Lady GaGa, gone ga ga

I like Lady Gaga's edgy, over-the-top, artsy style, but is nothing sacred? Not even poor Kermit the Frogs?!


LG wore this to an interview in Germany. It's her second Muppet-themed outfit in recent memory -- both of which are the creations of fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and debuted at this year's fashion week in Paris. (*Click on the links for photo sources.)



She said in an interview that, "My friends and I in New York dress this way because it’s the way we live...We believe in vanity."

"I dress this way because my whole life is art, and my whole life is performance."

This particular Kermit outfit is still too "out there" for me. But she has a point. LG is 23. I'm 23. She's roaming the world dressed however she pleases, and I'm spending my days sitting behind a desk dressed in ill-fitting "work clothes" more suited for a middle aged mom. (Okay, not all the time...today I'm wearing dark skinny jeans, a stylish green button-down shirt and a delicate gold-colored necklace with light brown gemstone petals. But you get the idea...)

And look, I really like being a journalist and for the most part, am very happy at my job. (I only have a week and a half left though, actually!) But it wouldn't kill me to cut loose a bit more on ocassion. For all of us to be inspired to take more risks. Have more fun with fashion. :)

Audrina Patridge 1.0??

I don't know how I stumbled upon this photo, but it's of a woman named Michelle DellaFave who was apparently a regular on The Dean Martin Show in the late 60s and early 70s.


My first thought was that she looks like a blonde version of Hills star/occasional actress/Justin-Bobby dater Audrina Patridge. (Though with teeth that are less blindingly white.) Come on, that's the same face Audrina always makes on the show, right?!

Audrina:

By the way, Audrina is reportedly already filming her own reality show. I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly interested. Best of luck to her, though. I'm not even sure I'm going to watch the Hills now that Lauren is gone.

Would You Get Married in a Pantsuit?

I was clicking through articles on the Daily Mail's TV&Showbiz section and happened upon this story about a German tennis star and his Dutch model bride, who wore a white pantsuit to the wedding.

Other than this article, I don't know anything about this couple (Boris Becker and Lilly Kerssenberg) or why she may have chosen this unconventional look. After debating how I felt about it in my head, I've decided I actually quite like it. It's very effortlessly chic and striking. It looks comfortable too! And it brings out her natural beauty. I don't like seeing brides who are so made up with pounds of makeup and hairspray that they don't even look like themselves!

(I do think the pants look too long, though. Click on the story link above to see more photos and you'll see what I mean.)

By the way, I definitely prefer this look to the ones that came up when I googled her...Exhibit A:

Yeesh. It was for some sort of event but still, too much there...

I don't know if I'd wear a pantsuit to get married in, though. I've ever only thought about your stereotypical beautiful white dress -- though I'd love something with a bit of a twist, like some colored detail around the waist or in the train.

My mind goes back and forth when it comes to what I'd envision for my ideal wedding. On the subject of attire...on one hand, a wedding dress is probably something you'll only wear one day of your life, and it's really the marriage that matters, not the party, so why go for an over-the-top gown? On the other hand, it is a big milestone in life and worth celebrating in style, right?

Is a pantsuit or a more subtle outfit more appropriate when it's a second marriage? I don't know if this model had been married before but the tennis star has, and has two children.

What do you think? What did you wear or what do you want to wear to your wedding?

I'm Not a Big Fan of Renee Z. But...

I think this Carolina Herrera gown is fantastic. The silver is just dark enough to compliment her uber-fair skin, and the cut highlights her strong shoulders. Zellweger wore it to the 69th Annual American Spring Gala in New York on Monday, May 18. (Photo from WENN via Radar Online.)


On the topic...I also love the color of Mariska Hargitay's dress, but don't think the fit is quite right, or maybe it's her pose. Her hair and necklace are great, though. As with above, the dress is Carolina Herrera. (Photo from PR Photos via Monsters and Critics.)

re: Heidi and Spencer "drama"

Are any other watchers of The Hills as baffled as I am at how Heidi and Spencer are always on the brink of a breakup on the show, but for the past year or so, not a week has gone by without them flaunting for paparazzi?

