BRA-ha-HA

1st place winner for the Bra-ha-ha contest; Forget Me Not

What's all the gigglin' about? Bra-ha-ha, no I'm not laughing, I'm talking about a serious matter here, and that serious matter is raising awareness for Breast Cancer. No joke, strolling through the mall, bras made of Home Depot aprons and Santa Clause hats caught my eye. A corner store in the mall, a display of bras made by Long Island women to represent and raise awareness for breast cancer.

2nd Place; The Many Faces of Cancer

I stopped to read about Bra-Ha-Ha, no I was not ashamed, no I was not embarrased, and truthfully was happy to stop and take a second out of my fast paced, no time to do anything day to read about this "community centered celebration". Little did I know, as I was reading, a cluster of other women joined in with me to read about the celebration. What a great feeling. Leaving with a smile, I giggled at the silly bras and knew I needed to come home and look up more information on it.

Lego Bra-Ha-Ha

So here it goes: Bra-ha-ha® is an artistic, high profile, community-centered celebration that confronts the barriers that hinder access to the early detection of and treatment for diseases of the breast and positively affects the emotional security of patients and their families.

day off, time to pumpkin pick!

what a gorgeous day in NYC it has been, and I could want nothing more for today to turn out to be just as beautiful as yesterday. I finally have a day off! all to myself, something I haven't had in a few months, to say the least.

I am excitingly planning to go pumpkin' picking with my lova lova and am wondering if there are any "tips" of picking the perfect pumpkin. NOT that I care if my pumpkin is anything from perfect, but just curious!

Here are some fun(ny) things I came across on the internet and some of my happy thoughts to go along with.

Select a pumpkin that is completely orange. NO, I want a purple one. duhhhh

Size is an important factor. Medium pumpkins are best for pumpkin carving. Small pumpkins are better for cooking. Actually, good to know--considering I'd like to do both with my pumpkins when I get home.

Do not pick a pumpkin that is too big for you to carry, especially if you have back problems. NO Words. .

Do not lift or carry a pumpkin by it's stem. The pumpkin stem gives it character.

If you are out in the pumpkin patch picking a pumpkin:

Wear boots or old sneakers. It could be wet and muddy in the pumpkin patch. Oh shucks, I wanted to wear my suede wedges. boo hoo

Bring a sharp knife or pruner. UM why?

pumpkin' spiced latte

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot whole milk
• 1-1/4 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 ounces double-strength brewed coffee
• 1 tablespoon sweetened whipped cream
• 1 pinch pumpkin pie spice
• 
  

Combine the hot milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice in a blender; blend until frothy. Pour the mixture into 3 coffee mugs to about 2/3 full. Pour 2 ounces coffee into each mug. Garnish each mug with whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice.

DKNY=LOVE

1st look; twisted argyle incorporating camel color at DKNY

DKNY is by far my favorite.

Little things you may not know about the designer, Donna Karan, are:

*She was born in Queens but was raised in Long Island (represent! even though I was born & raised in Brooklyn)

*Her pops was a tailor and her mama a model

*She went off to college at the well known and prestigious Parsons School of Design

*DK went on to work at Anne Klein as an Assistant Designer

& here we are today, with her own awesomeness of a line.

a little menswear inspiration never hurt anyone

camel love

gray knit leggings & camel. gray & camel f/w 2010

the BEST Pumpkin' Muffins

The Best Pumpkin Muffins Servings: A LOT 36 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ingredients 1 1/2 teaspoons Seasoning - Salt 1 1/2 teaspoons Seasoning - Cinnamon 1 1/2 cups Raisins 6 Eggs 4 3/4 Cups Flour - All Purpose 4 Cups Sugar - White 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda 1 Cup (chopped) Walnuts 1 1/2 Teaspoons Seasoning - Nutmeg 1 (29 oz) Pumpkin (Canned) 1 1/2 Teaspoons Seasoning - Cloves (Ground) 1 Cup (unsweetened) Applesauce Cooking Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Grease three 12 cup muffin pans, or line with paper muffin liners. Soak raisins in hot water for ten minutes to plump, then drain. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce, until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly to make a smooth batter. Stir the raisins and walnuts into the batter. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Brian Wood + Alpha Industries

So a little bit about Brian Wood and Alpha Industries.

