Fashion and Music Galore

New Blog!

2009-11-29T21:05:00.000-08:00

This will be the last post I will ever write for Fashion and Music Galore. I'm glad too because the title of it is so stupid...I HATE IT! lol I've finally decided to stop being lazy and start blogging again. I've started a new blog called Shameless- that name is pretty stupid too but hey it's a hell of a lot better than Nonsense Ramblings or Fashion and Music Galore (WHAT WAS I THINKING). The new blog will have slightly more serious posts filled with actual substance or at least I hope it will.

For those of you who are still following my blog THANK YOU! I hope you will continue to read what I write on my new blog. Au revoir!

http://shshameless.wordpress.com

My Current Inspirations...

2009-05-01T12:38:00.001-07:00

My Return Has Finally Arrived

2009-04-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

Truthfully, my computer was fixed a while ago. I was just so used to not blogging that I couldn't get back into the habit of it! I will try to force myself to post something at least every other day, if not every day from no on though don't you little bloggers fret! I wouldn't be surprised if the few people who did read my blog have decided to never look at my page again!
During my vacation from blogging I had an interview for a design internship in NYC with a certain company which shall remain nameless. When I got there I immediately felt like I didn't belong there. I thought, "Wow....this is really what I want to do with the rest of my life?" I had been thinking of switching my major for a while now because while fashion and can be an interesting topic to read about or discuss it really isn't what I want my life dedicated to. I mean...an entire life dedicated to clothing? Seriously? I can do so much more with my life! Needless to say, I'm not going to be doing that internship.
Recently I've been thinking about changing my major to creative writing...possibly. I assure you my writing is a lot better than it is on this crappy little website because I just type out sentences really fast without thinking about what I'm writing...who am I kidding I'm crap! LOL! I hope not...

ANYWAY!!!

Today I came across this poem by T.S. Eliot which reminded me of my dogs (even though it's about a cat :/) which I just HAD to share with all of you!

"Macavity: The Mystery Cat"
by: T.S. Eliot

Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw-
For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime- Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime- Macavity's not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air-
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thing;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a friend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square-
But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!

And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty's gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawing by the way,
There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair-
But it's useless to investigate- Macavity's not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
"It must have been Macavity!"- but he's a mile away.
You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,
Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suanity.
He always has an alibi, and one or two to square:
At whatever time the deed took place- MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

My Computer is Broken...

2009-03-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry but I will not be posting that often for a while because my computer is on the fritz. For some reason it refuses to start and do what I want :(. Hopefully I'll be able to do a few posts on my sister's computer...but for now you will all have to wait!

...I miss blogging :(

'Fat Talk'

2009-03-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Cult Films- The House on Haunted Hill

2009-03-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

This movie is on the verge of being a cult film I think...it's had I think 3 remakes....but I was really compelled to do a 'cult films' post on this movie since Vincent Price is in it. Price has a pretty devoted cult following (now including me!) for his performances in the horror films during the latter part of his career. He was a theatrical actor who brought an air of seriousness to macabre and horror films that was really unique and one of a kind. You kind of just have to watch a film with him in it....preferably Witchfinder General.

I thought this movie was good though in a 'it's so bad you can see the wires' kind of way. You'll have to keep in mind that I hate horror films since I get scared so easily...I tend to prefer older movies since it's not people being tortured the whole time. The movie is basically about ?6 or 7? who lock themselves in a haunted house for the night at the bidding of an eccentric millionaire (played by Price) to see who can stay there the whole night. I didn't expect the ending at all so that was good lol. It was also fairly short....overall I would give it about 4 1\2 stars. I quite liked it :) Here's the trailer for the movie:

Also- I searched Vincent Price on youtube and this was one of the things that came up :/ Apparently Price had his own cooking show at one point, someone took sound bites from it, and turned it into a little song, which someone then played over them mouthing the words to the song. I guess that shows you how much people are obsessed with this guy lol!

This also happens to be made by that paperlilies person I told you guys about before....I did not do this on purpose lol, I didn't know this existed!

P.S. Sorry if I don't comment on your blogs in response to you commenting here....I've been really busy recently and please don't think I don't appreciate your comments b\c I really do! I try to get back to everyone!

Captain Beefheart

2009-03-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered music legend Captain Beefheart and all I can say is, "How have I not heard of this person before!!!!!". He has influenced acts from Blondie to The White Stripes and he isn't really known by a lot of people for some reason. All of his music sounds really different....but most of it is experimental in some way. He was a child prodigy and was offered a scholarship to study sculpture in Italy when he was 13....but for some reason his parents forced him to go to the Mohave Desert instead. He's a poet, sculptor, musician, and painter- he also has an incredible vocal range from REALLY low to REALLY high. Apparently he can break glass O.O. Here are some of my favorite songs I could find on youtube! Since all of his music sounds so different, if you don't like one song you may like another...so give it a chance! I personally like them all though- enjoy!

My Current Inspirations...

