Running in heels

P90X: Day One

2010-01-04T08:39:00.001-08:00

As a jump start to my New Year's workout regime, I've partaken in the dvd series, P90X: Classic. A few months ago, I posted a review of P90X here and on my class blog for those who were looking for a serious workout. As it turns out, I was also looking for one, so here I am to report that Day One- Chest and Back has been completed.

Post Workout Reaction: Not bad at all. Each workout and water break in broken down into segments so one doesn't have to worry about pausing to take breaks. However, I had to substitute all pull-up exercises with bent over rows because I wasn't near a door (to use a band) or my pull up machine. For the push-up sets, I'm starting off on my knees until I improve.

My upper body being exceptionally weaker than my lower half, I've decided to do additional push up and (band) pull up exercises a part from the dvd so I can build up my strength faster.

Gym Essentials

2009-12-04T21:09:00.001-08:00

So you're getting a head start on your New Year's resolution and hitting the gym if first on the list. Before you start comparing different gyms, first you need to suit up.

Shoes

By far the most popular shoe seen in gyms is the Nike Shox, or really any Nike shoe. Another popular shoe (that I sport) is the Under Armour shoe which comes in three different shoe fits. The shoe fit is by far the most important factor when choosing a shoe because the wrong fit could end up causing you more harm than good. Another tip to keep in mind is the cost. Try not to go below $100 because then you'll start to sacrifice the quality of the shoe. Now for those interested in cycling, you have two options: You can either use a regular cross trainer or running shoe, or you can splurge and get a cycling shoe that clamps into the shoe stirrups.

Clothes

You can wear anything to your heart's desire. While some feel more comfortable in a free t-shirt and shorts, or a Nike jumpsuit, as long as you're comfortable moving in them and not having to adjust, then whatever goes is fine. Just please don't go skimpy, I'm talking to the guys too. But, if you're a cycler, then the shorts above might be the answer for you. Anyone who has taken a cycling class can tell you how uncomfortable those seats can get, but these fantastic shorts will prevent you from ever feeling that because of the added cushion in "that" area.

Gloves

These babies are only necessary for those into weight lifting. This excludes the assisted weight machines ladies and gentlemen. You can opt out of getting these, but then you'll risk callouses on your hands that will take forever to go away.

Bags

Bags, the things that hold it all together. Aside from school backpacks, I've noticed that girls tend to carry totes to gyms, like the silver one above, and guys (when they do bring bags) tend to bring the little bags, like the black Nike. But why not support UT and getting represent with their duffel bag?

Obese students required to take fitness class for diploma

2009-11-30T05:57:00.001-08:00

Yep, you heard me. Lincoln University in Pennsylvania has attempting to battle weight by making students take a fitness class. Those who refuse can sadly say goodbye to their diplomas.
So here's how it goes: Beginning in Fall 2006, all incoming students have been required to take a Body Mass Index test, a measure based on height and weight. Those who have a BMI of 30 and over have to enroll in a "fitness for life" class for 3 hours a week. A normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. An obese person will have a BMI of 30 and over.
While there has been some protest among the students, the historically black University says they are only trying to help. According to AP, they are concerned about the high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the African-American community.
To pass the course that includes physical activities as well as information on nutrition, stress, and sleep, students are not required to lose weight, but just need to attend and participate in the classes.
Tiana Lawson, a 21-year-old senior, says while she believes her current BMI would exempt her from the class, she's going to take it anyway "because I would like to be healthier," but also states that she feels that the larger students are being singled out.
So what do you guys think? Is this a smart move on the University, or should all students be required to take this class.
Curious about what your BMI is? See for yourself here.
picture by eHow.com

Sokker, Fußball, Fútbol, Soka

2009-11-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

It has the greatest number and size of stadiums around the world, the number of people who wear football merchandise, number of people who are aware of football, and the number of leagues/tournaments worldwide. This makes soccer the most popular sport worldwide, more specifically in the UK, Europe, Asia and South America (America is still lagging behind in their interest with soccer). As we speak, countries are battling it out to gain a spot in FIFA's 2010 World Cup-a championship tournament that takes place once every four years- hosted by South Africa (did you hear about the scandal between Ireland and France? Sucks for Ireland).

