Saturday, February 28, 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Going Green...

“Ah CHOO! “ A girl somewhere in his vicinity sneezed. “Oh thanks,” and before he knew it a tall skinny man with bad breath and a woman with peeling sunburn exited the train and gave way to the germ-infested one. She snatched the tissue out of his hands and wiped her nose with it, stuffing it in her coat pocket. She grabbed the pole with both hands through the crowd and smiled at Jarod.

He looked at her celery green eyes and her long wavy brown hair. It flowed down her back like something wild and divine, and suddenly, he didn’t know why, he was overwhelmed with the need to touch it.

She pulled a sport bottle out of her bag and took a swig of light green liquid. He stared at it hard, debating what might be inside but he knew he would never know unless he asked. He wasn’t exactly one to try new things and nothing about that green liquid was appealing to him.

“I’m going green,” the girl said, looking at her water bottle then looking at him.

“That ….turns you green?”

“No….you know….go green… save the planet,…no plastic…fossil fuels… dead Iraqi children….” she rambled on, pointing at her reusable water bottle and studying a piece of graffiti on the inside of the train. He stared at her, taking her all in. He wondered if she was really environmentally conscious or if she was just being trendy.

“I’m Aviva,” she said, extending an arm. Her wrist was covered in colorful bracelets, winding up her forearm, and as she shook his hand, they jingled together in such a way that Jarod almost didn’t want to let go. As Jarod exited the train, his travel size bottle of anti-bacterial lotion stayed firmly nestled in the front coat pocket, right next to a stack of business cards.

Their relationship developed casually, and as they bumped into each other periodically over the next few months on the subway, Jarod found himself thinking about her more and more. On a Wednesday in November they found each other, he looking prim and proper as usual, and her looking a little worse for wear.

“Hungover,” she said matter of factly as she sat down next to him, pulling her things up on her lap. She always had different bags and boxes and packages, and it killed Jarod to know what was inside them but he never asked, for fear of what her answer might actually hold. The last thing Jarod wanted was to know there was a live snake in a box on her lap, or human ear in a bag around her neck. Not a lot of things surprised Jarod, as he had programmed his life to avoid them, which in actuality meant most things outside his one bedroom apartment shocked him.

“People must see me partying and think ‘wow this girl should be in rehab’….but I’m just like ‘hey it’s a Tuesday!..” she talked to no one in particular, but he never exactly responded anyways. She gulped down her bottle of liquid, which Jarod had learned was in fact green tea. One day, Jarod politely asked for her number, and she of course obliged, being the free spirit she was.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Going Green

Under Jarod’s sink was a scary place. Generally, the cabinets under sinks aren’t all that intimidating or menacing. You might find yourself a particularly derelict space once in a while, but for the most part the worst in terms of bathroom sinks is mold and underused cleaning products. But no, no, the underneath of Jarod’s sink was nothing like this.

Placed three inches from the right and 6 inches from the back were two economy sized packages of blue q-tips. Next to them, in perfect alignment stacked from back to front were two and a half bottles of economy sized spearmint mouthwash. Next to them were two six packs of Mach 5 shaving blades, and behind those were 6 bars of Dove unscented soap. Everything was individually wrapped.

Jarod didn’t know why he kept his sink like this. No one kept their sink like this. When he would do his weekly cleaning, he would take out everything in their proper piles, line them up on a clean bath towel in the tub and spray the inside of the cabinet with 409 multi-surface spray cleaner with bleach (unscented). Then he would put all the items back one by one. Every day Jarod woke up, washed, ate breakfast, and went to work. Then he came back, he ate, he showered, and went to bed.

And so Jarod woke up today, just like he did every other day, at 6:20 in the morning. The beeps of his extra loud alarm clock filled the perfectly purified air and bounced off the perfectly painted white semi-gloss walls of his apartment. As he lifted the beige comforter, from the left to right, at a perfect angle, up and across his body, he felt the tiny bones in the deep of his shoulder crick. He wondered why he never felt the same pains in the other shoulder. He lowered his feet to the floor immediately; he never just lay in bed. Jarod had read an article somewhere sometime about how your body develops muscle memory and associations with the bed and sleeping, and reading and doing things other than sleeping would only make it harder to fall asleep. So Jarod only slept in bed. In between the moments when Jarod would lay down and when he would fall asleep, Jarod would count forwards and backwards to and from 100.

Jarod rushed to work, well rushed as much as Jarod would ever rush. He more like hastened, as the subway door opened he stepped forward, then stepped back every time another commuter rushed by him to get on. He did this dance with no one in particular, apologizing in his head to people as they bumped him from side to side until he was finally the last one left to get on. He knew he was going to have to hold the bar in between two people that he most definitely knew he didn’t want to be standing next to. He began feel exasperated as he dug in his shoulder bag for a tissue that would work as a barrier between his Dove fresh skin and the plagued bars of New York City public transportation.

Stay tuned....

