“Intimacy is tough. It’s fucking hard. Love is hard. With anyone: not just your man, not just your woman, but your mom, your dad, your siblings, your friends. Not because of the inevitable disagreements or any of that nonsense; while those might be annoying, they aren’t the real reason intimacy is painful. Intimacy is painful because the closer you get to someone, the closer you are to the realization that no matter what you do, what you say, how perfect you are, how hard you love, you cannot stop time. Or differing realities. Or change. Or ultimately, loss. Death. Anger. Parting. Separation. So you might disconnect as a means of mitigating that pain but the reality is you only push it into another part of your life, or down the road, to some future unknown time when it’s okay to feel pain (when is that??). It will come out. It always does. So go ahead and love. Love, because it reminds you you’re alive.”

“How do you get your protein?” just so happens to be the ongoing question that is asked to vegans, daily.

This information is for the people I know who are confused as to how much our daily intake of protein should consist of.

Protein requirements are complicated because the amount we need changes with age.

Infants require about 10 grams a day.
Teenage boys need up to 52 grams a day.
Teenage girls need 46 grams a day.
Adult men need about 56 grams a day.
Adult women need about 46 grams a day.

This is accomplished easily with a plant-based diet. Many people consume way above their daily protein requirements needed to stay healthy.

Try Veggies (Greens),Hemp, Non-Dairy Milk (Soy, Almond, etc), Hummus, Sprouted-grain bread and Tempeh and many other delicious plant-based foods.

Go Vegan!
Thank you, Rachel

Article taken from my webpage and business: The New Luv

By Rachel Kay for TheNewLuv.Com

“I bathe my body in the sweet aromas of
Jasmine, rose
Opiates to the being of our kind
Intoxicating our minds with its sweet drug..
Desire and design.” -An excerpt from a poem I wrote “Awake”.

With Valentines Day just around the corner and the chill in the air still looming over us, were craving warmth and each other.  What better way to enjoy the pleasant feeling of another body pulling you close but by enticing them with the sweet aromas that Lush provides us with? They won’t be able to get enough of you, and your enduring scent.

Here’s a few of my favorite Lush products that linger that I know leaves  your lust-worthy crush with a craving they can’t resist, you. And besides, I love to indulge in a delicious long shower or bath that let’s us let our hair down and relax.

Let your luv-er be seduced …

I especially love using the “Godiva Solid Shampoo Bar”  on my tresses, a golden shampoo bar named after none other than a naked-protester, Godiva. The 100% vegan bar is easy to use with just a gentle rub & lather leaves your tresses with the sweet scent of Jasmine that can last all day.

For conditioner, I use  “Happy Happy Joy Joy”  that has a rose water, orange blossom water and almond milk base to soften that leaves your hair beautifully conditioned and soft for your luv-er to run their fingers through.  And what else? Orange flower absolute, rosewood and grapefruit oils perfume your hair to make you feel Happy Happy all day long.

And on those days when you just don’t feel like washing another day, yes we all have them: You can use Lush’s Dry Shampoo; No Drought that leaves your hair lingering with the aroma of Citrus fruits. No one will ever know.

Let’s journey a bit to your lips. You want your puckers to be soft and smooth so that when your sweetie leans in, they’ll be quite delighted they aren’t kissing sandpaper. Exfoliating your lips before you apply  your lipstick is a sure way to smooth lips. Try: Lush’s Sugar Lip Scrubs. Flavors: Sweet Lips (my favorite!), Bubble Gum & Mint Julips.

I believe that I must always, under every circumstance possess a smooth body. I’ll exfoliate my body with “Rub Rub Rub” before shaving, leaving my body tingling with the delight of smooth, soft skin.

After Shaving, I’ll use a shower gel, like Twilight. Unfortunately Twilight is limited edition and available during Christmas, but if you get your hands on it: It’s an absolute delight. I use mine sparingly. You can also get Twilight in a Bath Bomb version as well as a Gorilla Perfume (Online only). On Lush’s website Twilight is described as:

“Because we are all made of stars A lavender and malt notes shower gel to calm, relax and comfort as it helps you transition from day to night.  Do you want to look up at the night sky and remember that you are part of it? Then Twilight will help you connect.  For a good night’s sleep, use this before bed.”

Sometimes, for special occasions I will use Turkish Delight, which is scented with Rose Oil and the aphrodisiac of Jasmine. If you are feeling brave enough; make it a delicious smoothie of sensual indulgence when you mix in Ro’s Argon Body Conditioner, also scented with Rose but leaves your skin pleased.

Now that you know my favorite products while in the shower, let me tell you of my body lotion.