I was lucky enough to attend a World Cup pre-qualifier match between Jordan and S.Korea. Take a look as Korea scores their second goal.

For those not really interested in the spectator aspect of soccer, it's also a major calorie burner for the casual player. One can burn up to 475 per hour (on a 150lb person). And if you're looking for some cardio, look to run up 3 miles every time you wanna play a pick-up game; the average professional player runs up to 7 miles per game.

Not only do you not have to be a pro to play this game, but while you're burning up those (holiday) calories learning to play you can also make new friends.

While it can be slim pickings in finding team to play with outside of UT, why even look? Part of UT's IM sports includes, none other than... soccer! While it's a bit late in the game to be signing up to play-my team is playing for championships tonight-check back at the Intramural site before Sept. 27 next year.

Since we're on the topic of soccer, you all have probably heard about the uber aggressive female soccer player, Elizabeth Lambert. If you haven't already seen the clip be sure to do so.

Some people believe that her actions were taken out of context while others believe that she deserves to be suspended. What do you think? Leave your comments!
picture by The Vancouver Sun

Review: Planet Fitness

2009-11-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

When I first heard of Planet Fitness offering monthly rates as low as $10.00 (plus tax) per month with no contract, I immediately thought that there was no way that this could be true. But sure enough, I seen the ad on the homepage in big yellow letters.

There is, however, the dreadful catch:

Start up: $39.00
Annual Membership Fee $29.00
Membership can only be used at the 1100 W. Anderson Lane Austin, TX gym.

Nonetheless, even with the fees added up, the cost is still less than the gyms I compared in last week's post. I did some additional digging on Planet Fitness, and found out that they have Pizza parties the first Monday of every month (a strange choice of food to serve at a gym, no?).

The strangest thing I discovered was its Judgment Free Zone policy. Basically, for those guys and gals who like to grunt and drop their weights, this gym is definitely not for you. In New York, a man had his membership revoked for grunting. Also, beware of the "lunk alarm" which goes off when someone violates the no grunting, weight dropping rule. Oh, and don't even think about lifting dumbbells heavier than 80 lbs. They don't house it.

Other things prohibited on the gym floor include: no cell phone use, no jeans, do rags, bandannas, or skull caps, no short or revealing attire.

Yeah, there seems to be a lot of restrictions at this gym. A little to much to me, but check it out and see for yourself.

Check out the video below to hear what the lunk alarm sounds like.

Traveling Essentials

2009-11-18T15:41:00.000-08:00

While holiday travel is always something to look forward to, especially after the dreaded finals, it's not so exciting when it comes to packing. Should I bring two coats? My tall boots and heels? Three hats and four scarves? But I nnneeed this sweater.

Your best option? Make a list of the essentials... or collage. Your choice.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to pack light and always leave space in your luggage to those in-the-moment shopping sprees.

Coats
The most important thing you need is good coat. My personal faves are the Gap wool coats ( I scored one for $55), but any coat will do as long as it keeps you warm. J.Crew has the option to add insulate with their coats. It didn't feel any different to me when I tried one on, but then again, I wasn't braving the cold in the store.

Tops
Try to stick with tops that can get more than one wear out of them. This season flannels are in which are perfect for winter travel. You can keep it simple, buttoned down; you can layer it with a thermal and if you really want to stay warm, throw on a vest or cardigan. Get the flannel as a tunic and you can wear it with tights as a dress or with skinnies and flats.

Pants
These tend to take up the most amount of space, so be creative. Limit jeans to two pairs, one a skinny and the other a straight leg or boyfriend, and feel free to throw in a couple of tights. Go crazy here.

Dress
You never know when you might be invited to a party or go out to a fancy schmancy restaurant, so always be prepared with a dress. It doesn't have to be as dressy as the one in the picture, you can pack a sweater dress that can be dressed either up or down.

Shoes
Now for my favorite part. I tend to go crazy with shoes, but to keep under control, I've limited the shoes to boots for those who are going to the colder states/countries. If you don't want to worry about messing up your shoes, stick with leather and keep it flat for the most part. If you have space, throw in a pair of heels for those just-in-case occasions.

