...Pride48.com

Most of my readers are well aware of Pride48.com, but I just wanted to remind all of you, and alert any new readers of this event.

Beginning tonight (Friday, June 26) at 7pm Eastern/6pm Central, visit Pride48.com and listen LIVE to podcasts of the GLBT community. Show your support and participate in the live chat rooms accompanying the broadcast!

Follow @Pride48 for updates on the live shows!

I would like to wish the city of Chicago a very happy pride weekend. I feel honored to be a part of such an open, liberal and accepting city!

...ShopItToMe.com

I wrote this post because I was asked to be a guest blogger for ShopItToMe.com! You can view this post on their website by clicking here.

Shop It To Me has also featured this blog on their "Featured Trensetters" page!

If you aren't signed up with Shop It To Me, drop me a comment and I will send you an invite. If you're wondering what this is, here's an excerpt from their website:

What is Shop It To Me?
You can think of Shop It To Me as your free personal online shopper. Select your favorite apparel brands (such as Theory, Prada, Armani, Ella Moss, Juicy Couture, Seven Jeans, DKNY, or BCBG) and sizes. We'll scour the websites of leading retailers like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Gap, Zappos and Bluefly and send you a Salemail™ - a daily or weekly email summary of which new items go on sale in your size.

Now, on with the post!


In the current trend of layer upon layer of drapey clothes and wedged, million-strap-strong shoes, accessorizing is so important to add the finishing touch to any outfit, no matter the occasion. Stack on the bracelets. Show off of your gold toe ring. But how does your necklace accent your neckline? Here are some basics to keep in mind:

Crew:
We've all had those t-shirt and jeans days, where we throw on our favorite plain crew neck. Ditch the plain Jane look and dress it up with long layered necklaces. Try something beaded so you can add little touches of color that accent the shirt.
For a lower crew neck (not as high as a crew, but not as deep as a scoop) try a dangly choker necklace.

Collared Button-Up:
If you are wearing a button up, collared shirt, consider wearing a couple shorter layered necklaces either under the shirt with the first button undone for a work look. Or, for an after-work look, try longer layered necklaces over the shirt with another open button and a camisole underneath.


V-Neck:
Choose a necklace that sits right above the V. Try a Y-shaped necklace that sits closer to the neck, or something with a bold pendant. If the V-neck is very deep, choose a longer necklace that follows the neckline. Remember that a necklace is an accent to your garment, not an invitation to your cleavage!


Scoop:
Try a larger necklace that fills up some of your declote. Make sure your top doesn't compete with the jewelry. Choose something less bold for a patterned shirt, and something bigger and more detailed for a solid.


Here are a few necklines in which I don't think necklaces work. In these cases, choose dangly earrings instead!
- Halter
- High cowl neck, or draped neck (Let the collar/drape make the statement!)
- One-shoulder tops (If you want something extra, try an upper arm cuff on the arm with the bare shoulder.)

...Space Monkeys?!

I usually refrain from sharing links on the internet but this one is worth everyone's while.

**Note! I do not condone animal testing. I just think this is peculiar and strange and everyone should see these photos just for the pure fact of how bizarre they look.

National Geographic shared photos of the first chimps sent into space, which happened fifty years ago on May 28th.

Three chimpanzees named Duane, Jim, and Chu sit strapped into spacecraft cradles at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, in January 1961.

The chimps were among 75 trainees slated to ride into space before humans, to help researchers test the physiological and neurological stresses of space flight.

...My Trip to LA!

Finally, I bring you a log of my trip to LA! I went there from May 14th-May 19th and stayed with my long time friend Eric.

There are LOADS of photos on my Flickr site. Click on the "All Sizes" icon on any of those to see a super-sized view! Here's the breakdown:

Thursday 5/14
Arrive at 10am Pacific time.
My flight left Chicago at 6am Central time, which means I got up at 3:30am central to catch the cab at 4am. I was tired!

Eat at Pei Wei.
I was starving, and tired. Apparently this place is a chain, but it was yummy! And tofu everywhere.

Walk around Pasadena & Old Town
Eric lives in Pasadena, so he showed me around. Beautiful mountains everywhere. Old Town is a little area with shopping and restaurants, a nice place to walk around.

Nap
Yea, by about 5pm Pacific, I was DEAD tired.

Mediterranean food!
Perfect to have after a good nap, and a nice way to round out my first introductory day.


