Treehouses

I love treehouses, not that I get to really frequent them these days but I had one growing up (a pretty awesome one if I say so myself). I came across this site that had the the 10 Most Amazing Treehouses. They are all pretty cool and some are kind of Neverending Story/Lord of the Rings like. It makes me want to build a fort.

MOMA/DFA PopRally

Okay, so I guess this would be something I would have fancied if I hadn't slept on getting tickets so rather I fancy the idea of this creative event. MOMA has a new exhibit they are debuting that "explores artists’ use of ready-made color—from paint chips to colored tape—features works by forty-four modern and contemporary artists, including Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and Angela Bulloch."

So they are throwing a dance party with DFA with DJs Juan Maclean, T&T (Tim Goldsworthy & Tim Sweeney), Holy Ghost!, Justin Miller & Jacques Renault. Best part, they encourage you to dress like the art in bright, bold colors! Maybe I will still dress like a crayon, put on my ipod and check out the exhibit during the week.

Passing Strange

The new rock musical, Passing Strange is getting a ton of attention. I really dislike musicals but have decided to give this one a try after multiple friends adamantly endorsed it. I have tickets for later this month so no real opinion yet but I'm excited! It was originally staged at the Public and has now moved to Broadway and the raves are pouring in. Here is the description from NY Mag:

The plot itself—ambitious middle-class black man struggles with what it means to be “authentically black”—could be adapted from Obama's biography. But there's nothing heavy-handedly relevant about this rock musical in the spirit of Spring Awakening (with which it shares an amazing set designer). In fact, it's a blast. Stew, the Negro Problem band member who co-created and narrates the show, leaves plenty of room for rock riffs and loose-limbed forays into various musical styles. It's likely to be even more impressive on this big Broadway stage than it was last year at the Public, when Jeremy McCarter celebrated “the easy pleasure of a show that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself.”

Uniqlo Jeans

Uniqlo makes *great* jeans. They fit really well, have the right amount of give and come in a ton of colors and styles. Best of all, they are so reasonably priced at $49.50. One downside is that they tend to rotate their styles so if you really like the way one pair fits, you should stock up. I love the slim fit straight leg version and on a recent trip found out that they were in the sale section for 29.99. Great for me in the short term but probably means they won't be coming back. The other downside is that they only have locations in Asia, UK and NYC and no online US store although they do have them for the other countries so hopefully it will just be a matter of time.

Imju Fiber Wig

A friend recently tipped me off to Imju Fiberwig Mascara. I have a bit of a problem wearing mascara as it usually ends up underneath my eyes but I think I might have found a cure with this product. They claim to give you the look of false eyelashes and while I don't know that I would go that far, it doesn't smudge, giving you that panda eye look, doesn't clump and stays thin on your lashes. You have to apply a few times but I'm a fan. It's about $22 at Sephora.

Tilly and The Wall

I heart the band, Tilly & the Wall, they are make these really endearing, not too twee (at least in my opinion although I know others disagree) indie pop songs. They have put out two albums and have another one on their way. For percussion they have a tap dancer. Need I say more?

Here is a link to their most recent video for a song called Beat Control that won't actually be on the new album but is being put out as part of a three song 7". It's a bit different then the usual Tilly fare but just as catchy. Here is another link to a video from their last album.

Oscars Update

So thank god I didn't actually put money in a Oscar pool since I was way off in all the female categories.

Who Won...
Best Picture: No Country For Old Men
Best Directing: Coen Bros/ No Country For Old Men
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis/ This Will Be Blood
Cinematography: Robert Elswit/ There Will Be Blood
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard/ La Vie En Rose
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem/ No Country For Old Men
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton/ Michael Clayton
For full coverage, I suggest hitting EW

Frozen Grand Central

I am bit behind on this clip but I thought it was worth posting even tho it has already made the rounds. Recently Improv Everywhere, a group that seeks to "causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places" created a scene in New York's Grand Central Station where they had 207 agents freeze on cue for 5 minutes. If you check out their site, they have a bunch of other projects they have accomplished all over the world that are pretty cool.

Mel Kadel

I recently came across this artist, Mel Kadel and was really charmed by her work especially her drawings. There is this endearing Shel Silverstein quality to them.

Oscars

I have LOVED the Oscars ever since I was little, everything from watching all the movies up until the show, the red carpet and the usually anti climatic show itself. Tomorrow is the day!

