Book review: 29

I really tried to get into Fifty Shades of Grey, but it was so boring and terribly written, I couldn't make it past half of it.

So, I needed something to keep me awake during my flight to North Carolina last week. I ended up fishing a cute little beach read out of the bargain bin at my local bookstore.

It is called 29. The author is Adena Halpern.

I didn't have particularly high hopes for the book, because I'm cynical, but after the first few pages, I could tell it was going to be a winner. And by the time I finished the book, a couple hours later, I was pleasantly surprised.

The book embodies history and chick-lit, two of my favorite genres. One of my favorite books of all time is Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella and one of my favorite films is Freaky Friday. This book is very similar to them.

The novel revolves around Ellie, a 75-year-old grandmother who has more in common with her 29-year-old fashion designer granddaughter, Lucy, than anyone else in the world. The senior citizen has many regrets about her life, which was a cookie cutter 1950s American Dream. She wishes that she could have been more independent and glamorous like Lucy, rather than a real-life Donna Reed housewife.

So, on her birthday, Ellie wishes she could be 29 just for one day. Of course, her wish comes true.

The elegant and beautiful grandmother wakes up the next morning to discover she is the sexy, vibrant bombshell she used to be five decades before.

She takes advantage of her new found youth and embarks on a day filled with adventures.

There is a lot of fashion. There are a lot of hot guys. There is friendship.

But the book is more than just delicious cotton candy fluff. It critically analyzes the female bonds which tie families together. It really makes you see the importance of family and friendships. It also makes you see the necessity of being true to yourself in order to fully reach happiness.

It's that deep.

I was touched by this book. It's not going to win a Pulitzer any time soon. That's not the point. But it's definitely not worthy of the bargain big I rescued it from.

You should check it out!

Favorite TV moms!

Who is your favorite TV mom? Come check out my guest post!

http://www.sittinginatree-blog.com/2012/08/shark-week-guest-post-tv-moms.html

North Carolina

For those of you who care, I spent the past week in North Carolina. I went to a modern art museum. I did a shitload of shopping. I drank like a fish. I road-tripped it to Myrtle Beach.

The trip sounds a lot cooler than it actually was, to be honest.

Here are some photos I took of the scenery:

If you're lucky enough to have instagram, you should follow me. My username is Jenniferb02. If you point out you are a reader of this blog or fellow blogger, and not some random social media slut, I'll follow you back.

Have a lovely weekend.

A Fabulous Mind

 

If scientists ever found a way to look inside my dreams, this is what they would see.

I'm sorry for not being around these past few days. It was the busiest week of my life. Now, I'm going out of town for a week.

Stay fabulous while I'm gone. Don't forget me! XOXO

Yma Sumac

If you love fabulousness, you need to check out my guest post!

http://themusingsandadventuresofapinupmama.blogspot.com/2012/07/guest-blogger-i-know-right.html

Good Looking Man About Town

As most of you know, my best friend Jonny has been in town for the past two weeks. It has definitely made my summer a lot brighter!

Jonny, who is an actor and singer in New York City, has decided to pursue a career in modeling as well. A modeling agency has already expressed interest in him!

So, Jonny and I recently went around town for a a fun little photo shoot, to help him practice. I took all these photos and then edited them. Actually, the only photo which has not been touched is the second photo, because I thought it turned out quite striking on its own.

Here are the results:

Which photo is your favorite?

WTF Celebrity Couples

You think you know all the celebrity couples, don't you? Angelina & Brad. Jennifer & Ben. Gwyneth & Chris. And the list goes on.

But today, I'm going to introduce you to some celebrity couples you might not have realized existed. And they are mostly couples that seem...mismatched in a way.

They might make you scratch your head and say, "wait, she dated him?!"

Enjoy.

Ashton Kutcher and January Jones (1998-2001)

Long before the success of Mad Men, January Jones was just another 20-something girl desperate to make a name for herself in Hollywood. But her famous television actor boyfriend, Ashton, was not her biggest fan.

 "He was not supportive of my acting," Jones told GQ in 2009. "He was like, 'I don't think you're going to be good at this.' So, fuck you!"

Strangely enough, last year there was a huge rumor in Hollywood that January Jones was the reason for the Ashton/Demi split. A popular, and mostly reliable, gossip column insinuated that Ashton was the father of January's son, and Demi was less than pleased by the news.

Matt Damon and Winona Ryder (1997-2000)

The two were introduced in 1997 by mutual friend, Gwyneth Paltrow. It was love at first sight. But they didn't make their romance public until a year later, at an Oscar party.

Despite the break-up, the two remain on pretty good terms right now. They have nothing but nice things to say about each other in interviews.

But the media blitz while he was with Winona may have been the reason Matt chose to marry an obscure bartender several years later. The action star is known for living a modest life.

P.Diddy and Sienna Miller (2007)

Five years ago, the dainty British beauty and the American rap mogul raised eyebrows when they were spotted frolicking on exotic vacations together and sailing the seas in Diddy's jaw-dropping yacht.

Despite protest on both sides, photos spoke louder than words. Photos of them cuddling together during wee hours of the morning outside hotels were plastered all over supermarket tabloids.

But, they must have parted amicably because a year later, Diddy told Vogue he thought Sienna was one of the most stylish and poised women in the world.

Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields (1991-1993)

This unlikely duo became friends in the early 1980s, after meeting at an Academy Awards ceremony. But they didn't begin dating until a decade later. Michael actually asked Brooke to marry him, but when she declined, they simply remained close friends until his death.

In 2001, Michael revealed in an interview how he felt meeting Brooke in the early 1980s: "That was one of the loves of my life. I think she loved me as much as I loved her, you know? We dated a lot. We, we went out a lot. Her pictures were all over my wall, my mirror, everything...we exchanged numbers and I was up all night, singing, spinning around my room, just so happy. It was great."

Justin Timberlake and Fergie (1998)

In interviews, Fergie confesses the 1990s were a whirlwind of sex and drugs and pop music. In 1996, she was a member of the girl band, Wild Orchid, which opened for 'N Sync. The future pop star had a brief fling with an underage Justin.

 "It wasn't a long-term serious relationship, so there's no bad blood," says Fergie to Australia's Courier Mail. "He was 16 and I was 23...It was before he got real heavy with Britney."


So, do any of these past romances surprise you? Which one shocked you the most?