Simy, I will love you forever and I miss you every day…
Simy, I will love you forever and I miss you every day…
This year the Oscars Red Carpet did much to get me excited. In a good way and also in a blood boiling kind of way. Sometimes I really don’t understand movie stars. All the resources in the world, fashion and Hollywood’s biggest night and yet some of the strangest choices are made. Some stars know how to hire a good stylist and some do not but when they get it right the result is unparalleled.
Let me begin with the Blood Boilers.
Jennifer Aniston, what were you thinking? You might think I am crazy for saying this because she wearing a stunning red Valentino gown. I would also think so if I hadn’t seen the exact same dress on TWO much younger starlets at the 2013 Golden Globes. Why would you make your grand finale red carpet appearance a repeat version of a look that’s already overdone? When I saw Zooey Deschanel (Oscar de la Renta) and Jennifer Lawrence (Dior Haute Couture) at the Golden Globes, I was cringing for them both! I think Stylists should have a “November Conference” just to make sure that we get to see the best of the best wearing the best of the best, not the same thing over and over. And over. Poor Jen. She is always being outshone by brunettes.
I must now move on to Helen Hunt. She’s finally back on the Hollywood radar with a Best Supporting Actress nomination and she shows up in H&M. And boat loads of Neil Lane Jewellery. Explain that combo. To be honest I couldn’t care who the designer of the dress is, I just think it was badly made. It was not tailored to her body so it hung all over the show instead of being tight and well fitted and worst of all it was wrinkled everywhere. It looked like she took the sample off the racks in a department store that had been tried on by every woman and their aunt and then left for her to find. So disappointing and so unattractive. Again I ask, where’s the inspiration?
But it’s enough ranting. I did actually love some dresses so let’s move on to some truly inspired choices.
My absolute standout, best of the best was Naomi Watts. She’s had some major misses in the past but she came out looking the epitome of class and style. She was literally adorned in her silver metallic Armani Privé gown. The super modern cut out over one shoulder was so edgy and stylish and the dress fitted her absolutely perfectly. This is how it’s done. Her hair and make-up was immaculate and perfectly complimented the magnificence of the gown. Also in a metallic dress and also an Aussie movie star, Nicole Kidman paled in comparison to her bestie in a black and gold sequinned, overly embellished, black and gold L’Wren Scott creation. Hated it from top to toe. But I digress…
Another immaculate superstar of the night was Ms Halle Berry. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw her. Versace got it so right with this dress and I have to say that it may as well have been custom made for her because absolutely no other body could fill that dress so impeccably well. The lines were perfect and every asset was shown off just enough. So much edge and just the right red carpet on which to come out and make her mark.
Last, and unfortunately least, I must pay homage to my fashion obsession, Helena Bonham Carter. She fascinates me entirely and I am constantly wishing for a chance to style her myself. She is so beautiful and she speaks so eloquently. If only the woman had a clue how to dress! I was really hopeful after her BAFTA almost-success. I felt it was a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. And then she rocked up at The Oscars in her favourite designer, none other than Vivienne Westwood of course. And just like that she was back to her usual hot-mess self. So unfortunate, but at least she’s consistent. And I never feel like her choices are uninspired so I’ll give her kudos for that. Give me my chance any day, Helena, and I will make you outshine them all!
The Oscars, of course.
AN ODE TO AWARDS SEASON FASHION
This weekend brought us not one, but two awards shows. And obviously being subject to South African television, both we screened at the same time on Monday night. Alas, I was switching frantically between the two but in the end, I must admit, The Grammys won out over The BAFTA’s. I have only two things to say. First and foremost, my dear Helena Bonham Carter. Thank you. So much. You came out looking ok! Perhaps your British heritage moved you to make some effort and do your hair. Take a look at this woman, just a few days ago. She is a beautiful, successful actress yet most of the time she comes out looking like she never took off the make up and costumes from her Harry Potter days. At the Bafta’s however, she decided to make a plan and get organised. Her shoes match each other. And they are black. Good choice, always a safe bet. Secondly, and for me most importantly, she had her hair done. It isnt flailing in the wind like she had just been electrocuted. And finally, her outfit looks put together if nothing else. She loves these tea length pouffy dresses so I suppose expecting her to wear anything else would be pushing my luck. But at least it looks clean and new. I must add in here that I do not condone the wearing of fur. But this is HBC, so I’n not going to harp on it here. Good on you Helena for making an effort! Looking forward to Oscar night!
