And what better way than to celebrate in song? There was no way I could come up with a list of all the songs that have coloured my year, given me goosebumps, made me shimmy, or bop my head on the train. So I’ll leave it to the experts. DJ Earworm has become a bit of a YouTube sensation for putting together mash-ups to the extreme. This year.. the top 25 songs according to Billboard.

Have a happy new year, and let’s look forward to a fun and fabulous, adventurous 2010!

With the year coming to an end, and this year marking the end of a decade (that I like to refer to as the 00s – pronounce it Ooze – way better than ‘Noughties’) I love lists. I love all of the creative lists no matter how broad or specific. There is no way that I could narrow down a top 10 of the decade though – no. WAY. I can barely think of a sole movie when anyone asks me what my favourite movie is! It depends on the day, on my mood, and if I’ve started the day off with a white chocolate mocha.

But in the spirit of sharing what movies I’ve loved, what movies have utterly surprised me, and one which I have seen twice at the cinema (its been a while since I indulged in that!) here are my favourites of 2009. Please note, there are a couple which may have come out in the U.S in 2008 – but I live in Australia. Suck it up. (In a loving and caring way)

District 9
Paranormal Activity
(500) Days of Summer
Star Trek
Balibo
The Hangover
Changeling
State of Play
Rachel Getting Married
Milk

What a surprise District 9 was. I went in not knowing what it was all about – honestly. I love anything shot ‘doco style’ and it had aliens, and was just intruiging. I honestly couldn’t expect a doco/sci-fi/drama about aliens and humans trying to co-exist and all the real world metaphors that could be so well layered within the plot. And WOW. The characterisation of an adorkable South African government agent. I couldn’t even write a review on this film – because so many of the best qualities are just better left unwritten. Just watch it.

Paranormal Activity. Yes, I’m largely a follower, and I’m one gullible enough to always believe the hype. (Except, I have standards and this does not include The Twilight Saga: New Moon) But believe the hype. If I already love Blair Witch and any film that followed in its wake – Paranormal Activity makes use of an disgustingly sweet and ‘normal’ couple in surely a reasonable explanation? Scratching on the walls? Keys on the floor? Surely, just hooligans. Each unexplainable event was just paced beautifully, whilst the audience watched the clock, eyes open wide waiting for the absolute unknown and unpredictable. Brilliant, clever cinema.

As much as it was not a ‘love story’ in the traditional sense – I’d have to say (500) Days of Summer was my romantic musical/comedy/drama of the year. The chemistry between Joseph and Zooey was electric and as magical as the sparkling light atop of my Christmas tree, but the heartbreak that we know from the start of the movie just made it all the more intriguing as we followed the relationship from end, to beginning, to middle.

The rest of the films on this list all stood out for their true stories, stories close to my heart, lessons to learn, amazing soundtracks, or a new extreme take of ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’. A strong year for film – and I can’t wait for 2010!

What were your favourites for 2009?

Merry Christmas to one and all, thankyou for your support throughout the year and sharing in my love for all things under the pop couture banner! xo

Its quite a feat to be able to say – this week both the U.S and Australia saw the ‘fall finale’ of Glee – on hiatus until April. SOB. To console our Glee-less hearts – what better way than to recap on the favourite musical moments through the past 13 episodes. What are your favourites?

The below selections are merely the first that came to the top of my head, and performances I know I’ve played on repeat on YouTube, as well as on my Ipod. Having said that there are still SOOOOO many I could have added to this list.. so that’s why I want you to share what solos and/or group performances you loved the most.

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Ah, the holiday season. Holidays and family time can be a blessing and a reason to grit your teeth and start stocking up on alcohol. There’s always a lot of pressure to be merry, festive and loving towards family you either see regularly, or only at holiday time. Though sometimes too much family time can ensure you’re having a bit more brandied egg nog than need be, it can resemble the family scenes in Home Alone. Hopefully nobody utters ‘You’re such a disease!’ to your face though..

Whether it be a religious holiday or special event though – films are either comedic in the way they approach this tension (think Home Alone, Four Holidays, Elf) or there are movies such as The Family Stone, Margot at the Wedding, and now Rachel Getting Married that give a truly confronting and raw illustration of such an occasion.

