CANNES Part 1: the Dresses

CANNES has just announced its big winners, so it's about time for a round-up of my own festival favorites, which I decided to break into two simple categories: the DRESSES and the MOVIES. The Movies part is to follow soon since I need some extra time for research, so I will start with the dresses. Also I didn't feel like criticizing much, so I listed only my favorite ones here, so feel free to assume that the rest I either hated or remained completely indifferent about.

I believe the star of Woody Allen's latest - "Midnight in Paris" - was the main attraction on the red carpet this time around. Although this praise may have a little something to do with recently seeing "Morning Glory" which revealed to me that RACHEL MCADAMS can do much better than cliche-packed films like "The Notebook." But, back to her dresses. This little number here is clearly risqué and in part resembles a curtain, yet I think she pulls it off.

This, on the contrary, is very classy and demure - very fitting for photo-call.

I think it's not so much the dress, but the overall look of MIA WASIKOWSKA that prompted me to give her my vote. I'm just too used to seeing her as an awkward mousy teenager, usually in pale dresses that don't compliment her at all, so that this remotely classic Hollywood look immediately caught my eye.

Another Cannes surprise for me here. I'm generally not a fan of KIRSTEN DUNST's personal style, but this totally captured me. It's clearly all about color here, since there is nothing too special about the dress itself. Note, dear fashionistas, a great color-blocking tip!

Say what you will about SARAH JESSICA PARKER, but I think she made a very smart choice with this dress. It's so boho chic - with the accent on chic - and so different from monochrome gowns most of her fellow actresses packed for Cannes.

I must confess I never saw JESSICA CHASTAIN in action (in movies or on TV) but "The Tree of Life" just got Palme D'Or, so I guess she's kind of important. And the dress is a good choice - elegant, a tad vintage and the color is perfect for redheads like herself.

I guess ANGELINA JOLIE would look a bit boring next to an all-white Brad in the previous photo, so I'm happy to catch her on her own. Angie here spots a simple yet winning look: feminine, airy and forever gorgeous.

ZOE SALDANA's number is obviously the wildest one on this list. I'm still fighting associations with a cheap plastic bag in the skirt part of the dress, yet I give her extra points for the dare. Plus it sits perfect on her and, against all odds, doesn't distort her figure.

And the last but not least is UMA THURMAN. She does indeed look quite a bit like a Bride (no pun intended) - especially from the back, but the front cutout magically turns the dress into an evening gown.

Honesty in online shopping

I fell in love with those FREE PEOPLE wedges the moment I saw them. I'm currently looking for a pair of wedges anyway, and those were some of the coolest sandals are saw so far, plus the price, Euro 62.35 fit in my price range just fine. And I might have already gone ahead and ordered them had I not spotted the "Reviews & Fitting" section, containing 2 comments. The first review was mild, though not especially favorable; the second was quite negative, criticizing a number of QUALITY aspects, and both ended with the authors claiming they'd be returning the shoes.

Naturally that cooled down my excitement, especially considering that I'm generally cautious about buying SHOES online - it's so unpredictable when it comes to feet! But at the same time I couldn't help thinking how thankful I was to Free People for not only allowing comments on their product pages, but also NOT deleting the negative ones! ONLINE shopping is a tricky world, full of possible mishaps, and it's nice when someone gives you a warning.

Of course there is every possibility that the 2 commentators were not truly honest, just feisty or annoyed with the store for whatever reason. But if they were right, they possibly saved me time and disappointment since I'm not a big fan of returning goods do the store, especially by mail and especially in Greece were the post office is only open 5 days a week till 2 p.m. I wish more ONLINE SHOPS where like Free People, but not likely - who wants bad publicity?

Carrie Bradshaw vs. Reality

I just got tipped off (by the heartIFB on Twitter in fact!) about a great column by a fellow blogger TheFremeny titled "Carrie Bradshaw Math." Truth is, even though I never bothered to actually "do the math" (for one thing I'm not a fan of math), I have been long bothered by the same question TheFremeny asks in her post: "How the hell could Carrie ever sustain her luxurious lifestyle by writing one single newspaper column a week?" Indeed there are plenty of moments in the show that are seriously far-fetched (to say the least), but OK, it's a movie - it's supposed to get kinda fairtalish from time to time. Yet, the gap between Carrie's lifestyle, her source of income and reality is far too BIG to ignore.

