I've been a bad-bad blogger

Dear Lovely Readers,

Last week went by like a flash of lightning. So sorry for the unplanned hiatus but I was swamped with work, networking, and some DIY projects.

I have so much to share! A recap of all my recent adventures in networking, salsa dancing at SOB's, DIY closet building, meeting an amazingly stylish diva name Daria and my ever growing L-O-V-E for my husband. I also need to share my out of body experience while finishing Ingrid Betancourt's book. That's right, out of body experience. I was there, in the jungle, with Ingrid during her final days in the Colombian jungle.

Stay tuned for some truly exciting posts. But for now I leave you with a little ditty I like to call Seen and Heard.

Seen: On gossip girl
Heard: "Blair you are a dictator of taste."

Seen: Two siblings and their Mom standing in front of me at the Brooklyn Ikea (roughly 15 and 5 years old)Heard: (15-year old) "Mom he pinched me!" " So pinch him back!" "Owwwwwww!"

Seen: In print a quote from Oscar Wilde
Heard: "Everything popular is wrong!"

Seen: At SOB's nightclub
Heard: " Would you like to dance princessa?"

Seen: Two 20 something girlfriends on the subway
Heard: "I told my Mom my dog is better than any boyfriend anyway!"

Seen: Friends at a dinner party
Heard: I was fresh off the uhaul from Ohio, and...

Seen: Coffee with a friend gushing and recapping my wedding
Heard: "Victoria it was grand, yet intimate. Extravagant, yet tasteful." (SCORE!)

(Gratuitous picture of me and my Nana from Christmas - isn't she beautiful?)

"I am too intelligent, too demanding, and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely. No one knows me or loves me completely. I have only myself."

-- Simon de Beauvoir

Cold front

NYC is having a major cold spell, major! Which means I haven't taken off my Verdel Cashmere Turban, that I won from Joanna Goddard at A Cup of Jo, in days! I've taken to wearing it backwards for a relaxed hipster look.

I spent much of last weekend trying to keep warm, while my brain was overheating with new ideas. How would I fill the rest of my days? A reinvention is necessary and pending - but which direction do I go in? A new mentor recently told me that I shouldn't limit myself to one track, but instead should plan to pull myself in several directions at a time until I figure it out.  

A visit to the Clinton Street Bakery reminded me that I love Motown favorites and that good pancakes are in demand here on Manhattan (we waited for over an hour!). I'm thinking a West Village pancake shop is in order. I'll add a dash of sass to all the recipes and play Motown favorites until everyone drops.

Meta-horoscope

According to David McCandless, all horoscopes say the same thing. Click here to read more.

(via the Atlantic)

Young hearts run free

Young Hearts Run Free is my Saturday morning theme song this week. It's a great song. I hope you all enjoy it. 


There is some kickboxing in my future, but for now I'm in bed with Ingrid Betancourt's book and don't want to face the cold. 


(Photo titled: "Young, Fancy, Free, and Needs a Hairbrush")

I had to reblog this! (Watch this video, it's worth it)

A big thanks to Emm at Lush Life for introducing me to this dynamic duo! When I showed this video to my sister she said that it reminded her of me as a little girl. Frankly, it looks more like her as a youngster! Since she has a quarter of my heart, I dedicate this song to her.  It also, quite selfishly, reminds me of my Dad. Dad I love you and miss you. 

I also have to mention that the original song is just as fantastic and will give you the same teary-eyed reaction.

Exercise helps your brain!

Even weight lifting! I have just one thing to say to that: BTB! Bring that brain!

Read Brains and Brawn
by Gretchen Reynolds

Double dare or physical challenge?

If you are like me, you would probably always scream out "PHYSICAL CHALLENGE!" to Marc Summers. If you don't understand the reference or know who Marc Summers is, you were probably born after 1993. If so, good for you, I'm jealous, you have your entire life ahead of you. Advice for you born-after-1993ers: Wear sunscreen! It really works! I digress.

The phrase above is from a game show that was on Nickelodeon when I was a kid. Contestants answered trivia questions for money. If they didn't know the answer they could challenge their opponent to answer for double the money. The opponent could pass it back to the original contestant for four times the money, this is called Double Dare, if they still don't know the answer they have to take a PHYSICAL CHALLENGE! It was a brilliant show with a sassy host, Marc Summers.

