Nice Hair

Picture of my hair:


Inspiration picture:


Hair trial:

Lady Gaga Gets Real About Fashion and Fame for V

What look Lady Gaga will rock next is anyone’s guess. But if there’s one thing we can count on from the singer, it’s that whatever she wears — or does — it’ll be outrageous. In the Fall issue of V magazine, she lives up to her wild-child persona with stunning, super-bronzed images shot by Mario Testino — and we have the exclusive first look. In a frank interview, the unorthodox cover-girl dishes about her unique take on style, saying, “Us Weekly putting me on a worst-dresses list? I couldn’t care less. If Karl Lagerfeld called me an ugly hag, then I’d be upset. Because it’s Karl Lagerfeld.” As unique as her look is, however, she finds that she still sometimes gets pigeonholed. “When I was a brunette, they called me Amy Winehouse,” she says. “When I was a blonde, they called me Madonna. Then they called me Christina, then Gwen. I just don’t think most people’s reference points go back very far.” And although she’s achieved global fame, the singer can still get dazzled by celebrity. And who wouldn’t, after finding out that Madonna is in the audience of your N.Y.C. concert? “My sister texted me and she was like, ‘Madonna is 15 feet away from me.’ This is awesome! I just remember thinking, ‘wow, this is exactly what I wanted.’” Pick up V on newsstands September 1st.

Rihanna Lunches While Chris Talks to Larry King

Rihanna had lunch at one of her favorite restaurants, Da Silvano, in NYC yesterday. Chris Brown's sentencing has brought both he and Rihanna back in the news again and revealed scary incidents about their relationship. Still Rihanna didn't let that stop her from going clubbing at Greenhouse with Serena Williams and Queen Latifah after Chris's court date on Tuesday. Chris also partied that night, which could have gotten him in trouble since his probation prohibits him from being at places where "alcohol is the chief item of sale." We'll be hearing from Chris himself when his interview on Larry King airs next week, but in the meantime Rihanna doesn't seem to be letting anything break her stride.

Interior Design Art Deco by Stocco

Italian company Stocco offers a charming wall mirror collection called Art Deco. It consists of several parts that differ by mirror shapes. Although all of them are united by amazing designs. These mirrors are Quadro, Linea, Verticali and Onda. They could be equipped with built-in lights, so they fit for bathroom. Although they are so beautiful that they can become a perfect decoration of any room.

The mirrors are available in different refine finishes and can be adaptable to all styles of interior design. For example, that could be as an opulent glass frame with silver or gold coverings as in opposite a simple decorative strip by one side of a mirror. If you want to decorate your apartment by one of such wall mirrors then you could find more information about them on Stocco site.

Strike a pose and say, ‘Cheese!’

MANILA, Philippines—On Monday afternoon, “Your Songs” held a press conference at the City Best Chinese Restaurant on Tomas Morato (thanks so much to our friends from the press for spending your precious time with us, as well as to the owners and staff of City Best for being so amazingly hospitable). We showed a mock-up of the website for the concert and shared our concept with the media people present. I did a Q&A with the reporters as well as a few quick one-on-ones … and smiled. A lot.

One part of doing press conferences is smiling for the cameras. There are some right smack in front of you, others on both sides. Thankfully, our photographers are incredibly polite; no “name screaming” to get their target’s attention.

Following the press conference, it was time to head to a photo shoot for a popular glossy magazine. Instead of a roomful of flashbulbs, the lighting for this setup was deliberate, carefully placed to highlight my features as well as the fabulous makeup and hair job and the fun clothes.

Tilt your head, chin down … look straight at the camera. Smile, please!

One part of any celebrity’s job is to have his or her pictures taken. Whether it’s for an album cover, a magazine spread, a press gathering, or even that random fan pic taken at a signing session, it’s our job to pose and smile for the cameras trained in our direction.