Rachel Getting Married is as far from Anne Hathaway’s other work, so cleanse your mind of her roles in The Princess Diaries, or The Devil Wears Prada. Here, she plays Kym, who has gained leave from rehab just for her sister Rachel’s (played beautifully by Rosemarie DeWitt wedding, and is as pasty and unkempt as you’ve ever seen her. Heck, I don’t think she has on any lip balm during the movie. Which means the performance you see from her is completely without artifice or gloss (pardon the pun). Its completely raw, and emotive. She isn’t a likeable character; but who said lead protagonists have to be? The more flawed she is, and the more that unravels through confrontation with her family – the more all the transgressions and mistakes of the past come to the surface.

Another aspect that makes this indie film a stand-out is that its shot entirely in a handy-cam style; as if the film were following the events of Rachel’s wedding weekend, shot by an amateur wedding photographer. Don’t mistake this as a Cloverfield or Blair Witch Project style affair, you won’t get any motion sickness here. It does cut roughly between scenes of the wedding parties (pre and post wedding) with Kym’s narcotics anonymous meetings – but that only lends itself to the fly-on-the-wall atmosphere that lets the viewer be an extra guest to the wedding festivities. And its brutal. The viewer is privy to some intensely private moments between the family, and so are family and friends of the bride and groom – there is no escape from the unpredictability that is Kym.

To say more about what unfolds throughout the movie would truly spoil it – there is no twist, there is no triumph – just truth in this family, and truth doesn’t always equal sunshine and rainbows. That’s what makes this film so gut-wrenchingly beautiful.

I was about to begin this post with ‘well, you know I’m girly’.. but considering my recent post where I discussed how I am clumsily unable to wear heels like a real lady, well. I now won’t begin like that.

As much as I love the uber glamorous and cinematically inspired commercials saying that if I want to have a hot Brazilian lover like Nicole Kidman in the Chanel No 5 ad – I should wear that.. well. I am just not that way inclined or inspired. For me, a great scent is food inspired, dessert, sweet and certainly not overpowering like some old ladies on the train that make you scrunch up your nose, or hold your breath, wondering if they dunked themselves in perfume. Not me!

My favourite scent in the world is vanilla. Plain and simple, that’s me. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter has also been a favourite as a body lotion just because it smells like cookies! But earlier this year, in the Melbourne spring which didn’t always resemble spring but felt like summer at times – I wanted a perfume. I thought I’d need more than a fragrance oil (from the Body Shop) and more than a delightful food smelling fragrance (from Demeter – believe it or not, I owned the ‘Waffles’ scent) and thus I didn’t go to a high-end fragrance house – instead I went to my favourite cosmetic company Benefit.

It was Benefit that even introduced me to makeup in the first place. It made me love it while I was in California where I could buy several items for a price that oh, in Australia I can get two items for!

Via another must-visit dangerous-for-the-budget beauty website Adore Beauty – I came across B-Spot.

The perfume is described as “Every gal’s got one (a few, actually)… b spots, that is. Awaken your most seductive pulse points with this new fragrance from Benefit. It’s a sexy combo of lush mango; faster, faster, freesia; provocative peony & steamy sandalwood… “

The scent is so light, but for me the scent of mango and freesia come out more and smell very summery, and cheerful. Not overpowering and suited for a grandma. (Which is great for a young’un like me!)

Even more attractive? Visit Adore Beauty at the moment, spend $100 on any Benefit product/s and um.. B-Spot is yours as a free gift with purchase. Oh. MAN. I could easily get another bottle as backup! And I have some makeup that I need to replace (ie, That Gal primer is my must have – smells like strawberries!)

So, I’m already a huge fan of Miss Tracey’s Quiet Paws – because she can post such inspiring, yet non-pretentious posts about magazines she’s reading, or flowers she’s planted and somehow just bring an overworked gal like myself back to a normal heart rate just reading how Miss T relaxes on a weekend, feet up and enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Sometimes something so simple like that can be hiding in plain sight and the noise of the interwebs is so loud I can’t remember to switch off.

It seems that her husband Lee is equally creative, and he makes it look EASY! I love seeing his lunchtime drawings on Twitter – a theme selected by @lunchdoodles – and to show you a sample of his work, well pop culture AND art? Hello. I’m there. Inspired by Iron Man – here is Armoured Cup of Joe

Also, check out Lee’s blog motivationally titled Quit Your Day Job