Ten-ish bests film of 2010... in my humble opinion.

Ten-ish bests film of 2010... in my humble opinion. To be further edited when I have proper Internet access - not shitty 3G.
There have been some truly excellent films in 2010 and no doubt there will be more contenders by the end of the year. 'Blue Valentine' and 'The Kings Speech' are tipped for BAFTA's and films that I desperately want to see. For now here are the ten-ish films that have made me laugh, cry, ponder and want to be a movie star.

10. Scott Pilgrim vs The World/ Youth in Revolt





Both star Michael Cera, both feature Michael Cera at his best - portraying an awkward teenage geek. To see Mr Cera as a more 'active' geek, watch Scott Pilgrim (he actually did some martial arts training for this) and to see him show his awesome cigarette smoking, aviator wearing alter ego Francois then Youth in Revolt is a must.

9. The Runaways




I'd heard of Joan Jett thanks to 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' (I heard Britney's version before the original - shame on me) but had no real idea who Cherie Currie or The Runaways were. This edgy biopic looks at the rise and fall of The Runaways with Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning playing their roles of Joan and Cherie brilliantly, their relationship on screen is excellent, helped by a great soundtrack and kick ass costumes. Props to K Stew for actually cutting her hair into a mullet - a braver girl than I.


8. Harry Brown




Michael Caine plays badass vigilante Harry Brown, living alone in a high rise council flat he gets sick and tired of the yobbish youth culture surrounding his estate and decides to take out the trash. This was a great role for Mr Caine who was superb as a gun wielding, pissed off pensioner and the script and storyline really did reflect some of the worst culture Britain has adopted in the 21st century. Also adding a brilliant cameo is Plan B, the boy can sign, rap, wear a suit and act as a hoodlum damn well.


7. Kick Ass



The script was sharp, edgy and hilarious and was co written by Jane Goldman (Mrs. Jonathan Ross). The film screamed COOL and it certainly was. Another vigilante movie set in the heart of NYC, where average, unnoticed teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) with a penchant for comic books and masturbating decides to become a superhero despite having no skills or training. Screen stealers were the father/daughter combo of Big Daddy - Nicolas Cage and Hit Girl - Chloe Moretz. The best action/comedy movie of the year.


6. Shutter Island



Martin Scorsese is one of my favourite directors and this film is just another jewel in his crown. Scorsese picks Leonardo Di Caprio to be his leading man time and time again and this film showcases all of LDC's best qualities. Paranoia is order of the day as LDC plays Teddy Daniels a US Marshall investigating the disappearance of a murderous inmate in the mysterious Shutter Island hospital for the criminally insane. His world descends into lies, corruption, conspiracy, paranoia and confusion - a perfect psychological thriller, beautifully shot.


5. Crazy Heart/ Four Lions






Crazy Heart follows the story of washed up country musician Bad Blake who is forced to evaluate his sad life.  Jeff Bridges deservedly won an Oscar for this role and plays Bad's character so well, whether it be as a drunken mess or a tender lover to new beau Jean played brilliantly by Maggie Gyllenhall. The relationship between them, although doomed from the start, inspires Bad to start writing and recording new material. Emotive and moving performances from the lead actors and a passable performance from Colin Farrell.


I'll hand over to Sundance Films for the synopsis: Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point. As the wheels fly off, and their competing ideologies clash, what emerges is an emotionally engaging (and entirely plausible) farce. In a storm of razor-sharp verbal jousting and large-scale set pieces, Four Lions is a comic tour de force; it shows that-while terrorism is about ideology-it can also be about idiots. 


Director of Four Lions, Chris Morris, wrote Brass Eye, keeping that in mind you can imagine what this film his - hilarious and satirical.So terrorism by idiots can be funny.....


4. Worlds Greatest Dad





3. The Blindside/ Inception








2. Bad Lieutenant





1. A Single Man

New lady crush: Rihanna

The list grows....

I have an admiration for strong, talented and creative ladies and so my 'lady crush' list contains Lady GaGa, Ellie Goulding, Marina and the Diamonds and Grace Coddington (American Vogue Creative Director). These women are incredibly beautiful, fearless and have an abundance of (IMO) genius. So after watching Rihanna perform on the X Factor Final I just thought WOW.

