Bust << pop full >>
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Royal Wedding-shmedding, a new Queen was crowned on RuPaul’s Drag Race

If you care about RuPaul’s Drag Race at all then get ready to get jealous boogers…I met the queens of Season 3, well some of the queens, at the press event before the finale! I got so close to my girl Alexis “BAM BAM BAM” Mateo that I could see the contour make-up stripes down her nose. First, I must apologize for being late with this post since everyone knows Raja took the crown by now. I had to wait until I could ...
April 28, 2011, 5 p.m.
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Battling Breast Cancer: A Photo Journey

“In July of 2010, at age 34, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer which entailed, among things, a double mastectomy, four months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation five days a week and a nice preview of menopause. I just completed all of my treatments in March and continue my journey with breast cancer. I am currently in the process of making the decision to have my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed due to the high ...
April 28, 2011, 2:38 p.m.
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Artful Food Fun- NYC

Looking for interesting food related fun? Look no further than Something I Ate, a collaborative food and art project hosted and curated by one of the amazing gals in this month’s food issue, Sam Kim, founder of Skimkim foods and Kat Popiel of On Plate, Still Hungry. This Friday in Brooklyn gallery, Rouge58, several artists will showcase their seven-day documentation of personal eating experiences culminating in works using ...
April 28, 2011, 2:33 a.m.
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Sonic Art

I LOVE KIM GORDON, as a teenager i feel in love with her in Sonic Youth as she fueled my dreams of one day being a cool girl in a band. As a twenty something, i discovered her art work, acting, voice over in The Simpsons, clothing line, writing and a new level of respect for females. Is there anything this woman can't do? The answer, is a unified NO. If you are as big of a fan of Kim as i am, you will be super psyched to know that ...
April 27, 2011, 4:32 p.m.
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RIP Punk Rock Icon Poly Styrene

Poly Styrene (1957-2011), born Marianne Elliot Smith, was a true fighter in life and in her battle with cancer. She passed away yesterday evening and it stands to be said that the punk rock world has certainly lost a true icon. She was a punk amongst punks and has embodied the true meaning of punk rock and feminism since she first uttered the words, “Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard but I think oh bondage up ...
April 26, 2011, 3:19 p.m.
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Devo, the Descendents, Stars, Deerhoof, Dum Dum Girls in Toronto for NXNE
Generally, Toronto’s North by North by North East music festival is the worst time to be in the city. There’s a huge line-up for every bar in town, and each bar’s stage is filled with lack luster band’s featuring people you went to high school with (Sorry everyone in bands who I went to high school with! You know I really love all of you). But something went terribly right for NXNE this year, as they wrangled a ...
April 25, 2011, 7:03 p.m.
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Back on the Mic is the Anti-Depressor: Beastie Boys Release New Single, Short Film
The Beastie Boys dance-battle themselves in their new music video “Make Some Noise” which was released yesterday as an extended trailer for their upcoming short film “Fight For Your Rights – Revisited.” The video features Elijah Woods, Danny McBride and Seth Rogen as young Beastie Boys doppelgangers wreaking havoc and partying in the streets of Brooklyn amongst star studded walk-ons such as Amy Poehler, Will ...
April 25, 2011, 5:10 p.m.
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Mermaid Marching Lessons-NYC
The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is coming up Saturday, June 18th (rain or shine!) and there is sure to be tons of colorful characters and mermaids of all kinds. Dressing up is the best part of the parade, but getting started can be daunting. Either shy or just in need of a hand, fear not mermaids, help is to be had! Spend an hour (6:00-7:00pm) with Ayun Halliday, author of the Zinester’s Guide to NYC, May 18th at Old School (233 Mott ...
April 25, 2011, 2:41 p.m.
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Hipster Animals

From the awesome creator behind Men Men Yourself (aka everyone’s Facbook picture for a month) comes Hipster Animals! This spot-on adorably funny illustrations blog makes any hipster hate being called a hipster just a little less. Either you fall into one of these categories yourself (Street Style Blogger<--guilty!) or you know a few that do. No doubt about it, these adorable animals are definitely the bees knees. It’s the ...
April 22, 2011, 8:23 p.m.
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Ridiculous Study Claims Plus Size Models Equal Obese Society

A new study from The London School of Economics and Political Science claims that plus-size models will increase obesity in the United States and Europe. Authors, Dr. Davide Dagone and Dr. Laura Savorelli, write that, “Given that people are on average overweight, we conclude (that using larger models) may foster the obesity epidemic.”
In a weird way, I understand where their logic came from. Yes, Obesity is a problem in the U.S. ...
April 22, 2011, 6:06 p.m.
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"Slutwalks" Go Worldwide
Are you a slut? What do you think constitutes a woman as such? Is it what she wears? Is it how she carries herself? Does it justify rape? The fact of the matter is, nothing justifies rape. Nothing justifies excuses for sexual assault. Nothing justifies blame to be placed on those who are victimized. In Toronto, back in January a “slut march” was held in reaction to comments made by a Toronto Police Department officer ...
April 22, 2011, 4:46 p.m.
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Karl Lagerfeld To Make Book Fragrance?

Coming from Chanel’s main man, whose personal library houses over 300,000 books, is a rumored fragrance for those who love and long for the romantic smell of musty books over the complete lack of smell from books via computer. According to German papers, FAZ and FOCUS, Lagerfeld is currently working on a fragrance with his publishing company, Edition 7L in collaboration with Gerhard Steidl, the distributer for most of the ...
April 22, 2011, 4:36 p.m.
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Cinema Verite takes on An American Family

Before The Real World, Horrible Housewives or Jersey Shore Jerks, there was An American Family. Back in the early 70’s, the idea of reality TV was born when a documentary filmmaker decided to ask the Loud family from Santa Barbara California, if he could film their daily lives and air it on PBS. Anyone who grew up in the 70s will remember the long, sometimes fascinating, sometimes boring, black and white episodes of American Family ...
April 22, 2011, 4:04 p.m.
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Airbrush is the New Paint Brush!

It’s amazing what a little Photoshop can do to a picture. I always thought this was a recent phenomenon, but I guess I never really put much thought into why pin-up girls always looked so damn fabulous. Seems to me like these images were Photoshopped before Photoshop even existed. Before airbrushing there was paint brushing! Either way these gorgeous ladies are working it! We absolutely love these photos here at BUST. ...
April 22, 2011, 2:23 p.m.
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The Evolution of the Orgasm

Since its earliest models dating all the way back to 1880’s the history of the vibrator is one steeped in controversial issues and uncomfortable conversations. Where women were shunned for wanting to embrace their female sexuality and freely talking about sex is frowned upon. The American public is beginning to usher in a new age of sexual liberation even greater than that of the sixties. Once upon a time, vibrators and other ...
April 21, 2011, 5:47 p.m.
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The Living Sisters Cover Patsy Cline! (This Is Not A Joke)

If you’re livin’ in LA, I would recommend clearing your schedule on May 7th. Some of our favorite gals, The Living Sisters and Zooey Deschanel, will be covering the songs of another personal favorite, Patsy Cline! Does it get any better than that? Didn’t think so. In celebration of country western music’s most distinctive voice, these contemporary songbirds will pay tribute to Patsy’s “I Fall To ...
April 21, 2011, 4:12 p.m.
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Vivian Girls @ Webster Hall

