Carles Gomila

I love to paint. Unfortunately, I really don't get much time to do it anymore. However, sometimes I see artwork that is so beautiful, and so completely in line with the things I try to achieve in my own artwork, that it takes a physical force of will not to drop everything and grab my paintbrush.



Carles Gomila's work is a stunning mixture of old and new: present day symbolism, mixes with Renaissance-esque painting styles and classic female forms.











To see more of Gomila's stunning work, click here.

Words of Wisdom: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a visionary, both politically and spiritually. A pioneer of non-violent resistance, he paved the way for a how conflicts can be settled without resorting to violence.

His words on individual and moral integrity are as impactful today as when he first spoke them, particularly for anyone going through hard ethical and spiritual dilemmas, and serve as a reminder to all of us that one can find the balance to be gentle in action, but strong in conviction.

"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."

"A religion that takes no account of practical affairs and does not help to solve them is no religion."

"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."

"A weak man is just by accident. A strong but non-violent man is unjust by accident."

"Action expresses priorities."

"All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is a surrender. For it is all give and no take."

"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."

"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching."

"Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding."

"As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves."

"Be the change that you want to see in the world."

"Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession."

"Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position."

"Culture of the mind must be subservient to the heart."

"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances."

"Each one prays to God according to his own light."

"Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."

"Faith... must be enforced by reason... when faith becomes blind it dies."

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

"Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it."

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

"Healthy discontent is the prelude to progress."

"I claim that human mind or human society is not divided into watertight compartments called social, political and religious. All act and react upon one another."

"In a gentle way, you can shake the world."

Link Kaboom 17

Cody Cloud and Julia Galdo, Los Angeles

1. Cody Cloud and Julia Galdo: This photography tag-team makes beautiful photography together.

2. Hitler's Paintings: Hitler's artwork is being auctioned: it's so surreal that such a maniac would paint in pastels...

3. Beer Sweaters: Everybody needs a hobby...

4. Amazing Italian Doctor: Finishes surgery WHILE having a heart attack! Buy that guy a beer!

5. SXSW, Moleskine Edition: Mike Rohde captured all his assessments in his Moleskine sketchbook throughout SXSW last week. The results are fairly awesome.

6. Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar Cupcakes: This is so cute, I don't think I would be able to eat it. Maybe just throw it in a jar, with a few leaves and a twig...

7. Cold Fusion on the Horizon: Wow, this might be big. Like, UNLIMITED ENERGY big. It's a good thing we have religion to fall back on as a reason for war...

And finally, something everyone id talking about: "WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE." THE MOVIE. I am soooo excited - this is going to be excellent!!

Inspiration Machine 35

Clockwise from top left: whidbychick, Willi Pinheiro, 3amfromkyoto, anneso_cachemireetsoie

1. Wear it messy.

2. Eat it anyway.

3. Try saying "I love you" backwards.

4. Turn off your lights.

5. Craft your signature recipe.

6. If you were a member of the opposite sex, what would you like your name to be?

7. Dress in the spirit of your favorite animal.

8. Take a dance class.

9. Reveal a great secret.

10. Imagine you contain a great secret, and your mission in life is to reveal it to the rest of the world.

Lauren Dukoff

If I had to (or could) pick one photographer to shoot me - you know, for when they write that magazine article about me - I think I would choose Lauren Dukoff.

Transient, colorful, reminiscent of a bygone era, and vibrating with a sense of magical realism, Dukoff has gained great renown for her portraiture of music's brightest: most notably, her close work with folk artist Devendra Banhart. But I think even more than the portrait itself, it is the documentary perspective she takes in all her photographs that is so inspiring. Even in the photography of individuals, there is motion, setting, a sense of drama; but a drama anchored in life's smaller simplicities: walking in grass, sitting on a bed, falling asleep in a tour bus.

Simply put: I could stare at her photography for hours. It is beautiful and exposed, yet carries absolutely no sense pretense. They are warm, tactile moments, that seem to hold within them that elegant simplicity that is so craved, yet so fickle.













