Suzanne's Sciamachy

Shrimp of Arabia - Saudi Gras is approaching

2012-02-03T07:09:00.001-06:00

Mark shucked some shrimp today for our Shrimp Gumbo dinner. This guy was huge as were several other of his buddies.

Gumbo just sounded really good. It's February and somewhere over around 30-90 longitudal and latitudinal degrees, they're gearing up for Mardi Gras. I watched an old episode of Treme and decided, yep, we need to make some gumbo.

Am going to pull together a quick lesson plan on Mardi Gras for my classes this week and just spend the rest of month talking about Carnival which will culminate on the 22nd (last day of school before break) with throwing out some beads from our big collection that came with over here.

Georgia O'Keefe - Institutionalized by America & Stieglitz

2012-02-01T05:05:00.002-06:00

One of the most important artists in the American canon of art is Georgia O'Keefe with the reasons being many. A prolific and hugely talented female artist with a museum named after her, yet outside of the U.S., she is barely known. As popular as she is in the States, I don't think I've ever stepped back to even consider that her renown was not on a global basis.

Apparently, her husband and dealer, Alfred Stieglitz took an unusual stance in promoting her and other American artists and photographers' work. He felt their work was best appreciated in America and that if one wanted to see their work, they should come to America.

The end result was that many famous artists and photograher were rarely known beyond America's shores due to Stieglitz refusal to exhibit their work outside of the States. In the last 10 years, O'Keefe's work has finally been exhibited in several European countries and Britain but is only now being seen in Germany.

Kitten McNugget

2012-01-28T08:16:00.000-06:00

Some readers have enquired about Nugget, who featured so prominently in my blogs this past summer,and how she was doing these days. Having her company saved us from poor mental health during Ramadan.

She's not much of a kitten anymore. Nugget weighs in about 7 or 8 lbs now and has grown into her ears and tail, but her claws which can double as meat hooks have remained huge.

She lodged herself in my carryon when we came back from Scotland as if to say, "If you're thinking of leaving me behind again - don't...". Actually, she received excellent care from Dr. Carlito at Green Crown Veterinary in Khobar. We boarded her for 18 days and she was in perfect health when we came back.

I was a little concerned that she might contract a respiratory infection while being boarded for so long, but no, she was great. Maybe a little bit of a belly, but hey, who doesn't end up with one of those over the holidays?

Not such good news about Big Boi, Nugget's guardian angel. The former BMOC (Big Man on Compound)acquired some injuries which have left him unable to use his right arm, paw or shoulder. I don't know if a car hit him or if someone kicked him.

No open wounds but he's definitely lost some Jagger swagga, poor guy. He hobbles on three paws to get around.

Anjelica Huston - Hollywood Royalty

2012-01-27T02:51:00.000-06:00

You couldn't thumb through any fashion magazine in the 70s and 80s with coming across Anjelica Huston. Long before she became known as the long-suffering girlfriend of Jack Nicholson, she was bonefied third generation Hollywood royalty.

I was fascinated by the fact that she was the daughter of a prima ballerina and Oscar worthy actor/director John Huston born in Santa Monica, California yet grew up in an estate in County Galway, Ireland. That she possess an amazing pedigree would understatement.

To grow up as such was what I would have chosen for my biography if we were allowed to choose.

Anjelica. Photo by Bob Richardson

Lourve - Paris, France

2012-01-23T04:51:00.006-06:00

The Lourve

Paris, France

December 2011

Au Vieux Comptoir - Fab Food in the 1ère arr.

2012-01-17T07:45:00.002-06:00

We were on the go almost every moment while we were in Paris and though we made time for coffee and espresso at cafes every morning and afternoon along with the occasional pain au chocolat or quiche Lorraine, we didn't make many brasserie stops. We were so happy to buy wine, baguettes, cheese and foie gras in shops that we kind of forgot about brasseries.

We did make a point of going to at least one while we were there and found a wonderful place very near where we staying in the Les Halles area. Au Vieux Comptoir is very non-descript from the outside and petite on the inside, but is a bijoux, nonetheless.

We didn't make reservations which meant that arriving before 8:00 pm was essential to avoiding the wait. We nipped inside and were seated at a table for two right away. After chatting with the waitress for a few minutes, we discovered she was from Speyside, Scotland (Home of Baxter's Soup), when she recognized my husband's Scottish accent. We put ourselves in her capable hands from that moment on and we were not disappointed.

The foie gras starter with brioche and chili jam was perfect. Love the slate plate it was served on (we own a set of them) :-)

As evidenced, we made short work of the foie gras.

Mark, the Scot he is, ordered the Black Pudding serving with creamy potatoes. The restaurant has it made for them by Chef Christen Parra . Mark had always held the Black Pudding he had one summer at Loch Torredon as the best he'd ever had, but no more. In lieu of small flecks of fat a la the Brit version, this one held some bits of meat. The taste was dense and flavorful.

My scallops in a beurre blanc sauce were perfect. They tasted as though they'd just swam in from the sea and decided to take a butter bath after a light searing. I didn't really want to share them, but seeing as Mark shared his Black Pudding it was only fair.

Our waitress's wine recommendation was spot on, too. After taking our dining selections, we asked her opinion about the wine we had chosen. She steered us slightly into another selection (which was priced less than our original choice) and we said oui. Her pick was the 2009 Grand Reserve Domain Ollier Taillefer Rouge, made by a brother and sister vintners. It was paired almost perfectly with each dish we ate.

Criminal as it was, we did not try dessert. Everything looked tempting, but we were comfortably full and decided to leave it there.

Jean Shrimpton - The Shrimp

2012-01-14T05:53:00.000-06:00

The super model of another era was British-born beauty, Jean Shrimpton. Those eyes, those lips. When the camera loves a face, it LOVES a face and it was crazy for Shrimpton.

Elegance never looked as good and natural as it did on her. Not really curvy either as she was built for the speed needed in London's swinging '60's. She did come equipped with a natural style and grace. The best Mick Jagger could do was date her younger sister, Chrissie.

Though elegant and thoroughly stunning, she was not stodgy untouchable British rose.. She helped to usher in the mini-skirt, giving it a touch of brilliance that Twiggy could only swipe at.

The Smithereens' song, Behind A Wall of Sleep, from the late '80's evoked The Shrimp as she was known in their lyrics,

She had hair like Jeannie Shrimpton back in 1965.

She had legs that never ended.

I was halfway paralyzed...

She came upon the modeling scene in 1960 at the age of 17. While it's reported that she feels she owes her career to photographer David Baily, it is obvious that she has "it", regardless of the photographer.

To attest to that fact, the above photos were taken by Ronald Falloon. A contemporary of David Baily and Terence Donovan, his talent was equal to any with her as a model.

Pont des Arts - Locks of Love (Cadenas d'amour)

2012-01-11T07:32:00.002-06:00

On a cold, beautiful December afternoon in Paris, we walked over the Seine via the Pont des Arts which has its railings full of locks symbolizing eternal love.

You know Sting's song, Every Breath You Take? I have always told my daughters when they go to date someone seriously that this song is a barometer, a litmus test of finding if someone is balanced or not - ask them if they think this song about true love or obsession? I believe it is about obsession, the polar opposite of loving someone and setting them free.

To some degree, this is what the symbolizism of the locks are for me - control,obsession, chains. Yes, it is romantic but look before you lock.

2011-12-29T11:45:00.001-06:00

Hey Readers! Looks like I won't get back to serious writing until after the new year so until then, lots of love and peace to you all

xoxo
S

All that is 2011...

2011-12-26T03:30:00.003-06:00

Here's hoping that 2011 was a good year for you and that 2012 will be even better. These photos are of the Liverpool top my class 5eme got for my birthday prior to leaving Saudi. It was very nice and very unexpected but much appreciated.

Nugget is boarding at Dr. Carlito's while we're gone. We're hoping she won't hate us too much when we pick her up in 10 days.

Olga Korbut - 1972 Olympics, Munich

2011-12-17T22:16:00.000-06:00

In the summer of 1972, Olga Korbut performed moves never before seen outside of the then insular world of gymnastics. A back flip on the Uneven Bars, a forward flip on the Balance Beam and even more amazing, Comrade Korbut sported a sunny smile during her floor event, further blowing the minds of of her rapt audience.

Her pixie-like image shattered the stoic stereotypes held in the West regarding athletes who came from behind the Iron Curtain. At 4'11" and barely 80 lbs., she did not fit the image of the bulky female swimmers from East Germanany whose genders were somewhat ambiguous do to serious doping issues along the lines of performance enhancing male hormones.

When one disastrous uneven bar performance left her in tears, she managed to endear herself even further to her worldwide audience. Along with a physical image stereotype, she and her teammates managed to change the sport of gymnastics itself.

Prior to the global stage of the 1972 Summer Munich Olympics, gymnastics had been more much about artistry rather than athleticism, much like ice skating had been.

Female athletes were expected to perform with ballet-like movements rather than unfeminine and ungainly athletic skills. US gymnasts like Cathy Rigby were immediately rendered moot and ineffective against their spectacular routines.

The Russians managed to combine the elegance of a Balanchine ballerina with sheer physicality and strength. Further changed was the true sense of "team" that was lacking in the psychological make-up of women's sports.

The Russian team members were supportive of one another, consistently congratulating a member as soon as they walked off the floor into their team's corner. With a kiss and a hug, sincere or not amongst competitors, it reinforced a sense of esprit de corp that was unfamiliar outside of the Eastern Bloc.