2009-03-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

Pictures via Avant-garde, Brklyn Girl, Clever Nettle, Facehunter, Fashion Filosophy, and Glam Canyon

Style Icons and Creepy People

2009-03-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

For some odd reason, Yoko Ono doesn't get any credit in terms of style. Her style of artwork is reflected in her clothing perfectly which I really like. She makes simplistic artwork often with the colors black and white and also wears clothes that are mostly black and white. Also, the cut and patterns (if any) on the clothes that she wears are really simple. Ono looks fantastic for her age as well! She's in her 70's and she can still rock a mini-skirt. She is quoted as saying on ImaginePeace.com that:

"Well, the thing is I decided that I don’t want to look bad. I didn’t want to look bad with age, so people would say “Poor darling, she’s looking like a bag lady.” I didn’t want that. I wanted to be able to keep my chin up and look good for myself and other people who want to give up because they’re high in number. I wanted to say, “No, do not give up."

Sunglasses and hats seem to be her thing as well. I think that hats are such an underrated accessory nowadays. Whenever I watch old movies I wish that people still wore hats\headbands\scarfs as much as they did back then. I also just wanted to point out that she did NOT break up The Beatles- there were a lot of factors as to why they broke up (I can already see the comments I'm gonna get on this post *sigh*. Anyway, here are some of my favorite pictures of Yoko's style:

This is definitely my favorite picture of them...it makes me happy :)

I also wanted to tell you guys about my new favorite blog: Craz-E-Mails! It's by two of my favorite vloggers on youtube: Mememolly and Paperlilies! They're pretty much celebrities on the Internet, so they wind up getting a lot of hate\weird mail from random people. Instead of deleting all of it they decided to set up a blog to keep track of all of them! It's the only blog I read that is funny, sad, disturbing, and infuriating all at the same time. It's great! Even if you don't watch their videos- you would still be able to laugh at how stupid people are lol. Here is one of their newest posts:

"hallo
you say you want 50 babies, i have ten and can get many morevery cheap, msg me"

Yeah...that's completely horrifying isn't it?

One of my personal favorites is this one:

"So im 15 can we have sex?i have a boner right now..really im not kidding you might think im lying right now but i get horny from everything"

Wow. Just wow.

It's pretty entertaining (and frightening) so you should check it out. See you guys later!!

Old School Threads

2009-03-03T17:53:00.000-08:00

I would totally buy these things from this site but they either won't fit me\I'd never actually wear them\ or they simply cost way too much! I believe that vintage should never cost more than 20-25 dollars- and that's only if they're really good finds! Some of the things there are about $20 but unfortunately none of it was my size :( Granted some of the stuff on the site is from the Victorian Era (like the cape, lace-up boots, and bolero) and is pretty authentic; but still paying $1000 for a pair of shoes is ridiculous. Anyway, here are some of my favorite items from the site.

Also, could someone PLEASE design this jacket for women and make it cost less than $1000?? PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU!!!!!!

On a side note: Earlier today I read the phrase "your toolbox called...you're missing again" and I giggled about it for a full minute. I'm a tool apparently.

A change for now....

2009-03-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

I have decided to change the name of my blog "Nonsense Ramblings" to "Fashion and Music Galore". Still a pretty lame name for a blog but I'll leave it as that until I make up my mind as to what I want the title to be. Thank you to everyone who reads my blog! I know I haven't been the most dedicated blogger recently but I hope to change that! I've been busy at school\out with friends non-stop for the past week or so and that explains the lack of quality content. Luv ya guys!

The Talking Heads=Hella Awesome

2009-03-02T10:53:00.001-08:00

Personally, I like the studio version better....but this video is awesome for three reasons

1)How freaking weird they are
2)The KICKASS bass solo at the end. She's fantastic
3)The drummer is cute and I like watching the lead singer shake his hips around 0:40.

I love The Talking Heads!!

My Dad saw them when he was younger and he was right up against the stage! He said it was one of the best concerts he'd ever been to! What a jerk, right?!? How dare he be able to see them live, let alone right up against the stage!

My Current Inspirations...

2009-02-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

Pictures via Avant-Garde Fashion Photography, Charles Anastase, Cheapskate Chic,

Oh dear lord

2009-02-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

I don't know whether to be horrified or amused by this lol. I think the best part is the music playing in the background. Why the hell was this even made? Imagine if his family or co-workers saw this lol.

Hunk of the Month

2009-02-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

The wonderful Fred over at Easy Fashion has added me to the links on his blog page. Thank you very much!

I'm a bit of a youtube lover and I like to watch a lot of vloggers (video bloggers). One of my favorites is BenLoka who is always hilarious in his videos. His newest one does not dissapoint- and happens to relate to a post I've done recently. PETA entered him into a contest 'Europe's Sexiest Vegetarian' and he did a video responding to that. I just wanted to add that guys who are vegetarians ARE HOT! Well, at least I think they are. Guys for some reason are supposed to love barbeque, hot dogs, burgers, etc (actually it's because during Medieval times women weren't given any meat since that was more expensive and men were given most of the meat). I think guys who are able to say 'Screw them!" to society and do something that's not 'typical' for their gender are attractive just for doing that. And it's because of this, that I'm making BenLoka the Hunk of the Month for February (although I do think he should cut his hair...). Also, he's hilarious.

btw, ignore the girl in the beginning of the video-that's not him!!

My Current Inspirations...

