Genie in a bottle

[usmagazine.com/J.Crew] [jcrew.com]

J.Crew has some interesting (for lack of a better term) sparkly harem pants in their fall collection. Katie Holmes sports them for the J.Crew catalog along with her other castmembers, including Josh Duhamel, for the upcoming film The Romantics. J.Crew is apparently a marketing partner for the film.

Now, back to those genie pants. I actually kind of like them. They're a whopping $650, but I guess that's to be expected with hand-applied sequined pants. I like the slouchy look of them.

If the harem pants are too much, there are other sparkly items that I am digging. I love how J.Crew pairs something as glam as sequins with utilitarian basics like a burnout baseball tee, striped cardis and brown belts.'Metallic Sequined Bell Skirt' - $275 'Sequined Jersey Bloomer' - $95'Sequin Pencil Skirt' - $138

'Galaxy Tote' - $595

Dreamy "Inception"

Sorry for slacking on my posts. I'm blaming it on summer and wedding planning. This weekend I saw the much-anticipated Inception. In a word, it was AWESOME! I don't even know how writer/director Christopher Nolan came up with this idea - it's pure genius.

Leonardo DiCaprio is perfection as Cobb, a dream extractor. What in the world is a dream extractor, you say? Cobb and his team, which includes Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), are hired by corporations to steal ideas from their competitors through their dreams. It's never made 100% clear how they manage to do this, but it involves hooking everyone up to a briefcase computer of some sort.

Cobb has been accused of killing his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), and is forced to flee the country to take on a new job with the promise of getting his life back. He's hired by Saito (Ken Watanabe) to plant an idea in the new benefactor Robert's (Cillian Murphy - refreshing to see him not play a villain for a change) head.

Miles (Michael Caine) helps him find a new dream architect for his team, Ariadne (Ellen Page). She builds the settings for the dream. In order to plant the idea in Robert's head, they must go through three levels of dreams, which requires heavy sedation. This is risky because if they die in the dream, they will be trapped and stuck in limbo, whereas they'd simply wake up if they died in a normal dream.

Trust me, this movie will confuse you, but in the end all comes together. Inception is so smart and original. It's hands-down the best movie of the year so far. I think Leo will finally get a long-deserved Oscar!

"Eclipse:" Third time's a charm

I went to the midnight show of Eclipse last night (early this morning, rather), and it was well worth my sleepiness at work today. I remember seeing Twilight at midnight in 2008, and it was on in like one theater, and we rolled up at 11:30 and still got a good seat! Those days are long gone. The film was showing in several different theaters all the way to 12:40 and many were sold out.

The third novel of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga has always been one of my favorites - yes, I know there are only four novels, but it still ranks at the top of my list. There's plenty of romance and action, and at the end, Team Edward wins once and for all sealed with a vintage diamond ring.

David Slade did an excellent job directing this film. Melissa Rosenberg's scripts have improved, too. Some very important back stories from the book, such as the Quileute legends and Jasper and Rosalie's previous lives, were incorporated wonderfully. I think that Twilight and New Moon were lacking a lot of the smaller but important details from the books.

The actors have also gotten much better. Robert Pattinson as vampire Edward Cullen is gorgeous and brooding as ever. Kristen Stewart is Bella Swan to a tee. Taylor Lautner is also getting better as werewolf Jacob Black - if only we could get him to reach Jacob's 6'5" he'd be good to go.

There were some great and well-delivered lines in the film, such as when Edward says to Bella about the seemingly always shirtless Jacob, "Doesn't he own a shirt?" Newcomers Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria and Xavier Samuel as Riley were also quite good. It was nice to see Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) get to say more than a few words so that we could finally see that Southern gentlemanly side of his we'd read about.

Some critics are being hard on this film even though I don't know how they can deny that these movies are continually improving. Since Breaking Dawn will be two films, I think they'll just keep getting better and better. I will be taking a second look at Eclipse this weekend, and I can't wait.

Colorful wedding dresses

[REVOLVEclothing.com]

I got an e-mail from REVOLVEclothing.com featuring a pink lace wedding dress by British designer House of Holland for $1,200 (which happens to only be available in a US size 4). It's quite lovely and certainly unique with the sheer lower half and asymmetrical sleeve, but after picking out my wedding dress, I can't imagine wearing any color besides white or a variation thereof. On a side note: love the babysbreath bouquet and hairpiece!
More power to the brides who have worn or are wearing colored wedding dresses, but it seems like this is the one day in your life to wear white. Even Sarah Jessica Parker regrets her choice of a black wedding dress in 1997. She recently told Harper's Bazaar this in reference to renewing her vows, “White it up. I’d wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress, like I should have worn that day." Gwen Stefani found a way to incorporate color for her 2002 wedding. Her gorge Christian Dior dress's white-to-pink ombré was definitely one of a kind. A lot of brides choose colored sashes to accent white gowns. I still will be saving the colors for the honeymoon - except for maybe my shoes.

