Monday, Monday...

Today Jamie gets an A
- A dark green silk/satin(?) dress. It's well-fitted and the color looks great on her.
Sorry I don't have a photo of this look to share. If I find one later, I'll update the post.
Have a great morning!

What's irritating me today

Especially in business, why is it people won't send you a short email (or leave you a brief message) giving you "the bad news?"
Yes, everyone is busy, and if you don't hear anything within a fairly short time-frame, the topline ("thanks, but, no thanks") is understood, but...
...are we really so busy we cannot give an equally minimalist response to the follow-up ("why?")?
(That's the only reason I can think of for this behavior -- avoiding having to share the "why.")
If you engage in the dance, have the courtesy of closing that loop, in a timely manner, whether you've decided it's a favorable partnership or not.
That is all.

I've been having a good day so far, so...

...please spare me your passive-aggressive behavior.

 

I'm not sure why you seem mad that I already have plans when you ask.

Quick 1/30 and 1/31 "fashion" review

Monday 1/30
- Jamie wears a blue cap-sleeved dress.
Don't love how short / poofy the sleeves are, so this one is a B+ / A-, depending on the angle

Tuesday 1/31
- Jamie wears a blue satin(?) blouse.
Not sure what is up with this blouse -- I dig the color and the sheen, but there is something weird going on that makes her bust look...odd. Call this one a C+.

We'll see what February brings...

Please note: Image below is NOT the blouse from 1/31

Brief follow-up to yesterday's post

Most US parents could benefit from reading this:

http://tinyurl.com/6nzkyc4

(So, it's one more thing the French are "better at" than we are; we can stand to learn from their example)

Hey parents...

Only you (and your immediate family) think that yours is the greatest kid on earth and can't ever get enough of her/him.

No doubt your kid is pretty great, but either:
  - I have a kid/kids of my own
  (so I don't want to make this a competition),
  or
  - I don't have a kid/kids
  (probably because I don't want them, which means I don't care,
  or because I can't, in which case I don't want to be reminded of your wunderkind),
so please stop foisting her/him on me - it's irritating.
If I'm curious, I will remember to ask about her/him, I promise.

Please do not:
 - make your kid(s) photo your profile pic on Facebook
  (whose page is it again? do you not have your own identity? you used to...)

 - bring your kid(s) to adults-only events, especially if that kid is an infant

 - think for a moment that I want to babysit, or that I will change her/his diapers, ever

 - forget to keep an eye on her/him in public spaces, and in the homes of others

 - force diners in a restaurant to listen to your kid scream or cry or throw a tantrum, nor let your kid run wild -- take that kid outside;
not only do you ruin the experience for others, but you are tacitly encouraging that behavior, making it harder and harder to eradicate now and in the future

 - neglect to let the management of an establishment know when you've left a smelly diaper in the trash in one of their bathrooms -- if management knows, they can make sure the trash is quickly taken out so that other patrons do not have to suffer through that stench in an enclosed space.

Thank you, this has been a public service announcement.

Three NY1 looks for Monday morning, January 23, 2012

Today I'm rating three NY1 correspondents' morning ensembles -- plus a bonus at the end.
Please feel free to send me photos of any of today's looks; if selected, I will add them to the post.

Kristen Shaughnessy: B
   -   Black[?] blouse is less than unflattering -- poor fit, and a messy look (all those ruffles)
   +  Great necklace, though a bit low for the neckline on her blouse
   -   Signature slightly messy hair today (one of the reasons I love her)

Annika Pergament: B-
   -   Blush-colored knit lace shirt is washing her complexion out
   (*maybe* a carefully-chosen necklace could have saved the color palate... maybe)
   -  Shirt doesn't fit well; between the style, poor fit, and the visible white tank underneath, the look doesn't seem all that NYSE-appropriate

and, last but not least, Jamie Shupak: A-
   +  Sleek, well fitted, scoopneck black knit dress[?]
   +  Great, well-proportioned silvery necklace...
   -   ...but the necklace does read a bit dressy for daytime

Bonus:
Jamie Shupak for Friday 1/20: A-
   +  Great orange silk/rayon[?] split-neck blouse (color was great with her complexion)
   +  Dark denim jean
   +  Good hair day

Yes, I've bookmarked the countdown clock

http://www.secretsareback.com/ if you need it too

Instead of the usual [roughly] nine months between the end of one season and the start of the next, we will have waited more like seventeen before it's back on the air this time.
It feels like cruel and unusual punishment for we loyal fans.
Not sure how I'll while away the remaining nine weeks, it's a good thing I find so much to b**ch about!

Distracted and confused

These *should* be informative, but instead I was distracted by poor spelling on one of them

 

(what is an "advocado?")

and admittedly confused be the second

(does this mean if I buy imported grapes, they need to be organic?/domestic blueberries should be organic? so local grapes and imported blueberries are OK?)

Why can't I get enough...

...of this guilty pleasure show on on E!

I can't tell you why I get so invested in these girls, or develop such strong opinions on whether they should be signed, but I do - I'm completely hooked.

I love when you see a girl who's genuinely excited, and in to it, and gorgeous, and they sign her.
It almost breaks my heart when I see a beautiful girl who's great and for some reason (e.g., she's only 5' 8") she doesn't get signed.

And when there's a candidate who's inflexible and unwilling to do whatever it takes, I relish seeing her not get signed. Inside, I'm screaming, "Hello spoiled child! There are countless girls coming to NYC every day who would do ANYTHING to have this opportunity, and given it, would do EVERYTHING with it. Welcome to the real world."

That, and I love these two women.

Beri is fierce and funny and stunning, and she has great coaching instincts. You believe she wants to help every girl to succeed; if she can't pull "it" out of a girl, you know it's probably not there.

Dani has such style and personality, and a quick mind. She's warm and supportive, but doesn't suffer fools gladly, nor pull punches. She also understands that it's a business, that you need "commercial" girls as well as "editorial" ones to make money.

So forgive me my addiction, especially now that the season's over and the withdrawal is about to set in.

Golden Globes snoozefest

First things first - a couple of favorite looks:

Love this. Great color and fit.

Dramatic color with unexpected "finish."

And then...
What does Tilda Swinton have against makeup?

She looks so washed out.

And dear God, Amanda Peet dropped out of sight for a few years -- this is how she chose to return?

Can you say tragic schmatta?

The show was really boring, at least in part due to the glaring absence of Ricky Gervais - it felt as though there was no host. I miss the days when the crowd (and the host) would get drunk and silly during the show. It was so bad this year, it ended EARLY.
Blecch.

What Not To Wear...

I've always been a fan of the original BBC "What Not To Wear."
And I have a pet peeve about how American TV is always ripping off BBC shows, usually poorly (Coupling, anyone?).
So for years I wouldn't check out the TLC edition.

I still love Susannah and Trinny, and do wish their US counterparts Stacy and Clinton would encourage a few more of their subjects to get a proper bra fitting (I only recall them doing this once), but I've discovered I kind of love them too.
And they make me laugh on a regular basis.
Who knew?