The duet between her and Matt Cardle (glad he lost the hat) was brilliant, the best out of the four by far and probably cemented Matt as the winner. Rihanna sounded great (bit nasal, but I'm embracing it) and looked phenomenal.... at first I thought the dress was boring until you see the split - Wowzers! No wonder Matt had to bite his fingers.

It's taken me a while to warm to RiRi, when she first came out with 'Pon de Replay' I wasn't exactly overwhelmed but she's been clever over the years to reinvent herself and she seems more comfortable in her own skin than ever before.

Musically, is she breaking new ground? Um, not really, but her songs are extremely relevant, catchy and she clearly loves performing them. 'Russian Roulette' was a bold move for her, but I think she had to do that to get where she is today, change direction, work with new producers, try out a new image and it's worked in RiRi's favour. 

There's not much point on harping on about her past, yes she's suffered domestic abuse but she has bounced back and is looking strong, confident and empowered. I'm loving the softer, girlier image change too - less leather and studs, more flowers and knickers!

Rihanna, you've made the list.

Love, SGS xoxo.

TV round-up:The Morgana Show, Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights and Coppers

A look at the Good, Bad and Fugly TV this week


This week in TV land saw some debutants - good and bad. Here are my picks:


The Good - The Morgana Show





The Morgana Show began on Channel 4 this week and luckily pulled me out of my stupor after watching Frankie Boyle's gruesome attempt at a sketch show (see Fugly). Flighty comedienne Morgana Robinson delivers a sketch show with impersonations and new characters and it was genuinely funny. If you have a sort of love/hate relationship with Fearne Cotton (I'm in that group) then you will love Morgana's uncanny impersonation of her as she takes on death challenges and says "wicked" a fair few times. Also look out for her characters, Gilbert in particular was very funny.


Next episode: Channel 4 Tue 07 Dec, 10.35pM


Other good TV shows: Mad Men BBC 4, Eastbound and Down - FX, The Graham Norton Show - BBC1 and The Walking Dead - FX


The Bad - Coppers

Coppers is a Channel 4 documentary series that has been filmed across England, following the police in big cities and country beats aiming to reveal what the Police are up against every day of their working lives. The documentary itself wasn't bad at all, it was what the content revealed I thought was unpleasant. 

This particular episode followed Greater Manchester Police's Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) at a protest in Bolton using the controversial 'kettling' technique to separate the protesters (think the horrific scenes in London as students stormed the Tory HQ). The Guardian's TV Review page can explain this a whole lot better than I can,

"The riot squad is shown dealing both with the English Defence League (EDL) – described by senior officers as football hooligans linked to the far-right, including the BNP and Combat 18 – as well as a counter-protestorganised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF), whom one officer jokingly describes as "the type of people you would probably see at Glastonbury".

What I thought was particularly 'bad' about this programme were the attitudes and behaviour of  some of the officers.The TAU looked more like a cops and robbers fancy dress night out for bouncers as bulky officers made up the majority of the force. On the plus side the officers did take time to talk to protesters and worried onlookers but clearly cocked up by arresting more vocal protesters, who, other than crimes against fashion had done little wrong. One officer in particular lost his temper and was heard repeating "they're going to f****g have it". It did little to reinforce a positive view of the police in this country.

Last episode: Channel 4 Mon 29 Nov, 9pm. 


The Fugly - Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights

Yes, do not adjust your monitor, that is Frankie Boyle in a wig pretending to be The Hoff's character Michael in a Knight Rider sketch for his new show Tramadol Nights. The show is largely based on sketches and stand up from the acid tongued comic. After enduring a personal Frankie Boyle tirade in the front row of a theatre in Port Talbot my opinion of the man has changed. That was a traumatic experience to say the least, as was this show.

