Taste of Summer

I am officially addicted.  Try some....right now.  You will not regret it.  

Movie Moment: 500 Days of Summer

I think I'm going to like this...

Music Moment: Goldfrapp

With the sudden onset of summer, I find myself gravitating towards lighter music.  Today I have been particularly fixated on an old favorite, Goldfrapp.  I love the music, and I find that it makes me want to jump around my place while dancing and playing dress-up.  Not only is the music incredibly mesmerizing and pretty, but the videos are oh-so glamorous.  

Below are a couple of my favorites, enjoy!

The embedding was disabled on another one of my favorites, Number 1, but you can check it out here.

Craving Change

Every 2 years or so, I get restless and I cut my hair.  The 2 year timeframe is usually just enough for my hair to grow long enough for me to realize that I just don't like dealing with long hair.  At that point, I chop it off and embrace how free I feel.  9 months ago I did just that, and I am already feeling the itch to do something different.  The problem is, I continued to trim my hair and keep it short instead of just letting it grow.  So, short of shaving my head, there is not much I can do to scratch the itch.  Truth be told, I am craving extra-long hair a la Rachel Bilson: 


Sadly, I am years away from that length and I don't know that I have the patience to stick it out or that I will still want the long hair by the time it grows that long.  I am fickle.  But for today, I really want a magic wand so that I can tap my head and sprout long, thick hair.  

Classic Style: Rita Montalcini

There are some women in this world who make me excited about getting older.  Rita Montalcini is one such woman.  At 100 years old she is still working as a celebrated neurologist whose discovery of the mechanisms that regulate the growth of cells and organs won her a Nobel Prize in 1986.  Her notable quotable: "At 100, I have a mind that is superior - thanks to experience - than when I was 20."  

Every passing year I think I grow more and more sure of who I am and what works for me, not only on a personal style level, but also my values and work habits.  Hearing that this evolution continues well beyond your 20s is comforting.  I have never subscribed to the theory that high school or college are supposed to be the best years of your life - how sad that would be if true.  Ms. Montalicini is evidence that your experiences continue to enrich your mind and life and that aging doesn't have to be a traumatic process if you approach it with grace and look forward to learning every day.  

She truly is inspirational for her accomplishments, but her personal style is not lacking in the least either.  I love her high-necked blouse, elegantly coiffed hair and the gold-cuff bracelet.  She is incredibly well put together, but the confidence and self-possession are the finishing touches.  

Photo Credit: Yahoo! News

Model Envy: Liya Kebede

Standing out from the crowd of ubiquitous 14 year old eastern Europeans, this Ethiopian beauty has risen to the top of the modeling world.  Not only does she have killer cheekbones, but also compassion and works through her foundation, and as a Goodwill Ambassador with the World Health Organization, to raise awareness about the dangers surrounding childbirth, both for infants and mothers, in the developing world.  

She is one of only a handful of black women to be featured on American Vogue, having graced its cover twice, and the first black woman to be the face of Estee Lauder.  She can tackle a runway and print editorials with equal ease and a constant aura of self-possession.  In a world where more people are becoming famous for losing their underwear, staggering out of nightclubs and conducting screaming matches with a lover in front of the paparazzi,  Liya shines as a model and humanitarian for her classiness and determination to use her good fortune to improve the lives of others.  

Photo Credit: Style.com

Style Crush: Audrey Tautou

I adore everything about Ms. Tautou in this photo.  She keeps a floral and feminine dress from being too sweet by pairing it with a sleek leather jacket and substantial heels.  She seems to have an innate sense of proportions and balance whenever I see photos of her and this is no exception.  

I cannot wait for the Coco Chanel biopic in which she stars to premiere in the states.  The preview looks fantastic, even without understanding French!  I was horrified by the Shirley MacLaine made-for -tv version and this appears set to blow it out of the water.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a date for when we might expect it stateside, though when it does get released here I sincerely hope that it is subtitled and not dubbed.  As much as I love the kitsch factor in old kung-fu movies where the words do not match the moving mouth, bad dubbing irks me in any other genre.  Though, honestly, I probably do not need to know exactly what is being said as long as I am staring at the outfits on the screen! 

Nothing so nice...

...As the first sip of coffee in the morning.  Especially when it's a delayed gratification that has to wait until after your first law school class of the day.  Americano with half and half, I missed you.