✪ ✪ ✪ CHECK THIS OUT! ✪ ✪ ✪

My friends and I took some initiative and started a a website for Sarah Lawrence students' voices. Check it out whether you go there or not! (I'm the editor of the Create section, teehee)

CLICK HERE

✰ OSCAR TAUGHT ME ✰

So the Academy Awards are tonight and I'm excited. Not necessarily because I'm worried whether my favorites will win (like The Fighter, above) but just the novelty of it. All of the most amazing people on the planet in the room at the same time, looking fabulous, making jokes, jabbing each other with little phrases like "AYYY Nat! Isn't it my lil' black swan ovah heah?" or "Yo Chris! You gain summah that weight back? You're not a crack addict anymore, are yah?"

Okay, so maybe it's all in my head. But I like to imagine. In what other universe would Robert DeNiro be sitting next to Johnny Depp whose sitting next to Diane Keaton. Or should I say: Young Don Corleone sitting next to Edward Scissorhands sitting next to Annie Hall.

The funny thing is, as much as I follow the Oscars religiously, and have made countless teary-eyed acceptance speeches in my shower, I don't take much stock in them.

A) It's a selected jury. Yes, the Academy includes some of the industry's greats, but it also includes some of the industry's most conservative members. When it's all said and done, it's a selected opinion.

B) More importantly, the root of competitive art seems too fickle. Yes, I would say Amadeus is better than The Room, but I have a problem comparing a whole slew of well-produced, fabulous movies. I loved The King's Speech, The Social Network, and The Fighter. Do I have to pick a favorite?

But the truth is, no matter the flawed reasoning, the Academy Awards retains its charm. This year will be the first year that I'm not home for the Oscars. I'm going into New York City to watch it with my friends, which will be a new experience. Maybe other opinions will shed a new light on mine. Maybe the Oscars is just a conversation-starter. And an excuse for people to get gussied up. And sometimes, that's all we really need.

❘ ❙ ❚ BEACH HOUSE ❚ ❙ ❘

Last night my friends and I sprinted from our respective classes (gender roles in the literature of Zora Neale Hurston and the nature of the ideal in Pushkin anyone?) and caught the 5:50 train into the city.

Our destination: Webster Hall to see Beach House

I'm just going to attach some of my favorite images, but I'll just say: I LOVED it. I listened to Teen Dream, their latest album, a lot over winter break, so I was singing along to a lot of the songs. They were just so on top of it and consistently great and the set design was hypnotic. So genius. And I totally loved their enthusiasm. Please go see them if you get a chance!

(All photos taken with the Helga Viking lens on the Hipstamatic)

ESELSEEPUNK

Well! I went to my first punk show at SLC! So now I feel like less of a total poser what with my blog title and all (don't worry guys, I don't consider myself a punk I'm definitely a hipster if anything)

Possibly broken foot = I have been deflowered. I (naively) did not understand the nature of the punk mosh pit. I didn't expect to see one in the tiny space that is the SLC Blue Room, where we hold most of our shows, but alas, the first badass chord was strum and people started lashing out, throwing each other to the floor, all kinds a wack shit.

But it was weirdly kind of awesome...

▲ JE SUIS UNE ANIMATRICE ▲

The summer before my junior year of high school I spent two weeks in my room with only a lightboard, some pens and pencils, and paper for company. It was bliss. The end result was this:


Note: The music track should be "Sweet and Lowdown" by George Gershwin

It all started with Disney films. Back in the good old days, Jasmine's hair and Ariel's doe eyes enchanted me to no end. Simba watching his father, Mufasa, being stampeded still makes me cry. Then came Miyazaki and his film, which stand among my favorite pieces of artwork of all time, Spirited Away.

I have always loved to draw. The summer that I made The Green Bow, I took a two-day long tutorial class on the fundamentals of animation at a local community college. Tools in hand, I was on my way. I made the film, submitted it to the local Sidewalk Film Festival, and won the student film competition.


Just go out and do it

BROTHERS FROM OTHER MOTHERS

"I want to be forgotten
And I don't wanna be reminded
You said, 'Please don't make this harder'
No, I won't yet..."

All it took was the first few lines of "Whatever Happened?" and it was love at first listen.

The Strokes. They are so important to me. They made me realize that I can be cool within myself, that I can be a self-approved island of greatness. No need for external validation. They are home. I feel like I know them, like I've known them all of my life. For some people it's a certain author, or painter, or actor whose effect can't be quantified. For me, it's them.

You need me to prove it? When I first fell in love with them (which happened to be about a week after they played a small show in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, which will NEVER happen again) it was just after First Impressions came out and there were rumors that they were breaking up. I actually emailed their manager at the time to verify that this wasn't true, and I got a PERSONALLY WRITTEN email back from him saying that the guys would be working on solo projects, but no break-up was forseen.

