beauty is pain: the nyc ballet company
December 2, 2012 § 4 Comments
it’s a tradition of ours to see the nutcracker at the war memorial opera house in s.f. every christmas. although this year we won’t be attending because of other arrangements with family. it truly amazes me what dancers must go through in order to be successful in their field of study.. what can be so beautiful can be so painful at the same time.
portfolio: behind the curtain at the new york city ballet
“this is the secret,” says photographer henry leutwyler. “to completely blend in, to become invisible.” leutwyler spent last winter as the most observant ghost in new york city ballet’s rehearsal studios, capturing the uncommonly raw backstage images that now compose ballet, which is both a book {out in december from steidl} and an exhibit {on view at foley gallery november 28 through january 6}.
the shots here exemplify the peek-behind-the-curtain feel of leutwyler’s photos, from an open crate of tutus {“like pizzas in a restaurant”} to a ballerina’s feet after a day of matinée and evening performances {“when feet are demolished”}. “if i had to title the picture, i would call it reality and dreams,” says leutwyler. “the foot en pointe is what every little girl dreams of. the other is the hard, hard work, and the reality.”
photos + btm excerpt via: i love wildfox
christmas candy crate: how to
November 28, 2012 § 9 Comments
christmas is just around the corner so i’m sure you’ll be needing some personalized and inexpensive gift ideas! and even more so, some do-it-yourself gift ideas like my christmas candy crate here. once again i have incorporated my favorite little teal fruit container from the farmers’ markets and this one really is quite simple, so please give it a go!
tools needed:
• 1 small to medium-sized cardboard container {you can get these from farmers’ markets + some grocery stores}
• metallic gold spray paint
• spray glitter glue
• fine gold craft glitter {i like martha stewart’s}
• pretty ribbon
• cellophane gift wrap or even a large zip-loc bag like i used
• a sharp pair of scissors {fiskars is my favorite brand}
• an assortment of colorful christmas hard candies
• newspaper
to do:
1. lay newspaper out in a well-ventilated area such as your garage
2. spray the container w. the gold spray paint in nice even layers + allow to dry completely
3. spray the container w. the spray glue + shake the glitter onto the wet glue surface – do this until the entire outer part of the container is covered in glitter
4. allow to dry completely + gently tap the container on a hard surface to get rid of any excess loose glitter
5. now fill the clear wrap w. the candies + place inside the container
6. with the container + contents inverted, arrange the decorative ribbon like how you would a present
7. now with the container right-side-up, finish off by tying into a pretty bow
8. add slight curls to the ribbon ends by firmly sliding one of the scissor blades down + against the ribbon ends
9. add name tags if you’d like
yay! gift idea #1 done + done!
magical mushrooms
November 24, 2012 § 7 Comments
can somebody please tell me that i’m not the only one who was unaware of the fact that these mythical mushrooms existed outside of fairytales and children’s books? apparently they seem to thrive here in the pacific northwest which isn’t too shocking considering the amount of rainfall going on right now. i believe these to be classified as amanita muscaria which are said to have hallucinogenic properties and are poisonous. it’s not surprising given their vibrant red color. in any case i just had to share because they are just so pretty!!
totally tubular
November 2, 2012 § 4 Comments
just going through some of my photos from my trip to italy a few years back. i could actually go for a bowl of rigatoni right about now, have a great weekend everyone! x
porky pig
October 6, 2012 § 7 Comments
pigs are one of my favorite animals, as well as goats. and this guy only bothered to awake from his nap because of the organic produce that i bought today at sauvie island farms. i don’t blame him, the heirloom tomatoes tasted like candy in my salad tonight!
everyday cat eye: how to
September 26, 2012 § 9 Comments
i love a great cat eye, but it usually looks too severe for everyday looks. i’m more of a subtle girl with my makeup and this is how i do it! all you need is an inexpensive eyeliner from the drugstore. i like to go with brown in keeping with the natural look, but whatever you decide upon, just be sure to choose an eyeliner that glides onto the skin easily and effortlessly.
instructions:
1. gently hold taut the outer corner of your eyelid.
2. following the top eyelash rim and using the tip of your brow bone as a guide, feel your way and apply in a light sweeping motion, one stroke, and one that is slightly turned outward and upward. you will only be applying pencil to the outer corner of the top eyelid here.
3. repeat step on the other eye making sure that they are even with one another.
4. refine the lines a bit with slightly dampened q-tips.
5. add a subtle shading of the same pencil to the bottom lids to finish the look.
6. brush eyebrows with a spooly.
7. set with a bit of translucent powder.
8. curl lashes if you’d like, i’ve not been doing this lately.
you may have to practice a number of times before this technique is mastered. you’re now ready for the office, to run errands or any other activity that calls for subtle makeup!
wine lip: how to
September 17, 2012 § 15 Comments
fall has made it’s presence so it only makes sense that wine lips should too. this idea came out of this fun lip tutorial, but because of the change in seasons, i thought it appropriate to use red wine in lieu of kool-aid. the result is quite subtle and natural making it perfect for all-day occasions. you can also choose to go straight to the wine drinking which will also yield similar results, except with burgundy-stained teeth which isn’t cute. but you know why i made this into a tutorial don’t you? to have an excuse to drink wine of course.. just kidding.. sort of..
you will need:
• red wine
• a dish or glass
• a couple of q-tips
• clear gloss
to do:
1. add a bit of the wine to the glass
2. dip your finger into the wine and rub your top and bottom lip
3. continue doing this now with a wine-soaked q-tip
4. apply gloss
5. the results will be subtle but visible
cin cin!
pretty pretzel
September 16, 2012 § 2 Comments
i am and have always been obsessed with pretzels, my mom used to serve them as snacks growing up, and isn’t this pretzel key chain sweet? <3 it!
via: monkey business
white after labor day
September 9, 2012 § 1 Comment
so long summer, see you next summer!
via: google
relax
September 2, 2012 § 7 Comments
want to chill in the tub w. my old-school rotary, checking off items on my weekend to-do list whilst eating truffles + sipping sweet drinks! oh, and love that pink soap!
via: google
sugar bowl
August 7, 2012 § 2 Comments
