2011 Fashion

hear a little song: a christmas carol

just so you know...i don't really dance like this in real life.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! from me and from all the funnies i work with at phoebeworks and phoebetv.

thanks for stopping by the blog...

CHAOS: christmas and the hard luck kid

the holiday episode--christmas and the hard luck kid--is live. this one has some of the usual chaos (use the mace! use the mace!), but it has warm and wistful moments, too.

i just went through the stills--shot on 3 different days this fall. it seems like so long ago.

my hope is that the photos will start to provide, apart from a view of the production, a sense of who the actors and producers are. i loved watching everyone play, plot, and choreograph, work through lines and angles and action, but i loved the quiet moments too--how they look at each other, how they watch, how they listen. i tried for those...

ms. jessica, as dena.

paul and lauren (stewart and jess)

ms. cara (sarah)

maestro mike

oh, and me, in a favorite shirt.

here's a link to the full set aaaand...the episode.

cheers!

all photos © anita aguilar

pretty sweets

a buffet brunch is never a proper test of a kitchen's talents--it's basic fare (breakfast sausages, mini flapjacks, a tray of shiny pink lox, cold and warm salads, an omelette station, a carving station, assorted breads and breakfast pastries...). you always hope for surprises under silver warming trays, but usually the surprise is that a dish can survive well those swampy conditions. there is something to be said, though, for having many opportunities to fill clean plates and satisfy multiple cravings.

i'll tell you what i liked at brasserie 8 1/2--the brussels sprouts salad, the roasted cauliflower salad, and the creamy polenta with truffle oil. and they make a very good brioche. but the buffet was really a big tease--thin strips of lean beef swam in a zing-less barbeque sauce; bountiful shrimp cocktail, in a silver bowl as big as my bathroom sink, were undersized and various shades of over/under cooked pink and grey. the sweet crepe, made to order, with slices of strawberries, bananas, and chocolate sauce and finished with orange liqueur was a gloppy mess.

the desserts were good and sweet, but maybe more decadent for the eyes...i did have fun taking these photos.

all photos © anita aguilar

pretty city: when the storm hits

all photos © anita aguilar

pretty city: the high line

quiet, before the storm.

my handsome writer friend observed that the city sounds different from up here...
i wore my hood to protect from the cold and occasional sharp wind, but it meant i did not really notice this for myself.
i hope one day he'll write about what i missed.

can you even seen the snow? click to enlarge the image, you'll see a few snowflakes...

all photos © anita aguilar

hear a little song (a very little one)

morning, january in paris.

what do you think of this sondre lerche number? for me, this is like turning the blinds, letting morning light in. or it's morning light somewhere, anywhere.

but i've wondered, is a minute and a half long enough for this to count as a song? is it ok to end it right when you think it might or should take off? and what of the title--why not just call this barely-a-song "interlude"? or since it leads nicely into the next, "prelude"?

i played it for my dad in the car once--i thought he'd appreciate the simple melody, the layering in of strings and horns, but i also wanted to see what he thought of the abrupt ending. he said, that's it? like he got gypped. or someone got lazy. we didn't into a long discussion about it--no need--he liked it, but it wasn't enough for him to bowl him over. i guess in the end, it's a matter of like/not rather than right/wrong.

i love it.

i listened to it one night, at about 2 am, about 30 times in a row. it--and i--were not going anywhere, but i wanted keep soaring...

(the title fits, after all.)

whilst walking on wooster...

i saw and liked this...

i think the artist is stephanie brody-lederman, who's showing now at ok harris.

2010 Party Trend

December is the month to party, to celebrate the festive season, the year gone by and the new year that will start soon.

For this party season, look from within this season's trends: colour tones from black tones to bright pinks to metallic greys, shine and bling, short and mini dresses, classic sheath, metallics, one-shouldered dresses and tops, super high platform heels (Victoria Beckham's style), animal prints, sequins and a key accessory piece.

No matter what you wear, make sure to use your girl power: frills, ruffles (Moschino), sheer fabrics (Givenchy), high neckline and beautifully draped sleeves. And emphasise the hourglass shape, i.e. focus on the waist while making your shoulders and hips look wider.

What to wear winter 2009-2010 party season?

Black

Balck is the party colour this season (has always been though) but this season it is the top colour in colour palette of every designer - they have used at least one outfit in black.

Little black dresses are the best bet, but not only staples they have a trendy twist. Pick one with one-shoulder or go strapless with embellishments or some bling.

We like Demi Moore's classic single-shoulder RM by Roland Mouret dress that she wore with peep-toe pumps at the L.A. launch of Roland Mouret's exclusive Rainbow Collection for Net-a-Porter.
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Demi Moore

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Don't want to go all black?
This season, dresses in two or more colours are hot, the combined look of two colurs looks fresh and stylish. This colour blocking trend has been with us for two seasons and hasn't lost its popularity.