If I didn’t use Ro’S Argon, I’ll enjoy massaging Potion Lotion into my skin, not forgetting to miss any little crevice. Potion Lotion is great for layering scents as this too, has the scent of aphrodisiacs and then I’ll dust my skin with Lush’s Dust powder, Lustre that leave me with a golden twinkle.  Sometimes,I feel like loving on my  Vanilla Dee-lite, a lotion that is a sure way to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Now, the next and last beauty item that I love at Lush is a must; perfume. This is the one thing that will always leave the lingered scent of you.

I spritz “Lust” on my pressure points, Lush’s Gorilla Perfume that is scented with the dirtiest, sexiest jasmine imaginable; it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Were not done yet. Lush has a few luv-ly special edition products for Valentines day;

Tender is the Night: A sexy massage Bar that you can share with your lover on the special night or use on yourself to leave your skin touchable.

& for the single ladies: The Ex-Factor: A bath bomb that’s described as a  sweet, vanilla-scented voodoo for spurned lovers.

So, head into  your nearest and for me, dearest Lush and purchase your lover, or yourself a vegan treat for Valentines Day.

I hope this little article lingers for you as much as it does for me.

You can purchase more Lush products that are available at: http://www.lush.com and everything that is vegan is labeled with the “V”.

Featured Image:

Photographer: Kyria Abrahams

Models: James Koroni of The Enforced Arch & Rachel Kay of  The New Luv

“I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.”
― Anais Nin

I am sorry that I have not been up to date in my writing but I have been working on a new business that I had started with my friend, Marina.

It;s called “The New Luv” and it has launched today into the blog and has been on Facebook for a little over two weeks!

THE NEW LUV

Where compassion meets fashion…..
Let us take you on an adventure;

Step outside your own boundaries of what you’ve learned in the past and what society has spoon-fed you into believing and experience what we call the new love.

What is The New Luv?

As you are well aware, early detection is crucial in breast cancer treatment, and we are doing all we can to help spread that message.

Surgeons Give Support will run through Breast Cancer Awareness month and end Friday, November 2nd. More information can be found here:

http://www.aboutplasticsurgery.com/breast-oasis

The bitter sweet story of our lives
For your attention
Another brigades of boys is riding on
No more questions
Prepare all yourself tonite
These boys coming back to town
You better listen up for yourself
For tonite the boys gonna shout
No more waiting
Starting the heat and dance with the beat,
Keep on singing

You can call me Old-Fashioned but:

As a young girl growing up in South Brooklyn with a father who still lived like it was the 60s and a mother who encouraged that very traditional style; my life was that of a retro photograph; a bit grainy but the colors were majestic.  My older brother’s hair was cut to that of a true 70s boy and my own hair was shaped just as a 60s Mod girl would wear hers with bangs and always trimmed close to the shoulders. My favorite colors were always that of a “Mod dart”: Red, Blue and white. Yes, I wore other colors quite a bit but you hand me over something somewhat Nautical and I’d probably do the twist. In my personal opinion; it was swinging to be smartly dressed.

I didn’t quite love the Tye-dyed shirts my father would throw on me but what I did adore were the beautiful A-Line little girl’s dressed my Grandma Mary would send me monthly. I’d run to the package, ripping it open and always excited to see what was inside; school girl dresses with Peter Pan collared shirts, ;lace trims and pockets, lots of little pockets in my dresses. I’d put on my (one size to big) Mary-Jane shoes that she’d pack in and change about a dozen times, trying each item on and categorizing little outfits. Does this sound like me? Yes, I still get excited over shopping just as much as I did when I was a little girl, growing up in South Brooklyn.

My life wasn’t always pretty dresses and Mary-Jane shoes but it’s what gave me a sense of pleasure: my own taste, my style. I loved the songs of the 60s starting with The Beatles, The Who, The Kinks, Velvet Underground, The Small Faces, The Creation, The Action, The Smoke, John’s Children, The Rolling Stones; much to most of my friends utter disappointment as at other child gatherings I’d be the first to throw on a Francis Hardy song over Milla Vanilli.

Now that there is a true revival going on overseas: I am truly excited. People are beginning to understand the style of the Beat. It’s not just a “fashion”, it’s a life style. Clean; Sharp, Elegant and colorful; we are not afraid to cross the boundaries of today’s society.

Personally, I am tired of the same boring knit and those Bondage shift dresses? I hate them. Why should ANYTHING be that tight?, I love simple darts that clearly accentuate your figure but not mummify it.
Don’t get me started on the music of today: it’s called modern, not “MODern”, it’s repetitive and in my opinion, not as fun to dance to. I simply adore a dance where I can pour baby powder on the floor and do the twist!
Last weekend my friend brought me on his Scooter and we scooted on over to the Smorgasburg (in Williamsburg), where we checked out the record fair. This was basically one of those days that I was hoping for.  Great Vegan Food, a scooter and RECORDS, basically more of my life’s simply pleasures.