Years later and it's true! The stars have aligned and they have a new album coming out and I live in their hometown: New York.

Here's them these days:

Sad news: I can't see them at Bonnaroo

Fabulous news: I am getting tickets to see them at Madison Square Garden the day before my birthday

The dream.
is coming
true

DRACULA ON CAMPUS! ☚ ☚ ☚

FRANK LANGELLA AND DAVID EDELSTEIN AT SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE

I feel so lucky to have seen such a hero of American drama in person at my school. Being interviewed by the renowned film critic and NPR personality, David Edelstein.

The evening started with a screening of Langella's latest starring role in a film called Starting Out in the Evening, a really beautiful and interesting film. I recommend it! Langella's great sense of humor  was immediately apparent when, commenting on a small part of the film where the audience glimpses his private parts, he opened with, "Thank you all for coming out in this weather to see my penis!"

Langella's graceful comedic flare continued throughout the night (he and Edelstein had a 'mock' flirtation on stage), but he also came across as a man who has really thought about life in all of its intricacies. His wisdom was helpful to everyone, and he exuded modesty as well as honor. What an amazing man!

Nina and I had a great time :D

'SNOW DOUBT ABOUT IT

Hi. I suck. I have taken an uncalled-for hiatus from this blog (that nobody reads anyways!) and now I have returned. Hopefully, for good!

Let's talk about the snow.

I'm from Alabama, where it usually snows one day a year. On that day, the world shuts down and everyone ogles at the few flakes of REAL LIVE SNOW! It's gone by the next day...

But now I live in New York. And it's a whole new universe, lemme tell you.
The first snow was magical. It was in early(ish) December and it was completely enchanting. I had pulled an all nighter at the library, so I literally watched every single layer fall.

The I went home, where it snowed on Christmas for the first time since records began in 1850!!
It looked like this:

It was super exciting! Until I came back to SLC in January. And I took a cab back to campus. There were feet upon feet upon feet of snow! Like SO much snow! And it kept snowing! Thankfully, I was well-equipped with my new snow jacket and snow shoes, so no worries. But for awhile the snow was so powdery and edible and lovely (although the weather was a bitter cold) and fresh. And school was delayed a few times. Look at these pictures (the first picture in this blog post was taken from my dorm window)

Heimbold Visual Arts Center:

Mead Way ˆˆ

Park Slope, Brooklyn ˆˆ

Now the snow is in the frozen, dirty stage. It's just...there. Now we're getting antsy for spring!

Much love from the North Pole!

LIVING VICARIOUSLY

I thought you should know:

There are three blogs that I visit everyday and I have been visiting everyday for a pretty long time now. (foodgawker.com should be on here too, but our love affair has been shorter)

I wish I could say that they are all current events/news -ish blogs, but alas, they are all about fashion. Maybe style is a better word...

1) The Sartorialist

This is the first blog that I really started following, and it's a very famous one at that. The blog, run by Scott Schuman, very rarely includes text. But who needs it when the photographs speak for themselves!
It reminds you of the beautiful people that you might not see every day, from every age group and economic background. And with headlines like "Milan", "Paris", "London", "New York City", "Seoul",
"Sydney", and "Moscow" (to name a few) you will feel like a jet-setter in no time.

2) Sea of Shoes

Quick note: these blogs aren't ordered by preference, just chronologically with when I discovered them.

Jane Aldridge is an 18 (?) year old fashion rock star. The text that accompanies her blogposts isn't really stunning on its own (basically consisting of "Yeah, my mom and I picked up these Balenciaga wedges the other day!" or "I am very proud of this vintage Valentino leopard-skin mini skirt. Great find!"), but once again, great imagery. Jane is endowed with a dream closet, and she doesn't let it go to waste. Her outfits are always inspiring and unique, and her environment is always unbelievably luxurious. I still can't believe the life she lives! New York City this weekend, Tokyo next week, and a private Chanel gown fitting in Paris: all in a day's work!

3) Garance Doré

Last, but certainly not least, the French blogger Garance Doré. Being Scott Schuman's (The Sartorialist) girlfriend/lady/lover can be overshadowing, but Garance strongly holds her own. Not only does she take extremely beautiful and thoughtful portraits of street style, she also peppers her blog with original illustrations! So refreshing. Plus, even with the language difference, Garance does not disappoint with her text. Always witty, funny, and relatable, she makes New Yorkers' obsessions with manicures and black tie party etiquette dilemmas seem like the every man's plight. I want to hug her.

So yeah! Just some suggestions to spice up your daily internet life! I'm on the hunt for more good blogs. Any suggestions?

ROMCOMS AND THRILLAKILLAS AND IN BETWEEN

Here are some stereotypes for you:

Guys hate chick flicks.

