Music Thursday?

I know it's not Monday but who says it actually needs to be Monday to celebrate amazing music, that's not fair. Plus I can't wait until Monday to tell you guys about this song that I just heard and the amazing music video that goes along with it!

The song is called Go Outside by the NYC duo Cults. This is the first time I have heard of this band, but from this one song I know they are here to stay. The song has a happy melody but once you listen to the lyrics there is definitely more to it, just take a look at the music video (definitely some underlying meaning). Plus, the music video is starring Emma Roberts and James Franco's lil brosky Dave Franco. The video has Emma Robert's fictional character coming out of the tv to join lil Franco in a romp around Paris. Besides the fact that the film begins in Franco's home with the words "Reality Leaves A Lot To The Imagination" subtly (or really not so subtly) printed behind him on the wall is great, but really what gets us are the outfits that Emma is wearing.

MTV Shows

The Signs of Spring

In the spirit of February coming to an end here are some of the signs of spring...fashion wise.

No more big bulky boots! Put away those Ugg boots and whip out some low cut shoes that go great with rolled up jeans.

Or you can always continue to wear your boots but instead of wearing them over jeans try wearing them with a cute skirt or shorts.

Yes, most of us have been wearing scarves throughout winter but it's time to put away the big bulky scarves and substitute them for something lighter and something with a patter or design. We love the knit wear but when spring rolls around the scarf can be a great accessory to any outfit and is a great way to make any outfit young and hip.

And last but not least rock those shades! During winter most of us rarely get the chance to see the sun, so once you see those rays start to peak out don't forget to protect your eyes and look good doing it.

The key...accessorize accessorize accessorize! No longer do we have to hide behind out big bulky jackets and sweaters, or worry about the ice on the pavement eating away at our adorable shoes. No, instead we can finally put together pieces that people will actually get the chance to see, and no better way than to show off the small things that have been hiding in your closet.

Happy Last Week of February!

Music Monday: Music Overload

I want to start off by apologizing for not including in my last Music Monday post the performance of Janelle Monae, B.o.B and Bruno Mars at the Grammys. Because let's be serious anyone who can take us back in time to the '50s but still give us some beats that we can dance to is worthy of mentioning. Unfortunately I have been unable to find a good video of the performance to show to you all but hopefully you were all fortunate to watch it.

On the other hand I have selected Oh Land to be our Music Monday artist. Oh Land is the alias of Nanna Fabricius who is from Denmark. Oh Land is awesome and I have been constantly listening to the two songs of hers I have been able to download, Sun Of A Gun and We Turn it Up. Each song is filled with foot stomping beats that make you want to dance but at the same time when her vocals come in you are immediately put into a trance. If I had to compare her to anyone it would probably be Ellie Goulding. Both are a mix of soft techno beats and pop. Love her!



And for those of you who don't know Ellie Goulding here is her music video for one of my favorite songs of hers Starry Eyed.



Don't you just love Mondays!

Movies Movies and More Movies!!!

I'm a pretty big fan of Indie films or films that don't get much attention and a pretty big fan of Sundance Films since most of them usually end of being better than mainstream...actually scratch that let's just generalize and say all of them. But here are two that have caught my attention and what's really interesting about them is that they actually have some big names in them from Natalie Portman to Kay Panabaker, the star of No Ordinary Family (love love love it!). This isn't the first time Sundance Films have attracted big names, just look at The Kids Are Alright, which received nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Oscars and had actresses Julianne Moore and Annette Bening.



I am not exactly sure how I feel about this film. For some reason it kind of reminds me of Juni, maybe because both films have Rainn Wilson. Or maybe it's the fact that Natalie Portman even kind of looks like Ellen Page, minus the whole pregnant thing...oh wait she's pregnant in real life, but not actually in the movie. Despite my mixed feelings based on the trailer any movie with Natalie Portman (who right now can do now wrong) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is worth seeing in my book.

The other film that has caught my eye is Little Birds, starring Kay Panabaker, Juno Temple (who was in Atonement) and Kate Bosworth is actually in it. Here's a link to a short article about the film and an interview with the director.

Stairway to Heaven

Since it is my senior year of college I have stated to take notice of interior designing a lot more. Usually when I walk into Urban Outfitters and see the apartment section I just want to take everything home with me and move into my own apartment and start decorating...oh wait I can't afford one yet. But still I think it's good to keep my eyes open for potential interior designing ideas, which is why I am going to introduce you to the amazing designs of these stairs.

No longer do your stairs have to be boring in white, now as you walk up them instead of huffing and puffing from exhaustion you may actually just smile. Of course you probably are still huffing and puffing, beautifully designed stairs won't change that, but on a long stretch maybe you will enjoy seeing the stairs so much that you will like walking up them and will get in really good shape. Too much?

Which stairs do you like more? The yellow ones with the pretty designs or the rainbow ones? I think for a home the yellow ones work best but I am totally in love with the rainbow ones because they are outside. If you haven't realized from my obsession in street art I love when people take advantage of what is already given to them to make something beautiful.

