Must-watch: Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" redux

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From television to music: Any child of the '90s probably, at one time or another, belted out Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" into a hairbrush. You probably even loved the edgy video and even marveled at all those Alanises in one car at the same time. And then, you got a little older and realized those lyrics? They're not exactly all that ironic.

Well, enter Eliza and Rachael Hurwitz, the sister songwriting duo behind this clever YouTube video. The pair not only tweaks the lyrics into legitimate ironic situations, but they also re-shoot the video. I dare you not to get this song stuck in your head for the rest of the day. You're welcome... xoxo

[Via Buzzfeed]

Man Candy Monday.

FREE IMAGES Happy Monday, friends! How is your day going so far? I thought we'd kick the week off with a bit of humor because after a sexy brain, humor always wins. And this guy? Well, let's just say that he's quite the winner. He's managed to keep that down-to-earth innocence about him despite the trappings of Hollywood. He's not afraid to be himself. And he leaves my funny bone smarting every single time...

CHARLIE DAY!!!!!!!!!!

"Starting out, I bet I didn't get a lot of parts because of my strange voice. I'm not consciously thinking, 'Hey, sound like a squeaky dog toy mixed with a bagful of rusty nails.' It's just what my voice has done."

Have a marvelous weekend

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Happy Friday, friends! Well, we've survived another over-the-top hot summer day (I'm sure I'll appreciate these days come the middle of December, right...?). What are you doing this weekend? We'll be hanging out in our air-conditioned house -- and maybe eating some ice cream! Whatever your plans, make sure you stay cool. Hope you all have a great weekend, and here are my favorite finds from the wonderful Web...

8 ways to stop over-thinking (this is totally for me...).

My love philosophy.

One woman's story of loving someone with an addiction.

Cool: Old-school names are making a comeback.

I knew I made it in life when...

Dad captures his son's first year, one second per day.

Reflection photos.

The new Rolling Stone cover is causing controversy...what do you think?

Ha, getting over a break-up.

Are you getting ready for fall?

Remember AIM screen names?

This bangle? #Wishlisted.

Welcome to the world, Phoenix William! Way to go, Alexa!

Would you dance down the aisle on your wedding day?

Conversation coasters would be a perfect icebreaker for a party.

Check out these fashion-meets-food blogs.

The New York Times channels Stefon.

Good to know: How not to be a tool on social media.

How cool is this Star Wars wedding photo?

I've been listening to the soundtracks from this show a lot this week.

And as always, feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and now Instagram! See you there, friends! xoxo

[Photo via bippity boppity boo]

NYC Diaries: 5 Things You'll See at a Taylor Swift Concert

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This weekend, I unleashed my inner 11-year-old and went with a couple of my closest friends to see Taylor Swift. I’ve been a fan of her music since I was 14, so I feel no shame in admitting that I’ll give up a Saturday night any day to sing along (at the top of my lungs) to some of the best breakup songs ever written. And I thought I’d prepare you for what you’re getting yourself into if YOU ever attend the famous Red tour. So without further ado, here are a few things you’re guaranteed to see if you decide to see Taylor live...

Costume changes
Taylor’s known for her sense of style, and she doesn’t disappoint at her concert. Be ready to see lots of preppy polka dots and stripes on her more casual outfits. As for the gowns, think fairytale princess, and that’ll give you a pretty good idea of her fashion choices. Swift is the queen of girl sparkles and glitter, and she always looks perfect in them. As an added bonus, the area just inside the stadium had a museum display of some of Taylor’s most memorable outfits, including the outfit above.

Crazy outfits
People really get into the spirit of the tour and dress up to support their favorite country-pop artist. Many of those who attended on Saturday draped LED lights over their clothes, donned over-the-top themed costumes (there were a few bridal outfits in the audience, which I didn’t really understand), and Sharpied their favorite Swift lyrics onto their skin. Among my favorite costumes were a boy covered from head to toe in red solo cups and a man dressed as a Teletubby.

Creative signs
As with the costumes, people go all out for this concert. So be prepared to see cute slogans like “Cray cray for Tay Tay” and huge posters with the number “22” written on them. There were also a few trios who each held up a letter of “red” and then lowered the “r” when Ed Sheeran took the stage.

Red
Yes, it’s the name of the tour as well as a prominent motif throughout the show. From red dresses to red fireworks to red instruments, you’ll be seeing a lot of this color. And you’ll be feeling all of the emotions -- from bitter resentment over tough breakups to fiery joy over falling in love -- right along with Taylor.

Talent
If you’re going to the concert for Taylor, you won’t be disappointed. She’s at the top of her game singing and dancing high-energy numbers across the stage. (It was super hot and muggy outside, so I kind of felt bad for all the performers sweating under the many stage lights). But Swift’s not the only one who shines under the spotlight. Opening act Ed Sheeran is AMAZING. I’ll admit that I’d only heard of his song “The A-Team” when I first saw him perform. But right after the concert, I added all his songs to my favorites playlist. If you haven’t heard “Lego House,” go listen to it RIGHT NOW!

Read my blog, LIKE me on Facebook and FOLLOW me on Twitter for more! 

--By Caitlin from Stream of Caitlinness

[Top photo via We Heart It]

Celebrities riding bikes

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Rides A Bike is an awesome Tumblr full of vintage photos of -- you guessed it!! -- movie stars cruising around on their bikes. It's equal parts fun and whimsical, reminding us of that classic summertime activity. That's Twiggy, above, in 1967...

Sean Connery, 2000

Grace Kelly, 1954

Audrey Hepburn, 1967

Peter O'Toole, 1984

Steve McQueen, 1971

Morgan Freeman, 1989

Annette Funicello, 1958

Ginger Rogers, 1942

How fun is that? Have you found any great Tumblrs lately, friends? There are so many creative and fantastic ones out there... xoxo

Man Candy Monday.

FREE IMAGES Good Monday morning, friends! Boy, was it hot this weekend -- the kind of heat that leaves little beads of sweat on your forehead and leaves your clothes sticking to your back. Well, this guy may be the cause of the summer heat wave. He's my newest celebrity crush, and his show tries to untangle the crazy web created between love and the Internet. He's smart. His smile is absolutely adorable. And he's a self-proclaimed romantic at heart...

NEV SCHULMAN!!!!!!!!!!

"The idea of finding your soul mate, whether it’s online or not, is what people want. And, obviously, for the people on our show, they feel like they have met their soul mate. I think they are willing to ignore and certainly afraid to admit that some of the details of the relationship don’t hold water."

Have a fun weekend

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Happy Friday, friends! I'm so glad it's the weekend...what are your plans? We'll be taking it easy tomorrow, and then going out for a nice lunch on Sunday. Thanks so much for all the kind words on my mom's NYC guest post. I showed her the comments, and she was so happy you all enjoyed reading about her trip. I hope you all have a great weekend, and here are my favorite finds from the wonderful Web...

The most epic break-up letter of all time.

Decision-making strategies of successful people.

40 ways to color block your wardrobe.

Fashion do or don't: The army jacket.

LOVE this song.

It's the Royal Baby Name Generator!

One mother finds comfort in a message in a bottle.

Karen Cheng taught herself to dance in just one year.

Ha, 40 signs you're a BuzzFeed writer running out of list ideas.

I hate having to always make sure my phone is charged before leaving the house. The Kii is a mini charger that lets you plug in your iPhone to any computer. Genius!

How cute are these cactus cupcakes? Or would it be cacti...

This St. Bart's wedding is so beautiful.

This is so true.

A hilarious twist on Shakespeare In The Park.

This journal? #Wishlisted.

I've been listening to a lot of old-school music lately. What about you?

Enjoy today has become my summer mantra.

The benefits of hanging out with old people.

Ooooh, I'm dying to see this T-Rex installed in the Seine River.

Yes, I entered the Kris Jenner video contest in celebration of her new show.

And as always, feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and now Instagram! See you there, friends! xoxo

[Photo via bippity boppity boo]

Elephant love

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Aren't these photos of Rajan the elephant under water magical? Photographer Jody MacDonald took a dip with the gentle giant and his mahout in India. She was so perfectly able to capture everything from the elephant's laid-back vibe to his fun, playful nature. He even looks like he's dancing!

I've always been fascinated by elephants -- it was one of my favorite spots at the zoo growing up -- and the views in these photos are certainly the once-in-a-lifetime kind, don't you think, friends? Wouldn't you love to be behind the camera? xoxo

P.S. Remember this adorable baby elephant frolicking on the beach?

