Haunting Performance

I took a beginner's singing class recently and one of the assignments was to write our own lyrics. Ths point was that, by writing our own lyrics, we would sing differently. The best singers, after all, don't just spout out meaningless words. They really tell a story. The most recent and stirring example of this for me was Adele at the VMAs. I've watched this performance numerous times and, every time, it gives me chills. The performance is strikingly emotive. To me, it looks like she's experiencing her breakup right there on the stage and the man she's talking to is standing somewhere in the audience.

~JP Pullos

Look at Those Curves!

You may remember back in July I posted about the ecookie, a cookie that you can use to stir your coffee with. In my research for that post, I came across one of the co-designer's website. His name is Victor Lopes and he is uber-talented. Case-in-point: this bicycle. Have you ever seen a sexier two-wheeler? If I saw someone riding this down the street I would definitely whistle. I've never been tempted to steal someone's bike before but this one would be worth the trouble!

~JP Pullos

Excuses, excuses

As I was thinking about writing a post today for Ooh La La Du Jour...my mind was immediately filled with excuses....excuses for why I haven't been able to get into any rhythm of regular posting for a few weeks now. Sure, the beginning of the semester was a bit bumpy...but it's almost October now so that excuse doesn't really fly. Then there is the 5K Laura and a bunch of dear friends and I are running this Saturday, October 1. The George Eastman House Photo Finish 5K has occupied much of my online life these past few weeks. I am totally overwhelmed by the generosity of our family and friends who have supported Team soulrun for Livestrong. We've raised close to $2,500 for, what I think, is one of the single most worthy causes and unique organizations on the planet.  I try to spend every free moment I have thanking everyone for their support and their generosity. 

But outside of that, I really don't have any excuse for not posting. And maybe that's just life. I know you all can't read this blog every day...and I don't hold that against you. I hope you will be willing to forgive me for my posting delinquency. I promise to keep this phase brief as possible. Like this fabulous picture above...I am looking you straight in the eye and giving it to you straight :)

Love you all Katiep

*Gorgeous photo from Emerald Town Raven

Rethinking the Water Bottle

If anything in our world needs a redesign, it's the plastic water bottle. I'll admit: I am guilty of buying way more of them than I should. And the weird thing is that I love tap water. I only buy the plastic bottles when I need water on-the-go. The Vapur company sells these AMAZING water containers. From the website:
"The Vapur® Anti-Bottle™ is a foldable, reusable water bottle designed for convenient on-the-go use. Unlike traditional rigid bottles, the Anti-Bottle is flexible. It stands upright when full and can be rolled, folded or flattened when empty - easily fitting into pockets, purses or packs." Not only do they look cool but take a look at the one on the right. This is one of their limited edition designs. How fabulous is that? One of these fab containers is definitely going on my Wish List!

~JP Pullos

Beautifully Cathartic

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know I love music videos. I'm pulling one from the archives here and it goes down as one my favorites. Duets are such a risky thing - when you put two legends together the results can often be underwhelming. This song and this video, however, are shining examples of when 1+1 can equal 3. The love they feel for each other is palpable and when they hug, you can viscerally see how protective they are of each other. This video is our modern day version of Edvard Munch's The Scream. We watch Michael and Janet living in their fame bubble and all the frustrations that come with that. I would be hard-pressed to find a video that communicates so much in under five minutes. This one's a classic.

~JP Pullos

When There's No More Room, Go Underground!

This picture is for a proposed park in NYC, which, if all goes according to plan, will be put into a long-abandoned trolley terminal... get this... underground! If you're wondering where that light is coming from: "We’re channeling sunlight the way they did in ancient Egyptian tombs, but in a supermodern way," says one of the designers. And it's all happening in my neighborhood!! Woo-hoo!! The designers have lots of hurdles to overcome to make this happen and are, just today, pitching it to the community board. I wish them the best of luck!! The project looks AMAZING!!

~JP Pullos

You are forewarned...consider this our first Xmas post :)

Courtesy of KJ and via the Liberty Facebook page...some dazzling images of the just opened Christmas shop of Liberty of London. Simply spectacular!

Everything Gets Better With Age

Let's file this under the category of: I Wish I Had Thought Of That! The Advanced Style Blog is Ari Seth Cohen's answer to The Sartorialist and features fashion savvy street models of an older generation. This woman, in one of his latest posts, is absolutely immaculate. The outfit! The necklace! The shoes! This blog deserves the ooh la la seal of approval!

 ~JP Pullos

A favorite gets a makeover

Do you know there are actually folks out there who don't like ketchup?!? Maybe you are one of them...but not KJ and I. In the brilliant and immortal words of KJ, 'ketchup is one of the greatest inventions of all time'. And now, the ubiquitous and oh-so recognizable Heinz ketchup packet has gotten a fancy new makeover. The new  and so-called 'Dip and Squeeze' packages are 3 times larger than their predecessor and can either be squeezed at the top or used for dipping from the bottom. What do you think? I kind of love them :)

And speaking of Timex...

Aren't these watches from the Timex Weekender collection fabulous! Affordable and a true classic.

