Christmas Desserts Easier Than A Gingerbread House

I don't know about you, but everytime I try to create a gingerbread house, it looks like a natural disaster hit it. My little cousins have found this very dissappointing of me - so last year, after our gingerbread house was yet another failure, I decided a new project: cupcake snowmen. This was a success because they were SO happy that they worked out AND they were delicious.
Here's how I did it:
1. Buy box cake mix, white/vanilla icing, black bead sprinkles for eyes, mouth, & buttons, then red licorice for scarf, orange bead sprinkles/frosting for carrot nose, and toothpicks to stack cupcakes and to give them arms
2. Make sure you have a pan for big/regular size cupcakes and a pan for small cupcakes
3. Follow the directions and bake 6 big cupcakes and 12 small cupcakes (makes 6 snowmen)
4. Frost all cupcakes with white on top (paper will be around cupcake)
5. Stick a toothpick through bottom cupcakes and place one small cupcake on top of every big cupcake
6. Now, for the heads, turn the remaining small cupcakes sideways so that the top is facing you and connect with toothpick
7. Decorate the faces how you like and wrap red licorice around the neck for the scarf effect
8. Place two toothpicks in the side of each snowmen for arms and put sprinkles down the middle for buttons
9. That's it! Enjoy as centerpieces/decorations for a day until you eat!

My little cousins LOVED this idea that I came up with and were not dissappointed like the Gingerbread house. I highly recommend doing this with young children, they will love decorating their own snowmen! Unfortunately, I can't find the pictures on my computer - but they were super cute.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

A few days ago, I saw this trailer for Alice in Wonderland (with Tim Burton producing), and grew very excited. I have read both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass numerous times. Today, most versions of Alice in Wonderland, such as Disney's appeals to children - however, Lewis Carroll wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to appeal to many audiences. I have found Alice's Adventures in Wonderland more enjoyable the older I get because I can pick up on more themes and analogies. To me, it's funny because there are many misconceptions with the book and the Disney movie. For example, Tweedledee and Tweedledumb never appear in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but in the sequel - Through the Looking Glass. Also, Carroll never called the "Queen of Hearts" by that name but, "the Red Queen". What I love most about these books is the theme that life itself is a puzzle. My favorite quote of all time is from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and it goes, "If there's no meaning in it, said the King, that saves a world of trouble, you know as we needn't try to find any." –Lewis Carroll. I love this quote because it embodies that some things in life are unsolvable. I am eager and excited to see how Tim Burton's version turns out, plus I loveeee Johnny Depp.

Odd Campus Occurence

This is a picture taken from my blackberry on the way to class. I think this is an odd sight to witness in the middle of the sidewalk. There are multiple possibilities that could have caused this particular incident: 1. someone got so hot from running/working out, they just took their pants off, 2. the weather today is so freezing that it knocked their pants off, 3. they lost a bet and had to go naked to class, or 4. they merely just dropped their workout clothes out of a bag. I'm guessing it's really 4, but it's funny to think about the possibilities.

Land Rover S1 Phone

"Land Rover S1 is undoubtedly the world's strongest toughest mobile phone. It can survive the impact of fall from 3 stories building, can withstand 220 C heat,can be buried in 3 tons of mud, can be put in a bottle of Champaigne and can even be bulldozed by four Land Rover vehicles and still it survive". I know this phone is probably really expense to make, but I think camera and mobile phone companies should start leaning in the direction of undestructable electronics. I have an Olympus Stylus camera that is water proof up to 12ft, drop proof up to 6ft, and freeze proof. It has been a great camera because it can go anywhere with me and I don't have to be worried or paranoid about it. I have gone through 2 cameras and 2 phones since college began, and it is a statistic that $700 million is spent in the U.S. on replacing broken phones. Especially when in college, it is hard to make sure something doesn't get dropped or spilled on. I really think this is going to be the next hot trend in portable electronic, and I will be the first in line.

In With the New, Out With the Old

This is a painting I did to symbolize the divorce rate in America - wish is about 1 and every 2 couples getting a divorce. It is another one of my pieces apart of the stereotypes of women concentration, which 'Wash Your Troubles Away', is also apart of. This scene is just a stereotypical view that a lot of the time women get left by their husbands for a younger woman, leaving them feeling replaced. I think there definitely is a conception in society that men who divorce go for younger women. This is one contribution to the fact that women are racing around to stay looking young with procedures such as plastic surgery and botox. Generally, men stay attractive as they age, and it is perceived that women do not. In this piece, I made the characters from on top of a wedding cake come to life by elements of gesture and color. Gesture and color were two of my major elements in my concentration, if you couldn't tell by 'Wash Your Troubles Away'. I tried to capture the feeling and imagery of being replaced by having the husband pulling up another woman on to his ex-wife's previous spot on the cake.

