Friday, December 4, 2009

Blogging at work.

So... blogging at work doesn't exactly seem like the greatest idea, but frankly I am very much without something to do.

It is the end of the week. Thank goodness. I am exhausted as evidenced by my inability to get out of bed this morning. There really isn't a good reason to be this tired. I'm probably just not used to it. I mean, I don't even get up that early. I'll say it again, "thank goodness." I can wait to sleep in tomorrow.

It's been a really slow week. Apparently most of the people at this office are off-site. It's like a ghost town here. The sound of my typing is much too noticeable. Especially since everyone knows that I don't really have a reason to be typing this much. I assume they know I must be doing something I "shouldn't," and I'm sure they don't much care.

I am counting down the hours.

Monday, November 30, 2009

I've lost my wits!

I started working today, and I hardly had any time to decompress after work before the thought of sleeping crept into my mind. (I just realized "creeped" is not a word, really.)

How am I supposed to find the time to appreciate the finer things in life like fashion and design and shopping? I guess that's why God invented weekends, but I doubt I'll be wanting to DO anything ever.

I'm so sleepy~

Friday, November 20, 2009

Daul Kim, dead at 20.

Daul Kim found dead in her Paris apartment. Suicide. Hanging. My, what a way to go?
Live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse...

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Nicole Fox: America's Next Top Model

Nicole Fox, winner of Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model. What a face.

I love the waifish quality of her figure. The curve of her left leg in the picture above is seriously to die for.

Cycle 13 of ANTM was for "short girls" - girls 5'7" and under. How laughable, seriously. It was a blow to my pride to be honest. I'm 5'2" so I must be midget-sized.

I was particularly surprised that this cycle was so diverse. I'm seemed kind of disingenuous. Of course they cast deliberately with all kinds of things in mind... I mean 4 black girls, the token Asian, the Latina, the redhead, the mama, the dancer, the lesbian, the foster kid, the math nerd, the awkward girl, the previously abused, the small town girl... on and on and on...

Nicole Fox was a favorite to win from the very beginning, at least in my book. Her awkwardness was endearing and she got brownie points for being an artist. But it was really her look that got me. She's atypically pretty and I love a model with a unique look. Ugly pretty is so fitting for fashion. And I think I'm a little too obsessed with the angle of her legs...

I also thought Laura Kirkpatrick was so cute with her thick accent and small-town sensibilities. She is most definitely a classic beauty...
Botticelli's Venus, anyone? The girl is all curves. There is not an angle on her face. I think she is the paragon of womanliness, a veritable modern incarnation of Venus, if you will, and very suited for swimsuits and underwear. I just don't see her as a fashion model.

Another girl that had my attention was Brittany Markert, the math nerd. They made her into a brunette and I kept thinking of Dr. Temperance Brennan aka Bones (Emily Deschanel). It was probably the cold rationality of her personality and that jawline that speaks, "determination."


Two other brunettes with square jaws of determination that I'm familiar with? Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) and Dr. Remy Hadley aka Thirteen (Olivia Wilde). The square jaw is not at all an uncommon trait especially in the entertainment industry. It's not a secret that a well defined jaw is a marked characteristic of beauty.

Above is Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. I immediately thought of her when Tyra did the "scarves" photoshoot with the girls. I think it was easily the most beautiful set of photos.
And to end the post my favorite picture of the season...

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

House, what a character?

David Shore's hero-oriented procedural medical drama House M.D. now in it's 6th season on Fox has been and probably will continue to be a staple in my TV viewing regimen. I've always been a fan of the procedural. They're easy to watch due to their episodic nature and the intrinsic structure of the procedural sets the pace and mood of the show to which you are quickly accustomed. I'd say it's comforting. In addition to all the benefits of a procedural the fact that House is so character oriented makes it all the more compelling.

I'll be honest and say House was my introduction to Hugh Laurie. Of course after I knew of the existence of Mr. Hugh Laurie I noticed him in all these random other things... like that Friends episode where Rachel is on the plane to London to stop Ross's wedding. Oh, and I believe he was in Sense and Sensibility the movie with Kate Winslet. Crazy stuff...

Of the original characters, I can't say I was ever a fan of House's fellows, Chase, Cameron, or Foreman, especially not Cameron. Yuck. Really, any romantic storyline that involved Cameron I was not and still am not a fan of. I just really don't like Cameron as a character.

On the other hand I'm a fan of Cuddy and the whole House/Cuddy dynamic. I'll admit I was shocked that the writers were really sincere about the whole House/Cuddy thing. But I'm ok with it now especially since they started to delve into the I've-had-feelings-for-you-for-a-long-time idea. The only real complaint about Cuddy is that she really does dress pretty provocatively. Cleavage, cleavage, cleavage! It seems kind of far-fetched, but whatever...

