Red Beans and Rice Didn’t Miss Her

So, after my long-overdue post last week, a friend sat me down for a serious conversation about my lack of posts. In between her berating and me cowering, she made a diagnosis: that my laziness is due in part to, well, laziness, as well as a lack of topics to discuss. I obviously cannot argue with the first, and have to admit that the second holds true as well. Being the summertime, I really have a basic boring uniform: khakis and polos for work, maxi dresses and white skirts and band tshirts for play. Believe me when I say that this is not the stuff bloggers are made for.

However, I am resolved to amend this fashion shortage with increased music and culture posts, as well as to introduce a new cooking section, a hobby that I have taken up recently and have become quite good at (though I’m sure I’ll never match the wit and talent of Adam at The Amateur Gourmet! Go check it out for great food writing!). So, onto the new post!

The day after my last post here, I went to go see one of my absolute favorite bands, The Hold Steady, at the Starland Ballroom, a local venue. Words cannot describe how phenomenal that concert was, and thus I am resigned to give you pictures (We were front row center [I seem to have good luck with this, see my Kooks concert]! Madison made friends with the bassist! It was crazy!)

St. Craig

The Hold Steady isn't for wimps

Now, you know Jersey is the best state ever when we can teach Minnesotans to fist pump.

Rock on

-A

It’s the End of the World As We Know It (& I Feel Fine)

Wow. I am horrible. I think instead of apologizing, I’m just going to go ahead and pretend that it hasn’t been more than two months since my last post. Lalalalala I can’t hear you!

Here are the promised pictures from my recent life;

Not my most attractive picture, but this is me only seconds before my near death experience in the back of a pick-up as it raced around my high school’s campus (it’s a mountain) with no seatbelts, padding or safety gear – accompanied only by my foolhardy friends and a rainbow-painted paper mache cat stolen from the library, appropriately named ‘Rainbokat’. (That is not a cigarette, by the way, but a noisemaker)

More has happened, but I was just too lazy to document it. I’m going to the Hold Steady concert tomorrow night at Starland in Sayerville; expect photos!

-A

I’m Just a Teenage Dirtbag, Baby

Ok, so I’m sure that many of you are rolling your eyes and shaking your fists in light of my excessively long posting hiatus. I am ashamed to call myself a blogger and I prostate myself at your feet, begging for forgiveness, ok? Ok.

So, in recent news, I’ve finally gotten my life together: after spending much of the early spring in a deep depression as college after college wrote to tell me that I was just not good enough, I am thrilled to tell you that I have figured out where I’m going next year! (But it’s for me to know, and you to probably never find out) I’m also a few short weeks away from the culmination of my high school career – graduation – and all sorts of other shennanigans, like prom (Don’t worry, you’ll get to see some pictures [my dress is KILLER. too bad it's in Italy till May 10])

In the meantime, I’ll amuse you with some recent photos that I enjoy:

Yes, that is me. Wearing a lion head. I. Am. Boss.

I also spend my days (actually just my time at school) surfing the web for photography, and my newest discovery has literally blown my mind – I’m honored to even be alive on the same planet with him. Seattle-based Aaron Morris documents his city with a mixture of surrealism and grit that is captivating. I spent hours on his website the first day, and I’m sure I’ll spend hours more still. Further digging has revealed that Urban Outfitters carries my favorite photo of his, Record Hunting (see below), as a wall mural, which is unfortunately out of my price range, but insanely seductive nonetheless.

-A

Rain, Rain, Go Away…

On a rainy day in New Jersey, I don’t want to do anything but look at extemely expensive clothin on Net-a-porter. This is why it’s nice to have a laptop during school; because who really cares about apportionment methods anyway?

The theme for the day was to match the cloudy skies outside, though I got a little funky with the electric blue bag. Enjoy the fruits of my Discrete math class!

How cute is this A.P.C. smock dress?
Very arty chic – I think it would be at home in a French garrett.

 

In the immortal words of Rachael Zoe, “Do you die? I die.”
These Fendi boots are pretty much the most fantastic thing I’ve ever seen. Plus the stud detail is impeccable.

 

Maybe this Hervé Léger dress isn’t the most body forgiving,
but if you can pull it off, it’s pure killer chic.

 

This Marc by Marc Jacobs watch is precious in that fantastic, kooky way that only Marc can do.

