Wake Up White Girl

“A Day Without Sunshine Is Like..You...

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:43:49 -0400

“A Day Without Sunshine Is Like..You Know…Night,”- Steve Martin

And with that, I head home to Los Angeles for a few days to basque in the glory that is also known as “sunshine.” Because I really need it….I’m not feeling the weather forecast for New York. Maybe by the time I return, this unfortunate cloudy circumstance shall clear itself up. Basically what I am doing here is the same thing I do at a restaurant when I am really hungry: If I’ve been waiting long enough for my food I go to the restroom in hopes that when I return, my food will be pleasantly waiting for me at the table. Here’s to hoping that by the time I come back from a visit to my hometown, the beautiful weather will be there waiting for me in New York City.

I think this is a great idea…No?

Daily Dose Of Dita It’s Monday and rainy, I needed a...

Mon, 21 May 2012 15:05:54 -0400

Daily Dose Of Dita

It’s Monday and rainy, I needed a pick-me-up so I thought a wee dose of my girl crush was in order. I feel better now. Don’t you?

Searching for dresses…

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:40:00 -0400

Searching for dresses…

Peonies Are My Absolute FAVORITE Fleurrrr… So I just...

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:44:13 -0400

Peonies Are My Absolute FAVORITE Fleurrrr…

So I just bought some to place on my coffee table…You know, just FYI.

Good Reasons To Leave Your “Windows”...

Mon, 14 May 2012 20:57:26 -0400

Good Reasons To Leave Your “Windows” Open…

Last time my mother was in town, we went for lunch at Sant Ambroeus. Next to us sat such an elegant lady, perhaps aged in her late 60’s or early 70’s. When she spoke to the waiter to order, we noticed she had an accent and my mother, bless her talkative soul, asked this elegant woman where she was from. This is how a lovely little conversation between three generations of ladies began and it was in this lovely little conversation that I was told a story that taught me a lesson I will remember for the rest of my life.

As we got into chatting, the elegant woman began to tell my mother and me the story of how she and her husband had met. Elegant Lady had been living in Los Angeles as a pianist. She would practice her piano for hours everyday, leaving her window open to allow in the fresh warm air, which of course would cause the sound of her piano-playing to carry into the outdoors. A man lived across the street, and he also worked in the music industry. He would play his classical music records and like the lady, would keep his window open to allow in the fresh warm air, which of course would cause the sound of his music to carry into the outdoors.

For a while now, the lady would walk by this man’s home and could hear his records being played. Within this same time, the man would walk by the lady’s home and could hear her playing the piano. Finally, one day, this lady and this man happened to attend the same concert. Here, they introduced themselves and exchanged information. Later, they realized they were neighbors, “You’re the lady who plays the piano across the street? I listen to you play every day. I love to listen to you play,” he said to her. The lady responded, “You’re the man who listens to beautiful classical music…I can hear your music playing from my home…I love to listen.” This lady, the elegant lady at lunch, and this man have now been married for 45 years.

Here we are in a big, busy, fast paced world filled with so many people. We cross paths with people we may never meet again and other times, our paths are meant to cross. Sometimes, we cross paths before we even know we have done so. And then sometimes, our sole mates are closer than we had imagined, maybe even across the street.

In life, it is best that we too, like this lady and this man, leave our “windows” open, leaving ourselves open to give and receive. Only then can those who we cross paths with hear our music. Only then can we be open to hearing theirs.

My New Love…Glassybaby! This is the part of my blog where...

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:54:15 -0400

My New Love…Glassybaby!

This is the part of my blog where I don’t talk about anything deeply emotional and I share with you something on my list of favorite things…Just like Oprah, except not, kind of!

After the most delicious brunch at Extra Virgin in the West Village, my friend Ross took me to a store that has now become my new obsession: Glassybaby!

