inspired

artists #5 & #6: kandinsky & o'keeffe, revisited

2009-10-09T13:00:00.010-04:00

kandinsky's picture with a circle

thanks to my near-instant new twitter addiction (as if I needed another internet fixation) I have been pleasantly kept abreast of all the interesting things I need to take advatage of in this amazing city of mine. nyc is absolutely teeming with all kinds of fantastic concerts/events/exhibits/you-name-it that I sometimes can barely keep track of. thankfully, tho, following @guggenheim on twitter has reminded me of two fantastic exhibits going on simultaneously at their own museum and at the whitney. I will not procrastinate until they close in january to see like I did with the guggenheim's 50th anniversary exhibit on frank lloyd wright, which I inadvertantly missed (for shame.)

where wassily kandinsky is known almost entirely for his unique abstract perspective in his work, georgia o'keeffe is generally remembered quite differently, which is what makes the whitney's exhibit of her largely unknown, modernist work so intriguing. time magazine's article, the worlds within, on the two coinciding exhibits was both a great reminder and impetus to check them out, revealing some interesting insight into each artist's modernist inspirations and ventures. perhaps I'll make it to at least one this weekend?

kandinsky

blue mountain

composition 8 - perhaps the most stylistically familiar of his pieces here

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

o'keeffe

(I love this photo of her. I had no idea she was also the subject of a nude photo exhibit done by her huband? perhaps that may lead to a later post.....)

early abstraction - is it me or is this not so much abstract as evocative of the neck of a stringed instrument? music was evidently a muse of hers (see title below)

Music, Pink and Blue No. 2 - definitely a precursor to her feminine florals

Black Door with Red - perhaps the least expected by o'keeffe of her pieces here

I can't wait to experience them all in person!

♥

weee!-kend

2009-10-02T09:56:00.004-04:00

Happy Friday!

This has felt like the longest week ever and I'm thrilled to be bidding it adieu at last. I seem to have been photo-post happy as of late but I'll get back to mixing it up soon!

Enjoy the weekend! (got any exciting plans?)

♥

(photo via vintageladies)

tonite

2009-09-29T14:16:00.012-04:00

(lost source)

follow the yellow brick road

breathtaking

2009-09-28T11:55:00.014-04:00

sometimes I feel positively swallowed up by the city

caught up in the endless day to day grind

and I often forget to take a step back

to breathe

and remember that my path is not set in stone

(photos via DesignLovely via Lovely Clusters)

this is "amazing" !

2009-09-24T15:29:00.009-04:00

did you know that today was national punctuation day?
as a punctuation nerd this news definitely made me smile (:
(although I'm quite certain I have my missteps here and there!!)

might you also have stopped to wonder about the "quotes" surrounding part of this post title? oh "those". welp, in addition to learning about this amusing little day, I also learned about this great blog called the "blog" of "unnecessary" quotation marks.

so far this one's "definitely" my fave

lovely giveaway

2009-09-21T12:12:00.008-04:00

I have yet to repost a giveaway from another blog, but the thought of a couple extra chances to win one of this adorable blogger's unique pieces is incentive enough for me!

if you've never stopped by yellowgoat design (although chances are you have, this lovely blog has quite the following!) pop on over and check it out out! sweet petula is offering readers 2 chances @ a $50 gift certificate to her own lovely etsy shop in her weeky giveaway!

good luck!!!

unbreakable

2009-09-16T15:54:00.006-04:00

photo by sannea

"I wanna go to a place where I can hold the intangible

...

I wanna go to a place where I'm suspended in ecstasy"

~india.a

derek lam @ ny fashion week

2009-09-14T15:14:00.012-04:00

not at all suprisingly my camera 'somehow' got left at home on fashion's night out (completely and absolutely expected behaviour from me, ugh /:) but I had a ball nonetheless. I got to spend the night out in the company of some really great people and think I picked a great 'homebase' neighborhood considering how saturated the city was with events. we hit the ck store, barneys, bergdorf's and a few more, catching glimpses of simon doonan and lindsay lohan along the way, along with what were almost certainly a few designers whose faces I just didn't know.

so rather than subject you to my smattering of crappy blackberry photos (unless you really want me to) I wanted to share some of my favorite looks from Derek Lam's spring 2010 collection which I stumbled on here. admittedly I haven't been keeping up with the hoards of collections being shown this week but this one definitely caught my eye. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

♥~L

it's here, it's here!!!

