That Marmoreal Moment

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE WORD "MEMORIAL", though both words seem to reference the tombstones and mausoleums made in that smooth, cold limestone. "Marmoreal" is an old-fashioned term describing something made of marble, or which bears the qualities of marble. The word may be used literally for marble objects or structures, such as the Florentine buildings in Virginia Woolf's Flush: A Biography. "...Florence in its marmoreal smoothness and in its gritty cobbled roughness." It may also be used figuratively for non-marble objects, such as Governor Stanton's face, "marmoreal and unperturbed and high, above black square beard and black frock coat..." in Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men.

The adjective may have long fallen from colloquial speak but its use is still very much alive. What better way, after all, to describe the marbled stylings from Balenciaga, Stella McCartney and Playtype? Indeed, marble is no new motif and there are countless other accessories out there actually made in the stone. But these ones fake it fabulously.

With my marmoreal objects of desire, perhaps it would be safe to proceed with caution, lest I transform my little corner into the Mies Van der Rohe Pavilion.

FAUX Collection posters from store.playtype.com Balenciaga White Marble-effect Ankle Strap Pump from www.lyst.com Stella McCartney Lucia Plexi Clutch www.stellamccartney.com

This July en Vogue

FROM SMS TO EMAIL TO WHITE MAIL and all over town, I've been plagued with end-of-season sale promotions that I had so far been very strong to resist. July has been off to a good start! How have you fared?

If however, you're an illustration enthusiast like myself, it may be hard for you to resist Condé Nast Collection's 20% Off Everything sale, ongoing until 5th July. Above is a selection of Vogue July covers from as early as 1913, featuring illustrations by Eduardo García Benito, Harriet Meserole, Helen Dryden, Georges Lepape, George Wolfe Plank and Cecil Beaton. Presented by art.com, the cover reproductions are available as giclees or stretch canvas prints in a range of sizes and framing options.

Enjoy!

Vogue July issue covers available on www.condenaststore.com

That Meaty Masquerading

WHEN IT COMES TO CARNIVAL SEASON, masks tend to steal the spotlight. From the eerie Venetian balls, to the savage Brazilian parades, Carnival masquerading has been popularized the world over in both its religious and secular forms.

Traditionally a season of festivities occurring right before lent, Carnival holds Christianity-linked etymology with greater reference to meat-eating than masquerading. From Latin carne vale or "farewell to meat" to Italian carne levare "to remove meat", the celebrations prompt the beginning of fasting and abstinence from carnivorous and other rich foods until Easter.

Other etymology point to Carnival's links with carrus navalis, "car" or "ship" hailing from pagan pageantry. Denmark's Aalborg Carnival, for example, closely maintains this link, with Carrus Navalis as a parade boat ushered in by masked dancers, and succeeded by a symbolic sowing of seeds.

Whether in reference to pagan or Christian religion, with masks or with soon-to-be-disposed-of meat, Carnival is celebrated with revelry just the same. While I'm personally accustomed to masquerading later on in Halloween, and to regularly trading meat for healthier options anyway, with all this meat on my mind, I sure wouldn't mind a steak tartare this weekend.

Meat charts from fr.wikipedia.org www.gutenberg.org www.diarioelatlantico.com vintageprintable.com www.allposters.com

That Sunday Best

IT'S BEEN OVER THREE YEARS since I last went to church. After almost my entire 26-year lifetime of having had to be a practicing Catholic at home and in school, it is much to my parents' dismay that I no longer hold the same religiosity they do. Though did I ever?

And as I have grown averse to any discussion about religion, faith or belief, for the simple reason that they always ending up in lengthy, heated arguments, I post not about religion, faith or belief but about the Sunday tradition of decades past. An elegant tradition now long gone, save for our properly-garbed grandmas.

I'm not just pertaining to attire. Nowadays, it appears that the majority of Sunday mass-goers have converted themselves into being genuine slobs, upholding some sort of unmannerly or unsightly Sunday slob culture. Practices include hanging out in front of Zara while the in-mall ceremony happens kilometers away, smoking outside the church building and coming in for communion then back out, sleepy head-bobbing through readings while the young ones run amok, and juvenile BBM-ing while hair-flipping towards the direction of that cute boy on the other side of the aisle. Amongst others.

Is the concept of Sunday best officially dead?

Prints by Atelier Bachrvitz, available on www.discountpostersale.com

Those Herbs

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH. As I am allergic to most over-the-counter drugs, my frail little body has to rely on vitamins for prevention and herbal medicines for -cough- cure.

Oh my god I feel horrible. I hate the weather and its abrupt changes and its -cough- very inconvenient effects on my health and well-being.

Please make this go away!

Botanical posters from www.allposters.com

That Principauté de Monaco

TWO WEEKS AFTER THE HUSTLE AND THE BUSTLE THAT WAS IRON MAN 2, Jaime and I finally got to watch it last night at a fairly empty and very comfortable last full show. I was able to park my oversized hobo on the empty seat next to me and was even able to get up and go to the bathroom halfway through the movie without feeling embarrassed about knocking knees and blocking views.

Nothing too spectacular, original or thought-provoking, Iron Man 2 was nonetheless a very good and enjoyable watch. I'd watch it again if it came on TV. Except, oh wait, we still don't have cable.

What the movie really brought me personally was a new-found interest in that luxuriously chic resort city-state where Robert Downey drove a racecar and was met with a very scary and smelly-looking lightning-slinging Mickey Rourke.

Tossed in somewhere between the Mediterranean Sea, France and Italy, Monaco is the world's smallest country next to the Vatican and is known for its Monte Carlo Casino, absence of tax, the late Princess Grace and the Grand Prix.

The country by the way does not have any natural resources. But who cares right?

Just take me there!

Monaco Art Prints from www.art.com

That Mad Attitude

THE GREAT THING ABOUT BEING IN ADVERTISING is that you get to meet people who are interestingly offbeat or strange.

And I guess sometimes it takes that certain playful, comical personality to make art reflect those same characteristics.

More JP Cuison posters at jpcuisonart.blogspot.com