All three Carrie's girlfriends have presumably highly paid jobs - Miranda is a lawyer, Samantha does PR and later owns a PR company, and Charlotte is an art-dealer who later marries rich, then remarries to a successful lawyer - with a Park Avenue apartment as dowry from previous marriage. Carrie, on the other hand, only writes a newspaper article a week, apparently has no other incomes, yet she rents a very nice apartment in a very nice area, has a wardrobe full of top designer labels and of course a mountain of Manolos and other pricy shoes.

Now, unlike TheFremeny, I don't live in New York and can't knowingly speak of prices for everything or the paychecks of freelance columnists. But we live in the age of information so I can have some rough idea, plus I have personally known New Yorkers, among them journalists, who honestly said it's hard to sustain yourself on a journalist's salary even working full-time - you may want an extra job!

And here we have a lady who cannot realistically make more than a few thousand bucks a month, yet, she, almost like a biblical character, is able to stretch this modest amount 50-times its original size to cover all her luxurious needs from rent to shopping to dinners at top-notch restaurants and outings at best night clubs. Yes, allusions to Carrie being a shopoholic and the money problems she faces because of it are made a few times in the show, most memorably in the episode where she's being forced out of her apartment unless she buys it. But in the end she still has it easy - borrows money from friends and starts freelancing for Vogue - case closed. And of course the unexpected book deal followed soon after, clearly solving all of Carrie's cash problems for good.

I wonder how many independent women actually living and working in New York raised their eyebrows at the way Carrie hops though life without a care in the world (unless freshly heartbroken by Mr. Big), while most of them have to work hard dusk till dawn to even afford a small fraction of her lifestyle. I mean, would it have killed the show creators to give Carrie a full-time job as a fashion writer, editor, stylist etc. - who also writes her own column, or a writer who has already published a successful book? After all, if you make a character who is supposed to be an epitome of a successful single woman - aren't you supposed to make her seem a little more real?

It's funny how "Sex And the City" works so well as a show about relationships and free-spirited independent women - so much that it can even serve as therapy in time of personal life dramas - yet it so miserably fails when it comes to the more practical side of life, such as the skills of survival in New York or any other big city where life is expensive, competition is huge, and you have to do your best and work your hardest to even get a decent job with a decent salary. In that respect, compared to "SATC," "Devil Wears Prada" is a self-help book.

Art-Athina 2011

Greece's biggest visual arts event, ART-ATHINA 2011 - International Contemporary Art Fair of Athens - is coming up on May 12-15 at Faliro Pavilion, the former Olympic Games venue. The event will take place for the 17th time already and while I've never visited one before (after all I moved to Athens only last summer), I'm excited to see what it has to offer. Those who can't be physically present at the event can instead visit its online platform at http://www.openartcollection.com. More info on the art fair to be found at art-athina.gr.

There is still only one KATE in London

I know this is a bit radical and more provocative than what I usually post, but this cool picture really expresses my feelings about the whole Royal Wedding fuss and Kate Middleton persona. I mean I have no problem with two sweethearts getting married, but I'm seriously annoyed by "default" celebrities - people whose popularity is strictly circumstantial, and has nothing to do with talent or any great achievements. I'm sorry, but being born into a rich and famous family or indeed scoring a rich and famous husband doesn't make you a SOMEBODY. So down with "princesses" in their golden cages, and cheers to Kate - she might be just a model, but she EARNED the right to be called fashion icon, designer muse and indeed and one the best known faces in modern fashion industry. She's still the ONE Kate.

My top ten famous redheads

When red hair was officially declared the new hot trend this year I couldn't be happier! After all, red is my own favourite hair color, and while I've been dying it chestnut brown over the last half a year or so, time has come to go back to truly bright ginger red!

In the meantime, I, following the example of various online fashion mags that have been lately posting lots of celebrity redhead lists, decided to make my own top ten! Note, that I picked not the gals who dyed their hair just to follow the trend, but natural redheads, or at least those who look their best in red and wear it most of the time.

1. CHRISTINA HENDRICKS

It's almost surprising that such a beauty has been hidden from our eyes for so long - she was already 32 when a sharp-eyed casting director picked her for the leading part in "Mad Men" and turned her into a star almost overnight. A naturally buxom, curvy lady which stands out among the standard starved-looking celebrities is something Hollywood needed all along.

2. JULIANNE MOORE

I believe her to be the pride of the modern redhead tribe. So gorgeous at 50!? I realize there probably is some plastic surgery involved but she still looks absolutely natural - something not many celebrities are able to pull off at her age.

3. EMMA STONE

I loved her in "Superbad," "Zombieland," "Easy A" and can't wait to see her newest projects. She's beautiful, talented, badass and natural ginger. I believe it's a winning combination!