The USSR team totally restructured the sport and the ripple effect had millions of little girls joining gymnastics clubs across the U.S.

Mikhail Baryshnikov - A Balletomane's Dream

2011-12-13T07:09:00.001-06:00

Liza Minnelli and Mikhail Baryshnikov at Studio 54 1977

The '70's were an amazingly visual decade - full of vibrancy and a sense of decadence on an international scale, showing me, the last of the baby boomers, a world that existed beyond her perfect little California cocoon.

If you were a balletomane, you knew of Mikhail Baryshnikov long before his talented toes touched down in Studio 54. He had been hailed by New York Times critic Clive Barnes as the most perfect dancer he had ever seen.

Raised on the San Francisco Ballet and having taken lessons since I was four, I completely besotted with the ballet world. I checked out the same books over and over on Anna Pavlova, Margot Fonteyn and Maria Tallchief at the library. I worshipped Gelsey Kirkland's etheral quality as well as her endurance; her Giselle was legendary.

Along came Baryshnikov on the ballet scene. Athletic, flawless technical skills and devastatingly handsome coupled with a Russian soul. So what he was only 5'7"?

Technical perfection with a creative sensibility, he is known as one the most gifted danseuses of the 20th century. His spectacular defection from Russia made international headlines for months.

The Russian Tea Room, Manhattan

While the majority of people know him as Alexsandr Petrovsky from 'Sex in the City', Baryshnikov had found his way round the Big Apple long before Carrie Bradshaw found him.

He danced for the American Ballet Theater from 1974 to 1978 as a principal dancer and was consistently paired with Gelsey Kirkland, a partnership that the public could not get enough of.

Partnering Gelsey Kirkland, on and off, the stage

Later, he danced for Balanchine at the New York City ballet and eventually became its director. He fathered a child with Jessica Lange. He didn't speak English and she didn't speak Russian so they spoke in French.

Baryshnikov and choreographer, Twayla Tharp

He loved life and lived it with gusto. He danced with everything he had to give, constantly pushing the boundaries of classic ballet, combing it with modern dance. He danced all night at Studio 54 with Liza Minnelli, Halston, and Brooke Shields.

Baryshnikov with Judith Jamison of the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe

Spider Sabich - Icarus of Aspen

2011-12-10T00:07:00.000-06:00

For those fortunate enough to know Spider, it was more important to remember how he lived rather than how he died. An gifted and athletic golden child of California, raised by loving parents in an idyllic setting of the California mountains.

He was loved by everyone who came within his sphere and is it possible that even the Gods were jealous of this Icarus who flew too close the sun as he skied on the mountain slopes? Nope, he just loved the wrong woman.

He was shot to death in his Aspen home by his lover, the French singer, Claudine Longet, ex-wife of singer, Andy Williams. The salacious details of his death - cocaine, betrayal and the Aspen party life - and the subsequent O.J. Simpson-like trial overshadowed the lifetime of achievements of Sabich which were many. An Olympian, 1968 U.S. Downhill Champion and two time World Champion.

Born to Croatian immigrants with a dad who had been both a WW ll pilot and a Russian POW, the handsome Vladimir "Spider" Sabich had a charismatic, easy going personality that belied his hard work. His skiing prowess as a junior from the Lake Tahoe area earned him a name early on and he often skied up in age groups at competitions.

In 1962, he was recruited to the University of Colorado by Bob Beattie who was building a skiing dynasty at the school. An aerospace engineering major, Spider and Billy Kidd were both on the school's ski team.

Kidd recalled how they'd sign up for a few classes, go to a few then fly to Europe to ski on the circuit around Thanksgiving and return to the US in February. Life was good.

Sabich turned professional after the 1970 season, following his friend Billy Kidd, who joined the pro tour in mid-season 1970. As a pro he joined Bob Beattie's Benson and Hedges sponsored World Pro Ski Tour and was the pro ski racing champion in 1971 & 1972.

Pro ski racing was conducted in a dual slalom format, with racers going head-to-head in elimination heats. The Pro Tour was known as a true test of endurance, The racers would ski against five opponents in one day and a total of 10 runs.

Spider loved Colorado and essentially, he never returned to California. After turning pro, he traveled on the ski circuit, one where celebrities and skiers frequently collided, turning Aspen into a Studio 54 West. Athletes were treated as demi-gods, entitled to anything that came their way.

In the 70's, both tennis and ski circuits were followed by celebrities; some were groupies and some were true affectionados of the sports. Aspen was already a party scene with free flowing drugs and the general craziness that follows the beautiful people.

Moose Barrows, a fellow skier from the University of Colorado, remembers when they walked into a lounge in Bear Valley, California, only to find Claudine Longet sitting with Liza Minnelli, Robert Conrad and Clint Eastwood. Spider introduced himself and began a romance where within four years, he would be dead by Longet's hand.

With her show-biz persona all tres gamine, doe-eyed, damsel-in-distress innocence, Claudine was born in Paris in 1942 and became a later day, watered-down derivative of Francoise Hardy, "the" girl French singers. Barrows and others remembered thinking of Longet as "crazy", spoiled with a wicked temper, or he as put it, "French".

A marginal actress, she met Andy Williams while she was the lead dancer of the Follies Bergere at the Tropicana in Las Vegas in 1960. They married shortly thereafter. Andy and Claudine became part of the Bobby and Ethel Kennedy crowd - tennis playing, skiing, vacationing and partying together in Bel Air, Palm Springs and New York City.

Despite Andy's show biz connections, her acting career never saw her win stellar roles much beyond TV shows such as Combat!, Rat Patrol, McHale's Navy and Hogan's Heros. Her small parts were usually revolved around the same plot - the french girl who was part of the Resistance who helped the Americans. Her career peaked with a part in Blake Edwards' 'The Party' alongside Peter Sellars.

Her singing career consisted mainly of covers for Herb Albert's AnM records though she eventually signed with Williams' label.

Longet and Williams separated in 1970. Two years later, Longet and Sabich met at a pro-celebrity event in Bear Valley, California and she soon moved into his Aspen home with her three children by Andy Williams.

Spider seemed to be more in love with life than with Longet. He was a pilot, a traveler and far from ready to settle down. Spider was in love with life and she couldn't compete. She had talked about building a house near his own, but it was already bad enough that he couldn't seem to shake her off. Endless arguments drove him away.

Longet's temperamental jealous personality and drug use spelled the end of their romance and by the spring of 1976, it was firmly on the skids. Sabich had come back to his Aspen home to shower and change after a training session with former coach Bob Beattie. He had plans to meet with up Beattie for dinner but never showed.

While Spider had spend the entire day skiing, Longet had spent a long day in a local bar with friends. According to Longet, Spider agreed to show her the handgun that Spider had been given to by him by his brother Steve who had been given the gun by their father.

A replicate Luger purchased eight years prior in Grenoble, it was agreed that the handgun possessed a hair trigger. The gun was kept unloaded on closet shelf, under a pile of ski sweaters. Longet said that Spider agreed to show her how the gun worked so she followed him into the bathroom for the impromptu lesson.

A lesson that left Spider with a gaping gun shot wound to his stomach. Ballistic reports showed him bent over and six feet away from the gun. Strange positioning to be giving a lesson. He died at the age of 31.

The trial became of circus of OJ Simpson trial proportions. Andy Williams walked his wife to and from the courthouse everyday, sitting in on every session and no doubt, paying for her high profile attorney to whom she eventually become married when he left his wife and kids for her.

Procedural investigative errors by Aspen's police department led to key evidence being omitted from the trial. Without a warrant, they gathered Longet's diary which spelled out the demise of their relationship along with lab blood work showing cocaine coupled with alcohol in her system at the time of the shooting.

She was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge and spent 30 days in they county lock-up. The Sabich family filed a civil suit against Longet, the terms never disclosed. Additionally, she was never to write or profit from the story.

Pop culture commentary was provided via Jagger and Richards for the Rolling Stones 'Emotional Rescue' album in 1980.

(Jagger/Richards)

Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail (again)
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine

Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail (again)
She only does it at weekends
Claudine
Oh, Claudine

Now only Spider knows for sure
But he ain't talkin' about it any more
Is he, Claudine?

There's blood in the chalet
And blood in the snow
(She)Washed her hands of the whole damn show
The best thing you could do, Claudine

Shot him once right through the head
Shot him twice right through the chest
The judge says (ruled) it was an accident
Claudine
Accidents will happen
(In the best homes)

And Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine

(Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine) [additional chorus]

I'll tell you something
Now Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine

Tell you one more
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Huh Claudine?

Oh Claudine...

Oooo ...
What about the children, baby?
Poor, poor children

Now I threaten my wife with a gun
I always leave the safety on
I recommend it
Claudine

Now she pistol whipped me once or twice
But she never tried to take my life
(What do you think about that)
Claudine

The prettiest girl I ever seen
I saw you on the movie screen
Hope you don't try to make a sacrifice of me
Claudine
(Don't get trigger happy with me)
Don't wave a gun at me
(Claudine)

I said Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine

I said Claudine's back in jail again
Claudine's back in jail again
She only does it at weekends
Claudine

Keith, will you put that weapon down?

Oh Claudine

Oh Claudine

Fiat 500 Stories

2011-12-07T05:17:00.001-06:00

Fiat 500, Amsterdam, September 2011

Last spring, a group of us had gathered to watch the original "The Italian Job" movie. The one with Michael Caine. The superior one.