P.S. Don't forget the undergarments, gloves, scarves, and hats. You don't want to end up with a cold before you even get to your destination.

So what do you think? Did I cover the basic essentials? Leave your comments~

Taylor Lautner does Men's Health magazine

2009-11-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

He's the modern day story of Hercules. Taylor Lautner, now 17, went from a 5'10", bony 140 lb teenager, to packing on roughly 30 pounds of muscle to play the role of Jacob in the hit teen vampire franchise, Twilight.

It's hard enough for a growing teenage boy to build and keep muscle-far more than most men can maintain- but to do so in a year? That has got to be some determination. Lucky for Lautner, his weight gained sealed his role as Jacob (the director of Twilight's sequel, New Moon, considered replacing Lautner with a different actor in the second film).

This leaves most, if not all of us, wondering, "How in the hell did he do that?" While Lautner's background in martial arts (which he showcased in the 2005 movie The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D) can attest to his newly buffed body,well guys, you too can also have the lust-worthy body of Lautner.

Men's Health magazine spoke with Lautner's trainer Jordan Yam to get a sneak peak into Taylor's workout regimen. Here's an excerpt of the interview:

Physioball Pikes
Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight (your hands should be slightly wider than, and in line with, your shoulders). Rest your shins on a physioball, so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your ankles. Without bending your knees, roll the physioball toward your body by raising your hips as high as you can. Pause, then return the ball to the starting position by lowering your hips and rolling the ball backward. Do three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Reverse Crunches
Lie face up on the floor with your palms facing down. Bend your hips and knees 90 degrees. Raise your hips off the floor and crunch them inward. Pause, and then slowly lower your legs until your heels neatly touch the floor. Do three sets of 15 reps.

Physioball Leg curl
Lie on the floor with your calves on a Swiss ball and your arms at your sides. Squeeze your glutes to raise your hips off the floor so your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Pause for a second, and then bend your legs to roll the ball toward your butt. Straighten your legs to roll the ball back out away from you, and then lower your body to the floor. Do three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Hanging Leg Raises
Grab a chin-up bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip (or use elbow supports, if available), and hang from the bar with your knees slightly bent and feet together. Simultaneously bend your knees, raise your hips, and curl your lower back underneath you as you lift your thighs toward your chest. Pause when the fronts of your thighs reach your chest, and then slowly lower your legs back to the starting position. Do three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Prone Cobra
Lie facedown on the floor with your legs straight and your arms next to your sides, palms down. Contract your glutes and the muscles of your lower back, and raise your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor. Simultaneously rotate your arms so that your thumbs point toward the ceiling. At this time, your hips should be the only parts of your body touching the floor. Hold this position for 60 seconds, then rest one minute. Repeat three times.

As far as Lautner's diet plan goes, he does what most active teenage boys do: He eats a ton of food. In an interview at Comic-con he stated, "Jordan Yaum. He's really talented. He helped me a lot with this process. He's always on set, like, shoving food in my mouth. Literally, I'd be talking to somebody and he comes up with a plate. He wakes me up in the morning. He's like, 'Take this protein shake.' I'm like, 'I'm sleeping.' Yeah, I have a lot of people to thank."

You can find more of Taylor's workout regimen at Menshealth.com.

Fantastic start to my Monday

2009-11-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

It just hit me... I write for a magazine that you pay to buy. I didn't realize that until my crazy (in a loving way) ed-in-chief posted a picture on Facebook showing Eloquence at a newsstand. This is one of the greatest feelings a newbie writer can feel.

Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 RTW

2009-11-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

Even a month after British designer, Alexander McQueen's showing, his line still leaves me breathless. Albeit, the models' faces reminds me of a mix between aliens and some type of reptile and their hair, the visual accompaniment of the story of Moses splitting the Red Sea, the clothes were impeccable.

One by one, each model emerged in short structured dresses in what looked to me like a butterfly print. Style.com described the dresses as being reptile and digitally printed. Nonetheless, this line can appeal to both those who desires a couture-esque structured dress who also wants to add a little oomph via the print.

