Category — music

Powder blue dress & red lips. Yes please. Charlize Theron covers UK Vogue May 2012

“Whooaa, amber is the colour of your energy…” – 311

I really like that song.  It reminds me of sitting on my contemplation rock by the beach, listening to the crashing waves and letting the heat of the setting sun toast my skin.  On the subject of colour, Spring/Summer 2012 is giving us lots to celebrate – this season there are so many ways to work new hues into your wardrobe.

Here are 3 key trends that will be fun ways to up the ante on your current fashionistah stylings:

New Kid on the Colour Block – Colour blocking is not a new trend but this season, many designers are making it as easy as putting on a top or dress.  The best way to colour block is strikingly graphic or extremely saturated, inspiring coos of passerby’s, “Ooh, I would never, ev-errrr, in a million years think of combining those colours, but heck, I LIKE it!” 

This DVF Lou Dress is Colour Theory 101: Complimentary on the colour wheel and sure to elicit mad props.

Happy Accident: This Gryphon Dip Dye Dress is colour-block and high-low. 2 Trends Become 1 (to tune of Spice Girls).

NEON – Your t-shirt’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.  If like me, you had a Hypercolour sweatshirt, crimped your hair and watched the Facts of Life in the 80’s, you may hesitate to leave this trend to your too-cool for school niece (insert eye-roll).  Or you can take a tamer approach and accessorize with a neon skinny belt or wear a warm neutral to offset the stimulating bright of neon. 

Dree Hemingway sets it off in Valentino Couture. Blinding vibrant yellow meets nude. Well played.

Neon in the details: Loving the subtle pop-art pink piping on these ALDO Brimfield Wedges

Sorbet Pastels -  Seeing pastel hued clothing reminds of me of the Art Deco buildings in South Beach.  Any of the soft colours can be worn to compliment your skin tone – butter yellows, mint, cream tangerine, baby blue and cotton candy pinks.  This season we are seeing many retailers show really great skinny jeans in ice cream colours.  Pick your flavour? 

Dude. Sweet. Pastel Skinnies via Paris Vogue.

How are you going to integrate colour into your wardrobe? Do tell.

For extra tips on adding colour this Spring, read more on BlogHer and don’t forget to enter The Life Well Lived Sweepstakes.

Blair & Serena matchy-matchy. I especially adore when you show up to an event wearing the same kind of outfit as your fashionistah bestie, "Nice lace dress!" Brainwave!

I am a naughty blogeress. Naughty x 3.  This hottt summer weather has been diverting my attention to galavanting as opposed to blogging.  What can I say?  I love heat & sunshine.

Around this time every Spring for more than a decade, my fashionistah friends and I celebrate an annual event known as Fashion Eastah.  On a road trip to Montreal, my bestie C was calling her boyfriend and due to poor reception, he misinterpreted what she was saying.  He responded, “Fashion Easter?  You girls have a holiday!?!!”  To which many a light bulb exploded simultaneously and we collectively gasped, “We TOTALLY should!”

The early origins of Fashion Eastah are mired in legends of Redbull vodkas, high heels, special edition mixed cd’s, elaborate fondant cakes baked in the shapes of shoes, riotous fashion trivia and after-hour late nights being twirled around by flaming gay boys to the techno-beat of a Killers Remix.  These days our Fashion Eastah’s are less sketchy affairs, more ladylike brunches, chiffon daydresses, quiches and spa water.  But when we get together, we reminisce tasting our first champagne at Les Bains Douches, wearing those backless tops in the 90’s to go clubbing and playing “I Want It That Way” (click to play now) on repeat while taking the EuroRail.  Good times!  BTW, the 90’s are considered retro now.  Crazytown!

Ain't nothing but a heartbreak... Confession: I was never a BSB fan but hell, I love this song because it reminds me of my first trip to Europe with my fashionistahs.

Feel free to co-opt this holiday for you & your best fashion girlfriends.  Some tips for your Fashion Eastah event:

• Flowers for the Hostess – A lovely floral arrangement is de riguer for your hostess.  After all, she has woken up early to pick up those fresh croissants, place the tablemats just so and greet you with a spritzer.  I love mixing shades of pinks, oranges, white and greens in tulips, gerber daisies and roses. Ahh, so fresh!

Domestic goddesses take note: Do co-opt the gradiant hues in this floral arrangement from Martha Stewart.

• Dress the Part – Call me Cruise, but I love setting a dress code.  Cheesy as it sounds, I get a kick out of co-ordinating outfits with my friends.  Part of Fashion Eastah is the celebration of Spring – getting to rip the hangtags off that new outfit sitting desperately in your closet or break in your new patent pastel wedges.  Plus, your clique of fashionable friends will notice your attention to detail.  “Ooh, I like how you matched your daisy earrings to the yellow piping on your skirt.” Noted!

Feel free to wear something extra girly. After all, these are your people. Constance working pastel florals in produce Aisle 1 for Vogue.

• Savour the Macarons – We had a full on conversation about macarons and how one of my friends had to chastise her husband for popping them into his mouth like a box of Oreos.  Helloooooo, those take a bajillion hours to make.  Remember to savour the macarons!

Fashion Eastah, literally! I mean, designer Easter eggs via Vogue. This would make a fun crafternoon, non? Ridiculous.

Surprisingly, Brandon Flowers looks damn good in feathers. So I take my sister to a Killers concert and she's all: "I love his British accent." *Swoon* I'm like, "Um, Brandon is from Las Vegas." Insert sisterly-giggles!

