I just want to declare that I have the most awesome and sweetest blogging friends and readers in the entire world.
Your comments over the past week have really lifted my spirits and honestly, made life a little happier for me. Thank you! I feel so lucky to know such amazing people and have such support. :)
I also wanted to update you on the kid who verbally attacked me. The assistant principal of the high school called me yesterday to let me know the kid was found guilty, after school and bus administrators watched the bus footage of him harassing me. The kid is banned from riding the bus ever again, has after-school detention for the rest of the year, has to see a school psychologist once a week, and was given a "plethora of other punishments that will ultimately affect his grade." I truly hope that kid learned his lesson: racism is not cool and you don't mess with Indian girls!
Anyway, in the spirit of Halloween weekend, I thought I would share something that came out a week or so ago.
This video kind of freaked me out. It shows 1928 footage of a Charlie Chaplin film premiere where a woman appears to be talking on a cell phone. She seems to be gripping something to her ear and talking.
This video has made its way around the news recently, stirring up theories of time travel.
I don't know, the video gave me the creeps. I thought I would share it and see what you think.
And here I go with my blogging game again! I am determined to finish this damn thing. Haha.
Day Five: Six things you wish you could change or you wish you’d never done.
1. I wish I had been more careful with my body in the past three years, so these 30 pounds wouldn't exist right now.
2. I wish I had taken that fabulous job before I got laid off...and before they gave it to someone else.
3. I wish I had started working on my writing project earlier, rather than being depressed.
4. I wish I had been a better friend to her.
5. I wish I hadn't let him back into my life.
6. I wish I hadn't spent all my savings on clothing, handbags, and jewelry. I should have saved up for a new car.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Why do you hate me?
I debated about sharing this on my blog, but eventually realized that it needed to be addressed.
A couple days ago, I was walking in my neighborhood when a school bus drove past me. A teenage boy rolled down his window and shouted at me, "Go back to India, c-nt!"
Already feeling crappy, my hurt feelings and shock took a back seat to my anger. I chased the school bus down and jumped on board. I got the name of the kid from the bus driver and found out what school he attended. When I got home, I called the school bus company and the high school principal.
Yesterday, I met with the assistant principal of the high school. They are going to review the bus video and then suspend the student.
I'm glad I nailed the punk, but I'm still bothered by the incident.
I'm pretending not to be. I brushed it off to Rian (who was there when it happened). I never even told my parents because I didn't think it was worth it.
But it does bother me a lot. This kid, without knowing anything about me, felt hatred towards me because of the color of my skin. It is the first time in my life I have been the victim of a racist attack of any kind.
He has no idea that I can't "move back" to a country I have never been to. He has no idea that I've never even been outside the United States at all. He has no idea I'm not even fully Indian. He has no idea I don't know any language other than English. He doesn't care either. He sees a brown person and believes what he wants.
But the attack wasn't personal. It wasn't against one person. It was against an entire nation. It makes me wonder why this kid hates Indians so much. Did his dad lose his job to an Indian? Did an Indian kid make fun of him earlier in life? Does he hate Indian food? Or maybe he simply hates immigrants in general and assumed I was one of them?
If it's the immigrant card, then he's an idiot. The United States is a country that is built on immigrants. So unless that kid is a full-blooded Native American, he hates his own kind. He hates his great-great-whatever grandparents who came over on the Mayflower (or, most likely, jumped ship here from various European countries less than 200 years ago). Way to be a traitor to your ancestors, dipshit.
But, of course, that is a theory and I will most likely never know the reason behind the attack. Who knows why people are racist? Who knows why they are sexist? Who knows why they are homophobes? We've come a long way in this world, regarding those areas, but we still have a long way to go.
Let's hope every new generation gets a little more tolerant, and a lot less ignorant.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Jennifer (Not So) Fabulous
When I was 19, I slipped into a deep depression.
I chopped off my hair with scissors on a whim one day. I never wore makeup. I had really bad acne. I shunned anyone in my university who tried to be my friend. When guys hit on me, I thought they were insane and I treated them as such. I wore pajamas to class. I spent literally all my free time getting lost in computer games like The Sims and reading romance novels. It was pathetic.
A year later, I got a boost. My acne mysteriously disappeared and has never returned. My journalism professor went behind my back and signed me up for the school newspaper, of which I eventually went on to become an editor. The hot guy I had a crush on became my college sweetheart. I suddenly looked in the mirror and saw a pretty face staring back. It's amazing how much confidence changes a person. My interest in fashion returned and all of the sudden, I was shopping all the time. I wore cute outfits and curled my hair. I made close friends. I was happy.
Six years later, it seems I have crashed right back into the valley of darkness, or I'm drawing near. But it's different. Instead of acne, I have 30 pounds of fat. Instead of lack of friends, I have lack of money. I have a boyfriend who loves me, but I don't love myself. Instead of confronting my reality, I drown myself in Scrabble and Bejeweled games on my iphone.
I just don't feel like I'm here. My brain is foggy. I'm always tired. I'm always unmotivated. The only happiness in my life these days is hanging out with Kerrie. If I didn't have her, I would be so screwed. That should be enough, but it isn't. I feel like I need a jolt. I need someone or something to wake me up. I need another boost.
This year has been so awful. I was laid off from the newspaper. My grandmother unexpectedly passed away. Kerrie & I got involved in a devastating situation that lasted almost six months. One of my friends was committed to a mental institution (twice). I drained out my savings. A hero in my life turned into a villain. Other shit here and there.
I'm trying to get back on track though. A close friend of mine, who is a producer at our local NPR station, gave me a freelancing gig, which is awesome. So I am keeping my brain busy and being a real journalist again. It doesn't pay the bills, but it gets me back in the game. I joined Jazzercise, so if I keep it up, the pounds should be shedding. I also joined a writing group, which has been a lifesaver for my project. I'm crossing my fingers that these things will turn my life around and make 2011 a great year for me. I can only hope.
Anyway, if you've read all of this until now, then you get the Awesome Award. I just wanted to update you on my well-being because I have gotten a few concerned e-mails from friends and readers lately.
And before I forget, here is the latest installment on my never-ending blogging game. You can read the details here.
Day Four: Seven Things That Cross Your Mind A Lot
1. Food (What am I gonna eat for lunch? What am I gonna eat for dinner? Should I have a snack tonight? Gee, I wonder why I gained 30 pounds this year?)
2. Money (mostly fantasizing about having some)
3. New words I can use in Scrabble (I am a sad, sad person)
4. Shopping (mostly wishing I could go)
5. My writing project (this actually never leaves my mind...does it count?)
6. My teeth (I...have no explanation for this. I'm sorry.)
7. James Franco (yummmmmmmmmy)
Well, there you have it. That's what it's like to be inside of my brain. Fan-fucking-tastic, isn't it?!? Sort of.
Anyway, I hope you all have a great week! Thank you for reading my incessant rambling! I have several more guest posts coming up for you crazy kids, so stay tuned!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Guest Post: Scary Sexy Halloween Costumes
I'm kicking off my weekend with an adorable guest post from the lovely Liv. Her blog, Idle Fascination, is a mixture of fashion and awesomeness, with a dash of random fabulousness. Check out her blog and you will know exactly what I mean! Liv is a lot of fun and a total sweetheart, so I was thrilled she agreed to guest post for me. Definitely check out her blog and I hope you enjoy her guest post!
PS. I hope you all have an awesome weekend! xoxo
The illustrious Jennifer Fabulous is a tough act to follow. So naturally, when I jumped at the chance to write a guest post for her, I promptly came down with writer's block. And then it came to me, why not write about a timely topic that makes me deliriously happy: Halloween?!
