fitforafemme.com

Live from Jamaica Plain, Boston, it’s FFAF!

We’re on our last day of travels out here and it looks as if the fog has found us all the way from San Francisco. It’s been a wonderful trip so far, very full of the dearest friends, the best drinks, the most incredible food and many gorgeous sights. The wedding on Saturday night at Lincoln’s de Cordova was perfect, and the brides as giddy and lovely as ever.  We don’t want to leave, and thus have been seducing ourselves with real estate porn in our friends’ neighborhood. Keep JP loopy!

These are companion photos to the Pepto Pink Psychobunny Skull shoot a few weeks ago, as promised. There’s a special place in M’s heart for penguins, so picking that mural was cake. There was also a creepy black and white tentacle mural that really freaked me out. I would like to estimate that M and Fancy (one of our gracious hosts for these past two nights) have played at least 12 hours of Mortal Kombat on the Xbox 360 in 48 short hours. Anytime “the femmes” try to engage in unrelated activities, we are quickly and violently accused of being unsupportive. They threatened a memorial service for when Subzero died. Eventually the femmes retreated to the boudoir, where we regained our sanity with piles and piles of makeup and false eyelash tutorials (f0r me). It is a wonder we even made it out for our beautiful dinner at Ten Tables.

There may or may not be a video of us all walking home late at night (okay, 1AM or something obscene like that for a Monday), the tomboys carrying a pretty little oval coffee table somebody abandoned on the side of the road, discussing the murder mystery party we’ll have when we move into our $1.3m c1860 Italianate Gothic Revival home just a few minutes walk away, with its 228′ wraparound porch.

Shenanigans.

It’s just a simple, breezy walking outfit, as follows:

Linen shirt: Perry Ellis
Denim: RSQ
Boat Shoes: Payless
Hat: Puerto Rico travels!

It’s been a lovely, sunny 55 degrees or thereabouts here in San Francisco lately. While not quite as warm as, say, Puerto Rico (82-85, according to the awesome Geometric Sleep), it’s definitely warmer than Atlanta and certainly New York, so I shan’t complain at all. The light was so lovely that we decided to go shoot outside, even though this is really just a mostly plain and relaxed outfit (and so sorely needed after Saturday night’s shenanigans). The silver sequins strewn in heart form across loose-fitting, skin-tone silk is really the icing on the cake.

We weren’t the only ones out yesterday afternoon! Meet “Scab”, one of our neighborhood cats. He’s a surly-looking guy who likes to watch M out in the garden or hang out under cars, bossing Boots around. I scorned him thoroughly until a few days ago, when we realized he hasn’t got any tags and responded so enthusiastically to a little bit of attention, so I watered and fed him. Now we’re old pals!

Last but not least, M made an amazing panini from scratch yesterday.

Come back tomorrow, for I have a very pressing femme question to answer from a dear reader! XOXO!

*Big bag by Betsey Johnson!

CONFESSION: So, the weekend! It was officially kicked off at bartending school, where we sped through our lesson to get to the tequila lecture and tastings. I learned that sipping tequila straight is like unleashing a pack of hellhounds on your palate, unless it’s an anejo, or extra-anejo. M & I stayed up late watching old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and eating the Indian food we had delivered.

(more…)

Confession: It has come to my attention that when it comes to music, I am a fast sucker for a good horn section. Triumphant horns, despondent horns, horns that shout jubilation through a downpour of misery gasping for air – give it all to me, I’ll take it. Most recently it’s manifested in Beirut’s entire discography and Carina Round‘s new song, Backseat, from her newly released EP “Things You Should Know.” (The EP is kind of all over the place – I’m hearing Evanescence and Mazzy Star and she’s used to getting a great deal of PJ Harvey comparisons, as well – but she’s got quite a pretty, clear-as-a-bell voice. Plus, she’s really cute!) Anyway, it’s my favorite off the EP, with a lovely crescendo of horns toward the end. I adore it. I get into the same sort of helpless state in the last bit of Bright Eyes‘ Nothing Gets Crossed Out, which has got horns and much, much more. Songs that level you, you know? I’ve been leveled. So that’s how this post got named what it did. She sings those words like she’s just seen the last sliver of her life’s love walk off into the sunset, never to return, and she’s just sort of whimpering it into the wind, not quite sure whether or not she can stay upright. I told you. (Well, what would you sound like?) Onto cheerful things!

