Namaste

No MADNESS Monday

2010-12-13T00:59:00.000-08:00

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Monday Monday, can't trust that day,
Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh Monday Monday, how yould cou leave and not take me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin' all of the time

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin' all of the time

Monday Monday, ...

it's time

to say goodbye

to this blog

it's time

thank you

seriously....

St Christina the Astonishing and why I heart Facebook

2010-12-12T00:09:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite things about Facebook is how almost instantly

your friends and family can respond to you

when you're having "a day"

Like the exchange below

I called out and got

support

humor

and

the answer to my question

Who is the patron saint of therapists?

Saint Christina the Astonishing

St Christina... why are you climbing the rafters?

St. Christina, please come down from that tree....

Today is the feast of St. Christina the Astonishing, who is also known as Christina Mirabilis.

Born to a peasant family and orphaned as a child, she was raised by two older sisters. At age 21, she experienced a severe seizure and may have had epilepsy. It was so severe as to be cataleptic, and she was thought to have died. During her funeral Mass, she suddenly recovered, and levitated to the roof of the church. Ordered down by the priest, she landed on the altar and stated that she had been to hell, purgatory, and heaven, and had been returned to earth with a ministry to pray for the souls in purgatory.

Her life from that point became a series of strange incidents cataloged by a Thomas de Cantimpré, Dominican professor of theology at Louvain who was a contemporary recorded his information by interviewing witnesses, and by Cardinal Jacques de Vitny who knew her personally.

She exhibited both unusual traits and abilities. For example, she could not stand the odor of other people because she could smell the sin in them, and would climb trees or buildings, hide in ovens or cupboards, or simply levitate to avoid contact. She lived in a way that was considered poverty even in the 13th century: sleeping on rocks, wearing rags, begging, and eating what came to hand. She would roll in fire or handle it without harm, stand in freezing water in the winter for hours, spend long periods in tombs, or allow herself to be dragged under water by a mill wheel, though she never sustained injury. Given to ecstasies during which she led the souls of the recently dead to purgatory, and those in purgatory to paradise.

People who knew her were divided in their opinions: she was a holy woman, touched of God, and that her actions and torments were simulations of the experiences of the souls in purgatory; she was suffering the torments of devils - or she was flatly insane. However, the prioress of Saint Catherine's convent testified that no matter how bizarre or excessive Christina's reported actions, she was always completely obedient to the prioresses orders. Friend of Louis, Count of Looz, whose castle she visited, and whose actions she rebuked. Blessed Marie of Oignies thought well of her, and Saint Lutgardis sought her advice.

Patronage
against insanity, against madness, against mental disorders, against mental handicaps, against mental illness, lunatics, mental health caregivers, mental health professionals, mentally ill people, psychiatrists, therapists.

I love me some Saint Christina the Astonishing

she is the perfect

Patron Saint of therapists

seriously...

my new york minute

2010-12-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

This post on one of my very favorite blogs

New York Portraits

reminded me how much I LOVE

Photo by Blue_Rubicon

an NYPD K-9
and I have a particular soft spot for
German Shepherds

A little less than two years after 9/11
Lindsey and I went on a college scouting trip to NYC
security was still very high all over the city
and police and national guard presence
was reassuringly, everywhere
we did one of the prerequisite touristy
shopping stops at south street seaport
the shops were still pretty quiet

while I was browsing in a boutique
a handsome young NYPD officer and his K-9 partner entered the store
they took a very official walk around and then the
officer proceeded to settle in and have a nice
long flirty chat with the beautiful "shop girl"

the officer and the shop girl obviously knew each other
and the conversation went on for quite a while
I watched the dog
a gloriously double coated German Shepherd
transform from eyes alert, body in working stance
to a distracted and totally bored demeanor
I'm sure this beautiful dog could read from his partners
tone and body language that
they must most certainly be
OFF DUTY

the dog and I began our own little flirtation
looking at each other
you know that disarming way that an intelligent dog
has of sizing you up with a glance
and a little tilt of the head (him)
and smiling (me)
I wandered out of sight of the officer
who at that point was deeply distracted
I kneeled down and held out my hand
and that gorgeous dog walked over to me
tail wagging, nuzzled my hand with his big head
and then proceeded to give me the belly

I HEART NY
I HEART the NYPD
I HEART GERMAN SHEPHERDS

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-12-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

FOREVER 21
Embellished Flats
$22.80

Obviously I'm hoping that the combination of drop dead cuteness

and can't beat it value will distract you dear readers

from the fact that today is late Wednesday and

NOT

Monday

All will be revealed in time

all will be revealed...

I now pronounce you husband and wife...

2010-12-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Loooooookie look look LOOK!!

That's ME in the center photo pronouncing Dawn & Joe

husband and wife...

I love wedding blogs

and Style Me Pretty did a lovely feature

on Dawn and Joe's wedding

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/12/02/southern-california-wedding/

sometimes words say it best...

2010-12-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving was lovely and this year I decided that I would not commemorate the day in pictures instead I would actually enjoy my company, the delicious home cooked food and the glorious sunny day that allowed us to dine poolside... I guess I should mention that I felt that this Thanksgiving was over shadowed a tiny bit by all of the changes and transitions that are taking place for my family and friends - somehow I didn't feel the need to capture the wistful sadness and uncertainty that so many of us were feeling behind cheery photo smiles. It was enough that we came together that day in love and support for each other. Each with own worries and concerns for the future set aside for a few hours -

as it should be

But the weekend was not all quiet reflection - Saturday we went for Dim Sum with my friend Rose and our most adventurous gourmand friend Motti who ordered all off the crazy crazy dim sum delicacies including CHICKEN FEET!!

I couldn't bring myself to partake of Chicken Feet but I had to take a picture to post on Facebook!!

ET Phone home...

Sunday we drove down to San Diego to meet our friends

Frank and Craig and celebrate Craig's birthday at a

drag queen gospel brunch

(YES! you read that right!!)

LIPS!

please pardon my really bad cell phone pics of some really fab drag queens

Chicken feet and drag queens

sometimes words say it best...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-11-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

Forever 21

Jeweled Ballet Flats

$19.80

Because it really doesn't matter

how much money you pay for your

jeweled satin ballet flats

satin = ruined with one false step

and

jeweled = you're gonna lose one of the

pretty pretty gems eventually

Besides, you can always get

LANVIN's version

for just $449.00 more-

seriously...

musings on love...

2010-11-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sweet is every sound, Sweeter thy voice, but every sound is sweet; Myriads of rivulets hurrying through the lawn, The moan of doves in immemorial elms, With murmuring of innumerable bees. -Tennyson

The Princess, pt.7, added song, l.203^7

"All you need is scented candles, massage oil, and Barry White. Write that down."

Van Wilder

“Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”
Robert Frost quotes (American poet, 1874-1963)

what a difference a year makes...

2010-11-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

Almost one year to the day

I was happily blogging about my

plans for Thanksgiving

and I shared my decor and table setting

inspiration board

HERE

And to be honest last year

our Thanksgiving WAS

picture perfect

see...

and that was just the entry way

you can see last years

Thanksgiving in all it's glory

HERE and HERE

Wanna see my

2010 Thanksgiving inspiration board

ok, wait for it...

here it comes...

ready...?

yup! I got nothin'!

Twenty-five friends and family members

coming over for a sit down meal

and I am FRESH OUT of ideas

about how to make it all look

special and welcoming

and made with love...

(you can see clearly why I am NOT in charge of the food!)

I'll keep you posted

on how the whole "not a clue"

2010 Thanksgiving

turns out!

gobble gobble gobble...

UPDATE

Thanksgiving 2010 inspiration board
"whew..!"

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-11-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

Valentino

Studded Two Tone Skimmer

I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance

of these lovely little

Valentino "skimmers"

(I think that "skimmers" filthy rich slang for "flats")

at Neiman Marcus in Dallas

if money were no object...

"sigh"...

thankful on paper week III

2010-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

my lovely friend Rachel aka

Mrs.Cherrytreelane

has started a little blogging revolution of thankfulness

you can read about her thankful on paper concept

HERE

This week I am thankful on paper for
Lindsey Taylor Morehead

my lovely amazing spectacular daughter

The "mom" role doesn't have a lot

of built in opportunities to tell you how thankful I am

to have you in my life

to have carried you inside of me

I've never told you how thankful I am to have given birth to you

your birth was the very first time I experienced myself and my body

as strong and invincible

before the day you were born I was always so afraid of physical pain

thank you for teaching me starting on that very first day of your life that I am

stronger and tougher than I every imagined myself to be

I've never told you how thankful I am for every moment of tenderness

that we have shared starting on the day you were born
and everyday of the past 22 years of your life

every conversation, hug, kiss, glance and exchange we've shared

are the most intense all encompassing

experiences of love that I have ever felt for another human being

I've never told you how thankful I am

that you have taught me what it truly feels like

to experience unconditional love

I love you without judgement

I love you through your successes and your failures

and above all I always always always

believe in you

I am so thankful that you are such a beautiful soul

I am thankful for all of your gifts and talents

all of the magical ways you express yourself

your art and your music

even the sound of your voice and your laugh

give me more joy and pleasure than words can describe

I've never told you how thankful I am

that I know with complete certainty

that I was meant to be your mom and

that this journey of being your mother

has made me a better person

every struggle that we've shared

every obstacle that we've overcome

all the triumphs and wonderful adventures

that I know lay ahead for you

in all of these moments

you have been a source of hope and inspiration

to me everyday

since the day you were born

Lindsey Taylor Morehead

"you are my sunshine my only sunshine..."

souvenirs from Dallas

2010-11-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just returned from four magical fairy princess days

visiting my friend Yvette in Dallas

we shopped

we spa'd

we drank

we dined

we stayed up until all hours

talking talking talking

Conversations with Yvette always infuse me with a mega dose of

WOMAN POWER

seriously...

Sunday we visited her local

shopping haunts among which is a lovely

Neiman Marcus Last Call

were I got this coat

Michael Kors

Ready to Wear

Fall 2008 Runway

This is the runway version of my coat

which was my super score during this trip to Dallas

courtesy of a 40% off coupon and an additional 5% off for using my Neiman"s Card

you can see the ready to wear version

HERE

I think the dark faux fur collar

on my coat works better with my coloring

and reduces my chances of having an

uncomfortable encounter with a PETA person

The Anthropologie store in Highland Park

(think Beverly Hills Texas style)

is huge and the customer service is sublime

even by Anthro standards

I try to buy Christmas ornaments whenever I travel

reminiscing about trips is one of my favorite parts

of putting up the Christmas tree

I had seen these initial ornaments at my local Anthro

but they didn't have the initials I wanted

e (elsie) l (lindsey) j (james)

they didn't have them at the Dallas store either but

the lovely and oh so helpful sales person offered to

order them on line for me

shipping was FREE since they weren't available in the store

then these adorable little lower case initial pins

caught my eye

the combination of the

little puzzle piece and the "find my match"

on the display card

completely sealed the deal

I got

e & j

how romantic is that...?

