Hurricane Irene and Smartphones

  Just a quick update, yes Hurricane Irene did happen, no it was not as big as everyone thought it would be in NYC.  All in all, I did however get to see a very deserted Midtown which was really super creepy.  Most shops were closed, there were very little people walking around and it was very very quite.  It's almost as if the world stopped.  Very weird, but it was amazing to experience, I must say.


  So i'm going to write about something that is not necessarily inspiring but maybe more uninspiring than anything.  While I was riding the subway downtown from the Upper East Side, I observed a couple get on at 49th.  The two sat next to each other on a bench and the boy was clearly absorbed with a game he was playing on his smartphone, including hand gestures and mumbling under his breath.  The girl on the other hand, who I presumed was his girlfriend, sat there in silence, rolling her eyes and staring at her fingernails.  I couldn't help but sympathize with this girl, shaking my head and laughing a bit while I was watching all of this occur.  I've been in many a situation where I sat in silence as the person next to me was self absorbed in whatever was going on in their virtual world.  It's an awful feeling actually.  
  To think that the smart phone was created to launch us into a far more advanced world.  Yes, it can do incredible things as far as spreading information quickly, but what is it doing as far as human contact goes?  In 10, 20 years how will it affect people's interaction with one another?  Will people forget how to communicate with each other in person?   Will first dates, engagements, even marriages all be initiated via text message?  
  I must admit, over the years I have fallen a victim to this kind of behavior, quickly pulling out my phone to avoid the awkward 30 second elevator ride down to the lobby with a girl that lives on my floor, or immediately checking my phone as soon as I hear the "ding" of my email go off, indicating I have new mail. 
   It's destructive behavior if you think about it, have we become nothing more than Pavlov's dog's, salivating at the sound of the bell?   
  I have made it a vow to myself to cut down on how often I use/check my phone.  Maybe this way I will stop being a part of my world and start becoming a part of THE world around me.  


Keep Living and Loving,
Beth  

A Kaleidoscope Heart

  I came across Sara Bareilles' latest album, Kaleidoscope Heart, today and like Christina Perri's Lovestrong. I wish I would have come across it earlier.  I have been a fan of Sara's for a while now, and loved her first album, Little Voice, but this most recent album really speaks to me.  Her songs contain the most beautiful lyrics of love and loss, of healing and regret.  Her voice executes her lyrics with power and passion, her sound dripping with emotion.  The piano heavy background adds a soulful romance to her singing.  In my opinion, all of these elements combined make this album nothing less than perfection.  
  A lot of people tell me that time heals everything.  I like to tell myself time heals almost everything, and that music heals the rest.  This is just one of those albums that is comfort food for the soul, and a refuge for those with heavy and haggard hearts.  
  This entire album, along with other works by Sara Bareilles, can be heard on spotify.com.


Keep Living and Loving,
Beth

Sofia Sizzi

  I am always researching the latest and greatest as far as new fashion designers go.  Just today I stumbled across the Florence-born designer, Sofia Sizzi, on elle.com (yes, the fact she was born and raised in Florence was what sucked me into the reading the article about her).  Her style is simple yet sophisticated, no doubt influenced from the fairly conservative city that is Florence, with a hint of sexuality, which is of course the result of her move to NYC.  Her debut collection, titled Giulietta, features clean, crisp lines, immaculate tailoring, and bold, solid colors; a reminder that not all fashion has to be flashy or overly sexy but that less really is more.  Above all, I am really drawn to her exclusive use of solid colors.  Though I love print, I think solid colors are just so clean and classic and really showcase a design's details; it was a smart move on Sofia's part to stick to the solids.  Though this is only Sofia's first collection, I am already a fan of this new designer on the NYC fashion scene and look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.


www.elle.com/Fashion/Fashion-Spotlight/Sofia-Sizzi  


Keep Living and Loving,
Beth

Coffee :)

I find coffee really inspiring this morning.  Thank you coffee for always being there for me when I wake up in the morning, you get me though the day.  If you live in NYC, you must go to my new favorite coffee house, Culture Espresso, on 38th between Broadway and 6th.  It's a little expensive but it is well worth the extra money.  Good coffee, great atmosphere and convenient location if you work in midtown.


Keep Living and Loving,
Beth

African Masks...But not what you think

  So as many of you know I work retail sales at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It is the ultimate mecca for art lovers and I am obsessed. Tonight I was working at the little shop right outside of modern art, where I am placed quite often, which is pretty ironic considering I loathe most modern art.  There are a few exceptions however.  I appreciate modern art when it is innovative, creative, and took skill and talent to produce; but when its just weird for the sake of being weird or looks like my 2 year old cousin could of made it then I start to get annoyed.
 Right now The Met has a special exhibition going on in the modern art wing called "Reconfiguring an African Icon" that features reinterpreted african masks created by four different artists.  From far away these masks look like just like traditional ancient african masks, but once you get up close and start visually separating the pieces of these masks you realize that the shape and details are composed of everything from plastic jugs to old car parts to electrical wire.  I was extremely impressed by the types of materials that were used and how each element fit in perfectly with each other; resulting in a very reconfigured icon of african art.  These clever masks are a testament to thinking outside of the box, which I find incredibly inspiring.  If any of you are in NYC now or are planning a trip here in the very near future I would definitely suggest stopping by The Met to see this exhibit, oh, and 19th century paintings, our Frank Lloyd Wright room, our beautiful collection of greek sculpture, the period rooms....you get the point :)


Images


Keep Living and Loving,
Beth

Christina Perri is Lovestrong.

I don't know how I didn't discover Christina Perri's album Lovestrong. earlier but I finally bought a copy of it a couple of days ago and it is really a beautiful album.  The lyrics are honest and heart-wretching and her voice is the perfect combination of powerful and eerie.  This is the perfect album for anyone who has been in love, out of love, or anywhere in between.  My favorite song is "The Lonely".  Lovestrong.


Keep Living and Loving,
Beth

And so it begins...

  Yes I know what you are thinking, Beth has a blog.  Honestly I never thought I would see the day either, but after spending weeks contemplating the idea and after watching the brilliantly heart-warming movie, Julie & Julia, I decided to give in.  I know it's probably a project I should have started years ago, or at least one I should have started when I moved to NYC almost 4 months ago, but alas I am starting now. Better now then never I guess.
  I wanted to start this blog for a couple of reasons.  One reason is so I can try to chronicle my life's journey (again, this project should have been started years ago, I know).  For anyone who knows me, they know I have an intense passion for living life and I believe that a lot of what defines who I am as a person are the things I have done in my life thus far.  This is a way for me to personally record and reflect on my journey as well as be able to share it with others.
  Another reason for me to start a blog is so I can share new found inspirations I uncover from day to day.  Being a designer, I am always looking for inspiration in what is good, what is bad, and most importantly what is beautiful.  At the end of the day, I am always moved by anything and everything that is beautiful.  I hope to use this blog as a sort of virtual sketchbook for me to chronicle what inspires me the most at any given time, and to share what I find with other people.
  The last reason why I wanted to start this blog is because, to be honest, it has been a rough year for me. I have been tried and tested both personally and professionally, and I am still battling the war in both categories.  By blogging I hope to rekindle the passion I seemed to have lost along the way and to encourage me to stay positive.
  I hope to include everything from music and fashion to people and places in this blog.  Anything is fair game, since anyone can find inspiration in anything.  I also want to use this blog as a place for my readers to share what inspires them; I always love hearing about what other people are currently loving.


I hope everyone enjoys!! :)


Keep Loving and Living,
Beth