Science Time with Jeanne: Experimenting with Beauty

Most of the time, when you hear the words "experimenting" and "make-up" together, you usually think about trying some wild and crazy combination -- why not an electric blue and fuchsia smokey eye? But that's not the case here.

We've been seeing in our stats that people are looking for science experiments based on fashion and beauty, particularly with cosmetics. And it is just about that time of year for science fairs (besides, you know, our weekly one!). And so I got to thinking -- what kind of science experiments would be good to perform with beauty products?

You know, of course, that I had to ask the experts. When it comes to answering any sort of scientific question about cosmetics, haircare, skincare, and what's in them, The Beauty Brains are your best bet. So naturally, that's where I turned to. I submitted a question through their website, and got a great response from Right Brain.

I'm sure the Beauty Brains will have a better, more comprehensive list of fun beauty science experiments in time, but until then, here are some suggestions from Right Brain and me:

- Experiment with different products and different temperatures: what happens when you freeze lip gloss? Hair conditioner? Body lotion? Shampoo? What if you microwave them?

- How do different make-up removers work? Try this by swatching make-up on your arm and testing the different make-up remover. You can also do this with waterproof and non-waterproof mascara and see how the varying make-up removers work with the different formulas of mascara.

- You know those laundry detergent commercials where they show two shirts with identical stains and how one soap is better than the other? Try it with shampoos and body washes.

- Ever tried dyeing fabric with natural dyes, like beets, onion skins, or teas? How do different fabrics (silk, cotton, wool, polyester) take different types of dyes?

- Have some mystery fabrics lying around and you don't know what they are? Try burning them. Everyone loves a science experiment that uses fire!

As for me, I'm going to be conducting a science experiment of my own, starting tomorrow and going through February to mid-March.

I am going to test the "replace your mascara after six weeks due to bacteria growth" theory.

Every morning for the next six weeks, starting tomorrow, I am going to apply Maybelline Great Lash in "Soft Black". At the end of six weeks, I'm going to swipe the mascara into a petri dish prepared with agar. In a second petri dish, I'll be swiping a brand-new just-opened mascara. This way, I can see how much bacteria was present in the mascara when I first opened it. And so I'll be growing the bacteria from two tubes of mascara -- a brand-new one and one after six weeks.

There will be photographs. It will probably be pretty gross. But I'm actually pretty excited... except for the part where I have to wear Great Lash every day for six weeks. Still, these are the things we do for science, right?

Thank you again to the The Beauty Brains for the great suggestions and help!!

images from sephora.com and drugstore.com

My newest distraction/obsession

You may have noticed the common thread between the three of us is our love of Japanese pop culture and fashion; we all studied Japanese throughout high school and college. I was the last one to go this September.

On what seems like an unrelated note, I love the outfit photos that pop up on blogs like Style Bubble and The Coveted, as well as the Face of the Days at Specktra, but I barely have any time to hone the perfect outfit and/or face more often than not, let alone set up my camera or snag someone to take a picture of me.

So it's no surprise that my newest, most favorite thing is Pupe.jp, the adorable Japanese fashion and beauty networking site. Here's how it works: you sign up and create your Poupeegirl -- a little avatar that looks like you. (That's me in today's outfit!) You earn "ribbons", the site's currency, by posting pictures of your own favorite clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products -- anything that you can buy and wear. Then you cash in your ribbons for items for your Poupeegirl. You can also sell any items you don't want (anyone want a pair of camo leggings? I'm selling them for 10 ribbons!). In addition, you may receive shells that you can redeem for prizes at the shell fountain.

It's also a social network in that you can see everyone else's uploaded pictures and click the "suteki" button (the gold button underneath the photo) if you like it, and you can add them to your friends list. If you post or receive a comment, you get a ribbon!

It is a Japanese website, so there are some parts of it in Japanese, but it's not all that hard to navigate. The one that most people would be concerned about is the dress-up section, where the categories are all listed in Japanese. The list goes "hairstyles - outerwear - tops - bottoms - dresses - innerwear - bags - jewelry - shoes - accessories - make-up - events - etc.". To take a "snapshot" of your Poupeegirl's outfit, click the first of the buttons on the bottom of "dress-up" page -- the one with the camera icon, not the cell phone icon. (And, of course, if you need any extra help, you're always welcome to ask me!)

