Dirty Pretty Cheap and Cheerful

A book about...

2011-01-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

My mother got me a book called "La Maestria del Amor" which means "The Mastery of Love", the author Don Miguel Ruiz explains most of his ideas and thoughts on love through "parable" like stories. Those are usually the kind of ways that I was taught things as a child so his teachings go well with my train of thought. As I was reading this small but thought provoking book (I have to stop every 3 sentences to take everything in) I got up from the Chipotle table and as I was walking away I over heard these older men laughing and surprisingly speaking Spanish. I made my way to the trash can and laughed at their little joke and one of them, Patricio, heard me giggle and said "She knows what I'm talking about, she knows spanish." At this remark his friend, Milton, turned and said hello. For the next 30 mins I sat with these kind and funny strangers and talked about their lives, futbol and why their marriages didn't work. Everything that went wrong, everything that changed and every challenged that had occurred in their marriage, paralleled with what Ruiz spoke about in his book. I found it very interesting and once again life taught me that there is so much to learn from others and not everything is a coincidence. I took quotes from the book and brought it out for these men to think about and for the most part they agreed. They had put their happiness in the hands of others, expected things that weren't realistic of their partner and in the end lost love.

When we said out goodbyes I didn't feel bad for them, sure they were now old lonely men but in place of love for a woman they now had friendship with one another. Friendship is a form of love, sure it doesn't have the perks of sex or a life companion but just to know you can eat a burrito bowl at 8:15 on a cold January night and make old/new jokes with an old friend made me think, we are never alone and just call a buddy for a quick fix of love.

Donyale Luna

2010-10-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/2098/dl1959cz2.jpg

Terraces, Central Park and Sleepless

2010-10-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

I just woke up and thought...did I really just survive that? Wallet. Check. ID. Check. Dignity. No comment.

Lesson Learned:

No big groups, too many people to please and leaves no room for spontaneous adventures.

No need to wait in line, get a promoter buddy.

Central Park is better than e-harmony and is one big sunny bed.

Documentary of 4 city babes dating for food, good idea.

A Brazilian goes a long way.

When I grow up I want a brownstone or an apartment with a terrace.

Big white smiles breakhearts.

If a guy from Gossip Girl asks you to party with him, get in the taxi with him. Your friends will be fine and they can be txted to the right direction.

I rather be poor in NY, than be filthy rich in a CT castle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW9Fzwuf43c&ob=av2n

Flamenco for the Fall

2010-08-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

I'm more excited about Flamenco classes than I am about DESIGN & RENDERING.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdDD9JX-Tyg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxfwm9N1L_4

Collisions

2010-08-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDWEkzaBULQ

Old Enough to Know Better...Too Young to Give a Rat's Ass

2009-05-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Give Greenwich A Chance

Last Tuesday The Queen and I decided to venture an hour and half away from our homes to see what Greenwich consignment and thrift stores had to offer. The town of Greenwich is a town full of the following: Land Rovers, Nannies, old money, swank estates and middle aged men buying avant-garde attire for their mistresses (I will later explain). Our first order of business was "The Rummage Room" your local church thrift store which meant there was a lot of hunting required. It was garnished with 80's clip earrings, muumuus, $1 beret, jackets of all materials, shapes and sizes and little knick knacks which I fear one day as a lonely senile woman will become my only obsession. I found one of the very good finds of 2009 so far, it was a vintage Fendi umbrella for only $20.
Did I mention it was 98 degrees outside? We stopped for ice cream and so if any of you cats decide to go this summer, make sure to stop by Darlene's Ice Cream & Chocolate it has your choice of: regular, low fat, non fat ice cream and nannies.
As we searched for the next store we came across "Second Time Around", which is for the wealthy who like bargains (oxymoron, right?). The minute I walk in I am welcomed by my own personal shopper, who lavished me with all the designer goods. Let's call her Sherry, she insists that I am a size 2, which I'm not, and that I should get this dress that's only $125 and pair it up with sandals.
"Oh, look at this Gucci skirt, you should get it and pair it up with some SANDALS, and this Chanel dress it's such a nice color for you, just slip it on and pair it up with some SANDALS. These True Religion jeans when you go casual shopping, and pair it up with some SANDALS."

