All of This and Nothing

A week or so ago I posted some old ads from an issue of Purple in 2003 and mentioned how great the editorials were back then. Not that 2003 was so long ago, but those of you who followed the magazine in its earlier years know what I’m sayin’.  This editorial in particular is one of my favorites and was shot by Laetitia Benat.  It features Mehdi Belhaj Kacem, a French-Tunisian actor, writer, and philosopher along with Alexandra Koubichkine, a Russian beauty that floors me with her chic simplicity.  They seem to be a couple but I’m not too sure, and I’m uncertain about Alexandra’s background.  All I know is that this does it for me.  The natural light, the grittiness of the photos, the setting, and the idea that not every fashion editorial has to be over-styled is what I’m attracted to.

Los Abrazos Rotos

I am a huge Pedro Almodóvar fan and I have been anxiously waiting for his new film, Broken Embraces, to be released.  One of the reasons why I respect his work so much is because of his ability to bring forth strong female characters, usually played by his muse, Penélope Cruz.   It’s hard to find good films these days that portray women as the incredible, intuitive, and passionate humans that they are, and Almodóvar does so beautifully.  I can’t help but get the feeling that he is a perfectionist, and I really appreciate that.  He has a way of capturing the essence of all of the characters in his films through underlying messages, mood, color, and overall aesthetics.  I found these amazing shots on the Broken Embraces website and it got me all wound up about the movie, so I thought I’d post the trailer as well.  I’ll end this with a quote from the one and only Almodóvar, speaking of the film: “This is also something new for me. I do feel that this film is a true declaration of love for cinema. I could almost say that cinema perfects all the irregularities, or the imperfections, of life.”

Color Me Happy

Hisham Akira Bharoocha is a fairly recent discovery for me.  I am particularly inspired by his psychedelic collages that are full of colorful detailed illustrations and images of people and animals.  They’re totally chaotic but kind of peaceful at the same time, and I want to make a long silk dress out of one them.  A couple of the collages are reminiscent of Tsumori Chisato’s prints in that they have that element of fantasy and randomness to them.  You can see more of Hisham’s work here.

Thank You

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hoopla of the holidays, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday for a couple of reasons: there’s no gift giving involved and it’s about recognizing what you’re thankful for in your life.  The food factor doesn’t hurt either, and this year I’m pretty lucky to have two Thanksgivings to celebrate with two sides of my family.  Also, my brother-in-law and his fiance’ have been cooking up some Turkish meals that are to die for, and I’m getting my palate ready for our trip to Turkey next May.  I’m a pretty lucky lady and I have a lot to be thankful for: my health, my work, all of you that read this blog, and of course:

A superstar husband

My family

So many amazing friends and equally amazing memories

And plenty of good meals.

Short and Sweet

Feeling a little under the weather but thought I’d post these lovely photos of Lou Doillon taken from an old issue of Anthem magazine.  While I was looking at these today I asked myself, “What is it about her that everyone loves?”  I can’t speak for everyone else but to me it’s her awkward kind of beauty that I’m drawn to.  I like her perfect pout that covers her toothy grin and her easy style that is just the right mix of masculine and feminine.  And that hair?  Pretty much the ideal kind, no?

And All the World is Biscuit-Shaped

I wish bands these days were more like XTC.  Wait, maybe not.  Maybe they can just take some pointers from them, that way XTC can still be super special all on their own.  I’m off to San Luis Obispo for the weekend to visit my in-laws and my brother-in-law and his fiance’ who are both visiting from Turkey. We’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving a little early which means lots of food and fireside chats.  That and a whole lot of reading for my Jane Austen book club.  First up, Sense and Sensibility.  I’ll leave you with one of my all time favorite songs: