We need more of this.
Ease on down the yellow brick road with this amazing high school homecoming performance.
19
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
19
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Leather & (Raspberry) Lace: Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather
One of the very first Tom Ford Private Blends produced, and the most touted scent to the whole line back then was Tuscan Leather. It remains a cornerstone of this line, but it took me a long time to come around to it. It’s not a subtle one, and the first few years of sniffing it had me unconvinced. It was potent. It was loud. It was almost obnoxious. One would think I’d have loved it. One would be wrong.
Fortunately taste and perception shift over the years. A good cologne will do that in a day. I never bothered with trying Tuscan Leather on and seeing how it dried down, I only took that initial oomph and steered clear. I missed the real magic of this stalwart performer until I threw a ‘Naughty or Nice’ party with S&M leather undertones and finally got around to sampling this fragrance for a full night.
It begins in unapologetic fashion with the cracking of a leather whip.
Some leather is stiff. Worn by the years, faded by the sun and wind, it dries out, stiffens up, and stands on its own. It hits hard because that’s the only way to survive.
Some leather is supple. Processed and delicately treated, it spills and folds like the softest silk. It kisses and caresses the skin, hiding its toughness in flowing elegance, cloaking its delicacy in shrouds of smoothness.
Tuscan Leather gives both of these aspects a delicious turn, beginning in tough, cowboy-boot stomping glory and finishing with a sweetly refined send-off.
This is not a scent for the faint of heart or weak of nose. That opening is no joke, and as one of the very first Private Blends, Tom Ford was announcing he didn’t come to play. Tuscan Leather is a complex, challenging, and ultimately exquisite experience that may have some shying away from its harsher points. Those who want a true fragrance journey should board this wild ride and prepare for glory.
Starting off with a heavy jolt of its namesake, leather plays a primal part in the proceedings. Though I usually think of leather as one of the lasting aspects that shows up rather late in the dry down, here it announces itself front and center, and stays there for the greater part of the show. A smokiness pervades as things progress, lending dark beauty and potent mysticism with just the slightest hint of incense, courtesy of the olibanum. The official literature for Tuscan Leather lists black suede as part of the formula, giving it a hedonistic edge. It verges on going musky, but is pulled back by night blooming jasmine, which claps back with its own sweetness, bravely defying all the harder elements at work. The juxtaposition is delicious, and results in one of the most beautiful dry-downs of all time: a luscious raspberry-like sweetness that somehow retains all the rustic leathery goodness of the beginning.
Sillage and projection is powerful – do not go heavy on this, especially in an office environment – and its duration is a good six to eight hours (with the dry down lingering into the next day if you let it).
16
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
October’s Bright Balmy Recap
With the weather this far from frightful, I’m grateful for the bonus days of balmy weather. Though it’s scheduled to depart by the time this post goes up, at the time of its writing its warm enough to swim. More on that to come, perhaps. For now, the weekly recap before my mid-week-weekend break.
We began peering in on how two straight guys end up exchanging phone numbers.
Fifty shades of shirtlessness with Jamie Dornan.
I found this heart in need of a home.
The days of dahlias.
Revisiting our fall family trip to Ogunquit.
Pietro Boselli, Alexander Skarsgård, Derek Yates, Cameron Dallas, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Nick Jonas, Adam Driver, Giles Marini and Calvin Harris in all their shirtless black and white glory.
Super-saturated colorful mayhem.
A magical moon rising over Maine.
The Madonna Timeline will be coming back in a big way... but these things must be done delicately.
Hunks of the Day included Lotan Carter, Brett Edward Stout, Aron Baynes, and Nick Muscardo.
16
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Harvest Moon Over Maine
Looking out from the start of the Marginal Way, we take in the view of the moon as it reflects over the eastern seaboard. Framed by clouds and cradled by the sea, the moon hovers and disseminates its magic along the shore, sprinkling fairy dust and sparkling gypsy water in its wake. This is the Harvest Moon, I’m told – aptly named from the time when it aided farmers in gathering their harvests late into the night.
I use its light to harvest memories – of trips to Maine, of childhood adventures, of misunderstandings, of beauty and happiness. I also use it to make a new one: spying this spectacular moon with my parents and my husband, on a balmy October evening after a family dinner in Ogunquit. (Add it to the list of happy ones.)
16
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Guess the Next Madonna Timeline
The time has come for another iTunes Madonna shuffle, and the next entry on the Madonna Timeline. After ‘Body Shop‘ strummed its last banjo note, I watched as the randomness of the universe moved to an epic entry, and one that occupies the top trio tier of my favorite Madonna songs. I suppose I should give the top-ten run-down at this point, as they’ve all been showcased here:
- Drowned World/Substitute for Love
- Like A Prayer
- {To Be Announced}
- Express Yourself
- Crazy For You
- Music
- Rebel Heart
- Material Girl
- Rain
- Ray of Light
The bottom five of these stellar selections are still pretty malleable and ever-shifting. An artist like Madonna moves and bends with the times, and her body of work does the same. Certain melodies linger, specific lyrics speak with greater resonance, and what moves me one day might not move me as much the next. As for #3, I’m going to take my time with it. (There’s not much of a guessing game here if you think about it.) It remains a classic, and has so many iterations and memories attached to it that it will require some organization (and even then it’s going to have to be a multi-part timeline). Passive readers and those uninterested in Madonna need not return!
