Hahahhahaha!!!!

What's wrong with this picture?



Oh dear, what a moron. You're looking through the wrong end of the binoculars, dear D-list celeb. Brilliant.

Source: tmz.com

Costume Institute Ball

The Costume Institute's Gala Benefit opened the "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" exhibit at the Met last night. Let's cut to the chase shall we, and see who's hot, and who's not-so-hot? I have picked 10 celebs who I think represent the best and boring of the lot.

The Yesses:

Camille Bell: love the color


Ditto Christina Ricci


Phwaarrrr Giselle: man, she's tall


Diane Kruger: Stands out with the short dress


Ditto Kate Bosworth

The Nos:

Fergie looks like a super villain


Fuck no Katie Holmes!


She's here cos I hate Posh. And wtf is she wearing?


Gahhhhh boring, Clare Danes!!


Rachel Bilson looks extra short in that dress. Or maybe it's the camera angle?

Thoughts?

Source: People.com

Forever 21 wtf?

Okay so F21 opened their 7000 sq-ft 2-storey store on the Mag Mile last month (the space used to be a huge-ass Virgin Megastore) and they're announcing that they're opening another one in the space in the Water Tower Place where Lord & Taylor used to be? Madddd, man. First of all the ex-Virgin location is madddd huge (I went in there yesterday and promptly got lost) and secondly, there's already a F21 in the Water Tower. And one on State Street. What next, they're closing the State Street one and opening up in the Sullivan Center (ex-Carson Pirie Scott) famously designed by Louis Sullivan? And thirdly, the ex-Virgin store and The Water Tower are mere blocks from each other on Michigan Avenue. Madness.

Cranford Episode One

Last night PBS aired one of three episode of the stellarly casted "Cranford" (2007) adapted from Elizabeth Gaskell's book of the same name. From PBS.org:

Mary Smith flees a crisis at home in Manchester to stay with two spinster sisters, Deborah and Matty Jenkyns, in the small, rural town of Cranford. Deborah is the dominating force in Cranford society, and the kind-hearted and eccentric Matty believes her to be the best judge in all matters.

A new young doctor, Frank Harrison, is brought to Cranford to join Dr. Morgan in his medical practice. Despite Dr. Morgan talking up his protégé, the mere fact that Dr. Harrison is a young bachelor and trained in London is enough to make him the talk of the town. When the town's carpenter, Jem Hearne, has a catastrophic fall from a tree, Dr. Morgan is horrified to learn that instead of amputating the injured arm, Dr. Harrison is determined to attempt new and risky surgery. Everyone gets involved in the case, and gossip and rumor spread, led by the unassailable Miss Pole.

Meanwhile, Cranford's reigning aristocrat, Lady Ludlow, who lives two miles outside Cranford at the splendid Hanbury Court, wants to turn her attention to the planning of her annual garden party with her trusted estate manager, Mr. Carter.

The Jenkyns are intrigued when the house across the street becomes occupied by a retired soldier, Captain Brown, his daughter Jessie, and Jessie's ailing older sister. Deborah and Matty are riveted to see that he seems acquainted with another local aristocrat, Sir Charles Maulver, who engages the Captain in an unknown business proposal.

Deborah surprises Matty by encouraging Jessie's romance with a visiting soldier named Major Gordon.

Cranford's ladies are focused on preparing for Lady Ludlow's garden party, the social event of the year. New bonnets are made by the town's long-suffering millner Miss Galindo, and there's a new gown for Caroline Tomkinson, who has fallen for Dr. Harrison and is eager to impress him. Dr. Harrison has set his sights on Sophy Hutton, the eldest daughter of Cranford's rector, Reverend Hutton. But Mary Smith's stepmother Clara is determined to play matchmaker between the doctor and Mary.

Forced to assume responsibility for feeding his family, 10-year-old Harry Gregson instructs his little brother Malachi how to steal milk from Mrs. Forrester's beloved cow, Bessie. Unfortunately, six-year-old Malachi forgets to close the gate and Bessie escapes.

Meanwhile, Harry sets off to poach, but becomes transfixed by Lady Ludlow's glasshouse and the exotic plants and fruits he sees there. Cold and exhausted, he falls asleep on the heated floor and is caught the following morning by Mr. Carter. However, Mr. Carter is so moved by Harry's dismal poverty that he offers to pay Harry to run messages for him during the preparations for the garden party. Harry proves to be reliable, good-natured and intelligent, and Mr. Carter offers to teach him to read and write. This is something to be done secretly, as he is fully aware that Lady Ludlow is passionately against educating the working classes.

