Rosaries vs. Ovaries?
When it comes to the subject of our reproductive rights, we find it hard to have a sense of humor.
The right to govern our own bodies, to have access to birth control, to make a decision on such a crucial topic…it’s something we cherish.
Thankfully, there is Jon Stewart. He, too, holds our rights to be self-evident. Somehow, though~he still makes us laugh about this whole, crazy topic:
Happy Mardi Gras!
Oh, NOLA…
On this day, as you celebrate Mardi Gras, your streets strewn with purple, green and gold…
We salute you; your resilient spirit, your tenacity, your compassion and your grace.
For all that you lost…and all that you’ve regained…
Today, we salute the indomitable spirit of New Orleans.
Style Inspiration: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
Less is more.
So believed our ultimate style icon, Coco Chanel. And our latest style inspiration, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, lived this tenet effortlessly.
Carolyn (January 7, 1966 – July 16, 1999…a fellow Cappy!) was raised and educated in the northeast, and her style reflects her upbringing: easy, classic, with a preppy aesthetic she made her own.
What we love about her is the level of chic she brought to everyday items like khakis, jeans, and a classic black turtleneck: with her hair whipped back in a messy bun and her red lipstick off-setting her luminous ivory complexion, Bessette-Kennedy was a woman comfortable in her own skin long before she married JFK Jr.
Their love affair was a national obsession: whether they were out playing frisbee in Central Park, or saying ‘I Do’ in an historic church in Georgia, we followed their every move, sighing at how two such beautiful people could find each other…and look so chic while falling in love.
Looking in your closet and feeling uninspired lately? Take a page from CBK’s book, and go simple.
Sometimes, chic is in the details…and sometimes, it’s found without them.
Brunch We Love: Red Rooster, Harlem
If you’re in NYC, or planning a visit anytime soon, we beg of you:
Get thee to Red Rooster for brunch with friends.
We arrived at 12 noon sharp (they don’t do rezzies for brunch) and were told it was a 40 minute wait for 5 of us. With the delicious array of cocktails to choose from and the live jazz being played in the corner of the room, we decided 40 minutes would be just fine.
And were we right! The Bloody Mary was freshly made and just spicy enough to warm us up from the chill outside, the Spicy Lady was a gorgeous martini in a shade of pink we wanted to wear (as well as drink!) and our male companions raved about the Earl of Harlem.
We were seated 10 minutes earlier than promised, and just in time: the woman with the golden pipes, who was in her mid-70s, soon took to the floor of the restaurant for a rousing rendition of “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In”. Followed by her equally enthusiastic trumpet player, they moved effortlessly throughout the crowded space, garnering applause and plenty of foot-stomping along the way. She stopped at a table of a dozen women, asking if there was a special occasion for so many lovely ladies to be dining together. Their answer prompted a ‘Happy Birthday’ melody that had the entire restaurant singing along.
While we feasted on some of the most delicious homemade cornbread we’ve ever eaten, we made our brunch choices: omelettes with goat cheese and fresh herbs, french toast with berries and Nutella whip (hollah!), and macaroni and cheese so flavorful it transported us to foodie Nirvana.
Our waiter was not only friendly, but extremely attentive (and he wasn’t too tough on the eyes, either!); our drinks were never empty for longer than a few laughs over the table.
As we sipped our after-feast coffees and shared a mini-pecan pie with bourbon ice cream (for which we nearly wept with happiness), we all agreed: famed Chef Marcus Samuelsson has 5 new fans singing his praises for all aspects of this Harlem hotspot.
When the brunch crowd goes marchin’ in to the Red Rooster…we want to be in THAT number!
Top 9 Tips to Living a Kick-Ass Life
Mark Twain’s Top 9 Tips to Living a Kick-Ass Life
by Henrik Edberg
“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.”
“Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry.”
“When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it’s a sure sign you’re getting old.”
You may know Mark Twain for some of his very popular books like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He was a writer and also a humorist, satirist and lecturer.
Twain is known for his many – and often funny – quotes. Here are a few of my favourite tips from him.
1. Approve of yourself.
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
If you don’t approve of yourself, of your behaviour and actions then you’ll probably walk around most of the day with a sort of uncomfortable feeling. If you, on the other hand, approve of yourself then you tend to become relaxed and gain inner freedom to do more of what you really want.
This can, in a related way, be a big obstacle in personal growth. You may have all the right tools to grow in some way but you feel an inner resistance. You can’t get there.
What you may be bumping into there are success barriers. You are putting up barriers in your own mind of what you may or may not deserve. Or barriers that tell you what you are capable of. They might tell you that you aren’t really that kind of person that could this thing that you’re attempting.
Or if you make some headway in the direction you want to go you may start to sabotage for yourself. To keep yourself in a place that is familiar for you.
