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Posts Tagged ‘Style Notes’
hanging out at Beach 91st Street in Rockaway Beach
I am in love.
This weekend, I took my first surfing lesson and I am in love with surfing. On Saturday morning, Seth and I met Fernando, my surfing teacher, at the edge of the jetty just off Beach 91st Street. We walked back to his house which kind of looks like a tiki hut or a typical surfer’s shack tucked behind a tall beach house just a few blocks off the beach. I could feel time slip into another pace, the day became one big sunny moment. Seth settled into his beach chair next to a group of very nice people who decided to be my cheering squad. They clapped every time I tried to stand up.
“It’s all about finding your balance and controlling your board with your body. When you feel the wave take your board, jump up and ride.”
That simple directive, so beautiful to watch, is not as easy as it sounds.
“It’s about your arms, your shoulders, your center of gravity.”
Listen, Fernando, its about that and a bunch of other muscles I didn’t know I had. I was on a vintage 60′s long board and wondering how the hell I was going to maneuver it in the water. I know, lots of arm and shoulder and that pesky center of gravity. Somewhere in the back of my mind I can see my mom, the evolved Buddhist from Bayside, nodding approvingly. She likes to remind me about being centered and balanced. ”In all things in life. Even on a surfboard.”
Fernando and me
I love sitting on the board waiting for a wave.
Fernando pushed me out and shouted, “Now!” I waited until I felt the wave move the board. I actually stood up for a few shaky seconds before tumbling happily into the surf.
Seth brought me a veggie burger from the food stand on the boardwalk when I stumbled on to the sand after my lesson. You have to dodge skateboarders carrying surfboards and zig zag your way through surfboards and boogy boards to get something to eat but, boy oh boy, is it worth it! This is the summer of great boardwalk food in the Rockaways.
And the summer I learn how to hang ten.
Get more Wow!
If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:
Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good
Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit
Style Notes from me, your artspy
Hoong Yee
– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day
– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)
– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.
Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?
Donna Brodie, of the Writers Room, in her ecstatic footwear
She was lovely to behold, in the way someone you think of fondly looks when you see them after a long time.
The way she tossed her hair, now shoulder length and full, swirling her ice coffee, bracelets jangling on her slender wrist. How I missed her!
She eyed my shopping bag with a slow smile, “Anything fabulous?”
Fabulous? These boots by Anita Moser are fabulous, in my opinion.
I confess, I am longing to take another shoemaking class so that I can make a pair of boots.
I pulled out the white shirtdress with the amazing pleating at the waist that reminded me of the style she always preferred – fitted waist with a flared skirt to highlight her hourglass figure. She practically leaped out from behind her desk to take a closer look at the stitching detail.
And that is when I saw them.
Her deep lilac vegan peep toe wedge sandals from Payless. She practically floated in them. “They match my golf shorts, I love the color, they were fifteen bucks – I am absolutely crazy about them and the price!”
She was radiant. She was poetry in motion.
Keep this in mind
I write a lot about shoes, why you need stilettos, how I was determined to learn how to make my own. To me, they hold a special place between you and the earth. They govern your movement and your posture. Shoes are the foundation of how you present yourself to the world each day. Here are some things about shoes to keep in mind:
Color
Be bold and put some unexpected color on your feet. Somehow, you will find something in your closet that will match. If not, oh well, you’ll have to go shopping and find something that does. The effect you will have on people will be unexpected and unforgettable.
Height
Notice I did not say stature. That is psychological height. I mean the arch and the heel of the shoe and how the shoe lengthens your leg. Not the job for a ballet flat.
Detail
A perky bow? A little toe cleavage? A shaped heel? Small details, big impact.
Elevation
I am talking about your spirits. Do you feel like a million bucks in your fifteen dollar shoes? This is a case of reverse gravity – your sense of Wow! flows upward from the tips of your shoes to the top of your head.
Isn’t it a wonderful thing when you can find a pair of shoes that can carry you joyfully through your day? Simple joys are great pleasures.
Get more Wow!
If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:
Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good
Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit
Style Notes from me, your artspy
Hoong Yee
– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day
– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)
– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.
Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?
photo by bayan 160
He was tall, dark haired with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Everything about him was right, I knew he was the one who could help me.
I walked towards him, the question burning in my mind, my heart beating a little faster with each step. He was sitting alone and I could easily grab his attention.
I took a deep breath and as soon as the words left my lips, I realized how ridiculous I sounded. My face turned a blushing red, my mouth open in disbelief, my God, how did this happen?
He, however, gazed at me and repeated my question with a faint smile.
“Where can I find romance?”
I felt my ears burn.
“Hard cover or soft cover?”
Gulp. “Hard. I mean, hard cover.”
“Second row of shelves in the back of the library. “ He turned his gaze, thank God, to the next person on the information line as I slipped away.
Where do you find romance?
I prefer less mortifying experiences. But that’s just me. Luckily, the ladies in the Carpool Court agree with me that the search for romance should be a less public endeavor and we have decided to get together for Romance Night at our house. We are going to talk about what we like to read, what authors we follow, what types of characters we are drawn to and what we are going to drink. Not necessarily in that order, of course.
Yes, I admit. I am intrigued with romance. And I think you are too. So what I am going to do is capture some great conversation and write a romance story.
In hard cover.
Get more Wow!
If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:
Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good
Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit
Style Notes from me, your artspy
Hoong Yee
– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day
When Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps premiered almost a hundred years ago, people totally freaked out. They walked out, issued death threats, clutched their pearls and stormed out of the performance.
They hated it.
Why?
Probably because it was so new, so raw, sensual and startling in its bold disregard for the more familiar and more conventional forms of music that preceded it.
Probably because it revealed things people were not expecting.
Like inner feelings. Like inner weirdness.
Yes, people love odd stuff
Odd. Good odd, not evil odd. Odd stuff that makes you think or wonder is what people are attracted to. You have an original way of looking at things that people will be curious about. Embrace your oddness.
Yes, you are odd
That’s right. You are. And so am I. In fact, I am intrigued by your oddness and want to know more about you. I am willing to bet there are lots of people who are interested in what you have to offer.
I was absolutely fascinated by the boy of a thousand faces who I saw on Ree Drummond’s blog. Now that boy is going places!
Here’s how I do it
1. Be comfortable in your weirdness
Let me rephrase that. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. People are sheep, they like grazing in the fields of comfort and predictability. They get upset if Bo Peep changes the routine and will do all they can to make their discomfort known. Who’s bigger – you or a bunch of uncomfortable sheep?
2. Be bold
Bold is beautiful. Bold is the new black. Bold is what people remember. Whether you succeed or not, you will be noted for courage and that is worth something.
3. Get used to people staring at you
First, in shock and disapproval (remember the sheep?). Then slowly a glimmer of appreciation will appear in their consciousness eventually transforming into awe. This is the bane of being a celebrity so you might as well get used to it.
4. Package your presence
Here’s some reading to help you along. Normal Gets You Nowhere by Kelly Cutrone is an unabashed call to action for all of you to stop being boring and get out there with your own unexpected uniqueness.
“An invitation to rethink who you are, what you value, and what you want from life, Normal Gets You Nowhere goes beyond how to reinvent yourself and create your own brand, and investigates what it means to live in this world as a tuned-in, caring individual with a passion for making a difference. There’s already an army of super talented uberfreaks changing the world–isn’t it time you joined them?”
5. Leave the party early
There is wisdom in underpromising and overdelivering. There is marketing magic in giving your best and leaving them hungry for more. Never underestimate the amazing ability of reverse psychology when it comes to human perception. People at a party always talk about the ones who come fashionably late and leave early.
Get more Wow!
If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:
Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good
Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit
Style Notes from me, your artspy
Hoong Yee
– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day
– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)
– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.
Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?
photo by Maria Kristin Steinsson
You work in a field known for its passion. For a better world, and for a mission.
You are either in the nonprofit world or you are a ninja. Maybe you are both. Either way, you must dress for success. What you wear is just as critical to your success as what you do. Consider yourself a hunter. You need to move swiftly, blend into the background, have your hunting tools close at hand. Your prey must not know where you are so you can move in for the kill successfully. Consider yourself part of the pride. To move among lions, you need to read the signals of their culture, move the way they do, understand their hierarchy, behave appropriately so you don’t get eaten. Consider yourself a creature of the corporate world. Perhaps you need to wear something that goes from day into evening like this Crinkle Day dress from Banana Republic that I saw on Corporette so that you can network after hours and increase your presence in different circles. Or something for a working weekend.
So many ways to not get it right! And the consequences – I shudder.
Here are five tried and true tricks I have picked up in my years as an Executive Director for the Queens Council on the Arts. You may say, “Oh, but you can dress artsy and cute. What about if you work in social services for the disabled, or for homeless animals?”
Read on:
1. Don’t wear lavendar
What you may love, what you may feel is really and truly you, you, you, what feels as comfortable as your skin may be a lavendar mumu. Don’t do it. You will be committing professional suicide for this unforgivable lapse of taste.
You need to understand what colors mean to your tribe. This is a vital skill in the rainforest and the jungle. What makes you think this is less crucial in your work life?
I am still trying to get beyond black. It is so easy, so chic, so not a problem in the morning when I can’t open my eyes, forget about trying to match colors, are you kidding? But I know better than to wear lavendar.
2. Wear what works
If you know what looks good on your body type, wear it. And stock up. If you have a tailor you trust, ask her what cuts and styles look good on you. If you have an extraordinary tailor you trust, have her replicate pieces in your wardrobe that make you look good. I have a tailor in Chinatown who can duplicate my favorite articles of clothing in different fabrics. A luxury? No! She tells me I need to wear jackets that are classic and long. So, I head over to Mood Fabrics in the garment district, buy a few yards of fabulous fabric that scream Wow! and in two weeks I have a custom made piece that I love. Why? Because it makes me look great. What’s not to love?
3. Shoes, shoes, shoes
If you find yourself sitting in front of an audience waiting to speak as a panelist, or to receive a citation, or because you are about to present someone with an award, you need to wear great shoes. A good pair of shoes sets off your whole outfit, especially on stage. Do not underestimate the power of that slender shaped shoe leather in elevating your stature.
You can tell a lot about someone by their shoes. I make my own shoes whenever possible. Like these.
4. You could try your hand with a sewing machine
Don’t roll those eyes at me! I happen to love my shiny black enamel Singer Sewing Machine and I know how to sew on buttons. Sewing a straight seam is not rocket science and you can really add some stylish punch to any jacket or coat with unique buttons. Here’s what Deborah Moebes, the author of Stitch by Stitch has to say:
“Seems like for years, sewing was almost exclusively seen as an old-lady pastime. Then Project Runway hit, and it transformed peoples’ expectations of sewing—sewing wasn’t just for making curtains in your first place or making quilts whenyou’re ancient. Suddenly, sewing was a way to express yourself, a means of creativity and artistry, and a way of having some very, very cool clothes. I love that with that single viral idea, folks our age took to their machines in a way that really is unprecedented.
Be creative about what you wear. Get used to getting second looks.
Get more Wow!
If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:
Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good
Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit
Style Notes from me, your artspy
Hoong Yee
– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day
– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested
– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)
– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update
Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.
Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?
I write for love and money. It is my everyday passion. What's yours? 