Well, lo and behold Refinery 29 beat me to it with their round-up of "The Most Ridiculous Sexy Halloween Costumes". Ah, the "sexy" insert-virtually-any-noun-imaginable-here Halloween costume: skanky cop-out or just goodclean fun? Hey, I'm in no position to be Miss Judgypants, as I've been known to tart up a Halloween costume or two in my time. But some of these are, for lack of a better word, utterly ridiculous! Refinery 29 couldn't catch them all, so here's my Top Bottom Five Best of the Rest of the Worst, or something like that. Be afraid:
1. Sexy Skunk: Let's hope this comes in Unscented.
2. Gumball Machine: I'm sorry, but if your lady bits shoot out Jawbreakers, you may want to get that checked out. And not by the guy at the bar in a lab coat dressed up as Guy Neckologist.
3. Snooki: No doubt there will be a lot of Jersey Shore-inspired costumes out and about this Halloween. And with good reason, orange skin is very seasonally appropriate. However, here is the description of the costume: "Includes dress. Does not include shoes, wig or jewelry." Um, really? Not even a Bumpit?! What's the point?
4. Sexy Family Guy Brian Costume I honestly can't decide whether this is awesome or profoundly disturbing. Maybe a martini (or six) will help...
5. Sexy Big Bird (And Cookie Monster, and Elmo...) Can you tell me how to get... to therapy so I can attempt to salvage the remnants of my severely fractured childhood innocence? (And get me another martini so I can deal with the fact that they've snubbed arguably the sexiest of the Sesame Street monsters: The Snuffleupagus. Appalling!)
A huge thanks to Jen, for letting me contribute!
PS. I hope you all have an awesome weekend! xoxo
The illustrious Jennifer Fabulous is a tough act to follow. So naturally, when I jumped at the chance to write a guest post for her, I promptly came down with writer's block. And then it came to me, why not write about a timely topic that makes me deliriously happy: Halloween?!
Well, lo and behold Refinery 29 beat me to it with their round-up of "The Most Ridiculous Sexy Halloween Costumes". Ah, the "sexy" insert-virtually-any-noun-imaginable-here Halloween costume: skanky cop-out or just good
1. Sexy Skunk: Let's hope this comes in Unscented.
2. Gumball Machine: I'm sorry, but if your lady bits shoot out Jawbreakers, you may want to get that checked out. And not by the guy at the bar in a lab coat dressed up as Guy Neckologist.
3. Snooki: No doubt there will be a lot of Jersey Shore-inspired costumes out and about this Halloween. And with good reason, orange skin is very seasonally appropriate. However, here is the description of the costume: "Includes dress. Does not include shoes, wig or jewelry." Um, really? Not even a Bumpit?! What's the point?
4. Sexy Family Guy Brian Costume I honestly can't decide whether this is awesome or profoundly disturbing. Maybe a martini (or six) will help...
5. Sexy Big Bird (And Cookie Monster, and Elmo...) Can you tell me how to get... to therapy so I can attempt to salvage the remnants of my severely fractured childhood innocence? (And get me another martini so I can deal with the fact that they've snubbed arguably the sexiest of the Sesame Street monsters: The Snuffleupagus. Appalling!)
A huge thanks to Jen, for letting me contribute!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Guest Post: Kerrie Lovely
This next guest post comes from none other than my partner-in-crime, Kerrie. If you don't know who she is, you are new to my blog and welcome. :) Many of you may not know this, but Kerrie has her own blog, Excessive Idiosyncrasy. It's more of a reflective journal. She's an incredibly talented writer and one of the most amazing people in the entire universe. I feel so lucky she's such an important part of my life. I hope you enjoy her guest post.
Farewell Fairytale
(Young love dies hard)
Clouds are swirling around in my head, I can't focus with them in my way. I'm gazing out the window. My forehead leans against the cool, hard glass, I breathe a little deeper and fog up the window. There's a dove gray spot and I write his name on it. My finger traces the letters, flowing in cursive. More deep breaths are taken. I was told when I was just a little girl that extra breathing would help me to calm down. "Will I ever see him there again, at the place towards the end of the road?" Similar depressing thoughts stomp around in my head, maybe it's not the thoughts that are causing the ache. No, it must be the tears flowing, forming canyons down my cheeks. Crying always gives me horrible headaches. If I just keep dreaming, longing, he'll come back to me.
