District
Issue No. 7
Spring Break ToDo’s
The Spring Issue
+ St. Patrick’s Day
Bowtiful Life’s Megan YOUR Right TO A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
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District ISSUE NO. 7
Published March 4th, 2015. All views in the magazine are individual and do not show the views of everyone involved in the production of this magazine. All stories are opinion and no stories were sponsored by brands unless otherwise stated. All images have been credited on page 33 to their rightful owner, including the web address. If there is no listing, the photo is District’s property.
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Happy March!
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Editor’s Letter
So March has always been one of my favorite months. Since the age of six I have been going out every weekend in March to perform with my Irish dance group. I always felt like it was just a month of fun. Not only is the greatest holiday {just kidding, but anytime when you can wear that much green and get away with it is a good holiday} in the month of March, but a lot of us go on spring break. We have included some pieces about what y’all should do this season. Our cover girl, Megan is amazing. Personally, I have been following Bowtiful Life for years and her journey is inspiring. We talked Lilly Pulitzer, spring break, St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, and so many other things in the interview. Plus, don’t you love the Lilly scarf she is wearing on page 17? Also in this issue, are 17 facts you did not know about St. Paddy’s Day, what music you should be listening to, what movies you should go see, and what books you should be reading. Personally, I am reading a classic, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and I love it. My book club has just begun reading The Girl on The Train which was featured in last month’s District and I could not be more excited to start it! All of us at District wish you an amazing St. Patrick’s day and a wonderful spring break, we will see you next month with even more content! As always, remember to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and that District is “your right to a beautiful life.”
Keep It Beautiful,
Hayden Pigott
Editor-In-Chief 4
Insta: @hayden213 Tweet Me! @haydenpigott
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CONTRIBUTORS
Hayden Pigott Editor-In-Chief Haute Table
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Pacelli Iglesias Assistant Editor
Hannah French University of Texas at Austin Student
District Is
Looking For: An Advertising Director & Writers Email districtmagazinesoc@gmail.com for more information. 7
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March
Sunday
National Women History Month
Monday
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Dr. Seuss’ Birthday
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Reese 22 Witherspoon’s Birthday
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Ides of March
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Tuesday Wednesday 3 4 FDR’s first inaugural address Salva- 10 tion Army Formed
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St. Patrick’s Day
SJP’s Birthday Vincent Van Gogh’s Birthday
31 LBJ will not run for reelection
Planner
Thursday Churchill 5 gives Iron Curtain Speech Girl 12
Friday
Saturday
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National14 Pi Day
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Scouts Day 19 Earth Day Kierra 26 Knightley’s Birthday
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Culture Music
Run // Awolnation // I still sit and listen to “Sail” so when I heard Awolnation had a new album coming out I was all for it. “Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)” is on this album and it sounds just like them. I love how dramatic their beats are.
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Shock
Coming Up For Air // Kodaline // My roommate got me hooked on Kodaline and we are extremely excited for their latest offering. We really like their single “Honest” and that is on this album so hopefully the rest is just as good. Warning, their songs tend to be sad so get a box of tissues ready!
Rebel Heart // Madonna // I mean her success is paramount and we can assume this album will be the same. She has been hinting at this album for months. The single “Living for Love” is on the album {if you have not seen the music video... check that out}. We are looking forward to some of the collaborations on this one too.
Film
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel // In the sequel Dev Patel’s Sonny is attempting to expand his brand while marrying Sunaina the love of his life. Of course, antics ensue.
Literature
Cuba Straits // Doc Ford is back to help out an old friend who is smuggling Cuban baseball players into the United States. Plus there are letters from Castro involved!
Cinderella // Lily James, Hayley Atwell, Helena Bonham Carter, and Cate Blanchette star in this remake of the classic Disney fairytale directed by Kenneth Brangh.
Dead Wake // Larson tells a thrilling tale of the sinking of the Lusitania. He switches between the ship’s point of view and the German’s in this fictional telling.
Serena // Set in Depression-era North Carolina, Cooper’s character, George Pemberton’s timber empire becomes complicated when he marries Serena, Jennifer Lawrence.
A Dangerous Place // Maisie Dobbs is called back from India to England but gets off her boat in Gibraltar where 13 murders and mystery ensue.
17 Things You Didn’t Know About... Saint Patrick’s Day, commonly associated with green beer, Irish dancers, and festivals. Some of the lesser known facts are listed below, enjoy!
