J+SHELL OSCARS EXTRAVAGANZA

Last night was the annual J+SHELL Oscars Extravaganza and it was everything I could have hoped for. There was a ridiculous quantity of food, someone frequently refilled my flute with champs (including a new sparkling rose from Weins that was DELICIOUS), Leonardo DiCaprio finally got his moment of glory, Mad Max did NOT take best picture even though it seemed to SWEEP the rest of the awards, and J. Law wore my very favorite gown. I mean seriously people, it was a dream. 

Overall, I loved the films nominated this year and it was a challenge to decide where to place my “hypothetical” votes in each category (let’s be real clear, I’m not in the academy, and though I would LOVE to get screeners, I am NOT legit). It totally makes sense that Mad Max took costumes and production design - I mean NO ONE has ever looked more ominous (hence why I avoided the movie like the plague). Revenant was undoubtedly Leonardo’s most outstanding performance to date, Brie Larson was undeniably astounding in Room and Spotlight was a phenomenal work from an ensemble cast. 

{Side note: Jenny and I somehow failed to see Bridge of Spies entirely - I was in charge of the list so we’re going to chalk this one up to “wedding brain” because #Tamanda2016 was in FULL-FORCE throughout our movie watching escapades and we were squeezing them in whenever we could. Between designing and cutting and crafting and showering and bachelorette planning and partying it’s a wonder we saw as many as we did. I’m counting this a success story instead of a failure. Trying to grow in grace-giving here people.}

The Red Carpet was far less outlandish than usual and I had two clear winners with Jennifer Lawrence taking my undeniable first place finish for Best Dressed 2016. Oh my goodness she looked amazing. So classy, so sophisticated, in my personal opinion (and not just because I love her always) she was radiant in every way. Second place went to Saoirse Ronan who is SO MUCH PRETTIER in real life than she was in her film and that is a true compliment because typically these women look amazing in their movies! My 3rd and 4th place awards would have to go to Brie Larson in that stunning blue number (though it’s just a bit too blinged out at the waistline for my personal taste - and she had some sort of hairpiece too! A bit too far Brie) and Alicia Vikander who came in a sassy yellow Louis Vuitton that just worked. 

It was a wonderful evening with laughter and friends and bubbles. Cannot wait for next year! Cheers! 

THE GLOBES

MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR IS OFFICIALLY UPON US! I know for some people it's the holidays, but THIS GIRL is all about award season! The Golden Globes were last night thus officially launching us into all things celebrity fashion and nails and accessories galore. That stuff is not lost on me. I will most likely NEVER be in attendance at one of these events (unless I become best friends with Jennifer Lawrence or Ellen Degeneres decides I'm worthy of being on the red carpet - but I'm not holding my breath); but I hope I'm always the girl on the couch in her cozies eating a ridiculous amount of snacks and oogling all the gorgeousness. Last night the dresses DID NOT disappoint. However, the old hollywood throw back hair was far from extraordinary. Definitely not my favorite. It might have worked with the right dress, but the hair and dresses didn't seem to go in combo - personal opinion - I'm no Rachel Zoe. My very favorite dresses were the mostly neutrals with bits of flair. I think Anna Kendrick and Sienna Miller take my top 2 slots - Anna's dress is what dreams are made of and the beadwork on Sienna's is bar none! I had to throw in a couple bold color moves from Jenna Dewan Tatum and Felicity Jones and Emily Blunt rocked the best braids of the night! Ahh! So good! They were sophisticated but messy and she has the accent to make any hairstyle swoon-worthy! I'm still a smidge sad The Globes are over. I'm also a bit sad that Jennifer Lawrence didn't hit the runway. THANKFULLY, I don't have to be sad for long because Thursday morning brings Oscar nominations and then I'm off to the races in effort to see every nominated film! Anyone with me?

the great escape...

Last weekend I escaped reality - I hopped on a plane and literally ran away - and it was perfection. I landed in San Francisco on Friday night just before 10:00pm and was greeted warmly by my dear sweet friend Joy! She gave me the biggest hug and off we went to spend a treasured weekend together.

