Endorsement of the Moment: Elizabeth and James Menswear

Power twins MK and Ashley Olsen has finally done it! No, they are not poor. Or fat. Actually, their rather incognito clothing brand, Elizabeth and James, has expanded to include a menswear line!

Their Fall men's collection isn't as comprehensive as the fully dedicated menswear of other designers. But, their line does include basics like shirts, jackets and pants. With a midlevel price range (think $100 to $500) there are some drawbacks. However, a quick purchase is a sure departure from H&M and Forever 21.

I say, buy at your own risk! For more information, visit their website.

Activity of the Moment: Aerobics

I don't like exercising. I don't like running. I don't like hitting, dribbling, or throwing balls of any kind. I don't like losing. And most definitely, I don't like wearing athletic shoes. But, I do like to mess around and look like I'm dancing!

This semester, I decided to kick off my stagnant summer ass and take a fitness class--aerobics! Aerobics exercise is meant to be a low to moderate intensity activity that gets the whole body pumping. Today, I did the lower body crunches, and added moves for the arms and chest. Also, I did a handful of stretching, deep breathing, and jumping.

It does sound effortlessly easy, however don't say it's a piece of cake.

I agree that almost everyone could just jump around and kick like Jackie Chan, but there are aspects that require thought. Some moves, for instance, are confusing and cause you to get out of tune. If you have two left feet just like I do, then you know how that feels. Add really fast club music and everything just falls out of place.

But it is not disappointingly confusing. Remember to pay attention and maintain your pace. The main goal is to keep your heart pumping and your muscles moving. There requires no running (there are jogs, though), no balls (at least nothing at 95 mph speeds), and no losing (it ain't no competition, people!).

Despite all those comforting facts, I do have to exercise in athletic sneakers. Unfortunately, it's a requirement

Fail of the Moment: I Should've Bought It

Yesterday, I went to the Out of the Closet thrift store (at Hollywood/Western) with my friend. I didn't go there because I wanted to buy anything--I was just there so I could hang out with my friend. Thrift stores aren't really my go-to stores, but I never tire of discovering precious vintage items at super-discounted price. But, unlike the previous stores I've been to, I found this boutique's men's collection a bit too lacking and tacky for my taste. There were discolored jumpers, humongous shorts, painfully overdecorated shirts, and dreadfully wide jackets. Absolutely nothing caught my interest.

As my friend noticed my increasingly restless disposition, she told me to go through their racks once again. I did, although with much hesitation. I went through racks and racks of long sleeves, short sleeves, jeans, chinos, jackets; I perused another rack, sifting through a thousand T-shirts. Although some tees were admittedly "cool" enough for me, they didn't register as long-term investment. That was until I saw something that clearly did not belong.

In the sea of printed, tie-dyed and ripped shirts, I unearthed a golden brown jacket. It was partially wrinkled but I thought it was perfect: it doesn't look used, the buttons are intact, and the fit was excellently on point. I would have preferred it be pencil fit, but of all the jackets I own/owned, this one is a winner. It had peaked lapels (which is so hard to find), sleeves that fell slightly above my wrists (not too high, not too low), a shapely body (it gave an illusion that I have a waist and not a rectangular abdomen), and natural shoulders (look Ma, no shoulder pads!). As an added bonus, it was within my price range!

So why didn't I buy it? First, I wanted to save money and I desperately need emergency funds. And second, purchasing clothes isn't particularly my priority right now. So, yes, I am fretting. All I have left is to admire it from a far distance! A very far distance.

Event of the Moment: First Day of School!

Today is the day I step into my second year of higher education. And since California has a humongous deficit it still has to close, my college experience definitely took its toll as education budget gets a major slash. This semester included more students per classroom, more expensive books and school supplies (I need a business calculator, whatever that is), and more professors turning down "adding-a-class" pleas.

But I want to look on the bright side. Hopefully, this costly education of mine will pay off in the future. Cross my fingers!

Weirdness of the Moment: Mayo, Please!

In boredom of my newly acquired lifestyle (the dentist specifically told me to refrain from physical labor), I reluctantly watched Chelsea Lately on E! Network. You know me, I'm no big fan of celebrity-driven shows; but there's one bit on this late nighter that shocked, disgusted and baffled me.

Granted, everyone is talking about Kim Kardashian's newly dyed hair (she went blond people!). So to escape her increasingly obnoxious limelight, Kim's lesser-known sisters decided to ditch Los Angeles and set up their own life (and reality show) in Miami. And to amp up the buzz, they went on as to endorse their camera-exploited lives on Chelsea Lately.

On the talk show, host Chelsea Handler reveals that one of the girls, Kourtney, applies mayo "down her Pikachu." Defensively, sister Khloe explains that mayo "moisturizes [the hair] and makes it softer." I am not familiar of mayo's miraculous powers besides the fact that it makes for great sandwiches. But I do know that it gets greasy and smelly when left unrefrigerated.


I don't know if their irreverent mayo application is true or a bunch of hullabaloos. That didn't really bother me as much as why they named their privates Pikachu. Interestingly, Chelsea calls hers a "caslopous" like it was some sloppy object. Others, I'm pretty sure, gave theirs pretty ambiguous names too. But please spare the little critters of Pokemon. Especially Squirtle.