"Silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favorite things."

I have been a bit remiss lately about regularly updating my blog. I've been spending some time deciding which direction I'd like to take it and, as you can see, doing a bit of a design makeover, which is still a work in progress. Anyway, rather than doing a single focused post today, and since I'm on occasion asked about this, I decided to give you all a glimpse of some of the things I've been obsessing over lately.

What will Kate Middleton be wearing for her BIG DAY?!?!

I am not ashamed to admit I have caught Royal Wedding fever. And as someone who loves fashion, not to mention beautiful wedding gowns, I am dying to see what the soon-to-be princess will be wearing upon her arrival to Westminster Abbey in a few hours. I've heard her mother, sister and bridesmaids are all wearing Alice Temperley for Temperley London, who I love, so maybe she will be, too? I'd say the chances are pretty high.

UPDATE!!:

Looks like Sarah Burton designed Kate's, or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, custom Alexander McQueen gown (her sister Pippa's Maid of Honor dress, as well). I think she looks stunning and timeless.

The 2011 Met Costume Institute Gala is just a few days away!

The New York Met's Costume Institute Gala never disappoints me. It will be taking place May 2, and hosted by none other than Anna Wintour (with the help of Colin Firth and Salma Hayek) and I cannot wait to see who wears what. Considering the exhibit is called, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, I'm sure there will be a lot of McQueen on the red carpet.

Madewell is FINALLY coming to San Francisco!

As one of my favorite stores since I discovered it while living in LA a few years ago, I have been waiting patiently for a Madewell to grace the halls of San Francisco Center (or Union Square, or Union/Chestnut/Fillmore Streets). I'm not really a huge fan of online shopping (blasphemy, I know) and the last time I was in LA (and forced my friend to go to Century City Mall just so I could go to Madewell) it was closed!! so I was so thrilled to read that there was FINALLY one opening here.

San Francisco is becoming a fashion hub? It's about time!

I love a good fashion blog and I've been so excited over the past few weeks to discover some local gems in a world of predominantly New Yorkers and Angelenos. Here's a few local fashion blogs that have become a part of my daily must-read list:

Refinery 29 (Be sure to check out their San Francisco section!)

Cheetah is the New Black

Atlantic - Pacific

Even though fashion has been taking up the majority of the obsessive portion of my brain lately, I do still love discovering new TV shows and seeing trailers for new movies that I cannot wait to see.

Does it really have to end?!?

The new (and final...tissues, please!) Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, looks absolutely amazing. There really isn't anything to say beyond: Is it July 15th yet?

There really are better singing competitions than Idol!

I am a huge Christina Aguilera fan, and a Maroon 5 fan (don't judge me!), so a singing competition with Christina, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton coaching incredibly talented singers seemed like such a great concept to me. The fact that they skip the initial audition process and only show us actually talented people (are you as over feeling embarassed by the awful auditions on AI as I am?) is so refreshing. I never wanted to skip over any of the blind auditions! Check it out on Tuesday nights and see for yourself how fun this show is!

I suppose that's all for now. I could probably go on and on boring you all with tons of other things, but I won't. Stay tuned for much more fashion (Royal Wedding recap and Met Ball faves) and entertainment coming your way!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Maria, "The Sound of Music"

"No, please don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface, I wanna be in the sequel!"

I have to be honest with you all for a minute. I am more than a little bit excited about tomorrow's release of the long-awaited Scream 4. Something wonderful about Spring is that all the fun movies start to come out. Over the next few months there are quite a few movies that I'm dying to see (can't open soon enough!) and I figured I'd share my top 4 with you.

