Elements of Style

Music Bachelor

2007-06-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was on AOL Music and they had one of those things up where you choose the single guy's next girlfriend. Of course Justin Timberlake was the #1 music bachelor, but I didn't like the ladies they chose for him, except for Ciara. I don't know if she and JT would really hit it off, but I chose her anyway. Of course I didn't get my way. Jessica Alba fans did. Isn't she still dating Cash Warren? I'm pretty sure I saw them at a Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer premiere a few weeks ago. Or is her name there because it's just a last name away from Jessica Biel and AOL doesn't want to get sued for putting Biel's name down. Hmm, now there's some food for thought.

My December, or Kelly's, Whatever

2007-06-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Kelly Clarkson's latest album dropped on Tuesday. It's called My December. Go get it. Tell the cashier I sent you.

You can also check Kelly out in the latest issue of Elle magazine!!

Get this album now!!!!!!!!!!

Return of the Review

2007-06-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is a fashion blog so I better start writing something So So Stylistic.

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The NYC premiere for Bruce Willis' latest flick, Live Free or Die Hard (whose title reminds me of 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin'), took place at Radio City Music Hall this week. While I was watching the entertainment shows Access Hollywood and Extra, I couldn't help but take note of Tallulah's dress. It was a royal blue one shoulder chiffon number. It was so pretty and her hair (a wispy ponytail swept to one side) complimented the outfit perfectly. Tallulah topped off the outfit with strappy silver sandals. Older sister Rumer and mom Demi Moore, also looked great in basic black that was anything but.

This family's got style! What do you think??

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This is the hottest bling I've seen in a while. It's a turntable ring from Jacob and Co. It's so different and hot! Loves it!

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And now for a taste of randomness ...

Seen here in a past issue of Details, it seems that Kevin Federline has not signed his divorce papers as yet. "Why?" you ask. Well here's what I think: Britney's off her rocker, Kevin sees Britney's off her rocker, and he wants full custody of the kids. Go Kevin! Go Kevin! Go Kevin! Go Kevin!

I don't know where I found this, but I like it. Isn't it lovely!!

The official start of summer is June 21. Since it's now June 29, we're already a week into the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love. If you don't know what that is, hit up Google now. All I really know is that San Francisco + Summer 1967 + Drugs + Music + Bohemians + Flowers = The Summer of Love

Suri's So Cute!!

2007-06-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

p.s. I didn't do the pink writing. That's from some other blogger. I just like the photos.

Tokyo Drift

2007-06-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

The other day I was watching Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and this stuck out to me:

No past and no future.
No problems.
Just the moment.

I had to put this on my favorite screen shots.

You have to see this movie if you haven't done so already!!!

Spice Girls to Reunite!!

2007-06-29T17:37:00.001-07:00

The Spice Girls will be kicking off their reunion tour this December. Check 'em out!!

Fun Looks

2007-06-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Luella

Michael Kors

Chanel

Michael Kors

Calvin Klein

Balenciaga

Chanel

Y-3

Alberta Ferretti

Calvin Klein

3.1 Phillip Lim

Calvin Klein

Cipes!!

2007-06-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

I ♥ Cipes from the band Cipes and the People.

Here are some recent photos I found of him.

Love Stoned

2007-06-11T13:17:00.001-07:00

Go Green

2007-05-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Kids,

So I've pretty much deserted my blog this month, but I will make it up to you with more posts soon. Anyway here's what I've started to notice in the past few weeks. Everybody's talking about going eco-friendly. Even yours truly has gone green (kind of). My mom and I bought some energy saving GE lightbulbs the other day that are supposed to last for five years. We haven't put them in yet as we are waiting for the other light bulbs to give out first, but I'll check back with you in 2012. :-D

Anyway here's a bulletin one of the most zen people I know (or know from MySpace anyway) posted --> Cipes from the short-lived MTV show Twentyfourseven and the lead singer of the band Cipes and the People

great things Family,

Wanted to send a big prayer bomb to you.

Got so much love for u.

Everything is possible in this life.

lets save and protect our rights and Mother earth. She is all we got.

i am u. you r me. We r it.

Unite in the Light

CIPES

DREAM AWAKE

THE CONSCIOUS REVOLUTION has BEGUN

check out his band's profile here: Cipes and the People

--> Go Green

Joss Stone Shows Independence With CD

2007-04-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - When Joss Stone hit the stage at a concert hall recently, it was clear long before she opened her mouth that something had changed.

Gone were the long gypsy skirts and T-shirts she favored only a couple of years ago. Gone even was the English-born singer's trademark long, wavy blonde hair and bare feet.

Instead, Stone wore eye glitter, a white miniskirt, thigh-high boots and a shimmering, clingy tank top. Her hair was dark with pink streaks and it was big - kinked out to an inch of her life.

"I need a little lovin' at least two times a day," she purred, kicking off "Tell Me 'Bout It," the first single from her new album. "So when I call you, boy, you better run here right away."

Pardon?

The vampy outfit, the too-much-information lyrics, even naked photos for the CD - all triggered a question: What happened to our lovable, soul singing hippie chick?

"People grow. It's OK to grow," she says later in an interview in a Times Square hotel. "Some people find that difficult to grasp. It's like, 'You're not allowed to change. That's not fair. We like you like this.' But I don't. So let me expand and express myself."

"I can be whatever," she adds. "I can wear shoes or don't wear shoes. I can tie my hair up or wear it down. It doesn't matter. That's all a visual anyway."

That new visual coincides with the release of the just-turned 20-year-old's third CD, a declaration of independence underlined by its title "Introducing Joss Stone."

"It is me introducing myself as a singer, songwriter, producer - as a full artist, not just a singer anymore," she says. "Musically, it's more me."

That means a dose of sex, '70s-style R&B and infectious beats - all guided by veteran producer Raphael Saadiq. It's the album she says she always wanted to make but didn't have the power.

"I spoke to my dad the other day and he said, 'Joss, I'm just listening to your album and it's funny because the first two were like glass-of-wine-at-night kind of albums. This one, I get up in the morning and I put it on and I wake up to this. It's fresher,'" she says. "I'm like 'Yeah dad, that's because the first two were made by 70-year-olds and this one's made by a 19-year-old.'"

So far, Americans seem like the new stuff. "Introducing Joss Stone" debuted at No. 2 with sales of 118,000, the highest-charting new entry ever by a British female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era.

"She single-handedly wrote and co-arranged every song on this album," says Chris Anokute, senior director of A&R Capitol Music Group, which owns her label, Virgin. "She is the executive producer on the record. At 19 years old to executive produce a record? That's rare."

In her homeland, though, Stone is getting nothing but grief. Newspapers there have been unrelenting about her nervous appearance at the recent Brit Awards, her weird hair, her odd-sounding accent and her alleged relationships with male collaborators.

"When they see that you're kind of getting somewhere, they say, 'Oh, hell no. We have control over you,'" says Stone of the once-fawning press that helped make her into a star.

Blessed with the voice of Aretha Franklin marinated in Johnny Walker, Stone grew up in southern England and wanted her debut CD to sound a little like "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."

Her label, however, had other plans. Over the then-teen's objections, it first released 2003's "The Soul Sessions" - a 10 song collection of mostly little-known R&B songs from the '60s and '70s.

Her second offering, 2005's platinum-selling "Mind, Body & Soul," which she had started writing when she was just 14, turned out a little too pop for her taste - again despite her protests.

"I was saying all these things, I wanted it to be like this, I wanted it to be like that, but they didn't listen. And that's OK. I didn't mind. I was learning," she says.

"I was watching and listening really, really carefully because I knew that one day I'd be able to do it: 'One day I'm going to be able to make this exactly how I want to. The musicians one day are going to listen to me.'"

Soon, it was her turn. For her third album, Stone went to Barbados and, in isolation, wrote more than 60 songs. She also picked her producer for the first time.

Stone recruited Common for the second single, "Tell Me What We Gonna Do" and managed to persuade Lauryn Hill to contribute to another song after ceaselessly bugging the reclusive singer's mom.

"There were no limits on this one. Musically, nobody was allowed in the studio. I've never done that before. I've never said, 'You keep the record company and my parents out,'" she says.

Some of the reviews have mocked her re-coming out party and predicted that her drastic makeover may alienate older fans. Though the CD is being sold at Starbucks, the artwork features one photo of her straddling Saadiq, both naked and slathered in body paint (however, she insists they are not a couple and says the shot was artistic).

"I don't necessarily think it's going to alienate the old consumers," says Anokute. "She's loyal to her old fans, she wants to maintain her old fans. But like any artist, you want to grow and you want to attract more people."

Meeting Stone is like meeting a precocious teen - part giggly girl and part media-savvy starlet. There's an element of hippie earnestness, yet she also employs about 25 people, renegotiates record deals and keeps a punishing touring schedule. The split personality is something she acknowledges.

"It's like I'm two different people. There's this little girl that is like, 'Don't you want to go to sleep?' or 'Let me just call my mum' or 'Let me go smoke a cigarette behind a bike shed - let me just go do something normal.' And then there's this other girl that's like, 'Actually, you can't do that - you've got to work today.'"

Look no further than the top of her head for an example of that tension. Stone's unnaturally dyed hair was a decision she made after being told to keep her hair blonde for the new CD.

"I don't really like to be controlled," she says sweetly.

Maria Style

2007-03-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

I was just watching Access Hollywood and I saw Medium star Maria Lark. She is hillarious and she'd choose Orlando Bloom over George Clooney any day. Access Hollywood selected her to work the red carpet for the Nickelodean Kids' Choice Awards, hosted by my love, Justin Timberlake. Watch her choose her red carpet look here: Maria's Style She's too cute!!

--> kid's got style (and she hates poofy, itchy dresses like yours truly -- why do parents force their daughters to wear those anyway??)

Style Originals

2007-03-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was reading the January '07 issue of Vogue (the one with Angelina Jolie on the cover in that stunning rasberry Bill Blass jersey dress) and I found a feature about the top ten self-styled women in America. Called The Originals: best-dressed 2006, this list featured actress Camilla Belle, interior designer Alexia Kondylis, Ivanka Trump, Russian model Natalia Vodianova, designer Rachel Roy, CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award winner and designer Doo-Ri Chung, MisShapes deejay Leigh Lezark, tennis star Maria Sharapova, art gallerist Amalia Dayan, and art maven Barbara Wilhelm. While this list may seem like a dream to some, I have no idea who some of these people are. Then again I haven't been an avid Vogue reader for long. (Teen Vogue maybe, but not Vogue.) Plus Vogue is targeted towards a more older, "cultured" audience than its younger sister.

If I was to make a list of the best self-dressed women for my generation, I don't know if I could make it to ten, seeing as most starlets nowadays have a stylist. But let's see how far I get with this little endeavor.

(1) I decided to keep Camilla Belle on my list. She does have a great sense of style after all. And she wore my favorite dress at the Heart Truth Red Dress Show during Fall '07 Fashion Week last month.

(2) I'll keep Ivanka Trump on the list as well. She's got such poise and elegance, but not in a stuck up way. She wore this dark blue velvet Dolce and Gabbana dress that everyone's been wearing this season and totally made it her own. She paired it with gold sequinned ballet flats, which I hadn't seen done with the dress before. Very chic, very chic.

(3) Instead of designer Rachel Roy, I'm putting designer Kimora Lee Simmons on my list. I love how she always tries to be glamorous and fabulous when putting herself together. For her, everything looks better when it sparkles. She's now doing a fashion line called KLS (Kimora Lee Simmons). It's the big sister line to her popular Baby Phat line, not to mention it's a bit more pricey. But if I had the money I would definitely buy the long black sequined gown she showed to Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos in a recent sit-down. My favorite part of the mini fashion show was when she showed an outfit from the Baby Phat line -- pedal pushers and a cute top. Maria said she'd wear that in an airport (before she admitted to wearing the "grossest" sweats she can find on a plane, which Kimora considers a BIG No-No!). Maria asked if she could wear the outfit with flats. Kimora's response, "Yes. But they MUST be embellished!" Now that's the fabulous Kimora we know and love.

(4) I'm leaving Doo-Ri Chung on my list because she's worked so hard on her line and winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award is a great honor. Past winners have included the boys of Trovata and the duo of Proenza Schouler.

