Oscar Favorites

I love the Academy Awards.  Partly because it's fun to try to guess the winners, but mostly because I LOVE to see what everyone wears and this year I was not disappointed.  The mostly natural make up and hair was a modern counterpoint to the beautiful dresses.  And did anyone else notice the prevalence of emeralds as the jewel of choice?  Here were some of my favorites from the red carpet:

 

Cate Blanchett's Givenchy dress was absolutely gorgeous and by far my favorite of the evening.  Just stunning. I also loved the combination of the red and embellished nude in Rhea Durham's Naeem Kahn gown.  And then there was Anne Hathaway's myriad dress changes during the ceremony.  While I think she over acted a bit in terms of her presentation, her wardrobe was spot on.  Here were my top 3:

And the best part of all, the Brian Atwood shoes she wore with her Lanvin tuxedo during her dance number. 

**swoon**

Texas Style

Out in Houton being a "tile expert" and inspecting Discovery for damages or unintentional protrusions (i.e. gap fillers).  We didn't get started until 11:00 this morning, so my coworkers and I enjoyed a dinner out last night, where I also got to hang out with my good friend B!  We just finished our inspection recently and now we have to run analyses on them to make sure we're good for reentry.

Go Discovery!

Discovery Launched Today on Final Mission

Discovery launched today on STS-133 to the International Space Station!  The weather was gorgeous and it was a fantastic day to sit outside and watch a launch.  J and I finally got to take advantage of my Space Flight Awareness award and we watched the launch from a special viewing site next to the Banana River directly across from the launch pad and it was a truly incredible view (picture was taken by me).

I actually started off my day, though, at the Kennedy Space Center press site as a representative for Boeing.  I gave 2 print interviews, 2 radio, and 2 TV, though all I've been able to find so far is one quote in an article that has been printed all over the globe: Discovery shuttle  blasts off on last space odyssey  If I find any of the other interviews I'll be sure to post an update...

All in all it was a busy day.  And now I'm packing to get ready to fly out to Houston tomorrow to support the on orbit imagery inspection over the weekend!

Don't Forget to Watch Tomorrow's Shuttle Launch!

Remember to turn on the news or check NASA's website to watch tomorrow's launch of Discovery on space shuttle mission STS-133 to deliver important spare parts and Robonaut 2 to the International Space Station!  Launch is scheduled for Thursday, February 24th at 4:50 p.m. eastern time. 

I'll be busy representing Boeing at the KSC press site and then heading to the special launch viewing site for my Space Flight Awareness award, so I won't be able to provide updates tomorrow.  However, my favorite source for shuttle updates on launch day is Spaceflight Now, where you can get minute by minute description of what's happening.

Biker Chic

Last year for my birthday my parents gave me a gorgeous green bicycle that I keep at their townhome in south Florida (the neighborhood their house is in is far more conducive to biking than the area I live in).  I love going down there and taking bike rides, especially since so many relatives, restaurants, and stores are within biking distance.  However, toting a purse while riding a bike isn't so great and backpacks always seem to slip off of my shoulders.  I considered a basket for my bike but I'd prefer something I can carry with me after I get to where I'm going, so I've recently debated getting a bike bag that actually attaches to the frame of the bike.  Here are my two options so far, which do you like better?

from Etsy

from Need Supply Co.

Whirlwind Weekend

J and I took a long weekend trip to D.C. over the last 4 days (further blowing my resolution to blog 5 days/week), and it we had a wonderful time!

We went to the Smithsonian museums, walked around all of the monuments at night, walked through Arlington Cemetery, sat in Ford's Theater, and ate some truly delicious foods.  We went to two restaurants by Jose Andres, Jaleo the first night where we partook of some excellent tapas and paella, and on Sunday afternoon we brunched at Cafe Atlantico where they serve a neuvo latino dim sum brunch.  We also tried Ethiopian food for the first time and both loved it!  Yum!

Paella at Jaleo

Some of my favorites from the trip (aside from the food) were the Hubble 3D IMAX movie in the Air and Space Museum, the First Ladies exhibit in the American History Museum, walking the mall at moonlight, the crystal exhibit in the Natural History Museum (we got to see the Hope Diamond and some pretty other fabulous jewels there as well), and the butterfly garden in the Natural History Museum (reminded me of Arielle). 

