Nat Geo Photo of the Day

As everyone knows, National Geographic has their annual competition for "Best Picture of the Year". BUT did you know that they feature a photo everyday? I didn't. Since my discovery I haven't stopped clicking through photos. I had to give myself a cutoff of my last birthday. I've complied my top ten photos from May 14th 2010 until now. Hope you like my picks and here's where to see the rest!

Nicki made my daydream into a video...

Nicki's premiere for her video "Moment for Life" came out yesterday, and I was immediately transported back to my childhood daydream....except Nicki is black and I'm not...basically the only difference. I wish a fairy version of Nicki would come play with me!! Anywayyyssss hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!! Watch here!!

You know you're right.... I can't tell who's who either.

Here at Two Girls, One Blog we loooove us some Rebecca & Fiona.
And on acounta my brain feeling like mashed potatoes I thought I'd do some mindless work by turning Dierdre and I into our besties Rebecca & Fiona. If you haven't tried dressing like a European and smiling with your eyes for an entire night ... well then you just haven't lived. We'll see you tomorrow. Alvederzane!

Jonathan Adler: Your 24-hour Pot Dealer

Anyone who knows me knows, A.) I have an unhealthy obsession with Kim Kardashian and B.) I watch WAY too much HGTV and Bravo. Kim aside (but not for too long), Jonathan Adler was introduced to me through a show on Bravo called Top Design a few years back. I quickly became enamoured with his white jeans, sneakers, cardigans...and oh yeah, his design sense. I oo'ed and awww'ed at his designs for months.
Long story short: I stalked long and hard, creating portfolio after portfolio, until I FINALLY emailed the JA headquarters with my application. AND THEY CALLED ME. I got an internship working as a design intern for Mr. Adler himself.

His manifesto is just one of the many reasons (besides the white jeans) that I love Jonathan.

Micki "from the South" Hagler and I in front of JA's Columbus Ave store

OUR MANIFESTO

We believe that your home should make you happy.

We believe that when it comes to decorating, the wife is always right.
Unless the husband is gay.

We believe in carbohydrates and to hell with the puffy consequences.

We believe minimalism is a bummer.

We believe handcrafted tchotchkes are life-enhancing.

We believe tassels are the earrings of the home.

We believe in our muses: David Hicks, Alexander Girard,
Bonnie Cashin. Hans Coper, Gio Ponti, Andy Warhol, Leroy Neiman,
Yves Saint Laurent, and Madonna.

We believe in the innate chicness of red with brown.

We believe in being underdressed or overdressed always.

We believe in infantile, happy emblems like butterflies and hearts.

We believe celebrities should pay full price.

We believe in rustic modernism: Big Sur, A-Frame beach houses,
raw beams, and geodesic dome homes.

We believe in Palm Beach style:
Louis chairs, chinoiserie, Lilly Pulitzer, The Breakers circa '72.

We believe our designs are award winning even though
they've never actually won any.

We believe in Aid to Artisans.

We believe dogs should be allowed in stores and restaurants.

We believe in mantiques - suits of armour,
worn chesterfield sofas, heraldic tapestries.

We believe you should throw out your Blackberry
and go pick some actual blackberries.

We believe colors can't clash.

We believe in blowing your nest egg on our pots.

We believe our lamps will make you look younger and thinner.

We believe in irreverent luxury.



Told you she wouldnt be gone for long.
Hope you guys got some giggles out of JA's manifesto.

Check out his site to see some of the pieces I worked on this summer!

OR go into his Chicago location
676 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL
60611
312.274.9920
Mon-Sat 10 am - 7 pm
Sun Noon - 5 pm

Flames

I stumbled upon the song "Flames" by Karl X Johan, and it became one of my favorite songs. Then tonight I stumble upon the video below for the song, and I was memorized! Take a look for yourself and tell me you aren't amused!

