Dear Momma…

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Family, Musings and tagged with , ,

I’ve been fortunate to have grown up surrounded by many amazing females.  My grandmothers, aunties, and sister have played a strong role in making me the woman I am today.  But the one woman who truly shaped me, who gave me my foundation, and who gave me my sense of self, is my beautiful mother.
I’m not sure my mother realizes how strong she is.  My sister and I have witnessed her overcome some overwhelming obstacles.  Life has not always been easy, but through it all my mother managed to make us feel loved and supported.  I believe that much of me and my sister’s drive and tenacity comes from the example that my mother set us.
My mother is many things.  She is hilarious.  She is beautiful.  She is intelligent.  I truly could keep going but when it comes down to it, she is my mother.  She nurtures and loves and keeps our family together.  This is no easy task considering that we live in three different countries.  And when my family does have the opportunity to all be together my mother creates such an amazing feeling of home, it’s as if we never left.  She is my number one fan, supporting me in all my endeavors and picking me up when I occasionally (most often) fall flat on my face.

I am so grateful and blessed to have her as my mother.  I love you, mom!

To shorts or not to shorts?

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Musings, Outfits and tagged with , , ,

I think most girls get a little nervous as the temperature starts to rise.  It means the end of leggings and the beginning of short skirts and even scarier, shorts.  I don’t know why shorts scare me so much.  My aversion to them probably started in elementary school where we are all forced to wear shorts in gym class.  No matter what the weather or the activity, everyone had to don a pair of school sanctioned shorts.  And while most of the girls looked cute and girly in theirs, my soon-to-be child bearing hips could not be contained.  I was so self-conscious, constantly pulling them down as they rode up, inching closer and closer to my crotch.  Sigh.  Yes, that is probably where my fear began and it definitely grew worse when puberty hit and my hips grew into their full glory.  I swore off shorts at the ripe age of 13.  No good could come from them.

But, lately I’ve come to accept shorts.  I think the reason is two-fold.  One, we now have so many types and styles of shorts to choose from.  Most girls can find a pair that is both flattering and fashionable.  And two, as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to accept my body for what it is, big hips and all.  I still worry when I put a pair on, reverting back to my young self.  But, on most days, I can silence those voices and don a pair of shorts so bright and beautiful that you would see me from a mile away.

 When you feel comfortable in the skin you’re in, you can make anything work.  Even a pair of coral shorts :)

Thrifting in Paris Part II

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Accessories, Outfits, Thrifted, Thrifting, Travel and tagged with , , , , ,

This is my second outfit post dedicated to my fabulous finds in Paris.  This dress is what I call Polka Dots meet Heidi.  Something about the off the shoulder dress reminds me of Heidi…. don’t ask.

dress: thrifted; belt: thrifted; shoes: target

Now, while this post is dedicated to thrifting in Paris, I just realized that every item I’m wearing (except my shoes) were thrifted while traveling.

My earrings were found at a yard sale in NY

My watch was found in an antique store in Iran.  And although it doesn’t work, I still love it all the same.

My belt was found in a Goodwill in Virginia
There’s nothing I like more than thrifting and traveling and when you can combine the two, even better!

Thrifting in Paris

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Accessories, Shopping, Thrifted, Thrifting, Travel and tagged with , , , ,

Sorry for the unintended hiatus.  Life got a bit hectic and my outfits and meals were a little uninspiring as of late (hello, jeans and scrambled eggs…. not together of course…).  This past week I had two occasions to actually dress up and make a little effort.  On both occasions I wore dresses that I found thrifting in Paris (also known as gay ol’ Paree).  They are so special to me, not only because they are really cute dresses but because they remind me of a wonderful vacation in Paris.

