The urban myth that Michigan is blessed to have 4 seasons is officially squashed by - ME - a college student.
I feel that it is necessary for me to emphasize that there is some foundation of credibility as a student at Michigan State University, you learn quickly that you need at least 2 options of transportation because of the rather vast campus. I chose walking and biking, which require some extraneous time outside. The seasons are vital for ideal conditions when it comes to my walking/biking endeavors.
Autumn has officially passed and Winter is in full throttle. Awful things are happening in East Lansing:
Finals (I just finished today though!)
Slushly/icy roads
Freeeeezing temperatures (we've been having a high of 10-25 degrees the past week)
Holidays are around the corner, but we're all too broke to buy presents
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great things going on, but it's a little hard to focus on those when there are so many downers. Soon enough everyone will be done with exams and the celebrations will commence!
Holidays are about giving, but of course we receive too! I'm hoping for some new snowboarding equipment and clothes. I haven't shopped in months.
Here's a snapshot of what it looks like outside my window...
It's lookin' rough.
Alas, I have a few loose ends to tie up before the semester comes to a close. With that said, hope everyone's finals go swimmingly and Winter Break will be fun and safe!
No, not really. But, I was honored to be featured as a "Looks on Campus" look on CollegeFashion. My friend Mindy recently became one of the writers for the "Looks on Campus" section and asked me to be her first interview! It was pretty surreal once the feature came out since I wasn't expecting such feedback or notice. Mindy did a great job making me look wayyy better than I am in real life and her questions were challenging. I struggled with some of the questions, but hey, I'm not used to being interviewed! Especially when it comes to style.
Fashion is a great interest of mine, but categorizing my personal style is impossible. In the article, I described my style as being grandma-esque and I guess in a sense, that's as accurate as I could have been. I dig: florals, buttons downs, my "stomping boots", cardigans, and scarves. That's my usual uniform, but I'm pretty all over the place. Some days, you'd think all I listened to was random European rock or Nirvana from my grunge attire, but today I'm looking pretty put together with a button down and floral shorts.
Never too fancy, never too casual. The only advice I want to reiterate is to make sure that you feel good in the outfit you're wearing out. It doesn't matter what others think. really, it doesn't. As long as you think you look fabulous, your confidence and attitude will follow. Just sayin'!
“Look at you. You’re young. And you’re scared. Why are you so scared? Stop being paralyzed. Stop swallowing your words. Stop caring what other people think. Wear what you want. Say what you want. Listen to the music you want to listen to. Play it loud as fuck and dance to it. Go out for a drive at midnight and forget that you have school the next day. Stop waiting for Friday. Live now. Do it now. Take risks. Tell secrets. This life is yours. When are you going to realize that you can do whatever you want?”
Now that summer is officially over, it means the start of a few new beginnings.
BACK 2 SCHOOL KIDZ In my case, I'm back at my home away from home, East Lansing, MI. Hopefully I'll have better luck with my new bike. My previous one broke down at the most unfortunate circumstances (on my way to class to turn in an assignment, late for a volunteer gig, etc.) and it was a tad too big for my stature so maneuvering it in general became an issue. So far, so good.
It feels great being back with familiar faces and meeting new faces. Already off to an unbelievably fun start, but we'll see how this semester ends up.
THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE
Top fashion magazines have been conjuring up the biggest and baddest issue for the month of September. Apparently, quantity was key this year. At least with Vogue. With some quality, the massive amount of advertisements (which sometimes are the best parts) dispersed throughout the 726 pages, yes, SEVENHUNDREDANDTWENTYSIX pages. The advertisements are the backbone to the magazine industry, but damn, I couldn't focus on the articles or pictures with the clusterf*#k of ads. Don't get me wrong, they had some stunning photos with the guests from Fashion's Night Out and a play-by-play on FNO as well, but it was hard to focus when every other page was a different advertisement.
Fashion Week is quite soon too! I'll be posting favorites once the festivities commence.
Well, now that Autumn seems to be in full force, my impetus to attempt a studious lifestyle is revving, but I'm still in need of a big push.