(5) I've got to keep MisShape deejay Leigh Lazark on my list as well because I wasn't expecting to see her in Vogue; Teen Vogue yes, but not Vogue. (That's Awesome! Kudos to the editor!) I first heard about MisShapes from an article in Nylon magazine. Since then I've seen them everywhere. From Nylon to Teen Vogue to the Cobrasnake to Vogue, the MisShapes have been getting a lot of press coverage and are a very busy trio. Hopefully it won't become overly mainstream, because you know when things go mainstream they become lackluster. I don't think that would happen though with Leigh and the boys calling the shots.

(6) I've decided to replace Maria Sharapova with style making tennis star Serena Williams. Serena was making waves with her trendsetting tennis outfits way before Maria won her first Grand Slam title. Remember Serena's black tennis boots with the denim mini? Now try to remember something that Maria's worn that was odd, yet stylish. Can't do it, can you? Exactly my point. Let's not forget the ones who came before us.

(7) Now let's turn to a star from my favorite, now defunct show, The OC, which made me the more cultured girl I am today by exposing me to great music from bands like Rooney, Death Cab for Cutie, Jem (not a band, mind you), and singers of that infectious theme song California, Phantom Planet. Rachel Bilson first started on The OC as Summer Roberts, sidekick to Mischa Barton's Marissa Cooper. As the first season went on, Summer became one of the lead characters with a larger storyline due in part to the Summer-Seth-Anna love triangle (and Rachel's great acting skills as well; she really made Summer believeable -- no one can ever say "Eww" like her). Rachel has been making strides since the very beginning with her original style. By mixing new pieces with vintage, she makes her style her own and is never overly trendy (a BIG NO-NO if you ask me). She hits the hammer on the nail both on and off the red carpet, and shows that old can be new again when creating your own unique look.

(8) Since we are talking about The OC, I must mention the former leading lady who took the classic damsel in distress to a whole new level and kept Ben McKenzie's Ryan Atwood busy for the first three seasons until she was tragically killed in a car chase by a crazy ex-boyfriend the night of her graduation (Class of '06!) :-( *tears* . You know who I'm talking about. Mischa Barton has been a style icon, notice I said "style" not "fashion" (I'll get to that in a later post), since her debut as the troubled girl next door. Mischa has always made it known that she doesn't have a stylist because she knows what she likes to wear. That's what I like to hear! From her quirky bow shorts to anything by Chanel, this style star proves that you don't need a stylist to look good. Although I feel bad when the paparazzi follow her around, I have to see what she's wearing.

(9) Mary-Kate Olsen, the younger, shorter, and more bohemian of the Olsen twins, makes my list with her ever changing style (and hair color). Sometimes she makes you wonder what exactly she's wearing, but then a year later you realize that she was ahead of the trends with her grunge inspired looks. For the past few years I've learnt that Mary-Kate seems to predict the new trends. Since I don't like being trendy, I myself like to see what's coming next, and decide what to add to my wardrobe before everyone else catches on (then you can claim that everyone stole your style! ;-) *wink, wink*). Just look at what Mary-Kate's wearing and she'll lead you in the right direction for the upcoming seasons.

(10) Oh what the hell. Let's throw the older, taller by one inch, and more uptown Olsen into the mix. What can I say, Michelle Tanner's my idol. Ashley Olsen, like her sister, is ahead of the trends as well. It may be because they design clothes for the younger set and are currently working on their line with Barneys. Or it could be that they don't want to look like those other young starlets prancing around Hollywood (who, by the way, are all starting to look alike to me with their skinny jeans and Christian Louboutin peep toes!). Ashley, as I said before, is more uptown girl than her downtown twin. She reminds me of a modern day Audrey Hepburn at times. I would love to raid her closet (you know, if I was like 7 inches shorter and a size zero).

Wow! I did it! I made it all the way to 10. Awesome. I guess it was possible for me to come up with a list of 10 self-styled originals for my generation after all. Didn't realize I could. I thought I would have to stop after 7. The funny thing is now that I'm done, I want to add to the list.

My numer one add would have to be Brit beauty Sienna Miller. (How could I forget her?! I know.) She's got a great wardrobe and an eclectic one at that. You never see her in overly trendy things, and like the Olsens she usually wears things that become trendy a couple months later. Anyone recall that gold sequinned mini that she wore with black tights and platforms to the chichi annual Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum? Way to predict the trends Ms. Miller. A few months later, minidresses paired with tights and sky-high heels were popping up on many a young starlet.

Another honorable mention goes to one of my favorite models, Gemma Ward. This dollfaced Aussie always wears things that she looks good in. She wears her clothes; her clothes don't wear her. A very important thing when you're a model because people get used to taking note of the dress instead of the girl inside of them. Gemma's never just another girl in a dress. Speaking of dresses, my favorite one which she wore recently (don't you just love my segue), was a Calvin Klein LBD with zippers on the sleeves, along with really great strappy sandals. This was the best LBD I've seen in a long time.

Before I add another star to this list, I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. I think I'll do a Style Star list from now on when I spot someone in something I like. It won't just include celebrities either. Pictures of people with great personal style are always on websites like Elle, LastNightsParty, and Cobrasnake so I'll be sure to post 'em when I see 'em. If you have a pic you'd like me to post, let me know.

Until next time ...

--> Now that's Class!c W!th A Tw!st

Finally Found My Love

2007-03-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

I love love love DJ Xtreme's mashups, especially when they feature Justin Timberlake. Here is his latest creation Finally Found My Love: a mashup between Justin's My Love and 90s dance classic Finally by CeCe Peniston. I am loving this track. You know I'm all about the 90s dance music and the Justin. Here's the vid; I love how Xtreme spliced it.

I've been watching this on a loop all night so ya know it's gotta be good.

--> Now that Class!c W!th A Tw!st (I'm reclaiming my catch phrase.)

Fashion Week a Litte Street

2007-03-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Sartorialist from Vogue

http://www.style.com/fashionshows/blogs/sartorialist

Random Thoughts

2007-03-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

**Quote of the Day**

"I'm a recovering alcoholic. I've been sober for 5 hours." - Don Cheadle as shock jock Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene in his new movie Talk to Me

**THIS JUST IN**

Next up for Salma Hayek - a marriage and a baby carriage. It seems that the Ugly Betty producer is engaged to businessman Francois-Henri Pinault and is pregnant with their first child. From what I've seen online, Pinault is chairman and chief executive officer of the luxury goods company PPR SA, owner of labels like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Stella McCartney (nice!!). Congrats to them.

**New Celebrity Couple**

It seems that Victoria Secret model Selita Ebanks and multi-talented entertainer Nick Cannon are an item. According to people.com Cannon claims that Ebanks has "changed [him]" and he's "a player no more". Best wishes for them.

Recycling Isn't Just For Paper Anymore

2007-02-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

I saw this article in the NY Times and thought it expressed things I was thinking of. Read on.

Red Carpet Recycling: Who Said Knockoff?
By ERIC WILSON

HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 25 — Watching the designer Randolph Duke as a commentator for ABC describing what a wonderful impact dressing an Oscar-nominated actress for the red carpet has on a designer’s career, it was hard not to wonder how the man ended up so far on the wrong side of the velvet rope, speaking from a perch so distant it had to be called the Fashion Skyway. You could imagine Sally Kirkland running him over in the skyway’s H.O.V. lane with her loopy butterfly getup — she called it “a rabbi and a reverend” — that she claimed was made by her cabala teacher.

If this is what designers have to look forward to, it may be the year to re-evaluate whether their rumored deals to dress actresses are really worth all that money — what with Giorgio Armani, who put on an extravagant fashion show in Beverly Hills the night before, among the celebrities making the rounds on the red carpet this year. Like a good number of the Oscars that were considered locked up weeks before the event, the generally frumpy, overly beaded fashion picks offered such a diminishing return of suspense or variety that the event could have been mistaken for a repeat.

Penélope Cruz made her entrance in a pale pink bustier gown by Versace with a full skirt of tiered ruffles dragging behind her that was almost a duplicate of the pale blue Dior dress Charlize Theron wore two years ago. Then Nicole Kidman turned up in a red halter dress tied up with a gift-wrapping bow at the neck so enormous that one could not help but think of Ms. Theron’s big-bow Dior dress from last year. Ms. Theron, annually drubbed by the fashion police, should be entitled to some retroactive style points for instigating a theme of holiday dressing.

And the knockoff artists will be thrilled, as Mr. Duke pointed out. There was also a clear trend of gaudy jewelry built into the dresses, beginning with Jennifer Lopez, caged in five chains of metallic rhinestones on top of her ruched empire-waist Marchesa gown and followed by Rachel Weisz in a gold Vera Wang dress. As if the crystal bow at its bodice and the crystal tiers sewn into the hem of its train were not sparkling enough, Ms. Weisz added what looked like a Christmas ornament from Cartier around her neck. “I don’t know where to look,” Mr. Duke cried.

Cate Blanchett, duly ornamented, was among the nominees who attended Mr. Armani’s fashion show on Saturday, when she indicated she would wear a dress by him to the awards, as she did. She wore a silver one-shoulder mesh gown, overlaid with a veil of flowers made of jet black paillettes; her hair up, she was basically the picture of prepackaged elegance, though she said she is not an actress who concerns herself with the opinions of fashion critics.

“I think the fashion has probably gotten a lot safer,” Ms. Blanchett said. “But if you are dressing to impress other people, then I think you’re going to get in trouble.”

What else could explain the endless chain of strapless dresses this awards season in Hollywood that have made actresses, once they are all seated, look practically naked? I would concede that Jada Pinkett Smith in a gold Carolina Herrera strapless dress looked sublime, and Reese Witherspoon’s layered black dress by Olivier Theyskens of Nina Ricci should sufficiently broadcast his name to the far reaches of the planet before he has even had his first fashion show for this French house. (Until last season Mr. Theyskens was the designer of Rochas.)

The Oscars offered some respite to the strapless trend, though, in a few shapes that were interesting without being potentially offensive to mainstream tastes. Gwyneth Paltrow, for example, wore a pink Zac Posen dress with articulated seams that stretched across her torso like a spider web, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s black and blue Proenza Schouler gown, tipped in hundreds of black feathers at the hem, was held up by a strap that slashed provocatively across her shoulder. You could imagine any of these designers having a bright future in television.

But it seems that no matter how many stylists and designers become involved in the process, something goes haywire. Perhaps the biggest surprise leading up to the awards was the attention lavished on the supporting actress nominee Jennifer Hudson, who proudly wears a size 12, by a roster of international designers who do not usually offer such sizes in their stores. Ms. Hudson, taken under the wing of André Leon Talley, the editor at large of Vogue, had her choice of dresses and selected a brown ruched one by Oscar de la Renta. The dress cleverly had hidden pockets, so Ms. Hudson, who was visibly nervous, could hide her hands when she was talking on television and, most thankfully, spare the audience another remark from a celebrity about wearing a dress so that people couldn’t see her knees shake. Seriously, do Celine Dion and Jessica Biel share a publicist?

It was a shame, then, that Ms. Hudson topped the look with a metallic python bolero jacket that seemed designed to protect her from the prying ears of invading space aliens.

Meryl Streep too was already taking heat last night for the papery black silk radzimire coat she covered with a hodgepodge of dancing coral and turquoise jewelry, but the broadcasters neglected to mention that Ms. Streep, one of the few actresses who refuses to hire a stylist, was in on the joke. Nominated for her role as the icy fashion editor in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Ms. Streep did, indeed, wear Prada.

The OC Ends

2007-02-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

So it's all over. No more Newport -- no more awesome quotes and catchy theme song -- no more sexy Ryan Atwood saving the day or jogging on the beach :-( . Now what am I going to do with my Thursday nights?! There's always Grey's Anatomy and McDreamy, but I don't really want to watch it. I could always watch Supernatural on the CW network, but I don't really want to watch that either. Hopefully the good people at FOX decide to show all the old OC Season 4 episodes. That would be nice.

The OC Season 4lives on on MySpace. Check it out here: myspace.com/theoc

--> California, California, here we cooooooommmmmmeeee, ohohohohoh :-(

VP - Move Bounce Shake

2007-02-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

Vote Now at MusicNation.com

the latest from David Lehre, Vendetta Productions

vote for it on Music Nation - a contest in which the winner gets a record deal from Epic Records

--> this rap's in sync like he rolls with Justin

How come I don't get a lolli from my doctor?