Both dresses were found in vintage stores in the Bastille neighborhood.  It was my final day in Paris and Bastille was the one neighborhood that I hadn’t explored yet.  I wasn’t even intending on thrifting, but then I stumbled upon a series of amazing thrift stores.  Isn’t that always the case?!   I was astonished at the selection and by how reasonably priced the vintage clothing was in this area.  Coming from NY, I expect stores in big cities to jack up prices, but not in Paris (although this was 2 years ago, so things may have changed). Since I stumbled upon the stores, I can’t tell you exactly where they were but check out these yelp recommendations .
This post is dedicated to what I call my 70′s army green newscaster dress.  It’s in perfect condition and I also thrifted the belt at the same store.  You would think they were made for each other.

dress and belt: thrifted; shoes: target

Wait for my next post which will be dedicated to my second dress, which can only be described as Polka Dots meet Heidi…. Oh yes.

Recipe Roundup: Socca

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Recipes and tagged with , , , , , ,

I first read about Socca in my mom’s O magazine….  Okay, so maybe it was actually my O magazine.  But that’s neither here nor there, because this recipe has changed my grain-free life.
Now I hope you’re not confusing Socca with Soca.  They are 2 very different things.  One is a thin pancake made of chickpea flour, and the other is a Caribbean dance that involves catchy rhythms and scantily clad women.  Socca also goes by the names farinata and cecina.  It is popular along the Ligurian coast, especially in Genoa and Nice.  It’s a streetfood that is served hot and fresh usually with a sprinkling of pepper.
It is a grain-free girls dream because it can take the place of a wrap or a crepe, things that I haven’t had in years.  You can top it with anything and it compliments just about any taste.  It takes no time to make and it is delicious, especially when piping hot.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Chickpea/Garbanzo flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbs water
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/2 Tbs Olive Oil (plus more for brushing griddle and drizzling over finished Socca)
  • I also added 1/4 tsp cumin.  I’ve seen some recipes add rosemary and other herbs and spices.

Heat oven to 450°F, arrange rack in the upper third and put a cast-iron skillet or pizza pan in the oven while it heats up. Meanwhile, make the batter.
Place flour, salt, pepper and other spices or herbs in a large bowl and whisk briefly to break up any lumps. While whisking, pour in water, and mix until smooth. Cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes (you can let it sit for up to 24 hours before using.)
Take the hot pan out of the oven and carefully pour in olive oil. Swirl to coat. Add  batter and then bake until golden brown on edge and bottom.
Take the pan out of the oven, and carefully flip the socca then let it sit for a minute or two to brown. Slide socca onto a cutting board and cut into quarters. Repeat to make 2 more. (If you have multiple cast iron pans or pizza pans, you can cook them at the same time.)

That’s it!  I topped mine with sauteed zucchini and red onions, arugula, a fried egg and goat cheese.  It was delicious.  I also ate 2 piping hot with a little bit of olive oil.  So simple and yet so delicious.

Get in my Belly!

Prairie Home Companion

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Accessories, Outfits, Thrifted, Thrifting and tagged with , , , ,

These are my last outfit photos from Florida.  And as I sit here in cold, chilly NY, I really wish I was back there.  More specifically back in that picture, in one of my favorite summer dresses enjoying the beautiful Florida weather on a day that would turn out to be really quite special.  It’s funny how items of clothing can take on a memory of a certain event.  And this dress for me will always carry the memory of this day.

dress: Zara

thrifted bracelet

This bracelet is my “Florida” bracelet.  I bought it for a few bucks at a flea market and I know that whenever I wear it, I’ll be reminded of my time in the sunshine state.

Norooz Mobarak!

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Family, Uncategorized and tagged with , , ,

In my house, Iranian celebrations were way more exciting than the North American ones.  Christmas and Easter had nothing on Shab-E-Yalda and my favorite celebration of all- Norooz.
Norooz is the Iranian new year.  But, it’s so much more than that.  It’s a time that every Iranian looks forward to.  It’s about renewal and rebirth.  It’s about starting all over again with a fresh, clean slate.
Norooz marks the first day of spring.  It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.  This year it’s celebrated on March 19/20th at 1:11 am (EST).  The amazing thing about the Iranian new year is that it is celebrated by everyone at the exact same time.  We celebrate the exact moment the sun crosses the celestial equator.  There’s something so special about knowing that you and your loved ones all around the world are celebrating with you at the exact same time.
Norooz is full of symbols and traditions.  It is said that the coming year will reflect the state of your life on Norooz.  So, it’s tradition that you complete a huge spring cleaning of your house (Khouneh Takouni) and that you buy one set of new clothes to wear on Norooz.  We also set out a Haft-Sin.  A table that has 7 symbolic items on it that all begin with the letter “S”.