Although I was getting ready to leave and say I only wear chucks to Sherry I have to say it was quite refreshing to feel so taken care of, pampered. Feeling like a mix of Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany's but at the same time reminded of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman...the fact of the matter is that I was looking for a designer dress that was only $10 and I did.
So there I was ready to pay for my $10 dress, when I saw a 50 something year old man come in, he looked puzzled, out of place and out of his element. My personal shopper's face lights up and she starts her list of questions.

"Hello sir, what can I help you with today? What size are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for a 0-2."
"Is it for your wife?" (giving him her most perfect smile)
(firmly)"No"
"Oh...(confused, pondering and then biting her lip) for your daughter then?"
(irritated) "No...for my lady friend."
"Um...oh...I'm sorry sir (stammering), I didn't mean to pry."
(long uncomfortable silence)
It tells you a lot about a man if he buys for his wife at Barneys and consignment stores for his "lady friend", at least he has his priorities straight. Good.

Let the hunt begin...

$20.

I want this in the worse ways.

I made sure mine was fat-free.

Northampton: Where the old people are nice

I took the Queen's teens out for a day of shopping: Jade-Kay, Fresh Boys Joe and Jake and my bestie Lauren. I was pleasantly surprised by the Gay Pride Festival http://www.northamptonpride.org/ that we came across to when we finally arrived to Northampton. As we left the parking garage we mingled with the men and women of the festival. It was an ideal day for the outside music and market. Love was in the air and all was full of love. After doing a bit of the two step to the diva's song, getting eye-fucked by many and soaking up the sun we started our journey to the vintage stores. First stop, "Roz's Place". I have previously blogged about Roz's and really I can't get enough of it and the prices are reasonable, nuff said. "Retro Genie" is a gem, it looks like a closet full of hat, shoes, dress, suits, jewelry and more hats *which is one of my weakness*. Joe found a sailor hat and after we were done playing, we headed to feed our belly baskets with some Mexican.
We stopped at Faces, for some comedy relief, got ice cream, candy and before leaving watched the last act of the festival sing his/her heart out. À la prochaine!

The Festivities

Sing, sing, sing.
Dance
Dance
Dance.
The mascot.

The Diva.

The community.
He posed, he loved, he danced, he rebelled.

"Been there, done that", he said.
I love strangers.

Temptation.

Abe would've been a good dad, scratch that a gigantic dad.

Yeah. I know.

Playing dress up.

Oh why...hello Bowie, my favorite sailor.

The time is now.

How about the boys...

Jade-Kay trying not to smile.

Dressed to kill

Coming up with ideas

I love.

I devoured.

Shedding the pounds.

Being Envied Is A Solitary Form Of Reassurance

2009-02-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Outside the Dressing Room

My room is a disaster. A disaster that consists of Marc Jacobs shirts covering my ottoman chair, Betsey Johnson shoes on my night table, a Mat & Nat purse crowing the top of my mountainous pile of clothes and a Zara dress that has made its home on my lampshade. I have a problem...I know...but if there is cure I don't want it.
I work at a Consignment store, where there is no escaping the new arrivals and of course the great prices. I've worked there long enough to see it all and impulsively buy it all. While my mother says I'm making excuses when I defend my shopaholic ways in saying "The price was right", "It's one of a kind", "It's vintage", "It was Let's Make a Deal Sale", and her favorite one "I have nothing to wear" the excuses go on as my closet quickly becomes its own boutique.

Now, since seeing the severe condition of the economy and experiencing it first hand, I'm glad to say that I at least don't have to worry about how I can keep my wardrobe updated. I can't help but want to share this knowledge with any chic stranger that I meet, especially when I can tell them that "Yes, this is Chanel, I got it for $10 dollars."

In these stores with some searching, you might find what your are looking for or as some people say it might find you. I think I've kept this secret long enough and considering the economic situation, I'll let you in on what I know.
So here's what I am going to do for you, with a little bit of guidance you my broke and savvy fashionista will find a sanctuary in one if not most of these Consignment/Thrift/Antique stores...so let me show you all the emporiums near you, but before I start, here are some rules that might help.

Serendipity is the first and most important rule of the game.

Patience, patience, patience don't expect to find EXACTLY what you're looking for right away, it's like an egg hunt, just keep looking. If you can't think you can keep looking and you've given up then go back to Wal-Mart.

Don't be afraid to ask for a bargain, if it's $10 ask if you can have it for $7, also ask how their markdowns work. Do they go half in a month, 2 months and do they have any sales? *hint-if you find any defects on your items, that's the perfect time to ask for a discount.*

Don't just shop in one, shop them ALL, then you can see which one has the better shoes, purses, designer, etc.

Try them on!!!! Most stores have a policy of all purchases are final meaning they don't have returns or exchanges.

Home decor for less than $5.

Look a sale! I bought a shirt that was
Org.$175 for $1...um serendipity.

More home decor...

Faux Fur you can't
believe it's not real
One of my favorites
Vintage dresses with embroidery.
Those articles of clothing are timeless
and deserve a home.

Goodwill
There is nothing I can say about Goodwill
it has everything and anything
with just the right hint of
old lady smell.

Those shoes are mine!
Who knew Carlos Santana was a
jack of all trades
he makes music and stylish shoes.

Silk City
Antiques and Decor

Before I left Silk City I overheard a conversation
This elderly woman told her friend that
she no longer had any interest in collecting antiques,
then after a long pause said maybe because she is one.
I wanted to hug her and say if you are one
I'd buy you.
There is a God...

Even my camera got excited.
Northampton

I love lamps with one burnt bulb.
Skinny jeans for $20
Flasks for $15
I didn't buy a thing

My beloved used bookstore,
a must for all my dear bookworms.

A touristy picture
The "chic" dollar store
I Love
The owner of Uncle Margaret's gives you a
quiz before you leave on a topic
of your choice :Geography, Art, History etc.,
then rewards you with whatever is laying around...
I forgot my pillow.
I Love
Cavities
This would of stopped even Winona
from shoplifting

Moments like these make
you want to believe in true love

Mon Petit Bijou

2009-01-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

Richard Prince
Kate Pierson 1984

Art Imitates Life

The following day I grabbed my continental breakfast which consisted of a stale croissant and a cup of coffee. In the early morning I had two missions... but both failed. I got lost in Quebec and tried to take care of some Canadian government business, all while R, J, and L, were sound a sleep in the hotel room. Upon my return we started to plan, J, R, and L were hungry. We had our lunch at Three Amigos, with warm soup, tofu burritos and some fresh fruit juice. Afterwords we enjoyed a walk down St. Catherine's street were we stopped at the Underground Mall and then hit the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal.

Sympathy For The Devil: Art and Rock and Roll since 1967

Jason Rhoades "pussy words"
one our favorites...he will be missed

Jim Lambie
The Byrds (Love in a Void)

Robert Longo
Men in the City Series

Linder
Untitled
This once makes me beam

Happy to get my fix, we head out that night to Mackay Campus bar, where we drank, got lost flirting in our broken french and danced to the beats.

Alluring Glamour

2009-01-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hotel Glamour Montreal

Seduced by the "L'Amour" Rouge Rouge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKobb4uX-UQ we booked our three day stay at the Hotel Glamour Montreal. Everything about it the rooms that embraced Audrey Hepburn portraits , every hallway having Marilyn Monroe shrines and an atmosphere that suggested lustful nights...we fell in love. But before leaving to our destination my personal secrétaire Pretty looked over the reviews...it was not good. There was fear creeping in, we had speculations of what we were about to endure for the next couple of days. As we closed in, it dawn on us that we might:
1) Be sharing a bathroom with strangers
2) Get what we paid for...which was too good to be true
3) Decived by a very good website designer, be staying at "hostel pretending to be a hotel"

But our fears melted away, the outside having a charming "Breakfast at Tiffany's" logo, we instantly saw our once thought bungalow turned into our divine chateau.

Montreal Merci