The conversation resulted in us telling our Fiat 500 stories as it seems this ubiquitous car has many to tell. A fairly international crowd with Brits, a Scotsman, two Italians, a Lebanese and me, the American meant there were many good ones.

In her stead, I told my Mark's young Roman cousin, Giorghia's Fiat 500 story. Giorghia interned for the second summer in a row at the Vatican's museum and apparently, there is a wealthy marquessa that who is involved with the museum at some level. She is the owner of a Fiat 500 and drove it to the museum in Vatican City almost everyday.

The marquessa had done some traveling and upon returning to Rome, asked one of the young museum workers if could drive her Fiat to her home from the museum where she had parked it before having a driver pick her up to take her to the airport.

As asked, the young man dutifully got into the Fiat to drive it to the marquessa's home. No problems except that during the drive, and in the middle of afternoon Roman rush hour traffic, the shifter snapped off, leaving him to drive the rest of the way in first gear as he could not get the shifter back in.

Three hours later and having worried the entire time that he had destroyed the marquessa's beloved Fiat 500, he finally arrived at her home. He told he what happened and prepared for the worse. The worst never came as she told him, no problem, it happened at the time. She walked out with him to show how the shifter pops back in. Nessum problema.

With all things Fiat 500, it is possible.

Elle MacPherson's competition for 'The Body'?

2011-12-02T22:51:00.001-06:00

Elle MacPherson's nickname 'The Body' is in contention, or so says Italian Vogue. The pretender to the throne is 19 year old Karlie Kloss.

Elle was always slim and now that she's nearing 50, she's still perfection personified. Young Karlie just looks damn emaciated in this photo above. At 5'11", Karlie is one of the top models in the business

She's lovely here, sombrero, stilettos (?) and in the altogether, but still on the very slim side. Who knew St. Louis, MO, produced such lovely young women?

Elle always radiated health and vitality. She never looked like a walker that you needed to toss a couple of lima beans at, hoping she will eat them.

I think if Karlie gets of couple of lbs on her, she'll be perfect. She's a beautiful girl.

Parthenon

2011-12-02T07:33:00.001-06:00

Parthenon - Athens, Greece

One of my seconde students at the Lycée Français came up to me last week and asked if
she could speak to me. Christel is a great student so of course I had the time

and she ended telling me that she along with some other classmates were studying

Ancient Greece in another class and since I was also teaching them about Ancient

Greece, would I be interested in traveling to Greece with them as a sponsor in April.

Hells yeah! These are really great students and I was honored they asked me. We've been working on Greek prefix, root and suffix words to bump up their

vocab for the SATs coming up. Also, we've been watching the movie 300 has some

historical content to the story with the Spartans fighting at Thermopylae. I said some.

I've never visited Greece so we'll see if Greece fits in with our Rome visit next Easter.

Kuwaiting...

2011-11-26T23:31:00.001-06:00

Kuwaiting l Kuwait City, Kuwait 2011

Kuwaiting ll Kuwait City, Kuwait 2011

Kuwait resort beach loungers set up like anywhere else in the world. Just waiting for someone to sit down and enjoy the view while glancing out over Iran and Iraq.

Images by S. Richards

Rick Perry: 'Adios Mofo'

2011-11-23T09:12:00.000-06:00

With this blown dry hair, circa 1990, all he needs is black mock turtleneck sweater and blazer. Adios Mofo never sounded so presidential.

Kuwait - 20 yrs on

2011-11-23T05:19:00.001-06:00

This was yours truly earlier this week, sitting on the beach at the Hilton Kuwait Resort, keeping on eye on Iraq & Iran. No, I'm not wearing an abaya. I'd just come from the gym and had on some baggy pants which got caught up in the wind.

I could be on the beach any where in the world, right? 21 years prior, Kuwait was invaded by Saddam Hussein's Iraqi troops. They actually came down to Saudi, to the city of Khaji.

For seven months, Kuwait was occupied by Iraq who said the motivation was actually to reunite Kuwait, a former Iraqi province, with its mother country as it had been split off into its own sheikdom by Britain in 1913.

By 1991, a U.S.-led coalition stepped in to run Hussein's puppet army and government out of Kuwait. Oh, and btw, NONE of these actions had ANY thing to do with oil. Right.

Anyway, didn't get into Kuwait City, the capital. It rained the entire three days we were there.

Joan Mitchell - Crazy, beautiful color

2011-11-18T23:53:00.001-06:00

Crazy, beautiful color by Mitchell. Earlier this year, I read the biography of Mitchell, "Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter by Patricia Albers" and it was interesting to read of her supposed condition called Synaesthesia.

I write supposed only because it's a condition that isn't entirely recognized in the mental health community, sort of like carpal tunnel syndrome, or TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder), at least, the health insurance companies don't recognize it.

This is to say, just because THEY don't recognize (pay for) it, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Synaesthesia is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.
The sensory links are intermixed. When a person senses something, automatically, another sensation lights up. For example patients see letters in different colors, some might see music, or taste words, days of the week have personalities, and some experience to see time, etc.

I was surprised to learn of the condition having studied art history I never heard it mentioned once in any class or book. To me, it reads as having a wonderful gift, especially as an artist or a musician. You wonder if more artistic types possess than is noted.

Mitchell suffered from depression, too, so it isn't to say her life was all roses. She loved to play classical music loudly as she painted. Makes sense now.

Real Desperate Housewives of Saudi

2011-11-15T23:16:00.002-06:00

Not too much to post this morning. The eyes are puffy and the head has a minor thump going on, but it was worth the night out of KSA.

Angie the Aussie on the left, Nikki the Stockon-on-Tees blonde in the back and yours truly in on the right. All present and accounted for, sir.

We went over to Bahrain for some retail therapy and the finished the evening with a meal and bottle of wine at Zoe, in the diplomatic area of Manama in Bahrain. Lovely meal and service.

I'd venture so far as to say the best meal and service I've had in the Middle East in terms all the elements being in place.

Molecular gastronomy? No, but good food, nice amuse bouche, lovely bottle of wine and three desserts served gratis by our waiter, Prince.

Augmented Reality by Hitlab

2011-11-15T22:57:00.000-06:00

Pirelli Calendar - Always Timely...

2011-11-12T04:51:00.001-06:00

If you've never heard of the Pirelli calendar, you need come out of that cave you've been living in all these years.

Giselle Bundchen, Naples, Italy, 2001, shot by Mario Testino

A trade calendar at heart, but this isn't a Snap-On Tools or O'Reilly Auto Parts throw down. For love nor money can this calendar be bought. The Pirelli Company bestows this corporate gift upon those most deserving - important customers and vendors along with celebrity VIPs.

Shot by Herb Ritts, Los Angeles, CA, 1999

First published in 1964, the limited-edition Pirelli calendar has risen in the pantheon of girly calendars to become highly exclusive and sought after item by collectors.

It is a contemporary cultural statement of sorts. A barometer of current tastes in beauty, fashion, and mores. It is at its best when the look is classic rather than on trend.

Such is its prestige that many a model's career has been made after gracing the calendar's pages. Being selected to pose for Pirelli is the gold standard for a model, same stratosphere as Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret.

Cindy Crawford 1994 Paradise Island, Bahamas, shot by Herb Ritts

As far as photographers go, only the most distinguished are engaged to shoot it. I had the privilege about a year ago to introduce photographer Joyce Tennyson at a New Orleans Photo Alliance event held at NOCCA. She didn't have on her bio that she shot the 1989 Pirelli Calendar though as soon as you see the images, you know they are distinctively hers.

Photographer, Joyce Tennyson, 1989

She is known for her soft yet empowering images of woman. I have to be honest in that as much as I generally like her work, I didn't really care for her photos on the calendar.

They are the antithesis of hard-edged glamorous nearly misogynistic work of Helmut Newton or the highly stylized work of Richard Avdeon. For me, they just don't work here. The models were representing the twelve signs of the zodiac with a Roman take. The shoot take place at the Polaroid Studios in New York City.

Eva Herzigova, El Mirage, California 1996, shot by Peter Lindberg

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld's work on the 2011 calendar was not one of my favorite's either. The Roman mythology essence in black and white just seems a bit trite and unimaginative.

He discussed his vision for the shoot saying, "The Pirelli Calendar is a myth, a tribute to the woman, sometimes anticipates the mores of society with its aesthetic codes and archetypes, and marks the future.” Yawn.

2011, shot by Karl Lagerfeld, studio in Paris, France

One of my favorite calendars is the 1999 shot by Herb Ritts in Hollywood, California. Very old school pin-up glamour and the French model Laetitia Casta was just so gorgeous. She was featured as the solo model in the 2000 version shot by Annie Leibowitz.

The versions full of Hollywood starlets lacks authenticity and are not as classic and timeless. Models are models, actresses are actresses.

Another favorite is the ever luscious Monica Belluci who posed for Richard Avedon's calendar shot in 1997.

On location shoots are often exotic and range from the Seychelles to Morocco to Big Sur to the Cote d'Azur.

In my blog a few days back, I wrote about artist and photographer Peter Beard. In 2009, he shot models Lara Stone, Malgosia Bela, Isabeli Fontana and others at the Okavango Delta in Botswana, Africa.

