Today is my birthday. I have always enjoyed celebrating my birthday. It’s a day that is truly yours and yours alone.

This year, I decided on having a 3-day celebration (starting on Saturday). It was nothing big. I had some cupcakes on Saturday and Sunday just for myself.

Monday night, I went out for a steak dinner with my family. And to end the day, I had a piece of carrot cake!

Even though it might not have been a huge celebration, it was my kind of celebration.

So if it’s your birthday, celebrate it like you want to. It’s your day and your need to do what you like to do!

Fun Facts from December 1966. Thsat’s right, I was born in 1966 and am proud of every year that I have been blessed with!

Top Hits from December 1966

1. The Ballad of the Green Berets, Sgt. Barry Sadler
2. Cherish, The Association
3. You’re My Soul and Inspiration, The Righteous Brothers
4. Reach Out I’ll Be There, The Four Tops
5. 96 Tears, ? and The Mysterians
6. Last Train to Clarksville, The Monkees
7. Monday, Monday, The Mama’s and The Papa’s
8. You Can’t Hurry Love, The Supremes
9. The Poor Side of Town, Johnny Rivers
10. California Dreamin’, The Mama’s and The Papa’s
11. Summer In the City, The Lovin’ Spoonful
12. Born Free, Roger Williams
13. These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, Nancy Sinatra
14. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, Jimmy Ruffin
15. Strangers In the Night, Frank Sinatra

The State Library of Victoria. One of the most interesting buildings to look at in Melbourne

This day was a rather miserable day but I persevered through the rain and humidity travelling into the city arriving at Flinders St and proceeding down to The State Library.

After that I jumped on the city circle free tram and ended up at St Patricks Cathedral.

The entrance to St Patricks.

In my opinion, as much as I dislike religious organisations, I do in fact enjoy looking at their architecture.

Side on view of St Patricks this shot was hard to take because I was limited by my lens and locations for me to stand.

A view up to St Patricks looking up the “River” towards the throne of God.

After this photo I wanted to go in and take photos of the interior, however there was a church service in progress and I find it rather dis-respectful to interrupt them with the loud clicking of a camera shutter. So I packed up and headed to Parliament Station and caught the train home

Thanks for Reading =]

This past summer I moved to Manhattan from May to August and experienced some of the hardest, most challenging yet most amazing experiences of my life. At the end of my sophomore year, I was confused, tired and drained of Columbia. The past two and half years of college could not have been more amazing, but I was at a point where I really wanted something new, something more. Growing up in Newtown, PA was an a perfect suburban place to spend my childhood and teenage years, but it never really opened me up to anything new, it was kind of like a bubble. When I came to USC I was obviously was choosing something new, something differnet, something more than the life I had in PA- but also coming to USC I felt that same sense of a secure bubble, just in a different part of the country. Although the perfect bubble lifestyle is an amazing, fun place where little stops me or can go wrong- at times it wasn’t enough to push me to grow or to become all that I thought I could be…so when the end of the year rolled around the internship I had lined up since November could not have seemed more ideal of perfect.

As soon as I arrived at my new home for the summer, located in the center of Union Square, I knew that there was no longer a bubble for me to live in. Immediately my eyes were opened to a million new things that I have never surrounded myself with before. Starting from a completely random roommate in a very old (rather disgusting  dorm, to an outside view of every possible nationality, attitude,appearance, language etc. etc. I could think of. While it was extremely different and extremely out of my comfort zone, my new community was exactly what I needed to push myself further than I had in years.

When I try to think of my community in distinct memories, too many things to explain come to mind…so I am going to start with the one thing that opened my eyes most- simply walking. The best way I learned New York, discovered new things, met new people, grew up and learned about myself was simply by walking the city. Whether it was on my way to work, during my lunch break, in the early evening, on a Sunday morning, or a late Friday night, nothing helps you discover your surroundings by exploring them. I would walk miles a day, from the east village to the west village to Soho then to Chelsea to Central Park to the High Line…okay maybe not all that much..but the point is that my community became what I stumbled upon on my feet each day.

If I start feeling nostalgic and longing for my New York lifestyle I often think what it is I miss most- and it is always the sense of freedom and discovery I had from just leaving the apartment door. As soon as I walked outside I was immediately greeted with so much to do, and so much to see. Below are some pictures of my immediate surroundings outside my apartment building:

The park in the middle of union square

A view of my building from across the square The Subway in the Middle of Union Square

Those are the views I would see each day as soon as I left my building. These views became my new sense of home, the new sense of comfort I found in New York. Although I would see a million things each day, when I made it to the square and saw the park and the subway stop, I knew this was my home base.

I loved walking through Union Square, but I also found many other places that became my favorite walking spots. I fell in love with Chelsea, which is right along the Hudson river. Only a mile or so from my apartment is an elevated park, The High Line. The High Line has become one of the most popular spots in the city to walk along, read a book, have a drink, chat with friends or just simply relax.

