J. Crizz deliciousness

Want. No, sorry. NEED.
J.Crew

A sustainable city.

{photo via The New York Times}

While reading the New York Times this morning, I came across this interesting article which discusses the world's first zero-carbon city.

Masdar City will be built in Abu Dhabi-- a place best-known for its ridiculous architecture and man-made, palm-shaped archipelagos. It's a pretty awesome concept, and it's a concept that is actually being realized- Masdar City combines the aesthetic of old Arab settlements with old-world techniques to cool the city down (interesting facts: most communities in this region (1) were built on hills to take advantage of stronger winds, and (2) had tall, hollow "wind tunnels" to funnel down air to street level).

So, you ask. Where's the new? 90% of power for the city will be solar, and the other 10% will be generated by incinerating waste. Masdar will be closed to combustion-engine vehicles, and the electric cars that replace them will be underground. Pretty neat, huh?

I think it's such an interesting idea, and it's one that's actually taking place. What do you think about this project? What kind of city will Masdar actually be?

Check out Masdar City's website.

Florence and the Machine

I became hip to Florence and the Machine approximately 2378937489 years after everyone else. I know that everyone loves "Dog Days are Over", but I thought I'd post another one of her songs which I happen to like more.
It's full of lights and sparkle and whimsy- perfect for Sticky Candy, no?

Tacos Locales!

My friend Ruben is bringing his Tacos Locales to the 2011 City of Boston Food Truck Challenge, and I couldn't be more excited! The City of Boston Food Truck Challenge is a competition to establish mobile food and/or beverage vending on Boston City Hall Plaza (see more here), and Ruben and his business partner Josh have made their way into the semifinals!

It's no secret that I love Mexican food. Like, love Mexican food so much that I eat it multiple times a week, and I'm pretty sure that I'm on a first name basis with the staff at every local Mexican establishment in the Boston/Cambridge area. What I really like about Ruben's food truck idea is that he keeps it simple--and local. Here's the food concept:

Tacos Locales is defined by its fusion of authentic cuisine made with local ingredients. Cheeses in the style of Mexican fresh cheeses will be sourced from artisanal producers such as Fiore Di Nonno in Somerville. Quality meat and seafood components will be spiced and slow cooked in accordance with regional Mexican traditions.

Primary produce such as: corn, jalapenos, habaneros, tomatoes, melons, berries, lettuce, bitter greens, radishes, cilantro, and onions will be sourced seasonally. Some of the Massachusetts farmers we plan to partner with are Verill Farm, Drumlin Farm, Kimball Farm, and Pio Angelini.

Tacos are a quick and portable food option, and will be vital to the success of the Tacos Locales truck. However, a commitment to authentic, slowly prepared foods will be more obvious in other menu items which focus on street food traditions of Western and Southern Mexico. Also, Tacos Locales will be unique in offering traditional Latin American beverages. Prepared with fresh fruit, they are a great alternative to soft drinks.

Sounds pretty neat, huh? Simple, delicious food with fresh ingredients(note their belief in the wonderful slow food movement)? Bring on the tacos!

Cast your vote here!

Yesss, wedding!

{images by the amazing Carla Ten Eyck}

I'm so excited that our wedding was featured on not one, but TWO amazing wedding blogs this week. This one here, and this one here.

I cannot begin to reiterate how unbelievably amazing this day was. So full of love, joy, and spirit!

Happy weekends!

THIS is how a man should dress.

{via the sartorialist}

"I like myself and I have a lot of other great qualities as well..."

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

My heart burst into a million tiny pieces when I saw this video for the first time this past weekend. What a genuinely sweet and touching little video.

Reboot

Yes, hi, I'm back.

I unintentionally took the whole summer off from blogging.

Well, more like the entire year. But I miss it. I don't think I realized how much I enjoy blogging as a pasttime.

So, hi, hi, I'm here. I'm alive!

I have a whole bunch of new ideas for this blog. Excitement!

Wear your nylons.

I've been thinking about all the brouhaha surrounding Debrahlee Lorenzana, the Citibank employee who says she was fired for being too sexy, claiming that her bosses at Citibank axed her for her (ahem) assets which were "too distracting" to her male colleagues.

