The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Jeff Koons

For many people who don't like (or understand) contemporary art Jeff Koons really means nothing to you. Little do they know that Jeff Koons' work is actually more present in their life than they realize. Why is he so influential in the contemporary art world? He's taken the occupation of artist to a whole new level.

Jeff Koons was born in York, Pa on January 21, 1955 (that means he's an aquarius). He did a little studying at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and the Maryland Institute College of Art (and during that time he even fathered a daughter who was put up for adoption). Then in 1991 he married Cicciolina, an Italian pornstar who for a brief period of time was also a member of the Italian Parliament (okay cool Italy). She didn't really speak english and he didn't really speak Italian, so basically that relationship was doomed from the start. They had a child, Ludwig, in 1992 and when they got divorced Cicciolina took Ludwig back to Italy with her so that she could continue to preform. Now he's married to Justine Wheeler and they have six children together.

Whatever his life is average (besides the whole Italian pornstar thing). What makes him such an influence in the art world is basically his art (le duh). 

Here are some of his famous sculptures (you'll probably recognize a few if you've ever left your house).

Above: Pink Panther

Date: 1988

Medium: Porcelain on formica base

Above: Ballon Venus (Orange)
Date: 2008-12
Medium: Mirror-polished stainless steel with transparent color coating
Size: 102 × 48 × 50 in.

Left: Made in Heaven

Date: 1989

Medium:  Lithograph on paper on canvas

Size: 125 × 272 in

Right: Violet - Ice (Kama Sutra)

Date: 1991

Medium: Glass

Size: 13 x 28 x 17 inches

Above: Michael Jackson and Bubbles

Date: 1988

Medium: Porcelain 

Size: 42 × 70 1⁄2 x 32 1⁄2 in.

Above, Left: Play-Doh
Medium: Polychromed aluminum
Date: 1994-2014
Size: 120 × 108 × 108 in

Above, Right: Woman in Tub
Date: 1988 
Medium: Porcelain
Size: 23 3/4 x 36 x 27 inches

Above: Balloon Dog

Date: 1994-2000

Medium: high chromium stainless steel with transparent color coating

Size: 121 x 143 x 45 inches

Basically he's a big deal because he never touched a piece of his work until it was completely finished. He claims the rights to the pieces because it was "his idea." He finds the best of the best to create his work (the best porcelain sculptor, metal shiner, painter, you get the point). So each piece of art is literally perfection. 

He's a famous artist (or as other artists call him, a sell out). He makes miniature sculptures for design companies to sell and his actual pieces sell for A LOT of money. He is basically the Andy Warhol of this generation. 

Also a lot of his pieces have subtle sexual meanings (like the Pink Panther is about masterbation, like okay what?!!!) But anyway I think he's pretty cool and the pictures do not even give his art justice. SO I REALLY RECOMMEND YOU GO SEE SOME OF IT. 
You can see it at the Whitney Museum in NYC until Oct. 17th or you can stumble upon the random pieces that may be near you and you don't even realize.

xoxo
Jillian 

Birkenstocks Are Cool, Okay?

I've come to the realization that I love Birkenstocks. They can do no wrong. I bought my first pair back in the 6th grade and still wear them (on occasion because they're a little gross now) to this day. Many people disagree with me, so for all those haters out there I'm going to write you a list on why Birkenstocks are the best.

MY LIST ON WHY BIRKENSTOCKS ARE THE BEST

1. The sole is squishy and molds to your feet. Isn't this the reason why everyone loves rainbows, because they mold to everyone's foot making each pair of shoes have an individual fit? Well guess what! What, you ask? Birkenstocks do the same thing, BOOM!

2. Jesus wore Birkenstocks. I refer to my Arizona sandal as the Jesus sandal because he wore them. In the bible JESUS WORE BIRKENSTOCKS OKAY!?! He was cool enough to do his own thing and like start a new religion. So if you want to be as cool as Jesus you have to wear Birkenstocks. 

3. They're are many types of Birkenstocks. I personally own the Boston and the Arizona. This is America people, we demand options and the freedom to pick what type of shoe we want to wear. Therefore Birkenstocks are the best because you can pick the type of Birkenstock you want to wear. 

4. Here is a picture of me pondering life. Notice that I am indeed wearing Birkenstocks in this picture. If you often question the purpose of life, you need to buy Birkenstocks. 

5. It is currently 11:34 pm eastern standard time and I am in bed. Guess what shoes I'm wearing, in bed. If you guessed Birkenstocks, you are correct and now you have to go buy yourself a pair. 

If these 5 reasons have not convinced you to love Birkenstocks then you clearly have no sense of style, humor, fashion, life, or anything. If you want to make friends and make up for what you are lacking you have to buy Birkenstocks. 

Out of the goodness of my heart below I have shared the link to the Birkenstock website just to make your life a little easier. 

http://birkenstock.com/

Go buy Birkenstocks, your life will be changed.

xoxo

Jillian

Le Paleo Diet

Ahhhhh, the Paleo diet (also known as the Caveman Diet) is an interesting phenomenon in the dieting world. Some misconceptions about this diet are that you only eat meat (like lots of meat, like grrrrrr meat), that it's super boring because you can only eat meat, and that you're supposed to kill what you eat (so like no veggies because you can't kill those, so enjoy your meat). 

