Posts Tagged ‘Philly’
It has been a long- time goal of mine to start documenting my personal style on my blog. My vision was inspired in part by my fashion bible, CHEAP CHIC, Tavi Gevinson, Style Maven Iris Apfel, a woman in Narberth I call Narberth Iris (Apfel) and another woman I met at a Dalai Lama teaching . My style is a work in progress; constantly evolving due to my thrift store finds, my cultural experiences ,travels and moods.
I think there is a big difference between fashion and personal style. I also feel that just because everyone is wearing a certain designer or a specific piece of clothing, that that alone does not constitute fashion.For me, fashion is timeless. A dress made in the 60s could be worn now and look fresh. My personal style can be summed in the following way: colorful, ironic, vintage, handmade, fun, comfortable and eclectic.
I grew up in the 70s on a steady diet of SEVENTEEN, MADAMOISELLE, GLAMOUR and VOGUE magazines. I never really found clothing I wanted to wear in the magazines of that time period. Around the age of 15, I started making trips to San Francisco and would visit the Esprit factory outlet and various small boutiques. This is when I started dressing for myself. A geisha print white sweat shirt, a black pleated wool skirt, white tights with black Japanese characters, oversized red plastic ball earrings, Mary Jane shoes and red lipstick was characteristic of the way I liked to dress in high school. Sadly, someone else who was popular stole my look and won the title of fashion trend setter in the high school yearbook.
Growing up, I had a huge aversion to shopping for clothes at thrift stores for reasons I do not wish to discuss. I’m not skinny , and my poor body image kept me from being bold and daring. When I entered art school, I started to give myself more permission to be who I was, and it dawned on me that what I wore was an extension of myself as an artist. I overcame my distaste for thrift stores when I moved to Philadelphia in the early 90s. Finding cool vintage clothes in Philly is like shooting fish in a barrel. Seriously, if you love thrift stores and vintage clothing, move to Philly.
As soon as I buy a piece of clothing, it goes straight into the washing machine or to the dry cleaner . Oxyclean is King in my house. I’ve been able to perform miracles with it. I fear no stain or yellowing fabric. I love children’s graphic prints, pajamas pants, and African textiles ( to name but a few of my style influences.). Unlike Iris Apfel, I don’t wear a lot of accessories. The jewelry I wear usually has spiritual properities. You will never see me without a Hamsa necklace. I dress for comfort. I do like to smell nice, so scent is a must for me ( as mentioned in a previous blog). Depending on what I’m wearing, I will change my scent O.k. now on to my outfits in this entry. Photo #1.
Outfit #1- Vintage Shark T shirt Dr. Seuss Mens Pajamas- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
I call this ensemble “Fishing”. The t-shirt is vintage- a giant shark with its mouth open. I bought it for $2 at the Uhuru Flea Market in Clark Park ( West Philly). I love this t-shirt. I love the fit and the cotton is soft. The pants are soft cotton mens “pajama pants”, Dr. Seuss-One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” . I bought these at Target several years ago for around $17. I love the pop art colors and the fact these pants have pockets. When I wear these pants out in public, children will squeal and point at me and their mothers will smile. My shoes are Mens fisherman sandals which I purchased at DSW for around $40. Fisherman sandals are great for so many reasons. They cover your whole foot but allow it to breathe in the summer. They are wonderful walking shoes. Most sandals are not great for walking and leave feet vunerable to injury. Lastly, these sandals are great for people who have ugly feet or toenail issues. The straps are velcro. My feet feel secure in these sandals.
Neo 80s- Grace Jones Hand silk screen cotton crop tank top from Philadelphia Print Center paired with a short flared retro children’s print skirt by Wally & Bebop
Outfit #2 is a crop tank top with a hand printed image of a punk Grace Jones- nice soft sheer cotton. I bought this item from Uhuru Flea Market also. It was made by someone at the Philadelphia Print Center and there were other incredible t shirts at the table, all handmade by various Philly artists. I paid $20 for the tank top. The short flared skirt is one of my most prized possessions. A retro- inspired children’s happy print featuring colorful cute bears, birds, rabbits, snails, little blond girls, carrots, apples, mushrooms, flowers & trees. The skirt was handmade in NYC by Wally & Bebop. They sell at the Rittenhouse Craft Show which occurs every year in early May. The skirt was $50. The look is kind of neo 80s. I have a tummy and a big chest, but I love this outfit nevertheless.
