You are beautiful in every sing . . .nope, nevermind!

So I am back to hitting the blog, and this time I would like to talk about New Years Resolutions, we all make them, we all break them, and we all dislike doing them. My “New Years Resolution” is to budget my money better. Seriously, I am a major over spender. In the past it has been the always popular working-out. I think most people across the US pick this one. Well a news article I found from CNN might really get you moving.

The title “Dating Web site expels ‘fatties’.” WTF?! Beautifulpeople.com is an online dating site for the exclusive, beautiful, stunning, and professional people. People are allowed on the site by current members voting them in. They try to make it sound like it is based on everything that encompasses beauty, but let’s be honest if you are a butter face, you’re probably out.

I took to the website to go explore it. Since I don’t need a date I couldn’t create an account, but don’t worry at the bottom of the page there is a scroll bar that reads “To Ugly to Sign Up? Browse BeautifulPeople as a Guest,” then it has a bar that swings from “in” to “out.” I swallowed my pride and convinced myself to become a part of the “ugly” group (when in fact I just wanted to see what the website is all about), and low and behold it is inaccessible due to the amount of traffic to the site.

Don’t let your heads get too big BeautifulPeople, the excessive traffic could be due to your article on CNN with a quote from the founder reading “Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded.” Please tell me the founder is a  Brad Pitt-type dream boat?

When you go to the homepage it asks do looks matter to you, do you want to make sure you date someone beautiful? Also, there is a guarantee that no ugly people roam the site.

Okay. So you might be thinking “oh Steph is just jealous because she wouldn’t be able to get on BeautifulPeople.com,” jealous is not the word I had in mind. First of all there is a new era of learning to love yourself for who you are and this website is ruining it for the truly beautiful people inside and out. Second, BeautifulPeople is a dating website, aka people are having trouble finding dates. How do I know you didn’t take a picture of “The Situation’s” abs and photo shop your face on his body?

I am not doging on dating websites, and there is nothing that says they can’t form an élite online dating website. I am just saying that if the founder wants BeautifulPeople.com to attract beautiful people, maybe he shouldn’t be calling his ex-members “fatties” in the press. Don’t you have a lawyer to edit your comments. You aren’t Kanya West!

Finally, I would like to know what their definition of “beauty” is. Is it a tan, tight body that looks like she could be a playboy bunny, is it a six-pack clad surfer dude, ripped, slicked hair Jersey Shore type, or a curvaceous Scarlett Jo type? I think I want to do a social experiment . . . who wants to join a dating website!? haha. Seriously though.

Anyway, for you fatties out there get your butts to the gym so you can find a date (*sarcasm*). Happy New Year!

p.s. I do know that by posting this blog I am contributing to BeautifulPeople.com however, I wanted to express how ridiculous I think it is!

Advertising is all about your emotions.

Oh advertising. Advertising takes on many personality traits, as do people. Honestly, advertising can often make you feel one way about an issue, make you upset, make you laugh, cry, eat . . . all the above. I think that advertising has a very ous-personality, such as advantageous, outrageous, flirtatious, contagious, salacious, and all the ous words you can come up with!

For instance this ad for Absolute Vodka makes me want to give straight Vodka another chance. Who knew one of the most lethal (for myself anyway) forms of alcohol could have such a beautiful, inspiring side to it. The Vodka portrayed in this ad reminds me of Carrie Underwood’s new song “Cowboy Casanova,” “Looks like a cool drink of water, but (it’s) candy coated misery.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O16C1ZLuyI&feature=player_embedded

Advertising also has very strong opinions. Advertising swings both ways on the political, and religious spectrum. Which somewhat bothers me (please note these are my opinions alone and I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions) because politics & religion revolve a lot around opinions. Ad don’t make American’s say “okay that ad just made me change my part affiliation.” It doesn’t work that way. It is based on OPINIONS. However, religion and politics are never going away so peoples opinions will always be conflicting, as will ads opinions. A good example are these ads from Le Monda Magazine, and also an ad from Copenhagen about climate change.

I also just had to throw this ad in there too. This is a politically charged ad, but funny none the less. Hint: look past the political statement.

Finally, ads have a sentimental, global awareness, action-oriented side to them. Some ads just really know how to tug on the heart-strings. Have you ever seen an ad where you watch it and find yourself smiling stupidly, or  on the verge of tears. Such as the sad infomercials about children in poverty, or the polar bears home melting away . . . I wish I could donate enough money to each and every cause I came across. A lot of the emotion I feel about those situations is the reality shock displayed in the ads. Such as this ad for a documentary called “Water World,” which examines water health issues in poor countries.

Overall, whether you like it or not, ads are always going to affect our world. It will always affect the way we think, and will always drive us crazy, make us angry, make us cry, make us buy, and be the loud outspoken person at the party. So you should appreciate the good ads out there.

That’s my opinion for the day.

Learning to Love & Live

I’m back. It is quite hard to update the blog with such a hectic schedule. By hectic I mean there is way too many great shows on TV at night. Biggest Loser, Gossip Girl, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jersey Shore . . . just kidding . However, I do love a good fist pump once in a while . . . right what a joke!

Anyway, I come to you with a new post on life. I am finding this new love of running. I used to hate running and now it is so freeing. However, my new love of running has put a dent in my social life. I am trying this thing that everyone tries to do: “be healthy.” My family has a history of heart problems, and I put on a few pounds in college by drinking & late night fast food runs.

Well now I am back on track, eating right, working out regularly, getting lots of sleep, and taking my vitamins. And I feel great! But I don’t do much else during the week. I also found a new love of yoga. Whoever said yoga was easy hasn’t done real yoga. I love everything about yoga!

I am also learning to live on a tighter budget. I think I got a little in over my head when I got my first salary paycheck that was a lot more than $8 an hour. But now it has been a year since I graduated college and frankly, I need to get it together.

I feel like life is just starting for me and I have all these trips I want to take, and friends I want to see. Then I check my bank account . . . maybe renting a downtown apartment wasn’t the best idea. When that thought crosses my mind I then think “what the hell, I am only young once.” I can live paycheck to paycheck every once in a while. Plus I wouldn’t trade the beautiful view of all the holiday lights from my western facing window. I feel like I live in a winter wonderland. It is great.

I am also dealing with the sad realization that both my grandparents are gone. My grandpa died in May 2008, he was suffering from dementia & had fallen and broke his hip. Unfortunately, he wasn’t strong enough to come out of it. I sat with him by his bedside in the hospice and it was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to watch. He died that night.

My grandma died this past July. It was very hard on me because my grandma and I had started to build this special relationship. I was the only cousin in town and I would go eat/bring dinner to her once a week. She would always pay for it though. Even when I insisted it was my treat. She also started to get a great sense of humor. She was really starting to relive after my grandpa’s death. Then she had “routine” heart surgery and couldn’t catch her breath on her one. She too passed away . . . and I am convinced it wasn’t her time.

So with the holiday’s it is hard to remain positive all the time especially because they were my only living grandparents, but working out and surrounding myself with great people definitely helps. It also teaches me that life goes on and you need to live it. In honor of them I got a chai tattoo which means “Life” or “Living” in Hebrew. It is really special to me and a reminder to be thankful for what they taught me.

In light of them passing, I am excited for even more new beginnings. My boyfriend is graduating college and moving back to the same city as me, my niece is turning 13, I am going on my very first ski trip, I get to see my friends over the holiday . . . I would say all in all life is pretty good.

So I guess the point of this post was to tell you to find things you love to do! That is my life coaching advice for today haha.

Wanna-Be-Fashionista

So for those of you who actually know me (since I have no idea who reads this blog, but the stats are showing some of you are), you will know that I am totally a wanna-be-fashionista.

I would say the characteristics of a wanna-be-fashionista include: Loving fashion, but not enough to necessarily pursue it as a career; Have a fashion sense, but sometimes it is a little off; have a closet full of clothes, but don’t have the budget to fill it with the labels you love; you love high fashion, but don’t have the Rihanna-type confidence to pull it off; and finally having no care about matching brown and black or blue and black (I am personally all for camel and black).

Anyway, I have been exploring my little side passion through Polyvore. I posted a set a while back on this blog, but I have been rapidly creating more and more. It is becoming my obsessive hobby. It is pretty cool because you can enter contests where you win prizes and money. However, the chances of winning aren’t the greatest but who doesn’t love a good competition?