He is also credited with discovering Iman (Mrs. David Bowie) as a young university student. She was the sole model of 1985's calendar shot by Norman Parkinson.

http://suzannessciamachy.blogspot.com/2011/11/peter-beard-visual-kunstkammers.html

Saskia de Brauw, shot by Alessandro Scotti

Coming up in 2012 are Lara Stone, Kate Moss, Mila Jovovich, Rinko Kikuchi, Saskia de Brauw and Isabeli Fontana shot in Corsica . On December 6th, Vanity Fair magazine will preview some of the images.

Peter Beard - Visual Kunstkammers

2011-11-08T04:00:00.000-06:00

Peter Beard with then wife Cheryl Tiegs

Photographer and artist Peter Beard was born in NYC in 1938 to a family of privilege with wealth that stemmed from railroads and tobacco. His life was one with WASP-ish pursuits - sailing, rugby and beautiful women.

A handsome athletic man with artistic tendencies, he entered Yale University intending to study Pre-Med but changed to Art History.

His photography included a coterie of models, rock stars and African wildlife. He was a photographer on that tour, the Rolling Stones tour in 1972.

His art stems from his journals that he began writing when he was 11 years old. He began photographing images as a way to supplement his journals, to help document his world.

He discovered Africa through the pages of Karen Blixen's Out of Africa and first traveled there in 1955. He began shooting the wildlife of Africa in particular the elephants.

He has used his life and experience though the medium of photography to build a visual kunstkammer, or wunderkammer (wonder room). The kunstkammer was a collection of sorts of one's life conveyed through natural history, ethnology, works of art, etc.

It was a diary of one's life, displayed though objects by which one could control the observation of their life and be their own director. A curiousity cupboard, sort of a precusor to a museum perhaps.

Jenny and her Jewelry 2005/2006

Gelatin silver print with gelatin silver and color collage

70.5 x 50 inches

(179.1 x 127 cm)

Unique

His art is directly reflective of this genre as he uses collages/assemblages with objects and images to detail his world. He uses handwritten notes along with blood, fur and dirt to create.

He was encouraged in his art by none other than Francis Bacon. Beard orbited Bacon's sun-like persona, enthralled to be in his presence. "I had my best times with Fran," Beard said, "The drunker he got, the more sense he made."

While Beard has more or less left Africa behind him, his career is still flourishing. He shot the 2009 Pirelli calendar in Okavango Delta, Botswana with illustrious models such as Lara Stone, Isabell Fontana and Emanuella de Paula.

Haute Bohémienne - Loulou de la Falaise

2011-11-06T10:02:00.003-06:00

Fashion savant and muse Louise Vava Lucia Henriette Le Bailly de La Falaise was reported to have passed away this morning at the age of 63.

Though British-born, she most identified with a Parisienne Left Bank bohemian world of designer Yves Saint Laurent. She was his muse alongside Betty Catroux and brought with her a vibrant blend of old world royalty (her father was a French marquis), British staunch (her mother was a model of Anglo-Irish birth) and her own sense of creativity with which she formed her own substantial ouevre.

Loulou de la Falaise, right, with Yves Saint Laurent, center, and Betty Catroux outside YSL's Rive Gauche boutique in London, England, on Sept. 10, 1969

I looked at many photos of a young Loulou during the 70s in my mom's Vogue, Bazaar and WWD magazines . Instead of aloof and untouchable, she always exuded radiance with a gorgeous smile.

Paloma Picasso, Marissa Berenson and Loulou de la Faliase

I rediscovered her in the '80's with a perfume inspired by her for the house of Cacharel, Loulou. The nose behind the perfume was Jean Guichard. A lovely art deco bottle in a light blue color accented by a deep red caught my eye and after catching a whiff, I bought a bottle. A vanilla based Asian floral with a top note of Tahitian Tiare, it was a nice reprieve from my nights wearing Poison.

With a lineage including a mother who was the favourite model of Schiaparelli and her maternal grandfather, Sir Oswald Birley, the favorite painter of Queen Mary, it would be easy to write Loulou off as a dilettante. The uncle of Loulou de la Falaise, Mark Birley, was the owner of the famous nightclub Annabel's in Berkeley Square, London.

One of foremost fashion marks made by Loulou was the marginally feminized tuxedo she wore. Virtually anything she wore on her androgyous form looked amazing

She married twice - first to Irish aristocrat Desmond Fitzgerald in 1966. They lived in a gothic Irish castle whose nature did not fit the sunny diposition of Loulou.

In 1977 Louie married for a second time to Thaddeus Klossowski de Rola, son of the artist Balthus. According to Madison Cox, they were the most exclusive couple in Paris: "These are people who are naturally and incredibly glamorous."

Alicia Drake wrote, "They embody the Paris fantasy of the 70s, the artistic, aristocratic fashion, elegance, beauty, youth and excess. The whole was distilled in a single pair."

The marriage of Loulou and Thaddeus was celebrated on a small island in the Bois de Boulogne. The festival was organized by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. The 500 guests symbolized "the life of Loulou English, New York, and the life of Thaddeus in Rome and Paris life to both."

Dutch Bayou

2011-11-05T03:13:00.001-05:00

image by S Richards

I love the light in Amsterdam. It's so soft. Even the shadows seem to have more soft edges. This was taken in August of this year.

Steve McQueen - King of Cool

2011-11-02T06:11:00.000-05:00

Iconic is a word that gets thrown around much too easily these days. It's simpler to say what is not an icon. For instance, a Kardashian isn't an icon, American Idol, ah, no, Donald Trump? God, no. Are you catching my drift yet?

An amalgamation of sons of liberty and rebellion

So, what is iconic? Steve McQueen. How can something that can't replicated or duplicated be an icon? That's precisely it. It's unspoken. It doesn't require an explanation. It just is, but not in an existential sort of way.

When trying to figure out what it is that made Steve McQueen the epitome of cool, it's important to resist the urge to reduce the elements down in academic or didactic terms. Either you get him or you don't. Easy.

Triumph bike, Barbour jacket - two Brit products equal a right

My intro to Steve McQueen came early in life as he was my mom's favorite actor. By osmosis, I loved him, too, though it took me until I was older to understand what the attraction was exactly. It was easier, though, to love him since I was dragged along to almost every movie he ever made.

McQueen was of an era when men didn't emote or show deep personal feelings. He was a movie star who spanned the period of film between the romantic leading men and Method actors.

Husqvarna

Acting-wise, he was more of a Gary Cooper than a Marlon Brando. Other actors have tried to emulate him, like Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. The prototype for the movie had been around Hollywood for a long time and the part had been written with McQueen in mind. Costner tried desperately to channel him in the role.

In a Cobra lent to him by none other than Carroll Shelby

The Great Escape was thrilling to watch because of the action scenes and frankly, McQueen. The camera loved him; he had a magnetism that was undeniable - you couldn't NOT watch him.

Part of the appeal was it seemed like he didn't care whether you watched him or not. He could take ya or leave ya. If you were a woman, you wanted him to take you and if you were a guy, you just wanted to be in his orbit.

Bullit, 1969

Men like Steve didn't need a woman to be his muse. Personal freedom was the only template he needed for his life. Cold beer, a pack of Camel cigarettes and a gang of blue-collar buddies were his primary needs.

He always looked good, never more so than in Bullitt while in his black turtleneck sweater and trench coat. It was filmed in San Francisco where my mom and dad were from so there always a connection to the city when I watch the movie. Same with Clint Eastwood and his Dirty Harry movies.

Thomas Crown Affair, 1968

He was devastatingly handsome and suave in The Thomas Crown Affair. Wearing Persol sunglasses with a three piece suit, cut in a Prince of Wales tweed and looking like it had been custom tailored on Saville Row. Whoa.

But, really, I liked him dirty and honest, like in Sand Pebbles. Even mucked up, he still has a presence and military bearing which he came by honestly having served in the U.S. Marine Corp.

The older I become the more I get the reasons why my mom liked Steve. My dad and he shared a similar emotional resume and enjoyed similar pursuits to blow off steam.

Dad served in the Marines as a fighter pilot, liked fast cars and motorcycles and was emotionally reserved around women yet came to life in the company of his buddies.

Raised Catholic like McQueen, spending the rest of their lives trying to shed themselves of the demons one incurs during a lifetime.

The only thing that ended up taming Steve was the lung cancer (asbestosis mesathelioma) caused most likely by the asbestos he incurred during his time in the military while abating asbestos from ships and buildings back in the day before they issued you protective equipment from such toxins.

One woman who tried to tame Steve was Ali MacGraw. A bit iconic herself, she came to the movie, The Getaway, vis a vis her producer husband, Robert Evans. Steve was not too thrilled to be playing alongside the wooden ice queen from Love Story. Apparently, things changed.

Filmed in San Marcos, Texas, the chemistry between the two stars proved undeniable and MacGraw soon left Bob Evans, who was otherwise busy producing The Godfather. They esconced themselves in his Trancas (Malibu) Beach home and her career soon evaporated.

Long before ever visiting there, one of my favorite movie scenes was the two of them jumping fully clothed into the San Marcos Springs.

She did get mentioned in the Rolling Stones song, Star Star from the Goat's Head Soup album released in 1973 with the infamous lyrics...

"...Yeah, Ali MacGraw got mad with you

For givin' head to Steve McQueen"

Not exactly a tribute, right?

The Getaway 1972

Poor Ali. She wouldn't be the first woman, nor the last, to fall in love with an emotionally dysfunctional hot looking guy, thinking she'd live happily ever after. She was a big girl though and had to have known what she was getting herself into even if her autobiography says otherwise.