2009-09-10T12:03:00.010-04:00

which events will you be at? it's just so hard to choose! enjoy!!!

Fashion's Night Out's Times Square PSA and models via their facebook fan page

no WAY!

2009-09-10T08:57:00.008-04:00

thoughts??? I think I love it!! yay, ellen!!

♥

artist #4: donald sultan

2009-09-09T13:54:00.011-04:00

hello, dear readers! it's been a long time coming for this next installation in my {attempt at an} artist series, but I do hope it was worth the wait!

meet Donald Sultan. I discovered his work at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) in 2001 (during my brief stint at U of M) and was immdiately captivated by his unique perspective and choice of medium. born in 1951 in North Carolina, much of Sultan's work would be considered still life, although he "describes these works as first and foremost abstract." (read his full bio here and here) I, however, would never have pegged Sultan for a still life artist, much less an abstract one, based on my inital encouter with his work...

while not a smoker in the least (nor an advocate, for that matter!) these phenomenal images have been ingrained in my mind's eye since viewing them. the paintings (yes, paintings!) I saw were created using tar, spackled on tile over masonite (see full description of exhibit here) although many of these pieces are now being sold as prints. at the price of the prints I can only imagine what the originals must go for (if sold at all, I can't seem to find them anywhere online) but would I love to own one someday? yes, please!!! (;

it's not until today, years later, that I've finally taken the time to research Sultan more fully and discover the true breadth of his work. although the ethereal Smoke Rings are still my faves, his body of work is quite impressive, as can be confirmed by its appearance at world-renowned art institutions across the country, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. (as stated here)

(poppies and smoke rings found here)

(battery and tulips found here, poems and images originally published in Visual Poetics: The Arts of Donald Sultan with text by Michael McKenzie)

(freesia)

(storks)

(Accident, July 15, 1985, Image 48 x 48 inches latex and tar on tiles mounted on Masonite, 4 panels 96 x 96 inches (243.8 x 243.8 cm.) overall, as stated here)

picture this...

2009-09-03T15:20:00.035-04:00

...you are browsing through a photography exhibit and are suddenly, inexplicably captivated by one image in particular. you stop and stare until it finally hits you: it's a picture of you. this is exactly what happened to Sharon Collins at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. unbeknownst to Collins, her image had been captured while working as an elevator girl in 1955 and imortalized in photographer Robert Frank's most famous publication, The Americans.

in an interview with NPR, Collins mused, "He saw in me something that most people didn't see. I have a big smile and a big laugh, and I'm usually pretty funny. So people see one thing in me. And I suspect Robert Frank and Jack Kerouac saw something that was deeper. That only people who were really close to me can see. It's not necessarily loneliness, it's ... dreaminess."

(article found via jezebel)

this amazing image and story reminded me of one of my favorite 'vintage' photographers, Gordon Parks

(found here)

(Eartha Kitt found here)

(Leonard Bernstein found here)

(found here)

(help! I lost the link, but it's another fab myvintagevogue find)

and of course, the man himself (image and article found here)

Depression/Harlem Renaissance era photos are some of my absolute faves, and Parks has a special place in my heart not only because of his beautiful images that certainly speak for themselves. My lovely grandmother had the distinct privilege of both knowing and being photographed by Parks (or was the privilege his? :smile:) and I can't wait to have her photograph in my posession (as promised by my mother...) perhaps I will be able to share it with all of you!

(ps- major shout out to Jessica of myvintagevogue for her amazing flickr and photobucket collections! thanks so much!!!)

♥

have you heard?