Natural Crystal Formation at Natural History Museum

 Hope you all had a great weekend as well and are ready for some shuttle launching at the end of the week!

New Vintage

I have written previously about my love for mid-century modern furniture, but I readily admit that I have been lucky to fall into the deals I have regarding my collection.  Mid-century modern furniture has seen a resurgence in popularity and prices have risen accordingly.  Ebay and craigslist offer limited options, they require a lot of legwork, and in many cases shipping can be less affordable than the furniture itself.  Therefore I have found some brand new furniture options that share the same lines as but have lower prices than my mid-century originals:

Couch | Table | Lamp

Table | Chairs

Headboard | Dresser | Nightstand | Lamp

Stormy Skies

I love when the skies are pitch black with storm clouds and I find myself in an area of exposed sunlight.  The contrast between the dark clouds and the golden sun is so incredibly lovely.  I got to experience this on my way into work this morning and it is just so uplifting to me.  Not to mention that these are ideal conditions for rainbow formation, which also happened this morning, and which never ceases to make me smile.

(Picture from here)

Dream Car

*Sigh*

This is a Porsche 356 Speedster, of course a vintage car because you know me and vintage, and it is without a doubt the most beautiful car I have ever seen.  If I had the inclination to tinker with car engines I would so invest in one of these.  They sell kit car versions where you can install new engines but they're not spot on and part of the appeal for me is actually owning the real vintage deal.  Someday...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Whether you are single or in a relationship you can't deny the appeal of a holiday that promotes copious amounts of candy and chocolates as well as profusions of flowers!  J and I celebrated yesterday as Monday's are a bit busy for us.  I started the day with a gift for both of us - an Apple TV.  We're pretty psyched at the idea of streaming Netflix to our TV instead of cramming our heads together to try to watch it on a 17 inch computer screen.  Which also brings me to this hilarious e-valentine I found:

Jeff then told me to get dressed quickly and hop in the car (all happened in less than 5 minutes) and he then drove me to the florist and brought out a huge bouquet of gerber daisies, lilies, mums and awesomeness that he had pre-ordered for me.  I'm a sucker for flowers, I love them!  We ended our day with a date night at our favorite restaurant, the Fat Snook, where we indulged in harissa shrimp in a cilantro raita, lobster bisque, fresh cobia served with plaintain chips and papaya glazed carrots, and sriracha marinated flat steak with a bitter sweet chocolate demi-glaze.  It was incredible.

Hope everyone has a lovely day!



(picture from here, e-card is here)

Send Warm Fuzzies

So, Valentines Day is coming up and for those of you who prefer to go paperless, or those of you who simply didn't have the foresight to buy a card, Kate Spade, purveyor of incredible shoes, clothes, bags and all things generally wonderful, is offering up absolutely adorable valentines e-cards on their website here.  Here's what the final product looks like:

The images are all provided by artists who are recognized on the site.  The above picture is by Ralph Henry.  Here are a couple more of my favorites:

Hehe, this one's by Huy Yu.  And then there's this one by Lauren Hastings:

I think this one may be my favorite.  Isn't it delightfully nerdy? :0)

In a Jam

I've recently discovered a new feature on Etsy called Taste Test in which you pick products that appeal to you and it recommends a slew of other products/shops that you may like.  Which is how I came upon the That's My Jam shop. They have spreads available in incredible flavors such as pear ginger jam, vanilla peach jam, and grapefruit marmalade.  YUM!

Animal Magnetism

I find that lately I have been pulled towards home decor and jewelry items with an animal motif.  There is usually an "animal of the moment" whether it be the recent bird and owl phenomenon or previous leopard and zebra print trends.  However, lately there has been a lull and I have been finding a variety of animal offerings:

I discovered this fox tray on a blog I follow, Making it Lovely, and I think it is just so Valentine's appropriate, though I would probably use it year round.

I found a vintage bumblebee pin not that long ago that was sold out before I had a chance to swoop it up, so since then I have been on a hunt for another option.  This one is on my short list.

Still in line with the bird trend is this new offering from the spring jewelry lines.  Birds are a traditional spring symbol, so I can overlook the fact that the trend is on its way out ...

Love, love, love this octopus drawer pull.  Have no idea where I'd use it, but when I find a place, it will be mine!

I created a library in my guest room a while ago and have been obsessed with designing it beyond pure function.  Stylish book ends are always a great way to go and I've been eying this set for over a year now.  It is by Jonathan Adler, the incredible artist who created my recent menorah purchase.