I must now pay homage to the most spectacularly dressed woman this entire awards season so far - Rihanna. Wow wow wow. That custom Azzedine Alaia flowing red gown was a real showstopper. And this time she had the hair, make-up and jewlery to immaculately finish off the look. Absolute perfection. She performed at the show as well in another exquisite vintage Alaia black dress which fitted her and her performance like a glove. Kudos to you RiRi. Best Dressed by a mile!
I have to just take a moment to admire some of the best dressed at the Golden Globes this year. No. 1 was without a doubt Kate Hudson. The woman is an icon. My jaw literally dropped when I saw her. I really think she stole the show in that magnificent black and gold McQueen. Wow. Eva Longoria should take a leaf out Kate Hudson’s book - open front means no leg, and no back for that matter. All three and you start to wonder if the seamstress got bored half way through making the dress and just ran away screaming. Other stunners included Claire Danes in a gorgeous Versace which just goes to show that they can still make classy dresses that don’t have prints and slits and cut-outs in every place possible. Halle Berry must have been kicking herself when she saw Claire Danes walk in. I loved J Lo’s dress until yesterday when I heard it described as a large pair of pantyhose which kind of ruined it, but then I watched Fashion Police and they showed the runway version which really looked horrific. So after seeing the two versions I’m back to loving it again. And I mean if I could look like that at my age, never mind at forty something with two kids, in that dress, I’d be on my knees in gratitude for the blessings from above. Kudos to her. I have recently fallen in love with Katniss Everdeen and so Jennifer Lawrence would have had to really wear something Helena Bonham Carter-esque to sway me from my admiration. I loved her bold, red Dior Haute Couture gown with the sleek, modern belt. I see it’s been compared to the Oscar de la Renta that Zooey Deschanel wore which was also a princess, red pouff but Katniss/Jennifer definitely wore it better. More modern, more edgy and most of all, she hasn’t worn the identical dress to every red carpet ever like the New Girl. Finally, Anne Hathaway has returned to the red carpet in style. She is usually hit or miss but this is one Chanel gown that couldn’t have worked better. Great fit and on her alabaster skin she really exuded elegance. I know I must be the only person on the planet to think this, but if her hair was only longer and done all Hollywood Glam like J Lo or Heidi… Alas, she has embraced the pixie within.
I am not going to go on about the horrors of the night, but I am sure most of you will agree that, besides for Helena Bonham Carter who automatically wins this by default, Lucy Liu takes home the top honour in the worst-dress-decision-for-a-major-red-carpet department.That print, that hair, what were you thinking? I’m thinking toilet roll doll cover at my grandmother’s house…
Still, I do love awards season and I am waiting with baited breath to see what’s next!
Well, it’s been a while since my last post. Unfortunately it has not been that long since I made my last “meal”. In any event, my forrays in the kitchen over the last month have been mostly centred on cleaning - a task I at which I am far more adept than cooking. Why have I been cleaning so much lately you might be wondering? I have not developed a sudden OCD obsession for keeping my kitchen spotless. Rather, I have recently become the proud mother of a magnificent Staffie puppy.
This little bundle of joy has truly stolen my heart (and all my free time, hence the silence on the blog front). We have named him Loki, after the mythical god of mischief. I was obviously in a delusional state when I decided to give my puppy a free reign of terror by naming him after the very thing I hoped not to have to worry about but I really felt that I needed a fun dog with a bit of spunk. So far, he has truly lived up to his name and has certainly kept me on my feet.
For the two weeks I was off from work over the holidays, I had a taste of what it must be like to be a new mother. My greatest fear of what I might become in motherhood reared its ugly head - I am truly neurotic. On morning one I didn’t want to disrupt his routine and so I woke myself at 5:45am so I could wake him up at 6am. I fed him, I cleaned up a seemingly endless puddle of pee and then we played. And we played. And then we played some more. While most people would think this is the very reason people get puppies in the first place, I can tell you that by 8am I felt like it was 8pm. I was wiped out and by 9am I enlisted the help of my husband. He suggested we start extending his wake up time each day to avoid certain meltdown. I refused to allow our pool to remain open and have put on the awful looking net. My husband was quite distraught at the sight. However, my constant fear and worry that Loki might one day need a drink (he always needs a drink so this isn’t actually that unlikely) and accidentally fall in and, in the words of the breeder, “sink like a stone” completely overrode any other options.
