Zou Bisou Bisou

So much going on! At least I've made time for The Hunger Games (thumbs up) and the Man Men premier (also thumbs up), though sadly blogging has fallen my the wayside. All I can report is that I anticipate having Zou Bisou Bisou stuck in my head for the rest of the week. Kind of reminds me of Claude Francois. For more background on the song, see here.

Hope to blog again soon with food photos from Montreal and other fun stuff.

Spring Stripes

Well we've sprung forward and it's freakishly warm in New York, so I feel like putting on a stripes & something short. Like these ...

Reese Witherspoon

J. Crew

The Sartorialist

Lucy Laucht

Also, thank goodness stripes are still in ... I have so many!!!

History of Keep Calm

I have been a big fan of the original Keep Calm and Carry On poster since I got my very own copy at Annie's in 2008. Ann distributed a little flyer with the purchase of each poster, so from the beginning I knew about its unique history as part of a series of motivational billboards produced by the government of England during World War II. In case you don't know about the historical significance, check out the little video below. Maybe I just love history, but there is something I find particularly fascinating about wartime England. Perhaps later I'll break out a biography of Churchill and have a viewing of The Kings Speech and Hope & Glory.

UK Government Poster, 1939

Week in Review, 3/9/12

Photo by Nathaniel Goldberg for GQ

Don't worry, I'm just drooling over this photo shoot of Tim Riggins (I mean Taylor Kitsch) styled as James Dean for GQ. They're pretty to die for and it makes we want to go back and watch FNL all over again (however it still doesn't make me want to see the new action film he's in). Anyway ... once again the weekend is chock full of plans (mostly revolving around eating and drinking). Also starting on Sunday I actually have to write my thesis, meaning really do it, really. Procrastination has been the name of the game all semester long. Happy weekend, herewith some links...

T-minus two and a half weeks until MAD MEN RETURNS. In case you want to do an Mad Men eating tour of Manhattan, check out this map.

Hopefully I'll find myself a fancy new job when I graduate at which point I'll need one of these power suits.

Here's an important but not surprising (and very timely) fact.

Not like I need another pair of flats but these are soooooo cute.

I've been here for brunch, but now I want to go for dinner.

The awesome Jane Hotel.

I wish I was cool enough to surf and hang out in Tasmania.

Been hearing a lot about Sharon van Etten and she's playing this awesome festival.

Help!

Original movie poster, Help! 1965, Walter Shenson Films

The other night I needed something absolutely mindless to watch after a long day at school and I picked the 1965 Beatles film Help! Yes, it has a ludicrous plot, features a totally not politically correct Oriental tribe who participates in blood sacrifice, and is full of poorly written puns. BUT it also has some of my favorite Beatles songs and basically consists of the Beatles romping all over the world - from their super cool London flat to Stonehenge, the Bahamas, the Swiss alps, and even Buckingham Palace.

Need a plot refresher? Ringo gets sent a mysterious ring in the mail and puts it on. Turns out it's a sacrificial ring of the aforementioned "Eastern" tribe and who ever wears it must be killed. Unfortunately, Ringo can't get the ring off, and the lads must enlist the help of Scotland Yard as the flee both the tribe and a pair of nutty scientists who believe the ring will give them world domination. It's a real delight! 

If nothing else, check out the great rendition of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." Note how depressed Ringo looks because of the whole ring/sacrifice situation.

Sugar Shack

John and I will be taking a trip to Montreal with some friends soon and we are all looking forward to ... the food! One stop we're particularly excited for is our afternoon at a sugar shack! Yes, that's right, a whole afternoon of eating traditional Québécois food and maple syrup treats. We would have liked to check out Martin Picard's Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon, but as of at least a month ago it was booked for the entire winter season. I guess that's what happens when you get a glowing feature in Bon Appetit (photos below).

No matter, we'll be heading to Sucrerie de la Montagne for some sugaring off fun. And we'll get a sleigh ride of out it - take that Martin Picard!

Photographs by Dominique LaFond for Bon Appetit

Random Fact

I seriously love learning random facts. Here's one for today: Salvadore Dali design the Chupa Chups logo. Yes, the Salvador Dali. Hard to believe the man responsible for the like of this:

Nature Morte Vivante (Still Life-Fast Moving) by Salvadore Dali, 1956

Was responsible for making this visual delight possible:

Also Chupa Chups were the first mass produced candy to be sold on a stick. You really do learn something new everyday. Via The Daily Dish, via here.

Where Are You Taking Me?

I'm very interested in seeing this new documentary about Uganda called Where Are You Taking Me? Seems simple but visually stimulating. According to Variety, "Shots of varying lengths show such locales as a busy street corner or a village road, allowing the viewer time to watch passersby and acknowledge the camera ... Some look; others walk by without a glance; children, of course, delight in the camera. The director films a variety of urban and rural spots giving glimpses of Uganda's varied social fabric ... Lovely transitions, via image and sound, and striking compositions make the pic an enriching experience." 

Of course it's playing at exactly one theater in New York and will probably only be around for a week or so. Whether I get to see it or not, I sure did have a wonderful experience in Uganda :)

Week in Review, 3/2/12

Via Elizabeth's Pinterest via 9Gag

While I'm at the library both Saturday & Sunday, I'll try to stay calm by thinking about the lovely image above. I really can't complain since I have tons to look forward to in the coming weeks (weekend trips, lovely meals), but for this weekend I'll have to buckle down and handle some major school projects. Have a great weekend and enjoy some fun links ...

L Magazine announced its Brooklyn Bar Awards. Seems I'm not very cool - I haven't been to very many of them!

In honor of the Top Chef finale this week, I wish could go to this knife skills class on Wednesday. You get to keep the knife and practice on a whole chicken and whole fish!

An ode to vinegar.

Looking for wall decor? Love these large format prints.

A gorgeous Prospect Heights remodel.

Best and worst of the Oscars according to the Fug girls.

I love to read about chefs' favorite cookbooks. Unfortunately, it makes me want to buy more cookbooks or spend an entire day at Omnivore Books.

The Best Animated Short film is all about books!

Fred & Carrie of Portlandia share their favorite spots in San Francisco.

Lastly, OMG A PENNY WALL.

Seeing Red

I haven't even had time to write about the Oscars yet. First thing to report: I won my Oscar pool! I felt a bit bad since I was the host of the viewing party, but really what are you going to do? As for the dresses, at first I was surprised by how much RED there was, but everyone who rocked it seemed to wear it well. And Michelle Williams' dress has really grown on me!

Also a few ensembles that while not red, were still totally awesome. Loving everything about Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain might have my favorite overall look of the evening.

Photos from WhoWhatWear and BuzzSugar.