Not Going to Communion

Whenever I see someone who doesn't go to communion, I find I feel all at the same time both very hopeful for them and also a little bit worried and maybe even sad.

On the one hand, I feel hopeful because I think to myself, here is someone clearly taking the eucharist very seriously. They are clearly on a journey of some kind. And isn't it amazing that they've given themselves to that.

At the same time, I worry about whether they're taking that journey with anyone from the Church, whether they're talking about the things that they feel are holding them back from communion, be it a sin or simply the series of basic steps necessary to enter into the Church. As a priest I would never want to meddle in someone else's spiritual life, but I must say, having been at this whole religious life thing a little while now, I've seen how, left alone, we can get lost and confused and even despair. For most of us it takes conversation or at least a sounding board to help us separate our own human, limited views of God, of the nature of our sinfulness, of our mission from the realities thereof.

Put another way: in my experience, God is often a lot more loving and forgiving than the unconscious images that we respond to/react out of. And if there's not someone out there helping us get in touch with that, well, it could be we never take the steps we need to come to the table of the Lord that we seek -- and that God seeks for us.

God: Reaching Out to Help Us?...


Or ready to throw a lightning bolt and smite us down?


We believe as Catholics that the Eucharist is our ongoing sacrament of reconciliation, the means, along with confession, by which we are continually brought back into right relationship with God and one another.

It's always good to remember that.

Unconditional acne medication.

If there is one thing that we all appreciate while taking a medication to treat various maladies, it is the waiver of conditions by the medications such as acne medication, colon cleansers and anti-aging creams.

If a medication imposes certain conditions that deprive of our daily pleasures, we do not favor such medications. Are you with me so far?

Acne treatment pills or creams generally tell us that we should avoid eating oily foods to prevent acne. But there is no charm in eating dry food! If we can treat acne without changing our day-to-day living style, then, that would be the ideal acne treatment.

We can compromise on other habits but we do not like to give up our eating pleasures. What do you say?

Top 10 Models

Top 10 Hottest “Plus” Sized Celebrities

Does being beautiful mean being a size 0?? I think not! While most children who develop eating disorders are between 11 and 13, studies have shown that 80% of 3rd through 6th graders are dissatisfied with their bodies or their weight and by age 9 somewhere between 30 and 40% of girls have already been on a diet. Between ages 10 and 16, the statistic jumps to 80%. Many eating disorder experts attribute this behavior to the effects of cultural expectations. Unnatural ideas of beauty bombard our little girls and teens for as long as they can remember, they need to know that they do not have to be as thin as bread sticks to be sexy or beautiful! Here are the Top 10 Sexiest “Plus-sized” (one hates to use the term) Models and Entertainers. Be happy with who you are, beauty is on the inside!

She is a 19-year-old Canadian plus-size model and actress whose beauty, confidence, and talent have earned her professional acclaim, and have made her a role model for a generation of full-figured girls.

Top 10 Models

Whitney Thompson-America’s Next Top Model Cycle 10 Winner

Thanks to America’s Next Top Model Cycle 10 winner, Whitney Thompson, for being on the show.  If you missed the interview you can hear the unedited version.

Leichhardt, advertising (Theme Day: Funny Signs)

 There's nothing like truth in advertising or in this case the motto of a furniture shop: Butt Ugly Blokes Building Handsome Furniture For Beautiful People. The furniture shop is called 'Three of a Kind Store' and is located on Parramatta Road, in the inner west suburb of Leichhardt. This is the back laneway delivery entrance to the shop and the sign is on the side street, which can be seen from the man road. I took this photo a while ago but didn't find a good reason to post it, until this theme day gave me a perfect excuse.

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Fasting, Part 2

So, how did it go? Did you eat something before Mass? I have to say, I had some qualms after I made the suggestion. In the end, being Catholic is about making it your own, and part of that is not simply taking things on anybody's say so, but using the input of others to help you figure it out for yourself. I certainly hope you didn't eat if it felt like a betrayal of any kind. It was just a suggestion!

Here's my experience: On any number of occasions, I've broken the one hour fast rule. And in part I didn't really give it too much attention, because I thought, ah, old rules, no real relevance today.

But having broken the rule, I found I appreciated it more. To me, it's strange to go to communion feeling full. It's like I've missed the point entirely, or like, why exactly am I up here? Clearly, the eucharist is not supposed to be all the calories you need for one of your meals of the day. But still, it is food. And if I don't actually physically have any need for that, it doesn't exactly feel right.

