Ladies and gentleman, the beautiful Marion Cotillard

I must admit that lately I have been boycotting American Vogue. I feel as though it is so outshined by its European counterparts that I can no longer afford to spend five dollars on something not wholly fabulous. This said, I almost died when I saw Marion Cotillard on the cover of the November issue. She represents that small percentage of actresses who are real. Her performance in La Vie en Rose was incredible, and if you haven't seen the movie I highly reccomend you do. The photos above are from French Elle of May 2009 (more proof that European magazines put American ones to shame). Enjoy. And be sure to say a little prayer that Anna Wintour will stop playing Oprah and start becoming a little (dare I say?) edgier.

And my apologies for not writing for a while, life sometimes just gets in the way.

Gone too soon

For some reason, some of the world's most iconic figures have died prematurely (ie. Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, JFK, Albert Camus, Princess Diana, Michael Jackson). International phenomenons occur when these already famous people die and their stardom rockets from mediocrity into the stuff of legends. We imagine all the additional great things these people could have done if they had lived longer. We allow our minds to place these people on a pedestal because of their potential. Often, when celebrities fade out of their prime and grow old we forget about them. Yet, when their latent health problems emerge from the closet and kill them or when their car crashes suddenly, society sanctifies them.

I am not sure why this interests me so much, but talking about Albert Camus' premature death today in English made me think about all the other cult figures of modern history who also died in their prime. I wonder if it's some kind of cult itself, these young deaths. Just imagine the world's most famous people sitting at a table with one another planning out their deaths to ensure their iconic status. (P.S. John and Kate, Octomom, and Balloon Boy you would definitely not be invited to these meetings. To be an icon you must make an actual contribution to society.) It's an absurd idea, I know, but isn't the entire notion of celebrity absurd as well?

NERD

Tomorrow is Nerd Day at school and I am at a bit of a loss as to what I should wear. Should I go for the classic Erkel look of suspenders and cropped pants, or should I dress a la Dwight and don a tie and tortoise-rimmed glasses? In theory, Nerd Day would require no dressing up because the wardrobe is not what makes a nerd. Yet, I will eventually put together some ensemble and only hope that I can properly pay homage to all those that are responsible for modern technology.

These boots were made for walking

Contrary to the title of this post, I doubt I could actually walk in these boots (let alone afford them, they are $1200). Yet, all it took was one look at these Christian Louboutins on the Barney's website and I knew I was in love. There is something so striking about these shoes. They immediately make me think of something out of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations in the way that they scream 17th century England. Despite the historical references nothing could be more modern than a throwback to the footwear of centuries past. And although this exact pair won't be residing in my closet any time soon I can be placated with thoughts of all the extremely intelligent conversations (in British accents of course) these boots could instigate.

Follow the yellow brick road...

I am beginning to feel as Dorothy must have felt as she gazed upon the yellow brick road for the first time, not knowing what lay ahead of her. So far, senior year has just made me realize how much I still have left to accomplish. I also hope that at the end of the yellow brick road that is the college application process I will find myself in my own Emerald City (and by Emerald City I do not mean Seattle).

While I cannot wait to finish high school and just move on, I also know that this is the year during which everything changes. I can only hope that the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion will be waiting on my path to help lead the way because let’s face it, I am going to need all the support I can get. So for all the other high school seniors out there faced with application deadlines and AP classes, just know that we’re not alone, and that at the end of the road something worthwhile awaits us.