My Own Stop Motion

For those of you who haven't really been following this blog you may not know that I have a slight obsession with stop motion videos. In my Digital Media class we were assigned to make a video that expressed the way that we learn, and to do it creatively. Immediately I knew I wanted to try and make my own stop motion video. Special thanks to my friend Skylar who was kind of enough to agree to star in it last minute. Here it is:



Now I am not sure I am 100 percent in love with it, but I definitely love how the people moving behind Skylar came out, and think that I want to continue making stop motion videos. I think the next one will have to include more movement but for the theme of this project I think not having movement worked best.

Take Me Back...In Time

The comic book phenomenon continues. We all thought 2010 was the year of the comics, with movies like Kick Ass, Iron Man, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World coming out but it appears the trend is continuing into 2011. And let me tell you, I am pleased. The two movies I'm looking forward to...Captain America: The First Avenger and X-Men: First Class. What's so interesting about these two films is that both of them take place in the past. X-Men: First Class is actually a prequel to the other X-Men films and takes place in the 1960s, while Captain America takes place in the 1940s. Forget the future or even the present we are going retro baby and I'm loving every second of it. Just check out the trailers...

and...



Which movie are you more excited to see???

Music Monday: The Grammys

Last night was the Grammy's and I actually found myself enjoying them for a change. Instead of hating the performances I actually found myself enjoying a select few. Here are my thoughts of the night:

Lady Gaga arrived in an egg, and had to be born again so she could sing her new song "Born this Way" which keeps getting better and better the more I hear it.

Katy Perry was suspended from the sky on a giant swing set and then sang Teenage Dream, where even Nicole Kidman couldn't help but sing along. Although, I was hoping she would sing Fireworks since that is my favorite song of hers.

For all the Gleeks out there our dream came true when Gwyneth Paltrow joined Cee Lo Green on stage to sing Fu...forget You, which had Cee Lo dressed as big bird and Gwyneth looking absolutely stunning in a low cut black onsey (who knew you could make a onsey look good).

But probably my favorite part of the night was Justin Bieber's performance because I think it showed that for him hitting puberty might have been the worst thing to have happened to him. At least before when he sounded like a girl he sounded good, now he just sounds bad. And if his performance wasn't bad enough he didn't walk away with any actual tangible Grammys. Sorry Biebs, but maybe you won't be so cocky anymore.

But alas I lied, the best part of the night was when Arcade Fire won best album of the year! Not only did they deserve it since the album The Suburbs is beyond amazing and has multiple hits on it, but it is nice to see the music industry recognize other genres besides pop and r&b.

Born This Way!

For those of you living in a cave, or are just too busy with your college workload then you may not be aware that Lady Gaga just released her first single titled "Born this Way" from her much anticipated new album. And if you are in that cave swamped with work and haven't found the time to listen to this new wonderful delicious song by Mama Monster then you are missing out, because this song is unlike any other she has put out. Usually it is Gaga's videos that make statements (ahem Alejandro) but this time it is her actual song. Just listen to the lyrics... 

Don't be drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'Cause baby, you were born this way 
 


Now it is quite obvious that this song references the gays, which are some of her most avid fans, but the song isn't just for them. The lyrics speak to everyone and anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong. And that's great because people don't hear it enough that they are perfect the way they are and as Gaga says, "Just love yourself and you are set."

Thank you Gaga for not only making a song we can all dance to but a song we can sing and gain empowerment from (seems to be quite the trend this year, P!nk and Katy Perry also came out with empowerment songs). I'm totally for it!

My Life As Liz Premiered!

And I kind of missed it :(. And yes I used an emoticon, that's just how upset I am. But my reason for missing it was valid, I had been extremely ill and didn't want to stay up until 11 because, seriously sleep is important especially when you're sick.

But thank goodness for the Internet! I was luckily able to catch up on the first episode through MTV.com, and if you haven't watched it yet it's not to late click here for nerdy hipstery wonderfulness.

After watching the first episode this what I learned:
1. If you fall in a dumpster in NYC you may need some shots afterward but you may also meet a really cute musician.
2. The element of surprise never works!
and
3. I WANT A NERD HERD!!!

But besides learning those three things I also started to think about what my life would be like as a television show. Although Liz is playing herself in her own TV show I think I would rather leave mine to the professionals, which is why I thought long and hard about who should play me in the story of my life. My top two...Natalie Portman and Emma Stone.

Why Natalie? Well first off she is an amazing actress. I mean have you seen Black Swan because I had nightmares for days. I thought I might never be able to look at her the same way, so to rid myself of crazy Natalie nightmares I saw her in No Strings Attached. Let me just tell you this movie is hilarious mostly because of Natalie, which is why she needs to play me. I need someone who is able to play funny yet emotionally complex and Natalie proved she can do it.

Why Emma? Well, anyone who can pull off flaming red hair is okay in my book. Plus she is currently the queen of comedy and proves that in Easy A. Her witty humor in that movie made me gush. She made so many cultural references in one movie I just wanted to be her friend, despite the whole Hester Prynne, sleeping with everyone thing. But, it is a movie and she owned that scarlet "A" so if anything that just makes her cooler.

