I Heart NYC

Sarah Jessica Parker said that she liked this dress because it reminded her of New York City's architecture. Being somewhat of an architecture dork, that comment endeared me more to this dress than I would have felt inclined to be otherwise. 

But I still think it's purty.

Fashion Flash: Scarlett Johansson @ Venice Film Festival

I love this dress. I love the idea of arriving at a film premiere in Venice by boat. With Josh Hartnett waiting for you.

Fashion Flash: Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has such an elfish beauty. I love this retro-inspired dress...cinching dresses and blouses in with belts has always been a "thing" with me.

Old Fashioned Funky Chair

This chair makes me happy. I think because in some ways it reminds me of that worn, old-fashioned type of chair that's perfect to cuddle up in with a mug of hot cocoa and a good book. On the other hand, it's print is kinda modern and funky. Almost Dr. Suess-ish. It's at www.anthroplogie.com.....a website you should definitely check out (if you haven't already.)

Fashion: Rihanna

Doesn't Rihanna just ooze confidence here? Great fashion, great attitude, awesome photograph.

Marchesa Dresses

Somehow, these dresses seem both historic and space-agey. I'm not sure I'd wear them, but they're pretty cool, so why not blog about them?

Panda Tank Happiness

I love the boldness of this top. First of all, I love tank tops in general (I'm a casual girl at heart.) Secondly, the pastel florals of spring are getting a little old...especially after I featured them heavily in my last film (every female character wore floral...I kid you not.) Thirdly, the pandas aren't overtly "I'm a cute little panda"-ish, a theme which we have Hello Kitty to thank for. (Smile.) The top is from Delia's.

Crafty Shoes

Shoes seem to be sporting a bit more of a "custom look" these days. These are all from Urban Oufitters, but you could recreate most of them with a little fabric paint, ribbon, and an old pair of Keds. Add one more thing to my crafty to-do list....

Photography

Photo from TeenVogue. I love the whole mood of this photograph.

Behind the Scenes Oscar Pics

Photos taken from the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly

Oscar Predix

The Oscars are tonight, and even though I'm probably terribly off, I couldn't resist predicting who will win. I'm not going to go through all of the categories because a.) I'd be wrong far too many times and b.) I have to go to choir rehearsal soon and don't have gobs of time. So, here I go...

Best Actor: Peter O'Toole (Venus)

Best Actress: Helen Mirren (The Queen)

Best Supporting Actor: Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children)

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)

Best Director: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)

Best Picture: Babel or Little Miss Sunshine

Best Animated Feature: Cars

Best Documentary Feature: An Inconvenient Truth

Best Foreign Language Film: Pan's Labyrinth

Best Costume Design: Dreamgirls

Best Makeup: Pan's Labyrinth

Another Shallow Fashion Post...

I think I've been posting about dresses so much lately because we're working on fashion sketches right now in design class. This dress, which Eva Mendes wore to the premiere of Ghost Rider, caught my eye because it's able to pull off the hippie look without seeming too earthy for the red carpet. The dress has just enough strucure to be figure-friendly, and I love the neckline. Overall a really fun dress.

Best Oscar Dresses 2006

Pictured are Jessica Alba, Michelle Williams (with the wonderful Heath Ledger,) Meryl Streep, and Naomi Watts. What do you think of my choices? Post a Comment (or two) and tell me!

Cate Blanchett (2005 Golden Globes)

I know this is from last year, but since I was on a "Golden Globes" wavelength I had to feature it. Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses. She, like Meryl Streep, can play anything, and her fashion sense is timeless, yet sleek and modern. I love this dress. It wouldn't look good on me, but with her coloring and slim figure, it's beautiful.

Sienna Miller (2007 Golden Globes)

Sienna Miller is always quick to try something new and set a trend. This dress is gorgeous...it flatters her very well and pulls off the Grecian look sans the not-always-flattering empire waist. This is my pick for best dress at the Golden Globes.

