Pretty and Nerdy

There's a nerd under all this pretty ...

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

Need an excuse to wear this #alexandravidal #eveningdress from #BGWindows Love the #feathers and the #peplum <3 (Taken with Instagram)

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

#sephora #birthdaygift #bumbleandbumble #goodies #fresh #sugar (Taken with Instagram)

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

#lunchtime #streetmirror #work #casual #casualeveryday (Taken with Instagram)

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

Post - work libation at Anejo (Taken with Instagram)

[timelightbox]

Photographic Flowers

UPI commissioned Brazilian artist André Feliciano to create an interactive installation of his “camera flowers.” The work will be featured in Photoville, a new photo festival opening in Brooklyn, New York on June 22.

See more photos here.

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

I didn't get to register for musical chairs, but this is going to one great game for Bryant Park's 20th anniversary. 

This is an adults only game. Which means, get ready for a nostalgic game fueled with competition that would make testosterone look like estrogen.

Game on.

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

I've tried them all; Benefit, Dior, Chanel, Smashbox. You name the brand, I've tried it. I am a believer of "the eyes are the windows to the soul." Well, if they are, then I might as well make them look GOOD!

I've found that on my eyes, no liner could not get a line more inkier, richer, and saturated like the Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense. 

Lately, we've all been loving the punchy, saturated colors trending lately, and the liner really delivers as well as coming with a sponged end to create a smokier look in a hot second. And no sharpening necessary; it's a retracting pencil so precious seconds are not wasted, bent over sharpening when I could be making my eyes pop! 

My favorite use for it: I wiggle the liner in the gaps in between my upper lashes, so they already look fuller and then go right over the lash line and line it for a kitten eye that's subtle but full without being very obtuse about it. A couple passes of the mascara and my basic every day look for eyes is done!

I bought it in my standby color, black, but I'm not adverse to idea of buying it in a nice purple as well...or even blue...can't help myself. :)

[todaysdocument]

June 17 - Break-in at the Watergate

Security Officer’s Log of the Watergate Office Building Showing Entry for June 17, 1972

During the early hours of June 17, 1972, Frank Wills was the security guard on duty at the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC. This log shows that at 1:47 a.m. he called the police, who arrested five burglars inside the Democratic National Committee Headquarters. Investigation into the break-in exposed a trail of abuses that led to the highest levels of the Nixon administration and ultimately to the President himself.

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

40 years ago this past weekend, in the wee hours of June 17, 1972 the Watergate would no longer be just a building complex. Watergate would come to mean a great scandal of political consequence and lend its suffix to scandals hereafter. 

Here's a photo of the security officer's logs of the office building with a line about calling the police officers of a burglary at the DNC offices that would end up with the arrests of 48 government officials and costing the election for President Gerald Ford. 

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

Metallic Converses for some summer edge (Taken with Instagram) 

Given that the recently published study the University of Kansas conducted concluded that people evaluate others by seemingly inconsequential details in appearance, like shoes.

It really adds a literal meaning to "putting your best foot forward."

What do you think my awesome metallic, squeaky clean Converses say about me? 

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

The Little Black Jacket Chanel exhibition curated by Karl Lagerfeld

Ah, the classic Chanel jacket. An exhibition devoted to timeless quality of the jacket. Crop it. Add studs. Pair it with shorts. Layer it over a traditional costume. Wrap it around you. Young. Old. Avant - garde. Practical. Whimsical. 

Each photo is the same Chanel jacket, personalized. Modified. Each worn differently. But still recognizable to all as the little black Chanel jacket. 

Isn't that what being timeless is all about? A chameleon with its own identity.

I caught the exhibition on its last day in NYC. My favorite interpretation: Natalia Vodianova's blossom - lined jacket.

Who had your favorite interpretation?

http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com/en_US/home?loader=0

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

When I read The Daily Beast's headline for their post for David McCullough, Jr's graduation speech at Wellesley High, I thought he had said something terrible, as if he crushed the lofty hopes of the graduating seniors.

