Journalist. Mother. Bunny enthusiast. Pop culture junkie.

Journalist. Mother. Bunny enthusiast. Pop culture junkie.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Back from Denver!

I'm baaaack!!!

I know a lot of you have had sleepless nights, wondering about my trip, so I thought I would quickly put you out of your misery and provide a detailed account.


Friday

The flight to Denver, Colorado was the rockiest and most nauseating ride of my life. It was like being on the worst part of the roller coaster, where you’re pretty sure you’re going to throw up as soon as the ride ends. For the record: I didn’t throw up but wish I had. Yes, the flight was that bad.


(waterfall at our hotel)

As soon as we got to the hotel, my dad decided he needed to eat dinner immediately. Like, he was going to turn into a pumpkin if he didn’t digest food before 7 p.m. So we spent 30 minutes walking around, searching for an acceptable place to eat. I saw lots of fantastic places. A Whole Foods. A fancy Indian restaurant. A pizza parlor. Panda Express. In the end, my parents decided that the best place to eat would be a shady-looking Mexican joint nestled in an abandoned shopping mall.

That night, I polished off almost two bottles of Merlot before passing out in the living room of the hotel suite. I mysteriously woke up in bed. (Thanks, mom!)


(my bed)


Saturday

My parents and I spent the entire morning at the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. Although the exhibit has been in Denver for months, it was still incredibly packed. You literally had to wait in line for five-to-ten minutes to catch a glimpse of each artifact. I found it very distressing and tiresome.


(Outside the Denver Art Museum)

We then spent that afternoon looking at all the other regular art exhibits in the museum. My parents made the mistake, however, of showing me the kids area where you could create your own Monet or Picasso postcard. I spent two hours in the play area perfecting two postcards with stencils, paints, and glitter. My parents were pissed and they bitched at me for taking so long. I ended up ripping up my postcards and running away from the kids area in tears. It was a very emotional day.


(capitol building)


(Streets of Denver)


(man playing piano outside)

Later that evening, we walked around downtown. I quickly realized Denver has an overabundance of two things: hipsters and bums.

That night, we hit up the hotel bar. After I ordered a round of whiskey sours, the good-looking bartender shyly told me, "I think you're really pretty." My dad piped up, "she'd be even prettier if she lost 30 pounds." Horrified, I spent the next two hours drinking myself into oblivion. I don't remember the rest of the night.


Sunday

When I was a little girl, my dad told me how devout Hindus in India would travel hundreds of miles to bathe themselves in the holy water of the Ganges River.

I never imagined that one day I would have a similar experience, but fate intervened.

You see, my parents and I made our own pilgrimage...to the very first Chipotle ever built.

If you have read my blog long enough, you know that I have an addiction.

I could not believe I was standing in the location where greatness was created 17 years ago. And there were people walking into the place and ordering food, like eating at the first Chipotle ever built was a normal experience. It was mind-boggling.


(the mother ship)

I ordered two tacos, chips & salsa, and soup (yes, SOUP). I even got pictures of the staff. They were so thrilled I made the pilgrimage, they gave my entire family free t-shirts.


(The actual staff at the first Chipotle location)

(Sidenote: I am the most awesome dork EVER).

Later that afternoon, we visited the Unsinkable Molly Brown Museum (where the Titanic survivor lived) and learned a lot of really cool facts about the history of Denver.


(Fountain in downtown Denver)

Then I was unwillingly dragged around town for TWO HOURS by my parents as they looked for a restaurant to eat dinner. Seriously. I just don't understand why finding a restaurant is such a big ordeal. We ended up eating sandwiches at a coffee shop. Yes. Two hours of searching and we end up with that shit.


(Streets of Denver)


Monday

My dad got us to the airport three hours early that morning, much to my annoyance. I spent the entire morning reading The Girl Who Played with Fire (sequel to Dragon Tattoo and so far, sooooo amazingly good).

Once we boarded the plane, a really creepy older man in his fifties told me I was "more than welcome" to sit on his lap. I declined, for personal reasons, and then explained it was probably against airplane regulations. He then got serious and said he wanted me to sit next to him, which made the situation even more uncomfortable. In sheer panic, I ended up sitting next to a young mother with a newborn baby. Fortunately, the baby was the quiet the entire trip.

When I got home, I realized how many chores I had to do in the next week and my headed started swimming. Ten minutes upon arrival, I decided I needed another vacation.

The End


(Me looking ecstatically happy in Denver)

If you actually read that entire post, you get the "A" Award! There is no physical prize, it just means there is a girl out there named Jennifer Fabulous who thinks you are AWESOME. That's better than any gold trophy or monetary reward, trust me.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Sixties Style: Colleen Corby



When I was 15, Britney Spears was a fashion queen. Every girl in my school wanted to be the pop princess and you couldn't walk down the hallways without seeing a Baby One More Time inspired ensemble.

