a la mode

I just came back from Les Arts Decoratifs where there was an exposition on Sonia Rykiel. We went with Thierry, my Haute Couture professor. He is so cute. He always wears fitted suits with a nice tie and a wool trench coat. He says things like "ta ta!" and glides when he walks. But the exposition was amazing, much different from Valentino's earlier in the semester. And the photos from Dominique Issermann were beautiful. Rykiel was a famous french designer for a couple of reasons; she was the first to put the seams on the outside of the clothing, she had amazing knitting skills and her fashion house was on the left bank (holla!) rather than the right, like other designers. She opened her own line in 1968 and most of the dresses and hats we saw looked like they were inspired by the 1930s because of the flower prints and knee length dress. I guess her fashion shows were different from others too because the models were having more fun with it and moving, rather than being sassy and pouty. And she hung out with Andy Warhol. AND A big theme among her collections over the years was stripes, which reminded me of Carrie Bradshaw's ensemble in An American Girl in Paris and I looked it up online and I was right! Which means I am an aspiring fashion critic or I watch a sickening amount of S&TC ( leaning more towards the latter).

I want to wear designer clothes. Why isn't this an option for me? I actually like my fashion class, and I thought I would would be critical of it. Because I'm sorry what is the relevance of fashion in the real world? When our professor asked us for a 6 page paper on the pea coat, I scoffed. Take a look at your life, its fashion: a hobby. That is like writing a paper on food, it exists and everybody needs it but don't write papers on vegetables. But once I stopped being a bitch, I realized that fashion, especially Haute Couture is more like fine art or sculpture. It is expensive but it can be worth it according to your taste. And these evening dresses that are covered in sequins or feathers can take years to create, and require skill. And the way it fits on the model and the movement of the fabric can be quite remarkable. Even Hemingway wrote in Moveable Feast, in Paris you can either be into art or fashion, there is not enough money for both. Do I sound pretentious yet? Hum ho.

Also did some Christmas shopping and picked these up for Nick. Shh it will be a surprise...Haha WHY would those EVER be okay. And what woman would be comfortable sharing a bed with a man in tights under his SHORTS. Casual wear.

So anyway here are some Christmas ideas for me, Linds if you are still searching for ideas...
Skirt
Adorable Cardigan
Cocktail dress for Erie
Day Dress
Clutch

And of course liposuction because I don't think they have pret-a-porter for the morbidly obese, comme moi.

I am going to the independent wine vineyard expo again today, to find a future husband who makes a smooth Bordeaux red wine. ta. ta.

Il n'y a qu'en Paris....

I am IN LOVE with Paris. It is the most amazing city in the entire world. Yesterday I woke up late and went to Park Monceau. It is chilly in the city so I layered up, charged my Ipod and got on the metro. My roommates went on an excursion, so I had the afternoon to myself. The park was beautiful and reminded me of a mini central park. It was created into a garden in 1769 and if it looks familiar, maybe thats because you saw it in our Fairview living room. Haha It is where Monet painted Parc Monceau (shocking). I walked around the park for about an hour or so taking pictures for photography class. It was the beginning of a perfect Paris afternoon.

Then I walked to the arc de triomphe and eventually got on the metro to head towards the grocery store. The sun was setting so when the train passed the tower I figured I would get out and take more pictures. I was taking pictures when a man asked me to watch his bike, while he makes a video. He returned in less than five minutes and we started talking. He said he was a writer and filmmaker in Paris and that he has had a lot of success. I was being short with him after my experience with Barcelona fucker, but he was really nice. After I realized he wasn't scum we started talking about art and the economy and of course, that sexy president elect of ours. He had a lot of interesting things to say, and I was holding my own in a french conversation. He kept saying that you have to experience the city on your own and not with your friends, just lose yourself completley in the city.

So after that he said that Balzac's house wasn't too far so we went on a walk. Seriously? I love Paris, where you can take afternoon walks with french writers. He showed me where the oldest road in the city was and the house and gardens that belonged to Balzac. It was refreshing to meet someone so genuine. He said I should stop by his studio at some point, which I might, but I am running out of time. Sad. Then I walked home in the dusk and spent close to 1000 euros on food and wine. Oh well, I took a cooking class so I wanted to make marinated shrimp and quiches.

As for you Lindsay, I miss you. I want it to be time for fugly party. That was the event of the year. I want to return to PA just for Christmas and then grab you and Kelly and my friend James and take you back to Paris with me. Zin? Yes.

Barcelona

We had fall break for a week and I bought a ticket to Barcelona about 4 days prior to leaving. It worked out and was still pretty cheap. I didn't have a place to stay but my friends Lauren and Sofia were there and Lauren said she had some friends studying there. So I asked to tag along with them. I left Paris around 10:30 and went to the Beauvais airport which is about an hour north of Paris. I got into Girona airport around 3:30 and got into Barcelona by bus around 4:30. I called Lauren and Sofia but couldn't get a hold of them. This didn't bother me because I could have sometime to myself. The city was quiet when I came in on a Monday afternoon. I walked through the park at the zoo and around some courtyards. It was a beautiful city, very narrow streets and brick buildings with laundry lines connecting them. The weather was warm and it was much cheaper than Paris. I decided to walk towards the water and found this little crustacean friend. Neat.