"Shoes for everyone!"

I know that most people don't go to the beach and see a movie, but I do - especially when it's the sequel to Sex and the City. I didn't think the second installment of the film was as good as the first, but it's still a must-see for any SATC fan.

The film begins with the too-long and slightly pointless wedding of Stanford and Anthony. Carrie sports a tux as the best man. Liza Minnelli also sings "Single Ladies" (kinda scary) while an all-male choir sings show tunes.

Most of the film takes place in Abu Dhabi after Samantha gets an all-expenses paid trip from a Middle Eastern producer for her and her besties. It was fun seeing them somewhere other than the Big Apple.

Leading up to the trip, each girl is having her own issues: Carrie feels like she and Big have lost their "sparkle;" Samantha is trying to fight off menopause; Charlotte is stressed out by motherhood; Miranda just quit her job due to a sexist boss. So, they all could use a lavish vacay. They fly over in a luxe plane and are staying at an even more luxe hotel with personal butlers.

Carrie randomly runs into Aidan (John Corbett) in the market. She agrees to go to dinner with him which leads to a lapse in judgment. I was all about some Team Aidan when it was a TV show, but c'mon Carrie. Her self-centeredness can be annoying at times.

Anyway, in typical Samantha style, she gets into trouble after she meets a gorgeous man (Brit actor Max Ryan) in the desert and flirts too much with him in public - it is the Middle East after all. Then they lose all of their privileges and have to get out of Dodge.

The fashion is unreal, but we'd expect nothing less from the talented Patricia Field. At one point they're riding camels in couture. Carrie wears A LOT of Halston Heritage in the film. My favorite is this one-shoulder dress she wore with a festive turban (above photo). While in the market on their way out of the country, Carrie buys $20 souvenir shoes for everyone hence the title.

Overall, I'd say that it's not as bad as all of the critics are saying it is. It's SATC, afterall, so I say lighten up!

"Robin Hood"

My fiancé and I saw Ridley Scott's Robin Hood this past weekend. I newly discovered that he's a Robin Hood aficianado, so naturally this movie was a must-see. I wanted to see it as well because I'm a fan of Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. Unfortunately the film was a bit of a disappointment (OK, maybe I was slightly annoyed to begin with after they wouldn't accept my free movie pass!).

Crowe plays Robin Longstride. Most of the film takes place before he was given the nickname Robin Hood, which was actually quite interesting. He's fighting in the war with King Richard the Lionheart. After the king dies, he discovers the knights carrying the king's crown being ambushed in the woods. The traitorous Godfrey (also the villain in Sherlock Holmes, Mark Strong) and the French carried out the attack.

Robin assumes the identity of Robert Locksley of Nottingham to take the crown back to England. Once in Nottingham, Locksley's wife, Marion (Blanchett), becomes his new "wife" as his father insists that he pretend that he is Locksley, which was a little weird.

As we all know, he and Marion fall in love, but their relationship wasn't developed well enough for it to be believable. He tells her he loves her rather suddenly. The whole film is very dark too - yes, I know it was the Dark Ages but still!

I was surprised to learn that an unrecognizable Matthew Macfayden, a.k.a. Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, played the Sheriff of Nottingham.

SATC2 premiere

[people.com]

I'm so excited about Sex and the City 2 on Friday that I'm getting my tickets tonight! The premiere was held in NYC last night. I think the best dress is going to have to go to Carrie Bradshaw herself, Sarah Jessica Parker.
[instyle.com]

The neon yellow color of her Valentino Couture gown is fabulous. I love the asymmetrical hem and train. It's also a more fitted look than we're used to seeing her sport on the red carpet. She wore a black, lingerie-inspired Elie Saab frock to the afterparty that I'm not as big a fan of.

Second best dressed goes to Kristin Davis's hot pink Jean Dresses vintage gown. Maybe I just prefer the bright colors. Cynthia Nixon wore Carolina Herrera, and Kim Cattrall wore Naeem Khan. I have the SATC theme song in my head now.

"Letters to Juliet"

I saw Letters to Juliet last night after seeing the trailer for what seemed like ages. I was excited to see it, and the film was just as I expected.

Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is on a pre-honeymoon in beautiful Verona, Italy with her fiance, Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal). Victor is opening up a restaurant in NYC, so he is spending his time there with food and wine vendors. While attempting to explore the city alone, Sohpie visits Juliet's (as in Capulet) balcony. Women come from all over the world to leave letters about their love problems. She meets "Juliet's secretaries," who collect the letters daily and reply to the women.

