Cat Fur Purses

There's nothing I enjoy more on a Saturday afternoon than watching Animal Planet. Today I was watching a show called "Cats 101". Many different breeds are discussed in-depth and later summarized based upon life expectancy, health and whether or not they are good family pets.

Out of everything I saw on today's episode, one thing stuck with me. There's a cat groomer in Upstate New York who uses the leftover fur from Persian cats to create purses. Here's a video clip from Animal Planet:



As described in the video, I think I'm one of the "ew people". There's just something about it that doesn't sit right with me. On the other hand, I suppose it could be a cool keepsake. I am not at all surprised that people are willing to spend up to $400 for a cat fur purse. I also appreciate that it's humane and resourceful, but I'd prefer my Silky Yorkie's fur over Persian cat fur.

Shoes via Vending Machine

So, it's a Saturday night and after wearing your heels, for what feels like forever, your poor feet feel like they just might fall off. The sad part about this dilemma is that you knew this moment would come when you were getting ready and decided to wear those cute, black, peep-toe, 5-inch heels, but went along with it anyway. Why? Because well, they looked cute.

To avoid having to pull a "Britney Spears", you trudge along wishing you could've somehow fit a pair of flats in your adorable Fendi clutch. Turns out, a man named Matt Horan from the UK has come up with a very clever solution - Rollasole. Essentially, he has taken old vending machines and stocked them with an adorable assortment of ballerina slippers. Since ballerina slippers are extremely comfortable and the sizes are typically true to fit, the idea has pretty much taken off in the UK, Ireland, Ibiza and Australia.

For a minimal price of roughly $10, you can hit up a Rollasole vending machine at the end of a long night of wearing heels and still look cute. I'm upset that a woman didn't come up with this idea and I'm even more upset that I wasn't that woman. On the bright side, these vending machines are expected to come to the US soon. Maybe there's still time for me to stock some vending machines of my own with a Hawaiian spin. "Slippahs" (flip-flops) anyone?

Weighing In

I believe that weighing yourself frequently, versus avoiding the scale, assists with weight loss. I'm not sure where I got this notion from, but as usual, I was right. ;) Turns out, the University of Minnesota facilitated a study in 2005 that proved this to be true. Out of approximately 3,000 people, 40% weighed in frequently, 40% moderately and 20% avoided the scale. Over the course of 2 years, the group that got on the scale frequently lost an average of 12 pounds. Those that weighed in moderately lost about 6 pounds. Lastly, the 20% that avoided the scale gained 4 pounds.

Unfortunately, weighing yourself at the same everyday can be a pain. I keep track of my weight and body fat percentage by writing it on my bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker. Not so fun whenever a guest uses my restroom. Something I didn't really take into consideration until my girlfriends pointed out how awkward it was. Oops. At the end of the month, I transfer the data to my FitBit account. The entire process is, well, a process. I would so prefer to just have my weight automatically recorded and stored on my computer every time I stepped on the scale. A great invention, right?

Turns out, this nifty little gadget exists. It's called the Withings scale. The scale has a wireless card and transfers your weight, broken out by lean mass versus fat mass, to your PC. It's genius if you ask me.

Unicorns

Do you remember the San Diego Zoo campaign with unicorns on the billboard? The copy read: "If they're not here, they probably don't exist".

While at lunch one day, our San Diego Zoo client shared with me that she actually got a call from an organization that was livid about the campaign. They claimed that unicorns did exist and wanted the ads pulled immediately. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the organization, but it was something similar to the National Association of Unicorn Believers...except it was real.

Anyway, I think those people would appreciate this video:

Every Nail Has Its Thorn?

Apparently the Thorn Manicure was hot in the 60s and is making a comeback. Achieving this look isn't too strenuous. All you have to do is de-thorn a rose and paint the thorns whatever color you choose. After painting them, you stick the thorns onto your fingernails.

Step by step directions and pictures of this dangerous manicure can be found on Nylon Magazine's website.

