It hasn’t made the biggest headlines, or been blogged about much. But by far it stood out as the best for me.
Enjoy: Parisian Love.
The Best Superbowl Ad
February 9th, 2010
Another Sport I Don’t Understand…
February 8th, 2010
… is rugby. Apparently there are two different kinds, Rugby Union and Rugby National, with fine and delicate rules to differentiate. Right now the Rugby Sevens (an international rugby competition) is being held in Wellington, and all the fans go in groups and dress up in crazy costumes. Like so.
Funny sports fans.
- Jean AAR
Art: What’s on Your Walls
February 6th, 2010
From an early age, I’ve been a frustrated artist. When someone asked me what I wanted to be before the age of 9, I would tell them “I’m going to be an artist.” Sadly, things didn’t quite work out that way.
I was in for a rude shock, when, in third grade, I received a grade of C for an art class. I thought I’d drawn just a lovely cat, but my teacher, not recognizing it as such, gave me the horrible C (and I was pretty much a straight-A student). Read the rest of this entry »
No More Mutton Dressed as Lamb
February 4th, 2010
When in historical novels an older lady dresses in a too youthful style, she is often described as “mutton dressed as lamb”. While the phrase is charmingly illustrative, and I certainly don’t blame authors for using is, I find the sentiment behind it deplorable, all the more because it is probably historically accurate.
Grammy Fashion
February 2nd, 2010I love awards shows. I just don’t usually watch them. I wait until the next morning, and watch all the video compilations of the important parts– who won, who performed, who did something outrageous. And, of course, who wore what.
As you probably know, musicians were honored at the Grammy awards this past Sunday night. There were a lot of people looking fabulous, a lot of people I wondered why they were invited (Snooki?!), and a lot of people who weren’t looking their best. Among my favorite Red Carpet looks:
Lady Gaga. We all know she’s unpredictable, and while sometimes her outfits are just weird, I thought this one was surprisingly glamorous in a crazy-Lady Gaga way. Er, minus the hair. Also, her shoes are ridic. How does she walk in those things? Gaga’s sartorial choices are always controversial, this one included, but it’s one of my favorites of hers.
Lea Michele. I love Glee, and I love her, and I love her dress. Enough said.
My girl T-Swift (who may or may not be dating Lea Michele’s Glee co-star, Cory Monteith. Swoon!)
And the worst dressed of the night, in my opinion:
I don’t believe words are necessary.
What are your favorites and least favorites of the night, fashion and otherwise?
Some Musings on the “New” TV Season
January 30th, 2010
Since AAR’s Annual Reader Poll began nearly two weeks ago, I’ve been watching a lot more TV than usual. Each evening, after working out and eating a quick dinner, I spend several hours entering ballots. Last weekend I spent a good chunk of both days in the same way, and since I’m so far behind right now, it looks like this weekend will be more of the same (but I’m not complaining, keep those ballots coming in).
Sadly, I can’t read print books at the same time, and can’t even listen to audio books while I enter ballots (just too distracting). So, I’ve resorted to more TV. Read the rest of this entry »
Grandma’s Baking Recipes
January 29th, 2010
When my grandmother died, seven years ago, one object I took from her home to mine was her book of baking recipes. Grandma was a good cook, but a passionate baker. She loved trying out new recipes, and the book I inherited is full of traces of sugar and flour. Whenever there was a family party, she would proudly carry in several huge, delicious confections and spoil us all with the results of her latest experiments. What I remember most fondly, however, are her simpler cakes: poppy tart, Baumkuchen (layered cake?) and cheesecake. She encouraged my sister and me to start baking ourselves, and we began doing so when we were no more than 9 and 7 (and yes, that included dealing with the hot oven).
The New Vera Wang
January 27th, 2010
There’s a time and a place for sartorial experimentation. I don’t know if your wedding day is it, though.
One of my favorite time-wasting websites, Wedinator.com, posts pictures of weddings at their un-classiest with snarky commentary. A recent photo was this one: a woman whose gown is, ostensibly, made from toilet paper. Honestly, being not too far off from those mummy-races where you wrap someone in toilet paper then make them hop to a finish line, my first thought when I saw this was, “How the hell did they keep it from ripping?” If they managed that feat of engineering, I can’t help but be impressed. I just wouldn’t get too crazy on the dance floor, if I were her.
Another option, for those environmentally conscious: the Cake Dress.
Cathay Pacific Woes
January 26th, 2010
Out of all the airlines in the world, I fly Cathay Pacific the most because I have a lot – a LOT – of family who live there. At one time Cathay was the only airline that offered direct flights from Toronto to HK, and the food was good, and they provided airline socks, and they became the only airline (that I’d flown) left that still had the foot rests. So it became a favourite. When I heard they were upgrading all the classes on their long-haul planes, you can bet I was excited.
And after this flight, two days ago, you can bet I’m disappointed. Read the rest of this entry »
Wasted Weekend
January 25th, 2010
Being sick stinks, especially when it’s your kids and when it ruins your weekend. On Thursday, my youngest came home from school sick with a stomach virus. From that point on, it has been shared by every member of my family except my husband. Today, my oldest is home sick and I’m still recovering and missing another day of work.
Instead of doing what we’d planned for the weekend(visiting family, playing, and heading down to Destin, Florida for the day), we ended up stuck at home, inside, laying in bed, and not feeling like doing a great deal of anything. The boys and I have survived on popsicles, Gatorade, and Sprite. I can’t even get the little guys to do chicken soup. I can’t wait for a grilled cheese sandwich, a cup of coffee, and the ability to move without getting dizzy and sweating. Also, I want my little boys to act like little boys again – loud and boisterous.