Poor Tiger

I have felt really bad for Tiger Woods and his family this past week. It is utterly sad how much America feeds off bad details of other's personal lifes. Our culture is consumed with E! News, TMZ, and sites like Perez Hilton. Most of these sites focus on the bad/dramatic aspects of people's lifes and are out to make everyone look bad. The fact is Tiger was in a wreck and people should be thankful and happy that he is okay. Sadly, this is not the case. People are hungry like wolves to know if he was having an affair, who his voicemails were too, why he got in the wreck, etc., etc. Tiger is one of the world's greatest golfers of all time and provides much entertainment for people in the sports realm of things. I'm not saying he did or did not cheat on his wife, or that he's a good/bad person if he did/didn't cheat. However, what I do think is that people should stop being so mean hearted and try to place themselves in his shoes. I think adults of America are setting a horrible example for kids of this country because they demonstrate that buying trashy magazines is cool/accepted. The more people who support these mags, the more gossip and bad details about people's lifes are going to be repeated.

Vacation in a Bottle

Tonight, I went to one of my favorite spots, Who's Who Burger, with a friend. We ordered our burgers, and when picking out our drinks I noticed my friend got a ViB. This is something I had barely heard of, but remembered being asked to join a facebook group for it a few days before. I casually asked my friend, "oh, that's that energy drink, right?" he responded, "no, it's actually the opposite. It's supposed to help you relax. ViB stands for, "vacation in a bottle"." I thought this was such a strange concept - a drink that helps you calm down. This was very funny to me, because being in college I am used to people buying Rockstars or Redbulls to help them stay up and study. I couldn't try the ViB for myself tonight because I had too much to do. But, I'm hoping to get to try this vacation in a bottle the minute I get some free time to relax, maybe December 18th on the flight home for x-mas break!

Carbon Dioxide Overdose

I recently read an article on foxnews.com about how the EPA is preparing to announce a high level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as a public danger. This fact deeply scares me because if it is a public danger now, there's not much we're doing that could fix it quickly. We are a society that overconsumes and overuses everything. In a typical american family, there is more than 1 car driven, and this means a few cars for every family which = a ton of fuel admissions. This is a very buzzworthy topic with the global climate summit starting in Coopenhagen, Denmark, next week. I think we should really encourage people all over the world, but mostly Americans since we are the worst, to carpool to work, to take public transporation, use electric cars, recycle, and do anything possible to help minimize fuel admissions. We have definitely taken advantage of our planet and need to do anything possible to slow down this process, if we want the world to be there for our children and theirs. What is also interesting is that the "Greenpeace: I'm Sorry" campaign was voted in best ads this week in AdAge. The client is Greenpeace and the Agency is Arc Communications. There is a series of over a dozen different billboards with different world leaders, and the concept is to have them apologizing 10 years from now for not saving our planet. I think this is a very powerful message because it makes the audience think what if this became reality. The billboard I've posted is Obama saying "I'm sorry". I think it's interesting how they've made him age in the photo - it really makes the billboard look like one from the future.

Zhu zhu pets?

In case you didn't know, one of the most popular & toughest children's gift to find for the holiday season is a zhu zhu pet. A zhu zhu pet is a toy hamster that plays, makes noises, goes to sleep, and basically does almost everything a real hamster would do. There are 6 hamster characters in the series, and there are many accesories, cages, and wheels you can also buy for them. These popular items are nearly sold out of all major retail stores and toy stores. People are using ebay and other websites to sell them for higher amounts. This gift happened to be at the top of my little 8 year old cousin's wish list, and my mom has been determined to find one. So my mom found one off of ebay from some foreign country - and paid nearly triple the amount with shipping ( a standard zhu zhu retails for about $15). I just think it's funny how crazy people get with toys during the holidays. The national news showed hundreds of people standing outside stores at 3am on Black Friday for toys like these. I think people have definitely lost the sense of what Christmas is all about. I know people should want to give their kids what they want, but it's not like their children will be playing with these toys in 6 months because something new and more hip will have already come out. The important thing about Christmas is being together as a family and celebrating the birth of someone who died so we could all live, not the trendiest gift.

Imitation Chanel Bag

I absolutely love chanel quilted bags - but I don't own one, yet. Although I do have many nice designer purses, chanel quilted bags are like the one classic handbag desired by women. I'm too afraid to have one while in college because I feel like it would get messed up. However, I recently came across a picture when I was googling chanel quilted bags (okay, so maybe one is on my xmas list) where someone had made there own imitation chanel quilted bag out of a brown paper bag, black sharpie, and an old chain. Although this is not exactly what you'd call "haute couture", it is definitely very unique - and surprisingly very cool. I think that is so creative that some one made one, it almost inspires me to make one. It's kind of funny to me how a chanel bag can retail for $2,000, but something more edgy and fun can cost you nearly nothing. Sure it's probably not as surdy. Atleast if it gets dirty or ruined, you can always just make a new one!

Dallas: Home of World's 3rd Best Swimming Pool?

I recently saw a random list of world's top ten swimming pools - the top 2 are in Sydney, Australia, and Heart Castle, California, but to my dismay - the 3rd best one is here in my backyard! At the Joule hotel. I've never heard of this place, have I been living under a rock? The pool itself is not that big, but what is so special and unique about it is the architecture. The pool sticks out from the building, over the ground below by itself. In fact, it projects 8 ft over the side wall. I think it gives a special touch because the vintage building looks so traditional, but then there is a pool sticking out of the side - very interesting.