Dukoff's first compilation of work, "Families" will be coming out shortly, through Chronicle Books. I know what will be on my coffee table this summer.

To see more off Dukoff's work, click here.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's CMYKaboom! on Twitter!

"Batman Joins Twitter" by canofpopdotcom

Have you heard of this thing called Twitter? Apparently it's all the rage with the young hooligans, so I thought I would give it a whirl. And now I am extremely addicted.

Over the last week, I have been twittering like mad. Here are my assessments of this new technology:

It's weird to me that famous people like twittering. People Like Shaq and Trent Reznor. It's completely awesome, yet still is a little weird. Just goes to show that no one is too famous to waste time on the Internet.

I spend a rather embarrassing amount of my time looking for famous people on Twitter.

Kate Bush is sadly not on Twitter. :(

It's really tricky compartmentalizing thoughts into 140 characters. It's a mixture of haiku and sudoku. Also, it takes a monumental force of will to preserve the integrity of the English language in this format.

Those who do not exert the force of will to preserve the integrity of the language in a tweet should be beaten to death with their own computer keyboards. I'm sorry, but "PLZ DRM 2 need ovaltn 4 @MarkyMark!" means NOTHING to me, and nothing is important enough for me to waste time puzzling it out.

I am saving heaps of time and disappointment that I formerly experienced visiting my favorite blogs, only to discover they have not been updated since my last visit. Now, a sweet little tweet lets me stay up to date with all the new blog/news dirt.

The New York Times is much more palatable in 140 characters.

If you care to follow CMYKaboom! on Twitter, simply click here. And find out up-to-the-minute whether I have any food stuck in my teeth.

Words of Wisdom: Albert Einstein

When thinking of a brilliant mind, one immediately calls to mind Albert Einstein. Even if one is not a scientist, he can be admired and respected: as a professional, he utterly revolutionized his field, never stopped thinking and expanding the boundaries set by his predecessors.

Not only was Einstein an incredibly brilliant theoretical physicist, but his insights into life, logic and spirituality were both elegant and enlightening, and give further evidence to the brilliance that he contained within himself. He was and remains an inspiration and a marvel; a man whose simplicity, intelligence, and kindness we can all aspire to.

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details."

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."

"The only real valuable thing is intuition."

"A person starts to live when he can live outside himself."

"I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice."

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."

"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."

"If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."

"The fear of death is the most unjustified of all fears, for there's no risk of accident for someone who's dead."

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

Link Kaboom 16

anneso_cachemireetsoie, "Cupcakes Party"

1. "Cupcakes Party" by anneso_cachemireetsoie: Anne-Solange's photo set has me fantasizing about spring days, making adorable cupcakes.

2. The Glorious Voyage of Space-Bat: When the shuttle Discovery blasted off last week, it had a little stowaway on board - a tiny bat, with a giant dream...

3. 17 Creative Websites to Bookmark: Because the Inspiration Machine is only cranked weekly, and we all need that kick in the rear the other six days...

4. Tiny Art Director: Bill Zeman creates artwork, with direction and critiques by his 4-year-old daughter. Hilarity ensues.

5. Japanese Boob Claw: Have I told you about Japan? Have I told you how awesome it is? Not for AN HOUR?? Sheesh, gotta get back on track...

6. Model Metamorphosis: I totally love this section of THE MOMENT blog, in which photographer Greg Kessler portrays the many incarnations of a single fashion model.

7. How to Make Duck Prosciutto: Not really a thread for the veggies, but I am really excited about this. My pal John Hutch is attempting to make it this weekend, and he is making one for me as well! Now I just need to keep it as far from my dad as possible, as he will surely try to snatch it.

Finally, something I am really excited to share. I have recently discovered TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It began in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The site now presents dozens of talks from some of the greatest creative talent in the world today, discussing and sharing their insights and creative processes.

I have watched several of these this week, but I found this talk by Elizabeth Gilbert to be especially remarkable. I would highly recommend any creative professionals to spare 18 minutes and watch her talk, in which she shares her insights about how to exist after great successes, and creativity itself. Simply brilliant...

