down the rabbit hole

There are two things that upset me about this.
1. That I have to wait until MARCH to see the film.
2. That Anne Hathaway is in it. Seriously? Why?! Oh well. I'll still suck it up and go see it.

when i cannot sing my heart, i can only speak my mind

If you could live in a different time, what would you choose? I think it's safe to say that everyone's been asked that question at some point in their life. Personally it's between two choices. I would either want to live in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, or be born somewhere around 1947. Why 1947? Well, I would have been 17 when this happened:



I am so jealous of the generation that grew up with The Beatles. I can not imagine being alive in a time when such a mainstream band was so groundbreaking. I feel like there is an attitude among my generation that if it's mainstream, then it's bad. Yeah, sure ok, not everyone was on the "Beatle bandwagon" at the time they first came out, but it was mainly older people who complained that their hair didn't have a part or something trivial like that. Not only did these lucky baby boomers get The Beatles, they got Hendrix, Dylan, and The Stones. Give me a break! Who do we have now? ...? What concerts am I going to brag to my children about? Nsync? Britney Spears? (and yes, I have seen them both in concert [twice actually.]) I did see U2, and Dylan, but it doesn't count really because they were past their prime. I suppose we're lucky that we at least lived during Michael Jackson's lifetime, but again, he was a little past his prime by the time I came of age.

I am genuinely stumped when I try and think about what was so special about the music of my youth. I really don't feel like anything as ground breaking or momentous as The Beatles will ever occur in my lifetime. I suppose it's enough that I am still able to appreciate their music even though it's been around for so long. Don't get me wrong, I still have my musicians of today that I think are wonderful, but I don't think 30 years from now anyone will be listening to them.

9

So far this is the only movie I'm really looking forward to seeing this Holiday. I just hope the movie is as good as this trailer (which is phenomenal!)

Familiar?

venice

I'm loving it here

lately

So I'm feeling very uninspired, and don't have anything to write about, so..

here's what has been going on recently:

.read the new Dan Brown novel (not a big fan.)
.read Maile's book
.made some new friends (who have a crepe maker!)
.got a new oven (and made red velvet cupcakes!)
.managed to replace the missing earring (sort of.)
.spent quality time with some old friends
.went to The Getty
.managed to see Where The Wild Things Are
.went dancing
.finally watched Choke

It sounds fairly trivial, but it's the little things that I'm really enjoying right now. Still working full time, and these little things are adding up to something wonderful. Overall it's been a really good past couple of weeks. I'm enjoying LA. A lot.

Also, I'm entertaining the thought of chopping off my locks for this do:

it's the end of the world as I know it

Last night I got super fancy, put on my favorite earrings, and went out for a night on the town. Three hours later when I made it home, I took off my heels, pulled my hair back to wash my face, and took off my earrings. To my shock and disbelief, this is what they looked like:



The bottom must have come off somewhere throughout the night. I realize how superficial I'm being, but they were my favorite earrings! They are from Anthropologie, and I just adore(d) them. I guarantee all of you who know me saw me wear them thousands of times. If anyone sees the missing flower part, or another pair somewhere (anywhere!) please let me know so I can attempt to resurrect my darlings.

this month

Wednesday


Thursday


Next Thursday


It's going to be a great couple of weeks!

too funny

so beautiful

sofia

I don't know what it is about Sofia Coppola that makes me love her so much, but I can't help it. I loved Lost in Translation, and The Virgin Suicides, but I hated Marie Antoinette so much that I did the unthinkable and turned it off about 3/4 of the way through (I know, I should watch it again, but I just haven't gotten around to it.)

Aside from her films and the fact that she is only the second female to be nominated for the "Best Director" academy award, she also directed my favorite commercial EVER that can be found here. I want to live in the world of that commercial.

Also, I love her because of her friendship with Marc Jacobs. And because she has amazing style.

But I must say that part of the reason I love her so much is because her looks are so unconventional. She has a fairly large nose, she has extremely round cheeks, but somehow these silly little things just make her more beautiful. I love women who take their flaws and make them beautiful. Sofia's style is unconventional as well, and she always manages to look effortless yet polished. I don't know how she does it, but she does it flawlessly.


