My Daily O

I know, I know, it's been way too long to call it that. But I just couldn't resist - I love this image from the Rebranding America spread in this month's Paper mag. It was a good issue all around, especially because my boyfriend Gael was on the cover.

National Sovereignty Day

It's about time...

BAGHDAD — Iraq declared a public holiday Tuesday to celebrate the official withdrawal of American troops from the country’s cities and towns, emptying the streets as many people stayed home because they feared violence.

Read more here.

Well Done Sam Mendes

Last night I had a movie date night and not only was it nice to relax after the crazy packed weekend we had, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the film Away We Go. I knew it was going to be a sweet indie hipster love story (which I do like) but never did I expect to find myself in such hysterics that I blushed with embarrassment over my lack of ability to stop laughing. Thank God for dark theaters. I guess I should have guessed it with SNL's Maya Rudolph and The Office's John Krasinski as the leads — who not only did an amazing job making me laugh but also at telling the darker side of the plot. Leave it to Dave Eggers, of course, to write a screenplay with the perfect mix of humor and seriousness.

Knowing it was written by him was my reason for wanting to see it, but it wasn't until the credits rolled that I realized it was directed by Sam Mendes. Kate Winslet's husband was also behind Revolutionary Road, another film I watched and loved recently. Although they both tackled a bit of the my-life-turned-out-different-than-I-thought-it-would theme, I had the complete opposite reaction to each. Instead of the uncontrollable laughter of Away We Go, Revolutionary Road caused a massive amount of uncontrollable tears, followed by a day of depression. Sounds bad I know, but if a movie has that much of an affect on me, I have to love it. So for obviously different reasons, I highly recommend both films.

Sweetness...

Any Fun - Coconut Records - Music Video

I really do love Jason Schwartzman - it's funny that Coconut Records makes the exact music that I would think he would make. It's just so sweet, like him. I love Chloe Sevigny too, of course, since she pretty much is the coolest girl in the world. Check out this sweet and cool vid.

Not So Random Sunday (Gay Pride)

NEW YORK CITY—The gay liberation movement in Central Park, 1970.

The gay rights movement was born 40 years ago this weekend, when the New York City police force raided a popular Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, and for the first time, patrons at the bar fought back. The backlash and the several nights of protest that followed have come to be known as the Stonewall Riots—and the start of the gay rights movement.

House Guests

Even being unemployed and all, it is still hard to find time to blog with friends in town. Welcome to NYC Rachel and Julia, if the rest of your time in this city is anything like the first few days, it is going to be great! So here is a little peak at what these two new to New York residents and I have been doing since I've been absent from the Internet:

Wearing head-to-toe sequin outfits

Dressing like 1950s secretaries

Sneaking into a baseball games

Riding the Staten Island Ferry

Chilling out at concerts in Prospect Park

and much more...

I Heart Unemployment

Just watched the United States soccer team beat Spain (the best team in the world who haven't had a goal scored on them since April 1) 2-0 at a bar with my dad (you should have heard him hollering at the TV) and rode my bike home in the rain (you should have seen me completely drenched). A pretty amazing win for the U.S., a pretty amazing afternoon for myself.

Read about it if you want here.

Nothing Beats a Good 'Stache

Where does my obsession with boys with facial hair come from? I really don't know. Possibly it's because my dad had a mustache (even though I do prefer beards) during my childhood - and we are all supposed to end up with someone that reminds us of our fathers anyway, right? But I have certainly found myself turned off by guys that act like my pops in the past, but that was probably just a result of the immaturity of my formative years. Ha.

Sometimes I think it is because facial hair can make a guy that is not-so-cute-in-the-face actually cute, just by covering it all up. Wow just kidding, that is a horrible thing to say, and mostly not true. Well, I guess I am lucky that hair on the face is so trendy these days, there are just so many beards to choose from.

Thanks for the reminder A Cup of Joe.

Victorian Bohemian

Okay, now that I no longer work for their rival, I can shout off the mountain tops or just tell you that I love Teen Vogue. That is still to say that in no way do think it's a realistic representation of teenage fashion, and is still even aspirational for myself at 28. But that is the point of Vogue now isn't it? Anyway, I love this month's Emma Watson cover shoot, everything from the location, to the dark makeup, to the clothes, of course. Poofy sleeves, fields of purple lupines, and cluttered living rooms - love it.

Father's Day 2009

I think this was the first Father's Day that I actually got to spend with my dad in at least four years. And it was just perfect. Myself (Aunt Magel), Aaron, Deanna, Maisie, India, Ma (Jackie), Bobba (Dad and India's first word), brunch and futbol. And let me tell you about that baby India - I was at A & D's for almost 10 hours and I barely even heard a whimper out of her - only ooohs, gurgles and laughs as she chilled on the couch and watched soccer with us, as her older sister twirled around the room, sang and danced. I think that Maisie might just be a star. Those two, as Deanna would say, just kill me. Here are some pics.

Brilliant.

Just Brilliant.


Thanks The Bedlam of Beefy.

Thought of the Day

Well it's not actually my thought, but this quote got stuck in my brain after watching the Italian film The Orange Thief today.

"Sometimes the best moments in your life are lived in the dreams of other people."

Sort of depressing, but possibly true.

Not So Random Sunday (Happy Father's Day)

ARMENIA—On the shore of Lake Sevan, 1972.

NEW YORK—Harlem, 1956.

The Modern Lovers

I have always loved the Modern Lovers, now I love them even more. I mean, I guy who understands a "Girlfriend," not so bad. Good song. Good man. Nice Hair.