2009-09-02T12:21:00.007-04:00

3 cheers for ben & jerry! the infamous VT-based duo has renamed their delicious 'Chubby Hubby' in honor of the law legalizing gay marriage in their home state! yippee!!

'Hubby Hubby' came about as a result of b & j's new partnership with Freedom to Marry and will be available in Vermont for the next month- I wish it was available everywhere but it's still so cool!!! (image and info found here- thanks, jasmine!)

in other (far less impressive) marriage equality news, the housewife I most love to ridicule (she just makes it so easy!) has attempted an endorsement of her own. check out her no h8 campaign photo for yourself:
okay, I can't bear to show the whole photo here but, yeah, she's topless. the jezebel comments never cease to entertain (in this case, particularly the one referring to kim's 'z-list' status. gotta love it.) but on the real, what exactly is this campaign's angle? *scratches head* ah, well. it is for a good cause at the end of the day, so I suppose I can't h8. too much.

♥~L

happy birthday, mj <3

2009-08-31T08:57:00.009-04:00

happy monday, everyone. most of you know this past saturday would've been michael jackson's 51st birthday. I was disappointed to miss out on the celebration spike lee threw in prospect park but I needed a quiet weekend this time around. I've been wanting to share this video I took @ Harlem Day a couple of weeks ago and thought this was the perfect time to post it~this little girl caught our attention as we reached the st. nick's end of the fair and I had to capture some of her performance.

your musical legacy will live on for gererations to come, mj.

♥

overload: ATL Housewives

2009-08-28T14:58:00.015-04:00

whoa, whoa, whoa. back it on up. I have seriously subscribed to so many wonderful blogs that I spend most of my slow workday perusing for all kinds of info and it's making my head hurt how many things I feel compelled to share!!! from the thought-provoking to the trashy to the lovely to the laughable I seriously can't get enough. I've got about 45 pages open now (ok, like, 5, forreal. but even that typically halts everything on this darling computer which it somehow isn't at the moment ::knocks on wood::) and I'm dying to post it all! I'll start with the junk for now (who can't go for a little mindlessness every now and then, esp. on a FRIIIIIIDAYYYY!) and share a couple more meaningful articles once I come down from the caffeine-induced-ADD. and, I haven't forgotten- more artists to come, y'all!!

jezebel is quickly becoming one of my fave online girl mags for its amazing coverage of pretty much the entire spectrum referred to above. I must admit, I'm a 'real housewives'-er and ATL is by far my fave cast to keep up with (the only cast I can't stomach is Jersey. sorry, ladies.) I've never been one to delve into these women's lives outside of the shows, but with these mags in my feed now I can't help it! from the leak that Kandi has called off the engagement, to Lisa (my fave- she's mixed like me and appears to have the most sense of them all. what's not to love? d:) is fighting for custody of her up-til-now-invisible kids (of ex-hubby Keith Sweat of all people), to crazy Kim's delusional twittering I seriously can't get enough.

meanwhile, celeb gossip is far from all they do, and some of their articles are really deserving of posts of their own. so, until then...

wait, what was I saying again???

(found here)

have you heard?

2009-08-27T15:12:00.017-04:00

(via kiddunot.com)

::I know it's been a minute but I'm workin' on some thangs. not to mention, inspiration comes when you least expect it! (ps-- olatuja rocked it last night. imjustsayin.)::

artist #3: brian hatton

2009-08-20T15:58:00.013-04:00

this just in, folx! (i know. finally.) I know it's been longer than any of us anticipated but I have all of 13 (semi-)faithful followers right now so I figured a few small interim posts while I scoured the blogosphere for purty things and started my hunt for ways to gussy up my blog wouldn't hurt anyone. hehe

so, yes. meet brian hatton, everyone! a fantastic photog who I also met in the walls of MSM. I can't really remember when we first 'met' considering we don't know each other well at all. I do, however, vividly remember catching him mid-photoshoot at what may as well have been a zillion miles away from the school in DUMBO (<--I love Seinfeld's joke printed in the wiki description, btw.) and that was when I realized that the cellist I vaguely knew (yes, he is mutitalented, indeed. and mixed, too! whataya know d:) was also a photog! it wasn't until much later that I would see the fruits of his treks to bk and everywhere else his clients bade him to shoot, but it was certainly worth the wait! and now I am oh-so-pleasantly surprised everytime his beautiful photos (many of them of summer weddings, lately) pop up on my fb feed (: I'm gonna attempt to narrow down a few faves for you here, but don't be shy! check out his site and his blog (which is linked in my sidebar now) when you get a chance! and by all means, hit him up if you're in the ny area!

