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