Also, personally I find it weird to have some particular taste in my mouth at communion time. It sort of distracts me from what I'm there for, pulls me out of the experience.

So for me, the rule is sort of about being available. Going to Mass, I want to be open to the experience that is going to be offered to me. If I go on a full stomach, or have other tastes in my mouth, I'm less available. There's something else already there.

That's my two cents. As always, I'd be interested to hear others.

Americans, have a Happy Memorial Day!

Good bye summer!

I woke up a bit early. After taking coffee, I entered my office and was surprised to find the room in a relative cool condition. Ah, the peak of the summer just got over.

Though, I cannot anticipate any summer shower for another week or so, I can heave a sigh of relief for having seen off the agni natchathiram.

I would say this year's summer was rather mild. Only on one day, the temperature crossed 40 degree. The cyclone Laila that spared Madras to vent his energy definitely was the prime cause for the tolerable summer.

However, I foresee less rain this year because of mild summer. Historically, that has been the observation.

Darlinghurst, Underworld

 Underworld is an art installation at Taylor Square, in the inner city suburb of Darlinghurst. The artwork is part of the Taylor Square Plinth Project, which is having three temporary art projects installed from 2009 to 2011 to enliven the square and make people think about art. Underworld, by Dale Miles, is a set of colourful arachnid legs emerging from the staircase of a disused underground gentlemen's convenience. This work of art gives voice to the lost habitat of the notorious and venemous Sydney Funnel Web Spider.

Bollywood Divine, Thy Kingdom come!

Dangerously running out of topics.. so made a small attempt to scrutinize a few Bollywood characters that gracefully went down the most acclaimed genre of disastrously made movies.

Tony of Kites.

Rich, handsome, flirty. He was engaged to the girl he loved, and suddenly on the previous day of  marriage, his sister’s fiancée(Hrithik) woos and abducts his fiancee(Barbara). After that, the evil heads steal his money; ruin the peace and reputation of his family. Hrithik is seen ‘apologizing’ to him with a gun pointed at his forehead and cheating him yet again, with two million dollars.

 What is this guy supposed to do? Sit at home and pray for their well being?

He is flirty, possessive. Who isn’t?

And finally he follows the missing couple who are ‘madly in love’ (read lust)…which he does because he is manly and has guts. And kills neither.

So who is the villain here?

Preity Zinta of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

She is a pretty, fashionable, dutiful family woman and a working mother. She takes care of her son, excels at work, cooks at home, picks up and drops their son at school. She likes to party. Her husband SRK does none of these, and limps his way to immorality. He confesses that to her, assuming an expression that couldn't have been lighter. She slaps him modestly.

 Suddenly she is a villain.

If he doesn’t like to party, don’t!! Please! This woman doesn’t party by leaving the house in a mess, nor does she flirt with anyone in spite of her being in fashion, and the environment she works in might offer her millions of chances to. She choosing to party was way holier than her husband who spent the same night with a woman of his choice.

He finally leaves her and ends up with ‘woh’.

And we are supposed to shed tears of joy (apart from the money spent on the ticket) for the ridiculously immoral couple.

Abhishek Bachchan of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

When Rani confesses to him about her affair with SRK, he creates a tantrum, which any husband worth his salt will. He is undoubtedly the most lovable guy any girl would crave for. He likes to party, while Rani doesn't (she behaves like a 75 year old).
Instead she even humiliates her husband at parties amidst thousands of hot girls and sleeps with a married man who has a son too. So she can do anything for love (read lust again), and turns out to be the heroine, while Abhishek ..poor soul is caught in a gray light.

Here is a standing ovation for Rani.

Anushka in Rab ne bana di Jodi.

Despite being saved from a disaster, she continues to treat her husband like a watchdog. She is a typical village girl and one cant comprehend which Prince Charming was she expecting to come for her. Consequently, she joins a dance class (a post marriage behavioral class would have done good for her) and is led into temptation by her dance partner, even thinks about eloping with him....when the bell of morality rang with a bang in her head, tuned with ‘Tujh mein rab dikhta hai’... This lady however is alarmed at how her lover and husband are one and the same (but we don’t know whether she is happy or not).

So SRK becomes the Holy One by forgiving her trespasses.

 Now that he had learnt to dance, he is allowed inside the house as well!

Here is a big round of applause to the wife of the millennium.

