gone fishin'

until further notice.

kthxbai.

waffle me this, waffle me that

dear earth calendar,

once again thank you for your infinite wisdom and letting me know that today, march 25, is indeed international waffle day! it started in sweden (Våffeldagen) but they tried to spread it. apparently unsuccessfully if you care what wikipedia thinks.

if you're an indecisive carb-loving pisces like myself, today is your day. not only can you celebrate flipflopping (who forgot about that election buzzword?) on all life's decisions, but you can eat waffles! (stay tuned for photos of kelsy celebrating this glorious occasion in chapel hill.)

apparently it started in sweden as a tribute to spring and women setting aside their womanly winter tasks, like chopping wood, knitting snowflake sweaters and MAKING WAFFLES. that actually sounds pretty fun.

oh and on a semi-related note for all you *~*new yorkers*~*
fish's eddy is having a pretty amazing sale, i picked up lots of gifts for myself and others, some things are $1!!! i think it's going on through the rest of the month so check it out and fancy up your home, apt, or cardboard box. even though it's not waffles, they're selling these ihop cups there...pancakes are close enough?

generation FB

as half of *~* is on work-vacay (come home soon), we bring you a guest post all the way from germany! herr kyle, is one of our besties and a writer in his own right as well as an expert on the human condition (check out his mumblings- shout out!).

without any further ado:

The state of Generation Y or whatever we are called now:

I got an email from a friend I hadn't heard from in a while. She is 24 also, but doesn't have facebook, so I don't really know the minutae of her daily life, except for the info from the twice-yearly or so emails she sends. This makes me feel all weird and uncomfortable inside because given the ability to properly stalk her, I would certainly comment on her pictures, posted items, and perhaps even drunkenly poke her from time to time. Realizing that she also hasn't been subjected to my status updates, I have to try and sum up 6 months of events and activities in an email, something that my twitter-addled brain doesn't seem capable of doing anymore.

Anyways, she sent a chain email consisting basically of FB's 25 Things craze, but in a slightly different topic format of 3 things you may not know about her in each category. I couldn't help but think it seemed so *~*old-fashioned*~*. Reply All in order to comment? I think not. Thumb (excuse me, scroll) through addresses to resend it to people? Thank you, but I go by pictures and full names. No viral news-feed to make sure everyone I know has the ability to find it for all or posterity? That's just so 90's of you email.

You serve your purpose Gmail, but facebook captures a little bit more of my heart every day.

mellow yellow, they call me

i took a food tour of the meatpacking district yesterday, which i highly recommend.

yellow: as seen from inside and outside.

nine cookies, four pastas, and $50 cupcakes later.

escaping new york
spring best be here in april
or i'll go ape shit.

this post is really all about sarah.

today we have two very important events to celebrate:

1.) the 29th wedding anniversary of my parents, the glorious gary & air janice nelson:

my parents met on a fateful winter evening when their friends set them up on a blind date. that very night they proclaimed they would spend the rest of their lives together and wed less than a year later beneath a waterfall in hawaii.

the above picture is not from hawaii.

like tru playas, they had a second wedding so their families could also indulge in too much champagne. thus, this rockin' photo from 1980 was taken after the p.i.m.p. vows.

2.) the one month anniversary of *~*

much like my parents, i met my bklyn crime partner in paris where an immediate bond over a distaste for uggs, adoration of cafe creme, and curiosity of all things frommage formed. our union has been through many trials and tribulations, but stood the test of time. mainly because she lets me come over and eat all her chocolate.

mating season is open

happy first day of spring! (omg love google today)




you've been feeling it in the air since the weather has gotten a bit warmer (except for today, wtf snow?), men are starting to sniff women's butts and perform their mating songs and dances in hope of attracting a mate, either for the night, week, month, or life.

good luck boys, it's a jungle out there, and the ladies are getting more picky and tougher to please. maybe we just realized we don't need you anymore (read vibrators, artificial insemination and the snuggie).

anyway, in honor of the fellas still playing the game...

WHO WOULD YOU RATHER DO?

