My 2009 Movies

My boyfriend is a movie buff...which in turn has made me somewhat of a movie buff as well. No, I have not seen nearly as many movies as him, nor have I seen some of the most classic and memorable movies of our time. But I do go to the theaters a lot more than I used to. Last night, we talked about all the movies we've seen this year. I've seen some with my girlfriends, but most with him. And I determined my top 3 movies of 2009. This may or may not change tonight, as we have plans to see Up in the Air, and it may or may not rock my world.

But as of right now, my top three are:
1. (500) Days of Summer
2. Up
3. The Hangover

Other movies I've seen in 2009 include:
-Star Trek
-Brothers
-He's Just Not That Into You
-Nine
-Couples Retreat
-Fired Up!
-I Love You, Man
-17 Again
-Angels & Demons
-Michael Jackson's This Is It
-The September Issue
-Funny People

Top 5 Female Writers/Journalists/Reporters in TV/Movies

I had some trouble falling asleep last night. Though it was my first night in my house and childhood bedroom since Thanksgiving, I came down with some sort of bug or cold or flu...illness, if you will. Add that to my right ankle that I sprained earlier in the week, and you can imagine how I was feeling. So as a nod to my insomnia, I watched part of The Holiday on TBS. The Holiday is one of the few movies that I must watch whenever it's on TV.

However, last night I paid attention to a different part of the storyline. I wasn't interested in all the lovey-dovey stuff so much as what the characters do for a living. Seeing as I'll be applying for jobs in the real world in a matter of months, I am focused on careers and pay attention to it in all facets, including chick flicks. And lo and behold, Kate Winslet plays a reporter! It's pretty overlooked in the movie (besides her well-written introductory voiceover at the beginning of the movie) because she spends the majority of the film on vacation. However, she is a journalist nonetheless.

That made me realize how many movies I've seen lately with female journalists. Though they receive very little money in real life, unless they also anchor or conduct interviews like Barbara Walters, in film, journalism is idealized. These female journalists are either hardcore and sexy because of their intensity or bubbly and cute, writing about trivial but fun stuff like sex and fashion.

Here are my Top 5 Female Writers/Journalists/Reporters in TV/Movies:

1. Jennifer Connolly in Blood Diamond

2. Kate Beckinsale in Nothing But the Truth

3. Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

4. Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City

5. Kate Winslet in The Holiday

CONNECT: Inside The Westcott Theater

To say that I am busy or active on the Syracuse University campus is an understatement. I am constantly running around, trying to keep up with all the things I do, whether it's my internship with the fashion web site, www.lvcmag.com, my role as Finance Director for the musical theater group, First Year Players, blogging for our campus fashion magazine, Zipped Magazine, or blogging for an entertainment news show, The Red Carpet Report, at our school's radio station, Z89.

But one of my favorite activities is CONNECT. CONNECT is a student-produced TV news magazine show with a similar format to 20/20 or 60 Minutes. It is a half-hour show which airs on local Syracuse stations. Unfortunately I only had time to put together one complete piece this semester and can't devote any time to it next semester. But I am pleased with and proud of the piece that I did. I focused on The Westcott Theater, a local concert venue in Syracuse, NY, which had recently closed down and been renovated.

Below is a clip from our INSIDE CONNECT segment produced solely for the web. I am interviewed by fellow classmates here about my piece and what it was like to see the whole project through.

To see my piece and the episode in which it aired, click here.
If you want to check out my written blog post about my piece, click here.
And for more information about CONNECT Syracuse and how to get involved, check out our web site.

News Flash: sometimes New Jersey is pretty trashy

I get a lot of flack for being from New Jersey, but I am the first to yell at people for ripping on my state. I know the stigma attached to it. Yes, it is the "armpit" of America. The people who live here generally have terrible accents, are loud and obnoxious, and obsessed with their hair, tans, and makeup. Sometimes I make fun of it too, but I'm proud to be a Jersey Girl either way. In a few weeks, an MTV Reality Series will air, called Jersey Shore. It will feature the Jersey guidos who live down the shore. I must admit I fully plan on watching this trashy show. Though I have a lot of Jersey pride, I am not Italian and don't live down the shore. So I think it's only fair to exclude myself from this pool of Jersey people, sit back, and laugh with the other 49 states.