ATTENTION PEOPLE CURRENTLY IN THE EAST LANSING/LANSING AREA: Go celebrate the wonders of tea at Wanderers Teahouse. It's a brand new addition to Grand River's row of shops, and I hope it's one that lasts for a very long time. Keep local businesses thriving! Wanderers is a gem and the owners are a wonderful couple who are both MSU Alumni. Let me just say, they REALLY know their tea.
After much consideration, I decided to create my very own Tumblr. Seems to be what the "cool" kids are doing these daze (haha get it? You will after looking at my Tumblr page :D).
My initial hesitation for making a Tumblr was merely the fact that I didn't want to navigate through 3 different social networking/communication sites (Facebook, Blogspot, and Tumblr). Twitter I probably won't get into, ever, but I viewed Tumblr as the expanded version of 'status updates' and 'wall posts' on facebook. Instead of bombarding my wall and other's newsfeeds with random nonsense, why not just put it all in a Tumblr! That way I can keep tabs on what I'm posting and when, and if people are interested in what I'm posting, they can just go on my Tumblr. I thought that might be more courteous than me shoving it in their faces on Facebook. It seemed selfish on my part.
I like sharing, but only if you'll accept it! If you would like to see quotes, videos, songs, etc. I like, take a gander!
p.s. You'll probably notice that a lot of the postings on Tumblr overlap with this blog. Not everything though, Tumblr will be more random stuff that doesn't need as much explaining/gushing.
I've been quite the worst movie-goer as of late. Due to a slew of excuses (lack of funds, time, good movies, etc), I haven't seen too many of the blockbusters (Avatar...I know, I'm ashamed) or even the gut-busters (Get Him To The Greek). Even with my missed chances with movies, I made it a point to watch Inception though, and Christopher Nolan strikes gold. Ensemble was perfection, especially Joseph Gordon-Levitt (always been a childhood crush of mine and still is). Besides Inception, I managed to go and watch Despicable Me, which I Adored with a capital A. With the cutest minions I've ever laid my eyes on to the oh so hilarious Steve Carell, it made for an almost tear-jerker, but feel-good movie. As my old butt (compared to the children around me) was guffawing at the low comedy jokes, it seemed that the other kids in the theater were not as amused. Oh well, to each his own.
That's all I can really do for a movie review considering I haven't seen many lately, BUT there are some movies coming out/have recently come out that I do want to see and hopefully my granny self will get there.
1.Somewhere(Sofia Coppola)
2. The Extra Man (Berman and Pulcini)
3. Welcome to the Rileys (Jake Scott)
4. Get Low(Aaron Schneider)
5. Never Let Me Go (Marc Romanek)
So many more wonderful films coming out, but for now, these are a must!
Simplistic beauty and a personal message. Watching videos like this makes me want to make videos myself! With all of the bad shit in the world, for whatever reason, this video makes you forget it and remember that one secret that's worth holding onto to keep it your own.
As a Lollapalooza first-timer, I felt unprepared but over-prepared. Underprepared in what I should expect and my choice in festival clothing. Over-prepared in the sense that I knew exactly who I wanted to see and when. Timing was everything. All the magical stories I heard about Lollapalooza were unraveling before me and I made unbelievable memories of my own. My very own Lolla story.
Let's start with my almost encounter with The XX. Although my friends did not believe me at the time, there was no doubt that Romy, Oliver, and Jamie walked past me. In a sea of just-released Lolla goers, 3 figures all dressed in black with similar hair cuts, sauntered by. At the time I didn't know their names first hand, but yelling "THE XX!!!" seemed uncouth and way uncool. So the opportunity to meet them literally passed by.
All was okay though because the 3rd day as I was walking out with my friend Cole, I recognized Curt from Flosstradamus! Thanks to Cole's encouragement to run up to him, we stopped him for a quick chat and took some GREAT pictures. Two pictures to be exact: 1) try to look happy! 2) now think "after school special." The second pose puzzled all of us, as shown clearly by our expressions. Such a perfect encounter filled with conversation, laughs, and great pictures. He is after all a Michiganian! Reppin Kalamazoo in Chicago baby.
LET'S TALK MUSIC: Matt & Kim- Pretty great. No, really great. Scratch that, they were magical. They did some kickass renditions of songs like "Better Off Alone." Ya just had to be there. Quote (or at least something close to it) of the weekend for me:
KIM- Last time we were here for Lollapalooza, I got to see my rack on the jumbo-tron, and if a cameraman will, I would love to see my boobs fucking huge! MATT- Sorry, but not even a jumbo-tron can make those look huge
Yeasayer - Speechless. Awesome, AWESOME, show. Permanent goosebumps after hearing O.N.E. & Ampling Alp live. Almost everyone especially knew Ampling Alp, so the sing-a-long was epic and I've never had such insane goosebumps.
Phoenix - even though I tried to be as close as possible, I was stuck way back and the jumbo-tron was my only true hope at seeing them well. Phoenix was definitely top of the list and hearing/seeing them was everything I hoped it would be. Mars sang as dreamy as could be, finishing the performance by making his way through the first row and serenading all those around him. Mad chills snuck up on me during "Armistice." I can't wait to go to their next show where it will hopefully be a little more intimate than thousands of bodies flooding around the stage.
The XX - not even a headliner and they pulled in a crowd I could NOT believe. Most of Grant Park was faced towards the stage they were playing at and seeing them was not a viable option. Even though I couldn't see the trio, hearing them was enough. I kept thinking, "if only I would have gone up to them, we could have become best buds and I could be backstage watching!" Oh, I know. A girl can only dream.
Flosstradamus - illest of the ill. Str8 Chicago rhythm with Detroit beats. At least that's what I like to think; collaboration of the two cities. Their stage presence was so explosive, that tiny stage, Perry's, could not contain them. During their "Lion King" set, the crowd all started belting the inaudible sounds and although you can't see it in the video, a guy on stage behind Flossy held a baby up to perfect the moment. Since Josh Young a.k.a. J2K is Kid Sister's brother, they spun some sick tracks by her. When I met Curt later, I confessed that I was hoping Kid Sis would make an appearance. He admitted that she was in town and was planning to, but couldn't last minute. Bummer, but then again, if Kid Sister would have emerged, I would have seized.
Lady Gaga - missed her, but I was in the way nose-bleeders section anyway. Judging from what I heard from the streets filled with people scream-singing Gaga songs, I say it was probably a spectacular performance. Not to mention her outrageous stage diving earlier that day at Semi Precious Weapons!
This post would be never-ending if I raved about every performance, I saw, but here are some honorable mentions: -My Dear Disco (awesome female vocals) -Devo (rocked it like it was 1980) -Empire of the Sun (the craziest performers Australia has ever produced) -Rusko (just about as hype as you can get) -Chromeo (from Dave 1's funky singing to P-Thugg smooth autotune, it was a flawless show) -MSTRKRFT (surprise appearance due to Dirty South dropping out last minute) -The Big Pink (only caught 'Dominos', but damn glad I did since it's the only song I know well) -Grizzly Bear (chilling vocals. My dream of hearing 'Knife' live came true) -Blitzen Trapper (after hearing them live, they've been on nonstop) - & sooo many more. I wish I could have caught more shows!
My stay in Chicago was extended and I sure am happy it was. We got to conquer some stores (I bought me a killer jacket), saw my darling best friend Chase and a couple other great friends while meeting new friends too! From the music festivities to my star-struck encounters with "famous people," my 6 days in Chicago were surreal.
The hilarious men of the anticipated film, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, went full-frontal for a spread in GQ. As much as I love Jason Schwartzman, Michael Cera, and Chris Evans, I'd be okay with not seeing their man-parts while I'm out trying to grab some coffee.
Witness the exposure for yourself!
Nice legs boys. Definitely diggin' the comradery between Schwartzman and Cera while they're taking a fun boys shopping trip. Evans' lack of bottoms while casually standing in the subway isn't too bad either. Fashion shmashion. Sometimes, pants and underwear are just unnecessary!