In trying to sum Steve up, I guess you could add that an element of being iconic is living your life the way you want to live it. It doesn't always endear you to those who love you, but it is authentic and not manufactured.

Steve made life look effortless and he lived it with gusto. He was like a volcano, rock hard and cool on the outside, swirling magna hot on the inside. Perfect? No. Iconic? Yes.

Note: Had a lot of pics up and then found some cooler ones ones http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com

Wheelerville, Population: 2

2011-11-01T04:53:00.001-05:00

Bryan Wheeler, Creation Myth #52, 2005

Acrylic and pastel on wood

5 x 5 feet

Just outside of Lubbock, Texas, is the studio of artists and brothers, Bryan and Jeff Wheeler. Fight any knee jerk reaction to regionalize their work. Otherwise, you'll short change your experience in Wheelerville.

The narrative is simple enough: burger joints, arid landscapes and girls, girls, girls. How does this translate into art and what label do we give it?

Vibrant layers of media that at first glance seem to spoof the arrested adolescence of West Texas denizens are laid down with charcoal, oil, pastels and acryllics. This is life and art come together, not just in the brown landscape of Lubbock, but in a truer, hyper Realistic sense.

Bryan and Jeff Wheeler, Warranty, 2004

Acrylic, oil, charcoal and pastel on wood

5 x 5 feet

There is no disparaging reappropriation or assemblage going on here except for what belongs to their memory's interpretation. This is how they break free of Regionalism - through subjectivity, rather than objectivity, as the truth belongs solely to the artists.

Bryan Wheeler, Brown Bag Special 2003

Charcoal and Pastel on paper

30 x 40 inches

Are they embracing the icons of their youth, or are they mocking the meaninglessness of the modern world, in sort of a Neo-Dadaistic approach? Noveau Realism that encourages collaboration that the two brothers engage in?

The construction of experience exists in their work and proves label resistant.

I hope to pay a visit to Wheelerville, aka Wheeler Bros Studio, in 2012 while visiting Lubbock and see if talking to the artists reshape my interpretation. Bryan and Jeff Wheeler are adjunct professors at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Bryan teaches painting and Jeff teaches drawing.

Adidas Adizero Feather Shoes

2011-10-29T05:42:00.002-05:00

I bought these running shoes back in September and have hardly taken them off since then.

Why do I love thee? Lemme count the wayz...

#1 - Color: Sort of a "coral-on-acid" hue and it's amazing to look at. Seriously. I never get tired of admiring it and these shoes always look happy.

Did you watch any of the Rugby World Cup and see the bright orange colored boots that some of the players were wearing? This is the same color.

#2 - Comfort: Total contender in the Featherweight class. Downside is can't do mega-mileage in them, but I wore them running around Rice University in Houston (major heat and humidity) the day after I bought them and they were uber comfy right out of the gates - like running in marshmallows.

#3 - Looks: They just look great - what can I say?

I even wear these when I play tennis which I shouldn't mainly because the toe isn't designed for being dragged like you do in tennis and isn't going to hold up so, Dear Adidas, if you read my blog, please make a tennis shoe for women in this color.

Love,
Suzie

adidas adizero Feather Shoes

Françoise Hardy - Existential Geek Chic

2011-10-28T03:53:00.000-05:00

In 1963, everyone was in love Françoise Hardy - Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, The Beatles. Girls wanted to look like her and she set the standard for the for simple elegance that is still copied today - natural beauty coupled with a celebral essence that was irresistible.

The antithesis of the 50's bloated bourgeois bouffant-wearing femme stars, Hardy was representational of the streamlined, ethereal, poetic beauty and she rode the first wave of French girl singers of Ye-ye variety.

Hardy's look was the purely French Existential academic geek chic, more avante-garde sophistication than beatnik bum. She wore what was comfortable and items that suited her long, lean frame.

With beautiful thick hair and bangs that framed her delicate face, she was the prototype for the California girl, who took her naturalistic style of straight hair and easy elegance by defining it with a more sunkissed look later on in the same decade.

She didn't come from a wealthy background instead, she and her younger sister were raised by their single mother rather than their rarely seen father. She was of the era when styles worn by the stars were their own, rather than lab created by some celebrity stylist.

Tracing fashion DNA, her look influenced Hollywood stars such Jane Fonda who attempted to affect her style during her days with French director Roger Vadim.

Photo by Jean-Marie Périer

A sexed up and mutated Hollywood version of Hardy and Bridgette Bardot can be seen in actresses such Sharon Tate and others, but translated into a much better form in those like Ali McGraw.

Hardy was, and still is, a multi-talented woman. A singer, composer and actress, she has appeared in minor movie roles throughout the years including one of my favorite comedys, "What's New Pussycat?"

In 2003, she won an Academy Award for her song "L'Amitié" played during the end credits of Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions Barbares) which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

http://www.francoise-hardy.com

I heart Ippolita

2011-10-27T04:02:00.003-05:00

Whoever said that before you step out the door, you should take off item of your ensemble in order to keep your look understated obviously never wore Ippolita jewelry. Put on just on a pair of Ippolita's earrings, or a ring and voila! Simple, confident yet chic.

Ippolita jewelry is deceptively simplistic looking at first glance, but hold that gaze just a little longer and you'll discover that their designs are anything but.

I found Ippolita about a year ago and it appealed to me because it's jewelry you can wear anywhere with anything and it will add a quelque chose en plus ("something extra")to anything you put on.

Understated elegance is something hard to define, but you know it when you see it. It isn't crass and never shouts, "Please, look at me!". Ippolita's pieces are eye-catching and refined.

Crass is the Southern sorority girl who interns in Manhattan for the first time and wears her three David Yurman bracelets every time she walks out the door whether it's to the office or to yoga in the park.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Yurman jewelry, but just like you don't walk out the door in head-to-toe labels, you don't wear every nice piece of jewelry you own everyday.

You never want to appear naive, or insecure, about your fashion sense of direction, or who you truly are underneath it all. True confidence is never confused with crass.

Ippolita's pieces ups the elegance ante and all you need is one simple piece to add the wow factor to your look, but here's the diff - you can wear several without looking like you're trying too hard.

This is the jewelry being worn by that elegant woman who catches your eye. She's in a crisp white tailored blouse, jeans that fit perfectly, manicured nails and a purse that is designer, but isn't blasting out which one. Look a little closer and she's probably wearing at least one Ippolita piece.

Their price range runs the gamut from the jewelry starter kit to the professional collector with such items as the petit Rose Gold earrings at $225 to 14k Gold Gladiator Cuff at $19,000.

www.ippolita.com

Striking Vikings - Patti Hansen & Lara Stone

2011-10-25T03:58:00.002-05:00

American model Patti Hansen and Dutch model Lara Stone both share some of that Viking DNA which modeling agencies go to bed dreaming about when scouting out new blood.

I find both strikingly similar in their looks and it's no wonder that Viking blood helped make both into ubermodels.

Fair haired, light eyes, crazy beautiful bone structure and gorgeous bodies aside, they both seem to channel a smoldering Bridget Bardotte-ness factor that takes them to another level that most blondes are unable to manufacture.

Patti Hansen, from Staten Island, NY and being of Norwegian heritage, was discovered at the tender age of 15 and became a supermodel in the late '70s, preceding the next bumper crop of Claudias, Christys and Cindys.

She was All-American in her look, athletic and tomboy-ish, but when she could be smoking hot when the occasion called for it.

She married Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 1983 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in a barefooted ceremony held at a popular locals' spot called the Trailer Park.

Together they had two daughters, Theodora, named for Keith's beloved grandfather, and Alexandra.

Dutch-born Lara Stone is one of the few contemporary models who has transcended the namelessness factor plaguing most current models.

She is eye-wateringly beautiful. Stream-lined, yet lush, in her look with a body that is unnaturally natural.

Today, most magazine covers are filled with the faces and bodies of celebrities rather than employing supermodels for magazine shoots like they did in the '70s and '80s.

Stone is also married to a Brit, comedian David Wallace of "Little Britain" fame. and

Le Jukebox: Podcast #38

2011-10-24T13:51:00.000-05:00

Le Jukebox: Podcast #38: Pour écouter le podcast, le bouton lecture se trouve à gauche du titre. Playlist: Stateless - Ariel DyE - Fantasy Eels - That Look You...

Color Me Colourist

2011-10-23T02:31:00.002-05:00

I first stumbled upon the Scottish Colourists in 2006 while visiting the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. My study of art history took place primarily in the states where I'd never heard of them. Apparently, this was a true sentiment on both sides of the Atlantic until the 1980s. Initially, they did not comprise a huge spot in canon of Modern art, but have come to be appreciated as having an enormous influence on the Contemporary art of Scotland.

Their era was the 1920s and 1930s, having trained in France in the tradition of the Impressionist and Fauvists. They applied this learning to traditional Scottish painting, which was fond of landscape painted in the Realist sense, with almost always found the sky playing a major part in the stylized scenery.

A notable artist from the forefront of the movement was William McTaggart, a prominent landscape artist who was highly influenced by Post-Impressionism and is often referred to as a "Scottish Impressionist".

The Colourists picked up where the Glasgow Boys left off, a group of Modern artists based out of Glasgow towards the end of the 19th cenury. Brought together by a mutual dislike for the Edinburgh art establishment whom they found both oppressive and elitist, they banded together through their desire to create art that combined realism and naturalism.