Whenever I grow up too much, too quickly we part away. Whenever I lose myself in dreaming we come back together. Because love like ours exists only in a dream world. It never lasts in the day to day. The song I was listening to is over, another one comes on and the shift brings me back. I’m back sitting on my bed, staring out the window, I promise to not think about how much I miss the springtime anymore, and all the days we spent together.
every day's the same, I feel like I'm losing my mind
all I do is think about you all of the time
I don't even know why i care as much as i do
I just wish that you would tell me, "is this real or are we through?"
everything I said to you last night might have been crazy
but I want you to know that I meant it, I meant it, I meant it, oh, baby!
I wish we could go back to when i was seventeen
and I wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't have been so mean
every day I wake up and I thank the stars above
for sending me a man who I could really love
if only I could convince you to feel the same way
we could be so very happy each and every day...
--"Each and Everyday" by Best Coast
How apt. I lay down on our bed. I cover my face with a pillow, but it isn't very comforting, a feather protrudes through the case and scratches my face. There is no rest for the weary. I know how he feels, it's why I don't call. Why would I want to make it any harder for him? No, I'll bear the pain alone. "Come back to me, love." I’m still fond of you.
Here kitty, kitty. dearest. spiral. juxtapose. rapid. brat. carnival. edge. lift.
About the Author
Kerrie Lovely is currently a fashion design student and full-time health care provider for children with special needs. Her interests include playing tennis, reading classical literature, shoe shopping, breaking hearts, and fending off stalkers. She also enjoys being fabulous. You may recognize Kerrie Lovely from her appearances in blog posts such as A Wild Weekend, Champagne, Alligators, and Babies, Almost Groupies, and Another Crazy Night...And Then Some, among countless others.
Farewell Fairytale
(Young love dies hard)
Clouds are swirling around in my head, I can't focus with them in my way. I'm gazing out the window. My forehead leans against the cool, hard glass, I breathe a little deeper and fog up the window. There's a dove gray spot and I write his name on it. My finger traces the letters, flowing in cursive. More deep breaths are taken. I was told when I was just a little girl that extra breathing would help me to calm down. "Will I ever see him there again, at the place towards the end of the road?" Similar depressing thoughts stomp around in my head, maybe it's not the thoughts that are causing the ache. No, it must be the tears flowing, forming canyons down my cheeks. Crying always gives me horrible headaches. If I just keep dreaming, longing, he'll come back to me.
Whenever I grow up too much, too quickly we part away. Whenever I lose myself in dreaming we come back together. Because love like ours exists only in a dream world. It never lasts in the day to day. The song I was listening to is over, another one comes on and the shift brings me back. I’m back sitting on my bed, staring out the window, I promise to not think about how much I miss the springtime anymore, and all the days we spent together.
every day's the same, I feel like I'm losing my mind
all I do is think about you all of the time
I don't even know why i care as much as i do
I just wish that you would tell me, "is this real or are we through?"
everything I said to you last night might have been crazy
but I want you to know that I meant it, I meant it, I meant it, oh, baby!
I wish we could go back to when i was seventeen
and I wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't, wouldn't have been so mean
every day I wake up and I thank the stars above
for sending me a man who I could really love
if only I could convince you to feel the same way
we could be so very happy each and every day...
--"Each and Everyday" by Best Coast
How apt. I lay down on our bed. I cover my face with a pillow, but it isn't very comforting, a feather protrudes through the case and scratches my face. There is no rest for the weary. I know how he feels, it's why I don't call. Why would I want to make it any harder for him? No, I'll bear the pain alone. "Come back to me, love." I’m still fond of you.
Here kitty, kitty. dearest. spiral. juxtapose. rapid. brat. carnival. edge. lift.
About the Author
Kerrie Lovely is currently a fashion design student and full-time health care provider for children with special needs. Her interests include playing tennis, reading classical literature, shoe shopping, breaking hearts, and fending off stalkers. She also enjoys being fabulous. You may recognize Kerrie Lovely from her appearances in blog posts such as A Wild Weekend, Champagne, Alligators, and Babies, Almost Groupies, and Another Crazy Night...And Then Some, among countless others.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Camping Trip!
Kerrie and I went camping over the weekend.
We had been planning the trip since June. Kerrie reserved a two-story luxury cabin nestled in a lakeside resort two hours away. We were looking forward to frolicking at the lake shore, roasting marshmallows by the fire, while also enjoying private restrooms, indoor plumbing & electricity, and snuggling at night in a toasty cabin that had a bear skin rug.
We were so excited, we weren't even upset that Rian insisted on tagging along to baby-sit us, because he didn't think it was safe for two 20-something-year-old girls to be out in the woods alone all weekend.
We were so excited, we danced all the way to the cabin.
Unfortunately not everything in life turns out as planned.
When we got to the resort, fifteen minutes before the main office was going to close, we discovered that the bastards decided to close EARLY. Everyone was gone. There was nobody there to give us the key to our cabin. We called every number for the resort we could, but everyone had gone home early for the weekend.
We were so fucked.
We could not believe that not only had they closed early, but they did so knowing we were supposed to arrive that afternoon for our key. It was disgraceful.
Determined not to let the lazy assholes at the resort ruin our camping trip, we decided to do the one thing we swore we would NEVER do: primitive camping. It was tragic. After all, we were supposed to be fucking GLAMPING it all weekend, not actually doing any real camping that involved sleeping bags or building a fire with sticks. But we didn't have a choice.
So we began to drink and make a plan of action.
Fortunately, Kerrie had an admirer who was willing to drive out and lend us sleeping bags and a tent. We were thrilled by his kindness and our good mood returned.
So we chilled by the lake and threw rocks and took photos of our awesomeness.
When it was past evening, Kerrie and I started to get worried because her friend hadn't arrived yet. We then learned the poor guy's car had broken down and he was stranded in the middle of nowhere! Horrified, we hopped in our car and drove 20 minutes away to help him out. After getting lost in the pitch black countryside, we eventually caught up with him at midnight.
When we returned to the lake, Kerrie and I went off in search of a restroom where we could wash up. To our dismay, the only restroom was almost a mile away from our camping area and it looked like something straight out of a horror film.
Kerrie pretended to take a shower, because there was no water.
I put on my flannel.
Once Rian got the tent set up, the night actually turned out to be fun. We cooked hot dogs over the fire and roasted marshmallows. The sky was lit up with a thousand stars and looked incredible...
But as the night progressed, we longed more and more for the cozy cabin that we weren't going to sleep in that night. It was forty degrees and we didn't bring enough blankets or warm pajamas with us. The sharp gusty wind bit into our faces and kept us shivering all night. I seriously thought I was going to freeze to death, I was so cold in the little tent. And there were bugs. Holy hell, were there bugs. I can't even describe about the bug incidents yet, I'm still so freaking traumatized.
Kerrie and I were incredibly upset our fabulous glamping trip had been so viciously thwarted.
The next morning we both woke up completely sick with colds. We both still have them. We surrendered to the weather and our harsh living conditions and started packing at sunrise. We vowed to come back in the spring and we are going to see if the resort will give us a free cabin rental for our trouble.
But you know what, we were together and that's all that mattered. Kerrie and I had fun, despite the weather, and made some memories that will last forever.
And one day we will laugh about this trip...maybe.
Friday, October 15, 2010
I cannot live without...
Hello everyone! This is actually a scheduled post because I'm on a little mini-mini-vacay with a certain bff right now. ;)
In case you miss me, here is a photo of me being awesome:
Oh, and I thought I would catch up with my blogging game I have slowly been playing. Lol. If you want to know more about what I'm talking about, you can catch up here.
I am finally on the third step.
Day Three: Eight things you couldn't live without.
1. My cell phone (which happens to be a fabulous iphone. I could live without the iphone, just cannot live without a cell in general to contact my friends and fam. And yeah...I don't know why that required such a detailed explanation like you all give a damn).
2. Lipstick (I have the palest lips in the world. Not a pretty sight.)
3. Chipotle (Oh. My. Gawd.)
4. Internet access (I am practically living without this right now and it's caused me many a mental breakdown. It's sad technology has that much of an effect on my mental well-being. But I don't care).
5. My car (I live in a sprawling midwestern suburb with a shitty public transportation system).
6. Music (without music, there would be no Morrissey. And without Morrissey, I don't even want to know what kind of monster I would be).
7. Books (my Jane Austen books, my HP collection, and everything and anything in between).
8. Coca-Cola (this is my crack, I'm afraid. The longest I can go is three days without it. I have this feeling if I ever was able to cure my addiction, I would suddenly have the body of a supermodel. It's so sad).
Well, I hope I didn't bore you too much with my list. I like to talk about myself, so this game is fun. Feel free to play it!
Have a great weekend!
In case you miss me, here is a photo of me being awesome:
Oh, and I thought I would catch up with my blogging game I have slowly been playing. Lol. If you want to know more about what I'm talking about, you can catch up here.
I am finally on the third step.
Day Three: Eight things you couldn't live without.
1. My cell phone (which happens to be a fabulous iphone. I could live without the iphone, just cannot live without a cell in general to contact my friends and fam. And yeah...I don't know why that required such a detailed explanation like you all give a damn).
2. Lipstick (I have the palest lips in the world. Not a pretty sight.)
3. Chipotle (Oh. My. Gawd.)
4. Internet access (I am practically living without this right now and it's caused me many a mental breakdown. It's sad technology has that much of an effect on my mental well-being. But I don't care).
5. My car (I live in a sprawling midwestern suburb with a shitty public transportation system).
6. Music (without music, there would be no Morrissey. And without Morrissey, I don't even want to know what kind of monster I would be).
7. Books (my Jane Austen books, my HP collection, and everything and anything in between).
8. Coca-Cola (this is my crack, I'm afraid. The longest I can go is three days without it. I have this feeling if I ever was able to cure my addiction, I would suddenly have the body of a supermodel. It's so sad).
Well, I hope I didn't bore you too much with my list. I like to talk about myself, so this game is fun. Feel free to play it!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Guest Post: Brigitte Bardot
Words cannot describe how much I adore this next guest blogger. Sherin at Hi Fashion is not only one of the most stylish fashion bloggers I know, she's also one of my coolest friends. When I came across her site more than a year ago, she inspired me to be a better blogger. I hope you all visit Hi Fashion and enjoy Sherin's guest post!
Like Jennifer, the sixties is probably my favourite era: fashion and life were so fun and vibrant and there were fashion icons everywhere. One such icon was Brigitte Bardot. She was a gorgeous French dancer, actress and model.
She started ballet by dancing at a young age and was accepted in the National Superior Conservatory of Paris for Music and Dance, before being invited to model for French magazine ‘Jardin des Modes’ in 1949, and in 1950, at just 15, she appeared on the cover of ELLE.
She was discovered by director Roger Vadim, who she later married and divorced, and he launched her into stardom. Brigitte was in the public eye a lot and she has had numerous marriages and relationships.
It is clear to see that Brigitte Bardot had a huge influence over the fashion world, as well as being one of the few European actresses to have any attention in the US. She has a neckline named after her: a wide open neck that exposes both shoulders’ and is also recognised for popularising bikinis after she wore one in the movie, "Manina." She also brought gingham into fashion after wearing a checked pink dress and was a subject for an Andy Warhol painting. She was one of the first sex symbols as her sexuality hit the world, and the US in particular, by storm. Nothing like her had been seen since the days of flappers, in the 1920s.
Bardot retired from acting at 39, as she said that she wanted to “get out elegantly”. She turned her attention to promoting animal rights and founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals in 1986. She has been involved in a number of high profile cases involving animal rights, most notably having a donkey castrated as it ‘sexually harassed’ her own donkey and she even wrote letters to the Chinese President and Danish Queen on their activities.
Despite all her popularity and activism, Bardot has also been charged many times for inciting racial hatred in her many books and has been fined by the French Government many times because of this.
Brigitte Bardot has been one of those few personalities that has really influenced the world with her acting, fashion sense, and later, her activism.
Like Jennifer, the sixties is probably my favourite era: fashion and life were so fun and vibrant and there were fashion icons everywhere. One such icon was Brigitte Bardot. She was a gorgeous French dancer, actress and model.
She started ballet by dancing at a young age and was accepted in the National Superior Conservatory of Paris for Music and Dance, before being invited to model for French magazine ‘Jardin des Modes’ in 1949, and in 1950, at just 15, she appeared on the cover of ELLE.
She was discovered by director Roger Vadim, who she later married and divorced, and he launched her into stardom. Brigitte was in the public eye a lot and she has had numerous marriages and relationships.
It is clear to see that Brigitte Bardot had a huge influence over the fashion world, as well as being one of the few European actresses to have any attention in the US. She has a neckline named after her: a wide open neck that exposes both shoulders’ and is also recognised for popularising bikinis after she wore one in the movie, "Manina." She also brought gingham into fashion after wearing a checked pink dress and was a subject for an Andy Warhol painting. She was one of the first sex symbols as her sexuality hit the world, and the US in particular, by storm. Nothing like her had been seen since the days of flappers, in the 1920s.
Bardot retired from acting at 39, as she said that she wanted to “get out elegantly”. She turned her attention to promoting animal rights and founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals in 1986. She has been involved in a number of high profile cases involving animal rights, most notably having a donkey castrated as it ‘sexually harassed’ her own donkey and she even wrote letters to the Chinese President and Danish Queen on their activities.
Despite all her popularity and activism, Bardot has also been charged many times for inciting racial hatred in her many books and has been fined by the French Government many times because of this.
Brigitte Bardot has been one of those few personalities that has really influenced the world with her acting, fashion sense, and later, her activism.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Fall Baking with Jennifer Fabulous and Kerrie Lovely
When we're not busy stalking rockstars and crashing frat parties, Kerrie and I enjoy spending peaceful evenings at home, baking and chatting quietly over coffee.
This past weekend we decided to have a little fall baking party (well, um, party for two, I guess, haha). We made the most delicious, moist pumpkin cookies in the world and steaming pumpkin spice lattes that could give Starbucks a run for its money.
But first, we needed to go grocery shopping! We ended up driving to another town so we could access a 24-hour grocery store, since we began our fall party at midnight.
As you can see, once we got there, I managed to squeeze my 500 pound ass into this kiddie cart.
Fifty pound Kerrie, of course, had no trouble bouncing around in a regular cart. Lol.
After we purchased our baking supplies, I decided to try my hand at The Claw. Unfortunately, I didn't win anything.
So I decided to use the rest of my money to ride the fake horse in the grocery store's entrance.
Kerrie joined in the fun!
Finally around 1:30 a.m., we got busy baking at Kerrie's house.
And then we enjoyed our hard work! It was scrumptious!
Kerrie insisted I give you both our recipes from our fabulous fall party, and I agreed.
Here is the recipe for the pumpkin cookies. As I said earlier, these cookies are super soft and moist. They almost taste like cake, they are so good. (Kerrie and I changed up the recipe a little bit by replacing the icing with cream cheese frosting and added orange frosting designs on top).
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4.To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (your choice)
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don't have an espresso machine.)
Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don't have a blender, don't worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.
Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.
Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.
I hope everyone had a happy and cozy weekend!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Mr. Belding!!!!!!
Fuck yeaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!
Dennis Haskins, who played Mr. Belding on Saved By The Bell, randomly made a special appearance late last night at a Mexican restaurant here in town. Of course, Rian and I raced over there immediately, as we grew up with the show.
I was really excited that we caught up with my friend Monica & her buddies at the event. Children of the 90s unite!! Hehe!