Unflattering photographs
Unfortunately, however, there are some unflattering photographs taken, as evidenced by the US tabloids (cellulite shots of celebs in their bikinis, for example). These are shots we can’t always control, and I’m envious of the celeb who always seems to look fabulous regardless of the circumstance. I’ve seen some pictures of myself that I just don’t give a second glance to, because of a bad angle, an overly oily complexion, or just looking more than a few pounds overweight.

For the most part, though, I’m quite happy with the pictures taken of me, even under the least ideal of situations ... but happiest when the photo is taken in that wonderfully controlled environment.

Allow me to share a few secrets on how those magazine and album covers, posters and billboards are made to look simply fabulous.

A top-notch photographer. There are many of these talented artists working today: Raymund Isaac, Ronnie Salvacion, Sara Black and Francis Abraham are a few favorites I’ve worked with. They are great people with a great eye. They each have different styles of working (Raymund spouts expletives when he grabs a shot he really likes, and Francis will play YouTube videos while waiting for the next setup), but each brings his unique sense of beauty and humor to every shoot. There are also photographers I’ve never worked with, but whose works I really love—Marc Nicdao and Jojit Lorenzo are two of them. Here’s hoping for an opportunity in the future.

Makeup! I place a lot of value on, and trust in, the hands that handle my face for a photo shoot … names like Juan Sarte III, Steven Doloso, Gela Laurel-Stehmeier and Jingky Ilusorio are but a few of those I’ve worked with over the last many years. Again, each of them brings a unique style and aesthetic to the table while wielding the tools of their trade. One specializes in that “fresh and dewy” look, another in “old Hollywood” glamour. I love that my face looks just a little bit different depending on who’s taking care of me, but that it still looks like me.

Bag of tricks

Fabulous clothing. When a stylist is in charge of the look, he or she takes to the shoot a clothing rack filled with possibilities: blouses, dresses, gowns, trousers, T-shirts, coats and jackets, plus all kinds of shoes, and baubles, bangles and beads. Also included in that virtual bag of tricks are safety pins, clamps of different sizes and masking tape. A lot of the time, stylists will borrow clothes by different designers, or source stuff from different ready-to-wear brands … and a lot of the time the clothes will not be a perfect fit. Sometimes, something will be too long (safety pins needed for the cuff on those jeans), too big (clamps fastened down the back of that oversized blouse, and masking tape to taper the sleeves), or too tight (prayer is the only hope). For that perfect shot, it doesn’t matter how Frankenstein-ish your dress looks from the back; it’s all about how it flatters you from up front.

Striking that perfect pose. A model (in this case, yours truly) will be instructed on poses. I’ve oftentimes found myself contorted in some of the strangest positions. I’ll be asked to turn my head here … then there … raise an arm, angle my elbow in a certain way, lean against a wall. In my head I know which angles work best for my face, but I also put my trust in the photographer to place my face (and the rest of me) in the most flattering pose.

Frank Wildhorn & Friends

Hello to my fans in Las Vegas! I shall be visiting your city very soon to sing in “Frank Wildhorn and Friends” with Linda Eder, Rob Evan and Douglas Sills. We shall be singing music from “Jekyll & Hyde,” “Dracula” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” plus music from Mr. Wildhorn’s newest pieces. We’ll be at the UNLV.

See you all then!

Trends Updates

Fashion designers always tend to take to the streets for inspiration when they run out of idea for something creative. Of course, fashion does not believe in mimicking anybody’s style; rather, it is the creation of one’s own style through what one learns from others.

StyleRays is a microblogging site for the most fashion conscious on the planet. If you feel that flaunting your Calvin Kleins or your Armanis isn’t getting you the desired attention, then this is the place to head to. Similar to the microblogging site Twitter where people leave short messages updating followers about what they are doing that minute, StyleRays allows you to upload pictures of what you are wearing at any given moment. Your fan followers can then check out your pics and either use them as fashion tips or tell you what a fashion blunder you are. You can Tweet our style updates and link them to Facebook as well.

