Stevie said it best...

This past week was filled with a range of emotions in New York, we had everything from the 9th Anniversary of 911 to Fashion Week.  The most disturbing occurrence was the protesting of the Mosque being built near ground zero.  I think that Stevie Wonder's lyrics best expressed what we need...

Love's In Need Of Love Today

Good morn or evening friends

Here's your friendly announcer

I have serious news to pass on to every-body

What I am about to say

Could mean the world's disaster

Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain

It's that

Love's in need of love today

Don't delay

Send yours in right away

Hate's goin' round

Breaking many hearts

Stop it please 

Before it's gone too far

The Force of evil plans

To make you its possession

And it will if we let it

Destroy ev-er-y-body

We all must take

Precautionary measures

If love and peace you treasure

Then you'll hear me when I say

Oh that

Love's in need of love today

Don't delay

Send yours in right away

Hate's goin' round

Breaking many hearts

Stop it please

Before it's gone too far

People you know that

Love's in need of love today

Don't delay

Send yours in right away

You know that hate's

Hate's goin' round

Breaking many hearts

Stop, stop it please

Before it's gone too far

It's up to you cause

Love's in need of love today

Don't delay

Send yours in right away

You know that hate's

Hate's goin' round

Breaking - hate's tried to break my heart many times

Don't -you've got to stop it please

Before, before, before

Love's in need of love today

Don't delay

Send your in right away

You know that hate's going round

Hates going around, hate's going around

And it tried to break up many hearts

You've got to, I've got to, We've got to

Stop it before it's gone too far

Love's love's in need of love

Did you ever think that love would be in need of love today

Don't delay

Send yours in right away

Hate's hate's

Bring it down a little, love is very peaceful

So bring it down a little

yeah, duh, duh, dum

Stevie rifts...

What the world needs now

Um, L-O-V-E love, L-O-V-E lo------ve

Right away

Just give the world LOVE.

Girling up football!

Family football games have become a tradition in our family.  My brothers, nieces, nephews, our dog and friends,  have all gathered on my sisters front lawn for some ridiculous fun!  The women play as hard as the men - that's right, we're tough ( we of course play touch - not tackle)!  But how cute would we be in these:)? Hmmm, let me think of what the boys will wear.  The new season  of professional football has started, check out the NFL's schedule.  

Model:  Han Jin for Vogue Korea

A good day for a good book!

Signs of  Autumn have arrived in New York today and one of my most enjoyable things to do this time of the year is to grab a sweater and mull around in my favorite bookstores.  One such bookstore, Biography (now Bookbook) was in the West Village and had an unfortunate placement right across the street from Magnolia Bakery, :) it was recently replaced by a Marc Jacobs store, Bookmarc . It was one of my favorites - really Marc, really?  Although, Bookmarc is a cute name and Bookbook  fortunately has a new West Village location.  I've spent countless hours there buying books on their outside tables - I scored a Vladimir Nabokov book for 5 bucks, which I later gave to the guy who delivered my mattress - his name was Vladimir - how often do you meet a Vladimir these days?  He of course looked at me like - I hope this isn't my tip!:).  It's a good day to curl up with a good book.  Wouldn't it be easy to do in one of these libraries?  Happy reading!

Images: Marie Claire Maison

A releasing of our stories...

Here's a new book, "Black Women, Rape and Resistance-A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power" written by Danielle L. McGuire, an assistant professor at Wayne University that I found to my surprise on the Elle.com website. Sorry Elle, but it is not often that a book is featured on your mainly fashion driven website - although I like the fashion coverage, this is a welcome change for your readers! What I discovered by reading the article written by Bliss Broyard (great name btw - let us pause for a moment of name envy!), is that McGuire is an unlikely person to write such a book, she is as Bliss described, a 35-year old white woman. However, McGuire's experience relating to the Civil Rights Movement is as relevant as anyone else. The Civil Rights movement is a collective American experience that everyone should feel connected to, although one that mainly determined the future of African Americans. One could, and many have also argued that it helped determined the future of our great country for all Americans regardless of your ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation.


McGuire's book delves beyond the well-known story of Rosa Parks and her refusal to go to the back of the bus, which led to the now infamous bus boycott and Civil Rights movement. It reveals stories of the rapes of African American women during this time in our history and how these strong women sought legal action against their assailants and not only marched to gain their civil freedom and rights, but their sexual rights. Oddly enough, this book comes at a time when the women in the Congo are being raped by rebels in mass assault - I wonder who will write their stories? I will be adding this book to my Fall/Winter reading list!

The people's island!

Last summer a friend phoned and said that he was riding his bike in my neighborhood and suggested that we meet for what was suppose to just be breakfast.  However, the morning began to unfold into an idyllic and brilliantly wonderful day and while in DUMBO, we saw a large group of people lined up, some with bikes to get on a ferry. We discovered that they were taking a free ride to Governors Island and being true adventurists, we went and grabbed our bikes and joined.  