2009-02-26T07:50:00.001-08:00

Pictures via Google Image search,
Avant-Garde Fashion photography, Bryanboy, Face Hunter, Glam Canyon, Captured, 24/7, Cafe Mode, and Cheapskate Chic

Currently listening to "Break it Up" by Patti Smith, "Venus" and “Marquee Moon” by Television, "Ain't It Fun?" by Dead Boys, "Girls Want to be with the Girls" by The Talking Heads, "Ashtray Heart" by Captain Beefheart, “Looking at You” by MC5, and “Born to Lose” by The Heartbreakers

I am a horrible blogger

2009-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

I know, I know- I haven't been a very good blogger lately. Bad me. I have a reason though! I've been doing lots of research and reading recently. I have been a pescetarian (someone who doesn't eat red meat, pork, or chicken but eats everything else) for about 5 years now mostly because of the health benefits and the fact that I feel happier and I have a lot more energy as an almost-vegetarian. Recently I've been doing some reading about preservatives, additives, and what exactly is in fish and dairy (as well as what diseases they cause) and I've decided to try and go vegan for a while.
Before all of you lose your minds and tell me I'm going to die, know this:
1)I feel even happier now that I've gone vegan
2)vegans live longer than people who eat fish or meat
3)I have more energy
4)I've also lost an inch off my hips and stomach since I started the transition about 2 and a half weeks ago
5)I eat and enjoy more food now than I did when I still ate fish, eggs, and dairy

I think a person's diet is very personal and that they should decide themselves what to put into their bodies- believe me I'm not preaching to you. I'm just saying what it's been like for ME. Some people's constitutions can't take the switch or they don't want to and that's fine! I just wanted to post all this cuz I, er, can.

Here's a typical days menu:
Breakfast
Decaffienated green tea
strawberries
Pecan-encrusted vegan french toast
(protein, complex carbs, lots of vitamins and antioxidants)

Lunch
Fattoush (Lebanese Bread Salad...don't let the salad part fool you this is DELICIOUS)
Fresh squeezed orange juice
(Complex carbs, calcium, protein, TONS of vitamins and minerals)

Snacks throughout the day
Fruit\veggies
Almonds
Vegan chocolate chip cookies (I like these MORE than the original)
Organic potato chips
Matzo bread with hummus
lots more!
(protein, calcium, complex carbs, tons of vitamins and minerals)

Dinner
Vinadloo (an indian dish with tofu, peas, tomatoes, beans, rice SO GOOD)
Pita Bread to hold said vindaloo
broccoli
(calcium, tofu, protein, TONS of vitamins and minerals)

As you can see- I am not in a protein or calcium deficiency. If you're interested in learning more about what's in your food (not necessarily about becoming vegan- I understand that's not for everyone) I recommend reading "Real Food, Fake Food" by Geri Harrington. I just finished it and it makes all processed and packaged foods seem revolting to me now. It's really good! If you're interested in eating healthier you should really read "Skinny Bitch" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It's HILARIOUS and really informative. They have an entire chapter on pooping I shit you not. And yes, the pun was intended.

It's funny b\c some people really think this way...

2009-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

It's from a mid-90s BBC show. It helpfully illustrates the dangers of thinking while female, and it provides an example of what women should say.

My Current Inspirations...

2009-02-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

Via PostSecret, Face Hunter, Design for Mankind Avant-Garde Fashion Photography

Nico

2009-02-15T17:32:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard of The Velvet Underground or Nico- then thank god I wrote this post. Chances are the music you listen to was inspired by them. Punk music probably wouldn't have started if they hadn't existed!

If you haven't been able to tell from my 'inspirations' posts, right now I'm loving all things Nico (aka Christa Paffgen). She was a model for a few years in the 50\60's before starting on a music career in Germany- then somehow met Andy Warhol and became an influential artist and musician in the Factory. Warhol worked as The Velvet Underground's manager and designed their famous banana album cover. Nico was best known as a singer for them but the music she produced herself was really her best. Her album Chelsea Girls is fantastic- fyi my favorite songs by her are "These Days" and "The Fairest of the Season". Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a video of them, so here's another one of my favorite songs by The Velvet Underground & Nico called "Femme Fatale".

*I didn't look any of this up I just wrote it from memory so years or whatever may be wrong*

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T10:38:00.000-08:00

I'd just like to say Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. I decided a while back to make Valentine's Day about anyone that I loved...not just for people who are dating. So, I hope you all have a wonderful time with those that you love.

Also, today's my birthday so my family and I are going out to get some Mexican food. My parents got me a new mp3 player which was awfully nice of them- I can't wait to use it! See all you guys later!!

M.I.A.'s Best Story Ever

2009-02-13T04:11:00.001-08:00

I don't know if this is real or not, but it's hilarious!!

Lovely jewlery!

2009-02-12T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was recently searching etsy.com and I found the nicest store there that sold the most beautiful jewlery! The best thing is that all of the jewlery for sale is all environmentally friendly. None of the pieces are over $100- most are around $40- so I think that if I had money to spare I would buy something from them since I would wear it all the time. Here are some that they have for sale :)

Their shop is here

Currently listening to "Celebrity Skin" by Hole

I need to figure out my camera...

2009-02-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

I got a camera for Christmas but I haven't been able to use it AT ALL because I lost the charger :(

When I find it I want to post some pictures on here of...whatever.

Also, I want to change the name of my blog. Right now the name of it is kind of stupid and I find it sorta embarrassing so that's gotta go.

Just keeping you updated :) See ya!

10 Honest Truths

2009-02-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

I got the idea for this from a really good blog called Coccinelle-you should all check it out.