Beauty

In Genesis 1:27 it says "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." If we all are created in God's image, not just some of us, how come our society says some people are more beautiful than others? How come we are all expected to live up to an airbrushed, tanned, slender ideal, devoid of the characteristics that make us each unique? Why are women scared to age, to have wrinkles and grey hair, when those features let people know that they have spent many wonderful years on earth, and have much wisdom to share? Why do women feel compelled to make their breasts bigger or their noses smaller, allowing doctors to tear apart their bodies for the sake of vanity? Why do we, when we're girls, keep wanting to be older, and once we're older we want to be young? Isn't this like a slap to God's face, a rebuke for not making us good enough? We should embrace who we are, and revel in our imperfections. we're not meant to be goddesses, no matter what the media says! People all over the world have some standard of beauty. During the Renaissance, women with large, curving stomachs were considered beautiful, because their large stomachs showed the world that they had had many children. The 1800's had women wearing corsets to create an hourglass shape. In the 1960's, every girl wanted to be petite after the Beatles said in an interview that they preferred short girls. In Asia, pale skin is beautiful...many African countries think that large thighs and long necks are hot. Why should the word "beauty" be confined to a small group of people? Shouldn't beauty, like love, know no borders, no skin colors, no body shape? Shouldn't beauty, like love, make someone all the more special for who they are, not who they should be?

Please comment on this. I would love to know what others think. Also, go to http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/. (And tell someone you love how beautiful they are.)

Never Doubt An Artist's Intuition...

This summer at film school, it became really cool to buy knit booties, "mukluks," from the local hippie shop. After film school, when I wore my mukluks here, my friends laughed good naturedly, thinking it was just another of my random kicks. But, lo and behold, now Ugg boots and American Eagle are selling mukluks...not to mention many of the outdoor stores. The moral of the story: please don't mock artsy people. Chances are, in a year or two, you'll be buying something rather like their table cloth turned dress or leg warmers at the mall. (Note: I didn't intend to sound "smarty" in this post."

Favorites From the Past Year

Here is a list of the things I discovered this past year and totally fell in love with, plus a few things I didn't love so much. Not all of these things came out in 2006, but I found out about them in 2006, so don't get frustrated if I seem backwards.

Best Film 2006: Expiration Date. (Indie film...google it and buy it, or read all about it in my earlier blogs.)

Best Film I Had Never Watched Until 2006: Roman Holiday, Rebel Without A Cause, Rashamon, and Memoirs of a Geisha.

Films I Should Have Liked, But Didn't in 2006: A Room With A View, 2001: A Space Oddyssey

Film I Was Disapointed in: Pirates 2

Film That Grew On Me: Pride and Prejudice

Favorite Book I Discovered in 2006: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Book That Scarred Me: Gilgamesh

Favorite New Trend: Dark Fingernail Polish and Mukluks.

Trend I Wish Would Return From the Fiery Cavern From Whence It Came: Bubble Skirts and Tacky Prom Dresses with skirts comparable to a small mountain.

New Music That Rocked My World: KT Tunstall and the new Newsboys CD

Old Music I Fell In Love With: The Beatles

Music I Wish My Brother's Basketball Team Would Stop Singing: Justin Timberlake (Ahhhhh!)

Kid's Show I Can't Get Enough Of: Curious George and Charlie and Lola

Adult Show That Is So Addictive, It Should Be Illegal: Grey's Anatomy (Hooray!)

The Issue I Wish More People Would Work At To Stop: Domestic Violence

The People Who Have Changed My Life: (You Know Who You Are.)

Shoes I Love Unashamedly

I'm not one of those crazy shoe people, but I love JCrew's shoes, especially the Wellies. I don't know why their clothes seem so British to me...maybe it's because for me, an American who's never been to Europe, Virginia is what I suppose England to be like...rolling hills, gigantic oak trees, old book stores with dust covered volumes, and creeks that are lots of fun to wade in as you wear your Wellies. A Thoroughbred horse or two doesn't hurt either.

Sirens

There have always been certain woman in pop culture who have that extra "oomph." Women who aren't afraid to be curvy (or use a very good corset,) women that every girl wants to be and every man wants to date, women who effortlessly walk the line between classy and trashy and glamorous.
The screen siren style never truly dies. A siren, unlike a bond girl or a tramp, has brains and mystique to match her curves.


Some of these women are: Veronica Lake, Marilyn Monroe, Faye Dunaway, Evylyn Nesbit, Donna Reed, Greta Garbo, Angelina Jolie, and Jessica Lange. Pictured are Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Taylor, Beyonce and Eva Mendes.