Monthly Archives: January 2013
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So yesterday we caught up on some of the best (and less than best, but not totally horrible) fashions of the Golden Globes. But this post is where shizz gets real, as there are a lot of violations to be handed out. So let’s get right into it, shall we?
hayden panettiere, sally field, amy adams, julie bowen |
We’ll start off with some of the ones that just didn’t quite make the cut for me. Hayden Panettiere looked nice-ish in her strapless mermaid number, but the pink clutch made her look even younger than she already is. This isn’t your junior prom, Hayden. It seems like she tried to make herself look older by applying way too much 90’s style shimmery makeup. She looks like an extra from She’s All That (which I’m sure she has never heard of because she was probably a toddler when it came out).
I actually thought Sally Field looked really beautiful. That navy shade is a gorgeous color on her. But holy Grandma’s cleavage. I’m not just saying that because she’s older, I seriously don’t like that deep smushed boob thing on anyone. I feel like it only works if you are crazy flat chested like Kate Hudson.
Oh, Amy Adams. I mean whoever seeks out a dress the color of a paper bag? It’s literally the same shade as her skin. The shape is pretty but she looks like a freaking floating head. And that one curl hanging down the side of her face is driving me nuts.
Julie Bowen is another that I almost like the whole look, and then I see the asymmetrical hemline. Like I don’t need to see three quarters of one of your ankles. The color is fabulous and I’m glad she pulled her hair back (but not no severe like that slicked back middle part pony she sported a few years ago). And what is with her stance? I feel like she’s trying to showcase the one shoulder and the drapey ruching but she just comes off looking like a hunchback.
anne hathaway, amanda seyfried, julianne hough, lea michele |
I guess Anne Hathaway looks pretty and all, but didn’t Les Miz wrap like a year ago? Why has she not started eating again? I don’t know what else to say. I’m just so bored looking at her.
Who would have ever thought Amanda Seyfried, also known as Karen “My Boobs Can Always Tell When It’s Going to Rain” would end up being the most A-List of all the Mean Girls? Too bad she stole this dress right out from under her grandma. I do not enjoy all the different lace panel things, and as if there were a way to make it less sexy, she covered up every ounce of décolletage with that stupid tie tack at the neckline.
I feel like Julianne Hough is going through an existential fashion crisis. I just don’t get who she wants to be. She’s all over the place. Especially with this ensemble. I know some people like the juxtaposition of the hard rocker hair with the princess pouf of a dress, but I think it looks like someone cut a hairstyle out of a magazine and stuck it on a different photo of the gown. I actually really like the top part of the dress, because you know me and sparkle, but I hate that it disintegrates as it travels down, especially since a lot of the hardware is little gold line thingys. And the gather of the tulle at the hips- blech. No me gusta.
Was Glee nominated this year and I missed it? I was shocked to find Lea Michele even on the red carpet, especially since when I first saw her I thought it was Snooki. I mean I know she just got back from Hawaii, but that spray tan is faker than Kurt’s internship at Vogue. I do sort of like the dress, but I wonder if anyone in Hollywood can think of any other way to be sexy other than having their dress slit up to their pelvic bone?
eva longoria, jennifer lopez, katharine mcphee, kaley cuoco |
adele, debra messing, helen mirren, stacy kiebler |
emily blunt, kristen wiig |
taylor swift, jessica chastain, lucy liu, sienna miller |
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
No, not that! Christmas is over, you fools (thank God. I can walk around my apartment again).
AWARDS SEASON.
I have literally been giddy with excitement over this. I know that’s not unusual for me, but I don’t know, something was different this year. First of all, I was in the same country as the Golden Globes, unlike last year, when I was trying not to lose appendages due to frostbite in Canada… I mean I was celebrating my one year anniversary. Second, I planned better. I make my schedule at work sometimes two months in advance, and don’t always know off the top of my head what exact days the awards are. This year I put it in my phone, set alarms- I was set. Third, I had a visitor. Yes, I watched the awards with someone other than myself. Willingly.
I have written before about my desire to only watch award shows by myself. And no, it’s not because people don’t want to watch them with me (no matter what Steve says). It’s because every time I watch something important with other people in the room, they talk. Then I talk, then I miss things, and then I lose out on fodder for my incessant award show night Facebook posts. As much as I love throwing parties, the idea of throwing an award show party makes me want to cry. I just want to be left alone.
However this year I decided to be less of a frigid bitch and invite my old roommate Liz over. Liz and I lived together in Cambridge in a “swinging singles” apartment as my mother called it (despite the fact that both of us were in relationships) before I moved in with a boy. Liz has recently moved to the a mere twenty minutes away to the suburbs (mwhahahaha) and is now one of us. Like she has a car and everything! Yet we’ve only seen each other like three times since the move. We’re busy people.
