Personal Hero

As a girl growing up hard of hearing and wearing a hearing aid, completely surrounded by hearing people I never really had anyone like me to look up too. That is until recently, when I had the opportunity to see Marlee Matlin speak at a university near my home.
Marlee Matlin is a deaf actress who won an Oscar for her role in the movie, Children of a Lesser God. Growing up Marlee learned sign language (which I am still learning since I am not totally fluent in the language yet!), to read lips, and speak a little. She joined a theater group when she was little, which is where she was first exposed to the world of acting. Marlee's mother did not want her daughter to become an actress, she didn't want to see her little girl set herself for a life of failure. What I love about Marlee is she believed in herself. She had no one who was deaf or hard of hearing to look up to, to tell her that she could be an actress. Yet, this didn't stop her. Marlee kept pursuing her dream, even more so after she met Henry Winkler (from Happy Days.. a.k.a The Fonz). Henry always encouraged Marlee to go after her dreams, so what if they had never been achieved by anyone else, she was the one to prove everyone wrong! As this goes to show, sometimes everyone needs a good support system; someone to keep cheering you on even when no one else is. Eventually Marlee became the youngest women to win a Best Actress Oscar! If this doesn't show determination, then I don't know what does! Even after she won her Oscar, people still said that she wasn't going to succeed. Yet, here we are, twenty years later, and Marlee Matlin is still acting. She has been on t.v. shows such as Seinfeld, The West Wing, The L Word, and Dancing With The Stars. As a huge advocate of Deaf and Hard of Hearing rights and following your dream, I think Marlee can be an inspiration to everyone. She has made me even more proud of my qualities which make me unique. Also showing me that it is possible to be successful and be different, which is something which I have struggled with for the longest time. However, my viewpoint has changed a lot after seeing Marlee speak and meeting her. She is the sweetest person I have met, when she was autographing her book (go read her memoir I'll Scream Later, if you are interested in learning more about her) she took time to chat with me. It is rather nice knowing that someone you admire, is just the way you thought they are!
Jem

Call It Love

Vogue Nippon included a editorial in its new issue, aptly named, Call It Love. One of the reasons why I love these photographs is because the charming Nicholas Hoult, of About A Boy (one of the sweetest films ever) and Skins fame, is featured in the majority of the pictures. The photographs by Ellen von Unwerth really capture a cheeky sense of romance- complete with the perfect wardrobe to match! I am looking forward to writing the next post about a female who I admire, this time it is a women who I recently got to listen give a speech about diversity and following your dreams. I was going to post it tonight, but it needs some editing before it's perfect, it should be up tomorrow, so look forward to that. I would tell you who it is, but then that would ruin the suspense of it!
Jem

Words

Nice little bit of wisdom for today, from one of my favorite films, Dead Poet's Society!
Jem

Fictional Inspiration

I received some very good feedback about my first post on inspiring women who I look up to, so I thought I would continue the series. To shake it up a bit, I thought it might be fun to focus on one of my favourite literary heroine's, Hermione Granger. I remember when I read the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I immediately felt a connection to Hermione. She was incredibly smart, witty, brave, and knew the value of friendship. All qualities which I admire in a person, real or fictional. Hermione always knew the answers, was always getting Harry out of troublesome situations, all the while maintaining a kick-ass personality. Now that the series have finished (*sob*) it is interesting to look back and see how Hermione is a feminist and a good role model. It wasn't until recently that I realized her amazing "feminist" qualities, I mean who else championed freedom for house elves? No one, but Hermione (well, eventually Harry and Ron did too). Hermione Granger shows that sometimes you have to stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone (which I have said before. Hermione Granger and Nujood Ali are very similar, don't you think?). Hermione also taught me to be proud of one's intelligence and not to worry about always looking beautiful. It looks like this idea has rubbed off of Emma Watson as well, she was quoted saying in Parade magazine, "There are too many stupid girls in the media, Watson observes, her dark eyes lighting up. Hermione's not scared to be clever. I think sometimes really smart girls dumb themselves down a bit, and that's bad. Watson admits that there is quite a lot of herself in the confident and bookish Hermione.m a bit of a feminist, she proclaims. I'm very competitive and challenging. Though she resented it at first, Watson has come to appreciate the emphasis on Hermione's brains rather than her appearance. When I was 9 or 10, I would get really upset when they tried to make me look geeky, but now I absolutely love it. I find it's so much pressure to be beautiful. Hermione doesn't care what she looks like." So what do you think, is Hermione Granger a feminist? Do you think she is an inspiration?
Jem

