this beat is sick

I haven't posted anything on the new GirlTalk album, All Day, yet because I was trying to wait until I did a full album review; however, I've been so busy that there is a slight possibility that won't actually happen. So until it does (or in case it doesn't...) I figured I'd champion a single track, Jump on Stage. It's hands down my early favorite and the one you all should check out if you decide to forgo listening to the whole album (although why that would happen is beyond my comprehension, as it's completely phenomenal). The Skee-Lo throwback is almost as good as the Gaga/Iggy Pop combo at around 5mins. This is a dance-in-your-underwear, jump-around-the-living-room song that never fails to pump me up. It's the reason I love GirlTalk oh so much. Pure auditory gold my friends.

post not-Thanksgiving

From Mad Men, season 3. Great music on this show.



My dad was here and now he is not. post-family blues.
However, he brought me new mags so I can catch up, hooray! Interview, W, Nylon and we bought the new VOGUE España. Updates soon.
In the meantime, other things I want/miss/love. Call it Sad-time Sunday Stuff.

want: this nameplate
miss: my lil' red cruiser

S'mre cookies. on the list for when I return home.
the cookies here are all hard and made from shortbread.
I miss baking. and chocolate chips.


new Prada heels.
The heels look like fangs.
WANT.

leave the kitsch alone

Next summer, PBS will air a new series called 'Thrift America" that follows host Alexa Chung around the country delving into secondhand and vintage stores, ostensibly to find the same kind of off-beat chic that the host herself embodies. Theoretically, this is a cool idea. It's different from the high-priced materialism that Bravo has shoved down middle-American tv-obsessed throats. And Chung is as close to a 'genuine' It girl as you could hope to find, given that she doesn't employ a stylist and has seriously impeccable (and mostly infallible) taste. Plus, filming in rotating locations rather than a big city home base like New York or L.A. will strengthen the appeal nationwide. Yes, in theory, this is a great show.
I, however, am not excited. In fact it is the inverse. I am sad.
Thrifted clothes make up about 50% of my wardrobe and I nearly refuse to buy jewelry unless it has a slight tarnish (and no accessory of mine will ever come from a fast-fashion retailer, childplease). Over the years I've spent quite a bit of time driving around backroads Maryland and Delaware amassing grandpa sweaters and gold pendants from my favorite vintage bazaar and a few hospital-run secondhand places. The thrill of find a serious gem among a pile of plastic costume jewelry is unmatched. Diving into these places takes serious time commitments but in the end is way more fun than walking into say Forever21 and buying a pre-layered chain of necklaces. I developed a lot of my style in these places. And I don't think it's something that can be encompassed in a TV show. Big city Salvation Armys and the like are already overpriced... this will just give excuse to jack them up a bit more. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a nice break from monotonous style-TV and I applaud PBS for not launching a housewive/Jersey/Kardashian - themed series. I'm accepting it... but I'm not happy about it.

ADR - the obsession grows

I am very content with the person that I am.
However, if I could be any one other person in the world I would not hesitate to steal Anna Della Russo's body/wardrobe/apt/life.
It's her intermittent typing in capital letters and the affinity for headwear and the fact that she has another separate apartment for clothes.
Plus, you know, she's the editor of Vogue Nippon (the coolest one, let's be honest) and definitely does not look almost 50.
Oh, and we both love leopard print. It consumes half my closet, it consumes her entire bedroom.

We're like, soul sisters.

Thus her new perfume release marks the first time I have truly wanted to buy something solely based on the person who endorses it, with the exception of Olsen-twin clothing circa 2000. She just released the promotional video, shot by Juergen Teller and set to Kanye's 'Runaway', and I want it. That is her apartment she is in. Those clothes were gifts from Pucci and Roberto Cavalli. She is awesome. The cute little gold shoe bottle isn't helping either.



gimmegimmegimme

You and me both, honey

In a brief interview with Fashionista Alternative Apparel accessories designer Mollie Culligan read my mind.

