Lana Del Rey // Born To Die

It is time to get this out there.

I was introduced to Lana Del Rey through Twitter. The name anyway, the songs and the visuals would have to wait until her appearance on Saturday Night Live. I was tempted to give it a listen, I keep up with music, see a lot of names thrown around various music magazines I lay my eyes upon now and then, so when I saw that name appear following Daniel Radcliffe in the week ahead, my first though was "YES! Finally. I get to hear this! And I want to hear it live." I had asked a friend/fellow employee if she had heard anything by her and she had responded with "Yes, I've heard 'Video Games' and I wasn't that impressed." ::world crashes:: I was b u m m e d. I had heard so much about this girl on twitter touting her amazing-ness and here was someone with a similar taste in music saying it fell flat. So I was even more anxious to see where I would fall in this line of mixed opinion.

So then it happened. She appeared on stage. My first reaction was "HOLY JESUS! She is beautiful." Then the beat happened and then her mouth opened and I was unsure of how to feel. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. But I loved what was happening, just watching her, but then my thoughts of her needing to sit down or have a mic stand got in the way of me adoring that fantastic face and that glorious dress. Her vocal style seems hard to do live, let alone the lack of her In Ear Monitor. Um, that makes that performance that much more difficult. But seriously, should she have been sitting? Needless to say, I kept thinking about her long after her presence had faded from my television. The reactions were bad, but what the hell people, does anyone remember, um, oh, I don't know, ASHLEE SIMPSON?...or any of the other whack ass artists that took the music stage on Saturday Night Live? When I go back and watch the performance now, it's something I can't say I love. It's said best in this music show breakdown of it;

But the emerging pop star, whose debut album for Interscope,

Born To Die, hit stores Tuesday (January 31),

thinks she did a perfectly fine job on the legendary sketch show,

telling Rolling Stone, "I actually felt good about it.

I thought I looked beautiful and sang fine

...I know some people didn't like it, but that's just the way I perform,

and my fans know that."

Unfortunately this is from an MTV article, but it's a decent sum up of her reaction to it.

Then I watched this performance with about four other people who all gave me different opinions. However, I wanted to delve deeper into Del Rey and hear this album and see some videos. So I watched 'Born To Die' and thought "My God, someone has FINALLY done a video that I would have done." It may be even more fabulous due to the fact she conjured up the main idea of it. I love it. Tigers? Churches? Flower Crowns? Ugh. We WERE Born to die.

This is where I blatantly became hooked. I found going through her album that I liked it all initially but would find myself gravitating to different songs during different weeks. 'Off To The Races' is the perfect example of that because I never really dug it. It took awhile, and now it might be one of my favourite songs of hers. I'm funny like that. I just completely phase with certain songs and I feel it coincides with what's going on in life. I can deal with that.

I feel the reason there is such a huge outpouring of adoration over Lana (and defense), besides her flooring looks, is because her music takes you somewhere, it has a level of escapism to it. It literally transports your mind to this image of tattooed lovers, fast living, red dresses, glamour, and taking your body downtown all with the faint smell of weed in the background. I feel there is a similar vibe with Gossip Girl. People like something that makes them feel like they are part of a different world, something yours will never be. Born To Die is chocked full of that kind of imagery. I love sharing this album with people who then seem to become instant Lana fans. This makes me ever so happy.

I have never been so intrigued by a musical artist, besides that of Florence Welch, WHO IS ALWAYS MY NUMBER ONE, YOU HEAR ME? (I think you probably know this by now?) But there is something different about Lana, as we all know that mysterious element is written all over her, but it's her whole vibe that almost makes you feel sexier just by watching her or listening to her music. You can tell she is so comfortable within her sexuality/femininity and that's something you can take to the bank. Maybe this is just what I needed. Something confident. Something that took me through something familiar. Something that seemed sure. I drown in these lyrics and I'm sure try to emulate them at least 35% of the time. Sometimes certain songs hit me ('Video Games' & 'Dark Paradise') me and I feel this overwhelming personal understanding to them. A lot of good elements within this album. It's the same kind of sound throughout, but I feel each possesses a different vibe. I think this is the perfect album to bump while you're getting ready or driving for a night out, although I will admit, her album makes me feel like I'm not living enough...

This gem came out the other week and it is exquisite. I am so glad that her videos are so close to what you'd imagine the video being like. I almost get annoyed if it is something not relevant in any way to the song. How gloriously entrancing.

Please, indulge me with your Lana thoughts. Seriously.

No longer odd!..numerically speaking anyway.

