Quoteworthy

"Life is eternal and love is immortal; And death is only a horizon, And a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight."
-Rossiter W. Raymond 1840-1918

 

 

 

 

Now Playing: "Mornings" by Portugal. The Man

Flashback Friday

"Autumn Sweater" by Yo La Tengo, 1997 (but I didn't hear it until 2005)


I remember when I delivered my first radio news report in college, "Autumn Sweater" was the song that played into the segment. I wrote down the lyrics on my script and asked the DJ what the artist and title was. At this point in my life, I wasn't at all familiar with indie or alternative music. I consider this one of the songs that led me down the path towards the light. It was love at first listen!

It's starting to get pretty chilly in Pittsburgh. This weekend it's only going to be in the 40s... brrr! Autumn is most definitely my favorite season. I love my sweaters and I love this song! I thought it was apropos for this time of year :)

Debauchery In the Desert Tour!

Can't wait for my first trip to the desert... finally! Looking forward to gambling, champagne limo trips, tailgating Arizona style, Steelers, wine tasting, rocks and so much more! I'm staying at the Flamingo, so I'm going to "keep an eye out" for the spirit of Bugsy Siegel (he supposedly still haunts the hotel) and I'll be looking up in Phoenix for the lights!

It's The '90s

via Dlisted.com

Nail Polish of the Moment

 

It's been a few months since I purchased a new OPI nail polish. The new collection, Across America, had a few shades that caught my eye, but A-Taupe The Space Needle was the only one I had to have. In the bottle, it almost looks like a muddy hue. Upon applying the first coat, the color was a sandy brown (darker but reminiscent of San Tan-tonio from the Texas collection) but after a second and third coat, A-Taupe The Space Needle transforms into a camouflaged, khaki, taupe. Against my very fair, cool skin, it definitely has green undertones. It's the perfect shade for fall and goes very nicely with a lot of my earth tone based wardrobe. This is somewhat similar to OPI's Over The Taupe but again, it decidedly has a green aspect to it. I really like A-Taupe The Space Needle and highly recommend it! As always, I also love the name :)

Now Playing: "My Impure Hair" by Blonde Redhead

Quoteworthy

“It’s really hard to describe one's self because I think one lives very often in other people's vision. I see myself as the world's oldest living teenager because I have such a good time and I try to get as much kick out of things as possible.”
-Iris Apfel
 (A great quote from the documentary, Bill Cunningham New York.)











Now Playing: "23" by Blonde Redhead

Bill Cunningham New York

A great documentary on the career and life of veteran New York Times photographer, Bill Cunningham. Fantastic interviews with some of fashion and society's most elite. Visually interesting and incredibly real.











Now Playing: "The Youth" by MGMT

Shoe Style

I love taking little style surveys. I saw a commercial for shoedazzle.com (not a member) but wanted to fill out its questionnaire. It turns out, my shoe style is the romantic, poetic, eclectic. Sounds about right. In all honesty, I'm not a shoe person. They usually bore me. I much prefer handbags. But this was fun.










Now Playing: "Sweet Lullaby" by Deep Forest

Ray LaMontagne

I finally saw Ray LaMontagne last night at Stage AE here in Pittsburgh! I've been a fan for years. Hands down, Ray has the most phenomenal voice I have ever heard! He sounds exactly the same, if not better, live. He opened with "Burn". Words can't begin to describe the beauty of this song. I'm still in awe of his talent.



Of course, "Jolene" is another favorite.



And "Empty" is also great.

Quoteworthy

“I've noticed that when people are joking they're usually dead serious, and when they're serious, they're usually pretty funny." 

-Jim Morrison 1943-1971







Now Watching: When You're Strange 

Word of the Week: PREPRANDIAL

The word of the week for September 26th through October 2nd is...

PREPRANDIAL
adj.

Definition: Relating to or suitable for the time just before dinner

Example: The wedding reception's preprandial cocktail hour was a hit with the guests.










Now Playing: "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac

Dick LeBeau the Dreamboat!

I've had a crush on Dick for years. Not only is he one of the most talented defensive coordinators in the NFL but he also happens to be smoking hot. Yep. Best looking guy in the Steelers organization... even at 74!

Nail Polish of the Moment

I was in the mood for something sparkly but still understated. I went with one of my favorite polishes, OPI's Ski Teal We Drop and chose a glittery top coat in LA Colors Color Craze in Aqua Crystals. From a distance, the look is somewhat reserved, but in the light, the flecks of glitter really pick up. This picture doesn't do the colors justice. I was really happy with the outcome and will probably wear it again in the winter!









