FML for being gone for the first half of fashion week.  Here I am catching up on lots of things: emails, blogging, etc. Now I’m catching up on all the new looks I’m missing. And oh boy am I dying.  This post features my favorite looks from genius Georgina Chapman of Marchesa.  Her work this season was inspired by traditional Japanese dress – colors, textures, and shapes.  While the majority of the collection is an artistic achievement, only to be worn for a spread in Vogue but not quite on the normal Marchesa devotee – many of the looks still have that ethereal femininity we look to our darling Georgina Chapman for.

Here are my top 5 looks (in no particular order) courtesy of WWD:

My Alex made the most delicious looking breakfast the other day. Of course I had already left for work, and I dont eat eggs – BUT it look fab. If I was a carnivore I would definitely have indulged.

Thought I had pic, but apparently it is lost in the abyss of my computer. Will post later.

PL&K

natalie marie

In the 1960s when cigarettes first started putting warning lables on their packaging, nobody really paid attetion. And now, after decades of data, educational programs, and TRUTH commercials I am still begging my boyfriend to quit smoking. What the hell? What gives?

Sharon Stone wears a gap turtleneck to the Oscars and they fly off the shelves. But we can’t get people to understand that smoking CAUSES cancer? Really?

Either way, the media has been really jumping on the vegetarian/vegan bandwagon with more and more coverage of the negative health effects of eating meat and dairy. But for some reason, my friend posted the same article to her Twitter feed with “I don’t buy it. I’m still gonna eat my weekly red meat.”  Alright. While I understand that this information is just reaching “news” status, why are people still skeptical of its truth?  I didn’t realize that being a carnivour was akin to being a Christian.  Stop clinging to your fried chicken and steak and think about what you’re putting in your body, and how it’s affecting our world.

Thank goodness I’m moving to Brooklyn, where you can’t walk a block without a vegan restaurant.

Peace, love and veganism,

Natalie Marie.

My level of productivity is completely out of hand.

It just feels wrong.

for Mark Bittman. He knows why I’m vegan. Now you all will too. And I hope you learn something, and start thinking about the things you put in your body. After all, it is your temple. Enjoy.

peace, love and good food,

natalie marie

I know that shameless plugging can be annoying, but I don’t think I do so that often.  Plus, I haven’t ever dated someone I can honestly say I am so incredibly proud of.  This kid shocks me every day. And I’m sincerely jealous of how talented he is – and kind of thankful he doesn’t have any idea. I’m not plugging him because I’m his girlfriend, I’m plugging him because he is talented.  The site is still in the works, but keep coming back to it, as I can promise it will only get better.

Alexander Lee Johnson Photography

Stumble it, favorite it, blog it, love it.

peace, love and art,

natalie marie.

Ahl-right Ah-right.  Obviously I’m bad at timeliness.  so sue me.  If anyone even cares, this is what I’m working on as of January 1, 2009.

RESOLUTIONS.

1.  Stop smoking (cigarettes).

2. Stop drinking.

3.  Lose 30 lbs. (Standard)

4. Read more non-fiction for fun.

5. Go to class.

6. Be nicer to people. [Edit: be nicer to NICE people. I will not tolerate stupidity, caddy-ness, or general shitty attitudes.]

7. Become vegetarian.

Now that we’re 30 days into January, I’m sure you’re all curious to know how the work is going on these resolutions.

Well here are my STATS.

1.  Stop smoking (cigarettes). – Success. I was never addicted to them so it wasn’t difficult.  Although, I do miss the occasional smoke, it’s not worth the cancer I suppose.  Hooka is still occasional.

2. Stop drinking. – This lasted for a good 3 weeks.  A rough 3 weeks of an online class that ate my soul. I deserved some fun. Also, an upside of not drinking means I was close to vomiting off of 5 beers. This resolution has been edited to stop drinking AS MUCH.  Hopefully I can keep it to one night a week.  The extra caloric intake drastically effects Resolution #3, so I need to keep this one in check. Plus, the shit alcohol actually does to your body is pretty astonishing.

3.  Lose 30 lbs. - Working on it. I haven’t been to the gym in 2 weeks, but  my horseback riding is killing every muscle in my body.  Still, the new healthy diet (which will be discussed as a part of Resolution #7, has helped me kick about 7 lbs. Not bad.)

4. Read more non-fiction for fun. – This is awesome. I’m really into it. Some of my classes actually have decently interesting books this semester, so I’m very optimistic for this goal.

5. Go to class. - Eh. I’ve skipped Chem twice and Religion once. And I didn’t go to PR Mgmt the day of the Inaguration, but I don’t count that as skipping. I’m trying at least.

6. Be nicer to people. [Edit: Be nicer to NICE people. I will not tolerate stupidity, caddyness, or general shitty attitudes.] – I’m definitely more tolerant of people, even those listed in the edit. Baby steps, but I’m proud of my steps so far.

7. Become vegetarian. – Alright. In reading Skinny Bitch in order to help me attain Resolution #3, there were some SERIOUS facts that have led me to make a serious life change to being Vegan. On top of this, I refuse to eat anything non-organic. I realize this is a pretty serious step, but events and other information has come to my attention that greatly effected my thoughts on this issue. I do not want anything in my body that I cannot identify. I think that makes sense, so laugh if you want to, but when you get colon cancer and I don’t I won’t be laughing at you.

So there it is. We’ll see how it goes.

peace, love & vegans,

natalie marie.

I look up.

Two circles of glossy browns mixed with amber and gold rays fix their gaze on mine.  My blues land on the two lips curled in a smirk underneath them.

Silence.

I relax as if preparing to fall asleep. I feel warm. And safe.

And happy.

I take a breath.

And exhale. With the carbon monoxide comes -

“I love..”

NO.

I see bright white as I slap my hands to my face and shake my head.

“I’M SORRY. I LIKE YOU A LOT.”

“What?”

He continues to question me as to why I’m upset, where I’m going, what just happened as I shakily stumble up out of his chair and out of his room, repeating lines I know he isn’t buying.

Locked in his bathroom I sit on the tub. How. How did that happen. I’ve been so careful.  My own lips betrayed me. Fucking bastards.

I look in the mirror until my body stops giving me away.  I twist a tissue to fix the mascara that has collected underneath my eyes as a result.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

I walk the 17 steps on the balls of my feet back to his room and pause with a warm hand on the cold handle.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

He is waiting for me.  I sit down at the computer and begin to look busy.

Silence.

Clicking and typing. Fuck, this is awkward.

I feel him staring at me from his post at the end of his bed.

More silence.

“What just happened?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He continues to periodically question me.  But it’s not an interrogation. It’s a sad sort of questioning.  With the kind of inflection a 5-year-old boy has when he asks the vet if his dog will be ok.

He knows it won’t.

I give in. I tell him my mistake with a degree of shoulder shrugging honesty. An simple mistake. I’m embarassed. I didn’t mean it.

I lie.

He asks why it was a mistake. Why I’m embarassed.

I tell the truth. For once.

“Because you’re not ready.”

We’ve done this before. These words aren’t new for us.  He made the mistake first. I said I wasn’t ready.  He said he was sure. He knew what it felt like, and this was it.

And then he took it back.

… I feel like I’m drowning.

Like now.

I love peanuts. (read: nut, not comic strip.)