Dark and Stormy

Perhaps it was all the blustery walks on the Oregon coast growing up, because I love my beaches dark and stormy. Sunbathing is too static for me, I feel like a roasting chicken rotating on a spit. Sure I love reading US Magazine while simultaneously drinking a Diet Coke and eating Cape Cod potato chips (epic combination), but the damn sand gets everywhere.

So I opt for the Veni, Vidi, Vici approach, I come, I surf, I conquer. That was how it went on Friday at my new favorite place in New York City, Far Rockaway. And thanks to my friend Billie and a truly excellent boardwalk, my feelings about stormy beaches have remained unchanged.

----------------More Rockaway after The Jump-------------

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April Flowers: Etsy Picks of the Week

They say that April showers bring May flowers, but this April has seen its own explosion of blossoms. These springtime buds inspire so much ornament and design that I've decided to pay homage by selection the best floral pieces on Etsy and bring them to you.

This is the start of a new weekly feature, in which I will curate a collection around a chosen theme. I've chosen Etsy because of its vast offerings of handmade and vintage pieces (the fact that I sell on there doesn't hurt either). 

So be sure to check back each week and let me know what you think. Enjoy the springtime!

 Pink Cherry Blossoms Photograph $30:  Full of vivid colors and textures, this picture captures the fleeting beauty of spring cherry blossoms, and delivers it in an 8x8 photograph. Perfect for adding a splash of color to any room.

 Hand painted Watercolor Tulip Scarf $25: The artist who painted this scarf allowed their artistic expression to come through, giving it a nice, slightly abstracted air. The swirl of colors read great on the neck as well as off.

Sheer Floral Dress $58: I love how the floral pattern on this dress is denser at the hem, as if gravity simply pulled down the flowers. Plus, this type of relaxed style is very wearable, perfect paired with a pair of sandals and a fitted leather jacket.

Golden flower headpiece $245: This might have been designed with a wedding in mind, but it would look beautiful on any woman, blushing bride or not.

Burnout Floral Kimono $239: This piece nails that sought after combination of pretty/ cool. Inspired by the piano shawls of the 1920’s, the modern silhouette brings the velvet burnout look up to date.

1950s Blue cotton dress $208: The 1950s silhouette with a narrow waist, stacked bodice, and full skirt is incredibly flattering to women’s figures. To top it off, it’s covered in a lovely blue floral print. Ideal for a spring or summer wedding.

Caught in a Net

I love how this photograph initially appears very simple; a single figure against a wall. But the elements are extremely complicated; a gradient blue background, a pane of light, a face obscured by bird cage netting.

Photo via Dazed Digital

Boom

Some summer makeup inspiration!
Mario Testino for Allure

I Fed Beyonce to YooouuuTuuube and This is What it Pooped Out

Do you love Beyonce? How about Rihanna? Or Lil'Wayne, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift? Now you can multiply them with YooouuuTuuube, a very nifty little program that breaks videos into shots  and syncs them with the song's rhythym.

I chose Beyonce's Countdown video for this post because she is already experimenting with split screen and mirror images, Yooouuu Tuuube just makes the video  awesomer. I hope you enjoy playing around with the program, just don't blame me if all the flashing lights give you a seizure! 

Read more after The Juuump!

Rebel in Chanel: Bo Don for Exit Mag

Quite the rebel (in Chanel of course).

Photographs by Alex Sainsbury

for Exit Magazine

via Image Amplified

More after The Jump

Beautiful

Photo by Scott Schulman via The Sartorialist

Tomboys

I grew up with a brother who is just a over a year older than me and also happens to be a lifelong sports fanatic. As both my idol and biggest competition, I had to play every sport that he did- baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, whatever.  But once I hit high school, then college, then post college, my tomboyishness faded into feminity (although I've retained my excellent hand-eye coordiation). 

So when I stumbled across the Tomboy Style blog, which pays homage to the tomboys of history, I felt the need to crawl back into my jeans and tees. Some inspiration for y'all.

All photos via Tomboy Style

More after The Jump

Water Under The Bridge

Ghostly visions under the Brooklyn Bridge. Benna is wearing a 1930's overdyed slip, a 1930's embroidered jacket, a 1920s Egyptian Silver Shawl, and a 1970s belt. Check out my Etsy store for more vintage offerings.

More after the Jump!

Occupied

I frantically checked Twitter, trying to find out where the Occupiers were. It was October 15 and social media was abuzz, #OccupyWallStreet promised civil disobedience at the Citibank on Laguardia Pl. My adrenaline rose with each step towards Zuccotti Park, I couldn't wait to see the voice of my discontent.

But it wasn't my voice. It was too many voices with too many interests, united only by their frusteration in the status quo. And that is not enough for a movement.

Occupy feels like it is on the verge of being hijacked by people defined by their anger. I saw too many Ron Paul signs, too many V for Vendetta masks, heard too many conspiracy theorists to hope that this was a rational movement.

Zuccotti Park had the feeling of a Phish show gone on way too long. There were bags and garbage everywhere and it wasn't clear who was homeless and who was a protester. And while Times Square drew thousands of people, most of the energy was put towards challenging the police rather than collective thought. 

At this point, the movement has gone on too long without a coherent message or a real leader. There is so much energy right now, but I fear that it will be taken over by extremists and the center left will have missed its chance. I admire the attention and support that they have garnered so far, but now we need to exploit the momentum. Now is the time for Occupy to Act.

Way more after the Jump!