So anyway, I double dare you to take the physical challenge. Yes this isn't in true form of the game, but so what! I dare you office-slinging-worker-bees to move your mouse to the same side as your least dominant hand. That's it you say?! Oh dear, innocent one, you don't understand the level of challenge I just put before you! Until you have trained yourself, it is next to impossible. I, my friends, have been doing it now for 20 days! Yup! That's right! 20 days of left-handed glory. I feel my brain flexing every time. Call me strange, call me lame, just don't call me until you've taken the challenge.

Who among you feels ready to take on the ridiculous challenge I put before you? Don't cower over there and hide under your desk, wimps! Take it on! Ok, enough silliness for now.

"Do not speak of your happiness to one less fortunate than yourself."

-Plutarch

What's in a Surname?

Being American and a bit heritage obsessed, I am delighted to have stumbled upon this view of the United States based on the distribution of common last names. It shows great history and diversity. Unfortunately, none of my family names show up. I've decided to keep some anonymity on this blog and not share, but nevertheless you should know that my family name is a long polish last name with 12 letters and my mother's family name originated somewhere in Latin America. The name I now share with my husband is a somewhat common name in America, but with a unique spelling.

Based on this website that lets visitors find hot spots for their surnames around the globe, my husband's name is most commonly found in New Zealand. Cool-li-o! Plug in your surname and it shoots out a color-coded map showing you the top countries where that name is prevalent. It also spits out amazing statistics like roots of the name, top regions, top cities, and top forenames!

For example my family name is most prevalent in Poland! Duh! I knew that! Daddy-o's first language was Polish. What's more fascinating are the top forenames: Jan, Irena, Stanislaw (very common Polish names!). So cool.

When I plugged in my Mother's maiden name it's most prevalent in Argentina and the USA. Totally debunking my Grandmother's fishy story that they came from Spain to Puerto Rico, in fact, the name shows low status in Spain on the color-coded map. Very interesting!

Now back to my lovely husband's name. Top surnames are: David, John, Richard, Sally, and Peter! What!

Needless to say, I'm obsessed with Heritage of names and people, so therefore I'm obsessed with this.  To all my friends out there, I've definitely already put in you name!

Three Books to Quell Your Quarter-Life Crisis

by Hannah Levintova

If you are a DID like me, please read on. Hannah writes:

It's 7:50 a.m., and you've indulged the snooze button for longer than you'd planned. You're not terribly excited about work, but feel better once you've thrown on your crisp, collared shirt and dress pants; donning your professional uniform still evokes a feeling of purpose, even now, two years out of college.

So what if your work get-up is the only part of the job that makes you feel important? It pays the bills, it's better than living with Mom and Dad, and while you have inklings of what you might want to do — write, go to grad school, make movies, start a business — none of that feels overwhelmingly right or certain, so until it does, why rock the boat? (Even if the boat is, at best, mediocre.)

So you stick with it. In the solace of your cubicle, you get your work done, but your heart isn't in it. You fill that void by reading about the things you do care about — on news websites, social media outlets or obscure spots around the blogosphere. At night, you go to happy hour with friends, where you talk jobs and compare bosses.

We are today's recent college graduates; we have virtually limitless opportunities, but that freedom can breed indecision — and complacency. Below are three books to help pull you out of this twentysomething rut; to remind you to take bold steps in the name of progress, even when your ideas for progress are a little blurry — and even if you'll still have plenty to figure out as you go along.


Holy crap! Has Hannah been reading my diary? I just hit the Amazon purchase button faster than I can say yes to a free trip to Australia from Oprah. 

Time for a revisit

It's time to revisit my original reason for starting this blog. Over the last three months, I've written about about passion, inspiration, and hope, amongst other things. I started this blog as a way to focus my thoughts, interests, and to better understand my passions. Today I (figuratively) stand before you and confess that I still haven't found what I'm looking for. Recently, several bloggers whom I truly admire (like Kate at Wit and Delight) have expressed their doubts over continuing to blog. As a new blogger, this comes as a shock to me! I find the exercise of blogging cathartic and to be a true expression of who I am and what I enjoy. This morning, sick in bed with a cold, I went back over my blog posts. I'm delighted to tell you today that although I remain a Diva-in-Distress, I have a truly full life. That, my friends, is priceless.