a beautiful bride

a stylin groom (not hers^^, tho!)

cutie pie

caught red-handed!

a glamourous exit

and he does more than just weddings! (like that performance photo at the start of this entry, for instance...)

♥

in the spirit of generosity (of all kinds)

2009-08-19T12:05:00.011-04:00

i've come across 2 great ways to give today, one in the form of positive energy and one in the form of good old fashioned dollas.

the first is falafel for the soul...

...a super sweet blog started by lesley of the blog 315 thomas. lesley has started leaving thoughtful notes like these around town to put a smile on strangers' faces.

(thanx to barb @ knack for sharing (:)

the second generous idea today comes from how to love a local business (I wish I was savvy enough to get the button right here but the link will have to do for now. I've at least put the button in my sidebar!)

I found this site via pink olive's facebook fan page. it lets you nominate your favorite local businesses to win one of 30 $1,000 grants being awarded, which is a wonderful way to help keep your favorite local shops thriving. I voted for pink olive and our pup's little daycamp, the salty paw. who will you vote for?

(blogger has been acting a fool today, so perhaps this note from falafel should say 'have a lovely eve' instead /:)

much ♥

surf's up

2009-08-18T11:33:00.007-04:00

must.stop.blog.surfing. I can't help myself! but I guess the inspiration has to some from somewhere, right?! and I'm going to stop apologizing for disrupting the flow of the artist feature posts. they will come when they come (I promise!) but I do want them to be organic. I have also reached out a to a few folx I'm waiting patiently to feature but need more info to maximize their exposure. I'm trying to get people up first who have upcoming goings-on so I can increase online visibility for them!

In the meantime, I wanted to share one of my favorite posts found while blog-hopping this morning. totally follows my idealistic ranting here.

In An ABSOLUT World, There Are No Labels

Thanks, SistersTalk (:

♥~L

favorite things

2009-08-13T12:48:00.013-04:00

we interrupt this regularly scheduled programming to bring you another fave things installation. there are just too many beautiful things (of all kinds) floating around not to share. so here are some faves of the moment:

these astounding musical necklaces

(this one being my personal fave at the moment- site found via oh, hello friend.)

this sweet idea that I plan to take advantage of with this

(found via bright new things)

these glorious engagement photos

which led me to these

which were phtographed by this guy. (I can't grab pics off his page but check him out!!!! headshots, anyone?! (;)

all to be summed up with a preview of the next artist to come, whose latest wedding photos have me ready to hire him pre-engagement!!! talk about an inspiration!

(aren't these dresses amazing?!? I'm only leaving out the photo credit for a little suspense factor, you'll just have stay tuned! no cheating MSMers!!!)

more to come...

♥

artist #2: peter tunney

2009-08-11T23:50:00.011-04:00

***new discovery alert!!!***

meet Peter Tunney...

!!!!!

...I'd never heard of him 'til early yesterday evening, either-! I decided on a whim to take a different route home from work, and thank goodness I did! because in the middle of a completely corporate block off of Fifth Ave I stumbled on this incredible gallery! (@ 666 Fifth Ave., to be exact. Kinda creepy, I know.)

these words couldn't have rung truer as I ventured inside to peruse the work in this competely unexpected gem of a space. you can learn more about Tunney by clicking on his mane anywhere in this entry. according to the gallery attendant, Tunney lives in Long Island and works out of a studio in TriBeCa. he is a collector of old books and newspapers which he collages into the pieces you see here, which are only a small part of his work found on his site.

gratitude is definitely the feeling I had after discovering these meaningful pieces. I'll leave you with the message of these last two:

♥

artist #1: olatuja

2009-08-11T10:54:00.028-04:00

good morning!