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In Ireland and Northern Ireland the day is a national holiday. It used to be a dry holiday, in 1970 the day was converted to not just religious & beer started flowing.
From 1999 to 2007, the Irish village of Dripsey proudly touted that it hosted the Shortest Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the World. The route ran for 26 yards between two pubs.
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St. Patrick used the three-leafed plant as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity when he was first introducing Christianity to Ireland.
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There is no corn in corn beef. it’s a nod to the large grains of salt that were historically used to cure meats, which were also known as “corns.”
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In traditional Irish folk tales, there are no female leprechauns
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Irish Éirinn go Brách, which means roughly “Ireland Forever.”
compiled by, Hayden of Haute Table
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St. Patrick was British. NYC has one of the largest parades, since 1762.
In Chicago, parade day (always a Saturday) begins with a wee bit of Irish magic (and 40 lb/18 kg of EPA-approved dye) to color the downtown Chicago River the perfect kelly green.
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The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.
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In Seattle, there is a ceremony where a green stripe is painted dow the roads.
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In Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair.
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The phrase, “Drowning The Shamrock” is from the custom of floating the shamrock on the St. Patrick’s birth name was Maewyn top of whiskey before drinking Succat, but he changed his it. The Irish believe that if you keep the cusname to Patricius after becomtom, then you will have a prosperous year. ing a priest.
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St. Patrick did not actually drive snakes out of Ireland; the snakes represent the pagans that he converted to
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The name “leprechaun” has several origins. It could be from the Irish Gaelic word “leipreachan,” which means “a kind of aqueous sprite.” Or, it could be from “leath bhrogan,” which means “shoemaker.” 15
It’s a Bowti Preppy Chi-O and fashion blogger, Megan Rogers-Reilley has been blogging since her junior year of high school. She has turned her love of Lilly, bows, monograms, and Disney into a business she is working on expanding. District caught up with Megan on the cusp of her spring break from studying communications studies in Chicago. We talked St. Patrick’s Day, Spring, Coffee, Jenna Lyons and so much more. 16
iful Life
Check out Megan on: Twitter: @BowtifulLife Instagram: @BowtifulLife Facebook: Bowtiful Life YouTube: BowtuflLife And always at: www.bowtifullife. com 17
What is bowtifullife. com all about?
How long did it take for your blog to take off?
Bowtiful Life is a fashion and lifestyle blog which features everything from outfit of the day posts to downloadable desktop backgrounds to monthly Spotify playlists. For me, Bowtiful Life is about expressing myself and then sharing that expression with my readers and followers to connect with them and start a conversation.
I don’t know exactly when I’d say it “took off.” However, sites like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr have been instrumental in gaining a following for Bowtiful Life over the last three years. I’d say I’ve noticed a lot of growth in the last year in particular and it constantly blows my mind when I meet someone and they’ve already heard about Bowtiful Life!
How did you get started blogging? I started blogging my junior year of high school after running into some health issues with breathing and having to pull myself from my highly competitive dance team. (Luckily all of these were resolved in just a few months and I am still able to dance to my heart’s content!) After I told my coach and team that I couldn’t keep dancing, I realized I would have a lot of free time on my hands and I decided to start my own blog! I’d been playing around with Polyvore for a few years already, so that’s where I took my first steps to actually share my creative interests in fashion with others. I never thought anyone would actually read it and I didn’t even put my name or face on it for the first few months!
Are you working on any exciting projects? 18
I have a few things up my sleeve! ;)!
What do you want to do in the future with your photography & blog? I don’t know exactly where Bowtiful Life will take me in the future, but I know that I’d love to work with some bigger name brands as well as meet and connect with more influencers in the fashion and blogging industries. That’s one of my favorite things about blogging, connecting! I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing people because of the blog and I hope that that continues as the blog keeps growing!
What is your favorite thing about March?
March is fun because the weather finally starts warming up and we start seeing all of the plants and flowers coming back! Chicago winters can be long and brutal! It’s also the month leading up to my birthday so it’s always full of planning for that!
What is your favorite thing about St. Patrick’s day? I’m about a quarter Irish, so I have fond memories of get togethers at my grandparents’ house with family and friends around St. Patrick’s day when I was younger!
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Are you participating in Chicago’s St. Patrick’s festivities? A lot of my friends will be going to the parade that weekend, but I’m actually going to be out of town in New York for a conference with Teen Vogue! I won’t be in Chicago for the majority of the festivities this year, but I’m super excited for my trip!