My Oscar Musings:
Actor in a Lead Role: Daniel Day Lewis. period.
Actress in a Lead Role: Ellen Page (I think she might be a surprise since everyone predicts Julie Christie's win who is my personal favorite.)
Actor in Supporting Role: Javier Bardem. done.
Actress in Supporting Role: Ruby Dee (Although I want Amy Ryan or Cate Blanchett but the Academy loves to honor people with a long career and she has momentum from the Globes.)
Animated Feature Film: Ratatouille
Cinematography: No Country For Old Men (I want Assassination of Jesse James but since it's the same cinematographer, I would be happy with either)
Directing: I think the Coens will win but I would love to see Paul Thomas Anderson or Julian Schnabel take it.
Best Picture: No Country For Old Men

Rihanna's Umbrella

I thought this song was so stupid and annoying the first time I heard it, I quickly learned the error of my ways and nearly a year later, I still like it especially when I am at the gym. Here is her performance from the Brit Awards yesterday with The Klaxons. Love the Daft Punk-like laser temple.

Kashi Autumn Wheat

I feel like maybe I am taking the things I fancy to a whole new level by speaking about cereal but man, is this cereal good. A friend recommended to me, mind you, we don't usually trade cereal tips but this is one to rave about. It's like a healthier shredded wheat with a hint of sweetness. I have been going thru boxes of it as lately because I haven't been in the mood for much else. I had to share...

WikiHow

I am slightly obsessed with WikiHow. I think its a genius go-to reference much like its sister site, Wikipedia. I know you always have to question the accuracy of both these sites but for the most part, I love them. I recently had a running toilet and instead of bugging my landlord, I turned to WikiHow. Okay, I will admit, I don't think I fixed it but I was happy I even tried. They have everything on there, from How to Start a Book Club to How to Make Pop Tab Bracelet to How to Survive a Volcanic Eruption!

The Other Boleyn Girl

I read the novel, The Other Boleyn Girl over the holidays and couldn't put it down. It is definitely a sudsy chick lit book wrapped up in the history and drama of King Henry VIII's court but well written and backed by historical research. As I am sure most of you know, a movie based on the book, adapted by the incredible Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen, Last King of Scotland) is out at the end of this month and stars Natalie Portman and ScarJo in the lead roles. Although I was wary of the movie, reviews are coming back positive and I am looking forward to checking it out opening weekend.

Roger Deakins

I love cinematographer, Roger Deakins (I think almost as much as cinematographer Christopher Doyle). He is incredibly talented and this year he has two films that showcase this abilities better then ever, No Country For Old Men (one of my favs of the year) and The Assassination of Jesse James (watched this weekend and liked so much more then I thought). He has been nominated for 7 Oscars and been involved with countless films but these two films showcase his work better then ever, every scene is impeccably shot and lit perfectly. He will next be involved with Doubt, Revolutionary Road and Hail Caesar. There was a great article a month or so back about him in the NYT but I am having a bit of difficulty locating it so in the meantime, here is just as fascinating an interview over at And The Winner Is.

Holga

My friend is in love with her Holga camera and my brother recently got one as well. Apparently Jack and Meg White love them too because they have created their own versions, sort of annoying, sort of cool. They are great cameras that thru trial and error can yield some pretty creative and interesting shots. They have a bunch of accessories that help the process as well.

Happy Valentine's Day

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: Emily's List of Things She Fancys

After a self indulgent "i love myself" kick to the new year, I got some cute goods that i recently used at a brunch I hosted in my sunny LA apt. Much like Sarah, I too am mad for aprons (see earlier post). So mad in fact, I recently purchased this one for myself...which makes me feel girlie and pretty. The pot holder actually fastens to the apron. Made by a crafty lady in Michigan, she stitched our shared home state onto it as well. Represent!

After a lucky find at a cute store, I got some dual purpose platters. These funky designs are unique and so cute that after purchasing I got out my hammer and nail to keep them hung up as Art. Made by Ibride, two parisians artists, I have been torn as to whether they are too pretty to platter. But, I decided to give it a whirl and they have proven to be rock stars as both art and platter.

At the brunch my friend brought me this adorable bottle of Francis Coppola Sofia Blanc De Blanc as a gift. This champagne could not be cuter. But in all honesty, anything wrapped in pink cellophane already has my vote.

