It's a Gift: Vera Neumann Book

It's that time of year again: coffee table book time! 

Now maybe I don't really have the room in my tiny two bedroom Chinatown apartment for yet another large picture book, but I could make the room for Vera

(Vera painted or drew every print used in her company. How cute is this?)

"Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon"  is a bit of a stagy title, but inside the tale of one Vera Neumann and her amazing line of color and print saturated scarves unfolds. I own a few of her pieces in my large, "I might have a problem" scarf collection

(me rockin' out in one of my many Vera scarves)

 I love them. So fun and POP

(Look at these prints. You can't deny Vera!)

(I love how she interpreted her finds in her travels into chic prints for her clients)

Anywho this book is both a visual collection as well as a chronicle of her very successful business plan to cultivate a lifestyle brand and translate trends to a mass audience. Sound familiar? Want this!

(Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon, $23 @ Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com)

This Sticker Artist Must Work Retail

I've seen these "Also Known As" stickers everywhere, but the other day outside my work I noticed a new, hot pink mantra:

Tis the season!

VINCE's White Christmas

Ok, I saw this up close and stopped in my tracks. I clearly saw the mistletoe dangling from the extended palm, but still something about this mannequin's stance feels less "12 Days of Christmas" and more Third Reich

VINCE, I firmly trust that this is just an unfortunate coincidence, but you should probably change this. Yikes!

(VINCE store @ 16 Prince Street)

Keri Hilson Sorta Tries to Honor Pretty Girls that Came Before Her

Ooh child, this is one for the mute button. And while "Pretty Girl Rock" the song is the definition of bunkum, let's put our focus on the video, shall we?





Emulating the various black women that came before her, Keri Hilson has the ultimate game of dress up ahead of her but doesn't rise to the occasion. These women deserve more than a mere mimic phoned in and you know better.


I think the Josephine Baker bit was the most successful. It feels like the one point in the whole video Keri is having any actual fun

The Supremes part is just plain messy. Diana wouldn't wear that dress and the wigs feel off

Worse, it's full on drag-a-licious when Keri goes Miss Ross solo disco queen. Oy

And Mr Taurus would never forgive me if I didn't bring up that if you got no rhythm, maybe trying to dance like Janet Jackson isn't a good idea. Painful to watch this wooden display

Sorry to say, but low effort attempts like this will not make you the star you aim to be Miss Hilson

Thanksgiving with Mr Taurus

(over the river and through the woods Mr Taurus and I went. ok, ok we took the Metro North)

I love Thanksgiving. It's such a no pressure holiday since it's based on food and family and love. How could you not dig that combo? 

(he's feelin it)

This year I went with Mr Taurus to Connecticut to spend it and Black Friday with his fam

His sister and brother in law put us up and they introduced me to riding 4 wheelers (separate post to come) and to these two cuties

(Benny on the left and AK on the right. I was engulfed in much playin' and snugglin' with these friends!)

Taurus found all kinds of mischief to get into with the many cars Mr LZ is fixing up

and I stuck to what I know: pies!

and coloring!

someone had the brilliant idea of bringing toys and coloring book puppets for  me  the children

and while I was playing, Taurus was put to work by his momma

there was such a feast and that homemade cranberry sauce in the left corner was rich with clove and orange. Yummers!

These little hieroglyphics reminded me of my momma. Totally something she'd do

After all that eating we needed to burn it off. Time for dancin!

Such a great Thanksgiving with such a great family. I feel so lucky!

Black Friday!

Lucifer advises packing a snack for braving the crowds and long lines

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Get your Gobble Gobble on!

(cute ass turkey cookie from Gourmet Garage, $2.49, http://www.gourmetgarage.com/)

This Thanksgiving, Just Pass on These Turkeys

Worried solely with stuffing their bottom lines the following turkeys (or Thanksgiving grinches, really) are open on Thanksgiving Day:

Old Navy, the owner of the sign above, will be open a disparaging 9am to 8pm. God, I would riot if I worked here (and the Thanksgiving hours really suck too) Can't cardi coats wait?!

Back when I was a little guy living in Maryland I remember signs advertising K-Mart's Thanksgiving hours. I thought "this will never catch on!" Boy, was I wrong. This year forget your family and feasting, cuz there are blue light specials ALL day long: 6am to 9pm. Ick!