Inspiration Machine 34

Clockwise from left: non no yes, (Laura Schlipf), Will Govus, (Laura Schlipf)

1. Practice your animal noises.

2. Write down your ideal daily routine, and then write down your actual routine. Compare the two: how can you integrate them?

3. Create a "Getaway" fund: put away, $10, $20, or $50 of every paycheck into a special account, whose balance will someday allow you to whisk yourself to some wonderful tropical island.

4. Write down your financial goals somewhere you can see them daily. Before purchasing something, ask yourself "Does this purchase work me towards these goals, or further from them?"

5. Learn to play croquet.

6. Carry a tasseled fan.

7. Reenact your favorite movie scenes, with your friends as extras.

8. Dance like a marionette.

9. Draw your own mandala.

10. Make the commitment to honor your body and mind.

Emergency Brake, And I

"Inside of PATH train" by erametta

In which our intrepid explorer does that thing you've always been dying to do, and survives to tell the tale!

So last night, I am getting off the PATH like I normally do. For those of you who don't normally ride the PATH - homeward bound, Journal Square is the final stop on the train - they make an announcement the train is out of service, and make sure everyone gets off.

After several lost bags and accessories, I have learned to always check behind me as I am leaving a train. As I walk off, I am searching for my hat. I cast a glance back, see my hat on the floor, as I hear the bell for the door closing.

I realize that if those doors close, I will never see my hat again, so I lurch back through, and grab my hat, then spin as the doors shut in my face. I am now on the train, and everyone on the platform is staring at me. And then the train starts leaving.

I have no freaking clue where this train is going. I have no freaking clue if they do another passenger check after they take the train to wherever they are taking it to. For all I know, they could hit the lights, grab a sandwich, and call it a night. Maybe this train won't be used again for A WEEK. Maybe they will decommission it. Twenty years from now, some historical train enthusiast will open it up, and find my withered skeleton, clutching a white crocheted beret and a copy of "Life of Pi".

I look left. I see the red brake hanging there, tempting me. I bite my lip, ask myself, "Does this qualify as an emergency?" I answer, "O HELLS YES," and yank that sucker.

I can't believe how quickly the train stopped (Fiance Kaboom! later explained to me that cord drops an anchor immediately from the car I am in). One second we were gaining speed, the next we have stopped. Everyone on the platform is now gaping at me. I sheepishly tap on the doors and mouth "HALP."

An older passenger walks over to the doors, and starts trying to talk to me. However, at this point the brake has started squealing inside the car, and consequently I can't make out a word he is saying. I shrug a few times, and gesticulate "I CAN'T HEAR YOU," and proceed to wait, assuming someone is going to come see what the trouble is.

After about 3 minutes, no one has come. It occurs to me that there has to be a conductor on this train, and he has to be in the front of the train. Though I am leery of the brake (it is still squealing, and somewhere in my mind I have the crazy notion it might explode), I duck past it, and start making my way to the front of the train.

Sure enough, I encounter the conductor about a car away from the front, and he is making his way back. I brace myself for yelling - I am sure pulling the e-brake is no laughing matter, am preparing to defend myself against his onslaught of questions as to what I was doing on an out-of-service train in the first place. However, he doesn't say a thing to me - just barely acknowledges my presence, as I listen to a woman on his radio instruct "The brake was pulled on the back car!" (In hindsight, it occurs to me that this may be because he was actually at fault in the situation. Normally, the conductor passes through all cars before they leave the platform, which didn't happen in this case).

He nods at me as I quickly mumble something about my hat, and lets me out. I gratefully step onto the platform. A heavyset woman sitting on a bench is laughing. "Girl fell asleep on the train!" she points out to a friend (not true!). As I head up the stairs, another passenger sees me, and asks if I pulled the e-brake. I tell him I did, and give him a short explanation. I notice there is a look of pure awe on his face.

