PEOPLE GET JEALOUS CUZ WE ALWAYS STAY TOGETHER

Two of any one amazing thing can be positively mind-blowing (take the Goddesses of the Underworld, just as a for instance. Or cupcakes. Or gorgeous man creatures).

Which is why all I have to say to the following is: WTF??!

God is good.

(image courtesy of alltheprettybirds.blogspot.com)

SORRY I'M NOT HOME RIGHT NOW I'M WALKIN IN A SPIDER WEB

Wednesday's obsession: Classy Bondage

A solid combo of hard core and grown up- kinda like Styx, no? Ha!

(images courtesy of lanecrawford.com)

AND ALL I REMEMBER IS THINKING, I WANNA BE LIKE THEM

Three places I'd rather be right now:

1. at home, in bed

2. heaven (no, I'm not suicidal, I just think heaven sounds like a really far out place)

3. Milan Fashion Week

Since #1 will be a reality in a few short hours, #2 will be a reality in (hopefully) a few decades, let's move forward with embellishing on #3.

Ciao, Milano!! Come stai? You bring out so many of the fashion set's most stunning creatures. And I love you for that. First, my supreme girl crush- Emmanuelle Alt, Fashion Director for Paris Vogue:

Rockin' Balmain like no other. Head to toe- this woman never ceases to amaze me with her totally undone coolness. She is bad.

Then there's Anna Dello Russo, Fashion Director for Vogue Nippon. Work that Emilio Pucci, girl:

And other Fashion Week images that make feel all juiced up for fall:

Is anyone opposed to me going platinum (again), and doing something like this? Kate Lanphear, Style Director for US Elle, you bring me joy. That hair is RAD!!!

L-Boogie- you remember this? Milano, Italia - circa 2007:

Yeeeeah, maybe I'll stick to my current color. But La Lanphear's cut.................. ?

(images courtesy of jakandjil.com, thesartorialist.com, garancedore.com)

I KNOW HOW TO TRANSFORM, I'M A TRANSFORMER

Yes, I (Styx) love football. I have very fond memories of parking it on the couch with Pa Dukes to watch the "Queens", as he affectionately calls the Vikings. I loved living in West New York, just minutes from Giants stadium- I enjoyed going to those games so much. (Except for that time those jerks got into the secured player/family parking area and took my parking pass and laptop. But that's a different story.) I loved experiencing the Gophers game in the new open-air stadium last weekend. Amazing. I can throw a decent spiral, and fancy myself a passable wide receiver (no pun intended). Infact, if anyone's interested- some of the best fun can be had Sunday mornings in Mendota Heights, when Hecate and Pa Dukes and I occasionally hit the field with a bunch of pigskin-loving dudes for some razzle dazzle. But that's a different story.

Back to today's post: Junior and I had the opportunity to check out the MN Vikings up close last Sunday, in some of the most perfect seats ever, with the perfect joiner Junior could have asked for: his buddy Max. Imagine two almost four-year-olds partying it up on the sidelines at a pro football game-- they were in heeeeeaven. And not like most grown women would be (up close and personal with the magic of spandex on well-kept hinders and thighs of steel). No, Junior was much more concerned with the Vikings cheerleaders.

And so I bring you Junior's quote of the week:

Mommy, can I have those girls with no shirts on someday to come and babysit me?

My answer? No way in hell those bodies are getting near my newly upholstered sofa with all that spray tan action. But judging by how they are totally non-stop the entire game, I'm totally ok with those bouncy cheering chickies taking the kid to the park for a good run. Hey, mama's gotta get dishes done somehow..

Pics from our seats:

Junior and his buddy, Max

JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET MY ARMS AROUND YOU, AND FEEL YOUR TOUCH

Well, hello Fall! Long time no see. I've missed you so. What with the brisk weather that forces my beloved/completely impractical boots to emerge from the dusty closet, my tights to be delicately washed and poised for two seasons of daily wear, my knit hats hiding the "in between" stages of hair growth, and layers of cottons/tweeds/wools wrapped around me - so warm and comfy.

Oh Fall, yo te amo. Junior thinks you're great, too, because he relishes every opportunity to rock his yellow galoshes:

Styx's fav fall picks, courtesy of my #1 online money sucker- shopbop.com:

DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME WHEN I TRY TO SPEAK MY MIND, I'M ONLY SAYING WHAT'S IN MY HEART

Simple request from Styx: one of each, size 10. Do me solid.

Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony

Alexander Wang. Who else?

SSSSSSSSICK!!

And while we're talking about London Fashion Week (yes, that is what we're doing right now), imagine giving a big bear hug to this:

There aren't enough Spiderman band-aids in the world for the damage this baby would do. Eegad!

(images 1 & 2 courtesy of thecobrasnake.com, image 3 courtesy of jakandjil.blogspot.com)

WHEN MY SHIP IS SINKING YOU WON'T LET ME DROWN, AND I'M GRATEFUL

All the meditating I can fit in prior to 6am, all the incessant motivating thoughts, all of the words of optimism Pa Dukes fills me with, all of the amazingly wonderful things to be thankful for every moment of every day---- can't seem to shake the clouds in the Minnesota sky this morning.

SO, join me to my happy place:

Styx, Ma Dukes, Hecate - Tulum, Mexico (2005)

Styx, Auntie, Ma Dukes, Hecate - Colorado (2009)

Family trip - Corsica, France (2000)

Styx & Junior - Sculpture gardens (2009)

IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? IS THIS JUST FANTASY?

Restless Hecate has returned to give a short treatise on the wonders of synaesthesia. This topic has come up a number of times in conversation with my good friend, Jill. She has often told me that she sees numbers as color… A couple of days ago the BBC had an article all about it and because there are so many interesting conversations that began as a result of a tiny post thrown on Facebook, it was necessary to be done here, too. So many people were delighted to find out what kind of synaesthete they were! Besides, Styx has been hearing me jaw and jaw about this ad infinitum since the article was read. You can find it here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8248589.stm

Anyway, for those not familiar with the term, the sense of synaesthesia is defined as:

* A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a color. Courtesy www.dictionary.com
** A condition caused by an unusually high number of connections between two areas of the brain’s sensory cortex, making two senses inseparable. Courtesy Dr.J Simner http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8248589.stm

Synaesthesia may be perceived in a variety of ways. One example really stood out to me-- in the case of space and time. For those who are stimulated in this way, a visual experience can be reached when thinking about time. The following graphic is courtesy of BBC.com, used to illustrate a possible shape that a space/time synaesthete sees in a year.

The shape of each time-space synaesthete's year is different
(photo courtesy of the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8248589.stm)

This is but one example; there are many possible other permutations of colors and shapes and sizes for each synaesthete with this sort of perceptional ability. Some synaesthetes may be able to taste words, others experience what is called “ordinal-linguistic personification” wherein numbers or letters act as the ‘trigger’ (NOT colors) the impression of gender or a personality. Dr. Simner, a University of Edinburgh psychologist who studies synaesthesia uses the following example to illustrate this, ”you don’t know that number seven is green, but you know that it’s a maniacal husband who comes home from work and shouts at his wife.”

Per the article, there are 54 or more different variants of synaesthesia—“most people associate texture and shape with shades of colour. And most people have an intrinsic sense of the shade of different pitches of sound.”2 So there you go, Jill! And check out this super-cool blog written by British PhD Stephen Westland. (He’s also full prof at UK University).

http://colourware.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/colour-101/

Dr. Westland has been working in all things color for a quarter century including color chemistry, color physics, color engineering, color neuroscience, color psychology, and color design. He asserts that “although Newton observed 7 colours when he separated white light with his glass prism, most scientists today agree that it is really only possible to discern 6 colours and that indigo cannot be distinguished from violet in the visible spectrum.” So one wonders, how many colors do synaesthetes see that perceive the number/color variation? Reader, if this is where you are stimulated, let us know how many you see!

(photo courtesy of Dr. Westland http://colourware.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/colour-101/)

It was mentioned to me in earnest that some synaesthetes seem to be prone to some sort of savantism, and/or autism. To that Hecate cautions the ignorant to do their homework, synaesthesia is not a disorder—not a problem that needs some fixing. AND who wouldn’t want to boast of impressive powers of recall? Call me a savant if I’m blessed with such beautiful powers of the mind! According to the (albeit superficial) research that has been done by this blogger, it seems to be perfectly natural to experience these sensations, and Hecate for one finds it marvelous if you are a synaesthete of any kind! You may test yourself to see which sort of synaesthete you are, below is the link to the eyesight test:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/synaesthesia/see/
And below you’ll see the link to the auditory test. For this one you may want earphones-- especially if you are testing this while at work:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/synaesthesia/hear/
Hecate signing off before early light from the Underworld-buona sera!