I, personally, think it's a good idea, but it's looks hideous. I like my nails to look smooth and perfect. This manicure looks too textured and messy. Additionally, you could scratch someone. Maybe if it's executed correctly, it could end up looking "fierce". I suppose only time will tell if this trend catches on. I'll definitely be on the lookout for thorny nails.

Water Bottle Island

Richie Sowa has created his own island in Cancun from water bottles. I'm still unclear on how he was able to create this foundation supported by water bottles in nets, but it's so fascinating that I had to share.

Doggy Mansions

I love my dog, but if I EVER consider purchasing one of these I really hope someone stages an intervention.

The cost of a Doggy Mansion starts at around $5,000. The houses usually include water, indoor/outdoor lighting and are climate-controlled. Some of the models even include swimming pools, flat-screen TVs and DVD players. What in the world??? I find it mind boggling that there's a market for this, yet I'm not too surprised. People are obsessed with their pets, so why wouldn't they want to give them the finer things in life?

Model, Rachel Hunter, had La Petite Maison build this detailed replica of her Mediterranean-style home for her dog:



This is the world we live in...(shoulder shrug)

Tryst :: Coffee Shop Lounge

My favorite past time is people watching. That might be the reason why I continue to stay in "Earthquake City, USA" aka Los Angeles. During my time in Maryland, we wandered into Adams Morgan. The area is full of bars, clubs and restaurants, which allows for some great people watching.

Out of all the places we stopped in at, my absolute favorite people watching destination was a crowded coffee shop/lounge called Tryst. Now, I'm an LA girl, so I automatically associate the name with the nightclub in Las Vegas, located in the Wynn hotel. The Tryst in Adams Morgan is something completely different.



Not only does this spot have amazing desserts and a great selection of caffeinated drinks, they also have a fully stocked bar. As you can imagine, this draws a very diverse crowd. There were students studying, couples on dates and even some older folks enjoying a cup of tea with red velvet cake. The place is filled with couches and it's a challenge to find an open seat.


You know you have a moneymaking idea when your venue can be the pre-party, the actual party and the post-party spot. I was so impressed and entertained. I can just imagine studying there and later meeting up with friends to have some wine and cheese. If you're ever in DC, you have to stop by : http://www.trystdc.com/

Mask, Swim, Action!

Since you can take pictures underwater, it was only a matter of time before video taping would become commonplace. Not only is this a cool gadget, but it's pretty affordable. I would love to see someone's underwater footage. ThinkGeek :: Video Swim Mask

The Last Airbender

After much anticipation, we went to see The Last Airbender tonight. In the month leading up to the release of the The Last Airbender, I made it my homework to watch every episode of Avatar, the Nickelodeon cartoon on which the movie is based.

I don't watch cartoons very often and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I seemingly breezed through the 20 episodes of Avatar. Anyone who's watched the cartoons would easily be excited to see the movie adaptation.



I know the movie has gotten less than favorable reviews and there have countless racist accusations regarding the cast, but I really wanted to give M. Night the benefit of the doubt. To my dismay, the rumors are true!

I completely understand that it's probably difficult to streamline the story into an hour or two and expected a lot of scenes to be missing. What I didn't expect were Shamalamadingdong's additional scenes. He completely fabricated entire scenes of the movie to fit his adaptation. Essentially, he stayed true to the first and last scene of the Book of Water and rushed through the middle. The characters weren't developed and none of their personalities came through. It was dark and monotone. Similar to this poster. Please note the striking difference between the movie poster and the cartoon image above.



One main thing that bothered me throughout the entire movie was that the pronunciation of the characters' names. Aang was pronounced "aaaang" instead of "eng" and Sokka as "so-ka" instead of "sa-ka". Now, I studied Japanese for 6 years, so I'm aware that the movie is phonetically correct, but if the characters were portrayed by non-Asian actors, why suddenly stay true to the name pronunciations? It made no sense and it was distracting.

Last, but not least, the 3D was clearly an after thought. The only 3D experience I had was during the previews.

M. Night, do us all a favor and please don't make any more Avatar movies.