Thursday, March 15, 2012

Pencil, Well, Permanent Marker This In -fashion a la mode


See ya short skirts, well, not entirely. This spring and summer however, pencil skirts are a girls new best friend. Arriving in all new fabrics and cuts, there are plenty of styles for every girl to try. Of course I had to jump on this style trend (although trend might not be the accurate word to describe it, trend meaning that it will go out of style at some point- which with this classic cut, I doubt). I bought the skirt in a double cotton fabric (neon rose and a watercolor floral print), double-serge wool (mustard yellow, more for the fall, but can adapt it to the spring), cotton knit (a light blue), and a cotton paisley print. As you can see, I have done some shopping as of late.

Pair any of these skirts with a silk blouse, a chambray shirt, or even just a v-neck tee. You can wear them highwaisted or sitting on the hips; they truly are one of the more versatile pieces you will have in your closet. So go ahead and buy one, or like me, 5, and rock the pencil!

-N

(J. Crew)
(J.Crew)
(Rag and Bone)
(Alice + Olivia)




Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Head AND the Heart?- Music a la Mode

Another day stuck in traffic on my commute home from work, trying to unwind and look for the perfect song to capture my mood- always a hard task. But today I hear something that makes my ears perk up... as I am flipping through the stations, I hear a song that immediately intrigues me. I crank up the volume, and work my memory hard (trying to even recall a few of my college studying techniques... King Henry Died By Drinking Chocolate Milk... Anyone??) to try and remember all of the words in this song so I can download it as soon as I get home.  Okay, so I admit, I couldn’t remember all of it (I do not have photographic, or immediate song memory), but what I did remember was a catchy chorus that went a little something like this: “I am on my way, on my way, I am on my way back to where I started. California, Oklahoma, all of the places I ain’t ever been to.. down in the valley, whiskey rivers, these are the places you will find me hiding.  These are the places I will always go.”  Ah, the music has the most beautiful harmonies, and combined with a refreshing folk sound as well as the building of the piano, and then climax of the song just made me so dang happy!  After I ran in the door and found the name of this mysterious song, I stumbled upon the creators of this masterpiece: an indie-folk pop band called “The Head and the Heart”.  Wondering why they choose this quirky name? I was too. Band member (and the only chick!) says, “So many decisions in life and in the music we love can come down to a critical tug between the logic in our heads and the hot red blood beating through our hearts.” Well ain’t that the truth? Speaks to me (as I know it speaks to my fellow emotional- music junkie Nicole.) This band decided to create beautiful music in the middle of that crux that we all often find ourselves in.
Six talented individuals got their first start after many frequent visits to the open-mic night at Conor Byrne in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood (ah, the ever-burgeoning Seattle, Washington- Americana music scene) in the summer of 2009.  They decided to leave their day jobs (don't we all) and academic pursuits behind, and start recording. After listening to their whole album, no, unlike I thought, it is not just a one-hit wonder…I decided the WHOLE album is amazing. But seriously, each song is seriously better than the next.  

Many of the songs are inspired from those first months we all grapple with involving; the multicolored threads of leaving home, finding home, and through that process of deconstruction, finding yourself.  The Head and the Heart write and play songs that speak to the newness of a fresh start, of the ghosts left behind, of moving forward- all brimming with a soulfulness and hope for a better life than the one we've all been sold. I mean, seriously. Talk to me. 

Once you hear these powerful voices melded together you start to believe that these six people may have been meant to be find themselves together in life.  The full, rich harmonies mixed with an assortment of instruments including a piano, cello, violin, even handclaps(!), create pure magic.  No trickery involved, the band claims that the more genuine and honest they are in their songwriting and performing, the more the people seem to relate to the transparency.  Yep, I like it. I like them- almost as much as I like jamming to them on my commute to and from work. 

So from my heart and my head I beg you to listen to them as you find yourself in traffic, like many of you will at some point. 

-R

Monday, March 5, 2012

She Wore An Itsy Bitsy... - fashion a la mode

My sister for years has been telling me how much she loathes polka dots. Hates them. Well my dear Paige, this is not your season. Dots are everywhere. Big and small, or a combination of the two, monotone black and white or a variety of colors. They’re covering dresses, pants, tunics, blouses and those naughty little unmentionables- undergarments. Whether you love them or hate them, you might have to give them a shot, because one thing’s for sure, you can’t get away from them.

