The World Inside A Picture Frame

Cinematic Women

2011-11-22T18:52:00.000-05:00

I created a new blog focused on women in hollywood. This is a topic which is of great interest to me and one which I thought warranted it's own blog. At Cinematic Women I write about not only actresses but the women behind the camera (directors, screenwriters, etc) and other issues concerning them. So check it out at Cinematic Women ! I've got a few posts up so far and quite a lot of ideas brewing at the moment. The blog's design is a bit wonky at the moment but I'm working on fixing it to my pleasing. Please let me know what you like/don't like about the blogs content... I'm always looking for improvement. I may continue to blog at The World Inside A Picture Frame from time to time too.
Jem

I'm Back... Sort Of....

2011-11-18T16:49:00.000-05:00

Wow! I've been gone from blogging for a while now. And I got to say that I've missed it. A lot. So much has happened in the last few months; I switched schools, started contemplating what to major in (and I'm slowly narrowing it down), and started a new job.
But anyways, now I'm back, well, sort of. You see I've discovered a major love for films and an incredible annoyance with how females are making movies in Hollywood. It's a topic which really fires me up and makes me want to do something. Originally I wanted to be a journalist working for a fashion magazine, and while I still harbor that dream in someways, I want to do something more with my life. And film is where it's at. People consume so much media these days and it's simply awful how few women have a say over what's being created. In 2010 only 7% of the top 250 highest grossing films were directed by a women. And only 10% of the top highest grossing films were written by a women. Statistics like this make it all too apparent how little women are in control of the films which are released each year. So I'm still in the midst of mulling this over but I've been thinking of either turning this into a women and film blog or creating an completely new blog devoted to the subject. I just wanted to say hello though and give everyone a heads up. But for now, if you are interested in what I have to say about women and film check out my tumblr devoted to the subject! It's http://cinematicstyle.tumblr.com.
Lots of Love,
Jem

Changes

2011-03-24T20:04:00.000-04:00

Once again I have been a terrible blogger but I have my reasons. First off school was just starting up again and thats always an adjustment. Also I have been using tumblr a lot more lately. I find it easier to use- it's simple design and the fact that I can use it on the go. I love that I can use tumblr from my Iphone which is important as a college student who's always busy. So... I think I'm going to take a break from this blog. I've been running it for quite sometime now but I think I want to focus on my tumblr. I love this blog- it's what got me into the internet world and introduced me to so many amazing blogs/people. So this isn't goodbye really. I might pick the site up again someday soon but for now it's a temporary break. Although, you can always follow me on my adventures on my tumblr at http://yoninahaliza.tumblr.com. Thank you for reading and Namaste.
Lots of Love,
Jem

40 Places I Want To Travel To

2011-02-21T01:21:00.001-05:00

-this is a list of 40 places i want to someday visit. i have my reasons as to why i want to see all of these places (although a few places i just want to revisit) but i wont bore you with them (except in a few cases).-

paris, france (again)
london, england (again)
tel aviv, israel
mumbai, india
toronto, canada
bali
vancouver, canada
majorca, spain
bhutan
tibet
copenhagen, denmark
capri, italy
marrakech, morocco
istanbul, turkey
iceland (it would have to be with my dad though. he’s always wanted to see this country.)
sydney, australia
new zealand (this place looks so amazing… my god… paradise on earth!)
tallinn, estonia
san francisco, usa (again)
monaco
stockholm, sweden
luxembourg
italy (again)
greece
namibia
thailand, bangkok (to visit a friend)
buenos aires, argentina
patagonia, argentina
vienna, austria
croatia
washington d.c. (again)
amman, jordan
hawaii
dubai, uae
oxford, england
geneva switzerland
provence, france (my mom studied in this area when she was 14. i want to see what she saw.)
tokyo, japan
rajasthan, india
colorado (for skiing of course!)

so where do you want to travel too? whats on the bucket list?

jem

The Works Of Rodney Smith

2011-02-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered the works of photographer Rodney Smith via the website mymodernmet.com and can I just say its pure genius. It was while reading an interview with the artist that I first saw some of his work and read some of his statements. I couldn't help but admire his poetic musings about life along with his great works of art. They are so aspirational, so inspirational. I love how happy his photo's make me feel when I look at them.

I think art is meant to make you feel something. Whether it be feelings sadness, anger, being exuberant, melancholy, happy, or any other human emotion. If you do not feel a connection to the piece then to you it is not art although for someone else it could be. So feel every emotion possible, even the ones which aren't always good, they are what make us real and alive.

Now, back to Rodney Smith, like I was saying before when I look at his photography I feel so happy. There is often an air of wimsicality to the pictures as well which reminds me of another favorite photographer, Tim Walker. Along with sharing some of Smith's work I took quotes which I loved from his interview.

"Many people believe that one is born with talent and some people have it and some people don’t. I actually don’t believe that. I believe that everyone has the ability; because everyone is a human being and everyone has feelings. If they are able to express those feelings, than that is part of their talent."

"I don’t know my function in life. That’s probably the quest. Whether people articulate it or not, I think everyone is doing the same thing."

"One of the things that is interesting, and I think people are always intrigued by this, is that though my pictures seem so composed, they are extremely spontaneous. 95% of the pictures I take, I didn’t even know I was going to take them a few minutes before."

"Great art has always been saying a giant ‘yes’ to life. The Renaissance was a period in which people in every medium were very aspirational, they were classical in their form, they were positive about the world’s views, they were excited to be alive. That is what nurtures great art.

Everyone is aware of the evil in the world. I think what people are not aware of is the potential for doing good."

So now you've seen it- some of the stunning works of Rodney Smith- along with some of his inspirational personal statements.

Jem

Print vs. Internet

2011-02-07T23:32:00.000-05:00

This video properly addresses why magazines are not dead. A lot of people ask me when I tell them I love magazines and want to work in the industry someday, why? Why would you want to work in a dying field? So now instead of giving them a long winded answer I just have to show them this video. Magazines are not going away anytime soon. I also love the Magazines: The Power of Print advertisements which have recently been published in many magazines. Its such a smart and eye-catching campaign aiming to inform readers that print is not dying out and still remains as popular as ever, even with the Internet.
I think that print and the Internet will learn to co-exist. Neither will go out of fashion anytime soon that's for sure! I love both the Internet and print for different reasons. I love how the Internet can present everything at the tips of your fingers within seconds. Whereas I love magazines for the paper, the texture, the smartly written articles, the photographs, and the ability to hold them in your hands. So please, don't make me choose.
Jem

Re-Vamp

2011-01-31T13:25:00.002-05:00

Chinatown, San Francisco

Washington, D.C. taken when I was in the city for the

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert rally

Somewhere over New York State on the way to California

Driving along the California highway

I was fooling around the other day while editing some of my old photographs and I really liked how these four pictures ended up once edited. I am experimenting more with photography since I hope to pursue it as a career, however we shall see what the fates have in-store for me.
Jem

The Social Network

2011-01-30T01:43:00.000-05:00

Look at that face... how could you not love it?

I know I am a bit late on this bandwagon but I must say I loved the film, The Social Network. I had wanted to see it for months but never found the time to until today. Also, what was really awesome about the theater where I saw it only charged a two dollar entry fee. They only play films which have been in the theaters for a few months. Anyways, back to The Social Network. The film is about the founders of Facebook, the relationships which they have with one another and creation of one of the most popular websites ever. I was so interested to see how Mark Zuckerberg would be portrayed by Jesse Eisenburg. I mean this is the man who created Facebook, only one of the most popular social networking sites of all time (take that MySpace!). So obviously, people are going to have a lot of ideas of what sort of man he is. In the film Zuckerberg comes off in a really serious, smart, brilliant, slightly cocky and pompous fellow. Now whether or not the real Zuckerberg is really like this, who knows. All I can be sure of is that Eisenburg did a fantastic job and honestly deserves all the accolades.
Also as a side note, it must be said, Jesse Eisenburg is such a cutie. Gosh, I love cute, nerdy Jewish boys! Eisenburg also has a really great sense of wit which really comes off in his interviews well at the same time maintaing an air of nervousness. Its rather endearing actually. Besides appearing in The Social Network the actor has been in films like Zombieland (which I LOVED), Holy Rollers (I'm in the middle of watching it), and The Squid and The Whale. He was just on SNL tonight- which I haven't been able to see yet (except for the opening monolog) but I bet its hysterical. Check out the monolog to see a special appearance of the real Mark Zuckerberg chatting with the fake Mark Zuckerberg. Hilarity certain ensues.
Jem

Simple Pleasures

2011-01-19T18:05:00.000-05:00

This photograph was taken from the window of my

dorm room one day when I was up early- Isn't it

gorgeous?

Sometimes we just need to enjoy the simple, wonderful things which life brings us. Life can be so hectic that we sometimes forget to enjoy the little things which bring us joy. The list that follows are just a few of my favorite things. I cannot help but marvel at and smile while doing these things since they bring me so much happiness.

-Feeling the breeze and the ocean air when at the beach
-Spending hours in a used bookstore marveling all the rare and special books
-Eating an ice cream from a cone on a summers day
-Painting my nails, especially when they actually look good in the end
-Listening to an upbeat selection of music
-Dancing when no one is around
-Drinking tea while reading a really good book
-Wearing cashmere sweaters
-Eating mini Babybel original cheese (YUM!)
-Laughter
-Writing a letter or receiving one in return
-Having a picnic
-Watching the sunrise or sunset

Jem

J'aime Beauté

2011-01-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

www.operationbeautiful.com

One of the best websites on the Internet for boosting self confidence and teaching people to love themselves is operationbeautiful.com. I first discovered this amazing website months ago, just when it was starting out. It has been such a joy to watch the website and concept grow and become more popular. The idea for operation beautiful is that people write little notes on post-its and leave them in random spots for others find them. They are cheerful, eye catching, and thoughtful notes which have actually helped people realize that they are beautiful and to start loving themselves for who they are. A simple note can truly make a difference in someones life!

I have been posting notes with operation beautiful approved sayings where ever I go in the hopes that it might make someones day. This particular note I stuck on the door of the bathroom stall on my floor at college. What truly amazes me is that it has been on this door since around Thanksgiving time (I think it was before the holiday but I can't exactly remember). No one has taken it down; none of the girls on my floor nor the cleaning staff. In fact the people who clean our bathroom are men. I am pretty sure that it was also one of these men who put a little bit of this tape on post-it since it was nearly about to fall off. Isn't that amazing? I love that no one has any idea who did it (well except for me! hehe) and clearly no one has a problem with it. I really hope that this one post-it note was able to help someone feel better, that it made a difference to someone. In fact, I know it already has, it made a difference to me. It gave me the confidence to continue with this project and yes, I feel beautiful!

Jem

P.S. For those of you who might not know French the title of this blog posts means I Love Beauty!

The Faith Club

2011-01-17T12:48:00.000-05:00

My carmel frappuccino which I enjoyed while

reading this wonderful book!

As I have mentioned a few times before on this little blog of mine, I am very interested in other religions and creating an interfaith dialogue. I think this is in part because of my own background- I was raised in a Jewish household. My sister and I, ever since we were little tots attended Sunday school, then eventually every Wednesday night for five years Hebrew school. It was during these classes and general celebration of my faith that I became more interested in what it means to be Jewish, my own relation to g-d, and so an interest in religion developed. Yet, I wasn't just interested in Judaism but also Islam, and Christianity. My parents raised me to be curious about the world around me, to ask questions, and to accept other people even if you have differences.

So with these thoughts and beliefs in mind I looked to start and interfaith group on my college campus. I started talking with the coordinator of Hillel (the Jewish student organization on campus) about creating a place where dialogue could take place. After all, without dialogue and understanding their can be no hope for peace. Luckily, for me, she was also interested in starting such a group at my college! We have yet to have our first meeting, yet I already feel like I am on the road to dialogue. Our group assigned everyone to read The Faith Club.

The Faith Club is an amazing book, it honestly changed my life. Before I was interested in creating a group just like the three women (a Muslim, a Jew, and a Christen) but I didn't know how to go about it, what questions to ask, what sort of reactions people might have, etc. However, this book gave me a sense of peace. A feeling that if these three women can do it then so can I! I really believe that religious dialogue between different faiths is key in understanding one another which will lead to peace.