So check it out, and add me as your friend! If you want some extra ribbons to start with, you can email me or leave a comment to be invited, and I'll send you one!

image from pupe.jp

Science Fair for January 21st - 27th

We've got your maps, guides, and fashion-around-the-city photos here!

- TeaMap.com is your guide to local teahouses and tea shops! If you're a tea fan like I am, this is a great resource. Today I bought a tea strainer to pop into my mug at work so I can finally drink my delicious loose-leaf tea at work without having to use the strainer-spoon.

- Planning a trip to New York? Why not check out the Gossip Girl Guide to New York from Gridskipper? I've also heard from the foodies that Serena's truffle grilled cheese sandwich is available at Gilt -- for $50.

- I really enjoy looking at street fashion websites like The Sartorialist and Face Hunter, so I'm absolutely thrilled that there's a San Francisco one: Fashionist. (It also reminds me that I need a new digital camera. Any suggestions?)

- Finally, a very well-done article on the rescued pit bulls from Michael Vick's dog-fighting kennel.

Enjoy your week!

More Gossip Girl Style: Shopping Guide

This season of Gossip Girl may be over, but it doesn't mean we're over Gossip Girl style. We just keep finding new accessories to love!

Spotted: J + K buying colored tights from Welovecolors.com. Careful, girls, save some for the rest of us.

I have been looking for specific colors of tights for a long time, and most places do not have pink tights, let alone turquoise. Mmm, just look at this color guide-- it makes my mouth water just looking at it. Anyway, I bought five pairs of their cheap colored tights, and if I like them, I may be going back to check out their thicker microfiber tights.

For those of you wanting a little slice of Gossip Girl's hugs and kisses, check out these xo earrings and necklaces from Kathryn Riechert on etsy: XO Necklace-- Les Petites (perfect for Little J and her new bestie, Little E,) XO Teeny Domed Necklace and XOXO stud earrings.
You know you love them (and me.)

FredFlare's done Serena the honor of naming some sunglasses after her: check out their aviator Serena Sunglasses. We always knew cute-aholics like us had good sense... and taste.

And if you aren't sick of me talking about headbands yet, here's an adorable kanzashi headband from PeachyPan, a sweet little shop from down under. She also has darling candy heart necklaces that look good enough to eat-- I think I know what's going to be my early Valentine's Day present to myself!

Looking for the perfect gift for your bestie on Valentine's Day? Go Old School and give her a bestie necklace set.
Are you a good B or a bad B?

And here's a little FYI, from me to all you beauty-lovers out there: keep your eyes on this space for something exclusive. Let's just say that others can give their best suggestions, but we've got the real deal in the works...

images from youknowyouloveme.org and acme.com/heartmaker/

The nominees are in!

And I'm not talking about The Fabbies. (Finish your makeover soon so I can look at you!)

I'm talking the Academy Awards nominees. And I've actually seen (or know people who've seen) a good portion of the films this year.

Things I'm excited for:

- Three of the five original screenplay nominees are women (and one adapted screenplay nominee -- Sarah Polley). Awesome!

- "Persepolis" versus "Ratatouille" for best animated feature. Both are very different, but similar in that they're both animated films for adults. Sure, "Ratatouille" is Pixar, but it's not what I would consider a traditional kids' film (like "Surf's Up", the third nominee). So I'm glad to see that animation is being taken more seriously as an art form versus "moving pictures to make children happy".

- One of the original song nominees is "Falling Slowly" from "Once" -- yes!! A live performance by the "Once" pair!! If the show goes on! (Of course, if Amy Adams gets up and sings any of the three "Enchanted" nominated songs, that will also a fun time.)

So now I'm even more invested in the strike -- I really, really want this show to go on, but I really, really want the writers to get the deal they deserve.

What Oscar-nominated films have you seen this year? What, in your opinion, is the film I've got to see before the awards go out? For my recommendations, I'd say "Persepolis", "Juno", "Ratatouille", and "Once".

Jurassic Park IV and a flash from the past

John Sayles, you are crazy out of your mind, but I still love you. I will be seeing Honeydripper soon (for all you Next Top Model fans, Yaya is in it!), FINALLY.

In other movie news, I will be reporting back on the fashion BONANZA I just experienced in the front row of a screening of Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad, a film which may have caused me to walk around slack-jawed for a day afterward, changed my life, or both.