2007-02-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

Justin Timberlake, it seems, was a very good boy at his recent trip to the doctor's office:

He was rewarded with a lolli!

---

source: Pink is the New Blog

So Hot I Don't Even Know What To Title This

2007-02-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

Daniel Radcliffe, a.k.a. Harry Potter, made headlines (like the one below) on both sides of the pond when it was announced that he would be starring in the play Equus.

Here are some stories and pics I've gathered from Pink is the New Blog and the Daily Mail (UK).

=====

Pink is the New Blog

The West End stage play Equus which began its preview run on Friday night has yet to let a clear photo of the nekkid Daniel Radcliffe make its way outside of the theater but Pink reader Kate was fortunate enough to see the show on Saturday afternoon and sends in this photo from outside the theater:

She explained that security is EXTREMELY tight at the venue and ABSOLUTELY no photography is allowed (but she did mention that Daniel is amazing in this role and that "he looks great naked. Especially through ... opera glasses" Tho a good, clear shot of the good stuff is bound to get out eventually. So far, this is only the second picture to leak from the show and altho blurry it gives you an idea of how Daniel looks nekkid from the backside on stage:

====

the Daily Mail (UK)

The bare facts are: Radcliffe's a revelation
by BAZ BAMIGBOYE

It wasn't a question of horsing around when Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe took to the London stage in all his glory. The 17-year-old truly impressed with a bravura full-frontal display that earned him a standing ovation.

For his first leading role in the West End, Radcliffe chose Peter Shaffer's 34-year-old play Equus, where he plays a stable boy being treated by a psychiatrist for blinding six horses with a hoof pick.

All 980 seats at the theatre were taken for the preview performance, and many in the audience had their fantasies fulfilled when three-quarters of the way through the second act, Radcliffe bared all for a sex scene with his young leading lady, Joanna Christie.

All of a sudden there was no coughing, no muttering, just people holding their breath at the sight of a pale teenager engaging in a full embrace with a beautiful young girl.

For Radcliffe, it was a big mental leap from portraying JK Rowling's boy wizard to taking on a character in the psychoreligious exploration of equine worship. Radcliffe could have stood on the stage and read the London telephone book and the play still would have sold out. That he took on such an intellectual theatrical challenge was brave - and he succeeded.

To be sure, there is much work to be done and the next ten preview performances before opening night on February 27 will further refine the drama.

The show at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue overran by some 25 minutes, but producer David Pugh promised that the production would become much tighter as everyone gained confidence.

However, Radcliffe was in full control of his acting abilities. He had been preparing for his debut for 14 months and was word perfect and knew every entrance and exit by heart. The audience had come from far and wide. Suzanne Fournier, 16, and her friend Bethany Williams, 15, travelled from New Brunswick, Canada, with Bethany's parents, just to see their young idol on the stage.

Suzanne said: "We came just to see the play and I loved it. I was quite surprised at how good Daniel was because I had been wondering if he could pull it off and he did. I must say he was very, very fit."

Bethany's mother, Cathy Williams explained: "Both the girls talked us into bringing them to see Daniel so we have made a week's holiday of it and I must say he was brilliant."

Julianna Shtroblya, from the Ukraine, a 20-year-old economics student, saw the play with her mother Tamara.

"It was really hard to get a visa to come to your country to see the play but it was worth it. I am going to see it again on Monday. I heard about Equus six months ago and that was when we booked our tickets."

Roger Berlind, a veteran New York theatre producer, said that if the production with Radcliffe and his fellow leading man, Richard Griffiths, wanted to move to Broadway, he would help raise the finance to present it.

He said that he thought Radcliffe was a "natural stage performer".

The play, which is clearly for grown-ups, has already sold £1.7million in tickets and the box office is taking a healthy amount every day.

Radcliffe's first entrance on stage startled some who hadn't studied the play. He bounded into view, clad only in jeans, to begin his sessions with the psychiatrist, played by Griffiths.

The first words out of Radcliffe's mouth were in fact sung. His character Alan Strang sang several bars of the Milky Bar advertising ditty: "The Milky Bar kid is strong and tough..." and then launched into the song from the Martini commercial.

Essentially, the play is a psychological mystery as Griffiths investigates the reasons why Radcliffe's stable boy maims the horses.

Pugh commented: "It's the first preview, we've got until the first night to continue working and we know what we have to do, but the boy's a revelation."

For once a producer wasn't uttering the usual West End producer hyperbole.

Radcliffe can certainly act and it was clear from last night's audience reception that he won't always be remembered for playing a boy wizard.

====

Here are the initial photos that caused a stir at Hogwarts.

One for the ladies...

2007-02-18T17:03:00.000-08:00

This if for my friend who's in love with McDreamy. Yes you. (*click McDreamy for a little surprise*)

And here's something for those Mathew McConaughey fans (a.k.a. me)!!

♥ Becks & Posh ♥

2007-02-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else counting down the days til Becks and Posh step onto US soil for good? Just me? :(

They're so stylish. I was watching one of those entertainment news shows the other night, either Access Hollywood or Extra, and they showed a clip of Victoria Beckham saying this: "I think Americans think that the British are most sophisticated, and we are."

I ♥ Posh. At least she can back up her words with style. The coat, the skirt, the shirt, the heels. Sophisticated darling, sophisticated. I love her style. I can't wait for her clothing line. You just know it's going to be hot. She's got a great sense of style. You can check out her guest editor work for Harper's Bazaar. I'm not sure which month it is, but Katie Holmes is on the cover.

Just for 'Sexy' Kicks

2007-02-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

On AOL's music site, there's a feature about the 69 sexiest songs. I was more interested in the failed 'sexy' songs (Sisqo's "Thong Song" being one of them). Here's another:

And Justin pauses during his Grammy performance to wonder why that is.

As do Carson Kressley, Petra Nemcova, and Carmen Electra.

Carnival Jump Up

2007-02-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

So it's 82 degrees in sexy Rio de Janeiro, and I'm trapped in 27 degree New York. Yay! :o Maybe this article about carnival will warm me up.

At carnival, samba is serious business
By MICHAEL ASTOR, Associated Press Writer

Armies of shirtless men pushed opulent floats toward Rio's samba stadium Sunday for the centerpiece of Brazil's carnival celebrations, a hard-fought samba dance competition.

The parades last all night Sunday and Monday, featuring women wearing impossibly high heels and glittering body paint shaking their stuff alongside bare-chested men. Thousands of elaborately costumed dancers and hundreds of drummers escort the floats, keeping up an earsplitting rhythm.

But it's much more than pure spectacle. The groups spend upward of a million dollars to mount 80-minute-long spectacles in the Sambadrome — a 60,000-seat venue built exclusively for the parades — featuring as many 4,500 dancers, all in an attempt to impress a panel of judges made up of folklorists, musicologists and carnival scholars.

The 13 competing dance groups come from the city's shantytowns, and their showdown is a welcome distraction from the gunfights between drug traffickers, militias and police that have left at least 15 dead over the past week alone in the hills around downtown Rio. Adoring fans follow the live broadcasts with a passion usually reserved for the World Cup.

This year organizers have change the rules to wrap up the parade at an earlier hour. In the past, the Samba parade dragged on well past dawn, ending as late as 9:30 a.m., with revelers often struggling under the weight of heavy costumes under the punishing tropical sun.

The schools are judged in 10 different categories including music, the quality of their dancing and floats, their parade theme, and crowd reaction. A less than perfect score can dash a school's chances of victory.

The featured dancers — especially the female flag bearers and their male counterparts — practice all year to perfect their steps, which are actually closer to minuet than samba.

"Being a flag bearer is almost like being a ballet dancer, it's not just samba, not everyone can do it. For me it's a way of life," said Selma Sorriso, flag bearer for the Beija Flor carnival group.

Being relegated to the second division — which gets much less television exposure — means losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorships.

It's long been an open secret that funding for the parade comes from an illegal numbers game but legitimate sponsors, such as corporations and Brazilian states, also have emerged in recent years.

The winners and losers are the subject of much squabbling among Brazilians, who frequently accuse judges of bias when their favorite schools achieve less than a perfect score.

But such rivalries are of little consequence to the more than 200,000 foreign tourists watching the show.

"I expect there will be a lot of color and fun," said Hayley Purvrick, a 23-year-old student from Australia, while sipping a caipirinha, Brazil's national drink, on Copacabana beach.

---

God I got to get my behind to Brazil one of these days. If not for the beautiful people and culture, for the weather and the beach. Oh who am I kidding, I wanna see some hotties!! ;-)

California, California Here We Go

2007-02-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

So this Thursday (February 22nd), one of the biggest teen shows (and one of my favorites) The OC, will be ending with its 92nd episode. I wish they had stuck around for 8 more so they could have made it to their hundredth. Here's a story I found on yahoo.com. Read on, read on, you know you want to.

Sun poised to set on Fox's `The O.C.'
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - A moment of respectful silence, please, for Fox's departing "The O.C."

Yes, the drama wiped out in the ratings like a klutzy Southern California surfer. Yes, it lost its storytelling punch in season three and then really bummed out fans with the violent death of Marissa, played by Mischa Barton.

But credit where credit's due. "The O.C." brought dramatized adolescent angst back to TV, gave the tabloids fresh faces like Barton and Rachel Bilson and boosted pop artists by showcasing their music (the band Rooney) or just mentioning them (Death Cab for Cutie).

Set in the Orange County city of Newport Beach, the show even managed to make cultural and economic waves: Residents who knew better began referring to the county with the artificially hip "the" in front of O.C., and the postcard-perfect coastal town enjoyed a bump in tourism.

"The O.C." generated a reality TV boomlet, with MTV's "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" and Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" following in its footsteps.

Not bad for a four-season, 92-episode series about the loves and lives of rich, golden California teenagers — one even named Summer, to drive home the point — and the parents that watched over them, or not, depending on their own foibles.

"Overall, I'm incredibly proud of the run the show had," series creator Josh Schwartz said as production ended this month. Just the day before, he recounted, "we were filming on location and there were packs of teenagers screaming for autographs when the cast walked by, and crying that the show was coming to an end."

"We were 24 hours away from wrapping the show and it was surreal to have that level of emotion from our audience," Schwartz said.

The series finale airs 9 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 22, and won't leave viewers hanging, he vowed.

"We went into this season sort of assuming that it was going to be the last season," Schwartz said. "So we were able to build naturally to this final episode and do the finale the way we always planned."

The conclusion will focus on the show's core — the affluent Cohen family of Newport Beach and the needy young man, Ryan, they took in, he said. The hope is that fans will find it fun, emotional and "really satisfying," Schwartz said.

Will Marissa, killed in a car crash in last season's finale, manage to reappear?

"All of the characters of the show will be touched on in some way," Schwartz said. He's carefully guarding the final plot twists, including the romantic fates of couples Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) and Taylor (Autumn Reeser) and Seth (Adam Brody) and Summer (Bilson).

All that, and an earthquake hit the fictional Newport Beach in the Feb. 8 episode, imperiling pregnant Kirsten Cohen (Kelly Rowan) and others.

"The O.C." itself rattled the TV landscape when it debuted in summer 2003. It was a ratings phenom in its first year, ranking as the top-rated drama among advertiser-favored young adults and attracting a total audience of nearly 10 million.

Schwartz, then only 26 and a recent University of Southern California grad, said the show's young actors became stars "very, very quickly, within two months of the show airing. It was nuts."

"To have had the experience and see those kids be in an airport and walk by a magazine stand and the magazine covers are the cast of your show — it's exciting," Schwartz said. So was the fact "that we all were able to work together for this time and kind of grow together. I mean, we all really did grow up together. I feel like I did. This is like college."

Newport Beach got a few lessons in the power of TV, according to the town's mayor.

"I think there were some people in town not too pleased about how Newport Beach was portrayed in the series. But I think everybody understands that TV distorts reality," Mayor Steven Rosansky said, a truth known to anybody who used to watch the `80s serial "Dallas."

But while some grumbled about the show's satiric depiction of a hedonistic and shallow Newport, the city gained a higher profile and an influx of visitors, said Rosansky.

The local visitors' bureau capitalized on the attention with a map of locations referred to in the series — although production mostly took place in Los Angeles — and by recording the hand- and footprints of some cast members in concrete, he said.

