Smells Like Perfume

Stephen Hawking was able to experience a zero-gravity flight today. Amazing! [Source]

I made vegan banana bread yesterday....and it turned out horribly. Edible, but nothing I would offer you. Such a disappointment because the website had rave reviews. Maybe I'll make another attempt. The pizza I made did turn out well though. :)

Last night I unleashed my wild side and went to a bar with my partner. I ordered a Coke. We're actually doing a new pitch for Jim Beam (how come I always end up with the alcohol?). He's on medication though. He can't drink and I don't drink. What a great combination. Actually, it was fun chatting with him even if we were on assignment. I didn't procure any new bottles.

Finally got to catch up with a few of my shows from this week. I know you guys don't watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy (and the Office), but there really are some great writers on those shows.

(particularly endearing screen cap from DH)

Did my first shoot for my perfume and cologne. This is my first time using this particular lighting so there's a lot to learn. Here's what it looks like so far (before my teacher rips it to shreds next week):

Before

After

Pretty great clip featuring the Potter Puppet Pals.

And for you dog lovers.

Currently listening to: Clean Getaway - Maria Taylor

Bare

People Magazine is featuring a few celebrities without their makeup in its upcoming 50 Most Beautiful People issue. Refreshing to see these ladies as just themselves. Check pictures out here.BMW has created an interactive driving site. I've never been very good with racing games, but check it out. Some beautiful art direction (almost watercolor quality).

Speaking of art direction, check out Davivienda Bank's new ad campaign. (Click image to enlarge.) Beautiful.

I bought milk today and it was on sale. Excitement! I also bought some Dark Chocolate M&M's. Man, I haven't bought candy for so long. This was actually for strategy class (believe it or not) so I had to get it. Verdict on the candy: not bad but I prefer the original.

Wanted to post two clips today. The first is an old (but classic) MJ ad that I didn't discover until recently.

This second one is done by Jarratt Moody, who does some amazing Flash work. This particular clip has very very cool typography. It's "animated" to a Pulp Fiction clip though, so I have to warn you that some of the language is not clean.
Sighs. I think I have fallen in love with Zoe. I don't know what I'll do when she leaves next month.

Currently listening to: Always - Mariah Carey

Been Workin' Like a Dog

The new HP trailer is out. Excited!


I also found out (a month late) that Lifehouse will be coming out with a new LP in June, entitled Who We Are (very Jars, I must admit). I was surprised because it feels so quick since they came out with their self-titled album, but then I realized it's been almost two years now.

Fiat's Panda campaign. Very strange ads.




Honda ad done by W+K. I don't really like the narrator at the end but it's a cool concept.


It's been a long day. Presented my pitch for Microsoft today so it's nice to be done.

Currently listening to: Blind - Lifehouse

Short

An interesting take on a commercial by filmmaker Fredrik Bond.

Currently listening to: Belief - Gavin DeGraw

Hug a Tree

Happy Earth Day everyone!
I love Google's various logos. Check out more here.

For tips on how to do your part, check out Newsweek's tip sheet.
Among those are airing your laundry instead of using a dryer, eating more vegetables (because the grain, etc needed to feed livestock, not to mention processing and wrapping (all that styrofoam), adds up), and drinking tap water. The last one surprised me, even though I hate buying bottled water as it is. The water has to be bottled and shipped and the containers end up getting thrown away after one use.

For those of you who use the computer a lot (like me), it is good to remember to take a break and rest your eyes and wrists. I just found out about Workrave, which freezes your screen after periods of time, while an animated character (I think it's a sheep) gives instructions on resting.

Blast from the past. Check out this ancient Mac. I remember using this in elementary school.I finally got to play some soccer/football today. My team got creamed unfortunately. I did get a good header in though! The opposing team's goalie kicked it and my head was at the right place at the right time.

Now take a moment and do some wrist exercises with me. Stop reading and go do spirit fingers.

Currently listening to: Try - Nelly Furtado

Mac vs. PC

Today was a lazy day of reading. I'm actually looking for a new roommate, so I was wondering if any of you want to come and stay with me. :)

Some random thoughts...
I did not know (or maybe I did and forgot) that supermodel Tyson Beckford (aka highest paid male model in the world) is 1/4 Chinese. How cool.Also, the premiere of Spiderman3 is upon us. Woot! Entertainment Weekly is doing a cover story of the movie. Check out their site for more pics.
Since, as I mentioned last post, I am trying to make up a pitch for Microsoft but am still undeniably an Apple fan, I thought I would post a few things that are on topic.

iPhone commercial, if you haven't seen it yet. Can't imagine having to wrangle all those copyrights but brilliant ad.


Techie "I'm a Mac" ad. PC looks so cute in this one.


