FabSugar

On Our Radar: Costume Institute Database Goes Online

FabSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:00:22 PDT

The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must-see stop in NYC. It features over 30,000 costumes and accessories from around the world. Don't plan on visiting the Big Apple anytime soon? No worries. Thanks to the Met, we can now view the Costume Institute from the comfort of our own homes at www.metmuseum.org.

The online database, which will be constantly updated, allows the public to view collections from the likes of Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, and Salvatore Ferragamo to name a few. From Europe to Africa, this exhibit has it all. Check it out.

Source

On Our Radar: Be a Blogger at the Met

FabSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:00:22 PST

Ever gone to a museum and caught yourself being rude because you were talking to your museum buddy too much while perusing? Fear no more. The Metropolitan Museum of Art wants to know what you think about their latest Costume Institute exhibition and they want you to share it with the whole world. They have embraced the enthralling world we know as blogging with blog.mode: addressing fashion where you can comment live from the eight computers set up in the galleries. Then, the rest of us can hear what you had to say about a black jersey Commes de Garcon dress from the debut collection of 1983 or a pair of Damien Hirst-designed polka dot ankle boots by Manolo Blahnik. If you're in NYC, be sure to check out the exhibit - which runs through April 13 - and blog all about it!

See Birthday Girl Jennifer Aniston's Sweetest Pictures With Justin Theroux

Katie Henry — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:33:00 PST

Jennifer Aniston turns 43 tomorrow, and we're getting a jump on the celebration by sharing her cutest photos with boyfriend Justin Theroux. The pair met while filming Wanderlust in 2010, which finally hits theaters Feb. 24, and sparked up a relationship in the Spring of 2011. By Summer, they were officially stepping out together, looking glowing and happy at events. Their relationship blossomed in the Fall when they were spotted enjoying many romantic strolls around NYC's West Village. Jennifer has introduced Justin to her friends and family, and she reportedly just purchased a new multimillion-dollar Bel Air mansion that they'll share. Happy birthday to Jen, and click through to see their most loved-up photos.

Getty, WireImage, FameFly

The Couple Who Inspired The Vow

Annie Scudder — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:00:55 PST

Kim and Krickitt Carpenter sold the movie rights to their unforgettable love story back in 1996. But it took until this week for that film, The Vow, to come out. The Carpenters married in September 1993, and less than 10 weeks later, a car accident left them both injured and Krickitt in a coma. Once she woke up, she had no memory of her husband.

Besides the coma and memory loss, The Vow doesn't quite follow the story of Kim (played by Channing Tatum) and Krickitt (played by Rachel McAdams) to the exact details. The real-life couple had met serendipitously over the phone when Kim, a baseball coach living in New Mexico, had called the sport shop Krickitt was working at in Southern California. Hitting it off, they talked for hours on the phone each week, and soon Kim invited Krickitt to visit him in New Mexico. After a whirlwind romance they soon got married.

The accident soon ended their newlywed bliss, and the couple described life after Krickitt's amnesia in a 1996 People article. "I honestly didn't think our marriage would work," Kim admitted thinking when his wife seemed to be a completely different person, but he said he "made a vow before God" to stick it out. She remembered asking, "'How did I do the wife thing? Did I cook for you? Did I bring you lunch?'" And she told herself, "I figured, if I fell in love with this guy before, I guess I just need to meet him again."

The accident happened in 1993, and on Valentine's Day 1996, Kim proposed again to his wife Krickitt and she accepted. In 2000, they wrote a book about their experience, The Vow: The Kim and Krickitt Carpenter Story. Although she never regained memory of the 18 months she had forgotten after her coma, they stayed together and have two kids, whom they brought to this week's premiere of The Vow. See photos of the Carpenters and their movie star alter egos now.

Check Out the Best Trends From the Met Gala

Noria Morales — Tue, 03 May 2011 11:45:50 PDT

Our best-dressed women of Met's Costume Institute Gala, for the most part, represented the best of the red carpet mini trends: cutouts, thigh-high slits, long trains, and feathers. Here's a look at the mini trends we saw on what is arguably the biggest night in fashion. Click our slideshow to see, and take note for the next time you're looking for a gown.

Rachel McAdams Stocks Up on Groceries and Preps For an Exciting Weekend

Katie Henry — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:20:03 PST

Rachel McAdams stepped out solo yesterday to pick up groceries at Whole Foods in Santa Monica. She's had a busy month and it all culminates tomorrow with the release of The Vow. Rachel wore a strapless Vivienne Westwood dress to Monday night's LA premiere, where she met up with her onscreen leading man Channing Tatum. Rachel's real-life love Michael Sheen skipped the event, though he recently shared a romantic lunch date with Rachel. Michael and Rachel have been going strong since first striking up a connection while filming Midnight in Paris. The Woody Allen-directed film is nominated for best picture at the Oscars, and we'd love to see Michael and Rachel together at the Feb. 26 ceremony.

