I think it was really big (no pun intended) for Britney Spears to release the unretouched photos from her recent Candies' ad campaign. Ms. Spears is a young (28) and fit woman who is generally thought of as having a good figure--and she does. These photos show the reality of a good body vs. the ideal of a body that is the norm in magazines, but is rarely seen at the beach. If you have a daughter you should show her these photos and remind her that what you see in magazines is an image that has been enhanced by lightning, hair and makeup experts, and retouching. You should also mention that it's a split second in time and life is not lived that way so she should go easy on herself. If you have a son, you should show him these photos and remind him that what you see is NOT necessarily what you get--what you get is imperfect--yet it moves, breaths, and is infinitely more fun. I've never thought of Ms. Spears as much of a role model for young girls but it looks like she's proving me wrong--check her out!
Britney Spears Reveals Unretouched Candies Ads (PHOTOS)
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Marriage can be a grind--kids, jobs, and endless trivial, but necessary, things "to do" around the house. Marriage can be boring but sometimes boring beats the alternative. This is the premise of the movie Date Night starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell as Phil and Claire Foster. The Fosters love and are eager please each other, but when Claire hops into bed wearing her spit-laden mouth guard we know the thrill is gone. In an effort to get the magic back, the suburban couple dresses up and heads to a fancy shmancy Manhattan restaurant. A case of mistaken identity takes Phil and Claire on the ride of their lives and makes them almost appreciate their boring existence. Tina Fey is very funny and Steve Carell is his usual nerdy, but hilarious self (Really, this guy is so un-sexy! I'm betting the director gave Ms. Fey the drooly mouth guard to make his point but he probably told Mr. Carell to just show up in bed and act natural). I laughed until tears streamed down my face; but I have to tell you, the two handsome men that I was with (one a teenager; the other not a teenager!) didn't laugh nearly as hard as I did. Despite the pole dance, the car chase (both are departures from the normal fare), and the title, this is ultimately a chick-flick.
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David Benioff's City of Thieves is a great book that I hope will be made into a film (unfortunately, a quick search of IMDB didn't show anything currently in the works.) City of Thieves is a buddy/odd couple/ road trip (minus the car)/ coming-of-age story that takes place during the Nazis' siege of Leningrad. This compelling book is both frightening and funny with an underlying pathos. Protagonists Lev Beniov and Kolya are both trying to balance staying alive with having a life when they find themselves in the same prison cell. Their journey begins when they are released from prison to pursue an impossible task. Mr. Benioff is an imaginative writer--he turned his novel, 25th Hour, into a screenplay that was brilliantly directed by Spike Lee and should have been nominated for an Oscar back in 2003. Mr. Lee, if you are listening, I think Jude Law would be a great Kolya--and because he is one of he best actors out there, and he was amazing in your last novel-to-screenplay effort, Ed Norton would be a swell Lev!
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Check your mobile phone bills. When you do you will probably notice that your teen is sending considerably more text messages than he/she is making phone calls. When it comes to driving, both are dangerous but the combination of teenagers and texting is especially lethal. You are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash if you are texting and over 60 percent of teens say they text while driving. Many states have laws that prohibit texting while driving, and there have been recent reports that they are stepping up the enforcement of these laws. But, will knowing the statistics and law keep teens from texting behind the wheel? Probably not. It just doesn't fit with the "it won't happen to me" rebellious nature of the beast. I have a few ideas that may help teens resist the temptation to text while driving: 1) Make them put their phone in the glove box and lock it before they start the car. Yes, they can drive around the corner and turn the car off and get their phone out but at least you've made it more difficult. 2) Show them this YouTube clip YouTube - Texting While Driving - British PSA (warning: it's very graphic) 3) Get them to sign a pledge to not text while driving and to wear one of the thumb rings that say, "texting kills" (think Lance Armstrong's yellow Live Strong bracelets, but black and for the thumb!) Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever - Take the Pledge. 4) Cross your fingers and pray like crazy!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
FRIDAY FROTH...
