I wore a prom dress THREE TIMES!!!! ( how to make the most out of what you already have)

Hello all!
So I've actually been thinking about this post for a long time and can't believe I haven't written it yet.

So obviously I like being practical, but you know something that's hard to be practical with.... PROM DRESSES. I mean lets be honest we spend lots of money on them and, unless you are going to several black tie events, long prom dresses are hard to wear again and again.  UNLESS.... you buy smart.
I bought this simple XSCAPE black prom dress from Lex's of Carytown in 2011. It is a very classic shape, no sequins, no overexposed skin, and its a simple color. I think these elements all contributed to why I could wear it more than once.

Now I have a boyfriend in the military so I've gone to my fair share of formal events which all call for long dresses, so I've actually needed to break out the formal dresses again, and again!

So here's what I did.

1)I wore this dress to prom my junior year-2011

2)wore it again to military ball my freshmen year of college-2013


3) then I altered it to make it look completely different and wore it again!-2016

*excuse the mirror shots...


NOW THAT'S PRACTICAL!





I used about 6 inches of 2 inch elastic and sewed it in the underarm of the lining to keep the dress up when taking the mesh away. Next, I tacked the mesh at the top down to the inner lining to make it strapless, and the best part? I did no harm to the dress!!!! There was no cutting, and all I have to do it take out the loose tacks to make it good as new!


Sometimes you have to just reimagine the things in your closet to make them into something completely new, and the best part is I spent 0 dollars on my gown!

Side note-I wore the same Steve Madden black sandals and those silver drop earrings all three times!

Side Side note- Shout out to my boyfriend Drew who was there through all three dresses and always looking dapper.

Side Side Side note- Puberty Rocks.

Audition Time: Radio City Rockettes... and the End of my NY trip.

Today was my final audition in New York City. The audition was for the Radio City Rockettes for their Christmas Spectacular.
I was really happy I had previously gone to the female ensemble auditions on Monday because I knew the routine of the Radio City audition process.

The audition began at 10. So I arrived to wait in line at 7:25. I met some great girls in line and we chit-chatted the whole time we were waiting. I learned that most of them had gone to the Rockettes summer intensive or had auditioned upwards of 5 times for the Rockettes.  I was glad to get some insight on the specific process, and meet some great people simultaneously!

I also lucked out because it was a beautiful day in New York, it was 90 degrees!!!







What I wore:
I wore a high necked leo, tan fishnets and once again tan character shoes. I put my hair in a classic Rockette french twist and big diamond studs. And of course, a classic red lip!

Audition:
After once again filling into the warm-up room, like on monday, they took us in groups of 70. I was number 35 so I was in the first group. Up the elevator we went and straight into the rehearsal studio.
We lined up and learned a kick combination with precise head rotations and arm motions, and the combination ended with a double pirouette and arm pose. Most of the girls were very familiar with the steps.
We then went 4 at a time, picked randomly,and then they made a cut.
While I felt extremely confident about my performance, I was cut...womp... but I learned a tremendous amount.

*waiting in line!

1. They apparently do the same/similar combinations at the audition
2. I need to practice dancing in heels...(its more of a challenge than I thought)
3. Precision is KEY!


While I didn't make it past the first cut, Im not discouraged. Auditioning is a specific skill and with something so precise as the Rockettes, its not something that you always nail the first time. Now that I understand this process a little more. I am defiantly looking forward to coming back for the next round of auditions.

After the audition, I was lucky enough to be in a hotel right next to the only ChickFilA in the city.( How lucky am I? ) I grabbed a celebratory sweet tea and then headed back to my room to shower. I also finally ate my cookie from the Momofuku milk bar I had visited on Monday night! ( SO good)



 









Then, I grabbed a coffee later in the day with an alumni dance major from Mason named Nicole, and then I met up with Allison later for dinner.






Allison and I went to Chelsea Market for dinner, which is a really unique place to eat! They have so many different food options and little boutiques. We went to a cute little farm to table restaurant called That Green Table.