Don't Understand the Twilight Saga

I saw the movie "New Moon" about a week ago. I hadn't even seen Twilight yet, so I rented it and then headed directly to the movie theater to continue the saga. First of all, I was utterly shocked by the number of teeny bobbers there. All dressed in their Team Jacob/Team Edward shirts - screaming in hormonal excitement. It was horrifingly annoying because everytime Edward or Jacob would enter the big screen, screeks and squeals would pierce all the normal people in the audience's ears. But what I don't get the most, and I admit I haven't read the books so I don't know what ends up happening, is that this book is a horrible example for young girls. The message is to do anything for a boy, or even let a boy change who you are in order to make him happy. The main character, Bella Swan, is so confused in her own skin - she becomes dependent on Edward - and will do ANYTHING to be with him. She wants Edward to change her into a vampire so that they can be together forever. This is puzzlesome to me because she never once thinks of all her family and other obligations she would be throwing away. I know it's supposed to be a "love story", but I found it to be a little over the top and a naive story - I guess I'll never get why it's so popular.

The Man Who Paints Himself

I recently stumbled upon Liu Bolin, otherwise known as the "invisible man", on the Internet. He is a chinese artist who paints himself to fit into a background, as if he wasn't even there. As a painter, I think it is absolutely fascinating how he can pick out a scene and paint HIMSELF to fit it perfectly. Painting yourself would be a very hard task, and I bet you would have to be flexible in order to reach all the spots on your own body. This man is for real - there is absolutely no photoshop or help. Also, another reason why I am so fascinated by him is because he is extremely unique - no one else does this. My favorite work of his is the one where the security guard is holding him, he truly looks invisible! Again, amazing...

Little Lily

This is an oil on canvas painting I did less than a year ago of my boyfriend and his King Charles Cavalier puppy. This picture was taken from my camera phone so the lighting isn't as good. It took a while to do because oil is a little longer process than acrylic (what I normally work with), but I like this piece because it depicts two things very special in my life.

Bass Player

This is a drawing I did of one of my good friends planning his bass. At the time, I wanted to experiment with the color and texture contrasts in a spacial setting.

Dr. Krauthammer

Recently, my eyes have been opened to Dr. Krauthammer. He won a Pulitizer Prize in 1987 for his writings - and also writes frequently for the Washington post. Krauthammer believes Obama is an intelligent man who will act more far-left than what he says. He encourages Americans to watch what Obama does, not necessarily what he says. He also says Obama has 3 main goals: to control public education, energy, and national healthcare. I think the massive amount of spending and taxation that must be done in order to attain free public education (all public colleges) and free healthcare is absurd. Obama is taxing 60% from the top wealthiest people, and I don't think this is fair. Sure they have a lot and should give back to society, but not a majority of their pay check that they actually worked hard for. I also agree with Krauthammer that no country ever "spent their way into prosperity" because the Obama Administration is just printing money. I think we need to revive the old system of "checks and balances". Also, Obama is against loan businesses in the financial services industry. This is my father's field of work, and I believe if you take away the ability to get loans or have financial options available, crime will go up because more people won't have access to money right away. Krauthammer predicts that if the unemployment rate continues to go up to 8-10%, the republicans could take back the presidency in 2012. Amen.

Wild Red Lilies

This is the first "still-life" painting I did when I was a sophomore in highschool. It's acrylic on canvas and hangs in my parents house. The subject matter is wild red lilies in a pot. I think this is one of my favorite still lifes because I like the complementary colors of the lilies and the green background, however, I also like the blatant abstraction of their leaves.

Comfort & Courage

Bliss to me is right next to you in a couch or a bed
At the beach or inland
Watching our favorite shows
I admire your attitude, your tan glow and illuminate smile
You are bandaged physically, bruised at the heart
Yet, your spirit steadfast for better days
I feel like I would be angry, bitter, & at worse sorts in your shoes
But not you, you said tall as a Georgia Pine
You alone are my comfort & courage
Softhearted, but teaching me to be strong

-This is about my mom who has been ill and had lots of surgeries this year

"Now don't it always seem to go 'that you don't know whatcha got til' it's gone...'"

I used to sweat the small things & would get so uptight
About where you forgot your dirty boat shoes,
or how you would leave a single dish out – and your laundry sprinkled on my bedroom floor
Now, all my dishes are put away and there are no more boat shoes on my floor
Or tracks of mud from their treads to provoke my complaint
My floors are completely visible, like my melancholy heart
The faucet once left open – drip, drip, drip
Just blares silence to my eager ears
I just hear my heart beat – thump, thump, thump
I used to race behind you to keep things perfect
But I didn’t realize how perfect they actually were…
All my complaints are gone, but now I understand
How funny the saying goes…

I was inspired to write this poem because it's the way I feel after someone close to me isn't in my life anymore