There are much more, I know...but winding up here ..:D will come up with some more later ;-)

Buy gold coins through ATM.

Can you believe this? We can now buy gold coins through automatic vending machines! This novel idea of selling gold coin coins and gold bars through ATMs originated from a shrewd German named Thomas Geissler.

Thomas Geissler has floated a company called ‘Gold to go’ to implement his forward thinking. His dream golden ATM was first installed in Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

I considered it as a brilliant move to install the first gold ATM in a country where investing in gold is as easy as buying a candy.

Even those who have never bought gold in their life will buy gold when they travel to Abu Dhabi, because, every traveler buys just gold bars in Abu Dhabi where one is assured buying authentic pure gold.

I invite Thomas Geissler to Madras, to install his wonder ATM that spits gold coins and gold bars. It will be exciting to watch the live action.

Image courtesy: Google Images

An Orange Bedroom?

Would you ever think of painting a bedroom orange? Orange is associated with excitement and affection. It is warm, friendly, and inviting and denotes a sense of home. Deep oranges are associated with rich beauty; lighter shades represent comfort and relieve stress. Orange increases appetite, induces relaxation, slows down rates of blood flow and increases sleep. Therefore, lighter shades of orange such as peach would be calming for a bedroom. Use orange in the dining room, family room, formal living room, guest bedroom and bath and foyer.

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Brown implies sincerity and reliability. It reduces irritability, mental tension, and eliminates chronic fatigue. It also increases tryptophan amino acid levels that influence sleep, migraine immunity, and moods. Use a brown which has yellow undertones in the study, library, media room, or guest bedroom.

House Beautiful

                                                                  Decor Pad

The color pink is associated with fun, music, celebration and excitement. Lighter shades can be calming. Good rooms for pink décor are playrooms (use bright pink) or guest rooms or bedrooms. (use lighter shades)

Decor Pad

                                                                      Decor Pad


~ "Orange is the happiest color." ~ FrankSinatra

Alexandria, Sydney Park wetlands

Sydney Park is a large inner city recreational area in Alexandria. It features a number of ponds and wetlands that attract many animals and birds. This is a view (top) of the pond in the south-east corner of the park. A Little Black Cormorant, also known as a Shag, is seen here sunning its wings (bottom), while its mate enjoys the view from the boardwalk.

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Best Models Pictures

Monica, Smile Models

"You can take the best model, the best hair stylist, the best lights and the best clothes, but it is the photographer who presses the button"

Best Models Pictures

French, C African models win Best Model Contest

A competitor is seen during the 21st World's Best Model Contest in Istanbul, Turkey, early Dec. 7, 2008. [Xinhua]

Our Favorite Memorial Day Recipes

How I've looked forward to this weekend since December. The weather is warm and I finally get to break out my grill for the year! Here is one of my favorite all-American cheeseburger recipes that puts a twist on the traditional burger.

Tastiest Bacon Cheddar Burgers

2 lbs ground chuck

1 pkg instant dry onion-mushroom soup mix

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup steak sauce

8 slices white cheddar cheese

1 large red onion, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

8 hamburger buns

1/2 cup ranch dressing

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

16 slices of bacon, fried

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In large bowl, mix ground beef, soup mix, parsley and steak sauce until well blended. Shape mixture into 8 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Place patties on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 13-15 minutes, turning once - until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160 degrees F. Top each burger patty with cheese slice; cook just until cheese is melted. Meanwhile, brush onion slices with olive oil. Add to grill last 5 to 8 minutes or cooking time for patties. To toast buns, place cut side down on grill during last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking time. Layer buns with lettuce, ranch dressing, burger patties, bacon, tomato slices and onion slices.

Aunt Helen's salad has always been a favorite, too. It's the first thing I always go for on our picnic table smorgasbord.

Aunt Helen's Strawberry Romaine Salad

1 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 large head Romaine lettuce

1 pint Eckert strawberries, sliced

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup walnuts

Combine first seven ingredients in a large jar. Cover tightly, and shake well. You can refrigerate this dressing up to 1 week.

To serve: Tear lettuce into bit-size pieces. Combine torn lettuce, strawberries, cheese and walnuts in a large bowl. Pour shaken dressing over salad. Toss gently.

Eckert Family Tip: If serving as a entree, use grilled or fried chicken to add protein!

Stop by Eckert's this weekend for your favorite dips, spreads and salsas. Receive 50% off when you buy one at regular price. Click here for a printer-friendly coupon.

Most importantly...