Don’t just watch and acting cool
You better ask yourself for more
You better listen up for yourself
We are the mods, we are the mods
We are, we are, we are the mods
Don’t just watch and acting cool
You better ask yourself for more
You better listen up for yourself
We are the mods, we are the mods
We are, we are, we are the mods!

I am truly glad there is a revival but I call on all Mods to stand up and show yourselves, especially in the New York City area:

Here are some Northern Soul Parties that you can go to so you can dance all the night to some Northern Soul Beats as well as Britpop:

The Delancey; Tuesday nights at 10pm.

& Northern Soul Nights that happen once every 6 weeks: I’ll post more information later. They have a dance contest and this night is run by my friend Paulie; yes, I am a “mod” about it.

You can buy some “new” Mod threads and outfits at Hamlet’s Vintage in the East Village. Hamlet even redesigned an amazing Mod dress and they sold out in weeks.

You can contact me and we can have some record parties and listen to 60s ToyTown Music (Yes!).

I am a Mod; living in the 21st Century.

Recently I have had the most amazing chance to do two photo-shoots with two different photographers!

Both of them having very different styles:

Photos by Kyria Abrahams, 2012:

Here are a few (ok a bunch of my favorites):

Shooting with Kyria was simply amazing; easy to work with and we really were coming up with a bunch of concepts together. I am so glad that I had come across her work after she had done a beautiful photo-shoot with my friend Polina. Kyria is able to bring out your hidden personality; your sexuality and or your sensitivity. Her camera is her poetry and she simply: projects it with ease.

As you can probably tell we decided to use  a vintage inspiration (oh, how surprising!) mixed with my love of Vespa’s, Jean Shrimpton and Plaid 60s suits. We shot the photos in my house and found it to be the perfect location for future shoots.

The inspiration: Jean Shrimpton.

Other inspirations: Audrey Hepburn, Raquel Welch, Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy (of course).

A friend I know I will have forever, and an inspiration for having such a soul for the art she adores.
Check out Kyria’s blog, books and photos at:

http://kyriaabrahams.blogspot.com/
& a special thank you to Hamlet’s Vintage who lent a lot of the wardrobe for this swinging shoot:

http://hamletsvintage.com/

the heat is so great
it plays tricks with the eye
it turns the road to water
and then from water to sky
and there’s a crack in the concrete floor
and it starts at the sink
there’s a bathroom in a gas station
and i’ve locked myself in it to think

What do you all suspect I am? To be perfectly honest; I am a bit shy, in fact I am a bit private; to a point. You may meet me and I may just open up to you; telling you everything you may think you know of me.

The truth? I haven’t told you everything. In fact, I keep plenty to myself and it takes me awhile to truly divulge specific details about myself; my life; my family… I might know just how to lead you on as much as you do: playing with my feelings as if I were a cat’s toy:

Dangle, Dangle

That loving & exciting nature in front of my eyes.

My ears perk up and I’m almost captivated by your enthusiasm to pull at my heart strings.

I’m a cat; nearly independent & pleased with just a bit of affection,

but then I crave your touch, your gaze into my eyes and

I wrap my little tail around you, pulling you close.

and back in the city
the sun bakes the trash on the curb
the men are pissing in doorways
and the rats run in herds
i’ve got a dream of your face
that scares me awake
i put too much on my table
and now i got too much a stake

And when I do trust you; when you have finally broken through my barriers;

I feel like I can open myself up to a new world.  Sadly, I have trusted people who don’t deserve this.  A new friend, even a lover who has made me believe I can truly wear my heart on my sleeve….

That’s over now.

But don’t you worry; I won’t lose my romantic spirit that everyone knows me by. It’s basically woven into my soul and it would take quite a bit more for me to ever forget I am a truly passionate soulful being who believes in fate. It’s just that: it’s their loss. It’s the “emotionally unavailable”, that truly has the ability to miss out on love; on the feeling of opening up to someone who cares for them.

It’s almost as if I am being guided into their “world”, they want me to become as “quiet” as they have….

and i might let you off easy
yeah i might lead you on
i might wait for you to look for me
and then i might be gone
where i come from and where i’m going
and i’m lost in between
i might go up to that phone booth
and leave a veiled invitation on you machine
Yeah, I may actually ask these “emotionally unavailable” people back into my life based on the feelings I once shared for them; and then I end up with tears streaming down my face, crying to myself as I lay in my bed, wishing I never had even stepped foot into their presence; begging for them to answer my calls; my texts.

and you’ll stop me, won’t you
if you’ve heard this one before
the one where i surprise you
by showing up at your front door
saying ‘let’s not ask what’s next,
or how, or why’
i am leaving in the morning
so let’s not be shy

The truth is, I will always love that person;  the “emotionally unavailable” and maybe one day they’ll be able to feel as I do….

The friends and the lovers that have led my love astray;

You are forgiven and I hope you do well.