Spring Things

 

There are a few things that are keeping me from purchasing these pants.

1.) They're $200.00
2.) They're dry clean only

I can't possibly commit to dry clean only denim; but in a perfect world, one where I make a lot more money and frequent the dry cleaner weekly, these would definitely in my possession.

If you are in the market for a statement jean this spring, these Koral Los Angeles jeans from Piperlime might be prefect for you.

I love you Kate Spade..

But this? This is a NO.

Go back and try again.

Stuff My Boyfriend Says

Him: "Have you ever heard of the movie 'This is Yo'?"

Me: "Um, I think that says 'This is 40'."

Him: "Oh. This is going on the blog, isn't it?"

Oh, Sandy Baby!

Since so many people last year found my blog by Googling "Flush a toilet in a hurricane" I thought I would do a reprise of last year's post before Hurricane Irene.  Originally posted 8/26/2011 -

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Unless you have been locked up in a dungeon somewhere being asked to “put the lotion on its skin”, you know that there is a major hurricane coming toward the northeastern part of the United States. 
I know that a lot of people are really freaking out about the impending storm, but there are far more people not paying attention to the warnings. So, from my knowledge of hurricanes (living in North Carolina), here is the advice I can give about preparing for a hurricane.


What can happen:

Rain: This storm will bring a considerable amount of rain. While rain falling from the sky in itself is not hazardous, the accumulation of rain over a small period of time can be very dangerous, leading to excessive runoff and flooding. When it comes to a place like New York City, underground tunnels have the capability of serious flooding, basically halting all traffic in and out of the nation’s largest city.

Wind: The wind will be excessive. Strong, over 100mph winds are nothing to joke over. Trees will topple over, crushing power lines and cars. Some houses may suffer from considerable damages due to falling trees and limbs. The wind will be so strong that cars will be pushed from one side of the street to the other. Rain will come in sideways, ocean and river waves will swell 3 or 4 times their usual height. Which brings me to:

Storm Surge: With New York’s five boroughs being surrounded mostly by water, this could very well be the most dangerous. When the bodies of water are disturbed by the hurricane, waves pick up and slam into the shore. That, combined with natural tides, a storm of this size could bring swells of water in the 20 feet range. This could be detrimental to low-lying places such as Downtown Manhattan, Coney Island, and the Far Rockaways in Queens. New York City has never (EVER) issued a mandatory evacuation for flood zone areas. Take heed and evacuate if you are told.

Power: Power outages across the five boroughs will cause a great inconvenience to most people. It may take a large amount of time to restore power to the masses if downed trees and flooded areas cause problems.

Water, Gas: I don’t foresee the water or gas lines to be messed with within the city, but if for any reason, New York City’s water becomes tainted by sewage, having bottled water on hand will be you only option. If the water does go out, you will not be able to flush your toilets. It may be a good idea to fill up your bathtub full of water so you can manually flush the toilet in the event of a water outage.

With power outages and extensive damage to the transit systems, you may have to stay where you are for several days. This means having non-perishable food items on hand to eat for a few days. Please remember that if you have an electric can opener, it will not work if the power goes out (That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised). Do not open your freezer for any reason. Once the power goes out, you need to keep that cold in there for as long as possible in hopes to save some things that may be in there.

Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t go swimming before a hurricane comes. And don’t rush out to clean things up until emergency personnel have at least taken a look. Don’t touch downed power lines and don’t stand underneath leaning trees. 

One thing to note: If the storm comes straight across Manhattan, it will stop for a period of time. This does not mean the storm is over! The eye of the hurricane is an eerie, slightly sunny, calm period where many people think the worst of the storm is over. STAY WHERE YOU ARE! The second half of the storm will be along shortly. Stay up to date about where the storm is and when it is expected to be over with a battery-operated radio.

It should also be noted that there is a chance that nothing happens at all. I’ve seen storms look like they’re going to barrel straight into North Carolina and disappear overnight as if they never existed. The storm could turn at any moment and go straight out to sea. But, you should always be prepared for the worst. Katrina was the worst hurricane we’ve had in a very, very long time and the catastrophe was heightened by the people’s refusal to listen. They thought the storm would turn, they thought it would die down, it would all be okay. And it wasn’t.

Please keep yourselves (and your pets) safe and be sure to check on your neighbors, friends, and relatives. By law, all pets are allowed to accompany you into emergency shelters. Don’t let people tell you otherwise. Make a plan now so that if the time comes to evacuate, you already know what to do. Phone lines will be flooded with people asking questions. Save yourself the trouble and figure out where to go now. Also, did you know that failure to comply with a mandatory evacuation is a misdemeanor? It is actually punishable with jail time up to 90 days!

Be careful, be safe. Keep your pets and loved ones near you. And remember to stay inside and stay calm. We’ll all be alright.

See you on the other side!

-VA 

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Also - this is all I can think about when people talk about Hurricane Sandy:

Pinterest Pins That DO NOT Work!

Cleaning your makeup brushes:

The Pin says: You will surprised to see all the makeup that is left in the water. How to properly clean your makeup brushes. (a tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup of hot water, and a 20 minute soak, followed by a hot, then cold rinse and pat dry will do it. Disinfects, dissolves grease/makeup, leaves no film, and inexpensive.)

Let's start with a story: I'm in Germany and I've been conned into purchasing a specialty soap for cleaning makeup brushes thinking that nearly $40 is a great deal.  I keep that block of soap for years, still trying to cling to every bit of soap even when the tin has completely rusted...  Since then, I'll admit, I don't clean my makeup brushes as often as I should.  

Anyway, most of the time I can't be bothered to clean my brushes because of how long it takes them to dry. But, when I saw this pin today, I thought, "why not? let them soak for 20 minutes and rinse? Sounds easy enough."

I doubled the "recipe" so that I could fit all of my brushes in it. I watched an episode of brand new fall TV (yay!) and went to rinse the brushes out.  Yes, there was some makeup in the bowl, but when I went to dry them, there was still a TON of makeup in the brush.

So, this idea simply did not work.  If you want to get your old makeup out of your brushes, I would suggest you use the old stand-by of using a little bit of dish soap and some water, whip those brushes around in the solution like you're whisking up some eggs, then, rinse with warm water and blot dry.  Give them a swirl after they're halfway dry on a towel to keep their shape. Then they'll be clean, soft, and ready to use once they're fully dry.

Pinterest Grade: 1

Stuff My Boyfriend Says...

"Whoa, this peanut butter is like, whipped! That's why choosy moms choose Jif!"

How to Make a Life

First:

Take everything you’ve ever learned and everything
You’ve yet to discover and place it in a box labeled Thank You.

Second:

Take a picture of your face and remember
That in many years time you will be amazed at how gorgeous you were.
Be amazed now.

Third:

Find someplace to live.
Make sure it has the ability to let light fall
Across the room in such a way that every so often,
You’ll stop and mouth the words “Ah, sunlight.”
Before you finish dusting the books.
Don’t let the books get dusty.
Open them and reread your favorite sentences
Or give the books away.

Fourth:

Fall in love.
Touch. More than you think.
Have a child if you want one.
If you don’t, don’t.
Let your child out into the world
Discovering for themselves just how magical
It is. Or it isn’t.
It’s theirs to decide.
Give your child a lot of books.

Fifth:

Get a job.
Remember this job is not who you are.
You get to open the silk door of You,
And decide, over and over, as many times as your socks,
Just who you are.
You get to say your own I am.

Sixth:

Do yoga.
Let your body discover what it’s like to move
without your brain holding it’s hand.
Tell your brain to take a hike.
Let your body believe fully in it’s own powers.
Let every person you’ve stored inside your muscles out every so often,
to breathe.

Lastly:

Do things that make you feel good.
Let your joy be contagious and spread through
Your home, your job, your children.
Let it spread through the world
Like a virus so that when you forget it,
Every so often, you’ll catch it from someone else.

- Jen Pastiloff

Fashion Week Favorites

 

Photo from Zimbio

First favorite from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2013 collections - this darling Kate Spade bow dress.  When bubble hems first came on the scene, I HATED them. I remember telling a friend that a bubble hem dress just looked like a longer dress that accidentally got caught up in your underwear. And, sometimes, I still think they kind of do.

But but but but..... I came around to the bubble hem and actually have a few dresses that I LOVE with a bubble hem.  In this case, the hem, coupled with the adorable bow print and the awesome bow clutch just looks oh so right! (Disclaimer: I will never, ever, support wearing socks with heels.... only tiny girls with ruffle socks and patent leather shoes can pull this look off.)

So, hats off to you, Kate Spade!  More Fashion Week favorites coming up!

My Imaginary Closet

My Imaginary Closet by naneenya featuring antique jewelry


Let's play in my imaginary closest.

Fashion's Night Out - It's basically trick or treating for adults. Where the normals go door to door store to store, sip champagne alongside of celebrity, new fashions are displayed, stores are opened, parties thrown, and fun had by all.  When the economy was tanking, Fashion's Night Out was created in order to help boost the economy and to hopefully help the luxury retail market survive. Since then, this annual event kicks off New York's fashion week and even those of us who do not get swanky invitations in the mail for seats along the runway get to play.

So, if my closet was vast and limitless, this is the type of thing I'd love to wear. First, FLATS!

Fashion's Night Out requires quite a lot of walking. Unless you're taking cabs everywhere (not recommended, traffic is horrible!), you'll need some decent walking shoes.  These Miu Miu flats would be comfortable while still being fashionable. Blisters and Band-Aids are the antagonist of fabulousity.

A bag big enough to carry all of your swag - and a watch to make sure you get to the next place before it all shuts down!

I love this structured top by Vivienne Westwood and the coral cropped slacks add a pop of color perfect for the summer-to-fall transition.

Are you going to Fashion's Night Out? What are your evening plans??

Shoe Lust

Simone Rocha Brogues

I can't even tell you how much I adore these Simone Rocha wedges. The lucite heel! The illusion! They are truly works of art! (Yes, I am aware that these were shown at last year's fashion week, but if I had unlimited funds and were going to fashion week (or hell, even just going to the grocery store!) these babies would be on my feet!)  The hardest part would be to choose which style is best!

 Image from Personal Uniform

I think a pony hair shoe is absolute perfection. This may just be at the top of the list. But in black or ivory?

Oh, the CHOICES!

 The cross-stitch details on this pair are extraordinary. 

I can't decide if the solid heel or the lucite heel is better... 

 If you're in love with these shoes as much as I am but your wallet would weep for days months at the expense (we're talking over 1000 smacks, here guys) then Jeffrey Campbell has done a decent-ish knockoff. Hey, you get what you pay for, right? Still.. these lucite heels are a thing of beauty.