Looking back through my life, I have a pocketful of little regrets - things that I wish I did when I had the chance or things that I wish I could have done differently at the time. I think everyone goes through these tiny regrets.
There are some instances in my mind that stick out where I think, 'Why did I do that?!' like the time I went to school (high school) in my Victoria's Secret Pajamas that looked like a nice, summery outfit. What possessed me to wear it to school and were other people wearing it? Weird. And I think I did it more than once so that was not good.
As I sit here and watch VH-1 Classic and Cher's 'If I Could Turn Back Time' plays in the background, where she's strutting around a Navy ship in her sheer bodysuit with satin strips of fabric covering all the right places, I wonder, does she ever look back at the video and think 'What was I thinking when I said 'yes' to that outfit?' I won't deny that she has a killer body in the video and she doesn't look bad in the outfit, but was it really necessary? Couldn't she have stuck with her super cut-up jeans and a skin-tight top and had the same effect? I mean I know we're talking about Cher here and our fashion tastes definitely do not run the same course, but aside from this video, do you think she ever looks back to the 'Sonny and Cher' era and gag at her Bob Mackie gowns?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Nine Inch Nails - In or Out
Okay - Nine-inch nails are probably an exaggeration - I do heart the band (or one-man band), NIN, but this isn't what this posting is about. I'm talking about fake fingernails. Are they still in or are they on their way out?
Growing up, there was no shortage of women in New Jersey that had long, fake nails. I know when I was little, I did somewhat admire them for the way these women could handle everyday tasks with these "claws." My parents were SO not into the "fake" anything - hair color, nails, what have you...so it was a rare occasion that I was able to sneak some 'Lee Press On Nails' into the grocery carriage to 'experiment' with my own fingernails when I got home - and it wasn't successful by any means. I think part of it was because I was DYING to grow up and be an adult - with my tiny fingernails. So naturally, the adult Lee Press Ons didn't fit my child-fingers. I think I had to use the 'pinky' size press-ons just for my pointer fingers. But it was just so fascinating to me, after watching the commercials, how you could get these perfectly sized nails onto your finger, and they looked so natural...not so. I see, now, the work that goes into nail extensions at the spa and it looks like a chore.
You'll be happy to know that I was able to get customized fake nails for my senior prom. Of course I couldn't carry off the 'claws' that many other women could because I was pretty rough with my hands - so I had to get 'sports length.' The adhesive that was used to get these fakers onto my fingers - I think she used Crazy Glue - no joke. I remember when I first got them on (my first, and last, taste with fake nails), I kept tap, tap, click, clicking them on the table - I couldn't believe I finally had fake nails that fit my fingers. The only other thing I remember about them was getting home from the prom that night and trying to RIP those things off my fingers. I felt like they were taking over like the adhesive was sinking into my skin. I also knew my parents would blow a gasket if I ran around the house with fake nails so I had to get them off ASAP. And that was hard - my nails looked like crap for DAYS afterwards because nail polish remover wasn't as effective of a 'glue remover' as advertised.
Fast forward to today and I feel like fake nails are not as 'in' as they once were. I mean, DJ Kool use to give a shout out to girls with the fake hair, fake nails, fake tans (a la 'Let Me Clear My Throat') - but I feel like nowadays, people either don't pay attention to getting the fake nails or they're going more natural with painted, short nails. I have since abandoned my 'long nail' envy and much prefer the clean, nicely manicured short nails with polish. I think it looks just as nice and it's certainly more manageable. I mean, I still wonder how real nails grow under those 'fake nails' but not so much as say 10-15 years ago. I've let that thought go by the wayside.
Maybe the ladies in the DC metro area are just more into the 'au naturale' look and my fascination has kind of died. Maybe ladies all over the place are just looking for a quicker way to 'look nice' without spending the time or the money to get the fake nails. Who knows....I say claws are out. That's what my gut says.