I imagine teenage girls today are inspired by young fashion role models such as Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus.

Well, back in the 1960s, teenage girls had the ultimate teen dream: Colleen Corby.

This All-American beauty was the girl-next-door turned supermodel.



The young model was on the cover of Seventeen magazine 15 times and also on the covers of American Girl, Teen Magazine, Ingenue, Co-Ed, Glamour, and Mademoiselle. She modeled for Simplicity, McCalls, and Butterick sewing patterns and many other companies.



The famous brunette was the idol and fashion inspiration for American girls of all shapes and sizes.

Colleen was attractive without being threateningly gorgeous, she had a sweet personality, and quite simply, she seemed like the perfect best friend.



Interestingly enough, her life story reads like a fairytale.

When Colleen was 11-years-old in 1959, she walked into the Ford Modeling Agency looking for a summer job. She walked out the door a signed model. Her "summer job" lasted her 20 years.



My favorite part of this story is that Colleen's life seems to have a happy ending. She left behind no scandals. She didn't sleep around. If she ever dabbled in drugs, they certainly didn't ruin her life. She simply grew up, married a businessman, moved to Florida, and had a family.



What's even more awesome is that Colleen's fan base has not diminished in the past 40 years, but instead has grown. She has a wide international fan base on the Internet.

I think her growing popularity is because she was such a lovely symbol of American innocence and popular fashion. I also think it's because her adorable style is something most teenage girls could pull off today.



She is, in fact, a timeless style icon.



Side note: I will be going on a mini vacay for a week, so I will see you guys when I return! xo

Monday, August 16, 2010

Sixties Style: Jean-Paul Belmondo



French Nouvelle Vague cinema actor Jean-Paul Belmondo exhibited the elegance, style, and sophisticated mannerisms we have come to associate with a 1960s man about town.

His mixture of charm and classic fashion introduced the world to a new look in the tumultuous decade: Mod.

Yes, this French movie star was the original Mod Man.



Although the mod style had originated in London, it was Jean-Paul who epitomized the look on the silver screen with his effortlessly cool version.



In the mod culture, being well-dressed and worldly was more important than anything else in the world. Young 20-something-year-old mod men would even declare in a national magazine that they would rather starve themselves and save their money for clothes, than buy food.



Jean-Paul became famous for his tailor-made Italian suits, cashmere sweaters, thin ties, button-down dress shirts, and "winklepickers" (sharp-toed, narrow leather shoes and boots).



Like their French idol, mod men preferred scooters over motorbikes, because of the cleaner look, smooth ride, and they were less likely to stain an expensive suit with grease.



In fact, scootering led them to wear military parkas to protect their costly suits and trousers from mud and rain.



Jean-Paul Belmondo is most famous for his roles in Breathless (1960) and Pierrot le fou (1965). They are incredibly good movies and I highly recommend them.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Book Reviews: Chanel, Dragon Tattoo

It's uneasy showing your heart to the world, so I appreciate all the sweet comments on my last post. I don't consider myself a poet by any means, but sometimes it is simply the best way to express feelings that can't be explained.

When I am not busy being depressed, I am quite the bookworm.

I just finished reading two brilliant novels, which I really hope you will check out after reading my reviews.

Enjoy!




Sometimes you're better off fantasizing about your idol, rather than actually meeting the person, because you'll be extremely disappointed.

Reading "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinksy" by Chris Greenhalgh reminded me of that sentiment. I want to spend the rest of my life remembering Coco Chanel as the glamorous, intelligent designer who revolutionized the fashion industry, rather than the distasteful, anti-semitic woman presented in this book.

The story follows Chanel and her illicit love affair with Russian composer Igor Stravinksy. Cold, calculated, and annoyingly clingy, Chanel rips Stravinksy away from his loving family with her seductive beauty and manipulative charm. Their selfish actions hurt everyone around them and they don't care.

I'm not going to lie: the first few chapters of this book are kind of boring. Chris Greenhalgh is an excellent writer and the description throughout the book is just gorgeous. It's clear you're reading a worthwhile novel, although it starts out a bit slow. But by the time you reach the middle, you don't want to put it down. The shit hits the fan and like a car accident, you can't help but gawk in wonder.

If you're interested in the personal life of Chanel and enjoy beautifully written literature, this book is definitely for you.

Apparently I live on the moon, because I didn't discover until after reading the novel that it is already a motion picture. The movie, "Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinksy" is out in theaters right now, so I plan on going to see it soon. Because I am a nerd, however, I am going to encourage you to read the novel first, if you get the chance.




Everyone and their mom have read this book. So, of course, I had to read it as well. And why not? Word-of-mouth is how I discovered the Harry Potter series and the Da Vinci Code.