The one of the things that first attracted to me to Frankie's humour was the fact it was so dark, perverse and ultimately evil. His constant attack on Kerry Katona on 'Mock the Week' would make me belly laugh but his cruel jokes about mental illness often leave me uncomfortable. His ability to come up with one liners is his strength and sadly there was too much sketch and not enough chat. Most of the content was aimed at combining political and racial issues with mental illness, a TV turn off and I won't be tuning in again.

Next episode: Channel 4, Tue 07 Dec, 10pm

Love, SGS xoxo.

Emails that make me smile...

....anything Twilight Saga related

I get tons of crap emails everyday, I'm doing my best to remove the crap ones I don't want (anyone else the unsubscribe system is getting more complicated?) For example I got an email advertising the fact that Justin Bieber was going on tour......I almost threw my laptop across the room. Anyone who knows me or follows me on Twitter knows that I despise him, his hair, his voice and think he looks like a lesbian - what a turd.

Luckily I got a gem of an email yesterday from HMV, bringing me great tidings of joy. My Eclipse 2 disc DVD is on it's way, Hurrah!! I will revel in watching the extras, how I love the extras.

I am also getting a tad excited for Breaking Dawn, filming has already begun and these images made me want to do cartwheels around the flat!

Edward and Bella in Brazil en route to Isle Esme - Bella in a vintage dress and heels, Edward in blue shirt and shorter hair having a passionate kiss? PERFECT!

Not to mention an OFFICIAL photgraph from the Breaking Dawn production as tweeted by Bill Condon:

I literally almost puked when I saw this!!!!! The morning after THE night before..... Edward and Bella consumate their love... finally.... Dear God, I could pass out with excitement. Headboards ripped, pillows shredded, feathers EVERYWHERE! Vampire Sex!! Yesssssss!! (I'm not a perv, honest)

So amidst the crap in my inbox, I sometimes get a few gems... thank you HMV.

Love, SGS xoxo.

Tunes for a Tuesday (On a Friday)

This week I'm slam dunkin' da funk to these corkers...



Perfect melody, lyrics, tone! Love, love this song.



The original record is from Canadian singer Feist and is really, well, excellent. As covers go this is hauntingly beautiful, Blake's soulful voice adds a new depth and I just adore this.



Rihanna is back with another ridiculously catchy pop tune 'What's my name?' featuring former beau Drake. Despite the particularly nasal filled vocals I'm liking this a lot, more chilled out from the Barbadian Princess.



Super Producer and Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am has the golden touch and especially with Nicki Minaj and Chezza Cole star on the infectious single 'Check It Out'. Minaj is taking America by storm and I can only assume she's going to translate to the UK very well, me likey.


Love, SGS xoxo.

Things that make you go BOOM

Well I've had a busy BUT productive couple of weeks, hence the lack of blogs and plenty to get BOOM about.

I'll try and celebrate the BOOM in picture form, keep ya interested...

NEW JOB = BOOM

So, I have a new job! Yes! I can whinge no more.... (wonder how long that will last) but I take a firm step up on the career ladder as a Communication and Events Officer for a charity called Cylch. I'm a tad nervous but excited for a new challenge.

I'm hoping it will be more like this:

... than this:

REVENGE ON MR AND MRS SHITHEAD = BOOM

Mr and Mrs Shithead aka: the terrible 'pikey love story' couple who live in Flat 7 downstairs (who permanently fight during 12pm - 6am) have recently not been so bad... until Saturday morning at 3am. Mr Shithead came in obviously after having a few flagons of White Lightening and starts banging around, slamming doors and throwing up all over his vest (what else do pikeys wear on a night out) and the toilet until about 6.30am.

So I decided to make his hangover 10 times worse when I got up. I jumped all around the bedroom floor, slammed doors and cranked up a bit of Fourtet and put the speakers on the floor... what makes Fourtet so perfect is that the tracks are instrumental and one even featured frenetic violins... Yesss... take that Mr S!

NEW FLAT = BOOM

Myself and TB (The Boy) will be moving flats in December, where hopefully we will be much happier and not have terrible tenants or letting agencies to deal with... I can't take another version of Mr and Mrs Shithead. It's not healthy to wish death on people you barely know on a daily basis... so let's hope there's more of this.....

.... and less of this:

Love, SGS xoxo.

