Work it out.

Ah summertime.  While many choose to make the most of the beautiful weather by experiencing the great outdoors, and exercising outside the confines of the gym, I will burn my calories through movie watching osmosis.  Ten points to anyone who can name the origin of each GIF.

Zombie engagement

If I ever get engaged, I don't know if I'll have the patience to to endure a photo shoot that's bound to be hours long.  If I do, I hope that I can get as creative as this couple who shunned the once artsy, now typical hipster photo shoot, in favor of something truly unique and memorable.

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J'adore: AMERICA!

I’m proud to be an American, and I sincerely wish some of these items were free.  This post is about a month and a half late, but there are a couple of lust worthy pieces all inspired by Americana that I’ve recently fallen in love with.  I couldn’t wait until next July 4 to share.

Jeanine Payer is a San Francisco based jewelry designer with a significant celebrity following, popular for her engraved pieces featuring memorable quotes or lines from poems.  Her 18K Hepburn ring could easily be mistaken for a signet ring, but this piece is embellished with ten small diamonds around a quote by one of America’s most famous poets: Walt Whitman.  The quote reads, “I do not ask any more delight, I swim in it as a sea.”

I’m a huge history nerd, so in the process of trying to find items to decorate my new apartment I stumbled upon an antique flag dealer who specializes in procuring American flags and political memorabilia from the 19^th century.  My favorite item was the pair of framed McKinley/Roosevelt & Bryan/Stevenson campaign flags from the 1900 election.  For something more moderately priced, there prints from an artist on Etsy of five different presidents each battling zombies, big foot or riding a grizzly bear.

Another great Etsy find is the t-shirt by urban clothing designer Culture Attack.  Though President Lincoln is barely recognizable beneath the eye patch and bandanna, the portrait of everyone’s favorite abolitionist is available on four different colored cotton shirts.  At $26 a piece, it’s a steal compared to the D&G tanks that are equally fantastic.

Though D&G is an Italian fashion house, they have a knack for putting American icons on clothing.  My favorite from this season is the Steve McQueen tank, and the Elvis shirt from last season.  Both are sold out, but LUISAVIAROMA has an interesting selection of Kylie Minogue shirts left.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Out on December 2, "We Need to Talk About Kevin" stars Tilda Swinton as the mother of a teenage boy who goes on a shooting spree in his high school.  I wish this film was coming out around Halloween, and not the holidays.  It looks so fantastically creepy with numerous laughing clowns sprinkled throughout the trailer, and Tilda's non-existant eyebrows.



Just relax

I love this picture, and cannot wait for the 2012 campaigns to kick into high gear.

Let's not forget her response to the State of the Union on behalf of the Tea Party...

Fall Television Picks

Already scheduled on my DVR: Top Five Returning Shows

Sons of Anarchy –FX (Tuesday, Sept 6)

Last season "Sons of Anarchy" got a bit off track with the club flying halfway across the world in search of a kidnapped baby.  This season show creator Kurt Sutter promises to bring the focus back to the existing tensions within SAMCRO.

  

Community – NBC (Thursday, Sept 22)

A show that’s wildly popular amongst its fans returns this fall to NBC for its third season.  Though it may be difficult to jump into "Community" without having seen the previous two seasons, the show rewards its fans by being uber-meta. 

Parks and Recreation – NBC (Thursday, Sept 22)

I began watching "Parks and Rec" at the recommendation of a friend, and have no regrets adding this comedy to my already packed television schedule.  This underrated NBC show is less quirky than "Community," and has the charm and shine that "The Office" lost long ago.

Boardwalk Empire –HBO (Sunday, Sept 25)

This critic favorite drama returns to HBO one week after the Emmy Awards, for which it has been nominated in 18 different categories, including Best Drama.  If doubters aren’t impressed by the season two preview, then I’m going to assume their favorite show is "The Big Bang Theory."

Walking Dead –AMC (Sunday, Oct 16)

With all the budget cuts at AMC there have been some questions about how the second season of The Walking Dead will hold up, especially with the loss of showrunner Frank Darabont.  If the writers remain unafraid of killing off main characters and making bold plot decisions, season two may be even better than season one.

  

Tell me more: Top Three New Shows
(Previews after the jump)

Phone tapping

Banksy on the phone tapping scandal:

Don't fuck with me, Rodrigo.

There still hasn't been a great comedy out since the original "Hangover."  Some girls wistfully argue that "Bridesmaids" was just as good as Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up," or "Superbad," but I just don't buy it.  "The Sitter" which stars Jonah Hill, looks like it could be one of those unexpected comedic hits.  

The Jersey Turnpike

Season four of The Jersey Shore premiered tonight, and just like The Hills, America’s favorite reality show has become overly produced, and less real.

I've Got A Secret

August Oscar Predix

Back in March I posted a very early prediction of what the top movies would be leading up to the 2012 Oscars.  Now that the summer movie season is winding down the studios will begin to roll out their award fodder, so I’ve updated my top ten list and included three possible replacement choices.

1.) A Dangerous Method (November 11)

You've Got Mail

Long, long ago the only way of communicating with someone over long distance was through snail mail, but today sending a letter has taken a backseat to emailing and texting.  There is still something romantic, sentimental and nostalgic about sending and receiving mail.  It demonstrates a certain level of care, thought and detail that digital messaging just cannot convey.  Through August 15, Snail Mail My Email, an interactive community art project, aims to cultivate appreciation for the lost art of letter writing by offering anyone with access to computer a chance to have their emails transformed into a handwritten letter.

Showrunners

Slated for release in 2012, the feature length documentary "Showrunners" takes a look inside the world of television writers.  The filmmakers interviewed the creators of "Lost," "House" and "Sons of Anarchy" among many others.  It's a film that will appeal to anyone who's passionate about quality television programming.

The Living Doll

Japan is undoubtedly the global leader in creepy robot creations.  The most recent development on that front is the clone doll.  For $1750 CloneFactory will create a 3D printed digital composite of the customer on a twenty-inch doll.  Haven’t they seen the episode of “The Twilight Zone” titled The Living Doll?

J'adore: August

Over the course of the summer there have been a few lustworthy items that have truly caught my eye.

Though the iPad is an electronic, it’s also a functional, sleek accessory.  Just like a bag, shoes or jewelry, the case covering an iPad is a way for the owner to express themselves.  For something basic there’s Apple’s signature black cover, for a more fashionable option there’s Burberry’s leather metallic cover, for a classic look Smythson offers bright crocodile covers.  For iPad owners who want something with a bit of character, Twelve South has created a handmade, hardback case for the iPad that looks like a vintage, leather bound book.  At $69 it’s a bargain.

Handmade in Columbia with fine Spanish cotton, Salua Lingerie’s boyfriend nightshirt is a flattering and comfortable sleepwear option. Each season they offer a number of different designs including dresses, shirts and separates, and unlike men’s clothing, Salua’s designs are lightweight, soft and tailored for women. Whenever I wear this shirt I try to find a reason to stay at home and not change into normal clothes.

Me & Ro jewelry designer Robin Renzi operates her business out of her New York City workroom, and attracted celebrity clientele including Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlize Theron. The half-inch heart pendent is made of hand-carved fossilized ivory, and set in 18K gold. The necklace is on the pricey end, but be layered beautifully with other necklaces and is a piece that remains in a woman’s jewelry collection for life


An eye-catching t-shirt can easily transform a dull outfit into one that’s chic and interesting.  I’ve recently fallen in love with three different t-shirt designers, one from Argentina and two from France, each with very different aesthetics. French brand Maison Labiche pays tribute to music stars with line drawings of album covers on their t-shirts.  One of their more simple designs features the names of iconic figures in literature, like Gatsby and Holden Caufield, and movie characters like Luke Skywalker. Drug Money Art, is the creation of Argentine surfer Tin Ojeda. Each shirt is hand painted or screened, featuring sayings like, “Beauty is Boring,” photos of Great White sharks, or Ojeda’s drawings.  The young French street brand Quatre Cent Quinze offers a small selection of unisex shirts with eye-popping screen prints.

The small cross body bag has become rather popular over the past year, offering a less cumbersome option for those who like the small compact nature of a clutch, but prefer to have their hands free.  The Mini Miss Wu is Jason Wu’s new cross body bag.  The python purse is available in the three primary colors, but the cobalt is by far the most striking choice.  Diane Kruger was spotted earlier this month wearing the scarlet red mini bag.

Downton Abbey: Season Two

British period drama, “Downton Abbey” is schedule to return to American television on January 8, 2012 as a part of PBS’s Masterpiece Theater.  Earlier this month the show’s executive producers and cast appeared at the Television Critics Association press tour and revealed details of the upcoming second season.

The timeline of season two will be similar to season one, spanning from 1916 through the end of the First World War.  Nearly all of the characters will be returning, with the exception of Gwen and one who has yet to be revealed.  While the focal point of season two will be the affects of the war on Downton and its inhabitants, the plight of Crawley daughters’ love lives will not be far from the spotlight. 

Another Masterpiece hit that’s scheduled to return in 2012 is the updated BBC version of “Sherlock Holmes”, which beat out Downton at this year’s BAFTA awards.

Brave

On Friday, Pixar debuted its twelfth feature film, "Cars 2."  The consensus is that it's Pixar's weakest film, and I have to say I agree.  While Pixar's animation is superior to all other CGI films, the stories that they tell are what make each film so beloved.  "Cars 2" felt recycled, and the new characters introduced were heavily underutilized.  Luckily, the trailer for next years feature, "Brave" has been released and it gives Pixar fans something to look forward to.

Wedding this weekend y'all!

My Kermy...

I'll forgive Jason Segal's work on a CBS sitcom if this movie is good.  Fingers crossed.  I'm not the biggest Muppets fan in the world, but the plot does sound pretty good..  Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) try to save the Muppet Theater from being bulldozed by Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who wants to drill for oil discovered beneath the theater.  Gary, Mary and Kermit must reunite the rest of the Muppets for The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater.  The only problem is all the muppets have gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate 

Game of Thrones, episode six

Last night was the episode six of "Game of Thrones."  Below is a list of this week's winners and losers.  Be warned there are spoilers ahead!

Winners