Why then do I keep DID status? Well, because I still haven't found "it". I haven't found that thing that I feel pulled to become. I am primarily talking about my career, but who knows what "it" will actually manifest itself in. Perhaps it's a need to feel original? If I've learned anything during my blogging stint, it's that being original is the hardest part.
People talk about finding their soul mate and describe having just known that this was the right person for them. Jordan Reid at Ramshackle Glam met her husband-to-be and married him all within a year.  It is the same thing I hope to experience in my life, even though my life is full to the rim with great friends, interests, family, and an amazing husband, I still spend endless hours trying to figure out who I am supposed to become and how I will make my mark on society.

Perhaps it's narcissism that drives this feeling. Is the thought that you must "become" something or "leave your mark on society" one that is entirely driven by a bloated self esteem? I hope not! If it is, I hope we all have bloated self esteems like this woman or nothing spectacular can happen in life.

So for now, please continue to read and stick with me on this journey. I have complete confidence that I will find what I'm looking for and no longer be a DID. I may to change the blog title to diva-in-delight someday.

p.s. I started reading Ingrid Betancourt's book, Even Silence Has an End, it recaps her time in captivity in the Colombian jungle. I highly recommend it! She is an amazing writer.

"Everybody can be great because everybody can serve."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

A bit morbid, but entirely fascinating

If you are like me, when you were a little girl you had nightmares about being stolen during a home break-in. I was convinced that my fate was to die at the hands of a homicidal maniac. Perhaps it was the bad TV my parents watched about missing children or it was the scary dark van phenomenon from the 80's (we were all afraid of men in vans). It's not to say that these things don't happen, obviously, but the risk is low. My Mom continues to send around email forwards about the guy in the parking lot who helped change some girl's tire only to discover he had rope and a scary mask in the back of his car! Ahhhh fear, it's America's aphrodisiac.

Last week, Simon Rogers of The Guardian posted this diagram of mortality rates in England and Wales. How fascinating! So for those of you who want to know what is more likely - dying in the hands of a crazed-lunatic, catching swine flu and deceasing, or drowning in the bath tub here you go.

It also, as Simon says (catch that? Simon says! Simon says, click here to read more.)  in his post, gives us a realistic picture of risk. Perhaps we should worry less about the risk of walking alone at night and more  about a real killer - heart disease.

Balloons and beautiful people

Well hello my darlings,

Thanks for BTB-ing over here to my blog. This weekend we hosted a fabulous birthday celebration for my darling von Frixonburg. FB, as I like to call her, is a darling friend with, like me, endless energy. Here are a few snaps from the celebration:

I can't decide what my favorite part of throwing a celebration is 1) setting up for the celebration, 2) having the actual celebration, or 3) the memories. I probably enjoy the look back the most.

Why-oh-why do balloons make a party that much better? I bought 2-dozen balloons from the Balloon Saloon in Tribeca a couple of miles away from my casa in the West Village. Needless to say 2-dozen balloons do not fit in the back of a cab, so it was a subway adventure of a lifetime for me! I loved it! Everyone gave me a smile, from the grouchiest grouch to the otherwise sleepy passenger.

Maybe this DID should start a party planning business? Hmmmm.

This post is dedicated to friendship and all the lovely things that come along with it.

BTB

Hello Lovely Readers,

I have soooo much to share after an amazing weekend, but I must start with the gem of the weekend, a new acronym, BTB.

BTB stands for bring-that-booty and can be used as a late-night response to this text: "Hey, I'm coming over." "Ok, BTB."  Or it can be used when you are at home with your boyfriend/lover/husband and want to get a little frisky, just shout "Baby B! T! B!" It can also be used a slang for dancing: "So like, I was at the club, and you know I was BTB-ing and feeling really fly (do people say fly anymore?)."

Really it should be a pop song or better yet a rap song. Sample lyrics: Girl was looking fly on her facebook - so I dropped her a line telling her to BTB, that's right I said BTB. Lonely girl was at the club and I want to show her love, so I put it on a napkin, telling her to BTB.

Perhaps that crazy lady on Bravo's Real Housewives of Atlanta, Kim, can perform a pop version of BTB. Something very easy for her pea-sized brain like, "Alll he had to do was say, BTB. Bring that Booty. Ohh Ohh Ohh Ohhhhh, Ohhhh, BTB. B-b-b-b T-t-t-t B-b-b-b "

Or for me and my HB who likes to flirt over text message. For example:
HB: Babe, when are you coming home?
Me: Soon
HB: BTB!

Call me crass, call me insane, but just don't forget to BTB.

A big thanks to Daryl from The Office for introducing me to this priceless term. To all you New Yorkers out there: my goal is to get this into everyday vernacular. Can you help by spreading the BTB love?

My view this morning

Miss Piggy Plays a French Vogue Editor in New Muppet Movie

HIYA!

"I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I knew the woman I wanted to become."

-DVF

Last night I heard DVF speak at the 92Y. If you have heard Diane von Furstenberg speak you know she is confident, lovely, business savvy, and above all else, sexy.  Born in 1946, every move she makes exudes sex appeal and self love (in a good way). She was honest, interesting, and inspiring. What most struck me most was her focus on the business side of her brand rather than the creative side - the mini autobiography she gave was a story of a successful business woman with what she describes as two careers.

In the cheekiest of ways she mentioned that after only 4-years on the market they were making 25,000 wrap dresses a week, "That's 50,000 sleeves!" said DVF.

My question for the day: do you DID's out there know what type of woman you want to become? Did you always know? I did! I always wanted to be a diva. I remember quite vividly dancing and singing by myself to Someday by Mariah Carey. I was 11-years old and already 5'7" (taller than all the boys in school). Close your eyes and picture my awkward-teenage self wanting nothing more than to be like Diana Ross or Sydney Rutledge from Swans Crossing. Terrifying!

Fascinating

To Beat Back Poverty, Pay the Poor

Limited Edition Les Rogers Print

So naughty! I love this!  Can be found here and hopefully in my apartment sometime soon.

About the work

Bright bedroom is an iconic example of Les Rogers' abstract realist work. Through his paintings, Les represents the ways that vision and memory can work together. He begins with something tangible and then deconstructs it to represent his memory of the experience. In the case of Bright Bedroom, Les began with a photo of his lover then re-expressed, multiplied and fractured it so that is was transformed into a memory.

Such an imaginative yet practical method. I could deconstruct several images I have in my head, especially those pertaining to literary characters. My first subject would be less blatantly sexual, perhaps Pip of Great Expectations. Pip is a self-aware, shameful character, who wants nothing more than to reject his past to win the respect of high society and the love of Estella.

Who would you deconstruct into a modern work of art?

Love or loathe

Victoria Imelda Marcos!

That was my friend's retort to my response to his somewhat profound question, he asked,  "What would you bring if you were to leave your life in Manhattan for a new life in a far-off land?" I replied with, "My shoes, my memories, and my Husband." In that order, hence the new nickname. I'm grateful he didn't refer to me as the steel butterfly, which is Mrs. Marcos' alias.

Imelda Marcos is not a hero (in my view) or a timeless diva (maybe she is) or even someone I want to emulate, but she does have a funny if not ridiculous story.

Imelda Marcos is a Filipino politician and the wife of, now deceased, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. Back in the 80's the President and his wife fled the Philippines after a coop and were exiled to Hawaii until the early 90's. Famed for travelling the world to buy new shoes, Marcos was said to have left behind over 3000 pairs of shoes (amongst other piles of clothes and fashion accessories). Mrs. Marcos' collection was seen as a sign of extravagance, whilst millions of Filipinos were living in extreme poverty. After her husband's death, Mrs. Marcos returned to the Philippines and resumed a political career.

What happened to the shoes you ask? Hundreds are on display at the Marikina City Footwear Museum.

What is the lesson here? Perhaps that shoe-divas existed long before the lovely divas at Sea of shoes or before the launch of Christian Louboutins. Hmmmm.
Or maybe it is to be wise about your extravagance, because you never know when a handsome Prince  or politician will come into your life.

About Jonathan Franzen's recent novel: Freedom

"Painting the American soul within the framework of a novel"

- John DeForest ( a writer of the civil-war period, describing the great American novel in an article for The Nation)

Everyone knows Jonathan Franzen as the midwestern author of the corrections who snubbed Oprah and her book club. Franzen's new novel, Freedom is a brilliant novel and a must read for any newly married couple (or about to be). Click here to read a great review of the book by the economist.

Passion

During my diva-in-distress quest, I've spent a lot of time thinking about passion. What is it? Do I have it? Who has it? And, how do I find it? Not fully enjoying the work you do can become a bit exhausting, sure I fill my days with other things that I love, but I can't help thinking that getting up in the morning to do the thing you most crave would be a great feeling.

I find that I can use passion in many sentences, for example:

I'm passionate about travel,  I'm passionate about exploring new trends and ideas, or I'm passionate about art.