College senioritis v. High school senioritis

By the time I was a second semester senior at East Brunswick High School in New Jersey, I knew where I was going to college (Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications), what I was going to major in (Broadcast Journalism), and what my summer plans were (counselor at Camp Louise in Cascade, MD). My life for the next four years was already taken care of. I would find a part-time job, my parents would pay the bills and sign all the loans in my name, but of course I wouldn't have to worry about that for four years.

Well, those four years have come and gone. I am now roughly two months away from being a second semester senior at Syracuse University, and all of those questions about my summer after school and the next four years remain unanswered. The job hunt is truly horrifying for me. As someone in communications, I really can't apply for a job until about a month before graduation, but I have started to snoop around job sites. Right now, the future is looking pretty bleak.

That's not to say I haven't done anything in my college career. I've had four internships and hope to add a fifth to that list next semester. I've studied abroad, become fluent in a language, learned how to shoot and edit video on various programs, and have gotten heavily involved in many student organizations. The fact of the matter is it is scary out there, and I'm constantly confused about how I should spend my days: going to the Career Center to network and search for jobs, doing the insane amount of work I have between 18 credits of class, 12+ hours/wk for my part-time job and an internship, or enjoying and soaking up my final months as a college student.

I am not one to complain (except to my family, close friends, and boyfriend). I am the happy-go-lucky little girl (Yes, little. I am only 4'11".) who makes people laugh at my deep, gutteral laugh and awkwardly feisty comments (It's the Jersey in me.), but sometimes it is hard to be so happy all the time. So this is what I've concluded: high school senioritis stems from a laziness because of the realization that you know where you're going already, so why continue to work to get there? College senioritis stems from an exhaustion because of the realization that you know where you want to go, but aren't sure how to get there, and are so busy and burnt out from the past four years, you don't even know how you're going to make it that far.

LC's news kids line

The Hills reality star Lauren Conrad is moving out of the hills onto bigger and better things: Kohl's.

She's come to realize that not every one of her fans can afford her costly, upscale Californian line, the Lauren Conrad Collection.

Therefore, she'll now be designing LC Lauren Conrad, a clothing line for kids. Prices will range from $20 to $80 and will be sold at Kohl's.

"I was also very aware that the reason I was able to do it at such a young age was because of fans that have supported the show and have supported me," Conrad said.

"My family has always shopped at Kohl's, so I've always known about them and I think that they do a really great job," she said. Hmm. Really, Lauren? You've always shopped at clothes? Okay, I'll pretend to believe you.

The new line will be available in October 2009.

Rachel Bilson's In Style

Not only is former The O.C. star Rachel Bilson always in style, but now she'll write for In Style magazine, starting with the May issue due out in a few weeks.

Bilson, who's currently engaged to actor Hayden Christenson, will have her own Q&A column, dishing out fashion advice and some of her style favorites. She says she doesn't plan on quitting her acting career, but fashion is a fun side-job for her.

In Style's managing editor, Ariel Foxman, said most of her readers mention Bilson when naming their favorite fashion icon because of her "eclectic chic" style. Bilson says she's "flattered." She should be. Who wouldn't want to be admired for always looking beautiful?

Stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

Fabulous costumes from HBO's "Grey Gardens"

I didn't know much about the movie, Grey Gardens, except for Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange star in it. That was reason enough for me to find out more. But the movie is based on the cousin and aunt of former First Lady and style icon, Jackie O.

These women, Edith "Big Edie" Ewing Bouvier Beale and Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, were style icons in their own right. These fabulous women became not-so-fabulous as they grew older to be strange, cat ladies. In 1975, Albert and David Maysles filmed a documentary about the strange women, which then turned into a play in New York City.