Despite my disappointment in the iPad, I'm a huge Apple fan and I am anxiously awaiting the release of the new iPhone OS 4 this summer. (This will be Steve Jobs' chance to get the g [for genuflect] behind his name again in this blog.) The new phone is promised to be more powerful and will be able to multitask. There is a current limit of 180 apps that you can have on your phone but the new phone will be able to manage 2160 apps--amazing! To get you started I thought I would introduce you to some favorites. If you are already into apps, comment and let Qmuse know what your favorites are and why.
One of my favorites is Shazam--a great name and so fun. If you hear a song you like or want to know more about it, just hold your phone up to a speaker and Shazam will tell you the name of the song you are hearing, who sings it, and more. It will also connect you to iTunes to download the song. You'll have to pay for the song download but the app is free.
Hungry? Urbanspoon uses Wi-Fi to find you and then gives you restaurant recommendations in your area. You can lock-in neighborhood, cuisine, or price and then shake your phone to find alternatives. You can also get reviews and ratings and this app is also free.
My Vacation will cost you $3.99 but it is worth it. This application will help you plan your vacation, journal and then share your notes and pictures. I want to go on vacation just to play with this app.
So many apps; so little time!
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And now for the HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM segment of FF... Would you like to take a guess at the percentage of people that will be paying NO federal income tax this year? The answer is 47 percent. Yes, that means almost half of filers will pay nothing. Most people that I queried guessed that the number would be in the in the 20 percent range. It gets worse--of that 47 percent that pay no federal tax, 40 percent will actually get money back from the US Treasury. Also interesting, the top 10 percent of earners pay 73 percent of taxes. There are rumors that a VAT tax may be in America's near future. It's controversial, especially now, because it's a consumer tax and it may slow consumption in an already slow economy. Maybe, but I would be all for it if it replaced the income tax. It makes no sense to me to penalize people for working and making money.
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If you are feeling down and want to wallow in your sadness then head to the nearest cinema and spend a couple of hours watching the recently released, The Greatest. This film stars Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, and Carey Mulligan (An Education) and explores the different ways people grieve. There are no surprises in the ways that this families' grief is manifest, but there is a complication between the parents. The movie starts out strong--there is an especially good scene in the beginning of the movie of the family stuffed together in the backseat of a limo on their way home from a funeral. The director keeps us in the car watching them for what seems like forever--it forces you to look at grief and feel just how uncomfortable it is. There are some good moments throughout the movie, but it solves everything a little too fast and too tidy. A good film if you need a good cry.
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In my continuing effort to keep us all feeling good and looking great, I have to report that an article in the New York Times this week suggest that when it comes to weight lifting, more weight is better: "...when women performed various resistance exercises at different weights and repetitions (85 percent of their maximum ability for 8 reps, versus 45 percent for 15). Subjects lifting more weight fewer times burned more energy and had a greater metabolic boost after exercise." Two other studies support this finding and one specified that the women who used the heavier weights lost more "intra-abdominal" fat. So, the bad news is that your gym workout needs to be harder. The good news is that you'll be out of there sooner and headed for that latte with non-fat milk, because we all know you need some protein within 30 minutes of a workout to really benefit those muscles.
One of my favorites is Shazam--a great name and so fun. If you hear a song you like or want to know more about it, just hold your phone up to a speaker and Shazam will tell you the name of the song you are hearing, who sings it, and more. It will also connect you to iTunes to download the song. You'll have to pay for the song download but the app is free.
Hungry? Urbanspoon uses Wi-Fi to find you and then gives you restaurant recommendations in your area. You can lock-in neighborhood, cuisine, or price and then shake your phone to find alternatives. You can also get reviews and ratings and this app is also free.
My Vacation will cost you $3.99 but it is worth it. This application will help you plan your vacation, journal and then share your notes and pictures. I want to go on vacation just to play with this app.
So many apps; so little time!
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And now for the HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM segment of FF... Would you like to take a guess at the percentage of people that will be paying NO federal income tax this year? The answer is 47 percent. Yes, that means almost half of filers will pay nothing. Most people that I queried guessed that the number would be in the in the 20 percent range. It gets worse--of that 47 percent that pay no federal tax, 40 percent will actually get money back from the US Treasury. Also interesting, the top 10 percent of earners pay 73 percent of taxes. There are rumors that a VAT tax may be in America's near future. It's controversial, especially now, because it's a consumer tax and it may slow consumption in an already slow economy. Maybe, but I would be all for it if it replaced the income tax. It makes no sense to me to penalize people for working and making money.
