The "Holy Grail" of my mug search

So I've been on a search for a nice mug. I've seen a lot, but most are either too expensive or over-designed. I think I know a thing about design or two, plus I work in a home furnishing store. I walked into Ross the other day and spotted this very avant-garde looking mug. I looked at the price tag: $1.99. And to my surprise, it was not made in China. That is why I got it.

Tyler Florence Chef's White Collection Bead Mug
$12.99 to $1.99

So the Emmys sucked this year as well as the fashion, but here are some I liked.

Tina Fey in David Meister

She looked gorgeous in her fitted David Meister gown. I think she played it a bit safe with the color and silhouette, but I guess you don't want to look foolish on your victory day. I also like that she kind of kept her "Tina Fey look."

Debra Messing in Monique Lhuillier

Okay, so maybe her whole look wasn't that exciting, but maybe I'm just biased because she's one of my favorite actors. Still, I think she looks great and she kept it classic. You can never go wrong with classic. Good one, Grace!

Cynthia Nixon in Calvin Klein

Although I do like her hair red, she does manage to pull off her look. I absolutely love the simplicity of her whole look because a lot of jewelry can make you look gaudy, which isn't a good thing.I also love the color of her dress.

Mary Louise Parker in Roberto Cavalli

Okay, I'm totally biased because she is also one of my favorite actresses. Then again, unlike Debra Messing, she at least took a risk. This blue is very hard to wear, especially on the red carpet. She could've turned out looking like a bad 80s prom queen, but she managed to pull it off. Yay, Nancy Botwin.

Carlos Miele

This dress might have less oomph on the red carpet than on the runway, but it'd still be a lot more interesting than a lot of the other dresses on the red carpet. While the silhouette may not be that unique, the different shades of green make up for it. (Kathy Griffin, I love you, but you should've worn this instead of your probably purposely hideous dress.)

Halston

Even though this dress looks incredibly simple, it is very versatile. (I love Halston.) It can be worn in a formal or casual setting. You can even use the sash in many different ways. Also, here's your chance to wear a lot of jewelry and not look gaudy.

Elie Saab

I like this Elie Saab dress because it's one of his more interesting pieces. Elie Saab designs a lot of gorgeous dresses, but they kind of look or less the same. This dress, however, is like a piece of art because of all the geometric shapes. (Mondrian?)

John Galliano

I think John Galliano is very talented, but I'm not sure his designs fit everyone's taste because he takes fashion to the extreme. I tried looking for one of his more wearable designs and this what I found. Some of the younger actresses should've worn something like this because short dresses will enhance their youth. This dress is reminiscent of a 20s flapper, but if you want to modernize it, you can change up the hair or something.

L 'Wren Scott

I usually don't find L'Wren Scott's designs interesting enough to say anything, but her design aesthetic is very red carpet appropriate. So here's a dress pretty much anyone can wear and look great in. The design is very old Hollywood and the color may be good luck for the nominee, not to mention, she'll have a twin when she goes on stage to accept her award.

Courtesy of People, Style.com

TIME for a new semester.

So school starts on Monday, I am so not ready. I still question if I even had a summer because I was taking classes. Then again, it feels like it has been quite some time since I've had to do anything academic. It's not like my job requires it, and I think I'm having a little too much fun. Good thing the Olympics are over tomorrow because I can't keep staying up to watch sports when I don't even like sports. I'm quite pissed that I have to buy $500+ worth of books this semester. I'm definitely going to have my xeroxing sessions and return my books that way. To pay homage to the ending of summer, I got a new planner from Borders using the gift card my friend gave me for Christmas. There were plenty of planners at Borders, but all of them start in January 2009; I need to start in August 2008. Fortunately, I found one that did, and the best looking cover was this one. (Well, you can go to the website and tell me if I made a bad decision.)

Courtesy of Time.Mine

I have a very bipolar sense of style.

