it's been a while... challenge three part 1

Hello Hello Hello!

Challenge here.

The mission: find London in New York... well... it's everywhere.

1. So So Glos

The So So Glos are a favorite Brooklyn-based band and good friends of mine. They've also got quite a London thing going on. Listen and judge for yourself!

The So So Glos – "Throw Your Hands Up" from Erik Carter on Vimeo.

(watch out for me in the video-- pre-blonde)

2. Urban Jungle Vintage

Urban Jungle is a gem hidden amongst the large warehouses of Bushwick, Brooklyn. It is one of many vintage stores on Knickerbocker Ave, but by far the best. Everything is cheap as hell and the variety ranges from long floral dresses to neon construction pants. The clientele is just as diverse... at any given point, there are people from all walks of life in there.



(SO MANY ROWS- SO MANY JEWELS!)

It's really just the best. And afterwards-- dinner at Roberta's.

3. Loading Dock

Sort of a weird thing to write on, but the Loading Dock is a Mexican restaurant in downtown Brooklyn that is one of the cutest places I've ever been. It's run by a bunch of hipsters and doubles as an art gallery too. Bonus: They make their own tortillas.

It's also just incredibly chill.

And yes, their kitchen is a taco truck pulled up to the building!




5. The Hotel Chelsea

Haunted by ghosts of famous musicians, artists, and writers, The Hotel Chelsea has a vibe that is New York but London. It's dark with glimmers of art (once traded for renting a room). Patti Smith once floated from room to room and I mean, who doesn't love Patti Smith?
How about Bob Dylan? Janis Joplin? Leonard Cohen? Dylan Thomas? Sid Vicious? Robert Mapplethorpe?

Although the hotel doesn't take long-term stays, you can stay up to 24 days!




6. Silent Barn

House and music venue extraordinaire, the Silent Barn sort of pushes the boundaries of Brooklyn. (Technically in Queens)... but whatever. Joe Ahearn cranks out great DIY shows and the legendary Showpaper here!

Foot Fetish

Sometimes one stumbles upon a pair of shoes that makes them squirm around in their chair for a good ten minutes.
Sometimes one stumbles upon TWO pairs of shoes that make them squirm around in their chair for a good ten minutes (each)!

That's me today.
The cause: Nicholas Kirkwood Spring/Summer 2010 line.

Maybe you'll squirm now too!



The Metallic Paint Oxford



The Electric Dot Oxford

Yes, that heel is awesome. And yes, it's laquer. And yes, I will be unable to recreate it in my DIY project to recreate these two pairs of shoes. But, I will do my best... when the price tag doesn't fit, do it yourself.

On the Terrace of a Thousand Yellow Suns

I wrote a story. A friend made a movie of it. I acted in it. He composed the music and played it.
My name is so.lo.war.
His name is Luca Balser.




This is the story:

On the Terrace of a Thousand Yellow Suns

I held the little life in my hand, reaching out over the wrought iron rail, balancing the little porcelain globe over the patio, over the soil that I had knelt in, ran my fingers through just that morning. For just a morsel of a moment, I could feel the pulsing heart beat enclosed in this life enclosed in this fragile entity. This beating drum pushed and pushed and vibrated against my little palm, making my hand quiver, my fingers shake. I held this little creature’s life in my hand. I held its fate and if I were to just flick my wrist—I would murder.
I had been bathing my glowing body in the spring sunshine for hours, bending and reaching into the cardboard carton next to me every few minutes, producing a little speckled object. There were freckles sprinkled across the façade of this thing. They were the freckles I wore across the bridge of my nose, a splattering of light brown paint, met occasionally by the corner of my crimson mouth, sometimes getting lost in the folds of my dimples as I let my laugh of feathers flow out of my mouth until the ground is white with a snow of down.
The round of the container of this growing baby fit perfectly into my palm. This one at this moment was different than the others and I subconsciously knew that if I were to drop it to the patio below, a little ball of feathers would be coughed out into a pile of shattered shells and little yellow suns.
The thought of such a simple birth and death within moments of one another made my own chest thunder at twice the frequency of the living being balanced precariously on my vibrating knuckles.
I had never really studied this white, freckled thing, the little yellow flight that it produces each spring, and as I held it to my flushed cheek, it felt like silk and its shape, its fucking shape was the shape of my own exasperated face. It was as pure as me. It was me and I imagined what it would feel like to float in mucus with my eyes closed until my little beak broke out and I emerged into the gaze of my mother. And I pondered this peculiar feeling, this warm fluid against my skin, my eyes glued together blissfully so that I was able to see into my own mind, so that I was able to roll my eyes back and look into this brain that had been so artfully crafted, enclosed in a hard case that quite resembled the one I held in my hand. Two things meant to protect. One easily broken and the other, also easily broken and with that, I flinched and dropped the life.
My mouth opened, a deep guttural cry escaping from my lips, no white down falling to the ground, no laughter, nothing but wailing and spitting and what felt like needles in my throat. I dropped to the wooden deck beneath me, forcing my face against the opening in the slatted rail and I watched the life descend and its heartbeat grew and grew, the thumping of bass from a bad stereo, pounding in sync with my own. I watched and watched and then it was over and it broke, shattered into ivory white pieces the size of my baby teeth.
Slowly the mucus began to leak running through the valleys of cracks between bricks and I sat sobbing, reaching my hand towards the murdered, praying that it would jump back on to the balcony, into my lap, and the little bundle of feathers would emerge, but nothing.
Where was the little baby covered in matted feathers? The blind child?