Brooklyn-based trio Vivian Girls’ music just feels so, well, Brooklyn—a little gritty, rough around the edges, with lots of heart, and lots going on. I love Brooklyn. So much, in fact, that I live there atop the largest oil spill in U.S. history. No, I don't drink the water. Anyway, when I saw the trio of Cassie Ramone, Katy Goodman, and Fiona Campbell (new drummer!) play at New York City’s Webster Hall recently, it ...
April 21, 2011, 10:59 a.m.
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MNDR "Cut Me Out"
MNDR is a hot electro-pop duo, and their new video for their single "Cut Me Out," is awesome. MNDR is made up of the famous Amanda Warner and Peter Wade. Amanda is well known for her collaboration with Mark Ronson & The Business Intl., for the song "Bang Bang Bang."
She worked with director Tim Saccenti, to create the imagery that meshes perfectly with the thumping synths and Amanda's self-harmonies. Look for ...
April 21, 2011, 4 a.m.
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Celebrate Earth Week! Come get a FREE digital issue of BUST!
We love us some Mama Earth, and we know you do, too. That's why we decided to celebrate by giving away a free digital edition of our current issue -- the Food Issue featuring Liv Tyler. If you've never had the chance to flip through a copy of BUST, here's your chance! Once you sign up, you can read the issue on any web-browser enabled device, including your iPad and iPhone. But don't delay - this offer is good for one week only!
Just click ...
April 20, 2011, 7:10 p.m.
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Well-endowed super women
Ladies, Don’t let these new underwear sets from Marvel fool you, real super powers are all in your head. Although, the idea is a totally sweet one, I find the execution of these sets completely ridiculous and uncomfortably sexist. Airbrushed cleavage “bursting” at the seams and tiny infant sized waistlines are sending the wrong message to the self-conscious, comic-book-reading,14-year-old girl in all of us. If you want to ...
April 20, 2011, 6:50 p.m.
Cosmopolitan << pop full >>
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Torrid Tidal Wave
Nothing beats this pose when you want to take a make-out session on a secluded beach to a passion plateau.
Dec. 15, 2011, 5:07 p.m.
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Nailing It: The Perfect Gift for the Mani-Obsessed
This new book will wow anyone who's into nails.
Dec. 15, 2011, 4:51 p.m.
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Get a Leg Up
The cascading water hits both your bodies, while your man treats you to a double dose of bliss.
Dec. 14, 2011, 5:04 p.m.
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A Special Deal on Gorgeous Holiday Makeup (And More!)
We've got a special code just for Cosmo readers for shopping on Dior.com.
Dec. 14, 2011, 4:16 p.m.
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Yet Another Reason To Avoid Tanning Beds…
Tanning indoor leads to Basal Cell Carcinoma.
Dec. 14, 2011, 6:48 a.m.
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A Surprising, Sexy Trend for the Holidays: Leather Dresses
Leather may not be the obvious choice for the holidays, but it sure looks good!
Dec. 14, 2011, 6:41 a.m.
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Don't Do This at Your Office Party
Things you shouldn't do at your office holiday party.
Dec. 14, 2011, 6:37 a.m.
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Hair How-To: A Retro, Rockabilly Updo
This rockabilly style is easier than you think.
Dec. 13, 2011, 5:50 p.m.
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Nailing It: Which Trend Are You Loving This Season?
These are the prettiest nail polish colors for the holiday season. Which one would you wear?
Dec. 13, 2011, 4:49 p.m.
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Holiday Sweaters That Aren't Lame
Not all holiday sweaters are tacky. Here are our favorite cute ones—and how to wear them.
Dec. 13, 2011, 9:11 a.m.
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Baby Got Back
This is one hell of a chick-in-charge pose.
Dec. 13, 2011, 6:25 a.m.
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Would You Sacrifice Your Sex Life For This?
See what half of 18 to 24 year old men would give a year of sex up for.
Dec. 13, 2011, 6:09 a.m.
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Slippery When Wet
This passion pose uses water to create pulsating sensations.
Dec. 12, 2011, 5:08 p.m.
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The Surprising Way You’ll Pick Your Future Boyfriend
The way a person smells can tell you a lot about their personality.
Dec. 12, 2011, 5 p.m.
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How to Dress Up a LBD Like Brooklyn Decker
This is a great trick for turning pieces you already own into a killer party look.
Dec. 12, 2011, 4:30 p.m.
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7 Hairstyles For When You're Growing Out Your Bangs
Bang haircuts have been so popular this year, but if you're over your fringe here's how to deal.
Dec. 12, 2011, 10:18 a.m.
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The Sexiest Celeb Moments of 2011
When it comes to celebrity news, 2011 was the year of...
Dec. 12, 2011, 8:43 a.m.
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Weekend Rehab: Post-Flight Hydration
Traveling can suck for your skin. Try this tricks to get back to normal.
Dec. 12, 2011, 6:49 a.m.
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The Worst Dressed Celebs of the Week
If you've been nice, Santa will bring you these gifts. If you've been naughty, you won't get a lump of coal; you'll get these horrendous outfits wrapped up with a bow.
Dec. 9, 2011, 10:22 a.m.
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What's Sexy This Week: Winter White
Who says you can't wear white after Labor Day?
Dec. 9, 2011, 9:08 a.m.
Divinecaroline << pop full >>
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Surviving a Break Up Around the Holidays!
Most of the time even happily single people find the holiday season to...
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:44 p.m.
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Why Do I Waste My Time and Energy On You?
Time and energy are precious commodities. We can never seem to get eno...
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:19 p.m.
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Don't Miss Your Favorite TV Christmas Special!
Nothing kills a festive, cozy mood like snuggling up in front of a Yul...
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:17 p.m.
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Fashion and Sustainability, What About it?
A craze for sustainability has roared throughout the streets in the 21...
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:53 p.m.
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Fight Teen Obesity
The United States of America is one of the most powerful countries in ...
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:39 p.m.
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Losing It
Today, again, I found myself obsessing over the things that I have los...
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:22 p.m.
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Twelve Dates of Christmas
With Christmas less than two weeks away, everyone is starting to feel...
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:11 p.m.
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Scrub Yourself Clean
In the winter, my skin gets extremely dry, so I exfoliate often to kee...
Dec. 15, 2011, 3 p.m.
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The Secret to Avoiding the "I-Dread-the-Holidays" Syndrome
"I dread the holidays!" Maria was surprised to hear hersel...
Dec. 15, 2011, 1:07 a.m.
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Navel-Gazing: First Thoughts on Holiday Movie Season
This year's holiday movie season has more big-budget blockbuster...
Dec. 15, 2011, 1:05 a.m.
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How Zac Efron Saved My Life
Though I had heard of him, I never saw any of the High School Musicals...
Dec. 15, 2011, 12:31 a.m.
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Eight Products to Help You Keep Your New Year's Resolutions
It's not easy or realistic to become a whole new you come the Ne...
Dec. 15, 2011, 12:25 a.m.
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Social Responsibility: Supporting Our Veterans
The American people never like to get their hands dirty; they are like...
Dec. 15, 2011, 12:10 a.m.
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Interview with Author W.H. Buxton
Winslow Buxton is a retired Navy Commander and helicopter pilot who re...
Dec. 15, 2011, 12:04 a.m.
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Libido Boosters: Fact and Fiction
It's date night. Should you serve oysters? Ask your significant...
Dec. 14, 2011, 11:51 p.m.
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How Do You Find Real Love?
Real love is very complex being that one has the ability to love multi...
Dec. 14, 2011, 11:25 p.m.
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Of Colors and Mixtures
I was on a turbulent plane ride from a Southern province back to our h...
Dec. 14, 2011, 11:20 p.m.
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The Vibrational Ladder of Purpose by Sheevaun Moran
The most common reason women are seeking to better themselves is becau...
Dec. 14, 2011, 11:15 p.m.
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Another Delicious Year!
Two days more and I'll be hitting thirty-nine years of wonderful...
Dec. 14, 2011, 11:07 p.m.
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About Using Bags
It's an old question, every time it comes time to check out when...
Dec. 14, 2011, 10:58 p.m.
Glam << pop full >>
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The Denim Scarf: A Canadians Response To Winter Or The Next Hipster Accessory?
I can tolerate denim dresses, chambray shirts, and jean jackets, but a denim scarf?!? I’m sorry American Apparel, but this will never, ever be a “thing.” It’s honestly borderline offensive. The $27 scarf (which is apparently “out of stock” at their factory and thus can only be shipped from retail stores) literally looks like it was cut from a scrap of your loser ex-boyfriend’s denim duvet cover circa 1989. Can’t seem to cough up the cash? You could always DIY a version of this scarf with an actual pair of jeans—which might be perfect for a road trip, the morning after, or any other situation where you’d need a spare change of clothes. For more news on designers on crack, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Related posts:J.Crew’s DoDoCase: The Bookworm’s Response To The iPad 2 The hottest tech toy around needs love too. Luckily, J.Crew... Check Out Urban Outfitters’ Hipster Interpretation Of Will Ferrell In ‘Elf’ Introducing: the Buddy the Elf Graphic Tee Last week we... Canadian Tuxedos, Begone: J Brand Set To Launch Sportswear Next Spring From left: A look from J Brand’s new sportswear line,...
Dec. 14, 2011, 6 p.m.
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Sick To Death Of Cardigans? Try An Oversized Leopard Sweater Instead, A La Gwen Stefani
The ever-stylish Gwen Stefani just stepped out in L.A. in this oversized leopard sweater, a black miniskirt, opaque tights and tall leather boots. #YES. How can we get this look immediately, you ask? Well it starts with aMINKPINK Wilderness Sweater in Leopard ($83) and end it ends with an on-trend, cozy way to dress this month. Because let’s face it, you’re almost out of cardigans to wear, right? 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} #slidearea_162568 { float:left; background:#000000; position:relative; width:395px; margin-left:5px; height:81px; overflow:hidden; } #slider_162568 { position:absolute; left:0; height:81px; } #slider_162568 img { cursor:pointer; border:1px solid #666; padding:2px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; float:left !important; } TORN BY RONNY KOBO Alexa Leopard Sweater http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/TORN-BY-RONNY-KOBO-Alexa-Leopard-Sweater.jpg $265, Revolve Clothing la James Perse Ruched Pencil Skirt http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/James-Perse-Ruched-Pencil-Skirt-.jpg $105, Shopbop la Commando Matte Opaque Tights http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/comma2003512867_p1_v1_m56577569831810035_347x683.jpeg $34, Shopbop la Frye Shirley Riding Boots http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Frye-Shirley-Riding-Boots.jpg $388, Zappos la Lucca Couture Leopard Cardigan http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Lucca-Couture-Leopard-Cardigan.jpg $69, Urban Outfitters la Textured Mini Skirt http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/70221632-02-1.jpeg $14.80, Forever21 la DKNY 'Super Opaque' Control Top Tights http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/DKNY-Super-Opaque-Control-Top-Tights.jpg $15, Nordstrom la Sofft Casoria http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Sofft-Casoria.jpg $119.95, Zappos la MINKPINK Wilderness Sweater in Leopard http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/MINKPINK-Wilderness-Sweater-in-Leopard.jpg $83, Revolve Clothing la Gwen Stefani http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Gwen-Stefani.jpg la . //--------------------- var TINY_162568={}; 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Related posts:Gwen Stefani For Target Is Here! Plus New Nail Polish For Winter & More News Time for a polish change. See winter’s best nail polish... Who Needs A Boyfriend When You’ve Got Sweater Dresses On Sale? So cozy. And under $100. Fall is boyfriend weather, when... Boden Is (Already!) Having A Mid-Autumn Sale: Get Your Jeans, Cardigans & Dresses Here Here are so many good things about Boden’s mid-autumn sale....
Dec. 14, 2011, 5 p.m.
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RHOA: Sneak-Attack Tuesday Night Edition
So here’s the deal, y’all. I didn’t know that there was a new episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta on last night until everyone started tweeting at me to ask if I was watching it while I was at a dinner party, so there’s no recap today. If Bravo wants people to write about its shows, they shouldn’t be springing random, mid-week episodes on us! Also, I had something called a “beet cobbler” last night, which sounds weird but was totally delicious, and it was way better than watching Real Housewives. I’m assuming that at least a few of you were less clueless than I was and caught the episode, and for that, I’m slightly jealous. The Atlanta wives are my favorite, as you all know, and I’m going to try and catch a repeat this evening and chime in in the comments. For now, though, feel free to talk amongst yourselves. Was the episode last night any good? I heard on Twitter that it was worth a watch.
Dec. 14, 2011, 5 p.m.
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10 Things You Didnt Know You Could Monogram: Prada, Cheese Boards, More
Monogramming is a staple of the prepster world — think canvas beach totes, gold pendant necklaces and ribbon belts inscribed with bold-face letters. Thank goodness it’s gotten a modern update: did you know you can now monogram Rebecca Minkoff purses, Prada sunglasses, New Balance sneakers and more? Um, yea. It’s pretty sweet, and we found them here: [post_image_gallery] #slideshow_162165 { list-style:none; color:#fff; } #slideshow_162165 span { display:none; } #slideshow-wrapper_162165 { width:444px; background:#000000; padding:2px; border:1px solid #CCCCCC; margin:25px auto; display:none; } #slideshow-wrapper_162165 * { margin:0; padding:0; } #fullsize_162165 { position:relative; z-index:1; overflow:hidden; width:444px; height:300px; } #information_162165 { position:absolute; bottom:0; width:444px; height:0; background:#000000; color:#FFFFFF; overflow:hidden; z-index:200; opacity:.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); } #information_162165 h3 { color:#FFFFFF; padding:4px 8px 3px; font-size:14px; } #information_162165 p { color:#FFFFFF; padding:0 8px 8px; } #image_162165 { width:444px; } #image_162165 img { position:absolute; border:none; width:auto; } .imgnav { position:absolute; width:25%; height:306px; cursor:pointer; z-index:150; } #imgprev_162165 { left:0; background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/left.gif') left center no-repeat; } #imgnext_162165 { right:0; background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/right.gif') right center no-repeat; } #imglink_162165 { position:absolute; height:306px; width:100%; z-index:100; opacity:.4; filter:alpha(opacity=40); } .linkhover { background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/link.gif') center center no-repeat; } #thumbnails_162165 { } .thumbstop { margin-bottom:15px !important; } .thumbsbot { margin-top:15px !important; } #slideleft_162165 { float:left; width:20px; height:81px; background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/scroll-left.gif') center center no-repeat; background-color:#222; } #slideleft_162165:hover { background-color:#333; } #slideright_162165 { float:right; width:20px; height:81px; background:#222 url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/scroll-right.gif') center center no-repeat; } #slideright_162165:hover { background-color:#333; } #slidearea_162165 { float:left; background:#000000; position:relative; width:395px; margin-left:5px; height:81px; overflow:hidden; } #slider_162165 { position:absolute; left:0; height:81px; } #slider_162165 img { cursor:pointer; border:1px solid #666; padding:2px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; float:left !important; } Sunglasses http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Sunglasses.jpg Get these Prada Private PR 15NS sunglasses ($365) with your initials -- plus symbols like stars or peace signs. la Your Cambridge Satchel http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/tumblr_lr9lr9C1WI1r256auo1_500.jpeg Get your beloved Cambridge Satchel Fluoro embossed with your initials here. la Champagne Buckets http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Monogrammed.jpg la A Polo http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/index1.jpeg Ralph Lauren's Create Your Own Polo ($95) comes in a variety of stitch colors and fonts. la New Balance http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/New-Balance.jpg You can customize your New Balance sneakers by adding a monogram in the color of your choosing on the heel (also switch up the upper, heel and accent colors). la Cheese Board http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Cheese-Board.jpg C. Wonder's Monogram Cheese Board with Spreader ($18) is great for entertaining. la Your Rebecca Minkoff bag http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/a8fc467bf596c206ef7412d90100cf2c_best.jpeg Customize the ever-popular Morning After bag ($550) on Rebecca Minkoff's site. la A coffee mug http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/6024_3401_1_11.jpeg C. 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Related posts:Prada’s Capsule Collection Looks More Like Laura Ashley Curtains Than High Fashion Prada has jumped on the capsule collection bandwagon inspired by... We Are Officially Impressed: The One Striped Prada Dress That Found Its Way Onto 8 Magazine Covers And The Red Carpet The now-infamous striped dress from Prada’s lauded Spring 2011 collection... Prada Candy Is Finally Available–But Don’t Try To Eat It Prada’s trying to reach a younger crowd with its new...
Dec. 14, 2011, 4:03 p.m.
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FLASH MOB: <stron...
Bluefly launched its new flash-sale site Belle & Clive today in a Beta format with a bevy of coveted brands to try and get a piece of the off-price pie that has made Rue La La and Gilt Groupe tha darlings of off-price shoppers. Today's dbut brands include MiuMiu, Rebecca Minkoff, Magaschoni, Bottega Veneta, Gucci Fine Jewelry, Vintage Chanel & Louis Vuitton, and, for men, Prada and Theory. Discounts on the big luxury brands are only about 30%, but Theory, Minkoff and Magaschoni were more in line with the deeper discounts we have come to expect from the established flash players. Gucci jewelry, in particular, showed some very deep discounts. Like its competitors, Belle & Clive requires an invite, so feel free to click HERE and consider yourself invited. On Friday, they will roll out their next group of sales including, Gucci Women's Apparel, Cline Handbags, Vintage Chanel & Herms Accessories, Nicole Miller, Kooba, Diamonds by KC Designs Fine Jewelry and Tom Ford Men's Apparel, a label we have yet to see on any flash site. So far, the selections are limited, but this Beta is much more extensive than Vente Privee's meager test, so we think it is definitely one to keep an eye on. Belle & Clive (Official Site)
Dec. 14, 2011, 3:48 p.m.
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PIT STOP: <strong...
There's nothing that will ruin the fun of a shopping excursion more than the sudden need for.... relief. Our friends at RACKED have compiled a handy list and map of stores round Manhattan that have public restrooms, and we suggest you commit it to memory immediately. Some choices are obvious, like any department store, and some are less expected. We have a few in mind that they didn't note, but we'll keep them to ourselves. After all, we don't want to have to stand in line... Take a Seat: Here Are 16 of Manhattan's Best In-Store Bathrooms (RACKED)
Dec. 14, 2011, 3:26 p.m.
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Mama Needs A New Pair Of Shoes For 2012. Well Hello, ASOS Footwear Sale!
ASOS never disappoints. Just as I was taking inventory of my rather sad shoe collection–the last time I bought a pair of shoes was so long ago at this point, I can’t even remember. Heels are cracked, and honestly, my trusty tall winter boots have taken quite a beating. That’s why I’m swooning over the ASOS footwear sale, which has all of those trendy styles like smoking slippers and platform glitter sandals, at 40% off. So you don’t have to ruin your budget just to look cute for a season. Get in there! Related posts:The ASOS Collection Sale Is So Good, You Can Grab A Handful Of Cocktail Dresses For Party Season This is the busiest time of the year: you’ve got... Under $20 Sale On C&C California, Diesel, Mango, And More At ASOS…It’s So Cheap, It’s Scary If you went crazy over Topshop’s Flash Sale, I hoped... The ASOS Summer Sale Makes It Easy (And Cheap) To Try All Of Those Summer Trends ASOS is our best kept secret–they’ve got the season’s best...
Dec. 14, 2011, 3 p.m.
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Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Tech Accessories
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced holiday gift that you’re sure the recipient has a use for, it’s hard to go wrong with something tech-y. No matter how girly the girl, we all have iPhones and laptops and iPads (some of us) that are parts of our everyday lives, and making them a little more chic while maintaining functionality is a near-constant pursuit for young women. That’s why we’ve assembled a list of the finest high-fashion tech accessories as the latest installment of our Holiday Gift Guide 2011; from headphones to laptop cases to a bag to carry it all, we can outfit you for the next year and then some. Diane von Furstenberg Saffiano Printed iPhone Case, $50 via Net-a-Porter Balenciaga Classic Arena Screen iPad Case, $565 via Barneys Juicy Couture Faux Fur Earmuff Headphones, $98 via ShopBop Reed Krakoff Leather iPad Case, $590 via Net-a-Porter Marc by Marc Jacobs Heart Earbuds, $40 via Net-a-Porter Rebecca Minkoff Pyramid Neoprene Laptop Case, $78 via ShopBop Juicy Couture Naomi Neoprene Laptop Bag, $148 via ShopBop Smythson Leather Camera Case, $230 via Net-a-Porter Marc by Marc Jacobs Heart USB Keychain, $42 via ShopBop
Dec. 14, 2011, 3 p.m.
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Tour the Set of "2 Broke Girls"
I didn't think I would like this little show but I DO! Watch below to tour the set...
Dec. 14, 2011, 2:17 p.m.
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SHINY THINGS: <st...
Last night, the first auction of Elizabeth Taylor's estate at Christie's surprised nobody by setting a record for the largest auction of a private collection of jewels totalling a whopping $116 million. The previous record was held by The Duchess of Windsor's auction in 1987, and ironically, last night's auction included the Prince of Wales brooch which Taylor herself purchased. It went for $1,314,500, more than double a high estimate of $600,000. We don't yet know who purchased these items last night, and we may never unless some of them step forward to identify themselves. Other standouts included some of the star's most famous jewelry pieces such as the La Peregrina necklace (at right), featuring a centuries-old natural drop shaped pearl that had been owned by kings. It went for $11,842,500, setting the record for a pearl jewel at auction. The bidding for this bauble took a scant four minutes, and it was the highest priced item at an auction of breathtakingly priced jewels. The huge, 33.19 carat flawless Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, also known at times as the Krupp Diamond, went for $8,818,500, more than doubling its high estimate, and proved that there is really no guessing what famous items owned by a superstar will go for at auction. An emerald and diamond necklace from Bulgari more than quadrupled its estimate at $6,130,500. A matching ring nearly increased its estimate tenfold going for $6,578,500. The bracelet nearly quadrupled at over $4 million, and on and on it went. Even items with relatively modest vlaues such as gold charm bracelets with almost no gemstones at all went for well over $100,000. Only a Vacheron Constantin diamond watch and an Art Deco multi-gem bracelet fell within their selling price estimates, and there was not a single item that was sold for under $100,000. Of course, last night's auction was the Legendary Jewels that Taylor owned, only the first of five auctions of her possessions. Tonight will see the sale of her other jewels which could conceivably top her own record. Though last night offered the big, famous diamonds, tonight's sale features 190 lots, more than twice as many pieces whose values are sure to be inflated by their glamorous provenance. Then there is also tonight's Haute Couture sale, and Thursday's auction of her other clothes and accessories which we are betting will set records for Herms and Chanel handbags at auction. Finally on Friday, there's The Memorabila which should also bring prices that nobody can accurately predict. And on Saturday, The Online Auction will end. We would not be remotely surprised if the grand total of all the items approached a half a billion dollars including the artworks that will be sold at Christie's various painting auctions next year. The Van Gogh will easily go for a few million dollars by itself. At the very least, seeing how much money her possessions are auctioned off for will be as entertaining as some of her movies were (Maybe more. Did you ever see "These Old Broads?" Ugh.) Elizabeth Taylor Diamonds Fetch Record Prices At Auction (Forbes)The Collections of Elizabeth Taylor Auctions run through Friday, December 16th at Christie'sPreviously:Maximum Luxury Overload: In Which We Are Gobsmacked By The Staggering Elizabeth Taylor Auction Exhibition At Christie's After the jump, a video of the auction from the Associated Press
Dec. 14, 2011, 1:50 p.m.
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The Perfect Black Evening Dress Of The Holidays Season! Of Any Season!
