Pipilotti Rist: Installation Piece at MoMa

I really want to go see this. It's on display until Feb. 2.

Pour Your Body Out


MoMa.org

SHOES. omg SHOES.

I love clothes and makeup, but I find that what really makes or breaks an ensemble are the shoes.  I know this sounds silly, but shoes are very powerful when used in conjunction with fashion statements. Here's what I mean:

During the winter of my sophomore year, my roommate and spent a couple of hours getting all dolled up before slipping into our little black dresses for the semi-formal.  Just before we left our cute little efficiency apartment, I looked out the window at the snow storm.  "Fuck the heels!" I said, and threw on my uggs.  Yes, I was going to wear uggs with my dress to the semi.  My roommate laughed at first, but when she realized I was serious, donned a pair herself.  

It was great.  A definite fashion don't. But the clash was so unexpected, so ridiculous, that it worked.  All of our friends thought it was hysterical.  And we had a ball, dancing the night away in the comfiest shoes in the room.   

It is so funny to me that shoes, originally made to protect our feet from rocks, sticks and whatever else is on the ground, have grown into autonomous sets of twins that speak loudly for themselves! 

Flip-flops say, "I'm relaxed. I'm natural.  I'm casual.  I feel at home here."

Mary-Janes signify innocence.

Trendy flats say, "I like my shoes, but I also like my comfort."

High heels suggest power and womanliness.. (to me, at least...when I was little I always BEGGED my mother to get me heels.  She told me I was too young.  For my Bat-Mitzvah dress my mother let me get a pair of 5" heeled creme sandals.  To me, this shoe signified that I was really starting to become a woman!  haha  my 12-year logic!")

My favorite of all, the stiletto, takes this power to a new level of sophistication and sexiness.  

And I firmly believe that every girl needs at least one pair of Fuck Me Heels :)

X-Ray of a Foot

SUGAR LIPS

some graphic doodling

This is a combination of:

1. me being a huge dork

2. me trying to teach myself adobe illustrator

3. paris nostalgia 

Oleg Dou

Oleg Dou, photographer from Moscow.

The Man Vending Machine!

flossie.com

the IM TALKATHON

This sounds pretty cool. Microsoft has pledged to donate money to various causes when you talk on Windows Live Messenger or Windows Live Hotmail.  Check it out at: i'm

Some of my favorite hair products

  
PAUL MITCHELL SHAMPOO THREE

I've been using this product about once a  month since I began using styling products in 6th or 7th grade.  It rids your hair from chlorine, mineral buildup, product buildup, and probably every o

ther possible thing that could have gotten built up 

in your hair.  I know that there are about a gajilliontrillion other products and companies that claim to do the same thing, but I've tried most of them, and Paul Mitchell Shampoo 3 is definitely the best.  This product is especially useful right before deep conditioning treatments, as your hair is most 

receptive to conditioning and other treatments when it is at it's cleanest.  You can buy this shampoo in most drugstores and supermarkets.  Check out the rest of the Paul Mitchell Line HERE.  Most of them are pretty good.

Suave Professionals Humectant Conditioner, (claims to condition as well as NEXXUS HUMECTANT.)

This $2 conditioner is actually one of the best ones out there.(yes, brand snobs, BELIEVE IT.)   And honestly, I prefer it to Nexxus!  It smells wonderful, and does a superb job of conditioning and getting rid of knots! (I have lots of curly hair, so trust me, I know ALL about KNOTS)  

KERASTASE 

pretty much everything by Keratase is fantastic.  Their products are on the more expensive side of things, but sometimes you do get what you pay for.  

I highly recom

mend any of their conditioners and masques.  Choose according to your hair type.

If your salon carries Kerastase, GET A TREATMENT.  I got the one for color treated one last week and my hair feels so healthy.  

Here comes my staple Kerastase styling product, which I recommend for anyone EXCEPT those with greasy hair.  When your hair is dry, use a dollop of Serum Nutri-Sculpt to smooth the cuticles and make your mane shiny and vibrant.  I use

 this as a finishing touch every time I straighten my hair to hold the style and keep the frizzies at bay.  