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If you are feeling down and want to wallow in your sadness then head to the nearest cinema and spend a couple of hours watching the recently released, The Greatest. This film stars Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, and Carey Mulligan (An Education) and explores the different ways people grieve. There are no surprises in the ways that this families' grief is manifest, but there is a complication between the parents. The movie starts out strong--there is an especially good scene in the beginning of the movie of the family stuffed together in the backseat of a limo on their way home from a funeral. The director keeps us in the car watching them for what seems like forever--it forces you to look at grief and feel just how uncomfortable it is. There are some good moments throughout the movie, but it solves everything a little too fast and too tidy. A good film if you need a good cry.
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In my continuing effort to keep us all feeling good and looking great, I have to report that an article in the New York Times this week suggest that when it comes to weight lifting, more weight is better: "...when women performed various resistance exercises at different weights and repetitions (85 percent of their maximum ability for 8 reps, versus 45 percent for 15). Subjects lifting more weight fewer times burned more energy and had a greater metabolic boost after exercise." Two other studies support this finding and one specified that the women who used the heavier weights lost more "intra-abdominal" fat. So, the bad news is that your gym workout needs to be harder. The good news is that you'll be out of there sooner and headed for that latte with non-fat milk, because we all know you need some protein within 30 minutes of a workout to really benefit those muscles.
Friday, April 2, 2010
FRIDAY FROTH...
If you think for one minute that the people representing us in Washington got there because they are smart, then you'd better think again. Click on this link to hear Georgia congressman Hank Johnson expressing concern to Admiral Robert Willard about the addition of 5,000 Marines and their families to the island of Guam. Representative Johnson is worried that the additional people may cause the small island to "tip over" and "capsize." Notice the Admiral's face as he replies, "We don't anticipate that." You have to see this clip to believe it--there is nothing remotely intelligent that escapes Mr. Johnson's lips! Democrats seem to think they have a monopoly on intelligence; they love to roll their eyes at Sarah Palin. Well, think again, Mr. Johnson is a democrat.
YouTube - Hank Johnson (Congress D-GA) - Warns Guam May Capsize
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And for the republicans that think they have a lock on morality, I beg you to reconsider. What could possibly be moral, or even make sense, about gathering money to elect conservative candidates that want to put God and family front and center, and gays and lesbians on the back burner, and then spending that money to take donors to a lesbian, bondage-themed strip club?
Guam-gate and Bondage-gate have caused me to ponder which is worse: ignorance or hypocrisy? I've decided that it doesn't really matter--both parties are rife with both. But the thing that the two parties have most in common you ask? Both proclaim to be fiscally responsible--neither is.
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If you want to see a movie that will be nominated for an Academy Award for best picture, best original screenplay, and have a couple of acting nominations to boot, then run, don't walk, to the nearest theatre showing City Island. This charming and quirky film was a pleasure to behold from beginning to end. City Island, an island on a spit of land in the Long Island Sound, is a part of the Bronx and a perfect setting to highlight the dysfunctional Rizzo family, given the island is quiet and quaint and the family is anything but. For a movie with lots of unexpected twists, it ends a bit predictably, but I can't count that as a negative. Andy Garcia is the patriarch having a mid-life crisis and Julianna Margulies is the tough-talking, sexy, but spurned wife. And if you think hell hath no fury like a women scorned then you better get ready for a women scorned with a Bronx accent--it's a few degrees hotter. We Southern women have to draw blood before anyone knows we're angry, all Italian women from the Bronx have to do is open their mouths. Ezra Miller is fantastic as Vinnie, the teenage son--he had me laughing out loud. He and the teenage daughter (played by Andy Garcia's daughter) gave me a whole new appreciation for my teenage son and daughter! See this movie!!!
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The iPad makes its grand appearance on Saturday so I thought I would include my previous review. Now that someone other than Mr. Jobs has actually seen the iPad, I've found out that it does have a dictionary built-in and you can buy iWork for word processing, but I'd like to have Word and I'll have to see the dictionary to believe it. I stand by by first reaction--it seems like a big iPhone and I want more. All of you app inventors out there, see below and get crackin'!