Plus, I totally want her to come decorate my apartment. I love this photo of her on her sofa. It's so chic.

fall

It is my favorite time of year.
The leaves are changing colors,
The mornings are clear and beautiful.
The afternoons are sunny and brisk.
I couldn't be happier.

wade robson

For those of you who don't watch So You Think You Can Dance, or grew up watching *Nsync and Britney Spears music videos, you probably don't know who Wade Robson is. Basically he is the choreographer that made it big in the late 90's with the pop/boy band scene. Now he has moved on to bigger and better things, and has won 2 emmys as a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance (my other favorite show.) I was watching some past dances from the show on youtube, and came across Wade Robson as an 8 year old dancing on star search. Oh my god, can he dance! This video is truly amazing.

what a little gem

So I am officially obsessed with the movie (500) Days of Summer. I adore the film, the soundtrack, everything. I have also become convinced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the kind of man I want to marry. I know. I'm obsessed. It's become so bad in fact that I just went on youtube to find the video for "Sweet Disposition" by the Temper Trap, so that I could blog about how much I love that song. But instead of finding something suitable for that song, I found this precious little number with Zooey and Joseph. The song in the video is also on the soundtrack, and is performed by Zooey Deschanel's band, She & Him. I hope you'll enjoy. And if anyone knows how I can meet Joseph Gordon-Levitt, please let me know. Thanks.

i heart NY

I'm off to New York for the weekend for a much anticipated reunion with two of my favorite girls on the planet. And while I'm there I'll be keeping an eye out for these two...

watch your back vanessa.

just some words

I am without a doubt one of the clumsiest people on the planet. Today at work I seriously stubbed my toe, smashed my head (hard) into a wooden shelf, and earlier burned my knuckle on the oven. I was thinking that I am the epitome of accident-prone, but I don't feel like that word even begins to describe what I am. Thanks to Thesaurus.com, let's see if we can find something a little more fitting...

(synonyms for "clumsy")

all thumbs
blundering
blunderous
bulky
bumbling
bungling
butterfingered
clownish
crude
elephantine
gauche
gawkish
gawky
graceless
ham-handed
heavy
heavy-handed
helpless
hulking
ill-shaped
incompetent
inelegant
inept
inexperienced
inexpert
lubberly
lumbering
lumpish
maladroit
oafish
ponderous
splay
stumbling
unable
unadept
uncoordinated
uncouth
undexterous
uneasy
ungainly
unhandy
unskillful
untactful
untalented
untoward
unwieldy
weedy

... yeah, I'd say that about covers it.

reason #1 I love craig's list

When I get bored, and people aren't updating their blogs (ahh-hem!) I sometimes stumble onto craig's list and read the missed connections for the mall I work at. There are always a ton at the 24hr fitness (which is in our mall - yes, very weird), and the posts are usually men seeking other men. This one is truly exceptional:

Went to the locker room at 24hr to pee, set my drink down on a bench on my way to the urinal... when I finished and went back to get my drink, you were their changing. As I bent down to grab my cup U dropped your towl and my face was eye level with your swinging cock & only about 2 feet away.

Beautiful cock bro, great build & handsome facen too! We were both a little caught off guard as I paused, looked up and checked out your perfect dick, shaved nuts & built bod. I wish I would have at least said hi. Anyway, if you happen to read this & wanna meet up just let me know. Could use a buddy to workout with.

Is it the typos (towl, facen), the detailed sequence of events, or simply the phrase "beautiful cock bro" that are responsible for making this the best craig's list missed connection ever? Who knows, but I am still jealous that it only seems to be gay guys who meet people at the gym. However, the last line leaves me slightly perplexed. Because our friend says, "Could use a buddy to workout with," I'm left wondering if the man responsible for the post is gay, or if he was merely admiring the "perfect dick, shaved nuts & built bod" of what will hopefully be his future gym buddy? I hope not. Call me a romantic, but I want these two to finish what they started! Hopefully the stars will align and these two will be able to find each other again! (Sidenote: I totally think the guy who "dropped" his towel right when the other guy's face was all up in his crotch totally did it on purpose. Thoughts?)

guess who

I was cleaning out my computer and deleting old pictures and random documents and things when I came across this little photo that I had forgotten I had. It's very endearing and childlike, and I'll bet you'll never guess who drew it...

