Winding Down or: Scenes from a Long Weekend

A sleepy Sunday night at the end of a weekend full of food, weird warfare fireworks, closet cleaning, listening to the new Beck record and five extra pounds. Astoria looked especially pretty tonight. [Sky photos taken with BF's Blackberry]


So, on Thursday, this little kid ran into me while he was riding his bike. I gave him a stern look and a "PLEASE watch where you are going!" but listen, he was like, six. What was I supposed to do? Here's the damage (This is primarily for my mom because she was on the phone with me when it happened):


Then I went home and flipped channels until I came to Les Demoiselles de Rochefort on IFC, which was beautiful and French and full of crazy costumes. And songs. Crazy rhyming songs. I didn't get to watch the whole thing, but here's picture from one scene to give you an idea:


We got around to cleaning the bedroom this weekend because it had reached red level:

And then we went grocery shopping and out to dinner...

looking at the lovely sky the whole time:

Opinion, if you please

So. I'm going to a friend's wedding at the end of July and I am sorely in need of wedding attire advice.
My mom and I picked out this dress today and I thought it might work for a daytime Sunday wedding in July. Yes? No? If yes, what shoes, hair and nail color?

[Updated to add: Commenter Delaney brought up some good questions, so I figured I should add some more information. This wedding will be taking place--service and reception--at a banquet hall on Long Island. If the weather is good, it will be outdoors. It is semi-formal in that the couple is paying for their own wedding and are making it as nice as they can afford, but they are young and just bought a condo. I mentioned in the comments that I had a crazy blogger's urge to go edgy with this and do black nails with black heels--click on the pick to enlarge and you'll see the black trim lest you think I am insane--but that's probably too overboard for me and possibly too overboard for Long island in general.]





Back to regularly scheduled jewelry business on Friday.

Shiny Pretty Things

Some pictures from today's trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art...

Jeff Koons Installation on the roof:









Statue of a cold girl in the gallery (I sympathize):



Other gallery shots:




The sky over our apartment on my walk home



I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the Superhero: Fashion and Fantasy show. It felt very thrown together and I couldn't figure out any sort of deeper message, even with all the helpful grad school thesis paragraphs on the walls. But that Koons stuff is something else, right?

The Wrap Up

Today's post will have roughly a million pictures, et al, so let's get going. Also, my apologies for the lack of real jewelry posts. This is the last one of it's kind...

1. As I mentioned last week, yesterday was the end of my Birthday week. How sad. We capped of the parties by heading to Philadelphia for the weekend and visiting the two places I've really wanted to see for a while now: The Mutter Museum and the Eastern State Penitentiary. The museum is basically a font of everything disgusting (and therefore fascinating) in medicine. Dwarfism fetuses, a skeleton of a gentleman whose body turned tissue into bone, more fetuses with bizarre issues and lots of wax models with diseases! They did not allow photos and they were sold out of T-shirts, so I have nothing to show. I do recommend it though.
The prison tour, however, produced really great photos. I'll post several here, but the rest can be found on my Flickr. This is our third prison and I was struck by how serene this one seemed. High, white ceilings with skylights, generous (solitary) cells also with skylights, lots of windows... Of course, as it became overcrowded, a lot of those features were removed to make more space. But the tour was wonderful--very informative and interesting.


There were several art installations on the grounds, including these red pipes, placed wherever the artist thought it would be possible for a prisoner to escape (several prisoners did escape, but only one was not caught):


Another installation featured plaster cats that were hidden in cells and on top of the roofs...



They were created to honor a group of cats that had moved in after the prison closed in the late 70's. A caretaker found the and fed them three times a week until the last one died many years later.
Philadelphia itself gave us lovely weather and good food. Thanks, city, for making my birthday awesome!

2. As I promised waaay back when, here are the cosmetics I use on a daily basis...

Cover Girl foundation in 1 (405), which is the best I've found for decent coverage and skin color matching. I am very pale, and while Chanel and Origins match well, I don't like their texture. Cover Girl doesn't feel heavy... ; Stila Illuminating Powder in Light (or Fair) 10 Watts--the plastic shell thing, I lost the case; Cover Girl Blush in Plumberry Glow; Per-fekt Skin Gel, which goes on before make up (or in lieu of make-up, if you are brave) and gives the skin a matte, smooth texture; Benefit powder in Thrrrob (all over "flushed" look); Chanel Glossimer in Eclipse; Cover Girl Classic Ivory Touch up, which is amazing for under eye circles; Covergirl Lash Exact Mascara in black; Maybelline Define-a-Line eyeliner in brownish black and some sort of shimmery white eyeshadow, to put on the inside corners of the eyes. Also, I have a ton of Bare Escentuals stuff--eyeshadow and blush. I like it okay, so it gets used when I am spending a lot of time on my eyes...

