Dress Codes of Desire

Despite our best intentions, it is human nature to judge on appearance. One of the results of this for singles is the necessity of having to put more thought into what to wear on a date and what items should be squirreled away to the back of the wardrobe, only to be unveiled during a more comfortable stage of a relationship.

Although everyone is unique in their tastes, there are a few standard rules for date-time dressing.

Dressing to impress does not always mean dressing comfortably!

You have plenty of time to slob about on your own. So why not make an effort for your date? Of course, it helps to know where you’re going beforehand. Six-inch heels just aren’t practical for rock climbing or hiking if your date happens to be of the outdoorsy, adventurous kind. But they do lengthen legs and convey a sexy, empowered look that may give you the confidence to make the date successful. Men – you may feel at home wearing low-slung jeans, but you could cut a better figure by investing in a belt so your date sees your underwear when she agrees it’s time, not before. Which brings us to...

Bare necessities

A well-known rule of thumb for the ladies is leg or cleavage – not both. This is in support of the idea that it is better to leave something to the imagination instead of flaunting flesh and spoiling the surprise. Again, the destination for the date may influence your decision in this department. If you are part of the London, Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds dating scenes, it is likely your date will end up at one of the excellent clubs these cities have to offer, in which case it helps to dress appropriately. Some clubs and some restaurants have specific dress codes, so check beforehand if possible. Try to achieve a balance between blending in and making sure your date notices you and your idiosyncrasies.

You don’t have to wear a suit to look smart

Both men and women recognise that items of clothing are usually chosen to project a part of our personalities. However, it is women that are more likely to notice the smaller details, such as loose threads and dirty collars. Both sexes should ensure clothes are clean, and if you absolutely have to rush straight from work, spritz on some deodorant – and watch out for those give-away marks.

Highlight your best features

Whether your date was put together by friends, through colleagues or via online dating, chances are this will be the first time you’ve laid eyes on each other, so your mission is to create a memorable first impression. For some this may mean digging out their favourite pair of ‘lucky’ pants (beware the side effect: VPL). However, don’t pretend to be something you’re not by maxing out your credit card for a one-night game of Pimp My Wardrobe. After all, you want your date to fall in love with you, not the labels on your clothes. Work with the gifts you were born with and perhaps throw in a personal quirk to provide an ice-breaker. Once you’ve made your choice, you can then stop worrying about your outfit and get on with enjoying your date!

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Grocery Talk

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Late for Girls Talk, I know. Sorry. But I just checked and, thankfully, I can still join. Whew.

So groceries, huh. Well, in our household, we do groceries every three days. Or so. That’s our current pattern now. We used to do it every two weeks, but suddenly it became a twice-a-week affair. I don’t know how that came to be, but it just did. I guess we found out how retail therapy, even if it is just the usual groceries, can improve one’s mood. The grocery that we frequent is just a couple of blocks away, so it’s no hassle to go there often. And as I’ve said, we needed the momentary distraction from our daily grind that grocery shopping provides. It would have been a bonus if we just walked going there and back, but it’s quite heavy lugging around bags of grocery on the way home. Sometimes, though, when we go for a run, we do drop by and get some things which are easier to carry; or if we don’t have a choice like we really needed something badly like a jug of milk when we’ve run out of it, we make do and just resign ourselves to carrying a heavy gallon home, for otherwise we won’t have milk come morning breakfast.

Provisions and household stuff are what we mostly buy in the grocery—food, cleaning products, etc. Just the usual stuff. What takes most of our grocery budget is food. We are quite economical with our cleaning supplies so we don’t buy them that often. Food is what you would mostly see in our cart.

So that’s our grocery for you. For now, it’s time for you to move on to other blog posts with the same topic so don’t forget to visit Girls Talk to get a head start.

Have a great week ahead, you all!

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Fourth Sunday Stealing

I'm obviously late for Sunday Stealing - sorry for that. I've been out of the house the whole day visiting family, and getting some groceries afterward. It was late when we got home and even later when I did my Sunday Stealing post.

At any rate, here's my Sunday Stealing.

1. What inspires you to blog? The fact that I get to write my thoughts, and share ideas with others.

2. What’s the best thing about blogging, for you? You have your own place in the Web.

3. What is your favorite book of all time? I did a post on this a few days ago and I said it's the Bible.

4. It’s 9 PM and for some reason you've been hungry all day, despite the three square meals. What do you rustle up? Chicken sandwich with all the trimmings (lettuce leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, dressing, etc.).

5. Who are three of your style icons? I can't think of any. I guess I just admire and emulate anyone who has the style that I like.

6. What’s your current favorite song/piece of music? There are a lot! Most of them are R&Bs.

7. What is the last book you read? The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

8. What is your current favorite recipe? Salads. I'm learning to make different kinds of salads.

9. Who or what first inspired you to set up your own blog? My husband who's been telling me to set up one.

10. What object could you not live without? They're not object, but people: my family.

11. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Happy and having the time of my life with my family.

12. Who or what made you into the person you are today? Many people, thank you.

13. What have your learned from blogging? The world is getting smaller.

14. Knowing what you know now, what knowledge would you pass on to your past self? Be patient and persevere, everything will just fall into place.

15. Sunday roasts - lunchtime or evening meal? Lunch time.

16. What has been your best blogging-related experience so far? They're doing great!

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Dee's All-Time Favorite Book

I have read so many books, more than I can even recall, but no book has made me reach for it everyday than this all time best-selling book - the Bible.

