ANTM: It’s all about Nigel

"Whatever you liiiiiiiiike"

After winning an Emmy for best informative talk show and showing her real hair to the world, Tyra Banks is back with another season cycle of America’s Next Top Model. The show is more of the same (silly modeling challenges, cliched casting, tragic backstory, girlfights and overacting from Tyra and Miss Jay) but with a small twist – the models are petite. Aren’t they always petite except for a couple of token “plus” chicks? Yeah, but THIS cycle, the hopefuls are all under 5’7. I applaud Tyra for trying to tinker with the show’s formula and “break barriers’ in the fashion industry but um, I don’t believe it. Sure, I want the fashion industry to better reflect the realities of women’s bodies and to support rather than destroy body image ideals but I have little confidence that a plus woman or a short woman can make it in high fashion. Print and TV? Sure. Runways for top designers? No. This cycle promises to be like the rest so I won’t go into the episode. My focus is on something else entirely right now… Nigel.

After a couple of tweets with the fabulous Thembi (@thembithembi; What Would Thembi Do?), I had to share my appreciation for the wonderful ANTM judge and “noted” photographer Nigel Barker. I would add Nigel to my LIST* with the quickness but he doesn’t quite meet the requirements. Nigel is half Sri Lankan so he is “colored” enough to lust after openly and guilt-free, LOL. But really, he’s an even-handed judge, a good photographer, appears to be a good husband. has a British accent, and is much needed masculine eye-candy between Mr and Miss Jay. So yeah, this is a totally gratuitous, lustful post objectifying Nigel Barker. So what?!

*Referring to the List of White Men I’d Do if I Were Into White Men which at present includes the likes of Jason Stackhouse/Ryan Kwanten, and James Purefoy.

Juicy eh?

Makes me think of summer. I’m SO Black, y’all! Would you rock ’em?

the Slip-On

the Chukka

The Era

Peeped at Trashbag Aesthetics.

Who loves you, baby?

Saw this over at It’s like I’m … mmmagic! and thought it was too cute. I’ve had some of these happen in relationships, still waiting on others.

Then He Loves You

If he always gives you the last bite of his sandwich or the first lick of his ice cream cone, then he loves you.

If he’s seen your high school yearbook photo and says he still loves you, then he loves you.

If he’s counted all your freckles,- even the ones behind your knees, then he loves you.

If, right before sleep, he leans in, buries his nose in your hair and inhales, and when you ask what he’s doing, he smiles a smile that reminds you of a secret and says ‘nothing’, then he loves you.

If he tells you that you make chickenpox sexy, then he loves you. He’s lying, but he loves you.

If he’s laid beside you in a too small bed, in a too dark room and listened as you told him all the ways you feel like you are failing, then he loves you.

If he remembers the name of your arch enemy from the sixth grade and hates her because he knows all about how she started the rumor that you only used boys deodorant, when you didn’t– then he loves you. And he hates her. But he loves you.

cool stuff

The Concerto Table from lovegrove & repucci is super cool. I really want one. It wouldn’t go with my apt now, but I’ll get a new place just to compliment that table. According to the website,

The Concerto Table seeks to transform the experience of the modern dinner party by combining the use of a dining table with the elegant curvature of a grand piano.
Adapting the visual sensibility of an old baby grand piano, the table cleverly accommodates the issue of the many forgotten piano lessons of youth by providing a docking slot for your iPod. Simply download your favorite music onto your iPod, plug it in and instantly the Concerto Table becomes both dining surface and dinner party background music at once. The Concerto Table comfortably accommodates space for the home office as well as still leaving room to eat and listen to music as you work. Finished for the day? Simply place your laptop and papers in the center tray and close the lid. Plug your iPod into the dock, lift the soundboard lid and let the music fill your space. Use the table for a pre-dinner cocktail and hors d’oeuvres spread. Then enlist the guests that arrive first to set the table for dinner. They won’t mind at all as your cutlery are neatly tucked into the Concerto Table’s drawer. Too bad it goes for $1400. Also available in black. They have some other cute crap too. Sheesh!