THE SILVER FOX

OR FOXY BROWN?

gimme, gimme seconds

another edition of our brooklyn review series, we present:

second stop cafe

corner of lorimer + ainslie

calling all hipsters, come get your stumptown coffee and in-house baked goods.

gimme coffee, you got yourself some competition on the block!

reasons we love second stop (esp. over gimme coffee):

-nice baristas: down to earth, not competing for amerika's next top hipster and they make the coffee with love (no seriously, they make little hearts on the foam)
-delicious coffee and reasonably priced (it's ny people, it's not going to be THAT cheap)
-comfy ambiance: it feels old even though it's pretty new, worn-looking hodge podge of tables and chairs, books from the brooklyn library, vintage posters, original tin ceilings and good music
-hipster cruising spot: lots of eligible bachelor/ettes hanging around, so if you're looking for love or some ridiculous outfits, look there, also people leave their cute dogs outside to pet
-free wireless: holla working from home or being unemployed!
-the little things: hearts on the foam, actual ceramic dishware (none of this plastic $h*t), homemade muffins (i recommend blueberry glaze or donut muffin)
-closes at 10: suck it gimme!

fact: it used to be an old grocery store and still retains some of the feel

!warning! if you are a chai lover, you will be disappointed, they use the tea bags instead of the liquid/powder mix which i think is narsty. (1 point for gimme who has some chai delicioso over there)

i also hear the bathroom is a good time, so check it out for yourself

*~*this was also the birthplace of starsquigglystar, so it holds a special place in our hearts*~*

and when she finally served polenta, i could not eat.

this video is two months too late for her birthday and five years in the past, but it still makes me laugh. while a little long, good things come to those who wait.



reason #37 i love jens lekman:
"a higher power"

in church on sunday making out in front of the preacher.
you had a black shirt on with a big picture of nietzsche.
when we had done our thing for a full christian hour,
i had made up my mind that there must be a higher power.

i do not like green eggs and ham

is it just me or is everyone in nyc way too excited about st. patty's day this year? a holiday to drown your sorrows in copious amounts of green alcohol in a time of economic downturn? makes no sense to me. come on new yorkers! i thought you were better than that: green mardi gras beads, green felt hats, green shirts that say kiss me i'm a leprechaun (btw you're not)? i blame my peeps aka the irish. a little taste of what we'll all be eating if we go back to the potato famine days of yore. erin go bragh!

the dance party inside my head.

i've been really bad about keeping a promise i made to myself a year ago to purchase cds on a weekly basis. after the success of andrew bird's "armchair apocrypha" (and the failure of his lackluster concert [i still heart you andrew in case you're reading and yes you can serenade me with the sweet sounds of your violin]), i think i was too worried the next musical choice would only be a disappointment.

such is life.

venturing into soundfix on saturday afternoon, i couldn't resist taking home animal collective's "merriweather post pavilion" and beirut's "march of the zapotec and realpeople holland." while no match for mr. bird, both cds ended up appealing (and somewhat disappointing) in their own ways.

animal collective

merriweather post pavilion

maybe i'm not hipster enough to fully understand this release. maybe i anticipated too much when pitchfork rated it a 9.1. maybe i was hypnotized by the green and blue album cover. maybe i fail at life.

i was completely entranced by "my girls" back in january when it was put on their myspace and dreamed of the other tracks to come. nothing quite reaches the appeal of "my girls" and while i'm not completely blah about the album, i guess i just wished for something more. since i have no real input when it comes to assessing music, i'll simply say it's an interesting effort, but nothing timeless.

beirut

march of the zapotec and realpeople holland

how could i not pick up an album that hits home about two countries on two continents with bittersweet memoirs? oh beirut, how you remain an international sensation in my heart of hearts!

the first half of the cd focuses on mexican wedding and funeral music. beirut incorporates his classic eastern european/gypsy flair with the sounds of chorizo and death -- a curious development. i wasn't really struck by any of the songs, but i do want to know where he's going to go with this on his future albums. for the record, it does not compare to ever lovable soundtrack of "la mutualista."

realpeople holland is more electonic and "scenic world" esque. i enjoyed the likes of "my wife, lost in the wild" and "no dice," but overall prefer his previous efforts. i do like that he's expanding his musical influences and think they will find a place somewhere only he knows.

a message from brighton beach

happy birsday, gone
with the wind of primorski's,
a georgian delight.

personal defeat.

oh how beautiful to be 13 all over again.

life below the surface: you are my hell, mta.

the new york city subway is one of the most vile, yet incredible transportation systems in the world. only here will you find the lives of junkies, prudes, didgeridoo players, and the city's men in tight pants coalition colliding.

for the most part anything goes. but people, there are a few rules:

1.) if some1 b preggers to the nth xtreme or with a child, pls let them sit. i know the miniature poodle in your carry on bag is v heavy, but take one for the team. oh, and mens: please tell me chivalry is not dead and give up your seat once in a while to the aforementioned group.

2.) if a geezer loads, stand up.

3.) take advantage of the chocolate bar sales. although the proceeds go to the dime bag fund rather than your local youth basketball league, it's still cheaper than paying at the little stands inside the station.

