This entry is inspired by a recent comment by Laura of Applied Glamour on my post for the Tell Me About Yourself Award. In the post, I said that one of the things about me is that I am in constant search of the ultimate everything in life. I want to find the best book, the most amazing perfume, the most inspiring quote, etc. But my mind often switches quickly and without warning, and before you know it I'm off on some completely other thing, so it's often a struggle to keep up with my own likes and dislikes. Laura asked me what my 'ultimates' of the moment are, and I thought that it would make for such an interesting blog series. I want to make a list of Ultimates each week to share what's reached the toppermost of the poppermost for me. Please check out what I have collected and tell me in the comments section what your ultimates of the moment are. Also feel free to ask me if there are any other ultimate things that you're curious about and would like to see on the list.
Here are my ultimates for the week of 10/15:
The ultimate makeup product / perfume: Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana
My roommate owns this perfume and I can't even count the number of times I've borrowed it from her. It's so addictive. It has a slightly citrus-y scent to it, layered over peppery florals that remind me of both Tartine et Chocolat and Blush by Marc Jacobs.
The ultimate album: "The Ghost Who Walks" by Karen Elson
By no means a brand new album, but I've been listening to her tracks nonstop this week. I love the gothic beauty of her lyrics and the southern influence in her sound. Obviously the title track is one of my favorites, but I also love "The Truth Is In the Dirt," "Pretty Babies," "Lunasa," and "Stolen Roses."
The ultimate book: Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
Whitehead recently came to speak at one of the lectures for the course that I am taking called Living Writers (it is what it sounds - we read the works of writers who are living) and he was one of the funniest men I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. The book tells the story of Benji, a fifteen-year-old boy spending his summer in the Hamptons who emerges at the end of the summer Ben, the young man. The text is Mrs. Dalloway-esque in its plotlessness, if Mrs. Dalloway was a Smiths-loving, Converse-wearing, introspective New York City teen. A coming-of-age tale by a man who professed to hating coming-of-age tales, Sag Harbor is peppered with wonderful references to 80s music and pop culture, and has a delightfully funny narrative voice.
The ultimate clothing item: American Gold Sympathy for the Devil burnout velvet bell bottoms
Lucia of Who the Fuck is Mick Jagger wears these pants a lot on her site, and that does little to curb my obsession with them. I want them, nay, I need them in my wardrobe for London.
The ultimate movie: Un Chien Andalou, by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí
Having seen the film twice this week for two different film courses, I am reminded of the reason why I thought this film was so fascinating when I first watched it. A delightful foray of Surrealism, the film's most lasting images are the most disturbing ones. Anyone who has seen the first scene of the film knows what I am talking about, let's just leave it at that.
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."