Well, apparently everyone and their mom also have this book on hold at the library. I was appalled to discover that I was 568th in line!! Since I wanted to read the book before I hit menopause, I purchased the paperback copy for eight bucks at Borders.

It was worth all eight dollars. Hell, it was worth MORE.

This action-packed mystery had my heart racing and my fingers tired from flipping pages with the speed of lightning. The Swedish novel follows investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist as he researches the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl 40 years ago. He is teamed up with a brilliant 24-year-old heroine, the tattooed, ruthless Lisbeth Salander.

I seriously was so addicted to this novel that I stayed up all night finishing it last week. There was no way I would be able to sleep without knowing what happened. The book is that awesome.

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is also a Swedish film that has already been in theaters. I plan on netflixing it when it becomes available on DVD. The American version is planning to be released next year, with Daniel Craig playing the lead role. Right now, Lisbeth has not been cast but rumors have it that several Hollywood starlets are begging for the role. Among them: Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Ellen Page, and Emma Watson.

Again, I highly recommend reading the book before seeing the movie!

I hope you enjoyed my reviews and that they didn't bore you too much. Haha!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Friendship Suicide



Is this magic carpet big enough for two?
You and I, chameleon
Ghosts of faithful wounds haunt under the sun
Kisses of an enemy linger above stars
Thief/drunk/liar/shameless/coward
Their words cross my heart and cross your fingers
Tired of defending you, I retreat
In the face of truth, you told lies
The deed is done but the memory lingers

Is Richard Dawkins going to save you now?
Holiness is overrated but a god is a god
Ignore me at your own risk
I am singularly unignorable
(Put that in your dictionary)
Six million friends couldn’t save you
Even if they wanted to
Nurse the poison as affection
Until it masters your resistance


Were you always so wicked?
A canvas cracks its gorgeous mask
The spy behind with hideous eyes appears
Repulsion knows no boundaries
Swimming in oil kills you
Whispering tales trumps silence
Take a whiff of the hookah, Jasmine
Did I make her bow?
Off fires the first rocket!

Crash.


*The photo was taken from the Oil & Water photo spread for the August 2010 Vogue Italia, referencing to the Gulf Spill crisis. To see the brilliant photo shoot in its entirety click here.
**Sorry to bombard you with my emo poems. I've just been very depressed lately.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Sixties Style: Julie Christie



Julie Christie became an international sensation in 1966 after winning the Best Actress Academy Award for the box-office hit, Darling.

In the film, the British actress portrays the frustratingly daft yet adorable Diana Scott, a model who sleeps her way to the top of the London fashion scene at the height of the Swinging Sixties.



While the film would easily be considered PG-13 by today's standards, the plot was shocking more than 40 years ago.

But it introduced the world to a woman who would one day be considered one of the greatest gifts to cinema.

(Here is a clip of her after the Academy Awards ceremony in 1966.)



Unlike her character, Diana Scott, however, Julie made her way to the top of Hollywood the old-fashioned way: hard work and undeniable talent.



When Darling was released in theaters, the 24-year-old became a household name. People soon became obsessed with her glamorous style and personal life.



Julie made tabloid headlines in the sixties by dating a string of successful, handsome men, including notorious womanizer Warren Beatty. And who could blame her? She was young, gorgeous, and famous. She could have any man she wanted!



Here are my favorite photos of Julie:











So...what do you think?

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Winter's Bone



The other day, my friend Amy and I saw an incredibly heartfelt and inspiring film, Winter's Bone.

We both had been longing to see this film since reading about it in a recent issue of Elle Magazine. Much to our surprise, the movie theater had a giant cut-out of the article to entice movie-goers.


(I know, I'm a dork. Ha! Urban Outfitters dress. Click to enlarge.)

The film revolves around a 17-year-old Ozark Mountain girl, Ree, as she searches for her drug-dealing father, while trying to raise her family. The bleak and stark cinematography is haunting. The frightening social dynamics amongst the families and neighbors is eye-opening. In an era filled with cop buddy movies, chick flicks, and vampire dramas, this film dares to show reality at its most vulnerable. It is simply an amazing piece of work.



All the actors in this film were absolutely superb, but the one who stood out to me the most was the leading lady, Jennifer Lawrence. Her raw, aggressive portrayal of the fearless Ree is the backbone for the entire film. She is so believable in this role, you will swear that you know the girl personally. Ree is not just a character, she's a life force. She is the girl who makes your heart swell with pride yet break at the same time.



I believe this may be Jennifer Lawrence's first major film role.

If this talented and beautiful young actress does not receive an Academy Award nomination for this film, I am going to be stunned.



I hope you all take the time to see this film in theaters, or at least rent it when it becomes available on DVD. Trust me, you won't regret it!

I hope you're all having a safe and happy weekend!