Classic me- My own Hamsa designed t shirt from Zazzle paired with funky African pants with a red horse motif.
Outfit #3 is classic me. I designed the pop art hamsa t – shirt. The image originates from an original painting I made on an old wooden kitchen cutting board. I digitally changed the image and had it printed by Zazzle. You can purchase it here:
http://www.zazzle.com/pop_art_hamsa_evil_eye_protection_shirt_by_taurusg-235088416744758886
I cut off the arms of the t shirt. It is a mens large. Nice soft cotton. The pants are African; red horses with black outlines on a yellow background. The pants have pockets and a drawstring waist. I found these pants in the West Village NYC. A guy had a stall and was selling African pants. I bought these for $20. African clothing and textiles are HOT!!!! I have several pairs of African pants and a few dresses & daishikis. Ironically the ODUNDE festival just happened yesterday ( June 8th), but all you fashionistas- mark your calendars now for 2015. Odunde is a huge annual African street festival in Philadelphia which spans many blocks. It features tons of wonderful clothing and textile vendors, as well as beads and jewelry vendors. African street faires are the perfect place to find unique handmade clothing if you desire to be an OOAK ( one of a kind) and develop your own personal style.
A Statue of David Tank top found at Buffalo Exchange compliments the skinny orange vintage Halloween “eyes” pajama pants.
Outfit #4 – I love anything with the Statue of David on it. This cotton tank top is no exception. This is a mens cotton tank top with a photographic of David and the caption “NEVER NUDE”. I found it at Buffalo Exchange. I thought it was a little pricey at $14, but I had to have it. The pants are vintage ( 90s!) Old Navy orange Halloween “eyes” pajama pants which I bought on eBAY for $5. They are form- fitting and people always comments that “ it isn’t Halloween” when I wear them. Oh really? I had no idea.
Thank you to my crew who helped make this blog entry possible. You know who you are and I really appreciate your help. I’m opening up this blog entry for comments. I would love to hear about your personal style and anectdote on your beloved pieces of clothing.
Love, Katie 
Tags: African, African pants, artsy, Cheap Chic, clothes, clothing. clothes, comfort, couture, Dr. Seuss, Dr. Seuss pajamas pants, fashion, fish pants, fisherman Sandals, flea market, flea market style, funky, Grace Jones, Halloween, hams, hams shirt, kiddie print, neo 80s, Old Navy, ooak, pajama pants, pajamas, Philly, punk, shark t shirt, skirt, style, tank top, Tavi Gerinson, textiles. Iris Apfel, thrift store, vintage style, vintage. haute couture, Wally & Bebop, Zazzle
Posted in fashion |
Pendle Hill Witch #10-
It is irrelevant how I ended up staying at a ritzy hotel in New Jersey back in March of 1990. Suffice it to say, I was sick with a head cold and was ordere by a doctor not to fly back to California. My first night on the East Coast had been spent in a chain motel without incident.
So I was very sick with a severe head cold, sore throat and fever when I checked into the Victorian era, ivy -covered stone building. I was dizzy and fatigued and craved soup and sleep.
I was sharing a room with my mother. As we made our way down the corridor, I noticed the Laura Ashley motif covered everything from the walls to the seat cushions to the comforters on our beds. I ordered room service: duck wonton soup and lemon- lime soda for my throat. I took a hot shower, put on my pajamas and crawled into bed. My mother was concerned, but let me be.
In the darkness hours later, I awoke to find an old woman with long grey hair in an old fashioned night gown trying to smother me with a pillow. Behind her were four other women dressed in similar nightgowns. The look in this woman’s eyes was frightening. She seemed possessed. The women behind her were chanting “kill her! Kill her!” I struggled with the apparition and screamed “NO! NO! NO! NO!”. I knew my mother was asleep in the bed next to me, and when I screamed “NO! ” the third time, she turned on the light and rushed to my side . I pointed and said ” there was a woman in this room who just tried to kill me!” My mother shook her head and said “No. You were dreaming. You have a fever and a head cold.” I responded ” I know I am dealing with a head cold, but what I experienced was real.”