Ugly stepchild, Sears, does whatever its bossy wicked sibling tells it to, so following K-Mart's lead, Sears will be open Thanksgiving a brief 7am to Noon. Now while that seems merciful next to these other creeps, just remember your own T Day traditions: carouse late into the wee hours of Wednesday nite with friends you haven't seen since your last visit home, sleep in late T Day morning to wake up just in time to watch Santa ride by in the Macy's parade, which coincidentally ends at noon. Sears employees? Robbed.

You know this is a bad trend when Wal Mart ends up looking good. Sure enough, this beast is opening its doors midnite on Thanksgiving saying it's really the beginning of Black Friday. Somehow that almost makes sense. 

Toys r Us wants to beat Wal Mart to the chase and is opening at 10pm on Thanksgiving. People this isn't a race. There's plenty of looking like an a-hole for everyone!

Mythic New York toy store, FAO Schwarz, will also be open Thanksgiving from 10am to 5pm. What's with all the toy stores being open? Do we really want to imprint on our kids that purchases take precedence over family and giving thanks?

This Week's Atlanta Housewives Moment

("since when did I become a dairy farmer?")

Oh Phaedra. Your sloppiness and ignorance have become a drinking game in my apartment. "Take a shot everytime she shames her law degree!"

This week when describing delectable ladyfinger treats to your boo, you had the nerve to call the filling "Barbarian" cream

Ooh child, no!

James Perse's Thanksgiving Window has the Right Message

While being thankful for today isn't the most original thought, it's still a good one and I am most struck by an actual retail Thanksgiving window. Most have skipped right to Santa and his "buy! buy! buy!" mentality. 

Nice to see someone remember to be thankful for what you have, even if I know there's a heavily ironic layer to all this. 

Man, I Wish I'd Reviewed the Tofurky Soda

Miss B.J. sent me word of this soda back Halloween time and I meant to dial the folks at Jones Soda up and shout "yum, yum, send me some!", but alas this whole November thing has had a tiny delay registering in me old noggin. 

Anywho, Jones and Tofurky (the tofu turkey, duh) teamed up to create a soda ripe with the flavors of the season. If you're a vegetarian that is. And while this Thanksgiving I won't be having a Violet from Willy Wonka moment trying to decipher the gravy from the stuffing in this soda, I did pick up my actual Tofurky from the store yesterday

Jones Soda ($6 for four pack):   http://www.myjones.com/store/limited-edition/limited-edition-tofurkey-and-gravy-jonoes-soda.html

ToFurky (mine was $14 down the street):    http://www.tofurky.com/

Kara by Kara Ross Stingray Ring

Lately I've been really feeling stingray. It's got this undeniable "careful, I could ignite any minute" sensibility that's just pure sex.

I can tell Kara Ross feels the same. She wisely offsets her creamy gold plated ring with a rough slash of stingray

And like anything so lubricious, just a touch of stingray is all you need

(Stingray, enamel and gold plated ring, Kara by Kara Ross, $130 at Bergdorf Goodman http://www.bergdorfgoodman.com)

Happy Birthday Miss A.R.!

Wish I was in Baltimore to properly toast ya' and to play with your cutie pie black kitties!

If CB2 Can Do, You Can Do Too!

My local CB2 (451 broadway between grand and canal, 212-219-1454) is having a canned food drive until Wednesday November 24th

Bring in non-perishables to any CB2 for discounts on towels and furniture and for that priceless little thing called charity and peace of mind knowing those beans, peanut butter and fruit cocktail went to someone in need

(a wall of peanut butter is always a happy sight!)

In New York the food items go to The City Harvest

Both links below

http://www.cb2.com/Stores/

http://cityharvest.org/

DON'T: Imagine's Corn and Lemongrass Soup

I normally love the floral and grassy tones lemongrass adds to any dish, but typical of veggie soups that try too hard to be natural and healthy, this is too sweet. 

Soup, people, is supposed to be savory (fancy term for salty!) Why do health food companies rely on sugar cane to make up for the sea salt they left out? 

And with the creaminess this becomes a mess of corn custard with a hard to shake syrupy bland lemon aftertaste. Eww. Honestly if I wanted creamy, too sweet, artificially lemon goop, I'd pick up a box of Jello pudding. 

Free Your Mind and the Ram Will Follow

This weekend in Soho there was a roaming ram promoting Merino wool (and free love?)

While that gave some poor soul an opportunity to wear a skintight wool bodysuit, it gave me the chance to yell down the street "Hey giant ram!"

Yeah, I'm the street yelling type.

Happy Birthday Miss BH!