I have to say, as type-cast as Michael Cera is, he's doing well for himself. Who says every actor has to be versatile. Cera found his niche and is excelling at basically playing himself...over and over again. The meek, shy, and witty characters he plays are a crowd favorite and entertaining to watch. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World looks promising with comic book-esque graphics incorporated with real life. The animated nature of the characters and the "sound-effects" itself is a nice change of pace lately with the serious, realistic CGI that seems to be the center for every movie. Boy meets girl, and hopefully boy gets girl. That is, if he defeats the "7 evil exes!"
Adds a different feel to both songs huh? Biggie's thug raps and The xx's lucid, soft sounds somehow get along so well. As powerful and personal "Juicy" is, the guitar riff in the background from The xx really contribute a discerning effort. For whatever reason, it all just...works. Honestly though, what hasn't Biggie been remixed with? The likes of Frank Sinatra, Ratatat, and even Miley Cyrus (?!?! I find this just insulting).
Even though Weezy is locked up, his music is still being manipulated and refreshed. (500) Days of Weezy mashes up the soundtrack album from (500) Days of Summer and Weezy's songs. Some work, some don't. I found it interesting though; it's a tough challenge!
usually browse the ever-so extensive World Wide Web. Oh how vast it truly is!
I figured, everyone procrastinates. So why not help you out a little bit? To help make your procrastination enjoyable and a little more productive, here are just a handful of sites I find myself getting caught up in.
This is Dear Girls Above Me. The fellow pictured above is unfortunately tormented by a couple of girls that live in the apartment above him. As the walls seem to be very thin, the girls talk endlessly and loudly at that. From their parties to their everyday conversations, he decided to humor himself and document what they had to say. Find out about these girls for yourself and their (lack of) intelligence.
Meet The Sartorialist. The incomparable Scott Schuman is the dashing gentleman behind the camera. Not only is he hugely successful in the fashion industry, he published a book that was based off of his blog. His blog consists of pictures he takes all around the world. What's great about The Sartorialist's photography is that he's truly a skilled photographer, evidenced by how he captures people in a way that's elegant and timeless. He mainly focuses on fashion, but there's a seamless depth to the images he shoots.
Have no fear, Chictopia is here! Chictopia, in my opinion, is a better version of lookbook. Sometimes, lookbook gets a little too snooty and too much "look how great my clothes" attitude. What I love about this site is that if you really are in a fashion rutt and nothing in your closet seems to be a viable option, Chictopia opens up brand new ways to wear your old clothes that you may have never thought to wear. People post pictures of what they wore, to give others ideas on what to wear and share fashion stylings. Take what you will from it, as I've found so much inspiration from these members. It's not only a girls only club! There's a ton of well-dressed boys lurking around.
And your time starts...NOW on oneword. Click on the link and they have a short and concise description of what it is. It's pretty brilliant, especially when you have a writer's block.
The queen supreme reason why I procrastinate and procrastinate for hours. Happy stumbling!
You may judge if you like, but hey, you gotta admit they're pretty entertaining.
I "stumbled upon" this livejournal page and I'm so glad I did. What ever happened to that elegant 1950's date nights where women wear classically stunning dresses for an evening of pure romance with an equally impeccably dressed man? Dating these days seem to be missing that crucial element: courtship. Let's bring it back people!
Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart
Joanne Woodward and Paul Newmann Ah, maybe my favorite Hollywood couple, ever.
Alain Delon and Romy Schneider
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer
James Dean and Pier Angeli
Given, I don't expect the exact glamour of the stars from these pictures, but it would be nice to have evenings like that, wouldn't it?
Well, since we're talking about courtship dating, I give you, Courtship Dating by Crystal Castles.
It has officially been confirmed. After much trials and tribulations, I will indeed be a member of the audience at Lollapalooza!
The general consensus for many of my peers have been that buying a $200 ticket is not worth it because of the "weak" 2010 lineup. Many of these people are comparing from the previous year or even from a couple years back. Every festival includes hits and misses, but it's all about the hits that make it worth coughing up some cash and commit to a whirlwind weekend. Even as a devout fan of Perry Farrell & co’s picks, he missed a “few” this year. To his credit, he can’t hold down and dictate bands to fill a slot at Lollapalooza. Totally and completely understandable. Team Perry!
