Beege-o-rama

Moving on...

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:57:00 +0000

Friendly readers. Please take note I am now writing at beegeandthecity.wordpress.com.

Follow me over there!

Brianne

Nintendo: 1; Me: 0

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:07:00 +0000

I unceremoniously ditched my gray, boxy Game Boy as a little girl. The two games I tested, "Kirby's Dream Land" and "The Little Mermaid," proved to be much too difficult for me. Kirby just wouldn't eat clouds fast enough and Ariel was unwieldy and hard to navigate. So, at 25 years of age, I'm a little surprised that the Nintendo DS™ would catch my eye.

My surprise continues, as I've realized I'm just as succeptible to a marketer's whim as the next Jane Doe. I'm a little late on this one, as Jezebel talked about this weeks ago, but I definitely priced the metallic rose model today at $129.99 and thought, hmm, not that bad!

I think this campaign was aimed at the likes of me. America Ferrera, Carrie Underwood and Liv Tyler joined the ad campaign for Nintendo DS, to say to women - "look, video games are fun!" The same women who previously had no interest in gaming, or have had to sit through countless hours of watching guys play Halo, NCAA Football, FIFA or GTA (I'm speaking from experience), and think the gaming realm is an annoyance, not a diversion.

I'm excited to learn through Nintendo DS, I can become fluent in Spanish, play with doggies, and learn new Yoga positions! However, I think I should wait on this purchase. I'm already weighing down my Michael Kors bag with a Canon Elph, iPod and Samsung Blackjack...I think I've already exceeded my personal electronic devices per handbag. Better to wait until I can afford the game/mp3/cell phone/PDA hybrid.

Carrie's Brownstone, v.2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:11:00 +0000

There were a few audible gasps in the movie theater during Sex and the City: The Movie. Relax, I'm not giving anything away for the four of you who read my blog and haven't seen the flick yet. I'm talking about the response to Carrie's apartment remodel.

The audience, 99 percent female, lived through six seasons of "I had to wonder"-thoughts and watched her type them out on her Macbook in that apartment. (BTW - have fun on Carrie's Macbook Pro here. I'm already addicted.) But in the movie, the gray neutrals and mismatched bohemian pieces gave way to brights and grown-up clean lines.

Casa Sugar interviewed the set designer Jeremy Conway about his vision for the room, and will have more details tomorrow....I'm so hoping they give some insight on Carrie's 70s-inspired mural, which totally caught my eye. I think it says "LOVE" but I only saw the movie twice in a 24-hour period, so who can really be sure? Ha.

Thanks to Casa Sugar we do know that the walls were painted a custom blend very similar to Benjamin Moore's Electric Blue. The Chicago Tribune says the paint, Benjamin Moore's No. 2061-40, is about $45 a gallon. It completely makes me rethink blue, which I previously relegated to little boy rooms and cheesy nautical-themed living spaces.

The coffee table the gals gather around for a shower - how vague of me - comes from the always-intense ABC Carpet & Home. (My two trips to ABC Carpet & Home went like this: the first time, I had no idea there was more than one floor and thought it was full of only chandeliers and Indian-inspired rugs and on the second trip, the elevator was broken and I called it a day at the floor with the overpriced Frette linens.)

Check out the old skool Carrie suite here, where there's also some scans of the Traditional Home issue that covers the apartment remodel. I like their suggestion to find a rug similar to the one at the foot of her bed, especially since it looks more of an eggplant than black and white on second glance. Love these Thomas Paul rugs!

All in all, a great redesign, but I had to wonder...where did her kitchen go? I mean, I know she uses the stove to store sweaters, but a culinary appliance is nowhere to be found!

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from The Baby-sitters Club

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Oh. My. Gawd. Pardon my randomness, but there is a microcosm of my childhood floating around on the Internet. Apparently there are people in this world that revere The Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin as the holy grail of girlydom, just as myself.

As I am known to do, I was able to click-click-click my way into discovering a whole little online world devoted to the BSC that I never knew existed. I've discovered a blog solely devoted to character Claudia Kishi's off-the-wall attire (I also learned a new word, Whatthefuckery, but I digress) as described in this series of pre-teen fun. There's also BSC Wikipedia, Claudia's Room, BSC Stamped and Stoneybrookite, a blog dedicated to the "best friends you'll never have."
Wow. If I ever felt I am a reader of niche sites on the Internet, I do now. But I love that communities have grown to support the BSC books, as they basically half raised me. And look how good I turned out! I don't know about you, but every BSC book I ever purchased was the best $3.50 in the world. When a Super Special came out, it was like my birthday. Sigh. I miss the days when "boyfriends and babysitting don't mix!" spoke to me.

But in all seriousness, I think we love the Baby-sitters Club because the girls were real characters. Mallory rode horses and had, like, 18 brothers and sisters, Dawn was a "vegetarian" from "California" and wore white linen pants, Mary Anne had that boyfriend, and Claudia was artsy and painted Native American prints on her rain slicker. How weird were they?!

And yet it was okay to like them, and they were liked in the books. What a good lesson! And by another token, each book was narrated by a different babysitter. A true lesson in seeing the world for all its valid opinions. I think the entire BSC series should be mandatory reading at the elementary level. Not a believer? Let me just end with this. A book in which a girl can wear this outfit, and still have friends at the end of the day, is an open-minded, worldly book indeed:

(Claudia was wearing): "a big yellow shirt with red x-shaped buttons,
enormously baggy white pants, and big red Doc Martens double-laced with black
and yellow shoelaces. Her long straight black hair was pulled upon top of her
head with more black and yellow shoelaces braided together. Her earrings said
'stop' and 'go' - 'stop' in her left ear and 'go' in her right."

Google turned off the "light"

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:17:00 +0000

Can I just say I love Google? Being the festive person I am, I love when they recognize holidays Google-style. However, it's great when they can leverage their visibility to draw attention to something greater.

Today, Google put the "lights out" on their home page in order to encourage people around the world to celebrate Earth Hour. According to Google, on Saturday, March 29, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. in their local time zone. Created by the World Wildlife Fund, cities around the world will be participating in Earth Hour to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation. The U.S. cities leading the charge are Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco.

The first major landmark to go dark was the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Australia last night. Sydney followed Fiji and New Zealand who kicked off the blackout, and an estimated 20 other major cities and 300 smaller towns will follow suit. Sydney inspired this worldwide movement as they launched this annual "lights out" hour last year, says the Sydney Morning Herald.

So what's the affect of all this darkness on the environment? The impact this year will make is unknown, but the launch in Sydney last year involved 2.2 million people and more than 2,000 businesses who shut off lights and appliances, resulting in a 10.2 percent reduction in carbon emissions during that hour.

So, I'll think I'll participate. I have one million candles lying around the house, anyway. And I like the idea of being part of something bigger.

No idea what to do for one hour in the dark? That's pathetic.

Hell hath no fury like a gossip blogger spammed

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:21:00 +0000

You might want to think twice before you leave that comment about free ringtones on perezhilton.com. Gossip bloggers aren't taking spam lightly.

In the latest development in the public relations world, "grassroots marketing" means posing as an uneducated tween and blasting horribly misspelled comments on various gossip blogs. I do not envy those in internship positions at the moment who are having to come up with new and fun ways to spell "freaking" (freakn) and "genius" (genies) or analyzing the extent to which they should forget all grammar rules learned in college to moonlight as overly excitable evangelist fans.

It seems E!'s new Ashton Kutcher show, "Pop Fiction," has been spamming gossip blogs via the Cashmere Agency. Cashmere cites promotional tactics with quantifiable results. Well, they sure got E! some results at Celebitchy. The gossip blog analyzed IP addresses to find out multiple comments parading as those made by fans were posted by Cashmere Agency on behalf of several E! programs...and even Snoop Dogg.

