Heading back to Cali

So unless something hits me, like a mack truck, to motivate me to post again today. I won't be back until next week.

Off to CA.

Ciao!

Katrina Anniversary

Since today is the anniversary of the terrible tragedy Katrina, here's a look at the good work by Global Green & Brad Pitt with the Holy Cross Project in New Orleans. Click here for more info. Nice work Brad, but too bad you helied from NY to the Hamptons for a dinner last week - not very ECO!

And even though I have mentioned it before, if you are interested in supporting Global Green but are the type that likes to 'show' your support, you might consider purchasing one of the Respect your Mother tees. I personally own one and the material rocks. Click here for info

No Shop

I am no fashion plate but as far as shopping in Boulder, its non-existent. There are a few spots in Denver worth the drive - Blush in Cherry Creek for example. Reading the paper this morning, I came across this article regarding the new Nordstrom and the lineup of brands. I have to say the comment pretty much nails it as to why shopping here is so weak!! Merrell's are you kidding - keep those on the trails....and that's what excites you about Nordy's - UGH

New Nordstrom will complete "Fashion Row"
By Suzanne S. Brown Denver Post Staff Writer

Cherry Creek has long been the epicenter of high fashion in Denver, with boutiques and specialty retailers stocking the latest fashions with four-figure price tags.
When Nordstrom opens its third Colorado store Oct. 19, luxury shoppers will have even more choices, as the Seattle-based retailer will carry clothes and accessories from top American and European designers.
Burberry Prorsum, Marchesa, Michael Kors, Versace and Zac Posen are among the designers whose collections will be featured in the new 138,000- square-foot store, according to a news release issued Monday by the company. In the category of emerging labels, Helmut Lang, 3.1 Philip Lim, Rag & Bone and Tory Buch, among others, will be showcased in the "via C" department.
Nordstrom is known for its shoes, and the Cherry Creek store will carry such brands as Manolo Blahnik, Marni, Chloe and Yves Saint Laurent. Shoppers will find such labels as Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Valentino in the handbag department.
"Nordstrom will cement First Avenue as Fashion Row in this region," says Mary Beth Jenkins, president of Laramie Co., a commercial retail real estate brokerage and consulting company.
Jenkins says the store's offerings will complement Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Macy's rather than take business away from them. "What's different about Nordstrom is that while they have designer merchandise, they'll carry different assortments, and they also draw more mainstream customers."
She also sees shoppers visiting other stores in the mall if Nordstrom doesn't have what they want. "They'll bring in a new customer, but if she doesn't find her size or what she wants, she'll go to the other stores," Jenkins says.
Nordstrom will feature many of the designers' fall collections in a tented runway fashion show at the store Oct. 17. Tickets to the show and gala are $125. The event, which is being underwritten by Nordstrom, is expected to raise $225,000 for two charities, the American Transplant Foundation and Beacon Center. For tickets, call 303-761-6756, ext. 24.

Here is the comment - What I love about Nordy's is their huge selection of Merrell's...they have a better selection than REI!

Exploitation at Its finest

Dana Goodyear/New Yorker blogs about her recent experience with Ed Hardy water in LA. Click here for post. Now marketing tap water as spring is nothing new, hello Dasani. Reading her experience makes me cringe - not only because it pretty much proves every LA stereotype know to man (and I do love LA) but EDW exploits so so many things without remorse. Ultimately yet another case of buyer beware.

Am I a Jewelry Person?

Do Leopards have spots? OF course I am!! Mary Jo Matsumoto of Trustyourstyle.com is dangerously tempting me once again with her latest creation. These beautiful south sea pearl earrings, I am particularly loving the chocolate brown with starfish. Dying to get your paws on a pair of your own - contact Mary Jo at www.trustyourstyle.com

And don't forget about her fabulous patent leather clutches - click here for post.

Domesticated

Here in Boulder wildlife run ins are common, even in a town with a pop +100k. Friday night there was a fox in the road (returning from the ER, not me) and I see deer all the time. Even with the frequency of the sightings Amy Stein's photographic series Domesticated is haunting and disturbing. See for yourself - click here for the photos.

I was over it before it ever released

I love this kid. Not only hacked the iphone but then put it up for sale...

http://iphonejtag.blogspot.com/

Jesus...?

Ok, its not my commentary above, can't say I make a habit of checking out PC illusions (?), just a matter of a little C&P. But it was a little weird and I thought I would share.

Naughty Pierre

Last night was all about support/showing the love; for Marlow and his new film the Other Half, for Boulder Fringe Festival, for Way and his part in the evening's events. I wrongfully assumed the evening would be a film premiere and a couple of short films. From the moment I walked in and some guy in a snarky suit with greased back hair and a harelip mustache grabbed my hand and started kissing it I should have know something was awry.

I would soon learn this crazy man was Naughty Pierre aka Jefferson Arca . He is the brainchild of the Naughty Burlesque & Comedy Extravaganza in Denver at Lannies - click here for more info.

