jersey shore: March 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Hot Spring Fashion: Tights as Pants!

FINALLY! We are so excited to finally see tights make it into the main stream as an actual garment, and not simply an undergarment. Gone are the days where we will leave something to the imagination! These days, if you've got it, flaunt it! And be sure to show every single cellulite covered inch of it! Just pair your t-shirt with an adorable, sheer, colored pair of tights and you'll be sure to turn more than a few heads! Check out some of our favorite looks for this smokin' hot trend:

APRIL FOOLS!!

Tights. Are. Not. Pants.

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Bobby Moynihan is in the new SNL documentary (airing April 15)

New Star-Studded "Saturday Night Live" Documentary Debuts April 15 on NBC.

NBC Presents a Brand New Behind-The-Scenes "SNL" Special: "Saturday Night Live In The 2000s: Time And Again" On Thursday, April 15 (9:00 - 11:00 PM ET/PT)

All-Star Line-Up Including Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan and Justin Timberlake Telling Tales From SNL's Recent Past

NEW YORK - March 24, 2010 - Continuing to tell the story of "Saturday Night Live," NBC presents a new installment of the compelling behind-the-scenes documentary series chronicling the highs and lows of the iconic comedy show. "Saturday Night Live in the 2000s: Time And Again" airs on Thursday, April 15 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Following up on his Emmy-nominated and critically acclaimed documentaries "Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live," "Saturday Night Live in the '80s: Lost and Found," and "Saturday Night Live in the '90s: Pop Culture Nation" writer, director, producer Kenneth Bowser (Emmy nominee for "John Ford/John Wayne; The Filmmaker & The Legend," "Easy Riders & Raging Bulls") has created a film that looks at the stratospheric reach of the show in the 2000s.

The decade saw "SNL" going from being named "a national institution" by the prestigious Peabody Awards to achieving record-shattering ratings, grabbing countless headlines and primetime exposure during the political elections.

Among the new and candid interviews are creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, and many of the stars of the show including: Fred Armisen, Rachel Dratch, Abby Elliott, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Will Forte, Bill Hader, Darrell Hammond, Chris Kattan, Seth Meyers, Tracy Morgan, Bobby Moynihan, Chris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Horatio Sanz, Molly Shannon, Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson, and Kristen Wiig. In addition, some of the most memorable hosts in SNL history - Alec Baldwin, Christopher Walken, Senator John McCain, and Justin Timberlake also offer insights.

"This special features the funniest clips and most dramatic moments of the decade on SNL, along with new interviews with the biggest stars of comedy," said Rick Ludwin, Executive Vice President of Late Night and Prime Time Series, "Don't miss it!"

Transcending the traditional retrospective clip show, this film is jam-packed with unforgettable moments from the decade. Between political debates, elections, and the tragedy of September 11th, SNL gave its viewers laughs during their darkest times. Along with the popularity of digital shorts like "Lazy Sunday" and "D**k In A Box," the women of SNL, "Weekend Update" history, and special appearances from political candidates, the film will explore these events with a behind-the-scenes look at how the decade affected the show and its cast. These are the stories fans haven't heard - all presented in the same funny, fast-paced, nostalgic format that earned "The First 5 Years" an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special. The stories from the 2000s are framed and propelled by the best musical acts of the decade, including: Alicia Keys, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Ludacris, My Morning Jacket, Paul Simon, The Killers, and Wilco.

From:
http://www.nbc.com/news/2010/03/24/new-star-studded-saturday-night-live-documentary-debuts-april-15/

Thanks for the scoop, Anony!

Enjoy!

Thillalangadi stills - Jayam ravi and Tammana in Thillalangadi

Tamanna, Tamanna gallery, Tammana gallery, Tammanna stills, Tamannah,

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Color Day: Lilac, Rose, & Gray

"Here comes Peter Cotton-Tail, hopping down the bunny trail..."

Our color theme this week is based upon the spring pastels that typically show up this time of year right around the Easter holiday. Rosie pinks and the lovely lilac shade of purple are two ultra feminine colors that go nicely together for a soft and girly look. Pair them up with a cool gray to give it a little drama and you'll be all set for your Spring soiree!

PetereneDesign, Jenmenkaus, TogetherForever, HusbandDesigns, Orchardandbrown, Dashingetc, Bedding, Martha Stewart, Dress, Roses, Gray Favor Boxes, OPI, Shoes, China, Lavender Place Cards

XOXO,

Jen and Saira

What difference does your theology make?