StyleRays does not believe in restricting your fashion sense, so even the geekiest things can be found here. Everything from what to wear to the beach, nail art, ferocious dreadlocks, and what not can be seen on the site. Don’t fear that you might commit a fashion faux pas here because if how you look right now isn’t cool enough then just change away and post another pic!

THE PICTURE YOU CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT...

The editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine, Cindi Leive, was on the show this morning to talk about a photo in their latest issue that has drawn a lot of attention.


Courtesy: Walter Chin/Glamour Magazine

Leive writes on her blog:

It's a photo that measures all of three by three inches in our September issue, but the letters about it started to flood my inbox literally the day Glamour hit newsstands. (As editor-in-chief, I pay attention to this stuff!) "I am gasping with delight...I love the woman on p 194!" said one...then another, and another, and another and another and another. So...who is she? And what on earth is so special about her?

Leive explains:

"The woman on p. 194" is actually 20-year-old model Lizzi Miller, and this is her second appearance in Glamour, shot by fashion photographer Walter Chin.

Lizzi Miller joined Leive in the segment this morning to talk about the reaction to the picture.

You can watch the segment here and read more of Leive's blog here. Or, read about it all here.

Cindy Crawford Style My Room Contest And A Giveaway

It’s a chance to win a chance to shop with Cindy Crawford in the Style My Room contest. For those who have a room in their house (or apartment) that is in desperate need of a style makeover, this contest is perfect for them.

All participants need to do to enter, is head to http://www.cindycrawfordstylecontest.com/ and submit their photos of a room in their home that is having a “style emergency” and then explain why the room is in need of a makeover.

The grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid trip for two to Los Angeles for a shopping trip with Cindy Crawford at JCPenney. The winner will receive a $2,000 gift card to use towards Cindy Crawford Style merchandise.

Four runner ups will win a JCPenney gift card for $1,000 towards Cindy Crawford Style merchandise.

Cindy Crawford’s new home furnishings will be coming to JCPenney in September. The collection of home accessories, Cindy Crawford Style, will be available exclusively at JCPenney.

To see all of the latest in home design from Cindy Crawford Style head to www.jcp.com.



I’m old enough that I remember when I was a teenager JC Penney was not a place where you’d find trendy things. Can you say Plain Pockets? As a young teen in high school I was often picked on. As a result I wanted cool jeans with a label like the other kids had, not Plain Pockets. But, my Mom didn’t have the money for designer jeans so she had to buy the more affordable Plain Pockets.

My son isn’t all about labels (he has a few favorites) but he does like certain fits and certain looks. His favorite clothes are jeans. The Arizona jeans that fit my son the best and wear well are nothing like Plain Pockets were back in the day. Or are they? I’ve read on the internet that Arizona Jeans were a rebranding of Plain Pockets. Wow! Whodda thunk it? He likes the variety and the look and I like the price.

Have you checked out JC Penney lately?

WIN IT!

One winner will receive a $50 JC Penney gift card.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter visit JC Penney Teen and check out the lunchroom runway. (To do this click on the big banner where it says “check out the new styles”.) Find an item you like and make note of the name of it. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me the name of the item.

BONUS ENTRIES - LOTS OF THEM!

1 - Sign up for my newsletter. (in sidebar)
1 - Subscribe to my RSS feed. (top of page)
1 - Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here.
1 - Tweet this giveaway.
1 - Friend me on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/valmg
1 - Fave this blog at Technorati AND leave your Technorati name here.
1 - Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 - Place my button on your blog.

1 - Visit HereAndThere.US (my Mom) and leave a comment on any post (except a giveaway post) there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Friday 08/28/09 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!