So you need give yourself approval and allow yourself to be who you want to be. Not look for the approval from others. But from yourself. To dissolve that inner barrier or let go of that self-sabotaging tendency. This is no easy task and it can take time.
2. Your limitations may just be in your mind.
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
So many limitations are mostly in our minds. We may for instance think that people will disapprove because we are too tall, too old or balding. But these things mostly matter when you think they matter. Because you become self-conscious and worried about what people may think.
And people pick up on that and may react in negative ways. Or you may interpret anything they do as a negative reaction because you are so fearful of a bad reaction and so focused inward on yourself.
If you, on the other hand, don’t mind then people tend to not mind that much either. And if you don’t mind then you won’t let that part of yourself become a self-imposed roadblock in your life.
It is, for instance, seldom too late to do what you want to do.
3. Lighten up and have some fun.
“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”
“Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”
Humor and laughter are amazing tools. They can turn any serious situation into something to laugh about. They can lighten the mood just about anywhere.
And a lighter mood is often a better space to work in because now your body and mind isn’t filled to the brim with negative emotions. When you are more light-hearted and relaxed then the solution to a situation is often easier to both come up with and implement. Have a look at Lighten Up! for more on this topic.
4. Let go of anger.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
Anger is most of the time pretty pointless. It can cause situations to get out of hand. And from a selfish perspective it often more hurtful for the one being angry then the person s/he’s angry at.
So even if you feel angry at someone for days recognize that you are mostly just hurting yourself. The other person may not even be aware that you are angry at him or her. So either talking to the person and resolving the conflict or letting go of anger as quickly as possible are pretty good tips to make your life more pleasurable.
5. Release yourself from entitlement.
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
When you are young your mom and dad may give a lot of things. As you grow older you may have a sort of entitlement. You may feel like the world should just give you what you want or that it owes you something.
This belief can cause a lot of anger and frustration in your life. Because the world may not give you what expect it to. On the other hand, this can be liberating too. You realize that it is up to you to shape your own life and for you to work towards what you want. You are not a kid anymore, waiting for your parents or the world to give you something.
You are in the driver’s seat now. And you can go pretty much wherever you want.
6. If you’re taking a different path, prepare for reactions.
“A person with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds.”
I think this has quite a bit of relevance to self-improvement.
If you start to change or do something different than you usually do then people may react in different ways. Some may be happy for you. Some may be indifferent. Some may be puzzled or react in negative and discouraging ways.
Much of these reactions are probably not so much about you but about the person who said it and his/her life. How they feel about themselves is coming through in the words they use and judgements they make.
And that’s OK. I think it’s pretty likely that they won’t react as negatively as you may imagine. Or they will probably at least go back to focusing on their own challenges pretty soon.
So what other people may say and think and letting that hold you back is probably just fantasy and barrier you build in your mind.
You may find that when you finally cross that inner threshold you created then people around you may not shun you or go chasing after you with pitchforks. They might just go: “OK”.
7. Keep your focus steadily on what you want.
“Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can manage it.”
What you focus your mind on greatly determines how things play out. You can focus on your problems and dwell in suffering and a victim mentality. Or you can focus on the positive in situation, what you can learn from that situation or just focus your mind on something entirely else.
It may be “normal” to dwell on problems and swim around in a sea of negativity. But that is a choice. And a thought habit. You may reflexively start to dwell on problems instead of refocusing your mind on something more useful. But you can also start to build a habit of learning to gain more and more control of where you put your focus.
8. Don’t focus so much on making yourself feel good.
“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”
This may be a bit of a counter-intuitive tip. But as I wrote yesterday, one of the best ways to feel good about yourself is to make someone else feel good or to help them in some way.
This is a great way to look at things to create an upward spiral of positivity and exchange of value between people. You help someone and both of you feel good. The person you helped feels inclined to give you a hand later on since people tend to want to reciprocate. And so the both of you are feeling good and helping each other.
Those positive feelings are contagious to other people and so you may end up making them feel good too. And the help you received from your friend may inspire you to go and help another friend. And so the upward spiral grows and continues.
9. Do what you want to do.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Awesome quote. And I really don’t have much to add to that one. Well, maybe to write it down and keep it as a daily reminder – on your fridge or bathroom door – of what you can actually do with your life.
Borrowed (with thanks!) from: http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2008/05/16/mark-twains-top-9-tips-for-living-a-kick-ass-life/
Photos courtesy of: http://www.terragalleria.com
Tamar Juda: Valentine’s Day – No Pink? …No Problem!
Tamar Juda, President of Last Word PR, represents the likes of Lil Jon, David Banner, David Rousseau and more.
www.lastwordpr.com
Valentine’s Day – No Pink? …No Problem!