To cap off the trip Allison and I went to the Loopy Doopy bar in lower manhattan. It was a rooftop bar in a beautiful hotel, and their speciality are these spiked popsicles in a glass of prosecco. It was so cool and bubbly. It wasn't cheap ( the practical prep, wasn't very practical) but, it was a fun way to end my time in New York City, and the view, along with the gorgeous weather,  was OUTSTANDING

Now I'm headed back on a train to southern VA, where I will spend a week before I head to Chicago to work with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for a month! I'll keep y'all posted on this new adventure. but as for now I'm gonna enjoy this relaxing train ride with a good book and a power nap :)

* Side Note- the Maze Runner series is great I'm on the last book now!

New York, New York.. Continued..

So my New York trip continues!!!!

Because I got cut from the first audition, I had a free day to explore the city.

I slept in a little, and then Marisa and I headed to Maison Kayser for lunch . (Delicious French Food and a decent price for a quality meal!) Also I grabbed a Chocolate Au Plie for dessert! YUMMM!!!

*French Onion Soup

After a quick power nap and shower, Marisa, Allison, and I headed to OmFactory for an ariel yoga class. This was one of the coolest things Ive done so far...It was so amazing!

We took a level 1 basics class and it was defiantly more fun and challenging than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed the friendly staff, fun music, and fabulous instruction. 

The class was only 18 dollars and if you show your student ID you can receive a student discount for a 15 dollar class! Defiantly worth every penny. I can't recommend it enough.

After class, we wanted to grab a quick meal so we headed to Roasted  ( basically the salad version of Chipotle) 

After a healthy dinner we went to Magnolia Bakery ( not so healthy) to grab cupcakes for dessert. Once again I was throughly pleased with my choice,  I got the classic red-velvet and also got a coconut cupcake!

Overall it was an amazing day!!!! Check back to hear about the rest of my trip and auditions! 

Audition Time: Radio City Christmas Spectacular!

Hey Everyone,
A huge component of my life is obviously my dance career. I want to include my audition experiences as part of my blog! I'll talk about how I afford staying in cities, traveling, my audition experiences, and of course what I wear-( all while being practical of course;)
It's still the Practical Prep-just with a spice of my dance audition flare.

So....
This week I headed to New York for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Auditions. There were two separate auditions, one for the ensemble dancers who dance in-between the Rockettes and one for the actual Radio City Rockettes.

TRAVEL:
I took a Bolt Bus with my friend Marisa from DC to New York. This is now the second time I've taken this bus it's super easy and cost efficient! My ticket was 23 dollars!

LODGING:
I stayed at "The Hotel @ Times Square" it was  a super convenient location and had a free continential breakfast. I used booking.com and found a great deal.

SUNDAY DINNER:
My best friend Allison is a New York native and always knows the greatest places to eat. Marisa, Allison, and I all headed to Gotham West Market and went to Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop.  It was a perfect light and delicious meal! We then went to Cupcakes by Melissa (cutest little cupcakes) and then headed back to the hotel to catch up on Game of Thrones!!! ( noted* I'm a fan girl)

AUDITIONS:
Monday was the first audition for the ensemble dancers, and I woke up early and got ready. Because it was an open call I knew there was going to be an abundance of girls there. The audition started at 2pm so I got there at 11:30 to stand in line, and Allison met up with me just a bit later. It didn't really  get crowded untill around 12. At 12:30 they took us into Radio City and we filled out some paperwork. We were taken into a big waiting room where we gave our headshot and resume and they let us know that there would be about 80 people in a group. We were told to be in heeled character shoes, and we pinned our numbers to our leos.

*Pictured- Allison taking a little squat as we waited in line!

I was in the second group, and once we were taken inside the studio we were given a quick 16 count phrase. We then went in groups of 4 until all had performed the combination once.

I got cut after the first round but I learned a lot from this first experience with Radio City. The organization is extremely organized and I am looking forward to my Rockette audition on Wednesday!

WHAT I WORE:
I kept with classical Rockette attire and wore a leotard, but wore black tights over my leo. Many girls wore black skirts, but I found most were in leotards and tights.  I wore my hair in a high curled pony and topped of my look with a classic red lip!

Stay tuned as I post more about my New York Visit and my second audition experience!! 

Graduation Recap.

Hello Everyone!

