Thursday, February 25, 2010

Work Wardrobe Additions for Spring 2010


So I've had spring shopping on my mind, and this set is just an example of the types and styles of things that I've been wanting.

1. Embellished Whitish Cardigan - I keep thinking "investment pieces" and I figure a white cardigan should be a staple of every woman's wardrobe. Surprisingly, I don't have one yet although I've been meaning to get one. I think this is the perfect opportunity to get one for myself. Of course, just any old cardigan would be too boring. I'm looking for feminine details like rhinestones, beads, sequins, frills and bows!

2. Voluminous Bottoms - I'm thinking of both skirts and shorts. I would very much like to wear shorts to work. The longer length, I think, makes shorts office friendly. As for a skirt... lace is a nice detail for spring! Or perhaps a flower print~

3. Reptile Pumps - I've been meaning to get some black work pumps. It's another one of those staples that every woman should have. And of course I just can't live with the boring basics so I'm thinking texture. I really love reptile. I'm just a fan of animal prints in general. I guess this would fit into that category.

4. Nudie Pink Ballet Flats - I've had "leather flats" on my shopping list for the longest time, but I haven't really found any that have been catching my eye. That's probably because I've been looking for black flats. I guess I'm just not a fan of black flats. On the other hand, I love nude tone flats - light pink to beige. I'm not sure exactly what about it, but perhaps it's the illusion of no shoes...

I will be on the prowl for these items in the coming weeks. I hope it'll be warmer so I can actually get the feel for spring.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Kenneth Cole Tote of the Town French Purse (Black Reptile)

I forgot to mentioned that I got my wallet, finally, in the mail on Monday.

It is quite lovely. The detailing is fabulous. You should really see the patterning on this leather. It's very lux, and I always think patent leather can easily look trashy. It is not so with this wallet.

It's very much bulkier than my previous wallet, but I'll get used to it. I guess the bulk is because the gajillion card slots. I guess I'd rather have more than not enough, but it's still pretty ridiculous. And the coin pocket is smack dab right in the middle. It makes it very difficult to get the change out, and I do have 85 cents (two quarters, three dimes, and a nickle), a flattened penny from the zoo, and a tiny decorative penny in there. I might need to access those at some point... maybe.

I'm glad I finally have a new wallet. I wonder how long I can live with this one :D

It's like I'm a ninja.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Durarara!!

Durarara!! I am absolutely enamored by this series. It just resonates with me on so many levels.


At face value Durarara!! is about a 15-year-old boy Ryugamine Mikado who at the insistence of his long-time best friend Kida Masaomi moves from a small town to the big city in order to attend high school in Ikebukuro,Tokyo. The story naturally revolves around people that he meets and the things that happen in the big city.
But of course it’s so much more than that.

In essence it is a character-oriented series where the city itself is as much of a character as any. And, of course, I'm a sucker for character-driven dramas. From what I can tell so far the characters are diverse and fairly multi-faceted. They do hold rather polarized traits that make them stereotypes to a certain extent, but it's that extremeness that makes them interesting as characters in an anime where the boundaries of reality can be push, pulled, bent and stretched at will. At the same time each character is seeded at the core with his or her own struggles associated with the human condition that makes them believable.
Of all the characters I am particularly drawn to one Orihara Izaya, a sociopath. It is a fact that I am captivated by his psychopathic persona that works purely for his own gain. But I've always loved such fictional sociopaths characterized by superior intellect, easy charm, sharp wit, and physical prowess. I often imagine that operating outside the influence of emotions and social conventions such as morals would be so liberating.

The show touches on a lot of issues and prompts a lot of questions, and none of them have easy answers. It explores the nature of reality and questions perception and alludes to the subjectivity of experience. It presents this idea of opposites (light/dark, good/bad, life/death, etc) time and time again and exposes the dualistic nature of existence. It illustrates a person's struggle with identity and self-realization and purpose and meaning. It asks the role of technology in society and the deterioration of quality of human interaction. I could go on... but maybe I'm over thinking it. I'm making meaning out of nothing, but it resonates with me regardless of whether or not they meant it to. They probably did.

In any case...

The storytelling and the pacing of the series is engaging. It's not quite linear, there are a lot of parallel plots and action sequences. There is always more to the story than you first realize. Through each iterative retelling there is a new layer of detail and it makes the whole experience richer and complex.