Science Fair for January 14th-20th

January's more than half over, when did that happen? Hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend, I know I am!

- The SF Chronicle has an article about women in comedy:
"'I'll talk about it with anyone after a few beers,' laughs Schaal. 'Comedy is a reflection on society. That's what so good about it. So obviously, our society in America is still incredibly sexist.'"
Most of the women discussed in the article are performing at SF Sketchfest, which runs through Jan 27th.

-DGA makes a deal-- Is this a good sign for the Writer's Strike? I hope so, I miss TV already.

- Meg Cabot guest blogs on Trashionista! Meg Cabot! I want to be her when I grow up.

- Lindsay Lohan continues to dress like it's 2006, we want to buy her some pants and colored tights.

-The CW is re-airing the first season of Gossip Girl on Mondays starting on Jan. 28th, and they're including cast interviews and deleted scenes this time around. Quelle excitement! To tide you over until then, YumSugar's got the recipe for the Truffle Grilled Cheese featured in the pilot.

How was everyone's week? Are you all going to be watching Northanger Abbey like I am tonight?

Winter Favorites

Periodically we discuss our favorite things of the moment; here's what I'm digging on this winter.

Glogg!: This is not a new obsession by any means- I have relatives in Norway and my family is all in agreement on the awesomeness of most Scandinavian food. But now that an IKEA has opened up in Portland, I can get my hands on delicious glogg far more often, and I love it. Glogg for all! (just remember to heat it up.)

The Complete Jane Austen on Masterpiece Theater: I am so excited about this. Why? Not only is there a new version of Mansfield Park with the fabulous Billie Piper, but they're doing a version of Northanger Abbey, which for reasons unbeknownst to me, is and remains my favorite Austin novel, and yet there's only been one other film version done (and by all accounts it is silly.) Northanger Abbey! I just hope they actually shot the Bath bits in Bath, because that is one of my favorite spots in England. This started last week, with a version of Persuasion. I haven't watched it yet, because that's the one Austen novel I have yet to crack the spine on. It's first on my list once I get some spare time though!

Trader Joe's: Now that I'm legal drinking age, the wine wall at Trader Joe's has started holding a certain fascination for me. Not only do they have Three Buck Chuck for me to put in my Glogg, they carry a lot of local wines that we've started sampling with dinner. Not to mention they have my new favorite cheese ever, Irish Dubliner Cheddar. So good, especially with their multi-grain crackers. And they make crumpets (I've been digging on the crumpets with lime marmalade that my friend Dorothy brought back from London for me. So good!) If I gain five pounds this winter, I know where I'm pointing the finger at.

Berets: I'm no stranger to beanie love, living in the Pacific Northwest, but when you have a nice coat, beanies look ridiculous. If you need some suggestions, I've picked a couple out in this post, and I have spotted plain and simple ones (with matching scarves!) at Target.

Merengue and Ballroom Dance: My friends have been dragging me out to Ballroom Dancing every week, which while fun, is kind of difficult for the coordination ally challenged like me. Which is why I love Merengue! Just move your feet around and then make up the rest of the steps- and the dudes get to turn too! It doesn't matter if you screw up, the point is to have fun.

What are you loving this winter?

Image from pbs.org.

No tears with this makeover!

If you're reading this through an RSS reader, you may not have noticed that we've got a shiny new look in place! The update went live Monday afternoon, and we're all excited to have something brighter, easier to read, and much more chic and fun at the same time.

The new and awesome Periodic Elements of Style banner was created by the super-rad Elle of MySky.net. She's my travel buddy, my worst/best enabler ("Do I really need this?" "Yes, you do." "...Okay!" as I scramble for my wallet), and an amazing artist and friend, so check out her portfolio as well as her minicomic, "Littlest Elle", which features her day-to-day life working for a major fashion retailer (and trying to get out!).

I'm not going to tell you which girl in the banner is which blogger -- leave your comments with your guesses of who's who!

We hope you like the new look as much as we do!

image from tvgasm.com

7 from 2007: Top Album Picks

Last year was a busy year for me, and I wasn't as involved in the music scene as I normally am, so I'm afraid my music picks this year are a little more mainstream than the norm. They're also heavily British (a disproportionate amount is, I have sources.) Still, here are my 7 favorite albums from last year in no particular order:

The Wombats: A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation: This is not out in the US yet! (Like I said, sources.) Which is kind of tragic, because I have been listening to it constantly and I cannot tell my friends to buy it. It's just an upbeat fun album with clever lyrics-- exactly my style.

