There has been a lot going on over here and so many things that I'm really excited about which are coming up.
The photo is one I took a few years ago...and one that's quite fitting for now. A bit blurry. Clearing though. A visible horizon. (And its location is a scene I should be seeing soon....any guesses as to where?!).
I will say that things will be very hectic for the next few months. It's right in the middle of the busy season for work which started over a week ago with the Miami Fashion Week and swim show...then it's off to a couple more tradeshows and road trips. And in the midst of all this, I'm working behind the scenes on a project that has been in my head for years now. It's just taken a long time to define; but with several recent opportunities, lots of brainstorming, and a very supportive husband, things are taking shape...
I know I'm being vague, but I promise to tell more as it unfolds. Just know that one part of the equation definitely deals with one of my favorite places.
These words are continually in my head: "inspira. espira." (inhale. exhale.) for more reasons than one (*hint).
I just got home from several work days in Miami. This city is crazy. Each time I visit I see something new, and although it's not a city I visit voluntarily, there are definitely some nice things about it.
views in South Beach
Luckily, although this trip was full of plenty of work it was also full of new friends, lots of fashion, and fun! The swimwear brand I rep, TAVIK was showing at the Miami Swim Show - the largest international swim tradeshow each year. Plus, since it's such a big event, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for swim also takes place the same time around the city.
swim show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
We stayed in South Beach where all the events were being held, and were able to attend several great shows...many well into the morning hours. One of the best things about fashion shows is all the excitement around them - the networking, mingling, lights, cameras, and locations! The very first night I arrived there was a show in an outdoor pool courtyard. The models walked out to samba music and fire dancers while (even at midnight) the Miami winds were still hot and blowing strong through the narrow space.
various shows
Tradeshows are always a whirlwind of activities, and this one is a day longer than most - so needless to say, it was nice waking up at home today. It was a fun time though, and wonderful to meet so many great people. Plus, the new 2011 Tavik collections that we were showing got such an amazing response! I think it's going to be an excellent year for the company...
Now I'm just gearing up for a few more shows this season and some work road trips....but the rest of this week, I'm sleeping in!
thanks to some some magical photos via Warm Pears.
I recently found this blog and was captured for a (long) while as I looked over the lovely photographs by its author, Gina. She is an American [photographer. dreamer. blogger. cheese-lover] living in Rome.
There are many categories of photos on the blog, but my favorites are from the series on Rome. Not only are they beautiful images, but I can completely see that they are taken through the eyes of someone who has a real connection with the city. With its rhythm, nuances, and overall spirit. I really feel the heart of the people and the streets through her photos.
So if you can't physically get to Rome, then take a journey through Gina's atmospheric lens.
I've always been amused by the huge difference of experiences in coffee shops in the States and the bars in Italy. Sometimes I like the extra choices, but many times I'm in the mood for simplicity. Here are some recent scenes from the past couple of months, both which are quite standard...
US COFFEE SHOP
BARISTA: Hi! Welcome to _____. What can we get for you today?
ME: (looking over the menus...posted on the wall over the counter, the "specials" board on the floor, and the "monthly flavor" flyer by the cash register) Um, the special flavor "Cherry Mocha" sounds good. How can I get that?
BARISTA: You can get it however you want! We can make a coffee, iced coffee, espresso, double shot espresso, cappuccino, latte, iced latte, macchiato, iced macchiato, frappe, or blended frappuccino.
ME: Oh, wow....um ok. I think I'll try the cappuccino.
BARISTA: Ok! What size would you like? We have tall, grande, or venti.
ME: I'd just like the small one.
BARISTA: Now, what kind of milk would you like? Whole milk, half-and-half, cream, skim milk, 1%, 2%, non-fat, soy...
ME: 2% is fine.
BARISTA: regular or decaf?
ME: regular. ...and you can leave off any extra cream or sprinkles.
BARISTA: Alright! Can I get your name?
ME: sure, it's Erin.
BARISTA: Ok, Erin! (writing my name on a plastic coated paper cup) We'll have that right out to you shortly!
ME: Thanks!
BARISTA: (30 seconds later, calling from behind the bar) ORDER FOR ERIN! WE HAVE A TALL CHEERY MOCHA HOT REGULAR CAPPUCCINO WITH 2% AND NO WHIP!
ITALIAN BAR
BARISTA: Buongiorno. (good morning/day, etc)
ME: Salve. (hi)
BARISTA: Dimmi. (literally "tell me")
ME: un marrocchino per favore.
BARISTA: un marrocchino... ...(a minute later while putting the drink on the bar in front of me) Prego.
This weekend I finally saw Federico Fellini's masterpiece, "8 1/2" - a viewing that was long overdue. Another one of his pieces, La Dolce Vita, is a movie I can watch almost anytime or just have in the background for atmosphere. I really liked it the first time I watched it, and appreciate it a little more after each additional viewing. I think this is how 8 1/2 will for me as well. The first time I was just taking it all in, but I can't wait to watch it many more times.
the handsome Marcello Mastroianni & beautiful Anouk Aimée
Previously, I'd seen pieces of the film and knew the main premise of the storyline so I knew enough to understand what was going on. Also, just last month we watched the 2009 movie Nine which was a remake of the broadway play of the same name, which were both based on 8 1/2. Even though I see why it was an award-winner, I definitely don't think it comes anywhere near 8 1/2 and the merits it gained came almost entirely from piggybacking on the brilliance of Fellini. (Plus, *sidenote* I don't really like musicals, so the painful forced songs in Nine took away from the storyline in my opinion.)
