Paella

When I was 20 I spent a spring semester abroad in London. It was such a great experience for me and I would recommend it to anyones kids that are considering it. During my semester I got to do some light traveling around Europe: Scotland with a group of friends via car, a trip to Berlin [the Berlin Wall had just come down that previous November- AMAZING] and for my Spring Break I took a trip through Spain with my roommate. I wanted to see where my dad's family came from and travel the country.

The trip itself was a comedy of errors and we ended up cutting it short by 2 days. The cheating through Spanish class? not so good for traveling! I was glued to my translation book the whole trip. On the plane ride there I figured out 2 phrases that I would need to know for sure: Where is the bathroom? and the second I can't quite remember, it was something related to eating. Obviously, the bathroom was a necessity.

The roommate and I got our Let's Go Spain book and plotted the trip. Fly to Barcelona rent a car and see the city. I might add that I had never seen a round-a-bout prior to this and was not prepared for what Barcelona had to offer. After our taxi cab ride-o-death I decided that driving was not an option but the roomie thought it was doable. She drove, I screamed a lot and held on for dear life. We got out of Barcelona alive and took the train to the eastern edge and were going to make stops along the book guide's suggestions.



I can tell you the two positive things that still stay with me about that trip [I think there were only two really] The Paella I had in one of those little towns [which I can't remember which one] and the city of Sevilla which was beautiful and amazing.

The Paella though....I love good food and I don't know whether it was that I was so incredibly hungry that day or whether it was that amazing but the Paella was to. die. for. We ventured down a small street to a cafe that, in the window had a pan probably 4 feet wide in the window with mounds of seafood and chicken and saffron rice. We walked in and mimed and pointed our way through ordering and sat down to a plate of heaven. I've never had it since.


I got this catalog in the mail today of the "foods of Spain" the normal Jamon, cheese and olive oil but then there was the page, the Paella page and I got to remembering that meal. I'm nervous to buy the kit, that it won't be the same - but of course it won't be the same! I've had 20 years to make it grander in my mind than ever. But I really want to try it. Wouldn't it be fun? Throw a giant dinner party and make my own giant vat of love!

Boutique Periodicals

You'll remember this in about 5 years from now that I mentioned this term but Boutique Periodicals are the super next thing. It's not a new concept and there are already a handful of groovy people that are serving up some killer work. Like Purple, a French magazine that I've been obsessed with for the past 10+ years is finally getting it's dues thanks to some others that have hit the market in the past couple of years.

Do you recognize this man? It's my creepy guy-crush Vincent Gallo. You know, I know talent when I see it.



Others that I've not purchased due to my budget fashionista status:
The Last Magazine which is really a book about these people, Visionaire a limited edition publication who's recent issue is also available super-duper exclusive in it's own Goyard Trunk, and V magazine the baby sister of Visionaire which is meant for peons like me who can't afford the real thing.

Maybe Santa will bring me the little V Magazine?

Dear Santa, I want to be cool too. I promise to be good and clean up my room.
-Richie

On the bright side...

I've decided I'm only posting happy, shiny things here. Not that I ever did post doom and gloom but I think especially now, don't you think? Lets all pinky-swear to happy, shiny stuff.

Harry Winston, my jewelry boyfriend, the one with the giant rocks in the window? He should be having a sale soon. I'll omit all the stuff that explains why it's going to happen or you can read it here, but it's the basics of supply and demand and some $$ ugly things that we won't talk about. But DIAMONDS should be going down in price by about 15% next year. How thoughtful of them to do that and just in time for my 40th birthday. They are just SO SWEET!

In theory I love this

I immediately bent the corner of this page today of my Anthroplogie catalog. I always love the look of their clothes but either I'm not blonde enough, or not skinny enough, something not enough...but their clothes never seem to work live and in person on me. If it did this one would be $98 - color is lovely I might add.

How many pairs of black shoes do you own?

I had to talk myself out of buying my 20th pair of black shoes this weekend.
It's an illness really. I mean they go with everything! what am I suppose to do...I'm bargin hunting and they're 20$ [orginally $70ish]. I mean plueeze... perfectly cutie little flats too. I put them back like a good girl.


