Can’t login to your Gmail account?

It’s driving us crazy too.

But consider this your invitation from the Google Powers that Be to take that latte break, power nap, or much needed stroll down procrastination lane. In fact, we’ve rounded up a few great sites to browse that are just perfect for those days when Gmail tells you “enough is enough”, or, well, “could not complete your request”.

1. FFFOUND!!

Nice pictures of cool things.

2. Newser

My guilty pleasure. It’s a news aggregation service that provides mostly tabloid level stories– but with pictures!

3. Free Rice

Mindless. Free. Rice. And somehow you’re also helping to save the world.

4. FARK

An up to the minute compilation of hard-to-believe-they’re-true news articles from around the world.

5. Apartment Therapy

Inspiration for your home. It’s very DIY yet modern.

If these links just aren’t cutting it for you and you really, actually, do have something you’ve just gotta send out, here’s a way to get around the 502 error. Simply head over to iGoogle, and you can read and send messages via the dashboard’s gmail link. What do you do when your Gmail is down?

Immersed Within on Fedoras

One of the great triumphs of last summer my life was when I convinced my boyfriend to purchase a vintage-esque fedora at Target. While I do like the look of menswear on women, it’s not something I wear too often. Carly of Immersed Within shows us how.

So what if I think serial killers are good looking?

As the sun sets Tuesday nights at Grant Park in downtown Chicago, hundreds gather to relax, converse, AND catch a good old-fashioned movie.

I have been an aficionado of going to these since

A.  I am completely broke and this event is free

B.  The people I go with generally possess some sort of edible goods

Tonight, the featured film was none other than Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Psycho. I had been fortunate enough to see the film with my UChicago dorm buddies earlier in the year, but was grateful to re-watch it.  I remember what struck me originally about the film the first time I watched it was the dashing good looks of none other than the insane-murderer-guy.  When I mentioned this patent fact to my predominately male companions, I was laughed at.  After receiving various jabs throughout the week about my observations, I, discouraged and downtrodden, put my Psycho yearnings on the back shelf.

The movie in Grant Park was projected onto a huge white screen.  My heart skipped a beat whilst munching on popcorn when that lovely, dark visage graced the screen.  With this amplified view, I frankly fell back into love with the antagonist: deranged, introverted, mentally disturbed and oh-so-dreamy, Norman Bates.

Have such a crush on Normy.  That black sweater.  That gripping gaze.  That deft movement by which he impinges Marion Crane’s abdomen with a butcher knife.

*Sigh*

Some men are just to die for.

Fashion Spoons, Cooked Two Different Ways

Check out this neat spoon collection by designer Jurgen Lehl.

Who is Lehl, you might ask? Gius  from The Fashion Spot says that aside from fashion, Lehl also “designs various items ranging from furniture and tableware to jewelry, [who] above all else …tries not to create ‘unnecessary or useless things.'”

Liehl adds, “I don’t want to make things which will harm nature or be environmentally unfriendly. As far as I create things, I try to make things that will last for a long time.”

That’s what we say about vintage. Fantastic, Lehl.

On a mostly unrelated note, here is a great photoshoot titled “Spoon”
by Kristian Schuller:

Flash that Clutch!

The Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU attracts such oddball projects, including the Botanicalls.

I love the anti-paparazzi clutch bag (another project from the Interactive Telecommunications Program), but what does it look like? And if everybody in front of the bar carries one of those bags, does the whole place just explode with one enormous flash?

Super Freax

Avant Gaudy is now listed on Fashion Freax! The site combines the best of Weardrobe and The Sartorialist along with a shopping page. It’s literally one stop shopping. The site is based in Germany, and covers the UK, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and France. American fashionistas can browse street style and shop looks before trends cross the pond, and view fashion maps to plan out their international excursions.

Sweat Success

Beet-red face. Intense gazes. And sweat—LOTS of sweat. Sound like a scene from high school public speaking class? Close, but not quite. This charged scene comes from a Bikram yoga studio, a form of yoga performed in sweltering105 degree temps. Fellow Avant Gaudy gal, Mariefe, recommended the class to me claiming it toned her up and helped her shed a little weight. Eager to rid myself of my freshmen fifteen (ahem, more like twenty), I decided to give Bikram a whirl.

So just what, exactly, is this Bikram thing? Bikram is a form of yoga founded by Indian yoga guru Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury. The first US School was founded in San Francisco in 1972. The yoga itself involves a series of 26 separate poses performed in a 105-degree room. Claimed benefits of Bikram include the release of toxins, weight loss, cardio-vascular health, un-stiffened joints, flexibility, and a plethora of other health perks.

When Avant Gaudy office-mate Nayla and I arrived at the Lincoln Park Bikram yoga studio we had absolutely no idea what to expect. We filed into a spacious mirrored studio. The instructor, a twenty-something guy with a wrap-around head mic, led the class in a monotonous, continuous stream of yoga commands.

It was INTENSE. With limbs quivering and droplets of perspiration streaming down my face. I must confess the first half of the session made me feel nauseous and faint and I had to sit down for a while. The instructor assured us these sensations are normal. The hour and a half session passed by surprisingly quickly. After picking up my sopping towel and stepping out into the cool outdoors, I felt, well, good.
So go ahead, give it a try. The studios in Chicago offer a $29 month-long beginner rate: http://105f.com/

But be forewarned: this stuff ain’t for wimps.

I Am the Trend

Long after most people have abandoned the idea of organizing the Internet (remember AOL Keywords?), I still use Google Directory. Call me old-fashioned, but there’s something nice about having a handpicked list of sites that represent exactly what you’re looking for. For indie clothing, smart-alecky t-shirts, and exclusive interviews, I Am the Trend compiles the best of indie fashion and culture into a comprehensive yet organized site.

This week’s featured interview is with Fuzzy Ink, a company that makes, among other things, plush moustaches.

I Am the Trend’s style leans toward jeans and a t-shirt, but some of the looks featured are amazing.

Check out iamthetrend.com for your indie fashion fix.

Where to Catch the Fireworks!

So you want to see a great fireworks show, but you don’t want to deal with the crowds at the Taste? No problem! ABC 7 Chicago has a list of all the fireworks shows in the Chicagoland area for this holiday weekend! Check it out!

Need a map? Check out our maps for the July 3rd and July 4th shows!

Review: Honeybee Gardens cosmetics

Most people who purchase vintage aren’t just interested in finding a unique look. Buying vintage pieces is a great way to be environmentally conscious without compromising a thing.

Whenever I have a specific piece in mind, I try to buy vintage because of the environment and my sense of style. I must confess, however, that I’m more of an environmentalist in theory than in practice. I do take the train to work, but I drive twenty minutes each way to the station. Most of the organic food I’ve purchased comes in the form of a microwave meal. Nevertheless, I have succeeded in avoiding harsh chemicals during my everyday routine. Thanks to Honeybee Gardens, I don’t have to break the bank when doing so. Here’s a review of three products I use nearly every day: