THIS IS HOW YOU PROMOTE POSITIVE BODY IMAGE!!

Elizabeth – February 11, 2010 – 7:40 am – Media

Are you listening marie claire Australia???

The secret to promoting positive body image in women’s magazines is not to make a huge fuss about pointing out that you’re doing it, nor is it to put one of the most naturally gorgeous women (J. Hawkins) on the cover of your mag nude, nor is it to print various articles about how important it is to be positive whilst having a stick-thin model on the very next page.

The secret, my friends, is to do as US Glamour does – AND JUST DO IT.

In their latest issue with the delightful Katy Perry on the cover, I was flipping through and came across this story -

“You’d Look Even Better Naked’ featuring the beautiful model, Crystal Renn.

That’s it – MODEL. Not “plus-size model”, but just MODEL. Because that, folks, is what she is. No fuss is made (“oh we’re featuring a plus-size model!!”) and the feature is seamlessly incorporated into the issue. In fact, it’s a highlight. I applaud you, Glamour.

Need I say more?

Read More »

I’m blogging this: when inspiration runs dry…

Elizabeth – February 7, 2010 – 7:08 pm – Blogs

…spend countless hours browsing the web in hopes that it will soon return? Am I on the right track? Somehow, I doubt it.

Back in the days of my juvenile blogging, I would blog everything and anything and somehow manage to grab lots and lots of views considering I was a 15 year old emotional teenager.Somehow my scrabble score from last Saturday, some inappropriate new names for slow computers and myself and a friend’s translation of Sense and Sensibility into ditsy-girl msn speak were thrilling reads.

I like to think I’ve grown up a bit, thus why I no longer feel the need to share such mundane things with you. However, this means I am often prone to bloggers block. Often it’s more a case of I have so many media-related things I wish to cover and so little time, that I end up not getting my pieces in within the appropriate period of newsworthiness.

*slaps own wrists*

Tomorrow, I will be proactive. Tonight I might consider purchasing this necklace, choosing to revert to my old blogging ways where anything was fair game. Hmmm…

By CupcakesAndMace

Interview with Manvi from Mochatini

Elizabeth – February 4, 2010 – 8:29 pm – Blogs

So you want to be a design blogger? Well, it’s a tough market out there, one in which it’s difficult to stand out. With so many design blogs out there, it truly becomes a case of being able to communicate your own vision and translate your own skills online.

Mochatini, however, does just that.

Its author, Manvi, posts her own personal photographs and styling as well as other lovely things she finds around her. Sounds simple, but the result is a blog where you can ALWAYS find a chic, elegant and inspiring image to kick your inner interior-designer into gear.

Manvi was kind enough to share some of her secrets with us -

Tell us a bit about yourself, where are you from and how and when did you get started blogging?

Hello, RR readers. I am Manvi Drona-Hidalgo from the blog Mochatini. I live in Washington, DC with my husband. We moved here from NYC and before that we were in Dubai, UAE where I worked and went to high school.
When we moved to DC, I started to work in the non-profit sector mostly managing website content and graphics. In 2008, I started to develop a site for my work. I had fun designing the site, logos and banners and decided to create one for myself in the process. Initially, I thought of focusing solely interiors, but soon realized my interests went farther than that. I am constantly inspired by good photography, fashion, and my travels and wanted to include those topics on mochatini as well.

Where did the name “mochatini” come from?

I sort of always had the name mochatini in mind for a future entrepreneurial project. My lil sister calls me mocha and thought why not call my blog mochatini?

How did the blog evolve? Has it changed a lot since you first started it?

I enjoy website development and banner designs, and play around a bit with the look and feel of the site. I am constantly adding plugins and widgets, as well as giving mochatini a fresh look once in a while. So yes, mochatini has changed a lot since I first started it.

Your blog is always so bright and beautiful, what inspires your elegant and sophisticated sense of style?

Thank you. I find inspiration in just about everything around me. Traveling, fashion, flowers, vintage, books, magazines, art etc.

Your feature lots of images including photos taken by yourself as well as others, have you always loved photography and styling?

