Link + Picture + Product Love: What's Happening NOW

 

image via NYCMag

In the article, ‘Picasso Baby’ Live: Jerry Saltz Goes Face-to-Face With Jay-Z by art critique Jerry Saltz, you get to really glimpse art world culture and bravado. I've always been smitten with the seen, but never brave enough to commit. This well written expose' on the six hour show by Jay-Z brought tears to my eyes. Why you ask? Someone from our musical generation is doing greater than great things. Pushing the envelope. Mixing cultures. Questioning norms. It is so refreshing and so much more intense and dumbfounding coming from a Hip Hop artist. Bravo, Jay-Z. Here's my favorite part of the article:

Maybe best of all was Marina Abramovic herself. When she arrived at 3:15 the crowd went silent for the first time. (Gotta hand it to her.) As the notes began, she walked toward him, taking off her belt and shoes. ("Oh God!," I fretted. "She's going to get naked again.") Then she stood with her hands at her side and her palms open, facing him. She climbed over the bench and stood that way for a moment — then, holding the pose, moved closer to him, then closer still. Until she placed her forehead on his. It was as if she was saying, "I gave you permission to steal my act; now I am taking it back." Astonishing. 

image here

Gus Petro, a Swiss photographer, traveled to both NYC and the Grand Canyon. He was struck by one's density and the other's emptiness. He then combined the photos of both locations into a chilling series called "Merge." 

After enduring a seven day trek down the Grand Canyon in 2010, I can speak from experience when I say it is amazingly vast and startlingly empty. We were one of several vessels on the water and saw only a few others. Being a mile down from sea level is the weirdest experience. We were literally combing through Earth's layers. 

"Merge" is a crazy juxtoposition of two vastly different, but totally American landmarks. Love it.  

buy it here

buy it here

buy it here

The creator of the namesake, new jewelry line Lele Sadoughi, cut her teeth at JCrew where she spearheaded the creation of their now amazing jewelry line in 2006. As an avid bobble collector, I can honestly say her creations for JCrew re-sparked my interest in their work. I didn't even know who the genius behind the overhaul was! 

Of course when I came across the above pieces in an Elle magazine story on her new line I instantly fell in love. The quasi-affordable, semi-precious stone filled line of jewelry is both trendy and classic. I love the colors and the hardware. Such a great mix of masculine and feminine. I ordered mine yesterday!!! 

Pinterest Finds - Follow me here for more of the goods.   

Everything about this image captivates me. The opulence! That cleavage! Who's that creepy guy in the back? Was this really a Chanel ad? Do you think MJ and Madge used the same plastic surgeon?
SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.
RIP MJ. 

1961 black cat audition in Hollywood. How are all these cats SO chill on leashes? My cat, Figaro, will dislocate his shoulder before staying in a leash. Yes, we've tried. What about it?

HOV.
I am so obsessed. Can he be my spirit animal? I mean that with the utmost respect.

Skull. Diamonds. 2 favorites = 1 home run.
Dior Jaillerie Victoire de Castellane Roi D'opalie

Chloe. 100% Girl Crush.

The Wedding Chronicles: Act FOUR "Las Vegas Wedding Invitation Suite + Flowers + Etc. = Amazingness"

Seahorse Bend // Lettering by Amy // Paperless Post // Naakiti Floral

We are getting so close to the wedding that I just had to share some of the details. Less than three months away! That sounds like forever still, but it strangely feels like tomorrow when you've been engaged as long as we have. The invitations are at the calligrapher's and the final deposit has been paid on the flowers. We also have the Rehearsal Dinner invitations in hand and my dress is tucked away upstairs. Mental note: I need to get that thing to the tailor ASAP. 

My lady friends and I are headed to my favorite Southern city for the weekend: NOLA! To celebrate my soon-to-be-ending bachelorette-ness. Fingers crossed they don't haze me to death. No shots please! I want to make it to dinner... 