On behalf of the Eckert family, I would like to thank our service members and their families for their unwavering dedication to freedom and for all their sacrifices. May your Memorial Day be one of honor and rememberance.

Alexandria, Sydney Park ponds

Sydney Park, in the inner city suburb of Alexandria, is a former brickworks that has been transformed into 44 hectares of parkland. There have been a number of ponds and wetlands (left) recreated as they once were in this area, which attract many water birds and animals. The storm water retention pond, with a weir (right), stores rainwater for the connected wetland areas in the park.Click here to view all participants of Weekend Reflections

Gunmen in Pakistan Attack 2 Mosques

Gunmen stormed two Pakistani mosques belonging to a minority sect in Lahore on Friday, taking worshippers hostage and sparking gun battles with police that left 17 people dead, officials said.

Gunfire and blasts rang out as the attackers, at least one of whom wore a suicide vest, stormed a mosque in the upscale neighborhood of Model Town and another in the busy area of Garhi Shahu as people gathered for weekly prayers.

They are both mosques of the Ahmadis, also known as Qadiani, and have tens of thousands of members. Rights groups say the sect has long been persecuted in Pakistan and has remained an occasional target of sectarian attacks.

Dunya TV showed one of the attackers atop the minaret of one of the mosques, firing an assault rifle and throwing hand grenades.

The mosques were several miles (kilometers) apart from each other, police officer Haider Ashraf said.

Officers outside one of the mosques in the Garhi Shahu district of Lahore were engaged in a fierce gunfight with the attackers, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.

Pakistan has seen scores of attacks by groups of Islamist militants against Western, government and security force targets over the past three years. Lahore, the second largest city in the country and a vital a military and political center, has been the scene of several.

Many Islamist militants believe it is permissible or honorable to kill non-Muslims, or even those Muslims who do not share their extreme views.

The Ahmadis call themselves Muslims but believe their founder declared himself a prophet centuries after Muhammad, who other Muslims believe was the final prophet. They have long been subject to informal and state-sanctioned discrimination in Pakistan.

The government has declared them a non-Muslim minority and they are prohibited from calling themselves Muslims or engaging in Muslim practices such as reciting Islamic prayers.

Irvingia gabonensis-the one solution for BP, Cholesterol and Obesity.

Ask a native African about the secrets of irvingia gabonensis and its medicinal properties and he will give you one those gentle smiles, a trademark of every native African.

For them, irvingia gabonensis is not a secret herb. They have known it for centuries. We just started exploring the African jungles and God knows what else we are going to find out.

Native Africans possess slim and taut figure, though not very tall. They regularly consume the wild bush mango fruits that contain a high percentage of soluble fiber.

Irvingia gabonensis is now being commercial cultivated with the help of western agricultural technology.

Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Obesity, our most feared enemies could be treated with just this irvingia gabonensis.

Friday Two-Fer: The Sunday Obligation

Since I didn't get to blog as often as I hoped this week, I'm offering two posts today. The main one (below this one) offers a little experiment in fasting.

For an addition, I thought I'd offer a link and some quotes from Archbishop Timothy Dolan's recent column on the Sunday obligation. According to his citations, only about a third of Catholics (at most) go to Church on Sunday regularly. Not a great stat. And according to him, in the end not really a beneficial choice for those who skip. The Sabbath, he notes, is a day of rest, that is, a day to renew and feed the spirit of our lives. It's supposed to offer us a taste of what we can expect after we die, a taste of the kingdom that God promises us.

The choices we make should reflect that. Spending Sunday running around doing errands might be necessary, but it's not a great pattern to fall into. (And let's be honest, shall we? Yes, we all have errands to run. But if you've ever opted not to do the errands on a given Sunday (and who hasn't), you know that by and large we can skip them on a given day, and the important things still somehow seem to get done. It's like trying to get at the front of the line when waiting to get a seat on the plane. Your seat's already reserved, and usually even today there's enough shelf space for everyone. We feel a sense of urgency, so we do it, but it's really not necessary.)

Our Sunday observance, says Archbishop Dolan,

above all our Sunday Eucharist, is our anticipation of that definitive Sabbath rest when we shall enter into the Lord’s Day that will have no end. We need Sunday here below so that we might not lose our path to heaven above! We live on Sunday now what we hope to live forever in heaven.

Something to think about...

The full text can be found here.

You decide how much you want to pay for your car insurance.