Girls hate gun-slinging action flicks.

Of course there are exceptions to each, but I was thinking about this today and I came to some interesting conclusions. Guys don't like chick flicks because there isn't anything there for them. The films center around women getting what they want: finding a man who loves them unconditionally and changes for her. Many men watch these films and say, "Yeah, a guy would never be like that." Women are the sole consumers of this somewhat deceiving (undoubtedly entertaining) genre of film.

The same thing can be applied to the other stereotype. Girls often don't like action films because they center around men and the women around them who exist purely for sex appeal. They enter the story to be sexy and fulfilling, and have little other purpose. Women, like myself, often say "Yeah, women aren't like that in real life."

My final conclusion is that there are certain films that both men and women love, equally, and these are the films that probably show best true human interaction and identity. We are attracted to truth, and we can easily tell when personas are fake or contrived.

Which films do you find to be equally enjoyable for both men and women?

THE EMPIRE STATE STRIKES BACK

I'm heading back to NY! I had an absolutely amazing break. I feel so lucky to get to live in two radically different but uniquely wonderful places.

Birmingham, AL

Bronxville, NY

I'll keep updating at school!

Oh and as a last treat, I discovered the silliest and awesomest website the other night:

Radical Friend

LOVE TO ALL!

LET'S MAKE A TOAST TO THE A✿✿HOLES

HAHAHAHA

Why am I laughing hysterically you ask? Watch this:

The best part? I went on Kanye's twitter and quickly discovered how ACTUALLY RIDICULOUS IT IS! I thought that Josh had combed through the genius to isolate a few funny tweets, but NO! Kanye's twitter is an amazing jumble of mispellings, caps lock, and snapshots of the life of the rich and stupid. "Fur coats n shit" anyone???

Oh man. Check it out: Kanye's Twitter

☒ REEL COOL ☒

SO!

I just discovered a pretty cool site: Making Of

Basically the site features lots of insider interviews with filmmakers and actors, and there are some exclusive behind-the-scenes clips! The site looks pretty new, so there isn't an archive yet, but it's definitely worth checking out! So far I've watched a Sofia Coppola interview about Somewhere, Michel Gondry discussing his career (HE is making The Green Hornet??? I would NEVER have guessed that), and Mila Kunis talking about Black Swan (which included some pretty cool backstage stuff).

It's definitely geared more towards people who are interested in the detailed creation of film, but hey, that's me! Check it, ya dizzle?

OH HOW LOVELY - THE KING'S SPEECH

Tom Hooper, a household name of contemporary British film for the likes of The Damned United and the mini-series Daniel Deronda, will undoubtedly gain great respect and acclaim for his latest film, The King's Speech.


The film follows the Duke of York (or as he is nicknamed by family, Bertie), as he must face drastic life changes while struggling with his lifelong stammer. Bertie goes from being the King's second, and more pathetic, son to unexpectedly garnering the title of King George the VI of England.

As someone who has never faced problems with speech, it was incredibly interesting to see through the perspective of someone who faces little else. For most people, it seems impossible to imagine what it would be like to not be able to express yourself in the simplest fashion.

Colin Firth does an absolutely fabulous job portraying the main character in this film. His mastery of the natural stammer makes the audience member feel as though they can understand completely how he feels: his frustration, his fear, and even his self-pity. I would not be surprised in the least if Firth won an Academy Award for this achievement.

Geoffrey Rush also lives up to the task of playing the Duke's stern, strict, loyal, and compassionate speech therapist (and dear companion) Lionel Logue. The two actors perform beautifully with each other, pulling and pushing and working off of each other, neither hogging the spotlight. Really, lovely work.

Helena Bonham Carter provides a great comfort on screen as the Duchess of York, the Duke's faithful and encouraging wife. I really loved her presence, as she was such a solid presence in the chaos of King George's life.

I must also comment on the genius of the art direction and cinematography. Normally, period dramas can feel cold and distant. However, the Director of Photography used what might be called a fish eye lens, that gives the an interesting effect to the scene. This technique lends a certain intimacy and familiarity to the characters, but also mimics the tunnel-vision-esque feeling of fear and stage fright that must have been quite habitual for King George.

The color was stunning. The interiors, especially of Logue's office and home, are very striking. There is a simplicity that is very appealing, but this simplicity retains a great richness. With the combination of unexpected angles and fabulous lighting techniques, the film creates its own world.

Bottom line: I think that you can expect to see this film up for many Oscars this year.

Great work Mr. Hooper.

WHAT THE WHAT

Just a quick note:

Trailers for the new film "Country Strong" have been invading my life, and it looks like (big surprise) Leighton Meester as a goodie two shoes country star who falls for the rugged good lookin' sah-nger.
Oh! And Gwenyth Paltrow has a cameo! How sweet.