This last one is rather long (almost 15 min), but it's well worth watching if you have the time. Steve Jobs at Stanford University's 2005 Commencement


As with all things on YouTube recently, everyone is very opinionated about one or the other. Actually, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on why you guys love PCs and why you're not about to switch. It will definitely help with my research. Hit "Comments" now. Heh heh. :D

Currently listening to: My downstairs neighbor's clubbing music (speakers and subwoofer set to full blast)

That Time of the Month

After posting this, I'm going to turn off the computer and curl up with a book. Albeit it's reading for school, but still. I'm excited! I have become permanently glued to my comp screen. I also got my For Women Only and For Men Only books today, so I might crack those open.

Check out this great site for Male Cyclical Non-Uterine Dysmenorrhea, aka Men With Cramps. It's so great! Make sure to watch the History Documentary.
It is actually a viral site for ThermaCare Heat Wraps. Great advertising.

One of my assignments this week is to make a pitch for Microsoft. That's especially hard since we're already so sold on Macs. Check out this fake ad. So great.


Today I made meatballs and also Strawberry Yogurt Pound Cake. It could either be really gross or really good. Hopefully it will be the latter and not go down the route of the pancakes.
Yay for baking. It's like a little science experiment in your oven.

*Edit* The pound cake turned out really good!

Currently listening to: El Tango de Roxanne (Moulin Rouge) - Ewan McGregor

All Over the Place

I am currently reading Perfect Pitch by Jon Steel on good presentation skills. Pretty interesting so far, I must say. I finally dragged my butt over to the library.

Check out this cool interactive ad done by TBWA for the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. You can pull it out and play with it.
The Canadian Film Festival was about a month ago but I thought I would post some ads for it.

And been meaning to post this ad for Truly Nolen (pest control company) for some time. I think it's cute.

Last but not least, check out my cologne.
Serious big difference. The third one is the real thing. So I guess it is a cross between the first two images. The packaging is quite cool. I still like the deep green from the first one. We'll see how my photos turn out. This might be quite the task.

Apologies for the horrible photograph, but here's an image so that you can see the scale of the cologne. As I mentioned, it is unexpectedly humongous. The perfume is about the same height.

Being a Christian in the advertising/fashion industry is tough (as I am sure it is for many other professions too), so it's always encouraging to see people standing their ground on morals and professing their love for Jesus. Britt Koth (who was one of the models for MTV's 8th and Ocean show) shares her thoughts on being a Christian and a model. Pretty cool. I don't know if you guys have heard of it, but there is an Bible fellowship group called Models for Christ. It's for Christian photographers, stylists, and of course models. Such a great idea. If I ever get more published I'll think about going.

Currently listening to: And So It Goes - Exit 69

Taste and Smell

If I ever offer to make pancakes for you, just say no! Don't even go there. Not a good idea.
So this morning I decided to make pancakes from scratch. I have a big gallon of milk that I need to finish before it goes bad and A~ suggested that I make pancakes. Brilliant idea. And you would think that nobody could mess up pancakes. But then you would be wrong. I love love love pancakes, and even I can't stand to finish them. Perhaps that's the problem. I know what good pancakes taste like and the ones I made are so not. Maybe I added too much milk? Sighs. I will stick to Bisquick next time to see if I have more luck.

Today I went to Sephora and bought cologne and perfume for my boyfriend and mom, respectively. Or so I told the salesperson. After much frustration with Macy's, I decided to check out other places. I have never been a fan of Sephora (always felt its sorta snooty) but I had so much fun talking to the lady who was helping me. And perfume shopping is way fun when you're only looking for bottles and not bombarding your nose with smells. I had to laugh when I finally got my stuff because the cologne bottle is HUMONGOUS. Will post pics up soon.

That said, I discovered that if I ever were to wear perfume (very unlikely case), I tend to like the warmer, vanilla smells. Like Burberry's Brit or Kenzo's new Amour (thanks for introducing me to it, yuyu sis!).

Currently listening to: Hot - Avril Lavigne

No Words

Please remember to pray for the families and students at Virginia Tech today.

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I've gotten into a serious Ronan Keating kick... I don't usually even like him.

Spiderman 3 kicked off in Japan today. We'll have to wait at least two more weeks before it comes out here. [Picture source]

If you ever run into a situation where you don't have any makeup remover, try vaseline. Apparently it works like a charm.

I just found out about George Nozuka, a Canadian Japanese-Caucasian (so says Wikipedia) singer. A little too boy band pop for me (check out his song Talk to Me), but he's talented...and half Asian so he gets points in my book. He's 20 and that makes me feel old.

Currently listening to: When You Say Nothing At All - Ronan Keating

Prunes - Code Name: Jumbo Raisins

Was all pumped for soccer today. Cept they hoisted a tornado warning so all the parks closed. Thwarted...

