Great Graffiti

http://blog.vincentmichael.com//

If you live in the Philadelphia area I suggest checking out the current exhibit at the Vincent Michael Gallery, PaperMonster Ate That Little Boy, featuring the work of street artist PaperMonster.  There will be an Artist Talk and Presentation on Saturday and I think it would be awesome to see his work up close.  I haven't been to a museum in a while and am experiencing an extreme need to see something new, unique, and really cool and I think this work fits the bill.  For more info check out the Vincent Michael Gallery website  and the PaperMonster Blog.

Dairy of a Foodie

As many of you know I love to eat, especially healthy, well balanced meals (and ice cream, and cupcakes like the blueberry lemon one I eat today, and muffins but disregard that).  One of my favorite breakfasts is greek yogurt parfaits with fruit and honey. The low cal, low fat peanut butter banana yogurt recipe from Fitness Magazine is especially delicious.  I used Chobani 0% vanilla greek yogurt, Smuckers peanut butter, and Kretschmer wheat germ.  I also made parfaits using that yogurt, blueberries, sugar-free canned peaches, and crushed Vanilla Almond Shredded Wheat.  For lunch last Friday I enjoyed a tasty Marinated Portabella wrap with roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and baby spinach and a side of greens from the Regency Cafe.        

Summer, Summer, Summer Time

1. St. Augustine FL, 2. Chanel Resort 2011, 3. Pucci Resort 2011, 3. Lanvin Resort 2011, 4. St. Augustine FL.

Despite the new onslaught of Back to School promotions, it is still summer and it is hot!  In honor of the prevailing season, a compilation of Resort 2011 swimwear and images from Florida.  

The Shell Spell

White Tank Top: Target, Blue Tank Top: American Eagle Outfitters, Skirt: Gap, Sandals: Franco Sarto, Necklace: Banana Republic, Bag: Coach

I wore this outfit on the 4th of July on the last day of my vacation in Orlando.  It was probably the most humid day of our stay but I felt (or at least looked) somewhat cool in my cotton clothes and leather sandals.  The mother-of-pearl shell necklace I was wearing is one of my summer staples.  I bought it at the Banana Republic in Rockefeller Center in New York City when I was there celebrating my sweet sixteen and it's been a favorite ever since!  The other small shell, starfish, and coral charms are detachable.  It goes really well with many of the other summer pieces in my wardrobe.  

Florida Finds

I love vacationing in Orlando, especially when it involves shopping at the outlets.  I received a comment asking if I could describe a typical day in my life or a day of shopping.  Since blogging about a day in my life would bore my readers out of their minds, I'll describe a day of shopping, namely the day of shopping I had on my vacation. When I go shopping I look for 3 things: style, quality, and cost-- low cost.  I usually go to the Orlando Premium Outlets but this time I went to the Orlando Prime Outlets because of the nice coupon in the brochure that could be used to get a free coupon book  (did I used any of these coupons?- no).  I did, however, make use of the 30% off Neiman Marcus Last Call 4th of July Sale and the 40% off one non-sale item of my choice offer.  I had originally thought the one non-sale item would be 40% off instead of 30%  but to my surprise I snagged my Hype leather cross body for 70% off!  It was a great day in spite of the torrential down poor that kept me in the same store for at least an hour and a half.  I feel like this post is kinda long so (if your really curious) I'll post about my typically shopping habits some other time.  And no, I did not buy those great L.A.M.B. heels, but I sure did want to!  They are probably the highest shoes I've ever tried but they were surprisingly comfortable. 

Religion, Sensuality, and Spinal Pain

Givenchy Haute Couture Fall 2010

Quite possibly the most beautiful, and intricate couture collection I have ever seen (though the baboon hair was a little much for me).  Mr. Tisci has done it again, yet this is on a much higher plane than his previous work.  The level of detail here is astounding, these small pictures don't do the collection justice.  It would have been amazing to be in the Place Vendôme to view these Frida Kahlo inspired pieces.  This is true couture.  

In the Jungle the Mighty Jungle

This is the 2nd time I've been to Disney World and the 1st time I've been to the Animal Kingdom.  It was pretty cool to go on safari and on Expedition Everest.  I took these photos on the Maharaja Jungle Trek in Asia.

Conquestadora

photos 1-3: me; photo 4: my mom

I guess you might have been wondering where I was for the past week.  To answer your question I was in Florida soaking up the sun and having some fun!  Since my dad is a fan of the great American road trip my family and I left our house at 2:00am and drove down to Orlando, making a stop in historic and eclectic St. Augustine along the way.  Although I was dressed in my travel garb of (gasp) running shorts, an old T-shirt, and Rainbow flip-flops, there were many people in the Spanish Quarter dressed in everything from flirty dresses and heels for a nice dinner, to causal and common Abercrombie tops and shorts, to obscene T-shirts and punk attire.  And there was a great variety of places to shop and dine.  We went to Pizza Time and feasted on large slices of very good Brooklyn style pizza, but if you want a table grab it quickly because the place fills up fast!   In addition to the usual gift shops, I stepped into a vintage shop and found a really cute, really short black velvet halter dress and a floral blazer (very trendy right now) for only $30!  My mom remembered when she had one like it.  Of course I didn't buy anything there but I should have.  Anyway, the bottom photo is of a really cute little expresso and ice-cream shop.  I can't tell you if it's any good but I do know that the gelato at the Cafe del Hidalgo is delicious.  The combination of pistachio and toblerone is especially rich and tasty but the fruit flavors are also great (just a hint: gelato is a lot more enjoyable in a cup not a cone). The cafe even has a summer special of 5 flavors for around $5.  Of course, the fort was really cool and I took a lot of photos of it so expect to see more of them over the summer.  I hope you had a fun and patriotic 4th of July.  While you were scarfing down hot dogs, hamburgers, and my favorite, corn on the cob and watching fireworks, I was intermittently sleeping and failing at iPod solitaire while I headed back north.