Vogue: January 2012

Vogue: January 2012

I really loved this issue's Point of View, Only You.  This month was all about capturing Persona.  Their lady of choice was the awe inspiring and completely amazing Meryl Streep!  It comes as no surprise that they picked this magnificent actress since her career is based on creating persona's, and doing it beautifully I might add.  Here are my notes from this month's issue.  Ladies, you really should pick this up and enjoy it from cover to cover.

pg. 69

Meryl Streep, know for COMING INTO HER OWN-charisma!!!

And so this months Vogue is all about PERSONA.

What 2012 demands isn't a uniform, it's that ONE SPECIAL PIECE that says me, loud and clear.

amber valletta and shalom harlow - It's not only their killer bone structure but the FIRE OF INTELLIGENCE AND CHARACTER behind their eyes.  Ladies, shouldn't we all be able to show our fire?.?.?.?

This year isn't a minimalist moment in which your plain, trim, all-white look may disappear if you stand too close to the whitewashed gallery wall; this is a moment of MAXIMUM IMPACT, when your all white is more likely to be Oscar de la Renta's no-two-flakes-alike snowstorm of lace.  The only "closet essential" now is a healthy SENSE OF SELF.

pg. 36

UPFRONT: Getting a Grip: The motivation to exercise was elusive, Rebecca Johnson writes, until she reconnected with the sport of her youth.

"Athletics were never a part of our family life."  "To them, work kept you fit.  Games were for the idle."  'Divorce has a way of overturning everything you know."  "The strongest relationships are ones where people come together in spite of their differences.  On the big issues, we were in sync."  "We're not always good at figuring out what makes us happy."  "In a bid to be a good parent, I'd hollowed too much of myself out.  It wasn't good for me, and ultimately, it wasn't going to be good for my children.  What I needed was to be more like them.  Selfish without the guilt.

pg. 57

VIEW: Light Cycle: When it comes to sparkling embellishment for spring, says Sarah Mower, go full speed ahead.

All this shouldn't be misread as an oblivious Marie Antoinette-ish reaction to a tanking economy.  Arguably, the impulse to decorate and be damned hasn't been so much handed down from the haute to the masses as stoked by the street.  It's the young --- the very section of the population who have led the rebellion against sober dressing for somber times.

The message for spring: Make do and shine.

pg. 104

Meryl Streep: Force of Nature

Discussion on how she is probably the oldest female to make the Vogue cover and her new film coming out, The Irony Lady as Margaret Thatcher.  A one of a kind woman playing an ultimate one of a kind power woman.

pg.  112

Secret Garden

(I would love to have a house that way... so awesome!)

How to take an old rundown house and turn it into a garden home.

pg. 120

Face Value-Catherine Piercy

"The moon lives in the lining of your skin," wrote the poet Pablo Nerudo.  He could have been describing the looks at Rochas and Christopher Ke, where models walked the runway with complexions so ethereally pristine, "they were practically alien," says their creator, makeup artist Lucia Pieroni.

Your skin is the first thing someone notices about you.

(new foundations) The finish it provides is "matte but not dry.  It's luminous but not shiny,"... "It's a little bit see-through.  It just looks like... skin."

With laser-cut leathers, celluloid paillettes, and moldable microfibers reshaping the face of fashion in recent seasons, it's little surprise that designers are treating foundations as fabric, too.

The ultimate fantasy foundation, however, may be the one that doesn't just create the illusion of better skin, it actually creates better skin.

pg. 122

A Man for all Seasons: Marc Jacobs

pg. 130

Mood Indigo: Denim is once again singing the blues.

Taking jeans from casual to high fashion.

*Versatility

In other words, quality doesn't have to cost a fortune.

What's been going on...

