Rolling Stone and Flavorwire were blowing up with the news earlier this week: Courtney Taylor-Taylor, frontman of The Dandy Warhols has released a new graphic novel, One Model Nation.
Below I’ve posted the video for one of One Model Nation’s singles… oh yeah I forgot to mention that this is a serious work of transmedia here. A graphic novel, about a band, which features a cd as well (and you get a t-shirt with the bundle purchase).
I’m pretty excited to see indie players of yesteryear grasping the transmedia trend with both hands, and launching a strong product.
Colored jeans are the best and brightest way to update your wardrobe and start off your days (and nights) with a splash of color while you’re walking down the street! From pastels like mint, peach and light yellows to more bold and bright like shocking pink, cobalt blue, purple and my personal favorite, Red. I’ve chosen two colors that are understated and not too many women can pull off. But the question remains, “What do I wear with pink/red jeans?, Nothing goes with it!”.
Wrong! While pink is a fun and unexpected color to wear as jeans, it cannot be paired with just everything, some dark tops like navy, and charcoal gray and even black can we worn with it but it must be simple. Something like a sequin black one shoulder top and too much jewelry can look tacky. Pink however, looks much better with neutrals like ivory, tan, mauves, as for shoes… nude pumps all the way! The only other thing that can mesh well are metallic’s such as gold, silver or even rose gold.
Red denim is the new black. Not too many women know how much of a staple it can be in your wardrobe. A simple pair of red jeans should be treated the same way as a black blazer. It can be worn with almost anything! Best paired with neutrals and dark’s and even some bold colors (just know your limit), this bright and bold pair of jeans can liven up the most dull outfit put together and make it stand out. I’ve put together a couple of looks for these two colored denim and hope that you feel daring enough to add it to your closet. = )
In case you were wondering what this SOPA PIPA nonsense is about, read through this Gizmodo article, and if you’re on the side of it being a total buzzkill, and enemy of internet liberty, check out the Google petition.
And the Oscar Nominees for 2012 have been announced. The full list is here, with Hugo in strong favor in many categories.
New book I’m excited to read? The Flight of Gemma Hardy, a new take on Jane Eyre by Margot Livesey. Jane Eyre redux is always a fun genre, but Livesey manages to make the story completely her own, loosely based on the famous heroine’s journey.
Ahh Etta James, your larger-than-life voice and presence will be missed.
“James overcame a heroin addiction, opened for the Rolling Stones, won six Grammys and was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite her ups and downs — including a number of health problems — she maintained an optimistic attitude.
‘Most of the songs I sing, they have that blue feeling to it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don’t know what I’m sorry about,’ she told CNN’s Denise Quan in 2002. ‘I don’t!’” – CNN
With more and more people daydreaming of Spring coming, Stacey Bendet has us sitting on the edge of our seats with antcipation (followed by delight) as we sigh at each and every dandy design of her Spring 2012 collection. For the girl who is sad at the cancellation of Pan Am, she can still channel her inner 60′s fashionista with the brightly colored and fun silhouettes ranging from a cherry hued sheath dress and matching oversized floppy straw hat to bright Peach ankle pants paired with a Mint shirt. There is a different style for every 60′s era lover. Bendet also presented her first and available shoe line shown in this collection.
Jealous of all the great MLK quotes blowing up your Facebook/Twitter feeds? No need to be! We have a nice compilation of MLK quotes right here for you to post and be all thoughtful about.
But in all reality, a lot of these quotes are so incredibly applicable outside of that specific context in which they were said/thought. In the age of blatant thievery, 99%’ers getting drowned out by people who don’t want to deal with blatant thievery, and being in the midst of needless wars, I would say we need to remember bravery and the challenge MLK put forth, the challenge to do what’s right.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World
“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
“Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
Oh dear, Naeem Khan Ji has done it again. His absolutely fabulous Resort 2012 collection sums up in one word. Stunning. From the “Cinco De Mayo” designs featuring an embroidered peasant blouse paired with a high waisted flared taffeta skirt which is the perfect figure flattering combo(!!) to a siren red georgette caftan (so elizabeth taylor), with a beaded wasitline for those women who prefer simplicity and elegance. An honorable mention: besides the fact the entire collection can suit every woman with different tastes… there are the flattering open back silhouettes! Not all open backs look this great with shift dresses like the Red Ribbon, cap sleeved shift but Khan pulled it off so fabulously. I hope this collection inspires you to add in more bright reds, and cobalt blues into your wardrobe.
Happy New Year Pompers! It’s 2012, and we have another year of looking fabulous… so to all of those so-called modern prophets who keep pushing the “doomsday” date back, you can suck it.
So many people, went to so many places for NYE, I’m wondering how you spent yours and with the outfit of your choice? Thankfully, mother nature was kind to us and let us enjoy December 31st with unusual warmer weather and for once, I envied the people in Times Square. That was the perfect night to stand for hours to watch the ball drop. 2012 however, brought in the 17 degree weather like today. Nice. Now would be the time for everyone to pack away they’re bermuda shorts and mini ruffled skirts and linen flyaway dresses.