Video Credit: 

Director / Editor: Gustav Johansson
DP: Niklas Johansson
Prod. comp: Camp David Film

http://www.campdavidfilm.com
http://www.gustavjohansson.com

Producer: Erik Torell
1st assistant director: Niclas Larsson
Makeup: Madeleine Gaterud / Magnolia
Stylist: Meghan Scott
Models: MIKAS / ZAP MODELS

Buy Karl X Johan - Flames on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/se/album/flam...

Alicia VS Kanye

Being a huge Kanye fan, I was slightly offended to hear that Alicia Keys sampled his song "Devil in a New Dress" on her song "Speechless". In my opinion Kanye's lyrics work with the music way better than hers. Can you tell which song I am in favor of yet? Don't get me wrong, I love Alicia Keys, I think she has a beautiful voice and that she is very talented...but don't even try and sample a Kanye West song and think you are going to KILL it as hard as he does....because it's impossible. And not to mention, Kanye's video for this song is absolutley brilliant.... I want to be Kanye's bird girlfriend.  YE FOR LIFE.

House Industries Film

Type enthusiast / Iowa City Designer Joseph Whitney tweeted this video earlier today, and well it would be just plain selfish of me to not pass it along to all of you. It comes from House Industries, a type foundry filled with some of the most amazingly talented designers/illustrators.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Unique Boutiques...for the hipster in all of us

After spending the summer living in New York, I can truly say I've gotten in touch with my "hipster" side. I wore fedoras, drank weird beer in Brooklyn and frequented flea markets with obnoxiously overpriced handmade goods. But you know what, I didn't hate it... and I might even miss it. Therefore, I have taken on a personal mission to discover some killer hipster spots in the Chicago area.




Handmade Renegade is one of my faves. They feature the work of over 400 artists DIY/handmade goods.They have everything from handmade fake beards to Obama finger puppets. Besides the cool stuff inside I LURVE the look of their website. Ima sucker for the hand drawn type and illustrations.
1924 W. Division St. / Chicago, IL 60622 / 773.227.2707 / Hours: 11-7 every day







Just down the street is Penelope's. They've been in the Wicker Park area for just under ten years. Part of their mission is to bring young and underrepresented designers to the neighborhood (There is still hope for all of us wide-eyed creatives out there!). It has a Urban Outfitters sort of vibe but maintains that boutique-y feel. Their prices teeter on the edge of being overpriced, but the HUGE SALE they are having right now brings them back down to the everyday fashionistas budget. SO get in there asap and check it out!
1913 W. Division St / Chicago, IL 60622 / 773.395.2351 / Hours: Mon-Sat 11-7 / Sun 12-6

Let's head south of the border shall we? And by south of the border I mean Pilsen.

Knee Deep Vintage
Hand picked high end vintage fashions brought to you by the Owners/Stylists themselves.
1425 W 18th St / Chicago, IL 60608 / 312.850.2510 / Mon- Thurs 12pm - 7pm / Fri & Sat 11am - 8pm / Sun 12pm - 6pm

Deliciously Vintage
Gems from the 20's-50's. And they even buy clothes from the public on Sundays & Mondays!
1747 S Halsted St / Chicago, IL 60608 / 312.733.0407



And last but certainly not least, let's head over to West Town to check out Very Best Vintage. Let's just say they had me at "Hello" or "Velvet Elephant Painting".
1919 W. Chicago Ave / Chicago, IL, 60622 / Tues - Sat 12pm - 7pm / Sun 12pm - 6pm


I hope you can find some time to check out one or two of these shops / get your hipster on.

Peace & Hair Grease

"She must be like, famous or something!"