I have always loved decorating. I used to constantly redecorate not only my own bedroom but also my friend’s bedrooms. I took a course in interior design at NYU, and enjoyed it every class. The course strengthened my love for interior styling and empowered me with some essential skills to pursue a career in it. I enjoy photography immensely too. I spend most of my free time styling and taking photographs.

How do you think design blogs differentiate themselves from the millions of other blogosphere?

I think everyone is different and bring their own unique perspective and style which sets each one apart.
Read More »

marie claire March cover is a dud.

Elizabeth – February 3, 2010 – 9:10 pm – Media

Australian marie claire is one of two home-grown glossies that I religiously purchase each month. I trust it – I trust the content to be intelligent and engaging, I trust that the 101 ideas inspire me to go through my wardrobe and hunt for new outfit ideas and I trust the lifestyle features to make me long for a holiday to far far away exotic locations.

So, as far as I’m concerned, they can slap on any ol’ cover and I’ll still fork out the $8.20 – I’m loyal that way. I, however, am not necessarily the typical magazine consumer. Thus, it worries me that marie claire didn’t seem to try so hard with the cover of their March issue which hit newstands today.

Erica from Girl with a Satchel (remember last week’s interview?) chalks it up to playing it safe in light of last month’s controversy -

After all the huffing and puffing that followed the release of her February Jennifer Hawkins cover, marie claire editor Jackie Frank is playing it relatively safe for March, with Angelina Jolie looking let’s-get-down-to-business-like in her black blazer and slicked back hair. - New Aussie Glossies, February 3 2010

I suppose this makes sense. However, when I walked up eagerly to Magnation today, I have to admit that my initial thoughts weren’t so forgiving. Something is simply…off about the cover and I’ve been trying to nail down exactly why. After consulting one of my new books, I’ve come up with two theories.

Theory #1: The cover is dull

Designing…for Magazines by Jan V. White (1976, R.R Bowker Company, NY) proclaims that -

If the cover is ‘dull’ – if it fails to sell the fascination o the subject, and, more importantly, the significance of that fascination to the reader – if it doesn’t persuade him of his need to have the knowledge for fun and profit, then the chances are the cover as failed: the prospective buyer won’t buy, the prospective reader won’t read the magazine” – p. 2

With this in mind, I don’t think marie claire is going to be selling too many copies of this ol’ mag. The picture, of course, cannot be blamed entirely but the harshness of the black suited Angelina against a grey background is only amplified by the fluro coverlines, screaming – “HEY HERE’S SOME COLOUR! BUY ME! I’M PRETTY!”. The text is far too gaudy for such a dull image that whilst its attempts are noble, they’re nonetheless unsuccessful.
Read More »

Grammy Awards 2010: When I grow up I wanna be…

Elizabeth – February 1, 2010 – 9:09 pm – News

As amazingly quirky and self-assured as Lady Gaga…

As heart-stoppingly sexy as Bon Jovi at 47…

As innocent, sweet and pure as Prince and Paris Jackson…

As expectation exceeding as Jennifer Hudson…

And as beautiful, talented and bad ass as Beyonce…

…amongst other things, of course.

All images via Grammy.com – Michael Caulfield / WireImage.com

Second-hand books – ew?

Elizabeth – January 31, 2010 – 5:46 pm – Media

When I was younger, I had issues with library books.

I simply couldn’t possibly read a book and enjoy it the same amount knowing that someone else had read it before me. Given that I’ve always been a very avid reader, this evolved into a very expensive quirk of mine as my parents had to buy me brand spanking new books instead.

I soon got over this phobia when I got to uni and couldn’t get by with online journals alone. New books, of course, haven’t lost their lustre to me – who doesn’t love that smell when you go into Borders to explore?? –  but I’ve learned to be a bit more conscious of my book-buying habits and have embraced my Kindle as well as the romantic side of second-hand book shopping.

Betterworld Books is a fave of mine so I turned to them recently in the quest for cheap and obscure editorial design texts to aid with my Editorial Design Challenge. I found these two beauties for under $30, including shipping.

