Sartorial Splendor...

All images courtesy The Sartorialist

All designs courtesy Gucci (Fall 11/Winter 12)

I know I'm wont to be a little dramatic... but seriously? Thank heavens for Gucci. I was starting to get so tired of some of the other collections [who shall remain nameless].

I would like to take the time here, in my little slice of insignificance, to remind designers that women want to be beautiful. And women are beautiful. ...so it's really not a stretch. Just create things that flatter.

Like the good people at Gucci.

Take notes, 'who shall remain nameless'.

I would also like to take the time to shout out The Sartorialist for always capturing a collection at its best. I often see his photos of the different shows and I'm like "oooooh. aaaaaah." And then I see other pictures - of the same show! - that make me wince. Not a good look for aimee piper....

Kimia Kline: Artist

I know just how you feel...

Via Kimia Kline.

So my dear friend Kimia has put up 4 new paintings on her site, Alkeemi.

Her stuff is so fresh and lovely, the perfect thing for your walls, me thinks.

Oh... and she ships internationally, for those of you not in San Francisco.

*Disclaimer: That's not the name of the painting... I mean that caption literally.

Ekaterina Koroleva... Illustrator

Ekaterina Koroleva

Head's up courtesy Oh Joy!

My grandpa, Geno, used to own an art gallery on the pier in Redondo Beach, CA. By the time I came along, he was back in radio - dj and news commentator extraordinaire. But my Nana and Geno always had the coolest art around their house.

These water colors by Ms. Koroleva totally remind me of the mid-century feel a lot of their favorites had.... So as not to completely grind to a halt the load time of this little blog o'mine, I've only selected 2 to show. But you should peep the rest of her work!

Como... Say What?

Interesting video, initially spotted on Tralalere!

Ironically, I'm sharing this because I'm so tired as to be rendered nearly speechless.

...plus it's cool.

Enjoy!

Apple of Their Eye...

Mona and Vahid: my neighbors.

So in the midst of making a new kind of scone (off-handedly mentioned yesterday... didn't want to ruin the surprise for the recipients!) flavor last night, I helped M&V with a little Valentine's Day project of their own.

Okay, I make it sound like I'm some kind of high-tech street-fashion photoblogger. We all know that the opposite of this is true. I basically just used the camera option on Vahid's iPhone and then they did some kind of fancy-shmancy editing on the computer and BAM!

Photobooth-esque Valentine's Day e-card.

I'd like to credit my steady hands, good eye, and engaging personality for the lovely card above, but it's really down to the fact that the Yamartino's are incredibly photogenic and that Vahid knows almost everything there is to know about Apple. I know, I'm practically begging you to make him prove it!

Dear the Universe...

Image from the internet.

If you recognize... holler!

I'm not saying that you ever will, but if you were to woo aimee piper - this wouldn't be a bad place to start.

And for those of you in the Haifa area... I've made a new scone flavor in honor of Monday morning. Complete with a secret ingredient that may or may not be unicorn tears.

I hope your Monday morning kicks ass. I have every intention of enjoying at least 1 cup of delicious coffee.

Just The Facts...

Image courtesy Tralalere!

I chanced upon a really awesome remix of Feist's "I Feel It All" by Diplo. You can listen to it here. Many thanks to Samimi-Extremie for the head's up.

I'm still studying "Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth" with some friends. In our last class, we discussed the negative influences and repercussions of the 'insistent self'. *More on this later.*

We had a water polo game in Yoqneam today. Their team played very well, but I'm glad we won.

I've been experimenting with new scone recipes and flavors... and I made one of my new flavors this weekend. I think they might be my favorite.

And in a marathon stretch, I finished Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead in the wee hours of Friday morning. Today I picked up the 3rd book in the Ender series: Xenocide. If you haven't read these books (beginning with Ender's Game), I highly recommend them.

I did some other things like take myself out for dinner and a movie... but that's all very blah blah blah, I'm sure.

I hope your weekend is (was?) lovely, too.

Oh C D....

Courtesy XKCD, of course.

Unresolved tension symptoms may include an elevated heart rate, faster-than-usual breaths (yes, I realize that there is likely a proper medical term for this - but I'm still going to close my parenthesis), and random and otherwise unprovoked stink eye.

Yes, yes. As you were.

I hope your day is otherwise symmetrical.

Viva La Musica...!

This song is dedicated to my cousin-in-love, Samantha.

Thanks for the reminder that the best way to start your day is with good music.

...and breakfast.

The Eye of the Beholder...

Do me a favor, humor me a moment... yes? Think back to your school days.

Imagine a world where, if you got caught cheating, it would automatically be the other kid's fault because he should have done a better job hiding his answers from you.

Hopefully, most of you recognize that this is crazy. Because dude. Your classmate was minding her own business, taking her own test – and you let your eyes wander. She didn’t put her answers out there for you to look at.

Original article as seen in the NYT here.

The analogy I've presented above - crazy as it may sound - is the view presented by many extremists when it comes to the style of dress worn by a woman.

And to outward seeming, it is as though only women in this situation are being repressed. When in actuality, men are too. The sign above indicates that the very sight of a woman in 'western dress' will transform a man into a "voracious monster".

I promised myself I wouldn't drop an eff-bomb, but seriously? WTH?

Give men a little credit (and maybe stop enabling them) that they can look at a woman without being completely overcome by a desire to have his naughty way with her.

You should know that I have the highest respect for Islam and those who practice that Faith. But modesty goes both ways.

Keep your eyes on your own paper.

Adventures in Film...

I finally finished my roll of film... the pictures span from summer 2010 to my trip to the National Museum in Jerusalem (January 2011). Here are some shots from my trip to the museum.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of my camera. But sharing is caring, right?

I could be making this up, but I think this says

"National Museum"

[If you read Hebrew, I accept translations and corrections.]

*Correction: It says LOVE*

I really like the way the setting sun was hitting this particular sculpture.

...as evidenced by the 407 pictures I took of it.

Seriously.

Strictly speaking, you're not meant to climb on the statuary.

But I would have done it, too. Shhh.

This one is probably my favorite.

But you knew I was a 'save the best for last' kind of girl, right?

This Charming Girl...

My attitudes towards the kinds of romantic, heart-warming lovely feelings do not really fluctuate throughout the year. ...my access to fun, cute and artistic expressions of these feelings do, however.

So if you see these sorts of whimsical things in my little corner of the interwebs (and maybe feel overwhelmed by it), it simply means that I wasn't patient enough to space them out throughout the year.

But I'll try to be strong.

My Name Is...

*I don't remember where I saw this, beyond "the interwebs*

If you recognize it, holler.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction....

I'm studying a book in the Ruhi sequence called "Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth" with some friends, and we've just got to a section discussing 'the insistent self'. I'm really looking forward to our next class and pending discussion and study of this topic. It is clear, to everyone I should think, that the human race is addicted to consumption.

We're, like, voracious in our appetites. Time to reexamine wants vs. needs, methinks.

Brotherly Love...

First seen on Bitte Ein Kuss.

Original source here.

This is awesome and beautiful and amazing. Unity in diversity at work!

Hear Ye...

This post is dedicated to those of you who live in the greater NYC area and/or those of you who, like me, like lovely things.

Images courtesy Missed Connections.

If you live in New York and are looking for something to do on a Monday night, you may wish to consider this. It looks cool. And, if you click the link for additional deets, you'll see it's even free. Hells yes. Free.

And if you do go, be sure to tell me about it!

It's True...

Courtesy A Softer World.
One of my favorite online "comics".