4.) do not give small change even if someone says they will accept anything. past experience has shown this only ends up back in your face.

5.) do not engage in conversation with someone before 11am. if they are trying to ask you out on a packed train at 8:30 in the morning, bigger issues lie ahead. should they continue to stalk you at your transfer point and say it's coincidental that the two of you are getting off at the same place, pretend to go somewhere else. even if they give a convincing argument about why they want to be a wedding planner.

6.) make friends after 3am. example below:



7.) throw your shit in the trash, not the train.

99.) stand clear of the closing doors please!

mo-reeshis, indeed

holidays are a blast. my earth calendar tells me that today little people all over the world are celebrating them.

here in the u.s. of a., honor the recession with depression, and celebrate both employee day and girl scout day. (i am doing both by working hard and eating thin mints- suck it samoas!)

some other international holidays being celebrated today you may not be aware of. let me enlighten you.

we've got:
arbor day (china/taiwan)
renovation day (gabon)
youth day (zambia)
crown princess' nameday (sweden)
moshoeshoe's day (lesotho)

and...wait for it...our personal favorite...

MAURITIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!

mauritius, lovingly dubbed "mo-reeshis" by we, is that tiny country off of africa that killed the dodo bird in 80 years. (where was peta when you needed them?) they speak english since they chased out the brits only 41 short years ago (you dont look a day over 40!), but you can also get your french on, or if you're really in for something special, mauritian creole. not to mention, transportation is totally FREE to students, disabled and geezers. suck on that MTA! shove your fare hikes up your @$$, i'm going to mo-reeshis.

mauritius totes obvi made a good decision. check out their pre and post-independence flags, who would you rather do?

morrissey sings me to sleep, but i still don't dream.

pandora is one of those magical creations that makes eagle soar and eases the bore. gimme, gimme, moar. couples vacay at the jersey shore?

here are a few don't miss stations -- if you haven't created them already, you should. and if you don't, then you are a fool. a damn fool.

a.) rihanna
aka guilty pleasure radio. it will take care of all your pop/r&b faves and you may even drop it like it's hawt.

b.) chambao
put a little spice in your life and bust out the spanish dictionary if necessary. good spanish music, mostly from the peninsula, and nothing to do with daddy yankee or the soundtrack played in my neighborhood at 8 am while my neighbors are washing their souped up toyotas.

c.) postal service
makes me happy. with artist names like frou frou, stars and owl city, how can you not love it?

d.) andrew bird
the second love of my life (after sufjan steves totes obvi) provides a wonderful station of indie favorites. every now and then a country song pops up, but like jesus, nobody's perfect.

e.) "i wanna dance with somebody"
this recent discovery had me at hello when they started out the station with "higher love (extended uk remix)," the song of my childhood summers. you see, my family and i used to endure two weeks of hell every year in a beat up yellow wv wagon (think "little miss sunshine") and drive to the remote locations on earth aka wyoming and montana. "higher love," "i will always love you," and madonna hits rage on this station.

f.) "breakable"
for a slightly more melancholic twist, try ingrid michaelson's "breakable" radio. most of the songs are by female vocalist who pine for morrissey (much like myself) and wallow in their requited love. oh morrissey, how many hearts doth thy break?

williamsburg store review: catbird

catbird = hater nation.

everyone is aware of williamsburg's reputation for elitism, but catbird takes this to a new level of ridic.

les femmes who work at the store are out of control -- completely aloof, unwilling to help, and fail to acknowledge customers. the store selection is interesting, but not worth $95 for stud earrings. i can appreciate the thought that goes into their collection, but is too often cliche (ladiez: how many pairs of antlers/bird motifs/nautical themes do you need?) and extremely overpriced.

overall, it's good for window shopping and seeing what the trust fund babies are creating around wburg. if you're having a moment and want to throw down some cash money, i would look elsewhere (pinkyotto just down the street or mine metal art on grand + bedford). for much cheaper, you could get your fill of plastic birds, cats, catbirds, or road side snobbery from a street seller in soho.

*~*

promise not to promise anymore.

melancholic monday.

holding hands + watching classics.

tangled by the lures
a tunnel visionary
never slept again

come on, skinny love.

top 10 of 23

half of *~* is entering into our mid-20s today.
rip my youth.
in memorium.