I love saving money just as much as the next guy, and it makes me sad that looking "fly" means you have to spend a pretty penny and then some. But, NO MORE. Thanks to this lovely website I found looking fresh comes at a fraction of the price! Ok ok, so they don't have "designer" labels, but you will look just as good as the girl next to you who spent 1 million dollars on her outfit, and you'll have extra cash in your cute, new, cheap handbag to buy her a ticket back to wherever she came from! Now like most places that have great prices....some of the stuff is not so cute/kinda sketchy/kinda street-walker....but I know you have it in your soul to look past those items on this website and see it's true beauty and killer prices!! The "New Arrivals" is where you are going to want to head first for the latest looks!! Obviously Shoes is my favorite section. Have fun exploring! Click Here!

"Lemme tell ya bout a girl I know who loves hip hop n rock n roll!"

Greetings! Hope ya'll had a great weekend despite the upsetting bears loss. Hey at least the Hawks beat the Redwings and at least we beat the Flyers in the game that actually mattered last year right?! Anywaysssss, some new tunes that have been catching my ear: The newest single from Cage The Elephant, "Shake me Down". It's a pretty awesome song, kind of a 90s vibe to it, but I think thats why I like it. You may remember this band from their prior single "Aint No Rest For The Wicked". Moving in a completely different direction, Lil Wayne's new song has also caught my attention. However, the first time I heard this song I wasn't sold, it had to grow on me a little bit. When I finally heard this song in my car and not just on my computer, it was instant love, this girl LOVES a FAT BASS.I also enjoy that Weezy says "Real G's move in silence like lasagna"... I just think this lyric is so truthful!! The single is called "6 ft, 7 ft". I'm sure many of you have already heard it, but if not, the link is below! Enjoy the hip hop and rock n' roll' BLESS UP!

The City of Rivalry Love

Anyone else more excited for Sunday's Bears game than the actual Super Bowl? I AM. I already have my Urlacher jersey on and probably won't take it off until the game... Well maybe Saturday when the Hawks head to Detroit to take on the Redwings. Going to be a huge weekend for Chicago sports! These teams have the longest standing rivalries in the NFL and NHL. Ahhh dontcha just love Chicago?

Welp have fun everyone! See you bright and early Monday!


BEAR DOWN!

GO HAWKS!

Happy Friday! Coolest Couple Ever?

Couple Rebecca Scheja and  DJ Adrian Lux, both of Sweden, have captured my heart with their songs! Boys, you may recognize Adrian Lux from FIFA 11, with his song "Can't sleep", which is a great song, however my favorite of his is "Teenage Crime". Adrian's GF Rebecca is equally as talented, she teamed up with her best friend Fiona Fitzpatrick on their first single "Luminary ones", and they absolutely kill it on their latest single "Bullets". Check out my fave songs below, and support my favorite Swedes!! Hope you all enjoy your weekend! Go Bears, but more importantly (in my book at least) Go Hawks!!

Economics, Statistics and Cupcakes...o my?

While baking some muffins this morning, (keep any and all "Cunningham Muffins" jokes to yourselves please) I was reminded of one of my favorite bakeries. Not only are the cupcakes to die for, but the owner has quite an interesting story. Teresa Ging, a graduate of the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics and Statistics, worked in finance before her career in cupcakes. After six years in the business world she up and left for Paris. After Pastry school she came back to Chicago and perfected 20 cupcake recipes before opening her catering business. A little more than a year later she opened the Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique on Wabash. In my opinion, Sugar Bliss is right up there with the Magnolia Bakery of NYC... except there is no obnoxious line and they are mini so you feel like less of a lard after eating one...or two or three. Teresa features five flavors everyday. Any day that she has her Cinnamon Carrot and Chocolate Coconut is the best day to go (soooo Thursdays and Saturdays). She has a complete list on her site of what flavors are on what days so you can plan your visit.

Once Chicago leaves this frozen tundra phase we've entered into, hit up Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique, you will not be disappointed!

Sugar Bliss Cake Boutque
115 N. Wabash
Chicago IL 60602
Mon-Fri: 8am-7pm
Sat.: 9am-6pm
Sun.: 10am-5pm

Snozberries and Gummi Bears

Remember that one scene in Willy Wonka where you cried under your dad's armpit? You know the one where everyone goes on that gondola a.k.a. acid trip with the crazy swirling lights and Gene Wilder's super creepy monologue.