But the show proved unable to hold its audience, slipping to about 7 million weekly viewers during 2004-05 and then to fewer than 6 million last season. Returning last November after Fox wrapped postseason baseball coverage, "The O.C." has averaged about 4 million viewers.

A time-slot change, to the highly competitive 9 p.m. EST Thursday period opposite CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and then ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," contributed to the slump and probably hastened the defection of fickle young viewers.

Does Schwartz long for a different ending, with more seasons still ahead?

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda, I guess," he says, the verbal equivalent of a shrug. He called four seasons "a pretty damn good run. Especially for a show like this, where the audience we're speaking to is younger and moves on faster."

"I'd never worked on a television series in any capacity before it began, so it was learn as you go and I certainly learned a lot," he said. "But to be able to learn on a show that had the impact on its audience this show had is a really incredible gift."

Schwartz already is looking ahead to new projects, including adapting the book "Looking for Alaska" for film and producing two television pilots.

But what about the future of Newport Beach? Will it miss basking in its fake counterpart's limelight?

"It ran its course and we'll wait for the next show. ... I'm sure some creative television person will create another show," Mayor Rosanksy said.

Sting's So Hot

2007-02-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

As my friends will tell you, I love Sting like my other friend loves Bowie (and that's saying a lot). I don't know why I do, but I just do. The funny thing is I don't really know any of his songs. The first time I remember hearing a Sting song was when he came out with Desert Rose and Brand New Day (which will forever be my favorite Sting songs, seeing as those are the only songs I know ;) ). As you probably saw on the Grammys last Sunday, Sting reuinted with his band The Police for their 30th anniversary. The performance rocked! And I learned that they're the singers of Roxanne (this song one of the contestants on my favorite summer series Rockstar Supernova, Dilana, sang and rocked out to. The Police will be hitting the road this summer for tour and you know it's gonna be hot so check 'em out!! If not for the music, go for Sting's charming good looks ;)

New Hair Trends for '07

2007-02-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

Celebs are always influencing how a number of things in society -- hair being one of them. Since Cameron Diaz went darker last year, I've been noticing a new trend in hair color. More celebs are going for darker, richer hues. Take a look below.

Jessica Simpson is jumping on the new wave of celebs going darker.

And it looks like she's having fun with it too. Just look at that smile. Maybe blondes don't have all the fun after all.

Even Beyoncé and Hilary Duff gave up their trademark blonde hues to jump on the brunette bandwagon.

And this trend isn't just for the girls. Check out Owen Wilson on the set of his new movie The Darjeeling Limited with Jason Schwartzman.

Now if only someone had alerted Britney Shears, we wouldn't be looking at these disturbing photos of the pop princess shaving off her locks at a Sherman Oaks salon last Friday night.
What will she do next?

--> so so so so scandalous

A little JT in your pocket, kinda

2007-02-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

As if a hot record and clothing line weren't enough, Justin Timberlake is launching JT-TV with Verizon. Here's the article I found on VH1.com:

Justin Takes You Everywhere — Backstage, Parties, Shows — With JT-TV

Want to spend every day with Justin Timberlake? Well, he wants to spend every day with you too — at least, on your phone. The singer's starting his own channel on Verizon Wireless' VCast called JT-TV.

"It started from Verizon sponsoring the tour, and they came to me with the initial idea. 'What if you had your own channel? What would it be like to be backstage with you?' " Timberlake said. "And instead, I was like, 'What would it be like to be there every day with us?' "

The backstage footage will be part of JT-TV's lifestyle channel, which has yet to launch. The first priority, Timberlake said, is the fashion channel, which launched Friday from Timberlake's party at the Avalon in Hollywood, where Jennifer Hudson, the Black Eyed Peas, Danity Kane, Kenna, and Nelly Furtado performed (see "Aguilera, Hudson Play For Clive Davis; FOB Rock Roots' Grammys Eve Jam").

"That's the biggest thing that came out of all this," Timberlake said. JT can tie the fashion channel in with William Rast, the clothing line he launched with best friend and business partner Trace Ayala (see "Timberlake Wants To Rock Your Body With A New Clothing Line"). So for one of the segments, for instance, Ayala takes the viewer on a tour of the backstage goings-on as the models get done up for a fashion show. "Let's see if they're ready," Ayala teases in the video.

Filming for the fashion channel started at the Avalon event, while other channels focusing on music and movie programming will follow starting in March.

"This really has been a huge work in progress," Timberlake said. "When Verizon said, 'What if you could put on your original content?,' I said, 'Why don't we just have channels where I can put my favorite music videos up? My favorite movies?' It's crazy how you get there, but it all started from them sponsoring the tour."

"For us to have access to our artists on the level that Verizon is doing is vital," said Clive Davis, Justin's label boss. "For years, we've been too dependent on radio, and if radio narrows its formatting and it's disenfranchised certain formats of music, we have to see, how do we get around radio, which traditionally has been the main trigger of our artists."

That sounds cool to me. Too bad I don't have a Verizon phone. That's totally on my wish list now.

Anyway Kevin Federline and Justin Timberlake were spotted on the red carpet giving each other a "man hug". Nice to see they're cool with each other. Justin also took the stage that night with a bevy of singers, Nelly Furtado, Fergie, and Will.I.Am. just to name a few (or that might be the total list of people who performed -- I'll find out later and edit this if I have to).

Anyway during the performance, a camera caught a little (for lack of a better word) something interesting.

Now are those keys in his pocket or is he just excited to see her. (*scandalous* -- God I love that word). Too bad there was no box to cover this one up like there was last week when Justin Timberlake along with Andy Samberg of SNL took the stage at Madison Square Garden to sing the Valentine's Day remix (kinda) of their smash YouTube hit Dick in a Box). I'll post a video for this one later, but here's a photo to get you started.

GOOD THINGS, SMALL BOX
Winding down a two-hour concert at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Justin Timberlake takes the stage in costume to reprise his SNL song "D--- in a Box" with special guest Andy Samberg. "I'm sorry if I offended some of you, but I could not resist," Timberlake told the enthusiastic crowd after the performance. (source: people.com)

Hmm

2007-02-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

Well there's a whole lot of scandal going on in Hollywood, but that's nothing new. What is new is that Kevin Federline and Justin Timberlake (my two fave male celebs, and I'm not even being sarcastic about that for once) have been seen at a lot of the same parties lately hanging out. Well that's not really scandalous (Did I mention how I like the word "scandalous"? It's so fun to write. Try it.) Anyway Timberlake and Federline have been spotted at a lot of the same events lately; there's even a rumor saying that they've been spotted making out! (just kidding) They've been spotted making fun of Britney allegedly. US Weekly (my bible, only not really), or one of those other tabloids, even made this their cover story this week. They're probably just catching up on old times (while making fun of Britney -- who wouldn't? have you seen the girl lately. She looks so damn trashy -- take a look at that photo I posted earlier with that "Valentine to Britney" video). I don't know what's going on with her. Maybe she's depressed, but whatever it is she needs help. She needs a good team around her -- a good publicist, manager, and not to mention, an amazing stylist. I'm sure Rachel Zoe could work wonders with her. I hope she cleans up her act because if she and Kevin are still fighting for sole custody, he would totally win. I hope she gets some help soon cause I'm tired of the whole "White Trash" phase.

(photo from pinkisthenewblog.com -- ignore the pink writing, so not my style)

Tell 'em Johnny

2007-02-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

While it may 7:30pm, love is still in the air on this Valentine's Day. Here's a vid I found on tinypic.com about the ultimate love story, Dirty Dancing.

(If that video doesn't work, here's the link. Dirty Dancing)

Who doesn't love a little Dirty Dancing.

I'll be the Baby to his Johnny Castle any day.

Valentines for You

2007-02-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

So it's Valentine's Day once again. I have found some cute Valentine's messages for you. Feel free to steal them for your own valentine.

And for those of you who are single like myself, here's one for you.

Valentine to Britney Spears

2007-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

I've been on MySpace for the better part of the day and came across this video. It's too funny.

Valentine to Britney Spears

Add to My Profile | More Videos

I saw this on pinkisthenewblog.com.

It's kind of scary now when I look back and realize that Britney was totally my idol like 8 years ago.

Quick Question: Who's snapping her thong??

Well ...

2007-02-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

... I know this is 3 days late (JT's bday's on January 31st), but I must post this little birthday greeting I saw on a Justin Timberlake fan site.

Burlesque meets Glamour Girl

2007-02-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

Nowadays I'm totally into the whole burlesque/Moulin Rouge/Panic! at the Disco/Christina Aguilera look (although I don't pull any of these looks off myself). I see in the trailer for Justin Timberlake's new music video/mini-movie for his latest single What Comes Around ... Goes Around (available on iTunes on February 9th) that that's the look the vid's going for. From what I've seen so far it looks pretty good; very class!c w!th a tw!st.

--> now that's Subtle Sexy

The New "Guidelines"

2007-01-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Notice I said "Guidelines", NOT RESTRICTIONS.

The too-thin model debate continues with the, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) weighing in and issuing guidelines that revolve around education, not exclusion. "Designers share a responsibility to protect women, and very young girls in particular, within the business, sending the message that beauty is health," read the guidelines. "The fashion industry [will] begin a campaign of awareness and create an atmosphere that supports the well-being of these young women." CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg led the panel that is asking that designers do such things as not hire models under 16 for runway shows and not allow girls under 18 to work past midnight; to provide healthy meals and snacks backstage at fashion shows and ban smoking and the consumption of alcohol; and to educate the industry through workshops about eating disorders. The CFDA Health Initiative will present a discussion on this topic on February 5 during New York's fashion week. ...

While some are saying "at least they're doing something," others, like myself, don't believe this is enough. These should be mandatory rules. Other countries have mandatory rules in place, so why shouldn't the U.S.

Delman Shoes

2007-01-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

Click here for more please.

--> l8r dude

Spring '07's Biggest Trends

2007-01-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

So I've been trying to figure out what the biggest trends are going to be next season, and I'm coming up a bit short. The best I can come up with has been "fashion is being influenced by architecture once again this season, so expect more volume and dangerous heels." I know, lame! So luckily as I opened up my elle.com newsletter this week I spotted their semi-annual Runway ABC's guide. Check it out (click here for more).

I know the pic's a bit hard to read so let me list out the ABC's for ya.
A - Anime
B - Bond Girls
C - Classical Style
D - Dominatrix Gear
E - Ethereal Elegance
F - Futurism
G - Graphic Attack
H - Haute Handiwork
I - I ♥ the 80s
J - Japonisme
K - Khaki
L - Luxe Lingerie
M - Menswear
N - Never Never Land
O - Off-White
P - Psychedelic
Q - Quite Bright
R - Roses
S - Swan Lake
T - Tent Dresses
U - Uptown Girls
V - Very Brief
W - Warrior
X - X-treme Sports
Y - Yin and Yang
Z - Ziggy Stardust

----

--> with these fashions I'm sure this will become a "sweet" pick-up line soon: "Lookin' like a model, lookin' like a superstar
You're out of sight"

I'm a Natural

2007-01-12T19:48:00.001-08:00

Your beauty aura is Natural!

When it comes to how you present yourself to the world, you strongly believe that keeping things simple — whether it's your relationships, career, or face soap — is the best way to be beautiful. You're satisfied with what nature gave you and aren't afraid to show your confident, unadorned self to the world.

Your beauty routine is all about maintenance. You keep your skin clean, your body moisturized, and add a splash of color to lips and eyes when the situation demands it. Other than that? You feel best looking as fresh as nature intended. In the course of being au naturelle you may sometimes forget to cut loose and have fun. You should feel free to dress up now and then or splurge on a scent. Spoil yourself, now and then, as nature intended.

Handbag Help from WhoWhatWearDaily.Com

2007-01-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Dear reader,

We understand your feeling of being caught in the horns of a handbag dilemma. We feel that when in doubt, it’s always best to go for the classic bag. Ideally you’re looking for something that can’t clearly be identified as being from a specific time period—skip seasonal hype. It’s one thing if you have a ton of money, like celebs do, and can easily afford the trendy bag, however, for the rest of us it’s best to look at your purchase as an investment—especially if you’re only looking for a single piece.

Some excellent choices, in terms of longevity, are the Hermes Birkin, anything by Goyard, woven bags by Bottega, or a Chanel chain bag (either quilted or caviar style). Stay away from seasonal textures and prints, as well as trendy hardware. For example: Traditional logo Louis Vuitton bags will serve you well for decades, but the ones embellished by artists are trendy and you’ll retire them before getting full usage value. Take Ashley Olsen and Jessica Simpson in the above image. They’re both carrying Fendi bags, but which one do you think get more wear?

