Stars Without Makeup

When I wake up in the mornings, I avoid looking in any mirrors. I always look like a trainwreck.

I always feel a little gloomy for a bit, but then realize that not everyone looks like a supermodel right when they roll out of bed.

And looking at photos of celebrities without makeup always makes me feel a little better...

Not feeling like you're having a good face day?

Check out these stars without makeup:




































What do you think? Are you feeling a little bit better now? Who do you think looks best without face paint?

Sixties Style: Catherine Deneuve

Watching Belle de Jour is like being thrust into a 1960s erotic dreamland, filled with betrayal, disturbing sexual fantasies, and secrecy. The main reason this film is utter cinema magic, though, is because of its star, Catherine Deneuve.



The gorgeous French movie star plays the cold and mysterious Severine, who is the wife of a doctor. Although she is happily married, Severine simply cannot bring herself to be intimate with him. Instead, she spends her free time indulging in vivid kinky sexual fantasies to entertain herself. To satisfy them, she eventually becomes a prostitute, working afternoons in a brothel while her husband is at work.



When Catherine was making this film, she was already the muse for Yves Saint Laurent, who dressed her for the film. The result is utter genius. The dresses and coats Catherine wears in this film are epic representatives of the designer’s finest work. Her pill box hats, Roger Vivier pumps, little black clutch, and oversized sunglasses will also make your heart stop.



It is obvious that the 25-year-old was a fashion statement both on and off the silver screen.

I chose Catherine to kick off my sixties style icon series because her innocent beauty, erotic sensuality, and classic style perfectly represent a decade when a sexual revolt emerged from a more conservative and modest era.

Here are some of my favorite photos of Catherine:













So, what are your thoughts on Catherine Deneuve?

My Current Obsession: Sixties Style

Out of curiosity, I picked up the film "In Like Flint," from my local library this weekend. It is a sixties spy spoof that is considered a predecessor of Austin Powers.



While the film was just okay, it was the fashion in the film which really renewed my love for sixties style.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any photos from the movie depicting the glamorous clothing worn by the beautiful actresses.

Instead, these photos give a taste of what I'm talking about.











I'm so in love with sixties fashion, that I've decided that for the next month I will be featuring some of my favorite sixties style icons.

Until then, what do you think of these photos? (They were all taken from my image haven, My Vintage Vogue.)

PS. Thank you for your kind critique of my poem in the last post. It encouraged me to keep writing more poetry and possibly share more with you later! :)

My Poem

Do you find ethics violations a joyful thing?
They knock the noses off statues in the park and throw dye in the fountains.
But you never get the feeling this author believes any of it. There are so many people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
We need to up the aggression and win the war or withdraw entirely to ensure against the needless loss of life in a conflict without any apparent road to victory.
Can you agree? Google the word “illegal” if you have to, it has nothing to do with race and drug related offenses.
We could be entering a period of crisis for the entire concept of friendship.
I want to get to the heart of what everyone is talking about. What is everyone talking about?
But when it comes to strong opinions, catty attitudes, and over-the-top reality, forget about it.

A bomb blast tore through a crowded passenger bus on a desert highway in southern Afghanistan yesterday.
How are we going to live vicariously through these characters? I want to experience things I can’t do in real life.
A prayer is more than talking to God, but more specifically the opening of our heart and mind to God said the priest.
This reasoning makes little sense.
In every molecule, every moment, God’s goodness is there.
That might alleviate some of the fear, but if it doesn’t, that could be concerning.
Will we be a victim of circumstances or will we use them instead to grow and become victorious?
No, Middle America will always be screwed.
Rian and I recently learned a new form of poetry. This was my result.

Birthday Girl

Kerrie came out of the closet...after stealing my Bebe scarf and sunglasses.















Today is her birthday.

Thank you...

for being my friend.

I just need to vent...

Have you ever had a time where EVERYTHING seemed to go wrong? One bad thing leads to another and suddenly you're wrapped up in this bundle of negative energy that simply won't go away...?

Welcome to my past three years.

The year 2010 has particularly been awful, starting with being laid off from my job in January. Things just kind of slid downhill even more from there.

This month has been NO exception.

Here are a few highlights:

The Case of the Missing Money

My unemployment benefits are supposed to last me at least six months. Imagine my horror a month ago, when I found out my unemployment claims have been DENIED. After only five months. With no explanation. Why? I might never find out! The only way I can talk to someone about my situation is by calling the Missouri Department of Labor. Every single time I call (20 times per day) I get the same message: "All our representatives are busy at the moment and our hold line is full. Please call again." And then the line hangs up on me. Fed up, I actually went to the Department of Labor to talk to someone and guess what: they told me I'm not allowed to speak to anyone in person about my situation and they gave me the phone number to call. The same damn phone number. It's so frustrating I want to jump off a bridge.


A college degree worth shit

I am an educated woman. I have a journalism degree and was a reporter at a major metropolitan newspaper for almost four years. And yet, after six months, I still cannot find a new job. In fact, I have only had one job interview. It has gotten to the point where my dad sadly tells me I'm a hopeless cause and my only option in life right now is to "lose 30 pounds and marry someone rich." That leads me to my next issue.


My Fat Ass

In the past month, instead of losing weight, I seem to be gaining weight. Even though I am walking an hour every day and eating healthier. So now I literally have no pair of pants that fit me anymore and I can't afford new pants. I am so depressed about this revelation that I can't even bring myself to write any more about it right now.


The Wrong Apartment

I live in a really good part of town. Unfortunately, I don't live in the right apartment. Apparently the guy who used to live in my apartment was a wanted criminal. In the past two years, I have had four incidents where police officers came to my apartment looking for this guy. Those incidents bothered me but I always shrugged them off. Then a couple weeks ago, I actually had a drunk man try to break into my apartment looking for the former tenant. The drunk man was kicking in the door and screaming. He was kicking the door so hard, the latch was coming unlocked. When the police came, he took off. The police caught up with him and then let him go because he acknowledged that he had the wrong apartment. Then the police told me that before I moved in two years ago, my apartment had been broken into several times. The former tenant had a lot of enemies, they said. Holy hell. So I went to my apartment building's administration office to see if I could be moved. After discussing it with corporate, they decided I could move to a different apartment but I would have to sign a brand new year-long lease. If I broke that lease, I would be responsible for an $800 fee, plus have to pay the rent for the rest of the year anyway. Obviously, unemployed and not even receiving unemployment benefits right now, that is an impossible choice for me. So, to make me "feel better" the manager installed a more secure, heavy duty lock on my door for free. But that doesn't put me at complete ease, knowing there are still angry people out there thinking my apartment still belongs to the former tenant...when I get a job, I am without a doubt moving to a new complex.


The Dead Laptop

Without money, I still have not been able to get a new laptop. I go to the library to fill out job applications and do an occasional blog. It really, really sucks. Again, I just can't bring myself to write too much on this topic otherwise I will burst into tears.

This would be a really good time for me to win the lottery right now, or at least discover that Warren Buffett is my great-uncle or something. Please?

Anyway, I'm sorry for venting and being depressing. I just wanted you to know what I was going through, because it has been tough. A nightmare of a month. And those were just a few of the things. If I listed everything going wrong right now, this post would simply be too long. Sigh.

Thanks for reading and please send me good vibes! I need them! xoxo