Internet Friends?

When I was trying to figure out what to write about today I really didn't have any great ideas since I didn't really want to do another beauty post this week. Then it hit me...internet friends! i know I doesn't sounds that excited but this weekend I'm spending time with people I 'met' on the internet.

There are some people who think it is crazy to think they you can make a real friend on the internet and to be honest I kind of felt that way for a long time because you can be whoever you want to be on the internet and no one is going to call you out for it because they don't know the difference between the real you and the pretend you. For me what you get in 'real life' is the same as you get on the internet. I think the friends I have met online are the same and for the ones I have had the pleasure of meeting in real life and I know this for sure. I realize that sometimes internet friends don't work out and I think it is easier to lose touch with internet because you can get busy with real life and then next thing you know they and/or you have moved on. I luckily have found some great people online to become friends with. I think my first internet friends came from LiveJournal and I still talk to a lot of them! Everyone knows the lovely Ms Whitney from I wore Yoga Pants, she was one of my LJ buds! My good buddy Justin I have been talking with him since like 2002, all started with LiveJournal! It is weird to think about it sometimes. Also, Faith from You Gotta Have Faith was a friend on LiveJournal and since we actually were from the same place we got to meet in person and she was great and of course still is great but she moved across the country! ;) I could list a few more of the girls I still talk to from Livejournal but they know who they are and know I love them! OH I did have a friendship going for awhile with Stephen who actually went on to win the reality show with Paris Hilton haha I think they was actually on MySpace and not LiveJournal actually but yes before he was Paris' BFF, he was one of mine online.

Mutual interests bring people on the internet together the most. So, it comes as know surprise that I have made some great friends through some of my interests such as music. Ryan Malcolm (winner of the first Canadian Idol) bought me some great friends! I don't talk to the girls I met through Ryan enough anymore but I can say they are all amazing people! Then of course Backstreet Boys bought me some of the best friends I could ask for. Even though I'm far too excited to finally meet Kevin Richardson on Sunday I'm almost equally excited to spend the day with my friends since we don't see each other as much especially this past few months as I didn't get up to Halifax as much as I normally do. It is going to be a great day all being together and bonus we finally get to be together at a Backstreet concert. Deena and Gavin lived in England so it was hard before now haha. Yup, I just can't wait. 

I have gone from being internet friends with people to real life friends. I have attended some their weddings, I'm friends with their families, I'm excited for them when they have great news like they are going to be parents and I'm sad with them when they share hard/bad news. I'm happy they are in my life no matter how they came into it.

And just to wrap it now because I could probably ramble on forever about the great internet people I have met. I just want to say friends are friends, it doesn't matter how you met them, good friends can come from anywhere and really good friends are hard to find so keep them close and be happy you found them. 

And because I have linked up with Whitney in far too long here is a song to get your weekend started! A throw back really...Happy Friday Everyone!

05.25.2012...Justin's Blog!

I hope you didn’t all fill up from eating too much of that delicious-sounding Spicy Chicken Rigatoni recipe Brittany posted yesterday, because summer is upon us, and we all know what that means: swimsuit season. Not only that, but summer generally brings one of my favorite collections of fashion in the form of resort wear.

Even if you can’t afford a glamorous getaway or a big-name designer ensemble, all you have to do is throw on a simple shift in a bright color or pop on a pair of oversize sunglasses and you’re instantly chic for summer.

Below are a few of my favorite looks from Oscar de la Renta and Chanel, respectively. Whether it’s a June picnic, cocktails on a rooftop, or even lounging by the pool, there is something for every occasion in these two collections. I can’t wait to see what some of my other favorite designers have in store for us in the weeks to come. Happy shopping, ladies!

05.10.2012...Justin

Since I accidentally managed to write more than I intended to in my last two updates, I thought this would be a great week to take a little detour and incorporate some fashion fun into my corner of the blog.