I can speak for everyone when I say had us rolling, crying I think there was even some snorting. Whether in character as Naughty Pierre, with his George Bush puppet or the remote live chat with one of the directors of the most terrible (imo) short, we were dying. Any more description than that just won't do NP justice.
Go down and check it out.

Before & After

Impressive, huh?

Stinky Rat

Is one of Marc Jacobs' lines.
Here's the SR basic polo in colors such as vomit, darkest grey and pollution. He must of been working on this collection during his rehab stint.
Here's the polo

and if you haven't seen him lately I will post some before and after rehab shots soon....

King Lines Hits Boulder

Mark your calendar, Boulder native and all around great guy Pete Mortimer is premiering his film, KING LINES at the Boulder Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 5th at 2nd annual REEL ROCK FILM TOUR. Click on the flyer below or here to see a clip of what's in store. Way to go Pete! And Nick you rock too!

Beasties Rock Denver

On Friday night the Beastie Boys played at the Fillmore in Denver. Great Venue!!!
The show had a mandatory dress code since footage would be used an upcoming vid. I love the BBs, have seen them numerous times and unfortunately couldn't make this show. Since most of my friends rock and are always looking out for my back, I was sitting at the Kitchen Upstairs (where I spend way too much $$) kicking back cocktails when this popped onto my phone....

Hope it works, I am no techie!

Air Guitar Madness

Last spring I reluctantly attended the screening of Air Guitar Nation, a documentary about the US and World Air Guitar Championships. It was hilarious, who knew people took this 'sport' so seriously. Rent it if you get the chance.

Seems the '07 Championships took place in Manhattan last weekend. I wonder how Bjorn Toroque fared this year? Here's a photo from the event just cuz.

Buzz Blood

'I stepped on Buzz Lightyear and I got Blood,'

as quoted from my 3yr old nephew.

Colorado Sun Factor

I don't know how some of my friends manage? There is no way I can go without a little eye protection in this state - the elevation, blue skies, etc. Some time ago I decided that I needed a new pair of specs. After endless searching, research, price comparison, begging - no doubt the OCD gene takes form here. I decided to purchase another pair from Blinde (pronounced Blind people). My goal was to find a pair that I could run (hopefully one day again), bike, whatever and still wear out without looking ridiculous.

Here they are, hope you approve ;). But there is one little problem, while paying, I tried on these beautiful Oliver Peoples frames - hello gorgeous. How quickly I reenter into the land of temptation...being the klutz that I am I know these would have a very short life span but they will go on the wish list.

Eco Rationale

Endless attention on Eco and Green these days, I am all for it. But I think it's important to remember that while an item may not be deemed 100% eco or green, excellent craftsmanship, design and materials go a long way. If you buy a leather bag that may be pricey but you keep the bag for 10 years not only are you spending less in the long run, you are keeping that much more waste out of the landfills. Such is the case with a leather wallet I purchased in Europe eons ago. Il Bisonte is the brand, at the time it was a sizable purchase for me. Recently, I had to retire the wallet after weeks of searching, I just can't seem to find a suitable alternative. When I went online to purchase the wallet and found this bag...

I am trying to justify the very expensive purchase with the same rationale....

Art v Art???

Not to say I don’t park myself in front of the TV for all the big award shows but don’t be confused, it’s only for the eye candy. When it comes to selecting ‘Best’ Movie or any work of art for that matter, not sure it’s possible. Yes, there are plenty of bad movies but it would be impossible for me to choose the clear winner between Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Life Aquatic, or a Twombly and a Pollock.

Artfaceoff.com posts two works of art and leaves it up to the voters to choose the winner (??). I do visit the site but only for the opportunity to learn about new artists. Here’s two lovely works, both winners in my book....

Anywhere but Here!!

I am beyond stir crazy today. Friends are in town, I want to go play and time has frozen! I am all over the map and really don't have anything amazing to share. Do I ever?

Enough whining, it could be worse.

Here's some killer photos by multi-media artist David LaChappelle. LUV this man!!! He's always there for me as a good distraction. Click here for all things David.

Erin's Sale

Local Boulder artist Erin Donnelly is having a HUGE art sale!!
She's growing up and buying her first home.
Here's some of the paintings available. Contact her directly for more info...click here

RW + Coudal + Keyboards

I dig RWalker. His column in the NYTimes, murketing, etc. Through RW I found Coudal Partners, yet another example of interesting minds at work or play or both....

I was cruising the CP site. What jumped in front of my eyes but a piece on cleaning your keyboard in the dishwasher. Now, I have always washed baseballs hats in the dish - good tip if you didn't already know. A very cool fella I know possesses one such durtay keyboard. He pinky swears he reads and likes my blog. So for him I post a link to the CP Labs keyboard washing experiment.

Here's the camera used for the experiment...click here for all the deets

High Authority Rating

Who me....? Apparently that's where I rank in influential blogs on Technorati, whatever that is...kidding. Cool, thanks to all my family - aka my loyal readers and voters. Checks are going in the mail today...