Monica even got Mr. Belding to sign her Bayside High t-shirt, which I thought was the coolest thing ever! He seemed more than happy to oblige. I think the television icon was flattered by all the attention he was receiving from pretty young women!
Oh, and in case you don't recognize Mr. Belding because he has, erm, gotten a little older in the past 20 years, here is a pic of him with the cast of Saved By The Bell.
Overall, it was one of the best nights I've had in a long time. Before we saw Mr. Belding, Rian and I went out to dinner and played a few rounds of bowling. It had been a very long time since we'd had a real date! :)
Anyways, I thought I would resume with my 10 Days of Blogging project, which I kind of pushed aside due to my recent guest posts. For more information, you can read about it here.
Day 2: Nine Things About Yourself That Most People Don't Know
1. In addition to having my photo taken with Mr. Belding, I also have my photo taken with Marion Ross, who played Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days. I met her at a seafood restaurant in my town four years ago.
2. I have spent most of my life wishing that I had auburn hair. (Which unfortunately would just look ridiculous against my tan skin, otherwise I would have totally dyed it by now).
3. I am not as smart as I think I am.
4. A few years ago, when I was a newspaper reporter, I wrote a story about an unidentified man who was caught robbing houses in a nearby town. I found out two weeks later, the man was my ex-boyfriend. He went to jail for six months for it. Needless to say, I was horrified.
5. The only two guys I dated in high school turned out to be gay.
6. I have never fantasized about my future wedding(s), not even as a little girl. Weddings, in fact, have always bored me.
7. Sometimes my road rage can be a bit frightening.
8. I have a really hard time remembering what life was like before I got facebook six years ago.
9. I am now addicted to frozen yogurt, which is a good thing because it's healthier than my previous addiction, cupcakes.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! xoxo
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Guest Post: Audrey Hepburn
****The following guest post comes to us from Mariah Smile. Mariah is absolutely adorable and has one of the cutest blogs ever! Her awesome photos and interesting stories never fail to make ME smile. You should definitely check out her blog and I really hope you all enjoy her lovely guest post!****
When I saw that Jennifer was planning on having some guest bloggers over to play, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it! And my first thought on my blog topic would be none other than Audrey Hepburn! Audrey is my favorite actress and was very fashionable, which reminded me of our very own Jennifer Fabulous! Plus, she wore a number of dresses that inspire me with my own upcoming wedding!
My favorite Audrey movie is "Sabrina" majorly due to this dress:
If only this could be my wedding dress!
Another wedding dress she wore is the one in Funny Face:
I found this story about Audrey Hepburn's own wedding dress she had made for herself. Well, Audrey didn't end up getting married at that time and told the designers "I want my dress to be worn by another girl for her wedding, perhaps someone who couldn’t ever afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find." This story just represents what a generous heart this woman really had.
Audrey ended up marrying twice; the first time to actor Mel Ferrer in 1954...
...and the second time to an Italian doctor by the name of Andrea Dotti in 1969.
You can read more about Audrey on this website and about the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.
When I saw that Jennifer was planning on having some guest bloggers over to play, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it! And my first thought on my blog topic would be none other than Audrey Hepburn! Audrey is my favorite actress and was very fashionable, which reminded me of our very own Jennifer Fabulous! Plus, she wore a number of dresses that inspire me with my own upcoming wedding!
My favorite Audrey movie is "Sabrina" majorly due to this dress:
If only this could be my wedding dress!
Another wedding dress she wore is the one in Funny Face:
I found this story about Audrey Hepburn's own wedding dress she had made for herself. Well, Audrey didn't end up getting married at that time and told the designers "I want my dress to be worn by another girl for her wedding, perhaps someone who couldn’t ever afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find." This story just represents what a generous heart this woman really had.
Audrey ended up marrying twice; the first time to actor Mel Ferrer in 1954...
...and the second time to an Italian doctor by the name of Andrea Dotti in 1969.
You can read more about Audrey on this website and about the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.