So: This Happened.

Don't ask me how I managed to write a 50,000-word novel in 28 days without completely falling off the deep end. It's a terrible novel - or at least terrible by Meimei standards - and it probably won't see the light of a single publisher... but I got a lot of satisfaction out of writing it, and I couldn't be happier.

Those of you who are interested in reading the manuscript, however, will have to contact me personally.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I probably should get back to work, and I'll definitely need more sleep. Or at least one of these:

Video Style Moments: The Holiday Edition

Remember when Mariah Carey used to be such a sweetheart?

I still hold the opinion that this is the best video that Mariah ever made, because the clip really matches the retro feel of the song. (The local supermarket has been playing her Christmas album on an endless loop lately, in fact, and it's actually quite good. Her version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is epic.) True, her hair and makeup people didn't have their collective acts together during this time - and I blame Tommy Mottola for that - but the combination of the dress and the go-go boots here is actually cute, not sleazy.

Happy holidays, everyone! Domesticity will be (thankfully) returning to its regular posting schedule as soon as December rolls around this week. :)

What's Your Fantasy: Sexiest Blog Entry Alive

Here's the thing: There is no way for me- and I mean NO WAY - to let this weekend pass without saying anything about Ryan Reynolds being named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.

Screencap: People.com

On the one hand: I still need to sit down and watch an entire Ryan Reynolds movie from beginning to end. (Trailers don't count, and neither do reruns of Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place.) Part of me doesn't want to know what on earth is up with his marriage to Scarlett Johansson. Also, most of the photos I've seen on the People site makes him look like a cornered deer, and that trailer for Green Lantern is... kind of underwhelming.

On the other hand:

1. Hot.
2. Canadian.
3. To paraphrase my cousin: It's been 11 years since Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place, and his hair is still the same. Which, to me, is pretty endearing. 
4. Watching the Green Lantern trailer made me realize that - finally - I have found a leading man who is capable and very much qualified to unleash all sorts of whup-ass on Peter Sarsgaard, even if it is a bald-headed Sarsgaard covered in several layers of makeup and CGI. (Pete, seriously - love you, still find you hot, but Tom Cruise doesn't count as a worthy adversary.)
5. Let's face it: I think it's about time People chose somebody in my age bracket for their Sexiest Man Alive. The best way to explain why this factoid is nice for me to know has a lot to do with the fact that Ryan comes across as a guy who doesn't let his goofiness get the better of him. Which leads us to the next point...
6. I also have it on good authority (okay, LaineyGossip, but still) that he really is funny, charming, articulate, and an upstanding citizen overall in real life. This analysis, in particular, is quite revealing. 
7. He told People that he makes "a mean omelette." He already had me at the word "omelette" anyway. 
8. Did I already mention that he's hot?
9. And Canadian?
10. Which means that I now feel a lot less guilty about drooling over a really hot Canadian guy with a sense of humor and the capability to recreate a savory egg-based dish using a frying pan. (Wink wink, nudge nudge! Say no more! Say no more!) 

The Ultimate Video Style Moment

Confession: I've been watching this video on an endless loop since last night. (It's for, uh, "research" for my NaNoWriMo project. And by "research" I mean "getting out of my writer's block.")



Some thoughts:

• Wait, this came out 20 years ago!?!?!?!?!!! And it was directed by David Fincher? Has it been THAT long ago? (All I know is that I was extremely let down by "Too Funky," which was supposed to be a follow-up to "Freedom 90" - and remains one of the big reasons why I still don't get haute couture.) 
• Oh, so many girlcrush-worthy supermodels here. Naomi Campbell has never been hotter, before and since, and Christy Turlington(-Burns) is just made of wowza. (Such a versatile face!) Then there's Cindy Crawford, of course - how could anyone not notice that mole? - and Tatjana Patitz, who I just found out is aging quite nicely... though I have to admit that those shots of her with the cigarettes are pretty hot. 
• On the other hand... Linda Evangelista? Still annoying. I get that she's gorgeous and epic and everything, but something about her just bugs. 
• Also just found out that Marcus Schenkenberg is not in this video (thank goodness - the guy ended up looking really grody, didn't he?)... which then begs the question: Who were those hot guys, and why can't I find them where I should?

And if you liked this one, you should see the semi-homage created for the D+G Fragrance Anthology advertising campaign, shown here. (Warning: Some butt-flashing may be involved here. Also, WTF happened to Claudia Schiffer's body?)