(Ed.'s Note: Emily is one of my oldest, dearest friends and I wish I could drink Francis Coppola Sofia Blanc De Blanc while wearing an apron every weekend with her)

30 Rock

After watching Tina Fey win several awards this season and hearing raves amongst friends, I gave into the 30 Rock DVDs while I was sick last week. I have always loved Tina Fey and her character in this is a great, flawed female lead and Alec Baldwin is genius. He is good in everything he does and the texture of his voice still brings me back to beauty of The Royal Tenenbaums. I have never been a Tracy Morgan fan but he is perfectly cast as the eccentric TV star. I enjoyed the show and will definitely keep watching but I think maybe my expectations were a bit too high.

Sprinkles Cupcakes Mix

Sprinkles Cupcakes is an institution in LA, the cupcakes are nothing short of dreamy and their selection is better then anyplace in NY. I am a huge fan of the cake mix you can buy at Williams Sonoma. I have made the lemon, red velvet and pumpkin ones. They are it more involved then a regular cake mix and the frosting has to be done by scratch but it's all worth it. They even come with the cute little sugar dot that is the signature of all Sprinkles' cupcakes. I try to keep a mix on hand at all times in case I need to bring something to a gathering or just want a treat.

Brooklyn Bridge

Walking the Brooklyn is one of the best and more awe inspiring New York experiences. An easy walk it really makes you fall in love with the city all over again.

Soko

A charming, unsigned singer from Bordeaux, France, my friend currently living in Paris, turned me onto her after her song drew lots of attention after being featured in the Stella McCarthy runway show in Paris.

Video: Soko- I'll Kill Her

Shorts

There was a time when I would have shunned shorts but the last few summers, they have been saviors and pretty cute with flats, wedges and heels. Just as I was about to throw the umpteenth J.Crew catalog I got this week in the recycling bin, I thumbed thru it and amongst the ridiculously overpriced clothes were some really cute shorts that were a reasonable $40. They come in a few lengths and multiple colors and I just put my order in. I am still wearing my winter coat but dreaming of the days when I can pull these out.

Julie Delpy

I watched 2 Days in Paris this weekend, a film written and directed as well as starring Julie Delpy. I really like her and find her naturally dynamic. I thought the film itself was very Woody Allen meets Before Sunrise. Movies I like but I can't say I loved this one, I did enjoy certain endearing scens especially the last two but as a whole film, it didn't go the distance for me. Anyways, the movie reminded me of a charming list that Deply wrote that I ripped out of Esquire months back and stuck on my fridge.

Julie Delpy- 8 Things You Don't Know About Women

1. We need you to be reachable at all times, but we don't always pick up our phones when you call. We realize this seems like a double standard; if you'd like to discuss it further, just leave a message.

2. We only want to date men who can troubleshoot computers. The broken laptop is the leaky faucet of the twenty-first century.

3. We avoid players and womanizers, but sometimes when we're single, we'll have sex with one just to remind ourselves how unsatisfying it is.

4. Next time you have to buy your girlfriend a gift, make it a season of Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD. The surest way to a woman's heart is Larry David.

5. As far as romance goes, we'd rather be whisked away to the bedroom in the afternoon than to Paris in the springtime.

6. A serious scientific study has proven that women think 50 percent more than men, and 90 percent of that extra 50 percent is spent thinking about sex.

7. The study was of French women.

8. On invente occasionnellement des statistiques pour montrer que l'on a raison.

Countdown to Oscars- New York Times Magazine- Breakthroughs

I love the Oscars and the end of Writer's Strike means they are going to happen. Yay! The NYT Magazine this weekend features some our favorites actors and actresses and labels them as Breakthroughs for 2007 with a beautifully shot portfolio.
1. Casey Affleck- Great in Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James is next on our netflix queue.
2. Josh Brolin- Never much of a standout for me, he was perfectly cast in No Country For Old Men (tying There Will Be Blood for my favorite movie of the year).
3. Michael Cera- How can you not love this kid? Yes, so far he has played the same awkward character in Superbad, Arrested Development, Clark and Michael and Juno but he "actually tries really hard." Looking forward to seeing him in The Revolt of Youth.
4. Julie Christie- She is Julie Christie so it seems odd to call this year her breakthrough but she was amazing and tender as an Alzheimer patient in Away From Her. The actor who plays her husband is also phenomenal although in his less showy role, is getting less notice.
5. Marion Cotillard- I have yet to see Ma Vie En Rose and for some reason, have very little interest.
6. Paul Dano- If you can hold your own against Daniel Day Lewis, that pretty much says it all.
7. Hal Halbrook- Fantastic in Into the Wild, I still can't help but remember him as Dixie Carter's husband in Designing Women (and in real life).
8. Jennifer Jason Leigh- I know one other person besides myself that loved Margot At The Wedding. The dialogue is so real and played painfully honest by both it lead actresses.
9. James McEnvoy- A sucker for all epic romances esp with a British touch, I was still not a fan of Atonement. Nothing wrong with McEnvoy's performance just nothing special for me.
10. Sienna Miler- Love her fashion sense but I don't get why she made this list.
11. Ellen Page- The cover girl for this set, this truly is her year. She will next be seen in Sam Raimi's return to form, the horror film Drag Me to Hell and then in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, Whip It.
12. Seth Rogan- Always close to my heart from his role in Freaks and Geeks, it's great to see Seth Rogen get his due as a writer and actor amongst the Judd Apatow empire.
13. Amy Ryan- Solid as the put upon wife of McNulty in The Wire, Ryan is finally getting recognized for her role as an unfit mother in Gone Baby Gone.
14. Jim Sturgess- I have an aversion to seeing Across the Universe so I have no real comment on this pick.
15. Tang Wei- I really wanted to like Lust, Caution but I didn't. Even though it was shot beautifully, it was a waste of 2.5 hours of my weekend.

