So long, farewell...

Auf Weidersen, Goodbyeeeeeeeeee.

I will be back!

Stay safe while I'm away, folks. I'll pop in if circumstances allow.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Bianca Ghezzi.

Hi, guys!

I just happened across this photographer, Bianca Ghezzi and I'm really liking what I'm seeing, especially the portraiture and little sugar cubes .

Any new[ish] photographer[s] that you are really digging at the moment? Leave a word so I'm not in the dark!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Squeeze me.

Coolest flipbook I've ever seen:

via

ps- I'm leaving for Georgia at 2am tomorrow morning so, don't expect many updates for approximately two weeks. However, I'll pop in as much as I can when I am granted access to any type of Internt-ery.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Tofu, when fully cooked, is quite tasty.

via

Last night, as my mother cooked spaghetti for my brother and the sperm donor, I, once again, endeavored to cook up a tofu stirfry. [I had done this once before and, it is now painfully obvious that what I blamed on the tofu was in reality, my stupidity for not cooking it long enough. Has anyone else found that it takes a good amount of time to finally brown?] I just threw the tofu in with some vegetables including red peppers, onion, snap peas, carrots, and broccoli and stir fried my way into tofu heaven! It was absolutely delicious, all crisp and golden brown...
Mmm, you little soybean devil you, you are so sinful in all of your nutritious yumminess.

ANYWAY, yes.. Krista and Sue are tofu lovers now.
So, does that not up our coolness factor to at least somewhere in the positive numbers?
I kid, of course!
Do you have any diverse tofu recipes that you could share with me? I'm ready for anything!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Ladies of the screen..

in a morph set to music:

glumbert - Women in Film

via

How lovely and creative!

I spotted a few of my favorites.
HELLO JULIE ANDREWS. :-)

Who can you see?

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

The Sunday Salon: Summer Reading List.

I know..I missed last week. Sorry.
I'll most likely miss next week as well, what with my trip to Georgia.

Anyway, I thought that this week, I would just compile a short list of what I am reading for the summer of 2008.

I've just finished The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, which I liked -well enough..until the ending but, that's another post for another day.

Other books in my summer line-up include:
-Where the Hell Is Desilu? by former Desilu Studios attorney and Vice President of Lucille Ball Productions, Howard Rayfiel . Obviously, I'm excited for this one!
-Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe.
-The Cider House Rules by John Irving.

I am currently embarked upon A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, which I only cracked open last night.

So, what are a few books which you plan on enjoying by the pool with a nice, tall glass of lemonade? Tell me!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Beauty in the face of hardship.

Jennine, of The Coveted, recently posted this about an exhibit currently being shown at the City Hall library in Paris, which she recently viewed on a trip. The photographs included are shot in color film which, in and of itself is a rarity for the era.

Shot by André Zucca for a Nazi propoganda writing entitled The Signal.

Jennine gives her thoughts on how a lot of women today are living in much the same detatched state as is shown in this photo essay of Parisian ladies in 1940s wartime.

A short post but, it does force me to reflect on how I, too, have seperated myself from today's reality and how it is time for me to do anything within my power to change the state of affairs in my country even by the simple act of voting against the current administration and anyone who wishes to continue on with a simiar agenda.

I, for one, am eager for us, as a country, to battle our way back into the light of economical prosperity, justice, and charity toward our fellow human beings.

I'm ready for change.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Tula Ellice Finklea.

The well-known actress and dancer referred to in in Hollywood as Cyd Charisse , passed away on the 17th, as I'm sure all of you are already aware but, this is the first chance I've gotten to sit down and make a post.

Cyd's filmography includes roles in such classic films as The Harvey Girls alongside Judy Garland, Silk Stockings with Fred Astaire, and she was chosen specifically by Gene Kelly to perform alongside him in the famous Broadway Medley Ballet scene from Singin' in the Rain .

She was presented with the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities in 2006 in honor of her extensive career.

So, goodbye to another of the last gems of Hollywood's golden age, and thank you for sharing your talent.


Cyd alongside Fred Astaire in The Band Wagon:

Sunny Side Up! darlings,
Krista.