Brian Wood is an artist working with multiple media in NYC. He paints, draws, and snaps photography, all which are exhibited highly, internationally...held in private and public collections. To brag a bit for him, Brian Wood is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum; the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Houston Museum of Fine Arts; the Tampa Museum of Art; the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography in Ottawa; the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and Concordia Art Gallery in Montreal; the Museum of Modern Art in Prague; the Ludwig Museum in Cologne; and many others. You can check out his site at: http://brianwoodstudio.com/index.htm.

A bit now about Alpha Industries. Alpha Industries is a global enterprise, dedicated to manufacturing and selling military inspired fashion, only at the highest quality level of course. Once a premier supplier of jackets to the US. DOD; today the leader in cutting edge fashion. From flight decks to the city sidewalks, Alpha stands on the front lines of quality and fashion. Check it: http://www.alphaindustries.com/.

photo:Assunta Catalano

photo:Assunta Catalano

photo:Assunta Catalano

photo:Assunta Catalano

Some goodies I got at the event ;)

Photo: Assunta Catalano

A cool blast from the past, from present day to the 1950's, a little fun fact history booklet. Nothing like some American culture for an amazing iconic brand, eh?

Photo: Assunta Catalano

Some mighty fine tunes, tracks including Rock around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets, Hound Dog by Elvis to Dre Day by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and Just Dance by Lady GaGa. Talk about taking a a mixed tape.

LV & Parsons

I’m talking about the Parsons school of Design pairing up with Luis Vuitton for Reconstruction 2.0. A competition where design students compete using deconstructed pieces by Louis Vuitton Artistic Director and Parsons alumnus Marc Jacobs and recreate conceptual installations that address the rich heritage of the Louis Vuitton brand.

Scissors, sewing machines, sketchbooks and fabric dye, this is what the six teams of students worked with in preparation for their competition. At Louis Vuitton Soho, student teams developed their pieces at work stations set up amidst the retail counters and store displays, while shoppers and passersby got a firsthand look at the creative process.

“Parsons has a long tradition of building relationships with companies that share our commitment to design that is marked by innovation and quality. Our ongoing collaboration with Louis Vuitton is a natural fit,” said Joel Towers, dean of Parsons. “Our students are excited to be experimenting with designs by one of our most prominent alumni, Marc Jacobs.”The winning team was awarded a trip to Paris to tour the Louis Vuitton Museum and workshop, Espace Louis Vuitton, and the brand’s flagship Paris store.

Photos: Assunta Catalano

With bubbly and fancy hors d’oeuvres, I enjoyed my time seeing the designed pieces, the creative students behind it, and of course seeing Patricia Field, whom I captured a candid photo of, but will not post unless NEEDED because it is not the best of all photos. Let’s just say, its extremely candid.

REDICULOUSLY funny

boutique week

visit ICONOGRAPHYMAG.COM & check out my Boutique Week post =]

much lovee.xo

vineyards//bachelorette party

Pendants

No matter what fall trend you choose to embrace — urban minimalism, chic neutrals — an eye-catching pendant like this José and María Barrera necklace is the perfect way to top off the look. Long gold-chain numbers enrich any ensemble.

Pamela Love Fall 2010

Max & Chloe

Swarovski

h&m+SoHo

Will you be there? H&M and NYLON magazine host a bash for the store opening in SoHo. Did I hear cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, I’m so there!!

iconography magazine

please check out my new post @iconographythemag

H.Stern’s Latest Jewelry Line Inspired by Brazilian Dance Troupe

Jeweler H.Stern's collaboration with Brazil's Grupo Corpo dance troupe results in stunning pieces.

What world world-famous jewelry line is known for modern and expressive designs, but has gone one step further by creating a collection inspired by the exquisite movement and dramatic choreography of Grupo Corpo, an internationally recognized dance group based in Brazil? Well that would be H. Stern.

Both South American brands focus on unique creativity and craftsmanship, which is clearly brought to life in this partnership. With a a jewelry collection made up of 60 innovative pieces in gold, diamonds and colored gemstones and exudes the movement, you really see the inspiration; the balance and energy demonstrated on stage by the actual performers.

The H.Stern+Grupo Corpo collection launched exclusively at H.Stern’s New York and Miami boutiques in September with prices ranging from $790 to $50,000. For more information, go to hstern.net.

Here are my favorites from the new collection.