Cadell, Hunter, Fregusson and Peploe were among the Colourists who brought the vibrant colours of the French Fauvists to their work.

The Colourists began to fall out favor as WWll and Expressionism approached. A new appreciation for their work allowed for a renaissance of sorts in the 1980s.

Rory Storm

2011-10-21T03:49:00.000-05:00

photo by Astrid Kirchherr

Rory the rocker. His band, Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, were on the Liverpool and Hamburg scene around the same time as The Beatles. While very successful in the club scene, they were never able to translate the same success to their recordings and never found the momentum that catapulted The Beatles into the stratosphere.

The stunning photo of Rory, born Alan Caldwell, was taken by Kirchherr, the German girlfriend of Beatles' bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe stayed on Germany to be with Astrid, later dying of a brain aneurysm. Ironically, Ringo Starr left Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to become the drummer for The Beatles.

Rory died young at the age of 33

New Orleans Jazz Funeral for tuba player Kerwin James

2011-10-20T01:46:00.000-05:00

You have to have lived in New Orleans to fully understand all of the nuances of a Jazz Funeral, but you don't have to have lived here to understand that it is uniquely New Orleans.

Mmmmm Manolos

2011-10-20T01:28:00.001-05:00

Gives new meaning to "Don't step on my blue suede shoes" doesn't it? You would really hurt someone for doing that while your tootsies were inside these shoes and it would be considered a crime of passion in any court of law.

These are just hawt.

Voodoo Fest NOLA 2010

2011-10-18T06:41:00.000-05:00

Photographer Slater Bradley

2011-10-15T07:44:00.004-05:00

Photographer Slater Bradley is drawn to the tragic elements of fame, but his interpretations of the wretched events are free of the melodramatics that usually fill the gossip rags and shows.

His work has a fundamental snapshot quality (the antithesis of fine art photography) about his work I find irresistible. While I've yet to meet an artist without an ego, there is a sense that he doesn't take the accolades as serious as everyone else does.

He remains, to date, the youngest male artist to have a solo show at the Gugginheim,hence this photo title In the Belly of The Whale.

His installation, if we were immortal, was built around the British band, Joy Division. (Watch 24 Hour Party People & Control)Bradley painted his interpretations of several bootleg album covers that were released which were shown along with a video and black-and-white photograph.

It isn't a cheery exhibit but anyone who knows the story behind Joy Division knows that it isn't a cheery tale with a happy ending. I still dig their music so I was fascinated by this installation.

He hails from San Francisco, CA and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Born in 1975. he's in danger of losing his title of brash young artist with every passing year. Let's just settle for brash artist for now.

Paris Photo 10-13 November 2011

2011-10-14T11:45:00.002-05:00

If we weren't headed to Kuwait next month, this is where I would be going to instead.

10-13 November 2011

http://www.parisphoto.fr/?lg=en

Sting - Englishman In New York

2011-10-12T07:49:00.000-05:00

Great jazz rifts by Brandon & Krewe...

Sting - Branford Marsalis - Roxanne

2011-10-12T07:03:00.000-05:00

New Orleans/Breaux Bridges' own Brandon Marsalis playing with Sting on Roxanne

Sting - Roxanne (Live Tuscany, Sept. 11, 2001)

2011-10-12T07:01:00.000-05:00

On this auspicious date, Sting was preparing for a documentary being filmed at his Tuscan villa. They had received word of terrorist acts in NYC and decided to go ahead with the concert that had been planned for the final night of filming. They dedicated the evening to the over 3,000 innocent victims who died that day.

The documentary is definitely worth a watch. It's quite poignant when they receive the news and all the emotions you experienced on 9/11 come flooding back.

I saw him in concert in December, a few months after 9/11. It was in Vegas at the Aladdin Hotel Concert Hall and he continued to pay tribute that night to the victims. He got quite a thunderous response when he added, "And fuck you, Bin Ladin!"

Sting gets beard shaved msg 8-7-08

2011-10-12T06:59:00.000-05:00

Sting was back with The Police touring this summer and when he got to Houston, he decided to shave his beard before coming out on stage. It was, ah, quite a number. This was being shown on the big screen to the audience.

It was August and hot as blazes up at the Cythnia Woods Mitchell Pavilion up in the Woodland, but definitely worth it to see The Police reunited for a show.

Amazingly, Elvis Costello was the opening act for The Police and when he sang, Alison, Sting came out on stage to sing it with him. Mesh ma'oul!! (Unbelievable!)

DancingMan504 Across The Brooklyn Bridge

2011-10-10T06:18:00.000-05:00

STELLA!! That's Frank Stella...

2011-10-09T08:15:00.001-05:00

American artist Frank Stella has worked with several different mediums of art over the course of his long career: sculpture, painting and architecture. He is, inarguably, one of the most influential and important American artists of the past 50 years.

Frank Stella:Connections will be the most extensive exhibit of his to be shown in the U.K. courtesy of Haunch of Venison London.

Much was made of the recent Stella acquistion made by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Battle of Palminto, but did you know the the University of Houston has inside of its Moores Opera House, the Stella Project installation?

Probably not, as the University of Houston has the most amazing public art collection that was never seen.

"The Stella Project for the Moores School of Music focuses on the centerpiece of the music building: the 800-seat, classically designed theater and lobby for the Moores Opera House. In the theater space, Stella created a work for the dome of the hall, an oval applied to the catwalk and lighting baffle and suspended over the audience. Intrigued also by the architectural form of the lobby, he created a work there that covers the entire length of the sixteen-foot vaulted ceiling and flows onto the waIl wall of the mezzanine, creating a kind of Sistine Chapel for the 21st century. The work is unlike any performance space, not only in Houston but in the world, and is an important addition to public art on both the University campus and in the city of Houston"

http://www.music.uh.edu/art/

I spent several weeks dressed as Dora the Explorer, traversing the UH campus during the heat of summer to locate and record the public art collection it has amassed over the years.

Couldn't believe the finds - internationally acclaimed artists such as Mullican, Christo, Stella, Reginato were alongside well-known Texans such as Love and King who were amongst the gems I found.

I did go inside of the MOH to view the Stella installation and found it breath-taking.

My advice is for Houston to take in a performance here even it's merely under the auspice of seeing some Stella.

The Eyes Have It - Evil Eye amulet jewlery

2011-10-08T07:53:00.000-05:00

Almost every Lebanese woman, or girl, I meet here in the KSA is wearing one of these amulet bracelets. The chains are usually very delicate and are made of gold or silver.

The Evil Eye is popular in many cultures and can be traced back to Classical Antiquity. It's typically worn by my Lebanese friends for protection from evil rather than to cast evil.

In the Middle East, they will usually wear a blue/turquoise bead around a necklace to be protected from the evil eye. It is said that people with green or blue eyes are more prone to the evil eye effect.

A simple and instant way of protection in European Christian countries is to make the sign of the cross with your hand and point two fingers, the index finger and the little finger, towards the supposed source of influence or supposed victim as described in the first chapter of Bram Stokers novel Dracula published in 1897:

When we started, the crowd round the inn door, which had by this time swelled to a considerable size, all made the sign of the cross and pointed two fingers towards me. With some difficulty, I got a fellow passenger to tell me what they meant. He would not answer at first, but on learning that I was English, he explained that it was a charm or guard against the evil eye.

Ghina will be going back to Lebanon for a visit this month and she's going to bring me back a few. One takes all the protection that one can get...

Fall 2011 - Hell Bent For Leather

2011-10-05T06:40:00.002-05:00

Leather is filling in all the gaps this Fall - causal, elegant and career. You're going to see leather go places you haven't seen it go before now.

Nicole Miller combines leather and fabric together in her pieces that allow them to go from day to night, from office to outing.

As much as I don't care for Jennifer ("The world was shocked!") Aniston, her stylist did well to put her in this leather LBD last July.

Jessica Lange Photography

2011-10-04T06:59:00.003-05:00

Actress and photographer, Jessica Lange, has received honors from the George Eastman House International Museum for her work. Lange studied photography at the University of Minnesota before acting brought her fame and mention. She has continued to photograph the world around as her acting career and humanitarian efforts have taken her around the globe.

I saw several of her prints at the Joshua Mann Pailet's Gallery for Fine Photography while living in New Orleans. All of the images were in black and white, very relaxed and elegant. There is a sense of time holding still in her work, nothing is rushed or anxious. Simultaneously grainy and crisp, she captures a sense of stillness and projects an intense focus on her subjects that is entirely egoless.

50 Photographs By Jessica Lange with an introduction by Patti Smith, Powerhouse Books, $60.

Watercolor(ed) Photography

2011-10-03T06:33:00.000-05:00

Berlin.- The Barbara Thumm Gallery is pleased to present "Martin Dammann: Gegen Uber" a series of new works by the Berlin based artist until October 29th.

An essential topic of Martin Dammanns’ work is the correlation of photography and painting with regards to the topics, which are depicted. Dammann chooses to translate the photographic image into painting when he is "captured by an unexpected, vague and yet poignant feeling that something is in the photo, though not visibly.

As if the moments when these photos were taken had a special meaning and despite the inability of traces of light to translate this into a photochemical process, an echo of that meaning somehow remains (Martin Dammann).” By transcribing such photos into a different medium Dammann seeks to understand and to master that described phenomena.