While helping the secretaries collect the letters, Sophie finds one hidden in the wall written by Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) 50 years before. She writes about not going to be with her true love, Lorenzo Bartolini, because of her parents' disapproval. Claire, who is now a widow, comes to Verona with her handsome grandson, Charlie (Aussie actor Christopher Egan), in hopes to find her long-lost love. Charlie is more the practical than romantic type, so he is doubtful.

Sophie embarks on the journey to find Lorenzo with Claire and Charlie. There are lots of Lorenzos, but they can't seem to find the right one. Meanwhile, Claire and Charlie fall for each other.

The trailer does show most of the film's highlights, but the movie is very sweet, and it has an always-appreciated happy ending. The best part about the movie is the amazing Redgrave and her real-life and movie "Lorenzo" Franco Nero. I also loved seeing Verona and Tuscany. They're definitely must-sees on my next trip to Italia.

New Orleans!

I went to visit a friend in New Orleans this past weekend. It was my first time there, and I wasn't sure what to expect because of the mixed things I'd heard in the five years since Hurricane Katrina. It was a wonderful trip though. New Orleans is a great city, rich in history, culture and delicious food.

Though NOLA isn't best known for its shopping, we went to some really cute boutiques on Magazine Street. My favorite shop was Fairy. I found two dresses that I will probably wear to wedding events. Their prices are reasonable, and the customer service is great. We then had a fantastic lunch at St. James Cheese Company.
We also walked around the Garden District. The homes in this area are gorgeous - they have these huge windows and gas lamps. The house used in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is there (above), which happens to be right next to Sandra Bullock's house. The famous Lafayette Cemetery is also in the neighborhood, where many movies like Interview With a Vampire have been filmed.
Obviously The French Quarter is a must-see at night. We walked by the Lalaurie Mansion, which is supposedly one of the most haunted places in the country. Nicholas Cage bought it before he knew its history then couldn't sell it.
There's an art market at Jackson Square on Sundays. It's also near the St. Louis Cathedral and Cafe du Monde. The cafe has delicious coffee made with chicory and beignets (French for powdered doughnut/funnel cake-like things). A can of their coffee is a nice souvenir. There's also a great restaurant for brunch around there called Stanley, a nod to A Streetcar Named Desire, of course.

One of my favorite places that we ate there was John Besh's restaurant August. The French cuisine is superb, and they use local ingredients. We also happened to be seated in between Mos Def and Jonathan Vilma, a Saints player. Then in walked Tim Robbins, who is filming The Green Lantern there.

I'd definitely like to go back to N'awlins again!

Met Costume Institute Gala

[all photos dailymail.co.uk]

Arguably the most fashionable event of the year took place last night - the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala. This year's theme is "American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity."

As expected, there were guests who played it safe, risk-takers who succeeded and risk-takers who failed miserably. Also, it seems that Jude Law and Sienna Miller are taking a risk and giving their relationship another go, too. Anyway, here are my best and worst dressed picks of the night:

-Anne Hathaway's Valentino strapless sweetheart neck ball gown is so feminine. It's very princessy, and the gold color is fabulous.

-In true diva fashion, Jennifer Lopez wore a stunning sparkly Zuhair Murad gown. It's such a better choice after that Armani Prive dress she wore to the Oscars.

-Emma Watson's white Burberry dress was hip and fresh while remaining elegant and age-appropriate. Well done, Hermoine! -Naomi Watts' wore a magenta, one-shouldered Lanvin gown. The shoulder poof is dramatic yet not over-the-top.

-Also wearing a dress in the red color family was Kerry Washington in Thakoon for GAP. The draping was so lovely. Good job on the simple hair and accessories.
-The worst dressed of the night was Katy Perry. Perry's CuteCircuit dress was unflattering and tacky. I will give her props on her sparkly Louboutins though. Honorable mention goes to Tina Fey and her ill-fitting YSL pantsuit. I'm not a fan of the pantsuit and a firm believer that it should remain in the 1970s vault.

GAP's American Woman tees

[all photos gap.com]

Tonight is the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala Benefit attended by the most fashionable people in the world. I can't wait to see what everyone wore tomorrow! I always love to check out the exhibits at The Met Museum in NYC afterward, too. My all-time favorite exhibit is still AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion from 2006. I still have the poster in my room.

Anyway, GAP's Creative Director Patrick Robinson, who is also co-chairing the gala tonight, has created a limited-edition collection of "American Woman" t-shirts for GAP. The shirts range in price from $34.50 to $44.50. My favorites are 'The screen siren' (top photo, $44.50) and 'The flapper' ($34.50). I'm always in search of a good wear-with-everything black or white top, and these two fit the bill.

