The countdown continues until Les Miserables (29 days) and the Hobbit (18 Days)!

How can anything possibly top that?

Well, really nothing but I think the following *should* suffice.

Somehow...

This picture has made my world Saturday night.

BOMB...shell SMASH! Eeek!

Magical Broadway deception, lies, manipulation, gay men, adultery and everything your mother hates is coming back. But your mother doesn't hate the stick bobble-head previously known as Jennifer Hudson (hate to sound so harsh, but she did look good with some hips on her) which will be the one thing she'll watch Smash for. In Season 2, now the question is no longer Team Megan Hilty or Team Katharine McPhee, it's who is the next Joan Collins in this new game of Primetime Soap Opera. Sounds a little cringe-worthy, but the Bombshell show and the Marilyn factor will hopefully make a few appearances and anything to see the undeniable pairing of Tony-Winning Christian Borle and Debra Mesing together! And speaking of undeniable pairings, Messing's Will and Grace's co-costar Sean Hayes will have a stint on the show as essentially himself, a song and dance comedian making his Broadway debut. Outside of Hayes, Hilty, Davenport, Borle and Messing I will attempt to not cringe completely at the sudsy soap this show has suddenly become.

"I feel like I wanna murder someone and also I want soft 

pretzels." - New Girl

It's amazing what a late-night spree of weheartit does for a girl.
Thank you, Rose Water Witch for making me happy. So hard.

Mr. Eddie Monroe from Grimm

 Speaking of Sean Hayes, here is one of his production company's best and it's main saving grace. Sorry Sasha Roiz, as creepy-sexual as you seem in a Nazi soldier kind of way, but my man (in a heterosexual world) is Silas Weir Mitchell, Eddie Monroe, blutblad, Mr. Christmas-and-I-Love-Trains. 

You.

Make.

My. 

World.

(and oh my the amount of Monroe/Nick slash, this pleases me deeply)

This show is perfect, outside of my extreme lady boner for Roiz and Mitchell, the joking cop back-and-forths don't get extremely cheesy, fairy tales abound (at least at first), Play on German words (Brilliant! I have two German-geeks for friends so I heavily appreciate this!) and David Giultoni reminding me every minute that he could totally pull of playing Clark Kent/Superman.

How Do Swedish Popstars Do Christmas? Like This!

*Le Droolage* *Thud*

High-heeled Jodhpurs,
swedishhasbeens.com, $348
(from October/November 2012 Bust Magazine)

Joie Elisa Sweater

joie.com, $334.00

(from November 2012 Nylon Magazine)

Crocheted Shoulder bag,
sudrishta.etsy.com, $130
(from October/November 2012 Bust Magazine)

Knitted Xmas Polar Bear Jumper
topshop.com, $100

Crocheted Babe Jacket
laceaffair.com, $52
(from December/January 2013 BUST Magazine)

Newport Tour Coat
modcloth.com, 129.99
(from December 2012 Glamour Magazine)

A Very Alternative Christmas 2012

Taken from November 25th, 2011's The Ultimate and Very Alternative Christmas Playlist

Plus 15 New Songs!

What  can be better than Tina Fey and Amy Poehler taking over the Golden Globes January 13th of next year? Goddess, I have no clue either.

But it's happening and if there is not a skit before or after Best Lead Actress which alludes to their neck to neck competition during the Emmys, I'm going to be very disappointed. What could be better than a football match between the two of them with a Golden Man? 

... That sounds so wrong ...

Everyone get excited for Norway's reigning... well let's just call her the Norwegian Madonna... is out of retirement and coming back in full force for her new album, Electric Feet, the first album in 6 years.

Although it is certainly not the first single as she has teased listeners in the past 6 years, shows her range of coming into what is considered music now -- a strange mixture of Madonna/Britney Spears pop, Anniela's sultry soul, and a playful hip-hopness to her sound. And to tell you the truth, it works on certain songs as "Wrap Me Around Your Finger," (my personal favorite) the European single "Starlight," "Pop, Pop, Pop" and the curious "Stuck in Reverse."

And all I can do is happydance and proudly exclaim, "Bertine is back, bitch!"

A 5'4" girl can't help it, but with all of the magical elements of fall fashion from super layers to bulky sweaters to calf-high boots, a girl can't help but look munchkin-size this time of year unless you're a model from Nylon or i-D Magazine. But I don't complain....

... I kinda lie....

Remember when I call the back area of Ragstock a magical Narnia of clothingdom? Guess what, it still is... as I have found this lovely brown wool blend (my favorite kind of sweater) shrug for 8 dollars, using it as a pop of color against black. Black and brown together has made its grand comeback sometime last year. 

