I've been avoiding lots of Rob and Missa wedding talk on ye olde blog but think this exchange via text message is too subtely funny not to share.
We've been discussing what the groomsmen should wear now that my bridesmaids' attire is all figured out, and I've been taking the approach of "it's your decision, honey", but last night when it came up, my fiance suggested we let the guys wear whatever they want and that just can be dangerous...
So this morning an idea hit me:
My text: "Had a vision for our wedding. You in light gray, the boys in black, and my girls in dark gray".
His response: "Grayt"
I chuckled to myself on Spring Street.
June 25, 2009
June 22, 2009
Top Ten DC-isms That Don’t Fly in Manhattan – Part 1
I was reminded of all the quirks that make Washington, DC so much different than New York City while spending this past weekend in the District, where I lived for nearly four years after college. I’m not trying to be all snobby and list reasons why living in Manhattan is better than living in DC because that’s not the case, but I do want to point out some cultural differences. Here’s the first installment of DC-isms I was confronted with/reminded of this weekend:
10. The Crosswalk Countdown Timer
Instead of relying on a flashing red hand or a little blue walking man to signify that it’s okay to cross the street, DC street signals actually tell pedestrians how much walking time remains until the light changes. This is such a great example of how orderly that city is. They also force to rely on their anal infrastructure because when the countdown clock hits 0 seconds the light changes immediately for on-coming traffic. There is no wiggle room for rule-bending. This nearly killed me when I first got to town because I thought it was counting down your time to START walking, not FINISH, so I once casually started crossing a busy street with 4 seconds left…not smart.
Here in New York, everyone knows that the red hand stops blinking when the cars with the right of way get the Yellow light, so you still have a good 2.5 seconds to rush across the street before the cars piling up get the Green light. New Yorkers don’t obey pedestrian signs anyways so it would never be worth the money to upgrade the signal system to the more luxurious and pedestrian-friendly countdown clock. Everyone stands 8 feet into traffic anyways waiting for a gap in cars to rush across the street. It’s like a contest at the crosswalk: Who’s the most daring New Yorker, willing to walk the farthest into the bus lane. Only tourists stand on the curb waiting for the lights to change.
9. The Definition of Gentrification
Maybe I’m just being naïve, but when I think of New York neighborhoods undergoing gentrification with the addition of rich young professionals flocking to new sparkling condos, the original neighborhood infrastructure was fairly okay to begin with...that’s why the place was chosen to gentrify—since small improvements could be the tipping point for convincing the white bread, middle class to move in. When my friend Carrie lived up on Malcom X Blvd and 129th Street in Harlem, sure there was some crime, but the brownstones were nice, and there were normal neighborhood functional amenities like Laundromats and bodegas already there, so when the sprawling Mormon Church and subsequent Condos were built, sure they were “nicer” than the rest of the neighborhood, but they didn’t BECOME the neighborhood. They fit into the neighborhood.
This weekend, I visited a friend of a friend’s fabulous luxury building in the area of DC near New York Ave and 5th Street NW, on the outskirts of Chinatown. This area is in the midst of DC’s version of Gentrification, which apparently means “create a new upper crust neighborhood in the middle of nowhere” rather than make an existing neighborhood nicer so wealthier people want to join its current residents.
10. The Crosswalk Countdown Timer
Instead of relying on a flashing red hand or a little blue walking man to signify that it’s okay to cross the street, DC street signals actually tell pedestrians how much walking time remains until the light changes. This is such a great example of how orderly that city is. They also force to rely on their anal infrastructure because when the countdown clock hits 0 seconds the light changes immediately for on-coming traffic. There is no wiggle room for rule-bending. This nearly killed me when I first got to town because I thought it was counting down your time to START walking, not FINISH, so I once casually started crossing a busy street with 4 seconds left…not smart.
Here in New York, everyone knows that the red hand stops blinking when the cars with the right of way get the Yellow light, so you still have a good 2.5 seconds to rush across the street before the cars piling up get the Green light. New Yorkers don’t obey pedestrian signs anyways so it would never be worth the money to upgrade the signal system to the more luxurious and pedestrian-friendly countdown clock. Everyone stands 8 feet into traffic anyways waiting for a gap in cars to rush across the street. It’s like a contest at the crosswalk: Who’s the most daring New Yorker, willing to walk the farthest into the bus lane. Only tourists stand on the curb waiting for the lights to change.