I do not know about the rest of the world but the American’s way of assessing vehicle insurance premium is definitely unique and very friendly to those who drive less frequently.

I read an interesting article in cheapestautoinsurance.net. The article elaborates on the latest American auto insurance policy that provides a novel way to save money on annual car insurance.

Car owners who use their car less frequently and who practice safe driving will now pay less insurance premium when compared to those who use their car regularly and show indifference to speed restrictions.

A certain device is fitted into every car and it collects all the vital data and transfers them to a master computer that analyses the data and calculates the insurance premium.

I would say this innovative measure is a welcome move to conserve fuel and to save nation’s economy.

Dish TV's customer care department.

I have paid up my monthly subscription for Dish TV satellite TV services on 12th of May. The due date was 14th May.

On 16th, I received a confirmation of having received the payment from Dish TV in my mobile.

On 26th May, I received a reminder in my mobile that my monthly subscription was on 14th and asked to pay up. It also said that I can ignore the reminder if I had paid already.

Dish TV's customer care department looks like it rarely updates the payment from customers. I take in my stride their inadequacies. I got used to such short comings.

Summer Is Almost Here!

Aside from summer camps, pool parties and beach trips, summer is also a great time to schedule your complementary orthodontic consultation! Since there won’t be as many school related scheduling conflicts, our appointment schedule, while filling up quickly, will be more open for you!

When you come in for your consultation, you will get to meet Valerie, our treatment coordinator. She will give you a tour of the office, tell you about the great programs that we have going on, take some photos, an x-ray and introduce you to the rest of the team! Next, Dr. Scanlan will complete the exam and review his findings with you. If he feels that you are ready for braces, you will have the opportunity to go ahead and have your impressions taken on the same day!

Dr. Scanlan and his team would like to wish you the best as you finish up your last few weeks of school and testing! See you soon!

Connells Point, tree

This tree on the nature strip beside the road, on Morshead Drive in the southern suburb of Connells Point. It seems that rather than move the power lines for the street lights or remove the tree altogether, the power company has decided to sculpt the tree into a ring to allow the power line to run through the middle unobstructed. I discovered this tree while out exploring the sights and thought it was a different way to view the sky.

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Best Models Photos

Age and desirability

I was with a friend and we were talking about the most beautiful Italians. I told him about a blog post I had written some time ago about my favourite Italian sex symbols and that I had put Alba Parietti and Sabrina Ferrilli in my top list.

"What?" he said horrified, "but they are old!!!"

"OK, I also had Monica Bellucci in that list", I added.

"She is also too old for this kind of thing now. You have to look for some one younger!" He insisted.

"There are really hot east European babes", the bar man added helpfully, providing details about the contortions they can do in some porn videos.

"They are not women, they are just meat. And anyway they are not Italian and we exclude porn stars from this classification", my friend clarified.

So there I was trying all kinds of combinations on Google to find out the top young models that Italians love today. Unsurprisingly, there is no unanimity.

Actually quite a lot of them seem to root for Martina Colombari, born in 1975, she was Miss Italy in 1991 and is still considered as one of the best models here. In 2006, in a pool on the best Miss Italy of all times, she was number one.

She does look great but I don't think that she is that young, like my friend was insisting.

Many others think that Carla Bruni is the best Italian top model of all times. Born in 1967 and now married to the French president Sarkozy, even Ms. Bruni is also not very young.

Two other names were mentioned on some websites - Marta Cecchetto and Federica Ridolfi. Ms. Ridolfi was in some recent list of top 100 most desirable women of the world compiled by Askmendotcom. Yet, born in 1974, Ms. Ridolfi is 34.

Marta Cecchetto, the other person often mentioned was born in 1978.

Finally a group of Italian journalists asked to identify the woman they would like to see nude on a calendar, gave the maximum votes to Ilaria d'Amico, a TV presenter but their choice had not so much to do with age, as with the fact that Ms. Ilaria refuses to have top less or nude pictures.

So in the end does it matter what year persons are born? Anyway, I feel that desiring a person has much more to do with the perceived personality of the person than just measurements of breasts or hips, etc. My wife keeps on saying that she finds Sean Connery, who must be seventy now, sexy. So there is hope for all of us, over the hill, but still somehow sexy and desirable, to the people who matter most to us! And I will stick with my Ferrilli and Parietti, thankyou.

Best Models Photos

Best Models of All Time

The latest issue of Harper's Bazaar has a spread with their picks of the greatest models of all time. The list is so comprehensive that we really have nothing to add. Enjoy - and tell us if you think they missed any.