Georgia on my mind..

photo by Raisonettes .

Whew!
I'm preparing for a trip to Georgia in which I will be embarking upon sometime Sunday. YAY 10 hours in the carrr.
I'm lying....

Anyway, I will be M.I.A. from Sunday until sometime after the fourth of July because my out-of-touch older sister does not own a PC. *Shock! Horror!* However, I'm hoping that due to the fact that some of my best friends own computers, I'll be popping in from time to time.

Once I arrive, I will be preparing myself for the big permanent relocation from central Pennsylvania to north Georgia at the beginning of September in order to attend classes at the local college to pursue a career in early childhood education. So, that means going to the school ASAP to fill out my application, pay my entrance fee, etc.
On top of that, I must decide what essential items shall be accompanying me on my pilgrimage.

Oh GOD...

I HATE THE ACT OF MOVING.

This is my first major step towards a life of my own and although I'm terribly excited, I'm also terrified beyond belief. You see, I suffer from, among other things, separation anxiety , directed at my mother. She's always been beside me, (almost literally) my entire life and the world seems as if it is looming outside of my door, completely prepared to scare the bejeezus out of me at the first indication of my beginning a life of my own.

Eh, I may come back to this later in a more detailed, soul searching post when that time arises but, for now I want to keep things upbeat because, I'm actually elated with life at the moment!

Anyway, it'll be lovely to be exposed to hot weather, loving family, and amazing friends that I feel I really don't deserve but have somehow acquired despite my unworthiness.

OH!

I'll be celebrating my 21st birthday a few days after my arrival to top it all off! Apparently, this shall require a grand celebration which may or may not constitute lots of my ridiculous "bull moose pulling his foot out of the mud" dance moves and some type of liquid substance which, if used in proper fashion shall erase all (or most) of my memory of said rug cutting so that I myself shall suffer minimal embarrassment although that may be more than I can say for my mama..

Hugs, kisses, late nights, children, parties, swimming and sunning, and some type of body modification await and I couldn't be more ready and willing!

Until then though, you guys need to stay tuned for more of my favorite things!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Serving her country the best way she knows how.

via

Photography by Eugenio Recuenco

Lovely, isn't she?

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Mother wanted me to come out in a kimono so, we had quite a fight.

The musical greatness that was Grey Gardens played its final performance on Broadway on July 29, 2007 so, my dream of seeing it never came to fruition because well, the time just was never quite right. Anyway, Grey Gardens took its premise mostly from the 1975 documentary of the same name.

This film followed Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her equally eccentric daughter, little Edie , who were the aunt and first cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her sister, Lee Radziwill and American socialites in their own right.

As a young mother, "Big Edie" pursued a singing career, hiring a personal accompanist and playing private parties for the most part. Edith's husband, Phelan Beale, abandoned her and his three children, (little Edie had two brothers) when she was 35 therefore, she was forced to depend upon her immediate family, the Bouviers, to support her along with her children.

Little Edie modeled clothes in department stores as a young girl and she attended the Spence School and graduated from Miss Porter's School in 1935. She resided in New York City and lodged at the Barbizon Hotel for Women from 1947-1952. At that point, she returned to the family home, Grey Gardens, to live with her mother. She never married claiming in The Beales of Grey Gardens a documentary follow-up released in 2006, that she always seemed to be drawn to Sagitarians, a bad match for a Scorpio such as herself.

In their later lives, these two women became notorious recluses living in squalor with more than 50 cats and virtually no indoor plumbing. At one point, the department of health interfered and cousin/niece Jacqueline invested over $30,000 in the attempt to clean the place up.

There is much more to be learned about these ladies and many hilarious anecdotes and tidbits of wisdom shelled out in large quantities by little Edie in the aforementioned film but, as my offering, I bring you the incomparable Christine Ebersole in her portrayal of Edie Beale performing Revolutionary Costume for Today as seen at the 2007 Tony Awards :


Inspiration for this number was taken from this:


Little Edie, I loveth thou.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Imposter princess.

I thought this was pretty fascinating:


This is a sketch of a woman whose real identity was Mary Baker. In the early 1800's, Mary decided that she was going to go to a town in England and pose as a princess of a fictitious foreign island which she called "Javasu" and claimed that it was located somewhere in the Indian ocean. She even spoke her own "language".

She did a pretty swell job of it too because, the inhabitants of this area gave Mary the royal treatment for 10 weeks before she was ratted on by a woman known as Mrs. Neale who ran a lodging house in Bristol where "Princess Caribou" had stayed under her given moniker.

As it turns out, this woman was never charged with any crime and she later settled in England under her rightful name.

Pretty wild, huh?

If you could, who or what type of person would you like to be for a week, just to get a taste of a different lifestyle?

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Late Night Friday Fill-Ins.

1. Traveling throughout Europe, especially Britain and Italy, is high up on my bucket list.
2. My favorite quote is "The important thing in life is our relationship with other human beings. It's not what we set out to get, but how we go about the daily task of living." and it's from Lucille Ball.
3. Noone really inspired me to start blogging, just the fact that I wanted a spot for me to store things that inspire me, stuff that brings a smile to my face, and I wanted to be able to have a record of my thoughts which often get jumbled up all together in my head and its quite a task to sort them out.
4. Strawberries are best at breakfast.
5. Nothing was very positive in the last dream I remember having but, it wasn't exactly a nightmare.
6. The most enjoyable time to go for a walk is early afternoon, say 2:00.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to absolutely nothing, tomorrow my plans include finally going for a swim in the pool and Sunday, I want to finish my book!

Did you participate in Friday Fill-Ins today? Link to your responses in the comments!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista.

Reminds one of Hitchcock.

LOVE These from Jacques Olivar :
Uno.


Dos.

Tres.
via Fashiontainment

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Teddy Girls, a forgotten subculture.

As I was going through my reader this morning, I happened across this post at Behind the Curtain. I was so surprised because, this is the first time I've ever heard anything about teddy girls. I'm not one to toot my own horn but, I'm pretty knowledgeable about life and society in the 1940s-50's. It may be due to the fact that this movement seemed to be focused in and around London for the most part and I tend to go for Americana.

Anyway, I was intrigued and decided to dig around a bit. Its true, not much is known about the typical teddy girl. As far as I can tell, they were considered rather dense and frivolous in their time. Oh, how stereotypes do prevail! There was no set wardrobe but, pencil skirts and pointed shoes known as "winkle pickers" were all the rage as seen here:



Winkle Pickers


The above article is just about the only thing I came across that had any somewhat detailed information on what this lifestyle entailed. Their male counterparts, known as teddy boys should give us the jist of what these kids stood for.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

I can't recall where I fond this

but, its lovely and it cheers me up.


Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

I think by admitting that I feel this way, I come off as a total bitch.

But, this is my blog, for my feelings so, I don't really care.

Why is it that every single one of my very best friends end up getting hitched or, in one case, gets mixed up in an affair with a married woman, at ridiculously young ages and in the process, leave me behind in their dust?
Why can't we just be young, stupid, and carefree for a few years before we all veer into marriage's path?

I'm not going into a lot of detail to protect the privacy of individuals that I care about deeply, despite the fact that I am incredibly disappointed in them and, admittedly, sort of peeved off at them at the moment but, this is the third time in four years that I've basically lost a person who I had previously been led to believe wanted to explore the world with me before we found partners and had babies and lived next to each other in quaint little cul-de-sac's.

I don't mean to be such an awful pessimist but, do you people realize that according to statistics, it isn't even going to work out anyway and then, I'll be the one who has to pick up the pieces and be there when your relationship falls apart..
And, don't worry, I WILL be there because even though I think you're being ridiculous, I still love you with all my heart..

I don't know..

I'm so upset right now and then on top of it all, I'm upset with myself for being upset with this situation because I sound really selfish and self centered, etc. and I'm not that way at all. I'm honestly not that kind of person but, Jesus H. Christ.. why can't we be young for just a few years before we taske responsibility for ourselves and others for the rest of our lives?

Humph.

What's your opinion, insight, criticism towards me, etc.?
All I ask is, please don't judge me harshly. I'm really very nice, I'm just sad and confused right now..