(the answer is not me by the way.)

The Reason I Keep Journals

I'm glad I finally got around to cleaning my desk at my parent's house because I discovered my journal from 4th grade. The handwriting is unbelievably awful, and the pages have pictures of Pocahontas on them. Reading it is hysterical because apparently I was still boy crazy back then:

"Hi,
guess what. I'm finily playing socher with the boys I hope Mason will noties me! That is the only reason why I do it."

I'm so lame! But it gets worse...

"Hey,
New boy. Tottaly cute, on swim team. bad thing he's in 3rd grade! He's tottaly meture, I mean he acts and looks like a 4th grader. In the spa we sit and talk for the whole big kids practe (practice.) His name is *******. He's not as cute as Jacob, but he's a cutie all right."

Not only was I super lame, but a really really bad speller to boot! I'm so glad I found this!

YESSSSSS!!!

Finally, here is the trailer for the Time Traveler's Wife that I was talking about. Frankly I'm a little worried that this is going to turn into a horrible sappy love story. PLEASE please please hollywood... don't ruin this one!

Also - the trailer pretty much gives away everything, so if you don't want to know don't watch it.



I so want this to be good!

distracted

I've realized I've gotten a little off course with the theme of this silly thing. But, rest assured that I will get back on track at some point. In the mean time, here's a movie that I'm just dying to see:



how adorable.

my life plan:

1. New York in September.
2. Europe in January.

and that's as far as I've gotten.

finally!

I love Chuck and Blair. No scratch that; I live for Chuck and Blair. And my tivo'ed gossip girl was definitely the highlight of finals week! I can't wait for next season!!!!!!

love vs. work

You know the saying, "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life?"

Well... here's what I love. Lets combine them and try and find me a career, shall we?

1. Traveling
2. Food/wine
3. Art/music/film
4. Shopping/Fashion
5. Languages
6. Writing

Ok... go!
(and I graduate in a week and a half, so if you could come up with something before then and get me an interview - that would be great!)

If I ever have kids...

...you had better believe he will be this adorable. I'm dying of cuteness. (photo from The Sartorialist.)

excuse me while I interrupt my hiatus...

I know it's been a while, and this entry will by no means be overly insightful to make up for my absence, however I am so excited for this movie.



It's called the Time Traveler's Wife, and is starring Eric Bana (yum) and Rachel McAdams. The movie is based on a novel written by Audrey Niffenegger and is far and away the best book I've read in the past year (and yes, I've read more than one book in the past year.)



Basically Henry has some sort of nerve condition that allows him to travel through time. Despite this abnormality, he manages to sustain a relationship with Clare, and from there all bets are off. It's an absolute masterpiece, and if you take any book recommendation from me ever, please for the love of God let it be this one. I don't know how Niffenegger came up with the plot, but it is so intricate and so tight that as soon as I finished it I wanted to pick it up and start it right over again. Seriously people. This book is amazing.

a little taste

Here's a frame from the thesis I'm editing. Get excited!

if loving this is wrong I don't want to be right

Is it bad that I love this so much? I think it's because I'm in love with Nicole Scherzinger. She's soooo gorgeous.

The Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)
Uploaded by UniversalMusicGroup

what a shame

I finally got around to watching Pineapple Express the other night, and was painfully disappointed in it. The trailer made it look absolutely hilarious, and surprise surprise... it was not. What a shame.

But the good news is that I still found James Franco attractive, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

what's old is new again

The best way to shop these days seems to be in my mother's closet. These rings are amazing, and I haven't had to buy new ones in ages because I love these so much. I only hope that if I have a daughter that she will like my jewelery as much I do. It's funny to think that maybe, just maybe, my extravagant earrings and necklaces will be considered cool and vintage by later generations. I guess I'll hang on to all my stuff too, just in case.

a million little pieces

I decided I wanted to read this book after all the controversy around it came to fruition. Like they say, any press is good press right? So I just finished reading it, and it is phenomenal. James Frey is a really gifted writer, and I don't care if the entire experience is made up – the man can tell a compelling story! Wow.

