It’s awards season again and I’m pumped! I love making pointless best and worst dressed lists–and here’s the one for this year–so enjoy, comment, and come back for the next show!
First up–
Worst Dressed
Nicole Richie in Julien MacDonald The problem I have with this dress is that I feel it looks very…70s. It’s just so shimmery and disco-ish. But I will say that the hair, makeup and accessories all look fierce, and Nicole doesn’t look bad, I just don’t like the dress.
Photo by FabSugar
Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace Angelina Jolie is always going to be gorgeous…but I really, really hate the red, satin detail at the top of the dress. I just HATE that gross, bridesmaid-looking sating fabric.
Photo by FabSugar
Melissa McCarthy in Badgley Mischka This pains me, because I love Melissa, but she could have dressed so much better for her body, and this dress is doing her no favors. The fabric looks cheap, and although it’s usually smart to cut a dress right under the breasts for a larger woman, the band on this dress should be much larger to create definition. And the poofy hair isn’t really rounded, and is a little too large.
Photo by FabSugar
Best Dressed
Charlize Theron in Dior Couture Not my favorite actress, but I love this look, and I love the sparkly headband. The deep “v” cut looks great on her, and the blush/nude tone works great with her tan skin. I don’t mind the ruffle/bow on the side, I think it’s a high-fashion look that the general public can appreciate.
Photo by FabSugar
Paula Patton in Monique Lhullier This vibrant yellow could have easily been a fashion “don’t,” by Patton makes it look sexy. The yellow shade complements her skin tone well, her makeup looks flawless, and I love that she went simple with the jewelry. She could have gone a little bigger with the hair in my opinion, but overall, love it.
Photo by FabSugar
Piper Perabo in Theyskens This one might ruffle some feathers, but I loved, loved this dress. You know I love me some grey–and I love this light, airy look. I thought this looked formal without looking stuffy. I also love that it looks a little futuristic without looking weird or cold.
Photo by FabSugar
So what do you think, do you agree, disagree, did I leave anyone out? Feel free to vote or add it in the comments.
First off, I want to take a brief look back at this year. It has FLOWN by.
Today marks the exact one-year mark that I’ve lived in Chicago, and to say that’s surreal would be a gross understatement. I remember coming into Chicago a year ago, in the pouring rain, and coming up to my apartment for the first time. It was shockingly small, and looking around at the tons of boxes was overwhelming.
The first day!
Now!
The way my life has changed in the past year is just beyond mind-blowing. I know I’ve been a bit remiss about blogging, so here is a very quick trip down memory lane.
Oh, yeah, I moved to CHICAGO–and started Grad School (the view out of the student center in downtown
I discovered Sprinkles Cupcakes (if you have any locations near you, definitely look them up, best cupcakes of my life!)
Chocolate and Red Velvet
I explored Chicago
There was a blizzard!
Brr--my street is covered!
I visited the Anti-Cruelty Animal Shelter for a school project!
I went to visit my mom in Colorado!
On the drive to Boulder!
Downtown Golden
Oh, yeah, I worked at GROUPON and made some AWESOME friends!
Annalise came to visit for July 4th!
Blurry fireworks picture!
Can you see my sunburn? The WORST of my life!
I went to visit my friend Nancy in NYC–for the first time since summer 2002
On the roof of the Met--very edited because it was so bright!
Times SquareWTC
My friend Amanda came to visit!
My friend Joanna and I went to see Bon Iver!
I went to visit my friend Melissa in Richmond, Va.
Downtown Richmond
Downtown Richmond
I went to Colorado to visit the fam for Christmas!
The fam decided it would be "fun" to see the botanical gardens in 11 degree weather
There was SO MUCH more that happened–including late night house parties with friends, new jobs, great meals, fun adventures, etc.
Now, on to resolutions. I’m a big believer in them. I think it’s helpful to set them, and then, at the very least, revisit them at the end of the year to see if progress was made/if you’re setting the same resolutions over and over again, etc. One thing I’ve been reading more and more is that it’s really important to set DETAILED resolutions and goals. So, for instance, instead of just saying “get healthy” or “lose weight,” to quantify that so you have a concrete goal to hold yourself to. And/or, to also be SPECIFIC. So instead of just “get healthy” say HOW you want to get healthy…that way you’re not setting yourself up for failure.
So….here they are!
1. Get healthier–however, in the spirit of being more specific. I’m going to say practice yoga regularly (once a week, preferably). I’ve thought about yoga for a while, and have been researching places and prices. It’s expensive, but I think it will be worth it.
2. Be less sarcastic. I don’t really have a problem with my sense of humor, but I do understand that sometimes people that don’t know me as well could be offended. Obviously, I would never want to hurt anyone intentionally, so I’m going to try to be careful with what I say, and maybe stop a beat before I speak (very hard!). I don’t want to lose my sense of humor, but it probably won’t hurt to be a little more sensitive to those who don’t get it.
3. Find a job! I will be graduating a little early this March (YAY!) and I am very, very nervous about finding a job. It took a really long time last time, and I’m hoping it will be easier this go-around!
