Do you know what/who that is?! No? Well, I don't blame you because I thought it was Homer Simpson. But it is actually Spongebob! Still confused? Well, remember how I was saying I got a job a few weeks back, and I officially start (after 10 hours of intensive training) this week? Well the job is at Nickelodeon Universe, selling ice cream, popcorn, etc. to the good folks who come to visit. Nickelodeon Universe is the amusement park inside the Mall of America. It's actually pretty fun and worth a visit if you're up in that neck of the woods.
On Sunday night, at the pestering of my dear mother, I watched PBS's Masterpiece Theater rendition of Jane Austen's Emma. It was bloody amazing! I cannot express how beautiful the male characters are. I've never seen such a lovely collection of handsome englishmen in tights, ascots, and riding boots, romancing women with posh British accents and oh, je ne sais quoi. Part two is on next week. WATCH IT!
On a last note, to the person inquiring about the existence of my "waist" - haha! I know, I have the body of a 12 year old boy (thanks father!). I don't have much of a waist, or hips, or boobs. I'm completely lacking. The only womanly feature I possess are my legs (thanks mum!). But other than that, I'm pretty much the exact replica of your little brother. But it helps me work the androgynous look beautifully. (And I would like to add that I love my body shape and I wouldn't trade it for any other one!!)
First off, even though internet arguments are a silly waste of time, I would like to thank Taylor for his/her lovely comment on my previous post. Yes, I know I wear acid wash & flannel a lot. I also know that it's disgusting that I wear the same clothes over & over again! You complained that I always wear jeans. Hello, I live in Minnesota and it is winter! Sorry, but I'd rather be warm than freeze to death walking across campus in a skirt, thanks. In defense of my beloved boots, I wear a size 4US shoe, so it's extremely difficult to find stylish shoes in my size. Boots are easy to find however, so I usually wear those or tennis shoes. However, I'm quite pleased that even if you find my sense of style absolutely appalling, that you still like my runway & Clara Bow posts....I think the following one may please you as well, as I'm not wearing flannel. Or acid wash. Or even boots!
H&M was/is having a massive sale so I got this dress (along with one other & a skirt...and some legwarmers...and shorts). I don't really have many occasions which to wear fancy dresses to, but my friend's birthday party seemed like an appropriate occasion. The dress wasn't completely form fitting, so to emphasize my middle, I strapped a black belt around the little of my waist.
(I apologize for the ultra fake model-y look of this photo. I was just trying to move my arms so they weren't covering the dress.)
I bought those striped tights from Modcloth sometime last year, before they were the "trendy" thing to wear. I thought that the tulle-ish horizontal stripes of the dress would juxtapose nicely with the vertical stripes of the tights. Of course, the tights got a couple runs in them right away, so my mum suggested I coat them with clear nail polish to keep them from running any further. Do you guys do this? Well you should, because it works.
I love wearing dresses, it's so fun and flirty (but cold in the winter!!). I played some awesome games of ping pong and danced to bad music (uhm, Cascada, anyone?) with my friends at the party. The dress really added to the effect. Even though it is just a casual party, dressing up is still a lot of fun, and it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. (;
This week has been hectic! I had Czech lessons on Monday (to those wondering - no, I'm not Czech. I'm just learning the language. I've been involved with the Czech/Slovak Minnesotan community for many many years now, however). I then had first day of semester on Tuesday, followed by work orientation. Today I had class, then sewing. Tomorrow I have class then more work training, and the same for Friday! Plus homework on top of all of that. I'm so exhausted, so I'm going to go to bed now. Good night everyone! (:
I didn't think I'd do another post before Tuesday, but here I am! I managed to nip outside yesterday and take a handful of photos of what I was wearing. I'm actually surprised any of them turned out, I was crunched for time and just took a few then ran (to the library!). Oh, I also wore this to the mall a couple days ago (er, yes, I re-wear outfits when I'm getting REALLY LAZY). Speaking of lazy, I've just thrown my flannel shirt in the wash this morning for the first time in weeks, oh and those jeans, too. I'm also wearing suspenders and some cheap boots from DSW which I think make my feet look HUGE, oh aaannnddd.....
I was at Macy's (remind me to write about how much I LOVE THIS STORE sometime, kay?) and ran across this amazing Betsey Johnson spider necklace. I love Betsey Johnson. Her mix of funky & classy is awe-inspiring, and she fits my sense of style perfectly. Anyways, I've been looking for some good jewelry and this captured me immediately so I just had to buy it even though I'm completely skint.
I wish I had a photo of my socks. They're pretty cool - fuzzy, striped, red/orange/pink socks. My special man friend (who is actually just my boyfriend, but special man friend has much more intrigue to it) bought them for me after he realized that the quickest way to my heart is through a pair of socks.