Truthfully, I, myself, was not planning on buying a ticket. Luckily, I didn’t have to. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I had a ticket in hand. A fortunate circumstance like this is quite rare and I'm not going to let it slip through my fingers. I’m fucking going. I don’t care that Soundgarden and Greenday are 2 out of the 3 main headliners, or that many groups who dropped fantastic albums this year won’t be there to give us a taste of what they’ve been working so hard on. Regardless, this year has a handful of solid anchors that will hopefully bring in a fresh crowd. Oh, and I can't forget the presence of Lady GaGa. She's a killer performer and entertainer, there's no disputing that. She may have a stigma attached to her, but everyone can admit she's going to put on a mindblowing show. Hopefully with lots of blood, tea cups, and patriotism.
Let’s take a gander at the 2009. Okay, so it was pretty epic. Topping that all-star lineup is pretty impossible, so maybe they went in a different direction and made the best of it. When I first read the lineup a little more than a year ago, “who copied and pasted my Itunes onto this page?!” was my only thought. Let's just say I was a little more than thrilled. Fists of fury were being pumped, but later depression set in as I couldn't go. As the saying goes, "the past is the past"; so let's make this year wild!
Lollapalooza's website offers the ability to "customize your schedule." While on my full throttle Lollapalooza high, I started to figure out who I was definitely going to see, and who I wouldn't mind missing. Here are my must-sees:
Phoenix: nothing better than some french gentlemen.
Yeasayer: go listen to their new album (and previous ones).
Flosstradamus: the real life brother of Kid Sister and a homeboy from K-Zoo, Mi. Dope sounds (they hang out with the likes of A-Trak and Diplo, must I go on?)!
Mumford & Sons, Blitzen Trapper, The DoDos, The Strokes, and so many more! I think you get the gist.
Either way, I'm looking to get overstimulated by the sounds, smells, tastes(?) of Lollapalooza. I'd say according to the list, I'm in some damn good company for an outrageous weekend.
Two of my favorite passions have always gone hand-in-hand. Music and fashion.
Fashion shows have always incorporated music into their fierce runways and the latest and greatest are merging. Music transcends the clothes displayed and rather creates an atmosphere, a feeling that dissipates throughout the room. Designers are pretty particular when choosing their playlist for it has to embody the clothes as well as the designer. Music itself is relative and subjective to each individual. One song may mean more to me than for you. I'm an avid reader of blogs and websites that discuss fashion and/or music. Sometimes, I discover artists or designers I was not aware of before through such collaborations. Other times, sheer brilliance is combined, i.e. Viktor and Rolf setting up La Roux for a performance during their Menswear Spring/Summer 2011 collection. I myself am not a huge La Roux fan, but the pair was pretty spot on. Here's a video:
Speaking of La Roux...I'm going to jump topics a little bit here. La Roux and Major Lazer (personal favorite!) came out with Lazerproof a while back. What emerged was a pretty stellar mash-up from the two artists. CHECK IT. Diplo can do no wrong (well, besides the new M.I.A. album, but that's for another post).
I guess the gist of this post was that lately combinations/collaborations/mash-ups are totally IN. Just a regular combo platter of music, fashion, and whatever else you can manage to throw in there.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Twas the weekend of Pitchfork Music Festival and I was not in attendance. This may be a depressing post considering how I missed the collective genius' that were gathered on Sunday July 18, 2010 in the grand city of Chicago. The previous two days were pretty epic themselves with headliners like Pavement and LCD Soundsystem (I highly recommend listening to their new album, This Is Happening. I'll rave later), and so many more fantastic artists (Panda Bear, Modest Mouse, Free Energy, etc.).
Now, those that witnessed greatness, if you could squeeze out every miniscule detail that you could think of and regurgitate it back to me, that would be more than appreciated. I already had a couple phone calls throughout the weekend that were pleasantly bittersweet. Pleasant in the sense that these dear friends were kind enough to try and include me in their experience (i.e. calling me during Major Lazer's set or sending me pictures from the Beach House and St. Vincent shows), but bittersweet because I would have done ANYTHING to be there. In the end, I lived vicariously through Chase and Taylor (shoutout!), listening to mentioned artists pretending I was hearing it live.