Winter Wonderland

I flew up to Chicago this past weekend to surprise my best friend K and her sister L at L's baby shower.  In addition to a wonderful time at the shower meeting new people, eating yummy food, hanging out with K and L, and getting in on some super bowl betting, I got to spend some time with family too!  I spent Saturday morning playing in the 2 feet of snow that socked Chicago last week and made an awesome snowman in my parents' front yard!

That afternoon we met up with more family and hung out at my aunt and uncle's house (my cousin tried to teach me to play xbox kinect and completely wore me out) and then went out for sushi, followed by a family game of scrabble in which I kicked butt!  Sunday was the shower and I just got back to Florida a couple of hours ago to 83 degree weather.  What a difference!  I didn't mind the cold and snow, but then again I also didn't have to shovel a driveway or dig a car out.  All in all, a wonderful time!

World Cancer Day

Today, February 4, 2011 is World Cancer Day to raise awareness of the disease.  1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetimes - that is huge.  I'm sure many of us have been affected by the disease in our lives already.  My grandmother is a breast cancer survivor and my sweet, and dearly missed cousin Arielle passed away from Ewing Sarcoma, a bone cancer, ten years ago.  In their honor, I have compiled a list of websites to enhance cancer awareness:

The World Cancer Day website has compiled a flier on cancer prevention.

Stand Up to Cancer is an initiative that has been created to accelerate cancer research.  They also provide information on support groups and cancer centers.  You can help them here.

My Aunt Diane, Arielle's mother, has started a cancer foundation in Arielle's name to help needy pediatric cancer families pay their bills and help find a cure for Ewing’s sarcoma.  Please visit her page here, and also follow updates about the foundation on their facebook page.

The Susan G. Komen foundation for breast cancer is one of the most well known and comprehensive cancer movements in America.  They have made leaps and bounds in breast cancer research funding as well as awareness and the creation of support groups and communities.

Shoe Love

I can't believe these haven't gotten more press on the fashion websites and blogs yet.  They are new additions to Isabel Toledo's capsule collection for Payless and I am hopelessly in lust.  I love the contrasting black stripe patterns and the shiny red kitten heel.  The fact that they are actually offering a kitten heel as opposed to the typical flats and sky high models that the capsule collection usually offer is enough to send me over the moon.  Needless to say, these have already been ordered....

Roasted Tomatoes

This is a recipe for slow roasted tomatoes from one of Gwenyth Paltrow's GOOP newsletter from a while ago.  I'd been meaning to try it for some time now and just finally got around to it about 2 weeks ago.  OH MY!  I'm addicted (and so is J).  They are so insanely good, not to mention ridiculously easy to make.  I've been putting them on slightly toasted bread with fresh mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil and it is heaven. 

I've always been a fan of tomatoes in the roasted mixed vegetable trays that J and I cook up every now and then, and now with this new discovery I'm thinking I may need to try more roasted tomato recipes in the future.  Maybe this one?  Or this?

Discovery Rolled Out to the Launch Pad

Last night at 8:00 pm, the shuttle stack for STS-133 rolled out to the launch pad ... again.  This was the second roll out for this mission after the shuttle was rolled back due to cracking in the external fuel tank foam.  Since I'm working a late shift this week, I was around to watch the awesome sight in person.  Shuttle events that happen at night have far more of a visual impact and I couldn't stop commenting on how absolutely amazing it is to watch.  Nights like last night are what truly make my job so incredible!

This photo I took with my iPhone just as the vehicle started to roll out of the Vehicle Assembly Building.  I took a number of other photos as well and they turned out really good, but my coworker brought a Canon SLR and her's were better...

Here is the shuttle about 10 minutes into the roll while it's still in the VAB.  Since we are lucky enough to be shuttle program employees we had free reign of the inside of the VAB and we ran from platform to platform to get as many angles as possible.  At this point, people who are standing outside can only see the big orange tank, not the orbiter.

Ok, this one was taken by me with my phone again.  After the vehicle rolls out it is illuminated by super powerful xenon lights.  This is the shadow of the shuttle on the wall of the VAB.

 

And here she is in all of her glory!  My baby, Discovery, in the xenon spot lights, making her way out to the launch pad for a, hopefully, February 24 4:00 pm launch!