little reminders

found this the other day it reminded me of this

best friends forever?

only one dynamic duo is still going strong.

pretty baby

milla jovovich was 13 years old in this photo. life is good when you don't have an awkward stage

summer face

out of africa (1985)

usually when august comes around I like to watch movies that take place in far-away exotic locations...today, I was thinking about sydney pollack's film out of africa..there is so much visual style in this film from the cinematography of africa to the long retreats into pastoral landscapes...I think what I like most about this film is this moment caught of meryl streep's face...she not only looks so naturally beautiful, but also so tranquil and zen-like....she really represents the way one should want to look and feel this time of year....what a lovely summer face!

an angel at my table

maely

I thought it would be appropriate to take a moment and dedicate this photo to our dear friend cristhian....I was really moved by his recent experience in argentina and all that he has been going through in his life...I was particularly touched by the moments he shared with his niece maely...I know I don't know her, but she seems very wise and mature beyond her years, as well as quite the model....perhaps, in the future she can come to hollywood and be a guest model for our blog. I especially liked the story he told me about spending time with her by a train track....I couldn't help but think of some scenes from walter salles film central station....it is interesting how his life always seems to resemble a film. at any rate, I feel that all he is experiencing right now will really help him grow as an artist...somehow, I wouldn't be surprised if he completes his 100th drawing by the end of the week.

what a day!

photo by corinne day

as a tween, I grew up admiring this photo from the face magazine of a young kate moss.....photographer and icon maker corinne day will forever be missed....R.I.P.

girl-woman

photo by annie leibovitz

vanity fair magazine had so many interesting photos in the 90's...one of my personal favorites is this one of actress natalie portman. I like how she looks so young and innocent, but still mature and beautiful....there is something kind of audrey hepburn about natalie portman in that they both can do that girl-woman thing that has no age....such a rare combination to find...but I do think there are couple of other actresses who do this look very well....my personal favorites are winona ryder, keira knightley, and audrey tatou...they are all perfect examples of the girl-woman.

smell the roses

I snapped this photo of my sister a couple of years ago...she is quite the natural beauty. I don't know if my sis knows it or not, but I was inspired by that annie leibovitz photo of natalie portman...of course, I didn't want to copy it exactly, but I liked the concept of that photo and tried to do my own version. nature is always an excellent source of inspiration...I don't know why but I have always thought they kind of look alike in these photos. perhaps, that is up to the viewer to decide.....

kimono shape

photo by irving penn

I am so proud that my sister finally listened to me and bought her first calvin klein bathrobe. she will definitely enjoy the look and feel of it, but she should know that a bathrobe is not just for homebodies. I always try to make my stay at home look very similar to my outgoing style. whether you prefer a bathrobe or kimono shape...I always say mix it up with a hat, belt, or unique pair of shoes and you are ready to go out. not only is this look comfortable, but it is super chic.

the infamous robe

for years my sister would go on about how great robes were. i never got it....until recently. maybe its because i've become more of a homebody, or maybe they really are that great. it started with my fuzzy purple winter robe, and continues with my lightweight calvin klein summer robe that my sister raves about. yes, she was right, sometimes there is nothing nicer than a quiet friday night at home in my robe.

first fruit of the season cake

the apple trees are blooming, which leads me to think of creative ways to use the fruits. a few days ago i made cinnamon applesauce, and the leftovers got used to make this apple coffee cake. next, i have bags and bags of pears to work with. any good pear ideas?

silver haired beauty

photos by philip riches

nobody can do silver hair quite like supermodel kristen mcmenamy....I like to think of her look as goth in reverse.

the scenic route

my sister has been doing a good job of blogging for the both of us lately. but today i'm back with some photos from my recent trip to central california. sometime i forget what a beautiful state we live in. many small beaches in california look just as beautiful as the south of france. enjoy the view.

blond ambition

I don't know about you, but I am slowly starting to appreciate madonna's now-infamous cone brassiere look designed by jean-paul gaultier.