This story is interesting to me- not just because of the "sexy lady factor" and the "woman working in a man's world" slant (which, I believe is all of us)--but also because I am in the process of interviewing for my first legal co-op, which comes with some strict rules on how to dress.

I am no stranger to harassment and finger-pointing in the workplace. In my very first job out of college, I was called into my boss's office after one week to be informed that my attire was inappropriate and that "it's hard to believe that anybody does work around here with her dressing like that." It turned out that the person who reported me "mistook" me for someone else. I didn't get an apology, but I was left feeling like HR hated me and the only thing I could wear to the office was a paper bag.

I understand the importance of dressing appropriately, and always make a point to follow the dress code, wherever I work. My workplace attire has never been inappropriate, but ever since my encounter at the above company, I find that I continuously question myself whenever I have to make a choice about what to wear to work. You see, the thing is, I don't really have a choice in what to wear to work--not if I want a job!

And yes, I do want a job (even if it's unpaid)! However, apparently there are some stringent rules regarding the dress code: I've been told to wear "nothing too flashy" because I "didn't want to take away from what you're actually there for". Stockings must cover bare legs, and shoulders must be covered up. Suits may only be navy, gray, or black, and I must wear sensible heels. Hair should be up and pulled back neatly.

I will follow these rules and I won't purposefully deviate from them, but I wonder, what would happen if I ended up not interviewing in separates AND I forgot to wear nylons? This happened to me on Friday, as I rushed back to Boston at a very high speed to get to a job interview. I threw on a work dress and a blazer and scraped my hair back, but I forgot to wear nylons. I didn't get the job--even though I really wanted it, and now I am convinced it is because the interviewer saw my bare legs and said "Nope, this is not our girl. She has bare legs and that is inappropriate. She can't work here."

This is dramatic, I know, but what would happen if this were the real reason I didn't get the job? After all, I certainly have judged people who have come in for interviews based on their overall presentation. Who determines what is presentable? And why can't we show a little bit of personality in our look? Is it because of judgment? Is it because people really believe that beauty is distracting? Is it because of the knuckle-grazing Neanderthals who can't keep it together every time a woman (or a man) goes by?

Dammit, I can do my job without being distracted by bare legs--and I'm pretty sure that lots of other people can too.

How I feel at this moment.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

I have been playing Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in my car with the windows down for several days now. It's raw rock and roll with a tiny country tinge, according to husby :). My favorite songs from the new album are "Paris", "Colors", "Tiny Light", and the last song on the album which I can't seem to remember right now.

I suggest you listen to the album turned up loud with bare feet and a popsicle.

Plus, it doesn't really hurt that she's a little hottie, does it?

Website here.

Marriage

"there is no greater risk than matrimony.

but there is nothing happier than a happy marriage."

--benjamin disraeli, 1870

I got married to the love of my life on June 19, 2010. Best day of my life.

I am so bad.

Uhmmm, considering my last post was about 3 months ago, it's about time I get back to this blogging thing.

Time has gone by incredibly fast. I finished my first year of law school (to start again on Tuesday- NOT looking forward to it), had my "last night out" (bachelorette party), and have spent an insane amount of time worrying/figuring out last-minute details of my wedding.

I would like to say that I'm calm, cool and collected but that would be one giant lie. I now have less than a month until the wedding, and we're still waiting for responses and trying to tie up loose ends. There is much more to do than I even suspected...though my fiance did tell me that he's got the entire groom's side accounted for--which I think makes him more on top of the ball with me, which is bad, bad, bad.

Right now we're picking out music for the reception which is proving to be a little more difficult than I expected. We're trying to figure out how we can connect everyone's musical tastes, and how to guarantee that everyone will get up and dance (I'm a huge fan of dancing at any time I deem acceptable--which is most of the time). My parents want reggae and soca, I want some Lady Gaga (it's true, don't hate) and Michael Jackson, the older generation would like some Frank Sinatra, and I am sure my family-in-law would like some traditional Irish music.

Such a mix of musical genres can be great--but I've also been to weddings where this has completely failed. I'm nervous! Maybe if I listen to our eclectic playlist I'll feel a little better. See you soon!

An interesting read.

