Science Fair for June 2nd-7th

This week, I'm avoiding the extreme weather by catching up on TV shows I've missed out on in the last few years, like Freaks and Geeks and Gordon Ramsay's plethora of programming. I just can't get enough of that John Francis Daley and the abrasive but strangely pleasing Gordon Ramsay, my goodness.

I haven't had a lot of time lately to catch up on my favorite blogs or really contribute to this one, but I have discovered a few new favorites to share--isn't that the great thing about blogging? No real content, just "hey! check out this interesting so-and-so!" I love it.

-First up is the newly discovered Midtown Lunch, which as you can imagine, covers only one thing: where to find great food in Midtown Manhattan. It's my new guilty pleasure at work when mornings are slow (or I'm just slow in the morning, it happens) to check out what everyone else is eating in midtown. Seems to me that Midtown East, where I work, is even more of a wasteland than everywhere else! Still, I've found some great places for lunch, gathering intel from Yelp and even from a lady in line for the Treats Truck.

-Second is the ingenious Ikea Hacker. As many of us youngsters do, I furnished my first apartment with all Ikea furniture and scrounged from my family a bit. I'm not so creative with furniture--barely able to put together the furniture as it comes--but the hacks some people submit are crazy! Hidden TV screens, moving room dividers, chairs out of bathroom sinks, lamps out of wastebaskets! Truly inspirational, if you love design and tinkering.

-Third, I have new glasses! Well, truthfully, new glasses and new sunglasses. I was in desperate need for new sunglasses since the frames I got two years ago at my HMO optical place are absolutely crap-tastic. Now, I have these frames from LaFont for my regular, everyday glasses and these from L.A. Eyeworks as new sunglasses. I am still getting used to the LaFonts, they are definitely different from my one-of-a-kind, vintage-inspires grey and black cat's-eyes I've had for two years. Glasses do wear out, though, and I am so ready for a change!

-Fourth, I love Ciao Bella gelato. I get quite excited when I see it in the grocery store (and it has to be a bit of a fancy grocery store, which is also exciting for a pretentious glutton like me). They have new flavors out for the summer, in addition to my old favorite, their green tea with white chocolate chunks. Yum yum yum. I am a big ol' softie when it comes to graham cracker crusts, not to mention cookie crusts or even just regular pie crust. Mmm. So, of course I have gone out and tried Ciao Bella's two new cookie flavors for Summer 2008 for you, dear readers--the Key Lime & Graham Cracker Swirl and the Maple Ginger Snap. The key lime is not as tart as a key lime pie filling, but is a pleasingly smooth, creamy combination of sharp citrus notes and good old fresh cream. The graham cracker swirl is more of a well-distributed graham cracker dust, which is delightful for my inner child, who wants every bite of her food to have even flavor distribution. The Maple Ginger Snap is great, all warm and spicy, I bet it would be amazing on some apple or pumpkin pie a la mode, just to be decadent. Look at me, this heatwave is making me into an ice cream connoisseur!

-Fifth, I've had a tragedy involving my stove/oven unit this week. Long story short, the gas to my stove and oven has been shut off, so all I have to work with is a toaster and a small rice cooker. (No microwave! Damn sublet, who doesn't have a microwave in this day and age?) Obviously, I can just eat out all the time, but seriously, I am not made of money. I'm stuck making salads, sandwiches and rice for the rest of the summer, unless you can help! Any ideas for no-cook meals?

-Sixth, Newsweek has put out an intriguing feature article on the influence of the economy on fashion, and vice versa. Time to dust off that basic econ course you took way back when, but use it to think about mini versus maxi-length skirts! (This week's edition also has an interesting piece on Afghanistan's lost treasures, for those of you who, like me, harbor secret dreams of being archaeologists.)

-Seventh, this new Tokyu Fukutoshin subway line in Tokyo is totally exciting. You have no idea. Like Gwen Stefani (homegirl gaffled my styles), my heart lives in Tokyo--I seriously have three t-shirts with "I <3 [insert district of Tokyo here]" printed on them. Tokyo Metro was just breaking ground on the Fukutoshin Line when I was studying in Tokyo in 2004, part of the new line will replace an old rickety rail running from Ikebukuro through Zoushigaya (where I used to live! In a dorm!) and south to Shibuya. It's going to be amazing. The best part about all the new subway lines is the shiny new cars--last summer, half of the JR Yamanote line was covered in cherry blossoms for the special-edition cherry blossom-flavored white chocolate Kit-Kat. (The matcha flavored Kit-Kats also taste like baby angels made of clouds and sunshine.)

