Lady Blaga attends Dan Liu

Day 2 for me of NYFW began with the sherbet colored hues of Dan Liu. The collection was so happy, feminine, and sweet. The gelato colors of the pieces beckoned me towards a beach vacation. Yes, please🙋🏼. Any clothing that instantly makes you feel as if you're relaxed at a resort, dangling a glass of Rosé' while smiling and laughing, is clothing worth owning.

His goal with this collection was not only to conjure up imagery of the ocean and sun, but more so how does the ocean and sun MAKE YOU FEEL?  What a gift to give your clients. Emotion through dress is an art form. I wanted to eat these clothes, since they looked delicious. The incorporation of peacock feathers throughout the show was majestic. Who isn't moved by the glory and poise of a peacock, the most magnificent bird on earth. Peacocks hold wonder. Everyone anywhere will stop to watch a peacock fan her feathers. It's one of nature's wonders. Dan Liu transmitted that feeling of lovely wonder into his designs.

My favorite part was when after the show, he appeared to be crying as he was bowing with gratitude. For the audience to feel, the designer must feel first and last. Their emotions bolster those watching. It's wonderful when that connection is made.

"Wonder" was the theme that day, since I wore a Wonder Woman muscle sweatshirt. I paired it with, what else, but these enormous scale, bright red, satin pants. It was her cape as pants‼️. Every super heroine needs her headgear, and my NiniK knit crown was perfect, with its halo of red beaded orbs. Fingerless studded leather gloves always help save the world. Driving home my metallic message was this blindingly gold leather jacket, that's covered in silver and gold hardware. If Michael Jackson and Beyoncé had sex, the result would have been this jacket. We all know that's not happening for numerous reasons, but a Lady can dream. This outfit was a huge hit at the show, it was fun to be stopped about it. I mean, if Fashion Week isn't about superheroes saving lives, than I'm not sure what it's purpose is 😝😉😉... They don't call them "fashion victims" for nothing.

Eat some gelato today🍧, you dessert it.

north of manhattan Lauren recchia

india de beafort

photography- Daniel Perry www.danielperrystudios.com

bloopers

Fashion lovers, Blaga babies, foodies, music maniacs, life livers, whatever brings you here today, I leave you with this. This is the blooper reel to end all blooper reels. Ready? You earned it, after listening to me wax philosophical about clothing. Ok, picture it. Day 2, my Wonder Woman look. I was confident, comfortable, and knew I looked unique and fun. I was ready to rock it. I also had my period. The crime scene kind. The only item in my sparkly gold Edie Parker oval shaped purse was a giant, orange maxi pad. I think it was from 1973, before companies became sneakier about feminine product design. If there was a maxi pad museum, this would have been exhibit A. Lady Blaga entered the tent, about to go backstage. A dozen black PR people, clutching their clipboards, were standing around giving orders. I dropped my purse, the pad went flying. As in, it had an actual trajectory that could have been charged my NASA. Tzvia lunged for it. It was too late. There were audible gasps of horror from the aforementioned PR bees. Wanna know what I said? Here goes. "I guess I'm the only chick on this building that still gets her period!" THAT, my Friends, is how Wonder Woman saves her own ass. Every single damn time. I think an ear shattering mic drop is in order. Thank you for following my fashion week journey, it was a pleasure to attend and report back to you. We will resume out regularly scheduled program after you've had your fill. Create, create, create. Ideas, love, laughter, connections, anything worthwhile. That's the message here. It's a good one. Have a beautiful, picture worthy day. Smile, but look like you don't really care📸. Nah, disregard. Look like you do care. It's better that way. I love you, I promise. LB 👁❤️U.

Day 1 Lady Blaga does Fashion Week

Lady Blaga is changing her format this week‼️ Still on a sugar high from the fantabulous NYC Fashion Week, it's my utmost joy to present you with my take on the events I was thrilled to attend. The vibe and mood of FW is everything you'd imagine it to be. I felt like I was on Sex and the City. This is the stuff of NYC dreams. It's why people move here. The creativity, boldness, ideas, originality, fun, and fearless fashion front runners. The weather was consistently picturesque, which helps everyone's mood🌞🌞🌞. Men in skirts and dresses, wild headpieces, drag queens, anorexic fashionistas posing with ice cream cones they're pretending to eat, heiresses who clearly brought their own photographers, babies as accessories; anything went!

To kick off my fun at NYCFW, I needed the perfect statement outfit. My choice was met with quite a reaction. The focal point was this custom, wildly emoji embellished denim jacket. This was a gift from Tzvia, a surprise. I was floored. I'm not used to getting surprises from others, I usually give them. I was so moved by how much thought and love was put into this. On the back it says "The Real Lady Blaga". Imposters; stand down! This jacket is strong, it needed accessories to the max. Oh, wait, I think I bought a hat with cat ears many years ago. Done! Scratching and clawing my way through Fashion Week. After all, men are dogs and women are cats. That's not derogatory, justmVenus Mars thing. All good. The right under-pieces were needed to anchor the look, but yet hold their own despite the outer wackiness. Norma Kamali to the rescue, as per usual. This looked like a jumpsuit but is two separate pieces. It's a bathing suit really. I wear it as a bodysuit. The studded leggings are from the same line, all of Norma's pieces work together. I legit felt like Sandy from the last scene in Grease, after she's transformed herself and busts into that carnival like an Australian gangster. Btw, my daughter is a high school senior. Those actors playing seniors at Rydell High were minimally 45 years old. So what? Neon pink long gloves and neon Marc Jacobs pumps popped my limbs even more. High wattage accessories are a must. I felt like a true Fashion Week player in this outfit. I felt like I belonged. You know what? Damn right I did.  

Despite the obvious superficial trappings of such an environment, I have to say that I was so uplifted by how nice and friendly most people were. We were all teetering in our stilettos on common ground. I met a lot of really interesting and cool people, exchanged deets and ideas, hung with fellow bloggers, and got to be a part of an atmosphere where the freak flag is celebrated and encouraged. It was very exciting. I thrive on creativity and being part of the creative community. I felt like I was amongst my peeps. Sitting front row at so many shows was such a treat; I'm sooooo appreciative of all the gracious and overly accommodating PR teams and photographers who were so helpful to the Blaga team. Smiles and great attitudes are the best accessories😀. Positive energy is always in style. I went with open eyes, a curious mind, straight posture, and some heavy swag. If there was anytime to bring some sass, it was then! The boundary less mood and lack of judgment of the wacky felt like home to me. I've always been told I'm "out of the box", a phrase I hate. Don't label me a renegade, that's still a label. It serves no purpose. Hanging amongst thousands of people who wouldn't be caught dead in a box rocked. I promised myself awhile ago I'd find creative people, my people, and collect them. Well, they were gift wrapped for me at Fashion Week. Even if you connect with someone for two minutes, so what, it's still a quality two minutes. Quality minutes build a quality life. Absorbing innovation gets the wheels going. Create anything, just create. Don't wait to do something because you could die tomorrow. Do it because you could LIVE tomorrow‼️.

PS- Lady Blaga was magically transformed from a minivan driving mom into a glamour puss by my unbelievably loyal glam squad. Karla and Brittany are beauty magicians. Not only are they the sweetest, most supportive comb and brush wielding cousins in the biz, but they are abnormally accommodating.  As in, they came to my home at 6 AM. That's simply an unacceptable time. I've known Karla of @kbelloorganichair for ten years. If anyone has a front row seat to my journey, it's her. She's been there as a stylist and friend every step of the way. I'm not kidding when I say none of this would have happened without her making me feel great. Brittany is the reason for the term "makeup ARTIST". Love these girls with all my heart❤️

Go be beautiful, both inside and out. That's a direct order, given with love and support. Read on for more of the front lines of fashion...

DAY ONe  

Galtiscopio spring 2018

What a way to kick off my week, by sitting front row to view the beautiful and impressive collection at Galtiscopio. This is the show of kitty cat hat and Blaga denim jacket fame😜👏🏻. I purchased that hat many years ago. The one and only time I wore it,

A) People made fun of me. Fuck them; who's laughing now?

B) It kept falling off my head, driving me crazy.

I had a string put on it literally the day before fashion week. Thank you to my incredibly talented tailor, Letitia of Bashert Designs, for enabling me to get my purr on🐱👑🕶. Letitia has bailed me out of many a fashion emergency😱😉. The hat was a hit amongst the fashion forward, and it was unique and fun to wear. The team at Galtiscopio could not have been more welcoming. The atmosphere was so alive and abuzz with excitement.  The collection had vibrant, flowy silk pieces. Very feminine and sexy dresses with wonderful crystal detailing. The rich colors were very inviting. There were some hot, fun oversized t-shirts that would look great as minidresses with opaque black tights, or worn over leggings and boots with a boyfriend blazer. My ultimate salivating over piece was this long, silver open jacket. I went nuts for it. It had a sheer quality that let the piece breathe in its movement and statement. It almost felt like a robe, and I'm all about the robes now. It was so badass and rock and roll. It must be worn on a stage. Need!