I especially loved the fact the the dresses as a whole eccentuated the upper half of the body, hugging the body and then flaring out past the hips.

Unfortunately, I could not find one good thing to say about these horrific fugly disasters the models were forced to carry on their feet.

They look like dinosaur feet and completely take away from the beauty of the woman's foot: The curve. Not only that, but if you watch the video of the show, you can easily tell which models aren't struggling to stay upright (in case you can't tell, it's the models who aren't wearing those monstrosities).

I must warn you before you watch the video, although there isn't much to see, there is a bit a female nudity.

A fool's love story

2009-11-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

I was perusing Cnngo for any stories that caught my eye and I happened to come upon a story about a guy to travels the world for 12 years following a girl who he hadn't seen since high school graduation.

And guess where it was written? On Craigslist of all places. Anyway, although it has nothing to do with fashion or fitness, this story is a doozy.

Story of the traveling fool.

New Issue: Eloquence Nov 09

2009-11-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's Ando from Heroes. Apparently, my magazine is moving on up in exposure. kudos. Click on the image to view the magazine and tell me what you think!

4,694 ways to wear a vest that you absolutely should not have bought

2009-11-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

I made a decision to myself at the beginning of the semester. I promised myself that I would not buy any unnecessary things so as to save money for my post-grad life, but every time I'm out and about, I always seem to find my way back to Gap. And though I've been able to with hold from purchasing any item of clothing, I caved in and bought this super comfy heathered puffer. While it is $49.99 online, I got it for $22.

Since I am not typically a vest wearing person, the only time I envisioned wearing this is when I'm curled up on the couch in pj's (and the vest) watching P.S. I Love you. This would then make my new purchase a waste of money. So in an effort to make more use out of it, I've presented you with 5 ways I would wear this vest.

I liked all outfits, and will be wearing the one with the jean jacket out soon enough, but my favorite was hands down the one with the scarf, simply because it follows closest to how I had initially envisioned wearing my vest.

Excuse the unprofessionalism of my posing. I am not a model. So in the future, I might be using Polyvore, a site for online collages, to put outfits together centered around a current trend. So stay tuned! Toodles

P90X: For those who want to bounce nickels off their abs.

2009-11-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

It's two in the morning. You should be either studying or sleeping, but here you are, on your couch trying to find something to watch on TV. Shamwow. Click. Classic movie. Click. A room full of sweat dripping men and women in tight spandex outfits doing one handed push ups and blasting away with plyometric sets. Click... wait, what?

It's P90X, a series of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pounding workouts, designed to transform puny, unworthy bodies into buns of steel in just 90 days. Three months to transform a body P90X says it can do, initially seemed like a complete fake. And then I seen the before and after pictures... amazing. mind boggling. fantismo.
I, myself have been tempted to purchase the P90X set, despite its price at $139.80 plus tax. But just to be on the safe side I spoke with a couple of guys to give me the 411.

How long have you guys been using P90X?
Chris: for about 2 weeks now
Dustin: I just got done with the first work out.

How did you find out about it?
Chris: My friend told me about it. I was tired of running and when i work out, I need direction, or someone telling me what to do, so I tried it out.
Dustin: Chris actually told me about it.

How intense are the workouts and for how long?
Chris: It's as intense as you make it. It's like with any other work outs, the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it.
Dustin: Each workout is an hour long and focuses on different body parts. Today I did the arms and shoulders and it raped me. I had to take a lot of breaks, but I finished it.

Is buying P90X worth the cost?
Chris: Yeah, otherwise I'd be pissed that I wasted my money.
Dustin: What he said. It's a really good workout.

For more information about P90X check out their website.

How to make: Bean sprout soup

2009-11-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

Remember how I said to keep an open mind when it comes to Korean food? Well I'm reminding you, because I'm sure the sound of coming home after a long day at school to bean sprout soup doesn't sound too appealing. But you haven't seen nor tasted it.

I've uploaded a how-to video on how to make it. Enjoy and happy November!

You will need: 1 bag of bean sprouts (콩나물)
                              (can be found at your local grocery store)
                       1 leek(파) for presentation

A Tiny Break

2009-10-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of constant projects, meetings, papers, exams, and multiple blogs to keep track of, I did what any normal college student experiencing senioritis will do: I spazzed out, and went back home for some pigging out with my mom.