YouTube - Hank Johnson (Congress D-GA) - Warns Guam May Capsize
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And for the republicans that think they have a lock on morality, I beg you to reconsider. What could possibly be moral, or even make sense, about gathering money to elect conservative candidates that want to put God and family front and center, and gays and lesbians on the back burner, and then spending that money to take donors to a lesbian, bondage-themed strip club?
Guam-gate and Bondage-gate have caused me to ponder which is worse: ignorance or hypocrisy? I've decided that it doesn't really matter--both parties are rife with both. But the thing that the two parties have most in common you ask? Both proclaim to be fiscally responsible--neither is.
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If you want to see a movie that will be nominated for an Academy Award for best picture, best original screenplay, and have a couple of acting nominations to boot, then run, don't walk, to the nearest theatre showing City Island. This charming and quirky film was a pleasure to behold from beginning to end. City Island, an island on a spit of land in the Long Island Sound, is a part of the Bronx and a perfect setting to highlight the dysfunctional Rizzo family, given the island is quiet and quaint and the family is anything but. For a movie with lots of unexpected twists, it ends a bit predictably, but I can't count that as a negative. Andy Garcia is the patriarch having a mid-life crisis and Julianna Margulies is the tough-talking, sexy, but spurned wife. And if you think hell hath no fury like a women scorned then you better get ready for a women scorned with a Bronx accent--it's a few degrees hotter. We Southern women have to draw blood before anyone knows we're angry, all Italian women from the Bronx have to do is open their mouths. Ezra Miller is fantastic as Vinnie, the teenage son--he had me laughing out loud. He and the teenage daughter (played by Andy Garcia's daughter) gave me a whole new appreciation for my teenage son and daughter! See this movie!!!
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The iPad makes its grand appearance on Saturday so I thought I would include my previous review. Now that someone other than Mr. Jobs has actually seen the iPad, I've found out that it does have a dictionary built-in and you can buy iWork for word processing, but I'd like to have Word and I'll have to see the dictionary to believe it. I stand by by first reaction--it seems like a big iPhone and I want more. All of you app inventors out there, see below and get crackin'!
Friday, March 26, 2010
FRIDAY FROTH...
I loved watching Roman Polanski's latest film, Ghost Writer. I was mesmerized by its look--moody, haunting, and great visual metaphors. Mr. Polanski was clearly channeling Alfred Hitchcock in visual style, but also gave a wink and a smirk to his own life by placing Pierce Brosnan's character, former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, under virtual house arrest after he is accused of war crimes. Mr. Polanski finished Ghost Writer while under house arrest in Switzerland. A very good Ewan McGregor is the writer that Lang has hired to finish his memoirs after the original writer mysteriously dies. Pierce Brosnan is also very good. After appearing to be a pawn, Mr. Brosnan delivers a "checkmate" speech that galvanizes his performance and gives the movie perspective.
This movie is worth seeing for the performances and Mr. Polanski's visual style; however, the writing is thin at best.
This movie is worth seeing for the performances and Mr. Polanski's visual style; however, the writing is thin at best.
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If the stack of books on your bedside table is getting low, then consider picking up One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus. I read this book several years ago and enjoyed it so much I'm tempted to read it again. The premise of the story is based on an actual historic event from 1854 when an Indian chief asked the U.S. government to gift one thousand white women as brides for his young warriors. The goal was to help assimilate the Indians into the encroaching white culture. The protagonist, May Dodd is released from an asylum to go west and marry one of the young warriors. But make no mistake, May is not insane. This story mixes history, fiction, and passion in equal parts; a nice combination--enjoy!
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Well girls, I have good news and bad news.
The bad news: There was a study released this week that indicates that as women reach middle-age they need to work out moderately--walking or a leisurely bike ride-- for an hour a day to keep from gaining weight. The old recommendation was for thirty minutes of intensely working out five days a week. Men only need a third of the exercise as women do to maintain their weight.
I know this doesn't seem fair, but life's not fair. Studies have shown that shoes and handbags do seem to help with the inequities...