The Haft Sīn items are:

  • sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish – symbolizing rebirth
  • samanu – a sweet pudding made from wheat germ- symbolizing affluence
  • senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree – symbolizing love
  • sīr - garlic - symbolizing medicine
  • sīb - apples - symbolizing beauty and health
  • somaq - sumac berries – symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
  • serkeh - vineagar - symbolizing age and patience.
You also include pictures of loved ones who are not with you (whether  because of distance or death), candles, decorated eggs, a mirror, coins, goldfish, sweets and an orange in a bowl of water.  You also have the Quran and the Divan by Hafiz.  All of these items are full of symbolism and meaning.
I have seen some amazing haft-sins in my life but my favorite is always my mother’s.  It is home to me.  It is everything that a haft sin should be-  full of love.
This year I can not be with my family for Norooz.  It’s always difficult for me to not be close to them during this time.  We’ll be skyping this evening at 1 am and I cannot tell you how excited that I will be with them virtually.

Me and my sister's first haft-sin. Our parent's couldn't join us so we celebrated together. We were so proud of putting this together... in a dorm room no less.

My mother's haft-sin.

You be the Judge

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Costumes, Outfits, Thrifted, Thrifting and tagged with , , , , , ,

For those of you who’ve been paying attention, I wrote a post a while back about a dress that could only be described as “the Easter bunny meets Gloria Estefan.”  I found it at a Goodwill for cheap and I knew I had to have it.  It was one of those things that was either terribly amazing or amazingly terrible, either way it was amazing.
I’ve been hemming and hawing for quite some time about what to do with this dress.  I can keep it at as is, and rock it out when I’m feeling particularly bold.  I could cut off the lower half and wear it as a top tucked into pencil skirts and high-waisted pants.  Or, I could designate it to my “costume box” where I will one day wear it for Halloween or a themed party.
So, I need you to be the judge.  What do you think I should do?
Wait for all of its glory.. it gets so much better….

I thought it fitting to have tropical fruits in this picture.  And how crazy is that pineapple?  It’s got a side ponytail.  What?  It’s tropically 80′s like this dress.

Cactus

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Musings, Outfits and tagged with , ,

These past few months have been tough for me.  I’ve been far from home and far from those I love most, and I’ve been dealing with both professional and personal struggles.  I try not to dwell on my problems and for the most part I’m okay.  But every so often I get into a serious funk and I’m reminded that everything is not peachy.
Last week I took a different path to get to work and I stumbled on the beautiful flowers pictured above.  After I took the picture I realized that they were cactus flowers.  I had never seen such large cactus flowers before.  They were beautiful.  I started thinking about the cactus, a plant that has adapted to live in some of the harshest conditions.  It endures extreme heat and drought, and it thrives.  Not only that, it’s able to create beauty.
I want to be a cactus.  I want to take my harsh conditions and be able to endure, be able to thrive and to be able to create beauty.

dress: Forever21; cardigan: H&M; shoes: target

 

 

Red Lips

Posted by The Pinup Gyspsy in Musings, Outfits and tagged with , , ,

Red lips can completely change an outfit.  In fact, red lips can make an outfit.  Lately I’ve been veering away from my tinted glosses and venturing into lipstick territory.  For me, there’s something very self-conscious about wearing lipstick.  I feel the same way I do when I’m wearing a hat, as if all eyes are on me.  But, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
I  often feel that women are conditioned to not attract attention to themselves.  It’s a bit of an oxymoron though.  You want to stand out (and kind of expected to), but not that much.  And with red lips, you can’t help but stick out.  As I’ve been getting older though I’ve started to embrace those things that make me stand out, and accentuate them.  And I think this lipstick thing is another step in my journey to accepting who I am and accepting my body.  Who knew a little tube of lipstick could spark so much introspection?

dress: Francesca's Collection; cardigan: H&M; shoes: target