BUT nonetheless, my (preliminary) favorite looks from the Spring shows:
Peter Som
Phi
Proenza Schouler
Threeasfour
Preen
Covetable
Saturday, July 18, 2009
I feel like I haven’t posted about fashion in a while. I’m going to attribute this to the fact that fall collections are barely starting to hit stores, so we’ve been in a between-season limbo for the past couple of months. A markdown-filled limbo, I might add. As many before me have observed, pretty much anything you wanted last season is now on sale, no matter how popular it was during its moment of glory. This phenomenon must a be the natural result of a recession. Exciting for consumers… not so much for retailers.
Anyway, here are some kick-ass pieces I would love to get my talons on.
Acne boot - and it's 50% off!
Built-in necklace. Also currently on sale.
Look closely - it's a match with a white tip.
Unexpected exit.
Sad Bag
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
That was what the tag read when I purchased this item. I don’t think it’s sad at all, unless you believe that a real lamb was slaughtered in the creation of this bag. My stance? Ignornace is bliss.
Concert Double-header
Saturday, June 27, 2009
This past week I was lucky enough to attend two awesome shows: mellow indie hot-shots Grizzly Bear and the saucy, spirited Jenny Lewis.
I highly recommend seeing Grizzly Bear live - although their latest album, Veckatimest, lends itself well to quiet time, their energy level on-stage seemed to come out of nowhere. Every song that had previously been my peace-inducing driving soundtrack was transformed into an upbeat, head-bopping experience. The audience was clearly thrilled to be there, which certainly boosted overall morale (including that of the band, I have to assume).
Speaking of high-energy audiences, the crowd at Jenny Lewis was one of the most excited I’ve seen in a long time. She even made several comments about the crazy audience, such as “You guys are awesome! Are you sure I’m not in Austin?” (Ouch.)
Jenny and the band
Jenny and her band were absolutely phenomenal - I think it was obvious to everyone how much fun they were having together, and part of that was a palpable chemistry they possessed as a group. Overall, I got the sense that every single person in the theater was incredibly grateful to be there. I guess we all appreciate the little joys in life these days…!
"I can't hear you!"
A new culinary adventure in Big D
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Few people in Dallas will acquiesce to trying strange new restaurants with me, but thankfully my friend Justin shares my adventurousness when it comes to eateries. (On a side note, I think my willingness to try unfamiliar restaurants has to be one of the only ways in which I am a risk-taker. Or maybe restaurant adventurousness just seems like a risk-taking activity to me compared to my usual safe/lame everyday behaviors. It’s all relative, right?)
At any rate, yesterday Justin and I came across the online menu for a restaurant called Victor Tango’s, and were immediately hooked. In spite of our intense hunger combined with a 30-40 minute wait upon our arrival at said destination, we stuck it out. Consider it a battle wound - it comes with the territory of the adventurous.
The wait turned out to be slightly shorter than we expected, and we were seated in a luxurious booth in which to fully experience the culinary delights about to be served.
We started with ahi tuna nachos - definitely a nice grade tuna, flavorful and on the spicy side, but a bit bare. I was expecting the customary nachos piled high with delicious toppings, but was instead presented with a minimalistic version. That would have been fine if not for the rather hefty price tag… but that’s the risk you take, right?
Artistic nachos
Next came what turned out to be the entirely unexpected highlight of the meal: chicken and waffles.
Now THIS was worth the price!
Part of the reason why this part of the meal was so special was because, unbelievably, Justin was a (*whisper*) chicken and waffles virgin. Yes, folks, it’s true. I just exposed Justin’s secret to this blog’s entire readership, which I might add, is A LOT of people. Whoops!
Anyway, Justin thoroughly enjoyed this little plate of heaven. Most people love the salty-sweet combination of fried chicken and maple syrup-drenched waffles, all covered in that delicious gravy, and Justin was no exception. As for me, I learned that Victor Tango’s gourmet chicken and waffles are no different from the down-home version one finds at Roscoe’s in LA. (And I am one of the few who would rather eat my fried chicken separate from my waffles, so this dish essentially became two for me.)