If at all possible, do not sell bags from previous seasons, even if they are specific to a certain collection as opposed to basic. Today’s trash is almost guaranteed to be tomorrow’s eBay treasure. You never know when that piece will come back into style. Katherine rues the day she gave away her 1997 Prada backpack, especially since the company has recently released a new fantastic version for spring.

Hope this helps!

WWWD

------

so the lesson for today kids is: buy something that lasts, not the latest "it" bag

Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz Officially Announce Breakup

2007-01-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Stars — who dated for more than three years — spoke out because of 'inaccurate stories,' statement reads.

by Jennifer Vineyard

Last week, Justin Timberlake didn't want to address the rumors that he'd broken up with Cameron Diaz — even as his longtime girlfriend's absence at the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie "Alpha Dog" seemed to speak volumes. But now both Timberlake and Diaz are ready to confirm what the rest of the country has been gossiping about all week: It's over.

"We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another," the two said in a joint statement released on Thursday (January 11).

Tabloid reports had placed the split as happening over the holidays, since Timberlake spent time at home with his family in Tennessee while Diaz went skiing with her family in Colorado. Rumors of breakups and marriage plans had plagued the couple throughout the course of their three-and-a-half-year relationship, but they kept silent about all of it.

"It has always been our preference not to comment on the status of our relationship," the statement read. "But out of respect for the time we've spent together, we feel compelled to do so now, in light of recent speculation and the number of inaccurate stories that are being reported by the media."

Timberlake and Diaz didn't specify which stories, but the most likely candidates are those linking the singer to pre-Britney girlfriend Veronica Finn (based on spending time together around Christmas), Kate Hudson (based on spending time together on New Year's Eve) and Scarlett Johansson (based on spending time together during the shooting of a video for his next single, "What Goes Around ...").

Both Diaz and Timberlake voice parts (as Fiona and a young King Arthur figure called Artie, respectively) in the upcoming "Shrek the Third," out May 18.

--------

Now it's time for my own 2 cents. While I don't think he's dating this Veronica girl or Kate Hudson, he could be spending time with Scarlett. Then again who wouldn't want to hang out with Scarlett, have you seen her!? She's awesome and one of my favorites. My mom was wondering if his breakup had anything to do with Britney's breakup; I don't think so, he seems to be "so" over her, but you never know what's really going on in someone's head. And my mom was also speculating that the breakup might have something to do with comments Cameron made on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in early December where she called herself a "commitment phobe". I don't know about that one, but it seems everyone's splitting up -- Michael Jordan & his wife, Jason Kidd & his wife, Justin & Cameron, yadayadayada. It seems as if once you look at a celebrity couple as the paragon of the "perfect couple" they split up. Maybe it's something in the Evian and/or Perrier.

--> right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleached-blonde tramp and she's probably getting frisky

What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage by AMY SUTHERLAND

2007-01-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

Found this on nytimes.com

AS I wash dishes at the kitchen sink, my husband paces behind me, irritated. "Have you seen my keys?" he snarls, then huffs out a loud sigh and stomps from the room with our dog, Dixie, at his heels, anxious over her favorite human's upset.

In the past I would have been right behind Dixie. I would have turned off the faucet and joined the hunt while trying to soothe my husband with bromides like, "Don't worry, they'll turn up." But that only made him angrier, and a simple case of missing keys soon would become a full-blown angst-ridden drama starring the two of us and our poor nervous dog.

Now, I focus on the wet dish in my hands. I don't turn around. I don't say a word. I'm using a technique I learned from a dolphin trainer.

I love my husband. He's well read, adventurous and does a hysterical rendition of a northern Vermont accent that still cracks me up after 12 years of marriage.

But he also tends to be forgetful, and is often tardy and mercurial. He hovers around me in the kitchen asking if I read this or that piece in The New Yorker when I'm trying to concentrate on the simmering pans. He leaves wadded tissues in his wake. He suffers from serious bouts of spousal deafness but never fails to hear me when I mutter to myself on the other side of the house. "What did you say?" he'll shout.

These minor annoyances are not the stuff of separation and divorce, but in sum they began to dull my love for Scott. I wanted — needed — to nudge him a little closer to perfect, to make him into a mate who might annoy me a little less, who wouldn't keep me waiting at restaurants, a mate who would be easier to love.

So, like many wives before me, I ignored a library of advice books and set about improving him. By nagging, of course, which only made his behavior worse: he'd drive faster instead of slower; shave less frequently, not more; and leave his reeking bike garb on the bedroom floor longer than ever.

We went to a counselor to smooth the edges off our marriage. She didn't understand what we were doing there and complimented us repeatedly on how well we communicated. I gave up. I guessed she was right — our union was better than most — and resigned myself to stretches of slow-boil resentment and occasional sarcasm.

Then something magical happened. For a book I was writing about a school for exotic animal trainers, I started commuting from Maine to California, where I spent my days watching students do the seemingly impossible: teaching hyenas to pirouette on command, cougars to offer their paws for a nail clipping, and baboons to skateboard.

I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the American husband.

The central lesson I learned from exotic animal trainers is that I should reward behavior I like and ignore behavior I don't. After all, you don't get a sea lion to balance a ball on the end of its nose by nagging. The same goes for the American husband.

Back in Maine, I began thanking Scott if he threw one dirty shirt into the hamper. If he threw in two, I'd kiss him. Meanwhile, I would step over any soiled clothes on the floor without one sharp word, though I did sometimes kick them under the bed. But as he basked in my appreciation, the piles became smaller.

I was using what trainers call "approximations," rewarding the small steps toward learning a whole new behavior. You can't expect a baboon to learn to flip on command in one session, just as you can't expect an American husband to begin regularly picking up his dirty socks by praising him once for picking up a single sock. With the baboon you first reward a hop, then a bigger hop, then an even bigger hop. With Scott the husband, I began to praise every small act every time: if he drove just a mile an hour slower, tossed one pair of shorts into the hamper, or was on time for anything.

I also began to analyze my husband the way a trainer considers an exotic animal. Enlightened trainers learn all they can about a species, from anatomy to social structure, to understand how it thinks, what it likes and dislikes, what comes easily to it and what doesn't. For example, an elephant is a herd animal, so it responds to hierarchy. It cannot jump, but can stand on its head. It is a vegetarian.

The exotic animal known as Scott is a loner, but an alpha male. So hierarchy matters, but being in a group doesn't so much. He has the balance of a gymnast, but moves slowly, especially when getting dressed. Skiing comes naturally, but being on time does not. He's an omnivore, and what a trainer would call food-driven.

Once I started thinking this way, I couldn't stop. At the school in California, I'd be scribbling notes on how to walk an emu or have a wolf accept you as a pack member, but I'd be thinking, "I can't wait to try this on Scott."

On a field trip with the students, I listened to a professional trainer describe how he had taught African crested cranes to stop landing on his head and shoulders. He did this by training the leggy birds to land on mats on the ground. This, he explained, is what is called an "incompatible behavior," a simple but brilliant concept.

Rather than teach the cranes to stop landing on him, the trainer taught the birds something else, a behavior that would make the undesirable behavior impossible. The birds couldn't alight on the mats and his head simultaneously.

At home, I came up with incompatible behaviors for Scott to keep him from crowding me while I cooked. To lure him away from the stove, I piled up parsley for him to chop or cheese for him to grate at the other end of the kitchen island. Or I'd set out a bowl of chips and salsa across the room. Soon I'd done it: no more Scott hovering around me while I cooked.

I followed the students to SeaWorld San Diego, where a dolphin trainer introduced me to least reinforcing syndrome (L. R. S.). When a dolphin does something wrong, the trainer doesn't respond in any way. He stands still for a few beats, careful not to look at the dolphin, and then returns to work. The idea is that any response, positive or negative, fuels a behavior. If a behavior provokes no response, it typically dies away.

In the margins of my notes I wrote, "Try on Scott!"

It was only a matter of time before he was again tearing around the house searching for his keys, at which point I said nothing and kept at what I was doing. It took a lot of discipline to maintain my calm, but results were immediate and stunning. His temper fell far shy of its usual pitch and then waned like a fast-moving storm. I felt as if I should throw him a mackerel.

Now he's at it again; I hear him banging a closet door shut, rustling through papers on a chest in the front hall and thumping upstairs. At the sink, I hold steady. Then, sure enough, all goes quiet. A moment later, he walks into the kitchen, keys in hand, and says calmly, "Found them."

Without turning, I call out, "Great, see you later."

Off he goes with our much-calmed pup.

After two years of exotic animal training, my marriage is far smoother, my husband much easier to love. I used to take his faults personally; his dirty clothes on the floor were an affront, a symbol of how he didn't care enough about me. But thinking of my husband as an exotic species gave me the distance I needed to consider our differences more objectively.

I adopted the trainers' motto: "It's never the animal's fault." When my training attempts failed, I didn't blame Scott. Rather, I brainstormed new strategies, thought up more incompatible behaviors and used smaller approximations. I dissected my own behavior, considered how my actions might inadvertently fuel his. I also accepted that some behaviors were too entrenched, too instinctive to train away. You can't stop a badger from digging, and you can't stop my husband from losing his wallet and keys.

PROFESSIONALS talk of animals that understand training so well they eventually use it back on the trainer. My animal did the same. When the training techniques worked so beautifully, I couldn't resist telling my husband what I was up to. He wasn't offended, just amused. As I explained the techniques and terminology, he soaked it up. Far more than I realized.

Last fall, firmly in middle age, I learned that I needed braces. They were not only humiliating, but also excruciating. For weeks my gums, teeth, jaw and sinuses throbbed. I complained frequently and loudly. Scott assured me that I would become used to all the metal in my mouth. I did not.

One morning, as I launched into yet another tirade about how uncomfortable I was, Scott just looked at me blankly. He didn't say a word or acknowledge my rant in any way, not even with a nod.

I quickly ran out of steam and started to walk away. Then I realized what was happening, and I turned and asked, "Are you giving me an L. R. S.?" Silence. "You are, aren't you?"

He finally smiled, but his L. R. S. has already done the trick. He'd begun to train me, the American wife.

Amy Sutherland is the author of "Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers" (Viking, June 2006). She lives in Boston and in Portland, Me.

‘The OC’: A Fast Start, a Faster Finish

2007-01-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

So as you've probably heard, my favorite show The OC is being cancelled next month. I guess I can go back to watching Grey's Anatomy, but I must say that it got kind of boring to me this season now that McDreamy and Meredith are dating (or at least I think they're still dating; I haven't exactly watched the show since the new OC season started). Maybe it's just me. Note to self: I must start an OC countdown on this blog soon. Here's an article I found on nytimes.com.

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LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 — The end was in sight for “The OC” by at least last summer, according to Josh Schwartz, the wunderkind creator of the show that, with its glamorous locations, beautiful actors and hip soundtrack, defined new trends for music, fashion, celebrity and, of course, television.

After a stunning debut on Fox in 2003, in which the series drew nearly 10 million viewers each week and a particularly high number of adults between the ages of 18 and 34, according to Nielsen Media Research, the show’s ratings fell in each of the last two seasons.

It entered the fourth season without its most recognizable face, the pouty rich girl played by Mischa Barton, who was killed off at the end of the previous season. Fox, meanwhile, demonstrated its lack of confidence by leaving “The OC” in its 9 p.m. Thursday time slot to face off against “Grey’s Anatomy” and “CSI.”

Fox ordered only 16 episodes, down from more than 20 in each of the first three seasons, and its budget for promoting the show’s return, Mr. Schwartz said, made clear that hopes for the series this year were not high.

“We tried to be realistic about it,” Mr. Schwartz said. “Few shows get to have their last season be their best. So if this was going to be the last season, we wanted to write the show we wanted to do and the show the fans wanted to see. It was creatively liberating.”

Fox, for its part, declined to address its reasons for ending “The OC.” No network executives were quoted in the news release, issued on Wednesday, announcing that this season would be the show’s last, and a spokesman for the network said Friday that no one would comment for this article.

When “The OC” had its premiere, it was quickly compared to “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Dawson’s Creek” and other series that drew raves for their chronicles of teenage angst. But while “90210” lasted 10 seasons, “The OC” will not even make it to the 100-episode milestone, considered a benchmark for profitable syndication.