Name one place you’d like to visit in the next year.
Home. I already travel too much. Otherwise we could throw in a little Morocco or Maldives into the mix. Or just a cabin in the woods with a bottle of whiskey, a good book, pancakes and crisp air.

a) the Maldives are my fantasy vacation spot
b) just did the Morocco thing, that was amazing.
c) ALL I WANT IS TO GO HOME FOR THANKSGIVING. 4 months abroad really is a lot longer than you'd think.
***d) the last sentence is really, truly all I could ever want in life. ***

Tweet of the day

BetteMidler

Two drinks, I'm under the table, three drinks, under the host!

she'll give you a lil' hocus pocus, amIrite?

why am I not in NYC right now. Curse you, Spain, for all the great concerts I missed this fall.
set list
1. Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
2. Shooting Star
3. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
6. Spirit On The Water
7. Cold Irons Bound
8. Desolation Row
9. Summer Days
10. Forgetful Heart
11. Highway 61 Revisited
12. Ain't Talkin'
13. Thunder On The Mountain
14. Ballad Of A Thin Man
(encore)
15. Jolene
16. Like A Rolling Stone

this bitch

seriously, how epic is this shot?

currently writing an essay for Spanish cine on Volver
loving the Psycho homage and the red sweater to match the blood (morbid Mickie)
not to mention, Penelope Cruz = one of my ultimate girl crushes

Tweet of the day:

AndrewWK

AFTER-PARTY TIP: When in doubt, eat an omelette and greet the dawn.

mmmm eggs. Good thing that's a daily staple here.

Prada, mi amada

Prada just released their ad campaign for SS'11 and it's everything you'd hope for (read: movement making). No doubt this will create a trend for boas and striped sunhats in the same way they brought back A-line skirts and the 60s fem silhouette. And again with the hair! The bouffant of AW'10 is now the finger wave of SS'10. Can my hair do this? Will I make it? yes and yes.
Miuccia never fails to deliver. Enjoy.

Everybody loves Florence

even babies.
If this isn't a testament to a great song, or the joys of dancing in cars, then I don't know what is.

Navajo loco

Over here in Spain, there's a giant horseriding trend. It's marginally inherent in the dress - Spain has as much a history of cowboys as we do - and there's a large quantity of stores dedicated to traditional polo (the sport, not the brand) wear and many more who've taken those to the masses. They don't tout Spanish leather for nothing - stores and street markets run with tassled suede bags, saddle-clasp belts, and hundreds of woven bracelets. I've secured a gorgeous chesnut backpack and a red, white, and blue wallet, both relatively cheap and really well made. Zara, which is based in Spain, really took the heritage theme and ran with it this season, showing horse-printed blouses, tall buckled boots, jodhpurs (which I bought in creamy tan with a dark brown accent), and elbow-patched blazer in every pattern, material, and color. If all the super soft tan leather wasn't a danger enough, they've just updated their stores for winter with tons of Navajo-inspired knits and outerwear. I'm struggling not to spend the last of my money. Mango, also Spanish by birth, did it to a lesser degree (fewer trendy pieces, but better-made ones) and has me pining for shearling and this baby soft suede button down that I want to cry over.
I'm hoping to nab a fur vest before I leave, and possibly some shearling-lined heeled booties; tearfully, these prices JACK up in the States.

wool and faux fur vest: Zara. shearling and leather jacket, suede shirt: Mango ring: etsy.com

Revival - Lanvin for H&M

I'm trying to get this going again... it's not easy from here. the life of an abroad college student is just so trying...


I'll jump right in with Lanvin for H&M, which debuts today in stores and whose riotous runway took place a few days ago. Chandeliers, Anna Della Russo and a poodle (obsession), and little Alber looking as adorable as created a champagne ambiance - bubbly, sparkly, lighthearted. Everything we've come to expect from the ruler of cocktail-hour-dress compacted into a diffusion line. Personally, I might just avoid H&M altogether until everything is sold since I can't afford to spend the money on it but absolutely will be powerless to resist given an opportunity.
Here, some of the best shots of the show.

there was some seriously amazing makeup combinations. Some coordinated beautifully with the accessories, while others, especially the wide array of vivid lip colors, stood out solo.

note the great coordination of the teal lips, nails, and bracelets.

this only adds to my utter obsession with ADR. Of course appearing with some form of head wear, the poodle just adds to her signature eccentricity