rachelmanija: (OTP LA: skyline)
2014-09-02 10:58 am

LA shots

Cut for photos of Los Angeles, flowers, my hair, etc. I wanted to show you more of what LA really looks like, not just the pretty stuff. It ended up mostly pretty anyway. Read more... )
rachelmanija: (Sakura)
2014-08-25 09:23 pm

Asheville pics 2

Last day in Asheville! I took the opportunity to cut and dye my hair. I present to you a pair of selfies, hence the slightly strange expressions:

Haircut 1

Haircut 2

Also seen in Asheville: a bus converted into a cafe, and a wall where people write what they want to do before they die.

Asheville death wall

Asheville coffee bus

We also went to some very good restaurants, including Curate, a tapas place. We had a number of dishes, but my favorites were the gazpacho, which tingled on the tongue and had little crunchy bits, and the watermelon sorbet with honey, goat cheese "snow," and wildflowers that tasted like mint. Weird but inspired.

Asheville best gazpacho

Asheville flower dessert
rachelmanija: (Sakura)
2014-08-24 12:16 am

Greeting from Asheville, NC

I am visiting my mother in Asheville, NC. She lives in India, but is visiting friends. She brought me this gorgeous cotton dress from Ether Or, my favorite clothing shop in Pune. It fit me like a glove:

Asheville Ether OR dress

Asheville has a lovely little upscale/bohemian downtown, which I look forward to exploring more. Too bad it's 90 degrees.

While strolling downtown we saw a living statue. I couldn't help thinking how incredibly hot she must be:

Asheville ghost

We then saw a topless woman stroll past. I was on the phone with a friend, and I completely lost the thread of the conversation. No one else seemed especially startled. (People would have been very startled had a topless woman strolled around downtown LA.)

Also we saw two adorable Yorkies, Romeo and Juliet, in a baby stroller.

Asheville Yorkies

Tonight we saw an outdoor production of The Taming of the Shrew. It was mediocre but entertaining. None of us were sure why everyone was a pirate. (That reminded me of the immortal quote, "None of us knew why the Duke in Measure for Measure was four vampires.") The funniest moment was when an actor, I am 99% sure accidentally, addressed Petruchio as Pistachio. The second-funniest was when a slightly drunk woman in front of us yelled "BAAAAAAARF!" during Kate's "female subjugation is awesome" speech.
rachelmanija: (Default)
2012-10-05 03:31 pm

Help me devise a fancy costume!

Next weekend I am attending Sirens, a convention on women in fantasy. The theme this year is "Tales Retold." It culminates in a fancy dress ball, for which I would like to be appropriately attired.

I would like some ideas for a costume. Here are the criteria:

1. Must be fancy, pretty, striking, or otherwise nice to look at.

2. Must be a character from (ideally) myth, legend, folklore, or fairytale. Alternately, a character from fantasy literature would be OK.

3. Must be something I can put together from my existing wardrobe plus makeup and maybe a simple prop or accessory. Assume that I have a fairly extensive wardrobe, including some goth/Ren Faire/punk/leather items. So suggestions like, "If you have a black dress/a corset/black boots/a white skirt/etc" are fine. What I don't have: specialized props or costume items. So nothing that would require wings, armor, weapons (not allowed anyway), wigs, etc.

If you click the tag, you can see what I look like. My hair is currently dark brown, shoulder-length, and curly.
rachelmanija: (I have cleavage)
2012-07-09 12:53 pm
Entry tags:

Betsey Johnson: a brief photo-tribute

Pretty, pretty outfits below cut. Thank you, Sherwood, for taking the photos and indulging my vanity.

Read more... )
rachelmanija: (I have cleavage)
2012-07-09 12:53 pm
Entry tags:

Betsey Johnson: a brief photo-tribute

Pretty, pretty outfits below cut. Thank you, Sherwood, for taking the photos and indulging my vanity.

Read more... )
rachelmanija: (Unicorn emotions)
2012-01-12 06:40 pm

Apparently today is More Joy Day

I am right now preparing Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk), to be eaten with rice and sauteed ha choi. While I'm doing the parboiling, I am watching Nyesha kick ass on Last Chance Kitchen.

Also, I have pretty Parisian shoes. )
rachelmanija: (Unicorn emotions)
2012-01-12 06:40 pm

Apparently today is More Joy Day

I am right now preparing Crispy Pork Belly (Siu Yuk), to be eaten with rice and sauteed ha choi. While I'm doing the parboiling, I am watching Nyesha kick ass on Last Chance Kitchen.

Also, I have pretty Parisian shoes. )
rachelmanija: (I have cleavage)
2011-11-29 01:56 pm

Mariposa photos

Photos of scenery and me in a pretty dress posing with a bear below cut.

Take a walk with me around my parents' property. It was sunny but chilly. The smooth copper-colored shrubs are manzanita; the wood is satiny, and the bark skims off in brittle scrolls like old parchment.

Read more... )
rachelmanija: (Firefly: Kill you with my brain)
2011-04-29 11:21 am
Entry tags:

Poll!

I recently got author photos taken. They came out great - I look exceptionally pretty. Can you go to LJ to help me select the most flattering one?
rachelmanija: (Firefly: Kill you with my brain)
2011-04-29 11:19 am
Entry tags:

Caption my new icon!

This was taken when I got my author photos done. It started to rain, and the photographer insisted on dragging me out into the COLD WET RAIN in the hope that it would provide interesting atmosphere. After taking one shot, she decided to try again the next day.

Please suggest a suitably amusing caption for this extremely flattering photo of me, brief enough to be easily iconized. At the time it was taken, three of us looked at at it, and spontaneously burst out with, if I recall correctly, "We are not amused," "DIE," and "I'm WET! And I'm STILL HYSTERICAL!"



ETA: After careful contemplation, I am going with "We are not amused." Would some kind soul care to iconize for me? Probably quite a bit can be cropped.
rachelmanija: (Firefly: Kill you with my brain)
2011-04-29 11:19 am
Entry tags:

Caption my new icon!

This was taken when I got my author photos done. It started to rain, and the photographer insisted on dragging me out into the COLD WET RAIN in the hope that it would provide interesting atmosphere. After taking one shot, she decided to try again the next day.

Please suggest a suitably amusing caption for this extremely flattering photo of me, brief enough to be easily iconized. At the time it was taken, three of us looked at at it, and spontaneously burst out with, if I recall correctly, "We are not amused," "DIE," and "I'm WET! And I'm STILL HYSTERICAL!"



ETA: After careful contemplation, I am going with "We are not amused." Would some kind soul care to iconize for me? Probably quite a bit can be cropped.
rachelmanija: (I have cleavage)
2010-10-11 08:14 pm

Sirens pictures: Meet the Prohibition Pixie

Photos of me modeling various outfits from Sirens, including my debut as the Prohibition Pixie!

Read more... )
rachelmanija: (I have cleavage)
2010-10-11 08:14 pm

Sirens pictures: Meet the Prohibition Pixie

Photos of me modeling various outfits from Sirens, including my debut as the Prohibition Pixie!

Read more... )