Fashion Roundup - It's Italy for Darn Sure

www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/F2009RTW-JLSANDER
style.com - Burberry Prorsum

So, I passed on fashion week in London (ok, 3 days - darn economy), mainly because I did not like anything coming out of there. But now we are in Italy, and boy is it a mixed bag!

So far my favorite collection is Jill Sander. Raf Simmons, the designer for the house showed a collection that was the quintessential essence of what they do well, over and over. The clothes are simple, seemingly boring - but take another look - the quality is exquisite and every piece has a little detail that is amazing - that totally makes it distinctive and wearable at the same time. Very few lines do this well, and it should be celebrated. This is especially true when people will invest one piece that is pertinent to their whole wardrobe.

I also liked some of the Burberry Prorsum collection, but the styling got the better of me and I sometimes did not like the whole look. Regardless, i adore the dress above with the fitted bodice and scarf around the neck.

And my least favorite collection (maybe of all time) is D&G:
www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/F2009RTW-DG
It looks like an Italian bordello threw up on some of the thinnest women in the world. Eack!

Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations - Who Knew?

While I am on the topic of Laissez-Faire economics that Ms. Rand is so fond of espousing, everyone should also consider reading The Wealth of Nations.

Why? Well, it is one of the first set of books to really talk about free trade and division of labor for higher productivity in a comprehensive and easy to understand way.

But Smith is much smarter than that. Yes, he was the first proponent for free trade and open markets.

BUT, did you know that Adam Smith himself also felt there were very good reasons to have government spending and that government should do some specific roles? The rule of law is one, the second is for education and the third is for infrastructure development.

Very interesting, no? Enjoy!

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand: I love to hate you

www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13185404&source=hptextfeature

Apparently, Atlas Shrugged is seeing a boom due to what people are viewing as a turn to socialism by the Obama administration.

I personally do not agree with Rand's theory of enlightened self interest - and in fact, I think her own theory is inconsistent in the book. Regardless, this is a must read classic. Given today's environment, it does talk about the perils of having government step in and the mediocrity that can be an unintended consequence.

Love it or hate it, just read it!

Old friends - The Best Thing There Is

This weekend, one of my favorite people in the whole world is coming to town. I met her before I even moved here and we were instant friends! In fact, when I actually moved here - serendipity had me run into her at an event I went to literally on my first night.

I cannot begin to describe what this person has brought to my life. She has been there for tears, laughs and everything in between. She pushes me to be the best I can be, but does it with such a gentle hand I sometimes don't even know. I am truly blessed.

Most likely we won't do anything special per se, but I can't wait to simply catch up - and let the conversation go all over the place, like it usually does.

What is even more exciting and amazing is that I am lucky enough to have friends all over the world who do all sorts of work and have all sorts of crazy interests and make a mark in everything they do. It is remarkable to know them.

So an open note: I do not get to talk to all of you as often as I would like, but you are part of me - part of my heart, and I miss you often! Thank you for being who you are and being part of making my life a little better everyday......

Consider Joining Net Impact - Do Good By Doing Well

netimpact.org/index.cfm
www.netimpactminneapolis.org/

Net impact is an organization that believes that business can be a good force for making the world better. It is a network of professionals that come together to think about how profit and a better world can be mutually inclusive. Members range from people with only a passing interest to people who do day to day work in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Feel free to look into it (link to org and local chapter are above), and attend some events if you are interested. See you there!

Take Another Listen: Portishead - Dummy

www.last.fm/music/Portishead/Dummy

I was listening to the Current this morning and they played Sour Times - taking me into the way back machine.

This album is dark and brooding, great for getting to sleep, reading the newspaper, and other slowish activities on a couch.

It is considered a quintessential and you should check it out, again!

Skincare Tip - Blemish Control for 5$

Ok, so every now and then I get a blemish. The shock and horror! But when the blight on my life happens, instead of staying at home with a bag on my head - I use a great remedy - Tea Tree Oil.

What to do with it: I wash my face and then take a dab right to where the blemish is starting. By the next morning, it is usually greatly diminished.

Where to buy it: Any natural food store, but I get mine at Trader Joe's (next to the soaps and toothpaste) for 5$. It is enough forever, and it comes in a blemish stick with a roller on the top.

I want to be this woman

Enough said.

Source: Garance Dore

Ode To Costco - Where I Love to Go Go

I got to go to Costco today. Which is something that I love doing. In fact, I love it a little too much.

I have a whole process - swing by glasses, jewelry, books, amazing meats and then get to the good stuff. They roast the best chickens in the world and it is their best selling item nationwide. Not surprising given the succulence and good price (6.50$) of the birdies. Then, I buy a few things I don't really need or will go bad and head to have a hotdog and drink for a 1.50$ to wrap up the experience.

I worked there one summer when I was in high school. My dad hit up the original owners (it is a Seattle company) who were his patients (he is a dentist) and good friends. They treat their employees well and with a lot of care and consideration, which I believe has remained as they have expanded. My role was pre-technology - I was a "caller". I moved all product from one cart to another calling out the SKU numbers. I was buff, needless to say....

So Costco gets a huge plug/hug from me, and I think everyone at work will love the enormous cupcakes I bought for our offsite. If you ever want to go, give me a call......

Beauty Trend Watch - Short Hair

While I cannot even begin to abide by the jeans shorts in the attached photo (should have kept mine from 1993), I am seeing a trend of short hair on women again. Some will argue it never went away, I would say when you see women this gorgeous doing it (and shot by two definite makes of style), it is a trend to be different.

I will bet within the next 3-5 months there will be several supermodels who will cut off their long tresses and indeed become famous as a result. Think Linda Evangilista in the late 80's.

This look requires makeup and jewelry, but on the right woman really shows a sense of confidence that all women should be proud of.

Thanks to Garance Dore and The Sortorialist for the photos....

Science Trivia - First Mention of Pennicillin

www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/24firs.html?_r=1&ref=science

I adore the Tuesday NYTimes science section. Check it out, best case you learn something, middle case is you can sound smart at a cocktail party, worst case you realize that you are a dork, and are totally ok with it!

Take A Listen: Dan Auerbach

www.myspace.com/danauerbachmusic

Do you like classic rock, blues, Ray LaMontagne, Jimi Hendrix, or Ben Harper?

Well, if you like any or all of the above - you are in for a treat with the new Dan Auerbach album - "Keep It Hid". If they all had a baby, you would end up with the powerful vocals, great guitar riffs and sexy tunes with a heavy rock feel that the Black Keys member digs up!

I am on my third listen through and I would say that Prowl is my favorite song currently, but who knows how I will feel later depending on my mood - sassy, sad, lyrical.....

Definitely check it out, you won't regret it!

Oh, and this is the type of music that is totally amazing live. He is on tour, and with be at the First Ave in Minneapolis on March 7th.

Trans Am

I bet you did not know I drove a Trans Am in high school. It was not because I loved it, it was because my Father is 6'7" and in 1979 had a hankering for a sports car that he could fit into.

By 1987, when I could actually drive, the car had dents on one side (we got hit in the parking lot of the synagogue on the way home to food for Yom Kipper) and the fin was a corroded orange color. The best part however, was that the T-tops got stolen at the mall because they were worth more than the car - it happened three times!!!!

I may have hated that car back then, but I had 4 wheels to get around, and I thank my parents for being cool enough to let me chauffer my brother and I around town!

Perfect styling

This is another great shot by the sortorialist himself outside of the Ralph Lauren show. I am sure these guys work at Ralph and they are a perfect example of how great good tailoring looks even with casual gear.

Take Another Listen: Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

www.flaminglips.com/main.php

I know this was released 2002, but I am listening to this album on heavy rotation. Every single song is amazing, and the whole album in it's entirety tells a wonderful story.

It is a amazing mix of lyrics about staying strong and being unique, melodies with a minor electronic overtone, and good use of guitar riffs. It works well if you want something mellow, or something for a dinner party. There is nothing like music where you put it on and people ask - who is that?

Most have heard the song "Do you realize?", but is well worth listening to the rest. Enjoy!

Food P*rn: Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations

www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain

My brother, Joshua, calls all these amazing shows about food - "Food Porn" (now to be called Food P*rn so I don't get in trouble), started by the emergence of the food channel over the last 10 years. I don't think he is the only one to use this term. What he means is these shows are compelling, and make you want more - more food, more travel, more life.

I am in the middle of watching No Reservations with Anthony Bordain on the travel channel, he is Mexico with the chef from Les Halles in NYC. I am literally drooling at the friejoles, tacos, stews, tortillas, mole etc. The colors are amazing, and I can practically smell the food through the TV.