There were snacks.
for those of you not in the know, liz & i survived on only chips & salsa for almost two years. |
There were ballots.
bills, bills, bills. |
There was wine (only for me, because Liz was being “healthy” and “cleansing” or something). We started watching preshow coverage at 5:00 and didn’t stop until the show ended at 11:00. I even made food stuff. Okay, Steve prepared it but I assembled it.
mini caprese/bruschetta thing. oh you fancy, huh? |
It was almost like we still lived together. Liz brought nail polish and her computer and Steve disappeared, so it was like the boys in our lives didn’t even exist. I mean, we missed them very much. Luckily football was on too so I don’t know if they noticed that we weren’t there. Sometimes, you just need your girls, you know?
And speaking of girls, can we talk about what the ladies were wearing that night?
Of course, I had my favorites:
claire danes, kate hudson & jessica alba |
I thought that these three exemplified red carpet glamour/how famous people should dress for an award show. Claire Danes looked amazing a mere one month after giving birth. Okay, well obviously she looks amazing because she’s famous and it’s a heck of a lot easier when you’re famous, but still, I give the girl some credit. Although I did cringe a little when she mentioned her fear of “leaking” on the carpet. Girl, you’re in Versace. Can we not discuss what may or may not be coming out of your nipples? I will subtract points however for over application of her eye makeup. I felt like it made her look more tired and old, but she does have a newborn, so I’m going to let this one go a bit.
I think Kate Hudson was my hands down absolute favorite of the evening. I mean she took things that shouldn’t be that exciting on the red carpet (black, sleeves, straight hair– one of my personal pet peeves at a formal event) and it all just worked. I mean it helps when you have that body, but damn, that dress was just made for her. I loved the sparkle at the neck- it made it a little more grown up (we’ll call it the Downton Abbey effect) but the non-cleavage boob exposure keeps it from being boring. I love love loved this.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Jessica Alba had no business being there, but I’m glad that she was because I loved her entire ensemble. Not many people look good in salmon, but I thought between the dress and the jewelry she just looked like a real movie star. Which reminded me that I couldn’t tell you the last movie she was even in. At first I was kind of horrified by the purse, but her Muppet clutch started to grow on me. I love fun bags and if you’re not worried about actually winning an award or anything, why the hell not? I do wish her hair was a little darker because I think her ombre is starting to blend in with her skin, and I wanted her to have a little more definition. Plus I still think that ombre is a trendy way to say “I was too lazy to get my roots done.”
amy poehler, zooey deschanel, tina fey |
I thought that host Amy Poehler looked awesome… from the waist up. I seriously love a woman in a sexy suit. Plus I like when people that you know are funny kind of mix it up and are like “whoooa bet you didn’t know I could be sexy too.” And then I saw her ankles and 90’s style prom shoes (which probably cost $500, but I’m sorry- I swear I wore those to my sophomore semiformal) and it kind of killed it for me. She’s kind of short and I wanted it to be like a fabulous super wide leg or something. Also a few years ago I was sort of obsessed with side buns for formal events and my best friend/hairstylist Ryan always tried to talk me out of them, claiming no matter what, you look like you have a growth coming out of the side of your head. I hate to say it about my girl Amy… but he was right.
At first I really enjoyed Zooey Deschanel’s look. I loved her cute little pony and pearls combo. Red is one of my favorite formal colors because it’s always so dramatic and you don’t clash against the carpet! Upon a further look, I decided I really don’t like this shiny taffeta-esque fabric. It turns it tableclothy. And why does she insist on always doing this not quite enough coverage tiny boob cup thing? I was just waiting for a nip slip in that floaty blue princess dress she wore to the Emmys last year, and I feel like she just keeps repeating that same shape.
And Tina Fey. I mean, if they gave a most improved award, this girl would get it, with honors. I normally don’t like anything less than a full length gown for such a big event, but I thought it was appropriate because she was co-hosting and only did a quick run across the carpet. I thought this shape worked really well on her, but everything else she wore that night looked amazing too, because damn is she skinny all of a sudden! As long as she doesn’t shrink any smaller than this I’m okay with it. Don’t scare me girl- we don’t want any Mischa Barton arms up in here.
kerry washington, jennifer garner, jodie foster, sofia veragara |
I LOVE GLITTER. And sparkle, and bling, and whatever the hell you want to call it, as long as it’s shiny and in bulk. I always think it’s appropriate for the red carpet and I hate when people try to go all “safe” and “simple” because that’s not what any of this is about. I loved the concept of Kerry Washington’s airy nude gown, but not the execution. The short lining with the short hem and a close toed nude shoe? I thought the combination of those elements aged her like twenty years. And I could have done without those super blunt bangs. Blech I just hate those. I felt like the was trying to be edgy from the neck up to balance out the old ladyness that was happening south of her waistline. I guess she is just so beautiful that nothing looks truly bad on her, but I just wanted to turn her into a Project Runway challenge where they rip of what you’re wearing and turn it into what it was meant to be.