It did, however, influence the culture. Orange County’s Newport Beach community became a tourist destination for young fans. At least two reality-based television series drew on the fame of “The OC”: “Laguna Beach,” an MTV series that billed itself as “the real Orange County,” and “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” a Bravo reality show that follows a gaggle of women from their tennis lessons to Botox sessions.

Thanks to its heavy use of mood music from emerging rock and alternative-music groups, “The OC” became known as a showcase for new bands, and it produced a half-dozen soundtrack albums featuring groups like Death Cab for Cutie and vocalists like Imogen Heap.

For all of its focus on good-looking rich kids, the show was also about adults, winning praise for developing parental characters with their own storylines and concerns. The show also created what were arguably the first Jewish heartthrobs on television: Sandy Cohen, played by Peter Gallagher, a public defender married to a wealthy gentile developer; and his son, Seth Cohen, played by Adam Brody, who dealt with his mixed religious heritage by promoting the family’s adoption of Chrismukkah as its winter holiday celebration.

Reviewing the show’s second-season premiere, Virginia Heffernan, a New York Times television critic, wrote: “In tone, diction, fashion and music, Mr. Schwartz knows just how to keep it credible with its swooning fans. But he is also mindful of the strict rituals that define television drama, and his discipline in tightening the world he has created — rather than giving in to impatience and blowing it apart — is admirable.”

In the end, however, the weakness of “The OC” might have been that it was too much the product of one person, conceptually, if not in practice. Just 26 when Fox agreed to broadcast the show, Mr. Schwartz was the youngest person in network television history to create and produce his own one-hour series.

He worked furiously, writing or revising every episode of the first season and several in the first part of the second year. After that, he cut back, and while other longtime collaborators like Stephanie Savage continued to work closely on the show, many fans expressed the opinion that the second and third seasons did not match the originality of the first.

Mr. Schwartz disputes that. “I really believe in my colleagues,” he said, citing his particularly close association with Ms. Savage and Robert De Laurentiis, a show-business veteran who has served as an executive producer since the first season.

In fact, Mr. Schwartz will be producing a new series with Ms. Savage. The CW network has signed the pair for “Gossip Girl,” an hourlong teenage drama set in New York City and based on the book series of the same name. NBC, too, has signed Mr. Schwartz for a series, a dark comedy-drama titled “Chuck,” which Mr. Schwartz has developed with Chris Fedak.

For now, Mr. Schwartz, who grew up in Providence, R.I., not on the California coast, said he was focused on “delivering the most satisfying finale we can” for “The OC.” The remaining episodes will feature an unexpected pregnancy and more of the show’s familiar love-triangle tussles. All of which could work to raise the size of the audience from the fewer than four million who have tuned in for each episode this season, according to Nielsen. But it is unlikely that the series will win any reprieve from what, for such early promise, could be viewed as an early death.

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--> California here I come, right back where I started from (I'm getting a bit bored with "Now That's Class!c W!th A Tw!st")

February W Magazine Cover

2007-01-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

Is this not the coolest cover for January. It's from the February Issue of W Magazine. Check out the latest Bond's tattoo.

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Here's a snippet of the article I found on style.com.

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Daniel Craig can't stand listening to Nicole Kidman. In fact, it's so painful that he has stuck his fingers in his ears and is humming loudly to drown her out. Meanwhile, Kidman is happily responding to a question about whether the 38-year-old actor changed after landing his role as James Bond last year.

"Oh, completely," deadpans Kidman, 39, who was with him, shooting one of their upcoming films, The Invasion, when he got the call. "In 24 hours he became a diva," she adds, with a nod toward Craig, who continues to hum his tune as the pair sit in the cozy bar of a London photography studio, where they're sharing a bottle of sparkling water. But then Kidman breaks down and tells the truth: "Oh, he didn't change at all," she says in her haute-Aussie twang. "The thing about Daniel, and the reason I like working with him, is that he's an actor's actor."

Of course, Craig has heard the whole thing, and he seems far more alarmed by the compliment than by the faux insult. "How dare you!" he shouts, and they both giggle.

It is a chilly, slate gray autumn Saturday, and Kidman, who's barefoot and still wearing a caffe latte–colored Dior gown from the fashion shoot, and Craig, in a navy blue cardigan more suited to Mister Rogers than Mr. Bond, are punchy after a long day posing under hot lights. On Monday they'll return to the London set of The Golden Compass, a fantasy-adventure film based on the first book in Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials. The movie, to be released later this year, is their second collaboration, the first being The Invasion, which is loosely based on Invasion of the Body Snatchers and is also due out in 2007.

"The Actors," photographed by David Sims, has been edited for Style.com; for the complete story, pick up the February 2007 issue of W.

♥ Pete Wentz Interview

2007-01-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

Latest obsession = Pete Wentz. Here's an interview I saw with him on Nylon TV (a YouTube channel linked with Nylon Magazine). It's a good interview, but the girl interviewing him kinda freaks me out.

Seasonal Themes from WhoWhatWearDaily.Com

2007-01-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

I'm totally obsessed with the whowhatweardaily.com newsletter. Get it or just check out the website from Monday to Friday for new posts. Here's something I found in my inbox this morning.

The future is present on the Spring 2007 runways. While some space-age looks venture into extreme territory-the gold plated-pants at Balenciaga are clearly currently channeling Star Wars' C-P30-it's relatively easy to incorporate this seasonal theme into one's wardrobe. It might be something as simple as picking up Roger Vivier's metallic gold clutch. Bergdorf Goodman already has a waiting list for the $750 accessory, which they project to be the season's "it" bag. Or perhaps you could pick up a pair of Lucite hoops a la Lanvi's runway jewelry look. Large-lens, translucent-framed sunglasses (versions seen at Balenciaga, Dior, Bottega, Givenchy and Stella) are another Jetsons touch that brings to mind Timbuk 3's 1986 hit. To steal from the band, clearly the future's so bright, we gotta wear shades.

Romance is also in the spring air, blowing in via retro feminine shapes and fabrics. Flowers are blooming on prints, hair accessories and shoe embellishments, as well as being actual inspiration points. Thakoon Panichgul told WWD that, "Peonies and their simple complexity," were the major muses of his eponymous collection, while other designers, like Louis Vuitton and Valentino, hit upon the romantic trend through petticoat tiers of silk and chiffon. For a less literal translation of this trend, look for garments that suggest softness-in both color (think muted and dusty pastels) and cut.

We the editors at WhoWhatWearDaily are not the most athletic bunch. Unless, of course, you count threading through a crowd to get to the pinot-grigio for Katherine, noir for Hillary- or whipping through the racks at Sarsaparilla in South Beach. That said, we have no problem with looking active, hence our sighs of satisfaction over the many sporty styles available this spring. Some of our favorite looks include the playful rompers at Stella and sherbet-striped, racer back tops at Proenza. We also covet the clear Chanel tote that would make the most chic gym bag ever. Too bad we don't actually workout...

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--> now that's Class!c W!th A Tw!st

Celebrity Street Style from WhoWhatWearDaily.com

2007-01-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

As I was surfing whowhatweardaily.com, I came across this. I agree with him on 1, 3, and 4, but I have to disagree with him on 2; I am an Olsen fan after all (Michelle Tanner's my idol!).

Based on an incredibly informal poll-a recent reading of Us Weekly with our beaux commenting over our shoulders-we've noticed that the fellows have affinity for certain celebs that we just don't get ("You like her? In that outfit? WHY???"). So naturally we thought that celebrity street style would make for a perfect A Guy's Opinion. Today's John Doe, Michael, 29, is a reality television producer. And before you can say BlindDateWhat? we must assure you that the fellow in question works on one of television's most stylish shows. Read on to find out if our Guy thinks the above outfits are in or out...

1. If I saw a girl wearing this in high school, I would still dream about her to this day. The pants are well tailored and stay away from the skinny jean trend, the shirt has Kate Moss’ iconic pout strewn across it, and the hat with the hair just says, “We can go to a movie, a poetry slam or your basement. Whatever.” But the clincher, the small touch that would leads to years of therapy (a la John Cusack in Grosse Pointe Blank), is the red lips.

2. Let me be completely honest here, those shoes, when not placed on a woman’s foot, are structurally and aesthetically sexy (maybe it’s the S&M and not the H&M in me). But when said shoe is placed on an actual foot, that woman begins to resemble a goat. A female goat, yes, but a goat none-the-less. The rest, you ask? The hat: ill fitting and played out (hence, why I wear one). The scarf: also played out and not working. The purse? Unless she is smuggling a severed head in it, it's just, for the lack of a better word, dumb. And I’m sure it cost more than I make in a year.

3. This is how my brain worked on this picture after I got past that I'm looking at Natalie Portman: Is she trying to look like Victorian soldier who just traded her mink muff for one of the “natives” maize pouches while on her way to work as a junior exec at JP Morgan? If so, mission accomplished. I will say, however, her shoes and pants are undeniably classic and for Beautiful Girls and Leon: the Professional, I will always forgive something like this being worn by Ms. Portman.

4. "Hello? 911? You have to help me. I have no idea where I am, I think someone drugged me and put me in orthopedic clown shoes and for some reason my dress isn't working? I don't know why, it's a decent shape, though a bit muumuu-y, and a fairly safe print, though colored like Grey Poupon. Wait, it could be worse, I could have leggings on and not wearing cool shades. Thank you, 911." That said, I like spring dress, but when the dress you are wearing weighs as much as you do, the look isn't flattering.

The Hope of a Fresh Start

2007-01-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

Found this on the NY Times website. Read please.

New Year’s Day is the simplest holiday in the calendar, a Champagne cork of a day after all the effervescence of the evening before. There is no civic agenda, no liturgical content, only the sense of something ended, something begun. It is a good day to clean the ashes out of the wood stove, to consider the possibilities of next summer’s garden, to wonder how many weeks into the new year you will be before you marvel at how quickly 2007 is going. “This will be the year ...,” you find yourself thinking, but before you can finish the thought you remember what all the previous years have taught you — that there’s just no telling.

We are supposed to believe in the fresh start of a new year, and who doesn’t love the thought of it? But we are just as likely to feel the pull of the old ways on this holiday, to acknowledge the solid comfort — like it or not — of the self we happen to have become over the years. We may not say, like Charles Lamb in 1820, that we would no more alter the shape of our lives “than the incidents of some well-contrived novel.” But we know what he means.

No one has faced the prospect of New Year’s time more honestly than Lamb. He knew that its real theme was what he called “an intolerable disinclination to dying,” something he felt especially sharply in the dead of winter, awaiting the peal of bells ringing in the new year. It was an inescapable syllogism for him — New Year, the passing of time, the certainty of death.

What it forced from him was the very thing it should force from all of us — a renewal of our pleasure in life itself. “I am in love,” he wrote, “with this green earth; the face of town and country; the unspeakable rural solitudes, and the sweet security of streets.”

--> Now that's Class!c W!th A New Year's Tw!st

Vintage Appeal

2006-12-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was "surfing the net" and came upon this article on the blog Debutante Clothing. Read, learn, and discuss if you must.

5 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Vintage

So my latest acquisition from eBay is a quilted Chanel bag. No, not the highly coveted 2.55, but quilted nonetheless. But Chanel will never go out of style. Ever. Which is my first reason for acquiring vintage now.

1. Classic or iconic vintage will always make a second and third round. It is no secret that high end designers buy vintage as a source of inspiration for future collections. Own the real deal.

2. It's an investment. Like any other antique or collectible, clothing and accessories only go up in value. By the time a collectibles book comes out in print, the value of an item has already changed.

3. Because you will look as if you are ahead of or indifferent to trends. Do you really want to be the label whore wearing the latest IT everything from head to toe? No offense fashionistas, but where is the style in that? Work it your own unique way. There is a difference in getting dressed, and having style.

4. Same quality, less money. If a fashion conscious person truly buys for quality and design, then vintage is the way to go. You can get a close to couture garment for a fraction of the price. Of course, you cannot walk into your local Salvation Army and find these treasure with regularity. You do have the luxury of leaving that to the professionals who scour the earth for a vintage Lanvin or DVF wrap dress for you.

5. Because you will always turn heads and receive compliments. I have never worn a vintage outfit that people ignored. And of course I love the attention.