Growing up, there was no shortage of women in New Jersey that had long, fake nails. I know when I was little, I did somewhat admire them for the way these women could handle everyday tasks with these "claws." My parents were SO not into the "fake" anything - hair color, nails, what have you...so it was a rare occasion that I was able to sneak some 'Lee Press On Nails' into the grocery carriage to 'experiment' with my own fingernails when I got home - and it wasn't successful by any means. I think part of it was because I was DYING to grow up and be an adult - with my tiny fingernails. So naturally, the adult Lee Press Ons didn't fit my child-fingers. I think I had to use the 'pinky' size press-ons just for my pointer fingers. But it was just so fascinating to me, after watching the commercials, how you could get these perfectly sized nails onto your finger, and they looked so natural...not so. I see, now, the work that goes into nail extensions at the spa and it looks like a chore.
You'll be happy to know that I was able to get customized fake nails for my senior prom. Of course I couldn't carry off the 'claws' that many other women could because I was pretty rough with my hands - so I had to get 'sports length.' The adhesive that was used to get these fakers onto my fingers - I think she used Crazy Glue - no joke. I remember when I first got them on (my first, and last, taste with fake nails), I kept tap, tap, click, clicking them on the table - I couldn't believe I finally had fake nails that fit my fingers. The only other thing I remember about them was getting home from the prom that night and trying to RIP those things off my fingers. I felt like they were taking over like the adhesive was sinking into my skin. I also knew my parents would blow a gasket if I ran around the house with fake nails so I had to get them off ASAP. And that was hard - my nails looked like crap for DAYS afterwards because nail polish remover wasn't as effective of a 'glue remover' as advertised.
Fast forward to today and I feel like fake nails are not as 'in' as they once were. I mean, DJ Kool use to give a shout out to girls with the fake hair, fake nails, fake tans (a la 'Let Me Clear My Throat') - but I feel like nowadays, people either don't pay attention to getting the fake nails or they're going more natural with painted, short nails. I have since abandoned my 'long nail' envy and much prefer the clean, nicely manicured short nails with polish. I think it looks just as nice and it's certainly more manageable. I mean, I still wonder how real nails grow under those 'fake nails' but not so much as say 10-15 years ago. I've let that thought go by the wayside.
Maybe the ladies in the DC metro area are just more into the 'au naturale' look and my fascination has kind of died. Maybe ladies all over the place are just looking for a quicker way to 'look nice' without spending the time or the money to get the fake nails. Who knows....I say claws are out. That's what my gut says.
Monday, January 19, 2009
It Was a Breeze
So this past weekend saw me going into Georgetown for a birthday lunch and running an errand at the Paper Source - I LOVE that store. When I told friends that I was heading into Georgetown on Saturday, I got a lot of 'Hmmms' and 'That's very ambitious.' From my previous post, you can tell I was very hesitant about the situation but I looked at is as an opportunity to experience something inaugural and maybe catch some celebs shopping around.
The results - I experienced nothing inaugural (except for some signs) and I saw no celebs. It wasn't busy at all. We got into Georgetown, parked with no incident, and got a table right away for lunch. We were able to get the 'fish bowl' table at J. Paul's to make for optimal celeb watching but instead we saw...not much. As our lunch was ending, to make ourselves feel better, anytime we saw an Escalade with tinted windows or the Rolls Royce with the tinted windows, we said, 'There's a celebrity.' That was the extent of our celeb watching.
After lunch, we were even able to walk freely, without crowds, down a few blocks to the Paper Source. The weather was freezing but the walking definitely helped and after I was done with my errand at the Paper Source, there was no hanging about in Georgetown, no matter how optimal the 'crowd' conditions were.
Overall - it was a breeze - it was actually a little bit disappointing. Oh well. At least I was able to have a great lunch with friends and get my errand completed. It just goes to show you never know what's going to happen - your initial inclinations might turn into nothing at all....
The results - I experienced nothing inaugural (except for some signs) and I saw no celebs. It wasn't busy at all. We got into Georgetown, parked with no incident, and got a table right away for lunch. We were able to get the 'fish bowl' table at J. Paul's to make for optimal celeb watching but instead we saw...not much. As our lunch was ending, to make ourselves feel better, anytime we saw an Escalade with tinted windows or the Rolls Royce with the tinted windows, we said, 'There's a celebrity.' That was the extent of our celeb watching.
After lunch, we were even able to walk freely, without crowds, down a few blocks to the Paper Source. The weather was freezing but the walking definitely helped and after I was done with my errand at the Paper Source, there was no hanging about in Georgetown, no matter how optimal the 'crowd' conditions were.