Now the documentary and play will air in feature film form on HBO this Saturday, April 18th.

Catherine Marie Thomas, who has designed costumes for 27 Dresses and the Kill Bill movies designed costumes for "Grey Gardens" (named after the name of the estate on which the Beales lived). The costumes were featured in Women's Wear Daily last week, and you have to check them out.

Stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

Woops! No KM cookbook..

Too many rumors. There is NO Kate Moss cookbook coming out.

Things have been crazy in the life of Kate Moss since Topshop, the British clothing store, is making its New York debut tomorrow. Kate Moss has a Topshop line, so it seems her clothing line got mixed up with a few other nutty ideas. No cookbook! ...I knew these models didn't eat.

Stay classy and fab!
<3 Lara Bryn

The ANTM plot thickens...

So after the crazy shananigans that occurred a few weeks ago at the New York City auditions for the next cycle of America's Next Top Model, the lovely Ms. Tyra Banks is making some changes to the audition process. Now, girls will be assigned audition times and will be asked to leave and return later when it is time for them to go inside.



They're hoping this will prevent so many people from being at the tryouts at the same time. Other changes:
*no waiting overnight
*the earliest one can arrive is 6 AM
*no entourages or posses, unless the person auditioning is under 18

The CW said, "Be courteous to others around you."

Also, stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

Models: they may not eat, but they can cook!

At least that's what we're supposed to think. International supermodel Kate Moss is planning on writing a cookbook. 

She's so skinny, she might not eat. But apparently she cooks? So now she's going to teach us how. 

One of her close friend's step-daughter is Stasha Palos, who is coming out with a cookbook of Jewish recipes later this year. Palos is going to help Moss, who has been trying out traditional kosher meals, to write her own book. No news on when the book will appear, but who knows? Maybe this new cooking thing will inspire Moss to do a  line of aprons and kitchenwear!

Stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

Serena Williams: From courts to rings

No, not boxing rings. That would be really interesting. But the rings I'm referring to here are part of the accessories and clothing line called Signature Statement. That's right. Another celebrity is endorsing a company and lending their creativity to a fashion line.

Williams will be working on this line with the Home Shopping Network (HSN). Prices range from $29.95 to $100, and the line includes handbags, knits, and jewelry.

But Williams isn't the first celeb to have a deal like this with HSN. She's following in the footsteps of Iman and Paula Abdul, and they're hoping to keep the line up and running for at least a few years.

Stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

More than just a great pair of leggings

Well Lindsay Lohan is expanding her "empire." The young actress, lately known more for her relationship with Samantha Ronson and stays at rehab, had already started her own line of leggings back in September. But now the legging line, 6126, will be joined by a self-tanner called Mist Sevin Nyne, which she is also putting together. (Apparently, Lohan loves making her lines number-based?)

Regardless, Mist Sevin Nyne is a partnership between Lohan and Lorit Simon, a tanning expert who has tanned Lohan and other celebrities for years.

With the help of Lorit, this mist might actually have a chance at success. Lohan may not be the most successful actress, but who can deny the tan she has? And if people want a glow like Lindsay's, I'm sure they'd buy into her mist...more than, say, her leggings.

Stay classy and fab, <3 Lara Bryn

Time for a new do

We tend to think that celebrities change their style constantly. They have a lot of money, a lot of stylists, and a lot of clothes. They have free reign to do, wear, and look however they want. But if you think about it...I mean, REALLY think about it, they generally don't change that much. The most drastic thing they do is lose weight, get some Botox, or chop their hair real short.

Well this week, not one, but TWO big-time celebrities got new do's.

Exhibit A: Mary-Kate Olsen with bright blonde (no longer brunette), curly locks at the Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary Gala.