How to Buy a Better Bordeaux a la Carrefour

2011-10-02T07:09:00.000-05:00

Never one to pass up a good bargain or bordeaux, this article in the NYTimes caught my eye. I found it incredibly ironic that for the first time in my life, I live where I can go shopping at a Carrefour supermarket on a daily basis if I choose, BUT, it has no wine because my Carrefour is here in Saudi.

God has a tremendous sense of humor - to give me a Carrefour with no French Bordeaux. Yeah, I'm laughing pretty hard - in between sobs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/dining/tips-for-buying-wine-from-bordeaux-in-french-supermarkets.html

Sexiest Dress Ev-ver!! TIght, Backless, Oh la la

2011-09-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

Sexiest dress EV-VER! Do you even have to ask? Julie Christie's dress in Shampoo ("Yeah, George is great...") from 1975, a satirical look at a randy Beverly Hills hairdresser played by Warren Beatty and Nixonian American politics.
High neck, backless down-to-there and tight everywhere important done in black sequins. Crazy hot.

Style - Fast Forward Back to 1967

2011-09-29T08:06:00.002-05:00

Faye Dunaway from the film "Bonnie and Clyde", circa 1967. Her style as the sexually frustrated small town girl doesn't come better than in this frame - beret, pencil skirt, perfect pageboy haircut, those lips and Jean Shrimpton eyes.
Kate Moss who?

Gods of Football

2011-09-26T06:11:00.001-05:00

So, I was innocently opening up my email today and this is what was in it. Viva la NRL

George Grosz The Eclipse of the Sun

2011-09-24T08:56:00.003-05:00

Along with Otto Dix, the art of Grosz consisted of commentary on the social realism of post WW l society in Berlin. His art spoke to associations with Dada and New Objectivity associated with the Degenerate art so hated by Hitler himself a thwarted artist.

Curiously enough, Grosz was a lover of American literature and the freedoms represented by writers such as James Fenimore Cooper.

More Amsterdam Street Art

2011-09-23T06:03:00.001-05:00

http://www.fakestencils.com

The silhouette of the young girl and boy by Fake were everywhere. I like the pair silhouetted against the setting sun framed in in black with the inner frame blurred around the edges rather than being sharpe. Am curious why the girl's flowers are bigger than the boy's. I also like the glossiness of the black frame.

This stencil is pretty basic but I liked the intentional gold paint drips of the cherub with the imploring face. The door is matte merely from age as indicated by the scratches and dings in the wood frame.

This one is only visible from the canal and is across from the Renzo Piani designed Nemo Science Center. Having lived in the Southern US for so long, the feeling of being invaded by insects is a constant so that was my first thought.

This one is also only visible from the canal. I like how the tiny window on the upper right fits into the arrow so well. Did they spray around it or did someone have scrub their window clean of the paint?

I liked the serpent painted on this goldenrod-colored wall with two bikes parked in front of the wall. I know the color of Goldenrod from when it was one of my Crayola crayons.

This wall had an amalgamation of several different works. Nice detail on the catbird with shading and such. The quintessential la ira stencil with the bubble blower and drips.

la ira + RFC - la ira has quite bit around Amsterdam. You see this skull with the CMYK diagram of blue, yellow and red around a lot. http://monmort.blogspot.com

www.amsterdamstreetart.com

Am researching the artists' name and putting them up as I find them.

Lifestyles of the Ex-Pat Bourgeoise

2011-09-23T02:13:00.002-05:00

I keep thinking that one of these mornings I will wake up and find I've been in the midst of some Jean Paul Satre or Albert Camus Absurdist play, that this bourgeoise lifestyle which is entrenched in the ex-pats' lives here in Saudi is just one big absurd joke. Six months in, I'm still dreaming.

Clark's of England - End of the Uglies?

2011-09-21T07:48:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe this gorgeous shoe is from none other than Clark's of England, the comfort-cum-ugly shoe company known for their down to earth walking shoes that are big among the oxygen thief set.

Reportedly, there is a HUGE wait list for this little number. Imagine, beauty and comfort in a shoe. Mais oui!!

Haleakala Sunrise, Maui, Hawaii 1979

2011-09-18T02:02:00.004-05:00

Here is a Haleakala sunrise on Maui. It's around 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. with the sun coming up over the island's crater. It's 1979, the year I graduated from Lahainaluna High School in Lahaina.

It's a very chilly (about 40 F.) and with the wind chill factor, it can be close to freezing in some months. An amazing event to experience, especially when your blood has been thinned out over years of island living. The sunrise coming up is a breath-taking as the sun spills into the cloud-filled crater the size of Manhattan and you're 10,000 ft up on the island. Haleakala was designated a National Park in 1961.

Hawaiian legend is the demi-God Maui climbed up Haleakala snared the sun one morning as it was rising. The islanders would have more sunlight in their day as it used to pass too quickly, committing them to darkness and cold. Hence, Haleakala, or "House of the Sun" was named. Pretty much the original house of the rising sun.

Full Version

According to ancient legend, Haleakala got its name from a very clever trick that the demigod Maui pulled on the sun. Maui's mother, the goddess Hina, complained one day that the sun sped across the sky so quickly that her tapa cloth couldn't dry.

Maui, known as a trickster, devised a plan. The next morning he went to the top of the great mountain and waited for the sun to poke its head above the horizon. Quickly, Maui lassoed the sun, bringing its path across the sky to an abrupt halt.

The sun begged Maui to let go, and Maui said he would on one condition: that the sun slow its trip across the sky to give the island more sunlight. The sun assented. In honor of this agreement, the Hawaiians call the mountain Haleakala, or "House of the Sun."

To this day, the top of Haleakala has about 15 minutes more sunlight than the communities on the coastline below.

"Hope I die before I get old..." Pete Townsend

2011-09-17T06:44:00.000-05:00

Growing old doesn't come with any handbooks, or any advice that doesn't sound trite.

I've decided rather than try to look, or act, younger, I will try something novel - to not act older. In my case, it means don't act older than a half of a century.

What does that mean? I don't know. Continue to wear a bikini if I want to? Wear bright neon orange Adidas running shoes cos they are totally bitchin' and they make me happy just looking at them? Sure, why not? Things I won't do (or at least, try not to)I won't talk about my ailments - thyroid condition, wrinkles and gray hairs.

And in regard to other people, if they wanna talk about you, they are going to find something to talk about: your age, your lack of acting your age, your husband being 10 years younger than you, being a single mom, whatever. Not my first being gossiped about "rodeo".

Edwina Scissorclaws

2011-09-13T06:29:00.000-05:00

Nuggs went to the vet yesterday for a booster shot so she's good to go. And speaking of good and going, the U.K. has recently done away with their 200 year old requirement for pets coming into the U.K. to complete six months of quarantine.

Very good news as there is a particular farm just southeast of Aberdeen that has an opening for a Chief Mouser. I think Edwina Scissorsclaws here would be a shoe-in for the gig.

Sting's still bringing it at 60

2011-09-10T05:34:00.000-05:00

(Sting celebrates his 60th birthday in Hawaii)

No need to be perfect especially when you're 60 years old, but, c'mon? How many look half this good at 40?

Sting deserves a lot of credit for still serving it up after all these years.

To what does he owe the most credit? A little tantric somethin' somethin'?

Who knows, but I suggest whatever it is, he keeps doing it.

http://bit.ly/n6MvoO

Mohawks in Red Raider Land

2011-09-10T05:01:00.000-05:00

I never thought I'd see the day when a Mohawk wearing Red Raider would be representing at a home game. Shows you should never say never. Lubbock is extremely conservative and not particularly progressive about anything. At least, in the past it has not been.

At the season opening home game of Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Texas State Bobcats, we had to dash from the game at the end of the 1st quarter when a sudden storm came up.

With lightning flashing and sand flying, we left our seats in the stadium when I came upon this mohawk. He gamely posed for the photo and the finished product is an interesting juxtaposition of Old Lubbock and New Lubbock.

Back in the KSA

2011-09-07T10:24:00.000-05:00

Kitten McNugget has been hanging out next to my side pretty since I've arrived back.

As you can see, I am back on the Apple due to my leaving my main laptop at the security checkpoint in Houston.

I guess if you're going to leave a valuable item behind, the TSA checkpoint in the international terminal is the place to do it because they still had it. My daughter Roxy went and claimed it for me yesterday.

Unfortunately, I do not know what you do if you don't have easy access to Houston because there is no posted email and they don't pick up the posted phone number.

Two important lessons learned -
#1 Put your laptop through first beyond all other items so it will be the first item that comes out after being scanned.

#2 - Put your name & phone number somewhere on the laptop so that they can contact you. Tape your business card or info on the bottom of it.

How did I leave it behind? No one to blame but me though being jet lagged and with people crawling up my address in line distracted my attention. All the more reason to be head's up.

I never went to take my laptop out of my carry-on because there's no free wi-fi though I now know that there's a KLM satellite lounge in Terminal D at IAH.

A Valid Question for the Ages

2011-09-06T01:56:00.000-05:00

Found this at Montrose & West Gray. It's a deep question and thankfully, my answer is no.

A little Scottish summer rose, Francesca

2011-09-03T08:40:00.001-05:00

We attended a summer party or a Hog Roast to be exact back in July while in Scotland. About 40 people attended including this little girl, Francesca. So cute and such a lovely disposition. She let me take several images of her and though I "durr" had the ISO set too high for being outside and washed out most of the color, I did get some cute images of her.