One of the offending comments left on Celebitchy made by "gena":

“Hahaha!! It was all a prank on the paparazzi!! Its that new show on E! Pop Fiction. Its freakn awsome. The celebrities play pranks on the pap. What a genies idea. Paris Hiltons one was great all the paparazzi bit right into it. Shes not religious come on people. I love this show. Heres the link you wanted. Tell me what you think.”

Celebitchy wrote in an email to Cashmere Agency that more than 20 spam comments a day were attributed to their IP address. I don't blame them for their "celebitchiness" toward the agency - by the same token, can you imagine having to sift through 20 junk emails per day from the very same email address? Maybe some of the gossip blog fury has to do with the fact that Ashton's show aims to beat paparazzi and celebrity blogs at their own game - even though the show's jig is officially up.

As of 3/22, no one had returned a call to the blog or responded via e-mail. Yikes! There's a nice USAToday piece on "Pop Fiction," but two unflattering Jossip pieces are just as visible in a Google News search. Don't discount the bloggers.

New(-ish) footage from SATC: The Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:08:00 +0000

Ladies, get ready! Sex and the City: The Movie debuts in just a mere 94 days!

Apologies. I have truly been off my game reporting on this cultural event set for May 30, 2008. Without further adieu, it's incumbent upon me to share with you the extended trailer for the movie.

Aaaand...I'm a little sad to report that it seems like this movie will be serving us endless fairy tales gone bad. I know certain die-hard SATC fans would get pissed, but weren't all the girls supposed to end up happy in the end? We can't have watched six seasons of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda go through gut-wrenching breakups just to see them ultimately fail in love altogether.

It's open to interpretation, but it seems like everyone but Charlotte is getting the raw end of the deal. Review the trailer and let me know what you think. And check out some stills from Jezebel if this YouTube video gets taken down. By the way, I feel like the movie is really showing its cards on this trailer - let's hope Darren Star and Michael Patrick King have something up their sleeves. (I just unknowingly made a ton of cliches related to poker. Deal? Cards? Sleeve? Horrible.)

May is really proving to be battle of the dorky movie camp out, since the boys get Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the girls get SATC: The Movie. Do you think people will go all out, a la Star Wars or LOTR? If not, I will be in line, alone. Scaring small children.

Dwell Studio lands at Tarjay

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:39:00 +0000

So, I have one more reason to love Target, or shall I say Tar-jay. Not good news, since I consider it a small act of God if I get out of there under $50. Anyway, they've just recently started to carry Dwell Studio bedding, baby bedroom gear and kitchen stuff! There's not too much fanfare on Target's site, but a few bloggies are liking the goods. I've kind of always associated Dwell with hipster modern mommies with good taste and the Target line doesn't seem to sway too far away from that.

I really like the table linens since they look sturdy enough for every day use (they're 100% cotton) and they're not that expensive. They also have reversible placemats for only $4. That's the cost of one grande skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks! If I wasn't on a self imposed home decor buying freeze, I'd definitely pick up the taupe and cream kitchen towels ($5) you see below here.

I have a mild obsession with chocolate brown + baby pink, so the crib set below ($80) is definitely adorable to me. I like that it's girly but not overly saccharine sweet like a lot of baby girl bedding can be. Not like I've been shopping for that or anything...just a random observation!

I also think the Dwell Studio bedding looks pretty cool. Even just the accent pillows and shams might be cool to mix up your bedding you already have, like with this guy or this guy. I noticed that the original Dwell bedding is actually very similar to the Tarjay line. Check out the original Dwell bedding called "Talon" below (left) in comparison to the Target version called "Baroque" (right.) They're a little bit different, but the execution is still the same. (Ah, side note - is this baroque/damask thing not out of style yet? Good, because I like it and my dishes don't need to be passe.)

Let's all move to Stockton, Calif.!