I'M COMING HOME TO YOU, WEAR SOMETHING SEE THROUGH SO I CAN SEE YOUR HEART

Rodarte KILLED IT at New York Fashion Week with their Spring 2010 collection. The juxtaposition of elegant/goth makes each textured head-to-toe black look totally captivating, sexy, with a heavy dose of bad a**. To say nothing of the thoughtful details - dark lips and nails with bare eyes, Nicholas Kirkwood's (delicious) heels, warrior-like arm ink. I'll simply say my January tat appointment can't come soon enough..

The sisters Mulleavy (design duo behind Rodarte) upped the ante with this showing. Hecate - our Irish arses have some serious competition on the awesomely-talented-sisters-tip. Ha!

(images courtesy of style.com)

Loving the "sleeve" look in this off-duty shot of Sasha Pivovarova:

BECAUSE THE SKY IS BLUE, AH.. LOVE IS OLD, LOVE IS NEW

Hecate and Styx, 40 years from now, at London Fashion Week! (Uncanny resemblance, really.)

I THINK OF YOU EVERY MORNING, DREAM OF YOU EVERY NIGHT

I'm having a hard time putting words to the feeling of total room envy I am experiencing with this photo. It's pretty much perfect: turn-of-the-century settee, cheeky pillow, striped floor, exposed clothing rack, floor to ceiling shoe rack with additional articles scattered about, floor to ceiling windows, white walls (!), delightful glass hanging fixture, fireplace, faux antlers. It's like poetry in motion. If you know anything about Styx and have even one iota of understanding for my design aesthetic, you feel me here. Is anyone else as mind-blown as I am by the bloody perfection of this dressing room?

GET YOUR BACK UP OFF THE WALL

Restaurant you must visit before you go to any other restaurant Styx may have said you must visit: Cafe Ena

We tried to eat here once before, but were a tad late for their 9pm last call for food (one of the restaurant's only drawbacks). No turning us away this time- no sir. We got a nice little table outside, and were greeted with some of the best fresh baked bread and que ridiculo homemade butter -- needless to say we cleaned out two bread baskets in short order. The sangria was delicious, as one would expect from a Latin cuisine hotspot. Our salad was so fresh, and light, with a citrus dressing - yeah, we wiped that one out in no time too. And the entree- cardamom encrusted salmon atop a melange of asparagus, artichokes, red peppers, and topped with a mango chutney - fantastico!

And then, dessert. For us, dessert is like a sacred ritual. No, more like a responsibility. Or a duty. Yes, it is our civic duty to consume exorbitant amounts of sugar, chocolate, and calories - lest we fail you all as fine food-loving gastronomes. So our unanimous choice was in favor of the churros. Oh holy mother of the most high. (I think I drooled just thinking about them!) Think long mini-doughnuts (of the finest variety) with some warmed chocolate ganache for dipping, and a dollop of cinnamon ice cream - just for perfection's sake.

Cafe Ena - yeah baby.

Styx and Hecate, enjoying Cafe Ena's Pescado entree y una sangria deliciosa.

Ah, yes, and Styx did wear THOSE boots:

Lob. Burning lob.

Next on the hit list - Evolution Experience. I'll just put it to you plain: if you want the most amazingly awesome, talented, gorgeous, celebrated and totally rad hair god of the world, then go to Matt. He's the best. Period. Ma Dukes, Hecate and I have been seeing Matt for over a decade, and his pure genius with the shears (and the dye bottle) never ceases to amaze. Shucks, even Junior's saddling up in Matt's chair now.

Knowing how painfully cool Matt and co-owner Mike are, we expected nothing short of a dope party. And it was. The remodel of their salon is spectacular, of course they drew a crowd of total beautes, the alcohol overfloweth, and the jams were on point. Amber- you beautiful being, it was great seeing you again. Suffice to say, we left the party about 10 lbs lighter from all the sweaty-a** rump shakin'. Thank you Matt and Mike - you rock our Underworld.


The Revolution of Evolution Salon

Hecate and the unmatched Matt Swinney, co-owner of Evolution and hair god to the fam.

Styx and Amber

Evolution custom granite wall (amaaazing), Styx, Hecate