On the Street.....The Spandau Ballet Romantic, Hamburg

This falls under the category - I wouldn't do it but it works very well for him.


I do think the importance of his hair to complete this look cannot be overstated.

At The Mall.......Effortless, Berlin

This is how thery dress at the mall in Berlin - ok. not everyone but at least one person

On the Street.....Posters, Berlin

McQueen would see something like this and make the most incredible skirt or dress from the inspiration.

Casual Tees for Spring!

First of all, I'd like to make an important announcement (which is so important we decided to reiterate it on our side bar!). As most of you know by now, since forever, we've been blogging from mon-saturday every week (give or take a few hours). But because of upcoming finals and all (HG is having her end of year finals, one of those UK uni ones where they accumulate everything they've taught in the last year into one big exam at the end- *shiver* I'm so glad I follow the US system) our blogging schedule is going to be temporarily changed to tue/thu/sat until the week of June 11th 2007, with a few extra blogs thrown in should time allow. After that, we promise we will be back on schedule with even more of our rantings and observations on fashion and life in general!

So anyways, back onto today's topic. Now that spring has finally arrived, I was digging through my spring/summer wardrobe I have here in Chicago and realised that I had a serious lack in casual tees. Especially those that didn't have "Abercrombie" emblazoned all over it. Now here is one of those times when I ask myself- WHAT was I thinking?

Why, from the whole A&F store, did I not choose something more discreet and versatile like this tank and this henley?
Or even better some pretty tops that don't say Abercrombie at all, but are just casual and cute. If only I can get my money back on those tees and get these instead.
I really can do with more simple but pretty tops this spring/summer, like these two from Express. I was looking for a top to go with my summer skirts this weekend, and these two with their neutral colors and simple but girly designs would've been perfect!
A pretty laced tank with contrasting colors, such as this one (left) from American Eagle would be great too- oh wait, I already have something very similar from Coco and Mimi last year and I wear it all the time. LOL. Or you can go just go with a simple plain tank, like this one from J Crew (right). To make it fun, try layering tanks of fun, bright, summery, neon colors with more neutral colored tanks.

With everything going loose these days, a simple loosely fitted tee, like this one (left) from American Eagle may be all you need. For a bit more style and fit, try this empire waist tee with flirty sleeves from Forever 21(right).

More loosely fitted bubbly tees from FCUK (left) and Urban Outfitters (right). I am LOVING the look of the FCUK one. Oh and these simple scooped neck tees would be the perfect complement to wear those funky loud necklaces HG was talking about the other day.
And just to conclude, we have these classic graphic tees, which I am absolutely LOVING from J Crew. They are cute with graphics on them in such a way that are not overly loud or obscene. You can wear by itself or with a fun jacket/skirt and not have to worry about patterns clashing and such.

I definitely need to go shopping this weekend to check all these out for real!

Photo Credits: Abercrombie & Fitch, J Crew, American Eagle, Forever 21, Express, FCUK and Urban Outfitters.

On the Street.....The New Denim Shape, Berlin

On the Street.....The Designer , Munich

Is there such a thing as the right amount of cuff to show when wearing a sweater? I feel a good inch works for me.

On the Street.....Der Junge Sartorialist, Berlin

On the Street.....The Very Personification Of A Sexy Summer, Koln

Boys have a blast

There's nothing like spending a Sunday afternoon breathing the fumes of a one-cylinder engine and spraying high-pressure water! Boys and their toys -- the louder the better!

It really is useful -- the decks need painting, and the old paint has to come off. Robert, his friend Jalen, and Andrew took turns with a rented power washer blasting the dirt off the decks and the the propane tanks.
They also took the leaf blower (remember: Boys = loud stuff) and did a decent job of getting the leaves off the yard. The leaves finally dried out enough to move without a great deal of agony.
Hurray for Dad's power tools!

Spring sky

Clouds pile up over Lake Isabella on a late April afternoon.

Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor

This morning, we sang my favorite Welsh hymn, "Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendor." I was introduced to it at Nashotah House, when we sang it upon the occasion of the visit of the Welsh Primate, Archbishop Rowan Williams. Melisa liked it to, so we decided to use it during the offertory at our wedding (which is where the picture came from).

Here our humblest homage pay we,
here in loving reverence bow;
here for faith's discernment pray we,
lest we fail to know thee now.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou art here, we ask not how.
Thou art here, we ask not how.

Hear the tune Bryn Calfaria and read the text of the whole hymn here at the Oremus online hymnal.

On the Street....Perfect Monkstrap Shoes, Munich

On the Street....At NEU Gallery, Berlin

I think I love the simple double wrapped hair band most of all

On the Street.....Munich, Germany

Body Worlds II

So this week, I finally went to see The Body Worlds II. I've been meaning to see it since January, but it has taken the fact that the exhibit was ending (THIS WEEKEND!) in Chicago to get me to finally book the tickets and go. And to think, its not even that far from where I live, seriously. Anyways, we booked tickets to see the Human Body imax and the exhibition because we thought it was all together. Not so. While the imax wasn't too bad, it wasn't quite what we were expecting- a detailed video of how they plastinate people. It was a video of how the human body works and it was cool in that they actually showed real videos of how a foetus is developed inside it's mother and how food is churned in the stomach and gall bladder splurts out bile in the small intestines. I've learnt in theory all these things, butI've never actually seen it happen. Oh and did you know that our hands were oringally a big blob of cells and the shape was formed as the cells degenerate? Sigh, I wish the cells at the tip of my fingers would've stayed, I'd have liked longer and leaner finger. But yeah, not exactly what we were hyping up for.

Anyway, the actual exhibit was quite fascinating. The bones, the brains, the real organs, the giant camel, the floating nerves and of course- the actual bodies. It was amazing the way they were preserved. You can even see the eyes and the eye lashes! Oh and there were interesting historical displays hanging around too. Like how Da Vinci used to dig up bodies in grave yards and dissected them to get a better sense of the body. And how Frogandard was quite the anatomist himself- and who knew from his gorgeous paintings?
My only slight concern with the exhibit was the artistic displays of the human body, which seemed kind of unneccesary. Its hard to remember sometimes that these were actually human beings. Especially when one see's displays like the drawer man, where chunks were cut and pulled out of the body like drawers and the spiral man, whose body was cut out like spirals. And the ballerina, football and yoga positions. . . I know it says its to show the muscles of the human body in action, but it felt more like they were placed like that for a better display. I'm aware that if they didn't do things like these, I probably wouldn't have found the exhibit quite as fascinating, but then this other part of me remembers that these are real. . . . .
And lastly, here is what your lungs look like if you smoke.

Overall, it was a great experience. The human body is truly amazing. If you haven't already, check out if they're coming to your area next on their site!

Calling it what it is--condescension

In this week's interview with The Boston Globe, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori stated:

“Where the protesters [against same-sex blessings] are, in some parts of Africa or in other parts of the Anglican Communion today, is where this church and this society we live in was 50 years ago, and for us to assume that people can move that distance in a year or in a relatively instantaneous manner is perhaps faithless,” she said. “That kind of movement and development has taken us a good deal of pain and energy over 40 or 50 years, and I think we have to make some space so that others can make that journey as well.”

Al Mohler insightfully characterized her comments in this way:

In other words, Jefferts Schori argues that time is on her side. The African churches will simply have to grow up and learn to play the game. They will have to learn to replace the authority of the Bible with the authority of modern therapeutic ideologies. They will have to learn to jettison biblical morality in favor of modern sexual “lifestyles.” They will have to learn to use interpretive techniques in order to make the Bible “mean” the opposite of what it states. They will have to get over their strange notion that the Creator has a design for human sexuality. They will have to denounce chastity and embrace sexual liberation.

Give these churches time, the Bishop suggests. After all, one can’t expect the Global South churches to go through this revolution in a day. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori’s statement is a classic form of condescension. Allow those backward churches some time, she chides, in order that they will “make that journey as well.”

You can listen to Mohler's radio program on the topic. Of course, her statement is (unfortunately) totally in line with those of her predecessor, as noted in my blog entry on the New Dark Ages.

I'm in Love with Berlin!

I arrived in Berlin yesterday and I am so impressed!

I was expecting to be disappointment in the Berlin hype or that it would be a one-note hipster heaven but I have been pleasantly surprised by the layers of style here.

I got a lot of greater shots yesterday in Berlin and will start posting them tomorrow along with images from Munich, and Koln.

Today (Saturday and Sunday) I will go to Hamburg and then return to Berlin for Monday and Tuesday.

One very nice surprise is how many great little shops are in Berlin. Anyone that has ever shopped with me knows I am very picky about stores because I had to deal with so many of them for 15 years working in Sales & Marketing for several designers.

In Berlin the shop owners have somehow figured out how to mix sweet and tough in just the right amounts. I have taken pictures in quite a few stores so i will be posting them this coming week.

I have a new friend and her name is Berlin.

On the Street.....On the Square, Antwerp

My GQ page from Antwerp just hit the stands in the US so I thought today I would run some of the other Antwerp photos.

A. Boon, Antwerp

This is the coolest old school glove store in Antwerp - maybe anywhere.
The gloves are still hand-made and are available in six sizes.

Walter Van Beirendonck, Antwerp

Yes, he is as intimidating in person as he looks in this photo but I watched him with his students at the art/fashion school that he teaches at and they really seem to love him.

Art Nouveau Art School, Antwerp

Could you imagine actually going to school in this building?

I think it would be a bit distracting but in a good way.

On the Street....Art Student, Antwerp

On the Street.....Salone del Mobile, Milano

On the Street.....Via Montenapoleone, Milano

On the Street....Brown & Black, Milan

Oversized Clutches

On a recent shopping spree, I was bored, waiting outside the changing room, and I started picking up the bags around. After a few bags, I picked up this large Marni clutch, looked into the mirror and got that feeling -that unexpected, novel feeling. After carrying large handbags during daytime for so long, it was SO refreshing to carry this clutch.


OK, so oversized clutches might not be a trend this season, and carrying a bag without the strap is certainly annoying. But it's such a nice feeling to carry a bag with only the things you actually need, instead of the ten million random, useless things you probably have in your bag. Ever since that moment of holding the Marni clutch, I've started to take notice of oversized clutches around me. Zara this season, has very Marni-sh oversized clutches. And I love Ashley's large, red Bottega Veneta one -it's just the right size and adds a touch of colour to her outfit.
J Crew has some classic summer ones, such as this straw clutch.

Here is a canvas one by J Crew that is less beachy.

While the L.A.M.B. Catania clutch isn't 100% my style, but it is very cool.

For something really simple and affordable, these are from Top Shop.

These two are right on trend: (Left) Black patent clutch by Goldenbleu; (Right) Metallic clutch by Lauren Mirkin -great for night time. Both are available at shopbop.

Lastly, one of my favourite ones -the Balenciaga Giant Traveller. It's way out of my budget for a clutch but I'll just continue fantasizing about it.

OK, so I'm probably not going to buy a daytime, oversized clutch anytime soon (unless I happen to see an affordable one,) but it's such a nice alternative to the heavy, huge bags we've been lugging around recently!

Photo credits: Linked above.

On the Street....Cream Vest w/ Suit, Milan

A cream colored vest under a navy suit - one of those pleasant surprises I seem to keep seeing in Milan.

This man is about 5' 4" and I would have thought that adding a contrast color vest would chop up his length too much but he looks great. I think it is because he has such a defined waist on the jacket.

This ii easily one of my favorite looks from this trip.

This gentleman is a bespoke tailor in Milan, his shop is on Via Gesu. I hope to feature more of him in the future,
maybe a conversation with him and Gianfranco Ferre on the challenges of dressing as related to size.

On the Street....Yellow Bow-neck Blouse, Koln, Germany