4. Take more photos/blog more. This is similar to last year, but I want to quantify it. Right now it’s hard to take photos, because my phone (which is a 2 year old free Verizon basic phone) has the WORST CAMERA ever. It doesn’t zoom, or even have a flash. This February I will *hopefully* be getting an iPhone, which I think will make this easier. There are so many moments I wasn’t able to capture this year, hopefully next year I won’t miss out on as many! Blog-I want to blog at least once a week.
Photos-I know this is ambitious, but I want to take A PHOTO A DAY for a whole year, and then hopefully put them in a book/blog them when I’m done.
5. Travel somewhere new–hopefully out West or abroad.
6. Double the amount currently in my savings account.
So…what about you? What are your resolutions? Any good ones I left out?
So, back in January I wrote this post on my aspirations for 2011. It’s always fun to look back and see how you did, so here goes it….
1. Lose weight. This is a cliche, I know. But there’s a reason this is on everyone’s list. I mean, it’s an important goal. I want to get healthier, slim down, and get back to my more comfortable self. Well, technically this one was KIND OF a win. I did lose a pound or two (maybe three), but I’m not sure that really counts in the grand scheme of things.
2. Make new friends, but keep the old. I can’t wait to meet more people (more, meaning more than my building manager) in Chicago. And I want to make sure to foster my long-distance friendships. ACHIEVED!! Total win on this one. I have some AWESOME friends in Chicago, and I have been doing pretty well with keeping in touch with my old friends, too! I feel very lucky and fulfilled in this category!
3. Travel somewhere new. I don’t know where. Although San Francisco sounds appealing right now. I’ve never been to the West coast. Also a win–although I haven’t made it to SanFran yet (and it’s still on the top of my list!), I did make a few visits out to Golden, CO, the Continental Divide, Richmond, VA, etc. I’m still itching for a big trip, though! Maybe after graduation?!
4. Take more pictures. For someone who loves photography, I am really bad at taking photos. It’s always a production to use my nice camera. So right now, I have it sitting out on top of the fridge so I can grab it at a moment’s notice. Eh, this kind of happened. I was doing better at it and then life got a hold of me. I recently got a new point-and-shoot camera–so this goal will be reappearing next year.
5. Blog more. I’m bad at it sometimes. Technically this one I did achieve–but my blogging definitely took a back seat to life the last half of the year. in 2010 I wrote: about 13 and in 2011 I wrote: about 23. Definitely an increase–but I’m hoping for a bigger one next year!
6. Do well in grad school. I want to kick butt. ACHIEVED!! I’m looking at an overall GPA of 3.7–yay me!
7. Get more relevant experience. I want to really get in to the journalism field, learn technical stuff (“stuff”), and get in the “know.” Whatever that sentence means. Definitely achieved! Although my definition of what “relevant experience” has changed a bit, as have my career goals, I worked at Groupon and Scripps this year and loved it!
8. Explore Chicago. Concerts, picnics, bike rides, restaurants, movies, festivals–done! Can’t wait to do more of this nest year.
9. Be more financially stable. Pass? I’m a financial work in progress–but I’m headed the right direction!
10. Read more. I just got a Kindle and hope to get through more books this year. I’ve really been a slacker on my recreational reading. Complete fail! I think I read like two books this year (horrible, I know). I loved Tina Fey’s book Bossypants and would recommend it to anyone. I just found out you can check out digital Kindle books for free from the public library, though, so hopefully I can do more reading!
All in all, a lot of these will probably show up in my upcoming “Resolutions” post again–but that’s ok–I’m working on them and that’s all I can ask of myself!
The rest of the University of Chicago campus might be empty as rain continues to fall on Tuesday, but inside the Assembly Hall of the International House is a bustling temporary bookstore.
A diverse crowd stirs around the room examining the pristine books stacked in boxes for The Great Chicago Book Sale, being hosted by The University of Chicago Press (UCP).
UCP Press and Promotions Manager Liz Fischer flits about from table to table, straightening section titles and helping customers. As she looks at the Fiction and Poetry table in the back of the room she says, “I was expecting fiction to go first, but all of the disciplines moved quickly. The U[niversity] of Chicago people were all about economics and politics. I guess I should have expected that.”
The Great Book Sale is being held for the first time since 2008, and Fischer says the goal is to sell all of the 17,000 books currently stocked.
Mary Laur, Senior Project Editor for UCP, is carrying a stack of books around the room, restocking the Natural and Physical Sciences category. Laur explains that the books, all $5, are overstock and that, especially since the economic downturn, UCP has been distributing more and more books for other universities. Since their distribution center only holds a finite number of titles, UCP will sometimes hold sales to thin out their stock.
Laur points to a Spanish dictionary, “There’s a new edition of that coming out. We’re selling it now because we’d rather get five bucks for it than nothing.”