Due to a series of shitty life events, I decided to hold back from blogging because my emotions were in too big a spin to give coherent opinions on anything.  I instead have been writing in journals and sending incoherent angry emails to myself (benefit of having multiply emails) to organize, and in many cases rationalize, my thoughts.  Over the last few months, i have drained myself to my physical and emotional limits.  It is usually pretty simple to recover from one dramatic event in your life, but to be hit with several back to back is completely crippling to one's soul.  And, as is stupidly typical for people my age, we sometimes seek ways to forget our troubles instead of facing them.  And in my case it was, God only knows how many... margaritas mixed with more 151 Bacardi than Tequila.  Bad... bad... bad... very stupid bad idea... The one and only(if I have anything to say about it) time I have completely blacked out and was incapable of, well if truth be told, anything!  Having a fever and a body that can't hold itself up is not a good life choice.  Take it from me... too much 151 is really really bad...
Anyway, I digress from the point of this post...
I have decided to do what everyone with whom I have divulged my sorrows to has suggested I do.  Without naming names, I am going to be openly honest with myself and throw it out there... in the wide open space that is the cyber world...  I don't really expect anyone to really follow this post. This is more of what I need to do to move out of my writer's block and lose this (metaphorical) weight that I have been caring around the last few months.
So it is time I started being honest with myself... not that I haven't been... it is more so the avoiding of truths.  For  example, I have been trying to ignore the obvious.  The obvious being the state of things in my relationships at my home and amongst my friends.  I recently went through a break-up that honestly completely threw me.  I wasn't blindsided per se, but I just did not want to believe that it was possible.  Watching something you really care about fall apart in front of yours eyes can really throw a wrench in your reasoning capabilities.  And honestly, I am still having issues with it, though no where near as bad.  I have moved on from feeling betrayed to just wondering "why"... not the "why" that the ex-partner would need to answer (I have reluctantly released that burden)(that was also hard to make peace with, but I did), but the "why" to the world.  They say time heals all wounds.  Speaking from experience, recalling my much younger years, I say that is a load of crock.  But in this case I am hoping that time will help me forget it.  Shrink it over time till it becomes faded memory.  The thing about this relationship is that it had what I am going to call a ripple affect on another significant friendship of mine.  I was really close to the person and considered her a kindred sister to me in this world, but due to choices I wish hadn't been made, closed doors were pulled open and new wounds were made.  This poor friend put on herself a dilemma which, in truth, has destroyed our bond.  I wish with all my heart that she had not opened those doors, not for myself, but for her.  Though we don't speak of it, I saw how it wounded her and still is tormenting her.  It seems we can now only deal with each other in polite conversation which never goes beyond our respective occupations.  They are our chosen scabs for now till our inevitable seperation will truly allow us as individuals to heal.  I think it is sad that this is the state we must live in for the next few months, but it is what it is.  The continuing of this ripple spread amongst my close network of friends.   This ripple was a double edged sword in many ways, but the most significant being that it revealed those persons of whom I could actually count on in the coming years, those people through which I know a real bond was forged and I look forward to keeping 50 years from now.
So, what is my conclusion with all this... Simple... I am who I am.  I will remain bluntly honest with the world as I have always been.  I will remain a source of strength to the people I care about.  And most importantly, I am moving on, regardless of the consequences.  I foresee seriously falling on my ass soon, which I am allowed to do in this part of my life, but I will get up, dust off, and keep moving forward.  When I come to write my memoirs several years from now, I think it will all make for a compelling story, and then hopefully others will learn from reading my mistakes instead of having to live through them themselves.

Spoken words versus Tech words...

In my day to day conversations, I have noticed how people are not really talking anymore.  When I say talking, I mean speaking with words out loud.  Instead, people are glued to their phones and computer screens as the central means of communication.  What happened to writing letters? What happen to enthusiastic evening conversations? Has the spoken word become out dated?

I don't know about everyone else, but I miss talking to people. Thanks to my friends, I have learned how to text and converse via the recent tech communications.  As many people already know, I am an English Literature major.  I love reading and writing.  As I have also discussed before, I miss people writing letters and writings out their thoughts and tribulations.  Anyway, what do you all think about people talking via technology?  What are the pro's and con's of the technological takeover?

Writer's Block

So I don't know if any of my fellow English Graduates or any of my fellow writing piers are having this problem, but I am finding it extremely difficult the last couple days to get writing.  I have written about my frustration in my journal and I have gone through several notebook pages of scribbles, which now sit crumbled in my trashcan or on the floor for Lady to play with. 
The phrase came to me that "in order to be a good writer, you have to be a good reader" this weekend, so I started attacking my resent treasures from Barnes and Noble.  I finished another Nora Robert's novel, Honest Illusions, which was really really good.  It hit that romance novel meets mystery need in my heart, but it didn't exactly fill my tank enough to begin writing again.  So I am now currently reading Maria Fiorato's The Botticelli Secret.  It has an exciting and action packed beginning with questions needing to be answered and a mystery to be figured out.
When we hit writers block... what do we do?
I am currently reading books and making a lot of notes to try and jump start my creativity.  What about you?  What have you done to get the creativity flowing?

