Gettin' Funky on the Mic Like an Old Batch of Mistle Toe!!

Lol @ this illustration by Dr. Nick D. Kim of Nick's Cartoons.

Merry Christmas my loves!!! As many of you know, Christmas is a time ripe with traditions both spiritual and personal, and while no two families celebrate the season exactly alike (ok, maybe they do, but just play along:), here at Glam Vita we like to celebrate in our own special way. And what way might that be, you ask? Well, lets just say it involves an all-up-in-your-grill film review, some snarky celeb commentary and a dollop of whatever else I want to discuss, damnit!! (Still not sure what you're in for? Click HERE to see last year's Christmas post for further preparation.)



Christian Bale schools Mark
Wahlberg in the ring in The Fighter.
Photo Courtesy: Paramount Pictures

 So, yeah, on to the film review!! Going to the movies on Christmas night is an established tradition in my family and it's usually a film both of my parents can get into, which usually means action and solid acting for my dad's taste, and lovey dovey romance plus numerous costumes and dance numbers for Mamacita. (What can I say? The lady is a die-hard Bollywood buff!!) Given the family's criteria coupled with my own penchant for shirtless hotties a solid plot when it comes to picking a flick, we all agreed The Fighter with Mark "yummy abs" Wahlberg and Christian "What don't you f*ckin understand??" Bale would be the best bet.

Mark Wahlberg channels his inner southie
boy to play boxer Mickey Ward in The Fighter.

The film is based on the life and career of prize fighter "Irish" Micky Ward, a true-to-life man's man outta gritty Lowell, Mass., and his trashy-as-all-hell family that just can't stop dumping on him and capitalizing off of him all at the same time.

That being said, what I liked most about the film is how it takes the universal theme of the underdog held hostage by a chronically unhealthy family dynamic, and turns it on its chain-smoking, beer-drinking ear into something completely fresh and engaging.

While the direction and writing are impenetrably tight, the acting is equally as ferocious. It's been reported Marky-Mark has been training for this role since, like, The Funky Bunch, and while that hard work translates through his performance, it's actually Bale's performance as big bro and ex-fighter Dickie Eklund (ugh, so many lame names in this movie) that really packs the punch in this film (no pun intended). Who knew Batman could lose the cape and play the part of a toothless crackhead so well??! Bottomline: You've gotta catch this flick!

Speaking of unfortunate life turns, it's come to my attention that old skool R&B artist and one-time Rick James protégé, Teena Marie passed away in her sleep the day after Christmas at age 54...Can't say I was a big fan of hers, but I do have a special love for the post-disco, Prince-esque, funk-pop genre she carved her neon guitar niche in. And I must admit, her big hit Lovergirl was the JAM of that era!! Here's a vid of it for those not familiar:

..."I'm for the real, and for you I'm true blue"...indeed...



Deck the Halls with Glee & Elmo!!!

The 2010 Hollywood Christmas Parade went down pretty much
without a hitch (save for the Elmo incident, below)!!
Photos and coverage by Yours Truly =-)

 A few days back my editor at Socal.com contacted me to work the red carpet for the Hollywood Christmas Parade and I jumped on the opportunity like Charlie Sheen on a coked-up hooker!! I mean, hey, I love me some holiday cheer and I especially love red carpet events, so you can only imagine my merriment at getting the assignment!! For my official straight-up news style write-up of the parade published on Socal.com, please click HERE.
Anywho, so I hit the red carpet a little before sundown armed with my mic and my not-so-trusty little 7.3 megapixel steed, and within minutes the celebs started showing up to deck the halls Hollywood style!! (Which basically means teeth so white you can see them from outer space, and even a couple of product plugs while walking the carpet. ;)
Yes-yes y'all, your girl got a chance to snap and speak to the likes of Larry King (Grand Marshal of the parade and recently-outed sick bastage who banged his sis-in-law), hosts Erik Estrada (best known as "Ponch" from CHiPS & BFF to Vanilla Ice on VH-1's The Surreal Life) and Laura McKenzie (best known for, ummm, yeah I dunno). I also got a few minutes with a couple of the gals from Grey's Anatomy (Sara Ramirez & Sarah Drew) and even Courtney Galiano of So You Think You Can Dance & Glee!!! Scroll down for the full scoop!!
 

  

Lookin like they about to git freekay!! Lol, parade hosts
Erik Estrada and Laura McKenzie chatted with me a bit about what
they love most about Christmas in SoCal and being excited for the season in general. "It's the holiday season in Hollywood," Estrada said.
"We love this time of year here!! Get ready for a great time"!!!