Anyways, I sense that I'm being really annoying today with my caps lock and "hmm kay?!"-ing so I'll leave it at this before I turn away everyone. I'll just throw in that I joined Chictopia, which is pretty cool but also pretty confusing. And I'll also leave you with my blogging to do list. Here are some things I will be posting about in the next couple of weeks: work, recently purchased items, my wishlist, jewelry. If there's anything you'd like me to blog about then you may email me & let me know. My email is on the sidebar. I've recieved some lovely mail from readers, thanks guys! :)
I've been getting extremely lazy as of recent - it's the marking of too much time off from school. I wear the same shirts day & night for weeks in a row. I'm pretty sure I've gone 2 weeks without washing this flannel, wearing it both during the day & to bed (but er, isn't that the point of flannel?). I wear this sweatshirt all the time, as well. And those Cheap Monday jeans I will wear for 4 or 5 days straight without washing. It's gross, but I shower daily so I still have a bit of dignity.
Speaking of all these articles of clothing - here is my lazy day outfit. I got that sweatshirt around the age of 4 from this crazy store in Duluth, MN called Monkey Business, which exclusively sells monkey merchandise. It's super cool & if you're ever up that way, check it out (and all of downtown Duluth, which is possibly my favourite part of Minnesota)! My sweatshirt has the "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil" (or in some order like that) monkeys on it. Uhm yeah, it was way too big for me when I was 4. And since I promised these Docs that I'd wear them more often, I try to wear them a couple of times a week. They still need some breaking it, so I wear them with legwarmers to protect my feetsies from blisters. It was 28°F out today, which is pretty warm this time of year, so I'm not wearing a coat. I did however throw a coat on after taking these photos....
The Beatles bag (seen better below) is from my sister. She bought it for me off eBay a few years ago when she was going through an eBay craze (she also bought a number of shirts and trucker hats, and sold a bunch of my CDs - I still miss that Justin Timberlake one!). I love this bag. I get so so so many compliments on it and it's the perfect size & shape! The other day I was in the bookstore with it strapped around my shoulder and some bloke pops up from nowhere and says with a really thick accent, "I like your bag." I wasn't prepared for a short little mustached man to approach me, so I say, "Sorry?" And he says, "I like your bag. The Beatles. I'm from Liverpool." And instead of asking him, "Well what the heck are you doing in dingey Minnesota then!?!?!" I just smiled and said thanks, then walked away. What?! I'm so slow when I'm thrown off guard.
I got a haircut yesterday, for the new semester! I really like it, it's nice not to have all that hair as I did. Also, my hair had been getting too helmet-y. So now I can start the new semester with a fresh haircut. Semester starts on Tuesday. I also start my new job on Tuesday. I'll fill you in about that soon. ;)
For a school assignment last May I interviewed my mum about her life. I didn't know much about her, and I learned things about who her best friends were, the clothes that she wore, and also a bit about her father - a mysterious figure to me, who I've always made up in my head (a 6'4", Rock Hudson, macho type of man). He was born in 1900 and died when my mum was quite young. I'd only seen a few photos of him taken at a distance. The only things I knew were that he was born in Germany and that his parents had both been orphans. My mum told me that he lived in Hollywood and was the chauffeur for silent film actress Clara Bow. Being my sentimental self, I went on a desperate search to find out everything I could about Clara Bow, in some hope that it would bring me closer to my grandfather. In ways it has, but in another way it has introduced me to one of the most ravishing, flirty, tragic, colourful women who has ever walked this earth. I'm no silent film buff, but I do know that Clara Bow was something special. She's one of my greatest inspirations, and now I will share her with you.
Clara was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1905 to Robert & Sarah Bow. Robert was mostly absent and Sarah was epileptic & psychotic, so Clara took care of her mother for most of her life. At one point, Clara's mother tried to kill her in her sleep. Clara was an insomniac for the rest of her life after this incident. After her mother's death in 1923, Clara lived with her grandfather who suffered a heart attack and died while pushing Clara on a swing.
Clara was made fun of by the other girls for being poor and for her out of control hair, and so she grew up around boys. Clara seemed not to mind however, and preferred this rougher lifestyle. She even claimed that she "could lick any boy my size." Clara only had one best friend during her childhood, a boy who lived in the same building as her at one time. The boy died in Clara's arms after he was lit on fire and burned to death.
Clara spent much of her time at the cinema, going to see silent films as often as she could. In 1921, Brewster publications (which published movie magazines such as Motion Picture Classic, Shadowland, and Motion Picture) held a Fame & Fortune contest to find the next big silent film star. Clara seized the opportunity, despite her mother's opposition (her mother had called actresses prostitues who were going straight to Hell). For a dollar, she paid to have two photos taken at a Coney Island studio. They both turned out "terrible." All the same, she went into Brewster offices and delivered the photos in person. The manager had written about her, "Called in person - very pretty" at the bottom of her photos.