But now I'm back and ready to continue providing you, the very few readers I have, with fashion and health news. Now I know I've been on a S.Korea kick, (what can I say? I love to spread the wonderfulness of my culture) but bear with me, I'll be focusing on fashion news in the western hemisphere soon enough.

While on my hiatus, I completely missed the end of Seoul Fashion Week. As it can be a bit difficult in reporting on new trends from across the globe, Michael Hurt-founder of feetmanseoul and popular fashion photographer0 covered the fashion week beautifully for CNN.com. Take a look at his piece at cnngo.com

If you had to watch just one video watch Hwang Jae Bock's video. It concisely shows street fashion, high fashion, and includes a well known (in Korea) fashion designer.

Eloquence Magazine

2009-10-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Forgive me, as I have the sudden urge to plug a magazine you all have probably never heard up til today. It's Eloquence Magazine. It's a fairly new magazine distributed in S.Korea that covers international culture and entertainment. Other than the fact that I write for it, I think it's a pretty awesome source for those either interested in visiting Korea or just learning about the country.

Check it out for yourselves at http://eloquence.co.kr/.

I love Korean food!

2009-10-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Look into my fridge. No, I don't have pot roast or cold pizza. My fridge is filled with kimchi (김치), pork stew (김치찌개), and a ton of side dishes (반찬) neatly stacked in little plastic containers. Not only that, but it's extremely healthy for you, but it tastes sooooo good. Still unsure? These people love it too.

Have I piqued your interest? Great! Because I took the liberty of recording my mom make these tasty (and healthy) dishes. First up is Choe-bop (처밥). This is a type of sushi, minus the fish, typically served in Asian restaurants. This is even served at Jester as part of the sushi menu. Enjoy!

You will need: One package of Choe bab.

2.5-3 cups of cooked Asian rice.

**Warning** Korean food names translated in English sound disgusting horrendous, so PLEASE don't let "Seasoned Bean Curd" deter you from trying out Korean food.

Seoul Fashion Week

2009-10-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Photo by Ray Chwartkowski

Seoul Fashion Week is here. Stay tuned for end of week highlights, but in the meantime read about it here and at feetmanseoul.

New Store: Forever XXI, Barton Creek Square mall

2009-10-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, the almighty store famous for its quick turn around on runway fashion has finally found a home at Barton Creek, but has fallen short to what I expected.

Albiet, the store is 4x the size of its sister store at Highland Mall, housing a men's and 4 different women's section, but the styles don't gravitate much outside of being black, feminine or funky. The store looks as if Forever XXI moved most of its soon-to-be extinct punk collection line to Austin.

Although I hate all of what College Station has to offer i.e. A&M, I will be the first to say that their Forever XXI store provides more of a variety of styles of clothes, more importantly, more of my style of clothes.

While I would have liked for the store to hold more pieced like this:

Forever21.com

and less like this:

Forever21.com

It's not half bad. Just don't be surprised when half the girls at your school for the next few months are rocking the same outfit as you.

Free workouts!!

2009-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

...via your school library. In my case, The University of Texas in Austin. For those of you longhorns who wanting in on these workouts, check out the Student Health Service Lending library at the SSB; it's the first doors on your left when you walk in the SSB.
If you want to check out what's in, click here. Just be sure you have the name of the DVD in mind, or you can just type in words like pilates, cardio, yoga, etc.

If the workout DVDs seem a bit dated to you, or you're just too lazy to leave your room (shame on you), then go to exercisetv where they stream free workouts. I'm pretty new to the website, but it's pretty easy to navigate through. If you scroll down to the bottom, all the workout categories are listed AND the site distiguishes between full and short workouts.

Here are some others sites to try out: Fitnessmagazine, Sparkpeople

Happy searching!

Recipe: American Mochi

2009-10-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1. One box of mochi powder that you can find at the Asian aisle in grocery stores or any local oriental store.
2. One tsp of salt
3. One tsp of baking soda
4. One can of evaporated milk
5. Optional: A variety of nuts or beans. I used pumpkin and sunflower seeds, trail mix, almond slivers, and walnuts. You can also use Asian red beans (which is delish), but really you can use whatever is in your kitchen.