I loved this metallic sheer one shouldered top with tailored black slacks. The collection was entirely realistically wearable. I mean, is anyone really wearing the Big Bird inspired ball gown, seen on the runway, to a bar mitzvah??? Functionality is important. I loved the live musical acts that kicked off the show. A great move to create a lively mood. Ray J has a great voice 🎤.

My favorite moment was when the designer, Ying Lau, came out at the end. She seemed so humbled and grateful. It's a joy to see people work so hard, and watch them revel in their ideas be brought to fruition. I was honored to be a part of that for this woman. Good for anyone that works hard and creates!! Clap for them 👏🏻. 

Thank you, Galtiscopio, for such a beautiful experience. I hope we meet again, especially on my body.

Photography credit- fashion week online

day one

concept korea spring 2018

Ok, MAJOR‼️. While all of Fashion Week is so exciting to be a part of, it's no secret that the events held in the main location have amped up adrenaline. Rolling into the epicenter of NYCFW is a sight to behold. It's a convention of colors, creativity, giant balls, and people screaming for attention while trying to look like they couldn't give two shits. There are clusters of photographers on street corners, poised and ready to capture the fierce and fabulous. I was so appreciative when any photog stopped me; this spared me from looking like a giant unnoticed asshole, who just plopped some insanity on her head as she ran out of her house in New Jersey. Imagine prancing around with a nutso hat/headpiece and no one gives a crap. EEK.   So thank you to the camera peeps for making me feel like part of the gang🙌🏻😎🎩. All my faves are credited below ❤️.

The mood before Concept Korea was rocking! It was clear upon entrance that this show smacks of gravity and importance. It was legit Devil Wears Prada. The goal is to showcase Korea's incredible well of talent and design, choosing new designers each time. I love this idea; if you're talented, join us, and we will get you out there.  I was psyched to see two designers bust their shit. Lady Blaga was invited to this show because my beyond talented and lovely photographer, Rachel Lee, who is a chief photographer for Concept K. All those stunning pictures you see on my IG and the blog, it's all Rachel. She is a marvel. I've never met a sweeter, more humble, more focused woman. She works so quickly, and with the purest intention. Her eye is magical. Her photos make me feel beautiful. She is generous and gracious, and rolled out the red carpet for me. Rachel, it's all you, Gurl. Oh, and if anyone tried to launch a shade rocket at us that day, we were like ,"um, yeah, so we know Rachel." Squad‼️     

I genuinely went nuts over the entire LIE collection. I'd wear every single piece. It was so bright, colorful, clean, and chic. The colors were girly, while making a very strong "fuck with me at your own risk" statement. There was a sexy effortlessness to the designs. I loved the relaxed, flowy vibe. LIE incorporated a lot of well placed words on the clothes, even on the faces of the models. Genius. The models' eyebrows were covered with the words "perfectly imperfect". I saw this being prepped backstage prior to the show, and I went crazy. This is my dream, to inject smart words absolutely everywhere. Everywhere. There is no reason fashion cannot read as intelligent. Thought provoking. Women are both beautiful AND smart. LIE honored that. I felt that this designer was truly a champion of females. Thanks, Bro!!  The second collection, Greedilous, was a feast on the eyes. Totally different mood. LIE was clean, this was a visual explosion. Intricate patterns. "Don't ever accuse me of being feminine" florals. Fitted bright red rock and roll flared suits. Loved the male models rocking these looks too! Despite the flowers, the cuts somehow made certain pieces hotly unisex. In the swag bag, I was excited to receive an oversized Greedilous t-shirt. A cool guy could easily rock it, just as I can, by making it fun and sexy with black tights, and most likely a bowler hat, making it a minidress. Throw on a leather jacket or a blazer, and your statement t shirt just gave you an outfit. Yeah, Son. After the show, I met the Greedilous designer backstage. She was so sweet! I love watching others succeed, especially when they're nice (when they're not 🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼). Out of all the colorful characters I met at this show, my all time faves were Jean and Valerie, the Idiosyncratic Fashionistas. These broads are in their 70's. They started a fashion blog ten years ago for older, bolder women. Yasssss‼️. I zeroed in on them immediately. Their headgear was wilder than mine. Ladies after my own heart! They were so nice and encouraging. I love what they're doing, and what they represent. Be on stage, no matter your age. Rock it until forever. No one ever has to fade into the background. Ever. Make the world understand your relevance. There is endless fun to be had. Keep going. They were the perfect people to represent my feelings from Concept Korea; innovation and originality to the max. Wit, intelligence. Replacing Tits and Ass, to Wits and Sass(that's a Lady Blaga original). You'll one day be wearing that on an oversized t shirt.... Love, Lady Blaga

Photography credit- fashion week online

Photography credit for my looks- 

Mauricio E Cuevas www.ArmandHugon.com

Pratya J www.pratyajankong.com  

Sara Nicole saranicolemodel.com 

Marquis Perkins marquisperkins.com 

jenna dewan tatum

the idiosyncratic fashionistas

j. alexander

king combs

kenneth faried 

weworewhat danielle bernstein 

so you had a bad day

I recently sat in a group circle at a healing yoga workshop.  It was comprised of a lovely group of women, most of whom were new to me. When it was my turn to say how I'd come to be there, I briefly described my fairly new relationship with yoga. I never thought of it this way, but I heard myself saying, "there are no more bad days". This choice of words was so interesting to me, and it seemed to really resonate with the group. Everyone nodded and understood. I gave it thought after the class. I wanted to delve into those words that accurately tumbled out during an honest moment amongst strangers. It's really true though; while there are and always will be, difficult days, I can't recall a time I labeled an entire day as "bad". Believe me, I've had many one could sum up as such. Divorce is no picnic. Telling your children about divorce is one of the scariest, worst things you may ever have to do. It was easily the most terrifying moment of my adult life. After I did it, my whole body crashed for four days. The weight of the pressure of revealing that truth, absolutely pummeled me. I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. There are difficult days dealing with a marriage too. No relationship is always totally smooth. Married couples can have bad periods that last months. Loneliness and strife will find us all, married or not. It's part of life. We have been given a vast spectrum of human emotions, half of them super shitty. This most certainly includes raising children. Hard days at work, a lousy moment with a friend. The list goes on. And it always will. To daydream about reaching this fantasy state in our lives, when all will be aligned, thus allowing us to finally be happy, will never happen. Even if all your circumstances are in sync, emotions and situations change minute to minute.

We can control almost nothing in our lives. Energy is constantly flowing in all sorts of directions. Take a mood swing. Blissful one moment, enraged the next. Your mood can be consistently cheerful one day, but your child's can be bitchy, therefore causing drama that you hadn't factored into your day. The plan you had to be happy that morning, despite your purest intentions, has been derailed by any of a number of things. Accept that as a possible looming reality. You're really never at the wheel, even though you cleaned, detailed, and gassed your car like a good girl should. Wanna know why I think I no longer have crappy days? Purpose. When you aren't certain and clear on your purpose in life, even seemingly great days feel shitty. Feeling adrift, even under a veneer of togetherness, is an extremely unsettling feeling. You may try to distract yourself with shopping, errands, putting down someone else, but the subconscious gnawing continues. Many mothers jump to the silly martyr excuse, that their purpose was to have kids. I did that, and it's lazy bullshit. First of all, then how do you account for the years prior to giving birth? Second, what an insane amount of pressure to put on your children, for forcing them to provide you with a reason for your existence. It's like expecting a baby to heal a marriage. It's actually the opposite of a selfless mommy martyr. It's selfish to dump your purpose onto any other person, especially a little kid. Find it yourself. Yes, that's a scary prospect ,but so what? It's our responsibility. There's no way around that. Out of basic gratitude for having been born, we simply must. We owe it to ourselves, to God, and to everyone we love. Some of our purposes are the same, some are vastly unique. Everyone can give and receive love, but not everyone will be a talented painter. We can all use our bodies to physically hug and kiss, but half the world shouldn't be legally allowed in a kitchen to cook for others. We can all smile, but we all can't teach math (I sure as hell can't). Some of our purposes are highly specialized and individual.

There was one Michael Jackson and one Stephen Hawking. But every single human being has the ability to be nice to someone else. To love. To support. I'm not talking about a sociopath with faulty wiring. I mean typical humans. We can all share, we can all receive. Often these abilities can be buried under years of emotional sediment, but the capability is indeed there. Many years ago, I did do some yoga regularly when I lived on NYC. It drove me crazy that during shivasana, when we are meant to lie still on the mat at the end of class, sealing in our practice, that I could not keep the palms of my hands facing upwards. It was an awkward, intensely uncomfortable feeling. I couldn't articulate what the issue was at 23 years old, but I never forgot about it. It was this: for whatever the reasons were, I was not able to receive. An upwards, open palm is receiving of the energy of others,of welcoming what the environment and atmosphere is trying to give you in that exact moment. In order to fill yourself with that, there must exist an opening in which to do so. I was closed on certain levels, so even the small act of positioning my hands a certain way was difficult. I tried but then would flip them back downward. I would recognize the same bodily discomfort when my stomach would clench, or I when I would wake up with a locked jaw and my fists balled up. I would literally pry my fingers open. This is how significant a closed palm is. If you can't even be receptive while you're asleep in a subconscious, relaxed state, certainly you'll be closed in a conscious state. Our bodies are not what we are comprised of, they are just the external part of us. However, our bodies are our most important messengers. The human body is so complex; if one of the thousands of things that make it work are off, everything feels off. The physical pain we get used to is staggering. Instead of tapping into why we get migraines, we usually just accept that we have migraines. Back pain, inflammatory bowel disease, a curved spine, headaches, the list of how stress manifests itself goes on.

 In yoga, not only do you elasticize and become aware of your physicality, but of your emotional and mental state as well. All parts of you are forced to, as they always are meant to, work together. People feel safe on the mat because things are finally starting to feel aligned. The trick is to keep the feeling of safety and openness with us all day. This is not easy, but it becomes easier through intention, purpose, and awareness. Denial perpetuates problems. Facing shit gets rid of it. It sometimes is just that simple. Uncovering and discovering my inner parts had brought me tremendous joy. We are made in god's image, therefore we are infinite. There is literally an entire world inside you waiting to be looked at. If you don't uncover it no one else will. No one else can. In the above mentioned yoga workshop, the gist was that we fatigued our muscles, then lied down on our backs and just shook. We just all lied there, silently quivering, releasing years of built up pain and trauma. It was wondrous. I softly cried with gratitude at the sheer ability we have to heal ourselves. It is so sad our children are not being raised to know this, and even sadder most people grow old and die without ever knowing their own power. This went on for about twenty minutes. No one wanted it to stop. It was incredibly humbling to have been introduced to this gift. It felt like possessing a magical power, which it indeed is. This, folks, is why I no longer have "bad days"; because I know this. I cannot not know it. At every miserable, disappointing, irritating moment in life, you can steer yourself to a safe port. Bad times, yes. Always. It's unavoidable. Expect it. But understand there's a way out of your own pain. As my teacher Betsy says, "You are all you need." I've referenced that before, but I say it to myself constantly. This notion brings me comfort. Comfort helps get rid of bad days:).

Seek and hold onto those you find comforting. Eliminate those who bring discomfort. Open your palms, receive what it means to be soothed by those people. Receive what it means to take yourself down from a ledge. An open heart, together with open hands and an open mind, make so much room for good stuff. You are incredible because each one of you is all you need. Retracing back to how I started to speak about purpose... To heal yourself, to heal others. To comfort yourself, to comfort others. To open yourself, to open others. Knowing I can do this, understanding the reason for my existence, is a sure way to wake up smiling every day. Unclenched jaw. Open fingers. A relaxed belly. Open eyes, open in the real way. Many people with perfect vision cannot see, just as many blind people are deeply intuitive. I will keep honing and discovering channels in which I can honor my responsibility. It feels awesome.

Love, LB

Private Benjamin 2.0

Hey, Peeps. So this look was an exciting discovery for me, because it was accidentally meaningful. I was putting together looks for the most recent fashion shoot, and combining the nautical striped jacket with my favorite worn in, camouflage shorts was a brilliant idea for Labor Day. Yes, I know that just passed in the states, but so what. It is always the right time to reflect on how damn lucky we are to live in a country where freedom is so deeply valued and promoted. There is never a time I don't drop my kids at their Jewish private school, where I don't think of how blessed we are to be able to safely practice Judaism in America.  Having grown up constantly hearing about how my grandparents survived the Holocaust, having gone to visit the concentration camps in Poland as a teenager, having my father in law tell my kids how rocks were thrown at him as a little boy because he is Jewish. My son is the same age as he was when that happened. It kills me to think anyone would ever do that to my baby.

Going to synagogue freely is a gift. Putting a menorah in my window is a gift. Having an annual Israeli day parade is a gift. By venturing out of the opaque bubble in which I've always lived, I am FINALLY starting to meet all kinds of people from many different backgrounds and ethnicities. I mean, Jeez... What the heck were we taught to be so scared of?... Differences are a gift as well. I know I sound like Kimmy Schmidt crawling out of her psycho, underground cult cave, opening her big eyes to the world, but Good. For. Me. This country is brimming with all kinds of worldly ingredients, because in it we have the freedom to mix up our own lives. Despite what your opinion may be on the current government, it doesn't matter; America was built on the premise of Liberty. We've got a massive statue in a dress to prove it. I kayaked near her on the Hudson River recently! Who knew that a little J Crew jacket and Current Elliot shorts could have had such an emotional impact on me,while belts and shoes were flying all over my closet?? Inspiration can hit anywhere, anytime. It is raw and unplanned. No plans necessary. If it's there, it will come.

My friend CR, a wise yogi, recently told me that there is a week long army training program in Israel. People can apparently pay and have a somewhat Israeli army experience. Supposedly they're really tough on you; wait, isn't that just flying on El Al?? Adding this on to my ever growing to do list. I might look like Goldie Hawn in the classic movie "Private Benjamin", but I would love this. See what ideas come to us when we feel free? Anything is an option, everything is an opportunity. And looking like Goldie at any stage in her rad life ain't so terrible. I'm so happy I didn't toss this jacket. I bought it because of the Jackie O vibes, then almost got rid of it for the same reason( I just outgrew that concept, though it's so elegant). I knew it would one day serve the right purpose. F dates on a calendar. They're numbers in a tiny box. Live Liberty every single day. Don't not take advantage of where we live. Freedom starts first and foremost in your own mind. 🇺🇸🗽🚢
Love, Lady Blaga

Blintz Kreig Bop

These heavenly, indulgent chocolate crepes (or blintzes in Yiddish terms), are one of my proudest culinary achievements. Determined to make homemade cheese blintzes for my father in law years ago, I found this recipe from Rabbi Gil Marks. I bought a special crepe pan, mini ladle, and wide spatula. I handle these items super carefully, hand wash them, and store them in a scratch free zone. Making the crepes isn't difficult, but it is a bit of a to do (or potchka in Yiddish terms), since it entails several steps. Not a problem, I just break them up and do one step per day over three days. I find that less overwhelming than doing everything in one day. I learned these tricks over the years, after initially intending to do everything at once. I wish I hadn't felt I had so much I needed to prove to myself... Older and wiser really is a thing🤔😏. Making this process easier on myself allows me to make these treats more often, since the task is less daunting. I do, however, truly enjoy this recipe. I feel so accomplished at having my own Creperie👏🏻.

Blintzes are a traditional Jewish food, and I love a good throwback. I love connecting to my heritage through food. Kicking it old school in my kitchen. I use Rabbi Marks's crepe recipe but use bars of milk chocolate as a filling🍫. Yes, you read that correctly. I understand if you now need a moment to regain composure. I have made the blintzes with cheese, buttered mashed potatoes, and even plain sprinkled with powdered sugar and whipped cream. My family loves the milk chocolate variation the most. They're a joy to assemble, knowing the reaction that will follow. Ready for this?

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of water
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup flour

Directions

To Make the crapes:

Wish together milk, butter, eggs, salt, water.  Gradually whisk in the flour to make a smooth batter.  Make sure there are no heavy lumps.  Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Heat skillet over medium heat and brush with oil.  Pour two TBSP batter until the pan is coated.  Cook for one minute until the edges are brown.  Flip onto a dry towel or wax paper.

Filling:

I melt Nutella in a small pot, using some heavy cream to thin it out (just a tbsp or 2), which makes this insane Nutella sauce to drizzle over. It's so decadent and rich. The blintzes freeze really well in layers of wax paper. Just fry in butter right before serving.