under surveillance

I have been feeling a little nostalgic for some of tom ford's classic campaigns for when he designed at gucci...my personal favorite is this fall/winter 1997 ad. I love how voyeuristic it looks with fine tailoring and a touch of 80's. tom ford was so good at creating fashion fantasy...I can't think of another designer who could come up with something quite as interesting as this surveillance video style look.


photos by mario testino

flashing lights

directed by spike jonze and kanye west (2008)

I have always felt that kanye west's video for his song flashing lights was a bit underrated...that is probably why I appreciate the look and style of it. the video is filmed in slow-motion and starts with a mustang rolling onto the screen and stopping at dusk into the desert. as the bright taillights turn off playboy model rita g. exits the car dressed in a wig, fur coat, and large black sunglasses. walking away from the car, she strips down to her lingerie and lights her clothes on fire. we only see kanye west for a minute, when the woman opens the trunk to reveal him lying in it and tied up. she gently strokes his scared face and gives him a light kiss, before picking up her shovel. as the camera pans out, the woman raises the shovel over her head and repeatedly stabs it into the trunk. the video then quickly cuts to the words "flashing lights" written in red letters against a black screen before ending... I think what I like most about this video is that it is simple and controversial. the video has suggested violence, but you don't really see any of it....a bit mysterious in my mind. I am actually quite intrigued by what happened before the video starts and what happened after...definely one for thought.

a parasol for the summer

a pucci dress paired with a parasol umbrella

I do love a good hat, but sometimes when it gets really hot I just want to wear a parasol with a simple dress...you really can't go wrong, it is the perfect accessory for the summertime.

the age of innocence

mia farrow

there is something so angelic about mia farrow...she really has such a perfect face- with her cheekbones, eyes, nose, and mouth...at moments she could almost look like a porcelain doll. I think what I like most about her look is that she doesn't wear a lot of make-up...I have always felt that women look their best when they wear less on their faces. sometimes, natural is the way to go.

happy anniversary!

vogue brides 1961

today, is my sister and brother-in-law's four year wedding anniversary....congratulations to them!.... I thought I would celebrate with some vintage brides. personally, I am more fond of the way widows dress, but there is something about these brides that I find so appealing. I wonder which bride my sister likes best?

the pj persona

polly jean harvey

not only is british rocker, pj harvey, a chameleon of musical genres, but she is also a chameleon of style. I admire her intense performance persona...she is almost like a vegas showgirl who has seen the dark side. who could forget her heavy turquoise eye shadow with those bright red lips and her pale skin from her down by the water video? there is such a brooding quality to her music that matches so well with her unique beauty. she is a true original....if only more female musicians were like this.

puzzle power

steven meisel jigsaw puzzle

In 2002, I discovered a secret passion for putting together jigsaw puzzles...I try to make a goal for myself to do at least 1 to 2 puzzles a year with at least 1000 or more pieces...the more challenging, the more rewarding in the end. this weekend, I finished my ninth puzzle and I am really proud of my commitment to puzzle making. you might say I am a geek, but I think it is an art. for my next one, I have my eye on this steven meisel signed, limited edition 1000 piece puzzle. The photograph on the jigsaw puzzle is a colorful, pattern-on-pattern image featuring model meghan collison as a tatooed pin-up, which originally appeared in the december 2007 issue of vogue italia....all I can think is how this would be the perfect addition to my puzzle collection.

signature schnabel

my julian schnabel signature

my dream, one day would be to start an art collection. I already have an imaginary list in my head of the artists I would like to collect...perhaps, an egon schiele, a lucien freud, a pablo picasso, and of course a julian schnabel... I had the honor of meeting him back in 2008, and although he didn't make me a plate painting, he did sign my book of his artwork...I love the way his signature looks in my book...through his cloud of cigarette smoke appears my name. yes, I know it is not exactly a schnabel painting, but I like to think I have a truly one of a kind artistic signature...totally schnabel style.

broken china

self portrait by julian schnabel (1987)

in the last couple of years, I have been really fortunate enough to see many great paintings...I will never forget the moment I saw my first gustav klimt and egon schiele in vienna...or the time I saw picasso's guernica in madrid. I guess the one painting I really would want to see is a julian schnabel plate painting. I do love looking at it in books, but I would love to see the way the surface looks in real life...hopefully, the day will come.

broken embraces

los abrazos rotos (2009)

this scene from pedro almodóvar's broken embraces reminds me so much of julian schnabel's famous plate paintings...there is such a similiar mosaic like quality between the both of them. perhaps, that is why this is one of my favorite moments from the film.

who is romy schneider?

