Best of 2011

(Cinema 2011 -- A beautiful montage of movies in 2011)

I love making lists because I'm just that kind of neurotic, obsessive person who likes to categorize, organize, and catalog. Frankly, lists just wrap things up in a bow and make them look pretty, and hey -- I'm all for that. Always.

Now that's it's 2012, and seeing as the world may end this year (yeah, I'm also just that kind of paranoid, conspiracy theory believing person too), I thought it'd be best to reflect on my 2011.

Top Movies of 2011 (all in no particular order):

• Drive - This may be my favorite, although I may be just slightly biased as I will basically watch anything with Ryan Gosling in it, as made obvious by this list.
  
• Midnight in Paris
• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• Bridesmaids
• Moneyball
• 50/50
• X-Men: First Class
• Contagion
• The Ides of March
• Crazy, Stupid, Love
  

Top Film Performances of 2011:

• Michael Fassbender in Shame
• Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene
• Rooney Mara in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball
  
• Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids
• Ryan Gosling in Drive

Top Television Shows of 2011 (a mix of returning and new):

• Homeland - Definitely my favorite of the year. A brilliant piece of work. This is definitely Claire Danes' best performance ever.
• Parks and Recreation
• Fringe
• Shameless
• New Girl
• Happy Endings
• Revenge
• The Walking Dead
• The Big C
• Breaking Bad
• Suits - A real dark horse. I realize there was a huge uproar following Patrick J. Adams' SAG nomination, but this show is truly great, as is he as the lead. Really surprised at this little USA dramedy. Really entertaining.
  

Top Television Performances of 2011:

• Claire Danes in Homeland
  
• John Noble in Fringe
• Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation
• Glenn Close and Rose Byrne in Damages
  
• Jessica Lange and Evan Peters in American Horror Story
• Laura Linney in The Big C
• Madeleine Stowe (ultimate ice queen) and Emily VanCamp in Revenge
• Ty Burrell in Modern Family
• Adam Pally and Damon Wayans Jr. in Happy Endings
  
• Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy in Shameless
  

Sh*t Girls Say

See, I would be offended by this if it wasn't so damn true. Seriously, spot on.

A Golden Globes and SAG Awards Nominations Rant (aka a thinly veiled Parks and Recreation fangirl post).

I do this every year, but I feel as if I'm particularly annoyed with this year's Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations. After the nominations were announced, I was about two vodka tonics and several heavy breaths away from a good old fashioned hair flying, crazy eyed, foot stomping temper tantrum. But HFPA and SAG, it's just not fair!

It's clear to me now that both lists of nominations are invalid because they exclude Parks and Recreation from their best comedy ensemble/series categories. Seriously now, seriously?! Where's Seth Myers and his SNL Weekend Update bit when you need him?

Season three of P&R was perfection, and there's not even a shred of embellishment in that statement. I mean, come on people -- flawless cast, a comedy that favors optimism instead of insult, Leslie freakin' Knope, Ron effing Swanson, all on a pretty little platter.. for god's sake, what more do you want?! At least the HFPA came to their senses and nominated Amy Poehler for best actress in a comedy series. So that's one less reason to hurl my TV across the room come awards night. The real disrespect comes from the SAGs, because the nominations come directly from their peers. And when you're snubbed altogether, that just hurts. Damn.

It also hurts when you've been edged out of a Golden Globe nomination by a show in its infancy that's barely even had nine freaking episodes. I mean, I love Zooey Deschanel and I love New Girl, but let's not pretend that playing a weird, quirky, yet lovable indie girl is a far stretch for Zooey. If that's worth a Golden Globe nomination, maybe I should star in a show about a nerdy Asian girl who is pressured by her parents to become a doctor/lawyer and get married in order to populate the world with even more overachieving children and overbearing parents.

I've come to some conclusions about these snubs. Clearly, the SAG voters who did not nominate P&R nor Amy Poehler are either:

1. all blind,
2. all jealous of the comedy gold that is Parks and Recreation,
3. are all receiving bribes from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk,
4. or all of the above.

Sounds about right, no?

On the upside, Claire Danes has been nominated for Homeland and that makes me beyond happy because girlfriend is certifiably crazy on that show and it is awesome. Thank you for getting something right, HFPA and SAG!

Coming in March 2012: Marni for H&M!

I am beyond thrilled with H&M's recent announcement that their newest collaboration would be with Italian brand, Marni! I'm so excited! I'm a huge fan of Marni, so this obviously has me salivating with anticipation. Leave it up to H&M to keep its loyal customers on their toes for its next collaboration. I didn't even see this coming, but yet this makes alot of sense for H&M, considering Marni's fashion forward, yet completely wearable aesthetic. Versace for H&M was a little too loud and gaudy for my own personal taste, but Marni's quirky, print and colorblock based aesthetic is right up my alley. The spring collection will include both men's and womenswear, along with jewelry, accessories, and shoes.

The collection will launch March 8, 2012 in 260 stores worldwide and online (where available). The H&M US online shopping site is set to launch in 2012, but no word on whether or not that will happen before the Marni launch. Let's hope so!

First Look at Mary Katrantzou for Topshop

Um, hi. Forget about Missoni for Target. I am officially in love with this collaboration and all I've gotten is this one little, teeny tiny taste.

You're looking at Topshop's latest collaboration with Mary Katrantzou, whose signature style is a blend of complex digital prints on the backdrop of a feminine silhouette. Judging by this first look, seems like Katrantzou didn't hold back one bit designing this collection for Topshop and I am ever so grateful. Oh, Topshop, how I love thee. How did you know that my newest obsession was this budding London designer?

The 14-piece spring 2012 collection will be available for purchase next February. For now, I'll be collecting my pennies, because I'm afraid I may need each and every piece. Damnit.

New "Arrested Development" Episodes Coming to Netflix in 2013

I just blue myself.

I have been waiting for years, and I mean friggin' YEARS, for the Bluths and Tobias Funke to come back into my life, and after stringing me along for five excruciatingly long years filled with movie rumors and empty promises, I finally have some something concrete to hold onto and obsess over. That's right. Arrested Development will be returning for roughly 9-10 episodes that will air on Netflix in 2013. So from now until 2013, I will put my AD DVDs on a continuous loop in my house, paint myself in varying shades of blue, and always trust that there's money in the banana stand, or at the very least, a handful of new Arrested Development episodes five years after it was so viciously taken off air.

Oh thank you, Mitch Hurwitz and all the powers that be! THANK YOU!

First Hunger Games Trailer

Okay, okay! I've been MIA, I know. I think it may be because I fell into the black hole of Missoni for Target. I spent a good month stalking Targets and eBay looking for those precious Missoni items. Now that I've gotten my hot little hands on everything I wanted, I can come back to the real world. Aaand the good news is that in the real world, we finally have a Hunger Games trailer! I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a little bit obsessed with this franchise. That's right. No shame in a grown woman this obsessed with a young adult series. I'm looking at you, TwiMoms.

Hunger Games releases in theaters on March 23, 2012.