Boston

I have been struggling with how to summarize (or even organize or comprehend) my thoughts and feelings and heartbreak over yesterday's devastating events at the Great Boston Marathon -- not for anyone else, just struggling to process it for myself. Sometimes writing helps.

My emotions are tangled in so many complex corners of grasping what happened, and why it evokes such raw pathos for me. I don't think I will be able to break them all down. I can't yet put to words my feelings about the coward or cowards who executed this tragedy; I can't yet put to words my feelings about the victims; I can't yet put to words my feelings for the unsung heroes we keep seeing and reading about; I can't yet put to words my feelings about my fears regarding this strange and fragile new world into which I brought my innocent nine-month old daughter; I can't yet even find words for my feelings about bravery, pain, sorrow. There certainly aren't words for the empty, violent hole that formed instantly in my belly as I started seeing "Prayers for Boston" and similar vague posts appear on my Facebook and Twitter feeds yesterday before I began to understand that something had happened. In my Boston? Every new incident of tragedy we continue to experience as a community, a country, a world shakes me to the core. But the nausea that accompanied my uncovering of what happened yesterday was different. My Boston.

The Boston Marathon represents everything that is great about sport. Its history and symbolism in the world of international running go without saying, I think. And what Boston means to runners, especially marathoners (neither of which I can claim to be, though I *can* run...), is BIG. It's more than raising money or winning a lottery bib. It's The Accomplishment. It's the feather in your running cap. It's The Goal. You qualified. You are fast. You are a Runner with a capital 'R.'

But the Boston Marathon represents something else entirely more than that for those of us who will always call Massachusetts (and Boston) home, even if we no longer actually live there. There is an energy of childhood for even the oldest Massachusetts-bred spectator each year, whether standing on the sidelines directly, or virtually, thanks to television and the Internet. There is a giddy, pure, joy - there just is. It's corny to almost any non-New Englander/non-Massachusetts-er. My husband, a Chicagoan who lived in Boston for several years, will attest to that. As exciting as the race can be for anyone, he just never wholly understood why I woke up early to bring our kitchen chairs down to the empty sidewalk to save a a perfect spot outside the door of our Hereford Street apartment for my father's and my viewing, on the last block before the turn to the Boylston finish. He certainly couldn't understand why my father would wake up at the crack of dawn to drive two hours east to sit in rain or intense heat or other weather all day with me and cheer on the runners as though each of them was our dearest relative.

The Boston Marathon is an institution. It's a holiday. It's a party. It's in the fabric of Boston's great, boisterous, unflappable personality. It is my childhood, and it evokes something in me that almost nothing else does (except some other Boston icons like the Citgo sign or a shot of the State House in a movie, or the first glimpse of the Pru from a tiny airplane window...). Again, my husband appreciates but doesn't understand why a segment on the local news on Patriot's Day each year (it's still Patriot's Day to me, even if my new state doesn't know that) in the seven since we left Boston simultaneously brings an enormous grin to my face and tears to my eyes. But it does. The same way a great Boston accent conjures a family member and just warms me right to the soul.

In sixth grade, my class made news state-wide as we trained for months to walk the Marathon as a group. On Marathon Monday 1992, we left Hopkinton hours before the runners so that we could high-five them from our lunch break along the route. News crews followed and interviewed us. I wore boxer shorts with runners on them (over spandex shorts -- how very 1992 of me!) as my "uniform." The excitement of that incredible weekend in many ways has never left me. I can feel my thrill right now if I close my eyes to see my 12-year old self crossing that iconic, beautiful finish line, holding hands with my best friends as we sang the Chariots of Fire music and slow-motion ran over the painted stripe on Boylston Street. I can think of little else from my childhood to compare to that extraordinary experience, but, I guess it speaks to some of that "something entirely else" that the Great Boston Marathon is to me and to Boston and to Massachusetts, to home.

Yesterday morning my father fulfilled one of a number of nostalgic dreams he's long talked about by riding his bike with two friends along the Marathon route into Boston, and then back out against the runner traffic to watch the race among the community of the spectator supporters out in the suburbs before heading home. (For the record, my dad is probably one of the Boston Marathon's greatest fans ever.) Here's the photo he sent to my brother and me a few hours before this day took the terrible turn that it did:

(that's Dad on the right in neon, with his buddy Bill; their other buddy, Bob, is behind the camera)

Eerie and haunting now, but this photo captures that untainted joy of Marathon Monday to which so many can relate. And even in my confusion and my sadness and my anger and, again, my simply deep, deep heartbreak, I love that that untainted joy is forever captured here.

Love that dirty water.

Paris in Springtime? Don't Mind if I Do!