I put four squares of chocolate in the middle of each crepe. I often serve the blintzes with a plate of sliced fresh fruit 🍌🍓. Any type of berries looks gorgeous too. This has become a standard birthday specialty in our home, and it's what my kids requested I bring to Visiting Day this summer at camp.

Now back to the directions... Fold the bottom of  each crepe over the filling.  Fold the sides over and roll up the crepe.  Preheat over to 350 and grease a pan. Lightly cook until golden brown.

This serves so beautifully, with little bowls of toppings put out. Fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, chopped toasted nuts, chocolate sauce, mini chocolate chips. Treat it like a sundae bar. It's honestly the cutest. Even if you make this just once a year, it will make a wonderful impression. Btw, the title of this post is a nod to The Ramones. Blintzes and punk rock are a recipe for greatness🤘🏻🍫

Listen to Root Down by the beastie boys

Listen to "I Want You Back" by Jackson 5

My Jackson Five obsession began in the early stages of high school. It continues to this day. Unfortunately, this is how so many relationships seem to work, especially in high school. You love some undeserving douche who treats you poorly. You finally are drawn towards a nicer guy who does. Shocker: the Douche is suddenly interested. Man, how I hope my daughters avoid this! To a young, innocent Michael I say this; you never stood a chance of being normal. I cannot fathom what your childhood was like. You were not done. You would have continued to change the world one song at a time, until you died at a proper old age. I want you back.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Emotions

I have always been a gal that loves photography. All aspects of it. The creativity, the precise capturing of moments, the ability we have to elasticize time. Decades later, we can snap ourselves back to that exact second in time by looking at an image. Imagery is so powerful, in that one glance can evoke deep, sometimes buried, feelings. With all the talk about how vital it is to live in the present moment, it's still important to look back on our past. Your present is a result of your personal history. Go ahead, look back. As long as we don't rely on the past to keep us happy in the present, it's safe. When we attach to the past too much, it can mess with our head, and alter our current perceptions. Missing the "good old days" sends the message that new days aren't as good. We cannot change the past, no matter how many times we mentally rewrite certain scripts. As long as we know this, and focus only on how we can change in the now, then by all means, reflect away.

Cameras are one of the greatest inventions of all time. They document and capture entire life spans, leaving invaluable treasures to be discovered by future generations. One of my favorite things about this blog, is that I'm documenting my life for my children and grandchildren. And please God, all the many generations that will come. I want them all to have a strong, clear, and vivid picture of who I was. Who I am. I love being on both sides of the camera, taking the photos and being in them. Being such a detail oriented person, it's the tiny things in life that capture my heart and attention. I love spotting the less obvious. It makes one appreciate and absorb the beauty in everything. My favorite photographer is Diane Arbus. Many years ago, the New York Times magazine featured a famous, old photo of hers. This was the first time I'd heard of her. The photo, which remains my favorite to this day, was of young identical twin girls. While the girls had the exact same mirrored features, clothes, and haircut, there were startling subtle differences. One was neat, not a hair out of place, stockings straight. A calm, complacent smile on her young face. The other twin had messy hair, her headband was askew, her stockings wrinkled. She did not look at serene as her sister. Rather, she looked annoyed and unhappy. The imagery struck me; how despite the obvious mirror imagery, these children were clearly so different. That underneath a facade that looks one way to outsiders, all kinds of shit is bubbling and percolating. I wondered if twin B was jealous of her more perfect sister. If she was sick of being compared to her. If she felt she would never be as good as her, would never be the teacher's pet. I felt resentment through the page. I remained curious if their lives had diverged into different paths, one easy and happy , one fraught with struggle and feelings of inadequacy. I wondered if twin A was aware of the differences, and if she was secretly pleased to be the "better one". If every little annoyingly sugar coated move was a passive aggressive🖕🏼to her sister.

Everyone likes to be in the lead, at any stage in life. I saw this photo pre Internet, so I took my copy of the magazine to Barnes and Noble so I could locate the coffee table book I figured it had to be in. That book still sits on my living room table, in a stack of other artfully arranged books that hold significance for me. Diane Arbus was known for capturing and honoring many ugly sides to life. She paid very close attention to that which most people turned away from. The unattractive, the sexually deviant, the mentally challenged , the freaks; they were not inconvenient to her. She was a visionary. Her imagery burns into one's mind. You feel her power through her lens. How dare you look away from certain aspects of life, simply because they don't subscribe to your expectations...

Since starting Instagram this past year, I've been really experimenting with photography. I love posting and sharing. I love the editing, filters, and coming up with witty captions. Since I'm a bit averse to technology, I used to stand on a soapbox about this. I didn't think it was philosophically healthy to need to control our memories. To alter images to make them look perfect felt phony to me. If someone was blinking, or turned their head, then that's the reality of what happened. Leave it be. I thought it was a negative indication of modern technology; how the need to shellack everything becomes obsessive. I can whine about this forever, but it ain't changing. I may as well join the party, even if I have to be coaxed onto the dance floor. It didn't serve me well to stand on ceremony about this. In fact, it held me back. I really do love social media, since it's given me a platform to express, share, and connect with all of you!

One of my favorite things to photograph is beautiful,  fresh food. When I do a Lady Blaga food shoot, which is always super fun and challenging, I pour all my creativity into showcasing my JESScipes in the prettiest, freshest, yet natural way. I prep before, during, and after shots. It takes a lot of work, since Tzvia and I will bang out ten recipes at a time, but I'm always on such a high during the process. In Israel this year, I took a lot of food shots I'm really proud of. I got to combine my love of marketplaces, fresh ingredients, color, and Israel. My family was always 🙄 because I'd lag behind zooming in on a pile of dates or something.

I do a lot of photo work with Sky Frame in NYC, with the ultra talented homie Frankie. We've done various projects together, and I blew up a series of food pics, poster size onto metal. They came out awesome. I hung them up in my kitchen, and they look so sharp and vibrant against a stark grey wall. A clean line of bright, delicious beauty. Most of all, as I stood back absorbing my "work", I felt like a true artist. I have expressed myself more this year than I ever have in my entire life. I've seen projects come to fruition. I have proof of my personal growth and artistic evolution. It feels freaking great. I had an extra shot of gorgeous, juicy 🍓that I didn't have room for. I joyfully gifted it to SF, who hung it in her kitchen as well. The fulfillment in adding beauty and happiness to my friend's home is huge for me. I decided that will be my gift to loved ones, rather than buying an impersonal hostess gift. No one needs another set of lame serving pieces. My yoga teacher recently had a baby boy. I gave her another enlargement I'd made, of turquoise hearts painted on a wall, in the city of Zfat. This city in Israel is the birthplace of the Kabbalah, the book of Jewish mysticism.

This special woman required a special gift💙. Again, the feeling of pride I had when I gave the photo was deeply gratifying. It's a piece of my heart. I had some other images I hung in my sons' rooms too. I couldn't wait to tell them that mommy was the photographer. It's amazing how that little four chambered organ can keep giving and giving of itself, and always regenerate. There's always more to give. Always more to share. Always more to see and capture. We are so blessed to have an innate hunger to want to remember. The more proof we can gather of the wonder of the world, the happier we will be. It certainly works for me📸.

One Cool Chickpea Dip

Like every third family today, ours has food allergies. This is a mystifying source of frustration. I have a nephew that is severely anaphylactic to sesame, and another family member that is severely attached to hummus. Picture the Zohan brushing his teeth with it.

Prior to a family gathering, I was determined to find a sesame free alternative to classic hummus. I came across this excellent recipe from chef Giada DeLaurentis that would fit the bill. I just swapped her white bean base for chickpeas, and voila. The result is a creamy, delicious, thick dip made with a few fresh ingredients. It takes two minutes max. It works with chips, crudités, or as a condiment for the hummus obsessed. I mean, the person I know substitutes it for ketchup. He cries when there's none in the fridge😢.

Serving an allergy safe alternative to anything is always gratifying. It feels nice to accommodate people. A word on this; if I make gluten free stuff for your child when they're in my house, please reciprocate and make regular stuff when my kid goes to yours. It's only fair. Don't discriminate against the non allergic. AR, this is not for you, you're awesome always 😘.
I'm considering this a JESScipe since I subbed the chickpeas. I love you, Giada! You're so cute and tiny, and I adore your cooking shows🙌🏻.

Ingredients

One can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

Quarter cup loosely packed fresh leaf parsley

Two tbsp fresh lemon juice

One large garlic clove

Half teaspoon kosher salt

Quarter teaspoon pepper (coarser or ground is fine).

