Elizabeth Taylor

I just watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof two nights before she lost her life to congestive heart failure. It was a reminder of how intense of an actor she was and how her beauty was both harsh and soft somehow simultaneously.


I stumbled upon an article saying that a Baptist Church plans to picket Ms. Taylor's funeral because she supported homosexuality through her social activism in the cause of AIDS awareness, research and cure. It's completely disgusting and I really hope this sort of absurdity is not allowed to ensue during such a tragic event although this type of "protest" is protected under the first amendment.

Goodbye to one of the most gorgeous, stylish, talented and interesting women to ever grace Hollywood.
 

Pseudo Sophisticated French Lentil Soup

I call this soup pseudo-sophisticated because of how gourmet it tastes, even though it is one of the easiest things to make. It's a true staple for me because I make it at least once every two months and I hardly ever tire of it. I have tried other lentil soups but I always come back to this one. Give it go, why don't you?



Ingredients:  
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 bay leaves
4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) tomato paste
1 1/2 cup red wine
16 oz. dried lentils, sorted and rinsed (about 2 cups...french green lentils work well here as they do not tend to get as mushy as other types)
6 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
pepper to taste
optional: chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)

Directions:
1.) Heat up 3 tablespoons of oil in a large soup pan and put on over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and carrot. Saute until they start to take on color. Add bay leaves and garlic. After two minutes (or if the garlic starts to burn) work in the tomato paste and add the wine. Reduce by three-quarters.


2.) Add the lentils and enough broth to cover with a couple inches of liquid. Simmer uncovered, periodically stirring and adding enough broth (or water, if you run out of broth) to cover.


3.) The soup should cook for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add enough water for your desired consistency. Add a couple tablespoons of crushed thyme or oregano, and season to taste with pepper. If your broth is sodium-free you can add salt, but be careful- a lot of vegetable broth contain a lot of salt! Stir in a heaping spoonful of Dijon mustard into the bowl you're about to eat it in and serve immediately.

This is good to pair with some barley, rice, or quinoa for complete protein. Or, maybe just a big hunk of crusty bread.

Number of Servings: 8ish

Today I love...

Jon Rafman's Google Street View

So awesome. This guy must have some real patience. And a hardcore processor on his computer.

Text Twist
  
Players form words from a set of six scrambled letters, and must find at least one 6-letter word using all the letters to get to the next round. Additional points are granted for words using at least three letters. I spend too much time playing this game but at least it uses some brain power.


Shabby Apple

 

Classic and classy vintage inspired dresses for women of all shapes. They also just started carrying swimsuits! I own the Tuileries dress in the flirty collection and it's so adorable. Perfect spring dress.

This makes me weepy.

 

Thanks Coldplay, you always fucking do this to me! Choreographer Travis Wall created this piece during last seasons SYTYCD for contestant Robert and former contestant/alumni Allison. While I was supposed to be focusing most on Robert since he was in it to win it, I couldn't take my eyes of Allison. She is definitely one of my favorite contestants ever and she just keeps improving every time I see her. But props to Robert too, of course.

TheThriftShopper.com

 

The best and largest compilation of charity driven thrift stores that I know of on the internet.

Hope you enjoyed your Sunday/funday!

Bank of America....

is evil, seriously. If you have to choose a bank know that any other bank other than Bank of America is the better option. I could get into the painstaking details of all this but I think this photo says enough.

 Yeah, you see right. A Starbucks inside of a BOA. What other bank does that? Sick I tell you.

Today I love...

I have always been a big fan of Jim Carrey and this SNL skit just reinforces why: Black Swan




The musician Twin Shadow has caught my attention as of recent. Here is one of my favorite jams off his album "Forget": Slow

I'm obsessed with this etsy designer's hats. One day I hope to be able to afford several: Hats by Behida Dolic
 

This chocolate is worth every penny: L'Artigiano Italian Chocolate OR the best cheaper alternative: Lindt




“TeuxDeux's simplicity is like Sticky Notes without the nasty residue left on your monitor and desk.”: TeuxDeux

Definitely one of the best new cartoons out there (click on "videos" to watch for free): Adventure Time!

Beautiful photos in color during the Great Depression era: Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943 
 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

More NY fashion week...YAY?!

I love fashion week, but it also stresses me out. I feel like I need to see every single collection or I am a complete failure. I know, it's ridiculous. There is a fashion week in four different cities. That is a month of fashion shows that I would have to inspect and form opinions on and truthfully I just don't have it in me. I do the best I can, and if I have to deal with my own mediocrity then so do you. Anyway, here are a couple more shows that I appreciated.

Lela Rose
I know that I instantly just lost "cool" points simply by putting her name on my list of favorites. Usually a Lela Rose collection looks like a wedding party and all it's guests threw up on some semi conservative clothing and walked down a runway. While I enjoy some of her conventional pieces from the past, this collection really stands out as a strong over all show. She used artist Gerhard Richter as her source of  inspiration to create brushstroke-like abstract graphics to her garments. Still providing us with her signature super feminine look, I feel as though this fall compilation caters to a younger eccentric audience. Lela Rose finally put the perfect spin on flirty feminine, which is something I haven't seen from her in several seasons past.
      
Marchesa
If I were a fashion photographer, I'd probably make my models wear something from this collection in every photo shoot this season. Everything is just so...interesting. The shapes are incredible, and while some may argue that these garments are completely unwearable, I believe that they are and will be for the right woman. Probably a very dramatic one. The immense amounts of  lace and tulle along with meticulous hand crafting, results in a whimsical, magical and even at times a bit gothic, deconstructed romantic feel. Not everyone can pull off pieces like these, but if they could, the collection wouldn't be nearly as interesting now would it?

New things up on Etsy!

I use to have an eBay account where a friend and I sold vintage. This was in my university years and it was hard work but it was honestly one of the most rewarding "jobs" I have ever had. That venture, in addition to my internship with a vintage boutique where I was an intern who was only paid in vintage (.best.job.ever.), has had a lasting impression on me. I really don't believe I will be truly happy working with anything else other than vintage clothing. It is my true passion and it is where my heart lies. Forget that I could barely afford food or to pay my bills, I was still completely satisfied getting paid in old moth ball ridden garments than I have been doing almost anything else.

Apparently eBay isn't where it's at anymore though. I was told Etsy is the new and improved eBay for vintage and that if I wanted to get any sales at all I needed to relocate there. I thought it'd be easy but it wasn't. I am not use to the format or use to naming my own prices. I am not use to having to market myself or network in order to obtain better sales. I'm just not really good at that sort of thing. I am more of a private person I suppose. I tend to keep to myself. But as I stated in my first blog entry, I need to break out of my comfort zone and start expressing myself and believing that I too have something to say. I read countless blogs on all sorts of matters and I even read other peoples comments but I hardly ever go so far as to post my own opinions. Maybe I am an voyeur. In the blogging sense at least.

Through all my struggles I still somehow managed to conjure up a decent looking Etsy account. It still has a long way to go and needs much improvement but I don't think it's too bad for my first go. Plus, this time I am doing this all by myself. No more partner, which is kind of sad because she and I were a great team. Luckily my awesome roommate and good friend Alanna (yes, we both have the same name) has been gracious enough to be my model so that I don't have to use the odd headless/limbless dress form we have sitting on our table in the kitchen. Something like that modeling my clothes is not really relatable in any way. No offense to any headless/limbless folks out there. You are a special breed.

Here is a preview of a couple items up right now, and there are several more in the works. If these seem interesting to you, have a look at my store on Etsy at Oceans Of Time.

Obligatory NY fashion week post pt.1

Just like all the other boys and girls who are interested in fashion, I too have my elitist asshole opinion on all the new shows that have or are being presented this week in New York and I am of course going to share them here. Cliche, I know. I don't really think I am an elitist when it comes to fashion, but I know I can be somewhat hard on designers when I know they can create spectacular things and then they don't live up to that in my eyes. Or if a collection is obviously a rip off of something else, or too boring, or trying to hard or...well, maybe I am a bit of an asshole after all. But fashion week is a public showing of the work one has created. It is meant to be seen by many, therefore it is known that the collection will be judged by all. I won't be so snobbish as to post the collections I believe to be total crap. Instead I will highlight a couple of my favorites thus far.

SUNO
I'll be honest, I never noticed this label all that much in the past. Apparently the duo has been around for 4 years already so I suppose I am a bit slow. This show tugged on my inner fashion grandma heart strings. I love a floral print. Throw in plaid, bold prints and some sweater dressing and you pretty much are on point with my old lady look. To some it may seem totally eclectic and crazy, but if those people were to look past the styling and perhaps see each piece as a separate, perhaps it wouldn't be so overwhelming to find this wearable. There is a strong ethnic (African) influence in Suno's collection and after reading up on them, I come to find it's due to their goal of investing in Africa and to manufacture most of their garments in Kenya. Sweet.



Marc Jacobs
I have this joke with my roommate that Marc Jacobs is one of those designers that could shit in a bag and people would still think it was a work of genius. Though I poke fun of his popularity, I do think it is well deserved. The man knows what he's doing and he proves it every single time without fail. Plus he's really sexy. That aside, this Fall collection is no exception to his ongoing list of masterpieces. I love, love, love the blatant fresh take on old classics. Whether it is the shape foundation or fabric usage that is the true classic, he remolds it into something I have never seen done quite like it but with all the glowing nostalgia of the past. Jacobs made great use of shapes by using polka dots, pencil skirts, peplums...OH MY! He also mixes fabrics in interesting ways such as hardware pieces like studs on top of satin, for example. Most importantly, all the fabrics are rich. Velvet, satin, suede, fur, metallic; all these create statement pieces. I also adore how he finds ways to bring back the classic french look using lace and ruffle details here and there. Did anyone else notice a touch of S&M throughout the collection, especially with the chin strap hats, leather gloves and restrictive ponytails? Just another way Marc made his classic woman more modern.

 

My first blog entry!

Hello all-
I am super new to this whole blogspot thing so please bear with me. Back in the day I use to sport a livejournal but it seems somewhat archaic compared to this.

Source

My hope for this blog is that it becomes a tool for tracking/sharing my ideas, opinions, inspirations and emotions; all of which seem quite fleeting lately. I have not allowed myself the luxury of any realistic interpretations of expression. I am afraid of my own thoughts and beliefs and desires because I believe that if I had them all laid out before me, if I really were to face them, I wouldn't know what to do with them. I wouldn't even know where to begin.


I want to change all of that. I want to turn what is internal and abstract into something tangible through expression, art, creativity, motivation and most of all follow through. I refuse to stand by and watch my life slowly pass before me until one day I wake up and I realize that I have received nothing of what I wanted that life had to offer. And for what? All because I was too afraid to face my own voice? Afraid to self actualize?

I cannot allow that to happen. I will not. Time to break out of my shell.

By Mihai Criste