Tunes for a Tuesday feat. J-J-J-Jessie J

Jessie J does 'it' like a dude and sings like a lay-deh

 

Later with Jools Holland produces some gems when it comes to new music and I've found me a shiny one... Jessie J.


Jessica Cornish aka Jessie J is a 22 year old rude girl from Essex with raven hair - like Mystic Meg (I'm allowed to say that, look at the lady's Twitter). This girl has bags of attitude, style and a voice that Cheryl Cole would give her ridiculous hair weave for.


Jessie J sang 'Price Tag' from her forthcoming album acoustically and it blew me away, her voice is beyond powerful and she makes the performance look effortless.


She was on the Guardian's New Band of the Day who say that:

"That list of ones to watch in 2011 that we compiled the other day needs another addition – Jessie Cornish, alias Jessie J. We're not necessarily saying we like her, but we sense from her powerhouse of a voice and her hugely commercial songs that she is going to be massive. People in this country love big strong voices that hit high notes and blast you with hurricane force, and Jessie J's is one of those. And she can do it live, that other national preoccupation: it works unadorned, it doesn't need machines to make it sound "good".

What I also LOVE about this girl is that she wrote 'Party in the USA' for Miley Cyrus... I can finally admit that I love it, with a credible explanation, it was a previous Guilty Pleasure on this Blog. So THANK YOU Jessie J.


Watch these videos and let your ears be happy - BOOM!





The debut single 'Do It Like A Dude' is released in the UK on January 2nd, 2011. You'd be a sucka and a dirty muthaf**ker not to buy it.


Love, SGS xoxo.

Eminem + Me = Peas in a Pod

First things first, I apologise. I said I would be a better Blogger and I've failed miserably... what can I say life gets in the way, as does a dodgy laptop, pressure from work and having a full planner on my Sky + box.


Anyway, yes, me and Eminem could be siblings - share the same blood etc. I mean come on, his name is Eminem, my name is Emina (It's not Short Girl - my mother would've been a monster to do that)...


I'm fooling no-one, luckily I've never lived anywhere near the 313, spewed on my jumper, choked in an onstage battle or had a volatile relationship with a woman named Kim. However what I can relate to is the message in this song below, 'Lose Yourself'



Unlike Eminem was, I am not trying to break into the music industry. I am simply trying to find a little happiness from a job. I feel I've been sad with what I do for a long time, many things have contributed to this but ultimately in my current job I feel like the algae in a pond - stagnant, unwanted and a tad green.


So this week I have a real chance to change that and move onwards and I want to give myself the best possible chance to do so.


So I will heed the chorus from 'Lose Yourself' and chanel my inner Eminem (minus the cussing)


You better lose yourself in the music, the moment 
You own it, you better never let it go go 
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow 
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo


Love, SGS xoxo

Tunes for a Tuesday

Boom, Boom, shake, shake the room to these beauties...











Love, SGS xoxo

Halloween: A chance to get your 'freak' on

I adore Halloween, a night where looking like a freak is perfectly acceptable. Hair and make up should be super scary and your outfit should be gruesome.

Fake blood, face paint and spider accessories should be a standard IMO.

Halloween of course is a chance for some girls to wear underwear as outerwear and put a pair of Devil or Cat ears on and generally look slutty. Turning Halloween into Whore - a - Ween... pffttt....

I will never be that girl, I want to scare, shock and get my 'freak' on. It's a chance to be somone/something else for one night and where the premise the scarier the better really works.

So this year I was a Corpse Bride, inspired by Tim Burton who totally understands Halloween and the horror genre. The general response I got was very positive, I posed for some photos with some girls (whore-a-ween variety) and freaked people out - great.

Aside from being jilted at the altar and being dead (yes, I have a back story) this Corpse Bride has no worries.. no work, bills, council tax, car issues or bad hair days.. I envy her.

So I relunctantly come back to the land of the living.... with no make up or wedding dress. Roll on next Halloween...

Love, SGS xoxo.

Forgive me Blog Father...

It's been 23 days since my last post.