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:21:00 +0000

Yes, let's do it. According to cheap-apts.com, a Stockton two-bedroom apartment can go for $675 a month. What! I think that's what I spend in shopping per month...okay, hopefully not.

But I am excited I found this little gem of a site through Apartment Therapy (of course) that finds "inexpensive rents in expensive places." Supposedly, these places are supposed to be full of charm and originality, too.

Well, I don't know if Stockton foots that bill, but I think they did a pretty good job scouring for places in San Diego. While I wouldn't even touch "Albert's College Apartments" off 55th when I was a sophomore at San Diego State (I once went to a party there that was broken up by more than 30 cop cars and four helicopters), The Bluffs II and Ballpark Place seem nice enough and aren't in bad areas.

So if you're thinking of moving anytime soon, you might want to use this site. Looks like they post around five to six apartments per day, so check back often. They'll even send you personalized listings within 24 hours if you email info@cheap-apts.com the city, number of bedrooms and maximum rent you want to spend. Just for a good laugh, I went ahead and emailed them to search for LA three bedrooms under $1,500...I'll let you know how that one goes. Ha!

LV leaves print on a jet plane

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:26:00 +0000

In another move that makes me nervous for the four-color glossies, Louis Vuitton has announced they will no longer be focusing on print ads, which have featured the likes of ScarJo and Mikhail S. Gorbachev and talent like Annie Leibovitz.

Beginning February 15, the LV logo will be featured in spots running on your TVs and in movie theaters worldwide, in 13 different languages, naturally. The segment is a montage of self discovery and travel and was filmed in France, Spain, India and Japan. I also enjoy the font gracing the screen, and wish I could download it somewhere.

According to Fashion Week Daily, this marks the first on-screen corporate campaign by a luxury house. However, Louis Vuitton's boldest move is the length of the spot. The campaign designed by Ogilvy Paris asks, "Where will life take you?," and sucks you in for a total of 90 seconds, about three times longer than most spots that interrupt you during Gossip Girl. Why?

Says LV: "The choice of the exceptional 90-second format enables Louis Vuitton to
take the time to convey the true and enriching essence of travel as a process of
both discovery and self-discovery," said Antoine Arnault, head of communications
at Louis Vuitton. "Time is the ultimate luxury."

Very telling. Pricey goods like Louis Vuitton handbags have become somewhat attainable by a the masses in past years. Analysts are citing the "death of luxury," which has the truly elite retreating to the last bastion of poshness - the luxury of time. While the nouveau riches may be able to buy an LV handbag, then can't very well travel to Dubai for months without a care in the world.

Lesson learned: jetting around the world is the new black - preferrably while using Louis Vuitton luggage, s'il vous plaît. Enjoy the pretty video.

Sugary sneakers? Oh, yeah!

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:48:00 +0000

Grape-"flavored" Reeboks?

No, these aren't just purple versions of the Reebok Princess shoes my mom has been rockin' since 1987. And no, don't try and taste this footwear, it's not like Jessica Simpson's syrupy sweet "Desserts."

These are Kool-Aid Reeboks, a hybrid of sneaker and sugar that will make plenty of people want to shell out the $50 - $75 they cost. Grape, strawberry and cherry launched on Feb. 1, but we have to wait until Mar. 15 for orange, lemon and lime. I guess citrus footwear isn't in as high demand.

The co-branded marketing promotion, Instant Classics, is part of Reebok’s 2008 spring collection. Yes, these shoes are kind of ridiculous, and I can't really believe how these brand extensions worked together - but it does. The soles are hilarious and I love that Kool-Aid Man's little face is on the inside. Him so cute! The "strawberry" is a little Pepto-Bismol-esque, but I really like the purple.

According to PSFK, the collection can be purchased at http://www.undergroundstation.com/ or select Reebok retailers nationwide. They make them for toddlers, too, how cute is that?! But why don't I see any women's shoes? Sad. We like color-saturated weird apparel just like the next Joe Schmoe.