It is at this point I realize what I have just done. I got to pull the e-brake. EVERYONE wants to pull the e-brake. I confirm to myself that it was kind of awesome, though I do start to feel a little bad for the 20 minute delay I most surely caused in the process.

But yeah. Emergency brake. I pulled it.

My Daily Covet: Spring, Sprang, Sprung

1. GARDEM PARIS Leather Jacket: With it's satin capped sleeves, this leather manages to be tough and ultra-feminine all at once.

2. Courtney Skott's Cloud Bed: I love how the pixel-clouds are both organic and tech-geek, plus the shape is utterly cozy.

3. Chocolate Vinyl Bootie Babe: This hot little mama doll totally knows what she's got. Just looking at her raises your sassy quotient 32%.

4. DOLCE & GABBANA Transparent Skirt: This skirt would be just the thing for those warmer days on the horizon. I would totally pair it with some funky leggings, and run around feeling like a glam-bohemian-princess.




5. McQ Printed bustier dress: This dress is so quintessential urban nomad. LOVE it.

6. Lasonic iPod Boombox (iPod Dock): This is the most outrageously absurd iPod dock on the planet. o HELLS yes. It should be a law that it can only play MIA and Santogold, only in August, and only with a sprinkler within a 50 foot proximity of its bad-assness.

7. Courtney Skott Tree Stools: It's true: I can't get enough of Skott's work. Someone needs to start producing these, so I can sit on them while I drink tea, dammit.

8. Kaviar Gauche - Empire Dress: Because to sit on a tree stool, you can't just wear any old frock.

Words of Wisdom: Katherine Hepburn

Bold, confidant, and beautiful - Katherine Hepburn was a woman before her time. With swagger and wit, she carved out for herself a career during a time when a woman was supposed to merely follow the prescribed path. With her sharp slacks, dramatic demeanor and that breathy, enigmatic voice, she carved herself into an icon, and her memorable words are as potent as the memory she left on our cultural psyche.

“As for me, prizes are nothing. My prize is my work.”

"Everyone thought I was bold and fearless and even arrogant, but inside I was always quaking."

"Never complain. Never explain."

"Why slap them on the wrist with feather when you can belt them over the head with a sledgehammer."

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."

"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

"Enemies are so stimulating."

"To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts. It makes it easier to stoop the next time."

“As one goes through life one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.”

"We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change you're the one who has got to change."

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving."

"Marriage is a series of desperate arguments people feel passionately about."

"Plain women know more about men than beautiful women do."

"If you’re given a choice between money and sex appeal, take the money. As you get older, the money will become your sex appeal."

"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got to not forget to laugh."

"If you survive long enough, you're revered - rather like an old building."

"There are no laurels in life ... just new challenges."

"It’s life isn’t it? You plow ahead and make a hit. And you plow on and someone passes you. Then someone passes them. Time levels."

"Life is hard. After all, it kills you."

"I don't think that work ever really destroyed anybody. I think that lack of work destroys them a hell of a lot more."

"I think most of the people involved in any art always secretly wonder whether they are really there because they're good or there because they're lucky."

"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don't do that by sitting around."

"I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun."

Link Kaboom 15

LOVE Magazine: Issue #1

1. LOVE Magazine: I am utterly infatuated with the cover shot of Beth Ditto on their debut edition - she looks so gorgeous and unconventional. I am sure this magazine will not fail to impress; sadly, I can't find a copy anywhere!

2. Japanese Robot Has a Fatal Attraction: This has ANIME PLOT written all over it. Just reason number 567,869,575 to love the Japanese.

3. Legend of Zelda Sound Effects: "A Link to the Past" is hands-down one of the best video games ever made. If you are also a fan of Zelda games, this is worth listening to just for the secret passage noise and the chicken attacks.

4. Creebobby Archtetype Times Tables: I love anything that is equally ingenious and ridiculous.T-rex Lincoln is especially amusing.

5. Vintage Indie: A great little blog about all things vintage.

6. Facts About Friday the 13th: Did you know this day tends to be one of the safest of the year? Learn all sorts of neat things about this dreaded date.