Colour block black with the shades of red, white, metallics or even pastels. Natalia Vodianova wore a satin peach and black colour blocked dress during the Louis Vuitton Pret a Porter show as part of the Paris Womenswear Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010. This style would make heads turn to you, feminine, sophisticatd and sexy, it certainly is the way to party.
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Natalia Vodianova at Paris Womenswear Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010

Bright Pink

One of the hottest colours and must have of this Fall and Winter 2009/2010 is Bright Pink. The various shades of pink were everywhere in the winter 2009/2010 and is a great pick for your party wear.
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Party in pink, the colour is feminine, sexy and fun and would create a bold and fashionable you. Choose from brights to deep pinks, close to fuchsia tone.

How to wear?
Pink can always be combined with other colors, like black, gray, and cream and also with neon palette.

A bright pink shift dress is a smart pick, you can wear it with a jacket in the day and for the night, just take off the jacket, and some accessories and you are ready to party.

We like the way Hilary Duff paired her Bright Pink sheath dress with a black jacket, look great on her. Paired with the nude shoes, she looks taller and sexier.
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Hilary Duff on the set of The Business of Falling in Love

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You can also accessorise with the bright pink colour to glam up your look this party season. Turn heads with a scarf, handbag, shoes or another accessory. Team your LBD with a pair of hot pink heels - grey is another glam colour for this party season and goes well with pink.

One Shouldered or Asymmetric Necklines

From single-shouldered dresses to tops and bikinis, asymmetric shoulder-lines have been one of the most raved about trends for the 2009 and are popular this party season too.

Showing off one-shoulder in a dress can be subtly sexy and interesting on the eye, and the possibilities for how to wear it are numerous. You can pick a sexy one-shouldered dress, or choose a smart one-shouldered top and pair it with slim fit jeans, high heeled shoes and chunky earrings.

For a dress, you can choose from a simple and even have a casual look or can go for a feminine and sophisticated style, or something more flirty and sexy, a style perfect for party wear.

High on the thigh

This season, the emphasis is all on your toned legs, not the cleavage. Super short dresses are THE THING to wear this party season. From Gwen Stefani, Naomi Campbell to Heidi Klum, all are sporting this trend. There are lots of girls who love short skirts. So cheers ladies and get excited, this is your time to wear those sexy skirts (see Jessica Stroup below) and hit the party circuit flaunting those gorgeous short pieces!

You can go short with high hemline, like Gwen Stefani in the black number, or can choose to show your neck like Sarah Jessica Parker in her L'Wren Scott jacquard minidress.
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Gwen Stefani at Sherlock Holmes World Premiere (left) and
Sarah Jesica Parker at Meet the Morgans Premiere (right)

Jessica Stroup at Golden Globes Awards (left) and with AnnaLynne McCord at GQ Bash

And the best way to wear them? With thigh high or over-the-knee boots.

2. Makeup trend for this party season

A good make-up can really turn heads, so make sure to pay special attention to you makeup this party season. From the make-up trends, matt skin is really popular this winter. Shiny is out, go for pale skin with natural tints, rosy cheeks (pink, pink-blue, peach to natural-tan hues). Make sure you match your blush with either your eyes or your lips.

Your lips should look tender and innocent. Winter 2009-2010 lip color palette range from slightly pink, violet, fuchsia to extremely pale, almost skin-fitting-hue.

Steer away from lip glosses or shiny lips. If you choose to go red on lips, keep the rest of the look simple and team it with colourless eyes. Go red in Gwen Stefani way.

Eyes are the most important part of this season make up trend. There’ll be two extremes for the eyes: smoky-smoky and almost naked ones. Bright colors fit paleness. And this season, keep aside your fake lashes, emphasis is more on the eye shadows then the long lashes. Compensate the lashes with shaded dark pencil at the out corner of the eye line. Thick black and brown eyebrows are in this winter 2009-2010, as they brightly contour the eye shadow.

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Related Posts:
NEW YEAR PARTY STYLE GUIDE - must haves
BEAUTY REGIME FOR WINTER
Nail Trend Fall and Winter 2009/2010
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shadows and tall trees

i don't know about this one, but it's what madison square park looked like today, at the noon(ish) hour. so i'm posting it.
hooray for the weekend.

read a good poem: morning

tree, by robert stivers. via photoeye.

seems like a good day to stay home...

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morning

why do we bother with the rest of the day,

the swale of the afternoon,

the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,

his many-pointed stars?

this is the best—

throwing off the light covers,

feet on the cold floor,

and buzzing around the house on espresso—

maybe a splash of water on the face,

a palmful of vitamins—

but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,

the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,

a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows—

trees fifty, a hundred years old

out there,

heavy clouds on the way

and the lawn steaming like a horse

in the early morning.

by billy collins
via the poetry foundation

how i spent my summer vacation (and the fall season, too)

as some of you know, i've spent a (very) good part of the last several months working on an online comedy series, called chaos theory. it's been live for about a month at phoebetv.com. so far the word is good! people seem to be finding it as funny as it was fun for us to shoot.

there are 11 episodes up now, and we'll be premiering a new one every tuesday for the the next few months. i'll likely be posting links here but there are plenty of ways, if you're so inclined, to keep up: become a fan on facebook, follow the show on twitter, sign up for email alerts, bookmark phoebetv...

and as of tonight, we're on youtube, though there are only a couple of videos up at the moment...

we also now have a little "bonus material" in the form of still photos (which i took) and a gag reel.

