"I've stood here long enough to know that none of this means anything."

Teeny tiny little update to last night's post. This morning we got a brand new video for Robotanists' single from Plans in Progress, "On/Off The Ledge", directed by Thomas Kenney. I find it to be outrageously insane and I absolutely love every second of it. Have a watch. I insist!

Robotanists - "On/Off Ledge" from Consequence of Sound on Vimeo.

Can't you just picture some artsy, farsty Hollywood director (think Darren Aronofsky, Tarsem Singh, Guillermo del Toro) taking this and running with it to create a fantastically trippy movie? I'd go see it!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Robotanists, "On/Off the Ledge"

"Keep on dancing till the world ends."

I realize this post should have happened already, but hey, whatryagonnado? I was pretty upset that I wasn't able to accompany my brother's amazing band, Robotanists (have you LIKED on FB them yet?) to the SXSW Music Festival in super fun Austin, Texas a couple weeks ago. Apparently I have a lot of music loving friends on FB and my newsfeed was giving me up to the moment reminders that I was here and not there, making me very envious. So in order to pretend like I was there rockin' out with everyone, I spent some time streaming their most recent albums for free. Yep. They're so generous that you can listen to their entire music library for free on the internet.

I know I've posted some of the tracks from this before, but here it is, in its entirety, Robotanists' full lenghth LP, Plans in Progress. The more I listen to it, the more I love it, so I would recommend that you all listen to it on a loop for a little while. What do you think?

Also, because finishing and releasing a brand spankin' new album wasn't tiring enough, they decided it would be a good idea to cover the entire new Radiohead album, The King of Limbs, over a 24 hour period. To which I must say, I'm very glad they did. I'll be honest, I haven't heard the entire Radiohead version yet, but I feel like now I'll just be disappointed because I love their cover so much.

I still need to check out some of the other buzzed about bands from this year's SXSW, but in the meantime, this has satiated my craving. Thank you Robotanists.

And now, that I've provided you with hours of musical enjoyment, let me give you one more nugget (WARNING: all my music street cred is about to go right out the window). I'm kind of loving the new Britney. I know, I know. It's completely overproduced and is basically auto-tune over a dance track, but the more I've listened to it, the more I want to keep listening to it. You have to admit, the girl knows how to make what she has (or doesn't have) work and still manages to make fun records. Check it out for yourself HERE. Plus, I'm still pretty impressed by her V Magazine cover shoot from last month (random, I know).

Keep it up, Britney! And Robotanists - I hope you don't mind I talked about you and Britney in one blog post. I love you both!

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Till The World Ends, "Britney Spears"

"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"

"Fashion is not about utility. An accessory is merely a piece of iconography used to express individual identity." "Oh! And it's pretty."

New York Fall 2011 Fashion Week has come to a close (queue end credits music now). There were so many amazing shows and so many amazing street style slide shows, I absolutely couldn't get enough. A lot of themes kept popping up: 70s, reds and other jewel tones, super luxe fabrics, Arizona Muse in pretty much every show, etc, but I guess that's to be expected for fall.

While I loved many of the shows, there were 5 that really stood out to me. Let's check them out!

Ralph Lauren

I've always been a huge fan of Ralph Lauren. There's just something so classic and chic about every collection he puts out. The tailoring and styling is consistently impeccable, and I loved the subtle red, coral and jade details in the accessories of each look. From separates to gowns, each look is something I'd love to have in my wardrobe.

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

Prabal Gurung

Based on one of my favorite characters/crazy bitches in literature, Great Expectations' Miss Havisham, Prabal Gurung's fall collection was super interesting to me. He's been all over the red carpet lately, so I was very excited to see what he'd show for Fall. I really liked the harshness of the accessories (the black leather gloves and black geometrical tights) and the lady-likeness of the fabrics (chiffon and handmade lace) and draping. Plus, a big color on the runways this season, I loved all the different shades of red intermixed with blacks, whites and grays.

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier's shows are usually the ones I look forward to the most each season. She creates the most beautiful pieces that every woman would kill for. And it's not just her unbelievable evening wear that I find to be so stunning. There's also something so chic about her tailored suits and cocktail dresses. And again, color of the season red was splattered throughout the show, showing up in the most incredible places.

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

Michael Kors

30 years in the fashion business has done nothing but make Michael Kors better, if you ask me. His collections are always so "him" and this show proved that if you have an aesthetic that works, and you can be defined by, why change it. Every piece is so completely wearable and should make its way into every womans' wardrobe. The neutral color palette just works and the luxuriousness of all his fabrics make each look look rich. And hey, let's be honest. Don't we all want to look rich most of the time?

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

Carolina Herrera

From the rainbow backdrop to the bold colors on the runway, Carolina Herrera's show reminded me of why I love ladylike fashion. Her simple separates, beautiful wool and fur coats and her dreamy evening gowns with their eye-pleasing jewel tones and watercolor prints, really addressed the woman she is dressing. For me, I find Carolina Herrera's clothes as aspirational - should I become the successful, stylish woman I would like to be, ideally many of her pieces would find their way into my wardrobe.