7. Wee Wonderfuls: I have long been a follower of this delightful site - it's full of wonderful handmade things from a talented creator.

And finally, a lovely little video from Persephassa. She is so divine...

Inspiration Machine 33

Clockwise from left: non no yes, UNIFORM Studio, persephassa, UNIFORM Studio

1. Make your "Spring" List: all the stuff you have put off doing until the weather is nice.

2. Invest in a sweet new pair of galoshes for all the puddle-jumping you plan to do during April!

3. Learn about the love life of your favorite artist.

4. Have a "Silver Screen Party": Ask everyone to come as their favorite film star on the Silver Screen. Run a projector of old movies on the wall, and serve champagne and canopies.

5. Make a mix tape representing every decade you have been alive. Call it, "The You Compilation"

6. Create your own camouflage.

7. Bring back an old-timey word. Some examples include: Rastabout, Rapscallion, Scuttlebutt, Hoosegow...

8. Have some sweaters you didn't wear this winter? CHUCK EM OUT! OR better yet, felt them and make cool things with them...

9. No time for a pet dog? How about a pet chicken? Two words: FREE EGGS.

10. Have a Daylight-Savings Garden Party to celebrate all that extra sunlight.

March Mixtape: In Like a Lion...

". A Cold Sunday in November ." by 3amfromkyoto

Roooooaarrr...actually, more like *yaaawn* - it's a dreary dark day in the city that never sleeps. Kind of day you just want to curl up with a cup of earl grey and a copy of "Wuthering Heights."

Seems like a fitting day for a little music to keep the spirits up...enjoy...



The Playlist:

1. Bat for Lashes - Daniel

2. Plants And Animals - Mercy

3. Parenthetical Girls - Windmills Of Your Mind

4. The Jealous Sound - Naive

5. Say Hi - Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh

6. Fleet Foxes - Your Protector

7. A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song

8. The Dear Hunter - The Bitter Suite I

9. Fever Ray - Triangle Walks

10. Belle & Sebastian - Piazza, New York Catcher

11. Antony and the Johnsons - Fistful Of Love

12. Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes

Been listening to any good tunes? Lemme know!

Words of Wisdom: Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite writers. His writing contains a simplicity, elegance and wisdom that has rarely been matched before or since: he is truly the great American writer. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is one of my favorite short stories, and a beautiful example of the profound power Hemingway is able to portray simply by revealing a small moment to the reader.

Hemingway's quotes share humor and truth, and wise insights on writing. Sometimes painfully true, sometimes good for a laugh, but always strong, and sure and brave.

"All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened."

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

"Courage is grace under pressure."

"Cowardice... is almost always simply a lack of ability to suspend functioning of the imagination."

"For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can.'

"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know."

"I know now that there is no one thing that is true - it is all true."

"The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists."

"I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?"

"If a writer knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one ninth of it being above water."

"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."

"Never confuse movement with action."

"Never go on trips with anyone you do not love."

"The shortest answer is doing the thing."

"That is what we are supposed to do when we are at our best - make it all up - but make it up so truly that later it will happen that way."

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places."

"The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for and I hate very much to leave it."

"You're beautiful, like a May fly."

Missoni: Happy in Knitland

(Images courtesy of Style.com)
There are many beautiful collections this season, but there is one that has completely enraptured me as of late. I am absolutely, positively, utterly head-over-heels for Missoni's AW09 collection. Entirely centered around knitwear, extreme layering, and a soft-as-snow color palette, Angela Missoni has captured all of my ideal aspirations for winter dressing.


(Images courtesy of Style.com)


(Images courtesy of Style.com)
As many of you who read my blog are aware, I am the antithesis of "suffer for fashion" - I place as much import on whether something feels good as well as looks good. My main clothing goal during the winter are to be warm and comfortable, followed quickly by the desire that it still looks awesome. Missoni's chunky cardigans, Dr.Who-esque scarves, and bunching wool leggings entice me to pile on my knits in wonderful jumble of warmth and comfort, while still looking like elegant and lovely.