15
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
All-Natural Super-Saturation
As much as I abhor photoshopping pictures, on my Instagram I tend to add a little boost of saturation to some of my nature shots. What can I say? I love color, and sometimes the intensity is lost in the lighting or shaky camera work. For these photos, no such amendments were necessary, supporting proof of my theory that flowers in the fall glow more brilliantly than at any other time of the year.
This simple Pelargonium veritably thrills with its neon-like sparkle. It sat in a lowly pot with another annual that had long passed its prime, but this one kept going, shining brightly until the first hard frost will finally strike it down.
15
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Artful Shirtlessness
No matter how sinfully salacious or purportedly provocative a photograph might be, the moment the color is drained from it suddenly turns it into art. The images in this post are proof of that, as they feature various former Hunks of the Day in states of shirtless and shameless glee. First up, front and back, is Pietro Boselli. He’s not only been a Hunk of the Day, but has also been featured numerous times in states of underwear and states of undress, posing in his second Hunk of the Day honor. 
Recent HOD Cameron Dallas shows how low his Calvins go, much as he teased in this post.
Alexander Skarsgård strikes a quirky if smoldering pose in his tighty-whities, but he went full-on starkers for hi Hunk of the Day post. Derek Yates continues the sultry vision that he began in his first Hunk of the Day post (and his second).
Mark-Paul Gosselaar flashed his bodacious booty in his virgin Hunk of the Day crowning.
Nick Jonas has been here far too many times to list all the links, so do me (and yourself) a favor by typing his name into the Search feature at the bottom left and see what he brings up. It will be worth it, trust me.
Adam Driver channels his sexy rub-a-dub-dub side here, as he did in his last Hunk of the Day feature (check out his first HOD post here). Giles Marini hasn’t yet been featured (or if he has, that post has gone by the wayside). Here’s a pic of him nonetheless.
Finally, a little GIF for any Calvin Harris lovers out there. In case his original Hunk of the Day post doesn’t quench the thirst, there’s also this brief-clad one.
14
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
True Blue Blossom
It is often said that there are no true-blue flowers in the natural world. I’d fallen for this notion over the years, perpetuating the idea and even making vague plans to seek out the closest we could get (the elusive Himalayan blue poppy), yet it appears there are such hues, as this salvia begs to differ. Check out the vibrant blue tones here, in unfiltered, un-additionally-saturated form. It’s nice when the universe defies humankind’s stories. It keeps me on my toes. {Insert ‘Black Swan’ reference here.}
14
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
A Brief Ogunquit Revisit
If you’ve been following this blog for any decent length of time you are already accustomed to our twice-annual sojourns to this Beautiful Place By The Sea. This year we closed out the season with a long Columbus Day weekend, but rather than take you through a multi-post recap of what went on every stage of the trip, this sole post will have to suffice.
Carrying on with my self-imposed backing-away from non-stop blogging (hello dash-happy sentence), I decided to reclaim my vacation time as well, which meant less documenting every minute and instead living in each moment. I left the real camera at home and did just fine with the iPhone to convey brief glimpses of our time there.
These pics tell a vague story, hinting at the fun and enjoyment we experienced, while allowing you to conjure your own fall trip connotations. This is one of my favorite times of the year to be in Maine. Spring carries its excitement and the promise of a summer to come, but there’s something more moving and beautiful about the fall, when we are ready to put everything to bed for the winter slumber. The prettiness of the pumpkins and the colorful cacophony of the chrysanthemums are not long for this world, so we value them a little more. We pause instead of rushing by. We know what winter may bring.
13
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Gay Blog
This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog. This is a gay blog.
Questions?
PS – It’s a gay blog.
PPS – Gay blog.
13
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Dahlia Days
The extended warmth of this fall season has produced a bountiful crop of dahlia blooms. I have a soft-spot in my heart for this flower, for myriad reasons. It was one of the first plants I ever planted and grew in the little side garden that my parents allotted for me. I watered and weeded and took care of them for the entire summer, wondering when they would deign to bloom. The payoff came later, but was worth it as shades of crimson and peach and lemon yellow exploded as the school year was about to begin. I wouldn’t grow them again for a long time; that was too long to wait for such color, and the idea of waiting until school began to enjoy a bloom sucked the fun out of it.
These days, I still find their blooming period a little too late. By this stage I’m ready to shift focus indoors. However, this year has kept us out later than normal, and it’s always nice to see how others have employed such a lovely garden plant.
Here, the late morning light softens the saturated glow of the dahlia’s fiery petals.
13
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
A Home for This Heart
It peeked out at me from behind a bush as I hurried by on lunch one day. A bit of a wink and the slightest wave was enough to make me take notice and pause in my tracks. Looking around in case this was a trick, I walked onward, making the promise to stop on my way back to work. I needed a coffee and a reading break to determine whether it was worth the investment. I also wanted to see if someone else stopped and fell for the thing. I like to give the universe the option to correct itself in case its motions weren’t meant for me.
