I had a great shoot drafted up. However, things happen, and I'm widely dissapointed to give you this because it's no where near entertaining or even remotely good looking. But this is my best of 2011, in all links and detailed explanation. I wanted someone to model all of the items but it doesn't look like I can get someone to do it in such a last minute type situation, or do it for free. So here it goes... I OWN NONE OF THE IMAGES UNLESS STATED.
(apologies if my spelling or grammer is incorrect, I was in a delirious state as I typed all night)
(apologies if my spelling or grammer is incorrect, I was in a delirious state as I typed all night)
Since the original iPhone in 2007, it's been my sidekick (no pun intended). A device that easily syncs my photos, music, links, emails, texts, calendars and so much more, is a device that without question, is worth $500 every year. Much like my American Express card, I will never go anywhere without it. It IS my communication lifeline. RIP Steve Jobs.
I went a couple of months debating on my next laptop. So many topics came into play. Weight, size, screen, processor, and most importantly, battery life. I was relatively close to getting another 15" Macbook Pro, but after reading a fair amount of reviews (all being overly positive) I went for the 2011 refresh of the Macbook Air series. It's light, it lasts 4 times longer then my 2007 Macbook Pro and it's so thin and light that I gave up my iPad for this fully functional laptop. It's a bloggers best friend. (P.S. I did this entire blog with a 75% battery life and I still have 19% left after all the hunting for images, typing and music listening, 4 hours full time running, with still life)
I am a firm believer that ever man should carry a knife, It's a great tool when you need it (and for obvious protection as well). The Barrage mini is a great pocket knife. If you've ever carried one you'll notice the detail in quality. Every piece from the blade, to the switch assisted hinge, feels incredibly solid. This is my everyday knife and will be till I get a different Benchmade model.
In my line of work, I find myself looking for some sort of illumination tool to help me in tight, low light areas. I dabbled around the cheap LED 2 pack lights, then ventured off to a 100 lumen Mini LED Maglight. But I was looking for durability (cause it's gonna get rough), quality, and the adjustment from low beam to high beam. The dual output LED G2X pro is exactly what I was looking for. A great everyday 15 lumen low beam, with the option of blasting a bright 200 lumen beam. This little guy can take a beating while giving the gift of light.
If there was a trend I followed this year, it would be the olive hunter style jacket. I first tried out an H&M one but quickly turned to The Hundreds for such an iconic jacket. Every time I wear this, I get a compliment or a "Where did you get that?". A pleasant everyday jacket that can easily be worn over a pulloever. This was my favorite fall/ winter jacket.
I bought one in 2010 when it was reintroduced, but lost it in a club in Hollywood this year. Let's just say this jacket was such a significant part of my wardrobe that I wen't straight to Nike Town Santa Monica and bought another one. A spectacular jacket with a lightweight feel. Perfect for a breezy spring day or cool summer night.
After strong debate (Cost being the biggest issue) I needed a suit for a couple of formal affairs and weddings to attend to. I resulted to visiting the Santa Monica Promenade shop. There I found a great suit for a great price. The hard part was finding the pieces that needed minimal alterations. Jacket, pants, tie, shirt, and belt for around $180.
After having my RayBan glasses for only a couple of weeks, and losing them. I was upset that I just randomly lost a pair of $400 frames. I gave up looking and I gave up on glasses period. As I was watching an interview with Dallas Green, he admitted to wearing Warby Parker frames. I googled and grew fond with the company and what they're all about. It's like Toms Shoes but for glasses. Buy a pair and give a pair to a child in need. From the choosing, to the prescription, to the order, to getting them at my doorstep. It took about a week. I'm very pleased with my glasses and will continue to buy Warby Parker. Oh and every frame with prescription and shipping, came to $95, beat that RayBan.
A very simple, but VERY good quality Tee. It makes me wish all of my tee's were this soft and this comfortable.
Now of course my fridge is full of Sugar Free Red Bull. But this year I came across Just Chill. A stress relieving drink that tastes so refreshing, you catch yourself guzzling it down. It has a tropical flavor that makes you want to mix it with your favorite vodka or rum. It has ALL natural ingredients that make you feel good. So if you're looking for an alternative to those energy drinks, give Just Chill a try. You can find it at some 7-11 stores or Whole Foods Market.