Now Watching: Sunday Night Football - GO STEELERS!

Quoteworthy

 

Words of wisdom from the one and only, Kelly Cutrone!

“Be a truth warrior. We’re constantly getting these messages to mind our own business and look the other way if we want to be well liked, to not tell the truth or speak our mind or say anything too intense. Well, I’m telling you here that this approach not only makes you party to other people’s crimes against themselves but is a prescription for mediocrity and delusion.”

"So many mothers say they want their daughters to be independent, but what they really hope is that they’ll find a well-compensated banker or lawyer and settle down between the ages of 25 and 28 in Greenwich, Darien, or That Town, USA, to raise babies, do the grocery shopping, and work out in relative comfort for the rest of their lives. I know this, because I employ their daughters. They raise us to think they want us to have careers, and they send us to college, but even they don’t really believe women can be autonomous."

"This is an important lesson to remember when you’re having a bad day, a bad month, or a shitty year. Things will change: you won’t feel this way forever. And anyway, sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the ones your soul needs most. I believe you can’t feel real joy unless you know what it means to fail. You can’t know what it’s like to feel holy until you know what it’s like to feel really fucking evil. And you can’t be birthed again until you’ve died."

"I think the best thing to do is just know that there’s a big difference between style and fashion, and that one doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the other. I think people should stop and get off the train. I think they should look at things, and they should sit like a king on a throne and let everything pass by them. They should practice the art of discernment, and they should do that with their dollar, and they should do it with their eye, and they should do it with their ear, and do it with their mouth, and they should do it with every one of their senses. And they should really sit there, and they should make up their own fucking minds. They should do it about government, and they should do it about their art, and they should do it about their clothes, and about their music, about their foods. You decide. If you dig it, dig it. If it’s fashionable to you, then love it and celebrate it."

"You'll find as you set out to follow your dreams that most people don't really want you to transcend into what you were born to do. Perhaps they are scared for you, perhaps they don't believe in you, or perhaps they're just nasty, negative naysayers. Whichever it is, I advise you to stop sharing your dreams with people who try to hold you back, even if they're your parents. Because, if you're the kind of person who senses there's something out there for you beyond whatever it is you're expected to do - if you want to be EXTRA-ordinary- you will not get there by hanging around a bunch of people who tell you you're not extraordinary. Instead, you will probably become as ordinary as they expect you to be.”

“When you're the most happening person at the party, it's time to leave.”

“But while my inner voice was clearly telling me I was at my core an entrepreneur, it's inconvenient to decide at twenty-three that you can't really work for other people.” 

"Every girl should have an affair with a French man. I highly, highly recommend it, especially if you're working in fashion. It's a good way to learn the language and a great way to get banged."

"You have to be prepared for people to hate you, Average people love to be average, because nobody bothers them."

"I think between the ages of 15 and 32, don’t worry about getting married, don’t worry about settling down, don’t worry about having a baby. Give birth to yourself."









Now Playing: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears For Fears

The Style File

Name: Krista Selene Roman

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Current project: Writing my first book!

My style in a word: Sophisticated

My first serious splurge: My shih-tzu, Ireland or my Vintage Chanel bag

A trend I wish I never tried: Denim overalls circa the early '90s

A trend I hope never ends: Leggings

The best style advice I ever got: Just because it zips doesn't mean it fits... dress to compliment your figure! Don't worry about the size or designer name on the label. Focus on what you like and what works for you. Just because something is expensive doesn't make it nice. Always check to see where it's made and what materials are used.

One beauty product I can't live without: I'm sure I could live without all of them. I could always substitute one thing for another. I do love MAC eyeshadow (Satin Taupe, Mulch, All That Glitters are just a few favorites) and of course moisturizer.

Beauty tip my mother taught me: Men don't like a full face of makeup. Less is more.

The most glamorous moment of my life: Has yet to occur (hopefully). As of this moment, I'd go with... nope, can't think of a thing.

My favorite chain store: Forever 21

My favorite style blog: Atlantic-Pacific, WhoWhatWear or The Sartorialist

Whose closet I'd most like to raid: Olivia Palermo or Kourtney Kardashian

What would someone learn about you from seeing inside your closet: My favorite article of clothing is blouses and I love leather handbags!

I wish I had the nerve to wear: High heels more often. I usually stick with boots in the fall/winter or sandals in the spring/summer. This is mostly due to the fact that I don't really have anywhere fancy to go. Later in life, my feet will probably appreciate this.

I feel beautiful when: I'm laughing... although I'm quite sure that watery eyes and a flushed face aren't exactly my best looks.