10 honest truths:
1) My best friend died recently and I still haven’t gotten over it
2) I don’t believe I’ll ever find love because I’m an intelligent woman
3) I like to be by myself a lot which really gets on my friend’s nerves.
4) I’m afraid of being forgotten when I die- I don’t feel like I need to be known by everyone, but I am kind of obsessed with making my mark on the world in my own way.
5) I’m obsessed with the passing of time
6) I believe I’ve lived past lives
7) I hate going to bed at night because that means that another day is gone
8) For years I thought I had seen my own death but now I’m not so sure
9) I want to travel all over Europe and live in a city there for some period of time
10) When I was a kid I was afraid to say what I wanted (whatever that may be) and it took me years to get over that.

Now that you all think I'm crazy, I'm going to tag a few people to do this. They all have really good blogs and you should all go and read.

1) Zebra Stripes and Runaway Kites
2) The Clothes Horse
3) Shelly's Style Shop
4) Michelle Wass Photography (I knew her from school and she takes great photos)
5) Ambiguous Alliterative Abomination
6) What are the inner workings of my mind? (My friend's blog- yay Laura!!)
7) Anyone else who wants to do it!
link back to me bitches :)

I would like to thank everyone who reads my blog and who comments on it. I seriously LOVE when I get comments on posts I've written. It totally makes my day and makes me very happy so keep on commenting!!! Love you guys!!!

If I could I would wear this uniform every day...

2009-02-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

The pearls and sunglasses are from a google shopping search for around $20 each, bag is from 1site1price for $29.99, the vest ($13.50) and the shirt (11.50) are from forever 21, the jeans are from Gap or $49.50, and the shoes are from AvantGarb for $28.

One of these things is not like the other

2009-02-08T17:27:00.001-08:00

What I want to know is why the HELL was Lagerfeld hangin around Kanye???

Currently listening to "Coal to Diamonds" by The Gossip

Awesome Music

2009-02-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

I just found the most amazing website ever!It has free live music you can listen to, all you have to do is give them your e-mail address. A little bit of junk mail kind of sucks but if you listen to music as often as I do it's worth it. I just listened to a live concert of Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin's old band) which was awesome of course.

While we're on the topic, Janis Joplin used to totally be my style icon back during my hippie phase.

This is my favorite video of her performing that I have found, the song starts about 2 minutes in but the first few minutes are kinda funny if you want to watch them

My Current Inspirations...

2009-02-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

I should not have found this so amusing...

2009-02-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

Yummy French Food!

2009-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

Let's get something straight. I hate cooking. I hate how it takes forever to make the food and forever to clean up the mess and it's only a few minutes of pleasure. I HATE IT! But for some ungodly reason I decided last night to spend THREE HOURS cooking and I enjoyed it :). I made these yummy french dishes:

Salade de Mesclun: really just a salad with vinegrette :/

Pommes de Terre Sautees au Romarin: This is the closest picture I could get to it, it came out alright but I probably should have made the slices thinner.

Oeuf en Cocotte aux Poireaux: This was a lot more delicious than it looks, is was seriously the highlight of the meal. I plan on making it a lot more in the future :)

For dessert I made Gateau au Chocolat, my favorite kind of cake :)

It all came out wonderfully! It was seriously delicious :)
This morning my cooking craze continued as I made some crepes with strawberry filling (imagine actual strawberries as the filling. Later I plan on making a snack of crepes with nutella (yum yum)!

You can find the recipes for all of these dishes here:crepes,cake,baked eggs dish,Sauteed potatoes

P.S. Ariel I used the cookbook you gave me years ago!! :)

Cult Films-Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

2009-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

I would like to start doing reviews of movies that are known as 'cult films'- or movies that are obsessed over by a select group of people, people memorize the lines, analyse it over an over again, etc. I looked up lists of cult movies and I'm going to review them! Yay!

The first movie I'm going to review is Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I loved this movie-it's pretty incredible even by today's standards. There were parts of it that were a little boring but overall it was just perfection. Davis played Jane, a washed up child star that went crazy from living her whole life in the past. Crawford played Blanche whose career as a famous actress was cut short after she became paralyzed. Jane keeps Blanche as prisoner on the 2nd floor of their house and Davis' portrayal of Jane was nothing short of extraordinary. My favorite part of the movie was actually when Davis went right up to the camera as though it were a mirror and applied her makeup like an inch away from the screen. Sounds stupid but it was really cool in my opinion. Also, I couldn't help but love all of the accessories that people wore and some of the clothes. While I was watching I kept thinking 'omg i want that' lol. I give the movie 5 stars!! Here is the trailer for the movie for your viewing pleasure:

Sorry...

2009-01-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

but I won't be posting much in the next few weeks-or at least I shouldn't be. I am taking courses at a local community college and I really need to focus for the first few weeks at least. I have a course from last semester that is incomplete so I have to deal with that as well (why I need to stop blogging!!!). I'll be posting soon!!!

My New Addiction...

2009-01-26T04:43:00.000-08:00

Recently I started watching The Office. I thought that I hated it after seeing a clip of it about a year ago. What the hell was I thinking??!! I love that show! I have been watching the show starting from season 1 for the past two days and I am SO excited to see what happens to Jim and Pam. This is definitely my new favorite show!