I thought Jennifer Garner looked good as a date-of-a-nominee-who-hasn’t-walked-on-a-red-carpet-with-her-significant-other-since-2007 could look. It had my favorite things- red, sparkles, a waistline, but I didn’t fall of my couch or anything over it.
I didn’t really know what to think of Jodie Foster, other than the fact that she looked kind of like she was wearing a suit of armor, which probably explains why she looks uncomfortable, although in retrospect that could have been because of something else (obviously, being seated with Mel Gibson). I do think she is very pretty, but her haircut is so severe that I’m scared she’s going to start yelling at me in German or something. I think some loose extensions could have changed this look entirely, and for the better.
Sofia Vergara is one of those that nothing ever looks bad on her. She is a self appointed Sparkle Queen, and while I’m glad she lost the Miss Universe looks she’s been sporting for the past few years, I don’t know if there’s anything else out there that exists that she could wear that would look any different. I feel like she went a little demure with the black, but why does the dress need ruching that provides no purpose except for a clear marker for where her vagina is?
olivia munn, jennifer lawrence, rosario dawson |
halle berry, marion cotillard, lena dunham, nicole kidman |
If you’ve never heard of Style Me Pretty, you are either a.) not married or engaged b.) a boy. SMP is the ultimate wedding blog, as in you will need to set aside a good three hours if it’s your first visit. They only feature the most lovely, detail oriented and unique weddings, which is why I was so excited to be able to attend the soiree celebrating their first (I say first because I pray there will be more) book with Liz!
We arrived at Grettacole as the first bottles of bubbly were popped. Saying we were early is an understatement- we were literally the first people there, which pretty much never happens to me, as I am perpetually ten minutes late for life. I do like to be able to capture the details before the crowds arrive, so I snapped some pics while we were waiting for the fun to begin.
the cookies & cream will change your life. |
If you’re wondering, those are cake truffles. They look like cereal but they taste like the holy grail of desserts. Liz and I may have each eaten more than one. Thank you Delicious Desserts for creating a new obsession.
After some mingling, SMP creator Abby Larson took the stage- or I guess chair- and did a reading from her hot off the presses book. Afterward, she was nice enough to open up the floor and answer whatever questions the masses had.
note the immersed iphoners in the background. including me in pink, obv. |
I always knew I loved weddings (especially given my roots as a photographer’s daughter and an internship with an event planner) but Abby’s words of wisdom would inspire anyone, regardless of their affinity for planning out of the box nuptials. As someone who is in a bit of a quarter life crisis, I found myself most moved by her tales of how she started with a simple idea and turned it into not only a business, but her dream job as well. When she spoke about her pre-SMP days, I found myself thinking “omg! I’m going through the exact same thing!” But the difference is, Abby actually got off her butt and did something about it.
To see for yourself, see how Abby so thoughtfully answered one audience member’s question so thoughtfully:
um, can we be wedding/real housewives besties? okay thanks. |
On our way out, Liz and I grabbed our brand new autographed copies of the SMP book.
So apparently it’s January. It’s probably not the time for any Christmas related post, but that’s the thing about the holidays. You have all these intentions of lovely things you’re going to do and then you wake up one day and it’s 2013. I literally just got all my decorations up like four days before Christmas. According to the Internet, I was supposed to have had everything done December 1st and also have it photographed, Pinned, blogged and Instagrammed. Not only that, but I clearly failed in my attempt at daily posts of the cards of Christmas past. On the bright side, that leaves plenty for next year. Maybe if I start now you’ll actually see them by December.
So I have a slew of holiday merriment to catch up on. Let’s start with some sweet Christmas presents, shall we? As I’ve said before, I do actually love giving gifts to people and wrapping them as well. But it makes me a little crazy that people don’t like to admit how awesome it is to get presents too. Admit it- presents rock! And as long as you’re nice and pay it forward too then you’re totally okay.
Every year I make a very detailed list of things that I would be happy (but am in no way expecting) to find under my tree. I started when I was a teenager cutting pictures of the things I wanted out of magazine, because as we learned from The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff, sometimes parents just don’t understand… what these things are that you want. Of course the Internet has made it way easier to put together a compilation list so it has continued.
In case you’re wondering what this year’s looked like, this is the list that I provided (but only when asked. I’m not a total brat).