::side note: wow. I drafted this post on the 7th and have been mulling over it for these past few days in addition to having lots of activity going on this past weekend! having not even gotten into this series it's already giving me such a great respect for journalists. deciding the angle to take on a given topic and presenting the information in a way that's relevant and interesting to readers is no small feat! I mean just because I like these artists doesn't mean that you have to, or will, but the aim is to get you to at least check them out, right?! giving you just the right blend of info and mystery (; man, toss in the quick editing and deadlines and I think I'd absolutely melt under all the pressure! that being said, this series will be a great learning experience for me. so onto the first artist.....

meet Michael Olatuja and his wife, Alicia.

Alicia and I met and instantly formed a bond during orientation week at Manhattan School of Music (I was dancing by myself in a corner somewhere and she decided to call me out, ha!) not long after we met we both became involved with the school's Pan-African Student Union (PASU) where we were both introduced to Michael Olatuja and his absolutely infectious music. While Alicia and I were studying classical voice (with the same teacher, at that!), Michael was fine-tuning his already proficient skills on the bass in the jazz department. During our first PASU performance we had a chance to perform one of Michael's original tunes as an ensemble and from there I was completely hooked! (and apparently, so was his future wife (;) Now Alicia wasn't to be slept on, either, and had come to school armed with a killer classical and pop voice along with her self-produced pop demo in hand. Years later, their musical talents have now come together in an absoutely divine(ly inspired) union. And they are both such beautiful souls, to boot.

Well I certainly don't speak for the Olatujas' star-quality alone as they have recently been picked up by ObliqSound, alongside the likes of Gretchen Parlato and Somi Kakoma (who's album was co-written and co-produced by Michael, too! Thanks, Alicia!) Michael's initially self-released, self-titled album has been remastered and (re)released as Speak under Obliq and is available on the label's website above (which I have up in the background now for my listening pleasure- they represent some amazing musicians!) along with the major online music retailers (like iTunes) I know they would jump for joy if you checked it out!

(see, they already have, in eager anticipation! (;)

I have watched Alicia and Michael both grow immensely over the years and will be checking out the new additions to the album that has already long been in heavy rotation on my iPod. I'm so excited that Alicia's vocals have been added to the new version! Her vocals were absolutely a necessary update (:

So once you fall in love with the Olatujas as I have, you NYCers have a chance to check them out live at their album release concert coming up on Wed, August 26th at Joe's Pub on Lafayette. Be there!!!

(and maybe you'll catch a listen to yours truly, too, on bvs *shameless self promo*)

♥ love, love

stay tuned

2009-08-06T14:42:00.013-04:00

I've decided to dedicate the next few posts to some of my fave artists, of all kinds. In part because they are a huge part of what keeps me uplifted and forward-moving, and also as a kind of homage to Peggy CC (mentioned a few posts back). She continues to be such a beacon of light for underrepresented artists and I'm going to try to pay-it-forward in my own way by giving some beautiful folx some (more) positive publicity, in hopes that you may dig them as much as I do!

In many cases these are artists I know personally and can attest to their shining personalities just as much as I can to their far-reaching talents. So keep your eyes and ears peeled lovelies!

♥ ~L

(cool headphones, huh?)

beach dreamin

2009-08-04T10:50:00.027-04:00

I've been on a natural high these days. I have little to complain about after a period of being quite down in the dumps, bemoaning my lack of steady work and motivation. Emotional slumps can be so hard for me to crawl out of but once I'm out I embrace contentment with all I've got. Living in a great city with (generally) great summer weather and so much to do definitely doesn't hurt, but I still can't help but long to relax by some kind of non-toxic water (i.e. not the rivers on either side of our lovely island) sometime before the summer fades to fall. I thought I'd post a couple pretty pictures to help me keep my eyes on the prize: I have to chill on all the fab vintage finds if I'm ever gonna make it to the beach!!!