Here are a few I posted just for fun. Seriously I would wear some of this outlandish stuff:

Both little tributes to the 60′s & 70′s and also Janis Joplin.

Here are a few I submitted for contests. One was for Katy Perry & the other was a contest that just had to incorporate leggings:

Oh how I would love to live in a fashion clad city like New York or L.A., but Omaha is helping me with my fix. Some personal favorites around Omaha are Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, GAP, Roots & Wings, Be Yourself & the Giving Tree, along with Stella in downtown Lincoln.

For great vintage inspired pieces check out Bellweather boutique or Scout in Dundee.

Finally, if you have extra cash and want some unique pieces check out Trocadero, or Nouvelle Eve in the Old Market.

Anyway, just wanted to share a great new obsession of mine. I think I will go get a fix of my Polyvore addiction now. Good Night!

Pubblicità italiana

While studying abroad in the small town of Paderno Del Grappa, Italy (summer ’08), I learned to appreciate the culture, food and their refined way of life.When I think about Italy I think of gorgeous architecture, lavish meals, winery’s, romance, and passionate people.

However, these advertisements from Ads of the World may contradict my perfect vision of my time in Italy.

I think these ads may also be a contradiction? Lets enjoy a few martini’s and then drive our car into the mountains. Hmmm . . . doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Fail.

Ah Italy. I miss you. I miss the proseco, the trains, the small town restaurants, tobacci’s, salami & mozzarella sandwiches, disko tekka’s, the art, the history, the architecture, and the Italian language.

I also miss the adventurous towns. As seen in the ads below (Venice and Rome):

Il mio cuore appartiene in Italia . . .

Music Stylings By Steph

So like most people I love all types of music. I pretty much have my iPod or iTunes going all day. In the morning getting ready for work, on the way to work, at work (got to love iTunes at work), going home from work, working out, and sometimes at night when I just want to relax.

I appreciate good music, and I tend to like a lot of genre’s . One thing that really “grinds my gears” though, are music snobs. I admit there is some pretty awful music out there *cough* Miley Cyrus *cough* but people like what they like. Just because you like emo and someone else loves pop doesn’t make you better than them. Just sayin’. Music can be appreciated by all types of people, and all types of people can appreciate a lot of different music.

They (although I don’t know who the “they” is) often say music defines your style. To an extent that is true. Right now I am loving Muse, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Adele, the Noisettes, KOL, so my style is a little feminine (floral, flowing, and lace) mixed with a rock edge (boots, torn jeans, dark nail polish). With that in mind check out Polyvore.com. Here is an example of my styling choices for New Years.

Music is just so defining.  I can relate certain songs with certain points in my life, and when I hear the music it takes me back to those times. For example, on of my favorite songs when I was younger were “Gloria” by Laura Branigan & “Horse with No Name” by America. On the other side I have this cute little video of my dad singing “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the bangles, and I am just flailing my arms around in excitement.

One of the best Christmas memories I have was when I was about 5 or 6. My much older sibs were holding me up and would sing “Help,” then they would point to me and I would continue “I need some body . . .”

Elementary school was defined by the ever popular Spice Girls, Nsync, and Hanson.

High School went from B. Spears to 311, OAR and Sublime.

College was when I really expanded my listening pleasures. I have always loved blues but have become a bigger fan of it. As a kid I always loved “At Last” by Etta James (now made famous by the Obama’s), Billie Holiday, and BB King. I recently started to get back into it. I also enjoy musical show tunes. I used to love the songs from older movies such as South Pacific, the King and I, Oklahoma, Gypsy, Cry Baby. I also love Rent, We Will Rock You, Wicked, Grease, etc.

Anyway, I could go on forever. I will always be grateful for good music, old & new. It is what gets me through life.

Imaginatively Incredible

My fun little tidbit for the day:

I came across this awesome website called Incredible Things. Some of the “things” on this website blow my mind. I love the angular furniture from Yuppie Hippie, as well as the Neff knit headphones from my good ol’ friend Urban Outfitters. So cool!

