Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Feet Meets Beats
What do a Brooklyn indie rock group, an LA based shoe company and a local conservation group have in common? An epic collaboration... Coachella performers Animal Collective announced that, in conjunction with Keep Shoe Co., they will be designing a small collection of sneakers whose sales will go to the Socorro Island Conservation Fund (SICF). You probably have never heard of the SICF, since it is relatively new and highly underfunded. The small but mighty organization targets ocean conservation efforts, specifically "to preserving the unique biosphere of the Revillagigedo Archipelago" in Baja, California. Four years ago, Animal Collective members Brian Weitz and Josh Dibbs took a trip to Revillagigedos in 2007 that really sparked their interest in conserving our oceans. Once the idea was pitched to Keep founder Una Kim, the two entities combined forces to come up with an exclusive collection of sneakers, available as of March 26th at Keep Los Angeles on Fairfax and Clinton. And check this- if you pre-order your pair, you can score a limited edition mixtape featuring never-before-heard tracks by Animal Collective. Rad!!
Tis the Season!
Aside from the fact I simply canNOT wait for Missoni's new home and apparel line to hit Target this September, I recently stumbled upon THE must have accessory for Fall. I have been meaning to purchase a bike since I moved coastal, and the Missoni collection has pleasantly surprised me yet again with the release their spin on the London Liberty bike. The Liberty of London bike was a cruiser with a leather seat and handlebars, and Missoni's design has not been released yet but the fashionistas at Refinery29 have mocked up what looks to be an a-mazing premonition as to what the it-accessory for fall will look like. BANANAS!!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Scrapbooking for Grown Up's
For many years of my adolescence, I spent countless hours and paychecks on scrapbooking. I looked at it as an art form, which I planned on mastering by the end of high school when the infamous Senior Scrapbook was to be presented to my English teacher. Since high school ended and my fanatic scrapbooking was put on the back burner, I have accumulated hundreds of thousands of photos that I have wondered how on earth I will ever organize and showcase.
Well as far as fashion goes, I have found a lovely solution. Meet Lookbook, my new best friend. This handy little website is the perfect style catalog for any fashionsta (or fashionisto)! It is a database of individuals looking to share their ensembles with the world, and reciprocate their love of fashion with others. I just started my very own lookbook, which will be featured on my blog regularly (veer right). It mimics social networks in a few ways, like the 'hype' button, a familiar friend of the 'like' button on Facebook. It brings together like minded people from all over the world based on one common love: fashion.
Starting your own lookbook is easy. There are a few rules to the game, but being able to catalog your own looks not only proves to be self-empowering but also practical, especially on those mornings when you oversleep or lack creative inspiration (aka Mondays).
Check out my lookbook and hype my style!
Well as far as fashion goes, I have found a lovely solution. Meet Lookbook, my new best friend. This handy little website is the perfect style catalog for any fashionsta (or fashionisto)! It is a database of individuals looking to share their ensembles with the world, and reciprocate their love of fashion with others. I just started my very own lookbook, which will be featured on my blog regularly (veer right). It mimics social networks in a few ways, like the 'hype' button, a familiar friend of the 'like' button on Facebook. It brings together like minded people from all over the world based on one common love: fashion.
Starting your own lookbook is easy. There are a few rules to the game, but being able to catalog your own looks not only proves to be self-empowering but also practical, especially on those mornings when you oversleep or lack creative inspiration (aka Mondays).
Check out my lookbook and hype my style!
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Roc's in the Building!
A collection of all of his favorite things, topics covered in Life + Times include art, technology, sports, music, fashion and leisure. Although sitting around and writing about his new toys & obsessions is not one of his core competencies, I think I speak for all fans when I say it's about time he gave himself the freedom to do so... give the guy some credit, dude has been putting in work for quite a while. Jay has been on top of the east coast rap game since Biggie's death back in the 90's, and has proven to be one of the most widely accepted, original, versatile rappers in the game. He has written, produced and rapped his way to the top, and adapting to new measures of creative expression is commendable, especially for such an OG. Go get 'em Jigga!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Coachella Hangover
Ahhh the infamous Coachella Hangover. For three non-stop partying / music listening / crowd moshing / field dancing / sun scorching days, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world pour into the Coachella Valley for what has been dubbed "the most epic festival in the world". It should come to no surprise then, that after such a monumental weekend, it has taken me a week to produce the post...