Overall - it was a breeze - it was actually a little bit disappointing. Oh well. At least I was able to have a great lunch with friends and get my errand completed. It just goes to show you never know what's going to happen - your initial inclinations might turn into nothing at all....
Friday, January 16, 2009
Ahead of Their Time
Swedish super-pop group...you know who I'm talking about. Everyone can name at least one of their songs. One has even practically made the list of songs that need to be played at weddings. Four letters - spelled the same forwards and backwards - comprised of the first initials of their names. Are you feeling me? Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid...ABBA.
I recently received SingStar: ABBA for my birthday and it is AWESOME! I spotted it over the holidays in a Target flyer and couldn't believe they could have a whole karaoke disc devoted to ABBA....but I knew I had to have it. For those not familiar with SingStar, it is the equivalent of Karaoke Revolution for Playstation and other gaming consoles. SingStar is the UK version of Karaoke Revolution basically. Except instead of displaying a video-game likeness of yourself singing in all different locales, Singstar actually plays the original videos and lets you sing over the music. And because I was a little young to actually be familiar with ABBA videos, I was more than excited to be singing while the original video played out before me.
As I listened to the ABBA music and watched the videos I realized that ABBA was so ahead of their time. I had to put myself back in the era (the 70s) and think about their sound. It wasn't disco and it wasn't rock - it was almost what we might qualify as synth-pop with some folksy thrown in there. They have songs that I believe could translate into today's era like 'Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)' Afterall, those are the backing tracks for Madonna's 'Hung Up.' Sure there are some operatic-pop anthems thrown in there that people might not be interested in now...think 'Fernando' or 'The Winner Takes it All'...but those are good songs nonetheless. All their stuff was quality work - 'Ring, Ring' and 'Voulez Vous' - you may not be a fan but you have to admit, you know their songs.
ABBA has since seen many revivals since their break-up in the 80s. There have been cover bands (A*Teens), movies (Muriel's Wedding) and even the ever-popular musical, Mamma Mia, to keep them in the mainstream. I have to admit that before I saw Mamma Mia, I was a casual fan - I owned ABBA Gold and had listened to some ABBA growing up thanks to my Dad (and Columbia Records) and listened to it every once in awhile - but I think after watching Mamma Mia on stage, I became a bonafide fan. When the mother in the play sang 'The Winner Takes It All,' I wanted to stand up, cry and applaud - her performance was breathtaking. Merryl Streep didn't exactly have that same effect on me in the movie version, but we'll touch on that later. But it was that performance that really opened my eyes up to things that I wasn't listening to on the ABBA Gold CD - 'Super Troupers' and 'Does Your Mamma Know.'
So you can imagine my excitement when I found out a movie was in the works. When the trailers started coming out and they announced the cast, I think I was 'ok' with everything. And then when my girlfriends and I went to go see the movie, my jaw dropped. Let's just say I DO NOT own the DVD. Pierce Brosnan - a fine looking man (I hope my husband magically looks like him at his age) - just didn't do it for me in this movie. Every time he opened his mouth to sing (and I'm sure I blogged about this already), I couldn't help but giggle. It was awful. Meryl actually pulled it off but Pierce...oh Pierce. When I heard that the movie 'Mamma Mia' had the highest box office in the UK for 2008, my first thoughts were, 'Are they tone deaf?' And then I wondered if they somehow dubbed over his voice with Robbie Williams' voice for the UK version of the movie. Who knows - I'll just leave it as the movie was a disappointment and is in no way a replacement for the stage show.
But I digress - back to the real ABBA - they were great - their fashion, although probably pretty awesome for their time, could probably use an update - but I think they would have no problem transitioning into the music of today, if they were ever to get back together. I have to give it to Benny and Bjorn - musical geniuses. Bravo!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Calm Before the Storm
This weekend begins what many DC natives anticipate as complete mayhem descending upon our nation's capital, that will last until the later part of next week - INAUGURATION WEEK! There are brunches, receptions, galas, parties all leading up to the actual inauguration day and then the actual inauguration day activities itself followed by more parties, galas and bars remaining open until 4 AM?!