Another fun website is Noupe where I found some dazzling background images for your computer. I am currently using this one on my Mac at work:

Finally, my boyfriend pointed out how funny the new Wonderbra ads are. I love the little boy in this picture:

Would you spend $25,000 on a cupcake

This is pure craziness: Courtesy of CNN Money

Omaha Obsessed

The Omaha Obsession.

As some of you may know, my father has quite the obsession with La Buvette. An eclectic, European French restaurant and market. Where your daring taste buds can enjoy steak and salmon tartare (my fav), sautéed calamari, freshly made ham salads, morel sandwiches (when in season) along with a list of french words that I can’t pronounce. Everything is made to order by ambitious young chef’s and the restaurant has seen the likes of Warren Buffett, and Eddie Kay Thomas (both whom I had the pleasure of seeing) along with famous artists and musicians. I like it because everything is always so good. In fact, that brings me to my new obsession: OMAHA DINING.

One of my other favorite stops along downtown Omaha is Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine. It is a historic (due to the fact that my brother and his wife were some of their first customers in high school) cramped restaurant with large flair and plenty of room for hospitality. Ahmad is quite simply one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever met. He is always so warm and welcoming, asking about my life and complimenting me on how much I have grown. He sits and talks with you and he has such a positive outlook on life. I admire him a lot. My favorite thing on his menu is the shrimp skewers served with rice, a cooked tomato, flat bread, and bananas. However, the original Kabob Kubideh is up there.

Another great find is Amsterdam Falafel and Kabob in Dundee. Two words to describe it: Awesomely refreshing. Try the hot sauce on your falafel!

The Old Market has so much personality so I have to throw in M’s pub. Their Lahvosh is to-die-for. M’s has been a personal favorite of my mom’s and was a personal favorite of my grandma’s. They preferred the Greek sandwich. I always enjoy the lahvosh. It is wonderful to know that a local business can survive and prosper and never seem to see hard times. M’s is perfect for a moderately priced meal and wonderful tastes.

One final restaurant that needs attention is Espana. A tapas restaurant in Bennington. The food is authentic and the atmosphere is exciting. They often have flamenco dancing and offer you wine straight from the wine decanter. The drinks are great and the decor is authentic. I have enjoyed with four or five people or a large group. It is a great experience.

On top of food, Omaha has some great reasons to visit. Some places/things I love include:

Gene Leahy Mall when the lights are lit up
The view from my downtown apartment of all the lights and towers
The Slowdown for a good show
The local art pub crawl
The Thomas D. Mangleson art gallery
Walking around Heartland of America park in summer watching the swans
The Omaha Farmers Market
The unique shops such as Trocadero, Nouvelle Eve, Room, and City Limits
I love Ted and Wally’s Ice Cream
Second Chance Antiques (I could spend days in there)
Dixie Quicks Cafe
The unique architecture and buildings in the Old Market
When coming from out west I love the view of the tree filled skyline coming off of the dodge expressway
I love all the little boutiques scattered around Omaha
The Dubliner Bar
The Green Onion Bar
The friendly people

Lets face it, I need to get up and out of good ol’ Omaha, but there is still so much to do and see. This is home. So I guess I am OBSESSED with OMAHA.

“I’m 23″ “Your Old!”

My 12-year old niece asked me one day how old I was. “I’m 23,” I said. She looked at me and said “Your old.” Really? When did 23 become old? I find the answer every time I drink. You know you’re getting old when:

You have two beers and your instantly drunk.

You struggle to stay up until 2AM and then wake up at 6:30AM and can’t go back to bed.

You are sick until 3 o’clock in the afternoon the day after drinking.

You can’t drink more than one night on the weekend.

You wake up from a night of drinking and you want to work out (get your life back into shape).

You complain about how sore your muscles are after a night of drinking. There is no reason for your muscles to be sore.

All you want to do on a nice day is lay in bed.

You think about what you can make for dinner when you haven’t even eaten lunch.

You wake up from drinking and instantly start cleaning (story of my life).

Yeah . . . this is me today. I guess it is really not getting old, but changing your priorities. I know it is supposed to happen, but sometimes I wish I didn’t care about being so responsible. I wish I could just drink with my friends at a house and act as stupid as humanly possible without regretting it the next day.

Eh. It happens!

Happy football Saturday! Don’t drink too much