I took a hiatus from writing about race on this blog for a little bit, but because the discussion of race and ethnicity and how it plays into American culture is a discussion that is ongoing, I'm back on the subject. This is mostly because I am incensed that the word "Negro" is on the census this year, and "Latino/a" is not. It's 2010, folks.

I've been spending a lot of time on Racialicious and listening to Mixed Chicks Chat recently. Both forums have interesting discussions about the issues that impact mixed-race and minority individuals. They cover everything from racial identity, the use (or misuse) of words, to the absurdities that mixed raced people often face.

Like I've said before, I consider myself to be black and multiracial. Black, because that is the way society views me, and multiracial because my mixed roots are too prevalent to deny. I prefer to define myself as multiracial.

While playing around on Racialicious the other day, I came across the posting "The 'What are You' Game: Rules and Regulations". It's a bit snarky, but perhaps it can offer a little insight into the world of those of us who don't necessarily occupy just one box.

Here's the post:

Try to imagine, for a moment, how you might start to react to this question when asked regularly over the course of your life:

You’re a child and – over and over – people come to you (adults, children, teachers, whomever) and ask you what you are, with no context clues suggesting that you are playing “let’s pretend.” It’s not Halloween. You’re not wearing an elaborate costume. No, they are honestly questioning your identity in a way that so thoroughly strips you of pride, humanity, and belonging – and doing so as if it’s just a matter of course, and fully acceptable to do.

They are not asking about who you are – your interests, what you do, the important people in your life. They are simply asking you what you are, and in such a self-entitled manner that turning you into a thing like that comes with the expectation that you’ll give them the answer they want without any negative reactions.

Imagine what that does to a kid’s sense of identity, their self-esteem. Imagine the message it sends them about their place in the world. It’s no wonder that the majority of mixed folks I have known have – at some point – considered themselves isolated and without community.

An ethnically-ambiguous kid (or adult) will never be able to avoid this question (or similar variants). It’s going to come at them throughout their lives, often at the most unexpected times. Most ambiguous people have to figure out how to deal with this on their own through trial and error – seldom does anybody else help them navigate this particular aspect of their lives.

The “What are You?” Game (U.S. Edition) Rules and Regulations

Minimum 2 players, no maximum.

Object: You.

Goal: Retain as much dignity as possible while dealing with racial ignorance.

Materials: All you need is yourself – an ethnically-ambiguous human being – and somebody else’s lack of respect.

GAME PLAY

Be born into this world. Interact with other human beings. Game-play should ensue shortly.

When to Play/Who to Play With: The “What are You?” Game can be played at any time, anywhere. It can be played with friends and family, but is best played with casual acquaintances and outright strangers. Any time another human being asks you the question “What are You?,” the Game has begun, and your humanity can be earned or lost. Again, it is important to stress that this can happen at any time, as ignorance has no concept of appropriate boundaries and/or timing.

GETTING STARTED

Game-play is commenced once another person (“the Asker”) asks you (“the Person”) “What are You?” It is then your turn.

POSSIBLE PLAYS

- “Just Deal” – this technique entails humoring the Asker and just giving them the response they are looking for (i.e. your racial/ethnic background); least time-consuming, but will cost you 5 Humanity Points (HPs), paid to the Asker

- “Go Off” – if you give in to anger and let your Asker know exactly what you think about their questioning, you have elected to “Go Off;” “Going Off” usually involves expletives, loud volume, and possibly aggressive physical movement; “Going Off” might feel better at the time, but it costs 8 HPs, paid to the Asker, as they leave the situation believing that you are “oversensitive,” “irrational,” or “dangerous,” possibly reinforcing their own racial and/or gender stereotypes

- “Play Dumb” – choosing to act like you don’t know what the Asker is getting at means you are “Playing Dumb;” “Playing Dumb” involves asking questions like “What do you mean?” or giving answers like “Pisces,” “a lawyer,” “the Queen of Dance,” or “a carbon-based life-form;” a “self-entertaining” tactic, “Playing Dumb” can leave you with 0 to 5 HPs, depending on the Asker’s reaction: a confused look allows you to break-even at 0, while having your Askers explain themselves and possibly understand the disrespect inherent in their question can earn you 5 HPs

- “Flip the Script”* – this tactic involves turning the question back on the Asker (similar to the “Playing Dumb” technique of asking questions); “Flipping the Script” involves a response of “What do you think I am?” which subsequently changes the power-dynamic, as your Asker will now feel uncomfortable, wanting to make the right “guess” without exposing the obvious ignorance that caused them to ask in the first place; also “self-entertaining,” “Flipping the Script” earns 2 HPs.