I was carrying my messenger bag and my camera bag so I really looked homeless in the streets of Barcelona, yet people STILL ASKED ME FOR MONEY. It was about 8 oclock and I was getting worried that I wouldn't meet up with my friends so I went into an internet cafe. And I facebooked lauren and got some directions.

I took a cab to the girls' apartment which was incredible. They all had separate rooms and a large fridge, a washer, a tv and dvd player, a CLEANING LADY, a balcony and a view of la sagrada familia. hum ho. We got ready and went to Barca del Salamanca for a fancy meal of paella with seafood and a dry white wine. It was so delicious. We had desserts and digestifs on the house. Glamorous.
But then we quickly stepped back into reality and went to the McDonalds and took shots of vodka out of a water bottle with Fanta. American Tradition. Then we went over to some guys' house and took more shots and smoked a bit. We didn't go out to the club until 2 AM but everyone acted like we were punctual, and heading out at an appropriate time. This club was awesome, except for the fact that it was a Monday, so not very busy. When one orders a jack and coke they give you a FULL cup of jack and a small bottle of coke. Check out the flowers on the ceiling.

So we left the club around 6 AM and just slept at the guys' house. Sofia and I stole someone's bed, which was kind of rude.

We woke up around noon and it was one of those times where you have NO IDEA where you are and your surroundings are giving you no clues. Guy's Room..what? Laundry hanging outside? Sofia. ohhh right I am in Barcelona. Anyway we debated getting high but just hopped on the metro to CEA to grab the key from Kelly and Sami (the girls we were staying with) since we didn't even have a change of clothes. The three of us walked into the school building HUNGOVER with yesterday's clothes and Lauren took off her shoes because they hurt her feet so bad. I wish we had a picture of us being pathetic sitting at the doors of CEA because they wouldn't let us in. Then Lauren just started yelling their names, to see if they could hear us. Ridiculous. We made it home and showered and Sofia and I went to La Sagrada Familia. Gaudi is AMAZING. One of the first things I noticed about Barcelona was how the trees even paralleled the architecture. And when we were inside the church, it pointed out all of the natural influences of Gaudi. The front of the church was the birth of Jesus and his earlier years and the back was the crucifixion. Gaudi died before it was finished and now architects and builders are still working on finishing it, and it won't be done until 2028. We went up the tower as well which gave a beautiful view of the city.

That night we went to Piperment which was famous for serving giant beers. Um. Yeah. These beers were giant. 13L which is about 50 beers. I thought it was a good idea, but it didn't really taste good and I am pretty sure I got sick from sharing a drink with 20 people. But it did allow me to talk about Oktoberfest with a new friend, who said he was there too. After that we went back home and did not wake up until 2 in afternoon.

I booked a hostel because Sofia and Lauren were going to the rest of Spain. We went to a fruit market and had a falafel that night. The falafels were SO DELICIOUS, they had a fresh food bar where you could add all the toppings you wanted and it came as cheap as 2.40 euros! And the fruit market had fresh coconut juice that was only .50 euro. HUM! HO! Sofia and Lauren went to catch their train and I went to my hostel and talked to my mom and went to bed kinda early.

The next day I had on my own. I went to Park Guell, Gaudi's park that overlooks the city. It was gorgeous. I took so many pictures and it was probably my favorite part of the trip. If I lived in Barcelona I would get lost in the park for days. Mmmm and bring fresh fruit from the market.

But unfortunately I chose to leave the park to go to the beach. I got there and sat by the water and was listening to Silver Jews on my i-pod and was finishing writing some thoughts down and a guy approaches me. He asked me a question but in Spanish. I don't understand him, obviously, so I say so and try to remember how to say "I dont speak spanish" and his creepy scummy spanish fucker friend snatched my camera bag and started running. I looked back and picked up my messenger bag which fell as he grabbed the strap. I started running after them but was almost tripping over my messenger bag and the fuck who took my bag was on a bike. I fell to the ground and cried. Fuck theives. Get a fucking job, or steal MONEY from the rich. So they maxed out my bank card, and stole my film camera with 3 rolls of film and my metro pass. They are probably going to throw out my film and metro pass. FUCKED. UP. I had film from Loire Valley and Park Guell. UGH. After going to the police station and playing "international crime charades," a name created by Kelly, for 3 hours I met up with Natalia. And we went to a bar crawl with some friends we met from the Hostel Bianca and Duffy. But at this point I was not pleased with Barcelona, and I will never return again without a strong male bodyguard.