And you know what? I kinda like the idea that these books have lives before they came to me – what on earth was I thinking??

5 Things to Hate About Twitter

Elizabeth – January 30, 2010 – 4:12 pm – Web

Yes, they do exist.

As much as I love it, my deficiencies when it comes to social media are alarming behind for a blogger. At first, I loved Twitter – I’ve written multiple essays featuring the tool and have praised it from the very beginning.

By Shovelling Son

After downloading Tweetdeck, my love soon turned to obsession. I would find myself sitting on Twitter all day long, following links and finding info like it was a game on which my life depended. Luckily, final essays rolled around and I had to kiss my Tweeting habit goodbye for a couple of weeks.

Now, I’m back. Kinda. It’s been a hard road back too – why? Here’s five things I hate (but also secretly love some of them…) about Twitter.

Information Overload

When I first started Tweeting, I had a modest group of followers and those who I followed. It was nice – I made new friends and it was all very…manageable. But, the whole point of Twitter is, of course, to have more than just a handful of people you’re keeping tabs on. So I followed some more. And some more. And now there’s so many people and so many different tweets it does my head in trying to keep up. Make them stop!!!!!

Time Vacuum

There are two types of Twitter users: those who have Twitter on in the background whilst at home or at work, glancing back every so often to see what’s going on. And then there are those who sit in front of their Tweetdeck or other such program and spend their entire day clicking on links and playing the Twitter ‘game’ non-stop in a highly impractical an frustrating way. Before you know it, the entire day has vanished before your eyes and you’ve seen it all happen on Twitter.

I am one of the latter.
Read More »

News: Dujour Mag is back – exclusive interview!!

Elizabeth – January 29, 2010 – 7:14 am – News

For those who sit on Twitter all day, like myself, you may have heard the news amongst all the iPad kafuffle -

Dujour Magazine, which I mourned so desperately not long ago, is BACK! And, I’m sure, better than ever.

In more exciting news, Rough Review will be featuring THE exclusive interview with editor, Letitia Burrell, where she will be answering all those tricky questions plaguing the minds of confused readers – where did you go? Where’s my subscription? Are you back for good?

So, if YOU have a question to pose to Dujour, however curly it may be, now is your chance.

Post your questions for Dujour in the comment section below with your name and other info (twitter, website, etc).

Please try to keep them clean =)

News: iPad, schmiPad.

Elizabeth – January 28, 2010 – 4:36 pm – News

Is anyone else already sick of hearing about the iPad?

Apple announced today their brand new invention, the  iPad. The device is sort of a Kindle meets iPod meets Laptop…

For someone who has all three above, I’m decidedly unimpressed and perplexed at the amount of Twitter buzz that I’ve witnessed today. For some unknown reason, today is a day where people seem most concerned about the decline of print media.

What was that sorry? Oh print media dies TODAY! *slaps forehead*, silly me, I forgot!

Let’s all rush out and get our iPad’s quicksmart.

Don’t believe me? Here’s some evidence from the past couple of days:

8 Reasons Women Should Be Excited for Apple’s ‘iPad’ @ Jezebel.com

In less than one week, Apple is expected to unveil some thingamajig that will be like a Kindle from heaven and supposedly save print media. What this new gadget might be called is where people might have an issue.

Recent evidence suggests that this divine new product will be called the iPad. Obviously, this presents some immediately troubling connotations — as opposed to a word like “notepad,” a single letter “i” doesn’t give us enough emotional distance from the “pad” part of the package.
Read More »

Scrapbooking Japan

Elizabeth – January 28, 2010 – 2:01 pm – Media

Given my brain deadness as of late, I decided last week to indulge in some old school media therapy – watching television whilst finally working on finishing my Japan Trip 2009 scrapbook.

Going through the bits and pieces – brochures, ticket stubs, rail passes, restaurant serviettes – made me instantly long to be far, far away somewhere lovely. =)

There’s something about working with media which is tangible like photos, papers, maps and brochures, for a change, that’s really comforting.

Read More »