Alexa, Sophia, Hilary and Mischa Party With The Ronsons

Alexa Chung had another evening out on the town last night, heading to Charlotte Ronson's party in New York to celebrate her clothing line with US store JC Penney. Charlotte's siblings showed up to do DJ sets and support their sister, with Mark and Samantha both hitting the decks and hanging out with friends like Mischa Barton at the party. Other famous guests included Sophia Bush, Olivia Thirlby, Hilary Duff, Zoe Kravitz, Sean Lennon and Mischa's The Beautiful Life costar Ashley Madekwe. What a star studded bash!

Sienna Settles Down For a Few Good Weeks in NYC

Sienna Miller was out again yesterday for another afternoon of rehearsals for After Miss Julie following her evening out at The September Issue premiere on Wednesday. She attended the screening alongside Anna Wintour, who apparently had a few of her famous guests — including Diddy — on their best behavior. It looks like Sienna sightings will be a regular occurrence as she gets ready for her Broadway debut, but she will be making a quick trip back to London soon. She and her sister Savannah have their second-ever presentation of their twenty8twelve line scheduled for the city's upcoming Spring Fashion Week.

Who looks beautiful Karisma or Kareena ?

Karisma or karishma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor are the sisters and the beautiful actresess in the bollywood film industry. While Karisma first entered in to the silver screen followed by Kareena. Karisma has given much appreciated movies mainly acting with govinda in the comedy based movies, but due to some reasons Karisma has suddenly dissappeared, after Kareena entered rocked audience with her charming face and today she is one of the top leading acttress in the hindi cinema.

When it comes to picking favourites, Kareena swears by International Fashion designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Ted Baker, Armani and Dior.

Karisma on the hand prefers the electic and colourful Indian wear clothing lines of Shantanu and Nikhil, Gayatri Khanna and sarees by Tarun Tahiliani. She prefers to stick with high-end brands such as Birkin, YSL and Chanel when it comes to accessories and handbags.

Tell us who looks gorgeous of Kapoor sisters

Who’s more stylish: Bebo or Lolo?

Sisters Karisma and Kareena Kapoor are two beautiful fashionistas, in tune with the latest fashion trends and styles. They always manage to cut a pretty picture whenever and wherever.

Where Karisma excels in Indian wear, Kareena works the latest red carpet gowns and designer dresses. Bebo loves experimenting with colours and prints, while Lolo would rather stick with the safer options. Black being Karisma’s favourite, you are bound to see her wearing the dark colour very often at many events.

When it comes to picking favourites, Kareena swears by International Fashion designers such as Roberto Cavalli, Ted Baker, Armani and Dior.

Karisma on the hand prefers the electic and colourful Indian wear clothing lines of Shantanu and Nikhil, Gayatri Khanna and sarees by Tarun Tahiliani. She prefers to stick with high-end brands such as Birkin, YSL and Chanel when it comes to accessories and handbags.

• 

Read also

• kandasamy review, mallana review, kantaswamy review, kandasamy movie
• Rakhi Sawant as mother hates when a child cries | Pati Patni Aur Woh on Imagine
• Hrithik Roshan to do for remake of Magadhera
• Konkona Sen & Ranvir Shorey to tie the knot on Dec 27
• Ganesh Chaturthi festival, Bollywood stars about to celebrate it

I’m On the Cover of People!!

I am on the cover of People magazine! I can’t believe it! The issue comes out this week so make sure you grab a copy to read my exclusive interview!

Five Features We Want to See in Google Voice

28,122 views (Edit, to draft, Slurp)

Copy this whole post to another site

cancel

select site advertising consumerist deadspin defamer fleshbot gay fleshbot gawker gizmodo idolator io9 jalopnik jezebel kotaku lifehacker valleywag artists gawkershop sploid

Google Voice is one of those great services none of us knew we needed until it came along. Now that it's here, we'd like to suggest a few changes that could shape it into an even better productivity tool.

Why offer up our unsolicited advice on where Google should next look to improve its phone-controlling service? Because we, and many of our readers, spend a good chunk of time thinking up dream uses for our computers and gadgets, and we want to see those dreams come true. To firm them up, and make a geeky, early-adopter service something everyone can benefit from, we offer up these five features and fixes we'd like to see Google Voice take on.

