Wednesday, December 24, 2008
go Cam!
Cameron must have done something right because this look is becoming quite heavily sought-after and "signaturized" (<---Is that even a word?). I already did a post about this picture a couple of days ago too. Love her casual, cool demeanor.
Adriana
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Everyone!
I was browsing through my usual celeb sites and stumbled across the Victoria Secret's runway show pictures. Is it me or does Adriana Lima look more emaciated? Oh well, she's has to be one of the hottest women of all time...someone saw her in person and said she still looks gorgeous even without makeup= tell-tale sign of real, superficial beauty.
I was browsing through my usual celeb sites and stumbled across the Victoria Secret's runway show pictures. Is it me or does Adriana Lima look more emaciated? Oh well, she's has to be one of the hottest women of all time...someone saw her in person and said she still looks gorgeous even without makeup= tell-tale sign of real, superficial beauty.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Revolutionary Road
I can't wait to watch Revolutionary Road as the Titanic-duo (Leo & Kate) teams up again for what I'm hoping to be a movie blockbuster. I was tempted to pick up the book at Target to start reading, but you should see my book queue...it's pathetic. I haven't had ANY TIME to read anything! Hopefully, by next year, I'll have a little bit of downtime- especially since I'm trying to be more frugal=staying home more often- to start reading the books that are collecting dust.
I just started the "Michelle" book last week and it's off to a great start. Although I'm a registered Republican, you won't believe how many biographies of Democratic politicians I own! What can I say- Democrats lead more scandalous lives.
I always research the Amazon book reviews before I purchase any book and one particular review caught my eye about Revolutionary Road:
hard lessons, October 28, 2003
By Gulley Jimson (Bethesda, MD) - See all my reviews Reading the praise for this book actually made me less inclined to read it. Another unmasking of the banality of the suburbs and the bland conformity of the 50s didn't strike me as particularly appealing or necessary. Both of those things have been unmasked so often that I wonder why anyone bothers with either; there's nothing left to expose.
The choice of target is also a little unfair: first, hypocrisy and small-mindedness are not localized in the suburbs to the extent that authors and filmmakers seem to think. If a writer deliberately populates his story with caricatured materialistic bourgeois, then he shouldn't expect it to be a legitimate criticism of the age. In any case, if an audience can separate themselves too easily from the people being described, the book has no sting - like American Beauty had no sting. A real work of art should hurt a little.
But Revolutionary Road was not what I expected from the reviews. Yates knows all of the pitfalls of the standard send-up of the middle class: the main characters in his story are not the usual suburban types, but people who consider themselves better than the dull people in their neighborhood; they mock the people that we, as readers, are so used to mocking, and become our surrogates.
The real theme of this book is much deeper, and it transcends the era and even the plot of the book: what do people do when they are intelligent and spirited enough not to be satisfied with the conformity and blandness of their surroundings, but lack the drive to ever escape mediocrity, because they are, fundamentally, much more a part of their environment than they imagine?
The tragedy of this book is the discovery that you are, after all, perhaps not as extraordinary as you thought - and that has sting, because all of us, at some time, have thought that we were a bit better than the people around us, and most of us have realized with horror (although the realization doesn't always stick around) that we aren't as different, as far above them, as we thought. Many of the moments in this book stick with you because they remind you of those moments when you came face to face with your own mediocrity, and challenges you to either be honest with yourself about what you are, or try sincerely to fulfill the ambitions that you have pursued so halfheartedly until now.
It's a hard lesson to deal with: I can tell why this book didn't sell. The writing, by the way, is beautiful; scene after scene springs effortlessly to life, and you can't tell how much skill is involved until you go back and read it again.
I remember reading once that Yates - against the advice of his publishers - called this book Revolutionary Road because it seemed to him that the promise of the nation was petering out in the 50s, that the ambition and hope that had marked its founding had slowly led to a dead-end of uninspired and uninspiring prosperity (for some people, at least) - that the end of the revolutionary road had been reached.
This is overstated, and Yates's vision often seems to me unaccountably dark, as if he was blind to everything but his thesis. Something about his outlook is right, though; the problem with the society isn't necessarily that it's hypocritical or conformist or mediocre, but that it produces people with such a horrible gap between aspiration and capacity - it gives them the leisure and intelligence to want a fuller life while robbing them of the backbone to get it.
****
I love movies/books where it forces one to really take a step back and look at your lives from the outside in.
Remember, "A life unexamined is not worth living"!
Merry Christmas Y'all,
P
I just started the "Michelle" book last week and it's off to a great start. Although I'm a registered Republican, you won't believe how many biographies of Democratic politicians I own! What can I say- Democrats lead more scandalous lives.