The yellow yolk slid out into the sea of suns and I realized that the baby had been long dead.

a little taste for monday

Iris Apfel -- interior designer and fashion superstar -- could brighten anyone's Monday. (She's like an added bonus to the lovely weather we've been having in NYC).



Additionally: I just wanted to share that I will be attending Rimmel London's blogger event on Wednesday and am super excited to meet the bloggers and all the other Rimmel 10 girls who will all be in the big apple!

London in Hollywood

Rimmel Challenge #3!!!

This month we were asked to create a Hollywood look using Rimmel's Max Volume Flash Mascara (in Extreme Black) as a starting point. The idea was to do a fresh and new Hollywood look inspired by London and London fashion.






Clothing Details: Cardigan by Tulle, Dress by Black, Shoes by Marc by Marc Jacobs, all accessories from Claire's



Top row (from left to right): Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick (in Crystal Mauve), Rimmel Max Volume Flash Mascara (in Extreme Black), Rimmel Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer (in 001)

Middle row: Laura Mercier Foundation (in Blush Ivory), Make-up Forever Eyeshadow (in No. 75), Rimmel Lasting Finish Blendable Powder Blush & Highlighter (in 006 Autumn Catwalk)

Bottom row: Claire's Eye Shimmer Palette

a little color in the rain!

Hello hello!

It is raining... again today. So I offer a little color. The photo above is me in my room a few months ago.
Photo is by Perri Hofmann.. my super talented friend.

Challenge 2 will be up either later this evening or at some point tomorrow. My brother (who takes the pictures of me for challenges) is out of town! He's due back tonight though!

Get pumped for the challenge though: Creating a Hollywood look....LONDON STYLE.

Anyway, I'm off to take a nap and watch the Gossip Girl I've most recently missed (I know that I'm a loser).

so.lo.war.

What are we seeing? Trends 2010?

Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long. I've been swamped with school work but I'm back now!

As you guys know, I'm a Rimmel 10 Girl. We've been asked to complete a mini challenge predicting ten trends of 2010 and at the end of the year, we'll see who was closest!

so here goes..................

1. Seeing red?


3.1 Phillip Lim Spring RTW


Betsey Johnson Fall RTW


Lela Rose Fall RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Vanessa Bruno Spring RTW


Malandrino Fall RTW


Stella McCartney Spring RTW


McQueen Fall RTW


Chanel Spring RTW


Burberry Prorsum Fall RTW


BCBG Max Azria Spring RTW



2. Seeing through?


YSL Spring RTW


Sonia Rykiel Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Fall RTW


Marc Jacobs Fall RTW


Chloé Spring RTW


Chanel Spring RTW


Chanel Spring RTW


BCBG Max Azria Spring RTW


Alberta Ferretti Spring RTW


3.1 Phillip Lim Spring RTW


Araks Fall RTW



3. Seeing bras?


Dior Spring RTW


Sonia Rykiel Spring RTW


Prada Fall RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Marc Jacobs Spring RTW


Charlotte Ronson Spring RTW


Charlotte Ronson Spring RTW



4. Seeing leather?


Dior Fall RTW


Araks Fall RTW


Chloé Spring RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Burberry Prorsum Fall RTW


3.1 Phillip Lim Fall RTW


McQueen Spring RTW


3.1 Phillip Lim Spring RTW


Prada Fall RTW


Charlotte Ronson Spring RTW



5. Seeing suits?


YSL Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Fall RTW


Charlotte Ronson Spring RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Burberry Prorsum Fall RTW


3.1 Phillip Lim Spring RTW


3.1 Phillip Lim Spring RTW


Anna Sui Spring RTW


Chloé Spring RTW


Max Azria Spring RTW



6. Seeing ruffles?


Chloé Spring RTW


Chanel Spring RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Anna Sui Spring RTW


Prada Fall RTW


Proenza Schouler Spring RTW


McQueen Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Fall RTW


Alberta Ferretti Spring RTW



7. Seeing through a kaleidescope?


McQueen Spring RTW


McQueen Fall RTW


Dries Van Noten Spring RTW


BCBG Max Azria Spring RTW


Anna Sui Spring RTW


Proenza Schouler Spring RTW



8. Seeing tap pants?


YSL Spring RTW


Stella Spring RTW


Charlotte Ronson Spring RTW


Marc Jacobs Spring RTW



9. Seeing a euclidean shoulder?


Marc Jacobs Fall RTW


Charlotte Ronson Fall RTW


Chanel Fall RTW


Burberry Prorsum Spring RTW


Burberry Prorsum Fall RTW


YSL Spring RTW


Viktor & Rolf Spring RTW


Vanessa Bruno Spring RTW


Stella McCartney Spring RTW


McQueen Fall RTW



10. Seeing peplums?


Viktor & Rolf Spring RTW


Stella McCartney Spring RTW


Dior Spring RTW


Dior Fall RTW


Stella McCartney Spring RTW


11 (BONUS!). Seeing Yves Klein Blue (IKB 191)?


Yves Klein Blue (IKB 191)


Yves Klein


Stella McCartney Spring RTW


Sonia Rykiel Spring RTW


Burberry Prorsum Fall RTW