Directions

Mix all in a food processor, slowly pouring in a third cup of olive oil. Mixture should be creamy, some rough chickpea pieces are just fine. Check seasonings and season to taste if needed. This easily doubles and triples. It's a great, fresh dip for a summer anything. Mixed with one of our specialty drinks from mixologist Rob B, you're already the hostess with the mostess.

Red Army

While I've been sticking with black and white for the majority of the past couple years, red has been really popping up more and more in my style choices. Red is bold, bright, inviting, and fun. I ain't shy, and neither is this color. Red is also 🔥💥.

I got this red linen J Crew blazer several years ago, in my "maybe I'm in a Kate Middleton" phase. I bought it to wear over skinny jeans and a button down. A tasteful pop of color over a clean, preppy silhouette. Fuck that. We all love the Duchess, but her look isn't the right fit for me😜❤️. I'll get back to you if I'm ever invited to play croquette in the palace with the Queen and her corgis, but that has not happened yet. Btw, I think Pippa is really annoying...

It recently occurred to me to pair red with faded camouflage. The shrunken, preppy fit of the jacket was a good contrast to my fave camo muscle tee. Tough and feminine. Boldness in different ways. This classic denim skirt is a sweet midi length, but any denim bottom would work. Cut offs, pants, a mini skirt. I definitely prefer this medium wash, though. The feminine skirt is unexpected with the tough feeling tee. I just loved it together. Espadrilles aren't normally my thing, but these are so interesting. The hardware and two different lace up ribbons are badass ballerina, nailing home the mixed message.

I just learned in yoga that our left side is our feminine, lunar side, while the right is solar and masculine. Love this🙏🏻❤️. We need both the sun and moon to complete a full cycle of a day. We need to sometimes be soft, and other times tougher. It's all needed. It all looks good, but it looks even better when we can mix them together. It's simply more interesting that way. Everything in life is a balance.  PS: I also never graduated college (I have one semester left). This outfit makes me feel like the coolest girl on the campus, though at this point I'd clearly be on the faculty. I'll settle for being the hottest professor in the teachers' lounge 😉🔥💃🏼

T shirt is Current Elliot. Skirt is Chloe. Blazer And red sunglasses J Crew. Shoes Miu Miu

Listen to Touch the Sky by Kanye West

I don't care what your feelings may be about Yeez. This song is damn uplifting. The horns used here are also in the closing scene of the movie "Bend It Like Beckham", which is so endearing and joyful. It's obvious why I chose this song today; see the Inspire section. I kinda don't want to keep yammering on about the message. Not only would it be redundant, but words can pollute the point of a great song, which is simply to listen and react.

Learning to Fly

This is a post I never thought I'd write. Ever. Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song...

I recently took my first post divorce trip. I decided to go to Israel for several reasons; I speak Hebrew, have friends and family who live there, and feel very comfortable and safe since I've been there many times. I have a whole world of places to explore (so exciting!) ,but so far there is no other place where I feel this happy and alive. I've been visiting Israel since I'm 8 years old, but this invigorating attachment towards it began three years ago. I wonder if it's possible to feel so fully charged and blissful in the places we actually live in... It's such a shame we don't.

I took this trip alone. My smile was plastered wide on my face the moment I stepped onto the plane. Mind you, this was prior to my knocking back an Ambien, 10 mg of melatonin, and 3 Dramamine 😜💊💃🏼, but still, I was one happy Lady. I I love that I can go places alone and fully enjoy myself. All I needed was my music, a book, and wide eyes to observe my surroundings. I'm in a place where my spirit, mind, and heart are open, which allows me to soak in everything around me to my core. It's an intense and gratifying feeling when we feed off the energy of a new atmosphere. Strangers aren't strange. New isn't unfamiliar. Differences are learning opportunities. Engaging all our senses to become one with where we are is wonderful. Tasting new foods. Watching and listening to other people. Shaking their hands and hugging them. Inhaling different scents. Understanding how much we have in common underneath it all. Being in awe of the beautiful, varied tapestry of humankind. Realizing how much more we must learn about each other, and how blessed we to have the capacity to do so. No matter how far we can travel, we are never finished discovering. Geographical exploration, like self exploration, is infinitesimal. It's never over. How scary would it be if it was?? Imagine if one day you woke up and realized you had nothing more to see, nowhere else to go, no more to unearth about yourself. Sounds bleak, right? When nothing else is new, then everything is old. We keep going forwards or backwards. Life is fresh or stale. We are either growing or remaining stagnant. There's no third option.

This trip was monumental for me. I'm going to write about it incrementally; one post won't do it justice. I want to now share with you the most impactful part of this trip, which has also been one of the most impactful events of my entire life. This story is about the Power of New (alternate excellent post title).  As I've mentioned before, I have a crippling phobia of heights. I do not recall having this fear as a kid. I skied (which included using the chair lift) relaxed on balconies, rode horses, slid down slides at amusement parks. I was never a daredevil by any means, but I didn't hold myself back from most enjoyable activities. I'm not exactly sure when my fear developed, but it has taken residence in my mind for decades now. Key word; "mind"...

I met a new friend in Israel, YM(R). We were introduced by a close mutual friend, and made plans to hang out. In talking and getting to know each other, I predictably rambled on about my aversion to heights. It's become part of my neurotic New York frightened Jewish repertoire. My cute shtick. It's as factual for me to discuss as it would be if I stated that I have a nose. Everyone has fears, right? This is mine.  Picture Fred Armisen as Joy Behar on SNL, saying, "so what, who cares??" YMR, I know you're reading this and won't understand it, but that's an American joke about Saturday Night Live.

I love meeting new people, and have never had difficulty opening up about myself. I probably like new people a lot better than I like most people I've known for a long time. Again, the Power of New. Good conversation while forging a connection to another person is medicinal. It's because humans are wired to connect. When we make those connections, we are aligned with our purpose. We are playing on the universal team of humanity. It just feels right. A few days later, this friend planned a surprise for me. I can't remember a time in my life when that's happened. New. I was definitely trepidatious but obviously intrigued. Mostly excited, a bit nervous. A normal combination of feelings.

NEVER DID I IMAGINE THAT THE SURPRISE WOULD BE A FUCKING PARAGLIDING LESSON.

Trying to argue out of it before

I arrived to my secret destination dressed for a boat ride, which was what my assumption was. I was wearing a bikini, layered necklaces, and a ruffled linen crop top. I was not dressed for a suicide mission. If you know where Kamikaze pilots shop, please tell me so I'm prepared next time. New.

My heart at once both dropped and rose in my throat as my "Beyoncé on a boat in St Tropez" fantasy quickly became death on a stick. I was pissed. I was so upset at being put in this position that I really, really did not want to be in. I did not want to feel anger towards this incredibly thoughtful person, who went to all this trouble to arrange something for me. I felt like such a dick refusing a gift, and I was honest about that. I said, "why would you force me to do something I don't like?" He reasonably responded that I never tried it so I don't know if I don't like it. That was irritating in its fairness. It sucks when you're on a rant about something, and someone makes a better point than you. When a helmet is involved, you want to win your argument. He was determined to help me overcome my fear,  to which I firmly insisted that I'm perfectly comfortable having fears. Not everyone is meant to do everything. We don't all like the same things. Different strokes, different folks right? Isn't that a thing?

He assured me that if I did this, I'd carry this lesson with me the rest of my life🙄, that I'd emerge from the situation a stronger, better, more evolved person. I lobbed back that I had zero interest in being miserable for the next 20 minutes. That I hadn't planned on shitting my shorts that day. That it would be pretty gross if I threw up on myself. That if God intended for people to fly, He'd have given us wings. That I refuse to ride a camel since I'm way too high up. My list went on.  People, Israeli stubbornness is alive and well. Absolutely nothing I said resonated. Even when I said, "why is nothing I'm saying resonating?" Americans talk, Israelis do. There lies a huge cultural difference that is based on a number of things. Israel is an active military country. It is a small country that is unfortunately, always under the threat of real danger. It is constantly under actual attack. There is no time for stupid bullshit. No time to be afraid. The people there are all taught trust and bravery from adolescence. The army is mandatory there, beginning in their late teens. They must trust their squad, they must trust their commander, they must trust their government. Kids there understand what it means to surrender to life and death situations. To literally place your life in the hands of another is a wild concept. People have trouble placing their lives in the hands of God, let alone another human being. They are so lucky that this lesson is embedded into their mentality. Most people spend so much time being suspicious of others. By learning to trust, they become, and remain, united. If you can trust people, you also will trust and welcome new experiences. Every Israeli I know has an everlasting, unshakeable bond with their army buddies. They are best friends and brothers for life. It's beautiful.

euphoric after

In yoga I love learning to trust the universe, to trust myself. That has gotten me through things I never thought I could survive. It is incredible what trust can do. It seems to heal and repair almost anything. This is what YMR was trying to teach me; to trust myself that I could get through this. That on the other side of this new experience, I'd discover a more courageous Jessie. One who already existed, but who buried herself with doubt,so she was sometimes hard to find. The Scared Jessie was so used to not seeing the Brave Jessie, so she forgot she existed. You know the outcome of this story. The two Zohan cast members I was dealing with (YMR and the paragliding instructor) basically harnessed and helmeted me kicking and screaming. I lifted up my knees as I was told. With the instructor on my back, I went up. And up and up and up. I did not cry or scream. Nor did I crap my pants or puke. Rather, I smiled. I laughed. I had a very nice conversation with the instructor about both our personal lives (only me). Granted, I couldn't look down, and I did not like the speed. About three minutes in I thought ,wow, he was right. I have no problem crediting others, and this guy sure deserved some. I was composed enough to give him the finger while he filmed me from below🖕🏼. He laughed, and I was surprised he could see it. It's amazing what we are capable of seeing in other people.