Then I watch a longer trailer. Gwenyth Paltrow is the MAIN CHARACTER, Leighton Meester is barely hinted at, and there is NO mention of a love story with her and the other guy (apparently from the TV show "Friday Night Lights").

It ASTOUNDS me that those two radically different ads were promoting the same film.

Crazy.

LET'S SNAP SOME MOMENTS

As I always say at parties/get-togethers/fashion photo shoots/Mario Testino's house: I would rather be the photographer than the photographed.

I have already dazzled you guys with my Hipstamatic and standard Canon digital camera shots, but I'm expanding my world!

I recently developed some great film from this stylized disposable camera from Urban Outfitters. Basically, the film is imprinted with fortune cookie sayings. Here are some of my favorite examples:

This camera also works great for parties and gatherings. The captions add so much to the feeling of the photograph (usually, the added ingredient is humor).

I also have two other cameras that I want to experiment with:

The pop cam I found while rummaging through my room (old Christmas present?) and the other camera I bought from this FABULOUS photography site: Photojojo

None of these cameras are particularly expensive or even that great, but they can still create beautiful images. I want to master the simple apparati (from my Latin knowledge, this seems appropriate) before moving on to any large, more capable cameras.

YAY

COOKIE DOUGH ON BROWNIES EQUALS YEP

THESE ARE LOVELY!

Brownies with cookie dough on top? I mean...YEAH! And do yourself a favor: taste the butter+white sugar+brown sugar mixture. Heaven.

Make them yourself!: Happy Brownies

MUSIC FOR MUSIC'S SAKE

WHAT I HAVE BEEN JAMMING TO OVER WINTER BREAK:

Beach House's latest album "Teen Dream"! Although one of my "friends" at school had a pretty derogatory status about this duo on his facebook, I DON'T CARE! I'm honestly sick of everyone labeling things as "hipster/indie" and then hating on them. I do not enjoy Converse, polaroids, NYLON magazine, and Beach House because they are hipster. I GENUINELY LIKE THEM. Gosh...

Anyways, I highly recommend this album. It just reminds me of how I felt in high school, all dreamy and hopeful and also kind of depressed and tired and hopelessly in love...

Kanye West's new album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is actually pretty cool. I think the man himself is a bit of an egotistical maniac, but I enjoy the tracks and some are surprisingly insightful! I also kind of liked his epic music video "Runaway". It was visually simulating if nothing else...

My one thing: When will rap stop being about "pussies" and "dicks" and "asses" and all that weirdly violent sexual stuff. Do ANY rappers have any real feelings for females? At least we have Nicki Minaj around...

My brother David's Christmas present to me: Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited". Definitely not a new album, but for sure a classic. "Desolation Row" anyone? Ah yes, Bob, the eternal intellect...

Also- WOW he really does look like Cate Blanchett!

Sufjan Steven's latest album, "Age of Adz", is pretty much amazing. It is very different from his previous work, so if you are a die-hard fan, I can understand the frustration. However,  with fresh ears I am completely impressed. Lovely lyrics and really cool experimentation. I usually can't stand 25 minute songs of any sort, but I actually love his epic track "Impossible Soul". Worth the money, it's a revelation.

JUST MARSHIN' YOUR MALLOW

MISSION: Homemade Marshmallows

Guidelines:

Ingredients:

Challenge: Boil sugar, corn syrup, and salt AAHH (be very careful)

Marshmallow paste: Surprisingly thick and sticky!

Result ^^^: Not too gorgeous (I put in too much gelatin and corn syrup I think...)
But after some cutting and dusting, not too shabby:

FANTASTIC MR. ANDERSON

I am so embarrassed at how long it took for me to FINALLY watch Wes Anderson's latest film, Fantastic Mr. Fox!

If you need to know anything about me, know that I absolutely adore Wes Anderson's work. Of course it's not his work alone, most films aren't made by just one person, but he attaches his name to these beautiful pieces over whose content he has the final say. They are his brainchildren and after watching all of his films (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited), you feel as though you understand him as a person. As though he is letting you into the very soul of his imagination and his psyche.

I was a bit worried about Fantastic Mr. Fox, mostly because Wes has never used animation before, and stop-motion animation can look awful without the right care and attention to detail.

But of course, good ol' Wes doesn't disappoint. The animation is beautiful and lively and hugely emotive. The voices (though very recognizable, which sometimes bothers me) worked amazingly! My favorites were Wes' brother Eric Anderson's voice for Cousin Kristofferson, Jason Schwartzman's Ash, and Wes' own voice for the fox realtor.

The music is also totally awesome. As usual.

If you were wondering about the production of the film (I find it SO interesting), I just discovered this video! : The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox

I'm interested to know what everyone else thinks of the film!