Not quite sure what Google Voice can do already? Take a tour around our screenshot-filled first look, and read our take on who does and doesn't need Google Voice.

1. Less lag

In two separate phone interviews for Lifehacker, I called a Google Voice user from my Google Voice number. In both calls, the audio quality was sufficient and the call recording worked perfectly. When the interviews transitioned into chat and niceties, our sentences tumbled into crosstalk and start-and-stop sentences. It's variable and sometimes negligible, but it's very jarring to feel like you're making a Skype call in 2004 on a cell phone you bought last month.

This audio clip details what I'm talking about. It's two snippets of Google Voice users talking, taken from a recent interview:

Some Voice users haven't noticed much, or even any, lag on their calls, but as more and more people are invited into the service, it could grow from an occasional annoyance to a brand-crushing flaw—just ask an AT&T customer about their dropped call frequency. It's an issue that only Google can fix, and they almost certainly know about it. We can only hope it's addressed before a nuts-and-bolts issue tarnishes an otherwise elegant cloud service.

2. Multi-recipient SMS and MMS support

Being free is a killer feature of Google Voice's SMS. It's one of the major reasons Apple and AT&T killed Google's Voice app for iPhones, because getting customers to pay real money for a data service that's essentially free is important enough to incur the wrath of the tech community—even certain steadfast iPhone fans. At the moment, though, Google Voice doesn't offer two features that the cheapest phone on a pre-paid wireless plan can provide.

In the case of MMS—generally, text messages with pictures, audio, or video—Google Voice's capabilities at the moment are behind the first-generation iPhones. There's no message to sender or receiver that MMS isn't supported, or a link for the receiver to "pick up" the data. MMS messages to Google Voice users just don't go through, dying somewhere between a data farm and a cell phone. That leaves your friends disappointed you didn't catch their pic with a 3 Wolf Moon shirt, and puts the responsibility on you to ask friends to selectively send multimedia messages to your email.

The straight-up SMS messages that do work work well, but they can't be sent to more than one recipient from any Voice interface, at least without a quick-fingered copy-paste action. Our guess is that Google might be waiting until they can put a Gmail-level spam-blocking system in place, but it will be opened up eventually. As for MMS messages, let's hope that Google can at least catch up to AT&T.

3. Tight, smart integration with Google services

Google's web applications already take some heat for inconsistent visual styles, as well as being strangely disconnected in their contact and identity use. Voice would be a great chance to start meshing them all together.

Imagine reading a message in Gmail and replying to it with a quick SMS or phone call, if you have that contact's phone number entered. In more exciting fashion, you could record a call with somebody, get a transcription (perhaps with a "Pro" account or pay-per-word plan, if free doesn't work), then push it into a Google Document to work with. Contacts you invite to a group event from Google Calendar could be SMS messaged to RSVP or for a reminder, with a Maps link or directions to the location. These are things anyone can accomplish using multiple Google services, of course, but if Voice is meant to centralize your phone life using Google's cloud, it shouldn't require having multiple tabs open to monitor inboxes that are different, but can be processed from the same set of contacts.

4. Universal voice dialing

This one's not all that hard, presumably, and something Google can benefit from. Some phones already have voice dialing, but the features and reliability vary widely. For those using Google Voice with non-cellphones, clunky smartphones, or internet-calling headsets, having Voice connect the call would be a pretty nice convenience, and one that Google's voice recognition servers can already pull off. It wouldn't necessarily be 100-percent reliable, but it would help Google's transcription software to train specifically on names, a notable weakness in its voicemail transcriptions.

In our soft-focus vision of the future, you plug in alternate, easy to understand alternate names for your contacts ("Joe from the office") and use them when Google asks who you want to call when you dial into your Voice number. In the same way Gmail frees you from having to re-learn how to use various email clients, Voice should free you from having to train all your phones on the proper pronunciation of your spouse's name.