The good news: I have the perfect thing to motivate you to get cracking on those workouts. Check out this new see-through handbag from Prada. I love the diamond shaped kiss closure, and it's waterproof so you can take it to the beach.
The good news: I have the perfect thing to motivate you to get cracking on those workouts. Check out this new see-through handbag from Prada. I love the diamond shaped kiss closure, and it's waterproof so you can take it to the beach.
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Did you see the picture of President Obama on the front page of the New York Times today? He's in a bookstore holding up two books--one by Karl Rove and the other by Mitt Romney. I have to say I was put off by Mr. Obama's big smile/laugh. In light of the huge success he has just had passing his legacy health-care bill, it looks like gloating to me. On the campaign trail Mr. Obama stated that passing legislation with only 51 votes was NOT how he wanted to do business in Washington and he also said that he wanted to change the tone of politics. He has to be aware of the deep divide this bill (that he passed with only 51 votes) has caused in this country. Mr. President, wipe that smile off your face, show some graciousness, put your head down and get back to work.
Friday, March 19, 2010
FRIDAY FROTH...
The Green Zone is a new movie that deals with the war in Iraq, specifically the first months of engagement. While it’s not nearly as good as last year’s The Hurt Locker, I did find parts of it interesting and most of it entertaining. Matt Damon has the lead role as an officer who takes his team out in search of the now infamous weapons of mass destruction. He soon learns that he is getting bad intelligence, and it’s too easy to tell that his Pentagon superior, played by Greg Kinnear, not only knows this, but also will do anything to prevent the world from finding out. This is where the movie turns political, taking easy jabs at the Bush Administration and reducing the Green Zone to black and white. It misses an opportunity to expand on an Iraqi interpreter, Freddy, who is helping Matt Damon’s character. Freddy’s is an interesting perspective into a very complex situation and I would have liked to see it explored further.
The camera work will make some seasick, but I liked its shock-and-awe movement. If you can get past the politics and the incredulity of Matt Damon going rogue in Baghdad and just enjoy your popcorn and some good action, you’ll have fun.
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The tabloids were reporting yesterday that Sandra Bullock’s husband, Jesse James, was having an affair. Mr. James has issued a statement saying that most of the allegations against him are untrue; he goes on to say that he is sorry for the pain that he has caused his wife and kids. I’m betting the affair part of the story is true. The “other woman” appears to be a tattoo model looking for attention and celebrity. I won’t delve into the reasons Mr. James may have committed his infidelity. What I do find fascinating and want to comment on are the women that go after the husbands of beautiful and successful women. This phenomenon is nothing new, but as more women are becoming high profile, we are seeing an increase in this type of affair. And, if the husband appears to be an adoring husband, these “other women” seem all the more eager. It seems these women can’t find a way to be successful on their own so they think that by enticing a successful/beautiful/confident woman’s husband to pay attention to them, they have achieved success—that by slipping into another woman’s bed you also slip into her life. Or, sometimes, these “other women” just want to take someone who appears to have too much going for them down a notch or two. These are the same insecure girls that in jr. high made-up ugly rumors about other girls. These women are less interested in getting in bed with the husband than they are in “screwing” the wife. Girls, where is the solidarity?
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It would be remiss to not mention HEALTH-CARE--a vote is expected on Sunday. It is amazing how many people are paying attention. Does anyone remember the Clinton’s health-care of the 90’s? I have a theory that people were captivated by the 2008 presidential election because for the first time, we had a woman and a black man in serious contention for the White House. Politics became captivating and we kept watching even after the presidential outcome was decided. Then we became horrified! Oh, the deficits, the bickering, and the utter contempt for the American public! There is very little good news about health-care--it’s contentious and the process has been fraught with dirty deals. The good news is that people are not only paying attention now, they are getting involved. Warning: Be very careful Washington, We The People are back, we are watching, and we will hold you accountable.
Friday, March 12, 2010
FRIDAY FROTH...
OSCARS 2010
For the first time that I can remember, I missed the live telecast of the Academy Awards. I was in Denver for the weekend to see my son play lacrosse and was flying home during my favorite show of the year. I had asked my daughter, who was staying with a friend, to go by our house and record the show for me but she forgot. Seems she was too busy cleaning-up my house from the party that she threw on Saturday night, but that’s another post on another day. Just don’t expect to she her “out” anytime soon unless she’s part of a chain gang. Now, back to the Oscars. I have done copious on-line research to bring you some fashion highlights of the evening along with some other “Oscar observations”.