Earlier this week, the annual Met Gala took place in New York City, and, as always, the stars came out for what many have dubbed the East Coast’s version of the Oscars. With this year’s theme paying tribute to the extraordinary Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, the fashions ranged from traditional to avant-garde…and even to hot mess. Below are my five most memorable looks of the evening.

Keep in mind I said “most memorable,” not “the best.”

1.    Anna Wintour smartly (and chicly) stuck to the theme of the evening by wearing a Prada gown inspired by Schiaparelli’s infamous lobster dress of the 1930’.

2.    Sarah Jessica Parker looked as though she took inspiration from Scarlett O’Hara and pulled down her grandmother’s curtains in order to fashion her evening ensemble. In reality, her look was courtesy of Valentino.

3.    Supermodel Karolina Kurkova channeled her inner Daisy Buchanan in a slinky gown and turban with a 1920’s feel, designed by Rachel Zoe.

4.    Also taking inspiration from The Great Gatsby? Actress Camilla Belle (is she still acting? I can’t recall…no shade though!), who wowed in this Ralph Lauren sheath.

5.    Finally, what can be said for Lauren Santo Domingo’s daring look? It may be Oscar de la Renta, but to the mainstream fashion critics, it looks a bit more like a mother of the bride suit circa 1983 crossed with the extravagance of Princess Diana’s wedding dress. Oh, Ms. Santo Domingo, you’re an editor at Vogue…you should know better.

05.03.2012

I really hadn’t planned to write about reality television again this week (I *do* watch scripted series as well, I swear!), but in the past few days, the reality world has just been chok full of news…and I couldn’t just let that go unreported, could I?

           

            Obviously, the answer is no, I could not. So let’s just dive right in, shall we?

           

            First up, those crazy (or should I say “krazy?”) Kardashians. Now, I honestly have nothing against the Kardashians. They’re generally entertaining enough and they don’t appear to be going out of their way to be hateful or mean-spirited, I just find their love of the cameras and eagerness to endorse any and every product under the sun (diet pills and cupcakes? Conflict of interest, anyone?) easy to snark on. So imagine my shock to learn that one of their own is choosing to walk away from their E!-created empire.

           

            Khloe’s decision to end her profitable spinoff “Khloe & Lamar” made headlines when it was announced earlier this week. There has been speculation as to why she would willingly pull the plug, but Khloe insists she’s purposely stepping away from the cameras to focus on her marriage and support her husband get back in the game, so to speak, after a rough season in Dallas. I’m not 100 percent certain that her reasoning is entirely selfless, as the news has raked in quite a bit of publicity for the Kardashian clan, including allegedly making her momager Kris furious, but I have to say that I’m impressed that anyone in the reality TV bubble has the ability to look past the momentary fame and remain grounded enough to realize that some things are best dealt with away from the camera.

           

            In far less commendable news, VH1 is threatening to due one of the stars of its hit show, Basketball Wives. Jennifer Williams raised eyebrows when she announced she intended to press charges against a friend of a cast member after said friend slapped Jennifer during a taping. In turn, producers are threatening legal action against Jennifer for damaging the integrity of the Basketball Wives brand. I think I speak for anyone who has ever watched the show by asking, “What integrity?” This is a show built on vicious fights and thirtysomethings generally acting like pre-schoolers. I’m not sure there’s anything there to damage.

           

                        Finally, Taylor Armstrong of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is back in the media glare after allegedly becoming intoxicated at a four year old’s birthday party. Classy. Anyone who has read my personal tumblr will know that I am no fan of Taylor’s, and that doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. There has been speculation that producers plan to phase her out of the upcoming season’s story arc, and as such, she is desperate to create a storyline for herself. I would normally never accuse anyone of feigning an addiction of any sort, but, given Taylor’s history, I wouldn’t be at all shocked to learn that she is simply playing up to the cameras. We may never actually know the truth to this scenario, but I, for one, am anxiously awaiting the return of the glitzy gals of Beverly Hills.