Super pumped for all the Harry Potter-ness this summer (with the movie and the book both coming out in July). [Source]
Check out these VW ads. I'm not sure if they are really PC (click on image to read text) but it's beautiful art direction.

I found out about this a little late, but did you know that the people who are responsible for the got milk? campaign did some guerrilla marketing in SanFran by putting cookie-scented strips at bus stops. I think the point was to get people to crave milk after smelling chocolate chip goodness. However, the strips were removed due to fear of allergies and what not.
For pictures and the full article click here.

Check out Nike's ad featuring Maria Sharapova.

Wikipedia informed me that Evangeline Lilly of LOST is known on set for her Christian faith. How cool is that? However, she's also known for her potty mouth, so....

Currently listening to: Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell

What You See and What You Don't

It turns out that my cologne looks more like this than the image from last post. I guess that's to be expected cuz the other one is a professional photo. What a difference good photography makes, huh?
I just found out that H&M is opening a branch in Hong Kong. Woot!

Also, Kelly Clarkson has a new CD coming out soon. To preview one of her new songs (I think it's only so-so), check out her myspace.

Today was homework day and I took a small "break" in between to check out commercials (yes, yes, very nerdy of me). Some of these are a little bit old but I decided to post anyways.

VW's Singing In the Rain

This was done by DDB London. Post production was the toughest part because they actually spliced Gene Kelly's head (from the original footage) onto the dancers' bodies so that it looks like the original. Pretty seamless editing, wouldn't you agree? I recommend comparing it with the real thing (here).

Thai created Japanese ad for Unif Green Tea done by BBDO Bangkok.

(Going along with the same, region, click here for Japan's Sony Bubble ad)

Hopping over to Europe (Germany to be exact), Mercedes' Sounds of Summer ad done by Springer and Jacoby Germany.


And even though this is an old ad (I remember seeing it two years ago at least), this Honda Accord Cog spot never gets stale.

(Yes, that was all filmed in one continuous shot.)

Since today's post is about editing and techy skills, check out this film by Wong Fu Productions to the song I'm Yours by Jason Mraz. Pretty cute.

Currently listening to: Waiting For My Real Life to Begin - Colin Hay

Green

Today at school I happened to come across this cutie.
I have never seen anything like him before. Turns out he's a Cuban Anole.

I think I have found the perfume/cologne I want to do. Check out Issey Miyake's L'eau d'Issey Summer Limited Edition.It feels that everyone is jumping in on the green streak. I don't know if you have seen this already (it's been out for awhile), but here is the recent Diesel "Global Warming Ready" ad campaign.
They are interesting but they take a sorta crass look at global warming.

Oh, and I made pizza today. And it goes with the theme of today's post because it had spinach.

Currently listening to: Fall Down - Trevor Morgan

Design, Baby

(Blogger died on me, so this post is for Thursday)

This quarter one of my assignments will be to photograph cologne and perfume ads. I am currently looking at various packaging, which could be potentially very dangerous. An obsession over perfume bottles would lead to a pricey addiction.

Check out these cool pieces by various designers:

(A Black Day for Bessie necklace by Madame Fancy Pants)

(Vases and Bowl by Erika Lovqvist)

(Shady Lace umbrella (made of waterproof lace) by Chris Kabel)

(Funky perfume bottles by Masaki Matsushima)

I've noticed that this season is all about more square/straight embellished necklines.
Last but not least, I finally got to see my instructor's old portfolio today. Check out this blurb on him. I think the photo with the guy and the sand is utterly breathtaking. So so cool.

Currently listening to: I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Corn and Corn Alone Day

Made cornbread today. Yum.

Brought my baby in today to the store again to get it fixed. I ended up running into a guy who I had chatted with last week when I was there trying to get my comp fixed then (I've been there at least eight times in a week). It was a pleasant surprise and sorta ironic that we were both back with comp problems.

Check out this amazing interactive website that serves to bring awareness against child abuse. Beautiful production and effective use of advertising.

Interesting take on color, with a different approach compared to the famous ball Sony Bravia ad (done by Fallon). [I recommend checking out the Sony ad if you don't know what I'm talking about.]

Currently listening to: Give It All Away - Aaron Shust

Brand Me

A list of the best and worst driving cities in the nation gave both Msp and St. Paul A's and Orlando a F. Why am I not surprised? [Source]

A man dreams up a phone number and ends up marrying the girl he calls. What a bizarre story.

For those of you who love dinosaurs (myself included), you will be happy to hear that Jurassic Park IV will be out in 2008. [Source]

The artist that I photographed for my CD, Cat Shell, has posted three of my pictures up on her myspace. It seems they appear and then disappear, but check it out yourself here. It's the closest I've ever come to being published, so that is exciting.

Learning about the power of branding and how it's really built on psychology or a mindset. In a blind taste test, Pepsi scored a 51% preference vs. Coke's 44%. But in a brand test, Coke scored a staggering 65% compared to Pepsi's 23%. That's the power of the brand for you.

Currently listening to: I Don't Love You - My Chemical Romance

We've Come A Long Way

A couple hires a taxi driver to drive them from NYC to Arizona for $3000 (plus gas, food, lodging). I really should consider doing that.

Speaking of long distances, apparently with the 80Gb IPod, you can drive between Seattle and Miami 25 times without hearing the same song over. Crazy.

A 52 year old Slovenian swam the length of the Amazon River. The journey took him 65 days and he was able to withstand exhaustion, piranhas, alligators, and dizziness.

John Krasinski (aka Jim on The Office) on the set of Leatherheads (also staring George Clooney). [Source]

Check out these images by photo team Markus Klinko & Indrani. They do a lot of celebrity photography but are also responsible for such ads as the ones for Skyy Vodka. They do a little too much photoshopping for my liking but still have some cool concepts.[Source]

(Pharell Williams, Anne Hathaway, model, Carmen Electra)

Did you know that Crocs are made so that they are antibacterial, won't absorb sweat (therefore easier to clean), recyclable, and use crosslight technology. They are supposed to be extremely comfortable. Whatever, I still think they're ugly.

Very surreal to go into school starting a 2nd term. It was nice to get hugs and greetings from everyone. I feel so bad for the 1st Qtr students, but I guess everyone needs to go through that initial period of awkwardness. Ready and excited for another term of work that's going to kick my butt. That's not a sarcastic statement. I really love the stuff I'm working on.

Speaking of which, haven't posted an ad for awhile, so here's one for Everyday White Chewing Gum. It's old but it's pretty clever.

Currently listening to: Tunnel - Third Day

Easter

The Lord is risen! Happy Easter everyone!

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving" Ps. 95:1-2a

Woke up uber early to go to the sunrise service. I think the most beautiful part of the sunrise is that moment where you only see a tiny sliver of light and the feeling of whether or not it's the sun...

...and then the light breaks. It's the moment of anticipation that is stunning.
Lord, you are so beautiful.
Sitting by the ocean or on one of the lifeguard towers (yes, very O.C.) and reading the Bible is so peaceful. If you ever come and visit, I'll take you.

I'm looking into purchasing For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn, so I've been perusing amazon.com. I like that they will give you little book suggestions. But today, they were advising me to get Princeton Review's Cracking the SATs. Just a little bit off on how old I am. Oh my gosh, I am old...

The girls said goodbye today and I got big hugs. I realized that the difficulty about being around children (personally) is not "playing" with them but rather discipling. It must be hard being a friend and a parent figure at the same time. I can't imagine how it might be for God to discipline us (even though we deserve it).

Easter candy...not much of a fan, but had to post this great T-shirt.

I first saw someone wearing a "Respect My Peeps" shirt, which I thought was pretty great.
Go to the Peeps website for more sugary goodness. Or go here to check out this site to see how much that goodness is costing you.

Some fun trivia:
Chocolate bunnies - 76% Americans bite the ears off first.
5 million marshmellow bunnies/chicks are made per day to get ready for Easter.
Red is kids' favorite jellybean color.
Pretzels used to mean Easter because their shape looks like crossed arms in prayer.
Easter = pastels (not really, but that's the general color association)
Check here for more.

Three months ago I was the nervous 1st quarter kid waiting to start orientation the next day. Now that I'm an old 2nd qtr, I can bully the newbies into giving me their lunch money.

Sending some love out to someone special who has a big exam. Show it who's boss!

Currently listening to: Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley

Man's Best Friend

Scientists have discovered the genes that determine the size of dogs. Canines have the greatest variation in size in terms of land dwelling animals. Read the article here.

I just have to post this way cute pic of Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller at the premiere of Year of the Dog. They look so great together.

I completely forgot that I promised pictures a few days back, so here they are.

(A~ at diner (formerly a famous gay bar) and the chicken soup with (humongous) matzo ball that he ordered)

(Cuban sandwiches and plantain soup)

(Silly tourists on their way home from the beach)

(Classic)

(The aforementioned pizza slices that were the size of my head. Each of those is one slice. FYI, we ordered too much.)

(Fruit stall at Little Havana)

(Not a true vacation without a beach shot)

(The girls gang up on C~.)

(Zoe in one of her more unusual sleeping positions.)

Yes, yes, I know there are a lot of food pics. That really is the whole point though.

Currently listening to: All the Same - Sick Puppies (Australian indie rock; their name is so deceiving)