Oh weekend...I hardly knew 'ye

'Nuff said...right. *Via the always brilliant Gemma

So, you may or may not know (I've done a few posts about it in the past) that I am totally fascinated by the concept of the 'weekend look'. I just think it's interesting that we go to these great pains (well, some of us do) to look formal and professional during the week and then on the weekend all bets are off. I have to admit, I just love a good 'weekend' look. I think one of the things that started my interest in this concept was a few years ago, when I ran into a colleague on a Sunday. This colleague is always quite formal and put together at work. Seriously, she looked exactly the same on a Sunday afternoon as she does on a Thursday morning, sitting in her office. It was weird and I am not kidding, there she was, jewelry, make-up, the works. Now I am not saying it would be better if I had seen her in sweat pants and an NFL sweatshirt (though who can resist that once in a while...Go Redskins! :) but geez, you have a couple days to flaunt casual, comfortable chic...why not do it! On Refinery 29 this morning, I noticed that Timex is running a contest on the most fabulous weekend look. I've asked it before and I'll ask it again...what's your weekend look?

An ID...and a chance

There are many things I take for granted and some things I don't even realize I'm taking for granted - like my driver's license and my passport. There's been some buzz lately in the news about what a huge problem IDs create for people around the world. Imagine not having one - forget getting a bank account. Forget getting on a plane. Forget taking advantage of government sponsored benefits like health insurance. Nandan Nilekani is out to solve this problem in India by creating a database of what will eventually contain 1.2 billion India residents. How do you easily and efficiently create IDs for that many people, many of whom can't read or write? By scanning eye irises and fingerprints and matching these up to individual records. It may sound like Big Brother but for a mother of four living in poverty, this is now her ticket to opening up a bank account and receiving benefits from the government, both things she was never able to do before. Technology can be truly amazing and sometimes even miraculous in its ability to change the world. Absolutely wonderful!

~JP Pullos

...meanwhile, over Etsy...

...as always, the coolest things are going on...like these shimmery, sculptured acorns. Fabulous for fall decorating.

Speaking of bracelets of all sorts, you must check out the treasure trove available on Etsy...including the beauties from the shop zzaval.

Come on...admit it...you know you love this look :)

Ooh La La readers...why fight it? You know I am going to come at you with a bracelet posts pretty much forever, now that my love of this look has been vindicated by the fashion industry (just as an aside, last night I cam across a faux-leather bracelet I bought at Claire's in the mall about 8 years ago...I used to wear it with my awesome Swatch watch all the time...) Anyway, you know you want this look and Dogeared (a site that I have loved for years) is a great place to start building your collection.  Love!

Feeling the fall

I say it every year at this time...and I'm going to say it again now...I love fall. It is, hands down, my favorite season and time of year. I won't wax poetic on all that makes the fall so lovely...you all know. And so, it seems, does the Cool Hunter. Gorgeous shots of autumn to get you in the mood from that fabulous site.

Have crisp and clear, fun (and football filled) weekend everyone :)

Dithyrambalina Construction Has Begun!

Another absolutely wonderful project from Kickstarter: "From the salvaged remains of a decrepit Creole Cottage, the Brooklyn-based artist Swoon has re-imagined a permanent, interactive sculpture for the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. We call it the Dithyrambalina.  It will look like a house, but it will function like a musical instrument. A growing group of local and national sound artists are working towards interactive instruments that can be built into its walls and floorboards so that visitors can bring the house to life through their touch. Ultimately, musicians will be invited to play the house, performing orchestrated works at block parties for their friends and neighbors. This project is for the love of New Orleans - its architecture, music, culture and its people." (This picture is a quarter-scale model of the actual planned structure.) Just fantastic!!

~JP Pullos

J.Crew at Fashion Week....Hmmmm..What to make of it???

So what do you think about J.Crew hitting the runways????  Take a look at some of their Spring 2012 fashions....

I'm not sure what to think yet...I have a sneaky suspicion that their prices are going to go up even further now!

librarian as champions.....

I  just read a great piece in the NYTimes Sunday Magazine...It's in a piece called The Educational Experiences that Change a Life....Each memory/experience is wonderful, but I especially enjoyed reading author Junot Diaz's piece about his grade school library and librarian.

 So sweet!

if you don't get it, get over it.....

You know what I'm peeved about??? There are people out there who don't get the Missoni stuff at Target.  OK... That's fine, right?  People have the right to make their own opinions.  

What I cannot stand are the ones who have no idea who or what Missoni is in the first place and sit there and criticize what they see from the Target merchandise.  UGGHH!  

So you don't get fashion, I get that.  So you know nothing about good taste, I get that.... (OK..that was  not kind) BUT please don't just criticize a brand that has a long history in the fashion industry and has produced some really beautiful knits...without actual knowledge of who they are.

Yeah, I agree there are some not-so-great stuff in their Target collection...but I also appreciate the fact they even collaborated with Target on creating a more affordable line for the masses!  

I've loved the various collaborations that Target has had with fashion designers and even though not every single item in each of these collections is 100% great or high quality, I think it's fun to see all the possibilities of having a lower priced line.  

Too bad there are people are out who just don't get what fashion is about.

You're missing out on some fun!

Mmmmm...Mochacino

This polish is described as a 'perky gray with shimmer'. So completely dead on. The representation here doesn't even do it justice...this shade is smashing!

Wristy Wednesday

From the (un)official JCrew blog...do I even need to say a word. Folks, if your wrists aren't loaded with bunches of bracelets you are so missing out a super stylin' look that I am obsessed with.

Finally...

...a book to get excited about. The decade long wait is over, fellow Jeffrey Eugenides fans.  Due out on October 11...absolutely...cannot...wait.

An ode to Bill

...on the release of the DVD Bill Cunningham New York...from 'All Things Stylish' .

It's tiiiiiiiime!

Not to beat the drum again kids...but you know what today is...don't you? Of course you do. Missoni for Target is available in stores and online as of today. I am headed over to my favorite Target after work. So excited!

A delicious way to start the day

From Caitlin McGauley's sketchbook...her musing on the past obsession with Krispy Kreme donuts. I just love this drawing and yes Cailtin, Krisy Kreme are as yummy as they say :)

Picture Perfect!

Have you checked out fffflckr.com yet? It's an amazing website that lets you find really cool images from Flickr. When you go to the homepage a random selection of cool images pops up. When you click on one of the images, you then get to see the favorites of the person who's image you just clicked on. It's a Choose Your Own Adventure through Flickr. Now this, folks, is what technology is all about!

~ JP Pullos

How will you remember?

10 years later and it is still such a struggle to find the right words to describe the events of 9/11/01. I am not even going to claim that I will be able to write anything that hasn't been expressed before. I'm just like all of you. The day still makes me shiver to think about ... and it still seems unreal. In perusing the images of that day, I think the one thing we all agree on was the deep gratitude we felt for the rescue workers. Firefighters, policeman...and their faithful canines made us feel safe on a day when that simple comfort was all but lost.

'Porkchop' receiving dehydration treatment IV...and a little love.

Taking a much deserved rest.

They worked to save us.

In training...and in honor of fallen heroes.

*All pics from this slideshow

A jocks paradise

Oh.My.Gosh. I mega-love the first couple weekends of September...sports-wise. The US Open rounds out the tennis season and as usual the brilliant and beautiful Roger Federer is in the hunt for another grand slam title. Pulling for him as always and savoring every minute of his gorgeous game.

Versus

This season...it is on! Chris is a diehard Oakland Raiders fan and I am all about the boys in burgundy and gold (that's the Redskins to all you non-football types). I love the ESPN tweet from last night as the season opener was about to begin...'Our lives are about to get a whole lot better'...heck yeah! I bought 2 house flags this year...one with the Raiders logo and one with the Redskins logo. Depending on wins and losses...either Chris will be enjoying the view of the house or I will. Go 'Skins!!

Just as an aside, I was watching a pre-game show with Bob Costas (aka, the human baseball encyclopedia) and in an interview he was doing with the commissioner of the NFL, he admitted that this league is the most popular sports league in the country. Well, duh. Football is an absolutely phenomenal sport but even more than that, the NFL is the master of sports marketing. They have managed to turn an already exciting sport into a must see. Love it!

One more reason I love free market capitalism

Well, will wonders never cease. Guess who had to amend their completely stupid, expensive and utterly outrageous shipping fees? Our old friends at JCrew. I am the first to admit that I have all but stopped buying from them online over the last several years. Why? Let's see...free shipping at Zappos, LL Bean and the list goes on...that's why. I've been complaining about their cost of shipping since the 90's and now...they've been forced (due to the competition, conceivably) to cut back to a flat rate. Not free ... but a zillion times more reasonable than it was in the past. Just one more reason I love the competition of the free market system.

Hmmm....nice.

I don't really go to Walgreen's that often but when I do, I am never disappointed. Frankly, they make a lot of sense to me and I really dig the layout and concept. All that said, I might find myself going a lot more often. Check out Walgreen's storebrand...Nice! No seriously, that's what it's called. Simple, smashing packaging and that oh-so positive name...totally inspired.  *Via The Dieline.

I can seeeeee you :)

If you know me, then you know I have 2 types of obsessions...those that are fleeting (but momentarily intense) and those that never, ever go away. A few examples of the latter...Starbucks, nail polish and those incredibly ubiquitous (for now at least) stacking bracelets. You've all heard about these...gosh knows I pontificate about them on this blog endlessly. However, you may not know about another one. I am completely, 100% gone for window gels. I don't know when these things started popping up...all I do know is that I was hooked when I bought my first set a few Christmas' back. And I put them every where...at home (Chris thinks I'm nuts) and all over the place at work (my student workers and colleagues kindly tolerate this seemingly childish and silly love). I buy them for every season and holiday and I am not sure there is anything that makes me happier. Why? Easy. They are cheap, fun and so cute. It might seem silly but the next time you are in Target, pick up a pack (they always have them...always) , put them on your favorite window and see if they don't make you smile.

*Loving these Halloween themed gels from the Paper Source.

'I want to be a part of it...'

I just love this 'Streets of NY' scarf (from the new arrivals at Kate Spade) a little too much :)