Ah~ Robert Sean Leonard! Dead Poets Society! That is reason enough to love Robert Sean Leonard and therefore Wilson. Who doesn't love watching House and Wilson together anyway?

When they switched up the team after Chase was fired and Cameron quit. I thought it was going to be the death of the show. I mean, how was a character focused show supposed to recover from axing some of the key players? But they brought on some interesting characters, notably Amber aka Cutthroat Bitch. I wasn't a big fan of Wilson and Amber together, although the bit about Amber being a female House was pretty entertaining. It was a highlight of the season, and then she had to die.

Of all the new characters I liked Kutner the best. Although I wasn't a big fan of the whole my-parents-died sap story. I liked the playfulness of the character. It's so becoming of Kal Penn. But Kutner had to die.

I think I see a theme. I hope they kill Cameron next.

Just a gratuitous shot of the men of House M.D.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Dexter: My Infatuation

Blogging regularly is so difficult. I mean, there are only so many things that excite me on a day-to-day basis. I keep thinking and planning on incorporating blogging into a daily routine of sorts, but it's hard to get internally motivated to DO it. I'm more of a "take-it-in" kind of person. I do set aside numerous hours of the day to take in the daily offerings of TV. I get excited by that. I just can't seem to get excited about non-passive activities; thus is my nature.

So on that subject of excitement I decided today I'd rave about TV in a manner. I mean TV is just one of those things that keeps me going. I could talk about TV all day, but right now I'm going to be focused, and I'm going to tell a story about a very young woman, more like an old girl, who fell in love with "Dexter."

Dexter is in it's 4th season on Showtime. Being a cable show it's got it's fair share of blood and guts and sex and violence, but I think it's a necessary part of the show. It gives it that flair all it's own...

I don't remember when I started watching it. It was probably around the time the show just started. I remember being super excited hearing about a new show about a serial killer. That really piqued my interest. I have always loved serial killer movies; the non-horror, thriller genre. I really love romanticized serial killers. And I stress "romanticized." I am very anti-reality. I like the way things are portrayed in books and movies and TV and hardly ever the way they are in reality. I hate true crime as a genre. It sucks. In addition, serial killers in reality are never as attractive, charming, intelligent and overall likable as they are in stories. So the point? I liked Dexter before I even knew what Dexter really was.

Michael C. Hall is the perfect Dexter. I really can't imagine anyone else in the role at this point. His understated charm is what does it for me. Probably in conjunction with his physical nature. By that I mean he's more compact and earthy looking. That shortish, buffish, geekish, brutish look is perfect. Hall in Six Feet Under was pretty convincing as well. And on some level, Dexter Morgan and David Fisher are both so closeted and socially repressed...

Other notable cast members? Oh, I absolutely have to mention Julie Benz from Buffy the Vampire fame. Who could forget Darla, Angel's sire and whatnot. The idea of Mrs. Dexter Morgan having had relations with one Agent Seeley Booth in a previous life is somewhat unnerving. In addition, Jennifer Carpenter as Deborah Morgan, sister of Dexter Morgan? It must be weird having your real-life love interest portray your sibling. At least they're not blood-related on the show. Lastly, shout outs to C.S. Lee fellow Asian, Korean-American to be precise, for the role of Vince Masuka.

One of the best things about this show, aside from the engaging plot, and the talented cast, and the clever writing is the opening title sequence. I still have not tired of watching it, and I am a person that is easily bored with repetition. It is absolutely beautifully shot and the allusion to violence is perfectly executed. It has the underlying note of dark humor that is a key component to the success of the show. It sets the mood. It puts you there. It says, "It's time..."

Gosh. I wish it were time, but I have to wait another week. Thankfully, I've got House today. Perhaps I'll blog about that tomorrow...

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Coffee & Apples



I've been drinking too much coffee and eating too many apples recently.

I haven't been much of a coffee drinker in the past, but there is indeed an addictive quality to a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee in the morning... It's probably the caffeine.

A couple weeks ago my folks picked up a bushel of apples from some orchard in the Shenandoah Valley off of 29. Mind you, a bushel is equivalent to an ass ton as far as apples are concerned. I hadn't had an apple in years because I'm mildly allergic to most raw tree fruit, but I had a peach this past summer and I didn't die so I thought I'd give an apple a go.

Surprisingly, I didn't die so I'm back on apples.

I am quickly tiring of the apples. The first week I had up to six apples a day. It was the novelty of the danged fruit. I mean, I hadn't had the opportunity to actually enjoy an apple in 10 or so years, so I guess it was to be expected.

I haven't had any coffee today nor did I exercise, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Maybe I'll brew myself a cup.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

The Stuff of Nightmares

I've been looking through all the fall 2009 ready-to-wear runway shows again. I'm looking for inspiration for my own fall wardrobe, since the weather really has taken a turn.