Now Playing: "Truth Sets In" by Avi Buffalo

First Listen: And the Giraffe

One of the supreme benefits of blogging is the occasional message you receive or person you meet through a mutual interest. Enter Florida-based "dream folk" band, And the Giraffe. Their EP, Something for Someone, is available for free in its entirety via the group's bandcamp. Within the first few seconds of hearing opening track, "Underground Love", I knew this was a collection of music that would be worth writing about. I adore And the Giraffe's sound! It was love at first listen. Something for Someone possesses that rare ability to transport you into a new dimension of relaxation and musical bliss. The vocals are perfect and the instrumentation is wonderful. I highly suggest checking it out! Better than meditation, these songs deserve a listen. Your soul will thank me.

9/10

DUB-V LOVE

Big game tonight against LSU! See you next week, Motown! It's been far too long :)

Stealing Beauty

I almost forgot how much I enjoyed this one. The cinematography never left my memory but the title nearly escaped me. This film creates such a beautiful atmosphere. It makes me want to live on top of a hill in Italy and do nothing all day but drink wine, paint, listen to music and swim. Nights would be reserved for conversation, writing, parties and love. But now that I think about it, my life really isn't all that different. The hills of Pittsburgh are beautiful but the isolating serenity of Tuscany seems a tad more romantic.This movie is pure elegance. Such a lifestyle.

Now Playing: "Higher Love" by James Vincent McMorrow

Date An Illiterate Girl

Date a girl who doesn’t read. Find her in the weary squalor of a Midwestern bar. Find her in the smoke, drunken sweat, and varicolored light of an upscale nightclub. Wherever you find her, find her smiling. Make sure that it lingers when the people that are talking to her look away. Engage her with unsentimental trivialities. Use pick-up lines and laugh inwardly. Take her outside when the night overstays its welcome. Ignore the palpable weight of fatigue. Kiss her in the rain under the weak glow of a streetlamp because you’ve seen it in film. Remark at its lack of significance. Take her to your apartment.  Dispatch with making love. Fuck her. 

Let the anxious contract you’ve unwittingly written evolve slowly and uncomfortably into a relationship. Find shared interests and common ground like sushi, and folk music. Build an impenetrable bastion upon that ground. Make it sacred. Retreat into it every time the air gets stale, or the evenings get long. Talk about nothing of significance. Do little thinking. Let the months pass unnoticed. Ask her to move in. Let her decorate. Get into fights about inconsequential things like how the fucking shower curtain needs to be closed so that it doesn’t fucking collect mold. Let a year pass unnoticed. Begin to notice.

Figure that you should probably get married because you will have wasted a lot of time otherwise. Take her to dinner on the forty-fifth floor at a restaurant far beyond your means. Make sure there is a beautiful view of the city. Sheepishly ask a waiter to bring her a glass of champagne with a modest ring in it. When she notices, propose to her with all of the enthusiasm and sincerity you can muster. Do not be overly concerned if you feel your heart leap through a pane of sheet glass. For that matter, do not be overly concerned if you cannot feel it at all. If there is applause, let it stagnate. If she cries, smile as if you’ve never been happier. If she doesn’t, smile all the same.

Let the years pass unnoticed. Get a career, not a job. Buy a house. Have two striking children. Try to raise them well. Fail, frequently. Lapse into a bored indifference. Lapse into an indifferent sadness. Have a mid-life crisis. Grow old. Wonder at your lack of achievement. Feel sometimes contented, but mostly vacant and ethereal. Feel, during walks, as if you might never return, or as if you might blow away on the wind. Contract a terminal illness. Die, but only after you observe that the girl who didn’t read never made your heart oscillate with any significant passion, that no one will write the story of your lives, and that she will die, too, with only a mild and tempered regret that nothing ever came of her capacity to love. 

Do those things, god damnit, because nothing sucks worse than a girl who reads. Do it, I say, because a life in purgatory is better than a life in hell. Do it, because a girl who reads possesses a vocabulary that can describe that amorphous discontent as a life unfulfilled—a vocabulary that parses the innate beauty of the world and makes it an accessible necessity instead of an alien wonder. A girl who reads lays claim to a vocabulary that distinguishes between the specious and soulless rhetoric of someone who cannot love her, and the inarticulate desperation of someone who loves her too much. A vocabulary, god damnit, that makes my vacuous sophistry a cheap trick.