So it's been 23 days or 552 hours since my last blog post... pretty disgraceful huh?!

I wish I had a legitimate reason for why it's been so long, but all I can say is that I've been pretty much working my ass off and have not wanted to go near a computer after my days of staring at a screen. I find blogging a chance to vent my feelings and give anyone who cares to read it a chance to see what I like and what makes me tick. I've felt plenty of emotions in the last 23 days, yet not really had the time to type them up.

Please enjoy the following emotion examples:

Happy: 

• I have completed a work project that was draining me of enthusiasm and happiness - Joy! 
• I am no longer blonde and have changed to a light brown with blonde highlights for autumn.winter and my inner Lily Savage is furious
• Despite the shite, TB (The Boy) remains a constant source of support and happiness
• I have seen some great films - Worlds Greatest Dad and The Town

Sad:

• I mourn the loss of my good friend who passed away six years ago in October, the loss of him from my life still makes me very sad.

Angry:

• I have two terrible neighbours that live in the flat below, I have affectionately called them Mr and Mrs Shithead. They are the epitome of pikey lovers, they argue constantly during the hours of 12pm and 8am, they have a dog that barks, they play terrible music at unsociable hours (I now HATE Madness), smash windows and property and have no regard for anyone other than themselves. If they didn't make me increasingly angry and slightly depressed on a daily basis then I could maybe develop a screenplay about them, it would probably resemble Shameless, Cardiff style innit butt.

Jealous:

• Willow Smith (mentioned in the previous blog post) is a frickin' genius and she's 9 years old... I adore her.

Optimistic:

• I have been freelancing for a while doing Events and Communications for a company in Cardiff which culminated in a conference last week. I think I made a good impression and something may come of it, for the first time in a long time I feel hopeful for my future career.

So there we have it, I will now endeavour to get this blog back on track...

Love always, SGS xoxo.

5 'kids' that are cooler than I will ever be

I have noticed more recently than usual there are influx of tiny people that are just, well, cool. I don't just mean famous people I mean girls who wander around towns on a Saturday linked arm-in-arm with £5 in their pocket and a determination to catch the local lads attention.

I once saw a girl she must've only been 15 in a leather jacket I had drooled over in All Saints only a few hours earlier and some boots from Topshop that I had decided were impracticle and too expensive to purchase. £325 for the jacket and £95 for the boots, not to mention the fact she had long hair that flips (bit like Barbie's pony) and that expression that screams 'VAGUELY AMUSED AND CONSIDERABLY RICHER THAN YOU'.

It's the attitude of the younger folk that astounds me, they are so confident and self assured. I was a nervous wreck at that age with a beyond bad haircut that made me look like a crazy cat lady, adidas tracksuit and a face full of spots.

Time has moved on thank god, and although I don't march around town with a catwalk demeanour I am more confident in my appearance and myself but there are some kids which I will never be cooler than....

1. Willow Smith



Willow is the 9 year old daughter of super famous, talented and beautiful couple Will and Jada Pinket-Smith. It was genetically predisposed that Willow would be a cool kid, but at 9?! Willow is already a bit of a fashion icon, check out her animal hareem pants and jacket teamed with biker boots - BANG on trend. On Monday, Willow and Jada sat front row at the Emporio Armani fashion show in Milan. Not content with being a fashionista at 9, Willow is also pursuing a music career under Jay Z's label and her first single 'Whip My Hair' will be released soon.



2. Lourdes Leon

Lourdes, who only really needs to be known by one name much like her Mum, Madonna is thirteen and already VERY cool.

The two have collabed on a fashion line for Macy's called Material Girl. The style is reminiscent of 1980's Madonna and includes clothes, shoes, jewellry and handbags. Prices are generally below $40 and the fashions are aimed at the teen market.
Lourdes or Lola, has also launched a fashion blog for the upcoming line and has already written "And the 80’s are another huge obsession of mine, which is totally amazingly awesome because Material Girl…HELLO! It’s like 80’s themed, which pretty much rocks, so yeah." TOTALLY RAD.
 
3. Taylor Momsen
 

Lourdes leads me on to my next 'cool kid'. Taylor Momsen or better known for her role as Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl (xoxo). 17 year old Taylor has shunned her Barbie blonde image and now taken on her rock chick persona as she fronts rock-pop band The Pretty Reckless.

Taylor now has a penchant for black panda eyes, lingerie, stocking and hooker shoes with dollar bills in - her mum must be proud, but let's face it - she's pretty cool.

4. Suri Cruise

Suri is the daughter of multi millionaire Hollywood heavyweights Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and this little girl has it made. Although I don't envy having to be brought up under Scientology rules or with a Dad that jumped on Oprah's couch, I do envy the lifestyle of this cutie!

Suri had a bob age 2 that suddenly became as famous as the Posh Spice 'Pob' that caused media hysteria and made me jealous.

Doesn't Suri look quite the little lady on a trip out and about? flawless fashionista with kitten heels at the age of 3. Don't let looks decieve you, apparently Suri is a big fan of  car racing and discovered it on television. So what did Tom and Katie do? They bought her a custom-made $30,000 miniature replica of an Indy race car, of course. What would my parent's have got me? a cardboard box with felt tipped wheels and interior.....

5. Justin Bieber

I ain't got Bieber fever, I cannot begin to describe how annoying I find Justin Bieber, but yes, sadly, he's cooler than me. Justin is Canadian, 16 years old and one of the best known faces on the planet but does have ridiculous hair.

Bieber was first discovered in 2008 on YouTube by Scooter Braun who happens to be partners with RnB star Usher, after meeting with them he was offered a recording contract with Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG). Not before being in a bidding war with Justin Timberlake's label... oh the stress, poor lad.

Since then he has gone onto sell millions of records (going Platinum in the States), create literally an army of teenage girl fans, have a bromance with Usher, flirty pictures with Kim Kardashian and regularly be a trending topic on Twitter... C.O.O.L.

Love, SGS xoxo

Tunes for a Tuesday

This week I'm dropping it like it's hot to these beauties...

Swedish House Mafia Vs Tinie Tempah - Miami 2 Ibiza



Neither of these artists can do wrong at the moment, Swedish House Mafia aka - Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso and Tinie Tempah are firing up the charts. The unbelieavably catchy and widely used tune 'One' became 'One (Your name)' when Pharrel Williams from The Neptunes added some lyrics turning it 'radio friendly'. Tinie Tempah had his first UK number 1 with 'Pass Out' and  penned one of the most recognisable lyrics of the year "I been Southampton but I never been to Scunthorpe and with lyrics like "She wanna see what's hiding in my CK briefs" on this track, the boy's on a roll.

Spark - Revolving



Ahhh Spark, a new and wonderful music find. I went to see Marina and the Diamonds in March and Spark was the support act. The crowd slightly hostile at first from the long wait of anything to happen on stage were won over by the girl with jet black curly, pouty red lips and voice that sounds from another era (definitely a good thing). One of the songs that stood out from the set was 'Revolving' with a juddery beat and clever lyrics, oh, and robotic movements, always a winner. Spark or Jess has recorded a video for this and I can't wait to see it.

Tinie Tempah feat. Ellie Goulding - Wonderwoman



Ok so it's Tinie Tempah again but I don't care - LOVE this it was previewed on a soundclash between Radio 1 DJs Greg James and Zane lowe. I'm a big fan of Ellie Goulding too so this is just a dream collaboration, and the beat is amazing... that is all.

Love, SGS xoxo.

Tunes for a Tuesday, on a Wednesday

I'm mainly doing the frog step to these new music beauties..

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair



The first thing I said when I heard this was ''OH MY GOD'' not because it's the best song I've ever heard but because it's by a 9 year old girl. Not just any old 9 year old, Willow Smith the daughter of Will (Fresh Prince) and Jada Pinket - Smith. Labelled as the 'new Rihanna' you can see why, this song is something I'm sure Rihanna would be pleased to have on her album. Catchy, funky with a good beat, I'm off to whip my hair and curse that yet another young person is cooler than me!

