battleship roundup

I know I'm not the only one who stays up at night pondering Life's Big Question: How did we function before the internet? How did we find recipes to feed our strangest cravings, or hear about the slew of atrocities committed by our favorite D-list celebrities? Maaaaybe we could catch some of these gems in line at the grocery store, but who wants to read something that's a day old, let alone a week, or...God forbid...a month! I shudder to think.

Fortunately those days are gone. I'd like to take a moment to reflect on some of the juiciest food and fashion tidbits the internet has recently proffered with a little game called BATTLESHIP ROUNDUP!!!

MISS!
Thanks to Refinery29 for bringing some of the most heinous Photoshop crimes in history to light. The worst of the worst? Ralph Lauren's mutilation of model Fillipa Hamilton's waist, striking an inadvertent victory for feminism when adolescent girls everywhere realized that you can be too thin after all:




HIT!
Fast food is bad for you, and it's worse for your kids. Schools across the nation are revamping their lunch programs as alarming childhood obesity statistics surface. So why is it totally bananas that Santa Clara County wants to stop the practice of giving children toys with their fatty, semi-synthetic food? It's not, which is why I declare this proposed ban a hit.

You won't see this notorious burger thief
complying with fast food laws any time soon!

HIT!
Archie comics introduces their first gay guy, Kevin, giving Veronica a new shopping buddy and increasing property values throughout Riverdale.

Will the stylish new hunk turn the infamous
Betty/Veronica/Archie love triangle into a love square?

MISS!

Heidi Klum committed all sorts of faux pas the other day, from an unflattering nod to the late great Alexander McQueen to hair product abuse rivaled only by the likes of DJ Pauly D. True, a "fragrance release party" for Eva Longoria sounds like a pretty lame time, but at least try a little...

Sorry Heidi, but in fashion, one day you're in, the next you're out.

HIT!
I used to write "manscaping" off as metrosexual tomfoolery, reserved only for the most ridiculously vain of men. Unfortunately, complete body waxing for men seems to have become almost mandatory and I'd love to know why. When did the rugged, handsome man give way to the manicured pretty boy? How does anyone win in this situation? They don't, which is why this article by Simcha Whitehill is a hit!

Hugh Jackman: the last vestige of a dying breed?

MISS!
The Louis Vuiton iPad case is just a Hummer for city people. Take an impractical status symbol (iPad) and mix it with a gaudy status symbol (LV logo) and what do you have? A small penis!



HIT and SUNK!!!
At first I though that the story of Cecilia Cassini might actually be a miss. I was expecting a sickeningly cute interview, a bratty rich girl, and overbearing parents who think their daughter is more special than she is.

But no, this girl is the real deal. She designs and sews clothes for the stylish progeny of some big names and she's actually pretty good at it. Far from those unfortunate daughters of insane stage mothers, Cassini seems to foster a genuine passion and flair for fashion. Or at least that's what I gathered from her two minute profile on the Today Show.

So that's it! That makes...4 hits, which means the internet sunk our battleship!!

calle ocho

My favorite part of any vacation is when I accidentally stumble into a place or an event that blows my meticulously planned agenda right out of the water, which is exactly what happened when I ran across the annual Calle Ocho Festival in Miami's Little Havana. My companion and I had no idea what were were doing, just that we should head towards Eighth Street because it, um, looked big on the map.

Who knew that "Eighth Street" was actually Calle Ocho, or that it happened to be the day of the famed festival? Well...hundreds of thousands of people. Ehhh, so what? I know now!

One of many men hawking meat on a stick...


Enjoying Cuban tamales from an open-air restaurant counter...
Fresh baby coconut water from a cigar-chewing old man...


Arepas!


Huge vats of paella being made and sold for a dollar...
...and so much more! You will love this festival if you've ever wanted to compare the rice and beans of a hundred different grandmas from all over Central America, snack on slow-cooked lechon with your beer, smoke a cigar that's been hand rolled right in front of you, play dominoes with your Cuban elders in Maximo Gomez Park, or just dance.

photos via me, except arepa lady via here.

la sandwicherie

I just got back from Florida, freshly tanned and well fed. I spent a great deal of time in South Beach, surrounded by spring breakers, beautiful women, hairless men, and exhibitionist hobos. To ensure that none of these people go hungry or sober, the streets are lined with restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs with one thing in common: they're all outrageously expensive.

Broke-ness is a central component of the Lazy Hedonist's lifestyle, so I did a little detective work to find good values in South Beach and the surrounding area. Mistakes were made (i.e. a $50 tab for what was supposed to be a shared falafel sandwich), but I ultimately found that with a car, a flexible schedule, and the ability to say no, anyone can succeed in southeast Florida.