 

Glee's Courtney Galiano strikes a pose for your girl!! What's that look on her face, you ask?? It reads, "I've never heard of your magazine, but you look like you know what you're doing, so I'll just pose & get it over with!"



Larry King and wifey still together after he was smashin her sister???? Ahh, those cooky old folks!! Speaking of which, is it just me or is ol' Larry startin to look like he belongs in the Thriller video??? Yeah, I said it!!



Grey's Anatomy actresses Sara Ramirez (left) and Sarah Drew (right) were my faves that night!! They were super sweet and sooo down to talk to your girl!! Sarah Drew chatted with me a little bit about the issue of teen bullying and being comfortable in your own skin:

"I’d like to go back and have a dinner with my 16-year-old self," she said. "I would tell her that in order to be loved and accepted you don’t have to perform. You don’t have to be the best and be everything to everyone all the time, you can actually just be and relax, and acknowledge that you are who you are. I think that’s what I would tell her, and I would tell every teen that."

What can I say? The lady is D.O.P.E!!!

And last but not least is the Elmo, uh, incident I mentioned above. I didn't take the video since I decided to hit American Apparel after the red carpet and then watched the whole parade from a toasty spot inside the Hollywood & Highland Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. (What can I say? I'm a priss!!)
Note: the vid doesn't actually capture the entire incident, but close. What you don't see here is how poor Elmo got stuck between two traffic lights that were really close together right in front of Madame Tussauds!!! Mad props to Elmo's wranglers for getting him through the bowsh*zz cuz it was majorly windy that night!!

My Own Private WikiLeak...



You love me! You really, really love me!! Ok, maybe
you don't know me, so just play along... =-p
Photo Credit: Loni Schick, Hip-Hop photographer

 As a freelance journalist, I get the opportunity to report on and give press to some really cool shizz and for the first time in my nearly decade-long career as a writer, someone reached out and asked to interview me!! Well, I won’t say he’s just a “someone.” No, my lovelies. His name is LeRon (aka Ninjagaiden) and he’s the super stoked blogger extraordinaire behind fellow fashion-and-everything-else-dope-blog, Window Shopping. So yeah, Mr. Window Shopping saw us being fabulous here on Glam Vita and asked to interview your girl -- how's that for a little "Thank You & You're Welcome" action, Kanye?? Click HERE for the full interview!!

It's Kate's World & We Just Live In It!

Yes, yes, I know - Kate's showing her boobie so go ahead and get your ogle on...need more time?...ok...done now? Cool, let's move on! So yeah, it's no secret that Kate Moss is one of those models who's teflon steez just can't be f*cked with, but this lingerie shoot she did for the December issue of Vogue Italia really quiets any speculation over whether she can still rock our world a decade after her debut in the grunge-laden 1990's!! Lock your doors y'all cuz Kate's servin' it up pin-up girl style!!!

The shoot is set in a voyeristic style by Nick Knight



You might be wondering exactly what young Kate's trying to sell us here?? The shoot is actually to feature lingerie by Yves Saint
Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana and Jean Paul Gaultier.



I remember looking at her in YM Magazine as an 8th grader and wishing to the Lord above that I could have her skin and her perfect lips!!



Rockin my 3 faves all at once: pink, leopard and black!!



Gotta push 'em out when you rock the Gaultier - it's a bust, err, MUST!!

Gobble THIS!!!

All hail Hello Kitty-inspired art!!! It's so fun to soak in all the cool details of this painting!! MEOW!! (On display via Japan-LA Small Gift LA Art Show)

Happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend every booty!!! Hope you're all basking in in the lethargic glory of this most trytophan-tastic of American traditions!! And while this might be a time for leftovers, shopping and football for most, here at Glam Vita we like to use this time to reflect on all the stoked events that have been happening as of late!! (And by "we" I mean me and my new avatar that I had illustrated for my blog header, above - check her!) Anywho, so back to the latest happenings around G-Cat's LA!!
First up: The Hello Kitty Prom in Santa Monica -- yaaayyy!!! So this here was one of my favorite recent events cuz as some of you may know, I'm kind of an authority of Hello Kitty... Seriously, I am! Just go to Hello Kitty's Wikipedia page and scroll to the bottom to see my 2003 article about Hello Kitty for Toy Directory Magazine listed as the 3rd citation Reference source for the wikipedia page..mmhmm, I told you so! Anywho, now that you know I'm legit in the kitty arts, it's not hard to imagine that I was an invited guest (ahem!) to the prom, which was held as part of Sanrio's 50th Anniversary festival at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica last Saturday. And yes, it was every bit the pepto-bismal-pink-cartoon-kitty-freak-fest one might imagine it to be!! And amplifying the overt girlyness of it all?? That's right folks - it was an 80's themed Hello Kitty Prom, complete with an 80's cover band - hooty-hoooo!!! Here are some pix for a clear idea of what exactly goes down at a Hello Kitty 80's-themed prom:

Awesome people watching!!! I think she said her name is Raque and she was definitely in the 80's HK spirit!!

My prom pic with my date Satomi and Hello Kitty herself!! Peace, y'all!! =-)



More people watching!!





A wide array of Sanrio-inspired art!! This one was a fave because it shows how women, namely Japanese women, grow up with HK from childhood to adulthood and still consider HK the shizz for this bizz!!!
Below is another awesome piece by Ms. Kiko!!

No Hello Kitty prom night would be complete without a pink kitty chariot!! Behold Satomi behind the wheel of the HK hybrid!! =-p



Kamasutra Wishes and Basmati Dreams!!



Priyanka Chopra rockin' a Louis Vuitton dress made of vintage sari material on the cover of Vogue India...sooo AMAZING on so many levels!!!!

It's Diwali time and for those who don't know, Diwali marks the New Year in Indian culture, which also makes it a time of reflection and celebration like in the West, but with the vibrance and flavor of the East!! And while India's influence has long been admired and adopted by different countries and their respective cultures the world over (ex./ curry is England's national dish, riiight??.. *wink-wink*), never before has the spirit and beauty of India's vibrant positivity been jocked the way it is now...unless you define "jocking" as the  hundreds of years of British rule when  our nation was pillaged and our people exploited those kooky Brits came in and "civilized" our people The Queen's way (Gotta love that Partition plan, good times... =-O)
Anywho, blame it on the popularity of Slumdog Millionaire or LA's collective basehead-level craving for palak paneer over basmati rice, but G-Cat is seeing some serious props for desi culture out there right now and LOVING IT!!! Whether it be Louis Vuitton debuting a line of clothing made of vintage sari material and decorating all of its store window displays in honor of Diwali the world over, or my man Conan O'Brian shooting an advetorial sketch in India for AmEx, I'm basking in all this juicy desi flow right now!!! Hence, I've decided to dedicate this post to all the positive vibrations coming to and from India at the moment. Behold a little exhibition I like to call:
Kamasutra Wishes & Basmati Dreams!!

Exhibit A: Louis V + India = BFF

Little Known Fact: Louis Vuitton and India have had a long history together dating back to the time of the maharajas! In fact, the Maharaja of Kapurthala (1872-1949) ordered more than 50 customized Louis Vuitton trunks for his clothes, tea and turbans waay back in the day!! It's said the set now belongs to his grandson who holds the same master key. Courtesy: Republic of Brown 



LOVE the spirit of this dress!!! Wear with or without the belt and it's fabulous all the same. Check out Christy Turlington wearing it HERE!!

Punjabi in Pink: I love this color and I especially love this slouchy little dress in this shade!! The entire Diwali inspired Louis V collection comes ready-to-wear and can only be purchased on-site at the  LV Paris Montaigne store!! *tear*

EXHIBIT B: Conan O'Brian India Commercial

This here is the edited version of Conan O'Brian's new American Express commercial, which is on BLAST damn near every time I fast-forward through a commercial break on my DVR!!! I don't mind it though cuz it's two things I love together in one place: Coco and India!!! Coco butchers speaks some Hindi too - check him out!!!

Exhibit C: Indian Call Centers as Entertainment

We first saw this "call center chic" trend (if it can be called that) in parts of Slumdog when our hero Dev, also the Chai Wallah at a call center in Mumbai, was tracking down his big bro at work in between chai shifts. Now, it seems there's a movie AND an NBC sitcom set in India's call centers -- and both are called "Outsourced"!!!  (Generic much??) Here's a couple of clips for a better idea:

 

Outsourced the Film...

Outsourced on the sitcom on NBC...

Girl Crush Strikes @ LA Fashion Week!!

Kelly Nishimoto pairs up for a pic w/moi!!