 

I love the color of this Mulberry -
it’d be perfect for adding a splash of color to a neutral outfit

 

 

I’m not sure how Stella McCartney does it; just how she can be so chic all the time.
If I can’t get her secret myself, I suppose I’d settle for this velvet kimono dress that’s the perfect combination of 70s opulence and a minimalist silhouette.

 

Hope everybody voted!

-A

Gadzooks! Batman is Unmasked

Wow, and so you finally get to see what I wear. Hope you’re not disappointed…

Lumberjack or Undergrad?

Shirt – somewhere from Bloomingdales
Cardigan – J. Crew
Jeans – Wet Seal (I know, I know…)

Lo-lee-ta

Skirt – The Gap
Shoes – Payless
Shirt – my madre (Probably L.L.Bean ’cause she lives there)

 

Professional procrastinator

Blazer – J.Crew
Shirt – Nautica by the way of my father
Scarf – I’m not sure? I got it at some Tibetian street vendor in Princeton

 

Revealingly yours

-A

Nature’s Eye Photography

Hey everyone, sorry about all the delays. I promise there’s a few posts in the works, they’ll see the light of day once my computer and camera decide to start working in harmony rather than discord.

I just wanted to drop a few lines to talk about my amazing and talented friend who’s website I just happened upon, only to find a picture of myself. She’s pretty effin’ awesome, so everyone should go check out her website….

 http://natureseyephotography.datajump.com/home.aspx

(here’s the photo of me…and I promise I’m not as chubby as I look. It was the very large flannel and shearling jacket I’m wearing, I swear!)

 

-A

What? I’m Not Dead?

Ok, hold off on the stone throwing and the witch burning; I’m back from the dead. I know there’s no excuse good enough to justify a nearly two month hiatus, but I really was busy people! I’ve just begun my senior year, and let me tell you my new conspiracy theory: last year, the cafeteria ladies teamed up with our evil guidance department and fed us girls some sort of psychedelic, hallcuniation-inducing drugs in order to influence us into taking the classes they wanted us to take. I think this is the only viable explaination as to why I signed up for AP Literature, AP Psychology, and AP European History, as well as an honors Economics course that I hypothesize will be both the death of me and my GPA.

But that’s enough ranting – now on to the good stuff.

Culture-wise, I went out last night and saw the movie adaptation of the amazing Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Choke, which if you haven’t read, I really reccomend it. The movie was just as amazing (what is with the excellence of the movie versions of his books? First Fight Club, now Choke? Maybe Chuck just gets lucky with his directors.) I won’t ruin the whole thing for you, but all I can say is that I want to be a sex addict if they all look as delicious and disheveled as Sam Rockwell.

In terms of music, I’ve been listening to alot of the same albums continuiously of late:

Band of Horses – Cease to Begin

Travis – The Boy With No Name

Guillemots – From the Cliffs-EP (I know I’ve mentioned this band before, haven’t I? If you’re not already listening to them, you really ought to be.)

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – The Boatman’s Call

There are a few others, but I’m far too lazy to find my iPod, so apologies.

As for fashion, I have been having a fantastic time shopping of late. My new favorite purchase just came home from Nordstrom’s last weekend – a black and white plaid flannel shirt, much like the traditional lumberjack style, but altered with an empire waist and a buttoned strip to hold up the rolled sleeves. I also picked up a green and yellow plaid wool skirt from the gap, that I really adore, but I’m having a hard time working with the silhouette on my body, so I’m not sure if I’ll have to take it back. I’ve also been playing with a different silhoueete of jeans than what I’m typically accostomed to – somewhere between my favorite skinny jeans and my baggy boyfriend’s, they’re cut straight down and I’m loving them with a long sleeved t-shirt and a button down sweater vest.

On another note, I’ve been toying with the idea of slightly altering the format of this blog and including photos of myself in some of my favorite, most inspired outfits, much like the way the brilliant Rumi of Fashion Toast does it (If you’re not already reading her blog, you ought to join the rest of the country and me and read it religiously).

Its good to be back

-A

School Supplies and Sweaters; An Ivy League Investigation

So it’s finally August, and you know what that means? Its finally time to start back to school shopping! I’m sort of like Tom Hank’s character in You’ve Got Mail when he tells Meg Ryan that he’d like to send her a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils; I don’t think there’s anything better than a freshly stocked Staples filled with ball point pens and binders.