He saw I was capable though I didn't know it. He saw I needed a push to become a more actualized individual. He saw someone holding herself back, and he saw how he would try to fix that. It was a huge act of kindness. Once I took flight, both literally and figuratively, I in turn was able to see how generous this was of him. I have never, in all my life, known someone who was so determined to give me a lesson like this. New. This is the height of human connection. The epitome of selfless giving. The gifting of non tangible things. Love, courage, joy, faith, trust. Things we can't touch physically, but that touch us emotionally. Friendship, support, laughter. We see the invisible when we feel safe enough to open our eyes. We can almost visualize what was just minutes ago, only atmospheric. To have someone believe in you is life changing. It breathes new energy into you. Both the giver and receiver are jolted back to life. Awakened. New. The pride I continue to feel from having gotten through this experience successfully is overwhelming. Part of me can't believe I did it, but now an even bigger part of me believes I did. This new awareness of what I can do will propel me forward in every part of my life. It has already. There is no such thing as the heart being too open. We have more room for expansion than we will ever understand. This is what I will chase and collect; people who want me to be the best version of myself. This includes me. My mantra the other day really rattled me, because it was something I never thought of before,and it just popped into my head. New. It was this, "I'm here for you". I was talking to myself. When we can come home to ourselves, we can soar higher than we ever thought possible. We lift ourselves up. We aren't scared.  Know. Knew. New. Thanks, Man. I owe you one. I'm still never going bungee jumping🖕🏼. Maybe this is why I love 🇮🇱so much; when we visit a place of bravery, be it on the map or within ourselves, we are infused with that quality.  And we don't want to ever come down from that high.

Love, Lady Blaga

PS: I had to do it or he told me he'd have called me Lady Blah Blah, for preaching self growth while not doing it myself. Very impressive in its truth and cleverness. It's a good thing when someone calls you out on your shit. Listen, learn, and live. Everyone we meet is for a reason.

So Farro Away

This fantastic grain side dish is both hearty and light. Here we have another way to use the lemon vinaigrette that we dressed the tuna salad with from a couple weeks ago. The dressing is so light, lemony, and versatile, and it lightens up a starchy side. This JESScipe can be served all year round, but to me it feels like Spring and Summer. There's something about the colors and flavors that evoke a fresh outdoor lunch.

Farro has been having a moment for a couple years now. It's well deserved. It is a delicious, nutty, brown grain. It's in the guilt free section of the carb isle, and it makes a terrific base for a side dish, or as a mix in for a leafy green salad. Serve this at your next BBQ, it's way classier than canned baked beans (which I ate cold directly from the can in camp when I was a teen).

ingredients

• Box of farro
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes 
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Dressing from Tuna Salad post https://www.ladyblaga.com/blog/2017/6/29/fine-tuna
• 4 cups baby spinach
• one cup pine nuts
• Lemon

directions 

Cook the Farro according to package directions. Make sure it's not over cooked. There should be a bite to it, so it shouldn't be mushy.

After cooking, rinse in a colander with cold water to stop the cooking process  (like pasta). Drain well. Pat dry if necessary.

While the Farro is cooking, roast two pints of cherry tomatoes on 400 for 20 minutes. Prior to placing in oven, mix the tomatoes with olive oil, and just a touch of salt and pepper. Not much, since the dressing will add lots of flavor. Feel free to sprinkle some dried oregano or basil on the tomatoes before cooking.

Let tomatoes cool completely. Tomatoes have a lot of water, so let them do their thing and emit some of that, to avoid adding unnecessary moisture to the salad. I like to let all components of this breathe a little before combining. While the tomatoes are roasting, and the Farro is cooking, sautée four cups of baby spinach in a pan with two tbsp of olive oil, until it's all wilted and dark green. This will happen quickly, stir throughout. Again, let the spinach completely give off all its water.

Toast a cup of pine nuts in a dry skillet over med low heat, until they turn golden brown and give off a deep, nutty aroma. Toasted pine nuts can be added to so many things. They are a major enhancer. Keep some in an airtight container in your pantry. They can quickly top soup or salads, adding a welcome impressive crunch.

While the Farro is warm, add some dressing, maybe three quarters of a cup. This helps the grains absorb the flavor. This salad is room temp, so toss together remaining ingredients right before serving. Save half the pine nuts to sprinkle on top at the very end to maintain their crunch.

Toss together gently so as to not mash the tomatoes. Also add in some finely chopped flat leaf parsley, maybe half cup packed. Chopped dill works well too. I use both if I have them. I like a very herby salad, and the bright green makes it pop visually. The herbs are key in giving this dish super freshness. We want to stay away from that not-so-fresh-feeling😜😉. Am I right, Ladies?? I also zest a lemon 🍋 directly over the salad. Fresh lemon zest perks everything up.

After zesting, squeeze the lemon over the salad, so you don't waste the lemon, and you can give an extra burst of flavor. Add more dressing while mixing. There should be a lot of coverage without over saturating it. Farro, tomatoes, spinach, pine nuts, and herbs; a winning combinations of textures and flavors This is also a nice vegetarian main. I give this salad the Best Dressed award 🏆. Oh, and if you're making this a day in advance, which you totes can, just store each component separately in the fridge. Bring to room temp before combing. 🍅🍋🍅🍋

Life is Too Shirt

Thank you to my dear Amiga, LMT, for gifting me this tee shirt. My Blaga baby is still a newborn, and I am continuously proud of her. I have dreamed of writing for my entire life, and to understand that I've finally begin to achieve this dream, fills me with deep gratitude and excitement. I am not technologically inclined whatsoever. I am still trying to order my Starbucks correctly, even though that joke is a good 25 years old ☕️. Sorry, I will never accept that "tall" means a size small. It's so stupid. I mean, I'm going to roll with it but still. I also dislike the word "blog". It still sounds to me like an accidental sound. It evokes imagery of Harold Ramis being covered in a green, slimy substance in Ghostbusters (I always had the hots for Egon).

I am a proud blogger. I am not 20. I am not 30. I'm 39. I never imagined that my dream to write would manifest itself via this form of communication. I looked at blogs as a platform for "kids today". Now I'm so appreciative of how one ugly syllable has afforded me a vehicle for my voice. I recall buying these jeans three years ago. I liked them but felt they were not age appropriate. I swear what made me buy them was a magazine picture of Kate Hudson wearing a similar style. It continues to amaze me how I aged myself in so many ways. Thank god that's over with. Thanks, Kate! They are my favorite pair. I put them on, and I instantly feel cooler. They are shockingly versatile. The jeans were the perfect anchor to this adorable shirt, which was a surprise that arrived right before this photo shoot. I love that a tween can wear it, and so can I. T shirts have wisdom sometimes, and I am listening. I am indeed blogging my heart out, and it feels wonderful. I've gotten truly uplifting feedback from Blaga fans of all ages. I am thrilled to reach a varied age demographic. Truth, humor, and insight are ageless. Style is ageless. In fact, it gets better with time (mine sure has). I thank the blogosphere for being a non discriminatory space for anyone to join and speak their truth. And to wear whatever they want, regardless if there's a giant iridescent heart involved. Age is really just a number, nothing more. Buy the jeans, write the blog, fulfill the dream. Go buy your friend a t shirt; it will make her day. Maybe she will write about it.

❤️, LB

Makes No Sense

The sense I'm talking about here is vision. I refuse to see how any objective can be to be loved blindly, or to love another blindly. That is not the same as loving unconditionally. To love another without condition, is to mean that despite anything and everything, you still love that person. Words, actions, circumstances, mistakes, or faults don't derail that love. There's truth in unconditional love, that's why it's a goal; people will always drift towards truth, even if they don't know it.