Well, I will admit this was the biggest year I have ever been a part of. Aside from the usual high temperatures, A-list headliners and stellar celebrity sightings, this was the first Coachella I attended all 3 days and actually made it out during daylight hours instead of hovering inside from the sweltering heat. Not to blend in with previous years, Coachella 2011 featured some unusual heavy hitters most would deem more appropriate for festivals like Lollapalooza or Rock the Bells (or their own over-priced headlining tour). Below, I will give my take on the event and give you a summary of which performances rocked, which fell short of the bar, and give a nice look book for some Coachella street styles I found to be fabulous.
Friday Day One
Gold Medal: Cut Copy
Silver Medal: Tie between Robyn and Ms. Lauryn Hill
Bronze Medal: Kings of Leon
Honorable Mention: Skrillex, Cold War Kids, Black Keys and Chemical Brothers
Friday was a big day for the Sahara Tent, boasting big names like Afrojack, A-trak, Sander Kleinenberg, and Skrillex; luckily I have seen most of them so I was able to focus on some new stuff. First of all, BIG honorable mention to the Black Keys, whom I had to miss only for the supreme victory that was Cut Copy's performance. I am a huge Keys fan, but when it comes to celebrating birthdays (we had one), bringnig together old friends from all over (we had 2 out of towners joining us), and wanting to shake some booty, Cut Copy was by far the best decision of the day. Not far behind them were the vocals of vixens Robyn and Lauryn Hill. Lauryn Hill was during the sunset and featured some throwbacks from The Mis-education of Lauryn Hill, as well as some Fugee's tracks I was hoping she would perform. Robyn was energetic, commanding and original, she completely captivated an enormous crowd (most of which I found surprising to be young-middle aged men that new more of her songs than I did). Kings of Leon rounded out the winners with an epic rock performance with exceptional video montages featured on the big screens. RADICAL! Other Honorable Mentions: Skrillex I heard you were off the charts! But I just saw you at Voyeur in San Diego so I had to pass you up. Cold War Kids looked amazing from far out views, and we were lucky enough to catch a couple songs en route to Cut Copy. Chemical Brothers, if it weren't for your crazy sounds, the walk through the campsite (in the wrong direction) may have killed me.
Saturday Day Two
Gold Medal: Mumford & Sons
Silver Medal: Steve Angello
Bronze Medal: Paul Van Dyk
Honorable Mention: Arcade Fire, Empire of the Sun, Scissor Sisters
Day two was much shorter than the others, as we made time for the OASIS Pool Party in the afternoon, which was crawling with great outfits and some serious celebs. Although electronic music is my MO, the Gold Medal winner Saturday was by far Mumford & Sons for their stellar performance. Steve Angello was undoubtedly the best I saw in the Sahara Tent, earning him the Silver, and Paul Van Dyk got defaulted to Bronze since I missed all the others :( Arcade Fire left the crowd to part the venue with giant glow in the dark balloons and Scissor Sisters I caught a quick glimpse of, and boy did it sound fun!
Sunday Day Three *CHAMPION DAY*
Gold Medal: Tie between Kanye West and Chromeo
Silver Medal: Tie between The Strokes and Nas & Damien Marley
Bronze Medal: Three way tie between Jimmy Eat World, Wiz Kalifa and Ellie Goulding
Honorable Mention: Duran Duran
Sunday was by far the best lineup, and hottest day of the festival. Although trying to bounce between shows is a tough task any day of the festival, this day was the toughest because they had the most variety. And like any day of a festival of this magnitude, sacrifices were made but I was ultimately happy with my decisions. The Honorable Mentions were a whirlwind of walking, and although I didn't get to see any of their full sets, all three acts had equal significance to me so I was happy to see any of them at all. Jimmy Eat World took me back to high school, playing nostalgic tracks from their Bleed American and Clarity albums. Ellie Goulding's voice was so pretty it was like a gust of cool breeze in the desert heat. Wiz Kalifa we walked in on, and really pumped the crowd up for Nas & Damien shortly after. Nas & Damien really worked the main stage and put on a super sick show, especially given it was during the prime heat of the day. Tracks like "If I Ruled the World", "Fu-gee-la" (round 2, after Lauryn Hill's Friday rendition) and "Road to Zion" were among the set list. After a quick dose of Sven Vath, we made our way to the Outdoor Theater for some Chromeo dancing, and it was off the charts. The dry desert winds were gusting in the night and Chromeo's lights, sequined jacket and dance moves really set the mood quite nicely. Not to mention he brought special guests Vampire Weekend and surprise guest/little brother A-Trak on stage to bop on the drums for a finale!! Just after the halfway mark of Chromeo, we migrated to The Strokes at the main stage and although we were battered and beaten by this time, I danced my little tootsies to death to more nostalgic tracks from their Last Night album, as well as newer tracks like "You Only Live Once" and "Reptillia". The only thing that could top off a day filled with techno, hip hop and indie rock was none other than the cherry on top... Kanye West (no pun intended, his red suit was Maraschino fresh)! Although it was disappointing that his rumored special guests never made it on stage (ahem ahem Katy & Rihanna), Bon Iver made a lovely appearance for his two songs featured on Kanye's new album. Celebrity let down aside, Kanye's set ranged from his College Dropout days, through his newest hits like "ET", "All of the Lights" and "Monster". The whole crowd was dancing, his moments where he spoke were well thought out (and infrequent, thankfully), and the evening came to a close with A Toast to the Douchebags. Perfect Ending!!
