La Bella Figura - Putting your best foot forward in everything you do » Living La Dolce Vita

My first true loves …

Kristi — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:38:01 +0000

BOOKS

Books make me happy.

Really, they make me more than happy.

They enrich my life in so many ways.

They inspire me. They are my friends. They are my comfort. They are my pleasure.

Once I rented a room in a sketchy part of L.A. based on the home’s abundance of books.

I had found a card tacked near the bathroom of an artsy coffeehouse advertising the room for rent.

The day of my appointment to view it, I hesitantly walked up the house’s stone steps, wary because of the rough neighborhood around it. Through a double dead-bolted screen door with thick bars, I saw a small woman with long red hair and a miniskirt vigorously vacuuming the living room rug.

Beneath a fringe of red bangs, she wore dark sunglasses. A cigarette hung from one corner of her mouth.

After a few minutes of knocking and ringing the doorbell, she noticed me.

Inside the front door, a small living room had an upright piano against one wall. On the opposite wall hung an art piece her famous father had made. It was the silhouette of a shapely woman made from spray painted silver cigarette butts.

As she showed me around, the woman never removed her dark glasses.

I had stepped into another world.

What ultimately sold me were the words that came out of her mouth as she directed me to a bedroom door:

“And this is our nonfiction library.”

Bookshelves from floor to ceiling lined every wall.

By the time she directed me to the fiction library (two minutes later), I was writing out a check.

I moved in that weekend.

It was an easy move. I had been staying with a friend and all my belongings were already in my car.

My large upstairs bedroom engulfed my few belongings.

On one wall I set up my radio, stacking CDs beside it on the floor. I propped a few of my religious themed red candles with saints and the Virgin Mary on the window sills.

My clothes hung in the closet above a footlocker that contained a few mementos.

I placed my roll-up futon bed in the middle of the floor. Right near where my head would lie, against the floor on one wall, I lined up all my books — Anais Nin, Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Isak Dineson, Baudelaire, Tom Wolfe, Umberto Eco, Truman Capote, Hermann Hess, Ayn Rand, S.E. Hinton — so they would be the first things my eyes saw upon awakening.

On My Nighstand (& floor)

In the living room

On My Nightstand

Kristi — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:20:40 +0000

I’m just going to apologize right off the bat for this post. My book situation is out of control. Pure chaos. Overflowing with library books, books I’ve bought and books I’ve borrowed. For some bizarre reason, all of the books on my waiting lists at the library all decided to come in at once. Several are in the exact same genre of the novel I am writing: girl crime reporter, so they are really considered research.

I have included pictures of them all (see the second to last picture for an idea of the chaos), but I will briefly give a summary of those that I have already read. I read and loved Foreign Tongue by Vanina Marsot. I recommend it to all Francophiles.

Am currently reading Villa Mirabella from one of my favorite authors in the Italian-American fiction genre, Peter Pezzelli. For some reason, possibly that the main character is a man in his 30s, I keep losing interest in this one.

The one that has me completely caught up in the character’s world is Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. One of my bookclubs chose this and I borrowed it, so I am making it priority one so I can return it and let someone else in bookclub borrow it. (My second bookclub meets this week and I will have a new book from them, as well, just to add to the madness!)

I also finished “Which Brings Me to You” By Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott. I must say the whole concept of a book based entirely on correspondence was intially a complete turnoff, but the writing is so wonderful I ended up completely engrossed and loved the book. I can’t wait to read more by Baggott.

I also read Becoming A Writer (Dorothea Brande) and On Becoming a Novelist (John Gardner). Both were so-so, I guess. I also read Mark Bittman’s Quick & Easy Recipes and copied down a few of them. Behind that book in the picture you can see some photocopies I made of recipes from the French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. I think I copied about 5 of them for future reference before turning the book back into the library.

The other books on my nightstand (Cheri and The Things They Carried and the New Yorker anthology) are all books I bought, so I may not get to them for quite some time since I have to read the library books which have due dates first!

That Pretty Much Sums it Up

Kristi — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:13:12 +0000

Yesterday I was killing time at the bookstore with my daughter. We started across the way at a shoe store and I tried on these:

which were on sale for an incredibly great price.

I loved the way they added some punch to my all black ensemble and asked the clerk to hold them for an hour while I thought about it.

Then my daughter and I went to the bookstore. I found two books in the used book section that I have wanted for a while (Cheri by Collette) and a writing book by John Gardener. (I’m doing a book post later today)

But anyway, we went to the counter to pay and then started toward the car.

My daughter asked: “But mama, what about the shoes?”

and I said: “Honey, I’d rather buy books than shoes.”

The less I spend on shoes, the more I can eventually spend on books and other things that continue to inspire me artistically and spiritually.

That pretty much sums it up for me.

Not a Cent in Lent update/Preachy Post

Kristi — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:54:11 +0000

Warning: this post is preachy and self-righteous and could be offensive to some.

Wow. I almost fell off the wagon last night. I’ve been doing some “window shopping” and stumbled across the most beautiful blouse in the world on ebay a few days ago. I didn’t even think twice and spontaneously bid on the item to my regret!!!!! I kept crossing my fingers that someone would outbid me … no such luck.

I contacted the seller before the auction ended and he said if I won, he would just cancel the transaction. Wow.

How generous and nice. I apologized profusely and still feel like a jerk about it, but am so glad I didn’t buy it.

I’m really trying to stick to my challenge for religious reasons, but also for reasons of integrity.

I think I learned my lesson by having to feel like a heel in retracting my bid. I still am grateful to the guy for letting me bow out.

I think I dodged a bullet, but learned my lesson.

My bookclub had a discussion about not a cent in lent last night (the CREATOR, my friend Jen) is in bookclub.

We talked about how it may seem a little self righteous to say so, but it is frustrating when so many people say, “Oh, how can you do that … it would be so hard, and so on.”

All we are doing is giving up buying NON ESSENTIALS until Easter. I buy food. I went and bought my daughter some dry erase markers her teacher said she needed to replace at school. I am NOT depriving myself. I have everything I NEED. Everything.

When you look at the world and look at so many people who don’t have the luxury to decide whether or not they are going to spend their money on non-essentials, it brings it all home. I think that is also the point of doing this Lenten challenge: Realizing that the essentials that we are “restricting” ourselves to during this short time period of Lent, are out of reach for some people.

Most of us are so insulated in our tidy, comfy little worlds that we don’t even remember how others are scraping by to provide food for their families.

We are doing OK financially now, but I try to never forget this because even though I have always been able to feed my family, always had clothes and always have had a roof over our heads, I have been in the position before where I am feeding my kids scrambled eggs for dinner a few nights a week because our food budget was the only place with any wiggle room — and EVEN STILL I was still INCREDIBLY wealthy compared to most people in the world.

All right, I’ll get off my soapbox now …

It is just something I feel passionate about and it’s OK if you don’t agree …

Art Work

Kristi — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:01:37 +0000

I’ve spent some free time this past week working on some of my art pieces. I’m going to put these on my etsy page in the next day or two. The first set are of my retablos and then there are three vintage dolls I’m selling.

All my art is made with a combination of thrift store items and vintage jewelry.

Oops, I have no idea why, but the right half of all my photos is cut off!

Frida Pink & Purple

Frida Red & Gold

Frida Silver & Gold

Frida Blue Parrots

Frida Monkeys

Frida Tropical Colors

Aztec Princess -1

Aztec Princess -1 (Back)

Art Deco Darling - 1

Art Deco Darling -1 (Back)

Azteca Warrior

Azteca Warrior (back)

Thank you

Kristi — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:01:05 +0000

I just wanted to say thank you for everyone who took the time to comment and give their opinions. I really appreciate it and especially appreciate all the nice things everyone said. I think I am just in a blogging funk.

