Color Your Life

As the beautiful grey hues of winter start to slowly disappear, why not follow this Goddess of Color 

and get out your paint,  mix things up and brighten your world.  

Life is happier in color yes?

Let's Get Ready for the....

❦

Oscars!  The Oscars are Sunday and it's always a great time to throw a swanky party!  I have thrown a few and each time it was a thrill - often or not more thrilling than the Oscars:).

This year Billy Crystal will once again host the show with what we hear may include a surprise visit from the originally slated host, Eddie Murphy - was I the only one that liked it the year Chris Rock hosted?  Aside from the presumably funny banter the host delivers and the beautiful garments worn by our favorite actresses (sorry, men, you look dashing but, a Tux is a Tux), let's face it - one of the most exciting reasons to watch is to see one of your favorite films win!    This years pick from the top contenders for me is Martin Scorsese's Hugo - a true film lovers film!  When I go to the movies I want to be in awe and entertained - either by a great story or a visual feast, to me this film had both!  Aside from the magical storytelling, visually it was compelling from the beginning to the end.  However, I also like Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.  Admittedly, it's always hard to choose, so let's just call them all winners - and the Oscar goes to - everyone nominated!  Oh, and as for what to serve - I'm feeling a Lobster Mac-n-cheese as a main course with loads of Proseco - enjoy your weekend!

 ❦

Radiohead Bias

While driving in the car with my brother this weekend, he put on a playlist that he made for me that included the song Lotus Flower, by one of our favorite bands - Radiohead.  For years Radiohead has created some of the coolest and smartest sounds I have heard and remained virtually elusive until this 2009 Grammy's performance and video where we get a glimpse of Thom Yorke.  This year, Radiohead was nominated for several Grammy's and although I like most of the artists they were up against - Radiohead would have been my choice to win.  Sure, they've won a few Grammy's before, but shouldn't they win every time that they are nominated - that's in my biased opinion!:)

Take the Long Road!

This is a long three day weekend, so why not hop in your car with friends and take the long road to someplace magical?  Enjoy your weekend!  

Fill your heart...

with LOVE!  

Happy Valentines Day!

The Grammy's Perfect Pitch!

The Grammy's last night offered some of the best performances I've seen on the Grammy's in a while - it was a hit all around!  The appropriate tribute and tone was set at the beginning celebrating Whitney Houston's life with a prayer by LL Cool J and the continued  loving sentiments expressed throughout the show.   In spite of the sorrow that everyone felt in light of Whitney's death, we were uplifted by the decision to  continue the show with the wonderful performances from some of my favorite artists - Bruno Mars (great performance - my fave of the evening!), Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson's beautiful tribute, Bonnie Rait (love her!), Foo Fighters and of course Adele!  


What the Grammy's appear to be doing right is combining great old school performers with currently popular ones - it was the perfect pitch that ended on the right note with the final performance from Paul McCartney, Bruce, Foo Fighters and Joe Walsh (who is the coolest and looked remarkably handsome:).  Someone there clearly gets it - for there is no better way to show the great diversity and range of music that we are blessed with!  And the award goes to  - The Grammys!

Whitney Houston

❤

I was in college when I first saw Whitney Houston perform - my friends and I were, like most, in awe of her.  Whitney was poised, gracious, beautiful and had a voice that seemed to reach across the earth and into the heavens - we became instant fans!  Over the years, we continued to be mesmerized by her music as her career soared and she became an international success.  Whitney's career took yet another brilliant turn when she starred in the film The Bodyguard, opposite Kevin Costner - the role was tailor-made for Whitney and further led her down the path of superstardom.  It was a hit and so was the soundtrack - Whitney's career seemed to be unstoppable and we all cheered her on.  More films followed - Waiting To Exhale, The Preachers Wife, as did more wonderful music.  Then the unexpected, yet inevitable happened, Whitney's life hit a snag.  Some would say that it was when she began to date singer Bobby Brown that her life took a turn for the worse.  But, as Bobby Brown and his spin doctors artfully demonstrated in their tragic reality show,  Whitney apparently had some issues of her own to contend with - but don't we all?