The car, especially, turned out to be a critical factor in finding good food. Little Havana in Miami Proper and infinite seafood along Rte. 1 in the keys had some of the best eatin' available. My personal favorite, though, was from a little sandwich stand called "La Sandwicherie," between Collins and Washington on 14th Street, right in the heart of South Beach. They're open from 8am-5am so there's absolutely no excuse to skip out on this gem. It doesn't really matter what kind of sandwich you order, so long as you get it with the works (lettuce, tomatoes, green and hot peppers, black olives, onions, cucumbers, cornichons, mayo) and for God's sake, don't skip the dressing. I didn't know what a big deal it would turn out to be, so I didn't take any pictures. Fortunately for everyone, their website has many.




A word to the wise - the sandwiches are not conducive to eating on the go and the French guys who serve them up are as tasty as the food, so grab a stool and enjoy your meal at the counter.

let's hear it for the boys

I don't know what it is, but I love when men ditch their socks and ties and still manage to look...dressed. Maybe because it looks European? Eh...I don't really care as long as they keep doing it.

all images via the sartorialist, who taught me that men can be fashionable too.

life is a beach!

I don't want to sound ungrateful -- I'm not! I'm glad that the dark months are over and March is finally here. It's just that I'm kind of over this lion phase and totally ready for the lamb. But as luck would have it, I'm leaving for Florida next Sunday and all of this dismal cold will be but a distant memory...which has me thinking lustful thoughts of paradoxically modest but ultra-sexy swimsuits and rompers...

top row: topshop
bottom row, left to right: j crew, j crew, anthropologie

The icing on the cake is that they go for $150 or less a pop. Style one of these puppies with cheap sunglasses, flip flops, sunscreen, a cooler of beer, a smutty novel, plus maybe a friend or two and you're set for the summer!

milan

Milan showcased everything Italians do best. Classic materials, beautiful tailoring, and of course tons of sex appeal.

Alberta Ferretti defines pretty with sweet dresses...


...and Moschino Cheap and Chic confirms that flowery patterns paired with tweedy fall staples will make the cold months tolerable...


These graphic Marni sweaters are an instant classic...



...Dolce & Gabanna blur the line between underpinnings and outerwear...



...and remember all those disparaging things I had to say about leather? None of it counts when it's Italian. Moschino reminds us how perfect leather can be...

all images via style.com

Birkin stock

Overwhelmed by four straight weeks of new trends flying down the runway? Take a quick break to to channel the effortless and timeless chic manifested in the Birkin/Doillon/Gainsbourg legacy.

Click on photos for sources

Amanda Wakeley

Leather and vinyl seem to rule London's runways this week, which I find irksome on multiple levels. My main problem is that I don't find either of those materials aesthetically pleasing, especially when they're cut and draped to look feminine. They are not feminine materials and dressing them up as such is ugly, not edgy.

I will concede that some girls pull off the leather skirt/t-shirt look quite well, and some can even achieve success with the increasingly ubiquitous leather shorts. Which brings me to my second gripe about London this week. The leather dresses and skirts that are being shown are old news! Designers seem to be piggy-backing on a trend rather than blazing their own trails. Fashion bloggers and retail outfits like Forever 21 and H & M have done us a great service by democratizing fashion, but perhaps at too great a cost. Fashion outsiders have become front-row insiders, pushing runway shows to gear towards commercial viability rather than towards innovation.

That's why one of my favorite shows this week has been Amanda Wakeley. The flawless cut of every garment she presented makes the collection impossible to replicate with cheap knockoffs. She even showed some femininely draped leather that came across as beautiful and timeless rather than ugly and trendy. When asked about her inspiration for this collection, she had this to say for London's fashion week website:

Capturing the visual impact of the works of J.W Waterhouse and the use of richly coloured and seductive canvases….a palette of charcoals to pebbles, contrasted with rich pansy, ruby, kimono, powder, nude and midnight. Luxurious layers, weights and textures of grey marl play with silhouette and proportion….contrasting structured looser shapes with draped layers and contoured, seamed structure.

Yup, that about sums it up. Well done.

via London Fashion Week

spring interiors

We're still oscillating between winter storms and 50 degree weather in the Northeast, but I have faith that spring will stick soon. I'm all for expediting the process by ditching clunky furniture and throwing on a fresh coat of paint. "Organized clutter" and deep hues can be cozy in the winter, but in the spring and summer months, minimalism seems ideal for keeping cool and letting in tons of light.

Pink seems acceptable in a bathroom:


Ditching a huge media stand and replacing it with a simple wooden crate can open up a room:


Consider light grey as an alternative to white, and a small ottoman or unobtrusive Lucite bench as an alternative to a space-hogging coffee table:

all images via 30elm, effineff and delight by design

NY F/W 2010 faves

Metallic/Glamour

erin featherston, alice and olivia, anna sui, l'wren scott

Girly/Ethereal

rodarte, zach posen, marchesa

all images via style.com

The Style You Haven't Done Yet

Did you see the latest episode of 'Ugly Betty,' where Amanda tries her hand at designing but Marc doesn't think she'll cut the mustard...BUT THEN tragedy strikes, Amanda come through in the clutch, and earns her stripes as a stylist? No, I doubt you saw that one, and thanks to you, 'Ugly Betty' has been canceled.