I woke up Saturday morning around 9:30am to the smell of breakfast baking and fresh coffee (with Samoa Girl Scout Cookie creamer - OMG) just waiting for me. Joy SPOILED ME ROTTEN with a delicious homemade meal to kick-start our day and topped it off with mimosas (I am a super fan of the bubbly!). Then we went shopping - we hit Nordstrom Rack to pickup a Kate Spade vacation treasure and Target for matching lace tops (inspired by Kendi Everday) and an afternoon Starbucks beverage. Then we headed into ULTA to pick out the perfect new lipstick for our evening on the town. Joy definitely knows me and speaks straight to my heart.

Saturday night we got gussied up and headed out - Joy got us tickets to see Dreamgirls and it did not disappoint. I am OBSESSED with all things Broadway - shows are my absolute favorite! When the show was over, we headed home to watch Pitch Perfect and eat ice-cream. It was the perfect day.

Sunday morning we went to brunch at Joy’s very favorite place - it was DELICIOUS. We had coffee and cocktails alongside “The Day After Burger” - it was the most delicious plate of disgusting food I’ve seen in a long time and my mouth watered IMMEDIATELY! It was an open-faced burger served on a bed of fried mashed potatoes with a sausage patty coated in pepper jack cheese and gravy topped with bacon. I die. With our stomachs stuffed to the max, we headed into the city. It was ridiculously fun driving on the San Francisco Bridge - it felt so very iconic. Because there is an INSANE amount of  traffic in the city, we grabbed a hand-made ice-cream cone at Bi-Rite (I went for toffee coffee and Joy picked créme brûlée) and called it a day.

I was back at the airport far too soon, but the weekend was a perfect blend of laziness and adventure. I got to catch up with my Joy and hear all about her heart and life and that was a true gift. We are both in this crazy season of life where we are celebrating other people but don’t have much to celebrate personally - so we found a way to cheer each other on - and I sincerely hope we do it again soon! Love me some Joy Gadd and a weekend in the windy city!

the OSCARS

First things first...ELLEN DEGENERES...she was amazing, stupendous, absolute perfection! She ordered pizza, fed it to A-List celebrities on paper napkins and then collected cash in Pharell's hat...she also took down Twitter. We don't really need to say anything else. Ellen rocked it. The Academy should really just ask her to host the show from this point forward...anyone else will basically pale in comparison.

I truly loved the entire show. There weren't really any major surprises - I actually saw every movie nominated for best picture, so my opinions were somewhat valid and for the most part I agreed with the winners. Megan feels strongly that Leo was robbed and I would have given it to my girl Jennifer Lawrence, but 12 Years a Slave was a clear win and Gravity was undoubtedly difficult to film, not to mention we all knew Frozen would take the animation slot. Girls have been singing their little lungs out for months.

The red carpet was a bit simple - I want to see ravishing beauty and dresses that are daring and risky. But I will give the gorgeous women some credit because it was WET in LA and we Californians don't really know what to do with weather. I'm sure they were thinking "what am I gonna do when my hair gets wet and frizzy" just like I would have been. The red carpet seemed a bit brief in general. E! did coverage for about 16 hours before the show started, but I don't feel like we really saw anything of value. That said, I picked six women to take "best dressed" - and Olivia Wilde deserves some major props for rocking that baby body even though she didn't make the list. DANG GIRL. I think Charlize Theron takes my top slot - those illusion straps and illusion stripes did me in...she was breathtaking. Jennifer's dress was fabulously bright, but I wasn't a huge fan of the hair and she totes did the back necklace last year. Sandra and Julia looked mature and sophisticated both of them just epitomize classy. Idina may have been super nervous while performing, but I think she did fantastic and she looked amazing while doing it! I watched her moment twice and will forever think she is a star! Finally we have the most talked about dress of the day - Kate Hudson - it is white and layered and angular and has a cape. Perfection.