Well I need to amend my last post about leaving for a more capacious condo. Some mis-communication between a husband who had already promised the place to fire-displaced family, and a wife who was promising to lease the place to a smoke-displaced family (us) ended up leaving us on the short end. I guess in the smoke, fire, ash (like rock-scissors-paper) world, fire beats smoke every time.

Unfortunately I just found out last night while driving home from Chic-Fil-A. I was going to sign the lease less than 12 hours later. That was one of the harder phone calls I've taken in some time.

I now get to see if my theology really makes a difference in my life. The landlord has already had our place all but leased, and the condo's in the area are just more money for much of the same. Decisions have to be made soon and there is no handwriting on the wall.

I profess a God who is Sovereign and in control of all aspects of life and yet one who is also Immanent: he even knows and cares about the decreasing number of hairs on my head. So in other words, do I actually believe what I say I believe. Do we? Or do we, like Miracle Max in the Princess Bride, "partly" or "mostly" believe? I doubt any of us believe as much as we think we believe.

I slept well last night. I'm hoping to make it two in a row. But there are also hours in the day where I have to believe. If you are like me and have trouble "fully" believing, you/we are in "luck." I have to go back to this passage a lot: Mark 9:24-"I believe; help my unbelief!"
I'm glad Mark recorded that one.

Jesus accepts "part" and messy belief and does something with it. Fortunately.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Dear John: Check out my cute stationery!

One of our lovely readers, Ms. Hillary Blum, is mad for stationery! With the advent of email, letter writing has become a thing of the past. But when you have a cute stationery set, you can't help but want to send love letters or find a pen pal. Here are some pretty stationery sets for you to enjoy:

If you're a cat lover, then this stationary set by Ginko is definitely for you. With a lovely cherry blossom pattern etched in gold and a cute kitty cat sitting playfully on the envelope, you are sure to ditch email and go for the snail mail.

This cute, handmade notepad by Etsy seller sweetlifepaper is perfect for jotting down notes or writing letters. Plus you can have it personalized with your name on it to give it an extra special feel.

This stationery set from Target is clean and simple, and is made from recycled paper! The writing surface is completely blank, with a bright lime green lining. The envelopes provide a nice pop of color, and will help your correspondence stand out from all the rest.

This set from Etsy seller robayre is also made of recycled paper. The actual stationery is very simple, lined paper, but the highlight of this set are the unique, hand selected envelopes. Each buyer will receive a variety of envelopes made from vintage illustrations and clipart as well as modern art posters.

Notecards also fall under the category of stationary and we love these handmade notecards by Michelle Brusegaard! The colors are beautiful and the peacock design is so unique and fun you'll be making up excuses to send these out to your friends! Check out her etsy shop for these or or some of her other great designs, like the "Mum Motif".

Or check out this assorted pack of screen printed cards by Eliza Jane Curtis! We love all the eclectic colors and patterns that have been inspired by the designer's love for the city of Buenos Aires and all its' art deco splendor. These cards are truly one of a kind!

We think paper lanterns are so romantic and ethereal, so we really like this letter writing set by Lantern Studios. You get two whimsical designs to choose from with coordinating envelopes too, and you know we love the super girly colors!

This stationary set by DesignofArtisan is semi-formal, elegant, and romantic. The geometric shapes and patterns give this stationary a sort of 1930's feel that we think perfectly complements the subtle colors and whimsical chandelier graphic.

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Bobby Moynihan's Celebrity Auobiography pics

Enjoy!

The smoke monster won

Well Amy and I are moving again. Not to West VA this time-since we are already here-but to another more capacious and smoke-free condo. We battled the smoke monster, not the one from Lost (this one was invisible and comprised 2nd hand cigarette smoke), for too long. It just became apparent last week that our "firearms" (this time like the smoke monster from Lost) were useless against the beast.

So after a month in Sleepy Hollow, we shall move to another, older community. We definitely got our money's worth in the "sleepy" department because we could hear our neighbor's 4 am alarm clock and concomitant snooze button pressing. So that was at least as advertised, in some strange sense.

Providentially (why do I feel the need to say this, when I believe ALL things are ordained by God?) another condo opened up the day after Amy and Connar came for their first visit in January, and we just figured it was out of our price range. Little did we know we would be renting out our house in Bradenton for the same price just a month later. The condo was still open this past Saturday when I got clearance to end our lease.

So that leads me to the question I've had in my head the last few days. Why didn't we just move there in the first place? Why did we feel strongly that Sleepy Hollow was the way to go in order to be good stewards of our money?

Could it be that a particular family we met will eventually come to Redeemer (we've been praying hard for one)? Or that Amy can build on the relationships with young mothers she made in the month of March? Could it be that God just wanted us to lose our deposit and have less money in our account, and so depend upon him more?

