it's not right, but it's okay...the whitney tribute

obviously, this is well after the fact.  when whitney houston passed away, i was on vacation.  and when i returned, i was...well, sad and didn't feel like discussing.  i  recognize that we must pay tribute to such a legend and now seems to be the right time.  if you were around in the eighties, you probably can't forget whitney's infectious, groundbreaking pop hits even if you tried.  hit after hit after hit.  the nineties were no different. when i was in sixth grade "i'm your baby tonight' was major.  later on in high school (the latter part of the nineties), mrs. houston reigned supreme with the movie "bodyguard" and it's phenomenal soundtrack.  i know i don't have to go into details.  i'll just mention that "i have nothing" gave me and my teenage angst life.  whitney maintained her spot on the throne with the 'waiting to exhale' movie and soundtrack contributions.  by the time i was in college, she hit us hard with the 'my love is your love' album.  at that point, i recall working in a claire's accessory store in a mall somewhere.  the radio station was always glued to KTU and KTU was devoted to whitney.  it's not right, but it's ok, heartbreak hotel, my love is your love.  once again, hit after heavenly hit.  whitney was always a golden girl.  (check her grammy stats)
i chose to include a picture of her wedding day with purpose.  she loved bobby brown.  she was herself when she was with bobby.  they were together for quite a while.  he was her choice and it seems the media has decided to make him a villain.  i don't buy it.  i won't buy it.  i have good instincts about people.  i don't claim bobby brown is an earth angel, by any means.  but, he has a good heart.  he takes a lot of unwarranted heat and complains very little.  but what is most important is that he chose her and she chose him.  and, it appears it was something special and passionate.  nothing for us to judge.  they moved on.  she's gone.  let it be.  i hope that, overall, whitney enjoyed her life.  she was certainly a blessing in mine.  rest in peace 

besos jenna pearle*

lost without you- aaliyah

ten years already.  i already spoke on this last year (click aaliyah) so i won't lament here again.  i'll just say her presence is definitely missed. 

besos jenna pearle*

some unholy war

still attempting to recover from the amy winehouse news.
  here is a look back at ms. winehouse at passionista place. 

*rip also to all of those young people in norway who were killed without cause.

besos jenna pearle*

r.i.p amy- tears dry on their own

oh my god!  moments ago i just read the devastating news about amy winehouse's passing.  i am so stunned.  it seems like a week ago, i was reading some stupid article predicting her death like so many of our talented artists at the young age of 27.  i was really annoyed by their insensitivity and arrogance...and now this.  this saddens me so much because i was rooting for this girl.  her music has been such a treasure for me and i was desperately awaiting new material.  i particularly appreciated that she did things on her own terms.  i really don't know what else to say right now.  what a tremendous loss!  more info here   :(

 jenna pearle*

the original ri-ri/ its good to be here

you can't even imagine how happy i am to be back.  it's ben a while (cue staind song).  i'm ready to get passionista place back on the block.  i got the computer back but i am tethered to one spot for the internet(not wireless at the moment).  anyhow, lets just take advantage of the time we have. 
recently, i heard the news about ms. aretha franklin's successful surgery and now her battle with pancreatic cancer.  i want to wish her well.  i truly hope that she has a speedy recovery.  we need her in our lives.  after all, this is the queen of soul we're talking about here.  the ORIGINAL ri-ri.  show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T! 

besos jenna pearle*

shannon tavares, our little lioness

today is the day we officially say goodbye to shannon tavares, the young talent who played nala from the lion king.  she passed away from leukemia last week.  its just a sad but important story.  read more about it here and find out how you can help others from suffering this same fate.  rest in peace, shannon.  you were loved by many. 
 xoxo  jenna pearle*

day of rememberance

at this moment, i am wiping away tears as i watch the 9-11 day of rememberance on television. this day gets me everytime. what a surreal moment in time that was. i must admit that since it happened as i finished college and was urgently looking for work (a major turning point in my life), it shook me severely. this is the unstable world i was being thrown into? SCARY! nothing in my life (nothing in the world) was ever the same again. bless all the souls of the departed as well as all the friends and family of those lost. that said, the backlash against muslims is so against what this country is suppose to be about. its against human kindness. i could go on but this not a blog about that. but if in any way i could influence you, i beg that you remember to keep an open mind for all the various people in the world. generalizing and stereotyping is the easy way out and we're better than that.

