Just received the following email from my Mom:

Subject: Erin Carter (sic) [I think she meant Aaron Carter]

Erin Carter was just on access and said that he's single, looking for a nice girl with class.  He also likes "older" not insecure women and blondes. 

I think you should twitter him.  I have no clue how old he is but he is kind of cute.

Well, since she didn't ask me again when I was going to seriously consider freezing my eggs, I consider this a serious improvement.

Back in ye olde days – read: 2003 – I was living in Atlanta. For those of you not familiar with Atlanta, well, it’s got some diversity. Which made it all-the-more interesting when the whole Ghetto fabulous thing came around and it became cool for middle-class whities like myself (and to be fair, my friends) to adopt this theme for parties. Chalk it up to being young and stupid and maybe even a bit off-colour, but at the time, it seemed acceptable and I assure you, nobody’s intention was to be rude or disrespectful.

 THIS WAS 2003. PEOPLE WERE STUPIDER THEN. THEY DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TWITTER YET, GEESH!

 One of these theme parties was entitled just that: Ghetto-Fab. I think it was for one of my friend’s birthdays, held high-atop the city in one of those fancy party rooms that the hoity-toity overpriced (for Atlanta) high-rise condos were apt to have. And so we all took our mid-20’s, Buckhead-frequenting, Lilly Pulitzer wearing selves to the mall and went to the juniors section of Ross. We then went to the sale rack, where the selection was even seedier, looking for the perfect outfit to adequately depict our Ghetto Fabulousness. Some of us – myself included – went so far as to pick a famous rapper as our muse, and went forth into the transformation.

 Which is how this photo, in all of its red velour belted one-piece jumpsuit with faux-leather cabbie hat replete with hand-drawn ‘tattoos’ (inspired by Eve) came to exist.

Internets, don’t ever say I don’t do anything for ya.

Paris Is Burning by Ladyhawke  
Download now or listen on posterous

Ladyhawke_01_08_Paris Is Burning.mp3 (6526 KB)

I’m heading to Atlanta in a few weeks to visit my friends who I haven’t seen in OVER A YEAR (cue the image of me as the worst. friend. ever.) and my pal Jessica, who has impeccable taste in music, suggested I come in a night early to see one of her favorite acts, LADYHAWKE. If I hadn’t already paid $150 in change fees for this trip, I *SO* would do it, but alas, moving = broke aubrey. Kind of a bummer, that whole financial lameness, especially since I now understand why she suggested I also bring my leg warmers and practice my step-touch with arm movements.
 
Hmm, maybe it *is* worth the $150 after all…

Please Visit Your National Parks by Oxford Collapse  
Download now or listen on posterous

02 Please Visit Your National Parks (Album).mp3 (7837 KB)

Last year I went to hear one of my favorite bands, Frightened Rabbit, and the opener was a band named Oxford Collapse. They sounded SO similar to Birdmonster (another one of my favorites) that I had to check to make sure that they hadn’t changed their name. They hadn’t, and while some songs sound quite similar – such as this ditty, “Please Visit Your National Parks”, which sounds a ton like Birdmonster’s “Balcony”, Oxford Collapse kicks ass on their own quite successfully.

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Me & baby Cole, originally uploaded by Aubs.