Exhibit B: Fergie with long, straight, chocolate hair. A COMPLETE 180 from the good old, unmarried Fergie we used to know and love.
That's all for now.
Stay classy and fab!
<3 Lara Bryn

I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world...

Happy birthday, Barbie!

Barbie is the same age as Madonna! What divas were born in 1959. That's right. Barbie's now 50 years old, and to honor that, several designers have designed specific Barbie-inspired clothes for New York's fashion week.Designers include Michael Kors, Vera Wang, and Catherine Malandrino.

Stay classy and fab (like Barbie),
<3 Lara Bryn

Married models!

So, the past few weeks have been a time for men all over the world to be sad because two extraordinarily beautiful women are now officially off the market. That's right, boys.

Victoria's Secret supermodels Gisele Bundchen and Adriana Lima both tied the knot, with NFL star, Tom Brady and NBA star, Marko Jaric respectively.


Adriana Lima saved her big wedding for the summer, opting for a small one on Valentine's Day in Jackson City, Wyoming. Meanwhile, Gisele DID IT UP RIGHT. Wearing everything Dolce & Gabbana, she and Brady married at dusk in Santa Monica, California. Well of course she wore Dolce. She already models for them and has developed her own scent with them, called "The One." (See TV ad below.)



So which model is next? My guess is Miranda Kerr to Orlando Bloom. The rumors are starting, so we'll see how that goes!

In the meantime,
stay classy and fab!
<3 Lara Bryn

Another celeb clothesline....brace yourself

CHARLIE SHEEN.Really? Okay, so I kind of understand when celebrities start their own fashion lines. After all, these are very fashionable people who are generally dressed by a stylist, but have probably picked up some stuff here and there, so you can't really knock them for trying. But Charlie Sheen? He's not particularly fashionable. Jennifer Lopez, fine. Justin Timberlake, fine. And their lines are successful because they always look good and people want to look good like them. But do people really say they aspire to look and dress like Charlie Sheen? I don't think so...

Anyway, his line is called DaVinci Collection by Charlie Sheen and it's in association with Rock & Roll Religion. Consider yourself warned.

Stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

Scarlett pouts scarlet

New Dolce and Gabanna ads, featuring the most poutable lips in history: ScarJo. Enjoy!


Stay classy and fab!
<3 Lara Bryn

The Big Fashionable Apple

Normally Friday the 13th is a day of bad luck. And this year it was followed by what could be one of the worst holidays of the year, Valentine's Day. So New York, The Big Apple, decided to do what it could to make this a happy weekend. And so started New York Fashion Week.

The first show, The Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection 2009, started at 10am on

Friday with a ton of fabulously red-dressed stars. Hilary, Duff, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Amanda Bynes, and even Katie Couric walked and worked that runway.

Valentine's Day featured Lacoste and the Barbie Runway Show. And yesterday was jam-packed, showing Lela Rose, Herve Leger by Max Azria, Calvin Klein's Men Collection, Diane von Furstenberg, and Miss Sixty. Today is Carolina Herrera, Jill Stuart, Tracy Reese, Donna Karan, finally ending with Justin Timberlake's clothing line William Rast. The week gets better and better with tons of fabulous designers. And being that it is New York and one of the biggest and best weeks for fashion throughout the whole year, I will continue to keep you posted and updated on the new looks for the Fall 2009 season.

Stay classy and fab,

<3 Lara Bryn

And the cover goes to....

You're looking at the new cover model for 2009's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue: Israeli supermodel (and Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend) Bar Rafaeli. She first appeared in the widely read issue in 2007 as the first Israeli model to make it into the magazine.

This year marks 45 years of the famous Swimsuit Issue, which is credited with popularizing the bikini. Thanks, SI!

The issue will be out in mid-February, and the official announcement of Bar Rafaeli's cover will be this week on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Congrats, Bar!
Stay classy and fab!
<3 Lara Bryn

Dress to make him just that into you!