The doctor had explicitly told my mother I was not to fly for another four days. My step father was coming to meet us after attending a conference in Boston, which meant I had to move into my own room down the hall. I was scared. I told my mother ” this hotel is haunted.” She laughed at me. My new room in the hotel was decorated exactly like the first one; patterns of blue peonies and pink carnations were everywhere. My mother had told me I could order room service and watch cable T.V. News of the tragic Happy land Dance hall fire in Brooklyn, which killed several dozen people, was splattered on all the stations. I kept going back to watching music videos to forget what had happened the night before.
Maybe it had been a bad dream. Tonight would be better, I told myself. I turned off the T.V. and then the lights. I don’t know how long I had been asleep when I awoke to find yet more women with the same night gowns in my room. I quickly turned on the lights & the T.V. Splashing water on my face , I realized the next few ays were going to be rough. There was no way I was going to be able sleep without the lights on.
I asked someone in the hotel if the place was haunted. They just shrugged. I vowed that one day I would find out the truth.
Maybe I could discover it in Public Records, some kind of history of the building before it was a hotel. These were the days before the Internet . The incident never left my psyche. Someday. Someday.
Several years later I moved to the East Coast. I was living in Philadelphia and was at a church rummage sale. I noticed two older women who appeared to be in their early seventies sitting in a corner of the room. I went over and sat next to them. They smiled and said hello. I asked them where they lived. They mentioned the town where the hotel was located. I asked them if they had heard of the hotel. They nodded. I paused, unsure if I should tell them the story. But I knew what I had experienced had not been the result of a feverish head cold or a common nightmare.
I expected laughter to erupt. Instead the faces of the women had a look of compassion and kindness. “We believe you” they said in unison. The hotel had been a residence for homeless and mentally ill women at the turn of the Century. As they shared the history of the hotel, I felt myself go pale and my legs started to shake.
Several years later I moved to the suburbs. One of my neighbors was fascinated by the paranormal. I shared my story with her, and when I mentioned the hotel and it’s location, she got very excited. ” I have a cousin who lives in that town! I ‘m going to call her right now and find out if she knows anything about this hotel.”
For years I had tried to do research on the hotel. A well -known travel rating site didn’t mention the hotel being haunted , but it did mention the lovely rooms.. Ten minutes after my neighbor left to go home, she called me on the phone ” I just talked to my cousin”, she said. ” That hotel is VERY haunted.! It’s an open secret. Everyone who lives in that town knows that.”
Since that time, I occasionally google the hotel to see if anyone has mentioned if it is haunted. No on has. I toy with this idea of going back for an overnight stay at the hotel.
A few weeks ago, I created a series of witch paintings I dubbed THE PENDLE HILL WITCHES. The last witch- witch number ten closely resembles the apparition who tried to smother me with a pillow.
Happy Halloween.
Tags: apparition, crone, eerie, ghost, ghost story, goth, gothic, hag, Halloween, haunted hotel, hotel, insane asylum, Kate Pfeiffer, Katie Pfeiffer, magic, mental institution, New Jersey, NJ, old women, painting, paranormal, Pendle Hill, Philadelphia, Philly, scary, secret, sorcerer, spell, spooky, story, Victorian, weird, witch, witches
Posted in haunted ghost story |
May 8, 2012
All Things Taurus – Part 3
Several weeks ago I attended a riveting lecture by several scientists from the Monell Institute titled I SMELL YOU SMELL as part of the Philadelphia Science Festival. The Monell Institute is the world’s only independent non profit scientific institute dedicated to basic research on taste and smell. As a five planets in Taurus woman, smell ( and taste) are crucial to me. When I was little girl, I wished I could be the fairy of good smells. I’d wave my magic wand and make everything seem wonderful like fresh flowers. The lecture took place in a darken cabaret room at the Society Hill Playhouse. Three scientists talked about the power of smell and how it relates to relationships, attraction and illness. I ‘ve always been fascinated by the subject of pheromones. I learned that everyone’s scent is different. No two people smell alike. Our personal scent is like a fingerprint. It doesn’t change due to diet or hygiene. The scientists debunked the myth that a certain perfume or oil with attract a man ( or woman) to you. Maybe that’s true but I have been in some situations where the lack of hygiene has definitely a repellant. Smelling good has always been important to me. My favorite soap is Santa Maria Novella’s Melograno soap. Melograno is Italian for pomegranate. This soap is triple milled and is so gentle. You can use it on your face too and it last much longer than regular soap. Made by Florentine Monks for 600 hundred years, Santa Maria Novella products are a personal favorite. Heavenly!