Scream 4 (or should I say "SCRE4M")

I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre. I prefer Shaun of the Dead over Dawn of the Dead, but Scream has always been able to combine the comedy with the off-the-wall horror to create intensely entertaining movies. Now, I'll be the first to admit 2 and 3 weren't nearly as great as the original, but I still love every minute of watching them (even though they give me nightmares still!). When it was announced that Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson were teaming up again for a new Scream movie, as well as Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, I couldn't wait for it to come to the theaters. Plus, it cameos from some of my favorite TV stars from the past few years (Friday Night Light's Aimee Teegarden, Veronica Mars' Kristen Bell, True Blood's Anna Paquin, Pretty Little Liars' Lucy Hale, The OC's Adam Brody to name a few)! Is it wrong of me to hope one of the original 3 is the killer? Or maybe all of them!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

I have such bittersweet feelings about this movie coming out. I cannot wait to see how it all plays out (I have been practically holding my breath since the final scene of Part 1) but I am also so sad that this is the final one and there will be no more to look forward to. Since going to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with my mother back in 2001, getting to read a new Harry Potter book or see a new Harry Potter movie every year is something I truly have loved over the past 10 years. I can say with confidence that the first part of the "Deathly Hallows" was my favorite of all the movies, and I cannot wait to see the culmination of the past 7 years at Hogwarts.

Water for Elephants

Another book being made into a movie that I'm really interested in seeing (Rob Pattinson must really love making movies out of books!). I had heard by friends and by perusing the internet that Water for Elephants was a MUST READ book. When I received my Kindle for Christmas, it was the first book I downloaded. It wasn't my favorite book ever, but I really enjoyed it and it was an interesting story with a colorful setting and characters. Plus, Christoph Waltz was so amazing in Inglorious Basterds that I figured it would be a treat to see him as the villain again in this movie.

Bridesmaids

I must say, I'm pretty surprised that it's taken 2 years for a "Hangover-for-girls" to come out. While when I heard about this I basically thought, REALY!? and just assumed it would be terrible, once I saw the trailer my mind changed. First of all, I love Kristen Wiig, I love Maya Rudolph and I love Melissa McCarthy. Second of all, being a bridesmaid is such a unique experience and is such an easy thing to make a hilarious movie about. What can I say? I love a good wedding comedy! Blame on all the weddings I've been in and to.

Yay for new movies! I really hope that I actually get out to see these in the theater. I already have this Sunday booked to see Scream and I cannot wait.

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Tatum , "Scream"

"Cher's main thrill in life is a makeover. It gives her a sense of control in a world full of chaos."

Every once in a while an urge comes over me to make changes, de-clutter and over all clean up things in my life. Maybe it's because we've turned the corner into a new season (even though so far Spring in San Francisco is looking awfully stormy)...I suppose it isn't called "Spring Cleaning" for nothing. Thus far I've cleaned out about half of the clothes out of my closet, donating it all to Good Will and I've been diligently attempting to unsubscribe to every e-newsletter I don't even open up when it appears in my inbox. Don't worry...I'm keeping Gilt Groupe, Zoe Report, Daily Candy (SF only) and a few concert calendars. You know. The important ones.

Something else that comes with the new season: a mini makeover. I've been thinking recently about changing my "look" since I haven't in a while. This is saying a lot, coming from someone who used to change her hair (brunette, blonde, short, long, bangs, no bangs) so much that she looks different in almost every picture taken of her up until 8 months ago. So I bit the bullet and cut off about 6-8 inches of what had become long stringy hair into a cute bob (thanks Ron!) a la Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston and (my new favorite model) Arizona Muse. Hmm, maybe I should update my blog caricature now....

Anyway, since deciding to give myself a mini makeover, I was reminded of some of my favorite movies that also include makeovers.

Clueless

New stoner girl Tai gets a "total Betty" makeover courtesy of her new BFFs Cher and Dion, landing her a new boyfriend (after a teeny bit of heart ache) and a fantastic new vocabulary. Cher had an excellent point when she told Tai she should read at least one non-school book a week!

She's All That

Artsy Laney goes glam in order to win Prom Queen (even though she doesn't know about that part) which only proves that any time your potential new boyfriend's Oscar winning little sister asks you to trust her, you should probably just do it.

Mean Girls

Home-schooled transplant from the African wild Cady becomes "plastic" who wears pink on Wednesdays and whenever she wears flip flops and Army pants, you better wear flip flops and Army pants, too.