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

Via Google Image Search, www.facehunter.blogspot.com, Nicole Miller Photography, Michele Wass Photography, Design for Mankind, Avant-Garde Fashion Photography, and Style Bubble

Currently Listening to "Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson, "Catch Me Daddy" and "I Need a Man to Love Me" by Janis Joplin, "Shakin' All Over" by Vince Taylor, "I Can't Explain" by The Who, and "Gloria" and "Love Her Madly" by The Doors

"The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of"

2009-01-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching "The Maltese Falcon" and it was amazing! It's now one of my favorite classic films. I am a fan of Film Noir mostly, and this was a really great example of that genre. The only thing I hate about older movies is the blatant racism and sexism throughout. I try and think of it as a look into the past though so I don't go insane!! ANYWAY, the movie was great and I got a lot of knitting done while I watched. I give it 5 stars!

On a side note: I wish people still wore hats all the time :(

Gangsta's and Bitches

2009-01-25T01:39:00.000-08:00

This may need to be clicked on in order to be seen...but it's freaking hilarious!!!

Lend a Helping Hand

2009-01-25T01:08:00.000-08:00

"How strange is the lot of us mortals! Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he sometimes thinks he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people -- first of all for those upon whose smiles and well-being our own happiness is wholly dependent, and then for the many, unknown to us, to whose destinies we are bound by the ties of sympathy. A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving..."
-From "The World As I See It" by Albert Einstein

During this difficult time in our history, we need to reach out to help others. Our communities, countries, and our world need us to get off our asses and help out in any way that we can. By volunteering in your communities you can help to improve people's self-esteem, teach people valuable skills for life, and help local businesses thrive. Also, it gives people a deep satisfaction for helping others. I personally would like to volunteer at least one hour a week from now on. Services such as Service Nation,Volunteer Match, and Volunteer.gov can help you to find volunteer opportunities in your area. Or better yet, create your own volunteer opportunities. Tidy up for the elderly person across the street, collect food for the hungry, take donations for those in need- because god knows in times like these we need each other to pull through.

Success!!!

2009-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

My mom just called me "The Layering Queen". Is it bad that this just made my day?

Fashion for the Curvaceous

2009-01-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Who says fashion is only for skinny women? If you are 'hiding' behind your clothes you need to stop and wear clothes that look nice on you NOW- because the present is all you have. There is no excuse- it is easy for everyone to find clothes that look nice for their body. There are many women who are plus-sized and gorgeous- such as Crystal Renn (pictured above), Jordin Sparks, America Ferrara, Mia Tyler, and Kate Dillon. For every person who only finds smaller women attractive, there is someone who finds bigger women attractive, so show off your curves! A way to get started is by looking at a British-based company called Evans that has some really fashionable clothes for sizes 14-32 (I think in US sizes it's 12-30 but I'm not sure). Here are some outfits I picked out from their website:

Outfit #1

35 pounds

60 pounds

10 pounds

10 pounds

Outfit #2
8 pounds

15 pounds

28 pounds

18 pounds

35 pounds

Outfit #3
18 pounds

20 pounds

10 pounds

22 pounds

Outfit #4
45 pounds

20 pounds

12 pounds

30 pounds

4 pounds

35 pounds

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

Via Facehunter, Zebra Stripes and Runaway Kites, Avant-garde Fashion Photography, Google Image Search

I Haven't Felt This Proud of my Country in a Long Time

2009-01-20T22:26:00.000-08:00

HAHAHHAHHA!

2009-01-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

I miss Heath Ledger....:(

Goodbye George Bush!!!

2009-01-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hunk of the Month

2009-01-19T16:52:00.001-08:00

I honor of his inauguration tomorrow, I thought I would give President Elect (soon to be President!!) Barack Obama the honor of being my first EVER Hunk of the Month (and yes, that does mean that there will be more to come!).
During the primary I was a supporter of Hillary's but I think it was only because back then Obama wasn't really saying anything he supported-instead he was just saying 'hope and change' "CHANGE!!!!", but I became a huge supporter of his during the general election. He's incredibly smart, a good dad (even though I don't want kids that still makes me swoon!), and is very eloquent. Now that that's said, lets get to the cutie pie goodness.

Also, I found these two pictures and laughed my ass off lol

Currently listening to "Astro" by The White Stripes, "Mystery Girl, Mystery Boy" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Warning" by Green Day, and "Soul Bossa Nova" by whoever wrote it

I'm not dead!!

2009-01-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, my family and I went to visit relatives in West Virginia. I love my famiy and I enjoy being around them, but yhank god we're back because I couldn't take much more of it. Sure the people there are very friendly and it's incredibly beautiful, but for a culture-vulture idealist like me it's kind of like hell. My relatives live in an extremely rural part of the state. I mean REALLY rural. Last year there was a story on the news about how a part of the town had finally gotten plumbing. In this town Applebees is the height of sophistication in fine dining, Walmart has nice clothes, gender stereotypes are strictly enforced, a culturally diverse town is one that has a single black\jewish family, and homosexuals are still thought of as perverts. Considering I'm a 'crazy liberal', I'm sure you can understand why I would hate to live there.
Speaking of gender issues, while we were out for a nice meal (at said Applebees) a waiter that was around my age addressed my mother and aunts (who are 20-30 years his senior) as 'dear' and 'honey'. These are people who had lived full lives, had taken care of themselves on their own, and had seen more than him...and they were being addressed as though they were children. A few times while I was talking my male relatives shhhhed me, and I was told to be ladylike afterwards by my female relatives. I speak up for myself after they do these things, but they just sit there looking confused.
When I was around 10 or 12 years old I went to my grandmother's church- which had a striking resemblance to the church from Borat. While the preacher was screaming, he furiously yelled , "There are horrible people in the world that want you to follow in their path of sin!" and I thought 'yeah sure, you're probably right I guess', but then he continued with "There are blacks! Jews! and Gays!". I quickly realized I was surrounded by crazies.
My parents wanted to live in this area, but they moved to New Jersey so I would get a better education. Yeah, that's right, I almost grew up there.
Alright that's enough of my ranting- I would also like to point out that not ALL of West Virginia is like this, Charleston is quite nice and so are other parts....but this town my relatives are from is freaking awful.

