SERGE

Serge is a great name. Lurve it.
 

EDIT: The last video was removed from youtube for inexplicable reasons. Too soon to have an empty post up in here, soooo here is another.

Vanessa Bruno, againnnnn

Runway!! And the film « Le bel été » (The Beautiful Summer)!

[I was thinking about posting Vanessa's Spring 2010 ready-to-wear collection picks, but honestly, the models looked way too skinny for my taste. These gals look healthier, and I'm all about health. So the clothes are a little wintery, but the faces look real. It's a trade off.]

Remember THIS AWESOME VIDEO that I posted BACK IN FEBRUARY?

Well here's the runway from the same mastermind! My only complaint is the somewhat abundant use of fur in the collection (any amount is abundant, really). But I like the idea and look of fur. What's wrong with synthetic fur, eh?

Vanessa Bruno via Color Collective

This summer, I will...

READ :

My favorite part of every summer is having the chance to read anything I want to read. I start with a carefully selected stack every May and usually get 2/3 of the way through it by September.

• Anna Karenina, because I just have to.
• 50 short stories, one a day? two a day? either way the book will be finished by sept 1.
• The Sun Also Rises, because last summer I quit reading it after a few pages, and I am no quitter.
• Sentimental Education, and perhaps a re-reading of Madame Bovary seeing as I'll have to read it en français next semester.
• Tender Is The Night, because it's not summer unless I read some Fitzgerald.
• and perhaps some re-readings of Salinger, in memorium. When I was 16, I went on a binge and read everything he wrote at the prompting of a good friend/ teacher. If I read the books now it will be with new eyes, and I'm curious to see how that will go. (There's that damn curiosity again!)

Considerations for next summer: Jude The Obscure, The Brothers Karamazov, The French Lieutenant's Woman, more Barbara Kingsolver.

WATCH : my amazing nephew grow up little by little, tons of films, True Blood with friends every week.

MAKE : pear almond sticky buns, really good tabouli, new inventory for Etsy shop, creative items for D&B's wedding!

TAKE : black and white photographs, as many art workshops as possible.

SKETCH : consistently, like I used to.

FINISH : the never ending yoga blanket knitting project.

NOT : be sad that M. Ward is married (see ring in picture).

GO : to the beach, to work (full time! bleh!), to parties.

HAVE : fun, a gas, a ball, a grand ol' time.

SEE : the friends I rarely see.

LISTEN : to Adam Arcuragi's absolutely stunning album I Am Become Joy on repeat, literally. Download it and listen to it, or to anything by him for that matter. You won't regret it.

Stewart + Brown in the Summer

     

So this is the post where I put pictures of items that I want. 

(This includes cute stars all over a sun-kissed, freckled face.) 

Can you tell I like blue, white, and gray?

all images Stewart + Brown

I love J.Crew, but...

Ok, this tank top is adorable. I understand why it would sell out so quickly. But wait... it's... $350??! Yeah. Three hundred and fifty dollars. It's made of sequins. Probably plastic imported sequins. Granted, the material is silk, and it's part of the higher end J.Crew Collection, but $350? Really? I bought a shirt on clearance for $7 here a few months ago.

What I love about the red text is the "we're here to help" bit. I was on the train recently and noticed at one of the stations a sign encouraging people not to jump in the tracks. It advised them to call the number on the poster to find a better solution, or something. The phrasing of this reminded me of that. "We've got other great ideas, just call us, we're here to help!" Like my amazing art teacher used to say, "Guys, it's just art. Don't take it so seriously".

I feel the need to quote Sassy Gay Friend in regard to J.Crew's sometimes astronomical prices: "Slow down, crazy. Slow down."

A RED SUNFLOWER

I've never seen one in person.

So.

Beautiful.

First photo from a one Miguel Nunez.

Last from yours truly. They were yellow in real life. They were also in Tuscany. Sometimes I can't believe I was there. 

And this.

Picasso at the Metropolitan

I went to see this show with a good friend last week. It is probably the highest volume of Picasso works I've seen in one place at one time. (I haven't yet been to the Picasso museum in Paris!) I could have spent all day looking at every single piece individually.

Here's a cool video tour through the exhibition. They missed alot of my favorites, so go see the show if you can. There are hundreds of works... plenty to look at.

Our mothers: The original shelters from the storm, am I right?

if you try imagining a place that's always safe and warm

and you think of my house

you'd be totally right

and i'd add that it always smells great

home cooking

most likely italian meat sauce

pits aiole, or however you spell it

and she'll make you sit down to eat

and make you use a napkin for your mouth and hands

and make you take a drink to the table

but you say wait, hold on

and go put on two sweaters and some socks

because it's actually freezing

the only warm part of the house are the smiles

from everyone eating together

and talking about funny youtube videos

and maybe the news

and who said what about whom at the market

and what adorable thing the baby did today

and how dad did at work 

and plans for the summer

we all calm down

and rejuvenate

and eat

and shush

and enjoy

and it's all because

of this awesome individual

who keeps us all glued up together

in the best way possible

the most caring

the best ever

the jolliest

my mom

Rob Brezsny

 "

Imagine that the whole world belongs to you. 

The birch trees in New Hampshire's White Mountains are yours, 

and so are the cirrus clouds in the western sky at dusk 

and the black sand on the beaches of Hawaii's Big Island. 

You own everything, my dear sovereign — 

the paintings in all the museums of the world, 

as well as the Internet and the wild horses and the roads. 

Please take good care of it all, ok? 

Be an enlightened monarch who treats your domain with

reverent responsibility.

"

{ just pretend I posted this on Earth Day, 4/22. }

Falafel

A wonderful Lebanese film. Just watch it. Arabic is beautiful. More info here, if you please.

It feels so good to be a rose

Lorick, Spring 2010

images from LORICK

Flowers and Berries

They're what Spring is about, right?

DIY french hand-tied bouquet at {frolic}!

Bornay flowers at lushlee

[ringo, have a banana!]

my usual breakfast

The Go-Getter

I just finished watching this movie, and I actually really enjoyed it. I thought I would think that Zooey was as-per-usual and that the story was mediocre, but that's not the case. Zooey isn't really a phenomenal actress, let's be honest here. But she can portray a cool role, I think. In The Go-Getter there's one scene (the one where they're eating McDonald's, if you've seen it) where she's all slouched on the floor talking about how much she loves cooking and how she used to come home from the kitchen smelling like old butter. It was so well done, it really struck me. From that moment forward she was not Zooey Deschanel, and that's a good performance. 

I feel like this movie was a rehearsal for 500 Days of Summer, at least casting-wise. Zooey got to practice acting alongside of Lou Taylor Pucci and then got upgraded to Joseph Gordon Levitt a year later. I wonder what her middle name is, because all the cool kids have three names these days.

They even have the same look.

Also, don't bother watching the trailer for The Go-Getter. It's not at all like the film. It's the reason I thought I wouldn't like the film. Total false advertising.

OH AND - M. Ward makes a brief appearance (on film, yeah!) as Mercer's buddy who starts a band and leaves him out. Matt would do that. You get to hear a good chunk of his older songs in the film. It's the perfect backdrop to the plot, especially when you can sing / hum along. I know, I'm obsessed.

I've been singing this song for weeks since I crossed the border to Canada / back again. It plays during the credits unfortunately, but somehow I think it works.

Bruce Nauman