-Eighth, are you neurotic? Reading other people's nervous tics and obsessive-compulsive habits has me torn between feeling totally normal and nervous that I am, in fact, bonkers. I think the only neurotic thing I do is worry about the number of stairs in a staircase--I have long legs, and like to go up stairs two at a time--so much so that when choosing colleges, I counted and tested the staircases on campuses. Obviously, I chose the college with an even number of steps, and it pleased me immensely.

Well, I'm off to watch more television and prepare for another work week. Have a great week, everyone, try to stay cool!

Jazz Age Lawn Party, Governors Island

Oh my god, I am absolutely melting from this huge heat wave we're having in New York right now. It is absolutely hellish. Luckily, there is Tasti D-lite and Mr. Softee ice cream to be had all over the city, so I've been busy chasing soft-serve trucks and iced tea from Wall Street to Fort Tryon Park.

Case in point, my friend S. and I took a little picnic basket out to Governors Island yesterday despite the sweltering heat, and it was positively idyllic. Except for the heat. Coincidentally, this weekend was the Jazz Age Lawn Party out on Governors Island, so we spread out our blanket and watched couples dancing the Charleston, oohed and aahed over the vintage cloche hats, and generally wished we could live in the 1920s. This is one of the many times in my life when I have expressed a deep, passionate desire to travel with the Doctor more than anything in the world, and I think you know which Doctor I'm talking about.

Anyhoos, we hopped on the ferry (LOVE ferries, so industrial and charming) and who do I see running around the lawn party but none other than The Sartorialist! Unfortunately, my black and white plaid skirt and grey tee combo didn't impress him enough to warrant a photo. Sigh. At least my picnic lunch menu was a hit--smoked salmon with herbed goat cheese and mesclun on baguette, Middle Eastern cucumber/tomato/olives/feta salad, and my summer specialty, mixed berry salad with mint. S. provided the necessary cheese, crackers, sparkling lemonade, and pleasant company. We missed the pie-eating contest, but it was still fun to watch all the girls with their cloches and parasols, the young men in their suspenders and soda-jerk hats.

The fascinating thing about Governors Island is that it used to be an Army fort back in the day--when the ferry docks, you're greeted by an array of old cannons positioned on a bluff. You can take a tram ride around the island to learn the history, rent bikes, or just stroll about (with parasol and paramour in suspenders, of course). A couple of the gorgeous brick buildings are open to visitors, repurposed as galleries--I'll admit I was more interested in the old houses and their interiors (servants' entrances!!) than the art itself, but definitely a plus for watercolor fans.

All in all, it was a lovely day with a good friend. Here, the heat continues...I'm off to the gym, but oh my lord, was that a huge thunderclap I just heard?

The white skirt/dress conundrum

I have talked about my love and desire for white summer dresses and skirts before. I think they're adorable and great for summer, except for one issue:

More often than not, they're see-through.

I wouldn't say that I'm ashamed of my body, because I'm not really, but there are things (like, oh, underwear) that I'm not comfortable flashing (literally) either. So I go around sticking my hands under skirts (AT STORES, not actual people's skirts!!) and seeing if I can see my hand through it before I even take it to the dressing room. And generally I can see right through that one layer of fabric (sometimes there's an equally thin lining, if you're lucky), and I sigh and I walk away.

With a white top, I'll wear a camisole underneath, no problem. And I do own slips -- I did theatre in high school and college, and if you think a skirt will be see-through walking down the street, it'll really be see-through when you've got a spotlight on you. (And, you know, sometimes your costume itself is a slip. Just saying.) But at the same time, if I'm wearing a cute summery white skirt, do I really want a polyester slip on? Not really, no.

Last year I bought a long chemise in Creme to wear under a white-skirted dress (that, uh, I still haven't worn), but maybe I should consider getting a miniskirt to wear just as a slip. But again, I don't think of summer as a time to layer up on skirts, do you? (Plus do I really want to give Dov Charney more of my money? Not really.) I could get an actual cotton slip, but it kind of rankles that I have to think about it at all.