(Images courtesy of Style.com)


(Images courtesy of Style.com)
One thing I am just giddy about is the movement in this collection. The swing of the scarves, the swag of those layers really make the individual feel like a presence as they move, like they are the precious nucleus that all those layers of knit are protecting.


(Images courtesy of Style.com)
There is something very gypsy-vagabond about the whole look that I find extremely appealing. Also, it struck me that this collection seems to me the beautiful interpretation of dressing like a Mystic from the Dark Crystal...


If you need me, I'll be in my wardrobe, piling on my sweaters, and wearing scarves as hoods...

Link Kaboom 14

Young Russian peasant girls in a ural area along the Sheksna River by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii

1. Color photographs by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944),: Sergei was a Russian photographer who pioneered color photography. These restored pictures give new life to historical Russian, depicting what a beautiful, sumptuous country this cold land can be.

2. TOKYO,: This new movie by visionary directors Joon-ho Bong, Leos Carax, and Michel Gondry is sure to be a stunner - and the trailer looks fantastic.

3. Solveig, girl graffiti artist, aged 10: The phenomenal artwork of a 10-year old London girl is taking the graffiti and art world by storm. Her whimsical, colorful pieces are being compared to Picasso, except without all the girlfriends. Stunning.

4. David Byrne on the Colbert Report: The fact the David Byrne is still blowing the top off of his genre after so long just gives evidence that the inspiration machine never runs out of juice, if well-oiled and maintained. Also, the fact the fact he is able to get a surprisingly contemplative interview out of Stephen is amusing in its own right.

5. Recereation of Hudson Plane Landing: Ok, ok, I know this has been news'ed to within an inch of its life, but come on - HE LANDED A PASSENGER PLANE IN A RIVER - a river usually flush with boats, I might add. And about a 4 miles from my house, if that! This is by far the best recreation I have seen of the event, and better yet, it is synchronized with the actual radio feed. Which means you can marvel at how they are not all screaming "O MY GOD WE ARE GOING TO DIEEEE!!!!" like a normal person would.

5. Anonymous: This wiki post about ANONYMOUS reads somewhere between a weird phenomena and a creepy subversive group. It makes me feel like we all are actually living in HACKERS.

6. John Keatley shoots Annie Leibovitz: Great interview with professional photographer Keatley. My personal favorite part is how it gets in his head regarding the fantastic photo of photographic god, Ann Leibovitz, that he captured.

7. Mickey Rourke Pimps Etsy at the Oscars: Though I am extremely stoked for Betina Wassermann and the Etsy team, I am now extremely nervous the Mickey may have blown the top off my favorite shopping hideout. Listen to me, *hypnotically waving pocketwatch* THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ETSY...

P.S. god, does this man like to curse! Here's a NSFW video of his acceptance speech at the Spirit Awards:



What have you been looking at?

Inspiration Machine 32

Clockwise from left: Big Fat Rat, Historicus, fofurasfelinas, *dans

(my count got all wonky - I am in the midst of fixing it!)

1. At the exact moment of the time change this weekend, kiss your beau. You will have smooched through an hour!!

2. Find out your parents and grandparents favorite musical artists. Make a mixtape of your families favorite songs.

3. Buy some bright neon accessories to jazz up your wardrobe this spring.

4. Let a child paint on a white dress or t-shirt you own for an original piece of wearable art.

5. Designate yourself a theme song.

6. Designate all your friends a theme song, and then make a mixtape compilation of your gang.

7. Pile on as many knits as you can, a la Missoni.

8. Listen to the Cure album, "Disintegration," and marvel at how freaking timeless it is.

9. Learn the names of your great, great grandparents.

10. Promise yourself this will be the best day, everyday.

Wardrobery: 11/08 Flashback

Top: H&M, Blazer: Thrifted, Belt: Street Vendor, Jeans: e.a.p. Hiroshima, Japan, Boots: Thrifted, Watch: Bulova

An oldy but a goody: I wore this back all the way in November, but somehow it slipped through the cracks and never got posted. Looking at it, I long for weather that will allow me to wear my sweet little blazer as my sole shell. Though they are calling for weather in the fifties this weekend, so hopefully that day won't be too long in coming.


