Fragment: JULIETTE BINOCHE

I have very little favorite things, as I'm one of those people who appreciates ANYTHING in EVERYTHING.

Of those few things, JULIETTE BINOCHE is undoubtly one. I just watched the movie "JET LAG", or its original name, "Decalage Horaire"--and I loved her yet again! Have I told you guys about my love for french films??? ;) Juliette is amazing and naturally charming in both French and American films.

These are other movies I've seen her in:

"Dan in Real Life"

"Flight of the Red Balloon"

"Breaking and Entering"

"Paris, Je T'aime"

"Chocolat"

And I can't wait to see her in "PARIS"...here's the trailer:

Don't quote me on this, but for me, Juliette Binoche is like the french Julia Roberts!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her...AND Julia, of course!

Fragment: ME

I met someone that reminds me of me when I'm older...Isn't that conspicuously cool?!?!?!

It's so interesting how we find ourselves in the most unexpected places, through people and situations that bring us closer to ourselves.

I love these moments...I had this moment, today :)

Fragment: IKEA

The store that Sister, the world and I love is HERE! In the Dominican Republic!!!!! I drive by and I still can't believe it!! WOW!

The place to go to for great prices, chic furniture and décor ideas, easy assembly, and did I say GREAT PRICES?! Such affordable, cool pieces for people that don't want to commit to heavy, traditional furniture but want their place to look fab, like me ;)

IKEA's opening date is set for February 17th and it can not seem further away!!!!! I don't even want to imagine how many people will be in the store that first day! The expectation is so high right now! It's gonna be the first Ikea store in Latin America, YEY! DR once more is FIRST in history; first discovered land in the Americas, first established city--SANTO DOMINGO, first cathedral, first university, first IKEA!!!!!!!!!!! Uuuujuuuuu ;)

I just really do hope that Ikea keeps its concept of affordable prices because things tend to get triple-priced $$$$$ once they cross over the Atlantic :S

Ikea couldn't have come at a better time! ;) ;) ;)

"Wedding dress shopping..."

...for LEMAY!!!

Marvic and I were so excited to be there! Standing at a showroom, surrounded by all these white gowns, a huge mirror and our best friend swirling around in beautiful dresses!

Definitely, a moment to remember forever...

And guess what, you guys?! I am the maid of honor!!! I feel super honored ;)

I'm so happy for you Lemay! :D :D :D

May God bless your union...Muuuuah!

"Music for Haiti"

It is terrifying what has happened in Haiti. It reminds me of how little control we have over our own lives. Natural disasters are bigger than us; bigger than anything we are and know.

I can't take the images out of my head...I can't stop thinking about what I should be doing. Everybody is DOING something. I feel so selfish sometimes. But I tend to freeze in the middle of tension.

I am so broke...how can I help?! I know there have been ways I just let pass :S

For now...I gave what I know...and what I surely have...MUSIC.

Fragment: FRANCE

Sometimes, when I daydream, I live in France.

I walk down tiny cobblestone streets, passing by NOTHING BUT coffee shops (don't you just love dreams?!), where picturesque characters sit with a book in one hand, a cigarette on the other, and a "croissant" with "caffe au lait" on the table.

A quirky tune plays in the background--yes! on a clarinet--like in those French films I love to watch ;)

I am wearing a flowery dress with a red scarf wrapped around my neck, red lipstick, a fascinator of some sort (of course!), carrying a basket with nothing but fresh flowers and a baguette.

WOW! What a hollywood tainted imagination :S

Anyhow, the point is that France is certainly a MUST for me...soon? Wish, wish, really wish so!

"Breakfast at Tiffany's"

I'm usually the one who doesn't know the people that everyone knows, the places that everybody goes to, the news that everyone has heard or read of, the films that everybody has seen.

Well, thanks to Guevs, my younger brother, I finally had the honor to watch a MUST-HAVE-SEEN-A-LONG-TIME-AGO classic: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S!

Audrey Hepburn is contagiously charming as Holly Golightly; an extroverted, naive, gold digger who, breakfast in hand very early in the morning, gets the thrill of the day by window shopping at the Tiffany's jewelry store on 5th Ave. in NYC.

The story is rather pointless in my opinion. But I did love it! The film tells one of those stories that seem so normal, so everyday-like, that you forget you're watching A MOVIE. The experience is more like living Holly Golightly's ordinary life for a couple of hours.

The tiny elements that conform her character and her life give the film its unique and entertaining peculiarity. Holly lives in a cute little apartment on one of those characteristic brownstone buildings in NYC. She owns a nameless cat, who she therefore calls, CAT. Miss Golightly goes out on dates with guys she doesn't even like in hopes of finding a gold mine that will take her out of her "misery". And to top it all of, every week, Holly innocently delivers "weather reports" to an incarcerated mob boss, thinking she's just getting paid $100 to talk about weather--that was terribly cute...I couldn't stop laughing! Her neighbor Fred and her become good friends, and ultimately, of course, fall in love...awww :)

My favorite scene is where Fred and Holly have this tiny dialogue after Fred announces good news about his book being published, and Holly suggests that they toast with champagne:

FRED: "I don't think I've ever drunk champagne before breakfast before. With breakfast on several occasions. But never before before."