Besides the music, the parties, weather and fashion are enough to draw a crowd in a remote location such as Indio. Fashion being my forte, I have included below some pics of friends, strangers and socialites who really dressed their best for the fest.
Well, I will admit this was the biggest year I have ever been a part of. Aside from the usual high temperatures, A-list headliners and stellar celebrity sightings, this was the first Coachella I attended all 3 days and actually made it out during daylight hours instead of hovering inside from the sweltering heat. Not to blend in with previous years, Coachella 2011 featured some unusual heavy hitters most would deem more appropriate for festivals like Lollapalooza or Rock the Bells (or their own over-priced headlining tour). Below, I will give my take on the event and give you a summary of which performances rocked, which fell short of the bar, and give a nice look book for some Coachella street styles I found to be fabulous.
Friday Day One
Gold Medal: Cut Copy
Silver Medal: Tie between Robyn and Ms. Lauryn Hill
Bronze Medal: Kings of Leon
Honorable Mention: Skrillex, Cold War Kids, Black Keys and Chemical Brothers
Friday was a big day for the Sahara Tent, boasting big names like Afrojack, A-trak, Sander Kleinenberg, and Skrillex; luckily I have seen most of them so I was able to focus on some new stuff. First of all, BIG honorable mention to the Black Keys, whom I had to miss only for the supreme victory that was Cut Copy's performance. I am a huge Keys fan, but when it comes to celebrating birthdays (we had one), bringnig together old friends from all over (we had 2 out of towners joining us), and wanting to shake some booty, Cut Copy was by far the best decision of the day. Not far behind them were the vocals of vixens Robyn and Lauryn Hill. Lauryn Hill was during the sunset and featured some throwbacks from The Mis-education of Lauryn Hill, as well as some Fugee's tracks I was hoping she would perform. Robyn was energetic, commanding and original, she completely captivated an enormous crowd (most of which I found surprising to be young-middle aged men that new more of her songs than I did). Kings of Leon rounded out the winners with an epic rock performance with exceptional video montages featured on the big screens. RADICAL! Other Honorable Mentions: Skrillex I heard you were off the charts! But I just saw you at Voyeur in San Diego so I had to pass you up. Cold War Kids looked amazing from far out views, and we were lucky enough to catch a couple songs en route to Cut Copy. Chemical Brothers, if it weren't for your crazy sounds, the walk through the campsite (in the wrong direction) may have killed me.
Saturday Day Two
Gold Medal: Mumford & Sons
Silver Medal: Steve Angello
Bronze Medal: Paul Van Dyk
Honorable Mention: Arcade Fire, Empire of the Sun, Scissor Sisters
Day two was much shorter than the others, as we made time for the OASIS Pool Party in the afternoon, which was crawling with great outfits and some serious celebs. Although electronic music is my MO, the Gold Medal winner Saturday was by far Mumford & Sons for their stellar performance. Steve Angello was undoubtedly the best I saw in the Sahara Tent, earning him the Silver, and Paul Van Dyk got defaulted to Bronze since I missed all the others :( Arcade Fire left the crowd to part the venue with giant glow in the dark balloons and Scissor Sisters I caught a quick glimpse of, and boy did it sound fun!