Eva Mendes Visits Ryan Gosling on Set in Thailand

Allie Merriam — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:33:44 PST

Ryan Gosling has been in Thailand for the past few weeks working on Only God Forgives, and his girlfriend, Eva Mendes, flew over this week for a visit. He was spotted continuing his martial arts training at a gym on Monday, and Eva ventured out solo to get a snack yesterday. Eva has been in LA focusing on her own movie-making during the last month, but made time to keep an eye on Ryan's beloved dog George. Ryan's project sees him pairing up yet again with his Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. Their shooting schedule means Ryan's been missing out on award season back in LA. Ryan was up for numerous awards for his acting in both Drive and George Clooney's The Ides of March, but he unfortunately missed out on nabbing a coveted nod from the Academy.

Ryan and Eva met last Summer on the set for another film, The Place Beyond the Pines. In the March issue of Marie Claire, Eva spoke for the first time about shooting alongside Ryan. She said, "He’s your dream costar. I have never felt so creatively satisfied on a film."

Images courtesy AKM Images/GSI Media

On Our Radar: Amanda Teal Design

Angela Swinderman Elias — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:16 PST

You may have spotted Amanda Teal's styling prowess in Matchbook magazine's garden party spread, but you may not know about her burgeoning design firm, or the serendipitous path that led her to the industry.

As the daughter of a famous jockey, Amanda inherited a love of horses and spent her early twenties as a professional equestrian. A riding job lured her to San Francisco where she met fellow horse-lover and local designer, Rebecca Bradley. The two quickly discovered that they shared a common interest outside of the stables, and under Rebecca's encouragement, Amanda secured a design degree and an internship at Rebecca's firm. A quick and enthusiastic learner, Amanda moved up the ranks of the firm before finally leaving to open Amanda Teal Design in the Fall of 2010.

To celebrate the launch of her new website, I caught up with the up-and-coming designer to discuss her favorite decorating tips and design products. Keep reading for a peek inside the world of Amanda Teal Design.

What to Expect When You're Expecting Set Visit: Elizabeth Banks on Her Fake Bump and Personal Baby Joy

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:11 PST

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood will share the big screen in the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, which follows different mothers-to-be as they prepare for the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks are among the famous ladies who strapped on fake baby bumps to portray different kinds of pregnant women, and Banks's character, Wendy, doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.

I visited the Atlanta set of the film last year, where Banks was shooting a climactic scene in which her character addresses all the woes of pregnancy - in an auditorium with a rather large audience. The hilarious meltdown, which you can see in the opening of the trailer for What to Expect When You're Expecting, includes harsh truths like "I'm calling it: pregnancy sucks." It was great fun to see Banks film the passionate speech again and again, especially since the funny lady mixed up her one-liners from one take to another. What was even more interesting was seeing all of the extras who played the audience members, since the group of women was a mix of actual pregnant women and women rocking fake baby bumps.

I chatted with Banks about her own experience filming the movie, and she revealed that she actually felt like she was in her own little movie, since she doesn't have much screen time with her costars. Banks was refreshingly honest about not having any parenting tips and also admitted that though welcoming her son, Felix, has brought her a great deal of joy, it hasn't changed her stance on how she feels about kids in general. Here's more of what Banks had to say about pregnancy and motherhood:

What inspired you to take this role?
Elizabeth Banks: I cried when I read the script. It has a really great ending: at the end of the movie, everybody has a baby! It really is just a very relatable story for everyone: anybody who is a parent, has considered being a parent, has a baby, whatever. It's just very universal, what happens in the film. We really explore so many great storylines and different paths to getting a child. I had a unique path to getting my son, so I understand how everybody's path to their child is different.

How does it feel to wear the bump?
EB: It's sweaty! [Laughs] I think it's probably a decent approximation; it weighs a good 10 lbs. The boobs weigh about 6 lbs. They are really unbelievable. It's fun. It definitely makes you sit and walk in a totally different way. As an actor, it's a great prop.

How did you change when you became a mom?
EB: I get drunk much faster and easier, and it's a big problem, so I can't go out very much. I find that I underestimated the amount of joy. I'm really learning about my capacity for joy through my son.

To see what Banks had to say about baby fever and her parenting tips, just keep reading.

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.