[Thanks, Diana!]

Parks from above

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After spending an afternoon in Central Park, California-based photographer Gray Malin set out to capture the beauty of "a day in the park." His latest photo series does just that with these gorgeous aerial shots of famed parks in New York City and Chicago. Above are NYC's Bryant Park, Central Park Lawn and Washington Square Park. Look at all those tiny people...

...and Millennium Park, one of my favorite spots in Chicago. The Bean!

Don't these photos make you want to pack a picnic and sit in the park on a lazy summer afternoon? What's your favorite park, friends? xoxo

P.S. New York City from above.

[Via Honestly WTF]

Sponsor Spotlight: Photo booths capture special memories

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Special events mean special photographs. One of the greatest pleasures of a special event like a wedding, christening, party, anniversary, housewarming, celebration or birthday is taking the pictures to commemorate and mark the occasion. This means being able to look back on it many years later, after lives have changed and things have moved onward and upward, and regain an inkling of how things felt on that day. This is a very special part of creating a memory.

As the saying goes, it's memories that make us. You can do the standard roving photographer with portraits and group shots, but don't forget that there are other ways of doing it. Those other ways include having a photo booth at you event. That means that your guests will be able to direct their own photos, and leave personalized messages for you, and also make them funny, spontaneous, quirky, meaningful and intimate. Event photography is actually an art, and the better it's done, the more worthy the photographs will be. Try and avoid the standard sorts of photography that we see all over Facebook all the time. Get lots of different types of shots so that every element of your event is covered. Happy memory making!

(This post was sponsored by Danielle McAnn from TreasuredMems, the Australia-based brand of customizable photo booth rentals. Thanks so much for continuing to support So About What I Said's wonderful sponsors!)

Must-watch: GoldieBlox squash gender stereotypes

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Speaking of empowering young women, my heart burst with such joy when I came across this video a few days ago. The video is the brainchild of GoldieBlox, a recently launched toy company aimed at getting girls excited about building, and features pint-sized girls who pack a powerful punch.

"More than a princess. We are the champions." the girls sing to the tune of -- you guessed it! -- Queen's 1977 classic. Riding on skateboards and bikes, the girls descend on the "pink aisle" of a Toys 'R' Us as they deliver perhaps the video's most powerful message, says engineer and GoldieBox founder Debra Sterling, who's made it her mission to expose every girl to engineering

"The odds are against us. We've been told that GoldieBlox can't survive in mass stores next to Barbie. Convention says that engineering toys for girls are a 'niche' for the affluent, and for the internet. Together, we must prove convention wrong,"

Inspiring, isn't it? You can watch more videos on GoldieBox's YouTube channel and learn more about the company on their official website. BRAVO!!! xoxo

[Via Huffington Post]

Family Photos: My Carefree "Bachelorette" Weekend 2013

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Well, that was my tweet from last Friday. As I mentioned earlier, my mom was away in the big city over the weekend. And, as the classic saying goes, "when the cat's away, the mice will play." So! I suppose I just need to be honest and come clean, friends: I had a wild, wild weekend. I know, it's quite hard to believe. After all, I'm a good girl, remember? But, it's true -- something just took over me this weekend. I let my hair down. I throw all caution to the wind. I even...drank Diet Coke at 10 p.m. Sheer madness, I know. As always, in the name of full disclosure, here's the full photo record of my shenanigans (see, I have become a rebel...I use words like "shenanigans")...

First meal of Carefree Bachelorette Weekend 2013!!! Notice how the TV remote is poised and ready...

Quality Netflix and DVR time, anyone...?

Interesting dinner choice tonight...cereal, fruit and shredded cheese! And of course, some Reese's pieces for dessert...

Laundry time! One of the only responsible things I did this weekend...

Harry really misses his mom, and Stella loves her lazy Sundays...

Dinner is served...

Weekend reading, anyone...?

Diet Coke at 10 p.m.? I am such a bad girl when left to my own devices...

See what I mean, friends? The whole weekend was pure debauchery. I'm surprised I made it out alive! Have you ever had a "lost weekend" like this? Maybe we all need a weekend like this every once in awhile...? xoxo