Friday 5/15
Visit Gnomon School of Visual Effects
This is where Eric works! It was really nice inside. I got a photo editing instructional DVD, thanks to sir Eric. (Thanks a BUNCH to sir Eric for that, actually!) Afterward, he took me to their occasional coffee stop next door at....Gold's Gym. Wow. I never wanted to leave a place so quickly in my life. haha!

Hollywood, star walk, autographs in cement..
Since we were in Hollywood already, we made this the Tour Hollywood Day. And everyone is right...its not all that glamorous. Its sort of run down. Sad almost. I was expecting Vegas, but I got Branson, Missouri. I got to see a lot of rummage stores, adult themed stores, multiple places that said "XXX NUDE!", and lots of magenta colored hair, as I mentioned in my previous blog post.


Farmer's market
There was a nice farmer's market in Hollywood with lots of places to shop, not just for fruit! It was a beautiful, hot sunny day. I enjoyed this area a lot. I also tried my first blood orange. YUM.

In & Out
Yes, I ate here. I had to. You all know I love a french fry. I also heard that on their "secret menu" they had "grilled cheese" which was really a burger without the burger. This thing had tons of fatty cheese and I think thousand island dressing? Well it also had lettuce, which made it healthy, right?? Of course it was followed by a massive amount of french fries. But I had water, I skipped the soda. Figured I'd give my body a "little" break!


Griffith Observatory/Planetarium
At dusk we headed back out to the Hollywood hills to go see the Griffith observatory. Its very high up and has a 360 degree view of all of Hollywood. Its amazing, you could see everything. It had a cool space museum inside, and a reallllly nice planetarium presentation that made us feel about as small as ants.


Saturday 5/16
Brunch w/Brian and Frank of the That's What She Said podcast
I was excited to meet the cast of the TWSS podcast! Christian wasn't able to attend, but I met up with Brian and Frank in Hollywood for some yummy food. They are really nice guys, to say the least.


Santa Monica beach & boardwalk, 3rd Street Promenade, Pinkberry
After lunch, we drove out to Santa Monica. I got to see the Pacific Ocean, finally! There was a touristy boardwalk. There was also a nice shopping/walking area called the Third Street Promenade. That is where I enjoyed my very first Pinkberry!




Sushi
So tired from all the stuff during the day, we laid low at night and had some vegetarian sushi at a little place in Pasadena.


Sunday 5/17
Burbank
Burbank is a nice little city. Very very clean. We walked around, saw the Cartoon Network building and had lunch. And sangria!



Malibu
We headed out to Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was so beautiful. I saw so many mansions in the hills and ocean, ocean, ocean! We stopped at a little area in Malibu where I've heard we might see some famous people..but no luck. But we did see some amazing views, once again.
On the way back to the Pasadena/LA area, driving along the PCH, I was looking out the window and saw dolphins jumping in the water!! I've never seen one before in the wild. This was reallllly exciting for me! I just wish I could have snapped a photo in time!
We parked the car and stopped for a little beach break. Too bad there wasn't any really good beach day, it was always overcast and a bit chilly down by the shore.




Rodeo Drive, paparazzi
We drove down Rodeo. And we didn't get out! We were sweaty and gross from being outside all day. I don't think they would have let us walk around like that, haha! We saw an Audi R8, which costs around $110,000...eh, no biggie, right?
As we were just about to turn onto Rodeo, I spotted a group of paparazzi crowded around *someone* at a restaurant. There were so many paparazzi, I couldn't see who the famous person was!


Pizza
So exhausted from walking so much and being such tourists, we ordered a pizza and watched Ren & Stimpy on DVD. I went to bed early!


Monday 5/18
Little Tokyo, China Town
Walked around Little Tokyo and China town. I bought rice crackers, Eric bought an action figure robot thing, go figure. Again I ate Pinkberry. (It doesn't get old) It was a cute area in downtown LA, but not everything was open because it was a Monday.

Huntington Gardens in Pasadena
In Pasadena there's about 200 reserved acres of gardens and museums and a library. There was so much at Huntington, one could really spend all day here. Being the designers we are, we really wanted to see the oldest bible on record in the museum, from the 1400s. Its one of the fist printed books in existence today!
We also walked through the gardens. My favorite was the cactus area! It was a nice way to spend a sunny day and see some pretty vegetation that is native to California. (And some awesome olllddd books!)