Here's a few random updates:

Remember that house we bought? Well, here it is in all of it's before and after glory! Read all about our little fixer upper on the awesome, Houston real estate blog SwampLot. It is in the amazing historical subdivision of Westmoreland in Montrose. We LOVE being able to walk every where and especially like having a yard for the dog. We also are excited for our first tenants in the back house starting next week. 

I just bought these bad boys since the kitties (1 or both?) peed all inside my Toms (thanks jerks!). They are really cheap and on trend too. Perfect summer 2013 slip on's. Get them here in an assortment of colors.

Look how big my nephew, Peter Danger Clark, is getting! I just want to SQUEEZE HIM. Yes, you read that right. Danger is his middle name. Literally.

Had to share this hilarious picture of Brad and I that my Fairy God Father snapped two weekends ago at our first wedding shower in Austin. (PS. those necklaces are Chan Luu and I have not taken them off since I got them... I swear I am wearing them now.)

Last but not least: I gave in and made a wedding website. So please, check it out and chuckle behind my back at my expense: www.aftonandbrad.com. 

Life Updates Inspired by Wendy Davis: "The Lebron James of Filibustering"

I was repeatedly moved to tears as I reviewed the coverage of last night's historic SB5 filibuster in the Texas Senate this morning. Plus the ruling of the Supreme Court that crushed DOMA. So amazing! "Reviewed this morning," you ask? Not watched/streamed like the rest of the world? No TV. Still.

Long story short Brad and I moved into our dream home and STILL (3.5 weeks later) do not have TV/Cable/nada. It's been nice, but when it comes to current events I am typically a day behind.

These momentous events in Texas and US history have inspired me to get back on the blog and get it together. All of the above images are from this amazing Buzzfeed coverage. And speak to the extensive internet presence of this filibuster. Sadly, as you will read on Buzzfeed and elsewhere the always-streaming-24-hour-news-channels did not even give it a blip. What's up with that?!

The radio silence that has ensued on this here blog for what it tells me as the last 2-no-3 months (March 27?) is because we did all of the following, kind of on a whim? More on that later...
1) Finalized the wedding details, booked the honeymoon (Santa Fe!) and sent out our Save the Dates

2) Traveled EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND in April & May
3) Turned 27! Old. Old. I define it by saying I really know what I am talking about in meetings, ya'll. 
4) Sold Brad's house 
5) Put multiple offers on our dream house 
6) Bought said dream house after 3rd offer was accepted 

7) Moved into said dream house after selling our previous house out from under us in a frantic effort to duel close our two homes in 30 days. Can you guess which closed first? HINT: not the new one...
8) Leased dream house uncomfortably until we were clear to close. 
9) Learned why people say that buying/selling a house is stressful. Our closing was pushed by 10 days and then was split between 2 days because human error is alive and well.
10) Closed on our house! 
11) Drank so much in New Orleans at my friends' epic wedding that I broke the heel off of my favorite, new shoes. Yes. These. Don't they look like Altazurra, I know, right? They are Nine West, run very big and will give you hella bad lower-back-off-legs blisters. Highly affordable & uncomfortable. (only available in this color here) 
12) The wonderful Shoe Hospital on Shepherd fixed them! Only after poking a little, ahem, a lot of fun at me when I told them how they broke.
12) Got real sick presumably from the partying, but also from what looks like air filters that were never changed. Ever. 

HOWEVER, I am back and ready for business! Sorry to be gone so long. It's been a weird couple of months. The wedding is way underway and the list has swollen to a pretty hefty number by small, destination standards. Let's just say its more than a few people. AND my dress arrived! Plus I love it still. So, that's pretty great. 

I promise to do a wedding-centric post later/next week. Business is booming ya'll! We are literally counting down the days until the big weekend. First we have to get through the parental meet and greet. Only to be surpassed in awkwardness by my divorced parents and there spouses all eating dinner together the night before. They have not seen each other, not spoken, nothing since my college graduation in 2008. Get excited for that!

One last thing, I gave in and did a wedding website: www.aftonandbrad.com for all of those pesky particulars. Until then, I leave you with this image that is keeping me holding on...