Here is a link to the Kerastase website.

Some awesome illustrations I found while browsing...

MUTO

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

MOROCCO!

I just came back from Marrakech with my boyfriend!  The colors and smells and tastes  of this city were unreal.  By day, we walked around the Djemma al Fna Square, the souks, and the shops that could be found along quiet side streets, taking everything in.  By night, we ate couscous and tagines in the the open-air restaurants in the square.  

Josh and I found that shopping along the quieter side-streets was particularly enchanting.  The people who worked the shops kept bringing us mint tea!







One day we went on an excursion to see the Cascades.  Words cannot describe.



And I told Josh I want to move here with him:



We finished each evening with an auburn colored tea of ginger, cinnamon, and a myriad of other spices.


I have to say, Morocco is quite a romantic place.

Egypt

People on the edge of the Black Desert



Mika and I riding camels at Giza



DONKEY CART!



Marmoot at Crystal Mountain



Man riding in a trunk in Cairo traffic

Spring Has SPRUNG in PARIS!

It's true! And I've been wandering the streets of Paris with my giant camera! Here are some photos of my neighborhood:

" bo

************************************************************************************

And this photo was taken at a cafe in le Marais (it's a little blurry but I still love it!):

The Tomb of Oscar Wilde

Le Paris Paris: Le Hottest Club in PARIS

Last night I found myself with two of my best girlfriends at Le Paris Paris, one of the hottest and exclusive clubs in Paris at 5 Avenue de l'Opéra.  To get in required the approval of three bouncers, one of whom was wearing a pink bunny suit! LaFrench was in charge of the music and the mood.  The bartenders were fun, easy going, and bubbling with personality.  

We sipped the most unbelievably scrumptious drink ever:

Le Paris Paris: Champagne, Vodka, Fresh Strawberry Puree. Le Paris Paris was a pleasure.  If you can get in, it's the place to go. 

Food For Thought

click here to see the context of this photo.

Commentary is welcome :)

Arlene, On A Rainy Day In Paris

Me, On A Rainy Day In Paris

Brittany, On A Rainy Day In Paris

Paris Fashion Week: A Sneak Preview of Winter '08

Friday afternoon I found myself wandering around the Jardin Tuileries, wistfully staring at the oh so exclusive looking white tents pitched out for fashion week. A group of trendy looking people stood outside each of the openings of the tents, gayly puffing on cigarettes and chatting up a storm. Past each group of fashionistas I caught glimpses of handbags, jewelry, sweaters, and so-forth. On a whim I decided to walk into one of the tents. A guard greeted me immediately with a flirtatious smile and when I asked him if one needed an invitation for entry, he responded that no, one had to pay for a ticket. I never found out how much those tickets were, however, since he simply handed me a ticket and let Viv and I in for free! When we had had our fill, another guard escorted us to the other tent and snuck us in for free, once again. Ah, lady luck! 

The expo turned out to be a trade show for the season of Fall-Winter 2008, open to boutique buyers from all over the world. The collections were mostly from new and upcoming designers who were not yet big enough for their own showrooms.  Things tended to be loud and original with personal edginess.  Vibrant colors, bold cuts, and iridescence was a dominating theme, as well as the natural, neutral, and organic style and attitude.  Some articles that stick out in my mind were golden  slippers lined with rabbit fur, knits in surprisingly feminine shapes, sunglasses in wooden frames, and a delicate necklace with a funky lipstick charm.  Skull logos will continue to be a trend.  Also keep your eye out for kafia, traditional Arab head coverings, worn as scarves.  

For some photos of trends, go to FACEHUNTER,  LATimes, Style,  and French Vogue.

.Vivian.

My favorite photo from a lazy Sunday afternoon in Paris.

Some Rad Posters

"These posters don't suck."- Parez Hilton

Mona Lisa Goes to South Beach

As an American living in Paris, I cannot help but laugh.  I must say, though, that many French people emphasize weight gain when recounting week-long vacations in the States, as opposed to so-called beautification.  

Thoughts?