Oscars 2013

Putting aside my opinion that this year's Oscars was relatively lacklustre (my apologies to the host, who I believe incorporated inappropriate jokes, lewd comments, and an overall mediocre hosting job), my disappointment that Hugh Jackman did not win Best Actor, and that Les Mis did not win Best Picture (I refuse to believe that due to the fact that it is an adaption, it did not win. That is poppycock; it was a movie tastefully done filled with sincere and genuine emotionally-wrenching scenes.), the attention is always on the red carpet fashion: the dresses. I am a total girl when it comes to beautiful, form-fitting, and body-hugging dresses that accentuate a woman's body. Furthermore, the dresses, the jewelry, the makeup, and the shoes are my favorite part of the Oscars because it sets a precursor to dress attire for the next fashion season. Let's be honest: what Jessica Chastain wore will likely influence some girl's decision for her prom dress somehow. My eyes are always glued to the screen to see what the ladies of Hollywood are wearing. I'm not partial to trends and fads, but I can always count that Oscars are equated with classic, Old Hollywood fashion, making it my favorite show to watch during Awards season. 

1. Amanda Seyfried 

She's always profoundly flawless on the carpet, with her gorgeous dress, sculpted hair that illuminates her lovely face structure, and makeup that highlight her green eyes. Her turnout at the Oscar was not a disappointment. 

2. Charlize Theron
Any woman that pairs a white peplum gown with a face-shaping pixie is fierce in my book. The lovely shape of her dress falling ever so nicely on her sleek frame did not distract me from her impeccable hair cut.

3. Adele
She's always fabulous on the carpet, with a style that is undeniably hers. A beautiful black gown with jewelled details, voluminous hairdo, and her signature makeup. Her cheeky and comical attitude makes her one of my favorite people. I wouldn't mind owning a dress like hers. Absolutely ravishing. Truly outstanding.

4. Jessica Chastain
I just want to take a moment to admire Jessica's Old Hollywood look. With a champange-hued cascading gown, soft curls, and a stunning red lip, her look is undoubtedly my favorite. If I owned her gown, I would never stop wearing it (despite that I have no occasion to wear such a lavish dress). Everything about her look is flawless: her hair, her makeup, her earring, her shape, everything. Ms. Chastain can do no wrong. Whoever said that no one can achieve perfection has clearly not seen her.

5. Alicia Vikander
This Danish beauty emulated Euro chic in this striking turquoise column gown. The details of her dress was dazzling the crowd, as it did not compete with her natural makeup and her soft updo. Her look seize a crowd in an utterly unpretentious matter. A magnificent look I plan to imitate.

Love is Stirring

Happy Valentine's Day, lovely readers!
If you are spending today with a loved one, enjoy and cherish the wonderful moments. If you are not spending it with someone you love, don't fret. It's a single day during the year in which the modern world chooses to dedicate to celebrate love when every day is an opportunity to celebrate love.
I personally don't like the notion that there is a day set aside where the world stops to show how much that special someone loves you, and if they fail to express their love in some fashion, that doesn't he doesn't love you (and for fellas, that she doesn't love you). However, that doesn't mean that one can't get into the spirit. What lady doesn't mind when her man surprises her with flowers and other tokens that she will greatly admire? Or perhaps watch a cute film together while eating a dinner that she made for you? I'm a great fan of romance because I'm a firm believer that it isn't dead. I admire romance in the sense that the smallest moment, a cute moment, and a simple moment can be utterly romantic. To a bystander, sharing a pizza in a quaint pizza shop in a rustic town may be boring or mundane, but it's romantic because you are able to quiet and focus on each other. I think women should still expect romance in their lives because it's not about the guy of their dreams showing up with a bunch of flowers or professing his love on a stage in front of strangers. It's about dancing in the living room when our songs comes on, giggling while preparing a meal together, or simply stroking your hair while drifting in and out of sleep on the couch.

If you desire a little bit of ambience to set the mood or simply to let your mind drift for when your prince will come, here is a list of 50 romantic songs.

1. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
2. Enchanted - Taylor Swift
3. Dream a Little Dream - Glee Cast
4. Lovesong - The Jonas Brothers
5. Lucky - Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
6. Sugar - Paper Route
7. Nothing - The Script
8. You and Me - Lifehouse
9. Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer
10. Wait for Me - Rebecca St. James
11. Why Can't I - Liz Phair
12. Don't Know Why - Norah Jones
13. Love Me Tender - Elvis Presley
14. Don't Forget - David Mead
15. Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop - Landon Pigg
16. Somebody Like You - Keith Urban
17. Come Away With Me - Norah Jones

18. Yo Te Voy Amar - NSYNC

19. That's Amore - Dean Martin

20. Rhythm of Love - Plain White T's

21. Won't Let You Down Again - Matthew Perryman Jones

22. No Puedo Dejarte de Amar (y Reik) - Kalimba

23. If You Ever Come Back - The Script

24. Over the Moon - Rosie Thomas

25. Not Myself - John Mayer

26. Say (All I Need) - One Republic

27. On Fire - Switchfoot

28. Breakeven (Falling to Pieces) - The Script

29. I Knew I Loved You - Savage Garden

30. Baby Shake-em - Brooke Waggoner

31. Begin Again - Taylor Swift

32. Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix) - Coldplay

33. Before the Worst - The Script

34. One and Only - Adele

35. J'ai Deux Amours - Madeleine Peyroux

36. See It For Myself - Sugar and The Hi-Lows

37. Solamente Tu - Pablo Alboran

38. Safety - Leagues

39. Mi Nina Bonita - Chino y Nacho

40. All I Got - Tyler James

41. You Belong To Me - Jo Stafford

42. Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran

43. As Long As You Love Me - Backstreet Boys

44. Colours - Graffiti6

45. I Feel Better - Gotye

46. Something In The Way You Are - Kimbra

47. Quando Quando Quando - Michael Buble

48. You Got Me - Colbie Caillat 

49. Hold You In My Arms - Rays Lamontagne

50. Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble 

In all the festivities of today, remember, just because you don't have a date or someone to spend today with, you are still beautiful, you are still as ravishing as ever, and you are worth the wait. You are loved, because He loved you first. Enjoy today, simply because you are lovely.

Stuck In-Between

As much I like the prospect of having warmer weather, there has been a dramatic climate change in a span of 10 days. One weekend, it was below freezing and so cold that all of southern Virginia stops and watches the fluffy white fluff fall from the heavens. Which subsequently resulted in a campus-wide snowball fight with music blaring out of the windows of someone's car. It was quite amusing and is quite a story to tell, considering that the majority of people who participated in it have never seen snow. They have never seen snow! As a lifelong resident of Canada, I find that so peculiar. What do you mean you've never seen snow? I live in the land of snow. To wrap my mind around that there are people who have never witnessed a snowfall astounds me. It was comforting for me since it reminded me of back home, thus making me a tad nostalgic (or a tad more). The snow continued to fall well into the night and--shocking!--it stayed on the ground, even icing over. I was surprised it had gotten so cold. I went outside and I immediately felt I was home (which brought an amalgamation of feelings ranging from comfort to perplexity). The weekend passed and the snow melted. Then, the next day. the temperature jumped 10 degrees Celsius. It was warm enough to wear a light jacket. It was still rather brisk, with the wind howling and the ominous gray clouds foreshadowing a storm. But still, it was a progressive change from the weekend's wintery climate. The very next day, it was 23 degrees! 23 degrees! I didn't know what to do with myself. A couple of days ago, it was so cold that when the wind lashed against my face, it felt that the wind cut through my skin. Now, it was warm enough to wear a light cardigan with cropped pants and flats. Without tights. My body was in conflict. Being in Canada for so long, it doesn't matter what the month is, my body immediately registers that after a particular month, it is cold and I need to dress up. Judging on the outside weather, I needed to dress a little lighter, but my hands were cold and clammy while I was nearly breaking sweat walking to class. So in times like these, when the weather refuses to be consistent and is erratic, how does one dress? Is it the in-between stages between spring or summer, or is it more a transitional period where one gradually dresses lighter in accordance to the weather? The answers to those questions would be answered if the weather would steadily remain constant, at least to some degree. So, I opted for a much obvious option: dress with fall-like pieces when the weather dips and layer precisely when the temperature begins to rise but will dip again by twilight. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to dress in bright colors. The scenery is gloomy and the sun goes down near 7 anyway, so a pop of color is perfect. 

 I personally prefer to stick to a classic color palette, but I like to mix things up a bit to refrain from being boring or predictable. While I do have my own sense of style, I do mix prints or incorporate color-blocking. Fashion is fun, and I treat it as such.