Jawbreaker

How do you get a nerdy girl who knows you've accidentally killed your best friend to keep her mouth shut? Change her name from Fern to Violette, giver her a makeover and make her part of the in-crowd.

Grease

Good girl Sandy goes from ribbons and poodle skirts to leather, cigarettes and teased hair in order to win the heart of the bad boy who stole her heart over the summer.

The Devil Wears Prada

Intellectual Andy goes from shabby and practical to fierce and uber stylish (don't you wish you had access to the Runway closet too?) in order to give her the confidence boost she needs to keep her job and make her way up the corporate ladder.

Now that I want to spend the entire rainy weekend inside with a movie marathon of all these movies, I should probably add a few more productive "spring cleaning" tasks to my list. New goals: clean out my closet (again), organize my junk drawers (no, the "s" at the end is not a typo) and get rid of music I hate from my iPod. Seem doable, right? I think so!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Dion, "Clueless"

"It's my turn now!"

Another Academy Awards show has come and gone leaving anyone who cares about the movies chattering. At least until we start talking about the 2012 Oscar contenders. While in my humble opinion there were absolutely no shockers, I was still happy to see Natalie Portman and Colin Firth win their respective awards and King's Speech win best picture (even though I haven't seen it yet, but Social Network, in MY humble opinion, wasn't deserving of it).

Click HERE for a list of all the winners.

What surprises me most, and maybe I'm just a naive fan, is how much flack Anne Hathaway and James Franco are getting for their hosting performance. OK. I completely agree that James Franco offered pretty much nothing to the show (except the entertaining Inception-inspired opening), I really believe Anne Hathaway did a great job as a young, first-time host. Yes, she was a little overly excited at times, but wouldn't you be? She was oozing personality, and yes, maybe she was a little too fan-girl, but who cares! Let's be honest. Did James Franco really need to be there? I don't really think so... Anyway, I thought the show was entertaining (and the set was BEAUTIFUL) and I don't care what anyone thinks about that!

Now let's talk FASHION!

Anne Hathaway, with the help of Super Stylist Rachel Zoe "SHUT IT DOWN" (to quote Ms. Zoe) with all 8 of her looks last night. From the Red Carpet to the After Parties. In an effort to not go on and on and on, even though I could, I will break down my favorite 5 of the 8.

On the red carpet in vintage Valentino Haute Couture and Tiffany jewels.

During the telecast in Oscar de la Renta and Tiffany jewels.

During the telecast in Giorgio Armani Prive and Tiffany jewels.

Both during the telecast and at the after parties in Atelier Versace and Tiffany jewels.

Opening the show in Givenchy Haute Couture and Tiffany Jewels.

I knew she'd look incredible and I'm so pleased with what they chose. Plus, I'm still trying to wrap my brain around how she had so many different hair styles over such a short amount of time.

Now let's breakdown my top 5 red carpet looks.

Mila Kunis in (one of my favorite gowns from the Paris Couture shows) Elie Saab Couture and Neil Lane jewels.

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang and Harry Winston jewels.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte (who designed the costumes for Black Swan) and Tiffany jewels.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein Collection and Louis Vuitton jewels.

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein Collection and Chopard jewels.

And because I'm feeling especially generous today, here are my honorable mentions:

Michelle Williams in Chanel Haute Couture and Harry Winston jewels.

Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier and Harry Winston jewels.

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa (which she helped design!).

Goodbye award season. It's been fun. See you in September for the Emmys!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Nina Sayers, "Black Swan"

"Brad. YOU are going to the Oscars WITH Anne Hathway. THEN getting her changed to open the Oscars and perform."

With the Golden Globes behind us, and the SAG awards this coming weekend, it's time to move on to the Super Bowl of Entertainment and Fashion: the Oscars! As you may or may not know, nominations were announced yesterday and, as per usual, there were surprises and snubs.

