How to Rock the American Flag this July 4th

I tend to steer away from fashion-related writing because I do not find myself all that stylish. But an undeniable trend that has been growing over the past year is American flag printed clothing, accessories and well, everything. I was clearly very ahead of the curve on this trend, because I have been in love with all patriotic attire for a while now. With the 4^th of July just a couple of weeks away, I have rounded up the best American flag apparel out there so everyone can get a jump on planning their outfits for that long weekend and Party in the USA in the appropriate gear!

Flag Tank Top
A casual way to sport the flag, and definitely a shirt that can be worn again.

Image source Brandy Melville

Lucky for us Boston gals, Brandy has just opened a store on Newbury Street!

American Flag Boobypack
The top shelf fanny pack, and best way to hands-free carry personal belongings now comes in a special patriotic print. This is a good alternative to the tank top, if you want to wear something a bit more revealing for the 4^th.

Image source Boobypack

My favorite accessory, The Boobypack, has launched a limited edition American flag printed top, that yes, I have already preordered.

Americana Chuck Taylors
A staple item for anyone who loves flag prints year round.

Image source Converse

Converse has dedicated a whole line to the land of the free and home of the brave: The Americana Line.

Stars and Stripes Studs
A more subtle way to wear the flag is with these cute earrings.

Image source Etsy

These are an appropriate accessory for other holidays such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Election Day, Flag Day and Patriots Day, etc. (not that I do that or anything…)

Patriotic Bathing Suit
Though best worn on the 4^th at a beach party, this bathing suit can be worn all summer long.

Image source Target

This bathing suit is a steal from Target’s junior’s section, grab it quick!

Pro tip: There is such a thing as too much flag fare, just ask Justin Bieber (who last time I checked was from Canada…)

Image source mrkanerule.blogspot.com

Posted by Nina

A Spicy Film (Not XXX Rated…)

Image source The Huffington Post

I recently read about a filmmaker’s plan to create a documentary about the beloved spicy red sauce that we’ve come to drown our food in – Sriracha. This fiery condiment hailing from Thailand has developed a bit of a cult following in recent years, with fanatics grabbing the iconic green topped bottle of goodness to top their eggs, noodles, popcorn, meat and everything in between. Need inspiration for what can be doused in the sauce? Check out Bon Appetit’s 25 Ways to Use Sriracha and find new and better ways to eat your veggies.

To highlight this obsession, Illinois-based filmmaker Griffin Hammond has plans to develop a documentary about the history of sriracha and its recent rise to fame. He hopes to include footage from Randy Clemens, author of The Sriracha Cookbook, and Tyler Raineri, a student – and genius – behind the sriracha flavored Lay’s potato chip, who received $50,000 for his brilliant contest submission. I tried those chips myself on a quick road trip recently (which always require potato chips or candy) and had a bit of a surprising love-affair with the spicy, salty crunch snack. Family-sized bags can be suitable for one hungry girl, right?).

I’m all about supporting this film project idea and would love to see how the once unassuming Asian condiment is now sweeping the world. That is, unless someone comes up with a documentary idea for Chalula, in which case I’d drop sriracha in a heartbeat for the Mexican hot sauce that I wish I could buy by the liter!

Want to see a sriracha documentary? Check out the Facebook page for more updates.

Posted by Amanda

Mad Hatter for Senate

Have you ever looked at your state representative and thought to yourself…do you know who you look like? Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid! Okay, me either, but apparently someone has, because The Huffington Post recently published a very entertaining slideshow of “Politicians Who Look Like Disney Characters.”

Whether or not you’ve seen these movies or have strong feelings about these politicians one way or the other, it’s downright entertaining to see that someone was able to find a photo that proves Barney Frank looks like Mr. Smee from Peter Pan.

See for yourself:

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) & Mr. Smee (Peter Pan)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) & The Mad Hatter (Alice In Wonderland)

Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) & Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) & Mister Geppetto (Pinocchio)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) & Andy’s Mom (Toy Story)

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) & The Caterpillar (Alice In Wonderland)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) & Eric (The Little Mermaid)

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) & The Fairy Godmother (Cinderella)

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) & Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) & Gadget Hackwrench (Chip ‘n’ Dale)

Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) & Chef Auguste Gusteau (Ratatouille)

Haven’t had enough? Visit here for more!