The Bible has everything in it: romance (Jacob's true love for Rachel as exemplified by his sacrifice of several years working for her father just so that he can marry her); drama (Samson being betrayed by Delilah); comedy (Zaccheus, a tax collector and a short man, climbing a Sycamore tree to see Jesus. Jesus later choosing Zaccheus out of the crowd and asked him if He can spend a night at Zaccheus place); action (Moses and the Hebrews fleeing the Egyptians and being chased across the Red Sea); suspense (what would happen to Daniel when he was thrown into the Lion's den). And who doesn't know about the greatest source of apocalyptic story found in the Book of Revelation. The Bible just has everything! No wonder it's the all-time favorite book of many, including me.

No other book has given me much joy and comfort. Whenever I'm feeling glad, I'd reach for the Bible to find a good passage that will give praise to God. And when I feel sad, I'd find solace in the encouraging words of the Psalms. The Bible contains all we need for day to day living! And praise God for that!

Okay, that's my all-time favorite book. Check out Girls Talk to see what others have on their list.

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The Top 10 Vocabulary-Building Horror Films of All Time

Dictionary.com has gathered the top 10 horror films that helped enrich our vocabulary. Check them out.

Considering that the most frequent sound to come out of a horror movie character’s mouth is a blood-curdling scream, vocabulary may not be the first thing you think of in relation to fright flicks. However, don't let the funhouse mirror distort the unexpected ways these films have contributed to the popular lexicon. Whether these films make you scream, cry or quiver, you'll be sure to learn something thrilling along the way.

Spook your lexicon – and your nerves – into overdrive, and keep your Dictionary.com app handy for the following picks:

1. The Exorcist – This controversial masterpiece not only redefined horror movies, but has also given people nightmares and nausea since 1973 and introduced us to the term pneumoencephalogram.

2. The Silence of the Lambs – When Dr. Hannibal Lecter insists, “Enthrall me with your acumen,” we can’t help but be enthralled with his. We also have Dr. Lecter to thank for some perverse culinary education – fava beans and Chianti will never taste the same.

3. The Shining – Stephen King’s imagination for horror + Stanley Kubrick’s cerebral filmmaking + Jack Nicholson’s sardonic wit = neuron-firing chills. Kudos to a film that makes ten words – “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” – one of the most terrifying moments in cinema. Alas, you won't find “redrum” in any mainstream dictionary.

4. Jaws – Sure, those of us who were kids in 1975 are now afraid to swim in a pool, but this classic may have done more to generate interest in Carcharodon carcharias than all Shark Week episodes combined. When we weren't being traumatized, we were educated on the animals’ extreme territoriality as well as nautical and medical terminology.

5. Scream – A clever plot and satirical dialogue set this one apart within the otherwise mind-numbing teen slasher genre. Randy offers insight into the killer’s actions: “It's the millennium, motives are incidental.” We dare you to find a line like that in any of the Friday the 13th films.

6. Suspiria – This English-dubbed, gruesome 1977 Italian Dario Argento classic revolves around unusual words that inspire the viewer to look them up, when you aren’t too busy gasping in terror.

7. Videodrome – From what we can determine, the only film included in our Quotes section is David Cronenberg’s early, visionary work. Phrases, concepts, even the names of characters play off of word meanings. And who can forget the grotesque yet mesmerizing imagery and the young James Woods’ intensity?

8. The Omen - We have to give this film credit simply for making its title, a useful and sophisticated term, ubiquitous in popular vocabulary. For better or worse, the series also deserves credit for perpetuating concepts such as the Anti-Christ and the apocalypse.

9. Alien – This film put Sigourney Weaver on the map and put us into a state of nightmare for about a week. Nevertheless, those with the intestinal fortitude to see past the blood were enlightened by discussions of evolutionary biology, artificial intelligence, and corporate politics. The film’s 1979 movie poster corrected a scientific fallacy perpetuated by Star Wars – “In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream…”

10. Psycho – This masterpiece brought the oedipal complex out of the English classroom and made it something so scary that we were afraid to shower. Norman Bates lulls us into a false sense of security with his discussions of taxidermy and armchair philosophy before forever proving that men dressed as old ladies can indeed be terrifying.

Beware: while some of these may indeed be scary, your brain may turn into something resembling a melted Reese’s cup if you watch one of these:

1. Bride of Chucky – While it’s true that the ‘F’ word is one of the most highly searched terms on Dictionary.com, we're not giving out any awards for overusing it in a script.

2. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer – The only thing that could make this film even less stimulating would be to cast Audrina Patridge into a supporting role. Now that’s scary.

3. Hostel – What we learned from this movie was to be irrationally terrified of travel and that’s pretty much it. Queasy and crass, some critics have placed this film into a sub-genre of torture porn. We'll pass.

4. Saw (its sequels in particular) – This franchise may forever be tainted by its ridiculous number of sequels, despite a solid effort in Saw I. Neither the characters nor the dialogue had us reaching for the books.

5. Blair Witch Project – There is no doubt that this creepy, documentary-like film is frightening, but there is hardly enough dialogue to keep you engaged. You may find more verbal stimulation in the cleverly titled Gossip Girl episode “The Blair Bitch Project.”

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Zucchinis

Salad, anyone?

The zucchinis are my yellows. Though, they are a bit of the yellow-green types, still it cannot be denied that they've got some yellow in them.

Alright. Please do check out Mellow Yellow Monday for more yellows around the globe.

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