Matty, meanwhile, is clearly shaken when, at the party, she meets a mysterious acquaintance from her past, Thomas Holbrook. No one witnesses this meeting and Matty tells no one about it.

Things start to go badly wrong at the party when Miss Pole and Mrs. Forrester overhear Sir Charles's startling news that a railway line will be built to come right into Cranford. They immediately report this to Deborah, who leads a deputation of the ladies to Captain Brown in hopes of having the rumor refuted. But Captain Brown shocks them further by telling them that not only is the rumor true, but that he will be the Head of Works. All the woman are scandalized by this news, but the most stricken is Deborah, who sees Captain Brown's secrecy as the ultimate betrayal of a friendship, and the railway as the absolute end of Cranford.

While I had not planned on watching the 2-hour episode initially, I found myself drawn to the comings and goings of the eclectic residents and of course the costumes. And I will watch anything with the amazing Judi Dench in it.








There are funny moments in the episode especially involving the gossipy Miss Pole's beloved cow Bessie, ice-cream at the garden party (imagine ice-cream being a novelty, what's with ice being virtually non-existent), desperate attempts of Miss Caroline Tomkinson to woo Dr. Harrison despite Dr. Harrison already in love with Sophy Hutton.

Cranford is an engaging, smart, charming, at the same time dark portrayal of life in a rural Victorian village struggling to preserve its identity in the face of change and modernity.



The cast includes Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Imelda Staunton, Julia Sawalha, Greg Wise, Michael Gambon, Simon Wood and Francesca Annis.






Sources:
dailymail.co.uk
pbs.org
guardian.co.uk
Also see LA Times review

Careless In Red (Update)

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Browse Chapter One.


Courtesy Of Elizabeth George Online and Harper Collins.

My Flat In London

I came across My Flat In London quite a while ago and while I like the style and design of the handbags, they're a bit too "blingy" for my taste. Bit too many crystals and rhinestones too be exact. ( I prefer my handbags in dark brown leather with brass clasps).

I was channel surfing late one night and saw that HSN was doing a feature on MFIL bags, and I was intrigued by the pink and black combo of most of the bags, which reminds me of Mariah Carey for some reason. I proceeded to forget all about them until today when I was at TJ Maxx browsing through their accessories section, when I pounced on a rather sweet black quilted handbag with a familiar logo. I looked at the label inside and was pleasantly surprised to see that indeed, it was a MFIL bag, with a reasonable price tag of $70 (the original price was $295). Regrettably I did not immediately whip out the ol' check card as it is after all almost the end of the month and the rent for My Flat In Pilsen will be due in about a week...hahahah....just a little joke..

Anyhow, I went home and swung by their site, and while I still don't care for the bling factor, their bags are still pretty sweet.

The bag below was the one I saw at TJ Maxx.






I love this one.

Who's The Fire Hydrant?

Ummm, yeah.

Mariah Carey = Muppet?

Jay found some photos of Janice the Muppet whose amazing resemblance to Mariah Carey on Oprah brought forth mad lols from yours truly.

Muppet:




Ms. C:

VersionFest 2008 "Dark Matter" Opening Night 4/18/2008

...in photos. The place, a spacious, open gallery floor in Bridgeport, was packed with art freaks, art geeks and general all-out weirdos...also in attendence some of Chicago's up-and-coming artists as well as prominent ones. It was hot, crowded and the air reeked of beer, cigarettes, sweaty bodies, young Chicago celebrating amazing (as well as crap) art and partying until the wee hours of the morning (until about 4 a.m.)

Happy Anniversary/Earth Day!!!

Today I'm celebrating my 6th wedding anniversary to Jay...wow, where did the time go? Hard to believe we've been together 8 years (married 6) and been living in Chicago close to 6 years....did we decide to get married on Earth Day on porpose? May have...

Anyhoo...loads of Versionfest pics but can't be arsed to put them up right now...maybe in a couple of days..

Chicago oh Chicago my beloved city...but why are you full of violence..32 people shot, 2 stabbed and 6 people died these past 4 days, prayers go out to the families of those involved... apparently the warmer weather was to blame... well, all the gangbangers came out in full force causing all kinds of trouble!! May you people rot in hell.

Moving on, last night I successfully altered a small men's t-shirt into a baby doll t-shirt and I must say I am pretty pleased with the end result...now I'm plucking up the courage to alter my beloved England football shirt (size L men's) given to me by a very good friend who I've lost contact with aaages ago. Anyhoo, will post the finished product.