Happy Trailers

Check out http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/

Usually I try to avoid promoting promotion. But this is one friekin' cool website and movie trailer. I've never seen one done like this before. When you go there you'll know what I mean.

Danny Boyle is awesome. If you haven't seen his other stuff, do so. And this looks like one of his crown jewels. Not only does the movie look great, but it makes my cool list for the awesome sneak peek factor.

Check it out and be inspired!

The Air I Breathe

Rent "The Air I Breathe".

This flick has all the makings of one cool movie: interesting ensemble cast; surprising performances (like an unexpectedly subtle and not overly annoying one by Brendan Fraser); strong writing with multiple lives all touching each other in surprising ways; dark storytelling and art direction; and one killer soundtrack.

The ending may tie up into too neat of a bow for some, but I still consider it one of the better movies I've seen. A great Friday night movie to settle in with after the kiddies go to bed. It's only 90 minutes, so it goes quick.

Plus I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for Kevin Bacon, so I give anything a chance that he's in. This happens to be really good.

Fabulous fabrics

www.melinamade.com


Looking for something to give your tired old place some punch? Try some authentic 50's fabrics from Melina Made. Use them to create a valance - or swag if you will. Order some Atomic Burst throw pillows to add just enough space age to your love song of an abode. A tad pricey but worth it for just a touch here an there! A pillow here, a curtain there, then sit back and wait for Frankie, Annette and Gidget to show up.

All Songs Considered

www.npr.org

No matter what your political leanings, NPR is worth visiting for the music alone. Their "All Songs Considered" program is outstanding. You can download the podcast, go online and hear samples or just read articles about really thoughtful quality music that is just waiting for you to listen to it.

So forgo the news portion if you must, but visit www.npr.org for great music and insight into the bands that create it. And they are so lonely. So lonely. They want you to go hear them sing. So go!

Pandora's Beat Box

www.pandora.com


Oh My God this is the coolest freikin' music site ever!

It's free. You plug in what band or song you like and it creates a playlist for you that rocks! I have 'My Morning Jacket' as my model for now. Give it a try.

You'll hear old favorites and discover new gems. It's like every day has a kick-ass soundtrack now. And who couldn't use that, especially with the drudgery of office life assaulting our sense daily.

Pandora - open up that box and let if FLY!!!!

Utility Belts

I have one friend who insists on the fanny pack tradition. He claims it's "too easy not to use" and he's "frankly too old to care if it's hip or not". OK, I'll give him that. So Dwight, here ya go. A hip accessory worth strapping on.

Designer Victoria Chan uses reclaimed leather to craft a hip bag featuring bold stitching and hardware to make one strong statement. Plus, they can be transformed into a clutch or shoulder bag.

Check out nomaddicts.net

It's finally hip to be square again.

Pitch Perfect

With the Phillies dominating the World Series recently, I've still got baseball on my mind. What better gift for your Phillie-phile (or any other baseball junkie you know) than a cool baseball with custom artwork on it?

Ironically, Philadelphia based Emily Wolfson hand paints real baseballs to your liking. I personally dig the crossword puzzle. But check out the site to root for your favorite.

www.unforgettaballs.com

Second Helpings

Dishware can be so boring. What's the fun in picking up some sterile pieces from Target or Crate and Barrel? I mean where's the fun in that?

Brooklyn-based Sarah Cihat solves the dilemma for us all. Vintage finds from thrift shops are transformed via silkscreen and reglazing for one-of-a-kind, fabuloso delicioso dining.

With 'being green' being so chic these days, nothing says 3 R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) like redressing old plates. And nothing says cool like supporting artists handcrafting nifty platters to make mealtime one neat treat.

www.sarahcihat.com

Surf's Up

Rent "Surfwise".

It's an amazing documenary about the Paskowitz family who grew up in the 60's in a van down by the river, actually more like the ocean. A family of 2 parents and 9 kids decided to live off the grid in a beat up camper, spending their days together - really together - since they all lived in like one big car. They'd surf and laugh and talk and surf and not much else.

The movie tracks them all as adults and how they've found success and failure due to their unusual upbringing. While I don't agree that not giving your child a strong education is a wise thing, you kind of get sucked in to the endearing , love-is-all-you-need" aura these guys give off. By the end of it, Greg and I were looking at Airstreams. Then I remembered how much I love my MacBook Pro and my Burt's Bees and Redken products and my pillow top mattress and well, we scratched that.

Anyway, it's cool movie. And it makes you realize how much the world has changed in just 40 years. You could almost get away with living in a van on the beach back then.

Great music, nice art direction and a solid documentary style featuring showing both the black, white and gray of all its stars.

Fall for Scarves

I tend to avoid uber trendy things, like the poncho fiasco a few falls ago that lasted about 3 weeks. But the scarf trend has me intrigued.

It began last fall and has held thru to this season and I'm officially buying in.

Versatile not only in fabric - heavy for your northerners or lightweight cotton for us southern belles - but also in style. Worn around a jacket, with a dress as a wrap, on the head for a chic bad hair day, or tied at the neck loosely with a tee to punch up a casual day, scarves are the bomb.

But they must be muted in color - no crazy Cat In The Hatness please - and somewhere towards skinny vs. big, fluffy and wide. You also want them to be nice and long. But not too crazy long like those weird skinny disasters from the Gap last year that trailed behind you on the street so you got home with gum and bugs on your person! Throw in a metallic thread and you're all set.

Scarves for fall, it's wrapture!

Foxy Music

The Fleet Foxes: echoey, stirring, mellow and moving. I'm digging these guys. The quintet describe their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams".

The Seattle sound has become quite savvy.

Check em out.