One minute, I look like a bum (and even got mistaken for one) and the next I look all hoity-toity. I'm neither really, but they create a sort of harmony when you mix them together.

Simple Toega Hemp Loafers

I really like this company because all their materials are organic and eco-friendly. Also, they have interesting styles that poke fun at ridiculously priced shoes. At the same time, their shoes are very cute; shoes aren't cute these days.

Alejandro Ingelmo Leather Hiking Shoes

Even on sale, they still turned out to be about $300. I think they look very cool and innovative, but I would never pay that much for shoes, unless I had that kind of money in the first place. I'll proably end up buying a cheap pair of these hiking shoes, paint it with metallic paint, and put a glaze on it to get that patent leather look. That's what a real artist would do.

I finally got a new phone: the Samsung M520 from Sprint!

I know it's not as fantastic as the one I wanted, but compared to a lot of phones out there, this seemed to be the best one without forking over any extra money. Of course it's nowhere as cool as the iPhone, but I couldn't find a better looking phone than this one. Believe me, I went to three different stores. The first time I saw the phone, I knew it was meant to be. Not only was it sleek and shiny, but the graphics were highly defined. The only thing I wish this phone could do is record sounds, so I could use them as ringtones. That's actually a basic function that most phones have, so I don't know why mine can't do that. Anyway, I made a wise choice that will last me another two years.

It's interesting to see how much these products say so much about the designers:

Christian Lacroix is known for his avant-garde designs. Not many people wear his designs simply because they're pretty much for editorials. But in terms of art and design, I have to tell you, he is a geniius. The way he mixes different colors and materials is his signature. Even though a lot of his designs tend to be reminiscent of 17th Century France, he is able to make them look modern. Anyway, the only Christian Lacroix item I can see myself owning is the limited edition Evian because most of his masterpieces are $1,000 minimum. Then again, Evian has a terrible taste, and I'm not willing to buy a glass bottle for 10 bucks even if it is Christian Lacroix.

I used to like Marc Jacobs's designs a lot more. After his whole self-transformation thing, his whole design concept changed. He used to design from a point of view that was very urban and grungy, which had inspired part of my own sense of style. After his metamorphosis, I feel like he is a lot less serious about his designing to the point where he had to plagiarize some guy, which got him into a lawsuit. Anyway, I need to use my store credit before it expires. I still have no idea what to get because his designs are that bad now; condoms are $1.50 each. I'm not sure what's so special about them, but it seems like anything with a Marc Jacobs on it is sellable.

I kind of feel the same way about Dolce & Gabbana as I do with Marc Jacobs, except the design hasn't gone downhill. (Anything with a D&G logo compared to something without one is twice the price.) In terms of design, D&G is very people-friendly; anyone can wear it. Their designs are sexy, but not too over-the-top (the epitome of Italian fashion). However, their prices are ridiculously expensive in relation to the same things without the D&G logo. Plus, I wouldn't want the D&G phone because I already have a Razr.

My Life: The Soundtrack:

Opening credits: Creator by Santogold
Waking up: Oversleeping by I'm From Barcelona
Average day: The Passenger by Iggy Pop
First date: Someone to Love by Kate Earl
Falling in love: Reasons to Love You by Meiko
Love scene: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
Fight scene: 鐘無艷 by Kay Tse
Breaking up: Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy
Getting back together: Way Back Into Love by Hugh Grant & Drew Barrymore
Secret love: Someone Like You by Van Morrison
Life's okay: Just Fine by Mary J. Blige
Mental breakdown: Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson
Driving: Speed by Bond
Learning a lesson: Desperado by The Eagles
Deep thought: A Good Start by Maria Taylor
Flashback: Always On Your Side by Sheryl Crow
Partying: Movie Star by Roisin Murphy
Happy dance: Smile by Vitamin C
Regreting: Don't Know Why by Norah Jones
Long night alone: All By Myself by Eric Carmen
Death scene: Timeless by Kate Havnevik
Closing credits: Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley