I DONNO ABOUT U, BUT THIS PAST WEEK WAS A SCORCHER OUT THERE FOR ME!

It has been soooo hot this past week... almost as hot as my friend Tori Festa. Here she is last Sunday trying on a feminine floral frock at Forever 21. Monday I had a meeting at school. I'm a part of a club called "Lead for Diversity". As a member I need to act as a role model that exhibits tolerance, respect and responsibility in a heavily diverse environment with kids of various backgrounds in terms of religion, interests, ethnicity, or academics . At the meeting last Monday I dressed up as a teacher reprimanding a girl for a dress code violation. Ironically I showed up with a dress a handful above my fingertips... hey did not feel like pulling out the long high waist skirt...nor the only pair of slacks that are practically falling down on me. After the meeting I ran over to Know Style at the mall to drop off a job application and on the way out snapped a shot of this scarf passing through Nordstroms' accessories department aka Danger Zone for Lena G. That same day after everything I get a text from boo (Gia Tango) telling me come over. I got there and so did Jackie O'leary (aka O'lear) shortly after. I picked on peanuts while Jackie picked on BBQ chips (her fav) and came across two chips stuck together by what seemed like a potato hair. Cumata (Gia) was content with her leftover birthday cake from last Friday's surprise bash her other home girls threw for her. She did not want to the picture of her beautiful face. My beautiful desk: at times a work area, at times a dumping area. I added pics to my collection on my Blackberry at Nonna Lena's on Wednesday...still not done looking at her library. This one above is of me and my cousin Vinny, yes, the one on Jersey Shore. I was a flower girl and he the ring bearer for our Uncle Angelo's wedding. Pop and I at Uncle Angelo's wedding.

When Pop picked me up from Nonna's on Wednesday after downing a plate of her lentils and pasta, we headed to the beauty shop on Richmond Avenue. This place has been there for 25 years as a beauty shop and before was a butcher's place. You can tell by the old timer cieling that looks like painted tile. You had the leftover 80s cashier with crunchy hair and heavy duty lip liner and nails atleast 3 inches past where her finger ends. In the back you had a group girlfriends getting there hair did in the back. After the beauty shop trip to get Pop's glue for the hairpieces, was the stop at Linda's on 36th and 5th in Manhattan. Linda sells Pop some of the pieces he uses. There I was waiting for the 1' by 1' elevator in the shady building. I LOVE IT. Thursday Ma drove in with me and Pop and while he was working we went to the Moma specifically to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit, then looked at some additional work after. It started getting too cold for the summer get-ups we had on, despite my denim jacket, we took off. Although I'd like to get lost in there for the entire day some time. This is the inside of that elevator on the way up to Linda. My pink pedi lasted longer than I thought it would. Pop and I also made a quick stop on Wednesday after Linda to Helena's on 31st and 7th. She too sells him pieces. That same piece from the Moma up close. The silver is pieces of mirror and the blue is murano glass. A 3D piece called "Procession" at the Moma. The things sticking out are figurines of people each doing there own thing. Love you Ma. A 1950s piece called "Easter Monday" that includes a collage...reminded me of my style. Yesterday in the city I went as far as 72nd once I walked through Central Park. I had been on 57th and fifth seeing multiple galleries in the same building. "Mambo Nueva York" van outside some fancy club in Midtown. One job I volunteered for in Lead for Diversity was to design the border for the club's bulletin board on display at school. My design includes the names of all the group members.

Feels good to be heard.

One day, after doing my grocery shopping in Chelsea, and bargain run on Broadway, I decided to chill for the time being in Union Square. What did I find, some fresh poetry. I took videos on my phone. Archie the Lyrical Lyricist is truly the definition of empathy, in my opinion...besides and old friend that comes and goes in my life as anyone might, ut what makes him special is his outlook on life you and him can only understand. Like Archie on Facebook now. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Writing-4-My-Life-Archie-the-Messenger-Lyrical-the-Lyricist/124205648971

Even cooking is a form of art. Ma took Nonna to the doctor today, she'll be hungry once she gets home, so I prepared a salad with arugula, cucumber, carrot, radish, tomato, red onion, orange, and dried cranberries...yes, all that in one =).Together, the colors of the veggies create a wonderful dish to enjoy. For protein, I'd add an egg, mabye some tuna, mixed nuts, etc. My brother, Salli Boi, likes breakfast in the afternoon which is cool too. Notice how small that pan is. It came with a miniature spatula (It melted one morning as I forgot it next to the flame.) which my father and I picked up for like 2.99 at one of our stomping grounds, Shop rite. Grocery shopping with Pop is a ball of laughs no matter what.

Ma and Pop on their wedding day. For an 80s wedding, my mother's dress to me was spectacular, not because she's my Ma, but for her dress wasn't too poofy (like the hair), but elegant detailed with soft embroidery along the sheer sleeves (my favorite part). Her dress sits in a gold cardboard box I only opened once secretively as a little girl. Godmother (madrina) with my cousin Lella. Nonna Lena boiled a medley of veggies as usual for me and Pop yesterday. The mixure included squash (cucuzza) she grows in the yard. What's better than that?

Before Staten Island Pop had a few cuts in Metuchen. The famous Greek salad guy in the mall my cousin Al and I love....teehee he definetly knows we took this.

Minimal Nonsense

Ma wants to get me a rug, a stool, and other additional furniture to put in my room. Most that have seen what my room looks like (on an early blog post or in person) would agree I don't need anything other than what I already have: a desk to perform various tasks (from pointless to greatly meaningful in my perspective), a nightstand, bureau, bed, a book tower, and I recently moved the art easel to the basement, for it was becoming an unnecessary nonsensical piece no longer symbolic of what I'm most proud of that is my creative mindset.

The beauty of getting rid of the old to either make room for the new or to simply just eliminate what is not necessary perhaps only in the way, literally or figuratively, is my idea of minimalism. I'm sure if you're a fashion junkie like me you've seen looks inspired by minimalism and the idea that less [accessories, patterns, colors, etc.] is more. My style adheres to this idea quite often, though it may not always seem so, based on some of my get-ups (teehee). Hey!, not only am I a trail mix junkie, but an accessories freak as well!

Creativity spreads from one person to the next 24 hours, I believe, and can be inherited from relatives. My godmother (padrina) told me of a old Sicilian belief that each child inherits 7 roots from his or her godparent. From both she and my godfather (padrino), I inherited creativity, and an artistic point of view I apply to everything I do. I also believe everyone is capable of creativity, which is beautiful.

Yesterday the family and I took a ride to Manasquan beach here in Jersey. I took along my black pale Ma got me at the Dollar Tree (best store in town as far as I'm concerned), and loaded it up with shells to add to the collection I got at home. Each shell, broken or all in one piece is unique in its own way, which is why I've been collecting them since I was a little. Recognizing this is comforting for a girl like me I guess. So today I'm rinsing the sand off to prepare them for an additional project I am yet to reveal.

10 Avenue Chelsea:crazy bookstores, art exhibits up the wazoo wit mad stairs...today was a thin slice of heaven.

On a hot day in Chelsea, NYC all ya girl wanted to do was explore. I made a list of the open art galleries from New York magazine like I have in the past when Pop knows he'll be busy. Pop's busy hair-piece-makin, aggravatin, yet fun days are the best cuz I get more time on my own, and I don't feel obligated to stick around so close. Although he isn't far from most the galleries I've covered anyway. Lemme just say that today was another example how Manhattan transforms into different worlds as you walk the pavement. The pavement, I feel supports me, tells me to keep going, don't stop girl, soon you'll own this pavement, call it home. I can't wait.