xo jenna pearle

9-11 All-Star Tribute - What's Going On?

today is the 9th anniversary of the 9-11 wtc attacks, as you know. as of right now, it seems we've made little progress in the rebuilding of the twin towers or a nation of tolerance. i'm not sure why this is so shocking to me. i guess i had high expectations. enjoy this track redone by allstars at the time (actually most of these artists are still pretty relevant, how about that?) of marvin gaye's 'what's going on?' i keep asking myself the same question...

somberly, xo jenna pearle*

more than a woman

on august 25th, it was the beginning of the end. at least, it was for me. it was the day that the singer, aaliyah dana haughton, passed away in a plane crash. while that was significant by itself, just a few short weeks later the twin towers would also come crashing down and life (and death) would be forever changed. i won't use this blog as therapy and get too deep with this but i will say that august on was a severe turning point im my life. as for aaliyah, it seems that her good nature and warm heart is indisputable. obviously, her beauty wasn't worthy of words. she served her purpose here and left earth pretty quickly. catchy songs, exceptional dance moves and great personality, aaliyah most definitely rocked our boats.

xoxo jenna pearle*

i bet you remember

mike, today i mourned you. i cried...i smiled...i sang...i remembered the times. thank you for all you've done, mr. michael joseph jackson.

xoxo love always, jenna pearle*

miss u mike

i really miss michael jackson. i know i've mentioned this before. but anyhow, its going to be a year of his passing on and i'm still appreciating the wonderful, beautiful, talented being he truly was. i came across this pic online and it just struck me how perfect he looked here. i came to terms with whatever his transformation deal was, i think. its amazing what we eventually accept. but seeing this image here...the kinks, the complexion, the features...he was just fine. yes, mike, you are just fine with me, always.

xoxo jenna pearle*

get well soon, pls

i just wanted to send my prayers and positive energy to brett michaels of poison, who i'm sure you've heard is in ICU. brett and the other 80's bands believe it or not, were a big part of my childhood experience. i feel like i've learned a lot about him on celebrity apprentice. in my opinion, he's a great guy. get well soon, brett

best wishes, jenna p*

i'm glovin' it...link love

i am extremely overwhelmed by the impressive outpouring of compassion and generosity the world has displayed since the earthquake disaster in Haiti. it seems almost everyone is willing to give all they can to help. one particular person i would like to highlight today is a hatian-american young woman by the name of numa. i had been meaning to share her and her love of gloves with you at some point. however, this tragedy has pushed this to sooner rather than later. numa, of course, loves her homeland and is doing plenty to help. she also has family members that haven't been heard from so far. hopefully, that will be successfully resolved soon. but, what i wanted to share with you is her $20 "I Glove Haiti" t-shirts that are not only cute but for a great cause. numa promises that 100% of the proceeds will go towards efforts to help the haitian plight. check out her site at missnuma.com. buy a shirt if you can; at the very least, become a fan on facebook and spread the word.

doing what i can...jenna pearle

hope for haiti

posting about fashion when something more substanstial is taking place just doesn't seem right. therefore, i will forgo new entries today to focus on the horrendous crisis in haiti. i am soooo sorry this happened to this great country. please do what you can to help the victims of this earthquake. here is one option for donating. text the word "YELE" to the number 501501 to give $5 to the Yele Haiti Fund. this is a reputable organization that is led by Wyclef Jean. he has been a hardworking, honest and fantastic humanitarian for Haiti. there is also unicef, redcross, salvation army and habitat for humanity to name a few. do what you can and keep haiti in your prayers and/or hearts. i will be doing the same.

with a heavy heart for haiti...jenna pearle