Black Swan's Natalie Portman (who will most likely win) is nominated for Best Actress, but not Mila Kunis for Best Supporting Actress? Blue Valentine's Michelle Williams is nominated for Best Actress, but not Ryan Gossling for Best Actor or Best Picture? The Fighter's Christian Bale is nominated for Best Supporting Actor AND Amy Adams is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but not Mark Walhberg (from what I hear he owned that film) for Best Actor? No costume nominations for Black Swan's amazing Rodarte costumes? No song nominations for Burlesque even though Diane Warren won the Golden Globe for the film's song "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me"?

Since I've only seen 1 of the 10 Best Picture nominees (movie marathon, anyone?), I can't really say anything about them. So I won't. I guess we'll have to wait and see who the winners and the losers will be when the show airs February 27. And, who else is excited for the (I'm guessing) countless Rachel Zoe styled costume changes co-host Anne Hathaway will have?

How chic does she look in her J. Mendel gown with James Franco in their promo pictures?

For a list of all the nominations click HERE.

Speaking of which, we all know the main reason I love all these award shows. The actual ceremonies aren't exactly the most exciting shows you'll watch each year, but what IS is seeing all the beautiful gowns sashaying down the red carpet (the handsome men in tuxedos aren't awful to look at, either). I think it's pretty safe to say that all the Hollywood stylists are in Paris right now, scouring the Spring Couture shows for gowns for their clients. I have to say, I would be VERY surprised if I don't see any of them on the red carpet. That being said, here are a few I'd LOVE to see...and I'm fairly certain would easily make every best dressed list.

Considering 4 out of the 5 of these are Elie Saab (the other being Armani Prive), AND my favorite dress last year was Elie Saab, it's safe to say I have a Couture favorite.

I'm looking forward to spending the next month catching up on all the nominated movies. Any suggestions for which I should see first?

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Rachel Zoe, "The Rachel Zoe Project"

"Everybody's having fun out here. They drinking, they fighting, they pissing on the streets. It's New Year's Eve!"

Another year has come and (almost) gone. Like most years, there has been good and there has been bad. I'm just going to focus on the good, though! As I'm sure you've all been inundated with a million "Best of 2010" lists over the past few weeks, I figured I'd add another into the mix. I'll keep it simple though. How about a top 3...or 2 or 4... (MY top 3...don't judge me, please!) of all my favorite subjects of the year? Sounds good to me! Here we go....

Top 4 Albums - the albums that have been in HEAVY rotation on my iTunes and iPod.

Miike Snow, "Miike Snow"

Click HERE to listen to the full album.

Robyn, "Body Talk"

Click HERE to listen to the full album.

Vampire Weekend, "Contra"

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" Soundtrack

Top 2 New (for me, at least) Artists - a couple singers I haven't been able to get enough of since I learned of their existence.

Erik Hassle

Florrie

Top 1 Movie - now, I'm not a big "movie-goer" so I have to admit this is kind of lacking. Had I seen Inception, Black Swan, the Town or Social Network, those may be among my choices.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

Top 4 TV Shows - the shows that have been filling up my DVR and helping me get through each week.

The Walking Dead

Vampire Diaries

Friday Night Lights

Party Down

Top 1 Book - I've done a lot of reading this year, but there was only 1 book that I really couldn't put down this year.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

Top 3 Fashion Week Shows - a fashionista's dream, FASHION WEEK! I loved so many of the collections this year, but a few really stood out.

Paul & Joe - Paris S/S 11

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

Burberry Prorsum - London S/S 2011

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

J. Mendel - NY S/S 2011

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

Top 4 Celeb Red Carpet Looks - some of the most stunning gowns show up on the red carpet on our favorite movie stars. With award season just around the corner, I can't wait to see what 2011 will bring.

Rachel McAdams at the Oscars in Elie Saab

Anne Hathaway at the Met Ball in Valentino

Emma Watson at the Met Ball in Burberry

Jayma Mayes at the Emmy's in Burberry Prorsum

Now that I've sufficiently bored you all with my picks, I will leave you for the year.

2010 was a great year and here's hoping that 2011 will be even better. Happy New Year everyone!!!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Disco Cabbie, "200 Cigarettes"