Fenech Soler - Lies



I featured the remix of this brilliant tune on a past TFAT blog post and the original has finally find it's debut on national radio. The four piece electro pop band have just released 'Lies' on iTunes and their self titled debut album is out on the 27th - JOY! I will be purchasing and an added bonus is the lads will be touring the UK from October this year.

Deadmou5 and Wolfgang Gartner - Animal Rights



The man in the giant mouse head is back with 'Animal Rights'. The Canadian progressive house and electro house producer is sure to get a reaction with this new track, me likey a lot.

M.I.A - It Takes a Muscle



Politically minded, opinionated, strong female M.I.A releases new song 'It takes a muscle' and it's a new direction with an electro-reggae beat. I am still in love with 'Paper Planes' and since buying her first album was left a little confused as to what sort of artist M.I.A really was. If she keeps going in this direction, I'll jump back on board.

Love, SGS xoxo.

Age aint nothin' but a number

Forgive me readers, it has been 10 days since my last post. I will try to do better, promise.


So on Sunday (19th) it was my birthday and I am now 25 or a 'quarter of a century old' says my friend who won't turn 25 until April, the swine.

I was not looking forward to this age for a number of reasons mainly because I am now in the last year of the 18-25 box and grudgingly go ever closer to the 26-30 box... NOOOOOOOOOOOO and I just generally hate getting older.

However it's turned out to be not so bad really, I had a weekend of celebration involving copious amounts of good food, cinema, family, friends, TB, cards, Facebook and Twitter messages and presents.
What also was really nice was looking at my inbox to discover my 'Happy Birthday' messages from celebs. Lady GaGa, The Pretty Reckless and Craig David all passed on their wishes- God bless 'em.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Hope you have a delicious day - get some GAGA tracks on now to help you celebrate.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Hope you have a great day and get some music on now to help you celebrate!

Perhaps being 25 isnit going to be too bad after all, just don't speak to me on my 30th.

Love, SGS xoxo
ps. Apologies for the format issues, looks like Blogger can't handle my images yo!

Lady GaGa: Top 5 shocks so far

Lady GaGa has ensured her meteoric rise to fame with her beyond catchy electro pop tunes, pop-art inspired videos, avant garde fashion, strong vocals and ability to play instruments, love of her fans or 'little monsters' and her determined approach to take the 'female singer' mould, smash it and create something new.

Of course she is provactive, noticeable and sometimes shocking but this is why she is so successful. If her Monster Ball Tour featured GaGa sat on a piano all evening, undoubtedly the world would hardly be batting an eyelid. As it is, numerous costume changes, abundance of flesh, a NYC subway train, affectionately calling her little monsters 'motherfuckers' and of course the monster she battles among other things ensure she fills stadiums and halls night after night.

Here are GaGa's Top 5 most 'shocking moments'

1. Lady GaGa's bonkers brilliant fashion at MTV Video Music Awards 2009

GaGa's love of avant garde fashion seemed to have gotten a little of control at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, but her dramtic performance and outfits certainly held the attention of other celebrities and the worlds media.

Pic 1 GaGa in her seat: Hat - Philip Treacy. Dress- Jean Paul Gautier

Pic 2: GaGa accepts an award: Dress - Alexander McQueen Archive. Crown- Haus of GaGa

Pic 3: GaGa performs 'Paparazzi': Bodysuit and shoes- Haus of GaGa

Pic 4: GaGa infront of the media: Dress. Jean Paul Gautier

Pic 5: GaGa arrives at the MTV VMA's 09: Hat: Tour de Force. Mask and ring: House of blue eyes. Neck piece: Keko Hainswheeler. Belt: Atsuko Kudo. Dress: Jean Paul Gautier

Pictures and descriptions sourced via: Nicola Formichetti's Blog.

2. GaGa makes Jonathan Ross blush

Normally outspoken, brash and rude (I love him) British presenter, Jonathan Ross was actually made to blush by Lady GaGa as she explained the reasoning behind her lyrics 'bluffing with my muffin' in her hit song 'Pokerface'. Ross was stunned into silence as GaGa told him that she was actually thinking of a female when she was making her sweet love with her ex boyfriend.
 
