Speaking of Hot Chip...

Check out their cover of Shakira's She Wolf here.

Don't Miss it: Beach House

Don't you just love her dress and necklace? I die for robins egg blue. Don't you wish the man in your life played THAT guitar? Envious looking at the photo, no? I'm so digging them.

They have the music to back up their look. Now we're really drooling.

The new album is called Teen Dream. Practically every track is great. Really mellow stuff. This is one of my favorites: Zebra.

Blaaaaagh worthy music: The XX

We must discuss The XX. For they truly rock.

The band is from south west London and the lead singer, Romy Madley Croft, has a great voice. Their music is put in the aptly titled category of "Dream Pop." Melodic and bouncy tracks fill their latest LP. It's really cool music that's got an effortless vibe.

Wiki tells me that the four original band members met at Elliot School, notable for alumni including Hot Chip and other popular indie acts.

I don't think I can pick a favorite of The XX's new album, but this one is quite lovely : Islands.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox | A Total Gem

There is no question that Roald Dahl had a unique gift.  The way he told a story never failed to delight and always contained such a great sense of imagination, adventure and humor.  For me, no one will ever come close to Roald Dahl and plan on making it mandatory that all my children are no stranger to his work.  Stories like the Witches, James and the Giant Peach, and Boy have no true comparison in literature today.  Harry Potter is a phenomenon but lacks a certain wonder and wit.

When I heard that Fantastic Mr. Fox was to become a motion picture, I couldn't wait to see it.  I knew George Clooney would be in it, which sounded ok, but not something that would sway me.  When I actually got my hands on the movie and began to watch, I was delighted.  I'm so happy Wes Anderson was the one to make this movie and his creativity is reflected throughout the movie, from the perfect cast of voices to the colorful and slightly retro feeling of the movie.

I love that Bill Murray and Maryl Streep are involved and love that Jason Schwartzman's character resembles a character that he would play in any other film.  The music and animation feels vintage and witty and contains the feeling of whimsy you find in Anderson's other films.  I highly recommend this movie.  The mixture of things involved in this movie delights me: based off a Roald Dahl's fabulous book, some of my favorite actors, the subtle humor, and the overall aesthetic of the film makes this a true gem.

Pale is better

Most of my young adult life I've been a sun nut, LOVED being tan, and laying out. When my tan faded I felt the ugly come on. Sunny vacations were chances for me to get as tan as physically possible. I never wore sunscreen to maximize my tan. I went tanning for gods sake! And after all the sun damage, pale has made it's long over due comeback! Hoorayyyy!

Tans are looking a bit trashy these days, no? So Cougartown, dirty and stripper pole. Avoid them at all costs. They age you. They disgrace you.

A little healthy glow is still okay in summer months and on vacations, but dark tans and extended sun bathing are giant no nos.

Check out all the celebs sporting beautiful Brenda/Kelly Beverly Hills: 90210 skin. It's a wonderful thing!!

Think Madmen. Think bold lipstick colors. Embrace light pink blushes to compliment that milky feminine complexion. Pale goes best with a full brow. Wear floral prints and cropped shirts. And now you can finally utilize adorable wide brimmed sun hats at the pool!

Best of all - pale skin is better for you!

What have I got to loose at this point...a re-run of Dallas and a pint of icecream?

Some good conversation pieces include:

Hey Blogger, WTF??

So my mother is a political mastermind and has her own blog. It recently came to my attention that, last February, she posted a thoughtful entry about a controversial subject and was unfairly censored. Her entry wasn't hateful. Her comments were just common sense thoughts on a current event. I mean come onnnnnnnn.

Isn't it our right as bloggers to respectfully speak our minds?? Isn't that the point of having a blog? This is so disgusting and disheartening. Blogger didn't even give her an explanation as to why her entry was removed. My faithful mother has a right to blog about current events whether you agree with her or not. I don't appreciate the orwellian twist of deleting her harmless blog posting. Her comments were no more dangerous than the ramblings of John Stewart on the Daily Show.

F U blogger censorship. I want my America back.