Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A few of my favorite things

I love this outfit...so cute with the fishnets. I would be one of those on this site that would have voted for them to stay--tastefully done of course--but yes--they must stay. I also want some flat riding boots like that, for those days when it is still bad weather but I don't feel like wearing heels, or having a sizable acoustical presence when walking across the lobby.

Also love this site---sidebar of the outfit--check it out, polyvore.com, you can create outfits with it. Sweet! Now I know what I will be filling my after-work TLC watching hours with in the future. As if creating outfits and dealing with clothes in the physical world wasn't satisfying enough. I love this poppy picture, because it reminded me of one of my best friends Julianne, who I also love. Jooj loves poppies, and all things red and dynamic, and is far far away in England, so I will take whatever remembrances I can get.

This gorgeous pic reminded me of one of my other best friends, Ali, who loves all things India, and who I also (sensing a pattern here) love. She did her field study there and brought me back a gorgeous sari I wore for my bridal shower--but that is a story for another day. Both of these pictures are from http://www.sxc.hu/, which is a great free stock photo site. I use it for work, but sometimes I stumble over some gems as well.


Of course I also love my friends Melanie and Lindsay ( I just don't have cool photos to go with), and my family and my hubbie--but that isn't nearly as visually stimulating. I also loved traveling, and love all things Scottish--

I mean--how gorgeous is that! Another trip, another day I hope.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Oscar Wrap-up

So...any aliens that happend to tune it to ABC last night between six and ten might think that Americans love films in languages they can't understand and fully support giving lavish awards to people who already are rich and lavished...while watching series of montages about previous events where they gave awards to people who are rich and lavished. What a great day for our nation. But, I guess the brutal Nielsen ratings leave little doubt as to how the tpyical American feels about the European-obscure-movie award gala...but the red carpet parade was still fun to watch, albeit with no serious fashion faux-pas.

I loved the "red" theme that many have commented on, especially since it might be signaling the end of the all too-fleshy colored blush era that seemed to dominate fabrics for the last few years. Please, I know as actresses you are sometimes naked--and many see it--but I would rather see some vibrant hue than guess as where Versace starts and your epidermis ends.



I liked the famous Coke-heart dress (now those two are interesting bedfellows...healthy living for women, and a sugar caffeine-laced soda...interesting) that Heidi Klum sported. The neck collar is a bit much, but I like the silhouette. Well, what silhouetter wouldn't look good on Heidi Klum, I don't know. You would have to ask my 21-year-old brother, and he would probably only be able to let out a male murmur at the sight of her. I think Helen Mirren can only be matched in classines with Judi Dench--so I was happy to see her again in a very pretty red dress with silver lacy sleeves--very chic.


I also liked the "little black dresses" trend, although I do not believe that so many women chose that color because they were in mourning for the writer's strike. I believe that some of them would happily speak of the suffering of their colleagues "craft" under corporate managment and the injustices heaped upon the word-artist proletariate--right up until their studio car drives them to their big plushy AC trailer to shoot another movie for a ridiculous sum of money. Viva la revolucion.

I, unlike most, don't always love Hillary Swank's outfits, mostly because I find her display of teeth unnerving at times, but I did love her off-the-shoulder number last night.



I also liked Jennifer Gardner's black dress, even though I don't usually love the mermaid style either (what a night for me to branch out...look how accepting I am.) I just love her...ever since the dorm days of late-night Alias sessions, wishing Sydney Bristow on as she battles bad people who never seem to die and friends who always do. I thought she did a great job in Juno, and loved that she was honest about how not all of her movies how gotten such critical acclaim. Hey--I thought Electra was breaking new ground...



So, now, for the fun part. The poorly dressed--the ones, as John Stuart so candidly put it--we say disparaging remarks about during commercial breaks. Kind of slim pickins' to be perfectly honest...no swans or large taffeta bows threatening to invade neighboring airspace. But, here are my fav worsts from the night.



Now...DDL (Daniel Day-Lewis) is brilliant in anything he is in and can play a bumbling Victorian suitor as easily as a Kentucky Native American adoptee, but he is weird. Weird. And, why would his partner be any different. So, I'm not too shocked that he shows up to the Oscars in a suit with some burnished piping, brown leather boots, pierced ears, with his partner in a busy ribbon tied-sundial jewled damask dress with Wizard of Oz shoes. Interesting choices all around, but then again, where would middle America be without celebritites to idolize and terrorize?