Alright, I take the above statement back, because I can definately think of better things, like my new favorite thing to wear – brightly colored cardigans. I guess some of you are probably thinking somthing along the lines of ‘duh’, but I’m serious! My collection thus far is a cheerful bright orange and a sexy three-quater sleeved purple one, and I am happily addicted. I want one in every color they make Skittles in. When I’d worn cardigans previously, I had been more enamored with the Kurt Cobain silhouette; long, messy, maybe a little over-worn, but now I love the prep school irony that accompanies something so tailored but exuberant. Once the temperature drops, I’ve got a great tan blazer that the purple will look amazing under! Even better than the plain bright colors are the embellished ones with detailed prints, embroideries, etc. Anthropologie has an endless array of these – I want the one with the fish swimming accross it so bad!

September-ly Yours

-A

Channel 2 News and Dead Rockstars

Sorry I’m so behind and irregular with the postings; I’m actually leaving again tomorrow, so it’ll be at least another 10 days before a new post, so here I am with a farewell update.

Two nights ago I went to see Brett Dennen open up for John Mayer at the PNC Bank Arts Center, which is one of the best outdoor venues in my neck of the woods. My friend and I got there just in time to catch his set, which was brilliant, and hear the debut of two new songs off of his new album which will be dropping in late October. If you haven’t listened to this guy before, start doing so now. He got a big boost last year when his single ‘Ain’t No Reason’ was released as the iTunes free download of the week, but I am still amazed that someone with his talent has gone so widely unrecognized. He writes like Dave Matthews or a young Bob Dylan – and given my level of obsession with said Bob Dylan, that is the highest compliment I can pay someone – and counts among his fans John Mayer himself. I think he is one to watch among the talented numbers of folk-rock today.

John Mayer’s set was also impressive – he won points with me, a true New Jersey girl, when he opened with the Springsteen classic “I’m On Fire” and the performance only went up from there. He also surprised me with his humor, telling the enthusiastic crowd that the best part of playing shows in the tristate area is that the television channels are where they’re supposed to be – “Channel 2 is your CBS affiliate, etc.” Sandwiched in between Brett Dennen and John Mayer, however, was Colbie Caillat. Though I was pleasantly suprised that her voice holds up in performance, I still find her songs laughably juvenile.

On to today – while waiting for a friend to run some errands, I rediscovered my copy of Killing Yourself to Live, by Chuck Klosterman. Aside from my all consuming obsession with the man – he makes my list of men old enough to be my father who I would like to date and/or marry and/or procreate with – the book is a genuinely funny and intelligent discovery of the correlation between rock’n'roll and death. Aside from the pop culture value it has, it is also a road story of Chuck’s various foibles and faults. I don’t know if there is anyone alive with a more interesting psychological profile, but what I do know is that he writes some of the few books that can make me laugh out loud.

 

-A

Guess Who’s Back, Back Again?

I can’t believe I just quoted Eminem. Wow.

Anyway, I’m home! Did you miss me? I had the greatest time these past few weeks; I have so many stories, it’s ridculous. But back to business. Last night, as a welcome home party sort of thing, my friend Nicole (who I have previously mentioned, have I not?) decided that a little road trip into the best college town in the country, aka, Princeton, New Jersey, was in order. After feasting on banana pancakes at PJ’s we went into what I believe is the most beautiful place in the world – the Princeton Record Exchange. If any of you are familiar with the fabulous John Cusak movie High Fidelity, I swear PREX is the type of place Rob Gordon would frequent.

Anyway, when I was perusing through the wall of used CDs I spotted a promo copy of the Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward collaboration called She & Him (I got it for $2, can you believe?) Initially I was hesitant to purchase the CD, but because it was so cheap, I bought it anway, and I am so glad I did. Deschanel’s voice is eons better than what I had anticipated; it has a lovely clear bell quality that I throughly enjoyed, and M. Ward’s trademark quirkiness was there in surprising, subtle ways. Content wise, I’ve heard better lyrics, obvioiusly, but it’s not a bad effort for Deschanel’s first time out of the gate.

Go buy it. I get the feeling that this is a duo that we will be hearing more from.

-A