What are you most excited about this Spring? I’m looking forward to the days getting a little bit longer and having more natural light later on in the day. I’m also looking forward to formal season for all of the Greek chapters on my campus! I personally love getting dressed up and it’s also so much fun to see all of the pictures of everyone dressed to the nines!
Are you planning on using any of the trends off the spring runway?
I honestly hardly ever follow trends, I just wear what I like and what fits in with my personal esthetic and style. However, I am a big fan of all white, so I was happy to see that pop up in multiple shows for Spring this year!
Are you going anywhere for spring break? I’m looking forward to spending some time back home with my family and friends who are also on break! 23
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If you could go anywhere for spring break, where would it be? To give you a slightly cliche answer, I would love to go to the Caribbean for spring break at some point! However, I really want to travel in Europe and spring would be a fun time to do that.
If you had to choose one outfit to wear all spring what would it be? That’s a difficult question because during the spring in Chicago the weather is all over the place, cold one day and warm the next! For warm days I’d probably be wearing J.Crew chino shorts with a light sweater, but for cooler days I’d go for jeans with riding boots, a long sleeved tee, and a puffy or fleece vest!
What are some of your favorite hangouts in Chicago? I love finding fun coffee shops. One of my favorite things to do is grab a table and a latte and hang out for a few hours to work on the blog, do home-
work, and listen to music. Starbucks locations downtown are also a great choice for afternoons like those!
If you could have dinner with any fashion designer who would it be? If it could be someone who is deceased, I would pick Oscar de la Renta. Otherwise, I would love to have dinner with Jenna Lyons, the creative Director and president of J.Crew. They both have such vision and are part 27 of extremely successful and stunning brands!
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Where in the world would you love to do a fashion photo-shoot? I would love to shoot somewhere in Paris or on the grounds of a castle somewhere in Europe! I love the symmetry of a lot of the old fashioned courtyards, gardens, and ballrooms. Vogue’s editorials in locations like these are always my favorites!
How would you define “preppy?”
Megan’s Mind
Instagram or Twitter?
Favorite thing to bake? Fall or summer?
Ghiradelli brownies! Fall
Everyone defines it slightly differently, but my definition would be “a category of style that is classic, timeless, and consists of an easily mix and matchable wardrobe with an I collect... emphasis on looking clean and polished at Favorite City? all times, but also not looking like you’re trying too hard!”
What are your three preppy staples?
A nice pair of pearl studs, a monogram necklace, and a large Longchamp tote bag!
Peonies
Bloom of choice?
Style icon?
How can we all be more like Megan?
A few years ago I probably would have answered this question with “wear bows all the time,” a very boring and simple answer that barely brushes the surface of who I am. When answering this question now, my response is to be yourself, and do so shamelessly. The biggest thing that has ever held me back in life is not being true to myself. I could look back and regret any of these times where I held back some of my personality or tried to fit in because I was worried I’d be judged by my friends, peers, or an one at all; but I don’t do that. Instead, I use those times as a reminder to be myself because I’ve found that in being 100% authentically me, I’m happiest.
bows Sweet Home Chicago I can’t pick just one! Audrey Hepburn, Lilly Pulitzer, Jackie Kennedy, and Blair Waldorf are all up there
I want... Most prized possession?
an extra day in the week to get everything done! My 13 inch macbook pro
Favorite accessory?
a monogram necklace
Nail polish color?
Fiji by Essie
Currently reading?
Re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird
Favorite movie?
Love Actually 29
9 Ways to Have the Best Spring Break
By, Hannah French, UT student Even if you aren’t a student, these activities are perfect for any spring day.
For many, Spring Break is a much needed distraction from reality. Spring Break is a week to forget about all your responsibilities and relax. It’s a time to try new things, hang out with your best friends, and just have fun. In case you don’t already have some things planned for your nine day break, here are some ideas. Spring Break doesn’t last forever and you should try to make the most of it. It’s a week to let loose and relax. But no matter what you choose to do, always remember to never stop having fun.
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time to dust Pinterest Bake Day It’s off your apron
and start baking! Scroll through your Pinterest and pick out that one recipe you’ve had pinned for forever, but never dared to try.
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Gather up your girls and head out of town! Pick a place you’ve never been that’s about an hour or two drive from your hometown and go exploring. You never know what cool places you might find.