Why do we need comfort food?

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:50:00 +0000

The scariest thing about carbohydrates are that they are fortune tellers. Predicters of the future. When I ingest a box of mac n' cheese, it predicts for me that yes, I will have gained two pounds by the morning.

When we're all adding this artery-clogging cheapie staple to our diets, it's all too revealing that the U.S. is headed for economic ruin and we're going to shove comfort food in our faces while we crash and burn. Why? Because this easy, cheesy meal was first introduced during the Great Depression in 1937, when people were trying to find inexpensive substitutions for dairy and meat. Well, maybe the situation isn't quite so dire, but it's an interesting correlation.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, single-serve microwaveable Easy Mac cups experienced a 50 percent rise in sales for the year. Not only does this make me concerned about our fiscal well being, but I want to know how many poor single people are nuking this no-nutrient dish and eating it alone while standing up in the kitchen. It's just how I picture the scenario.

So put down the starch and have a salad, please. Maybe even set the table, even if it's just for yourself. Don't crap out on me now! Most of you reading are no longer in college and we're not in a recession yet. And don't tell me you can't totally afford a Lean Cuisine when they're on sale for $2 a pop at Target. Like that's any better with all the sodium in those frozen goodies. Then we'll just be a puffy nation that for some reason can't quite figure out how our rings don't fit anymore....at least we'll be eating better than corn syrup solids and partially hydrogenated oils.

Ode to Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:28:00 +0000

Since January is the month designated for tax preparation, self-loathing, football and cleaning out closets, it's only natural the topic of organizing one's crap has been circulating amongst my friends and family this week.

During these conversations, I've decided Sterilite boxes are absolutely the most ineffective way for me to organize myself. You know, the ones you can stack in your closet and conveniently seal with duct tape when you move? They give you a false sense of organization. You actually don't have to deal with what's inside as long as you can keep stacking, resealing and avoiding. Hi, my name is Brianne, and I'm a Sterilite-aholic. (Hi, Brianne...) I'm really trying to break away from this nasty habit, and I will succeed in 2008.

Since I'm a curator of crap, I've decided to edit my collection a bit. I realized my own personal hoarding habits hit an all-time low when I was cleaning out my closet on MLK day. I had a collections of term papers, insanely complicated scrap booking supplies (they look like you'd use them to conduct arthroscopic surgery), unorganized photos and bills from, oh....2001. This has got to stop. Now that most of the junk is gone, I've been hunting and gathering for an upkeep method that might actually work with my lifestyle, and I think I've come up with a few tips that are universally helpful. These are my three resolutions for this year. Let's see if I actually stick to them.

1. Organization is like brushing your teeth.
It's needed daily, apparently. For those managing a household out there, my sister is raving about flylady.net. It's a day-by-day system of getting your house under control when you're in what they call CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome.) It starts off with just bleaching and shining your sink. I don't have quite the amount of mess a household with children might, but I like the philosophy of taking baby steps, and I'm sure moms that barely have time to shower will, too.

2. Treat my closet like a shrine.
I need to remember my closet contains clothing and shoes - you know that stuff I spend a ton of money on? My closet probably has the most value-per-square-foot of anywhere in the house, so why am I treating it like a red-headed stepchild? Instead of allowing sweaters and dresses to fall off the hangar and possibly meet their demise, I should probably keep it clean.

Anyway, a word about closets - there are a million opinions and preferences of how to organize this space. Lifehacker says to organize your closet left to right with outfits so you won't ever "overwear" anything. In an effort to rid herself of things she never wears, my former roommate Suzie has designed a system which she hangs her hangars backwards, and returns them to the closet the right way only after wearing them once or laundering them. After a month, all clothing on backward hangars goes to Goodwill. Harsh, but effective!