And then we have Arag--I mean--Viggo Mortensen.

Yes, the living King of Gondor, in a stolen Bolshevik jacket and a matching Russian beard. He looked ancient. And considering that he doesn't go to awards ceremonies that much (try, never the three times LOTR won multiple awards!), I think he could have made a bit more effort. But, then again, he is "eclectic" and probably "fierce", and doesn't even own a TV, so being just handsome and dashing, or even sexy-scary like in Eastern Promises, just won't do for real life. Go figure. Last time I checked this was not Anastasia and there were no dancing bears or painted wings...so branch out.

Overall, the event was interesting to watch, especially while consuming spoonfuls of cookie dough while lounging on a couch, but the writing could have better. Blame it on the writer's strike, blame it on a growing rift between blockbusters movies and those with critical acclaim, but let's hope next year brings up a little more "oomph."

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Just when you thought life couldn't get any better

Anthropologie starts offering swimwear in its summer collection. I know--as if store patrons needed any more excuses to be tempted to shoplift when they cannnot afford aforementioned items yet still deeply...deeply...covet them. Sigh.


I like this dashing number, least of all because it wouldn't raise as many eyebrows at a "warhd" function, although always entertaining.


It makes me want to walk along the beaches in the Mediterranean...with espadrilles and a purse esconced in a yellow scarf. Too bad one would have to escape work and the majority of fiscal responsibilities to make the vision a reality.


In blogging news, I am helping my company start a law firm blog or "blawg" as they are known in that industry. It promises to be an interesting experiment as most attorneys find it difficult to accomplish tasks that they can't pawn off as billable time. Thus, why we have to bait client development events with plenty of food and drink, enough to send Hannibal on a second trek.


Even in my meeting, the managment collectively snickered about some of the insitutional barriers in actually keeping a blog, or any project that requires human effort, going. I think wise words from Demotivators can express the idea more soundly that I can. And on that note...I am slacking off to get some lunch.







Sunday, February 3, 2008

Super Sunday

I had mixed feelings about the big game today. I am glad the Giants won--because I like underdog teams winning when they aren't supposed to--but my husband is bummed because he was routing for the Patriots. He already argued with my mother about it--so at least both sides feel that their argument has been voiced, but I am quite neutral. I was happy with the commercials--they were good--but not amazing. I really enjoyed the Carmax commercials--nice touch on the scary gladiator-like character and witch doctor.

More importantly, today Mike and I opened up our long-awaited gift from my good friend and ex-roomie Julianne. She and my friend Ali have been excited about this gift for months--but unfortunately have been able to revel with us since Jooj accidentally left it in her shoebox room in Oxford, England.

Well here you go--the moment has come. We are now Laird and Lady Ratelle! They got us a lairdship, in Scotland! We now own a square foot of land in Scotland, making us legitimate landowners and giving us access to some outdoor Scottish retreat. Take that Diana Gabaldon! (just kidding...I love her books)

So, I don't really know where you get the Laird or Lady giftbox, apparently in some cool spot in rural England, but what a hoot! I happen to have a strong affinity for all things Scottish, especially any clan/Highland/romance/kilt-wearing/ sporran - toting elements. Two words. Jaime Fraser.


I picture us owning something modest like this little castle to the right--when in reality I know we essentially have the right to a mailbox plot.
Oh well, one can dream.


We also had the chance this weekend to see the Peking Acrobats at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake. Now, I have seen from those scary Olympic featurettes that the Chinese aren't kidding around about gymnastics. I saw them bending the tiny limbs of those bunned little girls. But these people were insane! In fact, hubbie was mentioning the Ocean movies and the "grease man" as the only Asian acrobat he was familiar with. Come to find out, from the sadly misspelled program, that these folks were the "troupe" he came from in the movie. They jumped and balanced chairs and tables and people and generally defied the commonly agreed on rules of physics. It was pretty fun--well--pretty fun for a work event. Now, if only I could expect so much fun and death-defying antics for the morning commute. Unlikely.