It was at this moment that I discovered what a treasure this island is for New Yorkers who are craving a quick and easy escape to a beautifully scenic and relaxing environment.   One where the noise and traffic of the city escapes us as there are no cars allowed on the island and the sound of the glistening water is instantly calming.    This past Sunday I went again with another group of friends, who had not been and needless to say, they too were immediately awestruck by the beauty and magic of this place. But, what a difference a year makes!  The lines of people waiting to get on the ferry from both Brooklyn and Manhattan were unbearably long, yet so well worth the short ferry ride once we arrived!  My friend Cami, who unlike me rarely publicly emotes, declared excitedly while riding her bike,  "this is fantastic" - I think I also heard a "Praise the Lord" too! (just kidding Cami).

There are many activities on the island, biking, skateboarding, rollerblading or walking and there are plenty of places to stretch out on a hammock, adirondack chairs or picnic benches and take in the scenery.  There's a bandshell where many artists have performed including some of my favorites, Corinne Bailey Rae and Lauryn Hill.  The one thing that they do not have yet however is great food.  I hope that the State/City, will refurbish the old island that was once owned and "sold" by Native Americans to a Hollander, then taken by the Dutch, then by the British for their governors - hence the eventual naming of Governors Island.    Because of its location, it then became a  military base for over 200 years for both the British and American military.  After the war, New York State gained full ownership but made the island inactive for many years and then active again until the 1960's and it changed its course yet again and became home to Coast Guards until the 90's.   For a more detailed history click here.  I would love to see the planners combine some of the architecture reflecting it's rich history, with the charm of a quaint New England water town.    One with a few good restaurants,  food vendors and shops for local designers and art galleries.  

 Speaking  of architecture, the Victorian homes on the Island, including the most grand one that once belonged to an Admiral are enviably gorgeous - and empty.  As one New Yorker humorously stated as she exited the Admirals house, for most New Yorkers, an empty home is like real estate porn.  At one point they were considering turning the island into residential property - thankfully, the direction has changed and the continued development as a home to recreation and arts thrives.  

As for art, there was a wonderful art exhibit this weekend with works from artists in various mediums.  Here are a few of our favorites:  

Leah Yerpe

Sequoyah Aono  - loved him! Absolutely brilliant and the self portrait bore an eerie likeness.

Khara Ledonne

Rueben Marraquin

Thanks Christian for organizing the day!  The free ferries from Manhattan and Brooklyn will run until mid October - for more info, click here.  

Frenchman at the US Open

One of my favorite things about this time of the year in New York is the US Open! I grew up in a family that loves tennis, my mom loved Bjorn Borg and Arthur Ashe and my older brother is a huge tennis fan and my dad took my sister and I out for our first lessons.  Let's see, two African American girls taught by their father to play - does it vaguely remind you of another sister tennis sensation - ha!  I have had the good fortune of watching a few times court-side Venus and Serena  win. Also, to see Maria Sharapova with my dearest friend Darin, who scored the most amazing tickets with seats that if I had a racket, I could have returned one of  her volleys - and granted be detested by all and get tossed out while creating quite a racket - thank God she won and didn't need me to do that.   Let me not get distracted by the women, I'm here to talk about a man!  

This weekend, I saw a young man who has become one of my favorite players to watch - Gael Monfils!  One of the top ranked players in France and in my opinion, he has brought excitement to the game - and I now understand why he is called the "Sliderman" - he not only slides on clay, but also on deco-turf!  He is quite an expansive player as he reaches return volleys that seem nearly impossible.  

Watching Monfils reminded me of one of my other favorite French players, Yannick Noah - admittedly, my friends and I loved him mainly because he was hot, I mean - his tennis was amazing!  We were ball girls at the Washington DC tournaments when we first watched him play, then we watched him eat, drink, change shirts - you get the picture:).  Although I'm not sure whether Monfils (ranked 17) will win the Open ( Noah won the French Open, not the US), he's definitely someone to watch and I am sure that his game will only improve over time.  I believe he's playing again today, perhaps my friend Darin will  - call me!

Although summer is not officially over, Labor Day has always symbolized the end of summer.  It's the last hurrah before kids return to school, vacations end, work gets more intense and in years past, almost on cue, nature takes a turn with cooler temperatures.   In New York, the invitations to events start to arrive, Fashion Week immediately happens and the new season kicks off - oh yes, and football has already started!  Before we get to the new season, let's still enjoy, while we can, the beauty of summer.  Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Images:  Me, Pottery Barn, Distinctive Ventures - Montauk, Harvest on Fort Pond, Calypso, Marie Claire Maison, Martha Stewart Living