--> now that's Class!c W!th A Tw!st

Shuffle This

2006-12-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

*Put your iPod/Media Player on shuffle.
*The song title will be the answer to the questions.
*No cheating.

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How am I feeling today?: What's Your Fantasy - Ludacris (fantasy = me + Justin Timberlake + a deserted island off the coast of Brazil)

Will I get far in life?: Comin Up From Behind - Marcy Playground

How do my friends see me?: Hot Tequila Brown - Jamiroquai (I am hot & my skin is brown)

Where will I get Married?: Un Siglo Sin Ti - Chayanne (sure)

What is the story of my life?: Highway to Hell (Live Cover) - Maroon 5

What was high school like?: Brand New Day - Sting

How can I get ahead in life?: Pop - NSYNC (so if I perform this with MJ at the VMAs I'll get ahead)

What is the best thing about me?: Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

How is today going to be?: Easy to Love - Ella Fitzgerald (cool)

What is in store for this weekend?: In God's Hands - Nelly Furtado (everything is)

What song describes my parents?: Baby Boy - Beyoncé

To describe my grandparents?: Wild Horses - Natasha Bedingfield

How is my life going?: And? - Dina Rae (I don't think I ever listened 2 this song!)

What song will they play at my funeral?: The Story of Beauty - Destiny's Child (aww)

How does the world see me?: The More I See You - Michael Bublé

Will I have a happy life?: They Don't Really Care About Us - Michael Jackson (bummer)

What do my friends really think of me?: Sinner Man - Nina Simone (doesn't even make sense)

Do people secretly lust after me?: Stripped (Intro) - Christina Aguilera (*stripping* *hmm* )

How can I make myself happy?: Sensitive - O-Town

What should I do with my life?: Say It Right - Nelly Furtado (public speaker?)

Will I ever have children?: Destino - Juanes (guess so)

What is some good advice for me?: Sei Parte Ormai Di Me - Il Divo (Italian knowledge don't fail me now)

How will I be remembered?: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Nina Simone (I don't even know a Tom)

What is my signature dancing song?: Say Goodbye - Chris Brown (I can't even stand Chris Brown)

What do I think my current theme song is?: Science Fiction, Double Feature - Rocky Horror Picture Show Sndtrck.

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?: Save Me - Jem (of course)

What type of men/women do you like?: The Pros & Cons of Breathing - Fall Out Boy (vampiric ones it is then)

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-->now that's Class!c W!th A Tw!st

Shuffle This

2006-12-27T23:46:00.000-08:00

I know this has nothing to do with fashion (unless you count the number of musicians with clothing lines), but it's fun. Trust me.

*Put your iPod/Media Player on shuffle.
*The song title will be the answer to the questions.
*No cheating.

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How am I feeling today?:

Will I get far in life?:

How do my friends see me?:

Where will I get Married?:

What is the story of my life?:

What was high school like?:

How can I get ahead in life?:

What is the best thing about me?:

How is today going to be?:

What is in store for this weekend?:

What song describes my parents?:

To describe my grandparents?:

How is my life going?:

What song will they play at my funeral?:

How does the world see me?:

Will I have a happy life?:

What do my friends really think of me?:

Do people secretly lust after me?:

How can I make myself happy?:

What should I do with my life?:

Will I ever have children?:

What is some good advice for me?:

How will I be remembered?:

What is my signature dancing song?:

What do I think my current theme song is?:

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?:

What type of men/women do you like?:

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--> now that's Class!c W!th a Tw!st

'SNL' Star Behind Timberlake's Raunchy Hit Hopes To 'Box' Up Full LP

2006-12-26T23:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know this doesn't have anything to do with fashion, but it is part of entertainment. Plus I ♥ Andy Samberg.

Sure, nobody really wants a "Di-- in a Box" for Christmas. But "Saturday Night Live" breakout star Andy Samberg is hoping fans of his digital shorts will fiend for a full album of his spot-on hip-hop and R&B knock-offs. Once he gets around to actually recording them, that is.

"It's something we've always wanted to do and we've been working on putting it together," said Samberg of an LP he's hoping to record soon with his Lonely Island troupe writing partners, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. "It's about finding the time, but we've definitely got some ideas."

The trio, who've already worked up such viral hits as last year's "Lazy Sunday" and a gangsta rap by Natalie Portman, unleashed their latest YouTube phenomenon last weekend on "SNL" with the Justin Timberlake/ Samberg duet "Di-- in a Box." Thanks to a partnership between NBC and YouTube, the clip quickly jumped into the top 20 most viewed on the site and became one of the quickest, most ubiquitous viral hits of the year according to Scott Button, CEO of ViralVideoChart.com, which trolls several million blogs a day to determine which videos are the most popular.

Samberg said the writing team originally came up with a different idea for Timberlake, but show honcho Lorne Michaels insisted they exploit his musical side. "We wanted to do an early-'90s-style R&B song and Jorma came up with the 'Di-- in a Box' premise," he said of the smooth, Color Me Badd-esque ballad about an unexpected holiday surprise.

"We presented it to Justin once we thought it was funny enough and he didn't even blink," Samberg recalled. "He was like, 'Oh yeah! Absolutely!' " Inspired by some of the music the Lonely Islanders grew up listening to as kids in the San Francisco Bay Area — Jodeci, R. Kelly, the Isley Brothers, LeVert and "any '90s R&B band who had a song with the word 'freak' in it" — the song was a perfect fit for Timberlake, who was also a fan of all those acts. Plus, the former boy-bander was more than willing to poke a bit of fun at his harmonizing past and dress up in the goofy color-coordinated suits, oversized shades and complex facial hair.

And though the group thought they had written a pretty solid song, it never hurts to get a little advice from the host — when he's a musical wizard. "He basically came up with the hook," Samberg said of Timberlake's smooth but dirty chorus. "I had a loose melody and he took the reigns and schooled us on how to record and make it sound fantastic. He added pauses to make it more catchy. And that 'Midday at the grocery store' line? That was his." In addition to online fire, the skit has already inspired a knock-off T-shirt with Timberlake's easy-to-follow instructions: 1. Cut a hole in the box; 2. Put your junk in that box; 3. Make her open the box.

Though his voice cracked a few times during recording and he was a bit nervous working with Timberlake, Samberg said the former 'NSYNC-er's "insanely" easygoing attitude put him at ease. "We traded messages after [the whole thing took off online]," Samberg said. "He loves it."

They couldn't decide on a name for the fictional duo (2:30 a.m. and Bootknockaz were in the running) or a title for their fictional album ("it would probably be self-titled"), but Samberg said that now that he's done filming the big-screen comedy "Hot Rod," directed by Schaffer and featuring Taccone, he's hoping to get working on that album.

Lack Of Blond Ambition

2006-12-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

When Cameron Diaz appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" earlier this month to promote her new movie "The Holiday," she shocked the masses. Wearing a zebra-print dress, the quintessentially blond actress had become an effervescent, dark-haired mystery woman.

"For some reason, in my mind, I'm a brunette," the statuesque beauty told Leno. "But it's kind of fun because I'm a natural blonde, so I still get to use that excuse. People react differently to me. I get hit on by different guys. The darker guys seem to come at you as well, the guys who are more introspective."

Diaz made the bold move back in September, just in time for her boyfriend Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds record-release party. It was a complete 360 for the "Charlie's Angels" actress, who has been associated with her blond hair since her "There's Something About Mary" days. Diaz's black hair seems to bring out the actress' sky-blue eyes and accentuate the chiseled angles on her face.

But Diaz isn't the only blond star to undergo the refreshing change. Ashley Olsen has opted for a darker shade after many years as a streaky blonde. So have Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Nicole Richie. (Full disclosure: Duff dyed her hair for a movie she is currently shooting called "Brand Hauser: Stuff Happens," in which she plays a European pop star.) Even Beyoncé has gotten rid of her blond highlights and is now showing off her full, voluptuous dark locks.

And let's not forget about Britney, who can't seem to decide between black and blond. It's almost impossible to keep up with Spears' forever-changing locks. In August, when she was pregnant with her second child, she dyed her hair black and wore long extensions to the Teen Choice Awards. She dyed it blond again and then, two weeks ago, she dyed it black. Last week, she was spotted at an L.A. Lakers game with her sister, sporting honey-blond highlights. What gives?

Louise O'Connor, owner of prestigious New York salon OC61, says darkening locks and flipping back and forth "shows how a woman is feeling."

"I think Britney is doing this because she is depressed and confused," she said. "On the other hand, Cameron Diaz looks beautiful, and she has changed her whole look and attitude."

"There was a time when brunettes ruled, like Raquel Welch and Sophia Loren, when brunettes were the sexy hot look," added hairstylist-to-the-stars Edward Tricomi of Warren-Tricomi hair salon. "Now they're bringing sexy back."

Dr. Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers University, says blond is outdated and a head full of natural, glowing brown hair looks more youthful.

"The blonde is becoming more and more of the lady who lunches, the kind of woman who does nothing all day except get her hair done," she said. "The blonde used to be regarded as natural, and now everyone knows that it's not. Black hair was always considered sexy and attractive because it signified youth."

Most importantly, with many women being bottle blondes, a brunette stands out — and men like women who stand out, Fisher believes.

"We're so used to seeing five blondes in a photograph, but when there's a brunette in the middle, that is novel," said the anthropologist, who recently penned a book called "Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love." "It may even be a signal of daring, someone who doesn't follow the crowd. Men are very attracted to women who are daring."

Still, as daring as you may be, stylists advise to not go black if you plan on going back to being a blonde.

"You have to be sure about it," O'Connor said. "To go back to blond is very taxing on the hair. It's a definite change. It's going to change your look, how you feel. The attention you get as a blonde is different than the attention you get as a brunette. You are taken more seriously."

Also, if you're going to embrace a darker look, be sure to seek a professional and be wary of drugstore dyes.

"If you're going from blond to dark and your hair has been bleached out and you put a color on top of that, you could end up with a green tone if you put an ash brown in it," O'Connor said. "At a salon, going dark is the cheapest thing to do. You can get a single process and be brown within an hour."

Lastly, O'Connor suggests, try before you dye.

"Make sure it does suit your skin tone," she said. "Maybe get a wig and test that out for a few days before going permanent."

Celebrity hairstylist Oscar Blandi says he's noticed an increase in women coming into his salon and asking for their hair to be darker over the course of the past month.

"A lot of the time it can be a psychological thing," he said. "Britney, Lindsay, they want to find a new star. They are looking for a new identity. They want to start a new image. A lot of the time you find that it looks great, it's a great contrast. Great skin color and blue eyes look great together.

"In Hollywood, people need to reinvent themselves, and a great way to do it is by changing drastically," Blandi continued. "People are getting tired of the Paris Hilton bimbo-blonde look. They want to look intelligent and sexy, and you can be sexy and be a brunette. If you look at the cover of W, nobody is going to tell you Cameron Diaz is not sexy."

Another positive aspect about going brunet is that your can wear your same wardrobe but look completely different.

"If you have a low-cut blouse down to your navel, you might look a little more intelligent with dark hair," Blandi said. "After a while, you get bored of looking at something. When all the magazines are doing blond, blond, it becomes refreshing to see a brunette."

They Wish

2006-12-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

I ♥ Dev

2006-12-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

Bored as hell like yours truly? I have an idea; read this book: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's awesome. It's a collaboration between two popular (as I'm told) young adult authors, Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. The whole story takes place in one crazy night in NYC when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes. That leads them to a night of fun, confusion, and discovery. And may I also mention that it's pretty damn sexy with a cherry on top.

Here's a book for the kid intrested in what the hipsters do on a Saturday night in the city. Here's a book for someone like me who's bored as hell during her winter break. Here's a book for someone who just likes to read. Here's a book for someone who likes a good soundtrack to go with their reading material. (If one of these doesn't fit your profile, read the book and let me know where you fit it).

And now here's an interesting quote from the book (read the book and "refresh" my memory about who said it and why don't cha!).

"'I Wanna Hold Your Hand.' First single. Fucking brilliant. Perhaps the most fucking brilliant song ever written. Because they nailed it. That's what everone wants. Not 24-7 hot wet sex. Not a marriage that lasts a hundred years. Not a Porsche or a blow job or a million-dollar crib. No. They wanna hold your hand. They have such a feeling that they can't hide. Every single successful love song of the past fifty years can be traced back to 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand.' And every single successful love story has those unbearable and unbearably exciting moments of hand-holding. Trust me. I thought a lot about this."