The economy seems to be represented everywhere in this Assembly Hall. UCP has seen an increase in the number of universities asking them to distribute books, taking up extra space in the center, forcing UCP to sell their overstock at a deeply discounted rate. And in return, people like Hemanshu Kaul, an Assistant Professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, show up looking for a good deal.
Kaul is walking around with a stack of nine books, looking over the precarious pile to avoid hitting others. Kaul says he wasn’t looking for anything specific when he arrived, but that the event is perfect for him because he “loves looking for books, and I love looking for a good deal.”
Kaul is not the only one; Laur says it’s common for people to come in with no idea of what they want and to leave with a box of books. Fischer says it’s, “like being in a bookstore but cheaper. You don’t have to consider the price.”
Hours later, a steady stream of traffic is still flowing in and out, and the Assembly Hall is looking more and more like a book store, with people making personal book piles on the stage, and plopping down to thumb through the pages.
The future of the economy might play a big role in whether this event is held again (and when). Despite the apparent success, Fischer remarks, “It might be the end of this, who knows. We’ll see.”
The book sale opened on Thursday, Oct. 13 and will continue through Friday, Oct. 14 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3 Stars Faris delights in this unexpectedly amusing quest to find “the one.”
————
It is apt that “What’s Your Number?” begins with a montage of clichés in women’s magazines because the film, starring Anna Faris, is chock full of them. Out of the predictable plotlines, though, come a lot of laughs and a surprisingly enjoyable movie.
Faris stars opposite Chris Evans as Ally Darling, a girl who has just realized she’s slept with twice as many men as the “average woman,” and is determined to track down past boyfriends to avoid adding to the number, all while finding “the one.” The movie, based on the book “20 Times a Lady” by Karyn Bosnak, follows an expected storyline, which, if you’ve seen the previews, you’ve probably already figured out. However, with a supporting cast like Blythe Danner as the meddling mother, Joel McHale as a ball-scratching boss and Ari Graynor as the seemingly-perfect sister, this old storyline makes for an enjoyable rom-com that will leave anyone looking for a frothy escape giggling.
Not surprisingly for a movie that’s whole premise centers on too many sexual partners, “What’s Your Number?” gets an R rating for sexual content and language. Faris and Evans share a great natural chemistry, aided by numerous scenes where one or both of them appear barely clothed. Despite the apparent sexual focus, sex is not intrusive throughout the movie, but rather serves as a source of discussion, humor and, occasionally, introspection.
Don’t expect “What’s Your Number?” to be in any Oscar races, but it will surely become a regular in the rom-com rotation of women around the country.
I haven’t blogged in months! I’m such a bad blogger. I guess there hasn’t been a ton going on. Here are some quick bullets before we get to the commercials:
Work at Groupon is going well–I’m making friends and finally settling in
Groupon had a giraffe-themed party in a mansion for the Editorial department.
Here are some pics:
It was a good time!
I am determined to learn how to rent a bike and ride it along the beach…I’ll get back to you on how that goes.
Annalise is coming to visit! Next weekend!
July 4th is coming up–yay America! I’m excited because I’ve never been in the city for July 4. I’ll make sure to take/post pics
Along the picture lines…I need a new point and shoot camera! I love my huge DSLR, but when I got out I can’t take it with me! My party pics from the Groupon party were only good when we were posing. My old camera couldn’t handle action shots–boo. Also, when I bought it in high school (for $400) it was top of the line. Now it looks ancient and clunky…can’t wait for an upgrade!
I’ve walked to work a few times now—it seems to take a lot longer than it does when I walk home (which I do almost every day), but I’m going to try to do it as much as possible.
SO–On to bad commercials. I got this idea after seeing some of the same commercials over and over and thinking how absolutely insanely stupid and annoying they were. Here are my top three at the moment:
So this is a commercial for Windows 7 and Staples. And it is stupid for so many reasons.
First, what the hell kind of robbers come in and take not just the expensive electronics, but literally EVERYTHING? Like completely clean out your house? What? This makes no sense. They took every object?
Also, what kind of neighbors do you live next to? They didn’t notice what had to have been literally a moving van to empty the entire house? And obviously these people were supposed to have been on vacation as evidenced by the bags they carried in.
AND, did you notice the beginning of this commercial where the lights are on? What? They robbed the whole place and left the lights on?
But then–the best of it–they left the computer? And you’re upset about it and have decided that next time, you’re going to have a nice computer for them to steal? Seriously? That’s your catalyst for buying a new computer?
Ughh–such stupidity. Not to mention it’s just insensitive towards people who’ve had their homes robbed.
This is a commercial for Samsung. UGH. This is just annoying. What kind of a douche has a tarantula as their screensaver? And puts it on the table in the middle of a business lunch? And what kind of dumbasses don’t realize it’s a phone? The most annoying thing is the girl…that scream is just obnoxious.
This trailer makes me laugh. Around the :13 mark, the woman’s voice is looped so she says “No NO NO NO” Hahha. And it’s in some weird voice effect. This just makes the rest of the movie look so silly. Why would they do that? I don’t know–but it makes me laugh.
What are your least favorite commercials? Do you agree with mine?
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