[The Haute Hippie]

[The gibson girl][The suffragist]

[The heiress]

[The patriot]

Check out the entire collection here.

"Fences" on Broadway

When I was in New York City this weekend, I lucked upon a preview of the revival of August Wilson's play, Fences. Oh my goodness - it was hands down one of the best plays I've seen. My sister's friend works for the producer, so we had incredible box seats, too.

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starred in the Kenny Leon-directed play. Washington won a Best Actor Academy Award for his role in Training Day. Davis was nominated for her role in Doubt. When you see celebs in plays, you never know if they have the acting chops for it (*cough* Julia Roberts in Three Days of Rain), but let me tell you, these two have the chops and more. They were unbelievable.

Fences was written by Wilson in 1983, but the play is set in the 1950s. Troy Maxson (Washington) has been married to Rose (Davis) for 18 years. Troy's best friend and confidant is Jim Bono, who served time in jail with him and works with him as a trash collector presently. Troy has a son, Cory, with Rose and a son, Lyons, from a previous relationship. Gabriel is Troy's brother, who was wounded in the war and is now mentally handicapped. Because of his injury Troy has enough money to buy the "roof over their head," which is brought up throughout the play.

Troy is always looking to move up in the world. He eventually is promoted to a trash truck driver. He has a strained relationship with Cory because he dreams of playing college football, and his dad wants him to just learn a trade. Troy always claims that he was good enough to play major league baseball, but was discriminated against for being black.

Even though Troy appears on all levels to love Rose, he has an affair with a woman named Alberta, who is never seen by the audience. They end up having a daughter, Raynell. The twist occurs when Alberta dies during childbirth. One of the most powerful scenes in the play is when Troy tells Rose about his affair. I literally could see tears pop out of Davis's eyes.

The play officially opens today and is running for 13 weeks through July 11 in the Cort Theater. Tickets range from $61.50 to $131. 50. If you're in NYC, go see this play before it's too late!

Something Borrowed the movie!

I just found out that Emily Giffin's book Something Borrowed is being made into a movie. I've read all of Giffin's books, and this one was my favorite.

Kate Hudson (Darcy), Colin Farrell (Marcus), John Krasinski (Ethan), Ginnifer Goodwin (Rachel) and Colin Egglesfield (Dex) will star in the film. Rachel and Darcy have been BFFs since forever. Darcy has always managed to outshine Rachel. After Rachel has too much to drink at her 30th birthday, she ends up with Darcy's boyfriend, Dex. She then realizes that she's always been in love with him.

The film is set to be released next year. So exciting!

"Date Night"

I saw Date Night last night, and it was very cute and funny. Steve Carell and Tina Fey star as Phil and Claire Foster. Their marriage is in need of a little spicing up, so they go to a hot new NYC restaurant, Claw, and steal someone's reservation.

Little do they know, the "Tripplehorns" stole a flash drive from some scary people. They spend the entire night trying to escape two crooked cops and a mobster.
As expected, there are many hilarious scenes - especially one where their car gets stuck to a cab. The cab driver's expressions are priceless. They also enlist Mark Wahlberg's character for help, and he's shirtless the entire time making Phil extremely uncomfortable (see photo).

There were a lot of cameos, so I kept wondering who would show up next. Others included Taraji P. Henson, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Wiig, Leighton Meester, James Franco, Mila Kunis, Common, Will.i.am and Ray Liotta.

Lust: Brian Atwood Maniac Pumps

[people.com]

[intermixonline.com]

Brian Atwood's towering 'Maniac' Pumps have been seen on mucho celebs including Victoria Beckham. I'm really wanting a pair - especially in tan (which I'm having trouble locating) or black. These pumps have a 6" stiletto with a 1 1/2" hidden platform. I'm assuming that the platform makes them easier to walk in than the average 6" pair of heels. [intermixonline.com]

They're available at Intermix for $575. Yes, they are expensive, but I can see paying the money for a pair of classic pumps like these that are great quality and will never go out of style.

Far out: Textile Elizabeth and James

[intermixonline.com]

Those entrepreneurial fashionistas, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, are at it again with their newly debuted denim line Textile Elizabeth and James. This three-piece collection is a throwback to styles form the 1960s and 1970s. Each pair is named after 70s music icons: Stevie Flared Patch Jeans ($245 - available for preorder), Joni Cropped Midrise ($235) and Jimi Bootcut ($245).

I love their Elizabeth and James line, but I'm super impressed with this denim. It's pretty expensive, and I'm not a big fan of the really flared jeans. I have a pair of J Brand's Love Story bell bottoms that I like, but because of the style, I don't really wear them as often as I should for the amount that they cost.

Kudos to them for thinking away from skinny jeans though, and the patches are cute on the Stevie. The line is available at Intermix.