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
Friday, May 25, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Joss Stone Shows Independence With CD
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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.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Maria Style
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??)
--> kid's got style (and she hates poofy, itchy dresses like yours truly -- why do parents force their daughters to wear those anyway??)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Style Originals
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
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
Friday, March 9, 2007
Finally Found My Love
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.)
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.)
Random Thoughts
**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.
"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.
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