The answer, my friend, may be blowing in the wind, but it's also part of God inviting us into His story of redemption. Often we just don't get these specific answers, and it is more often than not futile and frustrating to even seek and expect something so clear.

Ultimately though the story of many small happenings in our lives is being incorporated into the over-arching story of Jesus bringing His glory and Kingdom to Earth. Our mundane stories collide and are caught up into the meta-narrative of God.

I don't know why this temporary move had to happen-and I'm not saying this in a complaining/self-pitying sort of way-but somehow it happened for the over all purpose of God's glory and our good. Even mistakes we make, if we did indeed make one this time-and I don't think we did-are still good for something: His glory and our display of that glory. Fortunately or else I'd walk around angry all day long.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Gossip Girl Style, Part 3 of 4: Jenny Humphrey

We've watched Little J grow from being an awkward teenager to an angsty fashionista. She's not afraid of eyeliner, and there is never such thing as too much black. Here are a few ideas to help you channel your Jenny Humphrey alter ego:

No more Humphrey plaid shirts for Jenny, she is all about style. This drop waist dress from Top Shop is edgy enough to satisfy your inner bad girl, but still feminine enough to get the boys' heads turning. Add leggings, a chunky chain necklace, headband, a ton of black eyeliner, and voila! Jenny Humphrey is cloned.

Speaking of black eyeliner, if you want to perfect Jenny's smokey eye look, check out the Too Faced smokey eye palette, available at Sephora. With step-by-step instructions and 6 different shades to use, you will be rocker chic in no time.

For a dressier occasion like a holiday or party you could check out this dress available at Forever21. This dress speaks loads to Jenny's more mature and high fashion style - while the tiers give it a soft look, the grommets give it that edgy look that is all Little J.

Of course, now that Jenny is Queen, she has to have her own headband! This unique piece by Etsy seller blingjewelry is dark and dramatic, just like Little J. We love the large satin flower and the delicate beading, plus it will definitely stand out in her bleached blonde hair!

Jenny Humphrey knows that a simple white tee goes a long way. This loose, cuffed tee by Brooklyn Industries is a shout out to Jenny's past, and is both comfortable and edgy. Add tights and heeled booties, and like Jenny, you have an effortlessly sexy and hip look.

We know, we know -- tights are not pants! But leggings are all the rage, and American Apparel offers pretty much every color and style you can think of. These lace leggings are sure to get you on the top of the Met steps.

Every riot girl needs a leather jacket (or faux leather jacket in this case). This reasonably priced bomber jacket from Urban Outfitters is definitely a Jenny Humphrey staple, to be draped over school uniforms, vintage tees, and even haute couture.

While Jessica Simpson and Jenny Humphrey may seem like an odd pair, two blondes can make a right! We like this eclectic piece created by the pop-star-turned-designer. The bright jewels laid out on the black velvet creates a nice contrast with the heavy metal chains. And if you're looking for some more color, it's available in kelly green and royal blue as well!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Andy Samberg actually throws it on the ground

Here's a cut between Bobby's scene with Andy in "On the Ground" and shots between Andy's recent live appearance at the University of Florida.

Hahahaha. Nice one, Andy! And Bobby, your facial expressions are still awesome!

Enjoy!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Gospel laughing

More than a few years ago, an NFL kicker by the name of Bill Grammatica actually tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament-in the knee) while celebrating one of his field goals. During his brief career in Arizona from 2001-2003, Grammatica became well known more for his celebrations than his actual kicks. The same thing went for his brother Martin "Automatica Grammatica," who played with Tampa Bay for a number of years until he mysteriously started missing his field goals.

The neat thing is that Bill still laughs about it. Christians have much to learn from Bill. We of all people, actually have the freedom to laugh at ourselves and how much we mess up. The ability to laugh at oneself is the natural application of the freedom from condemnation (Rom 8:1) and shame. Other people can laugh at us or with us too, because not only is "Jesus just alright with me (as the Doobie Brothers sang)," but "I'm just alright with Jesus" (as we can sing). And if that is the case, who cares how you look before others?

Some of us hate to look back on embarrassment, failure, and stupidity in our past. We don't want anyone to know about it, and we certainly won't tell others. Many times-though I don't mean to say every instance-our unwillingness to laugh at ourselves, or even talk about mistakes in our past, comes from a simple disbelief in the gospel.

The gospel gives us the freedom to laugh at the past and the freedom to celebrate the future.
Even if in that celebration we lose our balance and tear our ACL. Just try to stick the landing-another thing we learned from Bill.