The Wedding Chronicles: ACT THREE "Going on a White Dress Safari"

BHLDN / Mia Bridal Couture

As I discussed previously, in this post, wedding dress shopping is a pretty huge source of anxiety for me. Thankfully, it ended up being only mildly tiring and kind of pleasant. That is due, of course, to a solid group of friends who kept the Veuve and compliments flowing. The first place we went was BHLDN on Westheimer. I give the private room and private seating area a A++. As for the dresses, they were more of a 5/6. The selection was pretty large, the prices awesome (average price apx. $1k), but the sales lady was lacking. She was nice, but was constantly telling us how much time we had left. She also didn't offer too much in  terms of dresses, veils, etc. Instead my friends ended up surfing the showroom take items off of mannequins. Pretty funny. We then went to Benjy's for a much needed brunch and mimosa break. Thanks, Mom, for financing that! After a little too much food and champagne we went to Events on West Gray to look at china patterns... Because we had time to kill and I clearly have not done any of that. That place is amazing, btw! Still no idea what china I want?

Finally, it was time for our 2 pm appointment at Mia Bridal. It was packed with brides and mothers and aunts and friends.  It was at this time that it occurred to me that I was sad that none of the motherly figures were there to share this monumental occasion. I knew they were not coming, but it still hit me pretty hard. Thanks to good friends I was able to recover. Diary of a 'check's-in-the-mail' orphan. It could always be worse. Like, I could be a real orphan. 

On a lighter note, we only had to wait a little bit for our seating area and in the mean time I was encouraged to pull dresses I wanted to try. There were SO many dresses. Thankfully they were organized by price - keeping my selection pool to a minimum. Plus my sales associate was really helpful and most importantly honest about what she thought would look good on my body type. She also was not bashful about nudity and helped me get in and out of those suckers. It was so exhausting because those dresses are work to put on! 

Luckily, I ended up finding the perfect dress and it was under budget, until they informed me of what alterations + veil + that crystal belt cost. Oh well, thanks Dad! It will be here June 7th and I am so excited. Nothing says 'get in shape, girl!' like trying on wedding dresses. Stay tuned for my save the date proofs and more wedding action. The fam and I are off to Vegas tomorrow for meetings with the florist and the Bellagio. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly!

Musical Musings: New Song to Jam On

Closet Confession: My Latest Obsessions

I just spent some serious time perusing the online stock of two of my favorite trendy and affordable retailers. I have to say both have some pretty great stuff in stock PLUS they have free shipping both ways. Who gon' stop me, huh? I was so excited about the Zara purchases that I opted for the 24-48 hour shipping for an additional $9.50 - hey big spender! Fingers crossed just one pair of those shoes fit and are comfortable. My feet are so hobbit-esque wide that I am not going to hold my breath - thank goodness for free returns! Same thing goes for Asos: free shipping both ways. But I have to say their clothes fit much more generously (aka true to size) than the Zara collection. Perhaps it is because the English girls are big boned like us Americans? 

We are going to Pitbull tonight at the Houston Rodeo and it is going to be ridiculous. Fair food, people watching, open bar - let's get weird! I promise I will post my wedding dress try on shots as soon as I get the nerve. Without further ado, the Harlem Shake video for Rodeo Houston...

Fashion Month's Highlight Reel - Highs & Lows

The Cut went above and beyond this fashion month with their coverage. Their staff photographers YoungJun Koo (still the best name ever) and friends put a lot of miles on those collective shutters capturing some pretty excellent-unbelievable-creepy-awesome things. I really love the street style coverage every time there are new fashion weeks. I prefer the street style to the runway (mostly) because it's real life fashion, outside, and in the world. 

Apparently it's become a "Hate Watching Sport" according to some of the writer's at The Cut (read the article here). I totally see how that is true, but mainly I think we are just all enthralled with people and their proclivities for weirdness. In the words of Oprah's Own Super Soul Sunday, "Their vulnerability resonates with our vulnerability and connects us all to the greater being." Ok, clearly that was not a direct-direct quote, but you catch the drift. People being weird makes the weirdness in us rejoice. Fashion week/month is like the fashion weirdness parade where we can all applaud each other's risk taking and brovado. I think it is great and have hand chosen my favorite images from the last several seasons (here, here and here). And that is exactly what I have done below too. 

The dress, the cut and those nails - how terrible in a wonderful way! The Blonds, New York

Can you name all of the people in this image? It's Kanye, Karl, that Italian lady for Vogue? Don't know the other guy. Very interesting image though. They all look like Madam Toussad's wax figurines. Just saying.
Carine Roitfeld, Stephan Gan, Kanye West, and Karl Lagerfeld at CR Fashion Book Issue 2 After Party, Paris

It's my boyfriend! House of Waris creator, Waris Ahluwalia and Johan Lindeberg at Purple Magazine and Bulgari Dinner, Paris. Remember when I wrote about him? You don't? Read that here.

Every season there is an iconic bright lipstick-backstage-application shot. And I love them every time. Especially this fuchsia color. Remember when I wrote about my mother's fuchsia lipstick? Oh, you don't? Read that here.

No words. This is just really, really amazing. Bare skin in a snow storm? Yes PLEASE.

Similar to the above: no words. Well two words actually: NIP SLIP. If 'nip' counts as a word. I love everything about this gentleman, especially his XXS shirt, his fake tats, and his many-many belts. Whoever  you are can we be friends? I just got those same glasses from my father's 1980s self! I am wearing them now. Ok, not now but when I get outside I will. Promise.

This cartoon style jacket doesn't scream rich so much to me as Kanye West? Is that you, Kanye? No reason to hide.

See the rest of The Cut's 50 Best Photos from Fashion Month here.

What else is new? Wedding lists are getting finalized. The numbers jumped quite a bit - so the wedding went from small to small-ish... Would you like a style board of me in all of the dresses I tried on? I am a little embarrassed  but think it would be good for a laugh. Clearly I will not be posting THE Dress because you-know-who is probably reading this right meow. Until then!

The Wedding Chronicles: PROLOGUE "Bridal Party Time"

Customized Cards on Etsy/ Handcuff Necklace/ Handcuff Bracelet/ Leigh Ann's Wedding on Style Me Pretty 

Hey there wedding friends! Wanted to keep you all in the loop about the latest with the wedding. Lot's has been happening in this last week:

1. I tried on about a million dresses (ahem, like 30) and found THE ONE. Shout out to Erin at Mia's Bridal - thanks for making the experience so easy! It's ordered and on it's way in 4 to 6 months. Don't ask me why it takes that long. It's seems like forever. Plus with only 7 months 'til our big day I might be cutting it close with the 4 to 8 weeks for alterations situation... Alas, that is a conniption for another day. 
2. My boo and I went to the Galleria and spent some major insurance money to get some stuff back. It was fun and crazy all at the same time. It was like we won the lotto in the saddest and most traumatizing way ever. Had to get my daily spending limit increased because my debit card has NEVER seen action like that... I actually got shopped out. Stop bragging? I know. Sorry.
3. I've started gathering addresses from everyone (good bye weekend free time) and boy is it going slower than expected. Some lady-genius at Google in her 20% free time clearly created a Google Wedding lab for her own wedding planning and it's helped me quite a lot too. Check it out here. 
4. We have officially put Figaro the cat on Prozac. Now we  lovingly refer to him as Prozac Cat. Apparently he has the cat version of PTSD from all the moving in his four year life. I feel for him, but come on. 

That is basically all for now. Dad has been hard at work negotiating with the Salamanders aka his favorite country club cover band. I was able to finally see some videos and they actually look great. Very relieved. Bach party planning underway (thanks, sis!). Watch out NOLA!! Hopefully this time next week I will have some Save the Date proofs to share. XO. 