For me. At least. I was just looking around for something to write on my Christmas wish list and there I am. Completely struck by lightning! I cant take my eyes off of this gorgeous dress! It just has me written all over it! Its a shirt dress from Zara, the Evening collection, just in case you fell in love with it (oh, and the fluffy thing is a clutch, I think)! (sigh) please excuse me while I stare some more! (care to join me for a collective sigh of adoration? Wink) The Perfect Black Evening Dress Of The Holidays Season! Of Any Season!
Dec. 14, 2011, 1:39 p.m.
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Gold Wedges + Tights = What To Wear With Your New Years Eve Dress
New Year’s Eve: it’s the night you can break out your most opulent dress (plus jewelry!) and you can literally dress head to toe in gilded treasures normally reserved for special occasions. But there’s a dilemma: it’s usually freezing outside, and you have to hoof it from party to party. Well, here’s the best solution: throw on a pair of fleece lined tights and a pair of gold wedges (so easy to walk in) and you’ve got yourselves a slam dunk. #slideshow_162605 { list-style:none; color:#fff; } #slideshow_162605 span { display:none; } #slideshow-wrapper_162605 { width:444px; background:#000000; padding:2px; border:1px solid #CCCCCC; margin:25px auto; display:none; } #slideshow-wrapper_162605 * { margin:0; padding:0; } #fullsize_162605 { position:relative; z-index:1; overflow:hidden; width:444px; height:300px; } #information_162605 { position:absolute; bottom:0; width:444px; height:0; background:#000000; color:#FFFFFF; overflow:hidden; z-index:200; opacity:.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); } #information_162605 h3 { color:#FFFFFF; padding:4px 8px 3px; font-size:14px; } #information_162605 p { color:#FFFFFF; padding:0 8px 8px; } #image_162605 { width:444px; } #image_162605 img { position:absolute; border:none; width:auto; } .imgnav { position:absolute; width:25%; height:306px; 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height:81px; background:#222 url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/scroll-right.gif') center center no-repeat; } #slideright_162605:hover { background-color:#333; } #slidearea_162605 { float:left; background:#000000; position:relative; width:395px; margin-left:5px; height:81px; overflow:hidden; } #slider_162605 { position:absolute; left:0; height:81px; } #slider_162605 img { cursor:pointer; border:1px solid #666; padding:2px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; float:left !important; } Alice + Olivia wedges http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Alice-+-Olivia-wedges.jpg Alice $280 at Nordstrom. la KORS Michael Kors Eliza wedges http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/KORS-Michael-Kors-Eliza-wedges.jpg Kors $350 at Zappos Couture. la Steve Madden Xtra wedges http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Steve-Madden-Xtra-wedges.jpg Steve $89 from $129 at Steve Madden. la Free People Camryn gold wedges http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Free-People-Camryn-gold-wedges.jpg Free $99 from $238 at Free People. la Ted Baker Book gold wedges http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Ted-Baker-Book-gold-wedges.jpg Ted $145 from $218 at ASOS. la gold wedges street style http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/gold-wedges-street-style.jpg la . //--------------------- var TINY_162605={}; 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slideshow_162605.thumbOpacity = 70; slideshow_162605.left = "slideleft_162605"; slideshow_162605.right = "slideright_162605"; slideshow_162605.scrollSpeed = 7; slideshow_162605.spacing = 5; slideshow_162605.active = "#FFFFFF"; slideshow_162605.init("slideshow_162605","image_162605","imgprev_162605","imgnext_162605","imglink_162605"); //}); Check out more party shoes, party dresses and festive attire for New Year’s Eve. Related posts:What To Wear To New Year’s Eve: 3 No-Fail Outfits For The Best Party Of The Year If you want to kick off 2011 right, make sure... Diane von Furstenberg Wedges Are Cheaper Than A Round Trip Plane Ticket (Wear ‘Em On Your Staycation Instead) Everybody needs a little bit of Diane von Furstenberg in... Looks Like I Found My New Year’s Eve Outfit (Resolution: Wear More Sequins) Gilty as charged: I’m already looking for street style outfit...
Dec. 14, 2011, 1:30 p.m.
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Scarlett Johanssons Cosmopolitan Cover Is So Wrong!
I usually complain about the obvious lack of imagination manifested by various fashion magazines editors while posing this and that celebrity a la Marilyn Monroe. And Scarlett Johansson is one of those whos impersonating the worlds most famous blond actress. Cosmopolitans January 2012 issue prides itself by not repeating the Marilyn pose with Scarlett. Their cover isnt all that beautiful, but at least its Scarlett and not one of Marilyns clones. They still got it all wrong, however, by putting something like I knew he was the wrong guy on our wedding day. on a cover with recent divorcee Scarlett. How. Lame. Is. That? Nobody double checks these Cosmo covers anymore? (remember I was unclear about another Cosmo cover title just days ago?) Scarlett Johansson’s Cosmopolitan Cover Is So Wrong!
Dec. 14, 2011, 1:15 p.m.
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Sponsored: Win 1 Of 5 $1000 Gift Cards In Call It Springs Best Weekend Ever Contest
BEST. WEEKEND. EVER. It might’ve involved skydiving, a European getaway, horseback rides on the beach, all too many fabulous cocktails, or a bevy of activities that can’t be mentioned in polite company. You might not even remember what exactly made it so awesome any more, but all you need to jog your memory is one photo. Your best weekend ever might’ve been epic -but just wait until it wins you a $1,000shopping spree at Call It Spring!All you have to do is upload a pic from your best weekend ever to theCall It Spring facebook page -make sure to use their special contest tab in the sidebar. If you’re lucky, you could be one of 5 winners toreceivea $1000 Call It Spring gift card to spend on a grand’s worth of trendy duds for men and women, handbags, shoes, and more! Here’s a pic from my own best weekend ever. That’s me chilling by the Aegean Sea during my fabulous trip to the Greek Isles! Did I have a grand’s worth of good times? Absolutely -and probablyalso agrand’s worth of tzatziki. Now I just have to bounce onover toCall It Spring and decide how spend all that fabulous cash…(SPOILER: There will be a lot of BOOTS involved). Think your BWE trumps mine? Then head on over to Call It Spring’s FB page and prove it! Related posts:Sponsored Post: Call It Spring’s Hottest Ensembles For Fall ... Sponsored Post: Five More Days to Enter The Olay “Like Mom, Like Daughter” Contest Your mom carried you for nine months, changed your diapers,... Sponsored: Bare Necessities Is Giving 5 Lucky Winners $1000 Worth Of Lingerie! Bare Necessities has sold their 5 MILLIONTH bra! Huzzah! To...
Dec. 14, 2011, 1 p.m.
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The Kardashian Klan Is At It Again: Kendall & Kylie Are Now Launching A Jewelry Line
If you thought Kris Jenner for QVC was pushing it, now her daughters Kendall and Kylie are launching their very own jewelry line. After a recent stint as ambassadors of Forever 21′s Hello Kitty clothing line, the teenage girls have just signed a jewelry deal with Glamhouse. But since Glamhouse is the company behind Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow 1960 line, Erin Wasson’s Low Luv collection, and Kim Kardashian’s Belle Noel brand, this tween-geared venture could actually have some potential. The currently unnamed line will launch for fall 2012 and include pieces retailing between $19.99 and $69.99. Related posts:Elie Tahari Is Launching First T Tahari Jewelry Line–And Brace Yourself, It’s Affordable A tassel necklace from T Tahari Usually when a high-end... Random: Kendall And Kylie Jenner Hosted Last Night’s Hello Kitty X Forever 21 Launch Last night, the youngest and most innocent of the Kardashian... Mid-Day Catch Up: Kendall & Kylie Jenner’s “Team Hump” Tracksuits, Teen Mom Farrah Abraham Opens Up, More Kendall And Kylie Jenner Got “Team Hump” Sweatsuits For Stepsister...
Dec. 14, 2011, 12:30 p.m.
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Kristin Cavallari Loves BLANKNYC
Kristin Cavallari loves her BLANKNYC pants and jeans. She was most recently spotted in the Blank Denim Corduroy Bell Bottom Pants in black while shopping in Malibu. Whether she's heading to the airport in a pair of black skinnies, blue jeans or bell bottom cords, Cavallari loves the super affordable brand![BLANKNYC] is a fresh take on denim, catering to the nearly insatiable demand for fast fashion at an impulse price. The brand has created an enviable aesthetic for the trendy fashionista, the sophisticated hipster, and the savvy shopper alike. In addition to producing tried and true styles, [BLANKNYC] introduces fresh fabrics, colors, and detailed accents every season while also maintaining extremely affordable price points. Sold at exclusive retailers like Intermix, shopbop.com and Bloomingdales, [BLANKNYC] has garnered an impressive celebrity following with fans such as Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, Ashlee Simpson, Leighton Meester, Emma Roberts, Olivia Munn, Hilary Duff, and Ashley Tisdale.
Dec. 14, 2011, 12:30 p.m.
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L.I.L.Y. Perfume By Stella McCartney
Stella McCartneys latest perfume for women is called L.I.L.Y. and is actually an ode to her late mother, Linda McCartney. Its an interesting moment to launch this perfume given that her father, Sir Paul McCartney just got married again (barely two months ago). Oh, well sigh the troubled lives of the famous ones! So L.I.L.Y. is supposed to be a very pure and uncomplicated fragrance with, of course, Lily of the Valley aromas, oak moss and, unusually, truffles. The name of the perfume itself comes from a nickname Sir Paul gave his late wife, Linda: Linda, I Love You. This is the second women perfume from Stella and its expected to land in specialty boutiques starting January 2012, alongside a body lotion and a shower gel. All the prices range from $25 to $100. I dont know about you, but they had me at pure and uncomplicated! (the ad campaign is fronted by the beautiful Malgosia Bela) L.I.L.Y. Perfume By Stella McCartney
Dec. 14, 2011, 12:29 p.m.
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What Makes Love True. Tiffany Asks The Kids
I know its an odd question to ask when youre one of the worlds most renowned jewelry labels and your entire marketing campaign is based on love clichs and true love sparkly tokens. However, this short video below is sweet and light to watch around the Christmas time. Just kids being asked what true love is by Tiffany. Cute kids. Cute answers. Clever initiative. As always. (at least this time we dont have to ask what dress the model is wearing and how to get it its way easier). What Makes Love True. Tiffany Asks The Kids
Dec. 14, 2011, 12:19 p.m.
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The Fashion Of Keeping Warm
I have a confession to make Im no so good with cold weather. I love Christmas and everything around it, I wouldnt, for the life of me, imagine Christmas any other way but with snow, gloves, snowmen and well, you know.. Snow. Cold. Snow. However, Im a summer child. And as all summer children, I feel more comfortable when the sun shines up in the sky and my feet are tickled by warm sand. And I so looove summer dresses! So what do we do when the cold winter is here? My priority is keeping warm. Fashion comes after. And thats one of the reasons weve teamed up with Under Armour. To keep warm. And cozy. (how do you deal with winters cold weather?) Tweet The Fashion Of Keeping Warm
Dec. 14, 2011, 12:04 p.m.
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7 Gifts For Your Gym Rat Friend (Psst, Theyre All Under $50)
Ahh, your workout-aholic friend who obsesses over every inch and “just doesn’t feel right” if she doesn’t run 10 miles a day and do two hours of yoga. If you need her, she’s probably at the gym. She met her last two boyfriends at Equinox, she’s besties with all of the Lululemon sales girls, has been known to wear yoga pants to her corporate job, and she’s no stranger to marathons. Get her something she’ll actually use: that gift certificate to a pottery class might have been your thing, but she certainly didn’t use it. #slideshow_162557 { list-style:none; color:#fff; } #slideshow_162557 span { display:none; } #slideshow-wrapper_162557 { width:444px; background:#000000; padding:2px; border:1px solid #CCCCCC; margin:25px auto; display:none; } #slideshow-wrapper_162557 * { margin:0; padding:0; } #fullsize_162557 { position:relative; z-index:1; overflow:hidden; width:444px; height:300px; } #information_162557 { position:absolute; bottom:0; width:444px; height:0; background:#000000; color:#FFFFFF; overflow:hidden; z-index:200; opacity:.7; filter:alpha(opacity=70); } #information_162557 h3 { color:#FFFFFF; padding:4px 8px 3px; font-size:14px; } #information_162557 p { color:#FFFFFF; padding:0 8px 8px; } #image_162557 { width:444px; } #image_162557 img { position:absolute; border:none; width:auto; } .imgnav { position:absolute; width:25%; height:306px; cursor:pointer; z-index:150; } #imgprev_162557 { left:0; background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/left.gif') left center no-repeat; } #imgnext_162557 { right:0; background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/right.gif') right center no-repeat; } #imglink_162557 { position:absolute; height:306px; width:100%; z-index:100; opacity:.4; filter:alpha(opacity=40); } .linkhover { background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/link.gif') center center no-repeat; } #thumbnails_162557 { } .thumbstop { margin-bottom:15px !important; } .thumbsbot { margin-top:15px !important; } #slideleft_162557 { float:left; width:20px; height:81px; background:url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/scroll-left.gif') center center no-repeat; background-color:#222; } #slideleft_162557:hover { background-color:#333; } #slideright_162557 { float:right; width:20px; height:81px; background:#222 url('http://www.shefinds.com/wp-content/plugins/slideshow-gallery-2/images/scroll-right.gif') center center no-repeat; } #slideright_162557:hover { background-color:#333; } #slidearea_162557 { float:left; background:#000000; position:relative; width:395px; margin-left:5px; height:81px; overflow:hidden; } #slider_162557 { position:absolute; left:0; height:81px; } #slider_162557 img { cursor:pointer; border:1px solid #666; padding:2px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; float:left !important; } Nike capri workout pants http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Nike-capri-workout-pants.jpg They're Nicole Richie's workout pants of choice... $45 at Bloomingdale's. la Bike ring http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Bike-ring.jpg She's practically married to her bike: this "Just My Speed" ring is kind of fun and kitschy. $11.99 at Modcloth. la Headbands http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Headbands.jpg Get her a few fun colors to keep those bangs she's growing out out of her face. $12.50 at Victoria's Secret. la Workout bag http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Workout-bag.jpg Replace her ratty old gym bag with a cute one that actually fits in the lockers. $42 at American Apparel. la TImex watch http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/TImex-watch.jpg The swimmer will do extra flip turns for this awesome waterproof 50-lap digital watch. $47 at Kohl's. la Phillips colorful headphones http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Phillips-colorful-headphones.jpg Her current iPhone headphones are jumbled up and more like a shade of gray than white. Gift her these super pretty ones she'll be thrilled to use. $25 at Target. la Sigg water bottle http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/Sigg-water-bottle.jpg This happy water bottle will make her smile every time she sees it. What a good gift should be. $25 at Lululemon. la celebs in workout clothes http://www.shefinds.com/files/2011/12/celebs-in-workout-clothes.jpg la . //--------------------- var TINY_162557={}; TINY_162557.slideshow_162557=function(n){ this.infoSpeed=this.imgSpeed=this.speed=10; this.thumbOpacity=this.navHover=70; this.navOpacity=25; this.scrollSpeed=5; this.letterbox='#000'; this.n=n; this.c=0; this.a=[] }; TINY_162557.slideshow_162557.prototype={ init:function(s,z,b,f,q){ s=tid(s); var m= tag('li',s), i=0, w=0; this.l=m.length; this.q=tid(q); this.f=tid(z); this.r=tid(this.info); this.o=parseInt(TINY_162557.style.val(z,'width')); if(this.thumbs){ var u=tid(this.left), r=tid(this.right); u.onmouseover=new Function('TINY_162557.scroll.init("'+this.thumbs+'",-1,'+this.scrollSpeed+')'); u.onmouseout=r.onmouseout=new Function('TINY_162557.scroll.cl("'+this.thumbs+'")'); r.onmouseover=new Function('TINY_162557.scroll.init("'+this.thumbs+'",1,'+this.scrollSpeed+')'); this.p=tid(this.thumbs) } for(i;i 1){ this.f.removeChild(m[0]) } }, nf:function(s){ if(this.info){ s=this.a[s]; tag('h3',this.r)[0].innerHTML=s.t; tag('p',this.r)[0].innerHTML=s.d; this.r.style.height='auto'; var h=parseInt(this.r.offsetHeight); this.r.style.height=0; TINY_162557.height.set(this.r,h,this.infoSpeed,0) } } }; TINY_162557.scroll=function(){ return{ init:function(e,d,s){ e=typeof e=='object'?e: tid(e); var p=e.style.left||TINY_162557.style.val(e,'left'); e.style.left=p; var l=d==1?parseInt(e.offsetWidth)-parseInt(e.parentNode.offsetWidth):0; e.si=setInterval(function(){TINY_162557.scroll.mv(e,l,d,s)},20) }, mv:function(e,l,d,s){ var c=parseInt(e.style.left); if(c==l){TINY_162557.scroll.cl(e)}else{var i=Math.abs(l+c); i=ih?-1:1; clearInterval(e.si); e.si=setInterval(function(){TINY_162557.height.tw(e,h,ho,hd,s)},20) }, tw:function(e,h,ho,hd,s){ var oh=e.offsetHeight-ho; if(oh == h){clearInterval(e.si)}else{if(oh!=h){e.style.height=oh+(Math.ceil(Math.abs(h-oh)/s)*hd)+'px'}} } } }(); TINY_162557.alpha=function(){ return{ set:function(e,a,s){ e=typeof e=='object'?e:tid(e); var o=e.style.opacity||TINY_162557.style.val(e,'opacity'), d=a>o*100?1:-1; e.style.opacity=o; clearInterval(e.ai); e.ai=setInterval(function(){TINY_162557.alpha.tw(e,a,d,s)},20) }, tw:function(e,a,d,s){ var o=Math.round(e.style.opacity*100); if(o==a){clearInterval(e.ai)}else{var n=o+Math.ceil(Math.abs(a-o)/s)*d; e.style.opacity=n/100; e.style.filter='alpha(opacity='+n+')'} } } }(); TINY_162557.style=function(){return{val:function(e,p){e=typeof e=='object'?e:tid(e); return e.currentStyle?e.currentStyle[p]:document.defaultView.getComputedStyle(e,null).getPropertyValue(p)}}}(); //--------------------- jQuery.noConflict(); tid('slideshow_162557').style.display = "none"; tid('slideshow-wrapper_162557').style.display = 'block'; var slideshow_162557 = new TINY_162557.slideshow_162557("slideshow_162557"); //jQuery(document).ready(function() { //slideshow_162557.auto = true;slideshow_162557.auto = false; slideshow_162557.auto = false; slideshow_162557.speed = 7; slideshow_162557.imgSpeed = 12; slideshow_162557.navOpacity = 25; slideshow_162557.navHover = 70; slideshow_162557.letterbox = "#000000"; slideshow_162557.link = "linkhover"; slideshow_162557.info = "information_162557"; slideshow_162557.infoSpeed = 10; slideshow_162557.thumbs = "slider_162557"; slideshow_162557.thumbOpacity = 70; slideshow_162557.left = "slideleft_162557"; slideshow_162557.right = "slideright_162557"; slideshow_162557.scrollSpeed = 7; slideshow_162557.spacing = 5; slideshow_162557.active = "#FFFFFF"; slideshow_162557.init("slideshow_162557","image_162557","imgprev_162557","imgnext_162557","imglink_162557"); //}); Check out all of our favorite sales and deals, online sample sales and best find of the day pick. Related posts:10 Gifts For Your Hot Mess Friend (Just Don’t Expect A Thank-You Note) Here’s how to know if you have a hot mess... 10 Gifts For Your Workaholic Friend That Might Tear Her Away From The Screen For A Sec Her emails always end in “Sent from my Wireless Blackberry”,... Every Girl Should Have This Cute Outfit In Her Arsenal (Psst: Everything Is Under $100) Jessica Qwirk from What I Wore proves that dressing casually...
Dec. 14, 2011, noon
Ivillage << pop full >>
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Alexandra Burke's health and beauty masterclass
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The politics of fashion
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Get Sharon Stone's Sardinia holiday look
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Get Renee Zellweger's New York Look
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How to wear your hair
How you wear your hair says a lot about your looks, your likes and your lifestyle - so it's worth finding the style that really suits you
Aug. 27, 2009, 12:46 a.m.
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The highs and lows of hair care
If your hair needs a little brightening, try these of-the-moment processes for a quick pick-me-up
Aug. 26, 2009, 12:44 a.m.
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Confessions of a Plastic Surgeon
Breast lifts, liposuction and Botox. Celebrity Plastic Surgeon Dr. Gilbert Lee shares some secrets of the cosmetic surgery industry
Aug. 23, 2009, 12:49 a.m.
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Haircut 101 with Nick Arrojo
After years of negligence, salon-phobic Michele Miao finally gets her locks chopped
Aug. 23, 2009, 12:49 a.m.
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Colouring curly hair
The mention of the word 'Autumn' often brings to mind visions of auburn tresses and gleaming chocolate brown locks but, for girls with curly hair, the seasons of the year transcend trends
Aug. 21, 2009, 12:49 a.m.
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Nurture hair to health
When it comes to hair loss, our biggest concern is usually how this will affect the way our hair looks. But, according to Ysolt Usigan, we should be focusing on the health of our hair
Aug. 21, 2009, 12:49 a.m.
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Get Kate Middleton's wedding guest look
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Get Halle Berry's 'hide the baby bump' look
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Classic beachwear
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Get Emma Watson's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Premiere look
There is no doubt about it. Emma Watson is all grown up now. Currently jet-setting around the world to promote , Emma's wardrobe choices have shown us all that she's not a little girl anymore.
Aug. 8, 2009, 12:43 a.m.
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Get Emma Watson?s Harry Potter and the Half-BloodPrince Premier look
There is no doubt about it. Emma Watson is all grown up now. Currently jet-setting around the world to promote , Emma's wardrobe choices have shown us all that she's not a little girl anymore.
July 31, 2009, 12:37 a.m.
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Daniele de Winter Body Treatment, Purifying Seaweed Wrap, Columbia Spa, Cyprus
Cellulite is the bane of many a woman's life so we investigate a purifying seaweed wrap that's reputed to give orange-peel skin the old heave-ho. But does it work?
July 30, 2009, 12:48 a.m.
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Will black eyeliner make my eyes look small?
I like to wear dark eye make-up for 'dressier' occasions, but I've read that lining both your top and bottom lid with black liner makes the eye seem smaller.
July 30, 2009, 12:48 a.m.
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Winter Sun Protection
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Winter skin protection
What's the best way of protecting my skin from the bitter cold of winter: iVillage
July 28, 2009, 12:48 a.m.
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Is hard water damaging my hair?
Perezhilton << pop full >>
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Four Weeks Later, Michael Buble's Still Toppin The Charts!
Michael Buble's Christmas debuted seven weeks ago, and it's been atop of the charts for four weeks now with an anticipation of 500,000 sold by December 18. This makes Buble's jingle jamz the fourth best selling album of the year, right behind Adele, Lady GaGa, and Lil Wayne. Wow! Who knew classics sung with a [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 8:20 p.m.
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Brooke Mueller's Arraignment For Aspen Arrest Postponed
At least she'll have more time to prepare for this now! Yesterday, the Aspen District Attorney announced that there would be NO DEAL available for Brooke Mueller, who was arrested for "possession of cocaine and assault in the third degree" in Aspen earlier this month. Now, we're hearing that Charlie Sheen's ex-wife will not have to make [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:50 p.m.
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New Deets On What's Next For Madonna At Interscope! New Album Getting Released THIS MARCH!!!
Get ready for A LOT more Madge in UR life! Back in 2007, Madonna signed a 10-year deal with Live Nation, reportedly worth $100 million! Wowsa! Now, we've got some new details on her Live Nation/Interscope Records three album deal, which will make up a $40 million portion of her $100 mil deal! Here are the updates: - New [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:40 p.m.
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On The Season Finale Of American Horror Story…
Ahhh!!! So many shocks! So many spOOks! We can't believe season one of American Horror Story is coming to an end! We don't want it to! We don't want it!!! Sigh, but it is, so at least we have the satisfaction of knowing something crazy like THIS might happen… Watch the preview to see what we're [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:20 p.m.
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And Barbara Walter's Most Fascinating Person Of 2011 Is…
Not a Kardashian, so calm yourself down! There are more than a few people (cough-Joy Behar-cough) who were miffed with Barbara Walters for choosing the Kardashian family as one of her most fascinating people of the year. We're on Barbara's side on this one, considering the impact the family has made on pop culture this year, [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 7:10 p.m.
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Ashley Tisdale And Her Man Break Up!
Oh no! This really bums us out! Ashley Tisdale and her boyfriend of two years, Scott Speer, have broken up! A source explains: "They had been on and off for a while. They tried to work it out but realized their relationship ran its course." Aww! Unfortunately, these things do happen sometimes. But we sincerely hope that [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:40 p.m.
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Brad Pitt Honored For His Year Of Amazing Acting!
Okay, so there are a handful of celebrities we could say "this is the year of" with. Adele, Ryan Gosling, Melissa McCarthy, Katy Perry… But when it comes to top shelf acting nominations, it's looking like this is the year of Brad Pitt. He's already been nominated for Spirit and SAG awards, and he's probably gonna [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
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Watch Nicole Scherzinger's Phantom Of The Opera Royal Variety Performance Here!
Now that is a set of pipes! As we reported yesterday, Nicole Scherzinger was invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance as part of a tribute to the longest running Broadway show in history, The Phantom Of The Opera. Along with four of the most acclaimed Phantoms - Simon Bowman, Earl Carpenter,John Owen-Jones and the yummy [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:20 p.m.
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Producer Attempting To Secure First Casey Anthony Interview For Network TV!
We all knew this was coming, but it doesn't make it any less horrible. Producer Scott Sternberg has reportedly been pitching a "no-holds-bared" interview with Casey Anthony, while asking between $500,000 and $750,000 to do so! Multiple sources have confirmed that his proposal indicates that the buying network can choose the interviewer, so long as [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 6:10 p.m.
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The Royal Family Travels Abroad For The Queen's Jubilee
William, Kate and Harry will be traveling across the British commonwealth in support of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It will mark the 60th year Elizabeth II has reigned over the U.K. William and Kate will travel across Asia. They will have stops in Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian territories. Harry will travel to the Caribbean with stops [...]
Dec. 15, 2011, 5:50 p.m.
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Get Ready For A Very GaGa Thanksgiving!
This Thanksgiving, give thanks - with your Mother Monster! Check out the just-released promo for Lady GaGa's new television special with Katie Couric in honor of Turkey Day, A Very GaGa Thanksgiving, which she directed HERSELF (above)! We couldn't think of a better way to top off such a wonderful day with family, friends, loved ones, and [...]
Nov. 20, 2011, 5:01 a.m.
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The Big O Is Coming Back To TV With New OWN Series!
Hey! We guess sometimes the only way to get something done is to do it yourself! Although Oprah Winfrey had planned to stay behind the cameras when she launched her network, OWN, the ratings have been so abysmal that the TV talk icon will be heading back on the air, for a brand new show, [...]
Nov. 20, 2011, midnight
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Noel Gallagher Might Be Performing The New James Bond Song For Skyfall!
Oh man! We were skeptical, but we have to admit - this is a pretty solid choice! Although everyone from the late Amy Winehouse to Adele have been rumored to be contributing the theme song to the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall, it appears that Noel Gallagher might be the top contender! The former Oasis frontman will reportedly [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 11:40 p.m.
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Gayle King Wants Matchmaker Lawsuit Dismissed!
Uh-oh! Gayle King is NOT playing around! A few months back, she was sued by a woman known as Orly the Matchmaker, over claims that Gayle promised her an appearance on Oprah in return for her service, which normally costs $500,000, and it never panned out! However, now the Big O's BFF has filed new documents [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 11:20 p.m.
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DOUBLE ELIMINATION On Next Week's X Factor!
Uh-oh! Shiz is about to get real on next week's X Factor! With Stacy Francis eliminated, the top nine final contestants will soon be down to SEVEN, because on Wednesday night, there will be double elimination! According to the official press release: Immediately after next week’s performance show, fans will be able to vote via 1) Twitter [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 10:40 p.m.
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So Unbelievably Horrible And Wrong: Police Officer Pepper-Sprays Non-Violent Occupy UC Davis Protestors.
We can't even begin to tell how absolutely disgusting and infuriating it is to see this kind of flagrant abuse of power. Watch this truly disturbing video (above) from University of California Davis yesterday, which features police not only tearing down the tents of students partaking in the Occupy movement, but also Police Lt. John Pike [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 10:20 p.m.
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Ke$ha Releases Special Video For Fans After Surpassing Two Million Twitter Followers!
What a nice idea for all of her fans! A few months back, Ke$ha apparently promised that if she surpassed two million Twitter followers, she'd release a surprise - and it's finally happened, now that she currently has over 2,350,000! Check out the special video she posted to her official YouTube page in honor of the occasion, [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 9:40 p.m.
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SIGHting
Mila Kunis in attendance, and on the arm of Sgt. Scott Moore, at the Marine Corps Ball in Greenville, North Carolina last night, just as she promised she would be when he asked her to be his date via YouTube over the summer! We're so proud of all of these celebs for taking this kind of [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 9:20 p.m.
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EXCLUSIVE Details On Nicki Minaj And David Guetta's Opening AMA Number!
Oh man! This sounds so, SO rad! PerezHilton.com has EXCLUSIVELY learned that Nicki Minaj and David Guetta will not only be opening tomorrow night's American Music Award festivities, but that the rapper will be debuting one of her CRAZIEST outfits yet! According to sources, the pair will be performing a mini set-list of Superbass, Sweat, and [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 8:40 p.m.
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American Horror Story Finale Cut Short, But Second Season EXTENDED!
This is a bit of a win/lose situation, but we think it's ultimately for the best! Although American Horror Story was originally expected to have a 13-episode first season, which was scheduled to conclude with a two-hour long season finale, the series' aggressive production scheduled have forced it to be trimmed down to just 90 minutes! Apparently, [...]
Nov. 19, 2011, 8:20 p.m.
Shine << pop full >>
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Your Perfect Holiday Look -- According to Your Animal Sign
The holidays are here and we know that means: Parties! Even the budget-conscious will probably want to pick up a few new pieces for the festivities. Every store window tells us what to wear, but the fact is, the style that makes you glitter is based on more than passing trends, or even your body typ
Dec. 15, 2011, 5:48 p.m.
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The 12 Best Little Black Dresses of 2011
The LBD is an obvious choice for just about any event that calls for chic. From leather and lace to embellished with bows and studs, see who worked the cocktail hour staple the best this year. Plus, see our picks for the best dressed ladies of 2011.
Dec. 15, 2011, 3:47 p.m.
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Retailer Seeks Hit with 'Dragon Tattoo' Clothing Line
By Courtney Reagan, CNBC.com"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" has been a blockbuster book for Swedish author Stieg Larsson that's sold more than 60 million copies in 48 countries worldwide.Sony now hopes its motion picture based on the book will be a global blockbuster as well when it's in theaters Dec. 21.But can fictional character Lisbeth Salander sell clothes? Swedish specialty retailer Hennes & Maurtiz (H&M) is banking on it. ...
Dec. 15, 2011, 3:35 p.m.
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See What 6 Real Women Will Wear to Their Holiday Parties
In the next three weeks, I have six holiday parties to attend. I've got my hair and makeup look picked out. For outfit ideas, I decided to stalk my favorite fashion bloggers for their take on a unique holiday party look.
Dec. 15, 2011, 5:45 a.m.
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Look Ten Pounds Thinner Without Losing Any Weight!
Instead of struggling during the holidays to have that stellar body, try some of these styling tips to dress up your outfit and to feel great in your own skin!
Dec. 14, 2011, 9:26 p.m.
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Are Flash Sales Worth Your Time?
Natalie Matthews, LuckyAt some point, we've all worn it: the smug smile that accompanies a seemingly amazing flash sale find. Whether the cart contains a studded leather jacket or a sherbet-colored sundress, the satisfaction of paying less than most people weaves a uniform thread.But while there's no arguing that flash sale sites offer luxury goods at a great discount, do they always offer the best discount? With hidden fees at checkout and online outlets often offering the same product for less, maybe not.Although discounts at flash sale sites like Gilt. ...
Dec. 14, 2011, 8:23 p.m.
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Jennifer Lopez is Selling Her Jewelry from Marc Anthony
Jennifer Lopez may say her "Love Don't Cost a Thing," but she's selling all the lavish jewelry Marc Anthony got her for cold hard cash. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Lopez is getting rid of all gifts from her ex-husband, including the blinged-out accessories.We're not surprised to hear this since it was widely reported that J.Lo sold back her $1.2 million pink diamond Harry Winston engagement ring from Ben Affleck when they split in 2004. "When Jennifer moves on, she totally moves on," a source told the Sun-Times. ...
Dec. 14, 2011, 6:18 p.m.
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8 Holiday Gifts for Your Favorite Guy
With less than two weeks until the festive-filled day of tearing open presents and feasting on holiday snacks is here, it's crunch time to get your holiday shopping done. Are you stuck on gift ideas for the men in your life? Don't sweat it! Whether you're shopping for your brother, husband, son, uncle, dad ... or any other guy out there, we've compiled 8 presents they'll be hard-pressed not to love. Happy Holidays ... and Shopping!1. Rugged GlovesThese thick, buttery, rugged gloves are the ideal gift for a manly man ... and they'll only get better as the years pass.Find out where to get them2. ...
Dec. 14, 2011, 5:50 p.m.
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The Science of Shapewear
It's the biggest hoax in fashion history. Some might even call shapewear controversial-from its potential health implications to dates being misled by "toned" bodies that are really squeezed into figure-flattering undergarments. Even still, we're thankful for them, we wear them, and many of us are proud of our use of them. Now all we want to know is, how does this fashion technology work? We turned to experts to uncover some of our probing shapewear questions…
Dec. 14, 2011, 3:42 p.m.
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5 Ways to Turn Everyday Outfits into Festive Holiday Frocks
Oh it's a jolly season alright, full of holiday parties, concerts, dinners, events, and more. And for each one of these gatherings, you want to look merry, bright, and festive.
Dec. 13, 2011, 10:18 p.m.
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Fashion that Makes Us Sad: $165 Jimmy Choo Coffee Cup Sleeve
Ladies who get their hot beverages on the go are probably familiar with coffee cup sleeves-those nifty devices that prevent scalding drinks from hurting your hands. Everyone from Starbucks to your local coffee shop offers them up to patrons for free, but Jimmy Choo would never be seen with something so pedestrian. That's why he created Rika, "a luxurious mock croc leather cup holder."Available in fuchsia or orange, this reusable leather sleeve costs $165 and there's a buying cap of five per shade. So Jimmy Choo thinks someone out there wants to buy more than 10 of these? If you skipped your ...
Dec. 13, 2011, 8:40 p.m.
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7 Wonderfully Ugly Holiday Sweaters
It’s that special time of year—when school teachers, grannies, and “ugly Christmas sweater party” guests break out the blingiest, silliest, most over-the-top sweaters they can find. But, while holidays sweaters aren’t the most fashionable things to wear, there’s something fantastic about
Dec. 13, 2011, 6:58 p.m.
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What a Fashionista Wants for Christmas?
I know the evolved woman's answer to this yearly question is world peace, a cure for cancer and the end of global poverty and hunger, so let's skip that. Like every other woman my age, I know only too well the stresses of finances, health, family obligations, career transitions and a looming sense that it's impossible for this country to solve all its issues quickly and efficiently. My list of Christmas would-love-to-gets is kind of superficial, and I'm not apologizing for it! I need a break and so do we all. Wishing all THIRD AGERS a happy and healthy holiday. Here's what I have my eye on:
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Dec. 13, 2011, 5:39 p.m.
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12 'Secondary Lines' of Luxury Fashion Houses
By Bianca Schlotterbeck, CNBC.comLuxe Fashion for LessThis holiday season, with uncertainty prevailing in the global economy, shoppers may be searching for cheaper alternatives to the high-end fashion houses, while still wanting to retain a feel for their favorite brands.Luxury fashion houses are tapping into this sentiment through less expensive, secondary lines that allow them to reach out to a younger consumer, without compromising their reputation. The "main line" or "first line," which establishes the brand, is usually much pricier than the second line or even third line. ...
Dec. 13, 2011, 5:07 p.m.
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7 Polka Dot Tops for Winter
It is sweater weather and nothing feels happier or better in the world to me than sweater weather. Since it is finally beginning to feel like winter in NYC, I have major sweater brain. I've been noticing all of these adorable polka dot sweaters on all of these darling girls dashing about the city, and so I went on a massive hunt to find THE polka dot sweater. (You know what they say, polka dot is the new stripe, and I do love me a good stripe ... or something. ...
Dec. 13, 2011, 4:22 p.m.
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The Best Cardigans for Every Shape
The trusty, closet basics comes in all sorts of iterations. See which works best for your bod, and start layering!If You Have a Small Chest...Shop for a style with embellishments on the chest. Ruffles can do the job, but we love the panache of this pick's faux fur gilet. The extra bulk adds desired size to your bust-line and won't cling to your non-existent curves, like cotton or cashmere might.Worthington Faux Fur Cardigan, $27.99; jcpenney.comRead more: Little black dresses for every size and budget.If You Want to Hide Your Arms...Look for a cocoon shape. ...
Dec. 13, 2011, 4:18 p.m.
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How to Know If Your Bra Fits
Think you know what bra size you wear? Linda Becker of Manhattan shop Linda's Bra Salon would probably tell you you're insane. We chatted with the expert on how to know if your fit is right, what to look for in a bra, and other useful tips. "I tell people all the time, 'You only think you're comfortable. You're not comfortable. You have no idea what comfort is. Wait until I get you in a bra that fits.' When you wear a bra that fits, it's like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe it.'" Yup, she's that serious about bras. ...
Dec. 13, 2011, 3:54 p.m.
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Pippa Middleton's Cold Weather Look is Really Hot
The other morning while I was making my way to the subway station, I passed a mom, who, if she didn't have a child in tow, looked a lot like me.
Dec. 12, 2011, 11:33 p.m.
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Fur Real! 5 Celebs Who Are Pro-fur … and 5 Who Aren't
Lions and tigers and bears … oh my! No, we're not taking a trip to the zoo, we're just looking through the furry closets of Hollywood moms. While some celebrities won't let PETA … or any animal (sorry, Bambi) … stand in their way of rocking the latest furry fashions, others hold strong to their anti-fur activism.We've compiled a hairy-ed list of five celebrities who aren't afraid to get their fur on … and five who prefer petting animals to wearing them.Pro-Fur Ladies:1. Jennifer LopezJenny from the block may have Marc Anthony off her back … but sadly we can't say the same for her and PETA. J. ...
Dec. 12, 2011, 8:25 p.m.
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Best and Worst Dressed: CNN Heroes Red Carpet Style
Miley showed boobage, Shay Mitchell was daring and we have a bonus round with Brooklyn Decker at CNN's annual event for outstanding volunteers.-PJ Gach, BettyConfidential.com The annual CNN Heroes Awards honor remarkable people who selflessly work day and night to change the world, one moment at a time. Anderson Cooper hosted the event and celebrities from across the world came to help honor the top ten CNN Heroes and find out who the top Hero of the Year was (it was Robin Lim). To find out more about CNN Heroes or to donate, visit theirsite. ...
Dec. 12, 2011, 8:24 p.m.
Venuszine << pop full >>
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M.I.A.
M.I.A.’s pretty glorious. I mean, the back story alone puts bums on seats. Daughter of a Tamil Tiger — a Sri Lankan separatist group — M.I.A. (real name Maya Arulpragasam) spent her childhood hiding up gum trees in war zones before being shunted off, refugee-style, to the mean streets of Mitcham, South London. From there she discovered hip-hop and dancehall via the music blaring out of the windows on the council estate where she lived. At London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, she discovered indie music, made paintings and videos, and palled up with Justine Frischmann from Elastica. Frischmann took her on tour to video-document the experience, during which time M.I.A. hung out with support act Peaches, who introduced her to her buddy the Roland MC-505.
And the rest is history: neon-colored, near-indecipherable, jiggling, chanting, percussively explosive, critically adored, gorgeous history. Her 2005 debut, Arular (XL/Beggars) — named after her father — was short-listed for the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury award and was named number two in the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop Poll in 2005. M.I.A.’s new album, Kala, has proven to be one of 2007’s most anticipated follow-ups, with careful leaks of two tracks on her fan forum and MySpace page only serving to fan the flames of critical and blogospheric desire. Despite losing some of her debut’s incendiary references to war zones and terrorism, Kala’s even more out there than Arular. The challenge this time is in the music itself, which is rough, brilliant, and uncompromising. And, aw, it’s named after her mother. We caught up with M.I.A. in June at her label XL’s head office in West London to discuss politics, turning 30, the crisis of masculinity and — oh yeah — music.
It’s been two years since Arular, and you’re about to release your new record, Kala. How is the new record different from the first?
It feels ... contained. It’s less overtly political, but I feel as though politics are woven through the record on a number of levels. It’s got a real third-world feel — through circumstance as much as anything, because I was denied a visa to the U.S. for so long. The plan was to make lots of the record in the States, to work with Timbaland throughout. But my visa kept getting pushed back and pushed back, so I ended up making the record in India and Africa.Why wouldn’t they give you a visa?
I don’t know! Eventually I was given a really short visa, and spent my time in the U.S. working with Timbaland and Black Star, but most of the record was about me wanting to find sounds that people hadn’t heard before. In India, I was surrounded by Bollywood music-makers, but I wanted to work with strange drummers from weird villages instead.In what other ways is the record inherently political?
My thought on this album was more about becoming a producer in my own right, because not enough women try to do that. I decided that my ears were good enough to have opinions on music and put the stuff together myself. Not to mention the fact that the second men come within a five-mile radius of your work, they always go down as the ones that, like, made you.Why the move away from more overt politics? Was it a conscious decision?
With Arular, I just made something that reflected my life at the time. Politics has always been around in my family. It’s in me … I have to talk about it. But I found politics really confusing because, while I have a little more attachment to it than the average person, because of my family, I still only knew about the same as the average civilian. And that was my whole point — I don’t have a degree in politics, and I don’t want to be a journalist working in Darfur, but I still want to talk about this. About how confusing it is to get such a limited amount of information from the media news. I knew I might get stick for being so outspoken, but I didn’t care. I went with wherever Arular took me and it took me here — to making another album. I’m not good to anyone going on about Sri Lanka and how to make life better for the people over there. But now, if someone questions my artistic integrity or my process or creativity or something, I can answer those things. I’ve spent the past year trying to be as good as the boys, trying to prove that you can produce your own music and be just as opinionated and strong as they can be. Right now, I’m locked into being a musician. That’s what evolution’s all about.You were famously introduced to the Roland MC-505 by Peaches, and your earliest tracks were recorded very simply, with the 505, a four-track, and a radio mic ... which is a pretty punk thing to do, if you think about it. I’ve been thinking a lot about riot grrrl and its push to get more women into music, and was wondering how a similar process but with electronic music might work. Can you tell me, in the simplest possible terms, the process behind the creation of a track, from concept to completion?
Sure. On Arular, I used a beat machine, but I never read the manual. I’ve got manual phobia! So I was shown the five main processes — play or record, change the tempo, the arpeggio button, and the pitch and the patch. Then I just used those to write everything. With Kala the process was different, more organic. I went to India and used real drummers, locking them in a room and encouraging them to freestyle as much as they wanted to. In Indian music there are so many different structures — we use two scales; they use around 79, for example. I’d play the drummers certain things to take them into different areas. Once I had the sound files, I brought them all home and listened to them again. Then you take out the loops that you like, and you sit there, listening to all the different elements, and you start to fuse them together. It’s kind of like doing a painting. And at some point, the jigsaw just comes together, and then you’ve got it. I’ve got ADD, so whatever keeps my attention the longest, that’s what I go with.Then you put the lyrics in? Do you use a notebook to write your lyrics, or do you improvise them?
This one, I didn’t pre-write anything. I had books there on the table, so once you’ve got it going you can write it down, but I didn’t have anything prewritten, it just comes to you. With “Boys,” I was doing the washing-up, and we had the beat on and it just came on and we sang it on the spot and it just happened so fast. If it clicks, it clicks within an hour. Then you don’t need to do anything to it.What’s your relationship to feminism?
I have problems every day to do with that kind of stuff, but I try not to make it into an issue because I don’t want anybody to think they can shut me down on that note. It’d be easy for men to say, “Whatever, she’s a feminist, she’s always going to react like that,” and I don’t want anybody to think that they can always predict what I’m going to say based on that. I want to be able to pick my battles.Elsewhere you’ve described Kala as a more ‘feminine’ album than Arular.
You know, I called this album Kala after my mother, because I believe in what she stood for, and how hard it was for her. I see these girls in London come out of their jobs at 5, 6, 7 p.m., and I think, “Wow, how do you motivate yourself to do that, like my mum did … to come home from a boring job, feed your kids, and keep going?” You don’t even get proper, old-school love anymore. It’s not like the old days when men were men and they knew how to love women and make them feel good. No one really knows how to do that anymore. The men are really selfish, and we date, and we shag, and we do all these things that are so “modern,” but you never really have the classic sense of support and family. It must be so awful not to have the option to get out of that scenario of kids, job — the single-parent mum trap. You’re locked in for life, and men don’t have that, because they just leave. Men these days, they’re so quick to … they say they just want to be free for as long as possible. They want to be free to shag for as long as they can shag, into their 70s, or whatever. But women, we don’t share that sense of freedom, because we’ve got other shit going on.Do you think we’re seeing an end to traditional monogamy?
Yeah ...Couldn’t that be a good thing, though? Women no longer need to depend on men for financial security. They can choose to raise a child alone if they want, choose who they want to be with.
Yeah, that’s good. That’s the good side of modern life. You can have 10 babies from 10 baby daddies if you want, one in every color, and live quite happily! But my mother did it without a choice. It’s the choice that’s the important thing. I have the option to be an ambitious woman, a successful businesswoman — anything. And I also have the option to be a wife and a mother, and that’s wonderful. But I don’t know how any woman can do all of it.You’ve just turned 30. How was that transition for you?
It’s not a big deal for me, but it is for my family. It’s a big thing in Sri Lankan culture. Everyone’s saying, “Shouldn’t you be married by now?” I’m like, “Yeah, I’m kind of busy.” They say, “What’s wrong — are you a drug addict? Is that why you’re not married?” They just don’t get it. I don’t know of any other Sri Lankans that do this — write songs, go on tour. I tell them they have to let go of that dream of me being the ultimate Sri Lankan chick, because it ain’t gonna happen.Do you feel yourself changing at all? What did you do when you were younger that you don’t do now?
When you’re young, I think you’re a lot harsher. On the one hand, I was more open, more of a humanitarian, but on the other, I was so harsh with it. I’d be like, “Grrrr” at everything — just getting mad and being really opinionated and wanting change now and stuff like that. Now, I realize that you have to start change here, from your doorstep. It might not be immediate. Now I’m more into how to help people in the long run. I sit with people in Sri Lanka and I think, “OK, I could make everyone feel really good right now, and take everyone to eat, and buy them shoes, or I could help them long term.” Before, if I had money I’d be really generous and affect people that day — but now I’m trying to think long term. And that’s a real change.Grime’s often cited as a real influence on your sound, and also dancehall — but I was wondering what, if any, influence the indie scene has had on your work? You were friends with Justine from Elastica.
I didn’t know about indie ‘til I was at college. I grew up with dancehall and hip-hop. I liked the lyrics of indie music; they were so cool, different from the topics hip-hop always covered. I guess for me, what indie’s done has given me a real “If you don’t like it, fuck you” feeling to what I’m doing. I go wherever I can, experimenting as much as I want. That’s pretty independent. But at the moment indie is sounding a bit pretty ... it’s annoying. It’s not punkish enough!Who are your current musical crushes?