The Fly Girl

wheartit.com

This post was taken from my other blog, The Frequent-Flyer, but I thought it was such a good list of ways to keep entertained on a long airplane flight that I couldn't help but share it with you.

I love flying (do you think I would name my other blog, The Frequent-Flyer, if I didn’t?) but sometimes the flight feels like it is dragging on forever. This is why I always pack in my carryon a few things to keep me entertained. Some of these things on my list are not things you can pack, yet they are great ways to keep yourself amused.


1. Read A Magazine- I tend to bring one or two magazines in my carryon bag because they are lightweight (although not always, I mean some Vogue's weigh a ton of bricks!), and I love how easy they are to read. If you didn't pack a magazine ask the stewardess if they have any lying around. Once on a flight from Germany to America, I managed to occupy myself with a German edition of Elle magazine for about four hours of the flight. Although I couldn't read much of the articles, since it was all in German, I was able to understand a few words which were similar to English words. Most of my time was spent ogling all the clothes displayed in the magazine though.

2. Talk To Your Seatmate- Another good way to entertain yourself is to chat with the person sitting next to you. I must caution you though, don't strike up a conversation if the person looks uninterested, they are reading, listening to their IPod, or they are trying to sleep. Anyone who starts talking to someone doing any of these activities, has automatically labeled themselves the "annoying traveler;" you know the one who talks too loud, or reclines their seat back too far. If the person is not doing any of these activities then feel free to talk to your seatmate, who knows the two of you could end up having a great conversation!

3. Sleep- If you are on a long haul flight, you are bound to get sleepy at some point right, unless of course you are a vampire. I try to sleep on most of my six or seven hour flights, although I am one of those people who have a difficult time doing this. So if I cannot fall asleep I tend to remain in a state of daydream, trying to catch a few Z's.

4. Look Out The Window- Look at the clouds passing by or at the ground below, do you spot a swimming pool or two? This is a great way to amuse yourself when flying over land, I wouldn't recommend doing this over water though, it is not a pleasant feeling. I find it interesting to have a bird’s eye view of everything; the world looks so different from this angle.

5. Write- Journal about how excited you are for your trip, whether or not the guy sleeping next to you has a snoring problem, or anything else which interests you. I find that writing in my journal is one of the nicest ways to spend a plane ride. It is also very relaxing especially if you are a nervous traveler; it helps to clear your mind of all your worries.

6. Listen To Your IPod- Put your IPod on shuffle, and just listen to the music, or you could do this while.... day dreaming!

7. Day Dream- I like to dream up endless possibilities of what is in store for me (if I am heading to my destination). Sometimes these are insane dreams; such as the fantasy I had of meeting Daniel Radcliffe in London (what can I say, I’m a Harry Potter freak!), others are just wondering what it will be like to relax on the beach with a good book and a drink in hand. I tend to think of day dreams as a movie playing out in my head, only something which I can watch, so don't worry if something seems outlandish, it is only for your enjoyment!

Do you have any other suggestions for keeping yourself entertained on a long flight?
Jem

My French Love

my french wardrobe by the fairytale featuring TopShop dresses
This collection of clothes are all items which I am currently coveting, and would love to add to my "french inspired" wardrobe. I feel that it is possibel to mix and match almost all of these items. I will admit a lot of these clothes are way out of my price range, but a girl can dream, right?
Jem

Summer Clothes

(I couldn't help but post this picture of Zooey Deschanel, who looks fab, like always!)

I am trying to pair down much of my wardrobe, I feel like I have so much clothes yet nothing to wear. My plan is to weed out what I like, do not wear, or no longer fits and then see which items I need to add to my wardrobe. I have been trying to think like many French women, having a small wardrobe, yet one filled with endless possibilities. It is rather tricky, but I think in the long run it will be worth it. Less money spent on trendy items and more spent on classic items. I have already compiled a list of a few items which I know I need to add to my wardrobe:

• Short-Sleeved Stripe Shirt (I love my long-sleeved versions, I think I need one for the summer weather too)
• Lightweight Blazer (In a neutral color so it will go with everything)
• Skirt (black?)
• Bathing Suit (I already have one but I always think its a good thing to own at least two. You wear one while the other is drying, which is very important for vacations by the pool or beach)
• Dress (I am thinking one maxi dress and one which stops at the knee)
• Bermuda Shorts (denim)
• Leather Sandals

So what do you consider wardrobe essentials for the coming summer months? Did I forget to add anything to this list? Advice would be very welcomed, thanks!
Jem

Little Courage

Lately I have been thinking of doing a series of posts on women I admire because of their courage, grace, or style. I haven't desided if this will be a daily occurance or if I will do it once a week, so let me know what you think about it. I want to do these posts because I feel we all need empowering women to look to for guidence once in awhile. To kick off these blog posts I thought I would focus on, probably, the youngest women who I admire for her bravery; Nujood Ali.

Nujood Ali is a third grader from Yemen who was forced to marry when she turned ten. Once she was married, her thirty year old husband raped her. He promised Nuhood's father he wouldn't touch his daughter until a year after she reached puberty. One day after having suffered from severe beatings and rape from her husband she escaped from their house and found a judge to take on her case. What makes Nujood's story so compelling is that she fought to be granted a divorce from her husband, and won! I believe Nujood is an amazing young women, she demanded freedom from her oppressor, and would not give up until she was granted it. Since Nujood's story was published in her book (which I am looking forword to reading) several other similar cases have come to light within the Muslim world. She has begun to pave the way for young girls everywhere who are stuck in degrading situations and for this I find her to be a huge inspiration.
Jem

Things I Hate

Things I hate related to feminism: I hate how "feminism" is considered a bad word by many people. I hate how women are paid 78 cents for every 1 doller a man is paid. I hate how some people believe that a woman who is raped brought it upon herself. I hate how women still encounter sexism in the workforce. I hate how the United States has yet to have a female President. I hate men who tell sexists jokes. I hate how guys look at me weirdly when I say I am a feminist. I hate how people think it is okay for an famous athlete (are you listening Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger?) to still be fawned over by the general public when they have treated women like shit. I hate how in many societies women are treated as second class citizens. I hate how women are constently being degraded by the media. But most of all, I hate that I have to hate these things. Hate may be a strong word, but language has more power than guns and armed fighting ever will. So what do you hate about the way women are treated in our society?
Jem

I'm On A Boat

I couldn't help but title this blog post, "I'm on a boat,"

because, well, the model is on a boat and it is

 a cool song. Besides this, I think that the jacket which the

model is sporting is quite fetching, I could see myself

sporting it.

My mom is an avid quilter, she makes beautiful quilts which

we have laying all around our house. I have a feeling that if I

showed her this outfit, she might get some ideas. So although I

love this look, I can't bare to see my mother try and recreate this

for me. Soon everything in my wardrobe would be quilted!

Beautiful Images from Suno's fall 2009 collection. I love

how the designer managed to combine a bunch of different

patterns without making it look a bit gaudy.

This is such a beautiful cover of my favorite model,

Lakshmi Menon, on ELLE India. She

looks beautiful, as always. Plus, I love this shot because it

looks so different that what is currently featured on so many

magazine covers. Its a breath of fresh air actually. I would love

to get my hands on a copy of ELLE and Vogue India. From

what I understand, both magazines publish all their articles in English,

which means I wouldn't just have to look at the pretty pictures!

Jem

Courage

Normally I try not to write about politics on here, I don't want to offend or annoy people who aren't into the subject. Today, is a completely different story, I feel that I have to publish this blog post and image, if only to get the word out. I don't know much about the photograph and the circumstances which occured afterwords, but all I really know is this women stood up for herself and her beliefs, which takes a huge act of courage. I would love to know more about her back story, I can only imagine what occured. I love that she didn't have to resort to violence to get her point across- which is basically to say, "Fuck you and your corrupt government." I really admire this Iranian women (and all women who are fighting against injustice), she really shows it takes courage to "stand up for what is right even you stand alone."
Jem

Off The Rack

I love the idea of using rope and pullies as a clothes hanger,

what a brilliant way to use a totally unexpected object!

Alexander Wang clothes hanging on a rack

http://www.ikea.com/

Spring is in the air, and along with this comes the feeling of changing the way my bedroom looks. Unfortunately, I don't think it will happen because I lack the funds to pay for paint or buy anything new to spruce up my room. If I could though, I think I would buy a clothing rack, like the one's commonly featured in stores or in the film The Devil Wears Prada. I just love the whole "high fashion" feeling which I associate with clothing racks; just a few select clothing items layed out for all the world to see. Plus, I could always use the extra space to store my clothes, I have such a small closet! I did find a great, cheep, clothing rack from everyone's faveorite home furniture store, IKEA. I think I am going to eventually buy the IKEA clothing rack, unless I find one I like better. So, tell me, do you have any other ideas for revamping my bedroom? It would be much appreciated!
Jem

Global Citizens

I found this old editorial from Vogue UK (2008?) which is gorgous to look at. I love the beautiful location, the colorful clothes, and the display of the native culture of Peru. It really makes me want to travel to Peru right now, if only I wasn't stuck in school and the airline industry wasn't so messed up because of volcanic ash. Ah, well, if I cannot be visiting Peru in person I can be their in spirit!
Jem

Whoops!

Confession: I just bought ELLE UK at Borders today. I popped into the store for a bit seeing as I had time to kill before picking my sister up from rowing practice, thinking I would only get an American published magazine. Well, that is so not what happened. I didn't want to get a typical "U.S. publication," since I have been bored with them lately. My version of rationalization is thinking, "well... W magazine is five dollers, but, ELLE UK is only three or so dollers more." What the Hell is wrong with me? I've been doing so good with myself imposed ban of not buying anything to save up for Disney, but then I went and caved big time! Ahhh... I don't know what I'm going to do, I really hope this doesn't turn into a bad habit. Although, part of the reason why I think I might have caved and bought the April issue is because Chloe was wearing Miu Miu on the cover, plus they did the typography with the cute doggy print from Miu Miu's collection. I also really wanted to read the article about sexism, it will be interesting to see what they have to say about it (I still believe that sexism never left, people just chose to ignore it). I still haven't gotten through the whole magazine, I figure it will take me a day or two to read it, seeing as I am so busy with school work, I hope it lasts me a long time though! Tell me, do you have any similar stories of caving into buying something when you're not suppose to?
Jem

Miu Miu

I, like most people interested with fashion, am obsessed with Mui Mui's latest collection. I love everything about the collection which has a wimsical, childish, yet grown up feeling to it. So prepare yourself for a whole lotta Miu Miu  picture porn, I especially love the shoes (I would love to be able to afford a pair with the sparrows on them).
Jem

Full Of Grace

Before Princess Grace Kelly was Monaco Royalty, she was Hollywood Royalty. I was looking for vinatage photographs when pictures of the iconic Princess kept cropping up. Almost of the pictures which I found of the Princess were old black and white photographs, which helps to preserve her image as a classic beauty. I love how in the second and the last photographs she is dressed in a button down, slacks, and penny loafers. It just goes to show, somethings will never go out of style.Then again, what did you expect from someone who inspired the name of an iconic bag?
Jem

On The Wing

On the wing, lookin' down
I see the ground below
The clouds above
I'm not sure which way is the right way around
Do I keep my feet on the ground or my head in the sky?
Who's to say, which way really is up or down?
At least for now
I'm content looking from the wing,
Up or down

This is just a little ditty which I created on the spur of the moment while looking at these pictures. The clouds, sky, and flying in airplanes tend to inspire me in general. For this little poem I was influenced by recent events in my life (mainly, the ending of one chapter of my life and the begining of another; school ending and uni life beginning), and also that blissful feeling which I get when flying. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my little peice of poetry, even if it is hardly anything edited.
Jem

Stars And Stripes

For three out of the last five days I have worn a different striped shirt. I am simply CRAZY about stripes! Everytime I wear stripes I feel like a cute little french sailor, especially when I wear boater shoes with it. I cannot get enough of this great wardrobe staple, its so easy to throw on and go. I tend to wear a bold necklace or a floral scarf which juxtaposition's the two patterns. As a final touch to my outfit I throw on my tan trenchcoat if its rainy outside. And bingo! I feel put together and ready to tackle my school day. So in honor of my love of stripes, I thought I would share with you my favorite stripe pictures, enjoy!
Jem
P.S. All of the pictures are from weheartit.com

Politics And Feminism

Today we are going to talk a little bit about Hilary Clinton and her infamous pantsuits. Now you may be thinking, "I don't give a fuck about Hilary Clinton's clothing choices." But let me tell you why you should. What Clinton chooses or does not choose to wear says a lot about the corelation between being a women and in politics. Now, a lot of people would argue women in politics are expectd to look and dress a certain way, it's part of being able to "keep up with the boys." I think that's total bogus! A women can be just as powerful in a dress as in a pantsuit. Women should not feel pressured to dress in aa pantsuits once they secure an important jobs in politics, this is part of breaking the glass ceiling. I am all for a women wearing a pantsuit if she wants too, but my arguement is;a women should not feel limited to only wearing this. Fashion is ment to be fun, even if you are involved in politics, it can still be enjoyable. It is important for women to overcome certain barriers, especially in the relm of politics. In order for equality between women and men to become more prominate, we must allow women to dress outside of the relm of extreamly conservative and "looking like a man." Besides, their is nothing wrong with looking like a women! Perhaps this will show young girls it is okay to assert your feminity AND still be into politics (or whatever it is you are interested in). This will allow for a greater changes to occur within the areas where women are often not highly involved in these activies. So basically, what I am trying to say is, it all comes down to wearing the pantsuit or not.
Jem

The Tribe

I am in awe of this model's beauty and the colorful clothes which she is wearing! I love how this editorial is emulating the style's of some African Tribes. Everything looks so bright, cheery, and yet at the same time,the model looks like she is powerful. I feel like the model (I would love to find out who she is... anyone have a clue?) really knows how to take a stunning photograph. The facial makeup from the first photograph is so pretty, now this is the way to make a cover interesting (are you listening Vogue? I mean you have Sarah Jessica Parker on the cover AGAIN, just like with the last movie. Why couldn't you pick someone more noteworthy?).

Jem

Happy Happy

Found these beautiful words of wisdom on weheartit.
Jem

The Fashion Rag

Why is it that once I ban myself from stepping anywhere near a book store (or quite frankly, any shop which sells magazines) I long to be browsing in one? To make matters worse I was reading the forums on The Fashion Spot, and what to I happen upon? A forum about fashion magazines! Reading all of the comments makes me long for either a "not mainstream" or an international magazine to read! Oh the agony! When I try to explain to my friends and family why I love reading such obsecure magazines, they never seem to understand my reasonings. They tend to sigh and say, "oh.. Jem... you and your magazines!" So, since no one else will listen to me, I am going to vent on here (this is why blogs were invented, right?). My love for periodicals all started when I was looking through my grandma's old issues of National Geographic. Ever since then my love for anything magazine wise has grown and grown. I don't just love fashion magazines, although they will always be very close to my heart. As much as I love Vogue (who doesn't love it?) I still like reading more offbeat or international magazines, so I can see what's outside of the mainstream culture bubble. To make matters worse, I just discovered a website/store called http://www.magazinecafenyc.com/ . They carry such a vast selection of magazines, so many which I have never been able to find in my little town. Oh man, I really hope I do not cave, and buy a bunch of magazines! I really do need to save my pocket money for Disney. After looking at all of these magazines it has gotten me thinking which mags I have never been able to get my hands on but I would love to read. I would love to subscribe to Vogue Australia, Russh, Flare Canada (I've always wanted to check out Canadian mags to see if they are different then U.S. publications), I-D, Jalouse, Purple, AnOther, and Lula (actually my auntie was able to get me a copy, and she said she would be sending it soon!). Looking back at the last sentance, makes me look super greedy, which I am not. I am just hungry for hard to find publications of fashion magazines. So tell me, do you have a hard time getting a hold of fashion magazines? What magazines do you like to read?
Jem

The Little Camper

The last time I went camping was years, and years ago when I was around ten years old (yikes! eight years ago!). Looking at these photographs from Elle Italia really makes me want to go camping again, it looks as much fun as I remember it! Although, the last time I went camping I don't remember tulle skirts being popular camping wear, though correct me if I am wrong! Another reason why I love all of these shots is because they are in black and white, it just adds the feeling of being timeless, don't you think?

Jem

Be A Leader

Jem

Mix and Match

I thought I would do a mash up of different photographs, seeing as most of them are just sitting on my desktop folder and have been yet to be used. All these photographs have intregued and inspired me in some way and I hope you find some inspiration on this friday afternoon.
Jem

Givenchy Haute Couture.

 I love how Givenchy was influenced by India, and especially,

Middle Eastern cultures. I think that it is so different then

from where many design houses are finding their inspiration from.

Plus Givenchy helped to resurge a new intrest in

"tribal" or "global" fashion.

Yum!!! Mickey and Mini chocolate lolly pops. I am

showing you this because I love Disney and food porn (I mean

who doesn't?). When you combine the two of them, its totally amazing!

From the perfectly tousled hair, to the white dress,

everything about this photograph is perfect.

This is from a new retelling of West Side Story, except for this

time most of it is told through dance. I believe, if I am not

mistaken, PBS did a documentary on the dance company

and their production of this classic story. I am dying to see

 it, I've herd it was fantastic.  

Summerlong

I love, love, love these photographs from a recent Teen Vogue photoshoot. The beachy vibe of everything makes me so excited for the summer time. I am looking forward to wearing white dresses, walking on the beach, and sitting in the sun while reading a good book.

Jem

Life Of An Artist

weheartit.com

Sometimes I wish I was painter. I would be like my favourite Impressionist painters; Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, and Van Gogh (though perhaps without the sad lives which many of them seemed to have lived). I would spend my life painting; only resting to read a good book, have intellectual conversations, eat, and sleep. It only seems fair, for the sake of this dream, that I would live in a garret in Paris. The garret would be close to the Eiffel Tower, so I would be able to see it from my window. This garret would be filled to the brim with interesting nic-nacks and books.
Alas, Alas I am not a painter, nor do I live in Paris. Even if I am not a painter I still can appricate all the beauty which art offers us. I have always been a ferverant supporter of the arts, for where would we be without these great artists who challenged the norm? I think my love for the arts came from my parents. A lot of people think you shouldn't take children to museums because they will not appriciate the art, my parents thought the opposite. They believed it was important to expose my sister and I to art, in all of its forms, at a early age. We went to museums all the time when we were little; my mom's philosophy was to take us to these places and then follow us around where ever we wanted to go, until we got tired. This philosophy seems to work quite well I think, people ought to try it more with their children. Another reason why I am so interested in art is because of my eighth grade advanced art teacher, Mrs. T. Mrs. T really knew not only about art but history, science, different cultures, and life. She believed that in order to truly understand art you had to understand the history, science, and culture of the time during which the peice was made. For without one another you could not have art. This is a philosophy which I have continued to carry for the rest of my life, and in all aspects of my life. So I may not be a painter but that is okay, at least I can enjoy the beauty and hard work which goes into making a peice of art.
Jem