Oscar Fashion 2011

So, like most, I didn't really enjoy the award show.  I love love love Colin Firth and The King's Speech, so I'm very glad they took home the top awards.  But after the Golden Globes debacle with Ricky Gervais (an award show that I ACTUALLY found entertaining), I'm completely annoyed with how serious Hollywood takes itself. I will say, however, that I do enjoy seeing all the fun dresses! So, let's discuss some of the highlights, both good and bad.

FANCYYYYYY

My absolute favorite from last night was Mila Kunis' Elie Saab dress.  It's so creative, yet feminine.  I think she looked absolutely beautiful! It made me wish she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

There was another lilac number I found intriguing - Cate Blanchett's gown from Givenchy.  At first, I thought it was super weird and maybe a bad idea.  However, the intricacy of all the bead work and the yellow accent caused the dress to grow on me. I can understand why she picked it - definitely a risk that worked out for the best.

Jennifer Lawrence looked stunning in her red Calvin Klein!  The 20 year old maintained her youth by not covering herself in ridiculous amounts of jewelry.  So simple, elegant, and sexy too!

Gwenyth Paltrow surprised me when she, too, wore Calvin Klein!  She normally goes for a bigger dress, but I loved this sleek silvery shape on her.  It goes so well with the modern hairdo she's been sporting lately.

Ok, onto the highlights of horror...

BLAHHHHHH

I honestly don't care that Marisa Tomei's dress was vintage Charles James, it just did not fit her well!  Look at all that puckering and pulling.  It just didn't look right to me...

Ohhhhh, Melissa Leo - that dress is a f***ing nightmare (I'm referencing her acceptance speech here, so please don't think I'm being crass).  I think the shape is really flattering on her, but the gold lame with a super thick lace overlay?? Eeeeeek! Risk gone wrong.

And who lied to Nicole Kidman?  I don't know in what era or world this Dior dress would be cute in... I understand the idea behind the structure.  But to add all that tacky beading on top of it just ruins the lightness, and makes it look super heavy and frumpy.  Not to mention her styling is SO off - what's going on with that 1980s bang?

OK, I've reached my Oscar limit. Let me know which dresses you liked/disliked!

Kisses in the Rain.

Well, first of all, I chose some of my favorite rainy kiss photos because I wish it was raining right now.... instead of SNOWING.  Springtime, where are you?!?! 

I've had a few minor breakdowns this week while trying to figure out where I "fit" in this new city, and I've reminded myself to focus on the good things.  It's really hard to find your groove when you move to a new place.  I went through similar ups and downs when I moved to NYC after college.  My friends and family have shown me so much love and support that I can't help but feel better.  Sometimes we get too caught up in what's missing from our lives, whether it's something like having a job, finding a significant other, or even owning a home. But I'm learning not to dwell on the difficulties of life (easier said than done, I know). My mom told me last night that going through these times of immense change will only make me a more compassionate and understanding person, and I think that's a great way to look at it. Nobody's perfect. Sometimes you have to let go and live with reckless abandon. I want love. I want passion. I want kisses in the rain.

So, I hope you have a LOVE-ly weekend!  Try not to worry too much about what the future holds, and I'll do the same ;).

Don't be a Drag, Just be a Queen.

This video inspired me this morning...

Grammy Recap by an Arcade Fire fan.

It has been SO interesting to see all the intense reactions to Sunday's Grammy Award broadcast.  There are mainstream fans who feel like Eminem was robbed for Album of the Year because they have never heard of Arcade Fire.  Then there are the less-mainstream fans who actually saw a glimmer of hope when artists like Esperanza Spalding and Arcade Fire went home with big ticket awards.

I have to admit that I am of the latter mindset.  And to those more mainstream music fans out there, I hope seeing performances by artists like The Avett Brothers, Janelle Monae, and Mumford & Sons will push you outside the bandwidth of your mix radio station.

And to address the upheaval of opinions about Arcade Fire... first, the main song the band performed is definitely not my personal favorite (and TV sound mixing definitely did NOT help). Also, just because you don't understand the style of their music, doesn't mean they aren't incredibly talented.  Let's take modern art, for example... just because you don't understand the meaning of a Rothko painting, does not make his contribution to the art world any less important.

