Bow Ties are Cool

"I wear your granddad's clothes, I look incredible" - Macklemore

It used to be in the day that bow ties were considered for older, professorial gents or Alfalfa from Little Rascals, but now I'm noticing that the bow tie is making it's comeback with a much cooler crowd.

I'm personally digging the guy who can sport this look outside of your typical red carpet tuxedo. If you can wear a bow tie with your suit or with just a dress shirt and look like you own it, then you are superbad in my book.

Is the bow tie sexy?  That can be debatable, but it does have a certain hipster-nerd-cool vibe to it.

Need proof? Check these guys out:

The Gosling. Nuff said. The guy could wear a bucket on his head and still look cool.

JT. I can now forgive him for his frosted tips, diamond earrings and questionable fashion sense back in his *NSync days, because JT is such the renaissance man and he knows a good bow tie when he sees it. 

JGL. Not only was he the best character with style in Inception, but on the red carpet he knows how to rock a bow tie. If there is a word to describe JGL, it's "dandy."

K. West. Before he lost cool credit by dating a Kardashian, Kanye had better taste in accessories with his bow ties.

RDJr. Only Iron Man himself can get away with the polka dot bow tie and striped jacket. His irreverent style fits his personality to a T. 

Harry.  I'm an old fogey, so I only knew about this kid by reading US Magazine and dancing (badly) to his band's song on Wii's Just Dance 4, but I find his last name fitting - this kid has "Style"s.

B. Goreski. If there ever was a person on the face of this planet who is trying his damndest to bring the bow tie back, it is this former assistant to stylist Rachel Zoe. I can just imagine his immense collection of bow ties rotating in his walk-in closet. It's probably like walking into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

Uggie. Yes, even those of the canine variety can sport them.

Art is everywhere

This past weekend, I visited one of my favorite little shops in San Diego, Pigment.  This shop sells adorable home decor and accessories.  If you are ever in the neighborhood, check Pigment out.  It's a great place to find perfect gifts for those you care about. 

In particular I love this shop for all the wonderful, creative, terrariums it sells.  You can even buy DIY kits to make your own. Revisiting this shop inspired today's post regarding Terrarium as art. To be honest, I have this uncanny ability to kill any plant I have, including succulents and air plants - the two types of plants that are very hard to kill.  What can I say, it's a gift.  But that doesn't stop me from looking at terrariums and appreciating the work that goes into creating a beautiful tiny landscape.

Artist Kim Holleman uses found objects and trash to create terrarium sculptures. Her pieces express her views on our current environmental state and our possible future. There is a colorful beauty to her 'sculptures' but at the same time a point to be made. 

My favorite type of Terrarium art is where there is a miniature world happening. 

Some of the best "miniature" terrarium worlds I have seen is at Twig Terrariums.  They sell DIY kits, but also imaginative ready-made terrariums. 

Artist Paula Hayes creates these gorgeous biospheres highlighting the beauty of nature.  Her work has been displayed in galleries like MoMA.

Terrariums are like zen gardens - beautiful and relaxing. Try your hand at one and you'll be hooked. 

Doodles Come Alive!

I was a big doodler in my younger days and I admit even now, during one of my job's long office meetings, I zone out by doodling on my notepad. 

So when I found out the illustrator, Christoph Niemann, had done an IPad app (Petting Zoo) I had to have it for me my kids.  His doodles come alive with a few simple strokes. There are no instructions needed, kids instinctively know how to swipe up, down, and from side to side. Not only is this app affordable, it's so kooky, clever and entertaining that it's hard to put down.  

Kids can create music on the back of a porcupine, by the legs of an octopus, or the teeth of a crocodile. 

My favorite is the ladybug on the apple you can make him do a quick jog around the apple, ride his skateboard, jump on the apple, and if you swipe fast enough, he "flames on."

The clever transitions between each doodle is also a plus.  Even the credits are doodle animated.  

Treat your kids and yourself - Check it out here.

Rubber Tree Ant

Today marks my 50th blog post. Starting a blog is like a catharsis for me - it's an outlet for my likes, thoughts and wants. But starting a blog is challenging and sometimes frustrating. It's definitely amazing when a blogger writes a post everyday, because for myself it's a difficult feat.

My goal is to continue to write about what I love and what keeps my brain a jumping. The bigger goal is to write a blog that is an interesting read for those who visit it and hopefully keeps you coming back for more.

Top Five Oscar Acceptance Speeches

I am a HUGE Oscar fan, no not Oscar the Grouch (although he is appealing in his grumpy ways), but the Academy Award "Oscar." It's the granddaddy of award shows because all the biggest stars come out for it and all the best fashion (and some bad fashion) is on display. 

One of the best parts of watching the Oscars is seeing what people will say when they win an award and unfortunately a good 95% of them are your typical speeches - you know the ones thanking their agent, their co-stars, even God (who is probably, next to Oprah, the most mentioned person [or divine being?] in people's speeches). 

But once in a blue moon, there will be memorable ones to me (and I say me, because I'm only going to talk about speeches that I have seen in my lifetime and remain in my waning memory).  So I present to you my Top Five Oscar Acceptance Speeches:


Winner:  Anna Paquin
Award:   Best Supporting Actress 
Movie:    The Piano (1993)

Most of us now know the adult Anna Paquin as Sookie on True Blood, but I'm old enough to remember her as that cute kid in The Piano. She was truly a great child actor that deserved her award. Her speech was not cloying, it was what a child would sound like if they won an award - gasping and giggling before she was able to get her words out. Plus she had the awesome bejeweled purple beret that I still remember to this day. 

Watch here.

Winner:  Jack Palance

Award:    Best Supporting Actor

Movie:     City Slickers (1991)

One of the best parts of the movie City Slickers was Jack Palance. His "I crap bigger than you" line is still one of the best lines in movie history and only Jack Palance could say it and you believe him. So when Mr. Palance won his first Oscar for that role, it was wholly deserved. But his speech is like what your crazy old grandpa would say and do to show he still has it (although l was afraid he would croak on stage doing it!). Most Oscar winners will just stand at the mike and say their speech, Jack Palance walks the walk or more like one-armed push-ups.

Watch here. 

Winner:  Joe Pesci

Award:    Best Supporting Actor

Movie:     Goodfellas (1990)

We all know Joe Pesci as a rat-a-tat actor - always talking (check out his Lethal Weapon movies), but his Oscar speech was all of six words...yes six. So those of us who cannot stand long winded speeches (I'm looking at you Anne Hathaway. Watch this Joe Pesci speech when you win this Sunday night and get some pointers), Mr. Pesci's short speech should be up your alley.

Watch here.

Winner:  Adrien Brody

Award:   Best Actor

Movie:    The Pianist (2002)

Adrien Brody became the youngest Best Actor winner at 29 when he won the Oscar. Like any young man - who can be rather impulsive - when you are on stage with one of the most beautiful actresses in history what do you do? Well, you give her a big, fat, kiss in front of millions of people watching. Was it kind of creepy? There are those who would say so, but to me it was an impromptu moment for a person who may never have that opportunity again (if Brad Pitt was on stage I would do the same, although Angelina Jolie kind of scares me, so maybe not). 

Watch here. 

Winner:  Cuba Gooding Jr.

Award:    Best Supporting Actor

Movie:     Jerry Maguire (1996)

One of my favorite movies is Jerry Maguire (it's one of the few Tom Cruise movies that I didn't mind that Tom Cruise acted like Tom Cruise) because of one Cuba Gooding Jr. He was Mr. Serious in Boyz In the Hood, so when he played Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire with so much humor, wit, cockiness and heart it was a welcome surprise. It's almost a tragedy that he followed that movie with Snow Dogs and Boat Trip, but for one brief shining moment he made us all cheer for him when he won that Oscar. It's one of the few speeches that I enjoyed from the beginning to the end. You usually welcome the Orchestra cutting off someone's long winded speeches, but Cuba's interruption of the Orchestra was done with such enthusiasm that it got most people in the audience to give him a standing ovation.  Well done, Mr. Gooding Jr. Well done.

Watch here.

I'm hoping that this year's Oscars will give me some memorable Oscar speeches to add to my collective memory and if not, I hope one day they give an Oscar to Robert Downey Jr., because I bet good money that his speech will be the tops.

What a cubicle dweller dreams of...

In three to five years, I may have to find a new cubicle to dream out of. The company I have worked the past nineteen years for is "closing up shop" here in California and moving their offices out of state. It's something my co-workers and I knew was coming, but to hear the official word is a little unsettling, a little scary, and a whole lot unknown. My husband and I decided not to follow my company out of state and in all likelihood I will have to look for a new job.  

The question is will I try to find a job in the same industry or will I try something new? I am a creature of habit and it's definitely not in my nature to find something new, but you never know.

My dream is to work out of my house. It's a lot more private and I can be near my kids every day. And of course, I can dream of home office spaces like the following:

Retro modern is one of my favorite styles.  The clean and simple lines are up my alley. Question is can I keep my desk this clean? Better question, can I keep a plant alive?

So many things I adore: Seesaw work table, substitute a California print instead of New York, the eclectic mix of decor on and hanging above the desk (those wooden ball thingees - have no idea what they are, but me like).

It's the gallery black wall that gets me. The possibilities are endless. 

The co-ed work space. Just enough distance so you can have a bit of personal space and at the same time still be able to blow kisses to each other (although my husband would never blow kisses, but I would because I'm that kind of sappy).

Of course, having inspiring words in my office space will help me get through the difficult and challenging times I have ahead of me:

"I'm not giving up, I'm just getting started."

(photos via here, here, here, here and here)

Love week: I Love IKEA

When people talk about IKEA on their blogs it's usually focused on the aspect of design, but my story goes a little deeper, more personal.

This love story begins with a chair...

The Poang chair was my very first purchase from the IKEA store in Carson, California. I remember reading about this fabulous store with stylish, modern and most of all affordable furniture. My siblings and I drove all the way up to Carson from San Diego to shop there.  And every once in awhile we would make it a regular road trip. 

I used to wish that one day an IKEA would open up in San Diego. In 2000, my wish came true. My sister even left her city planner job to work as an interior decorator in IKEA (maybe one day she will talk about how IKEA changed her life on her blog). One of her new co-workers was a guy named Allan...

Do I believe in fate due to a Poang chair? I don't know, but my sister sets me up on a blind date with Allan and the rest as they say is history. So maybe fate just needs a swift kick in the pants to get started. Twelve years after IKEA opened here in San Diego, I'm now married to the love of my life, we have two beautiful children and a home that has it's fair share of IKEA furniture in it...and hopefully, we live happily ever after together like a big plate of swedish meatballs, mash potatoes and lingonberries.

Happy Valentine's Day!