Clara had later said about her entry into the contest that, "It was silly t'even dream of it. There wasn't no one who knew me who wouldn'ta laughed loud and long at the idea." Her entry paid off, though. Weeks later, she was selected as a finalist and invited to do a further screen test where the finalists had to "walk into camera range, pick up a telephone, laugh, look worried, then terrified." Although underdressed compared to the other finalists, Clara was chosen to do even more tests. When Clara told her mother of the news, her mother fainted, and after being revived, told her daughter that she was "goin' straighta hell." Three days after the incident, the winner of the Fame & Fortune contest was announced: Clara Bow.
Clara won a trophy and a gown, but nothing more until Beyond the Rainbow materialized and a part was written for Clara. When her first movie opened, Clara invited two school friends to go with her to see it. Without being informed of it, Clara had been cut from the movie.
After that humiliation, Clara was cast in 1922's Down to the Sea in Ships as an answer to their need of cheap talent. The movie, a whaling story, was strongly disliked by critics, however Clara was singled out as the best performance of the film. Everything fell into place after that success.
She entered into a 3 month contract with Preferred Pictures, for $50 a week. Clara would do 23 movies in three years, before her next big hit - The Plastic Age - followed (eight films later) by Mantrap. By this time, Clara was a sex symbol and a flapper icon.
In 1927, while at the height of her success, Clara was cast in It and would forever after be known as "The It Girl." This is my personal favourite Clara Bow movie. If you cannot find it at your local DVD rental stores, check your library and if all else fails, it's on Youtube.
The movie, about a shop girl who falls in love, is based on the story written by Elinor Glyn, where the main character is described as possessing a "strange magnetism which attracts both sexes...entirely unself-conscious...full of self-confidence...indifferent to the effect...she is producing and uninfluenced by others." Clara Bow possessed it all.
Also in 1927, Clara starred in the WWI film Wings, which won the first ever Academy Award for Best Picture. Around this time, Clara was earning a reported $35,000 a week, making her the highest paid movie star.
Despite her celebrity, Clara preferred to play poker with her maid, cook, and *chauffeur* than to go to her movie premieres.
Clara was known for her out of control, fiery red hair. When fans learned that she dyed it with henna, sales for the product tripled! The 5'3" sex symbol was clearly adored by audiences across the nation.
Clara's first talkie was 1929's The Wild Party. Clara remained successful and her movies increased in box office popularity despite her phobia of the microphone. Her eyes can often be seen wandering up to the device looming above her.
Although still loved by audiences, Clara began to deteriorate and the production companies noticed. She was fired from films and docked pay as she slipped away from the big screen, slowly being replaced by stars like Greta Garbo who managed smoother transitions.
Clara's fragile emotional state landed her in a sanatorium by early 1931. She was dropped by her former contract, but signed a two-film contract with Fox. Those two films, Call Her Savage and Hoop-la, were also her last.
In 1932 she married politician Rex Bell & had two sons. She also had a guest appearance on a radio show - her last public exposure. In 1944 the former star attempted suicide and in 1949 she checked into a Connecticut hospital to be treated for chronic insomnia. After shock treatment and psychological tests (Clara's IQ was still considered 'bright normal'), doctors declared Clara's insomnia a result of childhood traumas.
Bow spent the last years of her life living at home under care of nurses. She died in 1965 at the age of 60 while watching a Gary Cooper movie. Clara acted in 57 films throughout her career which spanned 11 years.
Apologies for the incredibley long post. Images from Google, info/quotes from Runnin' Wild by David Stenn (magnificent, juicy biography of Clara Bow - highly reccommended)
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Do you know what/who that is?! No? Well, I don't blame you because I thought it was Homer Simpson. But it is actually Spongebob! Still confused? Well, remember how I was saying I got a job a few weeks back, and I officially start (after 10 hours of intensive training) this week? Well the job is at Nickelodeon Universe, selling ice cream, popcorn, etc. to the good folks who come to visit. Nickelodeon Universe is the amusement park inside the Mall of America. It's actually pretty fun and worth a visit if you're up in that neck of the woods.
On Sunday night, at the pestering of my dear mother, I watched PBS's Masterpiece Theater rendition of Jane Austen's Emma. It was bloody amazing! I cannot express how beautiful the male characters are. I've never seen such a lovely collection of handsome englishmen in tights, ascots, and riding boots, romancing women with posh British accents and oh, je ne sais quoi. Part two is on next week. WATCH IT!