Do it, because a girl who reads understands syntax. Literature has taught her that moments of tenderness come in sporadic but knowable intervals. A girl who reads knows that life is not planar; she knows, and rightly demands, that the ebb comes along with the flow of disappointment. A girl who has read up on her syntax senses the irregular pauses—the hesitation of breath—endemic to a lie. A girl who reads perceives the difference between a parenthetical moment of anger and the entrenched habits of someone whose bitter cynicism will run on, run on well past any point of reason, or purpose, run on far after she has packed a suitcase and said a reluctant goodbye and she has decided that I am an ellipsis and not a period and run on and run on. Syntax that knows the rhythm and cadence of a life well lived.

Date a girl who doesn’t read because the girl who reads knows the importance of plot. She can trace out the demarcations of a prologue and the sharp ridges of a climax. She feels them in her skin. The girl who reads will be patient with an intermission and expedite a denouement. But of all things, the girl who reads knows most the ineluctable significance of an end. She is comfortable with them. She has bid farewell to a thousand heroes with only a twinge of sadness.

Don’t date a girl who reads because girls who read are the storytellers. You with the Joyce, you with the Nabokov, you with the Woolf. You there in the library, on the platform of the metro, you in the corner of the café, you in the window of your room. You, who make my life so god damned difficult. The girl who reads has spun out the account of her life and it is bursting with meaning. She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold. You, the girl who reads, make me want to be everything that I am not. But I am weak and I will fail you, because you have dreamed, properly, of someone who is better than I am. You will not accept the life that I told of at the beginning of this piece. You will accept nothing less than passion, and perfection, and a life worthy of being storied. So out with you, girl who reads. Take the next southbound train and take your Hemingway with you. I hate you. I really, really, really hate you.

-Charles Warnke
Thought Catalog, January 2011

Reunited and It Feels So Good

I love when you rediscover a song you once loved but it somehow got away.

"Defeatist" by Cameras.

50 Years of Breakfast at Tiffany's

In homage to Breakfast at Tiffany's 50th commemoration, Oliver Goldsmith created an exact replica of the sunglasses Audrey Hepburn wore in the iconic film. To say that I want these shades would be quite the understatement. Love!

The Manhattan.

Now Playing: "Glory Box" by Portishead

Flashback Friday

"Under the Milky Way" by The Church, 1988

I love this song so much. Despite being created in the late '80s, "Under the Milky Way" manages to evoke a familiar sound from the decade but at the same time, it has a modern quality to it. I listened to this song a lot during college.

Wish I knew what you were looking for
Might have known what you would find

And it's something quite peculiar
Something shimmering and white
Leads you here, despite your destination
Under the Milky Way tonight

Meet Me on the Equinox

And when the summer ends, yeah
I'll be there, hiding
And when the sun rises, yeah
I'll stay warm forever

"Senseless" Portugal. The Man

Things That Make My Head Spin

Many people fear removing this tag. Others are bothered by its fierce warning "UNDER PENALTY OF LAW". I assume those individuals who are troubled by this mystical piece of literature either didn't read the message in its entirety or are seriously lacking in vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

EXCEPT BY THE CONSUMER

Newsflash! If you purchased said mattress, pillow, etc... YOU ARE THE CONSUMER! You can legally remove the tag! The shadow government isn't going to electronically trace you (this time). It's okay, really.

Slacker

"Some chick who had a bullet lodged in her ponytail..."

Something about this sentence puts me into a hysterical fit of laughter.

Funniest. Scene. Ever.

Nena von Schlebrügge

Nena von Schlebrügge. Top fashion model of the '50s and '60s for such publications as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Mother of actress, Uma Thurman (notice the striking resemblance). A stunning beauty!

Harper's Bazaar. January 1960.

British Vogue. 1958.

1961.

British Vogue. 1958.

Ladies Home Journal. 1961.

Vogue. August 1957.

1963.

 

 

 

 

 

Now Playing: "Lived in Bars" by Cat Power

Best Dressed: 2011 Emmy Awards

Rachael Taylor in Armani

Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan

Julie Bowen in Oscar de la Renta

 

 

 

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Kristen Wiig in Zac Posen

 

Lena Headey in Alessandra Rich

NOTABLE MENTIONS:
Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab
Lea Michele in Marchesa
Claire Danes in Oscar de la Renta
Jane Lynch in David Meister (Metallic, Opening Gown)
Aubrey Plaza in Juan Carlos Obando








Now Playing: "Juicy" by Better Than Ezra

Quoteworthy

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"
-John Lennon 1940-1980













Now Playing: "Glimpses" by Alexander

Childhood Faves

Now Playing: "Forever" by Mariah Carey
*Had all her CDs!