Vegetarian Thai Food on Melrose
For dinner I really wanted to eat at the all-vegetarian/vegan Thai place on Melrose. It was SO good. I even took my leftovers on the plane with me the next day.
This place is in the same area where Lauren Conrad works at People's Revolution. (MTV's The Hills! hehe)...and yes, I made Eric drive around the block after dinner just so I could snap this photo! What can I say, I'm an obsessed fan!


Sunday 5/19
My last day here.
I had to leave for the airport at 1, so in the morning I helped Eric grocery shop. The poor boy goes out to eat practically every meal. He wanted to know "stuff to buy that I can like, make myself, maybe?"

We walked around Old Town a little bit before I left. It was bright and sunny as usual! Afterward we had lunch at Panera, then it was off to LAX.

I had a fun time. But unlike Northern California, I just can't see myself living there. Its very spread out. Unless you're in the really rich areas, LA is kind of...dare I say dirty? The outskirts like Burbank and Pasadena are nice though. I'd like to go back and see Orange County and San Diego.



Don't forget to check out all the photos, in their full-size glory at my Flickr site!

...I'm "Dying" to Try This

If you know me in person, you know I have short hair, which requires a cut every month. I usually get bored with my current style, so its pretty much always changing. I've been wanting to experiment with a brightly colored high light for the longest time, I've just never been able to justify spending 70 extra dollars every month to maintain it. I might just have to bite the bullet and try it out. I've wanted candy apple red, but my recent trip to Los Angeles as proved my color choice is wrong, because almost everywhere I turned in Hollywood I saw...

(Sorry for the fragmentation...you all know I only do the print, and not the web design!)

So yes, the upcoming color seems to be magenta. Though what I what I saw wasn't just high lights, it was over all magenta color. I'm not that brave, but definitely willing to try the high lights. I will post a photo, stay tuned!

Have you seen any crazy hair color in your neck of the woods? If you live in Southern California and have also noticed this trend, do tell!

...I'm Still Here!

Yikes, its been a whole month since I've last written. I just wanted to let you all know I am still here! I've had a lot of nice things going on for me in the month of May. I just got back from a long vacation in Los Angeles, which I will write about very soon, and I have a lot of photos to post as well.

Other than that I've been doing my freelance and job searching! I will soon have a portfolio site online. My lack of web design skills is sort of a set back..luckily I have a very talented friend who is going to help out.

Here's a retouch I've done recently that I like quite a bit, click the photo for a super sized view. You can find more retouches here.


Its Memorial Day weekend! I finally get to see my best friend's new baby, who will only be six days old when I see her! I'm sure I will post a photo of her as well.

Stay tuned, I know you're all just dying to read another post!

...My Subway Encounter

Last night, as I was going home on the blue line from the This American Life Live at the Chicago Theater, I was asked by someone for change so he could transfer trains. I replied honestly this time, "I have no cash on me, sorry."

It was raining, I was wearing my fabulous yellow raincoat. (I can't find a picture of it, or even a link. I got it on clearance.)

Moments after he asked me for change, he said, "I like your coat."

"Thank you," I reply.

"What is it?" he asks.

"...I'm sorry?" I didn't know what he meant..I realize split seconds later he means, "Who is it?" as in, "Who designed it?" Which is odd to me, b/c didn't he just ask me for spare change earlier?

"..You know, like, is it designer?" he snaps back at me.

You know how you can have an entire inner dialog in about 2 seconds? Here's mine:
This guy just asked me for change. Is he homeless? Then he says he likes my coat. And he asks if its designer. Is he going to steal my coat? Maybe he's a student and is really without any change for a transfer? How can one's voice go from sounding like they are homeless needing change to sounding like they are a gay student at the fashion institute? God I hope he doesn't try to steal my coat.

"...Oh its not designer," I reply. "Its just from NY & Co."

Why did I even say where it is from? If he is homeless and wanting to steal my coat, it doesn't matter if its designer or not. But I said its not designer in hopes it would be of less value to him, making him want to steal it less.

He shoots me a look as if I just walked out of WalMart with a bag full of clothes I'm going to wear during NY Fashion Week because I think they look good.
"That IS designer!! New York and Company is like, the BIGGEST producer of women's apparel...like the biggest in THE WORLD!" he informs me.

He then rolls his eyes, gives one of those scoff sounds from the back of his throat and turns to look out the window. (We were under ground at this point.)


Someone please tell me why this homeless fashionista is judging me because I don't think NY&Co. is a designer label. For your information, I got it on clearance for like 80% off the original price. Which at NY&Co, is pretty much the same cost as a transfer.