The pattern surfaced in the late nineteenth century in England, and was used for formal wear. The famous small black dot-on-white print was seen everywhere from shirts, to children’s clothing, to lingerie. Once associated with the dance of the same name, a lot of people thought the pattern was named because it had some correlation to the dance. Untrue- it just happened to become popular around the same time. In the 1960’s, the song “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” gave homage to the pattern and the song is one that not only gives a pleasing mental image, but gets stuck in your head too. In the 80’s and 90’s, polka dots were commonly associated with designer Carolina Herrera as she used the pattern for many of her dresses and clothes of the time.




But now, 2012, and over a century after the pattern surfaced, dots are back, and with a bang. I wore my J. Crew jacquard polka dot pullover blouse to work last week and literally had people coming up to me left and right commenting on it. Who would have thought a simple white blouse with navy dots could be something to rave about. You can pair a dotted blouse with a light wash denim for a casual, pulled-together look, a scarf with a button up for a splash of print, or if you’re feeling wild, pair a polka dot top with a bottom of the same pattern. You might be surprised to find this look works for everyone. Hopefully my sister will be a believer after she tries and tests it. 


(Anthropologie)

(J. Crew)

Friday, March 2, 2012

Let's Set the World on Fire. fun. -music a la mode

As I sit down to write this, it is 7:35 on a Friday morning. Woof. If you need a visual image of what I may look like right now, its pretty similar to the Some Nights album cover… sitting lounged on a chair, in last night’s lace skirt and a hoodie, in taking as much caffeine as I can per gulp of my Starbucks. Mornings should not exist before 10 am. Some Nights is playing in the background and as I was originally gonna write about something completely different, I decided to write about something a little more “friday”.  fun. came out in 2008, and surprisingly I hadn’t heard of them until about three weeks ago when my friend from work turned on their pirated album (sorry…) over the loudspeaker. My initial reaction after finding out he hadn’t chosen Keith Sweat (no offense to all you Sweat fans) was “Aaron, what the hell are we listening to?” The intro song to their album sounded like a musical. The only way I could describe what I was listening to was comparing it to a blend of Queen and the Little Mermaid. Yes, I compared fun. to an iconic band and a Disney children’s movie. (Truthfully, they’re a lot more than that, so don’t let my initial reaction scare you off.)

I bought their first CD “Aim and Ignite” three days later, because I am a music junkie, and because after giving them a chance I actually loved them. I throw around that word a lot when it comes to music, and one of my musician friends says I have the musical mind of a sponge (I like everything), but seriously, this is different. Their first CD topped the US Billboard charts at 71… not the best, but hey, at least they were on it. Their two hit singles from that record “All the Pretty Girls” and “At Least I’m Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)” are catchy to say the least. My favorite song from the album, and their first single as a group, “Benson Hedges” is quirky and original and its meaning- don’t try and make me something I’m not, accept me for who I am, is an idea that all of us can appreciate. Nate Ruess, the lead vocals for the group, does have the pipes much like Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury I mentioned earlier. Now add that amazing voice to the many instruments of the group: trumpets, guitars, pianos, synthesizers and even a flugelhorn- this group is unlike any I have heard.

In 2010, the group toured with Jack’s Mannequin, Paramore and Relient K, getting their name out there, and later that year they released the single “C’mon” featuring group Panic! at the Disco. 2011 was the year that they started getting more notoriety for their music, when they announced that their next single, “We Are Young”, featuring singer Janelle MonĂ¡e, was to be released. This song was then featured in an episode of the TV show Chuck, all you Gleeks out there probably heard it remade in Glee, and was finally featured in the Super Bowl XLVI commercial for Chevrolet’s Chevy Sonic also featuring the well-known band OK Go. Super Bowl face time is big time. Who wouldn’t want to listen to a song with the words ringing “So if by the time the bar closes/ And you feel like falling down/ I’ll carry you home/ Tonight/ We are Young/ So let’s set the world on fire/ We can burn brighter/ Than the sun”. Kind of endearing, kind of empowering, an anthem for 20-somethings all around.

The release of their 2012 album “Some Nights” has so far peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard charts, and number 1 on the US Alternative Billboard chart. It is one you need to buy. Frankly, that, and my venti iced sugar-free cinnamon dolce latte (Starbucks snob), are the only things getting me through this morning.



So go buy the album, or at least give it a shot. I need to go figure out what I am going to wear today, easily the hardest decision of my morning, every morning. Like fun. says, “I’ll put one foot in front of the other one” and go. Simply put.

-N