Make My Rainy Day

I'm dying for a good pair of wedges right about now.

fashiontoast.blogspot.com

Rumi posted these, and I'm really digging the Office ones on the far right, even though they aren't normally my thing. And my layout is totally going to cut this picture off in the middle of that pair, but I'll fix it later.

Here's a really blurry screen capture of the shoes from their site that I tried to fix up a little bit to show the detail a little better...

Also loving the Cynthia Vincent Luellas, either color.

AND the boots I wanted went on sale.

But, really, what I want are Jane's Givenchy wedges... because, "I'm like a really gothic person. rlyseriously."

seaofshoes.typepad.com

Really, though, they're a little tacky sadomasochistic in the best way possible and I want them.

Je t'aime... moi non plus

Inspiration:

Jane Birkin

Jane and Serge

Jane, Kate

Jane, Lou, Serge, Charlotte

Jane

Serge, Jane, and the basket purse!

my personal favorite shot

with Serge again

eyes!

Paris, 1969 - by Jacques Haillot

Paris, 1969 - by Jacques Haillot

Jane and Lou, love this color palette

What a beautiful family!

Seas of Green; Red Roses, Too

Today - Earth Hour:

Plastic Lips!

I saw this interesting article linked from Jezebel.com about digitally altered photography in magazines. i guess in Paris they are trying to get a law mandating that there be some sort of disclaimer on these photos (or that at least the photoshoppers be credited). I think this is a great idea; these pictures being passed off as truth have damaging psychological effects on young girls and boys in particular. I have nothing against retouching in and of itself, but some people don't realize the extent to which this occurs; in advertising and such, every photo you see has been digitally enhanced.

Here is this great "before and after" exposé Jezebel.com did in their Photoshop of Horrors series (take note of how FRIGHTENINGLY thin they made her arm! Oh no, let's not let readers think celebrities have bones or muscle!):

[See the article for words on this animation of the before and after pictures, links to Redbook's opinion on the piece, and an annotated version of the work that was probably done on her photo.]

There is also this picture of Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet Annie Leibovitz did for Vanity Fair recently:

Now, don't get me wrong, from far away this look like a beautiful photo (granted, I do think Annie Leibovitz' reservoir of creative ideas has been drying up a bit and that she relies too heavily on her famous subjects as interesting photography, but that's another story), not to mention that I love this pair - in addition to Revolutionary Road (you should see it if you haven't, absolutely shafted at the Academy Awards, but - again - another story).

But, WHY IS HIS LEFT ARM WEARING A COAT WHEN THE REST OF HIS BODY ISN'T??

You'd think Vanity freaking Fair would be a little bit more careful when they composite photos like this. Close, but no cigar.

Also, I am addicted to these Photoshopping videos on YouTube. It's a little bit creepy and really makes you look twice when you're reading a magazine.

There are literally hundreds of videos like this out there... So bizarrely intriguing.

All that said, though, I'm not great at Photoshop, but I'd like to learn a bit better. I did make this one picture of M.I.A. into a cartoon, which I need to touch up a little bit (the ink weight on her leg should be a bit more tapered, especially, plus I don't like the little speech bubble and want to change the dialogue). I did it using a tutorial I came across online (I don't remember the link, though...)

Before:

After:

Bloodletting

So, Cycle 12 of ANTM started this past week and I think it looks somewhat promising. I was totally disappointed that the conspiracy theorist didn't make it on the show, because I figured even if the girls weren't good models are the show didn't come up with any interesting shoots, at least I'd have someone ridiculous to listen to, a la Jade Cycle 6.

However, one girl I was pulling for in the first hour, Allison, did make it through. 

Here's a video of her silliness:

"Jellll-uss"

Plus, she kind of looks like a bush baby:

Or Sleestack from Land of the Lost:

Don't see the resemblance? How about now?

Your day breaks, your mind aches

I've been making a little headway on my iTunes domination. So far, I've made it through the "A"s and am into the "B"s, which is by far my most extensive letter due to the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley...

I've gotten through the B-52s, the Band, Band of Horses, the Beach Boys, and 14 out of my 21 Beatles albums. On another note, B*Witched and Backstreet Boys have set my roommates and I into a whirlwind 90s revival/nostalgia trip.

Crazy little woman in a one man show

I have begun a venture of the iTunes variety; turns out it is a great undertaking indeed:

I will not only be listening to each and every one of the currently 6,603 songs on my iTunes in alphabetical order (which would take 16.5 days as is if I listened non-stop), but I will also be verifying that their title/artist/album artwork information is correct, adding the years they were recorded, and deleting songs that shouldn't be there (ie bad iTunes freebees).

So far, I am almost done with the "A" section. I started three days ago. Highlights included the Aggrolites, America, Andrew Bird, and the Aquabats. Here is what I've discovered:

1. Andrew Bird is kind of weird, and hard to classify genre-wise on my iTunes (I think I put Alternative? or Adult Contemporary?)

2. Vs. The Floating Eye Of Death is my least favorite Aquabats album

3. I like America a lot more than I remembered

4. I don't like it when the Aggrolites use too much organ in their instrumental stuff... too calypso-y

5. I LOVE the Arcade Fire a lot more than I thought I did

6. Architecture in Helsinki is kind of sucky

And that is all for now :)