The Hurt Locker was the big winner of the evening with six awards and I could not be happier. It took the prize for Best Picture which was the only surprise in the “big six” categories. Kathryn Bigelow deservedly took home the Oscar for Best Director—the first time a woman has won in this category. Casting is an especially strong suit for Ms. Bigelow. Placing an unknown, Jeremy Renner, in the lead was brilliant—it kept us guessing as to whether he would make it out alive or not. If she had cast Brad Pitt we would have known that he was not getting blown-up because he cost way too much money to die! I have a huge amount of respect for Kathryn Bigelow for thinking about story over opening weekend receipts. And while we are on the subject of Kathryn Bigelow…
One of my favorite looks of the evening was Ms. Bigelow who at 58 years old looked better than a lot of the actresses half her age. Her dress emphasized her tone arms and with her long hair down and slightly curled, she looked effortlessly elegant.
Best Actress winner, Sandra Bullock, looked stunning in a beautiful beaded Marchesa gown. Ms. Bullock’s simple and sleek hairdo and her red lipstick set-off her gown perfectly. As my good friend VJ said, “Sandra Bullock dressed to win.”
Other winners in the best-dressed category…Meryl Streep is a brilliant actress but has often shown up on the red carpet looking less that glamorous. Not anymore! She was stunning at the Golden Globes and was a winner (on the red carpet) at the Oscars in a bright white gown that showed of a smooth décolleté and a smile that conveyed a comfortable veteran enjoying herself. Helen Mirren is a master of dressing for her age—always elegant and sexy but never looking like she’s trying to compete with the ingénues that surround her. Kate Winslet was the epitome of elegance in an YSL gown that fit her perfectly and a necklace that completed the dress instead of fighting with it for attention. Sarah Jessica Parker’s gown was on as many “worst-dressed” lists as it was “best-dressed” but isn’t that what we’ve come to expect of SJP? I think she pulled it off with Carrie Bradshaw panache. I want Rachel McAdam’s Ellie Saab dress!
Now for some less than perfect looks. Vera Farmiga and Jennifer Lopez may have been two of the sexiest women on the red carpet. So why would anyone—especially the sultry girls—wear a dress that looks like a suit of armor? I just think that if you pass your sweetheart on the way back to your seat from the bathroom and he wants to grab you and take you into the coat room for a nice, long kiss, you should have a dress on that says “take me, I’m yours” and not one that says “you can’t come near me and if you try I’ll hurt you.”
And for the men…Tom Ford you were perfection and George Clooney, you were perfection that needed a haircut!
I was disappointed that Matt Damon wasn’t nominated for his role in The Informant, or Marcia Gay Harden for her role in Whip It and that the movie The Hangover didn’t get one of the ten Best Picture nominations. It was a joy however, to see Jeff Bridges finally win an Oscar to see him share the moment with his wife of many years.
I promise to never again miss the live telecast of the Oscars. If my son plays in Denver next year on Oscar weekend I will simple stay over and fly home on Monday. And as for my daughter, I’ve checked with the Presidio police (they had to make a trip to my house to break-up the party that my DARLING daughter threw) and they have assured me that if she doesn’t want to make the trip to see her brother play, they have a cell that rents for cheap.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
FRIDAY FROTH...
I arrived in NEW YORK around four in the afternoon last Wednesday, and as it turns out, just in the nick of time. During the middle of the night, a storm hit the area that would dump two feet of snow, turning the city into a winter wonderland and closing airports.
When I got up Thursday morning big wet flakes were raining down. Undaunted, I made my way, leopard print umbrella in hand, down to TriBeCa to check out the OLY ATELIER flagship store at 408 Greenwich Street. The store inhabits a space that is simple and classic. Its natural hardwood floors, big arched windows, and a sensual circular staircase serve as a perfect canvas for Oly's organic, chic, and elegant designs.