9. The Definition of Gentrification
Maybe I’m just being naïve, but when I think of New York neighborhoods undergoing gentrification with the addition of rich young professionals flocking to new sparkling condos, the original neighborhood infrastructure was fairly okay to begin with...that’s why the place was chosen to gentrify—since small improvements could be the tipping point for convincing the white bread, middle class to move in. When my friend Carrie lived up on Malcom X Blvd and 129th Street in Harlem, sure there was some crime, but the brownstones were nice, and there were normal neighborhood functional amenities like Laundromats and bodegas already there, so when the sprawling Mormon Church and subsequent Condos were built, sure they were “nicer” than the rest of the neighborhood, but they didn’t BECOME the neighborhood. They fit into the neighborhood.
This weekend, I visited a friend of a friend’s fabulous luxury building in the area of DC near New York Ave and 5th Street NW, on the outskirts of Chinatown. This area is in the midst of DC’s version of Gentrification, which apparently means “create a new upper crust neighborhood in the middle of nowhere” rather than make an existing neighborhood nicer so wealthier people want to join its current residents.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that this building is AMAZING. Twangs of jealousy came over me when I compared the amenities (fantastic roof deck equipped with grills and a pool, artwork throughout, supermarket in the building, etc) to my expensive though crappy UES walk-up, knowing that if I still lived in DC, my fiancé and I could afford this place. BUT, I was definitely put off by the fact that not only is the building flanked by a huge parking lot but also a set of commercial row houses that include a sketchy strip club and a 3 story burned out, windows-boarded-up shack. When that type of scene exists in a neighborhood, it is not gentrification to build a luxury building. Gentrification would be to fix the abandoned building(s) and otherwise increase curb appeal. Instead, what happens in DC is the hyperbole of gentrification that really doesn’t involve the neighborhood at all.
Photo Credit
Photo Credit
June 7, 2009
DVF + Sharpie = Obligatory "Social Media is Awesome" Post
In a series of decisions based on budgetary weakness, I trekked to the DVF Sample Sale last week in Manhattan. [Its easy to rationalize a $125 purchase when the original price is closer to $400.] And so I waited on a 40 minute line in the rain to gain entry into the packed, loud, messy porta-store to look for as many cute dresses in size 6 or 8 that I could carry to the dressing rooms.
I was super excited to find a pink boatneck sheath dress that I knew was from Diane's 2008 Wonder Woman collection. DVF is an icon for a reason and I think her story is the real reason why she has the following she does today.
Anyways, I snatched up the Renda in Raspberry (below) for $125 along with an ugly but funky/cute sample dress that probably never made it to production--a true original that got mixed reviews out in the East Village last night--for $50.
So where does social media come into this? Well, as I was getting ready to go out last night, I took another look at my recent acquisitions and what I thought was blue yarn stuck to the front of my Renda was in fact two very noticeable smudges of blue permanent marker.
The cashier who rang up my purchase put blue marker exes on the dress tags (I guess to reduce their resale value on ebay) and must have accidentally drawn on my dress as well!! I was pissed and decided to go on a mini social media tirade:
I posted my problem to the DVF Fan Page on Facebook, wrote a FB status update, and Tweeted about it to find out how the hell to get permanent marker out of wool.
And lo and behold, Sharpie was listening! I was expecting to hear back from DVF's PR girls with apologies and coupons and stain removal advice, but it was Sharpie instead that must have been tracking their RSS feed of brand mentions on Twitter.
They suggest Amodex. Just bought some on Ebay. Hopefully my new dress will be in wearing condition within the next 3-6 business days. I can't wait to wear it!!!
I still love DVF and would gladly accept coupons and free merchandise to make up for their not-so-conscientious cashier :)
I was super excited to find a pink boatneck sheath dress that I knew was from Diane's 2008 Wonder Woman collection. DVF is an icon for a reason and I think her story is the real reason why she has the following she does today.
Anyways, I snatched up the Renda in Raspberry (below) for $125 along with an ugly but funky/cute sample dress that probably never made it to production--a true original that got mixed reviews out in the East Village last night--for $50.
So where does social media come into this? Well, as I was getting ready to go out last night, I took another look at my recent acquisitions and what I thought was blue yarn stuck to the front of my Renda was in fact two very noticeable smudges of blue permanent marker.
The cashier who rang up my purchase put blue marker exes on the dress tags (I guess to reduce their resale value on ebay) and must have accidentally drawn on my dress as well!! I was pissed and decided to go on a mini social media tirade:
I posted my problem to the DVF Fan Page on Facebook, wrote a FB status update, and Tweeted about it to find out how the hell to get permanent marker out of wool.