Scent: Italian invasion! There isn’t too much to say about Gianni Campagna’s Gelsomino. It’s wild Italian jasmine, so sultry and a little bit bossy or overbearing. Exquisite, but can be overwhelming and can knock you over with one sniff! In a good way, I think, for something this concentrated and intense, you really do have to apply it very sparingly and let it just sort of waft around you. Others get notes of cedar and clean sea air, even bergamot, but I’m not sure. It might also be for men, but I cannot imagine it.  Here’s some pretty wild jasmine to look at AND the actual bottle.

PS. My sewing machine is supposed to arrive today! Tonight! NOW! I’m going to run downstairs now and check.

When: Saturday, Jan. 31st, 2009.

Femme What: Black velvet frock trimmed with embroidered ribbon, Free People. White tank by Mimi & Coco. Boots from Lamica, black ribbon headband from Target and skull-and-pearls necklace by Betsey Johnson.

Femme Scent: Vera Wang’s Princess, with notes as follows: Water Lily, Lady Apple, Mandarin Meringue, Golden Apricot Skin, Ripe Pink Guava, Tahitian Flower, Wild Tuberose, Dark Chocolate, Pink Frosting Accord, Precious Amber, Forbidden Woods, Royal Musk Captive, Chiffon Vanilla. I like this for a sweet and girly casual day scent that’s not too cloying or heavy. It’s nice and light, with enough going on to keep it from being boring and really good staying power.

Femme Confession: It appears, quite tragically, that I am not a fan of scotch. ‘Tis a pity! M brought a rather nice bottle home last night, along with heart-shaped chocolates from local chocolatiers Joseph Schmidt and wee tiles of solid milk and dark chocolate from Charles Chocolates! Perhaps it’s just the Islay variety – something in the peatiness, maybe – but not only did the taste not sit well with me, just the whiff off the cork made me feel boozy right away! Anyway, here’s an invitation to come visit us and help M drink this very lovely bottle of Lagavulin 16-Year Scotch:

Tomboy What: RVCA jeans, white guayabera bought in Old San Juan, PR. Mahogany Italian boots that are totally falling apart bought I have no idea where, vintage Yves Saint Laurent sangria tie with sea horsies bought at the bombass flea market.

Tomboy Confession: I woke up craving chilaquiles in green sauce even though I mostly only ever eat the kind in red sauce, so we went to Citron for brunch. They came with pulled pork and a very spicy salsa. I feel great about my breakfast, and am looking forward to the samosa parade later, and sliders tomorrow. The skinny one is not wearing underwear. There is scotch in the liquor cabinet. This sports weekend is going spectacularly!

When: Monday, October 27th, 2008.

What: Cotton dress by Jonathan Saunders for Target GO Int’l, black tights, shiny black booties by Alfani. Scarf from boutique in Puerto Rico, yellow leather bag by Emilie M.

Confession: As a teensy little baby reward for dragging myself off the couch despite the last clutches of my flu on Saturday, I yanked this dress off the rack at Target without even trying it on, while M shook her head with disapproval and grinned at me. Now, I don’t usually go for, like, primary color splatters a la durable preschool apron panels with pockets, and as our cheeky friend over at Bangs Are The New Black noted wistfully, the shit is SHORT, yo, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the third photo above doesn’t beg for a “I CAN HAZ PANTS PLEEZZZZ?!” LOLFemme caption. That would be sad. Boo-hoo-hoo sad.

Except now I can’t stop imaging it. Damn it! (Who can tell I’m almost my old self again, hm?) I can’t wait to try it with my mustard yellow tights, too!

M is convinced it’s more Munch; I’m saying Pollack – it is, after all, a $20 dress from Target, not The Scream.