Besides a pint of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked ice cream, every woman knows the best thing to cure the feelings of a bad breakup are to read He's Just Not That Into You and then look as fabulous as possible to make your ex feel like an idiot and gain attention from new prospects!

He's Just Not That Into You empowers women, telling them no, he's just not that into you, but yes, you can do better, deserve better, and will find better.

So when He's Just Not That Into You was adapted into a film version with a hot, all-star cast, the women HAD to look like perfection on the red carpet, for the same reasons as a post breakup woman: to make their exes feel like idiots and gain attention from new prospects! Here's how these women did:
1. Ginnifer Goodwin looked the best by far. The bright color of this Bottega Veneta dress against her dark hair, dark polish and statement necklace with that "come hither" stare would make any man drool. Compared to the short bob she has in the movie, the long wavy tresses ooze sex appeal. She WORKS this whole look, and I commend her for it. She's cute and sexy at the same time, and that's a pretty hard thing to achieve.

2. Jennifer Connelly is a beautiful woman, but I don't think this Balmain dress really did her justice. She's certainly thin, but maybe a little too thin, and this dress emphasizes her skeletal, emaciated look. The color is great on her, but the dress itself looks cheap, and it looks like she's wearing shoulder pads. Also, those shoes are far too chunky for her skinny little ankles.

3. Let me say I think Jen Aniston is one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen...plus, she has a rockin' bod. She looks magnificent here in her Burberry tuxedo. I'll give her that. But when you look like, or rather, ARE, Jennifer Aniston, why would you wear wide-leg pants? She has great legs, cut arms, and six-pack abs. SHOW SOME SKIN, WOMAN. If you've got it, flaunt it.

4. I'm a huge Drew Barrymore fan, and here, she does it just right. What else can I say? Bows are huge right now, and the slouchy one on her Lanvin dress is perfect because yes, it's a bow, but no, it's not overkill. It's satiny, shiny, and the perfect shade of beigey-pink against the black. The hair swept off her face makes her look fresh and flirty.

5. Okay. Here it is. The worst one of all. Most of these girls really didn't too that bad of a job dressing properly for the red carpet. But Scarlett Johansson, what were you thinking? She may be wearing an Oscar de la Renta, but it looks more like a curtain than a dress. Her body is also so voluptuous, sometimes she just looks hefty, and this is one of those dresses that makes her look big rather than sexy. Her hair also falls flat. Literally. It's flat. Put it in an updo or something!

So despite ScarJo's general sexiness and Jennifer Connelly fatless body, we have to give it up for Jen, Drew, and Gin...they know how to dress to make him just that into you.

Stay classy and fab,
<3 Lara Bryn

Celebrating celebrities

As I am a celebrity gossip monger and love everything that is scandalous and fabulous in the world of Hollywood, I plan on updating regularly here with celebrity fashion and style news. This does not necessarily mean rating, comparing, or critiquing outfits (though it might), but it includes everything related to celebs and fashion...ranging from who is involved in the next PETA campaign to who's the newest spokesperson for Rampage to what Kim Kardashian's favorite mascara is.

As one who has always loved pop culture and the rich and famous, it constantly intrigues me as to who's wearing what and where I can find more affordable versions of what the stars are wearing. And whether you'd like to admit it or not, it intrigues you too.

So to answer the ideas I mentioned above...

1. The one involved in the next PETA campaign: Carey Hart, Pink's ex-husband

2. The newest spokesperson for Rampage: Gisele Bundchen
Let me just say it...OF COURSE SHE IS. She's gorgeous and clearly doesn't already have enough work or campaigns, so she absolutely must do another one! She'll appear in April's Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire in the new ads. With this campaign, she's replacing the work of former spokesperson, model, Petra Nemcova. Goodbye Petra, and hello Gisele!


3. Kim Kardashian's favorite mascara: Maybelline Great Lash.
You know you love that little pink and green bottle of black goo.


That said, I will include my favorite quote that is VITAL to everything about this blog. Especially the name.

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel
<3 Lara Bryn