I always research the Amazon book reviews before I purchase any book and one particular review caught my eye about Revolutionary Road:
hard lessons, October 28, 2003
By Gulley Jimson (Bethesda, MD) - See all my reviews Reading the praise for this book actually made me less inclined to read it. Another unmasking of the banality of the suburbs and the bland conformity of the 50s didn't strike me as particularly appealing or necessary. Both of those things have been unmasked so often that I wonder why anyone bothers with either; there's nothing left to expose.
The choice of target is also a little unfair: first, hypocrisy and small-mindedness are not localized in the suburbs to the extent that authors and filmmakers seem to think. If a writer deliberately populates his story with caricatured materialistic bourgeois, then he shouldn't expect it to be a legitimate criticism of the age. In any case, if an audience can separate themselves too easily from the people being described, the book has no sting - like American Beauty had no sting. A real work of art should hurt a little.
But Revolutionary Road was not what I expected from the reviews. Yates knows all of the pitfalls of the standard send-up of the middle class: the main characters in his story are not the usual suburban types, but people who consider themselves better than the dull people in their neighborhood; they mock the people that we, as readers, are so used to mocking, and become our surrogates.
The real theme of this book is much deeper, and it transcends the era and even the plot of the book: what do people do when they are intelligent and spirited enough not to be satisfied with the conformity and blandness of their surroundings, but lack the drive to ever escape mediocrity, because they are, fundamentally, much more a part of their environment than they imagine?
The tragedy of this book is the discovery that you are, after all, perhaps not as extraordinary as you thought - and that has sting, because all of us, at some time, have thought that we were a bit better than the people around us, and most of us have realized with horror (although the realization doesn't always stick around) that we aren't as different, as far above them, as we thought. Many of the moments in this book stick with you because they remind you of those moments when you came face to face with your own mediocrity, and challenges you to either be honest with yourself about what you are, or try sincerely to fulfill the ambitions that you have pursued so halfheartedly until now.
It's a hard lesson to deal with: I can tell why this book didn't sell. The writing, by the way, is beautiful; scene after scene springs effortlessly to life, and you can't tell how much skill is involved until you go back and read it again.
I remember reading once that Yates - against the advice of his publishers - called this book Revolutionary Road because it seemed to him that the promise of the nation was petering out in the 50s, that the ambition and hope that had marked its founding had slowly led to a dead-end of uninspired and uninspiring prosperity (for some people, at least) - that the end of the revolutionary road had been reached.
This is overstated, and Yates's vision often seems to me unaccountably dark, as if he was blind to everything but his thesis. Something about his outlook is right, though; the problem with the society isn't necessarily that it's hypocritical or conformist or mediocre, but that it produces people with such a horrible gap between aspiration and capacity - it gives them the leisure and intelligence to want a fuller life while robbing them of the backbone to get it.
****
I love movies/books where it forces one to really take a step back and look at your lives from the outside in.
Remember, "A life unexamined is not worth living"!
Merry Christmas Y'all,
P
Monday, December 22, 2008
fashion icons
In light of the sub-thirties temps. in Sac lately, I found these pictures quite enticing. I love the winter merely for the opportunity to rock some cozy outfits! Don't worry, this isn't turning into a fashion blog; these are just things I came across that I wanted to share.
As I digress- this Christmas season has been the most hectic one I've experienced thus far! OMG, with the double-move in progress, gifts to STILL be wrapped, an old abode to clean, and attempts to sneak in some much-needed R & R, I find myself trying to stay afloat. Not to worry my friends, there is a silver lining to every cloud- speaking of which- I ACTUALLY SAW A CLOUD WITH A SILVER LINING ON MY WAY TO WORK TODAY! My freshman year at a small, liberal arts college-that I won't mention because no one seems to know which school I'm talking about- was tainted with learning school songs that would hopefully forever embed a lasting impression of our alma mater...truth be told, the songs stuck and haunt me to this day (more in a good way than bad)! One particular song out of the plethora of songs we learned while at soccer camp had a verse that went something like this: "There's a silver lining, to the dark cloud shining, turn the dark cloud inside out..." This song started haunting me when I saw that silver lining on my commute to work this morning.
Heidi, if you're reading this, drop me a comment and let me know what the rest of the verses were...I totally forgot!
As I digress- this Christmas season has been the most hectic one I've experienced thus far! OMG, with the double-move in progress, gifts to STILL be wrapped, an old abode to clean, and attempts to sneak in some much-needed R & R, I find myself trying to stay afloat. Not to worry my friends, there is a silver lining to every cloud- speaking of which- I ACTUALLY SAW A CLOUD WITH A SILVER LINING ON MY WAY TO WORK TODAY! My freshman year at a small, liberal arts college-that I won't mention because no one seems to know which school I'm talking about- was tainted with learning school songs that would hopefully forever embed a lasting impression of our alma mater...truth be told, the songs stuck and haunt me to this day (more in a good way than bad)! One particular song out of the plethora of songs we learned while at soccer camp had a verse that went something like this: "There's a silver lining, to the dark cloud shining, turn the dark cloud inside out..." This song started haunting me when I saw that silver lining on my commute to work this morning.