Like most women, I love fashion and beauty. I can’t have enough lipgloss options in my bag or Louboutins in my closet, however what sets my style apart is – and I’m sure I’m not alone in this – I can’t stand pink! Not only pink, but pink’s ultra-feminine counterparts: bows, ruffles and frills alike.
Now let me clarify exactly what I mean…I make exceptions for fuchsia and magenta, but baby pink, ballet pink, bubble gum pink or any other ultra “femmy” pink that might follow suit is a big no-go for me! The only way I’ll ever wear a bow or ruffle is if I offset it with a little edge, from a menswear jacket to a biker boot. But pink… there are no exceptions. You won’t find a single pink piece in my closet.
So what’s a girl like me to do when Valentine’s Day rolls around? Red is played-out and pink is simply not an option. Let me show you fellow anti-pink gals some amazing options:
1. Sir Alistar Rai’s Iconic Sequin Caftan – Indigo
http://www.siralistairrai.com/the-iconic-sequin-caftan-2312.html
I love this caftan because it can be worn with leggings or daringly (after all, Valentine’s Day is upon us), without. The great thing about this piece is that while the colors are perfect for a no-pink frills gal, the sequins really give it a “punch” and make this special for an evening out.
2. Aerie’s Vintage Lace Shop
http://www.ae.com/aerie/browse/category.jsp?catId=cat4890002
Aerie has fantastic intimates for really great prices. Their Vintage Lace Shop lets you mix & match your favorites…I love the Lace Bustier top and Lace Tanga bottoms. I chose black because black is slimming – right ladies?!
3. Christian Louboutin’s, Pigalle
http://us.christianlouboutin.com/shoes-1/pumps/pigalle-120mm-17056.html
If you’re going to do a touch of red, this is the way to do it! With my own collection on rotation, I can tell you that Louboutin’s aren’t always the most comfortable of heels, but pain is beauty…and these shoes are worth it. Nude shoes always make your legs looks like they go on for miles, and what’s sexier than that?
4. Sir Alistar Rai’s Short Mirror Tie-Dye Caftan-Turquoise
These colors could not be more gorgeous! I love turquoise and it’s done so beautifully here. For those getting away to an amazing tropical Valentine’s Day location…this is a must-have in your luggage. Throw it on while you’re walking to the beach or dress it up for dinner at night; you really can’t go wrong.
5. Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects (I Love Lacey)
http://www.sallyhansen.com/products/nails/nail-color/salon-effects-real-nail-polish-strips
I can’t rave enough about these. All of my friends know I enjoy a fun nail polish, and once I tried these… there was no looking back. They are easy to apply on your own, no dry-time, no chipping and last more than a week. Salon Effects come in a ton of different colors/designs, but I’m adoring this ‘I Love Lacey’ pattern (above) for Valentine’s Day. Why not add something extra special to your digits? Go for it!
6. Sir Alistar Rai’s Tie-Dye Mantra Karma Scarf
Valentine’s Day nights out in February always come with a chill, no matter where you live, and a scarf is an absolute must. This style’s colors are beautiful and the ultra-soft fabric and flirty colors still leave you feeling feminine, sans the pink! The tie-dye is so fun, without going full on 80’s. It’s perfect under your winter coat or for all you warmer-weathered gals, on top of a great shirt or blouse.
7. BCBG’s Neena Strapless Dress
A fabulous structured LBD that sucks you in is everything to me. There is crisscross pleating at the bodice of this dress, and a gorgeous navy blue touch of color peeking out through the pleating which has lace trim at the hem. This dress is a perfect mixture of feminine and edginess all at the same time.
A Love Story We Love to Love
Looking for a way to warm up this Monday morning?
We can’t help but get the warm fuzzies over the love story between Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller. While we adore DVF for her keen designer eye, we love her even more for her unabashed romantic side.
Who doesn’t love a good romance? Read the interview with Harper’s BAZAAR that had all of us at the Sir A offices warm, fuzzy, and a little bit wistful.
Cheers to LOVE!
From Harper’s BAZAAR:
Fashion’s Grand Dame garnered her noble moniker from her storied marriage to her first love, Prince Egon von Furstenberg, in 1969. The dashing pair had two children together before separating in the mid-’70s. Von Furstenberg spent the next three decades building her fashion brand, traveling the world, and being inexorably linked to high-profile men. Still, as anyone who’s talked to von Furstenberg knows, a thriving career, money, and power are no substitute for true romance. She’s an indomitable self-described lover of love. The exotic beauty married once more, in 2001, when she wed her longtime paramour, Barry Diller, with whom she continues to be happily smitten — and vice versa — to this day. The secret to love, marriage, and relationships à la von Furstenberg? Read on.
Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller on their wedding day in 2001, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
Good karma…
…is our dog-ma.
Bella, a distinguished member of the Sir A family, wearing her hanky scarf with pride!
Sir A Quote
