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I dare you to name someone in entertainment history more revolutionary and innovative than Madonna. While numerous influential artists have come and gone and still exist today, most are known for one look or one sound. The chameleon that is Madonna has had a far-reaching ripple effect across this entire globe, over and over again.

Photo: Adam Sculler/RANGEFINDERS/GLOBE for People

As Madonna Louise Ciccone celebrates her 50th birthday today, I want to not only celebrate the universal impact this woman has had, but also why I feel she has been instrumental in my own life. Love her or hate her, the Material Girl has an undeniable quality that is simply untouchable.

Photo: Unimedia International/Rex for People

From humble beginnings in Bay City, Michigan, the aspiring dancer made her way to New York City in the late 70s where she discovered a love and aptitude for music and singing. Surviving for so long on “nothing but handfuls of popcorn and sundaes,” Madonna finally found her place at NYC nightclub Danceteria and released her first self-titled album in 1983.

Photo: All Action/Retna for People

The rest, as they say, is history. Though some critics considered 80s pop rival Cyndi Lauper as the one with staying power, Madonna proved them all wrong and continues to today. Her ability to constantly reinvent herself while staying true to who she is, is what makes Madonna work.

Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty for People

She’s weathered her fair share of wardrobe disasters (Little Bo Peep, anyone?), painful relationships, tabloid scandals and still manages to come out on top with not only dignity but a great deal of respect for herself. There are few, I believe, who truly have that ability.

Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect/Getty for People

I remember, as a young girl, having sleepovers with my friend Kortney and we’d writhe around with flashlights and hairbrushes, performing various Madonna hits for each other.

In high school I gave a report on Madonna during twelfth grade that I’ll never forget. To end the presentation to my class, I wanted to show a clip of 1991’s “Truth or Dare,” a documentary chronicling her Blonde Ambition Tour. Being that those were the days of VCRs and tapes always seemed to rewind a little bit more than you wanted them to, when I hit the play button, we all saw Madonna giving a spit and polish job to a water bottle that my senior class will surely never forget.

Thanks for the lesson in humility, Madge.

Photo: GLOBE for People

And while Madonna’s seemingly straight-forward demeanor, sometimes outrageous antics and out-spoken beliefs - on everything from sex to religion - are what cause some people to disapprove of her, those are what I see as her beauty and strength.

Photo: Richard Young/Rex for People

I believe that her message has always been empowering, educating and freeing. She has shown that it’s okay to fail as long as you’ve tried to succeed. Though she is still a woman and at times vulnerable, it is something that all women (and men too) can connect with and identify in.

Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty for People

For a woman who has come so far in half a century, I find it an honour to be able to celebrate the mother, wife, style icon, musician, singer, songwriter, AIDS advocate, actress and woman that she is.

Here is to 50 more.

Photo: Steven Klein/Warner Bros. Records for People

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Last night, in preparation for this post, I spent over an hour watching her videos on YouTube. While I can’t possibly begin to pick a favourite, below are some of what I believe to be her best MTV work to date. Check them out if you have time to kill and want to take a lil’ trip down memory lane.

I like Eva Longoria, quite a bit, and so the point of this post isn’t a slam on her. Rather, it’s a perfect demonstration that she is a normal girl just like the rest of us. No girl is comfortable in her skin 100% of the time, and it’s completely understandable. Mainstream media bombards us with images that we ultimately know are largely fabricated, but the proof is often hard to find.

I’ve always said you can open any Victoria’s Secret catalogue and clearly see the airbrush marks and spots on inner thighs where excess inches have literally been cut away in photo programs. Sometimes, though, the best example is a side-by-side.

The photo on the left was shot for Bebe Sport’s recent campaign; the photo on the left was snapped just yesterday off the coast of Portofino, Italy.

Left Photo: Bebe Sport; Right Photo: Bauer-Griffin for People

She’s a real girl, ladies - with a healthy figure just like the rest of us.

Would you believe me if I told you that by the time last night arrived, I wasn’t really all that excited to see Sex and the City on the silver screen? Maybe I’d hyped it up too much over the last several months, or maybe it was a subconscious way of not allowing me to feel disappointed if the film fell short of what I had hoped it’d be. Either way, once the curtains lifted and the screen glittered in shades of blue and pink, my apathy had been dispelled.

Photo: miss604 on Flickr

Watching Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte together again brought on a huge surge of relief. Each of the four actresses (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, respectively) slipped back into the roles they made famous as comfortably as a favourite pair of Manolos. And don’t be fooled into thinking that you’re going to see a really, really, ridiculously long episode of the HBO hit; the film plays like the movie that it is (especially considering that it clocks in at just over 2 hours and 20 minutes). Much to this girl’s delight, the fab foursome are joined in their big screen venture by the men in their lives: Mr. Big (Chris Noth), Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler), Steve Brady (David Eigenberg) and Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis).