Sunday Day Three *CHAMPION DAY*
Gold Medal: Tie between Kanye West and Chromeo
Silver Medal: Tie between The Strokes and Nas & Damien Marley
Bronze Medal: Three way tie between Jimmy Eat World, Wiz Kalifa and Ellie Goulding
Honorable Mention: Duran Duran
Sunday was by far the best lineup, and hottest day of the festival. Although trying to bounce between shows is a tough task any day of the festival, this day was the toughest because they had the most variety. And like any day of a festival of this magnitude, sacrifices were made but I was ultimately happy with my decisions. The Honorable Mentions were a whirlwind of walking, and although I didn't get to see any of their full sets, all three acts had equal significance to me so I was happy to see any of them at all. Jimmy Eat World took me back to high school, playing nostalgic tracks from their Bleed American and Clarity albums. Ellie Goulding's voice was so pretty it was like a gust of cool breeze in the desert heat. Wiz Kalifa we walked in on, and really pumped the crowd up for Nas & Damien shortly after. Nas & Damien really worked the main stage and put on a super sick show, especially given it was during the prime heat of the day. Tracks like "If I Ruled the World", "Fu-gee-la" (round 2, after Lauryn Hill's Friday rendition) and "Road to Zion" were among the set list. After a quick dose of Sven Vath, we made our way to the Outdoor Theater for some Chromeo dancing, and it was off the charts. The dry desert winds were gusting in the night and Chromeo's lights, sequined jacket and dance moves really set the mood quite nicely. Not to mention he brought special guests Vampire Weekend and surprise guest/little brother A-Trak on stage to bop on the drums for a finale!! Just after the halfway mark of Chromeo, we migrated to The Strokes at the main stage and although we were battered and beaten by this time, I danced my little tootsies to death to more nostalgic tracks from their Last Night album, as well as newer tracks like "You Only Live Once" and "Reptillia". The only thing that could top off a day filled with techno, hip hop and indie rock was none other than the cherry on top... Kanye West (no pun intended, his red suit was Maraschino fresh)! Although it was disappointing that his rumored special guests never made it on stage (ahem ahem Katy & Rihanna), Bon Iver made a lovely appearance for his two songs featured on Kanye's new album. Celebrity let down aside, Kanye's set ranged from his College Dropout days, through his newest hits like "ET", "All of the Lights" and "Monster". The whole crowd was dancing, his moments where he spoke were well thought out (and infrequent, thankfully), and the evening came to a close with A Toast to the Douchebags. Perfect Ending!!
Besides the music, the parties, weather and fashion are enough to draw a crowd in a remote location such as Indio. Fashion being my forte, I have included below some pics of friends, strangers and socialites who really dressed their best for the fest.
Sister G
Love this look
A little dressy for my festival style, but hot nonetheless
Drew Barrymore
Ms. Lauryn Hill in Jil Sanders
xoxo, yours truly
A Girl Can Dream...
I don't know if its all the flowers blooming or couples coming out of winter hibernation, but I have had weddings on the brain all week! I recently wrote a post for Trendy Blair featuring Anthropologie's new wedding collection BHLDN, and that's when the obsession began. I already love cakes and flowers, so divulging into the beautiful world of weddings was not hard. And in the spirit of the magnificent Royal Wedding that is upon us, I figured I would indulge in some wedding cake window shopping to prepare for the royal event!
With my roots on my mothers side in Georgia, I have always loved the idea of a country wedding. Not country like Betty Crocker, but country couture. Think mustard yellows, soft pinks and creamy ivories. Mason jars and hanging lanterns; handcrafted country linens; bird houses and picket fences. On My Sweet and Saucy, among the different masterpieces, I found these two variations of gorgeous country wedding cakes that I could only imagine among the scenarios in my mind. This charming cake is so simple yet the details really fit perfectly into a chic, country style wedding. The mustard yellow damask detail at the top and golden pearls around the base are an elegent touch to a rch creamy cake with subtle patterns and wide tiers. The wooden base really is the deal maker for me, giving it a unique rustic detail.
This Victorian beauty is so dainty and delicate with the pink and cream accents of rosettes and pearls. The details are so intricate that I would not even serve this cake, I would have to make a cupcake recipe for the guests and save the cake forever!!
Contemporary weddings are also dreamy, perhaps a reception in a loft with a view after an intimate ceremony, with hosted champagne and dessert on the patio and martinis and jazz music warming the inside. This cake from Mark Joseph Cakes in NYC features beautiful textured icing with a light shimmer and a smooth matte monogramed tier in the middle.
For the perfect mix of contemporary and country, a cake that would be the focal point of any reception, is this beauty created by Wildflowers by Lori. Serving the brides of the northeast, Wildflowers makes elegant cakes for traditional weddings. This cake uses a subtle classic, the calla lily, as its key flower. This modern twist on a traditional cake is perfect for a shabby chic wedding at a site with lush botanical garden.
If you can't wait for the Royal Wedding, there are hours of prep work to be viewed on TLC depicting the love stories of both the modern day and old school princes and princesses. Friday @ 5:00 am the Royal Wedding will be aired on cable for all the world to see. Tune in to indulge in the international spectacle with me!
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