Youngstown, Ohio doesn’t have the best reputation. We’re the city you see on the national news for high murder rates, poverty, the closure of steel mills, and the (now thankfully gone — well, as far as I know) mafia.
The Butler Institute of American Art, established in 1919, was the first museum devoted to American art. It is free and open to the public.
One of those success stories is fashion designer Nanette Lepore. Not only was Lepore born and bred in Youngstown, but she also attended Youngstown State University, us Dames’ dear collegiate alma mater.
Photo copyright nanettelepore.com - No infringement intended.
Lepore has been a fashion staple for over a decade, both in New York and around the world. Her designs, which are beautiful, feminine, and easy to wear, are worn by celebrities and non-celebrities alike — and you don’t need to be a millionaire to buy them. Her designs are what made her famous, but also noteworthy is the work she has done to help save New York City’s Garment District and keep fashion-related jobs in the United States. Lepore is a home-run for American fashion and for Youngstown.
Her Spring 2012 collection debuts tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 14th at 11am) during New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
Ten years ago, our generation witnessed an event that would forever change the lives of Americans. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, many Americans were full of feelings of rage, anger, sadness, grief, and an assortment of other emotions that words cannot even begin to express. Many people felt hatred and wanted revenge for what happened to our people, to our country, and on our soil.
On November 14, 2003 the film Love, Actually premiered in the United States and would perhaps bring hope and love back into the hearts of some Americans. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, here is a clip of the opening scene:
The film tells the story of different individuals who are at different ages, stages, and levels of their lives. The theme of the movie is, as you may have guessed, love. Some characters fall in love, some fall out of love.
In this day and age it’s easy to get caught up in the the drama and violence that surrounds us. It’s easy to turn a blind eye to the beauty and joy in life, while only seeing the negative that exists in this world. Let us take heed in the message of this film: “…Love actually is all around.” <3
*Note* Ha, my bad, ladies. Big difference between 14 and 15 years. I probably should have double-checked that. Maybe I’ll do a real 15 year post some other time. Updates have been made to this post.
This past weekend, I’m sure that a lot of people were talking about where they were that Tuesday morning when terrorists carried out the largest attack on American soil since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. I know I certainly do. I was sitting in my 8th grade English class when the school librarian came around to all the classrooms and told the teachers to not turn on the televisions. Only when my mom picked me up from the bus stop did I find out what had happened. Personally, I believe my school when about all this the wrong way, but that’s another post for another day.
I want to go a little further back. Let’s go back 14 years. It was the prime of my childhood. I had just turned 9, and I had just started the 3rd grade. This was one of the the top songs for that year:
They have guys named Soren and Claus in the band. Seriously. I’m pretty sure a very young Katy Perry took some inspiration from that for California Dreams.
But that song wasn’t the only one that would stick around. Here are a few others that have stood the test of time:
Mmmbop – Hanson
Candle in the Wind ’97 – Elton John (to commemorate the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Don’t Speak – No Doubt
As Long As You Love Me – Backstreet Boys
Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day
My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
Say You’ll Be There, 2 Become 1, and Wannabe – Spice Girls
Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
Bitch – Meredith Brooks
3 AM – Matchbox Twenty
You Were Meant For Me – Jewel
I remember a lot of these as absolute classics. I distinctly remember singing and dancing to Spice Girls songs with my friends in a back corner of the playground and not really knowing what the lyrics meant. I can still recall Celine Dion’s chest pounding when she performed at the Grammy Awards. There are a few that I didn’t get into until I was older. I remember being an emo 14 year-old and listening to Jewel and No Doubt on a sad song mix cd after the latest heartbreak. As soon as I got my license, I made a bunch of mix cds of great driving songs, including Bitch, Semi-Charmed Life, and 3 AM. Then there was Good Riddance. Guh…
1997 was a banner year for movies, as well. To go along with that killer ballad of Ms. Dion’s, James Cameron made a little flick called Titanic. Sure, that was big. The first (and undisputed better) Men In Black movie came out. Tomorrow Never Dies, the first James Bond movie I ever saw made its way to theaters. (Is it possible that Pierce Brosnan was the worst Bond? Discuss amongst yourselves. Either way, Sean Connery is the only Bond that matters.) I’m sure our parents enjoyed Air Force One, while we giggled at commercials for The Full Monty. And how weird was The Fifth Element? No. The best movie, in my opinion, to come out in 1997 was My Best Friend’s Wedding.
This movie got me through a lot of bad nights during my undergraduate career, and it holds a special place on my movie shelf, next to An Affair to Remember, the only other chick flick I readily admit to loving.
1997, you weren’t such a bad year. At least for entertainment, you weren’t. I don’t think I want to revisit my fashion choices from that era. I feel that if I was old enough to dress myself, then those were legitimate, independent fashion choices I made, and of those, I am not proud.
Enjoy the rest of your day. Revisit some of this nostalgia. Can you believe some of that was 14 years ago?
Bilmiyorum best describes my first week in Istanbul. It may, in fact, be the most important Turkish word I’ve learned so far. Bilmiyorum means I don’t know, and I use it to answer roughly 95.7% of the questions asked to me in Turkish. I answer the remaining 4.3% of the questions with Evet (Yes), Hayir (No), Erasmus (European student exchange program of which I am not technically a part since I’m not European), or some food item. Sometimes the food I receive isn’t quite what I ordered, but….bilmiyorum.
After a confusing exchange in a restaurant tonight, the waiter brought my erasmus friends and me free Turkish tea! In case you were wondering, tea is not customarily free in Istanbul. I think our waiter simply got such a kick out of our attempts at Turkish that he brought us free tea, and so I had my first real cup of Turkish tea. Here it is.
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