I am so sad the Oscars are over. What is a girl to do when there are no more red carpets for watching while feasting and still losing weight by drinking skinny girl? Alas, I shall wait with bated breath and unspeakable anticipation for the Tony's on June 8 and then the Emmy's in August. Until then, the red carpet posts are on hiatus. Oh how I shall miss them! 

the grammys

Last night was the Grammy Awards...an epic night for American music. However, I haven't watched them yet because I decided I would rather watch The Bachelor Wedding (an epic night for women everywhere and Chris Harrison) with my best, Carrie. She enticed me with cookies and cute children that needed to be cuddled - it wasn't really even a question! After Sean and Catherine were blissfully wed (Sean's Dad was just darling as the Officiant - I think he was my favorite part, maybe other than Catherine's dress which was divine), I did catch about 2 minutes of Lorde's performance and I just don't understand what happened to her nails...I don't think it counts as a manicure if the entire tip of your finger is painted black...strange-sauce! Anyway, I will probably watch the Grammy's eventually - or at least fast forward through them so I can see TSWIFT perform (love her!) but I had to look at the red carpet pics. I am (and forever will be) a total sucker for a red carpet. My favorite looks were all neutrals with a bit of glitz. Taylor takes the lead in her stunning gold strapless dress with a silver sparkle overlay. Perfection. I also loved Sarah Hyland (one of TSwift's real life friends and actress in Modern Family) in her black and white short dress! Fun and fancy while still looking young and feminine - these girls are babies after all (even if they are literally the rich and famous). I don't know if Anna Kendrick's dress is my favorite - but I just love her so I thought I'd throw her some blog love and Kacey Musgraves just looks phenomenal. Again, I'm not sure I love the dress it feels a little more Academy Awards than Grammys, and the layered ruffle might be a bit too much, but the air of class and sophistication is bar none and I love her manicure. Nails will win me over every time. There is quite a lull between the Grammy's and the Oscars, so I will have to wait a long time until the next red carpet...but praise the Lord it is a really good one! Until then, I will write ridiculousness and watch Oscar nominated films...

sag awards

Awards Season is going strong and making me one happy lady! I have LOVED getting to watch a red carpet virtually every week! SO FUN! The SAG awards are always fun because it is actors celebrating actors. The red carpet at the globes was definitely more spectacular overall, but I found several dresses to love and there were plenty of laugh-worthy moments. I think my overall best dressed has to go to Hannah Simone. She stepped out of the car and I audibly gasped. I loved the grace and sophistication of her dress coupled with the subtle makeup and classy hair. She was breath-taking. Michelle Dockery also looked remarkably classy in her tuxedo inspired dress with a simple twisted pony and soft side bang. Elisabeth Moss rocked the bright red strapless and Lupita Nyong'o picked the perfect color for her skin tone. My final pick went to Jennifer Lawrence who wore a fantastically fun dress - let's be honest - it has sequins - and anything with sequins is a WIN! Plus, she is just my fav and always deserves a little blog love! Looking froward to the Grammy's this weekend - bring on the TSWIFT!

critics choice movie awards

Last night was the Critics Choice Movie Awards and I have to admit I was not very impressed. In fact, I ended up changing the channel before the show was even over. There was no red carpet pre-show, the host was terrible, and Jennifer Lawrence wasn't there. Nevertheless, I'm an award show junkie and gave it my best try! This morning I glanced through all the dresses and though many of my favorite stars were not present, there were three stand-out dresses*! The Critics Choice Awards are a formal event, but it's not classified as black-tie so the dresses and hair definitely reflected that. All my best dressed votes went to ladies adorned in black and white, which is a bit odd since I'm usually a bright and bold girl. Julia Roberts looked fantastic - and I absolutely LOVED her hair - but I think Margot Robbie takes the cake with her amazing black lace pantsuit (*a pantsuit doesn't really count as a dress, but you totally get what I mean, right?!) and messy wave blonde locks. I could literally never pull that look off, but she ROCKED it! The SAG awards this weekend and I have no doubt more of my favs will be on the red carpet dressed to the nines and looking absolutely stunning! Can't wait! 

the golden globes

Sunday, January 12 brought us the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. There were hours of red carpet coverage and I spent the afternoon comfy on my couch while watching Ryan Seacrest and Guiliana Rancic interviewed the stars. My favorite red carpet moment was undoubtedly when Ryan was talking to Taylor Swift (who looked absolutely fantastic by the way) and Jennifer Lawrence turned into a total creeper and photo bombed the interview while walking up the stairs. Apparently JLaw and TSwift are friends, so they shared a little moment on the platform and then hugged. It was darling (and yes, I definitely wished that I was ALSO their friend - they send each other text messages - I totally want in on that! I think they'd really like me - I'm totally fun!). There was a lot of gorgeousness and a few near disasters, but overall beauty was in abundance and radiance overwhelmed the Beverly Hilton as celebrities accepted awards with unparalleled enthusiasm.

