Simon Says

It is wise advice to dress for success. This applies to job interviews and dates, and it definitely applies to meeting Simon Doonan, which I had the pleasure of doing on Saturday.

What's a girl to wear when she has 60 seconds to make a good impression on one of the wittiest and most creative powerhouses in the world of fashion and pop culture? What will tell Simon without words that I too am on the same trajectory of coolness that he is? Clearly the answer was my good friend the owl. We chit-chatted for a bit while he signed my book, the usual "It's so nice to meet you, how do you spell your name, I love your philosophy on life, etc" banter that typically occurs at book singings while the people in line behind you eye you to hurry up. After he lifted his pen and returned my book to me Simon said "I LOVE your owl pendant!" SCORE! In my mind I thought "I KNEW you would!" We chatted about how it was my mothers and how I should be wearing it with something long and flowy and then he reiterated his adoration saying "It could be worth a lot of money. It's so groovy!" No Simon, you're groovy.

I'm so smitten with this man! I sort of think we are long lost best friends. I couldn't help but notice an eerie resemblance in our handwriting, and I know we share a love for all things witty and British. Basking in the glow of my compliment and newly autographed book I kept thinking how great Simon was and how much I wanted to just miniaturize him and put him in my pocket. Think of all the fun you could have with a mini Simon Doonan in your pocket making jokes and giving you fashion advice! I think this is a great idea, so I would like to debut the prototype here. I give you Pocket Simon: GENIUS! Pure genius! If Pocket Simon was around today he would probably say "Are you seriously wearing that gray sweater that you have been wearing all winter again??" To which I would reply "Yes, Simon, I am. It's a lovely 30 degree day in late April in Chicago and I think it is perfectly appropriate." Then he would tell me to don the owl necklace and all would be right with the world.

Bon Appétit!

I just finished this book, and it was so wonderful! How adorable is Julia Child?! If you like anything to do with cooking, France, photography, or writing this is definitely an enjoyable read, though I have a feeling if you don't like any of those things you will enjoy this book too. This book focuses more on the behind the scenes art of writing a cook book, while giving a glimpse into the life her and her husband Paul shared as she fostered her love for cooking. Julia was truly a pioneer in her industry, a funny thought considering today we have entire networks devoted to food and cooking, not to mention a slew of celebrity chefs. In the early days it was just Julia and good ol' public tv! I remember watching her as a kid and having no clue what crazy French concoction she was whipping up, but being mesmerized just the same.

This clip is entertaining and reminds me how fun she was to watch in the kitchen. Sandwiches & beer... good call Julia!

Africa In Pictures

A taste of Tanzania...

Kitenge Style

I made a shirt. Seriously.


I had a bunch of amazing kitenge cloth that I brought back from Africa (asante sana SWP!) and it was just dying to be transformed into something. One print will be a future pillow, one has been transformed into a table cloth (not much of a stretch there), and the remainder I will use for sarongs, bedspreads, etc.

This particular fabric I bought with the intention of making something wearable (read: I won't be embarrassed to leave the house with it on, and that includes checking the mail). Remember that episode of The Cosby Show where Denise convinces Theo she can make him a designer shirt for a third of the cost and it ends up looking like this:I was sort of afraid I was going to have a similar outcome when I opened the pattern and felt slightly worried before I had even begun to cut my fabric. Not a good sign of things to come.

The project turned out to be another classic example of a time when I could have made something "simple," yet opted for my first real attempt at using a pattern and sewing machine to involve circular neck lines, gathering, and zippers, ala Denise. I seriously thought I was in over my head, but after 2 days, a gazillion hours of blood, sweat, and tears, and some help from Mom, I had a shirt that pseudo-fit, zipped, and looked pretty darn rad, If I do say so myself.

File Under: I'm a Nerd

For all 4 of you that read this on your iPhone I just added a webclip icon so if you want to add me to your home screen this nifty graphic will pop up: Yee-haw! This is another classic example of me wanting instant gratification without taking the steps to actually learn something along the way. Who needs guitar lessons when my 15-year old self can just get the tabs to learn all the songs I want to play? And who needs to know anything about HTML when someone else does the coding for you?

While we are on the topic of blogging, I think all of you "anonymous" commentators out there can click on the Name/URL option and type in your name to leave a note. Don't fear, you don't need a URL to just sign your name :)

Hope to get some Africa pics up later in the week...

Fukudome!

photo: Chicago Tribune


I have a new favorite Cub! After Alou left, Barrett became my main man, but now it's all about Kosuke Fukudome! Talk about winning over the skeptics on your first day on the job, not only can this man play but his last name has a nice ring to it, great for cheering him on: Fu-ku-DO-me! *clap*clap*clap clap clap*

Granted all his work was in vain yesterday, but he was still amazing to watch. He was focused, poised, and actually knew when to swing at the ball, unlike a few so-called power-hitters we have had in the past. I'm actually contemplating sitting in right field to get a closer look at him in action, though I think my left field bleacher seat and some binoculars should do the trick come Saturday afternoon. I know we lost yesterday, but don't we always? I don't care about the first game of the season it's the last end all be all game that I want us to win. We looked good, and seemed to feel good, so I'm thinking positively. Afterall, the 100th time is the charm... or so I'm hoping.