Full disclosure: the closest I've come to Paris is a layover at Charles de Gaulle airport with my brother when I was 13.

But I *feeeeeel* like I've been there, or even like I am there, whenever I look at Nichole Robertson's photographs and her Paris Color Project (check it all out here).

I have been borderline obsessed with these photos for quite some time, and I'm not even sure I could recall how I found my way to them if you paid me with a trip to Paris, but I.Just.Love.Them. They even inspired my own very pathetic-by-comparison attempt at photographing our neighborhood by color (blerg).

I've hesitated to purchase anything, though, only because I haven't actually been to Paris myself, even if these photos evoke in me some sort of nostalgia for a trip long-forgotten. BUT. A clearance sale? I can't pass up a clearance sale! Get yourself over to TheParisPrintShop on Etsy and check out all of the beautiful photographs, including an insane clearance section thanks to prints already available on paper they've discontinued using. I mean, $8 8x10 prints?

I am just going to let these photos sweep me away to beautiful Paris this spring, in my mind at least. (There are a few images already in my Etsy cart!)

(Note: I did not receive anything - art- or compensation-wise - for this post. I just love these photos, so I thought I'd share the art/deal.)

Flat-Footed

I might be willing it, but I BELIEVE warm weather (I'll even settle for just warmer weather) is around the corner. One of the things that happens to me at this time of year is that I start itching to throw away all of my boots and booties and let my tootsies breathe! But not just yet. So the easy transition is the flat. A little skin exposure, but no mandated pedicures just yet. I need approximately 7 more degrees on the outdoor thermometer to get me to this point - watch out boots! Your days are numbered...

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Admission

First, I want to say that this is NOT a baby blog, and I have no intention of posting regularly about my baby, or my mommy life, though I love blogs geared that way. This is still an outlet for me outside of that part of myself. BUT, occasionally it all overlaps, so this is a deviation from my normal posting path. Stay with me (please!).

I have an admission. I don't work out as much as I a) would like to, b) sometimes say that I do, and c) should. I am active, for sure. And I lift and approximately 20 lb. weight almost everywhere I go at home, all day long, but I don't *actually* work out enough most weeks. And by "enough" I mean "enough for my own satisfaction."

I recently realized that I could make this admission to others, but more importantly to myself, and have made a personal commitment to address this issue within the reality of my life as it currently is. This means adjusting to weird schedules, and needy little hands reaching for me, and full-time work + full-time momma, and still carving out dedicated (and reasonable) time for health and fitness.

So I've decided to cancel my gym membership temporarily and build in fitness in a way that makes more sense for me and doesn't stress me out. The reality is I just can't get to the gym in any sort of regular enough manner to make it beneficial. Some weeks I can get there 3-4 times. Other weeks it's a big fat 0. Consistency matters in fitness, so this isn't working for now. And I can put that money toward something else until regular gym visits make sense again.

To counter the lack of gym means I have to get creative and motivated at home and on the move. So I've been looking for, pinning, and doing lots of fun at-home workouts. I have light dumbells (5 lbs... I should probably buy 8 and/or 10 lb. weights, too) and a TV and a computer, so I can work out! And you can, too.

Here are my go-to workouts lately (disclaimer: I don't know and am not sponsored at all by anyone whose workouts I use. They're just good ones I've found so I'm happy to share them, but I'm not getting anything for putting these out there.):

ARMS:

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This workout is great. You don't need heavy weights to feel it. You could probably use soup cans if you don't have dumbbells at home. I go through it once, wait 30 seconds to a minute, repeat, and if I'm feeling particularly motivated, do that a third time. My arms are a bit shaky by the end. And there's nothing complicated here - all easy moves that anyone can do. BTW, this workout (and many others on my Fit n Healthy Pinterest board) is from the blog Fit Fab Cities. I don't know how I found my way to this blog, but it's fantastic. Among other things she posts, my favorites are her printable workouts and her weekend challenges. They're creative routines that are manageable and have great impact. I have done at least a million of them (okay, maybe not, but a lot) and they're all solid and effective. They make it easy to change things up and still have a great overall workout and not get fitness-bored. Again, no sponsorship, just personal endorsement based on my own experience.

LEGS/BOOTY:

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I'm pretty sure you want a Brazilian butt. I would LOVE  Brazilian butt. I don't know if I'll get one from doing this workout, but I do know that I'm panting by the end of it, and that my lower half is sore for 2-3 days after. I couldn't find the original post on the Tumblr this is from, but this is all you need. It's intense and twice is enough!

ABS:

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This isn't exactly what I've been doing, but it's nearly identical, and it's great. This is also from Fit Fab Cities - another printable workout that you can stick in your pocket and do anywhere.

