I am really enamored with a new video posted online showing Jay-Z riding the subway to his final show at the Barclays Center and explaining to an older lady sitting next to him who he is.
"Are you famous?" she asks.
"Yes.  Not very famous, you don't know me.  But I'll get there someday," says Jay-Z, reinforcing his ambition and hustle.
The next presidential hopefuls should step down because Mr. Shawn Corey Carter is establishing himself as the next President of the United States.  Awesome :)  

Paris, hope and heartbreak. Three things that are on my mind always.

Just got back from Coachella 2011 and am still overwhelmed. The sights, the sounds, the heat, the people, the fashion, and the awesome and unbelievable talent which not only wowed the audience but was so appreciative to be able to perform there. Festival-goers from all around the world were all united for the chance to see their favorite artists. Nothing was shocking but everything was amazing. Unbelievable. It was really an investment into our memories. Need to sleep now. Wake me up in time for Coachella 2012!

HOLD UP. After coming home from ballet class tonight, I plopped down to relax in front of the tv, watching Marie Antoinette, and during one of the scenes in which Marie is walking up the Versailles steps, I hear snippets of one of Kanye West's new songs? Did Kanye sample a song from Marie Antoinette? Are all my worlds colliding? And speaking of collisions, Coachella is this weekend and I am finally attending. All around epicness.

Victoria is pregnant for the fourth time, Britney just came out with her new single, and Lindsay was spotted at the Lakers game this past Sunday. My head is going to explode with joy from all the pop culture goodness.

Shamim and Monica and I went to the Hollywood Bowl a few nights ago for an epic concert: Beach House and Vampire Weekend. It is now official that we all want to be Victoria of Beach House and all want to date Ezra of Vampire Weekend. And, who could forget Rostam! His keyboard skills were clearly the product of piano lessons imposed on by Persian parents :) All in all, it was fabulous evening filled with dreamy voices, lovely music, effortless style, romantic preps, and a magical heat only interrupted intermittently by the fragrant summer breeze.

Poster of the week:

Song of the week: "Power"

Collection of the week: Christian Dior Resort 2011

Interview of the week: M.I.A. with Lynn Hirschberg

Comeback of the week: Frame Bags

Article of the week: "When MTV Could Actually Inspire"

Tweet of the week:

“can CHANEL please help me out by getting me some stickers to put on my scram bracelet so that i can at least wear a chic dress?! maybe!? x.” – Lindsay Lohan

Collabo of the week: Barack Obama / Paul McCartney / Jerry Seinfeld

Party of the week:

I can not stop watching this Adidas commercial. Hello Adrienne Bailon, Agyness Deyn, Ana Ivanovic, Calle 13, Cassandra Steen, Cheer Chen, Ciara, Dee Edwards, DJ Neil Armstrong, Fernando Verdasco, Ian Brown, Jay Baruchel, Jeremy Scott, Kazuki, Lee Hyori, Louise Roe, Mark The Cobra Snake Hunter, Mr. Hudson, N-Dubz, Noel Gallagher, Ryan Leslie, Snoop Dogg, Tallulah Morton, Whitney Port -- and of course, my fave, David Beckham! I am going to recreate this magical fusion of fashion, music, sports, and games this summer in my backyard, stay tuned :)

Dear Rest of the World:

Probably you have already heard it from your other friends in Los Angeles, but I wanted to make sure that I drove the point home. It has been over 80 degrees lately here. New York, Paris, Toronto, Munich, and Moscow, enjoy your highs of 20. Chicago and Montreal, good luck out there with -5 today. I hesitate to mention that I am headed to a patio at this time to barbecue. Outside, of course. Now carry on with whatever it is you do out there in the cold.

keep warm,
Tala

PS. Although having fun in the sun, we did lose a dear friend to Los Angeles today. R.I.P. Indie 103.1 – I was pretty bummed to hear the news. Joe Escalante, Jonesey, and the rest of the Indie 103.1 team, thank you for years of awesome music.
PPS. This news does not deter me from putting my Ipod on full blast and lounging out by my pool in the middle of winter. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

While Britney’s Circus doesn’t drop until December 2nd, which happens to also be Brit Brit’s birthday, all of the songs from the album have been leaked* onto the internet and can be found through me! If you want to indulge your inner bubble gum dance pop, let me know and I will burn you a copy.

Btw, yes, it is actually very great. That girl sure knows how to make a comeback.


*Other albums which have leaked and which I have copies of include, but are not limited to, Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak and The Killer’s Day & Age.