This Semester Kicked My Ass

Wow... so after 4 very long months, I realized I couldn't right a damn thing.  I spent all semester writing one page blurbs for a misadvertised Theology course,  researching and writing annotated bibliographies for Senior Seminar, and spending God knows how many hours in a dark room sniffing developing chemicals.  My creativity was all used up for my Creative Writing Course, which I believe every English major should take in their senior year.  It's a wonderful load off the brain.  And now... I'm DONE!!!  I have completed my Undergraduate Bachelor Education!!!  I almost don't know what to do with my time.  Well, I  know what I am going to do... I am going to work everyday, build up my bank account, find a graduate program designed just for me, try and get a job with a publishing company... or something.  

Now I am trying to figure out how to give my dog a hair cut without having to go to a salon and spend 100 something bucks to have her look cute and functional.  I need to rearrange my room so I can give my roommate privacy when she takes a shower and I'm in bed.  I also need to figure out how I want to continue as a writer... a reader... something.  I love my job as a research analyst, but it's time to embrace my calling, or at least try my damnedest. Well... on to something...

Final Semester Classes

Art 309 Introduction to Photography

I am really excited about this class.  It is my fun course which requires investing money for future projects and pursuits.  I have purchased a Nikon FM10 SLR camera which I am sure will become a new looking glass for the world, for me at least.  I plan on posting my projects and discussing my experiences... hopefully it will open a new avenue for my writing.



Eng 301 Creative Writing Fiction

Why I chose this class should be basically self explanatory.  I want to start concentrating on my writing skills and critical reading.  This class will provide that opportunity.  This class will also give me the chance to try out different styles and techniques that I am not used to or haven't experienced yet.  I might post some of my short story projects... maybe.






Eng 432 Senior Seminar Metaphysical Poets

This is the last of the seminars that I need to take to graduate.  We did most of our discussions last semester on John Donne.  I did my senior thesis for last semester on his Songs and Sonets.  I almost want to continue my next thesis on Donne, but I will look at the other poets we will be discussing and come to a decision on that soon. 




Trs 381 Ways of Peace in World Religions

I have already completed my Religion minor, but I saw this class and felt drawn to it.  This class is sadly not being taught by the Great Dr. Jones, but I think it still has potential.  War and Peace go hand in hand.  I am hoping this class will educate me on the avenues of stillness out of chaos as practiced by religions I am not privy to here in the US.

A New Year Brings New Opportunities

So it is finally 2011!  The year that me and my fellow classmates finish our undergraduate education... The year where I begin to really put my life together in society... The year that things really get to change!!!  It's about damn time.
Reflecting on 2010
I will admit that 2010 was not the best year for me.  I spent most of it pissed off, stressed, lacking in sleep, and just hating my situation.  I did learn a lot though.  Life lessons of course.  Things that I hope my friends, family and others also learned from.  I have to give props to certain friends who stood by me last year and who grew into some pretty awesome people...  Abbey, I love you sweety.  I am so proud of the woman that you are becoming.  You have dropped your high school blah and started to really come into your own.  I hope you have a great time in Europe this year.  I will miss you terribly.  Olivia, you and Louis have been through a lot and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you two.  I also cant wait to buy one of your paintings and be a future supporter of whatever you decide to do.  Heather, I think you going to Spain was an awesome idea.  You cracked your personal shell and took some steps in life.  I don't know what you plan to do yet, but I hope I'm there to see it.  You have a great heart.  Gabrielle, you are my kindred sister.  You are suborn and determined.  I like it.  I know that what ever you plan to do, it will be epic and exciting.

Looking at 2011
I am excited to see what this year has in store.  I have made several great friends who I believe will be life long companions.  I have started into a career that I am sure will help get me far.  I have established good relations with the family members that count.  It is only the beginning.
New Years Resolution
To Be Happy
I have chosen this resolution for several reasons, but what really matters is my outlook on life.  Last year I was not happy and I hated my life.  I appreciated and found happiness in people, places, and moments, but I was never truly happy.  So my goal for this year is to establish happiness.  Break the barriers that I have placed around me.  Chisel some of the ice that I have surrounded my heart with.  I know it won't be easy, but I think the odds are on my side this year.  Things are going to be getting better.