Another site has a four-box system of cleaning your closet that I could have used when I was knee-deep in birthday cards from 1999 and high school swim team shirts. They recommend "Box C" for items you are emotionally attached to, but unready to give up. It says to leave it be for a month, and if you don't use them, give to charity. Real Simple, patron of organization, gives 12 tips from "closet pros" (what a job) and they say "NO more wire hangars!" Haha.

3. Stop buying ugly boxes, or lack thereof.
There's a reason why I am unorganized. I refuse to spend money on shoe boxes or anything from The Container Store, because I'd rather spend it on things that are "fun." But really, if you can't find anything and your place looks like crap, all the Voluspa candles and west elm vases in the world won't make your apt look decent.

So, I'm taking note of Domino's cute ideas to be an organized individual. I especially liked their spread on Rashida Jones' place that showed me if they can make 400 square feet look good, I should be able to get it together. In fact, I think everyone should bookmark their "Get Organized" section. Speaking of west elm, I rather enjoy their canvas boxes to keep my crap calm, cool and collected.

To commit myself to this journey to organizational enlightenment, I'm aiming to post photos of my work. That will hopefully keep me on track, because who wants to broadcast photos of their messy room? Stay tuned...

Speidi Makes Us Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:43:00 +0000

If the celebrity tabloid world was anything like high school, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt would be voted "Most Likely to Make Us Vomit." Even by Us Weekly, surprise, surprise.

I was uber giddy to note via Jossip that the celebrity rag that usually loves all things staged and cheesy called out Camp Speidi's lame shenanigans.

It's like when I see these pictures of Heidi and Spencer together, it reminds me of the movie "Green Card" where they frantically take photos in different settings to act like they've had a lasting and real relationship. Speidi does the same thing, except they have D-list celebutante status at risk instead of the possibility of being deported.

And even more lame, they're apparently getting paid to look this ridiculously uninteresting. I want to know who at Pacific Coast News sat down and thought it would be a good idea for them to post up in a wheel barrow with a sad-looking pumpkin for Halloween. And then, to wear matching canary yellow polo shirts for "golf day." Among the pair's gratuitous beachwear shots, Heidi dons a bikini with a likening to the U.S. flag for the Fourth of July. How patriotic. (Ahem: please note the photos in beachwear all seem to take place near the same beach rock formation. The captions say things like "Pacific Palisades" and "Cabo San Lucas," but we all know it's a backdrop in a photography studio in Culver City.)

I'd say these two sold out, but I really don't think they had much integrity in the first place. Oh well. Rock the 15 minutes of fame while you can...even though these two make it painfully feel more like 45, even 50 minutes.

I heart d*s

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:41:00 +0000

Apparently, I'm on a blog-posting roll today.

Last one, seemingly dedicated only to my love of Design*Sponge...how I love thee...let me count the ways.

No one else can make me feel giddy about ottomans and existentially happy about rocking chairs. If you're not reading, start. It will get you going on that early-in-the-year feeling that you're finally going to make your abode say something about yourself. Personally, my two-story Irvine suburban condo is saying "Brianne really likes plain walls" but I'm resigned to it, successfully convincing myself it's that white-washed shabby chic thing.

d*s is home to many a great idea. Grace Bonney and her team seem to scan the universe of shelter mags and blogs that results in a superbly edited collection of cuteness. If you're feeling crafty, check out their DIY section. Don't miss their weekly wrap-up post if you're pressed for time. And if you're traveling to a new city soon, check out their plentiful city design guides. Here come some random d*s photos just to get you going....enjoy!

my friend megan would dig this.

she specializes in loving adorable flowers in small bowls.

is that peony wallpaper? love the lamp.

this console-as-a-desk makes me want a laptop, real bad.

shall i ever get a ginormous collection of books and a non-working fireplace,

this will be the look for me.

cat + anthropologie-like bedding = a good time to me

i have a similar yellow/pink/green combo

in my room, and it seems to work.

RIP, Heath.

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:10:00 +0000

Because there's not much else to say.