"Ouch!" they wrote. Sounds horrible, right? But when I watched it, he's giving them the reality check I think many of us wished we received when we were high school seniors. What did McCullough mean? We're not special because we all are. What we think of as being "special" is the titles. Being valedictorian. Being class president. Being captain of a sports team. As time passes, we forget about those titles and what's left are the experiences. 

We are all special because of the collection of experiences we have in our lives. Because we all have a unique set of experiences, memories, and personalities, we're not special. Being special denotes that one is has something no one else can have. So if we all are special, that title becomes moot. 

So McCullough is making a larger point; get over the fact that we're not special and get to living a life. Don't just go through the moves of an experience. Be present within the experience. No longer is a humanitarian trip of a developing country an important experience for a life lesson; it's so it looks good on a college admission application. If you do get that chance to do humanitarian work in a developing country, be present. Be active in it. Be excited. Make friends. Learn something from it. He wanted this graduating class to be active. Productive. Forever searching for lessons and teachable moments. To never stop learning, because there is always something to learn. 

Embrace life. Learn from others. Learn about yourself. That doesn't sound so ouch-y, does it?

This lesson is not exclusive to graduations; we all need a reminder every so often. Mr. McCullough, thank you.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/09/david-mccullough-at-wellesley-commencement-you-are-not-special-video.html

[motherjones]

Great graphic from The Nation on JPMorgan’s cookie jar.

Here’s our rundown of the long list of connections between JP Morgan and the Senate banking committee that’s leading the firm’s hearing.

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

JPMorgan's "cookie jar" looks non-partisan...now if only we can get that in the rest of politics that'd be great...

[shinyandloud]

As part of its 2012 report on rent affordability, the National Low Income Housing Coalition released a chart that’s been floating around the Internet. It shows that there isn’t a single state in the country where it’s possible to work 40 hours per week at minimum wage and afford a two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent. In West Virginia and Arkansas, you’d need to work at least a 63-hour week, and that’s as good as it gets. In California, Maryland, D.C., New Jersey and New York you’d need to work 130 hours or more. Hawaii comes in last place: 175 hours. (via NYTimes)

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

Visual statistics to show something as has to give on rent affordability. So now we're all in agreement that rent is just really absurdly high, right?

[amnhnyc]

Rose Center for Earth and Space

Photo by Rod

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

A monument to represent Earth's beauty just as she looks in space, a glowing cobalt and white orb. Stunning. 

[libawr]

Today, while members of Congress speak at a full grade level lower than they did 7 years ago, for the first time in history the majority of unemployed folks aged 25+ have attended at least some college. Oy.

[whytuesday]

This makes us almost as sad as voting on Tuesdays.

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

I find myself speechless. So speechless that I'm actually going to pull a chip shot and say I agree with whytuesday. I'm so sad. Whatever happened to those rousing, eloquent speakers that could inspire and motivate us? Apparently, they're an endangered species. 

[mtaartsdesign]

New Work at Far Rockaway-Mott Ave Station by Jason Rohlf

Respite, 2011

Laminated glass

Today, we’re celebrating the Grand Opening of the newly renovated Mott Avenue station in the Rockaways with the unveiling of Jason Rohlf’s beautiful installation, Respite. Gorgeous glass panels in jewel-toned colors, designed from Rohlf’s original paintings, dramatically diffuse the light inside to create a richly saturated interior space. The work can be seen throughout the station as well as from outside, adding visual impact to the existing architecture. The artist’s design features birds perching on long branches, grouped within three distinct color themes – green for dawn, blue for midday and orange for dusk – and relates to the strong links between nature and light in this seaside community. The work was fabricated by Franz Mayer of Munich. Head to the Rockaways to see it for yourself!

[prettyandnerdy-blog]

What if we did this for all of our metro stations? If we did, at least our morning commutes would be that much happier. And our mornings would start on a happy note. Happy morning = a great day

[laphamsquarterly]

‎Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height.

E. M. Forster, 1910. Howard’s End is our favorite book, without a doubt. (via laphamsquarterly)