Tuesday, December 29, 2009

It's Happening!


If you haven't heard of the British show that is Skins, you better start paying attention. Set in Bristol, the teen-drama follows the lives of 9 individuals going through the hardships that are, our teen years. Some of the controversial subjects include homosexuality, under-age sex, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, autism, and death to name a few. I was introduced to the show last year, and quite literally watched the first 3 seasons from to start to finish. I couldn't get enough, it was addicting.

The show was created by father-son duo, Bryan Elsley and Jaime Brittain. They are known for having a young writing team with the average age of 21. The team's writing is unprecedented, and instantly draws you in. You start to develop a connection with each of the characters. You find yourself sympathizing with them, when they've done something wrong. You find yourself crying when they've experienced similar hardships to what you have. You experience all sorts of emotions with Skins, something that I haven't experienced with a show, ever.

The interesting thing about this show is that they completely changed the cast after the first two seasons. This can be completely suicidal when you have such success with the initial cast, but they did it right, and came up on top. In my opinion, I think that the third season is the best to date, and I find myself falling in love with all the new characters, especially my Cookie monster.

This January the show will start it's fourth season, and I can't wait! I've been talking about it non-stop with co-workers and am pleasantly surprised that I have forgotten a lot of the scenes. I just might have a weekend dedicated to all that is, Skins.

Oh, by the way. If your looking for a show that provides a passionate storyline and outstanding soundtrack, this is your show. I was trying to convince my boyfriend to download the entire soundtrack of all 3 seasons, but it's proving to be quite difficult as the show has such a variety of music, that you can hardly keep up with it all. Kudos to music advisor Alex Hancock.

This message has been brought to you by the Cookie Monster

Monday, December 21, 2009

Larissa says it's 4 more days until Christmas

If you're looking for something a little less jolly during Christmas time, definitely listen to Sting's winter inspired album, If on a Winter's Night...

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I'mma dig that grave and fall in line for the drop



Australia, the country that gave us Nicole Kidman (and her collagen lips), Steve Irwin - the adventurous wildlife expert (may he rest in peace), and of course the biggest mistake in all of fashion history that is the Ugg boot. One thing is for sure, the band that I'm about to rave about, is definitely not going to be another fad that is going to be on the outs within a month.

The band I've been listening to religiously since I was given their first full-length album are The Temper Trap. This talented foursome reign from Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia. Dougy Mandagi, the lead vocalist and creator of The Temper Trap was born in Indonesia, where he was brought up in a family who supported musical growth. An all around passionate artist, he traveled from country to country, and ended up settling in Melbourne, where he would wander the streets and sing a tune or two for any audience that was willing to listen. While working retail in Melbourne, he befriended Toby Dundas their drummer. And, soon after met up with an old friend that was Jonathon Adherne, who later became their bassist. After many failed attempts at trying to find a guitarist that met their spiritual bond to music, they found Lorenzo Sillitto. Thus, The Temper Trap was created.

While touring Australia and making a name for themselves, they caught the ear of famed and renowned music producer Jim Abiss. Abiss, a British music producer, is best known for producing Mercury award winning albums such as the Arctic Monkeys What Ever People Say I am, That's what I'm Not. And of course a favorite of mine Mercury nominated, Adele's 19. They recorded Conditions in 4 weeks in March 2009, and have since been getting tremendous attention since releasing the album in the summer of 2009.

Their first single off of Conditions, Sweet Disposition, was featured on the 500 days of Summer soundtrack. That's when I fell in love. I couldn't get the symphony of Dougy's voice out of my head. It was serene. It was instantly captivating, and I decided right there and then that I needed more! Luckily for me, my boyfriend knew of the band already and set me up with the album. Mandagi has said that some of his influences include Radiohead, Prince, U2 and many many more. I can definitely hear the Prince influence, because his vocal range is absolutely flawless. Whether it's his angelic hymning or his powerful wails, you feel every lyric as if it were being sung for you. The balance is phenomenal.

Some of my favorites include, Love Lost, Science of Fear, and Soldier On. But the one song I have had on repeat for the past 7 days, and subject my co-workers too, is Resurrection. The build of this song makes me want to dance every time I listen to it.

All in all, I would have to say that this is my choice for album of the year. I just can not get enough! So much so, that I've convinced my boyfriend to go see them in Liverpool when we go visit his family in May 2010. I've been pumping myself up by watching footage of them playing live, and even then I know this will be a band that is going to change how I listen to music.

So, with that, I leave you with my favorite song - Resurrection. This is footage from their "Live in Session" for the BBC that was recorded in December 2008. Enjoy, I know I will.


Sunday, December 13, 2009

Friday, December 11, 2009

So don't try to sing along...

Just wanted to spread some Christmas cheer. 14 more days folks!




Wednesday, December 9, 2009

It was just like Christmas


After returning home from work last night, I realized how unprepared I am for winter. I have no winter boots, and Toronto got hit by a bit of a snow storm last night. So, I have the great fortune of going boot shopping this weekend. In all honesty I hate winter shopping. I can never seem to find the boots I like, and usually the one's that I do like are never suitable for enduring Canadian winters.

So, I have to step up my game this year and actually invest in a good solid pair of Sorel Boots. Not just any ordinary Sorel boots, because quite frankly I'm 5'4 and wear a size 9.5. How? you ask me, I haven't a clue, it's just one of those strange things. Anyways if I were to purchase the original Sorel caribou boots surely I would look like a hobbit with such huge boots on. Honestly, they only look flattering on small feet, or tall girls that have average feet.

While browsing their site I came across the Hoonah boots and instantly fell in love. Not only were they stylish but they came in black! They offer style and comfort, and even better yet, waterproof leather. Oh the euphoria!

Also, because Sears doesn't want anyone to forget, it's 16 more days until Christmas. So I'm starting to put up some Christmas songs to get people excited about Christmas itself and not the shopping.

Everyday when I walk through Sears to get to work, there is a giant sign that says "x amount of days until Christmas". Thanks for reminding me to spend money Sears, I really appreciate it!

On to the Christmas music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IippcraBPKA&feature=player_embedded

Youtube won't let me embed this, so go on and have a listen.




Monday, December 7, 2009

"Called it!"

I'm sitting here with my boyfriend still recovering from the shocking ending that was, Gossip Girl tonight. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but it's pretty crazy. For those of you who aren't fans, well that's quite alright. For those of you who are, shit just got real.

Moving on to why I'm writing this post. I'm sure you can relate to my experience. So, there's always that one person in your group of friends that always seems to think that they discovered something that blows up in the mass media. You know when you have a conversation that goes something like this:

Dustin
" Hey, have you ever heard of so and so band?"

Kaylie
" No, who are they?"

Dustin
" Man, like the next ( insert popular band name here ). I'm calling it right now. They're going to be HUGE!"

Kaylie
"Okay...."

I'm pretty sure we all have a friend that "calls it". You know, when that band that they were talking about 2 months ago, that you hadn't even heard of, is now the biggest thing on the scene. And like all the other times when they "call it", they seem to want to get some kind of credit for foreshadowing the success of said band. Yeah, them. Well, I have the great fortune of having one of those friends, actually he happens to be my boyfriend.

He tends to "call it" a lot. I simply smile and listen to what he has to say, and often he seems to have a good eye for catching the goods. This time in particular he mentions Ray Romano. I instantly tune him out. All I can remember is the annoying jingle that plays at the beginning of Everybody Loves Raymond and I'm instantly turned off. I don't love Raymond. In fact, I've never been a fan of Ray Romano not even in Ice Age, and he wasn't even in the movie, he was just a character's voice. I've just never thought he was funny. Up until now.

Dave, that's my boyfriend's name, found this trailer online. I'm happy he did, because after watching this, I think I might give Mr. Romano a chance to show some worth. The show is called Men of a Certain Age, and it follows the story of a group of college buddies that keep there friendships going through college, marriage, kids, separation, and hell even mid-life crisis. It's a surprisingly refreshing idea, and I'm kind of excited to see what the show has to offer. So, I leave you with the trailer that Dave gave me when he was "calling it". Enjoy!