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-14T19:31:00.001-08:00

I went to the optometrist today...

2009-01-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving, I've been getting really intense headaches that have been starting on the upper part of my right eye. I can't explain it...my eye just starts hurting and then it spreads to the entire right side of my head. It hasn't happened recently, but I thought that probably meant my vision was getting screwed up or something. So this morning I spent two hours of my life waiting around for the doctor to look at me, and when he did he said I was fine and I would have to go to my normal doctor. So 2 hours gone and god know how much money down the pit, I was healthy....at least my eyes are. Whatever, at least I got pics of my eyes dilated!

Also, when I left they gave me these SEXY sunglasses!

Note to self: don't wear grey!

Shopping Fix

2009-01-14T14:45:00.001-08:00

Owl's Lab Vera Wang Necklace $208

Topshop shoes $55

Old Navy Trench $49.50

Topshop tights $12

Urban Outfitter's Tunic $24.99

Forever 21 Skirt $9.99

Via Urban Outfitters,Old Navy, Forever 21, Topshop, and Owl's Lab

Currently Listening to "There's No Home for You Here" and "Wasting My Time" by The White Stripes, "South Street" by the Shangri-Las, "Rodeo Town" by The Kills, and "Black Tambourine" by Beck

Shopping Fix

2009-01-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

Banana Republic Necklace $69

Piperlime $89

Mint and Vintage jacket $130

Topshop tights $12

Topshop dress $100

Via Mint and Vintage,Topshop,Piperlime, and Banana Republic

Currently listening to "Suffragette City" by Bowie, "Five to One" by The Doors, "M.E.X.I.C.O.C.U." by The Kills, "Date With the Night" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "We Go" by Thao and the Get Down Stay Downs, "Jogging" by Yelle

Love

2009-01-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

"The very essence of romance is uncertainty"

From "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde

Currently listening to "Tu es Beau" by Yelle.

Introducing Miss Precious Perfect

2009-01-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

If you get that reference you're awesome!

Currently listening to Thee Headcoats

Designer Clothes Up to 70% at Gilt Groupe

2009-01-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

At Gilt Groupe they sell beautiful designer clothes for REASONABLE prices! If you go to this site you can sign up (you can't buy things there unless you are invited) and begin to look through their sales. Right now they have shoes and bags from Kate Spade for under $100, beautiful jewelry by Amrita Singh, gorgeous clothes by Lauren Moffatt, and many other great buys there! Plus, if you buy something I get a $25 credit. So if you need clothes please buy some!

Currently listening to "Minority" by Green Day and "Your Love is a Deserter" by The Kills.

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry but I have a TON of pictures clogging up my computer

Bleaching Your Skin For ?Beauty?

2009-01-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

There is a trend that is rampant in Asian and African countries to buy 'skin-lightening creams'. In Senegal, women say that they have a greater chance of becoming successful if their skin were a shade lighter. Some men encourage their partners to bleach their skin and "some young men prefer women with fair skin". Women also reportedly encourage their friends and relatives to bleach their skin since "Women who lighten their skin are part of a group" and if they didn't they would be ostracized (This reminds me of Western society's obsession with fat...but that's another post).
Besides the fact that the creams are expensive ($5 for the cheapest and most dangerous; a small fortune in Senegal) they are also encouraging racism and self-hate in countries that have even bigger problems to worry about.
Not only that, they're dangerous. Women are getting signs of skin cancer, permanent scars, heavy facial hair, and many other health problems as a result of using the products. In Senegal it's fashionable for women to lighten their skin before a baby's presentation party, but studies have shown that use of the products during pregnancy can lead to an increase of diabetes for the child.

Since the majority of celebrities and television personalities that are broad casted in these areas are white people, it is understandable that this problem could arise. However, it is complete nonsense to think that any skin tone can be more beautiful than another. Alec Wek and Tyra Banks are examples of gorgeous women who have darker skin. People should accept their bodies for how they are and instead of trying to change them through unhealthy means, using their bodies to their advantage and living healthy and active lives.

Via .ABC News
Currently Listening to "One More Cup of Coffee For the Road" and "Truth Doesn't Make a Noise" by The White Stripes, "Judy is a Punk" by The Ramones, "Rebel Girl" by Bikini Kill, "What New York Used to Be" by The Kills, "Hyperballad" by Bjork, and "Acdg Remix" by Yelle.