For face/ body wash and face lotion, I always use Aveeno because I have very sensitive skin. For body lotion, I am obsessed with L'Occitane Almond Milk products (lotion, body oil)... the best smell EVER.
Oh, and Sharon, I am 99% sure that nail polish color was called Lady Godiva. It was in one of those square bottles with the white tops. Classic nail shop bottle!

And lastly (I bet you all are so happy this is the end of birthday week), some of the presents from BF!

I Think it's Called a Golden Birthday

So, tomorrow is the big day and by big day, I of course mean a day that is only important to me and a few close others who pretend it is important to them. Ah! The pleasure of a birthday. Also, I am turning 26, which means I am still young enough to do youngish stuff (be financially irresponsible, wear frilly dresses), yet old enough to be taken seriously (I can't think of any examples right now).

Of course I'll do a post on what I received and after the big Birthday/ Jesus Resurrection celebration on Sunday (note who comes first...), I already tucked a few things away. My mom got me a dress way back when, along with this rose ring by Vera Meat I posted about a while back:That's still not my hand, but it actually looks remarkably similar to the pictures I tried to take, except here the ring is actually in focus. Go figure.

The fam gives money, which I'll never turn down, and with that money I bought:
Benefit lipstick in Ruby Vibes (aka best lipstick ever), $17 at Sephora, as well as some powder, but I can't remember the brand and am far too lazy to go check right now...





(pic from ebay)
This dress from seller jjbean on ebay



(Awkwardly posed picture that the BF took; "artsy" self-portrait)

This dress from Century 21 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (weekend jaunt). Also! I love this dress for all the obvious reasons--pretty colors and print, fits well, etc., but I mostly love it because when I put it on my boyfriend started called me "Chesty LaRue" (see: several pop culture references including, but not limited to, The Simpsons and Seinfeld).



...And this lovely top from Banana Republic (thee of the awesome sales)

Tomorrow (the actual big day), I was supposed to hang out with my mom in the city and maybe hit up a little Tea and Sympathy downtown (clotted cream 4-eva!), but she has been taken with a stomach virus, so now my day is sort of play it by ear.
Have a lovely night, bloggers! Back with jewelry (and make-up, Fashion Tidbits, I promise) on Thursday.

Like Advil, but Shinier

Stuff that is making my vile headache ease up a bit...



Tiny Chain Rings, $60 (at Catbird in Brooklyn, NY)



Jane Hollinger Freida Necklace, $330



Silicone Rubber Jewelry from Nervous System (totally digging that cuff), $55



My Obsession Garnet ring by Artisan Impact, $216
(January's Birthstone!)

For the Birds

A while back, I mentioned my search for a slightly pricier (ie outta H&M for once) bag. I think this is something every woman suffers through: the search for the ideal purse. I've gone the messenger route and traveled through tote-ville to no avail. Poor BF has to suffer through with me as I bombard him with questions. Too dark? Will I use it? How about that strap? (Oh, how I love him.)

Anyhow, armed with a couple of gift cards and coupons at Macy's, I accidentally found a bag I really like. I haven't actually taken the tags off yet, but I stare at it in my closet for a long moment every morning. What do you folks think?

Lucky Brand Suede Gathered Hobo Bag
(I DID NOT BUY THE BLUE ONE! I purchased it in "mulled wine" and it is apparently impossible to find a good pic of that color online.) It's got a nice bright paisley print inside. C'mon people. Convince me to make a decision about it one way or the other...

Next non-jewelry topic:
On Saturday morning, BF and I took the 8 AM train into Manhattan to catch the 10:35 AM showing of There Will be Blood. Bf is a big Paul Thomas Anderson buff, and the movie is only playing in one theatre (!); it seemed like an adventure. The theatre wasn't even open when we strolled up at 9:20, but there was a short line, so I ran next door for croissants and fruit while he waited. We were the first ones in the place--it was at Lincoln Square Cinemas, home of the recreated movie palaces--so we settled in one of the front rows (there was a mezzanine, but I forgot my glasses), played Scrabble on my phone and ate breakfast. By the time the lights went down, the theatre was packed. So many people! 10:35 AM!

Paul Dano and Daniel Day-Lewis, neither of whom I would kick out of bed (Uh, honey, only if they are tired! No funny business!)

The movie was only good, but Daniel Day-Lewis was amazing. Mesmerizing.
Watch the trailer here: There Will be Blood
Metacritic reviews (average score of 95!)
(Oh, so the tickets were $6! Wow, right?)


Finally, inspired by one of Clothes Horse's thrift store buys, I went looking around for some cute bird cage necklaces:

Topshop Bird Cage Necklace, £12




Bird Cage Necklace at Shanalogic, $34




Empty Birdcage Necklace by adorapop, $18.50





Caged Bird Necklace + Empty Cage Necklace with three escaping bird brooches by Allison Wells, $175