Despite expectations, predictions, leaked storylines, possibilities and probabilities (not to mention the countless images we’ve seen of the girls’ costume changes over the last few months), Sex still delivers surprises, tears and more laughter than you ever experienced in your living room. The truth is, I’m dying to discuss the details, but I have to be fair. That being said, I am giving you, my readers, until the end of the weekend to see the film for yourselves. After that, all bets are off and anything from the film is fair game for discussion on my blog.

Click here to visit the film’s official website.

It’s doubtful that you’ll enjoy tonight’s post unless you’re of the softer-skinned, lovely-scented, shiny hair variety, but that being said, both boys and girls alike may get a kick out of this. I want to jump around to three different places, so hang on - tight!

Appearance Modification Products

One thing I love about getting back to the Island is suburban shopping; in particular, cheaper shopping. It’s always easier to stock up on the goods a girl needs when in small towns.

First up, I grabbed Nivea’s new Summer Touch body lotion with sunless tanner and firming qualities. Being that I’m still in my 20s, firmness doesn’t concern me, but practicing safe sun does. The lotion promises a sunkissed appearance after five days. I’m on day two and already very impressed. I also snagged a cannister of Skintimate’s new “Lotionized” shave gel. Words cannot possibly express the softness said shave gel provides.

As you can see, I finally finished deciding between skincare products and settled on old faithful, Clinique. Already my skin is tingling in delight, so it’s rather clear I made a good choice.

Despite the rain, thunder and lightning outside my apartment window, summer is around the corner, and now is the time to stock up on footwear for sunny days. If you wait until June or July, I’m guessing you’ll be out of luck. Two pairs of flip flops, one pair black and one pair brown, $7.98 each. Score.

Hot summer nights require cool summer attire. With such a long hem and high neckline, I probably couldn’t have picked a less sexy nightgown, but I love the femininity it oozes. Plus, it’s ridiculously light and comfortable.

I like to call it my Jenny Gump gown.

A Journey Through Vogue

As I sat on the Coastal Renaissance on Friday evening, I found myself flipping through the May 2008 edition of Vogue magazine. For some reason, I especially enjoyed this month’s read; much more than most editions. Here were some highlights that either made me ooh, ahh or chuckle.

Which brings me to my third and final point for the evening…

Eating Well For My Body

Everyone who knows me knows I’m a Jugo Juice addict. In fact, I’ve already brought a couple friends over to the Dark Side. Grabbing a “Skinny Peach” juicie has become a daily habit of mine, so out of curiosity, I went to JJ’s website to look up the nutritional information. Oddly enough, everything but the sugar content was listed.

Photo: Little An on Flickr

Being that, as of late, my mom has become somewhat of a walking encyclopedia when it comes to nutritional information, I asked her to give it a shot and figure out the sugar content. We guesstimated somewhere between 18 and 20 grams of sugar per serving! Sick!

I know that natural sugars are necessary, but that is a huge sugar and carb load all at once. Bikini season will arrive before I even know it, so I think it’s time to cut down the JJ addiction to Saturdays, and only while running errands. (That being said, thank goodness Casey’s getting a haircut this weekend!) Drinking that each day while sitting on my rump at my desk is a bad, bad idea.

Sorry to break the news to you, ladies.

Last week’s post about the impending summer season got the ball rolling in my head, and I’m actually finding myself looking forward to sunny days and hot nights. However, thinking about such things has turned into somewhat of a slippery slope. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve put any sort of significant punch of new items into my wardrobe. I got to thinking about what I need to stock up on, and the prospect of shopping has got me rather excited. It wasn’t until I was walking home from the office today and did some mathematics in my head that I realized I might be a few dollars short of what I need want, ideally, to stock my closet.

Photo: cmdrray on Flickr

Let’s do the math together, shall we?

_____ _____ large tote, Coach, $398.00
_____ _____ _____ wedge shoe, Keds, $59.99
_____ _____ skimmer shoe, Keds, $39.99
_____ _____ _____ perfume, Holt Renfrew, $80.00
_____ _____ _____ dress, Bebe, $159.00
_____ _____ hoodie, Lululemon, $80.00
_____ _____ pants, Lululemon, $80.00
(*specifics have been redacted to keep your prying eyes away from my much-coveted items)

In addition to this, I’ll need a couple pairs of dressier sandals (Steven Madden wedges?) as well as a minimum of two sundresses. Creating some cushion for a few random accessories and maybe a couple cute tops to go with my new favourite jeans, let’s say that’s an additional $300.00, all in.

SUMMERTIME GRAND TOTAL: $1,196.98

Sooo…does anyone have any super ideas that’ll put a cool $1,200 in my pocket and fast?

Updated - Where There’s Oil, There Will Be Blood

Being the huge fan of ‘No Country For Old Men’ that I am, I was thrilled to learn that it had won the Academy Award for Best Picture several weeks ago. However, after watching ‘There Will Be Blood’ last night, I am singing a different song. ‘Blood’ was completely robbed. Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance was so brilliant that it was often overwhelming just to watch him on screen. His presence is, very simply, satiating. Kudos to the Academy for awarding him the Best Actor trophy.

