Tuesday's Mental Musings

I know someone who produces documents for a company. It's his job. He is a consultant. How and what documents need to be issued are set by the owners of the companies he works for. The processes and documents were set up with the client's needs in mind. The records he maintains for his clients are created to support those client's books. Despite having an outline of how things need to be done and issued this person spends 50% of his time fighting against doing things in the framework set. Instead he tries to change the process and conform it to his own conceit believing that his way is the better way. He isn't consistent with his alterations and each session of work seems to be a new opportunity for him to get creative and throw a wrench into the works. None of his suggestions improve the process used to get there. His suggestions don't take into account the industry he is working with, the needs of his clients’ clients or the big picture of the project at hand. His suggested handling of things often muddles the details of the project and causes back tracking and revisions. The thing is he truly believes his way is the right way and he will defend himself even when holes can be punched into his defense. He loves to argue and refuses to admit that he is ever wrong. His argumentative method of processing his work load pushes those he works with away and depletes those around him. I suspect the energy he creates feeds him. I wish he would get a hobby like mountain climbing, bungee jumping or some other action packed sport that might relieve those of us that need to deal with his ego.

Shoes Under $15.00

I have to admit as much as I love shoes lately I haven't loved them as much as I could. Lately the trend in shoes seems to be variations of  many "classic" styles but with "stripper" heels that promise to bring pain after an hour or two standing in them. And as much as I love the look of a high heel I am not too invested in spending money on shoes that I will find a way not to wear. That doesn't mean I don't have and wear heels but I prefer to spend most of my budget on shoes that aren't part of the extreme sport of high heel wearing.

If you're like me you may want to check out AMIClubwear.com for economically priced trends in clothing and accessories. All the shoes shown here at under $15.

Click on title to go to site.

cork trend

nude trend

snake skin trend

animal print

bootie, gladiator trend

peep toe maryjanes

peep toe ankle bootie

Music Video Break Day

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Movie of the Moment

The GI Jane in me...

Wants these OTBT Women's Hutchinson Ankle Boot

available at amazon.com

$125-128.50

(maybe I will buy those camflouge pants from Forever 21)

If you're near a Pay Half they have a variation of this style boot for under $50.00!

Music Video Break Day

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Rocker Legs

Legging have been back in a big way.

Having worn the trend the last time around I continue fight the urge to to buy and wear them again, I have enough fashbacks to my "metal" years.

For those of you inspired enough to want to catch the tail end of this trend Forever 21 has more than enough econimically priced options for the inner rock star in you to choose from.

 

animal print $10.80

(owned)

crackle liquid $14.80

(loved to death)

mettalic pindot $15.80

(hmmmm)

animal  print infantry pants $22.80

(maybe after a few more squats)

camouflage twill pant $24.80

(My inner GI Jane loves these!)

Lusting for

the Campania Crossbody Bag from Brahim's Verana Collection

At $245 I may be wanting it for a long time

click on title to go to site

Music Video Break Day

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Frozen Treat

Because it's summer I have a freezer filled with frozen fruit. Frozen bananas, grapes, berries, watermelon or cantaloupe are a great lo-cal sweet summer snack. They are also a great base for an thicker-than a smoothie ice-cream-replacement treat.

Into the blender I add

1 Cup frozen Watermelon chunks

1/2 Cup frozen Blueberries

1 Cup Low-Fat or Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt

Blend until thick and creamy

(sometimes I need to add 2 tbs water to help it move along)

Hurry!

Enjoy before the-thicker-than-a-smoothie melts to become a smoothie!

(sorry mine didn't last long enough to snap pictures!)

Isabel Toledo VaVaVaooooooooms

These elegant D'Orsay silhouette satin pumps with a bold bow detail, 3.75" wrapped stiletto heel and platform front are interesting enough to stop into Payless Shoes and try on

click on title to go to site for more options

Poor Woman's Latisse

A lot of my friends and I are dying to try Latisse, the perscription treatment that promises longer more luxurious lashes, but at $200 a tube it is way out of most of our budgets.

Instead many of us are turning to LOreal's 24 Hour Lash Boosting Power System, a 2 step night serum and day mascara that promises longer, thicker lashes, and the reviews are positive.

about $25.00 a kit

available at your local drugstore

Music Video Break Day

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Tuesday's Mental Musings

My life is my life. Your life is your life. We each made choices to be who and to an extent what we are. We can look to each other's lives for inspiration and even encouragement but to look to each other's lives with envy is a waste of time and energy. My life is my life. Your life is your life. We each made choices to be who and to an extent what we are.