But don't worry, I'm not here to admonish you. I'm simply reminding you how important styling is. If it weren't, every magazine would simply publish photos from runway shows in lieu of fashion editorials, and the world would be an empty, empty place indeed. Think, for example, if we didn't have Lula Magazine's superior take on Moschino's S/S '08 jumpsuit...Ok, ok, both takes are lovely, but they say two different things...which is why it's so crucial NOT to take ready-to-wear collections literally as they come down the catwalk. While many shows are beautifully styled, it's important to translate these looks into something that is our own. Then, penny-pinchers that we all must be, we can zero in on one crucial element of a look and say to ourselves, "gosh, self, if I spurge on that one key piece, I can put together a million different looks with stuff I already have and BLOW that runway look OUT OF THE WATER!"

Conversely, some looks that come down the runway are exactly what we want but know we can't afford. Then we can say, "gosh, self, I can put that look together with stuff I ALREADY have in my closet!" Take this highlight from Alexander Wang's F/W 2010 show...

I love it! But most of us already have a long, structured work skirt that we can hike way up, layer over some lacy top or lingerie, pair with wool AA thigh-highs, and VOILA! A perfect look for the...I don't know...club? Office? Brothel?

Of course many of Mr. Wang's looks just can't be replicated, as is the case with much of what the runway produced in New York this past week. Stay tuned for some of these highlights and the much anticipated follow-up on terroir.

images via Lula Magazine & style.com, inspiration via KRS One

terroir, Part 1: Cheers to Dirt!

Let's pretend for a moment, shall we, that I am not someone who has eaten Cup Noodles for breakfast two days in a row, but rather someone who savors the effect of terroir on whatever she drinks and eats. Pretending is fun!

The concept of terroir is somewhat familiar to most of us as it applies to wine. According to The Bible, is it "[a]t its core...the assumption that the land from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that region." It's a romantic notion, if nothing else. Unfortunately, it may not hold much weight. According to people like Alex Maltman, professor of dream dashing, the effect of soil on wine is not significant enough for humans to taste.

Fortunately, terroir is about more than just soil. Going back to more reputable sources (Wikipedia), it refers to "the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of the product." The jerk-of-a-blog (actually a pretty good blog) that told me that soil is not directly related to taste redeemed itself by concluding with this:

I think consumers can be led down a path that connects soil and climate to taste in a very direct way. It's at this micro level when the interplay of soil composition, aspect of the land, micro climate, vine density, vine age, cover crop, irrigation routine and winemaker interaction can be explored in detail and some very good estimates can be made on how they affect the final wine.

Hooray! Romantic notions win again!

There is a case to be made that some people get a bit carried away with their ideals concerning soil and taste. Take Laura Parker, for example. Her "Taste of Place" installation is meant to explore two questions: "How does soil touch our lives and affect our food; and why does it matter?"

In the installation, participants are given samples of soil to which water is added, apparently simulating new rainfall. They take a big whiff of the dirt, and then eat food grown at the same farm. I was initially very intrigued by the whole concept after reading about it in the New York Times Magazine's most recent year in ideas issue. Intrigued, that is, until I watched this video. The participants are just too heavy a mix of pretentious and hippie for my taste.

Still, it does seem like an installation worthy of participation. At worst, it would be an opportunity to taste for oneself that there really is no connection between food and the dirt from which it sprung. At best, it can help the participant gain an understanding of the relationship between farm and plate (or at least justify his trendy claims that this relationship is palatable).

This would be interesting to try at home. I hope the folks at my local community garden don't mind if I play a little Peter Rabbit in their plots this summer...

Anyway, everyone raise their glasses and stay tuned for Part 2: Happy Pigs and Laughing Cows!

click on pictures for sources

2009 charlotte ronson campaign

via fashion squad

I've lived in my apartment for over a year and the walls are still almost as empty as the day I moved in. I'm tempted to blame a limited budget but the reality is that I just don't know where to start. The wall space seems so endless that whenever I do buy a painting or a photograph to hang, it just looks lonely and out of place. It ends up serving no purpose but to highlight just how blank the rest of the wall space is.

On top of that, my eye for art is relatively underdeveloped compared to my eye for...stuff. Whenever I go to a boutique, art gallery, flea market, etc, i end up going straight for the knick knacks, housewares, books, records and even furniture while avoiding the wall art all together.

Fortunately there is inspiration for turning this kind of "stuff" into decor, simultaneously solving the bare wall crisis and preventing one's apartment from turning into an episode of "Hoarders."

via the thinking tank, coco + kelly, and the city sage

clever shelving + thoughtful (and fastidious) organization = design for the art challenged.