5. Leave voice notes for yourself (and email while you drive)

Another quick, simple tweak that Google could totally pull off by next weekend, or at least fairly soon, is a voice note feature. Just add an option to "leave yourself a note" to the prompts you hear when you call your own Google Voice number. Since you can set up certain phones to go right to those prompts, with or without a PIN, it would be a convenient place to leave oneself voicemail, and implementing direct recording access into Voice's mobile apps would be even better. It's something note/to-do service reQall already does with its iPhone app, and if Google really wanted to run wild with it, they could replicate just a little bit of the functionality of voice service Jott. They've already got your contact names, email address and SMS number, so saying "Email David ... Call you when I get home" isn't a blue-sky dream.

Little niggling remainders

In short order, here's the stuff that just deserves a line or two:

• Adjust the number of rings to voicemail: Otherwise, you have to figure out how to set all your Voice-connected phones to ring longer than Voice's wait period (five rings, we think).
• Google Apps support: For those whose main Google Voice use is for business, and so Voice accounts don't have to be tied to personal Google accounts and their contacts.
• Number porting: It's actually a big niggling thing, but we've already discussed how it could change the adoption process, and that Google is rumored to be working on it. For now, having to hand out a new number to contacts is just a notable inconvenience.
• Allow account setups without SMS-capable phone: For those who want to give the service a "soft" try-out, and to continue GrandCentral's voicemail for the homeless project.

GALLERY: Is This Rihanna’s Booty?

Wait, Rihanna’s got back?? Last time we checked the singer wasn’t overly blessed in the cheeks department. These latest photos of Rihanna surfaced on RihannaDaily.com and they sure do show some junk in her trunk. It’s being said that she’s wearing butt pads? She could just be the cut of the jeans as well. Check out the photos and tell us what you think:

And MORE IMPORTANTLY we just heard from X17 Online Chris Brown was seen at her hotel:

Rihanna was at the Sofitel Hotel in West Hollywood the other day, taking a break from a recording session at a nearby studio. Around 6pm, Chris showed up, and we’re not sure if the two got drinks or booked a room, but they’re definitely up to something! Chris has no reason to be at the hotel, so we really hope these two aren’t trying to be sneaky about rekindling their romance!

Here’s the video from the sighting:

Rihanna runs L.A. here!

See Rihanna “Run This Town” with Kanye and Jay!

Win Anon's New Sunnies!!

Anon’s got a bunch of new styles out at the moment and Trines was good enough to swing us a few pairs to give away to you guys! So, click below the cut – there’s two questions – one for the Dallas, one for the Kennedy – you can answer one or both, it’s up to you. Rick and I will pick two winners at random in the next few days… Good luck!

The Dallas Question: Name the motorbike loving Anon rider who appeared in issue 12 of Pop.

Email your answer here.

The Kennedy Question: Taking into account the new style names, the Kennedy and the Dallas, what historical event do you think inspired them?

Back To School - Shopping At Marshalls And A Giveaway

BE “IN”-SPIRED BY TV’S HOTTEST BACK-TO-SCHOOL LOOKS

Both Parents and Teens win with celebrity look-a-like styles from Marshalls by Hollywood stylist, Art Conn

FRAMINGHAM, MA (Fall 2009) – Life is imitating art this back to school season with television’s hottest shows inspiring the most fashionable back-to-school looks. But parents and teens don’t need celebrity-sized budgets to achieve the look of their favorite TV character. Whether the look is preppy, rock or grunge, off-price retailer, Marshalls, has all of the trendy, in-season clothing and accessories to re-create any look for a lot less than department or specialty stores. To ensure teens have the proper style-guidance before roaming the “hall-runway” and hitting homeroom, Marshalls is teaming up with celebrity stylist, Art Conn to show how to get those must-have looks at no-fuss prices. Conn has developed a list of top looks, as well as tips on ways to wear them back to school to help all teens make the fashion grade.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the most sought-after fashion icons. One of my favorite things is to show how easy it is to take inspiration from their looks and re-create your own without sacrificing high-end style at prices that fit within your budget,” says Art Conn, fashion stylist. “Every time I shop at Marshalls I am always amazed by the great designer looks and trends I find at such low prices. It’s not about big budgets or living in a fashion capitol, you can still get the top trends that you see your favorite celebrities wearing for a lot less at Marshalls”.

