Shorts

I’ve resisted the idea of shorts for a long time NOT because I’m afraid to show off my amazingly stunning legs, but because simply put – I wasn’t sure I could jazz ’em up to look cool.

I found shorts to be bulky and sloppy.

Now…

Shorts and I have come to an understanding: slim them up (not tight, mind you) and form an outfit that suits you.

Simple.

No further explanation needed.

(All shorts here are from Banana Republic, but I’m sure you can find shorts that will look just as good).

Word.
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Pic 1
Color shorts
Pic 2
Chambray shorts
Pic 3
Camo slim shorts

Movies that deserve the repeat viewings during a party

I love parties that shamelessly play bad films with a cult following (or classics) in the background while everyone gets drunk.
Every good house party should be doing this (note: eccentric music videos aren’t a bad idea either).

There’s nothing like striking up a convo with a fellow reveler who is just as involved in watching the tragedy, greatness (or weirdness) unfold on the muted tube as your awesome music plays from your (hopefully) awesome party playlist.

Here are some must play films for your next crib party (a nice mix of bad and good films for you):

Showgirls
The Evil Dead (the original version or it’s sequel – can’t go wrong with either)
Suspiria
Heavy Metal
Videodrome
Scanners
Gymkata
The Shining
Enter The Void
Valhalla Rising
Inception
Memento
Rec, Rec 2 & Rec 3
Demons
The Church

Honestly…the list is endless, but if you can slap any if these together for your next shindig – then do so and watch what happens.

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Your baseball glove, the wallet

Est. in 1941, Coach has produced quality leather pieces year after year. The brand has several hundred shops all over the U.S. and is now concentrating in expanding its efforts overseas. There is no doubt about it – Coach has been around for quite some time, but you know what? They’re just getting started – with men’s that is.

For those who don’t know: America’s favorite pastime – Baseball – is very much linked to the history of the company.
A fellow by the name of Miles Cahn had taken notice of the distinctive properties of the leather used to make baseball gloves. The man saw three things: durability, strength and most importantly quality.
The rest is history.

Fast Forward to the summer of 2012 – Coach released a series of billfold wallets made out of used baseball gloves to commemorate 70 years of Coach quality.

The wallets were limited in quantity and individually numbered, which made these special pieces an absolute must-have (especially if you are a fan of the sport).

These wallets sold through quickly after its initial release, but Coach will reintroduce an additional set this summer – and that probably would be it for this awesome piece of work.
No mas after these have sold.
So do yourself a favor and go get one.
$348, available at The Coach Men’s shops.

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Your watch, with flavor

I’ve developed a sudden fascination with watches, especially ones with removable straps.

Watches serve a dual purpose in my personal wardrobe – not only to give me the time, but to serve as a functional bracelet with that POP of color (or texture).
Timex, JCrew and most recently Jack Spade have released sweet watches worth adding to your wardrobe until you can scrape up the dough for that Rolex or Patek you’ve been clamoring for….
Note:
My personal fave is the Timex Weekender (available at Amazon for a mere $30-40!)

The weekender has a removable strap in many many colors (both solid and striped) in a 20 mm size. Worth it if you can snag it.

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Stylin’ it up.

One can own a plethora of clothes, but in the end it’s HOW one puts it together that matters.

The pieces:
Bow tie @thetiebar
Watch @timex weekender (removable strap)
Vest @jcrew
Belt @coach
Scarf @coach
Slim fit denim shirt @bananarepublic
Chinos @bananarepublic
Shoes @allenedmonds (not shown)

Style is an art. You are the canvas.

I like to think of fashion as art.

Your mind, a paint brush.
Your clothes, the paint.
Your body, the canvas.

Flicks you should’ve seen in 2012

It’s that time of the year to share the list of movies you should’ve payed good money for in 2012 (Like I did).
Here is a short list of films that I enjoyed last year and are worthy of your time as well.

Looper (it’s on Blu and DVD now) –
The biggest surprise of the year that could net Rian Johnson an Oscar for best original screenplay.**
Looper’s trailer led us to believe the film is simply about hitmen and time travel, but the story is a lot deeper than what was let on (a brilliant but risky ploy by the marketing dept). A must watch – just don’t think too much about the plot afterwards…

Django Unchained –
It’s Quentin Tarantino at his spaghetti western best. As usual: controversial story with great characters, fantastic dialogue and bloody mayhem make up another great Tarantino experience. Just remember, the D is silent.

Argo –
If there was one movie you HAD to see – trust me, it’s Argo. Taut, thrilling and beautifully directed the film could lead to Ben Affleck’s finest hour (as a filmmaker) in Lala land. The film’s climax is breathtaking and it also boasts the best catch phrase of the year (“Argo f**k yourself!”)

Zero Dark Thirty –
Kathryn Bigalow brings us the hunt for OBL in this thrilling film that despite knowing the outcome – you’re still pushed to the edge of your seat (as did Argo).

The Dark Knight Rises –
Chris Nolan brings his masterful Batman trilogy to a close with this flawed but exciting film that will make me (and most of us sad to see it end).

The Avengers –
Marvel & Disney brought together an all star cast to play a bunch of all star superheroes. Joss Wheden (who sadly missed with Cabin In The Woods) hit a homerun with this comic book epic – great story, nice balance of characters and a lot of fun. Give it a shot.