Gimme bacon on my burger

2011-09-01T09:48:00.001-05:00

Funny how you don't think about certain things until you're unable to have or get them. This yummy burger was from Blue Sky Burger up here in Lubbock. Cheese, bacon, pickles, mayo, tomato, hold the onion and gimme some green chiles on the side.
In my giddiness to be ordering bacon, I mentioned to the cashier how excited I was to be doing so. She asked why I couldn't have bacon in Saudi and I told her muslims don't eat bacon, like Jews. She looked at me with her head cocked and said, "That's weeei-rrrd".

Not there to evangelize nor proselytize, just give me some bacon on my burger.

Amsterdam street art

2011-08-21T07:49:00.000-05:00

I took some photos of the street art in and around the Old Center of Amsterdam. I didn't have time to research any of the locale artists. One gets a bit inudated with Rembrandt and Van Gogh while in Amsterdam.

Some of the street was okay and others were quite good with either style or wittiness. I particulary liked the panther - it's reminescent of Nugget.

From ABZ to AMS

2011-08-20T19:03:00.000-05:00

The 6:00 am KLM flight from Aberdeen to Amsterdam. Yawn.

Hanging with the Royals at Balmoral

2011-08-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

So, we're just hanging around Balmoral today and Prince Charles, comes whipping out. Assuming he's on his way to a grouse shoot. Have a better shoot of his car but don't have software to pixelate his license plate so don't wanna put it up yet.

Last time we came through, the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla were coming out of Crathie Kirk, the church they attend while in residence at Balmoral.

Monarch of the Glen

2011-08-12T02:31:00.000-05:00

Invermark Castle built about 1525 is in the Glen

The River Mark is a bit in spate - no salmon yet.

Short trek through Glen Esk yesterday as the weather was beautiful. Saw lots of pheasants being their last to party before the season opens today.

McNugget's Night Out

2011-08-07T04:25:00.002-05:00

Nothing like a flash going off in your face after a rough night, right? Our love Nugget spent her first full night "out" since her surgery. She's whooped today and is being a regular napping love muffin with the V-12 purring under her hood.

We've been a bit stressed as her incision puffed up into a lump. After doing some research, it sounded normal enough but we think now it filled up with fluid. It burst on it's own leaving a small gaping wound that pulled apart a bit.

It didn't bleed or ooze and with her inside, infection wasn't a major concern. The main concern was it healing quickly as we are set to fly outta here tomorrow night. Thankfully, prayers to St. Francis were answered and her wound seems to have heeled well. A bit of scarring and the sutures came up to the surface which she then wanted to bite off. Other than that, it's been fine.

Well, that and her being bored inside. I have my own wounds on my arms and ankles from McNugget using me to spar on. After a night on the town though, she's back to her napping, mclovin' self. We have several neighbors lined up to feed her while we're gone and we're also counting on Big Boi to keep an eye on her. Should the nature of their relationship change, it's okay because she's "permanently" protected.

Collector, Sculptor, Motorcycleman and Cultural Anthropologist - Jim Roche

2011-08-07T03:45:00.001-05:00

http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2011/may/30/cruising-glory-roads/

Really didn't see this one coming... Pendleton & Navajo Prints

2011-08-07T02:41:00.000-05:00

Surfers and cholos alike have been wearing Pendleton jackets for decades so who'd have thunk the fashion bandwagon would have glommed onto this SoCal fashion staple now? Pendleton's Navajo print has been de rigeur music fest couture this past summer and it's gliding smoothly into a Fall 2011 presence.

This is Ralph Lauren's Beacon shirt, a very hot commodity by all accounts, from his Fall 2011 Men's collection. $315 USD

Ralph Lauren's Beacon dress Fall 2011 $1,298

Pendleton and Opening Ceremony teamed up for this Men's collection.

Minnetonka Mocs are available at Shopbop.com $40

Pendleton meets OC Navajo top $95

Nike US Open at HB

2011-08-06T13:56:00.000-05:00

Final events begin this weekend in Huntington Beach for the US Open of Surfing. Qualifying heats took place this morning.

Feminine, floaty and fancy - the perfect long skirt

2011-08-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

I can picture this skirt with a cute pair of black Vera Wang flats, a matching silky camisole and a black shrug a la Black Swan. The maxi skirt that hits at the ankles is hot for Fall 2011. This "On Air" skirt looks to fit bill providing it's long enough for me. At 5'9" and a size six, I rarely can find skirts or pants to fit perfectly off the rack. It's usually a matter of having a great tailor to help you out which wasn't a problem in Houston with a zillion excellent tailors on every corner. Not so much in my current 26' 50' locale.

This skirt is at Anthropologie and retails $198. Why is Anthropologie so expensive? $200 will get you a great pair of jeans but will have to try this on before deciding.

Feeling Blue Over You

2011-08-06T08:50:00.002-05:00

A couple of blogs back, a picture captured Nugget taking out her displeasure on my toes by biting them because my nails were not painted blue.

Can't say I blame her since I had been sporting a fab shade of blue on my tootsies since February when I found a particularly fetching OPI color called "Suzie Loves Feng Shui". I found it of all places, Lubbock at United Market. Both Andie and I have been wearing it almost religiously while garnering many compliments.

I have been spreading the gospel of blue since then to the point where after getting some admiring glances towards my blue toenails from my little friend, nine year old Amy, I promised to bring her back some from the States this month.

Amy lives here in Saudi and came into the compound salon with her mom while I was getting a pedicure and looked very sad when I told her I had the color with me from America so, of course, understanding her pain, I promised to bring her back some when I return.

Andie on the other hand has loved blue before she could say the word and rarely deviates from her beloved blue.

I think the pigment in OPIs blues are what differentiate them from others. Often, the color of the polish in a bottle is not what is delivered to your nails.

This Yves San Laurent blue is stunning - brings to mind the richness of peacock feathers. Would need to slick on a coat before I could be convinced it'd have the same vitality on my nails. Will get back to you on that one. is Roadhouse Blues, a deep, dark navy-bordering-black polish.

OPI has two new blues coming out this month. One is called Swimsuit…Nailed it! which is a bright, shimmery medium blue, and the other is blue bordering on black, reminscent of their Russian Navy color.

Here's a photo of our toes in May. Only one has on some blue and a pretty Tiffany blue it was on my sister's toes.

Who put the funk in functionality?

2011-08-06T01:19:00.005-05:00

No time like the present to think about Fall jackets especially as one sits in the 45 C Saudi heat. Serious funtionality works here. A good solid jacket is a thing of beauty and in purchasing one, when done right, can stay indefinitely in your closet.

Just as edgy green is the color of the season and reflective of our chaotic economic times, classic items are what you should look for when considering a purchase.

I've brought you just a few staples to look for: trench coats, bomber and motorcycle jackets, and military styling are basics that will, I promise, never ever go out of style.

Here's a leather jacket with trench coat styling. Double breasted with great details - waist cinching belt, wrist straps and snaps around the neck to keep out the fog and damp. This beautifully done jacket is by Burberry so you'll have the great Burberry tartan lining worth showing off when draped over the back of your cafe chair. That is, if you ever want to take it off. Available at Burberry online and Net-a-Porter.

This Balmain jacket typifies the classic miliary styling. Smart, tailored and with perfect details - olive green, slash pockets, buttoned cuffs, double breasted which will always give you waist, whether you have one or not!

This Miu Miu jacket just slays me it's so amazing, or as we say here, "Mesh ma'oul!", arabic for "Unbelievable!" Again, classic, classic, classic. Picture this beautiful deep blue velvet worn with jeans and a favorite rocknroll t-shirt - tight, of course. Or, worn to the office with a crisp white blouse and smart skinny slacks.

On the weekend, it can be worn over a long dress or with a short skirt and a camisole. The rich color, nipped in waist and detail such as the piping in the front will make this an instant favorite. One word of advice if you have a teenage daughter who likes to "borrow" your clothes? Hide it. Hide it well.

Here is one of my favorite designers, Stella McCartney and her take on the tuxedo jacket. It's all there, statement-wise, but totally it's femininity cannot be denied. Done in velvet with the tux lapels in a constrating grain, buttonedcuffs and single breasted. Fin!

Can you sense I'm feelin' velvet? Luxurious, romantic and in the most gorgeous shade of teal with a beautiful turquoise lining. Etro does their varation of a hacking jacket here with a single breasted, slightly padded sleeve and three perfect buttons down the front.

Back to some more military might. Is this Alexander McQueen frock coat not enough to make you think there's no conquest that is insurmountable when you have it on? I mean, c'mon! Beautiful wool fabric, double breasted with gold button detailing is dramatic yet completely ulitarian. Plus, it begs to be worn with boots.

Nothing drives me crazy like a distressed bomber or motorcycle jacket and this one by Donna Karen has got me talking to myself. Don't be fooled by the fitted short design of the jacket. It can be worn layered with long sweaters underneath or just go for simplicity. Zippered sleeves and double breasted front has Steve McQueen cool all over it. Check out the zippered map pockets set high on the left sleeve. Style, baby, style.

We going to end on functionality since Stella knows how to put the funk in functionality. This Stella McCartney for Adidas ski jacket has warmth and style embedded here. While in London last February, everyone was wearing shiny North Face jackets so I propose we step it up a notch.

Sleek insulation with a matte quilting finish done in black will have you warm and stylish whether you're braving the cold windy streets in London, or snowboarding down the slopes in Park City.