Weekend Randomness

Last summer my sister disappeared into a bathroom with my phone and emerged with these photos:



The nicest bathroom I have ever seen in a fast food establishment. Where might this rather posh lavatory be located? Would you believe the McDONALDS in Yakima, Washington??? The rest of the "restaurant" was strangely nice. There was wood paneling, imitation marble, and a fire place. And I thought Crownburger was the only hamburger joint with a fireplace.

Do you ever?

Do you ever find yourself feeling a bit like this boy:

You know the type: well-meaning, awkward, weird, and prone to singing along to songs while wearing headphones or while just sitting at a desk. Sometimes I feel like Marcus although usually without the spontaneous singing. Oh, and the bizarre bowl/acorn haircut (poor kid.) The awkward and weird yet well-meaning bits seem to fit all too well.
Take for example tonight's adventure at FHE. I had been feeling pretty cool with my blonde streak in my hair and my strappy sandals (no flip flops for this lummox.) Even though we played ultimate frisbee I did pretty well. I threw some successful throws, I caught several tosses, and I didn't fall an embarrassingly large amount of the time. I feeling pretty good. Until, however, I tried to talk to a guy I was interested in. It was like cool grad student with the blonde streak was abducted and replaced by my seventh grade self, the one with the "He-Man" haircut. The one who gets tongue tied, the one who tried so hard to fit in, the one who wore sweater vests over tee shirt with shorts and Doc Marten mary-janes(I wish I had a picture to prove it.) Awkward should be my middle name, not Anne. I wouldn't even need to change my initals.

I have a "condition"

Ever since 9th grade I have struggled with a condition that has brought frustration and some teasing by my sisters. Okay, a lot of teasing. I can't walk in shoes that do not have backs. Once I tried to walk to school in my Mom's clogs but it didn't work. I'm sure Hilary would love to tell you about how funny I looked as I struggled to walk. I know what you are thinking, "Didn't you used to dance? Didn't you dance on your toes?" Yes, I did dance on my toes at one point but dancing on one's toes is totally different than walking in shoes that have no backs.

This ailment usually doesn't bother me 3/4 of the time, it's just in the summer time. Do you know how hard it is to find sandals that have back straps? How about sandals with back straps that are cute? Luckily I found a pair at Ross for $10! They look sort of like this (only lighter brown, with silver studs dotting the straps)

Here is my question: Where can I find inexpensive sandals that are comfortable AND have back straps?






While I'm discussing sandals I'm going to reveal my severe dislike for flip flops. They aren't real shoes, people. They are fantastic for the beach. They are ideal for going to the pool. They are dead useful for wearing while showering in a dodgey bathroom. They are not real shoes. They should not be worn in the winter time. They should not be worn to church. They should not be worn by people who can't manage to walk in shoes without backs. Own up to it and stop the slack slapping that goes on when you shuffle along in your foam and plastic "footwear."

Thank you, and have a nice day.

Costume Institute Gala at the Met

In some ways the Costume Institute Gala at the Met is like the Superbowl for the fashion world, even more so than the Oscars. Those that attend the Gala seems to let loose more than at the Oscars which equals some really good fashion and some really awful fashion.

First up, the awful stuff. On the left is a photo of talented designer Vera Wang and talented actress Rachel Weiss. I don't really have much to say about Wang's dress, it's sort of nice in a neutral way. Weiss's dress is good at the beginning but then it goes all wacky with the yellow underlayer. Next we have Stella McCartney who I am concerned has a jumpsuit addiction. It would have been really great as a dress with pockets, not as a jumpsuit with pockets.

The ensemble on the left reminded me of Demi Moore's biker short/bustier/train monstrosity worn to the Academy awards in the early 90's. The furry peacock cape is not a good look.

Speaking of capes, why has Andre Leon Talley (of Vogue Magazine, no less) chosen to shroud himself in this?:

I'm vaguely confused by the stripes down his arms. Was he wearing a tracksuit and though, "Oh crap! I have the Met gala tonight and I'm wearing a knock off Adidas track suit!" With that realization perhaps he wrapped himself in a tent and decided that no one would notice once he put on spangly pilgrim shoes and a huge necklace. Just wondering.

Next up we have Miranda Kerr in Jil Stuart. She's so cute but this dress is horrible. It looks uncomfortable. One false move and your'e exposed. It almost looks like she's holding her clutch there just incase something slips. Awkward.

