Marc Jacobs and I have always had a strange relationship. He was one of the first fashion designers that I really fell in love with. Maybe it was his always present grunge aesthetic that I always sensed. This collection he did for his diffusion line in Fall 2008 just blew me away. It was received luke warm by a lot of fashion journalists but I loved it.

He mixed a punk with the 80s in such a grown up way. The looks remind me of what I would wear to an 80s party. Try to mix it up a little! Go Punk! Go Marc!

I love the boots with the buckles and the zips. He really hit the nail on the head with the accessories this season.

Enjoy!

credit: style.com

genes, originally uploaded by sizzled.

i still wish i had bought a 32 in those apc’s.

The Best Children’s Books of the Year
List compiled by the Children’s Book Committee
of the Bank Street College of Education

Here are the Tundra books that made the list this year:

Word Nerd
Written by Susin Nielsen
ISBN: 978-0-88776-875-0
CDN Price: $20.99
US Price: $18.95
Hardcover
One uber nerd, one ex-con, a love of words, a budding romance … put them together and voila, a wonderful novel about coming into one’s own.

Dear Toni
Written by Cyndi Sand-Eveland
ISBN: 978-0-88776-876-7
CDN Price: $16.99
US Price: $14.95
Hardcover
A novel with the look and feel of a journal that reveals the heart of a special twelve year old.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: The Graphic Novel
Adapted by Alan Grant
Illustrated by Cam Kennedy
CDN Price: $12.99
US Price: $11.95
Paperback
The classic story of good and evil, retold by the graphic novel dream team of Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy.

Visit the Bank Street College of Education: Children’s Book Committee’s website for more information. This is their 100th anniversary edition of The Best Children’s Books of the Year. This special edition of their annual booklist was published in September 2009.

I haven’t disappeared.  I’m back.  I know, I know…same excuse.  I’ve been busy.

I registered for classes about 35 minutes ago.  I got all of the classes I want/need, BUT I’m on the waitlist for one particular section of Crim Law (although I’m pretty confident that I’ll get in).  For the curious, here’s what I’m taking:

1. Constitutional Law-Liberties
2. Criminal Law
3. Evidence II
4. Advocacy
5. Family Law

In other news, this is the SECOND time in a week we’ve had the ‘laptop’ talk in class.  My thoughts on this?  I think laptops are great.  Sometimes it’s better for me to type and make charts in class than to write or draw them.  I also like being able to look things up on the internet if I have some stupid question that Wikipedia can answer.  And yes, occasionally I visit Facebook.  However, I don’t sit online for the entire class and I try to be mindful/respectful of those behind me as not to distract them.  Whatever.  I’m disappointed that it’s come to the point where Professors need to make announcements in class.  And now I have to print of my Federal Rules of Evidence (I specially color-coded them in my notes), my hearsay exceptions, and my hearsay exceptions elements.  So much for going ‘paperless’–but anyone who’s seen my preparation notes for that class would call me a hypocrite.

On a side note, please don’t ask me what I want to do when I graduate, what kind of job I’m looking for, where, or what I’ll be doing for the summer.  I am sorting through some things and trying to make those decisions.  And it’s much easier without non-lawyers asking me those questions.  (Sorry if that sounded rude…but I felt I needed to say it…)

Don’t fear, though.  I am pretty much guaranteed to have a job for the summer.

I have to get back to work.  In 1 month, finals will be done and I will be watching movies and wrapping Christmas presents!

Cheers!

Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all.  ~John F. Kennedy

I have always thought that if I was ever a super hero or in a science fiction fantasy movie then this is what I would wear. I can imagine strolling down a mountain as a goddess wearing Riccardo Tischi’s latest collections. Check out this breathtaking show from the Fall 2008 Haute Couture season.

Poster Backstage

source: style.com, jakandjil.com/blog

It’s no secret that history repeats itself in both politics and trend. For the last few years, fashion has been following suit reworking trends from all the last major decades from the 60’s onward. However this fall, many designers have combined various generational trends notably pulling ideas from the 1930’s-1940’s interwar period styles.

Exiting the 1920’s period of secret night clubs and bootlegging, where tight, shapely silhouettes and short hemlines were a la mode , the following decade began to cover back up and change shape. Attention began to be focused on the shoulder with the introduction of butterfly sleeves, caplets and bolero jackets. The invention of synthetic fabrics, nylon and zippers during this period allowed for increased construction experimentation and became more common place in fashion development. These new synthetic fabrics gave designers new opportunities in shape and structure. Pleating and draping gave way to new looks and waistlines which were heightened and re-adjusted.

Many contemporary designers are continuing to introduce these trends in their current collections. Designers like Rose and Imitation have developed the cropped Bolero jacket accentuating the waist and drawing attention to, and structuring the shoulder. This menswear style Bolero jacket pairs excellent with another trend of the season, the high waisted pant. Again, attention is drawn to the natural waistline displaying a woman’s curves.