Alas, I will no longer be odd, numerically speaking, as of Thursday around 3:20 pm. I will be Twenty Four. This is terrifying, yet mostly exhilarating because this past year of being 23 only got tolerable in December when Florence decided to amplify my life x 1000. Things got increasingly better then and I'd say they are only on their way to getting better. I feel that I'm on the brink of something good here. I feel pretty good about creating this rad little space I come home to each night. AH! Behold! My beloved space! And although it's back with my parents, it's something that is closer to everything I know and love. While it's good to be distanced from that for awhile, sometimes it's good to be reunited with it as well.

[there's a lot of Florence and Lana Del Rey going on here-more to come of that! Some drawings, some set lists...the bed is a huge upgrade and it's amazingly comfortable. My acoustic guitar that I pretend to play well and GREY WALLS! YES! This was a great room to move back into]

There are things about my living environment that need to scream my personality and my interests and without them I just feel rather odd. This has always been the case and I can't help but decking out my walls with people I find so extremely rad. I remember when I first moved back in my dad kept coming in and saying "Okay, that's enough" and that was only with the setlists and a few other pictures. There's going to be a whole 'lot more glossy pictures popping up on that wall with all the great magazines that have come out lately! and back to it...

Everyone around me has been super positive lately. I've been catchin' up with so many friends lately, which has been quite easy due to the fact that I'm so much closer to them then were I was living the past two years. Rachael made a comment the other day that went along the lines of  "I can tell, you look like you're going to burst at the seams, in a good way!" in response to "I want to do something, I feel really good about this year..." Anywho, liked that terminology she used and it kind of put it more into perspective for me. That's exactly how I feel. I saw Brooke today and I told her how I want to turn over a new leaf, do something good and what's good for me. She said "Dude, it's turned. Or it's like ::half-flipping palm:: right there. That is awesome. I have really rad people in my life right now!

Work has become a little bit interesting but presents different opportunities. I feel confident, mostly. If we're being honest that is. Like..perhaps I'm starting to come into place with who I am as a person? I feel good about what I have to offer in terms of personality. I am the most relieved that I've come to good terms with my body and how I feel perceive it and I sort of like it. I. Can. Dig. It. I think I've learned what works for me right now. Food and my intake of it always fluctuates with what's going on in my life, however, I find there to be an up slope when there is a fine combination of fruits and veggies and Portillo's. There was a lot of that when I was twenty-three and there will be more to come in the next. I have struck a nice balance in knowing how to eat that's just right for me. I am grateful for this.

[]
behold the Portillo's Chili dog with all the fix-ins!

There's more where this came from! I have to eat here once a week!

Plus, being the girl with body issues is kind of a drag, and that's practically every girl in existence...awesome! I feel like I have moments in my life though where I've felt like I've had it pretty together, but they seem like fleeting moments that really last longer than just moments, long enough to stick around and give me this false sense of accomplishment and hope. NOT TODAY! [see reference] I plan on having things go well this year. I feel more stable as well, which is a big part of it. Ah, stability, what a fine word. I'm finally coming around to being cool with being happy. I hate when numerous months go on where those days when you feel sad, you feel like you're never going to be happy again, and vice versa. It just blows, so it's nice to be moving a bit more past that. I hope my plans for my birthday pan out well. I try to always keep things pretty simple when it comes to these kind of things just so it makes it harder for things to fall through. I just want fantastic company and good food-both should be able to happen!

I finally got back to skating regularly again. I hated how I was letting that skill go down the drain and I have gone back and am in the process of fine tuning and regaining certain elements. It is SO GOOD to be back. I have this solid little skate crew that I used to pal around with a few years ago. It is great to see them again and it's always nice to have people you know sharing the ice with you. It makes it more fun and I always prefer someone is there, it tends to be much more motivating. Hopefully I can get over there consistently and more often. Amazing weather has hit Chicago extremely early which is making it super easy to snag walks or do some rollerbladin' before I start work midday. This has been so good for me. I love doing something outside and active before work. It just puts me in such a better mood and energized for the day, but let's be honest, this is no secret. When I say "amazing weather" I am not shitting you, this weather has been without a doubt some of the most insane I've seen. I know, I'm only 23 (FOR NOW!) but 85º+ before the end of March is downright bonkers in this neck of the woods. I find myself dwindling down on sunblock before Spring even starts. I will take it, but I have to assume we will pay for this somehow...

Just over a month until I see the fabulous Florence + The Machine take the stage in Milwaukee. I can hardly contain myself and my friend who I'm going with told me the plan of arriving bloody early and queue-ing asap. I'm semi-on board with this plan. I love Florence. I will wait all day. Is it 100% necessary..proobbbabbblly not, but is it VITAL to get FRONT ROW AT A G.A. SHOW?! YES. Therefore it all balances out and I will be waiting in that line for a good 10 hours. This seems rather insane, but yes, yes, yes, go with me. I am also rather revved about snagging my Radiohead ticket. This will be the first time I've seen this band and I've loved them so hard for years. I am especially excited for the group of people I am seeing with them. I can feel it in my bones that it will be one fantastic evening.