So, last week I covered one of the final events of LA Fashion Week for Socal.com - the Kelly Nishimoto fashion show at the W Hotel, Hollywood. [Click HERE to see]
Who's Kelly Nishimoto you ask? Aside from being the gorgeous specimen in the pink fur on the left, she is one of LA's hottest young clothing designers on the scene today, and more recently, my new girl crush!!
Now before some of you go ape sh*t with the girl-in-black & pink-on-girl-in-black & pink fantasies (you know who you are), I say girl crush because she's beautiful, talented and making her mark - 3 things that instantly make me admire her and also want to braid her hair in the bath while discussing our love of 80's synth-pop and shopping at Mood. (Stop balking!!)
Anywho, her sh*t's not just hot because she's worn by the likes of Gwen Stefani, Paris Hilton and Dave Navarro. (Don't act surprised - you know he gets down like that!!) No my pretties, K-Nish (as I'm calling her now that we're besties we've met) is the sh*t because her designs embody what most LA women are looking for in an outfit: fun, flattering and feminine. Oh yeah, and if you're ballin' on a budget like moi, her stuff is actually affordable!! Scroll down for her latest contribution to girly-fied fabulousness, the Easy Glamour collection:

Is it a maxi dress? Is it formal wear? BOTH, b*tches!!

Love this look!! Very reminiscent of Michael C.'s
"Effortless Dress" from season 8's Project Runway.



Ok, not so down with the knickers,
but LOVE the bustier & leggings!!

 


Satin & slouch!! This look is soft, pretty and chic, just like its designer!!

  


Swap the ankle boots for some stiletto mules and I'd rock this outfit AS IS!!



K, nevermind the Grace-Jones-on-qualudes
lookin model, the metallic front-slit skirt is SEXAY!!







Meow Mix!!

Meow!!! Every piece of Jason Wu's latest
collection is on HIT!! Photo Courtesy: Vogue.com

There are two types of leopard lovers out there -- the wearing type and the staring type.  And depending on the circumstances, Girleecat is definitely a leopard wearer first, and when she is admiring someone else's leopard loveliness and/or when she can't afford something lovely and leopard, she's a leopard starer. That being said, for all practical purposes today I'm a starer and by staring, I really mean simultaneously ogling, drooling and plotting to somehow rob the weed dispensary next door of its profits save up enough money for at least the fantastically orgasmic Jason Wu leopard semi-booties (shown above with the wondrous double-ridged platform in the front), and the equally as dope two-tone doctor's bag. Of course the entire set is ahhhmaaaziinnggg, but as long as I get my claws on the shoes and the bag, order should be restored to my jungle (read: closet).
So, today I take ye' on a safari of hautness below, plus a hair raising treat at the end!! ;-)

SO HAUTE!!!! These python, leopard print peep toes by our
lover Christian Louboutin aren't necessarily a new release,
but I jock them and still can't afford them all the same.



Oh Chanel, is there nothing better than when you bring
us leopard evening bags?? Nope, there really isn't.



It's baaaack!!! You might remember this Ferragamo clit tease tote
from the BH Fashion post below, but I'm still jockin' it harder
than Jesse James jocks skanks with forehead tattoos!!




Ok, the pic isn't quite doing these babies justice, but the sunglasses
are diamond, leopard and f*cking fabulous!! Designed by Lugano
Diamonds for Barton Perriera , the frame is inlaid with 3.59 carat
fancy intense yellow and black diamonds.

  And last but not least are a pair of pumps that are not leopard and not quite my style, but they are so damn fierce they definitely deserve honorary mention in this post. Check 'em!!!

Known on the runway as "Mohawk Heels," I like to call these
goat hair & suede-clad babies by YSL my, "Heels I would
wear if I were going as a zebra this Halloween, but I'm not, so nevermind."

The Social Network: Revenge of the Nerd

Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg in the 'Social Network.'

So I checked out The Social Network the other night (AKA, "Facebook was my idea"!! "No it was mine"!! "No, MINE"!!!, etc., etc.), and I have to say it was good stuff!!! Not just because it's about how this social obsession we all seem to share came to be, but mostly because like "Titanic," it's a story you pretty much know the start, middle and end to, but it makes you feel like you have no clue what's coming next.  Oh yeah, and it manages to give a little glory (however beleaguered) to the real Internet Superstars that have cropped up in the last decade or so (and no, I'm not talking about that Leave Britney Alone!! kid -- thankfully, he had nothing to do with this film).
For those who don't already know and the rest of us who do, The Social Network chronicles the story of how Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook (then called, "thefacebook.com") as a sophomore at Harvard University, and the classmates who claimed FB was originally their idea. As to be expected, there's oodles of legal messyness and verbal bitchslapping going on all throughout, but it's so intelligently done I felt it drove the film, which was the best way (screenwriter) Aaron Sorkin could have done it.
And as for those aforementioned Internet Superstars, all the major players are present: there's Zuckerberg reppin' FB (played by Jesse Eisenberg), the ever-smarmy Sean Parker of Napster fame (played by Justin Timberlake) and there's even the obligatory (at least in a film like this) ode to Bill Gates (played by some dude who obviously isn't the real Gates, but close enough).
Knowing that Zuckerberg wanted NOTHING to do with the movie, Eisenberg's portrayal of him is that of a socially inept loner with quick wit, a sharp tongue and an even sharper business sense. As has been widely publicized  by now, the movie opens to a restaurant scene in which Zuckerberg's girlfriend dumps him, which then sends him into a flurry of Internet "strike back" tactics that eventually lead him to the idea for FB. Whether this is how it happened or not, it completely mirrors (poetically so) what social networks provide: a platform to be heard and seen in a way that transcends the boundaries of our usual roles, "ranks" and relationships. I can't really say I was rooting for him, but there are some relatable qualities about Zuckerberg here, albeit not very redeeming ones.


JT as Sean (ewww, cooties!!!) Parker

Timberlake as Napster founder Sean Parker makes clear that Mr.-Napster-for-that-ass licks hairy rat balls, dude!!! Before this flick, I had very little knowledge about Parker beyond the TV news clips of him being dragged through the courts for simply trying to bring free music to the masses (btw, get a life Lars Ulrich of Metallica), but if the movie is to be believed, Sean Parker is a Douche Bag with a capital "D"!!!! Mad love to JT for bringing his popstar swagger to the role, though he showed us all that Parker is a coat-tail riding douche of epic proportions!!! (I dunno, maybe the crazy amount of times I've watched "D*ck in a Box" really brought out the d*ckweed in JT as Parker, lol.)
Anywho, every good story has a silver lining and for me that silver lining was Andrew Garfield, who plays Facebook co-founder and Zuckerberg's longtime friend Eduardo Saverin. As the proverbial "nice guy," Garfield nails the bleeding heart Saverin and makes us all (ok, maybe just me) want to bang him several times daily fall madly in lust with him. Check him!!!

Yum, yum, and even more YUM!! Andrew Garfield
plays Eduardo Saverin in the 'Social Network.'

Express Yourself!!!

Welcome back, Madge!! Fashion is still your home, salude!!

Greetings Glamvitians!!!
So, I hit up Fashion Night Out in Beverly Hills tonight and it's much too fabulous not to mention. What's Fashion Night out you ask? Picture every street fair/artwalk/buzzed shopping spree you've ever experienced, add some outstanding high fashion (with accompanying "Oh.Mah.GAH." price tags), mash it all up and that was the BH Fashion Night Out. Honestly, if they did this every Friday night, you betcha pave cufflinks your girl would be there with stilettos on and a rapidly depleting bank account because it was just that HAUTE!! Before we get to the vintage trunk loads of amazing new fashion I was quietly orgasming over under my skirt, tonight also marked the return of one of my favorite entertainers as the face of Dolce & Gabbana: Madonna! Woop-woop!! Still love those eyebrows of hers, might I add.
Anywho, on to the gyst... Also among the fabulosity of all the fashion, I found a new magazine that makes my luxury meter flip to its highest setting (and that's pretty high)! The magazine is called Beverly Hills Lifestyle and it's a TON like Beverly Hills Report, just newer and not extinct. Check the cover (much like BHR with the gold foil on the cover & all, just sayin...)

Next: The shoes. Yes, there was no shortage of gorgeous shoes debuting tonight, but these babies by Roberto Cavalli stood out to me as the shoes I'd walk all over your man with if he tried to step. Strappy, black with chain detail? Yup-yup, yon shoes have got it goin ON!!!

Compounding the fashion show on ecstasy vibe goin on in Beverly Hills tonight was the presence of (the wondiferously trim) Kelly Osbourne, check it:

K, kinda fuzzy, but you get the picture...literally, lol.

Last but not least: The bag is by Salvatore Ferragamo, it's calfskin, leopard AND it has tons of pockets!!! Nothing short of true L.O.V.E.

Yeah, it came in super small, but it's my baby,
and it shall be MINE, muahahahaha!!!!