Since day one we have learned much about our little bundle of joy/terror. The trait that shouts out to the world, that gives him his uniqeness and makes him stand out is his capacity to pee. Yes, pee. My little Loki pees everywhere and all the time. He has a three minute safety window between pees. If we are lucky. This should explain the steady rise in my neurosis levels. As a result, we were advised to try something called “Clicker Training”. This is meant to be consistent, positive reinforcement which hastens the training process substanitally. He hasn’t really responded to the sound yet, although he is quite fond of trying to snatch the clicker from my hands and use it as a chewy toy. I have my doubts that my days of cleaning up pee will ever be behind me but I maintain a glimmer of hope in the form of our two older Stafffies who are beacons of perfection in that department!
Nevertheless, I have fallen completely in love. Loki has stolen my heart and brought out the “Elmira” in me. All I want to do is hug him and squeeze him and love him… He has brought us endless joy and I could not imagine not waking up to him each day, even if it is at an ungodly hour…
It has certainly been a while since I have posted. I have been working hard and I have also started a new training regime. Well, not so much a regime as a new trainer. My battles in the kitchen are closely mirrored by my athletic endeavours and I must say, this new trainer has put me through my paces. I have never trained so hard that I threw up but I come pretty close every week. Needless to say, I have been presented with a new eating plan to “compliment”the training . This has not been easy to implement. I am a fuss pot when it comes to food and if I am faced with the prospect of eating something I don’t like, I tend to opt out of eating at all. This has left me high and dry on many an occasion which is no surprise, even to me. Last week was the first week I really committed to trying it out 100%. I have been very resistant in the past but reality checked in and I decided to give it a proper go.
By Sunday I was feeling sick. Both physically and at the thought of another week of it. Nonetheless, I chose to persevere. I also had an epiphany. Since rice is part of the approved foods list and I eat rice, then could rice cakes not solve my breakfast dilemma? I messaged my revelation to my trainer.
Me: “Can I have rice cakes?”
Trainer: “What are you going to put on them?”
Me: “What can I put on them?”
Trainer: “Egg whites”
Me: “Joy. I will pass.”
Trainer: “Tomato?”
Me: “I will try them on their own.”
I will never try a rice cake on its own. I decided to sleep on it and I woke up with an idea. Would Anchovette be a topping option? It’s protein-based surely? I am too scared to ask my trainer for fear of being denied this dairy-free alternative which is my last hope. I psyched myself up the whole day wondering what it would taste like or if it would taste like anything at all (I have never eaten rice cakes before so this was really a bold choice). I sat down for lunch and in front of me were two plates: one with a tuna salad (staple) and one with a solitary rice cake and a small jar of Anchovette. I opted for the salad first. I managed to get half way through before I bit the bullet and swapped plates. The outcome wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. I managed to eat the whole rice cake. I realised at that point that I am slowly going insane.
It must be time to put down the hammer and regain some food sanity. Oh wait, that’s only on Sunday…
Monday Muse: Girls in Chanel
Vintage Chanel No.5 ad from the 1960s…iconic!
Style is truly timeless.
I have recently started with a new trainer as I attempt to get back into some kind of shape for summer. I am embarking on a leaner diet and trying to cut out unnecessary fats along the way. I woke up with a positive mindset today and decided to forgo my extra ten minutes of shut eye and use them to make breakfast. I hardly ever eat breakfast before work but I thought I would try out my new regime.
My attempted breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs. This is usually something I am actually quite good at and I have made breakfast my one “sure thing” when it comes to cooking. However, I seriously underestimated myself. I extracted four egg-whites into a shaker and upon discovering we were out of milk, I added water instead. I figured that this is what “being lean” is all about anyway. The first thing I noticed was that the egg-white/water combo doesn’t mix as easily as when I use milk. When I poured the “mixture” into the pan it was mostly just raw egg white. This is when I started to worry. I then realised that for some reason the eggs were taking much longer too cook through. I am not one for runny eggs. Like my meat, I like my eggs well done.
In the end I decided to taste my concoction, in the hope that it may not be as bad as I was anticipating. I was really let down. I managed to force down three mouthfuls before giving it up. I should have just used the time to make a cup of coffee. That really is a sure thing. And I wouldn’t have needed milk.
I should have had coffee.
Lady Gaga about in Amsterdam - August 20th
VUITTON - Fall 12 Bag
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN - Fall 11 Boots
RAY BAN - Sunglasses
~Lady Gaga was spotted with fans in Amsterdam, and it’s safe to say her hair was more outstanding than her outfit. The brown hair with a piece of blond shows that she’s still Gaga blond but maybe showing her private side. The outfit; a simple grey sweatshirt with a purple sequined Vuitton bag, McQueen shoes bought from the Daphne Guinness collection auctioned a few months ago and black sunnies. She looks stunning! Click the photos above for a closer look!
Latest Gaga. Love the new hair.
(via gagaxfashion)