3. GaGa angers religious types with 'Alejandro' video
 

 
Perhaps GaGa's most provactive video to date has been 'Alejandro' directed by Steven Klein. GaGa appears as a Nun, proceeds to eat roseary beads and provactively dances in just her underwear (awesome). Katy ' I kissed a girl' Perry in particular took offence to the video and used Twitter to share her opinion, "Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke". Perry then preceded to tweet a clip of her video for 'California Girls' with cream squirting from her breasts, classy.
 
4. GaGa falls in Heathrow airport
 

 
Sounds ordinary enough, GaGa falls over (bless her) but in true GaGa style at the time she was wearing a mesh vest/bra combo, lycra pants, leather chaps and the main culprits.. 'Nightmakers' by Noritaka Tatehana, a designer based out of Tokyo. The gravity defying 9" shoes can be bought for between $2,500-$4,000. They have become a firm favourite of GaGa's and she wears them all the time.

5. GaGa wears meat for Vogue Hommes Japan

Never shy from showing her flesh, GaGa stripped for Vogue Hommes Japan wearing just a meat bikini to hide her modesty. This of course attracted attention from animal rights organisation PETA who condemned her look saying,

"Lady Gaga's job is to do outlandish things, and this certainly qualifies as outlandish because meat is something you want to avoid putting on or in your body. No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal".

On this occasion, I think PETA have a point.

What more can GaGa possibly get upto in the next six months? I can't wait to find out.

Love, SGS xoxo

Autumn/Winter 2010 trend alert

Yes Sir. Military is back!

I can mostly take and leave fashion trends and recently I have found there have been hardly any trends that actually suit me and make the most of my figure.

Maxi dresses? I'm 5ft. Underwear as outerwear? I'm well over a B cup so I will not be displaying my bristols for the world to see. Micro minis? My pasty white thighs like being hidden thanks.

So I'm pleased that Miltary is back with a BANG (pun intended). I'm a fan of the edgy tailoring, lapels, buttons and khaki and the A/W 10 season is set to be littered with it.

The Marc by Marc Jacobs A/W 2010 show debuted back in Feburary and military set the tone, and although it's not his mainline show the line is always a tad quirkier and fun and it didn't disappoint.


Army jackets and coats belted with shirts, stripes and plaid were a major feature but beautifully done, the cut definitely complimented the female form.
A trend to have arisen from this is the skinny military/combat trouser and I adore them. Below is an example from Marc's show: black combat trouser with zipped pockets.

Here is Cheryl Cole looking rather fabulous in a khaki pair with a leather and high spiked heel inpired combination:

What I love about this look is that although it's got mascular connotations it really has a feminine edge with the cut of the trouser and the spiked heels.

I decided to have a look for a pair and see what I could team with them to achieve a similar look and I think you'll be surprised at the result.

I found these slim fitted khaki combat style trousers in Peacocks for just £18!!! They are 100% cotton have zipped pockets and larger pockets on the thigh/knee area.

Peacocks' website describe them as "smart yet feminine, these slim leg combat trousers are cut to flatter, giving an elegant silhouette. A stylish, fashionable look". I think they are completely right, they are comfortable and would probably suit most figures and have a fashion forward masc/fem edge.
 
I decided the top would have to be fitted but I wanted something that would be fitted to the waist, have sleeves but also a cowl neck or a looser fitting up the top. H&M to the rescue where I got a bat wing sleeved but fitted at the waist ruched black top for £9.99. Here Ladies and Gentleman is the reveal.....
 

I'm no model or Cheryl Cole so please excuse my awkward stance, bemused expression and poor shot set up, but I think you get the idea.

I teamed the combination with Firetrap shoes that I bought on sale about two years ago but I do have spiked black platforms I could wear, I just liked the bronze detail on the shoes (also ticking another A/W 10 trend). To complete the look I would also add a studded short leather jacket that I think would work well.

If you like the trend get yourself to Peacock and snap up a pair of those khaki combat trousers, at only £18 it would be a shame not to wouldn't it? Yes Sir!

Roll on Autumn....

Love, SGS xoxo