Heidi, if you're reading this, drop me a comment and let me know what the rest of the verses were...I totally forgot!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
I love scarves!
I love the outfits in this picture (most notably, the center one), but I love how scarves are never out of vogue.
I almost never get buyer's remorse when I buy a scarf; hence why I have a gazillion of 'em!
I almost never get buyer's remorse when I buy a scarf; hence why I have a gazillion of 'em!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
an ethnocentric comment
Cot damn, why does it seem like Filipinos always do it better?!-- more later on the substantial evidence I've compiled that would make me say such a bigoted comment because otherwise, on any given day, I'm a cultural person.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sin City
Stay tuned for my escapades in Las Vegas and my sore luck at trying to "sin" in this damn city. Damn, why can't I stay up past 3:30 am??? I'm such a schmooze- I've always been the first one to fall asleep at slumber parties when I was a teenager!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Inaugural Ball designers
This is so awesome- top designers have hit their sketchbooks for Michelle Obama's dress on Inauguration Day. I love drawing (when I have time and inspiration) but I've always wanted to develop a knack for clothing design sketching.
My pick for Michelle's dress would have to be a mesh between LaCroix's and Marc Jacob's renditions...oh how I love me some Marc Jacobs paraphernalia!
My pick for Michelle's dress would have to be a mesh between LaCroix's and Marc Jacob's renditions...oh how I love me some Marc Jacobs paraphernalia!
bounce-back
I totally forgot to mention that I love J. Alba as well- more for aesthetic reasons, of course- and danggg, that girl done bounced back to pre-baby body like whoa! Only this girl can get away with a not-so-flattering-way-too-long-over-the-brow-FRINGE.
Reese
"I have cellulite. I have stretch marks. I feel intimidated by Victoria's Secret. Hollywood is one of those endless competitions, but it's like running a race toward nothing. There's no winning. You're never going to win the pretty race. I just want to be the best version of myself that I can be." -Reese Witherspoon
.I am officially obsessed.
I keep up with celebrities (I know, I'm pathetic), and Reese has gotta be my most favorite inside and out.
.I am officially obsessed.
I keep up with celebrities (I know, I'm pathetic), and Reese has gotta be my most favorite inside and out.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
a weird idiosyncrasy of mine (amongst others)
I was telling my sister today what I do to prevent my teeth from staining when I drink coffee or lattes. First of all, I hardly ever order any coffee/latte drink HOT...I'm weird- I get all of my coffee drinks ICED-even in the dead-middle of winter. So I sip with a straw and tuck my lips onto my teeth and sip... and, VOILA- the drink has no contact with my teeth!
Also, everyone close to me knows that I hate having my bare feet touch public places, most notably hotel room floors and carpets. So to compensate for this "disorder", I curl my feet inwards so as to reduce the surface area of my foot touching the carpet/tiles (kind of like a scrunched-up foot fist). I even do this crap in a 4-star hotel shower (hey, you never know what goes down in that establishment-eek!). I have no idear why I am like this.
So if you see any of my extremities contorted in weird angles or my facial features askew, you'll know that my idiosyncracies are at play and I'm not retarded.
P
P.S. Did I mention I also have this twitch where I feel like one rib on my ribcage is longer than the others? I get this way when I wear tighter-than-normal jeans. :D
***EDIT: I also hate it when my foot pinky toe gets stuck to my other toe, so I have to take off my shoes and socks to pry them apart.
Also, everyone close to me knows that I hate having my bare feet touch public places, most notably hotel room floors and carpets. So to compensate for this "disorder", I curl my feet inwards so as to reduce the surface area of my foot touching the carpet/tiles (kind of like a scrunched-up foot fist). I even do this crap in a 4-star hotel shower (hey, you never know what goes down in that establishment-eek!). I have no idear why I am like this.
So if you see any of my extremities contorted in weird angles or my facial features askew, you'll know that my idiosyncracies are at play and I'm not retarded.
P
P.S. Did I mention I also have this twitch where I feel like one rib on my ribcage is longer than the others? I get this way when I wear tighter-than-normal jeans. :D
***EDIT: I also hate it when my foot pinky toe gets stuck to my other toe, so I have to take off my shoes and socks to pry them apart.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
what a beaut
I dithered back and forth about returning back to my normal hair color, but after seeing these gorgeous pics of the ever-so glamorous, impeccable Pilipina actress/entertainer, K.C. Concepcion, I don't feel so bad anymore. She's sooo pretty!
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