What I love about this show is that he comes together with people over food - he tries everything and is truly engaged - engaged in something he loves. He loves food and how it is the same all over the world (brings communities and family together) and how it is different (the flavors and traditions) .

I am more and more searching out people who have passion in their lives. Thank you for sharing!

Club Jager: Menergy Party and Men of Minneapolis: Invitation To Come And Play

Last night I want to Club Jager for their party "Menergy" that happens every third Sat of the Month.

Crowd: A very friendly crowd, people were smiling and willing to engage, which was really fun. It was one of the few places where conversation erupted naturally with total strangers. People trended towards hipster over trendy and there was a distinct arty feeling of the crowd. The crowd was highly mixed (mostly straight), but I love having just a touch of that gay energy around me that I miss from NYC fashion days.

Theme: The theme is slightly homoerotic - Menergy, but don't be shy or fooled - all are welcome!!!

Music: Two very good DJ's did a nice eclectic mix of strong dance hits that were well mixed. Old school electronic, disco, funk - no modern grooves that you would hear on 100.3. Toes were tapping until every got drunk enough to dance.

Local: Small, intimate, and most importantly - there was no TV! This is literally the first bar I have been in Minneapolis which did not have a TV. I hate this part of living here, and it was a nice reprieve.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (5 being my favorite bar in NYC - Max Fish - where I get into total mischief and the crowd is always fun, 4.5 being my favorite bar in Minneapolis - Bulldog NE)

Club Jager
923 Washington Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN

An open note to the men of Minneapolis: Did you know that the men in Minneapolis are the most shy and the women the most lonely of any city in the US? Let's do something to change that. We (all the ladies) see you looking (for long periods of time), we see you making eye contact, we see you wanting to approach. So, when we smile at you (and maybe even say hi on our way to the bathroom), please see this as an open invitation to come and chat. We want you to approach and not vice versa, because it makes us feel really good and beautiful. Come and play - it will be worth the effort more times than not - I promise!

World Trade - May It Rest In Peace, and Hopefully Come Back From the Dead Soon

www.foreignaffairs.org/20090101faessay88102/aaditya-mattoo-arvind-subramanian/from-doha-to-the-next-bretton-woods.html

As some of you may know, I love economics and foreign affairs. That, I know, has created some great conversations with some of you, and really boring for others depending on the your wherewithal for such topics.

It is something I love, so I will share it with everyone, and if you don't like it, feel free to click on other pieces of my blog that are more interesting to you. (In fact, if you have requests, let me know - If I am anything, I am flexible about what I report on)

Attached is only the introduction of an article about free trade and the slow painful death it has been having for 10 years with the Doha Round of multilateral negotiations amongst countries.

I am not allowed to post it, but if it strikes your fancy, send me an email and I can email it to you.

Anyhow, here are my economic ramblings -
A. It is such a shame that free trade seems to be falling apart. While there are winners and losers in free trade that must be addressed, it is really sad that the world has gotten to such a bad place that it looks like protectionists will win. The world is a better place with free flow of information and products and capital - it allows for true competition. I saw this in Brazil first hand. Their goods are protected by a long standing "import substitution" regime, and their goods are therefore crap quality and expensive. For better or for worse, free trade makes products better and cheaper. I am not saying everyone should buy everything and consumerism is an issue - but deal with that, not the products themselves.

B. Disengaging right now hurts everyone and is a band-aid instead of the heart surgery that the world needs - or better yet - Disengaging is like not going to exercise, and then complaining you have back pain. The better option is to engage and work on that muscle.

C. Sadly, the US needs to buck the heck up and see increased competition as a good thing. It makes us stronger and focus on what we do best - which is thinking and coming up with new ideas. India is a real challenge for us - they speak English, they are entrepreneurial, they go to college and they work for less money than we do. This should be embraced, and not seen with fear. I understand it can look like a threat, but we need to get our thinking caps on a define real advantage and look for new opportunities where we shine. And I am optimistic about what we can do in problematic times.

D. The car industry - this is partially a trade issue. The US car manufacturers suck at what they do, they don't understand market trends, they are expensive and bad quality relative to other manufacturers. We should not bail out this industry! If you are concerned about the employees that do a real subsidy of the real problem. I would rather take the multi-billions of dollars and hand every employee a check to either retire or get their college degree - again, let's deal with the problem.