At it's heart Durarara!! is a shonen series. The predominately male cast and conflict oriented plots are indicative of that fact. The fight sequences are well executed and the women tastefully sexualized. But what I've loved most about the shonen genre is the boy's club camaraderie aspect of it all. It's a highly romanticized concept of male-bonding that as a girl seems mysterious and alluring.

As a final note, the show is humorous. Case in point, check out the circle lenses on the girl in the middle. That is social commentary at its best.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Winter Chairs


I find it amazing how the design of a place can evolve so naturally with the seasons. And while form is necessarily second to function, it is so easy to see the aesthetic of the form follow the utility of the function.

Breakfast on a free Saturday

Wow, it's a Saturday, I'm home AND it's not snowing! Can you believe it?

Being free on a Saturday is nice. I even got the opportunity to make myself a nice looking breakfast.


The funny thing about eating your food after taking pictures of it like this is that it's cold. It doesn't taste quite as good as it could although it looks nice.

I think being a food stylist would be fun.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Alexander McQueen, may he have found perfection in peace.


The news of Alexander McQueen's death by suicide certainly shocked the fashion world. The man was known for his boundless creativity and his work that always seemed to shock and awe...

I can't say I was a great fan of McQueen. That isn't to say that I disliked his work. I absolutely acknowledge the genius of McQueen - the tight and yet voluminous, the sharp and yet organic, the bold and yet understated. It is difficult to describe because it was always that je ne sais quoi of a collection, of a piece, of an idea that positively screamed "McQueen!" His style was uniquely his own. I'd have to say everything was always so perfectly off and therefore strangely eerie. And perhaps it was that that sense of perfection in his work that putt me off, the reason I never really got to love McQueen. Because to me his clothes were like ice sculptures and I've always naturally gravitated towards snowmen.

To conclude, I must say that he was a great man. And as proof I cite the fact that although I'm a big fan of fashion I have only once blogged about a designer's work. That work was of course that of Mr. Alexander McQueen. He has left an indelible impression upon me and the rest of the world. May he rest in peace.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Snowed In

I haven't gone to work since last Thursday! I'm on leave right now because I don't really have work I can be doing at home to qualify for "work from home." VDOT has yet to plow our neighborhood, and my little Accord can't make it out of here, and with the snow that's supposedly coming tonight who knows when I'll be able to get back to work.

Well, at least I'm enjoying my time off. It's unplanned time off but still generally nice.

I'm running out of food! That's one bad thing about being snowed in. A good thing about that though is that it forces me to be creative. I made soup today with what I had on hand. It's something close to cream of broccoli.

Broccoli and spinach, water and beef bouillon, onions and garlic in butter, milk and yogurt and cheese. Flour to thicken, cracked pepper to taste and mint to garnish!

I was rummaging in the refrigerator for something to eat and found some broccoli from who knows when and the last dregs of spinach from the days when I had salad for lunch. Add in the last dollops of yogurt and the last of the milk and you've almost got yourself enough for something. Almost. There just wasn't enough cream stuff so I had to add cheese, which helped. I'm surprised it came out tasting as good as it did. The mint really helped. In the absence of celery it was a more than adequate aromatic.

Too bad I ate all the bread. No toast with this soup.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Snow Day

It's an official snow day! I'm "working" from home. I seriously have not done any work today. Instead I woke up and worked out for an hour. I haven't had the time or energy to work out this week, so I exercised extra hard and enthusiastically this morning. Then I took my monthly "detox bath." I like taking baths, but I can only seem to squeeze one in once a month. Then I had breakfast/lunch. Soup is so nice and cozy on snowy days like these.

Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom taken a notch up with shaved onions, cracked pepper, garlic powder, beef bouillon, garnished with mint and served with toast.

I've just been loafing around and listening to BIG 100.3 the classic hits/classic rock station. It just seems right for right now. Easy jammin' I suppose...

Today is also payday! I've been mulling over what to spend my $100 self allotted allowance on. I wanted to go to the shoe store this weekend and pick a pair of nice work pumps, but I don't think I'll be going anywhere due to the snow. So I hopped online and ordered a new wallet from Kenneth Cole. I've been wanted a new wallet for a while. I suppose this snowy day gave me an excuse to get one.

Happy snow day! :D

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Grapefruit & Mint Shrimp

Shrimp with grapefruit & mint butter.

It tasted much better when it was warm. I should have de-veined them, but having to peel the darn things was work enough. I think the grapefruit and mint would've worked better as a shrimp marinade, but I was working with already steamed shrimp we had for dinner on Sunday.

Grapefruit and mint is a great combination, but I think it works better on stinkier proteins.