How to Dress like Claire Underwood – 5 Key Items

If you watch House of Cards you should be familiar with the impeccable style of Claire Underwood. Claire always looks classic on the arm of her politician husband or making power plays in the office. She is consistently looking polished in her fitted dresses, high statuesque heals and her fabulous designer accessories. Remember you don’t need to have the budget of a politicians wife to get the Claire Underwood look just remember to look for classic power pieces like these and build them into your wardrobe. Here are a few key classics every woman should have in their wardrobe.

1. Power Pumps – Essential for every woman, from the office to a cocktail party basic black, nude or red pumps help class up any outfit.

Charles David Black Pointy Toe Pumps from Blufly.com $79.00

2. Fitted Sheath Dress – Perfect for the on the go working woman, a well fitted sheath dress is an essential item that will keep you looking classic and chic

Forever 21 Ultra Chic Sheath Dress Forever21.com

3. Trench Coat – Nice outerwear is key for those rainy days in Washington, DC or elsewhere. A Classic tan belted trench coat is always in style and can be worn year round with or without layers to keep warm or cool.

Calvin Klein Double-Breasted Trench Coat $99.98 Macys.com

4. Badass Bag – A structured tote is the perfect accessory for powerful women like Claire. If you’re working hard at the office or working hard to destroy someones reputation its essential to have everything you may need handy.

Michael Kors Brown Leather ‘Hamilton’ Convertible Satchel Bluefly.com

5. Button Down Shirt & Pencil Skirt – Look for Non-Iron dress shirts in a variety of colors. Pair with slim pencil skirts for the office. Proper fit is key stores like Banana Republic and Ann Taylor are great because they offer sizes for petites.

 

Banana Republic Fitted Non-Iron Sateen Shirt $69.50 BananaRepublic.com

Banana Republic Tonal Texture Pencil Skirt $89.50 BananaRepublic.com

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Top 10 Frank Underwood Quotes

For all of you fans of House of Cards you will be sure to recognize some of these memorable quotes from the main character Frank Underwood.

1. “Money is the Mc-mansion in Sarasota that starts falling apart after 10 years. Power is the old stone building that stands for centuries. I cannot respect someone who doesn’t see the difference.”

2. “I love that woman. I love her more than sharks love blood.”

3. “That’s how you devour a whale. One bite at a time.”

4. “There are two kinds of pain. The sort of pain that makes you strong, or useless pain. The sort of pain that’s only suffering. I have no patience for useless things.”

5. “Of all the things I hold in high regard, rules are not one of them.”

6. “A great man once said, everything is about sex. Except sex. Sex is about power.”

7. “I’ve always loathed the necessity of sleep. Like death, it puts even the most powerful men on their backs.”

8. “For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: hunt or be hunted.”

9. “I just love this painting, don’t you? We’re in the same boat now, Zoe. Take care not to tip it over. I can only save one of us.”

10. “I never make such big decisions so long after sunset and so far from dawn”

Netflix Ever Evolving

Netflix has made several announcements recently about changes to the service, from raising prices of their monthly streaming service to canceling Saturday deliveries for DVD rentals. In spite of the changes the company is growing stronger than ever. Over the last several years we’ve seen Netflix evolve from a DVD rental service, to a streaming library for movies and TV and, now adding to its resume, a network with its own original series. Its un-doubtable that the introduction of the many critically acclaimed original series has helped launch Netflix to new heights. This week Netflix hit a milestone reaching 50 million subscribers worldwide and the company has plans to continue expanding its services abroad to many European countries. The Fiscal Times this week released an article Why Movies on Netflix Just Don’t Matter Anymore citing the decrease in interest in movies from the company. Do you think TV are the new movies? How often do you watch movies on Netflix? Tell us what you think. 

Orange is the New Black Hit Series & Bringing Awareness to US Prisons

Orange is the New Black is the story of inmate Piper Chapman in the Litchfield woman’s prison. Not only is the show a hit series on Netflix it is also the true story of Piper Kerman and her experience serving 15 months in federal prison. The series is based on the book, with the same title, Kerman wrote after being released from prison for helping traffic drug money across international boarders. Kerman actually served at the Danbury, CT facility located in western Connecticut. Many elements of the show are very true to Kerman’s story and others are creative licenses taken by the shows creators.

Piper Kerman along with many of the actresses on the popular show are using their recent notoriety for good by bringing awareness to many issues in our US prisons. In a recent interview Kerman talked about wanting to change the publics view on what prison is really like. “People think prison is either this rehabilitative place or this super-violent nightmare. They have no idea the largest growing segment of prisoners are women who have committed incredibly low-level, non-violent crimes for which they are serving long sentences. There’s been an 800 percent increase in female federal inmates in the last 30 years. We’re sending people to prison who we never would have before.” (SFgate.com) Kerman also serves on the board of the Woman’s Prison Association and frequently speaks at events about the topic.