Stefanie's Savannah Style Macaroni & Cheese

Being from the South, I've always been raised to know & love cooking. I'm from Savannah, GA, where we love to put a little "south in our mouth", or as my fellow Savannahian Paula Deen would say "the more butter the better, y'all" (which pretty much describes our genre of food). Anyways, I have a recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese that I made up that is simple, yet delicious. Here it is:
1. Take a large pot and fill 3/4 with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add morton salt to taste, then pour half a box (this is for a casserole dish size serving) of Barilla elbow pasta (what I prefer) into the water.
3. When pasta is finished, drain and then put into casserole dish. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
4. Put half of a stick of butter on top of the pasta, as well as half a bag of shredded mild cheddar cheese (you can put more in if you prefer very cheesey macaroni) and stir until butter and cheese are almost melted.
5. Add 2.5 cups sour cream and stir again.
6. Dash salt and pepper and stir one more time.
7. Finally, sprinkle bread crumbs on the top of the macaroni (this is a unique touch to my recipe). Put in the oven for 35minutes and you have Stefanie's homemade macaroni ready to serve for you and a group of your friends!

Birds & the Bees

I really liked this ad from Norwegian Newspaper VG! I found it on AdAge but I think it's very cute and clever. I think newspapers do really mask people from situations in society. I thought about a coffee shop - people go here to read the paper, but sometimes people are paying attention to those around them and just pretend to be busy with the paper. Also, it reminded me of my parents at breakfast when I was in highschool. My dad could ask, "Honey did you call the yard man today?" and my mom would say "Oh I um er uh yes, let me finish reading this - we'll talk later". Having a paper in front of you is definitely a way to avoid a sticky situation, especially the one in this ad where the little girl has made her Barbies look like they are having a wild & crazy party (haha).

Cyberspace= A Huge Party of Society Today

Recently, I had to download Blogger mobile and have been blogging via blackberry. There is a problem with my hardware in my hp laptop and I can't pick up a wireless internet signal, apparently it's pretty common in HPs (yes, I know I should switch to Mac). Anyways, I have been texting my blogs to blogger mobile, and when I am near another computer, I edit them and fix them up. Not having my internet work for the past week has made me realize how much my generation relys on the internet (mobile web browsers are not the same as having your laptop handy). I get my news from the internet, research homework on the internet, shop on the internet, order food to go on the internet, and obviously use the internet to be socialable - facebook. The internet is very crucial for me. Obviously I'll survive without it - and thank God for my blackberry. But seriously, technology has changed so much in the past 5 to 10 years. Recently, I red one of Perez Hilton's blog about why Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account. She said we should spend less time tweeting and more time enjoying what we are tweeting about. She also said that she advices all kids to take a break from cyberspace because it's not reality. I would disagree with Miley. Cyberspace and the internet has become such a huge part of our culture. I think it definitely is reality and is what a lot of people in our society choose to spend their time apart of. As opposed to my parent's generation, communication was much more limited.

Smoking Is Gay? What CDC?

The new anti-smoking ad by the CDC is meant to appeal to adolescents. I know a phrase commonly used by adolescents and young adults is "that's gay", however, this is not a very politically correct term. I'm not homosexual but I think this ad is offensive. It singles out a minority group of people. It's like saying "don't drink because drinking is for black people" - maybe that's not the best analogy. But anyways, I this ad could be changed to be equally/more funny/catchy without picking on the gay community. I think our country has come very far to start accepting things like gay marriage, etc., so no need to back track.

Old Woman Tased Controversy

I heard about this months ago, but was reminded about it by Kathy Lee and Hoda this morning. They talked about the result of the case and that the old woman recieved $40,000 dollars. Many people have supported this situation or been against it. Although I do believe she was defiant and provoked the officer - she is a 72 yr old great grandmother. I support the fact that she got money out of it because all and all, that taser could have killed her. I think the police officer should have handled his actions differently. Afterall, the U.S.A. has a police force to protect the people. This officer was obviously on a high horse and used his power with cruelty. If we had many police like him, our nation would be afraid of the police and would not feel protected.

The Little Power Ranger

Yesterday I went to visit my little cousin Lily, who is 4. She was at my grandmother's house, and when I got to the door she was in a red power ranger suit. She said, "Where have you been? I've been wearing this for hours. I thought you were coming a while ago". She had wanted to show me her halloween costume. Since she was a Power ranger, she wanted to show me a video of them (she didn't know power rangers were my generation). As I watched I got a funny feeling. I hadn't seen them probably since I was 5 or 6 and it seemed very different then what I remembered. It reminded me of the feeling when you go to a house or a restaurant for a second time it often seems different and you notice more details. I think whenever you have a first perspective of something, your view changes the second time because you know more about it. Like the first time I visited SMU, I thought the campus seemed completely different. Now, I know my way around so my perspective has changed. I realized this yesterday: it's funny how when you first learn about something, it seems so new and exciting, but once your mind recognizes the subject more and more everything looks and feels different - like you're used to it. I had remembered the power rangers as being really exciting and cool, but when I watched the video it was just a much of overdramatic characters and cheesey side effects.

My Inner Artist

Recently, I was asked the question "How are you an artist?". It truly has taken me some time to devise a response because I wanted to dig deeper than just "I paint" or "I like to draw". While I do LOVE to paint, I must admit I've been less of a painter during the school session and more of one during the summer and winter breaks of college. It is sad because I love to paint, but studio art is not my major, so after all the homework and projects - some nights I just don't have the energy to whip out my canvas and paints. Although, painting is like a meditation to me. I love to paint outside and get lost of time completely. I feel like I am an artist in this sense because it is something I am very passionate about while I am doing it. But besides the painting, I am an artist in many other ways. I love fashion. I get up every morning and decorate my body with clothes and paint my face with makeup (majority of the time, unless I've overslept - oops~!). I love fashion and really enjoy finding new, fun, & feminine pieces to play with. Barney's is like an art museum for me. Even if I'm not in for a shopping spree, I adore their window dislays, manicans, and decor. I would say Barney's is where I get inspiration to decorate myself. I'm also an artist in the kitchen. My mom has always been a cooking woman. We are not one of those families that eat out every night because the mom can't cook (no offense), and since I am the only child, I have always been by her side to help. I have learned her recipes and created my own a long the way. I love to try new things, create, and taste. Finally, I would say I am not only artistic in the fine arts realm, but for my own personal sense of style and flavor as well.

Wash Your Troubles Awayyy

During my senior year in highschool I took AP Studio Art and completed my concentration portfolio. I chose to do a concentration which demonstrated stereotypical social situations that modern women in the U.S. put themselves in. Looking back on it now, my topic was a little complicated and could have been more simple. Also, reflecting, there are a lot of things I would change about my pieces, but then again I was only 17 and learning to paint as well. My concentration had 12 pieces, but this one shown was one of my favorites. It shows a housewife in apron, doing her daily house chores (i.e. laundry), and using her Prozac to "wash all her troubles away". The goal of this painting was to show that the modern housewife is much more complex and possesses more scandal in her life than the previous cookie cutter housewife of the 1950s. Also, it is a fact that many woman in america are overmedicated with medications like valium and prozac. In my opinion, many women don't deal with their problems in their own skin like they used to. This is what my painting tried to portray.

My daddy always said, "Don't wish your life away..."

My parents started me a year early in preschool because they "thought I was ready", so I have always been the baby of all my friends. While everyone was getting there driver's licenses during their sophomore year in highschool (when most people turned 16, or some people were driving freshman year because the South Carolina driving age is 15 - and many people from my school commuted over the Savannah River to go to our private school), they were all busy driving me around. I was the last to turn 16 and it felt like an eternity. And now, I'm going to be the last to turn 21. So while allll (okay, not ALL I'm exaggerating but MOST) of my friends have been turning 21 this fall, I just turned 20 August 31st. Yes, 323 days and counting left until I too can go to all the cool places my friends can go to (stress free). Because I am the baby and always have been, I have always wished to be older so I can catch up on all the fun. One of my good friends who is about to be 22 recently told me: "Don't wish your life away. Of course 21 is EXCITING and something you wait for - but, I'm about to be 22 and I'm like ****! After 21, you don't have that many ages to look forward to ever again". I truly took this to heart. When I thought about it, it really makes a lot of sense. You're never going to be like "OMG you guys I'm going to be 23 woooooo I'm getting OLD!" I also realized how I should embrace my last few years of college and not wish to be any older, even though I won't turn 21 until my senior year in college. Today, while at lunch with my little cousins and mom in a local Italian restaurant, one of our neighbors approached me and said "Stefanie! I haven't seen you in soo long! I can't believe how grow you are! How old are you now?" I almost was going to say 19, but today was the first day I really thought about it - I am 20 now. Two decades old. In between 10 and 30. Half way between a little girl and a woman. At 10 years old, I was in the 5th grade and very care free. At 30, I hope to have built a beautiful resume, married, and hopefully am on maternity leave at that point (I want to have kids in my late 20s, *subject to change). Long story short, today was the first real day that I thought about my current age, where I've been, and where I want to go. There's still a little bit of that fun-loving little girl in me, and I hope the next few years will help me to get to where I want to be by 30. But after all this pondering, I have definitely learned not to wish my life away any quicker than it's already moving.

All Aboard: Jimmy Choo Choo!

On november 14th, Jimmy Choo is releasing a fall collection for H&M. There will be shoes, bags, clothes, & accessories. H&M is a european company similar to Urban Outfitters, which has lower budget clothing. I think it's fantastic with the economy that a lot of designers are recognizing the struggles which the average person is facing & offering great clothing pieces at great prices. For example: Anna Sui for target, Vena Cava for Gap, Miley's line at Wal-mart and Charlotte Ronson for JCPenny. In my opinion, a person should be able to buy great clothes at whatever price they want to spend, and right now not a majority of people have the funds for expensive clothes. Also, I worked in retail & I realize how much markup is placed on clothes so the brand can thrive and the designer can make a lot of money. So, I think this is a great way for designers to show intrinsic motivation & design because it's their passion, rather than marking their clothes up 300%.

A Place Not Even the Locals Can Get To: the Lady & Sons

Yesterday after watching the UGA game in downtown savannah while I was home for fall break, I got a little craving for southern food so my dad and I thought we'd make our way over to the Lady & Son's. This is Paula Deen's restaurant which used to be a more mom-and-pop local place, but in more recent times has changed to a food network landmark. It is a block long and 3 stores high, seating hundreds of people. We walked up around 4:30pm because dinner begins seating at 5 on a first come first serve basis, unless you have a party of 10+, then you can make a reservation . The hostess informed us that the restaurant was booked solid with parties of 10 or more for the entire night. I thought this was amazing! Not only is Paula making bank, but she was still turning hundreds away for that night. I think because of this, she should open another location in downtown savannah. Savannah is a very busy city in the fall because of the great weather we have. (It was in the high 80s yesterday with a cool breeze and I laid on the beach ALL day) Because of this, the weekends in September, October, and early November are jam packed. There's really not a "slow" time in Savannah because tourists are always on the trolley tours or walking around the squares. When I thought about it, Paula's buffet dinner is about $30 a head. If she turned down 250 people that night (and I know atleast 100 were waiting for the 5pm seating), she was turning down $7,500 dollars - just for that night - on top of the $15,000+ she was already profitting. I know there's cost of a new venue, staff, etc., but I definitely think a new location in Savannah would be a benefit to her. Afterall, every tourist in Savannah wants to go to the Lady & Sons when they visit, and not everyone always gets to. Plus, Paula has made Savannah more famous. Everyone that I meet in Dallas asks me if I know Paula, and FYI we get our hair done at the same place! ha!

Real Women

I thought the new spread in the November edition of Glamour magazine, "Oh wow. These Bodies are Beautiful", was wonderful for women in america. These 7 women are all "plus size" models from sizes 12 to 14. They all have curves and features such as voluptious thighs, breasts, bellies, love handles, etc. These are all features that REAL american women see everyday when they look in the mirror. Afterall, the average dress size in the U.S. is a 12. The article talks about how in the 1940s and 1950s bodies that belonged to Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were idealized and women embraced their curves. But, when the Twiggy era hit women started to diet and still continue today to get that model like figure. I worked in a designer clothing boutique in highschool and I remember a lot of the major brands like Tibi, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Milly, Diane von Furstenberg, etc stop making their clothes at a size 10 or 12. If these are just the average sizes, think of all the women that are left to not get a chance to wear these clothes. This was also brought up in the article. Not everyone can be a 0,2, or 4. I love clothes & fashion, but I think the fashion industry needs to realize the difference between what's real and what is unattainable for most. These women are beautiful and I really supported this spread because they are the majority of America. Even through they are the average size, most women don't have stick straight figures or flat stomachs. Whether you're a size 4 or a size 14, every body has imperfections. But I think it's the imperfections we need to embrace because they create individuality. Not everyone should strive to look the same, it's not healthy, and it's not REAL!

NObama

I would not deem myself a liberal or conservative by anymeans, but say that I am more moderate. I am more conservative when it comes to fiscal policy and liberal when it comes to social issues such as gay marriage, abortion, or what have you. I am not trying to hate on Obama, but I really don't understand - like manyyyy people - why he was awarded the 2009 nobel peace prize. Nominations had to be postmarked by February 1, 2009, and he had only been in office for 12 days. What had he done at this point? Sure he had efforts to "better international diplomacy", but 12 days into office, he hadn't ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING YET. Obama is the 3rd sitting President in history to win this prize and I don't think he compares to Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, or Jimmy Carter Jr. at this point in time. Maybe he will live up to them since he has only been in office for 9 months, but I think there were better candidates that have actually accomplished major actions for peace in the world.

Deer In the Headlights

One of the most pecular and strange events occured yesterday in Savannah, GA (where I'm from). Somehow, a baby deer wondered into the downtown metro/historic district. It was speculated that it may have wondered all the way into the heart of downtown from the woods that border the parkway, but nonetheless, this is a very long journey. The deer was first seen on stoops of houses downtown. When people started to chase it in order to catch it, it only began to run more and more. Once after it was clipped by a car it ran into a near by parking garage - up the ramps and onto the second floor. Surprisly, the deer jumped from the 2nd floor onto a Land Rover, and still survived. Since it was moving slower, officials tried to tranquilize it so they could help it. Unfortunately, the tranquilizing was not strong enough and the deer got hit a second time by a car. I thought this story was very sad but it reminded me how humans and animals alike panic when they are in unfamilar situations or environments. I am taking a wellness 2 scuba diving class at SMU and am not usually an anxious person, however, the first time I dove underwater in full equiptment, I got overwhelmingly scared because it was such a new environment. Luckily, I didn't panic bad enough to injure myself or anything like that - but it is scary to have to trust and rely on those around you to feel safe. Sadly, the deer obviously couldn't trust in animal control or the police because he probably thought they were trying to hurt him. Nonetheless, I think new environments like the first day of highschool or college, skydiving or scuba diving, etc., are all scary at first but you have to learn to let go and embrace these new experiences rather than feel overwhelmed.

Shoes to Die for, Literally....

