Melificent

My 1st Day as a Derby Dame

I have to say, I was pretty nervous come Sunday night. It was time for my first roller derby practice to be part of the Miami Vice City Rollers, and aside from skating around my house (literally, up and down my hallways) and briefly around my neighborhood (I really need outdoor wheels), I had not been unleashed in the open so to speak. Due to inclement weather, practice was moved from an outdoor roller hockey rink to a local skate rink, Super Wheels (a site that hosted many of my childhood birthday parties). Because of the change in venue, practice took a very different feel and instead of doing drills, we were told it would be more of a “dodging” practice.

And dodge we did. There were several children’s birthday parties occurring and just an influx of people that clearly had never seen a roller skate in their life, much less put a pair on their feet. I kind of felt like I was in a video game – there were small children colliding and face planting all around me, and I did my absolute best to avoid plowing through each and every one of them. One of the lovely girls on the team helped me begin my journey towards crossover turning (never learned as a kid), and I did my best working slowly towards sliding one foot in front of the other. By the end of the free skate, I’m pretty sure I had improved somewhat, but was still terrified to attempt to lift off fully (probably because of the pint-sized hazards).

I didn’t fall once (squee!), and was able to chat with a few of the girls – all of which are super sweet and supportive. I honestly cannot wait until next week’s proper practice, although I must say I am extremely overwhelmed with this new world and its lingo/science. Bearings, bushings, toe guards. What? Slow down, crazy. I also really need to build up my endurance: skating around for 2 hours had me seriously beat. Good news? Since the team is openly recruiting, we did not have to try out. We are all part of the team and will work up to be bout ready by December.

Guys, I’m a derby girl!
Here’s to keeping all my body parts and teeth in tact.

What I Wore: Surprise Party

On Saturday, my hubby told me to get ready, bring a bikini and a big appetite. I was taken to breakfast at Palacio de los Jugos, an extremely popular Cuban market/juice bar in Miami, which was absolutely delicious and such a treat (we don’t have one nearby). Afterwards, the blindfold was presented and from that point forward, I had no idea where I was going or what was happening. To my total surprise, when the blindfold was removed, I was in front of some of my closest friends at one of their homes surrounded by the cutest party favors/supplies and gluten free snacks! I was blown away. I couldn’t even believe how quickly the time slipped by – I had such a good time. I feel so thankful that I have such amazing people in my life. So a huge thank you to everyone that made it possible – it was a very special day. 🙂

Nirvana tank; H&M
Maxi skirt; H&M
Sandals; GAP outlet
Earrings; Old Navy
Bracelets; gifted
Tote; Rachel G.

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Lovable Friday {Potter Edition}!

Today’s Lovable Friday is a little more…lovable. Today marks the premiere of the last installation of Harry Potter films. Today, it’s over. It’s all over. After all the years of amazing storytelling, and equally amazing movies, it feels like the end of an era. After all, it is. Although all us Potter fans know how the story finally ends, there is still something so nerve wracking about sitting down to watch it replay before our eyes. I am so upset to say that I will not be watching it tonight (tickets went on sale for our local 21+ theater when I was a million feet above air), but rather Monday, so I hope not to hear too many spoiling reviews (ha, who am I kidding?). It is also the first time I see a Potter flick without a group of faithful Muggles. It will just be the hubs and I, which usually would be OK, except I am fairly certain I will be bawling my eyes out hysterically in a theater full of strangers. Better bring my own pack of tissues then and start practicing blaming a steady stream of tears on environmental allergies!

 

Taken @ the Wizarding World's Grand Opening in Orlando, FL

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful world with us, Ms. Rowling. You have brought a little piece of magic to each and every one of our lives.

1. Harry Potter Pencils

I’m a sucker for personalized pencils. Add Potter-ness to that, and I’m sold. Unfortunately, I don’t know if these are real, or if the image was photoshopped. Either way, it’s a wonderful idea for a themed Potter party or a fabulous gift idea for the Potterphile in your life.

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What I Wore: Company Dinner

I gave you all a sneak peek of my outfit earlier this week, and here’s the official post! I had a fun dinner scheduled with my boss and new coworkers Sunday evening at Balans on Biscayne. I had a good time getting to know everyone (there are 17 of us!), laughing, eating and refraining from drinking. Yeah, you heard right. I had to turn down glass after glass of champagne because I was on antibiotics – major fail. But at least I looked cute! Now that I know the entire team, I’m definitely looking forward to future get-togethers with this fun group. I hear something about a party bus next time? 😉

Sheer dress; H&M
Cami; Gap body
Jeggings; Nordstrom Rack
Belt; Etsy
Pumps; ??
Cuff; gifted
Earrings; Forever 21
Fox necklace; Grrfeisty

Also, this was a great opportunity to show off our cute little terrace! Don’t you just love it? It makes me happy every time I sit out there. Especially when there are drinks and books involved. Just sayin’.

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Happy Hump Day: Francois Arnaud

This mister was another recommendation (thanks for all the tips, ladies!), and although I am not a huge fan of The Borgias (it’s a little too slow moving for me), I can totally appreciate a little Francois Arnaud, who plays Cesare Borgia. Unfortunately, he looks pretty ridiculous in what seems like a wig (?) on the show, and this paired with the ornate period wardrobe can really be a hump day downer. Thankfully, the Tumblrs pulled through with the following magnificent pictures. Adorable shaggy hair, current clothing, smoldering poses: downer no more, ladies!

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