All Bottled Up

This is not a new topic for me or any of us really. I have ranted about ocean waste/Plastic Ocean, Sigg, Biota (which I now learn has halted production because of a pending lawsuit) and numerous other topics. On Monday Brita and Naglene joined forces and launched the

campaign. Look, I am all for educating people and there is certainly a trickle down effect. The website does link to a number of interesting articles on the topic but after all is said and done I would encourage you to skip the Naglene and purchase a Sigg or other stainless steel water bottle. There are so many studies floating around that touch on the dangers of plastic.

Plus the Sigg bottles are far more aesthetically pleasing.

Call them whatever you want

but I am jonesing for these NDC (Nom de Code) Kelly boots for fall, love the blue. The current dollar/Euro exchange rate is not going to help me get my fix...

Cocktail Parties

I am not big on small talk at parties and, while some may be surprised to learn this, most times I would rather listen and watch the interactions between the guests then lead the conversation. But this is not always appropriate. SEED Magazine can help with my dilemma. They have a weekly column entitled, I can't believe it's science. Its chock full of all sorts of cocktail fodder...

For example, did you know Leopards in India are lured by cell phones??

Forest guards in western India have started setting traps for renegade leopards by attaching cell phones to speakers and placing them behind cages. The phones, that ring by mooing, bleating, or crowing for several hours at a time, have effectively snagged five leopards in the month since they were introduced. Forest officials say the cell phone lure is safer than the old method of placing live bait near large pits that the big cats tumble into as they go after their prey. click here for more

Hang on Easy...

I love simple clean lines. Droog has a clever new product (and cute name) to cover bare bulbs that keeps with my preferred aesthetic. I guess you could call it a take on a lampshade or chandelier. Which reminds me, somewhere in Boulder there is a chandelier in need of some attention....

DR, this one's for you!

British and Canadian companies www.envyrobubble.com & www.gummybin.com have created these cute gum recycling bins. Kinda seems excessive, just another place to post an ad but there is nothing worse than stepping in gum. And it probably takes some pretty harsh chemos to remove gum from the sidewalks and such.

And if you were wondering DR is not a litterbug, that's not why the post is dedicated to him....

L v T - do you know the difference

I just ran home for a bit, when I was getting in my car I noticed a car next to mine. I thought it was a Tesla. So, for half a sec I was interested and I took a looksie. When I got closer I realized it was a Lotus with a big sticker on the trunk that read - TOYOTA INSIDE. This immediate lowered the coolness factor for me by about million percent.
I had to go online to see if the cars had similar bodies or if I am a big dummie. I am not that into cars anyways.
Here are two pics - take a look for yourself. After the whole thing my conclusion, I will pass on both take a gullwing or something from that era. And if you don't know what a GW is well than you are missing out.

Sugar, sugar, sugar

Yes I am obsessed with sugar, specifically chocolate.

I rarely cook or bake, but I know my way around the kitchen. Both my mom and gmom are/were excellent bakers. Some friends, you know who you are, beg for my mom's streudel when she heads out for a visit.

Even though I think cupcakes are trendy, I found and was enticed by the blog Cupcake Bakeshop which is the Cupcake HQ. They have step by step instructions, section out the recipes based on ingredients, etc.

The photos are too tempting (notice how all included are of the chocolate variety). So much so that I may be in the kitchen tonite.

Tax Dollars at Work

I grew up in DC. I'm no dummy. The photo still creeps me out and not the photo of Hilary part. Oh damn, I wonder if I now voluntarily added myself to some watch list...

We Feel Fine

Don't ask just click here

Second Rotation

Ship your unwanted and unused electronics to Second Rotation for cash back....I guess its a good idea.???
Too bad they aren't doing any carbon offsetting for all the shipping to MA and too bad they are using crappy DHL.
Simpler, more Eco option - take your old items to your local Goodwill and then do the tax write off.

Art Books

I love art books, all kinds. If money were no object I would head straight to Taschen and go crazy. Started at a small rare books shop in Germany, Taschen now publishes beautiful books in all genres. Here's a couple of photos and cover shots that I found interesting. The hamburger shot isn't a book but a photo from the David LaChapelle book, Artists and Prostitutes.

And if you haven't seen his documentary RIZE - I highly recommend it. Stunning visuals!

It didn't work last time or the time before that

so let's do it again!!
This seems to be the credo of the bigwigs at GAP and their agency which I will leave nameless. Once again GAP is teaming with Annie Leibovitz to create an ad campaign of celebrities in their clothes.
Hello, you've been down this road and your sales continue to drop?? How much money did you blow on the agency, photographer, celebs, ad space, etc, etc. How can they honestly think this time its gonna take?
How about realizing that people bypass the GAP and head to Old Navy for virtually the same items but significantly less expensive along with a slew of other reasons.

And here's a photo from the last blitz since it probably wasn't that memorable either....