L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)

who is romy schneider? to be honest I really don't know. I know that pedro almodóvar dedicated his film all about my mother to her, but that is all I really know. many of her movies are so obscure and hard to find...perhaps, that is why I find her so interesting as an actress. if there is one film I am very curious to see it is this one entitled that most important thing: love. the problem is it is not available in america...hopefully, one day it will come to this country...till then I have this mysterious photo and some youtube clips to watch.

belgian beauty

model anouck lepere

there are so many creative and interesting people that come out of antwerp, belgium.... some include olivier theyskens, ann demeulemeester, dries van noten and of course, supermodel and jewelry designer anouck lepere. the thing I have always loved most about her are her eyebrows. I admire the way anouck keeps them full, clean and structured. who doesn't love a natural eyebrow look?... personally, I have similiar brow shape so it is no wonder why she has always been a total source of eyebrow inspiration.

a woman's right to shoes

hussein chalayan spring/summer 1998

to my fellow sister in black, thank you so much for my new calvin klein stellah croc patent sandals...I can't believe you found them, they are everything I have been looking for. now, I can be as stylish as you in them....somehow, when thinking about these shoes I was reminded of this hussein chalayan look from spring/summer 1998. perhaps, in the future you could drape me a silhouette like this....I think my new sandals would be perfect with this shape....what do you think?

isn’t she deneuvely?

catherine deneuve

x marks the spot...who doesn't love a criss cross in the back?...I'm always attracted to dresses that have more going on in the back rather than the front.

a lang a lang lang

helmut lang spring/summer 2002

this is one of those collections that I always like to think back on, particularly in the way helmut lang balances hard with soft. in this photo, I like the way lang mixes boyish pants with a black cutout tank-top and some bondage-style harnesses....a perfect pairing of masculine and feminine.

follow the lines

kate moss

there is so much I love about a simple black dress especially one that fits like a glove and can be transformed into whatever shape and style you want....I admire the way kate moss wears this LBD...I think it has something to do with those four black line shapes on her upper half-area and how she adds some structure with a belt....a look that is totally modern, yet focused.

fast as you can

photo by ryan mcginley

run tilda run...I do love a strong color contrast especially when it involves a black dress in movement with a green forest background.

always the hours

the hours (2002)
I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. you know, that feeling? and I remember thinking to myself this is the beginning of happiness. this is where it starts. and of course there will always be more. it never occurred to me it wasn’t the beginning. it was happiness. it was the moment. right then. — clarissa vaughn; the hours

sometimes, when I listen to music, read books, or watch movies I like to write down quotes, passages, or lyrics that I can apply to my own life....I remember when I saw the hours and read the book I was deeply affected. I started to think about how most humans are not living in the present hour, but in the idea of the next, or the hour to come. I try to remind myself of this quote from time to time. whether I have a good or bad day, it helps me to realize that despite everything we cannot help but like life, the people, the pollution, the chaos, everything we whine about, everything that takes up our hours and makes our lives worth living and remembering....I guess that is the purpose of a good quote it helps you to examine your own life on a deeper and personal level.

camouflage

photo by ferdinando scianna

I guess this is what you call life imitating art...I so need to do a photo like this.

shiny happy people

feeling bleu

bleu (1993)

I think what I admire most about fashion photographer steven meisel is the way he takes inspiration from cinema and incorporates that into his own photography. you can definetly see a film influence in his work for italian vogue over the past decade...some of my favorites include his homage to ingmar bergman's persona, wong kar-wai's in the mood for love, and his interpretation of ridley scott's bladerunner. recently, I came across this meisel italian vogue editorial of supermodels floating in the water, which reminded me of krzysztof kieślowski's 1993 film bleu...I don't know if he was inspired by this film, but in my mind I like to think that he was.


photo by steven meisel (1999)