Audrey Tatou As Coco Chanel

It was reported some time ago that Audrey Tatou (Amelie) has been pegged to play Coco Chanel in the biopic of her life. Most recently ads were placed with this photo of Tatou for the movie's international distribution rights. The film will focus on the time between Chanel's childhood and right before she became famous, during the time when she worked as a cabaret singer and became involved with the wealthy horse breeder Étienne Balsan and then the English polo player Arthur "Boy" Capel. Partly based on the book, L'Irrégulière: Ou, Mon Itinéraire Chanel by Edmonde Charles-Roux, the film will be scripted by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liasons) and Anne Fontaine (Nathalie ...), who will also direct (Cinematical).

P.S.1

P.S. 1 is one of the more fun summer outings on the weekends here is NY and each year they commission designs from several artists to create an outdoor landscape conducive for drinking and dancing for their large courtyard. The past winners have features waiting pools, sand and large sculptures. This year's winners are Dan Wood and Amale Andraos, the husband-and-wife team behind Work Architecture. Their idea was to create an urban farm with a harvesting plan and lots of produce. The image submitted is pretty cool, looking forward to seeing what it looks like in reality. (NY Times)

Arrested Development Updates

So another show I (along with many others) LOVE is Arrested Development. Genius show. Two recent developments for the cast beyond the fact that Michael Cera and Jason Bateman have worked their way up the box office charts and into the hearts of millions of soccer moms in this year's break out hit, Juno is that there is revived discussion of an Arrested Development movie! Be still my heart. The only thing to top this for me is the rumored pitch that Wendell Pierce (Bunk) made to David Simon on a Wire prequel that focused of the rise of The Barksdale clan. But I digress, often rumored, Jason Bateman recently put more fuel to the fire during a red carpet interview by saying "I can confirm that a round of sniffing has started," Bateman says. "Any talk is targeting a poststrike situation, of course. I think, as always, that it's a question of whether the people with the money are willing to give our leader, Mitch Hurwitz, what he deserves for his participation. And I can speak for the cast when I say our fingers are crossed." Jeffrey Tambor also revealed on XM Radio's the Ron and Fez Show that he has been approached by Ron Howard to see if he's willing to do an Arrested film. (E!online)

Also, on a weirder note, Will Arnett (Gob) had already finished recording his performance as the voice of super-car KITT in NBC’s new version of Knight Rider, but when chief sponsor Ford — the company providing the new KITT car as well as much of the promotion and branding for the backdoor pilot — figured out that Arnett has been the voice of General Motors GMC Trucks campaign for nearly ten years, they asked Arnett to pull out and hired Val Kilmer (boo!) to rerecord KITT’s dialogue. (Variety)

Tales Of Mere Existence

A friend passed along these really charming animations, she got them from YouTube but there is more from the creator here.

Tales Of Mere Existence "I'm Not Going To Think About Her"


Tales Of Mere Existence "How To Break Up"

New Museum

I recently visited the new New Museum on Bowery. It was great and beautifully built. We went to check out the current exhibit, Unmonumental which was being displayed on three floors. There was definitely some questionable choices but two artists really stuck out amongst the collection, Kim Jones and Christian Holstad. Kim uses himself as the model for his pieces, he is also known as the Mud Man. Christian's pieces were particularly amazing and well crafted. The top floor of the museum has stunning views of the city and a low key lounge that gets great sun. Definitely worth its $12 admission fee.