However, I do know the one thing that would save this outfit is in the pants -- color squishes a girl like me together so it would make sense to wear all black, elongating between the black of my undershirt (my trusty black studded shoulder scoop that I wear almost everyday!) and the legendary Lorenz 2.0 boots. 

Although if color stops right around the waist, it's more than forgivable because you have half of your body covered in black. And I actually love this silhouette on me and this is one of my favorite outfits because for awhile there it seemed like a very 60s silhouette (blame me and watching a fourth of the first few years of Dark Shadows, black and white shading in wrinkles in clothes fascinated me), the sweater stopping just a little above the part of the skirt that naturally ruffles.

Same rules apply to this situation, this magical situation completed with a 2.50 (TWO-FIFTY!) sweater from a consignment pop-up store in the five dollar bin that went on sale on a weekend (more outfits coming in the future), 8 dollar boots from Ragstock's back room and an adorable 3 dollar teal glasses necklace from Ragstock. 

I think it's OK to look like a munchkin if the clothes swallow you up in the right way, just try everything on and find what works and what doesn't.  

Juno Temple

***Click Here!!***

Oh. baby.

Always seek out a single color; it's no fun getting overwhelmed going "Oo must get two!" Pace yourself. 

Keep scotch tape in your purse, place over nail and test the color closer to your skin tone. 

If there's a color you like in a more "cheaper" brand, go with a darker colors and professional 

brands will have stronger formulas for lighter colors.

Consult Musings from Manhattan regularly. 

Color I recommend? Essie's No More Film

If you have an addiction to spending like me, buy spendier brands like Essie's and OPI when the new line comes out, pick one or two key colors you do not have just yet. And if spending on a whim, I would buy under $5 polish. Milani is a fantastic middle ground.

Culture is starting to mount, so you know where to find me....

...Underneath a gigantic pile of massive -gasm attacks.

....Oooh yeah.....

Iowa City Song Project

I have sung praises of The Iowa City Song Project both in spirit through ushering at the Historic Englert Theater downtown, and bodily with hanging out at the release parties this weekend with visual evidence... oh yeah and my article on KRUI.fm as a show preview. Allow some of my favorite mashmallow peeps to explain... 

So Friday night was my Englert ushering duty, and in my quirkiest usher costume yet with the respect to not take pictures while "on the job", I experienced Christopher the Conquered in rare and magical form, finally saw this Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps and Pieta Brown everyone talks about, and the magically indie Chasing Shade.

But it was The Mill show that had to be my night for great picture-taking and beautiful women on strings. Sky Carrasco (as I sit in the place where she used to barista), that gorgeous cello player friend of hers, and the cute girl in The Emperor's Club. It was a good good night, in the least Black Eye Peas way possible.

We Shave

Sky Carrasco

Emperor's Club

Tallgrass

Now I just need to get my paypal hooked up and I am soooooo getting this digitally! (There's additional music in the digital copy!) Would you believe Iowa City is a musical epicenter?

NEW LES MISERABLES POSTERS EEEEEK!

There. are. no. words. NONE!

(except, airbrush much?)

Jack White Battles Himself 

Like I said when I posted this video on facebook: can I haz the cute 60s goth go-go girl? Please?

MADISON IS BACK!

While Madison may have always been around mixing and DJ-ing it up all around New York, she finally has a new song out and even an EP out next February! Granted the future pop Goddess (oh yeah Madonna fans, I went there) has told Nylon Magazine in a prior interview to this one (with free download of Sweet Life) that sometimes a song comes to her naturally and it may take awhile to get music from her, but when one does, oh Goddess is it worth it! It is worth it, download and love amorously! 

Experience The Haunted Man

Hipster alert! Now you can stream my fashion and quirk Goddess, Natasha Khan or better known as Bat for Lashes's new album on NPR! Now with a cute banged bob and a more orchestral approach to her music ("Winter Fields" is a song you just want to fold yourself up in) she's breaching into Kate Bush territory -- or so the reviewers are saying. Natasha Khan is Natasha Khan. Who else can come up with the line "skitty rabbits make good paper ghosts?"

An Open Letter: Aly Spaltro, Walk With Me!

Have you ever experienced a supporting act that blew your mind into kibble with their music and in between songs you realize you want to be her best friend? Aly Spaltro, or better known as Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, is that for me. And dear Goddess, not only does she have a magnificent voice but she has a quirktastic presence and loves Iowa City as much as I do! That's it, Aly, come back and play at The Mill, and I will buy you cheese bread, then go out after for frozen yogurt. Iowa City the bar scene? Pft. Fro yo, bitch! (Yeah, OK, there's a little bit of a crush there too...)