I have definitely seen situations that are indeed blind love. It may often make for a more pleasant, less combative, uncomplicated coupledom, but it ain't for me, Man. I don't ever want someone looking at me through an unrealistic filter. I want to be seen, understood, and known completely. I welcome someone knowing more about me than I might know myself, which is saying a lot since I'm quite introspective. Having that person delve deep into the core of my being, shining their flashlight into every nook, cranny, and crevice, and choosing to happily stick around. This comes from having a sure, healthy sense of self. If you aren't self aware, actualized, and comfortable with who you are, chances are you don't want to be seen in a raw, exposed state. It's too scary.  Wanting to be fully seen is, no doubt, emotionally brave. I like to consider myself of that ilk. I am not physically brave, as I've mentioned. But it has set in with me that I'm emotionally brave. I'm not shy. I don't fear feelings. I embrace all kinds of tears. I'm still learning about myself, meeting myself. I don't ever want to be the vision or idea someone had prior to meeting me, then fit me into that preconceived notion. Things belong in boxes, not humans.

I do not want someone thinking I'm perfect, and being blinded into an utter lack of awareness. I am real. Perfection is not. It's weak to not be able to view your partner with true clarity, and I don't want a weak partner. I gather that an inability to recognize the not so great truths about others, is fear based. That if one admits certain things about the person they need to view in rose colored glasses, then the relationship may crumble. Roots are bumpy, knotty, and gnarled. But they are immovable. They produce infinite, beautiful resources. That being said, I do not want criticism either. Truth isn't mean, it's just honest. To be fully seen to the extent where the knowledge of me is so vast it can't be put into words, that's what I want.

It is a magnificent compliment when someone cannot define you. I'd be hurt if a few malnourished adjectives were all it took to sum up my entire existence. Especially if those words could be so easily used to describe the person next to me. I often leave funerals so frustrated, as I'm certain the deceased was better and greater than how they were just portrayed. This is macabre on the surface, but I'm going to leave very specific instructions on how I want to be sent off. I don't want superficiality in life, and I certainly don't want it in the afterlife. With all this talk today about "owning who you are" and  "do you, Girl", how can that be if we can't be totally exposed to a significant other?

They're called "significant" because they're so important. Not so we can check off the "married" box on a medical form, or so that we don't feel alone. They're important for our growth. If you're growing a certain vegetable, you must give it exactly what it needs, specific to that species. Before giving it what it needs, you first must SEE what it needs. Understand it. What type of soil required, how much space it needs from the other stuff in the garden. How much sun it needs, how much water. Everything grows differently. Same with raising kids; we strive to know our children inside and out so we can best give them the individual tools they need to grow. We generally don't feel scared to get to know our offspring, in fact we pride ourselves on it. So why do adults have such roadblocks in interacting with each other? In medicine, blockages must be surgically cleared. Emotional blockages must be cleared too, to pave a clear, open road for two people to travel together. Hearts open. Eyes open.

We are so blessed with the gift of sight.

To not use it fully is to not appreciate that gift. If God gave us the capacity to see, to really see, then if we don't do that, we go figuratively blind. Don't be afraid to be seen. Vision creates love. And love creates everything else.

Foiled Again

This year, I'm all about the shine factor. If you're paying attention, you may note that this is not my first red pantsuit. I mean, how many does one really need, but the liquid shimmer drew me in here. Despite how uncomfortably skintight this may seem, there's a generous amount of stretch in the fabric that makes it very wearable. This outfit is not for the faint of heart. It's clearly a bold statement, even in its cleanliness. It's just three classic pieces; a legging, a tank, and a blazer. That's it. I put this on and all else simply "follows suit". Nightlife, I'm coming for you tonight.

Outfit aside, let's talk about the photograph itself. I love how Rachel, the fashion photographer, took this in my kitchen. Using my oven as the central prop lends cool symbolism to the shot. This picture represents much about me as a person. I'm highly domestic, and feel most at home well, in my home. My kitchen is my laboratory. I happily spend hours upon hours cooking and baking, while dancing and singing. I am quite often a homebody. I love arranging knickknacks, setting a beautiful table, choosing the right flowers, and thinking of creative ways to entertain. I absolutely love being a stay at home mother. Only now that my youngest is 7, am I just starting to venture out of my routine. Which is amazing, it's bringing balance into my life. Just as marriage doesn't mean stability, divorce doesn't mean instability. Your personal life doesn't define who you are. You probably think it does, as I did, but it doesn't. It certainly shouldn't. Personal status is a part of your life, a very important part, but it's not a reflection of who you are inside.

I've started to think of it like this; when God was mixing me in His own laboratory 39 years ago, and putting all sorts of ingredients into me, I'm certain He wasn't thinking, "I'm going to make this baby. She will drive carpool and go to the supermarket once a week. She will collapse if certain chapters of her life are different than what her community thinks they should be. She will serve her family and be sure her own truths are unimportant. She will exist only for others until she dies, at which point her eulogy will be interchangeable with other women she knew and didn't particularly like."  Um, I don't think so.

I believe in God completely, and I don't believe in One that doesn't believe in His own creations. That doesn't believe in us. If we love and trust God, we trust His intentions when He mixed each one of us. He's waaay too smart than to just create a bunch of yentas on a carpool line, right?? So often, there is tremendous guilt and suspicion embedded in religion. It's really very sad. Many people I know, good people, automatically jump to the conclusion that they're being punished by God if something goes wrong in their life. I thought this way until recently too. It's how we have been programmed, conditioned. It's a real shame to have been taught fear instead of love and trust. Nothing good comes from the former. Everything good comes from the latter.

I recently had a talk with one of my kids who thought if he did something that violated the sabbath (iPad related), God would punish him. This saddened me. It's not why his dad and I pay a fortune to send him to private school. I answered him that maybe we don't use our iPad on the sabbath for other reasons, but I assured him that he's a good boy, God knows that, God loves him, and doesn't want to punish him. I want my kids to love Judaism, not exist within it as fearful robots. Children conditioned to be afraid and guilt ridden become adults that carry that bullshit around with them their whole lives. That's not honoring God, it's actually an insult. I want my kids to thank me for giving them a cup of water because it's simply the right thing to do, not because they're afraid I'll yell and punish them if they don't. How little do they think of me if I'd punish them so quickly for any minor infraction?? God doesn't want to hurt us, He wants to help us. He trusts you more than you think, so trust Him back. To trust yourself means you have to know yourself. Really know yourself so doubt doesn't creep in and take over. This takes a lot of mental work, especially when you have to undo years and years of negative programming.

It's a huge point of frustration for me that religion is often based on externals. How we dress, how often we go to synagogue etc. Who cares how you dress if that clothing houses a not very nice person? Does it matter if you went to synagogue ten times in one day, if all you were thinking about was anything other than prayer? I hate that. I feel no less spiritual and proud of my Judaism in a bikini, than I do fasting on Yom Kippur. It's in my heart and my soul, so for me it just doesn't matter what people think they see on the outside. It's so superficial. It must stop. The judgement is completely out of control. We act towards others the way we act towards ourselves first. If you want a life where you try not to judge others, it won't happen unless you stop judging yourself. It just won't. It all works together in one direction, the right direction. Perhaps one of the most ubiquitous statements I hear is "I don't judge." Non judgmental people don't talk like that. I know like two, by the way. They don't need to make a declaration because in their hearts they know they're that way.  It's rare to be sure of who you are, which is why most people are constantly trying to prove to others that they are certain things.

Going back to the shiny, red suit. Red is a color not worn in certain sects of Judaism. It's considered inappropriate to wear such a bold color, immodest. I went to a high school that taught that, so I know. We were once instructed not to wear red on a class trip. In 2017, this is Lady Blaga: she wears red. She loves being bold, yet introverted at times. She bakes cookies, makes her bubbie's chicken soup every week, yet she started a kick ass blog. She prays very intently, yet is in DJ school. She is divorced but loves her family more than anything. She is incredibly warm and inviting, yet protective of her space. She lights sabbath candles every week , yet may have a cool photo shoot planned for Tuesday. It all matters. None of it matters. If you're not hurting anyone, and are in fact helping, just do your thing. Shine from within. Always start from within. Thank you for reading this. It felt good to write it.

Love, LB

Listen to End of the Road by Boyz II Men

Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.... This was the ultimate dramatic, heart wrenching breakup song in the 90's. There is no girl who has not dreamed of a guy singing something like this to her. It's so weepy, romantic, and vulnerable. We are constantly hearing about how women are so psychotically emotional/hysterical, and men are unfeeling horn dogs😈🐶.