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-11-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

Two Lips

Studded Cowboy Boots

purchased Valentines Day 2010

DSW Shoes

I have been in Dallas Texas this weekend

playing the role of
First Lady

while my Commander in Chief attends a conference

Oh and did I mention that my

oldest and dearest BFF

Yvette

lives in Dallas??

We have been wiling away the hours

shopping and doing sundry and assorted

girlie things

and I have been wearing my

Cowboy boots

Yeeeeee Hawwwww!

I know it's a long shot BUT

I hope you are having

a Texas sized fun

Monday

like I am!

kiss your life

2010-11-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

if I were shopping for a print today

i think i would get this one

HERE

at sugar boo designs

musings on love...

2010-11-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

When love is not madness, it is not love. ~Pedro Calderon de la Barca

The lover is a monotheist who knows that other people worship different gods but cannot himself imagine that there could be other gods. ~Theodor Reik, Of Love and Lust, 1957

The hardest-learned lesson: that people have only their kind of love to give, not our kind. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. ~Ice T, The Ice Opinion, quoted in Reader's Digest, "Quotable Quotes," February 2002

wishing you

love...

thankful on paper week II

2010-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

my lovely friend Rachel aka

Mrs.Cherrytreelane

has started a little blogging revolution of thankfulness

you can read about her thankful on paper concept

HERE

thankful on paper actually started last week

but last week I was feeling oh so much less than genuinely thankful

that I skipped it and waited for a little inspiration

and a ton of THANKFUL to hit me

and thankfully this week it did...

Last night I wrote my first thankful on paper letter to

my therapist

before I became a therapist myself

I was IN therapy and

by IN I do mean IN all IN

Over 20 years ago my life was

oh so no bueno

I called my HMO's psychiatry dept for an appointment

and SIX WEEKS later

I arrived 15 minutes late for said appointment

and the therapist refused to see me

I was a hot ugly mess as I charged downstairs to the lobby pay phone

called the psychiatry department and asked to speak to the supervisor

I remember his voice calm, gently authoritative and above

all things genuinely caring and reassuring

he re-booked the appointment for me

for the very next day

and to my huge relief I would not be seeing

the "evil rejecting" therapist

he would see me himself

on the surface therapy can seem like a completely

self indulgent modern luxury

something that people with close family

or compassionate friends can certainly do without

I would even go so far as to say that there

are a fair number of practicing therapists

that are not able to provide much more than a little bit

of objectivity beyond what friends and family can offer

but

a good therapist

a skilled, seasoned, well trained therapist

a therapist who helps you cut through the noise in your own head

a therapist that emboldens you to honor your feelings and your needs

while continuing to challenge you to be your best self

a therapist like that can help you change your life in ways that

you may have never dreamed possible

and that is exactly what my therapist

helps me do

my therapist is THE reason I became a therapist

I reasoned that if I could help just one person

the way that he helped me then

my work life would have a deeper meaning and purpose

which is something that I have always craved

over the years a few patients have written me

letters of gratitude for our work together

and those letters have meant the world to me

I am so thankful for the opportunity

to tell my therapist in writing

what his compassion, insight and attention

continue to mean to me

The Versatile Blogger

2010-11-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Jane Campbell one of my favorite Etsy artists

tagged me on her post for

The Versatile Blogger Award

which is lovely fun so I will share

7 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me:

(1) The "shoe/purse" thing has been my 'thing"

forever AND it's genetic

(checkout my Mom's matching pink pumps and clutch)

(2) I WAS one of those little girls that always dreamed about her wedding

and

I wore white to my first wedding

and met all the criteria for the symbolism...

(3) I was the first person in my family to graduate from college

University of Miami Class of 84

(4) I dreamed of being a Newscaster

(5) my back up dream was to teach drama at my high school

and four years after graduating from Miami Jackson Sr High

I was back as the "cool" drama teacher

(6) I studied classical piano for 10 years

at my last piano recital I played

Chopin's Nocturne Opus No 9

I quit playing after this performance

I had never learned to read music

(7) I've ALWAYS wanted to

"make you look"...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-11-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Betsey Johnson

Lacy

Leopard Print T-strap Sandal

2009

my pair of Betsy Johnson

Lacy Sling-back Flats

purchased at

Off 5th

2010

I LOVE me a pair of slightly over the top kitschy shoes

printed fabrics - YES!

embellishments - YES please!

Nobody does affordable accessible

over the top

kitsch

Betsey Johnson

NOBODY!!

Happy Monday!!

I hope you're having

a Betsey Johnson

joyous cartwheel turning

kind of day!

counting down the good times

2010-11-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

Over the past 20 months my blogging adventures have
happily and photogenically coincided with my Derya adventures

so many of our good times together have been recorded for posterity

here Derya as my Etsy Valentine
here Derya as my craft show accomplice
and here Derya as my all time favorite jewelry artist

Last night we headed out to Santa Ana Artist Colony's' First Night
which was a dual Dia de los Muertos celebration as well
There was LOTS of good art being exhibited last night
here are just a few of my favorites

having only my cell phone camera to record the festivities
I wasn't really able to do justice to the Day of the Dead
altars and displays and amazing makeup
but here is my best shot at giving you a little taste

there were some amazing altar pieces the one above was in remembrance
of Johnny Cash but there were many moving personal tributes
to friends and family members
Mexican culture is very strong here in Southern California
last nights festivities made me really curious about
the history and meaning Day of the Dead rituals
if you're curious too check out this
article on Wikipedia

it was a lovely evening which ended with Asian Pear Martini's
sipped while sitting around the fire-pit at the Lazy Dog Cafe
lovely and bitter sweet
because in a few short weeks
Derya and Soner are moving to
Salt Lake City
they're move is all good news
new job house hunting and adventures galore
which is wonderful for them
but kind of SUCKS for us
Derya and Soner are that very special and rare couple combination
they work perfectly both individually and as a pair
James and I have been lucky to have their friendship
and we will both miss them very very much
seriously...

