before the golden globes later, see how your favorites fared in the earlier awards shows…

people’s choice awards are voted by the people and critics’ choice awards are voted by critics. duh. i just had to explain why twilight wins somewhere. it’s hard to swallow, but the people has spoken.

i will not waste your time.

here are the major winners of the 2010 critics choice awards:

best picture: the hurt locker

best director: kathryn bigelow (the hurt locker)

best original screenplay: quentin tarantino (inglourious basterds)

best actor: jeff bridges (crazy heart)

best actress: meryl streep (julie & julia) and sandra bullock (the blind side)

best supporting actor: christoph waltz (inglourious basterds)

best supporting actress: mo’nique (precious)

best acting ensemble: inglourious basterds

best adapted screenplay: jason reitman and sheldon turner (up in the air)

major winners of the people’s choice awards:

favorite talk show: the ellen degeneres show

favorite on screen team: the twilight saga

favorite tv comedy: the big bang theory

favorite r&b artist: mariah carey

favorite tv comedy actor: steve carrell

favorite tv comedy actress: alyson hannigan

favorite country artist: carrie underwood

favorite tv drama actor: hugh laurie

favorite tv drama: house

favorite movie actress: sandra bullock

favorite movie actor: johnny depp

favorite male artist: eminem / keith urban

favorite female artist: taylor swift

favorite comedic star: jim carrey

favorite rock band: paramore

favorite comedy movie: the proposal

favorite movie: twilight

favorite tv drama actress: katherine heigl

favorite independent movie: inglourious basterds

favorite pop artist: lady gaga

and for those of you whose time i have wasted with the winners because they would rather see the red carpet dresses, below are the ones i find interesting in one way or another. unlike the golden globes and the oscars, the earlier awards shows are less formal. thus, since the ladies can wear short dresses, we get to see more shoes.

images from zimbio.

critics’ choice awards red carpet

people’s choice awards red carpet

with the golden globes just around the corner (and the obsession that is idol even closer! but that’s not the story), we are again preparing to scan the throng of stars for things to talk about, good or bad. as the first major red carpet event every year, there is some pressure on celebs to create a striking “first” impression.

before 2010 celebrity couture officially starts next week, i would like to round-up and rank my favorite red carpet dresses of 2009.

10. jamie-lynn sigler in dkny

it’s probably the gold dress with the silver accessories and the bronze tan. it’s like the olympic medals melded into a woman to become jamie-lynn sigler.

from in style.

9. tilda swinton in haider ackermann

there is only one tilda swinton the world so there is only one person in the world who can pull this off.

from my it things.

8. penelope cruz in balmain and sarah jessica parker in dior haute couture

penelope cruz maintains the status after 2007′s best dress. of course, sjp keeps up with her on-screen fashion role.

from splendicity.

7. katy perry in basil soda

hey, don’t knock the giant pink gladiola sprouting from her waist. all things considered, this is one of the tamest katy has been and this dress is gorgeous overall, gladiola or not.

from my it things.

6. blake lively in versace

well, someone had to uphold the reputation of gossip girl. because i don’t think leighton meester did.

5. evan rachel wood in elie saab couture and marisa tomei in atelier versace

the two dresses made by origami experts.

from blogdorfgoodman and mahalo.

4. emmy rossum in carolina herrera

the dress equivalent of a mullet: business at the front, party at the back.

from zimbio.

3. drew barrymore in monique lhuillier

you think i’m just biased towards a filipina designer?… nah.

from style spot.

2. kim kardashian in ina soltani

armenian beauty + bosnian design = stunning.

from in style.

1. angelina jolie in versace

of course i’d show off those legs and back if i had them. of course i’d show off brad if i had him.

oooooohhh… look who’s a judge…

at the special awards banquet

presenting the final 5!

did you really think the doll directors could get away without an interview portion?