If I can wean myself off of etsy for long enough I may find myself here for a weekend come September or October...

(photos of 9 Beaches Bermuda Resort found here)

And even farther off is our trip of dreams to Malaysia and hopefully to Bali (June 2010 really can't come fast enough. I'm seriously about to put a countdown on here.)

Lounging by the bluest water under the endless sky...

(photo found here)

Basking in the golden sun sets...

(I've searched and searched for a borderless photo but nothing matches the hues captured here)

Soaking in the vibrant culture...

(photo found here)

In the meantime, the "inferior East Coast beaches" (thanks, baby. haha) will have to do as I attempt to plan a visit to spend some time with friends in DE next weekend. As it stands right now, any beach will do!

♥

realness

2009-07-30T16:07:00.018-04:00

I'm sharing a second article this week from theroot.com that I found really interesting for a number of reasons. I've just recently become a facebook 'fan' of theirs and have really been enjoying their perspectives (I've decided to add a place for links in my sidebar just for them (:), but this one in particular seems to come right on time in the midst of the racial craze that the Skip Gates case has incited.

Has Anyone Noticed That Romeo Is Black?

This article resonated with me intitially because it only further confirms for me how much more 'liberal' British casting always seems to be. My gf has made an avid BBC watcher of me (except for her sci-fi thangs which she gets to watch solo) and I am always so impressed by how much more real their portrayals generally are. i.e., no bs color-conscious casting or censoring of gay relationships on scripted shows, and little-to-no sugar-coating on gritty documentaries. Needless to say I'm a huge fan. And during all of this incessant coverage on clearly unimproving race relations in 21st century America, it makes me wonder why our mainstream 'artists'- those writing and casting for film and television in particular- aren't doing anything to take a stand.

Unity (not 'tolerance') will never be achieved until the incessant dialoguing turns into action. And all of the programming decisions being made to appeal to middle-America (if that's even the target audience?) will never forge that action until they start depicting real, diverse relationships and stop shielding already sheltered audiences from reality. Whatever happened to art imitating life? Close-minded Americans will stay that way until they realize that love exists in many forms, and the relationships they shun may in fact be had by people they admire and respect- or at least the ones they enjoy watching once in awhile (: Meaningful change can only come about through honesty and openness, the willingness to change will grow from those seeds.

Shout out to American programming working to break the barriers down:

-most recently, Jesse L. Martin and Neve Campbell cast as a power-couple on NBC's The Philanthropist (*love)

-TLC made a valiant, albeit a bit cheesey, attempt at effective dialogue with Guess Who's Coming Over (*I only saw the pilot and haven't seen an episode or ad since, but appreciated the concept)

-in film, Starting Out in the Evening and Rachel Getting Married made my heart happy featuring uncontroversial interracial relationships. Starting didn't get nearly as much press but I highly recommend it- I dig Lauren Ambrose and the story is really compelling. (*it's rare enough to find 'unconventional' relationships in film, I appreciate when the couple's differences aren't the central theme of the story being told)

(Pres. Obama's parents- pic found here)

♥

important art collection destroyed in fire

2009-07-30T11:03:00.012-04:00

I sat down to the computer earlier this morning to find some truly overwhelming news; the co-founder of my high school in Washington, DC (one of my 2 hometowns) lost her incredible home to a small fire gone terribly awry last night. (view the Washington Post article here) Thankfully no one was harmed as the family was away, but the magnitued of art and history lost in that fire is not to be believed.

Peggy Cooper Cafritz has been a dedicated contributor to the DC community for many years, serving for some time as president of their school board in addition to having co-founded Duke Ellington School of the Arts and being an avid patron of the arts. Her collection was a reflection of her spirit of advocacy, combining works of all types of artists with a focus on the underrepresented works of minorities. The pieces were a vibrant, eclectic addition to her very traditional home.