...I'll stop here before I end up with another Halloween Spectacular in my hands. 

Because It's Never Too Early to Plan for the Holidays...

Two entries ago, I mentioned that I wanted this on my gift list:

(Buxom City Slickers holiday set, $39 at Sephora.) 

And because I tend to have a wandering eye when it comes to these things, I thought I could put this on my wish list too. 

(MAC 5 Sassy Neutral Lassies, $29.50; screenshot from MACcosmetics.com) 

That, however, does not compare to some of the things that I actually do want: 

Jillian, you affectionate little meanie, you. I'm already getting 30 Day Shred from Scribey, so this would be a nice addition to my stash of workout videos. 

Also:

OMG BRITISH LAW AND ORDER OMG OMG OMG!!! 

Corny-sounding, I know, but you're looking at the person who will deliberately watch old Law and Order reruns whenever they're on. (But only the first three seasons, though, especially the ones where Chris Noth was still quite hot.) While people may scoff at the UK edition ripping off scripts and plots wholesale from the first few seasons of Law and Order: Original Recipe, I personally think it's a reminder of why the original series was so great in the first place. 

And then: 

OMG MARTIN FREEMAN OMG OMG OMG!!!!!

A friend from NaNoWriMo Philippines recommended this series to me; apparently it has become quite a popular torrent download, which is weird because Filipinos don't always lean much towards the Anglophilic end of the TV spectrum unless it involves Mr. Bean. Also, it has been a while since Mr. Freeman has appeared on my radar - especially after last year's constant marathon of Hot Fuzz - so I'm pretty optimistic about how he does in the Watson role here. 

(Benedict Cumberbatch, on the other hand, will always be on my good side, especially since I'm used to watching him run around frantically in The Last Enemy. I wouldn't worry about his career just yet, is what I'm saying.) 

...Santa? 

Domesticity Reviews: The Fragrances in Meimei's Closet

Credit for this goes to a friend of mine who did this on his Facebook page.

For a quick refresher on which fragrances are which - besides the first three - click here.

Chanel Chance: Remember when you purchased me from Liberty House several years ago, when you got your first non-student job? And you do remember that the first day of your second term is coming up, yes? So it would help that you should wear the very fragrance that has carried you through every single challenge in your career. Pick me, and I will help you fulfill your destiny!

Chanel No. 5: But ah, my dearest bonne Chance, you are mistaken! I have taught Meimei everything that she needs to know about power and destiny! Never mind that I have repeatedly failed in attracting the right garcon for her (then again, so has your dearest sister Allure) but what can one do when one is 18 years of age and could only begin to grasp one's true mission in life! So much potential, Meimei, but it is never too late to awaken it once again.

Comptoir Sud Pacifique Vanille: Je suis desole, les madames de Chanel, but I've been Meimei's go-to fragrance for the last 10 or so years, and she just can't quit me. Maybe it's because she's now used to that flan-scented top note?

4711: Meimei once wore me when she acted as a judge for a trivia-quiz night at the Math department, and ended up earning more respect from the undergrads for being tough and knowledgeable. If she'd known earlier that my dry down smells better than that intimidating top note, she'd wear me more often.

Le Petit b. b. by Agnes B.: Hi, Mr. 4711! Can I help you with your top-note problem? I'm a little too light, but I can still help you!

Sand and Sable: ...COOKIES!

Caron Farnesiana and Pan Ame de Patou: Darling, why are you still saving us for special occasions? Is it because we make you feel like you should be wearing a dress all the time?

YSL Cinema: Well, you did wear me when you went to watch Cats, right? And I did help you get through that intermission with all those intimidating high-society folks in attendance - even if you were, in fact, wearing a skirt from Gap. Wouldn't it be nice if you'd wear me again with a more glamorous gown, and possibly a much hotter date?

Mysterious Blue Bottle from Kuri's Stash: Yes, you can wear me to work. And by "work" I mean Domesticity and NaNoWriMo, if you know what I mean... KIDDING! No, seriously, you can totally wear me to work.

The Body Shop Indian Gardenia: Well, well, I just realized that Meimei's beginning to like me again as a floral. Wonder if she'll let me help 4711 and Le Petit b.b. on their sillage problems?

The Case for the Shout-Out

We interrupt our usual schedule of off-blog lesson planning, NaNoWriting, and other distractions for some breaking news.