4. EVAN RACHEL WOOD

I didn't think much of Evan Rachel when I first laid eyes on her - there was nothing much striking about her appearance. Then I saw her in "Wrestler" and "Whatever Works" - she did well both in drama and comedy. And then she appeared in "True Blood" playing vampire queen (the photo is a screenshot from her first episode in the show) - I was conquered!

5. LAUREN AMBROSE

In fact I mostly know Lauren by her role in the somewhat morbid TV-drama "Six Feet Under." But after watching five seasons of the show back to back, including its totally buzzkill finale, I came to quite admire this redhead beauty and talented actress.

6. DEBORAH ANN WOLL

That's another "True Blood" hottie for you - what can I do, they have several in there! The part of the innocent virgin-turned-vampiress was clearly the breakout for Deborah and she already has several big new projects coming up - let's she what else she's capable of...

7. COCO ROCHA

Top popular model and designer muse, Coco switches between black and red from time to time, but, needless to say, I prefer the latter look. After all, if you look great in red - you will usually look duller in other colors. Any faithful redhead wood agree :)

8. FLORENCE WELCH

I admire Florence's voice, her music and her hair. I don't always agree with her personal style, but no big deal - such hair color makes everything better!

9. GILLIAN ANDERSON

It may seem a bit like "a blast from the past" but so what? I spent a part of my childhood watching "X-Files" like an addict - it was a part of my world. And even though Gillian's career doesn't seem to be going as well as she had hoped after the show ended, I will always remember Scully - the hot and tough FBI lady.

10. MARILYN MONROE

And, finally, a bit of classics. This screen icon has spent most of her life in the spotlight as a platinum blonde, continuously bleaching her ginger locks. It did help make her into a star, yet you can't escape your nature - even a little honey in her hair turns Marilyn into a blooming flower.

Samos Diary: Finale

So here is my last post in Samos Diary series. Honestly I was too tired and relaxed to take pictures on the last day, so I give you some of the photos from Easter Sunday. Apparently as usual on this day, the city streets were deserted - as all residents were having festive barbecues with families and friends, which usually involve roasting a whole goat and other meats. We also followed the example of the locals and spent the afternoon on the sunlit terrace of my man's childhood friend's house on the mountain with him and his family, and ... the goat. I will leave out the picture of the actual animal (too scary), and instead offer you some highlights of the party which include me, posing in the cap that actually belongs to the master of the house, an improvised karaoke performance and a cat which appeared from somewhere, surely drawn by the smell of meat. Even though I like most cats, what I adore about this one is that he looks so unlike all the sweet furry creatures we're used to seeing - he's a proper "jungle" hunter, a real Bandit!

Samos Diary: Days 6-7

The most interesting moments of my Friday and Saturday in Samos were the EASTER celebrations (Easter is as important here as Christmas or even more!). They started on Friday night with a number of crowded processions carrying so-called "epitafios" - the cloths depicting the body of Jesus placed in festively decorated constructions called Kouvouklion. On Saturday, just before midnight, locals gathered in front of Churches for Easter service which was accompanied by multiple petard explosions (!!!) - the tradition I find seriously strange.

Unfortunately all this curious events took place outdoors after sunset and my poor camera failed to capture the moment in good quality. So instead I give you a set of pictures that could be dubbed "Samos Days and Nights" since they capture our "routine" on a regular day on the island: first a mass gathering at the central cafe at the square, a very late breakfast/lunch with Greek meze (appetizers), Ouzo with ice and one of my local favorites - grilled octopus, and, finally, a night out at our favorite club - appropriately called ESCAPE. To set the mood I've also enclosed a song which, in a way, serves as club anthem.

Samos Diary: Days 4-5

Sorry for no updates for several days - I'm on holidays after all so, as you can imagine, there is not always time to sit around and blog away. Besides, Easter is coming up and celebrations have already began (and Easter is seriously BIG here in Greece) so there are plenty of things to see and places to be. The last couple of days involved lots of slowly gorging on SAMOS food and alcohol in different tavernas in town, but we've also taken a walk up the mountain path, where a friend of ours likes to walk his lively dog. From the path opened a great view of breathtaking Samos' landscape with its combination of lush greenery, forests, mountains and clear blue sea as well as the view of Vathy bay (where we're currently staying) - Samos' capital and main port.

OUTFIT:

1. Leather jacket, jeans: ZARA TRF

2. Blazer: STRADIVARIUS

3. Bag: VINTAGE