So I'm stuck. I love white skirts, I don't want to wear slips. I can coo over the Gap's ruffle skirt or a cute Forever 21 skirt online, but I know that if I actually walk into the store and hold them up to the light, I'll be disappointed. (Plus that kind of happens with Forever 21 stuff all the time anyway.)

What do you think? What are your tricks for making white skirts and dresses work for you, or do you avoid them altogether?

image from gap.com

Viva Lost Wages!

I have had an extremely busy weekend -- there was excellent thrift luck to be had in the Mission, an awesome tech party on Saturday, and CupcakeCamp on Sunday. (Here's an elusive photo of me sans sunglasses with my newly thrifted jacket and a tiny delicious cupcake.)

Needless to say, while there's always something neat going on in San Francisco/Silicon Valley, I'm going to be heading out of town again! This weekend I'm headed down to Las Vegas with my family and the boyfriend, and I'm pretty excited! I've only been to Las Vegas once, and I was nineteen -- alas, too young to really take part in Las Vegas. I don't think I'll really be gambling much, though -- my concern is the shopping! (Las Vegas Sephoras are open until eleven PM or midnight! Amazing!!)

And, as we're really heading into summer, everyone's talking about packing for traveling! The newest edition of The Beauty Ideal has a whole bunch of articles on beauty on-the-go, especially the ones written by
Jamie of The Beauty of Life and Lilan of Daily Cookie. There's also hints on packing a carry-on at Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains-Blog today, too. (She recommends the Bliss Travel/Trial essentials, which I have and I love. Definitely going in my bag.)

So I know I'm squared away with my beauty products, but what about fashion? The last time I was in Las Vegas, I packed one pair of flip-flops. Total. And they broke. I had to go to a Rite-Aid (!) and buy a pair of platform (!!) backless (!!!) sneakers (!!!!) in order to have a non-broken pair of shoes. As the Manolo would say, Ayyyy! So I'll definitely be avoiding that this time. (I don't even know where those shoes are now. Long gone, to say the least.) Still, I don't know what the weather will be like (besides, um, hot), and shoes are still going to be an issue, as I don't want to clomp around in sneakers or break my ankle (or a flip-flop).

I'm also thinking of getting a new swimsuit, since I do plan on spending a little bit of time by the pool, but a. I don't really need one and b. I could use a little help with some ideas...

What do you suggest for jetting off to Vegas for a weekend? I'm thinking cute sundresses, but I'd love to hear what you have to think, especially if you have experience with Vegas in June. (I also need some suggestions on new toenail polish colors!)

And if you're thinking of going to Vegas yourself, check out LUSH's new Viva LUSH Vegas contest and gift set -- if you buy the gift set and redeem the code that comes with it, you can be entered to win a trip to Las Vegas for a LUSH opening. (And even if you don't win, you now have a shiny box of LUSH stuff! Which is just as good! Maybe!)

image from usa.lush.com

Science Fair for May 26th - June 1st

Rabbit, rabbit! Today's June 1st! Here's hoping for a great June! If you're getting ready to graduate this month (or have already graduated!), congrats!!

- Want to know how to craft an effective marketing email to bloggers? Jena from Modish tells us what everyone appreciates -- knowing important things like, oh, the blogger's name(s), what they write about, and not flooding with things we don't need like too many pictures.

- This awesome tutorial for button pendants reminds me of the necklace I bought at Maker Faire for my birthday giveaway. (FYI, someone here at PeriodicStyle is having a birthday this month...)

- In more crafty news, the San Francisco Chronicle tells us all about delicious homemade jam and how to make it ourselves. These all sound awesome. (I haven't had breakfast yet!!)

- And in even more delicious news, the Beauty Brains tell us about beer beauty myths, and come to the conclusion that beer is, ultimately, for drinking.

- Got a lot of spare time and a lot of, well, nerdiness? Check out the amazing Secret History of Star Wars. It's a book in PDF format that's over 500 pages long and talks all about the creation of the Star Wars mythology. Seriously fascinating stuff, if you're into it (which I am).

- Finally, have you heard about Brightkite.com? It's like Twitter, but location-based -- you "check in" to a location, and you can see other people who check into your location. You can also post pictures to it as well. Anyway, if you're at all interested (and at all frustrated with Twitter's downtime lately, ahem), I've got 5 invites, so drop me a line at periodicstyle at gmail dot com if you want to try it out!

Have a great week!