Well Jellio, one of the COOLEST stores ever, kind of reminds me of that scene. They describe themselves as "A world of fun childhood memories brought back as unique home furnishings." The sort of place where you wonder what that person was on when they came up with the design. My personal fave is the Gummi Bear Chandelier. If it weren't 2,400 dollhairs I would probably buy one. They even do custom projects...maybe I'll commission a life-size Polly Pocket studio apartment?

Arcade Fire coming to UIC Pavilion!!!

For those of you living in the Chicagoland Area,  I would just like to inform you ARCADE FIRE IS COMING APRIL 25TH AND TICKETS GO ON SALE THIS SATURDAY!!>>Buy your tickets here! or Here!!! It was literally the best news I heard all day today. I have never seen them in concert, so this will be my first time, but judging from the video below, this show is obviously going to explode my brain cells! I may make a wall count-down calendar like a 3rd grader, haven't decided yet.  Hope to see you there!!

Ryan Gosling, you love me too just admit it.

So Ryan Gosling, best known for The Notebook, by almost every single female in the world, has been inducted to my personal hall of fame; but not for The Notebook, for his recent film, All Good Things. I will be the first to admit that I have a slight obsession with murder mysteries and just strange movies in general, so this film struck my fancy basically when the opening credits began. Plus Ryan Gosling is hot. Kristen Dunst is also in this movie, but her teeth bother me so I tried to just focus on Ryan the entire time. I highly suggest everyone rent/watch this movie, which is based off true events! If I haven't sold you yet, here's the trailer:

And while you are at it, visit this sight for a good laugh: F yes Ryan Gosling.

Museum Madness!

Chicago Hot Blog has put together a great list of all the museums around the city that are offering free admission during the month of January and February. They take it a step further providing if and when they offer free admission throughout the rest of the year!
I even found a new museum on the list (well new to me), the Swedish American Museum. I'm sure Dierdre is already camped outside the entrance with binoculars waiting for Hjalmarsson and his girlfriend to walk in. Love you Dierdre, I'll be next to you waiting for Stalberg (fingers crossed).
Hope this list inspires you to get off the couch/out of the office and into one of Chicago's amazing museums!

HEY! That's Pretty Dope!

So as some of you may know, one of my favorite things to do is brag about finding good songs....and then when they become popular I say things like "ugh I heard that song so long ago"....yeah....I'm that girl. Anyways, I'm going to try to post my fave new jams as much as possible on here! So here is my pick for the week. Nuthin' But a Hero, By: Tabi Bonney. It's kind of Lupe Fiasco, meets sesame street Muppets teach you how to count song...but I love it, and you will too! The video is also pretty cool, not my favorite video of all time, but still good. Enjoyyyyyyyy! Bless up.

I would also like to leave you with a quote from MauraPhyllis herself:

"Does it make you nervous to be around me because I'm so talented?"

The correct answer is: NO

Ya heard?: Old Soul & New Flavour

Grammy nominated Toronto native, Melanie Fiona graced the sound waves of Crate and Barrel once the holiday soundtrack got the boot. Her song "Please Don't Go" quickly became a store favorite. Her old school sound and look remind me of VV Brown, another one of my favorite artists. Melanie recently collaborated with John Legend, The Roots and Common on "Wake Up! Everybody". She definitely holds her own alongside the big boys. Melanie's appearance quickly became my favorite part of the song/video, although Questlove's sunglasses are a close second...
Enjoy the new listen!

"Ya'll ready fo dis?"

Welcome to two girls, one blog!
If we had a giant oversized scissors and a ribbon we'd be cutting it right..... now. Since we don't you will just have to use your imagination. Follow us for updates as we post daily happenings and inspirations! Ya'll come back now ya hear??