HOLLY: "Well, I've got a wonderful idea! We could spend the whole day doing things we've never done before. We'll take turns. First, you do something you've never done before. Then, me...of course, I can't think of anything I've never done before."

And they go on to have an ultra-cool day just doing things they've never done before! What an inspiring idea for when you and your boy want an out-of-the-ordinary kind of day ;) POINT TAKEN!

Fragment: SHOES

...choices are endless....

Heels, flats, dressy, casual, comfy, fabulously painful, sporty, booties, flip-flops................

I love shoes! (despite of my complicated feet :S)

Isn't it frustrating when you're neither a 9 nor an 8 1/2 but somewhere in between that doesn't exist?!

Shoes are like little works of art.

I love finding unique designs.

A great pair of shoes can make any outfit.

Shoe shopping is ecstatically fun! It's like treasure hunting.

Would you agree? ;)

Fragment: FOOD

My eating habits are not understood nor accepted by most of the people around me. Sometimes, I am proud of my ways, but other times, it gets rather annoying to have to explain myself. I've even begun considering if it is possible that I suffer from some sort of eating disorder (?!?!?!). NAH!

About 8 years ago, I decided to make some changes in my eating. After gaining the freshman 15--thanks to overeating, constant snacking, chocolate chip cookies 'a la mode' for dessert every night--and noticing the first signs of stretch marks on my thighs (due to rapid weight change), I decided to stop the consumption of soda, fried food, fast food, junk food, candy or anything artificially flavored, etc. I also started cutting my serving sizes in half. If I felt like eating 4 slices of pizza, I'd only eat 2. If I wanted a plate FULL of pasta, I'd only serve myself half of the plate. Moreover, I changed from refined sugar to brown sugar, from white rice to brown rice and from white bread to wheat bread.

I never considered this NEW way of eating to be a diet. I've heard diets are painfully hard to follow, and this change was not hard at all. Instead of using the word DIET, I thought EATING HABIT was a more appropriate term. This eating habit was not as much about cutting out foods, but more about making better choices. For example, if I had the option of french fries AND mashed potatoes at the school cafeteria, which do you think I'd now choose?

Choosing better foods made me feel healthy and good about myself, immediately, and BONUS! I started losing weight ;) I felt my body appreciative of the food I was consuming, and 'til this day, all the eating rules I invented back then, still apply:

No fried food, no junk food, no fast food? WHAT?! I get weirded out faces all the time here in the Dominican Republic, where fried plantains are a signature culinary treat, and Wendy's and McDonald's a sign of progress (?). I'm so sorry for disappointing, but I live by this philosophy now more than ever: if fried stuff make you fat and clogs your arteries, what's the point?!

I know that I've become very faithful to my eating theories and can sometimes seem radical, but I can't just take a break like some people ask me to do. At this point, my taste buds reject those foods I've left behind.

Nevertheless, over the holidays, I tried to relax a bit and ate a couple of french fries (uuuuuuu!) and even had Wendy's for dinner one night!!! I couldn't believe it; I hadn't done so in years! My brothers, my niece and my nephew were so proud of me :D --I felt nasty afterwards, tho'-- shhhhhh ;)

Here's an interesting article on fried food...a MUST read:

http://www.brighthub.com/health/diet-nutrition/articles/31154.aspx

Happy EATING!

"RODARTE for Target"

I absolute love the GO International line at Target--aka, my favorite store ever!

Haute couture and emerging designers around the world create an affordable line for Target shoppers who can't purchase the real deal, like me :)

Some of the coolest pieces of clothing I own, I've gotten at beautiful prices from Target's GO International section.

On this ocassion, RODARTE is in charge of making us Targetters look hot!

"Ideal for the season, the timeless, yet unconventional Rodarte for Target collection offers lace and tulle skirts and blouses that are both classic and modern. Girls will be compelled by Rodarte's leopard and skeletal prints featured on jackets and shifts, while their floral motifs remain versatile and true to the brand. A delicate illusion tulle dress and lace cardigans get the Rodarte treatment, making them wardrobe essentials."

Definitely, an avant-garde collection I am dying to own a piece from!

I'm thinking about one of these two...or, perhaps...the two (?):

Crepe Slip Lace Dress ($39.99)

Floral Print Ruffle 2pc Bikini ($16.99/piece)

Fragment: HAIR

New year, new hair...how cliche!

Actually, it was not the new year that inspired me to cut it off, it was more like a need for control; a way to rebel against certain feelings of helplessness and loss.

I went for an asymmetrical bob, sort of like Rihanna's and Paris Hilton's. I know it is sort of risky with my curly hair...but I think it is so much fun! One side short, the other side longer...I'm so in love!

I just adore asymmetry ;)

TA TA TAAAAAAAN!

Here's me in the process (look how long my hair finally was!):

And this is the result ;)

So...I am close to what I wanted, but must admit I'm not exactly there...still trying, though :) but oh!!! $$$$$$$!