The Wedding Chronicles: ACT TWO "Mood Board Edition"

It's all happening! The wedding planning has taken on a new level of speed with the final "all clear" from my father on final budget. We have meetings scheduled with a florist, negotiations with a band that my father swears by (who else has a dad that has such an opinion on bands?!) and I am looking at white dresses this weekend! Or as my friend, Kate and I have decided to call it, we are just going 'shopping'... This helps with the anxiety? I think. 

We also have a wedding planner secured that has planned dozens of events including many for the Sundance Film Festival (thanks, Pam!) and a photographer flying in from Dallas. I also recently placed an order with a custom stationery company here in Houston, the Seahorse Bend Press (check out their Etsy shop here). They are going to do all of our paper goods including save the dates, invites, monogram, and programs. This is the original suite that caught my eye. What do you think? I am going to do it in different colors and patterns (see above - the brighter, the better!), but am SO excited to see the final product. Also, have a tentative booking with the fabulous, super-talented Julie Soefer for bridal portraits for later this spring (once my body is banging, of course).

I am getting really, really excited and thanks to a long relaxing week in the BVIs I am just about ready to conquer anything. The love and support of the fiance, family and friends (wedding dress team! Brooke, the sister/wedding planner/father wrangler!) is the main thing propelling me forward. 

Promise to keep you posted on invite proofs and wedding dress selections! Stay tuned. XO.

Buh Bye Now

Adios for now, my friends

We are off bright and early this morning to the BVIs. This trip has been in the works for about a year and the fact that its finally here is pretty outstanding. 7 days on a chartered catamaran complete with captain and chef... It's heaven.

Please forgive the silence this week. I'll be gearing up to get back and get serious about wedding planning once and for all. Thanks for all the dress comments, ps, they made my day! Xo.

PPS. They caught our robbers! It's a very convoluted story but basically a federal agent for the post office caught them? I swear that's not made up. Plus they were junkies. Ew. Detes next week. I promise!

PPPS. Here are some shots of the sunrise from the airport, our travel must haves, my VD card (har har) and a lil something extra.

The Wedding Chronicles: ACT ONE "Search for the Illusive White Dress"

Some might say I have some reservations about wedding dress shopping. And that someone might be ME. Wedding shoes, on the other hand, are a totally different can-o-worms. Those are bought and sitting in my closet waiting to be worn. They are perfection and I knew it without even having to try them on.

buy them here.

Anyways, I digress. This post is about wedding dresses and how I am more or less intimidated by them. Our wedding is September 28 and I have done the very minimum as far as securing the dress is concerned. I don't want to go look for a lot of reasons. The main one being that I do not like wedding dresses, just kind of in general. My sister and friends have all looked stunning in theirs, but when I walk into a bridal salon I don't think "ah, now this is IT". I mostly think "arg, so much white, don't know where to stop start". It also does not help that I don't really know what I want. I know what I like (see above) but they are all so vastly different! How does one come to a consensus? I am thinking it may be best to just work with a seamstress and build my own version Frankenstein-like out of bits and pieces of the designs that you see above. That also intimidates the hell outta me because you are basically saying OK lady you can do this, right? and they say right and then you say I trust you... Too much control is lost on some stranger. Am I being crazy?

The party and the upcoming official marriage is a lot more under control. Venue is secured. Fiance is feeling involved but not too involved. Band is under negotiations, flower meeting scheduled, save the dates conceptualized... The list goes on. BUT the DRESS. So much is put into this decision. I really am invested in clothes (ahem, that's why I started this blog) and what they say about your image. Plus that this is something that will be immortalized forever. What am I gonna do?!?!

Fashion Film

GO BUY NOW: ASOS Edit & Updates + Musiccc

1/2/3/4/5

Couple life updates: wedding planning is going well. My perpetually traveling father has finally settled down long enough to sign the contract at the Bellagio which is a huge relief. I have asked my wedding party and everyone's really excited. What else? Work wise things have been pretty meh this week, but we are getting back in the saddle. Moral of the story? See below... Happy Friday, homies! 

Some jimmy jams to start your weekend off right:

ROBERT DELONG -- GLOBAL CONCEPTS from WHITCHER on Vimeo.

I DON'T CARE! I LOVE IT!

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