Peter Bjorn and John- Writer's Block: An aptly named selection, if only because I have had writer's block on this post so many times. You've probably heard the single Young Folks on one of the TV shows you watched last year, and the rest of the album is even better. I was absolutely charmed by their NPR interview/concert here, it's what made me give up the ghost and go buy the album.

Stars- In our Bedroom After The War: I wrestled a lot with putting this on my list. It's a very good, very cohesive album, and I like the story it's telling. It just doesn't have the personal resonance for me that Set Yourself on Fire did. Still taken on its own merits, it's a clever album and shouldn't be a disappointment for Stars fans.

Coconut Records- Nighttiming: I got this around the same time I finally watched Marie Antoinette, and let's just say that April was Jason Schwartzman month. The absolutely charming "West Coast" makes this album for me- the rest of it is winsome, but that song. THAT SONG. And the cover art is some of my all-time favorite cover art. The whole album is light and late spring-y.

Interpol- Our Love To Admire: I know some people absolutely hate Interpol. I am not one of them. This whole album is just dark and brooding, with a delight of an upbeat track in the "Heinrich Maneuver." How are things on the west coast indeed!


Arctic Monkeys- Favourite Worst Nightmare: And I know even more people that hate the Arctic Monkeys. This is a more complex album than Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, and not as immediately accessible. It's all the better for it. I took one of my friends with me to see their show, and she was like, "yeah, I could tell the difference between the songs from their first album and the songs on their second album. I liked the ones that were different." So please keep on rocking and making me new albums to dance to in the future, guys. Especially if they're different.



The Once Soundtrack: This is all Jeanne's fault. I don't normally buy soundtracks to movies I haven't seen. I don't normally buy soundtracks, because they're hard to do right. I find most soundtracks to be lacking cohesion, something that is vitally important to me in selecting albums. Even when the music works in the film, it can be jarring to put the songs next to one another on an album.

But she informed me I had to buy this album, and put it on my best of list. And you know what? She is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Favorite Soundtrack this year, hands down. I think it's helped that the majority of the songs are done by Glen Hansard. It's really just a stunning album, and it's been great background music for writing. Good stuff.

I'm looking forward to expanding my music horizons a bit beyond the Britrock this year and checking out some of what I missed last year. What's on your list?

Images from amazon.com.

Breaking up with Chuck

(Not this Chuck.)

Dear Chuck,

Let me start off by saying how much our relationship has meant to me over the years. I know I've always been able to turn to you, which is no small feat. When others have left me hurt and hobbling, I've been able to rely on you. And you've been more than willing to change for me.

We've traveled the world together, Chuck. We went on our first trip to New York and ran around Central Park in the snow together. We explored Europe and Japan together; you came with me to the Eiffel Tower and to the Tokyo Tower within six months of each other. Even when I felt shy taking you to shows because we were still getting used to each other (and I, admittedly, worried about what other people would think), you were there.

So you can understand how difficult this is for me, Chuck.

I have to say goodbye to you, Chuck.

Even though I've relied on you for so long, it's really become clear lately that you aren't giving me the kind of support I need. At the end of the day, you're just not doing it for me anymore. My mother sighs when we're together and asks me when I'm going to grow up. My doctor, on me telling her how good I've been with my constant walks with you, frowned and suggested that I could do better.

And so I've found somebody new. Oh, Chuck, you knew I'd been looking, and you know I'm still looking. You knew how I'd been asking my friends to introduce me to someone who would support me, who wouldn't leave me tired and hurt at the end of the day.

I'm sorry, Chuck, I really am. But maybe someday, when I'm stronger, maybe I'll come back to you. I'm sure you'll find plenty of adorable hipster girls to hang out with in the meantime, though.

xoxo,

Jeanne

image from youknowyouloveme.org

Science Fair for January 7th - 13th

My first Science Fair for the new year! I can't believe we're still only two weeks in.