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-12T18:48:00.001-08:00

Currently Listening to "Mon Meuiller Ami" by Yelle and the na na na na hey hey song...not sure if that's the actual name lol

Winners at the Golden Globes

2009-01-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Via Jezebel
Currently Listening to "My Heart Can't Hold Water" by The Horrors

Atrocities at The Golden Globes

2009-01-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

I can't even look at the dress because all I'm able to notice is how the dress is painted to her stomach. Horrible. Next size up - train = perfect dress.

70% off now at Walmart. No.

The fabric looks cheap and the cut is doing something wierd to her boobs. Plus, it looks like somone randomly sewed the hem of a Victorian ballgown to her in the most unflattering way. No.

It looks like her stylist took a tablecloth from a 16 year old's birthday party and draped it around her. No.

Via Jezebel
Currently listening to "Walking Blues" and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" by Robert Johnson, "Forever For Her is Over For Me" by The White Stripes, and "Missing" by Beck

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

Currently Listening to "Peace Frog" and "Soul Kitchen" by The Doors

Go Away! Please!

2009-01-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

Via Jezebel

The people at Topshop got drunk and designed these two monstrosities

2009-01-11T23:57:00.001-08:00

Does anyone else feel like they're at grade school?

Via
topshop

Pictures Out of Gaza: Always Remember How Lucky You Are

2009-01-11T11:30:00.003-08:00

I cried while making this :(

Via Denver Post

Ten Rules For Being Human

2009-01-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

Via Success Company

Currently Listening to "Red Rain" by The White Stripes

Conventional Logic vs. Religious Logic

2009-01-11T10:25:00.001-08:00

Via tacotacohotcakes

Currently Listening to "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine" by The White Stripes

AllSaints Clothing Up to 70% Off Sale!

2009-01-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

UK-based company AllSaints is having a pretty good sale going on right now. All of their clothes are either a bit dark and creepy looking, or they have sort of a rock star vibe- which to me makes them look even cooler. They're pretty expensive with the conversion rate, but when else are you going to be able to buy their clothes? Seriously? Below are my favorites from the sale. Go there quick to pick them up!

Via AllSaints

Currently Listening to "Rich" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and "I Like Fucking" by Bikini Kill

2009-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate."

Via The Drifter and the Gypsy

I have TOTALLY been there

2009-01-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

Via Postsecret

My Current Inspirations...

2009-01-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

Create your own Jackson Pollock!

2009-01-10T15:18:00.001-08:00

Even though I already have my own re-created Jackson Pollock hanging in my boudoir, it is still fun to do it digitally. Create a masterpiece on this here website!

Jackson Pollock

Currently listening to "Gloria" by The Doors

Very Cute

2009-01-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

Via tacotacohotcakes

Currently Listening to "Mal Poli" by Yelle and "Why Can't You be Nicer to Me" by The White Stripes.

Hellooo!!

2009-01-09T22:10:00.001-08:00

Via Jezebel

Why I should stop shopping and save money

2009-01-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

"A 77-year-old English woman died earlier this week, suffocated alive under a mountain of her own belongings."

via Jezebel

Currently listening to "Shake Your Shit" by The Horrors

Sale at Pret A Portobello!

2009-01-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

A fantastic London fashion site is having a really good online sale right now! Considering that a lot of the clothes being sold are really original, I think it's worth the conversion rate. Here are some of my favorite items from the sale. Happy Shopping!

Illinois House Impeaches Rod Blog-o-just-shut-the-f-up-already

2009-01-09T12:42:00.001-08:00

Good. Now maybe the media (including me apparently) will SHUT UP about him. Yes it was a big deal, yes I'm glad he was impeached, but does it need to be the number 1 story every freaking day! GAH!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/us/politics/10illinois.html?_r=1&hp

This made me laugh forever

2009-01-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

I never really realized how ridiculous that saying was lol

(what is he holding??)

Obama comic to be released

2009-01-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

"Next Wednesday Marvel Comics releases Spiderman comic book number 583 in which the arachnid superhero prevents the Chameleon from disrupting Obama’s inauguration. Obama shows his gratitude by fist bumping the super hero and continuing with the swearing in. At one point, Spider-Man says he mistook Vice President-elect Joe Biden for the perennial Marvel villain the Vulture. The special inauguration issue will sell for $3.99, though comic book vendors expect it to be in short supply and quickly attain a premium price of as much as $20."

Obama doesn't need to be in a comic book. He IS a superhero!!
lol I love how they have him fist bumping Spider man lol

The Great Recession

2009-01-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

"With the loss of 2.6 million jobs—including 1.9 million in the past four months alone—last year turned out to be the worst year for employment since 1945, the Labor Department reported Friday morning"(www.thedailybeast.com).

Unfortunately, my dad is one of those people. A few days before Christmas his boss told him that they were letting him go. Merry Christmas to you too! I think it may turn out for the better though since he always hated his job. He's going to take classes at a community college nearby to get a degree in respiratory therapy. I think he'll really enjoy it so I hope that we won't have many financial problems in the meantime.

I really hope that Obama will be able to turn this recession around. I hope that after the 1st year there will at least be steps in place to amend our problems. Yes we can lol!

Ann Coulter says...

2009-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Single motherhood is "a recipe to create criminals, strippers, rapists, murderers."

Right.

Well this is lovely....