Anyhow, enough for now - you will see me on this topic often, and if you disagree, I love to engage on these topics and learn new things - so please email me or leave a post.

Little Boxes - A shout out to Weeds

vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4030857

I am a enormous fan of the show Weeds. It is a very interesting show about a suburban mother who gets into marijuana dealing after her husband dies suddenly. She encounters a whole other world (actually worlds) of ethnicity and behaviors that from her perspective are nothing she has dealt with before. She is also faced with the brutal truth, that while smoking a little pot for the average upper middle class person feels very safe, there is an underworld of violence there that if you smoke you are perpetuating on some level.

The show features a song called "Little Boxes" by Malvina Reynolds. Above is the original opening sequence.

Every week, there is a new version by another artist, which is really fun to see. The words resonate for me. I won't go into why (probably self evident that being a different color is not enough), but if anyone wants to chat about it offline, I am happy to. Here are some of the key lyrics:

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,¹
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

All the curvy girls

Style.com

I love L'Wren Scott. Not only is she Mick Jagger's current paramour who is way taller than him, she makes clothes that work well on almost all body shapes.

I love fashion, but as a curvy girl (still thin-ish, but got those jewish hips and big tatas), it can be hard to carry off clothes that do not have a traditional shape. Even if I long to.

This is the ultimate power suit (Maybe a little much for my work, I already push that envelope). It is a great color, can be split into two pieces for other wearing, and she looks all woman and powerful all at one. Fantastic!

I am loving the resurgence (for several seasons) of a 50's and 60's shapes - partly with longevity due to the popularity of Mad Men. If you are not watching it, you are missing out on a slice of fantastic television. If you are a man, you will like the manly men, and if you are a woman, you will like the manly men AND the clothes.

A perfect meal - Brownies and Goat cheese salad

I had dinner and a movie at a friend's and here is what we prepared. While we did not eat our dessert before dinner, clearly brownies win over anything else anyone could ever eat.

Liquored Up Brownies:
- Brownie Mix
- Absurd amount of bashed up chocolate chips or chunks
- Substitute any alcohol for water in the mix (add a touch more than the box says because it bakes out) - we used Bailey's


Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Salad:
- Wrap 3/4" slices of goat cheese in prosciutto, pan sear for 1 to 2 minute per side
- Make a semi-sweet salad dressing (honey mustard vinaigrette, or lemon vinaigrette)
- Place goat cheese and salad dressing over greens and sliced tomatoes

Enjoy! And sweet dreams....

Sorry bambi - Dinner at Craftsman in Longfellow

I just had a darn fine meal at Craftsman in the Longfellow Neighborhood with my two friends Elena and Jill.

Food: I had venison perfectly cooked medium rare with cherries (not at all gamy), Jill had lamb sausage with chickpeas and Elena had gnocchi with seasonal vegetables - mainly butternut squash. The restaurant has a focus on local, seasonal food. There was a heavy emphasis on meats and poultry - no fish at all on the current menu. Each meal was well prepared and cooked to perfection.

Service: Service was good and attentive, they refilled our hot water without having to ask and the prices a fair value for the meal - but a little spendy for an everyday meal

Physical: The restaurant is a nice medium sized space with mission furniture and hard wood floors. More casual, but good for all types of occasions - dates to dinner parties

I am going to start a rating system (5 is average):

Food - 7.5 out of 10 (10 being the most amazing meal ever)
Ambiance - 6.5 out of 10 (10 being a place that I could sit for hours and hours)
Value - 6 out of 10 (10 being a great meal at a absurdly low price)
Would I go back - 8 out of 10 (10 being I will run back immediately with whomever will eat with me)

4300 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
Phone: 612.722.0175

Those boots are made for walking - all over my heart and into my closet

www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/F2009RTW-TBURCH

This is the most recent Tory Burch collection. I in no way love all the logoed pieces of her collection for mass high end retail, but this collection is a really strong showing. It is a mix of sexy, wearable, young, edgy (just a touch). This is exactly what I want from my wardrobe key pieces. I am a little entertained by the grunge undertone, but sadly, I never kept my old docs martins and I grew up in Seattle.... I may need to rent Singles.....

Day One

Ok, here I go. I needed a new creative outlet, where I could share my mix of crazyness that is me. Hope you like it......