Happy Friday!

This song - Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric - came on my ipod today while I was driving and it put a big ol' smile on my face. It always reminds me of this scene from Stranger Than Fiction, which is a favorite movie of mine. Hope it makes you smile, too...

The Coral Sea

The opening few paragraphs of this book gave me chills.

     "The first time I saw Robert he was sleeping. I stood over him, this boy of twenty, who sensing my presence opened his eyes and smiled. With few words he became my friend, my compeer, my beloved adventure.
     When he became ill, I wept and could not stop weeping. He scolded me for that, not with words but with a simple look of reproach, and I ceased.
     When I saw him last we sat in silence and he rested his head on my shoulder. I watched the light changing over his hands, over his work, and over the whole of our lives. Later, returning to his bed, we said goodbye. But as I was leaving something stopped me and I went back to his room. He was sleeping. I stood over him, a dying man, who sensing my presence opened his eyes and smiled.
     When he passed away I could not weep so I wrote. Then I took the pages and set them away. Here are those pages, my farewell to my friend, my adventure, my unfettered joy."

-Patti Smith on Robert Maplethorpe

I love the way she writes about her relationship with Robert. I feel like I can relate my own experiences with certain people to the friendship and love that they had for each other. 

Some people, you just love no matter what, unconditionally. And that's that. You can go away for a while, mentally, emotionally, or physically, but sooner or later you find each other again 

and it's just...good. Maybe the context of your love has changed. It doesn't always have to be romantic love. Perhaps it has morphed into a beautiful mutual friendship or maybe it's just a quick loving smile between you two in passing. This person, this presence, is a strange comfort, but a wonderful comfort nonetheless. 

{Patti and Robert}

source

I need more RED in my life

On Valentine's Day I was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of lilys and tiny yellow roses, as well as a delicious (expensive!) bottle of Italian wine. That night I wore my new favorite red velvet blazer from Pretty Penny Vintage , a sheer polka dot collared blouse, my I Heart Ronson mini leather skirt, black tights, and black suede wedges. I put my hair up in clips and sported a dark red lipstick. It was understated and sexy, romantic and comfortable. In short: I felt cute. Which is something I have been struggling with recently. I am trying to be nicer to myself on a daily basis. I realized that I was putting myself down every single day, all the time. I was so mean to myself. Do you know what that's like - to never be satisfied with what you have? It's exhausting and oh so negative.  So lately I am smiling more, standing up straight, and loving myself for what I am currently. On our date we went to FIVE for cocktails and, naturally, I got a French 75 and he ordered an old fashioned.  Then we headed to the tiny old movie theater to see My Week With Marilyn. Afterwards we got a late night din at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe (owned by Mike Dirnt of Green Day) - I had a salad, he had a patty melt. Twas a great evening.
Here are some poorly taken photos of my fit: 

Posing in my kitchen. 

Cheeeeeeese.

Blowing a kiss...in honor of Marilyn. 

The beautiful lilys. 

Peanut, sitting pretty in the window. 

WOWZA

Ok, I've loved Michelle Williams since the Dawson's Creek days when she showed up one season as Jen Lindley, the rebellious but lovable girl from New York City. Since then, I've been a fan of every movie she's been in (that I know of), and I love her personal style and overall demeanor. You could say I have what some might call a "girl crush" on her. So I was stopped dead in my tracks while aimlessly wandering through the grocery store isles when I saw her looking MAD SEXY on the cover of GQ Magazine. I quickly flipped through the pages and found the article and pictures. She is definitely channeling Marilyn in the photos since she just played her in the acclaimed film My Week With Marilyn. (I can't wait to see it. Soon!!) So here I'll leave you with some eye candy from the GQ spread that is the gorgeous and talented Ms. Michelle Williams. :)

Audrey and Pippin

On and frequently off the set of 1958′s film Green Mansions,  Audrey had near her often a deer named Pippin. She called him “Ip,” rather than “Pip." In order for the deer to convincingly follow her character around during principal photography, she spent a great deal of time bonding with the fawn and training it to stay with her. The pictures of them together are quite possibly the cutest things I have ever seen. Can this woman be any more lovable?!

flickr

Whole Lotta Love

skull swap

I've been a lazy blogger lately and I apologize. Let me elaborate on this delicious photo I posted: I have been reading Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis and am intoxicated with the greatness and excess and voodoo of Led Zeppelin. I've been infatuated with them since high school and a few years ago learned more about Jimmy Page through the writing of Pamela Des Barres in her book I'm With the Band. Little side note: the character Penny Lane from the film Almost Famous was based on Pamela. She had a fiery love affair with Mr. Page. Juicy Stuff. Eh ehm, I digress, I am halfway through Hammer of the Gods and am SO glad that it was written. It gives us youngins something tangible to hold onto and fantasize about from a time that came way before us. Led Zeppelin may have have been in their prime a long time ago but their influence lives on in music and rock history forever.

Also, Robert Plant and his Band of Joy played at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival this year but unfortunately I missed it due to San Francisco traffic and absolutely no parking. Oh well...I'm just glad he is still here and reminding the world that music can still be meaningful and beautiful. 

Cheap and Fabulous

It's how I roll most of the time. 

 I am pretty much a bargain fiend. 

I have my splurges but they are few and far between. 

Here are some recent purchases I've made that are easy 

on the wallet but definitely don't skimp on style. 

Yay for sales and clothing credit cards!

Merona Milena black suede wedges 

$29.99 @ Target

Piet necklace @ Jewelmint

sells for $29.99 - I got it for $11.99 w/ promotion

 Ruffle Gauze brown polka dot shirt 

$24.50 @ Old Navy

Midi black cotton skirt @ Old Navy for $15.00 

(but can't find a picture of it online)

It looks identical to this one @ ASOS $45.74 

These small and somewhat basic buys make me excited 

to bring in the Fall weather...and with some extra dollar bills to boot! 

:)

Oh and I scored this book I've been coveting:

Patti Smith, 1969-1976 by Judy Linn

$15.00 @ Half.com

Brilliance, really.

Sssshhh...I know. I love it, too.

Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David
 thisisnotporn

New Loves

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus. 

Man, I love this stuff. It's creamy and has just enough color, too. 

You can find it here.

But, I bought mine at Target. :) 

Oh, and I have a new celebrity crush. His name is Mark Duplass. 

He is an actor, director, writer, and I think he played in a band, too. Lately, I've been watching his movies and the show that he stars in called The League. 

Anyways...swooooooooon. 

Because the world is round it turns me on...

Came across this image the other day.

I could look at photos of John and Yoko for hours. 

To me, this picture is one of the many that is representative of their unapologetic and passionate love.

It made me feel something when I saw it. 

Which is more than I can say for most things that I see on a day to day basis.

And this is one is for the hell of it.

I just love Yoko's wedding outfit. 

John and her were always so effortlessly stylish.

And finally, here are some quotes from John talking about his love, Yoko.

"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot.”

“It wasn’t that she inspired the songs. She inspired me.”

"She forced me to become avant-garde and take my clothes off, when all I wanted was to become Tom Jones."

"We've broken down a few barriers between us, which we had to do because we had two big egos. Two individual artists - and with love we overcame that."


"John and Yoko are like the wind. You can't see it, but when it passes the trees bend. You know, and that's what we do."

"I've had the boyhood thing of being Elvis. Now I want to be with my best friend, and my best friend's my wife. Who could ask for anything more?"

"I'd like to live to a ripe old age, with Yoko only, you know. And I'm not afraid of dying. I don't know how it'd feel at the moment. But I'm prepared for death because I don't believe in it. I think it's just getting out of one car and getting into another."

And Yoko on John:

“You can’t plan in life – you just have to do the best with what life gives you. John taught me to laugh a lot at life, and I do. It would have been better if he hadn’t died but you can’t sit and cry. These are things life throws at you and you have to learn to overcome them. You have to try to make good from bad."

Just Kids

I am a little...ok, I am a lot in love with Patti Smith. She recently won the National Book Award for her memoir, Just Kids. It is a wonderful book about her relationship with photographer/artist Robert Mapplethorpe when they were both young, broke, and determined artists trying to make it in New York in the late 60's and early 70's. I cherish this book and hope that you might read it too. It is poetic and honest and empowering for someone like myself. 

So that said, Patti was recently on The Colbert Report in honor of her winning the National Book Award. This interview is insightful, cheeky, and lovely; not unlike Ms. Patti Smith, herself.
Enjoy.

The Colbert Report: Patti Smith

Here are some photos (from very far away) at the Hardly Strictly Blue Grass Festival in San Francisco when I was able to watch and listen to her play FOR FREE. Loved every minute of it.

 The Godmother speaking her mind.

 "Because the Night"

Oh, I had to get one with me and Patti
(as well as approx: 2,000 other people.)