We had the priviledge of celebrating our high school graduation poolside at Peggy's amazing home. She has always been incredibly welcoming and many of my classmates and friends spent time there over the years. Her home is featured in the August issue of O Magazine, published prior to the fire, which serves as an incredibly poignant reminder of how fleeting posessions can be in this world. No matter how many 'things' a person works to accumulate in their lives, it is the spirit behind them that lives on, and hers is one of incredible generosity and vision. My heart goes out to her and her family during this time of devastation.

Take a complete tour of Peggy's home here and read the article about her in O here.

Peggy on how to start collecting art.

lady elle: beige in america

2009-07-28T15:21:00.016-04:00

a friend of mine shared an article recently that I was super interested in posting on here, but it occured to me that it might not make as much of an impact without a little background on little ol' me. I figured it was a good enough opportunity as any to introduce myself a little more formally considering that I haven't yet, outside of the blurb in the sidebar. perhaps an introduction was never a thought before now because this started as more of a personal challenge/experiment of sorts to see if I was really invested in and committed to keeping up with blogging. after a bit of a rocky start (i.e. the two month gap between my first 2 entries and this now steadying stream of posts) I appear to be hooked, so allow me to share a little something with you.

much to the utter confusion of many people I encounter in life, I do in fact identify as a multiracial woman. being the third (and quite probably 4th and maybe 5th) generation of a line of thoroughly ethnically 'mixed' women, how could it be any other way? both my mother and grandmother are of black, native american, hispanic (mexican, as far as I can gather so far) and german descent among other things I'm quite sure. yet because my complexion and some features reflect at most my geman and latin roots, the rest of what lies within my ancestry is often conveniently disregarded by skeptics. it never ceases to boggle my mind that even after their initial, expectedly puzzled reactions to the 'what are you?' answer, many would rather cling to the comfort of their own pre-conceived notions.

I don't want this to turn into a full-on rant about me and the mixed 'identity', as I understand it. suffice it to say that I have strong opinions on the subject, and believe that in a nation of a diverse people working, well, somewhat steadily towards a peaceful coexistence, it is important for people to be allowed to own and embrace who they are without boundaries, ethnically and otherwise. that being said, I loved the viewpoint, allbeit satirical, of this article: Beige in America
preposterously as it's proposed, it makes me wonder how different our nation and world could be if we stopped trying to shove such complex and wonderful people into such teeny tiny boxes.

and for the record, when forced to check a box, it's always 'other.'

weekend discovery

2009-07-27T09:05:00.000-04:00

I made an executive decision not to leave the house at all this past saturday after a long week of very early mornings- totally not my cup of tea. and while we're on the subject of tea (okay, I know it's a stretch) there is one thing I was convinced to take a short walk for: earl grey ice cream. um, yeah. if you're a tea drinker this magical treat is the stuff of dreams, forreal.

but let me take a step back.

if you haven't already been introduced, meet van leeuwen artisan ice cream. a gourmet foodie's fantasy. their ice cream, in my opinion, is the perfect, delicate blend of icey and creamy, sweet but not overwhelmingly so, and is absolutely refreshing without leaving you guiltily full. we used to indulge in van leeuwen whenever we'd happen to pass one of their trucks, which have a few standard locations in addition to a few extras you can find on twitter, but now we've found ourselves in a bit of a dillema. not only have they expanded to whole foods in the ny area (as announced here in feb) but worse. watch out waistline, because this yumminess is now right down the block, by the scoop, at our local coffee shop. I mean whole foods is easy enough to resist considering we don't often commit to pints of ice cream, not to mention that it'd be gross by the time we got it home from the closest location to us. but this? disaster waiting to happen. yoga here I come.

ps: the mint chip (which was actually what I went for) is a definite fave as well

favorite things

2009-07-20T09:16:00.001-04:00

ohhhhhh summers in nyc, how I love thee. and it's definitely been on the agenda to make the most of this one. from free concerts to great food to mini 'getaways' and just a general good time with good people. this past weekend was graced by some beautiful moments, some captured on film and some just taken in by my heart. sometimes I get so caught up in this whole public, internet, instant-access-to-everything thang that I forget to stop and appreciate what's right in front of me, this close to passing me by. and no, everything doesn't have to be aired for the world to *pine* over (haha) but some things are worth sharing.