The reason I started blogging and posting my outfits and recipes was because I loved reading Eurochic’s blog so much (this is what she did) and when she took a hiatus, I missed her inspiration so much I tried to create it for myself.

Now that I have blogging for awhile I also get my inspiration from other bloggers, many of whom I have begun to consider friends. It is a new world, to have a “cyber” friend. I suppose for my children it will seem normal. But for me, although it still seems odd to call people I only know online “friends” — that is often how I feel about them.

I began writing this post this morning and then read Eurochic’s post about how she wishes she could find women friends with her similar interests to hang out with where she lives. She knows people like this online, but not in person. I feel the exact same way.

So thanks again for your encouragement and responses. It has motivated me to continue posting outfits and menus. In fact, just knowing that someone is reading and will be looking at my photo helps motivate me to dress nicer and eat better …

I’m very lucky to know all of you — even if it is just in the cyber world — it really makes a difference in my life.

It looks like not only French men appreciate older women

Kristi — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 13:04:22 +0000

Let me preface this by saying I was searching for the Top 10 books of the decade and got sucked into AskMen.com’s top 10 lists and believe me they have a lot of them and they are fun to read.

You don’t have to be of a certain age to learn from these examples. For instance, there are many women much younger than me who embody a lot of these qualities. It is something we can also appreciate about ourselves as we age. And their idea of an older woman — between 29 and 45 still is a bit younger than what we would call “of a certain age” but still worth reading.

Top 10: Things We Love About Older Women

This year’s Top 99 Women prove that we find maturity hot, and here’s why.

By Andrew Moore, Entertainment Correspondent

Page 1:

One truth that emerges from our list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2010 is that men love older women. This is not to say we have some weird thing for the elderly, but rather that, on average, our taste in women skews a little older than most people might expect.

While pop culture often idealizes the 19-year-old sexpot and the barely legal college coed, men at this moment in history are more attracted to somewhat older women. The average age of the Top 99 winners is 29. And while the youngest age of one of our most desirable women is 19, the oldest is 45. The stats indicate that we’re attracted to women with a little more maturity, and it’s not hard to see why.

Check out this list of the top 10 things we love about older women.

Page 2: Older women are independent

One of the top 10 things we love about older women is their independence. Older women are typically more comfortable being alone. They’ve spent time in and out of relationships and consequently they know how to get along fine without us by their sides every single moment. They know that they don’t need a boyfriend attached to their hip to be happy. This means that older women are less likely to be clingy or needy, which makes them much easier to get along with.

Page 3: Older women are assertive

Older women often have a clearer sense of who they are and what they want. Consequently, they’re less timid when it comes to men and they’re also less inclined to play games. While a woman in her early 20s might waste your time playing hard to get, or trying to make you jealous, a woman even five or 10 years older is more likely to cut to the chase and be upfront about her feelings or lack thereof.

That kind of forthrightness is refreshing; it can even be a turn-on. And it’s another one of the top 10 things we love about older women.

Page 4: Older women offer good conversation

There’s nothing like going out on a date and having a 45-minute conversation about Spiedi, followed by a scintillating story about how your date was going to buy this one purse, but instead she didn’t and got this other purse instead.

A good conversation is one of those things we tend to take for granted until we haven’t had one in a while. Great conversation skills are something that younger women often lack, not so much because they’re women, but mostly because they’re young. Quite simply, older women have lived longer. They’ve seen things, done things and been places.

They have more interesting stories and more experience, and that makes them better conversationalists. Don’t underestimate the importance of talking; it will keep a relationship interesting long after the spark of the initial attraction has faded.

Page 5: Older women have more money

OK, so perhaps this entry on our list is a bit mercenary. However, we prefer to think of it as “pragmatic.” The truth is, older women do tend to have more money than younger women. We’re not saying that’s the most important thing to consider when dating someone. It’s just a comfort for guys to know they aren’t going to have to pay for every single date over the course of a relationship. Nor are they going to have to pay her cell phone bill when her burgeoning modeling career “temporarily” stalls.

Page 6: Older women have more mature friendships

Younger women are often deeply entangled in cliques. Through texts, phone calls and daily e-mails they’re constantly checking in with their gal pals. In order to become her boyfriend, you have to have the approval of her friends. Before you make plans, she’s got to check with Mitsy and Bitsy. It can be exhausting.

Older women are often less invested in seeking the approval of their female friends. They don’t need to consult their friends before making even the most minor decisions. Older women are more confident and self-reliant; their friendships are more mature. They’ve had time to sift through the fair-weather friends, the hangers-on and the airheads, and they’ve streamlined their social networks.

Page 7: Older women make better dates

The thing that makes older women better dates is that they have more sophisticated tastes. Plain and simple, older women do grown-up things and that’s another one of the top 10 things we love about them.

They’re not interested in getting stupid drunk and passing out in a public washroom. They’re not interested in grinding on a dance floor to obnoxiously loud techno music. Older women are past their rebellious phase and over their need to be the center of attention.

Page 8: Older women are less drama-prone

Maybe it’s because younger women experience a lot of firsts that they seem unprepared to navigate life’s twists and turns. First loves, first broken hearts, first betrayals: we suppose it can all seem like too much sometimes. Younger women just always seem to have more drama in their lives than their more experienced counterparts do. Due to their immaturity, younger women tend to magnify the importance of every little thing. When you’re dating a really young woman, there always seems to be a new catastrophe or crisis. It’s really impossible to avoid getting sucked into the drama, pointless as it may seem.

Most older women are cooler under pressure; they know how to deal with disasters, and they can often handle them on their own.

Page 9: Older women have more sexual experience

Perhaps the most common reason men cite for wanting to date older women is superior sex. Older women are better in bed. Period. They’ve gotten over all the little insecurities and anxieties that can negatively impact your sex life. Older women are comfortable in their own skin. Moreover, they know how to make the bedroom exciting and interesting. They’ve graduated beyond the bedroom basics and their experience often makes them more willing to try new things.

Page 10: Older women have more relationship experience

Older women know how to handle the trials and tribulations associated with relationships because they’ve been through just about all of it before. She’s going to have more realistic expectations. She’s less likely to have a princess complex. Older women are typically more measured and well-mannered in their response to relationship crises, which makes the chances of a long-term relationship with her much better.

Page 11: Older women value your time together

Equipped with a clear sense of what’s really important in life, older women are more appreciative of the time you spend together and they aren’t likely to be reckless with your emotions. That’s the thing we love most about older women.

While younger women often don’t take men, relationships or life in general very seriously, an older woman understands the value of a good man. She’s seen what’s out there, she knows what’s at stake and she’s not likely to take you for granted.

Friday, Dec. 3

Kristi — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:48:24 +0000

Outfit:
Gray top (Target)
black cords* I broke down and bought these at Macy’s for $19. I had only tried them on about 6 times and finally decided to go for it.
black boots
silver hoop earrings, silver chain

Menu:
breakfast: small dish whole milk yogurt with homemade granola
lunch: romaine salad with leftover chicken cut up, cheese chunks, oil and vinegar; chips and salsa
dinner: burritos my dad’s style. yum; wine

Finances:
$25 for Christmas gifts
$19 for pants

Life is good. I think we are over being ill for now. I’ll enjoy my family’s good heatlh while it lasts. Winter in the midwest with kids tends to mean a lot of illness, but I always just pray it is never anything serious. I’m still getting both of my children their H1N1 booster shot in a few weeks (28 days after the first shot they got) even though the doctor thought my 4 year old had it this week. Won’t hurt to get the shot anyway.