Love 21...

2010-11-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Satin Lined Embellished Cardigan

Forever 21

$34.80

cause this girl needed a little comfort on

Election Day

seriously...

I Voted!

2010-11-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I always feel a little bit

oh I don't know smug and superior

when I leave my polling place wearing

my little "I Voted" sticker

I have historically enjoy the geekery

of reading the pro and con

information on ballot measures

and I always got a little rush feeling like a part of the

"informed electorate"

but this year...

not to much.

Of course voter apathy is nothing new

but apathy of any flavor is a VERY new phenomenon for me

and this is how it all began

about eleven months ago

I gave myself a "time out"

a time to ponder

so to speak

and this self-imposed "time out" has lasted

much longer then I could have

anticipated and it took a turn

I would not have thought possible

for the past 11 months

I have literally checked out

of the larger world

the first sign was I stopped listening to my local NPR

station on my drive to and from the office

then I stopped checking CNN.com

a couple of times a day

(to be fair I stopped checking PerezHilton.com too)

we still get Time magazine at home and I did look at some

of the pictures of the oil spill and I watched

a few minutes of the Chilean miner rescue on TV

does that count...

so here it is election eve

Barack has been blowing up my BlackBerry

with emails and texting me NON STOP

about voting and getting out the vote

and oh by the way don't forget to

VOTE

TOMORROW

all right, all right!!!!!

Tonight I will review the propositions

and the ballot measures

and tomorrow I will drive down to my precinct and

cast my ballot

and then I will wear my

"I Voted" sticker

and I will even probably feel a little bit

smug and superior...

or not

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-11-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

D&G Dolce and Gabbana

Velvet Platform Pump

We always host Thanksgiving at our house

and it's a casual family affair

but my fantasy Thanksgiving would be

a fabulously dressy affair

and I would wear

these...

GUCCI, I'm hoooooome!!!!

2010-10-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

Today was a VERY good day!

This morning I drove to Los Angeles for a training

"A new slant on Bipolar Disorder"

the speaker was engaging and knowledgeable

and I actually paid attention

ALL DAY!

(I am THE most annoying person to sit next to during a training)

ask any one of my therapist friends who "used to" attend

trainings with me, usually I "multi-task" I pay bills or bring work

to do because sitting listening to a speaker makes

my skin crawl with boredom BUT not today!

Yea!!

On the drive home I couldn't resist visiting the LA "branches" of

a few of my favorite stores, the Macy's (meh...)

TJMaxx (cute Betsey Johnson sunglasses $14 - SCORE!)

and right before getting on the freeway

my Mecca:

DSW

(designer shoe warehouse)

I ALWAYS head straight to the clearance section

and let me tell you what ladies

NONE of the DSW stores in my neck of the woods

have GUCCI shoes

CLEARANCE!

While I was still in the store

floating around in a full pre-purchase

GUCCI contact high

I posted several pictures of "MY" future

new Gucci's shoes

on Facebook

which was followed by a chorus of comments

exhorting me to

"click my heels"

and

"BUY! BUY! BUY!"

and so

buy I did!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

for the very first time...

2010-10-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

this is my favorite boy in the whole wide world Dani

Dani turned 3 last month and his birthday present

from me was a trip to Disneyland

not just any trip to Disneyland

this was Dani's very

FIRST

trip to Disneyland!

this is Beatriz, Dani's gorgeous mommy and my BFF

Beatriz is originally from Spain

and thus has not indoctrinated Dani

in the "way of the Disney"

so without benefit of generations of

Disney indoctrination

Dani enjoyed only the parts of Disneyland

that appealed to his essential nature

BIG PUMPKINS

everywhere!

and beautiful ladies singing

funny songs

(OK that was actually ME not Dani!)

and Tia Elsie

wearing a silly silly silly

hat!

I guess this is as good a time as any to confess

Tia Elsie has a "thing" for

Peter Pan...

yeah I know, seriously?!?

SERIOUSLY!

by the end of the day Dani had discovered

everything there is to love

about Disneyland

Mickey Mouse lollipops

Micky Mouse Ears

(but NOT actual Mickey Mouse NOOOOO!)

and

trains

always ALWAYS

trains...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-10-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

DSQAURED Elastic Band Spine Shoe

It's the Monday before Halloween

so something a little

creepy chic

is in order

Do these fit the bill

of what?!?!?

Happy Monday before Halloween

I hope all your of your

chills and thrills

are the YUMMY kind!

Cuba Day Three, Part II - you can't go home again...

2010-10-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

My mom was born and raised in the town of Aspiro in Cuba

a one road country town which my mom

recalled fondly as having rows of

modest but neat homes, a school house

and couple of general stores

As we approached the town

the mood in the car began to change

I didn't understand why until later

the entire ride into town

my uncle Emmo who had been so quiet

the last few days was speaking continuously

and in a very animated manner

sharing his recollections

of their childhood home, the evil strict teacher

and the neighbors

he recalled it ALL so vividly

"te acuerdas de la muda que se caso con el mulato"

but my mom was very very quiet

my uncle asked my cousin to stop in front of a home

that he recognized as the home

of my mom's god parents

Tita y Ordulio

my mom continued to look

around a little incredulous and disoriented

we stopped the car to let this gentleman pass

and disembarked in front of the house

and soon we were surrounded by a

group of sweet chatty men that were more than willing

to share the story of the town

and of what was left of my mom's

god parents home-

just a bit of the foundation

my mom got into a discussion with the man on the bicycle

about why the town was so unrecognizable

he explained that in the 70's the government

relocated most of the families

and bulldozed the town in order

to establish an agricultural project

which never materialized

so some of the families moved

back and rebuilt

while my mom learned the fate of her town

I was off taking pictures of flowers

and machete carrying octogenarians

it was SO hot and humid and I was SO ready

to get the "heck out of Aspiro"

that I didn't notice at first that

as we drove out of town

past the little houses

and the horses

my mom

was

crying

and here it was

the moment I had been dreading

Cuba

what has become of

Cuba

breaking my mother's heart

my Mom is no cry baby

(I am the official cry baby of the family)

but the loss all of the loss

came together for her in that moment

and my heart broke for her

is there anything worse

then watching a parent cry...