I am looking for something more then tolerance. A lot of people say, why not try to be tolerant of one another but honestly I don't like the word tolerance. Tolerance is getting along just for the sake of getting along, not because you truly understand them and are their friend. Why would I want to tolerate someone when I could accept them for who they are?

As the three women of the original faith club soon learned (and what I hope my group will also learn) is that although they had differences they also had similarities. They were raising their children in NYC after 9/11, were working mothers, interested in their religion and others too, etc. Soon enough, they were not just simply three women of different faiths working together on a book but they were also friends. I highly recommend this book, after all, we need more faith clubs in the world. So get the dialogue flowing!
Jem

Playing The Game

2011-01-13T00:04:00.000-05:00

I am currently watching the film The Young Victoria and I was blown away by this scene. Its terribly romantic, don't you think? Prince Albert wins points for telling Victoria to find a husband to play the game with her, not for her. He was quite the feminist in that sense I think. Most men of that time would have been horrified to see their wife as their equal, it just wasn't thought of. To see Albert say this to Victoria, is quite wonderful, and romantic. Honestly, no wonder they are one of my favorite royal couples. They truly loved one another which is beautiful considering how many royal matches fall to pieces. So here's to Victoria and Albert, one of the greatest love stories!
Jem

Show Me Your Skins

2011-01-09T02:46:00.000-05:00

The first generation cast

The lovely, gorgeous, and talented Nicholas Hoult!

A screen clip of Cassie

Lately I've been obsessively watching the British television show Skins. First off can I just say, its fucking brilliant! I don't normally swear but honestly, that's the only way to describe the show, with swear words. Skins is such a great show about being a teenager and the crazy things we do. I love how the show was so groundbreaking, I can't think of any other show of this genre which has portrayed teenagers so honestly. I really loved the first generation cast, two names you might recognize are Dev Patel (of Slumdog Millionaire fame) and Nicholas Hoult (from About A Boy and A Single Man). However, at the moment I think my favorite character is Cassie (its always changing though). Their something so real and perplexing about her. Cassie is struggling with an eating disorder throughout the show, and while I've never had such an illness, its her honesty which I like. Also for some reason, Cassie reminds me of what Luna Lovegood would have been like if she was a muggle, they are both a bit airy and are dreamers for sure. Also as a side note, can I just say, Nicholas Hoult is freaking gorgeous! I mean, seriously, WOW!
Obviously if you live in America and ever watch MTV you have seen promos for an American version of Skins. I would recommend just staying away from it, its going to be complete rubbish. I've always thought that the original of a television show or movie is always better, most remakes never live up to the first one. So, go watch Skins if you want to get a good look at British teens, Nicholas Hoult, or just need something to entertain yourself with.
Jem

The Greatest Unknown

2011-01-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

I was on the site, Jezebel (where I go for some of my pop culture information with a feminist spin), when I stumbled on a link to a video about one of the greatest street photographers ever. I've always been very interested in photography so I clicked on it. What I found was surprising and amazing too. Vivian Maier is probably one of the best photographers of the 20th century. Yet, her work wasn't discovered until a few years ago. The nanny/photographer took over 30,000 pictures, and many more images are still not developed. When I watched this video it struck a chord with me, I was amazed that this women had captured so many beautiful moments in peoples everyday lives. Even if you don't care about photography, you can't not watch this video and not be amazed by these stunning images. They were so beautiful that I actually got choked up- I've never cried over works of art before- so that's saying something! If you want to learn more about Maier check out the blog, http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com/.
Jem

Cheer's To A New Year

2011-01-02T18:01:00.001-05:00

Tere Arigo (Tumblr)

So.... Hello....2011! It seems that you snuck up on me and caught me by surprise. 2010 was a blur of exciting events and chances for personal growth. 2010 was a pretty spectacular year so you have a lot to live up too (but I'm sure you can do it). Some of my favorite moments from 2010 are memories which I will cherish forever. I will always remember 2010 as the year I went to prom and danced the night away with my school mates, graduating from high school, celebrating N and M's wedding, dancing with all my cousins and sister to "We Are Family," my trip to Disney with five of my besties, starting college, meeting some amazing people, attending my first hockey game and loving it, amongst other things. I hope that 2011 is even bigger and better then previous years. I hope that this year I am able to be more fearless, to do things I've always dreamt of, to make this the year of magical events. So 2011, are you ready? I say; BRING. IT. ON.

Jem

Taking One For The Girls!

2010-12-21T21:57:00.000-05:00

Just a short, quickie post. UCONN girls basketball team made history today by becoming the first college b-ball team to win 89 consecutive games. If that isn't impressive I don't know what is.

I've always been a supporter of the UCONN team because my great aunt was once asked to play for them but unfortunately she turned them down since it was considered unladylike for her to play (this was in the 30's/40's). This is a shame however she still continued to root for the school's basketball team. So when it came time for me to choose a school to support it only seemed natural to carry on my great aunts love.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand.... this team was able to make history! I love that it was a girls team too. I mean we can't let the boys have all the fun can we? I have a feeling people will be talking about this game and historic moment for years to come (and eventually a movie will be made based off of the event... paging Disney as we speak! lol). This is a huge moment not only in basketball but in women's athletics in general. Maybe now people will take women's sports more seriously and their won't be anymore talk about women being inferior in athletics. Since clearly as the UCONN team proved, that is a complete and utter lie. Women are just as good as men and sometimes even better, they did break a men's basketball teams record after all. So what are your thoughts about this game? This moment in sports history?
Jem

Thoughts On Why I love Fashion....

2010-12-19T14:22:00.000-05:00

Fashion, or should I say style, has always been their for me. I was a particular child. I mean, what normal child refuses to wear jeans/pants until the third grade? I wore dresses EVERY day. I can remember sticking to my convictions and telling my mum what I wanted to wear. Fashion taught me how to stick to my beliefs- to think that certain things ought to be a certain way. Yet, it also taught me that sometimes beliefs change and rules are meant to be broken. It also taught me that it's okay to be daring. Its okay to think to yourself, "who cares what others think. If this makes me happy then I am going to wear it!"

One of the first things I think most people learn about me is, I truly care about fashion. A few weeks after beginning college a friend remarked to me, "you know, you always look SO good." My friends never see me in my sweats, not because I don't like them (god knows they are some of the most comfortable things in the world) but because I like to look presentable and polished. I know that I don't look presentable in sweats, so I choose just not to wear them (they might work on other people but sure not on me).

I care about fashion for many reasons. Fashion is about how you project yourself to the world. Sometimes I think I can tell the world more about myself by what I am wearing then by what I write or say. Fashion/style says as much about a person as what they talk about. I also love that special feeling I get when I put on a new dress or a pair of glamourous flats. You feel good, as if you can take on the world. And its true, you can. You can do anything if you have confidence and a nice outfit!
Jem

TED

2010-12-19T02:17:00.000-05:00

I have to give thanks to my friend Forrest for introducing me to TED, a nonprofit dedicated to ideas worth spreading. Its goal is to inspire, influence, and create collaborations between all sorts of people from different walks of life. TED stands for technology, entertainment, and design. But it is oh so much more. Its encompasses other ideas too. The two videos above, are just two of the hundreds of videos available, and two of my personal favorite. TED is brilliant, it really makes you think and learn a lot from people who you normally would not be exposed too. Also, I have to commend the creators of the TED website, they have included this translation project. People translate videos into subtitles in English and other languages too. This is great for people like me, those who are hard of hearing or deaf, who other wise might not be able to enjoy the video because we wouldn't be able to comprehend what is being said. So really, hop on over to this genius organizations website, and just spend a few hours engrossed in the videos. If you don't come away learning something new, well, then we've got a problem!
Jem

Candlelight

2010-12-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

This video has certainly taken the viral world by storm over the last few days. The moment my sister sent me the link to it, I couldn't stop replaying it. Candlelight is such a catchy parody of the song Dynamite sung by Yeshiva Universities acappella group, The Maccabeats. Its been stuck in my head these last few days. Finally we have another song to play, besides Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song! I've also been listening to Matisyahu's song, One Day. Its so beautiful and has such a powerful message, its hope is that one day we will live in a world filled with peace. Now thats a message I think everyone can get behind. So, Happy Hanukkah to my fellow Jew's and a Happy Holiday season everyone!
Jem

Taking Center Stage

2010-12-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

Vogue. The cast of Billy Elliot posing along side a model.

Look at the gorgeous gown she's wearing!

Wendy's explanation of grace is exactly

how I view it. It is so much more then physical

but a mental state as well.

Source unknown. I love the sense of poise and

whimsy captured in this photograph.

Ballerina Project (check out its Tumblr

and Facebook page). This is such an

amazing project- ballerina's are photographed

all around NYC. This tumblr is where I've

continuously found much of my inspiration.

It seems that my blog has fallen to the wayside for much of these last few months. I love blogging but school work always comes first. Luckily, I have a free day today, so I figured I would get typing. I've recently become obsessed with dance. I was a dancer for twelve years, specializing in Modern Dance, and recently I've fallen in love with it once again. Searching the inter-web for photographs of girls dancing has taken over much of my free time. I am constantly searching for inspiration and I seem to find it in people dancing, especially ballet. Growing up, one of my dreams was to be a prima ballerina and dance with a company. Alas, such dreams never came to fruition but I still find so much inspiration from such dancers. Their is so much grace, humility, strength and power to be found in such photographs.
Jem

Hearing With The Heart

2010-11-17T20:50:00.001-05:00

Today I found this post on my tumblr feed and was enraged so I figured I would comment on it. I have mentioned several times that I am hard of hearing, I have many friends who are deaf/ and hard of hearing, and I have lived with this unique quality since I was quite young. So it upsets me when people make ignorant comments pertaining to the deaf/hard of hearing world, even if they don't mean to be rude. I wrote this for all of my friends, for myself, and for the community as a whole. Also, technically I may not be deaf but sometimes I prefer to label myself as deaf.

my convoluted mind: Sometimes, I wish I was deaf.

juliareyes:

So I wouldn’t hear you screaming about things bs things that could be fixed easily. I hate waking up in the middle of the night, only to hear you complaining about a small matter. I hate hearing her cry over you. I pity you because I know you’ll never learn. I wish to not hear you…

Sometimes I think people are completely ignorant. You can wish you were deaf but have you ever stopped and wondered what its like to actually be deaf? No? Clearly not. Just because we cannot hear does not mean that we don’t listen. I understand that what you mean to say is that you wish you had the ability not to listen to what is being said but still… this was ignorance at its best. I can’t tell you how many times I have herd people tell me, “you are so lucky you can’t hear,” what makes you think I can’t? I just hear in a different way then other people do. I hear though reading peoples facial expressions, lip reading, oral language (term meaning spoken word), and sign language. I may not always hear with my ears but I sure as hell hear with my heart.

Jem

Inconsistent

2010-10-25T02:10:00.000-04:00

I feel like such a horrible blogger, I really do, for being away for so long. Its just that freshman year of college has been very overwhelming; making new friends and school work have taken up so much of my time lately.

Also, I will admit that I am having an internal battle over having a blog. As a journalism major, I keep getting mixed signals- should I or shouldn't I have a blog? Its rather confusing however don't fret for the moment I have decided to keep my blog! Its not that I don't love blogging- because don't get me wrong- I do but its still a very big commitment. However, at the moment, it is still something that I am very committed in investing my time. Although, just as a warning it may be a bit more infrequent, then it used to be. So please bare with me while I get all sorted out!
Jem

Keep Calm....

2010-10-14T01:58:00.000-04:00

I am in love with this shirt! For those of you who aren't in the know its a reference to one of the best musicals ever- A Very Potter Musical. I seriously need to get my hands on this tee, it would be totally awesome to wear it to the release of the first part of the seventh movie. I have no doubt that many people would get this reference, I mean its gonna be totally awesome! Also, yes, the man modeling this shirt is Darren Criss who plays Harry Potter in AVPM; doesn't he look mighty fine?
Jem

Whats Up Hockey Puck?

