On Golden Pond

Award Season is upon us! I am so happy that Ricky Gervais got another shot at the Golden Globes. He was hysterical last year! I like him putting people on Front Street. It's not as if any of his jokes weren't true - which I guess is why he created such a stir. I see about 3 movies a year, so the awards never mean much to me, but the fashions sure do! Some people were rocking it this year, and others not so much. Here are my winners, losers, and runners up:


Ooooh, Girl! Can I Borrow That?
 I have a feeling people will not agree with me on this, but I think Michelle Williams in Jason Wu was fantastic. She properly used the belt (See Jessica Chastain for alternative). I love how this dress could have gone bad ice skater in crushed velvet so easily, but did not.


Emma Stone could have worn jeans, and I would have thought it was cool. Love her belt, dress, shoes, love it all (with maybe the exception of her eye makeup. Something is a little too blue accented meeeee-oowww)


I had trouble finding a picture that captured how stunning Shailene Woodley's Marchesa gown really was. But this was the best I could do.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was one of the best book adaptations I have ever seen. Rooney Mara was so good that I think she may actually be Lisbeth Salander, and this Nina Ricci dress is exactly what I would have pictured the refined Lisbeth choosing for the red carpet. The hair and makeup are absolute perfection. Does anyone have her dermatologist's number?


Claire Danes looked great from behind in this J Mendel.

Diane Lane got the 20's look right when a lot of others failed tonight:

I am not sure what Kathleen Robertson is in these days, she will always be Claire on 90210 to me, but I am glad to see she is still at it and dressing fabulously. This dress was even prettier from the side, and I love her earrings.

Modern Family's Ariel Winter was age appropriately dressed in Dolce and Gabbana. She talked on the Red Carpet about how she doesn't have a cell phone, because her parents don't think she is old enough. I love this girl.




Ooooohhh... Maybe you should have thought twice, Girl:

I loved Kelly Osborne's Zac Posen dress, but what is up with her hair?! Did she borrow hair dye from Bea Arthur?



Just like most every breathing mammal on the planet, I think Zoe Deschanel is adorable. So why would she wear her grandmother's Prada with what appears to be a bad wig complete with sideburns from the Hairspray set?


I don't hate Piper Perabo's choice in dress, but if you are going to go bold with a massive skirt, accept it, girl. There isn't a single picture of her from the red carpet owning this dress. Instead we get a lot of this:

Freida Pinta is perfect and gorgeous and could make a sack look good, but this Prada number isn't doing her any favors. The texture is gorgeous, but the fit is off, and gives her an easy 20 extra pounds. Love her necklace though.  


Reese, did you run out of time and forget to do your hair and pull on your hip-hiding SPANX?

Girl, What were you thinking?

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy. The dress itself was not terrible - minus the ice skater neckline, and if it was on someone 30 years older. Her hair only exacerbated the problem. I think she drove to the Globes from NYC in a convertible. That is the only explanation for the wind blown look she was sporting.


Sarah Michelle Geller wore Monique Lhuillier. And it is fitting that her dress came from someone known for bridal, seeing that it looks like the aftermath of a "trash the dress" session. Yeah, yeah, adorable that her 2 year old picked it out, but obviously she would gravitate to something that looked like finger painting.


Eeek! Amanda Peet! Did Maria Von Trapp run out of drapes and make you a dress from a dust ruffle? At least your makeup and hair are flawless.



Psst... Lea Michelle, you're not Halle Berry (or Liza Minelli for that matter), and you're not 55. Take this off immediately, and put on something pink.

Elle McPhearson, I am glad you are enjoying yourself, because somewhere a stylist is dying laughing that she got you to wear this (But I would still take your body, any day):

Poor Emma Watson. It's like a really bad bridesmaid dress, when you've just given in to the fact that you will look fat and frumpy. To top it off, the tailor hemmed it two inches too short, and at this point, not even a spray tan could help. May as well get out of the shower, throw your hair in a ponytail, and match your flesh tone gown.



Kyle Richards of Real Housewives doesn't really even belong at the Golden Globes, but Yikes! Kyle I love you, but this entire ensemble, hair included, is more suited for the 58th Annual Golden Globes in 1994.

 I have to imagine that people attending the Golden Globes have endless dress options. So how did Glee's Naya Rivera end up in a dress from a Project Runway challenge where they transform prison uniforms?!?

Trend I hope we don't continue to see:
Angelina is such a snooze in my book, and this dress (and her predictably boring up-do) is so ugh. Seeing that Natalie Portman wore it's twin in pink, I am hoping this trend is reserved only for 15 year olds dancing in high school gyms at prom where it belongs.
 
C'mon Dior, get a new look (although both ladies look pretty freakishly amazing)
Charlize in 2012, Eva Mendez in 2009


WHAT ARE YOUR PICKS FOR HITS AND MISSES?!