Click HERE to see the entire collection.

There you have it. Goodbye New York Fashion week. Until we meet again in a few months. At least we still have London to keep our sartorial minds busy for the time being.

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Doug and Lilly, "The Devil Wears Prada"

"We underestimated the power of the Biebs." "He's clearly a mini God."

I am very pleased to say that Glee won me back over this week. As I'm sure you could tell from my last Glee related post, I was starting to worry that the show had run its course, but alas, those crazy kids reminded me why I do really love the show.

Let's break it down, shall we?

Sue was up to crazy antics, as per usual, but they didn't annoy me as much this week as they have been. Her "Sue-icide" attempt was pretty clever and I'm glad it gave a reason to get Emma some more screen time. I've been missing her lately!

I LOVE that Glee tackled Bieber Fever. Who better than pretty boy Sam to make the girls swoon over a hair flip. Way to reel Quinn back in! I was dying over the guys in their hoodies and Bieber hair-dos and the girls swooning over them. Finn's "WTF?" face during the performance was classic.

Brittany helping Rachel with her comeback was pretty great too. I loved that she was able to make Rachel's "sexy school girl librarian chic" look the new trend, going so far as to becoming one of my favorite bloggers/street style photographers, Scott Schuman's "Trendiest Teen in America."

Finally, I have to admit I didn't realize how much I loved the big performances at the end of each episode until I realized how much I'd missed them this week. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the song choice, it was still refreshing to see New Directions all together for the finale of the episode.

Speaking of songs, here are the few that were my faves of the week:

I'll leave you with a question. What happened to Vocal Adrenaline? I understand that they're not the only other Glee club (outside of the Warblers) but aren't they New Directions MAIN competition? Why is Sue becoming the head coach (or director or whatever) of Oral Intensity? I don't even really remember who they are.... Anyway, looking forward to next week. I'm glad to have re-caught the Gleever.

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Puck and Mike, "Glee"

"Do you practice losing at the Grammys, too?" "No, at the Grammys I always win."

The music world is such a strange place. A strange place that I would give my right arm to be a part of, that is! Musicians, in my opinion, have always been the zaniest of all the popular artists, and the Grammys is the one night a year that we get to see them all together. Plus, I'm always amazed that I forget every year just how popular country music is.

Now, I don't think there were that many surprises, but what do I really know about music. The blogosphere is all aflutter because Justin Bieber lost Best New Artist to "unknown" Esperanza Spalding, but let's get real for a minute. Yes, Bieber is a talented 16 (or however old he is) year old. And, yes, I do have a few of his songs on my iPod, but come on. Did anyone REALLY think he deserved that award? If it's the MTV awards, that's one thing, but this is the Grammys. Britney was WAY more popular Christina back in 2000, but Christina won because she's a more talented musician.

Other than that, the winners didn't really shock me, or anyone it would seem. Like I said, I always forget how much America loves their country music so Lady Antebellum sweeping their awards didn't really surprise me. Plus, I actually like that song (shocking, I know!).

For a list of all the winners click HERE.

Of course, beyond the winners, most of us watch the Grammys for the performances (I can't find decent videos to share of these, so please link me in the comments if you have some!!). There were a few that really blew me away, so let's give them the shout outs they deserve!

Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams' Aretha Franklin tribute.

Bruno Mars, B.o.B. and Janelle Monae's throw back performance.

Eminem, Rihanna, Adam Levine, Dr. Dre and newcomer (who I LOVED) Skylar Grey's Eminem/Dr. Dre medley.

Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan's folk medley.

And finally, (just because it was so fun and I love her) Cee-Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow's "Forget You."

Lady Gaga was just OK, even though I LOVE her new single, it really was nothing different than the norm. Muse, who I've seen live and still will say they're one of the best live shows I've ever been to, underwhelmed me a bit as well. Oh well. They won awards so I don't think they'll mind that I wasn't blown away by them.

Now that I've gone over the highlights of the show, let's talk about what's really important: the fashion. While the Grammys always prove to be a night of outlandish style (did Katy Perry think she was still performing at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?) and out there looks (was that egg pod really necessary, Gaga?), there are always a few starlets that stick with the (relative) norm and shut it down in some amazing 'fits. Let's take a look at my favorites, shall we?

Selena Gomez in (my favorite designer of the moment) J. Mendel.

Lea Michele in Emilio Pucci.

Kelly Osbourne in Tadashi Shoji.

Jennifer Lopez in Emilio Pucci.

I think that just about sums it up. A lot of great performances, a lot of crazy fashion and some folks got to walk away with trophies and bragging rights. One more BIG award show is coming for us soon. What will we do when they're over for the year???

Until next time... xo

Title quote: Joey and Rachel, "Friends"