I find what Hadouken! are doing to be pretty interesting, mixing it up as they do. I was watching some Look Look (dancing boys) videos on YouTube as well — they’re good, these two girls with songs called things like “Tit Wank,” with lots of screaming. And I really like SoKo. That’s a boy and a girl on acoustic guitar. I like what she’s saying in the song — she’s this psycho nut girl, but she sings like she’s really vulnerable. Their first song’s all about how a guy left her for this model chick and she’s going to find her and kill her. And the lyrics are amazing ... really stalkery, really menacing, really honest.And that’s what music should be about right now. Songs should reflect a train of thought, whether that’s me pushing the beats on Kala, or SoKo being really scary and revealing everything in this stream-of-consciousness way. Nowadays it shouldn’t be about making “proper” songs. It should be about taking an idea and then pushing it as far as it will go.
Oct. 4, 2011, 11:30 p.m.
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Hot List 2010: Robyn
Don’t fucking tell Robyn what to do. This fembot owned music in 2010 by doing it her way on not one, not two, but three albums—each full of airtight, dancefloor-ready anthems that are unabashedly her own. She’s alternately tough and sassy, performing spoken-word on top of club-heavy beats about everyday anxieties and her need to scandalously bump and grind (“Don’t Fucking Tell Me What to Do,” “Criminal Intent”). Robyn is also devastatingly honest, her voice so raw you can feel her pain when she sees her ex with his new girl (“Dancing on My Own”) or warning her friend not to “fall recklessly, headlessly in love with” her (“Hang With Me”).
“Dancing on My Own” was the biggest and best pop cut of the year—even if the charts didn’t agree—featuring Robyn at her finest. Her vocals are so heartbreakingly earnest that by the time she gets to the chorus and asks, “I’m right over here / Why can’t you see me?” alongside the quivering synths and bass, your heart feels for her. That guy doesn’t know what he’s missing.
This openness, this frankness, this willingness to appear vulnerable (in spite of deeming herself a “fembot”) makes Robyn all the more lovable. She’s been in the business a long time. Her first—and for a long time, only—U.S. hits came out when she was just a teen back in ’97 (“Show Me Love,” anyone?). In fact, both that song and “Do You Know (What It Takes)” were co-written with Max Martin, the guy behind just about every smash hit of the past decade. Robyn wasn’t keen on being marketed as “the next [insert blonde pop tart here],” though, and when Jive Records didn’t like the sound experimentation on what would become her 2005 re-breakthrough, Robyn, she said to hell with them and started her own label, Konichiwa Records.
Robyn’s newfound independence, electrodance direction, and collaborations with the likes of the Knife, the Teddybears’ Klas Åhlund, and Kleerup caught the eyes and ears of the blogosphere, and by the time her eponymous record was finally properly released in the U.S. in 2008, she was already a star—albeit, one of the indie world, rather than the mainstream. Pitchfork swoons over anything Robyn touches. When that tastemaking Web site landed her for a headlining spot at their festival this summer, thousands staked out a spot to catch a glimpse of her energetic dance moves and sweet, sweet tunes. At the end of the fest, it was clear that Robyn had one of the best performances of the weekend.
In a time when so many of the front page stars are interchangeable, Robyn effortlessly switches styles and manages to succeed at all of them. There’s a lot of sentiment behind these pop gems, yet the Body Talk series is an apt name for the records. Sometimes you just need to shut off your mind and let all of your worries melt away as your body talks for you...on the dancefloor.
Feb. 26, 2011, 5:48 a.m.
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Beetle Fashion
I don’t know about the rest of you, but until recently I never really paid that much attention to how my clothes got their color. I like to think of myself as a fairly aware consumer, but recent happenings have forced me to resolve to either accept my obliviousness, or change it. I’m going with the latter.
On a trip to Peru, I learned that the brilliant red hue of traditional textiles is derived from the innards of a cacti-dwelling insect called the Cochineal. While as a former anthropology student I was conditioned years ago not to use the word “primitive”, I have to admit that a part of me felt relief that I must be learning about a strictly ancient technique.
Not quite. Apparently, production of this dye is starting to ramp up again as popular demand makes the full-circle from natural to artificial and back to natural, but the name of the dye, carmine (from carminic acid) doesn't hint well to its origins. Traditionally, the Cochineal beetle hangs out on a prickly pear cactus, feeding on the moisture and nutrients. When the beetle is crushed, the insides can be mixed with various natural additives (lime juice, herbs, etc.) to achieve different colors. And they are beautiful colors!
Today, synthetic dyes win over carmine when it comes to fabric. But you might find it in cosmetics and everyday edibles such as yogurt or fruit juice. The point is that now you’ll find it, and that wasn’t always the case. It is only recently (effective in January 2011) that the FDA decided, due to allergy complaints, to require specific labeling for the stuff. Now, if you look at the ingredients list for that Tarty Red lipstick, you might find “carmine” or “cochineal extract” listed, whereas before you’d have seen “coloring added”, or another vague description.
The addition of carmine in my favorite shampoo doesn’t really bother me; I’m more concerned with synthetic additives. If I go back to being a strict vegan, I’ll have to take a closer look at my beauty products, but for now that’s not the case. On the subject of fashion, I do have to say that clothing dyed using carmine is a rich, full color, not like the bright, shallow synthetic. Take a look at the picture below. The piece in the man’s right hand was dyed with carmine.
In any case, I’m happy to learn one small thing to combat obliviousness.
Feb. 13, 2011, 7:59 p.m.
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Art for All
As any artist knows, putting your work out there can be harder than the creative process itself. The Brooklyn-based Art House Co-op’s Sketchbook Project offers everyone—from first-time artists to professionals—the chance to be part of a nationally touring exhibit. For $25, participants choose from a list of themes and receive a Moleskine notebook with a barcode on it. They fill their book with whatever that theme inspires, send it back, and watch as their personalized sketchbook tours galleries and museums across the country as part of a fully catalogued library.
This year’s touring exhibit opens February 18 at the Art House Co-op’s Brooklyn Art Library before taking off on a coast-to-coast road trip with stops in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Atlanta, among other cities. After the tour’s end in August, the sketchbooks will return to their permanent home in the Brooklyn Art Library, an industrial storefront space that could also be described as a gallery, meeting place, and boutique.
The Art House Co-op’s motto reads, “We build art projects and communities,” and this certainly applies to Sketchbook. “It’s more than this traveling art show,” says Sketchbook Project co-founder Steven Peterman. “It’s exciting that the artists meet each other on our website and interact through the project.” Through the tour and beyond, artists can receive alerts tracking who views their work and when.
Finding an audience is seldom so easy. Seamus O’Brien—a participant in the Art House Co-op’s sister venture Fiction Project, which challenged participants to fill their notebooks with words as well as artwork—described the experience as “like throwing a bottle in the ocean with this letter in it.” Except that in this case that letter is much more likely to be read.
Feb. 13, 2011, 7:42 p.m.
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Moss Appeal
Childhood friends Katy Maslow, 32, and Michelle Inciarrano, 34, created Twig about a year ago, a Brooklyn-based purveyor of “moss terrariums and other small worlds.” I first spotted them at The Brooklyn Flea, where their handmade, green crafts were a breath of fresh air amidst peddlers of antiques. Diorama-like, each terrarium contains scenes comprised of Katy and Michelle’s original figurines. One precious piece, called Olga and Fritz, displayed a thumbnail-sized German girl frolicking with a lederhosen-clad lad amidst the moss as if the hills were, indeed, alive.
I spoke with Katy and Michelle over the phone to find out more about their love of crafting, their creative process, and their advice to young crafters.
What kind of crafty stuff did you do before you came up with the moss terrariums idea?
Katy: We were making cards, and Michelle likes scrapbooks and bookmarks. We would just kinda hang out because we had a renewed friendship—we lost touch for almost a decade and then very, very fortuitously re-met up and would get together and craft. She’s got quite the scrapbook collection, so we would hang out and make stuff. Anything, really. Michelle has quite a love of plants and, while I never really did, we both fell in love with moss pretty much on contact. And the rest is history.
So, if you lost touch for a decade, how do you know each other?
Katy: We’ve known each other since we were kids, and I moved away. A mutual friend reconnected us, and I was a surprise at her 31st birthday party.
Oh, cool! And where did you get the idea to have the little scenes in [your terrariums]?
Katy: That was really just . . . It made perfect sense. Moss—the proportion of it is so perfect for mimicking our little worlds. We started those with a piece of glass that we loved. Michelle’s was with this really cute, little bottle, and mine was with this little mushroom glass that I found somewhere. I still have my first terrarium, which is hoboes—like, a little hobo thing. It’s a little wonderful, it’s a little ironic, and I think we fell in love with [the concept] on all counts.
What are your favorite scenes in your terrariums?
[They laugh]
Katy: The cemetery scene. There are some punk rockers as well. As for the more natural scenes, there’s hiking as well and things of that nature. We go from super outdoorsy to rather urban with, you know, a graffiti artist or something. I think we’ve been able to explore all [kinds] of themes by making really fun stuff and varied stuff. We’ve had some very interesting requests from customers and have gotten to explore some themes that we normally wouldn’t have.
Can you tell me more about that? What have customers requested?
Katy: I would say the most interesting one to date would be the gentleman who asked for a sex scene in a park being videotaped from the bushes. That one was really interesting, and we complied. He loved it. It was really, really fun to work on.
Do you ship the terrariums across the U.S.?
Katy: We are shipping readymade terrariums nationwide as well as kits to the U.S. and Canada. We have a variety [of kits]; we have them listed on our website. We’re introducing new ones: we just introduced one for Valentine’s Day that’s called Romantique. It’s a really pretty candleholder with a kissing couple inside. It’s been very well received. We did, over the holidays, totally underestimate the craving for moss—four hundred kits over Christmas.
Oh, that’s awesome!
Michelle: Yeah, it was pretty exciting.
What advice would you give to burgeoning, young crafters?
Michelle: I would say find something that you enjoy and look for inspiration online, look at other people that do it. See what you can pick up. What’s inspiring is what’s around you.
Katy: I think everything is about experimentation and trying things even if they fail miserably. It’s all about the trying, learning the extent that you can go to and your own capabilities. A lot of people are surprised that, when faced with a challenge, that they can meet that challenge. I know that for both Michelle and me, every time we’ve been all worried about whether or not we can do something, we surprise ourselves. We not only do it well but we continue to do it better and better. Being new to business and being new to starting up a small business, we feel we’ve done pretty well for two girls who want to make some terrariums!
Feb. 13, 2011, 7:28 p.m.
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The Ex
Last year, well into its third decade in punk innovation, the Ex lost its voice, its face and a big part of its identity when founding member G. W. Sok departed the band. The Dutch experimenters chose Arnold De Boer, who heads the Dutch avant-garde band Zea, as its new singer. The new addition works well. De Boer’s delivery is as intense as Sok’s but slightly more melodic. On it's latest album, Catch my Shoe, with De Boer and fellow new member Roy Paci on horns, the Ex is able to replicate the swing and swagger of their earlier collaboration with Ethiopian bandleader Getachew Merkurya.
Longtime members Andy Moor, Katherina Bomefeld, and Terrie Hessels provide The Ex’s basic template of galloping rhythms, staccato guitar riffs and politically charged vocals. There’s no fat. Highlights include “Double Order,” a rampaging, pummeling number with assaulting baritone guitar lines providing an interesting change of pace from bass, and the swaggering, brass-punching, post-apocalyptic “Cold Weather Is Back.”
The Ex’s long, fruitful fascination with African music turns up in several places throughout Catch My Shoe. Opener “Maybe I Was the Pilot” was based on a riff borrowed from the Ugandan artist Iganitiyo Ekacholi. “Eoleyo,” sung by Bomefeld, is a boxy, aggro-punk take on a traditional Ethiopian song, which members of the Ex first heard on a Mahmoud Ahmed cassette. All these changes – the new singer, the brass, the African shadings – sound like a much-needed reboot of the Ex’s aesthetic. Catch My Shoe is one of the band’s best albums to date, denser, more rhythmically complex and more musical than past efforts.
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The Ex official site
Feb. 3, 2011, 1 p.m.
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Amos Lee
The first track off of Amos Lee’s stellar fourth album, Mission Bell, sounds like it could be used for a thoughtful Chevy commercial. You know the type—the one in which a truck has loads of hay in its bed and is driving through a gorgeous rural landscape; the one where a car is driving down a small town’s main street, American flags aflutter on store keeps’ stoops; the one where a reliable car is driving, reliably, by joyful teenagers going to their school dance. All this is to say the song “El Camino” is like the album as a whole—authentic, solidly built, and beautiful.
Lee, a native of Philadelphia, is a former elementary school teacher who, in college, picked up a guitar and a penchant to listen to jazz greats like Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. While teaching himself guitar, he began to infuse that love of jazz with his own folk and R&B sensibilities. Soon, he caught the ear of Norah Jones and his debut album was released in 2005. Each album since, his last being 2008’s Last Days at the Lodge, has solidified him as a musician with vision and voice.
Having toured with the likes of Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, John Prine, and the Dave Matthews Band, Lee is like a Philly-born Jack Johnson or, perhaps, a male Mary Chapin Carpenter. The new album includes folks like Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, and Sam Beam (Iron & Wine). It’s folks like that that raises the caliber of folk music on Lee’s latest creation, not that he needs the help.
“Out in the Cold” starts with simple guitar plucks and Lee’s mournful voice before developing into a cool tune full of melancholy. “Jesus” has a marimba, handclaps, and electric guitars giving it a swamp-rat feel, while “Windows Are Rolled Down” is a buoyant ditty. Each song is distinct and can stand on its own, not simply a mish mash of folk song upon folk song with the same feelings, rhythms, and instrumentations that can befall many a folk album. No, Lee’s latest rolls down the road of folky goodness. It’s destination? Creating an album better than the one that preceded it. Mission (bell) succeeded.
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Amos Lee official site
Amos Lee MySpace page
Blue Note Records
Jan. 24, 2011, 1 p.m.
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Ben + Vesper
On Honors, the anticipated sophomore full-length by New Jersey-based husband-and-wife duo, Ben + Vesper redefines the pair’s affection for hard-hitting, adventurous musical arrangements. The result vibrantly captivates listeners with layered waltzes spiked in shining storytelling.
With the help of collaborator Sufjan Stevens, who weaves polished piano and percussion work throughout the entire album, Vesper Stamper also tickles many keys—from those of the accordion to antique-inspired electric piano. While Ben Vesper's strummed handiwork continues to craft anomalous compositions, it is their dual matured vocals that prompt repeat listens.
With breathy baritones and alluring altos, the Stampers are joined on Honors with their guitarist Joshua Stamper, bassist John Mosloskie and drummer Steve Oyola to produce the peppiest music yet.
Soaring through sing-alongs like “My Father's Eyes” and “Holly Home?,” the Stampers' light-hearted demeanor is engaging and oddly danceable. The slower, yet just as sweet, “Sugar Song” and “All is Forgiven” mimic conversations similar to those had with friends—that is if your comrades cruise spiritually-intense discussions.
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Ben + Vesper official site
Ben + Vesper MySpace page
Jan. 14, 2011, 9:07 a.m.
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The Luyas
Hailing from Montreal, the Luyas—Jessie Stein, Mathieu Charbonneau, Pietro Amatro, and Stefan Scheider—have all the trappings of their hometown sound: outside-the-box instrumentation, grand brush strokes, and collaborators galore including Sarah Neufeld on violin, Colin Stetson on sax and clarinet, and Owen Pallett arranging strings. Yet, the quartet's new album, Too Beautiful to Work, is far more Brave New World than Arcade Fire. Underpinned by a certain cerebral, retro-futuristic quality, it occupies the hallucinogenic dream-state of Aldous Huxley's soma.
Like soma, the sounds on the album are a vacation from convention. French horns are distorted, drums sound like shattering glass, repetition is used as a melodic device, and a plunky, minor piano chord effect is produced by Stein's custom-made Moodswinger—a 12-string, three-bridged electric zither. This makes for a wonderfully immersive experience, especially on “Tiny Head” with its weary atmospheres, vintage effects, and Stein's blissful vocals.
As the foreboding “Canary” gives way to the upbeat space shuffle “Spherical Mattress,” the album really takes on the disjointed feel of a dream, and it works. “Cold Canada” marks another important shift into more recognizable song structure. As the album winds to a close, melodies grow more prominent, sounds become easier to identify, and the sobering line “Like working at a bank” snaps listeners back to reality. By the final track (though titled “Seeing Things”), the hallucinogenic feel is gone, but the Luyas have proved themselves in full control of a vast imagination.
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The Luyas official site
The Luyas MySpace page
Dead Oceans Records
Jan. 6, 2011, 9:04 p.m.
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Animal Collection
Collaborating with best friends for a living is a pipe dream for most young professionals. But not for Keep founder and CEO Una Kim, who is set to launch a collection of shoes designed by high-school pals who happen to be the guys behind Animal Collective. The fruit of their joint effort has culminated in four pairs of shoes (all vegan, in Keep tradition), each designed by a different member of the band on a Keep silhouette—with all proceeds benefiting the Socorro Island Conservation Fund.
Kim says that the collaboration took about a year to go from wishful thinking to colorful reality, with each member of the band getting free reign and needing minimal design direction. The guys—Avey Tare (né David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Deakin (Josh Dibb), and Geologist (Brian Weitz)—have all been avid fans of Keep shoes since the company was founded, so designing their own pairs was a natural progression.
And they should be proud of their aesthetic achievements: Portner’s Tobin (a mid-top slip-on) is in natural canvas punctuated with fluid, ghostly drawings; Lennox’s Ramos (a mid-top with a fabric heel) features an all-over reimagined camouflage design; Dibb’s Guerra (a high-top) is all black save for vibrant fish-outline embroidery in deep hues; and Weitz’s Ramos is gray with a punch of shark-patterned fabric. “They all have their charm,” Kim says.
The running aquatic theme makes sense, as the Socorro Island Conservation Fund works to preserve the Revillagigedo Archipelago, a group of four islands just west of Mexico known for being completely pristine and teeming with exciting sea life. “We really wanted to pick a small organization where the funds wouldn’t get caught up in the administrative aspect of everything and would go to helping the cause,” says Kim. And this isn’t a one-off charity attempt from Keep; they’ve been quietly donating gear to worthy causes for some time and are next setting their sights on helping to build a skateable bowl in Mexico.
The Animal Collective-designed shoes are launching in stores worldwide starting in March 2011, but an early fall 2010 presale got came with an added bonus: Those who preordered scored a four-song cassette tape, with each track being a solo recording from each band member—a product Kim is sure will someday be the rarest artifact in the Animal Collective catalog.
To say that Kim is pleased with how the whole collaboration panned out would be an understatement. “I don’t know how it could ever get better than this,” she says of getting to work with friends while making a tangible contribution to a great cause. “That’s why we do projects like this—to keep it as ‘family’ as possible.”
For more information on the project, visit keepcompany.com/ac
Dec. 31, 2010, 7:02 a.m.
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Guy We Heart
: Cory Hardrict
Cory Hardrict may not be a household name yet, but he’s married to one: Tia Mowry of Sister, Sister fame. He’s not riding on her coattails by any means, though—he has worked with Clint Eastwood, is on Jamie Foxx’s basketball e-league team, boasts a slew of TV credits, and he’s got a more than one buzzworthy film slated for release in 2011.
The Chicago native’s first big project is March’s Battle: Los Angeles, an alien action-adventure flick costarring Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez and directed by Jonathan Liebesman (The Killing Room and 2012’s Clash of the Titans II). Hardrict landed the role of Corporal Lockett, a Marine who “deals with a lot of emotional pain from past deaths in his family,” Hardrict says. “He only wants to be accepted by the Corps and be embraced by guys who will lose their lives for another Marine in a minute.”
Despite the sci-fi bent of Battle, Hardrict promises that the story line is firmly grounded with doses of reality. “We are at war while filming this movie,” he says. “Everybody gave it all they had, so hopefully it resonates with audiences. We were also trained by Sergeant James Dever and Sergeant Tom Minder, who were trained Marines and experts in their field. They whipped us into shape and turned us into warriors.”
Hardrict is a city boy at heart whose mother introduced him to the world of acting as a kid. “My mother took my brother and me to be extras in a film,” he recalls. “They picked us to stand in the rain for a month full of non-stop 12-hour days—I loved it and was sold.” His “no pain, no gain” attitude was further inspired by Eastwood, with whom he worked on the critically acclaimed Gran Torino. “His words to me were, ‘never worry about what you’re gonna get, kid, just show them what you got,’” Hardrict says. “I will never forget that.”
His post-Battle films include Mud Dog Blues, an exploration of the cultural importance of blues music in the South costarring Mowry and Gregory Alan Williams, and 4chosen, a still-in-development project with Laurence Fishburne attached. Hardrict is anything but concerned about his future prospects. “Just know this, he proclaims. “I will win an Oscar for the next role I will be playing—coming soon!”
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Pump You Up
Hardrict shares the tunes that get him amped up for action.
- Eminem, “Not Afraid”
- Kanye West, “Power"
- Nas, “You’re da Man”
- 2pac, “Me Against the World”
- Wiz Kalifah, “Black and Yellow”
- Drake, “Forever”
- Lil Wayne, “I’m Me”
- Anything by Linkin Park
- Jay-Z, The Blueprint (the album)
Dec. 29, 2010, 8:37 a.m.
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Zs
Brooklyn’s Zs have been making sometimes-droning, often-atonal, always-challenging noise collages for over a decade. But New Slaves Part II: Essence Implosion! —which, depending on your perspective, is either a sequel, a companion piece, or a re-imagining of their early 2010 release New Slaves—has them going somewhere they have never before ventured: dance music.
Lest you get the wrong idea: Zs have not gone pop. But they have handed over the reigns to a coterie of friends, who transform several New Slaves tracks into everything from tense techno to something that just might make you want to shake your ass.
The album opens with mini-epic “MMWIV: Essence Implosion!,” which finds primary band member Sam Hillmer spraying his abstract tenor sax fire across noise peaks and shuddering drone valleys. It’s a track crafted solely from the remixes that comprise the rest of the album--but it works beyond its novel origins, and sets the stage for the alchemy to come.
“Concert Black” gets reworked by Genesis P-Orridge’s Thee Majesty and Weasel Walter (previously of Flying Luttenbachers, currently a member of Zs), respectively. Walter compresses the original twenty minutes of No Wave skronk into five intense, aggressive minutes that sound like a No Wave marching band. Thee Majesty goes for atmosphere, singling out the sharpest and most nerve-wracking elements of the original song, and adding rumbling crackles, electronic squeals, and ominous techno beats until the music descends into a sexy nightmare.
“Acres of Skin” is also re-imagined twice: in the hands of Cex, it becomes a burbling piece of dark electronica, while the Rapture’s Gabe Andruzzi works it into honest-to-goodness dance music, with a club-ready beat that you can sink your teeth into—proof positive that Zs are not just polished experimentalists, but at the creative epicenter of modern avant-garde music.
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Zs official site
Zs MySpace page
The Social Registry Records
Dec. 28, 2010, 5:26 a.m.
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Tennis
Tennis’s first long player, Cape Dory, is a collection of songs inspired by sailing. Though the duo, Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, hail from land-locked Denver, the idea for Tennis while the couple cruised along the eastern seaboard for several months aboard a sailboat named Cape Dory. Nautical ideas pervade throughout the album. For example, on the title track Moore begs to be taken “out sailing” and dreams of “listening to the sound of the ocean swells.”
