La Pelouse Vert (et la robe aussi!)

Working on cushions for my mom's new sunroom today which happen to be, you guessed it, green! We go through so many months of dismal grays and browns that I can't get enough of this wonderful full of life color when it blesses us with its presence. Concerning grays and browns, I watched "The Road" last night, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. One of the most depressing movies ever. I started reading the book a few years ago but it was such a downer that I couldn't get through it. It's about a father and son as they trek across the US after the apocalypse. All wildlife and vegetation have died and cannibalism is rampant as bands of less than moral gangs try to find their next meal. Everyone is freezing cold, sick and starving, it's really a gruesome picture of what might happen if the world as we know it ends. Needless to say, but I was so happy to wake up this morning to blue skies and that green green grass.



Dress: altered vintage (it was much longer)
Necklace: vintage
Belt: vintage
Shoes: vintage wood and leather platforms from a yard sale, one of the best finds ever!
Bracelet: cheapie from NYC

Roving Eye Film Festival (Free!!)

I'm sure you can all tell by now that I am a huge fan of free cultural events. You don't have to spend a lot of money, if any, to keep busy, have fun, and learn new things. Which leads me to the 2010 Roving Eye Film Festival. From their website: "Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) and Roger Williams University (RWU) are presenting the fifth annual Roving Eye Film Festival from April 22 to April 25. The event aims to celebrate cinematic art and artists from around the world and to evoke discussions on topics of global and local importance." You can click here for times, dates, and descriptions of the films. Most are being held at the RWU campus in Bristol, RI. I'm hoping to make it to at least a few films, I'm just not sure which ones yet.

Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags

For those of you who have not yet watched HBO's "Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags", now is the time. I stumbled upon this documentary about the garment industry in New York City and was both amazed by the district's vitality and heartbroken by its steep decline. In 1965, 95% of American garments were made in the USA but by 2009 that number has dropped to 5%. Five percent!! This is a very important film not only about fashion and the garment industry but also how outsourcing everything to other countries has a huge effect on jobs, and life, in the US. Definitely worth watching and thinking about. Watch it now on HBO On Demand.

Tournees Film Festival

Every year Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island holds a really great French Film Festival. I've been the past few years and have seen some superb films in the art house theaters of Newport or in lecture halls on Salve's campus. The best part about it: it's FREE!! and it looks like there are some wonderful films playing this year. Tomorrow evening I am going to see "I’ve Loved You So Long" or "Il y a longtemps que je t’aime". This film is starring Kristen Scott Thomas as a woman who has just been released from prison after 15 years as she struggles to reconnect to her family and adjust back to normal life. Hope you'll join me tomorrow or venture out to see one of the other films in the festival. Click here for more info.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

On Friday night, I watched "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" a 1970 classic directed by Russ Meyer. Movies don't get much better than this. It's the story of all girl rock band that moves to LA to live the rich life and all the zany characters that they meet along the way. The clothes! The hair! The sets! The music! The one liners! If you have yet to see this movie, watch it and if you have, see it again. I watched in on my computer via Netflix "Watch it Now" and the picture was crystal clear and only took a minute to load. So much visual stimulation!