Dorian Leigh

Before informing Eileen Ford she would sign with Ford Models if the agency took her little sister Suzy Parker sight unseen, Leigh landed the cover of Bazaar at age 27 in 1944, after telling Diana Vreeland she was 19. Her wistful femininity — and five marriages — made some claim she was the real Holly Golightly.

Dovima

The quintessential swan was a Queens housewife until she was discovered outside a Manhattan Automat. Described by Avedon as the "last of the great elegant, aristocratic beauties," she created the perfect fashion storm when she posed with elephants for him at the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris in 1955. The resulting images have long been among the world's best-loved fashion photographs.

Sunny Harvett

Avedon's 1954 picture of Harnett wearing a Grès gown at a casino was jet-set long before 007 ever spun a roulette wheel.

Lisa Fonssagrives
The face of the '40s and '50s (and Mrs. Irving Penn) called herself "a good clothes hanger."

Suzy Parker

The first model to earn more than $100 an hour, Parker was the face of postwar American glamour and inspired Audrey Hepburn's character in the 1957 film Funny Face. Her bright insouciance was beloved by Avedon, who called her "my most challenging and complicated of muses."

Jean Shrimpton

One of the original gamines, "the Shrimp" (winking for Avedon in 1965) embodied the London youthquake in her photos and free-spirited lifestyle.

Twiggy

Following on the go-go heels of Shrimpton, Twiggy's doe-eyed charm and leggy, androgynous looks made her the ideal mannequin for the mod looks of the mid-'60s.

Veruschka

Once considered too tall, at more than six feet, to be a model, the German knockout played up her exoticism and Valkyrie proportions by occasionally appearing in nothing but body paint and favoring far-flung locations.

Marisa Berenson
Elsa Schiaparelli's granddaughter's golden glow made YSL call her the "girl of the '70s."

Lauren Hutton

The first model to sign an exclusive cosmetics contract (with Revlon in '73), Hutton was an antidote to '70s excess.

Jerry Hall

The glossy Texan was fittingly discovered on a beach in Saint-Tropez. She is the mother of four of Mick Jagger's children.

Patti Hansen

A favorite of Albert Watson and Francesco Scavullo, Hansen married Keith Richards, with whom she has two daughters, Theodora and Alexandra.

Iman

The stunning Somalian transcended color barriers, becoming one of the top models of the '70s. Now married to David Bowie, she is founder of Iman Cosmetics.

Cheryl Tiegs

Best known for her swimsuit work, the quintessential California girl was the first to ride in on the wave that also brought Christie Brinkley to fame.

Paulina Porizkova

Czech-born Porizkova's sultry pout, captured here by Scavullo in 1987, was sought after in the early MTV era. A gig in a Cars video led to her marriage to Ric Ocasek.

Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz, and Stephanie Seymour

In contrast to the colorful glitz of the previous decades, the rise of fresh-faced supermodels and stark photography coincided with the clean, pared-down minimalism that became the hallmark of the '90s.

Linda Evangelista

A closely cropped haircut, encouraged by Peter Lindbergh, catapulted Evangelista from the ranks to supermodel status. Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, she graced the cover of Liz Tilberis's first issue of Bazaar in 1992. Together Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell were called "the Trinity," who, Evangelista once said, didn't "wake up for less than $10,000 a day."

Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell
Lensmen loved Turlington's squeaky-clean professionalism and Campbell's saucy swagger.

Nadja Auerman
The long-legged blonde was a Helmut Newton fantasy come to life. She also stared down the lenses of Avedon and Patrick Demarchelier.

Shalom Harlow and Amber Valletta
Often photographed together, Harlow and Valletta were best friends.

Kate Moss

At five foot eight, Moss was the antisupermodel. Her arrival on the scene in 1990 heralded the waif look and changed fashion's aesthetic.

Stella Tenant
Nobly born Tennant was the go-to for English eccentricity.

Gisele Bündchen

The first of the curvy Brazilians, she rang in Glenda Bailey's editorship of Bazaar in 2002 and is a reigning supermodel of the decade.

Natalia Vodianova

Vodianova led a Russian-model invasion and is a mother of three.

Daria Werbowy
The Canadian's feline gaze is instantly recognizable, as she has been the face of many top luxury brands.

Lily Donaldson

The 21-year-old Brit is a favorite of photographers for her easy 21st-century beauty.