Like many of their contemporaries such as Best Coast to Summer Camp, Riley and Moore mine the melodic back catalog of early ‘60s pop, such as the doo-wops accompany cautionary tale “Marathon.” Cape Dory is an overtly feminine creation. The album brims with songs that Betty Draper might have enjoyed back when she was still gallivanting around Manhattan as the ingenue model, Betty Hofstadt. Yet it is not a period piece. The prominent bass lines on “Baltimore” and “Marathon,” as well as the depth of Moore’s vocals on “Pigeon” prevent Cape Dory from feeling like a preserved sound specimen accidentally captured in audio resin.
Don’t expect Tennis to adhere to its tony, aquatic motif forever either. With its nod to schlocky 70’s glam, the album jacket for Cape Dory already puts a chink in its upper crust armor. The cover photo features Moore provocatively posed in a blue lace jump suit and heels, in a homage to Knots Landing star Lisa Hartman’s 1979 album, Hold On. The photo couldn’t be farther from Cape Dory’s twin set pop, yet, both are playful and fun-loving, an M.O. that should serve the duo well regardless of the cultural milieu Tennis chooses to recreate on any future releases.
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Tennis MySpace page
Fat Possum Records
Dec. 28, 2010, 4:54 a.m.
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La Sera
After three years with indie-garage queens the Vivian Girls, vocalist and bassist Katy “Kickball Katy” Goodman has struck out on her own with side project La Sera. The band’s debut finds Goodman trading in the Girls’ trademark freewheeling noise-pop to experiment with something more ethereal (but every bit as lo-fi).
Album opener “Beating Heart” sets the tone for what’s to come with minimal guitar and percussion, a chorus of love-doomed girls, and Goodman chant-singing directives to “aim for the heart.” From there, much of the album treads heavily in traditional girl-group territory, right down to the chiming “Earth Angel” guitars and heartbeat percussion. “Never Come Around” could pass for a Crystals outtake, but with the soul swapped out for girlish and ghostly cooing.
Minimalist indie pop dominates the second half of the album.“Been Here Before” is a slice of jangly sunshine that it’s hard not to clap along to and “Devils Hearts Grow Gold” riffs on a guitar part straight out of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” to create one of the record’s catchiest moments.
The musical playfulness helps balance the album’s frequent morbid lyrics. La Sera may or may not be a break-up album—the lyrics aren’t always clear, but when they are, they seem to deal primarily with heartbreak, desperation, death, and being “so sorry.” “La Sera” roughly translates to “the will be,” and, by the record’s end, it feels like that name could very well refer to the future and to moving on with life.
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La Sera MySpace page
Hardly Art Records
Dec. 28, 2010, 4:44 a.m.
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Montonix
Not Yet is Monotonix’s third release at Drag City. Since appearing on the US scene in 2008 with it’s debut EP, following it with full length Where Were You When It Happened in 2009, the Tel Aviv-based rock trio has arguably become even known it’s half-naked, half-insane, fully-physical stage antics even more than it is for it’s records.
The intensity of Monotonix’s live show is not lost in its recordings, but from the first notes of Not Yet, it is obvious that the band is still better heard in a hot, packed venue than through one’s headphones.. Frontman Ami Shalev’s vocals are a fast mixture of spoken screaming and punk chanting, backed by Haggai Fershtman’s ferocious drums and Yonatan Gat’s guitar at a heart-blasting, cardiac arrest paces, with the potential to elicit strong desires in its listeners to whip out an air guitar or bang on random items while jumping around. David Lee Roth doesn’t have shit Monotonix.
While all songs are definitive rock and roll, there is still a spectrum from the dark and sinister, such as “Late Night” to energizing acid rock anthems like “Fun Fun Fun.” With most of the songs lasting less than three minutes, Not Yet is a quick riot, bringing chaos wherever it is heard.
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Monotonix official site
Monotonix MySpace page
Drag City Records
Dec. 27, 2010, 7:32 a.m.
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Wye Oak: Interview with Indie Rock Songstress Jenn Wasner
For Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, there is no place like home. I’m speaking with Wasner on the phone from her bedroom in Baltimore, and we both find the idea somewhat novel. It’s rare to catch a musician in a moment of downtime tranquility, and that happiness is palpable over the line.
Wasner is gregarious and sunny from the moment she picks up, and I can almost picture her bedroom: acoustic guitar resting against a bedpost, incense smoke wafting lazily across a Liz Phair Exile in Guyville poster. Wasner relishes her downtime, which is understandable as the twenty four year old lyricist/guitarist doesn’t get many of these moments anymore. Perpetual road warriors, Wasner and bandmate/multi-instrumentalist Andy Stack have been touring the country econo in a 2003 Honda Odyssey minivan for the past few years. With a recent two date opening slot with Spoon in London and Leeds, and an upcoming 2011 Spring tour with The Decemberists in support of new album Civilian (Merge), Wye Oak is on the cusp of breaking big in the new year. In an ever-changing industry, Wasner remains an eternal optimist, eager to embrace the possibilities of changing technology.
Accessible without pandering, moody yet never morose, Civilian is a collection of songs that Wasner says “as a whole, [are] about aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on and letting go of people, places and things.” The lyrics are a perfect summation of the woman who penned them: self deprecating, biting, incisive and a tad cynical. Belying conventional structure, Civilian turns folk inside out and finds Wye Oak exploring new territory, sonically and thematically. Their strongest effort, Civilian showcases a band transitioning comfortably into maturity without losing their edge, and in the case of Jenn Wasner, an artist truly discovering her voice and inner strength.
How did you creatively approach Civilian? Did it feel like a departure from your 2009 release, The Knot?
The biggest difference between Civilian and everything else we’ve ever worked on is that this record happened really, really quickly. The writing, the recording, the mixing and every aspect of this record happened in an extremely short amount of time. For our previous recordings, the process would be that we would write the songs, and then we’d have a lot of time to play them and kick them around. We’d have time to see what works and see what sticks. We’d solidify the arrangements in a live setting and then go into the studio. With Civilian, every song on the record, with the exception of title track "Civilian," was pretty much untouched. I wrote them almost entirely over the summer, and we recorded them in a really brief stint in less than a month in July and August. Then we went on tour for a few weeks, came back and immediately mixed it with John Congleton (St. Vincent / Shearwater) in Dallas.
The record, start to finish, happened over the summer. We really didn’t stop to think too much about live arrangements, and I had a really strange and unusual period of prolificness this summer, which very rarely happens to me. I kinda holed myself up and came out with a lot of songs, way more than I’ve ever written in any small amount of time. We had a lot of material to choose from, and we acted with a “go with your gut” mentality on which songs would be on the record. We picked the ten strongest that we felt would make a cohesive record. I really like the spontaneous feel of the record. It didn’t feel rushed, but it did feel fast. We recorded them before we had the chance to get sick of the songs. Everything was really new and it felt really exciting to be working on this material.
The rush wasn’t due to necessity? It wasn’t due to studio availability or other constraints?
No, it was pretty much self imposed and fun. No one was breathing down our necks looking for another record. In the past three years we’ve put out two full lengths and an E.P. so I think that’s a pretty good track record. I’ve been proud of our ability to tour as much as we have and still put out quality records. The immediacy had nothing to do with people asking us to hurry. It was because we wanted to do it. I think for both Andy and I, the recording process is our favorite part of the deal. I had been writing a lot, and I was trying to resist what seems to happen to every band, which is an inevitable delay between music from us to the people, so what’s new to you is not new to me. It’s inevitable, and even though we made it really fast, it’s not going to come out until March, and then it’ll be our new record that we’ve had for eight months.
When you mentioned your burst of creative spontaneity, was that new to you? Are you a cocktail napkin writer or do you sit down every morning and try and get lyrics down?
Honestly, I think the iPhone is the new cocktail napkin (laughs). I’m serious. The iPhone can definitely be attributed to my increase in productivity. I always have it on me, and I’ve kind of abandoned my little lyric notebook. I know a lot of artists and songwriters who work this way now. Any time I have a melodic idea or lyric, I basically just pick up my phone, access the voicemail function wherever I am and hum a melody or sing a few bars.
Whenever I do get private time to sit down with a guitar or at the piano, which is rare, I’m not staring at a blank page. I open the voicemail and have all my ideas from the past two weeks. It totally has blown my world wide open. So many ideas were lost in the ether before I had the ability to document them so consistently. Not every idea is a keeper obviously. For every goofy idea, maybe 10 out of 100 are keepers. But it works. When I sit down now, I have a starting point and things move much more quickly. If I was born earlier, I’d probably be a cocktail napkin writer. But, I’m an iPhone writer.
I’m 28, and I fear technology and still reluctant to adjust. How do you feel about the state of the industry? They’re disappearing, but do you still find time to hit indie record stores?
I think there are still many amazing independent record stores. Touring around the country, there are stores that I still get really excited to hit. Guestroom Records in Norman, OK is great. Slowtrain in Salt Lake City. In every city, there seems to be at least one great record store, and a community that seems to exist around them. The number of records that are being sold is smaller, but I still think that the people who really care, and especially the niche market that we operate in, the industry is changing beyond the level that encapsulates us.
Merge Records is a big level, but still technically independent. I think it’s remarkable that they are able to do what they do and release so many big records that have achieved great amounts of mainstream success. I really respect them for that. As far as the state of the industry, I think it’s always been changing since I’ve been a part of it. I am very young, so I didn’t really have a chance to experience what the pre-digital era was like. Bands don’t really make money selling records now. They make money touring. It’s kind of a new era but it’s always been this way for me. I have a lot of friends who are older and who have been performing and recording for a long time who lament the current state of affairs. I’m young enough that it doesn’t bother me. It’s better to think forward and try and adapt, because there’s really no sense in fighting something that is inevitable.
This is the state of the music business. Get used to it. It doesn’t scare me because for every downside, there’s something that can be seen as a positive. I’m sure that we would not even be a performing band making money if it wasn’t for the internet. Merge found out about us through a blog, and there’s a network that exists for artists to kickstart careers that wasn’t available before. I’m thrilled about that. It’s opened up the music world to so many more people and I’m all in favor of that.
There really isn’t much difference from sending Mac and Laura a demo tape in the 90s or them hearing about you from a blog. They know great music when they hear it.
Yeah! Exactly. It’s a good feeling to feel like you have control over your own destiny in a way, and that’s what the internet did for a lot of artists.Tell me about growing up in Baltimore. It seems strangely conducive to creativity.
I was born in West Baltimore and grew up just outside the city limits. I’ve been here my whole life, but basically wanted to escape the entire time. I went to school in upstate New York and quickly realized that I hated it and Baltimore was where I really wanted to be. I hadn’t really become super involved in the Baltimore music scene as a teenager. When I left, I don’t think I realized how unique it was so I immediately moved back after a semester of college when I was 18. I’ve been living pretty much in the same Baltimore neighborhood ever since, working and playing music. It’s a pretty special place to be for a creative person. I always forget when I leave that not everywhere is like Baltimore, for better and worse. It’s a flawed city, and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it, but when it comes down to it, the people, music , art and the genuineness of the city keeps me coming back time and time again.
Are you a Ravens fan?
I’m a huge Ravens fan. It’ s a constant battle, being on tour in the fall, because I miss a lot of Ravens games. We found a Ravens bar in San Diego that we went to, and Chris McCallister was there (former Ravens cornerback) so that was amazing. We also watched a Ravens / Steelers game at a Hooters in rural Illinois, so you gotta do what you gotta do. We’re pretty passionate Ravens fans.
Who did you grow up idolizing? Madonna or Liz Phair?
Oh man, totally Liz Phair! I had an interesting Liz Phair-related experience recently. I just loved the shit out of Exile in Guyville growing up. There’s a part of me that will always love that record. During my brief stint in college, I even wrote a women’s studies paper on that record. I was a total geek. I hadn’t listened to it in years, but I had a growing up moment recently. I was staying at my friend’s house on tour, and she was streaming the Matador 21st Anniversary shows in Vegas. Liz Phair came on, and I got all excited. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy or respect her performance…I had to ask myself ‘who was that person who used to relate so deeply to this music, and where did she go?’ I had one of those moments where I realized I was different and older now.
Listening to a record from your youth that you haven’t touched in a while and coming back to it years later when you’re at a different place in your life is a really striking moment. I have moved on and I have grown. That record is a document of a very specific feeling and time and place, and I love that. I love to have these totems from my past to point to and be like, ‘that’s what I was like when I was 16 years old and learning to play the guitar.’ It’s not good to feel like you did when you were 16. It was a funny moment because it sought me out. I wasn’t looking for some realization of maturity.
As a frontwoman, were you always comfortable in front of a crowd? Were you outgoing in high school?
I’ve never been particularly shy onstage. I was never the frontwoman in high school. I was always kind of the girl who played the instruments for the people who sang. I was in the jazz band and never in the spotlight. I’ve been playing music in front of people since I was really young. I’ve never been really shy about singing. A lot of people have issues about sharing their singing voice with people.
Since I was really young, my mom would sing with me, from basically since I was a baby. No one in my family was ever shy about singing around the house or to records or whatever. She taught me to play guitar, and I played piano. So public performing was never really a hurdle that I had to get over. It definitely has changed for me. When we first started the band, I didn’t think of myself as a frontwoman at all. When Andy and I started the band, we both kind of played a little bit of everything. He would sing or I would sing. I would play guitar or vice versa.
At a certain point, we realized that we needed some focus. There was never really a moment when it was decided that I would be the frontwoman. I’m really self- deprecating and I have a hard time projecting confidence even if I do feel confident. It’s my tendency to project humility. One of the things that I’ve been learning is to look and feel confident on stage and enjoy myself and relax. I’m trying to not worry so much about how I look anymore. My goal is to be as forthright and genuine as possible in front of people. I love performing, and similar to a lot of performers that I know, I pretty much hate everything before and after (laughs).
Are you cut out for life on the road?
I think I handle it very well. The first year we toured I hated it. But you get better at it. You meet more people and find more places to stay. You understand the routine, and it’s a skill that you can learn. It’s so much easier now, and we have friends and people we’re excited to see in pretty much every city. You wake up in the morning on somebody’s floor and you’re dirty and grouchy, but then you realize that you get to drive to a new city and hang out with friends you haven’t seen in awhile. A big part of it for me was learning how to eat right and take care of myself on tour. I had to learn how to simulate privacy even when I don’t have it. I am a really insular person and I crave my alone time. There are ways to simulate privacy. For example, disappearing into a green room or going into the backseat of the van and putting on my headphones creates the illusion of isolation.
So, there are little psychological and logistical tricks that I’ve learned to help me adapt. I feel happy and productive when I’m moving and working towards a goal. When I’m on tour, there’s always at least one part during the day when I feel like I’m accomplishing something. Traveling feels good, and I love seeing different places. It’s something very new to me. I didn’t get to do a lot of traveling growing up. I do think I’m cut out for it. It’s hard, but definitely worth it.
Do females have to fight anymore for acceptance in the indie rock scene these days?
I don’t think it’s equal, but I also don’t think you can really complain. I think there are certain people who really enjoy seeing a female in control. It gets them excited, and they can relate to it. There are a lot of bands for whom that is a major point. Our band included.
At the same time, it is frustrating. After the amount of time we’ve spent touring, I feel like I can operate on a professional level pretty successfully. Sometimes there are people who just assume certain things. I constantly get “Oh, you’re the merch girl. You’re the girlfriend or you’re the tour manager.” I almost always hear from someone, “I can’t believe you can play guitar like that!” Which is strange, but also kinda fascinating. It’s satisfying to prove people’s preconceived notions incorrect. I think that it’s a major part of why our band has done well, because people are surprised when their expectations are defied. I can’t complain. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons why our band has any sort of success. There are a lot of unbelievably talented women in music obviously, but I think they will always have to be defying expectations.
What’s a perfect day for you?
That’s a really good question! You have to understand this is coming from the perspective of just getting off tour. Ok, a perfect day involves waking up around 9:00 am. Exercise. Eat a delicious brunch. Hang out by the fireplace and write songs. Then I’d go out in the evening, play music or maybe see some friends. Maybe find time to ride a rollercoaster and hang out with puppies. Also smoke a lot of weed throughout the day. That’s a perfect day for me.
Dec. 25, 2010, 4:34 p.m.
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On Our Radar: Felicia Day
It’s hard not to be jealous of a renaissance woman like Felicia Day: She succeeds at everything she tackles, from mathematics (she was a National Merit Scholar) to music to producing to writing to acting. But Day is such a genuine, hard-working artist that she makes it nearly impossible to hate her—and her million-plus followers on Twitter would probably agree.
Chances are you’ve spotted Day somewhere over the past few years: in any number of television guest appearances, as Neil Patrick Harris’s crush Penny in Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, or on her uber-successful web series The Guild. It was a leap of faith that inspired Day, who graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in math, to pick up and make the move to LA to pursue acting. “Part of it was because of all the theater I did as a teen—how much I enjoyed the process of rehearsing, acting, and creating with a group,” she says. “And the other part was just a bit of sheer blind enthusiasm—a feeling of fate. Not the best thing to base a big life decision on, I admit.”
All those roles weren’t waiting patiently for her upon her arrival in LA, so in 2007 she cofounded the Knights of Good Production with friend Kim Avey so they could have creative control over projects in which they could have fun and become emotionally invested. “I created The Guild out of frustration with acting,” Day says. “I was being pigeonholed in a way [where] I didn't see a lot of long-term growth. I made a good living but wasn't fulfilled, so I sat down to write a TV pilot featuring a role for myself.”
The Guild features a hilarious ensemble cast of gamers struggling with real life versus role-playing-game life—and all the social awkwardness that comes with it. “After it was clear no one would pick such a niche show up for TV, Kim had the idea of doing it as a web series,” Day explains. It was a wise choice: The Guild won the YouTube Award for best series after its first season, and in 2009 it captured three Streamy Awards. The Guild’s success has even allowed the Knights of Good Production to branch out, going into pre-production on a new web series last fall. And that’s not all Day’s got her eye on as far as future projects are concerned. “I'd also like to create something fantasy-based to star in, but I’m not sure if it can be accomplished on a web budget so it might be a TV pilot or even a novel,” she says. “I’m definitely looking to grow while maintaining The Guild. More multitasking—yay!”
Instead of following the stereotypical trajectory of a Hollywood ingénue, Day has managed to create a niche for herself as an adorably relatable whip-smart woman. “[The] bottom line is that hokey but universal phrase: Be true to yourself. If you love something, there's no reason to abandon that out of shame, or hoping to fit in. Don't betray yourself.”
Dec. 19, 2010, 4:38 p.m.
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Get into Flower Arranging
Jill Rizzo & Alethea Harampolis
Flower arrangers + tiny shop owners + bloggers
Job Title: Owners of Studio Choo, contributors to Design*Sponge
Location: 262 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Website: www.StudioChoo.com
If you like it green, you must like it wild.
If you’ve heard the rumor, it’s true. Young and with-it ladies are canceling their oh-so-2009 stitch ‘n bitch circles and closeting their sewing machines to make way for the newest and hottest trend in the amplified DIY repertoire: floral design. Shocking to some because prime real estate might mean sharing elbow room with the moth balled & blue haired ladies who glare at your skinny jeans over their bifocals, rest assured that the faction of newer schools popping up across the country are rejecting traditional arranging and re-embracing this ancient craft much in the way Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching re-created embroidery.
The break with traditional symmetrical presentation called to mind when uttering the term floral arrangement is definitely a welcome one and after the boom of last summer’s trend of growing your own, this announcement comes at a perfect time to scoot your veggie path to the left and plant some flowers that will be worth picking and arranging.
Jill Rizzo and Alethea Harampolis of Studio Choo in San Francisco’s Western Addition are two ladies at the forefront of this new wave of floral design. They specialize in arranging by hand, flowers that are a little bit wild and harnessing the beauty of local, fresh and seasonal. They are also regular contributors to the ever-popular blog Design*Sponge where they showcase their talents of creating simple and affordable decorations where the first step is always a quick stroll through your own back yard or a local farmer’s market. Venus Zine couldn’t help tracking down these ladies to ask a couple questions about the lives of floral designers that have been burning in our minds since these wild blooms first caught our eye.
Venus Zine: Where do you get your flowers to create your arrangements?
Studio Choo: We get most of our flowers from the San Francisco flower mart and from markets and farms in the Bay area.
VZ: You have a knack for creating arrangements that are wild and free. What are you going for?
SC: We love natural looking arrangements- like they are growing out of the vase.
VZ: What are the best blooms for spring?
SC: There are so many! Lilac and dogwood are just a couple.
VZ: What is your favorite season? What are your favorite flowers that bloom then?
SC: Spring is definitely a favorite for the petite blooms like muscari and lily of the valley. Honeysuckle in summer and tree peonies are the new late fall fave. They are coming in colors this year that we have never seen!
VZ: How did you come up with the name Studio Choo?
SC: Choo is our nickname for each other – as in when we call on the phone we way, hi choo, it’s choo. We wanted a name that wasn’t floral and fancy and it just seemed right.
VZ: Best and worst thing about working with flowers?
SC: The best and worst thing is their fleeting lifespan! We love seeing the opening and aging process that blossoms grow through, but dealing with perishable goods can be tricky for cash flow.
VZ: Can you talk about your love of seasonal flowers?
SC: We love working with seasonal flowers because they are usually inexpensive and great quality. The time from the farm to our shop is much shorter for local flowers and fresh is best!
VZ: How important is the internet to a floral business that is brick & mortar?
SC: The internet has been immensely helpful in growing out business – we have been really lucky to get early support from many design blogs. Lots of people have found us through our design*sponge column which has led to tons of great projects in other media. We never dreamed that when we started the business out of Jill’s kitchen less than two years ago we would be where we are today!
VZ: Can you give any tips for a budding floral designer?
SC: Be prepared to work very, very hard. Being a florist is no 9-5. Sometimes we get up super early to get flowers from the market and stay up too late making bouquets for the next day’s wedding. Time management might be the most important floral skill we ever learned.
Links:
Studio Choo
Design*Sponge
Dec. 17, 2010, 3:07 a.m.
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Geek Girl: Take It to 11
You’ve heard the saying “music to my ears,” but as a listener rather than a musician, how can you make the experience your own? Luckily for you, we’re taking a look at some of the newest music gadgets created specifically for your rocking-out pleasure.