VOTING

Don't forget to VOTE today.

3 Movies I Am Looking Out For...

Any reason to post a picture of John Krasinski and write about Ryan Gosling, I'm in. But beyond that, there are a three movies coming out that have peaked my interest and I will definitely follow...

1) Sam Mendes has signed on to direct an upcoming comedy from Dave Eggers with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph attached to star. Eggers co-wrote his first original script with his wife Vendela Vida and it follows a newlywed couple traveling the US looking for the perfect place to raise their baby.
2) The same writer, Eggers also adapted the upcoming Where The Wild Things that Spike Jonze directed and Karen O's music is featured in. The released stills from this movie are stunning and the IMdb comment section is already lit up like a Christmas tree in anticipation
3) Ryan Gosling has signed on to star in his first film after dropping out of The Lovely Bones for an 80s love story/murder mystery titled All Good Things. Joining Gosling in the film is Kirsten Dunst who will play his love interest. The film starts off with the usual rich guy/poor girl love story that takes a startling turn when the girl winds up missing. Making his feature directorial debut with the project is Andrew Jarecki who did Capturing the Friedmans and who also wrote the script with Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling.
- Info gathered from Variety.com

Rock Band

I haven't been into video games since I saved Princess Toadstool on Mario Bros in the 80s but after a recent visit to a friend's house, I am hooked on Rock Band. I don't think I could ever let myself purchase the game because I would never leave the house and need acupuncture to combat the carpel tunnel but it is way fun.

Catpower, Au Revoir Simone, Bat For Lashes

Since I work in music, I don't want to focus too much on this topic but I will definitely post my weekly (or in this case, eternal) top favs. I think the below videos say it all about how awesome these special ladies are...

Cat Power
* Heart Chan, Heart Chanel, need we say more
Could We

Au Revoir Simone
* I want to bake AND dance with them all day long
Sad Song

Bat For Lashes
* Come over, do my make up and let's ride bikes
What's A Girl To Do

Criterion Collection

One of the most well done DVD series, I own several of their versions and always wish I owned more. They have a great sense of combining classic and contemporary titles within their catalog.

List of Upcoming Releases:
Pierrot le fou Jean-Luc Godard, 1965 (FEB)
The Last Emperor Bernardo Bertolucci, 1987 (FEB)
Walker Alex Cox, 1987 (FEB)
Mafioso Alberto Lattuada, 1962 (MARCH)
Antonio Gaudí Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1984 (MARCH)
The Ice Storm Ang Lee, 1997 (MARCH)
Death of a Cyclist Juan Antonio Bardem, 1955 (APR)
Blast of Silence Allen Baron, 1961 (APR)

Aprons

I am mad for aprons. They are a bit old fashioned but that is what makes them so great, not to mention completely practical to those that cook. I have at least two that I wear often. You can wipe your hands on them without wasting paper towel (I am trying to go green) and they keep your clothes clear of mess. They have really adorable ones at Anthropologie. Oh yeah, they have to be cute craft/baking aprons not the full on bbq grill master kind to strike my fancy.

Scrabble

I love Scrabble more then any other game, maybe only rivaled by Boggle or Connect Four. I am not exactly amazing at it but I love playing and recruiting my friends to play. My highest single word score was 57 points on a triple word, Juices. Yes, I remember and No, I am not a 65 yr old woman and I am only edging my way towards Bingo.

Brussel Sprouts

Seriously, a completely underrated vegetable. One of my absolute favorites, how people don't like this miniature cabbage is beyond me. It get props for looking so cool while it grows!

Wet Hot American Summer

I just rewatched this movie recently and let's just it has not lost its luster. Endlessly quotable and laugh out loud funny, this one that everyone should revisit on a boring weekend afternoon.

The Wire

The. Best. Show. On. TV. Ever. I could write an entire blog on this show and still not be satisfied. The writing and acting on this show is just superior to anything that has been on TV before. I watched Seasons 1-4 in two weeks and was essentially unable to socialize with the outside world until I finished the run. Now the fifth and final season is underway and I am back in my obsessive mode; discussing it constantly with other Wireheads, looking for connections between the characters, rewatching each episode, reading everything David Simon writes and inhaling anything published about the series.

Fresca

One of the best drinks ever. Fresca is so refreshing, yummy and with calories that I just couldn't let this not this be the first post.