Nothing looks better than black and white with color of the year (emerald)! Designers and collections were showing off their love of black, white, and stripes for Spring 2013 runways. They go from casual, to business to sexy for all times of the day and events for the throughout the week. Now if only I could get a hold of that black and white maxi dress from Marc Jacobs (all the way on the right)…sometimes life just isn’t fair but Spring hasn’t started yet, I still have time. *Faye
Affordable Fashion Friday! *Small Hard-Case Bags
As we jump start the new year with emerald, I’ll discuss another object that would be a go to item to have around…or items to have around, Small Hard-Case Bags/Clutch!
One rule about buying a bag, any bag really is to buy one that is preportionate to yourself. I have tiny friends and they carry big bags but my bag is always just a little bigger because I’m a lot bigger 
. Now this particular bag was something I just came across as I was roaming through Joann’s Fabric Store. Acid wash denim is a really great neutral for the spring and leather always adds a small touch of awesomeness and this hard0case bag had both! Regular price is $39.99, but I snagged it on sale for half price (score)! It’s from the Joann’s “Home Inspirations” collection, but everywhere I go people love it more and more…and I do too.
A few other cluthes to look into that are all under thirty dollars would be a blue clutch from H&M for $17.95, The spiked heart minaudiere from Forever21 for $27.80, and also the Monet Mirror Clutch from JCPenney for $25.00. All of those bags have great character and a little pizazz to keep your outfits fresh!
I hope they end up helping you find a bag just right for you for the spring, or one you don’t mind flaunting. *Faye
Trending Tuesday! *2013 Emerald
The new trending color for 2013 is Emerald! The color will be popping up everywhere in fashion clothing and accessories for the entirety of this year. I am so excited for this to be happening since green happens to be my favorite colors… and I happen to have a pair of Emerald Green eyeglasses (I have three pairs of glasses that I switch out between depending on my outfit). Just thought I’d give you a heads up on New Years of what to start looking out for in the new year. *Faye
Manic Movie Monday! *Django Unchained
***********************SPOILER ALERT************************
So I was a little hesistant to see this movie, especially when a friend referred to it as “Roots for the 2000s.” After seeing this movie I don’t particularly agree with that statement but do understand there is still some racial aspects in this movie.
Some of the greatest things in life is friendship and love, and in an odd way that is the resounding motive and drive behind most of the characters….except Leonardo’s and Samuel’s. While you may recognize the first three on the left (Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Jamie Foxx) of the image- Christoph Waltz (Dr. Schultz in the movie) is the fourth and until recently has been in Europe starring in movies/shows since 1977! He plays one hot German in the movie, even if he was born in Austria .
On to the Storyline:
For the first minute of the storyline is pretty much the first minute of the trailer! Wow, what a preview you just got…so generous. After Dr. Schultz get Django and heads into town is where you find out he’s a bounty hunter and its not as glamorous as it appears, there was a bounty on the town’s sherrif (whom he just killed 
). Apparently being held at gun point after shooting people is completely normal and a little uncomfortable and comes into play a few more times in the movie.
There next stop was on over to “Big Daddy’s House” where Don Johnson lives, WHAT?!? They find the Briddle Brother’s and Django kills two of them leaving Schlutzy with one and a badass shot into a cotton field. Once again they are held up at gun point and walk away fine. Big Daddy grabs his fellow white people on horse back to go kill Django and the Doctor later that night and fails because they set a trap using explosives! All an all after a funny little scene complaining about eye holes most of them don’t go home and Django shots Don Johnson in the heart (NOOOOOOOOOO, but wait- he was a bad guy). since winter is starting to roll around Schultzy tells Django they can head hunt all winter getting money for his wife Broomhilda and go get her in the spring…And Dr. Schultz recants a German tale dealing with Brynhild and Seigfried- where in Siegfried saves Brynhild after slaying a dragon and walking through fire and Schultz feels that they are that couple and as a German he must help them.
A couple months pass and they meet up with Calvin Candie (DiCaprio’s character) and he has Broomhilda. After a little discussion after buying a “Mandingo Fighter” they are on their way to Candy Land (Calvin Candie’s Plantation).
They confirm that Broomhilda is actually there and almost pull it off until Samuel Jackson‘s character Stephen ruins everything. After a lot of drama and “breaking character” they end up paying 12thousand for her and get all of her papers but then Schultzy refused to shakes hands with Candie and kills him…causing a giant bloody Quentin Tarantino style movie. Schultzy dies and they catch Broomhilda at which point Django gives up and you find him hanging upside down naked. They sell him to a mining company and he tricks some “stupid white boys” and goes back for her pissed. He blows the place up and they ride away together.
For a movie that was just as long as The Hobbit it was fairly good and gives you a few laughs in the midst of a lot of blood. Yet, for the cottage cheese on top of the fruit I give it a 7 out of 10. *Faye
Cook Off Saturday! *Stuffed Scallop Shells
So this wonderful food blog “What’s Cookin, Chicago?” is fantastic by Joelen!
About two years ago she posted a recipe for Stuffed Scallop Shells that I had been dying to make…and i finally got the chance this past weekend when I made Jonah a Fancy-Just-Because-Dinner. We served it with steak, Au Gratin Potatoes and sautéed Brussel Sprouts! Yum- and champagne with frozen fruit in the glasses.
As usual to give credit where credit is due I’m linking the entirety of it. 
Please check out her food blog and leave comments or hunt around!*Faye
Manic Movie Monday! *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
*************************SPOILER ALERT********************************
Sometimes you need a fun filled movie dealing in the world of science-fantasy to really pull your life together, and sometimes you need a hot guy to get your mind off of things.
Fun Fact: For all those whom like Elijah Wood he is in the first ten minutes of the movie.
I would like to address the newest Hotty-with-a-Body in The Hobbit series Richard Armitage! I like to address him by his full name “Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror” a.k.a. “Dwarf Prince/King.”
For all the Trekkies out there….he looks a little Klingon right?!?! (But like a hot Klingon)
Some of the newer technologies in the movie making world have caused The Hobbit to be quite the movie experience. 48 frames per second (fps) instead of the standard 28 gives this movie a realistic and eye catching experience. The human eye views the world at 60+ frames per second. Now Blu-ray and Hi-Def have added to movie going experiences but right about the time I forgot I was watching a movie in a different world I sneezed and realized how freaking amazing the new fps is.
On to the story line:
The movie opens with some background info on the fall of the Dwarf Kingdom from the Dragon Smaug, whom happens to love gold- go figure. After you feel bad for all the dwarves it shows Bilbo (older than dirt) writing the story in the little book from the Lord of the Rings series with Frodo pops in. After a little banter with Frodo you back-in-time to sixty years earlier where the adventure actually begins. Gandalf shows up at Bilbo’s place and leaves a mark on his door, later that evening all the dwarves start filling in. After they all explain the journay and Bilbo says no… you then here the beautiful song sung by all the dwarves that talks of the down-fall of Erebor (this also happens to be the official trailer).
Eventually Bilbo wakes up the next morning excited they are gone and then chases after them to go out on the journey. First night is fine traveling and you here the story about how Thrain and Thror (Thorin’s dad and G-dad) died and about the “Pale Orc.” Next day some trolls take their horses and that just blows because it takes them all night to get them back, then they hear information from Brown Wizard Radagast that darkness is taking over the mountain. Radagast helps them out by having the Orcs following the group actually go after him and they are able to just barely make it to the City of Elves a.k.a. Rivendall (BTW dwarves hates elves because they didn’t help when the Dragon hit Erebor). Anyway they are able to find out some information about a door into the The Lonely Mountain (Erebor) and leave that night with Bilbo. They run into some problems with the mountains start moving, turn into people and start fighting each other (Mountain people vs. Mountain people). The end up hiding in a mountain cave and falling into an area full of trolls…after a little work they make it out and get stuck having to face off with the Pale Orc again. They climb trees and hop from one to the other until they are stuck at the end and Gandalf turns pinecones into little grenades, but Thorin (son of Thrain, son of Thror ) gets all mad and goes to face the Pale Orc gets knocked off and chewed on a little by their giant wolf-dogs and bilbo goes to save him. Gandalf calls for falcons and they take everyton to the tippy top of a weird rock/hill thing where they can see Erebor from and realize how far they have come. The movie ends with the dragons eyes opening still chilling under all the gold.
Sorr for the long post…but it was a long movie, and I enjoyed the crap out of it. For the cottage Cheese on top of the Fruit I give it a 5 out of 5! *Faye
P.S. Here’s a video for some laughs, they are saying all 13 dwarves names in the movie.