Hitting the Curve

Levi's New Curve ID jeans take into account all your curves, especially those in the rear.
Choose  fit first,"slight" (flatter, more boyish rear), "demi" (more curves back there) or "bold" (wider hips and smaller waist), and style second.

Check out levi.com for the many styles available

From $58-98

Movie of the Moment

Music Video Break Day

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Hmmmmmmmmmm H&M

I must admit that I haven't shopped H&M in at least 2 seasons, but come the end of August you will find me at their racks riffling through the Fall 2010 collection and hopefully buying some replacement Fall/Winter pieces that are sure to be wardrobe classics at prices that make them seem throw-away.

And trust I won't forget to prowl the men's racks for cross over items!

An Amazingly Simple Meal

Last night I wanted breakfast for dinner

So I made my go-to-24-hour-breakfast

I toasted and buttered 1 slice of good country bread

Topped it with a few greens, letting the heat wilt the greens

Then layered the greens with 2 extremely thin slices of German ham

Followed by  two slices of salted tomatoes, sliced really thin as well

I then placed the plate on the stove, which was warmed because

I was frying an egg in REAL butter

(Don't forget to salt and pepper the frying egg!)

Once the egg was cook to my liking I slid it onto the open face sandwich

and finished it off with a sprinkle of chiffonaded basil

(the heat wilts the basel and release the most amazing aroma)

Music Video Break Day

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Luscious Lips

I love the fall. Cooler weather means that I can but away my lip balm and simple cotton skirts and dresses and begin to wear real clothing and real makeup. I know we're a few weeks away from sweater weather but I can wait because it means I'll have time to try on all 8 shades of red lipstick in Maybelline's Colorsensational line. This season they are crisper, richer in color and creamier in feel and I know there's a deeper shade of red that's perfect for me.

available at your local drugstore

Tucker for Target

Tucker by Gaby Basora's collaboration with Target will be available from

September 12 through October 17

And if the the offerings are anything like the designer's main line

I, for one, am prepared to camp out on Sept 11 in front of Manhattan's only Target

(East River Plaza shopping center on 116th Street in East Harlem)

Of course I could head to one of the Brooklyn outposts but I haven't been to the Manhattan store yet!

Music Video Break Day

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Movie of the Moment

Charlie Parker Jazz Fest

Marcus Garvey Park, Manhattan

Saturday, August 28

3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

featuring:

McCOY TYNER

JASON MORAN AND THE BANDWAGON

THE JD ALLEN TRIO

REVIVE DA LIVE: CHARLIE PARKER REVISTED

Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan

Sunday, August 29

3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

featuring

JIMMY SCOTT, VIJAY IYER

THE COOKERS

CATHERINE RUSSELL

click on title for more details

Tuesday's Mental Musings

Growing up in a large extended family has both its benefits and drawbacks.

There always seems to be a heiarchy, one based on age, birth right and finally by attribute. This heiarchy creates secure check points for family members. We learn to respect our elders and support our young and hopefully enjoy being in the middle of either end as we move along this life.

Of course there are also those who disrespect the natural pecking order of the group by ignoring it. Rather than earning the respect and attention of family members and by doing so carve their own seat in that structure they attempt to seize that personal power by acting out.

A few recent events within my extended-far-reaching-heavy-limbed family have had me thinking about personal power and how many of us mix up aggressively presenting our ego in anger and with indignation with claiming our position of control within the group structure because we believe that by doing so we are seen as powerful and "in control". Usually this type of reactionary behavior is just a mark of youth but many of us maintain our passionate response to life and in the heat of the moment reach for behavior that is familar and easy. Rather than responding with honest and sincere vulnerability we present our egos first in the belief that by posturing we are empowering our selves, especially to the viewers.

I can personally say observing such reactions don't leave me with the impression that the person "throwing" the trantrum is in fact powerful. Instead it leaves me confused, angry, often disgusted, sometimes disappointed and in the end sad because that person who so desparately wants to be known for his/her strength often loses the respect and trust of those unfortunate enough to be part of their play.They fail to realize that power is an illusion created by those who bestowe it upon us. And more importantly it is an illusion that can disappear when attention and respect are withdrawn and the "love" of family is given because of blood, not because of respect for who we are.
Observing such behavior also makes me step back and check my self, which is a hard thing for most of us to do. We all want to be understood and we all want to be right and for most of us just but sometimes we aren't. We are imperfect. We are human.

Music Video Break Day

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Movie of the Moment

I wonder..

How big the cup of coffee was that went with that donut?

Music Video Break Day

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Cheep Eats

Did I ever mention this place?

Falafels are just $2.00

2nd Avenue & St. Marks (8th Street)

Hanging Around..