I perused the store for well over two hours, enjoying the displays of furniture, accessories, and jewelry as I would an art gallery but only better--I caressed, sat on, and tried on, as well as ogled. You can check out the Oly line at olystudio.com but until then...
A beautiful and bold bracelet
A mirror bed with a leather headboard--why get up?
Classically cool!
Elegant, sophisticated, sensual...
Oly's wild side--a python mirror and a zebra chair.
Like a great story, a good wine, and designers, Kate McIntyre and Brad Huntzinger, Oly is complex but never complicated. The designs present themselves as a study in contradictions--earthy and natural yet sophisticated and elegant--making them eternally pleasing and sometimes surprising!
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Just down the street from Oly you will find Robert DeNiro's GREENWICH HOTEL. The lobby boasts some original DeNiro artwork--the actor's father was an artist and it's clear that talent runs in the family. I didn't have time to see a guest room but I have it on the best authority that they are each unique and roomy, have great beds/bedding, and are beautifully appointed. The hotel restaurant, LOCANDA VERDE, like the hotel lobby, is rustically hip, comfortable and cozy. The front section of the restaurant is a cafe from morning until four p.m. in the afternoon, serving delicious baked goods--pistachio huckleberry cake any one?--and pick-me-up espresso drinks. I stopped in for an afternoon latte and a nero cookie (chocolate, mint, and almond)--yum-yum! I'm giving this hotel my "take someone special, some good books and don't leave the property" rating so check it out. Greenwich Hotel
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And what's a trip to a new neighborhood without stopping by a cool shoe store? Between Oly and the Greenwich Hotel sits a jewel of a shoe shop--EDON MANOR. If you like shoes, and who doesn't, these are the latest styles displayed in a unique setting. The website is worth a visit...
edon manor
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Back up town, I walked for miles through the snow in Central Park, had dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant on the upper west side, and ended up at MAGNOLIA BAKERY on Columbus--big mistake for my waistline!
When I got up Thursday morning big wet flakes were raining down. Undaunted, I made my way, leopard print umbrella in hand, down to TriBeCa to check out the OLY ATELIER flagship store at 408 Greenwich Street. The store inhabits a space that is simple and classic. Its natural hardwood floors, big arched windows, and a sensual circular staircase serve as a perfect canvas for Oly's organic, chic, and elegant designs.
I perused the store for well over two hours, enjoying the displays of furniture, accessories, and jewelry as I would an art gallery but only better--I caressed, sat on, and tried on, as well as ogled. You can check out the Oly line at olystudio.com but until then...
A beautiful and bold bracelet
Classically cool!
Elegant, sophisticated, sensual...
Oly's wild side--a python mirror and a zebra chair.
Like a great story, a good wine, and designers, Kate McIntyre and Brad Huntzinger, Oly is complex but never complicated. The designs present themselves as a study in contradictions--earthy and natural yet sophisticated and elegant--making them eternally pleasing and sometimes surprising!
***********
Just down the street from Oly you will find Robert DeNiro's GREENWICH HOTEL. The lobby boasts some original DeNiro artwork--the actor's father was an artist and it's clear that talent runs in the family. I didn't have time to see a guest room but I have it on the best authority that they are each unique and roomy, have great beds/bedding, and are beautifully appointed. The hotel restaurant, LOCANDA VERDE, like the hotel lobby, is rustically hip, comfortable and cozy. The front section of the restaurant is a cafe from morning until four p.m. in the afternoon, serving delicious baked goods--pistachio huckleberry cake any one?--and pick-me-up espresso drinks. I stopped in for an afternoon latte and a nero cookie (chocolate, mint, and almond)--yum-yum! I'm giving this hotel my "take someone special, some good books and don't leave the property" rating so check it out. Greenwich Hotel
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And what's a trip to a new neighborhood without stopping by a cool shoe store? Between Oly and the Greenwich Hotel sits a jewel of a shoe shop--EDON MANOR. If you like shoes, and who doesn't, these are the latest styles displayed in a unique setting. The website is worth a visit...
edon manor
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Back up town, I walked for miles through the snow in Central Park, had dinner at a favorite Mexican restaurant on the upper west side, and ended up at MAGNOLIA BAKERY on Columbus--big mistake for my waistline!
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