Question: If we agree that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” then why is the U.S. divided in regards to same-sex unions/marriage?

miss korea

Answer:
The current opposition to same-sex marriage is rooted in ignorance and fear. Prejudice is based on ignorance; believing someone is somehow less than anyone else shows an inability to perceive another’s struggles and joys. If we were each able to walk a day on another’s shoes, prejudice would cease to exist, and compassion would prevail. Fear is involved because many people are terrified of what they don’t understand. The fearful allow their morals to be decided by religion or peer pressure, so they can be assured they fit in somewhere. When one can release that fear, acceptance will take its place. The abilities to understand and accept each other–and the desire to do just that–is the epitome of humanity.

miss new zealand

Answer:
This country is no way different from the fact that man made laws are different of that of his Creator. As man made laws were selfishly created to benefit oneself, while the other was unselfishly created in consideration for all.

miss nigeria

Answer:
I believe that the divide stems from our individual conservative upbringings and our fear of the unknown. I think we give too much power to others that we allow them to think and decide what is deemed acceptable and that any deviation from the set ‘standard’ is an abomination. In essence we have lost the ability to think and feel for ourselves and that to me is the tragedy. It is only when we start opening our eyes and our hearts to the things foreign to us that we gain back the power to decide for ourselves what is right from wrong. Let us not live life with bigotry and ignorance rather we should choose to live life with love, compassion and understanding.

miss egypt

Answer:
I think that the divide is from an obsolete document written in a much simpler time handled and transcribed by individuals with a very narrow point of view of our growing society. These are the very same people that wants to preserve the ‘old traditional’ values of marriage while disregarding other unions outside of a man and a woman and that is where the problem lies. We are all unique and beautiful individuals that deserve our individual rights to be protected by the laws that govern us. It should not be about religion and government rather it should be about love, respect and equality.

miss venezuela

Answer:
I do feel that inequality by any means is a crime to humanity. Unfortunately it is caused by imposing certain beliefs to others. Lucky are those who are able to fight it, sad for those who can’t. For those who are free to choose, to believe and express it we should remember that for humanity to move forward we should be able to adapt to changes. We can’t deny other’s to be happy and free.

and the winner is…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlRyB3z2vD0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

congratulations and job well done, doll organizers and directors!

le baiser by french neoclassic artist auguste toulmouche.

happy new decade, everyone!

christmas has never tarnished its childlike charm to me. and i always go into the season with the same feeling of wonder and excitement as when i was just waist-high and struggling to read the gift cards. now that i have been participating in the actual buying of gifts (and have been doing so for over ten years), it is even double the merriment that i am able to both open my gifts and watch people open the gifts i wrapped.

some females choose to post their wishlist online probably hoping some of them will materialize (meaning some friends and family will read the entry and buy the stuff) like a bridal registry. i have done it myself before here, and none of the things happened to cross my hands (well, i did get a pair of stella lunas after i wrote the entry, but they’re a different pair. so that doesn’t count). of course, i may have been shooting over my head there even with just three hundred thousand pesos (php300,000.00), but i could have at least bought robyn more books for her leap pad.

today, i am still hankering for a trip to japan and rimowa luggages to travel there with, but i’ll take my return ticket to the philippines and my cheap ass generic brand luggage if it means i can visit home and eat danggit again. nevertheless, i came into the christmas season with a mental wishlist much simpler, more tailor-fit to my current situation and more accessible than my imagination would warrant. but they by all means give the same sense of satisfaction, coupled with the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with being able to take part in another season of exchanging gifts. cheesy? you bet.

i chose not to post any sort of wishlist, despite my fascination with assembling lists. however, i will post some of the stuff i received. because these are some of the things that make up my wishlist and i’m happy-dappy like a little kid.

my favorite scent, 2008′s most awarded fragrance, daisy by marc jacobs. moderately old in designer fragrance years, but still my favorite. too bad i missed the limited edition edp (which strangely cost the same as the edt) by about three days from the when the last bottle was sold, but i’m very happy with it no less. i know fragrance is such a cliche gift, but i don’t think i will ever get tired of receiving them.

a woven raffia roxy fedora with shell, grosgrain ribbon and chain embellishments and…

…a black pinstripe quiksilver “mob” fedora with embroidered crest and same-fabric sash. i started to regain my thing for hats when we had to wait in the sydney airport for nearly seven hours en route to nadi last september. my husband bought me a white-and-black hat that looks like eva longoria‘s and then i remembered how i once really liked hats but the philippines just isn’t a country that exactly embraces the accessory whole-heartedly (unless you are a musician or an artist. which i neither am). now i’m back to liking and collecting them.