One of the things that strikes me as the most tragic, is how easily and readily we all are to pounce on someone's tragedy.  Perhaps it's the human condition to cheer people on when they rise and slay them when they begin to fall.  I was horrified by the interview Diane Sawyer did with Whitney and the following reality show that revealed the extensive drug usage that she and Bobby engaged in.  It was so sad to watch such a beautiful young woman's life be placed on display for the world to see - but, watch it I did.  Perhaps it makes us all feel better about our own lives - if we get to look at someone else's failures - perhaps it makes our lives look less dismal - perhaps we get to feel stronger by highlighting someone else's weakness.  Oddly enough, we tend to respond to a success story and a tragedy remarkably the same - we'll cheer either on.  One with adoring, heartfelt loving cheers of joy and the other with finger-wagging, eye-brow raising consternation - one should have faith in neither!   The coverage of Whitney's demise was unrelenting, cruel and sad.

Yes, Whitney was a public figure and yes, she chose to live her life in the public's discerning eyes and yes, when times were great, she certainly reaped the benefits of fame and perhaps she started to believe the hype.   But, having acknowledged this, does it then give us license to rip open all aspects of someone's life?   When in fact, in Whitney's case, she mostly aspired to share with us her art  and amazing talents.  We certainly all benefitted when she did!

Well, in all things in life, we can only be responsible for our own actions - I know that I will continue to try to lift people up - especially when they are down.  Hopefully Whitney's life will give us all pause and make us aim to have compassion towards each other - while we are alive - not just posthumously!   ♫ If tomorrow is judgement day....

Whitney, thank you for sharing your beautiful gifts with the world!  

❤

Reese's Piece

❥Tracy Reese always designs at least one piece in her collection each season that I simply adore - and this dress is it!  Flowing silk chiffon with the perfect color combination for Spring and Summer - just picture yourself sitting on a blanket and reading a good book - among other things!  

Enjoy your weekend!❥

                                                                  

                              

      

Necklace:  Calypso; throw: ABC Carpet

Mint Condition

❦

The first time I wore mint green was as a teenager - it was a suit that thankfully no one captured pictures of me wearing.  The last time I bravely wore it was when I bought a silk blouse and matching skirt by Calvin Klein for work.  Because this color is associated with Doctors in their scrubs, I believe I have been conditioned to never wear it again - it is a ghastly color.   Well, at least I thought so until I came across this Diane Von Furstenberg outfit from her Spring 2012 collection - it has me re-visiting the possibility.   Since she probably has a much more exotic name for it - sea glass, soft aqua, ocean breeze, who knows - and ooh, look at what else I can have in this color.  

❦

Balmain Inspired

❦ Balmain has yet again offered us a sophisticated and modern way to dress in black and white - the gold belt just adds the perfect touch.  I'm not sure if the designers were inspired by the detailing in the iron work at the Metropolitan station in Paris - but to me, the sleeves mimic it yes?   I could live a Balmain inspired life - it looks pretty good! 

❦

Flirting with Success

❦ In 1991, we went to see the film Flirting and instantly loved it - the story was good and the characters were smartly developed, but Thandie Newton was the reason to see it - she delivered a wise and audaciously brassy performance that she made appear to be quite natural.  After the success of Flirting, we were sure that we would see Thandie in more roles and since then, she has been in many.  Some of of which have been good - Besieged, directed by one of my favorites - Bertolluci, Beloved produced by Oprah Winfrey,  RocknRolla by Guy Ritchie, Run, Fat Boy Run by David Schwimmer and I even liked the film where she starred opposite Bon Jovi - The Leading Man.  She has enviably performed with Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Gabriel Burns, Matt Dillon and many others. Yet, like many actresses of color, it feels as though she's still flirting with major success in the film industry - unlike that of her Flirting co-star Nicole Kidman for instance.  Let's hope that with her latest role in the upcoming premiere of Tyler Perry's new film Good Deeds, that Thandie will begin to get some of the recognition she deserves.  This will not be her first Tyler Perry film, she co-starred in For Colored Girls alongside many great actresses.    She is also in pre-production for a new film Half of a Yellow Sun - again, with a stellar cast.  Thandie is not only a beautiful woman with exceptional style, but I know that if given the right roles, she has the ability to deliver great performances.  Here's to her successful career - she's one of my favorites!