When I try to use passion as a noun I falter. I can't say travel is my passion or learning is my passion, because I describe passion as the one thing you would do endlessly apart from everything else. Try to answer that question: What would you do endlessly apart from everything else? It is very difficult. Perhaps some of my lovely blogosphere girl crushes would say that blogging is their passion. Or perhaps truly creative types would say that creating is their passion.

I sometimes question what is/was other people's passion to try and identify my own, not an easy task either. For example: what was Hemingway's passion? Drinking, exploring or writing? What about Bukowski? Philandering, drinking, or writing? Nabokov's passion was, in my opinion, his wife Vera. If you haven't read her biography, you must. She was a loyal wife and an amazing supporter of his career. Definitely a timeless diva.

Dictionary.com's passion definitions are superb, my favorite is: a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. Based on that definition, my cup is overflowing with passion. You see, I have a very enthusiastic personality. By that definition, I'm passionate about just about everything I do.

I hope everyone has a passionate Monday, at least. So what is your passion?

Whitney Houston sings you give good love, live, 1985

Have I ever told you guys about my predilection for soft rock favorites? It came from my days working at an ice cream parlor during college, the owners played continuous soft rock.   

You give good love is my Saturday morning theme song this week. It's a great song. I hope you all enjoy it. 

Tonight at NP Contemporary Art Center

NP Contemporary Art Center
131 Chrystie St.
New York, NY 10002

Opening - Tonight! 6-8 PM, this is Winston's first NYC solo gallery opening. Can't make it to the show but would like a taste of Winston - visit his blog by clicking here.

Show runs through January 30th

35 Little Acts of Kindness for New Yorkers

As promised, here is a list of kind things that New Yorkers can do to make cohabitating on this little island easier:

1. SMILE, to all you nonnewyorkers this may seem like a joke, but it's not. We don't smile at each other, we growl.
2. Don't block the entrance as you wait for your table at brunch. It's cold outside!
3. Kindly tap a tourist on the shoulder and ask them to move out of the walkway.
4. Cancel your dinner reservation if you plan to no-show.
5. Say to the doorman "they are with us" and help out the two lonely divas shivering in their Jessica Simpson stilettos waiting to get in da latest club (club pump up the jam or something like that).
6. Don't put your 12 pound "purse" on the "free space" next to you at Mary's Fish Camp. That is impeding on someones space. No one cares if it is a $900 louis vuitton tote bag that you saved your babysitting money to buy. 
7. Give up your seat in the front at the AA meeting to the individual who has had a few too many old-fashions that morning. I don't care if Ethan Hawke is sitting right next you. Jimmy Old-Fashioned needs the seat more than you do.
8. Offer the size zero girl next to you at the Barney's warehouse sale the Stella McCartney blazer that just doesn't fit, then offer her a doughnut.
9. Don't stare when I fall up the stairs while wearing inappropriately high heels.
10. Stand outside of the City Clerk's office and offer free marital advice to anyone who wants it.
11. Offer the extra nickle, dime, or quarter to the shorthanded person in front of you at the coffee stand
12. Kindly tell the handsome men at Express Tailor Service that you understand Spanish and yes blanca would like to dance.
13. Buy a round of tickets at pay-what-you-wish day (sunday's between 11am-1pm) at The Frick Collection and give them out to the patrons behind you. Say to them, "Hey, this one is on me."
14. Place the half-off Louboutins back on the proper sale rack at bergdorfs. Don't make me hunt for my size in the all cork wedges.
15. Offer to share a cab with the tipsy girl who is giving a lap dance to the banker wanker at the bar in murray hill. When you get in the cab say to her "Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, duke."
16. Say to the individual behind you in line for a taxi at JFK airport, "Hey are you going downtown?"
17.  Tell me when everyone is staring at my heinie because my black undies are showing through my white dress, then give me a high-five.
18. Take an entire stack of the Metro or AM New York (free daily newspapers) and tell the chilly guy who passes them out, "Hey go get a coffee, I'll pass these out at the office."
19. Place a copy of the Metro or AM New York on the desk of every partner at the law firm where you work (See number 18 for more information). Don't forget to add a little post-it that says, "Thought you would enjoy today's article on the rat infestation in city schools best, Jane"
20. Encourage someone who seems despondent after paying a broker fee.
21. Buy a drink for one of the mustached bartenders at Employees only, then tell him that they psychic said it was his destiny to buy a $25 dollar muddled something and run out. Don't forget to scream "sucker!" as you run out.
22. Don't touch the 80% cashmere coat, hanging on the coat hooks at Rai Rai Ken, with your salty ramen paws.
23. Save a bottle of Trader Joe's Charles Shaw $1.99 wine for a college student.
24. Stop jumping rope in your apartment after midnight. Save the guy downstairs from the headache.
25. Offer directions to the tourist who looks lost. When they ask you where little owl restaurant is tell them 42nd and 8th and help them get a cab.
26. Buy your assistant, who is complaining of menopause hot flashes on the subway, a fan that she can carry in her pocket.
27. Use your inside voice outside when you are telling the story about Shari and Kari's escapades at the UES favorite, Dorrians.
28. Do not throw your household trash away in the public receptacle.
29. Walk by Magnolia's bakery shouting "Only 1500 calories each!" You likely saved someone from breaking their new year's resolution.
30. Stand outside of cowgirl in the village and offer childcare service in exchange for margaritas, then start a conga line of 9-year olds.
31. Knock on your neighbor's door, when they open the door say, " I was just checking that you are alive." Then walk away.
32. Encourage a busker.
33. Offer to screen all of your friend's match.com dates, suggest they meet you for dinner at Ninja.
34. Let your friend check-in first to foursquare when having brunch at Le Bibloquet.
35. Kiss a fireman (FDNY) on Halloween, this way you can tell your husband/boyfriend/lover that you thought it was him in costume.