- “Create-a-Play” – players are not limited to the above tactics; creating your own plays not only increases your problem-solving skills, but can also increase the richness of the overall game; “Create-a-Plays” are self-scoring - earning up to 5 HPs for plays that enhance self-dignity and/or cause the Asker to become aware of people outside of themselves; losing up to 5 HPs for plays that decrease self-pride and/or cause the Asker to feel “right”

*Game-Note: “Flipping the Script” can also lead to playing other Ethnically-Ambiguous-based games such as: The “What do You Think I Am?” Game (make note of all the different responses to the question you get, see if you can guess other people’s assumptions based on environment, other person’s background, etc.) and the “What Can I Convince Them I Am?” Game (try different body-language, outfits, etc. to see if you can elicit a specific, incorrect guess).* (*3)

CONTINUATION

New “Askers” or “Persons” can join in at any time. Game play continues indefinitely, “Persons” and “Askers” taking turns playing tactics or responding until physically separated or “understanding” occurs.

HOW TO WIN

Unfortunately, due to the unending nature of this game, there is no way to achieve a final, decisive “victory.” However, if you can keep your head up and realize that the other players are doing so out of ignorance, and that it has nothing to do with you personally, then you are a “winner.” Being however you feel best in the world – no matter other people’s ridiculous opinions and/or questions – also results in a “win.”

And I agree- the most important thing is that you identify however YOU want to- not just how others (especially the majority) want to define you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you get lots of sweet treats and love today.

Speaking of Colors...

This is what my wedding is gonna look like. Pretty sweet, No? I LOVE having no color scheme.

Cry Me a River, John Mayer

A lot of other people have written about John Mayer's Playboy interview where he spouts a bunch of racist garbage and women hate.

I don't hate John Mayer's music. I don't love it, but I'm not offended when it comes on the radio. However, after reading this interview, I can safely say that I hate John Mayer and I think he is a ignorant, misogynistic asshole.

Yes, these are strong words, but when you're in the public eye and you say the kind of crap that John Mayer did, someone needs to say something.

John Mayer, maybe you thought you were being funny, but ignorance is never okay.

Here are a few highlights from the interview:

That’s why black people love me.

PLAYBOY: Because you’re very?

MAYER: Someone asked me the other day, “What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?” And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a ni**er pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, “I can’t really have a hood pass. I’ve never walked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, ‘We’re full.’”

PLAYBOY: It is true; a lot of rappers love you. You recorded with Common and Kanye West, played live with Jay-Z.

MAYER: What is being black? It’s making the most of your life, not taking a single moment for granted. Taking something that’s seen as a struggle and making it work for you, or you’ll die inside. Not to say that my struggle is like the collective struggle of black America. But maybe my struggle is similar to one black dude’s.

PLAYBOY: Do black women throw themselves at you?

MAYER: I don’t think I open myself to it. My d*ck is sort of like a white supremacist. I’ve got a Benetton heart and a f*ckin’ David Duke c*ck. I’m going to start dating separately from my d*ck.

PLAYBOY: Let’s put some names out there. Let’s get specific.

MAYER: I always thought Holly Robinson Peete was gorgeous. Every white dude loved Hilary from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.And Kerry Washington. She’s superhot, and she’s also white-girl crazy. Kerry Washington would break your heart like a white girl. Just all of a sudden she’d be like, “Yeah, I sucked his d*ck. Whatever.” And you’d be like, “What? We weren’t talking about that.” That’s what “Heartbreak Warfare” is all about, when a girl uses jealousy as a tactic.

I'm sorry, WHAT? The only thing better than this is his narcissistic, RIDICULOUS apology:

Idiot.

We Love Colors!