Ay Aspiro

no truer words than those penned by Thomas Wolfe-

you can't go home again

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-10-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

Thakoon

Mirror Mosaic Strappy Sandal

I blame Gloria Estefan

and all her

groovy disco music

that has been the

soundtrack of my life

since her concert.

these shoes just make me feel

"HAPPY JOYOUS & FREE"!

I hope your Monday

turns the beat around...

Cuban girl HEAVEN!!!

2010-10-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Remember my Cubanita friend Gladys?

Last year she threw herself a FAB 40th birthday party,

so what could possibly compete with that??

GLORIA ESTEFAN CONCERT TICKETS BABY!!!

I have loved Gloria since we were both

just "girls" back in Miami

(oh you noticed the overly familiar tone did you?)

well, as a Miami Cuban just a few years younger

than Gloria and both UM alumni

emotionally I "claim her"

in my Make a Wish Foundation fantasy

we would meet for a pool side lunch at her
fabulous Star Island mansion surrounded by

all of her pooches

and we would bond

INSTANTLY!

I would buy a couple of tickets to Gloria's ONLY scheduled

west coast concert and take my very favorite Cuban

partner in crime Gladys along for her birthday.

so we missed the first couple of songs
yup we were just two Cuban girls
running on Cuban time...
the first 30 minutes of the concert
Gloria sang a lot of ballads and love songs

Con Los Años Que Me Quedan

Cuts Both Ways

Here We Are

Don't Want to Lose You

Anything For You

and for thirty minutes I sang along
and cried
you know Cuban girls
can be SO emotional!!!
And then the party started in earnest...

Get On Your Feet

Rhythm Is Gonna Get You

I Just Wanna Be Happy

Cuba Libre

and yes...

Conga

Gladys, Michael Kors and I danced and shimmied
our selves into a sweaty frenzy
for the next hour
and it was

Gloria-ous

It Gets Better

2010-10-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

But it DOESN'T get any better than this...

Not that I needed ANOTHER reason to LOVE Tim Gunn, but he went ahead and gave me one anyway!

You can read more about the

It Gets Better Project

HERE

I dunno, what do YOU want to do..?

2010-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

some weekends James and I look at each other and have

that classic marital exchange

HE: what do YOU wanna do?

SHE: I dunno what do YOU want to do..?

this past Sunday the answer was

the Dachshund Races that were part

of our local Oktoberfest celebration.

If you've visited my blog in the past

you probably already know that

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE dogs

so a sunny Sunday afternoon surrounded

by sprinting Doxies and the people who love them

sounded like a lovely way to spend an afternoon

and it was...

this is Baby Love

she was a

2009 Wienerschnitzel

Calender Girl

AND

she came in 1st Place in her race

and THIS is Roxie

her mom and dad and I sat

around chatting and admiring her beauty

while we waited for the races to begin

Roxie placed a respectable

2nd Place in her race

pesky newspaper photographer

was blocking her lane with his

BIG SCARY camera

or Roxie soooo

would have come in 1st Place...

James took this shot

it's my favorite of the day...

and if you need a daily Doxie fix

check out this wonderfully

whimsical blog

http://kalyxcornucopia.blogspot.com/

trust me, you're going to

LOVE IT,

seriously....

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Gucci

light brown leather

"new charlotte"

riding boot

We went to see the movie Secretariat yesterday

I love horses

I don't "ride" per se

BUT

I DID...

these Gucci riding boots

make me want a

PONY!!!!

Happy Monday to you!!

a simple girl with a simple dream...

2010-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

winning the HGTV Urban Oasis Giveaway

to live in a high rise in the heart of my favorite place on the planet

NYC

did you ever want to win something

really REALLY badly...?

I would TOTALLY wear that!

2010-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

yesterday felt like the official first day of fall in southern california

cool, grey, rainy

this weather turns my fancy toward

coats, boots and tights

all black

or a blazing pop of color

it's ALL GOOD!

AKRIS

Fall 2010 Ready-to-wear

It's a little game I play.
There are two or three fashion related emails in my inbox every morning

and as I pour over them I ask myself:

"would I really wear that?

would I wear that as is, as shown on the runway?"

oh yeah!

I would TOTALLY wear these!

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-10-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Lanvin

black suede patent cap toe platform pumps

Baby's got BACK!!!!

A little Lanvin/Sir Mix-a-Lot combo

to get your Monday off to the

PERFECT start!

where ever the road leads us...

2010-10-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Several years ago San Diego County was ravaged by wildfires

and after things had settled down James wanted to take a

drive and "see what was left"...

as it turned out quite a lot was left
that day we drove along a winding road next to a large body

of water and in the process discovered a lush old

neighborhood filled with horse properties

AND

our dream home...

well our "dream home" except for the price and the location

but this home has stayed with us all these years and

this afternoon we went on a little road trip

to try and retrace our steps and rediscover

our "dream home"....
but instead we discovered this

Lake Hodges
in
Escondido, CA

today the road led us to this beautiful lake and through some of the
most peaceful and beautiful neighborhoods
we've ever driven through
but alas our "dream home"
was no where to be found maybe the road
is leading us to a new dream...

