What Constitutes "Curvy"?

In a recent issue, In Touch Magazine celebrated so-called "curvy" celebrities, such as Beyonce Knowles and Jessica Simpson. I think it's fantastic that society is starting to recognize curves as being beautiful. It's about time that the media stops promoting an impossible image that very few people could ever hope to attain (unless they were to practically starve themselves, work out several hours each day, have their own personal trainers, make-up artists, stylists, etc., and have their bodies airbrushed in photographs).

But as I was reading the article, I got to thinking, just what constitutes "curvy" anyways? It wasn't so long ago that Jessica Simpson's ribs were protruding in pictures. Apparently she's gained a couple pounds since then, but even in recent photos she still sports flat, rock hard abs. One source even stated, "She doesn't have an ounce of fat on her." So what makes Jessica Simpson curvaceous?

Simply put, she has big boobs and a shapely butt, but is still toned from head to toe. So is this a more "realistic" image that will make young girls feel better about their own bodies and teach them to celebrate their curves? Yes and no. While this new image defies the skinny ideal, it still promotes an image that is not possible for every girl to attain. Personally, I think it makes girls who don't have large breasts or tight abs feel even more inferior. A girl can diet and work out like crazy to lose weight, but in order to achieve Jessica's look, she either has to be blessed with great genes...or with enough money and guts to go under the knife.

If In Touch really wants to promote "curvy" women, then why don't they feature celebrities like Kate Winslet, Mariah Carey, America Ferrara, and other sexy, curvaceous stars who don't necessarily have rock hard abs, but are beautiful nonetheless? I think that Dove had it right when they chose regular women as their spokesmodels. I just wish that the rest of the world could follow suit.

Humourous Celebrity Snippets

Potshots at Paris

Starpulse.com just announced that Paris Hilton, who recently described her style as "princess," has purchased the plot next to Marilyn Monroe's grave to bury her beloved pet goat, Billy...I'm really not sure which is more disturbing: the fact that Paris is placing a goat next to icon Marilyn Monroe or the fact that prissy Paris even owned a pet goat to begin with. I shudder to think what the cause of death may have been. She really does seem to change her pets like she changes her boyfriends. With her numerous chihuahuas, ferrets, rotweiler, and confiscated kinkajou (although according to Metro newspaper, she must have gotten it back, because it recently bit her...Can we blame it?), Paris seems to be embarking on a new business venture: owning a zoo! Guess the music business isn't quite working out for her.

And speaking of Marilyn Monroe, Paris Hilton recently claimed, "I think every decade has an iconic blonde, including Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana, and right now I'm that icon." However, according to a poll conducted by a reputable magazine, Paris Hilton is last on the list of celebrities who fans view as this generation's "iconic blonde." Topping the list was Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Simpson. Sorry Paris!

The lowdown on La Lohan

Equally as entertaining is the serial dater and car crasher, Lindsay Lohan. A recent newspaper article indicated that Lindsay allegedly had her first fight with boyfriend Harry Morton. To ease her pain, Lindsay — in true La Lohan style — partied all night and then had a "small fender bender" on the way home...Now, I think I speak for all North Americans when I ask, could somebody please confiscate this girl's car keys already?! I mean, isn't it obvious by now that she CAN'T drive?? For crying out loud...

"Damn it, Janet!"

In the August 21 edition of OK magazine, Janet Jackson claimed that her worst diet cheat was a Bellini...Yes that's right, folks: one measly Bellini! I think I speak for all of us girls who, from time to time, binge on chocolates, cookies, and ice cream (often all at once) when I say, bite me, Janet!

More shopping adventures...

"lol.....aw Carrie.....I get a kick out of reading your msn names and your shopping adventures.....keep it up chaquita!" - Judy

hehe Thx Judy ;)

Well, I promised myself that I would work out as soon as I got home tonight (in return for treating myself to a shopping spree), but here I am writing this blog instead...At least my pocketbook got a good workout. ;) But hey! As Carrie Bradshaw once said, shopping is my cardio! ;) And my mother always says that shopping could be an olympic sport...Well in that case, I must be a pro athlete. ;) What can I say? I've learned from the best!

I think I've been reading too many Shopaholic books and watching too many episodes of "Sex in the City" lately, because I can't seem to stop spending. It's become an addiction. I mean, is it a bad sign when the male staff at Guess start greeting you by saying, "Here comes trouble"??

I'm starting to get excited though, because boot season is practically upon us! *squeals of delight* As much as I'll miss these lazy summer days, I'm looking forward to a pair of knee-high chocolate brown suede boots and matching jacket. Guess is already starting to get some of their fall collection in. Just tonight I bought a gorgeous silvery dark denim jacket and matching knee-length skirt with a slit in the front and back. It's a little risque, but I love it nonetheless! ;) I also bought an army green cotton zip-up sweater. But I didn't stop there (No self-respecting shopaholic would. I have a reputation to uphold ;)). I went on to buy a pair of black leather Steve Madden stiletto-heeled pointed-toed pumps and a pair of Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. *drool* Oh, and then I needed a hair straightener for my unruly hair...See? Some of my purchases were essential. :) Rum is essential, right? The guys at Guess wanted me to have a drink with them...They were so cute that I almost did. ;)

But now all I can say is...somebody please confiscate my credit card...No wait, don't. I'm having too much fun. ;)

So done with dating...

I swear this will be the last date I'll subject myself to this summer. The very last! Honestly, I don't know why I put myself through this. I must be a massochist.

Why do people date anyways? I mean, why do we put ourselves through the stress, anxiety, & insecurity that go along with meeting a new potential partner? We put ourselves through hell trying to look our best and make a good first impression. We spend precious time and money on people who often end up not having been worth the effort. And then we put our egos on the line, facing the 50% chance that we'll be rejected, which, in turn, only enhances our insecurity. Is dating really worth all that trauma?

The simple truth is this: We date (and put ourselves through all of those painful emotions) in hopes of finding that special someone who we could have a lasting, fulfilling relationship with. With each new tryst comes the possibility of falling in love and finding a soulmate. The prospect of a new partner can also bring positive feelings, such as butterflies, anticipation, and excitement. And there's no feeling like falling in love (although chocolate comes pretty close ;)). But for someone like me, who is extremely independent and indecisive about dating (not to mention slightly insecure at times), dating can be torture!

At the beginning of the summer, I (foolishly) thought that it would be exciting to start dating again. I hadn't seen anyone since my last relationship, which ended in February...Well there was that one guy in April, but we won't go there. ;) Anyways, I signed up for Lavalife because I'd never tried online dating before & I thought it would be fun to try. I mean, I like to keep up with the latest trends in fashion, so it only makes sense that I should keep up with the latest trends in dating. ;) Besides, Lavalife is like shopping for men! You can browse through all kinds of single guys and find out what they're looking for, what their interests are, etc. You can even fine-tune searches to find your ideal guy (In my case, that would be any guy who is 6' or taller, brunette, and with either a fit or average build...muscular is ok too, sometimes, as long as it's not excessive or intimidating. And he must like semi-short girls! ;)).

I was all set to embark on my new adventure, but I wasn't prepared for the whirlwind that was about to ensue. I think my sister put it best when she said that dating is emotionally draining! Ain't that the truth! I became overwhelmed after adding way too many guys to my MSN list and I started spending way too much time chatting online--I can only sit in front of a computer screen for so long before I start getting antsy (kind of ironic coming from an aspiring writer, no?). And you'd THINK that out of all those men, at least one of them would have worked out, but no. In fact, I believe that I have officially tapped out the dating pool in this town, and it would appear as though all of the good men are, in fact, taken...or gay. ;)

I know, I know. I sound way too jaded and pessimistic. And I suppose I did get something positive from all of this: life experience. But let me give you an example of the kind of experiences I've been having all summer, starting with the most recent:

To make a long story short, I had finally agreed to go on a date with this guy who I had been indecisive about. But it turns out that I should have gone with my initial gut feeling (even though I now no longer have to wonder "what if?"). Ladies, let this be a lesson to you: Never underestimate your woman's intuition!

This date was doomed from the beginning, and all signs were pointing to "get the hell out of there!" To begin, my hair and makeup were NOT cooperating, which was frustrating the hell out of me. By the time I was finally ready, I called the bus stop & realized that I'd just missed my bus, so I had to walk fifteen minutes to get to a different stop. I was seconds away from it when the bus pulled up ahead of me, but because I was wearing my black strappy stilettos with the rhinestone buckles, I couldn't run to catch it in time (At least I looked good while suffering! Just kidding ;)). But just then, to my utmost delight, the light at the bus stop turned red. I figured if I walked quickly, I'd be able to reach it in time, but the damn bus driver ran the red light! So then I had to wait for another fifteen minutes for the next bus. And I swear that day had to have been one of the hottest in July! My make up was melting & I kept having to touch it up. And in that heat, my deodorant didn't have a hope in hell, so I started to stink (ew, I know). After transferring buses three times (it should have been only twice, but I accidently got on the wrong bus & had to get off at the first available stop and wait for another bus to take me back to the station where I was supposed to catch my transfer).

After waiting for what seemed like hours in the blistering heat, I finally arrived at the movie theatre, grumpy, sweaty, and smelly. Charming! I had called he-who-shall-not-be-named-but-whom-we-shall-call-Bob (or maybe just shithead) en-route to tell him that I would be a little late (It just so happens that the guy I had previously dated was also named "Bob"--Note to self: Stop dating guys named "Bob"!). He didn't answer his phone, so I left him a message explaining that rather than meeting where we'd initially agreed upon at 5:30, I would meet him at the theatre, which had been the original plan, at a quarter to six. When I arrived right at 5:45, he wasn't there. I called what I thought was his cell number, but he didn't answer, so I left him yet another message. I went to the washroom to freshen up & then bought an ice-cold water to cool down. I sat at one of the tables by the back entrance just in case he came in that way. I searched the building a couple times, but he was nowhere to be found. I waited for half an hour and then decided to head over to the Chapters, even though I figured that by then he'd be long gone. He'd obviously given up easily & had likely assumed that I'd stood him up, which is something that I would never do! Before we met, he kept saying things like, "Oh you'll likely run off when you see me," which is absolutely ridiculous, because I'd already seen several pictures of him, so his appearance wasn't going to be a surprise (What an idiot)! And I'd given him my cell number before I left, so he could've called me from a payphone to see where I was, or at least called his own line to see if I'd left any messages.

As I'd anticipated, he wasn't there, so I treated myself to a well-deserved shopping spree instead. ;) I bought three books and chatted with my favourite former manager (I worked at Chapters for nearly three years--and loved it!). Then I bought a latte & a new travel mug at Starbucks & headed home to have supper. On my way back, I called my sister on my cell & told her the whole sad story. And then my mom called (perfect timing!), so I relayed the story to her as well (Note to self: Bitching about men to your bffs is a great way to release pent-up frustration!). I didn't even get home until 8:30 on account of the irregular Sunday bus schedule. When I finally arrived, "Bob" was offline. He hadn't even left me a message or sent me an email. So I sent him a very firm, but level-headed email and said goodbye. I wasted an entire Sunday afternoon for him; I wasn't about to waste anymore time. To this day I haven't heard from him...What a jerk!