Monday, September 19, 2011

Emmy Fashion!

Hey there fashionistas! Well, I didn't get to watch all of the Emmys this year because I had to go to bed at 9pm. Because my kid gets up at 5am. And our TiVo is no more so I couldn't even record it and watch it later. And we only get the basic channels so I didn't get to see any of the red carpet coverage. But this post is a tradition, dang it, and so thanks to the internet, I can see pictures of all the celebrities I missed, copy those pictures here, and make comments about them. Read on!

(PS. These are in no particular order, except for the annoyingly weird order in which Blogger uploads photos.)

Sofia Vergara. I often think she looks tacky or overdone, so I liked this dress, even though it isn't exactly reinventing the wheel. I don't know if it looked this way on TV, but in the pictures it is a nice pinky-red, which was at least a little derivation from the many other red gowns on the carpet. Such as...

Nina Dobrev. Got to admit, she looks fierce. That word is probably played out by now, but it still works here. The shape of the top is a little funny, and she probably couldn't breathe or move, but it was worth it for this head-turning look.

So one of the parts of the telecast I did get to see was one of the best moments of the night, when all the comedy actress nominees had a mini-pageant as their names were announced. Melissa McCarthy won, and it was totally sweet and awesome. But before that, I was like, "Woah Martha Plimpton looks ah-MAY-zing!" It was probably hard to make it in Hollywood with a name like Martha Plimpton, and kudos to her for not changing it to, say, "Megan St. Plum" or something like that. This dress is so beautiful and one of the few from the night that I would dream of wearing.

Maria Bello's hair looks TERRIBLE but I really love this dress. It seems very chic and California-breezy. I feel like she could use a bangle or a cuff or something. And a shampoo. And a blowout.

Ugggghhhh fine. That sums up how I feel both about Lea Michele and her dress.

Kristen Wiig, like Maria Bello, appears to have forgotten to wash up and run a comb through her hair. Still, I like her dress too. She favors these super-deep v-neck gowns, but she can get away with it because she's more, err, petite in the bust. I like the details of the ombre and I think with a smooth low ponytail it would've been a nice overall look.

In all the pictures I found, Katie Holmes does not look as cute as I thought she did when I saw her on television. The dress appeared chic and minimal, her hair was fun and flirty, her makeup looked great, and she didn't have creepy Tom Cruise attached to her hip. The pictures make the dress look more frumpy and shapeless and weird. So, who knows. I liked it.


Kate Winslet, you're a good looking lady and this is a sexy dress. But you are not Nina Dobrev and you are not 22 and that dress is waaaaay too tight. Just... don't you like breathing? And also sometimes I miss your red hair.

Jurnee Smollett, I am sorry your parents couldn't spell "Journey" correctly, and that they thought Journey/Jurnee was an appropriate name for a baby at all. I know you are on a new show now, but you will always be Jess Merriweather from Dillon, Texas to me. I think you look very pretty in this simple but elegant dress in a really splendid color. My only qualm is that... well you know, lift and separate? I feel like you're really... separated. It's something that I think happens a lot in deep v-neck gowns - not separated enough and the girls are hanging out there for all to see, too separated and it seems like you have a sternum-filled chasm between one and the other.

I feel like Julie Bowen here is suffering the same fate. It doesn't look it so much in this photo, but on TV I felt like her chest looked super weird. Other than that, I think this dress is good for her. Not my particular style, but it is certainly different from the standard red-carpet fare. It's kind of a sassy cousin to Maria Bello's up there, with the metallic detailing. I don't love the blunt-ended ponytail but it works with this I suppose.

When I saw Julianna Margulies appear on my TV I recoiled. This dress is super weird and borderline ugly. The severely sculpted bodice with the wack-a-doo giant glass slug beads on it? I don't even know. It was an eyesore. She looks pretty from the neck up.
I think Julia Stiles looks gorgeous! The bottom where all the lace is bunched up looks a little old-lady-curtain-esque, but I love the bodice, the detailing, and her pretty hair and makeup. Best she's looked in a while.

Has Jane Krakowski always looked this broad-shouldered? I don't think this is her silhouette. Also, she looks very tan in this photo but she looked downright Oompa-Loompa on my television.

Okay, here's the thing about this. I'm pretty sure one of my Barbies had this exact outfit. And Gwyneth looks quite Barbie-esque in it. And I don't really have a problem with that. But the weird unfinished tulle hems at her waist are casting a shadow that makes it look like a little muffin top. And I am 100% certain that Gwyneth Paltrow does NOT have a muffin top. But even someone with her abs probably wants to steer clear of the illusion of a muffin top, right?

I don't think I can ever look at Evan Rachel Wood and NOT see her as Marilyn Manson's former whatever. Shudder. However, being as objective as I possibly can, I will say this is a really well-put-together, classy look. We all know I love the sparkles. But I also think this is an elegant shape that manages to be both retro and modern.