Get Shakin'

The 40 Watt Club
Picture from The Day Jobs

Every year over MLK weekend, Athens-based band the Drive-By-Truckers have a 3-day concert at the 40 Watt to benefit local non-profit Nuci's Space. My next comment is a bit sacrilegious in Athens, but I find the Truckers "eh, okay" - especially with the recent loss of bass player Shauna Tucker and the not so recent loss of the most superior songwriter of the group, Jason Isbell. That said, missing the Truckers weekend shows for an Athenian isn't really allowed, so you will imagine how excited I was to see that Alabama Shakes from Alabama's city of Athens, are the Friday night opener. I've been dying to see them for a while now with too many near misses on shows.
Sharon Jones and the Dapkings is an easy comparison, but the Alabama Shakes have even more soul, dare I say a female Otis Redding?

Hope you have a lyrical weekend!

TV Dinner



I am a TV junkie. I will admit it. When Mr. Fonty and I were doing our pre-marital counseling for the church, we each filled out a questionnaire. Anything that we did not agree on or answered wrong, we had to discuss. Most of the questions dealt with how your families get along, children, religion, the big stuff. One of the questions (I think it fell in the addiction/abuse category) went something like this: "My future spouse spends too much time watching television". My betrothed checked STRONGLY AGREE! Well, because he checked the red flag box, we had to discuss this with the priest. You can imagine my embarrassment as I have to explain to a man who has taken a vow of poverty that watching the Real Housewives is my form of relaxation. Somehow we have managed to stay married despite my nasty addiction. I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas, and it is so wonderful! There were a ton of fall shows I hadn't gotten into, but kept hearing great things about. (I know, how did something escape me?! A girl's DVR only has so much space.) I downloaded 2 shows for some recent travel and, they have made the time fly by.


The Grantham Gals
Downton Abbey

The first show is Downton Abbey (Sundays on PBS). The second season just premiered on PBS last Sunday (You can find it under Masterpiece Theater for a DVR search). Downton Abbey follows the Grantham family in their English country manor and the staff that keeps the estate running. The show begins with the only heir to Downton dying on the Titanic (I know, amazing, right?). The family must find a way to keep the home and Lady Grantham's personal fortune in the family. All the while the basement is a'buzzing with servant activities. The storyline is as great as the set and costume designs. You really must watch it. Buy the first season Here. 

So pensive, Emily
ABC's Revenge


The second is Revenge (ABC, Wednesdays at 10 pm). Revenge takes place in the Hamptons, and is filled with lots of twists, turns, and intrigue. Brothers and Sisters' Emily VanCamp plays Emily Thorne who is out to avenge her father's false imprisonment by the Hamptons elite. One by one she takes them down while maintaining perfect posture. You can watch full episodes HERE.

Other shows I am wild about (and are actually male-friendly) are Homeland, Walking Dead, and Damages. (Damages is my favorite show of all time. HOOKED!)

Use this cold weather to curl up on the couch with the first season of any of these great shows. And don't let your priest make you feel guilty.

Get Muddy

We have a "mudroom" off our living room. It is basically a walled up sun porch with a strange rubbery floor, but I had big plans for it. When we bought the house, I had visions of taking muddy dogs through the side door into a room with hooks and cubbies with cute wellies resting below hanging coats. Sadly, these visions have been just that, visions, not reality (including the 's' on dogs). Mr. Fonty has finally given me the okay on tackling the mudroom and making all the visions of sugar plums dance in my head. The mudroom leads to our laundry room, so I want a row of upper and lower cabinets with a counter to leave laundry I am too lazy to put away fold laundry. On the other side we have the perfect spaces for my dream hooks and bench - and Mr. Fonty's requested place to store his sports gear.
I have been pinning away on Pinterest with mudroom inspiration. Here are some of my favorites (some have already been vetoed by the Mister as too "fancy". Scrooge.)

Polished * Plum

Canadian House and Home

Desire to Inspire

Houzz

Houzz

House Beautiful

Ana White

Decorati

Crumpled Envelope

 

Ffffound

I'll be sure to post some Before and Afters once we get this show on the road!

Tunesday with George : Willis Alan Ramsey

I'm going obscure and old-school with the first pick of the new year. Willis Alan Ramsey, a Birmingham native raised in Dallas, has released only one album in his career. The self-titled Willis Alan Ramsey was produced by Leon Russell in 1972, and is an absolute classic gem.
Though you don't realize it, you've probably heard some of his songs yourself...."Muskrat Love" was covered by America, then a big hit for Captain & Tennille. Other songs off of this album have been covered by the likes of Widespread Panic, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Jeff Walker, Shawn Colvin, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and even Jimmy Buffett.
My favorite song of the bunch is probably the album closer, "Northeast Texas Women."
Ramsey is still alive and playing music to this day, and allegedly there is a second album in the works....who's guest musicians and vocalists include Sam Bush, Tim O'Brien, Victor Krauss, Marcia Ball, Mickey Raphael, Joel Guzman and more. I look forward to that release if it ever surfaces!