2009-01-08T17:48:00.001-08:00

Congress Appoints 1st Transgender Staffer

2009-01-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

"Transgender activist Diego Sanchez has been appointed to the position of legislative assistant to Congressman Barney Frank in Washington, D.C. The top priority among his responsibilities will be to serve as the congressman's point person on LGBT rights, but he will also advise Frank on a range of issues relating to healthcare, veterans, labor and the U.S. Census. Sanchez will be the first openly transgender person to work in a congressional office in Washington."

Yay!! It's about time! It's pretty sad that there hasn't been any yet...I wonder how long it will take for our 1st transgendered president???? 600 years?

http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=84812

I am spending far too much money...

2009-01-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

Oscar de la Renta....

2009-01-08T14:39:00.001-08:00

you've gotta be kidding me...

If you take it out of the context of trying to save gas\money, this doesn't make any sense

2009-01-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Yay beautiful clothing!

2009-01-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

I have just purchased the most beautiful boots off of ebay! They were made by cult Belgian designer A. F. Vandevorst. They only cost me $140 since they were used, originally they were about $900 or something like that. Here they are!

I have only recently learned about this designer, but from what I have seen they make beautiful clothes! While I was looking through their shows from previous seasons it's obvious that grey is a staple that they have in all of their work. They have a sort of almost simplicity in their clothes. When I mean simplicity, I don't mean that their clothes are like Lanvin's Spring 2009 r-t-w, I mean that they usually have one focal piece in the ensemble with blocks of color surrounding it to support it. The fact that they use grey so much also helps to give them this simplistic, thrown-together look. In their Spring 2009 ready-to-wear collection they showed grey mostly through the identical tights that all of the models were wearing. Here's some of my favorite looks from that show:

Quote of the Day

2009-01-08T00:03:00.001-08:00

"People who are against gay marriage do not understand the very freedoms that they themselves are enjoying." Brad Pitt, in an interview with W Magazine.

50 Things to Say Before You Die

2009-01-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago one of my best friends passed away and ever since I've been thinking a lot about life, how to get the most out of it, etc. Time has become a facination for me, every day goes by so quickly to me and all you can do is try and enjoy the moment because in a second it'll be gone. I found this website and it really hit the mark for me in terms of what I've been thinking about lately...that is how to live life to the fullest and appreciate everyone and everything you have in your life. It's pretty interesting you should check it out:

http://www.lyved.com/body_soul/50-things-to-say-before-you-die/

Curse you Norm Coleman!

2009-01-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Norm Coleman is challenging Al Franken's win in the Minnesota Senate race recount in court. Considering that he won by a rather small margin I do not believe that it's completely out of order. However, Coleman said that Franken's win was an "artificial lead" and that they would "take whatever legal action (is) necessary to remedy (it)". That may be going a bit far Coleman. Last time I checked it hasn't been the Democrats that have been fudging up the numbers- anyone remember the 2000 or '04 elections?

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/01/coleman_campaign_reaffirms_tha.php

Bees on Cocaine!

2009-01-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Scientists in Australia are studying addiction by getting bees high on cocaine. According to the study, it affects them the same way that it affects humans. Imagining crack-addict bees is killing me!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/science/06bees.html?_r=1&ref=science

War in Israel

2009-01-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

News out of Gaza is that the state of Israel is trying to remove any influence of Hamas out of the Gaza strip. Apparently they dropped leaflets saying, "“Hamas is getting a taste of the power of the Israeli military after more than a week and we have other methods that are still harsher to deal with Hamas. They will prove very painful. For your safety, please evacuate your neighborhood.” Also, they are calling people's homes and saying that they are getting rid of Hamas. Hopefully this will be a short conflict that doesn't kill many people and it will be good for the area as a whole in the future. It's hard to know exactly what's going on there because Israel is not letting any Western reporters into Gaza, so most of the news is from Palestinian reporters. Everyone say a prayer for the people there!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/bloody-day-in-gaza/developing/

Warhol WTF?!?!?!

2009-01-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaf6zF-FJBk&eurl=http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy

Pronunciation Guide

2009-01-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

For language nerds like me, there is a really great website where people upload soundbites of them saying difficult words to pronounce in their native tounge. I was amazed to discover that Leicester Square is pronounced "Lester Square" by English people!

http://forvo.com

YES MINNESOTA! WIN!

2009-01-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

News out of Minnesota is that old Saturday Night Live comedian turned liberal author and politician Al Franken has won the Senate Race! To tell you the truth, I've been rooting for Franken since he first ran a few years ago. I read his book "Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them" and ever since I've kind of been a huge fan. Go Al!

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2009/01/john_boltons_be/

Kate Moss is Awesome

2009-01-05T22:06:00.000-08:00

I think she's an amazing woman. She's an incredibly savvy business woman, fantastic fashion designer, legendary model, and fashion icon. I mostly wanted to post this because I love this picture.

Rod Blogo-just-shut-the-f-up-already

2009-01-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else as sick of hearing about old Rod as much as I am? For god's sake move on to something important people, like maybe the economic crisis our country is in! Or maybe one of the wars that is going on right now...preferably our own fiasco! Please, I beg of you, just put him in jail and move on.

Pretttyyyyy!

2009-01-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

http://http//paperplate.tumblr.com/post/67781536/teacakes-withabang-i-couldnt-find-the-face-for

First Ever Post!!!

2009-01-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

So I've joined the rest of the world and made my very own blog! I doubt many people will wind up reading this, but I will write posts about things I love and hate. Because this is my blog. And I can.