“For back-to-school shopping, Marshalls is a win-win for parents and teens,” says Laura McDowell, Marshalls spokesperson. “Juniors can get everything they need from school supplies to designer fashions to re-create their favorite celebrity looks, and parents are happy saving up to 60 percent off department store prices. It’s the perfect fashion and financial lesson!”

The most popular styles this season are taken from the hottest TV shows and fall in to three distinct categories – rocker, grunge and preppy. When choosing a back to school wardrobe, it’s key to find pieces that can be worn multiple ways. Art did the homework for you, and has suggestions on how to bring the looks from your favorite celebrities to real life for a fraction of the price. Here are Art’s suggestions on how to wear the must-haves of the season:

Xoxo, Preppy and Plaid

Spotted, the looks from everyone’s favorite Upper East Siders roaming the halls of high schools everywhere. On the girls – skinny jeans, paired with ruffled tunics or menswear-inspired button downs under blazers. Accessories include beautiful brooches worn on the lapel and ballet flats or detailed pumps. The boys have been spotted wearing madras plaid shorts, striped sweaters over collared shirts, buttons downs with vests and driving moccasins, and even hats as they dress to impress.

Idol-ize Your Wardrobe

Rockers can rejoice – it’s easier than ever to show off personal style without selling out. Novelty leggings are key this season – cutouts, rips and tears, lace and thermal styles. Booties – heels, flats and wedges – complete the look. Rocker chicks can layer leggings under fitted dresses or flowy skirts worn with a motorcycle jacket or plaid button down and an over-sized or studded belt. For guys, the essential element in every rocker dude’s wardrobe is the hoodie. Find a vintage or distressed hooded sweatshirt and layer it over graphic tees or collared shirts. Pair the look with denim and let the inner rockstar come out.

Gorgeous Grunge

Let style shine from dusk ‘til dawn with attire inspired by everyone’s favorite vampires. To get the perfect “grunge” look, girls and guys can actually wear modified versions of the same trends – torn or repaired denim skirts for girls and pants for boys, flannel plaid button downs for boys and plaid tunics for girls. No grunge look is complete without accessories. Hats such as fashion skull caps make a great accessory, as do scarves and funky sneakers or chunky heeled shoes.

Welcome to College Country

Back-to-school shopping means more than just shopping for a new wardrobe. Marshalls is a one-stop shop for all back-to campus needs – college students can find everything from bed spreads to room décor to mp3 player docking stations and even school supplies for their new dorm.

About Art Conn

Art Conn is a seasoned celebrity wardrobe stylist and is currently one of the stylists on “American Idol.” For the last five years, Conn has helped dress everyone from David Cook and Jordin Sparks to Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. Art has also dressed celebrities like Kristin Cavalleri, Tyra Banks, and “Bachelorette,” Jillian Smith for photo shoots, celebrity award shows, talk shows and more. Additionally, Art has styled many music videos and concert tours for artists like Pink, Lenny Kravitz and Meatloaf.

Special Departments to Suit Every Style

The CUBE

The CUBE is the sweet spot is for juniors’ right inside select Marshalls’ stores. Intended for young women who are looking for the season’s hottest trends and styles, this easy-to-shop ‘boutique within a store’ showcases up-to-the-minute looks in apparel, shoes, handbags and jewelry. The CUBE presents a stylish look and feel, with a color scheme, music and lighting unique from the rest of the store. Rather than being arranged by size, apparel in the CUBE is organized by style, so shoppers can find what they’re looking for and create a stylish, head-to-toe outfit more easily. To find a CUBE location, visit www.marshallsonline.com/cube.asp.