I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be...

2010-09-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Love You Forever by Roger Knapp was one of my favorite baby books to read to my daughter Lindsey. Besides how pure, genuine and true this sentiment felt as a mom towards my own baby it also resonated with me on other levels. Once I love someone, I always love them. This peculiarity of my heart has been both a blessing and a curse. A blessing when despite distance, years apart or differences between us, when I reunite with someone that I have loved I am immediately overwhelmed with the force of my feelings for them - like we had never parted, like we just spoke yesterday, like nothing ever came between us.

And a curse. Because there have been a few occasions in my life where someone I loved stopped loving me and was done, poof - disappeared. And at those times my heart is at a complete loss on how to process this information. With age and a tiny bit of what I hope is acquired wisdom I think I have puzzled it out a little bit.

My theory is that some people have an extra feature on their hearts, I think of it as an ON/OFF switch. Since I don't have one I'm not really sure if I'm the one with the "defective" heart or not. So tell me about your heart. ON/OFF switch or love you for always meter???

and although I am quite certain that none of the people who stopped loving me, poof disappeared read my blog I want them to know,

just in case...

I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be

letting go starting over

2010-09-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever woken up in the morning with

the uncomfortable but complete certainty that

today

is the beginning of a

"do over"?

a day to release

to embrace

to change

or at least

try

to change

for the better

Yeah?

me too!

Most of my "do over' will take place

where no one will see it

but to mark the day

I cut my hair

VERY

SHORT!

seriously...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-09-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Charles Jourdan

Suede Wedges

I love these black suede wedges
but they would be my second choice
because I am OBSESSED
with the black Alaia suede wedges
worn by Karla of Karla's Closet

a little black suede wedge double dipping
to start our Monday off right!!

I have the musical taste of a love sick teenage girl...

2010-09-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

I first heard of the group Paramore on Facebook a few months ago

when my teenage nieces posted about how much they LOVE them.

Then I got a little taste on the MTV Video Music Awards and thought,

hmmmmmm and THEN a friend turned me on to this song,

"You Are The Only Exception"

and I am a dreamy, woozy 16 year old girl once more...

it's kind of nice actually!

Hope your weekend is filled with the dreamy and the woozy!!

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-09-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

H by Halston

Metallic Studded Suede Boots

Bakers Shoes

I remember the first time I really noticed ankle boots

the closing scene of Sex And the City TV series

where the "girls" walk out of their favorite diner

and they are all wearing coats and ankle boots

and my thought all those years ago

"me no likey"

wellllllllll...

these are making me come around

just a little

I may just have to drop by my local

Bakers Shoe Store and give these

puppies a little test run-

you know

research!!!

we were written in the stars my love, all that separated us was time...

2010-09-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

I have been craving the ocean

craving

walking on the beach

sitting on the shore

craving

this experience

every spare moment

of every day

and I have been lucky enough to

feed my craving this week

this long languorous kelp lay strewn across the shore
with a gift hidden at the very tip

a live starfish nestled inside

we continued past on our walk on the shore

and on our return trip

we met this delightful young man

bearing gifts...

while he and his brother played on the shore

they'd discovered the hidden star fish

they were so gentle with it

almost reverent

and it truly was a

miraculous gift...

miraculous...

the real me... fully Photoshopped!

2010-09-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

During my "break" from blogging I spent some time thinking

about what I wanted to write about when I got back -

let's see there was the exploring my "life list" idea

the "personal style blog" idea and

the just be "more personal in your writing" idea

so this post is my first crack at consciously combining all

three of the above

why yes, that IS me!

that is me in the quite unnatural state of

being in a lovely hotel room

in the middle of the day sans husband

wearing extremely expensive lingerie

sporting a spray tan

professionally applied make up and hair styling

and the prerequisite pearls (of course)

being photographed this way

for the amusement and enjoyment

of your spouse is now fashionably known as

the boudoir photo shoot

I won said photo shoot from the the lovely and talented

photographer Jen Johnson at a blogger event last spring

this particular event was filled to the gills with

gorgeous 20 somethings and hot mommies

but who won the have your picture taken in your

underwear raffle prize?

Yup, ME! the oldest blogger in attendance

Jen was so sweet and reassuring and her

photography portfolio was lovely-

dear lord was I really going to do this?

and the answer of course was yes

I mean there I was, my 13th wedding anniversary

and my husbands birthday looming

(always marry them on their birthday it totally eliminates

the forgetting the wedding anniversary situation)

and I thought "what the heck?"

if I hate them no one will ever see them

did i mention I kinda loathe having my picture taken

that's why no photo shoot of any kind

would ever make my "life list"

until now cause I just penciled it in

I learned a lot about myself during this process

about myself and about the magical properties

of an $88.00 Chantelle Bra

(RUN don't walk to the lingerie department

at Nordstrom ladies, seriously!)

being photographed in my underwear

and then looking at the proofs

before the Photoshop magic happened

was an exercise in self acceptance

this is what 48 looks like

well alrighty then!

but I have to tell you that

right before the photo shoot began

as I nervously looked at my spray tanned

made up expensive bra wearing self in the mirror

the words of my 94 year old tia delia

rang in my ears

she told me a few years ago that

she stopped having her picture taken in

her 70's because she couldn't stand

how old she looked in them

but now she looks back at some

of those picture and thinks

to herself: "hey! I looked good"

my favorite expression of tia delia's is:

"today is your most beautiful day"

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-09-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Gucci

Glam Orchid

High Heel T Strap Sandal

I find a good high heel t-strap to be the most

sexy and flattering shoe style

that a woman can actually walk in

in relative comfort

I love the secure feeling of being

strapped in at the ankle

sexy AND secure

ya can't beat that ladies!