Designers like Dior, Versace, Tom Ford, Zac Posen, Burberry, Carolina Herrera and more swept the runway with the latest trends and custom designed gowns. I picked ten gorgeous girls for my best dressed list and I honestly would be hard-pressed to pick an absolute winner. These ladies looked absolutely fabulous from head to toe!
Unfortunately, the incredibly talented and ridiculously hilarious Jennifer Lawrence did not make my best dressed list. However, her makeup and nails were incredible and she won the globe for best supporting actress in a motion picture. She still TOTALLY ROCKS and remains my top pick for "actress I wish I was friends with in real life".

PS. if you just want to laugh about how much I love award season, check out 20 Signs You're Obsessed with Award Season at least 10 of them ring true!

Thursday the Oscar Nominations will be announced and then this weekend is the SAG awards! THERE IS SO MUCH FUN STILL TO BE HAD! Cheers!

people's choice awards

Last night was the very first award show of the season - The People's Choice Awards. It is definitely a more casual event and the celebrities present are a mixed bag as the categories, nominations, and winners are all selected by viewer votes...thus the reason there are winners in categories like "Favorite On-Screen Chemistry" (that went to Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev, just for the record). In my opinion, it is a night to wear something a bit more adventurous and fun and my best dressed picks definitely reflect that.

Kaley Cuoco takes my top spot in her darling black and blue dress with giant flower embellishments. She looked put together but not stuffy the girl has the personality to pull off anything! Her speech was also adorable as she praised her {very} new husband, Ryan Sweetings. He accompanied her to the event and they just seem over the moon happy! Other favorites were Melissa Rauch in neon pink, Allison Williams in a bold and somewhat architectural blue and white number, and Nina Dobrev in black with plenty of sparkle.

Finally I had to throw in this pic of my college friend, Brent Kutzle and One Republic - a featured musical guest and winner of "Favorite Band". I went to CBU and Brent and I were in the University Choir and Orchestra together. Now he is a big-shot musician - playing guitar, singing, traveling the WORLD, meeting celebs (perhaps BEING a celeb) so seeing him on tv just makes me laugh!

red carpet madness

This week kicks off AWARD season – and if you know me at all – you know I LIVE FOR THIS STUFF! I think it is so fun to watch the red carpet and oogle over the incredible dresses, jewels, and manicures! Some dresses are swoon worthy and others are an absolute disaster, but deciding which is which is left entirely to the eye-of-the-beholder.  The hosts for the major award shows this year are FANTASTIC. First up is the People’s Choice Awards hosted by Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings from 2 Broke Girls, then we get treated to the hilarious Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for the Golden Globes, and they top the season off with Ellen Degeneres hosting the Oscars. I JUST CANNOT WAIT. In anticipation for the events, I have begun attempting to catch as many potentially nominated films as possible. I won't have an official Oscar Nominee So far I have only made it to four (4) of the films nominated for a globe (I had to see Hunger Games…twice…AND Saving Mr. Banks with the family), but they were all FANTASTIC. Cheers to many more and let the red carpet madness BEGIN!

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For your convenience, I've included the schedule of shows I'll be (planning on) catching! Red carpet recaps and full low-down on my dress loved-it and hated-its are coming soon...

The 40th People’s Choice Awards 2014 – January 08 @9pm
The 71st Annual Golden Globes Awards 2014 – January 12 @8pm
19th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards 2014 – January 16 @8pm
The 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards 2014 – January 18 @8pm
The 56th Annual Grammy Awards 2014 – January 26 @8pm
The 86th Annual Academy Awards (the Oscars) 2014 – March 02