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Girl Crush Du Jour: Alexa Chung

TresSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Usually when someone is described as a "model turned" anything, I'm skeptical, so when I first heard about model-turned-TV-host Alexa Chung's new MTV show, It's On with Alexa Chung, I figured I'd steer clear. But after watching countless clips of the daily show, I'm smitten with this adorable British import.

It helps that even Chung doesn't relish her model past: "That sucked . . . you have to stand on a cross on the floor and no one talks to you, and I'm what you call a talker," she says in her MTV bio. Now the 25-year-old makes a living talking: she's not only cute and stylish (love this dress she wore to the VMAs) but she's also gifted with a very sassy, quick wit. To find out why else I like Alexa Chung and to see her in action, read more.

She's a bourbon drinker. Perhaps someday we can get together over old fashioneds and talk about books.
Speaking of which, her favorite book is Revolutionary Road, which I also think is awesome.
She tweets about grammar!
She's a do-gooder who is a brand ambassador for Oxfam, among other things.
Her casual but wise interview style feels like sitting around with a sarcastic friend. Check out the clip below of her interviewing Jason Bateman about Facebook, Twitter, and UFC to see what I mean.

It's On with Alexa Chung just wrapped up its first season, and it's back with new episodes Oct. 12. Are you an Alexa Chung fan?

PopUK Gift Guide: Book Loving Babe

PopSugarUK — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:00:00 -0800

Today I'm bringing you my final gift ideas for female friends and sisters, before I move onto pressies for the men in your life next week. This gift guide is for those pals of yours who love to read and then compare the book with the film adaptation.

First up I've got The Secret Life of Bees, about female solidarity in segregated 1960s South Carolina: the film version hits our cinemas next week. If your friend loves left-field literature, go for my October Book Club choice Choke. In cinemas this week, it's a hilarious story about a sex-addicted colonial-village-working con artist. For a non-fiction off-the-wall comedy, choose Danny Wallace's Yes Man: Jim Carrey's bringing it to the big screen on Boxing Day.

Vampire lovers will be pleased with a copy of Twilight, another December film release, and your friend can stay ahead of the game if you buy her a copy of The Time Traveler's Wife, The Lovely Bones or The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic: she can read the novels before the film versions' 2009 releases. Classics also have 2009 film adaptations, like F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (with Brad Pitt in the eponymous role come January) and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (which will star Colin Firth and Ben Barnes).

Buy your buddy Revolutionary Road and The Reader, and by the time the films are released in January she'll be ready to make comparisons. Kate Winslet stars in both, alongside Leo DiCaprio in the former, and Ralph Fiennes in the latter. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller also has a starry-cast film version out soon.

Finally, for the child at heart, I've got three kiddies' tales which have that crossover appeal as well as forthcoming film versions: Cornelia Funke's fantasy Inkheart, and Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux, both come to the big screen in December, while Alice in Wonderland is a wonderful read at any time, and Tim Burton has a film version coming out in 2010 with an all-star cast including Johnny Depp.

Most of these books are on my list for future PopUK Book Club reads, so your friend can join in our discussions when the book club resumes later next year.

To get more ideas for the festive season, visit HolidaySugar.

Kate and Leo Revolutionise London

PopSugarUK — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:00:00 -0800

This weekend Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were in town for the Revolutionary Road premiere in London's Leicester Square. Hot on the heels of her amazing Golden Globes success and two BAFTA nominations, Kate looked stunning in her skintight black dress as the Titanic twosome posed together on the red carpet. Leo said they'd been actively looking for a project to work on together since their first time teaming up onscreen, but nothing had appealed to them both until this book adaptation.

Other guests at last night's premiere included Dermot O'Leary, Konnie Huq, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and her hubby Richard Jones of The Feeling, Tim Vincent, Liz McLarnon and Nick Moran.

To see the rest of the photos from the premiere at the weekend, just read more

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First Glance: Revolutionary Road - See It or Skip It?

PopSugarUK — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are reunited for the first time since Titanic in a new movie adaptation of Richard Yates' fantastic novel Revolutionary Road.

The story focuses on a young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s, as they struggle to come to terms with their personal problems along with raising their two children. It's a dramatic but fantastic book and - judging from this trailer - the film looks set to capture that too.

It's set for release in the UK on January 30th 2009, but what do you think - will you see it or will you skip it?

Source

No Reservations On The Road To TIFF

Molly — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:03:06 -0700

The all-star cast of Reservation Road hit the Toronto Film Festival, first stopping off for a press conference to discuss the film. Sure, Joaquin wasn't looking his very best but (the newly daughter-expecting) Mark more than makes up for it in the adorable factor. Mira and Jennifer looked like they were having a lot of fun with their male co-stars (hey, I wouldn't mind spending an afternoon with those boys). Unfortunately little Elle Fanning didn't make it out to the press conference - she is just precious. I loved the book of Reservation Road (not to be confused with Leo/Kate's Revolutionary Road), so I'm definitely excited to see this one. Hopefully this excellent cast will be able to do the story justice.

To see more of the press conference just read more

View 15 Photos ›

Images include Jennifer Connelly, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, and Mira Sorvino.

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Sugar Shout Out: Win Your Tax Preparation on Savvy

PopSugar — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:15:45 -0700

Last chance to win tax preparation on the house!
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