lifeafterlesley

OMG

2008-05-30T01:11:00.004-04:00

LOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSTTTT!!!!!!!!
what am i going to do until january???

tuesday bloody tuesday

2008-05-20T22:49:00.004-04:00

i don't wear red too often, but i love wearing vibrant things when it's dreary out. it's like that scene in schindler's list of the little girl walking alone in her red coat amidst a doomed black & white city. anyway, after receiving a compliment on the dress at work, i was asked "are you trying to tell us something?", inferring that i was pregnant/could be pregnant/looked pregnant. um ... i really felt comfortable in and with this dress at first, but now i don't know what to think.

background, top shop hat, kenneth cole crop sweater, lux dress from fo, uo leather booties

in the jungle, the mighty jungle...

2008-05-19T01:55:00.005-04:00

wearing this today made me want to run amok with monkeys and tigers.

background, forever 21 headband, marc jacobs seersucker jacket [thrift], aa 3/4 sleeve shirt, urban renewal tunic from fo, h&m skirt, vintage booties [ebay], vintage liz claiborne purse [thrift]

robert rauschenberg r.i.p.

2008-05-14T12:03:00.005-04:00

two nights ago, my all-time favorite modern artist passed away. i'm a huge fan of mixed media and robert rauschenberg had always been the best of that league, with a spectrum of art to show for it. i'm still in awe of how he screenprinted on glass. after going several times to the met for his combines exhibition, i was inspired to make more art with the use of everyday objects, my favorite being cardboard. it is his works that validate my funny looking pieces. rebus, my most beloved rauschenberg, located at the moma:

walking with elephants

2008-05-14T01:01:00.011-04:00

there's a genuine love for elephants in our home. i've stopped counting, but last i did it was about 35 or so, from wooden & porcelain figurines, paintings, smoking pipes, tin boxes, a planter, etc etc. h&m at one point had a series of these elephant necklaces and between fo and esteph (thank you, ladies), i'd been given this silver one, along with the gold, ivory, and jade. i missed out on the onyx one though. poo.

and my poor, poor beloved boots that i can't for the life of me remember who made them or the store i got them from. HELP! i recall it being somewhere near soho. on mulberry? maybe it was just called shoe?? i fell in love with these because of the hearts etched on both ends, with its burgundy/brown hue ... and now, by far, they're the most comfortable pair of boots i own. paying $400 felt absurd at first, but really, they've been put to good use for the past 2 1/2 years. as you can see, these have gone to war and back.

um, what's up with my glasses and that glare? i swear, i'm not always cross-eyed.

background, top shop hat, american apparel dress, sweater vest [thrift], h&m skirt, gray tights

mother's day

2008-05-11T23:54:00.009-04:00

mother's day went so well that i feel badly and almost retarded that the only picture i took of today was this one. it was my mother's suggestion that we take her for brunch at sidewalk cafe [ave a & 6th st], home and birthplace of antifolk. so we headed there before noon and were able to get a table outside, with the sun beaming nicely down on us. like mother, like daughter, we both ordered the eggs florentine [poached, with spinach, avocado, and hollandaise sauce on an english muffin] and mimosas. i enjoyed my meal quite thoroughly and it kept me pretty sated for most of the day. josh, not surprisingly, had the steak & eggs. he described it as "all the fat shaved off the good part of the steak" and that their "over easy" should've been called "over over easy" for being a bit too runny. so aside from his food, i highly recommend the place. cheap. casual. and from many, many experiences with fo, they make a mean well done, salty burger.

and shut up, i love ketchup.

tomato salad & spinach brie chicken

2008-05-10T21:07:00.020-04:00

while looking through some reeaallly old saved emails, i stumbled upon this recipe for a tomato salad that i remember being damn yummy. ok, so it's really simple and i could've made this anytime, but i guess not having the recipe made me completely forget about it for the past couple of years. out of sight, out of mind i guess...

step1. cut ripe ripe tomatoes, 1/2 white onion, and mozzarella into chunks
step2. mix ingredients with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper, fresh basil (chopped)
step3. chill for 1 hr

the following is in the latest issue [may 2008] of everyday food magazine and here as well (i opted not to do the tomato orzo). the photos in the issue were 10x better than online and when i first saw it, i instantly knew i had to give it a whirl.

step1. on thinly sliced chicken breast, spread dijon mustard on one side, w/ frozen spinach [thawed]and slice of brie on top
step2. from the smaller end, roll chicken as tightly as you can
step3. place on baking sheet lined with foil, broil for 10-15 minutes

i would've been ok with eating just those two, but josh wanted a few other elements, this time being the beloved red mashed potatoes and corn on the cob (yes, we are gluttons). needless to say, the end result, like most of our homemade meals, were empty plates.

because i'm free, nothing's worrying me

2008-05-10T03:02:00.006-04:00

usually if it's raining all day (and especially if on my day off), i won't step out of the apt. i'm pretty much comfortable with being a hermit, curled up in my pjs and most likely having seven meals. today however, we had to venture downtown to support a couple of our co-workers and their band, lord awesome (over the top rock that was slightly louder than my drums could handle, but a good time nonetheless). anyway, these boots have been sitting at the bottom of the steps for nearly 2 years and decided today was the best day if any to use them. i recall getting them at filene's and wanted the yellow ones really badly, but it had black polka dots and decided against it for fear of looking too much like a bumblebee or some messed up ladybug.

and if they made these leather fanny packs in every color, i'd probably get all of them. i've only this and green [both from urban outfitters - one for $35, the other for $5 after it went on crazy sale]. the thing is, when i go to shows or know that the night may revolve around heavy drinking, i now make sure my personal belongings are attached to me. i've had far too many incidents of complete inebriation where i've lost/left cell phones, passports, IDs, and even the entire purse itself. ever since this new system, i've managed to retain all my things, even after passing out on the subway or inside a taxi.

le ballon rouge

2008-05-09T18:23:00.016-04:00

ever since i found out the red balloon would be released on dvd for the first time, i've been so excited to see it again after almost 20 years. i could hardly remember any details of the 35 minute plot, except for of course, a bright red balloon following a boy around. i clearly remembered loving it and after watching it again, the feeling remained the same.

at first the balloon seemed abnormally red, as if it was computer generated, but then i couldn't help falling in love with its personality over such a gray city. i also couldn't help falling in love with the director, albert lamorisse's 5 yr-old-son, pascal. there's nothing more adorable than a french boy running around in sweats. i wish i had the patience to screen capture my television because the children in that movie had the hottest clothes. 1950s blazers, pea coats, trimmed sweaters, and the one that most caught my eye, leatherrr schoolbags! and how sexy are narrow, cobble stoned streets. ahh europe, how i miss thee. je taime!

can punk rock be luxurious?

2008-05-09T01:09:00.007-04:00

this week's thursday styles features an article of the new john varvatos store where CBGBs use to be. i guess i'll have to stop by to see how i really feel about this, but right now i'd have to agree with mike albo. come on, really? does something like this belong on the bowery? i've always indentified that area as a gritty, old-timers place filled with character. it's sad that the flophouses which use to line that street are nearly obsolete, yet even sadder that they've been replaced with such commercialism. this proves once again how i prefer things old skool. what can i say? i've got an old soul.

also, it's disconcerning knowing such pricey things (i don't care how punk-rockish they're supposed to embody) are now sold at the very same space i puked on years and years ago. i've always felt badly about retching on that stage, but hey, that's the kind of place it was.

black & brown <3

2008-05-06T23:15:00.018-04:00

amanda and i went to a zara sale last summer and she persuaded me to get this dress [$35, last one instore]. i'm glad she did because it's one of the most comfortable things i own. also a plus, it's got large, deep side pockets ... which was a surprise since i didn't discover them until my third wear.

every now and then, josh and i will go to the village scandal, our favorite hat store hands down. reasonable prices and a plethora of goodies. i saw this straw one and immediately fell in love with it, only to find out fo had bought it a year ago. boourns. aside from that, i've purchased one-of-a-kind & handmade hats there. heaven for headgear aficionados.

he dressed this morning while i was still sleeping. met each other at work a few hours later, saw our color schemes, and high-fived each other. i swear, we didn't intend on matching.

i'm no good at photoshop

2008-05-06T00:35:00.010-04:00

though you can't tell at all, the tights are hunter green. i'm trying to milk up using tights and leggings before the dreaded summer arrives because if you know me well, i absolutely abhor the season. i don't mind the heat really, but i'm all about layers and i'm never too comfortable strutting in bare legs, unless i'm at home. i'll miss wearing all my booties. god, why can't spring be longer?

i like to keep it old skool

2008-05-04T00:32:00.031-04:00

so here's my attempt of another go at this thing. it's been years i guess, ever since livejournal. and lately i've just been thinking, why not? i debated whether or not to include those livejournal posts into the older archives, but considering how tumultuous the last few entries were, i decided against it (though it was really interesting to go back and read of those days where josh and i started seeing each other). anyway ... new life, new beginnings, new blog. unfortunately, the camera's currently defunct. poo. where the hell is my charger?? damn digital gods. what i wore today will have to wait...

we had a completely lazy weekend. and by lazy, i mean filthy sans shower, gluttonous, and television probing weekend. frankly, the perfect opportunity to bust out the ol' nintendo (mine is about 21 years old and only works on my command) and my favorite game of all time, super mario bros 3. and because i'm completely anti-warping and skipping boards, it took a good 3 hours to defeat koopa. that included finding all hidden items, getting ninety-nine lives, etc. but come to think of it, what i really need to perfect is beating the game as fast as possible, without dying, like this guy. can we say neeerrd!! but oh man, how awesome.