Red Red Wine

While this blog is has been focused on clothes (sigh), it's still in it's infancy, and seeing as I've consumed my weight red wine tonight, one this one occasion (ok probably a lie) it's going to serve as a posting board for other things as well. We'll call it an open post. Hosted by my drunkeness.

I have a big, huge, giant interview tomorrow. I won't tell you what it's for because I've had knots in my stomach for a week over it and I don't want to jinx it. I'm one of those people who knocks on wood 18 hundred times a day. No it's not OCD. Okay yes it probably is. Just be myself, just be myself just be myself.

The dark stallion from my past is back to torture me slowly. What is it with men these days? I wish I lived way back when with Jane Austen, when things were granted still entirely confusing and took much longer (I'm more an instant satisfaction kinda gal) but at least when they had feelings they weren't afraid to express them. And in grand gestures and beautiful romantic phrasing, no less.

Well I'm off to finish the application from hell. Hit me up on twitter (@Blaizer), it's my newest addiction. And by addiction I mean distraction from tax office hell.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

I Want It Now!

I've been plotting and planning my first check from the tax office away for months now, and while I may have a shopping problem (case in point: my closet is 10 feet wide and the two top shelves are filled with shoe boxes), I can't help but to compile a list of must-haves for my first shopping experience with a freshly direct-deposited debit card. Since the one and only New Year's resolution I made this year was to stop buying crap clothes, I've got grand dreams of investing in great pieces that won't fall apart (ahem, Forever 21) the second time I wear them.





I need need need these Seychelles Under Construction Ankle Boots. The stacked heel is perfect for tooling around Boston's cobble stone (seriously Boston?) streets. The lacing seems ladylike and dainty and then BAM you're hit with a rockin' buckle. And the best part is? I'd bet my awful job that not one of my friends will have this pair. Not their style? Nope. Makes me like it better? Yup!




Okay, okay, I've been trying to resist the boyfriend jean trend for a very long time now. I practically live in my dark stretch denim skinnies (denim leggings I like to call them), but spring is upon us, and it's time to lighten up. So I think I'll be investing in a pair like this Current/Elliot Boyfriend Cropped pair. They aren't too baggy so I could pull them off on a casual weeknight date but would still serve as a staple for running errands. And for someone who falls about 3o times a day, rips are welcome in my wardrobe.



I've been in dire need for a new bag for a long time. By white woven Gryson bag has had a rough winter, and I'm looking for something a little less structured for spring. So this Orla Kiely Giant Clasp Handbag in all it's distressed glory will fit nicely into my spring/summer wardrobe, when I tend to transition some of my black staples to brown. Plus the orange buckle makes the bag not too serious and seriously pops.

Closet Copycat: Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson is one of my go-to fashion inspiration...ers. She's casual and quirky yet brings a creative mix that you just don't see everywhere. I've been trying to recreate this outfit of hers for months, but while I have the black skinnies and pastel silk scarf, I can't seem to find a blazer with such chic white piping. Not to mention I can't exactly afford the studded Louboutins. Yet! I actually had it in my head to self-stud my fave pair of black ankle boots, until they disappeared out from under my nose (blame it on living in a sorority house!) But I have a feeling I'll be jazzing up my standard black blazer very soon, piping, studs, the more the better! So here's to you Rachel Bilson, even though I'll be secretly cursing you under my breath for taking Hayden Christensen off the market!

Tough Love

I have to admit, I’m not exactly the girliest of girly girls. I can probably count the number of items in my wardrobe that are pink on one hand. So as soon as the calender tears away to February 1st I start to get pangs of anxiety. All of those sugary hearts and pink…things. Now I love love as much as the next gal, but this year I think I’m going to toughen up a bit. Who says wearing your heart on your sleeve has to be vulnerable?




These Wendy Nichol Puffy Heart Earrings are too freakin' cute. Punk up your Valentine's Day by throwing them on with jeans and a tee. I just wanna squish them!











While I don't really understand the people in the middle of this Heartless Tee from Iron Fist, I couldn't help but love the tag line for it on the 80's Purple site (which is quickly becoming my fave shopping site). "Fabricated violence. Made with love for a heartless world"!












Okay these Heart Sole Platform shoes are seriously hott. Never mind the ultra-clever heart shaped stacked heel(imagine what your gams will look like in these babies!) but the understated details throughout the entire suede and leather pump are what make it really special. The peep toe front has a cool bow effect that isn't too frilly and the cone heel elongates legs. Don't care about any of that? Just pretend your stomping around on your ex's heart!











LEATHER!! If I had a Valentine this year (ohh mommm...) I would definately throw them a bone and have them get me these Lord Willy's Driving Gloves instead of some girly piece of jewelery. Well probably not, but they're a totally practical gift for a single gal pal that needs a little lovin'.





I originally spotted a totally gruesome heart shaped charm necklace on one of my fave jewelery sites Exhibitionist NYC (not to be confused with exhibitionist.com, unless you're looking to trade your jewelery for porn) but instantly changed my mind when I came across these Lord and Lady rings. Is there a cooler way to show you have a better half? Royal!