Coachella will be hot

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:32:00 +0000

As a teenager, the Coachella/Indio region held not much excitement for me.

Save for the restaurant, "EAT," that made for good people watching and doubled as a shower station and knife-sharpening haven for scary truck drivers, I viewed this desert spot as merely a means to get to Lake Havasu without starving. Just a stop on the itinerary.

Well, thanks to the lovely line-up announced today for the "Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival," Indio will definitely be a destination for me this April.

I'll be hitting the 10 East out there on Saturday, April 26, to see Hot Chip, M.I.A., Rilo Kiley and New Young Pony Club - and to sweat buckets. Join me in the revelry.

Apple + Blue Sequin Jumper = Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:53:00 +0000

I took this Mediabistro course in LA a few months back on "Blogging Basics" taught by an editor for Unbeige, Alissa Walker (I highly recommend it, by the way and there is one coming up on March 29!) Ever since then, I've been reading Unbeige more frequently, and get a kick of Alissa's posts. Another thing I've done since then is feel bad I don't post more often like she advised. Oops.

Anyway, today Alissa posted the MadTV video spoof "They iScrewed Me Again," based off the Apple iPod Nano commerical featuring Feist, who I heart to death. It's pretty comical, and I'm certain it took them quite a while to match Feist's royal blue sequin jumper she wears in the video for "1 2 3 4." Also, I am kicking myself for not seeing Feist while she was in town with Spoon.

Anyway, for anyone who has experienced feeling obsolete by Apple's clever product release timing, enjoy! And here's a link to the original version.

Oh, and happy 2008...

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:23:00 +0000

Ah yes, um, Happy New Year! Forgot to say Happy Holidays or anything of the sort...how rude.

My time was spent wearing a cheesy Christmas sweater and green tights, enjoying a chilly trip to Lake Arrowhead and watching the ball drop from Bainbridge Island, Washington, among other highlights. Strep throat being one of them.

Anyway, enjoy this cartoon that really does pose a problem for future NYE drunken countdowns (and offers two solutions that might seriously be our 2010 eyewear.)

How to paint a "headboard"

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0000

The new year is all about setting really unrealistic goals for yourself that you might not meet, but they were pretty fun to make. Like "get abs of steel" or "clean out my scary closet."

So I'll just go ahead and qualify my excuse as "I live in an rented condo" for why I can't make use of this fun idea to paint a faux headboard in one weekend. The idea is from Apartment Therapy, which has been giving me design envy for quite some time.

The color pink is pretty intense, but mellowed out by all the white bedding. Plus, I really dig the mirror over the bed. Hopefully you have a nice landlord or own your home sweet home, so you can take advantage of this cool idea.

Who knew NARS was so gutsy?

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 23:51:00 +0000

The beauty industry likes to employ shock and awe names (hello, Drunk Dial & Quickie) to make even a concealer sound exciting. It's a great marketing tactic. I could see how you might buy a MAC product based on how interesting the name was, instead of how great the color looked on you. Maybe that's why I got their Naked Lunch eye shadow?

To see just how true this is, take BellaSugar's Beauty Product or Adult Movie quiz. I won't spoil the fun, because you should really learn whether "Voodoo Lust" is lipstick...or X-rated.

Then when you're done, check out some of these NARS blush names. The beauty to the left is called "Orgasm."

Wait, here I am talking about blush again - what is with me?

C'est la vie, Blueprint

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:22:00 +0000

I am sad to report that another favorite magazine of mine, Blueprint, will no longer be in, well, print. I received the sad news via IM this morning and a sad cloud was cast over my day. Okay, not really that dramatic, but it is disappointing.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia said they "misjudged the market." No you didn't! I totally subscribe and love it...publish just for me!

What I really liked about Blueprint was its ability to simplify stylish living for what seemed like the younger set. I felt like a lot of the tips, recipes and advice they offered could actually be applied to a 20-something lifestyle. The magazine was, indeed, fun and fresh like their tagline states. Never mind the design of the magazine was absolutely gorgeous. A very spare, artsy take on things.