.....,
Krista

There's a special little songbird who has a birthday today!

Frances Ethel Gumm



Quiet, please - there's a lady on stage;
She may not be the latest rage,
But she's singing, and she means it,
And she deserves a little silence.


Quiet, please - there's a woman up there,
And she's been honest through her songs
Long before your consciousness was raised.
Doesn't that deserve a little praise?


So, put your hands together and help her along;
All that's left of the singer's
All that's left of the song.
Stand for the ovation,
And give her one last celebration...


Quiet, please - there's a person up there,
And she's been singing of the things
That none of us could bear to hear for ourselves;
Give her your respect if nothing else.


Quiet, please - there's a lady on stage;
Conductor, turn the final page,
And when it's over we can all go home -
But she lives on - on the stage, alone.


I Don't Care, my personal favorite.

In celebration, a few other gems:

We're a Couple of Swells.


On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe

and,

The Man That Got Away

So, Judy darling, here's to you, on what would've been your 85th birthday.

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Legally blind but it's never been a gigantic problem..

Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls performing Mandy Goes to Med School. The extra pair of hands provided by Lance Horne .

I hope this starts you off on a lovely day, kids!


via Fabulist!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Threadless Designs on your wall?

I want this on my wall!

It could happen thanks to Bilk wants us to get in on choosing which designs become wall candy. Here's what they say:

every six weeks, the blik team posts some of our favorite Threadless original tee shirt designs and we want you to tell us which ones should be the inspiration for a new set of wall graphics.

Yay! I love voting on stuff like this too!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

The Sunday Salon: Krista & the Classics.

I have many quirks, as I'm certain all of us do but, one of those which I possess which irks me most is the fact that when it comes to classic literature, it takes me a very long time to finish reading books.

...and I mean a veryyyy long time. Word or page count does not matter, whether said piece of literature is 400 pages or 1,000; it takes me, and I'm sort of embarassed to admit it, sometimes a month and a half from the time I crack the first chapter until I come to the conclusion and heavy heartedly take leave of a group of characters.

Oh, and by the way, another thing I have is that I absolutely cannot begin another book until I'm through with my current selection. Yeah. I read maybe 6 books a year but, I'm always in the midst of one.

A perfect example? Take a look at the newest addition to my homepage, my book meter. 356 pages out of 606 pages of The Portrait of a Lady done. Not bad, you say? That's after reading a page here, a chapter there for oh.. I don't know, almost two whole months?

The thing is, I've been this way since I began delving into chapter books back in first grade. Wanna know how long I stayed with Heidi and her grandfather back in fourth grade? Six months.. SIX. FREAKING. MONTHS. So, obviously, it isn't that I secretly despise classic lit. On the contrary, I adore it. I guess, perhaps, I overanalyze the situations and topics brought up in these novels?

On the bright side, it proves I do, indeed, have great perserverance. I have never been able to justify just giving up on a story after a few chapters or halfway through. I mean, the author poured all they had, every aspect of his or her life was consumed by the creation of the piece of art which I hold in my hands for, months, years even and, I always feel that I owe it to that person to carry on, enjoy the ride for what it's worth, and only once I've finished do I have the right to judge whether or not I loved or loathed their tale. I've realized that 95% of the time, even if the book as a whole was not to my liking, I am able to pick out a few aspects that made me think or a character that I was drawn to.

I don't know, maybe the way to look at this drawback in my person is; slow and steady wins the race because, by concluding a great piece of the written word, I always feel like I've won. I've won more knowledge, I've been taught a lesson, I've been forced to see the world from a completely opposite point of view from my own and, though I may not agree, I've gained more understanding and respect for a certain group or individual and in that sense, I've won more than any kind of competition could have offered me.


So, what about you guys?
Do any of you identify with me here?

If you've participated in The Sunday Salon this week, please leave me the link to yours in my comments!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Booking Through Thursday..on FRIDAY.

...because, I'm wild like that!




This week's question is:

Have your book-tastes changed over the years? More fiction? Less? Books that are darker and more serious? Lighter and more frivolous? Challenging? Easy? How-to books over novels? Mysteries over Romance?

