Gia Love

I thought that I would somehow ameliorate my feelings of homesickness by looking at pictures of Gia that I have saved on my laptop. Bad idea. Next thing I knew, I was doing the ugly cry. I miss and love you, Gia! <3 Thanks, Jam, for journaling Gia's life through photographs.

Hot Renaissance Men

If anyone finds portraits of good looking males from the Renaissance, let me know so I can add them to my list.

Duke d'Anjou, later Henri III of France by Jean Decourt

Nicholas Hilliard, Man Among Flames, 1588

Lord Herbert of Cherbury by Nicholas Hilliard, 1595

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham

Young Man with Gloves by Titian, ca. 1520

Ahoy There!

Attention, there! I found the cutest sailor top at Topshop (http://topshop.com/). It looks just like the costume that Audrey Hepburn wore on Broadway as Gigi.  You better get your hands on this booty soon because it's nearly sold out in every size, and tops as adorable and retro as this one don't sail into stores that often. The price is a bit expensive--$60, but students get 10% off! And on my sailor's honor, I guarantee that you'll be keeping this one in your wardrobe for ages to come.

sailor sweat, Topshop $60

Audrey Hepburn as Gigi (1952)

LP Record album, Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" 1969

I love this sensual album cover to the soundtrack from Zeffirelli's film adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet." Lucky me, I found a mint copy of the original LP Record at Goodwill for $3.

In middle school, I was so sick of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." I was the kid at the back of the classroom groaning and sighing with impatience at the girly titter tatter and exuberance that accompanied our month-long discussion of the play in eighth grade English. My thoughts about this brief teenage love story gone wrong?-- overplayed, unrealistic, and sickeningly cheesy. I especially HATED Zeffirelli's film version.

My bitterness and inability to understand such a universal narrative stemmed from my jealousy and longing for my very own teenage love story. Not to mention, who wouldn't be jealous of gorgeous Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey playing literature's ultimate couple? It wasn't until years later that I came to appreciate the story, actually becoming obsessed with the star-cross'd lovers, launching the plot into the digital age for an English project, and yes, just for kicks: (http://digitalromeoandjuliet.piczo.com/?cr=1).

We all want to be seduced by Romeo, and who doesn't fantasize about a whirlwind affair full of passion, irrationality, adventure, family drama, and the scent of death lurking in the back.