And there's more where that came from. There totally needs to be groups for this book on LiveJournal, MySpace, and Facebook. Actually there is one on Facebook, but it sucks.

--> now that's Class!c W!th A Tw!st

How Others Spend Their Holidays.

2006-12-23T18:44:00.000-08:00

Check out what I found in my Nylon newsletter.

-->now that's Class!c W!th a Tw!st

Join (RED)

2006-12-20T20:15:00.000-08:00

On Monday I was watching a rerun of Oprah. The episode was the one with Bono and a few other celebs speaking about Africa and Bono's (RED) campaign. Here's the recap I ripped from oprah.com. Please read it. Remember to Join (RED)

Bono's Big Idea

Clothes are usually just fashion statements, but not today. "Clothes are usually not important or significant, they usually just cover your body, but I am wearing the most important T-shirt I've ever worn in my life. I love this so much I bought one for every person in this audience," Oprah says. "This red T is a revolutionary idea dreamed up by a man I call the reigning king of hope, and he just may be the coolest guy on the planet—Bono!"

Bono's band, U2, swept the Grammys®, and their concerts have sold out all over the world. He was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and named one of Time Magazine's Persons of the Year along with Bill and Melinda Gates.

What Bono is unveiling now is one of his biggest ideas yet—(RED)™!

(RED)™ is a revolutionary program designed to eliminate AIDS in Africa. "Lots of people here in the United States have been trying to deal with the problems of Africa in a very serious way," Bono says. "But not everybody has the time to be an activist or put on their marching boots. So we said, 'How are we going to get the shopping malls involved? How are we going to get to where people live and shop…?'"

By buying a (RED) brand T-shirt, a pair of jeans or even a cell phone, you can help save lives. Part of your purchase will be donated to The Global Fund to help those who need it most. Just the T-shirts that the audience is wearing today will provide enough medication to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child for over 14,000 pregnant women.

Bono teamed up with old friend Bobby Shriver to create (RED)™. Bono says (RED) focuses on AIDS because we can make a difference.

"In some countries over a third of the people are HIV positive. Can you imagine that? A third of this audience is sitting there and they know they're going to die," Bono says. "We have these drugs. And they're not that expensive. We think it's a very American thing, it's a very European thing, to say, 'Look, these people are going to die; they don't need to die.' Two Twin Towers a day. A tsunami a month. One hundred fifty thousand Africans die of a preventable, treatable disease every month. They don't have to. And we think the Oprah kind of people will just not have it—they'll do the right thing, they'll do the (RED) thing."

Bono is using his passion to try to change the world. Does he ever get overwhelmed because of the need in Africa? "Yes, you get overwhelmed with the size of these problems and you think can we do something about it?" Bono says. "But I am really [convinced] that this generation, our generation, can be the generation to say 'no' to extreme poverty, or what I call 'stupid' poverty."

Bono recently visited Lesotho, Africa, where they make the signature Gap (PRODUCT) RED™ T-shirts. "You have a situation where most of those people in there are not aware that drugs are on the way," Bono says. "A third of them at this point are going to die, as they see it. "How do you go to work when you think you're going to die?"

The area has 150,000 people and one clinic. One doctor or nurse does the job of 10. Bono meets children taking complex AIDS medication who don't have enough money for food and are even starving in hospitals. (RED)™ will give teens like Angelique access to proper medication and a chance at a better life. "I would have died and no one would remember me, but I am alive because I got the medicine," Angelique says. "To have people who care and help us, I send a message of love to each of them. We have a better dream for us and a better future and that gives us hope."

(RED)™ is about getting the medicine to the people who need it. Since Chicago is one of the greatest shopping cities in the country, Oprah decides to drive Bono to Michigan Avenue—the heart of Chicago shopping—to paint the town (RED)!

Celebrity Shopping Spree

Oprah and Bono leave right in the middle of a show and drive a red Thunderbird down to Chicago's Magnificent Mile—the city's shopping epicenter. Fans greet Bono and Oprah as they arrive at the Gap, which has gone "red" for the launch of its hip, new line!

Gap is introducing Gap PRODUCT (RED)™—a limited collection of clothing and accessories for men and women designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Once inside the store, Oprah and Bono are welcomed by hundreds of employees who've lined the staircases!

Inside the Gap store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, hundreds of employees are decked out in their PRODUCT (RED)™ shirts. They watch as Oprah and Bono peruse other (RED) clothes and accessories, which are now available online and in Gap stores nationwide!

Many Gap products are made in Africa, so in a way, Africans are paying for their own healthcare. "It gives them a sense of dignity," Bono says.

Oprah picks up a new pair of Gap PRODUCT (RED)™ jeans, a jacket and 10 (RED) T-shirts. Then, she gears up for the exclusive first look at Gap's entire collection of PRODUCT (RED) apparel.

"I want the whole world to go (RED)!" Oprah says.

Also getting a "foot" in the (RED)™ door is Converse. These Chucks combine culture and creativity in the Mudcloth sneaker (pictured rear). Traditionally used by the Bamana people of Mali, the mud-dyed cloth often marks life's major transitions, such as marriage and births. Converse found a woman in Mali who handmade all 1,000 yards of fabric for these one-of-a-kind shoes. "It changed her life," Bono says.

You don't need a mudcloth to put your own stamp on your kicks. Just use your name! With the purchase of a pair of Converse (PRODUCT) RED™ sneakers, an AIDS patient can receive an entire month of anti-retroviral drugs. You'll know the (RED) sneakers by the single red eyelet at the top of every shoe.

Supermodel Christy Turlington is known as the face of Maybelline, but now she's also one of the faces of PRODUCT (RED)™! As a mother of two, Christy says the idea that a mother can't get medication for her child is unfathomable.

Dressed in an "INSPI(RED)" tank top and olive "DESI(RED)" T-shirt, Christy makes a surprise appearance on the Gap runway. The safety pin attached to her shirt is decorated with African trading beads, which are customarily used in Africa in place of money.

Proceeds from Christy's outfit would help 58 pregnant women prevent the transmission of HIV to their unborn children.

Spanish starlet Penelope Cruz has starred alongside some of the hottest men in Hollywood, but today she's testing out her modeling skills on the Gap runway. "I'm very excited to be a part of this," she says.

Penelope is wearing a (RED)™ jean jacket and an African cotton "INSPI(RED)" T-shirt. This shirt was made in a Gap factory in Lesotho, Africa.

Proceeds from Penelope's jean jacket will pay for two months of anti-retroviral (ARV) treatments for one person and help 50 women prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child.

Next stop is the Apple store, where Oprah and Bono are ready to rock at the same time! The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED™ Special Edition holds 1,000 songs and a lot of hope. "It is so cute! I love the color. It's the perfect Christmas gift," Oprah says.

For every 10 iPods purchased, one HIV positive child can be treated with pediatric drugs for two months. "This is fantastic! I want 10 of them," Oprah says. "This is going to be a big, big, big hit."

Using his new (RED)™ MOTORAZR V3m, Grammy-award-winning rapper and producer Kanye West makes a special call to invite Bono and Oprah to Motorola. The purchase of 10 phones will provide someone with a year's worth of anti-retroviral drugs.

Hands-free can help even more people. One (RED) Bluetooth headset gives a child orphaned by AIDS hot meals and school supplies for one month—and 10 of them provide a year's worth of treatment for HIV/AIDS-related infections.

Of course, Chicago native Kanye West had to be the first to sign Motorola's Wall of Fame. Anyone who buys a (RED)™ MOTORAZR V3m or Bluetooth gets to leave their mark next to Kanye, Oprah and Bono's signatures.

Designer fashion has also gone (RED)™! Armani has launched a (RED) line featuring T-shirts, sneakers and jeans. The T-shirts are designed by an African designer, and each one has an African symbol standing for different meanings. Among them are "harmony" and "flight."

Oprah and Bono also love Armani's new (RED) watches. "I like it, very cool," Oprah says. One watch pays for one month of anti-retroviral treatment. "Can I have one?" Bono asks.

Bono never goes anywhere without his signature pair of shades—even snowy Chicago! The purchase of 10 pairs of the Armani (RED)™ sunglasses equals a year's supply of school supplies and hot food for a child orphaned by AIDS. "I want a pair," Oprah says. "Can I have 10 pairs of these?"

Oprah and Bono's whirlwind afternoon of shopping on the Magnificent Mile helped women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa gain access to education, nutrition, counseling, medical services, and the two pills a day they need to survive.

(RED) Products and Organizations

Help women and children suffering from AIDS in Africa by visiting the following (RED)™ websites.

JoinRed.com
(RED)™ was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver to empower consumers to shop and do good at the same time. A portion of profits from the sale of (RED)™ branded products goes to The Global Fund to help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, providing access to education, nutrition, counseling, medical services, and the two pills a day they need to help them stay alive.

The Global Fund
The Global Fund is the world's leading funder of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which kill over 6 million people per year.

Gap
Gap is introducing Gap (PRODUCT) RED™—a new, limited collection of clothing and accessories for men and women designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Check out the line's cashmere hoodies, t-shirts, candles and more! As part of Gap's global partnership with (PRODUCT) RED™, half of the profits from sales of the Gap (PRODUCT) RED™Collection will go to The Global Fund to finance programs that help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Armani
Emporio Armani is a proud partner of (PRODUCT) RED™.This pioneering initiative will raise money and awareness for The Global Fund through the sales of a RED-branded capsule collection designed by Giorgio Armani including watches, sunglasses and t-shirts. Over the next five years, 40 percent of the gross profits from (Emporio Armani) RED will go directly to eradicate AIDS in Africa.

Converse
It's just a little, red eyelet, but it's the mark of a big idea. That single red eyelet at the top of each pair of Converse (PRODUCT) RED™ sneakers signifies participation in (RED)™, a program designed to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Motorola
Introducing the new red MOTORAZR V3m. The red MOTORAZR V3m was designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The (PRODUCT) RED™ MOTORAZR is available at Best Buy and Sprint stores nationwide.

Apple
The iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED™Special Edition—available in 4GB or 8GB storage capacity—holds up to 2,000 songs, 25,000 photos, and a little hope because $10 from every iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED™sold goes directly to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

My Elements of Style

2006-12-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have been going to college long enough to know that there are certain staples on a college campus -- a blend of Abercrombie and Hollister (which seem like spin-offs of each other to me) with a little dash of Billabong here and there, low rise American Eagle jeans, Uggs for those chilly days, flip flops for everyday, the occassional "Lube It" shirt (or any other shirt with a dirty statement or alcohol logo on it), hoodies displaying school spirit, and bright neon sweats courtesy of Vicky S' Pink line. Just your everyday mix of sk8r boys, the trend-followers (or "trendies" as I like to call them), the All-American models, and the occassional rebel yeller. And then there's me. Where I fit into this mix, I have no idea. I'm just trying to find my own style.

It's an interesting process since I never really had a style with the whole wearing a uniform for 12 years and all. I never realized I could cook up some really hot looks from the stuff in my closet -- if I had known I would have been rockin' some killer styles on dress down days past. Oh well -- too little, too late. I'm just putting together things with a bit of help from my mom (yes, she made me put that) based on what I see people wearing on campus (which actually lets me know more what NOT to wear than what I SHOULD wear most of the time), and anything in and on fashion magazines and websites (Teen Vogue's my favorite and elle.com rocks!), and I guess you could say that celebrities give me a bit of inspiration as well sometimes (for example, Britney Spears taught me to wear underwear and how NOT to get out of a car if I don't).

So there they are -- my elements of style. Now my question to you is: what are yours?

--> now that's Class!c W!th a Tw!st

Come One, Come All

2006-12-15T20:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Elements of Style, the new blog by yours truly, evredayme!

This blog is different from my other one For Tainted Eyes Only which was more about copying & pasting interesting new articles and the latest celeb news. Elements is geared more towards fashion: my style, trends I ♥ and hate, what people (i.e. celebs and regulars) are wearing, my favorite models, and what's hot on the runway with the occassional dose of celebrity gossip and a What Are They Wearing?! episode. Of course I've also got to mix in a little music as well - you know my current playlists and such.

My first task is to come up with the perfect signature. How's this one for starters --> now that's Class!c W!th a Tw!st