I like to choose things that are a range of prices and some things that have to be ordered online vs. things that a technologically-inept person (sorry, Mom) could get in their car and drive to a store and buy.
And then of course, there’s my husband. Steve prides himself on not buying me ANYTHING off my list. His theory is that he’s so amazing (which is kinda true) and listens carefully to me all year when I say I want things that he buys me long after I’ve forgotten about them. Then on Christmas morning I’m like, “oh my God I wanted this!” and he sits there all proud and is like, “I know.”
This year was no exception. Starting with stocking stuffers. I am the worst at stocking stuffers. I always forget about them until the last minute and then I buy stupid things in a panic that I won’t have anything. And just because something fits in a stocking doesn’t mean it’s cheap, so I often spend too much of my allotted budget on dumb things that just happen to be tiny. Like everything else, Steve is great at picking out small things that I actually need, so if gift giving is a game, he’s the clear winner on this one.
This next one wasn’t so much a surprise because I made Steve promise on our not yet conceived first born child that he would take me to see Les Mis or I would return all of his presents. But he’s always one for presentation. This isn’t even the first time he’s given me a decorated envelope.
I always ask for a mix of books and DVD’s because I rarely buy them for myself (you know, for fear of exoneration from Count Pennypincher). My struggle is always remembering what I had been wanting to see/read that year. I can’t wait to read all of my new books! You know, in my spare time.
Steve refuses to buy me nail polish because he thinks I have a “problem” and doesn’t want to feed my “addiction.” Luckily I have a sister and a sister-in-law who understand what I’m going through.
Steve always shows how much he truly cares by braving Forever 21 during the Christmas season. Whatta guy. He’s also the Jewelry Whisperer of the Kate Spade outlet.
Speaking of outlets, Steve also scored pretty big at my other favorite, J.Crew. Because now that we’re married, we like to brag to each other how little we pay for each other’s gifts. If you ask me, that’s what true love is really about. Without a bargain hunting husband, there is no way I would ever have acquired my Edie bag:
And not one, but two schoolboy blazers:
Wondering how I got these amazing photos of myself? I got a tripod!
Now I don’t have to beg Steve to take my outfit photos at 10:00 pm when he gets home after I’ve been alone with my clothes all day. And um for work and stuff too when I photograph things. Obviously I did not get Photoshop, as you can tell by all the hideous things that are happening on my face. Maybe next year.
Back to outlet shopping. If the Kate Spade outlet didn’t exist… well I just wouldn’t own anything from Kate Spade.
I’m aware that everything I own is pink. I have to try to obtain as much of it as possible before I turn 30 and I look ridiculous.
Speaking of that…
I swear it’s just not Christmas morning without new pajamas. Yes, I have the same set in flannel as exhibited above (gift from last Christmas) but I think there’s something to be said for wearing a matching set to bed. I like to feel fancy even when I am not awake.
It’s not just pink things I coveted this year. I was finally able to quench my thirst for all things leopard as well.
Before you judge, these are both from Target. Target! I know, I can’t believe it either.
Also from Target:
I’ve been slowly building my fancy Christmas “china” (I use that term loosely because I don’t know if Target actually carries anything resembling china). I have all the necessary pieces, but then of course this year, they came out with… mugs. Obviously the set could not be complete with mugs. I think I’m done now.
Obviously, I’m also obsessed with this planner I got. I’m thinking about going back to paper vs. technology as far as keeping track of dates and things. I’m going to use woodsy colored pencils to do it, you know, just like the pioneers.
And my “big” gifts. C’mon, you know what I’m talking about. The one that gets saved for last, maybe sometimes is hidden and brought out only after you thought all the presents were over:
This first one is from my parents. Ladies and gentlemen, if this doesn’t help me, I am out of ideas. My skin is worse now than it was when I was a teenager. I have heard nothing but amazing things about the Clarisonic Mia and surprise! It comes in pink. Together we can take on the world. Hopefully.
And of course, from my husband, who heard me mention once that I thought these were cool and tracked down one from the 1950s that happened to be in perfect condition:
So in my obsession with all things vintage and hats, I had said previously that I wanted a real hat box. Cause you know, traveling with said hats had become a problem. According to my historical husband, this is technically a “train case.” But it’s amazing. It’s an original Samsonite and it’s leather and there isn’t a scratch on it. It’s also super heavy so that will actually keep the packing to a minimum. I guess some old guy in Virginia had it just hanging out in his attic. And now my old guy has it hanging out in our apartment.
So all kidding inside, it was an awesome Christmas and I am a very very lucky girl. I don’t know what I did to deserve such nice people in my life, but I’m wondering if they’re just tired of me complaining about not being able to buy anything and wanted me to shut up. Either way, I’m appreciative nonetheless.
~L
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