Florence & The Machine and Adele

I have an amazing passion and respect for singers like Florence Welch, Adele, and Sia. I just saw this video of Florence singing her amazing song Dog Days Are Over, and I just felt like I had to write a blog about singers who actually can sing and don't need to lip sync! I think it's astonishing to listen to a singer live and find out that they sound exactly as they would when you hear them on the radio, online, or on your ipod. The only other person that did that for me was Adele when I saw her in 2008. I really have this huge urge to go see Sia, because her music gets me every time. Speaking of concerts, I really don't have one lined up yet, other then OK GO! and the Neon Tree's, who I'll be seeing on campus next month. But, I guess I do have Coachella 2011 to look forward to!

Disney & Sesame Street Project

I'm currently enrolled in Health Communications and Interactive Media by the same professor here at school and the students and I are all very lucky to be doing a project for Sesame Street and Disney who will actually review our projects for consideration as future projects for the company. Actually having these gigantic corporations look at our projects is an amazing opportunity not only academically but professionally! For sesame street we are looking to create an online interactive game that focuses on health issues such as the common cold, washing your hands, and preventing the flu. Out target audience: Preschoolers ages three to six! WTH! It is so difficult trying to come up with a game that is so simple yet involves some sort of lesson with health issues. Luckily I was able to do it! My rough ideas are:

1. Health Issue: Common Cold: Elmo & Zoe's on Snow Day!
Help Elmo or Zoe dress for the winter so they can play outside and build snowmen and snow angels! We want to be sure that they were the proper clothes so they don’t get attacked by the common cold! If players are able to choose the right clothing like jackets, gloves, bonnets, and snow pants, Elmo or Zoe will be happy! If they chose the wrong items of clothing from their closet, then Elmo or Zoe will begin to shiver, cough, or sneeze, which indicates that they may get the common cold. Help Elmo and Zoe to stay warm, enjoy the snow, and stay away from getting the common cold!

2. Health Issue: Healthy Lifestyle: The Kooky Cookie Monster Cook!
Help the Cookie Monster pack Elmo, Zoe, and Oscar’s lunch by making sure they get the right foods to make sure they stay happy and healthy! By picking fruit, vegetables, a juice/milk box, and sandwich (bread), the characters will feel happy and healthy by showing the player so. If players choose items such as pizza, hamburgers, or other greasy foods, the characters will show the player that they are tired, have stomachaches, etc. This game will show how healthy lifestyles such as diet, help kids be more strong, healthy, and happy!


3. Health Issue: Exercise: The Ernie and Abby Cadabby Marathon!
Help Ernie or Abby Cadabby stay in good shape by helping them exercise! Help them maneuver an exercise course and pick out the activity you want them to do (IE: run, skip, walk, jump, hop, etc.) If players choose a less active exercise, players will see how Ernie or Abby Cadabby may become overweight (?)

Being that I am a student at a research university, I have to incorporate theories to back up game design and elaborate on the idea of my game being influential and cognitively engaging for preschoolers. For Disney, I am practically doing the exact same thing but without the focus of health issues, so I'm designing games about animals, colors, and numbers. Still, it's a bit difficult trying to create a game for preschoolers, I don't know how people at Sesame St. and Disney do it! But kudos to them! These are my ideas for Disney:

1. Game: Common Cold: Mickey’s Wonderful World of Color
Help Mickey or Minnie fight the Evil Queen and stop her magic! Player must color a black and white scene that was caused by the magic of the Evil Queen according to the subjects of the scene. (trees = green, sky = blue) Players will find cards with a picture of a subject and what the color of the subject is. If the player cannot remember what the color is or chooses the wrong color before they have reached the subject in character, the Evil Queen will come and shrink Mickey or Minnie.

2. Game: Zoo on The Loose!
Help Donald Duck or Daisy find the animals the evil Jafar has let loose into the city! Donald Duck or Daisy need to make sure they get the right number of animals back where they belong before the evil Jafar comes back to the city. Players will locate animals in the city, read the animal kingdom book located in their handy backpack, which helps them learn the animals, and count the particular animals until the player has all those that have escaped. If they pick he wrong animal or number of animals, Mickey encourages them to try again.

3. Game: Count Dracula
Help count Dracula aka Goofy in vampire costume, count the alphabet candy he gets from visiting each haunted house!

I'd get into logistics, but that's the last thing I need to blogging about. But i'm actually looking forward to my designs and seeing what these huge corporations have to say!

Alex Bennett & Jamie Conday for Alexander McQueen Spring 2011

What an amazing collection. I thought that black trench was divine, those cargo skinnies were literally calling my name, a one button button up? (GENIUS!), and zipped shoulder sweater.... Great collection by Alex and Jamie. I thought everything was very wearable in this Spring's collection. Why aren't I rich?

Chanel Iman for Elle Italia October 2010

I'm not really a huge fan of Chanel Iman, but I must say, she can work some good poses! Check out her fierce poses for Elle Italia editorial for this month. I think her smile just bugs me, that or the fact that she looks more commercial than high fashion. Than again who am I to say she's commercial, when she lands spreads in Vogue and Elle. I'm not hatin, I would just prefer my Coco, Anja, Freja, Natasha, Lara, Karlie, and Jessica. Oh and maybe I am a bit jealous that her out of all my fav's got to be chosen as a VS angel! wth? They better have my Stam on that glittery runway in November!

CBS: Bay Sunday

So far, it has been an incredible journey interning at CBS and I'm really enjoying some of the things I do. I'm currently looking in to booking fellow comedians, DL Hughely and Margaret Cho on the show if all goes well! I was also very fortunate to have contacted Ingrid Michaelson and her management team about coming on the show before her performance in San Francisco! On previous segments of the show, we've had many many guests including Chef Tomm, Brooke White, Patty Duke, Marga Gomez (pictured), and many many more! I hope to personally book more guests for the show, because it really goes to show how well I can do on my own.

Are you interested in the yummiest reciepes, latest gadgets, and the latest in news/arts/community information in the Bay Area? Be sure to check out Bay Sunday and become a fan to check out what's current! Click here to be a fan!

Lara Stone for Vogue US October 2010

It seems like everyone wants a piece of Lara Stone; Carine had her on the cover of Vogue Paris's 90th anniversary cover, and now Anna has her in a spread with Jeremy Renner of The Hurt Locker. I loved loved loved the spread, and how creative to enhance the layout with a newspaper theme. It doesn't seem very VOgue, which is great about it. It's not the normal editorial, I get more of a story with this spread. Tonne Goodman, one of the best stylists in my opinion, styled the shoot and kept it very Vogue US. Great editorial and Lara looks amazing.

Christina Ricci for Blackbook Magazine

I've loved her since she was little Wednesday Addams. Look how fierce she's grown up!

Update: School.

Ok seriously, I have EIGHT papers total due this quarter, FOUR of which are TEN to TWLEVE pages SINGLE SPACED. This is going to be hell. With my papers, I have FOUR midterms, FOUR FINALS (ONE on a SATURDAY!), and ONE group project. I hate complaining, but seriously?! UGH, I guess all I can say is BRING IT!!!