Let's Indulge

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

the kennedys

arguably the most famous surname in american political and popular culture, the kennedys have an air of mystique, intrigue, and royalty about them. how did they reach such iconic status? why are we as a people so fascinated by their lives? differing from the mass media scrutinization of hollywood starlets, the kennedys have been long involved with shaping this nation's legislation. how did one family gain so much influence and have a history so marked with tragedy? during my visit to the capitol, i made a stop at the smithsonian portrait gallery where they had an exhibit of american presidents, first to finish. i have to admit i bypassed the first 3/4 or so (sorry jefferson), but starting with FDR and ending with W i was intrigued by the excerpts they provided about each president, its mind blowing to think one man could possess that much power, to be the leader of the free world, to be under the public's microscope with every move, and to have a personal life. their personalities and relationships are virtually ignored, which sparked my curiosity in john and jackie (jackie's renown style only added on to my interest). i'll have to pick up a biography on them in my spare time, to find out what makes them them.

via

simplicity is beauty

i spied this wedding dress in the window of j.crew and it's effortless elegance caught my breath. it's completely unadorned and unpretentious, but something about the clean cut lines makes it so beautiful. a wedding dress should let the bride shine, emphasizing her beauty, and that's exactly what this dress does. for those who can't afford a designer label on her special day (think carrie's vogue photoshoot with valentino, vivenne westwood, vera wang to name a few in SATC movie), this is a wonderful alternative.

and for those of you who need just a little something extra, this dress is still simple but with romantic details of lace and flowers that are nostalgic of old school glamour:

all images via jcrew

and so i return

helloooo! i'm back after an extended (but completely unintended) haitus. i feel out of the blogosphere loop and don't even know where to start catching up.

while i was gone i made a breif trip to washington, d.c. somewhat spontaneously. and i must say, the east coast is sublimly lovely. refined and elegant, the crisp fall breeze, tree-lined streets, tall multi-colored town houses, the metro, and the sights, i loved it all.

the energy and tone there is so different from the west coast, particularly los angeles. even the sunshine looked different. a bit softer, more liquid-like, the silence there was almost unnerving at first but i quickly came to like it.

it was a refreshing and made me want to unpack my boxes of coats and boots, buy a handful of books, and sit in a park all day with coffee and a friend. sitting, talking, thinking. especially after my visit to georgetown.

i never gave a second thought to ivy league schools, dismissing them as overrated, stifling, and too concentrated on competition. but the second i stepped onto the campus, i was overwhelmed by the gorgeous stone castle that sat directly in the middle, surrounded by oak trees. it was sunday afternoon but the campus was still alive, students were biking, laying in the sun, studying on the lawn, and i thought to myself "wow, so this is what a real school is like." being a student at UCLA, i never fall prey to feeling inferior but i admit georgetown was in a league of its' own, a true institute of higher education invoking feelings of ambition and curiousity of mind with a long standing legacy that commanded respect and radiated grandeur from cultivating great minds for centuries.

oh no, i think i miss it already.