Since I was a little girl I have always been obsessed with clothes and fashion. I love to read Harper's Bazzar, Vogue, Glamour, etc, and see all the new trends and styles being created. As most people know, September is like New Year's for the fashion world. All the new pieces come out and are displayed in New York's fashion week, London, Milan, and then the infamous Paris fashion week. This year, Paris fashion week lasted from September 30th-October 8th. I have kept up with the designers a little bit the most shocked I have been is by the Alexander McQueen Fall 2009 couture shoes. These shoes sport elaborate paint details, crystals, sculpture, and not to mention, THEY ARE ALL 10 INCHES tall. This is ridiculous to me. I am 5'2 and if I wore these shoes (emphasis on the if because I know I wouldn't be able to walk), I would be 6 feet tall. You have to be at least 5'7 to walk the runways, so I think this made all the models look like giraffes. Seriously, who would wear these? I lovee Alexander McQueen - I love his scarves and knits - but 10 inches is a little much, and not to mention, a safety hazard. These shoes are nonetheless very creative & modern - I think the painted one I posted reminds me of a Picasso painting. However, my thoughts are that these shoes should only be displayed in a glass case for art, or, if you want to wear them - keep a pair of crutches handy!

Really, SMU?

Almost 2 weeks ago, a 19-yr-old Jordanian, Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, was arrested by the FBI for placing a car bomb at Fountain Place in downtown Dallas. Fountain Place is the unique prism-shaped 60ft. sky scraper in the Arts district. Smadi said he was acting as a soldier for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. This could have potentially been an event like 9/11 and is very scary! I am utterly shocked that SMU has not addressed this event. Students get mass emails multiple times a day about closed streets, lectures on campus, and the H1N1 Influenza, but not anything about a mass destruction attempt miles from our school? I know it did not actually happen and the man was seized, but shouldn't it be something worth addressing or maybe talking about a plan of action if something were to happen in the future? Obviously for whatever reason Dallas is a target city and the University should do its best to make the students and faculty feel safe in case of an emergency. I think that if the administration can address a detour on Binkley or a survery for SMU on-campus dining, then they can send out a mass email informing us about the attempt of a mass terrorist attack in DALLAS.

Pony Reality TV

I think one of the most interesting and successful ideas for a reality TV show, although it would never pass, would be to follow a small group of people around at SMU and see how they interact, much like "Real world" or "Laguna Beach" on MTV. SMU is not your average college and attracts many people from affluent and priveldged backgrounds. Where there is lots of money, there is always interest from the outside world. This is true for many reality shows which follow celebrity lifes like Rachael Zoe or the Kardashian Sisters, or even shows like The Hills, The City, NYC Prep or Sweet 16. Sweet 16 and NYC Prep are good examples of how SMU might be because kids compete to have the best clothes, parties and cars, much like SMU (hehe). Not putting SMU down, many people don't necessarily "compete" with eachother but with society, they strive to have the nicest things. I loveeee this school but I think it is definitely different than the majority of universities because it is a medium sized private school and is not as diverse as a big state school which attracts people from all races and economic backgrounds. Also, if you have read the book "Pledged", it is known that SMU has one of the most intense sorority recruitment processes in the nation. The opening chapter of the book features SMU and is uncanningly similar. Greek life is one of the major social aspects on campus and when many people want to do it, there is more competition due to the fact that there are not as many sororities as a school our size. There are many aspects of SMU that display status, drama, and competition so I think this plot would make for an extremely successful reality TV show and attract many viewers!

Dear Past,....

Dear Stefanie's past,

I know it's your senior year and you're really nervous about deciding the right college. I am your future and let me just tell you, SMU will be the best decision you have made thus far. I know you are really set on your home state university but getting out and broadening your horizons will change your worldview and help you mature. Dallas is a big city that provides many things to do, see, and resources to make your college experience the best possible. I know you're scared about not knowing anyone and being the only person from Savannah, GA, but you will meet so many amazing friends. You will meet someone from ever major city: Chicago, NYC, L.A., D.C., Dallas, etc., and everywhere in between. If you would have gone to your state school it would've been everyone from your highschool and you would not get the chance to meet as many people from all over the country. Their perspectives and friendship will change how you view the world and help you grow. I can promise this will be the best decision because you will get to create your own path and be different. You will still maintain friendships with your friends from home, too.

Lots of love,

Your Future

Intertextuality in LV ad campaign

In my Creative Advertising class we recently talked about the concept of "intertextuality" used in print ads, commercials, music videos, etc. Intertextually is a theory about how the audience interprets & understands cultural texts. This theory made me immediately think of the recent Louis Vuitton Ad Campaign of the Summer that commemorated the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon with Apollo 11 Mission on July 20th, 1969. The campaign features Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon; Jim Lovell, the commander of the Apollo 13 mission in 1970; and Sally Ride, who became the first American woman to go into space in 1983. Interestingly, this advertising campaign was the first for Louis Vuitton that included integrated press and digital advertising. Louis Vuitton launched "louisvuittonjourneys.com" which displays interactive videos where the astronauts share their experiences and how it changed their lives. But also in the ad, on the hood of the astronaut's truck, is Vuitton’s "Icare travel bag" which runs at $1,530. It is named after Icarus, the hero of Greek mythology who dies when he flies too close to the sun. The ad is supposed to be a homage to the astronauts but also advertises the new bag. In some print ads and on the website the ad says, "Some journeys change mankind forever". I think this is not only alluding to the astronauts themselves and their journey, but the journey of Icarus whom the bag is named after. This thus links and brings this Louis Vuitton travel bag to the same level as the astronauts who are "changing mankind". Louis Vuitton is very expensive and exclusive so they want this status and prestige to be directed at their audience. This would be considered vertical intertextuality because it links old & new cultural texts across multiple genres.