Top: H&M, Blazer: Thrifted, Belt: Street Vendor, Jeans: e.a.p. Hiroshima, Japan, Boots: Thrifted, Watch: Bulova

Speaking of weather: boy, did we get dumped on. Jersey City got hit with 6-10 inches on Monday, and New York was so snowed under that they cancelled school for the first time in FIVE YEARS. Facing blizzard-y winds and snows, and the chance of being trapped in the city with no means out, I had no choice but to work from home. Hopefully that's the last of the snow this season. Seems like we are getting our just desserts after only having one tiny snowfall last year.

As for the duds: I love love love my little blue blazer. I picked it up back in November in the children's section of a thrift shop. It fits me like a glove: a rather snug glove, as I have now discovered. I accidentally tore open a seam under the armpit last time I wore it. I want to take it to a tailor to repair it, but worry that I just may have a repeat performance next time I wear it.

Any sewers out there know if it is possible to add room under an armpit?

Ports 1961 AW09 Fashion Show Review

(Images courtesy of Style.com)

I have been a huge fan of Ports 1961 for some time now, so you can imagine my delight when I received an invite to their show this season. Ports 1961 launched from New York City in 2004 under the vision of Creative Director, Tia Cibani, and since then has become known for its fantastical and romantic forays into the world of culture and woman's wear. Each season, Cibani takes us on another voyage to her idealized style local: this season it was India, and Cibani did not fail to impress on this fantastic voyage.

Upon entering the tent, it was clear that excitement was high for this show. The show itself was by far the most crowded I have experienced - rows upon rows of additional seating were set out to accommodate the audience, as people squeezed, wiggled and cajoled themselves into a chair. Seating did not stop at the runway - actual rows were squeezed ON it, as the models' path brought them in a full circuit around those with coveted seats in the nucleus. (Yours truly was about 6 rows up - which sadly did not make the best photo opp, but we do what we can).


(Images courtesy of Style.com)

Once everyone was tucked in, the show started off with a bang - literally, a cymbal crash. The music for the show was provided by a live brass band, situated at the runway entrance. The music was an uplifting, jaunty beat that immediately called to mind for me the music of
Beirut, and put the audience in the mood to be sipping cool drinks off a liner's prow. What a more suitable entrance for such a seasoned collection?

And seasoned it was, with the scent of cardamom and patchouli, saffron and spice. The show presented itself in unfurlings of sensuous colors: greys, golds, and pinks walked out to the bombast of the tuba. Sizzling golds and magenta shifts were relaxed with loose drapery - creating a new-age sari. Hemlines stayed long and comfortable, and slacks of breathing fabric, loose with a taper at the heel.


(Images courtesy of Style.com)

If there is anything that could be said to question this wonderful collection, it was the seasonal choice. Such steamy fabrics, brilliant golds and relaxed dresses specifically cannot help one thinking about summer rather than fall. However, if Cibani wants to keep us in a state of perpetual August, I am happy to come along, regardless the season.

My photos of the show:



Also, I couldn't wrap a bit about this collection without showing this lovely little outfit worn by Tia herself - it is so comfortable and creative, yet so sweetly feminine at the same time, I just love it...


(Images courtesy of Style.com)

See an interview with Tia talking about her brand here.

Words of Wisdom: Coco Chanel

Not only was Coco Chanel a marvelous designer, but she had some fantastic insights into life through her words. Here are a few of my favorite Coco-isms...

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”

“As long as you know men are like children, you know everything!"”

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.”

“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”

“There are people who have money and people who are rich.”

“Those who create are rare; those who cannot are numerous. Therefore, the latter are stronger.”

“Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them.”

“Elegance is refusal.”

“It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.”



Also, how stunning is Audrey Tatou as Chanel?