2010-10-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

I would just to take a moment to talk about how awesome my college is and then I will get back to my normal proceedings. Today I had a new experience which once again reinforces how bloody brilliant college is. I went to my first hockey game. Yes, I will admit it, I was a hockey virgin. I've watched the sport on television during the Olympics but never actually attended a game before (which is slightly odd considering I grew up near one of the best teams on the west coast). Hockey always seemed like it was an interesting sport to watch live and I have to say it didn't disappoint.
I stupidly made one mistake when I went; I didn't wear my school shirt! Honestly, I always believed that people never really wore their teams colors however I was very, very mistaken. The crowd was a sea of orange and brown and then their was me; in grey and blue. All I have to say is, I'm super glad I didn't wear the other schools colors; purple and gold (Yuck! Those were my high school's colors!).
Hockey is in my opinion so much better to watch then Football. I never understood Football. However, with Hockey I actually picked up the game really fast and was soon cheering "YOU SUCK!" to the other team! Okay, so if you haven't noticed already, but my school is a huge Hockey school. So huge that we don't even have a Football team. We are also labeled as a "nerd school" so it doesn't seem like the two should go together but somehow they work. To prove how nerdy of a school we are, our team comes out onto the rank to the tune of the imperial march (the theme song from Star Wars)! How great is that?
So basically, all I am trying to say is.... Hockey is amazing. Also my college is amazing.
Jem
P.S. If you were wondering, my team did win. In fact we crushed the other team. So who says nerds can't be athletic too?

What A Lily!

2010-09-29T15:05:00.000-04:00

Above Fall 2010

I was perusing the forums at TFS when I came across this stunning image of Lily Cole. Doesn't she look beautiful? Lily Cole has always been a favorite of mine, yet she doesn't get as many editorials as she used to, which I think is a shame. She not only has the beauty but the brains as well. She attends University of Cambridge- so you know she's a smartie! I love when people who are in the entertainment/beauty/fashion business don't personify typical stereotypes of those working in these fields- when instead they challenge the norms. Lily Cole is just one fine example of someone challenging the norms and daring people to think outside of the box.

Jem

Her Morning Elegance

2010-09-19T22:54:00.001-04:00

I am sure by now most people have seen this wonderful music video for Oren Lavie's song, Her Morning Elegance, but I couldn't resist sharing it with you. I love, love, love this song and this music video. Its just a good video and it doesn't even have to try and sell sex to do so! It seems like their are so many music videos which try to sell you something; sex, popularity, ect. This is not one of those videos. Perhaps part of the reason why it doesn't have any of these awful things within the videos message is because the singer isn't American. So often, American singers try to use sexuality to become popular, which unfortunately tends to work. Whereas, I think singers of other nationalities don't always do this. Oren Lavie was born and raised in Israel which I think does make a difference in the way of performance too.
It seems that I have a thing for Israeli singers since I count Harel Skaat, Oren Lavie, and Yael Naim as three of my favorite singers! I would like to take a moment to promote Harel Skaat's musical career- I just found out he will be releasing an album in English (FINALLY!)- so now is your chance to start listening to him before he hits it big time!
Jem

Royal Gaga

2010-09-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

I will admit it, ever since school started I've been a terrible blogger! I've got a really heavy workload, a lot of my homework assignments are always due the next day or by the end of the week. Oh well, I guess that's what I get for being a journalism major! The professors are trying to keep it real and on a tight deadline. However, that said, I do love my classes and I am learning a ton.
I promise to fully make up my lack of blogging at some point but how about a picture of Lady Gaga at the MTV VMA's for right now? Will that hold you off? She looks stunning in a dress from Alexander McQueen's last collection. Several news outlets are saying its controversial and outlandish however I disagree with these naysayers. I really don't see how this dress is controversial. Lady Gaga always wears outfits that will catch a person off guard but they are meant to be fun and inspiring. Just like Alexander McQueen, Lady Gaga, is often controversial so its only fitting that she wear a gown by him! Also if you notice, the people escorting her down the red carpet are members of the military which have been affected by the "don't ask don't tell" policy. Its great that Lady Gaga uses any opportunity she gets to raise awareness for certain issues, it shows she stands for something and isn't afraid of making her voice herd.
Jem

A New Language and Culture

2010-09-03T20:47:00.000-04:00

I know these last few posts have been college related but please bare with me for at least one more post (although I can't promise that I won't write about college again). To make this more interesting I thought I would give you more insight in to the school which I attend. While I won't tell you where its located I will tell you a little bit about why its unique (actually I bet you will be able to narrow down what school it is).
First off, I've mentioned a few times before but I am hard of hearing. I grew up in a mainstreamed environment, meaning I was surrounded by hearing people and not immersed in the deaf culture. However I chose to attend a college where deaf, hard of hearing and hearing students were all united as one. Their are a lot of deaf/hard of hearing (hoh) students in my school which is a very new experience for me. The last time I had been around this many deaf/hoh kids was in preschool. So you can imagine it was a bit of a culture shock for me. Since I don't sign very well its taken a little time getting used too being around so many who do. For the first time in my life I don't have to explain to someone why I have a hearing loss and I can have in depth conversations about how we discovered our hearing loss and growing up deaf/hoh. I'm not going to lie, it does boost my confidence knowing other people who have been through similar experiences to me. So now, all I have to do is pick up sign language and I will be totally in the loop with all my classmates! Also the picture which goes along with this post is the ASL (American Sign Language) alphabet and how to count the numbers one through ten. If you are interested in learning sign try taking a sign language class (which is what I am going to do while also learning from my friends) or practicing on your own, you never know when it could come in handy!
Jem

These First Days

2010-09-03T00:21:00.002-04:00

I'm all settled in my dorm and life at my uni is great! I've only been here for two days and I've already made a few friends (which let me tell ya, is nice when you want to go to the dinning hall... then you don't have to eat by yourself). I just got back from seeing a hypnotist perform with a few people and it was insanely awesome. At first I was skeptical about the whole thing but it was quite obvious that they were under his spell. The volunteers did anything he wanted them too all while exploring the depths of their imagination. One guy was told to pretend he was a kangaroo and then look down his pouch (his pants!) and then hop across the stage and stuff bread down his pants in order to feed his baby! Then he was told that he wouldn't remember it until he got changed for bed, when he found the bread! HILARIOUS! Although slightly cringeworthy for all those involved.Anyways, its past midnight and I have to be up early so its bed time for me.
Jem

Dorm Days

2010-08-31T23:24:00.000-04:00

Postsecret

Tonight is my last night in my own room, my own bed, my own house. I am rather sad yet at the same time feeling rather hopeful. I hope that all ends well and I will be happy. Tomorrow I have a bit of a drive until I reach my university of choice then it's the long process of moving into my dorm room. I don't doubt that it will be exhausting, never racking, and exciting all at the same time. However, I am most excited to make new friends, to grow as a person, have fun but most of all to learn! My classes all sound really interesting and I am especially thrilled to be taking intro to journalism and news writing! Also, how awesome is this postcard with someones secret on it? I feel the exact same way as whoever wrote this (although the only difference is I'm a freshman in college not a sophomore). If I don't blog for a few days then you will know that I am getting adjusted to this new life and having a lot of fun as well!
Jem

A Bunch Of Beauty

2010-08-27T23:29:00.000-04:00

This Miss Dior campaign is simply lovely; filled with lots of pinks,

roses, bows, and pretty perfume bottles (and the scent is just

as sweet as the advert).

Long billowy dresses are great for windy days as they just

flutter about you while you gracefully move about. This photograph

is a testament to this truth (plus red dresses are just shockingly

stunning).

I want these books, all of them, every single last one. The covers

are just so whimsical but also add to the greatness of these

classic books (not that they need the help). However if I had to own only one of

these books I would most like to have a copy of this Pride and Prejudice edition.

Earlier this evening my sister and I were planning some of

our grand European adventure, which shall take place summer

of 2012. One of our planned stops is the city of love (can I say sisterly

love instead?) Paris, France. I've only been to Paris once, my sister

has yet to go, but we both want to visit the Impressionist works of art,

eat macaroons, shop (well... this one's mainly me), and climb

La Tour Eiffel (second time for me). How can one not be

inspired by this majestic city?

I thought I would cap off the week with a light hearted post of photographs which I am currently inspired by. Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!
Jem

Lets Start a Voguelutionary!

2010-08-26T21:59:00.000-04:00

Why don't fashion magazines get political now days? It seems now more then ever many publications are trying to avoid politics, religion, and human rights issues. Sure they will tackle environmental issues which, don't get me wrong is great, but their are other issues besides the environment which need to be addressed too. Look at the picture above, it features the Dalai Lama and he's not even on the cover of what I first suspected was a Time or Newsweek magazine! Instead this is a Vogue Paris cover from December 1992. The last time US Vogue had someone remotely related to politics, human rights, religion, or the environment was Michelle Obama's March 2009 cover. Michelle was only the second first lady to appear on Vogue, the first being Hilary Clinton in 1998. Magazines, especially fashion rags, don't mind writing about these issues inside their pages but whatever happened to putting them on the front page? Sure you can claim, "well their fashion magazines what did you expect?" but that's no excuse, if they are so willing to push the boundaries inside their pages why shouldn't they be willing to on the cover? First off, I know the answer to my own question, which is that the cover sells a magazine. So rather then having someone like Queen Rania (who in my opinion would be pretty awesome to see on the cover), Gloria Steinem (how neat would that be?) or even Betty White (she's flipping fantastic and so not the average age of a Vogue reader) appear on the cover we are forced to look at Jennifer Aniston's face once again (I actually like Aniston but seriously? She doesn't have anything new to say and her and Brad's relationship is so 2000's).
I did some research with the help of some lovely members over at The Fashion Spot and discovered some interesting facts. Oprah was on the October 1998 issue which was a really, really big deal (not that I remember because I was playing with barbies that year). Anna Wintour told Oprah loose 20 pounds in order to appear on the cover and since no one, I mean NO ONE, says no to Ms. Wintour Oprah quickly shed those pounds.
The last (and first time from what I can tell) time a female athlete was on the cover was in January 2001 (Lebron James was the first male athlete when he posed for the April 2008 cover). Marion Jones was the cover girl, yes I mean THAT Marion Jones who later got her Olympic medals taken away. Vogue had such a great opening this year with the 2010 winter Olympics to put someone different on the cover. I think several female athletes would have made great Vogue cover stars. Women like Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancusco, or Joannie Rochette. I would have even liked it if they put a male Olympian on the cover perhaps posing with a model though. My suggestions would have included Apolo Anton Ohno (who is perhaps one of the most recognizable Olympians), Shaun White, or Johnny Weir (Now that I would like to see... imagine some of the soundbites that you could get from a conversation between him and Andre Leon Tally?!).
I don't think I am asking for a lot, really I'm not, all I want is for Vogue to shake up its image and put interesting people on the cover instead of the same rotation of cover stars. So tell me, who would you love to see on the cover of Vogue?
Jem

L'Imperatrice

2010-08-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

My sister, her friend and I went to Sephora where I then walked away with quite a loot. I not only bought a new eyelash curler but Korres Thyme Honey moisturizer and a new perfume. I recently ran out my Vera Wang Princess perfume which I had received for a Hanukkah present three years ago and ever since then I had been searching for the perfect new scent. I found it in D&G's collection of perfumes which is five scents which smell heavenly. My favorite is 3 L'Imperatrice which has a sweet mix of fruity and flowery. As soon as I smelt it I said to my sister, "this smells like me" and she agreed, it does smell like something I would wear and its an embodiment of my personality. As Sephora's website describes L'Imperatrice its, "confident, charismatic, and boundary-shattering" all three words which I would like to think myself as! I cannot wait to apply this on every morning, it just makes me happy. I've always believed that makeup is meant to only enhance your natural beauty, not change it, and this D&G perfume does just that! Also did you know L'Imperatrice means empress? So basically that's why I feel like a queen when I wear it!
Jem

Nebulullaby

2010-08-23T00:33:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered an awesome website/community for those with artistic pursuits called HitRecord. Now I am no artist; I just like to doodle, make collages, and write stories but after perusing this site it has really got me inspired. Its a community of people who draw, paint, write stories/songs, make videos, or anything artistic really but what the neat thing about it is its all collaborative. When you put a piece of your work on the site you are thereby allowing a fellow member to use it, however they see it fit (while giving you credit of course), which leads to some interesting collabs. Oh, and did I tell you the founder of HitRecord is none other then my current crush Joseph Gordon Levitt? No? Well, now you know! This video is one of my favorite clips on the site, it was a collaboration between JGL, Sean Lennon (yes John Lennon's son, he wrote the song and sang it too!), and members of this online community. Honestly, ever time I watch this it makes me grin ear to ear. The song lyrics are just so catchy, its well made, and just plain cute!
Jem