Celebrities and Politicians Alike Can't Get Along

When I think of a "celebrity", or what a celebrity should embody, I think of someone that should be a role model to the public and use their resources and fame not only to entertain but also for the greater good of society. However, many celebrities in recent times have shocked and stunned the public with bizarre antics and crude behavior to get more publicity for themselves, or their message, and have not exemplified a person that our youth in America should be looking up to. Many celebrity stunts have made headlines such as Britney's breakdown (& bald head), Lindsey Lohan's public drunkenness & previous coke problem, Nicole Richie & Khloe Kardashian's DUIs, etc. All of these are problems & choices that are unfortunate for the youth of America to see, but I have never been so shocked and embarrassed for a celebrity as I was with Kanye West at the 2009 MTV VMAs this past week. As Taylor Swift, one of the young stars that is still a role model for the youth of America, was accepting her award for best female video, Kanye West jumped on stage and stole the microphone from her exclaiming, “Taylor, I’m REALLY happy for you, I’m going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of ALL time! Of ALL time!” Poor young Taylor just stood stunned. I felt utterly horrible for her because as a young star this was one of her first major awards she had one and her moment to relish in that was ruined by some pompous rapper who thinks he’s “the voice of our generation”. If he is going to act that way I DO NOT want him to be remembered whatsoever as the voice of my generation. I think it’s horrible today that society endorses all of these celebrities who act like complete morons in public. Even if he does have more money than God, he should still be respectful and mindful of others. Celebrities are a big part of American society; people can’t help but want to know about their lives because the tabloids and many news shows like E News and TMZ are everywhere. Celebrities have a huge influence on many children and adolescences worldwide and it is so disappointing that he acted this way. Another recent controversy was when Republican Congressman Joe Wilson shouted out “You lie!” at Obama while delivering a speech on Healthcare. All of these outbursts deliver a horrible message to not only the youth but people of our country. This is also disappointing because even though Joe Wilson isn’t someone that is in the tabloids everyday, he still makes decisions for our country and represents our country, just like Kanye represents our country. It is sad that not only our celebrities, but politicians as well have such differences publicly. Ideally, in difficult times we should be able to unite and support each other. Everyone has their own differences and opinions, but you can’t just have an outburst of rage when you disagree with someone because that would lead to utter chaos. If everyone is always butting heads, nothing will get accomplished for our country. I hope that these are some of the first and last controversial public outbursts because these both do nothing good for our people and society.

Searching for "the one" or is this a notion of society?

I was inspired to write tonight after seeing "(500) Days of Summer". This movie is not a romantic comedy by any means, so I thought, but is a boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl doesn't, kind of movie. A little corny, and at times frustrating, it was about the struggles of finding that special person and true love. A boy falls hard for the girl, Summer, who doesn't fall hard for him and quite frankly just wants casual sex. This movie moved me to wonder, is there just one person meant for you in this BIG (6 billion people big) world? In the movie, Summer has grown up with divorced parents from a young age and doesn't believe in "love" or "marriage". However, the boy is a hopeless romantic who wants nothing more than to be in love with her. Summer says at the end of the movie, after getting married to another man, that she didn't believe in marriage until after she was in a deli reading her favorite novel and her now husband asked her about it. She said everything felt right, and then thanked the boy for telling her love was possible. She didn't realize it was until things fell into place with her new beau. She said she knew it was meant to be and "what if I hadn't gone to the deli that day? What if I had arrived 10 minutes late? What if I hadn't been reading that book? Everything lined up perfectly." She realized those things didn't line up with them and she just didn't feel that spark. And in time, he too realizes he was so blind with the good to see the bad that out weighted their relationship. I also think a lot of time what you think is "love" can be blinded with other temporary feelings of happiness, but that's another story. It makes me think about this a great deal. I myself am currently involved with someone I met under circumstances that seem too good & right too be true, but it makes me wonder - what if there's someone you're equally or more compatible with that lives half a world away? Or, your timing is just off - if being involved with someone else overlaps that time you could've met someone else. Are you only meant to be with just one person, or what if there's multiple people you could have equally as happy lives with? How do you choose? Are you meant to be with one person and the cosmos line up for you on that one special day you meet? Does a higher power control these things? Destiny? Fate? For now, I like to believe that everything happens for a reason, and I think that's what this movie tried to convey. On the 500th day of Summer, he met the person he was going to be with, but he wouldn't have been in that position if it weren't for her. Just something to think about....