chicBuds chicBoom speakers ($24.95; chicbuds.com)
The biggest advantage of today’s music-related technology the ability to make music portable—but what if you want to share your tunes with friends while out and about? Enter the chicBoom keychain speaker: This little powerhouse was created by women-owned chicBuds and gives you the chance to blast your music from your keychain. Plus, it’s rechargeable and universal, so you never have to guess if your MP3 player of choice is compatible.
Uncommon Cases ($39.95; getuncommon.com)
Customizing your musical gadget with your own style could not be any easier than it is with cases from Uncommon. Choose from one among hundreds of their artwork collections—or upload your own photo and create a one-of-a-kind case. It’s the best of both worlds: styles that are all your own and great protection for your iPod Touch, the iPhone 3G/3GS, and the iPhone 4.
Monster Cable Heartbeats ($119.95; monstercable.com)
You can’t listen to music at full volume all the time—or can you? Monster Cable makes some of the best ear buds on the market, including the stylish Heartbeats by Lady Gaga. All Monster Cable headphones are made with their super-durable and tangle-free cords to ensure that you’re never stuck unraveling when you should be listening.
Griffin AirCurve ($19.99; griffintechnology.com)
Music was made to be played loud, so turn it up without needing power. The Griffin AirCurve is a gadget designed to amplify sound for your iPhone 3G/3GS and the iPhone 4 without batteries or an outlet. Its size and design make it both environmentally friendly and easy to take with you just about anywhere you need a little extra amp.
Dec. 15, 2010, 12:58 a.m.
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Elsie Flannigan of A Beautiful Mess
There is an overwhelming allure to the adorable obsessions that Springfield, Missouri-based blogger and boutique owner, Elsie Flannigan, publishes throughout her lifestyle blog, A Beautiful Mess.
Poised and pretty, creative and confident, Flannigan—multiple times a day—premieres fun-loving posts proclaiming her current rendezvous with arts and crafts, vintage dresses, bubble tea, falafel, in-home teepees and her costume-wearing pug, Suki.

