Before Midnight

I’d be lying if I said that I’ve watched this trailer only once.   I’d also be lying if I said that I wouldn’t watch it again, because the truth is that I’ll probably watch it at least three more times until it finally comes out at the end of May.  I am a huge Richard Linklater fan, and Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are two of my all time favorite films.  So naturally, I’m freaking out about Linklater’s end to the series, Before Midnight, with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy – the hopelessly romantic characters whom the series was written for.  In Before Sunset, the ending (best ever!) left me wondering for days whether or not they became a couple, and in the trailer for Before Midnight it’s clear that they did. What I’m really interested in now is how Linklater will tell their story as a couple, because obviously it can’t be all hearts and stars, right?  We’ll see!

Postcard From Fez, Morocco

My favorite travel website, Fathom, just put up a postcard from my trip to Fez two years ago.  It’s making me have serious nostalgia and I want to go back now, especially as the weather starts to warm up.  It truly was a magical experience and I can’t wait to visit again, hopefully in the near future.  If you haven’t checked out Fathom and you’re planning a trip somewhere, I recommend spending some time browsing their city guides. They’re easy to understand, informative, entertaining, and full of places you might not hear or read about in other travel guides.

Dance This Mess Around

While I was adding music to my iPod this week I remembered how much I love this B-52′s song, Dance This Mess Around, from their first album.  I’ve been listening to it all week and dancing around in my car.  This is a live performance from Saturday Night Live in 1980.  So good!  I dare you not to dance. I’m off to San Luis Obispo for the weekend.  I hope all of you  have a Happy Easter!

Tim Blanks and Fashion

My friend Hollie sent me this very interesting video of Tim Blanks dissecting the phenomenon of street style photography.  The video was put out by Garage Magazine and I think it captures the culture of fashion today in a very honest way.  Tim Blanks has been my favorite fashion journalist for as long as I can remember and his references and point of view are so articulate.  I love fashion with all my heart for many reasons, and as much as I like to look at street style photos, I have to admit that the trendy part of it all can be kind of uninspiring for me.  There’s a part of me that feels a little grossed out when something catches on with everyone and you start to see it everywhere.  These things are bound to happen, I know.  I love mixing prints as much as the next girl does and I’m on the Isabel Marant bandwagon, too.  However,  there seems to be a lack of originality or authenticity in a lot of instances.  I think this video shows just that and the topic brings forth a fascinating dialogue to engage in.  I see it as something that’s not just about street style; it’s about much, much more.

Portland’s Monograph Bookwerks & Objects

A few weeks ago I went on a business trip to Portland and it was my first time to visit the city known for food, vintage, and of course Portlandia.  I was only there for 2 nights so I really packed it in, and I had some spots on my list that were must-visits and did not disappoint.  I had an epic dinner at Luce with lovely Giovanna and her husband John (who is behind both Luce and Navarre), two restaurants that are very European in style and food.  It was magnificent.  I also visited Giovanna’s store, Una, where I picked up a gorgeous ceramic piece and some pants for my husband.  I checked out Stand Up Comedy and Nationale, both fun to explore for their carefully selected merchandise and artful arrangements.  I stayed with my good friend (who just moved from LA) in her new house which nearly brought me to tears when she told me how much she paid for it. When you hear figures like that you start to wonder a tiny bit why you so desperately want to own a home in LA.  The price difference is staggering, which of course I knew but to actually hear it from someone you know is a big reality check. I did a little bit of vintage shopping but didn’t find much, although there were a few vintage shops I didn’t check out due to lack of time and I can’t help but wonder if those were the gems.  And speaking of gems, one of the most inspiring shops I’ve ever been to is in Portland.  Monograph Bookwerks & Objects is a fine art and object bookstore owned by artists John Brodie and Blair Saxon-Hill and was opened in 2010 “to provide a place in Portland for artists and the public to study, explore and purchase the best contemporary art books being published today.”  Rare, new and used art books mingle with pottery and sculptures, and the design and curation of the store is unique, inviting, and piqued my curiosity so much that I left with three very special books.  My experience at Monograph was beyond inspiring and made me feel hopeful for the publishing industry and for print. There is just too much beauty in both for them to disappear completely.  I’m already looking forward to my next Monograph Bookwerks visit, and hopefully that Le Corbusier book I wanted so badly will still be there waiting for me.

LA Art Book Fair

Last weekend, Printed Matter brought their Art Book Fair to Los Angeles and it was one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve had in a long time.  For those who are unfamiliar with Printed Matter, it is a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting the publications of artists.  The NY Art Book Fair is held annually but this was the first time the LA Art Book Fair was held and I’m sure not the last.  There were some great publishers and beautiful collections of rare art books, artwork and zines.  It was major sensory overload but Darryl and I could not get enough and we went two days in a row, taking in as much as we could while losing our minds over out of print editions and discovering new artists and authors.  I picked up a very cool Nathalie Du Pasquier (who was part of the the Memphis Group) book of paintings, a cookbook by fashion designer Susan Cianciolo that is illustrated by her daughter, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous book of photos by a Belgian textile artist that featured her thesis collection, and a book that has been on my wish list for some time – Franck André Jamme’s Tantra Song.  I’m already anticipating the next LA Art Book Fair.