Although politicos have cut their original estimates of how many people are expected to come into the DC area, the estimates are still quite large. And mixed in with those numbers....celebrities. Many celebs made it no secret who they were stomping for during the elections and now they want to be a part of history - be a part of the mayhem.
I don't disagree that this will be a historical inauguration. We'll say that this is the first 'minority' to ever hold the POTUS post, since I've seen reports and interviews where African-American and White groups will not "claim" Mr. Obama. Regardless, this is a huge stepping stone for the US of A. Still doesn't mean I want to take part in it. I've tried getting into DC when the Smithsonian was having their summer festivals or when the World Bank warrants street closures - ain't no way you're getting me in for the inauguration ceremonies. I DID try to get some Oprah tickets for her filming at the Kennedy Center to no avail (darn those stay-at-home moms that are on the internet all day!) and that was the only exception I was going to make for setting foot into DC next week - but perhaps luckily, I did not get on the ticket list and therefore have vowed to steer clear of DC.
Unfortunately, I find that I do need to drop into DC (Georgetown specifically) on Saturday, but I'm hoping my trip is an in and out type of thing. I know what I want, I know where to get it, and once I get it, I can leave and not look back until post January 24th some time. I'm figuring that since it's only the VERY beginning of inauguration week, that's probably around the time people will start flying in, get settled, visit some monuments and other what-have-yous. I *could* be safe. It would REALLY help if someone could give me some agendas/schedules to help me plan out my own personal schedule?! Can we make that happen? Maybe I'll walk past a celeb or two also doing some light shopping in the Georgetown area....you never know. That would just be a bonus.
I keep thinking about whether or not I should do it and all signs are pointing to 'yes.' The worst that can happen is that the Key Bridge is closed and I turn myself around and head home. No biggie. Of course, it could turn into a 30 minute stop-n-go situation on 'M' Street just to reach the parking garage...you never know. In that case, I would spend a little more time in Georgetown just to get my parking money's worth.
Either way - I think next week is going to be CRAZY - or 'off the chain' as one of my friends described. I tend to agree - but hopefully me and my little ones won't be part of it. Wish me luck!
Although politicos have cut their original estimates of how many people are expected to come into the DC area, the estimates are still quite large. And mixed in with those numbers....celebrities. Many celebs made it no secret who they were stomping for during the elections and now they want to be a part of history - be a part of the mayhem.
I don't disagree that this will be a historical inauguration. We'll say that this is the first 'minority' to ever hold the POTUS post, since I've seen reports and interviews where African-American and White groups will not "claim" Mr. Obama. Regardless, this is a huge stepping stone for the US of A. Still doesn't mean I want to take part in it. I've tried getting into DC when the Smithsonian was having their summer festivals or when the World Bank warrants street closures - ain't no way you're getting me in for the inauguration ceremonies. I DID try to get some Oprah tickets for her filming at the Kennedy Center to no avail (darn those stay-at-home moms that are on the internet all day!) and that was the only exception I was going to make for setting foot into DC next week - but perhaps luckily, I did not get on the ticket list and therefore have vowed to steer clear of DC.
Unfortunately, I find that I do need to drop into DC (Georgetown specifically) on Saturday, but I'm hoping my trip is an in and out type of thing. I know what I want, I know where to get it, and once I get it, I can leave and not look back until post January 24th some time. I'm figuring that since it's only the VERY beginning of inauguration week, that's probably around the time people will start flying in, get settled, visit some monuments and other what-have-yous. I *could* be safe. It would REALLY help if someone could give me some agendas/schedules to help me plan out my own personal schedule?! Can we make that happen? Maybe I'll walk past a celeb or two also doing some light shopping in the Georgetown area....you never know. That would just be a bonus.
I keep thinking about whether or not I should do it and all signs are pointing to 'yes.' The worst that can happen is that the Key Bridge is closed and I turn myself around and head home. No biggie. Of course, it could turn into a 30 minute stop-n-go situation on 'M' Street just to reach the parking garage...you never know. In that case, I would spend a little more time in Georgetown just to get my parking money's worth.
Either way - I think next week is going to be CRAZY - or 'off the chain' as one of my friends described. I tend to agree - but hopefully me and my little ones won't be part of it. Wish me luck!
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