Five Things Friday!

It's time for another list of five of my favorite things I came across this week! 

1. Fashionista's coverage of Berlin's Fashion Week

Mike Myer's old school hilarity. 







2.This picture from Bardot in Blue:

3. someecards!! I just love those cards - but this one in particular:

4. Whilst driving into Hillsboro, my mom and I saw this sign, and were both a little confused.

 We aren't sure who actually possesses the convenience store, is it Lu, is it Etta? Maybe Etta is a silent partner, who isn't as silent as Lu would like? Maybe it was Etta's and Lu bought it? Or maybe, Lu's name is Lu'setta, and they just couldn't afford to have all of the same sized font for such a long name? Whatever the story, I sure think this is funny.

5. Wednesday's Democracy Now was all about hidden chemicals and substances in cosmetics and the lack of regulation in the US. Pretty interesting. They told us to go to Cosmetics Database to check out the hidden, and unregulated dangers in our favorite products.

Magnificent Obsession

Last week I watched a movie called "The Magnificent Obsession" starring Rock Hudson and the intolerable Aunt Polly - er, Jane Wyman. Let's just say this movie does not hold up after 55 years. Netflix told me I would like it four stars worth; I liked it one star worth. But, the delight of the movie comes in making fun of it a la MST3K. For example, after Jane Wyman goes blind because she was hit by a car (?) she tells her nurse that she "won't see" Rock Hudson. Come on writers. Really? She's blind. Of course she won't see him. But I digress. I remembered that in the July Vogue, there is a gorgeous, gorgeous spread called, "Magnificent Obsession" with Ewan McGregor and Natalia Vodianova - who is just about my favorite model these days, and it is styled by the amazing Grace Coddington, whom I've long admired, but adore to pieces after seeing The September Issue.

It is about an idyllic 1950s couple with impeccable taste. The wife meets a James Dean lookalike and next thing we know, she's emptying the contents of the safe deposit box into her Birkin.

And, I kind of love that Vogue doesn't mention the Birkin in their product credits, I suppose the assume everyone who reads Vogue knows Hermes. The whole lush story is at vogue.com.

The World Cup

Watching the final match of the World Cup today was totally delightful, despite the constant hum of the vuvuzelas. I was thinking back to when Analee and I were driving to Soweto, less than a month before the first game of the World Cup, and they were doing construction everywhere to try to get ready. The airport wasn't ready. The roads were terrible. And everywhere you looked there were giant plastic footballs ready to be installed, just hanging out on the ground.

Then I started thinking about Zambia, when my friend Heather's good friend Thelma took us on a "tour" of the compound she lived near, and that she has to walk through to get home from her job at the mall. We caused quite a stir - three white girls, two with giant cameras and sweet Thelma pointing things out. There was a pick up football game going on in an open field, and kids everywhere were yelling, "Mezungus" or white skins at us and requesting that we take their "snaps." I nearly created a riot when I complied to the snap request, they went absolutely crazy seeing their pictures.





Thelma told us that in preparation for the World Cup, her electricity was shut off during high use times, like 6-9 pm, so that they could channel it down to South Africa for the preparation and to actually accommodate the need during the month. I'm thrilled for Spain, but I think I'm more thrilled for Thelma, her aunt Sister Rose and the rest of their family that they can use electricity during peak hours again now that the World Cup is over.


My favorite thing is his Obama kite.

5 Things Friday!

I've received plenty of very welcome complaints and comments about my lack of blogging - especially about Africa. So sorry, I've been super involved in a few projects and it some how became not a priority at all. Plus, trying to sort through all of my pictures, it is quite an intimidating task. But I will try to rectify.

But until I do, here are five things I'm coveting and loving this week.

1. I have long been a fan of Elle Decor South Africa and their blog. Whilst looking through some old posts I found these amazing, amazing lights.



2. After following a trail of clicky clicky links, I stumbled on to these two kids on Martha Stweart's website, and am convinced this is the PERFECT dress - I'd like one in every color please.



3. Man Shops Globe showed this during the show - how amazing, amazing are these pieces??



4. DAMAGES.
I got Season 1, disc 1 last Saturday from Netflix, and have watched disc 1 and disc 2 in rapid fire succession, and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the postman with disc 3. This show is so well written, and so compelling. It is addictive and amazing. Plus, I love that Rose Byrne.

5. SUMMER!
It is finally, finally hot here. For the past week, the sun has been shining and air conditioners have been blasting. It was rainy and cold up until Tuesday, despite our early glorious spring - we've been robbed of some vitamin d up in these parts. But at long last, our old friend Mr. Sun is out and doing its job. So I'm going to revel in it while it's here.

Pan con Tomate.

I am 100% convinced that the geniuses behind this Spanish breakfast food Pan con Tomate were my kind of people. When I had fresh bread and tomatoes, well I knew what I had to do.

Ashley, look what I found in South Africa.

Ashley and I became somewhat obsessed with the amazing chocolate and ice cream combinations by this fine company. I am so glad I have never seen them in the US - they are too, too good.

what the photos

Deanna's posts about her travels put mine to such shame. Although, her collection of stamps in her passport would put mine to shame also. But, I do intend to actually share experiences I had - especially now that I've been home for nearly month. Which, how is that possible? Where does the time go? I have been working on about 880 projects of varying scale and feel like I'm not accomplishing anything, but I am trying to focus and finish, then move on.

And so, here is some focusing, although I have so many photos to share, I won't finish for some time. Now some, "what the?" photos from my Africa experience.

"Luangwa Valley - tranquil, unhurried, natural, inspiring and safe?" "AND SAFE?" Really, Zambian tourism board? Really?



While we were in Lusaka, there was one place Heather would let us be after dark, Manda Hill (translated Manda means cemetery) a mall with a grocery store, expensive clothing stores, restaurants and the racial minorities of Indian, white, and Arabic. One of the clothing stores had this AMAZING, but perhaps gender-confused dummy.


How many times in my life have I made some sort of potato dish? Thousands. How many times have regular russet potatoes turned dark mahogany brown? Once. That's right. Those are potatoes. Terrifying. But, there wasn't exactly Chinese take out, and even if there was, we didn't have a phone.


I have long been a water snob. I believe that water should taste like water, and nothing else. They add minerals to bottled water in the States for taste, I'm not sure what their reasoning is in Africa, but they also publish the ph level. This one was only 7.3, but had some that was 7.6 and even 7.8. Kind of crazy. At least the water is basic and not acidic.




We saw this woman multiple times, wearing this hat each time. While we were renting the car she was waiting, so I had to sneak around behind her and take a picture. She was wearing this hat sitting alone at a car rental place at the Jo'burg airport.


I like funky hair as much as the next person, well maybe slightly less, but this woman's extensions were SO HORRIBLE. I took this on my iPhone, so it's not the clearest thing in the world, but there were about 7 colors in there and half of them were colors that should never be on someone's head.


So you say you want a shot sold in a little bag of plastic. I can tell you where to find them. Oh EVERYWHERE.


Remember in the classic film, Joe vs. The Volcano, and how the Waponis loved orange soda? I think they found the inspiration here.


We stumbled upon a HUGE Red Cross blood drive with thousands of people, presumably all there to see Slap D, a SUPER popular rapper, either him or the 20 inflatables kids were bouncing in. I thought Slap D was pretty fun, and was dancing a lot and everyone around us was staring at me. Like they'd never seen a white girl dance before... oh... but the point is, really, a blood drive in Zambia? I'm sure you know what you're doing Red Cross, but I am at a loss.