Basically 8 1/2 is a film about a film. Guido, a director, is trying to make his next big film, but can't come up with an idea as the deadline for shooting draws near so he ends up making a film about his life making films. Which is exactly what was happening in real life with the real director, Fellini...and in genius form, film-maker Fellini ended up making a film about a film-maker making a film about making a film.
...I'll give you a few minutes to grab some aspirin...
It's pretty amazing actually. And every scene is so well thought out in the sense of the viewer's perspective flowing in and out of the real director's view through the camera to the view of the actor's view who was just playing the part of the director. And the aesthetic sense of visuals in almost every single frame is fascinating. I really think it's a test of a black & white film, if color would actually take away from the film...and I completely believe it would in this movie.
From the bizarre opening dream sequence to many of Guido's flashbacks and fantasies, Fellini shows his mastery of the weird, modern, and sometimes strangely grotesque. Sometimes it's hard for me to grasp today the gravity of a piece of past work of art that had so much weight in its own time. This is true for music, paintings, movies, etc - because so many of the "masterpieces" are just that because they crossed new limits, or changed the current thought. And, naturally, experiencing a piece after it's own time puts me, the viewer, in a place where many other pieces followed this "masterpiece's" example, so I can't fully grasp the entire magnitude of the impression it held when it was first presented.
...This, however, wasn't the case for me and 8 1/2. I can still see and appreciate today the boundaries this film broke, and the modern ideas it presented in how we view art vs. life. And I can't wait to watch it again...
Here is the original 1963 trailer: *email readers must click to the online post to view*
I was looking through some old family photos recently and many of the photos I found were of summer times in NC, at the beach, or swimming in the pool. One photo I found was this shot of my granddad, papa. Some summer a long time ago (and the sun was definitely out). He looks pretty serious here in his oxfords and straw hat (perhaps because this fountain had no water?)...but he rarely was serious. Even when he looked it, he was probably just cooking up some ornery prank to pull or joke to tell.
Summer means more ice in your drinks, salt on your skin, and sand on your toes....Pretty much the main thing I don't like about summer is the thought of getting in a car that's been baking in the sun. But at least putting this mix on may make that car ride a bit more pleasant...
A New Chance (Tanlines Remix) :: The Tough Alliance Material Things :: Jake Troth 1st Floor :: Gilvere Forté Featuring Freelance Whales (87 Dreams) Better Times :: Beach House (Teen Dream) Forever And Ever Amen (Saint Etienne Remix) :: The Drums Love Like A Sunset (Animal Collective Remix - Deakin's Jam) :: Phoenix Clap Your Hands (Diplo Remix) :: Sia (We Are Born) come with me :: ceo (white magic) Matter Of Time (Tanlines Remix) :: Solid Gold (Green Label Sound) Whirring (Voodoo Friends) :: The Joy Formidable (Remixes) Crank Resolutions :: Meursault (All Creatures WIll Make Merry) It Will All End In Tears :: The Drums (The Drums) Tonight, Tonight :: Passion Pit (Levi's Pioneer Sessions 2010 Revival Recording) Passer Á L'ouest :: Dumas (Traces) You and I :: Washed Out (Adult Swim Singles)
Well, I didn't expect to have two of these posts in a row...but the colors are so fitting for Independence Day! Too bad these infusions usually take a while to mature, as we won't be enjoying this during today's festivities...but it at least looks pretty in the meantime.
I knew I'd wanted to do some sort of vinegar on my list of concoctions this season, and in a recent edition of the Publix Greenwise magazine, there was a recipe for Raspberry Vinegar. The process looked easy enough, and since all the vibrant berries are in season, I figured I'd try it out...but with a little twist.
Here's my take on it (with some color for patriotic flair):
BERRY & ROSEMARY VINEGAR
1/2 cup fresh raspberries 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 1 sprig fresh rosemary 2 cups white vinegar
Prepare a jar large enough to fit about 2.5-3 cups worth of ingredients. Thoroughly wash berries and rosemary. Lightly bruise berries with back of a spoon. Heat vinegar to point just before boiling (190ºF). Drop berries and rosemary (without stem) into the jar.
Pour hot vinegar over the berries and place a lid on the jar. Label with date. Leave in cool, dry place for 2-3 weeks undisturbed. After that first amount of time, strain all solids through a double-layer cheesecloth and replace the liquid vinegar back in the jar. Move to refrigerator and use within 6-8 months (on greens, bean salads, etc).
I love to travel and look forward to seeing more of the world, while trying my hardest to not get caught in the American-dream rat race. I want to be used to help others and am inspired by people who are dedicated to meaningful living. My life has taken me to places around the world, including moving to Italy with my husband for a year. The future is exciting and this is me just learning to enjoy the journey.
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