I bought some minimarshmallows and Hershey’s cocoa — there is snow on the ground and for my kids that means hot chocolate!

I also plan on taking some time this weekend to start baking Christmas cookies with my kids. We always make the recipe my mom and I made growing up.

I love family traditions. I think they are so important. My kids can count on them and I know they give them comfort and joy.

We have a couple traditions already. We always have pancakes on Saturday mornings. We almost always have a big Sunday supper with dessert. We almost always go to my MIL house after Sunday mass and hang out with up to 20 other family members who stop by, too. We decorate the Christmas tree to the same Christmas CD every year. … that’s all I can think of right now.

Do you have family traditions that you had passed down to you or else started for your own family?

50 before 50

Kristi — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:45:59 +0000

This is my husband and I — see goal no. 5

I have been gunshy to put pictures of my children online, but I think it is OK to put a pic of my husband up now. Here he is, although now I think he’s lost about 30 pounds since this picture was taken about a year ago – he always is handsome to me, though. I especially like this shot of us.

50 Before 50

I first heard about this concept by Andi at Misadventures by Andi who listed 40 things to do before 40, but alas, I had already passed that milestone. Then, I saw Tine at The Red Geranium is doing 30 before 30. So here is my version. By the way, I don’t think I will, or will want to, actually list 50 things, but here area a few of my top goals:

1. Become fluent in at least one other language, probably Spanish
2. Live in Europe for a time
3. Become a successful freelance writer or author
4. Raise healthy, happy children (this is my no. 1 goal)
5. Do my part to maintain a healthy, happy marriage (same thing , no. 1 goal)
6. Keep fit (learn yoga, continue walking, up it to a mandatory daily walk)
7. Become completely debt free
8. Become a chess master
9. Learn a martial art form
10. Have a photo exhibition
11. Learn to ballroom dance

Saturday, 11-22/Twilight/Battlestar

Kristi — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:48:28 +0000

OUTFITS:

1. OK, so I put on these boys style 501 black jeans I had bought ages ago at the thrift store and decided they were too boyish and hickish looking — the leg width screams 80s!!! I still want black jeans, though, I think.

2. Then I decided to re-evaluate my Free People top and while I sort of liked it in person (it is sooo unique with buttons up the back, lace and ribbons on the front) but when I see this picture I see again why I don’t like it. (Any opinions? My problems with it? The color, the length and I think it is so breezy, it needs to be worn with light colored shoes or sandals …)

3. The outfit I decided to wear for the day: Levis, teal jCrew top, navy cashmere cardigan*, turquoise/pink/multicolor scarf; boots

Outfit 1

Outfit 2

Outfit 3

*The problem with a small wardrobe is when it comes to cashmere sweaters, I tend to wear them so much they quickly look ratty, even when I buy the brands that are supposed to hold up the best (ie Ann Taylors have great reviews)

Menu:

Breakfast: one pancake; cafe au lait
Lunch: cheese and crackers
Snack: small popcorn at the theater; water
Dinner: leftover pasta; wine

Finances:
$8 shoe creme
$7 movie

I went to the second Twilight movie yesterday. Although I’m not wild about the sparkling of Edward and his acting is not that great, I loved the rest of the movie. I love Kristen Stewart as an actress and as Bella. I only wish I had her aplomb and quiet self confidence when I was a teenager.

I know she is about 12 and has the body of a 12-year-old boy, but I really like this look (straight leg jeans, green button up cargo style blouse and sneakers) Fiona — I could use converse …. opinions on whether this would work for a woman in her 40s ????

I actually have been eyeing a navy blue shirt just like this at Target (think it is the converse brand) and have tried it on a few times already. Which would be a better color for me.

I want this shirt, despite my previous bad luck with green

My rather large Italian butt would look much different in jeans like these, but I adore jeans!

Then last night I watched another four episodes of Battlestar Galactica. I am hoooked!