Los Angeles based label Rose, designed by Britt Bardo and Jewels Steger, evokes many interwar period trends in their Fall 2008 collection. A ¾ sleeve gown with high necklines and an open bare back, sweeps the floor with jersey drapes. Swingy jersey caplets with shoulder pleats fall loosely over the shoulder, like a Dorothy Gish outfit of the 1930’s. Silk habotai tees and long wrap skirts also appear in deep, dark shades in their Fall 2008 collection.

Interwar period styling is evident in Rose’s collection as it is with accessories such as the cloche hat and opaque stockings developed by designers like France’s Isabel Marant, and Brooklyn’s Victor Osborne. Cloche, french for bell, was a very popular late 1920’s, early 1930’s hat style that sits low on the head allowing for the peaking of the eyes. Women would style ribbon bows upon their cloche hats depending on their marital status; a ribbon with a knot signified marriage, whereas one with a flamboyant bow signified a woman’s single status.

Pleated blouses reminiscent of Lauren Bacall continue to be on trend for Fall 2008. Rachel Comey, 3.1 Phillip Lim and Canada based Mercy have all developed feminine silk blouses with incredible detailed work. Neck bows and form fitting construction focus the gaze on the woman’s shape and structure, while still covering skin. All and all Fall 2008’s influence by the 1930’s and early 1940’s continue to prove that fashion is not only about developing the trends of the future, but taking inspiration from the golden artifacts and archives of the past.

 this photo taken in the Virginia countryside, fall 2008

Wow–here it is–October already. 

Someone at work today reminded the rest of us how close Christmas is. UGH!!!

It’s a nice, cool fall evening here.  I do love the fall.  Our day time temps get a little too warm for me–for this time of year.  Although I love summer and the heat–what I really love are for the seasons and the temps to match.  I would prefer fall to be cool and crisp.  Our mornings and evenings are like that, but during the day it still gets near  80 degrees.  I wish it would be in the 50’s during the day and  a little chillier at night.  I love sweaters and would love to have more sweater weather.  I do get tired of needing a sweater in the morning but by afternoon, I’m roasting.  I would prefer it to be chilly all day.

But, no matter the temps, one thing I love  to do is to walk on the leaves and hear the crrrunch beneath my feet.  And, the colors on the leaves are so beautiful this time of year. 

We have our annual fall foliage trip planned.  This year we are going to Maine.  We are riding to Portland on the train.  Then, we are going to take our rented car and drive the Mountains and Maples Loop.  We found that drive listed in the visit Maine website.  It sounded very interesting–exactly the sort of things we were looking for in  a fall trip.  

I’ve done a lot of reading about Maine and we will have to make several return trips. They have so many places that I want to see.   Next time we go it will have to be to Acadia National Park. 

But for now, I am looking forward to our long weekend.

It’s been a really long time.  So, I’ll try to fill you in on what exactly I did this summer and just how phenomenal it was!

As you may know, I spent the summer as a law clerk for the Stearns County Public Defender’s Office.  Surprisingly, it was nice to be back in St. Cloud.  In Minnesota, the Minnesota State Supreme Court authorizes law students who have completed at least 24 credits with a minimum 2.o GPA to become student certified attorneys.  I am certified under Rule 1, which means I can practice law under the supervision of a licensed attorney for a public or nonprofit agency.  (Basically, the Court doesn’t want students to practice for lawyers who charge for their services.)  What an experience I had!

I waited around FOREVER to get certified.  This was because a certain adjunct professor couldn’t get her act together and get our Civil Procedure grades submitted by June 15.  I was finally certified on July 1–almost 2 months after we took the Civ. Pro. exam.  LAME!  In the meantime, I did a lot of research and wrote a memos and motions.  I also went to court and watched attorneys, a lot.  When I finally got certified, I was ready to go!  I did a lot of arraignments (adult court) and initial appearances (juvenile court), some plea hearings, and I even did a trial at the end of July.  That, in a nutshell, is what I did with my summer.  If you want to know more, just ask!  I am happy to elaborate.

School is back in session, and I don’t know how I feel about that.  On the one hand, I’m happy to be back and getting closer (slowly, but surely) to graduation (May 2011!!!).  But I miss being in court, speaking with clients, protecting rights.  With that said, I’m glad to be back and am gaining a better understanding of the extent of those rights, how to better represent and argue for those rights in court, and I’m glad to see my friends again!

Classes this semester (Ordered from favorite to not-so-favorite [at least at this point in the semester]).

1.  Criminal Procedure: my professor says the course should be titled “Constitutional Criminal Procedure” because it’s about the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments, not how to run a criminal proceeding.  This class is amazing!  Great cases and the class is run very well!