(Photo by my husband of me enjoying a full-on couch nap, discovered on my iphone)

Arianna Huffington Gets Winklevii’d

Reminiscent of Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg, Arianna Huffington (Genius Diva) is being sued by two politicial consultants, Peter Daou and James Boyce, who claim a critical role in creating her top-ranked Web site, the Huffington Post.

If you ask me, AH should tell them to kiss her heinie for waiting six years to claim credit.

Click here for the nymag article.

Love the use of the new term Winklevii (from the social network) - Genius!

Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders | Video on TED.com

Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders Video on TED.com

"Women systematically underestimate their own abilities."

Being realistic is the easiest path to mediocrity

Last night's episode of the millionaire matchmaker featured a plus-size diva seeking a hunk. Robin Kassner is worth millions and knows exactly what she wants, a handsome prince. The matchmaker found her to be superficial and delusional.

Here is a quote from an interview she gave to huffpo. I love it! I lover her audacity, her brazenness, and her (uuhhhhh) wisdom.

"Patti called me delusional and I took it as a compliment. Truly successful people have to be somewhat delusional. Only delusional people change the world. Being realistic is the easiest path to mediocrity. People thought getting in a metal tube and flying around the world was unrealistic, but the Wright Brothers didn't think so. People thought flicking a switch and filling a room with light was delusional, but Thomas Edison didn't think so. As a young woman, I run one of the most successful beauty and fashion firms in New York, I own a fabulous apartment in Manhattan, I drive a Mercedes and live the life I love. Most people would think those goals were delusional, but luckily, I go after my dreams."

Uh... diva alert?

Well done Robin. Click here for more of Robin's interview. Click here for an inspirational dance sequence from Save the Last Dance.

Phaidon Store Shopping Extravaganza Tonight

Love books? Love coffee table books? Love downtown? (Warning my next comment is somewhat of a non-sequitur) Love this song? (built a wall of books between us in our bed - la la la ) Love freedom (darn! there goes my new year's resolution)?

Then you should attend the Phaidon Store Shopping Extravaganza tonight.

Tonight, January 5th, 7-9

A massive sale at the Phaidon store (up to 75% on select titles) is happening tonight. Featuring a live performance from RJ Valeo and complimentary drinks. Just mention ACP at the door.

83 Wooster Street 

See you there!

(Photo by downtown from behind) 

Cheeky Charles Bukowski

Last night, my darling Hubby and I had our first official date night. That's right, our married bums set Tuesday as a night for each other. Not lame, but amazing. To kick off 2011 we had sushi and a poetry read-off. What, you ask, is a read-off? It's where you go head-to-head reading poetry from two different poets and appoint a winner based on what most "speaks" to you. Last night's contenders were Charles Bukowski and Pablo Neruda. Obviously Mr. Neruda is a favorite of mine.