I've always been open to almost everything in way of books [and just about every other art form too] except for Romance and I'm also not particularly drawn to fantasy, sans The Chronicles of Narnia and Wicked.
From a very young age, say third grade, I've particularly enjoyed auto/biographies immensely. I yearn to learn as much as I possibly can about any one individual, I read up for months rather obsessively, and once I've dug up everything available, short of their bra or underwear size, obsession begins to dwindle but, I always retain a love for and enough information on said individual to be in the running to becoming an official biographer.
So, in short, no, nothing has really changed at all.

So, what about you guys?
What kind of reading do YOU enjoy most and have your reading habits shifted or evolved in any way over the past years or months?

If you've participated in this week's BTT, please leave linkage in comments!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Charleston!

Julie Andrews & Alice Ghostley in a medley from The Boyfriend on Julie's short-lived but freaking awesome variety show, The Julie Andrews Hour which ran between 1972 and 1973.


via Fabulon

I'll Charleston with you, Julie!

....but, you'll have to teach me to balance in heels so I don't break my face first..

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Milord.

Hi!

My brother is out of school for the summer so, that means Krista gets less time on the Internet because..
OMFG, ITS 7:00 AM AND I'VE BEEN OFF XBOX LIVE FOR FOUR WHOLE HOURS!!!!!


So, hence the lack of posts today.


I have the goods now though!

Please, sit back and unwind from your day with the help of one french pixie named Edith Piaf.
I can bet you can recall what is probably her most widely popular song, La Vie en Rose which was prominently featured and sung by Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina , [1954] [lovely movie, by the way.] This is Edith performing Milord, which I believe is my favorite song on the repertoire of this lovely mademoiselle, on Ed Sullivan. Mmmm, like buttah:



So, do any of you have a favorite international singer? Is there an artist out there who is quite loved in his or her own country but, we don't have the pleasure of being aqquainted with in the U.S.A.?
Please, do enlighten me with musical greatness in the comments!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Coco Rocha.

Admittedly, I don't pay a lot of attention to the current fashion scene. I don't have a favorite model. I don't idolize these women; they all have a very similar, basic, model "look"... mostly one of voracious hunger..

BUT.

I am somehow drawn to the ethereal asthetic of one Coco Rocha .

I'm really very impressed with this shot for Vogue Korea.
I love the fact that makeup is not plastered onto her face like icing and they are allowing natural beauty to do most of the work for her that is, except for some sort of Photoshop I'm sure but, I digress.

I'll be keeping my eye on this gal.

So, do you have a favorite model?


Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Numb Nuts?!

This is hilarious !

That child's reaction is so cute.

Have any of you ever participated in a spelling bee? Did you win? What word lost it for you?

AND, please rave about your favorite Etsy shop here !

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Scouting for possible birthday purchases....

I'm turning 21 on the 26th of June & so, I've been scouting Etsy for wishlist items.
Here's what I've come up with thus far:

I love this! It would be so cute to wear that while going on a picnic!

from here

This beautiful compact:

from here

These sexy pinup heels:


And this lovely charm bracelet:

both from here
I could go carazyy in that girl's shop!

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?
Tell me in comments!

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

Where is Ricky?

I've always been aware that decades ago, from about the 1930's through the 1960's, couples who had mentally incapacitated children were encouraged by family doctors and pediatricians to commit the child into an institution for the mentally ill. Family visits and all forms of contact were usually frowned upon.

This short 2:16 video, really touched my heart:


So, my question is this, do you have a family member with a mental disability and if so, when you sit back and think what might've become of your loved one if this was about 40 years ago, how does it make you feel? What is your take on the actions of these former doctors and perhaps the parents who surrendered their children to the state?

video found via mental_floss .

Glamour at the Convent!

I wonder if her name is Maria?


via FABULON

Do any of you have friends or family members who is a nun or priest and if so, how has that affected your family as a whole, if at all?

Sunny Side Up!,
Krista

I can has Wedensday Sisters??

Trish of Hey Lady! is giving away one copy of The Wedensday Sisters . Learn what you have to do & read her sparkling review of it right here.

It looks to me that Wedensday Sisters would be a great choice for some laid back summer reading!