Next up is Liz Goldwyn in Rodarte. I'm not sure who Liz Goldwyn is exactly but her dress reminds me of that licorice candy, Good 'n Plenty. Does anyone else see that? Maybe there was an accident.
Kerry Washington wearing Louis Vuttion. The skirt length combined with her ribbon shoes and stance make her look like a wind up doll. In my amature opinion, the dress could have worked if it was longer and NOT poofy. It could have been a really great dress, even with the sort of wacky pink accents.

This picture reminds me of the Flight of the Conchords episode. Trick photography anyone? Apparently Eva Herzigova had her make-up done by the same people who did Rachel Weiss.

My friend Emily and I tried to figure out what exactly Debbie Harry was wearing. Is it pajama pants? A business wear top from the eighties? A shawl? A cape? We gave up.

And now, the good stuff.

I really liked this dress by Marc Jacobs worn by Rose Byrne. I love the color, the fluidity, and the contrast of the metal belt. She's lucky she can pull off yellow. Yellow is like a bit of sunshine, or lemon meringue pie, or a marigold. It is fantastic when done right.

When I saw this picture my first thought was, "Who Elizabeth Hurley-ed Anne Hathaway?" Really, who did it? I do like the color of the dress, it is really flattering for her skin tone. It just doesn't look like her at all. Actually, this reminds of something she would more likely wear:
A beautiful Elie Saab couture gown worn by...
Whoa! Elizabeth Hurley! Who Anne Hathaway-ed Elizabeth Hurley? Maybe it's a freaky Friday-like switch that will magically be undone at the end of the night.

Or not.

I loved this Chanel Haute Couture dress worn by Edita Vilkevicitute. The combination of fabrics and textures is really great. I'm not as wild about the overflow of the overlay at the hem but it's not much to complain about.

My runner up for favorite dress is this Chanel dress worn by Diane Kruger. I love the texture of the dress even though it is a bit short. I also love the fact that she chose to pair it with black accessories which is kind of unexpected.

My favorite dress was this vintage Harvey Berin worn by Katie Lee Joel (yep, she's married to Billy Joel.) I just really love this dress. I also love the fact that her clutch, belt, and shoes compliment each other rather than match completely. I wonder what it would look like if the sheer overlay had an under layer on the shoulder area, and then the color could carry over into the belt and the band on the hem. Hmmmmm...

Lariann's Obituary

Lariann Evans Bredthauer
1982 ~ 2009
KAYSVILLE - Our "miracle" Lariann Evans Bredthauer, 26, valiantly fought a brain tumor, giving us almost three more years of happiness, passed away May 9, 2009 in Salt Lake City. Born in Bountiful, Utah, December 7, 1982 to Jerry L. and Lorraine Evans. Married Scott Nelson Bredthauer, May 16, 2003 in the Salt Lake Temple. A devoted and faithful member of the LDS church. Her testimony and love of the Savior was always evident in her daily life. Sunshine describes her positive attitude, humor and fun loving personality. A truly virtuous woman. Graduated from Davis High school and received an Associate Degree from Weber State University. She loved being part of the color guard in both high school and the university marching bands. Giving birth to her "miracle" daughter, Lucy, while receiving radiation treatments was a sign of her great strength and courage. A talented wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. She loved being Lucy's mom, Scott's companion, family, family activities, watching sports-especially football and baseball, the outdoors, crocheting, cooking, good movies, music and cultural events. Lariann is survived by: her husband, Scott, her daughter, Lucy, her parents, Jerry and Lorraine Evans, her grandmothers, Barbara Nelson and Marian W. Page, her siblings, Scot (Heidi) Evans, Kristin (Scott) Christensen, Jared (Julaine) Evans, John (Elizabeth) Evans, Rachel (Devin) Razee, her in-laws, Paul and Debra Bredthauer, her brothers-in-law, Tyler (Brooke) Bredthauer, Greg (Stacey) Bredthauer, sister-in-law, Alison Bredthauer and many beloved extended family members and friends. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 16, 2009, 1l:00 a.m. at the Kaysville Tabernacle 198 West Center St. Viewings will be held Friday, May 15, 2009 from 6-8 p.m. at the Russon Brothers Mortuary 1941 North Main, Farmington (across from Cherry Hill); and 9:30-10:30 a.m. prior to the services at the Tabernacle. Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery. Our sincere thanks to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Dr. Jensen, Dr. Duhan and Lariann's entire team as well as the staff of the Neurological Critical Care unit of the U of U. A fund has been setup for the family at Zion's Bank. FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER Online guest book at www.russonmortuary.com