And without a doubt XRT has gotten me along this year with music and I've learned a lot through listening. Almost all of my favourite artists get picked up on the station, or I hear about them from XRT. I am so glad I get to see Florence again in April. This is something I am so over the moon excited for even if I have to travel to Milwaukee to do it. Good things lay ahead this year in terms of music and I'm just really excited!

Needless to say, the song of the year without a doubt is this gem:

recents:

I've been doing a lot of thrifting, quite a bit of rollerblading, some skating, and dabbling in some floral crown wearin'. All of these are reflective of that. It's almost like a matching game. almost.

Even though it's supposed to rain tomorrow, I want to get on a bike, grab a balloon bouquet and listen to 'I Might' by Wilco! That would be absolutely fantastic. Enjoy!

 

 +

 

+

 

= OH YEAH!

here's a sum-up of the best age/year- 22

I hope you all have a rad day and do something awesome! HAVE AN AMAZING DAY!

x x x x

Time to gush over Fall 2012!

Fall 2012 Collections


I'm finally getting around to my favourite stuff from fashion week. Now that
fashion week is wrapped up pretty much everywhere...great timing! Normally I would have had this up weeks ago, but alas, I've been busy, which I'm rather thankful for. So the other day I mustered up some time and finally took a gander at these gems-

Meadham Kirchhoff

 

 

 

Holy hell Meadham Kirchhoff never fails to make me ooze with happiness each time I click through their collection slideshow. I love clashing patterns that somehow look like they are supposed to go together. I absolutely love stirring up that look on my own, but sometimes they definitely don't look like they are supposed to go together...oops. The monster face dyed within the jacket?! The rainbow glitter suit?! Ugh, just delicious. I love the fact that Ben Kirchhoff explained this collection as inspiration of wanting to go to a club...one that doesn't exist because of his whimsical and far out mind can conceptualize what a club would look like via clothing. The shoes, the tights...way rad. I love that ragin' strawberry in the first picture and the girl rocking the rainbow suit reminds me of David Bowie. I feel like that suit would make some sort of  *clanking* noise when you wore it. So there's that. Cherries, monsters, rainbows, plaid,  and FURRY PAW GLOVES? Chyeah, I'll take it.

Oscar de la Renta

 

 

 

 

 

I've been captivated by Oscar since early high school and he never ceases to make me go "OSSSCCCCARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" as I'm clicking MIND-BLOWN through the pictures. I have always loved the contrast of these huge designers in one collection; how there can be something casual, and extremely over the top formal. Precious, sexy, foxy, formal, crisp, dashing, sharp, and standout would be a few of the words I would use to describe just this collection alone. Look at the [entire thing]. Please. And the shoes?! I can't even choose a favourite out of all of these. I love the necklace and the dress in picture 8. One hell of a statement piece and I can tell you that I always love a good statement piece. I also dig the coat on picture 9. This collection was full of goodies. Big time hard to narrow it down to 10...

Rodarte

 

 

 

Delicious. The coats/jackets, PATTERNS, and shapes to these are just fantastic. I'm a big fan of the shoes in this one. I just like the pattern shifts that pull it together instead of making it clash. I love the sequins sewn on in the second picture, it makes it look so cool from a distance. Like she got in a knife fight and her wounds glow...right?

DETAILS!

 
 

Creatures of the Wind

 

 

 

 

Creatures of the Wind is my favourite designer right now. I love these two Chicago dudes and I was so happy when they were runners-up for the CFDA/Vogue fund. Well deserved.Whimsical, Laid-back style sexy, and masculine are the vibes I get from this collection and I really like it. I love the wider-legged pants, shirts buttoned all the way up, jackets, and sweaters that have a nice ease to them. Each one evokes a different sexiness..picture two? YES. A woman in a bowler hat is something that is rather fantastic. I was on the hunt for a top hat, well I suppose I'm always on the hunt for a top hat, I REALLY want a purple velvet top hat, but that's about to get really off topic. The absolute fabulous pattern clashing has got it goin' on in 1 & 5, I want them. That dress in 4? YES PLEASE. Now that would be one hell of a party dress. If the girl in picture 6 didn't have a flask of gin tucked beautifully into a garder I will be sad. Another well done collection. Check it out in it's entirety.

ahhh.

There are only so many more collections to look at and fall in love with.