Let it snow let it snow let it snow








Christmas is in the air! It's starting to snow so I thought I would post some pictures of the decorations in my house. Ever since we put up the tree, the boys in the house have shown a keen interest in adding more decorations. I'm really impressed, they seem to have a good eye for decorating.




Friday, December 4, 2009

Suave Suede


Being in retail makes you understand two things. One, Christmas is a crazy time to be working in the mall. And two, people are absolutely crazy when they're shopping for Christmas. So it's always nice to come home, relax with my roommates, and not have to think about it. But tonight, is a different night. We've decided that we are going to put up a Christmas tree, since we were too broke to afford one last year (because we are struggling students.) Anyways, unfortunately for me, I will be missing out on all the festivities due to work. I'm kind of bummed out about this since the night entailed Christmas movies and baking cookies. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to put my domestic desires on the back burner.

Side note: As I was leaving for work, my roommate walked into the living room as the tree was being put up. She had this look on her face like it was already Christmas morning. It was endearing, she looked like a kid again. I guess that's what Christmas does to us all.

Coming back home from work was an absolute surprise, a really great one actually. I told my boyfriend that I thought I might cry. The decorations are beautiful, and our house feels like a home. I can't wait to start stuffing the stockings.

On another note, I've been looking at a lot of different textures in fabric. I guess I've been searching for a certain richness in fabrics. But nothing screams richness like suede and velvet. The combination, when done right, is phenomenal. I chose a palette that had some depth to it with rich blues, greens, and reds. I kept the accessories simple, as I wanted the emphasis to remain on the clothing. All together I love this look, especially the navy suede lace up shoes with silver hardware detail. It looks perfect with the knitted shawl cardigan from Topshop.


Suave Suede


Clothing Knitted Shawl Cardigan Lace Cup Corset Glitter Velvet High Knickers Black 120 Denier Opaque Tights (Topshop)
Accessories Suede Lace Ups ( Opening Ceremony) Mulberry| Bayswater Leather Bag Kate Spade Gumdrop Studs-Black Basso Brookle Glass Cuff by Disaya Disaya


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Mute Me Out



Oh how I love a good old hearty breakfast. Especially when I'm listening to Keren Ann. If you haven't heard of Keren Ann, she's a singer song-writer from Paris, France. I've recently downloaded her entire discography and fell in love with her first album, La Biographie de Luka Philipsen. She has a whimsical sound to her that makes you feel like everyday is a Sunday.

Anyways, I came to a bit of a realization today. The weather is starting to get colder and I realize that we didn't get much of a Summer, so I'm just accepting Winter this year. Usually I would piss and whine about the snow, but I'm finally embracing the idea of it. I've been wanting to go out and take a few pictures of my area. I'm surrounded by trees and they all look like they've been lit on fire with all the bright red and yellow leaves. I don't know when I'll be able to make time with work keeping me so busy. I'll try my best to post some on here.

So on to the outfit. I was feeling a muted palette today so I stuck to more grays and blacks. Generally when I'm feeling a muted outfit I tend to go for bolder makeup. So, I suggest a bright red lip and a neutral eye. I fell in love with the metallic striped top by Yuki (available at Topshop). I just love how it's tailored to the waist and the shoulders have an 80's feel to it. I'm really in the mood to purchase a power blazer with shoulder pads. With time.

Mute me Out


Clothing Metallic Striped Top by Yuki Boudicca Leggings Aldo Shoes
Accessories Chanel Large Black Leather Chain handle Shoulder Bag H&M Ring Leather Encrusted teardrop Earrings Ray Ban CATS 1000 Light Havana Sunglasses
Makeup Lancome L'Absolu Rouge



Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Absolute Divinity

absolute divinity
I can't help but think I don't have enough shoes, especially wedges. I spotted these April Wedge Lace-ups as I was making a "get it" list for when I travel to England. They are absolutely stunning. I might just have to save these puppies for spring as the snowy Canadian winter approaches.

Clothing Bow Print Striped T Three Quarter Sleeve Blazer Black Leggings (TopShop)
Accessories Aldo Earrings Benjamin Eye wear Kayne acetate Sunglasses Mark Jacobs Kate Leather Shoulder Bag Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James Brass Knuckle ring