Science Fair for March 10th-16th

-A co-worker introduced me to the British, video version of Wiki How-To, Videojug. They have instructional videos on everything you might ever need, including make-up, fashion, sex and dating tips. My favorite is presented below: "How To Be the Perfect Girlfriend."

How To Be The Perfect Girlfriend

-In other video news, the Chinese government has blocked YouTube videos showing the violent protests in Tibet. Activists are staging protests all over New York City, calling for the UN Security Council's condemnation of China's actions in Tibet. They're banging gongs and waving "Free Tibet" flags everywhere! News source: Bloomberg.

-I've been frequenting my neighborhood Le Pain Quotidien, a Belgian bakery/cafe with the most delightful open-faced sandwiches and of course, bread. They'll bring you a metal tray with almond and praline butters if you ask nicely, and when you're a girl who's just woken up at three o'clock in need of coffee and something delicious, it's perfect. Their delectably crunchy-soft baguette a la ancienne has been recreated here.

-Do you ever have those tragically uninspired fashion days? I do, a lot. I find myself schlepping around town in my same old brown pants, sneakers, long-sleeve tee, wondering what happened to my fashion spirit. On those days, I utilize one of my favorite resources, the Duke University Libraries Digital Collection of vintage advertisements. This week, I've been perusing their collection of cosmetics and beauty ads from the 1940s--enchanting! In college, I took an art history seminar on the Bauhaus, and it changed my life for the better. The ad below for Botany lanolin is such a wonderful amalgamation of the post-modern graphic text and nostalgia for a simpler, more transparent time.

Check out the lipstick-pink backdrop, the crazy beady eyes of the French Revolution lady and her awesomely anthropomorphized dog! It has NOTHING to do with beauty products whatsoever, but it's so telling as to our lifestyle and beauty ideals. Who doesn't want the natural simplicity of a French peasant girl, the luxe grandiosity of Marie Antoinette, and the sleek lines of a 1940s femme fatale?

Have a wonderful week, everyone--may your protests be vigorous, your bread fresh-baked, and your life macaron-pink.

Video courtsey of VideoJug, image courtesy of Ad*Access.