like coming in from walking the dog on a saturday morning to the sounds of the opera playlist I made my (eager and quick to learn) gf. it was just so beautifully unexpected. I mean, she told me she loved it and I believed her. and we enjoy live performances when we can and she's a diehard supporter of my own sporadic appearances. but this was coming from the same gal who blasts her raucous music at its loudest. it was just a lovely change of pace.

from opera to hip hop in a few hours, we soon found ourselves grabbing picnic-worthy food and a prime spot just hours later to check out Q-Tip with a good friend (and an unexpected addition!) in Central Park. music makes my soul happy in *almost* all forms.

after a day in the sun and a night of dancing, sunday...afternoon...found us strolling about on our first visit to our new 'neighborhood' hangout, Governors Island. just when we'd given up on finding an empty hammock we stumbled on the perfect one: right under the most soothing windchimes. needless to say I definitely dozed for a bit :ahhh:

thanks to my sleuth of a lady, we've finally discovered the island and are already envisioning what a primo picnic spot it's gonna make on an upcoming weekend. weee!

on to see what's in store for this weekend...

~♥L

Q-Tip...

remember the time

2009-07-19T22:52:00.001-04:00

when we performed with chaka khan? one of my all-time greatest performance memories...

reminds us there are still legends walking among us despite all the prominent losses we've been experiencing lately. doesn't change how much we'll miss your musical genius, mj ♥

goodness

2009-07-10T14:15:00.001-04:00

new beginnings are always the greatest, and I'm definitely embarking on one as I start a new work assignment. I feel so fortunate to be with a great staffing agency who has really been keeping their eye out for me even when I wasn't so sure there was mouch hope left for consistent work. after months of on-and-off again assignments they put me at the top of their list for a great position and I snagged it. such a great feeling, and I know I could never have directly entered a position like this without them backing me up.

all in all the 'career' boost (of sorts) has really helped to boost my overall morale. the weather certainly doesn't hurt either! unseasonably mild in comparison to the typical nyc sweaty, muggy july (not exactly sure what this means for the health of the planet but I'll take it for now and keep keepin' it 'green' in the meantime...oh climate change) been pulling myself together in more ways than one and backing away from the blues, at least for now. fashion, color, music, art, nature, friends and family are all huge sources of happiness and inspiration. so greatful to just 'be'! and on that note, a few pics (and perhaps a page color change) to lighten up the vibe in here.....

ahh, summer.

*pics courtesy of our magical trip to Versailles for the first time this June

fun

2009-05-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

the internet is an amazing thing, no? bewildering and wonderful all at once. i was browsing around on a few sites today and found this cool styleguide page on h&m's website, i.e. they have some Fab dresses+more right now and they give you blog friendly codes to display all the ones you might like to feature at once! who knew?
::okay so the code never worked and it's now 10 jul but here's the image for good measure (;

♥ ~L

so it begins

2009-05-07T01:57:00.000-04:00

so it's one of those increasingly rare nights (thankfully) where i can't sleep for the life of me: was it the sugar after 9 or just a general case of a restless mind? who knows. may or may not go 'public' with this thing but it's worth it to get out of other people's heads (aka away from the dreaded fb) and into my own for a change. something i've sort of been running from lately because technology makes it so easy to, so let's try spinning this crazy thang into something positive and maybe even productive for a change.

came here with lots on my mind: an expansive summer ahead with little to no plans and i need to get the ball rolling in my life. this whole slump thing can only work for so long. it's been really hard for me to let people in lately considering i've been keeping myself at bay as well; kinda hard to reach out when you avoid reaching within like the plague, no? readers (if i dare publish) be not afraid: this introspective start is just my own way of kicking-off what i hope to be something self-motivating, self-regenerating and perhaps may rub off enough to spur you on as well? let's hope for the best for a change.

p(eace) & l(ove)