Somehow it's already Wednesday and I am very curious as to when that happened. Don't get me wrong, Mondays are not my best day and I love my weekends as much as the next person. However, when I have multiple due dates in close proximity, I would appreciate a more leisurely pace because now I have a test and a reading guide due in two days. Christmas break starts next Friday and for some reason, all of my work from two different classes is due within the same day or stretch of days. Today, for example, I just finished an online chemistry packet but i still have a paper packet to turn in. In AP European History, I finished a document analysis but have a reading guide due on Friday, Monday, and Thursday. It. Never. Ends. Luckily, I get oddly motivated on days where we get an early out so I may have a chance of not drowning in a sea of paper. 
    I also need to talk about the big improvement in my life: I finally have a constant source of income! I qualify for social security since I'm now eighteen and my disability affects my ability to work. I'm hoping to only be on it through college or a little bit after because my goal is to actually utIlize my degree and get a good paying job. But for now, this is a lifesaver! I don't have to depend on someone else's money and I get to control it. I bought Taylor Swift vynls as a splurge and I was very nearly jumping up and down because I was using my own card. A little dramatic, I know; but I've literally never been able to spend my own money when I want something. This morning, I bought my own Starbucks and my dad couldn't say no.
    So now I have a newfound power but I'm not going to go crazy with it. Unless I'm in a bookstore. Then all bets are off. Speaking of books. I've read four this month and I'm hoping to get the fifth checked off by the end of today. They were all sooo good! Probably some of my favorites of the whole year, which as you know, is a hard title to achieve. I don't know what the final number will be but I talk about them all the time in my vlogs so make sure you're checking the youtube tab regularly. I was hoping to update it this week but the video had an error uploading so I had to scrap it. Same thing with my latest podcast attempt. Technology really sucks sometimes. If this fails too, I might throw my computer out of the window. Not that I haven't wanted to other times. I mean, can we talk about the Harry and Meghan Netflix special. I seethe every time something new comes out. It's all just horrible and tacky. And hypocritical. And also slightly comical that they think they're still relevant. I'm going to get a skywriter, in big letters, to write "No one cares". They say they want privacy and then put three different go-pros in their car to get all the right angles. And that's not even the worst part. The mock curtsey made me scream and then they edited a very important speech of Queen Elizabeth's. While she was in Africa, the then-Princess Elizabeth made a speech on her twenty-first birthday. She says, "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong." Netflix EDITED IT to say, "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong” is altered. You can see the TikTok here. I saw that and promptly screamed for five minutes to my mom. But that's all I'm going to say about that disaster. You want to make a few bucks trashing your family and dismantling your grandmother's legacy? Go right ahead. They're digging their own hole. If you have your own feelings, that's fine. I have mine and I am prepared to defend them but hopefully this is a discussion we can leave alone.
​     Update: I took a break from writing and finished my fifth book. I feel like that's all I accomplished yesterday and it's not great considering where we are in the week. But there's still today and I need to remember that I am totally capable. I'm awesome. A definite procrastinator, much to my disdain but awesome and capable nonetheless. I mean, all you have to do is look at my lunch for today: a rice krispie bar, a latte, and a bag of popcorn. I am arming myself with so much excellent energy! 
    My next class (and also my last of the day) is Chemistry and it's always interesting going in there because my teacher likes to guilt trip us into getting our work done. Spoiler alert: no one ever has their work done. I don't know about the others but for me: Chemistry or any kind of science is not my passion. I just need these last two credits so I can graduate and then I am done. Four more weeks until finals and I think we are all eagerly counting down the days. Second term always feels like it lasts an eon even though it is a span of only two-and-a-half months. End of October to mid-January. In my most humble opinion, this stretch of the year drags on like molasses. 
    With that, I am pleased to inform you that you have successfully read through this entire mismatched blog! Nothing flowed, nothing made sense, and that's just the way I like it! Boring is not a word in my vocabulary and neither is coherency, apparently. I'd say I'll get better in the new year but we all know that probably won't happen. I hope you're having a great Friday and I'll be back very soon with the final edition of Caroline's Book Club for 2022!

XO,
​Caroline

    The last state dinner hosted by the United States was held on September 20th, 2019 with the guest of honor being Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. This last week, the tradition was brought back following the chaos of the pandemic years. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron arrived from Paris with his wife, Brigitte on November 29th, for a host of meetings to affirm the friendship between the two countries as well as discuss other diplomatic and international issues. The week was capped off with a state dinner, an extravagant tradition that dates back to the 1870s. Organized by the First Lady and her staff, this dinner was steeped in symbolism with an A-list guest list to match.
    Instead of being held in the State Dinning Room, the planning team decided to go with a natural outdoor setting. A tented pavilion was erected on the South Lawn and guests were shuttled from the White House to the venue upon arrival.  President Biden and President Macron, with their wives walked together down the Grand Staircase and stopped for some photos before heading off to the dinner. 

    These first few photos were stunning, especially with the Christmas decorations so subtly appearing in the background. The First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, wore a navy, off-the-shoulder column gown by famed American fashion house, Oscar de la Renta. The designs of de la Renta have long been intertwined with the White House. First with Jackie Kennedy in the 1960s and then followed by multiple First Ladies; including Nancy Regan, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush. The First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, wore a high-necked, ivory gown by Louis Vuitton. And despite my exhaustive research with many different word combinations, I couldn't find anything on either of the President's looks. For some reason, in events like this, only the women's looks are highly scrutinized but we won't even get into my thoughts on that subject. If I had to take a guess, I'd guess Ralph Lauren as my top choice.
    No matter the designer, these looks were so classic and fun! I love how Dr. Biden's dress fits. It flatters her wonderfully which I would expect in a custom dress like this. The off-the-shoulder look was something I never expected because it's so different from other styles we've seen on her but it works. You can tell she really enjoys what she's wearing and that's all that matters. Plus, the navy and glittery floral details....I love!
    Now, let's talk about the First Lady of France. That color, first of all! Stunning. Gorgeous. A++. It's so simple and clean and makes for a perfect pop of color against the darker tones. The jeweled belt as well as the neck detailing contrast nicely with the rest of the dress and it was definitely a good design choice given that ivory fabric can be very bright by itself. She and Dr. Biden chose dresses with a similar structure; making for very uniform, eye-catching photos as a result. The only thing I might tweak is the collar. When I look at the dress, the collar clashes with the rest for some reason. Also, she doesn't look very comfortable so something less restrictive might've been a better choice.
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    I know this is about the fashion but I would be doing a great disservice to all of you if I didn't talk about the table settings. I mean, look at them! The gold-thatched plates are actually rented because the dinner was held outside the White House. Can't risk breaking state china! The flowers were blue delphiniums, white lilies, and American beauty roses. They symbolized the shared colors of both flags. Here is a wider shot:

    I like to call this "Medieval Game of Thrones Christmas". Considering the state of our politics and the opinions of the guests, I don't think my title is very far off. Luckily, everyone kept themselves in check but that didn't stop the press pool from asking their pot-stirring questions. A Reuters reporter asked how Kevin McCarthy felt about dinning with Hunter Biden to which the Republican representative responded he was just happy to be at dinner with his mom. But I really don't think Kevin had anything to worry about. I'd put money down on the fact that Dr. Biden bans her children from having electronics at her table. 

    I hope you're all having a great holiday season! These "Fashion Follow-Ups" are a lot of fun to put together and I have so many more coming up. December is a busy month for social events! 

XO,
​Caroline