Life has been hectic and come to think of it, I have been missing one of my favourite past times — attending rock concerts.  I went through a phase where I went ALL the time with my friend H.  On a Thursday, we would have cocktails at her bachelorette pad then take in a live show at a sketchy bar or concert venue.  The next day, we would drag our tired selves into work, the aftersmell of smoke masked by extra hair conditioner and dark eye circles disguised with a heavy-handed application of concealer.  Ahhhh, those were the days!   And such fond memories. Methinks I will bring it back.

Here are a few alterna-pop rock songs, I obsess over listen to on repeat:

• Miike Snow – Paddling
• TV On The Radio – Will Do
• Kele – Everything You Wanted (RAC Remix)
• Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out

Sometimes Julian mumbles but I adore The Strokes. Nothing better than 12:51 or Reptilia live, non?

Keep your hands free so you can drink and dance with that cute hipster by the bar. Shake your fringe with a Z&L Marrakesh Crossbody Bag

Wildfox T-shirt Dress. While it’s a dress, please pair it with leggings, otherwise people will think you forgot your pants at home. Trust.

Exactly how I would wear Joe's Jeans Ponte Pants! There's something edgy about grey jeans that makes them perfect for rocking out.

Once the movie 'Rock of Ages' comes out, you know there's going to be a big hair, acid wash and punk revival. Sienna pairs her acid wash jeggings with a cozy t and slouchy sweater.

Music is my life.  My life is a dance song.  When I am in a crap mood, I blast the music and sing along.  And when I stop at a red light, I sing to my neighbour.  Don’t judge meeeaahh!

This playlist is alternately titled Botox and Hip Hop.  I didn’t want to name the post that because let’s not get it twisted – I don’t love botulism but I do love hip hop.  Alas, to each their own.  Driving bumper to bumper on the 10 West freeway takes a zen attitude, the ability to merge aggressively (yet safely) and solid tunes to enjoy the late afternoon sunset.  Being on the West Coast always reignites my love for Hip Hop.  The proximity to the beach and salty air remind me of old copies of Seventeen magazine featuring a fresh faced Cameron Diaz.    

Did you have this issue of Seventeen too? Bright, bold and casual and characteristic of California girls

Here are some tunes that remind me of California:

Lana Del Rey (aka Lizzie Grant) posters are plastered on every corner.  A young songstress who was recently remarketed to appeal to the blogosphere and Silverlake hipster set with her plumped up lips (not pumped up kicks) and 60’s styling.  Her music is a melange of heartbreak ballads (of the ‘I love bad boys but they don’t love me’ variety) and uptempo alterna-pop.  There is a lot of controversy surrounding her imminent rise to superstardom but I still dig her music.

Lana Del Rey covers British Vogue. If you can look past those plumped lips, her music is Nancy Sinatra meets a Quentin Tarantino movie.

• Lana Del Rey – Video Games
• Lana Del Rey – Born To Die

Oh boy, do I love me some hip hop! Listening to the radio in LA, they always play the best old school R&B and Hip Hop.  You definitely have the chance to discover new tracks.  A dance-y hip hop song is better than a shot of espresso in the morning.  I love the melange of genres when a hip hop artist does an alternative mashup.

• Flo Rida f. SIA – Wild Ones
• Trey Songz f. Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up
• Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa – Young Wild Free  “So what we go out!  That’s how it’s supposed to be!”

Madonna Crazy For You: OMFG!?! Remember when we used to buy singles on vinyl then set our record players on repeat if we were obsessed?

“Trying hard to control my heart
I walk over to where you are
Eye to eye we need no words at all”

Lordy.  There’s something about a 1980’s Madonna ballad that takes you out of time and space.  Singing along to the lyrics sucks you back into your tween self swaying dramatically whilst emoting in your pink acid-wash.  I love this early Madonna era with her round face, lace lingerie, plastic bracelets, rosaries, untouched roots and oversized hair accessories.  Sometimes I forget how amazing old school Madge songs are, then I hear one and remember…

Here are my top choices for early Madonna karaoke songs.  Please take a few moments to savour the videos.  And for you kids born after 1990, please don’t talk to me.  Just kidding.  I love you *insert tickle-tickle

• Crazy For You - Madonna croons in a smoky bar wearing a pretty major bow.
• True Blue – Red lipstick, beach blonde pixie cut and culottes.  This song would be good for sassy dance moves with your girlfriends.
• La Isla Bonita - Make sure you memorize the Spanish lyrics because it’s really embarrassing to mumble made up words over a loud speaker.
• Borderline – Dancing under the bridge, neon green socks, boyfriend jeans and a cheesy faux fashion shoot!  

The Hair Bow Revival: Marc Jacobs was inspired by early Madge in 2009. The mega bow is a trend for the young girls.

The Original Madonna of the 80's: Less polish, more roots and gum popping.

I ask you this: "Why is One Tree Hill still on the air??" I still hope that one day these two get back together. You too, huh?

I haven’t written a music post in a while yet like so many of my diversions, it truly is a passion.  This playlist is a compilation of songs inspired by Seth & Summer.  Songs they would play on the beach while roasting marshmallows to the view of the setting sun and sounds of crashing waves, her clad in her bikini and Juicy hoodie and him in his Penguin shirt and plaid boardshorts.  Is it weird that I’m nostalgic for 2005?  I dated a lot of cute skinny boys that summer, rode around my car Habeebs with my sunroof open, danced under the stars and tanned on the beach.  Good times.

Some sweet sounds.  Dream on young lovers…

• Summer Camp – I Want You
• Air – Playground Love
• Conner Youngblood – A Summer Song
• Foster the People – Helena Beat
• Phoenix – Love Like a Sunset
• Tokyo Police Club – Bambi
• Young the Giant – Strings
• Death Cab For Cutie – You Are A Tourist (Seth Cohen’s favourite band)

Rachel Bilson looking super cute in her Missoni bikini. I mean, Adam Brody, what were you thinking? #girlcrush