04.25.2012...Justin Blog

• If you’re a reality TV watcher like I am (I’m not proud, I admit), you’ve probably noticed the high proliferation of programming centered around the word “wife.” I blame (and by blame, I really mean “thank”) Bravo for kicking off this trend with their “Real Housewives,” series, which, fittingly enough, is the crown jewel in my reality TV lineup. 

  
  

  If you’re not watching any of the “Real Housewives” 

  franchises, you’re really missing out. I don’t care who you are, we all love a little mindless entertainment from time to time, and RH perfectly fits the bill. With six current installments airing in America (with such glitzy locales as Atlanta and Beverly Hills) and at least two international installments, including Vancouver airing exclusively for Canadian residents, you’re sure to find one that suits your tastes. My preferred locales? Orange County (the mama location that started it all), New York City, and of course, Beverly Hills. 

  
  

  One prop I have to give the ladies of RH is that the majority of them actually are married, or at least they were when they began filming. Such is not the case for “Basketball Wives,” which really should be re-titled “Basketball Groupies,” or more politically incorrectly, “Ghetto Girls.” You’ve noticed this too, right? I don’t know what can be said for a group of single women in their 30’s and 40’s who live to brawl, but VH1’s cameras are there to capture every moment. If you prefer your cast to possess some modicum of class, this isn’t the show for you. However, if it’s a glammed-up version of Jerry Springer you’re craving, “Basketball Wives” is worth a look.

  
  

  Then there’s the mob wives of the aptly-titled, “Mob Wives.” Unlike the “Basketball Wives,” a handful of these women are indeed wearing a ring, but they’re not pretending to be classy. Instead, viewers are given an unvarnished look at the daily struggles mafia wives face while their husbands are serving time. While over-the-top at times, these aren’t scripted storylines, as evidenced by the headline-making incident that one cast member’s husband generated by striking a deal with authorities and turning in his own wife’s father. 

  
  

  However you slice it, housewives are definitely having a moment in pop culture, and unlike Donna Reed, these women aren’t content to be caught vacuuming in pearls.

  
  

  

  
  

4.16.2012 Justin's first post!

Hi everyone! 

I just thought I’d do a quick introduction. My name is Justin, and as Brittany already kindly introduced me, I’ll try and keep this short. The two of us go back nearly ten years now (and yet somehow, we haven’t aged a day…hmmm…), so when she asked me to guest-blog, I absolutely had to say yes. 

So what do you need to know about me? Here are the vital statistics: 

Twenty-something. Pisces. More of a Samantha than a Carrie. Obsessed with all things 80’s (especially Joan and Jackie Collins, Dynasty and shoulder pads…you can bet you’ll be seeing these words again). Currently unemployed, as my college majors don’t lend themselves to “real world” careers, post-economy collapse. Aficionado of venti lattes from Starbucks and dirty martinis. The Great Gatsby and Valley of the Dolls are among the pinnacles of literature in my world. I believe everyone’s life is enhanced by the addition of a little glamour. 

I promised I’d keep this brief, so I’ll wrap this installment up. I look forward to sharing the page with the always-fabulous Brittany, as well as “meeting” all of you! Until next time, feel free to check out my personal tumblr athttp://justinwinkelman.tumblr.com/

Ciao…for now 

--Justin

04.16.2012

It is my pleasure to introduce our new resident guest blogger Justin! I was thinking about what I could do to freshen the blog and add something to it and of course lets add a resident guest blogger! We will be having other guest bloggers but Justin will be your main blogger boy! Your BB if you will!

Now lets talk a bit about Justin! I ‘met’ Justin back in 2003 or 2004 I think on LiveJournal and we became fast friends due to our love of fashion, celebrity and everything glamourous! Justin has opinions, smart wit and great writing skills which is why I decided to ask Justin to be a part of my blog. He has been writing for years, some for pleasure and some on his school’s newspaper among other things! I know you will all love Justin as much as I do and if you don’t I really don’t think we can be friends anymore! ;)

Hopefully in the next couple of days we will have our first blog from Justin! Thanks everyone J