Glassybaby is a unique little place. They sell handblown glasses in the most incredible array of colors that I have ever seen. These glasses can be used as drinking cups or small flower vases, but it seems that their most common use is for votive candles. This may seem silly, but in truth, these small colorful cups are quite special. Because of their unique colors, putting a simple tea light inside of a Glassbaby cup allows for the most beautiful, colorful glow. Again, each glass is handblown, so no two cups are exactly alike…Not to mention, the names given to the colors of each glass are adorable and make for fantastic gifts, you know, the kind of gift where you’d like to include a sweet little message…(For example, there is a beautiful pink colored cup called “Sister,” which is a precious little gift for a sister…Might get a couple for MY sisters!)

The store itself is a charming space with white wood shelving, perfectly worn wood floors and a great brick patio covered with trees in the back. Additionally, the employees of Glassybaby could not possibly be any more lovely, helpful and fun!

Each pretty colored Glassybaby cup retails for $44 each and if you either purchase a Glassbaby from a specific seasonal collection OR choose to rent a bunch of Glassbabies for an event, 10% of your purchase goes to charity…A fun and great way to add a little beauty to your home and give back to the community! DOUBLE YES!

If you’re in New York City, head over to Glassbaby at 555 Hudson Street and explore or you can always shop online/check for other store locations on the Glassbaby website:

http://www.glassybaby.com/home.aspx

Happy Monday to all of my Glassybabies, especially YOU, Ross!

10 Little Things I Have Learned So Far About New York While...

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:28:43 -0400

10 Little Things I Have Learned So Far About New York While Living In New York

1. There are people you can pay to do your laundry FOR you AND they will ALSO fold it. I can barely wrap my head around that one, it’s just too good!

2. You can buy fresh flowers at every single little market/mart/deli which are conveniently located all over the place and basically on every block. And I love that!

3. Everything is open all of the time. If you’re hungry at 4 a.m. you can order food. I consider Seamless.com to be the ultimate luxury.

4. When it gets hot here, everything smells like fish farts.

5. There are so many dogs around NYC and you can pet them all. Or at least, I do.

6. The pharmacists at CVS in this city are a breed crankier than I have ever known.

7. Hanging out in sweatpants in public is an LA thing. They don’t do that here. But seriously. It simply is not done.

8. Carrie Bradshaw is full of shit. You can’t run around New York City in heels like that…

9. I get the pleasure of watching parking enforcement write parking violations. I call this a pleasure because it’s never me violating any parking laws for the first time in my life since I started driving at 16. You can walk everywhere in this city. You don’t even need a car! Imagine THAT…

10. In moments where you feel surrounded and taken over by large amounts of steel and concrete, you can simply walk through Central Park and get your mind right all over again.

I Can’t Stop Listening...

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:47:39 -0400

I Can’t Stop Listening To…

IdeaOfHappinessByVanShe

Additionally, I’m digging this totally weird music video.

This Whole Thing… This is a photo of model Doutzen Kroes...

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:09:19 -0400

This Whole Thing…

This is a photo of model Doutzen Kroes in a gown by the brilliant Zac Posen that she wore to the Met Gala two years ago. However, I still gasp every time I come across this image. It’s one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. This gown is everything, and so is Doutzen!

To be honest, I don’t just gasp…I cover my mouth, put my other hand over my heart, shut my eyes and melt. Yes that’s right, I melt. I melt like a neglected crayon left behind by a child in a car, parked directly in the sun on a 95-degree-weather-day in a tree-less TJ Max parking lot. I melt. MELT.

Excuse me, I’m gasping and melting. Let’s talk later.

This Is The Best Maurice Sendak (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012)

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:55:02 -0400

This Is The Best

Maurice Sendak (June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012)

Oh, You Know… Just Margherita Missoni at home being...

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:48:21 -0400

Oh, You Know…

Just Margherita Missoni at home being perfect and relaxed and stuff…You know?

Love her…

When You Laugh, I Laugh… My sister is the love of my life....

Mon, 07 May 2012 23:54:33 -0400

When You Laugh, I Laugh…

My sister is the love of my life. The pea to my pod, the moon to my sun, the yin to my yang. One of my absolute favorite activities to engage in with her is laughing. I love laughing with her. More than I love many, many things.

