The Good Old Days of Disney Channel!

Whenever I stumble upon Disney channel nowadays, I can’t help but reminisce about the Disney channel of my childhood. My brother and I used to come back from school and we would continuously watch all the shows aired on Disney. It used to be our favorite pastime. I remember Disney channel showed a new Disney movie every Friday and we used to be so excited about that. Ah! I miss the good old days. Some of my favourite shows on Disney were:

1. THAT’S SO RAVEN

A teenage girl periodically receives brief psychic visions of the near future. Trying to make these visions come true results in trouble, and hilarious situations, for the girl and her friends.

It was always hilarious to watch when Raven misinterpreted her visions and tried to advert future disasters. Her quirky plans always landed her in trouble and it was a laugh riot to see her struggling. The other characters Eddy, Chelsea and Corey were adorable too. In fact, I found Chelsea so pretty that my first ever E-mail ID had ‘Chelsea’ as a part!

2. Lizzie McGuire

The comic misadventures of a girl enduring adolescence with her two best friends and dysfunctional family. 

When I started watching Lizzie McGuire, I had just started middle school. The show kind of prepared me for what was to come in the future. Also, I absolutely adored the bits with ‘cartoon’ Lizzie!

3. Hannah Montana

Adventures of a teenage pop star who keeps her identity secret from even her closest friends by using a disguise on stage.

This sweet series came before Miley Cyrus went wild. I was in absolute love with this show. Miley getting ‘the best of both worlds’ was a treat to watch. The show had an amazing soundtrack. I always used to like the way Miley and her dad’s relationship was portrayed.

4. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

Comedy about identical twins living at the Tipton Hotel with their single mother who is a lounge singer at the hotel.

This was the show that my brother and I used to enjoy the most together. Zack and Cody were identical twins but their personalities were exactly opposite to each other. While Cody was the sissy one, Zack was the bold twin. I always used to tease my brother by calling him Cody. The scenes between London and Maddy were the best! I remember fantasizing about permanently living in a hotel suite whenever I used to watch this show.

5. Wizards of Waverly Place

Centers on a family in New York City that owns a restaurant where, behind the scenes, the kids can do real magic.

This show came at a time when all the good Disney channel shows had either ended or were going to end. This was truly a relief for us and also Disney channel’s last saving grace. It will be truly remembered.

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Earlier in the post, I wrote about the Friday movies. Some of them are definitely worth mentioning. I have had a lot of trouble finding their names from their descriptions and have only mentioned the movies off the top of my head. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list. If there is still a child within you, I am sure you’ll still enjoy these movies:

TWITCHES

Two teen witches who were separated at birth and were adopted by two different families meet on their 21st birthday and must use their powers to save the world in which they were born, where their birth mother still lives.

HALLOWEENTOWN

After learning she is a witch, a girl (Kimberly J. Brown) helps save a town full of other supernatural creatures.

THE PARENT TRAP

Identical twins, separated at birth and each raised by one of their biological parents, discover each other for the first time at summer camp and make a plan to bring their wayward parents back together.

DON’T LOOK UNDER THE BED

A girl calls on her brother’s imaginary friend to banish a mischievous boogeyman who has framed her for his pranks.

THE CHEETAH GIRLS

Four teens aim to take the world by storm with their music.

CAMP ROCK

At a music camp for gifted teens, a popular teen idol overhears a girl singing and sets out to find who the talented voice belongs to. What he doesn’t know is that the girl is actually a camp kitchen worker with a fear of being heard.

SKY HIGH

Set in a world where superheroes are commonly known and accepted, young Will Stronghold, the son of the Commander and Jetstream, tries to find a balance between being a normal teenager and an extraordinary being.

STARSTRUCK

Jessica Olsen was expecting a normal trip to California with her family to visit her grandma. However, she agrees to join her older sister to find the famous pop star, Christopher Wilde.

Recently, a wave of nostalgia has hit me. I guess you miss your childhood more as you grow older. I hope you’ll watch these shows and movies if you haven’t till now. Bet they’ll seem as amazing as they seemed years ago!

Source: IMDB for the text in italics.

Gossip Girl: The Show That Influenced My Style

The last season of Gossip Girl has ended, but it will always live in my memories because Gossip Girl had a large influence on my style. Each and every girl who saw Gossip Girl could relate to one of the girls on the show, be it Serena, Blair, Jenny or Vanessa. My inspiration was Blair Waldorf!

I remember being mesmerized by the way she dressed. Her headbands in Season 1, her princess like dresses in Season 5 and her beautiful Vera Wang and Elie Saab wedding dresses had completely won me over. Once, very recently, I went to dinner with my parents wearing a Blair Waldorfish headband with a pink flower. The number of stares I got were testimonies of the fact that REAL people do not accept 18 year olds wearing huge flowers on their heads. Yet, I am not over my obsession with Blair Waldorf fashion. I consider myself a sophisticate, and nobody but Blair Waldorf epitomises sophistication for me.

And while I am writing about Gossip Girl, who could forget Serena Van der Woodsen? I could literally kill for the amazing Chanel bags, or the Louboutins! Serena always had a casual style, much more toned down than Blair’s impeccable, perfect look. But Serena’s laidback style also had a great fan following. I would agree, too, that there were more than a few pieces from Serena’s wardrobe that I so desperately wanted. One of them was Serena’s black and white Jenny Packham dress from Season 4. It was stunningly beautiful.

Serena in Jenny Packham

Chuck Bass

The name is Bass. Chuck Bass. Ofcourse, Chuck did not influence my style, but because of him, I dreamt of a man who dressed in tailored suits like Chuck Bass. Actually, let me be honest, I did not dream of a man who just had Chuck’s wardrobe but much more. In Season 1, Chuck was just a guy (with  a signature scarf) who slept with his best friend’s girlfriend. But after Season 2, he became the HERO. Girls fell in love with him. He was the new bad boy with with a golden heart.

Vanessa’s character had her fair share of criticism, and so did her bohemian style. Jenny’s transformation from barbie doll to gothic princess was much talked about. Dan’s poor boy wardrobe and Nate’s casual shirts didn’t go unnoticed as well. Several guest stars came and went but all of them created an impact. Gossip Girl’s characters always remained in talks for their style. Henry Bass, the 5 year old son of Chuck and Blair, can easily be voted  as the best dressed TV child.

This was not a nostalgic post about some TV show that ended, but it was a post about a major influence on my style. I would never blame myself for endlessly following Gossip Girl, because who wouldn’t want to step into the glamourous heels of the Upper East Siders. XOXO