Happy Monday!

I'm back...

the road that leads me back to you...

2010-08-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

photo taken in Cuba

Day Three

on the road to

Pinar Del Rio

The weeks ahead are filled

to capacity

and I find my stamina to blog

about them

temporarily depleted

I don't believe that I'll

be gone too long

just long enough

to return feeling

more interested

or perhaps more

interesting

maybe

we'll see...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

United Nude

Lo Res

The United Nude Lo Res is part of a new semi-automatic design method by United Nude.

An object is digitally scanned into a 3D computer model and regenerated into various resolutions.

The Lo Res shoe is part of an automated design revolution.

You can read all about how this Dutch design duo
got their start HERE
spoiler alert!!
there was broken heart involved
Shoes and Romance...?
NOW you're talking!!
Happy Monday!!

do you love me because I'm beautiful...

2010-08-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today I discovered jewelry designed by Alisa Michelle

and I LOVE how her work spans the full spectrum

from romantic and nice (above)

to kinda naughty (below)

I'm feeling BOTH

of these necklaces

right now!

You can purchase these Alisa Michelle Design necklaces

on sale HERE and HERE at HauteLook
where this jewelry and tons of other designer goodies
are considerably marked down
from the designers own websites - so FUN!!
it's an "invitation only" site
your "invitation" is
HERE

Heartbroken but still with hope...

2010-08-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

I won this beautiful print
titled "Heartbroken but still with hope"
during a give away on artist Julie Fillo's Blog

my prize an 8x10 print of my choice
from Julie's ETSY shop

and this was my choice.

I love this print so very much

it hangs on the private wall near

my desk in my office

and by private I mean the wall that is out

of the patients direct view during thier

therapy sessions
I try to avoid anything that might peek my patients
curiosity about what my own
hopes and heartbreaks might be
as the point is to focus
solely on their own
hopes and heartbreaks

There was an abundance

of heartbreak in my office today
it is actually unusual that on the same day
so many
of my patients are emotional and in pain
one after another after another
and today so many of them
were utterly heartbroken

this print helps me focus on one of the
key aspects of my job
particularly important on a day like today
making room for hope
even during the most painful
heartbreaks

My Holly Golightly moment...

2010-08-17T00:05:00.000-07:00

David Yurman
Classic Cable Sunglasses
w/Sterling Silver Cable
also available
w/Gold Plated Cable

Blogging has taught me something about myself

and my relationship to

"things"...

I do a"bit" of what I consider "recreational shopping" every week

and by recreational I mean an innocent meander through my favorite

on-line shops or pretty much any shop adjacent to where I am

when I have some time to kill-

there is no intention of making a purchase

I find that I often blog about the yummiest items that I discover

on these recreational forays

and I've come to the conclusion that blogging seems

to scratch the itch and effectively quells the desire to

purchase said items

so unlike most fashion fiend bloggers

blogging about something I'm lusting for

has effectively and historically almost guaranteed that

I don't end up getting it!

However these sunglasses may just be the exception

I tried them on during the same recreational shopping

trip that led to the purchase of this weeks

Shoe Madness Monday beauties-

And these sunglasses, well

they made me feel like a

MOVIE STAR!!

Seriously, so seriously I felt like I was channeling

Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren

behind those shades...

They are less then half the original retail

and current price on Nordstrom's website

at the (will one day be the death of me)

Off Fifth outlet near my home...

and of course I would never get

the store credit card just for the

additional 15% Off discount

nope, not me...

seriously...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Kara

Bakers Shoes

Kara

Subtle, sexy rear view

I blame my friend Derya...

She recently bought these shoes in Tan, gorgeous...

then last week after having dinner together

we wandered into the Bakers shoe store and

there they were on clearance for 29.99

but not in my size, but online...

YES!!

I am soooooo ready for Fall!

Bring it!!!

Lucky 13

2010-08-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

thirteen years ago today
on your 35th birthday

at the home of a dear friend

in an intimate candle lit ceremony

we promised to be a family

husband and wife

happy birthday
and

happy anniversary James

te adoro

How do you know you're TOO OLD for a Lady Gaga concert...?

2010-08-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

cell phone pix from Lady Gaga's concert

You know you're too old for a Lady Gaga concert when...

you arrive to the venue on time because you're not cool enough

to know that Gaga won't be playing for another HOUR...

Gaga's opening act Semi Precious Weapons makes your ears bleed...

you look around at all the 20 somethings and wonder where the

heck they got the $100 plus dollars to buy these seats...

when Gaga fires up the crowd by screaming

"blah blah blah MOTHER F%$#S!!" during the show

you find yourself shaking your head and tsk tsk tsking...

during the costume changes your mind wanders to the

Vanity Fair interview, and you worry because Gaga thinks

not having done cocaine for 6 months is being "off drugs"...

but mostly you watch her in awe and

in an oddly maternal way feel proud

and just know that her mom must feel very,

very proud...

so yes I AM too old for a Lady Gaga concert

but I enjoyed every minute of it

just the same...

that's it-

no more Gaga, promise!

the road to Gaga...