Lately, I've found myself experimenting with outfits that incorporate different textures and patterns, but they've all been in the same blah colors because for some reason, I started subscribing to the rule that in the winter, you don't wear color. The only bit of color I incorporate comes in the form of headbands/"headgear", massive necklaces, or flower pins. Or, when I'm feeling saucy, red lipstick.

That's all well and good, but I am tired of the grey and the dark, so I NEED SOME COLOR in my life. I started with redecorating my study, which is now an explosion of primary colors- red, yellow and blue. It's like a kindergarden classroom for grownups (perhaps I was inspired by hubby-to-be's place of work...).

Next up, my wardrobe. I just discovered the best company in the world that I want to share with you. We Love Colors is a company that specializes in bright, bright hoisery. I know, I know, hoisery is not exactly "clothing" per se, but their saturated rainbow colors add such a pop of color to your outfit that immediately, you feel better. Look how amazing this girl looks (in the snow, no less!):

{dreamecho}

They also have TIE-DYED tights. How can you not love this?

I mean, doesn't EVERYONE LOVE COLORS?

Scholar Ladies(Get an A on it)

Thanks to Jezebel's Margaret Hartmann, I found this video. I, too would much rather hear young girls singing "You should have got an A on it" instead of "putting a ring on it" ('cause even though I'm getting married, I'm 25 and getting my law degree-in hopes of "getting an A on it").

Found via jezebel.

DRESSES!

BIG NEWS. This is the dress that my bridesmaids will be wearing. In 5 different colors (one color being the one above).

Why I love this dress:

1) Doesn't look like a "bridesmaid" dress per se;

2) I can incorporate all the colors that I originally wanted into my color scheme;

3) It's flattering on everyone;

4) It's floaty, and fits perfectly with the whimsical/tea-party-ish theme I am going for;

5) It's inexpensive; and

6) Since it's J.Crew, THERE IS NO NEED FOR TAILORING and it arrived in 3 days.

Perfect.

I would highly recommend checking out J.Crew for bridal wear.

Zoe Saldana on Culture in Hollywood.

Zoe Saldana: I have a hard time accepting roles that typecast a culture. I don't need to play Juana, the prostitute from Washington Heights, in every movie. If it's been done before, you don't need my help. Latinos, we're not all pimps or prostitutes, we don't all deal drugs; not everyone in Jamaica smokes weed; not every Middle Easterner is a terrorist. It's boring, offensive, and hurtful. I'm not bitter about it, I'm just saying that I would like to retain accuracy of certain cultures. Some people will do these roles, but I'm fine with being poor.

Complex Magazine

I will never get tired of this.

EVER.

Pamper yourself!

One of my 743878932 resolutions for 2010 was to be kind to myself- the whole beatyourselfupeverydaybecauseyouarenotintelligentattractivelikeableskinnywittyloveablelawyerly deal is getting old for me (SO 2009). At 25, I shouldn't really whine about not being perfect because that is LAME.

Because I figured that this was a good way to spend the last precious moments of my winter break, I decided to have a decadent afternoon on Newbury Street yesterday in the snow with my fiance. My mission? Well, let's be honest here: my main mission was to spend my Anthropologie gift card that I got for Christmas. This was accomplished rather quickly and left me with a lot of time to kill before dinner at Stephanie's (by the way, their meatloaf is amazing, and this is coming from a girl who rarely eats red meat, let alone meatloaf with cheese, gravy and mashed potatoes).

SO. I decided to treat myself to some lovely bath and body goodies. Enter Sabon. I'm all about sensory experience and have been known to waste water for 30 minutes because I don't want to get out of the shower. I prefer Sabon's natural glycerin soaps in delicious flavors. I ended up getting a bar of their Kiwi Mango Rose Petals soap, and my shopping partner ended up with Ocean. At $6.25/lb, these soaps are not cheap, but as a mood elevator, they do wonders. If you go to the store itself, you can get your hands washed by one of the sales associates. I know, it sounds a little weird, but you get a lovely hand massage and soft, nice smelling hands afterwards. It's like the best part of a manicure! When you're feeling blue, it's the best place to go for a quick pick me up.

Sabon Newbury

129 Newbury Street

Boston, MA 02116

Phone: (617) 236-1931

info@sabonnewbury.com

Happy New Yeah!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wishing you the very best for 2010

xx,
Sticky Candy