Brand New Shoes

2010-08-22T22:48:00.000-04:00

She & Him by the fairytale featuring Beyond Vintage dresses

Once again, you all have to suffer through my love of She & Him (of which I've been listening too non-stop over the last few days) this time in polyvore form though! MWAHAHA (my sad attempt at evil laughter...). So this look was inspired in part by the look which Zooey is sporting in the picture, the cover art for Volume II, and the song Brand New Shoes. First off you will noticed I mimicked the album cover look with a trench coat, and bag. The shoes are red because of a line from Brand New Shoes "I had some brand new shoes they were all red, but they gave me the blues." The blue dress also comes from the dress which Zooey is wearing and the song lyrics. RayBan's are just awesome and something which I know Zooey or M. Ward would sport. The bee ring is quirky, like the band and this lip gloss is just here because it's my favorite brand and always works like a charm. So clearly you can see, I have simply too much time on my hands, so much so that I can come up with these elaborate ideas! Quick, get me back to school before my brain officially melts from lack of stimulating knowledge! I start uni soon for which I am rather excited/nervous/scared for but which I am sure will be a lot of hard work and fun.
Jem

Thieves

2010-08-22T01:30:00.001-04:00

She & Him - Thieves from Merge Records on Vimeo.
I know I've espoused my love for all things Zooey Deschanel plenty of times on this blog but please let me indulge once more. Now watch this video before I go any further. You watched it? Okay, good. First off let me state; why is this video so fucking adorable? Seriously, this wins major brownie points for cuteness. I also love it for the way the video was shot with a silent film feel to it as well in black and white. Most musical artists tend to go for the glitz and glamour when making a video, oh and don't forget the completely blunt sexist treatment of women in music videos. I think what makes She & Him so great is they are none of that, nor do they attempt to get listeners to buy into that sort of garbage. All they want is to make a good record, no bells and whistles attached. Its a shame that they don't get much time on the radio waves but instead we are forced to listen to a kid named Justin Bieber and a glitter-Native American wannabe- fairy named Ke$ha (please don't even get me started on how much Ke$ha's wearing of Native American headdresses is offensive... or else you would be reading this for another hour). So tell me, this video made you smile right? Also whats your favorite She & Him song? Personally I'm loving Thieves, Brand New Shoes, and You've Really Got A Hold On Me at the moment but my favorite songs are always changing.
Jem

Free The Hikers

2010-08-21T00:43:00.000-04:00

(Josh Fattal, Sarah Shourd, and Shane Bauer)
On July 31, 2009 three Americans were hiking near the Ahmed Awa waterfall in Iraq however at some point they perhaps mistakenly crossed over into Iran. It was at this point that Sarah Shourd, Josh Fattal, and Shane Bauer were wrongly arrested by the Iranian government. Ever since that day the three have been detained in Iran, in near isolation from the outside world in the famed Evin prison (its famed for its horrible treatment of prisoners). They have not had access to their lawyer or barely anyone else who wishes to help them since they arrived at Evin, which was over a year ago. This is a serious violation of human rights; no access to a defense attorney, Sarah has been in solitary confinement for the whole time, no trial date set, ect. So please just take a few moments out of your day and go to www.freethehikers.org and sign the petition to release them so they can return home safe and sound. I just signed the petition and I know it is the best thing which I've done all day, if perhaps not all week. This could save three peoples lives, so please unite and help make their wish for freedom a reality.
Jem

Viva La Queen!!!

2010-08-18T22:53:00.000-04:00

Marie Antoinette by the fairytale

I've been thinking a lot lately about Marie Antoinette. Ever since I started reading a book which takes place during revolutionary France its reminded me a lot of the young Queen. Throughout the book they mention the Queen and her family and at one point you even get a glimpse of them trying to escape Paris. All this brought back memories of the first time I ever picked up a Vogue magazine, Kirsten Dunst was on the cover for the release of her film Marie Antoinette. So really I have a lot to thank this Queen, it was a biography of her life which opened me up to the world of fashion (which let's be honest she knew a thing or two about). The film also ranks up at the top of my list of great fashion moments in cinematic history. The clothes were just as much a part of the story as the acting was. They helped to carry the film along and show the viewer what was occurring in Marie Antoinette's life at the moment. So I thought I would re-invent some of the outfits which Kirsten Dunst sports in the film while playing this doomed Queen, except make it a bit more modern.

Jem

Paint By Covers

2010-08-18T19:57:00.000-04:00

I found this interesting article on Jezebel.com about everyones favorite magazine issue: September. I really enjoyed reading the satistics so I figured I would share with you what I read. Hopefully i'm not the only person who thinks that these types of things are cool (but thats the magazine dork in me). So tell me, whats your favorite september magazine cover?
Jem

First, titles and cover stars, from left to right:
Row 1: Allure, Kim Kardashian; Harper's Bazaar US (subscriber cover), Jennifer Aniston; Harper's Bazaar Australia, Elle MacPherson; Harper's Bazaar US (newsstand cover), Jennifer Aniston; Harper's Bazaar Japan, Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise; Harper's Bazaar UK (subscriber cover), Gisele Bündchen; Cosmopolitan US, Jessica Alba; Dazed & Confused, Dakota Fanning; Elle US, Julia Roberts.

Row 2: Elle UK, Emily Blunt; Essence, Naomi Campbell, Iman Abdulmajid, and Liya Kebede; Flare, Doutzen Kroes; Glamour US, Jennifer Lopez; Glamour UK, Katy Perry; i-D, three covers, Kate Moss, Lady Gaga, and Naomi Campbell; LOVE, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Row 3: Lucky, Jessica Simpson; Marie Claire US, three covers, Mary-Kate Olsen; More, Laura Linney; Teen Vogue, Victoria Justice; Vanity Fair US & UK, Lady Gaga; Vogue US, Halle Berry; Vogue Australia, Catherine McNeil.

Row 4: Vogue Japan, Natasha Poly; Vogue Portugal, Olga Scherer; Vogue UK, Kate Moss; Vogue Germany, Constance Jablonksi; Vogue China, two covers, Feifei Sun, Liu Wen, Ming Xi, Shu Pei Qin, and Tao Okamoto; W, triple gatefold, Yaya DaCosta, Jennifer Lawrence, Greta Gerwig, Kat Dennings, Jessica Chastain, Emma Roberts, Zoe Kravitz, and Mary-Elizabeth Winstead.

September By The Numbers

Number of magazines pictured above: 29
Number of people on all the covers of these magazines: 48 (including six people with covers of LOVE, not pictured)
Notable magazines not appearing here: Vogue Paris and Vogue Italia, neither of which is out yet
Number of magazines that have multiple covers: 8 (counting Harper's Bazaar US & UK's subscriber and newsstand covers; LOVE's eight covers; Glamour UK's eight regional covers, each of which features Katy Perry; i-D's three covers; American Marie Claire's three covers; Vogue China's two covers; and W's triple gatefold cover)
Number of covers featuring Gisele Bündchen: 2 (counting one cover of LOVE, not pictured)
Number of covers featuring Naomi Campbell: 2
Number of covers featuring Kate Moss: 2
Number of covers featuring Lady Gaga: 2
Number of covers featuring one or more people of color: 6
Total number of people of color on all of these magazines: 12
12 out of 48 makes: 25%
Number of years since a black woman was last on the September cover of American Vogue: 21
Year in which American Vogue first featured a black cover model: 1974, with Beverly Johnson
Ratio of actresses : singers : models: 21 : 3 : 23
Number of reality television stars who wanted to be on a magazine cover without first staging a fight with a female family member: 1
Ratio of women : men: 47 : 1
Oldest person on a September cover: Lauren Hutton, 66, LOVE (not pictured)
Youngest person on a September cover: Dakota Fanning, 16, Dazed & Confused
Number of women over 40 on a September cover: 10, including American Elle, Vogue, and Glamour
Uncanny Valley Award For Most Outrageous Photoshop: Essence
Most wtf hair: American Vogue
Number of magazines in addition to i-D, where such a pose is traditional, where a person on the cover was snapped covering up or closing one eye: 5
Number of black-and-white covers: 8, counting Hutton's LOVE cover and the subscriber covers of US & UK Harper's Bazaar
Prettiest cover: Gisele Bündchen for Harper's Bazaar UK, duh
Number of covers pictured above with the word "Va-jay-jay" in 48-point font: 1
Number of covers pictured above with the words "Fall Fashion": 9
Number of issues claiming to be the "Fashion Issue": 6
Number of American nationals involved in the creation of Vogue Japan's "American Beauty" cover: probably zero, given the fashion editor is Italian, the photographers are Dutch, and the model is Russian
Achievement Award For Most Awkward Pose: jointly given to Jessica Simpson and Elle MacPherson
Most original cover of a mainstream magazine: Lady Gaga on Vanity Fair. Duh.

www.jezebel.com

Brando And Littlefeather

2010-08-16T00:11:00.000-04:00

Awhile back I started writing posts about women who I admired, I wrote about three (Marlee Matlin, Hermione Granger, and Nujood Ali), before I promptly stopped. I can't say why I did although I have the habit of forgetting about things so that could be one reason why. The fact that I have maintained this blog for as long as I have still amazes me every time I write a new post. However I think its about time that I bring back these posts about kick ass feminist women and men!

So now I introduce you to Sacheen Littlefeather. Many people haven't herd of this courageous soul but I wish more would learn about her. Sacheen Littlefeather is most known for her involvement with the 1973 Oscar ceremony.

On February 27, 1973 the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota was seized by followers of The American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM took control of Wounded Knee in protest of the terrible conditions of the Pine Ridge reservation, one of the poorest places in the United States, where very few opportunities to make a living were available. The governments response to this was to surround the town which lead to 71 days of shootings on both sides of the conflict. The Wounded Knee Incident, as it was later called, became media frenzy and began to highlight the inhuman treatment of Native Americans. However, Native Americans continued to receive backlash and still were not treated as they should be. If you ask me, they still aren't. Native American tribes are still not recognized as their own nation by the U.S. government. They still have not received enough compensation for all the horrors they have experienced in the past by those of European decent (although I don't know if it is possible to completely compensate someone for past wrong doings).

So what does this all have to do with the glamorous Oscar ceremony? Also in 1973 Marlon Brando was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Godfather. The awards occurred during the height of the standoff between AIM and the federal government during which Brando choose to make a statement about his feelings on the issue. Instead of accepting his rightly earned Oscar he sent Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. Littlefeather was told not to accept the award and instead to deliver a fifteen page speech written by Brando. Backstage before giving her speech the producer of the show threatened to physically remove and arrest Sacheen Littlefeather if she went beyond speaking for forty-five seconds. So instead she went on stage and improvised what Marlon Brando wanted her to say. She spoke saying, owing to the "poor treatment of Native Americans in the film industry" Marlon Brando would not accept the award. He also in part would not accept the award because of the events at Wounded Knee. After Sacheen Littlefeather delivered her short speech she went backstage and read the speech which Brando had written to the press. This Oscar moment is considered a huge success by those supporting the AIM. However this is not the end of the story. Both Littlefeather and Brando received much criticism and even death threats. Sacheen Littlefeather's acting career was also cut short, people refused to hire her because of her participation in Brando's Oscar boycott and because she was Native American.

Although Sacheen Littlefeather suffered from this event I still believe that she is an amazing women. It takes a lot of guts to stand up in front of all of Hollywood and proclaim that their treatment of Native Americans in films and tv is completely awful. Also I have to give major props to Marlon Brando for giving her the chance to call Hollywood out on their actions, it takes a lot of courage to do whats is right, even if it means sacrificing accolades for your career. Please check out the video of Sacheen Littlefeathers Oscar speech on Youtube, its incredible to watch.
Jem

The Wrong Meaning

2010-08-15T01:12:00.000-04:00

Today I was listening to the radio while driving in my Honda Accord when Rihanna and Eminem's single Love The Way You Lie came on. I had never really, I mean really, listened to the lyrics before instead I was just bopping my head along to the catchy words and beat. When I took the time to listen to the message I was at once intrigued and horrified. With lyrics like "Next time, There will be no next time, I apologize even though it's lies, I'm tired of the games, I just want her back, I know I'm a liar, If she ever tries to fucking leave again, i'mma tie her to the bed, and set the house on fire" the song clearly has seriously violent undertones to it. Love The Way You Lie's message is one of domestic violence, telling the story of a tumultuous relationship between two lovers. While I think spreading the word about domestic violence and how to get out of such a relationship is a nobel thing to sing about I am not crazy about this song. I feel so iffy when I listen to it, it almost seems as if they are glamorizing violent relationships with lines like, "Because I like the way it hurts, Just gonna stand there and hear me cry, but that's alright, because I love the way you lie." It makes it sound as if violence in a relationship is okay. Rihanna is the one who sings these lyrics and as a victim of domestic violence it strikes me odd that she would comply with singing about such things. Some of Rihanna and Eminem's fans are so young that they cannot properly understand the full meaning of the lyrics. Yet, they can still interpret the significance of them, except they get it all wrong. Thus songs like this continue to perpetuate societies feelings about abusive relationships, often that the women (and sometimes the man) who the violence is being inflicted upon deserved it. Rihanna should use her experiences to help others currently in this situation and sing about how to get out of such relationship rather then proclaiming lyrics along the lines of, "I will endure the pain you inflict on me and stay with you simply because we have fun in bed." Honestly, it makes you question if Rihanna truly understands what the song is about or if she simply doesn't give a damn and wants to make a bucket load of cash. Sometimes I find when you actually take the time to listen to lyrics of a song, as in the case of Love The Way You Lie, what you discover can leave you appalled and wishing the music business wouldn't record such songs.

Jem

Proper Elegance

2010-08-13T23:13:00.000-04:00

I am so in love with this photograph from Vogue China's September issue. Their is an air of timeless elegance surrounding the image. It is as if we are transported back into time to a place where women still wore full figured dresses, coiffed their hair, and adorned appropriately with pearls. I wish we could bring back this style of dress, women (and men) dressed so classy. Why don't we still dress like this? Instead we get ripped jeans, too much cleavage, and no air of self respect. Seriously, whats wrong with our society?
Jem

A Peace Treaty

2010-08-10T22:41:00.000-04:00

I am finally back from my short hiatus and ready to blog until my heart is content! So first off, I promised that I would share stories of my cousins wedding but I wont bore you with all the details. The wedding was so beautiful, you could feel how much N and M love each other throughout the whole ceremony. I got choked up a few times while they were saying their vows, but luckily for me, I had tissues in my bag! One thing which I always seem to forget about weddings, well mainly Jewish weddings (or at least all the one's I've attended), is that they are so dang short! For some reason I always think they are super long when in reality the ceremony couldn't have lasted more then a half an hour. I love weddings, seeing the union of two people, celebrating with them, and "eating, dancing, eating, and dancing some more" as the cheerful waiter at the Cheesecake Factory put it when we told him what our plans were for later in the day.
On another note, I just discovered an amazing accessories and jewelry line called A Peace Treaty. A Peace Treaty was established after its two founders met at a party and they discovered they both wanted to create something which would have a lasting impact on peoples lives. They chose to do this though scarves and jewelry. The line gives work to disadvantaged artisans in places like Afghanistan, Turkey, Nepal, and Pakistan but also pays them above-fair-trade rates (meaning they get paid more then many other working people in their country). What is so interesting about A Peace Treaty is that the founders, Dana Arbib and Farah Malik managed to get pass their differences, Arbib is a Libyan Jew and Malik is a Pakistani Muslim, thus dislodging the misconception that Arabs and Jews cannot unit towards a common goal of Tikkun Olam. Tikkun Olam is a Hebrew phrase which means "repairing the world" and is a personal belief of mine. I've always thought we need to make the world a better place and it seems that A Peace Treaty also has the same idea in mind while creating their wares.
Jem

Gone

2010-08-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been absent for the last week or so but I've been busy with work and family obligations. My family from England is visiting this week so I've spent all my free time with them. Also I am afraid you shall have to wait a little bit longer until everything is back to normal seeing as I will be in Boston this weekend. My cousin N is getting married to M which I am beyond thrilled about. They are such a sweet couple and I love them both to pieces. I will be back on Monday with lots of stories to tell. Wishing you all a fun filled weekend.
Jem

Simply Mad (Mad I Tell You!)

2010-07-31T01:11:00.000-04:00

Things I'm simply mad about (a.k.a a compilation of the seriously awesome things in life):

Drinking tea and eating toast- I love brewing myself a cup of black tea, pouring in a spoonful of sugar (helps the medicine go down as my favorite nanny says) and a dash of milk then coupling it with toast buttered with jam. YUM! Seriously, life does not get any better then tea and toast, its the simple things in life which make me happy.
Joseph Gordon Levitt- I loved him on 3rd Rock From The Sun (even if he was a bit... gawky), 10 Things I Hate About You, 500 Days of Summer, and now Inception. What I think is so crush worthy about JGL is he is a "thinking women's type of man (which is how one magazine article described him as)" meaning he's someone who you could laugh with and have an intelligent conversation with (he went to Columbia Uni... so you know he's smart). Now that's the type of guy I could go for (If you look good in a suit that doesn't hurt either).
Traveling- I love traveling, whenever I am on the road I always feel blissfully happy no matter where I am. Lucky for me, I have an upcoming trip to Boston planned for my cousins wedding, just thinking about it makes my wanderlust kick in!
Nap time- Nap time is seriously underrated, well at least here in America, in Europe I know it is different. Almost everyday this past week I have taken a one-two hour nap thus waking up relaxed and refreshed. I don't understand why they ever got rid of nap time after kindergarten, I think now that I am older I need it more then when I was a elementary kid.
Feminism- I recently changed the words under my blog title from "musings of an adventurous girl" to "musings of a feminist" because that's what I am. A feminist. Take me or leave me (just like it says in the song from Rent) because I am who I am. This is an idea which I've recently come to terms with and am now proudly proclaiming it to the world.
Gingersnap cookies- These might just be the most unappreciated cookie (this and fig newtons) but gingersnap cookies complete me. I love the little ginger kick they have, sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet but always delish!
Bangs- I finally got bangs the other day and can I just say, they are totally banging (sorry for the horrible pun, it was hard to resist). I feel like a 60's school girl but a totally badass one, especially when I am wearing my Rayban esque sunnies.
Inception- I know I've already raved about this film in a previous post and about JGL (see above^) but I have to say just one more thing about Inception; I love it! Oh and also, I saw Inception for the second time on Wednesday and I must say its even better the second time around.

Jem

Dancing Shoes

2010-07-30T22:51:00.000-04:00

I am so in love with these brogues from Topshop. I have been looking for the perfect pair of brogues to wear with all my dresses and It looks like I finally found them. And for fifty-five dollars, its a pretty good price point considering I would wear them a lot (I am notorious for wearing dresses all the time). So I might just buy myself a new pair of shiny shoes, slip them on and get dancing!

Jem

Blast To The Past

2010-07-27T12:12:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wish I remembered the 90's better but alas I was just a wee little child. Sure I have memories of dancing to Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys or watching Boy Meets World but overall my memories of the 90's are limited. However I have managed to recreate the loss 90's memories I never had by watching the television shows which were popular then but I was too young to watch and understand. One such show is MTV's Daria. I vaguely remember watching a few episodes with my older cousins. It seems like Daria has recently come in vogue again, many bloggers and websites have been writing about this cult 90's hit. I am now proud to say, I've joined the band wagon, it is a pretty fantastic show. What I love about Daria is her witty, dry sense humor. Its hard to find a cartoon character, let alone a female one, who has such a sharp sense of humor. Daria also represents all those who go against the mainstream culture, all those who dare to be a little different. She doesn't care about what everyone else is doing and marches to the beat of her own drum.
The way women are portrayed by the media is horrific. Young girls have so few awesomely kick ass characters from movies and tv shows to look up to now days. It makes you wonder what went wrong, why didn't networks like MTV stick to characters like Daria? Now they produce god-awful shows like Jersey Shore and The Hills but I know I would much rather watch funny, pro-feminism shows like Daria then the crap which is currently on my television. I really wish the media would listen to all of us who are writing about awesome shows like Daria (while were at it, why don't we add Freaks and Geeks to the list) calling for the reform of the shows that are produced. So who's with me?
Jem

Inception

2010-07-24T01:17:00.000-04:00

(How suave does Joseph Gordon Levitt look here? *swoon*)

Today I walked out of the theater gushing about the film I had just seen. It was the first film in months, perhaps in a few years, which I had seen in the theater which truly made me want rave on and on about it. So you may be asking yourself, what was this magnificent film that I saw? Inception, is the name. This is one of the those films which makes you repeat over and over while walking out of the theater, "holy crap! That was brilliant!" I don't want to give much away about the film, half of the charm is that it leaves you spell bounded and questioning everything, but the basic premise is it is centered around people who use technology to influence other peoples dreams. That is all I can write about the plot without spoiling the whole thing. Inception stars Leonardo Dicaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt (who I am totally crushing on), Ellen Page, and Marion Cotillard. Besides all of the actors giving standout performances, costumes were brilliantly cut (ahem... Joseph Gordon Levitt looked smokin' in his suits...), the musical composition by Hans Zimmer fit every scene perfectly, and the way the movie was film was genius. Inception is one of those films where its complex, but in a good way, you are always thinking to yourself "did that just really happen?" I personally love films which make me think, they are so much better then romantic comedies where you know the ending by the second scene in, because they change your perspective on things. So basically what I am trying to say is, get yourself to the nearest multiplex theater and see Inception, it would be impossible to regret watching it. Or if you have seen Inception, what did you think of it?
Jem

Feeling The L-O-V-E

2010-07-17T01:07:00.003-04:00

My ultimate home must now include a pool/hot tub

which extends to the outside of the home where it

will over look the water down below after seeing

this picture.

I love the mosaics, the stained glass windows, the rugs,

the colors, and how light from the windows shines

onto the floor in this photograph. I would love to

know where this was taken, it is simply stunning.

This is from one of my favorite books Persepolis, which is a graphic

novel about growing up in Iran. This scene is also how I imagine

a meeting between Descartes and Karl Marx would occur (If

only in dream land....).

From the striking blue of the interior of housing complex to the

girls bright orange sari everything about this picture has me

completely enamoured. I love how real this feels, that it is

a snap into another persons life.

First off this is Meryl Streep (as if she needs any introduction) who I already adore from her roles in The Devil Wears Prada and Julie and Julia. Secondly, I also have so much admiration for Michelle Obama (seriously, she not only has a great personality, is incredibly smart, but has magnificent style and also radiates class). So when I saw Meryl talking about meeting Mrs. O this literally made my day, that someone like her still gets excited/nervous/shocked when someone she admires says "I love you" is comforting to me. Plus I couldn't help but post this because how often do you get to write about two of your favorite famous women within the same sentence?

Here is another round up of images and people I am currently feeling the love towards. All these photographs come from various tumblr sites, so I can't give proper accreditation, but just know that these aren't mine. So tell me, what are you loving this week?
Jem

I Am A Feminist!

2010-07-12T00:44:00.003-04:00

OOOHHHHH some people make me SO incredibly angry! I wrote a blog post yesterday called Men + Feminist= Awesome and some one has been anonymously commenting on it. In fact I don't have a problem on anonymous commenter's what I do have a problem with is people who use anonymity to write horrible, sexists things. I choose to publish these comments not because I believe that this anonymous writer is speaking the truth but so you can see that what they are writing about, so you know what we are up against. Their are still people who don't believe that women have rights, that feminism is stupid, that men are better. We still a hell of a fight to finish and it is people like this anonymous commenter who fire me up even more so and want to make a difference in the world. Besides just publishing these comments I also thought I would share what this person has to say.
The first comment I received reads: "I pity Mr. McPherson as he must experience a good deal of self-hate. Since feminism has ceased to be about equality and has evolved into simply being a "special interest", men who believe in true equality can not and should not identify as feminists. Indeed, women who honestly believe in true equality should also not identify with feminism." First off, I don't understand why Don McPherson would experience self hate, in fact I bet he feels better about himself because he knows he is making the world a better place. Secondly, feminism is still about equality. You can't argue that we have achieved equality between men and women; women are still being raped and sexually abused, we still don't have equal pay, the United States still has never had a female President or Vice President, and sexism is still hugely prevalent in our society.
The second comment is: "I pity poor Don McPherson as he must experience much self-hate. Since feminism is no longer about equality and since feminists are merely part of a "special interest group" trying to gain advantages and not fight for true equality, no self-respecting man can actually consider himself a feminist. Indeed no self-respecting woman would really want to associate with those who represent the hate of 50% of humanity." I have to argue against this comment, feminist don't hate men. This is one of the biggest stereotypes which we have to overcome, this idea that all women who are feminists hate men. This misguided belief could not be further from the truth, in fact I love men, I think they are a completely complex, funny, smart group of people. I know many "self-respecting men" who call themselves feminists (and I'm going to let you in on a little secret, they aren't gay either!), simply because they realise that feminism isn't just a "women's issue" but a issue of humanity. Also if you haven't gotten the memo, President Barack Obama is a feminist too (just look at the shirt he is holding), so who says men can't be feminist?
Lots of Love From A Feminist,
Jem

Men + Feminist = Awesome!

2010-07-11T01:59:00.000-04:00

"You're a feminist if you care about women and if you care about what happens in their lives. You're a feminist if you care about women and the issues that women care about. It's not that complicated." ~ Don McPherson

I love, love, love this quote. I found it when I was reading feministing.com (this website is freaking amazing! Its my go-to site for all things feminist related) while reading an interview with Don McPherson. I think its great that the website constantly features men who are feminist, I mean we can't do this alone. When I first read the article I was surprised to find out that McPherson was the captain of Syracuse Universities football team and then went pro. I am ashamed to admit I made a snap judgement about him, I thought "what does a football player know about feminism?" Which I think stems from the fact that all the football players I personally know are complete tools. I regret that I thought this and instead am happy to say Don McPherson has broken the stereotype about athletes. After he finished playing football McPherson choose to devote his life to activism. As director of the MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention Program) which aims to raise "awareness about violence against women and trains male athletes to be a part of the solution" he has spoken in high schools and universities around the United States. As the above quote testifies we need more men to not only identify themselves as feminists but to actually work with women in creating equality for all. I think so many men and women are afraid of labeling themselves as a feminist. The word has a negative connotation for so many, which is complete rubbish if you ask me, their really wasn't bra burning like everyone seems to believe. Also I think many men and women believe in the feminist ideas yet they don't like the word "feminist." Instead we need people to understand that feminist is a bad word and it's good to call yourself one. It is men like Don McPherson who will help change these negative perceptions of feminism.
Jem

UN Women

2010-07-11T00:28:00.000-04:00

The United Nations voted on July 2nd to create an office to promote gender equality and female empowerment. This is a step into the future, a future where women have greater say in society and are treated equally. The newly established organization, called the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (wow! What a name!) but for short it's called UN Women, has two main goals. First, to develop global standards and policies which they want to eventually be accepted by all nations. Secondly, UN Women aims to uphold these policies and provide assistance to countries who are trying to maintain these standards. UN Women is also the combination of four separate former UN organizations which were for the advancement of women thus they also get an even bigger budget then expected; $500 million. Lets just hope that they put this money to good use and make some changes! Also I couldn't resist using a photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt, she after all did help to write the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was adopted by the UN. Plus I know she would have been ecstatic to see the progression of women's rights and the creation of UN Women.
Jem

Day One

2010-07-10T00:36:00.000-04:00

It took me a long time to go through my ipod and choose a favorite song I wanted to get it right.This is pure anguish for me however I will just list my current favorite song. Currently I have been listening to the music of Harel Skaat (who I mentioned a few months back. I might have written a total fan girl post about him but I digress...) almost 24-7. I love how his music just speaks to me so, the songs are eloquent and meaningful (which is a lot better then the rest of the garbage the music industry seems intent on producing). It was difficult for me to narrow down my favorite song of Skaat's but I chose Millim. It is quite the power balled and shows off his full range of voice. I also chose Millim because recently he released a version sung in English (it's originally recorded in Hebrew) which sounds amazing. So really I may have chosen one favorite song but their are two great versions out of it (actually three, if you include when he sang the song in French). Since I am terrible at putting music on my blog I will just suggest to go have a listen to Millim on YouTube, their are plenty of versions to choose from!
Jem

Thirty

2010-07-09T01:17:00.000-04:00

So I've found this awesome post where every day, for thirty days I have write about something specific. Each day has its own topic (which are listed below) and I love this idea because it will help me stay more on top of my blogging posts. So in addition to my normal posts I hope you look forward to these next thirty days, perhaps you will learn a thing or two about me (and maybe I'll learn a little bit about myself too). Feel free to join me in this little test, it could be very fun to see the results.
Jem

Day 01 - Your favourite song

Day 02 - Your favourite movie

Day 03 - Your favourite TV programme

Day 04 - Your favourite book

Day 05 - Your favourite quote

Day 06 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 07 - A photo that makes you happy

Day 08 - A photo that makes you angry/sad

Day 09 - A photo that you took

Day 10 - A photo of you taken over 10 years ago

Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently

Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 13 - A fictional book

Day 14 - A non-fictional book

Day 15 - A fanfic

Day 16 - A song that makes you cry (or nearly)

Day 17 - An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture etc.)

Day 18 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 19 - A talent of yours

Day 20 - A hobby of yours

Day 21 - A recipe

Day 22 - A website

Day 23 - A YouTube video

Day 24 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Day 25 - Your day, in great detail

Day 26 - Your week, in great detail

Day 27 - This month, in great detail

Day 28 - This year, in great detail

Day 29 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Day 30 - Whatever tickles your fancy

The Guide

2010-07-08T23:51:00.000-04:00

Maureen Dowd wrote a piece for Vanity Fair magazine, titled A Girls' Guide to Saudi Arabia, which has me all in a frenzy. Dowd went to Saudi Arabia for ten days to investigate the recent attempt to lure tourists to the country. What transpires is much complaining on the authors part about the abaya (a garb worn by women, similar to the burka) and trying to break every government rule set in place. First off, let me state this, while I do not agree with many the laws in Saudi Arabia I understand that when visiting any country it is best to follow and respect the customs, whether you agree with them or not. It seems Dowd didn't get this memo. Instead she repeatedly stays "one step in ahead of the feared religious police" when she smokes cigars, sits in the men's section of Starbucks, ect. Just because she is one hot shot reporter doesn't mean she is above the law. Also her description of the abaya is it, "makes you look like a mummy and feel like a pizza oven" is rather snarky. Sure it maybe hot to wear, but seriously get over it, you are there to enjoy all the country has to offer, not to complain about what you are wearing. I think the article would have been more interesting if she had also interviewed women who live in Saudi Arabia, not just men. I don't understand how she could complain about how women had to be covered up, they weren't equal, and then not even really quote any Saudi women in the article. Is Maureen Dowd not just perpetuating these beliefs if she doesn't even write about the women too? I know this is huge criticism of this Vanity Fair piece however, I had to get my feelings off my chest, sometimes it seems to me journalist just get all wrong! Now if I had been in the authors shoes I would have made the most of it; I would have tried to find out more about how Saudi women live, write even more about the sites, and try to show the country in a positive light. Yes, Saudi Arabia has its faults but it can't be all that bad, surly their is some good within the country?

Jem

Glamour

2010-07-08T22:48:00.000-04:00

God, isn't she fabulous? Alex Wek is on the Dutch edition of Glamour magazine's August cover. These are just a few of her lovely snapshots taken for the magazine. It seems to me that Wek just radiates beauty. The sort of beauty that cannot be bought and applied with makeup but the sort of beauty from within; confidence. Besides the fact that Alex Wek always appears to be confident with whatever she does, I also love how the bright makeup makes her shine even more. It really makes her whole face just pop! I really hope to see even more of Wek in future editorials, or even on the cover of American Vogue(quite frankly any American fashion magazine cover would be awesome)! Now that would be pretty amazing, wouldn't it?

Jem

Don't Look Back

2010-07-07T01:12:00.000-04:00

I know I've said many times before that I have a total girl crush on actress and singer Zooey Deschanel and trust me I don't doubt that I will say repeat this statement even more. My latest reason to be fascinated with Deschanel is her hair. She has the coolest bangs of which I totally envy. So much so that I am going to take the plunge and go to my hair salon and get Zooey bangs. I had bangs when I was younger, in fact they looked almost exactly like Zooey's except they were not as long, but then I grew them out. Now I am wishing I had them again and so it seems I am off to the parlor for my appointment soon! What do you think of Zooey Deschanel's lovely locks? Or of her acting and singing? I for one am also enamored with her music, she is part of the She and Him duo, all the songs are so catchy and fun to sing along too. And please... don't even get me started on her sense of style! Its just tres tres chic (by now you have probably to see that I wasn't kidding about my girl crush on Zooey)!
Jem
P.S. If you are a fan of She and Him you will recognize the title is one of their songs!

Ballet Shoes

2010-07-06T19:21:00.000-04:00

Doesn't this model look like a ballet dancer resting in between practicing her pirouette's and grand jete's? I love going to the ballet; seeing all the dancers, the costumes, and the story which they are telling the audience. Lucky for me I always go to the ballet once every summer since I live close to where some of the dancers from the prestigious New York City Ballet come to study. Every time I attend the ballet it always makes me want to put my dancing shoes back on and wear an outfit like the one above!
Jem

Exotic But Normal

2010-07-06T00:20:00.000-04:00

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Have you ever thought about what we might consider ethnic or tribal really isn't exotic at all? I have. In fact I have been pondering this idea for awhile now, why is it that we label one thing as ethnic/tribal and another as classic or normal? As I see it the term ethnic and tribal are thrown around when applied to styles of dress, eating, or a culture when it does not originate from the west. Whereas classic is used to describe the European and American fashion, way of eating, and culture. However, what people fail to realize is what one person might consider ethnic is considered classic or normal for someone else. The culture and style of dress of the Masai people in Africa is considered tribal/ethnic by many in the west. The Masai's are semi-nomadic ethnic group which still practice many of the rituals of their ancestors and tend to shun many attempts by outsiders to get them to assimilate into society. Perhaps the Masai tribe see the way people in the United States live, with our huge consumerism culture and fast food restaurants galore, as ethnic. So really, who has the right to label one thing as exotic and another thing as classic and normal? Aren't all things "normal" if you look at it from a different perspective? Once these labels are striped away it is possible to appreciate everything and everyone for what they truly are, no labels needed. When it comes down to it we are all the same. We all laugh, we all cry, we all go though trying times, we all experience utter bliss. We are all human.
Jem

Independence Day

2010-07-04T21:37:00.000-04:00

http://www.weheartit.com/

So I am back from my little sojourn to Disney World and just in time to wish you all a Happy Fourth of July! I had such an amazing time with my friends; we rode all the rides (yes, even Tower of Terror, which I was terrified to go on but ended up loving) watched the fireworks at Epcot, went shopping and shared many laughs. Although Disney was a magical trip I am glad to be back, I missed being able to blog! I'll share more details and photographs of my trip when I am not so tired. For those in the USA, I hope you have a wonderful Independence day (go out and enjoy the fireworks, that's what I am going to do after I publish this post)!
Jem

2010-06-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

This is probably going to be my last post for a about six days. I leave for my trip early Monday morning and I will be at graduation parties all day tomorrow. Sooo... to leave on a high note- the picture above is one of the rides I am really excited for- the Mad Hatters tea cups! I may be 18 but this doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good "kiddie" ride. We all need to act like a kid once in awhile, and Disney is one of the best places to do so!
Jem

The Open Road

2010-06-25T12:53:00.000-04:00

This editorial in black and white is stunning! I found it on weheartit however I haven't been able to determine where it came from (so if you know do tell). What I love about this editorial, besides the fact that its black and white (and everyone knows I just LOVE b&w pics), is how classic everything model Ali Stephens is wearing. Often my favorite editorials are not the ones which go Lady Gaga bat shit crazy with the clothes (although I think Lady Gaga is pretty awesome) but the ones which stay true to classic styles of dress. I also love the whole travel and road trip feel to these photographs, it makes me even more excited for my upcoming trip!
Jem

Notes On An Education

2010-06-24T23:40:00.000-04:00

After many years of hard work and dedication my time in school came to an end with my high school graduation. In some ways I am so relieved to be done with that part of my life but in other ways I am so sad that it has ended. I am sure you really don't want to read all about my graduation experience however I will leave you with a few tid bits. First off, the caps and gowns we have to wear are bloody hot on a summers day. You will feel as if you are slowly melting as you listen to your classmates give their speeches. You will also wish you had brought a water bottle to cool down. Also the caps will not stay on your head and will almost come off on stage while you are receiving your diploma (note to self: bobby pin the cap down at college graduation). Their were also awesome references to Hogwarts, fun field trips to a camp and amusement parks, food fights, and streakers (yes, my school is notorious for them, please don't ask) during peoples speeches. Finally, I love how my class cheered the loudest for a kid who normally is in a wheel chair and is developmentally delayed when he walked across the stage. I have never been more proud of my class then I was at that moment. So all in all I think it was a good way to end my high school experience. Now onto bigger and better things (like college)!
Jem

In The Air

2010-06-22T23:24:00.000-04:00

I am gearing up for a trip I am taking in six days to Disney World! Whoot Whoot! Whenever I travel one way I start feeling the reality of the impending trip is the day I buy magazines to read on the plane. For this upcoming trip that day was today. My sister and I went to the book store, Boarders to be exact, and spent a good half an hour debating which magazines I should buy. I always find it difficult to figure out which magazines I want to purchase, if I could I would buy them all! Luckily, my sister was able to sensibly talk me into only buying two magazines, not the five I would have liked too! I debated for awhile on buying Bon International, Sweden's leading fashion magazine, but in the end my sister told me it was "totally worth it because the size of the magazine looks as if it will last the whole plane ride." So yes, I listened to my sisters advice and bought the magazine. Along with purchasing Bon I also bought Elle magazine, the one with Kirsten Stewart on the cover. Last month when I found out she was on the cover I swore to myself I wouldn't purchase the issue because of this. Well... it looks like I caved. Only because I tend to like the articles in Elle magazine and I really didn't want to buy Harper's Bazaar or Marie Claire (also having already bought Vogue earlier this month). Also, does anyone else think it is odd that Kristen Stewart is on the cover of the body issue? She is pin thin and doesn't seem to represent the average American women... but enough of my hating on this Twilight actress (ugghhh... don't even get me started on Twilight, I can't stand the books or movies). Besides my exuberant feelings about this trip to Disney, I can't wait until my flight, just so I can spend some quality time in the world of magazines.
Jem

Escape From Reality

2010-06-18T22:18:00.000-04:00

As a travel enthusiast I have a list of adventures which I would love to undertake, no matter how crazy they might be. One such fantasy involves going on a spontaneous trip. The catch is that I wouldn't know where I was going until the day of departure. I would head off to the airport with no destination in mind and just one bag packed with essential items (such as clothing, toiletries, camera, wallet, and my journal). Once I arrived at the airport I would go to the nearest airline desk and ask for a ticket for the next flight, wherever the destination might be. This may sound like a pretty crazy idea however imagine going somewhere and having no idea what is in store for you? I think this would lead you to becoming more open to new experiences. I think that people often over plan every little detail of their vacation, from what they are going to see to where they are going to eat. They over prepare so much that they don't allow themselves the opportunity to get lost in the moment and really enjoy the experience. This little idea would get rid of all these preconceived notions that one must be totally prepared for the trip and instead show that it is possible to enjoy yourself, even when you don't really know what will happen. Now, I am sure you are thinking "but Jem... what would you do once you get to the location in terms of hotels?" I even have a solution to this problem, ask the airline staff where they recommend staying. Often times they know the best places to sleep, eat, and have fun at the particular destination. This idea is on my to-do list although I don't know exactly when it will be completed. Do you have any weird travel dreams?
Jem

Pen Friends

2010-06-18T01:34:00.000-04:00

In eighth grade my friend Allie and I became pen pals. We continued to write letters to each other for the longest time. We would write letters where we poured out our heart and souls to one another. Allie soon became my closet confidant and I became hers. Through our letters we were able to discover another side of our personalities which we normally wouldn't have shared. Every week I looked forward to receiving a letter from my pen friend, it always seemed like the letters wouldn't get to my house fast enough! The funniest thing out of our whole pen pal friendship was that we lived five minutes away from each other! However, since we were in different grades in school we never saw each other. While writing to Allie I was also communicating with Charlotte, my pen pal from Malawi. You are probably thinking how does one end up writing to someone who lives in Malawi? Well... Charlotte is the god daughter of my mom's best friend and at the time we were both looking for someone to write too. Sadly, I lost contact with Charlotte since Malawi is country filled with so many problems that it was near impossible for her to write to me. Both Allie and Charlotte taught me that their is beauty in writing a letter rather then just jotting a quick email. Letter writing is a dying art, yet it is my hope that it can be revived. Through writing letters it is possible to communicate with people from around the globe and share with one another a little bit of your world. So it is my new goal to find someone who enjoys letter writing as much as I do and thus become pen friends with them (besides I have some fantastic Liberty of London stationary I really want to use!). What do you think about having a pen pal? Would you/ or have you ever have one?
Jem

Frankie

2010-06-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

OOOhhhh... its covet time here at The World Inside A Picture Frame. This round it's Frankie Magazine, a Australian publication which looks like it is the sweetest little thing. The photographs are darling (oh dear I am using words such as "darling" to describe a magazine, what I mean to say is they are sweet and cute) and everything looks very whimsical. However (and their always is a however, right?) Frankie Magazine has proven to be exceptionally difficult to find here in the states. So if anyone has idea of how to find copies, I would love to know the inside scoop. Enjoy these photographs, I feel each one is more beautiful then the next!
Jem

Mint Fresh

2010-06-16T22:13:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite colors is mint green. When I was little I had a mint colored shirt that I loved so much that I wore it to shreds! When I first saw the mint color nail polish which Chanel produced earlier this year I was completely enamoured. Although my budget wasn't. So instead of buying the expensive luxury brand nail polish I went with a brand I found in Target. However that was not enough for me and now I want some mint colored clothes as well. I love this whole look from the crochet on the dress, the buttery leather jacket, to the detailing on the shoes; I would wear it all! So tell me... do you like this mint color? Or are you favoring a different color for summer instead?

Jem

Turn It Up

2010-06-16T02:25:00.000-04:00

Blah... I am up again at two in the morning. I haven't gone to bed before two for the last three of four nights my body clock is all out of whack. So instead I rummage around the world wide web and through these travels I have discovered some of the oddest things. For instance I found this t.v. show called Britannia High, which is basically a blunt rip off of High School Musical and not a very good one at that. Then after that I stumbled upon the music of Pixie Lott. I had heard Lott's name for several months now just in passing conversation. Once I had a good listen at Pixie Lott's music it made me regret not having looked her work up sooner. I could have been listen to good music rather then the garbage which they normally play on the radio (*ahem* like Ke$ha with her stupid money symbol for the letter S). So I really don't have a point to this blog post other then to say... go have a listen to Pixie Lott's music, trust me you won't regret it (well other then the fact that her music is not yet available on Itunes thus you have to resort to replaying YouTube video's over and over). Listen to Mama Do or Cry Me Out both songs are catchy and beautiful. Also I think she looks a bit like Clemence Poesy on her cover album, don't you agree (or maybe its just me because I am so dang tired)?
Jem

Isn't It Ironic...

2010-06-14T02:43:00.000-04:00

It is rather ironic that I have spent much of the night (now into the wee hours of the morning) reading great articles on The Feministing while listening to Lady Gaga's song BoysBoysBoys. Ooohhh... Irony! I love this song because they played it at my prom (which was yesterday... will tell you more about it later) and several of my guy friends had choreographed a dance to it which they had practiced for weeks. It was amazing to watch, everyone cleared the dance floor for them (needless to say all their girlfriends, dates, and friends were very proud of them)!
On one hand I love Lady Gaga (and clearly this song) but on the other hand I feel that sometimes she contradicts herself. But then I am reminded, don't we all contradict ourselves once in awhile? Shouldn't I cut her some slack? The lyrics and the way BoysBoysBoys is sung is just so catchy. Yet, at the same time isn't it reinforcing what society is telling us, "we like boys in cars, boys boys boys, buy us drinks in bars, boys boys boys, with hairspray and denim, boys boys boys, we love them!" That we are defined by our gender? That boys ought to like cars and buy girls drinks? It seems to me that both genders, men and women, shouldn't feel pressured into feeling like something is wrong with them if they don't like automobiles or shopping (or whatever else we are told to buy into). Yet, at the same time we need to encourage each other that it is okay to like automobiles if you are girl, or shopping if you are guy (both which are stereotypical for certain genders). Once this happens the idea of gender roles will have been broken down even more. It will lead to greater equality because we will not be defined by our gender but by who we really are. Sorry if this post isn't very comprehensive but in my defense it is two-thirty in the morning! Hopefully I was able to convey some of my point. So what do you think, about Lady Gaga and gender roles?
Jem

Changes

2010-06-10T21:16:00.000-04:00

http://www.weheartit.com/

I have made some noticeable changes on this little blog in terms of the layout. Change is always a good thing and it is important to mix it up once in awhile. I finally changed the layout which I started blogging with to something more current. Their may be small changes/tweaks with it over the next few days but bare with me! I want to ensure I get it right. I think that it is interesting to note that I made these changes while experiencing other very big changes in my life; the end of High School! Tomorrow is my last day of High School however our graduation is not for another week (because a lot of students still have to take exams). It is so weird to think that just as one chapter of my life is coming to a close another is beginning.
Jem

Muse

2010-06-08T18:07:00.007-04:00

weheartit.com

I love the idea of wearing a bracelet with the

evil eye on it, not only does it look cool but I've always

thought it is important to wear something to protect yourself

from harm (it doesn't have to be a bracelet like this, just

something which when you wear it make you feel safe. For example

I always wear my Hamsa necklace... I don't feel complete without it.).

weheartit.com

I can't remember where I first saw this image (I think it

was on the cover of Vogue UK but I am not sure...) but

I love that it gives off a hippie, care free vibe.

weheartit.com

The Art Deco movement led to the creation of beautiful works of art. I love

the drawings of women during this time, they always seem to be dressed

to the nines! Its a shame people don't dress this way anymore, people back then

really had class that's for sure!

Vogue Italia Beauty

Such a beautiful image... nothing like relaxing on the beach to put

you in a good mood! Wearing an awesome floppy sunhat and chic

bathing suit is an added bonus.

These are just a few images which are currently at the top of my inspiration file.

Jem

Party!

2010-06-07T22:57:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to let you all know I haven't disappeared from the blogging world. I was in Boston for a few days attending my cousins wedding shower. It was my first time attending one, and let me say, I don't get what all the fuss is about. Why do you have to get presents when you get engaged? I mean its a lovely idea... however, I don't think that when I get engaged (which won't be for years and years I hope!) that I want anyone throwing me a wedding shower. Although, that's what my cousin said and she ended up having one because her mom's friends all wanted to throw one. People make wedding showers in to such a big deal. The one nice thing about this trip was I got to hang out with my cousins who I don't get to see often and drink some champagne! Anyways... what are your thoughts on wedding showers?
Jem

The Language of Street Style

2010-06-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

I don't typically post street style photographs. However, I couldn't resist sharing these pictures. All of the images were taken from the street style blogs http://www.thestreetswalker.com/ and http://israblog.nana10.co.il/tblogread.asp?blog=387973 both based in Israel (Its kinda weird how I've done two posts in a row about whats happening in Israel... happy coincidence I guess). I really love how each of the women in the photographs all have their own individual sense of style. Plus I am coveting the bag in the bottom picture, its gorgeous, no? I think one of my goals this summer is to study Hebrew more, not just so I can read it but so I can speak it fluently. I understand a bit of the language however not enough to have a proper conversation. The only problem with this plan is I don't really have anyone to practice with... so I've been thinking about resorting to using one of those electronic language teachers (like rosetta stone). However, I've never used one before, what do you think of them? Any suggestions?
Jem

Milim

2010-06-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

Normally I do not have "man candy" posts, if you know what I mean. However, today I am going to make an exception. Nothing like a good looking guy to wake you up on a Tuesday morning! This weekend I spent much of my time on YouTube listening to music. I soon discovered Harel Skaat, an Israeli singer. He was the runner up on the Israeli version of American idol and has become a huge star in his homeland. Much of my childhood was spent in Hebrew School, learning the Jewish prayers and the Hebrew language. I am by no means fluent in the language, however I love listening to music sung in Hebrew. It is so beautiful and often times I understand a good chunk of the lyrics. I especially love Israeli musicians, it seems to me that they have quite a few good singers. Also when I listen to songs in the Hebrew language it makes me feel close to my religion, culture, and the Israeli's. So... anyways, back to Harel Skaat. He recently participated in Eurovision, which I have to say, I was thoroughly disappointed he didn't place higher. A German girl won instead, I personally found her song to be annoying. One of my favorite songs of Skaat's is Milim, which in English means Word. He sung Milim for the Eurovision contest and every time I listen to it, I always choke up. It is such a beautiful song. A few of my other favorite songs which Skaat sings are At Ve' Ani and Kabli Oti. Besides being a fantastic singer he is also quite good looking. I am sure their is an American equivalent of Harel Skaat, however no one really comes to my mind at the moment besides he's totally better then any American singers; he's Israeli and HOT! So yes, I am totally fan girling right now but you know what, I don't care if everyone knows that Harel Skaat is my new musical crush (and a sexy one at that)! Haha...
Jem

Do The Polka!

2010-05-25T20:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the really first HOT day of season and today was no different, getting all the way up to 94 degrees! As soon as the hot and humid air hits the area where I live, all I will be found in are lightweight dresses, skirts and breezy shirts. I think that everyone trys to wear as little layers as possible when summer comes just to keep the heat at bay. I've seen a few people attempt to rock the layered look in the summer, and let me tell ya, its not pretty seeing someone look as if they might melt like the wicked witch of the west. I love this retro looking bathing outfit which I found on weheartit.com, it looks like the perfect thing to wear to my friends pool party on Friday! The hat is divine, it looks like it has the right amount of "floppy" and is even cuter with the polka dot ribbon. There is something magical about a polka dot bathing suit, but perhaps this is because of that catchy song lyric "she wore an itsy bitsy yellow bikini..." So lets hear it for the grand adventures of this summer (in a polka dot bathing suit of course)!
Jem

New York Mornings

2010-05-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

I have had such a long day, I am completely exhausted. We woke up bright and early this morning to drive three hours to New York City. After our drive, during which I managed to talk the whole way (much to the irritation of my friends! Haha...), we arrived at the hospital to visit my friend. We spent much the day visiting J who is recovering from surgery. From their we left NYC and headed back home, not without making a stop at this huge mall in New Jersey (I left without buying anything. However I will be back since they had shops which we do not have where I live). I love New York it is such a bustling, vibrant, crazy city and it is impossible not to get caught up into its madness.Next time I hope I get to spend more time, not just a few hours in one of my favorite cities (besides, London).
Jem

Beautiful Rouge

2010-05-20T21:19:00.000-04:00

I love this Chanel advertisement, is so simple and beautiful. Plus the lipstick color is amazing, no? I am obsessed with it, I've never been much of a lipstick kind of girl, but seriously, Chanel is making me a converter! Now if only I could figure out exactly which color they used in the ad....

Ever since I saw this photograph I have been on the hunt for a hat similar to this one. It looks like the perfect shape and size for a great summer hat, plus the ribbon is a nice touch.

After I discovered Corinne Bailey Rae's music with the release of her first album I have been hooked on her sweet, sometimes melancholy music. This is the album cover for her newest record, The Sea, of which I cannot stop listening to Paris Mornings/New York Nights. Its such a poetic song, I love it!

Jem

Finding Inspiration

2010-05-19T09:08:00.000-04:00

I was reading the divine blog, The Glamourous Grad Student (http://theglamourousgradstudent.blogspot.com/), when I happened upon a series of posts on figuring out what style of dress you tend to gravitate towards. I loved this idea, especially the post on style inspiration. So I thought I would copy the questions and share with you my own answers. Feel free to do this on your own blog too (or leave a comment telling me about your inspirations), it would be neat to get a lot of other people participating since I would love to read about who inspires your style.

Which famous person scores highest for style with you? Can be an actress, singer, politician, It-girl... Whoever appeals to you!

Michelle Obama and Emma Watson are two of my favorite famous people, not just for their personalities and awesomeness but because they have great style. Mrs. O always dresses impeccably, she knows how to wear classic items yet make them pop with a bright pattern or a nice accessory. As for Emma Watson I think the same could be said for her, she tends to wear classic items yet puts a little twist on them.

What are your favourite literary, movie and television characters, if style alone were the criteria?

Two of my favorite movies purely based off of style are 500 Days Of Summer and Marie Antoinette. I love Summers style in 500 Days Of Summer, such a retro and quirky style. The film Marie Antoinette is what I like to call "clothes porn" since everyone in the film wears stunning outfit and you cannot help but be inspired by them.

Time and place can be so evocative. When and where would you love to live, just for the style? List up to three.

Photograph taken by me

I would love to live in the beautiful city of Paris, France. I have always thought that the majority of Parisiennes have such a classic style and I would love to be immersed in it. I can picture myself wearing a simple pale pink dress with black buttons and ribbon around the waist, paired with a tan trench coat and a Chanel purse (oh yes, I've dreamed of this fantasy before, all the way down to what I am wearing!) while sitting a cafe drinking an espresso.

If money/shipping limitations/stupid sizing were not issues, what shops and designers would you go to for clothes?
If I had the money to afford these designers and stores I would shop at Chanel (who wouldn't?), Selfridges (when I went into the store I could not stop oohing and ahhing at all the lovely clothes), Stella McCartney (I love a good eco-friendly line which also has great clothes), and finally I would want to shop at little boutiques which carry designers which are impossible to find anywhere else.

What this section tells me...

It seems to me that I tend to favor classic styles but worn with a whimsical twist (so a bright color or innovative piece of jewelry). All of the people/movies who I admire are very classy, prim and proper, and tend to wear a lot of dresses. I think I've already begun to incorporate wearing dresses into my style, I've always been more of a dress girl then a pants girl. So from now on when I go shopping I shall think "what would Michelle/Emma/Summer/Marie/or a Parisian girl wear?"
Jem

You Are You

2010-05-18T20:20:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite websites which I frequent is http://www.operationbeautiful.com/ . On the site their mission is

to transform the way you see yourself one post-it note at a time. This is done to end negative, "fat talk" about ourselves and others. On Operation Beautiful they encourage people to participate by writing on post-it notes positive sayings, such as "you are beautiful" or "your beauty shines on the outside and inside" and than hanging them in public places (bathrooms, at the gym, dressing rooms, where ever you want). I love doing this, a few times I've put one on my schools bathroom and then I've come back later to see girls reading the note and smiling. I find its one of the easiest ways to make not only myself feel better but others as well.

Jem

High School

2010-05-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

(I couldn't resist sharing a photograph of my favorite high

school movie, The Breakfast Club, it's such a classic!)

I cannot believe that their is only eighteen more days left of school (yes I am counting, I mean who doesn't do this?), which means their is only eighteen more days left of senior year! Holy crap! It seems like time flys by and now I have to enjoy it while it lasts. It seems so surreal. On one hand I am so excited to graduate but on the other hand... I am going to miss this place. Their are a few more things to check off my list before graduation day though, senior skip day (my friends and I are having a pool party), senior prank and prom. All these quintessential cliches about senior year of high school. However, I don't think any education would be complete without them. So tell me... what was your senior year like? I must say though, I am also really excited for what lies ahead, starting college, meeting new people, and growing as a person.
Jem

Wanderlust

2010-05-15T23:15:00.000-04:00

Beach Vacation by the fairytale featuring Miu Miu shoes

Ideally these four outfits would be worn by me on my luxury beach vacation in the Mediterranean. The picture of the town/beach is in Croatia and it looks positively charming, don't you think? I keep envisioning myself on a beautiful, classic sailboat on the bow (in the yellow one piece of course!) reading a good book, and the sun beating down on me. Sounds like a good dream, huh?
I have probably made it very clear throughout many of my blog posts, I have a serious case of wanderlust. I always want to be somewhere else then where I am right now. Makes me wonder what this feeling of wanderlust says about the type of person I am. Although, I don't think I can help it, it is in my blood. My grandma wanted to travel after high school so she joined the WAC (Women's Army Corps) during WWII. Her time as WAC took her to a training camp, then to London, Paris, and eventually she landed on Normandy Beach a few weeks after the invasion! Isn't she such an inspiring women? At a time when women were suppose to support the war on the home front she was going out and really making a difference! Also the fact that she went and followed her dream is quite impressive as well. So yes, I do think it is possible to see where I get my sense of wanderlust from!
Jem

AVPM

2010-05-14T22:28:00.000-04:00

Super Mega Awesome Hot by the fairytale featuring Miu Miu bags

This is the outfit which I wish I was wearing right now instead of a tee shirt and sweatpants. Let me restate the previous sentence, this is the outfit which I wish I was wearing if I had a million bucks. Alas, I am only a poor soon-to-be college student. The quote in the set is from one of the best Harry Potter spoofs ever, A Very Potter Musical (a.k.a. AVPM for those in the know), so if you haven't seen the clips on YouTube go look it up. Pronto! I swear I have watched the play at least five times if not more (this is what I do instead of studying for exams because procrastination is my best friend!) and it never ceases to stop amazing me.
Jem

Greatness

2010-05-13T21:16:00.000-04:00

So go out there and "kick ass and take names" as my dad always says to me fondly when I need to overcome an obstacle!

Jem

Pale Frocks

2010-05-12T19:44:00.000-04:00

Vogue China June

Liu Wen looks stunning in this editorial. I love both these dresses, pale colors look so nice on her. If I could I would totally steal the light blue dress which Wen sports (especially paired with this belt)! In other news, I am so glad that I am done with AP Exams, I had my last one today for English. Yay! I am looking forward to enjoying my last month of school, without having to freak out over AP exams.

Jem

Tree Lover

2010-05-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

Growing up I always wanted a tree house in my backyard. Unfortunately for me, all of the tree's we had in our yard were not sturdy enough to hold up a tree house. So instead I had to content myself with building a "fort" made out of broken branches and sticks against the tree stumps. Now if I had my way all these years later this would be my dream tree house! It looks like such a wonderful place where I could just sit, read, and dream.

Jem

The Feminist President

2010-05-06T17:03:00.000-04:00

After hours of searching for inspiring photographs I think this is the one which made my day. It is nice to see that even our President is a feminist! This photograph also gives me hope that we will prevail in our fight for equality and be treated equally.
Jem

Fiesta

2010-05-05T20:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Cinco De Mayo! I love the bright colors of this photograph and the flags, it really makes me want to party!
Jem

Growth

2010-05-04T19:42:00.000-04:00

Wise words by the poet E.E. Cummings. Perhaps it will inspire you just as much as it has inspired me.

Jem

French Beauty

2010-05-02T15:28:00.000-04:00

You know their are just some girls who radiate beauty? Well... I think french actress Clemence Poesy is one of those people. She has such effortless style, it seems that everything she wears looks good. Clemence is definitely one of my top style icons, I love the casual look, effortless look she has which works well with the clothes I wear for school. So tell me... who is one of your favorite contemporary style icons?

Jem

Clemence Poesy by the fairytale on Polyvore.com

The Romantics

2010-05-01T21:41:00.000-04:00

I love these pictures, they all seem to have a romantic quality to them. Lately I have been in such a romantic mood all I can do is dream up fantasies, dress in flowy dresses, want to braid my hair like the Alexander Wang girls, have picnics, and wear flowers in my hair as well. I think this might be because today was the first really nice day of spring which always puts me in a good mood. What mood are you in?

Jem

Personal Hero

2010-04-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-28T21:57:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

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

Fictional Inspiration

2010-04-27T20:50:00.001-04:00

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