Be In Style has just featured Domesticity in their Best of the Web series, which runs every two weeks with a running theme. This week's theme is "first impressions," and here's an excerpt from their entry 

The blog’s “Video Style Moments” entertain readers while subtly encouraging us to exercise our aesthetic muscles.  Keep an eye out for the microcosm moments where editor Meimei posts thoughtful moments from her life.

Sweet! Once again, many thanks to the staff at Be In Style for the awesome feature story. :)

Also, for those of you who have just found this site, a few pieces of worthy beauty moments...

First, a Face for The Moment.

This picture is from more than a year ago, taken right before I was about to go out for speed-dating. This is actually more of an earthy-style look, with a lot of browns from Stila and a bit of bronzer to go along with the brown-and-orange theme I'm working with here. The whole night was a bust date-wise - remind me to tell you that story about Wow Guy and This Is Not a Job Interview Dude on this blog -  but I ended up hanging out with a bunch of super-cool girls with whom I ended up watching Star Trek with over the weekend. (Wish I'd met them earlier, before the whole move to the Philippines happened. Miss 'em.)

Second of all:

WANT. That's all. If ever, though. (Christmas?)

And third:

I'll admit to liking the mascara and the lipstick (well played!). Putting aside all speculations about Shakira's weight, the crazy wardrobe, and the rattiness of her hair, though: Am I the only person who goes around saying "DAHNCE... OR DIE!" at every random opportunity?

...Just me, then? Okay, then. 

When Meimei Disappears

You might be worried about the title up here, after all the disturbing blog entries that I've been putting up lately. And no, I'm not talking about running off to Canada, even if it means better Food Network programming and even better potato chip flavors.

(Also because the alleged future father of my supposedly ramen-haired children has now moved to Los Angeles, which I am trying my best not to take as a sign. Or something.)

ANYWAY-

Two things: First, I have become invested in the World Series of Baseball lately. As much as I like the Rangers for their pwnage of the Yankees (who I still hate, in spite of the pretty that is Derek Jeter), I'm totally rooting for the Giants because 1) I have a lot of friends in San Francisco right now who want to end the torture, and 2) George W. Bush, which goes without saying.

And besides, the Giants has my part-Pinoy homeboy Tim Lincecum, even though he really needs to cut his hair if he wants to be taken seriously. (Seriously, Tim: You sort of have the Joseph Gordon-Levitt thing going on. Win Game 5 already so you can finally visit a barber in the off-season!)

And second:

It's my first time doing NaNoWriMo, and already it has taken over my soul. Never mind that I'm a sworn writing geek when it comes to these things, and never mind that I have lost enough of my mind to describe one of my characters as an angry blogger and another as this guy playing the part of this guy and this guy, but more Irish.

(Horrors! Meimei has based a character on ANTHONY FRIGGING BOURDAIN! Run for the hills!)

(...No, I definitely was kidding. Please don't sue me, Tony. But do send me the home addresses for the other two, if you have them lying around and/or your lawyers don't mind.)

The whole novel's been mapped out already, though, and I'm thinking about getting 20% done before work starts and I lose more of my mind. Assuming, of course, that the World Series doesn't go into Game 7.

Okay, that's enough writing for now. I'm going downstairs to check on the game. And by "game" I really do mean Game 5.

EDITED @7:03 PM to say GIANTS WIN! GIANTS WIN! GIANTS WIN! And also that I'm using this guy instead as the physical prototype for my lead male character. I love you, Gerard, but I figured that Jeremy would make a more convincing pancake-flipper.

Last Song Syndrome: Let's Not, and Say We Did

Shallow note: I'm not the only one who has noticed the awesomeness of the lead singer's color-blocked sweater in this video, right? Seriously, that is one cool sweater. Even if I don't like the way he's pushed the sleeves up to 3/4 length over his elbows.

In my defense, I've already heard this song on the radio dozens of times before, so it was inevitable that I would hunt down the lyrics and watch the video, which apparently explains... well, everything.

Which then leads us, in a way, to another explanation of why and how it ended up in the Halloween Spectacular:

And I wanna know what happened to your boyfriend
Cos he was looking at me like "woah...!"
Yeah right before the kitchen was a dustbowl
And tossing me the keys and I can't forget how
everything just coming through the windows
and half the street was under my nails
it's like we sitting in the Faraday cage,
when the lights all failed

And now everybody gotta go hungry
and everybody cover up their mouths
And I haven't seen the body count lately
but looking at your faces it
must have been bad - 


(...I'll stop here before we end up at Sandra Lee's house for dinner. *shudder*)