From smells to tastes. The last few months I ‘ve become obsessed with the Korean dish- Bibimbap dolsot ( also spelled bibimbop). Bibimbap dolsot is basically a hot rice dish with meat and veggies. My obsession with Bibimbap began when I first had it at Giwa in Center City ( Philly). I had an OBE ( out of body experience) after eating it for the first time. I’m not joking ! I literarily got high and was floating out of my body for several hours after I finished eating. I tried the dish at several other restaurants in Philly after Giwa. There are many more restaurants I need to try bibimbap from , but so far Giwa is the best. The dish is served in a cast iron deep bowl which arrives all steamy and popping. The popping sound is from the bottom layer of rice cooking and getting brown and crunchy. A sauce made with red pepper paste ( called gochujang) is mixed in the dish as you eat it. As most of my readers know, when I get a idea into my head, especially when it comes to making a certain dish, I must make it and make it right. For several weeks I just thought about bibimbap. I looked online and at H-Mart for the same cast iron bowls I was served Bibimbap in at the various restautants. H-Mart does sell these outrageously heavy stone bowl for around $30 a piece to make bibimbap. But I ‘m a cast iron woman. I finally found a food blog that mentioned cooking bibimbap in a cast iron skillet. Hallelujah! I combined several bibimbap recipes and then altered them further. I have made this dish 3 times so far. Once with rib eye steak ( traditional). One with Chicken and once with pork. The first attempt with rib eye steak remains my most successful attempt. I was able to get the rice on the bottom crunchy. One of the ways in which my bibimbap differs vastly from the bibimbaps I have eaten in the restaurants & the recipes I found on line is my compulsion to season each component separately. Sadly, this need to have more flavor resulted in severe rice failure on my second and third attempts at making the dish ( the goal being a crispy crunchy layer of rice at the bottom of the pan). I put butter and Swanson flavor packets ( chicken and vegetable) in the rice water right before cooking the rice. The rice was bursting with flavor but I realized the butter made the cooked grains too moist to cook effectively . Egg was served on top of the Bibimbap when I ate it Tampopo ( raw which cooked as the veggies,rice and meat steamed) and Koreana ( cooked over easy) but not at Giwa. I decided to top my bibimbap with organic duck eggs I bought at the farmer’s market. By using duck eggs instead of regular eggs, a deeper depth of flavor was achieved. I also altered the sauce made with the gochujang by adding fresh grated ginger, more sesame oil and more sugar than the internet recipes listed. And while I have written previously about my attempts to become vegetarian, I have fallen off the wagon. I decided last year that my body functions better on a little meat. I only buy organic meat. Maybe someday I will become a vegetarian but not now.
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In keeping with this theme of this blog of ALL THINGS TAURUS, I highly recommend F for Fake 
(written, directed and starring Orson Welles). Mr. Welles was a quintessential Taurus ( May 6th). The real reason for viewing this “documentary” is not to learn about the famous art forger Elmyr de Hory or see footage of Clifford Irving the subject of the film The Hoax
. The REAL reason to watch F for Fake is the fashions that Orson Welles’s then girlfriend Oja Kodar models as she is portraying the fictitious muse of Picasso. The two minute “fashion show” features some very incredible clothes. A must rent for any fashionista.
The other Taurus I want to mention in this blog is filmmaker/writer/actor Lena Dunham ( May 13th). I really enjoyed Ms.Dunham’s first film Tiny Furniture 
( 2010) which was an instant hit at the Sundance Film Festival when it premiered. Her current HBO series GIRLS which she wrote,directed and stars in, features some of the same cast from
Tiny Furniture . I find Ms. Dunham fascinating to watch. I thought about why I like her and find her so appealing. The answer was of course, right in front of me. It is the Taurus factor. She is real and unpretentious. She looks like a normal person, not a Hollywood-glammed up movie star. She is a little bit chubby and isn’t afraid to show her body on camera in various stages of undress. She explores relationships and sexuality ( due to the intense simulated sex scene the series airs on Sundays nights at 10:30 p.m. EST). Ms. Dunham’s take on relationships and men is honest,refreshing and of course witty. I heard her interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR ‘s Fresh Air yesterday ( May 7th). Although Ms. Dunham stated clearly that the character of Hannah isn’t her, Hannah does seem to possess many Taurean tendencies ( like eating cupcakes in the bathtub) and being kind of slow to “get it” at times. Now I myself have never eaten cupcakes while taking a bath, but both activities top my pleasure list.
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More things related to my Taurus:
There are two films both available on dvd which deal with the subject of redemption and forgiveness. I love both these films. The first of these films is Flipped
directed by Rob Reiner based on the popular book Flipped
by Wendelin Van Draanen and the British independent film In a Day
. Both these films deal with the relationship between a boy and a girl ( FLIPPED) and a man and a woman ( IN A DAY). Rob Reiner said of FLIPPED it is the best film he’s directed. I agree with him. The film although it is very Hollywood, is the kind of film that should be shown in school to junior high students. The message of not assuming or making judgements based on appearances is important and crucial. How do these two films relate to Taurus? Well Taurus is a stubborn sign and I have been guilty of assuming and making judgements. My assumptions about Korean food kept me from a world of sensual pleasure for decades. I hope EVERYONE will see FLIPPED. It is a great film for adults too.
Recently, I saw a powerful documentary which lingered in my head for days. Elephant in the Living Room
directed by Michael Webber, follows Officer Tim Harrison as he struggles to deal with the exotic animal problem in Ohio. More and more people in the United States are opting to have wild and exotic animals as pets. This documentary examines this horrifying, sad , shocking and idiotic ( yes I said it) trend. I learned a permit is not required to own an exotic/wild animal in Ohio but you need of course to have a license for your dog. This is one of those documentaries that should be,in my opinion, required viewing to children in public schools every year they are in school( I would say starting with 4th grade children). In my opinion, it is a disgrace that hundreds of thousands of domestic animals are euthanized in shelters every year. Now there is this new problem of wild and exotic “pets”. I feel for Tim Harrison and his heroic efforts to save and place the abandoned and abused exotic wild life that he encounters on his job. I hope this documentary can change the state laws regarding wild/exotic pet ownership.
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I’ve previously mentioned I how much I love CBS SUNDAY MORNING ( airs Sundays at 9 a.m. EST). It is one of the few art & culture shows on a major Network Channel. I need to mention another fabulous arts & culture show called EUROMAXX ( Highlights). This 22 minute show airs on Comcast here in Philly on MINDTV on Saturday mornings at 7:30 a.m. MINDTV is the local independent Philly cable station. Euromaxx is a German produced show which features what’s hot and happening in Europe. Sadly, I’m either on my way to the gym or farmer’s market or thriftin ( yard sales, flea markets etc.) on Saturday mornings so I often miss this wonderful show. It would be great if MIND TV would air this show on Sunday mornings before CBS Sunday morning.
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And lastly- Thank you Town & country Magazine for printing my Letter to the Editor (May 2012) regarding the Ali MacGraw cover ( February 2012). Unfortunately, I don’t buy the editor’s response as to why they chose to put a photograph of Ms.MacGraw from 1969 on their cover while inside they have recent photographs of her looking fantastic at 72. I can smell B.S. a mile away. This may be a revelation to some people who think I’m naive. The truth is most of the time I keep my mouth shut because I have never been able to confront a liar and get the truth at the time I was confronting them ( I’m not implying the editors of T & C are liars). These days I bide my time and know that in time, the truth is ALWAYS revealed in almost every situation. That is the epitome of a Taurus being patient!
Tags: Ali MacGraw. Town & country magazine, assumptions, Center City, documentary, duck eggs, Elephant in the living room, exotic animals, Farmer's Market, Flipped, Florence Italy, girls, Giwa, gochujang, H Mart, Hbo, judgements, Koreana, Lena Dunham, monell institute, olfactory, Orson Welles, out of body obe, pheremone, pheromone, Philadelphia Science festival, Philly, rice, Rob Reiner, Santa Maria Novella soap melograno, Smell, Tampopo, Taurean, Taurus, Tim Harrison, Tiny Furniture, Wendelin Van Draanen
Posted in Uncategorized |
