ReadyMade Renegades

Hey friends,


Sorry it has been a while. I have been busy re-organizing my apartment and as a result I realized certain notions of my life needed a bit of tidying up too. Thankfully when we take on these tasks, we do not have to go it alone. We can find helpful suggestions and tips in blogs, books, websites, magazines etc. One magazine I have always been a fan of and loved is ReadyMade. Last night I was fortunate enough to be invited to the ReadyMade 100 party which took place at the chic and fun bar inside the Woolworth Tower Kitchen in Tribeca.


The ReadyMade 100 party showcased the winners and finalists of the contest that the magazine held for some of the best DIY projects new and past from the magazine's archives. I snapped a few photos of some of the featured projects. 

the latest issue on one of the entries: building blocks table

me with my friend Hope

I loved this vintage fan light!

me, Liz (ReadyMade's Online Director), Hope and Billy

The winner! Lamps made with reused book pages.

So the party was fun and inspiring. If you have any tips for reorganization, I would love to hear them, please share!
For more info on ReadyMade and the party, visit http://www.readymade.com/

70 degrees

When I left my apartment this morning for the first time in a while, I left without a warm coat or jacket. The weather today, a teaser for early summer, makes me think of lazy days lounging poolside and the lovely caramel color I imagine my skin will turn after hours spent laying on the beach.(Of course I plan to have a strong SPF)  Oh couldn't we all be so lucky to have a villa in St Tropez like the main characters of the 1969 film La Piscine. The movie is a bit twisted, but lets focus on the style and the tans...

The characters Penelope and Marianne just hang out in sexy bikinis and chic/ bohemian cover-ups

Ahh summer romance, everyone should have one. Also I must admit I tend to favor when men wear the shorter swimming trunks popular in the late 60's early 70's rather than the long board shorts so many dudes wear nowadays


Until next time...

When Life Hands You Lemons...

Some say April is the cruelest month, I would not have agreed until this year when on the eve of April 1st my apartment building caught on fire. Since then,  a few misfortunate events have happened to me. It felt like one thing after the other and each time I would try to deal with one, I received another blow. I did wallow in my sadness and misery for a bit but then decided to take charge.  Life handed me some lemons, and I made that lemonade, and a lemon dessert as well.

Below is a recipe I found that can help you turn the lemons in your life into something sweet and yummy. 
Enjoy!


Lemon Squares, 
to make the yummy lemon filling
What you will need:
3 eggs                                                                                 
3/4 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of salt
2 lemons to juice and make 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons of powdered sugar


to make the crust
What you will need:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons of butter, softened - you can use margarine as well
1 cup all-purpose flour


For the crust pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and begin to mix the sugar and butter until it is creamy. I suggest mixing with a spoon by hand. Level the 1 cup of flour with a knife in a measuring cup. Slowly add the flour to your sugar and butter mixture. Keep mixing and beating until it starts to look like fine crumbs. Gently press the mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. You do not want it to brown or cook all the way because you will be baking it again after you add the lemon filling. Remove from the oven and cool.


For the lemon filling take your 3 eggs and beat them well until they look foamy. Cut the lemons in half and begin to juice so that you get 1/3 cup of lemon juice.

Add 3/4 cups of sugar and the rest of the ingredients mentioned above. Keep mixing and beating until mixture looks well-blended. Pour mixture into your pan with the partially baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, when it is done it will look set. Remove from oven and cool. After 10 minutes, sift powdered sugar over the top. Cut into squares and serve. For added flavor and texture, you can add dried cranberries or cherries to the mixture.

  Enjoy your treat and just think that when things are sour you can always find a way to make them sweet.

sentimental for the southwest

Recently vintage camp blankets, navajo prints and mountaineer/lodge aesthetics' popularity have experienced a resurgence. Thrift scouts and dealers have been hunting and trading these coveted items for some time now. Certain brands like Pendelton are having a renaissance.  I certainly appreciate this current zeitgeist and in a way, it reminds me of the comforts of home a bit. Currently living in Brooklyn, it is nice to see people wearing the clothes that I used to see people of all ages rocking in my home state of Arizona. When I spotted this shirt in a re-sale shop a few years ago, I was immediately drawn to it. Not something I would typically wear but in a sense I felt a familiar connection with the pattern. With more street style gravitating towards functional and decorative fashions influenced by the southwest, it is making Brooklyn feel more and more like home. 

southwest print top: no label, purchased from Buffalo Exchange
navy blue mini-skirt: American Apparel

denim jacket: GAP circa 2000
cream waxed tweed bag with leather detail and strap: vintage Capezio, courtesy of Dusty Rose Vintage

brown leather booties with side buckle, Vintage Kenneth Cole
dove grey tights: HUE at Madewell
dark grey socks: Calvin Klein

lunch date

Met up with my good friend Tyler for lunch yesterday at Soho Park. For some reason I was craving a veggie burger.


Tyler works as a stylist and we have always shared our love of mixing streetwear, designer labels, and yummy food.

After lunch we walked around for a bit and I pointed out INA, the consignment store that I found this dress in. When I spotted this piece a few months ago, I considered it but did not think it was for me and left it behind, but just like a hot encounter with a boy that is no good, I could not stop thinking about it and returned a week later to snag it. I was worried that the dress being a bigger size would make me look frumpish but once I put it on I fell for it and I actually love how the bagginess adds to the playfulness and spirit of the dress. My long hair is hiding the large round silver buttons that adorn the right shoulder.

Dress: Sonia Rykiel

Purple tights: DKNY

black lace-ups with heel: vintage Ferragamo

bowtie used as headband: Lanvin for H&M

oh and check out the sock and shoe combo Tyler was sportin, me thinks its pretty cute too...

St. Patty's Prep

Hello,  I woke up late today and in a mad dash to get ready for work I remembered it was St. Patrick's Day and that I needed to have some green in the ensemble to avoid a pinch and, well, to just be festive.

While normally I would have opted for something with more green in it. My eyes fell on this fun preppy striped dress hanging in my closet. Additionally, today was an especially warm day for March in NYC so I thought it was appropriate to bust out this little soft season (fall and spring) number.

When I spotted this dress in the thrift store, the length was a bit off-putting. It came down to my calves but I knew a hem with a blind stitch would do just the trick. 

jersey striped tennis dress: Vintage Lacoste from Stella Dallas, Williamsburg New York

brown oxford shoes with black laces: vintage Bally from Artists and Fleas Market, Williamsburg New York

dove grey tights: Hue at Madewell 

Happy St. Patricks Day

A tout a l'heure chocolat

So I was informed that today is the first day of lent. I am not catholic nor a religious person but I do enjoy giving myself a challenge every now and again. So lent is my opportunity to avoid something or cut it out for 46 days (wow  that seems like such a long time...).  After giving it a good long think, mmm 30 minutes, I decided to challenge myself to avoid chocolate for the next month and a half.

Friends, this will be a very difficult challenge indeed. I must inform you that whenever chocolate is presented to me in any form,  I never shy away and always accept a piece, sip, or nibble. Unfortunately the temptation is all around me. So if you see me out there and it looks like I may give in and cave, please come to my aide and steer me away from the dark (and milk).

Thank goodness Lent falls after the City Bakery Hot Chocolate Fest.

City Bakery Hot Chocolate Fest 2011