I tried lots of Scotch this year but the 15 year old bottle is the one that pleased my taste buds for the price. Satisfyingly rich with lingering sweetness. The awards they won aren't just for show, the taste proves it's worthy.
Hidden inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride inside Disneyland Park, is a low lit restaurant with potatoes that make you want to come back every time. I ordered the steak and my oh my, it was delicious. This is my winner for "Lets drop money inside disneyland" type food. The sound of the boats passing by and the live jazz guitar as you eat gives you delightful eating experience.
Whenever I travel, I see on most diner menus, "Pastrami Sandwich". If you've ever visited Johnnies Pastrami in Culver City, CA, you know that there is NO diner that will come close. I'm lucky enough to live minutes away from this landmark, that I must have it at least once a month.
I am not over exxagerating when I say, it was the BEST BURGER IN MY LIFE. I've had ALL sorts of burgers from all sorts of places. But this... this place right here, makes a MEAN burger. Seriously needs to be considered for some sort of award. The name comes from, well... you really don't have a place to stand. It shares space with a liquor store. So if you're in the area, and are hungry, grab a bite at The Standing Room.
After I found out that Disneyland offers Annual passes at monthly prices for Southern California residents, I had to get one. Of course I found out late, but hey, "better late then never", right? Driving 45 min out of my way to be in the happiest place on earth at least once a month is certainly worth the $500 price tag. If I ever found myself with a day off and nothing planned. Disneyland is never a bad a idea. If you enjoy rides, good times, and just a fun atmosphere, do yourself a favor and pay a visit. Besides, it's cheaper then a days worth of therapy.
(image by me)
If you are fortunate enough to live near an Arclight Cinema, you should check it out and become a member. They're whole motto is "where movie lovers go". I can vouch for that. Yes you're spending a couple bucks more per ticket, but you get a better auditorium, a fully stocked bar and dinner area, and just a better experience over all. Members also get "members only" screenings, Q&A screenings, and opportunities to earn free food, drinks, and tickets.
Ever wondered what there was to do in your city on your day off or was just simply curious on what events were going on? Well, Flavorpill has got you covered. Breaking it down to different topics like Art shows, Concerts, free events, etc, there's always something to do. So next time you get bored in Los Angeles (Which should never happen), take a look at Flavorpill - Los Angeles.
The internet is filled with crazy videos. So many that it's impossible to go through all of them. Well here's is my little secret. A video blog dedicated to the most amusing and entertaining videos on the internet.
PMA (Pretty Much Amazing) + Mostly Junk Food
I found myself relying on these sites for finding out the newest indie/semi indie music. Its simply "Pretty Much Amazing". Well organized blogs, great content, and an easy to navigate interface.
My favorite model this year. Tattoo's, UK, Front Magazine/ Inked Girls Magazine Cover girl. Pretty Beezie with Pretty tattoo's. Her neck piece is an eye catcher.
This guy is THE Man of the Year. From "Crazy Stupid Love" to "Drive", he's one of the most sought after actor. His recent style from hair to clothes are what men look for, and lets just say, women would drop panties for this guy. Actor of the year.
After her breakout roles in Social Network and The Nightmare on Elm Street, She put her name in front of her sister's. I'm giving her Actress of the Year for her performance in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. To the public eye, she's a bubbly young actress, then in the movie, you would NEVER think that it was the same person. Here's to you Rooney, an Oscar awaits.
After meeting her, this breakout star will be in much more films in the next coming years. A pleasure to converse with, and thrill to watch on the screen. The lead from "Like Crazy" deserves her film festival awards.
It's difficult from me to talk about this film without going overboard or taking up too much time. But it's clearly my favorite film of 2011. I've seen the Swedish version, I've read the book. The Sony Pictures version gives it a whole new look, and a much deserving cast. It's a series for teens or kids, so Twilighters and Harry Potter kids shouldn't see it till they get older. The brutal sexual violence... well, pretty much all of the violence is geared towards the adult audience. The character, "Lisbeth Salander" is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever read or seen. It's a character i can relate to both in my younger years and my current life. If you haven't already seen the movie, take some time to do it now. But beware, there are some scenes that make even the most grown adult squirm in their seats.