I once heard Steven Tyler tell Howard Stern during an interview, that singing about love and feelings is cool. How most rock stars, many of them male, usually sing about love and heartache. I never forgot this, and especially now since I'm re entering the dating world, I need to believe this. It's too hard not too. Ladies, stay optimistic. God created everyone with feelings, not just chicks. Men need love and affection just as much as we do, even if many of them can't admit it. I also love this song since I love acapella and doo wop. Boyz was like a modern barbershop quartet, sans those ridiculous straw hats with the flat tops.

My relationship to love will never reach the End of the Road. There's simply no reason to be alive without it. To my female contemporaries, press play and let this take you back to junior year, where if your crush didn't say hi to you en route to math class, you wanted to die 😭🔫

Or if you actually know me from the nunnery I was forced to attend for high school, you wanted to 🔫 yourself anyway since that place sucked. #notoverit.

Rob Summer

We call this a Rob summer, because simply put, it's what Rob drinks in the summer.

Ingredients:

Tequila 

Club Soda 

Lime 

Directions:

1. Fill a highball glass with ice (if you have large ice cubs that preferred so as not to dilute the tequila/club soda)

2. Pour in 1.5 oz (but it's not like 2oz ever killed anyone) of your finest tequila blanco 

3. Fill remainder of glass with club soda or seltzer (it's important to use one of those and not another kind of sparkling water to ensure proper carbonation levels) 

4. Cut a lime wedge 

5. Squeeze the lime wedge into your glass 

6. Drop the lime wedge into the glass 

7. Stir gently 

8. Enjoy! :) 

Listen to Ain't No N***a (feat. Foxy Brown) by JAY Z

This song is decades old, and somehow I just heard it for the first time recently. It is on replay all day. I cannot get enough of it. It's a variation on the Four Tops hit "Ain't No Woman Like the One I Got", a song I've always loved too.

I adore the genre of Motown. I was a Four Tops and Temptations nut from my early teens. Jay Z is so cool here, I want to cry and dance at once. I have such admiration for a badass female rapper. To spit with the guys, and even outshine them, is so monstrously insane. Foxy Brown controls these few minutes, no doubt. She is the crux of the song, no disrespect to anyone else intended. From bar one, I can't stop bouncing. Actually bouncing. In front of a floor length mirror in my home (don't judge me). There is no cooler human on this planet, or any other, than Pharrell. Gwen Stefani once described him that it's as if Oprah and Yoda had a baby. Bullseye!

The sheer level of talent drippingout of his every pore. The wisdom and innovation. The ability to do just every single thing in the music industry. Effortless.  He's so hot, too. He looks like an Egyptian cat God.  There's an encapsulating elegance to him that adds to my fascination with him.  This song is essentially a trifecta of genius, hustle, and flow. Ain't no Jay like the one we got. Even if he just gave his son a crazy name.
 

RED-iculous

J'adore this tomato red dress! Everything about it appealed to me; the color, the asymmetry, the mix of shredded femininity. The hue is so bold, the tiny buttons so demure anddelicate. This piece is one stop shop; you need nothing else to drive home this look. It speaks for itself. It's by a designer I'm just learning about, thanks to my friend Gito. The designer is Magda Butrym. I even love her name! I love the combo of bright red and yellow gold accessories, but I kept it as minimal as possible. With the side parted glam hair, and the photographer telling me to twirl, I felt very old Hollywood glamour. Which led me to think of Marilyn Monroe in the classic film "The Seven Year Itch", in that famous white dress billowing up scene. Which then led me to think about emotional asymmetry. Let me explain. As we all know, despite her tremendous fame and following, world admired beauty, and enviable sex appeal, Marilyn was an extremely lonely woman. She was very open about this. There was such deep sadness underneath her worshipped exterior. Her legions of fans, numerous movie roles, or famous love interests played no part in easing her inner turmoil. It probably made it worse, with all the public pressures and expectations to be who the world wanted her to be. So often, the loneliest place to be is a crowded room. Living near Manhattan, I think about this a lot.

Watching all the hustle and flow of the city, the thousands of people coming and going at breakneck speed, is a recipe for loneliness if you aren't in an assured place in your life. All these people, and not one of them notices you. It's very easy to feel invisible amongst the masses. The public saw Marilyn in the way the studios packaged and delivered her. The contents of that package were unimportant and irrelevant. She knew this, she was not a dumb blonde. Out of all the negative human emotions we are capable of feeling, I think loneliness is the most destructive. It's what often leads to suicide. Rage, sadness, and insecurity aren't fun, but if an angry person feels love, they can probably exist without harming themselves. There are anti anxiety medications, anti depression medications, and various types of anger management therapies. There's no pill to take if you feel lonely, isolated, and misunderstood. I'm not referring to clinical depression, I mean the notion of loneliness on it's own. There isn't a prescription that can be filled out to cure one of feeling unseen and ignored. Humans are meant to connect with other humans. That has nothing to do with being shy or outgoing, popular or unpopular. It's a human need that if not met, causes the world to feel like a horribly lonely place to be. A place some people would rather exit than remain in. Loneliness leads to many forms of addiction, as a means of escape.

I see this more and more in my neighborhood. Life, relationships to children,  marriages, or personal fulfillment are not what the expectation was. An escape is necessary to literally take people out of their own heads. Incessant shopping, binge eating, even gossip is a form of addiction. People get addicted to talking about the lives of others in order to avoid dealing with their own life. I think even running errands constantly, or organizing your pantry like the guy that pulverized Julia Roberts in "Sleeping With the Enemy", are also means of distraction. At the stage of life where we don't have babies at home to take up all our time and energy, since the kids are in school full time, your own home can feel incredibly lonely. Silence can be very scary, since all you hear are your own thoughts, and you don't want to hear your truth since it may implode your carefully constructed life. The dress, Marilyn, the concept of imbalance, all compare to the vast challenges of living in an age of social media.

Take Instagram, where people feel validated or loved based on how many followers they have. It can be such fake bullshit; a person with a billion followers can secretly be beyond miserable. I admit that anyone, including myself, could be seen as a hypocrite, since I'm in fact using social media for my own purposes. Social media can promote major asymmetry in our minds, since we are constantly tricked into false security and illusions. People post photos in order to get likes. Likes are dangerous when we rely on them for validation. Anyone who posts a ton of stuff, then claims they don't give a shit what anyone thinks of them, is lying to themselves. They need the likes just as they need to pee; it's a relief. Likes feel good. You feel seen, appreciated, momentarily important. This is a drug like any other. It's very scary raising kids in this era. How can we teach our kids to feel genuine love and security when they are basing those feelings on how many people liked the snapchat photo of them looking like a deer on acid??? I don't get the whole snapchat thing, but I'm always very late to any tech party. My kids try to convince me that the filters are cool. I think they're ridiculous, and tell them I don't have any desire to see their perfect faces distorted. I can't stand it. I like seeing them as is. I want others to see me as is, not a purported vision of me. I know I put myself out there, so anyone that can't see me clearly doesn't belong in my life.

I've said that before, and I'll keep holding on to that. I don't want a ton of superficial connections, I'd rather a few true, deep ones. No one admits to wanting otherwise, but most people don't live by that. You've never heard someone say, "I prefer to have a lot of phony relationships instead of three friendships of quality". Yet, so many still seem to be running for mayor. It's a huge challenge to remind ourselves that all we really need is within us, when the undertow of social media can drown us. But we can look at it like this; it is the very challenge of asymmetry that will keep us balanced. We, myself as well, must work harder to weed out inauthenticity. We must constantly teach ourselves what's real and what's not. We will be stronger when we internalize this. There is many a night I've wasted trolling things on Instagram that have zero to do with me. I always hate myself for it after. It's so stupid, and I know better. But I get sucked in. I've never thought,"wow, what a fulfilling evening I just had, perusing the accounts of complete strangers. Now I can sleep peacefully, knowing what so and so did for vacation three years ago. " In yoga, you do the exact same movements on both sides of the body. Achieving balance takes focus and commitment. It's not always easy, but it sure feels good when everything in our lives is aligned. It is both our right and responsibility to maintain balance. No one can mess with your center. If there's someone who throws you out of whack, that is a sign to perhaps let them go. Only keep those who really see you for you. If the most famous woman in the world had this problem, chances are the rest of us can relate. Go ahead, it's ok to post stuff and check your IG. I'm going to also. Just understand how meaningless it is. Oh, and wear something red ❣❣🖍🖍, I think that was the original purpose to this article ❌⭕️❌⭕️.