Versace x H&M

So it's Saturday the 19th, and we've just sat outside in the cold for nine hours overnight, waiting for H&M to open its doors to Versace's launch.  After being heckled with clever quips pertaining to starving children (contrasted against our greediness) and forgetting the feeling of owning complete sets of toes, there we finally are, by the front doors, hands shaking as we strap on our admission bracelets.  While in the waiting area, I'm getting shoved in various directions despite there not being anywhere for the traffic to really go...but that's life. As our bodies are subjected to this involuntary mosh-pit, eyes bloodshot from the lack of sleep and previously-mentioned overnight torture of completely right-angle bend of camping chairs in 'youth' size (which, by the way, is more like fetus than youth if our asses have any say in this), we see an elderly woman with a little Louis Vuitton bag casually approach the security guards.  "Excuse me sir, but my daughter called me this morning and asked me to buy her some Versace. Let me in," she says.  The security guard leans in, probably because he can't imagine actually having heard the request correctly. "Sorry? Come again?" he asks.  "I need to buy some pieces. Let me in," she says.  "Madam, these people have been waiting since yesterday afternoon. They have bracelets to get in. We've given all of our bracelets away."  The woman shakes him and his explanation off with her little hand, and walks over to a second security guard, repeating her request.  We laugh and brace ourselves: they're about to move the little gate to let us in.  Two girls at the front- the lead shovers- begin fidgeting.  One of them starts repeating the words "Imma get it", and the other begins to nervously perform a series of wrist stretching exercises. Whatever. "Madam, you don't have a bracelet and I can't just let you in without it."  The old woman is rejected again.  Tension is rising in the holding pen: someone pushes someone and swearing erupts. A young thirty-something Asian man clings to his mother's arm.  "Easy does it," a security guard says, before lifting the gate.  Easy does not do it, however, and the wrist-stretcher bursts out of the cage, in that same moment tripping over the not-yet-fully removed gate, falling flat on her face.  Imma-Get-It, having closely followed her and not having accounted for this sudden change in plans, falls flat on top of her, smashing the wrist-stretcher's mouth against the railing of the gate.  The rest of the crowd rushes over and past their bodies as the wrist-stretcher lifts her face to reveal a bloody mouth with newly acquired gap.  Wrist-Stretcher plunges into fits of screaming and moaning interspersed with silent moments of patting her freshly exposed gums, as security guards rush past the DJ, drunk off the freshness of his beats and completely oblivious to the whole thing.  Imma-Get-It is now screaming too, hand outstretched in the direction of the clothing racks, but, amazingly enough, too crippled by guilt to leave co-psychopath unattended.  Meanwhile, the elderly lady, having climbed into the waiting area, is now pulling on the bracelet hanging limply from the victim's hand.  Victim, with one hand in mouth and with other hand haphazardly patting the floor in search of missing tooth, is still screaming, now with a bit of a questioning tone at the end of the moans, directed at the elderly lady's persistence in pulling off her bracelet.  Elderly lady is yelling "You don't need it! Just give it here!" fighting the now semi-conscious Victim.  The scene unfolds amazingly quickly, and before bandages are applied and Elderly Lady is escorted out with help of security guards, we've acquired a couple of pieces, ourselves...






what are you, man?

Aside from the tear-stained face of Charlize Theron parting with the quivering (and effortlessly chiseled) jaw of Keanu Reeves in the movie "Sweet November", this month doesn't really conjure up any particular thoughts, really.  It's not quite fall anymore because the trees have parted with nearly all that was left on them-much like the last five minutes in a stripper's repertoire-and it's not quite winter either so what the hell are you doing with that tree? Put it down and chill out a little. November is sort of a twilight zone, an in-between, the rebound, and the Sarah Plain and Tall of months, so the only way to dress it up is to eat lots of cupcakes (duh) and drink fun lemonades.  Here, I was about to do just that...


Auntie Loo's pumpkin spice cupcake (amazing!!) and Santa Cruz organic mango lemonade..perfection.

Hey, I remember you...

I was punishing myself with one of my most dreaded tasks - organizing photo folders on my computer- when I came across a set of pictures that I had forgotten to post, taken sometime in August.  These were taken in the football field near my mom's house, where there are some fantastic Katy Perry-make-out-esque bleachers.  While my facial expression undeniably scared off any potential make out suitors, the last fading days of the summer were still a perfect canvas for Lanvin (necklace) and vintage (heels). I think one of my favorite purchases of all time is this pair of heels, because I have worn them literally year-round, and their versatility is absolutely brilliant.  Oh, also, I'm really loving the cool tones of the colors. It's a bit like I'm underwater or in a peppermint dream.




Bruschetta, or what I do when in isolation...

Every time I see Anais, I always leave with exciting meal ideas, but I rarely have time to bring them to life. Enter Laryngitis.  I lost my voice last week and finally gave in and went to see a doctor who told me to stay home and not talk to anyone until I sounded like a female again.  So, faced with the option of recording my first album of sexy raspy music or putting some of Anais' meal ideas to use, I went with the latter, resulting in this Bruschetta.  Anais, please correct me if I missed anything, but here is how I made it:

Start with some mini heirloom tomatoes, some basil, and a clove of garlic sliced in half. Set aside some extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and find the most fragrant baguette around (I bought mine at the farmer's market).


 

Cut the baguette into slices, rub with garlic, and throw in the oven to toast until just crisp. Meanwhile, (and this meanwhile should be short so keep an eye on that bread!) dice the mini tomatoes, tear the basil leaves into little pieces, and throw them together, mixing in the olive oil and vinegar.  Layer the tomato mix onto the toasted baguette and sprinkle with a little sea salt, or in my case, Himalayan salt.  Et voila! Thanks Anais!

Sombre Detune

I've been meaning to photograph this painting of mine for a while now, but when photographed as a whole, it would lose its 'breath' or meaning.  I then took some close ups, and the interplay of the textures conveyed the modest yet (in any possible way) effervescent nature of the idea.  Still, I wanted to wait until I found a shot to complement the mood of the composition, and on one dreary day, the shine in my hardwood floor against the grey sky made for the perfect counterpart..