What I appreciated most about the film as a whole was its authenticity. Despite the quality production of any given period piece, one tends never to forget that they’re watching sets, costumes and props. Not so in this case. They might as well have transported cameras and recording equipment 100 years back in time and shot this film. The movie was just released on DVD yesterday (in eco-friendly packaging, I might add) so if you haven’t yet experienced Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest masterpiece, do so now.

Photo: Paramount Vantage Pictures on Hampton Roads

It’s okay, I get it. Many of you who read this blog are my friends and family and, therefore, have a great deal of love for me. However, it hasn’t escaped me that a few of my readers have quite a sour taste in their mouths for me and their reasons for checking in on my blog are more of a guilty pleasure; a love/hate, if you will. I’m a big girl - I can handle that. So for those of you who dislike me, here’s one of those rare shallow gems for your reading and viewing displeasure to fuel your feelings.

Yesterday, after work, I did something I’d long been meaning to do: I bought new jeans. Growing up on the Island, shopping wasn’t something in which much selection was offered. At Christmastime in seventh grade I was beyond thrilled to receive my first pair of Guess jeans. Everybody had ‘em! After that, I stuck mostly to Mavi, Silver and Gap (once Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo got one). It wasn’t until the last handful of years that I started to learn more about fashion, what looks good and what fits properly. The truth is, I have long legs and a narrow waist, and mass jean manufacturers simply don’t cut their jeans to suit. Even Gap’s ‘Long and Lean’ collection presumes that “if you’re tall then surely you must have saddlebags, so let’s put in extra fabric to accommodate for them.” The truth is, I’m 5-foot-9 with a 3/4 waist.

Two years ago, a beautiful friend helped me discover jeans of a more designer calibre. It started with Citizens of Humanity and never stopped there. The truth is, when jeans are properly designed, they fit the body that wears them that much better. And so last night I pushed open the glass doors of Holt Renfrew and bought myself a new pair from Rock and Republic. And I love them. And they were worth every penny.

I won’t even tell you which one was me - the answer is obvious.

I started choosing my own outfits in kindergarten. My favourite pairing, as I can recall, was a top with big, pastel florals matched with a pair of very light washed overalls. I always felt my best in that particular clothing.

The fashion in my journey through childhood, adolescence, my late teens and even my early 20s was dominated by what I thought looked great at the time. There was the expected neon period, the time when I simply had to have Hammer pants preceding the to-die-for upside-down triangle branding on the butt of Guess jeans that everyone was sporting in seventh grade. I went through a brief period in the summer of 1996 in which I thought perhaps I’d go “punk.” The purple hair and British-inspired monstrosities didn’t last long.

By the time I reached my early 20s, I thought I knew what I liked to wear and what I felt comfortable in. Looking back, I was clueless even then. In pondering my dressing disasters, two particulars stick out like sore thimbles: 1) I had no idea what a proper fit looked like; and 2) Accessories? What?

Photo: Fashion In Liverpool

Then came the turning point. Then came 25. How I came to realize that something about my appearance was beyond awkward, I couldn’t say. But it was at that point something near-magical happened: I discovered shoes; I discovered handbags; I discovered the marvel in rotating jewelry; and I discovered how to buy clothes that fit.

Over the past three years, I’ve taken the basics of outer beauty and dressing one’s self and began to build with those tools. Now my hall closet is stocked with boots, stilettos, Keds, ballet flats, and pin-up girl kitten heels. The bulging jewelry box on my nightstand is stuffed with hoops, studs, feathers, chains, pendants, bracelets and rings. And my walk-in closet (yes, my walk-in closet) is adorned in denim and dress pants and skirts and sweaters and sweater vests and long tees and short tees and lingerie and ridiculously sexy dresses and matching bra-and-pantry sets. I count my blessings.

Photo: FashionInsanity

Very recently I discovered the bible, the bible being Vogue magazine. Never before have I found so much inspiration between pages. Cosmopolitan is yesterday’s news. I mean, really…how many different ways are there to give a really “stellar” blow job?

A girlfriend argued the other day that reading Vogue is pointless because she “just wants everything” she sees in the ads and the articles, and then feels inadequate when she doesn’t own it all. Au contraire, mon ami. It depends on how you look at it.

Being one who is still an admitted grasshopper when it comes to piecing together a smart look, inspiration is my reason for reading and inspiration is the entire reason Vogue was founded over a century ago in 1892. Though it would be lovely indeed, I will never be the girl with an assortment of Gucci bags, poppy-printed Prada dresses for spring, eccentric Dolce and Gabbana gowns or a new pair of Christian Louboutin heels for each day of the week. The few that can afford such pieces have a luxury that ever fewer will ever taste. For the rest of us, those pieces were designed to inspire.

Perhaps some may see this post as shallow and a pointless waste of writing time. However, I doubt there are many reading this that don’t understand the feeling of those rare, once-in-a-blue moon days where you step out the front door and feel more on your game than usual, and thus chalk it up to “looking good.” It’s not selfish or the aforementioned shallow to want to look fantastic. Self confidence doesn’t come easy even at the best of times, so sometimes there are days where a fabulous pair of shoes is the only first aid kit that will do.