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Spend a Day in Bed
Some days are meant for staying in your pajamas with a pint of your favorite ice cream and watching movies. Spring Break is the perfect time to binge watch all your favorite 80s movies or finally watch all those movies you’ve been adding to your Netflix queue. 30
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Start a New Book {or two}
Put aside the textbooks for a week and finally read that book that’s been collecting dust on your bookshelf.
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Pack a blanket and a good lunch and head out to the great outdoors. Pick a park you’ve never been to before or a place with a really good hiking trail. For even more fun bring a kite and a frisbee.
Check out a Museum
Go downtown and find a cool museum to check out. Whether it be an art or history or the world’s largest ball of yarn museum, you’re sure to enjoy yourself and learn some new things at the same time.
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It’s time to pamper yourself and relax. Go get your nails done, give yourself a facial, or buy that dress you’ve been eyeing for weeks. Do something for yourself and enjoy it.
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Round up all your friends and head out for a night full of music and dancing. Pick a band you’ve never seen before or go to your favorite dancing hall. Whatever you decide, make sure you don’t stop dancing ‘till the sun comes up.
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Go Stargazing
Grab some pillows and blankets and drive until the city lights are no longer in your rearview mirror. When you find a nice (and safe) spot, pull over and lay on the hood of car. Look up and gaze at the stars. Without the distrac31 tion of bright lights, you should be able to see thousands upon millions of stars.
Latest Obsessions The Editors Share Their January Picks
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Varina Wild Flats // Salvatore Ferragamo
I have wanted Ferragamo flats since I saw Sarah Vickers of Classy Girls Wear Pearls rocking them. Ever since then it has been an obsession. I love these leopard print ones because they kind of look like tourtoise shell! HAYDEN
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Prett for Polo // Sail to Sable
When I saw this dress on STS’ instagram I think I cried a little on the inside. I LOVE the color and the pipping. Plus my spirit group at UT uses navy as one if its main colors so I could wear it to initiation. Also, I love STS! HAYDEN 32
Francois Voltaire Numero Quatre // Very Troubled Child
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I just discovered this site thanks to KJP and I am in love with everything on the site because it is all so twee. HAYDEN
Where to find
Contributors: http://blog.thepinkpagoda.us/2013/03/color-right-now.html Spring: http://www.thisisglamorous.com/2014/04/from-instagram-30-images-of-inspiration-1/ http://www.thisisglamorous.com/2014/04/from-instagram-a-little-of-our-lately/ Culture Shock: Marigold: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2555736/?ref_=cs_ov_tt Srena: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1247690/?ref_=cs_ov_i Cinderella: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1661199/?ref_=cs_ov_tt Dangerous Place: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dangerous-place-jacqueline-winspear/1119950884 Cuba Straits: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cuba-straits-randy-wayne-white/1119859083 Dead Wake: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-wake-erik-larson/1119739955 Rebel heart: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebel_Heart_(Madonna_album) Run: http://www.riffyou.com/awolnation-return-with-run-in-march/ Coming Up For Air: http://www.clashmusic.com/news/kodaline-announce-coming-up-for-air St. Patrick’s Day: http://www.shelleyirishdance.com/gallery.htm Spring Break: Baking: http://www.popsugar.com/food/Easy-Cake-Decorating-Ideas-Video-32056158 Friends: http://littleremindersoflove.blogspot.com/2011/08/quote-of-week_23.html Book: http://stylecaster.com/design-ideas-to-make-every-room-in-your-house-prettier-pinterest/ Bed: http://breakfastatyurmans.tumblr.com Picnic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessirivera/5506521005/ Stars:c https://www.pinterest.com/pin/532269249684378635/ Museum: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/arts/design/impressionism-fashion-and-modernity-atthe-met.html?_r=0 Spa: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323501004578388950896385688 Latest Obsessions: Sail to Sable: http://sailtosable.com/collections/spring-2015/products/pretty-forpolo?variant=1093056472 Flats: http://www.shopbop.com/varina-wild-flats-salvatore-ferragamo/vp/v=1/1587848435.htm?fol derID=2534374302024643&fm=other-shopbysize-viewall&colorId=75518&extid=affprg_CJ_SB_ US-2975314-rewardStyle-4441350&extid=affprg_CJ_SB_US-2975314-rewardStyle-4441350 Bag: https://verytroubledchild.com/product/francois-voltaire-travel-bag-inspired-by-wes-andersons-the-darjeeling-limited-movie-made-of-genuine-leather-it-can-be-personalized-with-yourinitials-2/ 33
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