2010-08-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

The road to Lady Gaga

starts here

(click on the artists name to hear an

acoustic version of my favorite songs)

Madonna

Alanis

Pink

Gaga

Tonight I will be joining thousands of fans
at the Staples Center in Los Angeles-
all of the mega fan "little monsters"
who will be celebrating in full
Gaga-licious regalia
and then the "grown-ups" like me
who don't need a champion or a hero
but still crave a night of excitement
and spellbinding entertainment
Lady Gaga like Madonna, Alanis and Pink before her
call me to - their persona's and their music
I find their combination
of ferociousness and vulnerability
intoxicating
and so
tomorrow morning I hope to have
the sweetest hangover...

I now pronounce you husband and wife...

2010-08-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

The wedding was lovely

the bride and groom looked amazing

the gaggle of flower girls was in top form

and every detail from the decor

to the music was perfection

I heard the ceremony was lovely too...

This is Krista one of my oldest and dearest friends

and I have her to thank/blame for my

short but illustrious career as a

wedding officiant

eight years ago she charmed me into getting ordained

so that I could perform the ceremony for her

sister Rachel and her fiancé Will

and this year when her brother-in-law Joe

and his fiancé Dawn were looking for an officiant

guess who's name came up?!?!

Truth is there isn't much

that I wouldn't do if Krista asked

and here's just one of the reasons why:

she's my friend who will look down at our feet and say

"our toes look HOT let's get a picture!"

Live for ya friend...

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-08-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Beverly Feldman

Sprinkle Snake Skin Ballet Flats

I don't usually feature flats on

Shoe Madness Monday because well

flats just don't have that WOW

factor in photographs

and these are no exception

except well

in person-

WOW!

I REALLY want these

in turquoise

and they are on clearance

in my size

online at Amazon

and locally at OFF5th at the Block

I walked away from them

last night

but who knows what

tomorrow will bring....

a beautiful day for a wedding rehearsal

2010-08-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure today of spending the afternoon at a wedding

rehearsal at Pines Park in Dana Point

The bride wore her mothers wedding dress today

yes it was short when her mom wore in on her wedding day

the groom's parents and the mother of the bride take their turn down the aisle

this wedding party includes a large and disorderly

gaggle of gorgeous flower girls

HERE COMES the BRIDE!!!

Dawn and Joe the ecstatic soon to be newlyweds.

The reason that I have this lovely vantage point at the end of

the aisle during the wedding rehearsal is that I

(yes little old me)

will be performing Dawn and Joe's

wedding ceremony tomorrow!

seriously...

Cuba Day 3 - Part I The Countryside

2010-08-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Day three took us to the countryside to visit relatives we had never

met before, to see some of the sights and the moment my mom had

most been looking forward to, a visit to Aspiro, the little town where

she was raised, the place where all of her childhood memories live...

About 30 minutes out of Havana the scenery changes dramatically

Cuban palms as far as the eye can see

this is an iconic Cuban vista

livestock grazing in the morning sunshine

an old style train speeds past us along the quiet country road

our first stop the town of Artemisa

We arrive at the home of a second cousin

and are greeted by the proverbial colorful laundry

hanging in the sunshine to dry

and a lovely flock of Cuban hens and their rooster

the nearest neighbor also has a "vintage" car

everyone settles in on the back patio to slice up some ripe mango's

that were just picked from the backyard tree

a little Cuban kitsch hangs on the patio wall

and inside a touch of romance

the heart plaque reads,

"remember my voice

and never forget my name

love me today

tomorrow doesn't matter"

I admired my cousins' furniture and she proudly shared with me

that these chairs have been in her family for three generations

and outside for protection a casita

an altar to one of the most popular saints in Cuba

Saint Lazarus or San Lazaro

a warm goodbye

a happy Mami

is a thing of beauty

Shoe MADNESS Monday

2010-08-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Vivienne Westwood

Melissa Jelly Shoe

Girly, flirty, kitschy

these shoes make me

SMILE!!

Happy Monday!

my heart is all a flutter...

2010-08-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

The lovely Derya (my Etsy Valentine)

of Jewelera

is on fire!!

She had just started playing around

with these handmade

organza butterflies last year as

sweet hair clips

but just LOOK at the

metamorphosis!!!

(I will be discreetly forwarding this post to my honey

so he can place a custom order for this necklace -

because it's never too early for the perfect

husband to secure the PERFECT

Christmas gift!)

proud mama!

2010-07-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

CLICK

and show my

baby girl's

LIPS

some LOVE!!!!

Really Vegas, really...?

2010-07-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't blogged about it yet

the same thing happened

when I visited Miami

so many of my favorite "things"

landmarks and such

were

GONE!

And now YOU Vegas!

It's only been a couple of years since our last trip

and yet several of my favorite things to do and see are-

GONE!

The white tiger exhibit inside the Mirage

GONE!

Yes I know, I know "cruelty to animals"

blah blah blah!

It's GONE!

There is a burger joint there now...

and our romantic hangout

at the Paris?

The Napoleon Champagne Lounge

the last two times we were in Vegas

we had lovely champagne

and to die for chocolate fondue

while listening to live old school

jazz...

look carefully at the picture above

do you see it?

A CIGAR!

The Napoleon Champagne Lounge

is now a smoking/cigar lounge

and the law prohibits food to be sold

where smoking is allowed so

bye bye chocolate fondue

and the jazz musicians have been replaced

by dueling piano's that play

rock and roll

60's - 90"s

it's just WRONG!

But here is what was most wrong:

I caved

my feet were killing me and

I caved

I bought a pair of overpriced

bedazzled LAS VEGAS flip flops-

and they felt

sooooooooooooooooooooo

so GOOD!

I guess if the white tigers can be gone

and the yummy chocolate fondue can be gone

my fashion dignity can take a little break in mourning-

but unlike the tigers and the chocolate

I"LL Be BACK!!!