Marshalls Shoe MegaShop

Marshalls Shoe MegaShop offers hundreds of styles for every activity. From gym shoes to prom heels, Marshalls carries a wide variety of sizes and styles for everyone. After all, no outfit is complete without the perfect pair of shoes. Check out the great selection of designer and brand name shoes at the best prices around…we know you will come back for more! To find locations of the Marshalls Shoe MegaShops (found inside most Marshalls stores), or for more information, visit www.marshallsonline.com/megashoe.asp

About Marshalls

Marshalls is one of the nation’s leading off-price family apparel and home fashion retailers with over 810 stores spanning 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls offers a wide selection of current season, top quality, brand name fashions for the entire family as well as giftware and domestics for the home at prices 20-60% less than department stores, specialty boutiques and catalogs.

WIN IT!

One winners will receive a $25 Marshalls Gift Card.

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite thing to wear was when you were in school and if you’d still wear it now.

BONUS ENTRIES - LOTS OF THEM!

1 - Sign up for my newsletter. (in sidebar)
1 - Subscribe to my RSS feed. (top of page)
1 - Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here.
1 - Tweet this giveaway.
1 - Friend me on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/valmg
1 - Fave this blog at Technorati AND leave your Technorati name here.
1 - Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 - Place my button on your blog.
1 - Visit HereAndThere.US (my Mom) and leave a comment on any post (except a giveaway post) there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Tuesday 08/25/09 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: Mariah Carey’s

Courtesy Elizabeth Arden

Mariah Carey may have pushed back the release of her anticipated new album, but there’s no stopping another launch the beauty maven has in the works. Following the success of her two previous signature scents, M by Mariah Carey and Luscious Pink, the singer is poised to hit another high note with a new fragrance for fall — and she’s debuting her sexy ads online exclusively on PEOPLE.com. “Fragrance is so personal,” she tells PEOPLE, “and Forever captures that glamorous feeling that I want to share with my fans.” The opulent floral scent, which will start at $42 for a 1-oz. spray, will contain notes of lotus blossom, tuberose, gardenia, exotic woods and white musk. Tell us: Will you try Forever when it launches in September?

Spring 2009!

A time for new beginnings, it’s a long story!

This season is all about length. The longer the better it seems, which is great news as you can do so much more with longer hair. Popular this season is loose curls that hang around your face. With the days warming up it’s great to have other option; the schoolgirl ponytail is big this season along with anything in the up-do category. Up-do hits include the chignon (putting it simply, the bun), milkmaid braids (first introduced by Sienna Miller as early as 2007) and twists. These come in different shapes and forms and worn casual or formal. View the various “Prom & Updo” sections in our hairstyle galleries for great ideas.

The styles vary but one thing remains constant – it’s got to be messy. So girls, it’s time to perfect that “just out of bed” look! Getting this right requires a little work; it’s not as easy as ‘literally’ getting out of bed.

Here are a few tips to get it right. First start with a volumizing shampoo, this will give your hair extra volume without requiring the use of other hair products. Hang your head upside down and do a quick blow dry. If you want a bit of a messier do simply tease the ends a little. If you want to add a few curls use a curling iron on the ends, allow the hair to cool and simply loosen the curl. Now that you have your messy hair you can put it in a ponytail or create a bun by twisting your ponytail and pinning it around the base.

Color magic: This season’s big hit is Peroxide Blonde! Introduced by the head trendsetter, Kate Moss, and others do follow, like Gwenth Paltrow. Although this could be a little drastic for most, the rule this spring is: “Brighten Up”, no matter what color your hair is as long as it’s 2 to 3 shades lighter than usual.