Much like my previous favorite film (500) Days of Summer, this movies is a story of love, not a love story. From the beginning stages to the frustrating fights, to the break up and make ups... director Drake Doremus gives us an intimate look into the lives of a young college couple. If I have the strange desire to watch a movie more then twice, it must be somewhat good. Best Movie Runner Up.
A show that references Star Wars and Comics with witty dialogue, hilarious characters and... Penny, Yes, it's my favorite old show. It wasn't introduced in 2011 but I found it in 2011 so I made a separate category for it.
Zooey Deschanel.
A charming album with beautiful music. Hints of dubstep, fueled with synths. Lights brings us her newest album and her best to date. In fact if you got the chance to see her perform the tracks live, you got a sense of how the music brought people together for good vibes. You can stream it at Spotify if you're curious.
The story of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. Crime, mystery, violence. 500+ pages, non double spaced, thrilling page turner. I only read 2 series this year and this one deserves to be mentioned. I can't say it's for everyone, but If you like a good read, and want a series to open your eyes, don't sleep on this.
I'll admit that I only started reading the series AFTER seeing the world premiere of the trailer. But hey, at least I read them all before the films came out. A story of Katniss Everdeen and her survival of Panem. The books go by quick, and you can't help want to finish them as fast as you can to see what happens next. It seems like some sort of drama unfolds at every end of the chapters. It's a harsh world we have to look forward to, but these series gives us a glimpse of how to survive and make way.
Either you love her, or you hate her, but Kreayshawn came into the music industry like a bullet train. Her Video Gucci Gucci was a literal "over night" success. Selling out shows, getting radio play, doing records with some big time artists, and signing million dollar record deals. Oh, and her album ISNT EVEN OUT YET. I don't know why I was yelling but yes, Kreayshawn, get em' girl.
It's my favorite thing to come across a musician with a magical voice and matching hands to handle the guitar. The voice is unique and the dream is set high. My only hope is that when she makes it big, she doesn't let the industry control her.
If you use and iPhone, you use Instagram. The brilliant application fuses vintage filters, social sharing, and just a simple addiction. It makes taking photos and giving them a whole new look, enormously easy. Besides, you can't beat that FREE price tag. It's a much more efficient way of sharing whats going on without the twitter world interfering (if you don't want it to) My only pet peeve is when people use it incorrectly. Insta (instant) to share what's currently going on. So don't post a picture of fireworks from 4th of July from 5 months ago. That wasn't so Insta.
Music addicts, you know why this is so awesome. An application/ program used to explore music and share playlists with all your Facebook friends. There are a plethora of benefits but my favorites being able to use "offline" playlists, iPhone syncing, Sonos syncing, and quick access to new music. Sometimes as fast as iTunes. If you're iPhone is full of photo's and Apps like mine, music is a big space sucker. So why not let the Spotify system stream all of that music for you.
And there you have it. My favorite's of 2011. I'm sure there are more but right now my eyes want to shut so badly. If there is something that I forgot, I'll update it and put the link up on Twitter.
To my loyal readers, Thank you. Thanks for being interested in the half-baked blogs I post. you guys are still my motivation to come back and blog as frequent as possible. I'm constantly offered money to post advertisements ALL OVER THIS BLOG to gain money, but I know everyone hates them. So still, I keep this blog clean without distractions. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Update 12/31/11 7:51pm:
So after watching her Concert on Blu Ray "Live at Royal Albert Hall", I remembered that her album was released this year. Now those who know, I have a very eclectic choice of music. But this album surely was played a fair amount of times as I was working in the office or studio. So this album certainly deserves to be on this list. My only regret is not buying that $300 ticket on StubHub to see her live at the Palladium. I hope that after her surgery her voice is just as amazing, if not better.
I remember telling myself when I was 16 that one of the cars I must drive when I grow up is a brand new GTi. Seven years later, I'm tearing up the roads of PCH in a two door, 6 speed, 2.0 Turbo so much fun to drive vehicle. A much needed upgrade from my previous 2009 Golf. Plenty of people buy cars to get to point A to point B. I bought this car because I wanted to do it with as much fun as I possibly can have.