And lo and behold, Sharpie was listening! I was expecting to hear back from DVF's PR girls with apologies and coupons and stain removal advice, but it was Sharpie instead that must have been tracking their RSS feed of brand mentions on Twitter.
They suggest Amodex. Just bought some on Ebay. Hopefully my new dress will be in wearing condition within the next 3-6 business days. I can't wait to wear it!!!
I still love DVF and would gladly accept coupons and free merchandise to make up for their not-so-conscientious cashier :)
May 15, 2009
Falconer Magnanimous Blogsky
GUEST POST by Anonymous:
Coolest name I’ve ever seen – first name, for a boy:
“Falconer”
THAT is IT. With a name like “Falconer” you are bound to be a strong and charismatic leader of men. Plus, I’m pretty sure that someone who trains falcons is a “falconer” - so that’s cool.
[ http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-venetia-phair11-2009may11,0,826837.story (Her grandfather was named “Falconer Madan”) ]
Also, the middle name could be something like “Magnanimous”, which is awesome as a first name as well, but I like them together better:
“Falconer Magnanimous” – meaning: Someone who can easily kick your butt without even trying, yet will always take the high road and graciously allow you to escape unharmed. He’s obviously superior to you in every way, so there’s no point in fighting about it.
Perhaps we’d be setting this kid up for disappointment though. Imagine if his name was Falconer Magnanimous but he was short, fat, stupid, and weak. Now, if his name was “Pudgy Choade” or something, then that might work, but not for Falconer Magnanimous.
Coolest name I’ve ever seen – first name, for a boy:
“Falconer”
THAT is IT. With a name like “Falconer” you are bound to be a strong and charismatic leader of men. Plus, I’m pretty sure that someone who trains falcons is a “falconer” - so that’s cool.
[ http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-venetia-phair11-2009may11,0,826837.story (Her grandfather was named “Falconer Madan”) ]
Also, the middle name could be something like “Magnanimous”, which is awesome as a first name as well, but I like them together better:
“Falconer Magnanimous” – meaning: Someone who can easily kick your butt without even trying, yet will always take the high road and graciously allow you to escape unharmed. He’s obviously superior to you in every way, so there’s no point in fighting about it.
Perhaps we’d be setting this kid up for disappointment though. Imagine if his name was Falconer Magnanimous but he was short, fat, stupid, and weak. Now, if his name was “Pudgy Choade” or something, then that might work, but not for Falconer Magnanimous.
May 14, 2009
Review: Stuart Hirsch Salon: August Highlights in May
I was lucky enough to have my hair highlighted by celebrity colorist Stuart Hirsch last Saturday and the results live up to his ideals. While he was painting on my highlights after I instructed him to do whatever he wanted, whatever he thought would look good, I had him explain his aesthetic to me. It all boils down to "natural" and "world class"-- he uses his 20+ years of training to create subtle looks that enhance a woman's natural beauty.
And really, the golden flecks he gave me create such a subtle, natural look-- it's like he gave me a summer's worth of sun-soaked hair in just an hour. My first reaction when he asked if I liked it was, "It's great! It looks like August hair in May!" And believe me, after all the rain we've been having in NYC, this change has elevated my mood.
It makes sense that my hair tells the story of a sun-soaked beachy summer because, while Stuart didn't say this about himself, it's obvious that he's inspired by beach culture--he surfs in Long Beach, LI, has a beach house in North Carolina and dresses like he's from L.A. I don't want to reveal names here, but the celebrities he's courting for endorsement of his new haircare line are synonymous with California sun, surfing, and laid back elegance.
After my color with Stuart and fabulous shampoo by the lovely Mary Clare (who was a great assistant--really nice, funny and talented-- Hope she's not pissed that I'm linking to her Myspace page, but that's what comes up as her #1 Google result), I also trusted the fabulous Whitney Olson to give me a haircut.
I didn't let her do anything drastic since I'm feeling the typical pre-wedding pressure to "grow out my hair", but while she was trimming my split ends and shaping my layers, she was such a joy to talk to! I'm not one to gossip with my stylist, but she made it so easy. I might have to go back just to test whether I can get a haircut AND therapy for a little over $100. To justify that kind of splurge in this economy, I may need to convince myself that I'm paying for mental health and not just a trim ;).
Overall the experience and the results are positive: My face is brighter and I look fresher. That's all I can really ask for! I'm too young for Botox so I'll take that type of result where I can get it.
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