When do they have time to act -- er I mean, argue, in between shooting her music videos and staging cheesy photo-ops?

A season or two ago I chalked it up to them putting on a happy face for the time being, and that the charade would fade. But at this point, it seems like they're really sticking with this remaining-in-the-spotlight thing.

I was willing to suspend belief up until the Mexican wedding debacle...which just seemed absurd to me, how they 'really got married' after the tequila shots, except that it happened at least several hours later when it was light out, and when they'd both primped. And of course, all their insisting it was real only led to it being not valid, surprise surprise.

I just watched the most recent Hills (season 5, episode 3, thank goodness for that show being available online!) and I was entertained. And that's what I'm looking for out of The Hills -- I'm interested in the characters, I want them to look beautiful and to lead exciting lives. I'll admit, I'm even looking forward to the Brody/Audrina thing and Spencer calling Lauren. I will be watching!

But believe that Spencer is really flirting with a bartender with no idea of the ramifications? Uh, no. Still mildly entertaining, just not 'real'.

And for my part, not entertaining enough to necessarily make me want to watch the show post-Lauren. We'll see what MTV does at the end of the season...would you keep watching if The Hills went on without her?

An Office Without Clutter

Word on the street is that Martha Stewart runs a tight ship when it comes to neatness in her new offices. (And by "street" I mean Gawker media.)

A Gawker post from late-January says that MS Living Omnimedia staffers are barred from having "ink colors other than red or black, desks that are not completely clear at the end of the day, except for one metal basket of approved office supplies, and anything that could be construed as being personal, such as photos or coffee mugs," according to an anonymous tipster. The post includes photos of some very dreary, plain cubicles, reportedly from the office.

Martha quickly responded to the accusations on her blog, writing that "this Gawker.com article is a misrepresentation of what actually was discussed within our offices. The list of pens is an assortment of what our company will provide our employees with at our expense. We never stated that other pens were not allowed to be used. In these tough economic times, harmony is essential within the working environment. I must also inform you that we use a great assortment of writing implements from the Martha Stewart crafts line available at Michael's Crafts and Walmart. "

As Celebitchy points out, great plug for her product line in there!

Personally, I try to leave my work space clean at the end of the day by putting all my pens back in their storage mug and filing stray papers into folders on my desk. I think that an uncluttered space helps keep the mind uncluttered too. But not having the freedom to decorate at all or manage my things the way I like them...that might be a bit much for me.

Then again, for the chance to work at Martha Stewart Living, I might be able to deal for a little while. :)

What is this world coming to?

The Associated Press has an article about whether or not Heidi and Spencer actually got married in the States.

Yes, the AP, which touts itself as "the backbone of the world's information system."

This is information, of course. And yeah, I read the article. The Hills is my guilty pleasure, I admit it. I can't wait to see what happens Monday.

But still...To me, this says that The Hills couple everyone loves to loathe are actually now...newsworthy? Something about pseudo-reality shows boggle my mind when I'm not just ingesting them like candy, so I don't think about them much.

Oh, at least Dr. Suess' the Lorax is on now, yay!

Ellen is the New Face of Covergirl - Yay!

I can't say that a product spokesperson has ever really swayed me to buy from a particular company, but that may change in light of the fact that Ellen DeGeneres is going to be the new face of Covergirl.

I really applaud the company for picking someone who isn't your typical 18-year-old Hollywood "it" girl or another maturing-but-still-glamorous actress. Don't get me wrong, Ellen is very pretty -- I can't believe she's 50! She's aged so well and her skin looks great. But she's not the classic beauty you'd think a cosmetics company would seek. She's got her own style and vibe and personally I adore her for that. I think it's fantastic that she's being rewarded for being her awesome self, and I hope it sends a message to young women who look up to her that they too can be successful while being true to themselves.

Ellen is simultaneously a safe choice yet a not-so-safe one: she's very upbeat and likable and her humor isn't very offensive, but she is also an openly gay, middle-aged woman with a clean but slightly quirky look....not exactly one who screams makeup poster girl.

But maybe she should. Or more importantly, why shouldn't she? Come to think of it, Covergirl has picked quite a few slightly unexpected spokeswomen lately. Like Queen Latifah, who doesn't fit into all the traditional paradigms of beauty. Even Rihanna and Drew Barrymore are slightly edgy gals. Sure, for each of them there have probably been half a dozen gorgeous models with perfect cheek bones promoting Covergirl. And there's nothing wrong with that either. We don't have to throw all our conceptions of beauty out the window, we could just expand them a little bit.

My hope is that in some even tiny way, Ellen as a cosmetics spokeswoman helps to broaden our interpretation of beauty. That we can appreciate genetic outliers like Halle Berry and Heidi Klum (I think she's absolutely radiant), popular actresses, supermodels, and the seemingly nameless slew of girls who grace each season's makeup ads...but also realize that beautiful doesn't have to be 18 years old, 5-foot-11, 105 pounds with blond beachy waves.

Again, Ellen is no ugly duckling. She has really nice features and a cute personal style. She may not be Portia de Rossi (though being married to Portia is probably the next best thing), but she's a far cry from Dr. Phil, if you know what I mean. (By that, I mean that Dr. Phil is really ugly.) But even a decade ago, the public wasn't ready for Ellen as the person she is. Her sitcom rapidly declined after she came out in prime time.

Now, the tabloids cheered when she and Portia tied the knot. Ellen is a beautiful, smart and talented woman who's come such a long way, and I'm glad to support a company that recognizes that she's a deserving spokeswoman.

Now, if only they'd stop testing on animals, or I definitely knew that they did....then I'd be really extra happy.

Say No To Skanky Phone Pics

Alright, I just figured I'd post something quick about this...what is the deal with people taking illicit cellphone pictures? I bring this up because of a recent blog leak of 'scandalous' Miley Cyrus photos. You can click on it yourself...nothing incredibly saucy, but obviously meant for private eyes.

Which still makes me wonder why people take racy pics to send via their phones. I mean, I understand why you would -- it's easy and fast to capture a moment, then convenient to share with friends. However, this is why I don't take naked cell phone pictures and then send them to people. What if my mom picked up my phone? Or worse, my recipient's mom? Or a third person picked up either of our phones and sent the picture around? Print and digital photos are risky, sure, but tend to be guarded more securely. They're not something I casually carry around and whip out every five minutes to text message my friends.

Maybe I'm too old for this trend? I missed the boat by five years? Because I would not think of naked cell phone pictures as a way to flirt. (Unlike the kids in this article, which is a bit too panicked but you get the idea.)

Point being, be very careful what you photograph. Last thing -- how did Miley take that first picture in the shower with her phone? Did she have it on a tripod or something? Again, way too much work to me!

Would the Real Hayden P. Please Stand Up?

She is...you just will see different versions depending on which magazine you read.

I still don't know how to say "Hayden Panettiere" aloud and I must be the only person who's never watched Heroes but I found this Jezebel analysis of her magazine cover appearances interesting. The 18-year-old starlet appears on three recent Hearst titles: Cosmo, Seventeen and Seventeen Prom. Basically, it's what you'd expect...the mags targeted to a younger demographic feature more demure covers and sugary-sweet lingo. Cosmopolitan is all va-va-va-voom in looks and subject matter.

It's reasonable for a young adult to have many facets of her personality and life. It's reasonable for a magazine to write features geared toward what their audiences want. (Granted, I haven't read the articles but even stick with the cover photos, but obviously a teen mag won't be vamping it up the way a publication with a lot of adult, sex-related content does.) But I wonder if Hayden's personality is driving the different stories or the magazines are the ones crafting these different personas.

It'd be very smart as an actress to make your appeal as wide as possible, of course. Is that something someone this age calculates? Sure the entertainment industry ages kids fast, but 18 (almost 19) seems pretty young to worry about crafting yourself as a brand. And if you are...well, I think that must be pretty stressful to live up to, especially under all the public scrutiny. Like, erm, bloggers dissecting the aspects of your public personas.

Really makes me appreciate the perks of relative anonymity.