Hmmm, best thing to update your winter wardrobe today? With winter accessories! Ear muffs, fur hats(faux of course!), mittens, scarves and chunky knits, heck- ANYTHING CHUNKY KNITTED! Now is the time to play around with hats of all sorts and scarves of every length, design and color. Why? Because all people will see is a big coat with you in it. So by all means, play it up and make it stand out and stylish while your at it. = )
Just a couple of days ago, I was at a lavish, extravagant engagement party which rivaled most weddings I had been to. Besides making jokes about being surrounded by the 1%, I realized at one point that the world is filled with people like this. People who care only about superficial things, and all the wonderful heart in everything is in danger of being extinct in a civilization that may not value… substance. It was a sobering thought, so this top 11 of 2011 list is dedicated to all the things in the world that make me believe that Heart (the weirdest captain planet kid ever, and the one I associated with the most) will prevail in 2012.
11. Best Comeback Story: The Muppets! They came back! Starting with the adorable story of Jason Segel working through depression through his own brand of puppet therapy, all we had for years was the brief taste from the compelling Dracula’s Lament from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The Muppets movie that he co-wrote with Nick Stoller was a runaway hit, reuniting Kermit, Miss Piggy and the whole gang for their infectious fun and cheesy tomfoolery. Critics loved it, and so did most of the viewing public. What made it even more heart-warming? The fact that making the Muppets movie has been a dream of Segel’s since basically, forever.
10. Most Meme’d Celebrity: Ryan Gosling and his brand of Hey Girl has gone too far. And by too far I mean it’s amazing to see a new Ryan Gosling Hey Girl offshoot in my Facebook feed about once a week near the mid-end of 2011. From Hey Girl Feminista Lit, to Hey Girl Librarians, this was the year for Ryan Gosling holla’ing at all different types of ladies out there.
9. Best Comeback of an Old Video Game as an App: Tetris! Tap with your finger and forego with the Nintendo controls (which, if pressed incorrectly made you lose out to your friend AGAIN!), not speaking from personal experience or anything.
8. Breakout Indie Band Who Hides: Unknown Mortal Orchestra, with their long-running mysterious, guess-who-is-in-this-band ness following the release of their single Ffuny Ffrends, followed by the later “coming out” phase of New Zealand born Rubin Nielson, the band’s lead who just wanted to create a sound that is an: “escape hatch to a new musical dimension where his vision of junkshop record collector pop could be realized in a sound that recalled Captain Beefheart, Sly Stone and RZA jamming on some kids tv theme too dark to ever be broadcast.” (Besides leading me to write the longest freaking run-on sentence ever, the band proved that a little bit of mystery, followed by a press photo and an eclectic, texturized album full of fun beats and Beefheart style funk, can go a loooong way).
And if they look like stoners, it’s because they are (be cool).
7. Best Comeback Publication: The past several years, magazines have been dying left and right. One of the first to go was the Conde Nast backed Jane magazine. Featuring the editor-in-chief of Sassy, Jane was for smart, creative girls who liked to look good but maybe with not so much make up (hence, the favorite column, the MakeUnder, where a Jane beauty team took a usually tarted up to the nines person look more approachable and naturally pretty), and featuring fun sex stories and hilarious real life stories. For years I got my Jane fix from Bust and AOL’s short-lived Lemondrop website. Then in early 2011, behold the power of the internet, when Jane came back as a web-only version of it’s former self, featuring their Real Life stories and their MakeUnder of Sweetie from Jersey Shore. Jane still gets smart girls, and speaking for all smart girls, (I know, I know, I’m not worthy) we love it!
6. Best Survival Story: Really, you’ll have to pick this one yourself. Go to this website, pick your favorite, and repeat weekly. In terms of inspiring, it works every time.
5. Biggest Political Gaffe: This has less to do with the Caucus and more to do with social media and sharing. In 2011, Facebook launched the Facebook reader app. I have heard complaints about this from more people than I care to count. But the conversations mostly go like this: “Did you read that article on [Insert Eye Catching Headline Here], no? Well, me neither, because to read it I would have to submit all my private info to ANOTHER stupid Facebook Application, and I really wanted to read it. Maybe I’ll find that asshole friend who did read it and ask them all about how I can get to it without giving some other nameless computer organization all my information… maybe. Unless, I’ve defriended that person already for tantalizing me with it in the first place.” Bad move publications who want to be shared, bad move. (Washington Post Social Reader I’m looking at you!)
4. Best Magazine Cover: TIME magazines person of the year was The Protestor. Immortalized by the ever-graphic Shepard Fairey.
3. Best Shared Web Article: About a month ago I was directed to this article on the Huffington Post, a short look at gender politics really. But it was fascinating, as a young woman, seeing the way our culture looks at women and their reactions. The fact that it was written by an Arab man makes it even more mind-blowing.
2. Best Buzz-word: Storytelling. It’s been showing up in all the latest ad campaigns (from Citibank to Tom’s Shoes) and it was the great awakening of 2011. People went back to the basics of telling a story to garner interest/money/followers. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, it’s all a part of the story-process.
1. Best Movement: Occupy Wall Street, inspired by other movements to change regimes in countries far from our own. Sure, sometimes I wish there was a specific and plausible list of complaints, and sure sometimes I wish that list didn’t contain the self-damaging “legalize marijuana” posters and “communism is the way to go!”. To me, the occupiers are an inspiration to values this country was founded on, making sure to check and balance a gross overabundance of power, and being able to work hard and be rewarded for it. The unchecked greed has just burned us out, and it’s time for some changes. Wait, wasn’t some 2008 campaign based on changing this system in the first place? Wha happen?
Here’s to 2012! And getting blog posts out in a timely fashion. Later this week – most anticipated of 2012! (Besides the apocalypse of course…)