I know a few people who are in AA, but prior to reading the book I didn't know anything about the 12 steps. I had no idea what a large part faith in God played. Through the entire book, counselors are telling him that the 12 steps are the only thing that work, but because he doesn't believe in God he says that he won't be able to follow the steps. I haven't read any book that is a bestseller that takes such an anti-religious standpoint. I think his view of God and his refusal to conquer his addiction by putting faith in something he does not believe in is the most riveting part of the book. Although he does want to get clean, he is not willing to compromise and feign belief in a higher power in order to try and stay sober. I think it's really admirable that after everything he's been through he listens to himself and it is his own determination to remain sober. To him it's a matter of willpower and control.

The whole time I was reading it I was expecting him to give into the 12 steps and to find God. I figured that was the reason the book was a bestseller. I'm so glad he didn't because it would have turned the book into some sort of religious propaganda, and frankly that's not what I signed up for when picked it up. I think this aspect is what made his story so successful – the fact that it doesn't get preachy, and that it is merely one man recounting his experience. Personally I got the sense while reading the book that he did not expect the book to become as popular as it did, and it seems he wrote the book more for himself than for the general public. Even if he did make most of it up, I don't care because sometimes the truth isn't nearly as interesting as fiction.

jimmy dean

I would like to take a moment to honor the beauty that is James Dean.



Ahh... they just don't make them like this anymore.

dream a little dream

So I stumbled upon Stephenie Meyer's website a few weeks ago and while perusing I read that she had a dream where a boy and a girl were talking in a forest, and that they were in love. But here's the twist, as quoted from her website:

"In my dream, two people were having an intense conversation in a meadow in the woods. One of these people was just your average girl. The other person was fantastically beautiful, sparkly, and a vampire. They were discussing the difficulties inherent in the facts that:
A) they were falling in love with each other while
B) the vampire was particularly attracted to the scent of her blood, and was having a difficult time restraining himself from killing her immediately."

So this woman has made thousand and millions of dollars off of remembering her dream! Regardless of what you or I may think of the books, that's amazing. All of this from one little dream! I swear to god I'm going to start keeping a dream journal or something.

adorable stupidity

Due to the fact that yesterday's blog was rather abstract and thoughtful, here's something amusing so there's no risk of this blog taking itself too seriously. Enjoy.


Sleeping Dog Runs Into Wall - Watch more Funny Videos

exp. 7/17/2007

I am currently taking a Buddhism class, and really really enjoying it. We have talked about the basic fundamentals etc. etc., and one of the truths is that "life is suffering." At first this sounds extremely pessimistic, but when you think about it it's actually very true. We form attachments to everything around us whether it be tangible objects (ipods, cars, computers) or people. We forget that everything is impermanent and that everything will die. The buddhists view death differently from the way most western religions do; they see it as a part of life and accept it for what it is because ultimately everyone will die. This is a hard thing for us to think about, but it is true and there is nothing we can do about it.

I realize this sounds like such a downer to us because we typically don't like to think of life this way. But try taking this view of death and putting it in the mindset that we should appreciate everything around us while it's still here, and all of a sudden the thought seems very optimistic. We were talking in class how we take things for granted, and that we can't even recall little details about small things, such as our environment while walking into town.



This is what struck me. I couldn't tell you anything about the signs and buildings on the side of the 5 on my way to and from work, but I can tell you every goddamn thing about the walk from the collége in Cannes into town. I swear I remember every step, every smell, everything.

This made me ask myself why I could still recall these details so easily even thought it has been almost two years since I left for Cannes. I came to the conclusion it was because I knew I would only be there for a certain amount of time, and then it would be over. I wanted to take in as much as possible so that I could enjoy it while it lasted. This got me thinking that this must be how buddhists view life. Because everything essentially has an expiration date, everything is precious and we should enjoy every aspect of life while it lasts, because some day we will die. It sounds harsh even to me as I write this, but I like the thought of seeing everything as impermanent (like my stay in Cannes) and trying to enjoy every aspect of it while I can. I know this sounds preachy and I really don't mean for it to. It's just something that I've been thinking about and wanted to put into words so that I could better understand the idea myself.