Posted by Emily

Image source The Huffington Post

Why I WON’T Be Seeing Brad Pitt’s “World War Z”

In a world where movie studios battled for the rights to adapt the book World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War – ONE MAN has stood triumphant.

Brad Pitt and his production company will release the colossal film adaptation of Max Brooks’ gripping zombie apocalypse novel this coming Friday, June 21. As an ardent fan of the book, I promise you this: I will NOT see the movie.

And here’s why:

1.  The story strays too far from the book

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is an elegant, complex collection of first-person accounts 10 years after a global zombie outbreak. Each chapter is a different survivor’s tale, each unraveling the timeline. This structure spanning years, continents and cultures is what makes the novel so spectacular – and also intrinsically difficult to adapt to film.

In the movie, Brad Pitt’s character is (naturally) the connecting thread. As United Nations employee Gerry Lane, he races around the world trying to stop the zombie pandemic that threatens to destroy his family and all of humanity. The movie will try to integrate the characters he meets along the way, but the focus is still on Pitt. The book gave equal balance to each chapter’s narrator and it will be a shame to lose that depth of perspective.

2.  Production has been plagued with difficulties

Since securing the rights in 2006, Brad Pitt’s Plan B has laboriously struggled to bring the World War Z adaptation to life. Today, the film’s ballooning production has itself become an industry horror story.

Problems with script and budget delayed the intended Christmas 2012 release (it’s rumored the film began shooting without an ending). Director Marc Forster and initial screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski couldn’t see eye-to-eye. Matthew Carnahan also turned in a draft and finally Damon Lindelof was brought in to finalize the script with Drew Goddard, before writer/director Christopher McQuarrie stayed on set to tinker. Reviews thus far are understandably mixed.

Finally, there’s the budget, which due to reshoots and epic location scenes clocked in close to a behemoth $300 million.

3. Fast zombies

C’mon, guys!  From Night of the Living Dead to Thriller, zombies have always been slow. That’s because they are decaying bodies with no brains. But from the looks of the World War Z trailer, zombies can collectively scale towering fortress walls and jump onto helicopters, thus betraying the rules of zombie lore. This same argument is occasionally directed at The Walking Dead when zombies can suddenly outrun able-bodies humans. The only acceptable caveat is a viral outbreak, a la 28 Days Later.

Image source ScreenRant.com

So even if the lure of Brad Pitt and zombie action has made you curious enough to see the film, please make World War Z part of your summer reading list. On that, you won’t be sorry.

Posted by Michelle

Image source FirstShowing.net & Wikipedia

PJ Chic: Summer 2013′s Coziest New It-Look

There’s nothing like a good pair of jammies. I, for one, am a big bathrobe fan, but regardless of your flannel fancy, there’s nothing like tossing off your heels and donning fuzzy, soft pastel garb at the end of a long day. So to me, it’s no wonder that jammie-chic is now totally trending from runways to red carpets.

Haven’t seen the nighty craze in action? Let me fill you in…

 
Image source WWD & Daily Mail

High Fashion: Fashion mastermind Marc Jacobs debuted a PJ line for his Resort 2014 collection (think more silk and buttons than drawstrings and flannel). Marcy Marc also sprinkled some Jammie-inspiration into Louis Vuitton’s Fall Winter 2013-2014 show (gimme dat navy robe) in a sleepy faux hotel setting.

      
Image source FabSugar & The Huffington Post

Red Carpet: On June 4, I Love You, Man bombshell Rashida Jones sported a very pajama-esque floral pants suit to Glamour‘s Women of the Year awards. Side note: not saying I’d wear this for my red carpet premiere but I think she looked pretty darn cute and put together here. My personal on-camera friend crush Jessa from Girls (aka Jemima Kirke) sported another nighty-like ensemble at an NYC charity gala last month (again, pretty bohemian chic if you ask me…).

Marlo, does this mean PJs are officially office-appropriate? Kidding, but if I could get my hands on that LV robe I can’t guarantee it wouldn’t show up at mm/c during late nights behind my desk.

Posted by Mary