10. turning 23 full of cheap rum, burnt to a crisp on a caribbean beach
9. discovering my passion: teal leather
8. moving to williamsburg/brooklyn living (refer to this)
7. getting a wax mini-me made for posterity in china
6. delving into the complicated world of l'homme francais (see here)
5. learning what my future offspring will look like (thank you dave and busters)
4. being mistaken for a lesbian couple at a male-only red light green light party (thank you again dave and busters)
3. realizing the dream aka *~*
2. drunk brunch
1. champagne wishes and pinkberry dreamz

when totes met obvi.

new york has been swept away by what is being called "totes obvi nation."

elongated form: totally obvious
diminutive: totes obvi
too far: t obv

definition: to be very apparent.

examples:
person a: "would you marry tiger woods if he proposed in a ring of fire?"
person b: "totes obvi."

person a: "should i bring my crack pipe to the party?"
person b: "totes obvi."

here is a visual of what totes obvi means to me:

ps. did you know the pussycat dolls covered "jai ho" from "slumdog millionaire?" listen here.

ghana, 2008.

les relations sont compliquées.

french movie night is one of my favorite new york traditions. among the fierce 70 year old women who show up and then proceed to sleep/snore during the film, hot gay men who promenade the theatre, and incredible tales that make absolutely no sense, i always départ falling in love with france all over again.

the movies tend to follow complicated relationships that deal with perversion, sex, lots of slapping, and then passionate declarations of amour. while my french love affair can be summed up in one afternoon with a man who stalked me in a bookstore, wore horrible sandals, told me i was immature on our first/only date, and became angry when i refused to go home with him, i am aware that no good relation française is without drama. you see, he continued to text message and call for the next three months even though i saw him on the metro with another woman. fml.

the relationships in the movie last night were slightly more multifaceted than this. "le premier venu" (or "just anybody" for you non francophones aka me) can really only be understood through the following visual demonstration:

obviously a must see. learn more at the alliance franciase.

the peeler

one of my favorite weekend occurrences was running into the "gentleman peeler" around union sq. sadly, joe ades, the amazingly awesome british man, 4 times widowed, who lived on the upper east side and wore expensive silk suits to peddle his peelers on the streets of new york, left this giant carrot for a better place earlier this year. i loved the dry, loud and witty demos he gave on the street to sell those swiss veggie peelers, although, it's SO much more than a peeler. i loved seeing those little stray carrot and potato pieces leftover on the street after he had gone. this man was a new york legend and had his vanity fair article proudly displayed. there is even a flickr group dedicated entirely to him.

happily (and i love this!) his daughter took over the business. the resemblance is there, and she's currently perfecting her version of the routine to liquidate the rooms of peelers in his old apartment. she doesn't wear silk suits, but she did sell me a peeler this weekend.

father and daughter at their best, for your visual interest.

winehouse watch

amy, amy, wherefore art thou amy?
in london! after months of disturbing the lovely residents and vacationers of st. lucia, doing acrobatics and manhandling men that aren't her soon-to-be-ex-husband, blake (see tattoo on her chest), amy is back in london either trying to resolve things with blake or telling him to feck off, depending on who you believe. blake got her addicted to crack, didn't tell her he was out of jail, cheated on her, tried to extort hush money, and filed for divorce. we think it's totes obvi *~*meant2B*~*. kudos for putting on a shirt and bringing back the beehive, amy!

senorita intoxicada

doomed amongst the weak
margaritas fill the soul
show me what you got.

your march whorescopes

aries

the sign of the ram calls for an exotic months of exploring alternate species. don't squash your flames with an icy lover -- simply use horns, keep steady, and prepare to be straddled.

taurus

samuel l jackson will make a man (or woman) out of you this month. if you drink champagne, slither down the nile, and stay awhile, you could really master some new tricks.

gemini

give fundies a try.

cancer

burlesque is back, and hotter than ever. so ladies, do yourself a favor: buy some red-sequined pasties, throw on some jewelery and long gloves, and learn how to shake what your momma gave you. your man will not be disappointed. even if he thinks "stripper," he will love you all the more for it.

leo

you're a prude, go make out with a random stranger.

virgo

let's face it, we're in a recession. that being said, use this opportunity of businesses going under to build up your lingerie arsenal.

libra

stiletto spy school. their website says it all: fun, excitement, glamour, intrigue. pushing limits, breaking boundaries, bonding with friends old and new, and learning real life skills and lessons that apply from the boardroom to the bedroom.

scorpio

march is the first month of spring and mating season. so stop fighting mother nature and get it on.

sagittarius

oh honey, I know you were drunk and wearing the goggles, but he (they) was just nasty. get to the doctor before you lose your insurance and self respect.

capricorn

slumdog millionaire just sweeped the Oscars. in honor of the subcontinent, go study that kama sutra.

aquarius

go out on a limb and treat yourself to a younger man.

pisces

what you did was shameful, but in the end your lover from another mother will appreciate this new found wisdom.