So who do you think should play me? I'm obviously torn.

Something Warm and Snuggly

I'm feeling a little under the weather right now, and am currently sitting in my bed watching TV. The only problem is something's missing...

One of these guys...

An adorable sock monkey (wish I could sew) or the stuffed animal I have been wanting for a couple years now. I mean come on they are ugly but yet so cute. They are the oxymoron for stuffed animals and I love a good oxymoron.

Music Monday

As promised, ever Monday I will post some of my favorite music, hopefully most of it will be relatively new to you.

The first official Music Monday artist is Alex Winston, a singer songwriter who was born and raised in Detroit. Although I am not much of a folk music fan (besides Mumford and Sons) Alex plays what I would like to describe as softer folk, with cooing melodies.

The girl also knows how to dress. Here's the youtube video for her song Sister Wife, which I am not 100% sure but may have something to do with that Mormon show Sister Wives. If you listen to the lyrics and have seen the show you will understand what I am talking about.

Worst Month Ever!

If you can't tell from the title of this blog, I find February to be the worst month ever. Yes, it may be the shortest month of the year but for some reason it seems to drag on, I think it has something to do with the frigid weather and the depressing feeling that spring will never come. Oh, and who can forget Valentines Day, enough said. But, thank goodness for television, to bring us out of this depressive state even if it's only for an hour and a half week, with the return of Glee and Season 2 of the MTV show My Life As Liz.

Glee officially returned after the Super Bowl and although I don't want to ruin it for those of you who didn't get the chance to catch it after the game, I will tell you this, I officially want to throw a Zombie Prom and listen to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on repeat. Oh, and Sue Sylvester goes a little nuts, shakes hands with a Carny and buys a giant cannon that shoots humans out of it (intrigued yet?).

Now My Life as Liz hasn't actually returned yet, but we have something to look forward to in the coming week, specifically February 8th. If you have never heard of the show, you are missing out. It's not an actual reality show (shocking I know) but instead is a reenactment of Liz's life as she sees it through her eyes. Now before you write it off as being lame, you need to understand Liz. She is probably one of the coolest people on TV. She is like a dorky hipster who sporadically quotes Star Wars, and I pretty much want to be her friend. I may consider running around NYC (which is where the show takes place this season) to find and befriend her.

So the next time you find yourself depressed over February and the fact that it won't stop snowing, remember that it has given us the Gleeks and Liz Lee. February is officially the month of the G(L)eeks and Dorks and there are officially two things to now look forward to at the end of the day. But, don't get me wrong I still hate you February just not as much.

Green and Yellow

Green and Yellow baby all the way! Although I am not a die hard Packers fan (I actually prefer the Green and White, yes that would mean the Jets) I do like some redemption. So in the spirit of the Packers beating up on the Steelers, and in the spirit of football here's something delicious.

Love Procrastinating?

Then do I have the site for you! Not only will procrastinators rejoice, but those who love quirky, colorful, adorable, lovely images and things will love it too. The site has everything from yoda hats, to great wall decals to the cutest little animals you will ever see.

Are you intrigued? The site is called Pinterest (once you click on it you will get it). Have fun procrastinating!

Numm Numm

So I absolutely love cupcakes, red velvet, just plain vanilla, fun fetti...you get the idea. Lately I have been thinking about cupcakes a lot, more than usual, I'm not sure why but it could have to do with the fact that it is a rare occasion that my school gives us cupcakes in the dining hall.

While I was surfing the web (do people still say that) the other day I came across the coolest, cupcake related item. It wasn't an actual cupcake but they were life size cupcake holders that could actually be used to hold things besides cupcakes, like animals and a small child who wants to take a bath.

But you want to know what I'd use my giant cupcake holder for...lots and lots of smaller cupcakes!

I'm Obsessed with...

You! Hah, have you heard that song? If not click here, because it's great. But really I have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with nail polish (I kind of started to drool when I saw that Wallmart had Essie nail polish).

What I love about nail polish, especially Essie is that it allows you to express yourself in a different medium. I love love love colorful nails like fun blues and greens but I also tend to love neutral colors.

The one color I cannot stand is red, maybe because when I was a little girl my grandmother always used to have red nails and so I think the color makes you look old (I don't mean to be rude). But whatever color you may like, even if it is red that's fine, that's the beauty of nail polish. You can change it up and it can be whatever you want. Use nail polish as an accessory to any outfit or as a way to express yourself. Last year I actually painted my fingers alternate colors. Hey, I think I pulled it off.

Okay this is the one time I actually like the color red because the design is fun and is the opposite of old.

I came across this design, which is like an upside down french manicure and absolutely love it. It's elegant yet fun and the color combo is fabulous. I actually tried to do something similar with my blue and gold nail polish but was anything but successful. However, after seeing this picture I am tempted to try again, if worse comes to worse I will alternate between the two like I've done before. Like I said I totally rocked it.