How many pairs do you own? Please make me feel better.

Right now...

Right Now...I can't believe it's the middle of November already. Where did the time go?
Right Now...My tummy is doing very weird things.
Right Now...I don't have anything good or sparkily to show you except this photo
Right Now...I'm looking forward to yoga class tomorrow
Right Now...I'm dreaming of a new website for myself with e-commerce
Right Now...I want someone to get married so I can make this really fabulous invitation I have in my head.
Right Now...I'm thinking of cutting my hair off again but I'm suppose to be growing it out.
Right Now...I want to read Perez Hilton and avoid my work.
Right Now...you're probably bored of reading this dumb post.

sparkily lights via this person

Sparkily Goodness

I'm in a sparkily kind of mood lately. I think the brooch at the bottom is my fav


Kate Spade Lady Marmalade ball Charm Bracelet $255


JCrew's crystal chain necklace $55


JCrew's Giant Starburst Ring $68


Banana Republic's Crystal Floral Ring $49



Banana Republic's Pave Star Brooch$39.00

4 gold stars - JCrew Pencil denim skirt

Yah I've been wanting this for a while now and finally splurged and purchased a week ago at full price. I just realized as I'm posting this that it's on sale now. This is why I don't buy anything full price... IT WILL ALWAYS GO ON SALE!! But anyway.

Total cutie 50's pencil style, very a la Mad Men [TV show for those who don't know] hint of stretch [brilliant] makes me feel skinny. Enough said right? Go get em now...but remember no returns on sale items!


*post: The lovely boy who answered the phone adjusted my bill. Sale on!!

Today I'm proud

Lately I haven't been a proud American, I've been a Canada-doesn't-sound-so-bad-sort-of-American. I'm embarrassed to say that, but I've been embarrassed by what's unfolding here in the past few years. Today, I am so proud though. Today, I went to my polling place and stood in line for 40 min. All of us were excited and happy to be there. We finally give a sh*t. We finally feel like there is a chance to make a difference.

No matter who you're voting for I think it's clear to say that we all have hope.

Finally.

Speaking of Mascara...

A big fat No, on Covergirl's exact eyelights didn't do a thing for me. No length, brush is too chubby, didn't notice the "color enhancement" at all.



But a huge thumbs up on Loreal's Carbon Black Telescopic Mascara. Makes them super-duper long. Good Brush, little to no clumping

Happy Halloween

off to see the family be back next week

Off to see some music tonight

Ray LaMontagne at the Wiltern

I mentioned in conversation that I had tickets at the end of the month when my guy was around recently and he got sort of sad that I hadn't asked him to go with me. So I told him who I was going to see. "The tickets are for the guy you describe as "the whiney asshole" I didn't think you would want to go, plus you're at school anyway". "Oh that douchebag? Yah, I would rather stick needles in my eyes" As you can see, we agree on everything but music. I obviously have good taste and his...I'm not sure what to describe it as, possibly "upstate New York" would be appropriate

But my on and off music boyfriend John Mayer agrees with me, and we all know he has GREAT taste - except in women. Stay away from the blondes John...haven't you learned your lesson yet? Raven haired beauties, such as Moi are the only way to go.

From John Mayer Blog:
I think Ray LaMontagne is as brilliant as any artist that has ever lived.
Wait, let me think about that again. That came off pretty bold.
Nope, that's still what I want to say. Ray LaMontagne is as brilliant as any artist that has ever lived.
And he's getting better; tighter, more focused, more self-assured.

New Technology Fear

up until Sunday evening I used a cell phone from the dinosaur ages like 1990 or something. I'm not joking. It was a Nokia block of love It's about 3" thick it weighed like 50lbs It might as well been attached to my car it was so old [remember those?]. The kid that helped me at the store looked at me like I was insane. "how did you live this long with this phone? He said." But the thing is it worked GREAT. Simple, no crazy buttons, no speaker phone, no flip this up to whatever, talk and junk. No Frills. But the thing was that mine was on it's last leg and there are times when I need a camera on my phone for work if I don't schlep my big Nikon with me. There are times I need to access my email when I'm places. I don't have a laptop so I decided that the iphone would take that place because the iphone is 199$ and a laptop, well, isn't.

I hate the learning curve of new technology...it's just so much work to learn something new. I don't own a DVR for this reason. My brain can't handle one more tech thing to figure out. I loose brain cells when I have to put that much effort into anything. Lord knows how I ended up working for Apartment Therapy and blogging. Just the small amounts of code involved in this is STRESSFUL. I had to hook up a computer at the office this week and I wanted to lay down and take a nap after. I felt like I had run a marathon.

So knowing this you shouldn't be surprised that with technology purchases I am slow, I'm a "I'll go check it out and then think about it for 4 months sort of person". during that time I ask other people who have one how they like it. I will ponder the purchase every day during that time. I will talk myself out of it 3 days out of the 7. Then at about the 4 month period I get sick of thinking about it and I just do it or I don't. "My block of love" as I called it was fast approaching a duct tape moment. So I caved, I went mostly because I was over the thinking about it part.

What I can say is this. How the hell did I live without this thing ? Seriously, I just checked my email from the toilet. That's meant to make you laugh but really, I was kinda surfing Perez Hilton. This is going to be bad for me. I will forever be locked into this thing. I will have it attached to my body, maybe embedded. I am in love with my phone.

So there you have it. Love. Mac once again is friggin brilliant.

Bargain Hunting with expensive taste

I need a new couch. I also need a pair of black boots for the winter. I am a picky art-damaged woman. I do not want a cheesy ass-couch or pleather boots, I want a really chunky, expensive looking total-super-baragin-couch. I want a VERY specific boot with fine leather and a heel that is neither chunky nor spike. It needs to have an elegant heel about 1". I have located such a boot but it's $900. It has not made it past the current season to my bargin bin just yet. I might also add that I want the couch to be a sectional, I want it to be a neutral, I would prefer it to have tapered wooden legs like a vintage mid-century piece. I cannot find all of these qualities in a couch that is not 5k. Here-in lies the problem that plagues all of my days.

This lovely grey sectional from CB2 is almost there.

I want very specific things when I go looking for most anything, generally these things are expensive because the only people that "get" what I want, and want it to look like, are other artists and craftsmen/women. This has plagued me since I was little. I have a knack for picking the most expensive thing up [or what once was the most expensive thing] Much to my mom's disgust I might add. School shopping was a lesson in patience for me, arguments for her. I wanted what I wanted. And she would end up saying "well you'll only have one pair of pants to wear to school then". This might explain my obsession with clothes as an adult. I want what I want.


these Tory Burch boots are kind-of it. but I don't like the gold detail on the heel and I don't really want the big mark on the side. and I kinda want the heel to be a little more elegant.

I recently told someone that most of my clothes and shoes come from Marshall's or Loehmann's [local discount stores] and they were shocked. Oh yes, I very rarely spend over $40 for most anything. I go shopping once a week, it's my Friday treat to myself. Sometimes I go to both stores in the same night if I'm really going big. Some weeks I find nothing, some weeks it's like a treasure chest. It takes work. It takes patience, it takes weeding through rows of crap to find the Theory sweater marked down from $240 to $39. I don't care if it's from last season. It's going to be black or grey anyway no one that I hang out with will know it's from last season. Only the girlfriend who's a buyer in LA will and I don't see her much anyway. Stick with classics, stick with great fabrics, channel Tim Gunn. Buy a trench coat at the end of a season...it will survive till the next and you'll look fab.

This boot by Apepazza is closer but I'm just not sure...but at $294 it's the most reasonably priced thing I've liked.

Where am I going with this? I have no idea. but the grey couch is almost it. If it just had the mid century legs. If only I could find it as a sample discounted 40% or maybe from a model home at 50%. That, that would be PERFECT. And the Anya Hindmarch boots from last season that were $800 but were sold out. If someone is a 9.5 and would like to sell me the pair that they put in the closet and really don't like anyway? I'll totally take them off your hands for like $250. I'm not asking for much now am I?

Outta words currently...