I once again have been MIA but lets be honest this last semester has been CRAZY TOWN! But I can finally say to you I'M A COLLEGE GRADUATE!!!! 

I can't believe my four years at George Mason are complete! I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Arts Management, Summa Cum Laude, with Honors from the dance department. I feel extremely privileged and blessed to be able to say that, but it wouldn't be without the help of my family,friends, and mentors.

Now I was so excited to decorate my cap for graduation. I chose to do a gold and white theme with green rhinestones to go with George Masons' colors, and of course I added a monogram. I picked up all of my supplies from A.C.Moore and then the senior dance majors all had a cap decorating party together!

Check out some of my pictures from graduation, and stay tuned for my post grad updates! I'm gonna be better about posting I swear!

p.s. my grad dress I purchased from Nordstrom Rack for only 30!!!!

Self Tanner Spiel

First, let me apologize for my lack of blogger presence. I always regret the times I take a break from blogging because its such a good outlet of expression.  I've been so crazy busy this semester and finally I feel like I have some time to devote back to my blog.

Secondly, I want to talk about something I feel very passionate about during the spring and summer... SELF TANNING. Okay let's get this straight, I love to be tan. I love the color it gives me, and the way it makes my skin glow, and the fact that I have a new color palate in my wardrobe that actually flatters me when I'm a little tanner. However... I like to achieve this color in a safe way. I am the biggest advocate for self tanners because they don't cause harm like the sun and tanning beds do. I have tried tons and tons and tons and I've had really bad streaky legs and really stained palms but you know what.... I've had healthy skin!  I am anti tanning bed and pro-self tanner/spray tans, and I've found several that don't cause streaky lines or nasty orange palms.

Also, it's just as unsafe to go lay out without SPF as it is to get into a tanning bed, any time your skin darkens you run the risk of over sun exposure. Now Vitamin D does some wonderful things for your body and I am not saying don't go outside, but just slab on some SPF before you do, or find ways to incorporate it into your daily routine. I have found ways to incorporate SPF  in my face moisturizers, lotions, and powders.

I say if you wanna be tan do it in a safe way. Spray tans are also great and often I've found deals on tanning websites where they give out free spray tans or run promos like buy one get one free. (  ex. Palm Beach Tan, Hollywood Tans, or even Groupon!)

You can be tan and beautiful... but don't do it in a way that's causing your skin harm!

Check out some of my favorite self tanners that I've found to be successful without the undesirable side effects!

P.S. While I love being tan, all skin colors are beautiful. Remember that! 

XOXO

-Rachel

My Beauty Dupes

Calling all Practical Prepsters! I love makeup, hair products, beauty products and perfumes, but lets be honest the good stuff is expensive.... but not all the time.

Clarisonic vs Sephora face brush

Okay so this one is more of a practical comparison, I use this Sephora face bash which is only 10 dollars every day and it has done wonders for my skin. I originally wanted a clarisonic but then I looked at reviews and found that just doing a good manual scrub works just as well as having a electronic brush. You just have to put it the work!


                           Benefit's Erase Paste vs NYX full coverage concealer

I used erase paste for the past three years. I love this concealer as it perfectly blends and hides my skin imperfections. However, when I ran out of it this summer I didn't have a Sephora close by so I ran to target and picked up the NYX full coverage concealer. Coming in at only 5 dollars this concealer has not only done exactly what the Benefit product did but its also lasted me now 5 months! That was the best five dollars I've ever spent!



Clinique powder vs Maybelline Fit Me matte powder

Now if you've read my posts before you know how much I love Clinique's products and I have a hard time trying new foundations and powders because I just love the way the products glide on my skin so much. However, I was in a pinch and needed powder fast for a performance so I once again trekked to target ( I never have trouble finding more than I need there) and picked up this Maybelline powder. I love how light it is but also the full coverage it provides. The matte finish leaves my skin looking flawless!



MAC matte eyeshadow vs NYX Matte eyeshadow pots
Literally this one is comical. I was at a show this past weekend and doing my makeup and looked around and my best friend had her mac eyeshadow pots out. The funny part was we had the exact same colors, a nude and a plum. Because I knew I was doing a post about dupes I asked her if I could compare the consistency... they were so similar. Difference.. NYX $5 MAC $16