(Rothko)

(Arcade Fire)

This was the first Grammy Award show in quite a few years that I was actually excited to watch, because somewhat obscure artists that I LOVE were surprisingly nominated.  As awards were handed out, I noticed there was a balanced mix of both mainstream acts and more under-the-radar artists that were recognized. The artists with massive sales this year such as Eminem, Lady Antebellum, and Lady Gaga took home plenty of little gold phonographs.  And the hipster darlings snagged a few too (much to my delight).

Please don't misunderstand... I own and enjoy pleeeeeenty of popular music.  In fact, I find myself with the urge to admit that I, too, have "Bieber Fever" (ultra-hip NYC friends, disown me now). What can I say? The kid's got talent!  Do some of his lyrics sound like they were written by a 15 year old? Yes, but they are supposed to.  Are some of his hooks catchy as hell?? Of course!  I've had "baby baby baby ohhhhh" stuck in my head for a good eight months now.  On Sunday night, it was just nice to see that a more diverse group of musicians was represented in the performances and the award recipients.

So, let's hear it for, what some might call, a minor paradigm shift in the music industry this last Sunday night.  I just hope it pushes some people to start exploring new music via websites such as Pandora or Last.fm.  And if it's local artists you happen to discover... even. better.

Scouting KC : You Say Tomato

 
In the past week, Garrett and I have been to You Say Tomato THREE times.  That's right... we've gone to eat here three times in seven days. We visited YST for the first time, last weekend, as the result of a little internet research.  We quickly decided to become regulars after we discovered some delicious food and very welcoming, attentive service.

Now, on to what you really want to know about - what did we EAT?!  We both had the Breakfast Casserole, made with egg custard, sausage and mushrooms.  Oh, and guess what? It's topped with sausage gravy. I'll just let the photo do the talking....

With our casseroles, we ordered a side of Jalapeno Cheese Grits (only served on the weekends, fyi).  And yes, they were as amazing as they sound.  When we went back for breakfast during the week, we had a quiche that was absolutely divine and chock full of vegetables. I have a feeling you can't order a bad dish at this place.  Every item on the menu at this little unassuming cafe is homemade with local farm fresh ingredients.  And the pies!  Did I mention the pies?!  YST also carries a large assortment of homemade pies - we tasted the rhubarb and the peach-apricot.  Delish!  I can't get enough of this local joint....

Adele, round 2.

I'm sure you've already listened to this, but just in case you haven't... head over to NPR to stream Adele's new album 21 in its entirety. NOW.

The highly-anticipated sophomore album from the lovely Brit will be released in the US on February 22nd.  This album really is heart-wrenching, in the most beautiful way.  Well done, Adele. Well done.

Women be shoppin'.

Lord, they be shoppin'!

Since I feel somewhat guilty about all the upcoming expenses for our wedding, I decided the best place for me to exert my shopping energy was in finding great deals on dresses for bridal showers, bachelorette parties, etc. Excellent plan, donchathink?

After eying the ASOS website for months (maybe years) now, I finally decided it was time to order something(s) off this incredibly chic, neverending, online UK store. Don't let the fact that this website is based in the UK scare you... they provide free shipping and returns to the good ole U-S-of-A. Lucky us!

So, you wanna see what I got? Thought so.

Dress #1 : a perfectly draped t-shirt dress for basically $26!  I think this is a great little number you can dress up or down.  Big accessories and awesome heels for a bridal shower, then flip flops and a chunky knit for a late spring evening...

Dress #2 : I think this one might be my favorite.  It has these embellished slits on the sleeves - which I normally wouldn't go for - but it works here.

Dress #3 : Love the long sleeves on this one - I feel like it will help bridge the winter-to-spring wardrobe gap nicely.  I can wear it with tights and booties while it's still cold, then nude heels when it starts to warm up.

Dress #4 : I've been wanting a dress with a one shoulder cut like this for a while now.  Put on some bright peep toes and I'm ready for some bachelorette festivities!

I'll update everyone once I receive the order and see the quality of the clothes - fingers crossed!