Last time we were together, I told her that I loved it when she laughed, that when she laughed it made my heart smile and therefore I simply had to laugh, too. She looked at me and said, “I can’t believe you said that because I feel exactly the same way. When you laugh, I feel so warm! I love it when you laugh! Everything is ok when you laugh! Isn’t that amazing? Aw, we love each other’s laughs!”

I think this is maybe one of the sweetest conversations I have ever had in my life. It’s another way to describe the most natural bond between two siblings. It’s funny, when you’re little, you want your younger sister to leave you alone/get out of your room/stay out of your closet/stop touching and stealing your shit. But then you age, as we all are meant to do, withstanding life’s curve balls and blessings…As I move into adulthood and into my “own,” I crave my sister’s company, I need to hear her laugh. It’s a sweet reminder of how pure and simple love can be.

I love my sister and I love my sister’s laugh.

So, The Other Day, I Cried During Yoga… I know, right?...

Sun, 06 May 2012 18:28:00 -0400

So, The Other Day, I Cried During Yoga…

I know, right? Really Eat, Pray, Love of me…I know. Let me explain, alright?

At the start of class, the instructor said to everyone, “This is YOUR practice. I want you to set your intention for today.” So there I sat in agnistambhasana pose (you know, kinda like indian style or whatever) with my eyes closed and genuinely thought. And as I thought, I decided that my intention for the next hour and a half would be simply to not think at all, to focus all of my energy and strength on myself and my body, breath deeply, to embrace the discomfort and push through it, knowing that at the end I will feel that much more incredible.

At the end of class, everyone lays down and closes their eyes. I was still breathing heavily, my face still hot and sticky, blood pulsing…In this moment of blissful exhaustion, laying there, listening to the soothing lullaby voice of the instructor, tears began to roll down my face. There I was, laying in a yoga class, quietly letting myself have a good solid cry. Not because I was sad, but because I was happy and exhausted and because I have come so far, not just in yoga per say, but in my life within this past year.

I realized that this life is a practice. It is our own personal practice that we must set an intention for. And as I laid there in this space, I thought how almost a year ago this summer, I set an intention for my life. I picked myself up in the midst of one of my most low points, in heartbreak, in confusion and pain. I told myself that I needed to move forward with my life and my plan, that it’s going to hurt like hell but I must be my primary focus, my happiness must be my focus, the betterment of my personal self must be my focus because at the end, I will feel that much more incredible.

In yoga, you stretch and hold yourself in positions that push your limits, you want to give up and let your muscles give out but then you repeat your intention in your head, take a deep breath and keep going. The lesson here is that you are the master of your own strength. You choose your intention. You make the choice to follow through and be there for yourself, to conquer your demons and slay your dragons, to do what makes you laugh and love deeply, you make the choice to nourish your soul with goodness. Because one day, you will be laying there, with your eyes closed and realize how fearless you really are, how resilient your heart truly is, and how strong you’ve become.

We are blessed with this new week and blessed with the ability to make choices. This is your practice for today and everyday for the rest of your life. Set your intention.

Namaste for real, you guys.

And We Are Reminded Again That Life Is...

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:59:42 -0400

And We Are Reminded Again That Life Is Short…

Sadness.

the812:

The Beastie Boys.

RIP Adam Yauch a.k.a. MCA

This Is Everything… I don’t know exactly what is...

Thu, 03 May 2012 23:31:25 -0400

This Is Everything…

I don’t know exactly what is going on in the new Dior ad, but I really, really, really dig it. Running around Versailles? Love it. Depeche Mode? Always. Dior’s new collection? Gorgeous.

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to run around Versailles dressed entirely in couture with a surprised “Who, me? There’s an emergency in the garden or something!” look on my face. So as far as I am concerned, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vindoodh Matadin hit the nail on the head with this here ad campaign. If you beg to differ, you’re probably boring.

For Olivia… Because this is our...