At least they decided to keep up the blog and maybe some special editions through Martha Stewart Weddings. Okay, next in line for my favorite magazine to fold would be Domino. That would truly ruin my life.

OMG is right! SATC: The Movie trailer released!

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:08:00 +0000

Okay, it's way too late and I should have gone to bed by now, but I had to share the news. The Sex and the City: The Movie trailer has been released!

Check it out here for your viewing pleasure. And thanks to Jezebel, you have a full analysis of the :39 second clip that leads with "they say nothing lasts forever - dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style."

And a little sidenote - I instantly agreed with Jezebel, Charlotte really does look like M.I.A. I really like seeing her without her Park Avenue Princess style. Maybe she turns all badass momma on us? Okay anyway, enjoy the trailer, lovelies...

http://sexandthecitymovie.com/

Lampshades Not Included

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:11:00 +0000

I love that Fashion Week Daily interviewed reps at all the magazines to find out where their holiday parties are, including juicy tidbits of insider information on the revelries. Seems a bit to me like asking the popular crowd where their after-prom parties are, but I love it just the same!

And now for the superlatives to continue the high school theme, because I know you care:

Best Coworker Bonding: Domino is having a "bring-your-own-ornament" party to decorate the chicest slash cutest Christmas tree ever. Post pictures on the web site when you're done, so I can copy verbatim, okay?

Most Intimidating Dessert: The six-foot tall cupcake tree at Hearst Corporations' "All that Glitters" party.

Class Clowns: CosmoGIRL! staffers are being encouraged by EIC Susan Schulz to wear silly hats. At least it will keep them from that inexplicable urge to put a lampshade on their head after the fourth martini (although, sidenote: it seems oddball headwear is continuing with its It Girl status.)

Sassiest Invite: Glamour's invitation features a model sporting Dior supported by four men in tuxes reading, "Men in tuxes to carry you home, not included." Now that you've suggested it, Glamour, that's going to be my transportation of preference.

Most Paranoid: The New Yorker staffers did not release the date of their party for fear of "psycho stalkers." They'll be eating BBQ in the Flatiron District while talking about how much better they are than you.

Have fun at your respective corporate holiday shindigs, but not too much fun. If you feel you need it, read these tips that lead off with a story about a young PR professional who vomited in her VP's lap in the cab ride home...oh the horror!

Blue cheese + beetroot = coming to a chic eatery near you

noreply@blogger.com (Brianne) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:04:00 +0000

Foodies take note - there is a new site called Foodpairing that allows you to explore food flavor networks and in turn, discover new recipe combos that might be the next big thing.

The site features 250 food products and their pairs via a visual map of branches that sort out flavors that share the same tastes and genetic food makeup. I think this is pretty cool - see what Josh Spear has to say.

The site encourages users to make new recipes by combining foods that have flavors in common. It even features an option to send in your recipe to recipe@foodpairing.be if you happen to come across something new and great. Maybe now we won't need a celebrity chef to tell us what is new and hip?

And those with a hit-or-miss spice rack (like me!) will enjoy the interchangeable foods section, which details best substitutes for herbs and spices. They base it on the idea that a food product has a specific flavor because of a combination of other different flavors, such as basil, which has a combination of linalool (so does corinader) and estragol (so does tarragon.) They say you can reconstruct the taste of basil by combining coriander, tarragon, cloves, laurel. Lot of work, but very cool!

I'm wondering if this site will guide an amateur bartender like myself to new creations. With all the trendy savory martinis out there lately, I was curious where "rosemary" might lead me. Turns out that basil, sage, all spice and nutmeg are pretty compatible, but so is peppermint and mandarin orange. That all sounds very interesting and worth a try with some top-shelf vodka.

So for better, or for worse, we now know that not only does coffee and raspberry taste great with chocolate - so would a radish or grilled pigeon. Shudder.