Saw the B-52's on Sunday, thanks greatly to my friend/DJ extraordinaire Wes Reed who was opening for them. Let me just put it in the form of a simple mathematical equation: B-52's + 80 degrees and sunny + no work on Monday + 24 ounce beers inside a converted church = obviously a great time.





[Wearing grey tank maxi dress by Torn by Ronny Kobo, brown sheer top from Anomaly, various turq rings and salmon colored earrings, flats [not shown] from Lulus.com]



[Just a glimmer of the awesome prints and lucite heels in attendance to regale our waiting gazes.]



Standing around in the converted church [that looks a little too contemporary church fellowship hall and not enough old gothic meant-to-still-look-churchy for my taste], my beer cup sweating against my fingertips, I came to realize that all the crazy 60 years old filling the joint were exactly how my friends and foes will look at concerts for our favorite bands thirty years from now. Silly, over the top, with a horrible taste in wardrobe, but still awesome nonetheless. Like, you go grandma with your insane wig and glittery clothing!

On another note, I am now working with an awesome new book editor for the next few months to get this novel rolling! Thought I would share that update since I've posted some on the book here and there. In reality it is consuming so much of my mental and physical space, but in a great way. I loved it when she told me, "Surely this won't be your only novel." Damn straight.

 

It's 80 degree outside or 27 celsius.

Apparently our blog idea of 91 days without shopping was not that drastic compared to this young lady who wore the same outfit for 6 months. 6 months? In a certain way our idea was the total opposite: wear everything you have, everyday differently. I can't imagine wearing the same outfit for 6 months, even thought we tend to wear the same items all over again: same jeans for 6 days, the favorite sweater or pair of shoes, etc. What makes me even more jelous of the 6 months outfit or about this other woman who wore the same jeans for about a year is the fact that there is a cause beyond the frantic choice: charity. Amy Seiffert has worn the same outfit to create awareness about sex trafficking. My reason was just to stop being so consumerist and consumed by materialist items. Gosh she totally made my reason looks useless and selfish. Here below the web-site talking about Amy Seiffer and a picture of her outfit.

http://www.geekosystem.com/same-dress-for-six-months/

If I was going to pick an outfit to wear for 6 months it would have to be jeans, a long confy t-shirt, ankle boots and a cardigan.



WEARING: FAV. JEANS BY FOREVER 21 $14; FAKE FUR JACKET BOUGHT AFTER THE 91 DAYS IN JACKSONVILLE; SHOES BY ANTHROPOLOGIE; TOP BY OLD NAVY; BUDDHA NECKLESS AND H&M NECKLESS; PINK SPORT BRA.



MAXI DRESS BLACK BOUGHT AT MARSHALL $20. BRA BY D&G



PORK SANDWICH WITH BBQ (SHAWN HAD IT). I WENT TO A PIG FESTIVAL WITHOUT EATING ANY MEAT.



I have a list of American food items that I want to try. When I watched Mary Poppins I was hypnotized by those caramel apples with a stick so you could hold them and eat them. I have fantasized about these apples for years. Finally in SF when I was 17 I had one and was DISAPPOINTED. I thought the apple was supposed to be soft, caramelized in the oven and then cover in caramel and nuts. It was a sad day. Anyway, back to my Pig Festival's story.....I have on my list fried candy including sneakers, oreos, etc. They had them at the Pig Festival, but I just could not do it. I just could not eat it. So my list is still on-going....

I am not a big fa of Valentine's day. The first time I ever received chocolate from a guy (I think I was 11) I refuse to accept it and gave it to my friend. I think the guy was crashed. I was already arguing like a feminist. Then when Shawn and I got engaged I decided to be romantic because I guess I have been told that I am not. So I prepared this elaborated dinner, petals of roses where all over the places, candles and hot water in the tub....The problem is that Shawn had his bachelor party the night before and he came back at 8AM to pass out until the next day. So we never had a Valentine. That was the last attempt to celebrate. A close attempt was convincing Shawn to get be a box of Godiva that ended up costing $50. He believes I trigged him in buying expensive chocolate when he thought he was spending $10. Ahahahahaha. This year we had no plans to to anything, but last minute without even knowing we had made plans. Again, without consulting each other. Shawn dropped his plan to stick with mine. I wanted to do something together and different that was not associated with Valentine's Day. There is a specialized gym in town called Sweat Therapy Fitness. It 's amazing. It's the only gym that I love with passion. They offer a romantic row fitness class for couples. You row for an intense hour with candle lit and after you go next door to drink beer. I mean, what a genius idea, right?



Shawn preparing to row.

Truth be told, it was never NOT mainstream a little bit. I do like Lady Gaga some of the time... although this latest "anthem of our generation" is a complete rip off. Whatever.

ANYWAY my point is... three of the six cds in my car right now are from artists who performed at the Grammys last night. I don't know if that has ever happened to me before. Does this mean The Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons, and Arcade Fire - which won best album - are considered mainstream now? And if so, is this good or bad? Or neither?





I'm a little [still pleasantly] surprised that Arcade Fire won best album for The Suburbs, considering I find this to be one of their less impressive albums. Unless we are counting strange conceptual art noise as music, in which case it is awesome, but some of the songs seem so disjointed to me. Still, I love Arcade Fire [thanks Aliea] and the album is still growing on me, as I have heard it does. Maybe in ten years I will really consider it to be the best album of 2010. And I'm not even really saying I don't think they deserve the award. Just find it interesting they didn't win it sooner.



On another unrelated note I went shopping this weekend! Got some fancy new clothes. A great crocheted gray vest from Anomaly [SWAP IS THIS WEDNESDAY!] and this gray/army green denim jacket with bronze studs from Downtown Diva [great new shop in 5 Points, terrible store name], amongst other things.



I wish I could remember who made those items, but I am not wearing any of them now and didn't bother to look at the labels. Here is the new denim jacket that I wore to my cousin's surprise birthday party at The Peninsula Saturday night. I'm in love with it.  I wore the gray crocheted vest last night to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Ran into Frankie backstage and I dare say he liked the vest as much as I do.



The view from the 38th floor of the Peninsula on South Bank. So lovely.

Loving this amazing 70 degree and sunny weather. Can't wait to try out my new clothes and make new, not-for-warmth-only outfits.

How to say this....? I have been less than inspired to post or even add a picture. My mind as all of you might know is in my prelims, which will determine whether I can work on my dissertation. Inspired (I should say 'copying') Hilary's idea of visual minds here mine:

You have to weather the storm.

Ah, glorious sunshine. I walked outside today in nothing but a thin sweater [and a wool vest, but who's counting] and thought, "Wow, it feels so amazing outside!" People were walking down the street in gauzy linen and floppy hats, smiles grazing their faces like a gentle breeze. And then I looked at the thermostat and realized it was 48 degrees outside. But it was sunny. To a Floridian, that's about enough reason to wear flip flops in an ice storm.







[Wearing plum H&M sweater, wool striped vest from Anthropologie, cream tank from Sway in Berkeley, Silence + Noise jeans, Zigi Soho clogs, gray fringe purse from H&M, Naked Label stone necklace and Harmonica necklace.]

I feel, like how winter leads into fall and rain leads into sunshine, I am coming through some major contemplation into a time of rebirth, creativity, and fresh starts. So excited for what's to come, what may come after that, and for the constant pursuit of life. You know, actually living.

 

I haven't taken any pictures of my outfits in a week... mostly because I have been wearing the same thing over and over again. It is cold, wet, and as always happens when February finally rolls around, I have over worn all of my sweaters. Nothing new to see here folks! Move along, move along.

I did happen to go to a fantastic Super Bowl gathering last night - football shaped Oreos and a Steeler's necklace adorned cat in all - where I witnessed some awesome football fashions. My friend Cielo... takes the cake. Even if the Steelers failed to. You can't win 'em all.

[caption id="attachment_1402" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Yes, she wore her Steelers chef hat and apron almost all night long."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1403" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Grimacing."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1404" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="How many Steelers fans and chihuahuas can one couch hold?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1405" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Love."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1406" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Teaching the Norwegian our Super Bowl ways. "][/caption]

I failed to get a picture of myself and also of the cat. The cat was really the winner of the night. He wore his dangly necklaces with such finesse.

On another note, my umbrella turned inside out today and my knitted cap fell in a puddle.

Here's hoping for brighter days and goodbye to football keeping us warm and distracted.

BEST Super Bowl Commercial of the night [in my opinion]:

The book is done. Well, through the first round of edits and has been printed out for the first time... all 153 pages of it [single spaced]. I chilled a bottle of champagne to toast myself, but left it in the fridge and passed out on the sofa watching "The Informant". My mind, and subsequently my wardrobe, have been cocooning. I've been thinking of nothing but these characters, unless the real world [ahem, my job] forced me to do otherwise, and have been wearing nothing but leggings and warm sweaters. I feel like my the 15 year old version of my husband that wore the same outfit every day for two years. My fashion statement has been my lack there of.

A peak inside my mind:

























Wearing black leggings, black crocheted and fringe tank dress from H&M, grey mystree sweater from Anomaly, and black Dolce Vita moto boots.

[If you're curious about any of the images, just ask.]