i took my love down to violet hill

i love looking at the album covers of my favorite bands. they stray from the typical studio portraits that we see in record stores, emblazoning the albums of pop stars who probably didn't even write their own songs. alternatively, bands opt to brandish their albums with artwork, some more interesting than others. case in point: coldplay.

there's something about the way "viva la vida" is just splattered in the dead center, while lady liberty leads triumph during the revolution ... it complements the melodies in the tracks, so even if you can't dissect the lyrics, you'll still have some clue as to what they mean.

i remember reading an article about X&Y when it was released. the writer kept questioning the strange symbols (an alphabet?) that are depicted as random colored squares. what are they, anyway?

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and here's something i've found kind of interesting. it's a journal by this girl who was just starting out on her journey to becoming a model. with all this talk of unsatisfied models who just want to make a living in a demanding industry, it fits right in.

i always knew that the lives of models really aren't all that glamourous and shit, but before reading this, i figured that the agencies would do more to accomodate their models; you know, make them feel comfortable. apparently, that isn't the case.

photo: justjared

who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?

Ali Michael first publicly spoke about the pressures she felt to lose weight in the june/july issue of teenvogue. now, Coco Rocha is following suit. but even if every other it-girl model speaks out on the subject, would the fashion industry remain the same, or would it finally change?

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normally, i don't post covers or editorials of fashion magazines on my blog, strictly because you'll find the same thing on a thousand other blogs -- but this one just screamed for me to showcase it.

Velvet - July 2008

model: Tiiu Kuik

ph: Enrique Badulescu

BFFs + bromances

brody jenner, paris hilton and her potential best friends

forget dating shows. boyfriends and girlfriends are overrated. pfft. how about shows where you can just be best friends instead?

sure, the idea sounds crap. but hey, whatever works for good television.

earlier this year, Paris Hilton announced that she's working on "Paris Hilton's My New BFF," in which she'll embark on a search for a new best friend. and earlier this week, Brody Jenner announced that he's looking for a bromance. what's next? "Heidi Montag Needs New Friends"?

somehow, i don't think Hollywood would be the same without Paris. her matchy outfits and desperate need for attention actually kind of keep things interesting. (and she's not pregnant, as she was seen drinking and wearing an uber-tight belt around her waist in vegas -- way to prove the tabloids wrong, Paris)

photos: just jared, paris hilton online

narcissism at its best

"beauty is observing the change in colors throughout the seasons." - gucci westman

my mind has always been affixed to beauty. it's a component of fashion, the icing on the cake. take a moment to ponder: would John Galliano's shows still be as eye-catching as they are now, if the models weren't sporting theatrical hairstyles or exaggerated makeup on the runway? and what's a color aficionado, i.e. Jeffree Star, to do without her (or his) shocking pink blush?

jeffree star, myspace pin-up queen and manic panic advocate

people of past generations famously argue that beauty is to be admired, to be taken in and cherished, before it's gone. but even so, with all my fascination surrounding the subject, you'd think i'd actually take their advice. let me fill you in on this: i have trouble remembering advice when i need it the most. i say i live the moment, embracing what is around me, but in actuality i'm busy repeating thoughts to myself, self-conscious, yet subconsciously acting as the anti-narcissist (or does that make me a narcissist?).

maybe i'll take another look around.

meanwhile, look at this and try not to drool.

show me how you do that trick

it's that time of year: the sweaty, salty stench of your skin fills the air as you unsuccessfully try to towel off the sand from your ankles and feet, aiming to keep your friend's car as sand-free as possible, only to leave traces of it on the floor and on the passenger seat. you were just trying to get some sun before your friend had to head off to work. quite ridiculous in this 99-degree, 12 o'clock heat, though, isn't it? 

i guess you could say i had a rough morning.

see, i haven't exactly paid attention to the temperature lately. it's more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of thing -- i peek out the window, and if it's not raining, i'll look up; if i see a cloudless and sunlit sky, then i'll assume that the high for the day is probably around seventy-five, eighty tops. you know ... typical, favorable beach weather. thirty minutes later, i feel a hint of misery as i lay directly in the path of the sun's scorching heat. blinded by the sunlight, i close my eyes in the hopes of taking a nap -- no such luck. the sunlight still seeps through my eyelids. suddenly it feels like we're being chased by a fire-breathing monster (except he doesn't just breathe it, he radiates it), so we look for shelter ...

we'd left an hour earlier than we'd planned.

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according to gossip blogs, this chick is pregnant: (see source)

personally, i don't believe it. thin girls get bloated sometimes. i do, especially after a big meal. rude, much?

with birds i share this lonely view

another reason to love new york: topshop. it should be open by the end of the year. i can't wait =D

i feel like the resort collections just swept by. i didn't even know they'd started until a week after Chanel showed. but Stella McCartney did the best, no surprise there. here's proof:

season after season, i find myself wishing i could get my hands on Stella's entire collection. i even want the random pink flower in the model's hair.

wouldn't it be nice if american mainstream magazine covers looked like this? (it's GQ Style Italy)

on a more random note, i think i'm in need of more friends who are girls; i'm sick of hanging out with guys all the time. i've been around guys my whole life -- i have two older brothers, and they often bring their friends to the house (i even consider one of them another older brother to me). i think it benefits me, though, because i'm not as prissy as some other girls. i wear clothes like four or five times before washing them, and i never brush my hair. i like action movies, and i actually know some things about cars. i know what guys like and don't like. i know what makes a guy complain about his girlfriend.

but nevertheless, it would be a pleasant change to go shopping and actually take my time, especially in sephora.

r.i.p.

yves saint laurent
1936 - 2008