The Cougar

Now this is not really based on any research that I have personally done, but from what I've been told men typically are in their sexual peak around 18-22, whereas women typically reach their sexual peak around age 35. I guess this is supposed to explain the attraction between young men and the older woman who society has now dubbed "the cougar." This pair consists of men and women in their respective sexual peaks so if this young man manages to pounce on a cougar, then the sex between two people in their sexual peaks should result in amazing sex, yes?

Alright, so I did a little brief research (which consisted of clicking on the first link in my google search) and found this:

The sex drive statistics regarding the “peak in women” come from Alfred Kinsey, Ph.D., the famous sexuality researcher who learned that women had more sexual outlets and more orgasms in their thirties than at any other time in their lives. This may be due to many reasons, including the fact that women in their thirties have become more comfortable with their bodies and with their body responses. Their orgasms become more reliable. They often have more self-confidence, and are more comfortable with their sexuality. They have a good sense of their needs, and are willing to communicate their needs more clearly and completely. Since they are familiar with their body responses, they can describe what they want to their partner more easily.

I just turned 22 a few weeks ago, and was feeling pretty down about having nothing really to look forward to about getting older, but I must say this is making accepting "old age" much easier. Dare I say I'm actually looking forward to it. I guess all that's left to say is...



"...here's to you Mrs. Robinson"

I dare you...

To watch this and not smile



I love this more than anything. The cat giving the massage reminds me of Yoda, and I just want to cuddle him so badly. I could easily make this entire blog about how much I love kittens and cats, but I'll try and limit myself to one cat video per month, but I'm not promising anything...

2.14.09

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of everyone's favorite holiday, here is one of my all time favorite songs and music videos. The lyrics are so bitter sweet that all you singles and couples are sure to enjoy.

Eagle-Eye Cherry - Save Tonight
Uploaded by Eagle-Eye-Cherry

21's Century "Belle Laide"

Ever since I started this silly little project of mine, I've been trying to think of a good example of a current celebrity who is belle laide. Someone whose look is unconventional, yet is undeniably sexy. Then the answer hit me



Adrien Brody. I don't know if it's the enormous nose, the soulful eyes, or the way he planted a kiss on Halle Berry at the Oscars, but there's no denying that he is one of the sexiest men alive.

The City

Who wouldn't want to watch a show about young, fashionable, and beautiful people cavorting around NYC? I never really watched The Hills because I don't think Lauren Conrad is very intelligent, and frankly don't really care about her; but when I heard Whitney Port was getting her own spin-off I was curious. When I did occasionally watch The Hills, Whitney was far and away my favorite character, but Whitney never really struck me as someone who could carry a show (she was good as the "office friend.") But never-the-less I remained hopeful. By the time The City started she already had a dream job working for Diane Von Furstenberg in New York, and a beautiful boy to boot. How could this show not be good?

So far I've watched every episode, and frankly I'm starting to lose interest. Yes her boyfriend is beautiful, and yes she has amazing fashion, but when MTV has to base an entire episode on the drama of someone telling a model she's too skinny, forgive me for changing the channel. I don't know how the show can be made more interesting. Maybe get rid of Olivia's cousin, and have MTV find her a millionaire boyfriend that she can boss around? So far she seems to be the only one with a definitive personality. I really really want this show to be good. I think Whitney is adorable, and god knows I love DVF, but please MTV we need some drama!

Belle Laide

Greetings!

So, you may be asking yourself, "what is belle laide?"

Answer: a french word meaning beautiful ugly. No such word exists in English, however I strongly believe that often it is the flaws that makes something truly beautiful.

I'm not sure how true it is, but I've heard that the term came about to describe French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (but in his case it would be "beau laid.") If you watch Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless you will understand. He is so strange looking that it's impossible to stop looking at him, and it's that intrigue that draws you in in a way that typical beauty doesn't.



I hope that you enjoy this blog, and the appreication of everything in my life that is beautiful, ugly, and everything in between.