A view of the Hudson River along the High Line

A View of Chelsea from The High Line

A walk on The High Line was the perfect get away from the crazy city. Although I loved that the city was far, far from the bubble I was used to, the comfort and peacefulness that I found at The High Line definitely made my adjustment to a new community much easier. These are just some of the spots that I felt were part of my community this summer- I guess its hard to pin point NYC as a community but there was a start!

Pragmatic Theory: Bandcamp

Download: Summer In The City

e n j o y .

The Seven Year Itch is a romantic comedy 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role. It contains one of the most iconic images of the 20th century – Monroe standing on a subway grate as her white dress^[2] is blown by a passing train. (VIA WIKIPEDIA)

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The equation is simple. 1 French girl + 1 American guy = the band Freedom Fry.

Freedom Fry is the musical duo of Parisian born, Marie Seyrat, and Michigan native, Bruce Driscoll. Seyrat, who had been singing since before she could talk, initially pursued a career in fashion and styling, where she did PR for Gucci and even dressed the likes of Sharon Stone. Driscoll, meanwhile, cut his teeth in the music industry as a producer and touring musician from a very young age. He toured extensively, playing live with the likes of James Iha and Ivy and sharing bills with bands like Stars, Cake, Tahiti 80 and the Trashcan Sinatras.

Fate brought them together when Marie worked as a stylist on a video for Bruce’s other band, Blondfire. “She played me a song with her singing in French while we were on the set, I believe it was a Sylvie Vartan cover. I loved her voice and thought it would be cool to try to write some songs together in French. That was April. That following August we wrote and recorded our first EP and the following single, Earthquake, in about five days in my apartment in New York.” Bruce recalled.

• Website: http://www.freedomfrymusic.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/freedomfrymusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedomfrymusic

Pragamtic Theory is a collection of artists that spreads its message worldwide through its music. On Summer In The City the collective drops off a hefty protion of beats made fresh for the summer. Though it is technically the Fall, the beats reflect the heat wave that is currently moving through the West, offering a second-Summerish feel. Ranging from the sounds of J Dilla to the intricacy of Madlib, this project offer gems to be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences.

SAC Reccomends:

CΔNS – Foolish - Nasty beat with a Dilla steez and Jay-Z audio bytes. This beat pumps and creates a wonderful mellow syncopation.

Glyphick – Maybe When U: Chill, ambient beat with the jazzy feel of seventies soul and moms making catfish while swaying to the record.

Floyd Cheung – Your World: A good sample will haunt and change your life. This beat has one of those dynamic samples that promotes head nods and raised hands. “If I ask you…”

Man Ofn Then Down & Afryx Q – Un Giro In Bici, E Una Birra: This for the people. Has a twist of Kalamari Beat’s with dope launches and settles that are so well laid out you let the beat ride the beat…no emcee required.

Constrobuz – Cheap Skate: Dopest beat on the album. It has a reminiscent, somber quality that both is reflective and soulful.

Handbook – The Message: Flash the message somethings out there. Excellent handiwork.

ScaleZ – Close Encounters: A dirty dujo met up with an ATLien and they had this baby. Ill.

Keith Price – Drawurown - Finishing strong is this beat that features a abandoned guitar and cross faded sample goodness.

Summer In The City is the soundtrack for a balmy night. Grab your libations and your good friends and put this on.

For more information about these artists: http://pragmatictheory.bandcamp.com/album/summer-in-the-city

Also check the conjuction: Rhythm22.com.

Paz,

Antonio Cortez Appling

Title: Summer in the City
Author: Robyn Sisman
Ratings: 4/5

Some people are suckers for chic lit novels but not me! haha! This may have some “ordinary” sense for a chic lit story but it has an extraordinary plot. It’s exciting and it’s as if I’m watching a romantic film. It’s engrossing. (Just make sure Mr. Webster is handy! I ended up using it more than necessary. lol)

Its a typical love story of a single woman of 32, Suze and a taken guy (engaged) named Lloyd of 35 that went through a rough business time and ended up longing for each even if they just communicated through phone, exchanging business fax letters and have only met once in real life after all the circumstances that had happened between them. And take note that Lloyd was engaged when they started to know each other which may be considered as a passe. The conflict too was a cliche but the author has her own way of making it more exciting than it truly is.

I somehow thought that they’d kiss at the end to give an EPIC-MOVIE-ENDING style finale. But they didn’t. LOL. Disappointing. hahaha!

Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading it.

A splash of colour for a grey October day

Last night, I stole a coat. Actually, two coats. And an umbrella.

Before you have me arrested, I hasten to assure you that these items belonged to us in the first place — but at the time, they were held captive in a cloakroom. A cloakroom in a theatre showing a play that had turned out to be a bit (well, actually a lot) too trashy for our tastes. When we snuck out at intermission, the cloakroom was abandoned and we were faced with the choice between potential embarrassment upon being caught “stealing” and definite awkwardness upon hunting around for the cloakroom attendant and drawing the attention of the small theatre staff to the fact that we didn’t enjoy the performance.

I thought it was an easy choice. The Husband dithered a bit and then opted for: “Will you do it?”