Election Night in Paris

I was bummed I wasn't in Pittsburgh for the election, but we ended up having a great time at Palais M. My brothers are in town, so before we headed over to the club we met up with one of Gareth's friends Marc. He works for Luc Besson, so that gives you a clue to how awesome he really is. He was super friendly and suggested drinks at the Apiceuse. It looked like the exhibition hall for Aleksander Petrofsky in Sex and the City. He talked about his job, as an assistant to Besson and setting up screenings and such. Glamourous. We had some nice cocktails and desserts, and just chatted. We talked about the election and how important it was. Marc said he doesn't think France would elect a black president. He also gave us great ideas for where to eat around Paris. I don't go out to eat at all since its expensive and I spend my money on drinks and clothes and traveling, so it was nice to get some ideas where to take my brothers.It was a wonderful, quiet Parisian evening. Then we got ready to leave for the election party.

Originally I was planning on going to CineAqua for the election. It was 50 euros but you got 3 drinks and a victory breakfast, but it went up to 100 euros. Insane. So we went to Palais M. I didnt reserve because it was too late. When we got off the metro some people were like "Are you going to the Obama Party???? WELL good luck! You won't get in! They wont let anyone in!" But they were old and wearing tacky hats. So we walked on, still hopeful. And EASY PEASY. Sofia and I just insisted we were on the list, and VOILA we are in. cinch of a lifetime. It was crowded when we got in and they had 3 screens broadcasting the election results, as they happened. We also pushed our way up into the VIP platform somehow. It wasn't luxurious up there but a better view and a little less crowded. Sofia was pretty drunk and so was Lauren. I had been drinking but it was wearing off around 3am.

But I was still completely energized, which was shocking because I only slept 2 hours the previous night since I was finishing a paper. I was with my brothers and my friends and so happy. Around 3 ish they handed out Barack Obagels. Yum. And we danced and just had a good time.

Then around 5 after Barack had California, they announced Obama as the president elect. Amazing. the crowd went nuts. Flags were flying, people dancing, hugging, crying, murdering; the whole works.

When Barack gave his acceptance speech, I was crying. He is so passionate and patriotic. I mean I have been really emotionally lately anyway and was kind of out of it, but fuck, we were witnessing a historic event. It was the first time I was vraiment fiere of my country. After the speech we headed back on the metro. The brosephs were pretty tired because they aren't used to the party life. Chris wasn't enthused because he usually votes republican. vom. But we all had a good time.

Haha this picture makes me laugh because Matt was wearing an obama shirt THE WHOLE TIME, but didn't show it. And then he tried to in the picture but he just looked like a creeper, trying to take his shirt off.

Chris went back to Nashville, but Matt is here for a few more days, but he is sick. So he rested all day and then I went to the hotel and took mac pics and we watched Barack's press conference. Wow. I think the world is expecting a little too much from him. BBC world news was saying that he didnt impress them because he said nothing new, but....He has honestly been the president elect for 3 days, and kept saying, "There is only one president at a time, and I am not the president yet." But I am excited to come home to a democratic congress and prez. Hum ho!

stripes indicate party change

This election wasn't about Democrat vs Republican or liberalism vs conservatism, it was an American call for a pragmatic and intelligent government. Barack Obama's historic run for President-elect of the U.S.A., will definitely be well-documented, but this monumental achievement means absolutely nothing unless we all change for the better and do our part to heal and come together as a nation.

Barack Obama has inherited the worst United States of America since FDR (MSNBC told me so), and we will all expect him to deliever us the best United States when he leaves. I believe he will, but he's going to need our help. What does that mean? I'm not sure yet, but I guarantee you that we all must work together (even with REPUBLICANS UGH!). Side note: I read somewhere that Sean Hannity was crying in the male bathroom after Barack won. Not going to lie, that's great news.

For me, Barack spoke to me a while ago when I was still in high school, after the 04 election, when I was channel surfing and he was talking on CSPAN. He talked about how the Republican party hijacked religion, namely Christianity, and saying that they were basically the only ones who were truely religious. Now, religion is a touchy subject for most, and I truly believe its the cause of many, many great and yet many, many terrible things, but this man got it then when he spoke about the so-called connect between the Republican party and "religion" and he gets it now. I mean, homeboy is putting a basketball court in the White House and taking out the bowling alley.

This was my first Presidential election, and I actually saw the President-elect speak TWICE in person and the next first lady once. Like Diddy, I felt like my vote was monumental. Once CNN called Pennsylvania for Barack, I KNEW. I felt the "winds of change" ... wow I feel like that came from Pocahontas, like "Colors of the Wind." The song title might actually be more appropriate. ANYWAYS, when John King was playing with his stupid (yet incredibly AWESOME) touch screen map he basically said it was virtually impossible for John McCain to win. But I didn't think they would call it for Barack IMMEDIATELY when the polls closed in California, Oregon and Washington, but when they did I didn't know what to feel... I felt numb. Like Michelle Obama, I finally felt proud of my country.

But enough of that stuff. We drank Baralcohol and colored our electoral maps:
Then Barack finally came and spoke to America.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. "

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can."

I texted my Dad when they called it for Barack, knowing that he would be in bed already, and he proceeded to call me when he woke up in the morning at 5AM. He thought I just sent the txt... my god, so I had to talk to him for 10 minutes at 5 in the morning about Barack winning.

Even though it sucked, I can't think of anything else that I would rather wake up that early in the morning for..