- I went and got my hair cut on Tuesday, and my super-awesome hairdresser gave me a copy of V Magazine to flip through. I haven't seen V Magazine before, and the editorial spreads are just stunning. The one that really caught my attention is Twisted, a shoe editorial... featuring the contortionist Raphaelle Boitel. Another great editorial is the winter fashion spread Spellbound featuring Raquel Zimmerman. Beautiful photography all around. I've already signed up for a subscription.

- Way back in November, I happened upon a post by The Soap Queen with the most amazing thing ever. CUPCAKE WINE. It's not actually made of cupcakes, and it's not wine you put into cupcakes, but it's Cupcake Vineyards. It's $10 at Cost Plus World Market, and currently it's likely set up near the Valentine's Day stuff that's already getting put out. (I wandered around the wine section at lunch on Wednesday, grumbled that I could not find it and so would go without, and found it at the register. Oh hey.) I know probably less about wine than I know about perfume, so take a look at Cork'd for a wine review. (Except I do know that it's a Chardonnay and not a Cabernet Sauvignon. Do I get points for that?)

- Remember how I talked about the Persepolis movie in my Books Gift Guide? It's now out in select theatres, and I went and saw it tonight. Here's a fantastic clip when Marjane is a university student. With singing, dancing, and it's just. Watch it. Tiguuurrrr.

- You may have already seen this linked from All Lacquered Up, but if you haven't, here are Beauty Tips from Lolcats. Awesome.

- From Specktra.net's beauty blog, Tendertones are coming back!! Tendertones made my best of 2007 list, so hooray for them coming back! Awesome! (Also, Naughty Nauticals? Sounds like a collection that will have a lot of navy blue, like Chanel's current spring collection.)

I know I've been promising a makeover for the blog, but this week is it! So if you catch us with some bra-straps showing (aiyee!) or our shoelaces untied, know that it's all going to be prettied up and finished this week. Whether that means ready to go on Monday or finished by Friday, I'm not sure (let's hope for Monday!), so be ready for the announcement!

Side parts and alice bands

Last weekend one of my best friends from high school came into town to visit me. While we were walking down to our favorite bunch place, we passed by our favorite boutique from those days, which was going out of business! Naturally we had to go in and shop the sale- and I may have walked out of there with a couple of headbands in addition to some shoes.

Add those to the headbands my sister donated to me over Christmas, the headbands that came in my fredflare order, and the headbands already in my hairstuff drawer, and I have declared this headband week! Here are some of my favorite headband picks of the moment, all under 15 bucks. (That way you all have more to spend on shoes! What could be better?)

I just got the blue one of these from FredFlare.com in Blue, and the red one looks identical to one of Blair's headbands on Gossip Girl. Plus who doesn't love a sassy plaid? It gives nods to the school girl look without veering dangerously into Halloween Costume territory. These are on sale for 4.99!

This one from Target for 12.99 is so cute with the side buckle. Plus Target has a great selection of headbands, from the higher-end (Erin Featherstone!) to the cheap-o Goody ones in the hairstuff aisle that come in five packs.

Claires is another place that has a varied selection of headbands on the cheap. This star one from Claires for 4.50 is adorable, albeit on the young side, but they have plain ones too. If only I had a little sister to go to the mall with me to buy them.

These gorgeous asian print fabric headbands for 6.99 each are probably my favorites from this post. Go Cost Plus World Market! Not only do you stock my favorite biscuits from England, but you have cute headbands too? I knew there was a reason I loved you so.

And as always with my accessories posts, for the crafty among our readers, here's a link to diy headbands with tutorials for five different styles. Make your own, you'll be the only girl on the block rocking that headband.

Now who's with me on headband week? Surely I'm not the only one who's absolutely obsessed and wearing them constantly.

Images from youknowyouloveme.org, target.com, fredflare.com, claires.com and worldmarket.com.

Kicking it old-steam

At a New Year's Day gathering, I was greeted with the following statement: "We're not allowed to discuss politics, so we're talking about fashion. This year's trend is gonna be steampunk."

I thought about this for about ten seconds before replying, "You're right. It is."

To super-briefly summarize steampunk, if you don't want to go through the Wikipedia link, it's a subgenre of science fiction where the stories take place in the era of steam-powered machines, generally Victorian England. But I'm here to talk more about the aesthetic of it. Brass Goggles is an awesome site to poke around for an idea of the things people are doing -- this amazing brass and wood laptop is unbelievable.