2.  Evidence: I’m learning what information the finder-of-fact cannot have what what sorts of objections to make to evidence.  We are covering relevancy…   Also a great class.

3. Constitutional Law (Powers): we just covered Marbury v. Madison and discussed judicial review.  Sweet.  On to bigger and better things.  But seriously, what’s bigger than establishing the power of judicial review?

4.  Professional Responsibility: team taught class–haven’t I learned by now that it might not be a good idea?  Oh well, only 13 3-hour classes left.

5.  Alternative Dispute Resolution: learning how to better resolve disputes through negotiations, mediation, and a little about arbitration.  Again 3-hour classes.  Only 12 classes left…

That’s all for now, more soon!

Don’t be fooled by the calendar.

There are only as many days in the year as you make use of.  ~Charles Richards

Recently purchased a pair of Dries Van Noten shoes, dedicaed to graduation day. I have admired these shoes for quite a bit, especially after peeping them in the fall 2008 catwalk.

Last year saw the rebirth of the famous Ossie Clark label. Ossie made gorgeous clothing in the sixties en seventies (muted colours, moss crepe fabric, floral prints by Celia Birtwell, empire-lines, trumpet sleeves, bias cut), items that are rare collectables now and they are wanted by many vintage loving girls. So the rebirth of the label was something to be excited about, altough there seemed to be a lot of mixed feelings: It could never have been better than the originals.

The critics got it right this time: the first Fall 2008 collection was quite horrible and didn’t have any connection with the originals. The second collection (Spring 2009) was much better but also did seem to miss the “Ossie” spirit. But finally the third collection for Fall 20o9 was, in my opinion, fantastic.

After three seasons the label is already shutting down due to “market conditions”. The label’s latest designer, Israelian Avsh Alom Gur, left after designing the Fall 2009 collection to design his own signature line.

Check out the next pictures to see the past collections.

Fall 2009 Ready-To-Wear:

Spring 2009 Ready-To- Wear:

 Fall 2008 Ready-To-Wear:

Thio Li-Ann’s appointment as a visiting professor in NYU for the upcoming fall semester has been met with dissent by some NYU law students.  An excerpt from an open letter by an NYU law student (unlikely to see the light of day in Singaporean mainstream media):

You are quite correct, however, that in the face of bullying, one must have courage. It also helps to have supportive gay friends. One of the nice things about gay folks is that we tend not to belong to either the “liberal camp” or “communitarian camp” which you described in your speech. We’re just into camp. Likewise, the gays at NYU don’t by any means have a problem with you, your right to your views, or academic freedom. We just don’t think that state power to imprison or discriminate against sexual, racial, or other minorities is a particularly “academic” question. Again, that’s American English for you.

Another generally appreciated feature of the gays is our sense of taste, which has been highlighted in television shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” You are a bit mistaken if you think that the gays at NYU want to censor you. It’s just that, like mixing polka dots with plaid or having George Wallace teach a course on civil rights in the American South, we tend to think NYU’s hiring you to teach a class called “Human Rights in Asia” demonstrates a lack of taste.

Get this – Thio is teaching a class entitled “Human Rights Law in Asia”.  I’m not sure if NYU meant it as a gag, until they finally made an official statement in response a few days ago.  The memo can be read here:

Whatever their areas of expertise or views, Global Professors’ appointments are decided on their record of distinguished scholarship and teaching and their ability to contribute to intellectual exchange within our community. So, while many in our community sharply disagree with, or are offended by, Professor Thio’s 2007 remarks to the Singaporean Parliament, it is important to bear in mind that she was appointed as a visiting professor based on her published scholarship, not on views she expressed as a legislator.

To be clear, the Law School categorically rejects the point of view expressed in Professor Thio’s speech, as evidenced by our early and longstanding commitment to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Yet we believe academic freedom requires that this disagreement express itself through vigorous, civil debate, rather than an attempt to suppress those views. We fully expect that Professor Thio will embrace the values of academic freedom as well, and be open to the kind of respectful conversation that marks a great institution of higher learning.

What could the reception to Thio Li-Ann be?  Something along the lines of the recent NYU occupation riot?

Maybe she can avoid tough questions about gay rights by giving the same answer as President Ahmedinejad’s when he spoke at Columbia University – “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”

Some background about what Thio has said in Parliament about Section 377A of the Penal Code of Singapore, which, according to Wikipedia, is “the main remaining piece of legislation which criminalises sex between mutually consenting adult men”.  The transcript can be found here.

I like the part about 3:10 into the video where she says:

We cannot say a law is “regressive” unless we first identify our ultimate goal. If we seek to ape the sexual libertine ethos of the wild wild West, then repealing section 377A is progressive.

I highly recommend that she use this Will Smith classic as her theme music at the start of every lecture, a la Rocky Balboa and professional wrestlers:

I still love this look…

natasha poly. [via style.com]

night.
~ r