I like music as much as the next guy (or gal), but it takes something really special to shake me up. If you’ve ever visited some of music’s best cities, like Austin and Nashville, you’ll know that Indie bands are often the best. They keep true creativity and talent alive, something that mainstream, big box music is missing. It’s the difference between shopping at your local boutique and the Gap.

One band that is creating an earthquake on the underground music scene is J Roddy Walston and the Business. This band has got a vibe that mixes 90s grunge alternative with rock’s golden age of the 50s. It’s denim and flannel meets James Brown (if you can imagine such a thing) and it works! J Roddy plays the piano and sings with intensity, like a man obsessed, hair flying with every note. The entire show (and it IS a show) is nothing less than contagious as are the creative and catchy lyrics. There is lots to be gained here so be sure to see if these Baltimore natives are coming to a town near you. And for the fashionista who can’t decide what to wear to the concert I suggest platforms for a leg up on the crowd!

While this is decidedly too much color for me to wear all at once, the image below made me smile. Wearing bright colors in winter helps lift my mood and keeps me hopeful that warmer days are right around the corner. Flowers are also a great boost this time of year, adding some life to your home or office. We are all ready to thaw out right about now. If you are stuck indoors for a day try playing around with your wardrobe and experimenting with new combinations. You might find a new item you forgot to wear or an old item you can reinvent. Color is definitely a cheap mood lifter!

I can’t say i’m very lucky when it comes to winning prizes, but seeing all the fabulous items Lucky Magazine gives away each month inspires me to keep entering and hoping. This month is better than most because we are given 45 chances to win! Each day there is a new chance to score everything from a year worth of flowers to a Juicy bag to gorgeous jewelry. So what are you waiting for? Go to Luckymag.com and click on Free Stuff!

In other news, we are in the midst of a very cold winter. Usually, by this time of year I am able to rally my optimism that spring is around the corner, and I start purchasing my spring wardrobe. But this year lack of funds and below zero temps have put the freeze on any new purchases. I was very excited when i saw the picture below of a French girl wearing my winter uniform: chunky sweater, fur vest and skinny jeans. If the French are wearing this it must be tres chic! I also spotted my fave buffalo check jacket on a girl in Florence and fluffy sweater dress paired with tights in Milan. Just inject a pop of red for February. Hopefully next month i’ll be able to add more spring to my step. Being a Lucky winner would help!

The looks that were seen on last nights Golden Globe red carpet are sure to inspire the colors and cuts of gowns and ready-to-wear for the coming year. Definite trends popped up here and there like emerald green, champagne and nude colored dresses. It was almost like the designers were conspiring and perhaps they were.

My favorite look of the night was the emerald green gowns best personified by Catherine Zeta-Jones in Monique Lhuillier and Mila Kunis in Vera Wang. Elisabeth Moss and Angelina Jolie also looked stunning in green, but the cuts of their gowns left something to be desired.

While there was plenty of pink, red and black to go around, the lack of color was a definite trend. Carrie Underwood looked ravishing in a shimmering champagne Badgley Mischka strapless gown. Jennifer Lopez wore sparkling white as did adorable Hailee Steinfeld. Dianna Agron of Glee, Julie Bowen, and Milla Jovovish rocked the taupe.

There were definitely some gowns that we will definitely not be looking to replicate this year. The worst, in my opinion was, Michelle Williams flower power sheath. Props to Helena Bonham Carter for her fashion risk, but her mismatched shoes and rumpled hair took it a little too far. Heidi Klum looked like she wrapped herself in a 1970′s bedspread just before jumping in her limo and purple animal print is not a good look for Gabourey Sidibe or anyone really. Tilda Swinton’s attire was bland and poorly cute, but we’ve begun to expect that of her.

If I could have any of the marvelous gowns that sashayed down the red carpet, my picks would be Amy Adams’ navy, lazer cut gown by Marchesa or the aforementioned glamourous dress Mila wore. What celebrities will you be turning to for the best fashion trends of 2011?

Golden Globes 2011

2011 isn’t just a new year but a new decade! This is a whole new chapter. How will you begin it? There are so many changes to consider such as the obvious ones like career, diet and exercise and the not so obvious like how we’ll spend our hard earned cash. How we spend our money is perhaps the single most important way to effect change in our society. Here are some purchases to consider.

Support Project FEED which creates fashionable, environmentally friendly, artisan made bags, shirts and accessories. Each purchase you make provides healthy, nutritious foods to places like Kenya, Haiti and Guatemala. So far over 57,243,000 meals have been provided.

Buy an Inspired Gift from UNICEF and support children in need from one of 155 countries in which UNICEF operates. Gifts include food, water, mosquito nets, vaccines, and more. You can also visit SHOP UNICEF and purchase cards, bags, and art work that support life saving initiatives for children around the world.

Invest in the USA by purchasing from companies that make their goods right here. Pendelton woolen mills in Oregon manufactures heirloom quality blankets, jackets and more. Companies like C&C California, Splendid, and Velvet make gorgeous clothing from cotton jersey which is sold in some of the best boutiques and high end stores like Bloomingdales and Saks. New Balance has 6 US factories and there are other American made shoe companies like Okabashi, Loveless Custom Boots, and SAS Shoes.

Let your dollar say what’s important to you in 2011. Let me know what USA brands and charities are your favorites.

2011

At this time of year when your dollars are stretched trying to find the perfect gifts for others, it is fun to indulge in a little window shopping. An artistically done visual display can provide endless creative wardrobe ideas. Even if you don’t like all the items presented it might lead you in a new creative direction and help you think outside the box the next time you’re dressing for an event or even just work. Clothing can totally affect your mood, making you feel fun and festive or comfortable and relaxed.

A few of my favorite stores to window shop include Anthropologie, Saks, Neiman, and Barney’s, but the ultimate window shopping experience is at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. At Bergdorf, artists are carefully selected to create window displays which are full of whimsy, fantasy, and opulence. They go beyond your wildest imagination and are truly objects of art available for anyone traveling 5th Avenue and 57-58th streets to enjoy. Now if like me you are rarely able to travel to New York, Assouline Publishing has created “Windows at Bergdorf Goodman” which captures their most awe-inspiring window displays. It is admittedly pricey however at $550. The next best thing to a trip to NYC or the book is this blog i discovered: http://blog.bergdorfgoodman.com/windows/day-tripping. It pictures and editorializes the displays in all their glory. Happy Holidays!

bergdorf