It was tough to choose our final two dishes, but we ended up feeling obligated to try a dish called Crispy Mini Cheeseburger Tacos. I was interested how all of those qualifiers were going to become a single coherent dish, and it turned out to be rather simple.
The most un-pretentious dish of the night
“Crispy” manifested itself in the texture of the taco shells (although isn’t a crispy taco shell just a regular taco shell?), while “mini” was pretty self-explanatory. The “cheeseburger” part was harder to pinpoint - the meat in the tacos was apparently an attempt at hamburger meat, and the cheese on top supposedly the kind that complements such a burger, but the complete taco ended up tasting like regular seasoned taco meat topped with taco cheese. A tasty taco, but probably not one I would describe as “cheeseburger-esque.”
Our final choice was one that, in the end, we couldn’t finish. We opted for bacon-wrapped shrimp over white cheddar grits. This seemed like a southern classic with a gourmet twist, and it was indeed scrumptious. If only we had left enough room to give those little shrimp the respect they deserved. At least Justin took the rest of it home with him!
Such adorable critters!
On the whole, I’m glad I risked my taste buds and my wallet on Victor Tango’s. Perhaps I went into it with rather inflated expectations, but what else is new. I vow not to let this slightly sub-par experience deter me from future food escapades! A true danger-seeker isn’t discouraged that easily, and if there was ever a individual willing to put herself in mortal peril, make no mistake - that person is me.
Quickest Pizza Ever!
Monday, May 11, 2009
A common practice of mine is to buy some random item at the grocery store and proceed to search the internet for ways to use it up. Today that ingredient was Bob’s Red Mill garbanzo bean flour.
I initially bought it to make this sweet potato falefel recipe from 101 Cookbooks (LOVE that blog), but of course I had most of the flour left even after making my sweet potato morsels. Upon ravaging the internet for recipes involving chickpea flour, I unearthed a pizza recipe whose crust was made from the magic ingredient.
My photograph-taking was so dedicated that I can detail the grueling step-by-step process I went through to create this masterpiece.
Rosemary-flecked crust cooking on the stove!
The toppings eagerly await their fate...
A glimpse before it's popped into the oven
Up close and personal with the final product
The verdict: this pizza tastes as good as it looks. I highly recommend this dish as a quick, easy meal - and as a bonus, you can top the pizza with whatever you have in the fridge. Any kind of veggies, cheese, meat, even nuts would work. My favorite recipes are ones that allow for creativite flexibility!
Melissa’s Chickpea Salad with a Kick
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tonight marks another milestone in my amateur culinary explorations: I concocted a recipe totally from scratch and it came out delicious! I bought a can of garbanzo beans last weekend with the notion that I might use it in place of meat in my lunches for the week. So, with that goal in mind, I created a salad that has a decent amount of protein and will (hopefully) be quite satiating. I can’t wait to try it out tomorrow…
Spicy Chickpea Salad
1 can of garbanzo beans (or the equivalent of dry beans, if you are just that dedicated)
1 medium green zucchini, cut into coins
1 medium yellow zucchini, cut into coins
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon harissa paste
water
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup cous cous, dry (Trader Joe’s multi grain cous cous highly recommeded)
Preheat your oven to 375. Cook cous cous according to directions.
Drain and wash the garbanzo beans. Arrange the beans, zucchini, and onion on a tray or in a pan for roasting. Mix together the harissa and garlic, then add as much water as you need to dilute the mixture. Add at least several tablespoons of water so that the harissa isn’t overpoweringly spicy.
Dip a brush into the harissa sauce and lightly sweep it over the vegetables and beans; a more intense brushing will result in increasingly spicier veggies. Place trays/pans in the oven and roast for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and slightly brown around the edges.
Remove beans and veggies from the oven and chop the zucchini into quarters. In a medium sized glass bowl, mix together veggies, garbanzo beans, cooked cous cous, and fresh basil. Feel free to add any extra harissa if it’s still not spicy enough for your monster tastebuds. Enjoy!