Utensils: A mixing spoon and a roughly 13x5 baking pan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Step 1: set the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease the baking pan.
Step 2: In the mixing bowl, add the entire package of mochi, 1tsp baking soda, the can of condensed milk, and using that can, 3/4 of the can of water.
**use one can of water if using the red beans. If using just nuts then fill 3/4 of the can with water.
Step 3: Mix until mixture is smooth.

Step 4: Add all nuts and mix again. It should now look a bit like chocolate chip cookie batter.

Step 5: Pour mixture into baking pan.
Step 6: Top with almond slivers, pressing them slightly into the batter.

Step 7: Holding the pan with both hands, tap the pan on the counter to make sure there aren't any air bubbles.
Step 8: Leave the pan in the oven for 45 minutes and do the toothpick test* to make sure it's done.
Step 9: Let it cool for 10-15 minutes and voila! baked mochi, a healthy snack for people on the go.

*Toothpick test: Stick a toothpick in the center of a cake or mochi and take it back out. If nothing is on the toothpick then the cake is done, if not, leave it in for a few more minutes before attempting the test again.

What is mochi?

2009-10-10T17:22:00.001-07:00

So you guys might be wondering how a traditional Japanese rice cake treat can possibly be Americanized. Well throw in some nuts, (Asian) red beans, and an oven-an uncommon feature in East Asian homes- and you've got American mochi.

Now I love me some mochi, but the thought of it being mixed with nuts and baked like a cake didn't sound too appealing to me when my mom offered to make me some. But she insisted and I obliged. And to my surprise it was awweessoommeee. It's like a healthy ultra chewy brownie topped with almonds, except the brownie mix is, well mochi.

You may be wondering "what is mochi?" Well Wikipedia (apparently it's not a word on dictionary.com) says it's a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice pounded into a paste and molded into shape.

I'll admit, the process of making mochi doesn't sound too appetizing, but it is scrumptious and doesn't make me feel guilty. But don't take my word for it. Try out the recipe for yourself in the next post. Enjoy!!

Review: Work Out: One-on-One Training with Jackie

2009-09-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

I literally just finished my workout with Jackie Warner's DVD. My arms feel like lead, and I'm drenched. It just comes to show that even if one can't afford the $100 plus per hour personal training session with her, her $12.99 DVD is no disappointment.

You can personalize three available workouts-upper body, lower body, and abs- to what you feel like doing on any particular day. You can choose to do all three, two, or like I did, just one, the upper body. And you can even play them in any order. Each workout lasts 20 minutes with a warm-up, four sets containing strength and cardio, and a cool down.

Here's a clip of what I did today.

The Work Out is perfect for all athletic levels; so if you've never lifted a dumbell in your life or are a gym rat, then this DVD is for you. Throughout the workout, Jackie will say how you can adjust each set to your level. This was especially beneficial to me, because I had to use a 10lb dumbbell as opposed to my usual 5lb. That was no joke, 10lb is clearly not the new 5lb.

Safe to say, I will definitely be doing this again. This is a 5 stars out of 5.

Review: The September Issue

2009-09-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Grace Coddington: Break out star of The September Issue.

Yes, I know I may be a teensy bit late in seeing this documentary, but it really did take forever for it to be released in Austin. For those who don't know what the hype is all about for this documentary, take a gander at the sypnosis here.

For the rest of us, who would have thought that the legendary editor of THE fashion magazine would even consider the thought of allowing anyone outside of the fashion industry, better yet someone with a camera, through Vogue's glass doors.

It's a rather short documentay-a little over an hour- and introduces key characters that aren't talked about much including Editor-at-Large Andre Leon Talley and who I believe deserves more recognition, Creative Director Grace Coddington.

While Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief came off as the indifferent ice queen that Meryl Streep portrayed oh-so-well, Coddington was her antithesis; a very warm and passionate woman, but more importantly the only person to stand up to Anna and make it out alive.