Of course this led me to re-examine Alexander McQueen's f09rtw collection. The first time I saw it I seriously could NOT focus on the clothes. The makeup he had on those girls was seriously the stuff of nightmares.

It is the freakiest thing I have ever seen.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Noticed



Sometimes I find myself looking at something I see everyday and noticing for the first time. It's a strange phenomenon to say the least. Usually it makes me want to take a picture of it, as if I'll never be able to notice that certain characteristic of that object/place again. It makes me think we're all mostly unnoticed... and it also reminds me of that other strange phenomenon when people start looking really strange when you look at them for too long.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Paper Purge

I have a sickness. I have this uncanny love of paper. It nears obsession. I just have a really hard time letting go of paper. When it's unused it has so much potential. I want so much to use every single square inch of that paper. I want to fulfill the paper's desire to be useful. (I imagine that that's what would make paper happy if paper had feelings.) Maybe it's a kind of vicarious satisfaction. I know I want to be useful to my utmost extent, and I wish God would make me feel as useful as I think I'm making paper "feel." I dunno how to really explain it.

So when paper still has the potential to be useful - a blank side, an interesting graphic, etc. - I can't let it go. It's crazy, I know. An paper that holds specific information becomes like a keepsake, and everyone knows a keepsake is meant to be kept. I swear, I have every single piece of school work since I started school. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I've been feeling recently that really all that paper is a physical manifestation of emotional baggage. It's as if I can't move on with my life because the stuff from my past is weighing me down, literally. And so I've decided to really organize all that paper. It's a daunting task. I don't know when or if I'll finish. I'm hoping that by performing this paper purge I can feel a little less tied down. Of course, it is utterly time consuming. I don't think I'll have the time to think about anything else besides ridding myself of irrational attachments and unnecessary stuff.

I'm beginning to find more and more truth in Goethe's quote, "We are the slaves of the objects around us."

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Minimalism Re-thought



I did a total redesign of my space, and now it's very minimalistic. I guess I'd say I don't naturally tend towards this aesthetic, but I'm growing to like it immensely.

I first got rid of everything on the walls and basically stored everything in boxes and out of the way. One good thing about this arrangement is that it really prompts me to clean and keep tidy because anything that's not in it's place is immediately noticeable.

Oh, and my mom got me a new plant. It's a seven leaf schefflera. It sits next to the spider plant which I've done a fine job at not killing. Hopefully the schefflera will do just as well at not dying.

The Monsters in Your Head - Tentacle Eye Patches



So here's the scoop: new creative eyewear from j-han!

This time I've got eye patches with a twist of course. They've got these crazy tentacles busting out of them. I hand sculpted the tentacles out of polymer clay and painted them gold. Then hand cut and hand finished each eye patch from leather. I am quite proud of these little puppies.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Bubble Lens Monocles



Goodness gracious I am so bad at blogging. I mean look at this, posting about my Bubble Lens Monocles so long after they've been made. The fact is that they haven't been as popular as I thought they would be. Although at this point the two gold monocles have been sold, and now only the silver ones remain.

Oh, and modeling these monocles is the lovely Modded Minimee Head of Aoi of Gazette fame. I am by no means a fan of Gazette or of j-rock for that matter, but the head was practically a steal! And since I really needed a modeling head I couldn't pass him up.

So that's what's been up in my dollie world. Hopefully I'll be cooking up some new dollie crafts to send out into the world very soon~

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Furniture Wish List

CB2 Graph Desk - $299
Bright white. Spacious. Powder-coated steel! Peek-a-boo of natural wood. Just enough storage asymmetrically located <3



Artecnica Garland Light by Tord Boontje (White) - $75
Ethereal and whimsical, organic yet precise. Laser. Metal. White. Light. How mesmerizing?


Tolix Marais A chair by Xavier Pauchard (Vermillion) - $250
Painted steel? Like I could resist...

Case Study v-leg bed (natural queen) - $1,455
Sleek, modern & minimal. Low to the ground but the Roomba can still get underneath.

Waldilla naturally curved Hardwood Flooring - $??
Whimsical, organic and little bit "fun-house."


Malin Kallman Darwin Bookcase - $??
The desire to climb on furniture never seemed more sane.



Kartell Philippe Stark Louis Ghost Chair (Transparent) - $410
Plastic fantastic in a 16th century silhouette.



Ikea Poang by Noboru Nakamura (Birch & Dala natural) - $119
Seemingly breakable by the weight of a fat man, the sleek curvature of its back is so affordably sexy.

Herman Miller Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair/ LCW (Ash) - $679
A sculpture disguised as a chair! How brilliant.

Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman (Cherry & Black Leather) - $3,899
You know you've made it when you have one of these welcoming you home.