Afterwards, we rushed down the stairs, giggling like a couple of teenagers skipping school. Then we went to a pub that I like to frequent mainly because I spent a lot of time in it during my university years. The staff used to leave my friends and me alone, even though we usually just ordered a milk coffee or a tea and then hung out there for hours, doing homework and discussing life, the universe and everything. I like to think that spending money there now is repaying them a bit long after the fact. And it’s nice that the place hasn’t changed one bit in all the intervening years, unlike pretty much everything else.

Then we went home, snuggled up in bed with the cat and watched an old Hitchcock movie. Not exactly painting the town red, perhaps, but a great Friday night in my book.

The Husband and I snuck off and went diving yesterday, so today we were pretty much chained to our desks to make up for it. But there was, of course, time for a couple of walks with Isla (she wouldn’t let me get away without those!) and this cellphone snapshot of one of the many guests in the ivy. I love the heavy honey-smell of ivy blossoms and the bees and butterflies clearly agree.

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- it’s summer, still, here in Athens, so we are feelin’ this fresh compilation featuring some of our favourite beat makers from around the world (plus our greek friend mononome) - grab it for free, load it on your player and ride the city streets - summer is always a good idea -

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- props to the man(onwire) that put it all together – still not featuring in the album -

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mp3: Here

More Info: Here

“Summer In The City”

I love Rosie, don’t you?

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There’s no FMM post today because Kenlie is still dealing with the aftermath of Isaac, so I hope you’ll all stop by her blog, go on Twitter, or FB and let her know you’re thinking of her.  I have lived through earthquakes, but never something as devastating as a hurricane, so I can’t imagine what she is going through.

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You guys may have noticed that I’ve been making a lot of great new recipes lately.  I haven’t posted about every single one, because this would turn into a food blog if I did, but I’ll link up and show pics on WIAW posts.  One reason I’ve been able to make all these recipes is something called ZipList.  I found out about it through Skinnytaste.com, and I adore it.  There’s a website and an app, and between the two, I can copy any recipe from any blog or website and save it to my “recipe box,” plan a meal with it, and add the ingredients on a shopping list.  I love it!  I’m sure there’s so much that I haven’t explored yet, but even in the few weeks I have used it, it has become such a time saver.  It also lets me see what ingredients I might already have, so I’ve been using food that might have otherwise been forgotten in my freezer, which saves money.  If you like cooking and keeping organized, check it out.

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I just finished reading Summer in the City (Carrie Diaries #2), which is book two of the “YA” version of Carrie Bradshaw’s young life.  It’s been fun to read the backstory about how Carrie came to NYC, how she met Samantha and Miranda (Charlotte only makes a cameo so far), and how she started wearing all of her famously funky fashions.  I didn’t have much expectation of this book, but I am really hooked on this series, and can’t wait for #3.

Next on the bookshelf is a quick short story, The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone by Emily Giffin and then

The Recipe Club: A Novel of Food and Friendship by Andrea Israel.  Since I’ve been cooking up a storm lately, it seemed like an appropriate choice.

What have you been reading?

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I know Halloween is a long time from now, but I just found Janine Basil’s Etsy shop (via a Pinterest pin) and I bought this headband for this year’s outfit:

As a teacher, I want to show my spirit by dressing up for Halloween, but don’t want to get into full costume because I want to stay comfortable.  This year I think I’m going as a super hero. {Update: An hour or so after I posted this, I found this shirt on Cafe Press, so I’m all set for my costume:

If you guys use promo code PRGEYT5KATL6, you can get 25% off Cafe Press, too.

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Speaking of shopping, last week in my FMM post, I found a laptop bag from Kailo Chic, and I’ve been obsessed with it since, so I broke down and got it:

I’ve also been needing a new fall/winter black tote as an everyday handbag, so I was thrilled when I found this one by AmeriLeather:

I love the proportions of this bag, which work well for my size.  (I avoid small bags because they look so teeny tiny on me).

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I’d better get cracking if I’m going to hit all my To Do’s for today:

• wash and fold laundry
• vacuum and spot mop floors
• change sheets
• get together with Ani (Sofi & Riley) for a puppy play date, and some time at the pool
• OnDemand kickboxing workout
• prep tonight’s dinner, as well as breakfast and lunches for Tues-Fri.
• polish nails and toes
• read for an hour

I hope you have a lovely day. How do you plan to spend it?

Upon first listen just a few weeks back, San Francisco’s (represent!) Lane 8 was instantly one of our favorite new disco house producers. He’s got such an ease to his style that immediately gets you in your groove. We Won’t Know is the name of the three track EP he just released, and it’s absolutely phenomenal. Layered with hazy beats and vocal samples, the relaxation factor alone is enough to draw you in. Though each of the tracks are funky fresh in their own way, Down To You is our choice cut off the EP. When that bass line kicks things into gear, staying still isn’t even an option. Grab the tune below and if you’re into it, which you will be, pick up the whole EP here.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

Grab this awesome remix he did for Freedom Fry as well, too cool.

Freedom Fry – Summer In The City (Lane 8 Remix)

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Previous posts featuring Lane 8 –

Lane 8 – Dusty