CARDIO:

Walk walk walk. Walk everywhere walk. I walk every single day and make sure I'm not just ambling, but walking hard with purpose, even with a stroller. I haven't been as motivated to run lately, but I do make sure I'm moving every single day, and I think that's good for now.

Now that I've publicly admitted my fitness lull, I feel a bit more accountable to addressing it. Do you do any easy-to-manage at-home routines? Link me!

2013 Oscars Red Carpet

We are back with an Oscar Red Carpet post, albeit reluctantly. In our collective objection to the general disappointment of this year's Academy Awards in total (fashion and production and everything else), we're only doing one post. That's all this year's show warrants, and no one is more annoyed by this than we are, we assure you. In fact, our working title for this post was something to the effect of "The Okay, the Less Good, and the Blah." That about sums it all up, we think. That said, here are a few thoughts because even we can't let the Show of All Award Shows go by without comment.

The "Best"... Naomi Watts

M: We're giving "best" to Naomi Watts for being the only interesting look to walk down that carpet the entire night. She actually really looked amazing, I think. But she was also the only one who did something different, fashion-forward, even slightly risky. And she pulled it off to perfection. The hemming and fit in general were flawless, her hair and makeup looked great, and her arm candy was handsome. What more could you ask for? A whole bunch of stars acting like stars would be a start, but you can't always get what you want.

A: Agreed. Loved this because it was different.

The "Worst"... Kristen Stewart

M: I just want to punch her in the face. Brush your hair, fix your makeup, stop slouching. All of that goes without saying, I think. But most importantly, PRETEND you care. PRETEND you have some respect. It's the freaking Academy Awards. If you think it's below you, you don't have to show up. You can decline an invitation to present. For someone who maybe needs to work on her public image given some recent revelations on her character, you'd think she could at least FAKE IT. What an A-hole. That's all I see here.

A: M, I wish you could have seen my attempt at imitating how she was walking during our book club meeting last night. What is wrong with this girl and why is no one helping her!

The Rest
This grouping summarized the "others" that people are sort of kind of maybe talking about. As we said, this year's showing was meh at best. So no real stand-outs one way or the other, but a few worth mentioning...

Anne Hathaway

M: This girl loves a costume change. Remember when she hosted and changed at least 300 times during the show? Gah. She wore two other dresses Sunday night, and both were better than this. There's all kinds of chitter-chatter about her nipples and her side boob, but whatever. It's essentially a bridesmaid dress. The back could have been pretty if the knot were tied better. And most offensive (and keep in mind, I still feel "meh" about it overall) to me is the idiotic necklace that totally doesn't go with the neckline and looks like it's from Claire's in 1994. Blah.

A: Bridesmaid dress...early 90s prom dress...just no. I could not stop starting at her nipples, for the record. Plus, the tie in the back was sort of just thrown together. This paired with the wrinkles was just not what the Best Actress winner should have been wearing. I'm sorry.

Jennifer Lawrence

M: This dress is actually pretty cool. I do wish she'd worn a necklace. I also wish she knew how to climb onto a stage without tripping or allegedly ripping her designer dress. This dress could have had a great Oscars Moment, but I think the styling was boring, and also wish it had been in a fun, young color. Am I wrong?

A: I liked the "go big or go home"-ness of it. I mean, where else would you wear something like this? I really liked her Vanity Fair party dress way better than this but thought it was a pretty, age-appropriate, yet very safe choice for her. I really like JLaw and I thought the trip up the stairs made her seem more real, as oppossed to let's say... Anne Hathaway.

Charlize Theron

M: So, this was kind of boring to me. Especially for Charlize (remember that giant shoulder bow?!). It also was too reminiscent of Anne Hathaway's Golden Globes number, which I think is too bad. Fine, she's gorgeous and could wear a paper grocery bag and look amazing. But still, I want more for the Oscars. Shouldn't she? I also think that with her hair being so (sorry!) butch right now, a softer neckline would have done more for her. She looked a bit Amazonian, which she pulls off for sure, but... eh.

A: Ok, she looked fantastic, but you're right. It's a little boring. This woman can bring it, no doubt. I just wish she would have!

Jessica Chastain

M: You know what, she looked great. If the night hadn't been such a lazy snore, I might have remembered that better. I'll give her credit - she looked like she knew she was going to the Oscars and that it was a big deal. Good for her.

A: This was a best dressed nominee for me (to borrow a phrase from my favorite show, Fashion Police). After a list of ill-fitting dresses on this season's Red Carpet, she really nailed it with this. Her hair and makeup were PERFECTION.

Halle Berry

M: You know why this is "meh" for me? Because Halle herself looks exactly the same ALL THE TIME. The dress is actually amazing. But she NEVER styles herself any other way, so she just disappears for me. If she'd done different hair and some better accessorizing, I think this dress would have made me jump out of my chair. But she did her same-old in a statuesque dress (instead of a flowy leg-posey one) and so I stayed put in my seat. As usual. Grr.

A: I thought this was a TINY bit out of the norm for Halle. Yes, her rack is still on display, but at least her legs remained covered! Fashion Police called her out for having the same hairstyle for too long and I totally agree. She can rock the short hair...now move on!

Amy Adams

M: You know what, just one mistake here. This happened in 2007. So anything like it will always be less-than and just referential. STOP TRYING PEOPLE! IT WILL NEVER BE AS AMAZING AS WHEN PENELOPE DID IT AND NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN IT BEFORE. Something new in this same color would have wowed, I think. Because the color on her skin is glorious. And her hair/makeup look fantastic.

A: AMEN. (That Penelope Cruz dress is one of my all time faves!)

We could post a few more [Reese Witherspoon (fit was weird), Jennifer Garner (color was pretty, but that was a lot of junk ON her trunk), Amanda Seyfried (she looked like she was choking, and much older than she really is), Jennifer Hudson (very pretty -- not exciting per se, but pretty), Sandra Bullock (take that bauble off your head and do something different please next time?), Nicole Kidman (like J.Hud--very pretty, actually, and showed that she has some womanly shape and isn't too waify, but just didn't Wow)], but downloading all those photos takes more work than this Red Carpet was worth. Let's just call it like it was (Meh) and let it go. Here's hoping next year's carpet has some more drama. Even bad drama. But something worth talking about!

What do you think? Are we wrong? Did someone knock your socks off and we missed it?

Barbie and Ken

A friend forwarded me a link to these incredible staged scenes of Barbie and Ken and friends in various life settings. They are amazing. We first found them for more than $100 on a sale site, but thanks to my friend's obsessive research, we found them, unframed, for $40 here. Check these out... there is no other word besides amazing. I can't decide which is my favorite... can you pick for me?

A Hair Post

I don't believe I've griped about my hair on this blog in a while, if ever. And since my cable went out on Sunday, effectively preventing me from drawing my own conclusions about the SAG Red Carpet, I think I'll do a little of that instead of digesting celebrity fashion this week. But not just gripe - gripe and celebrate! And then pay it forward.

I have very thick hair. Not normal very thick hair - seriously, very VERY thick hair. It's usually impossible to control. Ponytails and I have long been buddies. After a hair cut, I usually try to see if I can go as close to (if not beyond) a week without washing it so that I can enjoy professional styling as long as possible. Somewhere around the end of college I was introduced to the magic of the flat iron, and ever since, I've relied on it completely. If I want(ed) to wear my hair curly, I'd have to sleep on it wet and see if I got lucky in the morning with some semblance of controlled wave/curl. Usually I wake up looking like Medusa or a member of Bon Jovi from the late 80s. The flat iron changed my life. But it also takes a ridiculous amount of time to work through. It's a commitment. I usually have to wake up early to get my hair straightened. And now that I have the bebe at home, if I need to straighten, I wait for a nap, and then immediately run to the bathroom to get started, in hopes that her nap will last long enough for me to finish (seriously, it takes at least 45 minutes to do it well, an hour is best).

Lately, I've grown weary of only wearing it straight, but my utter dependence on the flat iron has rendered me entirely unable to style my hair without it. Further, it's straightened out so much of my natural curl, that I usually find I might get some curl on one side and then whole sections just have no shape to them at all... limp, sad, boring. So straight is the answer. Or so I thought.

A few weeks ago I was due for a trim. I was also out of my leave-in smoothing product that I apply after a wash. I'd been using the same one (a Redkin product) for about 5 years, but found it was discontinued sometime since my last purchase, so I stressed about it, and then concluded that I just needed to find a new one. I asked my awesome stylist and she recommended this Bumble and Bumble product:

(note: this post is not sponsored in any way by B&B - all my own thoughts without any kick-backs)

She assured me that I didn't need to actually blow dry or straighten with it. In fact, she said (and she may have had ulterior motives - she's always trying to convince me to wear my hair curly), it would probably support my wearing my hair naturally, if I was so inclined. It would just weigh it down a bit and control the frizz. Sure. I've heard that before. But, okay, I'm sold.

Since I purchased this product, I have spent a whopping total of zero minutes straightening my hair. Granted, it's been about two weeks. But since I washed out the amazing professional styling job, I have worn my hair naturally, both up and down, every single day. And not only does it control the frizz, it totally eliminates it. My wave/curl is waving/curling beautifully. At Target on Sunday, an employee actually stopped me to compliment me on my perfect curl! ME! This is insanity.

Anyway, I obviously am going to highly recommend this product. Seriously. It's a bit pricey, but good hair products are. That's just a universal truth. And it's worth it. Especially because you need less than a nickel-sized amount to achieve the effect. Here's me today... I spent a grand total of 3 seconds, give or take a half-second, putting my hair together this morning. Unheard of.

You might not agree or care. But I am excited. So I had to share. It's been a long, long time since I've gone out in public without straight hair. BIG DEAL (for me).

Left Out!

In a panic (really, we got upset!) A and I realized last night that we left one of our always-favorites (and another one) off our Best of the Golden Globes list. So here's a little follow-up post to tip our proverbial hats towards these two ladies and their winning looks. We hope they'll accept our profuse apologies.

And they are...

Emily Blunt:

M: For me, Emily Blunt falls into the same celebrity girl crush category as Marion. Sigh. And she always nails it with the fashion. She just consistently looks so sophisticated, interesting, gorgeous, and cool. She makes unique choices (see above), but hits every detail square-on. I love the gold. The skirt on this gown is amazing. And while a lot of critics didn't love the cut-outs or her hair/makeup, I think she looks overall incredible. Her body looks crazy-good, and this dress just highlights it. So the critics, I think, are just haters. And haters gon' hate. That's just how it goes. I also love the choice of a bit of subtle color in those earrings.

A: I also loved this dress and was so upset that we forgot about it on our "best dressed" list. Ditto to all of M's comments. Emily Blunt made the move into my cadre of favorites a while ago and I always look forward to what she is going to wear next. This dress was awesome, fit her to a T and was interesting. EXCELLENT choice all-around.

and Kerry Washington:

   
M: Beautiful. For me, this is the successful version of what Rachel Weitz was trying to do. The color, the sparkle, the length - it's all just beautiful. The color especially, on her skin tone, is just gorgeous. It's also another great example of effective minimal styling. I thought she looked fantastic. I can't believe we forgot to mention her in the first go-around.

A: I did not love this at first sight, but it is growing on me every time I see it. I thought it was an interesting choice and agree that it is doing the see through/mini skirt trend right. Even though this was well done and perfectly styled, I personally am not an overall fan of this miniskirt-with-see-through-overlay trend. The woman is stunning though, you cannot argue that!

So, our bad. We didn't mean anything by this oversight. Glad we got that taken care of so quickly. Phew.

and... Best of the Golden Globes Red Carpet

Well, it appears work and parenting got in the way of our posting plans this week. Sigh. But here we are! With our second post for the 2013 Golden Globes. THE BEST. This one's fun. Because there was a lot of good. We have some usual favorites who we *always* love, and some welcome additions. So instead of grouping them in best categories, we'll just go through our favorites and tell you why. Because we're pretty sure you've been waiting for our opinions in order to determine your own favorites. HA!

So here we go... the BEST OF THE BEST of the Golden Globes Red Carpet:

We'll kick things off with a lady who literally never fails. Ever. She defines class and elegance, but also hits a home run every time in the Just Plain Cool category. Who can deny the fashion victory of the one and only Dame Helen Mirren (we seriously love the crap out of her, so if you disagree, keep your comments to yourself.):

M: I mean. Can basically everyone in the previous post take a lesson from DHM before the Oscars?! She looks freaking amazing. I basically pray every day that I'll be able to age at least 30% as incredibly as she has. This dress does everything right. And it hits one of the night's biggest trends: long sleeves. The detailing is perfection. And her styling is equally perfect. Hair, makeup, accessories. Home-freaking-run again. DHM, I salute you.

A: Do you think they will ever promote her from Dame to Queen? ha ha ha. I love her. I love that she is always age appropriate, but NEVER dowdy. CLASS ACT. (Side note: If you are also a Helen Mirren fan, you NEED to check out the spread In Style did on her in the February issue.)

Next up: Jennifer Garner.

M: Again, for me here Jennifer has hit the nail on the head in the details department. Okay, it doesn't hurt that this dress is fabulous, and the color is insane-good. But it's the whole look that makes a winner, no? Yes. Trust me. And her hair (color and style) is beautiful, those earrings are beautiful, and the fact that she let the dress basically do the talking for itself, and didn't muddy the look up with tons of jewels and a bag (blah blah blah) just shows that she knows how it's done. You get an A from me, Ms. Garner. And a star. And a high-five.

A: I, too, loved this one. I like the sparkle to the red and the fit. I love love love when people go minimal on all other things (accessories, makeup) when they have a killer dress and Jennifer Garner is a great example.   

We also loved Kate Hudson:

Check out a close-up of that neck:

M: I must admit I'm not usually a huge Kate Hudson fan. I can't tell you why, exactly, but it is what it is. On E!'s Fashion Police, the majority of the panel wished she'd pulled her hair up to highlight that crazy good neck detail. But I think Kate did this dress and herself justice by styling it the way that she did. The fit is incredible, right? But this dress is really all about that keyhole and the neck. And she did the styling so light because anything else would have competed and distracted. I love that she wore her hair so loosely - she looks beautiful AND comfortable. And I also love the very simple stud earrings. Gorgeous.

A: I totally agree with you on the hair, M. I think the dress would have looked too severe and if her hair was up. The hair fits with her personality. I'll reiterate - I love when everything else is kept minimal to highlight a KILLER dress.

And here's Emily Deschanel:

M: Embellished shoulders were another highlight of the GGs and Emily's choice is fab-u-lous. Emily could give Zooey a fit tutorial when it comes to Red Carpet-wear, am I right?! This is hitting all the right notes. Smooth, sleek, sophisticated, with styling to match. Love how the embellishment is exclusively at the shoulders. It just makes the whole thing so so chic.

A: This Deschanel got it RIGHT! LOVE THIS ONE! I think this, and the other black dresses in this list, just did a great service by choosing black but jazzed-up black. I will always love black dresses, but they get the reputation of being the "safe" choice. I think what I loved so much about this Red Carpet is that the black dresses were anything but "safe." Here again - minimal styling leads to maximum effect.

Representing another Red Carpet trend (winter white) is Anne Hathaway:

M: The more I see this dress, the more I come to actually love it. We were originally going to give Anne an Honorable Mention, but I think this is another fashion winner of the night. That short hair cut is so flattering, and she has a really beautiful neck, actually, so I love that she went with no jewelry and just let her own beauty accessorize a very simple, beautiful dress. The hemline perfectly skims the carpet, which I think is really cool. It gave her a floating effect. And the all-over-white-sequins are just gorgeous and mermaid-like. Beautiful.

A: She is just so pretty. I love her short hair and the sleek sophistication of this dress. Her makeup is perfection as well.

Another always-favorite for us is Marion Cotillard:

M: I love her. She can do no wrong in my book. This is such a cool, different, interesting look. Going shorter is often considered less Red Carpet appropriate, but this to me is every bit a gown as a full-length number. I love the color, I love the draping, I love the belt, I love the shoes, I love her sleek hair. I just love her.

A: Ditto. I have such a major crush on her. I really am not the biggest fan of her shoes - the color seems a little off to me,  but she gets more leeway on this because she's Marion. I think this dress was a winner for me the moment I heard her say "Christian Dior haute couture" to Ryan Seacreast. I need a French accent. ASAP.

And here's a surprise, for us as much as we're sure it is for you... Taylor Swift?!

M: Let's get the fact that this is great simply for its deviation from her usual sweet-little-All-American look out of the way. Because it's so much more than that. Color: fierce. Cut: glamorous. Stunning from every angle. And again, styled so perfectly. Her hair looks great, and complements the dress beautifully. It's a show piece, after all. And her jewels and makeup are also perfect. I love this look. I'm so glad she went this route. It's amazing on her.

A: She does look good, even if it is Taylor Swift. I'll give it to her. I have to applaud someone who finally breaks the mold (JLo could take a lesson from this girl). However, I did like her white gown at the People's Choice awards better than this. My favorite Taylor Swift moment of the night was when she was caught on camera glowering when Adele was announced the winner of the song category.

And our final Best Dressed nomination goes to Naomi Watts:

M: I was pretty sure she was going to be my number 1 Best Dressed of the night all along (though we're not necessarily giving away a Best of the Best designation here in this post). Without looking like she was trying too hard (in fact, she looks effortless here), Ms. Watts hit several of the night's/season's trends: oxblood, long sleeves, keyholes, old Hollywood glam. And she hit every one of them to absolute perfection. I can't stop thinking about how gorgeous she looked. This color choice is truly bold, and everything else she did, from the hair to the clutch to the makeup to the jewels completes the look to a T. I wish I had some sort of event ever in my life (I already know that I don't) for which I could emulate this look. I die for it.

A:  She's the best of the best. There. I said it. :)

So what do you think of our choices? Agree across the board? Disagree? Did we miss anyone?

Onwards to the next show! We love awards season!
   

Worst of the Golden Globes Red Carpet

As promised, after a long hiatus A and I are back with our Award Show Red Carpet Fashion Break-down. I know you missed us. I also know we missed us. So, whether you missed us or not, we're doing it! And though it will be abbreviated this go-around thanks to our busy weeks (why isn't anyone paying us to do this yet??!!), we will not scrimp on the judgment! We promise!

And with that, here we go. Starting with the Worst of the Red Carpet (saving the best for last and attempting to end on a positive note... isn't that everyone's New Year's Resolution every year?).

This year we're breaking our break-down into categories. Enjoy.

CATEGORY: Trying Too Hard (these ones are almost too obvious, though I must say, I'm pretty impressed that we didn't drop Lea Michele in here this year. I guess she didn't try too hard-enough? Or maybe we don't have to talk about her because she falls into a special category: Trying Too Hard Chronic Offenders, aka, Goes Without Saying.)

Eva Longoria

M: Wow. You can pose. I had no idea. now please put your always-trying-too-hard ladybits away and just know that you're pretty, so you can just wear a normal pretty dress. You're welcome for the tip, by the way. My styling tips are free of charge these days. (I will admit the back of this dress was really lovely. If only the front weren't TRYING SO FREAKING HARD):

A:  I physically wretched upon seeing her on the carpet because I am so over this slit-up-to-the-hip-stick-out-your-leg-so-that-it-gets-its-own-Twitter-account look. I loved the back. LOVED IT. I also think her hair was too severe for the severe dress. #overit

 J.Lo (though, to be fair to Lea Michele, she is also a Chronic Offender...)

M: You're naked. That's basically all there is to say about this. Except for maybe that if this were on ANYONE else, I'd probably really like it. But since it's J.Lo, all I can see is the look-at-me-I'm-still-freaking-amazing-looking nonsense. Also, this is the best trying-too-hard image ever, is it not?

A: I am sick of JLo being naked. It was way cool when you were naked in that green Versace dress, on the arm of Puff Daddy back in 2000. So cool, it was historic. Thirteen--YES THIRTEEN--years later, get over it. You're hot, you know it, we all know it, and we're sick of it.

Halle Berry

M: BLERG. Stop this already. I can't even. I just... I just can't.

A:  Seriously I am pretty sure we could do one of those animated photos where we could flip through all of Halle's dresses in the past fifteen years and they all would superimpose PERFECTLY onto this pose. Again. ENOUGH WITH THE HIP SLIP TWITTER ACCOUNT LEG ladies!

CATEGORY: Boob Fail

Jennifer Lawrence

M: Not the best of images, but I had to find the side-by-side of the full dress and the boob-shot. Because. Well, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?? I don't get it. At all. What woman puts this dress on and doesn't immediately ask "What the F is up with the boobs?!" I guess Jennifer Lawrence is that woman.

A: The color of this was so lovely, looking so great with her skin and then that awful boob catastrophe.  What is going on there?! Trust me girl - your boobs will sag in enough time - don't try to get them there ahead of time!

Sarah Hyland

M: And here is sweet little Sarah Hyland, who appears to believe she can compete with co-star Sofia Vergara in the Va-Va-Voom category. Newsflash. Vergara wins every time. Rein those puppies in, young starlet. And try teasing your hair a bit less. You're so age-appropriately cute usually!

A: She reminds me so much of a porn star Morticia Adams. This dress was WAY too old for her.

Kristin Wiig

M: A and I are not necessarily in agreement here, but I'll explain. I just think she looks... sloppy. I mean, just look at that posture! Clearly a bra wouldn't easily work with this dress, fine. But do something. Pasties? Her Globes just look a bit saggy, methinks. And while we're at it, I give her a second ding for styling. Her hair looks boring, and wouldn't a rad pendant have done wonders for that plunging neckline? She looks fine, just kind of boring and sloppy overall (to repeat myself).

A: So... given that this is Kristen Wiig, who has been known to fail tremendously on the red carpet, I thought this dress was a step in the right direction for her, although I was wanting the boob seam to be moved up to accomodate her small chest. It looks like the dress was made for someone with more of a rack and a good tailor could have fixed that. I like the keyhole though.

CATEGORY: Styling Fail

Kaley Cuoco

 M: GAH! Okay, pretty pretty dress, right? So WTF went wrong with the makeup?!

A: WHY is this oxblood lipstick in? I have not seen one person where it looks good. BLECK BLECK.

Amy Poehler's Red Carpet Look

M: To be clear--I LIKED HER SUIT A LOT. It's the shoes. My 1998 prom called. It wanted to thank Amy Poehler for bringing it back to the party.

A: Those shoes are TERRIBLE. This was so cute and fun next to Tina Fey's uber feminine red carpet dress until the shoe cam arrived.

Zooey Deschanel

M: What the what with the schlumpy styling already? This looks like an old prom dress from the Salvation Army (sorry) in that it's just a bit baggy and saggy. And the giant chunky pearls? ZOOEY!

A: Way too many pleats and why was this not ironed?! WHY? I don't get it. The color is great on her - could have been so much better.

CATEGORY: Color Fail

Amy Adams

M: This dress is LITERALLY the exact color of her skin tone. So this is actually also LITERALLY a color fail. A veritable failure of color. So at least pop it with bright jewelry or a clutch, right?!

A: RIGHT! The fit was so incredible - I mean she has such an amazing body. Why did it have to be this color?

Gabby Douglas

M: Oy. First of all, sorry, but what are you doing here? Second of all, your hair! Third of all, thanks to this neon puce-colored gown, everyone a) noticed you, and b) is also wondering what you were doing there.

A: Really...why were the gymnasts there? I didn't get it. Besides the bad hair and bad color, I did not like that the dress was all wonky across the bust and appeared to be too big for her. Was there a form holding it up inside?!


CATEGORY: Fabric or Fit Fail

Rachel Weisz

M: I love everything about this (and her) from the thigh up. And then--huh??

A: Yes. The thigh-down part confuses me greatly. The bow belt put this a little too into the "sweet" category for me. I think if Sarah Hyland would have been wearing this, it would have been better, from the thigh up of course.

Nicole Kidman

M: Again, everything else works. It's just the dress... what's happening in the middle there? And are those bedazzled bees attacking her neckline? Her skin looks amazing, though.

A: They were bees. BUZZ OFF.

Ariel Winter

M: There's something so strange about this fabric, isn't there? Also, the candy-colored textured bits are almost too young. Was Ariel trying to youngify her look following that weird boyfriend-mom scandal last year? I hate to go there. Sorry. It's just such an odd choice. And that headband's ridiculous.

A: This is just not a Golden Globes dress. I think it would have been ok at a wedding or something but come on! It's the Golden Globes! That headband is atrocious.

Tina Fey's Red Carpet Dress

M: Fit. Fit. Fit. Length. Boobs. Fit. Blerg. (She looked GREAT on stage, though.)

A: Ditto. (Love her hair, though.)


Emily Mortimer

M: This is not an OR qualifier in this category. It's an AND. Fabric AND Fit Fail. First of all, no one looks good in a mock turtleneck. I'm not sure why, but the idea of a mock turtleneck conjures an image of Maury Povich in my mind's eye. (Does he wear mock turtlenecks??) Also, this looks so heavy! And it's clinging everywhere. It makes her look like she has a poochy tummy, which I'm willing to wager she does not. I kind of love the long sleeves, though. And the chain-mail color is bold and confident. But FABRIC AND FIT FAIL.

A: I LOVE a good sequin, don't get me wrong. But this was the absolutely WORST sequin look out there. First of all, the fit was terrible - wear some spanx or something to smooth yourself out before donning head-to-toe clingy sequins. Second of all, head to toe, fingertip to fingertip sequins may be a bit much... even for me.

Jessica Chastain

M: As we can all tell from this photo, I'm pretty sure Jessica also knows this dress doesn't fit her.

A: Too much fabric! That draping bust is not flattering and this is too long and too bulky in places. With some tailoring, it could have been beautiful.

Amanda Seyfried

M: Gosh, she is just so so pretty. It seems her stylist agrees, and is evil and jealous of her beauty, which is the only explanation I can come up with for why she's wearing this oddly pieced-together combination of old lady curtains and grandma's doilies, pinned at the top by grandpa's tie clip. What other explanation could there be? Let's take a gander at the close-up of that curious bodice:

What-huh?! Also, I see your boobies.

A: I actually think she looks a little like an alien, but maybe I'm jealous too?! I agree with you - the color washes her out and the dress itself is just an odd-mishmash. I don't like when the hair, skin, makeup and dress are all the same color. I need some contrast - it's the drama queen in me!

FINAL CATEGORY: Worst of the Worst

Who could it be? Let the fines fall the other way this year... the worst of the worst is Fashion Police's own GIULIANA RANCIC!

M: I actually HATE this whole look. Hate it. And as I texted to A on Sunday night, I'm pretty sure if some other star were wearing this look, they would have had a field day tearing her to bits on Fashion Police. I bet it was killing Joan Rivers that she couldn't rip her a new one for this disaster. Worth noting, Giuliana loves this high neckline (last year she did it twice: here, and also here). But girl, this one did you zero favors. It in fact failed you in every category. Shall we? Trying To Hard: check! Boobs: check! Styling: look at the hair! check!

Color: black + lace = overdone, so, check! Fabric and/or Fit: again, look at this close-up... the neck is essentially choking her.

So for me this is a no-brainer. Giuliana is the Worst of the Golden Globes Red Carpet Worsts.

A:  WORD! I do not know that there is that much left to say except that she looks like a real life Bobblehead.