Fall 2009 Fashion - an abbreviated round-up
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lately, I feel as though I’ve been bombarded with one fashion week after the next - how are mere mortals such as myself supposed to keep up with the hundreds of shows being added to style.com everyday? Such a silly, rhetorical question…
Instead of trying to document every single one of my favorite shows that I’ve managed to review - especially since I do have that thing called a life - I’ve decided to highlight the most interesting, thought-provoking, inspirational looks from some of the fall shows. I’ve given my thoughts on several of them, briefly discussing my reactions, observations, and what the look means to me. Although this post is, as its title suggests, abbreviated, I hope it finds its way into at least a few hearts and minds, and possibly inspires someone to reach beyond the commonplace.
Phillip Lim
I enjoy this look because of the unexpected contrast between the dress and the coat. The dress is about as impractical as they come - perilously short, whisper-thin, and fully feminized thanks to resplendent ruffles and its blushing hue. The rest of the outfit, however, radiates function. Minus the dress, it almost seems as though she’s going hunting in the woods: her fur coat and wool vest are fit for the most outdoorsy of types, not to mention her bag looks so durable and robust, it may as well have a built-in thermos. The delicate elements of the clothes complement the stalwart ones, lending a magical quality to the overall look.
Ann Demeulemeester
There are so many elements to this look, although it’s a relatively simple outfit - just a white dress and a corset. The corset is entirely ironic, though, by virtue of its complacent bindings hanging inoperative against the folds of the dress. In another way, the corset is also unexpected: its modern aesthetic and sleek lines defy its very origin. The traditional corset has a feminine, lacy, soft appeal, whereas Demeulemeester’s almost looks more like a bullet-proof vest than a device designed to buttress a woman’s midsection. My final observation about this look is the intriguing contrast between the bone-white dress and the gleaming black corset. The contrast lends a sterilized mood to the outfit, partially because the dress appears to bear many similarities to a lab coat. The surgeon vibe is further propagated through the eerie, inverted facade of a black skeleton against a white background. Irony again stands resolute in the startling vision of a sleek black ribcage draped haphazardly against the whitest milieu.
Lanvin
What I admire most about this look from Lanvin is the way the texture of the clothes translates into a certain energy. Does the skirt not appear to be humming? There is a movement, a vibration to this outfit that I find is rarely achieved, not to mention captured on camera. The image of the model, to me, could just as well be a drawing as a photograph. What’s interesting, though, is that the model’s face and body seem to be drawn in two entirely disparate styles. Her sharply accentuated cheekbones, immaculate skin, and shadow-inducing headpiece all contribute to a feeling of stark realism. On the other hand, the blouse appears to be a sketch on the body and the skirt suggests the windswept stroke of a brush - and these elements represent a much more interpretive, watercolor-like style of art. This look truly captures the imagination and transforms articles of clothing into beautiful, fleeting enigmas.
Rodarte
First of all, the leg-encompassing boots worn throughout the Rodarte show were beyond incredible. They lent an air of futuristic mummification, if you will; they took the leggings+boots trend to a whole new level.
Now that that’s out of the way, the look shown here is a shining example of the complex fabric-work achieved in this collection. It is very difficult to determine how exactly this dress was made - there are so many different textures and patterns at play, yet each layer complements the others so that the garment is utterly cohesive. The chilling color palate of the clothing, the frosted glaze of the model’s skin, and the iridescent backdrop of the show all presented an icy, futuristic, almost militaristic attitude. I imagine this woman stepping off a gleaming metal spaceship onto a very cold planet - an orb strewn with hues of blue, silver, and lavender. Her arms might get a little chilly, but at least her legs are adequately protected!
My favorite images.
Friday, February 20, 2009
I was going to do a post on the best of marked down clothing, but somehow I had many fewer resources than I had anticipated. I feel like I’ve seen a ton of cool items on sale on various websites, but I must not have bookmarked them very diligently.
So instead, I have decided to present a collection of the most inspiring images I’ve seen on blogs lately.
THIS WAS TAKEN AT MY FAVORITE BAR IN MELBOURNE - ST JEROME'S!
