. I love how it tucks up so neatly under the saddle.

This last bag is just. so. pretty. Leather just looks right on a bike, ya know? I really enjoy that this one can be used on either the front or back of the bike. Good work JepsenLeatherGoods.

Stay tuned for even more bike love next week, and don't forget about the Fashion Week Ride next Saturday! xoxo Natalie

Bike Fashion : Tips for Skirts

 Outfit details: boots / Macys; everything else / Target

 A lot of people think that skirts and dresses are just something you can't wear on a bike. The truth is, you totally can, you just have to be selective. Here are some tips on wearing skirts while riding:

• Choose a skirt that is fitted, but has a good bit of stretch. This ensures that you wont run into a Marilyn-Monroe-over-a-street-grate type situation.
• Length is very important. A few inches above the knee (like I'm wearing above) is as short as you should go. You should also try not to go too long, because skirts can get caught up in the bike's mechanics. Try to keep your hemline within a few inches below or above the knee.
• Don't pull a Lohan. Always wear something under your skirt. It's a good idea to wear tights, leggings, or shorts under your skirt.
• If you decide to wear shorts under your skirt, try tucking parts of the bottom front hem of your skirt into the bottom hem of your shorts. I know this sounds weird, but I do it all the time. It even allows me to wear more A-line type skirts. During the summer I wear super-short running shorts, or this longer lacy option, which works well for tucking (bonus: if they show, who cares, they're adorable).

So don't be shy, throw on a dress and ride!