Wed, 02 May 2012 19:21:17 -0400

For Olivia…

Because this is our jam.

FarandolesByDjedjotronic

Dita Von Teese’s Boyfriend Is A...

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:39:02 -0400

Dita Von Teese’s Boyfriend Is A Babe’O’Roonie

Louis-Marie de Castelbajac, you are a FOX. You are a seriously tall glass of water. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. You are immaculately polished with the spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid. Basically, what I’m trying to tell you is that I love you and that I want to hold your hand while I purrrrrrr like a kitten. WHATEVER, OK?!

Coco And Spencer Were transported from Heaven to Earth upon a...

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:20:13 -0400

Coco And Spencer

Were transported from Heaven to Earth upon a cloud made entirely of cotton balls. When I look at their faces, two four-letter-words come to mind…

P-U-R-E L-O-V-E

You People Make Me Feel So Un-Chic In LA (and now apparently new...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:07:00 -0400

You People Make Me Feel So Un-Chic

In LA (and now apparently new locations all over, I guess), there is a really great second-hand/vintage store on Melrose called Wasteland. They have an awesome selection of used, or let’s say “vintage,” clothing. Trendy spoiled people from all over Los Angeles venture to Wasteland to buy and sell their clothing, so often times, you are able to find someone’s discarded one-of-a-kind half cute Missoni dress…Or whatever. So, when you are broke and want to make a quick buck, your lil’ Los Angeleno tush will scamper over to Wasteland to sell clothing that you think, or thought, was TOTALLY CUTE. But guess what? The uber-well-dressed-oddly-attractive-tattooed-Philip Lim-and-vintage-army-surplus-wearing employees will prove you WRONG. And then you leave doubting your inner Anna Wintour whilst shuffling toward the nearest Pink Berry to sulk.

Above is a sketch from one of my favorite shows, Portlandia. This skit embodies the average experience at Wasteland a.k.a. Doubt Your Personal Style Land.

Enjoy! And to shop Wasteland online, visit www.shopwasteland.com

The Life And Times Of A 20-Something-Year-Old Samurai When I was...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:13:47 -0400

The Life And Times Of A 20-Something-Year-Old Samurai

When I was about thirteen years old, my dad gave me a book. He looked at me and said, “I want you to read this because it’s important.” If my father tells me something is important, it’s important…And so without hesitation, I looked at the book and read its title out loud, “Bushido: The Japanese Art of War.” And that was the day that I became a samurai.

Just kidding…Well, sort of kidding. By taking a fast glance at the title, one would be under the impression that my father had made a weird and irresponsible choice by giving me some sort of manual on how to be a tough ass puta, that he had given me the ultimate how-to guide on beating the living shit out of my enemies, on how to WIN. However, this book is absolutely nothing of the sort. Instead, my dad chose to give me a book that would impart upon me centuries worth of wisdom. This art of Bushido is not simply “the art of war,” it is the art of being human.

Sometimes, I lose my way. Recently, I lost my way for a brief moment and in this moment, I decided to rummage through my books and pull out the book my dad gave me years ago. In Bushido: The Japanese Art of War there are The Seven Virtues: 1. Rectitude, 2. Courage, 3. Benevolence, 4. Respect, 5. Honesty, 6. Honor and 7. Loyalty.

These Seven Virtues are sobering, real, relevant and above all else, they are IMPORTANT: These are the seven rules to live by in regards to others and YOURSELF. If you cannot possess virtues within yourself, if you cannot possess rectitude, cannot be courageous, if you struggle to show kindness unto yourself, do not respect yourself, are dishonest with yourself, dishonor yourself or are disloyal to yourself, how can you expect to be all-seven-kinds-of-virtuous to others? The way we treat others is a reflection of how we treat and feel about ourselves and BOTH are essential in the quest to leading a beautiful life; a beautiful life we are all capable of living.

May we all be our own private samurai. May we all learn what is important, and may we all live by the virtues of seven for others AND for ourselves.

Happy Monday, everyone. (And thank you, my beloved Daddy).