Well, you can eat more than just meat on the paleo diet. The basic rules are that you CAN NOT eat processed food. For example no sugar, artificial flavors, grains, legumes (a fancy word for beans, peas, peanuts, etc), processed vegetable and seed oil, and alcohol (I know *tears*). Things YOU SHOULD eat are animal protein (YAY MEAT), vegetables (yummm dirt), healthy cooking fats, fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and coconut keifer and to be honest I don't really know what these are but they're allowed!), and spices. There are also some foods that are kind of allowed and you should really only kind of eat. For example, fruit (veggies are better, lots of sugar in fruit), nuts and seeds, starches, diary, and natural sweeteners (like honey, NOT agave nectar). 

Wooo so after all those rules you're probably thinking, I LOVE bread and alcohol and can't even imagine what life would be like with out them. I feel the same way. It's a hard thing to give up and I have a hard time doing it. Quite frankly, I'm not a caveman and I can't stick to the Paleo diet if someone paid me a million dollars. 

I love the idea of eating only healthy things but lets face it, COLLEGE. I want to go out and drink (yeah I'm close enough to 21), and have awesome late night snacks, and eat cookies until I'm going to vomit. There's also no way I'm going to give up my Fluff n' Nutter (Fluff, Peanut Butter, and Nutella) sandwiches, it's my cocaine. 

So I've come up with a new diet called the Jillian Paleo Diet. It's all the perks of the paleo diet and you get to enjoy being in college (or whatever stage of life you're in)! 

Here are the rules:

1. Tell everyone you know, meet, see, imagine that you are eating paleo. Just tell 'em. Even if they don't want to hear it (so that people think you eat paleo).

2. Try to eat paleo. So like try to follow the rules but like only if you're feeling it.  

3. If you want that cookie, EAT THAT COOKIE.

4. Enjoy yourself.

5. Don't focus on how much you weigh, as long as you're healthy, be happy. 

6. Eat lots of veggies and healthy meat (no deep fried chicken, okay?)

There we go, the Jillian Paleo Diet. I also found this awesome cookbook called Nom Nom Paleo, by Michelle Tam and Henry Fong, that has these delicious recipes that make you forget that you're not drinking, or eating bread or potato chips, or doughnuts, or ice cream, or cookies, or cake, or whatever unhealthy thing you crave. Go buy it, or find the recipes online, because they really are nom nom.

xoxo
Jillian

The Monogram Necklace

The monogram necklace... It's a huge trend now a days. Girls frolic around parading their monogram (not to be confused with their initials....that's something completely different) hanging from their necks, ears, keys, backpacks and who knows what else. 

What is a monogram you ask? Well for one if you're asking this question you must be an idiot, but since you asked I'll explain. The monogram consists of three letters. The first one is the first letter of your first name, the second (which is usually a little larger than the first and third) is the first letter of your last name and the final letter is the first letter of your middle name. 

Isn't that just your initials? OH NO! Like I stated before, your monogram and your initials are not the same thing. If they were the same thing why would they be named something else? Clearly you need to get your shit together and realize that your monogram is the classier, smarter, hotter, and better at everything sister of the initials. 

So why is the monogram such a huge thing? Can you please stop with all the questions? I'm getting there. 

The monogram used to be cute. You have your baby blanket monogrammed, maybe your backpack in kindergarten was monogrammed, I get it it's adorable. Who decided it was okay to monogram the world? Because if there was a vote I sure missed it. 

I get the practicality of monogramming things. I am guilty of the monogrammed backpack, but only so I know it's mine (because I'm an idiot and misplace everything or accidentally steal something from someone cuz it looks like mine). But please let's keep the monogramming down to only what is necessary. 

Do girls wear their monogram necklaces because they don't want to forget their initials incase someone asks for their full name? Just wondering. 

But then again maybe I'm wrong and monogramming everything is like super cute and I just don't see the appeal. If someone would out of the kindness of their heart care to explain this fashion trend to me it would be greatly appreciated. Please help a girl out because she is clueless.

xoxo
Jillian

My Very First, Very Unorganized Post

I decided all of 10 minutes ago that I should have a blog. I don't know what has possessed me to decide this, but I thought hey, why not it looks like fun and maybe someone out there (let's hope) cares enough to read what I have to say. 

This blog will consist of my thoughts. Clearly it will be random, have no real type of organization,  cover anything from fashion trends I'm trying (and probably failing) to random things that were in my dream last night. 

Now you're probably thinking why do I care about this random person who decided to start a blog 10 minutes ago? How do I even know it's a real person creating this and not some alien? 

Well to convince you readers out there that I am real I will tell you a little bit about myself (just enough to make you comfortable, I'm not going to give you my social security number or anything). 

My name is Jillian and I am a  sophomore at Washington and Lee University located in Lexington, Virginia. I am on the Women's Swim Team and am originally from Old Greenwich, Connecticut. I  take a lot of pictures and am not preppy enough to be going to W&L.

Here is a picture of and my two sisters, my dad and I, and yes I am the one in the back picking my nose. 

Since this blog was a gut decision made close to 20 minutes ago now, I don't really have much more to share with you. Hopefully I actually post on this and it doesn't go abandoned.  So PLEASE take the risk and keep checking for new posts! 

xoxo

Jillian