Saturday, July 31, 2010



Last week Anna Beth and I went to the Frist to see the The Golden Age of Couture. The exhibit displayed couture of French and English designers from 1947-1957. This era brought a bit of extravagance - unlike the flappers of the roaring 20's who insisted on short skirts, these women showed their wealth by the amount of material they could afford, thus making longer skirts and dresses most desirable and fashionable. As we mazed through the runway of once upon a time fashion, we discovered our ever-loving passion for anything Dior - or maybe it was the nostalgia, or perhaps a more appropriate phrase, the glamour of the past. As we continued we discovered strong feelings for Balenciaga, Channel, Givenchy, and in Christian Dior's terms, all of the "golden age" designers. Yes, it was the golden age of fashion, garments adorned with jewels, petticoats made of silk, tiers of ruffles and bubble skirts, tailored suits and stilettos, and....cinched waists? Dior believed that the waist of a woman should be no wider than one hand length. I think that's about six inches if you have a large hand. Wait, I thought curvy was "in" back then - I mean wasn't Marilyn Monroe a size 12? Nevertheless, I think Anna Beth and I were unconsciously "sucking in" by the time we left the fashion show, convinced that we should dress more "classic." Wouldn't that be a riot - the two of us showing up in real 1950's couture - we'd be stunning - perchance trendsetters of our own generation, our love of pure fashion truly shining from vintage hat to pointy toe.

Thursday, July 29, 2010


I had bubble tea for the first time on Monday. Mine was blueberry flavored. At the bottom of the cup are "bubbles," made from tapioca. You can't help but smile when you drink it, especially when a bubble passes through the giant straw into your mouth. I love to try new food and drinks, especially ethnic ones. It is interesting to see how food and culture go together. Bubble Tea originated in the 80's in Taiwan. A lot originated in the 80's - MTV, Nintendo, the Apple Macintosh, Prozac. It's amazing how much has evolved in the last 30 years. There is an "app" and a pill for everything now. I tried to avoid technology - I'm still avoiding it somewhat actually. I didn't have an email address until 2005. I still believe in sending cards through the mail and I hand write all of my cards, even the 50+ cards I send during the holidays. I purchased my first computer in 2009 - yes, last year (and it's a net book). I don't have cable. I admit I quickly embraced some aspects of technology - social networking, cellular telephones, the ipod, and Google. The ipod allowed me to eliminate bulky stereo equipment, novels of CDs and the towers that just take up space. Plus I can hook it up to my car. Facebook provides an easy way to keep in touch with everyone I know. This is priceless since I now live away from most of my friends and family. Who could live without Google? With the ability to use it on the Blackberry, it is like Encyclopedia Britannica in the palm of your hand. The Blackberry might be my favorite invention ever - well maybe I should say my favorite technological advancement. My favorite inventions have to do with fashion and makeup, also influenced by culture. I think my favorite semester in college was when I took Critical Theory, World History, Art Appreciation, and Literature. The historical timelines for each course moved in the same direction, allowing me to discover each cultural movement critically, historically, artistically, and poetically. Postmodernism and Modernism proved to be my favorites. Postmodernism was a break from 19th century realism. Modernism gave us Hemingway. The Sun also Rises is still one of my favorite books. I'm going to start reading more again. First on the list - eat pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I can't wait. I think I'll begin chapter one while drinking a Blueberry Bubble tea.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

I found out today that my birth flower is the cosmos. Cosmos is a Greek word meaning "harmony or ordered universe." There is a variety of this flower called the chocolate cosmos. I want to plant them in my garden because their aroma is chocolate. I think they are a perfect color to plant now as they will bloom into the late summer and early fall. Right now my garden is filled with hydrangeas, begonias, petunias, zinnias, lavender, and rosemary. I had lilies, but my little furry friend uprooted them. He loves to play in the garden. Winston is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I spend a lot of time brushing his ears, taking him for walks, and loving him - he likes to snuggle. The Cavalier is of English origin and Winston sports a British flag collar to represent his heritage. It has nothing to do with how much I love London, Winston is just very patriotic. I don't blame him, there are a lot of great things in the U.K. - cider, stilton, Radiohead, Burberry, the MINI cooper. I love stilton, well all cheeses actually. I don't discriminate. A cheese plate is a perfect appetizer or dessert - which gives me an idea for my chocolate cosmos - a perfect Fall garnish.