Have you ever had those moments where you just love Los Angeles so much that you take it in your arms and squeeze it so hard that you don’t realize until it’s too late that you’ve crushed all of its adorable little bones in your delirious, smothering embrace? I’m kinda having one right now after the Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion 2008 Runway Show on Friday night at the Petersen Automobile Museum hosted by Mandy Moore. Rising talents who showcased their collections were Nanushka, Quail, Wayne Hadly, Peonie, Wayf, K.Z.O., Laeken, and Maxine Dillon.

My thoughts? Quail designer Michelle Nguyen Williams paired all her models with the Alice + Olivia for Payless Rivington Ankle boots, in a moment of high fashion meets the streets. Everyone in the crowd – including models walking for Laeken – wore nerdy (made cool by hipsters) glasses. And choice songs of the season include Lykke Li’s Little Bit and MGMT’s Time to Pretend. But, really, no fashion show could ever feature as much scandal, outrage, rumors, and shocking behavior as Eleanor Waldorf’s on Gossip Girl ;)

If I was a rock star, this would be my guitar case:

Last night Yalda and I went to see The Virgins play at Spaceland! It was an amazing show. We danced with the hipsters, sang along to Rich Girls, stalked Lucy Liu, who was in the front row with us, and made fun of Jesse Metcalf as he was standing next to us in line for the valet. Will The Virgins have to change their band name after they become wildly successful and have tons of groupies waiting for them backstage?

Shoes of the week:

Song of the week: “Bossy”

Worker of the week: Leonardo DiCaprio

Article of the week: “The Tao of Mary Kate”

Upgrade of the week: Strawberry Shortcake

Interview of the week: Anna Wintour with New York Magazine

Quote of the week:

“One day in the distant future, the children of our children’s children will look back upon the ‘aughts’ for retro inspiration and stumble upon the sartorial black hole that is Paris Hilton. Her egregious crimes against fashion are too numerous to list here, but in this photo of Her Tragedy, accompanied by her boyfriend Benji Madden, the offending look is very wannabe It couple: If you took a snapshot of Kate Moss and Pete Doherty from two years ago, photocopied it 27 times, covered it in Velveeta, ran it through a Hot Topic sample sale and then sold it as a cheap knock-off on Canal Street, it would look like this picture.” – Elizabeth Spiridakis

Collabo of the week: Converse / Pharrell / Santogold / Julian

Party of the week:

While the hipsters are passing out in the desert listening to M.I.A., Yelle, Uffie, Rilo Kiley, Kate Nash, The Teenagers, Prince, and Mark Ronson, the los ang party people too cool for Coachella can lounge tonight at On the Rox and listen to Andy Grammer and Tara Ellis. And instead of attending a super rockin festival this weekend way too far away, I will be attending a super literary festival - the LA Times Book Festival at UCLA.

Compromise? Perhaps. But mostly I am too poor to trek through awesomeness for three ultra rockin fab days. Sigh.

Last night’s concert at the Hollywood Bowl was amazing. Nika, Monica, Nazanin, and I brushed our shoulders off with Jay Z and sang about no more drama with Mary J.

I have been such a bad blogger for the past couple weeks, I thought I would make it up to all of my three readers (seriously) and post a list of my top fifteen infatuations and addictions for spring / summer oh eight:

1 Yelle
2 Lila Azam Zanganeh
3 S Bar
4 Kova & T black oxy leggings
5 Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster
6 The Virgins
7 Space 15 Twenty
8 “Run”
9 Elizabeth Spiridakis
10 American Apparel pencil skirts
11 She & Him
12 “Shooting Britney”
13 The Beachcomber at Malibu Pier
14 SLS Hotels
15 Evil Paradises: Dreamworlds of NeoLiberalism

You can thank me later for the hours of fun you will have exploring.

Back in November, Nasim, Shahrooz, and I (along with the rest of the UK) were singing along with Leona Lewis. Five months later, the US finally discovers Bleeding Love and I have heard KISS FM put it into heavy rotation.

I haven’t decided if that means we are behind or they are. [This random thought brought to you by the fact that both ex-flatmates but forever friends are in Los Ang.]

Now Jimmy Kimmel is "Doing Ben Affleck."

Revenge can be so sweet... and can also star Brad Pitt!

Sarah Silverman “Does Matt Damon” on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

According to Wikipedia, there has been a long-running joke about Matt Damon on Jimmy Kimmel. Best part: “...on the bed, on the floor, on a towel by the door, in the tub, in the car, up against the mini-bar...” Amazing.