Various people interpret it differently, of course, when it comes to fashion. From Wikipedia, again: ""Steampunk" fashion has no set guidelines, but tends to synthesize punk, goth and rivet styles as filtered through the Victorian era. This may include Mohawks and extensive piercings with corsets and tattered petticoats, Victorian suits with goggles and boots with large soles and buckles or straps, and the Lolita fashion and aristocrat styles."

But what makes this a trend? Since it's a new year, we've already got fashion blogs talking about what's going to be big in the coming months. If you look at SFBayStyle's trends for Spring-Summer 2008, three out of the five themes can easily be applied to the steampunk aesthetic. "Safari" -- khakis and browns, cream, grey, boots. "Punk" -- that, you're likely familiar with. "Modified Military" -- sharp tailoring, badges, epaulettes, boots. And Gala Darling's post on 2008 style predictions includes emphasizing the waist (very Victorian), the general menswear-as-women's-wear trend (blazers/tuxedo coats, vests), and my favorite: lace-up shoes and boots.

Since New Year's Day, I've been obsessed with finding a great pair of steampunk-esque lace-up boots. I looked at Zappos, I looked at eBay, and then I got an email from Shopbop telling me about their big sale. Therefore, I went exploring their shoe section -- totally on a whim! Not even looking for steampunk boots! -- and I found some on SALE.

Dolce Vita in particular has a great selection of boots and lace-up oxfords. These "dapper granny boots" are the first ones that jumped out at me. I think these are particularly great because they've got a rounded toe and a stacked heel, two of my favorite attributes in boots. Most of the granny boots I've looked at have had pointy toes, pointy heels, or both. I prefer a little more curve and a little less point. (Have I mentioned how picky I am about boots? Because I'm very picky.) They're down from $225 to $112.50 -- 50% off!

And if you want to indulge yourself in the lace-up oxford shoe trend, I really like the Dolce Vita "Orlando" oxford pump. Not only does it come in brown, the standard steampunk color (most people select brown, due to the sepia pictures of the time), but also in camel and black. I'm really digging the stitching details on the shoe, making them a little more business-like and sassy than your standard "this is a lace-up shoe... with a heel!". The heel may be a little high for everyday wear at nearly 4 inches, though. I also like the contrasting materials (another favorite boot attribute: a wood heel), but I wonder about the durability of a velvet shoe lace, especially if you're like me and you have to walk in the cold wet. Still, for $74, down from $148, I can't really have that many complaints, can I? With the 74 bucks you'll be saving, you can buy plenty of non-delicate shoe laces.

Of course, lace-up boots are fine if you're going for the more feminine aspect of modernizing Victorian wear -- covered ankles and wrists, gloves, hats (all of which are big for 2007-2008). But what if you want to go a little rougher, a little more tomboy, a little more ambiguous? You can't go wrong with the classic Frye Engineer boot. Frye's been around since the Civil War, so you can guarantee that people (well, maybe not British people) were stomping around in Frye boots around their steam-powered machines. These weathered brown boots are attractive and tough -- they'll definitely hold up on those stormier days. And at $198, they're not horrifically high-priced for high-quality leather boots. I would wear these over jeans, with opaque tights and a skirt, or with corduroys. Shopbop also offers them in black, if the brown doesn't do it for you.

I've been thinking about taking the plunge and making the investment in a pair of Frye boots -- I'm planning on getting a pair of the classic Campus boots in black, but some of these boots are making it awfully hard to make that kind of commitment just yet.

So if I've only confused you, here's a wrap-up: Victorian explorers and scientists! Brass! Steam! Gloves and hats! And, of course -- boots!

images from shopbop.com

Science Fair for December 31st-January 6th

1. Big news for all you Law & Order, Spooks, and Life on Mars: Dick Wolf is reportedly developing LAW & ORDER: LONDON.
2. This is old, but movie-themed...John C. Reilly performs IN CHARACTER as Dewey Cox at the Knitting Factory in New York City.
3. Another from CMJ, Dntel wants college radio to last forever, and so do I.
4. You may have missed eating traditional Japanese oden for New Year's, but I didn't--thanks to Grandma. The lovely Maki at Just Hungry/Just Bento explains oden much better than I could, complete with recipes!
5. Interior design blog Desire to Inspire featured the gorgeous work of Selina Lake. Now that I'm apartment-hunting again, I'm harboring secret hope for a gloriously appointed abode with sweet little vintage knick-knacks and feathery dresses adorning the walls.

