Clarissa JP

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and has a fun and safe new years tomorrow too!

I have stumbled across some new interest lately...

Minnie Mouse (or Mickey?) Inspired Fashion...

Chanel Iman

me on forever21.com!

Big bows, polka dots, and lots of red

Minnie is the ultimate animated style icon!

Boutique Hotels

As I have been travelling a lot lately, I have realized the luxury of being put up in nice hotels. While I am certainly no diva when it comes to where I lay my head down at night (holiday inn or motel six, whatever!), I have come to really love and appreciate creativly designed, decored, and often, themed hotels. It makes for such a nice travel experience. Often times, boutque hotels are decorated according to a certain theme or time period like modern or victorian, 50s etc. Some are just plain scandalous and flashy.

Last week, while working in Milwaulkee (typically NOT an ideal place to visit), I stayed at this very nice, woodsy themed hotel called The Iron Horse. Designed and created by a local artist whose museum and gallery is located right across the street, the modern yet cozy rooms are so relaxing. The interior in the lobby was also really beautiful. It was completely decked in Xmas decorations of course but it has a very natural vibe. Lots of animals decorations and painting, wood fire places, and warm, dimly lit lighting.

Boutique hotels are also awesome because they usually have really unnique and quality room service menus not to mention often stocked with full bars and tasty snack right in yours rooms.

The Iron Hose even has Aveda bath products in the bathrooms...so luxurious!

Some other ones that I love are...

The James in downtown chicago...very modern and simple decor with a hint of 60s feel. Delicious restaurant inside and room service. Their pasta is divine.

The Warwick in San Francisco.

I was kind of creeped out initially when staying here because the design and decor are very victorian. However, the rooms are beautiful and romantic. This is a very old hotel and I love the way they maintain this feel through the design. Smoking is allowed in all of the rooms also.

The Mondrion in LA.

It's kind of a scene here but there is a reaosn for that. This is one of the beautiful hotels I have ever seen. Very simple, clean decor with lots of fresh white, modern furniture and beautiful art work inside.

Mondrion Los Angeles

City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program:

Love Letter Collection

In Philadeplia, New York based artist Stephen Powers has grouped up with the city's Mural Arts Program, creating a series of rooftop murals around the city with a love letter theme. I love public art like this and I think its wonderful that it is so open for the community to view and "love."

They include ideas from both the artist himself as well as local Philadelphia residents.

I just thought this was so awesome and I wish art like this was made public more frequently.

I wonder if perhaps graffiti art would be perceived and validated as "art," if they all had such sweet messages?

Roy Litchenstein: pop art

I was really into his work back in high school...and I kind of forgot how cool pop art like this is. It is also really fun to try yourself. Comic book art..usually with a love related message...

Feminine, passionate, and expressive.

Cool BLogz

iamboycrazy.com

(there isn't much to say, just read it. Interesting and good laugh.)

fashion toast

I read about her blog in Forever21 magazine and was curious..An awesome blog mainly focussing on fashion only. Lovely photogrpahs and great style inspiration.

so adorable.

Polyvore.com

Okay, I know I am probably way late in my discovery of this awesome site but, better late than never I suppose. This one allows user to create online collages usually fashion themed. It is super fun and a great way to blow away hours of your life on the computer!

Love it :)

Chanel nail polish in Jade

Yep still looking for a less expensive version of this impossibly MIA color. I tried some shades from OPI (greenwich village, etc.) and they just weren't the same.

Sold out everywhere I have looked and is quite expensive!!!

180 More by Billy Collins

I have done a post previously about his anual poetry anthologies.

Awesome, truly contemporary poetry that doesn't requite much analytical pondering. Just simply, enjoyable and understandable poems with instant gratification.

For Christmas, my friend, Torrey have me this follow up anthology. It isn't as good as the first one, to be honest. But, is some great work in here.

Poem

Fingerprints look like ripples

because time keeps dropping

another stone into out palm.

-Bill Knott

Happiness

There's just no accounting for happiness

or the way it turns up like a pordigal

who comes back to the dust at your feet

having squandered a fortune away.

And how can you not forgive?

You make a feast in honor of what

was lost, and take from its place the finest

garmet, which you have saved for an occasion

you could not imagine, and you weep night and day

to know that you were not abandoned,

that happiness saved its most extreme form

for you alone.

No, happiness is the uncle you never

knew about, who flies single-engine plane

onto grassy landing strip, hitchhikes

into town, and inquires every door

until he finds you asleep midafternoon

as you so often are during the unmerciful

hours of your despair.

It comes to the monk in his cell

It comes to the woman sweeping the street

with a birch broom, to the child

whose mother has passed out from drink

It comes to the lover, to the basket maker

and to the clerk stacking cans of carrots

in the night.

It even comes to the boulder in the

perpertual shade of pine barrens

to rain falling on the open sea,

to the wineglass, weary of holding wine.

-Jane Kenyon

*Consulting my daily horoscope for advice.

For about a year, I went crazy studying astrology and the way it works. For awhile, I had kind of forgotten about horoscopes all together but, recently, I have been basing my decisions upon what my horoscopes say. I am not sure if this is a good thing or not?

The 1990s

Company of Moths
by Michael Palmer

We thought it could all be found in The Book of Poor Text,
the shadow the boat casts, angled mast, fretted wake, indigo eye.

Windows of the blind text,
keening, parabolic nights.

And the rolling sun, sun tumbling
into then under, company of moths.

Can you hear what I'm thinking, from there, even as you sleep?
Streets of the Poor Text, where a child's gaze falls

on the corpse of a horse beside a cart,
whimpering dog, woman's mute mouth agape

as if to say, We must move on,
we must not stop, we must not watch.

For after all, do the dead watch us?
To memorize precisely the tint of a plum,

curve of a body at rest (sun again),
the words to each popular song,

surely that would be enough.
For are you not familiar with these crows by the shore?

Did you not call them sea crows once?
Did we not discuss the meaning of "as the crow flies"

one day in that square — station of exile — under the reddest
of suns? And then, almost as one, we said, It's time.

And a plate shattered, a spoon fell to the floor,
towels in a heap by the door.

Drifts of cloud over
steeples from the west.

Faith in the Poor Text.
Outline of stuff left behind.