Elisabeth Moss, I don't know WHAT is going on with your hair, but I think you look very pretty in this dress, even if it is the same color as your skin. The delicate illusion of the leaves falling from the straps is lovely. But the hair. The HAIR.
I think the only thing working for Diana Agron here is the color. The hair is stiff and aging, the dress is unflattering and wrinkled. She's 25, and this makes her look at least 10 years older than that.

T-TAMI! I love you so, so much. You acted the snot out of one of my favorite TV characters EVER and I'm sad for you that you didn't get an Emmy last night. But you look lovely in red. This is a great dress on you. I think the big hair plus the big skirt is a bit much, and I would've gone with a pulled back do, but other than that, yay!


Christine Baranski is working this look, y'all. It's like a really fancy button down shirt, and that is super fun. I think it's navy, too, which just makes it a little more punchy than it would be in standard black.

Why can't someone help Christina Hendricks find a flattering red carpet gown? WHY?! It is seriously insane that someone so beautiful can't get a gown that works on her. This isn't the worst she's done, but it's not what it could be. The high front slit is not doing her any favors. The bustline is better than usual, but the other details aren't working. Boo.

Minka Kelly (on the left) is frequently found on assorted "Most Beautiful" and "Sexiest Woman" lists, so I'm not really sure why she borrowed a dress from Meryl Streep. Not that I'm hoping she'll skank it up or anything, but this seems really way too mature and somber for her. I don't know who the middle two girls are, but Purple Dress looks hot and White Dress looks moth-eaten and Drew Barrymore looks insane.

Anna Torv is many things - a great actress on Fringe, a very beautiful woman, an Australian. But she is not, to my knowledge, a flamenco dancer. So I'm not really sure why she is styled as one.

That's all for this year, folks! Thanks for tuning in - feel free to share your best and worst and other thoughts in the comments!




Friday, September 09, 2011

Don't Play That Game

There's a game I've been playing with myself since Hudson was born.

It's called, "Maybe He'll Be Happy When."

First I thought, "Maybe he'll be happy when we finally get the hang of this breastfeeding thing."

Then, "Maybe he'll be happy when we get his reflux under control."

And, "Maybe he'll be happy when he hits 12 weeks."

Or, "Maybe he'll be happy when I get better at figuring out what he wants."

There's always, "Maybe he'll be happy when he gets out of this growth spurt."

Now that most of those milestones have come and gone, I've recently switched to "Maybe he'll be happy when he can move around more independently," or "Maybe he'll be happy when he can start eating solids."

Maybe next week. Maybe next month. Maybe then.

And I try not to think about it, but it crawls in when things are falling apart and I'm holding a sobbing, red-faced, angry-sad baby at 3:37 am...

Maybe... maybe he'll never be happy.

Oh sure, he has happy moments. Happy hours, and sometimes even whole mostly-happy days. If you catch him then, he's got a gummy grin that keeps going and going, creating this little dimple right by his nose. And if you work really hard for it with some tickling and well-placed raspberries on the tummy, he's got a laugh that sounds like a squeaker toy.

But in general, "happy" is not an adjective I'd use to describe my little guy. He is many things, for better and for worse, but right now "happy" is not one of them. And maybe it never will be.

But maybe instead of playing the "maybe" game, I need to stop.

Stop comparing him to other babies.

Stop wishing he would be different.

Stop feeling jealous of friends for whom motherhood appears to be a glowing, glorious, easy experience.

Stop asking God to change Hudson and make him happy.

Instead, I must start asking God to change me. To make me more like Jesus, who loves me just as I am, so I can love Hudson, just as he is.

My baby is just that - a baby. Helpless and weak, despite how big and strong he sometimes seems to me. Dependent on me for everything. Looking to me for love and affection and encouragement and guidance, so he can grow and mature.

I am a woman. Now a mother. I am the one who must change - or rather, be changed. I am the one who can pray for us, for grace and strength in our hour of need. I am the one who must learn to sacrifice so I can serve my son. I am the one who needs to repent and set aside the "maybe" thoughts to which I unfairly hold my boy.

Oh God, that you would come near to us, to me and Huddy. Forgive me for being hard-hearted, and angry, and jealous, and self-pitying, and forgive me on his behalf, since he's too small to understand. Please help me to be more like Jesus. Please help me to love my baby just as he is. Please give me more and more grace, until at last it overflows in love and kindness and patience toward my son. Protect and guard him as he grows. I pray for the day of his salvation, that Hudson would be a man after your own heart. I pray that through our struggles, you would be glorified. I am so thankful and humbled that you have made me a mother. I am so thankful for Hudson. I repent of having an ungrateful heart. I repent of being unloving. I ask for more of you, and less of me.

Friday, September 02, 2011

Ashley in Africa

My little sister has just arrived in South Africa! She will be there for two months working for... you know what, it will be better if she tells you herself. She has a blog that she set up so we can keep up with her while she's gone. Check it out! I'm so proud of her and can't wait to hear more about her adventures. Read her blog HERE.