The winner of the read-off was hands down Mr. Bukowski. How is that even possible you ask? I know, I know, Pablo Neruda is a lyrical genius who writes beautiful prose but Mr. B is also a genius. Bukowski's mastery of written word is undeniable and perhaps so enjoyable because you know he lived much of his life as a misfit. I think last night's win also went to Bukowski in part because of the racy nature of his poetry, his poems are about sex, drugs, and unspoken truths (at least the poems we read). Contrast that with Neruda's poems, which were about love, politics, and Latin American revolutions (so good too, I know).

In honor of Mr. B's win in last night's read-off, I present to you the Bukowski poem that most "spoke" to me. I dedicate this to any divas in distress out there.

no leaders, please

invent yourself and then reinvent yourself,
don't swim in the same slough.
invent yourself and then reinvent yourself
and
stay out of the clutches of mediocrity.

invent yourself and then reinvent ,
change your tone and shape so often that they can
never
categorize you.

reinvigorate yourself and
accept what is
but only on the terms you have invented
and reinvented.

be self-taught.

and reinvent your life because you must;
it is your life and
its history
and the present
belong only to
you.

So good!

Beautiful Neruda Stanza

Sad but so beautiful.

so I wait for you like a lonely house
till you will see me again and live in me
till then my windows ache

*sigh*

y asi te espero como casa sola
y volveras a verme y habitarme
de outro modo me duelen las ventanas

New Year's Resolutions for the relatively uncommitted

Here is a list of manageable resolutions for the otherwise uncommitted diva. These are easy and totally maintainable!

1. In 2011, I will limit dramatic crying in public.

2. In 2011, I will match my bra to my panties.

3. In 2011, I will wear panties to limit the general public's exposure to my bum.

4. In 2011, I will not overuse the term freedom when talking about polictics or any subject for that matter.

5. In 2011, I will remember the first and last name of all new sexual partners.

6. In 2011, I will not play Kelly Clarkson, Keisha, or Justin Bieber so loudly on my ipod that everyone in the elevator can hear. "Your love, your love, your love, is my drug!"

7. In 2011, I will never complain about calories on a dinner date or at a dinner party. No one wants to hear you count points during dinner. If you must, take it to the ladies room and jot it down in a small notebook.

8. In 2011, I will never start a sentence with "I read in US weekly that..." Nor will I refer to celebrities by their first names. "Did you see that Reese dumped her new boyfriend?" "Oh no! I loved them together!"

9. In 2011, I will properly use all idioms and cliches.

10. In 2011, I will limit my use of the most offensive phrase known to man "No offense, but..."

11. In 2011, I will think before I speak, buy, kiss, take off my pants, consume, or tattoo.

12. In 2011, I will wear banana republic wide-leg trouser pants that aren't too big (or too small). These are not meant to be replacement sweatpants ladies.

13. In 2011, I will not be jealous of the photo I saw on facebook of my boyfriend/husband/lover/doorman and some other woman. I also won't obsessively look at her facebook photo albums.

14. In 2011, I will not friend request my doorman on facebook.

15. In 2011, I will not dress like a slob because I was told it was casual.

16. In 2011, I will not fall asleep with food on my lap.

17. In 2011, I will not compliment a dining experience by saying that the portions were HUGE!

18. In 2011, I will not complain about the TSA going through my things.

19. In 2011, I will limit my alcohol intake to 1-bottle of wine per night.

20. In 2011, I will consume mother nature's original diet soda, water.

See! Very easy!

Become a genomic astronaut...

and volunteer your genome sequence to the Personal Genome Project. They are seeking 100,000 volunteers! The information they collect will be used to better understand genetic and environmental factors that contribute to disease. Morally opposed to genetic research? Click here!

Picture from my Mount Kilimanjaro hike. Probably as close to being an actual astronaut and walking on the moon as I will get.

A toast to honor the New Year

So much has happened in 2010 I can't even begin to recap. The biggest event was, of course, my marriage and then the start of this blog. Rather than recap all of 2010 I thought I would toast the start of 2011.

A New Year's Toast

To love

To style

To self-discovery

To options

To pen pals

To grins

To indulgence

To fulfillment

To life

To pleasure

To ideas

To rock-and-roll outfits

To doing you

To being on the loose

To perseverance

To new friends

To picking up where you left off

To progression

To tradition

To your own URL

To bending backwards

To soirees

To confessions

To conducting your own orchestra

To us!

What would like to toast?

(Photo of me in South France taken by a friend)