Skyfall –
Where do I begin? I know – let’s start with the fact that Skyfall had a legitimate shot at being the first Bond film to be nominated for best picture. That’s right – BEST PICTURE.
It’s that good.
Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes are all stellar in the latest installment of the 007 franchise which features everything you want to see in a bond film: great locales, sexy women, fashion (I had to go out and seek the Billy Reid peacoat Mr. Craig wore in the film) and yup, the most famous of all Bond cars, the kick ass Aston Martin DB5.

The Master –
Lacks blood, guts and laughter, but that’s just fine with me. The film is a tense portrayal of two men who become involved in each others lives. Hoffman and Phoenix match up perfectly and the film is stunningly shot (I was fortunate enough to catch the 70mm screening). The film is not for everyone, but go see it if you enjoy strong performances and a story that will linger in your mind for days.

Moonrise Kingdom –
If Wes Anderson makes a movie – I will see it. Moonrise Kingdom is another solid treat from the director. A small town gathers a search party to look for a pair of kids who fall in love and run away together. MK has all the elements of the usual W.Anderson film: colorful visuals, great characters (played by great actors) and an awesome musical score.

Silver Linings Playbook –
Everyone involved here (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and especially Robert DeNiro give amazing performances in this quirky, thoughtful, funny love story that is splendidly directed by David O. Russell (who also gave us ‘The Fighter’).
I was instantly hooked from the first scene and never let go – if Argo (my personal fave to win) hadn’t been released in ’12 – I’d have put all my money on ‘Silver’ to win the top prize (though it still could).

Other notables:
Lincoln – wasn’t a fan (I had trouble trying to stay awake) but Daniel Day Lewis was certainly fun to watch.

Flight – Denzel and John Goodman are amazing (and the film doesn’t end the way you think it will).

Jack Reacher – Tom Cruise in a muscle car chase scene? I’m there.

Make the effort to watch these gems as well:

Killing Me Softly –
Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta give excellent performances in this vastly underseen film about hit men and the recession.

The Raid –
Excellent martial arts mayhem not seen in a very long time.

End Of Watch –
Rock solid cop film

Holy Motors & Amour –
I haven’t seen either of these French imports (as of this writing) but they rank high on my list of films to catch ASAP.

Beasts of the Southern Wild –
Filled with striking imagery and an amazing performance by the young lead actress Quvenzhané Wallis makes this powerful film worthy of a viewing as well.

‘The End’ doesn’t always signify completion.

Hey, you.
That’s right – I’m referring to you – the person taking the time to read this post.
Thank you.
Yes, I am personally thanking you for giving me a few minutes of your time to read something of mine.
THANK YOU.
Now that that’s out of the way here is an update on what’s going on with me.
2012 has been a very good year for me in terms of writing.
I managed to complete early drafts for two feature length scripts. One script, titled ‘Samaritan’ is a suspense story and the second – my latest script (currently untitled) is a modern day twist on the noir genre as told by someone living in the projects of New York.
I just completed the latter. Now I return to ‘Samaritan’ for the dreaded rewrite. Because no matter how I finished the story–the story will never feel complete to me.
The words ‘The End’ never ring true. Reading countless drafts of my work proves it. Edit this, add that, change the ending! It’s never over – never. No script is ever really complete. (A perfect example of this thought process is that during film productions–script changes are constantly being made even during filming(!)) In addition;
ever hear how artists (writers, filmmakers and painters alike) second guess themselves on how they should’ve, could’ve done this or that differently?
That’s because the end just….isn’t.

A writer writes, writes, and rewrites.
The end simply doesn’t exist to a writer (or any artist for that matter).

Well, there you have it. Whether or not there is a point to this post I thank you again for taking the time to read it.
Best,
Eli

Instagram is just more interesting.

I have a friend who recently got married (in October of 2012).  It was a beautiful wedding. We were all amongst friends and family in Princeton, NJ. Everything was perfect. The setting, the weather, the food, drinks — everything. Lots of pictures were taken (in addition to the professional who was getting paid to take them).  I myself shot up about 60-70 photos all of which were put up on Facebook (in a private album).  I put these photos up about three weeks after the wedding.

Fast forward to December. I ask my friend (let’s call her K, shall we?), “K, have you seen the photos I put up on Facebook of your wedding?” Her response was, “Yeah, I saw them on Instagram – they’re cute!”

Instagram? Really?

I Instagrammed (it’s a term now) two or three photos of the wedding. THREE, out of the 60 + photos that I had posted up on Facebook were viewed by K herself on Instagram, but not on Facebook. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy using Instagram (I have been using the picture taking app for 2 1/2 years and going strong with a total of 521 photos – although I should be in the thousands -I know).

What this tells me though, is that people seem to be less inclined to peruse through the photo albums on Facebook these days. Can you blame them? Instagram pics look better and are infinitely more interesting that the plain jane pics that are posted up (without the cool filters) on Facebook.

Picture taking continues to evolve and the popularity of instagram is helping to push it forward until the next BIG thing (which I believe could be ability to take 3D photos on our phones). Can you imagine that…?

Here are some of my instagram photos, starting with my friend ‘K’ and her husband J’s wedding pic. Enjoy.

Follow me on instagram: elivergara

Twitter:  @eliezervergara

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Hurricane Sandy

I have some pics to upload, but for now I just wanted to write this post to send out best wishes, concerns and condolences to those affected by this devastating event. I have lived in New York all my life and this is definitely a first for me (in terms of natural disasters). I hope everyone gets through this in one piece.

Again – my thoughts and prayers to all in New York and the Northeast.

E