starting to say good-bye

Today marks the official beginning of the end- the end to the Oprah Winfrey Show. I don't exactly remember when I started watching her show- sometime as a little girl staying with my grandma in the afternoons. I remember once my grandma encouraged me to start a project of writing to women role models. I think the only two I eventually wrote to were Hillary Rodham Clinton (the First Lady at the time) and, you guessed it, Oprah Winfrey. I can only imagine what I must have written in the letter or how horrendous my spelling must have been (if you've seen my grade school writing journals, you'd know what I'm talking about), but they both returned my letter with one of their own along with an autographed photo. I can still picture the swirly "O" in Oprah's signature.

I know she has lost fans in recent years for her endorsements New Age religion, but Oprah is still in my eyes, so much more. Oprah to me is proof of what can happen if someone believes in her(his)self and goes after their dreams. Letting nothing- not closed doors or criticism, not setbacks or big change stop them, but continuing on until they find a way to live the life they feel called to.

Oprah is also an example of a person who lives vibrantly with arms wide-open. She seems to be a person who sees, breathes, lives and gives possibility. She cares about others and uses her name and resources to help them.

The night before her first national show, Oprah wrote in her journal, "I keep wondering how my life will change, if it will change and what all this means. Why have I been so blessed? Maybe going national was to help me realize that I have important work or that this work is important. Which is it?"

It's both.

favorite looks: emmy review 2010

The 2010 Emmys aired last night. My favorite moment of the night was the show's opener: a Gleeish musical number complete with Tina Fey, Hurley from Lost, Betty White, and Jimmy Fallon - that and when Jane Lynch won for her role as Sue Sylvester. Outstanding.

The evening's fashion was as expected: beautiful dresses worn by beautiful women, but few left me wowed. It's true, the showstoppers and jaw-droppers are usually left to the Golden Globes and the Oscars, but I still expected to be a little more knocked-back. Black and navy, strapless and one-shouldered were the trends with some color sprinkled in between. My personal favorites include those below.

Toni Collette in Valentino: One of my top picks from the night. More times than not, a dress like this where the color bleeds in and out isn't altogether formal. However, the mix of color and graphics at the bottom of the skirt combined with a sweet, thin ribbon around the middle make this an elegant choice that stood out from the sea of solid-color last night.

Edie Falco in Bottega Veneta:

Eva Longoria Parker in Robert Rodriguez:

Claire Danes in Armani Prive:

Kristen Wig- I would be a huge fan of this dress if the outer-shoulder pads could be ripped off. The print is a delightful departure from solid color, but I can't help but imagine the black pads as birds about to take flight.

Kelly Osbourne in Tony Ward - P.S. She is so skinny now!

Julie Bowen in J. Mendel:

Lea Michelle in Oscar de la Renta- I loved the Glee girls- they all looked beautiful. Some may think the ruffles on this navy de la Renta to be beyond enough, but I love them. This girl is a star- she needs to stand out.

Dianna Agron in Carolina Herrera: This dress may look slightly like a doily in this picture, but it looked beautiful on camera. Plus, Dianna seems like such a lovely person- I love her and her dress.

Jayma Mays in Burberry:

Kyra Sedgwick in Monique Lhuillier:

January Jones in Atelier Versace- This dress has been put on a lot of "What Was She Thinking Lists" but I actually love the dress a lot, minus the cone/shell shaped top. Why must she channel Ariel/Madonna? Besides this, the dress is a head-turner and was one of the best shapes and vibrant colors of the evening.

happy friday + ellen surprise

Last night, So You Think You Can Dance crowned it's season seven winner, Lauren. The night was full of season favorite performances, with a twist added to my personal fav routine. Choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon, it was originally performed by Twitch and Alex [seen here].  Daytime dancing queen herself, Ellen DeGeneres stepped in last night in place of injured Alex. If I thought Ellen couldn't get any better, I thought wrong.





P.S. If you have time for another video, click here. The video is a testament to the idea that kindred spirits come in every shape and size.

Happy Friday!

spotted: b and s in the city of lights

Okay, I'll admit: I love more than my share of ridiculous, over the top television shows and Gossip Girl is definitely at the top of that list. The characters' life-styles are extravagant, their clothes drool-worthy, and their lives epically dramatic. Now that they're now filming in Paris for the upcoming season...oh geez. I'm hooked.

so long, farewell, auf weidersehen ugly betty

Dear Betty, Hilda, Papi, Justin, Mark, Amanda, Daniel, and Willy,

The outrageous antics, the ridiculous fashion, the most unbelievable situations-let's be honest, you were a few notches past over the top, but you are going to be missed. Beyond the glamour and attitude of Mode Magazine, you were the determination and ambition of a young woman from Queens, who dreamed of becoming a writer. You let Betty make her own way by always being herself, by listening to her heart, and by never letting go of her dreams. You were family supporting one another in all seasons of life, you were friends who backed each other up, and enemies that learned to love and respect each another. You were funny, endearing, and unforgettable. Thanks for letting me live and dream through you as you walked the halls of Mode and blazed your own trails. Yes, I know that being TV characters means that none of you are actually real, but if you ask me, the best characters are ones that you wish you could spend a Saturday night with or the ones that you can see a bit of yourself or your friends and family in. Miss you already.

.

Whole Heartedly,

Caitlin

my kind of gossip

I am a wee bit obsessed with the CW show Gossip Girl. My roommate and I got DVR just so we would never miss an episode and we even sometimes discuss the characters and their problems like they are real people. On top of the over the top drama and witty banter, the fashion on the show is out of this world- or at least Waco world. Preppy doesn't even begin to classify Mr. Chuck Bass, I sigh at the sight of each and every one of Blair's headbands, little J Humphrey is the young fashion ingenue many girls wish they were, and Serena is the envy of all. It's an absolute feast for the eyes as these Upper East Siders take to the small screen every Monday night.