I finished my coffee at Stacks and walked back in the fall sunshine. This was what made the Northeast worthwhile – these sunny October days that felt balmy and bright, like the winter might not come this year. We suspend our belief at such moment. We believe instead in what feels best. In this suspended state, I returned to see this little heart still dangling from an azalea bush in downtown Albany.
It was one of those things that longed to be found, but only by the observant person who happened to care enough to look out for it. When I was a kid, I once found a fallen Mylar balloon near our backyard, stuck on a rusty wire fence, still halfway floating, still halfway trying to get away and rise. I freed it and carried it back home, fighting off a few neighborhood kids who had seen the treasure and tried to take it from me. (Well, maybe not fighting as much as arguing and running.) On this day, no one fought me as I free the little heart from its azalea entanglement.
A fabric notion built on whimsy and wishes, it came with an online promotional message as well. “I need a home,” it implored on its tiny tag, and my own heart broke a little. Someone has sewn this. Someone had cut it out. Someone had attached a pretty ribbon and had the faith and hope to hang it here. And someone counted on someone else to find it. A simple instruction was printed on the tag: Report this heart: www.ifoundaquiltedheart.com.
A sign of the times: a hand-made quilted heart with a social media connection. Looking it up online a few days later, I found a quirky little enterprise that’s about sewing (and sowing) these little hearts simply for the sake of brightening someone else’s day. And if it worked on a cynical guy like myself, I imagine it’s doing wonders for others in Albany and elsewhere. I may even dust off my sewing skills and contribute.
On the front, amid the quilted chaos contained in the shape of a heart, was a simple sewn-on message: you are loved. The power of that is enough to change the world.
12
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Fifty Shades of Shirtless
Jamie Dornan has been here a few times before – in his Hunk of the Day crowning, in these scintillating shots, and naked as a jaybird in motion. (Incidentally, why do jaybirds get all the nudity?) His work on ‘Fifty Shades of Gray’ – a movie I have yet to see in its entirety, and a movie I will always have yet to see in its entirety – spurred a fan-base thirsty for more of the shirtless scenes seen here. Who am I to disagree?
12
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
When Men Exchange Numbers
Kristi Barlette recently lamented that it wasn’t socially appropriate to strike up a conversation, ask for a person to exchange numbers, and become friends after a single brief interaction in a store, but I beg to differ. (Well, that’s my extravagant extrapolation from a single FaceBook post of hers.) The point is that I just saw the exact described scenario play out the other day at Colonie Center.
I was browsing the clearance section of Barnes & Noble (don’t judge – they have hidden gems there! I once found discounted hard-cover versions of one of my favorite books – ‘The God in Flight‘ by Laura Argiri – for $2.97 or something ridiculously cheap and bought them all for friends). As I wound my way around the celebrity dish stuff and then the calendars, I happened upon a conversation just struck up by two strangers. I hovered nearby, listening to see if it was a pick-up because once in a great while I’m nosy like that. (As a general rule, I’m not.) The days of randomly picking people up in person seem quaint now and I was intrigued – it’s rare for two guys to just start gabbing, right? Or is that a gross and unfair assumption? Guilty for making an ass of myself if so. Alas, they were both straight, at least one was, based on his ready revelation that he had just gotten married (to his girlfriend) in Jamaica. The other guy offered his congratulations. They talked about destination weddings for a bit, then jobs and careers, and then the other guy extended his hand and introduced himself officially.
By this point I was invested, like in some stupid reality show that comes on after a decent Real Housewives episode, and you don’t want to watch and you say it’s so stupid and then you just have to know why the girl with the lotus tattoo is SO MAD at the guy with the mopey slacker vibe.
Eventually, though, their talk about mundane things like job satisfaction had turned dull and I was ready to bring my ‘Vogue’ and ‘Vanity Fair’ to the register (I’m an old school magazine-reader for road trips). As I was about to take leave of my eavesdropping expedition, I heard them reintroduce themselves and saw them taking out their phones and exchanging contact info.
“We should get together over a coffee sometime,” I heard one of them saying as they typed their numbers into their phones. “I’ll text you.” So yes, Kristi, apparently people do this sort of thing and it’s not entirely socially unacceptable. If you’re a straight guy, that is. I guess neither of us can relate.
09
October
2017
No comments
October
2017
Fall Faux-Holiday Recap
We don’t celebrate Columbus Day much in these parts, other than for the day off from work. Instead, we celebrate the here and now, except in posts like this, when we celebrate the week that came before. We are scheduled to be getting back from our annual fall trip to Ogunquit, so this recap is a welcome moment of pause.
It began in the shadows of the past. Most things do.
Never trust a Starbucks in a Price Chopper.
Vanity, crushed by morning light.
Those “things we’d never do again…?” You know she’s singing about anal.
The Hunks were back in full effect with shirtless and pants-less shenanigans from the likes of Troye Sivan, Vernon Davis, Davood Ghadami, Rikk York, and Colby Jansen.