While Anna continued to dismiss Grace's clothes and photo suggestions, Grace still fought to put them in the magazine. The clothes were understandable, but the pictures? The Victorian themed shoot was done so beautifully... and then Anna threw out the main picture. That was when I switched over to Team Coddington. Her views of what should be in the magazine appealed to me more. Just imagine. What would Vogue be like today if Coddington was editor-in-chief?

P.S. If you missed it, watch Anna Wintour's interview with David Letterman here.

Quidditch isn't just for wizards anymore

2009-09-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Calling all Harry Potter fans. Quidditch isn't just for wizards anymore, so grab your muggle friends, some hula hoops and broomsticks and watch this tutorial on how to play your very own game.

I couldn't believe it when I came across this article. Fantabulous. Although, it does require a lot of players-15 to be exact- and materials, it does seem like it would be a pretty fun game. Keep posted. I might just call some friends up and try this muggle version of Quidditch.

P.S. For those who think this didn't cut the cake, Universal Orlando Resort just announced that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be opening in spring 2010. Anticipation.

Die News

2009-09-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

The LBD was the choice of dress last night at the VMA's.
Leave Caster Semenya alone!
Pizza shop workers get lap band surgery?
It's grub time for low calorie pumpkin bread.
Meat eating, farting "Jackass" goes vegan.
Five "germy" habits you should break.

Anna Sui for Target

2009-09-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today is a momentous day. Not only is this my first post (my third first post actually, I have a couple of blogs currently floating about in the net), but today Anna Sui for Target is also making it's debut.

You're probably wondering why this fact has anything to do with me. Well, it you slide on over to my past blog, then you'll see that 1) I've been to Korea and 2) I am a strong believer in sharing experiences, good or bad.

It took a friend and I two hours, but we tried on the entire Anna Sui collection. Though our montage proved to be fun, the clothes were a bit of a disappointment.

The Good

While I liked the black and blue dress, my friend, SK said she would have left the store with only the fringed shirt BUT she said it would have been a one-time wear shirt. I agreed

The Eh

I was a bit iffy on the black bow tie dress. It really flatters the back and shoulders, but the front.. there's just something off about it. The whole collection was pretty much an "eh." Much of the clothes were either too sheer or fit awkwardly on the body.

The Ugh

The "tutu sweater" was the weirdest thing I seen. Not only did it poof out around the mid-section (where NOTHING should do that), it took forever to put on due to the million clasps on it. As for the dress, the shape itself was nice, but the materials was off. The black lines were felt with studs, then there's the lace on top of the grey material. speechless.

Can't be too down though, these collections are a hit and miss thing. Next up for Target? Rodarte on December 22. I know. I die.

On a different note, tomorrow I will begin testing out The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels work out DVD 30 Day Shred. More details on the morrow.

Contact

2008-11-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

lcalfredatgmail.com

About me

2008-11-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Why hello there! Mein Name ist Lonny und Ich bin eine Multimedia Journalismus studentin in my final semester at the University of Texas at Austin.

No, I'm not German, but I am loving learning it. I am, however, Korean and black and though I've taken a good three years of Korean-I have a minor in it-my writing is atrocious and speaking is a bit spotty. But it's no big surprise-I love learning languages and I love traveling just as much. I have yet to conquer the entire world, but I lived in Germany for five years, Korea for two, and I've traveled to Belgium, Italy (I lurv Cinque Terre. Breathtaking), Japan, and I studied abroad in Seoul at Yonsei University.

There's only one thing in the world that I would kill for, and that is Chau, my Pomeranian. My other loves in life include working out (I am a pro stepper), drooling over ultra expensive clothes, and reading Korean and Japanese magazines. Oh, and I can't forget writing. I love to write....things I wanna write about, so if someone asks me to write a piece on politics, I might just have to introduce you to my fist.

As I said, come December 5, 2009 at noon, I will be an official graduate of UT with no job, health insurance, and no military privileges (former army brat). I know, jealous, right? So come March, I will do what American young men coming of age did in the 20th century: Go abroad. So yes, your jealousy should be kicking in right abouttttt now.

Have I piqued your interest? Then you must read my published work.

Toodles,

Lonny C. Alfred