Resolutions for 2008

Earlier than last year, I must be growing up!

-Keep working out three times a week. (I know, it is the most boring annual resolution ever, but it gets me to the gym.)

-Branch out with the makeup/wardrobe a bit. I'm a very basic girl, but it wouldn't kill me to do a different smokey eye or a colorful lip every once in a while. And I have new boots dying for outings, so a break from the jeans and hoodie routine is in order, I think.

-Post more varied content and comment more often! The past couple of months were actually great on the varied content, but I want to keep up the variety. If left to my own devices, I'd just post about tv all the time (which does not work so well when there is a writer's strike on.)

-Read 50 literary classics and/or non-fiction books by the end of the year. This is part of my bring the blog some varied content movement; I'm planning mini-reviews every five to ten books. Literacy for all!

-Find new sporty activity to pursue as hobby. I've started ballroom dancing, which is fun, but would also help with weight loss goals to have another sporty hobby to do with people. Hiking? Jogging? Ultimate Frisbee? I have no idea, but something with hot guys would also be good. Especially if they like to take off their shirts.

-Give blood more than twice this year. It's my favorite way of giving back, and there's a definite need. Plus, they give me cookies. I love cookies.

-And finally, go on a proper grown-up vacation with a friend. I go visit my friends and family a lot, but I still have yet to go on actual vacation where I pay for my share of the hotel room and drink fruity drinks by the pool. I've got a brand new passport and I'm ready!


I still have trouble believing we've been at this for a year. I think we've been hitting our stride lately (at least I know I've been more comfortable with what I've been posting in the last two months,) and I want to keep up the quality. I'm definitely excited about some of the changes we're undergoing, and I hope you all will keep reading! We love hearing from you too!

Hopes and goals for 2008

A year (and a day) ago, I put up my first blog post with my beauty and blog resolutions for 2007. Some of them I failed miserably (was I really going to deny myself any form of chocolate?). This year, I'm hoping to do better, so here I go:

1. I want to wear skirts and shorts this spring and summer, so I need to take better care of my legs earlier in the year. I can't keep hiding them under jeans all year round. This was one of my goals last year and I didn't make it, but this year, I will!

2. I want to attend and report on at least one fashion or beauty-related event this year. Whether it's Fashion Week San Francisco or a designer appearance (I missed out on Louboutin at Neiman Marcus, and had to decline an invitation to a Frederic Malle event -- aaaaugh), I want to go out and get involved and get my name on some lists. The DuWop event last year was a good start, but I could have done a better job with the reporting. So better luck this year!

3. I also want to reach out more to other bloggers and get more involved. So if you see me popping up in your comments section, that means I'm working on this goal! I'm also going to be attending BlogHer '08 in San Francisco this July, so that'll be another great way to meet other bloggers.

4. I want to take better care of my skin -- I need to get some good sunglasses, find a good eye cream with SPF for daytime (my poor under-eye skin!), and do a better job at keeping my hands off my face. My skin is better than it could be, but also not as good as it could be. I don't even want to start thinking about anti-aging stuff, but sooner or later, I'm going to have to. (Let's hope it's later!)

5. I want to play more with color. I've got lots of fun lipsticks and eyeshadows in colors I haven't even worn yet, so I need to take the time to make it happen. I also think that the new MAC collections for Fafi (February) and Heatherette (March) will help me out with this one. How much do I want this hot pink lipstick from the Fafi collection? (For more info on those collectons, go check out Specktra's blog, if you're not a devotee of Specktra itself.)

6. Finally, not really a resolution but definitely a goal: 2008 is going to be a bigger, better year for the blog itself. We've got an awesome makeover in the works (expect it by the end of January!), and we've got plans to keep it going in the direction we want it to go in. Plus I'm getting more comfortable with my voice on the blog the more I write in it (if you look at some of my earlier posts, I seem so aaaawkwaaaard). We've got one year under our belts, but 2008 should be a better year for us with getting more established and more awesome.

What are your goals and resolutions for 2008? Will I be seeing you in July? (Will you be seeing my legs in July is really the question, isn't it?)