Taylor Schilling the actress who plays the role of Piper has also spoken out about issues that plague women’s prisons and what she’s doing to help improve conditions and help incarcerated woman.”People who are working on alternatives to incarceration and working with women who are transitioning from prison life back to civilian life are really finding value in the show, that it’s giving the population they’ve been working so hard for a name and a voice.” (gothamist.com) Schilling said this at a recent panel for powerful woman in Television. Do you think OITNB can help bring changes to the US prison system?

This week a Michigan woman’s prison opted to change the color of the inmates jumpsuits from orange to black and white stripes because authorities think orange is becoming too “fashionable” due to the popular show. Do you agree with this action?

Read more: 

‘Orange is the New Black’ author and husband tell it like it is

New Black Gives Women In Prison A Voice

Daredevil

We all know movies based on comic books are HOT! They appeal to men/women, old/young and they bring in big bucks at the box office. Well Netflix will be getting in on the action with their own original series based on Marvel’s Daredevil. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the comic (or didn’t see the early 2000’s movie with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner) Daredevil is the story of Matt Murdock a lawyer by day, crime fighter by night. The twist to this archetypal superhero storyline is that Murdock is completely blind and uses his heightened senses to fight crime. The show is scheduled to be released on Netflix in 2015.

The show is still being cast but these roles have been announced:

Matt Murdock/Daredevil – Charlie Cox, an English Actor not well known in the states yet.

Wilson Frisk – Vincent D’Onofrio, from Law & Order

Karen Page – Deborah Ann Woll, from True Blood

Rosario Dawson – Has apparently joined the cast but her role has yet to be released.

Stay tuned for more new and updates on Daredevil! Read more here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/true-bloods-deborah-ann-woll-719222

Thanks to IMDB.com for Images!

Grace & Frankie

I’m a big fan of Television, I love comedies, dramas, basically I love all good TV. Growing up my favorite show of all time has to be Friends. Even now, after the show has been off the air for 10 years anytime I can’t find anything else to watch I know I can always watch a rerun of Friends and be thoroughly entertained. While I’ve watched the same episodes over and over again, I still crack up every time I watch those 6 crazy characters. I’ve spent the last few weeks now tracking news for Netflix. Today I came across an article that got me really excited about an upcoming Netflix original series. The show “Grace and Frankie” will be an sitcom coming to Netflix starring Jane Fonda, Lilly Tomlin, and Martin Sheen. It’s from the co-creator of Friends Mara Kaufman and Howard J. Morris. The show will follow Fonda and Tomlin two arch enemies who find common ground after their husbands fall in love with each other, divorce their wives, and plan to get married.  The show is set to release on Netflix it’s first 13 episode season in 2015. This should be interesting to see this series coming up, aside from Arrested Development Netflix doesn’t have any other comedic sitcoms on it’s resume. I’ll be sure to keep posting any new developments. If you’d like to read more check out this article: http://www.deadline.com/2014/07/june-diane-raphael-baron-vaughn-netflix-grace-frankie-jane-fonda-lily-tomlin/ 

Looking for Something to Watch?

Image: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef0162fef525ba970d-pi

Summer isn’t typically the best time for TV. Network shows are on hiatus till the fall, and there are only so many reruns and reality shows one can watch before losing their mind a little. If you’re already caught up on Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards and looking for something different I suggest checking out one of the other Netflix original series like Hemlock Grove or Lillyhammer.

Hemlock Grove is a Horror/Thriller series created by Eli Roth, best known for directing Hostel. The series begins with the brutal murder of a young teenage girl, in a small Pennsylvania town. Unsure of the cause for the vicious attack the show follows main characters Roman Godfrey, played by Bill Skarsgard and Peter Rumancek, played by Landon Liboiron as they investigate the murder of their fellow classmate. I began watching this series this past week, from what I’ve seen so far it reminds me a bit of a mix between American Horror Story and True Blood. If you like paranormal/science fiction style shows I think you like this. Netflix released the second season of Hemlock Grove this week.

Lillyhammer may be one of the lesser known Netflix series but was actually Netflix’s first released original series in 2012. The show originally aired on Norwegian television before coming to Netflix. The series stars Steve Van Zandt, former cast member of The Sopranos and musician for the E Street Band, as a NYC mobster moved to Lillehammer, Norway. I have yet to check out this series but I think it could be an interesting fish out of water type situation with a gangster twist. For anyone who liked the Soprano’s this is one to check out. The series had 2 seasons now streaming on Netflix with a 3rd to come in January 2015.

These series should help get you though till September when the network shows return. Let us know what you think. To read more check out this article from Crushable: http://www.crushable.com/2014/07/11/entertainment/the-other-netflix-original-series-hemlock-grove/