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who doesn't love a gag reel? this one is funny and, dare i say, sweet?
i was hovering around behind the camera for almost every one of these bloopers, and i laugh just has hard now as i did then. and i sort of well up a bit, remembering how much fun it was.

lauren and casey (from city and the sex)

paul and lauren from office politics (one of my favorites)

rachel seducing paul (episode forthcoming!)

deleted scene from "dinner parties"--emily, eating chocolate cake that i picked up from sarge's deli...doug and kari on the couch--my couch.
the shoot was a nice distraction from that day's sporting news --nadal had just lost at the french. oof.

the blanketed fellow (with the dress shoes) disrupted the shot on lex but it was worth it, just to see his get-up ("homeless" episode forthcoming)...

check the bloopers on youtube or on the phoebetv site...

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here are a few stills (MANY more on flickr or on the phoebetv site. and more to come).

cara (dinner parties)

rufus (dinner parties)

rehearsing the dance sequence (old married couple)

the dancers, after the shoot (old married couple)

assistant choreographer, gabrielle (old married couple)

mike, lauren (cupcake)

lauren and kenneth, who wowed us with his "crying" (cupcake)

lauren and all the stuff you need when you're getting over a bad breakup (jess grows a pair)

emily (jess grows a pair)

lauren (jess grows a pair)

casey, lauren, and jim (city and the sex)

Food for Healthy and Shiny Hair

The main problems of unhealthy hair are stress, hormonal imbalance, digestive problems and inadequate nutrition.

Having a good diet comprising of nutritious food coupled with excersises that would de-stress you is a great way to ensure that you have healthy hair. And with that you'll also get a glowing skin as added bonus.

Deficiency of certain vitamins and fat (that's right, dieting is bad for your hair) cause hairfall. Girls (or guys) if you are on a low-fat diet you might be at risk of losing hair because fats are necessary for absorbing Vitamin A and E which are a must for healthy hair.

Moreover, you also need to ensure that you have sufficient intake of Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12's association with hair growth has to do with its assistance of oxygen transportation throughout the body. Hair, just like most body parts, requires oxygen to grow properly.

So if you are having a hair loss problem, it could be because of vitamin B12 deficiency. Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin B12, are not stored in the body as easily as fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E and K. For this reason, it is important to ensure that daily recommended allowances of vitamin B12 are consumed each day. If this is accomplished, hair can grow much more normally and prevent hair loss.

Other essential nutrients are - Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, proteins and carbohydrates. Find below a list of foods which are rich in the above mentioned nutrients:
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- Protein: Beans or legumes like kidney beans and lentils should be an important part of your hair-care diet. Not only do they provide plentiful protein to promote hair growth, but ample iron, zinc, and biotin. While rare, biotin deficiencies can result in brittle hair.

- Vitamin A: pumpkin, dried apricot, carrot and spinach.Dark green vgetables lie spinach and broccoli are an excellent source of vitamin A (and also Vitamin C). This is needed by your body to produce sebum. The oily substance, secreted by your hair follicles, is the body's natural hair conditioner. Dark green vegetables also provide iron and calcium.

- Vitamin E: wheat germ, almond, avocado and coconut.

- Healthy fats to absorb Vitamin A and E: Cold pressed oil like extra virgin olive oil, mustard oil, and coconut oil. Omega 3 fatty acids like flax seeds and walnuts are also very good.
- Vitamin B-complex: Available in most food items rich in carbohydrates like wheat and rice.
- Vitamin C: berries (like amla), lemon, oranges and guavas (these have four times more Vitamin C than any other fruits).

- Nuts: Brazil nuts are one of nature's best sources of selenium, an important mineral for the health of your scalp. Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may help condition your hair. Cashews, pecans, and almonds, in addition to walnuts, are an excellent source of zinc. A zinc deficiency can lead to hair shedding, so make sure nuts are a regular on your healthy hair menu.

An overall balanced diet of lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and low-fat dairy will help keep hair healthy.

EXCERCISE

Proper blood circulation promotes nourishment of the hair follicles and these result in hair that is healthier and more in volume. Stress is one of the biggest cause of hair problems. So excercising regularly will not only give you a fab body but will als help you relax and feel happy, and this combination will give you healthy hair.

Breathing excercises (particularly yoga) that boost blood circulation are good for your hair. A combination of brisk walking and jogging for 20 minutes coupled with some stretching would also benefit your health.

Image Source

Related Posts:
BEAUTY REGIME FOR WINTER
The "Hair Straightner"
The Encyclopedia of Lip Balms
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