I am a big nerd. I love carrying a coin purse. Mine dangles from my key ring and sometimes when I go out I wear a "fancy" black beaded one I purchased a 100 years ago from Joyce Leslie's.  It seems this preference might be another "trend" and this season designers are again giving us options for all budgets.

I love the one shown above, even with the pink ribbon, and at $14.00 it's worth a try

(click on title to go to Amazon.com)

For something a bit larger go to

http://www.brahmin.com/whats-new

to look at their coin purse shaped Ashley Framed Handbags

(image below).

At $125 each these embossed leather bags are worth the investment.

Music Video Break Day

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Lipstick Styling

One of the trends of Fall 2010 is to match the color of your lipstick to the color of your clothing.

This could be interesting or an extreme disaster depending on your color selections.

Colorsensational Lipstains

A number of posts back I mentioned loving a Carlo di Roma Lip Liner pigment pen and using it as an overall lip color. Now Maybelline has introduced a water based pigment lip pen that gives your lips a sheer wash of color. There are 10 shades available. They leave a stain the doesn't cake or weigh heavy on your lips but the color isn't long lasting, I suspect it has something to do with it being waterbased. And if you prefer a moist lip this isn't an option you should be considering.

About $6.50 each.

Available at your local drugstore.

Tuesday's Mental Musings

Walking the streets of New York I have often had the pleasure of being called "yous people" as well as variations of other alienating descriptive titles by many who have forgotten a time in their history when their own people and perhaps themselves were considered and labeled in the same way. The funny thing is that "my people" have been here in America long before any of "those" people's were. In fact some of "my people" greeted "those peoples" who called most "you people" to begin with, but I digress.

When I was younger I spent a lot of time staring into reflective surfaces and the faces of my relatives and loved ones trying to understand what made others believe we didn't belong and that they did. As much as I stared I never found a concrete answer other than the idea that most feel insecure about belonging and that insecurity creates a need in many to create a hiearchy that separates us from them, me from you, my people from your people.

Still this is America, the land of immigration and this is New York, one of the biggest receiving ports of that immigration, how could anyone be called "yous people" when we are all "us people"?

Music Video Break Day

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Once Again...

With Fashion looking to fall we are being told to get out our animal print accessories out.

I, for one, love wearing faux animal print in the fall but I will be damned if I am going to pay $500 and up for a leopard, tiger or cheetah print muffler unless one of those cat climbs onto my shoulders and drapes itself around my neck.

Of course you could head on down to a fabric store, purchase about 1/2 yard or so of some low pile fake fur in the animal print and colors you like and make it youself. 

I suspect labor and effort aside you could save close to $450.00 of that starting price of $500.00.

The Return of the Hand Bag

This scanned page from Elle is just an example of Fall 2010's handbag, compact, squarish, lady-like bags, which means it's time for a purse clean out!

Music Video Break Day

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A Bean For All Seasons

When the heat hits I try not to eat meat, which often requires more heat to cook it than I can stand at this time of year. Eggs and dairy aside, beans seem to become a staple for the summer months.

Followng is a quick and versatile recipe I use all the time.

It can be played with.

The possibilities are pretty endless.

Enjoy!

Into A Large Bowl

Add 3-4 Finely Chopped Cloves of Garlic

Followed by 1/2 Cup of Finely Chopped Cured Black Olives

and 1 Cup Chopped Grape Tomatoes

(I quarter them)

Then Add 1 Can White Beans, Drained & Rinsed Well

(I tend to use the small beans)

Plus about 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Rosemary or Basil (FRESH!)

And Mix In 3-5 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

I like to let this marinate overnight and use it as a base for a number of dishes.

Place A Spoonful of the Bean Mix on Thinly Sliced Italian or French Bread

Top with Shredded Cheese, A Sprinkle of Olive Oil, Dash of Pepper

& Bake for 15-20 Minutes in a 350 Degree Oven

BRUSCHETTA! 

OR

Mix 1/2  Cup Into A Bowl of Mixed Greens

Add Some More Olive Oil

Maybe A Splash or Two of Vinegar, Salt & Pepper and Mix.

Sometimes I Even Add Shredded Chicken Breast.

WHITE BEAN SALAD!

OR

Purify 1/2 - 1 Cup of the Bean in a Blender

WHITE BEAN DIP

Serve with Pita or Tortilla Chips, Celery or Carrot Sticks

OR

Warm A Tortilla

Layer with Shredded Carrots, Mixed Greens & Mashed Avocado

Top with Some of the Bean Mixture

(I mash a tablespoon or two to spread before topping with mixture)

WHITE BEAN TORTILLA WRAP