Happy New Year!!!

..see you in 2009!!!

It's 60 degrees. In Chicago. In December.

And it sure felt like spring today. How crazy is that?? All the ice on the sidewalk have virtually disappeared overnight. Only a week ago the temperature was like, 25 below zero. there's flooding all over the state. All I'm sayin' is I'm glad I don't live in a basement apartment!!

Photo source

Milan Bound!!

Thank God he lost that terrible dishevelled look..although his 'stache is still crap.

Yes, yes, I know it's old news but it's good to know Becks is going back to Europe to compete with some real clubs (haha I know I'll get a lot of flak for this but Americans have never cared about football/soccer so don't start now..) in a short-term loan move.

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!! Mr. Bex and I are going out of town for the hols, so you people be good!!! Be back on the 26th!!

Cool Boots aka 200th Post!

Dammit boots!!! Why do you look so awesomely wearable!!! I'd love to get you unfortunately in these tough times (read: right before & after Christmas) I might have to sell a kidney just to pay the bills and get the rent covered. How did I stumble across you? Damn internets.

PS...It's $282 if you're my secret Santa, heh, heh..





At pixiemarket.com

Edit: Well, hello, hello!!! I just realized this is my 200th post!!! Not a lot by seasoned blogger standards, but most important for me as I'm not the type to stick to doing the same thing for long periods of time, it tends to get boooring, ya'know. And now I have proved myself capable of commitment (ha!). It seems that I like blogging (unlike my ventures into keeping diaries and scrapbooking, etc), so here's to another 200 blogs, or 1000 even!! Laaaters!!

This Chick Rules

Click pic for deets. This girl's brilliant.

The Facehunter finds another fashionably dressed youngster. Girl's got balls. I wish there's a better shot of her shoes.

Nice Day For Ice Skating

Photo by meriddian

At the skating rink @ Millenium Park. Skate rentals available. The last time I went it was $5 a pair. After that treat yourself to hot chocolate, yay!

Cute Dresser

I swiped this photo from The Sartorialist, he takes some great photos!

Provence Comes To Life

One of my favorite food/travel writers is Peter Mayle, who's lived in Provence for years. I was introduced to his South of France in his book A Year In Provence and I immediately fell in love with the area. David Lebovitz's post on picking olives in Provence brings to life Mayle's stories for me, it's brilliant!! Check out David's post here.

Peter Mayle's house

WOW, ILLINOIS JUST GOT EMBARRASSED. BIG TIME!

Why are public officers in Illinois so corrupt?? Governor Rod Blagojevic was caught on tape selling the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama to the highest bidder. Read more here. Oy, the last Governor served a 6-year sentence for racketeering and fraud charges!!

Edit: More ridiculousness here!!

CTA Santa Train 2008

From transitchicago.com:

Santa Claus is coming to town - riding the CTA The Chicago Transit Authority is getting into the holiday spirit with the 2008 version of its popular Holiday Train. Santa and his elves will ride the train passing out candy canes and season's greetings. The spectacular train is an amazing sight - during the daytime and at night. The outside of the six-car train is adorned with holiday seasonal images. Thousands of twinkling lights outline the shape of the train and windows, with even more lights running across the tops of the cars. Interiors of the cars are decked out with thousands of multi-colored lights, red bows, garland, and red and green overhead lighting. The hand poles are wrapped to look like candy canes. As the train pulls into each station, Santa waves to the boarding passengers from his sleigh on an open-air flatcar that carries his reindeer and decorated holiday trees. The Holiday Train will travel all CTA rail lines in November and December as part of regular rail service. Normal CTA fares apply. The train operates from approximately 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on select weekdays (schedules for each individual line will vary), and will make stops at all stations along the respective routes. On December 2, the train operates around the Loop to coincide with the lighting of Chicago's Holiday Tree in Daley Center Plaza. Schedule Schedules will be posted here as they become available: November 22 -- Red and Purple Lines November 23 -- Red and Purple Lines November 26 -- Blue Line November 29 -- Blue Line December 2 -- Pink Line and Loop Elevated December 4 -- Green Line and Purple Line Express December 5 -- Green Line and Purple Line Express December 6 -- Green Line December 10 -- Brown and Orange Lines December 11 -- Brown and Orange Lines December 12 -- Brown and Orange Lines December 13 -- Brown and Orange Lines December 18 -- Purple Line Express December 19 -- Red Line December 20 -- Orange Line December 22 -- Purple Line Express December 23 -- Yellow Line

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

Ah, a year older, but none the wiser? Maybe, maybe not. Here are a few people who share my birthday:

65 BC : Horace, Roman philosopher
1542 : Mary, Queen of Scots, beheaded at 40(?)
1574 : Maria Anna of Bavaria, Queen Consort of the Holy Roman Empire
1886 : Diego Rivera, Mexican muralist
1922 : Lucian Freud, English painter
1925 : Sammy Davis, Jr., duh
1941 : Sir Geoff Hurst, English footballer and World Cup winner (my personal favorite)
1943 : Jim Morrison, rock icon
1951 : Bill Bryson, American author and travel writer
1966 : Sinead O'Connor, Irish singer
1976 : Dominic Monaghan, Hobbit and (almost) survivor of Oceanic flight 815

December 8th is also:

National Brownie Day
Winter Flowers Day, and most bizzarely,
National Take It In The Ear Day. Hm, sounds kinky!

And while we're talking about me, let me share with you a few tidbits:

• I'm a bit obssessed with the Plantagenets and the Tudors
• I like to stand in the shower until the water runs cold (which poses a problem for Mr. Bex in the winter time, since he always jumps in the shower after I do)
• I love cupcakes
• Mr Bex and I celebrate our anniversary on Earth Day
• My ideal home is England
• If I was stranded on a desert island, the top three things I'd like to have with me are: books, laptop with endless battery life (ha!) and Pepsi
  
• My ideal pet is a fat gray cat (Mr Bex's too) but I don't mind a hedgehog
• I'd like to get more tattoos
• If we had kids their names would be Seven (boy) and Ocean Raine (girl)

Edit: Thanks for all the kind wishes! I had not one but two spirited happy birthday wishes from co-workers...feels good to be liked!

Dedicated To My Gal Pal Bebe, Part 2

Hi, it's Raul Gonzalez Blanco..um yea.




(Source)

Great Coat

Although I personally can't stand her I have to admit this is a killer look!

Mad For Spats!

Speaking of spats, I came across these stunning examples by Maide who is based in Germany. These are sick!!

Pretty Penny

Look at these wonderful British coins introduced this year, I wished American coins were half as pretty!



Edit: Notice the shield, anyone?

Oh Be Still My Heart!

I saw this photo on The Sartorialist's page and fell in love with the woman on the right's shoes...what are those..spats? OMG they are brilliant!!! Brilliant I tells ya!!

Click photo to zoom in on them!

Clinton Named Secretary Of State

President-elect Obama named Hillary Clinton Secretary of State today. I'm glad that she is part of his administration as I admire her greatly. Read more here.

Shopbop Blues

I was trolling around shopbop today and these pieces caught my eye:

Moschino Cheap & Chic Dress on sale $689.50
(chic but certainly not cheap!)

Mike & Chris Upton Hidden Platform Boot $472.50

Mulberry Tote $1195.00

I'd love to wear that dress to a Christmas party!