coincidentally, i wrote “toothbrush” in our grocery list, and look what i found under the tree! we’ve always meant to buy the oral b electronic toothbrush but thought it too expensive to clean teeth with, so i’m happy someone gave me and my husband a pair of these things.

books from two of my favorite humorists. when you are engulfed in flames by david sedaris and mere anarchy by woody allen. i believe all the hype. yes, they are all that.

ok, i don’t have the least liking for robert greene’s machiavellian laws on leadership and how many of my previous managers so full of themselves live by his books like religious fanatics, but i admit that i read them all the time. yeah, i do, so kill me for being cliche yet again. the very same way i read so many other political philosophies i heavily disagreed with but intensely admired for the thinking behind them (like hitler’s, for instance). collaborating with 50 cent, greene comes up with another set of leadership principles in the 50th law for me to read with intense pleasure then disagree with during discussions. because i’m silly like i just enjoy insecure guys defend their peer-pressured beliefs like they are defending themselves against murder.

the advanced 32-stitch electronic singer sewing machine! with a users guide that reads more like a computer textbook than a home ec training manual. while trying to prioritize things and making ends meet, my husband and i started talking about getting one and we’ve been playing around with figures like how much we have to pay every week or how much we should negotiate for a second-hand one (especially since all of a sudden one day i found that we have to pay every week for a new tv and stereo system on top of basic needs and utilities from a single-income household with an applying immigrant who hates cooking… me, in other words). then lo! i get a sewing machine as a christmas present from the folks! doesn’t the world just work in mysterious ways?

reviews on some of the items later.

hope everybody had a wonderful christmas!

ironic for the first christmas post of this blog, here is last christmas by 19-year-old dutch artist emerald de leeuw.

a very merry christmas everybody!

if you look around this blog, you will find that it’s no secret how i adore barbie dolls. a few months ago, i discovered a team of creative minds who don’t just adore these dolls, they downright labor over them and established miss unibarse, the annual doll pageant meant to simulate a grand slam pageant in a literally smaller scale. but as we have learned from a past interview (posted here), there is certainly nothing small about this somehow wild and wonderful idea.

for one, f&g photography and global queen beauty management, the brains and talents behind this event, have clearly spared no expense and devoted no little effort in preparing their “dollegates”. looking at the results, you can tell immediately that these are not your average children-at-heart playing with dolls. these are professionals and artists who have taken painstaking care and precision in conceptualizing and preparing each candidate. and two, they involve a panel of judges with industry credibility so serious, this might as well get sponsorship from a few forbes 500 companies (or at least mattel, i honestly think).

previous judges include (from r-l) miss universe '05 natalie glebova, miss earth '07 jessica trisko, and miss international '07 priscila perales.

according to a reliable source, this year the panel includes two celeb judges who, for discretionary reasons, must remain unnamed. it should be enough to note that these two are affiliated with that very famous and often very controversial benefactor of the miss universe organization, mr. d.t. (namesake of a hot-tempered duck in a popular animation syndicate).

moving on to this year’s festivities…

organizers and judges have just concluded the special events of national costume, press presentation (for miss photogenic), swimsuit, evening gown and online voting (for the “people’s choice” award). here are some of my favorite moments:

candidates arrive at the host country.

luncheon with reigning miss unibarse 2008, miss dominican republic.

press presentation to determine the most photogenic candidate.

parade of nations.

backstage at the evening gown competition.

here are my favorite national costumes:

and evening gowns:

thanks to us, obsessive online voters of the philippines, our “dollegate” has fast-tracked her way into the top 25! (we are the same obsessive online voters responsible for ms. philippines winning miss photogenic every year in the real grand slam pageants)

from 80 candidates, now we’re down to the top 25. check them out and the rest of the fast-track winners:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh21O0I4S3E&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

visit the miss unibarse website to learn more about the pageant and to keep track of your favorite candidates!

continuation to this.

placecard holders: miniature-ized well-loved trimmings

white snowflakes look great with iridescent table confetti. gold wire christmas pines are classic.