Hitting the internet waves in 2007, A Beautiful Mess has documented the now-full-time designer, fashion fiend, self-taught painter and eager entrepreneur as she sought-out to jumpstart her daring dream of operating her own business, which, as of November 2010, reopened in her home town in a space that was once a classic vintage shop she frequented since junior high.
Revealing that the blog's title was conceptualized from what she finds comforting—a messy studio, the dedicated updater suggests that at any time you may find attractive piles of her messes everywhere, whether it is clothes or it is art. “I post pictures of my messes,” she laughs.
Working independently for the last 3 years, Flannigan adores blogging about her business and her creative life. “It has helped me stay goal-oriented and develop a network of people who are always sharing and encouraging,” she says.
Recently celebrating her 28th birthday, the celebrator of homemade couture first began her handmade adventure, now continued under her marvelous moniker, Red Velvet, almost ten years prior, with her sister, Emma, and close friend, Rachel Denbow.
Exploring experiments in fashion-forward trends, the small collective inspired the artsy crusader that she was capable of setting up her own shop, stitching together her love for combing vintage shops for handpicked pleasures, designing outfit-enhancing accessories, and zesting up an interior space with pizazz and originality.

Bred in the Mid-West, which she suggests is the perfect place for antique finds, A Beautiful Mess has encouraged motivated readers to seek out their own success stories like the driven and darling blogger, as well as take trips to her fairly new space, even from out-of-state.
“Every few days people come from other states to Red Velvet,” she says. “It is really special meeting these people, actually some of my bridesmaids are people I have met through blogging.”
As a brand-new bride-to-be (plans are in the works for a May or June wedding) to singer/songwriter Jeremy Larson (and, yes—the tear-jerking details are on the web), A Beautiful Mess has spread to new dewy depths, even spinning off into a second blog, Le Wedding Party, which steeps in similar do-it-yourself mentalities, this time featuring the gifted gal's new wedding collection, both vintage and handmade.
The tempting step-back-in-time wardrobe wonders, both seen on the A Beautiful Mess and Le Wedding Party blogs, can quickly be fetched in from the Mad Men-inspired set-up of Elsie Flannigan's Red Velvet, and she wouldn't trot such a name without nestling a heavenly baked good haven, too, inside its interior.
“I wanted to open a store that was a place where people could sit down and have a girls' date,” she says. “I've been blogging through the years that my business developed and I am really pleased that in just my first month, we have been busy all the time.”
Link: A Beautiful Mess
Dec. 12, 2010, 4:11 p.m.
Womenshealth << pop full >>
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Healthy Pumpkin Foods
From your local Cheesecake Factory to David Letterman's mom, no one seems to do anything with this fall favorite but mix it with sugar and heavy cream and make pumpkin pie. That's a thigh-inflating shame, because the giant orbs are a great source of beta-carotene, the orange-tinted plant pigment that our bodies use to make the eye-protecting, disease-fighting antioxidant vitamin A. "Half a cup of healthy pumpkin provides nearly 200 percent of your daily requirement of A," says Althea Zanecosky, R.D., a consultant dietitian based in Philadelphia. We dug through the patch to find foods for your pumpkin fix without the fattening extras. Add them to your favorite fall recipes for a fix without the guilt.
1. Alfonso Gourmet Pasta Pumpkin Ravioli
Nov. 8, 2011, 10:48 p.m.
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Take Our Guy Next Door Survey!
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Exfoliation: TLC Vs. Tough Love
Dead skin cells suck the luster from your face. Not only that, but they clog your pores and highlight fine lines too. "As you age, the rate of cell turnover slows, causing flakiness and dullness—unpretty signs that you need to step up your exfoliation routine," says Annet King, director of global education for Dermalogica and The International Dermal Institute. But you can't go overboard either; too much scrubbing and harsh chemicals may cause inflammation, damage, and sensitivity. "The skin on your face is like a precious orchid, not an old houseplant," says King. Here's how to find your sloughing sweet spot, based on your skin type.
Oily or Acne-Prone Skin
Oct. 21, 2011, 10:32 p.m.
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Frankenfish And the World of Genetically Modified Food
Really, who among us has looked at a salmon glistening in the grocery store and wondered, Where did you come from?
If you've thought about it at all, you've probably assumed it's a matter of the birds and the bees: Girl fish meets boy fish, they hit it off, and he showers her thousands of eggs with his sperm. A little while later their offspring are hatched, grow to 10 pounds in about three years, and land on our grills.
Now, however, a biotechnology company near Boston wants to change all that. AquaBounty Technologies (ABT), using some snazzy feats of engineering and genetic code manipulations, has developed a fish—called AquAdvantage Salmon—that grows twice as fast as conventional ones. Pending FDA approval, ABT could be the first company in the world to market a genetically engineered animal as food.
Oct. 21, 2011, 10:31 p.m.
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GIVEAWAY: Win a Gaiam Yoga Set!
You already have the best yoga poses for women, now all you need is some sweet gear! Twenty lucky winners will receive an awesome yoga set. Each set will include a Shakti Rubber Mat, Cork Brick, and Premium Padded Yoga Strap from Gaiam. Don't miss out - enter for your chance!
THIS SWEEPS IS NOW CLOSED!! CHECK BACK ON NOVEMBER 1ST FOR A LIST OF WINNERS!
Oct. 18, 2011, 11:10 p.m.
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Best Swimming Workout: Lose Body Fat in the Pool
A pool might not be the first place you think of going when you're looking to shape up and slim down— but perhaps it should be. No other workout burns calories, boosts metabolism, and firms every muscle in your body (without putting stress on your joints) better than a swimming workout.
Look no further than superstar Natalie Coughlin to observe how water can whittle a sexy, sculpted silhouette. And you don't have to be an Olympic gold medalist to get the perfect body. When researchers at Indiana University compared recreational fitness swimmers with non-swimmers, they found that swimmers of all ages had more lean muscle and trimmer waists and hips.
And while swimming may not offer the lace-up-your-shoesand-go convenience of running, all you need are three key items—swimsuit, cap, and goggles—and you're set to hit the water. So go ahead: Make a splash with one of the best workouts for women!
Why Water Works
Oct. 11, 2011, 10:21 p.m.
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Lean Legs, Tight Tush
This workout targets every inch of your lower body—glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips, inner thighs, and calves—to build lean muscle in your bottom half and boost your metabolism, while also improving your core strength and balance.
What to Expect Three days a week, do two or three sets of this routine, resting for 60 seconds between each exercise. Shorten your break time (or get rid of it completely!) to increase the challenge even more.
GET STARTED
* Watch the video and learn how to do the exercises
* Download a printable version of the workout (below)
Oct. 5, 2011, 4:50 p.m.
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What Are Your Shopping Habits?
It's a new season, which means it's time to shop. Do you prefer boutiques or department stores, or do you do most of your shopping online? We want to know all about your habits and the brands and accessories you love!
Sept. 23, 2011, 8:53 p.m.
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Print It: the 76 Best Things to Do For Your Body!
We called more than 70 top authorities on health and wellness, and asked each of them the same question: What are the most important things a woman can do to stay healthy?
After weeks of taking notes and poring over research, we’re passing the information on to you: a list of the 76 smartest tips, from the tried and true to the brand spanking new. Your strategy: Pick five this week. Implement. Next week, five more. The week after that--well, you get the idea.
KNOW THYSELF
Know your body composition. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that 25 to 30 percent of young women with a normal BMI (19 to 25) still carry excessive body fat. The easiest way to check your body composition is with bioelectric impedance analysis, available in many gyms and doctors' offices.
Aug. 23, 2011, 10:20 p.m.
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Print the Flat Abs Pilates Workout
This at-home total-body workout, which gives your abs some extra love without damaging your bottom line. All you need is a Pilates ball. Do the following sequence two or three times a week. Starting with the first move, do eight to 10 reps of each exercise with little to no rest between exercises.
The best part? With this easy printable list, you can get your fitness
expert-certified sweat on for free. Learn more about the workout or get the printable version now.
Aug. 22, 2011, 5:07 p.m.
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Get in the Mood Music
Blame It On the Tetons Modest Mouse
Fake Empire The National
Our Swords Band of Horses
Tear the Room Apart Favourite Sons
My Only Friend Deadsy
Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down Interpol
All This Time Heartless Bastards
She's a Jar Wilco
Have an awesome playlist? Send it to us at
playlists@womenshealthmag.com.
Aug. 19, 2011, 6:32 p.m.
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Yoga For Workaholics
Even if you love your job, spending 40-plus hours at a desk every week can sometimes lead to more than just a headache; it can also be a pain in the neck, shoulders, back, feet, and eyes. Being chained to your desk starves your extremities of blood, oxygen, and other fluids, resulting in tight muscles and stiff joints. But before reaching for the industrial-size bottle of ibuprofen, try these poses from Karin Wiedemann, yoga instructor and director of Urban Yoga in Washington, D.C. She suggests spending 3 minutes every 2 hours doing the following moves to relieve some tension.
The pain: Wrists and hands
The cause: "Typing is a very repetitive motion, and we do it for hours," Wiedemann says. On top of that, we hold our hands in a very tense position, so the muscles get stiff and blood doesn't circulate as well (as evidenced by how chilly your hands can get even in summer.)
Aug. 17, 2011, 5:25 p.m.
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Abs Exercises: Yoga And Pilates
Carnitas or fish tacos? Choices are hard—especially if hard is how you want your abs. And while there's no doubt that yoga has some serious abs strengtheners in its arsenal, we have to concede that Pilates picks up the point for variety and depth in the core category.
Fret no longer, ab-envying yoginis.You can now have your six pack abs and eat up your sweet savasana, too. "One time I went to a yoga session after Pilates—and everything was so much easier," says Jonathan Urla, instructor at The Sports Club/LA in New York City. "That's when a lightbulb went off in my head. I needed to put the two together."
Aug. 16, 2011, 7:11 p.m.
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Have Better Sex
Want to get your horn dog into a down dog? Unfortunately it seems a lot of guys aren't any more enthused about going to yoga than they are about going to the latest Paul Rudd movie. "You won't see many guys in yoga because they don't feel comfortable letting go of control," says Charles Matkin, who owns Matkin Yoga in New York City. "They want to be macho and punch things." But he explains that even—or perhaps especially—macho men can learn a thing or two on the mat that they can use on the mattress.
"Sex is primal," Matkin says. "You have to be okay with being dominant and submissive." He says that men's abilities in bed are also limited by back pain and overall muscle tension—two other problems yoga addresses. Men of the obviously-I'm-a-sex-god mindset may not realize just how tight their lower back and hips are from sports and sitting, or that that stiffness could possibly impact their performance. A mat quickie can correct it.
Why He'll Be Interested
Aug. 16, 2011, 5:57 p.m.
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Workout Playlists: Spinning Songs
Workout Playlist plan Up-tempo tunes
Why it works It's not because all spin instructors are ecstasy-loving club kids in disguise. It's because fast music inspires you to move. A 2007 study at Brunel University in London found that runners on a treadmill were more productive when they matched their stride to music with a tempo of 120 to 140 beats per minute (aka bpm--for the average music buff, that's the number of times you tap your foot to a song in one minute).
How does this translate to spin class? According to a study by Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in sports psychology at Brunel, you'll work up to 7 percent harder while grooving to music synched to your pedal stroke and not feel any more fatigued. To get the most pedal power from your playlist, Karageorghis recommends songs around 120 bpm for medium to high levels of exertion (when you can speak in spurts of three or four words). When it's time to raise the intensity, bump up your soundtrack to 140.
People Are People Depeche Mode
Aug. 12, 2011, 6:39 p.m.
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Women's Health Personal Trainer
Make the Women's Health Personal Trainer the last trainer you'll ever need. Our all-new, genius free online diet tool will create a daily plan based on your profile--calculate your BMI, current fitness level, goals, and other personal info.
We’ll map out your ideal fat-burning strategy with recipes, nutrition info, and a kick-ass, customized workout plan.
It's as easy as 1-2-3...
1. Customized Workouts:
Choose workouts created specifically for your weight loss and fitness
goals and lifestyle. Lots of alternate exercises let you mix it up. Work
out smarter as the system learns more about you and tailors workouts
for maximum effectiveness.2. Personalized Diet Plans
Pick the meal plan that fits your personality and lifestyle. Personal
Trainer will create daily menus customized just for you. Hate broccoli?
Easily tailor the menus to your personal tastes.
Aug. 10, 2011, 9:26 p.m.
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Easy Healthy Recipes
We've put together 40 recipes that use 10 main ingredients. Meals just got a whole lot easier!
These foods are easy to find: just about every grocery store keeps them on hand all year long; they're easy to use--in fact, they're as close to ready-to-eat as you can get without ordering takeout; and they're easy to love because they taste delicious together.
The best part? You can print the entire list to take wherever you go.
Aug. 9, 2011, 4:10 p.m.
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Stressed Out? It Might Be Messing with Your Memory
Everyone has had an experience like this one: You're running late for an important meeting, frantically tearing apart the house on a desperate search for the car keys you just put down...somewhere. Or at the other extreme, you spent weeks freaking out over an upcoming presentation only to deliver all the key points with Oscar-accepting eloquence when the day arrives.
So what is it that makes a person either go completely blank or perform brilliantly on simple tasks involving memory when feeling stressed?
The answer is complicated, and the best doctors out there are finally teasing out some of the bigger mysteries behind how that three-pound mass of electrochemical soup remembers, or forgets, where the damn keys are. An old adage says a little stress is good for memory, and a lot is bad—but it turns out to be true only for men. New research suggests that gender matters when it comes to memory and stress, whether that stress is acute, chronic, or traumatic.
Acute Stress
Aug. 5, 2011, 6:53 p.m.
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Print It: the Look Better Naked Eating Plan
The following plan isn’t merely a weight-loss program designed to help you peel off any extra pounds that are standing between the now-you and the new-you (though it will absolutely accomplish that).
No, this plan will do much, much more by changing how you even think about food. It’s the brainchild of Women’s Health nutrition advisor Keri Glassman, MS,RD. Glassman, who’s my own nutrition guru, is all about treating the body to things that are good for it. To that end, the LBN diet is healthfully hedonistic.
Because Glassman has incorporated all sorts of dietary luxuries, your tastebuds should do a little happy dance at every meal. You’ll eat cheese, nuts, waffles, pork, avocado, and peanut butter—and you’ll even have a go-to signature cocktail for when you’re out with friends!
Aug. 5, 2011, 6:34 p.m.
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Losing Weight to Prevent Diabetes
Misty Gauthier, 26
Bank-teller supervisor, Hudson Falls, NYBefore: 236 lbs
After: 146 lbsDespite a family history of type 2 diabetes, Misty Gauthier, 5'5", ignored her growing waistline for most of her life. Exercise seemed like torture, and it was easier to grab takeout than cook for herself. In fact, it wasn't unusual for her to eat out at every meal—a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on her morning commute, junky catered work lunches, and slices of pizza for dinner. She gained 60 pounds over the course of four years, reaching a high of 236.
The Change
When Misty visited her ob-gyn in February 2009, the doctor suggested testing her blood sugar levels—and the test revealed she was prediabetic. "I didn't want to have to take pills or give myself a shot every day for the rest of my life. I was only 23. It scared me and made me kind of mad at myself," she says. Determined to avoid diabetes and its complications, she took control of the scale.The Lifestyle
Aug. 3, 2011, 9:21 p.m.