Lariann's funeral and viewing information

The viewing will be held at Russon's at 6:00 PM on Friday, May 15th. The address is 1941 North Main Street in Farmingon. The funeral will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 16th at the Kaysville Tabernacle, 198 West Center Street in Kaysville. The obituary will be printed in the Standard Examiner, The Deseret News, and the Clipper in the next couple of days.

The reason behind the shock

My oldest and best friend passed away yesterday from cancer, a brain tumor specifically. She was 26, and she and her husband were weeks away from celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary with their 2 1/2 year old daughter. I don't really have any profound words right now. Lariann Evans Bredthauer was my best friend and I loved her like a sister. I've decided to let a collection of pictures speak for themselves.

It's a first!

Actually it's two firsts. First of the firsts, I earned a 4.0 GPA this semester. It's fantastic because it is my first 4.0 ever. I don't think I earned one even in grade school. It's sort of exciting and I'm going to try to follow in my Mom's foot steps of a 4.0 all through a Master's program. I think I can do it. I just have to work really hard.


That's not so hard, right?

In other news, I have started to like running. I've been at it in theory for about a week and in practice for the past four days. I'm thinking about what time I need to be up tomorrow to make it to a session at the temple and have time for a run before. It's like an addiction! But a good one. Now I can be one of those people. The kind of people that cause my Dad to say, "That's too bad their car broke down." I just hope I can keep it up!

Wild and crazy

Behold!

The results of combining active sleep patterns with wet hair!

Personally, I think it's kind of hilarious. My hair never gets this big even when I want it to be. When my hair was short, I used to wake up looking like Andy Warhol.















Sometimes I consider cutting my hair again but I'm kind of liking the longish hair. It isn't quite the natural color but it's close enough that it doesn't cause me grief. I've been thinking the past two days, because the last two are the two when my head has been the clearest and I haven't had things due. Anyhow, I had a break through yesterday that caused me to feel...I don't want to say it...I dont' want to admit it... . . . I was BORED. Generally I have strong feelings against boredom because I've felt that "only boring people are bored" and I'm much to creative for that. It happened yesterday and it made me feel like I was ten years old.

It wasn't as though I hadn't accomplished anything yesterday, I did quite a bit. The problem was that I did it all too quickly. I exercised too fast, I read a book too fast, and even my laundry was done in record time. By the time two o'clock rolled around I was done with things I wanted to do. In an effort to combat this for the next few days, I have decided to turn off my alarm and sleep for as long as I want!
I think I made it to 8:30 today and that was even with staying up to watch Antiques Roadshow (yes, I AM 60 years old!) Anywhoo... Today I'm going to exercise and maybe walk around town, exploring Main Street. If that doesn't pan out, I might walk over to the Library and read some books and periodicals (it sounds better than magazines!) With any luck, I won't run out of things to do!

It's a little stale but since when have these two been fresh?

I love magazines. They are glossy, they smell good, they can teach me the many uses of baking soda in my beauty routine, AND I can use the pictures as research! Ah, the joys of being a costume designer! Since becoming a graduate student I don't buy magazines nearly as much as I did as an undergrad. Fortunately (sort of) People magazine has a site that is updated frequently, thus allowing me to be updated on the stupid world of "celebrity." Unfortunately that word, "celebrity," includes people who are famous for....why are these two famous again?



Sure, she was "friends" with Hills "star" Lauren Conrad, and he (and his creepy flesh colored beard) was the nemesis of said "star" Lauren Conrad. How much of that stupid show is actually real? Any of it? Does anyone care? Anyhow... Apparently the two recently pre-honeymooned in Mexico (despite the health warnings against it) and now, according to the headline on People.com, they are "Praying For Their Health." GIVE ME A BREAK!!!! That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Although they are probably fine, I almost hope that they do get a mild case of swine flu just so they can have some sense knocked into them. It probably won't happen and they probably wouldn't learn anyway.

I just contributed to their "celebrity," didn't I?