small poinsettia and christmas balls add whimsy and would make great conversation pieces.

from bridal people.

centerpiece: gather the tree trimmings and put the lights on

one of the easiest things to do is make centerpieces during the christmas season, with the abundance of decorating items. you can gather balls into a bowl or candles on a plate and voila!

from superweddings.

the wedding cake: ribbons, poinsettia and edible winter

adorn your cake with a silver or gold ribbon; instead of the usual roses, how about fondant poinsettia instead?

check this out, sprays of snowflakes as if they burst off the cake!

from wedding flowers and reception ideas and perfect wedding day.

wedding favors: christmas decorations

decorations like this snowflake candle holder and this crystal tree trimming make the best favors. your guests can put them up in their homes and be reminded of you every christmas season!

you can even put the favors in gift boxes! how about a personalized christmas ball?

from bridal people, cool party favors and stylehive.

the reception area: lots of lights and all things that glitter

like i said, i love holiday weddings because you get the opportunity to go crazy with the lights!

from wedding53.

set the atmosphere with a string quartet that plays christmas carols.

set up a space like this where you and your guests can pose for photos. this one sure beats the hell out of a printed tarp background.

from venus ensembles.

continuation to this entry.

the bouquet: berries and crystals

deep colored blooms like red roses and burgundy lilies add to the richness of the season's theme. adorned with berries, they give you the idea of a mistletoe.

from kaboodle and wedding flowers and reception ideas.

i am very partial towards crystals in just about anything, so i'm all for bridal flowers bedazzled with swarovski crystals. especially during christmas!

from pink frosting and silk wedding designs.

bind the stem with luxurious fabrics or ribbons in christmas colors; if it's a winter wedding, instead of a traditional bouquet, warm your hands in a muff of flowers!

from wedding flowers and reception ideas.

ring bearer pillow and flower girl basket: lots of bows and twigs with moss or pine needles

overload the pillow and basket with satin and gossamer ribbons. they will take on the appearance of christmas presents.

from eliza fig.

not precisely what i imagined, but very good representations of what i had in mind nonetheless: twigs and moss or pine needles with mistletoe, berries, pinecones and flowers to make the pillow look like a wreath and the basket look like a goodie stash.

from etsy and inspired occasions.

candles: bright and cheery candle holders

bright and shiny colors lend a festive feel to these otherwise austere decors, and the rustic pinecone candle holders add flair.

from bridal people.

sendoff from church: snowflakes, stars and sleigh-bells

instead of rice, have the guests toss snowflakes and star confetti at the bride and groom.

from chico party.

let the guests jingle gold and silver sleigh bells as they toss confetti to the newlyweds. and these double as wedding favors too!

from bisman weddings and eliza fig.

the sarong competition last wednesday was the first category judged in the week-long miss south pacific pageant here in fiji. seeing the ladies in this versatile piece of garment made me want to buy my own… actually, it made me want to buy many. i guess it never really occurred to me to get one long ago in the philippines because i usually wore sundresses in the beach. besides, i never really went to the beach regularly to merit a dire need for a sarong, knowing well i wouldn’t have the courage to use it in the city.

anyway, now i’m here and now i want one. or many.

i just learned a few days ago that the sarong is better known in the polynesian islands as pareo. don’t you just love that word? the way it tumbles down your tongue?

what’s a sarong/pareo? from 1worldsarongs:

Sarongs are many things to many people. Throughout history the world has known the sarong by different names as well.

Some people call sarongs handmade creations of art. Others call sarongs bathing suit cover-ups. It doesn’t matter what you call them. It matters what you do with it. Essentially, there is a very long list for how a sarong can be used.

with that, the best instructional video on how to wear the pareo is found here.

the video below is also very helpful, though imho not as entertaining as the one in the link above. certainly worth watching nevertheless.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_LyRktKMOs&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01]

if you consider getting a pareo (or more if you already have one!) after watching the videos, you might want to check out my favorite designs:

l-r: bright tribal print from seaspray; abstract mosaic with beads from la perla; colorful sheer from seaspray

be forewarned though: buying one will lead to the same phenomenon in that cliche potato chips slogan…