Posted By Claire on January 27, 2012
Soulful vocals and compelling lyrics. Love it. Especially because it’s for a good cause, namely Kids Help Phone, a free, anonymous phone line for Canadian kids and teens to receive help and counseling.
Posted By Claire on January 26, 2012
This is how to wear layers. Leather jackets can sometimes feel like seasonal attire because they’re not particularly warm, so it’s better to wear them in summer, spring, and early fall. But this girl has contrived a unique look that is both stylish and practical: by pairing two denim shirts underneath the jacket, she makes a fashion statement and stays warm with layers. Red-and-green checked shirt on the bottom, with a solid light blue shirt on top and then a black bomber bomber jacket. The accessories – rings, bangles, and chain necklaces – add a feminine tough to this masculine look. And red lipstick to match. Love it.
Posted By Claire on January 23, 2012
I love these laced-up, open-toed stilettos. They look amazing paired with either shorts or pants.
Posted By Claire on January 22, 2012
In my latest blogging venture, I’ll be writing regularly (under the oh-so-original title “Claire’s Corner” – let it never be said I was good at naming things) for RE: NEW‘s website. Renew is the youth-oriented branch of Presence, a San-Diego based Chinese ministry, and its goal is to inspire and provide a forum for Christian middle schoolers and teens.
My intro post went up this week:
“I’ve always had big plans for the future. Growing up, I’d always be looking impatiently ahead for the better time that I was sure was coming, the time in a year or so when I’d get a different (better) friend group or get a driver’s license or graduate high school or start college. When all of those things happened, though (plus a lot more), and I got older, I started to realize that life isn’t so much about the future, or about big chunks of time. Life is made up of now, of days.”
Read more at RE:NEW
Posted By Claire on January 22, 2012
Posted By Claire on January 22, 2012
From Film School Rejects, two new shows that have me excited (seriously, a Broadway show starring someone who can actually sing?! This is what I wish Glee was every time I condescend to watch it. And the second one – Kristen Bell. I say no more).
Smash, NBC
The Pitch: While this Broadway drama sounds a little cheesy out of the gate, the buzz surrounding it is pretty difficult to ignore.
Why it’s worth checking out: Listen, even the hippest of girls out there (sorry, guys) can admit to liking Center Stage at one point or another, and this isn’t far from it. American Idol alum Katharine McPhee makes her TV debut, and the cast also includes Uma Thurman, which is beyond random. Plus, NBC clearly has enough faith in the show to premiere it near the Super Bowl, so it has potential to hit it big.
House of Lies, Showtime
The Pitch: Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell lead a group of con artists hell-bent on targeting corporate fat cats.
Why it’s worth checking out: It’s a comedy! With Don Cheadle! Plus, television has been depressingly Kristen Bell-less since the cancellations of both Veronica Mars and Party Down. Double-plus, any show that adds Parks and Recreation standout Jean-Ralphio to its cast is A-okay with me.
Posted By Claire on January 22, 2012
After seeing virtually every TV site out there mourn the limbo state of Cougar Town (for the record, it’s just been given a return date) I decided to check it out, despite the premise (female divorcee has dating adventures) and title not exactly being up my alley.
I’m very glad I did. This isn’t, after all, a show about sex at all, or about a woman who dates younger men (though it does admittedly dabble in that, especially in the first three episodes). It’s lovable and funny and really more of an ensemble show, though Courtney Cox as Jules is the heart and soul of it all. Jules Cobb is a woman whose main characteristic is complete, unstinting generosity. Quirky and stubborn, she’s nonetheless the center of an oddball mini-family she’s drawn around herself through sheer determination: longsuffering son Travis, with whom she shares a close relationship; snarky, 40-something best friend Ellie and her husband; airheaded, 20-something other best friend Laurie; everyman ex-husband Bobby, and good-looking next-door neighbor Grayson.
Posted By Claire on January 20, 2012
I hope you’ve already seen “Checkmate,” the episode with which White Collar returned on the 17th, because it was awesome, though slightly less emotionally-packed than I had expected. In case you were wondering, however (and I was) the below teaser makes it clear that Sara Ellis does indeed return for the rest of the season. *pops champagne*
Posted By Claire on January 19, 2012