Thought of the Day

I think one of the most important things in life is learning from your mistakes, but at the same time, one of the hardest things in life is breaking a habit. So what happens when your mistakes become habits?

Fuck New York

Snapped this shot last night. Man this city cracks me up, even the stop lights are flipping us off.

Girls Will Be Girls

So Courtney and I have a new roommate (a man!) and yesterday I think we gave him a serious taste of what his future may have in store, or at least one extreme girly version of it. First off, he walks upstairs and we are in the midst of our second bottle of wine and at the tail end of He’s Just Not that Into You. Let me tell you that movie is really depressing - it gave Mary, Court and I such anxiety that we had to pause it for a cigarette break. Are women really just terribly desperate (like my desperate love wall?) and men just assholes? Yes yes I know, it’s a terrible rom com chick flick (and I am admitting to to the world that I watched it), but still, that shit was rough.

So back to more girliness for the new roomie, not only were we drinking wine and watching Jennifer Aniston try to find love again, the entire living room was covered in clothes. Ha! It’s actually kind of exciting, we spent the day taking pics for our new online vintage store, and our living room has of course been turned into our warehouse. Well, at least he didn't come in mid fashion shoot. Anyway, we will be selling all our old goodies on Etsy for pretty amazingly cheap. So stay tuned for more details and in the mean time have a sneak peak at some of our pics. Got to love The Bell Jar.

Fa Fa Fa Fa French...

I spent a lazy Wednesday afternoon (unemployment has it's benefits) at Megan's house watching one Flight of the Conchords episode after another. It was especially nice since I haven't been able to watch any TV at my house since I turned it on the other day to find some dude lecturing me about the fact that I haven't bought the neccessary converter box. Anyway, Flight of the Conchords is ridiculous and funny and a good show to completely zone out and not really pay attention to, so I thought I would share with you my favorite little sketch. Despite my actually never having been to France (maybe this summer?), I have been into sweet and girly French tunes recently. So this was naturally the perfect thing to make me smile.

Truth

Pretty Lady

This Sartorialist pic from the Roaring 20s party on Governor's Island (how do I get invited?) struck me as quite lovely. Okay I'll admit, the girl kind of looks (hair, coloring, eyes etc) and dresses like me. What can I say, I'm a bit vain at times. But anyway, she's inspired me to break out my Oxfords for my trip into Manhattan this afternoon. Let me tell you, unemployment is strange, I just run lots of errands.

I Heart Craigslist

Looking for jobs today and came across this posting.

writter needed (manhattan ny)

michael anthony
thirdstonepostoffice.com or search in youtube.com under 1thirdstone1 ( search on web before calling)

$125 salary. eight page spoof on president addressing the country and postal employee in the country.

Writer needed, indeed.

Do You Remember Your First Ice Cream Cone?

This was Maisie's.

This was theirs, at least in a while.

Out of Guantánamo, Uighurs Bask in Bermuda

ST. GEORGE, Bermuda — Almost exactly seven years after arriving at Guantánamo in chains as accused enemy combatants, and four days after their surprise predawn flight to Bermuda, four Uighur Muslim men basked in their new-found freedom here, grateful for the handshakes many residents had offered and marveling at the serene beauty of this tidy, postcard island.
...
“I went swimming in the ocean for the first time ever yesterday, and it was the happiest day of my life,” said Salahidin Abdulahat, 32.

Read more here.

Cat Power

A mysterious cat wandered into our house today. Do you think he/she has some psychic feline ability to know that we miss this guy and his bro?




Aren't these pics amazing? Apparently the lion belonged to this nice guy and that young girl is Melanie Griffith. Wow. Is that what it's like to grow up famous?

Thanks Cat Party.

My Mom's Favorite Painting

"Christina's World" by Andrew Wyth
Painted in 1948, the work was a stroke of luck and delayed memory. One day, as Wyeth happened to look out his upstairs window, he saw his next-door neighbor — a young woman named Christina Olsen, whom he had been painting for some time — crawling across a field of wheat. Christiana had had polio as a child. Later, Wyeth made sketches of the Olsen house, added a field surrounding it, and, as an afterthought, inserted Christina in a pink dress in the foreground. Out of nowhere an American had created a one-painting version of conservative surrealism, a painting with what felt like American values, but that was riddled with mystery and something unknowable. In 1949, the Museum of Modern Art purchased the picture. Today, “Christina’s World” is a tourist destination, a picture people puzzle over and love.

And If I Ever Do Get Down...

...I can look at this delicious photo and my sorrows will all melt away. Oh Johnny, how are you so perfect?


Thanks Because I'm Addicted.

The View From My New Office...

Not so bad, eh? I'm going to go with my brother Michael's train of thought on this one and think that unemployement is the best thing that ever happened to me. Hopefully.

You see Friday, unbenost to me until I was called into that lovely HR office and asked if I needed a glass of water, was my last day of work. I'm feeling pretty alright about the situation right now (also considering our wonderful economy, I knew this day was coming) and my head is swirling with all the different possible ways I can spend this paid summer vacation and well, the rest of my life. It feels nice to stare out my window and daydream, and of course take naps in the afternoon...

Looks like this blog may take a whole new direction, now chronicling the life of yet another unemployed editor. Stay tuned.

San Francisco Through the Eyes of Another Megan

More photos from my trip to SF. Yes I know, it was so yesterday, but I just can't help myself. Thanks for the pics and the sweet memories Megs. Man that really was one dirty sweatshirt.