Meeting Sarah

The world is full of interesting people; you just need to look for them. 

Sarah is a blogger who lives in New Orleans.  I started following her blog (called "Destrehan's Daughter") about two years ago.  She's in her thirties and works as a video producer.

Due to Sarah's location, I never thought I'd ever get to meet her in person.  But I just did!  She and her husband are in New York to visit the city.  They're seeing all the sights, one of which is officially listed in the NYC Tourist Handbook as "My Dinner With Ally."

We went to Sarabeth's and had a lovely meal.  You really get to know people better and more quickly in person.  During our discussion, Sarah addressed a broader range of interests than I've seen her discuss online.  Our conversation hopped from one fun subject to another.  Her husband, Jeremy, is equally charming and wore a snazzy bowtie.

The world seems to get smaller and smaller.

My Favorite Bracelet

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a colorful bracelet which has quickly become my favorite.  I wear it all the time now, but you probably haven't noticed 'cause it's small in relation to my full-body pictures.  I felt the piece deserve more attention so I'm giving you some close-up looks here.

At first I thought it was just an abstract design but then, looking more carefully, I discovered it's a peacock!  What a wonderful animal-choice for an array of colors.

Do you have any item of jewelry you love?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween Party

For Halloween this year, I'm travelling halfway 'cross the country to attend a party given by my close friend Ashley.  It's a costume party and the theme is Dead Celebrities.

I gave that theme some thought.  I want to create a costume that's fun and interesting.  After days of pondering, I came up with my choice -- I'm going to dress up as The Best Actor Of All Time (Humphrey Bogart) as he appeared in His Masterpiece Movie.  If you don't immediately recognize him, you need to dive into cinematic history.

The character's name is Rick.  He owns a café in war-torn Casablanca.  Rick has painful memories of a woman he met in Paris (Ilsa) with whom he fell madly in love.  Ilsa disappeared suddenly, without warning or explanation.  Now Ilsa is waltzing back into Rick's life with a new man on her arm.  Not just any man, but the biggest war-hero with a big request for Rick.  Rick is torn by his bitterness toward Ilsa and his hidden morality.

What happens?  You'll have to see the movie to find out.  You've probably heard some of the many famous lines from the film, such as "...Here's looking at you, kid."  These are some of my favorites:

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

"Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake."

"I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue."

"Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time."

"Go ahead and shoot. You'll be doing me a favor."

"Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you seen "Casablanca"?  What do you think of this idea for a costume?

 

The character of Rick resonates with me.  He's aging, weary and cynical, but privately sentimental and sincere.  He's lived a lot, seen a lot, and been betrayed by those close to him.  Yet he hasn't given up his innate trust and hope for love.

 

As the proprietor of Rick's Café American, Rick wears a white dinner jacket with shawl collar.  For my costume, I found a white dinner jacket with shawl collar.  And black bowtie.  The final touch are two Letters of Transit in my jacket-pocket, enabling people I choose to escape capture and fly to freedom.

 

After the purchase, I realized the white dinner jacket will be useful in my double-life as an international spy...

Psst... Can You Keep A Secret?

How big are we allowed to dream?

There's no female experience I don't wish to have.  No rite of passage, no mundane chore, no major event that is outside my desire.  Of course, most female experiences are beyond my reach at this point, but that doesn't deter me from pursuing facsimiles of them.

A prime example was my Prom Project.  I loved doing that post.  Preparing for it was exciting, dressing up for it was fun, and recording it was rewarding.  The faux-prom fulfilled me deeply.

There's another, similar idea I've had for a post for as long as I've blogged -- but I've been too anxious to execute it.  I worry you might misunderstand my goal and intent.  For that reason, I'm reluctant to even mention it.

So I'm not going to name the experience but...

 

 

 

It's A Man's World

That's a ridiculous statement, isn't it?  And yet, when I was young, it was uttered without irony.  People said it and believed it.

 

We still have gender-discrimination today -- but it's more subtle.  Less obvious than in the past.  Back then, one could say something extremely sexist and expect to get away with it.  Rarely was sexism challenged.  Today, a woman might object to rude remarks so men have learned to keep those beliefs hidden, trotted out only in the company of other prehistoric cavemen.

I was contemplating this societal development last week when I read an interesting article in The New York Times by critic A.O. Scott.  Noting that our culture is reflected in its entertainment, Scott observed a shift in male roles on television:

"TV characters are among the allegorical figures of our age, giving individual human shape to our collective anxieties and aspirations.... Tony [Soprano], Walter [White] and Don [Draper] are the last of the patriarchs.  In suggesting that patriarchy is dead, I am not claiming that sexism is finished, that men are obsolete or that the triumph of feminism is at hand.... In the world of politics, work and family, misogyny is a stubborn fact of life.  But in the universe of thoughts and words, there is more conviction and intelligence in the critique of male privilege than in its defense, which tends to be panicky and halfhearted when it is not obtuse and obnoxious.  The supremacy of men can no longer be taken as a reflection of natural order or settled custom."

It's easy to recall other common statements from the past.  I remember this one:

"It's nice to have a man in the house."  Why?  So he can sit on the couch and ignore the pile of dirty dishes while watching football?

To be sure, sexism hasn't disappeared.  Lately, women have been protesting street harassment which still exists.  Smart blog posts like this one ( Kiersten ) address the subject with serious concern.

How do you feel about sexism?  Do you believe it still exists?

Ally-quin

I finished work unexpectedly early today.  Contemplating how to spend the free time, one activity leaped to mind -- fashion-blogging!

I pulled out an interesting dress I thrifted last week for seven dollars.  I like its bold Harlequin print.  I figured it could be the centerpiece for many outfits.

I surrounded it with complementary items and hope the ensemble jells.  What do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things I Saw Today

We had amazingly nice weather in New York today.  I enjoyed the day by riding to see friends at a vintage motorcycle show at the Queens County Farm Museum.  It was an odd mixture of old bikes and cute animals.  Did you have fun this weekend?