Next year Pitchfork... you WILL be mine for the taking. Until then, I bid you farewell. If this year's lineup was outrageous, what wonders will show up in 2011?!
Okay, so ever since I started Girl Inform Me, I've been carefully watching myself on what I've been posting or the contents of my posts. The thing is, I fully realized that this blog was created so that I could have a release and to document such happenings in my life. I want Girl Inform Me to be a vessel that accurately portrays me (via the internet that is).
SO I DECLARE THAT I WILL BE POSTING WHATEVER AND WHENEVER I WANT. THAT INCLUDES DUMB VIDEOS I FIND AMUSING, LATE NIGHT LOLCATZ OBSESSION WHEN I'M PROCRASTINATING, MUSICAL FINDINGS, FASHION SHMASHION, BRILLIANT OR NOT SO BRILLIANT FILMS, GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MY LIFE, AND WHATEVER THE F$!@ I WANT.
Now that's said and done...I give you fantastic music from a "children's show" (although the demographic seems to be aimed more towards the kids who enjoy "extracurricular activities") called ADVENTURE TIME!
DISCLAIMER: This is a pretty thorough explanation and purely an unrelenting rant about my obsession/borderline stalking. Real talk starts now.
I discovered La Blogotheque a few years back and kept it to myself for a while, but the genius' behind the camera had to be shared. The erratic nature of the videos are quickly apparent as the most "guiding" the La Blogotheque team merely suggests ideas, but steps aside so that the featured artist(s) can do what they do best: play great music. Nonchalant banter about "the plan" (which is usually the "let's just see where this goes" idea) is soon subsided as music starts to reverberate through their immediate setting. The videos are a candid reminder of what music is really all about. Sure, musicians put on elaborate shows to display their talent, but the rawness of their sound is diminished with all of the gratuitous technology. La Blogotheque opens up a rare sound that emerges from the most intimate of settings, to an entire neighborhood. Wherever they go, they serenade not only the people present, but engulf the entire city.
I went through countless hours of their extensive library of artists. From Fleet Foxes to Phoenix to Pigeon John, they cover musicians in their raw and honest form. Their usual location to film is in France, but they frequently make exceptions here and there ( i.e.San Francisco, L.A., and New York). The basic set-up of the take-away shows is footage of featured artists merely wandering the streets of ______. The different reactions from locals, random spectators, and tourists amidst the brilliant sounds of vocals and instruments are the best part about the videos. My words don't do any justice, so it's best if you experience it for yourself! I could rant and rave for pages, but La Blogotheque can be found on youtube, or the link provided.
Well, the reason for this abrupt introduction to La Blogotheque (for those of you who are being exposed to this for the first time), is when my favourite French filming troupe shot 25-minutes of a performance by Beach House at a small apartment in France. The audience was speckled throughout the room, trying to stay on the perimeter, as Beach House was clearly the guests of honor. Victoria Legrand's smooth French-to-English transitions, to her soulful vocals with Alex Scally's strumming, posed for a flawless show. The candor of the performance, including Legrand's concern for the drummer's temperature ("are you hot?") and images of Scally's timid smiles and shy looks made for a comfortable environment. My true admiration for both Beach House and La Blogotheque have fused and produced such brilliance. Hopefully, I'll be seeing Beach House live sometime soon in the future, but until then, this will have to suffice.
I desperately wish to witness one of their take away shows, but I guess I'll just have to let it happen. Okay, sorry. I'm done with all my gushing. I promise I only do this when I really care!
Have you ever wandered the "Missed Connections" section on Craigslist?
I think you'd be surprised at the gravity of the love-struck writers' posts. Simple encounters like a glance at a coffee shop to long-lost/forgotten love are scattered throughout the site. Regardless of the varied situations and the complexity of these grievances, it's clear that the simple gesture of interest is dually noted.
Having read some of the posts, I noticed how momentous some of the connections were. Even the waiter-customer relationship or the passerby on the street who caught your eye just for a few seconds. If these connections existed, why not profess your interest online? With all the chemistry.com's and match.com's of the world, missed connections seems like a more legitimate way to meet your possibility. It even adds a bit of mystery, intrigue, and thrill.
It's lookin' rough.
