A Day At The Beach

How was your weekend? Did  you do anything fun?

I had a pleasant time. Yesterday I rode to famous Jones Beach which is nice in the off-season. No crowds and interesting sunlight. Some pics are below.

Today I popped into NYC to meet Patti, a blogger-friend from Florida. Patti makes two trips north each year and I'm privileged to be on her list of things to do. We went to a hip new place to eat and drink. We gossiped about our mutual blogger-friends (Suzanne, Sheila, Gracey & Megan Mae) after chatting about the upcoming election. The gossip was more fun.  :-)

Tell me about your weekend!

Halloween Pets

I don't know about you, but pics like this melt my heart.

New and Different

Today was an odd day. I woke up stressed about work which is my normal state. But as the day unfolded, my anxiety eased and unexpected energy percolated inside me. I felt desire to have fun, to do something I enjoy. So, without planning, I put together an outfit and did a photo-shoot.

For my whole life, I've been attracted to clothes I couldn't wear. One of the items I craved early on is linen pants with flat front and rear-zipper. The absence of a front zipper is significant as a gender-marker. The absence of elasticity is a sign of devotion to the craft of fashion. Anyone can fit into stretchy leggings; pants that don't stretch must be carefully chosen.

I found a pair of pants at a thrift-store. They're light green. I present them here with a sparkly top and glittery shoes. To me, the star of the outfit are the pants since they are what I care about.

These pictures don't look normal because I played with different lighting. I trying to expand my visual repertoire by exploring new photographic techniques.

Any thoughts?

My Halloween Costume

Here's my Halloween costume. I made it myself. Do you know who I am?

No?! Good grief!

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze

I keep my ear to the ground, listening for rumblings of fun activities. I detected promising vibrations of a new Halloween event that is growing stronger -- The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Sleepy Hollow Country.

I went tonight for the first time. The event is upstate, a two-hour motorcycle ride for me. The Blaze uses 7,000 hand-carved pumpkins -- yes, seven thousand -- to create dozens of pumpkin sculptures. They are designed by artists and quite appealing. There's also original music, colored lights, food and drink, and souvenirs.  The event is put on by "Historic Hudson Valley," a not-for-profit education organization that promotes historic landmarks in Hudson Valley.

Here are some pics...

Oyster Festival

The annual Oyster Festival in nearby Oyster Bay, Long Island is one of our best local events. It's very popular and full of fun. Lots of good food, craft-vendors and sights. I went today and snapped a few shots.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

With today's gender and sexual freedoms, it's hard to imagine a time when restrictions on social expression were much tighter. 41 years ago, in a more constrained world, "Rocky Horror Picture Show" burst onto the scene. I can't over-state its cultural importance.

When the original "Rocky..." first appeared in 1975, it was ignored. Overlooked by the conventional crowd, it found a real audience later when midnight-shows brought the story to the attention of deviants like me. We embraced the film with joy and enthusiasm. An entire sub-culture evolved around the shows, with audience-participation on steroids. We brought rice and threw it at the screen, screamed taunts at pivotal moments, and dressed up in costumes for the occasion. It was us, not normal people, who made "Rocky..." into a cultural icon.

The movie made stars out of Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf. Tim has had a long, successful career since then. Sadly, he suffered a stroke a few years ago and now has to use a wheelchair.

When I heard there was a re-make of "Rocky..." in the works, I was fearful. Many great original works are debased by later knock-offs. But hope emerged when I heard the producers  aim to be respectful of the original film and celebrate its fans.

The new "Rocky..." is on television this Thursday (Fox Channel). It stars Laverne Fox as Dr. Frank-n-Furter (Tim Curry's role in the original). Tim, despite his current disability, plays a minor role in the new film; his presence is a sign of the producers' good intent.

Come watch it with me. Have you seen the original?

Then and Now

I'm attracted to clothes from the 1960's and '70's because that's when I grew up. Looking at fashionable women back then, I ached to dress like them. But I couldn't.

Now I can. Or at least I can try. You guys indulge me with these nostalgic efforts and I'm grateful for that. Having the chance to wear these garments makes me very happy.

Recently I discovered a fringed faux-suede top. It sang hello to me. Its style is definitely Sixties. I pair it with modern clothes in a mixed-time outfit. Don't know if that works but I'm trying.

Do you ever match clothes from different eras?

Re-Discovering Aprons

Young women are becoming interested in aprons -- and making their own. Creating one is an easy project for beginners learning how to sew.

Aprons are supremely useful. They protect your clothes when cooking, baking or gardening. They offer pockets when you need a place to carry something (like eggs). And they give you a ready rag to wipe your hands on when dirty or wet.

When I was growing up in the early-1960's, aprons were popular -- but they fell out of favor a decade later when feminist activism began. Aprons were seen as a symbol of domestic servitude and shunned for what they represented. Which is a shame because they are merely pieces of cloth and useful ones at that. Projecting a lot of political baggage onto something like an apron is misplaced. We can work to change attitudes to increase respect for women without throwing away an item that actually helps women in practical life.

I haven't mentioned yet my favorite part of aprons -- their fashion. Aprons are colorful and fun. You can choose any print you like. Young women today are finding aprons adorably retro and choosing vintage and playful prints. You can pick one in any style you like, from plain and functional to frilly and feminine.

My friend Aimee made me an apron a few years ago which I wear all the time. I'm showing it to you below along with a few other samples of current aprons -- including a Tardis!

Do you own an apron?

How Much?!

I went shopping today at Neiman Marcus. It's a tony store and fun to look in. I saw the beautiful shoes shown here which look even nicer in person. High-quality material, fine construction. They're made by Gucci.

What threw me though was the price-tag -- they cost $990.00. Wow, does anyone pay that much for shoes?

This made me wonder -- how much is the most you've paid for shoes? If you had a thousand dollars, would you spend it on a single pair? If they were really, really cute?!

Seventies

A new store just opened near me called Rosie's Vintage. How can I resist looking in?

Its vintage wares are enticing. I spotted a cute dress from the 1970's with a print and colors that remind me vividly of that era. The dress is made by a small company in Hawaii. I don't know if the style of the dress is Hawaiian; it might be.

What do you think?