It seems to be a plague spreading madly amongst us bloggers as I've seen 2 or 3 posts recently about this. Maybe it's the time of year, perhaps it's a lack of chocolate in our diets. You know that being chocolate deficient has been shown to leave women speechless. Well, maybe not speechless but you really don't want that sort of speech anyway.

So, regardless, I'm out of fab words. I'll be posting some mind numbingly light fare this week and then Friday I'm getting on a plane and going home to visit the family. Go trick or treating with the kiddies, you know the drill. Maybe I'll have more words when I knock one of the kids down and take all their good candy.

Manolo Blahnik and milkshakes

Yes, I'm a freak about shoes, you can say it. I saw this video over at Fashionista today. I had never seen his face before so incase you are as curious as I am. He has quite a stunning collection he's put together over the years.

Love that he has a thing for milkshakes he's on his second by the time the interview begins.

New In the studio - JoAnn's 60th surprise party

See the whole suite here

Perfection is so boring

I use to think that you could only be beautiful if you were perfect. I have since figured out that beauty is really in the imperfection. Scott Schuman's photo he posted of Lauren Hutton at the Calvin Klein show is really the "perfect" example of this. Have you ever seen someone SO beautiful? This is what real women look like. It makes me less scared for the lines that are marching...

photo credit: Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist.

Because it's important for young people struggling to know.

The movie about Harvey Milk's life is coming out soon starring Sean Penn directed by Gus Van Sant. From everything I have seen it looks like it will be an amazing movie about an amazing man. If you don't know much about him here is a you tube clip a friend sent me today. He was the first openly gay politician in San Francisco. I think it is important for this information to be out there for young people/ teens. Knowing you're not the only one must be such a relief.

For the preview of the movie click here

William Claxton 1927-2008

Chet Baker photograph by William Claxton.

When I first began working for my boss, I started as an intern where I would do all the schelpy things interns do. I didn't care really, I was happy to do them all just to be around IT. And every once in a while I got to do something of interest, where I could learn. One of those things was a project we were working on for a audiofile company, who's name escapes me at the moment but we were doing some collateral pieces for them and my boss really wanted to use a William Claxton photo so he asked me call him and then fax him a request. I didn't know who William Claxton was, I assumed he was like the other photographers who came to see us on a regular basis. Now I know.


chet baker 1954 available from the Fahey/ Klein Gallery

It's sort of like I walked up to Ansel Adams' door and just knocked and said "hey there mister, ummmm I like those em' photos ur-a-takin' du ya think I could have one? holy.mother.of.eggplant.

My poor boss. He was a little stunned to realize that I had faxed the request, in my handwriting, I might add and no one proofed it, spell checked it or anything. I can tell you that I'm sure there were at least 3 misspelled words. That's sort of how I roll. oh gawd, I cringe just thinking about it. Learning. I was learning.

Drummer Elvin Jones outside Birdland, Manhattan, New York City. Photo: William Claxton

We got the image rights though, thankfully and now I know who William Claxton is and now I know how close my brush with greatness was. Funny how you don't know it till it's passed.

From the Taschen site:
In 1952, while a student at UCLA, Claxton began to photograph a young and unknown trumpet player named Chet Baker. The resulting collection of images from these sessions has become known throughout the world of jazz music.

Since his early career – shooting for Life, Paris Match, and Vogue, among other magazines – Claxton has worked with and become friends with many Hollywood luminaries, including Frank Sinatra and Steve McQueen. Well-known in the recording world, Claxton is one of the founding members of The Recording Academy, producers of the Grammy Awards. In 2003, he was awarded the distinguished Lucie at the International Photography Awards.

In the 1960s, Claxton collaborated with his wife, the noted fashion model Peggy Moffitt, to create a stunning collection of iconic fashion images featuring the revolutionary designs of Rudi Gernreich. A Claxton-directed film from the era, Basic Black, is considered by many to be the first "fashion video" and is now part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. To this day, the Claxton/Moffitt/Gernreich images from this era continue to be hailed as masterful examples of modern style. As the author of thirteen books and subject of dozens of exhibitions, William Claxton enjoyed a worldwide audience for his work.

William Claxton passed away October 11th in Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife Peggy Moffitt and his son Christopher.